Discipline Which Christ Hath Prescribed for the Government of His Church, Title page – Dedication
A DEMONSTRATION OF the trueth of that Discipline which Christe hath prescribed in his worde for the gouernement of his Church, in all times and places, vntill the ende of the worlde.
¶Wherein are gathered into a plaine forme of reasoning, the proofes thereof; out of the scriptures, the euidence of it by the light of reason rightly ruled, and the testimonies that hauehave beene giuen therevnto, by the course of the Churche certaine hundreths of yeares after the Apostles time; and the generall consent of the Churches rightly reformed in these latter times: according as they are alleaged and maintained, in those seuerall bookes that hauehave bin written concerning the same.
MATTH. 21. 38.
The husbandmen said among themselues, this is the heire; come let vsus kill him, and let vsus take his inheritaunce.
LVKE. 19. 27.
Those mine enemies which would not that I shoulde raigne ouer, them, bring hither, and slea them before me.
¶ TO THE SVPPOSED GOuernours of the Church of England, the Archbyshops, lord Byshops, Archdeacons and the rest of that order.
MAnie and most euident hauehave our declarations bin concerning the truth of that gouerment, which Christ hath prescribed in his word for the ruling of the Church; which we hauehave manifested vntounto you, both by our writinges & speches, as occasion hath bin offered: neuer hath any one of you taken in hand to saye any thing against it, but it hath made his eyes to dazzle, as the clearest sun-shining; wherby he hath beene driuen to wander hyther and thyther, groping for euasions, and yet coulde not escape, but hath fallen into infinite most monstrous absurdities, and blasphemous assertions, (as by their writinges yet extant it may appeare) so forcible is the trueth, to amaze the gainesayers thereof, and so pregnant is falsehood to beget and bring forth thousands of absurdities, and eueryevery one worse then other. And will you still continue in your damnable, and most deuellish course? HaueHave you solde your selues vntounto Sathan, to fight for him vntill you be dampned in Hell with him? HaueHave you morgaged the saluation of your soules & bodies, for the present fruition of your pompe and plesure, is it because you see not what you should do? It may be so, for many are so blinde, that they grope euen at noone day; but me thinkes it can hardly be so, vnlesse you be they that hauehave eyes and see not, for the cause hath bene (by the blessing of God) so managed, that many ploughmen, artificers, and children do see it, and know it, & are able by the worde of God to iustifie it, and condemne you to bee aduersaries vntounto the gospell in resisting it. But you think that gouernment not so needfull, & your fault but small (if it be any) in continuing your course begon. The necessitie of the thing is many wayes apparant, both in that it hath so plentiful warrant from Gods owne worde, (as the course of this booke doeth euidently declare,) and also in that the gospell can take no roote, nor hauehave any free passage, for want of it: and the greatnes of your fault appeareth by this, that in so doing, you are the cause, of all the ignorance, Atheisme, schismes, treasons, poperie and vngodlines, that is to be founde in this land, which we challenge to prooue to your faces, if we may indifferently be heard, and whereof in the meane while we will giuegive you a taste: for the first it is cleere, that you are the causers of that damnable ignoraunce, wherein the people are so generally wrapped, for that you hauehave from time to time stopped the streams of knowledge, in those places where the Lord in merciemercy bestowed the same, and in stead of able and painefull ministers, hauehave pestered the Churche, eyther with presumptuous proude persons, that are esteemed learned and take no paines to bring the people vntounto the knowledge of Iesus Christe, or (which is the greatest nomber) such ignorant asses, and filthy swine, as are not worthy to liue in a well ordered common-wealth: and that you are the cause of all atheisme, it is plaine, for one may (as in deede many doe) professe it, and you saye nothing to him for it. If the most filthy liuer will fawne vponupon you, and bribe your seruants, you will not onelyonly fauor him, but assiste him against any godly minister or other: but if any that feare God, refuse to come vnderunder the leaste of your popish ceremonies, he shalbe molested, till his pursse be empty, or else by your tyrannous dealing, hee hauehave made shipwrack of a good conscience. And are not you the cause of all schismes, that make a hotch-pot of true religion and poperye, and so giuegive some an occasion to fal into this course, and others into that? And it is as cleare, that you are so farre the cause of all treasons, as without you they had not bin: for if eueryevery Church had had hir gouernement according to Christs institution; our yong gentlemen, and studentes, had not bene (for want of teaching and carefull ouersight) made a prey vntounto the seducers; and consequently to those practises, which hauehave broght the bodies of so manie vntounto Tyborne, and their soules into hell; and who but you be the cause of poperye, whilest you vse them so well, let them doe what they list, yea, and keepe them in office and authoritie vnderunder you, yea (whiche more is) giuegive them such offices as none that is not popish can execute: I speake not of the ignorance which by your means raigneth eueryevery wher, which (as they confes) is the mother of their deuotion, and you are the wretched fathers of that filthye mother, whereby you muste needes bee grandfathers (at the least) to al kinde of popery. And who can (without blushing) denie you to be the cause of al vngodlines, seeing your gouernment is that which giueth leaue to a man to be any thing,Omnia cum siceant, non lice… esse bonum. sauing a sound Christian. For certainly it is more free in these dayes, to be a papist, anabaptist, of the family of louelove, yea anye moste wicked one whatsoeuer, then that which we should be, and I could liue these twentie years, any such in England (yea in a Byshopps house it may be) and neuer be much molested for it; so true is that which you are charged with, in a Dialogue lately come forth against you, and since burned by you, that you care for nothinge but the maintenaunce of your dignities, be it to the damnation of your owne soules, and infinit millions mo: Enter therefore nowe at the last, into the serious consideration of these things: remember that one day, you must be presented before the tribunall seat of Iesus Christ, to be arraigned for all the soules that hauehave gone to hell (seeing you will needes be the rulers of the Church) since the gospel first appeared in this land, then shall you not bee excused with this; the Queene and Councell wil hauehave it so: nor with that; our state cannot beare it. For it shalbe sayde vntounto you, why do you not infourme them better of my will, why taught you them not to worship with trembling and feare, & to kisse the sonne least he bee angry; why did you not tell them, that all states must be ruled by my worde, & not my word by them and their pollicies. When these things shalbe laid to your charge, your consciences shal aunswere; that if you had done so, you should hauehave lost your dignityes, whiche you loued and sought for especially: then shall you wishe, that the mountains would fall vponupon you, and the hills couer you from the presence of the lambe, and from the presence of him that sitteth vppon the throne. And I am perswaded, that you are in league with hell, and hauehave made a couenaunt with death; yea, you doe perswade your selues, that there is no God, neyther shall there be any such day of account; or it were vnpossible, that you should giuegive your eyes anye sleepe, or take anye rest in your bedds, vntill you had vntounto the Lord by repentance, and the Church by confession vnburdned your souls of these hellishe wayes, wherein you hauehave so long walked Repent, repent, be not ashamed to amend, though others hauehave founde you out the way, iudge your selues whyle you hauehave time, least you be made fyrebrandes of hell beyond all time. Let our challenges that wee hauehave made in the name of the Lord, be hearkened vntounto; Let vsus bee disputed with before indifferent iudges, let the holy word of God bee the touch-stone to trye our di…ntations by, and then shall it easily appeare, who hath the Lord on his side, and who not. The trueth wil preuaile in spite of your teeth, and al other aduersaries vntounto it, (for God disdaineth to be crossed, by dust and ashes;) Therefore be not obstinate so long, as vntill you be found fighters with God; but preuent his wrath, lest it breake foorth against you like fyre that none can quench, because of the wickednes of your inuentions. Venture your byshopprickes vponupon a disputation, and wee will venture our liues, take the challenge if you dare: if the truth be on your side, you may hereby, be restored to your dignities, and be no more troubled by vsus: but if the trueth be against you, what shal it profit you to win the whole world, and afterward loose your own souls. If you refuse still our offer, then must you needes be guiltie eyther of this, that you know your cause will not abide the tryal, or of this, that you wil take no pains to confute vsus that keep such a sturre in the Church: do not think that because you hauehave humane authority on your side, therfore you are safe, for he whose authoritie is on our side, is the greatest, to whose voice all the deuils in hell shall stoup; much more the sillie arme of sinfull fleshe. We hauehave sought to aduaunce this cause of God, by humble suit to the parliamente, by supplication to your Conuocation house, by writing in defence of it, and by challenging to dispute for it, seeing none of these means vsed by vsus hauehave preuailed; If it come in by that meanes, which wil make all your heartes to ake, blame your selues; for it must preuail, maugre the mallice of all that stande against it, or such a iudgement must ouertake this lande, as shall cause the cares that heare thereof to tingle, & make vsus be a by-word to all that pas by vsus. The Lord open your eyes, that you may see the confusions whereof you are the cause, and giuegive you true repentance, or confounde you in all your purposes, that bee against him and the regiment of his sonne Iesus Christ. The same Lord, for the louelove he beareth to his poore people; open the eyes of her Maiestie, and the Honorable Councellers, that they may see your godlesse practises, and in pitie to Gods people, rid vsus from you, and turne awaye his iudgementes, which the reiecting of his holy yoke hath deserued, not punnishing them that mourne for the desolation of Sion, with those that spoile and make hauock of the Lords inheritaunce.
Amen.