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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09313	The letters patents of the presbyterie vvith the plea and fruits of the prelacie. Manifested out of the scriptures, fathers, ecclesiasticall histories, Papists, and sundrie other authors. By Iames Peregrin.	[Peregin, James].; Partridge, James, attributed name. aut	1632 (1632)	STC 19622B.5; ESTC S103890	43,655	62

he bids him vvrite to the Angel that is to the Pastor of the church of Ephesus and so of the rest because the Pastor as the principall man and a President in the congregation should propound and make it knovvne to the rest he being one vvhome it did a litle more concerne then the rest as he vvas Shepheard of the flock so one that should looke to such faults yet all the Elders of euerie church vvere also to looke to it as those that had share in the gouernment and things vvere determined by voices of all men members of the church The Epistles vvere vvritten to them all as appeares also by that to the church of Smyrna the deuill shall cast some of you into prison Vers 10.22 23. I vvill giue vnto euerie one of you according to his vvorks And vnto you I say the rest of them of Thiatira as many as haue not this learning c. VVhen he saith of some churches that they had kept his name and not denied the faith c. and of others that they had left their first loue or had them vvhich held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans of Balaam or the vvoman lezabel It is sensles to thinke that only the Angel of each church is commended or taxed The reproofes and incitements to repentance are not to him alone but to the church Paul speaking to the church of the Colossians Col. 4.17 saith Say to Archippus Take heede to the ministrie that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it He vvrit his Epistles vvherein their are directions for gouernment to the churches He vvilleth the church at Rome Rom. 16.17 to marke them vvhich cause diuisions and offences contrarie to the doctrine they had learned and to auoyde them In that greate busines Act. 15. the brethren vvere at the discussing of it the decrees vvent out in all their names It seemed good to the Apostles Act 15.22.23 and Elders vvith the vvhole church Letters vvere vvritten after this manner The Apostles and Elders and brethren vnto the brethren c. And in that it is said Vers 12. All the multitude kept silence and heard Barnabas c. All this shevves they had libertie to speake in due time if they had seene cause Act. 6.5 The saying pleased the multitude This shevves their consent and that they had voices For as Paul informed by the house of Cloe that there vvere diuisions among them 1. Cor. 2. conuinced them as an Apostle vvith vvords vvhich are the vvord of God so vvhen by them or by such others he vvas informed of the incestious Corinthian he conuinced them yet he referred the censure to the church Chap. 5.4 and vvould not doe the thing himselfe though as an Apostle he vvas a generall officer in all churches He vvisheth them to excommunicate him and after vvhen he had repented * 2. Cor. 2.7 to forgiue him It is true that the Keies of binding and loosing in this kinde vvere principallie giuen to the Pastors but ye see they did not excommunicate and restore vvithout the consent of the church And yet it is not meant hereby that this parochiall Gouernment should be ouerloaden vvith businesses much lesse vvith friuilous contentions For some things may be ended by the arbitration of tvvo or three neighbours and many causes are fitter for the common lavves and those courts vvhere the Kings Chancellour and other Iudges sit but only that such matters should be in the churches povver as are fit that the church should take care of them and iudge them So that this doth not ouerthrovv the authoritie of Christian Magistrates and their courts Neither can this be a cause of confusion making that vvhich is all mens busines to be no mans so that therevpon carelesnes should arise or pride and contention For vvee see that after this manner many things haue beene vvell discussed and determined in the high court of Parliament vvhere all things passe by voices as likevvise in ciuill corporations and common counsailes In vvhich things are best and most vncorruptlie carried vvhen men may speake their mindes freelie and are not oueravved by such greate ones as are the Bishops that haue povver to sit on their skirts that displease them For in this case men should thinke of that Mat. 23.8 One is your master euen Christ ye are brethren Doe ye not know that the saints shall iudge the vvorld 1. Cor. 3.6 chap. 2.15 He that is spirituall discerneth all things And thinke vvee then that they may not as vvell be fit Iudges of manners novv as they vvere in the Apostles time and the age next after them If it vvere once in vse men vvould soone be vvell enabled to the vvorke Besides the proofes out of Cyprian aboue mentioned Tertull. Apol. c. 39. lib. 3. contra a pist Parment Tertullian makes the officers to be only Presidents in the assemblie Hierom ad Demet. affirmes that the church it selfe hath right in excommunication as the Elders haue in other church censures Augustin thinks that it helpes much to the shaming of the partie that he be excommunicate by the vvhole church Zvvinglius Artie 8. explanat speaking of the contention vvhich hath bene vvhat a church is acknovvledges no other churches but 1. the companie of sure and firme beleeuers dispersed through the vvhole vvorld called the Catholick church And 2 seuerall congregations vvhich conueniently meete together in some one place c. of these he affirmes Christ to speake Mat. 18. Tell the church Peter Martyr in his common places Pant. 4. chap. 5. Sect. 9 making the church a Monarchie in respect of Christ an Aristocracie in respect of the Elders addeth also that because in the church there are matters of greate vveight and importance referred vnto the people as excommunication absolution choosing Ministers and the like it hath also a consideration of popular gouernment and vpon 1. Cor. 5.4 The Apostle as greate as he vvas vvould not excommunicate alone but did take counsaile vvith the church that the thing might be done by common authority VVhich notvvithstanding both Romish English bishops dare doe The Apostle indeede goes before the rest vvhich is the duty of the ancients of the church that the more ignorant multitude by their ●uffrages goeing before may be directed iudging Lib 1. de regno Christi cap. 9. Bucer affirmes that Paul accuses the Corinthians for that the vvhole church had not excommunicated the incestious persons Bastingius Loc. 4. quest 85. of his Catechisme speaking of the difference betvveene the tvvo keies that of preaching and the other of discipline placeth it in this that the former vvhich is of the preaching of the Gospel is committed to the ministers the other because it pertaines to the discipline of excommunication is permitted to the vvhole church I omit that vvhich Mr. Foxe Mr Cartvvright and other English men had said to this purpose because it vvould be too long for

God as is proued in both For out of this opinion Antichrist arose to his greatnes and the church of Rome to her authoritie errour and tyrannie Luk. 16.15 and that vvhich is highly esteemed amongst men is oft times abhomination in the sight of God that punisheth mens inuentions and presumptions VVhich in this case vvere verie absurd For the church vvas much enlarged in the Apostles daies yet did they not appoint diocessan Bishops and Archbishops Act. 14.23 Tit. 1.5 but as churches vvere daily founded in any kingdome so they ordained them Elders and deacons in euery church or congregation hauing no other spirituall head then Christ nor no other meanes to repr●sse errour and Schisme then vvas in the Apostles time to vvit calling of Synods to reduce doctrine and discipline to that of the Apostles VVhich indeed should be furthered cherished and maintained by kings and Magistrates as by nursing fathers VVherein all should remember those things Remoue not the ancient bounds Pro. 22.28 Eccle. 10.8 vvhich thy Fathers haue set He that breaketh an hedge a Serpent shall bite him The Inuentours enlargers and maintaimers of Diocessan Episcopacie haue remoued and broken the bounds the Apostles set and haue planted Diocessan and Prouinciall Bishops trees that brought out fruits accordingly many biting errours haue bene propagated by the great names of Bishops and Popes such as Paulus Semosateneus Liberius Nestorius and many others after the bounds were brokē which should haue bin better obserued And if in any congregation by reason of the largenes of the parish or the many and rich people that dvvell in it some ministers come to better meanes then other happy man by his lot that is the greatest difference that ought to haue bene betvveene one Pastor an other The choice of ministers lying most in the parish and such ministers and Elders as dvvell neere about them And this vvay ministers and people should haue bene better prouided for then novv they are vvhen some haue double benefices Bishopvvricks Denaries comendaes and in a vvord some fevv haue all though they preach litle but the most haue litle or neuer a vvhit though they vvould preach and instruct Therefore vvhereas some say these places are better encouragments to make Schollars studdie then the paritie of the Puri●ains vve see here that they are rather nurseries of superstition briberie simonie non residencie idlenes ambition and errour and meere allurements to make men studdie to maintaine such traditions and ceremonies as make the vvord of none effect to get dominion ouer mens faith and euen to mold religion after the pleasure of such as can aduance them to those great places so exceedingly doe they corrupt the church And therfore that hath and vvill more fully be found of them vvhich Zanchie saith of the Hierarchie ordinances of the ancient fathers and councels * All things by succession of times vver● brought to an extreame tyrannie and ambition Zanch. sides de religio Christia cap. 25. See 12. vvhich is the reason vvhy by so much the neerer as men approach in these orders of ministers to the simplicitie of the Apostles by so much the more ought they to be approued by vs and vvee iudge th●● men ought to indeauour that things may euery where be brough● ●o that order All the Reformed Churches hold and follovv ●he proofes of this opinion Ioh. 3.20 Only the Prelates and Doctors of England account them verie strange and therefore hate ●he light in this point So that God may say of them as of ●phraim I haue vvriten to him the greate things of my law Hos 3.12 ●ut they vvere counted as a strang thing They haue a better ●pinion of their ovvne ordinances and are better acquainted ●vith them they suffer Princes and people to heare and ●novv them and all the reasons they haue for them but not ●he proofes that are for the Eldership though our Lord say He that is of God heareth Gods vvords Ioh. 8.47 yee therefore heare ●hem not because ye are not of God chap. 18.37 Euery one that is of the Truth heareth my voice VVherein they are not the more ●xcusable because these or the like things haue bene in some ●ort vsed by the ancient churches or are commanded by Kings States vvhen indeed it hath commonly bene at the ●nstance of the Bishops or their faction It is strang that men ●hat thus beare all the svvay in the church rule all things and ●uen giue lavves to others haue no other vvarrant for this ●heir office authority then custome Ecclesiastical constitu●●on vvherein themselues haue bene the Iudges or the con●ent and appointment of Kings For as to such custome and ●onstitution that which a learned Author saith in a like case ●s vvorthy obseruation Histor of the counc of Trent pag. 18. The impietie of Nestorius had diuided Christ making two sonnes and denying him to be God who was borne ●f the blessed virgin the church to inculcate the Catholike truth in the ●indes of the faithfull made often mencion of her in the churches as ●vell of the East as of the West with this title Marie the mother of God This being instituted only for th● honour of Christ was by litle and litle ●ommunicated also to the mother and finally applied to her alone and ●herefore when Images began to multiplie Christ was painted as a babe ●n his mothers armes to put vs in minde of the worship due vnto him ●uen in that age But in progresse of time it was turned into the worship ●f the mother without the sonne he remaining as an appendex in the ●icture The writers and Preachers especiallie those that were contem●latiue caried with the terrent of the vulgar which is able to doe much in these matters leauing to mencion Christ inuented with one accord new praises Epithites and religious seruices In so much that aboute the yeere 1050. a daily office was instituted to the blessed virgin distinguished by seuen Canonical howres in a former which anciently was euer vsed to the honour of the diuine maiestie and in the next hundred veers the worship so increased that it came to the height euen to attribute that vnto her which the Scriptures speake of the diuine wisdome And amongst these inuented nouities this was one her totall exemption from originall sinne Yet this remained only in the breasts of some few priuate men hauing no place in Ecclesiasticall ceremonies or amōgst the learned He shevveth hovv it vvas opposed and yet after came to be receiued by the industrie of Scotus and other Franciscans vvhich is a Storie too lōg for this place From this part of the narration wee see hovv many euils sprung from that ancient inuention of painting Christ as a babe in his mothers armes vvhich it may be did litle hurt at the first and vvas beheld as a thing indifferent vvith litle or no offence accounted tollerable if allovved by authoritie The inuentors might meane as

did leaue the care to the Bishop and ambition a wittie passion which doth insinuate it selfe in shew of vertue caused it to be readily embraced But the principall cause of the change was the ceasing of the persecutions For then the Bishops did erect as it were a tribunall which was much frequented because as temporall commodities so suits did increase The iudgment though distering from the former in forme to determine all by the opinion of the church was yet of the same sinceritie Which Constantine obseruing made a law that there should lie no appeale from the sentences of Bishops and if in a cause depending before a secular tribunall either of the parties shall demand Episcopall iudgment the cause shal be remitted to him Here the tribunall of the Bishop began to be a common pleading place The Emperour Valence enlarging it in the yeere 365. gaue the Bishops the care ouer all the prizes of vindible things Which troubled Austin and other good Bishops Afterwards some Bishops beginning to abuse the power giuen them by Constantine that law was 70. yeeres after reuoked by Arcadius and an ordination made that they should iudge causes of religion and not ciuill except both parties did consent and declared that they should not be thought to haue a court Which law beeing not much obserued in Rome in regard of the greate power of the Bishop Valentinian being then in the citie an 452. did renew it and made it to be put in execution But a litle after part of the power taken away was restored by the following Princes So that Iustinian established vnto them a court and audience the causes of Religion Ecclesiasticall faults of the clergie diuers voluntarie surisdictions ouer the laietie By these degrees they got domination The Empire being diuided and kingdoms erected Idem pag. 332. the Bishops for the most part were made councellors of the Prince which by mixture of spirituall and temporall charges caused their iurisdiction to increase exceedingly Before 200. yeeres were past they pretended absolutely all iudicature criminall and ciuill ouer the Clergie and in some things ouer the laietie After the yeere 1050. All the causes of the Clergie beeing appropriated to the Bishops and verie many of the laiesie vnder the title of spiritualitie and almost all the rest vnder the name of a mixed iudicature and placing themselues aboue the secular Magistrates vpon pretence of iustice denied they came to say that the Bishop had that power to iudge not by graunt or conniuence of Princes or by the will of the people or by custome but that it was essentiall to the Episcopall dignitie and giuen it by Christ And though the lawes of the Emperours remaine in the Codes of Theodosius and Iustinian in the capitulars of Charles the greate and Lewis the debonaire and others of later Princes which all shew when by whome this power was graunted and all Histories Ecclesiasticall and prophane agree in the same yet so notorious a truth hath bene ouercome by a contrary affirmation only without any proofe Pag. 334. In the councell of Trent a defect was considered that the charitie of the superiours was turned into domination and that thence grew appeale vpon appeale Iohannes Groperus who assisted there as a diuine and a lawier spake honourably of appeales said that while the heare of faith remained in the breasts of Christians Appeales were not heard of But charitie in the Iudges waxing cold and place being giuen to passion they entred into the church for the same reasons which brought them into the secular courts that is for the ease of the oppressed And as the first iudicatures belonged not to the bishop only but to him with the councell of his Preists so the Appeale was not diuolued to one man but vnto another congregation But the Bishops taking away the Synods did institute courts and officers like the seculars Neither did the mischiefe stop there but passed to greater abuses then in the secular court Which he shewes in that Appeale was made from Appeale till it came to the Pope and somtime by a leap to him without more a doe Iohn Baptista Castellus vvas made to salue vp these soares by a cunning oration Pag. 335. and 336. in the next congregation And so to restore Synodall iudicatures was reiected almost by all because it did diminish the Episcopall was too popular For proceeding against the persons of the Bishops no man desiring to facilitate the iudicature against himselfe the restoring of it to parochiall Synods vnto which it did formerly belong was not spoken of English Bishops in like wisdome suppresse all bookes Preachers that speake of the right of Elders or of such Synods and the like things that neither theu nor their owne vsurpations may be knowne By all vvhich vvee may see that it is a vveake defence for the authoritie of Bishops against the Eldership to alleadge the grant of Emperours Kings or as Bellarmin doth the Acts of any councell much lesse that of Trent Gods ordinance vvord should euer be of more force esteeme vvith true Christians then any of this kinde vvhatsoeuer By these affirmations of this impartiall Author vvhome they can not call a Brovvnist or a Puritan vvee may see that they in the church of England vvho vnderstand this clause Tell the church as if it vvere meant tell the Bishops or their Officials doe not only vvilfully vnderstand it as Christ neuer meant it of such as he neuer ordained but euen contrarie to the interpretation vnderstanding and practise of the primitiue church till the time of Cyprian that is for 250. yeers after Christ VVhich shevves the Gouernment of Diocessan Bishops their Officials Chancellors Courts and proceedings to be popish nouell intollerable such as make the ordinance of God of none effect take things vpon them vvhich belong not to them If a man dvvelling in the Isle of Ieresey in the Isle of vvight or in Surrey find himselfe much vvronged molested by a neighbour vvould Tell the church should he run to the Bishop of the Diocesse or to his Chancelour at VVinchester and not rather to the flock and the Elders thereof vvhereof he and the offendour are members vvhich flock should haue the povver the church of Corinth had It is remarkeable that vvhen Christ vvould reproue the seuen churches for certaine corruptions crept into them he doth not say vvrite and send it to the chiefe officers of the church to the Archbishops bishops or their officials Chancelours c. For there vvere no such officers then but vvrite and send it vnto the seuen churches Reu. 1.11 that is to the vvhole flock in Ephesus so to that in Smyrna and so in all the rest So it is still added Let him that hath an eare chap. 2.7 heare vvhat the Spirit saith to the churches Euerie man that vvas a member of the church must heare it and take care to redresse it Indeed

vvere not then inuented much lesse proposed as lavves by the Episcopall povver 3. That it is no reasoning from the consent or continuance of the fathers if the institution be not vvarrantable by Gods vvord Neither they nor a generall Councell nor Emperours kings can make that to be ex iure diuine vvhich is not so by Gods Testament Men vvill not presume to make other Ouerseers to a mans Testament then he hath appointed to see it performed much lesse ought they to doe it to Gods as they haue in ordaining diocessan Bishops and suffering them to obscure and annihilate those places of scripture vvherein God giues the Ecclesiasticall gouernment to the Presbyters or sacrilegiously to vsurpe and applie them to any gouernment so contrarie to the Eldership as that of the Hierarchie is These passages of the nevv Testament are the letters Patents of the Presbyterie and yet diocessan Bishops doe not only vsurpe them as Papists doe some places for the Pope and make them serue to authorise a contrary gouernment most pernicious to the ordinance of God but quite exclude the Presbyters to vvhome they vvere granted from the gouernment and from that effectuall povver in Synods vvhich is due to them not to Bishops vvho could not vvell be opposed in the Nicene Councell because the hurt and vvrong that Bishops doe to Christ● kingdome could not be so manifest to Constantine and his ●onnes nor so euident in the time of Cyprian and Atha●asius as it vvas since or novv is Euen as the Lion or Leo●ard doth but litle harme vvhile it is but a litle vvhelpe For ●●deed they had not such dominion ouer Presbiters nor ●●ch courts Chancellours Officials Dea●es povver in pro●●ues of vvilles and Testaments much lesse in forbidding ●he defence of the truth against Pelagians nor such Rules ●nd ceremonies to suspend and silence about surplesses ceremonies c. Neither can the church giue it them much ●●sse some in Synods that beare the name of the church if ●he things giuen and commanded be against the kingdome ●nd ordinance of God or make religion rediculous and the word of none effect as may be said of the Hierarchie and ●ome ceremonies As namely that in baptising an Infant they should signe ●im vvith the signe of the crosse in token that he shall not be shamed to confesse the faith of Christ and manfully to fight ●nder his banner against sinne c. and yet vvhen he comes page he is prohibited to contend for that faith against Arminian and popish errours yea a minister is also forbidden ●o doe it though at his ordination he is made to promise to be ready vvith all diligence to banish See the ordering of Bishops Priests c. and driue away all ●rronious strange doctrines contrarie to Gods vvord VVhat ●●ockeries are these And novv in these daies of the churches ●rouble persecution haue the English that stand so much ●or these signes and ceremonies proued better souldiers of Christ in such cases as that of the Palatinate and the like ●hen they of other churches that haue them not or haue ●hey not rather proued vvorse Doe they more feare God ●re they more obedient to his ordinances and keepe the ●hurch more vncorrupt then those Protestants that vveare ●o surplesses bovv not to the Altar nor kneele not vvhen they receiue Surely not more but lesse Such a one as Doctor Lambe or other prophane men amidst all their knovvne abhominations may liue in more peace vvith them then one that vvithout iust cause they call a Puritain God is much better pleased vvhen churches and their learned defenders are more in deedes and lesse in such signes of humaine inuention as are but meere mockeries and burdens That ancient Bishops and Synods haue vsed and ordained these the like things is no warrant for them For you may see the case of the ancient Bishops in their successions by the English and their most learned defenders vvho as manie novv liuing haue seene because they receiued not the loue of the Truth 2. Thes 2. in matter of the Eldership traditions and ceremonies but their * Isa 29. feare toward God hath in these cases bene taught by the precepts of men therefore God hath giuen them ouer to beleeue some popish and Arminian lies and because they receiue not the loue of the truth in those matters of Arminianisme wherin also their feare toward God is taught by the precepts of men God must needes giue them ouer to stronger delusions to beleeue vvorse things the vvisdome of their vvise and learned men must needes be more and more hid and perishing and they must needes fall more and more into earthly polecies practises and factions to colour and maintaine vvhat they haue done amisse and to hold vp and increase their povver against parliaments and all their opposers vvhich is not to preserue order but to confound it nor to be true but false helpers to kings and States vvhereby Romish religion is more helped then the Protestant the House of Austria then the house of God the greate vvhore then the reformed churches and all true effectuall confederacie vvith those churches against the common enemie is hindred for indeed to desire Romes ouerthrovv vvere to seeke their ovvne in that vvhich is Romish they can not truly loue them that are gouerned by Presbiters 2. Cor. 6.10 for vvhat communion hath light vvith darknes Hence it is that forraigne Protestants vvho trusting to ●he helpe of the English haue suffered for it and in steade of helpe haue seene many dangerous diuisions in English par●iaments and counsailes vvhich could not haue bene so carried avvay but by the helpe and counenance of the Bishops ●ay that these euils in England and all others that by these meanes haue be allen the reformed churches haue sprung from the English prelacie Hierarchie vvhich bring forth ●uch Protestants Bishops vvhich maintaine a nevvtrall or mixed religion partly popish in the Hierarchie traditions and ceremonies maintained vvith most zeale partly of the reformed in points of faith lesse regarded and partly of Arminianisme lately receiued all vvhich makes them luke-vvarme Laodiceans or nevvters that as much helpe the one side as the other in treaties leagues succours c. And so the Prelates vvith their Hierarchie and traditions are like to the ●iuer Euphrates that ran betvveene Babylon her enemies vvatered both sides hindred the surprising of her as these must needes doe the sacking of Rome till their dominion ●iches that makes them thus corrupt be taken avvay their ●euenues turned to better vses And therefore their saying against vs that this is Cham like to discouer the nakenes of ones Father or mother 1. Sam. 6.16 2 Sam. 6. vvith the Bethshemites to prie into the Arke vvith Vzzah that offered to support it to meddle in things that belong not to vs but to the Bishops there must be such to preserue order and all the other parts