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

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

before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white robes and palmes in their hands which came out of great tribulation and had washed their robes Verse 14. and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. But such as these think their dye is not deepe enough they must yet strike the Basilike veine y Sions plea 262. Gibson threatned King Iames that as Ieroboam he should be rooted out and conclude his race if he maintained Bishops Bancroft fol. 28. Nothing but this say they will cure the pleurisie of our State By which what fountaine of bloud they meane is fitter for the exposition of a Jesuite z Carolus Scriban Erratum valde fuisse in festo Barthol quòd secta non fuerit vena basilica id est quod percitum fuit regi Navarrae principi condensi than the enquiry of a Protestant Onely the torrent of such spirits is observable if not formidable who check at no power Well may the all-reaching arme of a Parliament assist but they hold it cannot stay their course * Sions plea 155. If the Hierarchy be not removed and the Scepter of Christs kingdome namely his owne discipline be advanced there can be no healing of the sore The Parliament may remove all state grievances in repairing wrongs censuring misdemeanours c. All which are to be done Sions plea 156. but the former is not to be left undone As God hath not blest any Parliamentary endevours because as we take it say they they went not this way to work so it is likely he will not be with you now if you go not this way to work Some were a little freer languag'd against the Parliament a Supplicat pag. 25. Bancroft fol. 50. 29. Eliz. That if they did not abrogate the government of Bishops they should betray God the truth and betray the whole kingdome But this is but gentle admonition if faire words will prevaile it is well if not they will doe it perforce b Unlawfulnesse of unlimited Prelacie fol. 12. Though the Parliament be for Bishops sayes one of them yet all the godly and religious will be against them And it is now become the language of the pulpit that if the Parliament will not releeve them c Eaton in his Sermon at Chester yet they shall stick fast together to maintaine their cause which is Christs cause Herein following the counsell of their Predecess●urs d Bancroft fol. 169. That if the brethren cannot obtaine their wils by suit nor dispute the multitude and people must work the feat Thus built upon the authoritie of one of their ancient Ring-leaders who tels them e Knox to the Communaltie fol. 49 50. Reformation of Religion belongs to the Communaltie The which carrying some Species of libertie in it they seeke to confirme that popular ambition by cherishing in them an opinion of a right in the power of the keyes as belonging f Eatons positions annexed 9. neither to the Pastour nor Governours but to the whole Congregation and to everie particular member thereof and Christ having committed them to everie one would of everie one demand an accompt A dangerous doctrine if once grounded in vulgar apprehensions These possest with an opinion of an equall interest in the power of the keyes of the Church which they know how to manage will much more plausibly embrace the suggestions of a paritie in the sway of the State as better suting with their capacities It will bee somewhat difficult to possesse the common people A Priest stirred up rebellion in King Richard the seconds rime with this argument that we are all sprung from the Tribe of Levi But the old seditious argument will be obvious to them That wee are all the sons of Adam borne free some of them say the Gospell hath made them free And Law once subverted it will appeare good equitie to such Chancellours to share the earth equally They will plead Scripture for it that wee should all Genesis 3.19 live by the sweat of our browes They will tell us that in Aegypt we were all fellow Brick-makers And it is no noveltie in the stories of this State That such Artificers have levelled the palaces of Nobles and squared out the dimensions of the Gentrie and Law-Givers according to the rule of their reason The emptie name of libertie blowne into vulgar eares hath over-turned many States how much more prevalent and dangerous must it bee when enforced as a religious dutie to disobey authoritie We know Saint Pauls precept is h Romans 13 1 2. Let everie soule be subject to the higher powers they that resist receive damnation And certainly since his time never any age till now brought forth such desperate Anti-Apostles as I may not improperly call them in absolute opposition to the rule of the Apostle i Eatons Position 9. To conjure men in their pulpits as they will answer it at the dreadfull day of judgement not to submit to any authoritie whatsoever And in defiance and contempt of our Lawes still in force which exact the deprivation of everie Ecclesiastique k Stat. 1 Eliz. cap. 2. the confiscation of the goods and chattels and imprisonment during life of every Laick that shall wilfully deprave the Liturgie established by Law in their petition to stile it l Freholders Petition Note 8. The English refined Masse-booke of Common Prayer In their pulpits to preach it m Eatons Position Note 10. sin to be present at reading of a prayer out of a booke by Minister or any other In print to publish that it is absolutely n 8 Propositions in print p. 1. sinful and unlawful to hear any Minister preach in the Church of England and the Assemblies thereof And seeing these are seconded by the frequent and publique venring of scandalous invective and libellous pamphlets full of seditious doctrines implying an absolute abnegation of the Kings supremacie * Volumes of Paraphlets That the Church is independant and must have all her officers and Lawes within her self which is to denie the Ecclesiasticall Law which Sir Ed. Cook says whosoever shall enie he denyeth that the King hath full power to deliver Iustice in all causes to all his subiects and withdrawing the people from their due allegeance exciting them to disobedience To me such bold violation and uncontrolled contempt of Lawes sitting the Law-Makers appeares formidable Omnia cum liceant non licet esse bonum I consider the Nobilitie and Gentrie of this Isle this nurserie of honour situate as the Low Countries in a flat under the banks and bounds of the Lawes secured from the inundations of that Ocean the Vulgar which by the breach of those bounds would quickly overwhelme us and deface all distinctions of degrees or persons and cannot but with admiration observe that Sampson like in their full strength but as blind with inconsiderate zeale as he by treacherie any such should lay hold

A Remonstrance AGAINST PRESBITERY Exhibited by divers of the NOBILITIE GENTRIE MINISTERS and INHABITANTS of the County PALATINE OF CHESTER with the Motives of that REMONSTRANCE TOGETHER WITH A SHORT SURvey of the Presbyterian Discipline Shewing the inconveniences of it and the inconsistency thereof with the constitution of this State being in its Principles destructive to the Laws and Liberties of the People With a briefe Review of the Institution Succession Iurisdiction of the ancient and venerable Order of Bishops Found to bee instituted by the Apostles continued ever since grounded on the Lawes of God and most agreeable to the Law of the Land By Sir THOMAS ASTON Baronet Horace lib. 1. Epist 2. Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serves non expergisceris Because my people hath forgotten me they have burnt incens to vanity and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths to walk in paths in a way not cast up Ieremiah 18.15 Printed for Iohn Aston 1641. TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE Most dread Soveraigne FArr bee it from my ambition to presume your sacred Maiestie should mispend your more precious minutes upon the perusall of this weake essay of my loyall affections to my Parents My King the Father of his people (a) Bonus Rex nihi a bono patre diffet● patria dicitur a patre quia haber communem patrem qui est pater patriae to whom by the Law of nature I owe Faith and Allegeance (b) Ligeance or faith of the subiects is due to the King by the law of Nature Cokes Post nat My Mother the Church in whose bosome I have been fostered with the pure food of life the Word of Truth Yet Sir since your Maiestie was pleased so graciously to approve of the meer Text or Abstrast of this Treatise The Remonstrance of many of your humble loyall Subiects of that your devoted County of Chester it is a dutie in me humbly to begge your Maiesties leave that it may under your Princely patronage walke abroad with this Comment it hauing by misprision or malice beene pursued with some vniust clamours And the pure intents of the subscribers have been expoz'd to a sinister interpretation whoe I am certain had no other end but to expresse their loyall desires to prevent a growing danger I confesse my owne insufficiency to performe so great a taske I foresee the calumny that inevitably attends every good intention since Traducers barke at those Elephants whose strength of learning might support a Church against all the batteries of wit or reason How must I looke to have these Bats flutter about me who in namelesse pamphlets fill the ayre and the eares of every one with nothing but shrikes and outcrie against all Government Invectives against all Governours of the Church But I have read of one borne dumbe who seeing his Father in danger affection supplied the defects both of art and nature and in an i●stant lent him organs and language to forewarne his Fathers perill This excites me to proceed since God hath given me sence to speake plaine English and I thanke him spirit to speake truth it were an argument of affectation to my selfe if out of distrust of my owne abilities to write Placentia to winne popular applause I should silence my apprehension of the danger imminent over King and Church which more leisure or perhaps more curiositie hath given me that occasion to looke into may bee many better able have omitted Visible it is to every eye what assaults are made by such inveighours against the long established Government of the Church under that reverend Order of Bishops but it is not so easily discernable how much this may concerne your Maiestie yet Experience will tell us if we looke abroad that all those Monarchies haue Suffered an EClipse where the rights of the Churh have beene deserted And no marvell if it be well look'd into Crowns carry a charme with them at the consecrtion of Kings Exellently learned and satisfactory I must confesse are the Treatises of many great Divines in defence of this Order But Ars non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem and some of these have erred in writing above the capacity of their opposers Artists iudge best of a Diamond without a foile know it by it's owne Rayes but the inexpert only by comparison with other stones I have plac'd Episcopac● and Presbytery in paralèll such as my selfe doubtl●sse will better distinguish them in plaine prospect than in meer speculation The Bishops are suspect as parties all that is writ by them as partiall To all but the preiudicate sure I stánd unsuspest being as free borne as independant as any man I have no interest but the love of truth and libertie save that of loyaltie which when I consider to how gracious a Prince I owe that dutie I confesse it appeares a great tye hee that shall read those publicke prosessions of grace to both your houses and t is pitty but they should be read and registred in the hearts of all your people I shall willingly concur with you to reforme all Innovations in Church and Common-wealth The Kings speech to both Houses 23. Ianuar. 1640. to regulate all Courts of Iustice according to Law and that what ever part of my revenue shall be found illegall or grievous to the publicke I will willingly lay downe relying entirely upon the affections of my people And shall bee privie to that pledge of free grace given under your Maiesties hand and seale to that your County upon the humble representation of their loyall affections to the peace of Church and State in those words which I assure my selfe we shall ever keep as royall Records We being desirous with the advice and assistance of Parliament to redresse all iust grievances The Kings letter to the Lords and Gentry of the County Palatine of Chester and resolv'd by Gods grace to preserve the puritie of Religion and governe according to Law He I say that shall but read these sure needs no oath of Allegeance but will bend all his endevours to support all his prayers to perpetuate that Crowne to all posterítie under whose Royall shade wee have such happy assurances to receive îustice to enioy our Religion Libertie and Lawes These Considerations have encouraged me to represent the Government of a Presbitery as it yet appeares by their owne Writers Incompatible with your Maiesties Soveraigntie destructive to your peoples liberties wherein your Maiestie pardoning the presumption and casting a favourable eye upon the good intention such as maligne truth or your Maiesties prosperitie can vent their venome against no man lesse values it then Your Maiesties most loyall Subiect and humble Servant THO. ASTON To the Reader Reader I Did never expect to salute thee from the Presse yet I am now forced to it finding my name upon every Stationers stall first assumed without my privity to countenance an imperfect

I see in these men no shadow of true libertie by pretending legall government nor yet the false glosse of libertie by extinguishing all power but that it is evident by desiring to share the power of the keyes Paraeus Catechetica 5. praecepti and to execute Ecclesiasticall censures in their congregations within themselves Petition annexed note 3 They have no thought of the peoples libertie but to assume into their owne hands the same power they cry downe in the Bishops not to qualifie but to exalt it above all moderation The use thereof being fully explaned by Expositors of their owne straine to import no lesse than to trample under feet the sacred Crownes of Kings the power of Parliaments the seats of Justice the use of Magistrates the efficacie of Lawes and make themselves Chancellours over our lives and conversations our wives our children our servants our private families and our estates That any hands should help to hoyse up unlimited unbounded Tyranny I have nothing left me but acclamation O fortunati nimium bona si sua norint and shall conclude with that saying Quos Iupiter vult perdere hos prius dementat Yet shall I freely display some of those positions which divers that pretend reformation lesse blush to publish than I to recite as part of their new Christian doctrine which how consistent with the Monarchique Government of this State how far inclinable to an Anarchy and whether subversive of the Lawes or destructive to the Subjects libertie I shall not take upon mee to determine but perhaps the consideration may please some others though I professe I only write to please my selfe Liberare animam Yet I hope no man will be so far displeased with mee as to apply what I collect from some as meant by all that pretend a Presbyteriall Government I have charitie to thinke many men that way enclined have good intentions and desire reformation out of a pure heart But I am confident the more they acquaint themselves with such positions as these the lesse they will like the discipline SECT 9. Episcopacie most agreeable with a Monarchie HEre as in all distracted States may well be applyed the poets exclamation Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum Not that Religion it selfe which is the band of peace is cause of evils but that it is made the usuall cloake of all seditious disturbances either in Church or State All the shafts of malice every clamour obloquy shot at the order doctrine and persons of the Bishops how ever feathered wirh the pretext of pietie yet still light all in one center and may appeare to be levelled all at one mark The power of the keyes is the burthen of all their songs Sions plea fol. 82. All the fearfull evils of sin and iudgement from withholding the keyes of Christs Kingdome in which consisting the Ecclesiasti que Discipline not Doctrine of the Church it becomes rather a question in Policie than in Divinitie whether it should rest in the hands of a few intrusted by the Church or to be transmitted to the hands of a multitude or as our Preacher would have it k Politions annexed to the petition 10 to every particular member of the Church And where it is cleare in point of Divinitie where the Scripture hath not expressely set the rule as in this particular it is left doubtfull such Separatists interpreting that place of Matthew l Matth. 18.17 Sions plea 285. Titus 2.15 3.10 In his rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit divina Scriptura mos populi Dei instituta majorū pro lege tenenda sunt sicut praevaricatores divinarum legum ita contemptores Ecclesiasticarū consuetudinū coercendi sunt August ad Casulanum Goe tell the Church to bee the whole Congregation whereas others conceive it clearely restrained to such as are set in authoritie by the Church out of that of Titus who being entrusted by Saint Paul in the Churches of Crete hee directs him to rebuke with all authoritie And more particularly A man that is an heretique after the first and second admonition reject In this case we must examine the ancient continued practice and opinions of former times and Writers And such contemners of the customes of the Church sayes Saint Austin are to be compelled But truly this was so little questioned in antiquitie that it seemes it was never doubted by Calvin himselfe sayes he Calvin Epistol ad Gasperum Lizetum Nun quam utile putavi jus excommunicundi permitti singulis pastoribus Nam res odiosa est nec exemplum probabile facilis in Tyrannidem lapsus alium usum Apostoli tradiderunt I never thought it usefull to commit the power of excommunication to everie Pastour for it is an odious thing and not to be approved but would soone slip into tyranny and the Apostles left another custome And indeed what tyranny were not to be looked for from such aspirers if they were once invested in power who cannot smother their ambition till they get into possession what is the pride of the Prelates who admit the King the supreme head of the Church under Christ receive their designation from him hold the inferiour hath not power over the superiour compared with these spirits who tell us That Princes m T. C. Reply p. 144. Rogers Preface Huic disciplinae omnes orbis Principes Monarchas falce suas submittere pare●e necesse est Travers de Disciplina Ecclesiae fol 142. Baron Annals 1076. must be subject unto the Church and submit their Stepters and throw downe their Crownes before the Church and lick up the dust of the feet of the Church all which is applyed to their Presbyterie ascribing to every Presbyter what the Pope onely assumes to himselfe That all Kings ought to kisse his feet How this superintendencie is derived from Scripture how consonant to Antiquitie or consistent with the glorie of a King is considerible I conceived God himselfe had an high hand in the institution of Kings and Princes when hee leaves this principle in the Mosaick Law n Deuteron 17.15 Thou shalt set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse And in that hee sayes o 1 Samuel 15.11 I have set up Saul to be King And of David he sayes p 1 Samuel 16.1 I have provided me a King And of Salomon sayes the prophet q Nehemiah 13.26 God made him King over all Israel Nor does he dispose Crownes at the direction or by the advice of others r Daniel 4.31 for the most high ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will But it should appeare he challenges to himselfe the sole proprietie of this King-making Jurisdiction in that he rebukes the Israelites saying They have set up a King but not by mee ſ Hosea 8.4 They have made them Princes and I knew it not And as in institution so in succession will