Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	let_v	2,627	5	4.5197	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56127	The antipathie of the English lordly prelacie, both to regall monarchy, and civill unity: or, An historicall collection of the severall execrable treasons, conspiracies, rebellions, seditions, state-schismes, contumacies, oppressions, & anti-monarchicall practices, of our English, Brittish, French, Scottish, & Irish lordly prelates, against our kings, kingdomes, laws, liberties; and of the severall warres, and civill dissentions occasioned by them in, or against our realm, in former and latter ages Together with the judgement of our owne ancient writers, & most judicious authors, touching the pretended divine jurisdiction, the calling, lordlinesse, temporalities, wealth, secular imployments, trayterous practises, unprofitablenesse, and mischievousnesse of lordly prelates, both to King, state, Church; with an answer to the chiefe objections made for the divinity, or continuance of their lordly function. The first part. By William Prynne, late (and now againe) an utter-barester of Lincolnes Inne.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1641 (1641)	Wing P3891A; Wing P3891_vol1; Wing P4074_vol2_CANCELLED; ESTC R18576	670,992	826

purely ●hat they see no contrary ensample in thee to whatsoever tho● teachest them in Christ that tho● put no stumbling blocke before them to make them ●aile while they be yet young and weake in the faith But that thou abstaine as Paul teacheth 1 Thes. 5. Ab omni specie mala from all t●at might seeme evill or whereof a man might ●urmise amisse and that thou so love them that whatsoever gift of God in them is thou thinke the same theirs and their food and for their sakes given unto thee as the ●ruth is and that all their infirmit●es be thine and that thou feele them and that with all thy power to helpe to amend them and cease not to cry to God for them neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be found in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoever thou teachest them that be thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skin as our Holy Father the Pope is which commeth unto us in a name of hypocrisie and in the Title of cursed Cham o● Ham calling himselfe Serv●s servo●um the Servant of all ●ervants and is yet found tyrannus ●yrannorum of all tyrants the most cruell This is to receive young Children in Christs name and to receive young Children in Christs name is to beare rule in the Kingdome of Christ. Thu● ye see that Christs Kingdome is altogether spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleare contrary unto the bearing of rule temporally Wherefore none that be●reth rul● in it may have any temp●rall jurisdiction or minister any temporall Office that requireth violence to compell withall Thus and ●arre more Mr. Tyndall All whose passages are very remarkable and worthy serious consideration Iohn Fri●h our learned English Martyr in his Answere to the Prefac● of Mr. Moores Book pag. 116 writes thus of Bishops an● their great possessions This Canker then began to spread in the Congregation and did full sore annoy the body insomuch that within foure hundred yeares there were very many Sects scattered in every coast Notwithstanding there were faithfull Fathers that diligently subdued them with the sword of Gods Word But surely since Silvester received such possessions hath the Canker so crept in the Church that it hath almost left never a sound member And as Cistercensis writeth in the eighth booke that day that hee received revenues was a voyce heard in the ayre crying over the Court which sayd This day is venome shed into the Church of God Before that time there was no Bishop greedy to take a Cure For it is no honour and profit as it is now but onely a carefull charge which was like to cost him his life at one time or other And therefore no man would take it but he that bare such a love and zeale to God and his ●locke that hee could be content to shed his blood for them But after that it was made so honourable and profitable they that were worst both in learning and living most laboured for it For they that were vertuous would not entangle themselves with the vaine pride of this world and weare three Crownes of gold where Christ did weare one of thorne And in conclusion it came so farre● that whosoever would give most money for it or best could flatter the Prince which he knew well all good men to abhorre had the preheminence and got the best Bishopricke and then instead of Gods Word they published their owne Commandements and made Lawes to have all under them and made men beleeve they could not erre whatsoever they did or sayd and even as in the Roomes stead of Moses Aaron Eliazer Iosue Caleb and other Faithful folk came Herod Annas Caiphas Pilate and Iudas which put Christ to death● So now in the stead of Christ Peter Paul Iames and Iohn and the faithfull followers of Christ we have the Pope Cardinalls Arch-Bishops Bishops and proud Prelates with their Proctors● the malicious Ministers of their Master the Devill which notwithstanding transform●● themselves into a likenesse as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end shall bee according to their workes So that the body is cankered long agone and now are left but certaine small members which God of his puissant power hath rese●ved uncorrupted● and because they see that they cannot be cankered as their owne ●lesh is for pure anger they bu●●e them● lest if they continued there might seeme some deformity in their owne cankered carkasses by the comparing of these whole members to their scabbed body Our godly Martyr D. Barnes in his Articles pag. 210 211 212 213. writes thus of Bishops I will never beleeve nor yet I can never beleeve that one man may be by the Law of God a Bishop of two or three Cities yea of an whole Country for it is contrary to Saint Paul which saith I have left thee behind to set in every City a Bishop And if you find in one place of Scripture that they be called Episcopi you shall find in divers other places that they be called Presbyteri I was brought before my Lord Cardinall into his Gallery and there he read all my Articles till he came to this and there he stopped and said that this touched him and therefore he asked mee if I thought it wrong that one Bishop should have so many Citties underneath him unto whom I answered that I could no farther goe than to Saint Pauls text which set in every City a Bishop Then asked hee mee if I thought it now unright seeing the Ordinance of the Church that one Bishop should have so many Cities I answered that I knew none Ordinance of the Church as concerning this thing but Saint Pauls saying onely neverthelesse I did see a contrary custome and practice in the world but I know not the Originall thereof Then said hee that in the Apostles ●ime there were divers Citie● some seven miles some sixe mile● long and over them was there set but one Bishop and of their Suburbes also So likewise now ● bishop hath but one City to his Cathedrall Church and the country about is as Suburbs unto it Mee thought this was farre fetched but I durst not deny it because it was great Authority and of so holy a Father and of so great a Divine But this date I say tha● his Hollinesse could never prove it by Scripture nor yet by any authority of Doctors not yet by any practice of the Apostles and yet it must be tr●e because a pillar of the Church hath spoken it● But let us see what the Doctors say to my Article Athanasius doth declare this text of the Apostle I have left thee behind c. Hee would not commit unto one Bishop a whole Isle but hee did enjoyne th●t every City● should have his proper Pastor supposing that by this meanes they should more diligently oversee

day f. 284. But it is a thing to be lamented that the Prelates and other spirituall persons will not attend upon their Offices they will not be amongst their flockes but rather will run hither and thither here and there where they are not called and in the meane season leave them at adventure of whom they take their living yea and furthermore some will rather be Clerkes of Kitchins or take other offices upon them besides that which they have already but with what conscience these same doe so I cannot tell I feare they shall not be able to make answe●e at the last day for their follies as concerning that matter for this office is such a heavie and mighty office that it requireth a whole man yea and let every Curate or Parson keepe his Cure to w●ich God hath appointed him and let him doe the ●est that he can yet I tell you he cannot chuse but the Devill will have some for he sleepeth not he goeth about day night to seek whom he may devoure Therfor● it is neede for every Godly Minister to abide by his sheepe seeing that the Wolfe is so neere and to keepe them and wit●stand the Wolfe Indeed there be some ministers here in England which doe no good at al and therefore it were better for them to leave their benefices and give roome unto others Finally in his Sermon Preached before the Convocation Iune 9. in the 28. of Henry 8. he thus speaketh to the Clergie of England and Lordly Prelates touching the utilitie of their Councels and assemblies for the Churches good The end of your Convocation shall shew what ye have done the fruite that shall come of your consultation shal shew what generation ye be of For what have ye done hitherto I pray you these 7. yeares more What have ye engendred What have yee brought ●orth What fruite is come of your long and great assembly what one thing that the people of England hath beene the better of an haire Or you your selves either accepted before God or better discharged toward the people committed unto your cure Or that the people is better learned and taught now then they were in time past to whether of these ought we to attribute it to your industry or to the providence of God and the foreseeing of the Kings Grace Ought we to thanke you or the Kings highnesse whether stirred other first you the King that ye might preach or he you by his Letters that ye should preach oftner Is it unknowne thinke you how both ye and your Curates were in manner by violence enforced to let bookes to be made not by you but by prophane and lay persons to let them I say be sold abroad and read for the instruction of the people I am bold with you but I speake Latine and not English to the Clergie no● to the Laity I speake to you being pre●ent and not behind your backes God is my witnesse I speake whatsoever is spoken of the good will that I beare you God is my witnesse which knoweth my heart and compelle●h me to say that I say Now I pray you in God his name what did you so great Fathers so many so long a season so oft assembled together what went you about what would ye have brought to passe two things taken away the one that ye which I heard burned a dead man the other that ye which I le●t went about to burne one being alive Him because he did I cannot tell how in his Testament withstand your profit in other points as I have heard a very good man reported to ●e of an honest life while he lived full of good workes both good to the Clergie and also to the Laity this other which truely never hurt any of you ye would have ●aked in the Coales because he would not subs●ribe to cer●aine Articles that tooke away the Supremacie of the King Take away these two Noble Acts and there is nothing else left that ye went about that I know saving that I now remember that somewhat ye attempted against Erasmus albeit as yet nothing is come to light Ye have oft sit in consultation but what have ye done ye have had many things in deliberation but what one put forth whereby either Christ is more glorified or else Christs people made more holy I appeale to your owne conscience How chanceth this How came this thus Because there were no Children of light no Children of God among you which setting the world at nought would studie to illustrate the glory of God and thereby shew themselves Children of light So this godly Martyr who hath sundry such like passage in his Sermons In the Conference Anno. 1555. betweene our Religious Martyr Iohn Bradford and Doctor Harpesfield Arch Deacon of London Master Bradford complaines that the Pillars of the Church were persecuters of the Church and tells him you shall no●●●nde in all the Scripture this your essentiall part of succession of Bishops whereupon Harpesfield sayd Tell me were not the Apostles Bishops To which Bradford replyed No except you will make a new definition of a Bishop that is give him no certaine place Harpesfield Indeede the Apostles Office was not the Bishops office for it was universall but yet Christ instituted Bishops in his Church as Paul saith he hath given Pastors Prophets c. So that I trow it be proved by the Scriptures the succession of Bishops to be an essentiall point Brad. The Ministry of Gods Word and Ministers be an essentiall point But to translate this to the Bishops and their succession is a plaine subtilty And therefore that it may be plaine I will aske you a question Tell me WHETHER THAT THE SCRIPTVRE KNEW ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEENE BISHOPS AND MINISTERS which ye called Priests Harps No. So that by the joynt confession of Papists and Protestants in Queene Maries time Bishops and Ministers by the Scripture are both one Brad. Well then goe on forwards and let us see what ye shall get now by the succession of Bishops that is of Ministers which can be understood of such Bishops as minister not but Lord it Lord Bishops than are none of Christs institution nor of the Apostles succession Master Fox his Acts and Monuments of our Martyrs Lond. 1610. p. 1796. I finde this Dialogue betweene Dr. Iohn Baker Collins his Chaplaine and Edmund Allin a Martyr Baker I heard say that you spake against Priests and Bishops Allin I speake for them for now they have so much living and especially Bishops Arch-deacons and Deanes that they neither can nor will teach Gods Word If they had a hundred pounds a peece then would they apply their study now they cannot for other affaires Collins who will then set his children to schoole Allin Where there is now one set to schoole for that end there would be 40. because that one Bishops living divided into 30. or 40 parts would finde so many as well learned men

of conscience he who hath learned nothing is made the teacher of others and like sounding brasse and a ●inkling Cymball usurpes the office of Preaching when as he is an unprofitable ●tock and a dumbe Idoll This is it which Ecclesiastes deploringly complaines of I have seene saith he an evill under the Sunne a foole placed in high dignity and wise men sitting in low places An illiterate Bishop is a dumbe preacher It is a Prelates duty to instruct the people under him to render a people acceptable to God by opening the mystery of the Scriptures But at this day such as the people are such is the Priest as hi● darknes is so also is light Blush O Sidon at the Sea a Prela●e may blush and grieve to rule over people not to profit them to have taken upon him the office of a Teacher and to be mute in instructing the people It is the word of the lamenting Prophet My people is become a lost flock their Pastors have seduced them they are dumb● dogges not able to barke● They ought to drive the Wolves from the flocks but they themselves are wolves to their owne taking care neither of their owne nor theirs salvation they preci●itate the●selves with their flocks into the pit of eternall death Thus and much more he Not to mention Grostheads booke de Ignavia Praelatorum Or Halredus de Praelatorum moribus Nigellus Wireker de Abusu rerum Ecclesiae Gualther Mapes his Complaint against the Pr●l●tes Ad mal●s Pastores ad ●mpios Praelatos● Robert Baston de sacerdotum Luxuriis or ●ohn Purvey de obliquo cleri statu all declaiming against the Lordlinesse pompe pride wealth and v●●es of Prelates the most of which bookes the Prelates have suppressed their titles onely being left upon record Nor yet to mention the passages of Robert Holkot our famous Clerke In lib. Sapientiae lect 77.163 and lect 1. in Proverbia Solomonis to like purpose Richardus Armachanus Archbishop of Armagh flourishi●g in the beginning of Wicklif● time about the yeare of Christ 1350. De Questionibus Armenorum l. 11. ● 1. determines thus That neither the Dominion nor Ministry of temporall things belongs to Ecclesiasticall dignity but rather deminishes i● For the Lord prohibited the Dominion of temporall things to his Apostles and Disciples saying Possesse neither gold nor moneys in your purses Mat. 10.19 If thou wilt be perfect go● and sell all thou hast give to the poore Now it cannot bee of Ecclesiasticall dignity which the Head of the Church hath prohibited to his members or at least would not have them to po●sess●● Whence it appeares that the dominion or possession of temporall things doth in no wise essentially appertaine to Ecclesiasticall dignity but rather diminisheth it In the second Chapter he averres that these states and degrees of Patri●rch Archbishop Bishop c. were invented onely out of the devotion of men not instituted by Christ and his Apostles That no Prelate of the Church how great soever hath any greater degree of the power of order then a simple Priest In the fourth Chapter hee proves that the power of confirmation and imposition of hands that the Holy Ghost may be given thereby appertains to the jurisdiction of th● Presbytery Which he manifesteth by Acts 7. 14. 1 Tim. 4. and by the practice of the Primitive Church after the Apostles time In the fourth and fifth Chapters he demonstrates That Priests are called Bishops by the Apostle Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3. Titus 1. and Acts 20.28 Et quod ordine succedant Apostolis and that they succeed the Apostles in order In the sixth Chapter he proves That all Priests and Bishops are equall as to the power of Order And in the fourth Chapter he punctually determines That there is no distinction found in the Evangelicall or Apostolicall Scriptures betweene Bishops and simple Priests called Presbyters Whence it follow●s Quod in omnibus est una potestas aequalis ex ordin● that in all of them there is one and equall power by reason of Order And that for ought he can find the Apostle Paul doth not in any of his Epistles distinguish between the Order of Presbyters that is of Apostles and Bishops That every one who hath the cure of others is a Bishop Which the name of a Bishop importeth and manifesteth For a Bishop is nothing else but a superintendent or watchman From whence it is evident● that besides the power of Order hee hath nothing but a Cure Our famous English Apostle John VVicklife as Master Fox oft stiles him delivers the selfesame doctrine of the Identity of Presbyters and Bishops Dialogorum l. 4. c. 14. De Sacramento ordinis f. 124 125. Some men saith he multiply the character in Orders But I consider whether their foundation or fruit be in the Scripture But one thing I confidently averre That in the Primitive Church and in Pauls time two Orders sufficed The Presbyter and the Deacon Likewise I say that in Pauls time a Presbyter and Bishop suit idem was the same This appeares by the first of Timothy chap 3. and T●tus chap. 1. And herein that profound Divine Hierome justifies the same as appeares Distinct. 74. Cap. Olim. For then was not invented that distinction of Pope and Cardinalls Patriarchs and Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Officials and Deanes with other Officers and private Religions of which there is neither number nor Order Concerning the contentions about these things that every one of these is an Order and that in the reception thereof the grace of God and a character is imprinted with other difficulties which ours babble about it seeme● good to me to be silent because they neither establish nor prove what they affirme But out of the faith of Scripture it seeme●h to me to suffice if there be Presbyters and Deacons keeping the sta●e and office which Christ hath imposed on them Because it seemes certaine that Caesarian Pride invented these other degrees and Orders For if they had been necessary to the Church Christ and his Apostles had not been silent in the expression of them and description of their office as those blaspheme who magnifie the Popes Laws above Christ. But a Catholicke ought to receive the office of these Clergy-men out of the Scriptures authority out of the Epistles to Timothy and Titus Neither ought he under paine of sinne to admit these new Caesarian inventions Thomas Waldensis Wickliffes professed Antagonist Tom. 1. l. 3. Artic. 3. c. 29.30.31 32. Tom. 2. c. 117 118. and Tom. 3. c. 60.61 62 63. brings in Wickliff● proving by many arguments That Bishops and Presbyters are all one and the same by divine institution and Gods Law That the Ordination of Presbyters belongs not onely to Bishops sed etiam ad simplic●m Sacerdotem But even to a meere Priest as well as to them That one ordained a Minister by a meere Priest alone ought not to doubt of his Priesthood or to seeke

of the foresaid temporalities without any charge to the Realm● whereunto the King the Lords and th● Commons are to be invited For otherwise there seemeth to hang over our heads a great and marvellous alteration of this Relme unlesse the same be put in execution And if the secular Priests and fained religious which be Simoniacks and Hereticks which faine themselves to say Masse and yet say none at all according to the Canons which to their purpose they bring and alledge 1. q. 3. Audivimus Cap. Pudenda Cap. Schisma by which Chapter such Priests and religious doe not make the Sacrament of the Altar that then all Christians especially all the founders of such Abbies and endowers of Bishopricks Priories and Chaunte●ies ought to amend this fault and treason committed against their Predecessors by taking from them such secular dominions which are the maintenance of all their sinnes And also that Christian Lords and Princes are bound to take away from the Clergy such secular Dominion as nous●eth and nourisheth them in Here●ies and ought to reduce them unto the simple and poore life of Christ Jesus and his Apostles And further that all Christian Princes if they will amend the malediction and blasphemy of the name of God ought to take away their temporalities from that shaven generation which most of all doth nourish them in such malediction And so in like wise the fat tithes from Churches appropriate to rich Monks and other religious fained by manifest lying and other unlawfull meanes likewise ought to debarre their gold to the proud Priest of Rome which doth poyson all Christendome with Simony and Heresie Further that it is a great abhomination that Bishops Monks and other Prelates be so great Lords in this World whereas Christ with his Apostles and Disciples never tooke upon them secular dominion neither did they appropriate unto them Churches as these men doe but lead a poore life and gave a good testimony of their Priesthood And therefore all Christians ought to the uttermost of their power and strength to sweare that they will reduce such shavelings to the humility and poverty of Christ and his Apostles and whosoever doth not thus consenteth to their Heresie Also that these two Chapters of the immunity of Churches are to be condemned that is Cap. Non minus Cap. Adversus Because they doe decree that temporall Lords may neither require tallages nor tenths by any ecclesiasticall persons He writes much more to the same effect The noble Martyr Sir Iohn Old Castle Lord Cobham professed That the will of God is That Priests being secluded from all worldlinesse should conforme themselves utterly to the examples of Christ and his Apostles be evermore occupied in Preaching and teaching the Scriptures purely and giving wholesome examples of good living to others being more modest loving gentle and lowly in spirit then any other sorts of people Where doe ye finde said hee to the Prelates in all Gods Law that ye should thus sit in judgement of any Christian man or yet give sentence of any other man unto death as ye doe her● dayly No ground have ye in all the Scriptures so Lordly to take it upon you but in Annas and Caiphas which sate thus upon Christ and upon his Apostles after his ascension Of them onely hav● y● taken it to judge Christs members as ye doe and neither of Peter nor Iohn Since the venom● of Iu●as was shed into the Church Yee never followed Christ nor yet stood in the perfection of Gods Law ●y venome I meane your possessions and Lordships For then cryed an Angell in the ayre as your owne Chronicles mention Woe woe woe This day is venome shed into the Church of God Before that time all the Bishops of Rome were Martyrs in a manner and since that time we reade of very few But indeed one hath put downe another one hath cursed another ●n● hath poysoned another one hath slaine another and done much more mischiefe besides as all Chronicles tell And let all men consider this well that Christ was meeke and mercifull the Pope and his Prelates is proud and a Tyrant Christ was poore and forgave the Pope is rich and a malicious manslayer as his dayly acts do prove him Rome is the very nest of Antichrist and out of that nest cometh all the Disciples of him of whom Archbishops Bishop● Prelates Priests and Monks be the body members and these pild Friers the tayle Though Priests and De●cons for preaching Gods word ministring the Sacraments with provision for the poore be grounded on Gods Law yet have these Sects no manner of ground thereof Hee that followeth Peter most nighest in pure living is next unto him in succession But your Lordly Order esteemed not greatly the behaviour of poore Peter what ever ye prate of him Pierce Plowman an anci●nt ●nglish Poet writes to the same effect If Knighthood and kinduite and commons by conscience Together love lelly leeveth it well ye Bishops The Lordship of Lands for ever ●all ye lese And live as Levitici as our Lord ye teacheth Deut. 8. Numb 5. per primitias Decimas c. And the Author of the same Treatise in his Plowmans complaint of the abuses of the World writes thus against the Lordlinesse and wealth of B●shops and Priests Lord thou saydst Kings of the Heathen men be Lords ●ver their subjects ●nd they that usen their power be clepen well doers But Lord thou saydst it should not bee so among thy servants but he that were most should be as a servant And Lord thy Priests in the old Law had no Lordship among their brethren but houses and pastures for their beasts but Lord our Priests now have great Lordships ●nd put their brethr●n in greater thraldome than Lewdmen that be Lords Thus in meeknesse forsaken The deed sh●weth well of th●se Masters that they desiren more maistery for their owne worship then for profit of the p●ople For wh●n they be Masters they n● pre●che● not so often as they did before And gif they preachen commonly it is before rich men there as they mowen beare worship and also profit of their preaching But b●fore poore men they preachen but seldome when they b● Masters and so by their workes we may seene that they are but false glossers O Lord deliver the sheepe out of the ward of these Shepheards and these hired men that stond●n more to keep their riches that they robben of thy sheep than they stonden in keeping of thy sheep And Lord geve our King and his Lords heart to defenden thy true shepheards and sheep from out of the Wolves mouthes and grace to know thee that art the true Christ the Sonne of the heavenly Father from the Antichrist that is the Son of perdition c. Sir Geoffry Chaucer our renowned Poet writ●s much the same effect The Emperour ga●e the Poet sometime So high Lordship him about That at last the sely Kyme

or fellowship promised unto us of the Prophet and of those Fathers long agoe reproved Whilest that Christ called thee the Synagogue of Satan and likened thee to the mighty Whore which committed fornication with the Kings of the earth the adulterous Spouse of Christ and of a chast person made a Strumpet Thou hast left thy first Love and cleaved unto us O our beloved Babylon O our Citizens which from the transmigration of Hierusalem come hither We love you for your deserts we rejoyce over you which contemn● the Lawes of Simon Peter and imbrace the Lawes of Simon M●gus our friend and have them at your fingers ends and exercise the same publickly buying and selling spirituall things in the Church of God and against the Commandement of God Ye give Benefices and Honours by Petition or else for money for favour or else for filthy service And refusing to admit those that be worthy to E●clesiasticall dignity you call unto the inheritance of Gods Sanctuary Bauds Liers Flatterers your Nephews and your owne Children and to a childish Boy ye give many Prebends the least whereof ye d●ny to bestow upon a poore good man Ye esteeme the person of a man and receive gifts Ye regard money and have no regard of Soules Ye have made the house of God a denne of Theeves All abuse extortion is more exercised an hundred fold in your judgement seats then with any secular Tyrant Ye make Lawes and keepe not the same and dispence with your dispensations as it pleaseth you you justifie the wicked for reward and take away the just mans desert from him And briefely yee perpetrate or commit all kinde of mischiefe even as it is our will yee should And ye take much paines for Lucres sake in our Service and especially to destroy the Christian faith For now the Lay people are almost in doubt what they may believe because if yee preach any such to them at sometimes although it be but seldome seene and that negligently enough even as we would have it yet notwithstanding they believe you not because they see manifestly that ye do clean contrary to that yee say Whereupon the co●mon people d●ing as yee doe which have the government of them and should be an example unto them of well doing now many of them lea●●ing to your rules doe runne headlong into a whole s●a of vices and continually a very great ●ultitude flocketh at the strong and well fenced gates of our dungeon And doubtlesse● yee send us so many day by day of every sort and kinde of people that we should not be able to entertaine them but that our insatiable Ch●os with her thousand ravening jawes is sufficient to devoure an infinite numbe● of soules And thus the soveraignty of our Empire by you hath beene reformed and out intolerable losse restored Wherefore most specially we commend you and give most hearty thankes exhorting all you that in any wise yee persevere and continue as hitherto yee have done neither that you slacke henceforward your enterprise For why by ●our helps wee purpose to bring the whole world under our power and dominion Over and besides this we commit unto you no small authority to supply our places in the betraying of your brethren and we make and ordaine you our Vicars and the Ministers of Antichrist our Sonne now hard at hand for whom ye have made a very trim way passage Furthermore we counsell you which occupy the highest roomes of all other that you worke subtilly and that yee faignedly procure peace betweene the Princes of the world and that yee cherish and procure secret causes of discord And like as craftily yee have destroyed and subverted the Roman Empire so suffer yee no kingome to be overmuch enlarged or enriched by tranquillity and peace lest perhaps in so great tranquillity all desire of peace set aside they dispose themselves to view and consider your most wicked workes suppressing on every side your estate and from your treasures take away such s●bstance as we have caused to be reserved and kept in your hands untill the comming of our welbeloved sonne Antichrist We would you should doe our commendations to our entirly beloved daughters Pride Deceit Wrath Avarice Belli-cheere and Lechery and to all other my daughters and especially to Lady Simony which hath made you men and enriched you and hath given you suck with her owne breasts and weaned you and therefore in no wise-see that yee call her sinne And also be yee lofty and proud because that the most high dignity of your estate doth require suck magnificence And also be yee covetous for whatsover yee get and gather into your fardell it is for Saint Peter for the peace of the Church and for the defence of your patrimony and the Crucifix and therefore yee may lawfully doe it you may promote Cardinalls to the highest seat of dignities without any ●et in the world in stopping the mouth of our adversary Jesus Christ and a●leaging againe that he preferred his kinsfolkes being but of poore and base degree unto the Apostle●hip but doe not you so but rather call as yee doe those that live in arrogancy in haughtinesse of mind and fil●hy lechery unto the sta●e of wealthy riches and pride and those rewa●ds and promotions which the followers of Christ forsooke do yee distribute unto your friends Therefore as you shall have better understanding prepare yee vices cloaked under the similitude of vertues alleage for your selves the glosses of the holy Scripture and wrest them directly for to serve for your purpose And if any man preach or teach otherwise than yee will oppresse yee them violently with the sentence of excommunication and by your censures heaped one upon another by the consent of your brethren let him be condemnned as an heretique 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 your soules which word I abhorr● as I doe the soules of other faithfull men And doe your endeavour that yee may deserve to have the place which we have prepared for you under the most wicked foundation of our dwelling place fare yee well with such felicity 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 Devills were present specially for this purpose ca●led unto our most dolorous Consistory under the Character of our terrible Seale for the confirmation of the premises Divers other writings of like argument saith Master Fox both before and since have beene devised As one bearing the Title Luciferi ad malos principes Ecclesiasticos ●mprinted first at Paris in Latine And under the writing thereof bearing this

this purpose and not for the other have you received the keyes of the kingdome of Heaven why then doe you invade other mens bounds or borders The rest I will passe over for brevities cause The seventh Article Falsly and against the Honour State and reverence of the sacred Majesty of the King of Scots hee hath said holden and affirmed that our most noble King of Scots defender of the Christian faith would appropriate unto himselfe all the possessions lands and rents of the Church given and granted by his predecessors and also by himselfe and convert them unto his owne private use And for this end and purpose as hee hath many times written unto him so hath he with his whole endeavour perswaded our said noble Lord and King thereunto It is no marvell though these mad dogs doe so barke against mee whom they thinke to have counselled the Kings Majesty I would to God I had also throughly perswaded him that hee should take away from these unjust sacrilegious possessors the riches wherewith all they are fatted and ●ngreased like Swine For this is the nature of dogs if any man goe about to take away the bone out of their mouth by and by to snatch at him and teare him with their teeth It is out of all controversie unto such as have any wit at all that such men were very childish that is to say ignorant of all learning and judgement which did so fat and feed with their possessions these belly beasts For who would not judge it more then childish to bestow the Kings victuals or meate upon the bellies of the prophets of Baal and Iesabel But all they which at this present doe endowe such filthy sinks I will not call them dens of thieves with such revenues they doe follow the steps of Iesabel for what other thing doe they when as daily they are bleating and lowing before their Images burning of Incense and fall flat downe before their Altars but that which in times past the prophets of Baal did when as they transported the worship of God unto an Idoll Wherefore if Daniel and Elias were spotted with heresie when they would have destroyed the Priests of Baal I grant that I also must bee an Heretique But for so much as then hee did nothing but which was commanded him of the Lord that was able to kill the prophet which had allured the people to follow strange gods he could not truly and justly be accused of heresie so neither can my adversaries spot mee therewithall except peradventure they will condemne me that whereas Elias dealt more rigorously with the prophets of Baal for he cast them into the brooke Kidron I required or desired no more but that the riches which was wickedly bestowed upon them and their possessions might be taken from them The ninth Article He hath openly holden said and affirmed preached and taught that the Lawes of the Church that is to say the sacred Canons approved and allowed by the holy Catholique and Apostolique Church are of no force strength or effect alleadging therefore and affirming that they are made and intended contrary to the Law of God God forbid that I should say that those things which are approved by the holy Catholike Church should be of no effect or value For well I know that the holy Apostolique Church hath never been allowed ordained or taught any thing which shee hath not learned of the Lord the Apostles are witnesses therof Peter and Paul whereof the one of them dared not freely utter or speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by himselfe for the obedience of the Gentiles The other exhorteth That if any man speake he should speake the praises of God but I condemne those lawes which the Bishops of Rome have made according to their owne will and mind and say that they are spirituall pertaining unto the salvation of the soule and necessarie unto everlasting life for so much as the writings of the Apostles doe evidently declare that there was no authority knowne amongst them to make or ordaine any ordinances or lawes Furthermore the Scriptures doe manife●tly shew the same how oftentimes even by the Lords owne mouth this foresaid authority is taken from the Ministers of the Church so that no excuse for them remaineth but that they be plaine rebels against the Word of God how many soever doe presume or take upon them to appoint or set any new lawes upon the people of God Which thing is more manifest and evident than the light it selfe in many places of the Scripture For in the three and twentieth chapter of Ioshua it is written You shall observe and doe all that is written in the Law of Moses neither shall you swarve from that either to the right hand or to the left hand But that which is written in the ●welfth chapter of Deuteronomy ought to move them somewhat the more What soever I command saith the Lord that shall you observe and doe thereunto you shall adde nothing neither shall you take any thing from it c. This point hee there excellently prosecutes at large where yo● may read more at your leisure M. William Tyndall our famous Martyr in his obedience of a Christian man Printed C●m Privilegio at London 1573. p. 98. writes thus of Bishops and their practises God promised David a Kingdome● and immediately stirred up King Saul against him to persecute him to hunt him as men do Hares with Greyhounds and to ferret him out of every hole and that for the space of many yeares to tame him to meere his lusts to make him feele other mens diseases to make him mercifull to make him understand that hee was made King to minister and to serve his brethren and that he should not thinke that his Subjects were made to minister unto his Lusts and that it were lawfull for him to take away from them life and goods at hi● pleasure Oh that our Kings were so nurtured nowadayes which our holy Bishops teach of a farre other manner saying your Grace shall take your pleasure yea take what pleasure you list spare nothing wee shall dispense with you wee have power wee are Gods Vicars and let us alone with the Realme wee shall take paine for them and see that nothing be well your Grace shall but defend the faith onely After which he proceeded thus Kings were ordained then as I before said and the sword put in their hands to take vengeance of evill doers that others might feare and were not ordeined to fight one against another or to rise against the Emperour to defend the false authority of the Pope that very Antichrist Bishops they onely can minister the temporall sword their office the preaching of Gods Word laid apart which they will neither do nor suffer any man to do but slay with the temporall sword which they have gotten out of the hand of all Princes them that would The preaching of

onely are called Bishops in very deede and by right which doe take and beare the charge of the people in the Administration of Gods Word in caring for the poore ●locke in the Administration of the Sacraments as are now in our dayes the Christian Cu●ates or Parish Priests if they might be suffered for those Mi●red Horsemen And that this belongeth to the Office of a Bishop the very Word it selfe doth very well declare for this Word Episcopu●● is derived of two Gre●ke words Epi and Scopin which signifie to give attendance to Oversee to give diligence to play the Keeper or watchmen over the people in like manner as watchmen doe keepe watch upon the walls of a Citie or as Shepheards doe keepe watch upon their sheepe And Episcopos in Greeke doth properly signifie in English an Overseer and in the Hebrew it signifieth a Visi●our that is to say one which visiteth men at their owne house and doth diligently enquire and search the condition of them and the state of their life being readily and indifferently to helpe and comfort all men So Christ saith in the nineteenth Chapter of Matthew Because thou hast not knowne the time of thy visitation That which is there called time of Visitation we call the time of thy Bishopricke But ou● Papisticall Bishops have found and devised a certaine new proofe and declaration of that Episcopall Office seemely for such as they are that is to set themselves a high in a chaire guilded clad in purple with Cushions of cloath of ●issue under their buttockes and their el●owes having abundance and plenty of all manner of delights and pleasures as much as any King can have and in the meane season to offer and set forth the men belonging to their governance to be pilled tormented and slaine of their officials to whom they make their flockes subjects men for the most part wicked ungodly and which doe thinke that there is no God which then may also with their Commandements at their owne pleasure by compulsion cause to appeare at those ●heir holy Consistories persons that dwell very farre off not without dammage and hurt both in goods and in their soules and may exercise and use all manner of extreame tyranny upon them For as much then as now it is evident open of these three places of the Apostle that those Bishops which are so far away from ministration of Gods Word and be negligent about their duety are not onely no true Bishops but rather the people of malediction before God as the men which have setled their minds against the Statutes and Ordinances of God to extinct the gospell and doe exalt themselves to destroy soules It is every Christian mans duty by all lawfull a●d honest meanes that he may to procure that their tyrannous and sinfull traditions may once be utterly contemned and come to confusion It belongeth I say to every Christian mans duty manfully and with great confidence and boldnesse where charity will suffer without offending the weake to endeavour himselfe to doe all things which are contrary to their traditions none otherwise than he would doe against the Devill himselfe And also to treade under the feete and utterly despise the obedience of them by which they desire to have their owne traditions greatly regarded and observed the Word of God neglected and nothing set by even as they would tread under their feete the very Devill himselfe All we therefore if it be so that we have pitty of so many soules which doe perish for ever if we be earnestly moved and stirred with the Word of God owe pray ma●ke this passage well with our uttermost diligence to goe about and with very great contentation and strayning of our selves to labour about this that there may againe according to the institution of the Apostle very Bishops and Shepheards be constituted every where in Cities which be men pure and vertuous and well learned in holy Scripture and in spirituall things which have chaste wives and children obedient as the Apostle saith in the feare of the Lord. Wherefore seeing that the Bishops and Pastours every where in the Cities which are now adayes have hitherto rather obeyed the Devill than God banded themselves against the Scripture to this wicked vow of living single or sole if there be any point of Christian breast or minde in us we ought to give diligence and bestow labours for a reformation of the same to be had by the King our onely supreame head of the Church in whom onely the reformation lyeth so that once such a reformation had the poore captive soules may boldly to contempt of the Devill and his Papisticall ●●aditions revoke those vowes as being through errour made with the Devill and with the very gates of hell and that they may according to the Word of God wed wives or rather to be willing according to the institution of S. Paul to be good married men in the sight of God then for the pleasure of those bauds the Romanists to be Adulterers and whore-keepers Fo● the very time it selfe doth now in so great revelation of the Gospell require that once at the last the holy ordination of the Spirit of God which can●not be but very good should be restored and set up against those prophane and abominable traditions of men Loe this is my decree against those proud puffed Bulls of the Devill and of the Devillish Romanists and their factors Neither doe they heare and obey me but they heare and obey God and the Spirit of God whosoever doe heare and obey this And therefore I can also in very deede promise both everlasting life and also the favour of God to all those whatsoever they be that doe in faith observe and keepe it And because this shall not bee judged the ordination of Paul alone for it is reported that the Deane and Canons of a certaine Cathedrall Church did say after a blasphemous manner and fashion openly to a Preacher whom they did expulse for the Gospell sake What of Paul what of Paul The Pope hath received more power of Christ than ever Paul did and for the pleasure of those so swee●e and gentle men and excellently devillish Priests let us see what Peter and what Christ himselfe did say concerning this matter In the fifth Chapter of ●he first Epistle of Peter it is thus written The Priests that are among you I beseech which am also my selfe a Priest and a record of the afflictions of Christ and also a partaker of the glory which shall be shewed feede as much as lyeth in you to doe the flocke of Christ taking the charge and oversight of them not by compulsion but willingly not for the desire of filthy lucre but of a good favourable and loving mind neither as men exercising dominion in their inheritances but that you may be your selves ensamples to the flocke and when the head shepheard shall appeare you shall receive an incorruptible

strike And so in this place with most manifest words Christ decla●eth that hee came not for this purpose to take upon him the office of a Magistrate but rather that hee might raigne in our hearts so that it might be our hap to come to the ●ternall goods whatsoever happened of our temporall goods Therefore when hee was interrupted of a certaine Jew that hee would helpe him in recovering his inheritance hee answered Man who hath made mee a judge or divider over you As though he should say hath not this world Judges that may decide so base controversies it is not appointed unto mee that this or that man should waxe rich by inheritance but that all men should come to the inheritance of life immortall But in these words Christ would be token many things to wit that he which hath an Apostolicall office ought not to be wrapped with prophane and filthy affaires for so the Apostle saith otherwhere No man going warfare under God entangleth himselfe with worldly businesse And the Apostles say all at once It is not meete for us to leave the Word of God and attend on the Tables Christ also by this reproving would declare that this doctrine taketh not away the Magistrates offices but rather confirmeth them Whereupon hee saith also elsewhere Render to Cesar that that is Cesars And when his Disciples strived for preheminencie he said The Kings of the Nations governe them and so forth Whereby he declared that neither hee himselfe nor his ought as they call them to be secular Judges neither did hee by this refusing abolish the order of the Magistrate but much more as we have said confirme it Thus farre your owne Doctor Hofmeister against you that the intent of Christ refusing to be a Judge herein was chiefely against such usurpation of worldly Magistracie as the Pope and his Prelates too exercise Pag. 1095. he concludes that a Bishop may in some cases lawfully excommunicate a wicked Prince But who denieth this M. Sanders that a godly Bishop may upon great and urgent occasion if it shall be necessary to edifie Gods Church and there be no other remedy to flee to this last censure of excommunication against a wicked King The Bishops need not therefore calumniate Presbyteries upon pretence that they hold it lawfull to excommunicate Kings since they themselves averre that Bishops may lawfully doe it and de facto have sundry times put it in practise both at home and abroad So Bishop Bridges Our laborious Historian M. Iohn Fox in his Acts and Monuments highly applauded by the whole Convocation in their Canons 1571. and enjoyned to be had in every Cathedrall and Collegiate Church and in every Archbishops Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons and Canons residentiaries house for their servants and strangers to read in doth every where disco●er condemne the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Warres Wealth pride calling and secular imployments of our Bishops of which hee writes thus in particular p. 1381. This hath bin one great abuse in England these many yeares that such offices as beene of most importance and weight have commonly beene committed to Bishops and other spirituall men whereby three devilli●h mischiefes and inconveniences have hapned in this Realme to the great dishonour of God and utter neglecting of the flocke of Christ the which three be these First they have had small leasure to attend to their pastorall cures which hereby have beene utterly neglected and left undone Secondly it hath also puft up many Bishops and other spirituall persons into such haughtinesse and pride that they have thought no Noble man of the Realme worthy to be their equall or fellow Thirdly where they by this meanes knew the very secrets of Princes they being in such high offices have caused the same to be knowne in Rome afore the King could accomplish and bring his intents to passe in England By ●his meanes hath the Papacy b●ene so maintained and things ordered after thei● wills and pleasures that much mischiefe ha●h happened in this Realme and others sometimes to the destruction of Princes and sometimes to the utter undoing of many Common-wealths So he Who page 216.358.359.360.414.430.432.434.439.517 518.599.625.961.972.1009.1016.1463.1856 of the said Acts and Monuments London 1610. writes often in the magent That Bishops and Presbyters are all one and the same and that there was no difference betweene them in the Primitive times which was the common received opinion of our Martyrs yea of our learned D. Humfrey Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford Puritanopap Confut. ad Rat. 3. p. 262.265 and of D. William Fulke against Bristow Motive 40. against Gregory Martyn p 172. and confuration of the Rhemish Testament Notes on Titus 1. sect 2. and on Philip. I. sect 1. Iohn Iuell the incomparable Bishop of Salisbury in his defence of the Apology of the Church of England Part. 2. cap. 3. disp 5. p. 98 99 100 101. writes thus of the equality of Bishops and Ministers Saint Ierome saith All Bishops wheresoever they be be they at Rome be they at Eugubiu● be they at Constantinople be they at Rhegium be all of like preheminence and of like Priesthood And as Cyprian saith There is but one Bishopricke and a peece thereof is perfectly wholly holden of every particular Bishop What Saint Ierome meant hereby Erasmus a man of great learning and judgement expoundeth thus Ierome seemeth to match all Bishops together as if they were all equally the Apostles successors and hee thinketh not any Bishop to be lesse than other for that hee is poorer or greater than other for that hee is richer for hee makes the Bishop of Eugubium a poore towne equall with the Bishop of Rome And farther hee thinketh that a Bishop is no better than any Priest saving that the Bishop hath authority to order Ministers Hereto M. Harding answereth thus Erasmus saith within five lines following that the Me●ropolitan hath a certaine dignity and jurisdiction above other Bishops take the one saith hee with the other I am contented M. Harding Erasmus saith The Metropolitan had a dignity above other Bishops but hee saith no● the Bishop of Rome had jurisdiction over all Bishops throughout the World In Saint Hieromes time there were Me●ropolitans Archbishops Archdeacons and others But Christ appointed not these distinctions of orders from the beginning These names are not found in all the Scriptures This is the thing that we de●end S. Ierome saith Let Bishops understand whereunto wee adde further Let the Bishops of Rome themselves undestand that they are in authority over Priests more by custome than by order of Gods truth These be Hieromes words truly translated what he meant thereby I leave to the judgement of the Reader Erasmus likewise saith in the selfe same place above alleaged Whereas Saint Ierome yeeldeth lesse dignity and authority unto Bishops than nowadayes they seeme to have wee must understand he spake of that time wherein he lived