without a guyde is to be voide of Christ Iesus and his fanctifying spirite vnto the want whereof there is joyned no thing els but finall damnation both of body and soule Wherefore good my Ll. suffer the words of exhortation to enter into your soules The Lord is my witnes that I speake not vnto you without the consideration and reuerence due vnto your places It pityeth me to see the case wherein ye stande before the Lord for surely ye cannot as I haue sayd posiblie be saued so long as you hold on your course in consenting vnto ignorance and blindnes There is nothing but judgement merciles vnto those that deferre their turning vnto him Deceaue not your selues theÌ„ for as I shall answere before the Lord in the fearefull day of judgemeÌ„t I haue set before you the way of life the way of death Chuse life therfore that you may liue which you shall neuer doe except you do ridde your hands of the defence of this pestileÌ„t ministery coÌ„secrate theÌ„ to make vp the breaches of Gods sanctuarie Where you see how little beholding ye are vnto those wicked men the are your Chaplains who haue neuer made your estates knowen vnto you You may justly acconut those vngodly flatterers to be the greatest enemies you can haue For they are guiltie of your blood serue you almoste for no other vse than to hasten Gods judgements vpon you But their guilte and punishment shall not delyuer you in the daye of wrath for the soule that sinneth shall dye the death And therefore nowe that the light is made knowen vnto you let it not be your condemnation that * Iohn 3.19 light comming among you yet you loued darkenes more than light Well hetherto it appeareth how wrongfullie the fauorers of reformation are charged with enmitye vnto our state for laboring to haue the dumb ministery rooted out The next bane of our Church are nonre sidents Non-residency whereof all our Ll. Bb. are guilty the which corruption is so great that I do maruel with what face it can be tolerated in a Christian state And therefore I make no question whether the word of God maketh it lawfull for vs to endeuour that no suche vilanie be heard off in Israell anie more Rom. 10.14 The dumb Minister though intollerable hath yet some colour of his sinne because vnder the name of feeding he starueth the poore sheep But the bloodie non-resident hath no cloake to hyde his vilanie for he is so out of measure become impudent in his sinne that he dareth make an open profession of murther This sinne whereof the Papistes themselues haue long ago bene ashamed hath so kindled the wrath of God against our kingdome that I feare he wil be no otherwise pacified towards vs than by sending a sword through our land which may reuenge the blood of innocent soules which these 31. yeares hath benespilt lyke water vpon the earth by meanes of these professed murtherers and that vnder the profession of the gospell Though I preach 1. Cor. 9.16 sayeth the blessed Apostle I haue nothing to reioyse of for necessitie is layd vpoÌ„ me yea and wo is vnto me if I preach not the gospell This is spoken in the person of all true ministers But our non-residents haue dispensed with this necessitie by meanes of their degrees of their Chaplain-shipes and of their faculties And as for the woe denounced against them they haue a distinction at hande wherewith to delude that curse which is that although they caÌ„not be continuallie resident at euery one of their charges yet they are not all the yeare lightlye absent from all of them And although they do not continually preache at neyther yet they are not alwayes idle but at somtymes they doe preache either vpon their owne charges or els abroad where occasion is offered Now in their absence they do not prouide so euill for their people but that contrarye to the expresse will of the Lord * Ezek. 44 1. they place others in their steade to take the ouersight of the Sanctuary And whensoeuer they are absent from all their benefices it is not without some reasonable cause for at all such tymes they attend either in the Courte in the Vniuersitye or are otherwise necessarilie bestowed in their private or publick affaires Looke T.C. admo pag. 28 29 And as for the lybertie that one man should haue manye benefices it is necessary for the encouraging of stadents and the encrease of able men to withstand the common aduersary By all which speches of theirs we see to our grief the words of the holy Apostles to be verified in our wofull tymes viz. Ier. 18.1 Tim. 4.2 That in the Church of God there should be mockers in the last tymes which should walke after their owne vngodly lusts hauing their consciences burned with an hote iron men of corruptminds destitute of the truth 1. Tim. 6.5 which thinke that gayne is godlinesse 2. Thes 3.10 But I maruell what these mockers will answere vnto the holy Ghoste who commandeth that they who labour not 1. Cor. 4.12 must not eare and sheweth that it is required of the ministers of Christ that they be founde faithfull 1. Pet. 5.2 3. And I maruell what they wil aunswere vnto the Apostle Peter by whom they are enjoyned as they would receaue the incorruptible crown of glory wheÌ„ the great sheepheard of the sheep shall appeare to feed the flock of God that dependeth vpon theÌ„ caring for it not by coÌ„straint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a readie mynde not as thoughe they were lordes ouer Gods herrtage but that they may be ensamples to the flock And I do wonder what they will aunswere vnto the diligence which the apostle Paule vsed in teaching the people with whoÌ„ he was conuersant whose example al the ministers of Christ ar bound to follow 1. Thes 2.10 You are witnesses God also saieth the Apostle how holilie and vnblameably we behaued our selues among you that beleeue as you know how that we exhorted you and comforted and besought euerie one of you as a father his children that you would walk worthie of God who hath called you vnto his kingdom glorie Aâ—t 20.18.19 And againe in an other place You knowe saith he from the first day that I came vnto Asia after what manner I haue bene with you at all seasons seruing the Lord with all modestie and with manye teares and temptations which came vnto me by the lying await of the lewes and how that I kept nothing backe that was profitable but haue shewed you and taught you openly and throughout euerie house Well whether these cursed mockers will scorne at these godlye examples and labours of the blessed Apostles or no goe about to answere the matter by their childishe vnlearned distinctions it is not greatlie material Of this I am assured that as vnto al those places they haue not a
differeÌ„ce shal you finde betwene our Antichristian Prelats now living and those reverend fathers afore-named And that the worlde may see how these our tyrants haue adulterated corrupted religion in Engl. within these 20 yeares especially from the purity wherein it was left vnto vs not only in the writings of our Sauiour Christ his apostles but even in their writings whose steps our Bb. beare the world in hand that they do more neerly follow I meane by the favor assistance of my God to make it knowne ere it belong in a peculiar treatise written for that special purpose To returne vnto your Hh. again you see by this tyme how detestable the offices of L. Archb. and Bb. are in the presence of the Lord God you see that he accounteth a church government exercised by them to be accursed before his Maiesty because they are the members of Antichrists body because they beare rule lyke Lords serue not as ministers in the church Now do you think him his word to be enemies vnto our state because they ar of this judgement I hope you do not How commeth it then to passe that you allow not vs to subscribe vnto that truth which the Lord doth maintaine Is it because our assertions ar dangerous vnto the state that cannot be vnles you account the Lord an enemy therevnto for wee affirme nothing but that which he hath given vs commission to vtter Or is it because wee behaue our selues seditiously in our message that cannot be proued For the men who are most seuerely punished for favoring this cause haue do cary themselues as peaceably dutifully towardes her Matie and the state as any of their quality within the whole kingdom whosoever Ad mit it were otherwise is it reason that you shoulde reiect the cause of God for the faults of men Will you deale vnjustly with the Lord because we deale vndutifully with the state If we be found any wise guilty punish our misdemenor but grant the cause If you yeeld not therevnto what do you els in laying handes vpon vs but manifest your hatred vnto gods truth his people the loue you beare vnto the antichristian hierarchy Either then my Ll. you must needs publish your enimity vnto the Lord his kingdome or you can no longer countenance these murthering Antichristian prelates and their bloody train The case of England is now become lamentable when the state thereof vnder the Gospell is said any wise to consist in these pestilent corruptions which euer since they firste sprang vp in the church of God haue bene vnto this day gainsaied by the most sincere professors therein The government of the church by bishops And it was long after this time ere Bb. were Ll civil magistrates though they began to deale in civill cases in the time of Grego the 1 Bal. scrip Bryt cent 1. cap. 73. began not before the yeare 607. as that reverend learned man M. Bale being a bishop himselfe in King Edwards dapes hath set down his wordes in English ar these From the yeare 607. the Church began to be ruled by the polity and government of Bishops which government was especially deuised and invented by the monks c. The testimony of M. Bale is true For in this age everye particular Church was governed by the Bishop the elders deacons Mag. cent 6. cap. 7. col 591. c. as the authors of the Centuries do witnes And although long cre this time many bare the names of archb Bb. yet was not the churche at their commandement as it is now neither could they abyde this superiority which our Bb. do exercise one ouer an other Anno 674. finod Herfor Mag cen 7. cap 7. col 220. as it appeareth by a synode kept heere in England where this preheminence was vtterly condemned And it is here especially to be obserued that in this age the name of B was coÌ„mon vnto all ministers corruptly called priests of the word and sacraments For Pope Gregory a) Greg. in EvaÌ„ cent mag 6. ca. 7. col 392. invaieth against the priests of his time who for brybes did ordain bishops and he advyseth b) Epist 57. lib 11. looke cent ibid. col 406. Ianuarius to chuse B. where priests were wanting Again c) Mag. cent 7. cap. 7. col 223. Bal scrip Bryt cen 2. cap. 74. Lawrence archb of Cant. anno 615. together with his fellow bishops that is the priests of Brytain saieth Beda wrote vnto the Scots Compare these 2. points of the name superiority of B. with that which D. Bancroft hath written serm pag 100. 97 By these and the lyke places we see the name bishop to haue beene common vnto al the ministers of the worde 300. yeares after the second Nicene Counsell Now that we know the original of these corruptions let vs briefly see how from time to time they haue bene gainsaid in the church First of al the ancient Brytones or Welshmen vnto the yeare 730. did a) Bale can 1. cap. 74 ex Beda altogether detest whatsoever Romish invention Augustine the monk plaÌ„ted among the Saxons and therefore they allowed not this government of bishops About the year 704 Bal. cen 1. c. 76 Whervpon Adelhelmus a learned westsaxon but a favorer of the regiment of Antichriste wrote against them Secondly a synode helde b) Anno 742. Mag. cent 8. cap. 7. col 452. in France vnder Carolomannus ordained that every citie shold haue hir B. And Carolomannus himself found fault c) Anno 752. Mag. cent 8. cap. 7. col 510 with the pope because he sought after worldly dominioÌ„ Not long after his time d) Anno 820 Mag. cent 9. cap 7. col 3 8. Bal. cent 2. cap 15. Claudius Taurinensis an Italian B. wrote againste the primacy of the pope rebuked him for neglecting his owne function In the synod of e) Anno 881. Catal test Illir Macer the civil ecclesiastical callings are so distinguished that one person cannot bee capable of both f) Anno 1070. Illir ibid pag. 247. Valtram B. of Noremberg wrote against the civil jurisdiction of the ministery so did Sigelbert the monk Anselme archb g) Anno 1096 vpon Math. 26 Mag. cent 11. cap. 4 col 197. of Cant. taught that a B. ought no more to intermedle with the civil sword than the king with the ecclesiastical And he decreed in a h) Anno 1106. book of mart pag. 196. synod held at London that no spiritual person should sit in any secular office Wherevpon (i Note M. Foxe demaundeth how Stephen Gardiner could be L. Chancelor of England so we vpon the lyke grouÌ„d wold know how the archb of Cant can be presideÌ„t of the couÌ„sel To omit Otho Frisingensis who k) Anno 1150. Illir cata pag. 430 was of Anselmus minde we wil come to the WaldeÌ„ses Their doctrine was that the l) book of mart pag. 233.235 pope ought not to deale in civil causes and that al ministers were of aequal authoritie The BohemiaÌ„s confession is the confession of the VValden ses Heere then the reader is to vnderstande that we hold nothing in this cause against the Bb. but that which the true visible church of God haue maintained nowe for the space of more then 400. yeares Cal. epist 294.298 and they continue stil of this minde For the Waldenses who yet remaine as it appeareth by their letters to M. Caluine his vnto them haue bene a true visible church these 430 years Let the B. bring but this warrant for their hrerarchy and we will yeeld I am enforced to be short and onely to name not al but the chief of the ages following that oppugned the corruptions of our B. a) About the year 1324. book of mart pag. 377. VVilliaÌ„ Ockam and Marsisâ— Patauinus the greatest lerned men of their time wrote against the civil iurisdiction of the pope In whose time Philip the french king held a parliament wherin b) Anno 1329. The L Peter de Cugni read the disp in the book of mart 358. one of his counsellers proved out of the worde against the Bishops that they ought not to deale in civil causes Iohn Hus was burned at the couÌ„sel of Constance becaus amoÌ„g other points he defended al c) Anno 1415. book of mart pag. 579. ministers to be of aequal authority And Iohn Claydon was burned at London the sometime because hee defended a book wherein Archb. were proved to be the seates of antichrist At the couÌ„sel of Basil the d) Anno 1432. book of mart pag. 669.634 Ambassadours of the Bohem. proved al civil rule to be forbidden the clearpy by the worde M. â—uthers judgement who was borne not many yeares after this counsel is sufficiently knowne Our owne martyrs as M. Tindall M. Barnes M Hooper haue so disliked this government of Bb. as no men more This doctrine of theirs being according vnto the worde they sealed with their blood and is now acknowledged the doctrine of our church The conclusion of al is this that vnles our state-men wil reiect god and his word and allow the spilling of the blood of his holy saints and martyres they cannot pretend vnto bee enemies vnto the state for seeking the ouerthrow of the government of L. Arch and Bb. withal the corruptions annexed the revnto The second art of this book remaineth behinde which shal be publish'd as soone as the Lord wil graunt me opportunitye I haue beene 〈◊〉 forced for some causes to end this more abruptly than I would haue wished If thou fauorest the cause reader thou wilt beare with 〈◊〉 falt if thou art an aduersary therevnto thou will think too much already spoken and so by abrupt silence compared with that which I haue spoken to be no fault at all
content eyther to be condemned or acquited by the judgment thereof vpon whose judgement also they dare not but professe themselues to relie First then we holde it intollerable that the holy ministerie of the worde and Sacraments and the charge of soules The desire of remoouing the dumb ministerie no vndutifull attempt should in our Church be committed vnto such men as are no more able to teach vs what belongeth to the pure worshipp of god then can many a childe of sixe yeres old And we would know whether by the worde we may be accounted for this position to bee enemies eyther vnto our most deare prince or vnto our most louing cuntry What doth it determine in this matter are wee thereby acquited or condemned for this our assertion Surely acquited And that by the voyce of the Sonne of God himselfe who openly declareth that the miserie of that people is vnspeakably pitifull where the * Math. 15.14 Iuk 6.69 blinde leadeth the blinde who also by his owne * Matth. 9.36 mark 6.34 example hath taught vs what compassion we ought to haue of our brethren that are scattered as sheep without a sheepheard hauing none to leade them nor feede them in the way of aeternall life And therefore is so far from disliking this care of ours towardes the saluation of our brethren cuntrimen that he hath enjoyned vs when we see our brethren thicke and threefold to fall into the ditch of blindnes and ignorance and so into the pit of aeternall wo destruction * Matth. 9.34 to pray vnto the Lord that he would raise vp meet guides who may leade his people in the true and vpright waye that leadeth vnto life Before we go any farther behold here how the case standeth betweene vs and our aduersaries and judge vprightly Our Sauiour Christe IESVS teacheth vs to be mooued with pitie and compassion when we see the blinde lead the blinde and our owne fleshe perishe for want of the true knowledge of God We see this lamentable sight in our land euery where we may heare the blood of ignorant soules crie day and night in the eares of the Lorde for juste vengeaunce to bee powred vpon their blind leaders and such as maintaine them What shall we do in this case shall we not be touched with any remorse at all Farre be it but we should We are therefore mooued therewith and as christian duetie bindeth vs we doe endevor both by our prayers vnto the Lorde and by our petitions and suits vnto our Majestrates and euerye other way that become Christians to haue these murtherers remooued and to haue those placed in their roomes who bring with them faithfully execute this great and high cōmission wherof the Apostle speaketh in the person of al true ministers Now then are we Embassadors for Christ 2. Cor. 5.20 as though God did beseeche you through vs we pray you in Christes stead that you be reconciled vnto God But what say the aduersaries vnto vs for the performing of so necessarie a duetie Verely their censure is that in so doing we are enemies vnto the state We reply vpon them againe that the word of God doth cleare vs of their vnjust accusation which doth not so much light vpon vs as vppon the worde and docttine of the sonne of God For they that condemne the disciples of sedition for practizing that whiche their master enjoyned them must needs passe sentence against the master as a teacher of seditious doctrine And therefore we are so far from being moued with the vnaequall dealing that we wish them whosoeuer they be to giue eare vnto the inditement which the Psalmiste frameth against them in these wordes psal 15.19.20 You haue giuen your mouthes to euill and with your tongs you forge deceit You sit and speake against your brethren and you haue slaundered the sonnes of your mother psal 54 5. You haue encouraged your selues in a wicked purpose and common together howe to lay snares priuily and say who shall see You haue taken craftie counsell against the people of the Lord and consulted against his secrete ones psal 83.3 And because they must needs confesse themselues guiltie of this accusation in euery point therefore we doe also aduise them by true and speedie repentaunce to betake them vnto the Lorde least as it is in the Psalme He teare them in pieces and there be none that can deliuer them psal 50.12 And we entreat them that are in authoritie to weigh the state of the people of this land with the worde of God and then we doubt not but they shall see the motion of remoouing the dumbe ministery out of our Church and the planting of careful teachers to be the best piece of seruice one of them that euer was attempted vnder their gouernment If to redresse the wantes of the pure worshipp of God and to remooue the condemnation both of the bodies the soules of men be thought a seruice worthie to be vndertaken For alas by meanes of the false and loytering guides which haue kept out the true and painfull watche-men the seruice of God hath nowe for the space of 31. yeares continued at that miserable stay in our kingdom that in the most congregarions not of miserable Wales and Ireland onely but euen of England it self The lamentab'e state of religion in England we want not some necessary member but euen all the vitall partes as the heart lyfeblood yea and soule of true religion namely the word preached euen the very seed without which men can neyther be begotten vnto nor nourished in the hope of aeternall blisse and happines Again by reason of this desolation of our Churche the most of our people within all our prouinces wandering as blinde men in the darke know no means eyther how to yeeld the Lorde any part of his true worshipp or howe they shall be saued in the day of wrath Here your Hh. of hir Majesties priuie counsell who professe your selues aduersaries vnto reformation and therefore vpholders of our ignorant ministerie are cited before the tribunall seate of God and required in his name to consider the injurie that you offer vnto his Majestie both in the maintenance of these blinde guides also in your proceedings herein for both which you are sure one day to be called to a reckoning First by maintayning these idoles you countenance and mayntaine the ruines defectes and profanation of Gods true seruice together with the damnation of mens soules Secondly your proceedings in the maintenance of the blooddie cause is suche as vnder the profession of true religion I thinke the like hath bin seldome seene For you thinke it a small matter for you thus to bereaue the Lorde of his true honor to lend your authoritie might and power vnto Sathan to vphold ignorance and blindnes vnles also as a testimonie of your perseuerance in this damnable way you do account of them that seek to bring
the truth in vngodlines And seeing the seruice of the Lord together with the saluation of mens soules is by meanes of this dumb ministerie at such a miserable stay among vs as hath bene set downe it wil be your duties to take these things more to hearte then as yet you haue done and to seeke the redresse of them For our owne parts the defectes of Gods religion being thus lamentable in our land and the souls of our brethren with pitifull cries requiring our aid and assistance we cannot in conscience denie them the remedie that we are able to minister namely the painting out of their miserie and the meanes howe to be deliuered therefrom And assuredly if we should holde our peace and winke at these calamities the stones in the streate woulde rise vp in judgement against vs. Wherefore also your Hh. may accuse vs to be dangerous subjects as well because we are not without christian affections as for that you see vs mooued with pitie at the ruines of Gods house and the likely damnation of our cuntrimen For such is the opperation of Gods spirite in his children that they are altogether voyd of the assuraunce of aeternall life yea without God in the world whosoeuer are not mooued with griefe and sorow whē they see either the seruice of their God or the saluation of those with whom they liue not to be regarded Vnles then you of hir Majesties counsell woulde goe about to quenche the motions of Gods spirite in the heartes of hir Majesties people you cannot charge them with any euill practize against the state for laboring the rooting out of this dumb and ignorant ministerie whereby as you see the Lordes seruice is most wretchedly profaned the saluation of his Churche most cruelly hindered and withstood Nay as your Hh. would shew your selues to haue anye sparke of Gods spirite in your hearts so you must be carefull to joyne with vs in this worke wherein indeede you ought to be our foreleaders For otherwise neuer deceue your own hearts there is not a man of you that can possibly be saued Weye the speech my Ll. for it concernes you as much as the price of your soules is worth I say then No saluation vnto them that are not carefull of the Lords pure worship the saluation of their brethren that the enmitie which in this point wee bear vnto the state of England is such as vnles you that are of hir Majesties priuie Counsell joyne with vs in the same you cannot possiblie see the face of Christ to your comforts The reason hereof is that there is no saluation vnto that soule wherein Christ Iesus doth not remaine and dwell by his spirit as the Apostle teacheth vs in these wordes 2. Cor. 13.5 Prooue your selues saith he whether you are in the fayth examin your selues know you not that Iesus christ is in you except you be reprobates Eyther then a reprobate heart or an heart possessing Christ Iesus Now my Ll. I appeale vnto your consciences whether you thinke that Christe can possiblie dwell in those heartes who are not both grieued at the damnation of their brethren and the miserable deformities of the seruice of God among thē are with all readie euery way that lieth in them to preuent the one and to set forwarde the other What can Christ be there where there is not a desire a readines to labour that the glorie of God may shine vpon earth by the sauing of perishing soules the setting vp of the sincere honor of the Lorde Your consciences I am sure must needs beare witnesse to the contrarye For to denie this were nothing els but to make the spirite of Christe in his children to be pitiles of the wofull estate of suche soules as for anye thing they knowe were ordayned to life and carelesse in seeking the glorye of God in his pure worshippe What is the conclusion then surely that youre Hh. must either manifest yourselues to be of their number for whome the blacknes and terror of the greate daye is prepared or els you must joyne with the rest of the saintes of God within hir Majesties dominions not onely in mourning for the wantes of true religion among our people and the misery that ensueth thereof but also in labouring moste earnestly to finde speedie meanes for the curing of so deadlye a wounde You see then howe the case standeth betweene the Lord nay between your felues and your owne soules The day will come when all those whose sinnes are not forgeuen and iniquities couered by Christ Iesus shall drinke of the deadly wyne of Gods wrath And you see that Christ wil be a couering vnto none saue onely vnto those in whome he dwelleth by his spirit and more-ouer that his spirit cannot be in them who are not mooued with the dishonor of his name the destruction of men The Lord warneth you of these things and requyreth of you that although for the loue of his Majestie and the mercies both outward and inward which hee hath doth offer to heape vpon you you cannot bee mooued to regard his ruinous Church and wofull people yet that you would be styrred forewarde here-vnto by the care which you are to haue of your own soules It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hand of the liuing God Vengeance is his and hee will recompence it Wherefore as you woulde not drynke of the dreggs of that bitter cup of his indignation declare vnto the world by the speedy remouing of this dumb ministery and apoynting faithfull teachers in their stead that the Lorde hath not in this age placed ouer England a coūsell of men that are carelesse of his glorie cruell towardes the people committed vnto their charge and consequenthe a counsel of men that are without God in the world fed with honor and promotion against the day of slaughter Men that are so far from respecting the honour of their God and the aeternall salvation of men that they are altogether without naturall affection towards the good of their owne soules For assuredly my Ll. whatsoeuer good opiniō you may haue of your selues and yourowne proceedings the Lorde and his Churche both in this age and also among posterity cā make no other reckoning of you than of those that liued without the true God in this worlde as long as you shall bee found vpholders of the ignorance which raygneth amōg your people Where-vpon also you shall one day by experience finde it to be true that because the sauing spirite of God neuer came neere your harts to worke a sorrow and a mourning therein for the spirituall aniserie of your brethren counuiemen you made no other vse of your being heere vpon earth thē to prouide for your selues an exceeding measure of plagues and torments that may endure vpon you for euer and euer You see it cannot bee otherwise for to be without compassion towardes the miserable dispersion of poore sheep that wander
the kings of the earth because hee is Lorde of all kingdomes and common wealths to dispose and rule them at his pleasure euen as he is man or els it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his bodie which is the Churche heere vpon earthe by ceratine offices and ministeries which hee hath appointed to be in his bodie to wit the Church for the gathering together of his Saints for the worke of his ministerie and the aedification of his bodie Ephes 4.12 In both these regards he is said in the day of judgement to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For whereas now as he is Lord of kingdomes and coÌ„mon-vealthes he ruleth by the ciuill Magistrate otherwayes by his power even in the midest of his enemies he shall in the daye of judgement put an ende vnto this regiment when all his enemies are put vnder his feet and so deliuer the kingdome vnto his Father Again because in the day of judgement when we are all mett together wee shall not stand in neede of anie aedification so the meanes thereof by the preaching of the word the administration of the sacramentes c. shall cease the government of Christ also as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For after that day hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth but he which is the Lamb Looke Reu. 7 1â— 21.22.23 22 â— being in the middest of the throne of God shall immediatlie governe vs by himself and bring vs to the liuelie fountaines of waters Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this latter sence for that government of the Church ordained vnder the new testament wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite guide and governe his Church is such as no part thereof must be administred by any offices or officers saue onely by those whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked who go about to attempt the contrarie For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ viz. the Church which is not a * Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12. â— 14.27.28 member thereof and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect but absolute and compleat of all hir members otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house and far more vnperfecte than Moses is saide to bee Heb. 3.3.6 the contrarie wherof is testified of him in the word the enterprise is intollerable that anie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect wherevnto that which is added being impertineÌ„t must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie Because our Sauiour who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment making insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome bodie those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ Nowe according vnto these grounds Archbard â—b doe not belong vnto the kingdome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast You see if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ that they wer ordained members thereof in the written worde will of God Heere then we will not be the judges let our aduersaries speake theÌ„ selues whether their offices be apointed in the new testameÌ„t or not for therin must they be mencioned if they belong vnto the kingdome of Christ and are the members of his bodie What wil their answere be in this point Surelie they muste confes that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it there is not a word spoken of Ll. Arch b. and Bb. So that whensoeuer or by whomesoeuer they had their originall they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word Because he hath ordained no members of his bodie and no offices of his Kingdome since the written worde of the newe testament was penned Whervpon we must needs conclude that they belong not vnto his kingdome Naye wee go further and say that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word that their verie names much more their offices are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church as shall presentlie appeare As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great that they the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church cannot stand together Concerning the puritie of the Gospell their callings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes and infringe the libertie of the church by as many Firste they will bee Ministers and civill magistrates too that is they wil bee ministers of the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of the world all at once Whereby they declare vnto vs that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their * Mat. 10.24.25 Iohn 18.36 maister was who affirmed his king dome not to be of this worlde that is that he was not manifested in the flesh to intermedle with the execution of civill functions but to be ruler of a kingdome that consisteth in an other manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe Whose example in this point all his true ministers muste needes followe vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister vnto whome being heere vpon earth though he were the lord of all his creatures it had bene vnlawfull to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king Iohn 6.15 he withdrew himself out of the way because that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing but in the worke of mans redemption and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things be had not contained himself within the limites of that calling wherevnto he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinanceis a thing vnlawful in it self but that the Lord hath so apointed that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gospell cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and execution By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracie ministerie though proceeding both of them from the Lord do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords
kingdom where he ruleth by his vicaz the Pope but eueÌ„ among vs in the persons of our wicked Prelates And although Sathan was enforced to watche a long time for his opportunity ere he could bring the ministers of the gospell vnto lordship dominion A bout the year 320. for vnto the time of Pope Silvester Rome it self was without any lordship atal yet notwithstanding he was driuen to work that in the Church before ever he could aduance the maÌ„ of sin vnto the chaire of iniquity So that by means of this superioritye and worldlye dominion of the ministers of the word he began at the first to make the waye for the in bringing of the my sterie of iniquity which as the holy ghost testifieth 2. Thes 2.7 began to manifest it self in the age of the apostles And going on forwarde by degrees he so strengthened these plants of his owne graffing that he made theÌ„ to bee the instrnmentes by the strength and power whereof he convaied the whole bodie whereof they were the members head and al into the temple of God For in these wicked offices of Archb. and Ll. Bb. the man of sinne first began to manifest him self Cardinals were brought into the Romish church since it fel cleane away from Christ they are rather the pomp then the strength of that kingdome now he is especially vpheld through no other power but through their meanes by whom also the whole kingdome of Idolatrie and darknes vnder him is especially gouerned For the inwarde parts of that kingdome to wit the pestilent errors whereby he poysoneth the world would easily wyther and decay were it not that they are fostered nourished by these ruling members of Archb. Bb Who although when they were first brought into the church being therein ordained for good purposes as flesh bloud did imagine they were not nor could not be discerned to bee members of the Antichristian kingdome because that mystery was not then made fully visible yet euer since that bodie hath appeared we know them to bee members thereof in such sort as wheresoever they are maintained there the limbs and members of Antichrist are countenanced and vpheld But wee are not to think that Sathan by whome these offices of Archbishops and L. Bishops were firste invented doeth at all tymes and places vse them to the one and selfe same purpose hee knoweth full well that hee cannot alwayes effecte what he would do with them and therefore hee is content vntill conveniencye bee offered to bestowe them as he may But alwayes this is a ground hee hath some seruice for them in all ages At the firste planting of them and long after that hee did not vohold open Idolatry and manifest apostacy from Christ by their meanes hee coulde not doe it the times woulde not suffer him who thoughe otherwayes very corrupt were yet far from that vile dishonour of God Example heereof you may see in Pope Gregory the first of that name Anno â—04 and especially in all his predecessors whose superioritye and dominion hee could not so haue at commandement as he had the prelacy of all those that followed after him vnto this day And yet had he his turnes to bring to passe by their superiority though the most of them were vndoubtedly Gods deare children For he vsed their places as steps and degrees to advance Antichrist into his throne Now in that kingdome of the man of sinne since Rome became the cage of euery vncleane beast and the verye receptacle of Diuels he hath the Hierarchy at his owne commandement to accomplish his owne will by it vnto the full So can hee not haue it in England at this day The time will not suffer it her Maiesty and our state will not beare it and yet notwithstaÌ„ding he worketh by these Antichristian offices very mightely as we see in staying the course of the gospell and the establishing of the kingdome of darknes though not by meanes of anye publick Idolatry yet by the maintenance of ignorance blindnes and by the oppression of the church And in earth not simplie as hee is the second person in trinitie God aboue all blessed for euermore but as he is the sonne manifested in the flesh Christ god and man and so the head of his Church In respect of this regiment of his the worde of God speaketh of his kingdome 2. maner of wayes first it maketh the same to be everlasting secondlie it considereth of it as it is temporarie and to remaine for a tyme. In the former respect it cannot possible any wayes decay Of this aeternall kingdome of his the Angell Gabriell spake vnto the holye Virgine Marie after this sort Luke 1.31.32 Thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe and beare a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus Hee shall be great shal be called the sonne of the most high the Lord God shal giue vnto him the thron of his father Dauid and hee shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome shall be none ende Concerning the latter regarde of his kingdome the holy Apostle Paule writeth in these wordes 1. Cot. 25.24 Then shal be the end when he hath deliuered the kingdome vnto God euen the Father when he hath put down all rule and authority and power for he must raigne vntill he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Where the Apostle speaketh of the kingdome of Christ as it is temporarie and to continue only vnto the day of judgement no longer Nowe this temporarie regiment of his is also of 2. seuerall considerations For the worde speaketh of our sauiour Christ and his gouernmeÌ„t either as he hath all power in heauen and earth coÌ„mitted vnto him Mat. 28.19 Reuel 19.16 17.14 â— 5 and so he is called the Lorde of Lords the king of kings the prince of the kings of the earth because hee is Lorde of all kingdomes and common wealths to dispose and rule them at his pleasure euen as he is man or els it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his bodie which is the Churche heere vpon earthe by certaine offices and ministeries which hee hath appointed to be in his bodie to wit the Church for the gathering together of his Saints for the worke of his ministerie and the aedification of his bodie Ephes 4.11 In both these regards he is said in the day of judgement to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For whereas now as he is Lord of kingdomes and coÌ„mon vealthes he ruleth by the ciuill Magistrate otherwayes by his power even in the midest of his enemies he shall in the daye of judgement put an ende vnto this regiment when all his enemies are put vnder his feet and so deliuer the kingdome vnto his Father Again because in the day of judgement when we are all mett together wee shall not stand in neede of anie aedification so the
and confusion of all erroneous deceiuers that he cannot justifie a saluation wrought in mens heartes by any other ordinarie meanes then by the word preached But he will here object that the Lorde may if it please him worke faith in mens hearts without preaching That is as if he shoulde say that the Lord is so powerfull as when man wil not instruct by meanes he can teach his elect without meanes Who euer denied this Or what is this to prooue his wicked assertion The question is not what the Lorde can doe especially where meanes is not to be found For in such cases we do not vse to tye the omnipotent power of the Lorde within the bounds no not of his own ordinances but the point in controuersie is what that way and ordinarie meanes is whereby the Lorde hath decreed to worke a sauing faith in the heartes of his people whether that ordinarie meanes be the word preached or the word read The spirit of God you see teacheth vs that that ordinarie way and means is preaching The Archb. of Cant. teacheth it to be reading Nowe whether of the two shall hir Majesties people beleeue Surely let the Lord be true let shame confusiō couer the faces of all his encmies namely of this wicked prelate who is not affraid in expresse termes to giue the lye vnto the Majesty of God For the which madnes of his how greate soeueuer hee may be in our kingdome I am sure that the sentence without his vnfained repentaunce is long since decreed against him that he * Math. 5.19 shal be the least in the kingdome of heauen And if God had not blinded his right eye as a token of a farther judgement which is like to fall vpon him he might haue sene long since that the Apostle Peter attributeth the worke of mens regeneration or new birth and so faith and saluation vnto the word preached and not read For so he writeth 1. Pet. 1.23.25 Being borneagaine saith the Apostle not of mortall but of immortall seed by the worde of God which lyueth and endureth for euer and this is the worde saith he which is preached among you But what can he see who hath voluntarily so blinded himselfe and laboreth to wrapp others in the same darknes as he will make men beleeue that he is of judgement that the meaning of the Apostle in saying How can they beleeue without a preacher is as if hee sayd how can they beleeue without a reader For what els doth he affirme then this in holding reading to be preaching For he that auoucheth reading to be preaching cannot denie readers (a) Reading engendreth fayth sayeth he pag. 570. yea and sometimes prevavleth more than preaching pag. 574. to be prechers And here is al the light which the Lorde hath lefte in that darke vnderstanding of his which is justly made bruitishe inasmuch as it hath blinded it selfe to the end as I said he might with the lesse compunction or gnawing of his conscience fight against God But let him and all his maintainers know from me that he who spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them vnto chaines of darknes to be kept vnto the damnation of the great day is able to make this bruitish man an example vnto all those that hereafter shall tread in his vngodly steps especiall seeing in these things which naturally he might know he as lude sayth hath corrupted himselfe For if there had bene no scripture to haue instructed him yet very natural reason might haue taught him that reading and preaching are of that diuers nature that in common reason the one of them cannot be the other For I pray you who is so simple but knoweth by the light of nature that the preching that carieth saluation with it which he affirmeth to be reding is another maner of work thē can be lerned by the industrie of man in a moneths labor And yet behold such is the preaching which this mā hath framed vnto vs in his writings wherby the Church of England should be saued that an vnlettered man comming from the plough might in one moneths studie be made an able preacher and so an able minister of the doctrine of saluation For if reading be preaching as he sayth yea and such a preaching as is able to beget men to saluation which also he affirmeth then also doth it folow both that an able reader is an able preacher and also that anye man enjoying the benefite of his senses may in one moneth be made an able minister of that great and admirable worke of mens soules The conceit wherof is such an indignitie vnto the Majestie of God and to the misteries of true religion as a greater cannot be offered And is this al the thanks that we in England giue vnto the Lord for the fruition of his gospell Or is this all the commendation that true religion hath deserued at our hands to be made faire baser then any of the common crafts of the world Well the Lord seeth this vile injurie offred vnto his gospell and the ministerie thereof and in his time will recompence it Concerning this absurde and sencelesse errour I will saye no more at this time But first that if the father hereof to wit the Archb. of Cant had liued in some of the former ages that imbraced the truth he had bene commended vnto posteritie as a detestable forger of errors amōgst the nomber of these pernicious hereticks that haue endeuoured to obscure the light of the trueth Secondly that it maketh the ministers prayer for the spirit of vtterance and his care in his studie to be altogether needles superfluous matters And so this man hath found out suche a methodicall kinde of preaching as the spirit of God neuer thought off The Apostle Paul desireth the brethrē to pray for him that vtterance might be giuen vnto him to the end he might bold ly open his mouth to publish the secrets of the gospell he further chargeth Timothie to take heed vnto learning and to continue therein for in so doing hee shoulde both saue himselfe and those that heard him But this godlesse man that indeede hee might shewe himselfe not vnlike that sonne of perdition of whose bodie and kingdome by vertue of his Antichristian prelacie he is also a limbe and a member presumeth to enter into the Lords chaire and to create newe ordinances for ministers to bee guided by in publishing the mysteries of the gospell But though he be like to continue as he is vz. a deceiuer that waxeth worse and worse 2. Tim. 3.14 deceiuing and being deceiued as the holy ghost sayth yet it concerneth your Hh. to turne ouer a new leafe Seing your consciences must needes tell you that if you followe his damnable errors you are also to feare lest you be pertakers of the judgements that are likely to be fastened vpon him and al those that delight to hide