Sundry Particulars Concerning Bishops, Discourse 1
SVNDRY Particulars Concerning BISHOPS, Humbly offered to the conſideration of this Honourable PALIAMENT.
C P
ICH DIEN
Printed for the Author, and are to be ſold by William Nowell Bookſeller in Norwich, 1661.
Againſt Biſhops holding their Office, Jure Divino from God.
FIrſt, Chriſt hath forbidden his Apoſtles, and in them all Miniſters and Biſhops, to exerciſe juriſdiction; as is proved in my book of Defence of the Kings Supremacy; and as you may read in Mat. 20.25, 26. and 1. Pet. 5.2, 3.
2. If a Biſhop exerciſe juriſdiction, as he doth in his Conſiſtory, then he uſurpeth the Magiſtrates authority; which is contrary to the will of God: as is proved in my book of the Kings Supremacy.
3. Whilſt a Biſhop take upon him the Office of juriſdiction in his Conſiſtory, and ſummoneth and cenſureth any Magiſtrate, he makes himſelf a Pope or an Antichriſt; for he exalts himſelf above the Magiſtrate, 2. Theſ. 2.4. who is called God, Pſa. 82.6. which is a brand of Antichriſt.
4. It is againſt our publike Oath and Covenant, to maintain Biſhops; and will Biſhops be ſo wicked as to force us to be forſworn, by compelling us to ſubjection unto them, and their juriſdiction?
5 Biſhops cannot prove by the Scripture, that Chriſt hath left them any juriſdiction; and for them to prove it by humane Records to have been very ancient, 1500. years as they ſay: this is no Divine authority, or no better then Apocriphal Scripture; which are not admitted to prove any point of Divinity, or no better then an Ordinance of Men, for a tradition received from our Fathers: the Church or fifteen hundred yeares, of which were the Churches of the Pope for many hundred yeares: now Chriſt reproves the Scribes and Phariſees, for walking after the tradition of the Fathers or Elders, Mark. 7.2, 3, 4, 7, 8. and St. Paul warnes us to beware of the traditions of Men, which are not after Chriſt, Col. 2.8. and ſuch are the traditions of Biſhops; for they can plead no authority from Chriſt, but from Men.
And further what Scripture have they for Archbiſhops, Deanes, Chapters, Presbends, &c. It is not meet to have ſo many, and ſo great Offices, and Officers in the Church, which were never appointed by Chriſt.
6. If a Biſhop take upon him the Office of Ruling, he muſt renounce his office of Preaching; as ſhall be proved by and by.
7. If a Biſhop ſhall exerciſe juriſdiction, he ſhall hold two Offices, which are inconſiſtent, the one deſtroying the other; as ſhall be proved by and by in my next point.
8. Being the Magiſtrate puniſheth all crimes, both in Laiety and Clergy, it is meerly ſuperfluous for a Biſhop to exerciſe juriſdiction; as ſhall be proved by and by.
9. Being the Magiſtrate puniſheth all crimes, with a full and ſufficient puniſhment, it is unjuſt for a Biſhop to puniſh alſo; as ſhall be proved by and by.
10. A Biſhop will be a Magiſtrate in and of the Church and exerciſe juriſdiction, and yet hath but one kinde of puniſhment, as that of Excommunication for all ſins greater and leſſer, but one Laſt for every foot, which is too great for ſome, and too little for others; as ſhall be proved.
11 If a Biſhop exerciſes juriſdiction, he will be exceedingly partiall and unjuſt, puniſhing two or three ſins, letting all other go ſcotfree, &c.
12 A Biſhop exercſiing juriſdiction, doth uſurp the Office of the Magiſtrate, as is proved in my book of the Kings Perogative; and he doth deveſt and rob the King of his Supremacy; as is proved in the ſame book.
13. Men ſay Biſhops have a Commiſſion from the King. But how can this be? for they own not the Kings Authority, having an higher Commiſſion from God: If their juriſdiction be Jus Divinum of God, then it is not jus Humanum of the King: Now Biſhops do not own jus Humanum; if then their office be not of the King, how can he give a Commiſſion to that thing wherein he hath no right? a man cannot give an houſe or land, unleſs he firſt have a right himſelfe in them.