A Protestation of the Kings Supremacy, Text
A PROTESTATION OF the Kings Supremacie.
VVE hould and maintaine, the ſame Authoritie & Supremacie in all cauſes and over all perſons Ciuill and Eccleſiaſticall, graunted by Statute to Queene Elizabeth, and expreſſed and declared in the book of Aduertiſements & Iniunctions, and in M. Bilſon againſt the Ieſuits, to bee due in full and ample manner (without any limitation or qualification) to the King and his Heires and Succeſſors for euer. Neither is their (to our knowledge) any one of vsus, but is and euer hath been moſt willinge to ſubſcrib and ſweare vntounto the ſame, accordinge to form of ſtatute, And we deſire that thoſe that ſhall refuſe the ſame may beare their owne iniqutie.
2 We are ſo far from Iudgeing the ſaide Supremacie to be vnlawfull: that we are perſwaded that the Kinge ſhould ſinne highly againſt God, …ſ hee ſhould not aſſume the ſame vntounto himſelf, & that the Churches within his Dominiōs ſhold ſine dānablie, yf they ſhould deny to yeald the ſame vntounto him. yea though the ſtatuts of the kingdome ſhould deny it vntounto him.
3 wee hould it plaine Antichriſtianiſme for any Churche or Church officers whatſoeuer, either to arrogate or aſſume vntounto themſelues any part or parcel therof, and vtterly vnlawful for the king to giuegive away or alienate the ſame from his owne Crowne and dignitie to any ſpirituall potentates or rulers whatſoeuer within or without his dominions.
4 Wee hould that though the Kings of this Realme weare noe members of the Church but very Infidels, ye and perſecutors of the truth, that yet thoſe Churches that ſhalbe gathered together within thes dominions ought to acknowledge & yeald the ſaid ſupremacie vntounto them And that the ſame is not tied to their faith and Chriſtianitie but to their very Crowne from which noe ſubiect or ſubiects hauehave power to ſeperate or diſioyne it.
5 We hould that nether King nor Ciuill ſtate are bound in matter of Religion to bee ſubiect and obedient to any Eccleſiaſticall Perſon or Perſons whatſoeuer no further then they ſhalbe able to Conuince their conſciences of the truth thereof out of the word of God. Yea wee thinke they ſhould ſinne againſt God, yf they ſhould ground their Religion, or any part or parcell therof vponupon the bare Teſtimonie or Iudgement of any man, or of all the men in the world.
6 Wee hould that noe Churches or Church officers hauehave power for any crime whatſoeuer to depriue the king of the leaſt of his Royall prerogatius whatſoeuer, muche leſſe to depriue him of his ſupremacie wherin the height of his Royall dignitie Conſiſts.
7 Wee hould that in all things Concerning this life whatſoeuer, the Ciuill Iuriſdiction of Kings and Ciuill States excelleth & ought to hauehave preheminence ouer the Eccleſiaſticall, and that the Eccleſiaſticall nether hath nor ought to hauehave any power in the leaſt degree ouer the bodies, liues, goods, or libertie of any perſon whatſoeuer, much leſſe of the Kings and Rulers of the Earth.
8 Wee hould that Kings by virtue of their Supremacie hauehave power: yea alſo that they ſtand boūd by the lawe of God to make Lawes Eccleſiaſticall ſuch as ſhall tend to the good ordering of the Churches in their Dominions, And that the Churches ought not to bee diſſobedient to any of their Lawes, ſo far as in obedience vntounto them, they doe not that which is contrary to the word of God.
9 Wee hould that though the King ſhal Command any thing contrarie to the Word vntounto the Churches, that yet they ought not to reſiſt him therein, but onelyonly peaceablie to forbeare obedience, and ſue vntounto him for grace and merciemercy, and wher that cannot be obtained, meekely to ſubmit themſelues to the puniſhment.
10 Wee hould that the King hath power by virtue of his Supremacie, to remoue out of the Churches, whatſoeuer he ſhall diſcerne to be practiſed therin, not a greable to the word of God. And if he ſhal ſee any defect either in the worſhip of God or in the Eccleſiaſticall Diſcipline, he ought by his royall authoritie & power to procure and force the redreſſe therof, yea, though it be without the conſent and a gainſt the will of the Eccleſiaſticall Gouerners themſelues.
11 Wee hould that the King hath as much author itie over the bodie, goods, & affaires, of Eccleſiaſtical perſons, as of any other of his Subiects whoſoeuer. And that by his authoritie, he may force them not onelyonly to all ciuyll dueties belonging vntounto them, but alſo vntounto all Eccleſiaſticall: afflictyng as great puniſhment vponupon them for the neglect thereof, as vponupon any other of his Subiects.
12 Wee hould that he hath power, to remoue out of the Churches, all Scandolous, Sciſmaticall & Hereticall Teachers, and by all due ſeueritie of Lawes to repreſſe them.
13 Wee hould that all Eccleſiaſticall Lawes made by the King (not repugnant to the word of God) doe in ſome ſorte bind the conſciences of his ſubiects: and that no ſubiect ought to refuſe obedience to any ſuch law.
14 We hould that the King onelyonly hath power within his Dominions, to Couvene Synods or generall Aſſemblies of Miniſters, And by his authoritie Royall, to ratiſie and giuegive life and ſtrength, to their Canons and Conſlitutions, without whoſe ratification, no man can force any ſubiect to yeald any obedience vntounto the ſame.
15 Wee hould that though the King may force the Churches to be ſubiect and obedient vntounto him: and to be Members of the Commō wealth, ye… that the Churches ſeuerally or ioyntly, hauehave no power to force him: or any ſubiect, againſt their will to any ſervice vntounto them, or to any religious … whatſoeuer. No, nor to be ſo much as a member of any Church.
16 Wee hould that the King ought not to be ſubiect to the Eccleſiaſticall Cenſures of any Churches, Church officers or Synods whatſoeuer, but onelyonly to that Church and thoſe Officers of his owne Court and Houſhould, vntounto whom (in reuerence of their Religion and of the ſpirituall Graces of God he ſees ſhinynge in them) he ſhall of his owne freewill, ſubiect and commit the Regiment of his ſoule, in whom their can be, no ſuſpition nor feare of any partialitie: or vniuſt or rigorous dealing againſt him.
17 Wee hould that if any Ecclſiaſticall Gouerners (call them by what name you will) ſhall abuſe their Eccleſiaſticall authoritie in the execution of their Cenſures, vponupon any man whoſoeuer. That the King and Ciuill States vnderunder him, hauehave power to puniſh them ſeuerely for it, much more if they ſhall abuſe it vponupon the Supreame Maieſtie himſelfe.
18 If the King ſubiecting himſelfe: to Spirituall Guides and Governers, ſhall afterwards refuſe to be guided and gouerned by them accordinge to the word of God, and lyuinge in notorious ſinne without repentannce ſhall wilfully contemne and diſpiſe all their holy & religious Cenſures, that thē thes Gouernors are to refuſe to adminiſter the holy things of God vn to him, and to leaue him to him ſelf and to the ſecreat Iudgment of God, and wholly to reſigne and giuegive ouer that ſpirituall charge & tuition ouer him, which by calling from God and the King they did vndertake. And more then this they may not doe. And after all this, Wee hould that he yet ſtill retaineth, and ought to retaine, in tierly & ſolidly, all that aforeſaide ſupreāe power and authoritie ouer the Churches of this Dominion in as ample a manner as if hee were the moſt Chriſtian prince in the world.
19 Wee acknowledge King Iames to be our onelyonly lawfull Soueraigne and vntounto him to be due all the aforeſaid Supremacie & wee renounce & abiure allopinions doctrins practicies whatſoeuer repugnant or contrarie to the ſame, as Anabaptiſticall & Antichriſtian. And wiſh they may be ſeuerely puniſhed.
20 Wee never refuſed obedience to any Lawes or commaundements of the King: or State whatſoeuer, but onelyonly to ſuch as we hauehave proued or are readie to proue, (if we might be heard with indifferencie) to be contrarie to the word of God. And we are readie to take our Solemne Oathes, before the Throne of Iuſtice, that the onelyonly cauſe of our refuſall of Obedience to thoſe Canons of the Prelates for which we are in preſent ſo extreamly afflicted, is meere conſcience, and a feare to ſinne againſt God: And that if by due forme of reaſonnyng we may be conuinced in our conſciences of the contrarie, we are as willinge as any Subiects in the Realme to Obey and Conforme.
21 Wee refuſe Obedience onelyonly to ſuch Canons as require the performaunce of ſuch Acts, & Rites of Religion, as are reiected and abandoned of all other reformed Churches, as Superſtitious diſorders, Such, as are ſpeciall myſteries of the Romiſh Antichriſtian Idolatrie, Such as hauehave been controuerted in the Church euer ſince the laſt breakynge forth of the light of the goſpell, out of the cloude of Popery in Luthers time. Such as all Proteſtant writers & defendors of our Faith beyond the Seaes, and moſt of our owne Countrimē hauehave either in generall or par ticular condemned as vaine, idle, and vn profitable, Such as all the faithfull, and painfull Paſtors of this Realme: and in a manner all States & degrees of the ſame, woulde be content were remoued: and ſweept out of the Church, and for which few or none are zealous but the Prelates, and their adherents.
22 We deny no authoritie to the King, in matters Eccleſiaſticall, but onelyonly that which Chriſt Ieſus the onelyonly Head of the Church hath directly, and preciſly appropriated vntounto himſelfe, and hath denyed to communicate to any other creature or creatures in the world. For we hould, That Chriſt a lone is the Doctor of the Church in matters of Religion, and that the word of Chriſt which he hath given vntounto his Church, is of abſolute parfection containyng in it all parts of the true religion, both for ſubſtance and ceremonie, & a perfect direction in all Eccleſiaſticall matters whatſoeuer. VntoUnto & from which it is not lawefull for any Man or Angell, to add or detract.
23 We are ſo far from makyng claime of any ſupremacie vntounto our ſelues (and thos eccliaſticall officers which we deſire) that we exclude from our ſelues & them (as that of which we are vtterly vncapable) all Princely & Lordlie ſtate pomp & power whatſoeuer, houlding it a ſinne for any whoſoeuer to excerciſe (no not by conmiſſion from the magiſtrat) any authoritie ouer the bodie, Goods, liues, libertie of any man whoſoeuer for any crime or offence whatſoeuer. So that any one of the baſeſt and moſt inferior Ciuill officers in a Kingdome hath and ought to hauehave (in our iudgement) more authoritie and power ouer men then any or all the Eccleſiaſticall Officers in the ſame kingdom or in the whol world. Yea we hold that the higheſt Eccleſiaſticall Officer in the Church ought to be as ſubiect vntounto the baſeſt Ciuill officers in the Kingdome, as the meaneſt Subiect in the Kingdome, And that they ought not by virtue of their office, to chalenge any freedome or immunity at all from any Ciuyll Subiection whatſoeuer, belonging to any common Subiect,.
24 Wee conſine and bound all Eccleſiaſticall power within the limitts onelyonly of one particular Congregation, houldinge that the greateſt Eccleſiaſticall power: ought not to ſtrech beyond the ſame, And that it is an arrogating of Princly Supremacie, for any Eccleſiaſticall Perſon, or Perſons whoſoeuer, to take vponupon thēſelues Eccleſiaſticall Iuriſdiction over many Churches, much more over whole Kingdomes and Provinces of Chriſtians.
25 We hould it vtterly vnlawfull for any one Miniſter to take vponupon himſelfe, or accept of a ſole Eccleſiaſticall Iuriſdiction over ſo much as one Congregation. And therfore we hould that ſome of the ſufficienteſt and moſt honeſt and godlie men in the Congregation, ought to be choſen by the Heades of Families, to be adioynded in Comisſiō as Aſiſtants to the Miniſter, in the Spirituall Regiment of the ſoules of that Congregation, of which he is the Paſtor.
26 We hould that theſe Eccleſiaſticall Officers being ſo choſen by the Church or Congregation, are to exerciſe over the ſaid Congregation only a Spirituall Iuriſdiction and power, conſiſtyng in a careful overſight of the outward behavior of the Members of their Church, That it be not ſcandalous, offenciue, and vnbeſeemynge Chriſtians. And if any Member ſhalbe delinquent, they are brotherly to admoniſh him, ſhewing him the nature of his crime by the word of God, And if after two or three admonitions, he ſheew no tokens of ſorrowe and penitencie, then are they to deny vntounto him the pledges and ſeales of of the Church, to wit the Sacraments. If this cannot humble him but that he continue obſtinate in that ſinne, then they are by the mouth of the Miniſter in Congregation (the whole Church conſentinge freely therto) denounce him to be no Mē ber of the Kingdom of Heauen, and ſo forbeare to hauehave any further charge ouer him, vntill God ſhall worke the grace of Repentannce, in him? in this manner they are to proceed againſt all apparent and Euident crimes only, as Murder Adultery Theft Blaſphemie, Ribaldery Lying, Slandering, Profanation of the Sabothes contempt of Diuine Worſhip. Diſobedience to the Ciuil Magiſtrate &c. Nether ought the Extreameſt of the Eccleſiaſticall Cenſures any whit hinder the courſe of iuſtice that the Ciuill Magiſtrate is to excerciſe againſt the ſame crimes for if a Traytor himſelfe ſhould bee penitent, the churche ought to forgiue him and lovingly to imbrace him as a Sonne, but the Magiſtrate ought to execute him, If he ſhould be obſtinate in that crime: As the Magiſtrate ought to cutt him off from the Ciuill communion of men, ſo ought the Congregation (of which he is a Member) cutt him of from all ſpirituall Communiō with them. If any one of the Eccleſiaſticall Officers themſelues ſhall ſinne, he is as ſubiect to the Cenſures of the reſt as any other member of the congregation. If they ſhall all ſinne ſcandolouſly either in the execution of their Office, or in any other ordinarie manner: Then the Congregation that choſe them freely, hath as free power to depoſe them, and to place others in their roome. If the Congregation ſhall erre, either in chooſinge or depoſinge of her ſpirituall Officers, Then hath the …uill Magiſtrate alone power and authoritie to puniſh them for their fault, to compell them to make better choyſe, or to defend againſt them thoſe Officers that without iuſt cauſes they ſhall depoſe or depriue.
27 Wee hould that thoſe Eccleſiaſticall Perſons that make claime to greater power and authoritie then this, Eſpecially they that make claime Iure Divino of power and Iuriſdiction to medle with other Churches then that one Congregation of which they are or ought to be Members. Doe vſurpe vponupon the Supremacie of the Ciuill Magiſtrate, Who alone hath and ought to hauehave (as we hould and mainetaine) a power over the ſeuerall Congregations in his Dominions, And who alone ought by his authoritie not onelyonly to preſcribe common Lawes and Canons of Vniformitie and conſent, in Religion and worſhip of God vntounto them all, But alſo to puniſh the offences of the ſeuerall Congregations, that they ſhall cōmitt againſt the lawes of God, the policy of the Realme, And the Eccleſiaſticall Conſtitutions enacted by his authoritie.
28 Wee hould that the Kinge ought not to giuegive this authoritie away or to committ it to any Eccleſiaſticall Perſon or Perſons whatſoeuer, But ought himſelfe to be as it were, Archbiſhop and generall Overſeer of all the Churches within his Dominions, And ought to imploye vnderunder him, his Honorable Counſell, his Iudges, Leiftenaunts, Iuſtices, Cunſtables & ſuch like to overſee the Churches, in the ſeuerall diuiſions of their ciuill Regiments, viſiting them and puniſhing by their ciuill power whatſoeuer they ſhall ſee amiſſe in any of them: Eſpecially in the Rulers and Gouerners.
29 For as much as no people are more hated perſecuted and wronged of the wicked world then the true Churches of Chriſt, Wee hould that no people in the Earth ſtand in more neede of the ciuill magiſtrate, then they. And that it is the greateſt outward blesſing they can inioye in this life, to liue vnderunder the Protection of their Swords and Scepters, and the greateſt cauſe of mourning when the ſame ſhalbe bent againſt them. And we hould thoſe churches to be no true churches of Ieſus Chriſt That livinge in any cuntry, ſhall refuſe Subiection to the ciuill Regents and Gouerners of the ſame, be they (in reſpect of Religion) never ſuch Paganiſh Infidells.
30 Wee hould it vtterly vnlawfull, For any chriſtian Churches whatſoeuer, by any armed force or power, againſt the will of the ciuill magiſtracie and State vnderunder which they liue, To erect and ſett vpp in publique, the true worſhip and ſervice of God, Or to beate downe or Suppreſſe any ſuperſtition or Idolatrie that ſhalbe countenaunced and maintained by the ſame. OnelyOnly, Every man is to looke to himſelfe, that he communicate not with the Euills of the times, induringe what it ſhall pleaſe the State to inflict, and ſeekinge by all honeſt and peaceable meanes all reformation of publicke abuſes, OnelyOnly at the hands of Ciuill publicke Perſons, And all practiſes contrarie to theſe, we condemne as Seditious and ſinfull.
31 All that we craue of his Maieſtie & the State, is, that by his and their permiſſion and vnderunder their protection, and approbation, It may be lawefull for vsus, To ſerue and worſhip God in all things according to his revealed will, and the manner of all other reformed Proteſtant Churches, that hauehave made ſeperation from Rome, That we may not be forced againſt our conſciences to ſtaine and pollute the ſimple and ſynere worſhip of God preſcribed in his word, with any humaine Traditions and Rites whatſoeuer, but that in Divine worſhip we may be actors onelyonly of thoſe things that may for matter or manner either ingenerall or ſpeciall be concluded out of the word of God. Alſo to this end that it may be lawefall for vsus to exhibite vntounto them and vntounto their Cenſure a true and Syncere Confesſion of our faith, containyng the maine Grounds of our Religion, vntounto which all other doctrines are to be conſonant: as alſo a Forme of Divīe worſhip and Eccleſiaſticall Gouerment, in like manner warranted by the word, and to be obſerued of vsus all vnderunder any Ciuill puniſhment that it ſhall pleaſe the ſaide Maieſtie, & State to inflict, vnderunder whoſe authoritie alone, we deſire to exerciſe the ſame: and vntounto whoſe puniſhment alone we deſire to be ſubiect if we ſhall offend againſt any of thoſe Lawes and Canons that themſelues ſhall approue in manner aforeſaide, And our deſire is, Not to worſhip God in darke corners, but in ſuch publicke places and at ſuch convenient times as it ſhall pleaſe them to asſigne, to the intent, that they & their officers may the better take notice of Our offences (if any ſuch ſhalbe committed in our Congregations, and aſſemblies) that they may puniſh the ſame accordingly. And we deſire wee may be ſubiect to no other Spirituall Lords but vntounto Chriſt, nor vntounto any other Temporall Lords but vntounto themſelues, whom alone in this Earth we deſier to makeour Iudges & Supreame Gouerners & Overſeers in all cauſes Eccleſiaſtical whatſoeuer renoūcyng as Antichriſtian, all ſuch Eccleſiaſticall powers as arrogate and aſſume vntounto themſelues vnderunder any pretence of the Law of God or man, the ſaide power which we acknowledge to be due onelyonly to the Ciuill Magiſtrate.
32 So long as it ſhall pleaſe the King and Ciuill State (though to the great derogation of their owne authoritie as wee may hauehave occaſion hereafter to proue) to maintaine in this Kingdome, the State of the Hierachie or Prelacie: We can (in Honour to his Maieſtie and the State, and in deſire of peace) be content without envie to ſuffer them to inioye their State & dignitie, & to liue as brethren, amongſt thos miniſters that ſhall acknowledg ſpiritual homage vntounto their ſpirituall Lordſhips, paying vntounto them all temporall dueties, of Tenthes & ſuch like: yea and ioyning with them in the ſervice and worship of God ſo far as we may doe it without our owne perticular cōmunicating with them in thoſe humaine Traditions and Rites, that in our conſciences we iudge to be vnlawfull. OnelyOnly we craue in all duetifull manner that which the very Law of Nature yeldeth vntounto vsus, that for as much as they are moſt malicious Enimies vntounto vsus and doe apparantly thirſt either after our blood, or the Shipwracke of our faith and conſciences, that they may not henceforth be our iudges in theſe cauſes, but that wee may both of vsus ſtand as parties at the barre of the ciuill Magiſtrate to bee tried in thoſe differences that are betweene vsus, and that when they ſhall publickly maligne or flander vsus or our cauſe, it may be lauful for vsus in a dutiful, ſober, peaceable & modeſt manner without perſonall reproche or diſgrace: in as publicke manner iuſtifie our ſelus, & then inſteed of that ſillie mockſeruice to the King of wearing a linnen rag vponupon our backs or making a Chriſtes Croſſ vponupon a babies face wee ſhalbe readie to performe and yeald triple homage ſervice, & tribute vntounto him, & ſhall think our liues & all that we hauehave to vile to ſpend in the ſervice of him and the Ciuill ſtate vnderunder him.
FINIS
End of the text · William Bradshaw, A Protestation of the Kings Supremacy (1605)