The Pastor and the Prelate, Part 2
THE SECOND PART.
The Pastor & Prelate compared by Antiquitie, and the proceedings of the Ancient Kirk.
WE reverence the hoarie head,Antiquit…e, the primitiue Kirk, the Fathers of two sorts. and name of Antiquite: but withall we know, that there is antiquitie of trueth, & antiquitie of error, and therefore vvould make difference betvvixt originall antiquitie, or that vvhichwhich was from the beginning, and of the first institution, and antiquitie of custome, or that vvhichwhich is of long continuance. They that take themselues wilfully to custome against the first institution resolueaLicet Christus po… caenam instituerit, & suis discip. ministraverit sub utra que specie panis & vini hoc venerbile Sacramentum: tamē hoc non obstante, sacrorū Canonū autoritas & approbata cōsuetudo ecclesiā servavit & servat, &c. Caranza summa conc. Const. sess. 13. distinguitur a Iuristis, ipsa primativa ecclesia in primam & secundam. not unlike the Councell of Constance, when they set downe their blasphemous act, Non obstante. We doe not misregarde the practise of the Primitiue Kirk after the Apostles, especially it being compared with the ages following. But would hauehave it in comparison of the Apostolicall Kirk to be esteemed, but dirivatiue, as which admitted many changes from better to vvorse both in doctrine and discipline. We honour the Fathers, but so that vve giuegive the first honour to the Father of fathers, besides vvhom vve hauehave no father. To his sonne Iesus Christ the onelyonly Prophet, vvhom vve should heare. To the Holy Ghost, vvho onelyonly teacheth us the trueth, and to the Holy Scripture, vvhichwhich onelyonly carryeth their divine authoritie. Wishing all that are studious of the trueth in the pointe of the controversie in hand, to take notice of these tvvo things:The mainteyners of Conformitie forgette themselues about antiquitie three wayes. First, that the maintainers of conformitie many vvayes forget themselues in the matter of the authoritie of the Fathers. For albeit they daube us vvith the Fathers, the Fathers, the ancients, and all antiquitie, yet they themselues vvill not hear the voice of the Fathers in their disputes: vvhether against Papists, vvhom they ansvver vvith the same exceptions against the Fathers, vvhichwhich vve bring in this cause against them,bWhitgiftus, Socratem Novatianum & Puritanum vocat. Saravia contra Bez. dicit Hieronimum apertè Arianū esse, Dounamus contra omnes patres, negat Petrum R…mae Episcopum fuisse, &c. or in their disputes vvith us, vvhen the Fathers make against them: and thus vvhile they professe that they honour the Fathers, they doe but mock them, sometimes putting upon them the purple robe of authoritie, & at their pleasure pulling it off againe. Next they forget thēselues in this, that albeit they knovv, that the vvitnesse and not the testimonie is to be believed, they alledge notvvithstandingcQuales sunt, auter libri, qui canones Apostolorū inscribitur, Clemens, Romanus, Ignatius, Dyonisius, Areopagita, Egesippus, Dorotheus, &c. De quibus Mortonus cōtra pontisicios, Larvatiisti autores pueris terriculamēto esse possunt, viris autem cordatis, esse ludibrio del…ent. some counterfeit, some corrupted authors, and some late schoolmen, for the ancient Fathers against us. B…canus, Calvin, Beza, Martyr, Iuell &c. bring them against the Papists, vvho denye not their authoritie. And thirdly, they misregard the order of divine dispensation in rhe course of time, not vvithout ingratitude to God for his gifts, and to good men for their labours,dVitium malignitatis humanae, ut vetera semper in laude, praesentia sint in fastidio. Tacit. Miratur que nihil, nisi quod Libitina sacravit Horat. Nec nossumus Nani, nec illi g…gantes, sed omnes ejusdem statura, & quidem nos altius evecti, eorum beneficio, maneat modo in nobis quod in illis studium, attentio animi, vigilantia & amor veri, qua si absint, jam non nanisumus, nec in gigantum hnmeros sedemus, sed homines instar magnitudinis humi prostrats. Ludov. vives de causis corrup. art. lib. 1. by preferring the meanest, that carrieth the name of Antiquitie, unto the vvorthiest instruments of that blessed vvorke of Reformation, vvho had aboue all that vvent before them many greate helpes of the languages, of humane literature, and of printing, and to vvhom many secrets vvere made knovvne by the accomplishment of prophesies, especially concerning the Antichrist, vvho being conceived in the Apostles times, vvas brought forth, and brought up unvvittingly by the Fathers, vvho looked for the Antichrist from another quarter, vvhichwhich maketh them to be incompetent judges in the matter of Hierarchie, & Ceremonies thereof. The Romanists themselues, vvho professe to be the greatest favourers of the ancient Fathers, are forced to blush at many of their grosse and shamefull absurdities, & to confesse, that many things, that vvere of old either doubtfull, or altogether unknovvne, are novv to the meanest become cleare and certaine. Some of them hauehave exploded it as an impertinent similitude, that vve being cōpared to the ancients, are as dvvarffes upon the shoulders of Giants. The other thing, that vve vvould hauehave the studious reader to take notice of, is this, That of the Prelates & maintainers of conformitie, seeking the fountaine of antiquitie, and uncertaine vvhere to finde it, some goe back to the old testament, to bring the Prelates pedegree from thence, some vvould bring his discent from Christ, some from the Apostles, and a fourth sort from the primitiue Kirk. But before they get a sight of their ovvne Prelate, in his pompe, in his povver, and in his bu…ke of Ceremonies, they must goe farder dovvne the streame, till they come in sight of the Antichrist, and there they shall see him not far of, vvayting on, as may be apparent by this vvhichwhich follovveth.
THE PASTOR acknowledgeth the difference of the Kirk and ministerie of the old & new Testament, seeketh neyther type,The pastor is not older then the N. Testamēt, the prelate would fetch his prelacie from the Old Testam. nor patterne of his office from the Leviticall priesthood, but bringeth his oldest warrant from Christ and his Apostles, and exponeth the Ancients, as Jerome and others, who insist in the similitude of the ministerie of the old and new Testament,eMutato sacerdotio mutatur & lex heb. 7. 12. Ex sigura communi, fine exemplo, nihil cōcludi necessario potest. lun. de pontif. as speaking by the way of allusion, and not from any warrant of divine translation.
The PRELATE searching the fountaines of Nilus, would bring his descent as high as from Levi, as if the chief priests, who had no episcopall authoritie over their brethren, were turned now into prelates: the inferiour Priests into pastors, and the Levites, who had no proper care of the poore, were changed into our Deacons. He bringeth the ancients to reckon this Genealogie, but with such successe, as the sonnes of Habijah had, when they failed in reckoning their line from Aaron, and so proved unworthy of the priesthood Nehem. 7.
2. The PASTOR hath an ordinarie and perpetuall office appointed by Christ,The pastor and not …he prelate warran…d by Christ. but the office of the Apostle and Evangelist was extraordinarie, & to continue but for a time. So that (howsoever antiquitie useth the words of Apostle & Bishop amply, calling the Apostles Bishops, and Bishops or pastors Apostles, and successors to the Apostles) yet neither is the one kinde of office compatible with the other, nor can the one properly be sayd to succeede the other.fApost. & Euang. …mumofficia, de…de duo extraordinaria, significant Officiū Apostoli & Euang. continet in se officium presbyteri eminenter, sed non formaliter, officiū autē episcopi hierarchici, nec eminenter, quia non datur episcopatus extra apostolatū, quem contineat eminenter, sicut datur presbyteratus. So different are they as well in respect of charge, as of gifts and discharge of duetie. For the Superior doeth not onelyonly doe that which the inferior may not doe, but his manner of doing, of that which is common to both, is far higher and more eminent.
The PRELATE repelled by the officebearers of the Old Testament, seeketh to enter with his directiue power and jurisdiction among the ministers of the Gospell, but with like successe. For a pastor and doctor, his power over pastors and doctors suffereth them not to be. He urgeth to be taken in with the Apostle or Evangelist, and to be esteemedgIn gradum … succes…it Apostolis & Euang. in caput succedunt pastores ordinarii. successor to them, but his office and theirs are not compatible. For formally their office was extraordinarie, and without succession, and materially his office is not conteyned in their offices, as is the office of a pastor, there being no example in Scripture, without the office of Apostle or Evangelist of such power as the prelate claymeth. Whether his life and forme of ministration be apostolicall, all that know him may discerne.
3. The PASTOR and not the prelate is the first minister (by the prelates owne confession) whom the Apostles appointed in Kirks, when they first planted them.The Past. and not the Prel. warranted by the Apostles. The pastor and not the prelate is the minister, whom the Apostles in their time doe approue, and the Pastor and not the prelate is the last minister, to whom the Apostles, when they were to remoue, or were neare unto death, did recommend the care of the Kirks, and therefore the Pastor and not the prelate is the minister warranted by the Apostles.
The PRELATE denyed of Christ, would father himselfe upon the Apostles, and finding no warrant from their doctrine or practise in Scripture, albeit the Acts of the Apostles containe the historie of many yeeres after Christs ascension,hIntervallum ill… ab ult. c. Act. Apost. ad medium, Trajans imperium plane cu… Varrone foreign voca… potest. Ioseph. Scalig. prolegom. in Chronic… Eusebii. He seemeth to be sure of the ecclesiasticall historie recorded in the Apostles times, & by Apostolick institution, a begunne succession of Bishops in Ierusalem, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch &c. But here also he standeth without, because the bishops of those places were either Apostles, and therefore could not be properly Bishops, or els ordinarie pastors of no greater place nor power, except for age & gift, then other presbyters labouring with them: Such were Linus, Clemens, Cletus, Anacletus, fellow presbyters at Rome at one time, one of them living some space after another, and to shewe the order of succession from the Apostles against Hereticks, who urged it, they were numbred, as if they had not lived at one time, and in the line of succession were called Bishops, by Eusebius and others after him,iVt hiatum euplere… Euseb. foreign, Clementis nescio cujus (non est enim ille eruditus Alexandrinus foreign) & foreign Hegesippi, non melioris scriptoris sint delectu, ea deprompsit. idem. agreeable to the corruption of their owne tymes, when now men had of their owne head put a difference betwixt a Bishop and a pastor, and not according to the puritie of the primitiue times, of which they did write, when a pastor and a bishop was one and the same.
4. The PASTOR is the divine and Apostolick bishop,The Pastor keepeth his place, and authoritie in the primitiue Kirk, when the prelate beginneth to worke, & to be constant moderator, or perpetuall president. of the lawfulnesse of whose calling, and power in the primitiue Kirk after the Apostles there was no question. The pastor by consent of antiquitie (when now by humane wisedome the constant moderator was brought in and called the Bishop) had right and power, not by grant but by his office, not onelyonly to preach the Word, minister the Sacraments, and use the keyes in binding and loosing the conscience, but also with the fellow presbyterskWho dare condemne all those worthy ministeri of God, that were neve… ordeyned by presbyters in sundrie Kirks of the world, at such times as bishops … those parts where they lived, opposed thēselues against the trueth … God. Field book 3. cap. 39. to ordaine ministers, and in the presbyteriall, provinciall, and nationall assemblies, to decide controversies, to make constitutions, to inflict censures, euen upon Bishops, and by his pastorall authoritie to doe all things necessarie for the edification of the Kirk. And this right and power, that God gaue him, he maintained in some Kirks in the most corrupt times, when now Antichrist was set on his chaire, and prelacie for the most part, of humane was become satanicall.
The PRELATE holden at the doore by Christ and his Apostles after their timeslPaulatim quamvi… patribus nihil minus cogitantibus, gradui episcopali aditus humanitus apertus, per qu…mox ingressa … ▪ … istum ini… quidem in Oligarchiā, ac tandem … horrendam illā …ntichristianā tyrannidem oecumenicā evexit, haud satis scio an unquā abolendā nisi semel sublatis quibus eo ascendit gradibus, in ordinem divinae institutionis redigatur. Bez. de grad cap. 23. by the ambition of some pastors; and simplicitie of others, when he had long hung on, got in the foote to be constant moderator, but not finding entrie at the first, for his greate head, made up of sole ordination, of monarchicall jurisdiction, of civill power, worldly pompe and superstitious ceremonies, he hydeth his miter in the mysterie of iniquitie, going on with it foote for foote, and draweth in by fraude and force, one limme after another, till at last, after many ages, and much working (for he atteyned not to the degree of an Archbishop, till after the Councell of Nice) he sheweth himselfe Lord in the house of God, having no more of the first institution of a Bishop, then the ship Argo had of her first buylding, when after her expedition shee had lyen at a full sea some hundreds of yeares, or the beggers cloake patched with many clouts and coulours, that hath passed through some generations, which he it may be, makes more of, then of a parliament robe, hath of the first shaping.
5. The PASTOR as became the humble servant of Christ,The pastor seeketh no honour but by his doctrine & life; the prelate forsaketh this way and taketh him to the world. and a minister of the New Testament, procured and maintained the dignitie and true honour of his ministerie, by holding forth the glorious light of the Gospell in his doctrine, and the shyning light of holynes in his conversation: esteeming the preaching of the glad tydings of peace, to be the beautie of ministers, & righteousnes their robe and ornament.
The PRELATE tooke him to the contrarie course, for his credite, and transformed the beautifull simplicitie of Christs Kingdome into the glorie of the kingdome of the world, albeit when he was of his old stampe, his greatest dignitie was his chaire, and faythfull teaching the flower of his garland: yet now degenerating from his first sinceritie, and being infected with secular smoake, he came to be cast in the mould of the first Beast, his chaire gaue place to his Consistorie and throne; his jurisdiction and government, honoured with the title of preheminence caried all the credit, Teaching as a base worke was giuen over to the pettie presbyters, and everie office in the Kirk was counted a dignitie worthie of honour lesse or more, as it had more or lesse jurisdiction annexed, as these are more or lesse honourable in the common wealth, that hauehave more or lesse civill authoritie. And thus prelacie came up, and preaching came downe, and the Kirk became more worldly then the world it selfe.
6. The PASTOR when all was going wrong,The pastor witnes for the trueth in the time o… defection, which is wrought by the prelate, perverting all after he is once entred. some raysing contentions, others gaping after honours, the braines of many being bigge with heresies, all giuen to heape up superstition and Atheisme, and the prelate with his popish hierarchie, possessing both the holy citie and outward court, he then gaue testimonie to the trueth, kept still the temple, and within the temple kept in the light, as two oliue trees growing up by the sides of the candlestick, and dropping downe from the branches oyle into the lampes, for the comfort of such as Jehovah Shammah had chosen for life, and would saue from the deluge of defection.
The PRELATE once possessed into the Kirk, never ceased, till he had changed the Kirk into a court, power ecclesiasticall into civill policie, the Scripture into tradition, the trueth into heresie, sinceritie into superstition, the worship of God into Idolatrie, as the worship of images, Saincts and bread-worship, the pure ordinances of God into Masses, Altars, Images, Garments, Fasting, and follies of Paganisme and Iudaisme, like a smoake out of the bottomlesse pitte, growing grosser and thicker everie day, and in the middest of the myst built up his greatnes, upon the ruins not onelyonly of the Kirks, but of the commonwealths of the world: for when the starres of heauen fell into the earth, the mountaines and Ilands were moved out of tbeir places, and as this unhappy milt swelled bigge in the bodie with wealth and honour, the life of religion became faint, the Princes and Nobles of the earth like the noble parts in the body decayed, and the meaner ones like the hands and feete withered away. The Popes felicitie was the whole worlds miserie, and so was the Prelates to severall nations and provinces.
7. The PASTOR and with him the godly of the time wearied with long opposition, The past, complained of that which he could not mend & the prel, persecuted them that complained.poured out their heavie complaints, mEcce in pace amaritudo mea ama rissima, amaraprius in nece martyrū, amarior post … conflictu hereti…rum, amariss… nunc in mori… domesticorum▪ … Bern. super Cant.that the grief of the Kirk was more bitter in peace, then eyther under persecution or heresie, that she had brought up and exalted her sonnes, & they had despised her. If a professed Heretick should arise, she could cast him forth of her bosome, if a violent enemie, she could hide her selfe frō him, but now whom shall the Kirk cast out, or frō whom shall she hide her self, all are friends, & yet all are enemies, al are domesticks, & yet none seek her true peace, for all seeke their owne things, and not the things of Iesus Christ. They are the ministers of Christ, & serue the Antichrist. He complayneth, nDevotio peperit divitias, & filia de voravit matrem. idem.that devotion had brought forth riches, & the mother had devoured her daughter.oOlim fuerunt lignei calices, & aurei sacerdotes: nunc contra sunt aure… calices & lignei sa cerdotes, vulgo jactitatū. That of old the Bishops were of gold & the cups of wood, but now the bishops hauehave chāged their metall with the cups.pOlim habuisse christianos obscura templa, sed lucida cordainūc cōtra habere lucida templa sed obscura corda. & sequentia. That of old Christians had darke Kirks, but lightsome hearts, but now lightsome kirks and darke hearts. That the prelates inquired what rent the bishoprick rendered, and not how many soules were to be fed in it. That their bodies were clad with purple and silke, but had threedbare consciences. That their care was greater to emptie mens purses, then to extirpate their vices. That when they consecrate a Prelate, they kill a good man by advancing him. That no greater evill could be wished to any man, then that he be made pope. That in the estate of the Kirk Heauen is below, and earth is aboue. The spirit obeyeth, and the flesh commandeth. That in the mouths of the Prelates was the law of vanitie, and not the law of veritie, and that the lips of the priestes under them kept secular, and not spirituall knowledge.
And when he searched the causes of the Kirks miserie, he condescended upon the neglecting of Scripture, and multiplication of mens inventions, the ignorance and idlenes of prelates, like dumbe dogges, that could not barke; their covetousnesse aboue the Pharisees.
They suffred doues to be solde in the temple, but these sell both Kirk and sacrifice. Their pride and ambition declared in theyr great horses, and other superfluous pompe, and that as sonnes of Belial they hauehave cast off the yoke, not induring that any should aske them, why they doe so and so, the unequall proportion seen in the Kirk, when one is hungrie an other drunke, some so enormiously overgone in riches and pompe, that the weaknes of the rest is not able to beare them.
The PRELATE still madde of avarice and ambition stood upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that they should not blowe, and opposed himselfe against the doctrine and complaint of the Pastors, condemning them for Hereticks, giving out against them decrees of corrupt councels, thundring them with anathematismes: & persecuting them by fire and sword. He punished the clergie under him more severely for the neglect of a ceremonie then for sacriledge or adulterie, and finally least his fraude and falsehoode should be knowen, he forbad all men the reading and using the holy Scripture.
8. The PASTOR and all good men,The Past. desyred, & urged a reformation, which by … meanes the pre…e refused. that longed and laboured for the reformation of the Christian Kirk, for the space of fiue hundred yeeres,qD. Reynold his …ter to S. Francis Knolles▪ concerning D. Bancrofts sermō 1588. maketh this cleare. as the Waldenses, Marsilius Patavinus, Wickleife, and his schollers, Husse and his followers, and all such as the Lord used for instruments in working the reformation, as Luther, Calvin, Brentius, Bullingerus, Musculus &c. did teach, that all pastors are of equall authoritie by the word of God, and all that space of time urged this point of reformation, as without which no successe could be expected in the reformation of the doctrine and worship.
The PRELATE knowing, as it was often preached & written, all that time of 500 yeares, that the maine cause of the corruptions of the Kirk was his owne place, his pride, and his avarice, and that the desired and urged reformation of the Kirk, which was now brought to that passe, that as one sayes well, she could never beare her owne disease, nor yet suffer remedie, behoved to beginne at himselfe, the greatest byle in all ehe bodie, by all meanes held off reformation, as his owne ruine, and when severall nations were bringing it aboute, he could never be moved to giuegive his consent, so deare was his myter and bellye unto him.
The Prelates objection.
THE PRELATE will confesse,Obj. The Christiā Kirk for 300 yeres, had such bishops, as we hauehave now. that it were better to hauehave no Bishops then such monsters, as the Roman Kirk brought forth, but prydeth himselfe in antiquitie, and affirmeth, that the Christian Kirk in all places for the space of three hundreth yeares after Christ and his Apostles had Bishops in everie thing like himselfe, & that afterward the shepheards became wolues.
The Pastors answer.
THAT which Tertullian in his time said unto the Gentils may be replyed to our Prelates;Ans. Shewing in many particulars the difference betwixt the primitiue Bishops, and our prelates, who are liker unto the Roman Bisops, in the most corrupt times. Ye boast of antiquitie: but your dayly life is after the new fashion. Maister Phantastico at Athens, whensoever he perceived any ships entring into the harboure, he strongly apprehended that they were his owne, and used to sease upon them, as if they had beene his owne indeede. So deale our Prelates with the ancient Bishops, they come no sooner in their sight, but they take them for their owne, albeit they be verie unlike unto them, for were they living they would blush, and be ashamed, that such should be called their successors, as Angelo the famous Italian Painter pourtrayed Peter and Paul for the use of a Cardinall at Rome, with redde and high coloured faces, shewing thereby, that if they were living, they would blush at the pompe and pride of the Prelates of that time. Our Prelates are rather of the late Roman cutte, and not so like unto the primitiue, as unto the popish Bishops, who comparing themselues with others before, & ours now come after them might say with the Poet:rAetas parentum, pejor avis tulit nos nequiores, mox d… turus progeniē vitiosiorem, Horat.
Our parents age worse then their predecessors,
Hath brought us forth more wicked their successors,
Ere it be long, if we continew thus,
We will bring forth a broode more vitious.
1.sEx his Ambrosij & Hieronimi constat primū, in ipsix ecclesiae primordiis nullos tales episcopos fuisse, quales postea instituti fuere, scilicet qui suo jure reliquis e clero praeessent: unde colligitur & non esse id ipsum à Christo, & apostolis institutū: & (quando quidem in eccl. id sit optimm quod primumū) ecclesiae fore consultius, ut omnes presbyteri pari censerentur & jure & gradu. Secundo constat ne tū quidem, cū hic episcoporum a presbyterù distinctorum ordo, sive gradus est constitutus, fuisse episcopos tamquam monarch…s, &c. Chamier. de… oecumen. pontis. lib. 18. cap. 5. sect. 6. Respondeo patrum authoritem nihil efficere, ratio, quia non ostendunt nullum unquam tempus extitisse cum essent episcopi pares presbyteris, sed tantum inaequalitatem esse vetustissimam, ae vicinam apostolirum temporibus, quod nos ultro fatemur. idem Chamier. lib. 10. cap. 6. sect. 24. For the Primitiue bishops (after that the name of Bishop common to all pastors beganne to be impropriat) were neyther ordeyned by bishops nor metrapolitanes, but onelyonly chosen by pastors, to be their constant moderators, or perpetuall presidents, but without warrant from God or his trueth.
Our Prelate must first by a simulate forme of election be made my Lord Elect, and then receiue a new consecratiou, with a new guise of Ceremonies drawen from the Roman Pontificall, as litle knowen to poore antiquitie, as the words themselues of ordination, consecration &c.
2. The Primitiue Bishops looking more to the bewtie then dignitie, suffered violence, and were constreyned by pastors and people, whether they would or not, to receiue the charge.
Our Prelate when the Bishop is an old man, then he standeth diligently and learneth fast, but onelyonly how to make credite at court, and when after long exspectation the place is voyde, by posting, promising, and propyuing, he procureth himselfe to be chosen first without the knowledge and syne, against the will both of Pastors and people.
3. The primitiue Bishops knew not such a creature, as was designed afterward by the proude name of an Archbishop, who should be a Bishop of bishops, having power over Comprovinciall bishops his suffraganes.
Our Prelate prydeth himselfe in this proude title, and will hauehave one & the same creature to be Metropolitane Archbishop and primate, that what he may not doe as Metrapolitane he may doe as Archbishop, and what he may not as Archbishop, he may as Primate and as another Pope.
4. The primitiue Bishop was in the presbyterie like the Consull in the Senat, as first amongst the presbyters he moderated in their meetings, reported matters done before, asked the voters, and what they concluded, he did see it executed upon others, and was subject to it himselfe.
Our Prelate in the Presbyterie will be like a king in his Counsell, and thinketh his authoritie no lesse without the presbyterie then with it, and what the Synode may doe with the Arch-bishop, that he may doe without the Synode.
5. The primitiue bishops dwelled so neare together, that sixe of them convened in a cause that concerned an Elder, and three for a deacon. In a Synode they convened in great numbers. Privatus was condemned by 90 Bishops. Against Novatus were convened 84 bishops. In some Synods 217, in some 270.
Our Prelate spreadeth his wings over some hundreds of Kirks, lying in divers provinces also wide as Mers, Louthian, Fyffe, Angus, Mernes &c.
As therefore our Prelate was shewed before, not to be the Lords bishop, authorised by Scripture, so is he not mans bishop made up in the primitiue times of the Kirk, but the same that we had before the reformation, the same with the Italian, Spanish, or French Prelate under the Pope, and the same with the Antichristian Prelates, in the most corrupt times of the Kirk, especially the last 500 yeares, excepting his subordination to the pope, by which exceptiō our princely prelate is made greater then the popish. And what was written of the popish prelate in those times, is of new againe reverified of ours, as of their civill offices and advocations.
Vintoniensis armiger,
Praesidet ad Scacanium,
Ad computandum impiger,
Piger ad Euangelium,
Sic Lucrum Lucam superat,
Marcam marco praeponderat
Et librae librum subjicit.
Some Bishops Metropolitane
Presides at the Exchequor,
For counting he's a busie man,
To preach the Gospell slacker.
Lucre worth is more then Luke,
& marks thē marke weigh better
He sets the pound aboue the boke,
And cares not for the matter.
Of their zeale in urging ceremonies upon others, while they fayled in substance themselues, the old Poem, called Asini poenitentiarius, wherein the wolfe confesseth himselfe to the fox, & the foxe to the wolf, and both are absolved, but the poore asse trusting to his innocencie for absolution, was condemned to dye by the other two, for no other cause, but that in his extreame hunger he had been so profane, as to eate the strawe garters of a religious pilgrime.
Immensum scelus est injuria, quam peregrin…
Fecisti: stramen surripiendo sibi.
Non advertisti, quod plura pericula passus,
Plurima passurus, quod peregrinus erat?
Non advertisti, quod ei per maxima terrae
Et pelagi spatia sit peragranda via?
Totius ecclesiae fuerit cum nuncius iste,
Pertulit abstracto stramine damna viae.
Cum sis confessus, cum sis convictus, habes ne
Quo tales noxas occuluisse queas?
Es fur, ignoto cum feceris hoc peregrino:
Scis bene, fur quali debet honore mori.
How great a sinne were this to thee,
A Pilgrim poore to wrong?
Had thou not mind what dangers he
Had travelled farre among?
Could thou not thinke, that he dull asse
B'hou'd passe through Sea and land,
That nunce of holy Kirk he was
Running at their command,
Thou hast confessed, convinced thou art,
Nothing thy crime can hide:
Thiefe thou did eate his strawe garters
Death shall thee now betyde.