haue more benefices then two with cure if they haue all but those they can keepe doe fall voyde lastly all this which hee draweth out of the Canons is to no purpose for they haue no strength of lawe Article 63 The bishops say that excommunication is a ciuill discommuning and company with excommunicate persons and if our Prelates were examined then were they excommunicate and worse then publicanes and heathen Answere Marke I pray you the intemperate furie of this base companion the honourable Prelates of this land reuerend for their learning yeeres grauitie place this crablouse swaine and paltrie parasite scornefully calleth iolly prelates and in changing scorne into rayling calleth them excommunicate persons yea worse then publicanes and heathen into such a streine of madnes is he entred looke Allen Stapleton other traytors discourses yet shall you find no such scornefull nor spitefull speaches and wherefore doth hee so reuile them forsooth because he supposeth they offend against canons yet neyther doth he prooue any fault nor can he shew that those canons are lawe nor can hee excuse his consorts that notoriously contemne all excommunications nor finally can hee disproue the common distinction of excommunication that one sort is ecclesiasticall the other ciuill and therefore as a furious for rayling without learning or wit against men of so high place hee is rather to bee corrected in Bedlem then refuted with long discourse I doubt not but the consistorie it selfe will bee ashamed of such kinde of dealing and all other reasonable men condemne it why the disciplinarians should talke of excommunication there is no reason forthey commit the same into prophane mens hands and are therein worse then heathen that neuer committed such holy things into so base mens hands This is the summe of all those articles that he hath gathered against the ecclesiasticall state a playne iustification of all their doings for if he could haue said more against them he would not haue spared and charging them with matters eyther tryfling or else vtterly vntrue declareth them to bee innocent himselfe to bee malicious and furious for the summe of all is nothing but a packe of vnruly wordes as Chapplaines Priestes iolly Prelates hangbyes excommunicate persons worse then heathen and publicanes licentious preachers extortioners bribers and such like I could requite him with better and as bitter tearmes but to answere his articles I will onely returne him but these few articles following A BRIEFE COLLECTION OF DIVERS haereticall and strange opinions lewde practises and fond fancies and deuices which certaine factious and light headed persons haue lately coloured and aduanced with glorious titles of discipline and reformation set downe in forme of Articles TH. Cartw. doth call the rules of his new discipline the 1 In the Epistbefore Fenners new diuinitie Axiomes or irrefragable principles of heauenly Canaan whereby he would in sinuate that they are without doubt to be receiued and yet can he not shewe that euer the eldership or the strange gouernement thereof was practised in Canaan vnlesse it were of the Cananites and enemies of Gods Church to the rooting out of Gods people and ouerthrow of the Ministerie 2 The disciplinarians holde that the gouernement of the Eldership is Christes kingdome and that they that withstand the same are enemies to Christ to religion and to Christes kingome and apply these wordes of the Gospel 2 Th. Cartw. in a certeine table Those mine enemies that would not haue me to reigne ouer them bring them and slay them before me Aplaine euidence that if with entreatie they cannot they meane by warres and bloodshed to set vp their kingdome and yet William Hacket their first king was crowned in Cheapeside with an hempen coronet or diademe and his garde and followers dipersed 3 They teach That the Church is onely to be gouerned by Christes lawes And yet are they not able to bring forth one worde for proofe of their consistorie or the partes of it or the office of euery seueral part of it or any part of their gouernment and seeme to rest onely vpon mens bare conceites and fancies contrarie both to scriptures equitie and reason 4 They professe great loyaltie in termes yet doubt not to say that the simplest Consistorie they haue may giue the prince to Satan 5 They take from the magistrate power to make ecclesiasticall lawes for the gouernment of the Church and yet at Geneua they haue no ecclesiasticall lawes but made by the magistrates 6 That authoritie which statutes giue to princes In calling and assembling of Synodes and appointing ecclesiasticall commissioners to heare and determine Ecclesiasticall matters and appointing delegates to represse wrongs offered in Ecclesiasticall courtes they take away and deny the supremacie of the prince very presumptuously 7 They ouerthrowe her Maiesties reuennues and dissolue the office of first fruites and tenthes 8 They deny her all authoritie to nominate Bishops or other officers of the Church and vtterly take away her right of patronage in all ecclesiasticall liuings 9 They dissolue all ecclesiasticall lawes and all those statutes that concerne Bishops or other Ministers or other ecclesiastical liuings person or cause 10 They deny that her Maiestie may pardon and graunt life to any offender Fenneri Theologia whome Moses lawe commandeth to be put to death and binde her to the obseruance of Moses iudiciall lawes 11 They seeke the ruine and ouerthrowe of the whole ecclesiasticall estate by abasing the Ministers of the Church beneath all others and laying infinite burthens vpon them and taking away all rewardes of learning a point which you my masters of the vniuersitie are to looke vnto 12 By ouerthrowing of the Ecclesiasticall state they doe depriue her Maiestie of many thowsands of able and most willing men to doe her seruice and make way to inward faction and forreine inuasion and all manner of heresies and disorders 13 They teach Th Cartw. reply that all magistrates are to licke the dust of the feete of the Eldership 14 They goe about to bring in forreine lawes and forreine and vncouth gouernors 15 They teach that in euery common wealth well gouerned Fenners holy diuinitie there ought some magistrates to be appointed to depose and ouerrule princes if they doe not their dueties like the Spartain Ephori 16 They teach that the prince may not determine any weightie matter Ibidem without the assemblie of the estates 17 They depraue the ecclesiasticall gouernement Martin and religion of this Church and call it antichristian and diuelish 18 They traduce the publike iustice of this land Martin and Epist before reformat no enemie and rayle against the parliament the lordes the Iudges the lawes and whatsoeuer misliketh them 19 They haue confederated themselues together That is euident by theit subscriptions for the ouer throwing of the ecclesiasticall lawes and state and haue subscribed certeine articles for the establishment of new lawes and gouernement 20 Cartwright and
and which he hath set downe in malitious Articles and interrogatories shall be answered neither doe I meane therein to omit any speach that shall seeme any way pertinent to purpose being loth he should say he was not answered Wherein if you see no colour or shew of reason for this newfound platformes or proofe of his accusation consider then I pray you first what indignitie hath ben offered by this libellor to the Church of God to her Maiestie and her lawes to the Ecclesiasticall state and such as liue in obedience of lawes and secondly what they deserue that haue offered this indignitie vnto so many and honorable persons and brought this scandale into the Church of God the common 1 Rescius iâ— ministromach aduersarie maketh profite of those shameles slaunders which those vnciuil and vnlettered authors of the Admonition haue vttered against the Church the aduersarie triumpheth to see this contention disordered companions take occasion of contumacie and rebellion when will the gouernors vse like diligence to represse them If then you loue religion her Maiestie and the state you will not suffer such notorious reuellors at lawes and gouernors if you be desirous of trueth you will no more be abused with vaine gloses H. Nicholas hath painted his booke with quotations as full as T.C. he vseth the same stile and seemeth to haue the same erronious spirit He saith as well as T.C. that for Sions sake 2 In euangel regni he will not holde his peace and yet nether of both speaketh to purpose nor to the edifying but rather the pulling downe of Gods Church and therefore seing both the authors and their dealings haue bene tried let them be both dealt with all and esteemed according to their deserts It may be these felowes looked for answere of her Maiestie and to say sooth the Magistrate were most fitte to shape aunsweres for such disordered petitions but in the meane while it may please them to accept of my answere they are no such high persons but meaner men then her Maiestie may answere them reason it is seing they put their petition in print they should also receiue a printed answere and seing they chalenge me they should heare my answere And let them not thinke but that howsoeuer their malice is repressed by lawe their fond assertions and cauils shal be refuted by reason That trueth may appeare I haue done my endeuour God is my witnesse I seeke for nothing but trueth and peace there rosteth then nothing but that trueth be embraced and lawe maintained for little auaileth it to knowe either if by faction mutinie lawes may be broken trueth oppressed to make trueth and Iustice knowen it belonged to vs to defend the same belongeth to Magistrates to wish the same to all reade therefore and iudge and seeke the maintenance of Iustice and trueth without which neither Church nor state can be well gouerned AN ANSWERE TO A CERtaine calumnious Petition and also to certaine Articles and Questions of the Consistorian faction CAP. I. Wherein is declared that the authoritie and state of Bishops as it is vsed in England is lawfull and the Petitioners cauils brought to the contrary answered ALmightie God when he gaue Magistrates and Lawes vnto his Church appoynted first and next vnder the soueraigne Magistrate one high Priest to haue the 1 Deut. 17. leuit 13. exod 28. nom 3. 4. superintendence of the affaires of the church and vnder him 2 1. Chron. 24. 25. diuers heads of their diuisions that things might be done in order And lest wee might suppose that this was but a ceremoniall constitution vnder the Law of nature the chieftie of the Priesthoode ouer all his was first in Noe then in Sem then in Abraham then in Isac and Iacob afterward in the 12 Patriarkes which for many yeres gouerned their whole families both in matters diuine and humane If equalitie of ministers had bene so profitable no doubt God would haue vsed that order in his Church The Lawe ceremoniall ceasing our Sauiour ruled his Church as soueraigne Bishop of our soules he adioyned no fellowe aldermen to himselfe Departing this worlde he gaue commission to his disciples within those places where they remayned to gouerne the church So we reade that they did excommunicate alone that they did ordeine ministers alone yea and did by superiour authoritie order both the affayres and goods of the church Paul did excommunicate 3 1. Timoth. 1. Alexander and Hymenaeus Peter as Beza confesseth by the swoorde of excommunication strooke Ananias and Saphyra alone Beza aduers Erast Paul ordeined Timothy and Titus and Timothy and Titus ordeined other ministers The Apostle Paul prescribeth orders and lawes to Timothy and Titus and their churches the populer gouernement which our platformers commend was not so much as in time of persecution vsed This was the practise of the Apostles successors likewise Saint Iohn writeth to the bishop of Ephesus to the bishop of Smyrna and likewise to the seuerall Bishoppes of other Churches to them hee giueth directions them he reprehendeth for bearing with the wicked which if they had had no authoritie aboue other Ministers had bene very vnfitting All Ecclesiasticall stories writing of that argument giue witnesse that seuerall Bishops succeeded the Apostles at Rome Constantinople Alexandria Ierusalem Antioche other famous Churches Saint Ierome and diuers other ancient writers testifie that Marke ruled Alexandria as Bishop which happened in Saint Iohns time All counsels giue preheminence to Bishops ouer other Ministers and to the counsels the fathers subscribe by infinite testimonies whereof it may appeare that excommunication ordination and the gouernement of the Church next vnder the prince did belong to Bishops the wordes I haue set downe heretofore in my English booke written against this counterfeite newe discipline Saint Ierome hath a most pregnant place for excommunication Ieronym aduers vigilant where hee wondereth that no one Bishop could bee found to excommunicate Vigilantius and if all the gouernement of the Church was committed to Bishops no doubt but that they disposed of these matters also When in our times religion began to be reformed the chiefe learned men that then liued and tooke paines therein In histor Apologia confess August protested in their publike writinges to the entent that all posteritie should knowe it that if Bishops would embrace religion they would most willingly submit themselues to their episcopall iurisdiction accompting in most godly and expedient for the Church Melancthon vseth many speeches to that purpose fearing that if the authoritie of bishops were reiected a greater tyranny would succede and Caluine likewise to Sadolete protesteth that he misliketh not Episcopal authoritie Neither can any thing bee deuised more absurd then that equalitie of ministers which is brought in to ouerthrow Bishoppes for no gouernement can be without superioritie neither can any thing bee well ordered where there is no speciall care in some one it
forger be packing that without authoritie maketh out new commissions and new lawes Their desire is that euery congregation c. might haue one Petitioner or two sufficient teachers c. faithfully labouring in the worde of God or doctrine If their congregations be as great as shires Answere two would be too litle for euery such congregation and besides that the course that is alreadie taken for preachers is better then they can deuise any For now in diuers shires there bee hundreds of preachers distinguished in parishes If euery parish bee a sufficient congregation as in deede it is how shall two bee maintained in euery parish where as nowe not euery tenth parish with the liuing that belongeth to the Church is able to maintaine one preacher Doth he thinke men wil enlarge their liuing If he doe he doth but dreame And as for the deuises of him that cogged vs forth the motion with submission sounding an alarme to the sacrilegious spoyle of the Church they would bee the ouerthrowe rather of learning then the maintenance of the ministerie for other great birds gape for that pray As for these poore dawes when they haue made way for others they may go picke wormes for any part they can get thereof themselues when Abbeyes were ouerthrowen 1 That appeareth by the preface of the statute concerning that poynt erecting of schooles hospitals and colledges of preachers was pretended but whither the spoyle went wee doe well vnderstand and doe not thinke that there will be other prouision nowe then was then or that men will in spoyling bee more religious now then some were then They woulde haue assisting elders Petitioner c. that should not encroch on the magistrates authoritie and they would haue the most honest and sufficient men togather for the poore and keepe the treasure of the Church The treasurie of the Church woulde bee so thinne Answere if this deuise of elders and lay deacons shoulde take place that they shoulde not neede to take any care for the keeping of the treasurie At Geneua and in the reformed Churches of France as they call them the treasurie is all but one poore almes boxe They neede not feare robbing why then should any that fauoureth the Church like of their beggerly deuise or of assisting elders proctors for the poore that are but new conceits calculated by a glasse of wine vnknowen to scriptures fathers and antiquitie and borne out with sacing and sauour of nought but sacriledge Neyther can his aldermen nor lay deacons bee prooued nor doe they abstaine from encroching vpon the magistrate nor will any such men as hee supposeth take on them the base function of lay deacons and therefore all these desires are nothing but a fardell of foolerie They would haue olde helpers so quallified Petitioner as the Apostle commandeth 1. Tim. 5. Doe they knowe what they would haue Answere Let them shewe eyther commandement in scripture or practise in the primitiue Church or Church of Geneua of their olde widowes and then I woulde hope they had some care or knowledge what they desired if they cannot then I woulde pray some yong helpers to helpe vs away with such old fablers They would haue all these ordeyned in such maner Petitioner and by such persons as the word of God practise of the primitiue Church and moderne Churches doth warrant What if these moderne Churches neyther agree among themselues Answere nor with the worde of God nor primitiue Church will you not then confesse that you require things not coherent and that cannot stand together Looke where you finde any lawles counterfeite lay elders in the ancient Church or where any ordeyned but the bishop looke whether at Geneua there bee consistories in euery parish and what authoritie they haue And see whether Scotland doth not condemne imposition of handes and diuers orders which Geneua alloweth All these deuises cannot stand together and therefore if you had learned any thing in lawe you might well vnderstand that forasmuch as you alledge things contrary your libell and petitions are to bee reiected They desire synodes particuler prouinciall and nationall Petitioner and moderators of them They must shew better reasons Answere or else no man will regarde their desires Oecumenicall synodes and synodes of diuerse nations they exclude and ridiculously distinguish particuler from prouinciall synodes and make particoloured synodes and a mash of lawes fitter for sicke horses then men And by the same they goe about to ouerthrow the ancient gouernement of the Church the lawes of the Realme the prerogatiue and reuenues of the Crowne and to say all in one worde both religion and learning They woulde Petitioner that the partie grieued might appeale from the particuler congregation or synode at the first instance to the magistrate This seemeth to mee a poynt that will hardly bee prooued Answere for the common receiued opinion is contrary Beza doth flatly deny it and others exclude the prince from all iudgement yea and office in ecclesiasticall causes This fellowe therefore is the onely singuler doctor of discipline that giueth cognition of appeales from synodes to the prince But marke I pray you the ridiculous ignorance of this simple fellowe first he would haue the appeale from the synode or particuler congregation in the first instance And yet euery man may see that the first instance was where the cause was first begunne that is in the parish or consistorie and not before the synode Secondly he wil not say that any man may appeale in the last instance for that were too much as hee thinketh so that still running on in the disloyall tunes of puritanes hee taketh from the prince the last cognition and giueth it to his synodes They desire that such people Petitioner as be alreadie capable and willing to liue as becommeth Churches of Christ might liue as they bee commanded by Christ If euery man might liue as he list Answere so hee coloured his pretence with Gods word and Christes commandement there would neyther papist nor other heritike be repressed for euery man maketh religion and Christs commandement a couer for his pretences But gladly would I he should answere me this question whither hee doth thinke that none doe liue as becommeth Churches of Christ but such as haue his dogbolt deuises of elders and their doltish gouernement if hee answere so as here he seemeth then must I tell him that there can be no greater slander of this state or of her Maiestie and the gouernement If not what doth he tell vs here of people capable and willing to liue as becommeth the Churches of Christ as if the people of England were neither capable nor willing so to liue Againe let him tell mee in good sooth whither hee doth beleeue that the consistorie and newe discipline thereto belonging was in deede commaunded by Christ and if hee beleeue it let him shewe the place and the
AN ANSWERE TO A CERTAINE LIBEL SVPPLICATORIE OR RATHER Diffamatory and also to certaine Calumnious Articles and Interrogatories both printed and scattered in secret corners to the slaunder of the Ecclesiasticall state and put forth vnder the name and title of a Petition directed to her Maiestie Wherein not onely the friuolous discourse of the Petitioner is refuted but also the accusation against the DISCIPLINARIANS his clyents iustified and the slaunderous cauils at the present gouernement disciphred by Mathew Sutcliffe These dreamers defile the flesh and despise gouernment and speake euill of them that are in authoritie Iude vers 8. Etsi loqui nesciant tacere tamen non possunt Hierom. Neither can they well speake nor wisely holde their peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They pretend and seeke the reward of Phinees zeale but doe the workes of Zimri Imprinted at London by the DEPVTIES of CHRISTOPHER BARKER Printer to the QVEENES most excellent MAIESTIE 1592 TO THE HONORABLE SIR EDMVND ANDERSON LORD CHIEFE IVSTICE OF HER MAIESTIES COVRT OF COMMON PLEAS ALthough my good Lord I cannot without griefe remember the daungerous and hurtfull effectes of the late stirres which certaine factious persons haue made both in the Church and common wealth about the new consistoriall gouernement yet seing diseases cannot be wel cured vnlesse they be made knowen nor well knowen vnlesse the patient declare them I could not refraine from vttering them being one of that Church and state that hath so long suffered them yea though not I onely but all others whom they concerne should of importune shamefastnes conceale them yet would they not being so great be concealed It is well knowen what scandale thereof hath growen to religion diuers wicked persons are thereby confirmed in their atheisme weake christians are either driuen backe to poperie or discouraged from comming forward to embrace religion the Seminaries abroad are replenished with many towardly schollers seeking that abroad which they dispaire to finde at home sectes euil opinions growe vp lyke noysome weedes in diuers corners those that should and would represse them are by domesticall stirres of secret enemies thuarted hindered The Papists take thereby incouragement and hope for innouation 1 De schism lib. 3. quo bello Catholici indies plures constantiorésque in fide sunt facti saith he speaking of his false Catholikes and Romaine peruerse taith Sanders in his booke as he calleth it of schisme doth bragge That through these contentions the Romanistes dayly multiplied among vs and grewe more resolute they also from these domesticall braules made by some against our Church doe drawe an argument to harden mens hartes against religion and the authors of religion both 2 In lib de cansis cur catholisis c. Vlenbergue and Rosse in their seditious treatises against vs doe much insist vpon that poynt and it is a common obiection made by the enemie yea a matter not lightly feared of frendes For learning hath lost almost all reputation while these vnlearned and vnwise confistorians declame against learning and seeke no further diuinitie then Caluins and Bezaes and Iunius his glosses and commentaries and without ground of learning and artes as it were with vnwashen feete enter into the Lordes sanctuarie while the fathers and auncient writers of the Church are despised and euery man taketh vpon him to interprete scriptures after his owne foolish conceite and forceth them to serue their owne changeable humors they runne into diuers daungerous opinions I reporte me to the strange doctrine of 2 Theologia sacra Fenner and his Maister T.C. in their new booke of Consistoriall diuinitie of the lawe gospell sacraments and ecclesiasticall gouernement there is scarce any poynt deliuered without error but those are faultes of a lighter marke in respect of poyntes concerning the diuine essence and the Trinitie whereof they talke strangely In the 3 Theologia sacra lib. 1. diuine nature they confound essence and person and deuide the persons of the Trinitie into two members and make the sonne together with the holy ghost to proceede from the father where all religion saith that he is borne of the father which is the characteristicall difference of that person further they affirme that the holy ghost proceedeth from the father 4 Ibidem without mentioning the sonne they teach also that hatred as it is attributed to God is the essence of God And while they would commend their fond preaching and disgrace the scriptures Iohn Penrie 5 In his supplicat one of the great disciplinarian prophets eyther like a dolt or if he defend it a blasphemous heretike Maketh Christ to be the word preached therein destroying Christes eternall essence and diuinitie in 6 The booke was offered to the parliament by common consent of this faction that it might throughout England be recented their Communion booke they haue taken out two articles of the Creede namely that of Christes buriall and Christes descending into hell and added a newe Article viz. of their new fantasticall discipline a compendious and short way to erect their new kingdome for articles of our Creede are rather to be beleeued then to be disputed of In their Creede also they make Christ to be borne of the virgine according to the flesh diuiding Christ into two parsons with Nestorius lastly for here I meane not to speake of all they forget A petition in their braue paraphrase of the Lords prayer which matters are very shamefull and yet not to be denyed for their owne worthles bookes conuince them While they haue refused the olde order of preaching and followed the stile of Bezaes vaine and verball sermons whereof I and many others that haue heard and read them are witnesses their expositions be eyther verball or fantasticall or both their prayers for the most part are disordered fancies yea some times malicious inuectiues full rather of wordes then deuotion conceiued without studie and vttered without iudgement which kinde of 1 Matth. 6.7 verball babling Christ condemneth as heathenish To leaue matters of the Church we see how schooles are decayed and how both learning and rewardes of learning are dayly diminished and all this while these vnworthie fellowes first thinke that all learning is conteined in Caluins institutions and Bezaes opuscula and secondly measure euery mans merites by their owne foote and allow no more to others then they suppose they deserue themselues taking away all hope of honor or rewarde by making the ignorant iudge of the merite of learning and talking of certaine strange positions of fortie pound pensions as if fortie or a hundred pounds yeerely were the vttermost reward that learning coulde deserue and euery other sort of men were worthie of most high rewardes and preferment the number of schollers decreasing in both the Vniuersities doth declare how much men are discouraged and examples of this sacrilegious discipline otherwhere receiued doe shewe what further wracke is to be feared hereafter The gouernours both of
recreate my selfe with this more easie labour and to answere their cauils at our proceedings in law together with such authorities as they bring for the proofe of their consistorie to the finall discouerie of their vnbrideled malice that all seeing the nakednesse of their cause may ioyne together to extirpate the reliques of those that haue bene causers of these stirres Against this my purpose I doe vnderstand that diuers exceptions are taken First those that fauour the consistoriall discipline doe say I withstand a noble worke of reformation and therefore cannot like of my doings but vnto these this whole treatise shall make answere for thereby it shall appeare that their whole course tendeth rather to confusion and disorder of Church and state then to reformation of eyther and therefore seeing they doe declare themselues open enemies both vnto the present state and to me in this cause I doe not regard what they like or dislike no doubt but that open enemies will like that best which for the State is worst and greatly prayse that which tendeth to the hurt thereof Others there are that condemne all those discourses that are written of both sides concerning this argument which albeit they would seeme to be friendes yet in deede are enemies as well as the other For no more is he an enemie that oppugneth vs in plaine fielde then hee that trecherously seeketh to discourage such as are forwarde in mainteining the State at home and albeit they would colour their malice with pretence of detestation of contention among friendes yet doe they vs wrong to accompt them that oppugne the state friendes or attribute the cause of contention to vs that onely defend the State against contentious and malcontent persons such as would ruinate the same for not those that defend but those that begin the braule are contentious Were it not thinke you a ridiculous thing for a man to say that valiant men that fight for their countrey are contentious and a poynt of trecherie to discourage them why then should not the like bee thought of those that condemne them that write in defence of the present gouernment of religion and learning in like degree as if they had writ against the same These men are sorie that any should stop the breach against such as seeke to enter to make spoyle and therefore as secret enemies or weake persons that neither vnderstand matters of State nor reason are to be contemned if not reproued A last sort there is that percase mislike the sharpenesse of my stile but they must consider that in this discourse I deale not against men of learning or grauitie or such as desire to learne or finde out trueth but against ignorant wilfull and seditious Libellers that seeke partly by falshood and partly by disgrace of some bad persons vnworthy of their places to discredite the whole ecclesiastical state against whom no sharpenesse of stile can be sufficient but I did respect rather what became me to speake then what they deserued to heare This discourse I present to your Lordship a man well acquainted with the humors of the men and weakenesse of their cause a Iudge most skilfull in law Vnto whom should wee seeke for resolution in law and redresse of wrong rather then to him that beareth so honourable a charge in matters of Iustice vnder your name I would it should come to the handes and viewe of all other reuerend Iudges learned Lawyers and well affected subiectes Wee desire nothing more then that matters may bee examined according to iustice and doubt not but if that may be obtayned that the controuersie will bee ended and the calumnious mouthes of factious persons stopped for seeing the platformers haue neither support of trueth nor law what man will doubt but that they are to be repressed aswell by Iustice as by disputation and discourse That is the meanes to ende all our complaynts the remedie of our common griefes if the perturbers of our State at home were first calmed I would not doubt but forrein aduersaries would soone be danted and the mindes of friendes vnited to the ioy of all that loue the trueth of Gods religion and seeke the long continuance of her Maiesties peaceable reigne and the florishing state of the Church Accept therefore I beseech you my good Lord this my good will which I testifie vnto you in this Treatise Due it is to you being so forwarde and vpright in matters of Iustice and was expected at my handes being specially touched in the petition which I answere I make your Lordship and all the learned yea all indifferent men iudges Iudge therefore according to iustice and trueth There is no reason I should require fauour in this cause further then my simple skill and vnsufficient handling of matters for want of time and being oppressed with other businesse shall require fauour The Lord send peace to his Church and heape vpon you and all others that loue his trueth all heauenly graces that by your meanes enioying the benefites of true religion iustice and peace wee may consent in one trueth and ioyntly in his holy Church glorifie Christ Iesus the Prince of peace In London the 20 of December Your Lordships in all duetie and heartie affection MATHEVV SVTCLIFFE The Preface wherein both the argument of the discourse ensuing is deliuered and certaine generall faults of the petition touched I Had once well hoped that eyther the authoritie of the Magistrate could haue commanded or the terrour of the common enemie that so violently doth assayle the whole Church at this time would haue enforced the contentious to make an ende of their braules and if neither reuerence of superiors nor respect of common profit could put them to silence yet did I imagine seeing they haue nothing to say that discretion and common sense would make them to hold their peace how much my expectation was deceiued this petition which I haue here vndertaken to answere doth declare for without respect to lawes or common profite yea or common reason the author thereof hath put forth himselfe to speake a man as you shal see without reuerence to superiours or conscience in reporting of lawes or iudgementin matters diuine or humane and most vnable to speake or write in this or other argument To goe no further this his petition shall make proofe of my words for neither is there art in his stile nor witte or sharpenesse in his arguments nor is there any decencie obserued in the discourse nor doth the treatise agree with the title nor the parts thereof with themselues the stile is like Iohn Bels song of Couentrie the sentences hang together like lenten deames first he kneeleth on his knee then asketh pardon afterward telleth of all good subiects how they desire peace and yet notwithstanding he telleth of many that increase contention then he talketh of writing of bookes of generall counsels and a newe kind of disputing by writing matters that neyther haue coherence among themselues
nor with his general purpose hauing made this absurd entrance he proceedeth more absurdly his arguments are all drawen from authoritie of late writers a weake kind of reasoning and good for nothing yet as if hee had sayde very much stoutely doth he reuell at Bishoppes Iudges lawes and quarrelth against the state afterward hee gathereth certaine notes of his owne discipline which vnlesse you receiue of his bare word you stop all his glorious proceeding last of all he layeth downe certaine articles and interrogatories It should seeme he hath bene eyther a pettie fogger in law or a clerke in some office or hath bene furnished with these matters by some odde clerke or petie fogger nothing is more simple nor clerkely nor worse beseeming men of learning there is in his writing no good course of words no good frame of sentences no sufficient proofes no order nor sequence of parts His arguments yet are worse then his stile to proue the consistorie and his new conceits of discipline he alledgeth first that the gouernment of Byshops is not so exquisite but that somewhat may bee amended as if it followed because men doo not their dueties or because there are imperfections in men and in proceedings or want of some lawe that the state were to be ouerturned and a newe vncouth and vnruly gouernement by Churchaldermen to be imbraced or els as if a man should say we were to be gouerned by the lawes of Turkes or Iewes because of the faultes of the common lawes nay rather let lawes stand and such Turkish and barbarous conceites of generall innouation bee corrected and faultes of lawes amended Secondly he bringeth in a packe of authorities against Romish bishops as if eyther the ancient Bishops of Rome or the late Bishoppes that preach the Gospell were to be measured by the wickednesse and tyranny of the late Romish Byshops or gouernment were to be taken away because it hath bene abused thirdly he produceth the opinions of Caluin Beza and a packe of others most of them vnlearned and vnknowen as if it were reason to follow them against all antiquitie or as if the gouernement of the Church stood vpon opinion not vpon scripture and ancient lawes and customes Before times these fellowes told vs of a discipline commanded in scriptures this fellow telleth vs of certaine fancies of Caluin Beza and certaine obscure authors newly brought out of corners into light and yet can he not shewe that any of these whome he hath alledged doe in all poynts consent with our platformers to prooue that his partisans offend not against law he alledgeth diuers of their opinions as if it were an excuse for heretikes to say they beleeue well in some few poyntes what punishment then do they deserue that offend both in the opinions alledged and diuers others concealed finally to prooue that his fellowes offending against lawe are not to be punished he sheweth that Bishops also offend against Lawe as if the offence of one were to be an excuse for another or as if a man offend in any small point of law and that not of malice it were lawfull for these fellowes to ouerthrow all lawes and that of selfewill and malicious purpose There is no decorum obserued in the whole discourse the petition is supposed to bee made by the author kneeling before her Maiestie yet doth he often speake to others and quarrell and dispute with those that are absent as if a man making his petition to her Maiestie should suddenly rise vp and quarrell with by standers which not onely is a poynt of absurditie but of the authors old frensie Secondly what is more vnseemely then before the chiefe gouernour to plead as doth the petitioner that all his gouernment is leud antichristian and that his lawes are deuoyde of reason and that iudgementes giuen are vniust and ought to be reuersed and most odiously to raile on the state and gouernours Thirdly seeing this petition is directed to her Maiestie to what ende is the same put in print belike the mans purpose is that so much as the Queene by wisedome shall denie the people by force and furie shall establish which in deede is his drift for the same was neuer presented to her Maiestie but onely to the people Fourthly nothing is more absurde then to handle matters of controuersie by way of supplication seeing he disputeth he should rather haue come in schooles then in court and before lawyers then courtiers Lastly a very vndecent thing it seemeth to me that a man not conuersant in studie of diuinitie should teach diuines that a disordered companion should controllgouernors and lawes that a man lately distracted of his wit should teach law and order neither knowing order nor lawe which course if it may be suffered it is but folly to studie diuinitie or lawe or to maintaine gouernement and a bad incouragement for iudges to do iustice seeing euery ignorant disordered companion shal take on him to control them and to teach lawe to gouerne as it were by reuelation inspiration and fancie what should be the cause that this base fellow should come forth I know not vnlesse this be it that all that were wise foreseeing and eschewing the danger this bedlem writer that neyther foresawe nor sawe any thing being armed with diuers collections of others should say something if for nothing els yet to make shew that they can say somewhat The treatise answereth not to the title for where hee promiseth therein to deliuer a meanes how to compound matters in the whole treatise he doth with all his force endeuour to enkindle warres he rayleth on goueruours and lawes controlleth iudges and goeth about to reuerse iudgements and would if he could ouerthrow all the ecclesiasticall state which sauoureth rather of a humour to fight then to compound and yet is not he the man that must bee the leader of these consistoriall warriours being but a ragazzo fit for nothing but to cary baggage In this his booke hee fighteth no more against vs then against himselfe he sayth hee will neither speake to ouerthrow Bishops nor to erect consistories yet doth he his vttermost malice against Bishops and speaketh what hee can for Consistories and yet nothing to purpose hee professeth hee knoweth not whether part hath better grounde wherein like a simple fellow he not onely confesseth he speaketh of matters he vnderstandeth not but also contrarieth himselfe in denying that hee professeth in the very first entrance he saith that all her Maiesties louing subiectes that loue religion honour her Maiestie and doe desire the good of the Realme doe heartily bewayle the contention of our Church wherin hee pronounceth sentence against himselfe and his consortes as neyther louing ber Maiestie religion nor the state for seeking to enflame this contention by scurrilous libels and interrogatories how can it bee surmised that they doe bewayle this contention do men bewayle that which they doe or doe men seeke peace that against good men throw out their
haue good cause to speake Bernarde 4 De consid ad Eugen. lib. 2. speaketh against the Pope for clayming soueraintie in both swordes which no bishop in England claymeth neither doth any bishop by his episcopall authoritie exercise the materiall swordes as the Pope doeth and therefore as Bernards reasons are good against the Pope so are they not to be vsed against our bishops neither was it euer Bernards meaning to condemne the prerogatiue of bishops allowing the same in so many of his epistles and writings and commending so highly the bishop of Rome notwithstanding his infinite abuses he 5 Serm. 66. in Cantic non est mirum si ordinibus ecclesie deirahunt si mandatis non obediunt bitterly inueigheth against those heretickes which for their apish imitation of the Apostles called themselues Apostolickes because they condemned prelacy and therefore calleth them Stultissimos obstinatissimos Thus the man or at least his partakers haue sought euery corner of the Fathers and yet finde nothing against the prerogatiue of bishops therfore is hee glad to flye to the practise of late churches late writers but the conclusion which he draweth from them is most weake for admit that in Geneua in France Flaunders and other churches they haue not bishops of such quality in all respects as wee haue no more haue other churches such Elders as they of Geneua haue it is sufficient that we haue such bishops as in time past they had at Ierusalem Constantinople Alexandria Antioch Carthage Seuil throughout the world before that the cornercreeping Aldermē crept out of the slime of fond mens inuention that the bishops in reformed churches of Almayne haue episcopal authoritie ouer other ministers in ordination of ministers correction of maners so that they are to be blamed that digresse from all antiquitie yea and later churches not we that agree with al former times and the Almayns for both they the Danes albeit some of them mislike the names and most of them haue taken away the liuings of bishops yet reteine still their authoritie and office in their superintendents generall superintendēts and had done better if also they had reteined the liuings rewards of learning stipends of ministers wherefore let the libeller cease to obiect vnto vs the Heluetian and Dutch and Danish churches for they differ farther from the Geneuians then from vs and the petitioner himselfe 1 Pag. 10. confesseth that they haue authoritie though not so much Of late writers I know none of name that hath condemned our bishops euen the chiefe authors of this innouatiō Caluin and Beza as may appeare by their letters which are to be shewen speake euery where honourably of them Zanchus greatly extolleth that order onely Beza as some say hath written a foolish 2 Entituled The iudgement of a learned man beyond the sea pelting discourse wherein he would proue our bishops to proceed of men as if himselfe were a bishoppe of God and Daneau in that poynt consenteth with him taking himselfe also to be a bishoppe of God and yet the Geneuians when through weakenesse of body sicknesse and age hee coulde not execute the ministerie shut this bishop of God from his liuing and forced him through want to depart out of their Citie Bullinger and Gualter and diuerse learned men of Suitzerland and Germanie haue by letters and writings allowed our bishops yea 1 Histori confess August Melancthon Camerarius Sturmius wished to God they had such in their Countreys neyther did any of these that are named by the libeller euer speake against other then papisticall bishops let the worlde then iudge what honestie or shame was in this companion that alledgeth Luther Melancthon Bucer Caluin Beza Bullinger Zanchus Erastus Gualter and Mounster against our bishops whereof some neuer spake of them others neuer spake of them but with reuerence and none against them and 2 In diuers of his letters to be shewed Beza complaineth of some that drewe his wordes vttered against popish bishops against our bishops If therefore the libeller do not bring forth some other places then these hee hath quoted there is no cause but that euery man shoulde take him for a forger of false writings and an abuser of his reader But suppose Beza or Daneau or some other of that sort shoulde write their pleasures in priuate letters or in their imperious paltrie pamphlets who would not be ashamed to oppose these two or all their headie followers to Ignatius Dionysius Chrysostome Augustine Ambrose Hierome and all antiquitie yea to most writers of late times And if these men that patronise the consistorie which cannot stand with bishops for in deede there is no agreement in gouernement betwixt the rusticall fauni and the muses betweene learned men and men of occupation betweene clownes and schollers if these I say doe not speake against bishops wee may not thinke that bishop Iewell orbishop Elmar or bishop Bollingham or others that haue written in defence of the state haue vttered any thing that soundeth to their disgrace 1 In his Apologie Bishop Iewell expressely defendeth the degree of bishops aboue priestes and good reason for it is the publike doctrine of this Church and those that goe against it make this Church to reuoke a part of their publike confession and doe more harme by their secret trechery then euer did Harding by his open enmitie neyther can there be a greater scandale or dishonour offred to religion or the state then that we should now alter the publike confession of faith made by our Church Iewell saith that the office of prince and bishop is distinct and no man denieth it for no man by the office of bishop challengeth as doth the pope soueraigntie of both swords but if any conclude because bishops ciuil officers are distinct that a bishop shal doe no ciuil office he wil conclude that hee may not looke to his house nor do the office of a subiect nor fight for his country which is a nice point of puritanisme and little better then trechery and by the same reason should ministers be excluded both from gouernement of colledges and hospitals and al offices in the vniuersities whereto our puritanes ambitiously aspire are as great canuasers as any notwithstanding their ministerie or puritanisme Neither can master Nowels words be stretched against bishops for what if Christ would not receiue riches or dominion of the deuil may not a minister receiue a benefit of a Prince or because Christ forbade them to rule as Princes may they do no offices of good subiectes but liue like traitors or like puritanes that liue in open contēpt of lawes if then the petitioner had any conscience he would not alledge Mr. Nowel against bishops whose authority he mainteineth against Dorman and whose resolution for this present gouernement is sufficiently knowen Master Bilson distinguisheth betwixt apostolicall gouernement and princely gouernment but hee
with gaine and other vanities are polluted whose ignorance maketh them vncapable of ecclesiastical function Those elders which Ambrose speaketh of assisted the bishop with coūsell these are not counsellers but controllers gouerners with voyces equall to the bishop His elders were in cathedrall churches onely these are in euery 3 So our platformers would haue it albeit the Geneuians practise be farre diuers paltry village Those were men learned these are ignorant marchants artificers and clownes for the most part Nothing can be more repugnant thē Ambrose and the Disciplinarians Ambrose 4 Lib. 8. cp 64. sheweth that excommunication belonged to bishops these put the keyes into the hands of strange elders yet very yong in Gods church good for nothing but to oppresse the ministerie and learning such elders as Ambrose speaketh of were deriued from the Iewes but such Aldermen as these haue deuised the Iewes had none Ambrose his elders were not temporary nor all of counsell these are Ambrose complayneth that the Bishop and his Clerkes did not liue in common as in time 5 Inter Can. Syluestri past yet such was the griedinesse of bishops that it was necessary to diuide the church goods and such was the negligence of priests that they were sent out of cities to dwell in the countrey which now is obserued and that which Ambrose complayned of restored viz. that certaine of the chiefe of the ministery should be assistant to the bishop what then would these fellowes haue more would they haue all the ministers of a diocesse to liue in one citie and to ioyne in hearing of all matters This would be a beginning of singular non residence cause of great trouble cōfusion not a meanes to do iustice but to hinder iustice After Ambrose succeedeth Hierome a mā most vnfit to speak for the new eldership for if that be true which he saith that bishops elders in the primitiue church were all one then away goe the aldermen that are no bishops which reason did so sticke to Bezaes fingers 1 De presbyter aduers Erast Epist ad Heliod disputing against Erastus for the eldership that hee could no way lay it downe handsomely without the ruine of his cause Againe if in Hieroms time all Clerkes did feede with the worde much more did priests Neither doeth it make for these mens cause that he saith that as the Iewes so the Christians had a Counsell in euery cathedrall church for that is his meaning for that was of ministers and is obserued in our cathedrall churches and vtterly ouerthroweth the presumption of these vnlearned aldermen that with vnwashen feete tread in the sanctuary with filthy hands leaden heads handle matters of religiō faith churchgouernment wtout colour or title taking the keyes out of the successors of the apostles hands Possidonius 2 In vit August Socrates albeit they are said to speake of the consistorie and that plainely 3 Lib. 5. cap. 21. yet cleerely ouerthrowe the same for neither of them euer vnderstoode or heard of any temporary lay elders such as are lately raised from the dunghill to the highest tribunall of the church Nor do they speake of others then such as liued in cōmunity with the bishops in their cathedrall churches such as we haue in our church of which also the canon 4 Dist 95. c. ecce 15. q. 7. si quid law maketh mētion declaring their office to consist in preaching administring the sacraments so that I cannot but wonder with what visage that libeller could alleadge the colledges of ministers of the worde assistant to bishops in their Cathedrall churches to proue Elderships in euery village assistant to euery minister and consisting of prophane and vnlearned men and neither hauing salary nor salt of discretion nor continuance as the other had Of these allegations therefore this conclusion may bee drawen out that in counsels Fathers and antiquitie there is not any argument or coniecture found of all that Discipline which these newfangled platformers desire Nay there is not any proofe for the same in the new writers onely I except the Geneuians and their followers that haue shamefully applyed scriptures to their Disciplinarian dreames The churches of Saxony Wittenberg Nuremberg Strausborgh Ausburg Frankeforde Hamborgh and other places of Germany the county Palatine except likewise the churches of Zuricke Berne Basill other true christian churches in Zuitzerland Denmarke Sueueland Pomerany Poland and Hungary and all the learned men that gouerned those churches both in their doctrine and practise are against the discipline of the new Consistories Moreouer those that speake for the Consistories are not all of one opinion In the state of Geneua there is but one cōsistory there are not many that agree about the proofe parts office or lawes of it In Geneua they doe not allow their consistory power to make or disanull lawes In Fraunce they giue that power to synodes The consistoriall discipline in France was at first receiued of a fewe and that not for euidence of Scripture or proofe or reason but by suffrages of the Nobilitie and Gentry whereof some too well liked the sacrilegious doctrine and by the earnest labour of Beza desirous to conforme other churches to that of Geneua most of the learned ministers dissenting from him and disallowing his absurde discipline and not yeelding before the Princes to whome they serued constrayned them What reason then hath any to pleade for the consistoriall gouernment which is vnknowen to all antiquite and repugnant to Apostolicall practise and the most florishing Churches in Europe and was receiued with grudge of learned men and onely resteth vpon the conceite of Caluin Beza Daneau and some halfe score of blind writers as Iohn Baptista that ignorant Italian and Sneccan and Bertrand de Loques and Oleuian and Robert Stephen a better Printer then diuine and Perot and de Plurre and I knowe not whom neither of marke nor qualitie especially seeing so many pregnant reasons are brought against the translation of it from the Iewes and establishment of it among Christians as none haue answered and this libeller thinketh it most wisedome to passe ouer with silence If this be a good argument that Daneau Bertrand de Loques Bastingius Iunius Piscator Oleuian Caluin Beza Sneccan and Iohn Baptista d'Aureli thinke so how good will this reason be that all the fathers of all ages haue bene of a contrary iudgement and diuers godly Martyrs and learned men in our Church and other reformed Churches in Germany Zuitzerland Denmarke induced with better reasons haue thought otherwise Besides all this it shall appeare that those authors which the libeller alledgeth neuer beleeued that eyther in time past there was a consistorie of partie coluored Aldermen like to that this libeller desireth or that such a one now ought to be placed in euery Church That Zuinglius shoul de teach or beleeue that Christ did institute such Aldermen
them worthy of hate for that hauing taught that a bishop priest is all one by Gods word they now teach that all that holde so be hereticks But he doth vs wrong for charging vs to say that a bishop priest is all one by Gods word the word Episcopus presbyter in scriptures is commonly vsed for one but we speake english call those that rule bishops and others priests which distinction we find plainly in scriptures and therefore holde the teachers of equality to be Aerians confounders of gouernment to be iustly condemned not only by Epiphanius but also by Augustine yea by the consent of all the fathers that distinguish priests into 2 sorts giuing the name of bishop to those that rule and priest to the second that are ruled And therefore most sencelesse is their reason that because they haue all one name will conclude of it aequalitie of all ministers For magistrates teachers subiectes haue all one name and yet are diuided into diuers degrees In vaine therfore doth the libeller bring proofes that the words presbyter episcopus are commonly taken for one for that notwithstāding there may be difference of degrees howsoeuer they wil answere this obiection yet is it apparant that the same ouerthroweth as I said their consistorial aldermen Away thē with the new church aldermen those heretikes that mainteine them for albeit Epiphanius erred in accompting them heretikes that prayed not for the dead yet is the same no reason to shew he erred in this which not only Augustine mainteineth but all the Fathers also not only they but the foure general counsels which this land approueth so that by the lawes of Englād they are heretiks that hold the equality of ministers what shameles dealing thē was this for the libeller to alledge the Syriake interpreter or Chrysostome or Ambrose or Theodoret whē no one speaketh for equality euery one defendeth degrees in the ministers of the word but the word cashisha saith he comprehēdeth both bishop priest what thē so doth a liuing creature comprise men beasts yet are not both equal in dignity neither doth it help him that the order of priesthood cōpriseth both bishops priests for it doth not take away the dignity of some aboue others what needed then so many names of Wicleffe Marsilius of Padua Luther Bullinger Iewel Melancthon others that speake as we do or Caluin his fellowes that speaketh against al antiquity or what needed this compagnion to muster so many names either of protestant churches seeing they were not of Caluins opiniō or of papists seing we do not follow Bellarmin Stapleton or papists but antiquity that speaketh as we doe Neither doth it follow Chrysost Hierom Augustin in 4. ad Ephes that the ecclesiasticall state is to be maliced for teaching that Pastor and Doctor are all one for so hath all antiquity taught and their interpretation by all antiquitie is confirmed Neither is it material what Caluin Beza Daneau Bertrand de loques Villiers and other say to the contrarie seing they talke contrary to antiquity reason and all practise Finally their owne practise and diuers reasons stand against Doctors which neither the libeller nor his mates make any haste to answere The exposition of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 20.25 is most absurdly forced by these compagnions to make against superior degrees in the ministery for that the apostles notwitstanding Christs prohibition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were superiour to other degrees of ministers And very absurd it were if Christ should suffer tyrants to oppresse the people and forbid lawfull authoritie to the ministers by which also would fall the authoritie of the consistorie and ministers liue without controlment And therefore as long as these fellowes interprete against all scripture antiquitie and reason yea and themselues too it skilleth not what they say against superiour degrees Against which Luther Zuinglius Melancthon Caluin Bullinger and the rest are most peruersely alledged They say and so likewise Iewell Sadeel Bridges Bilson Whitakers and others say that bishops as bishops may not take vpon them the rule of kingdomes nor rule with force like Princes But who is so simple as to cōclude hereof that one minister may not rule another as these fellowes doe But suppose some of our learned men should interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise then Caluin hath done must all the clergie suffer for one mans not yeeelding to Caluins fancie Or because some denie that soueraigne princes may be excommunicate defending therein the soueraigntie of princes against the rebellious Papists and Puritans must therefore the Ecclesiasticall state bee dissolued nothing is more absurde for herein as the aduersaries deserue punishment so our men deserue speciall commendation in confuting the seditious doctrine of factious persons They also consent flatly with the Papists in denying the princes supremacy in making lawes iudging of ecclesiastical matters or appointing others to iudge them diuers other points neither can the libeller seuer their opinions from thē for first it is false that he saith that the Papists exempt their clergy in ciuill causes from the princes iurisdiction or that the consistorials do giue authoritie to the prince to deale with their consistories pastors in ecclesiasticall causes so long as they iudge they haue done well themselues for they take the dealing therein from the prince and giue power of deposition to their eldership And as the consistorials say that the prince may enforce their cōsistories making wicked decrees to make better which taking the iudgement of those matters from princes I see not how they can well do so the papists wil haue the prince not only to reforme ministers but the pope himselfe also Si Papa sit incorrigibilis Imperator potest procedere contra ipsum saith 1 Heruaeus de potest papae c. 13. Heruey papa potest accusaricoram Imperatore saith 2 Zabarel lib. de schism concil Zabarel The papists confesse that princes may make lawes with the aduise of the pope as these confesse he may with the aduise of the consistory They confesse that the prince may take order where the Pope is incorrigible as these say where their pastors are wicked and vngodly therfore the libeller doth nothing but fable where he would seuer the cōsistorials from papists but what should we looke for other at his hands seeing he is not ashamed to say that the consistorials wil subscribe to the apology of the church of England and the articles of religion authorised and published by parliament which deny the degrees of the ministery and oppugne them which are confirmed both by the apology and by articles of religion professed in this church Lastly they take exception against vs for that we teach that the best 1 All the ancient Fathers and of late writers Melancthon Luther and of others the best writers are against the eldership as if it were not proued by
came neuer in prison That which the libeller here inserteth againe of other churches whome hee would haue vs to conforme our selues vnto he would neuer haue mentioned if he had vnderstood the grounds of his owne discipline for them selues say that all 1 Discipline de l'esglise Francoise Churches be aequall and it is apparant that euery christian realme and Church is to be gouerned by her owne lawes but these bee the fellowes that would translate the Popedome to Geneua and haue vs fetch lawes from new Rome Seeing then that Iohn Vdall and his compagnions haue mainteined a lewde and fond gouernment neuer heard of in antiquitie and by wicked forgery and lyes haue gone about to disgrace the present state and the gouernours and haue rayled against her Maiestie and lawes and that the Libellers defence is most friuolous it can not bee denyed that they haue written maliciously to diffame her Maiestie And good is were they had stayed in writing but they would not be ruled for T. Cartw. Ioh. Vdall and others were acquainted but too well with Hackets conspiracy His third exception against Iohn Vdals condemnation is for that he wrote not against her Maiesties person But the same is very friuolous for the Maiestie of a prince consisteth in his power lawes gouernement and not in his particuler person or priuate qualities or behauiour Neither are the papists punished for speaking against her person but speaking against her supremacie and lawes Therefore seeing hee confesseth he wrote against her lawes and gouernement hee must also confesse that hee offended against the statute that made it felonie to write malitious diffamatory matters against her Maiesty The preamble declareth as much for that the same pretēdeth that certain persons euil affected to her Maiesty should be suppressed In which number these that would disanul her gouernment and would bring her in subiection to Hackets prophets or the prophetical consistory are especially to be reckoned it was the special meaning of the parliament that the malepartnesse both of papists puritans should be repressed as some there present in parliament do witnesse Neither is it material that penal lawes are of strict interpretation for expound it as strict as you wil. it cannot bee but those that diffame her Maiesty any way either in person or gouernment must fal within the compasse of the statute That which is brought of the statute of 13. Eliz. c. 1. and 1. 2. of Mary 3. is idle talke and concludeth nothing neither is it true that those that account her Maiesties religion lawes heretical and schismatical are without the compasse of the statute that maketh it treason to call her Maiesty schismatike heretike fond likewise it is that he talketh of stealing of horses and contrary to his purpose Seeing hee mainteineth a cōpany of asses that would encroch vpon her Maiesties gouernment steale away thé hearts of her people But saith he her Maiestie is a body politike in fiction which is vntrue for shee is in trueth a politike bodie That is hath a resemblance of a body truly But were she not a politike body at all should it be lawfull to diffame her lawes and gouernement This exception therefore is beside the lawe for be she body politike or no if her Maiestie be diffamed then is an offence committed against that statute Againe he obiecteth that if it be a diffamation of her Maiestie to speake against her ecclesiasticall lawes they should also diffame her Maiesty that speake against the eldership which is an argument like to the resolutions of the eldership that is senceles foppish for admit her Maiesty tollerate the french Church yet doth she not confirme their french lawes no more then they of Geneua confirmed the orders of the English Church at Geneua nor do other confirme cōtrary religions which for some occasions they tollerate so that to speake against the absurd gouernement of that 1 In king Edwards dayes the Churches of strangers were subiect to their superintendents in this Queenes time to the bishops of Canterbury and London against whom while vnkindly they spurne they shewe themselues vngratefull not only vnmindfull of her Maiesties benefits company that contrary to law and couenant haue exempted themselues from the bishops gouernment and erected synodes is to speake in defence of her Maiesties lawes and not against them whereas these fellowes offend in direct oppugning all her Maiesties ecclesiasticall gouernment Sixtly he inferreth because it is not treason to kill bishops or other subiects nor felonie to write or to speake against bishops gouernment that therefore her Maiestie is not diffamed when they are diffamed A reason rather to kill the libellers cause when al men see his malice and ignorance then to hurt others for no man saith her Maiestie is diffamed because libels are writtē against bishops or others but because the same libels doe touch her maiesties gouernment lawes and that not in one or two points but in the very whole body gouernement ecclesiastical of her maiestie and that in most disordered maner and that the authors therof are therefore punished for perturbing the state not for their fond opinions of discipline Neither doth the libellers friuolous talke of politike mēbers or of diffaming the Dukes of Saxony or high Almaine pertaine to this purpose The seditious bookes of the disciplinarian faction haue bene intended against her maiestie nor the Dukes of Saxony or kings of Denmarke albeit they touch them in some sort that maintaine the superiotity of bishops also He saith also that the intention of the parliament was not to protect bishops as if they meant not to maintain the lawes state But admit it be true yet it maketh neither hoat nor colde to this purpose for these seditious fellowes are not condēned for speaking against bishops but for that arguing against them and the ecclesiastical state they proceede in such violent sort that they neither spare her maiesties honor nor her gouernment in ecclesiastical causes that the meaning of the parliament was to represse the malice of puritanes is most certaine for it was expresly mentioned at the time of making the act by diuers of the house and therefore iustly are they to be punished by that statute Further he taketh exception to certain canōs in vse as he supposeth as that womē may not sue their husbands for adultery c. that spiritual kinred hindreth mariage others concerning excōmunication fasting therefore concludeth that if it be lawful for some to find faults with thē yet do not diffame her maiestie that I. Vd. diffamed not her maiestie but both his reason is naught his iudgemēt in law simple for albeit men are not accoūted diffamers of her maiesty that reprehēd some law with modestie yet can no man cal her maiesties gouernmēt antichristian nor raile against her lawes gouernment as idolatrous superstitious without diffamation of her maiestie Nor is the sufferance of
which is sayde of a hundred thousande handes hee answereth that it is meant of a subscription to a supplication which if it were graunted yet woulde the same bee very strange if not rebellious for what is such a supplication but a coniuration or at least 1 Armatae preces armed prayers But saith hee Martin doeth not there exhort to rebellion neyther doe wee charge him with it but wee say that hee speaketh seditiously and that he insinuateth that puritans if they should not haue their supplication graunted would either haue gone away discontent or taken part with the enemie and that the packe of puritans entend rebellion for that appeareth First by confession of Martin that insinuateth they had many ready to maintayne that cause and next by those vagrant rogues that came downe into all shires with billes crauing subscription which is nothing but the beginning of a coniuration for neuer did so many ioyne but in rebellion nor can such a nomber confederate themselues without danger to the state And if the Prince were not exceeding clement she would teache them the payne of subscriptions and confederation for to obteyne alteration of State especially when Martin threatneth that so many would strike a great stroke which is very true for so many and lesse too being well armed and gouerned are able to fight with any prince in the worlde Neyther will it serue that hee sayeth that the speach is Tropologicall for it is rather Diabolicall and trayterous The wordes of 2 Vindiciae con tyrannos Iunius Brutus that for the eldership sayth it is lawfull to mooue stirres are disclaymed by the Libeller but litle knoweth he who is the authour of that booke for it was made eyther by Beza or Hotoman and conteyneth nothing but consistoriall doctrine Neyther doe I thinke that he will disclayme T. C. that meaneth to fight so stoutly that if euery hayre of his head were a life hee woulde afforde them all in defence of his platforme Nor of Goodman Gilby Whittingham and the Geneuians without whome this cause cannot stand Therefore if the Libeller renounce rebellion and the doctrine of it he must also renounce the nource of rebellion the Consistorie and all his deare darlinges vpon whose bare names as it were vpon emptie barrels hee buyldeth his consistoriall barriquades and bulwarkes Where they threaten troubles if they may not haue the discipline the Libeller answereth that thereby they meane scholasticall troubles while both partes write concerning discipline but that cannot be the meaning of the author for he meant troubles that would ensue and not which already were But the contention about discipline in writing before that time was at the hottest Neither is there any other sence to bee drawen out of the wordes but that great and bloody stirres would be about discipline if the same might not otherwise be obteined finally it is the common proceeding of the consistorie that without wracke and force did neuer enter either at Geneua or in France or Scotland Whereunto Th. C. in the conuenticle or synode in Warwickeshire as is supposed layde a good foundation for there the discipline was set downe there subscription and promise was made that all ministers should aduance it by all their power No doubt they meant as well force as fayre meanes for therein they haue neuer bene scrupulous Hee answereth also in defence of the Scottish ministers but he sayth nothing of the Roade of Ruthuen and Sterlinge and concealeth most dangerous matters wandring from the purpose in a generalitie of wordes Hee did not remember that 1 A noble precedent of consistoriall excommunication Galloway at Saint Iohnston cursed both the men that should take part with the King and their horses and speares and how Iames Gibson vsed the King very homely and how Iohn Cooper refused to obey the King And howe Andrewe Meluin vsed very tart speeches towarde him and yet obstinately refused to acknowledge him selfe bounde to answere his contempt these matters the petitioner eyther vnderstoode not or would not call to remembrance hee also seemeth to bee ignorant how vpon such like insolent behauiour the King tendring certaine articles to the Scottish Preachers as first that they should yeelde their obedience to the King secondly that they should not pretende Priuiledge thirdly that they should not meddle in matters of State fourthly that they should not publikely reuile his Maiestie that they neuer yeelded to subscribe A notorious argument of singuler insolencie in them if it bee as is reported and simplicitie in the petitioner that going about to cleare his cause giueth occasion of further matter against it Where wee alleadge that Brutus Iunius a Consistoriall writer or to speake more playnely Hotoman or Beza sayth that the people of themselues may set vp Gods seruice and abrogate superstition and that it is lawfull for the people by force of armes to resist the Prince if he hinder the buylding of the Church which these men take specially to consist in the eldership And where also wee set downe many trayterous speeches out of Goodman Gilby Martin T.C. and others the Libeller answereth first that these authors wrote against tyrants and enemies of religion as if the pretence of religon were sufficient to arme the subiects to depose the prince wherein is declared that these men accompting those that stop the eldership enemies of religiō hold that such princes as hinder the eldership may be deposed also which is an answere euill beseeming a man professing allegiance to her Maiestie and pretending to bee of the best sort of subiects Secondly hee saith that the same speeches are alledged by the Papistes to condemne our doctrine but that answere maketh much against the Puritans and not vs for wee condemne both that practise and that doctrine and those that haue giuen such a scandale to the Church They embrace it and therefore are condemned as perturbers of the State And albeit nowe they alter their hint and teache obedience changing faith with time yet that was their opinion once and I doubt not will bee as oft as time serueth Thirdly hee answereth that the doctrine of the consistorie dependeth not on two or three which we doe not affirme in this cause for we say that these opinions are generally imbraced of that faction and of the chiefest of them and that the same is so ioyned with the consistory that without the same it can not be mainteined for if the prince bee chiefe gouernour of the church the consistorie hath no place and if the consistory haue place away goeth the princes authoritie in ecclesiasticall causes Lastly he giueth out that our English bishops as well as the consistoriall faction haue rebelled against princes which answere first is not concludent for the offence of one is no protection for others secondly it is false The petitioner ought to haue shewed who these rebels be and where their rebellion is defended by bishops such as now we haue If he cannot shew them
know not if they doe I defend them not But sure I am that no officers take lesse To let others passe I know certaine Pettifoggers and Scribes like the forgers of these articles that by taking are growen to wealth and a Scribe that for signing and sealing a letter hath had not three pence but three pounds and a good gelding for expedition neither is any thing more vsuall then the bribery extortion and coosinage of these companions that are most busie in watching and accusing of others Let them therefore take heede that they may be able to cleare themselues and for ecclesiasticall officers that haue taken more then ordinarie spare them not In this taking worlde it were good that takers of all sortes were looked vnto Article 4 No forreyn constitutions c. haue any force in our state 25. H. 8. cap. 19. yet the Bishops in their consistories practise Romish and Imperiall constitutions Answere In these few words many great faults are cōmitted first he iumbleth Romish Imperiall constitutions together as if the same were both one or as if the law of the Pandects were called Constitutiōs secondly he calleth her Maiesties lawes forrein lawes making this realme crowne to depend vpō forrein power which is derogatorie to her Highnesse auctoritie and contrary to practise of Lawe For whencesoeuer any lawe is deriued yet is it the lawe of that countrey where it is practised The lawes of the Romanes for the most part were borrowed of the Athenians and Spartans yet were it absurde to call the lawes of the twelue tables the Lawes of the Greekes Thirdly ignorantly he supposeth that the statute condemneth forreyn lawes yet doeth it not speake of any forreyn lawes but onely of the ecclesiasticall lawes of Englande the equitie whereof is so apparant that if twelue Consistories and so many Scribes and Proctors should all ioyne their heads together yet could they not deuise any one lawe so equall as the worst of these that are in vse and those that haue gone about to make other Lawes and correct the olde haue committed such errours as their friendes may bee greatly ashamed in their behalfe The Ordinances of Geneua and articles of French discipline and that pelfe that ours call Holy Discipline shall testifie this to bee true as by particulers I will shewe when neede is Lastly they charge the Bishops for putting in vre forreyn Constitutions and yet cannot name one 1 In their meetings at Warwike Cambridge Oxford especially when the new discipline was vpon forging But if the Bishops offende that execute her Maiesties Lawes howe will this Accuser answere for his Clyents that haue in secrete conuenticles enacted and also practised Canons and Lawes directly contrary to her Maiesties Lawes and Prerogatiue and therefore are to suffer imprisonment and pay fine at her Maiesties pleasure by the same statute they alledge against vs. Article 5 Such Canons and Constitutions onely as bee not repugnant to the Lawes Statutes and Customes of this Realme ought to be put in practise 25. H. 8. c. 19. But the bishops giue sentence in infinite matters which would be otherwise ruled by the Common Lawes Answere If the Bishops or other Ecclesiasticall officers should deale either contrary to Lawe or without warrant of Lawe they coulde not escape punishment hauing so many spitefull eyes to watch ouer them neyther if they should attemptit would the reuerend Iudges which are to grant prohibitions in that case permit it If they doe against the lawes of the Realme why are not the lawes named and men charged and the fact noted This silence of the babling accuser is their sufficient discharge and his vaine discourse voyd of reasons a condemnation of his babbling Article 6 The Bishops haue reckoned such men as haue bene ordeyned ministers in reformed Churches to be lay men Answere All haue not so reckoned them yet if they had they had not done it without cause for they thēselues say the bond is only mutual betwixt the minister that particular congregation whereof he is made minister and that one congregation cannot appoint ministers for another and our lawes allow none but made after our orders Why then do not new made ministers packe away to their makers Why doe they run away from their congregations like recreant souldiours from their stations Here they haue no calling Both popish priests and they alike may wel be accounted with vs to haue no calling being both by their owne doctrine and by the statute of 13. Eliz. c. 12. debarred from the ministerie and for their hatred to the Church most vnworthy of any ecclesiasticall function or to liue in the Church which with all their might and malice they haue oppugned Article 7 The law requireth a subscription to articles of religion onely that concerne the confession of true faith and doctrine of sacraments 13. Eliz. c. 12. The bishops vrge a subscription to the bookes of homilies and diuers ceremonial and transitory matters neyther concerning faith nor sacraments Answere The statute requireth subscriptiō to the booke of articles and euery article therein conteined among therest to the doctrine cōcerning our ecclesiastical regiment Homilies that is cleare by the words of the statute that mētioneth the booke and al the articles therin conteined and by interpretation of the most learned lawyers And if it were not so thē would it followe that a great part of that booke which the parliamēt meant to confirme is voyde which were to euert lawes by cauils as these doe not to interpret lawe Neither doth it helpe the platformers that the title of the booke is Articles concerning faith and sacraments For things are denominated of the greatest part and in our account matters of gouernment are directed by the word of God which is the ground of faith Neither woulde it bee taken if any papist should take exception to any article in that booke and not subscribe for that it apperteyneth not to faith nor sacraments Besides the allowance of lawes and statutes the Bishops for this subscription that is required vnto three articles haue sufficient warrant In vaine therefore woulde the articulators oppugne lawes by law and disloyally doe they spurne at her Maiesties authoritie yea in cases wherein they cannot take any iust exceptions bluntly subscribing to al the fond discipline of Geneua to the which wee can take so many sufficient exceptions But if it be such a fault to make men subscribe to lawes whereunto euery man is supposed to yeeld his consent in parliament and whereto euery one ought to obey what punishment doth T.C. and his bold companions deserue that subscribed to canons constitutions made in a corner directly ouerthrowing her Maiesties supremacy ecclesiastical lawes a great part of the lawes of the realm if they were receiued And if subscription bee so heynous a matter why is it required at Geneua in France to most simple orders not for gouernement but for the vtter debasing impouerishing and
ouerthrowe of the ministery as too late now the ministers thēselues there begin to feele why should it I say be more lawful there then with vs Article 8 If the bishops publish any Canons or orders to be practised without the royall assent of her Maeistie they should bee fined and imprisoned 25. H. 8. c. 19 yet notwithstanding this statute they publish subscriptions in their prouinces and articles in their Diocesses without any assent of her Highnesse Answere The end of this article is to haue the bishops imprisoned and fined according to the rules of puritane charitie But the meanes and proofes whereby the articulators endeuour to effect it are all too weake For they can neither prooue that they haue published Canons constitutions and prouinciall ordinances without the princes assent nor that they haue done any thing therein against lawe nay albeit in their subscriptions they require nothing but obedience to lawe yet did they not require them without speciall warrant But saith the accuser they publish new subscriptions articles Goodly stuffe As if either subscriptions or articles were canons or constitutions or ordinances or els such as minister priuate articles about matters in ciuill courts could be said to make new lawes It appeareth the man is but a nouice in law that knewe not what is law That he erre not let him vnderstand that the ordinances of discipline made by T.C. and his fellowes were made contrary to this statute And therefore if they desire Iustice to be done let the lawe be executed vpon offenders and let innocents be no more wronged Article 9 Ecclesiasticall officers extort from schoolemasters sometime 7. s. sometime more and make them subscribe both contrary to lawe Answere If they take 7. s. for a licence it is not much I know a petifogger yea a Scriuano that for writing a licence hath taken 7. li. let them therefore both bee punished together according to the seueral qualities of their offence and let all takers and extortioners answere for their extortions I defend them not I excuse them not I fauour them not As for subscriptiō of schoolemasters how can it be misliked seeing it is only for confirmation of law exacted of them least they should instill discontētment schismatical heretical opinions into their schollers minds Done at Geneua Ordon de l'esehole de Geneua as but too many factious and puritane schoolemasters haue done to the great preiudice of this Church and state the more haue they to answere for that haue suffered them and more care ought men to haue that such nurseries of rebellion bee not suffered But what reason hath this pettifogger or the scriuano his suggestor to condemne subscriptions seeing both of them win more by scribling and subscribing then any ecclesiasticall person I know in England Article 10 By the great charter none may bee imprisoned but by the lawfull iudgement of his Peeres or by the law of the land Answere By the lawes of the great charter the priuiledges of the church state ecclesiastical are with most pregnant termes confirmed and yet this faction without regarde either of charters or lawes or honor of the prince that is sworne to maintaine them or of the reputation of the realme that standeth most in maintenance of Gods church religion goeth about to ouerthrow both the ecclesiasticall state and all the customes rights priuiledges of the church if then he think it not lawful to infringe the lawes of Magna Charta what presumption is this that he his companions directly oppugne them on the contrary side he cannot charge any iustly with the breach of lawes let him if he can name any that hath imprisoned any contrary to the lawes of Magnacharta if he cannot why doth he speake of imprisonment to no purpose If he affirme any such matter of bishops he doth them wrong For they imprison none by authority Episcopal If he speake against the high Commissioners in causes ecclesiastical he is to vnderstand that diuers of them being of the most honorable persons and Iudges in the land they will not doe any thing against law Nor doe they commit any but contumacious offenders whom no lawe may spare That they punish men for not swearing vainely is a vaine lye To say that an othe offered by a magistrate is vaine is both disloyaltie and Anabaptistrie But all this rigour is clemencie in respect of the consistoriall proceedings For there men are censured by opinion and ministers disgraced vpon suspicion and Caluine put a syndicke and diuers chiefe men of Geneua to their oathe to answere whether they had bene daunsing at widow Baltazars house and after that remooued diuers of them from their places he that liketh these orders must needes commend ours Article 11 By the common lawe a man shall not be examined vpon his othe in matters that sound to his reproch Crompton 182. Answere Cromptons worde is no measure of lawe The contrarie hereof is lawe by the opinion of the most learned Iudges in England It is the practise of the court of Chancerie in the court of the coūcel of the marches principalitie of Wales in the court of Starrechamber whereas the parties are examined vpon their othes vpon periuries forgeries and many other misdemeanors Suppose it be at the instance of parties which notwithstanding is not alwayes yet it appeareth that othes to discouer things reprochfull to a mans selfe bee lawfull and very common and most necessarie And a simple lawyer was he that vnderstood not so much Likewise in other courtes of recorde at Westminster the iudges by corporall othe examine any person whome they haue cause to suspect to haue dealt lewdly about any writte returne entrie of rule such like matters By the statute of inquisitiō 1 Stat. de Exon de Inquisit super Coronat vpon Coroners the enquirors shall make the Bailiffes sweare that they shall conceale nothing no though it be penall to them Masters of shippes are to bee put to answere on their othes vpon the statute of money 9. Edw. 3. c. 9. Whether they haue committed any fraude So likewise they that are charged vpon the statute 2 8. Edw. 4. c. 2. of liueries must answere the bill vpon their othe though the matter be penall The same is apparant by the statute of wines 24. H. 8. c. 2. of banckrupts 34. H. 8. c. 4. by the statute of supremacie by the statute of Fugitiues 13. Eliz. c. 3. In appeales at the Common lawe the defendant before battell is driuen to 3 Stanf. Pleas of the crowne lib. 3. c. 14. sweare A Iuror departing from his companie was examined on his othe whether he had talked with the defendant yet if he had confessed it the same had bene penall M. 34. Edw. 3. fol. 3. In an action of formedon couin being found by othe in the defendant hee was punished by the Iudges discretion T. 7. H. 4. fol. 19. The othe of supremacie may be giuen
barking curres as this which without reason baull at lawes and antiquitie and if they had might would bite also Article 36 There be many Churches in England that haue scarce had 12. sermons in 12. yeeres Answere The cause why in some places there are so fewe sermons preached is for that the liuing is appropried and that such as haue it haue no care of mens soules let the articulator therefore article against them and not impute their faultes to the cleargie that cannot doe withall if among the cleargie hee knoweth any that doe not their duetie or that preach not their sermons why doth he not name them that order may be taken that sermons may be had according to lawe If he can name none why doth he mention many And if there be any default herein why doth hee deface the state and not rather blame those greedie persons that by taking away the liuings of Churches are cause of this disorder Wherefore to answere him let him this vnderstand that there are mo learned Preachers and Sermons preached in England proportion for proportion then eyther in Fraunce or Scotland howsoeuer the same seeme to him to be refourmed Article 37 Erasmus paraphrasis should be had in all Churches Answere Accuse them that haue it not There is none more guilty then the brother-hoode of Puritans that condemne all good learning and care for none other bookes then the Geneua Bible Caluins institutions and Bezaes Comments excepting alwayes Caluins Commentaries on Iob and Martyrs common places in English Nor haue other cause to like of Erasmus paraphrasis but that now all their exercises bee nothing but light and fantasticall paraphrases except alwayes some heauie and malicious inuectiues Article 38 Ecclesiasticall persons shoulde not play at unlawfull games as Cardes Dice c. but they offende more then any other that pretend conformitie Answere I tolde you that this Reuellors purpose was rather to rayle then amend any matter Why doth he not name these gamesters and vnlawfull games and proue that such games as are vsed are vnlawfull nay when he hath proued what hee can I doe thinke that honest recreations that some ministers vse are more commendable then the sabothes exercises of most puritans Article 39 Non residents should distribute the 40. part of their liuing to the poore of the parish which they doe not Likewise they should mayntayne schollers Answere I knowe none more hard-hearted then the Puritans nor more bountifull then the Clergie to the poore As for Pettifoggers and Scribes they do skinne the poore and helpe them not Nothing therefore could bee more vnseasonable then this accusation For albeit the Ministerie by the spoyles of Patrons and griedie Gulles and wicked vexations of Puritans are almost now the poorest of the parish yet are they not sparing to giue euery man according to his facultie And as for some bishops it shal be prooued that they are as ready to maintayne and preferre learned schollers as the Puritans to impouerish them and spoyle them the rest let them answere for themselues Blush therefore you sacrilegious Church-robbing Puritans the ruinors of all churches and shame to talke of liberalitie and maynetenance of schollers For by your barking and by your spoyles and by your crying out against the reward of learning and by that pouertie and contempt you haue brought the ministerie into you haue almost ouerthrowen the ministery in Scotland religion in France would ouerthrow both in England And what should we els looke for at their hands seeing in racking of Rents exteremitie of dealing vsurie and vnlawfull practises of gaine and Turkish and inhumane crueltie diuers of these zelatours of puritanisme passe both Turkes and Heathen Article 40 The Queenes Iniunctions are not read quarterly as they should be Answere They are read as oft as neede is and if any negligence bee committed it is by the Puritans that bring all lawes into contempt sure they are contemned more by them then any for they openly impugne them not onely neglect them But admit they should be read very often yet would not the Puritans heare them nor obey them For they neyther respect her Maiestie nor her lawes but in despite of both seeke to establish a new gouernment and newe Iniunctions for which if they doe not shortly reforme themselues there will bee such penance inioyned them that they will better remember Iniunctions all their life long Article 41 Holy-dayes should bee spent in godly exercises Bishops bestowe them prophanely in playing at Bowles hearing Comedies and Tragedies Answere Very vnlikely it is that such fellowes as this should teach Bishops how to bestowe their time seeing there is none bestoweth these dayes worse then the hypocriticall secte of Puritans that in slaundering factious declayming against lawes and gouernours in chambring and chambring exercises yea and in worse matters doe bestowe their time in corners doing things which you may conceiue I may not vtter and therefore these are prophane and wicked hypocrites As for honest exercises why may they not be vsed vpon holy dayes so it be not in times of seruing God Wherefore vnlesse the Libeller can shew both better law and reason against bowles and other exercises well vsed and shewe cause why Tragedies may not be heard his accusation will rather seeme to proceede from malice then other cause and hee will bee taken for a prophane sencelesse hypocrite that is offended with bowling and exercises of learning and yet thinketh it lawfull to make an occupation of lying slaundering and defacing of good men and alloweth the secrete and parlour conferences of his fellowe Puritans and many other bad practises whereof some are comicall others tragicall and most of their discipline fabulous or a comicall fable Article 42 The Bishops be not without superstitious paintings in their chambers and diuers Churches haue them not abolished Article 22 To condemne the historicall and ciuill vse of painting is vnciuill and sauoureth of Turcisme Other vses of painting bishops haue none neyther is there now any superstitious vse of payntings in church wyndowes but those that are if they displease the Libeller he may haue downe at pleasure when hee will set newe glasse in their place The paintings that doe more harme are in apparell ruffes yea womens faces and their furniture wherein I would the Puritans did not commit both Idolatrie and other follie Wherefore seeing he is in the way as hee pretendeth of Reformation let these abuses of pricking pride painting be remoued also let him take heede that superstitiously he doe not make an idole of his discipline that both out of church and common wealth is to be abolished Article 43 The wiues of Ministers and Deacons should bee allowed by the Ordinary and two Iustices of peace But many forward Chapleyns regarde not this Answere In disdaine this scorneful wretch calleth learned Ministers Chapleins sparing neyther his aduersaries nor friends the Puritans that are for the most part trencher Chapleins nor others But what such lewde
Egerton seeme to haue had intelligence with Copinger one of Hackets prophets as for Wigginton it is apparant that he was a chiefe slirrer in that action 21 Being cōuented for diuers misdemeanors they refuse the ordinarie trials of lawe 22 In the Vniuersities by bringing in the studie of Ramus writinges a man ignorant in Logicke and artes and fantasticall in all actions they haue almost ouerthrowen all good learning by studying of naked comments all sound diuinitie 23 In liuing lewdly themselues Rescij in ministromach Sanderus de schismate Rosseus and by infamous libels disgracing the Ministerie they haue giuen aduantage to the enemie and brought religion into contempt 24 They are but made instruments by some persons to worke the spoile of the Church whereof they are like to haue small part 25 In all places where this discipline is setled they haue ouerthrowen the authoritie of the Magistrate the state of the Church and vniuersities 26 Nay by diuers strange positions they goe about to bring in diuers heresies 27 They haue in their lewde 1 In their new Communion booke paraphrase vpon the Creede taken out two Articles out of the Creede viz. that of Christes buriall and of his descending into hell and haue added a new Article of their discipline 28 They affirme that hatred as it is an attribute in God 2 Fenner Theolog lib. 1. is the essence of God and teach very badly of the essence and persons 29 Penrie holdeth that Christ Iesus is the worde preached 30 They doe generally beleeue that the worde read is but a dead letter and no ordinarie meanes to engender faith which is the opinion of the 3 Bozius in libr. de signis ecclesiae papistes 31 Martin doeth scoffe at the holy virgine Saint Mary and Saint Peter and calleth them Sir Peter and Sir Mary in scorne and maketh a scoffe both at gouernement and religion 32 In leauing the studie of fathers and ancient writers and schoole learning all the puritans are become verbal diuines without soundmatter 33 To prooue their deuises they haue offered great violence to the holy scriptures expounding them contrary both to ancient fathers and histories and common reason as namely their common places alledged out of the 18. of Matthew 1. Timothie 5. Romains 12.1 Corinthians 12. Ephesians 4. vpon the false interpretation of nine or ten places all their deuises doe stand 34 Themselues doe not agree either in the exposition of these places or in their rules concerning the presbyterie 35 Some interprete the wordes If thy brother offend against thee of priuate offences others of publike offences others of both 36 The Elders that are mentioned in the 14 of the Actes some expound Ministers of the word others churchaldermen 37 The wordes Dic Ecclesiae some expound of the Consistorie others of the Synode others of the conferences 38 Themselues confesse that they are not resolued in many pointes I haue set downe otherwhere infinite matters which they can neuer resolue 39 Themselues doe many wayes contrary to their discipline they condemne the reading of Apocrypha in the Church yet doe they allowe verball sermons wherein often times fall out strange doctrines and many vncharitable discourses which no man is so sencelesse I thinke as to preferre before the Apocryphall scriptures that are read in the Church They interprete Caluins Catechisme and other such like bookes which they cannot shewe to be canonicall 40 They teach that he that beareth not the Church is to be accounted a heathen and publican yet doe they not so accept him when the Synode iudgeth contrarie to the Consistorie 41 They say that euery Church hath equall right yet the parishes about Geneua haue no Consistories nor doctors nor execution of discipline but depend vpon them of the citie of Geneua 42 They say no man may enter the ministerie without lawfull calling yet haue Th. C. and Wat. Tr. and diuers of this sort here taken vpon them the ministerie without lawfull calling and intruded into others charges to the great disturbance of Gods Church 43 In Bishops and other ministers of this Church they condemne the mingling of matters ciuill and ecclesiasticall and account the same vnlawful yet doe none meddle with matters of state more then this faction yea diuers of them doe deale in base trades 44 Here they condemne ciuil honours in ecclesiastical persons yet is Beza one of the chiefe men both for reuenues and honor in the kingdome of Geneua and our puritanes receiue his letters like Apolloes Oracles 45 At Geneua and in all this newe gouernement lay men intrude into church gouernment and are made aldermen and Deacons 46 They condemne the authoritie of Bishops here yet doe they giue their consistories twise so large authoritie for here Bishops can doe nothing but according to lawe there as oft as it shall please the Consistorie without lawe or colour they may turne out all their Ministers and pastors to seeke pasture other where 47 Here they teach that Doctors and pastors are distinct officers yet at Geneua Beza is both pastor and doctor and others haue susteined both offices 48 All of them doe holde Fruitefull sermon that widowes and deacons are members of Christes bodie as they sticke not to auowe and yet in no churches haue they widowes nor ecclesiasticall deacons but onely certeine counterfet almesgatherers that are good for nothing but to stand with a boxe at the Church doore wherein the liuing and hope of many poore pastors in diuers places consisteth 49 In the disciplinarian kingdome the Ministers commonly liue in extreme contempt and pouertie so that fewe of worth take on them the calling which if order be not taken will be the ruine of religion 50 By the ordinances of Geneua onely the Ministers life in their visitations is looked vnto and no article set downe for enquirie of others conuersation so that it appeareth that this discipline is nothing but a deuise for the abasing and ouerthrowe and treading under feete of the Ministerie of the Gospell 51 There is no meanes giuen to the ministers to mainteine themselues much lesse their wiues and children awake therefore you my masters of the Church your enemies seeke your ruine 52 All matters wherein is breach of charitie the Consistories do take vpon them to order and to moderate rigorous dealing in lawe this toucheth your freehold my masters that studie the cōmon lawes 53 They take on them to moderate likewise all rigorous dealing in priuate contractes which concerneth all marchants and men of trade verie neerely 54 They take vpon them to apoint what rewardes shall be giuen to learning and how long they shall enioy them and yet you my masters of the Vniuersitie doe fauour these conceites which are the ruine of your selues and your succession 55 They giue the managing of Church goods into the hands of men of occupation and make the Ministers to depend on their deuotion a matter not to encourage but to discourage
for such men when Luna is praedominant in their heades 18 Quaere whether it be a matter tolerable and beseeming wise gouerners that clownes and men of occupatiō should determine matters of religion or that ideots should iudge of lawe and gouerne all matters ecclesiasticall and by what rule of diuinitie it may be surmised that an ignorant man being chosen an Elder shoulde sodenly be endued with new graces and as Th. Cartw. the great disciplinarian patriarke faith become a new man as if he were new perboyled in Peleus his tubbe 19 When the Consistorie consisteth of 13 good men and true whereof sixe looke one way and seuen another Quaere why the odde voyce should make the sentence of seuen to be the determination of the Church and whether this be not an odde discipline where one odde man maketh a determination to be called the Churches determination 20 Quaere by what lawe Doctors Pastors and Deacons make one corporation seeing in no place of scripture they are mentioned together nor by any authoritie or commission are linked together 21 Quaere by what authoritie the Ministers of forreine churches take on them to prescribe formes of discipline and new lawes vnto our Church seeing they teach that all churches haue equall power and whether this be not a foundation to a new popedome 22 Quaere whether all the errours of Barrowisme doe not folowe and may be concluded of Th. Cartw. Wat. Tr. and Dud. Fenners positions and whether this sort of men is fit to deale with those sectaries and ought not rather to be driuen to make a publike recantation of their foule opinions 23 Quaere in case a musterd seller or chandeller should be chosen a churchalderman and thought worthie to iudge of the highest matters of religion who should all that while furnish the common wealth with musterd and candels and whether that their sentences would not sauour ranke of musterd and tallowe and how many candlesellers or men of occupation they finde to haue bene present in Synodes of olde time at the debating of pointes of religion 24 Quaere whether the disciplinarians doe not flatly deny the principall pointes of her Maiesties supremacie and take from her power to ordeine rites and orders for the church to nominate Bishops to appoint Ecclesiasticall commissioners and to delegate learned men to heare the last appeale from the Ecclesiasticall courtes to call Synodes and other authoritie giuen to the prince by the lawes of England and endeuour to bring in forreine lawes and iurisdiction repugnant to the statutes of supremacie and her maiesties prerogatiue and the lawes and liberties both of the Church and all her maiesties subiectes 25 Quaere if the establishment of the consistoriall discipline in the Church of England would not ouerthrowe infinite statutes most of the Common lawes diuers courtes of Iustice the two Vniuersities and innes of court and finallie the whole state and whether the Vniuersities in places where this discipline is entred be not decayed and the state shaken notwithstanding that the power thereof by diuers lawes contrarie to the rules of discipline is abridged 26 Quaere how many sound diuines or learned men there are that haue bene bredde in the places where this discipline is receiued and whether they haue not parted the Church goods among themselues where they were masters as the soldiors parted Christes coate giuing some little portion backe againe of the whole least they should liue all together without religion 27 Quaere whether it be likelie for the vaine hope of a hundred poundes pention depending on the vncerteine pleasures of marchants men of occupation and husbandmen that yong men of towardnes will giue themselues to the studie of diuinitie and what braue youthes are made ministers within the disciplinarians iurisdiction 28 Quaere how the spoyles of the Church which these men haue made in all places where they rule are bestowed and what portion thereof is come to the maintenance of learned men or learning 29 Quaere what commodities her maiestie doth receiue now by renthes subsidies first fruites patronages lapses custodies of bishops temporalities and how much the same amounteth vnto likewise what seruices she hath now by the Ecclesiasticall state and their followers and whether shee should not loose both great reuenues and make many faithfull seruitors vnable to serue her if this inkepot discipline shoulde come in place and if any man say that the same should be bestowed vpon noblemen and knightes and gentlemen that should succeede in the place of others let inquire be made whether some puritane dame doe not spend in apparell more then the reuenues of diuers cathedral churches and whether it would fall out that the reuenues of the Church would bee wasted vainely which now mainetaine manie able men to doe the prince seruice 30 Quaere whether in all places where the factious disciplinarians haue set foote in this Church they haue not set the people against their pastors and deuided the people among themselues and hardened mens heartes and made them without naturall affection and lifted vp their followers in pride and vanitie and made the people farre worse then before and sought nothing but their owne profite and aduancement 31 Quaere whether it be not a dangerous point to this Church and state that we are so much vrged by some to imitate the course helde for reformation by them of Geneua and Scotland heretofore considering the dangerousnes of their plattes and the effectes that followed vpon them and the vnsounde diuinitie whereupon they are grounded 32 Quaere by what point of discipline they of Geneua expulsed their Bishop and liege Lorde and right Countie of Geneua and what reuenues of the Church they seased into their handes and what portion they allowed backe againe to the poore ministerie and whether it bee not capitall in that state to speake for the estate of Bishops which pointes cleared it will appeare what reason they had first at Geneua to inueigh and declaime against the state of Bishops Quaere whether the peremptorie dealings of the ministers of Geneua and some others adhearing vnto them and the greedie sacrilege of their abbettors and followers and the vtter subuersion of the ecclesiasticall state which this antischolasticall and fantasticall discipline doeth euery where worke haue not greatly hindered the reformation of religion in France and other places and is not still likely to hinder the same vnlesse the same be newly recocted and reformed 34 Quaere whether the disciplinarians doe not deliuer doctrine as dangerous to princes as Rosse Sanders Allen and other papistes namely concerning excommunication deposing and murdering of princes that withstand the religion and reformation which eache of them respectiuely desireth 35 Quaere whether 1 History of the Church of Scotland pag. 213. Knoxe saide truely of Caluin and certeine other Ministers then residing at Geneua and if hee reporte their doctrine truely whether they holde a sounde point of doctrine teaching That it is lawfull for
subiectes to reforme religion when princes will not yea rather then faile euen by force of armes 36 Quaere 2 Ibidem pag. 217. 234. 256 258. c. whether Iohn Knoxe and other his adherents grounding thēselues vpon the foresaid opinions cōcerning violent reformation did not by priuate motion without any authoritie put in practise a strange manner of reformation in Scotland and whether our disciplinarians doe not intend such a practise in England and if they doe whether they thinke that this course of theirs and these their rules of discipline will stand with Gods word or good orders 37 Quaere whether Beza was not the author or amplifier or publisher of the booke intituled De iure magistratuum in subditos a booke which ouerthroweth in effect all the authoritie of Christian kings and magistrates and whether the doctrine therein conteined be agreeable to the rules of that discipline which they haue so greatly vrged the same question is demaunded likewise of the booke called Vindiciae contra tyrannos a booke conteining no lesse pernicious matter against the authoritie of princes then the former 38 Quaere 3 Epist to Goodmans booke whether Master Whittingham that affirmed that the doctrine of Goodmans booke printed at Geneua in queene Maries time against the regiment of women and for exciting the subiectes to take armes against their soueraine princes in some cases was approoued to be good and godly by the chiefest men of learning that then were in the citie said therein either truely or Christianlike or schollerlike 39 Quaere whether the English disciplinarians that were at Geneua in Queene Maries time according to the said 1 Goodman pag. 73. 74. sequ and booke of Obedi pag. 99. 103. doctrine then there allowed of taught not that the nobilitie of England ought to reforme religion by force of armes and rather then faile to put the Queene then 2 Goodman pag. 99. 114. 115. sequen reigning to death and whether this point of doctrine be one of the principles of their new discipline and disciplinarian kingdome holden of most and professed of those that liue in free cities and states not subiect to kingly regiment 40 Quaere whether the said disciplinarian ministers and faction did not holde it lawfull according to the said 3 Goodman pag. 196. 87. 34. 35 185. 180 184. c. Geneuian doctrine That if the noble men and other inferiour Magistrates for feare should refuse to reforme religion as is mentioned the rest of the people might doe it in that case themselues and whether this be one of the axiomes of Th. Cartwrightes heauenly Canaan and a decision of their disciplinarian Synodes 41 Quaere whether the saide disciplinarians haue not taught publikely in bookes rather then there should be no reformation such as they wished that any priuate man hauing forsooth some extraordinarie motion or calling like that percase of Hacket might embrewe his handes with the blood of his 4 Goodman pag. 115. 199. 200. of obedience pag. 116. 110. souereigne according to the examples of Phinehes Ahud and such like 42 Quaere whether the reasons alledged by Knoxe and Wollocke against their gouerner and prince were sufficient in lawe for the subiectes to depose a prince 5 Histor of the Church of Scotland pag. 272. 278. or a regent lawfully appointed as they and others their followers did depose the Queene regent of Scotland and whether their allegations and doings are catholike rules of discipline for all times and all Churches 43 Quaere whether by the lawes of their new disciplinarian kingdome it be not as lawfull to depose a king from his seate and crowne for dealing in causes ecclesiasticall which they entend and affirme not to belong vnto him as it was for them of Geneua to depose their Bishop which was also their liege Lorde and prince from his temporall right and liuing for 1 Caluin to Sadolete dealing in causes temporall albeit he was by right of succession the temporall Lorde and owner of that citie and territorie 45 Quaere whether the doctrine conteined in a 2 Declaration anno 1582. Declaration printed in Scotland why certeine persons mere subiectes repaired to the king at Ruthuen one reason of that forcible repaire being for that the king tooke vpon him to deale in causes ecclesiasticall be agreeable to the catholike doctrine of their discipline 46 Quaere whether the practises of certeine ministers in Scotland for the setting vp of their presbyteries by their owne authoritie as they are described in the actes of parliament helde there Anno 1584 and published in print are iustifiable by Gods word and to be helde for generall rules of discipline to be practised in all Churches 47 Quaere whether that be true that is reported in the Chronicles of Scotland which were perused and corrected by Master Randal Master Killigrew and Doctor Hammond concerning an other repaire made to the king of Scors at 3 Chronicle pag. 446 sequent Sterling and whether the proclamation there mentioned and the actions which then happened be agreeable to the doctrine of the disciplinarian kingdome taught euery where or els be but extraordinarie and locall and onely there to be put in practise where there is good opportunitie offered 48 Quaere whether in France other where they doe not contrary to their opinions for violent reformation of religigion by noble men by the people or priuate persons taught for 30. yeeres and vpwards teach now that it is vtterly vnlawfull for any subiect vnder any pretence of any extraordinarie calling so much as once to lift vp a hand against the prince be he tyrant idolator heretike or whatsoeuer and whether all the rest of the rules of this discipline may not as well be varied by time as this point is and what maner of disciplinarian faith this is that is so inconstant and variable and teacheth sometime obedience and sometime rebellion and like the Chamelion changeth haire so often 49 Quaere whether the wise authors of this petition doe not shew themselues to bee of the disciplinarian humour in this behalfe when they thinke it a sufficient answere in the behalfe of Beza Hotoman Buchanan and others that published the doctrine of stirring the subiectes against their princes to say they write so against popish kings and such as they iudged tyrants as if it were lawfull for subiectes to rebell against such as they account tyrants and popish kings and of T.C. let it be enquired whether he allowe this for one of his cananitish lawes of his celestial consistorie 50 Quaere whether 1 Conspiracy for discipline and examinations taken in the Starre Chamber published T. Cartw. and certaine ministers here his disciples haue not entred into the very same course for setting vp the discipline in England which you shal perceiue by the sayd declaration by the acts of parliamēt in Scotland Anno 1584 and by the English Chronicle that the ministers of Scotland