Appeal to the Parliament, Grievances – Evidence
I.
FIrst, may it please your Honours to take notice, that Position. 1 the calling of the Hierarchye, their dependent Offices and Ceremonies, whereby they subsist are all unlawfull and Antichristian.
II.
Position. 2 THe Hierarchicall government cannot consist in a nation with soundnes of doctrine, sinceritie of Gods worship, holines of life, the glorious power of Christs government, nor with the prosperitie and safetie of the common wealth.
III.
Position. 3 THe present hierarchie are not ashamed, to beare the multitude in hand, that their calling is jure divino. But they dare not but confesse, when they are put to it, that their calling is a part of the Kings prerogative. So that they put upon God what he abhorreth, and will hold of the King when they can doe no other.
IV.
Position. 4 THey abuse manie wayes that power from the King, by changing, adding & taking away at their pleasure, to the greivous vexation of the subiect, the dishonouring of his Majestie, and the making of the Lawes of none effect.
V.
Position. 5 THe priviledges of the Lawes and the Hierarchicall goverment cannot consist together.
VI.
THe loyaltie of obedience to the Kings Majestie & Position. 6 his lawes, cannot possiblie stand with the obedience to the Hierarchie.
VII.
ALL the unparelelled changes, bloudye troubles, devastations, Position. 7 desolations, persecutions of the trueth, from forraines or domestickes, since the yeare of our Lord 600. Arising in this Kingdome; and all the good interrupted or hindred, hath had one or more of the Hierarchie, as principall causes of them.
VIII.
ALL the fearefull evills of sinne & judgement, for Position. 8 the present raigning among us, and threatened against us, (to omitt the blacke desolation of our sister Churches) wee conceive to be the birth of the wombe and the nurslings of the breasts of the Hierarchie.
IX.
IF the Hierarchye be not removed, and the scepter of Position. 9 Christs government, namely Discipline advanced to its place, there can be no healing of our sore, no taking up of our controversie with God. Yea our desolations, by his rarest judgments, are like to be the astonishment of all nations.
X.
Position. 10 LAstlie; right Honourable, if you strike at this roote of the Hierarchie, removing that Asteroth or grand Idoll, and erect the puritie of Christs ordinances, wee are confident that there shall be a ceassing from exorbitant sinnes, a removeall of judgment, a recoverye of Gods favour, a repayring of the breaches of the church and common wealth, a redeeming of the Honour of the state, a dashing of Babells bratts against the stones. Yea this shall remove the wicked from the Throne, strike a terror and astonishment to the hearts of all forreigne and domesticke foes. In a word, God will goe forth with us, and smite our enemies. Yea a glorious prosperitie shall rest upon Zion, King, state and commonwealth.
THus having laid downe a decade of evills, arising as so manie corroding vlcers out of the bodye of the Hierarchie, wee come to some proofe of the particulers, as they lye in order; and that as punctually and brieflie as wee can.
1. Position proved.
1. ANd first, to the first, namelye, that the Hierarchie, their dependent offices and ceremonies are Antichristian. For making way for the proof of this point wee are to consider with the learned both auncient & moderne what state of goverment Christ hath appointed in his Church, and what kind of governours hee hath chosen to governe the same. For the former they tell us from the word, that the Church in respect of her policie and outward government appointed her by Christ, is not a Monarchie like unto the Kingdomes and Dominions of temporall Princes, as that of the Assyrians, Persians, or the like, in and over which certaine men as Princes have and exercise Soveraigne authoritie, but in regard of the choice of governours,Viret. Dial. 20. 21. Danae. Lubertus. Iunius. Chamierus. Sutcliv. Whittak. by common consent it is a free commonaltie, and in respect of the governours so chosen and governing according to Gods appointment it is an Aristocracie, as Athens, Venice, or the like, as this is the judgment of the learned, so it is cleere from the prescript of Christ. Mat. 18.17, and from the continued practise of the government of Christs Church, till (as the learned truelie affirme) it came to bee oppressed with tyrannie. As for the latter viz. the governours, they were & should be such Bishops as God ordained together with ruling Elders, which Bishops (as the Scripture proclaimeth, & the Orthodox learned beleeve) are no other than Ministers or teaching Elders witnes 1 Tim. 3.1,In 1 Tim. 3 Tit. 1. Act. 20. compared with Tit. 1.3, and 7. vers. which trueth is not onelie maintained by the Orthodox ancient, as Augustin, Hierom: & Ambros: but also by Papists, as Hug-Cardinal-Anselm. Lumbard-Cusan Iohan:Lib. 4. Dist. 24. Parisiens. and others, who hould this distinction to bee but jure positivo, & that it is not of Gods appointment, both Canon Law & civill Law do witnes.Gratian Dist. 95. Duaren. de sacris Ecc. Minist. c. 7. Sect. 9. Thence it was decreed and maintained by ancient councells from the Word. Act. 15, that all Ministers should have voices in councell both deliverative & decisive Carthag. Can. 34, 35. alledging also Nice Calcedon and others.Gentilet. exam. Concil. Trident. P. 216.
Lastlie, our learnedest of later times have given full evidence to the pointe, witnes D. Raynolds in his letter to Sir Francis Knowls, wherein he proves sufficientlie that God never made, nor doth the scripture witnes anie such distinction, but that Bishop and Minister were all one: taxing and disproving D. Banc. for holding the contrarie. The very same trueth was concluded by D. Holland, the Kings Professor in Oxford. At the act Iuly the 9. 1608. Quod Episcopus non sit ordo distinctus à presbiteriatu, eoque superior jure divino. That a Bishop is no distinct order from a Minister, nor superiour to him by divin institution. The self same did Cranmer & Latimer testify to H. the 8. It is true that some servile and shameles Papists to flatter the Pope,Bbs. Book. as some amongst us to flatter Prelats do averre the superiotie of Bishops, taxing the ancient that hold the contrarie of heresie,De sacror. hom. orig. Lib. 1. c. 5. with Aerius. Instant one Michael Medina cited by Bellarmin. But the whole current of divine & humane testimonies are against them. Having layd this foundation to come punctuallie to the proof.
It is sufficient proofe, of the unlawfulnes of their calling,Mat. 21.24.25. that it is not, from above, as the warrant of both ordinances and Ministrie must be. Otherwise the Lord threateneth to destroy them. Mat. 15.13. Where by the plant not of Gods planting, may be understood all persons, callings & traditions not appointed and approved of by God (for so the ancient expound it.) The calling of Aaron, a type of Christ, is not onelyonly thus approved Hebr. 5.4. But also Christ himselfe putteth his calling upon this point of tryall; I come in my fathers name, and y… receive me not; If another shall come in his owne name, him will ye receive. Which wordes,Ioh. 5.43. Aug. Ep. 80. sundrye of the Fathers applye to the comming of Antichrist, for he and his, came indeede in their owne name.
2. Where the Spirit recounteth by name, all the sorts of Ministery, ordinary and extraordinarye of his owne appointement Eph. 4.11. there is not one word of such a Lording Ministry, which the Spirit would not have concealed, but undoubtedly sett them out with al their titles and prerogatives, if there had beene any such superior offices of his appointment and approving.
Is it a like thing that God who appointed the Temple & Tabernacle, should be so punctuall in everie particular of his service vnderunder the law, and that he would conceale his more especiall officers and their offices vnderunder the Gospell? would he remember the barrs of the Arcke and passe by the Fillers of his Church? would be appoint the least Pins of the house and forgett the Maister builders? would hee there mention the snuffers of the Lights, and here passe by the great Lights themselves? Or would hee there remember the besoms and ashpans, and here not once mention Bishopps and Archbishopps this were foreign. To look to smal things and overlook the great things. Is it true that a silly ignorant woman tells us in the Gospell that when the Messia cometh hee would tell us all things?Io. 4.25.
And yet he speaketh never one word of his speciall offices, sure these can not agree.
3. From the same place of the Ephes. it will appeare that such Bishops and their dependances are superfluous. Therfore they should hauehave no place in Gods house. The consequent is cleere because there is a necessarie use of everie thing that hath anie use in Gods house.
Ambros. ad verell.Nihil tam necessarium quàm cognoscere quid sibi sit necessarium, There is nothing so necessarie (saith a father) as to know what is necessarie or of use. Now that there is no use of them it is cleared thus.
Those officers without the which the Church of God is fully built up and brought to compleate perfection of unity, are not of anie use in Gods house.
But without the function of Lord Bishops, Archbishops &c. the Church of God is fully built up and brought to compleat perfection of vnity, witnes Ephe. 4, 11, 12, 13.
Therefore L. Bishops, Archbishops &c. are of no use in Gods Church.
The learned have used the same argument against the Pope, the Church of God being builte up and perfited without him, therfore hee should not bee.
The argument is everie way as good against these Bishops and everie such Officer in Gods house, with out the which his house is compleat, as against the Pope, for it cannot be said of those Bishops as our Lord said of the Asse:Mat. 21.3. The Lord hath need of them.
The same argument holds against the Ceremonies, yea as a knob, a wen, or any superfluous bonch of flesh, being no mēber doth not onelyonly overburthen the body, but also disfigureth the feature, yea killeth the body at length except it be cut; so these Bishops be the knobs & wens and bunchie popish flesh which beareth down, deformeth & deadeth the bodie of the Church, that ther is no cure (as we conceive) but cutting off: If any object that there be necessarie Officers in Gods house, as Deacons and Elders, which are not named in that forequoted place of the Ephesians, it may be easilie answered, that the Apostle there onelie intends to make a perfect enumeration of such as labour in the word, for the perfecting of his Church.
Further if men may ad ministeries to those whom God hath appointed, then may they take away such ministeries as God hath appointed, for both of these belong to one and the self-same authoritie.
But men may not take away such ministeries as God hath appointed. Therefore they must not adde such as he hath not appointed.
As we have hitherto proved in general the calling of the Bishops to be unlawfull, so we come now to prove directlie their calling and their dependancies to be Antichristian.
These Governours are justlie called Antichristian Argum. 1 who are assistant to the Pope in his universall goverment.
But Bishops, Archbishops, Chancelers, &c. are assistants to the Pope in his universall government.
Therfore Bishops, Archbishops, Chancelers, &c. are justlie called Antichristian.
Def. p. 13.The major Proposition is D. Downams, for the minor, let their practise speake. For after the same manner & by the same Ministers do they Lord it and tyrannize over Diocees and Provinces in his Majesties Dominions, as other Popish Prelates do in other dominions. By the same reason that one is over a Diocesse, an other over a Province, the third may be over all.
2. They arrogate to themselves solie and whollie Argum. 2 the ordination of Ministers.
In these two D. Willet putteth a maine differēce betwixt Protestants & Papists. First (saith he) that their Bishops are over Ministers as Princes of the Clergie. 2. They take the right of consecrating or giving of orders wholly and soly to themselves.
Let all men speake if our Bishops do not this to an hair,Synop. cont. 43. and are they not by consequent Antichristian Bishops? For the further proof of this point we could bring a full Iury of judicious learned and Godlie witnesses.
M. Wickliff a man well in seen the mystery of iniquitie,Artic. 10. reckoned Lord Bishops for one of the 12 Disciples of Antichrist.
For the which Pighius writes a treatise against him, affirming this to be the main controversie betwixt the Waldenses, Wickliffe and him.
The same doctrine was maintained by Iohn Husse & Hierom of Prage.
Luther called this Lordship, plaine tyrannie, Tom. 2. Pag. 322.averring further that Diocesan Bishops were constituted by the very authoritie of Sathan.
M. Bullinger calls the superioritie of Bishops no better than tyrannie, Decad. 5. Sec. 47.affirming truelie that the Apostles themselves exercised no such tyrānie. To this may be joyned M. Hooper, M. Lambert, M. Branford, glorious martyrs. M. Bale in the Revel. speaking of the brood of Antichrist, counteth the Lord Bishops Antichristian usurpers, the Offices (saith he) of Diocesan Bishops are usurped offices, and not appointed by the Holy Ghost, nor once mentioned in the Scriptures.
Now if anie Patron of the Prelacie Post of all these testimonies to the Prelacie in the time of Poperie.In Re. c. 1. c. 17. 3. 1. Let them know that overlording Prelacie, sitting in the Temple of God is Popish Prelacie. 2. The whole current of forequoted testimonies striketh at all Diocesan Provinciall or Oecumenicall Prelacie, as an usurped office, because not appointed by the Holy Ghost. The extent of the challenge must be as large as the reason of the challenge. If they bee not from the Holy Ghost they are usurped Offices. But for the further clearing of this, let M. Gualter be heard, who taxing & disproving the usurped Offices of Lord Bishops in Poperie, he applyeth it to ours, who though they glory in the name of the Gospell, and would be counted reformers of the Church by thrusting out Popish Bishops & Monkes out of their usurped possessions, yet do they not restore the Churches due, taken tyrannouslie from her, but at their pleasure administer the same things, In Act. 1.which in times past the Monkes and Bishops did. Cyprian holds the verie title of an Archbishop or Superior Bishop, in whomsoever a presumptuous thing.
Lastlie, the Papists bring in the maintainers of Prelacie for a share, as supporters of their usurped primacie.Ioh. 21.17. The Protestants (saith the Rhemists) otherwise denying the preheminencie of Peter; yet to uphold the Archbishops, they avouch it against the Puritanes. Hence appeareth the trueth of that assertion, when the Prelacie disputeth against the Puritanes, they use the Popish arguments, but when they dispute against the Pope, they use Puritanes arguments, & thus they use the trueth as Moses used the rod,Exod. 4.3. whilst it was a rod, Moses could hold it in his hand, but when it became a Serpent, he fled from it, so they cā use the rod out of Sion the word of trueth against the opē adversarie (though implicitlie they beat thēselves therwith) but whē the trueth beginneth to sting, they cannot endure it, & were it not that the cunning Iesuite loves not to touch this string too much (tho now & thē he doth) least by theevs reckoning upō this point true men shold come to their goods. We are perswaded they shold beat the prelates out of their trenches, & themselves out of the field, but they know that they both stand & fall upon the same ground, and a Kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand.
Argum. 3 They ingrosse that name unto themselves which is due to all good Ministers; which as the learned observe is a perverting of the language of the Holy Ghost, Cal. in Ep. ad Tit. c. 1. v. 1.yea a point of prophane or heathenish boldnes from this (saith Beza) beganne the devill to lay the foundation of tyrannye in the Church of God. In Philip. 1 v. 7▪In the forehead of this name beganne that mysterie of iniquitie to be ingraven, namely, that vnknowne name PAPA; The various etymologie whereof, wee will not nowe insist on.
4. They lord it over Gods heritage with an intollerable Argum. 4 Tyrannie directly condemned by that unchangable Canon of our saviour Christ,1 Pet. 5.1. The Kings of the gentils exercise lordship over them &c. but ye shall not bee so: but let the greatest among you be as the least. Luk. 22.24 25.26. Mat. 20.25In which words three things be condemned in ministers, superiority, lordly rule, and titles of Lordship.
The Iesuites confesse that that affected superiority is condemned in the disciples. Yea the very thoughts (say they) of superiority.
Now all these things forbidden by our saviour concurre in making up that mishapen Monster of the Hierarchie. This interdiction of superiority is renued by the Apostle Peter (upon whom his Lord foreknew that that man of Sinne would build his forged and usurped superiority) neither as being Lords over Gods heritage &c. 1 Pet. 5.3.In which place the former ambitious or tyrannous Lordship is not onelyonly forbidden (as the Prelates would have it) but all manner of superiority, as the scope of the spirit, context, and very wordes prove. In a word their evasions from the true meaning of these places are the very same with the forgeries of the Iesuites, wherin they crosse both themselves and the truth. As for that power given by Christ to the Church they have nothing to do with it,Mat. 18.18 as is cleare frō the text and by the exposition of both ancient and moderne writers: yea by some of their owne, as Bellarm. applyeth it to the Pope, so they to themselves but against all ground and reason.
Iohn. 6.5. They will not with Christ putt their calling upon tryall of the word but by the contrary putt the Anathema upon such as dare presume to call their calling into question.Canon. 8.
6. They have the same, Titles, power, preheminence, offices and Courts that the papall prelacie had, (settinge onelyonly the supremacie of the pope aside) Ergo Antichristian:25. Ejusdem. cap. 15 witnesse that act of Henry 8. assigning them all whatsoever they had of the Pope (the supremacie reserved to himselfe) for which our Prelats have given the name of Pope and Papissa to our Princes.Bancroft. Spotswod. At vna via prohibitum, &c. That which is forbidden one way ought not to be admitted another way.
7. And lastly they arrogate to themselves, (we may well say blasphemously) these titles which are onelyonly proper to Christe,Act. 1.4. Heb. 13.20 Act. 3.15. namely the chiefe shepheard or Archbishop, great sheapheard or Archleader? which titles the Apostles, durst not take vntounto themselves, Ergo Antichristian. As for their defence from Conterfait Clement, or Paganish Archflamins, it is stuffe not worthy your Honours audience to conclude the proofe of this position,Iohn 1.20.25.26. let Iohn Baptist speake, where having denyed himself, to the Pharises to be either Christ, Elias, or that Prophet, hath this reply, why Baptisest thou then? inferring that he must either confirme his calling, to be of God, or not to meddle with the ordinance, neither had the Argument beene good if Iohn Baptist might have been of some other function then of Gods appointement, and therefore he confirmeth his extraordinary calling from the word, Thus it is cleare as the Sunne shines that their calling is Antichristian.
For to the Kingdome of Christ, it belongeth not, as we have shewed, to the civill Kingdome it can not belong, for it will be counted Ecclesiasticall, to a strange Paganish or Machomitan government it cannot be referred, because it is begun and maintained among those that professe Christ, & under a colour of Christs goverment it must sit in the Temple of God, and since it is not of God, to what body or Regiment doth it belong but to that goverment, whereof the Sunne of perdition is the head? let us then as hath beene sayd receive with the Gospell such governmēt as Christ hath appointed in his Gospell, then have we fully and compleatly whatsoever belongeth to the Kingdome of the Gospell, without any L. Bishops & their Officers, which could not be true if the Hierarchie belongeth to the Kingdome of Christ.Pr…f. Com. book. Mr. Cart. Rep. to D. Whit. Rep. to D.D by M. Banes. Dioce. tryall Park. Polit. Buc and others. As for the ceremonies as none can deny them; so themselves do grant them to be Popish, which it pleased them to retayne upon as good grounds as themselves do stand. Finally, this Position is impregnably proved by the learned. I have beene the more succinct in the proof of this evill, because the learned have bene so large in it, yet it is the ground of all the rest, and enough to cashier them.
As for their arguments obiections & answeres, they are the very same with the Papists, & are the same way dissolved; onelyonly we will discover one snare, wherein they take a multitude of deluded people. What (say they) will you have no order in the Church; shall all be alike? Shall wee not have governours and some head-powers amongst Ministers to remove Schisme and to keepe peace in the Church? And for this they presse Hierome his words; Let some head be ordayned for removall of Schisme. For answer. 1. Shall man be wiser then God? or shall the way and device of foolish man bring more peace to Gods howse then the way of the all-wise God? 2. Graunt that this course would bring in a Laodicean peace to the Church (because the Devill wil be quiet when his Officers beare sway;) yet it is an execreable peace, and (as one sayth) worse then manie contentions that is without trueth.
3. If there be such necessitie of one Lord Bishop over a Diocesse, and one Matropolitane over a whole Province, for the keeping of peace and unity in the Church or Churches of one nation; is there not the like necessitie for keeping of peace and unitie & avoyding of Schisme in the whole church, that there should be one Arch-B. over the Churches of Christendome? 4. And lastlie, to answer the point directlie; we plead quod nō sit verū: they make people beleeve a lye, that by this ecclesiasticall Monarchie of the Church, it is kept in order peace & unity; and that therby Schism is avoyded; the cōtrary whereof is true. For this hath been the maine cause of discord and disunion of the Church, yea the Fountaine and welspring of most horrible schisme & damnable heresie, as is to be seene at lardge in the Decretalls,Decret. and is witnessed by manie of the learned Worthyes, & fully proved by too much woefull experience both of times past, and of our present condition. Wee will shutt up the point with that pregnant and pertinent testimony of Musculus. If Hierome (saith he) had seene as much as they that succeeded him, he would never have concluded that one amongst the Ministery should have been above the rest, because it was not brought in by God to take away Schisme as was pretended, but brought in by Sathan to wast & to destroy the former Ministery that fed the flocke. With which wee may joyne that evidence of learned Whitakers;Loc. Com. C. de Minist. verb. Episcopacie (saith he) was invented by men as a remedye against sinne, which remedye manie wise & holy men have judged to be worse then the disease it selfe, and so it hath proved by woefull experience. But of this particular more afterward.