name of a Civill Lord with which bare name or shadow I fight not but also a vast unweldy I had almost sayd unlimited Power in Civill Government which must needes draw on a mighty Traine and cloath it selfe with glorious Robes of long extended and magnifique stiles scarce to be marshal'd by a better Herald than Elibu who could give no Titles Or in the last place which should be first a true faithfull Overseer that over one single Congregation hath a joynt care with the Elders Deacons and rest of the Assembly who are all fellow helpers yea servants each to others faith This last is a Bishop of the first Institution of Christs allowance setled in divers Churches even in the Apostles times The first is of the second Century when Doctrine Discipline all Religion began to waine For even then Mysterious Antichrist was not onely conceived but beganne to quicken The second rose last though first intended by the Churches Enemy Rising up while the world was busie looking all one way as amaz'd at the new Beast successour to the Dragon This is now our Adversary One monstrously compounded of different yea opposite Offices and those the greatest both Ecclesiasticke and Civill for which he seemes no way able no way fit and that for many reasons which may be brought from Scripture Church-Antiquity State-Policy I shall begin with the last as that I now ayme at most Here let us view our Bishop a while as a private man before his Office Next as a Lord over Church and State in his Office Then with some necessary Consequents to his Office as now it is exercised in this Kingdome Thus shall we quickly judge how sutable to true Policy of State are either the Antecedents Concomitants or Consequents of this too officious two-headed Bishop Antecedents to his Office are his Birth Education Election Ordination c. Concomitants or rather Ingredients we may call that almost illimited power both Intensive in sole Ordination Jurisdiction Directive by Injunctions Canons c. Corrective by Excommunication Suspension Deprivation c As also Extensive over so vast a Diocesse Hither also wee may referre his power Iuridicall or Legislative in Parliament Judiciall in many Great yea Civill Tribunals And of all monsters most ugly his power Delegative then which this sunne hath seene nothing more monstrous at least as of late it hath beene exercis'd By Consequents I meane his Relations acquired by his office both Vpward to his Soveraigne Creator Benefactors as Downward to his owne family Creatures and hang-by Dependants CHAP. II. LEt us begin with Antecedents in them the first Which we shall finde very unsutable to his after acquired office For the most part he is Ex faece plebis humi-serpent of the lowest of the people an old complaint Now for such a low borne man to be exalted high so high and that not gradatim but per saltum too as oft it is in one of few or no Schoole Degrees which yet indeede at best are scarce degrees to the Civill honour of a Peerâ— must needes make as great a Chasme in Politickes as such leapes use to doe in Naturalls A great Evill must it be and that both in himselfe and to himselfe from others In others eye his honour will be the object not so much perhaps of envy as scorne while every man of lowest worth will still value himselfe at as high a rate and still conceive he wanted not the vertuous desert but fortunate reward a Bishop had Now every Action will from hence displease sith unexpected sudden happinesse is oft times fault enough Now That fitting deportment which may but expresse the just dignity of his place answere the majesty of his high calling shall be esteem'd but pride insolence and at best but affection And from some such displeasing action or gesture though but surmis'd on some groundlesse fancy oft his very person comes to be distasted and then adieu all effectuall good which his words or actions else might soone effect Sure the chiefe Dominion of Gospell Ministers should be in That the Lord and master of the Gospell so much requires My sonne give me thy heart If a Minister once come to lose the heart and affections of his people he may indeede study some way to force their bodies but shall scarce ever winne a soule or save a sinner Homo duci vult cogi non potest if you can fasten any force on his whole person it must be that of Love For sure the Gospell constraint is onely that of Love The love of Christ constraineth This and this onely is an irresistible Attractive an uncontroulable constraint Thus is the Minister the Bishop hurt in regard of Others In regard of Himselfe sudden great changes are dangerous in Nature the skilfull Grasier the expert Gardiner will not translate from barren to an over-fruitfull soile for this suffocates the Spirits and destroyes the Plant. The sudden unexpected newes of a sonnes life which was reported dead was the death of the Parent as we read in Roman Histories High places cause a swimming in the braine your Faulkners seele a Pigeons eye when they would have her soare high to prevent a vertigo I conceive from this Reason and mainely from this it was the good pleasure of the Spirit that under the Law when the Church had an influence into state affaires the High Priest should be chosen out of one eminent family of the stocke of Levie and some of the Kings of Israel are reproved by God for that they chose their Priests out of the meanest of the people He that is to goe in and out before the people and is their guide must be without blemish Those Horses which are designed to a lofty Ayre and generous manage must be of a Noble race Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur Majestas Origo plebeia The Vapours which by the sunne are raised to a great height even to the second Region being of so meane a Progeny are but the matter of hayle snow raine storme and tempest which by Historians are observ'd to bee the frequent Prognostickes or at least companions of Wars and confusions CHAP. III. BUt some will say this defect in Birth may bee repaired in Breeding else we shut the doores of hope and by Consequence of Industry to Cicero Marius and such other Worthies who though but of a low Pedegree may advance themselves even to the Helme and there approve themselves men admirable in the way of Government 'T is true Art oft-times helpeth Nature some men of smal beginnings by their vertues have deserved for a Motto and impreso the Poets words Et quae non fecimus ipsi Vixea nostra voco But when was this seene in a Bishop Let us therefore in the next place examine their Breeding and see whither in probability that be not as disadvantagious to their Office as their Birth Our Education if we intend service in way of Civill Policy must be in
sweete way by the power of the Spirit not by force If I erre in This I shall upon better reason recant In the interim hoping that the clearnesse of my thoughts shal with the candid Reader receive gentle interpretation I shall freely declare my opinion in This point Christ as I shall more fully prove hereafter hath cleerly unfolded to us the Two main things of Church affaires 1 The Doctrine 2 The Discipline of his Church Who will come in this case to adde or diminish any thing I appeale to any Ingenuous Reader of what Religion soever he be yea of what sect in any Religion Whether any power ought to force a Church in matter of Doctrine I conceive what is True Doctrine the Scripture â—ust judge and none but the Scripture but what a Câ—â—â—ch will take for True Doctrine lyes only in That Câ—uâ—ch Will Rome admit us to expound to them this place Hoc est corpus meum shall wee admit Rome's exposition Will either of us admit force There is certainly but one Truth but what shall be taken by the Church for Truth the Church must jâ—dge If you descend to Discipline will not the Case 〈◊〉 be the same In Discipline consider three things 1 Admission of members 2 Excommunication 3 Officers to execute these and other Ordinances Whether you will Baptize children and so â—y administring to them the Sacrament of Initiation admit them members of the Church Whether you will admit all for Church members that barely professe though they be open drunkards and very ignorant persons Whether you will have Pastors Teachers and Elders as your superiours in this worke or Bishops Archbishops Primates c. who shall judge but the Church So long as the Church in her Church Tenets intermedleth not with State matters under the notion of Religion I suppose the Civill power is not to interpose It is most true if the Church will broach with the Anabaptists that they will have no Governours nor Government This is a point not of Divinity but Policie and here the Scepter must set a rule or with the Adamites if there be any such allow Communion of wives This takes away property The sword must divide this quarrell or with the Papists that it is lawfull to kill Kings that faith is not to be kept with Heritiques I conceive in all these and cases of the like nature the decision lyeth in the Magistrate for These tenets overthrow either Civill Government or civill converse The Church must not goe out of her bounds But if the Question be how you will expound such a Scripture what Gesture you will use in such an ordinance what man is fit to be excommunicated what deserveth excommunication what is Idolatry what is wil-worship what superstition what is the punishment of those crimes who shall judge but the Church The Prince hath granted to such a Body by Charter such priviledges such offices who can interpose but the power instituting Christ hath given us a platforme of Church government with the offices and officers who may here intermedle but Christ himselfe It is most true when the Church findeth any refractary and thereupon doth excommunicate him he fals into the hands of the Civill Magistrate if he continue pertinacious and not before When Parliaments do consider matters of Religion they do it to deliver the Church from some who would impose upon her who would take the keyes from her that by the help of these keyes they may wrest the Scepter out of the hand of Soveraignty which God forbid And whilst Parliaments labour thus for the Church dealing no further in the affaires of the Church than by Scripture they may certainly they do well but if they once exceed their bounds the issue will be Confusion insted of Reformation Church and State government differ as much as the Sexes Yet as there may betweene These be an happy union Both keeping their bounds whilst the Husband hath the supremacie So may there be between the Church and State a sweete harmony The State having Committed to it the custody of the 10. commandments and yet the Church preserving to her selfe Her rights If the Church swallow up the State as it is in Popery Episcopacy the issue will be slavish grosse superstition and stockish Idolatry If the State overtop the Church there will be ignorance and atheisme But give to God that which is Gods and to Caesar that which is iâ— Caesars and both Church and State will fare the better Thus under favour both by reason and president it is cleere that any Church policie besides Episcopacie though onely one by right ought may stand with Monarchy CHAP. X. WHen I say Any Church Government may stand with Monarchy or other State Policie I desire to be understood of any Church Government Well regulated Which as I cannot conceive of our Episcopacie so I must againe publiquely protest that I verily believe This kind of Episcopacy is destructive not onely to Good Monarchy but all other State Policie whatsoever I meane not now to runne over so much as the Headâ— of my former discourse Every particle of which is to represent how uncongruous and incompatible to True policie of State Our Bishops Place Calling and Office is as now it stands establisht in this Kingdome If any man shall yet dissent from mee in this Cause I shall now onely intreat him to view one place of Scripture which yet perhaps at first glance may seeme to make but little for my purpose but it is an old Maxime among Interpreters Non est haerendum in Cortice Let us therefore a little examine the Text and if I be not in the Right I will gladly learne of any that can better informe me The Place I meane is that which of old in the Primitive Church was wont to be more perused and examined than I thinke it is now or hath beene of late and I cannot much wonder sith I see all men view the Sea and well consider it at distance from the top of a Cliffe or Rocke but when they are once fallen into it they shut their eyes winke and care to see as little as â—ay be of it while they have so much round about them I must not detaine you too long without left you think my Porch longer and bigger than my House It is That of the Apostle to the Thessalonians 2. Epist. 2. Chap. 3. and 4. Verses specially those words Who opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or is worshipped For the understanding of this place we must premise This That it must not be taken as spoken of One single person but a Compages of many either existing together or else succeeding one another yet agreeing together in This Great Apostasie the maine thing here spoken of And in This I have but few Adversaries None I â—hinke but some few of the Romish faction that maintaine the grand Deceiver False Prophet or Apostate â—â—or so I â—â—ther call him than
any before they were heard I was not their Judge alone nor will I be at This time Onely that it may appeare I attended their pleading as it becomes any in a Court of Justice I will give the world an account what Those men say for themselves and so I shall leave them to be judged by wise men First they conceive there be some Ordinances which are proper onely to the Church and Church-Officers belonging onely to Church Assemblies such as is the Administration of Sacraments the Conferring of Orders and all of this nature These they thinke Sacred such as may not be touched by any but Church-Officers and of These they say let Vzzaâ— take heede how hee touch the Arke though it shake But there are other Ordinances they say of a Middle nature as they are exercised in a Church Assembly by Church-Officers They may truly be called Church-Ordinances yet are such as may be used Out of Church Assemblies and therefore probably by Other thâ—n Church-Officers As Praying Reading the Scripture Catechising Exhortation and the like which as they conceive are not confined to the Church onely or Church-Officers 1. Because Heathens and Publicans may be admitted nay ought to be invited to These Ordinances And it seemes no Mortall sinne for a Lay-man in China to call together a company of Heathens and preach to them the Christian Religion yet here is no True Church till a Congregation will Embrace This Doctrine and joyne in serving God 2. They conceive Our State by publike authority hath and doth allow so much as This. For they see Clerkes even in publike Assemblies Read Psalmes Prayers and oft some parts of Scripture Deacons preach yea and Baptize and helpe to administer the Lords Supper and yet no man takes them for complete Ministers yea of old and perhaps now also by Law they are not at all Clergy men 3. Former Preachers have taught them that every Master of a Family may and must read pray Catechise and the like in his owne Family if he have none there that can doe it better than himselfe Therefore These seeme rather to come under the Notion of Private Duties rather than Publike Church-Ordinances though sometime they be performed in Churches yet other times they may be performed out of Churches and by Those that are not publike Church Officers Therefore These poore men through their weaknesse thinke such Ordinances Free to be performed by any Christian whether of the Clergy or Laity And their Zeale makes them conceive If God give gifts of Understanding Memory Judgement Utterance and an Earnest Desire to doe good with These lest they wrap up their Talent in a Napkin They have the Maine to wit an inward Call to performe these duties in their owne Families or else where if They have an outward Call too For they solemnly professe they hold it not fit to presse or intrude themselves on any Congregation But if any will come of themselves either to their owne Families or send for them and desire to heare them among some Good men they take this for a Call an Outward Call to performe Those duties to that Congregation For they thinke the wayes of Gods Spirit are free and not tied to a University man so that having an Inward call they conceive the desire of any One Congregation is Outward call sufficient though the Bishop call not Yea some Exercises in Gods worship They thinke there be which are warranted from the Gift that enables and not from the Call that invites so that a man whom God hath enabled with Parts and Gifts might use them though no man Living call him And this also is the Judgement of many Learned men as of That Ingenuous Worthy Learned man Master Thorndick of late Touching on That of the Corinths So long then as they Encroach not on Ordinances appropriate to Church-Officers they thinke they sinne not in performing other duties where there are none that can or will performe them better They have learned Latine Enough to say Bonum quo Communius eo melius They have read of Moses wishing all the Lords People were Prophets and that God would poure out his Spirit on them all Yea they have heard that God promised to poure out his Spirit upon all Flesh all Beleevers as well Lay as Clergie so that Young men should see Visions and Old men dreame Dreames and though This were begunne to be accomplished Even in Our Saviours time yet They perhaps through ignorance Expect it should be yet still more and more accomplished every day till Knowledge Cover the Earth as Waters fill the Sea even till there be no more neede that any man should teach his neighbour for all men shall know the Lord and They poore men Expect a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein there shall neede no more Temples of stone but all Good men shall be Prophets Priests and Kings In the meane time they say Waters must flow out of the bellies of all that beleeve till at length the Great Waters of the Sanctuary flow forth without measure Yea they are much encouraged from the Practise of the Church in the Acts where all the members Every beleever being scattered by persecution went about Preaching If it be Objected that This was an Extraordinary Case at the first beginning of the Church and in time of Persecution c. They Answer that they conceive almost as Extraordinary a Case in This Land at This Time Where the Church is so much unsetled and hath beene so much persecuted In some places they see no Ministers scarce any in some whole Shires as in Cumberland Westmorland Northumberland and especially in Wales Where the Church is even yet scarce ne vix so much as well begunne to be planted or the Gospel Preached In Other places where there is some shew of a Church some Ordinances some Ministers Yet even here they thinke the Church calleth for many more Ministers at least for much more and much better preaching then it yet hath Specially since the late Cruell Tyranny of some Lording Prelates hath almost quite put downe Ordinances silenced Good Ministers and forbidden Preaching Having so detained the Truth and smothered it by unrighteousnesse that there is scarce left the Face of a True Church They conceive This an extraordinary Time an extraordinary Case and Call for all that are Enabled by God with Parts and Gifts fit for such Exercises And they conceive 30. or 40. or an 100. Good men of any one or more Congregations to be as Fit Judges of their parts and abilities every way as One Lord Bishop and his Ignorant perhaps Drunken Chaplaine who make scruple of admitting any to Orders but Bowers and Cringers sincks of Superstition Yet when they please they can poze in an Alehouse and lay hands well quickned with angels on Tapsters Coblers Butchers and many such that are so farre from the smell of a Colledge that they never saw an Abcee or Primer to purpose much lesse
doth not presse his people to seeke their freedome till Rome bee falling and then he saith Come out of her my People Yea the Scripture foretelleth of one Heresie that is not yet perhaps come it may be it is now in the Birth sure it is not farre off It is mentioned in the second of Tiothy the third Chapter and some of the first verses 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. 1 This know also that in the last daies perillous times shall come 2 For men shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthanâ—full unholy 3 Without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good 4 Traitors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God 5 Having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turne away Expositors all agree This misery to be in the Waine But in their agreement they differ very much for some conceive the Papist is here understood others apply it to the late Troublers of Israel the Arminian Socinian and the worst sort of Episcopall men that under the Notion of indifferent Ceremonies would have brought us to swallow downe all Popery But under favour I doubt neither of These reach the full meaning of the Text. It cannot be the Papist because it is not to rise till the Last Dayes Indeed Popery is cleerely expressed in the 1 of â—im the fourth verse the 1 2 3. â— as that most Learned and Reverend man Mr. Mead hath fully cleered in his most excellent peece on that Text yet there they are said to rise in the Later Times viz. of the Roman Empire but here these new Hereticks come not out till the Last not only Later Dayes not only Times but Dayes of those Times Againe it seemes not to be the Arminian or any of that Rable I mentioned but now For first the Character of their Times is Perillous as if it would intimate men indeed should be in danger but yet escape the Times being only perillous But while Popery bore all before it forced the whole Church into the Wildernesse cloathed the Witnesses with Sackcloth and at last prevailes to kill them sure these Times are more than perillous But perhaps there is no pressing force in This. In the second place let us consider the Character of the Persons First they are expressed as Breakers of the Lawes of Civill Converse and then as Hypocrites in Religion the first of these beginneth at the second and contiueth to the fifth verse The second is in the fifth and siâ—th verses Let us view some passages in both Lovers of themselves Covetous Proud c. And have not men beene such ever since Adam Why then doth the Spirit speake of This as a strange thing in the Last Dayes Mr. Calvin saw this Objection and therefore oft affirmes that the Scripture may not seem to speake Frigidè Here must be some new strange Crew of Men that act all These in a most eminent manner even to the eye of all men But some will say Are not the Papists so Is not the corrupter part of Prelates such Are not the Arminians of this temper Certainely they are such and in an eminent manner and yet to me they seeme not the men the Spirit pointeth at in this place The maine Thing in which these men here exprest pride themselveâ— is not Learning or Parts But if I bee not much mistaken somewhat beyond and within all these That I suppose which seemes to them to bee the Spirit This I conceive is the Basis of all their vanity pride and insolence They have the Spirit and so know more than all the Learned Pious Godly Men in the world They have the Spirit they cannot sinne they cannot erre they will not pray but when that Spirit moves Adultery is but an act of the Flesh but they are all Spirit and no flesh What should these men doe with Naturall affections they are all Spirit in this case if they be Traitors High-minded Heady c. Who will wonder What may they not be carried up to by the imagination of the Spirit But let them take heede if they have any thing of God in them let them be wise in this their day for the time may come when it will bee too late In the meane time I will say as Peter did to Simon Pray that if it bee possible this wickednesse of heart may bee forgiven If we look on the other part of their Character Having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the Power thereof Creeping into the houses of silly women Laden with divert Lusts c. How can these be spoken of Arminians Socinians or our Prelates It were to be wished that most of These had so much as a Forme of Godlinesse Sure the World is now growne too wise to take Duckings and Cringings Crossing and Crouching with all of this kinde to be so much as a Forme of Godlinesse Doe These creep into Womens houses the Socinians and Arminians attempt no such pranks that I know of And the Patrons of Episcopacy use not much perswasion but Club law All else is in Corners It seems very probable to me that the Holy Ghost in This text points out some such as the Family of Love the Antinomians and Grindletonians are if at least they are not much belyed And to these I think every piece of This Character will most properly belong Yea and the Close of it also or the Issue of That Sect. They shall proceed no farther for their folly shall be made manifest to all men which can hardly be understood either of Arminianisme or Prelacy since That in severall names This in severall dresses hath been in the world above 1000. years Thus you see Sects Schismes and Heresies will still come and must come And therefore if by keeping such Bishops we think to keep out all Divisions we are much deceived Which yet I spake not to take away watchfulnesse in Church-Governours who are still bound to suppresse Divisions as much as they can but to convince men of This if I can that Episcopacy is never like to prevent Schismes which I hope to cleere more fully in my subsequent discourse I could never conceive more than Two wayes that in probability may be like to quiet us in respect of Divisions One of These we have no minde to try and the other we may not if we would The Spaniard indeed by his cruell Inquisition hath inclined his Subjects to a kinde of Vnity but an Vnity of Darknesse and Ignorance so that the Remedy proves worse than the Disease Neither will or can Tyranny either Civill or Ecclesiastick bring forth better fruit The other Way is That of the Vnited Provinces in the Low Countreyes who let every Church please her selfe in her owne way so long as she leaveth the State to her selfe And how Religion doth flourish There is known to most men I will not dispute This now only I wish heartily