The Antipathy of the English Lordly Prelacy, Title page 1 – To the reader 1

The Antipathy of the English Lordly Prelacy · Title page 1 – To the reader 1

THE ANTIPATHIE OF THE ENGLISH LORDLY PRELACIE, BOTH TO REGALL MONARCHY, AND CIVILL UNITY: OR, An Historicall collection of the severall execrable Treasons, Conspiracies, Rebellions, Seditions, State-schismes, Contumacies, oppressions, & Anti-monarchicall practices, of our English, Brittish, French, Scottish, & Irish Lordly Prelates, against our Kings, Kingdomes, Laws, Liberties; and of the severall Warres, and Civill Dissentions occasioned by them in, or against our Realm, in former and latter ages.

Together with the Judgement of our owne ancient Writers, & most judicious Authors, touching the pretended Divine Jurisdiction, the Calling, Lordlinesse, Temporalties, Wealth, Secular imployments, Trayterous practises, unprofitablenesse, and mischievousnesse of Lordly Prelates, both to King State, Church; with an Answer to the chiefe Objections made for the Divinity, or continuance of their Lordly Function.

The first Part.

By WILLIAM PRYNNE, late (and now againe) an Utter-Barester of Lincolnes Inne.

Beware of false Prophets, which come unto you in sheepes cloathing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves, you shall know them by their fruits. Mat. 7.15, 16

LONDON, Printed by Authority for Michael Sparke senior. An. 1641.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE HIGH COVRT OF PARLIAMENT, NOW (Through Gods sweete Providence) MOST HAPPILY ASSEMBLED.

Right Honourable Senators,

IT is a received principle in Law,(a)(a)H. 3. H. 7.10 C…r…ne. 55. S…nford. Pl… del Coro…, f. 3.….40.44 that there are no Accessories in Treason; whence to conceale a Notorious Traytor, is really to be one. The consideration of the Capitalnesse of such a Concealement in these proditorious times, and the discharge of my bounden Duty to my Soveraigne Lord the King, this Church and Kingdome, (of which I am a true, though unworthy member;) and to this Honourable Court (to whose impartiall Iustice, next under God I owe the fruition of my present Liberty, my Native Soyle, and Quondam Profession of the Law) hath induced me by way of Gratitude, to present your Honours with this large Discovery, not of one or two, but of an whole Tribe and succession of nota…le Arch-Traytors, Rebels, Conspirators, and des…erate Enemies to our Kings, Kingdomes, Lawes, Liberties, (to say nothing of our Church and Religion) masked under the innocent disguise of an Episcopall whi…e Rotchet, and the specious much abused Title of, The Church; which our Prelates have monopolized to themselves, the better to palliate their mischievous designes, and boulster out their vil…anies; when as (if we beleeve either our learned Martyr, (b)(b)An answere to sir T…omas Moores Dialogue, what the Church is in his workes. p. 250.Master William Tyndall, or (c)(c)The true difference between Christian Subjection & unchristian Rebellion. p. 124.Bishop Bilson himselfe) The Church is ne…e… taken in the new nor old Testament, for the Bishops or Priests alone, but generally for the whole Congregation of the faithfull; and oft times for the (d)(d)Acts 14.23. c. 20 28. 1 Cor. 14.4.5.12. 1 Tim. 3.5.…5. Sed & ubitres Ecclesa …st licet laici. Te…tul. Exhort, ad Cast. p. 179…Acts 14:231 Cor 14:41 Cor 14:51 Cor 14:121 Tim 3:5people alone, without the Priest or Minister; which is worthy your observation, and will utterly subvert one principall Pillar of our Prelates suppo…t.

I could not but conjecture, that this Antipathy, would be very distastfull to our Lordly Prelates; (the Malefactors) whose long-concealed Treasons, Conspiracies & seditious practises it lays open to your publick view and justice; so that I can expect nothing but such extreame Malignity, opposition and Calumnies from them and their confederates, as might in some sort have deterred me from divulging it. Yet, whē I considered that the detectiō of grosse Traytors & Conspirators, hath bin ever reputed, not only an inoffensive, but acceptable and meritorious service both to Kings and States in al other persons, and that I have no cause to doubt, but that it will receive the selfesame benigne interpretation in me, especially from your Honours, (by some of whose earn…st desires, and …peciall approbations I committed these Historicall Colections to the Presse) I could not but with all alacrity proceede on in this service, for the Common good, to the which I have beene the more incouraged by a Divine Providence.

For being a Prisoner in the Tower of London, stript of my Profession and all other imployments by some Prelates undemerited malice, considering with my selfe, how I might there passe my solitary houres in the usefullest manner, for the publicke benefit of this Church and Kingdome; it pleased God among other subjects, to pitch my thoughts upon a Collection of the severall Treasons, Rebellions, Warres, Seditions, and Anti-monarchicall Practises of Lordly Prelats of all Countries and ages (especially of our owne English Bishops) which I found scattered in Histories: wherupon (taking my hint from the Title of a now-non-extant Booke, written by one Thomas Gybson a Physitian in King Edward the 6. his dayes, stiled Proditiones Praelatorum a Conquestu, seene by our laborious Iohn Bale and mentioned in his **C…nt…r. 9. Scr…pt. Brit. p. 719.Centuries (which booke it seemes the Prelates since suppressed) I gathered with no facil labour, the most of those Materials I here present unto your Honours, and Marshalled them into distinct files, with an intention to make them publick, so soone as a seasonable opportunity should present it selfe. But the **See a new Discovery of the Prela…es Tyranny.Arch Prelate of Canterbury not long after, persecuting me afresh in the Starcham…er without any just occasion, procured me there, not onelyonly to bee most inhumanely censured, but likewise to be sent thence close prisoner, first to Carnarvan, then to Mount-Orguile Castle in the Isle of Iersie, and there cloystred up so narrowly that I could neither have the use of pen, inke, paper, writings nor Bookes to benefit my selfe or others; and withall searching both my Chamber and friends houses sundry times by his Pursevants, seized on all my bookes and Papers he could meete with. But these Collections escaping his clutches, fell into the hands of another persecuted Gentleman, who without my privity carried them beyond the Seas, where they were preserved till after my late returne from Exile (by the justice of this Honourable House,) and not many moneths since, (when I gave them over as lost) were unexpectedly returned to my hands in safety, whiles the businesse of Episcopacy was in agitation before your Eminencies; which speciall Providence, put me in minde of that speech of Morde…ay to Ester, **Est…r. 4.14.Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time as this? and made me strongly apprehend, that God had restored me to Liberty, and these Collections to my hands, for such a time as this, (which blessed be our good God we now live to see,) wherein our domineering Prelates lewde practises and Conspiracies against our Religion, Lawes, Liberties, Lives, Soules, and Estates, are not onelyonly detected, but questioned; and some of the Potentest and pestilentest of them, charged with no lesse than High Treason, and other most grosse Misdemeanors, in, and by your Honorable Assembly; which have rendred them so generally detestable to the whole Kingdome, that divers Petitions have beene presented to your Honours, both by Ministers and People out of many entire Countries, for their utter extirpation; which long efflagitated difficult worke, (which your Honours have now set upon) I conceive the publishing of this Antipathy, will much facilitate and advance, being thus specially preserved, and reserved by Gods Providence, for such a time as this.

The principall motives which originally induced me to undertake this worke, were the very same which have now perswaded me to publish it.

First, an unfeined desire to dispossesse the seduced 1and mis-informed judgements of Princes, Nobles, and others, of that over-weaning opinion they have hitherto generally embraced of Lordly Prelats extraordinary fidelity, sincerity, Piety to Kings & Kingdomes in Chur…h and State affaires; and of the necessity of their Supportation & continuan…e, both for the Security, Tranquillity and felicity of all Christian Kings States, Churches; to all which, in verity, they have beene the greatest Plagues and Opposites. This notable mistake, proceeding, either out of a meere nescience or inadvertency of the Prelates trecherous plots and turbulent Actions in all Climes and times; or, from the deception of this false Paradox, No Bishop, no King; or, from the immoderate panegyricall applauses of their Parasites, (who almost deifie them in Presse, in Pulpit, especially in Court Sermons) and their owne selfe-commendations, which are now most frequent in their writings and discourses; or, from their owne outward Pompe, Splendor, and Superficiall shewes of Sanctity and Piety; backed with their sordid flattery of, and temporizing with the greatest men, the better to effect their owne designes; will soonest and best bee rectified by this bare Historicall discovery of their Trecheries and villanies in all ages; the very knowledge whereof (as the Prophet Malachy and Christ informe us) **Mal… 2, ….Mal 2will make them contemptible and base before all the people, and like **Mat. 5.13. L…k. 14.35.Matt 5:13unsavory salt, fit neither for the Land nor for the Dunghill, cause them to be cast out and trod…n under foote of men, as good for nothing.

2Secondly, a sincere indeavour, to the uttermost of my power, to prevent those blacke imminent stormes of warre, sedition, schisme, oppression, with s…ndry other miseries, which the desperat… proceedings, practises, and counsells of our all-swaying Prelates, in my weake apprehension, then threatned suddenly to bring downe upon us, to the apparent danger, if not ruine and desolation to our Religion, Lawes, Liberties, King, Kingdomes, of which we have since had most visible reall experiments, to the insupportable charge, and infinite disturbance of his Majesty and the whole Realme; who have cause eternally to detest our Lordly Prelacy, as the very **Heb. 12… 15.Heb 12:15root of bitternes whence al our ancient and present calamities have issued. To anticipate and redresse which sad events then, and secure us against the like effects of Prelacie both now and hereafter, I could not (in my poore Judgement) finde out any readier course within the narrow spheare of my Activity, than the publication of this History, of our Prelates practises and disloyal…y, Quorum perfidiam exposuisse, supera…se est, as Saint **…pi…t. 54.Hierom witnesseth in a like case.

3Thirdly, to …ase our Church, State, with all conscientious godly Ministers and people, from the importable heavie yoakes of our Prelates tyranny, under which they have miserably groaned, and against which they have lamentably declaimed for many hundred yeares, (and could never yet bee throughly eased thereof) as I have manifested by the Testimonies of our owne writers and Martyrs in the **See C…ap. ….latter part of this Antipathy; to accomplish which long desired and now expected worke, I presume nothing can be more effectuall than such an Anatomy as this, of our Prelates villanies of this nature.

Fourthly, to further the propagation of religion, 4the frequent and sincere preaching of the Gospell, the powerfull practise of true piety, the salvation of mens soules, and tranquillity of our Church and State: to all which, I dare confidently averre, our Lordly Bishops have beene greater enemies and obstacles in all ages, …hen all other professions of men whatsoever.

Fiftly, to s…cure our long enjoyed, oft confirmed 5fundamentall Lawes, and the hereditary Libertie… both of our persons, States, Lives, from small losse and utter subversion: to all which our Prelates have commonly shewed themselves Arch-enemies, endeavouring e…ther secretly to undermine them by treachery, or openly to trample them under their po… tificall feete by violence, of which our present time… have had large experience, especially in Canterbury … who hath oft times publikely protested in a most insolent manner; that he wo…ld breake both the Necke and back of Prohibitions & so of the Common Law, or else they should break his, which now he findes they are like to doe. And to defend our lawes and liberties against Prelaticall incroachments, is one principall part of a Lawyers Profession; so that in this regard this Antipathy is neither without, nor besides my calling.

6Sixtly, to vindicate the sin…ere professors of Religion (for I will be no Patron of Frantike Enthusiasts, or dissembling Hypocrites) in generall, and my selfe in particular from the Calumnies of the Prelates and their Instruments. There is nothing more frequent in late Prelaticall Factious discourses, **See Bishop… Whites Preface before the Book of the Sabbath. Dr. H…ylin… Antid…tum, Linc…linensi. And his modera…e answer to Henry Burton, Lysimacus Nican…r and others.Sermons, **Fox Acts and Monuments. passim. 5. R. 2, c. 5.2, H. 4. c. 15.2. H. 5. c. 7.Writings, then to accuse the true servants of God, and most zealous Christians, of Sedition, Treason, Rebellion, Faction, and Conspiracie against their Soveraignes and Superiours. In this sort have they slandered our Sermon. 3.4. and 5. Before King Edward.Martyrs, **Haddon and Fox Contr. Osorium. l. 2. f. 212.Latymer, **Haddon and Fox Contr. Osorium. l. 2. f. 212.Luther, and others heretofore, and many poore Christians now: and this practise hath beene so common that the Century-writers observe. (a)(a)Cent. Magd. 2. Col. 420.Solemne est ut Christianis crimina seditionis, & laesae Majestatis a persecutoribus affingantur, quibus tamen non sunt obnoxii. And for my owne particular, though conscious to my selfe of no seditious or disloyall Act, it hath beene my unhappinesse, to be not onelyonly slandered, but Censured by our Prelates, as a (b)(b)See A New Discovery of th… Prelates Tyranny.Seditious Person, for Bookes authorized by their owne Chaplain…s approbations, and to be accused to his Majestie and proclaimed both in Print and Pulpit, by (c)(c)Cant…rburi…s speech in Star-Chamber the Epist. Dedicat. H…ylin An…id. Lin…. And a Moderate answer to Henry Burt…n. Du…k…rs Sermon See a new Discovery of the Prelates Tyranny… p. 9….Canterbury and his Agents, for a Malevolent against State and Church, a Traytor, Rebell, Factious Spirit, Monster, worse than any Priest or Iesuite, one deserving to be forfeited to the Gallowes, and as …ad as Corah, Dathan, and Abiram; onelyonly for oppugning their Arminian and Popish Innovations, their desperate (d)(d)See A breviate of the Prelates intolerable usurpations both upon the Kings prerogative Royall and the Subjects Liberties.incroachments upon his Majesties Royall Prerogative, the Lawes and Subjects Liberties, according to my Oath and Duty. I could doe no lesse therefore for the vindication of my owne personall Innocencie (which your Honours by your unanimous Votes have now abundantly cleared (with the ruines of that Court which censured me) the justification of all sincere Professors from these Prelaticall black Calumnies, and the perpetual silencing of our Prelates slanderous Tongues & Quils in this kinde, then present your Honours and the world with an irrefragable Catalogue of their most horrid Treasons, Rebellions, and Seditions in all ages, which alone out-vie all other mens whatsoever, both for quality and numerosity, and so returne these malicious defamations with infinite disadvantage upon their own guilty Pates; (e)(e)Optatus adver. Parmin. l. r. p. 23.Qui ut crimina in silentium mitterent sua, vitam infamare conati sunt alienam, & cum possent ipsi ab innocentibus argui, innocentes arguere studuerint, mittentes ubi que liter as livore dictante conscriptas, as some delinquents did of old, whose steps our Prelates trace. These were the speciall reasons both of my compiling and publishing this Antipathy; wherin your Excellencies may clearely discerne; that these Exorbitances of our Prelates, are not so much the vices of their Persons, as of their Function; which though their many late published Pamphlets, would prove to be of Divine Right, yet the pernicious evill fruits thereof infallibly proclaime, to be of meere humane wrong. And in my weake judgement, there can be no such safe, short, and infallible way to decide this controversie, Whether Episcopacy be of Divine institution or not? then to consider the fruits thereof in all ages: that of our Saviour being of eternall verity, (f)(f)Mat. 7.16.20.Matt 7:16Matt 7:20Ye shall know them by their fruites. Since then the fruites of our Lordly Prelates, in this (and in other kindes too as I could abundantly manifest) have beene so desperately evill, and they generally the greatest (*)(*)See …alaeus de vitis Pontificum.Monsters of impiety, that ever pestred the world, (as appeares by the lives of sundry forraine and Domesticke Pontifs;) I may infallibly conclude, their calling not to be Divine, but Antichristian, or meerely humane at the best, and inconsistent with the safety, both of our Prince, Church, State; and by this unanswerable reason dissipate into smoake all those specious flourishes and shadowes of arguments made in their defence, which I have (h)(h)Cap. 8.9. See the unbishoping of Timothy and Titus. And a Catalogue, &c.else-where fully answered.

There are but (i)(i)This is the summe of the Remonstrance newly set out by Sir Thomas Aston, though written by some other Divines and Lawyers, who have contributed their best assistance to it.two chiefe arguments of moment, for the continuance of Episcopacy, which sticke with any judicious men. The first in point of State Polity; No Lord Bishop, no King. The second in point of Church Polity; No Bishops, no peace, no government, and nothing but Schismes in the Church: The first, I trust, I have abundantly cleared by this Antipathy; The second (God willing) I intend to dissipate in an Historicall Treatise of the Schismes of our English Lordly Prelates among themselves, enough to make a volume; and then by a larger Remonstrance, experimentally evidencing out of Ecclesiasticall Histories That Bishops have beene, if not the sole, yet at least the chiefe Authors of all the Schismes that ever infested and rent the Church of God. And if this be made good (as it easily may be against all the world) the proud Hierarchy of our Lordly Prelates will fall to ground of it self without helpe of hands to pull it downe.

If any further alleadge; If (k)(k)See Sir Tho. A…tons Remonstrance.you remove away Bishops, you take away government, and introduce an Anarchy into the Church. The answer is very easie.

First, we shall still bee under the government of 1our Christian Kings, (l)(l)1 Eliz. c. 1.the Supreame governours of our Church upon earth.

Secondly, under the Government of our Parliaments, 2Lawes, and inferiour Magistrates; who doe, and will take speciall care for our Churches good reglement.

Thirdly, under the regiment of our grave and 3painfull Ministers; whom our Lawes stile (m)(m)Fitz. N. Br. f. 36. Register. f. 289. b. 30…. 306.Rectors of their severall Parishes, and Rectories.

Fourthly, under the government of an Ordinary 4or Extraordinarie Provinciall or Nationall Synode, as there is occasion.

Fifthly, under such a religious orderly Government, 5as your Wisedomes, upon the abolishing of Episcopacy, shall please to erect among us, as most consonant to the Law of God, and Civill Government of our State. And can any then justly complaine of a want of Government in the Church, when it is but altered for the better?

Sixthly, the primitive Church in the purest 6times before Bishops were instituted, (n)(n)See h…z…. Chap. ….was governed by a common Councell of Presbyters; and the reformed Churches beyond the Seas which want Bishops, are so regulated at this day, without any d…nger of an Anarchy; and so may we as well as they.

There is nothing then remaining to uphold our Lordly Prelacie, but two of their owne principall vices, ambition and (o)(o)Qui… obs…ero Laicorum, avidius Clericis quaerit temporalia, & in…ptius utitur acquisitis? Bernard. ad Clerum, & ad Pastores Serm….covetousnesse: the one arising from their Lordships, or Session in Parliament; the other from their Lordly Seats and Revenues; neither of which are of Divine Institution, as (p)(p)Archbishop Lauds speech in Starchamber, Bishop Hals Remonstrance, and his defence thereof; and Whitgift.themselves acknowledge. If your Honourable Assembly then will but take away the Temporall Honours and Lands annexed to their Bishoprickes, I dare sweare, not one of all our Prelates will plead or write for Episcopacie any more. Saint Paul saith,(q)(q)1 Tim. 3.1.1 Tim 3:1 He that desireth the office of a Bishop, desireth a good worke: and the Fathers generally make this observation on the place, (r)(r)Hieron. Com. in Soph. c. …. & in 1 Tim. 3. S…dulius, Primasius, Theodoret, B…da, Rabanne Maurus, Haymo, Anselmus Cantuariensis, O…cumenius, Theophylactus; and others; in 1 Tim. 3. Origen. in Mat. Hom. 31. Augustinus de civitate D…i, l. 19. c. 19. & Enar. in Psal. 126. Chrys. lib. 3. de Sace…d… …io. in Epist. ad Eph…s. Hom. 11. Opus imperf. in Matt. Hom. 25. Isiodor. Hispal…nsis de …ff…ciis Ecclesiast. lib. 2. c. 5. Gratian. Caus. 8. quast. 1. Concil. Aquisgr. sub Lud. pi…. …. 9.10.13… & Parisi…ns. sub Lud & Loth…ri… l. 1. c. 23.1 Tim 3Ps 126Episcopatus nomen est operis, non honoris; non Dominium, sed Officium; non Honos, sed Onus; Opus dixit, non Honorem, non Dignitatem; Laborem, non Delicias; Opus, per quod per humilitatem crescat, non intumescat fastidio, &c. If then your Wisdomes will make our Bishoprickes now a Worke, not an honour, or gaine, out lazie Prelates will of their own accords forgoe them, without any more dispute.

To make this most apparent, I shall instance only in one particular: it is the generall resolution of (s)(s)Concil. Par…siens. sub Lud. & L…th…ri…, l. 1 c. 5. & 23. Surtus. Concil. Tom. 3. p. 364.374.Councels, Fathers, and Divines, yea of the lewd Conventicle of (t)(t)Praedicationis munus, quod Episcoporum praecipuum est. &c. Concil. Trident. Sess. 24. De Reform. c. 4. p. 976, 977.Trent it selfe: that the first and principle part of a Bishops office, is diligently to preach Gods Word to the people: and therefore this very Councell enjoynes all Bishops to preach the Scripture and Gods Law every Lordsday, and Holiday, and moreover in the Lent, Advent, and other Fasts; quotidie, vel saltem tribus in hebdomade diebus Sacras Scripturas Divinamque legem annuncient, to preach every day, or at least three times a weeke. Now our Lordly Prelates have beene so farre from executing this principle part of their office and worke, that some of them (as Canterbury, York…, London, and Oxford) did not so much as preach one Sermon in sundry yeares: others of them have preached very rarely; yea, most of them have by themselves and their instruments (u)(u)See Sh…lford and others.written and preached against frequent preaching; suppressed all week-day Lectures, and Sermons, on Lordsday afternoones throughout their Diocesses; and D^r Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wells, by name, in a Letter to Canterbury, thanked God that he had not left one Lecture, nor afternoone Sermon in his Diocesse: and suspended the Minister of Bridgwater onelyonly for preaching a Lecture in his owne parish Church, which had continued 50. years; & when this Bishop, after much solicitation upon this Ministers promise, never to preach… the Lecture more, absolved him from his suspension, hee then most blasphemously applyed (x)(x)Iob. 5.14.Job 5:14Christs words used to the sicke man, to this good Minister. Behold thou art made whole: Goe away, sinne no more: (that is, preach no more) lest a worse thing come unto thee: hee convented another Minister, only for expounding the Catechisme on the Lordsday afternoone, saying, it was AS BAD as Preaching. So that preaching now in this and other our Prelates judgement, is both a Sinne, and a bad thing, carefully to be suppressed. And this wee may generally observe, that those who were diligent Preachers before they became Bishops, being once made such, became usually either (y)(y)See M. Latim…rs 4. Sermon of the Plough to this purpose.Non-preaching, or rare-preaching Prelates; doing so much the lesse worke, by how much they receive the greater wages: Whence Queene Elizabeth used to say, when shee made preaching Ministers Bishops; that shee had made a Bishop, but mar'd a preacher: it being true that the Bishop of Dunkelde once answered Deane Thomas Farret, when hee wished him to preach, (z)(z)Fox Act and Monum. p. 1266.I tell thee wee Bishops were not ordained to preach: it being too meane an office for them, unlesse it be sometimes at the Court, or at some such solemne meeting, to gaine either more honour or preferment thereby, or for some such private ends; not out of any great zeale of converting soules to God: Since then our Bishops thus neglect, nay hate, condemne, suppresse and persecute, the good worke of Preaching, wherein their (a)(a)Mat. 28.19, 20. c. 11.1. Mar. 1.38. c. 3.14 c. 16.15. Luk 4.18, 19, 31.43, 44. Act. 4.19, 20. c. 5.25.28.29.42. c. 10.42. Rom. 10, 15. c. 11.20. 1 Cor. 1.17. c. 9.16. Ga. 7.16. Eph. 3.8. 2 Tim. 4.1, 2. Act. 20.28. Ioh. 21.16, 17.Matt 28:19Matt 28:20Mark 1:38Luke 4:18Luke 4:19Luke 4:31Luke 4:43Luke 4:44Acts 4:19Acts 4:20Rom 10:151 Cor 1:17Eph 3:82 Tim 4:12 Tim 4:2Acts 20:28John 21:16John 21:17office principally consists; it is most apparent, that the onelyonly thing they now so zealously write & stickle for, is, only the temporall meanes, & honour, not the Divine spiritual worke, or office of Episcopacie; & since these thus avocate and hinder them from preaching, I presume your excellent wisedomes will deem it necessary, to strip them naked of these two obstacles, which cause them thus to neglect their proper worke and duty.

Neither would I have your Honours, or any else here misconceive mee: as if I advised you, to deprive Ministers of all Honour and Maintenance: God forbid. No, my hearts desire and prayer to God and your Honours shall be, that every painfull preaching Minister may have all due Honourable respect, and such a competent allowance, as the greatnesse of his paines and charge demerit. But that Archbishops, Bishops, Deanes, and others who have no particular flocks to feed: & either preach not at all, or very seldome, should have such temporall dignities, offices, and (b)(b)See Prov. 30.8, 9.Prov 30:8Prov 30:9excessive revenues, as make them either proud, luxurious, ambitious, idle, or negligent in preaching, and to forget that good worke of a Bishops office, which Saint Paul speakes of, I humbly conceive is (c)(c)See Chapter 8. where this is largely proved by sundry testimonies.neither lawfull nor expedient, but such an irregularity as will be thought fit to be redressed by your Honours, not only in point of Policy, but of piety too.

In a word; when I seriously consider, that Christ himselfe did (d)(d)Matt. 18.3…4. c. 20.20. to 29. c. 23.8. to 13. Mar. 9.33. to 38. c. 10.35. to 46. Luk. 9.46, 47, 48. c. 22.23. to 28. Iob. 18.36.Matt 18:3Mark 9:33–38Luke 9:46Luke 9:47Luke 9:48Job 18:36frequently condemne and prohibit the ambitious desire of superiority and praeheminencie in his Apost…es. That the Apostles themselves doe the like, in …heir (e)(e)1 Pet. 5.1. to 6. 1 Ioh. 2.15… 16.3 Iob. 9, 10. 2 Cor. 1.24.1 Pet 5:1–61 John 2:15Job 9:102 Cor 1:24Epistles to others. That (f)(f)Quic undqu… de…ideraverit Prim…tum in terra, inveniet in coelo con…usionem; ut jam inrer servos Christi, non sit d… Primatu certamen. Opus imper…. in Matt. Hom. 35. See more to this purpose there.Saint Chrysostome clearely determines; That whosoever desireth primacy in Earth, shall find confusion in Heaven, that now among Christs servants and ministers, there may be no contest for primacy, or superiority. That Saint Bernard when he was offred to be made Bishop of Genoa, and Millaine (g)(g)See Vita Bernardi before his workes. Cl. Espencaus Digres. in 1 Tim. l. 3. c. 6… p. 330.peremptorily refused this dignity, saying upon that occasion: (h)(h)Erubesce O superbe cinis, Deus se humiliat, tu t… exaltas? Deus se hominibus subdit, tu dominari gestiens tuo te praeponis authori, Vtinam tale me quid cogitantem Deus, uti suum olim Apostolum increpare dignaretur, Vade post me satana, non sapis quae Dei sunt. Quotiens hominibus praeesse defidero, totiens Deum meum praeire contendo, & tunc quae verè Dei sunt, non sapio Bernard. Homil. 1. de laudibus Mariae Virginis. p. 18.Blush O proud dust and ashes; God humbles himselfe, dost thou exalt thy selfe? God made himselfe inferiour to men, thou desirimg to domineere preferrest thy selfe before thy maker. Would to God when I thinke any such thing, God would vouchsafe to rebuke mee, as hee did his Apostle in times past, Get thee behind mee Sathan, thou savourest not the things that are of God: as often as I desire to rule over men, so oft I contend to goe before my God, and then I savour not the things which are truly of God. That the eminent Father (i)(i)Augustin. de gestis cum Emerita Donatist. Epis. lib. Tom. 7. pars …. p. 782. An vero Redemptor noster de coelis in humana mem…bra des… endit, ut membra ejus essemus, & nos ne ipsa ejus membra crudeli divisione lanientur, de Cathedris descendere formidamus? Episcopi propter Christianos populos ordinamur. Quod ergo Christianis populis ad Christianam pacem prodest, hoc de nostro Episcopatu fac…amus. Quod sum propter te sum, si tibi prodest; non sum, si tibi obest, si servi utiles sumus, cur Domini aeternis lucris pro nostris tem…poralibus …ublimitatibus invidemus: Episcopalis dignitas f…uc…uosior nobis erit, si gregem Christi deposita magis collegerit, quam retenta disperserit; fratres mei, si Dominum cogitamus, locus ille altior specula vinitoris est, non fastigium superbientis; si cum volo retinere Episcopatum meum dispergo gregem Christi; quom…do est damnum gregis honor Past…ris … N… qua fronte in futuro seculo promissum à Christo sperabimus hono…em, si Christianam in hoc seculo noster honor impedit unitatem?Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, and almost 300. African Bishops more in the great schisme of the Donatists, were content to lay downe all their Bishoprickes for the peace and unity of the Church: thinking thereby not to lose them, but to commit them more safely to Gods custody: and used this most golden speech, An vero Redemptor, &c. What verily did our Redeemer descend from Heaven into humane members, that wee should be his members, and shall we, lest his very members should be rent in pieces with a cruell division, feare to descend out of our chairs? We are ordained Bishops for Christian people: What therefore may profit Christian people for Christian peace, that let us doe with our Bishoprickes. What I am, I am for thee, if it profit thee; I am not so, if it hurt thee. If wee be profitable servants, why do wee envie the eternall gaines of our Lord for our temporall sublimities? Our Episcopall dignity will be more fruitfull to us; if being laid downe, it shall more unite the flocke of Christ, then disperse it if retained. My brethren; if wee mind the Lord, thi… higher place is the wat…h Tower of a vin… dresser; not the Pinacle of a proud Person. If when I will retaine my Bishopricke I disperse the flocke of Christ, how is the dammage of the flocke, the honour of the shepherd? For with what face shall wee expect the honour promised by Christ in the world to come, if our honour hinder Christian unity in this present world? And finally, that Bishops themselves did in their very (k)(k)See the Booke of Com…mon prayer in Publike Baptisme.Baptisme seriously vow and promise to God: To forsake the Devill and all his workes, the vaine pompe and glory of this world, with all the covetous desires of the same, so that they would not follow, nor be led by them: and that Saint Bernard hereupon gives this Item to them (l)(l)Ad Cl…ru… & ad Pastores Serm… in Concil. Rh…m…ns.Simundum praedicas contemnendum, contemne tu prius, & ad ipsum efficacius alios invitabis: If thou preachest the World is to be contemned, do thou contemne it first, and then thou shalt more effectually invite others thereto. I cannot but presume our Lordly Prelates, if they have any sparkes of piety, or humility in them, will now at last for our Churches our Kingdomes future peace, security and felicity, lay downe their Bishoprickes at your Honours feete; or else that your Eminences will enforce them thereunto, it being more equall and expedient, that a few Lord Bishops should meritoriously lose their pernitious honours, than our King, Church, State, Religion, Lawes, Liberties, Peace, be perpetually indangered, and imbroyled by their continuance.

Now the great Moderator of the Universe, who hath miraculously congregated, preserved, directed, assisted your Honourable Assembly hitherto, and and wrought wondrous things by your Indefatigable industries, and most prudent consultations, for the honour and safety of his Majesty, and his Realmes; the Reformation of our Church and State; the Establishment of our undermined Religion, Lawes, and Liberties; the pacification, and prevention, of our much feared Warres and Invasions; the relieving of our grievously oppressed ones, and the exemplary punishment of our Arch-oppressours, to the inef…able joy of all true English, Scottish, Irish hearts, and of true Christians; continue his blessed assisting presence with, his Almighty protection over you; multiply all his saving graces in, powre forth all his blessings, spirituall, temporall, and eternall abundantly on you, and Crowne all your religious Consultations with such a successefull issue, that the present times, and all succeeding ages may deservedly call your Honours, (m)(m)Esay. 58.12Isa 58:12the raisers up of the foundations of many generations, the repairers of our breaches, the restorers of pathes to dwell in, and the Saviours (next under God and our Soveraigne) of our almost ruined Church and State.

So prayeth your Honours redeemed Captive, and eternally devoted servant WILLIAM PRYNNE.

TO THE READER.

Courteous Reader,

BE pleased to take notice, that my primitive intention was, to have presented thee with this Historicall Antipathy intirely at the same instant without fractions. But the slacknesse of the Printers, the importunity of some speciall friends, and some publike Negotiations in present agitation which this peece of it may seasonably promote, have induced mee to divide it into two parts, the first whereof thou hast here compleate: the second (God willing) thou shalt receive with all possible expedition. In the mean season I shall desire thy favourable acceptation of this moity, and of a perfect Table of the severall Chapters of the whole Treatise, wherein thou maist behold the latter part in Epitome, till thou enjoy it in grosse.