Master GEREE'S CASE of CONSCIENCE SIFTED Wherein is enquired VVhether the KING considering His Oath at Coronation to protect the Clergy and their Priviledges can with a safe Conscience consent to the Abrogation of EPISCOPACY AUG de Trin. l. 4. c. 6. Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit CYPR. Ep. 27 Dominus noster cujus praecepta metuere observare debemus Episcopi honorem Ecclesiae suae rationem disposuit Dr. CORN BURGES Fire of the Sanctuary p. 68. Men now count it an high piece of zeal to direct their Directors and like Clock-makers to take the Church all in pieces at their pleasure By EDWARD BOUGHEN D. D. LONDON Printed in the yeare 1650. TO THE MOST EXCELLENT AND PIOUS PRINCE CHARLES KING of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and Guardian of the Church SIR IT may seem strange to some but my hope is not to Your Majesty that I make this Dedication at this time to Your sacred Person The matter of this Treatise is in Your behalf it justifies Your solemn Oath at Coronation the just necessitie of this Oath as also Your Crown and dignity and the goodliest Floure in that Crown Supremacy To whose hands then should I chiefly present it but to Yours The times affright me not from my faith and duty I remember well that during the Ecclipse of heaven and the King of heaven there was one that durst acknowledge our Saviours Kingdom and in the full assurance of his title preferr'd his petition to him as a King And shall I be ashamed to do the like I know You are my onely Soveraign here on earth I know You represent my Saviour in his kingly office though Your Crown be wreathed with thorns With all humility therefore I present this acknowledgement of my most loyall affections which are due to Your sacred Majestie from Your poore but most faithfull Subject Edward Boughen To the intelligent READER I Was intreated by a very good Friend to take Mr. Gerees Case of Conscience into consideration and to bestow some pains in disclosing the weaknesse and foulnesse of his arguing Truly I was willing to undeceive my seduced Countreymen and yee ded to his request The Treatise I finde to be small but dangerous It aims at the ruine both of Church and Kingdom It perswades the King that his Oath as Coronation is a wicked Oath and that he ought to break it And then wo be to his Soul and the Kingdoms safety Yea he affirms it to be Vinculum iniquitatis the bond of iniquitie Thus he hath knit up out most gracious Soveraign with all His religious Predecessors in the bundle of iniquity No sooner read I this but b my heart was hot within me and while I was musing upon this and the like blasphemies the fiâ—e was kindled within me and at the last I spake with my tongue Why should this Shimei blaspheme my Lord the King and slander the footsteps of those anointed of the Lord that have so long slept in peace Because he hath done this wickednesse the Lord shall return it upon his owne paâ—e And King Charles shall eblessed and his throne shall be established before the Lord for ever Consult I pray you with Dr. Cornelius Burges a feirce Assembly man and of great authority among them and he will tell you that God is tender not onely of the safety but also of the honour of HIS ANOINTED In so much that he hath made a law to all not to revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of the people Which Law saith he not onely prohâ—biteth imprecations and seditious railings which are an HELLISH IMPIETY though it be but in word onely â—e the Prince never so impious but even all rude bitter and unseemly speeches And Mr. Nathaniel Ward in his Sermon upon Ezech. 19. 14. preached before the Commons June 30. 1647. affirmes that besides the male administrations of Government by Magistrates themselves there is no readier way to prostiâ—ute it then to suffer vile men to BLASPHEME AND SPIT IN THE FACE OF AUTHORITY All this Master Geree hath done most undeservedly If then I shall cleare the Kings Oath from these foule imputations I shall prove Mr. Geree to be involved in the bond of iniquity And he that is so his heart is not right in the sight of God he is in the very gall of bitternesse Just in Simon Magus case I shall therefore take up S. Peters words and advise him to Repent of this his wickednesse to pray God if perhaps the thought of his heart may be forgiven him If you conceivâ—â— I have ventered upon some questions not so fit to be handled without my Profession I beseech you take notice that this Minister hath led me into these undesired and unpleasant pathes He that undertakes to answer a book is bound to confute all but what he approves Silence in such passages speaks consent Good Reader let true reason Scripture and authority guide thee and then thou shalt be sure to judge impartially Take notice that J G. stands for Mr. John Gerees Case of Conscience I D. for Jus Divinum regiminis Ecclesiastici Sir Robert Cotton for his Treatise that the Soveraignes person is required in the great Councels or Assemblies of the State His Majesties Oath published by Himself in an Answer to the Lords and Commons in Parliament 26. May. 1642. SIR will you grant and keep and by your Oath confirm to the people of England the Laws and Customs to them granted by the Kings of England you Lawfull and Religious Predecessors and namely the Laws and Customs and Franchises granted to the Clergie by the glorious King S. Edward your Predecessor according to the Laws of God the true profession of the Gospel established in this Kingdom and agreeable to the Prerogative of the Kings thereof and the ancient Customs of this Realme Rex I grant and promise to keep them Episcopus Sir will you keep Peace and godly agreement entirely according to your power both to God and the Holy Church the Clergie and the people Rex I will keep it Episcopus Sir will you to your power cause Law Justice and Discretion in mercie and truth to be executed in all your Judgments Rex I will Episcopus Will you grant to hold and keep the Laws and rightfull Customs which the Commonaltie of this your Kingdom have and will you defend and uphold them to the honour of God so much as in you lieth Rex I grant and promise so to do Then one of the Bishops reads this Admonition to the King before the people with a loud voice OUR Lord and King We beseech you to pardon grant and to preserve unto us and to the Churches committed to our charge all Canonicall Priviledges and due Law and Justice and that you would protect and defend us as every
good King ought to be a Protector and Defender of the Bishops and Churches under his Government Rex With a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my part and that I will preserve and maintain to you and the Churches committed to your charge all Canonicall priviledges and due Law and Justice and that I will be your Protector and Defender to my power by the assistance of God as every good King in his Kingdome by right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under his Government Then the King ariseth and is led to the Communion Table where he makes a solemne Oath in sight of all the â—â—opâ—e to observe the premises and laying his hand on the Booke saith The Oath The Things that I have before promised I shall perform and keep so p 〈…〉 me God and the Contents of this Book The Contents CHAP. I. VVHether the King may lawfully consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy 1. CHAP. II. Whether the Kings Oath taken at his Coronation be an unlawfull Oath 4. CHAP. III. Whether Prelacy in the Church of England were an usurpation 9. CHAP. IV. Whether the King may consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy if so that calling be lawfull 18. CHAP. V. Whether ye have not bound your selves by your Solemne League and Covenant to maintaine Episcopacy 22. CHAP. VI. Whether the King without impeachment to his Oath at Coronation may consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy 31 CHAP. VII Whether the King may desert Episcopacy without perjury 37. CHAP. VIII Whether the Kings Oath to the Clergie be injurious to his other subjects and inconsistent with his Oath to the people 41. CHAP. IX How far forth and wherein the Clergie is subject to a Parliament and to what Parliament 52 CHAP. X. Whether it be lawfull for the King to abrogate the Rights of the Clergie 60. CHAP. XI Whether the Clergie and Laity be two distinct bodies or one body Politicke That Church-men in all ages had some singular priviledges allowed them 69. CHAP. XII Whether to sit and Vote in Parliament be incongruous to the calling of Bishops 78. CHAP. XIII Certaine light and scandalous speeches concerning Prince Preist tenderly touched 87. CHAP. XIV Whether the Lands of the Church may be forfeited by the misdemeanour of the Clergie 93. CHAP. XV. Whether it be lawfull to take away the Bishops Lands and to confer them upon the Presbytery 104. CHAP. XVI How far forth the King ought to protect the Church Bishops 114 CHAP. XVII Whether there be two Supremacies in this Kingdome 127 Mr. GEREES Case of Conscience SIFTED CHAP. I. Whether the King may lawfully consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy 1. I Find a Case of Conscience proposed by Mr. Geree and this it is Whether the King considering his O that Coronation to protect the Clergie and their Priviledges can salvâ conscientiâ consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy But why I pray you is the question proposed here when you have determined it before For doth not your Title page speak thus In this Case of Conscience it is cleared that the King may without impeachment to his Oath touching the Clergie at Coronation consent to the Abrogation of Episcopacy Thus you have full magisterially determined before the question be so much as proposed Is this the fashion first to resolve and then to argue the case This may be the course of Hereticks it is otherwise with good Catholicks But you are resolved to maintain that a Christian may swear and forswear without the least prejudice to his soul 2. And your practice is accordingly witnesse the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy which you with your great Masters have taken more then once And those of your perswasion have taken up Arms against their Soveraign Lord without impeachment to their Oath of Allegiance and maintain that The Parliament is subordinate to no power under Heaven without any breach of the Oath of Supremacie And your self like a good Preacher of Gods Word have taken the Oath of Canonicall obedience to the Bishop and yet endeavour the abrogation of Episcopacy and the extirpation of that Order from whence you had your Orders and without which you could have had no Orders 3. Me thinks the Smectymnuans should not endure this Proposition since with them a Bishop and a Presbyter are one and the same Thus while you endeavour to ruinate Episcopacy you subvert the Presbytery according to their tenets I wonder much how your case hath passed so long unsifted and uncensured by the Divine Masters of your learned Assembly 4. But I shall take it for your best advantage as it is distinguished or as we say a distinct order from Presbytery I shall also take into consideration the severall motives which you produce for the Abrogation of Episcopacy 5. Whereof your first is this that there is no hope of the Kings or Kingdoms safetie without an union between our King and Parliament I must confesse with anguish of spirit as matters have been handled the King and Kingdom are driven into a great streight and an Vnion between our King and your Parliament hath been prayed for and sought for by all commendable or tolerable means The hope left us is onely in our God and Saviour whose custome it is to scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts to pull down the mighty from their throne and to exalt the humble and meek Thus can he shew strength with his arm and do great things for us And this I hope in his due time he will do and reduce this Kingdom from irreligion and sacriledge and not cast off the innocent with the prophane blasphemers Oh that we might begge that blessing from Heaven to see a Parliament rightly regulated religiously minded and with-out any by ends of their own men of courage fearing God men dealing truly hating covetousnesse Such as will not be led by a multitude to do evil or to subvert the truth I am certain we should then have an Union a blessed Vnion between King and Parliament 6. But by you it seems that there is now no probable or possible means of reconciliation left in mans judgement unlesse the King yeeld to the extirpation of Episcopacy You should have added unlesse he lay down his Lands Royalties and just Prerogatives at his Subjects feet unlesse he abandon the wife of his bosome and become a stranger to the Children of his loins unlesse he sacrifice his friends to the malice of his foes and the ruine of whole families to their avarice unlesse he cast off the Service of God that most excellent form of Common Prayer and give up the houses and lands of God and all that is accounted holy to satiate their sacrilegious appetite 7. But in sober sadnesse do you beleeve that the Abrogation of Episcopacy is that they yawn at You are mistaken good brother the Episcopall houses and lands as also what ever belongs to Deans and
Say not that in case of necessity Presbyters may ordaine when you maliciously make the necessity God provides for such necessities as are inforced upon us or happen casually and inevitably not for those whereinto we wittingly and wilfully plunge our selves Delve up the root God will hardly work a miracle to provide sap for the branches or body of the tree Sine nostro officio est plebi certa pernicies It is S. Austins Without our without the EPISCOPALL OFFICE there is certaine ruine to the people S. Austine was a Bishop when he resolved thus and wrote it to a Bishop That I may speake plainly God and the times require it No Bishop no Preist no Preist no Lords Supper no Lords Supper no Salvation according to the ordinary way prescribed by our blessed Saviour 8. This shall be made good first according to your Protestation secondly according to your Solemn League and Covenant In your Protestation ye have vowed in the presence of Almighty God to maintain and defend the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the doctrine of the Church of England This doctrine is punctually and carefully delivered in the 39 Articles According to which Articles I proceed thus The ordinary way to heaven is by the Word and Sacraments No man may preach or administer the Sacraments but he that is lawfully called and sent None are lawfully called and sent but they onely who are called and sent by those that have authority But Bishops and onely Bishops have authority to send in this kind And therefore No Bishop no ordinary way to heaven 9 The first Proposition is not doubted of by Protestant or Papist it is therefore taken for granted The second Proposition is in terminis let down Art 23. It is not lawfull for any man to take upon him the Office of PUBLICKE PREACHING or MINISTRING THE SACRAMENTS in the congregation before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same The third is likewise expressed in the same Article Those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent which be chosen and called to this work by men who have publick authority given unto them in the congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard And who are these men that have this authority Bishops onely Bishops So the 36 Article The book of consecration of Arch-Bishops and Bishops and ordering of Preists and Deacons doth containe all things NECESSARY to such consecration and ordering And whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book â—â—e decreed to be RIGHTLY ORDERLY and LAWFULLY CONSECRATED and ordered But therein the Bishop onely hath authority to ordain And in the Preface to the Book of Ordination it is resolved that I is requisite that NO MAN SHALL EXECUTE ANY OF THESE ORDERS except he be called tried examined and admitted ACCORDING TO THE FORME FOLLOWING in that Book 10. Thus we cannot but see that according to the expresse doctrine of this Church of England without a Bishop no Sacraments and consequently no salvation For though God can save without meanes yet he hath tied us to the meanes and the meanes must be used if we desire to be saved This book was composed and set forth in the time of K Edward the sixt by those holy men who afterwards were blessed Martyrs and at the same time confirmed by full consent and authority of Parliament After this in the time of Queen Elizabeth it was again confirmed and alwaies ratified with the 39 Articles and the Clergie injoyned to subscribe to this booke in and with those Articles that so they might be known to be in Communion with the Church of England Thus far with the Protestation CHAP. V. Whether ye have not bornd your selves by your Solemne League and Covenant to maintain Episcopacy 1. NOw I descend to your Solemne League and Covenant wherein ye have publickly vowed to endeavour the Reformation of Religion according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches I shall therefore prove first by the Word of God and secondly by the best reformed Churches that ye have solemnly bound your selves to maintain Episcopacy if so ye are resolved to keep this branch of your Covenant 2. First we know that there is no other name under heaven whereby we may be saved but onely the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly we are agreed that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Thirdly our Saviour saith flatly Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you We cannot therefore but acknowledge that without the Word and Sacraments there 's no salvation Since then all those that are in Orders exercise the ministration of the Word and Sacraments not in their own name but in Christs and do MINISTER BY HIS COMMISSION AND AUTHORITY we are therefore to enquire who have this Commission given them in and by the word of Christ For S. Paul wonders how any man can preach in publick except he be sent The Commission for preaching was immediately given by our B. Saviour both to the twelve Apostles and to the seventy Disciples To the twelve St. Luk 9. 2. St. Matth. 28. 19. To the seventy St. Luk. 10. 9. 16. The Commission to consecrate and administer the Lords Supper is given to the twelve Apostles St. Luk. 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. St. Paul and St. Matthias also were immediately admitted to the Apostleship by Christ himself These and onely these who are here mention'd were immediately ordained by our B. Saviour 3. But our Saviour having commanded and provided that All Nations should be taught and baptized and having instituted and in his holy Gospel commanded us to continue a perpetuall memory of his precious death untill his coming again that this might be done he gave his Apostles this large commission As my Father hath sent me even so send I you And how was that even to preach to baptize to consecrate and administer the Lords Supper to binde sinners and loose the penitent and to ordain other Apostles and Presbyters which might continue these blessings to his people in all ages As also else-where in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A gift ye have received give this gift The Greeks take not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adverbially but substantively and I beleeve in the East they understand their own the Greek tongue better then we do in the West And as they were commanded they did S. Paul and S. Barnabas were Apostles and them we find ordaining Presbyters in every Church where they come Act. 14. 23. S. Paul himself ordains Timothy to be the Apostle or Bishop of Ephesus He gives the power of Ordination to Titus Tit. 1. 5. And acknowledgeth it to be in Timothy 1 Tim. 5. 22. These were the Apostles or Bishops properly so called of their severall Churches These had the
beare in the Church Let Salmasius speake They at that time were mamed Apostles revera erant EPISCOPI JVRE EODEM ET ORDINE QUO HODIE HABENTUR qui Ecclesiam regunt Presbyteris praesunt and indeed were BISHOPS IN THE SAME RIGHT AND OF THE SAME ORDER WHEREOF AT THIS DAY THOSE ARE ACCOUNTED Who govern the Church and rule Presbyters But this very Office was none of those which were extraordinary and to continue for a season onely no no in Beza's judgement it is quotidianum munus an Office of daily use of necessity therefore it must be perpetull in the Church And yet the duties of that Office were such quibus sustinendis non alius quilibet e vulgo pastorum par fuisset as none of the vulgar Pastors no ordinary Presbyters were meet to undertake And what are these Even to redresse what is amisse and to ordain Presbyters These are matters of moment and require more then ordinary discretion For this cause S. Paul left Titus at Creete and for this very end he sent Epaphroditus to Philippi though at that time there were in that Citie many Bishops Phil. 1. 1. If then there needed no ordination but every man without orders might have discharged Presbyteriall duties or if the Presbyter-Bishops of that Citie might have set that Church in order and therein ordaine Presbyters Why did S. Paul send Epaphroditus to Philippi to do those things which might either have been left undone or at least have been done as well without him Surely S. Paul imposeth not needlesse businesses upon any 16. Bishops there were you will say before in that Church if then it belong to the Episcopall Order to ordain and reforme in the Church what is amisse why was Epaphroditus sent thither Take notice I beseech you that those Bishops were but Presbyters or Presbyter Bishops which Order never had the power either of Ordination or Jurisdiction S. Paul therefore sends unto them Epaphroditus an Apostle-Bishop who could performe both This you see acknowledged by your most able and subtill advocate 17. Well let it be what it will lawfull or unlawfull t is all one in this exigent or distresse that his Majestie is put to notwithstanding that his oath the King say you without impeachment may in this circumstance consent to the Abrogation of Episcopacy His Majesties oath now falls in question and I shall be willing fairely and calmely to consider wherein and how far forth a Christian King is bound to keepe or breake his Oath CHAP. VI. Whether the King without impeachment to his Oath at Coronation may consent to the Abrogation of Episcopacy 1. THis question hath two branches The first Whether a Christian King be bound to keep his Oath The second Whether he may notwithstanding his Oath consent to the Abrogation of Episcopacy His Majesties Coronation deserves also to be looked upon since an oath deliberately and solemnly taken deserves the more seriously to be thought on and will draw from God the heavier doome if despised or slighted 2. By your own confession it is evident that an oath against Christs Institution is vinâ—u um iniquitatis an impious oath and ought not to be observed but to be cut off with shame and sorrow since all bonds to sin is frustrate Confesse we must that an oath against God revealed will or honour is a bond to sin and therefore no sooner made then void and to be abhorred Such is your Covenant against Episcopacy And had the King either through misunderstanding ill advice or fear taken that irreligious Covenant he had been obliged by your confession to have made it frustrate since it is a bond to sin because it is against Christs Word and Instituition as is manifested c. 2. 4. 3. But an oath taken in truth and righteousnesse and judgement because it is of such things as may justly and lawfully be performed yea because God approves ratifies this oath is vinculum aequitatis necessitatis such a bond as equity and conscience bind us necessarily to performe to the utmost of our power But such is his Majesties Oath at Coronation concerning the Church the Spouse of Christ 4. No unrighteousnesse can ye shew in it the lawfulnesse of Episcopacy as also their just right to govern Presbyters is sufficiently justified c. 4. No untruth for our Soveraigne hath sworn to maintaine an Ordinance of truth of Christ himself And sub paenâ judicij upon paine of judgment he is bound to make good this his Oath so justly taken least he fall into the hands of God and so into eternall judgement For Justice requires that every man much more a Christian and a King keep his Oath made upon such grounds though it be with hazard both of Crown and life and all that may be indangered upon earth 5. Consider I beseech you how in an oath we call God to record and we make him not onely our witnesse but our suretie that we will with his blessing performe what we have vowed or sworne in his name And not onely so but we call upon him to be our Judge and the Revenger of our perfidiousnesse if so we wittingly depart from this Oath With what face then can we fall back and wilfully incurre perjury Is not this as Philo Judaeus hath it to make God a shelter for our wickednesse and to cast our sin upon him That so to the infamie of Christian Religion we may â—oder up a faire repute before men Is not this to cast aside not onely a fore-head but all conscience and the fear of God Oh saith S. Austin What blindnesse can equall this to hunt after a little vaine glory by deceiveing man while in thy heart thou sleightest God the searcher of all secrets As if his error who thinks thee good were comparable with thine who seekest to please man with a show of good whilest thou displealest God with that which is truly naught 6. But this is no new thing to you that have dispenced so long so often so variously with so many Oaths of Supremacie Allegeance and canonicall obedience That have done so many strange acts contrarie to your faith and subscription Take heed in time lest not onely your oaths but your own hand-writing arise in judgement against you for casting off the Book of Ordination For renouncing the Booke of Common-Prayer For disclaiming the Articles of the Church of England with those three Creeds the glory and hope of all good Christians Thus you and your brethren are become Apostata's and renegadoes to all Religion and piety gracelesse faithlesse perjured men God of his mercy give you a sence of these sins that so you may in time repent and make some satisfaction to the Church of Christ by an open confession and by a full detestation of those presumptuous and crying sins 7. This Oath his Majestie took solemnly before God in the house of God in the presence of
to slip in the Presbyters they are not the men they are not called for These are Episcopall privileges all other Ecclesiasticall persons are to be contented with those liberties and free customes quas priùs habuerunt which they enjoyed heretofore 8. The Writ summoned this Parliament for the defence of the Church of England Herein you have also made the Writ void for you have destroyed the Church of England And in destroying the Church you have destroyed the Writ The Commission is for defence they then that destroy what they are bound to defend overthrow their Commission Our Saviour sent his Apostles to preach peace to blesse and not to curse to please God and not man If then we preach warre and not peace if we curse when we ought to blesse if we please men and not God we forfeit our Commission S. Paul is plain If we please men we are none of Christs servants much lesse Apostles For his servants we are whom we obey whom we please If then we prove faithlesse and unprofitable servants we shall be turned out of our Masters house even out of doores and cast into outer darknesse Upon these grounds I argue thus He that overthrows the prime intention of the Writ overthrows the Writ But you have overthrown the prime intention of the Writ Therefore you have overthrown the Writ That you have overthrown the prime intention of the Writ I prove thus The prime intention of the Writ is for the State and defence of the Church of England But you have overthrown the State and defence of the Church of England You have therefore overthrown the prime intention of the Writ The second Proposition cannot be denied it is so palpably true The former is Sir Edw Cokes his words are these The State and defence of the Church of England is first in intention of the Writ And if the Writ be made void all the processe is void and so farewell Parliament 9. Besides I have learned that the assembly of Parliament is for three purposes First for weighty affairs that concern the King Secondly For the defence of his Kingdome And thirdly for defence of the Church of England For the King no question but the Bishops are faithfull to him We see they have constantly adhered to him in these times of triall In Gods and the Kings cause they have all suffered and some died commendably if not gloriously For the defence of the Kingdome none more forward with their advice purses and prayers And for the Church who so fit who so able to speake as Bishops Versed they are in the divine Law in Church history and in the Canons of the Church They fully understand not onely the present but the ancient state of the Church They know what is of the Essence of the Church what necessary and what convenient onely what is liable to alteration and what not These things are within the verge of their profession and most proper for them to speak to 10. When King David first resolved to bring up the Arke of the Lord from Kiriath-jearim into his own Citie he consulted with the Captains of thousands hundreds cum universis Principibus and with all his Princes about this businesse By their advice he orders that the Arke should be carried in a new Cart and Vzzah and Ahio are to drive it But what becomes of this consultation An error was committed clean thorough and Vzzah suffers for it Though David were a marvelous holy man and a good King and had a company of wise religious Councellors about him in the removall and ordering of the Arke they were mistaken because they did not advise with the Preists about it For the Preists lips preserve knowledge they shall inquire of the Law at his mouth And the Law will not have a Cart to carrie the Arke nor Lay-men to meddle with it David saw his mistake with sorrow and confesseth to the Preists that he and his Councellors had not sought God after the due order And why so Quia non eratis praesentes so the Fathers read because the Preists were not present he had not consulted with them about this sacred businesse And hence it is that they did illicitum quid somthing that was unlawfull That then a thing be not unlawfull we must consider not onely what is to be done but the order and manner is to be considered how it ought to be done least failing of the due order it prove unlawfull Most Christians know bonum what is good but few are skilled in the bene how it ought to be done and that is it that makes so many ruptures so many breaches and factions in the world because every man will prescribe the order and manner which God knows they ttle understand 11. When therfore David had once more resolved to fetch up the Arke from the house of Obed Edom he calls for the Preists and acknowledgeth that none ought to carrie the Arke of God but they and that therefore the Lord had made a breach upon him and his because the Preists had not brought it up at first That this fault may be duly and truely mended David commands the Preists to sanctifie themselves and to bring up the Arke They did so they brought it up upon their shoulders according to their dutie And God helped the Levites that bare the Arke because it was now done in due order It is no shame then for us to acknowledge our error with David and with him to amend what is amisse Yea this was such a warning to him that he would not so much as resolve to build an house for the Lord till he had acquainted the Prophet Nathan with it In matters therefore that concern the Arke of the Covenant the Church of the living God it is not safe to do any thing without the Preists advice If then the cheif and maine end of calling a Parliament be for the good of the Church it is most necessary to have the cheif Fathers of the Preists present But Sir Edward Coke assures me that this is the main end of calling a Parliament His words are these Though the State and defence of the Church of England be last named in the Writ yet is it FIRST IN INTENTION And what is first in intention is chiefly aimed at all other things that are handled are but as means to effect that It is not then incongruous but most consonant to the calling of Bishops to sit and Vote in Parliament 12. Besides if the honour of God and of holy Church be first in intention how shall the honour of God and of the Church be provided for how defended when the Fathers of the Church are discarded who know best what belongs to Gods honour who are most able to speake in defence of the Church to shew how she ought to be
and power If then it be not lawfull for the King neither is it Lawfull for his great Councell to take away the legall rights of others against Law And therefore not the legall Rights of Bishops Deanes and Chapters or any other of the Clergie For by the Laws of the Land we have as firme an interest and as true a freehold in those possessions wherein to we are admitted or inducted as any other of his Majesties subjects have in theirs Boast not of your power power must attend upon Justice not go before it nor over-rule it Iâ— Justice take place it is a judiciall a just power but if power over sway Justice the Government proves tyrannicall 23. As for the power of making Laws we must know that by the Common Law which is guided by the light of nature and the word of God that power is acknowledged to be in the King Who is legâ—â—us superior as Fitz harbert speaks above the Law But the Soveraignes of this Realme to reitifie the tender care they have of their peoples welfare and the desire they have to injoy their love have so far condescended in the Stature Law that they will not henceforth do so without the advice assent of the Houses This is not to give them a Supremacie but to admit them to advice This is the way to win the most refractary to submit to those Laws whereto they have given consent either in person or by proxy Besides what is concluded on with good advice by Common consent and hath the opprobation of diverse wise learned and religious persons gives better satisfaction to all in generall then what is done by one alone be it never so well done And yet to this day the power of ordeining establishing and enacting Laws is reserved wholly to the Crowne Most of these Statute Laws are as so many Royall legacies bequeathed to this Nation by the severall Soveraignes and Fathers of this Countrey Not a Liberty or priviledge not any Land or tenement but is originally derived from the Crowne Such hath been the goodnesse and bounty of our Princes to us their unworthy subjects All we have is from them and now we take all from them Is this gratitude We serve God and the King alike we are resolved to seize upon all that is called sacred And I have learned that not onely the Kings house but his very lands are called in Law Patrimonium sacrum the holy Patrimony Is not this that sacra fames that sacred hunger which is so greedy of all that is called sacred 24. Brand not us poore Clergie-men with foule and fained aspersions delude not the People with false forged suggestions Whose legall priviledges or rights have we invaded or sought after When did we ever desire or perswade his Majestie to do the least injurie to people or Parliament Your own conscience clears us in the generall And your own profession is that you cannot but have a better conceit of the major part of the Clergie at this time that they will not be so tenacious of their wealth and honour as tâ— let the Crowne run an hazard If then we will and have parted with that which is justly ours rather then in the least manner we would prejudice the king or wrong our own consciences certainly we cannot perswade the king to make any ingagement to us against the Laws and legall rights of others If any particular person have offended in this kind we make no Apologie for him upon just proofe let him have a legall censure This Kingdom cannot but take notice that we have been so far from incroaching upon others that we have parted with uâ— own rights though not with Gods We have deserted all we had to preserve a good conscience This is truly cedere jure suo to part with our own that we may not faile that trust which is committed to us We justifie Gods right and lose our own 25. We confesse that the king is bound to maintain the legall priviledges of people and Parliament but not so as to destroy Gods rights or the priviledges of his Ministers That be farre from him Suum cuique the true Princely justice is to be just to God and man to give God what is his and impartially to his subjects what is theirs as also what truly belongs to them in their severall places and professions His Majestie knows full well that the liberties of the Subject the priviledges of Parliament and rights of the Clergie have long consisted and prospered together Take away the Vine and the Elme will beare no fruit take away the Elme and the Vine will fall to the ground and be trod to durt 26. That the King hath been alwaies ready to confirme needfull not wanton not malicious not destructive Bills cannot be denyed by any of his impartiall conscionable subjects The quarrell raised against him is because he will not suffer Gods inheritance and the Churches patrimony to be devoured because he will not endure Gods service and all Religion to be trampled on because he end eavours to releive his poore people the Clergie against whatsoever greivance they suffer or threatned to be enforced upon them The same favour he alwaies hath and is at this time forward to afford to all his good people and loyall subjects Yea even to those that are neither good nor loyall 27. But before I take my leave of your Case of Conscience I shall resolve you what a pious designe you have ventered on and what a rock you have run your self upon You will I hope like the better of it because it comes from that Law you most delight in The Statute saith when a man secular or Religious slayeth his Prelate to whom he OWETH FAITH AND OBEDIENCE it is Treason If then it be Treason to slay the Prelate what sin is it to murder Prelacy certainly by how much the sin is greater to destroy the species all mankind then one particular man by so much is the Treason more heinous more abominable to kill Episcopacy then any one Bishop whatsoever And yet this you have endeavoured to the utmost of your power For this I shall leave you to the Law and to those whom the King shall send for the punishment of evill doers Pray we therefore for the safety of our Soveraigne and that he may with speed be restored to his throne for these times have made us sensible with Rabbi Chanina that were it not for fear of him alter alterum vivus devoraret one would devoure another quicke 28. Thus I think by this time I may safely conclude that it is sufficiently cleared that neither as a king nor as a Christian may his Majestie in Justice or conscience ingage himselfe or yeeld consent either to the extirpation of Episcopacy out of this Church of England or to the abrogation of the just priviledges of his Clergie or to the
An Dom 187. d Possed de vitâ August c 1. e Aug ep 225. f Aug. ep 224. g Possid de vitâ August c. 23. h Ib c. 24. i Ib. c. 25. Concil Antioch can 25. k Cypr. ep 38. Concil Chalced. can 26. * Concil Anti. och can 25. l Concil Ancyr can 15. m Act. 4. 34. 35. 37. 5. â— n Act 6. 3. o Ib. p 1 Tim. 5. 17. q 2 Cor. 1â— 14. r 2 Tim 2. 2. Å¿ 1 Tim. 1. 3. t 1 Tim. 6. 3. 5. u 1 Cor. 5. 11. x 2 Joh. 10. y Possid de virâ August c. 25. z I. G. p. 6. a Ib. b Prefat de non temerand Eccles c I. G p. 5. d I. G. p. 6. e Ib. f Deut. 23. 18. g Theod. hist l. 3. c. 11. h Ignat. ad Rom. p. 250. Hieron Damas ep 57. 58. Basil M. ep 292. Cypr. ep 3 n. 6. ep 38. n. 3. i Concil Antioch can 9. 19. Christ Justellus in cod Eccles univer can 88. k Tit. 1. 5. l That by or for which any thing is made so is more so m Solemn League and Coven n. 4. n I. G. p. 9. o Sol. League Coven n. 2. p I. D. q Tit. 1. 5. r Cypr. ep 37. n. 1. Å¿ Ephes 2. 20. t Cypr. ep 65. n. 3. u Prov. 28. 24. x Concil Chalced can 25. y A work for which following generations should not need to pity the King as put upon it by misfortune but rise up and call him blessed whose many other disasters ended in so good and so usefull a work I. G. p 6. z 1 Sam. 15. 24. a Ib. â— 26. b You see the ingagement put upon the King is but to his power as every good King ought inright to protect and defend the Bishops Churches under their government I. G p 8 c Isa 40. 22 d I answer from the expressions in the Oath it self aâ— they are set down by the same author I. G. p. 8. e Sir Ed. Coke proem in Mag. Chart. f Psal 80. 13. g Ib. v. 25. h Such power is no further then he can do it without sinning against God and being injurious to the rest of his people I. G. p. 8. i Rom. 13. 1. 4. k When he hath interposed his authority for them and put forth all the power he hath to preserve them he hath gone to the extent of his power and as far as good Kings are bound in right I. G. p. 8. l Confer at Hampt Court p. 36. m S. Mat. 27. 4. n If after all this he must let them fall or support them with the blood of his good Subjects I. G. p. 8. o And those unwilling too to ingage their liues for the other privileges I. G. p. 8. p Jud. 3. 9. q Nehem. 6. 17. 18. 19. r 1 Cor. 9. 11. Å¿ Iud. 17. 7. t Ib. v. 10. u Mag. Charta c. 37. x I. G. p. 6. â— y 25. Ed. 3. * Concil Chalced can 24. z Statut. de provisor 25. Ed. 3. a Stat. of the Clergy 14. Ed. 3. 1 b Mag. Charta c. 37. c Ib. d I. G. p. 8. e That were to be cruel to many thousand to be indulgent to a few I. G. p. 8. f I. G. p. 8. g I think none will affirm it I. G. p. 9. h Mag. Charta c. 37. 38. i Sir Ed Coke in Litleton l. 2. Sect. 139. k Sir Ed Coke in Mag. Chart. c. 1. l Statute of Armour 7. Ed. 1. 1. Eliz. 3. m Such is the case with the King in this particular I. G. p. 9. n I. G. p. 9. o If the King should be peremptory in deniall what help would this be to them Such peremptorinesse in this circumstance might in danger his Crown not save their Mitres I. G. p. 9. p S Mat. 10. 28. q Hebr. 10. 31. r Vsque adeò peccatum voluntarium malum est ut nullo modo sit peccatum si non sit voluntarium Aug. de vera Relig c. 14. Å¿ Deut. 22 26. t Ib. v. 25. t Though it be in his power to deny assent to their abolition in a naturall sense because Voluntas nonpotest cogâ— yet it is not in his power in a morall sense because he cannot now deny consent without sin I. G. p. 9. u Aug. de Fide cont Manish c. 9. x Hoc habemus in potestate quod cum volumus possumus Aug. cont Maximin l. 3. c. 14. * Far are we from taking away his Negative voice Exact Collect of Remonst Declarat p. 727. x I. G. p. 9. y Rom. 4. 15. * Declarat of the Kingd of Scotland p. 19. z Lexterrae p. 14. a Ib p. 29. b I hope they will not be so tenacious of their wealth and honour as to let the Crown run an hazard and indanger the whole Land I. G. p. 5 c That the revenues be divided to maintain a preaching Ministery I G. p. 4. d Num. 16. 2. c Num. 16 16. 17. 35. f Ib. v 2. g Ib. v. 3. h Ib. v. 7. i Ib. v. 9. 10. k Ib. v. 40. l Ib. v. 42. m Ib. v. 41. n Ib. v. 49. o Numb 7 8. p Ib. v. 10. q Psal 54 7. r Ib. v. 8. Å¿ That was to set up tâ—o Supremacies I G. p. 3. t I. G. p. 9. u 3 Eliz. 9. c. x That the Supremum jus dominii even that which is above all laws is in the King which under favour I conceive in our State is a manifest error I. G. p. 9. y I. G. p. 9. z Rex non pareÌ„ habet in regno suo Bract. temps el. 3. l. 4. c. 24. Sect. 5. a 1. S. Pet 2. 13. 14. b Tertul. ad Scap. c. 2. c Tertul. Apol. c. 30. d Optat. l. 3. e 16. Rich. 2. 5. f 24. Hen. 8. 12. 1. Eliz. 1. g 1. Eliz. 1. h Chrysost Theodoret Theophilact Occum in Rom. 13. 1. i Act. 25. 10. k Ib. v. 11. l Act. 26. 32. m Hug Grot. de Jure belli l. 1 c. 3. Sect 7. n Atnob in Psal 51. 4. o Eccles 8. 4. p Psal 51. 4. q Instit of a Christ man fol 86. The supreme and Soveraigne Prince hath none between him and God representing the person of God executing his office and in this respect bearing his name to whom onely he is accountable Dr. Corn Burgesse Fire of the Sanct. p. 263. r Rex solus omnium subditoruÌ„ tam Laicorum quam Ecclesiasticorum in suis ditionibus supremus est Dominus Commo fact Postulat â—â—g cogni p 38 Å¿ Arnob. in Psal 51. 4 t 24. Hen. 8. 12. 1 Eliz. 1. u Sir Rob. Cotton p 5. x 1. Eliz. 3. y 16. Riâ— 2. 5. z 1. Eliz. 1. b Sir Ed Coke instit l 4. c 1. Sect. The severall forms c I. G. p. 8. d Rot. Clausa An. 59. Hen. 3. e Sir Rob Cotton p. 3 f Sir Ed. Coke in Litleton l 2 Sect. 164. g Sir Rob. Cotton p. 8. h I. G. p. 9. i Rot. claus An. 59. Hen. 3. k Speed in Ric. 2 c. 13. n. 102. l Sir Ed. Coke In stiâ—l 4 c. â— Sect How Parliaments succeed m 12. Ed. 4. 3. 2. Men. 5. 6. 9 n 13 Eliz. 2 27. Eliz 17. o Sir Fd. Coke in Litleton l. 2. Sect. 140. p Praesumitur Rex habere omnia jurain scrinio pectoris sui Ib. q I. G. p. 9. q The Houses of Parliament without the King cannot enact any Laws Declarat of the Kingd of Scotland p 19. r Bract. temps H. 3. l. 4. c. 24. Sect. 1. Å¿ â—lowd 234. 242. t Bract ib. u Ib. x Lex terrae p. 4. y Bract. temps H. 3. l. 4. c. 24. Sect. 5. z Ib. a 3 Ed. 3. 19. b Lex terrae p. 7. c Nee regna socium ferre nec tedae queunt d Sir Ed Coke Reports part 2. Magd. College Case e I. G. p. 9. f Sir Rob. Cotton p 1. g Ib. h Sir Ed Coke in Litleton l 2. Sect. 164. i Sir Rob. Cotton p. 8. k Ib. p. 9. l Ib p. 11. m Sir Ed Coke in Litleton l. 2. Sect. 164. n Sir Rob. Cotton p 3. o Ib. p The Supremum jus dominis that is over all Laws to make or disanull them at pleasure is neither in the King nor in the Houses aparti but in both conjoyned I. G. p. 9. q In his Proclamation before the Book of Common Prayer r Illud exploratissimum est leges patrias aut mutare aut ad earum obsequium sese non accommoda re negotium semper cum periculo fuisse conjunctiâ—simum Smith de Repub. Anglorum l. 1. c. 5. Å¿ Psal 80. 5. 6. t I. G. p. 9. u Ib. x Potentia sequi debet â—uâ—â—tiâ—m noâ— praeire Augde Trin l. â—â— c. 13. y The forms or Acts of parliament sometimes beein with Concessimus or Statuit Rex And of latter times Laws and Statutes begin as Deinz enacted by the King c Declarat of the Kingd of Scot and p. 19. * Nat Brev. tit Proâ—ection fol 28 z Pâ—uâ—imum â—acit ad populum corrigendum multorum in unâ re sententia atque consensus Hieron in Gal. 1. 2. a Sir Ed Coke in Mag Chart. c. 1. b Sir Ed. Coke in Litleton l. 2. Sect. 139. c Notit Imperii Orient c. 159. d Lex terrae p. 5. e This Oath to the Clergy cannot ingage him against the legall privileges of the people or Parliament I. G. p. 9. f I. G p. 5. 6. g Ib. p. 9. h I. G. p. 9. i Rom. 137. k One of which is to be ready by confirming needfull Bills to relieve theÌ„ against whatsoever grievance they suffer from any I. G. p. 10. l 25 Ed. 3. 2. m 1. S. â—et 2. 14. n Apud Jo. Coch in Notis ad Maccoth c. 1. n. 31. o Thus I think the Case is sufficiently cleared that notwithstanding the Kings Oath to the Clergie at his Coronation he may consent to the extirpation of Prelaey out of the Church of England I. G. p. 10 p Ib. p. 9.
Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof And yet the root of Episcopacy is our B. Saviour Who is called the Bishop of our soules from him it takes his rise from him it receives life it springs up and is watered with the dew of his heavenly blessing 4. We know that he from whom a familie springs is called the root of that familie That our Saviour is the root of Episcopacy that from him it received being and life is evident in the Apostles strictly so called who had their Orders immediately from Christ as is evident S. Mat 10. S. Luk 9. S. Iâ— 20. 21. c. To them he gave power to ordain Apostles in Gratis accepistis gratis date S. Mat. 10. 8. so S. Ambrose so S. Jerome so Gennadius Patriarch of Constantinople with seventy and three Bishops more in a full Synod Our Saviours words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Greekes understands thus A gift ye have received give ye this gift This Commission he renewed unto them after his Resurrection in these words As my Father sent me so send I you So S. Hilarie so S. Cyril and other with them upon the strength of this commission Christs Apostles ordeined some other to be Apostles conferring upon them the same honour and power which they themselves had received from Christ This is evident in S Iames Bishop of Hierusalem in Epaphroditus Bishop of Philippi and in Apollos Bishop of Corinth These are called Apostles in Scripture S. Iames Gal. 1. 19. Epaphroditus Phil. 2. 25. Apollos 1 Cor. 4. 9. And these are confessed to be Apostoli ab ipsis Ap stolis ordinati Apostles oâ—dained by the Apostles Even by S. Jerome Calvin and your mighty champion Walo Melsalinus 5. Apostles they were at that time called but afterwards that title upon just occasion was taken from them and the name of Bâ—shop was setled upon them and their successors in Office So Theodoret. The same persons were sometimes called both Presbiters and Bishops but those who are now named BISHOPS were then called APOSTLES But in processe of time the title of APOSTLE was reserved to those who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 APOSTLES properly and tâ—uly so called And the name of BISHOP became appropriated to those who were lately called APOSTLES Hence is it that Timothy and Titus are called Bishops and Apostles Bishops in the postscripts of those Epistles which were written to them by S. Paul but Apostles by Ignatius Theodoret and many other 6. Bishops they were at that time called when Episcopacy was distinguished from the Presbyteriall Order But Apostles they were named when a Bishop and a Presbyter were one and the same These were Apostâ—es not onely by name but in office and power and governed Churches and their Presbyter-Bishops by the same right and with the same authority that the cheife and prime Apostles swaied them with And as they governed so they and they onely ordained Presâ—yters 7. From hence we argue thus They that have the same name and office with the true Apostles are of the same order with the true Apostles Buâ— Bishop Timothy and Bishop Titus and Bishop Epaphroditus have the same name and office with the true Apostles They are therefore of the same order with the true Apostles The major is Smectymnuus his Proposition and not to be doubted of The minor or second Proposition shall be justified by Salmasius who in severall passages acknowledgeth this name and office and power in Epaphroditus Bishop of Philippi Take this for all Epaphroditus Pauâ—o dicitur Apostolus Philippensium quia ad Philippenses eum miser at ad Ecclesiam eorum confirmandam constituendos in eâ Presbyteros Episcopos That the name of Apostle was usually given to Timothy and Titus I have already manifested That the Apostâ—licall power was in each of them is evident by those Epistles which S. Paul wrote unto them and more briefly in these words to Titus For this cause left I thee in Creete that thou shouldest SET IN ORDER oâ— redresse WHAT IS WANTING or a misse and ORDAIN PRESBYTERS in every City as I have appointed thee Herein is both Jurisdiction and Ordination allowed him and the maine power of the Apostolicall Order consists in Jurisdiction and Ordination Herein the Bishops and onely Bishops succeed them 8. Since then the Apostleship and Episcopacy are one the same Office he that is the root and author of the one is the root and author of the other But Christ is the root and author of the Apostleship he is therefore the root and author of Episcopacy In Covenanting then to take away Episcopacy root and branch you have done no lesse then Covenanted to take away Jesus Christ who gave the Apâ—stles and u ordeined them in the Church Indeed ye have taken the ready way to root him out oâ— our hearts soules For ye have absolutely stripped the Church of the three Creeds the ten Commandments and the Lords Prayer with the Epistles and Gospels wherein was daily mention made of our B. God and Saviour as also of his power pleasure and mercy And what I pray you is become of the Lords Supper which we are commanded to administer and receive in remembrance of our B. Saviour And unlesse we eat his flesh and drink his blood in that holy Sacrament we have no life abiding in us Many Parishes in this Kingdom have been utterly deprived of this heavenly Supper even since their lawfull Parsons or Vicars have been imprisoned or sequestred by your instigation So farewell roâ—t and branch and fruit as much as in you lieth And now I hope the Kings Oath is cleerly discharged of sin and your Covenant sufficiently proved to be the bond of iniquity 9. But how comes it to passe that if root and branch must up yet by your Ordinance some branches of that root may be preserved For it is resolved that Ordination performed by a BISHOP being a Presbyter jâ—yned with other Presbyters is for substance vaâ—id and not to be disclaimedâ—y any that have received it And most probable it is that you are a branch or sucker of that root For Presbyters so ordained shall he admitted to a charge without any new ordination Is not this a flat contradiction some branches lopped off and some spared is this according to your solemne league and Covenant Indeed had they taken all branches away which spring from that root there had hardly been a man of any learning left And is not that Clerke who hath been ordeined by a Bishop a wise man to sware to root himselfe up if not here yet out of the land of the living For he that is not a member of the Church militant can never be a Saint in the Church triumphant CHAP. III. whether Prelacy in the Church of England were an usurpation 1. THe Question proposed is of Episcopacy the
had not onely the power of Ordination but of Jurisdiction also that is they had authoritie not onely to set in order what was amisse in the Church and to reform the Laitie but to 1. convent 2. silence and 3. excommunicate the Clergie even Deacons and Presbyters if they deserved it 12. For convention in the first place observe that S. Paul acknowledgeth in Bishop Timothy power to receive an accusation against a Presbyter or Elder and upon proofe to rebuke him Which could not be done without conventing him 2ly That the power to silence preaching Presbyters was in Bishop Timothy these words manifest Thou maiest command some that they teach no other doctrine And as for Bishop Titus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it be hoves him to stop the mouths of the disobedient and deceitfull as also to stay foolish questions and contentions And if this will not serve then must they proceed to higher censures even to excommunication For doth not S. Paul command Timothy to withdraw himself from those that teach unwholsome Doctrine And what this means let Beza speake Gravissime damnatos extra Ecclesiam ejicit he casts forâ—h these as condemned men out of the Church For as S. Cyprian speaks They that are not in communion with the Bishop are out of the Church Timothy then being Bishop of that Church and withdrawing his communion from them they were no longer members of the Church This power we see was in the Apostle Bishops but no man can shew that ever it was in the Presbyter Bishops Par enim in parem non habet potestatem it is a sure rule that no man hath power over his equall while his equall 13. The last place is reserved for the first in Scripture which you have kept for your reserve to help at a dead lift and this it is We beseech you brethren that ye know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you A great friend of the Presbytery tels us that this is the same with that which the Apostle speaks in another Epistle that those Presbyters are worthy of double honour who labour in the word and doctrine So then in his judgement this rule you so much boast of is but your labouring in the word and doctrine And surely he hath two able men that back him very well viz. Theâ—dâ—ret and Caâ—vin Theodoret tels us that when S. Pau saith Quâ—praesunt thâ—se thâ—t are over you in the Lord it is all one as if he haâ— said they that â—ffâ—â— up prayers and supplicaâ—ions for yâ—u And Caâ—vin thuâ— Qu DOCENDO rite fideliter GUâ—ERNANT who by TEACHING orderly and faithfully GOVERN the people And elâ—ewhere he expounds this kind of Gâ—verning by boris salutaribus consiliis popuâ—o praeire by guiding the peâ—ple with good and wholesome counsell The Preifis rule then consists in 1 Prayer for Gods people in 2 Admonishing 3 Instâ—ucting and 4 Advising them as also in 5 conveying to them those heavenly blessings by the Sacraments which in an ordinary way they could not otherwiâ—e obtain This is all the rule that I can find belonging to Presbyters And this was ever allowed you in your own Congregations while ye behaved your selves as the Ministers of Christ in all meeknesse and sobriety dividing the Word of God aright and while ye kept within the ruâ—e of faith 14. Thus your ruledome my fellow Presbyters is come to no great matter by these texts Shew me one place of Scripture that allowes Presbyters to excommunicate or absolve of their own authority and I shall be of your mind and justifie that ye have susteined much wrong If ye have been suspended from officiating or silenced ye may thank your unbridled tongues which have been so lavish in venting unsound and seditious doctrine The Bishop in these cases hath but discharged that dutie which is required of him by Gods Word 1 Tim. 6. 3. 5. 2. Tim. 3. 5. Tit. 1. 11. Tit. 3. 9. And it is no more then the Presbytery chalengeth to it selfe in those places where it hath gained authoâ—iâ—y 15. That ye were excluded from all society in Rule is that which troubles you Society pretends equâ—litie and Rule is that which ye affect So ye may be made Bishops or Bâ—shops fellowes equall with them in rule and authority all shâ—ll be well but till then we must expect no pâ—ace if ye can hinder it Hâ—d your leading Church-men beâ—n made Bishâ—ps or Deanes the Kâ—ngs oath had been most just and unalterable yea unquestionâ—ble Some mens mouths have been stopt so heretofâ—re the more the pitie And ye have gaped after such morsels What the benefit hath been is sufficiently discerned and ambitious male-contents shall no more I hope be tempted in this manner to continue among us when they are neither with us nor of us But I pray you what Society in Rule can you chalenge with the Bishops when by Scripture ye are made subject to them We know your pride Ye would faine be hail-fellows with your Governours both Ecclesiasticall and Civill Faine would ye have the raines in your own hands with Phaeton though it were with the same issue But how shall they learn to govern that know not how to obey All Baristers are not qualified to be Judges 16. But there is another thing which troubles you marvelously that you deem to be much more prejudiciall to the dignity and liberty of the Ministery namely to be subjected to a lay Chancelour And yet how many lay Chancelours have you subjected us to To the whole Parliament that 's plaine and yet not so much as one Presbyter among them And to every Committee-man both in Citie and Countrie Whose busie Apparators are all persons disaffected to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England And all this is for the dignity and liberty of the Ministery according to your new Magna Charta Thus much to manifest that ye are deeply plunged in those crimes which you boldly charge upon others But this is no new no strange thing For this hath been generally observed when your great Masters blemish our most gracious Soveraigne with any foule or illegall surmise they usually act it themselves Dominisimiles such Masters and such Chaplaines Par autem erat ut vel quod accusant non facerent vel quod facerent non accusarent But it were meet that either they should not do what they blame or not blame what they do 17. And now I beseech you which is most prejudicall to be subject to one lay Chancelour in a Diocese or to those great lay Courts of Lords and Commons and others at Westminster to so many lay Committees in the City to so many in every Countie Without whom ye are not able to subsist nor to abide in your Congregations if these men take but the least offence against you And how can the Gentrie and Comminaltie of this Kingdome
Sir Edward Coke because a Lawyer and a States-man This great learned man assures us that It is a more grievous and dangerous persecution to destroy the Priesthood then the Priests For by robbing the Church and spoyling spirituall persons of their revenues in short time insues GREAT IGNORANCE OF TRUE RELIGION and of the service of God and thereby GREAT DECAY OF CHRISTIAN PROFESSION For none will apply themselves or their sons or any other they have in charge to the Study of Divinitie when after long and painfull studie they shall have nothing whereupon to live Will not our Church then come to a sweet passe And yet to this passe we are almost brought 16. All the inconvenience that Mr. Geree presseth is this that we are not subject to the Parliament to be whipped and stripped as they please If we be not subject to them I am sure they have made us so But how far forth and wherein we are subject to the Parliament and what Parliament shall speedily be taken into consideration Chap. 9. 17. You speak much of a former and a latter Oath the former to the people the latter to the Clergy As if His Majestie took two severall Oaths at two severall times Whereas in truth it is but one Oath as you acknowledge p. 1. taken at the same time and as it were in a breath Indeed there are severall priviledges proposed to the King which he first promiseth and afterwards swears to maintain As for the promise it is first made in grosse to the people of England afterwards to the severall States of this Realm but first to the Clergie by name In generall to the people of England the King promiseth to keep the Laws and Customs to them granted by his lawful and religious Predecessors Under this word People are comprehended the Nobilitie Clergie and Commons of this Kingdom Afterwards distinguishing them into severall ranks he begins with the Clergie promising that he will keep to them the Laws Customes and Franchizes granted to them by the glorious King S. Edward his Predecessâ—â— Secondly he promiseth to keep peace and GODLY AGREEMENT entirely to his power both to God the holy Church the Clergie and the People Here also you see his promise to the Church and Clergie goes before that to the People In the third branch His Majestie promiseth to his power to cause Law Justice and discretion in mercy and truth to be executed in all HIS JUDGEMENTS to all before named Next he grants to hâ—ld and keep to the Comminalty of this HIS KINGDOM the Laws and rightfull Customes which they have TO THE HONOUR OF GOD mark that so much as in him lyeth The Commonalty you see are not mentioned till we come to the fourth clause And last of all lest the Bishops though implied in Church and Clergie should seem to be omitted and an evasion left to some malignant spirits to work their ruine and yet seem to continue a Clergie the King promiseth to the Bishops in particular that he will preserve and maintain to them all Canonicall priviledges and due Law and Justice and that he will be their Protector and Defender How then can he desert them or leave them out of his protection 18. These promises made the King ariseth is led to the Communion Table where laying his hand upon the holy Evangelists he makes this solemne Oath in the sight of all the people The things that I have promised I shall perform and keep So help mâ— God and the contents of this Book Though then the promises be severall the Oath is but one and so no former no latter Oath not two but one Oath The Kings Oath to the people is not first taken but you are wholly mistaken 19. If any man desire to know who the People and Commonalty of this Kingdom are let him look into Magna Charta where he shall find them marshalled into severall estates Corporations and conditions There you shall also see the severall Laws Customes and Franchizes which the King and his religious Predecessors have from time to time promised and sworn to keep and maintain That Great Charter begins with the Church Inprimis concessimus Deo First we have granted to God and by this our present Charter have confirmed f in behalf of our selves and our Heirs for ever that the Church of England be free and that she have her Rights entire and her Liberties unmaimed Now Sir Edw Coke that Oracle of the Law tels us that this Charter for the most part is but DECLARATORY OF THE ANCIENT COMMON LAWS OF ENGLAND to the observation wherof THE KING WAS BOUND AND SWORN And not onely the King but the Nobles and Great Officers were to be SWORN to the observation of Magna Charta which is confirmed by thirtie and two Acts of Parliament 20. The Liberties of this Church as I have gleaned them from Magna Charta and Sir Edw Coke are these First that the possessions and goods of Ecclesiasticall persons be freed from all unjust exactions and oppressions Secondly that no Ecclesiasticall person be amerced or fined according to the value of his Ecclesiasticall Benefice but according to his Lay tenement and according to the quantitie of his â—ffence Thirdly that the King will neither sell nor to farm set nor take any thing from the demeans of the Church in the vacancie Fourthly that all Ecclesiasticall persons shall enjoy all their lawfull Jurisdictions and other rights wholly without any diminution or subtraction whatsoever Fiftly A Bishop is regularly the Kings IMMEDIATE OFFICER to the Kings Court of Justice in causes Ecclesiasticall Sixtly It is a Maxime of the Common Law that where the right is spirituall and the remedy therefore onely by the Ecclesiasticall Law the conusans thereof doth appertain to the Ecclesiasticall Court Seventhly Sir Edw Coke tels us from Bracton that no other but the King can demand or command the Bishop to make inquisition Eightly Every Archbishoprick and Bishoprick in England are holden of the King per Baroniam by Baronry And IN THIS RIGHT THEY THAT WERE CALLED BY WRIT TO THE PARLIAMENT WERE LORDS OF PARLIAMENT And every one of these when any Parliament is to be holden ought ex debito Justitiae by due of Justice to have a Writ of Summons And this is as much as any Temporall Lord can chalenge The conclusion of all is this that neither the King nor His Heirs or Successors will ever endeavour to infringe or weaken these Liberties And if this shall be done BY ANY OTHER nihil valeat pro nullo habeatur let it be of no force and passe for nothing Hence it is provided by Act of Parliament that if any Judgement be given CONTRARY TO ANY OF THE POINTS OF THE GREAT CHARTER by the Justices or by any other of the Kings Ministers whatsoever IT SHALL BE UNDONE AND HOLDEN FOR NOUGHT Let all true
publick good Is the Ministery Lawfull or no Was it settled by Christ or no Your London Ministers have concluded for the Divine right of Ministers or Pastors and Teachers and I know you subscribe to their doctrine There may not then be any forfeiture of the Ministery since the Ordinance of Christ cannot be forfeited by the miscarriage of man that 's out of all peradventure Of priviledges perchance there may be a forfeiture where they prove prejudiciall to the publick good But if and where never prove any thing unlesse you can justifie that these priviledges have been prejudiciall to this Church and State 14. Our religious predecessors began the Great Charter with Concessimus Deo First of all we have granted to God and by this our present Charter have confirmed for us and for our heires for ever that the Church of England be free and that it have all her rights entire and her liberties unhurt William the Conqueror began his raign with confirming the liberties and priviledges of the Church And he gives this reason for it Quia per eam Rex regnum solidum habent subsistendi fundamentum because both King and Kingdome have by the Church a solid foundation for their subsistence Had that Prince been alwaies of the same mind he had never defiled his hands with sacriledge nor plunged himselfe and issue into so deepe a curse For after he began to ransake Churches to rifle Monasteries and to expose holy ground to wild beasts and Church-lands to his pleasure he and his became most unfortunate He rips up the bowels of the Church his mother and sucks her blood and the son of his loines rebels against him beats him and draws blood from him The Conqueror turns God out of his inheritance and his sonne Robert endeavours to do the same to him What afterwards befell him and all his issue I shall not need to relate Mr. Spelman hath lately saved me that labour to him I remit you In whose treatise you may briefly see the lamentable end of all that great Conquerors posterity To this I shall adde wish all my countrie men to observe that in the strictnesse of Reformation Episcopacy was continued as most usefull for the Church 15. But though Episcopacy have not been prejudiciall heretofore it is likely now to prove so For unlesse they degrade themselves unlesse they will patiently part with their wealth and honour and lay down their Miters the Crown is like to runne an hazard and the whole Land be brought to nothing but misery I am sorrie to read these lines from a professed Preacher of the Word of God for so you stile your self And yet I am glad you deale so fairely with us as to give us notice what hath been the cause of your factious preaching the Countries and Citys tumults and this detestable and deplorable rebellion 1 The Bishops great wealth 2 their honour and 3 their Miters these three 1 Their wealth they are already stripped of 2 Their honour lies in the duâ— and 3 their Miters have not been seen many a faire yeer unlesse it be upon their armes We know no more what a Miter is then a Bishop knows what great wealth is by speculation meerly Few of them have gained so much by the Church as their breeding cost their parents And yet the Clergie is the onely profession repined at 16. You should have done well mutatis mutandis to have directed this passage to the Parliament with this small alteration I hope you will not be so tenacious of that wealth and honour you have gained in these tumultuous times as to let the Crown run an hazard rather then lay down this usurped power and indanger the whole Land to be brought to nothing rather then your selves to moderation O that they would bow down their ears in time and embrace this counsell then might they yet heal the sores of this shaking Land and save their own souls But the blame and danger are layed upon those that least deserve it that stood in the gap as long as possibly they could to avert Schisme Heresie Blasphemie Atheisme Rebellion bloodshed All which since the Bishops have been stripped of their honour and power have overspread the face of this Land 17. Suppose the Bishops were faulty shall God be turned out of his possessions because his servants are to blame Mr. Selden can tell you of a Charter of King Edgar which will teach you to distinguish between God and man between Gods right and mans fault Inviolabilis stet Monasterei Winton libertas Although the Abbot or any of the Covent through the incitement of Satan fall into sin let the liberty of Winchester Monastery stand inviolable because GOD who POSSESSETH the plentifull munificence of this privilege as also the place with the whole family of Monks and all the lands belonging to that holy Monastery NEVER COMMITTED SIN neither will in future times commit any Let therefore this LIBERTY or privilege be ETERNALL because GOD THE POSSESSOR OF THIS LIBERTY is eternall The same say all good men for though the Bishop be faulty God is not cannot be The possessions therefore and rights of the Church must stand inviolable The faults are the Bishops the lands are Gods Let not God suffer for the Bishops irregular behaviour Let the Bishop be deprived of his place and profits but not God of his lands Episcopatum ejus accipiat alter according to the Holy Ghosts prescription Let another a good man take his Bishoprick that Gods service may be duely celebrated his Name glorified and Christs flock faithfully provided for 18. But say we what can be said the Bishops are to blame and must be brought to moderation And how must this be done By being brought to just nothing For according to your doctrine Episcopy must be abrogated and their Lands alienated This we simple men take to be extirpation or annihilation But such discreet conscionable men as you are know it to be but moderation Should God return this moderation upon your heads the Presbyteriall Government would come to what it should be even to nothing 19. Well their wealth their honour and their miters are in fault and the Bishops must be corrected for not laying down all these at this blessed Parliaments feet to redeem the Kings Crown Good King he suffers for the Bishops obstinacy and they poore men have parted with all but what they may not part with namely their fidelitie to God and the King Have you not alreadie dis-roabed them of their honors Have you not plundred their houses and seized their Lands Have you not made them house-lesse harbourlesse not able to keep a servant What would you more But let me tell you your great Masters might have purchased better houses and lands at a cheaper rate This they will be sensible of when the accounts are cast up as well elsewhere as at London 20. The Bishops wealth honor and