THE INFANCY OF ELDERS A Short Treatise composed for Vindication of the Christian liberty of Free-borne denizens of England OR A Refutation of the Tyrannicall unlawfull misgovernment of our Church by Lay-Elders Written by J.S. Minister of the Word in Lancashire Gal. 5.1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage Printed in the Yeare 1647. The Infancy of Elders I Have long time exercised my patience in forbeareance to write something of this Subject tryfling away many dayes in a tedious expectation that some one better able would have prevented me who more fully and accurately then I know my self able to performe might have perfected this worke but seeing the daily incroaching tyranny of our new moduled Church Officers spreading like Gangrenes over the whole body of the Kingdome and none offering neither for safety to himselfe and his hereditary freedome nor for prevention of evill to his brethren to calterize or take up a veine in them to obstruct this new dangerous hot disease in our Ecclesiasticall body some though convinced in judgement that they are pernicious mischiefes in a Kingdome yet basely fearing man more then God forbeare to write against them others partly Classicall partly Episcopall but really nothing hovering aloofe with the reare-Mouse to see the battell betwixt birds and beasts with resolution to joyn with the stronger party and now perceiving the Classes headily run on forbearing to stop their proud carreer like bruit beasts creepe into some crib and there stop their mouths with meat and thinke with dumbnesse to fatten themselves without giving testimony to the world of their humane reason and indeed generally lulling themselves in a sottish silence have made themselves guilty thus farre of betraying their owne freedomes to the irreverend censures of our new stamped Elders I thought it my duty to shoot this poore paper bullet at them which if it take no impression upon them yet I hope at the rebound it may be taken up by some who perceiving the softnesse of my Ammunition will prepare harder ware against these impetuous furies however it will be some evidence to future ages to procure a non-guilty upon my name for traiterously consenting to the subversion of the furdamentall Lawes of this Kingdome and betraying that liberty and freedome which as a Free-borne childe of God I ought to enjoy into the hands of ignorant Tyrants and like wise serve to free me from a brand of instability or wandring in my principles suffering my selfe to bee tossed too and fro with every puffe of wind Know Reader I am not of such a Weather-cock temper as to bee moved from my well-grounded station though the North wind bluster high let others who lately were of my opinion till the magneticke force of earthly preferment withdrew them turne Hyperborean dotterells and imitate the fashions prescribed them by holy Highlanders whom the unseasonablenesse of some late winters forced Southward more to succour themselves in a warmer clime then out of any good intended to us natives let such I say play the Apes after them setting up their holy forme of worship and Church-government use the learned perswasions which a proud Presbyter lately reputed a good man whilest ten pound per annum at a private Chappell could satisfie him but now having betroathed a Parliament mans sister is by the strong cordage of attractive Apron-strings drawne up a hill to a benefice of five hundred pound labouring to draw his Auditory to the subscription hereof told them whose bare assertions with his rusticke Auditory passe for Oracles it was a government used in the Jewish Church and therefore to be followed by us Christians Oh rare Pulpit Rhethoricke It pities my heart to thinke how the poore Country people are misled by these blinde guides who poore Simpletons perceiving the current of the times are many of them troubled having plumbeous head-peeces to shape their Pulpit stuffe according to the humor thereof in which they take more paines for saving their benefices then their peoples soules you can scarcely goe to heare a Sermon but the subject thereof is obedience to this godly government and the Presbyterian fatlings will blatter out and quote almost every verse in the Bible that hath but the word Elder in it to prove its lawfulnesse thereby these silly quondam Sur-Johns but now Presbyter or Prester Johns Parochiall Princes doe more Lord it over Gods heritage then ever Becket Wolsey or Laud did instead of feeding leading their flocks into captivity forcing submissions to their imperious rules contrary to the doctrine and late professions of most of them and avouch Authority from the Parliament for to justifie their proceedings herein and proclaime commission for each one to be summus sacerdos sui Classis and the Eldership to bee Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ by Authority of both Houses of Parliament and who dare say against it I am loath to set perine to paper to clash against any thing debated and concluded in that High and Honourable Court having hitherto laboured to my power to propagate their cause which Cause was protested to bee and expresly set downe in the Covenant that it was the defence of his Majestics person the Protestant Religion the fundamentall Lawes and liberty of the Subject and to endeavour Reformation of Religion in the Church of England according to the holy word but now they having set up a Government not agreeable to Gods word nor consistant with the fundamental Lawes of this Kingdome as I shall shew you anon I resolving with my self that it was better to obey God then man did for prevention of further misleading captive poore soules for satisfaction of some men wavering in opinion for discharging of my owne conscience and for instructing not correcting the Honourable Parliament in hopes to adde some good soules to the number of those honest Patriots who were but by few out-voted in the setling of this Antichristian government and in hopes to worke heereby a peaceable and legall quashing of the same adventure to publish this paper wherein I shall endeavour to anatomize this giddy government and shew its illegality which undertaking if I erre through ignorance I will upon convincement from better judgement grounded upon sound divinity and reason willingly recant my mistakes and subscribe to and allow of a warrantable Eldership In the meane time I crave pardon for a little freedome of language It may perchance be wondered at by some that I being not of very grave yeares my selfe should dare to write any thing against the Grandees Seniors of our times but we have a Proverb amongst us That old men are twice children and truly such are many of our Elders they may perchance as babes desire the sincere milke of the word but I am sure many of them are not as yet growne thereby sed nucibus relictis I intend to have about with them armed to their best advantage
Levites only sate with them because they were learned in the Talmud not that of right it belonged unto them to sit there Goodwin in his Jewish Antiquities fol. 199. and 198. he saith how Jehosophat appointed in every walled City secular Judges which were their Elders to determine criminall offences I wonder that our Presbyterians should be so far brazed with ignorance as not to blush to urge this portion of Scripture for a warrant for their Court of Elders to be set up here in England when as it failes in every particular to be any wise applicable to us for First the Jewes were governed by 70 Elders before so was never England Seconly Moses was both King and Priest among them he was their Priest and tooke great paines in his holy function with them whereby he became lesse fitted to manage their civill affaires and wee may likewise reade Deut. 33.5 Moses was among the righteous as King I never knew that our Bishops or Presbyters ever exercised any Kingly Office in England nor hath it ever been unlesse in these foure yeeres last past whenas Charles Stewart being gone from his Parliament and being denudated of his Kingly power which power in conceit fell into the laps of our Assembly who thereupon Enthusiastically by imaginary Revelation publish they must take to themselves Elders of the people to beare part of the burthen with them Thirdly that was Gods owne immediate Act and he put his spirit upon them and they prophesied verse the 25 but this is a meere humane institution not warranted by any meanes unlesse by such imaginary Revelation and strange Oracles which things since Christ himselfe came in the flesh have ceased and why should wee now credit them I beleeve our Elders are not by their Office made wiser or indowed with any supernaturall gifts at all but continue still though Mr. Elders yet as arrant blockheads as they were before so that a man may say of them as one sayd of an ignorant Judge sitting in his robes upon the Bench yonder Judge is made fine by his place his place not beautified him nor for my part will I beleeve any thing they can prophesie unlesse they tell me they will be kickt out of their Office Fourthly that Government ceased when Israel obtained a King and now that England hath and ever had a King what shall wee doe with this inconsistant Government Unlesse to fit our selves to entertaine the Eldership wee cast off Monarchicall Government and introduce a Government by States for my part I wish that hand to wither that shall attempt to lop off the royall branches of our Land whose right to the Crowne and Kingly prerogative are equally just to any Subject his possessing what he hath nor is there any understanding Christian reproachfully called Independant of any other opinion so he may enjoy the liberty of his owne conscience without Civill coercion in point of Religion he being to give an account to God of his owne soule and every one being to beare his owne burthen the Father not being to answer for the Son nor the Son for the Father Gal. 6.5 Ezek. 18.20 but in civill and temporall matters is ready to subject himselfe with the most submissive to Kingly Authority according to the Law of the Nation where he lives And may those cursed soules who contrive the obliterating of the glorious beings of our Kings heere be suddainely snached hence by a hand unlooked for and yet I wish King Charles his returning to his Parliament and hearkening to their wholsome Councells for therein I conceive his flourishing and happinesse will most consist That there are and hath been Civill Elders here and elsewhere no man needs to doubt it is obvious enough and manifest to each capacity our Judges at Westminster are nothing else but in this sence Elders and Judges to sit in Counsell to determine and judge of criminall and other civill affaires which wee continue still to this day Therefore are our new Lay-Elders in this sence uselesse and if wee must for other ends erect Jewish Sanhedrins in England I have shewed you it is not warrantable for us so to doe because Moses by Gods speciall appointment assembled 70. Elders to beare part of the Government with him although it were urged with all the wit zeale and fervency it 's possible for a Countrey Presbyter to palliate his people from his Pulpit with yet his labour is all in vaine and he but endeavours to justifie unwarrantable things when as the unskilfull Sophister cannot set a specious glosse on a good matter But perhaps he hath learned his lesson so far by rote as to tell the people it was in Europe first set up at Geneva by reverend Mr. Calvin and since embraced by the States of Holland and severall places of Germany and therefore why should not wee have it in England I answer in the same way of reason that in Rome is and hath beene a long time continued the Popish Religion and professed and maintained by the Emperour by the Kingdome of Spaine by the King of France and some Princes of Germany and therefore why should not we professe that Religion too But more particularly to take off this cavill I will make it appeare that that argument doth no waies concerne England The beginning of this Government at Geneva is well knowne was by Mr. Calvin framed yet if wee will beleeve Histories not intended for he perceiving the abuses and too predominating tyranny of Bishops contrary to Gods word Lording it over Gods Heritage devised a way for freeing the people from that slavery and the inlarging of Gods people to cast off the Hierarchicall yoke and so invented a new way which he knew the giddy multitude greedy of novelties would be easily facinated with and that the rather because they groaned under the heavy pressure of their former slavery wherefore he buzzed into the eares of the people that they should have none of these Lording Bishops but they should be ruled by every Pastor in his respective Parish and to submit to his censure and because all should not hang on so slender a thread as the likeing of an ignorant multitude he bound the people by oath to give obedience to such orders as he with two other Ministers for more grace to the businesse had set downe and appointed every Church being to be governed by it selfe and the people sworne to obedience and so every Church almost differing from other began to accuse one another of disobedience to the will of Christ in those things in which they differed which occasioned much strife and contentions among them for these Presbyters being men of flesh as well as the Bishop was and subject to the like infirmities began to flutter as much or more over the people as ever the Bishop did and to exercise as much coercive power over mens consciences wherefore the people seeing themselves nothing bettered by this new frame of government but unadvisedly they had consented
opportunity to warmehis fingers at an English fire which is likely to come to passe if these malapart Officers be not quickly supprest Nor can their wisdomes blame the Christians who for defence of their just freedomes and liberty of conscience without any sinister ends shall cause new stirs and in defence of their liberties and Religion endeavour to chase this new tyrany forth of the Kingdome And I am assured would their wisdomes but duely examine their businesse heere they would plainely find it is for no other end And withall would their grave judgements but seriously poize the validity of their passe to come and settle here they would finde it altogether insufficient and no warrant either by Gods Law or the Law of Nations for such people by people of other Nations directed hither to settle and make a constant abode heer And I am confident their Honours upon due consideration hereof would either send them from Constable to Constable backe into Scotland or else whip them quite home to Geneva which that they may doe The Lord who is Ruler of all mens hearts dictate this to his servants in the Parliament that they may put their helping hands to this worke and then the Lord prosper the worke of their hands Oh prosper thou ô Lord their handy worke I will but adde one reason more why the Lay-Elders are not to meddle in the spirituall consistory and that is because they were never included within the power of the keyes given to the Apostles and their Successors which power hath from them devolved into our Church Some affirme the Gospel to have been preached heere by Paul the Apostle but I cannot learne any certainety of that But the Apostles being under the persecution of Nero I finde that Philip and divers of the godly fled into France who severed themselves asunder the better to propogate the Gospel about the 64 yeere after Christ he sent over into Brittaine one Josephus together with one Simon Zelotes to preach unto the Britaines and administer the Sacraments according to the Rites of the Church of Greece which Josephus saith William Malmesbury in his booke de Antiquitate Glasconici Monasterii was buryed at Glassenbury and John Bale following the Authority of Gyldas and other English Writers saith that it was Joseph of Arimathea and about this time did divers of this Nation receive the Christian faith and were baptized Not long after all Authors agree that Lucius King of this Isle sent to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome Anno Christi 177 not promising any subjection to his See that not being desired only obtruded upon King Henry the second in Beckets businesse but to say with such as were pricked in minde Acts 2.37 Men and Brethren what shall wee doe to be saved Eleutherius understanding the desires of King Lucius to be baptized and to professe and maintaine the Christian Religion and withall perceiving the able parts and sufficiency of those two Britaines Lucius had for this purpose sent over to him did consecrate them Bishops and sent them backe into Britaine And withall he taking into consideration that the converting of some and establishing of all of this Isle in the Christian Faith was a taske too great for two to undergoe Though he had knowledge of their faire progresse herein yet for their ease helpe and incouragement in so great a worke he sent over more labourers after them into this Harvest who for the better propogating of the faith and winning of soules unto Christ and that all might be instructed they divided the Kingdome into Circuits amongst them There being by Lucius and his Nobles appointed three superintendents or Arch-bishops instead of three Arch-Flamins which ruled before in time of Paganisme placed over the rest one at London another at Yorke another at Carleon in Monmouth-shire This Bishopricke of Carleon was after removed thence to St. Davids in Wales thence into Normandy Yorke continues Metropolitan still London was translated to Canterbury by Austine the Monke Lambert in his perambulation of Kent fol. 63. And although the English Saxons had not received the Gospel till Ethelberts time in whose Raigne Gregory the Pope upon occasion of seeing sweet faced boyes to be sould in the Market and inquiring of them of what Nation and Countrey they were he was told they were Angli and of the Province of Deira their Kings name being Alla to which Gregory replied well may they be called Angli à Dei ira liberandi to sing Hallelujah unto the Lord whereupon Austin the Monke was sent over and preached in Ethelbert his Kingdome to the English Saxons at Canterbury Anno Christi 596. Yet reverend Bede and divers others testifie that the Britons who by the impetuous fury of the Saxons were beaten hence into Wales embraced the Christian faith many hundred yeeres before Austins time Lambert Perambulation of Kent 19. Holinshead History of England 51 and had their Church government by convocations assemblies of the most learned and best Divines which in some course and order continued amongst us till this new fashioned Presbyters started up but never had any Lay-men to joyne with them in that action it being conceived not to be warranted by Gods word Some perhaps will wonder at me that I should digresse so far from my purpose for vindication of Bishops affirming them to be by Lucius our first Christian King established in this Land I might say they were ordained by the Apostles themselves Act. 20.28 but this is no part of my purpose only laid in the way to prove our Church by the Apostâ—â—s planted heere some say by Paul but certaine by Philip and by the Church of Rome in after times which then was a true Church much pâ—â—â—â—â—â—ted I say it is not my purpose to vindicate Episcopacy I am too weake a prop to uphold such a tottering and reeling Fabricke Yet armed inwardly with truth outwardly with argument I will boldly tell you Reader I care not who wonder at me let them be wondring still and in their wonder snarle at me I would rather be subject to moderate Episcopacy then our Classicall Presbytery such Episcopacy as should not Lord it over Gods Heritage for wee know our Saviour rebuked James and John Mar. 10.42 Luke 22.25 When the one desired to sit to his right hand the other on his left in his Kingdome saying The Kings of the Gentiles beare rule over them and their great ones exercise Authority upon them but it shall not be so amongst you Such Episcopacy as should have no temporall honour or office to withdraw them from their spirituall function there being appointed in every County one Superintendent or Bishop who with his Assembly of Divines of that County should governe the Church and decree Ecclesiasticall Causes I say such Episcopacy I would rather embrace and submit unto it then a company of ignorant Elders for better it were to be governed with prudence and knowledge then with pride and ignorance two things incident to our