Say not that in case of necessity Presbyters may ordaine when you maliciously make the necessity God provides for such necessities as are inforced upon us or happen casually and inevitably not for those whereinto we wittingly and wilfully plunge our selves Delve up the root God will hardly work a miracle to provide sap for the branches or body of the tree Sine nostro officio est plebi certa pernicies It is S. Austins Without our without the EPISCOPALL OFFICE there is certaine ruine to the people S. Austine was a Bishop when he resolved thus and wrote it to a Bishop That I may speake plainly God and the times require it No Bishop no Preist no Preist no Lords Supper no Lords Supper no Salvation according to the ordinary way prescribed by our blessed Saviour 8. This shall be made good first according to your Protestation secondly according to your Solemn League and Covenant In your Protestation ye have vowed in the presence of Almighty God to maintain and defend the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the doctrine of the Church of England This doctrine is punctually and carefully delivered in the 39 Articles According to which Articles I proceed thus The ordinary way to heaven is by the Word and Sacraments No man may preach or administer the Sacraments but he that is lawfully called and sent None are lawfully called and sent but they onely who are called and sent by those that have authority But Bishops and onely Bishops have authority to send in this kind And therefore No Bishop no ordinary way to heaven 9 The first Proposition is not doubted of by Protestant or Papist it is therefore taken for granted The second Proposition is in terminis let down Art 23. It is not lawfull for any man to take upon him the Office of PUBLICKE PREACHING or MINISTRING THE SACRAMENTS in the congregation before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same The third is likewise expressed in the same Article Those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent which be chosen and called to this work by men who have publick authority given unto them in the congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard And who are these men that have this authority Bishops onely Bishops So the 36 Article The book of consecration of Arch-Bishops and Bishops and ordering of Preists and Deacons doth containe all things NECESSARY to such consecration and ordering And whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book â—â—e decreed to be RIGHTLY ORDERLY and LAWFULLY CONSECRATED and ordered But therein the Bishop onely hath authority to ordain And in the Preface to the Book of Ordination it is resolved that I is requisite that NO MAN SHALL EXECUTE ANY OF THESE ORDERS except he be called tried examined and admitted ACCORDING TO THE FORME FOLLOWING in that Book 10. Thus we cannot but see that according to the expresse doctrine of this Church of England without a Bishop no Sacraments and consequently no salvation For though God can save without meanes yet he hath tied us to the meanes and the meanes must be used if we desire to be saved This book was composed and set forth in the time of K Edward the sixt by those holy men who afterwards were blessed Martyrs and at the same time confirmed by full consent and authority of Parliament After this in the time of Queen Elizabeth it was again confirmed and alwaies ratified with the 39 Articles and the Clergie injoyned to subscribe to this booke in and with those Articles that so they might be known to be in Communion with the Church of England Thus far with the Protestation CHAP. V. Whether ye have not bornd your selves by your Solemne League and Covenant to maintain Episcopacy 1. NOw I descend to your Solemne League and Covenant wherein ye have publickly vowed to endeavour the Reformation of Religion according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches I shall therefore prove first by the Word of God and secondly by the best reformed Churches that ye have solemnly bound your selves to maintain Episcopacy if so ye are resolved to keep this branch of your Covenant 2. First we know that there is no other name under heaven whereby we may be saved but onely the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly we are agreed that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Thirdly our Saviour saith flatly Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you We cannot therefore but acknowledge that without the Word and Sacraments there 's no salvation Since then all those that are in Orders exercise the ministration of the Word and Sacraments not in their own name but in Christs and do MINISTER BY HIS COMMISSION AND AUTHORITY we are therefore to enquire who have this Commission given them in and by the word of Christ For S. Paul wonders how any man can preach in publick except he be sent The Commission for preaching was immediately given by our B. Saviour both to the twelve Apostles and to the seventy Disciples To the twelve St. Luk 9. 2. St. Matth. 28. 19. To the seventy St. Luk. 10. 9. 16. The Commission to consecrate and administer the Lords Supper is given to the twelve Apostles St. Luk. 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24. St. Paul and St. Matthias also were immediately admitted to the Apostleship by Christ himself These and onely these who are here mention'd were immediately ordained by our B. Saviour 3. But our Saviour having commanded and provided that All Nations should be taught and baptized and having instituted and in his holy Gospel commanded us to continue a perpetuall memory of his precious death untill his coming again that this might be done he gave his Apostles this large commission As my Father hath sent me even so send I you And how was that even to preach to baptize to consecrate and administer the Lords Supper to binde sinners and loose the penitent and to ordain other Apostles and Presbyters which might continue these blessings to his people in all ages As also else-where in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A gift ye have received give this gift The Greeks take not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adverbially but substantively and I beleeve in the East they understand their own the Greek tongue better then we do in the West And as they were commanded they did S. Paul and S. Barnabas were Apostles and them we find ordaining Presbyters in every Church where they come Act. 14. 23. S. Paul himself ordains Timothy to be the Apostle or Bishop of Ephesus He gives the power of Ordination to Titus Tit. 1. 5. And acknowledgeth it to be in Timothy 1 Tim. 5. 22. These were the Apostles or Bishops properly so called of their severall Churches These had the
beare in the Church Let Salmasius speake They at that time were mamed Apostles revera erant EPISCOPI JVRE EODEM ET ORDINE QUO HODIE HABENTUR qui Ecclesiam regunt Presbyteris praesunt and indeed were BISHOPS IN THE SAME RIGHT AND OF THE SAME ORDER WHEREOF AT THIS DAY THOSE ARE ACCOUNTED Who govern the Church and rule Presbyters But this very Office was none of those which were extraordinary and to continue for a season onely no no in Beza's judgement it is quotidianum munus an Office of daily use of necessity therefore it must be perpetull in the Church And yet the duties of that Office were such quibus sustinendis non alius quilibet e vulgo pastorum par fuisset as none of the vulgar Pastors no ordinary Presbyters were meet to undertake And what are these Even to redresse what is amisse and to ordain Presbyters These are matters of moment and require more then ordinary discretion For this cause S. Paul left Titus at Creete and for this very end he sent Epaphroditus to Philippi though at that time there were in that Citie many Bishops Phil. 1. 1. If then there needed no ordination but every man without orders might have discharged Presbyteriall duties or if the Presbyter-Bishops of that Citie might have set that Church in order and therein ordaine Presbyters Why did S. Paul send Epaphroditus to Philippi to do those things which might either have been left undone or at least have been done as well without him Surely S. Paul imposeth not needlesse businesses upon any 16. Bishops there were you will say before in that Church if then it belong to the Episcopall Order to ordain and reforme in the Church what is amisse why was Epaphroditus sent thither Take notice I beseech you that those Bishops were but Presbyters or Presbyter Bishops which Order never had the power either of Ordination or Jurisdiction S. Paul therefore sends unto them Epaphroditus an Apostle-Bishop who could performe both This you see acknowledged by your most able and subtill advocate 17. Well let it be what it will lawfull or unlawfull t is all one in this exigent or distresse that his Majestie is put to notwithstanding that his oath the King say you without impeachment may in this circumstance consent to the Abrogation of Episcopacy His Majesties oath now falls in question and I shall be willing fairely and calmely to consider wherein and how far forth a Christian King is bound to keepe or breake his Oath CHAP. VI. Whether the King without impeachment to his Oath at Coronation may consent to the Abrogation of Episcopacy 1. THis question hath two branches The first Whether a Christian King be bound to keep his Oath The second Whether he may notwithstanding his Oath consent to the Abrogation of Episcopacy His Majesties Coronation deserves also to be looked upon since an oath deliberately and solemnly taken deserves the more seriously to be thought on and will draw from God the heavier doome if despised or slighted 2. By your own confession it is evident that an oath against Christs Institution is vinâ—u um iniquitatis an impious oath and ought not to be observed but to be cut off with shame and sorrow since all bonds to sin is frustrate Confesse we must that an oath against God revealed will or honour is a bond to sin and therefore no sooner made then void and to be abhorred Such is your Covenant against Episcopacy And had the King either through misunderstanding ill advice or fear taken that irreligious Covenant he had been obliged by your confession to have made it frustrate since it is a bond to sin because it is against Christs Word and Instituition as is manifested c. 2. 4. 3. But an oath taken in truth and righteousnesse and judgement because it is of such things as may justly and lawfully be performed yea because God approves ratifies this oath is vinculum aequitatis necessitatis such a bond as equity and conscience bind us necessarily to performe to the utmost of our power But such is his Majesties Oath at Coronation concerning the Church the Spouse of Christ 4. No unrighteousnesse can ye shew in it the lawfulnesse of Episcopacy as also their just right to govern Presbyters is sufficiently justified c. 4. No untruth for our Soveraigne hath sworn to maintaine an Ordinance of truth of Christ himself And sub paenâ judicij upon paine of judgment he is bound to make good this his Oath so justly taken least he fall into the hands of God and so into eternall judgement For Justice requires that every man much more a Christian and a King keep his Oath made upon such grounds though it be with hazard both of Crown and life and all that may be indangered upon earth 5. Consider I beseech you how in an oath we call God to record and we make him not onely our witnesse but our suretie that we will with his blessing performe what we have vowed or sworne in his name And not onely so but we call upon him to be our Judge and the Revenger of our perfidiousnesse if so we wittingly depart from this Oath With what face then can we fall back and wilfully incurre perjury Is not this as Philo Judaeus hath it to make God a shelter for our wickednesse and to cast our sin upon him That so to the infamie of Christian Religion we may â—oder up a faire repute before men Is not this to cast aside not onely a fore-head but all conscience and the fear of God Oh saith S. Austin What blindnesse can equall this to hunt after a little vaine glory by deceiveing man while in thy heart thou sleightest God the searcher of all secrets As if his error who thinks thee good were comparable with thine who seekest to please man with a show of good whilest thou displealest God with that which is truly naught 6. But this is no new thing to you that have dispenced so long so often so variously with so many Oaths of Supremacie Allegeance and canonicall obedience That have done so many strange acts contrarie to your faith and subscription Take heed in time lest not onely your oaths but your own hand-writing arise in judgement against you for casting off the Book of Ordination For renouncing the Booke of Common-Prayer For disclaiming the Articles of the Church of England with those three Creeds the glory and hope of all good Christians Thus you and your brethren are become Apostata's and renegadoes to all Religion and piety gracelesse faithlesse perjured men God of his mercy give you a sence of these sins that so you may in time repent and make some satisfaction to the Church of Christ by an open confession and by a full detestation of those presumptuous and crying sins 7. This Oath his Majestie took solemnly before God in the house of God in the presence of
This right is grounded upon Scripture for God saith Erunt Reges nutritii tui Kings shall be nursing Fathers and Queens shall be nursing Mothers to the Church Who then dares say they ought not or shall not 3. Besides what is done in right is injurious to no man since jus and injuria right and wrong cannot consist in the same action under the same consideration And yet no right is done but it is displeasing to the adverse partie God did right in protecting Moses and Aaron against Korah and his confederates He did right in destroying those factious and rebellious persons and yet this was displeasing to all the congregation of the children of Israel And shall God or the King forbear to do right because the multitude murmure at it This be far from the Lord and his Vicegerent A Judge is sworn to do right If then he do not right to the utmost of his understanding he is perjured And the more eminent a man is in place the greater the sin You know to whom it was said Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe that is born unto thee shall surely dye And of Jerâ—boam it was said z Go tell him thus saith thâ— Lord God of Israel For as much as I exâ—â—ted the frâ—m â—mâ—â—g the people and made thee Prince over my people Israel and yet thâ—â— hast done evill above all that were before thee and hast casâ— me behind thy 〈…〉 Therefore behold I will bring evill upon the house of Jeroboam c. 4. Secondly the King hath sworn to be the Protectâ—r and Defender of the Churches under his Government and this you will confesse the King ought to do But the King doth not protect the Church unlesse he protect the Bishops since without Bishops the Church must needs crumble away and come to nothing The Bishop is the ministeriall Spouse of the Church how then can the Church be protected if her husband be taken from her or stripped of his means Just as our wives are maintained with the fift part Fed with an Ordinance with words but where 's the fift part which of our wives have had that justly payed them 5. The Bishop is under Christ the Father of the Church Destroy the Father and how shall the Children be provided for Nay who shall beget children of the Church when she is void of an Husband And the Bishop is the onely Husband of the Church take â—way the Bishop and the Church is a Widow if you will beleeve the Councell of Chalcedon I have heretofore manifested that none but a Bishop can ordain either Priest or Deacon And Zanchius determines that the Church may not want Ministers who are to administer these externall things the Word and Sacraments Remove the Ministers that have this power derived unto them from Christ and the Sacraments must fail and consequently the Church For what is the Church but a Congregation of Christians wherein the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments duly administred ACCORDING TO CHRISTS ORDINANCE But according to Christs Ordinance none may administer the Word and Sacraments but Bishops Priests and Deacons Take these away and what becomes of the Sacraments Take away Baptisme and according to Gods ordinary and revealed way we cannot become Christians we cannot be born anew of water and of the holy Ghost And when we are become Christians take away that food of life the Lords Supper and we must needs famish for unlesse we eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood in that blessed Sacrament we have no life in us Hence is that of Calvin The light and heat of the Sun meat and drink are not so necessary for the cherishing and sustaining this present life as the APOSTOLICALL and Pâ—storall OFFICE is for the PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH on earth If then it be proved that Bishops properly and strictly so called be of the same office and order with the Apostles then have we Calvins acknowledgement that the Church cannot subsist without Bishops 6. Indeed it cannot if we beleeve S. Cyprian for he saith that we ought to know Episcopum in Ecclesia esse ECCLESIAM IN EPISCOPO that the Bishop is in the Church and the CHURCH IN THE BISHOP it stands and fals with him What then becomes of that Church where there is no Bishop Si qui cum Episcopo non sint in Ecclesia non esse We must also know saith that blessed Martyr that they which are not with the Bishop are out of the Church Thus the Bishop is in the Church causaliter causally but the Church in the Bishop virtually The fountain is in the brook causally and the brook in the fountain virtually because from the fountain the Rives derives his being from thence it is derived and fed Damne up the fountain or divert his course and what becomes of the river Thus is it between the Bishop and the Church Hence I infer that the matter of the Oath is lawfull I conclude therefore with the Author of the Review that His Majestie is bound in Religion and conscience to protect the Bishops with their Churches and priviledges Unlesse it be so that you can bring him a new Christ who will ordain another way to heaven 7. But say you it is a ground laid down by this Author that no oath is obligatory beyond the intention of it That is according to the common plain and literall meaning thereof otherwise we know no intention of an oath We must therefore look back to the intention of the first framers thereof as also to the good and securitie of those to whom and for whose sake it is takâ—n n. That the intention of this oath and the framers thereof is against a tyramous invasion on the rights of the Clergie as also to protect them against violence no question at all is to be made and you do well to acknowledge it So far then the King is to protect them to the utmost of his power And hitherto by the assistance of God he hath done it and my trusâ— is in Jesus Christ that he will strengthen our good King to live and dye in this pious and Princely resolution 8. This Oath is to the Clergie the King then must have an eye upon them and their intention who so humbly begge his protection and to whom he makes this oath Expectationem enim eorum quibus juratur quisquis decipit non potest esse non perjurus For he that deceives their expectation to whom he swears cannot but be perjured This S. Austin proves at large in the preceding Epistle wherein he wonders that any man should be of such an opinion as to conceive that a man might incur certain perjurie to avoid uncertain danger losse or death It is a rule therfore in the Canon Law Quacunque arte verborum
Sir Edward Coke because a Lawyer and a States-man This great learned man assures us that It is a more grievous and dangerous persecution to destroy the Priesthood then the Priests For by robbing the Church and spoyling spirituall persons of their revenues in short time insues GREAT IGNORANCE OF TRUE RELIGION and of the service of God and thereby GREAT DECAY OF CHRISTIAN PROFESSION For none will apply themselves or their sons or any other they have in charge to the Study of Divinitie when after long and painfull studie they shall have nothing whereupon to live Will not our Church then come to a sweet passe And yet to this passe we are almost brought 16. All the inconvenience that Mr. Geree presseth is this that we are not subject to the Parliament to be whipped and stripped as they please If we be not subject to them I am sure they have made us so But how far forth and wherein we are subject to the Parliament and what Parliament shall speedily be taken into consideration Chap. 9. 17. You speak much of a former and a latter Oath the former to the people the latter to the Clergy As if His Majestie took two severall Oaths at two severall times Whereas in truth it is but one Oath as you acknowledge p. 1. taken at the same time and as it were in a breath Indeed there are severall priviledges proposed to the King which he first promiseth and afterwards swears to maintain As for the promise it is first made in grosse to the people of England afterwards to the severall States of this Realm but first to the Clergie by name In generall to the people of England the King promiseth to keep the Laws and Customs to them granted by his lawful and religious Predecessors Under this word People are comprehended the Nobilitie Clergie and Commons of this Kingdom Afterwards distinguishing them into severall ranks he begins with the Clergie promising that he will keep to them the Laws Customes and Franchizes granted to them by the glorious King S. Edward his Predecessâ—â— Secondly he promiseth to keep peace and GODLY AGREEMENT entirely to his power both to God the holy Church the Clergie and the People Here also you see his promise to the Church and Clergie goes before that to the People In the third branch His Majestie promiseth to his power to cause Law Justice and discretion in mercy and truth to be executed in all HIS JUDGEMENTS to all before named Next he grants to hâ—ld and keep to the Comminalty of this HIS KINGDOM the Laws and rightfull Customes which they have TO THE HONOUR OF GOD mark that so much as in him lyeth The Commonalty you see are not mentioned till we come to the fourth clause And last of all lest the Bishops though implied in Church and Clergie should seem to be omitted and an evasion left to some malignant spirits to work their ruine and yet seem to continue a Clergie the King promiseth to the Bishops in particular that he will preserve and maintain to them all Canonicall priviledges and due Law and Justice and that he will be their Protector and Defender How then can he desert them or leave them out of his protection 18. These promises made the King ariseth is led to the Communion Table where laying his hand upon the holy Evangelists he makes this solemne Oath in the sight of all the people The things that I have promised I shall perform and keep So help mâ— God and the contents of this Book Though then the promises be severall the Oath is but one and so no former no latter Oath not two but one Oath The Kings Oath to the people is not first taken but you are wholly mistaken 19. If any man desire to know who the People and Commonalty of this Kingdom are let him look into Magna Charta where he shall find them marshalled into severall estates Corporations and conditions There you shall also see the severall Laws Customes and Franchizes which the King and his religious Predecessors have from time to time promised and sworn to keep and maintain That Great Charter begins with the Church Inprimis concessimus Deo First we have granted to God and by this our present Charter have confirmed f in behalf of our selves and our Heirs for ever that the Church of England be free and that she have her Rights entire and her Liberties unmaimed Now Sir Edw Coke that Oracle of the Law tels us that this Charter for the most part is but DECLARATORY OF THE ANCIENT COMMON LAWS OF ENGLAND to the observation wherof THE KING WAS BOUND AND SWORN And not onely the King but the Nobles and Great Officers were to be SWORN to the observation of Magna Charta which is confirmed by thirtie and two Acts of Parliament 20. The Liberties of this Church as I have gleaned them from Magna Charta and Sir Edw Coke are these First that the possessions and goods of Ecclesiasticall persons be freed from all unjust exactions and oppressions Secondly that no Ecclesiasticall person be amerced or fined according to the value of his Ecclesiasticall Benefice but according to his Lay tenement and according to the quantitie of his â—ffence Thirdly that the King will neither sell nor to farm set nor take any thing from the demeans of the Church in the vacancie Fourthly that all Ecclesiasticall persons shall enjoy all their lawfull Jurisdictions and other rights wholly without any diminution or subtraction whatsoever Fiftly A Bishop is regularly the Kings IMMEDIATE OFFICER to the Kings Court of Justice in causes Ecclesiasticall Sixtly It is a Maxime of the Common Law that where the right is spirituall and the remedy therefore onely by the Ecclesiasticall Law the conusans thereof doth appertain to the Ecclesiasticall Court Seventhly Sir Edw Coke tels us from Bracton that no other but the King can demand or command the Bishop to make inquisition Eightly Every Archbishoprick and Bishoprick in England are holden of the King per Baroniam by Baronry And IN THIS RIGHT THEY THAT WERE CALLED BY WRIT TO THE PARLIAMENT WERE LORDS OF PARLIAMENT And every one of these when any Parliament is to be holden ought ex debito Justitiae by due of Justice to have a Writ of Summons And this is as much as any Temporall Lord can chalenge The conclusion of all is this that neither the King nor His Heirs or Successors will ever endeavour to infringe or weaken these Liberties And if this shall be done BY ANY OTHER nihil valeat pro nullo habeatur let it be of no force and passe for nothing Hence it is provided by Act of Parliament that if any Judgement be given CONTRARY TO ANY OF THE POINTS OF THE GREAT CHARTER by the Justices or by any other of the Kings Ministers whatsoever IT SHALL BE UNDONE AND HOLDEN FOR NOUGHT Let all true
provided for Shall she not in their absence be layed open to the subtill foxes and mercilesse bores to wast and distroy her Yea by this means she is already distroyed So pious Justice Jenkins The incongruitie then is not to the Bishops calling but to the covetousnesse of bores and foxes 13. Another incongruity will follow upon this The whole Parliament is one corporate body consisting of the HEAD AND THE THREE ESTATES If one of the Estates be wanting it cannot be called a whole but an imperfect a maimed Parliament But the Bishops are one of the three Estates Suppose them to be the more feeble and lesse honourable Estate or Member yet this very Member is necessary and the body is but lame without it Take heed then that the excluding of Bishops be not incongruous to the Parliament I see not how it can be incongruous to the Prelates to suffer wrong since for this purpose they are called But it is incongruous to the Parliament to be without them since without them it is not a whole but an imperfect Parliament For I have read that Bishops were in all Parliaments and voted in them since we had any Yea that great Master of the Law justifies that every Bishop ought ex debito justiciae of due justice to be summoned by Writ to every Parliament that is holden But if they leave out the Bishops they begin with injustice and lay but an ill foundation for so great a Court of Justice And where injustice beares the sway there is little Justice to be hoped for So they are incongruous in the first stone or foundation of a Parliament 14. There is a Statute that no Act of Parliament be passed by any Soveraign of this Realm or any other authority what soever without the advice assent of the three Estates of the Kingdome viz. of the 1 Lords spirituall 2 temporall the 3 Commons of this Realme And all those are solemnly cursed by the whole Parliament that shall at any time endeavour to alter this Act or to make any Statute otherwise then by the consent of all these or the Major part of them This as the learned in the Law report is upon record in the Parliament Roles 15. And what comfort I beseech you can his Majestie have to call a Parliament without Bishops since he cannot assure himself of Gods assistance without them Cenwalch King of the West-Saxons was sensible that his Province was destitute of Gods protection while it was without a Bishop Indeed a good Bishop is with Gregory Metropolitan of Cesarea not onely the beautie of the Church and a fortresse to his flock but he is the safety of his Country It was the religious conceit of our country men heretofore that both King and Kingdome have by the Church a solid â— sure foundation for their subsistence And it was the usuall saying of King Iames No Bishop no King In Scripture the Preists are called the Charets and horsemen of Israel because by their prayers the Country prospered more then by force of armes And the Greek Fathers observe that the Bishop is therefore to pray for all because he is the Common Father of all be they good or bad 16. And as he can have little spirituall comfort without Bishops so without them he can have no temporall releife no Subsidies granted for his own supplies or for the defence of the Kingdome I am sure none have been granted him at Westminster since the expulsion of the Bishops Thus have you moulded up such a Parliament as was never known in this Realme since these great Councels of State were first assembled For though the Bishops were by his Majestie summoned according to justice yet were they afterwards turned out at the instigation of a strong tumultuous faction not suffered to vote in matters that concerned either Church or State Thus ye are become like the Princes of Judah that remove the bounds That is as the Genevians interpret ye have turned upside down all politicall order and all manner of Religion Therefore upon those that have done so the Lord will powre out his wrath like water which will surely overwhelm them as it did those desperate sinners in the deluge Thus I have manifested that it is not incongruous to the calling of Bishops to sit and vote in Parliament but to exclude them is incongruous to the being of a Parliament to the weale of the King and safety of the Kingdom 17. And yet as if what-you had delivered were ex tripode as sure as Gospel from barring their votes you deduce an argument for taking away their Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall If one be abolished why may not the other be removed As if because my cassocke is taken from me I must necessarily be stripped out of my gowne 'T is true if this be also done I must bear it patiently but my patience doth not justifie their action that do me the injurie Neither doth the former fact justifie the latter truly no more then Davids follie with Bathsheba can countenance the murder of Vriah The question is not de factâ— but de jure not what is done but whether it be justly done If the fact may justifie a right then may we maintaine robbing upon Salisbury Plain because it hath been done there more then once A wonder it is you had not framed your argument thus who knows not that the Parliament caused the Arch Bishop of Canterbury to be beheaded And then why may they not hang the rest of the Bishops if their lives prove inconvenient and prejudiciall to the Church But with Julian the Apostata ye had rather slay the Preisthood then the Preists 17. Indeed the removall of their Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction is no more against the Oath then the abolition of their Votes Both alike in respect of the Oath but if we consider the severall authorities from whence they are derived we shall find a difference because the most part of their Jurisdiction is the grant of God but their Voting among the Peers is by the favour of Princes grounded upon the right of Nature and that civill interest which every free denizon ought to have in some measure in disposing of his own and assenting to new Laws But suppose Princes may revoke their own favours can they without perill to their soules cut off that entaile which God hath settled upon his Church I beleeve no. But you will onely remove it not abolish it And removed it may be from Dorchester to Lincolne from Crediton to Exiter But the removall of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction from Bishops to Presbyters is utterly unlawfull since without sinne we may not alter the Ordinance of God who settled this Jurisdiction upon Bishops onely and not upon Presbyters as is demonstrated in the next Chapter CHAP. XIII Certaine light and scandalous passages concerning Prince and Preist tenderly touched 1. THere 's a great cry
in the fourth page against the Jurisdiction of Bishops â— inconvenient and prejudiciall to the Church against unlawfull immunities Anti-Evangelicall Pompe combersome greatnesse and Forfeiture by abuse All these are cryed out upon but none of them proved I shall therefore passe these by as a distempered foame or pulpit froath Yet thus much I must say that the Immunities of the Clergie are held by Law or not If by Law then are they not unlawfull but legall If legall it is presumption in you to call them unlawfull If unlawfull shew against what Law We take not your word to be so authenticke as if we were bound to beleeve what ever you say 2. Somthing answerable to this it is that you tel us when this Oath was framed the Church was indued with the ignorance of the times But when was that time For that we may go seek for you relate it not If you had perchance we might have shewed you as wise and as learned men in those times as Westminster affords at this day 3. And yet upon these imaginations you conclude that the Kings Oath is invalid and not onely so but that it is vinculum iniquitatis the bond of iniquitie The respects you relie upon are onely these First that Prelacy is an usurpation contrary to Christs institution 2ly that the Clergie â—e of themselves a distinct Province is a branch of Popery 3ly that Bishops sitting and voting in the House of Peers is abolisht as incongruous to their calling 4ly that the Church was endowed with diverse unlawful immunities And last of all that when this Oath was framed the Church was indewed with the ignorance of the times The foure former have been pretily well sifâ—ed and a non liquet is returned I find them not proved When you make good the last I shall with Gods blessing return you an answer 4. In the mean space I cannot but tell you that you have willfully dangerously scandalized diverse Princes or blessed memorie and charged them almost as deeply as S. Peter did Simon Magus with the bond of iniquitie A binding in intangling sinne Surely those Princes if you may be credited tooke this Coronation Oath either ignorantly oâ— maliciously If ignorantly they are simple or carelesse If maliciously they were neither good Kings nor good Christians But light forsooth hath shined forth since those mistie daies I fear this late light is but a false light for it was never spyed by any that were not condemned Hereticks till now of late 5. Well thinke men what they please you have lately discovered that the Jurisdiction which was inconvenient and prejudiciall in the Bishops will prove very convenient and commodious for the Church in preaching Presbyters Those immunities that were unlawfull in them will be lawfull in you That pompe which was Anti-evangelicall and carnall in them must needs be spirituall and throughly sanctified to such Evangelists as yourself That combersome greatnesse will but fit your shoulders and those great promotions will not at all be unwildy to Presbyteriall Saul which did comber Bishop David And those priviledges which were disadvantagious to the Church and hindred the growth of religion while they were in Episcopall hands will in a Classicall Assembly turn to the advantage of the Church and further her edification If this be not your meaning let the world judge For these are your words And why may not the great revenues of the Bishops with their sole Jurisdiction in so large a circuit be indicted and convict to be against the edification of the Church and it be found more for the glory of God that both THE REVENUE BE DIVIDED to maintain a preaching Ministery and THEIR JURISDICTION also for the better oversight and censure of manners You have indicted them indeed and their revenues as if under the Bishops there were no preaching Ministery no censure of manners as if under them there were nothing to the edification of the Church or the glory of God Wheras it is well known that whilest the Bishops enjoyed their Jurisdiction other manner of Sermons were preached then have been ever since 6. You have already vaunted that the Bishops revenues and Jurisdiction are against the edification of the Church and I make no question but you will justifie that the abolishing of the three Creeds is much to the edification of Gods people And is not the silencing of the ten Commandments for the better oversight and censure of manners Thus you have also condemned that most excellent forme of Divine Service and vented multitudes of heresies and all for the glory of God But when these things come to try all we shall certainly see who will be convicted by that grand Jury that shall sit upon twelve thrones Judging the twelve tribes of Israel Not onely of Israel according to the flesh but of Israel also according to faith 7. But why are you so suddenly fallen from an abolition to an alteration Before you professe That the abolition of the one is no more against the Oath then of the other There you would have the Bishops Jurisdiction abolisht with their Votes But here you will have the Jurisdiction divided their domination altered and all to maintain a preaching Ministery This you call the removall of their Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction in the same page Aaron must lay down his Miter and holy garments that Korah may put them on And S. Paul must resigne his Apostolicall rod to Simon Magus to Alexander the Copper-smith and to the brethren in Qâ—irpo And why so Alas the Apostle-Bishops do not further but hinder the work of the Gospel They are superannited and decrepit away with them by all means and bring in the young lustie Presbyter-Bishops where strong holds are to be vanquisht These are the men will do the work or the Pulpit and Church shall ring for it This you call a good plea to ALTER the uselesse Anti-Evangelicall pomp Indeed ' â—is the best you have and make the best you can of it it will prove but an Anti-evangelicall and Antichristian plea if we trust Scripture 8. Yet that this may be done according to your designe you allow the King thus much power that he may notwithstanding his Oath consent to ALTER the Clergies immunities No Oath shall stand in the way so ye may gain by it What again fallen from the question From abrogation to alteration What if I should tell you that you have altered the state of the question That abrogation is the repealing the disanulling of a Law and not the changing of it But this is no error with you whose aim is to have Episcopacy abolisht that so the immunities and lands thereof may be transferred upon the Presbytery This is the alteration you gape after Yes you would so settled you would have them upon preaching Ministers and upon parochiall Pastors as if none were Preachers or Pastors but you of the Presbyteriall cut
and these disasters shall end in a Crowne of glory His memory shall be honoured in our Annals and his posterity flourish in these thrones Amen Amen CHAP. XVI How far forth the King ought to protect the Church and Bishops 1. IT is confessed to my hand that the King is ingaged to his power to protect the Bishops and their priviledges as every good King ought in right to protect defend the Bishops Churches under their Government Reason requires no more and Religion requires so much For by that God whom we serve Kings are made Guardians and nursing fathers to the Church and by the same God this ingagement is put upon them Not by man not by the Author as you seem to intimate nor yet by the Bishops One of the Bishops indeed in the behalfe of his brethren and the whole Clergie humbly beseecheth his Majestie to protect and defend to them and to the Churches committed to their charge all Canonicall priviledges and due Law and Justice The King with a willing and devout heart premiseth to be their protector and Defender to his power by the assistance of God And afterwards at the Communion table he makes a solemne Oath upon Gods own book to observe the Premises This ingagement then is not put upon the King but with a willing heart he takes it upon himselfe acknowledging that he ought to do so if he be a good King Yea saith Sir Edward Coke the King is bound and sworn to the observation and keeping of Magna Charta His Majestie then is but intreated to do what he is sworne and bound to do And since sworne and bound he may not with a safe conscience give them up to the wild boares of the forrest to root up the plants or suffer the wild beasts of the field to devour this Vine which the Lords right hand hath planted 2. That the King is bound no further to exercise his power in the protection of the Church then he can do it without sinning against God is most undoubtedly true and it were not the part of a Christian to desire more For we know that the King receives his power from God which is to be used not against but for God Not to protect the Church to his power is to break his Oath it is to desert that trust which God hath committed to his charge and is not this to sin against God In the discharge of this dutie he is so far from being injurious to the rest of his people that if he should forbear it it would prove the greatest mischeife that can be imagined to his people and to their posterity in their soules in their estates and a perpetuall infamie to this Nation I need not prove it now it is already done Cap. 8. Sect 10. 11. c. 3. That his sacred Majestie hath interposed his Authority for the Bishops put forth all the power he hath to preserve them is that which vexeth your confederacy And yet you cannot deny but that every good King is bound in right to do so What we ought to do is our bounden duty and what we do in right is justly done Oh that this had been done in the right time Indeed he is not onely bound but he finds it more then necessary to protect and preserve them for in protecting them he protects himself his throne and his posterity Alas he was strook at thorough the Bishops sides His wise Father descried this long since No Bishop no King What the Father spake his Sonne our good King hath found true by woefull experience His Crowne hath sunke with their Miters 4. Well by your own confession what our gracious King hath done is right and what good Kings are bound to do to the extent of their power Thus our good King is justified by his enemies as our Saviour was by Judas If his Majestie have endeavoured to do that which is right what are they that have hindered him from doing it Have not they done wrong How can they excuse themselves before God or man that have so manacled our betrayed Soveraigne that he cannot do what good Kings are bound in right to do Is this to be good Is this to be just Then have all the Saints of God been utterly deceived 5. If after all this He must perforce let the Bishops fall you and your Schisme have much to answer for that have driven him to this necessity You seem to pitie his good subjects who with their blood have endeavoured to support Episcopacy Their swords were not drawn to maintaine this Government or the Religion established they never learned to fight for Religion What they did was done in submission to his Majesties just commands and to manifest their allegiance But if these be good that have indangered their lives to uphold Bishops what are they I beseech you that have spent their blaod to root them out Surely in justifying the former Mr. Geree hath condemned the latter and when the waspes find it he must look to his eares 6. I must confesse it is an hard case for one man to ingage his life for the maintenance of other mens privileges But who did so Not a man ingaged himself but the Kings command the Oath of Allegiance and the Laws of the Land ingaged every good Subject to assist his Soveraign to the utmost The King according to his Oath endeavoured to maintain the Laws of the Land to protect the Members of both Houses driven from Parliament to support the Bishops and to suppresse those seditious and sacrilegious persons which plotted and covenanted the ruine of Religion root and branch Though much the greatest part of the Nobility Gentrie and learned in the Law were deservedly moved to see Majestie dethroned and blasphemed Religion spurned at and vilified the Fathers of the Church scandalized and persecuted the Laws of the Kingdom and liberties of the Subject sleighted and trampled on yet not a man of these took up the Sword till he was commanded by him to whom the Laws of the Land and the Word of God have committed the power of the Sword This may not be called backwardnesse or unwillingnesse but pious discretion which ever waits upon the Soveraigns call When therefore His Majesty had set up his Standard I may truly say the governors of our Israel offered themselves WILLINGLY among the people they did the King service to the utmost Had there not been a back-doore to let in a forrein Nation to divide the Kings forces had not some of the Nobles of Judah conspired with Tobiah held intelligence with him and acquainted him with Nehemiahs secrets there never had been so many Thanksgiving dayes nor so much boasting that God prospered the cause God suffered David his own chosen servant his anointed and a man after his own heart to be hunted as a Partrige upon the mountains to be frighted from his throne and to live like a
dutie to be Master of his negative voice and to deny consent If he deny consent he does his dutie observes his Oath If he yeeld assent he breaks his oath and failes of his dutie And this will prove no lesse then sin I have already demonstrated that Episcopacy is agreable to the word of God and that it is the Institution of Christ himself It is sinne therefore to abolish it or to consent to the abolishing thereof You neither have nor can justifie the contrary out of holy writ or from the ancient and Apostolike Church And yet the Observations upon the Ordinance for Ordination have been extant in Print above these three years But you and your Assembly Rabbines take no notice of it because you have not what to say against it 19. But though you have neither Scripture Councels nor Fathers for the abolishing of Episcopacy yet you have reason grounded upon policy to worke his Miajestie to yeeld to this abolition For say you he cannot now deny consent without sin It seemes then he might without sin deny consent heretofore but not now And why not now as well as heretofore Because say you if he consent not there will evidently continue such distraction and confusion as is most repugnant to the weale of his people which he is bound by the Rule of Government and his Oath to provide for Thus sin shall vary at your pleasure sin it shall be now that was none heretofore That shall be sin in King Charles which was vertue and piety in Queen Elizabeth and all their religious ancesters 20. Where no Law is there is no transgression Before then you prove it to be a sin you must prove it to be against some Law either of God or man Not against the Law of God that 's already proved Not against the Law of man since no man can sin against that Law to which he is not subject The Laws are the Kings he gives Laws to his subjects not his subjects to him and we know no Law of his against Bishops Indeed the Laws of this Land are so far from the extirpation of Bishops that the fundament all Law of this Kingdom approves of them They then that are enemies to Bishops are enemies to the fundamentall Law of this Kingdom And what is fundamentall is in and of the foundation If then a Law be made to extirpate Bishops it grates upon the foundation it is against the fundamentall Law of this Realme it contradicts that Law of Laws the word of God Besides we are assured by that learned in the Law Justice Jenkins that it is against the Kings Oath and the Oaths of the Houses to alter the Government for Religion But an alteration of this Government must necessarily follow upon the abolition of Episcopacy Yea with Bishops not onely the Church and Religion will be ruined but the very Government and Laws of the Kingdom will be so confounded that the learned in the Law will not know where to find Law They must burn their old books and begin the world upon the new model All this will amount to no small sin it will be to the shame of this Land to the ruine of those two noble professions Divinity and Law and to the common misery of the people 21. These reasons premised I shall justly return your own words upon your self in this manner It is not in the Kings power to consent to the abolition of Episcopacy because he cannot now yeeld consent without sin For if he consent there will evidently follow such distraction and confusion as is most repugnant to the weal of his people which he is bound by the Rule of Government and his Oath to provide for I say so and true it is because it is evident to every discerning eye that there are as many and those more considerable that are cordially for Episcopacy and Common Prayer as are against them Indeed they are not so factious so mutinous and bloody as the other What multitudes are there in this Kingdom that mourn and grieve to see Religion so opprest so trampled on and almost breathing out her last In truth it is palpable that these seditious and irreligious courses have ingendred and propagated and will continue such distraction and confusion in Church and State as is most repugnant not onely to the present but to the eternall wedl and salvation of his people both which he is bound to provide for but more especially for the later 22. And whereas you say Such distraction and confusion will continue unlesse Episcopacy be abolished if seems you are resolved to continue these distractions But God knows and your words testifie that it is not the calling or the office of a Bishop that is offensive it is their honour and their wealth which you aim at these with their revenues must be shared amongst you of the Presbyterian faction and then all shall be well Till then we must look for nothing but fire and sword Hence it evidently appears that neither Episcopacy nor the Kings dissent but your ambition and avarice have been the true cause of these distractions and combustions Such a sedition as this there was in the time of Moses about the Priesthood because every man might not sacrifice as when and where he pleased Because Corah might not wear a Miter and go into the most holy place as well as Aaron And yet who dares say that the Priestood was the cause of those uproars 23. That insurrection was against Moses and Aaron against Prince and Priest but against the Prince for the Priests sake because the Prince would not endure that every one should meddle with the Priests office or strip him of his means and honour That conspiracie was linsie-woolsie loomed up of Clergie and Laitie Korah the son of Levi was the ring-leader and with him two hundreth and fiftie of his own Tribe To these were joyned Dathan and Abiram great Princes and men of renown such as were eminent in blood and of the tribe of Reuben And was not the crie the same then that is now Moses and Aaron Prince and Priest ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation is holy every one of them and the Lord is among them Wherfore then lift ye your selves above the congregation of the Lord The Prince and Priest did but their duty and yet are obbraided with pride God raised them to their places and they are charged to raise themselves But Moses justly retorts upon them what they had falsly cast upon him Ye take too much upon you ye sons of Levi. What Is it not enough for you that God hath separated you from the multitude that he hath taken you neer himself to do the service of the Lords tabernacle but you must have the Priests office But you must be offering incense as well as the High Priest The Priest of the second Order would needs be equall
and power If then it be not lawfull for the King neither is it Lawfull for his great Councell to take away the legall rights of others against Law And therefore not the legall Rights of Bishops Deanes and Chapters or any other of the Clergie For by the Laws of the Land we have as firme an interest and as true a freehold in those possessions wherein to we are admitted or inducted as any other of his Majesties subjects have in theirs Boast not of your power power must attend upon Justice not go before it nor over-rule it Iâ— Justice take place it is a judiciall a just power but if power over sway Justice the Government proves tyrannicall 23. As for the power of making Laws we must know that by the Common Law which is guided by the light of nature and the word of God that power is acknowledged to be in the King Who is legâ—â—us superior as Fitz harbert speaks above the Law But the Soveraignes of this Realme to reitifie the tender care they have of their peoples welfare and the desire they have to injoy their love have so far condescended in the Stature Law that they will not henceforth do so without the advice assent of the Houses This is not to give them a Supremacie but to admit them to advice This is the way to win the most refractary to submit to those Laws whereto they have given consent either in person or by proxy Besides what is concluded on with good advice by Common consent and hath the opprobation of diverse wise learned and religious persons gives better satisfaction to all in generall then what is done by one alone be it never so well done And yet to this day the power of ordeining establishing and enacting Laws is reserved wholly to the Crowne Most of these Statute Laws are as so many Royall legacies bequeathed to this Nation by the severall Soveraignes and Fathers of this Countrey Not a Liberty or priviledge not any Land or tenement but is originally derived from the Crowne Such hath been the goodnesse and bounty of our Princes to us their unworthy subjects All we have is from them and now we take all from them Is this gratitude We serve God and the King alike we are resolved to seize upon all that is called sacred And I have learned that not onely the Kings house but his very lands are called in Law Patrimonium sacrum the holy Patrimony Is not this that sacra fames that sacred hunger which is so greedy of all that is called sacred 24. Brand not us poore Clergie-men with foule and fained aspersions delude not the People with false forged suggestions Whose legall priviledges or rights have we invaded or sought after When did we ever desire or perswade his Majestie to do the least injurie to people or Parliament Your own conscience clears us in the generall And your own profession is that you cannot but have a better conceit of the major part of the Clergie at this time that they will not be so tenacious of their wealth and honour as tâ— let the Crowne run an hazard If then we will and have parted with that which is justly ours rather then in the least manner we would prejudice the king or wrong our own consciences certainly we cannot perswade the king to make any ingagement to us against the Laws and legall rights of others If any particular person have offended in this kind we make no Apologie for him upon just proofe let him have a legall censure This Kingdom cannot but take notice that we have been so far from incroaching upon others that we have parted with uâ— own rights though not with Gods We have deserted all we had to preserve a good conscience This is truly cedere jure suo to part with our own that we may not faile that trust which is committed to us We justifie Gods right and lose our own 25. We confesse that the king is bound to maintain the legall priviledges of people and Parliament but not so as to destroy Gods rights or the priviledges of his Ministers That be farre from him Suum cuique the true Princely justice is to be just to God and man to give God what is his and impartially to his subjects what is theirs as also what truly belongs to them in their severall places and professions His Majestie knows full well that the liberties of the Subject the priviledges of Parliament and rights of the Clergie have long consisted and prospered together Take away the Vine and the Elme will beare no fruit take away the Elme and the Vine will fall to the ground and be trod to durt 26. That the King hath been alwaies ready to confirme needfull not wanton not malicious not destructive Bills cannot be denyed by any of his impartiall conscionable subjects The quarrell raised against him is because he will not suffer Gods inheritance and the Churches patrimony to be devoured because he will not endure Gods service and all Religion to be trampled on because he end eavours to releive his poore people the Clergie against whatsoever greivance they suffer or threatned to be enforced upon them The same favour he alwaies hath and is at this time forward to afford to all his good people and loyall subjects Yea even to those that are neither good nor loyall 27. But before I take my leave of your Case of Conscience I shall resolve you what a pious designe you have ventered on and what a rock you have run your self upon You will I hope like the better of it because it comes from that Law you most delight in The Statute saith when a man secular or Religious slayeth his Prelate to whom he OWETH FAITH AND OBEDIENCE it is Treason If then it be Treason to slay the Prelate what sin is it to murder Prelacy certainly by how much the sin is greater to destroy the species all mankind then one particular man by so much is the Treason more heinous more abominable to kill Episcopacy then any one Bishop whatsoever And yet this you have endeavoured to the utmost of your power For this I shall leave you to the Law and to those whom the King shall send for the punishment of evill doers Pray we therefore for the safety of our Soveraigne and that he may with speed be restored to his throne for these times have made us sensible with Rabbi Chanina that were it not for fear of him alter alterum vivus devoraret one would devoure another quicke 28. Thus I think by this time I may safely conclude that it is sufficiently cleared that neither as a king nor as a Christian may his Majestie in Justice or conscience ingage himselfe or yeeld consent either to the extirpation of Episcopacy out of this Church of England or to the abrogation of the just priviledges of his Clergie or to the