ALthough it be most true, that our Saviour Christ Iesus doth vouchesafe vnto nations and kingdomes, All Kingdomes are bound to fram a the [...] st [...]tes according to the doctrine of the gospell. Match. 10.34. Luk. 12.51 52 the fruition & vse of his holy worde and gospell vpon no other condition, thē that all men of all degrees and callings, as well high as low, wilbe content to haue their states altered and changed, at the pleasure, ap­pointment, and determination of his wil & worde: yet notwithstanding it is as true, that the said word and gospel of his, bringeth nothing with it that can possible be an enemie to anye state, eyther priuate or publike whatsoever. The which point I take to be so cleare and manifest that no state-men can de­ny it, saue only those who haue made a leagne with the diuell & a covenant with hell; by vertue wher­of, they stand bound to account the Lord and al his holy wayes to be enemies vnto them and their cur­sed proceedings. For no man can pretend the gos­pel and word of God to be his enemie, but he must needs also confesse, that he hath bidden defyance vnto the Lord of heauen & earth, who accounteth himselfe to be loved and hated of men, according vnto the affectiō which they bear vnto his Luk. 12 26. Iohn 14.23.15 1. Iohn. 2.5. word. This hatred of God & his word, because th'aduer­saries of reformation in England dare not avowe, [Page]therefore as a foundation of the whole treatize fol­lowing I lay downe this ground, which they them­selues wil not call in question. Namely: That the reformation whiche at this daye wee endevour to bringe into our Churche, is moste vnjustly and wrongfully accounted an enemie vnto our state, if it can bee prooved to be a matter approoued off, and maintayned by the worde and gospell of IESVS CHRISTE. Where I would glad­ly knowe two thinges of them. First whether they judge that which we labour for to be according to to the worde or no? They must answere, that they cannot so thinke of it: for if they did, they woulde not stand against vs as they doe. Secondly, if they thought our cause to be good, that is, if they thought it to be according vnto Gods word: I demaund of them, whether notwithstanding the goodnes of our cause, they woulde yet thinke vs that labor in the same, to be enemies vnto the state or no? Wee make no question but they haue a better opinion of vs. For whatsoeuer they saye of the cause, they can report no otherwise of the favourers thereof, thē of those that haue alwayes shewed themselues most faythfull and trustie towards their prince and cuntrie. For although within these 31. yeres, there haue bin many seditious and treasonable attempts, vndertaken against her Majestie and the state, by men of all sortes and degrees: yet by the goodnes of God it cannot be shewed, that any one hath had a hande in any of these practises and conspiracies, who euer opened his mouth for reformation, or a­ny wise fauored the same. And as for attempting a­ny [Page]vndutifull or disloyall action in the promoting of the cause it selfe: we haue bene so farre from be­ing guiltye in that point, D. Bancroft. that one of y ^e most shame­lesse & most impudent slanderers that are amongst al our aduersaries (intending of set purpose to stain the cause and the fauorers of reformation, with se­dition and treason) was enforced to passe by vs, and to suffer the venime of his lying and slaunderous tongue to light vpon our brethren in the kingdom of Scotland, which he would neuer haue done, if with any couler he could haue fastened his slande­rous vntruethes vpon vs the professors of his own cuntrie. So that if we could discharge our hands of the cause we defend, we doubt not but our aduer­saries themselues would pronounce vs guiltles of all disloyaltie against our prince and cuntrie.

Seeing then it is cleare, that reformation is ther­fore accounted an enemie vnto our state, because it is supposed to haue no grounde in the worde of God: and seeing the fauorers thereof are thought to be turbulent men, not for anye thing that in a good matter they haue seditiously attempted; but inasmuch as they labor to promote a cause, that of it selfe is an enterprise daungerous vnto her Maje­sties crowne and dignitie: we are for the clearing of the one and the other, to see whether the ende­uors of those, who desire to haue the Churche of England otherwise reformed then hither to it hath bene, be such, as they require nothing in that whol worke, but onely that whiche the worde of God commandeth to be put in execution. The whiche course if they be founde to take, then also doth it [Page]follow, that neither they, nor the cause maintained by them, can with any couler be accounted enmity vnto the kingdome wherein they liue.

And here if I should demaund of the most that condemne both vs & the cause wherein we stand, what that is, which is sought to be reformed in our Church, VVhat equall judges our ad­uersaries are. I dare be bolde to say, that there is not one amongst ten of them, that knoweth whether it be blacke or white that we would haue. Wherein they do not onely shewe themselues, to weigh the most precious and weightie jewell vnder the sunne with a most vn-eauen hande: but also (if we beleeue the holy Apostle) to claim inheritance in y ^e wages of vn­righteousnes, 2. Pet. 2.12. inasmuch as they speake euil of those things which they know not. The which course if they stil holde on, the same Apostle telleth them, y ^e they shall perish through their owne corruption.

To the ende then it may appeare what that refor­mation is which we seeke for, and which these men do account the enemie of our state; it is to be vn­derstood, What we mean by reformation that by reformation we meane nothing els, but the remouing of all those vnlawfull callings which are maintained in our Church and ministe­rie, contrarie vnto the reuealed will and written word of the Lord our God, and the restoring ther­vnto of all such offices and ministeries, as the same God vnder the paine of his heauie displeasure, re­quireth to be planted in his church, when or wher­soeuer hee raiseth fit men for those functions. To speake more plainly, by reformation we mean, first the rooting out of our Church, of al dumb and vn­preaching ministers, all nonresidents, Lord Arch­bishops [Page]and bishops, commissaries, officials, chan­cellors, and all the rest of the wicked offices that de­pend vpon that vngodly and tyrannous hierarchie of Lord Byshops, together with their gouernment, and whatsoeuer maim, deformitie or want there is in our Church by meanes of them & their plaees. Secondly, by reformation we meane the placing in euerie congregation within England (as far as pos­siblie able men can be provided) of preaching pa­stors and Doctors, gouerning elders, & ministring Deacons, with whatsoeuer health, comlinesse and good order, the Lorde by the faythfull labours of these officers would haue brought into his church. And these are the onely matters that we meane by the reformation of our Church. The which cause in both the parts therof, is made so just and aequall by the word of God, that the promoting of it, can bee accounted the disturbing of no state that hath not determined with it selfe to maintaine the king­dome of Sathan and his prerogatiue. For the word of God maketh it out of controuersie, that neyther the expelling of dumb ministers & L. Bishops, &c. out of the Churche, nor the inducing of Pastors, Doctors. Elders and Deacons into the same, can be burdened with any thing contrarie vnto the wel­fare of princes and common-wealths, vnlesse they wil also charge the Majestie of God with the same accusation. And here we appeale from our aduer­saries to the word, & are content eyther to be con­demned or acquited by the judgment thereof, v­pon whose judgement also, they dare not but pro­fesse themselues to relie.

[Page] First then we holde it intollerable, that the holy ministerie of the worde and Sacraments, and the charge of soules, The desire of remoouing the dumb ministe­rie no vnduti­full attempt. should in our Church be commit­ted vnto such men, as are no more able to teach vs what belongeth to the pure worshipp of god, then can many a childe of sixe yeres old. And we would know whether by the worde we may be accounted for this position, to bee enemies eyther vnto our most deare prince, or vnto our most louing cuntry? What doth it determine in this matter, are wee thereby acquited or condemned for this our asser­tion? Surely acquited: And that by the voyce of the Sonne of God himselfe, who openly declareth that the miserie of that people is vnspeakably pi­tifull, where the Math. 15.14. Iuk. 6.69. blinde leadeth the blinde, who also by his owne Matth. 9.36. mark. 6.34. example, hath taught vs what compassion we ought to haue of our brethren, that are scattered as sheep without a sheepheard, hauing none to leade them, nor feede them in the way of aeternall life. And therefore is so far from disliking this care of ours towardes the saluation of our bre­thren & cuntrimen, that he hath enjoyned vs, when we see our brethren thicke and threefold to fall in­to the ditch of blindnes and ignorance, and so into the pit of aeternall wo & destruction, Matth. 9.34. to pray vnto the Lord that he would raise vp meet guides, who may leade his people in the true and vpright waye that leadeth vnto life. Before we go any farther, be­hold here how the case standeth betweene vs and our aduersaries, and judge vprightly. Our Sauiour Christe IESVS teacheth vs to be mooued with pitie and compassion, when we see the blinde lead [Page]the blinde, and our owne fleshe perishe for want of the true knowledge of God. We see this lamenta­ble sight in our land euery where, & we may heare the blood of ignorant soules crie day and night in the eares of the Lorde, for juste vengeaunce to bee powred vpon their blind leaders, and such as main­taine them. What shall we do in this case? shall we not be touched with any remorse at all? Farre be it but we should. We are therefore mooued there­with, and as christian duetie bindeth vs: we doe endevor both by our prayers vnto the Lorde, and by our petitions and suits vnto our Majestrates, and euerye other way that become Christians, to haue these murtherers remooued, and to haue those pla­ced in their roomes, who bring with them, & faith­fully execute this great and high cōmission, wher­of the Apostle speaketh in the person of al true mi­nisters. Now then are we Embassadors for Christ, 2. Cor. 5.20. as though God did beseeche you through vs, we pray you in Christes stead, that you be reconciled vnto God. But what say the aduersaries vnto vs, for the performing of so necessarie a duetie. Verely their censure is, that in so doing we are enemies vn­to the state. We reply vpon them againe, that the word of God doth cleare vs, of their vnjust accusa­tion, which doth not so much light vpon vs, as vp­pon the worde and docttine of the sonne of God. For they that condemne the disciples of sedition, for practizing that whiche their master enjoyned them, must needs passe sentence against the master, as a teacher of seditious doctrine. And therefore we are so far from being moued with the vnaequall [Page]dealing, that we wish them whosoeuer they be, to giue eare vnto the inditement which the Psalmiste frameth against them in these wordes. psal. 15.19.20. [You haue giuen your mouthes to euill, and with your tongs you forge deceit. You sit and speake against your brethren, and you haue slaundered the sonnes of your mother. psal. 54, 5. You haue encouraged your selues in a wicked purpose, and common together howe to lay snares priuily, and say, who shall see. You haue taken craftie counsell against the people of y ^e Lord, and consulted against his secrete ones.] psal. 83.3. And be­cause they must needs confesse themselues guiltie of this accusation in euery point, therefore we doe also aduise them, by true and speedie repentaunce to betake them vnto the Lorde, least as it is in the Psalme [He teare them in pieces, and there be none that can deliuer them.] psal. 50.12 And we entreat them that are in authoritie, to weigh the state of the people of this land with the worde of God, and then we doubt not but they shall see the motion of remoo­uing the dumbe ministery out of our Church, and the planting of careful teachers, to be the best piece of seruice one of them, that euer was attempted vnder their gouernment. If to redresse the wantes of the pure worshipp of God, and to remooue the condemnation both of the bodies & the soules of men, be thought a seruice worthie to be vnderta­ken. For alas, by meanes of the false and loytering guides, which haue kept out the true and painfull watche-men, the seruice of God hath nowe for the space of 31. yeares, continued at that miserable stay in our kingdom, that in the most congregarions, not [Page]of miserable Wales and Ireland onely, but euen of England it self: The lamentab'e state of religion in England. we want not some necessary mem­ber, but euen all the vitall partes, as the heart, lyfe­blood, yea and soule of true religion: namely, the word preached, euen the very seed, without which men can neyther be begotten vnto, nor nourished in the hope of aeternall blisse and happines. Again, by reason of this desolation of our Churche, the most of our people within all our prouinces, wan­dering as blinde men in the darke, know no means eyther how to yeeld the Lorde any part of his true worshipp, or howe they shall be saued in the day of wrath. Here your Hh. of hir Majesties priuie coun­sell, who professe your selues aduersaries vnto re­formation, and therefore vpholders of our ignorant ministerie, are cited before the tribunall seate of God, and required in his name, to consider the in­jurie that you offer vnto his Majestie, both in the maintenance of these blinde guides, & also in your proceedings herein; for both which, you are sure one day to be called to a reckoning. First by main­tayning these idoles, you countenance and mayn­taine the ruines, defectes and profanation of Gods true seruice, together with the damnation of mens soules. Secondly, your proceedings in the mainte­nance of the blooddie cause, is suche, as vnder the profession of true religion, I thinke the like hath bin seldome seene. For you thinke it a small matter for you, thus to bereaue the Lorde of his true honor, & to lend your authoritie, might and power vnto Sa­than, to vphold ignorance and blindnes, vnles also as a testimonie of your perseuerance in this damna­ble [Page]way, you do account of them that seek to bring you into a better course, as of the professed enemies of your state. These accusations I knowe, are grie­uous to be laid to the charge of these Counsellors, who through Europe haue the name to be furthe­rers of Gods glory & the saluation of mens soules: But they are such as if I prooue them not most true, let my blood wipe away the slaunder which I haue vndutifully raysed vpon the rulers of my people: Here the worde of God is to be approched vnto, out of the which we are to learne, what true wor­ship and seruice they can yeeld vnto God, & what hope of saluation they can haue, who neuer enjoy­ed the word preached.

Concerning the true worship of God, we are to knowe, that the worde who alone is to instruct vs therein maketh two sorts thereof. The true wor­ship or God twofold. The one inward and the other outward. The inwarde worship, is the worship of the spirit, when the heart and the soule is by Gods spirit so directed, that in trueth and sin­ceritie it yeeldeth to the Lord, the worship whiche he requireth according vnto his word. Of this wor­ship our Sauiour Christ speaketh vnto the woman of Samariah, Iohn 4.23 24. [The houre commeth sayth he, and alreadie is, when the true worship­pers shall worship the father in spirit and trueth, for the father requireth euē such to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must wor­ship him in spirit and trueth.] the inwarde worship. Without this inward wor­ship it is vnpossible to be saued, and without it no seruice can be acceptable vnto God. But although this inwarde worship be the fountaine whence the [Page]outward that is in trueth doth flowe and proceed: yet is the inward no otherwise ordinarily wrought in men, then by meanes of the outward. So that euen as the outward is neuer truly acceptable vnto God but when it proceedeth from the inwarde, euen so is the inward ordinarily found in none, saue onely in those wherein it hath bin begotten by the mini­sterie of the outward. But this inwarde worship in spirit and trueth, is not in the power of man to giue or to take away at his pleasure, but the Lorde must and doth worke it, when & where he pleaseth, yet neuer ordinarily but by meanes of the outward,

The true outwarde worship of God then, the outwarde worship. is that alone, whereby as by the ordinarie instrument or meanes the Lord hath appointed to beget, nourish increase and continue the inwarde worship of the soule and the spirit, by the which the Lord is to be serued in spirit and trueth. This outward worship is such by the ordinance of God, as men may be truly saide, either to hinder or to promote the same, and by the hindring or promoting hereof, they may be judged to hinder or promote both the saluation of themselues and others, and also the inward worship of the spirit either in themselues or in others. And by the affection that men beare herevnto, the Lord doth trie their loue and also their hatred towardes him & his glory. This worship although it be out­ward, yet is it of that nature, as they who are parta­kers hereof, may according vnto the word expect for the presence of Gods spirite, whensoeuer they approch vnto the Lord therby. Otherwise if it hath not this promise of the spirite annexed vnto it, it is [Page]but a rudiment of the world or of the flesh, & there­fore cannot be any thing for the furthering of men in the worship of God.

This outwarde worship, or this outward meanes to serue God truely and sincerely, consisteth of two partes or ordinances, according vnto the twofolde end for the which the Lord hath appointed the said outward worship of his. The first part hereof, is that ordinance whereby the Lord hath appointed, not only to beget fayth in men, or to engraffe them in­to Christ, but being engraffed to builde and aedifie them forwarde as liuely stones of that holy temple, whereof Christ Iesus is both the head & the foun­dation. This ordinance of God, appointed both to beget & to aedifie faith, is onely the word preached The second ordinance wherein the outwarde wor­ship of God consisteth, is contained in those exerci­ses of religion, which the Lord ordained onely for aedification, and were neuer appointed to begett fayth. By aedification I meane whatsoeuer concer­neth our furthering in the worke of our saluation, begun in vs through faith by the worde preached. Vnto this second part, we are to refer publike pray­ers, singing of Psalmes, reading of the scriptures, re­ceiuing of the sacraments, and administring of the Church censures, Many thinges are ordained to aedifie, which were neuer ap­pointed to be­get sayth. 1. cor. 14.17. ephef. 4.29. &c. All which are effectuall to ae­dification, but not to the begetting of faith: For that is onely wrought by the word preached, with­out which also, publike prayers, singing of psalmes, &c, are so frustrated of the end, vz. the aedification, for the whiche the Lorde hath ordained them, as they cannot possibly aedifie any aright, saue onely [Page]these who haue learned the right vse of them by the preaching of the word, & in whose hearts faith which is the ground-worke, wherevpon the whole building of gods seruice must be planted, hath bin begotten by the same word ordinarily. And these holy ordinances of god, to wit, prayers, receiuing of the Sacraments, are so farre from aedifying these people, who haue not bene instructed in the right vse of them by the worde preached, that vnto such they are nothing els but a sealed booke, and pro­ceeding from such, they are nothing els but pollu­tion in the Lordes sight. For no seruice can be ac­ceptable vnto god, but that which proceedeth frō fayth. For without faith it is vnpossible to please God.

Now then according vnto that which hitherto hath bene spoken, let your Hb. weye what seruice your people throughout all hir Majesties domini­ons for the most part, can yeald vnto the Lord, and how they stand in the hope of saiuation, and conse­quently how carefull you haue bene of the glory of god and the saluation of his Church. Your people you will say euery where, haue had these 31. yeares the vse of publike prayers, singing of Psalmes, rea­ding of the Scriptures in their owne tongue, they haue further enjoyed the sacraments of baptim & the Lords supper. Be it so, but what is all this? Can these thinges going alone without the word prea­ched, be any thing effectuall to that worship in spi­rit and trueth, which is the onely seruice that the Lord regardeth, and without which, all exercises of true religion are but swines-blood before his [Page]Majestie? Or can they bee anye thing forcible to worke the saluation of your people. Questionlesse you see that they cannot. For they are ordained of god, not to lay the foandation of the spirituall wor­shipp, but as meanes to aedifie and build vpon, the foundation being laid. They are ordained you see also, not to go alone, but to accompany the word, without the which they are fruitles and to no pur­pose. Nay though it were possible that without the word they could worke some aedification in men, yet notwithstanding they were neuer appointed to beget men into the hope of aeternall life. For rege­nerate flesh and blood they cannot, because they were onely appointed to edifie those whome the word should beget. So that men may all their life time enjoy these exercises of true religion, and yet be far from the outward meanes whereby the Lord requireth himselfe to be worshipped in spirit and trueth, and whereby the saluation of their soules should be wrought. And though your Honours shewe youre selues neuer so greate fauourers of reading the worde, publike prayers, &c. which in themselues are acceptable to God; but among our people for the most part, abominablie profaned: yet because you maintain those to outcountenance the preaching of the worde, and to be polluted by such men as ought not to deal with the holy things of the Lord: You are no otherwise accounted of in his sight, then the professed enemies of that pure worship in spirit and trueth (wherein alone he de­lighteth) the maintainers of the profanation of his seruice, and aduersaries vnto the saluation of his [Page]Churche. And what other account I beseeche you can he make of you, which dare presume to platte him out the perfection of his seruice, and appoint him a way to saue his people according vnto your owne pleasure. He hath set down in his word, that without faith it is vnpossible to please him, and so that without faith it is vnpossible for men to wor­ship him in spirit and trueth, and come to aeternall life. In this point I hope you will not gainesay his Majestie. He goeth farther, and manifesteth the or­dinarie meanes to beget fayth and saluation, to be onely the word preached. And therefore requireth the forwardnes of all those that would not be guil­tie of neglecting his honour, to promote the saide preaching of his worde. Herein you oppose your selues vnto him, & reply againe, that he must needs prouide himselfe of newe ordinances, or els he can neither in this life be worshipped in trueth of your people, nor glorified with their saluation in the life to come. For vnlesse reading of the worde, publike prayers, the profanation of his sacramentes by the polluted fingers of most ignorantmen, can worke all that he requireth, he can haue no meanes in the most congregations within the dominions of Eng­land to be purely worshipped, and to gaine himself a name, by the sauing of the distressed souls of men. And you are so resolute with the Lord in this point that you proclaime all them to bee enemies vnto your state, whosoeuer dare open their mouthes in his cause against your vnaduised resolutions. So that whatsoeuer fauour your Honors pretend vnto some part of the true outward seruice of his Maje­stie: [Page]yet inasmuch as you lende your whole force to maintaine and keepe in the Church, the reading idol ministerie, which you may know wel inough, can neither beget faith, nor any true aedification in your people, and by whome the Lorde accounteth himselfe & his ordinances to be profaned: the ve­ry trueth is this, that you stand at this day guiltie in his sight, of the defects, ruines and profanations of his worship, and also of the vtter vndoing of many a thousand soule within England. And I do not see what you can alledge for your defence, except you will joyne with that notable seducer of your peo­ple, D. VVhitgift. the Arch. of Cant. and affirme, eyther that sal­uation may be wrought in your people by hearing the word read, or that reading is preaching. But alas these figge leaues, are so far from standing you in a­ny stead, when the Lorde shall enter into arecko­ning with our land, for the small care that our go­uernours haue had in furthering his seruice, that his wrath will be kindled against our state, almost for nothing more, then because that both these errors of this wicked deceiuer haue beene vncondem­ned therein, and also as a token I thinke of our ha­tred vnto the Lord and his gospell, such a detected enemie vnto the gospell as he is, hath bene promo­ted vnto one of the highest roomes at the counsell table, to the ende, as the maintaining of his procee­dings do witnesse, that he might be a scourge vnto Gods Church within hir Majesties dominions.

Well, he saith that men may be saued by hearing the word read, as by the ordinarie meanes. If it be not so, wo be to him that euer he was borne, whose [Page]practises these 20. yeeres almost haue tended to no other ende, then to maintaine this damnable error of his. For if men cānot be saued by reading, where shall he stande, which hath brought vpon himselfe the guiltines of so many soules, by silencing so ma­ny faythful preachers, and planting readers in their stead. And therefore I doe not so much blame him for framing his corrupt judgement according vnto the rule of his vngodly practises. For if his practise were contrarie vnto the light of his knowledge, then hath he a more fearfull account to make, who hath quenched the light of his vnderstanding to the ende he might with lesse remorse, raue against the Majestie of God. But his blindnes cannot make others inexcusable, that willingly follow after such a leader, & therefore let vs see what the word saith vnto this assertion.

The Apostle Paul affirmeth, 1. Cor. 1.24. Reading not the ordinarie meanes to sal­uation. that seeing the world by wisdome knew not god in the wisdome of god, it pleased god by the foolishnesse of preaching, to saue as many as beleeue: Will you then haue a sal­nation that is by fayth whiche you must haue, or none at all. Surely the Apostle tels you, that it plea­seth the Lorde to worke this no otherwise in the hearts of men then by preaching, which vnto the worldly wise men is but foolishnes, but vnto vs that are saued, it is the wisedome of god, and the power of god. Euen as thē we can expect no saluation but that which is apprehended by faith, so can we not hope to haue this sauing fayth wrought in vs by a­ny other meanes then by preaching. For the Apo­stle setteth downe in expresse wordes, that as many [Page]as beleeue, Rom. 10.14. are saued by the means of preaching. A­gaine, how shall they call vpon him, saith the same Apostle in another place, in whome they haue not belecued? How shal they belieue in him, of whom they haue not heard? Howe shall they heare with­out a preacher. Beholde then, if we will so heare as wee may beleeue, the Apostle telleth vs that this must be the hearing, not of a reader but of a prea­cher. If then this seducing prelate, cannot make good a saluation which is to be obtained without fayth, as heauen and earth knowe he cannot: or if beleuing to saluation be conuaied vnto mens souls by no other hearing, then by the hearing of a prea­cher, as the Apostle telleth: then also it followeth, to the shame and confusion of all erroneous decei­uers, that he cannot justifie a saluation wrought in mens heartes by any other ordinarie meanes, then by the word preached. But he will here object, that the Lorde may if it please him, worke faith in mens hearts without preaching. That is as if he shoulde say, that the Lord is so powerfull, as when man wil not instruct by meanes, he can teach his elect with­out meanes. Who euer denied this? Or what is this to prooue his wicked assertion. The question is not what the Lorde can doe, especially where meanes is not to be found. For in such cases we do not vse, to tye the omnipotent power of the Lorde, within the bounds, no not of his own ordinances, but the point in controuersie is, what that way and ordinarie meanes is, whereby the Lorde hath de­creed to worke a sauing faith in the heartes of his people, whether that ordinarie meanes be the word [Page]preached, or the word read. The spirit of God you see teacheth vs, that that ordinarie way and means is preaching. The Archb. of Cant. teacheth it to be reading. Nowe whether of the two, shall hir Maje­sties people beleeue? Surely let the Lord be true, & let shame & confusiō couer the faces of all his enc­mies, & namely of this wicked prelate, who is not affraid in expresse termes, to giue the lye vnto the Majesty of God. For the which madnes of his, how greate soeueuer hee may be in our kingdome, I am sure that the sentence, without his vnfained repen­taunce, is long since decreed against him, that he Math. 5.19. shalbe the least in the kingdome of heauen. And if God had not blinded his right eye, as a token of a farther judgement which is like to fall vpon him, he might haue sene long since, that y ^e Apostle Pe­ter attributeth the worke of mens regeneration or new birth, and so faith and saluation vnto the word preached and not read. For so he writeth. 1. Pet. 1.23.25. Being borneagaine (saith the Apostle) not of mortall, but of immortall seed by the worde of God, which ly­ueth and endureth for euer, and this is the worde (saith he) which is preached among you.

But what can he see, who hath voluntarily so blin­ded himselfe (and laboreth to wrapp others in the same darknes) as he will make men beleeue that he is of judgement, that the meaning of the Apostle in saying, How can they beleeue without a preacher, is as if hee sayd, how can they beleeue without a reader? For what els doth he affirme then this, in holding reading to be preaching. For he that auou­cheth reading to be preaching, cannot denie rea­ders Reading en­gendreth fayth sayeth he pag. 570. yea, and sometimes pre­vavleth more than preaching. pag. 574. [Page]to be prechers. And here is al the light which the Lorde hath lefte in that darke vnderstanding of his, which is justly made bruitishe, inasmuch as it hath blinded it selfe, to the end (as I said) he might with the lesse compunction, or gnawing of his conscience fight against God. But let him and all his maintainers know from me, that he who spared not the Angels, that had sinned, but cast them downe into hell, and deliuered them vnto chaines of dark­nes, to be kept vnto the damnation of the great day, is able to make this bruitish man an example vnto all those that hereafter shall tread in his vngodly steps, especiall seeing in these things, which natural­ly he might know, he (as lude sayth) hath corrupted himselfe. For if there had bene no scripture to haue instructed him, yet very natural reason might haue taught him, that reading and preaching are of that diuers nature, that in common reason, the one of them cannot be the other. For I pray you, who is so simple but knoweth by the light of nature, that the preching that carieth saluation with it, which he af­firmeth to be reding, is another maner of work thē can be lerned by the industrie of man in a moneths labor. And yet behold, such is the preaching which this mā hath framed vnto vs in his writings, wher­by the Church of England should be saued, that an vnlettered man comming from the plough, might in one moneths studie be made an able preacher, and so an able minister of the doctrine of saluation. For if reading be preaching (as he sayth) yea and such a preaching as is able to beget men to saluati­on, which also he affirmeth, then also doth it folow, [Page]both that an able reader is an able preacher, and al­so that anye man enjoying the benefite of his sen­ses, may in one moneth, be made an able minister of that great and admirable worke of mens soules. The conceit wherof, is such an indignitie vnto the Majestie of God, and to the misteries of true religi­on, as a greater cannot be offered. And is this al the thanks, that we in England giue vnto the Lord, for the fruition of his gospell? Or is this all the com­mendation that true religion hath deserued at our hands? to be made faire baser then any of the com­mon crafts of the world. Well, the Lord seeth this vile injurie offred vnto his gospell, and the mini­sterie thereof, and in his time will recompence it. Concerning this absurde and sencelesse errour, I will saye no more at this time: But first, that if the father hereof, to wit, the Archb. of Cant, had liued in some of the former ages that imbraced the truth, he had bene commended vnto posteritie, as a dete­stable forger of errors, amōgst the nomber of these pernicious hereticks, that haue endeuoured to ob­scure the light of the trueth. Secondly, that it ma­keth the ministers prayer for the spirit of vtterance, and his care in his studie, to be altogether needles & superfluous matters. And so this man hath found out suche a methodicall kinde of preaching, as the spirit of God neuer thought off. The Apostle Paul desireth the brethrē to pray for him, that vtterance might be giuen vnto him, to the end he might bold ly open his mouth, to publish the secrets of the gos­pell: & he further chargeth Timothie, to take heed vnto learning and to continue therein, for in so do­ing [Page]hee shoulde both saue himselfe and those that heard him. But this godlesse man, that indeede hee might shewe himselfe not vnlike that sonne of per­dition, of whose bodie and kingdome, by vertue of his Antichristian prelacie, he is also a limbe and a member, presumeth to enter into the Lords chaire, and to create newe ordinances for ministers to bee guided by, in publishing the mysteries of the gos­pell. But though he be like to continue as he is, vz. a deceiuer that waxeth worse and worse, 2. Tim. 3.14. deceiuing and being deceiued, as the holy ghost sayth: yet it concerneth your Hh. to turne ouer a new leafe, Se­ing your consciences must needes tell you, that if you followe his damnable errors, you are also to feare lest you be pertakers of the judgements, that are likely to be fastened vpon him, and al those that delight to hide the truth in vngodlines. And seeing the seruice of the Lord, together with the saluation of mens soules, is by meanes of this dumb ministe­rie, at such a miserable stay among vs, (as hath bene set downe) it wil be your duties to take these things more to hearte then as yet you haue done, and to seeke the redresse of them.

For our owne parts, the defectes of Gods religi­on being thus lamentable in our land, and the souls of our brethren with pitifull cries requiring our aid and assistance, we cannot in conscience denie them the remedie that we are able to minister: namely, the painting out of their miserie, and the meanes howe to be deliuered therefrom. And assuredly, if we should holde our peace and winke at these cala­mities, the stones in the streate, woulde rise vp in [Page]judgement against vs. Wherefore also, your Hh. may accuse vs to be dangerous subjects as well, be­cause we are not without christian affections, as for that you see vs mooued with pitie at the ruines of Gods house, and the likely damnation of our cun­trimen. For such is the opperation of Gods spirite in his children, that they are altogether voyd of the assuraunce of aeternall life, yea without God in the world, whosoeuer are not mooued with griefe and sorow, whē they see either the seruice of their God, or y ^e saluation of those with whom they liue not to be regarded. Vnles then you of hir Majesties coun­sell, woulde goe about to quenche the motions of Gods spirite in the heartes of hir Majesties people, you cannot charge them with any euill practize a­gainst the state, for laboring the rooting out of this dumb and ignorant ministerie, whereby as you see the Lordes seruice is most wretchedly profaned, & the saluation of his Churche most cruelly hindered and withstood. Nay as your Hh. would shew your selues to haue anye sparke of Gods spirite in your hearts: so you must be carefull to joyne with vs in this worke, wherein indeede you ought to be our foreleaders. For otherwise (neuer deceue your own hearts) there is not a man of you that can possibly be saued. Weye the speech my Ll. for it concernes you as much as the price of your soules is worth. I say then, No saluation vnto them that are not carefull of the Lords pure worship & the saluation of their brethren. that the enmitie which in this point wee bear vnto the state of England is such, as vnles you that are of hir Majesties priuie Counsell joyne with vs in the same, you cannot possiblie see the face of Christ to your comforts. The reason hereof is, that [Page]there is no saluation vnto that soule, wherein Christ Iesus doth not remaine and dwell by his spirit, as the Apostle teacheth vs in these wordes, 2. Cor. 13.5. Prooue your selues (saith he) whether you are in the fayth, examin your selues, know you not that Iesus christ is in you, except you be reprobates. Eyther then a reprobate heart, or an heart possessing Christ Iesus. Now my Ll. I appeale vnto your consciences, whe­ther you thinke that Christe can possiblie dwell in those heartes, who are not both grieued at the dam­nation of their brethren, and the miserable defor­mities of the seruice of God among thē, & are with all readie euery way that lieth in them, to preuent the one, and to set forwarde the other. What? can Christ be there where there is not a desire, & a rea­dines to labour, that the glorie of God may shine vpon earth, by the sauing of perishing soules, & the setting vp of the sincere honor of the Lorde? Your consciences I am sure, must needs beare witnesse to the contrarye. For to denie this, were nothing els, but to make the spirite of Christe in his children to be pitiles of the wofull estate of suche soules, as for anye thing they knowe, were ordayned to life, and carelesse in seeking the glorye of God, in his pure worshippe.

What is the conclusion then, surely that youre Hh. must either manifest yourselues, to be of their number, for whome the blacknes and terror of the greate daye is prepared, or els you must joyne with the rest of the saintes of God within hir Majesties dominions, not onely in mourning for the wantes of true religion among our people, and the misery [Page]that ensueth thereof, but also in labouring moste earnestly to finde speedie meanes for the curing of so deadlye a wounde. You see then howe the case standeth betweene the Lord, nay, between your felues, and your owne soules. The day will come, when all those whose sinnes are not forgeuen, and iniquities couered by Christ Iesus, shall drinke of the deadly wyne of Gods wrath. And you see that Christ wilbe a couering vnto none, saue onely vn­to those, in whome he dwelleth by his spirit: and more-ouer, that his spirit cannot be in them, who are not mooued with the dishonor of his name, & the destruction of men. The Lord warneth you of these things, and requyreth of you, that although for the loue of his Majestie, and the mercies both outward and inward which hee hath & doth offer to heape vpon you, you cannot bee mooued to re­gard his ruinous Church, and wofull people: yet, that you would be styrred forewarde here-vnto by the care which you are to haue of your own soules. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hand of the li­uing God. Vengeance is his, and hee will recom­pence it. Wherefore as you woulde not drynke of the dreggs of that bitter cup of his indignation, de­clare vnto the world, by the speedy remouing of this dumb ministery, and apoynting faithfull tea­chers in their stead, that the Lorde hath not in this age placed ouer England, a coūsell of men that are carelesse of his glorie, cruell towardes the people committed vnto their charge, and consequenthe, a counsel of men that are without God in the world, fed with honor and promotion against the day of [Page]slaughter. Men that are so far from respecting the honour of their God, and the aeternall salvation of men, that they are altogether without naturall affe­ction towards the good of their owne soules. For assuredly my Ll. whatsoeuer good opiniō you may haue of your selues, and yourowne proceedings: the Lorde and his Churche both in this age, and also among posterity, cā make no other reckoning of you, than of those that liued without the true God in this worlde, as long as you shall bee found vpholders of the ignorance which raygneth amōg your people. Where-vpon also you shall one day by experience finde it to be true, that because the sauing spirite of God neuer came neere your harts, to worke a sorrow and a mourning therein, for the spirituall aniserie of your brethren & counuiemen: you made no other vse of your being heere vpon earth, thē to prouide for your selues, an exceeding measure of plagues and torments, that may endure vpon you for euer and euer. You see it cannot bee otherwise: for, to be without compassion towardes the miserable dispersion of poore sheep that wan­der without a guyde, is to be voide of Christ Iesus and his fanctifying spirite, vnto the want whereof there is joyned no thing els, but finall damnation both of body and soule.

Wherefore good my Ll. suffer the words of ex­hortation to enter into your soules. The Lord is my witnes that I speake not vnto you, without the con­sideration and reuerence due vnto your places. It pityeth me to see the case wherein ye stande before the Lord: for surely ye cannot (as I haue sayd) po­siblie [Page]be saued, so long as you hold on your course in consenting vnto ignorance and blindnes. There is nothing but judgement merciles vnto those that deferre their turning vnto him. Deceaue not your selues thē, for as I shall answere before the Lord, in the fearefull day of judgemēt, I haue set before you the way of life, & the way of death. Chuse life ther­fore that you may liue, which you shall neuer doe, except you do ridde your hands of the defence of this pestilēt ministery, & cōsecrate thē to make vp the breaches of Gods sanctuarie. Where you see, how little beholding ye are vnto those wicked men y ^e are your Chaplains, who haue neuer made your estates knowen vnto you. You may justly acconut those vngodly flatterers, to be the greatest enemies you can haue. For they are guiltie of your blood, & serue you almoste for no other vse, than to hasten Gods judgements vpon you. But their guilte and punishment shall not delyuer you in the daye of wrath, for the soule that sinneth shall dye the death And therefore nowe that the light is made knowen vnto you, let it not be your condemnation, that Iohn 3.19. light comming among you, yet you loued darke­nes more than light.

Well hetherto it appeareth how wrongfullie the fauorers of reformation are charged with enmitye vnto our state, for laboring to haue the dumb mi­nistery rooted out.

The next bane of our Church are nonre sidents, Non-residency. whereof all our Ll. Bb. are guilty: the which cor­ruption is so great, that I do maruel with what face it can be tolerated in a Christian state. And there­fore [Page]I make no question whether the word of God maketh it lawfull for vs to endeuour that no suche vilanie be heard off in Israell anie more. Rom. 10.14. The dumb Minister though intollerable, hath yet some colour of his sinne, because vnder the name of feeding he starueth the poore sheep. But the bloodie non-re­sident hath no cloake to hyde his vilanie: for he is so out of measure become impudent in his sinne, that he dareth make an open profession of murther This sinne whereof the Papistes themselues haue long ago bene ashamed, hath so kindled the wrath of God against our kingdome, that I feare he wilbe no otherwise pacified towards vs, than by sending a sword through our land, which may reuenge the blood of innocent soules, which these 31. yeares hath benespilt lyke water vpon the earth, by mea­nes of these professed murtherers, and that vnder the profession of the gospell.

Though I preach, 1. Cor. 9.16. sayeth the blessed Apostle, I haue nothing to reioyse of: for necessitie is layd vpō me, yea and wo is vnto me if I preach not the gos­pell. This is spoken in the person of all true mini­sters. But our non-residents haue dispensed with this necessitie, by meanes of their degrees of their Chaplain-shipes, and of their faculties. And as for the woe denounced against them, they haue a di­stinction at hande wherewith to delude that curse: which is, that although they cānot be continuallie resident at euery one of their charges, yet they are not all the yeare lightlye absent from all of them. And although they do not continually preache at neyther, yet they are not alwayes idle, but at som­tymes [Page]they doe preache, either vpon their owne charges, or els abroad, where occasion is offered. Now in their absence they do not prouide so euill for their people, but that contrarye to the expresse will of the Lord, Ezek. 44 1. they place others in their steade to take the ouersight of the Sanctuary. And when­soeuer they are absent from all their benefices, it is not without some reasonable cause: for at all such tymes they attend either in the Courte, in the Vni­uersitye, or are otherwise necessarilie bestowed in their private or publick affaires. Looke T.C. admo. pag. 28 29 And as for the ly­bertie that one man should haue manye benefices, it is necessary for the encouraging of stadents, and the encrease of able men to withstand the common aduersary. By all which speches of theirs, we see to our grief, the words of the holy Apostles to be ve­rified in our wofull tymes, viz. Ier. 18.1. Tim. 4.2. That in the Church of God there should be mockers in the last tymes, which should walke after their owne vngodly lusts, hauing their consciences burned with an hote iron men of corruptminds, destitute of the truth, 1. Tim. 6.5. which thinke that gayne is godlinesse. 2. Thes. 3.10. But I maruell what these mockers will answere vnto the holy Ghoste, who commandeth that they who labour not, 1. Cor. 4.12. must not eare, and sheweth that it is required of the ministers of Christ that they be founde faithfull. 1. Pet. 5.2, 3. And I maruell what they wil aunswere vnto the Apostle Peter, by whom they are enjoyned, as they would receaue the incorruptible crown of glory, whē the great sheepheard of the sheep shall appeare, to feed the flock of God, that dependeth vpon thē caring for it, not by cōstraint, but willingly, not for filthy [Page]lucre, but of a readie mynde, not as thoughe they were lordes ouer Gods herrtage, but that they may be ensamples to the flock. And I do wonder, what they will aunswere vnto the diligence which the a­postle Paule vsed in teaching the people with whō he was conuersant, whose example al the ministers of Christ ar bound to follow. 1. Thes. 2.10. You are witnesses, & God also (saieth the Apostle) how holilie and vn­blameably we behaued our selues among you that beleeue, as you know, how that we exhorted you and comforted, and besought euerie one of you as a father his children, that you would walk worthie of God, who hath called you vnto his kingdom & glorie. A [...]t. 20.18.19. And againe in an other place: You knowe (saith he) from the first day that I came vnto Asia, after what manner I haue bene with you, at all sea­sons seruing the Lord with all modestie, and with manye teares, and temptations: which came vnto me by the lying await of the lewes, and how that I kept nothing backe, that was profitable, but haue shewed you and taught you openly, and through­out euerie house. Well, whether these cursed moc­kers will scorne at these godlye examples and la­bours of the blessed Apostles, or no: & goe about to answere the matter by their childishe vnlearned distinctions, it is not greatlie material. Of this I am assured, that as vnto al those places they haue not a woord to answere according vnto truth: so especi­allie will they be dumb, Math. 25.26. If they haue no talents they are Idols, and no Ministers. when the right vse of their talents (if they haue anie) are requyred at their handes. And let all non residents, and especiallye these tyrannous atheists or Prelates (I meane) vn­derstād, [Page]that if they will needs be rulers ouer gods houshold, they are bund to giue the Lords familie their meate in due season: yea, Mat. 24.48.49 and to continue in feeding of them vntill the comming of their mai­ster, that when he commeth hee may finde them so doing. Otherwise if lyke euill seruants they shall still continue to say in their hartes, that their may­ster doth deferre his comming, and still continue to smyte their fellow seruants, much more to pyne & starue them, their maister will come in a day, when they looke not for him, & in an houre, when they are not aware off, and because in that daye hee findeth them not so doing, as the holy Ghost spea­keth, that is, because lyke faithfull servants hee findeth them not distributing vnto their fellowes their meate in due season, hee will cut them off, and giue them their parte with hypocrits, where shall bee weeping, and gnashing of teeth. And this will be their reward.

As for you my Ll. who winke at all the abhomi­nations of these tyrannous murtherers, and shewe not your selues mooued with the dishonor where­with they staine true religion, & the misery which they haue brought vpon our Church, the Lord bee mercifull vnto you. For I see no way for you, but as you allow the wicked course of these mē, so you shall be partakers of their heauie damnation. And as you cannot washe your handes from any of the bloode that is spilte in our Churche, because your eyes haue seene it, and eyther shewe no dislyke thereof, or maintaine the same: so of all other the murthers committed vpon the soules of men with­in [Page]England, you are most guilty of this, whereof the non-resident is the butcher: because a great parte of this cruelty is cōmitted in our Church by your meanes: Chaplainships. for this is the sinne wherevnto you giue a cōmission, and vnlesse ye delyuered the sword into the hands of these bloody tyrants, their slaughter would not be so in vse among vs. For wheras ma­ny could not otherwise be qualified (as they cal it) to haue moe benefices than one: you know that to be Chaplayne vnto a noble man, or to the most of our Counsellors, if not vnto all, giveth a full liber­tie vnto this cruell and vnnaturall slaughter. Inso­much as you bring this bloode vnto your houses, and are not onely accessaries there-vnto, but prin­cipall offenders therein. Whatsoeuer then your Hh. will do in other points of the reformation of our Church, it is plain, that you can no longer suf­fer your places to be a couerture vnto this sinne in your godlesse Chaplaines, except you would haue the Lorde and his Church to beare witnes against you, that you haue conspired against the blood of your countrimen and people.

And as your Hh. are bound in the sight of God, to washe your hands from the maintenance of this sinne in your fore named seruantes, that in a good conscience you may testifie before the Lorde and say, Deut. 21.7. Our hands haue not spilt this blood where of our Chaplaines are guilty, neither haue our eyis seene it: So also are you bounde to detest both the same, & all other the impieties, that raygne in our Church, by meanes of these wicked Prelates, and their gouernment. Whose very callings are so di­rectly [Page]against the word of God, that possiblie they cannot stand in the Church of Christ, without the intollerable oppression therof: and the impeaching of whatsoeuer liberty almost, the Lorde hath lefte vnto the same in his worde. And when I consider the great iniury that is offered vnto the Lorde and his Church by meanes of this wicked Hierarchie, and whatsoeuer dependeth therevpon: I cannot but thinke it a strange matter, that the oppugning of so intollerable a corruption should bee hardlye thought off, much lesse accounted vnsufferable in a Christian state. For these corruptions of Ll. Arch­bishops, & Bishops, Commissaries, Archdeacons, Chancelors, &c. were altogether vnknowen in the Church of God, vntill the kingdome of Christ fell in the ages by past to decay, and Sathan in the ru­ines thereof, began to laye the foundation, of that monarchie of his, wherein Antichriste at this daye doth beare rule. That these thinges maye bee the better vnderstood, and that it may be made knowē whether the offices of Archb. & Bb. with the reste of that stampe: belong vnto, and had their begin­ning from the kingdome of Christe: or els, sprang vp when Sathan began to lift his hand for the ere­cting of Antichrists throne, and so appertaine vnto his gouernment: we are to consider what is meant by the kingdome of Christ, in the decay whereof we affirmed these offices of Archb. and Bb. to haue had their original & beginning. By the kingdom of Christ then generallie taken, we vnderstād that re­giment and superioritie, which the Lord Iesus hath aboue all principalities, that are either in heauen or [Page]in earth, not simplie as hee is the second person in trinitie, God aboue all, blessed for euermore, but as he is the sonne manifested in the flesh, Christ god and man, and so the head of his Church. In respect of this regiment of his, the worde of God speaketh of his kingdome 2. maner of wayes: first it maketh the same to be everlasting: secondlie it considereth of it as it is temporarie and to remaine for a tyme. In the former respect it cannot possible any wayes decay. Of this aeternall kingdome of his the Angell Gabriell spake vnto the holye Virgine Marie, after this sort: Luke. 1.31.32. Thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe, and beare a sonne, and shalt call his name Iesus. Hee shall be great, & shalbe called the sonne of the most high, & the Lord God shal giue vnto him the thron of his father Dauid, and hee shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdome shall be none ende. Concerning the latter regarde of his kingdome, the holy Apostle Paule writeth in these wordes. 1. Cor. 25.24. Then shalbe the end, when he hath deli­uered the kingdome vnto God, euen the Father, when he hath put down all rule and authority, and power: for he must raigne vntill he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete. Where the Apostle spea­keth of the kingdome of Christ as it is temporarie, and to continue only vnto the day of judgement & no longer. Nowe this temporarie regiment of his, is also of 2. seuerall considerations. For the worde speaketh of our sauiour Christ and his gouernmēt, either as he hath all power in heauen and earth cō ­mitted vnto him, Mat. 28.19. Reuel. 19.16. & 17.14. & [...].5. and so he is called the Lorde of Lords, the king of kings, & the prince of the kings [Page]of the earth, because hee is Lorde of all kingdomes and common wealths, to dispose and rule them at his pleasure, euen as he is man, or els it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his bodie which is the Churche heere vpon earthe, by ceratine offices and ministeries, which hee hath ap­pointed to be in his bodie, to wit the Church, for the gathering together of his Saints, for the worke of his ministerie, and the aedification of his bodie. Ephes. 4.12. In both these regards, he is said in the day of judge­ment to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father. For whereas now, as he is Lord of kingdomes and cō ­mon-vealthes he ruleth by the ciuill Magistrate, & otherwayes by his power, even in the midest of his enemies: he shall in the daye of judgement put an ende vnto this regiment, when all his enemies are put vnder his feet and so deliuer the kingdome vnto his Father. Again, because in the day of judge­ment when we are all mett together, wee shall not stand in neede of anie aedification, & so the meanes thereof by the preaching of the word, the admini­stration of the sacramentes, &c. shall cease, the go­vernment of Christ also, as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease. And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father. For after that day, hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth: but he which is the Lamb, Looke Reu. 7.1 [...]. & 21.22.23. & 22, [...]. being in the middest of the throne of God, shall immedi­atlie governe vs by himself, and bring vs to the liue­lie fountaines of waters.

Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this [Page]latter sence, for that government of the Church or­dained vnder the new testament, wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe, to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house, doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite, guide and governe his Church, is such: as no part thereof must be administred by any offices, or offi­cers, saue onely by those, whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto. The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked, who go a­bout to attempt the contrarie. For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ, viz. the Church, which is not a Rom. 12.6. 1. Cor. 12. [...].14.27.28. member thereof: and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect, but absolute and com­pleat of all hir members (otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house, and far more vn­perfecte than Moses is saide to bee, Heb. 3.3.6. the contrarie wherof is testified of him in y ^e word) the enterprise is intollerable, that anie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect: & wherevnto that which is added being impertinēt, must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie. Because our Saui­our who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment & ma­king: insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome & bodie, those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein: you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ.

[Page] Nowe according vnto these grounds, Archbard [...]b. doe not belong vnto the king­dome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong, whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast. You see, if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ, that they wer ordained members thereof, in the written worde & will of God. Heere then we will not be the judges, let our aduersaries speake thē selues: whether their offices be apointed in the new testamēt or not, for therin must they be mencioned, if they belong vn­to the kingdome of Christ, and are the members of his bodie. What wil their answere be in this point? Surelie they muste confes, that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it, there is not a word spoken of Ll. Arch b. and Bb. So that whensoeuer, or by whomesoeuer they had their o­riginall, they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word. Because he hath ordained no mem­bers of his bodie, and no offices of his Kingdome, since the written worde of the newe testament was penned. Whervpon we must needs conclude, that they belong not vnto his kingdome. Naye, wee go further and say, that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word, that their verie names, much more their offices, are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church, as shall presentlie appeare. As for their cal­lings the corruption thereof is so great, that they & the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church, cannot stand together.

Concerning the puritie of the Gospell, their cal­lings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes, and in­fringe [Page]the libertie of the church by as many. Firste they will bee Ministers, and civill magistrates too, that is, they wilbee ministers of the kingdome of Christ, and the kingdome of the world all at once. Whereby they declare vnto vs, that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their Mat. 10.24.25. Iohn 18.36. maister was, who af­firmed his king dome not to be of this worlde: that is, that he was not manifested in the flesh, to inter­medle with the execution of civill functions: but to be ruler of a kingdome, that consisteth in an o­ther manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe. Whose example in this point, all his true ministers muste needes fol­lowe, vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister, vnto whome (being heere vpon earth) though he were the lord of all his creatures, it had bene vnlawfull, to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate. And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king, Iohn. 6.15. he withdrew himself out of the way, be­cause that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing, but in the worke of mans redemption: and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things, be had not contained himself within the limites of that calling, wherevn­to he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes. Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinanceis a thing vnlawful in it self, but that the Lord hath so apointed, that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gos­pell, cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and ex­ecution. By reason that these two ordinances of the [Page]magistracie & ministerie, though proceeding both of them from the Lord, do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte. For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords liuetennant and messenger, in respect that the Lord is gouernor and ruler of all his creatures, and especiallie of men: and therefore hath apointed the civill magistracie, to keepe them in that outward obedience, which he requireth at their handes. Now the minister is the Lordes mes­senger in an other regarde. viz. In respecte that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation vnto men, if they 2. Thes. 1.9. beleeue and obeye his gospell. Vnlesse therefore we would make the Lord, to be the Re­deemer of mankinde, in that respect that hee is the Creator and the gouernor thereof, & so confound thedecree of the gouernmēt of the creatures, with the decree and ordinance of mans redemption, we cannot without the breach of the Lords holy will, confound these two callings together. And surelie by how much the work of mans redemption from the aeternall wrath of God, is more excellent, than the worke of the creation and government of the creatures: by so much the more detestable and o­dious doe they manifest themselues: who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconci­liation made betweene God & man, do either vt­terly reiect their ministery, because they think it to base, and gainlesse a calling: or els as a farther coū ­tenance vnto the most glorious vocation vnder the funne, doe adde the ciuill magistracie there-vnto. Whereby they shewe themselues indeede to haue made a shamefull apostacie from the doctrine and [Page]practise of our sauiour Christ and his Apostles. The weapons of whose warfare were not carnall, 2. Cor. 10.4.5. that is, not such as wherwith men by an arme of fleshe, as by civil authority, improsonmēt, &c. brin g their matters to passe, but mighty in God to cast downe holdes, casting down the imaginations, and eue­rie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captiuitie euery thoght vnto the obedience of Christ. Heere are the onely weapons that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles vsed, and the onely weapons that are graunted vn­to ministers, to ouerthrow the gayn-sayer. And as for the civill punishment of the obstinat, they must commit that vnto the magistrate, who beareth not the sworde in vaine. Rom. 13.3.4. For it is he and not the mini­ster of the word, whome the Lord hath appointed to take reuenge of him that doth euill. Now com­pare the dealings and practises of our bishops, and what weapons they vse to encounter with those that stand against them, and you shall perceaue that they haue not onelie abused the force of that sword (which violentlie and wrong fullye their predeces­sors wrested out of the maiestrats hand) to keep the church in bondage: but also that this confusion of the magistracie & ministerie in one person (though the furtherance of the truth were intended therby) cannot stād together with the sinceritie of the gos­pell: the purity whereof also they haue corrupted, in the tyrannous superioritie, whiche they vsurpe both ouer their fellow Ministers, and also ouer the reste of the churche, with no lesse breache of the ordinaunce of God, than the impeaching of the [Page]libertie of the church,

For the first point, to wit, of the superiority which they as ministers claime ouer the church & messē ­gers of Christ, it is intollerable tyrannous, & dire­ctly against a plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testamēt by our Sauiour Christ himself. The place is commonlie knowen, and hath beene cited for this purpose, I thinke by all those that ever dealte in this cause. Luk.: 2.24. [...]. And there arose also a strife a­mong them (that is, among the disciples saieth the text) which of them might seeme to bee the grea­test, but hee said vnto them, the kinges of the nati­ons raigne ouer them, and they that beare rule o­uer them, are called gracious lords, but ye shal not be so. In which place wee see the spirite of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself, to haue plainly forbiddē al his ministers, either to haue any superi­ority & dominion ouer the church & their brethrē to rule any wise as Lords & princes do, or yet to be so called. Where also three especiall & monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expresly inhibited & forbidden. First, they wil be ministers of the gospell, and yet be greater then their brethren, & rule ouer the church. Secondly, they will be ministers of the gospell, and yet beare rule lyke lords. Thridlie, they wil bee ministers of the gospell, and yet called lordes. Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Sauior christ, You shal not be so? That is, you my disciples shal be so farre from having any superiority one ouer an other after my departure, and so far from bearing rule as civill Magistrates, Princes and Lordes doe: [Page]that you shall not bee so called by any names or ty­tles, that do carry with them the honor and the pre­heminence due vnto princes and lordes. They that beare rule ouer the nations saieth our Sauiour, are called Fuergetai a ti­tle wherewith the kings of E­gipt were ho­nor'd. gracious lords, but ye shall not be so. Heere we see plainely that hee forbiddeth his disciples to beare the name whereunto preheminence is joined which may further appeare, if wee consider that in forbidding them to [kurieuein] that is, to rule lyke lords, he forbiddeth them also to be [kurious] viz. lordes, as farre as that name [kurios] is a title of worldly honor, preheminence and gouernment, & no farther. And no farther I say, because the word [kurios] in the greeke tongue, (as also the word Compare the 1. San [...], 15. & 2 Kin. 5.25. with 2. king 6.12. [adhon] in the hebrew, and [dominus] in latine,) signifieth a maister, or Sir, as well as a Lord, which is proued, Iohn 12.21 & 20.5. where Philip the a­postle, & our Sauiour Christ (supposed by Maric to be the gardiner) are called [kurici] sirs, or mai­sters. In which sence it is not forbidden vnto mini­sters to be called [kurioi.] Which I adde to stoppe theynlearned and foolish cavils of our aduersaries, who go about to proue it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue, which al­wayes are names of worldly honor and promotiō, in our common speach, as it were for them, to haue the former greek, hebrue, & latine names, attribu­ted vnto them. Whiche by the places before quo­ted, & to any man of vnderstanding in the tongues appeareth to bee a cavill vnworthie the aunswere. And that our Sauiour Christe forbidding his mini­sters to [kurieuein] viz, to rule lyke lordes, forbid­deth [Page]them also to be called Lords, it is most cleare in that otherwayes he should open a wide dore vn­to the ambition and pryde, of proude and ambiti­ous men. For it is a farre greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right haue the dignitye of a lorde, to desire the name and title thereof: than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed. So that in forbidding his disciples to (ku­rieuein) beare rule as the lords of the nations doe, he forbiddeth them also to bee called and tearmed by their titles. I know what hath beene obiected by the Archb. vnto these thinges, and will againe bee said, if it be not prevented: namely, that our Sauior forbiddeth tyrannous lordship and tyrannous bea­ring of rule in the former place, & not just, vpright, and lawfull government. Where I beseech your Hh. to lend me your attention, & you shall see the intollerable boldnes of this man in peruerting the truth, who is not ashamed (whēsoeuer it may be for his behoofe) to teach points of doctrine meere di­rectly against the words & mind of the Lord Iesus. I demand then of him, whether our Sauiour Christ did not in the place afore cited, so aunswere his di­sciples in the pointe whereof they doubted, as hee did fullie resolue them? He dares not deny it I am sure. For in pointes that are needfull to be knowen & reuealed, our Sauiour being demāded one thing doeth not frame his answere vnto that whereof no question is made, and so leaue his church vnsarisfi­ed. What was the question then? Was it whether any of them should rule lyke a tyrant? was it whe­ther any of them should gape after promotion? no [Page]such thing. For they knew well enough, that it was very gainlesse for them to demaund of our sauiour which of them should be a tyrant? which of them should abuse his lawfull superioritie, or whiche of them should be an ambitious prelate? they knewe well enough that he would allow no such dominiō and preheminence. Besides, the apostles (we may well think,) were not so blinde, as to demand any such question of their maister. Nowe then they de­manding no such thing at his handes, to what end should he tell them, that they should not be tyran­nous rulers? They made no question of any suche matter, & therefore a resolution of that which they called not into controuersye, was nothing to the purpose, but left them as doubtful as they were be­fore. Wherefore wee are to conclude, that as the question was concerning lawfull preheminence & bearing of rule, his negatiue answere being frained vnto their question, denieth vnto them, not only a tyrannous and an ambitious prelacie, wherof they made no question, but euen that dominion & pre­heminence which of it self is lawfull in thē, who by the ordinance of God are capable of it: to wit, in the civill magistrate. And whereas the Apostles dreaming of a worldly kingdom, might alledge for themselues, that their demand was not altogether without ground, because they contended for no o­ther superioritie then was allowed off, in the rulers of worldlie kingdomes: our maister Christ answe­reth that obiection, and telleth them, that although it bee lawfull for ciuill gouernours to beare rule o­uer their fellow officers and collegues, that is, ouer [Page]ciuill magistrates, and althoughe it bee lawfull for them to beare lordlie rule and authoritie, and to haue highe stiles and titles, yet among you that are Ministers of the Gospell, it shall not bee so saieth he. And to perswade them herevnto, Luk. 22.27.28 he bringeth in his owne example, who came to serue and not to beare rule in the ministery of the new testament. Making it also knowne vnto them, and to all his true ministers, that although they were according vnto his example to serue, and not to exercise do­minion all the time of their being vpon earth in pu­blishing the gospell, Verse 29.30. yet there was a kingdome pre­pared for them wherein they should haue an espe­ciall preheminence. But as for anie dominion here vpon earth, if they would be his true disciples, they were to look for none, but to be as he was, and to take the Ministerye vpon them on the same con­dition that hee did. viz. to serue and not to beare rule therein.

Of all these things then wee doe conclude, that this threefold corruption of our Archb. and Bb. First, in vsurping vpon the government of the ci­vill magistrate: secondlie, in claming vnto them­selues those highe names and titles, which belong vnto worldly honors and promotions: lastly in the lordlie preheminence and superioritie, which they vsurpe ouer the whole body of the Church, within their diocese in generall, and ouer their fellow mi­nisters in particular, is altogether a matter to be de­tested of all true christians, as abhominable and o­dious in the presence of the Lorde. And seeing our head Christ Iesus granteth vnto his body this liber­tle, [Page]that al the members thereof should be servants and not lordes therein, (as he himself did serue & not beare rule in the kingdome of the gospell) and hath giuen all true ministers this priuiledge, that none of them shoulde rule ouer the other, it muste needs be that this lordlyke gouernment which our bishops arrogate vnto themselues ouer the church of God and the Ministers of it, cannot in it selfe, though it were never abused, but bee preiudiciall vnto the liberties of the church, and the ministers thereof.

Therefore my Ll. maintaine the Hierarchy of Bb. as long as you will, you vpholde thereby nothing els, but the tyranny and bondage of the church, to­gether with a chiefe and an especiall portion of the kingdome of Antichrist. For as this pestilent Hie­rarchy hath bene proued, not to appertain vnto the kingdome of Christ: so your Hh. are to know, that the same belongeth vnto no other body, then vnto that regiment whereof the sonne of perdition is the head. For vnto the kingdome of Christ as you see, it doth not belong, to the kingdome of the world, that is, vnto the civill magistracie it cannot apper­taine, for it would bee accounted an ecclesiasticall constitution, and not any civill regiment. To Ma­hometisme, or to any other heathnish Idolatry, it cannot belong, because it is onely retained among those that pretend the name of Christ, and are ey­ther the true churche in deede, or at the leaste doe wrongfully retaine the name of the true churche. Now vnto the true church it doeth not belong, as we haue already proued, because it is a government [Page]cōsisting of those offices, which the head neuer or­dained to be in the bodie, and consisteth of suche members, as would beare rule and not serue in the ministerie of the Gospel. We must then place them in deede where of right they ought to be, that is in the false sinagogue, which vniustly arrogateth vnto it selfe, the name of the true churche of God, and that is in the kingdome of Antichriste, the Pope: Whose kingdome must begin in the church of god and not among the heathen, as it was expresly fore tolde by the apostle Paule. 2. Thes. 2.5. Sathan therefore being to lay the foundation of this antichristiā kingdome within the churche and temple of God, that hee might with more colour afterwardes pretend the name of the churche, began by little and little to poison the ministers of the gospell with worldlye promotion and superiority, and so from small be­ginnings brought the Hierarchye vnto that height of pryde wherein wee see it at this day, not only in his own kingdom where he ruleth by his vicaz the Pope, but euē among vs in the persons of our wic­ked Prelates. And although Sathan was enforced to watche a long time, for his opportunity, ere he could bring the ministers of the gospell vnto lord­ship & dominion, A bout the year 320. (for vnto the time of Pope Sil­vester Rome it self was without any lordship atal) yet notwithstanding he was driuen to work that in the Church, before ever he could aduance the mā of sin vnto the chaire of iniquity. So that by means of this superioritye and worldlye dominion of the ministers of the word, he began at the first to make the waye for the in bringing of the my sterie of ini­quity. [Page]which as the holy ghost testifieth, 2. Thes. 2.7. began to manifest it self in the age of the apostles. And go­ing on forwarde by degrees, he so strengthened these plants of his owne graffing, that he made thē to bee the instrnmentes by the strength and power whereof, he convaied the whole bodie (whereof they were the members) head and al, into the tem­ple of God. For in these wicked offices of Archb. and Ll.Bb. the man of sinne first began to manifest him self, Cardinals were brought into the Romish church, since it fel cleane away from Christ, & they are rather the pomp then the strength of that kingdome. & now he is especially vpheld through no other power, but through their meanes, by whom also the whole kingdome of Idolatrie and darknes vnder him is especially gouerned. For the inwarde parts of that kingdome, to wit, the pestilent errors whereby he poysoneth the world, would easily wy­ther and decay, were it not that they are fostered & nourished by these ruling members of Archb. & Bb Who although when they were first brought into the church (being therein ordained for good pur­poses as flesh & bloud did imagine) they were not nor could not be discerned to bee members of the Antichristian kingdome, because that mystery was not then made fully visible, yet euer since that bo­die hath appeared, we know them to bee members thereof in such sort, as wheresoever they are main­tained, there the limbs and members of Antichrist are countenanced and vpheld.

But wee are not to think that Sathan, by whome these offices of Archbishops and L. Bishops, were firste invented, doeth at all tymes and places vse them to the one and selfe same purpose, hee know­eth full well, that hee cannot alwayes effecte what [Page]he would do with them, and therefore hee is con­tent, vntill conveniencye bee offered, to bestowe them as he may. But alwayes this is a ground, hee hath some seruice for them in all ages. At the firste planting of them, and long after that, hee did not vohold open Idolatry, and manifest apostacy from Christ by their meanes, hee coulde not doe it, the times woulde not suffer him, who thoughe other­wayes very corrupt, were yet far from that vile dis­honour of God. Example heereof you may see in Pope Gregory the first of that name, Anno [...]04. and especially in all his predecessors, whose superioritye and do­minion hee could not so haue at commandement, as he had the prelacy of all those that followed af­ter him vnto this day. And yet had he his turnes to bring to passe by their superiority, though the most of them were vndoubtedly Gods deare children. For he vsed their places, as steps and degrees to ad­vance Antichrist into his throne. Now in that king­dome of the man of sinne, since Rome became the cage of euery vncleane beast, and the verye recep­tacle of Diuels, he hath the Hierarchy at his owne commandement, to accomplish his owne will by it vnto the full. So can hee not haue it in England at this day. The time will not suffer it, her Maiesty and our state will not beare it, and yet notwithstā ­ding he worketh by these Antichristian offices very mightely as we see, in staying the course of the gos­pell, and the establishing of the kingdome of dark­nes: though not by meanes of anye publick Idola­try, yet by the maintenance of ignorance & blind­nes, and by the oppression of the church.

[Page] And in earth, not simplie as hee is the second person in trinitie, God aboue all, blessed for euermore, but as he is the sonne manifested in the flesh, Christ god and man, and so the head of his Church. In respect of this regiment of his, the worde of God speaketh of his kingdome 2. maner of wayes: first it maketh the same to be everlasting: secondlie it considereth of it as it is temporarie and to remaine for a tyme. In the former respect it cannot possible any wayes decay. Of this aeternall kingdome of his the Angell Gabriell spake vnto the holye Virgine Marie, after this sort: Luke. 1.31.32. Thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe, and beare a sonne, and shalt call his name Iesus. Hee shall be great, & shalbe called the sonne of the most high, & the Lord God shal giue vnto him the thron of his father Dauid, and hee shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdome shall be none ende. Concerning the latter regarde of his kingdome, the holy Apostle Paule writeth in these wordes. 1. Cot. 25.24. Then shalbe the end, when he hath deli­uered the kingdome vnto God, euen the Father, when he hath put down all rule and authority, and power: for he must raigne vntill he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete. Where the Apostle spea­keth of the kingdome of Christ as it is temporarie, and to continue only vnto the day of judgement & no longer. Nowe this temporarie regiment of his, is also of 2. seuerall considerations. For the worde speaketh of our sauiour Christ and his gouernmēt, either as he hath all power in heauen and earth cō ­mitted vnto him, Mat. 28.19. Reuel. 19.16. & 17.14. & [...].5. and so he is called the Lorde of Lords, the king of kings, & the prince of the kings [Page]of the earth, because hee is Lorde of all kingdomes and common wealths, to dispose and rule them at his pleasure, euen as he is man, or els it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his bodie which is the Churche heere vpon earthe, by certaine offices and ministeries, which hee hath appointed to be in his bodie, to wit the Church, for the gathering together of his Saints, for the worke of his ministerie, and the aedification of his bodie. Ephes. 4.11. In both these regards, he is said in the day of judge­ment to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father. For whereas now, as he is Lord of kingdomes and cō ­mon vealthes he ruleth by the ciuill Magistrate, & otherwayes by his power, even in the midest of his enemies: he shall in the daye of judgement put an ende vnto this regiment, when all his enemies are put vnder his feet and so deliuer the kingdome vnto his Father. Again, because in the day of judge­ment when we are all mett together, wee shall not stand in neede of anie aedification, & so the meanes thereof by the preaching of the word, the admini­stration of the sacramentes, &c. shall cease, the go­vernment of Christ also, as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease. And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father. For after that day, hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth: but he which is the Lamb, Lonke Reu. 7.17. & 21.22.23. & [...]2, 5. being in the middest of the throne of God, shall immedi­atlie governe vs by himself, and bring vs to the liue­lie fountaines of waters.

Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this [Page]latter sence, for that government of the Church or­dained vnder the new testament, wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe, to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house, doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite, guide and governe his Church, is such: as no part thereof must be administred by any offices, or offi­cers, saue onely by those, whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto. The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked, who go a­bout to attempt the contrarie. For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ, viz. the Church, which is not a Rom. 12.6. 1. Cor. 12.8.14.27.28. member thereof: and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect, but absolute and com­pleat of all hir members (otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house, and far more vn­perfecte than Moses is saide to bee, Heb. 3.3.6. the contrarie wherof is testified of him in y ^e word) the enterprise is intollerable, thatanie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect: & wherevnto that which is added being impertinēt, must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie. Because our Saui­our who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment & ma­king: insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome & bodie, those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein: you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ.

[Page] Nowe according vnto these grounds, Archb. a [...]d [...]b. doe not belong vnto the king­dome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong, whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast. You see, if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ, that they wer ordained members thereof, in the written worde & will of God. Heere then we will not be the judges, let our aduersaries speake thē selues: whether their offices be apointed in the new testamēt or not, for therin must they be mencioned, if they belong vn­to the kingdome of Christ, and are the members of his bodie. What wil their answere be in this point? Surelie they muste confes, that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it, there is not a word spoken of Ll. Archb. and Bb. So that whensoeuer, or by whomesoeuer they had their o­riginall, they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word. Because he hath ordained no mem­bers of his bodie, and no offices of his Kingdome, since the written worde of the newe testament was penned. Whervpon we must needs conclude, that they belong not vnto his kingdome. Naye, wee go further and say, that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word, that their verie names, much more their offices, are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church, as shall presentlie appeare. As for their cal­lings the corruption thereof is so great, that they & the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church, cannot stand together.

Concerning the puritie of the Gospell, their cal­lings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes, and in­fringe [Page]the libertie of the church by as many. Firste they will bee Ministers, and civill magistrates too, that is, they wilbee ministers of the kingdome of Christ, and the kingdome of the world all at once. Whereby they declare vnto vs, that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their Mat. 10.24.25. Iohn 18.36. maister was, who af­firmed his kingdome not to be of this worlde: that is, that he was not manifested in the flesh, to inter­medle with the execution of civill functions: but to be ruler of a kingdome, that consisteth in an o­ther manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe. Whose example in this point, all his true ministers muste needes fol­lowe, vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister, vnto whome (being heere vpon earth) though he were the lord of all his creatures, it had bene vnlawfull, to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate. And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king, Iohn. 6.15. he withdrew himself out of the way, be­cause that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing, but in the worke of mans redemption: and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things, he had not contained himself within the limites of that calling, wherevn­to he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes. Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinance is a thing vnlawful in itself, but that the Lord hath so apointed, that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gos­pell, cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and ex­ecution. By reason that these two ordinances of the [Page]magistracie & ministerie, though proceeding both of them from the Lord, do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte. For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords liuetennant and messenger, in respect that the Lord is gouernor and ruler of all his creatures, and especiallie of men: and therefore hath apointed the civill magistracie, to keepe them in that outward obedience, which he requjreth at their handes. Now the minister is the Lordes mes­senger in an other regarde. viz. In respecte that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation vnto men, if they 2. Thes. 1.9. beleeue and obeye his gospell. Vnlesse therefore we would make the Lord, to be the Re­deemer of mankinde, in that respect that hee is the Creator and the gouernor thereof, & so confound the decree of the gouernmēt of the creatures, with the decree and ordinance of mans redemption, we cannot without the breach of the Lords holy will, confound these two callings together. And surelie by how much the work of mans redemption from the aeternall wrath of God, is more excellent, than the worke of the creation and government of the creatures: by so much the more detestable and o­dious doe they manifest themselues: who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconci­liation made betweene God & man, do either vt­terly reiect their ministery, because they think it to base, and gainlesse a calling: or els as a farther coū ­tenance vnto the most glorious vocation vnder the sunne, dee adde the ciuill magistracie there-vnto. Whereby they shewe themselues indeede to haue made a shamefull apostacie from the doctrine and [Page]practise of our sauiour Christ and his Apostles. The weapons of whose warfare were not carnall, 2. Cor. 10.4.5. that is, not such as wherwith men by an arme of fleshe, as by civil authority, improsonmēt, &c. bring their matters to passe, but mighty in God to cast downe holdes, casting down the imaginations, and eue­rie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captiuitie euery thoght vnto the obedience of Christ. Heere are the onely weapons that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles vsed, and the onely weapons that are graunted vn­to ministers, to ouerthrow the gayn-sayer. And as for the civill punishment of the obstinat, they must commit that vnto the magistrate, who beareth not the sworde in vaine. Rom. 13.3.4. For it is he and not the mini­ster of the word, whome the Lord hath appointed to take reuenge of him that doth euill. Now com­pare the dealings and practises of our bishops, and what weapons they vse to encounter with those that stand against them, and you shall perceaue that they haue not onelie abused the force of that sword (which violentlie and wrongfullye their predeces­sors wrested out of the maiestrats hand) to keep the church in bondage: but also that this confusion of the magistracie & ministerie in one person (though the furtherance of the truth were intended therby) cannot stād together with the sinceritie of the gos­pell: the purity whereof also they haue corrupted, in the tyrannous superioritie, whiche they vsurpe both ouer their fellow Ministers, and also ouer the reste of the churche, with no lesse breache of the ordinaunce of God, than the impeaching of the [Page]libertie of the church,

For the first point, to wit, of the superiority which they as ministers claime ouer the church & messē ­gers of Christ, it is intollerable tyrannous, & dire­ctly againsta plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testamēt by our Sauiour Christ himself. The place is commonlie knowen, and hath beene cited for this purpose, I thinke by all those that ever dealte in this cause. Luk.: 2 [...].24. [...]. And there arose also a strife a­mong them (that is, among the disciples saieth the text) which of them might seeme to bee the grea­test, but hee said vnto them, the kinges of the nati­ons raigne ouer them, and they that beare rule o­uer them, are called gracious lords, but ye shal not be so. In which place wee see the spirite of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself, to haue plainly forbiddē al his ministers, either to haue any superi­ority & dominion ouer the church & their brethrē to rule any wise as Lords & princes do, or yet to be so called. Where also three especiall & monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expresly inhibited & forbidden. First, they wil be ministers of the gospell, and yet be greater then their brethren, & rule ouer the church. Secondly, they will be ministers of the gospell, and yet beare rule lyke lords. Thridlie, they wil bee ministers of the gospell, and yet called lordes. Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Sauiourchrist, You shal not be so? That is, you my disciples shal be so farre from having any superiority one ouer an other after my departure, and so far from bearing rule as civill Magistrates, Princes and Lordes doe: [Page]that you shall not bee so called by any names or ty­tles, that do carry with them the honor and the pre­heminence due vnto princes and lordes. They that beare rule ouer the nations saieth our Sauiour, are called Fuergetai a ti­tle wherewith the kings of E­g [...]pt were ho­nor'd. gracious lords, but ye shall not be so. Heere we see plainely that hee forbiddeth his disciples to beare the name whereunto preheminence is joined which may further appeare, if wee consider that in forbidding them to [kurieuein] that is, to rule lyke lords, he forbiddeth them also to be [kurious] viz. lordes, as farre as that name [kurios] is a title of worldly honor, preheminence and gouernment, & no farther. And no farther I say, because the word [kurios] in the greeke tongue, (as also the word Compare the 1. Sa [...]. 1, 15. & [...] Ki [...]. [...].25. w [...]h 2. king 6.1 [...]. [adhon] in the hebrew, and [dominus] in latine,) signifieth a maister, or Sir, as well as a Lord, which is proued, John 12.21 & 20.5. where Philip the a­postle, & our Sauiour Christ (supposed by Marie to be the gardiner) are called [kurici] sirs, or mai­sters. In which sence it is not forbidden vnto mini­sters to be called [kurioi.] Which I adde to stoppe the vnlearned and foolish cavils of our aduersaries, who go about to proue it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue, which al­wayes are names of worldly honor and promotiō, in our common speach, as it were for them, to haue the former greek, hebrue, & latine names, attribu­ted vnto them. Whiche by the places before quo­ted, & to any man of vnderstanding in the tongues appeareth to bee a cavill vnworthie the aunswere. And that our Sauiour Christe forbidding his mini­sters to [kurieuein] viz, to rule lyke lordes, forbid­deth [Page]them also to be called Lords, it is most cleare in that otherwayes he should open a wide dore vn­to the ambition and pryde, of proude and ambiti­ous men. For it is a farre greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right haue the dignitye of a lorde, to desire the name and title thereof: than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed. So that in forbidding his disciples to (ku­rieuein) beare rule as the lords of the nations doe, he forbiddeth them also to bee called and tearmed by their titles. I know what hath beene obiected by the Archb. vnto these thinges, and will againe bee said, if it be not prevented: namely, that our Sauior forbiddeth tyrannous lordship and tyrannous bea­ring of rule in the former place, & not just, vpright, and lawfull government. Where I beseech your Hh to lend me your attention, & you shall see the intollerable boldnes of this man in peruerting the truth, who is not ashamed (whēsoeuer it may be for his behoofe) to teach points of doctrine meere di­rectly against the words & mind of the Lord Iesus. I demand then of him, whether our Sauiour Christ did not in the place afore cited, so aunswere his di­sciples in the pointe whereof they doubted, as hee did fullie resolue them? He dares not deny it I am sure. For in pointes that are needfull to be knowen & reuealed, our Sauiour being demāded one thing doeth not frame his answere vnto that whereof no question is made, and so leaue his church vnsatisfi­ed. What was the question then? Was it whether any of them should rule lyke a tyrant? was it whe­ther any of them should gape after promotion? no [Page]such thing. For they knew well enough, that it was very gainlesse for them to demaund of our sauiour which of them should be a tyrant? which of them should abuse his lawfull superioritie, or whiche of them should be an ambitious prelate? they knewe well enough that he would allow no such dominiō and preheminence. Besides, the apostles (we may well think,) were not so blinde, as to demand any such question of their maister. Nowe then they de­manding no such thing at his handes, to what end should he tell them, that they should not be tyran­nous rulers? They made no question of any suche matter, & therefore a resolution of that which they called not into controuersye, was nothing to the purpose, but left them as doubtful as they were be­fore. Wherefore wee are to conclude, that as the question was concerning lawfull preheminence & bearing of rule, his negatiue answere being frained vnto their question, denieth vnto them, not only a tyrannous and an ambitious prelacie, wherof they made no question, but euen that dominion & pre­heminence which of it self is lawfull in thē, who by the ordinance of God are capable of it: to wit, in the civill magistrate. And whereas the Apostles dreaming of a worldly kingdom, might alledge for themselues, that their demand was not altogether without ground, because they contended for no o­ther superioritie then was allowed off, in the rulers of worldlie kingdomes: our maister Christ answe­reth that obiection, and telleth them, that although it bee lawfull for ciuill gouernours to beare rule o­uer their fellow officers and collegues, that is, ouer [Page]ciuill magistrates, and althoughe it bee lawfull for them to beare lordlie rule and authoritie, and to haue highe stiles and titles, yet among you that are Ministers of the Gospell, it shall not bee so saieth he. And to perswade them herevnto, Luk. 22.27.28 he bringeth in his owne example, who came to serue and not to beare rule in the ministery of the new testament. Making it also knowne vnto them, and to all his true ministers, that although they were according vnto his example to serue, and not to exercise do­minion all the time of their being vpon earth in pu­blishing the gospell, Verse 29.30. yet there was a kingdome pre­pared for them wherein they should haue an espe­ciall preheminence. But as for anie dominion here vpon earth, if they would be his true disciples, they were to look for none, but to be as he was, and to take the Ministerye vpon them on the same con­dition that hee did. viz. to serue and not to beare rule therein.

Of all these things then wee doe conclude, that this threefold corruption of our Archb. and Bb. First, in vsurping vpon the government of the ci­vill magistrate: secondlie, in claiming vnto them­selues those highe names and titles, which belong vnto worldly honors and promotions: lastly in the lordlie preheminence and superioritie, which they vsurpe ouer the whole body of the Church, within their diocese in generall, and ouer their fellow mi­nisters in particular, is altogether a matter to be de­tested of all true christians, as abhominable and o­dious in the presence of the Lorde. And seeing our head Christ Iesus granteth vnto his body this liber­tle, [Page]that al the members thereof should be servants and not lordes therein, (as he himself did serue & not beare rule in the kingdome of the gospell) and hath giuen all true ministers this priuiledge, that none of them shoulde rule ouer the other, it muste needs be that this lordlyke gouernment which our bishops arrogate vnto themselues ouer the church of God and the Ministers of it, cannot in it selfe, though it were never abused, but bee preiudiciall vnto the liberties of the church, and the ministers thereof.

Therefore my Ll. maintaine the Hierarchy of Bb. as long as you will, you vpholde thereby nothing els, but the tyranny and bondage of the church, to­gether with a chiefe and an especiall portion of the kingdome of Antichrist. For as this pestilent Hie­rarchy hath bene proued, not to appertain vnto the kingdome of Christ: so your Hh. are to know, that the same belongeth vnto no other body, then vnto that regiment whereof the sonne of perdition is the head. For vnto the kingdome of Christ as you see, it doth not belong, to the kingdome of the world, that is, vnto the civill magistracie it cannot apper­taine, for it would bee accounted an ecclesiasticall constitution, and not any civill regiment. To Ma­hometisme, or to any other heathnish Idolatry, it cannot belong, because it is onely retained among those that pretend the name of Christ, and are ey­ther the true churche in deede, or at the leaste doe wrongfully retaine the name of the true churche. Now vnto the true church it doeth not belong, as we haue already proued, because it is a government [Page]cōsisting of those offices, which the head neuer or­dained to be in the bodie, and consisteth of suche members, as would beare rule and not serue in the ministerie of the Gospel. We must then place them in deede where of right they ought to be, that is in the false sinagogue, which vniustly arrogateth vnto it selfe, the name of the true churche of God, and that is in the kingdome of Antichriste, the Pope: Whose kingdome must begin in the church of god and not among the heathen, as it was expresly fore tolde by the apostle Paule. 2. Thes. 2.5. Sathan therefore being to lay the foundation of this antichristiā kingdome within the churche and temple of God, that hee might with more colour afterwardes pretend the name of the churche, began by little and little to poison the ministers of the gospell with worldlye promotion and superiority, and so from small be­ginnings brought the Hierarchye vnto that height of pryde wherein wee see it at this day, not only in his own kingdom where he ruleth by his vicar the Pope, but euē among vs in the persons of our wic­ked Prelates. And although Sathan was enforced to watche a long time, for his opportunity, ere he could bring the ministers of the gospell vnto lord­ship & dominion, About the year 320. (for vnto the time of Pope Sil­vester Rome it self was without any lordship at al) yet notwithstanding he was driuen to work that in the Church, before ever he could aduance the mā of sin vnto the chaire of iniquity. So that by means of this superioritye and worldlye dominion of the ministers of the word, he began at the first to make the waye for the in bringing of the my sterie of ini­quitie: [Page]which as the holy ghost testifieth, 2. Thes. 2.7. began to manifest it self in the age of the apostles. And go­ing on forwarde by degrees, he so strengthened these plants of his owne graffing, that he made thē to bee the instrnmentes by the strength and power whereof, he convaied the whole bodie (whereof they were the members) head and al, into the tem­ple of God. For in these wicked offices of Archb. and Ll. Bb. the man of sinne first began to manifest him self, Cardinals were brought into the Romish church, since it fel cleane away from Christ, & they are rather the pomp then the strength of that kingdome. & now he is especially vpheld through no other power, but through their meanes, by whom also the whole kingdome of Idolatrie and darknes vnder him is especially gouerned. For the inwarde parts of that kingdome, to wit, the pestilent errors whereby he poysoneth the world, would easily wy­ther and decay, were it not that they are fostered & nourished by these ruling members of Archb. & Bb Who although when they were first brought into the church (being therein ordained for good pur­poses as flesh & bloud did imagine) they were not nor could not be discerned to bee members of the Antichristian kingdome, because that mystery was not then made fully visible, yet euer since that bo­die hath appeared, we know them to bee members thereof in such sort, as wheresoever they are main­tained, there the limbs and members of Antichrist are countenanced and vpheld.

But wee are not to think that Sathan, by whome these offices of Archbishops and L. Bishops, were firste invented, doeth at all tymes and places vse them to the one and selfe same purpose, hee know­eth full well, that hee cannot alwayes effecte what [Page]he would do with them, and therefore hee is con­tent, vntill conveniencye bee offered, to bestowe them as he may. But alwayes this is a ground, hee hath some seruice for them in all ages. At the firste planting of them, and long after that, hee did not vohold open Idolatry, and manifest apostacy from Christ by their meanes, hee coulde not doe it, the times woulde not suffer him, who thoughe other­wayes very corrupt, were yet far from that vile dis­honour of God. Example heereof you may see in Pope Gregory the first of that name, Anno 604. and especially in all his predecessors, whose superioritye and do­minion hee could not so haue at commandement, as he had the prelacy of all those that followed af­ter him vnto this day. And yet had he his turnes to bring to passe by their superiority, though the most of them were vndoubtedly Gods deare children. For he vsed their places, as steps and degrees to ad­vance Antichrist into his throne. Now in that king­dome of the man of sinne, since Rome became the cage of euery vncleane beast, and the verye recep­tacle of Diuels, he hath the Hierarchy at his owne commandement, to accomplish his owne will by it vnto the full. So can hee not haue it in England at this day. The time will not suffer it, her Maiesty and our state will not beare it, and yet notwithstā ­ding he worketh by these Antichristian offices very mightely as we see, in staying the course of the gos­pell, and the establishing of the kingdome of dark­nes: though not by meanes of anye publick Idola­try, yet by the maintenance of ignorance & blind­nes, and by the oppression of the church.

[Page] And they are greatlye deceaued who thinke the members of the Antichristian kingdome to serue the Diuell in no steade, when they are not joyned with their head, and when he maintayneth not o­pen warres against Christ Iesus by their meanes: It is far otherwise. For hee knoweth even vnder the profession of the gospell, howe to employ them to his singular advantage, as well as in the kingdome of the Pope, and euen to the same purposes verye oftē. For we know that the sway which he beareth in Babilon it selfe, by Archb. and Ll. Bb. consists not onely in maintayning the open impicties, I do­latry & errors which are there held, but a great part of his working power in them, sheweth it selfe, in suppressing the truth, and in the tyrannous vphol­ding of those poore soules in miserable darcknesse, who would gladly bee at the light, were it not that they are kept in bondage and slauery, by meanes of his foresaide instruments. The lyke vse hath he for Archb. and Ll. Bb. in England at this daye. Where hee defendeth errors, maintaineth ignorance, hin­dereth the truth, and oppresseth the church, yea & persecuteth the Saintes of God to the losse of their goods, and their libertie, and euen vnto the blood by their power. And if he cannot as yet tread down the ciuil magistrate and erect open Idolatry by thē, it is because his time is not yet come. For as I said, hir Maiesty and our state can brook no such thing. And I doe thinke that the men who exercise these Antichristian offices amongst vs, would be hardly gotten to afforde him their help in these cases. But when her Maiesty (whose lyfe the Lorde continue [Page]vnto his glory, the good of his church, & hir owne comfort) is gone the way of all the world, & when our estate is some-thing more infected with popery then as yet it is, and so the favorers of that Idolatry are crept into the seates of Archb. and Bb. see whe­ther these members will not desire to bee joyned with their head? It cannot bee otherwise. For the Diuell by whom they were first instituted hath this purpose in retayning them in the true church: that by their meanes when he findeth his opportunity he may, either bring the church, ouer whom they rule, from the obedience of Christ Iesus, vnto the bondage and slauery of Antichriste, or els murther those that will not yeeld vnto that Idoll. Compare them together. Hee hath alwayes held this course. King Edward & Quene Maries dayes do testifie this vnto vs. And wee may well thinke, that as when these members were first plāted in the church, (though the Archb. of Rome himself a long time maintained true religion in far better state, than the Archb. of Cant. doeth nowe) they never ceased vntill they were joined with An­tichrist their head, and had caried the true churche captiue with them vnto the same abhomination: so now being cut off from their heade, they will not be quiet vntill againe they bee engraffed into their proper and naturall bodie.

Now that they are the members of that body & not of the kingdome of Christ besides all that hath bene spokē, this reason may serue in stead of many. Namely, that Sathan never thinketh himselfe to haue fully erected Popery, vntill such time as hee hath established the Hierarchye of Lorde Bishops. [Page]For whereas popery consists of 2. especially pointes, viz. the false religion, and the false government of that sinagogue, neither of those partes can be away where that kingdome is compleat & absolute.

Entertaine the false religion of the pope, & de­ny the receauing of the hierarchie, ye do not fullye yeeld vnto popery, & submit your selues fully vnto the Antichristian kingdom. On the other side, re­ceaue the religion of Christ, together with the go­vernment by pastors, doctors, elders, & deacons, which he hath appointed in his word, and you do fullye entertaine whatsoever belongeth vnto the kingdome of the gospell, though you neuer know what the hierarchy of Bb. doth mean: which could not bee true, if the hierarchye belonged vnto that kingdome of Christ. Seing then that the kingdome of Christ, and true religion may be absolute & per­fecte, though the offices of Ll. Archb. and Bb. bee not joined therevnto: and seeing that where these are not retayned, some part of Popery is wanting: it followeth that L. Archb. and Bb. doe appertaine vnto the regiment of the beast and his Idolatrie, & not vnto the religion and kingdome of Christ. The consequence whereof is, that they who labour and striue for the maintenance of those coruptions in our church, labour and striue for the vpholding of a part of the kingdome of Antichrist the pope. The continuance of whose members amongest vs, ser­ueth to no other purpose, then to keepe possession, vntill the head hath gotten him sufficient force, to invade both the true churche of God, and the throne of the civill Magistrate in our kingdome. [Page]And surely if this Hierarchy, vnder whose winges Popery hath growne so fast within these 20 yeares, doth stande anye long time in England, I looke for no other effect to come from it but these two. First a toleration for men to professe popish Idolatry. Tolleration of Popery. Se­condly, vpon the grant heereof, I look that by little & little the state of her Maiesties crown (which the Lord forbid,) should be brought in bondage vnder the Antichristiā authority of the pope. If you graūt the former, the latter must needs follow. For let it once be sene that popery hath gotten such strength among vs, that after 31. yeares banishment, wee haue bene violentlie enforced & compelled to re­ceaue the same againe into our bosomes, and you shall then perceaue, that it will bee an easie matter for the Pope and his hirelings, to bring the crowne of England to stoup vnto Antichrists Myter. And as the lykly ruine of hir Maiesties estate must needs ensue vpon the quiet profession of popery, within any parte of her dominions: so out of question the continuance of this Hierarchye will so increase the nomber of Papists among vs, that of force (whether wee will or not) they will haue the libertye of their idolatrous consciences in their Idoll service. They that knowe howe their nomber haue augmented within these 16. yeares in our state, and how Sathan hath framed his instruments meet for this purpose, may easilie judge that there is som reason, why this feare shoulde bee conceaued. The members never thinke them selues well placed, when they are not annexed vnto the heade. Either then remoue these members, or vndoubtedly they will one day, bring [Page]whatsoever is committed vnto their gouernment, and make the same subiect & thrall vnto that head, for the seruice whereof they them-selues were ap­pointed.

Where it is saide, that the offices of Archb. and Bb. cannot stand in the church, without the infrin­ging of the liberties thereof, and that they are mē ­bers of the body of Antichrist, I know it wil be ob­jected, that many good men (even since the last re­uealing of the gospel) supplied these places: as M. Cranmer, M. Hooper, M. Latimer, M. Ridley, M. Bale, &c. whom if we should account either to be vsurpers ouer their fellow brethren, and the rest of the church of God in their time, or to haue conti­nued in Antichristian callings, the matter will bee thought strange, and hardly taken. Whervnto the answere is this. That for their callings, it cannot be denied but they were the offices of the Antichri­stian kingdome. And for the men themselues, they coulde not possiblye anye wayes continue in them without the breach of Gods ordinance, and the im­peaching of the libetties of the Churche in some measure. For in some sort they did rather beare rule than serue in the ministery of the gospell. And yet notwithstanding all these imperfections, we think these men to haue bene such, as for whome we are to giue the Lord harty thankes (not that they were Ll. Bishops, but that they faithfully labored in the ministery of the gospell, and sealed the same with their blood. In respect whereof also wee accounte their memory to be blessed and reverend amongst posterities. But what is all this vnto the Bishops of [Page]England at this day? Are they Latimers? Are they Cranmers, Ridleyes, Hoopers? Though for some causes I could wish they were, yet I thank God frō my hart that they are not. For then their Hierarchy would not so soone fal to the ground, as now I hope it will. But alas it may grieue anye christian hart, to consider the differences that are between these vp­start corrupt tyrantes, that nowe raigne ouer our church, & those ancient sincere fathers. Compare them together, but onelye in one pointe, and you shall see how lamentablie they differ.

Those reverend men of God, M. Cranmer, M. Latimer, M. Hooper, &c. hauing by great striuing recovered our church (though a dead church) out of the handes of tyrannous murtherers, laboured by all meanes possible to put life into it by the pre­ching of the word, that being aliue, & made strong they might also restore it vnto liberty. Our Bb. on the other side what do they? Surely rather then the church vnder their jurisdictions should recover hir liberty, Iudge good Readers. their whole care is how they may murther the same. I sclander them not. For rather than they will suffer any to bee over gods people, who doth instruct them in those things that concerne the ly­berty of the church, and the tyranny of the popish government, They haue stopped the mouthes of so many faithfull teachers within these 6. yeares that the proofe of this point is needlesse. Iohn 6.63. they will violently thruste al such teachers from their flocks, and place Idoles in their stead. And what is this els, but to murther the church, rather than it shoulde not bee in bondage vnto them. For they that bereaue the church of the word preached, take away the very life therof. The words that I haue spoken (saieth our Sauiour) are [Page]spirite and life. And I appeale in this place vnto the consciences of our Prelates: whether if all the pre­chers in England sought the ouerthrow of their hi­erarchie, they would not thrust thē al out of their places, rather then the church should be deliuered from their antichristian jurisdiction. It is plain they would. T.C. Admon. pag. 28.29. For B. Cooper maketh the putting downe of Ll. Bb. to be the plain ouerthrow of the church. And reading is preaching saieth the Archb. VVhitgift pag. 569.574. Better then for the church to stād by these quiet reading murtherers, then to be ouerturned by seditious teachers. The case therefore is manifest, that they loue our church so wel, as rather than they shoulde not beare rule therein, they wil see the hart blood of it: that being therby tamed, it may content it self with any tollerable seruitude. Look then what differēce there may be betwene desperate murtherers, & the carefull phisitions of mens soules, betweene mer­ciles tyrants, and the pitiful fathers of the churche. & the very same differēce shal you finde, betwene our Antichristian Prelats now living and those re­verend fathers afore-named. And that the worlde may see how these our tyrants haue adulterated & corrupted religion in Engl. (within these 20 yeares especially) from the purity, wherein it was left vnto vs, not only in the writings of our Sauiour Christ & his apostles, but even in their writings, whose steps our Bb. beare the world in hand that they do more neerly follow. I meane by the favor & assistance of my God, to make it knowne ere it belong in a pe­culiar treatise written for that special purpose.

To returne vnto your Hh. again: you see by this [Page]tyme, how detestable the offices of L. Archb. and Bb. are in the presence of the Lord God: & you see that he accounteth a church government exercised by them to be accursed before his Maiesty, because they are the members of Antichrists body, because they beare rule lyke Lords, & serue not as ministers in the church. Now, do you think him & his word to be enemies vnto our state, because they ar of this judgement? I hope you do not. How commeth it then to passe, that you allow not vs to subscribe vn­to that truth which the Lord doth maintaine? Is it because our assertions ar dangerous vnto the state? that cannot be, vnles you account the Lord an ene­my therevnto: for wee affirme nothing, but that which he hath given vs commission to vtter. Or is it because wee behaue our selues seditiously in our message? that cannot be proued. For the men who are most seuerely punished for favoring this cause, haue & do cary themselues as peaceably, & dutiful­ly towardes her Ma ^tie and the state, as any of their quality within the whole kingdom whosoever. Ad mit it were otherwise: is it reason that you shoulde reiect the cause of God, for the faults of men? Will you deale vnjustly with the Lord, because we deale vndutifully with the state? If we be found any wise guilty punish our misdemenor, but grant the cause. If you yeeld not therevnto, what do you els in lay­ing handes vpon vs, but manifest your hatred vnto gods truth & his people, & the loue you beare vnto the antichristian hierarchy. Either then my Ll. you must needs publish your enimity vnto the Lord & his kingdome, or you can no longer countenance [Page]these murthering Antichristian prelates, and their bloody train. The case of England is now become lamentable, when the state thereof vnder the Gos­pell, is said any wise to consist in these pestilent cor­ruptions, which euer since they firste sprang vp in the church of God, haue bene vnto this day, gain­saied by the most sincere professors therein.

The government of the church by bishops, And it was long after this time ere Bb. were Ll & civil magi­strates though they began to deale in civill cases in the time of Grego. the 1 Bal. scrip. Bryt. cent. 1. cap. 73. be­gan not before the yeare 607. as that reverend lear­ned man M. Bale, being a bishop himselfe in King Edwards dapes, hath set down: his wordes in En­glish ar these: From the yeare 607. the Church began to be ruled by the polity and government of Bishops. which government was es­pecially deuised and invented by the monks, &c. The testimony of M. Bale is true. For in this age everye particular Church, was governed by the Bishop, the elders & deacons, Mag. cent. 6. cap. 7. col. 591. &c. as the authors of the Centuries do witnes. And although long cre this time many bare the names of archb. & Bb. yet was not the churche at their commandement as it is now, neither could they abyde this superiority which our Bb. do exer­cise one ouer an other, Anno 674. fi­nod Herfor. Mag cen. 7. cap 7. col. 220. as it appeareth by a synode kept heere in England, where this preheminence was vtterly condemned. And it is here especially to be obserued, that in this age the name of B was cō ­mon vnto all ministers (corruptly called priests) of the word and sacraments. For Pope Gregory Greg. in Evā. cent. mag. 6. ca. 7. col. 392. in­vaieth against y ^e priests of his time, who for brybes did ordain bishops: and he advyseth Epist. 57. lib 11. looke cent. ibid. col. 406. Ianuarius to chuse B. where priests were wanting. Again, Mag. cent 7. cap. 7. col. 223. Bal scrip. Bryt. cen. 2. cap. 74. Law­rence archb. of Cant. anno 615. together with his fellow bishops, that is, the priests of Brytain (saieth [Page]Beda) wrote vnto the Scots. Compare these 2. points of the name & superi­ority of B. with that which D. Bancroft hath written, serm. pag 100. & 97 By these and the lyke places we see the name bishop to haue beene com­mon vnto al the ministers of the worde 300. yeares after the second Nicene Counsell.

Now that we know the original of these corrup­tions: let vs briefly see how from time to time, they haue bene gainsaid in the church. First of al the an­cient Brytones or Welshmen vnto the yeare 730. did Bale can. 1. cap. 74 ex Beda altogether detest whatsoever Romish inventi­on Augustine the monk plāted among the Saxons and therefore they allowed not this government of bishops. About the year 704, Bal. cen. 1. c. 76 Whervpon Adelhelmus a learned west­saxon, but a favorer of the regiment of Antichriste, wrote against them. Secondly a synode helde Anno 742. Mag. cent. 8. cap. 7. col. 452. in France vnder Carolomannus, ordained that every citie shold haue hir B. And Carolomannus himself found fault Anno 752. Mag. cent. 8. cap. 7. col. 510 with the pope, because he sought after worldly dominiō. Not long after his time Anno 820 Mag. cent. 9. cap, 7. col. 3; 8. Bal. cent. 2. cap 15. Claudi­us Taurinensis an Italian B. wrote againste the pri­macy of y ^e pope, & rebuked him for neglecting his owne function. In the synod of Anno 881. Catal test. Illir Macer the civil & ecclesiastical callings are so distinguished, that one person cannot bee capable of both. Anno 1070. Illir ibid pag. 247. Valtram B. of Noremberg, wrote against the civil jurisdiction of the ministery: so did Sigelbert y ^e monk. Anselme archb. Anno 1096 vpon Math. 26 Mag. cent. 11. cap. 4 col. 197. of Cant. taught that a B. ought no more to intermedle with the civil sword, than the king with the ecclesiastical. And he decreed in a Anno 1106. book of mart. pag. 196. synod held at London, that no spiritual person should sit in any secular office. Wherevpon Note. M. Foxe demaundeth how Stephen Gardiner could be L. Chancelor of England, & so we vpon the lyke groūd, wold know [Page]how the archb. of Cant can be presidēt of the coū ­sel? To omit Otho Frisingensis who Anno 1150. Illir. cata. pag. 430 was of Ansel­mus minde, we wil come to the Waldēses. Their doctrine was, that the book of mart pag. 233.235. pope ought not to deale in civil causes, and that al ministers were of aequal au­thoritie. The Bohemiās confession, is the confession of the VValden ses. Heere then the reader is to vnderstande, that we hold nothing in this cause against the Bb. but that which y ^e true visible church of God, haue maintained nowe for the space of more then 400. yeares. Cal. epist. 294.298, and they continue stil of this minde. For the Waldenses (who yet remaine, as it appeareth by their letters to M. Caluine, & his vn­to them) haue bene a true visible church, these 430 years. Let the B. bring but this warrant for their hr­erarchy, and we will yeeld.

I am enforced to be short, and onely to name (not al) but the chief of the ages following that oppugned the corruptions of our B. About the year 1324. book of mart. pag. 377. VVilliā Ockam and Marsis [...], Patauinus, the greatest lerned men of their time, wrote against the civil iurisdiction of the pope. In whose time Philip the french king held a parliament, wherin Anno 1329. The L Peter de Cugni. read the disp. in the book of mart. 358. one of his counsellers pro­ved out of the worde against the Bishops, that they ought not to deale in civil causes. Iohn Hus was burned at the coūsel of Constance, becaus amōg other points he defended al Anno 1415. book of mart. pag. 579. ministers to be of aequal authority And Iohn Claydon was burned at London the sometime, because hee defended a book, wherein Archb. were proved to be the seates of an­tichrist. At the coūsel of Basil the Anno 1432. book of mart. pag. 669.634. Ambassadours of the Bohem. pro­ved al civil rule to be forbidden the clearpy by the worde. M. [...]uthers judgement who was borne not many yeares after this counsel is suffici­ently knowne. Our owne martyrs as M. Tindall, M. Barnes, M Hoo­per, haue so disliked this government of Bb. as no men more. This do­ctrine of theirs being according vnto the worde, they sealed with their blood, and is now acknowledged the doctrine of our church.

The conclusion of al is this: that vnles our state-men wil reiect god and his word, and allow the spilling of the blood of his holy saints and martyres: they cannot pretend vnto bee enemies vnto the state, for see­king the ouerthrow of the government of L. Arch and Bb. withal the corruptions annexed the revnto.

The second; art of this book remaineth behinde, which shal be pub­lish'd as soone as the Lord wil graunt me opportunitye. I haue beene [...] forced for some causes to end this more abruptly than I would haue wished. If thou fauorest the cause (reader) thou wilt beare with, [...] falt, if thou art an aduersary therevnto, thou will think too much already spoken, and so by abrupt silence, (compared with that which I haue spoken,) to be no fault at all.