our fasts what is that now to the purpose And so in diuers other things is this the question betweene vs You charge vs with idoll feastes as if wee worshipped Saints and Angels I told you it is a starke lie and so I must affirme our Church vtterly condemning all that most blasphemous doctrine of popery touching the meditation of Saints or Angels here againe you deale but euen as in the former you must not still so boldly slander but proue that the dayes are kept in honour of the Saints and Angels And so for the naming of the Churches I knowe Saint Luke did not in any respect honour Mars and so did not contrarie to that which Dauid professeth saying he would not take the names in his mouth you may see by his example how Dauid is to be vnderstoode not of the very naming but of the naming with some honor for a man may name them either in detestation or as Saint Luke dooth onely to make destinction Then come tithes and oblations here in deede Master Barrow you bid me looke whether this error be not fundamentall being obstinately held and bring for your reason that they which reuiue any part of the ceremoniall lawe are bound to the whole lawe and so are as Paule saith to the Galathians abolished from Christ Truely Master Barrow the more I reade of your writings the more I pittie your blindnes I could not haue beene perswaded that you were so exceeding ignorant taking vpon you to controule all Churches and farre to excell all the most learned deuines neither could it enter into my thought that any would so boldly abuse the holy Scriptures to seduce and subuert the mindes of simple men I doo here also intreate the reader to be atteâ—tiue a little and to see vpon what foundation you doo builde a great part of your dooings For here to proue the paying of tithes an error fundamentall and vtterly to separate from Christ being obstinately held you alleage the words of Saint Paule Galath 5. I testifie againe vnto euery man which is circuÌ„cised that he is deptor to keepe the whole lawe yee are abolished from Christ c. Let me first aske ye then were the fathers which were circumcised in the time of yâ— law abolished from Christ and faâ—â—en from grace You will say no for circumcision was a seale of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4. Then it must needes be graunted that Saint Paule doth not speak here of circumcisioÌ„ in the right vse for which God did ordeine it for so it was not coÌ„trary vnto Christ albeit the retaining of it after Christ come was an error Also let me aske ye further doo you thinke that Saint Paule was contrarie to himselfe when he circumcised Timothie Acts 16. ver 3. Or after that when he would with those which had a vow be purified and offer an oblation according to the lawe Act. 21. 26. will you say that Saint Paule and Timothie became deptors to keepe the whole lawe Or that they were abolished from Christ It is horror to admit any thought that way or once to make doubt of such a matter Neither would Iames and the other Apostles haue suffered or tolerated the Church in Ierusalem in that which dooth abolish from Christ Whereupon it followeth of necessity that Saint Paule here to the Galathians dooth not speake simply of the ceremonie of circumcision but as it was vrged with the doctrine of the false Apostles which was this that circumcision was a necessary part of Gods worship and that men could not bee saued vnles they were circumcised for so did the false Apostles vrge it as ye may see Act. 15. 1. placing righteousnes and the merite of eternalllife in it for against that Saint Paule speaketh here to the Galathians saying as many as are iustified by the lawe are abolished from Christ fallenfrom grace Here is the thing then that the false Apostles did ioyne the law and Christ together for iustification and Saint Paule testifieth and denounceth that he which is circumcised with such a minde as to be iustified in part thereby hée is debtor to kéepe the whole law which is not possible for any flesh and therefore he shall stand vnder the curse Moreouer he is abolished from Christ and fallen from grace because the iustification by grace and the iustification by the law are so contrarie that they cannot be ioyned together he that will holde any thing of the one must forgoe the other This being the thing which Saint Paule speaketh of the Galathians and not the very ceremonies which both he and Timothie did sometime obserue nor yet the error of the Church of Ierusalem which was not to place the worship of God and righteousnesse in them which the holy Apostles would neuer haue borne withall seeing it ouerthroweth the faith of Christ marke well Master Barrowe or if you will be wilfull let others marke how foolishly and yet with what furious terror ye thunder out the abolishing from Chrst for paying tithes and for the obseruation of some ceremonies in which if there be a fault it is so farre from that which the falfe Apostles went about to seduce the Galathians in that it commeth short of the error of the Church of Ierusalem For the Church of England as all men may sée dooth condemne fully and absolutely not onely that doctrine of the false Apostles and of the Church of Rome touching iustification or merite of words but also teacheth the whole law of ceremonies was to cease now Christ being come Cease therefore Master Barrow this foolish rage and labour not to seduce the people deceiuing and being deceiued as the blessed Apostle speaketh Ye obserue dayes and times months and yeares saith Saint Paule to the Galathians I am afraide of ye least I haue laboured among ye in vaine If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit ye nothing The Church of England say you obserueth dayes and times as Easter Whitsonday c. and payethtithes and obserueth other ceremonies therefore Christ can profit yee nothing ye are abolished from Christ ye are fallen from the couenant of grace in as much as ye obstinately holde and continue in them Is it not much to bee lamented that after so many yeares preaching of the Gospell much people should lie open to bee fpoyled by such poore seely stuffe as this and bee led away by such more then sottish ignorance Cannot men sée that the whoâ—e matter lieth in the diuers endes of obseruation The false Apostls the Church in Ierusalem Paul and Timothy doo obserue the selfe same things that is Circumcision and other ceremonies of the lawe The false Apostles are abolished from Christ as they vrge and obserue them The Church of Ierusalem is not abolished from Christ but yet erreth grosely Saint Paul and Timothie sinne not at all thereby What is the reason of this difference but that as ye may see the false Apostles obserued and vrged the ceremonies as meritorious for iustification and
therefore the Epistle to the Galathians is spent in declaring the righteousnes by fayth and ouerthrowing the righteousnes by the law The Church in Ierusalem obserued the ceremonies not placing righteousnes in them but to the end that God had ordayned them to shadow out heauenly things being ignorant in this that they were ordayned but vnto the time of correction as the holy Ghost speaketh Hebr. 9. And therfore in that Epistle to the Hebrues there is no charging or blaming of them touching the matter of iustification but onely a reducing of them from that fore sayd error in which they did stick â—â— long When Saint Paule speaketh of obseruing the ceremonies which was but at sometimes as occasion fell out 〈◊〉 so farre from deeming it a fault that hee reckoneth it among his vertues and sayth to those that are vnder the lawe I became as if I were vnder the law that I might win those that are vnder the law 1. Cor. 9. The Synagogue of Antichrist in more haynous and detestable manner then the false Apostles against the Crosse of Christ euen against the righteousnes by fayth in his blood obserue dayes and times and a number of ceremonies of their owne inuention by which they seeke remission of 〈…〉 and the merite of eternalllife Our Church doth renounce and accurse all such doctrine neither doe we maintaine any Iudaisme And touching the paying of tithes that I may conclude this poynt if I say there might bee somewhat morall in it though it were annexed to the Lâ—uiticall Priesthood I doe not see how you shall be able to disprooue the same In the visitation of the sick there is a forme of absolution set downe Thus you Master Barrow write agaynst it Let the Reader vnderstand that nothing can be more popish and blasphemousthen it is wherein a sacrilegious priest taketh vpon him by the authoritie committed vnto him to absolue the sick from all his sinnes Hath any mortall man power to forgiue sinnes Or is it not the office of God alone Hath the priest power to forgiue all sinnes such as are not made vnto him what horrible blasphemie is this to him that hath power to forgiue all sinnes to him we may make our prayers and supplications him onely may we worship Hath the greatest minister of the Church any more power to retayne or loose the sinne of the least member then the sayd member hath to binde or loose his sinne Doth not this rule of our Sauiour Christ as well extend vnto him as vnto the least in the Church If thy brother sinne agaynst thee rebuke him and if hee repent forgiue him Luke 17. 3. Hath not the Church power to reprooue and cast out their Pastor if he deserue Is not all this binding and loosing done by the worde of God and not by any power or excellencie of man Hath not the word of God the like power and effect against sinne in the mouth of the least of Gods seruants as in the mouth of the greatest Let this collect then whereby the priest in their leiturgie by the power committed to him absolueth the sick of all his sinnes remaine one witnes among many other of their popery and vntill more come of most high blasphemie Thus farre be your wordes Master Barrow Then this absolution you say nothing can be more popish or blasphemous you cry out at it as horrible blasphemie And will haue this collect remaine as one witnes of most high blasphemie If it be so I haue done you great wrong by charging you as false accusers But in very deede while you go about to make the Reader vnderstaÌ„o that nothing can be more popish or blasphemous yea that it is horrible and most high blaspeâ—ie you bewray so darke ignorance and confusion as I think wee may tearme deepe horrible as shal appeare by the reasons you bring But now for this absolution take this by the way that I doo not vndertake to dispute vpon or to iustifie euery circumstance thereof as namely the vndisâ—reet and vnskilfull dealing of some that may practize it but onely deale about the substance of the matter it selfe against which your reasons are brought to prooue it to be popery and blasphemie You aske first Hath any mortall man power to forgiue sinnes or whether it be not Gods office alone Why Master Barrow will you denie that mortall men haue power to forgiue sinnes doth not our Sauiour Christ say vnto his Apostles Whose sinnes ye shall forgiue they are forgiuen and whose sins ye shall retayne they are retayned Ioh. 20. ver 23. Dare you contradict the flat testimonie of the scripture And for your other question it is most certayne and the contrary cannot bee held without blasphemie and sacriledge that God onely hath power and authority to forgiue sinnes if we respect the author of forgiuenes And men doo but in his name and from him as ministers bring the same vnto vs. If wee respect the thing iâ— selfe it is peculiar vnto the most high God but the ministrie is his hand by which he reacheth it foorth vnto vs and therefore they bringing the message and word of reconciliation are adorned with this title that they forgiue and retayne sinnes yet â— is but instrumentall It is most vndoubted that God alone doth begethis Children by the immortall seede of his worde And yet Saint Paul sayth to the Corinthians that he was their Father and that he begat them All this is but ministeriall God is robbed of no honour You demaund whether the priest hath power to forgiue all sinnes such as are not made vnto him I answere that the minister of the Gospel is the minister of reconciliation I meane to bring it and hath power to forgiue all sinnes annexed to his ministrie or rather it is the fruite and effect and power of his ministrie in deliuering the promises You seeme to speake of forgiuing of trespasses which are done against our selues which declareth also your want of skill as namely that you know not what this is whose sinnes ye shall forgiue they that are forgiuen We may make our prayers vnto him worship him only that hath power to forgiue all sinnes This is true if we looke to the author of this grace which is God alone But not when we looke to those which are but ministers and the earthen vessels in which this treasure is brought You aske whether the greatest minister in the Church hathanie more power to retayne or loose the sinne of the least member then the sayd member hath to binde or loose his sinnes And then you bring certaine reasons to prooue that he hath not any more power then the least member Is it not a straunge thing Master Barrow that such geare should come from you will you take away the whole efficacie and power of the ministrie which Christ hath ordayned By the ministers of the Gospell as I sayd before God sendeth the word of reconciliation they be his hand by which he
gouernement by Bishops not such as you set it forth well let vs procéede Here now we must lay open what power the Pope dooth exercise and what power the Bishops in our Church doo exercise to sée if it be the same or the like Also whether the Bishops doo exercise any power but that which Christ hath giuen to his Church to be exercised by men that is either by Bishops or Presbyteries Touching the Pope he hath vsurped power ouer the whole word of God affirming that the holy scriptures haue no authority as they say vnto vs no certainty for the sense no life but as hee doth giue vnto them And for this cause hee doth take vpon him to expound them as he will contrary to the grammer sense Hee doth take vpon him to dispense with all and to abrogate expresse lawes of God And further he taketh vpon him to make lawes of his owne to bind the fayth and conscience of all men euen as the articles of our fayth doo bind or the expresse doctrine of the sacred Scriptures Hee doth vsurp in sundry things of so high nature apperteming peculiarly to God as that he sheweth himselfe as God The power which the Byshops of our Church do exercise is first in examining approâ—uing and ordaining ministers and authorising them to preach the Gospell Secondly it is in this that they are to sée the orders of the Church for the publick administration duly obserued and so they haue power to excommunicate suspend and depriue c. such as shall transgresse either against doctrine order or in manners Touching lawes they haue not power to make any one not euen in things méete indiff rent neither haue they power to abrogate or to take away any one that is made and by the publick authority of our Church established they can giue no commaundements of their owne That Christ hath giuen power to ordaine ministers and to execute the censures Ecclesiasticall you doo not call into question the controuersie is but by whome this power should bee executed whether by Bishops or by Presbyters If there be an error in the execution of it by Bishops or if there be a fault in the execution by Elders this fault or error dooth not destroy the power it selfe nor yet maketh it Antichristian as ruling ouer the faith and conscience I knowe Master Barrow that ye will here take great exception and say that the chiefe thing is yet behind For as ye charge the presbyteries most heynously in that they take vpon them to decree and ordayne Canons and constitutions vnto which they inioyne obedience in the people so the Bishops execute the lawes and Canons which haue been ordeyned by men though not by themselues the matter is all one Is not this to exercise Lordship and dominion ouer mens faith and conscience About this then must be our speciall question whether Christ hath giuen such a power vnto the Church as to make lawes or Cannons in externall matters which wee call things indifferent And whether the vrging men to kéepe them be not to take away Christian libertie and so to rule ouer the faith and conscience I knowe this question is hard to bee discussed to make euery simple man vnderstand the matter You Master Barrow and Master Greenwood are most blind in it I wish the reader to obserue because it is one maine rocke vpon which ye are runne And crye out what ye can that I like a marked seruant of Antichrist like a graceles man that hath his conscience seared with a hot Iron doo change yee wrongfully yet it shall bee euident that by seeking an Annabaptisticall freedome ye do abridge the power of the Christian Magistrate and of the Church To come therefore vnto the matter that which S. Iames sayth must first stand sure namely That there is one lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy Iam. 4. vers 12. Hereupon it is most sure that God alone hath Lordship ouer the conscience of man to binde the faith and conscience For looke what God hath by his lawe commaunded to bee done it is good it is holie no King nor the whole Church can make any part of it euill or commaund it not to be done Looke what God hath forbidden to be done that same is euill and vnholy no King nor yet the whole Church can make it good and holy or command it to bee done I say further that the law of God is so absolutely perfect that there is no righteousnes for men but it is therein conteyned neyther is there any vnrighteousnes but it is therein forbidden Wherefore they which take vpon them to make lawes to binde the conscience eyther by abrogating or by adding commit most high and blasphemous sacriledge of which the whole poperie is to be condemued But now there are certayne middle actions and things which we call indifferent because if we simply respect them in themselues or in their owne nature they bee neither good nor euill In these consisteth one part of Christian libertie to vse or not to vse with knowledge and discretion Now if we respect the very nature of these things no Prince or church can change it as to make them to become necessarily good or necessarily euill in themselues to the conscience And therefore touch not tast not handle not Coloss 2. vers 21. making the outward indifferent things vncleane to the conscience is to vsurpe an Antichristian power ouer the conscience euen agaynst God Also to make those externall things to be of necessitie to the conscience is to lay a yoake of bondage and agaynst this wee are willed to stand fast in the freedome wherewith Christ hath made vs free Gal 5. vers 1. Hetherto Master Barrow I thinke yée will agree with me But now touching the externall vse of these things either for Princes to make politick lawes to commaund the vse or to restraine the vse of them or for the Church to make Cannons and constitutions to commaund or restrayne the vse as shall serue for order and comelines therein lieth our disagreement and therein ye pleade for your Annabaptisticall freedome and confusion I meane that ataxia or ouerthrowe of all order First ye call it a subtill distinction which Master Caluine vseth of the externall or ciuill Court and the Court of conscience in your discouerie pag. 88. And you say Master Caluine hauing very truely set downe that it is heinous presumption in any mortall man to restrayne or make lawes of such things as the Lord hath left in libertie hee straight way least he should keepe backe ciuill Magistrates from receiuing the Gospell inuenteth a politick distinction betwixt the ciuill court and the court of conscience saying that this outward court respecteth men onely and bindeth not the conscience of the doer the other concerneth matters belonging vnto God and therefore bindeth the conscience Thus hath he both lost and entangled himselfe and vtterly ouerthrowne all his former doctrine pag. 93. In pag. 247. of
is not cast out of his house nor made subiect these be most friuolous and fantasticall imaginations but in his most high and soueraigne power he vseth Antichrist and Satan as the instruments of his wrath not vtterly to rase and destroy his Temple but miserably to afflict the chosen and so seduce the reprobate euen all wicked hypocrites which are in the visible Church I knowe not what you will vnderstand by diuiding but the diuell may in some sense be sayd to diuide with God in that he receiueth one part vnto damnation The third is If Antichrist sit in the church then the church of Christ may remayne subiect vnto and be gouerned by Antichrist Here we must distinguish First the visible Church consiseth of men and of Gods ordinances The men are of two sorts the elect and the reprobate He exerciseth a sauage tyrannie and oppresseth the elect whome yet he cannot bring into his subiection to make them hang their faith upoÌ„ him or his lawes For God did miraculously preserue a remnant in the poperie which were not vtterly poysoned He corrupteth the lawes and ordinances of Christ but yet had not power giuen him to destroy all His full dominion is ouer the reprobate which receiue his marke and worship him The fourth is If Antichrist sit in the Church then the Church is subiect vnto two heads and Christ then is not the onely head This is fully answered in the former for his tyrannie and vsurpation dooth not make him head but vnto those whose head Christ is not more then by hypocriticall profession of his name The fift is If Antichrist in the Church then Antichrists ministers and marked seruants may be brought into and set ouer the Church of God then is not Christs ministrie which he hath ordeined in his Gospell and his Church permanent vnto the worlds end but variable at the will of man and then may the Church of God cast out Christs ministrie and receiue Antichrists This is also most friuolous for as Antichrist did almost destroy all but yet not all in other things so in the ministrie for the ministrie of Christ was not vtterly destroyed Agayne the Church if you vnderstand Gods true people did not this but Antichrist did it The sixt is That if Antichrists lawes may be brought and set vp and remayne in the Church then Christ is not the onely Prophet and law giuer and then may the Church be built vpon another foundation then vpon Gods word Christ is the onely true Prophet whose lawes onely are wholesome Antichrist hath vsurped a power to make lawes and to set them vp in the Church The elect though some of them for a time haue gone a stray and followed Antichrist vntill it pleased GOD to open their eyes and many of them holding Christ haue been infected and stayned with sundrie errors of Antichrist yet their saluation being onely through faith it cannot be sayd that they were built vpon any other foundation then that which the Prophets and Apostles haue layd The reprobate which haue worshipped the beast though in respect that hauing been borne vnder the Christian profession and had the true seale of the Couenant and professed the name of Christ they might bee the visible Church or of the visible Church yet they were not built vpon Christ vnto saluation but vpon the lawes of Antichrist vnto destruction The seuenth is That if all Antichrists abominations heresies and Idolatries may bee brought into and remayne in the Church of God then no blasphemie heresie Apostasie or any thing that man can commit or deuise can break the couenant If the fayth of God might be made of none effect by the vnfaithfulnes of men it were a wofull case The couenant of God is founded vpon free grace The Lord would not euen because of his Couenant suffer the deuill and Antichrist vtterly to deface his Temple but preserued the holy seede preserued some of his ordinances yea so farre that in some sorte the Couenant was not disanulled to the very reprobate but that outwardly they stoode vnder it in their Apostasie and it might bee said of them though indeede they were no true Children as Saint Paul sayth of the rebellious Iewes theirs is the Couenant and the Adoption The eight is That if those that worship the beast and his Image may be sayd to be in the Church and their seede outwardly within the Couenant then the most abominable and execrable in this estate may be sayd members of Christ washed and purged with his blood sainctified and led by his spirite in assurance of saluation for none can be sayd to bee within the Church but the members of the Church And whosoeuer we may affirme to be within the Church those so long as they continue in that estate we are also to iudge assuredly saued for any thing to vs reuealed or knowen to the contrary These â—re things easily spoken by such as are bolde to vtter whatsoeuer they imagine The Prophets complayned that the great multitude both of Iuda and the ten Tribes were rebels and that the Lord had but a remnant among them shew when that multitude of open wicked ones and their seede were cast out from being the visible Church then shew when they were receiued in agayn For both these you must do because the whole nation when Christ came were the children of the Couenant it is sayd that Christ came among his owne and his owne receiued him not You must prooue that the Scribes and Pharisies the high Priests and all the Capitall enemies of our Sauiour Christ were deemed vndoubtedly saued euen when they shewed their enmitie against him For they were then in the Church They could not sit in Moses chayre and not be in the Church The Uineyard was not taken from those wicked husbandmen which had slayn the seruants vntill they had slayn the sonne and heire himselfe These things are so manifest by the Scriptures Master Barrow that if it shall not please God to open your eyes to see your palpable grosse ignorauce and bolde presumption yet others may see and tremble least God giue them ouer also for the pride of their hearts Whereas I sayd that the Apostasie is in the Church but not the Church you think it strange repugnancie Yet indéed there is none as may appeare by that which I haue set down before and should appeare vnto you if your minde were not so deepely infected with the principles of Donatisme You runne still vpon this Rock that because none ought to bee in the Church but such as appeare godly therefore no open Idolaters can be sayd to be in the visible Church to stand outwardly and their seede in any respect vnder the couenant I haue plainely prooued the contrary What ought to be is one thing and what hath béen or what is is another To your other question I answere that it is no Schisme to depart from the Church of Rome although in some respects they were
which would not yeeld to receiue any fruite or comfort by their prayers I take it Master Barrow you haue the letter If you haue it shew it vnto some honest man that may speake for you and defend ye not to be past shame in forging such a sense If ye haue it not I can let ye haue the perfect copie of it and will let any friend ye haue see it They are so far off in the letter from giuing the least suspition that they doubt of our Church and ministrie as that they pronounce it your heathenish opinion whereby ye denie vs to be Christians What preachers sent vnto ye I know not but that they refrayned to haue conference with ye perceiuing vpon the sight of your little paper as yee say that they could not defend their estate doe yee indeede think still that they tooke it to be the roaring of a Lyon could they not discerne thinke ye betwéene rudere and rugire Your multitudes and armies of wordes being but vayne â—anglings I will passe by and come directly to the substance of the matter And because our ministrie is ordayned by Bishops which is by one part of their gouernement your third and fourth accusation shall bee handled ioyntly as it were vnder one In page 104. Ye wonder as ye say that in this florishing estate of our Church which ouerfloweth with so great learning aboundeth with so many writers that not one of them should vndertake to proue the ministry of their Church directly by the rules of Gods word in their office entrance administration and maintenance These may very well be some of those swelling words of banitie which Saint Peter speaketh of for who if he know not before the vaine insolencie of Master Barrow and his fellow reading this wonder would not iudge them to bee men very deepely read Haue they not read ouer thinke ye all the learned writers of this age wondring that there is not one among them all that hath vndertaken to proue our ministrie directly by the rules of Gods word Is it not pitty that there be no moe learned writers that these men might search them also to haue this poynt handled If you haue now done wondring Master Barrow giue vs leaue a little to wonder The Papists denying that the churches which haue reiected popery haue any ministry and requiring proofe thereof many learned writers both of other Churches and of our owne nation haue vndertaken this matter and haue so directly proued our ministry by the rules of Gods word as that the Papists haue no cause to glorie Now there be two things here which we may wonder at the one how it should be possible that such swelling insolency could be found in the hearts of men grosely ignorant as that hauing read almost nothing and vnderstanding lesse by sundry degrees yet openly vaunt as if they had read all and could finde no such matter The other how men of so contrarie disposition should vse the very same weapon against the Church for this is one weapon of the Papists and now in your hands Ye haue no ministrie of Christ If the reader shal here thinke that I grate too hard vpon Master Barrow who directeth his spéech but against the ministry of our Church the matter is farre otherwise as I will make it appeare for first he denieth the ministry of all Churches in expresse words affirming that there is no ministry in all Europe nor in all these knowne parts of the world Secondly we are to note that although the reformed Churches doo differ sundry of them each from others in the manner of the calling and ordination of ministers yet the defence which the learned writers doo make is generally for the ministry of all those Churches as well for the ministry of the Church of England as of others which haue forsaken Antichrist and preach the Gospell Therefore Master Barrow read all the learned writers which haue stood to maintaine against the Papists that Master Luther Master Caluine Master Bucer Martyre the rest were ministers of Christ and seeing ye will needs fight against God and his truth try your strength and see how ye can gratefie the Church of Rome in ouerthrowing that which all her learnedest patrons are not able to shake more then they be able to shake or remoue a mountaine The ministry of our Church is not you say the ministry of the Gospell or the ministry of Christ but the ministry of Antichrist comming in the life and power of the beast Your reason is that we are the children of the Bishops the Bishops are the creatures of the Pope Against this I did alleage that the popish Bishops haue their consecration and power from the Pope they sweare obedience vnto him to maintaine his dignity religion lawes and ceremonies And also with him doo exercise a power ouer the faith and conscience of men But the Bishops of the Church of England haue not their ordination consecration or power from the Pope but from our Church which hath renounced Antichrist The Bishops of England acknowledge no subiection to the Pope but by anoath haue renounced his vsurped power and tyranny The Bishops of England are not ordayned to vphold and maintaine the religion or lawes of Antichrist but quite contrary they promise and professe to aduaunce the Gospell of Iesus Christ c. They vsurpe not a Lordship ouer the faith and conscience of men Let vs see now what ye bring against this It helpeth not our Bishops ye say any thing that they haue broken their faith and Schismed from the Pope renounced his yoake euen his vsurped power and tyrannie seeing they vsurpe and retaine if not the same yet as Antichristian and enormous a power as the Pope exercising their authoritie and commaundements contrary vnto and aboue all lawes both of God and of their prince page 113. If it be thus our case is hard but Master Barrow remember the old Prouerb a lier needeth to haue a good memorie for in page 181. and 182 you haue quite forgotten what ye had set downe here for there yee doo affirme that the Bishops which died for the Gospell were godly blessed Martyres of whose happie and blessed estate ye doo not doubt Your reason is for that they were not conuinced but did exercise that power ignorantly I pray ye tell me Master Barrowe could they bee godly and had but broken their faith and Schismed from the Pope Could they be godly men exercising as Antichristian and enormous a power as the Pope Yea could they bee true thristians exercising their commaundementes and power contrary vnto and aboue all lawes both of God and man Or could ignorance excuse them in these matters Then tell vs why the Pope might not be a good Christian also before he was conuinced Which way dooth the whéele turne now Master Barrow Ye can neuer be able to bring both ends together in these yee must either condemne those Martyrs or else make the