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A02930 The curtaine of Church-povver and authoritie in things called indifferent Drawne and laid open, to shew the many infectious sores and maladies they bring in, and cover. Together with sundry infallible reasons, proving that the service of God, and the generall good of the Church and common wealth require that they should be abolished. By Ia: Henric Henric, James. 1632 (1632) STC 13071; ESTC S111374 72,115 112

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85. consider of the errours for redresse The Prelates made the Collection in writing the Pope proposed it in the Consistorie But Nicholas Scomberg a Dominican and a Cardinal opposed the reformation saying It would give occasion to the Lutherans to brag they had inforced the Pope to make that reformation and above all it would be a beginning to take away not only the abuses but the good uses also and to endanger the whole state of religion For by the reformation it would be confessed that the things provided against were deservedly reprehended by the Lutherans which would be a great abetting to theire whole Doctrine In the councell after celebrated divers things were found amisse Sess 22. Can. 9. The Bishops and Fathers of the Coūcell made a decree for a reformatiō but little could be obtained much was shufled of because it could not be effected but the authoritie and practise of the Pope and Cardinals must be questioned and reformed if not overthrowen The like may be said of the Reformation of the Church of England many things have beene propounded in Bookes and Parliaments but little or nothing can be heard or reformed least a gap should be opened whereby the authoritie practise of the Bishops should be questioned and overthrowen and if any Bishops be better inclined to reformation then others they shal be sure to be hindred by the rest as these Popes were by the Cardinals and with like reasons For English Bishops in like wisdom will not be knowen of any errour in the hierarchie canons traditions ceremonies and government but maintaine all least confessing somewhat amisse they should loose all and be reduced to the government of other reformed churches There was a fault that hindred the Church of Rome from yeilding to reformation Cassander consult 56. and 57. And the fault saith Cassander a learned Papist is to be laid upon those which being puft up with vaine insolent conceits of theire Ecclesiasticall power proudely and scornfully contemned and rejected them which did rightly and modestly admonish the reformation That the Church can never hope for any firme peace unles they begin to make it which have given cause of that distraction That this cannot be effected vnlesse those that are in place of Ecclesiastical government would be content to remit somthing of their too much rigour and yeild somwhat to the peace of the Church and hearken to the earnest prayers and admonitions of godly men will set themselves to correct manifest abuses according to the rule of the divine Scriptures and the primitive Church from which they have swerved He might have said till the Kings hate the whore make her desolate naked and burne her with fire Shall I say this may also be said of English Bishops in case of theire hierarchie and traditions I may add this to it that God can never be pleased nor the Church and State of great Britaine enjoy true happines till the Prelates cast their crownes at the feet of the Lord Iesus or rather because men dispaire of that till they be taken from them and they subjected to the ordinances of God Rev. 5.6 least otherwise Christ that hath the Elders about his throne and is in the midst of them say in his wrath Luk. 19.27 Those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne over them bring hither c. When reformation is desired some flattering preachers Canti 8.4 Chap. 1. to make men desist put it off with preaching on those passages and the like I charge you o daughters of Ierusalē that ye stir not up nor awake my love vntill he please I am black but comly c. The church hath spots but they should not be mentioned Pray for the peace for Ierusalem they shall prosper that love it which if they of the Church of Rome had not in like manner a bused they could not have proceeded so far in errour as they did and yet they might as well alleadge these plates and the like to prove that prelates ought to procede Earles and Barons to have pallaces and coaches as to hinder and reprove men that seeke a due reformation Others would have the people beleeve in this point as the Church beleeveth to relie on the understanding and judgment of the preists and prelates like the papists Mal. 2.7 alleadging that place The preists lips should keepe knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouth which doth as well serve the papists Buckler of faith as them in this point For as maister Moulin observeth this is not a promisse but a commaundement shewing preists their dutie which they had not observed as the following words manifest But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused men to stumble which is as true in this point of the Prelates and others in England as of the Papists in the same point and in others We are therefore to remēber that rule 1 Ioh. 4.1 Beleeve not every Spirit but trie the Spirits God gives such knowledge to whom he pleaseth the wind bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3. They may perhaps find some other arguments to prove that the hierarchie traditions and ceremonies should be upheld but none fairely deducted from the holy Scriptures but rather grounded on humane policie which therefore are not worth the answering For wee know likewise the papists presse many faire-seeming reasons for the Popes supremacie and succession in Peters chaire merits praying to Saints forbidding mariage to Preists and other points of poperie To which it is answer enough to prove that those reasons fight against the word and ordinance of God and so doe theirs that pleade for the English hierarchie and traditions as is already proved Men therefore should not be caried away with them nor with an opinion of their learning and multitude that preach them but rather thinke Surely their kingdom is of this world It makes so many that fight for it because there are in it many places of profit honour and authoritie to reward them like as in the Romish Church that if Christs kingdome were of this world he should have as many for him that to bee well informed in these points it is no asking of them who are interessed and partiall in the cause but to remember what God saith Isa 8. Should not a people seeke unto theire God To the l●w and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Which in these points may be said of 100 many to theire great shame because it so muth concerneth the faith and all the faithfull to have them well knowne as is proved above least by the power and great names of the Bishops the faith come to be corrupted the name of the Church and the holy Ghost usurped and abused as they have beene in divers Synods of Bishops to the destruction of many soules Let us therefore pray earnestly and uncessantly to Almighty God the giver of all grace to purge the Church of England and the members thereof that they with the reformed Churches may be like minded in seeking the kingdom of God and the righteousnes thereof And seeing questionles that God hath many of his deare and elect people there that are only blind in some few things let us beg of God that they may now see the things that belong to their peace 1 Cor. 1 9. Heb. 10.23 1 Thes 5.24 Isa 25.6 least after they should be hid from theire eyes And let us aske with confidence that he is faithfull that hath promised who will also doe it For it is said In this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wine on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wine on the lees well refined Seeing therefore his ordinances are corrupted with mens inventions wee may presse him with this promise that he will give us wine fined and purified even his purest ordinances as also with that which followeth vers 7. And he will destroy in this mountayne the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all nations Chap. 30.21 And thine eare shall heare a word behind thee sayinge This is the way walke yein it when ye turne to the right hand and when ye turne to the left And though wee feare Satan will hinder it what he can Rom. 16.20 let us beleeve that promise The God of peace shall shortly bruise Satan under your feet Neither thinke this impossible because yet not only the Prelates but divers religious Ministers have neglected this knowledge and reasoned against it so that there is great difference about these things for God hath said I will give them one hart and one way Ier. 32 39. I will give you pastors according to mine hart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Cha. 3.15 Neither be dismaied because as yet those that have laboured most in this behalfe have beene forced into corners and to live like Banished men in murh sorrow for wee have this promise Isa 35.10 The ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Sion with songs and everlasting ioy shal be upon their heads Neither say how shall this be seing as yet so many greedie and corrupt shepheards are over us For thus faith the Lord God Behold I am against the shepheards and will require my flock at theire hand and cause them to ceasse from feeding the flock neither shall the Shepheards feed themselvs any more For I will deliver my flock from their mouth that they may not be meate for them Acquaint thy self with these and the like promises and beleeve that he sits at the right hand of God to intercede for the performance who saith whatsoever ye shall aske in my name Ioh. 14.13 that will I doe that the Father may be glorified in the sonne And if wee beleeve not yet he abideth faithfull 2 Tim. 2.13 he cannot denie himself To him therefore with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be rendred as due is all power might majestie and dominion now and for ever Amen
against the Waldenses and Albigenses whilest these popes were busie in sending Kings to conquer Ierusalem and persecuting the Emperours King Iohn of England and other Princes Such was the religion of those times the ages next before for as one observes If the Bishops of Rome sent into any countrie it was not principally to preath the Gospel Plessis mysterie iniquitie prog 24. but to broach their owne ceremonies their singings their service in latine howres organs Altars tapers c. stirring up Princes to enforce their subjects to use and practise them who would faine have kept themselves to the first institution of the Church in the puritie of the Gospel And as he observeth the worser sort of men are most zealous in such things to shadow and obscure their evill acts and indeed to serve them in steade of the Religion which Christ ordained therefore though they neglected and contemned found doctrine true faith knowledge zeale and the like graces yet they would build stately Temples bow to the Altar and to the bread which is called the body of Christ and thinke they did God the better service I will not say that those English Bishops and Doctors who had hand in the reformation and ordained kneeling at the receiving of the bread and wine did beleeve transubstantiation or consubstantiatiō or teach men to doe honour to those elemēts because they are called the body and blood sacramentally it may be it was rather to draw Papists the sooner to Church that this and other Romish rites were retained as also because this had beene so long used in all the world they thought it too much as once to fall from kneeling to sitting thinking that if they should ignorant Papists of which the land was then peopled would never bee drawen to Church or to hearken to thē in other things when having once laid these things for Rules like the Lutherans in their tenets they can heare nothing to the contrarie but above all because they knew the office of a Diocessan Bishop could not subsist in these daies of reformation without maintaining them against all opposers of traditions and humane inventions I know that as yet there is no publick constitution teaching plainly that reverence ought to be done to the Elements because they are called the body and blood of Christ but if they that stand so much for kneeling at the Sacrament have not some such superstition in it why doe they bow toward the Altar or table rather then toward the pulpit or some other side of the Church seeing God is every where and on all sides of us And why else doe they begin to erect Altars at the east end of the quier in Churches where there have beene none since poperie was abolished These Popish ceremonies should also have beene abandoned to shew plainly that they doe not favour superstition and the worship of bread They vainly say it argues too much boldnes to sit or stand at the table of the Lord for it is a far greater presumption to use and ordaine a ceremonie so contrarie to the institution and practise of the Church in the Apostles time The greatest reverence wee can doe to God is to stick close to his ordinances to obey and love them and the greatest presumption to thinke any thing can be better devised performed and practised then it was in his institution with the Papists they doe but mock God with a name of greater reverence whilest they withstand that of the institution and command another gesture that is farthest from it God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth In beleeving and following his word and ordinances as Paul worshipped the God of his fathers Ioh. 4. Act. 24.14 1. Cor. 11. who delivered this ordinance so as he received it of the Lord and not as they did whose feare toward God was taught by the precepts of mē they worshipped him in vaine he regards not their kneeling It is not enough for preachers to say wee preach and urge them because our Princes and Bishops have commaunded them for he will answer Who required these things at your hands Isa ● 1● which doe but open a gap for Kings and Prelates to commaund what they list Hence came that * Besides that about the Saboath order of King Iames that men should not in pulpits confute poperie in things controverted but leave that to the Bishops and Deanes and that which succeded that Ministers should not in the Vniversities pulpits and print dispute preach or write against Arminianisme they that perswade a King that he may doe this strive in effect to make a Pope of him And lastly thence comes the great domineering and strange injunctions of prelates in their visitations that none must dare to speake against any of their orders or ceremonies whatsoever unles he long to be silenced reckoned a mad fellow Dr. Clewit at the Bishop of London visit An. 1631. thence comes the extreame flatterie of their Agents and Chaplaines who begin to preach thus Auctoritàs praecipientis est ratio praecepti and no man considers that thus the Church of Rome grew to an unlimited and licentious power that such are the naturall fruits of the hierarchie and they must needes grow worse and worse In those reformed Churches where men sit they come to the table more prepared with more knowledge feare Rev. 2.20 reverence and circumspection then such men they dare not admit a notorious drunkard Adulterer Arminian or the like nor any person utterly unknowne because it tendeth to corruption 1. Cor. 5.6 For a litle leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Whereas in England all that will may come bodly even in the Cathedrall Church in London They that receive are utterly unknowne to them that administer no man examines them nor testifieth for them they may be Arminians excommunicate prophane or Church-papists for ought that any man there knowes they looke after no religion but this that he kneele at the Sacrament which if he doe but observe be his life or religion what it will he may come boldly Notwithstanding all these things many say so long as the Gospel may be and is freely preached why should wee trouble a Church or leave it our places and meanes for such faults and ordinances Marke how God hath suffered these men to be punished and deceived the Gospel is there freely preached by them that will needs preach so but not by the care of the Bishops nor yet in all points much lesse in all places Ministers are called upon to urge these ordinances of men yet in the meane they are not suffered to preach Gods ordinance the Eldership nor yet against Arminianisme It is true that after the prohibition the Parliament immediately succeeding many couragiously preached against Arminianisme and so doe some to this day but not in the Court nor in the Vniversitie much lesse before the Bishops who are still against such and