and just Lawes and not by a Lawlesse Tyranny which it selfe is an Hierarchicall Tyranny and such as Tyranniseth over soules bodies and estates Or can Prelates be true Friends to Princes who under a false vizard of Friendship labour to corrupt them by their flattery to make them forget they are men to make them disaffected with their good Subjects to make them the Authors of Innovation in Religion by suppressing the Truth by their publicke Edicts which tends to fill the People with discontents and to stirre up Sedition and the like Can this be safe for Monarchie or peaceable for the Civil State or a thing in it selfe most Christian Nor is it so onely with our present Prelates Revolve all Histories since Antichrists exaltation and ye shall find that never any great Treasons have been either against the persons of Princes or their Civil States if they were but suspected of disaffection to the Papacy or Romish Religion but either a Prelate or some of his faction had his finger in it But there it may suffice that our eyes have been witnesses of the effects of Prelaticall pranks and practises in being so busie and bold to bring in againe the Romish Religion and after the Gospel had taken such deep rooting So as if our Kings wisdome had not been the greater in composing things in a peaceable way as foreseeing the dangerous Consequences that might have ensued in case he should have by a strong hand gone about to have reduced that Antic bristian Government into that Kingdome which it had now cast out God knows what wofull calamities such a Warre might have produced But blessed be God for preventing it Againe As the Pope lifts up himselfe above and against all Emperious Kings and Princes yea setting his feet on their necks causing them to hold his stirrop to lead his palfrey and doe such like Offices as his Holinesse Booke of Ceremonies and other Histories shew to hold their Kingdomes in Fee from him and the like and as his Cardinalls take place of Kings his Arch-prelates of Dukes his Prelates of Lords So our Prelates which come from them and proâ—esse still to be of one and the same Church with them of one and the same Hierarchicall Catholicke Church of one and the same Faith and Religion as before is noted doe they not the like according to their proportion and degree Doe not Archprelates take place of Dukes and Prelats of Lords Nay doe they not set their feet upon the neck of the Kings Laws while they though as yet de jure they cannot yet de facto they doe exempt themselves from them in that they by their power in Court and threatnings in their own Courts so terrifie all Prohibitions that they dare not peep or shew their Faces in the High-Commission as the Author of the * Apologie and Two Sermons For God and the King hath observed though he hath payd dearely for his truth telling Thus doe they not u`praÃrethai highly exalt themselves above all that is called God as above Kings and Civil States while they dare thus withdraw their necks from under the obedience of their good and just Laws the benefit whereof the Kings good Subjects should enjoy in relieving themselves and their innocent Cause from the Prelates unjust and tyrannicall oppressions in the lawlesse proceeding in their Courts and so set their proud feet upon the Kings both Laws which are the sinews and loyall People which are the members of the same Body Politick whereof the King is the Head Do they not herein come neere their Father Pope who trampleth upon Emperours necks when they dare tread upon the Kings feet as ‡ the Serpent did upon Christs heele And for this Cause is the Hierarchie or Antichristianisme called by the Apostle the Mysterie of Iniquity Yea the Mystery tes a'nomÃas of Lawlessenesse for which cause the Head of this Mystery to wit the Grand Antichrist or the Pope is called o`anomos that Lawlesse one which our English turnes That wiâ—ked So as here may fitly come in Antichrists Fift Title o` a'nomos that Lawlesse one This the Pope proves himselfe to be as being subject to no Laws either of God or man So as he saith he hath all Laws folded up in the Cabinet of his own brest as being the great Oracle of the world and the onely infallible Iudge in matters of Faith at least when he Sits in Peters Chaire and that he can dispense with the Aposâ—â—â— and the like But how doth his agree with our Prelates Are they also such a'nomi such Lawlesse ones as to merit the next place to the Pope for the Title of Antichrist Yes surely they hold a correspondence with their Syre so as in all things they doe patrifare shew themselves to be his Sons Of their Lawlessenesse in regard of Subjection to Princes Laws we spake but now And now remaines to shew how they are Lawlesse in regard of Gods Laws First their Hierarchâ—e is 〈◊〉 at all nor in any thing as neither gâ—oâ—â—ded so regulated by the Law of God and of Câ—â—ist but meerly by their own Lawlesse Canons which are the Laws of their Lawlesse Kingdome Yea and when they list they have a Prerogative to goe either beyond or against their Canons in case their lust find not scope enough Secondly as is noted before they not onely can dispense with Gods Law but dare and doe annihilate it and make it of no authority For they doe unmoralize the 4th Commandement as concerning the Sabbath day for Christians they allow profane Sports thereon which Gods Law hath altogether forbidden they forbid preaching on that day which Gods word commandeth to be both in season and out of season they altogether forbid preaching of the Doctrines of Grace which Gods word commends unto us and commands to be preached they Suspend the sense of the Articles of Religion touching Gods free Grace thereby giving way to the contrary Errours which they forbid Preachers to confute flatly against * Gods Commandement they dispense with the fift Commandement dissolving the bond of obedience in Children and Servants to the Parents and Masters and stripping those Governours of their Authority over them while they give them liberty to Sport and run riot on the Lords day and threaten all that shall dare to controule them And herein also they destroy Mans Law for the Law of the Land no where either allows any such profane Sports on the Lords dayes but flatly forbids them or forbids Parents and Masters to restraine their youth from such profanatiâ—ns or to correct them if they offend and will not obey then Lawfull Commands nor much lesse hath the Law of the Land given any such power and authority to any Civil Magistrate or other to punish those that shal be brought before them for exercising their lawfull authority over those under their charge And we all know that the Prelates had the chiefe hand not onely in penning but in publishing that Booke for Sports on
discourse then this of mine will admit Againe he saith ‡ If there be a jealousie or doubt of the Sense of the Scripture we must repaire to the Exposition of the Primitive Church and submit to that or call and submit to a Generall Councel c. Now if he shall quarrell this Scripture and those words of Christ forementioned as being either jealous or doubtfull of the sense thereof and so send me to the Primitive Church or call me to a Generall Councel for the determination of this point what shall we say For in no case can he yeeld the Scripture the honour to be sole Judge of controversies in faith And for the Primitive Church which he meanes namely that which came after Christ and his Apostles that he will say had Bishops or Prelates And for a Generall Councel that by his own verdict must consist of Prelates and so then shal be Judges in their own cause Therefore herein I must tell him plainly that first for the Primitive Church which was that of the Apostles never any one of them was a Prelate or Diocesan Bishop as we shall see more anon Secondly the next ages of the Church succeeding that of the Apostles knew no such Lord Bishops or Prelates as are now adayes with their Traines and Courts And when they began to get Prelacies old Hierome reprooved them and so did others Thirdly never any Generall Councel yet concluded that Prelates were jure divino Fourthly For a Generall Councel now to be called for the determining of this controversie which must consist onely of Prelates I deny them to be competent Iudges in this Case For by the Prelates own Confession * No man ought to be both party and Iudge in his own Cause And again the ‡ Prelate is too strict and Canonicall in tying all men to the decision of a Generall Councel and to yeeld obedience unto it yea although it determine a matter erronious in the Faith Now then if a Generall Councel of Prelates should determine that Prelates are jure divino although it be erronious yet according to the Prelates Rule all must yeeld obedience and submit thereunto And then we are gone if we commit this matter to a Generall Councel But we will passe by these and come to some other of his passages for his Prelacy He saith ‡ I beleeve Christ thought it fitter to governe the Church Aristocratically by Diverse rather then by one Vice-Roy Aâ—d those Diverse he makes to be Prelates or Hierarchs or rather Archprelates Now except he verily beleeve that Prelates are the best men in the world how can he beleeve that Christ thought is fittest to governe his Church by them For Aristocracie is a Government of the best men Aristoi Optimi and therefore called Optimates most honourable for their vertues But are Prelates so Doth their extreme pride ambition covetousnesse voluptuousnesse idlenesse hatred and suppressing of Gods word persecution of Gods Ministers oppression of Gods people even all that professe godlinesse and extreme both injustice and cruelty without all Law or Conscience in Censuring poore innocent soules that come before them doe these their vertues make them to be the best men for Christ to thinke the fittest by whom to governe his Church unlesse in this respect Christ might thinke it fittest that seeing he thought it fittest to keep his true Church his little stoâ—ke alwayes under manifold tryalls of afflictions and persecutions as being the exercises of all that will live godly in Christ Iesus and the way through which they must goe into the Kingdome of God therefore for this very cause he might thinke it fittest to suffer Satan to set up Anticrâ—ist in the Temple of God with his Traine of Prelates who should prove the most vengable Instruments of persecuting and oppressing Gods true children of all other men in the world And this I beleeve to be true And againe I beleeve this to be true also that Christ thought it fittest to governe his true Church Aristocratically that is by the best men because he hath so expressed himselfe in his word Why Where and who be those best men Let my Lord Prelate have patience and I will shew him a cleare ground of this my faith such as he can never shew for his blind faith Those best men that Christ thought is fittest to governe his Church by are the severall Ministerss rightly qualified and lawfully placed over their Severall Congregations respectively And they are called both Presbyteri and Episcopi Presbyters or Elders and Overseers or as Prelates falsely style themselves Bishops But how are these o i aristoi the best men Because Christ requires such to have the qualities of the best men What be those First such a Bishop or Overseer must be blamelesse the husband of one wife not therfore one tyed from Marriage which is for Antichrists Priests vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no strikâ—r not greedy of filthy lâ—â—re but patient not a brawler not covetous c. And in Titus Not selfe-willed not soon angry a lover of good menâ— sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithfull word that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainesayers Such therefore as call themselves the onely Bishops to exercise Lordship over many Ministers and Congregations and are proud heady high minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God cruell strikers with their High-Commission-weapons soone angry and never appeased againe not lovers but persecuters of good men not such as hold fast the wholesome word but suppresse it all they can forbidding others to convince the gainesayers as those of the Arminian party and the like and cutting off the Eares of those Ministers that should dare to reprove the Prelates notorious practises and attempts in setting up a false Idolatrous and Anchristian Religion for Christs Religion and such like such I say how can the Prelate beleeve to be of those diverse whom Christ thought it fittest to governe his Church by Againe another passage of his is this * She the Church of England beleeves That our Saviour Christ hath left in his Church besides his Law-booke the Scripture visible Magistrates and Iudges that is Arch-bishops and Bishops under a gracious King to governe both for Truth and Peace according to the Scripture and her owne Canons and Constitutions as also chose of the Catholick Church which crosse not the Scripture and the just Laws of the Realme So the Prelate In the next passage before the Prelate makes profession of his own Faith concerning Christs thought for Prelaticall Government and here he tells us what is the Faith of the Church of England about the same new Article of his beliefeâ—â— And not unlikely it is â— that the Prelaticall Church of England is of the saine beliefe with her learned Champion and great Metropolitan But the faith both of the Prelate and his Church
much St. Jerome tells us Though being none himselfe he was no great friend to Bishops And this was so seiâ—ed in the minds of men from the very Infancy of the Christian Church as that it had not been to that time contradicted by any So that then there was no Controversie about the Calling The difficulty was to accommodate their Precedenciesâ— And the ‡ Ordine Primus whereof there was a necessity falling to the Roman Prelate by reason of the Imperiall Seat this was the very fountaine of Papall Greatnesse the Pope having his Residence in the Imperiall City So he Now for Answere hereunto First for the Authority of Bishops or Prelats over the Inferiour Clergie as he calls it first he must prove their Calling before he can make good their Authority Now Prelates have no such Calling from God And the Apostle saith ‡ No man taketh this honour unto himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron So Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec But that the Prelates have no such Calling from God the Prelate himselfe as before is noted doth as good as confesse saying § Among Bishops there was effectuall Subjection respectively grounded upon Canon and Posuive Law in their Severall Quarters Ergo this was not jure divino And if not where is their Authority then And therfore as the Prelate saith of the Popes Supremacy in being the Sole Living Iudge in and over the universall Church †Neither saith he hath he power from Christ over the whole Church to doe it nay out of all doubt 't is not the least Reason why De Facto he hath so little Successe because De Jure he hath no Power given So I may say as truly of all Prelates who challenge to be the living visible Iudges as before is shewed which is one maine part of their usurped Authority over the Ministry that they have no such Power from Christ over their severall Diocese Provinces or Quarters to doe it nay out of all doubt 't is not the least Reason why De Facto they have so little Successe because De Jure they have no Power given According to that in the Prophet * Behold saith the Lord I am against the Prophets that steale my word every one from his Neighbour Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongues and say He Saith Behold I am against them that prophecie false dreames saith the Lord and doe tell them and cause my people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord And this is the very case of the Prelates they are faise Prophets they steale Gods word from the people of God and instead thereof use their own word prophecying false dreames saying The Lord saith the Lord hath sent us we have our Calling and Authority from God over all Ministers we are the sole living visible Iudges in matters of Faith and Religion so as all must rest in our Iudgement according to our own Canons and Constitutions c. thus causing simple people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse yet the Lord hath not sent them nor commanded them they have no Calling and so no Power and Authority from God and therfore the Lord is against these false Prophets and because he hath not commanded them nor sent them therfore they shall not profit the people at all But Secondly the Prelate saith that his Prelaticall Iurisdiction over the inferiour Clergie was a thing of known use and benefit for preservation of unity and Peace in the Church Now first for his Inferiour Clergie Clergie being appropriated to the Ministry is an abusive Monopoly and usurpation for all Gods people redeemed by Christ are his kleros his Lot or â—nheritance whereof the word Clergie is derived As Peter saith writing to the Presbyters ‡ Not as Lording over tâ—n kleron Gods heritage but as ensamples to the flocke So that the flocke of God are his kleros his heritage But to passe over this Secondly he tells us of an Inferiour Clergie he meanes his Priests and the rest as Archdeacons and so forth to the number of 7 Orders as they call them A rabble of Orders not unsutable to the Subjects of a Lord Prelate as being all of them of humane devise and institution of which their Hierarcâ—ie is made up another word of mans invention which some call rather ‡ Hierodoulia but what holy Orders Christ hath left in his Church we shall see anon Thirdly this was saith he a thing of known use and benefit Of the known use we have formerly spoken But now what 's the benefit Namely for the preservation of unity and peace in the Church How proves he this From S. Ierome who said That one was chosen over the rest in Sckismatis remedium to remedy Schisme in the Church But by the way these very words of Ierome doe argue that Prelates were of humane Institution for unus electus est one was chosen I â—rgo of men But lerome speaks more expresly which the Prelate wisely passeth over dry foot where he saith that Prelacy was set up humana praesumptione non Institutione Divina by humane Presumption and not by Divine Institution Well but had it that successe the Prelate speaks of Did it produce the fruitfull benefit of unity and Peaâ—e Or what unity Or what peace Indeed we find by wofull proof that this Hierarchy was the very egge of which the Cockatrice Antichrist was hatched so as the Hierarchy consisting of so many Prelates grew at length coâ—lescere to grow together into one Antichrists â—n body whereof the Ordine Primus came to be the head And herein unity and Peace are so conjoyned as they have made up one intire new Catholicke Church that whereof the Prelate professeth himselfe with the Church of England and of Rome and all other Prelaticall Churches in the world all other not Prelaticall as the Reformed Protestants beyond the Seas excluded as before is noted to be in all which this his Catholick Church as * elswhere he saith hath its existence Which Prelaticall Catholicke Church is the verâ—head and body of Antichrist Even as the Prelate tells us that the Ordine Primus the Roman Prelate having his Throne in Rome This saith he was the very fountaine of Papall Greatnesse So I may say The Prelacie or Hierarchie was the very fountaineâ— whenâ—e hath issued the maine Ocean of thâ—se ‡ many waters over which the Whore sitteth which though it be distinguished into many severall Seas of so many Prelates yes all make up but one Maine Sea as it were one Catholicke Church And this is that unity and Peace the benefit of both the constitution and preservation
Apostles to afflict persecute and oppresse all true Religion with all the true Preachers and Professors therof and so prove themselves to be of those of whom Christ foretold his Disciples saying * They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will thinke that be doth God Service And surely the Prelates grounding their usurped Authority upon Christ which they so exercise in afflicting and oppressiing Christs Ministers and people must needs consequently conclude that this their persecution is a speciall part of Gods service to conclude then the Parable as these Prelates have their good things here and nothing is left them but a ‡ fearefull expectation of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devoure the Adversaries so as they shall not find a drop of mercy in Hell who would not shew a crumme of mercy here but contrariwise shal be tormented with more scorching flames then Dives by how much their wickednesse here exceeded his So Gods faithfull Ministers as they receive their evill things here and especially at the hands of Antichristian Prelates whose malice and cruelty against them exceedeth all other in the world so they shal be sure to receive a most glorious and unfading ‡ Crown of Glory which the Lord the Chiefe Shepheard the righteous Iudge shall give unto them at that day nor to them onely but to all those that love his Appearing CHAP. VII Wherein is shewed that the Prelates are no lesse contrary to the Practise of the Apostles whose Successors notwithstanding they pretend to be then they are to their Doctrines as hath been proved FOr the more cleare demonstration hereof we will consider the Practise of the Apostles in a twofold notion 1. the Practise of their Ministry 2. the Practise of their life and conversation First for their Ministry that also we consider in a double respect 1. of Doctrine 2. of Discipline Of these being to speake we will first consider the Apostles two wayes 1. as they were Apostles and 2. as they were Ministers First as they were Apostles to speake in a strict and proper sence they left no Successors behind them For as Apostles 1. they had their immediate Calling from Christ 2. they did * see Christ with their bodily eyes 3. they were inspired immediately from Christ with Apostolicall Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost ‡ which led them into all truth so as their judgement was infallible they could not erre 4. they were made the Pen-men of the Scripture 5. They had a power given them to appoint Euangelists to attend their Apostleship in the Gospell to settle and water where the Apostles had planted and where they appointed them 6. They had ‡ immediate direction from the Holy Ghost where to preach at such or such a time 7 They had their § Commision immediately from Châ—â—st which was to preach the Gospell throughout the world though the †Holy Ghost did more particularly dispose of them to severall Countries Now in all these respects the Apostles as Apostles left no Successors behind them For after the decease of Apostles and so also of the Euangelists some whereof writ the Gospell and some preached the Gospell and did other things at the Apostles appointment whereof we shall have occasion to speake more anon their Office of Apostles and Euangelists ceased So as never since they lived have there beene any Apostles or Euangelists properly so called Though in a generall notion all true Preachers of the Gospell in asmuch as they have a Calling from God being sent of him though mediately by the Church may be called Apostoli that is sent as the Apostle called Epaphroditus ‡ A'póstolon the Philippìans Apostle which our English translates a Messenger because they had sent him to him as they are called in the selfe same respect Aggeloi * Angels or Messengers and they may be called also for the same reason Euangelists because they are Preachers of the Gospell But I say strictly and properly the Apostles onely were called Apostles and the Euangelists Euangelists for the reasons aforesaid So as after their decease the ordinary Ministers of the Word which God appointed to succeed them in their Ministry were called Pastors and Teachers as Eph. 4. 11. and somtimes Presbyters or Elders and Overseers or Episcopi set over their severall Congregations respectively as aforesaid and somtimes ‡ uâ—pereta or dÃakoni Ministers of the Word as the Apostle often styles himselfe So as in the Second place we come to speake of the practise of the Apostles as they were Ministers of the Gospel whose examample all true Ministers imitating are said to be their true Successors But before we speake thereof one Objection crosseth us in our way which is this We noted before that one peculiar priviledge and badge of an Apostleâ— properly so called was that he had the Holy Ghost immediately inspired into him by Christ so as it led him into all truth that he could not erre in his preaching or writing of the word of God Now it is Objected that the promise of * Christs Spirituall presence and so of the Holy Ghost is made to the Apostles but to all the succeeding generations of all their true Successors to the end of the world Upon which promise but most falsely applyed the Pope doth build his Imaginary Infallibility of a power of not erring in the faith For Answere hereunto briefly First neither the Pope nor any Prelate have any thing to doe with this promise For they have no Calling from Christ as hath been proved and they are Antichrists and so led by another spirit to wit of him of whom they have their Calling and thaâ— is of the great red Dragon as remaines yet further to be cleared Secondly concerning this promise made immediately by Christ to his Apostles that he would be with them to the end of the world and that the Holy Ghost should lead them into all truth we must distinguish between the Aposâ—les and all Succeeding true Ministers First this promise was actuaâ—ly fullfilled to the Apostles so as they neither erred in their preaching nor in their writing of the word of God and the substance of all their preaching so farre as it is necessary for the salvation of Gods Chruch to the end of the world is by them left in writing to be a rule of our faith and the ground of all holy and saving knowledge Now then all true Ministers succeeding the Apostles in all ages and also all true Beleevers though they neither receive the Holy Ghost inmiediately from Christ as the Apostles did nor are any to expect to receive it in that extraordinary way yet all true beleeving both Ministers and People doe receive the Holy Ghost But how By what meanes The Apostle tells us ‡ By the hearing of Faith preached that is by hearing the Gospell which is the ground of Faith preached we receive both faith
none effect and they * perish with the using are good for nothing being after the Commandements and Dâ—ctrines of men they have but a meere shew of wisdome in will-worship and humility and hypocrisie in not sparing the body and onely serve to satisfie the flesh Arguments Sufficient to any one that feares God and hopes to be saved by Iesus Christ to * Beware of being Spoyled and made a prey as the word signifieth of being ‡ heguiled of their reward by such a bondage and Slavery Thus the Apostle so damning all manner of Rites and Ceremonies imposed on the Conscience in the worship of God so as he shews it to be a very Apostacy from Christ of such as hold not the Head with what face can our Lord Prelates the great Masters of all manner of Superstitious and Idolatrous both Iewish and Heathenish Romish and Antichristian Ceremonies beare themselves to be the Successors of the Apostles while not onely they erect such Superstitions but with all rigour impose them upon mens Consciences as a most insupportable burthen and intolerable bondage and with all severity and cruelty inflict terrible punishments upon those that refuse to performe the Tasks of such Egyptian Taskmasters Or how dare they affirme that they have such their Iurisdiction from Christ while in so doing usurping such a Power over mens Consciences they thrust Iesus Christ out of his Throne But we shall have occasion to speake more of this hereafter Thus we see in the meane time what kind of Vice-Roys of Christ and Successors of his Apostles the Prelates prove themselves to be in Lording over the Consciences of Gods people by their Superstitious Ceremonies and Romish Rites But perhaps they will object the Apostles determination Act. 15. concerning the Gentiles newly converted to Christianity that they should abstaine from eating of blood and things strangled which was a Mosaicall Rite To which I answere First that the Apostles in the § same place do shew that that burthen of Legall Ceremonies was removed by the death of Christ and buried in his Grave Secondly they did this in regard of the Iews which dwelt among those Christians for the time being for peace-sake untill the †Christian Iews were better confirmed in the faith and knowledge of Christ Thirdly they did it by the speciall direction of the ‡ Holy Ghost for the reason alledged So as that example being extraordinary and for the time of the Infancie of the Gospell it is no rule for us to follow now after so long a shining forth of the Gospell And I might adde this moreover that the Apostles did not this alone but with the whole Congregation the Presbyters or Elders and Brethren being â—oyned with them Whereas our Prelates though they confesse that a * Generall Councel hath no immediate Institution from Christ to determine Controversies but that it was prudently taken up in the Church from the Apostles example Act. 15. yet for all their prudence in taking up that which belongs not unto them they shew themselves very unfaithfull while they follow not the example of the Apostles in determining alone and not with the whole Congregation and therefore Christians have the lesse reason to captivate their faith to Prelaticall Decrees either in a Generall Councel where the Pope of Rome and of Canterbury are the rulers of the rost or in a Convocation where the Pope of Canterbury is Prime Primate Metropolitan and All who without the Holy Ghost which is never given to any such Antichristian Assemblies whatever they decree in point of faith or otherwise be it never so erronious yet they enjoyne obedience thereunto by all men as our ‡ Prelate affirmeth But he will not be so easily beaten off from his Ceremonies For in his § Epistle Dedicatory he tells the King That Ceremonies are neâ—essary for the setting out of Gods worship His Great Witnesse to the world that our heare stands right in that Service of God to wit the inward worship Take this away or bâ—ing it into contempt and what light is there left to shine before men that they may see our Devotion and glorifie our Father which is in heaven And to deale clearely with your Majesty these thoughts are they and no other which have made me labour so much as I have done for Decency and an Orderly Settlement of the externall worship of God in the Church which cannot be without some Ceremonies c. For Ceremonies are the hedge that feare the Substance of Religion c. And a great weaknesse it is not to see the strength which Ceremonies adde even to Religion itselfe c. So and much more the Prelateâ— Whence it appeareth that had he not Ceremonies to garnish his worship of God as he calls it the world could not see how right his heart stands nor yet see his good works because instead of good works perverting Christs word he puts his Devotion and his Devotion stands in his Ceremonies which he saith must not be too few for then they leave his Service naked and therfore to avoyd that he must have both a Surplice and Hood and Cope to cover that nakednesse So as all his light is in his Externall worship shining forth in his brave Garbe of Ceremonies as that of the Pharises in their broad Philacteries So as without this men in truth could not so easily see the pride vanity Superstition and hyprcrisie which lurketh in the Prelates â—â—re and bewrayeth it selfe in his many inventions of Superstitious Ceremonies the very Ideas and Idols of his profane heart And Antiquity was the Mystery of Iniquity if that will doe them any pleasure This we generally touched before in the Third Chapter But for the Second That the Prelacie is this Mystery of Iniquity let us a little examine what is meant by this Mystery of Iniquity This Mystery of Iniquity is opposed to the Mystery of Godlinesse of which the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 3. 16. Iniquity is opposit to Godlinesse but both Godlinesse and Iniquity are called a Mystery Yet in a different respect The Mystery of Godlinesse is so called because of its deepnesse and difficulty to be understood but by Gods * Spirit reuealing the same but the Mystery of Iniquity is so called because Iniquity is vailed under a pretence and shew of Godlinesse by which ‡ many are deceived § whose names are not written in the booke of life As Christ saith Many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many And thus doe all Prelates come in Christs Name while they pretend Christs Authority and usurpe Christs throne over his People And the great Antichrist is so called because though he be against Christ yet he saith he is for Christ as being Christs Vicar even as Antichristus in the Greeke is a compound word the Preposition Anti signifying both for or instead and against And so is Antichrist in pretence for Christ but in practise
England Oh how doth he triumph in his Chaire as in his Charet Yea more specially how did he triumph over those Three his Remarkable men whom he looking out at the Court-window beheld standing on the Pillory and loosing their Eares and Blood how did he then applaud his politicke pate and potent credit in Court that he could thus anékesta without rememedy as the ‡ Story saith of the Tyrant Licinius a persecuter of the Christians overthrow the most innocent Cause and therein the most innocent Persons and without all colour of contradiction the Minister that ever was Judged in any Christian Court Thus he triumphed over them though their triumph over him and all his Antichristian lawlesse cruelty in that their most constant couragious and invincible cheerfullnes in suffering was as much more glorious and noble as his was most Ignoble and Base But thus I say the Prelate with his Prelaticall Church must be Triumphant Militant no longer but in warring against the Lambe and his poore followers So as this Prelate with his Confederates are the Successors of the High-Priests Scribes and Pharisees and of Edmund Bonner and Stephen Gardiner those bloody Butchers and Wolves which devoured and destroyed Christs Sheep in Queen Maries dayes and therein were the Church-Triumphant in England But this by the way Returne we now whence we have a little as it were digressed though not impertinent to our Purpose in hand which is to shew the true difference between the true Ministers of Christ and those of Antichrist Seventhly therefore Not as Lording it â—ver Gods Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flocke Now wherein are our Lord Prelates Ensamples to the Flocke In their humble carriage In their meeknesse of spirit In the moderation of their government In their continencie and contempt of Riches Honours Pleasures Ease and the like Nay are they not Examples to the world farre be it from Gods Flocke of extreme Pride Ambition Covetousnesse Voluptuousnesse Idlenesse Profanesse Lawlessenesse extreme Cruelty barbarous Injustice implacable Malice and intolerable Tyranny palpable Hypocrisie and such like Prelaticall vertues and graces the most proper and peculiar indowments inseperable qualities of their Hierarchie Eightly and lastly true Elders or Bishops that with a good Conscience feed Gods Flocke both with the wholsome food of sound Doctrine and with the holy Example of a good life shall when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away Where I observe two particulars that Iesus Christ is the onely Chiefe or Arch-Shepheard O' A' rkipóimen So as here is no place either for Pope over the universall Church or Metropolitan over a whole Kingdome or for Arch-prelate over the Provinciall or yet Prelate over all the Shepheards in his Dioceseâ— for then such should be A' rkipoÃmenes the Cheif Shepheards but this Title and Office is peculiar to Christ alone and incommunicable to any other Nor did Peter himselfe arrogate to himselfe any such Title but was content with * oâ— tumpresbúteros a Fellow-Elder as if an equall to those Elders or Presbyters to whom he writ The second particular I note is that all such Presbyters or true Bishops as aforesaid may and do most certainly expect and shall most surely receive at the appearing of the Chief Shepheard an immarcescible Crown of Glory-Behold here is such a Reward as no Lord Prelate can expect or hope for For these are rightly resembled by ‡ Dives to whom being in hell torments and desiring one drop of water to coole his tongue Abraham answered Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things c. For he had gone in his purple and fine linnen and fared deliciously every day while mercilessy he suffered poore Lazarus to lye at his gate full of sores yeelding him no reliefe or comfort at all saving that his dogs came and licked his Sores Aâ—d doe not our Diveses our rich Lord Prelates and which of them is poore goe in their Purple Satten Velvet and the finest lynnen as their Lawn sleeves and Rochet and faire deliciously every day not induring once in their lives with their good wills to keep one extraordinary Fast day so zealous are they of the observation of Lent and other Embers wherin they can faire deliciously with the choycest Fish and Fruits and Wines and other Cates So as with Dives they have their good things here Only these come short of and outstrip Dives in some things For First Dives yet suffered Lazarus to be layd at his doores but these beat away the true Lazars from their doores 2. Dives suffered his dogs to shew so much compassion as to lick Lazarus his sores but our Lord Prelates doe set their dogs at the true Lazarusses to teare them in pieces 3. Lazarus brought his sores with him Dives did not cause them but our Lord Prelates doe fill Gods Lazarusses full of wounds which they carry away with them not scaping from their Gates with a whole Skin 4. Lazarus was willingly layd at Dives his gates but Gods Lazarusses never come to the Lord-Bishops Gates but with an ill will when they are hayld and pull'd 5. Dives denyed his Crummes to Lazarus because they were of his bread to feed his dogs but the Prelates doe not onely deny any one Crumme of mercy when they are offended or to doe right when the Lazarusses are injured but they doe also rob pill and poll them stripping them of all they have and so doe not relieve but make Lazars Againe on the other side Lazarus in some sort may be an Embleme of Gods true Ministers For Lazarus had all his evill things in this world So the good and faithfull Ministers of God must undergoe manifold afflictions tribulations and persecutions in the world as our Saviour * Christ forewarned his Disciples and so their true Successors to wit Godly and painfull Ministers of the Word who find their Masters words verified in themselves by manifold experince of tributations and persecutions which they mainly and chiefly suffer at the hands of Antichrist and his Antichristian Prelates as the world it selfe is able to beare witnesse In the Kingdome of England at this day who are the great persecuters yea and the onely oppressors of Gods faithfull and painfull Ministers and of all true Professors but these Lordly Prelates who will not suffer any one Minister or other to burrow within their Diocese if he doe but smell of a Puritan as they call them but do ferrit them out and hunt them to the death Where by the way it is cleare to all men that have but common sense that the Prelates which are and ever have been â—at least since Antichrist hath been aloft the most furious and fiery Persecuters of Gods good Ministers and people even for Religion sake are false Bishops falsely pretending their Iurisdiction from Christ and their Succession from the Apostles They might aswell say that they have Authority from Christ and his