Prelates therevnto is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie But the present Ministery of the Church-assemblies of Engl. is the Ministery of Deacons and Priests ordeyned by the Prelates therevnto Therfore the present Ministerie of the Church-assemblies of England is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie The Proposition of this Argument is proved first thus 1. The Ministerie of Deacons and Priests which accounts it self to be Christs yet was not set by Christ in his Church for the work of his Ministery that is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie But the Ministery of Deacons and Priests ordeyned by the Prelates therevnto accounts it self to be Christs and yet was not set by Christ in his Church for the work of his Ministerie Therfore the Ministery of Deacons and Priests ordeyned by the Prelates therevnto is the Ministery of Antichrists Apostasie The Proposition none can deny The Assumption hath two parts The one that the Ministery of Deacons and Priests ordeyned by the Prelates therevnto accounts it self to be Christs Ministery Which themselves will graunt The other that this was not set by Christ in his Church for the work of his Ministery Which is proved already in the first Reason here before and in other Reasons hereafter following Agayne the Proposition of the Argument is proved secondly thus 2. If the Prelates of the Church of Engl. have such offices government as be speciall parts of Antichrists apostasie then the Ministery ordeyned by them therevnto must needs be the Ministery of that Apostasie But the Prelates of the Church of Engl. have such offices and government as be speciall parts of Antichrists apostasie Therfore the Ministery ordeyned by them is the Ministery of Antichrists apostasie The consequence of the Proposition is manifest because the fruit musts needs be such as is the tree Neyther do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles Mat. 7.16.17.18 And who can bring a cleane thing out of filthynes Not any one Iob. 14.4 The Assumption is proved first thus 1. Whosoever besides Christ Iesus himself have such offices and government as thereby they clayme to be spirituall Lords they have the offices and government which are speciall parts of Antichrists apostasie are indeed very Antichrists themselves But the Prelates of the Church of Engl. have such offices government as thereby they clayme to be spirituall Lords Therfore the Prelates of the Church of Engl. have the offices and government which are speciall parts of Antichrists apostasie and are indeed very Antichrists themselves The Proposition is proved by the Scriptures which teach that there is but one Lord the Lord Iesus Christ Ephe. 4.5 1 Cor. 8.6 and 12.5 2 Cor. 3.17.18 with Psal 110.1 Micah 5.2 Luk. 19.12.13.14.27 Ioh. 20.22.23 1 Cor. 11.23 14.37 Rev. 1.11.12.13 and 2.1 and 3.1.7 Now that these Scriptures and the like do speak of a spirituall Lord is playne both by the circumstances of the places themselves and because the Scripture other where giveth allowance of many civil or temporal Lords but no where of any spirituall Lord save Iesus Christ alone whose kingdome is not of this world Gen. 40.1 45.8 1 Sam. 16.16 and 26.17 1 King 1.11 Psal 149 8. Dan. 3.2 Act. 25.26 and 26.25 Rom. 13.1 1 Cor. 1.26 and 2.8 Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.5.13.14 Rev. 17.14 and 19.16 compared with the Scriptures here cited before And moreover whosoever is a spirituall Lord he may require spirituall honour to be yeelded vnto him and hath the Spirit of God to give vnto his people and through himself by it can sanctifie them and their actions and service of his Name c. Which things who is there that can require and effect but onely the Lord himself And who then can be a spirituall Lord but he alone So as hereby also it appeareth that all other which take vpon them to be spirituall Lords are indeed very Antichrists The Assumption is proved by the Lawes and Statutes of the Land whose words be these Be it enacted by the Kings most excellent Maiestie the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the commons in this present Parliament assembled For by the Lords spirituall is meant here the Prelates And to the same end it is to be observed that in their Canons and practise they take vpon them as if they were spirituall Lords not onely to prescribe their own ordinances to the Church for the worship of God but also to bynd the spirit and conscience to the acknowledgment and approbation thereof and yet further in their ordination of Priests even to give the holy Ghost saying to the Priests when they ordeyne them Receive the holy Ghost c. as if it were in their power to give the Spirit of God to whom they would or that they were authorized herevnto by Iesus Christ who onely is the spirituall Lord of his Church and giveth his spirit according to his own will to whom and as it pleaseth him Ioh. 1.14.16 and 15.26 20.22 1 Cor. 12.4.5.6.7 Ephe. 4.7.1 Ioh. 2.20.27 The Assumption aforesaid is proved secondly thus 2. The offices and government of such Bishops as are over Diocesan and Provinciall Churches and exercise ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over all the Ministers and people therein are speciall parts of Antichrists apostasie But the Prelates of the Church of Engl. have the offices and government of such Bishops as are over Diocesan and Provinciall Churches and exercise ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over all the Ministers and people therein Therfore the Prelates of the Church of Engl. have such offices and government as be speciall parts of Antichrists apostasie The Proposition is evident inasmuch as the offices government of such Bishops and subjection of such Ministers and Churches are onely to be found in Antichrists apostasie and were never appointed by Christ or his Apostles For now in the tyme of the Gospell Christ hath set no other forme of visible Churches to which he hath given offices of Ministery but onely particular congregations such as may come together in one and joyntly perform all publick dutyes layd vpon them by the word of God As may appeare by the constitution of †Act. 1.15 2.41.42 with 6.2.3.5 6. 11.22 and 15.22.23 21.17 18.22 And 13.1.2 14.23 16 4.5 and 20.17.28 And the epistles to the Rom. Cor. Gal. Ephe. Phil. Col. Thes c. all the Churches planted by the Apostles and written unto by them in so many severall epistles also by the Churches to whom Christ wrote by Iohn in the Revelation Rev. 1.11 with 2. and 3. chap. Other formes of Churches therefore no men have power to institute And when where they are erected what other can they be but Antichristian And as for the examples of Timothee Titus and the like vsually alleged for defence of the Prelates authority and jurisdiction they will nothing help them For these were Evangelists which the Prelates are not as we have shewed in the * Pag. 5. former Reason And the particular Churches have in
because they pretend in show one thing to the Prince people and State and yet performe another thing in deed They pretend and seem to stand by the Princes lawes by the authority of their calling had from the Prelates for otherwise they could not stand Ministers in any of those assēblies and yet they practise the contrary if they stand not by this but by vertue of some other calling and authority as sometymes they affirme But let vs suppose that which is not namely that they had some other calling which were lawfull yet also receiving or reteyning this vnlawful calling of the Prelates this were but to halt between two opinions and to set their thresholds by Gods thresholds and their posts by Gods posts even their inventions by Gods ordinances Of which kind of worship the Scripture witnesseth that it is nothing els but to set a wall between God and them and to defile his holy name with their abominations Ezech. 43.8 with 1 King 18.21 Finally whatsoever they pretend of another calling ‡ Mr Hild. to Mrs N. Mr Iacobs comparison of mariage His Reasons for necess of reform p. 50. Offer of Conf. pag. 39. by their Churches or peoples chusing accepting willing subiecting to their Ministery c. yet it is evident that in very deed they preach the word minister the Sacraments and execute all duties of their Ministery by vertue of their calling taken from the Prelates As may appeare by these reasons following 1. Because they cannot stand publick Ministers of the Church-assemblies of Engl. vnlesse they receive of the Prelates the Deaconry Preisthood aforesaid And at their ordination they have this authority given them of the Prelates when the Bishop delivereth to every one of them the Bible in his hand saying * Book of ordering priests fol. 14. Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to minister the holy sacraments in the congregation where thou shalt be so appointed 2. Because that also by the law of their Church they are †Canons of Anno 1603. Can. 8. excommunicated ipso facto if they affirme that they who are made Bishops Priests or Deacons after their fourme of making and consecrating them are not lawfully made nor to be accounted by themselves or others to be truely Bishops Priests or Deacons vntill they have some other calling to those Offices 3. Because the people even the best most religious among them as now they stand in the confusion and bondage of those ecclesiasticall assemblies officers canons proceedings have not the liberty of the Churches of Christ nor power in that estate to choose and submit vnto the true and lawful Ministery appointed by Christ Of which point see further in the Treatise of the Ministery of the Church of Engl. p. 119.120.121 4. And lastly because without against the peoples consent by whose approbation and subjection to their Ministery they would seem to stand they are by the Prelates alone silenced deprived and degraded from exercising any Ministery in those assemblies Whereby even themselves professe to the world that they have their Ministery from the Prelates that they exercise it by vertue of their calling received from them that they still remayne in bondage vnder their Antichristian authority Not to shew further in particulars how their estate is such whatsoever they think or pretend otherwise as both themselves their Ministery and people stand all of them subiect to the Prelates and to their Antichristian Courts suspensions excōmunications absolutions and all other their proceedings officers canons and constitutions ecclesiasticall In the Scriptures wee read that the Apostles being true Ministers of Christ would not at the commaundement and threatning of the lawfull Magistrates and Rulers leave of to preach in the Name of Iesus Act. 4.5.6.7 8. c. And why should not these preachers if they were in a true Ministerie much more refuse to leave it at the appointment of the Prelates who are vnlawfull vsurpers of the jurisdiction which they challenge and exercise in the Church Yea if so be their offices and authority were lawfull yet when they forbid that which God hath commanded all the Scripture teacheth in such cases not to yeeld obedience vnto them any more then the Apostles did to the Rulers of Israel in the matter afore said If it be said that the Apostles had an immediate calling of Christ and therefore refused to obey the Rulers We answer that they had in deed an immediate calling of the Lord but they made not this the ground of their refusall neyther might so have done if the Magistrate cōmaundement sayd vpon them had ben lawfull Here therfore two things are to be observed First that in all lawfull things the Apostles aswell as any other Christians were bound to obey the Magistrates in the Lord. And so they both did themselves and taught others to do saying Let every soule be subiect to the higher powers Every soule aswell the Apostles and Prophets as any other whosoeuer Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2 13-17 Secondly the Apostles being at that tyme so injoyned and threatned by the Governours of Israel layd this for the foundation and ground of their answer and refusall that they ought to obey God rather then men Act. 4.19 and Act. 5.29 Which is a duty as necessarily required of all Ministers and Christians as it was of the Apostles namely to obey God and not Man when Man forbiddeth that which God commaundeth or commaundeth that which God forbiddeth An example in deed there is of Uriah the Priest who at the commaundement of the King of Iudah made an altar after the fashion of that of Damascus and sacrificed thereon 2 King 16.10.11 But therein he sinned greatly notwithstanding that he offered vpon that altar to the Lord such burnt-offerings meat-offerings peace-offerings and at such tymes of the morning and evening sacrifice as God himself had appointed And if in that tyme of the Law he ought not to have done this though the King of Iudah commanded it but should rather have lost his life for refusing it much lesse may the Church-Ministery now vnder the Gospell at the appointment of any Princes Christian or other beframed or exercised after any new maner devised by Man and least of all after Antichrists that Man of sinne Yea though in that Ministery many doctrines of the Gospel be taught and such Sacraments administred as Christ hath ordeyned For the other was but contrary to an ordinance given by Moses whereas this is contrary to an ordinance given by Iesus Christ who being the sonne is worthy of more honour then Moses the servant Heb. 3.3 And here agayne concerning such as plead that they teach the truth and many excellent points of doctrine It is to be observed that yet none may therefore heare their Ministery vnder colour of learning the truth and receiving comfort from them neyther may for this cause cōtinue in subjection to their Ministery and ordinances because that
ecclesiastical functioÌ„s receiv civil offices callings nor take vnto them princely titles dignityes Ephe. 4.11.12.13 1 Pet. 5.1.2.3.4 Rom. 12.7.8 1 Cor. â—2 5.8.28 1 Tim. 4.13.15.16 2 Tim. 2.4 Luk. 12.14 and 22.25.26 But the offices of the Prelates Priests and Deacons of the Church of England are not so but by their own constitution are set in that Church and employed in the Ministerie of the word Sacraments Church government so as they may also together with their ecclesiastical functions receive civill offices and callings as to be Iustices of peace County palatines Lords of the Counsel c. take vnto them Princely titles and dignityes as of Grace Lordship c. Which al men see and know to be thus Therfore they are not true Pastors and Teachers 5. Againe The Ministery of Christian Pastors Teachers standeth by the word and ordinance of Christ so as al Churches vnder heaven are bound to receive submit therevnto and to no other whatsoever Ephes 4.11.12.13 Rom. 12.5.6.7.8 1 Cor. 12.5.28 1 Tim. 3. chap. and 5.17 and 6.13.14 But the Prelacy Priesthood Deaconry of the Church of England standeth onely by the authority and Law of man so as other Churches els where neyther ar nor need to be subject therevnto Which even themselves of all sorts have acknowledged For which see Whitgifts Defence in the Preface The Answer to the Abstract pag. 58. The Admon to the Parliam The Defence of godly Minist The Demonstration c. Therfore their Prelacy Priesthood Deaconry is not the Ministery of Christian Pastors and Teachers 6. Furthermore The offices of Pastors and Teachers which Christ hath appointed are such as they which have them must be members of a true visible Church and bound to one particular Congregation for the Ministery governmeÌ„t therof Rom. 12.4.5.6.7.8 1 Cor. 12.5.8.12.18 Act. 14.23 20.28 Col. 4.17 Heb. 13.17 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3 4. But the offices of the Prelates Priests and Deacons of the Church of England are such as they which have them need not be neyther in their estate can be members of a true visible Church but of a false nor are bound to one particular Congregation for the Ministerie governement thereof but the Prelates are over whole provinces and Dioceses c. and the other inferiour Priests may have in that estate plurality of benefices ecclesiasticall cures c. Which none can deny Therefore they are not the Pastors Teachers which Christ hath appointed 7. Finally The offices condition and government of Pastors and Teachers spoken of Ephe. 4.11 are such as no way empaire the authority Supremacy or dignity of Kings or any other civil Magistrates eyther in civil or ecclesiastical causes Ephes 4.11 12. and Rom. 12.7 8. with 13.1 Tit. 1.5 9. with 3.1 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3. with 2.13.14 But the offices condition government of the Prelates Priests and Deacons of the Church of England are such as do many wayes empaire the authoritie supremacy and dignity of Kings and all other Magistrates both in civill ecclesiasticall causes And for an instance take these particulars That the Prelates will have their presence voyce authority to be at Parliaments for enacting of Lawes statutes for the coÌ„mon wealth c. That they are rulers of whole Provinces Dioceses in the ecclesiasticall causes therof That in civill estate and government some of them are above all and all of them above some of the Nobles Iustices and other Magistrates of the land That themselves their Courts and officers handle determine sundry civill causes and affaires pertayning to the civill Magistracy That they inflict civil mulcts and punishments That in their forbidden times they give licences to matry c. That the beneficed Priests sweare Canonical obedience to the Prelates That all the Priests and Deacons are exempt from the Magistrates iurisdiction in divers things apperteyning vnto them and answerable onely or chiefly to the Prelates and their Officers c. Therefore they are not the Pastors and Teachers spoken of Ephe. 4.11 And to this end might divers other reasons be alledged from particular consideration of these severall offices As for example if any for the Prelates would perswade that their Archbishops have the Pastors office then would it follow that they have but two Pastors in the land because they have but two Archbishops Or if they say the Lordbishops be Pastors then have they but sixe and twenty or thereabout and what office then have the Archbishops above them If others say the Priests whether Parsons Vicars or Stipendaries be Pastors then let them tell vs what office their Archbishops Lordbishops have amoÌ„g them seing Christ hath appointed in his Church no ordinarie ecclesiasticall office for any one person greater then the Pastors nor set the Pastors one of them above another in any respect of Ministery power or government but made them all equall therein Rev. 2.1.8.12.18 and 3.1.7.14 with Ephes 4.11 12 13. Act. 20.17.28 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Pet. 5.1 2 3 4. and Luk. 22.24.25 26 27. And thus much is acknowledged and published also by some of themselves both heretofore in divers of their books and now of late in an Offer of conference about certayne Propositions which they offer to mainteyne against the Prelates Among which are these namely * Offer of Conference p. â— That the Pastor of a particular Congregation is the highest ordinarie ecclesiasticall Officer in any true constituted visible Church of Christ That it is the office of every true Pastor to teach and to governe spiritually onely one Church or Congregation immediately vnder Christ That it is simply vnlawful for any Pastor vnder the new Testament to be also a civil Magistrate That the Office and calling of Provinciall and Diocesan Prelates is contrary to the word of God c. Furthermore if any would say their Deacons have the Pastors office the same absurdity followeth as in the former and this moreover that the works of the Deacons office are by the Apostles opposed to the work of the Ministery wherein the Pastors office is employed Act. 6.2.3.4 with Ephe. 4.11.12 Rom. 12.8 Likewise if they would say they have the Teachers office it would be knowen whether it be the Archbishops Lordbishops Priests or Deacons Parsons Vicars or Stipendaries that have it among them to whom they are adjoyned for the work of Ministerie as ‖ Ephe. 4.11.12 Rom. 12.7.8 the Teachers are to Pastors seing they have none in the office of Pastors spoken of Ephe. 4.11 as is proved here before and what office of Ministery the rest of their Prelates Priests Deacons have whom themselves account not to have the Teachers office and whether the Teachers spoken of Ephes 4.11 must first be Deacons and then Priests and promise obedience to the Prelates that also as to their Ordinaries and be silenced and deposed at their pleasure c. But of these things we have spoken in other
with their walking it is more then tyme needfull that they did it that they did it soundly from the word of God For as yet what do they els but with one mouth both blesse and curse and with the one hand build vp that which with the other they destroy and so make themselves trespassers Gal. 2.18 The seventh Argument taken out of Mr Bradsh book aforesaid vidz vide licet out of the tenth Argument of that Treatise IT is a sinne against Christ the sole Head of the Church to have spirituall communion with those Ministers which in the administration of Divine things do eyther by word or deed solemnely professe yeeld a spirituall Homage to an vsurped spirituall authority in the Church But the Ministers of the Church-assemblies of England do even in the administration of Divine things by solemne deed professe and yeeld a spirituall Homage to the spirituall authority of Lord Archbishops and Bishops which is vsurped Ergo It is a sinne against Christ the sole head of the Church to have spirituall communion with the Ministers of the Church assemblies of England The Proposition may not be gainesaid For all spirituall power vsurped over the Churches of God is an Antichristian authority and to communicate with those Ministers which professe spirituall homage therevnto is to communicate with such as professe spiritual homage vnto Antichrist which must needs be a sin against Christ the sole head of the Church The Assumption hath two parts 1. That the Ministers of the Church of England do even in the administration of Divine things by solemne deed professe and yeeld a spirituall Homage to the spirituall authoritie of Archbishops and Lord Bishops Which is most evident because they preach the word and administer the Sacraments by vertue of their calling received from the Archbishops and Bishops who give them authority herevnto at their ordination saying to every one of them * Book of ordering Priests fol. 14. Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to Minister the holy Sacraments in the Congregation where thou shalt be so appointed Which things themselves cannot deny to be meer Ecclesiasticall Religious and spirituall Actions injoyned among them to be done by offices callings received from the Prelates Ecclesiasticall and spirituall authority So as the doing of them by vertue thereof must needs be a solemne declaration of spirituall homage yeelded to the same authority 2. The second part of the Assumption is That the authority of their Lord Archbishops and Bishops is an vsurped authority The confirmation whereof Mr Bradsh setteth downe in these words following This is sufficiently proved of late by Mr Iacob in his 1. Assertion by many reasons Onely because the weight of the Argument leaneth vpon it I will vse one Reason Those Officers Rulers in the Church that make claime to be of Divine institution chalenge to themselves Apostolicall authority and iurisdiction as the onely Successours of the Apostles to sit onely in Moses chaire To have sole power of the Keyes To cut from the visible Church and receive againe To have power of creating displacing all other ecclesiasticall officers To be the Vniversall Pastors of whole Dukedomes and Kingdomes vnder whom all other Pastors are as Curates c. And yet for all this are such as stand and are supported onely by humane Traditions Ceremonies such as a civill Magistrate may without sinne put out of the Church and such as the true Churches of God may renounce and yet continue the true Church as Antichristian Vsurpers spirituall Tyrants I say all such Officers and Rulers exercise an vsurped authoritie in the Church But our Archbishops Bishops are such Rulers and Officers as are aforesaid Ergo They execute an Vsurped power over the Church The Proposition may easily be iustified For if inferiour officers vidz vide licet Pastors of particular Congregations have had may have firme continuance in the Church without these humane devises and inventions If the Magistrate cannot without sinn put them out of the Church And if those can be no true Churches that renounce to have particular Pastours and Ministers over them it must much more hold in such Church-officers and Rulers as these are if their authority be lawfull good For whilest the Apostles lived they needed not any humane Traditions and devises to support their authority The Magistrates that sought to put them downe sinned with a high hand And that was no Church that renounced and disclaimed their Office Authoritie and Iurisdiction The Assumption is as easily justified For 1. they make claime Title to all those Prerogatives before rehearsed in the first part of the Proposition and vnto more then that as shal be proved if it be denied 2. It is an Embleme of their owne NO CEREMONIE NO BISHOP Ergo No humane Tradition and Invention no Bishop Ergo The office of a Bishop is supported by them eyther onely or specially 3. Their Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction is derived from the King els it is a flat deniall of his Supremacie Also themselves graunt in their last Tables of Discipline That the King hath power to increase or diminish the Circuit of a Bishoprick That he may make two or more Bishopricks of one one Bishoprick to be two or more Yea what should hinder but that he may divide the Bishoprick of London into 800. For where God hath not defined the number of Parishes that a Bishop is to reign over it must needs be a thing indifferent In which by their owne Doctrines the King hath authority without sinne to dispose If therefore the King may as well notwithstanding any thing in the Law of God give the Keyes of the Church to everie particular Pastour of a Congregation over his owne Congregation as to a Bishop over a Diocesse which taketh away the very Essence of an English Bishop He may without sinne take away the very Office of the Bishop which consists in having jurisdiction over many Congregations c. 4. There is no true sober Christians but will say that the Churches of Scotland Fraunce the low Countries and other places that renounce such Archbishops and Bishops as ours are as Antichristian vsurping Prelates are true Churches of God Which they could not be if the authoritie and prerogatives they claime to themselves were of Christ and not vsurped For if it were the ordinance of Christ Iesus that in every Kingdome that receiveth the Gospel there should be one Archbishop over the whole Kingdome One Bishop over many hundred Pastors in a Kingdome and all they invested with that authority and jurisdiction Apostolicall which they claime iure Divino to be due vnto them and to reside in them by the ordinance of Christ certainely that Church that should renounce and disclaime such an authority ordeyned in the Church cannot be a true Church but a Synagogue of Sathan For they that should renounce and deny such must needs therein renounce and deny