promote your Cardinals to the higest seat of dignities without any let in all the world in stopping the mouth of our adversarie Iesus Christ and alleaging againe that he preferred his kins folks being but of poore and base degree vnto the Apostleship but doe not you so but rather call as ye doe those that live in arrogancie in haughtinesse of mind and filthie lecherie unto the state of wealthie riches and pride and those rewards and promotions which the followers of Christ forsook do ye distribute unto your friends Therefore as ye shall have better vnderstanding prepare ye vices clocked under the similitude of vertues Alleage for yourselues the glosses of the holie Scripture and wrest them directly for to serue for your purpose And if any man preach or teach otherwise then ye will oppresse ye them violently With the sentence of excommunication and by your censures heaped one upon another by the consent of your brethren let him be condemned as an heretike and let him be kept in most strait prison and there tormented till he die for a terrible example to all such as confesse Christ. And setting all favour apart cast him out of your temple lest peradventure the ingrafted word may save 〈◊〉 soules which word I abhorre as I do the soules of o her saithfull men And do your indeuour that ye 〈◊〉 deserue to haue the place which we have prepared for you under the most wicked dwâ—…lling on of our dwelling place Farre ye well with such felicitie as we desire and intend finally to reward and recompence you with Given at the center of the earth in that darke place where all the rablement of divels were present specially for this purpose caâ—…led unto our most dolorous Consistorie under the the Character of our terrible seale for the confirmation of the premisses Ex Registro Herefordensi ad verbum This letter of Lucifâ—…r to your Lordly Predecâ—…ssors then will I trust excuse my Epistle and Parallels here dedicated to your Lordships now both from the unjust imputation of calumnie slaunder or reviling And so leaving your Lordships to Veâ—…we and reueiw your selves in this new Looking-Glasse made purposely for your sweet holy faces I take my leave of you as I trust you will now doe of all your Lordlinesse worldlinesse pride and other vices here discovered till you have exactely trimed yourselves thereby to make yourselves more amiablc both to God and man then now you are A notable Jesuiticall Policy of some Lordly Prelates worthy consideration SOme great domineering Lord Prelates to advance their own power and draw all men to their party have of late endevoured to ingrosse into their hands the disposall of most Ecclesiasticall dignities as Bishopricks Deanneres Prebendaries Headships in the Vniversities presentations to most great Benefices and the like and of many temporall preferments together with the Custody of his Majesties Treasury By this policy First they keepe all men from preferment how deserving learned and pioussoever but those of their owne faction and creatures Secondly they make their owne party very great and strong in all Courts of Iustice and places of the Realm so as none dare oppose them in the least measure no not in cases which highly concerne both GOD the King Religion and the whole Realme Thirdly they are more feared and crowched to then the King himselfe or all his Nobles Fourthly they would win all men to their own opinions humours and superstitions out of hopes of preferment which else they have no way to attaine Fiftly they have many Clergie men so wholly at their command that they will write preach practice defend any errours false Doctrines Innovations Superstitions or popish Ceremonies their Lordships shall command or desire them to obtaine their favours and advancement Sixtly by this meanes they gaine scouts and spies in every corner of the Kingdome in Court City Countrey and in most Noble-mens and Gentlemens families whose Chaplaines are now for the most part nought else but these great Prelates agents and Intelligencers so that nothing can be done or spoken against them or intended for their prejudice but they have present information of it Seventhly by this policy they keep all men under their girdles crush all that dare oppose them stop the current of Iustice bolster out all their popish agents and opposing officers setup Popery againe without much noyse or opposition oppresse his Majesties good Subjects extirpate piety and Religion rob his Majesty his Nobles and officers of ther Authority Privilidges and power to preferre well-deserving men and so by consequence deprive them of much honour service respect observance and thankfulnes for benefits to be received advance their owne Episcopall power jurisdiction Cours beyond all moderation and bounds and in a manner do and say what they list without opposition or controule This Iesuiticall stratagem of theirs prescribed by Conc ' in his Politiques as one of the chiefe meanes to undermine Religion and all protestant States and Churches is worthy his Majesties and his Nobles most serious consideration and prevention in due time for feare it inslave them and the whole Kingdome to the Pope and Prelates before they are aware of it Great Reverend Lord Prelates are like to that we call a Sir Reverence the more they stirre and are stirred the worse the more they stinke They are like Davids mountaines Ps. 144. 5. If men doe but touch them and their vices they will smoke yea storme and rage like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waterscast up mire and dirt Isay. 56. 20. Hence they labour to suppresse sease and call in all good Bookes yea the Palsgraves New-printed Declaration in affront to his Highnesse and his Churches because it censures some of their idle Ceremonies and Arminian Doctrines though tacitly and moderately by way of Apologie our Saviour himselfe gives us the true reason Why Iohn 3. 20. For every one that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be discovered and reprooved as their Lord ships now are pretty well if not to their amendment yet doubtlesse to their shame Gentle Reader ere thou read this Treatise be pleased with thy penne to correct these Presse-errors Page 2. line 2. read Parallels p. 3. l. 17. for fable r unstable l. 6. p 4. Iowne c drowne l. 9 be sure l. 19. but weekes p. 8. l 3. makâ—…s p. 10. l 7. and not r. as not p. 12. l. 11. traducing l. 30. that r. their p. 14. l. 22. Fathers p. 15 l. 24. them r. their p. 16. l. 3. habeâ—…s p. 17. l. 8 publish p. 18. l. 25. a practise p. 19. l. 5. Bayli l 7. urge this l. 25. auncient l. 29. Crantzius l. Testium Aventimus l. 32. Hypocrites p. 21. l. 9. heart p. 22. l. 17. bruize r. bring p. 23. l. 3. Bacchanals l. 12. Rainsford p. 24. l. 13. Ed. 6 p. 25. l. 3. ransant Banger l. 5. his r. her p.
26. l. 7. fends r. feudes p. 29. l. 25. Newman r. Nucoman p. 30. l. 25. ods p. 33. l. 37. Altars p. 34 l. 13. cease p. 37. l. 30. have p. 39. l. 28. Postils p. 40. l. 15. strumpet p. 41. l. 1. haunt r saunt l. 12. Gor. r Gee l. 16. hung l. 19. home p. 42. l. 9. them r. then p. 44. l. 15. 29 set up p. 46. l. 8. committing p. 47. l. 3. power r. Boner p. 48. l. 15. their expunging p. 51. l. 27. presents eate r. persecute rate p. 52. l. 2. drinke r. drunken p. 55. l. 28. memorable p. 56. l. 25. this for any answer of bisp 59. l. 16. Cant. 〈◊〉 Court p. 62. l. 13. Kings r. 〈◊〉 l. 23. condemne p. 63. l. 8. Thou r. then p. 64. l. 2. r. upon one Crosse but the Bishops nayle him againe unto p. 66. l. 13. Archbishops l. 19. to be p. 67. l. 11. bedde l. 22. grace r. yeare p. 83. l. 6. obedient apparant l. 13. Tipes r. texts l. 27. friends r feindes p. 80. l. 9. bletout the. l. 30. early r. rarely p. 87. l. 10 deaths p. 79. l. 22. no doubt p. 80. l. 8. enrich l. 28. pompe p. 89. l. 26. r walke directly p. 97. l. 5. for r. fore p. 92. l. 23. c. and. p. 96. l. 10. money r. many l 12. illegall l. 15. wofull l. 19. which of r. whether p. 97. l. 20. Occupie 98. l. 10. thus r. there l. 11. birelings l. 9. blot out are l. 13. humble r. tremble p. 100. l. 14. or r. 2. 101. l. 18. beats r. brats p. 102. 1. his r. this p. 103. l 5. insteed r. infested l. 13. been r. beire l. 22. 1 beseech In the Margine P. 9. l. 5. r. 414 p. 82. l. 3. 9. sublimiori columnae p. 97. l. 24. p. 14. this is omitted A LOOKING-GLASSE For all LORDLY PRELATES THERE is nothing now more rife in the mouthes of many great domineering Lordly Prelates then that their Lordly Episcopall Iurisdiction Pompe and Soveraignty is of divine Institution and that their Sacred Lordships are undoubted Sonnes Successors heires of Christ and his Apostles Which men might well enough believe did not their lives and actions most apparantly contradict these their ambicious windy words But if men may judge of a Tree by the fruits as our Saviour concludes they may Math. 7. 16. or of mens true Fathers and Pedigrees by their works as hee also resolves Iohn 8. 44. I hope these arrogant lofty Prelates will not bee offended with me if I make it apparant to them and others by their fruites and workes that they are so farre from being the Sons or Successors of Christ and his Apostles or of divine Institution that they are of their Father the Divell for his workes and lusts they doe the successors from the Iewish high Priests who crucified our Saviour Persecuted silenced imprisoned excommunicated his Apostles And so of Diabolicall ordination not Divine This I shall plainely and briefely demonstrate in two distinct Parallers The first betweene the Divell and Lordly Prelates The second betweene the Iewish high Priests and them The 1. Parallel betweene the Divell and Lordly Prelates 1. First the Divell for his condition and quality is an Apostate Angell who kept not his first estate and 〈◊〉 and abode not in the truth Iude 6. Iohn 8. 44. Such are all Lordly Prelates and Bishops both by their own exposition of Rev. 2. 1. 5. 6. Where they interpret the Apostate Angell of the Church of Ephesus to bee the Lord-Bishop of that Church alledging this Text as the principall Scripture to prove their Hierarchie of Divine Institution and by common experience For as Lord Bishops are fallen from the pietie holinesse humility poverty zeale meekenesse laboriousnesse heavenly mindednesse charity and equallity with other Ministers that was in the true Christian Bishops of the Primitive Church and now openly avow the Popish and Arminian Doctrine of The Totall and Finall Apostacy of the Saints from grace So most of them being made Lord Bishops to prove this doctrine of Apostacy true by their practise fall away from the pietie zeale holinesse meekenesfe diligence frequency in preaching and most other vertues which they had or used in verity or pretence before they were made Bishops in case they had any vertue or goodnesse in them before of which too many of them were never guiltie and become farre worse Christians â—…arre greater Persecutors and enemies to God his truth his people and more unholy covetoâ—…s lasie vicious in their lives then ever they were before as all histories and experience manifest beyond all contradiction And how many of our present Lord Prelates are turned open Apostates from the established doctrine and discipline of this Church of England to Poperie Arminianisme and Romish superstition and all the zeale the honesty the piety and goodnesse they had or seemed onely to have before they were Lord Bishops I leave to every mans experience to determine some of the best of them being so strangely warped of late that it made a great Popish learned Lord confesse openly at the Table this last summer That if ever hee altered â—…is Religion hee would turne Puritan for Puritans saith hee are constant to their owne Religion and Tenets but the Bishops so fable and wavering with the times that wee know not where to have them such Apostate Angels are they Secondly the Divell is an uncleane spirit void of holinesse full of all filthinesse and impiety and is hardly â—…ast out of those he once possesseth Math. 10. 1. 6. 12. 43. Marke 1. 23 26 27. c. 5. 2. 8. c. 7. 25. Luke 4. 33. 36. c. 6. 18. Acts 8. 7. Such are most Lordly Prelates in all respects witnesse their uâ—…cleane profane voluptuous impious godlesse lives and actions in all ages Of which all histories stincke and surfet to omit the present filthinâ—…sse of many of them And how hard they are to be cast out where once they get but footing our owne histories and instant experience too well demonstrate Thirdly the Divell is a dumbe and deafe spirit making some mâ—…n dumbe yet never any Preachers that I read of except Prelates or thosâ—… that â—…ould be such dâ—…b that they cannot speake and othâ—…s 〈◊〉 that they cannot hâ—…re till Christ dispossessed them of these Divells Marke 9. 17 25. Luke 11. 14. Such are Lordly Prelates for the most part they are not only dâ—…be themselves very seldome or never preaching in their Diocesse or opening their moâ—…thes in the Pulpit to teach the people whom they ofâ—…er bite and â—…eare with their teeths then instruct with their toungues And also deafe in turning the deafe care to the cries petitions and lamentable complaints of those many godly faithfull painfull Ministers and people now most injuriously oppressed persecuted silenced imprisoned vexed ruined and deprived by them both of the fooâ—… of their soules bodies such inexorable mercilesse deafe Devils are they to
suddainely and fearefully from heaven to earth like Liteninge Luke 10. 18. yea theâ—… with all their vsurped power lordlynes poâ—…pe State glory and multitude shall forever descend into Hell Isay 5. 14. as to their propper place Acts. 1. 25. 47. The divell is an importunate suitor who will hardly take any refusall or denyall of his suite A diligent soâ—…icitor and vigilant prosecutor of his designes overslipping no oportunity or meanes to atcheive â—…is ends and an impudent shamelesse miscreant who will never bee shamed daunted terrified by any detection discovery or publique dislike of his mischievous wiles plotts and attempts against the Ministers people Oâ—…dinances Gospell Kingdome of God and Christ as appeares by Iob 1. 13. to 22. c. 2. 1. to 10. Math. 4. 1. to 10. Ephes 6. 11 12 16. 1 Pet 5. 8 9. So the Lordly Prelates are importunate suitors to Princes and others for the advancement preservation of their Hierarcie usurpations Iurisdictions Ceremonies and the suppression of the purity and power of Religion in which they will have no denyall or foyle they are most vigilant diligent and earnest solicitors loosing no 〈◊〉 spâ—…ring no cost or paynes or promises to effect any thing that may make for the advancement of their proffit honour power Iurisdiction or suppression of the Puritans as they terme them now as their late encroachments upon his Majesties prerogative the subjects liberties the Common Lawes and other Officers witnesse yea they are impudent shamelesse most audacious brazen-faced creatures who will neither blush at give over nor desist the prosecution of their impious Popish designes though publickely detected to all the world witnesse our present experience For though the execrable Romish â—…esuiticall practises of some of our Lord Prelates to usher in Popery Superstition and Idolatry as by licensing Popish and sâ—…perstitious Bookes purging and altering the Common Prayer-booke â—…ast-booke and Gun-powder-treason-booâ—…e in a most gâ—…osse and shamelesse that I say not traytorly manner by erecting Altars Images Crucifixes Crosses as the Archbishop of Canterbury the Arch-Irnovator both in Church and State affaires though hee will not bee thus reputed hath erected Altars and Crucifixes in the Chappell 's of Lambeth Croydon London-house Fuâ—…ham c. The Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield D. Wright this last pestilentiall Sommer blotted out Gods Ten Commandements in the Cathedrall at Litchfield aâ—…d set up a giont-like monstrous Crucifix as bigge and large as any three men with an Altar under it and also raysed the Chauncell and set up an Altar at Coventry as one Knightly a knowne Popish Priest in those parts directed as that Good-man S. Godfrey of Gloster hath also erected a Crucifix and Altar in his Cathedrall at Gloster and solemnly consecrated Altar-clothes for them And likewise hath set up a new Crosse at â—…inzor with a large glorious Crucifix on the one side and the picture of Christ arising out of his grave with his Body halfe in and halfe out of his Sepulcher in goodly colours on the other not fearing to write thereon in Capitall letters and to give publique notice to all the Realme That this Crosse was repayred and beautified at his costs Anno Domini 1635. contrary to the expresse Doctrine of our Homelies which condemned the very making of the picture of Christ or a Crucifix as Idolatrous wicked and a meere lye to which hee and all other our Crosse erecting Prelates have ofte subscribed and therefore are worthy of no painted but a reall Crosse themselues for tollerating and erecting such Crosses and Crucifixes contrary to their owne subscriptions only to set Popery by silencing suspending and persecuting godly Ministers Suppressing lectures and powerfull preaching in many Diocesse encouraging people to neglect and profane Gods Saboathes with all Heathenish sportes and impieties imposing new visitation Oâ—…thes Articles Ceremonies and the like setting up the Popes Canon law rayling upon godly Ministers and people suppressing them under the name of Puritans Magnifying Popish writings and vilefyinge Protestant Authors endeavoring to bring in the Gregorian account punishing all those that oppose their Romish Innovations or indicte or molest them for it in the high Commission now made a meere Spanish Inquisition to suppresse our Protestant Religion and set Popery with an high hand against his Majesties Lawes and publique declaration and by sundry other such Iesuiticall tricks and stratagemes prescribed long since by the Iesuite Contzen Politiq liber 5. which their Lordships follow to an haires bredth Since some or all these their execrable practises I say at which the very divell himselfe might blush and hide his head have been laid open to all the world of late in such an apparant undeniable manner that all the people both cleerely see declayme against and abhorre their treachery villany and wicked Romish designes and themselves had they any conscience shame ingenuity grace or modesty in them would be ashamed to shew their faces either in citty or countrey Much more at Court having so notoriously abused his Majestie and affronted his Lawes and Declarations in all these particulars and injured his Highnesse in his Royall Issues Sister Nephewes in blotting them out of the Collect late Fast-booke and Catalogue of Gods Elect Yet these audacious holy Fathers as blushlesse as their Gownes their Rochetts or the divell are so farre from being ashamed or reforming these their enormities and impieties that they proceed on with as great or greater rage and violence in them then before silencing more Ministers every day yea breaking open the houses committing close Prisonners and questioning those with an high hand as seditious persons and offendors who dare preach or write against or finde fault with those their perfidious traytorly disloyall impious practises Purgations Innovations Crucifixes Altars Tapers and proceedings execrable both to God and man So like to the Divell are they growne in their affronted shamelesse impudency 48. The divell hath great wrath bâ—…cause hee knoweth hee hath but a short time Revel 12 13. So have Lord Prelates noâ—… great wrath and â—…xercise strange unusuall rage persecutions exorbitances against Gods faithfull Ministers and people hunting after them with their blood-hounds the Pursevants and riâ—…ing and breaking up their howses Studies Coffers with unheard of violence as if they were the archest Traytors breathing witnesse their late proceedings against Master Burton in clapping him up close prisonner and convicting his wife and Clarke to severall prisons onely for obeying his commands in presenting his Appeales and Sermons to the Lords For God and the King which makes people stand amazed at their tyranny and causeth the Papists to triumph as if the day now were theirs whereas Preists and Iesuites meere Traytors by our lawes are favored of late as their darling Sonnes and not molested by them Therfore doublesse the time of their vsurped tyranny raigne wil be but very short and their sinnes now growne ripe withall for the Sickle of Gods Iudgments the ficaâ—…l ruine of their
antichristian Hierarchie and more then bâ—…barous tyrannie neere at hand 49. When the great redd Dragon and his Angeâ—…ls were cast out of heauen Gods Church the heauens and those that dwelt therein by Gods commandments did reioyce Rev. 12. 12. So when those Lordly Prelates and their forenamed Angels shall bee caâ—… quite out of the Church of God Shee and all her faithfull members will exceedingly rejoyce they being now her greatest griefe and grievance of which shee is so weary and sicke at heart that shee groanes to bee delivered from unbâ—…thened of them being now intollerable for her to sustayne Such is their present divellish insolency pride and open tyrannie especially of that Arch-wolfe and madde red Dragon of Canterbury who now makes open havocke of Gods Church and Ministers like another furious power against all Lawes of God the Realme to the amazement of the people 50. Hell and everlasting torments are prepated for the divell and his Angels reserved now in chaines of darknesse â—…nto the Iudgment of the great day when they shall be all cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever Math. 25. 41. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Iude 6. Revel 20. 20. So are they prepared likewise for all proud Lordly persecuting unpreaching oppressing tyrannizing Prelates who suppresse the preaching and progresse of the Gospell with the Preachers Ministers and Professors of it and hate them to the death And if there be any place or torments in Hell hotter deeper greater or moâ—…e insupportable â—…orrid and loathsome then other certainly that shall bee reserved for these ungodly Lord Bishops and false Prophets who shall have the same condemnation and torments inâ—…icted on them as the divell himselfe shall vndergoe 1. Tim. 3. 6 7. Rev. 20. 10. O that our proud persecuting Lording Prelates would now at last consider this o that they would repent and amend in time before they fall downe headlong quick into Hell Some of them as their late actions manifest to all the world being growne as insolent as impudent as desperate professed publique enemies to purity piety holynes the syncere preaching and Preachers of Gods word and power of Religion as the very divell himselfe and some of them I â—…eare worse then any divells For first all the divells beleeve Gods threats word Iudgments and tremble at them Iames. 2. 19. but they as their atheisticall vnjust vnconscionable tyranicall lives and actions proclayme to all men doe neither beleeue nor tremble at them 2. The divell confessed Paule his fellow preachers to be the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of saluation Acts. 16. 16 17 18. Lordly Prelates will not confesse our godliest faithfullest Preaching Ministers to be such witnesse there expung of the Collect in the last fast-booke begining thus It had beene good for us c. Only because it magnifieth often preaching and call such preachers Gods servants 3. The divell is exceeding diligent night and day but Lordly Prelates very lasie negligent in following of their spirituall Plough as B. Latimer shewes at large in his Sermon of the Plough so in those three respects are worse then hee When as they are parallels and checkmates with him in all and every of these 50. Particulars From all which I shall frame this Argument discovering the office and calling of Lordly Bishops and Prelates not to be from God nor of divine institution but from the Divell and his invention which I challenge all great Lord Bishops to answer if they can Those who are altogether like the very Divell tread in his footsteps doe his workes and bring forth his propper fruits in all the forecited particulars and that principally by reason of their function those questionlesse are none of Gods institution but of their Fathers the Divell of and from whom they are Christ himselfe so expressely resolving Iohn 8. 44. 1 Iohn 3. 8. Math 7. 16. 20. Such have Lordly domineering Pontificiall Bishops and Prelates in all ages beene and that principally by reason of their Lordly functions as the premises all Stories and experience manifest Therefore they and their Lordly function are none of Gods institution but of their father the divells of and from whom they are Yet mistake me not I pray as if I concluded every Bishop to bee like the divell in all these particulars or to bee damned Such uncharitablenesse and impiety bee farre from me and all good Christians I know some Bishops have beene godly men and Gods deere Saints I doubt not but there are some few such now though their cowardise and silence in Gods cause in which they now dare not publikely appeare bee inexcusable 1. But yet this I say withall First that they were such before they were made Lord Bishops 2. That their Bishoprickes never made any of them better or more laborious or couragious sor the truth then before but many of them far worse fearefuller and lasier 3. That since Bishopricks were endowed with Lordly riches Iurisdiction power and pompe I never read of any one man that was ill before who grew a good and godly Christian by being made such a Bishop a thing remarkable nor of any good man before that ever grew better more painefull holâ—… zealous heavenly minded and laborious but most of them al much â—…orse more idle worldly covetous proud luxurious malicious oppressive petulant selfe-willed and unjust 4. That most Lordly Prelates especially those who have beene most pontificiall powerfull Lordly domineering active and stirring in the Church and state have in all ages since they were made Lords Peeres and Bâ—…rons beene like the divell in all or most of the forecited particulars and if any proved good or became not such it was only from the overruling sanctifying grace of Gods spirit in their hearts before and after they were made Lord Prelates not from this very Lordly office pompe power and function it selfe which otherwise would have made them such as it hath made most other Popes and Prelates as all stoâ—…ies evidence 5. Finally I affirme that if to bee a Lord Bishop bee such a thing onely as many now define and make it Namely to manage temporall offices and state-affaires to give over preaching except one Leuten Court-Sermon in a yeare or two not in their proper Dioc sse to their people to follow and hunt the Kings Court to get and dispose oâ—… Ecclesiasticall and so 〈◊〉 civil osfices and preferments to suppresse Lectures Lecturers and often preaching of Gods Word Suspend excommunicate persecute imprison deprive godly Ministers and Professors for toyes and trifles yea for their zeale and piety against all Lawes of God and man to consecrate Chappels Churches set up Crucifixes Altars Tapers Crosses Organs Images â—…oyle in Communion-tables Altaâ—…wise set up Superstition Popery and Idolatry License Popish and Armenian Bookes Corrupt and purge the Common-Prayer-Booke the Gunpowder treason Booke the Fast Booke yea the Articles of Religion ad normam Romanae fidei
to make and impose new visitation Oathes Articles 〈◊〉 Orders Innovations to make Miniâ—…ers Churchwardâ—…ns 〈◊〉 to keepe visitations and Consistories without any Patent or Commission from his Majestie in their owne names and rights alone to graunt out Citations Proces Excommunications Probate of wills Commissions of administration c. in their owne names under their owne Seales not his Majesties to fine imprison censure and 〈◊〉 his Majesties good Subjects c. their fellow brethren at their pleasures to bee coached and barged up and downe from place to place I am sure seldome to the pulpit to bee courted capped attended cloathed like petty Kings and Princes to fare deliciously every day to have stately Pallaces great possessions Knights and brave Gentlemen to attend them Lords and Earles to crowch unto them all to feare them flatter them none to rebuke oppose or control them no not in their oppressing and unjust courses to bolster out their encroachments upon the Kings Prerogative and Lawes and on his Subjects Liberties with might threats and violence to trampâ—…e all Lawes of God and man under foot and doe all things by will power not Law or Canon to bee implacable unmercifull pittilesse proud stately cruell to shake up terrifie and bâ—…ow-beate imprison Excommunicate deprive degrade presents their fellow-brethren and eate them like their Curres to set forward all profanenesse disorders sports and Eâ—…hnicke pastimes even on Gods own day and make no conscience of it to doe all things like absolute Law-givers Lords Popes and Monarks or rather professed Atheists fearing neither God â—…or man and breaking all their lawes to bolster up base drinke idle scandalous clergie men exempting them froâ—… secular power jurisdiction to maintaine their Officers in 〈◊〉 open exortions oppressions abuses exhorbitant misdemeanor the like Which is now only to be and play the Bishop in point of Doctrine and practise Then thus to bee and act the Biâ—…hop is in truth to 〈◊〉 and play the very divell and to parallell him in all forecited respects let those who are such Lordly Prelates deny it if they can or dare The second Parallel BETWEENE THE IEWISH HIGH PRIESTS And Lordly Prelates AS Lordly Prelates resemble their Father the divell in all the forenamed particulars so doe they the Iewish high Priests in these ensuing Particulars 1. The high Priests of the Iewes were ordained of men to offer gifts and sacrifizes on the Altar Heb. 8 3. Exod. 40. Levit. 1. to 22. So our high Priests the Lord Prelates are and will bee ordayned and also ordaine others high Priests for this end to offer Sacrifices and gifts at their new erected Altars not to preach the end why they every where erect advance consecrate and bow downe to Altars which now want nothing but a Masse to grace them withall 2. The Iewish high Priests had their Miters and brave costly pontificall Robes ornaments and attires whereby they were differenced from other men Exod. 31. 1. to 32. c. 28 2. to 43. So have the Lordly Prelates and that in imitation of the Iewish high Priests from whence they derive them 3. The Iewish high Priests went but once a yeare into the second Tabernacle to offer for the people Heb. 9. 7. And our Lordly high Priests commonly goe but once a yeare and many of them scarce once in 3. or 4. yeares witnesse both our present Arch-prelates some other unpreaching Bishops examples into the Pulpit to preach unto the people or to offer sacrifice on the Altar 4. The Iewish high Priests commanded the Apostles not preach any more in the name of the Lord Iesus to the people that they might be saved and apprehended imprisoned and scourged them for doâ—…ng it Acts 4 5. 1 Thess. 2. 16. Our Lordly Prelates heretofore and at this very day silence and suspend our best our painfullest Ministers from preaching Gods Word unto their people that they may bee saved though God the King the Books of Ordination and Statutes of the Realme enjoyne them for to doe it and threaten to apprehend imprison and fine them if they preach contrary to their suspensions as the Apostles did Who in despite of all the high Priests threats inibitions imprisonments stripes three times one after another Daily in the Temple and in every howse which now would bee a Conventicle ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ Acts 5. 41 42. And so would and should our Ministers now silenced against Law and Canon too were they true successors of the Apostles and not intoxicâ—…ted with a base unworthy spirit of carnall feare and cowardize which makes them betray their liberties Religion Flocks Brethren to the will and rapine of these beastly ravening Lordly Wolves 5. The Iewish high Priest granted out warrants or letters missive to Saul breaâ—…hing out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord that if hee found any of this way whether they were men or women hee might bring them bound to Ierusâ—…em Acts 〈◊〉 2. Lordly Prelates heretofore and now grant the like letters missiue warrants and Attachments to their Pursuivants and other malicious wicked Informers that breath out threatnings and slaughter against the Lords disciples against divers godly Ministers Christians and all such as they please to stile Puritans and Cowventicklers wheither men oâ—… women to breaks open and ransacks their houses take their bodies bring them up Prisonners to London Ye kâ—… or Durham before their Lordships holynesses to fine censure deprive imprison and undoe them though Christ his Apostles and the primitive Bishops never claymed or exercised any such Lordly secular tyranny or Iurisdiction but condemned it as unlawfull and unbeseeming Clergie-men 6. The Iewish high-Priest Ananias when Paul was convented before the Counsell and beganne to make his Apologie and plead his owne cause commanded them that stood by to smite him on the mouth and would not suffer him to speake in his owne defence Acts 33. 1 2. Thus doe our Lord Prelates deale with Gods Ministers when they come before them in the High Commission or elsewhere they will not suffer them to speake in their owne defence or pleade their owne causes to the full but when they offer to speake enjoyne them silence or else commaund the Pursevant or Iaylour to smite them on the mouth or take them away to the Prison So imperious are their Lordships growne Take but one fresh memorables instance insteed of many others One M. Snelling a graue Kentish Minister was suspended ab Officio Beneficio about a veare and halfe since by D. Wood commissary to the Bishop of Rochester and after that excommunicated pursuiuanted and articled against before the High Commissioners at Lambetâ—… only for not reading the Declaration for sports fathered falsely upon his Majesty by the Prelates To which Articles hee drawing up a full answer shewing the reasons both in point of law and conscience why hee conceived himselfe not bound to read it and so not culpable of any crime the