Demonstration that All Malignants are Enemies to God, Text

Demonstration that All Malignants are Enemies to God · Text

A DECLARATION DEMONSTRATING AND INFALLIBLY PROVING That all Malignants, whether they be Prelates, Popiſh-Cavaleers, with all other ill-affected Perſons, are enemies to GOD and the KING:

Who deſire the ſuppreſsion of the Goſpel, the advancement of ſuperſtition, the diminution of the Kings Prerogative and Authority, with the oppreſſion of the Subject.

All which is evinced by ſtrong Proofes, and ſufficient Reaſons.

By John Baſtwick D^r. of Phyſick.

LONDON, Printed in the Yeare, MDCXLIII.

The ſimply Portrareture of M^r John Baſtwick D^r of Phiſick ſate Captayne of a foote Company

p. 1A Declaration of Iohn Baſtwick, Doctor of Phyſick, infallibly proving, that all who deſire the ſuppreſſion of the Goſpel, the advancement of ſuperſtition, &c. are enemies to God and the King.

THe ſaid Defendant ſaving and reſerving to himſelfe, now and at all times hereafter, all advantages and benefits of exceptions to the incertainty and inſufficiencie and other imperfections of the ſaid Information: For anſwer thereunto, ſo far forth as concernes the ſaid Defendant; he ſaith: He doth with all thankfulneſſe acknowledge his Majeſties great care and zeale at all times, for the maintenance and defence of the true Chriſtian faith and Religion, and the ſervice of Almighty God, love, charity and concord among his Subjects; and withall, that his people, and all loyall Subjects, have great cauſe, daily to praiſe God for the happy government they have under him, and for that they may for futurity promiſe unto themſelves under his Royalty and Principality; eſpecially, when he hath ſo graciouſly made knowne his pious intentions for the good and welfare of Church and State, in that his Majeſties Declaration to all his loving Subjects, of the cauſes which made him diſſolve the laſt Parliament, publiſhed by his Majeſties ſpeciall command; in which Declaration, pag. 21. his Majeſtie thus ſpeakes: For we call God to record, before whom we ſtand. That it is and alwayes hath beene our hearts deſire, to be found worthy of that Title, which we account the moſt glorious in all our Crowne, Defender of the Faith; Neither ſhall we ever give way to the authorizing of any thing, whereby innovation may ſteale or creepe into the Church, but preſerve that unity of Doctrine and Diſcipline eſtabliſhed in the time of Queene Elizabeth, whereby the Church of England hath ſtood and flouriſhed ever ſince, &c. Theſe words and ſolemne proteſtations of our moſt pious King, cannot but ſtirre up the hearts, loves, and affections of all his true & loyall Subjects, both inceſſantly to pray for his happy life, reign, and preſervation, and alſo to the utmoſt of their powers to yeeld p. 2all ſubjection, obedience, yea, and their lives and liberties for the honour of his Crowne and Dignity, in the number of which Subjects, the ſaid Defendant profeſſeth himſelfe to be, being willing and ready at all times, and upon all occaſions, not onelyonly to loſe his liberty, livelihood and eſtate, but millions of lives, if he had them, in defence of his Empire and Prerogative Royall: and doth againe and againe acknowledge, and that with the thankfulneſſe, his renowned Highneſſes zeal and care, for the maintenance of the true Religion, love, charity and concord amongſt his Subjects, and beſeech the King of kings, and Lord of lords, long to continue him among us, and to put into his royall heart, to remove all ſcandals in Church and State, which have beene ſuch hinderances of the propagation of the Chriſtian Faith and true Religion eſtabliſhed in his Majeſties kingdoms (of the which he is Defender, in his dominions) and the right inſtruction of the people in the ſame: who alone are moſt of the Prelates in generall, and the Arch-Prelates in ſpeciall, being ſo farre from ſeeking the right and due inſtruction of the people in the true Chriſtian Faith and Religion, as the Information would infer, as they ſpend their whole endeavours, to take away all the poſſibility and meanes of inſtruction, which is the preaching of the word, that is onelyonly able to ſave our ſoules, and without which, no man can beleeve, or come to life eternall, as thouſand places in ſacred Writ witneſſe; and among other, that in the 26. of the Acts, where Chriſt ſaith unto Paul, Riſe, and ſtand upon thy feet: For I have appeared unto thee for this purpoſe, to make thee a miniſter and witneſſe, both of the things which thou haſt ſeene, and of thoſe things in which I will appeare unto thee, delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I ſend thee, to open their eyes, and to turne them from darkneſſe unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveneſſe of ſins, and inheritance among them which are ſanctified by faith, which is in me. And Paul was not diſobedient to this heavenly viſion, but preached unto all men that they ſhould repent, and turne to God, and do workes meet for repentance. And this was, and is the onelyonly way that God hath appointed to ſave our ſoules by; for, Faith commeth onelyonly by hearing; and this preaching was all that Paul did; I came not to baptiſe, ſaith he, but to preach the Goſpel, ſo that preaching is the effect of all the ordinances: and in another place he ſaith, Wo be me, if I preach not the Goſpel. And in the ſixth of the Acts, the Apoſtles told the p. 3Church, That it was not reaſon that they ſhould leave the word of God and ſerve tables; and therefore they reſolved, continually to give themſelves to prayer, and to the miniſtery of the Word. And in the 4. of the Acts, when the Rulers commanded Peter and John not to ſpeak, nor teach in the Name of Jeſus, They anſwered and ſaid unto them: Whether it be right in the ſight of God, to hearken unto you more then unto God, judge ye: for we cannot but ſpeake the things which we have heard. Here we ſee, the whole office and care of the Apoſtles was to preach the Goſpel; and this is onelyonly the work, taske and duty of Miniſters to publiſh the ſame word of life. And Paul ſet his owne example before them for his ſedulity in preaching day and night, and commands them to follow him in that, and chargeth Timothie and Titus, and all Miniſters in them, to be inſtant in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon in preaching the Word, and they that neglect that duty are no Miniſters of Chriſt, nor of the Goſpell. Yea, the Biſhops themſelves, and all their Prieſts, as they call them, as we may ſee in the Booke of Ordinations, ſolemnely promiſe before God and the Church, that they will be diligent in the preaching of the Word of God, and publiſhing of the Goſpel: And for the better ſtirring of them up to that Duty and Office, they reade the 20. Chapter of the Acts, concerning the charge that was given the Elders and Biſhops of Epheſus for their diligent preaching of the Goſpel. And in moſt of all their Prayers before their Sermons, they beſeech God to bleſſe the two fountaines of all learning in this kingdome, and that he would ſend out ſtreames for the watering of the garden of the Church, and that he would preſerve thoſe fountaines pure and incorrupt. Now, all men know how Paul planted, and Apollos watered the garden of the Church, and that was by preaching, as is manifeſt in the 1. of the Cor. Notwithſtanding all this, viz. the charge that is laid upon them by God himſelfe, that they ſhould preach the word diligently, and as they love him: notwithſtanding alſo the promiſe that the Biſhops and their Prieſts have made of their particular care in preaching, which is onelyonly able to ſave our ſoules: and notwithſtanding the curſe that is laid upon them if they do not preach: and notwithſtanding they pray, that the two fountaines may ſend out ſtreames for the watering of the garden of the Church. Notwithſtanding all the premiſſes, the Defendant ſaith, That the Prelates neither preach themſelves, nor will let others preach, but ſilence almoſt whole Dioceſſes p. 4together, and have extinguiſhed very many of the chief burning lights amongſt us, and do daily ſuſpend the remnant of the moſt laborious and painfull Miniſters through England and Wales, and have deprived the people of all ſoules-comfort & ſpirituall ſolace, without which a mans life is miſerable, to the infinite diſhonour of God, and hinderance of the Chriſtian faith, and the good inſtitution of the people, yea, and to the trouble of the whole Church and State: and therefore the Prelates are the onelyonly hinderers of the inſtruction of the people in their Chriſtian faith, and the ſaving of their ſoules, and by conſequence the enemies of the Church and Kingdome; for from theſe Prieſts is iniquity gone out thorow the whole kingdome; and of the truth of that the Defendant now ſaith, all the Realm can witneſſe, and the Prelates practices prove, who make void the commandments of God by their vaine traditions, and trample his holy and divine precepts under their ſect, and ſtop the courſe of the everlaſting Goſpel: and therefore the enemies of Chriſts Kingdom, and the ſalvation of their brethren.

But now more eſpecially; whereas he the Defendant is accuſed of long continuance to have envyed and maligned his Majeſties happy government, and the good diſcipline of the Church; He the defendant proteſteth in the preſence of God, and before the world, that it is a moſt falſe accuſation, and that there is never a Subject in his Majeſties Dominions a more honourer of the government of his imperiall Majeſtie, and one that deſireth more the good diſcipline of the Church and is able to produce the teſtimonies of all the places he hath lived in, in this Kingdome, both from Magiſtrates and Miniſters for the honeſty and integrity of his life and converſation, and that in all reſpects he hath ſo demeaned himſelf as that he hath not onelyonly been free from vice, faction and ſchiſme, but from the ſuſpition of all: which teſtimonies he hath ready to ſhew to this honourable Court, and the which he exhibited to the High Commiſſion Court, at that time they ſtudied moſt to defame him, and all this both Town and Countrey can teſtify, as alſo of the indefatigable diligence, in his particular calling. How that he neglected no opportunity to doe the indigenteſt men good, and how that being unwearied in his imployments, he went through the heat of Summer, the cold of Winter, roſe early and went to bed late, expoſing himſelf at all times, to any danger whatſoever of plague and peſtilence, and all to do the meaneſt of the Kings Subjects good, never taking penny of p. 5poor, nor never of ſervant, never ſuffering the moſt neglected creature of nature to periſh for want of care or looking to, but made them all an object of his pitty and of his Art, giving them out of his poor competency both for their food and Phyſick; neither can any man ſay, that ever he asked the richeſt a farthing for any paines he took day or night for their preſervation, or that he ever murmured at the ſmalleſt content they gave him; and if the Prelates had let him follow his calling, this Defendant had continued in this diligent courſe of life, till the day of his death. But they picking a quarrell with him for writing in defence of the Kings Prerogative Royall againſt the Pope, ſaying, that while he writ againſt the Pope, he meant them, put him upon ſuch imployments as he indeed thinks, will be very little pleaſing to the Prelates, although he is moſt confident, that in them he hath, and ſhall do the King and Church good ſervice, and ſo he knoweth it will appear when he is dead and gone. But becauſe this book is now laid unto the Defendants charge as tending to the maintenance and upholding of Schiſme and diviſion in His Majeſties Church of England, and oppoſition againſt the laudable Orders and Ceremonies of the ſaid Church; howſoever there be no ſuch thing in the ſaid Flagello, yet this Defendant deſireth to give a reaſon unto this Honourable Court for the writing and publiſhing not onelyonly of that booke, but of all other his writings ſince. And firſt, concerning the book for which he was cenſured, He ſaith, that he was provoked thereunto by a Popiſh Jeſuiticall Doctor of Phyſick, who continually dared him into the field of Diſpute, and ſet down his own theames about which he would contend, which were concerning the Popes Supremacy and the ſacrifice of the Maſſe. And it is well known to the Towns and Country where they both dwelt, that the ſaid Defendant could never be quiet for his brags and ſcriblings to himſelf and others till he had anſwered, which was the ſole cauſe of his ruine, and the which anſwer of his though he had long time for peace ſake neglected, yea at laſt, he was through his adverſaries importunity put upon it. Neither could he for the honour of the truth, and the honour of his Prince, both which he loves more then his life, delay it any longer: and therefore out of his duty to God and the King, he entred the combat with the enemy. To which duty he the Defendant ſaith he was bound, by Chriſt himſelf, who hath commanded to give unto Caeſar the things that are Caeſars, and unto God the things that are Gods, p. 6which commandment of Chriſt ties all Chriſtians under obedience to a double duty which by them may not be neglected: viz, to give unto God his due, and unto the King his. Yet for obeying of this commandment this poor Defendant muſt be defamed, ruined, undone, and left friendleſſe, moneyleſſe, and in captivity, and given to the Devil, and yet ſay nothing. But the Defendant deſireth this honourable Court to give him leave to ſay, as Queen Heſter ſpake to Ahaſhueroſh, if that he and his wife had been ſold for bond-men and bond-women, he had held his peace: but for them to be ruined and undone becauſe he could not ſee God and the King diſhonoured, he the Defendant cannot but ſpeak. Let the King live for ever, and never let it be ſaid that he hath ſuch a baſe cowardly fellow in his Kingdoms, that will ſuffer his Imperiall Majeſtie to be trampled upon the ſuffer it in ſilence. For his own part, this Defendant confeſſeth, that he is but poor, and the Prelates have made him ſo: but as rich in Loyalty as any Subject in his Highneſſes three Dominions: and as Iob ſaid concerning God, though the Lord ſhould kill him, yet he would truſt in him: ſo this Defendant ſaith. Though the King ſhould leave him to the mercyleſſe fury of the Prelats, yet he will ever honour him with his ife, and all that ever he hath, and as he was borne under obedience, under obedience he will die, and will ever ſay vivat Rex let the King live for ever, and our gracious God put it into his Royall breaſt to look into the deviliſh plots of the Prelates, that doe not onelyonly equalize the painted Tombes in Chriſts time but far exceed them in cruelty and wickedneſſe. This he is reſolved living and dying to doe, invito Diabolo, to give unto Caeſar the things that are Caeſars, and to God the things that are Gods, for he is bound to this duty by Chriſt himſelfe; neither will he ever rebell againſt his bleſſed will.

Now the things that belong unto God, as he is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; and by whom alone kings raigne, is an abſolute command and Soveraignty over his Church, and who requires of all his Subjects that they ſhould love him with all their hearts, with all their Soules, and with all their mights, and that they ſhould not ſerve him by any of their own inventions. And for the manner of his worſhip he hath abundantly declared it in Sacred Writ. And Saint Paul writing unto Titus warnes him, ſharply to rebuke his auditors, that they may be ſound in the faith, not giving heed unto the p. 7commandments of men that turne from the truth, and chargeth the Corinthians, that they ſhould not be ſervants of men, nor wiſe above that which is written: and ſayes unto the Coloſſians, wherefore if ye be dead with Chriſt from the rudiments of the world: Why as though living in the world are ye ſubject unto ordinances? and Chriſt himſelf ſaith, In vain do they worſhip him, teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men. By all which it is manifeſt, if Chriſtians will give unto God that which is his, and will not worſhip Him in vaine; as they muſt love him with all their hearts, ſo he onelyonly muſt rule in them, and they muſt give him his own worſhip, and ſuch ſervice onelyonly, both for matter and manner, as he requires at their hands and commands from them, and not ſerve him according to mens precepts and devices: for in his worſhip they muſt not be the ſervants of men: for he is the onelyonly King and Lawgiver in his Church, and this is his prerogative Royall, which no man may meddle with, and this is to give unto God that which is Gods: and this duty he the Defendant ſaith, all Chriſtians are bound unto. Againe, for all Subjects duties toward the King, the Defendant ſaith, that muſt alſo freely and willingly be yeelded, and that by ſpeciall precepts, for they are commanded to fear God and honour the King, and to be ſubject unto his Authority in all things in the Lord, and to give unto Caeſar that which is Caeſars.

Now in regard of his duty, both to God and the King, and alſo of his ſpeciall Oath of allegiance, the Defendant ſaith, he could do no leſſe then that which he did in writing his book, being provoked thereunto by an enemy of both. And ſo much the rather, becauſe himſelf and all Chriſtians are commanded to give a reaſon of their hope, to whomſoever ſhal demand it of them, & earneſtly to contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints: he ſaith, in all theſe reſpects he could do no leſſe in anſwering that Popeling then that he did, by giving unto God the right of his government in the hearts and conſciences of men, and taking it from the Pope that Vicar rather of hell then of Chriſt, and by giving the King that juriſdiction and authority of regiment in his Dominions and over his Subjects, which God hath conferred upon him; Both which Authorities Spirituall and Temporall, the Pope and Popiſh Biſhops moſt blaſphemouſly arrogate unto themſelves, trampling all Divine Lawes and Kinglie regality under their polluted feet, making Kings and Emperours their Vaſſals, which is a p. 8moſt horrible arrogancy and uſurpation, and not to be ſuffered by either Kings or their Subjects. And therefore when this Defendant did nothing but that which by his ſpeciall duty he was bound unto. If this by the Informers be thought either Schiſme, Faction, or Sedition, he this Defendant is reſolved to live and die in it, and never to think any a good Subject that is not of his minde. He doth withall freely confeſſe unto this honourable Court, that he looked for no ill uſage of the Prelates for this his indeavour, which when he found at their hands, it was the occaſion of the writing of many other books ſince that time, amongſt the which there is one called Apologeticus ad Praeſules Anglicanos, &c. Dedicated unto the privie Counſell; but whether the book that is annexed unto the Bill be the ſame, that the Defendant knoweth not, but a book with that Title he confeſſeth, he writ, wherein he ſet downe the proceedings of the Prelates againſt himſelf, and their dealings towards other of their brethren, the theame of which book he the Defendant deſireth the honourable Court to take a briefe relation of, at this time, that they may the better be informed of the falſity of the Information. And firſt for the principall theame and matter of the booke it is the State of the queſtions in his Flagello Pontificis for which he ſuffered, with the ſumme of the Arguments he produced for the confirmation of the truth. The queſtions ariſing between the Babylonian and the Defendant, concerning the authority of the Pope, were theſe. The firſt, whether Chriſt did conſtitute Peter ſole Monarch of the Catholick Church? The ſecond, whether the Pope of Rome (if he be a Biſhop) as he is a Biſhop, hath Authority and juriſdiction over Kings and Emperors? Thirdly, whether Popiſh Biſhops be true Biſhops or no? and of the diſcuſſing of theſe queſtions, the Defendant ſaith, his adverſary was the ſole cauſe. In the handling of the which the Defendant further affirmeth, that he uſed all the caution that was poſſible, as he ſuppoſed for man to uſe prefacing in his book, that being to diſpute about the Authority of the Biſhop of Rome, he deſired candidly to be underſtood of all men; for while he diſputed of Epiſcopall Authority, he medled nor contended not againſt ſuch Biſhops as acknowledge their Authority and juriſdiction from Kings and Emperours, into whoſe hands the government of States, Kingdomes, and Common-wealths is by God committed. For if the Popes themſelves would acknowledge their immenſe and unlimited authority from Kings and Emperors, p. 9he the defendant there ſaid, if they commanded nothing contrary to the will and Word of God, that he for his part out of the reverence, duty, and loyalty to his Prince would obey it. The Words in the Originall are theſe. Verum de Epiſcoporum autoritate locutus à bonis bene intelligi cupio. Non enim litis litem moveo quatenus ab Imperatoribus & Regibus & Principibus. Terrae quorum intereſt ſalutem civium tueri, poteſtate, Ius & Imperiii in ſocios totum que Dei gregem adepti ſunt. Nam ſi Romani Epiſcopi immenſam illam & nullus limitibus circumſcriptā autoritatē indulgentiae Principū acceptā ferrem, voluntati Epiſcopali, nihil voluntati divinae inimicum jubenti obtemperandū putem ob reverentiam Principi ſi volenti debitam, &c. So that the Defendant having thus plainly ſet down his minde before, and knowing that all the juriſdiction that the Biſhops in England now exerciſe over others is from the King, he thought himſelf not onelyonly ſecure from danger, but expected favour at leaſt from the Biſhops and their helping hand, eſpecially, when the oppoſing the Popes Authority in England, is a thing that the King and State have ever ſo well allowed of.

And that this honourable Court may yet be farther informed of the ſpeciall cauſe for which the Prelates are ſo diſpleaſed with the Defendant, it was for the truely and narrowly diſputing and diſcuſſing of the ſecond queſtion, to wit, whether the Pope of Rome (if he be a Biſhop) as he is a Biſhop, have Authority and Juriſdiction not onelyonly over his fellow brethren but over Kings and Emperours? which the Defendant there denyed for many warrantable Arguments, the ſumme of which he deſireth here to relate unto this honourable Court, for his juſt and neceſſary defence and juſtification. For by the very light of nature and unanſwerable reaſon, it is evident and manifeſt; that where there is an equality & parity amongſt men, there the one doth not exceed the other in power, or Dominion, Paris enim in Parem non eſſe imperium inter Naturae foreign eſt. Now, Divine conſtitution hath made Biſhops and Presbyters or Elders a like and equall, which that it might the better appeare, the Defendant propounded three things to be proved. The firſt was, that Biſhops and Presbyters were by the Word of God one and the ſame. Secondly, That Presbyters had equall Authority of Government, Ordination & Excommunication with Biſhops, wherein only conſiſts their preheminency and Authority above their brethren: which things being proved, it will neceſſarily follow, That the Pope of p. 10Rome as he is Biſhop doth no way exceed other Biſhops and Presbyters, they being in all things alike and equall unto him, much leſſe hath any Authority and power over Kings and Emperours. And for the proofe of the firſt poſition, the words Presbyter and Biſhop do ſufficiently evince it, which is holy Scripture, though diverſe in ſound, ſignifie one and the ſame thing, as not to cite the words themſelves which would be large. The Apoſtle Paul to Titus in the firſt Chapter doth ſufficiently ſhew, where the words Biſhop and Presbyter are confounded. And likewiſe in the firſt Epiſtle of Peter and the fift Chapter, there Presbyter and Biſhop ſignifie one and the ſame thing. And the Epiſtle to the Philippians the firſt Chapter and the firſt verſe doth apparently demonſtrate it, and divers other places might be produced dilucidating the ſame thing. But the 20. of the Acts puts all out of controverſie, where Presbyter and Biſhop ſignifie one and the ſame thing, for office, honour and function, ſo that the idenity of their office, is ſignifyed by thoſe two expreſſions. Neither is there a confuſion of their names, with a difference ſtill of their functions and adminiſtrations, as ſome would cavill: for in theſe places where Presbyters are called Biſhops, the diſputation is not about the title, but about the office ſignified and ſpecified by the title. For when Saint Paul exhorts the Preſbyters to have an eye to their duty and charge, he uſeth this reaſon, that the Holy Ghoſt hath made them Biſhops, and the truth of this is ſo evident, that the Rhemiſts themſelves, as learned men as any Biſhops in England, and as able to maintaine an error, are forced ingeniouſly to confeſſe it ſaying in expreſſe words in their Notes upon the 28. verſ. of that Chapter. That in the Apoſtles times there was no difference between Presbyter and Biſhop; ſo that for the firſt poſition, it is not onelyonly by the Word of God clearly evident, but by the very confeſſion of the adverſaries of the truth granted, as a thing without controverſie. Now for proofe of the ſecond poſition, that Presbyters as well as the Biſhop of Rome, have the power and right of Government, Ordination and Excommunication, by which in theſe times Biſhops onelyonly exceed Presbyters, the Defendant will here briefly demonſtrate it, referring thoſe of this honourable Court, that have a deſire to ſearch into the full truth of it, to his book. And for the proofe that the Government was committed unto them, and that they exerciſed the ſame, it is moſt perſpicuous out of the firſt of Timothie 5. where the Apoſtle ſaith the Presbyters p. 11that rule well are worthy of double honour, eſpecially thoſe that labour in Word and Doctrine. By this teſtimony it is evident, that they had rule and government in their hands. And that they had power alſo of Ordination and impoſition of hands, it is likewiſe apparent out of the firſt Epiſtle of Paul to Timothy the firſt Chapter. For the Apoſtle ſpeaking to Timothy ſaith, Do not neglect the gift that is in thee which is given thee for propheſie by the impoſition of the hands of the Presbytery. Here alſo the Presbyters had the right of impoſition of hands. And that they had the power of Excommunication and Abſolution, it is likewiſe manifeſt from the fifth of the 1. of the Corinthians and the ſecond Chapter of the ſecond Epiſtle, where the Apoſtle gives them the power of caſting the inceſtrous perſon out, and upon his repentance receiving of him in againe. By all which Authorities of Sacred Writ it is ſufficiently cleare and evident; That the Presbyters had the Authority and power of Government and rule in the Church, with the faculty alſo and ability of Ordination and Excommunication, and all this by Divine inſtitution and expreſſe words of holy Scripture, howſoever this right and their due, was through the fraud and deceit of the Biſhop of Rome, and Romiſh Biſhops afterwards taken away from the Presbyters. Wherefore the Defendant concluded, That if there were any difference between Presbyters and the Biſhop of Rome (which he denied) that then the Presbyters in dignity and honour exceeded, and that greatly the Biſhop of Rome and Romiſh Biſhops, for all theſe Priviledges of government, Ordination and Excommunication are in formall words given unto the Presbyters, and no where granted unto the Biſhops. And for farther illuſtration and proofe of this, the Defendant, with many other arguments proved, that Presbyters were better men then the Biſhop of Rome, if there were any difference. The ſum of which he deſireth this honourable Court, to take notice of, that they may more ponderouſly weigh the buſineſſe in hand, and ſee the vanity of the Information. And for the arguments in brief, they are theſe.

They who are moſt obedient to the Precepts, Commands, and Prohibitions of Chriſt, and do moſt diligently obey the Apoſtles admonitions, they are, and ſo ought to be eſteemed, more worthy and excellent, thou ſuch, as regard neither of both.

But the Preſbyters are more obedient to the commands of Chriſt, & do more diligently obey the Apoſtles admonitions then the Romiſh Biſhops.

p. 12Therefore they are more worthy and excellent.

For the major, no man can deny, that knows loyall and obedient Subjects to their Prince, & his Officers juſt commands, are to be preferred before Rebels, and them that regard neither of both. Now Chriſt and his Apoſtles have commanded, That all Miniſters ſhould feed the ſtock of Chriſt diligently in preaching the word, and adminiſtration of the Sacraments, and that they ſhould not be Lords over his inheritance; Both which precepts and prohibitions the Presbyters do more exactly obſerve then Romiſh Biſhops: for they neither preach themſelves, nor will let others, and are Lords over Chriſts inheritance, which the Lord Jeſus and his Apoſtles have peremptorily forbid. Ergo, the Presbyters are more worthy then Romiſh Biſhops. Againe:

That name which is and hath ever been a name and title of dignity and honour, is to be preferred before that which is a name of pain, labour & ſollicitude.

But the name of Presbyter or Senior, is and hath been ever a name of honour and dignity, and a title of mighty Emperours and Princes, and the name of Biſhop is a name and title of labour and travell. Ergo, the title and name of Presbyter is to be preferred before that of the Romiſh Biſhops.

For the major, none that are truly noble and learned can deny. And for the minor, to omit many other places, it will evidently appeare to any that will look upon 1 Tim. 5. There the Apoſtle ſaith, The Presbyters that rule well are worthy of double honour. So that it is apparent enough, That honour and dignity is contained in that name, which deſerveth both reward, reverence, and reſpect. And in the ſame Epiſtle the Apoſtle ſaith, Rebuke not a Presbyter, but honour him as a Father: and ſpeaking of Biſhops, he ſaith, He that deſireth the Office of a Biſhop, deſireth a good work: He ſaith indeed a good work, but a work notwithſtanding full of care, watchfulneſſe, toile, and labour. From all which it is ratified, That the name and title of Presbyter is a name full of dignity, honour and ſplendour, and the title of Biſhop a compellation or name full of labour, anhelation and ſolicitude; and therefore to be preferred before the title of Biſhop, being far more excellent. Again:

That name which whenſoever it is joyned with the name of Biſhop, hath alwayes the firſt place and precedencie, that name is moſt excellent.

But the name of Presbyter, when it is joyned with the title of Biſhop, hath ever the precedencie. Ergo, it is to be preferred before it.

For the major, the adverſaries cannot deny it, For they conclude and p. 13the precedencie and preeminencie of Peter, before the other Apoſtles, becauſe he is often firſt named. And for the minor, the word of God declares it illuſtriouſly, as may be ſeene in the 20. of the Acts, and the firſt of Titus, and the fifth Chapter of the firſt of Peter. In all which places the names of Presbyter and Biſhop being joyned together, Presbyter is ever firſt named. To all this, Peter calls himſelfe a Presbyter. The ſame doth Saint John, as if all Eccleſiaſticall dignity were placed in that name. But there are many Arguments yet remaining to prove the dignity of Presbyters to be above that of Biſhops, if there be any difference between them. For,

They to whom in the moſt difficult controverſies of the Church, and greateſt diſſentions, the Primitive Chriſtians had ever recourſe, and who the Spirit of God did in a ſpeciall manner aſſiſt, and who made Decrees by which the Church of God to this day is to be regulated and governed, and who the Apoſtles themſelves made their ſociates and companions in both Generall and Provinciall Councels, and the which had the next place unto the Apoſtles in their Aſſemblies: they are more worthy, and to be had in greater honour and veneration thou the other Miniſters of the Church, which are neither by name nor place knowne in thoſe holy meetings. But the Presbyters are ſuch, and

Therefore the Presbyters are more worthy and excellent then Biſhops.

As for the major, the adverſaries cannot doubt of that, which beſtow dignity and honour upon their Biſhops, according to the place and degree they had in the firſt Councels. And for the minor, none can doubt of it, who hath read Acts 15. and Acts 20. But they that deſire to be ſatiſfied concerning this Argument at large, the Defendant deſireth would read any of his books Laſtly, That the dignity of the Presbyters may yet appear, above the title of Biſhops, it is thus evident:

Thoſe to whom the keys of the Kingdom of heaven by name are committed, thoſe are more worthy and honourable then thoſe that have not that privilege.

But for the Presbyters, they have the privilege of the keys granted unto them by name:

Ergo the Presbyters are more honourable then Biſhops.

For the major, no good Chriſtian will or rationall man can deny it. And for the minor, he that readeth the laſt of Iames ſhall finde it manifeſtly enough confirmed and proved. By all which arguments, the Defendant did ſufficiently beat down the Biſhop of Romes authority, and by the very light of reaſon overthrew it. For if that every Presbyter be p. 14by the word of God as good a man as the Biſhop of Rome if not better; and withall, if the Presbyters neither can nor may uſurp authority over their fellow brethren, much leſſe may they do it over Kings and Emperours, and by conſequence and neceſſity of reaſon it followeth, that the Biſhop of Rome hath no cauſe to arrogate ſuch authority to himſelfe over the whole Church as he doth: and therefore that his rule and government is a meer uſurpation, and an abominable tyranny over the whole Church of God, and ought of all men to be defied, abominated and abhorred with all his complices, as impious and blaſphemous againſt God, injurious to Kings and Princes, and nocent to all the faithfull members of Jeſus Chriſt. The recapitulation of all the which Arguments, this Defendant thought ſit to make knowne to this honourable Court, that their illuſtricities might in every reſpect ſee his innocency, who firſt exempted all Biſhops that acknowledge their authorities from Kings and Emperours out of the number of thoſe againſt which he diſputed: and ſecondly, never by name fought againſt any other but Romiſh Biſhops, and with their owne Arguments wounded them. And therefore he could not but take it unkindly, that when in this combat they ſhould have helped him againſt the common enemy, they defending him, fell upon the poore Defendant, to his perdition, ſaying, that he meant them, & that he was erronious and factious in his opinions. Now if the Defendant hath erred in the diſcuſſing of theſe truths, the Scripture that word of life, hath brought him to it, which were blaſphemy to thinke; and therefore when they adjudged this booke to be burnt, they might as well have burnt the Scripture alſo, yea all antiquity, and the graveſt and learnedſt of ancient Fathers, whoſe teſtimonies alſo he hath made publicke for the greater vindication of the truth againſt errour and cruelty. But that the integrity of the Defendant may yet more clearly appeare, he moſt humbly entreateth this Illuſtrious Tribunall to heare how the buſineſſe was carried againſt him at his Arraignment before the Prelates Barre at Lambeth, and how ſubmiſſively he demeaned himſelf theſe, and how ſuperciliouſly they carried themſelves towards the Defendant on the contrary ſide. When it came to his part to ſpeake for himſelfe, the Advocate having formerly denied to plead his caſe any farther then about the witneſſes teſtimonie, which he alſo did very jejunely, being an Advocate of ſuch excellent parts of learning and eloquence as he was, and alſo at the Bar renouncing it, p. 15ſaying, That the Defendant ſhould plead himſelfe, which, when it was put upon him, he then firſt related unto the Aſſembly the Theame of the booke, which was the maintenance of the Kings Prerogative royall. Then he told them the occaſion of his writing of it, that he was provoked thereunto by a Pontifician, who often had dared him into the liſt of diſpute; which at laſt he could not deny, as he was a Chriſtian, and as he was a Subject; for by the Word of God he told them, and by the Law of the land, and his ſpeciall oath, he was bound unto it: which oath he alſo read at large in open Court, the which alſo all the Biſhops of England, and all the Judges of the kingdome had taken, and were equally bound with him to obſerve. Then before he entered into the combat with the adverſary, he ſhowed, what caution he uſed; that being to write againſt the Biſhop of Rome and Italian Biſhops, it was onelyonly as they arrogate their authority over their brethren and the Church of God, yea, over Kings and Emperours jure divino, againſt ſuch Biſhops onelyonly he affirmed he did diſpute and read the words of exception formerly cited at the Barre: as for ſuch Biſhops as acknowledge their juriſdiction, power and authority from Kings and Emperours; he ſaid, he had no controverſie againſt them, as he there againe and againe declared himſelf, in the number of which he the Defendant ſaid ours were, for all the Biſhops of England, and in his Majeſties Dominions, had, and received (or at leaſt wiſe ought ſo to do) their authority and juriſdiction over their brethren from him; For proofe of which, he cited and read publickly the Statutes and Acts of Parliament, as follow:

Firſt, that of the firſt of Queen Elizabeth of famous memory, wherein the Oath of Allegiance was ratifyed, in the which Statute there are theſe words, That all juriſdiction, all Superiorities, and all Priviledges and preeminencies ſpiritual and temporall are annexed to the imperiall Crown which by Oath he being bound to maintaine, could do no leſſe being provoked by an adverſary of regall dignity: He read alſo the Statute which was inacted in the 37. of Henry the eight, which is, That Archbiſhops and Biſhops and all other Eccleſiaſticall perſons, have no other Eccleſiaſticall juriſdiction but that which they received and had by the King, from the King, and under his Royall Majeſtie. He read alſo the Statute made in the firſt of King Edward the ſixt, in theſe words, That all juriſdiction and Authority ſpirituall and Temporall, is derived p. 16and doth come from the Kings Majeſtie as ſupreme head in the churches and Kingdoms of England and Ireland, and that by the Clergie of both the Kingdomes, it ought no otherwiſe to be held or eſteemed of, and that all Eccleſiaſticall Courts, within the ſaid Kingdomes ought to be held and kept by no other power and Authority either domeſticall or forrain, then that which comes from his moſt excellent Majeſtie. And that whoſoever did not acknowledge and venerate this authority, that the ſame men are ipſo facto in a praemunire, and under the Kings high diſpleaſure and indignation; as the words of the Statute run, and the mouth of the law ſpeaks: and then with ſome reaſon, alſo which the Defendant produced, beſides the Word of God, he ſhewed, That no Romiſh Biſhops had authority over their fellow brethren, nor could jure divino challenge it, much leſſe over Kings and Emperors, and therefore ſo long as the Defendant had the word of God, the Laws of the Kingdom, and reaſon it ſelf on his ſide, he told them, he thought himſelf reaſonably ſecure from all danger in that place. And then applying his ſpeech unto the right Honourable and noble Lord the Earle of Dorſet then preſent, the Defendant told his honour, that he could not but wonder, that he ſhould ſtand there at the Bar as a Delinquent, for maintaining the Religion eſtabliſhed by publick Authority, the honour of the King, and the glory of his Majeſty: and that one Chouny a Suſſex man a laick as well as himſelf, ſhould write a book and ſet it forth by publick authority, maintaining the Church of Rome to be a true Church, and never to have had ſo much in her, as the ſuſpition of error in fundamentall points, and that this book ſhould be dedicated to the Prelate of Canterbury, and patronized by him (which book the Defendant both read and exhibited in Court) by which notwithſtanding the King himſelf and all his Subjects were made Shiſmaticks and hereticks, to the infinite diſhonour of God, our Gracious King, and King Iames of bleſſed memory, and our moſt holy profeſſion and Religion. This as the Defendant told the Lord of Dorſet ſtruck an amazement in him, and eſpecially when the authour of it muſt be favoured and countenanced by Canterburie, and for the defending of the honour and dignity of our church and the honour of the King, the Defendant ſhould ſtand as an evil doer. Now when the Defendant was come thus far, & was then approaching more cloſely unto them all, intending more fully in the pleading of his cauſe to have ſet forth their unjuſt dealing, they told him, that p. 17he railed, and Imperiouſly commanded him to hold his peace, which was the reaſon of his Apologericus ad Praeſules Anglicanos, where he took liberty to write that, and publiſh it to the view of all the world, which he would have then ſpoke. But after they had ſilenced him, they then fell a thundering againſt him every one as he pleaſed, all of them joyning in this, (one onelyonly excepted) that they cenſured him onelyonly for his Booke; and in their cenſure, they unanimouſly agreed, that the Defendant ſhould pay the coſts of ſuit, a thouſand pounds unto the King for a fine, be debarred of his Practice, that his Booke ſhould be burnt, and that the Defendant ſhould lie in priſon till recantation, and in the meane time be delivered unto Satan. And thus did the Sublime Court deale with the Defendant for doing his duty. But here the Defendant craveth favour againe of the honourable Court, that he may briefly, letting the puny Judges and their nonſenſe die in ſilence, ſay ſomething of the Prelates haranges, becauſe they onelyonly were the men that found themſelves agrieved at his writing: and to ſay the truth, all the other are Officiers under them, and are the Prelates hang-byes (he meanes the Doctors) to do what they would have them: as hourly experience teacheth all men. And ſo much the more earneſtly he deſireth this liberty, becauſe it wil make much for the demonſtration of the juſtice of his accuſation againſt the Prelates, both in reſpect of the diſhonour they have done unto God by it, the diſhonour of the King their Maſter, and King James of precious memory, and the wrong done to himſelf in particular. Now the firſt that entred this combat was Francis White Biſhop of Ely, who in the firſt place moſt blaſphemouſly and with many contumelyes reproached the holy Scriptures, making nothing of their divine Authority, (as all the ſtanders by can witneſſe) for he reviſing the Defendant, ſaid, That he had nothing in his book but Scripture, which was (as he tearmed it) the refuge of all Heriticks and Schiſmaticks, openly averring withall, That the Scriptures could not be known to be the Word of God, but by the Fathers, and Saint Auguſtine would not have beleeved the Scriptures to be the Word of God, had not the Church told him ſo. Further he ſaid, That the Scripture could not be known and diſtinguiſhed from the Apocrypha, but by the Fathers: nor the meaning of the Scripture found out but by the Fathers, and that all the Fathers from all antiquity (which is moſt falſe, as the Defendant in a ſpeciall book hath ſufficiently ſhewed) made p. 18and proved a vaſt difference between Biſhops and Presbyters, and that there was ever a greater excellency and Authority in the Biſhop then in Presbyters, and this with an unaminous conſent they all agreed in till a baſe fellow Calvin (for ſo he tearmed that ever to be honoured Divine) roſe up in an obſcure corner of the world and violated and overthrew all order and authority in the Church, and would alſo have demoliſhed the authority of the Magiſtrates. And then turning his ſpeech to the Defendant unhumanely; he called him baſe fellow, braſen faced fellow, baſe Dunce, and ſaid in the face of the Court, that if he could not maintaine his Epiſcopall Authority to be Iure Divino, he would ſling away his Rotchet: And ſo concluding with thoſe that had gone before him in his cenſure, he ſat down in a very great fury and paſſion.

After him came forth the Biſhop of Yorke, and in that numerous Aſſembly, proclaimes, That Jeſus Chriſt made him a Biſhop, and the holy Ghoſt conſecrated him, and that he had not his authority from the King, for Biſhops were before Kings, and that Biſhops held the Crownes of Kings upon their heads, and ſo peremptorily averring, that the Defendant ought to be knockt down with club-Law for his ignorance, aſſenting with the reſt in their Cenſure, he fell aſleep. In the third place the Biſhop of London advanced forwards, ſpeaking very loud and temerarious words againſt the holy Scriptures ſaying, that he had thought to have found ſome great matters in the Defendants book, ſeeing him ſo confident and ſo peremptory, but diligently reading of it, he met with nothing in it but Scripture, which, as he ſaid was the refuge of all Schiſmaticks and Hereticks, and ſo according with his predeceſſors in their opinion and cenſure, he concluded his part of ſpeech. But laſt of all came forth the Prelate of Canterbury, who with a frontleſſe boldneſſe avouched his Epiſcopall authority and preeminency over his brethren to be onelyonly from God, very much blaming Calvin for his factions Spirit, ſaying: That their Eccleſiaſticall Authority and the power they exerciſed, was from Chriſt Jeſus, and produced Timothy and Titus to prove the ſame aſſertion, and that Biſhops were before Chriſtian Kings, and they held the Crownes of Kings upon their heads. For, no Biſhop no King, and thoſe that would have no Biſhops, ſought to overthrow all Government, and in his cenſure he jumped in all things with the reſt, ſaving in the Fine, which (as he ſaid) he thought too little, and therefore ought of meere conſcience, as he told the other p. 19Judges, he fined the Defendant a Thouſand pounds more. But he had one thing more to ſpeak as he ſaid, concerning the Church of Rome, and about that he reſolved publickly there to declare himſelf, in regard the Defendant had caſt Chounyes book unto him in open Court, and of the Synagogue of Rome he ſpake very honourably, affirming, That ſhe was a true Church and that ſhe did not erre in fundamentall points, and all this he ſpake in that publick Seſſions.

All which the Defendant hath been forced to recite, becauſe it makes very much for the juſtification of what he writ in his Apology, and that he had good ground greatly to blame the Prelates, aſwell for theſe as for many other of their proceedings, as afterwards this honourable Court ſhall well perceive: And now that the Defendant may come to the things that he is charged with the Information, as to have accuſed the Biſhops of, in his Apology, which by the informers is termed a Libell, though it conteineth nothing but a true Narration of the paſſages of the High-Commiſſion Court; which he never ſpake nor writ againſt, but onelyonly, againſt the abuſes of the Iudges in it, who have turned that Court, which was of purpoſe appointed by the State for the ſuppreſſing of Hereſy, Popery and vice, to the beating down of the Religion eſtabliſhed by Authority, and the promotion and advancement of ſuperſtition, and the moleſtation and undoing of the Kings faithfulleſt Subjects, and the deare ſervants of God, as dayly experience teacheth us, and the whole Kingdome can witneſſe. In the writing of which booke he the Defendant thinketh himſelfe ſo far from being a Delinquent, as he conceiveth he hath done good ſervice to King, Church, and State, having in it vindicated and maintained regall Authority againſt the Tyranny of the Pope, diſcovered alſo the Prelates lawleſſe uſurpations with their ungratitude to the King, and cruelties againſt their brethren, maintained the honour likewiſe of the Lawes of the Land and the dignity of ſacred Writ, (both which they ſlight and make nothing of) and by innumerable teſtimonies of learned men, proved the aſſertion for which he is thus traduced and envyed, to be neither novell nor hereticall, but according to both the Divine Scriptures and all ancient truth, and the vetuſt eſt Biſhops, and by the whole Clergy of England in King Henry the Eights dayes, as all the Learned and ingenuous doe well perceive and know; both at home and abroad. So that if the Informers p. 20with the Prelates will make this book a libell, then let them make holy Scripture, the Lawes of the Kingdome, and all the ancient records of learned Biſhops libells alſo: for the Defendant, in that, hath ſaid nothing concerning the Presbytery, which is not agreeable to them all. And for the matters in ſpeciall he is charged with the information, viz. That he hath cauſleſly enveighed againſt the oath ex officio, and other ancient formes of proceedings in that Court, and againſt the Sacred Hierarchy and orders of Biſhops, Prieſts and Deacons, preferring a Presbyterian parity before it. And that he hath falſly and ſcandalouſly defamed the witneſſes produced againſt him, and falſly and maliciouſly taxed the High Commiſſion Court it ſelfe, and the Judges therein in generall, and ſome of them particularly and perſonally with cruelty and injuſtice, with want of wiſdome and temperance, and that they are perſwaders of his Majeſty to bloodſhed, and are upholders of idolatry, ſuperſtition, Popery and Profaneneſſe, and further moſt maliciouſly, and falſly, affirmeth, that Canterbury, London and Ely, are diſgracers and contemners of holy Scriptures, and falſly traduceth them and the reſt of the Biſhops for Traytors and invaders of his Majeſties Prerogative, and that in the ſaid booke there are contained divers other unlawfull and ſcandalous paſſages againſt the eſtabliſhed government and ſetled diſcipline of the Church of England, the Biſhops and Clergy, and their proceedings, which being many, and of various nature, is delivered into his Majeſties Court of Starchamber.

To all which things that he is here charged with, the Defendant will anſwer with what brevity, and the beſt Method he can, and doubteth nothing but whatſoever he hath writ in his Apology againſt the Prelates and their proceeding, ſhall be made evidently appear to this Court to be moſt true. And to begin with the things laid to his charge in the laſt place, that he accuſeth the Biſhops to be diſgracers and contemners of holy Scripture, to be invaders of his Majeſties prerogative, upholders of idolatry, Popery, ſuperſtition and profaneneſſe, All which is moſt true, for ſo they are, as he hath ſufficiently proved againſt them in that book, and doth here alſo adde, that they have greatly diſhonoured the King their Maſter, and King James his Father of perpetuall Memory, all which he will briefly declare, and demonſtrate to this noble Court. And that they are contemners and diſgracers of p. 21holy Scripture, what can be more manifeſt? when they ſay that the Scriptures are the refuge of all Schiſmaticks & Hereticks, as much as if they ſhould ſay, the good Laws and Statutes of a Kingdom, and the Kings Edicts & Proclamations, are the cauſe of all diſorder & wickednes! withall, what is it to be contemners and diſgracers of the holy Scriptures, if this be not? to ſay, That they can neither be knowne to be the Word of God; nor diſtinguiſhed from the Apocrypha and Prophane Authours, nor to be underſtood and the meaning of them attained unto for their obſcurity, but by the Fathers? If this be not to contemne Sacred Writ, then all Orthodox Writers both in ours and all reformed Churches, and King James himſelfe, have accuſed the Church of Rome moſt falſly, whom they prove blaſphemous againſt God, and diſgracers of the Holy Scriptures, for the ſame aſſertions, as all their learned writings witneſſe with innumerable Arguments in them for proofe of the ſame.

The Defendant deſireth to know, what it is to prophane and contemne holy Scripture, if this be not to ſlight and vilyfie the Authority of it, and to preferre humane authority before it, which the Biſhops did blaſphemouſly, ſaying, that they could not be knowne to be the Word of God, without the help of the Fathers, when every page and leafe of thoſe Sacred monuments breath a Divine Spirit, and they are called the lively Oracles, Acts 7. verſe 38. as if the Scripture had loſt his ancient luſtre, life, and Divinity by its antiquity, and were inferiour to all other things both Naturall and Artificiall. When notwithſtanding there is ſuch a Majeſtie and Splendour in the Scripture, as it dazleth the eyes of all thoſe that look into it, with his tranſcendent and heavenly clarity, and brightneſſe, the eyes of whoſe mindes the God of this world hath not blinded, yea under the very law, when there was a vaile before the eyes of men, ſo that they could not ſo clearly ſee into them as now Chriſtians may, yet then ſuch dignity and excellency was diſcerned in them, that at the firſt reading of them, men cryed out, the voice of God and not of man, and tore their garments for very anguiſh and fear of the threats in them, and never were ſo ungracious and impious to ſay, How ſhall we know theſe bookes to be the Word of God? for the holy Scriptures had ever ſuch an innate and Domeſticall light, beauty, and goodneſſe p. 22in them, and carried ſuch teſtimony and witneſſe within themſelves, ever able to declare themſelves divine and holy, and to be the very word of the everliving God, that they needed borrow no help from without them, or fetcht in humane witneſſe for the declaring of their divinity. There was no need to ſend unto the Prophets or the Church, in old time, to enquire whether the Scriptures were the word of God, amongſt any that were but any thing acquainted with the language of Canaan, as is manifeſtly evident in the 2. of the Kings 22. verſe 8.10. and the 2. of the Chron. 34. verſe 14, 15, 19. where it appeareth, that when the Booke of the Law was found by Helchia the Prieſt in the houſe of the Lord, he knew it at the firſt reading of it, to be the word of God; the ſame did the King, they were neither of them told by the Church, or any Prophets or Fathers that it was the Booke of the Law; neither did the King ſend unto Hulda the Propheteſſe to know whether it were a true and authenticke Copy; all this needed not; it needed then no Godfathers and Godmothers to Chriſten and give it the name of the Law of God and holy Scripture, as without the which it could not have beene knowne; there was no need of any ſuch thing, or any humane authority for the proofe of that in thoſe times; all that were then true Iſraelites knew it by its own teſtimony to be the word of God, and ſhall any man now think, that the Scriptures are more obſcure and dark, and harder to be diſcerned by their own teſtimony to be Divine and holy, then when they had a vail before them, and their ſacred treaſuries of Divine truths were muffled up in ſo many tipes and myſteries Certainly this is not onelyonly great ingratitude to Gods bounty, but very contempt and diſgrace of holy Scriptures, that their moſt excellent ſelf authority can have no credit amongſt Chriſtians without adventiciall aſſiſtance of vaine man. Is not the witneſſe and teſtimony of God greater then the teſtimony of man? If we receive the witneſſe of men, the witneſſe of God is greater, ſaith Saint John in his firſt Epiſtle chap. 5. verſ. 9. But the Prelates affirme, the teſtimony of man is to be preferred before the witneſſe of God, ſo that we ought not beleeve the Spirit witneſſing, but the teſtimony of the Fathers: for they ſay, the Scriptures cannot be known without the Fathers. Chriſt, who was truth it ſelfe, ſaith in the 5. of John verſ. 36. I have a greater witneſſe then that of Iohn, and what was that witneſſe? His works, the witneſſe and approbation of his p. 23Father and the Scriptures. Chriſt here preferres the teſtimony of the Scriptures before the teſtimony of Iohn, which was the greateſt of all the Prophets, and the Prelates preferre the teſtimony of the Fathers before the Scriptures, and is not this to contemne the holy Scriptures? Saint Peter in that glorious transfiguration of Chriſt upon the mount, heard the voice of God the Father, and notwithſtanding he ſaith in his 2. Epiſtle, chap. 1. verſ. 19. we have alſo a more ſound word of propheſie. And Chriſt himſelfe to reverenced the holy Scriptures, that he ſeemeth to preferre Moſes his words before his owne, ſaying, if ye beleeve not his writings, how ſhall ye beleeve my words? And in the perſon of Abraham, when Dives deſired one might be ſent to his Fathers houſe, to warne his brethren of the danger of torment that he was in, Chriſt ſaith, they have Moſes and the Prophets, let them heare them: and he ſaid, nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent: and he ſaid unto him, If they heare not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they be perſwaded, though one riſe from the dead. By all which teſtimonies of ſacred Writ it is evident, that if the Scripture of it ſelfe cannot prevaile with men, that then there is little hope that very miracles will do them any good, for the begetting of faith in them, or bringing of them to the truth, much leſſe the Fathers; and this by Chriſts owne words is confirmed unto us: yet the Prelates nevertheleſſe, eſteeme of the Fathers authority, more then of the ſacred Scriptures. But can any man that hath but the name of a Chriſtian thinke, that thoſe that will not be moved by the Majeſtie and authority of the Scriptures, ſpeaking in the Name of the Lord of hoſtes, that the authority of the Fathers will prevaile with them, who are not to be beleeved, but as they ſpeake out of the holy Scriptures, and by their divine authority? Chriſt denies it, and therefore we are rather to beleeve that, then the phantaſies and impious grolleries of a few ungodly men. Is not the Scripture foreign, and of his owne and ſelfe ſufficiencie ſo able to declare its owne minde and meaning, that it hath no need of the Fathers helpe? Without doubt, unleſſe profane mouthes will make it a packe of nonſenſe. Truly one would think that very reaſon might be able to convince theſe wretched wranglers, if they had not hardened themſelves, to fight againſt the truth, yea, and ſet themſelves to reſiſt the holy Spirit of God; for if we looke upon very nature, art and reaſon, they would convince us: p. 24for there is no naturall thing but will prove and ſhew it ſelfe what it is, and declare its owne nature; as the Sun, Moone and Starres declare their owne nature, and tell what they are to every beholder of them; fire by it ſelfe, and of its owne nature and eſſence is knowne what it is, earth and water do the ſame: and the ſame may be ſaid of gold & ſilver, and all other metals, they are able to witneſſe for themſelves what they are, and to diſtinguiſh their owne natures from each others to any rationall man. Againe, All Artificiall things are knowne what they are by their proper formes, and ſo are diſcriminated the one from the other, every one of them carrying a ſufficient indication of it ſelfe. yea, all humane writings ſhew from whence they come, by the ſpirit they writ with, and do ſhew, whether the Authours and Writers of them be learned or unlearned, or be men in authority and place or not, and there needs no Commentaries upon them to tell whoſe they are.

The Proclamations and Edicts of Kings and Princes do ſufficiently without either marginall Notes or Annotations declare of themſelves, that they come from Imperiall authority; and the Majeſtie and the Dignity of their phraſe and expreſſion do proclaime to all men that the Authours of them are ſacred perſons, and he that ſhould call them in queſtion without a Councell or Parliament, or the Fathers and Judges of the Laws authority, would be thought no loyall Subject, and not worthy to live, and that deſervedly: for the very manner of their penning and writing do ever convince the readers both of the Dignity of their matter, and of the excellencie of the perſonages that ſet them forth. And ſhall any in this age of light, be found ſo darkened in his judgement, as to thinke the Word of God inferiour to all naturall, artificiall and humane things? Yet ſo it is, to the infinite diſhonour of our great God bleſſed for ever.

Truely, beſides the ſparkles of Divinity, and the Spirit of God illuminating in the Scriptures which writ them; the excellencie and goodneſſe of their object and matter, the purity, the perfection, the antiquity, the univerſall conſent and agreement of them, the Majeſtie, and ſimplicity of the languages and ſpeech they are writ in, the conviction that is in them of wicked and rebellious conſciences, beating downe and humbling the ſtrongeſt ſpirits, the certaine event of things foretold in them, the integrity of the Writers, being farre from all fraud and guile, ſetting downe their own infirmities, and p. 25the weakneſſes of their families, which humane reaſon would never have done, the preſervation of theſe holy Scriptures in all ages from the fury of the perſecuters, and out of the hands of thoſe that ſtudied to deſtroy them, the conſtancie of the Martyrs alwayes that beleeved and kept them, and the fearfull and tragicall ends of ſuch as were enemies of them. Theſe the Defendant ſaith, and many more reaſons there are to prove the Scriptures to be the word of the everliving God by themſelves, without any authority of Fathers. But yet one reaſon more, the Defendant thought fit to adde, before he returneth againe to the holy Scriptures owne authoritie; which is ſufficiently able to declare it to be the Word of God. And that is this, All things that are mens owne, whether Counſells, Laws, Ordinances, Inventions, Polities or Projects, Orders of Government, &c. they are agreeable ever to the corrupt nature of man, or elſe to carnall reaſon, and men commonly hug their owne devices. Now if the Religion that is ſet downe in holy Scriptures, or the Scriptures themſelves, had ever been the fiction and excogitations of mens braines, as ſome prophane and Atheiſticall men thinke, who ſuppoſe and ſay, that Religion was by Policie invented to keepe men in awe, then the Defendant ſaith, that all men would willingly and without reluctation have embraced and received them, & given ever them admittance and free entertainment: for the world ever loveth his owne. Now it is notoriouſly knowne, that no carnall men either love the Scriptures or regard them; nay it hath beene alwayes the endeavour, and the greateſt plot and conſpiracy of wicked and ungodly men, and the adverſaries of the truth, either totally to extinguiſh them, or to vilifie their authority, as King James, of renowned memory, in his Apologie to all Chriſtian Princes, ſufficiently declareth, diſcovering therein, the Popes double diligence in that buſineſſe. So that were there no other reaſon but this alone, it were of conviction enough to prove the holy Scripture to be the Word of God, becauſe it ſo much oppoſeth impiety, wickedneſſe, cruelty, unrighteous dealing, errours and darkneſſe, which carnall and ſenſuall men love more then light. And whereas the Prelates with the Papiſts produce the authority of the Fathers for the maintaining of what they ſpeake, and in Court alledged that of Auguſtine, Where he ſaith, that he would not have beleeved the Scripture; if the Church had not told him it was the Scripture. The Defendant for his p. 26part is ſorry to ſee ſuch a profane Sympathie between the Prelates and Papiſts in theſe things, who deale with true Chriſtians as the Gibeonites dealt with the Iſraelites in the 9. of Iudges, who pretended they were Ambaſſadours, and tooke old ſackes upon their aſſes, and old tattered bottles, and clouted ſhoes, and ragged clothes, and pretended they came from a far Countrey, and ſo the Iſraelites not taking counſell of the Lord were couſened, and deluded by them: Even ſo the Papiſts and Prelates under pretence of the ancient Writers, and with their old ſhoes & mouldy bread of uncouth antiquity, rob us of the truth, and take away from us the bread and ſtaffe of life, by which we ſhould ſafely, and comfortably walk to heaven and happineſſe; and under the pretence of the Fathers and their authority, they abuſe and deceive the ſimple. But in this cauſe Auguſtine is not very uſefull unto them: for his authority in this, ſo weighty a matter, is to rationall men of no great validity: for the Defendant demands of any, that hath but the grace of underſtanding, that if Auguſtine would never have beleeved that there had beene a God, without the Church had told him ſo, muſt his infidelity make others Atheiſts alſo? This will not be thought good reaſon amongſt the learned; for then one mans imperfections ſhould be a rule for multitudes to go to hell, and unbeliefe ſhould be a vertue. And yet it is not altogether denyed, but that the perſwaſion and report of men may be a motive to ſtirre up men many times to the hearing and peruſall of a thing, which of it ſelfe doth not alwayes beget ſaith, or but very little, as dayly experience teacheth us, but the thing it ſelfe ſeene or heard, is that that worketh & effecteth it, and makes their faith ſo firme and ſtedfaſt, that although the ſame parties ſhould a thouſand times after deny that to be ſo, yet they to the death would perſevere in that true beliefe. As for example, we ſee in the people of Samaria that were by the womans perſwaſion brought out to ſee Chriſt, and in ſome ſmall meaſure beleeved in him, from her relation, that he was the Meſſiah, yet when then they had talked with him themſelves, they openly affirmed that then they beleeved not, becauſe the woman had told them, but from more excellent reaſons and grounds, that they themſelves had heard him. And ſhould the Samaritan woman a thouſand times after that, have denyed that he had beene the Meſſiah, they would never have beene removed from their faith in Chriſt for all that.

p. 27The ſame may be ſaid of Nathaniel, in the firſt of John; to whom Philip ſaid, That he had found him of whom Moſes ſpake in the Law and the Prophets, Jeſus of Nazareth; and Nathaniel ſaid unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip ſaid, Come and ſee. Jeſus ſaw Nathaniel comming unto him, and ſaith to him, Behold an Iſraelite indeed in whom is no guile. Nathaniel ſaid unto him, Whence knoweſt thou me? Jeſus anſwered and ſaid unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wert under the Fig-tree, I ſaw thee. Nathaniel anſwereth, and ſaith unto him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Iſrael. And howſoever Philip here was an occaſion of bringing Nathaniel to Chriſt, yet the ſight of Chriſt and his Miracles were the things onelyonly, that begat true faith in him, and ſuch a faith as all the Philips in the world could never after have removed him from it againe. And ſo it was with Auguſtine perhaps, that being a learned Infidell, or little better, a Man…nee, through the perſwaſions of learned Chriſtians, he came to looke in the Word of God, as all faith commeth by hearing; but doth it therefore follow, that that was onelyonly the cauſe of his faith, and perſeverance in it? or if the Church had not told him ſo, theſe had beene no other meanes for him to come to the knowledge of the Scripture, this doth not neceſſarily follow. But were it granted, that had not the Church told Auguſtine which was the Scripture and the Word of God, that he had then never beleeved it to be the Word, muſt this concluſion of neceſſity be gathered from thence, That all men muſt be like Auguſtine in this, or that the authoritie of men is greater and above the Scripture? All theſe are poore and lame conſequences, and not beſeeming the worthy Fathers of the Church in open Court to publiſh, to the infinite diſhonour of holy Scripture, and advancing humane authoritie above it, which indeed is meete blaſphemy againſt the holy Word of God. For would not every man accuſe one of folly, if another being a ſtranger, and never ſeeing the King, and meeting him in a journey, with all his Nobles, richly clad, as it beſeemeth noble Peeres ſo to be, for the honour of their Maſter, and the Majeſtie of his Court, and in this company where there are ſo many brave perſonages, and all ſo excellently apparelled, and he not knowing which was the King; ſhould aske ſome of his retinue, or ſome Courtier, which p. 24duplicate page p. 25duplicate page p. 26duplicate page p. 27duplicate page p. 28of thoſe were the King? Now doth follow, becauſe at that time, the man ſhould not have known the King without this information from ſome of the attendants, that the King could no other way have been known unto him, or that Kings could be knowne no other wayes but by ſuch informations? No rationall creatures wil ſo conclude: at that time he in part beleeved from the Courtiers relation that it was the King, but after that he ſeeth the King in his Court or upon his throne with his Crowne upon his head, and with all his State and Magnificence, and his Nobles in their ſervice; with the reverence that is yeelded unto him, then he beleeveth no longer, becauſe the Servant told him that it was the King, but becauſe by his own reaſon he is evinced of it, knowing that ſuch attendance and ſuch a guard, and ſo great pompe, dignity, and State belongeth to none but Kings. And it would be thought not madneſſe onelyonly but treaſon, to ſay, if one had not told him that it was the King, otherwiſe the King could not be known, or that he that told him, was greater then the King, or his Authority greater.

The ſame may be ſaid of the Holy and ever bleſſed Word of God, that it is a great madneſſe and impiety to conclude, That the Holy Scripture cannot be known to be the Word of God without the Authority of the Fathers, or Church, or that the Authority of either is greater then the Scriptures; which to affirme is without doubt blaſphemy in a High degree againſt Almighty God, and his bleſſed revealed will, and able to provoke his indignation upon us, becauſe it is an error againſt the very light of nature, art and reaſon, and the apparent Words of the Scripture: where the Word of God is called the immortall ſeed, 1. Peter chap. 1. verſe 23. which liveth and abideth for ever: Now all ſeed by its inward vertue ſprouteth into a blade and is by it ſelf and his owne fruits knowne to be what it is: So is the Scripture of it ſelfe knowne to be the Word of God, and as Paul ſaith in the 1. of the Corinthians chapter 2. verſe 4. the Word of God is in the demonſtration of the Spirit and in power, and maketh the hearts of the beleevers burne within them, as it did to thoſe, that went with Chriſt to Emmaus, Luke the 24. verſe 32. and as the Apoſtle ſaith in the firſt to the Theſſalonians the 2. chapter verſe 3. that they received the Word of God not as the word of man, but (as it is in the truth) the Word of God which effectually worketh in thoſe p. 29that beleeve: and in the 4. of the Hebrews the 12. Paul ſaith, that the word of God is quick and powerfull and ſharper then a two edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing aſunder the ſoule and Spirit, and of the reines and marrow, and is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. So that by theſe teſtimonies and thouſands more that might be produced, it is ſufficiently evident, that the Scriptures of themſelves are declaratory, and by their own native and inbred ſplendor doe conciliate Authority, and credit to themſelves; neither have they any need of help from man or the Fathers Authority to prove them the word of God. For before there were any Fathers the Scriptures had their Authority, and were knowne to be Divine. Neither did the Fathers or Church make them Authentick or the Word of God, no more then a Pillar maketh a Proclamation to be the Kings will and pleaſure, becauſe it ſtands upon it, but the Church or Fathers declared them ſo to be, neither doth or can the very Synagogue of Rome deny this.

How impious then and blaſphemous are the Prelates, that they dare thus vilifie the holy Scriptures, and make their authority nothing? And can any man of judgement ſee any reaſon, why one ſhould beleeve the Fathers more then the Scriptures? Or why one ſhould beleeve that theſe are the workes of Auguſtine or Ambroſe, and ſhould doubt that this is the Goſpel of Luke, John, or that theſe are the Epiſtles of Paul? Of theſe things the Defendant for his part can ſee no reaſon. Neither can there any ſolid reaſon be yeelded why one ſhould beleeve the Fathers more then the Scriptures themſelves; when the Fathers are not to be credited, but as they accord with Scripture, as the very Popiſh Canons and Papiſts themſelves acknowledge; for in the Canon Law thus ſpeakes the Pope, Patrum quantalibet doctrina & ſanctitate pollentium Scripta, ex Canonivis & ſacris conſideranda, nec cum cred…ndi neceſſitate ſed cum judicandi libertate legenda ſunt. Neither is Baronius his opinion other, concerning the authority of the Fathers, as at large may be ſeene in his Annales ann. 34. Sect. 213. and ann. 44 Sect. 42. And for Bellarmine, he is of the ſame minde in his 2. Booke concerning Councels, in the 12. chapter, in theſe words, Sacra Scripta Patrum non ſunt regulae, nec habent autoritate obligandi. And when the very adverſaries do thus fully expreſſe themſelves, that whatſoever authority is in the Fathers Books and writings it is only as p. 30they harmoniſe and accord with the Scripture, ſhal any man then think or ſuppoſe, that there ſhould yet be more authority in the writings of the Fathers, or in the Decrees of Councels then there is in the holy Scriptures, from whence as the fountaine, thoſe ſtreams do iſſue? very reaſon will confound the fatuity of this deviliſh doctrine; for the ſtreames and brooks are never ſo pure nor good as the fountain; for it is ever the fountaine that gives authority of goodneſſe, and the name of excellency to the little ſucking rivers, as men know: and they commend the waters ever from the fountaine they come, ſo that the Spring hath ever the precedency and is of greateſt Authority, and without all controverſie, as it overthroweth all reaſon, ſo it is exceedingly impious againſt our great God the fountaine of all good and the giver of every good and perfect gift, and they that ſhall ſpeak ſo contumeliouſly as the Biſhops doe of theſe Fountaines of living waters the holy Scriptures is they did, the Defendant will ever maintaine they are contemners and deſpiſers of the Holy Scriptures, and in this opinion he will live and die.

Neither did they leſſe offend in ſaying, that the Scriptures could not be knowne from the Apocrypha, without the help and authority of the Fathers: which point alſo the Defendant deſireth this honourable Court to hear a little diſcuſſed, it being a thing of ſo high nature, concerning not onelyonly the glory of God, but the good of every mans ſoul, the peace of the Church, and the tranquility of the whole Kingdom. And therefore he humbly craveth favour that he may agitate it here a little: for the further Demonſtration of the juſtneſſe of his accuſation he chargeth the Prelates with. viz: that they are diſgracers and contemners of the holy Scriptures. They ſay, that the Scriptures cannot be diſtinguiſhed from the Apocrypha, but by the Fathers: which aſſertion is againſt ſenſe and reaſon it ſelf, and too impious for Prelates to ſpeak: Is not this an eſſentiall property of the Scriptures of the old Teſtament, that they were written in the Hebrew tongue, and that they did give witneſſe of Chriſt, and received Authority from him, and that they were put into the hands and keeping of the elect and choſen people of God as a Treaſury?

Now the Apocrypha had none of all this honour, Neither did ever the Jews account of them as Scripture, yea to this day they reject them, Neither for theſe reaſons onelyonly are they diſtinguiſhed from the Apocrypha, p. 31but for many others, the divinity, purity, ſublimity appears in the Canonicall Scriptures; the futility, folly and falſity in the Apocrypha are too too manifeſt: and is there any man ſo ſtupid and blockiſh, to think that this age wherein we live, cannot diſtinguiſh or diſcerne gold from lead, without the Authority of the Fathers? There is a vaſter difference between the Apocrypha and the Canonicall Scriptures, then is between gold and lead. Every mans reaſon will tell him an apparant difference between braſſe and beanes. But if any be deſirous of Authority to diſtinguiſh them, will not Chriſts and the Apoſtles ſuffice? The very Papiſts that have not abjured all honeſty and goodneſſe, do freely acknowledge and confeſſe, that thoſe onelyonly are Canonicall Scriptures, which the Apoſtles did either write or approve of. But they did never approve of the Apocrypha. The Canonicall Scriptures of the old Teſtament, did in ſhadows and figures ſet forth that which the new Teſtament clearly ſpeaks. They did adumbrate, the new Teſtament expreſſeth in lively colours one and the ſame thing. They conſent one with another, and yeeld each other mutuall aid and help. Now the Apocrypha do neither foretell the new, nor are by their authority and approbation illuſtrated and declared. Chriſt commends Moſes, the Prophets, and the Pſalmes, as books without all exception, Luke 24. and grounds his doctrine upon them, but never honours nor graceth the Apocrypha with his commendations or witneſſe. How then can the Prelates without great contumely unto the ſacred Scriptures ſay they cannot be diſtinguiſhed and knowne from the Apocrypha but by the Fathers, eſpecially after the judgement of Chriſt himſelf is given and hath paſſed upon the Scriptures, for the authorizing of them to be the word and will of God? The Fathers as the learned acknowledge, were for their times many of them worthy of honour, but yet they were ſubject not to a few errors, and often agreed not with themſelves, and are ever at variance with others, and have been indeed the originall and cauſe of almoſt all the controverſies with which the Churches are now tormented. And therefore to conclude this point, the Defendant ſaith, that the Prelates are diſgracers and contemners of holy Scripture, when againſt ſo much light of reaſon and Divine authority, they ſay they cannot be diſtinguiſhed and knowne from the Apocrypha but by the Fathers. Neither is the third Theſis and Poſition freer from impudency and outrage againſt the Scriptures, then the two former. In that they p. 32ſay the meaning of the Scripture could not be knowne, but by the Fathers. For in this they doe as much as plainly affirme, there is an other way to heaven, then by the Scriptures: which, if it be not a contemning and diſgracing of holy Scripture, then there never was any. Nay, if it be not blaſphemy the Defendant knoweth not what blaſphemy is …and therefore all thoſe that deſire ſalvation and to go to heaven, muſt come to the Schoole of the Fathers, and not to the Doctrine of the Scriptures. And how then will the poor people doe, to be ſaved, that never knew what a Father was? Nay, how did all thoſe goe to heaven that dyed before the Fathers? For the Prelates ſay that the meaning of the Scripture cannot be knowen without the Fathers, and without the knowledge of the Scripture there is no ſalvation. It is moſt manifeſt by theſe expreſſions of the Prelates, that they with their untempered morter would put out the light of the Scriptures, and make them not onelyonly inferiour to all mens writings, but a very pack of Non-ſenſe, for whereſoever there is any ſenſe, there can ſomething be gathered out of it, eſpecially if it be ſo large a Booke. And howſoever there be many depths in Scripture, there is alſo great perſpicuity: ſo that according to the ancient ſaying, as an Elephant may ſwim, a lamb may wade there alſo. But if it ſhould be ſo as the Prelates ſay, that without the authority and interpretation of the Fathers, the meaning of them could not be known and found out: then the Defendant affirmeth, they ſhould be inferiour to all other writings, yea to every Letter and Epiſtle that men pen with underſtanding; for they ever carry their own ſenſe end meaning along with them, or to what end are they otherwiſe writ? If the letter that diſcoverd the gunpowder Treaſon had not had a match and light of underſtanding in it, that Popiſh plot had never been diſcovered, till by its cruell flames it had declared it ſelf, and by the funerall of the whole Kingdome had been made known, and left thoſe that ſurvived and lived in perpetuall mourning. If every Letter writing and book then that is penned with judgement carry its own ſenſe and meaning in it, and the books for which the Defendant is now queſtioned, and if all Proclamations, Letters and Edicts of Princes are eaſily to be underſtood, and carry their own interpretation with them ſo that none after their publication may pretend ignorance; dare any man be ſo bold and adaciou as to ſay that the Letters and Proclamations of the King of heaven an God of the whole world cannot be underſtood? when notwithſtanding p. 33David ſaith they give light and underſtanding to the ſimple, and that by reading and meditating in the Law and Teſtimonies of the Lord, he grew wiſer then his Teachers; and Paul, that Timothie knew the Scriptures from his youth, 2. Tim. chap. 3 verſe 13. and notwithſtanding all this, dare the Prelates affirme, that the meaning of this Scripture cannot be knowne without the interpretation of the Fathers? We have great cauſe to praiſe and bleſſe God that hath ſo graciouſly afforded us better Maſters to be taught by. It is good ever therefore to liſten unto them. Let us hear now then what the Prophets, Chriſt and his Apoſtles have taught us concerning this weighty matter, and of ſo great conſequence: and let us follow their example and inſtruction, which lead us into all truth: and not to liſten to the contemners of holy Scripture. They ſend thoſe that are ſtudious of the wayes to heaven, to the Law and to the Teſtimonies, Eſai. 8. to Moſes, the Prophets and the Scriptures, not to the Traditions of the Elders, and cuſtome of Antiquity. And they that bring any other doctrine are not to be liſtened unto, neither may we bid them God ſpeed. The Word of the Lord is the way, light and lanthorne to our Feet, which ſend forth ſufficiently the beames of truth, and ſhines ſo clearly of it ſelf as it may be both knowne, proved, expounded, and unfolden by its own brightneſſe. They do as it were lend luſtre unto the Sun from a ſmoaking ſnuffe, that from the miſt of the Fathers would bring light unto the Scriptures. God is the Authour of the Scriptures, who is the originall and fountaine of all light, and in whom there is no darkneſſe. For the Propheſie came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God ſpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt. 2. Peter chapter 1. verſe 21. We have alſo a more ſure word of Propheſie, ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, whereunto you doe well, that you take heed as unto a light that ſhineth in a darke place, verſe 19. So that the Scriptures were of purpoſe penned by holy men, inſpired by God himſelfe, for a direction and light to the Saints, to be guided by, and ſo they are termed by the holy Ghoſt. So that as Peter ſaid unto Chriſt in the ſixth of Iohn when he asked his twelve Diſciples, if they alſo would goe away, To whom ſhall we go, ſaith he? Thou haſt the Words of eternall life. Even ſo we may truly ſay, whither ſhall we goe for light and direction to get to heaven, but to the Holy Scriptures, for they have the Words p. 34of eternall life in them? and this ſaith Chriſt and his Apoſtles; and yet notwithſtanding all this excellent light, that ſhineth in the Scripture, the Prelates everre, they are but blinde guides, and preferre humane darkneſſe before the ſplendour of theſe ſacred Oracles the Scriptures, and ſay, without the interpretation of the Fathers they cannot be knowne; which is unſupportable blaſphemy; and as much as to tell the everliving God, and truth it ſelfe, he lies. It is moſt veritable, that they ſee not the light of the Scripture, the eyes of whoſe mindes are blinded; neither do they ſee the light of the Sun, whoſe eyes are plucked out. If our Goſpel be hid, ſaith Saint Paul, it is hid to them that are loſt, in whom the god of this world hath blinded their mindes, that is, in Infidels, leſt the light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt which is the image of God, ſhould ſhine upon them, 2 Corinth. chap. 4. verſe 3, 4. every one knoweth the voice of that man with whom he is acquainted, as ſoone as the ſound of it commeth to his eares: and ſhall we not know the voice of God ſo clearly and perſpicuouſly ſpeaking unto us in the Scriptures? Thoſe that are taught of God, know it, the true worſhippers of him know and underſtand it, thoſe that have any familiar commerce with heaven, and in heavenly things: But worldly men and thoſe that are given to the love of the ſame, and are careleſſe of heaven and happineſſe, they underſtand not the divine language, nor heavenly voice: Can any heare the voice of God, and not aſſent unto it without the aid and authority of the Fathers: What a contumely is this to holy Scripture! Shall God have leſſe authority and credit among men then the Fathers? Shall we not beleeve God ſpeaking unto us, and ſhall we beleeve the Fathers? Shall we not give credit to Gods Word, and ſhall we beleeve men? Let the diſhonour of ſo great a contumacie againſt God be farre from Chriſtian obedience! Truly, the Fathers being conſcious of their owne imbecility and weakneſſe, never thought themſelves worthy of ſo great dignity as to ſuppoſe that any honour came unto the Scriptures from their Interpretations and Expoſitions, who in their Writings frequently exhort their Readers not to liſten what they ſay, but what the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apoſtles ſpeake in them, and no farther to receive their authority and doctrine, then it is grounded upon the holy Scriptures, and expreſſions to this purpoſe, the Defendant ſaith, he could accumulate infinite out of the p. 35Fathers, which for brevity he omitteth, fearing to be over tedious, though it be a matter of greateſt importance.

Such was the modeſtie of the Fathers, fearing to be wiſe above that which was written, ever-making the holy Scripture the rule and meaſure to be guided by. And in this moderation the Fathers imitated Chriſt, the Prophets and Apoſtles, who ever fetch the proofe and teſtimony of their Doctrine from the Scriptures, and not as now the Prelates do, prepoſterouſly bringing authority to the Scriptures from the interpretation of the Fathers, according to their owne ſenſe. To the Law and to the Prophets, ſaith Eſay chapter 8. verſe 20. whoſoever ſpeaketh not according to that, hath no light in him. And Ioſua that great Commander, is injoyned by God to order and governe himſelfe and the people and the whole Common-wealth according to the rule of the Scripture, Ioſua chapter 1. verſe 7, 8. OnelyOnly be thou ſtrong, and very couragious, that thou mayeſt obſerve to do according to all the Law which Moſes my ſervant commanded thee, turne not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayeſt proſper whitherſoever thou goeſt. This Booke of the Law ſhall not go out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayeſt obſerve to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou ſhalt make thy way proſperous, and then thou ſhalt have good ſucceſſe. And in the 23. chapter, verſe 6. he ſaith: Be ye therefore very couragious to keepe and to do all that is written in the Booke of the Law of Moſes, that you turne not aſide therefrom, to the right hand nor to the left. And Chriſt himſelfe our great Maſter ſaith, Iohn 5. verſe 38. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye thinke to have eternall life, and they teſtifie of me. And in the third of the Acts, verſe 22, 23. Saint Peter brings all men unto Chriſt to be taught by him, not in ſomethings onelyonly, but that Prophet muſt be heard in all things, and no other in Gods matters muſt be liſtened unto, the words are theſe: For Moſes truly ſaid unto the Fathers, a Prophet ſhall the Lord your God raiſe up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me, him ſhall you heare in all things whatſoever he ſhall ſay unto you. And it ſhall come to paſſe, that every ſoule, which will not heare that Prophet, ſhall be deſtroyed from among the people. And in the 12. of Iohn, verſe 48. our Saviour ſaith: He p. 36that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my Words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have ſpake, the ſame ſhall judge him in the laſt day. And therefore doth it not ſtand with all good reaſon that we ſhould guide and ſquare our lives and actions by that word and rule onelyonly, by which we ſhall at the laſt day be judged? Paul in the 2. of the Rom. verſe 16. ſaith, That the ſecrets of mens hearts ſhall at that day be judged according to his Goſpel, and ſhall not all our doctrines yea and our whole Religion be ſquared and regulated by the ſame? all good reaſon would dictate ſo. They have Moſes and the Prophets ſaith Abraham, let them hear him, ſaith he, Luke 16. verſe. 29. We have Chriſt and his Apoſtles, we are onelyonly to heare them in all things, not the Fathers, not the traditions of the Elders, not the uſe and cuſtomes of former ages, if they diſſent from the holy Scriptures and written word of God. For the great doctor of his Church, telleth the Saduces, ſaying, Ye erre, not knowing the Scriptures, Matth. 12. verſe 24. and indeed from the ignorance of the Scriptures commeth all error, they that follow the Scripture for their guide, can never ſtray or ſtraggle from the right way, neither have they need to borrow the candle of the Fathers to be directed by, ſo long as the glorious Sun of the word ſhineth ſo clearly, and it was the eternall praiſe and commendations of the more Noble Bereans that they did dayly ſearch the Scriptures whether the things the Apoſtles taught, were ſo or no. Acts 17. verſe 11. and Paul is greatly honoured with this applauſe in the 26. of the Acts verſe 22. that he taught no other things, then thoſe which the Prophets and Moſes did ſay ſhould come to paſſe. And ſo Chriſt taught his Apoſtles, Luke 24. that all things ought to be fulfilled concerning him, which were writ in Moſes, the Prophets and the Pſalmes.

So that the Scriptures alone are the Foundation of all our religion; and to ſay that the meaning of the Scriptures cannot be known without the Fathers, is an unſufferable wickedneſſe done unto that holy booke, and an infinite contempt and diſgrace of it, to ſay it hath need of the aid of man to ſupport it; Chriſt vanquiſhed the Devill by the Scriptures Matth. 4. drove away the Saduces Matth. 22. and Saint Iames, by the Scriptures put an end unto the great controverſie of the Churches at Jeruſalem, and ſet the Churches of the Gentiles free for ever from all Ceremonies whatſoever, but thoſe God p. 37himſelfe had appointed, Acts 15. and onelyonly by the Scriptures did Paul reſolve all queſtions. So that according to Gods owne inſtruction and direction which muſt ever be obeyed and liſtened unto, the Scriptures onelyonly and ſolely muſt be the Judge, Law, Square and Rule of all our Religion, Words and actions. Not the authority of the Fathers, not the traditions of men, not the practice and cuſtome of the ancient, and the name of Antiquity. For they that ſhall preferre thoſe things before the Word of God, or at leaſt affirme that theſe holy Oracles & divine Records cannot be underſtood without the Fathers, do not onelyonly blaſphemouſly diſgrace and contemne the holy Scriptures, but neglect the great Prophet, whom we ought to heare in all things, ſo that liſtening unto the voice of men before the words of this great Prophet, and accuſing the Scriptures of obſcurity, and ſaying they are the refuge of all Schiſmatickes and Heretickes, is great impiety againſt God, and moſt injurious to the holy Scriptures. All which the Prelates being ſo highly guilty of, the Defendant will never be afraid to charge them with it, that they are diſgracers and contemners of holy Scripture: withall, that they are very ungratefull to the King their Maſter, and invaders of his Prerogative Royall; all which he ſhall make alſo evidently appeare to this honourable Court, and how unworthily, yea prophanely they have abuſed not onelyonly the King their now Soveraign, but his Moſt excellent Father of pious memory. And that they are invaders of his Prerogative it is moſt certaine, not onelyonly by the Statutes and Lawes of the Kingdome, but by this very information. For by the Lawes and Statutes ſpecified before with many others, it in ſolemnly inacted, That whatſoever Authority is here exerciſed under the King, in his Dominions, whether it be Spirituall or Temporall, whether by Archbiſhops, Biſhops or any other Eccleſiaſticall men, it is meerly in, by, and from the King, and ſo ought to be acknowledged; and that all juriſdictions, ſuperiorities, all priviledges and preeminencies ſpirituall and Eccleſicall, are annexed unto the Imperiall Crowne, and ſo to be acknowledged. And whoſoever doth not acknowledge, that all juriſdicton and Authority both Spirituall and Temporall is derived and doth flow immediately from the Kings Majeſtie as Supreme head under Chriſt in theſe Churches and in his Kingdomes, as the Statutes declare at large, is ipſo facto in a praemunire and under his Majeſties high p. 38diſpleaſure. For it is the Prerogative of Princes, and the priviledge that onelyonly agrees to Kings and Potentates to be abſolute in their Dominions, and that all other juriſdictions and ſuperiorityes exerciſed by any other in their Kingdoms, are derived from them, and that of themſelves they have none, but as from the Kings. So that it is arbitrary and in the Princes power to have or not to have ſuch juriſdictions and preeminencies under them: And that they may abdicate or annihilate them when they pleaſe. And whoſoever ſhall deny this, or claime any right of Government to themſelves in Princes Dominions jure Divino, are Delinquents againſt their Kings and Maſters: and by our Lawes and Statutes they are proclaimed enemies of the King and his Prerogative Royall, and that is true, the mouth of the Law hath ſpake it. And therefore the Defendants book cannot be called a Libell, without the Lawes firſt be proclaimed ſuch: for the Lawes ſay, That all ſuch perſons as ſhall challenge any Authority to themſelves in his Majeſties Dominions but from the King, are Delinquents againſt his Majeſtie, and invaders of his prerogative Royall, and his Highneſſes enemies, and ſo they are. Now that the Prelates are ſuch, they ſufficiently declared it in the cenſure of the Defendant. For he reading the Statutes at the Bar, they notwithſtanding affirmed, that they had not their Authority and juriſdiction from the King, but that Jeſus Chriſt made them Biſhops, and beſtowed their Authority upon them, and that they were jure Divino; and that they were before Chriſtian Kings, and held the Crownes of Kings upon their heads; for no Biſhop, no King, and all this in a publick Court of Judicature and in a moſt crouded aſſembly: So that it ſeemeth the King is beholding to them, and not they to his Majeſtie. And if this be not to invade the Prerogative, and to be enemies of it, and to be ungratefull unto his Highneſſe, the Defendant knoweth not what it is to be enemies of the prerogative. The Lawes ſay it; and therefore if the Defendant hath erred, the Lawes have brought him into this error. Neither did the Prelates own words at the Bar, onelyonly, declare their diſloyalty to the King, and their independency on him, but this very information which comes from the Prelates in the name of the Attorney Generall, ſufficiently demonſtrates it. For in it, the Defendant is accuſed as guilty of a great crime for writing againſt the Hierarchy, and preferring a Presbyterian parity before the Sacred Orders of Biſhops, Prieſts and Deacons. What the Defendant hath writ p. 39and the occaſion of it concerning the Presbytery, the honourable Court hath been informed in part, and withall, if ſo writing be libellous, and the Defendant have erred in it, the Holy Scripture is alſo libellous, which were impiety to thinke, and hath been the cauſe of it, from which he varied nothing at all in that diſcourſe: and further, the Defendant reſolveth to live and die in that error concerning the parity of Miniſters and Presbyters, which he is ready to prove and make good againſt all the hoſt of Prelates, Doctors, Proctors, Commiſſaries, Officials, and Surrogats this day living.

But the thing that the Defendant deſireth the honourable Court to take notice of, is, the contumacy of the Prelates: for they call their Hierarchy, and the Orders of their Biſhops, Prieſts and Deacons, Sacred: which, if it be granted, and ſo be indeed, then the Prelates are from God, and not from the King, of whom they have no dependence: For, ſpeaking of the King, we ſay, His Sacred Majeſty, becauſe God himſelf hath appointed him over us; for by me, ſaith God; Kings reigne: and all Authority is from God: and Kings are called Gods, ſo that Kings are Sacred Perſons. But that the Hierarchy ſhould be ſacred, and that there ſhould be a holy Principality of Paſtors and Miniſters, the prime and forman of which ſhould have the Keys of Heaven, Earth, and Hell, and that he ſhould diſpoſe of Kingdomes and Empires, and make the greateſt Potentates and Rulers his Subjects and Vaſſals, and ſhould have his domineering ſervants under him in all Common-wealths, and Princes Courts, to pry into their Royall proceedings, to their revenues, riches and treaſuries, to know their powers, their allyes and confederates, and be Counſellors of their moſt ſecret admiſſion, and ſhould have an authority and juriſdiction independent over their Subjects, and Lawes, and Canons of their own making to rule by, and by them to perſecute and undoe them at pleaſure, in the number of which are Cardinals, Patriarchs, Prime-mates, Metropolitans, Arch-Biſhops, Biſhops, Deanes, and innumerable ſuch like vermin, a member of which monſtrous body our Hierarchy is, the Defendant ſaith this is not knowne in Sacred Writ, nor never came from God, but rather from the Pope and the Devill, Diabolus cacavit illos. Yea the Word of God is abſolutely againſt it. And that our Arch-Biſhops, Prime-mates, and Metropolitans, are members of that body, let not onelyonly our Martyrs writings and ſpeeches, and Henry Stubbridge his exhortary Epiſtle, but even Maſons booke p. 40be looked into, concerning the Succeſſion of Biſhops, and it will be found. That he derives their Pedigree from Rome, and ſo doth Pocklington in his Sunday no Sabbath, wherein he ſaith, that our Prelates are lineally deſcended from Saint Peters Chaire at Rome, they being therefore a branch of that Synagogue and ſtanding by the ſame authority the Pope pretends to ſtand, which is, as they all challenge, jure Divino, they are enemies to the King, and invaders of his prerogative, and ſo they are juſtly guilty of all thoſe crimes they accuſe the Pope of, and as great enemies of God as he is, all which the Defendant hath ſufficiently proved in his Apology. For they challenge their Authority jure Divino, and ſay, That Jeſus Chriſt made them Biſhops, and the holy Ghoſt conſecrated them, and that they were before Kings, and held the Crownes of Kings upon their heads, and the Pope ſayes no more.

They call alſo their Hierarchy Sacred; The Pope doth no more; and for the erecting of this Sacred Hierarchy, Emperors and Kings muſt be thruſt down, and made vaſſals of, and all Kingdomes that are under their juriſdiction, made ſlaves to it, and all thoſe ſtinking ſlavelings that depend upon it, as the whole Chriſtian world by wofull experience dayly findeth. But this ſame tearme of Sacred Hierarchy, and Sacred orders of Prelates, ought here a little to be diſcuſſed.

That which is Sacred, is from God. But the Hierarchy is not from God. Ergo, it is not Sacred. For the minor it is evident that which God hath peremptorily forbid to his Miniſters and Servants, and is an enemy to, that is not of God and by his inſtitution: but he hath forbid Lordly dominion to all the Miniſters of the Goſpel, ſaying, The Princes of the Gentiles bear rule over them, but it ſhall not be ſo among you, you ſhall not Lord it over your Brethren: Ergo, the Hierarchy is not of God but of the Devill, that is the cauſe of all diſorder and ignorance. For God forbad his Apoſtles, and in them all Miniſters to be Lords over one another, and ſet his own example before them of ſervice, and commanded them to immitate him, and to be humble and meek, and told them plainly, That the office of Principality and dominion belonged unto Kings and Princes; and that their imployments conſiſted in their obedience to Kings, in praying for them, that they might live in all godly peace under them, and that they ſhould diligently feed the flock of Jeſus Chriſt, committed to their charge, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, p. 40as they love him, and will anſwere it at his laſt appearing; and this was all the buſineſſe that Chriſts miniſters and Servants were to be taken up in, they were not to be intangled with the things and affairs of this life, not to be incumbred with worldly matters, they have ſpeciall commands and preſidents to the contrary, and their charge and duty aſſigned unto them, from which ſtation they muſt not go, which is onelyonly to feed the flock with all care and diligence with the ſincere milke of the Word, to preach unto them day and night, and to goe before them in godly and holy example, and to neglect this, and to be taken up with domination, and overruling their brethren, and beating their fellow ſervants, is to be Rebels againſt Chriſt, and to uſurp that which belongeth not unto them, and which they ought not to meddle with: and therefore when the Prelates doe not onelyonly eate up and devour this forbidden fruit, but challenge a right unto it from God himſelfe, and ſay they have no depencie from the King, the Defendant maintaineth, that it is intollerable arrogancie againſt God and the King, and by which they are Delinquents in an elevated degree of contumacie againſt them both. What an horrible impudencie is this in the Prelates, or any Subject that vindicates their quarrell, that they dare call the Hierarchie ſacred, eſpecially, when they derive it from Rome? Whom King IAMES of Famous memory calls Babylon, and the Pope Antichriſt, and can any man thinke, that thoſe that are lineally deſcended from Babylon, and Antichriſt (that great enemy of Chriſt, his Kingdome and Members) can be Holy and Sacred?

Certainly, if the fountaine be not holy, the ſtreames cannot be holy; Yea King Iames is very large in that his Book to all Chriſtian Princes, in diſcovering the impiety of the Hierarchy of Rome, and proves the Pope to be that man of Sin, and all the Prelates of that Sea, to be the Frogs that came out of the bottomleſſe pit. For the Nature of Frogs (they being Amphibia) is to live upon the Earth, and in the water. Now King Iames ſaith, That the Prelates are the Frogs; for they ſeeme to be Church men and are ever medling in States affaires, creeping out of their ſtinking gutters, and are ſuch mighty buſie bodies in other mens matters, as they trouble all the Nations and Kingdoms where they dwell, and inſlave them all. So that if the Hierarchy be ſacred, and the Prelates be the chief members of it, then they are a p. 42generation of ſacred frogs, the holineſſe notwithſtanding of the which is ſuch as few mens impiety is greater or more dangerous to Church and State, and their uſurpation upon both authorities deſerving ſeverely to be puniſhed, eſpecially for that they ſo abuſe his ſacred Majeſties authority in oppreſſing his poore ſubjects, and trampling upon his Prerogative; ſo that to any eye of underſtanding it may ſufficiently appear by that the Defendant hath ſaid, that the Prelates are not only contemners and diſgracers of holy Scripture; but alſo invaders of the Kings Prerogative Royall, and enemies of his Imperiall Dignity.

It yet remaines to prove alſo, that they have farther diſhonoured the King their Maſter, and King James of famous memory, yea, our moſt holy Religion and Profeſſion, and all this in the Defendants Cenſure. For what any one of the Prelates did, all the other aſſented to, they being one Body, and it was the action of them all, though acted in the perſon of the Prelate of Canterbury, which was this, to magnifie the Church of Rome, and defend the purity of her Doctrine, affirming openly, that ſhe never erred in fundamentall points, and was a true Church; as much, as to proclaime the King and all his Subj cts Schiſmatickes and Heretickes, and that, by the mouth of the Prelate of Canterbury: which the Defendant ſaith, is not onelyonly injurious to the King their Maſter, but to King Iames of famous memory, his renowned Father, with whom for piety and learning all the Prelates together are not to be named the ſame yeare his Royall excrements are mentioned. King Iames that glorious and learned Prince in his Apologie to all Chriſtian Princes and States, proves the Pope of Rome to be Antichriſt, and the man of Sin, by many unanſwerable Arguments.

He proves likewiſe the Church of Rome to be the Whore of Babylon for her abominations; Spirituall Sodom for her filthineſſe and uncleanneſſe. Spirituall Egypt for her inſlaving the Saints and Servants of God, and all this he evinceth by irrefragable authority, and thus taught he the whole world, his Royall Son, and all his ſubjects; and perſwaded all Chriſtian Princes, to come out of Babylon, and to ſhake off the yoke of the Pope. And in this faith he lived and died. And this faith is King Charles his Son, and our gracious Soveraigne, now Defender of, and all this is Orthodox Doctrine, which our King did preach unto us, and our Royall King now profeſſeth; p. 43and which all his Loyall Subjects to God and his Majeſtie will ſeale with their blouds. This heroicall King notwithſtanding, and his divine Doctrine is ſtamped under foot by the Prelates, to the infinite diſhonour of our moſt pious and element Prince, the eternall diſgrace of his moſt incomparable Father, and the diſcredit indeed of the whole Church and Kingdome, if not indangering the ſame: to the great hardening of the Papiſts in their Hereticall wayes, and the perverting of the Kings moſt loyall Subjects, and teaching the Papiſts to rebell. And to all this the dignity and glory of the Scripture is offuſcated by their ſable mouthes. So that, what can any man either ſay or thinke, of this progenie of Prelates, whoſe contumacie and rebellion reacheth to the very clouds, and what can men thinke of this degenerating off-ſpring of this age? The one, that they dare againſt God and the King openly breathe out their blaſphemies, and call evill good, and good evil. The other, that they ſhould out of cowardiſe ſuffer their Royall King, and his moſt excellent Father, to be abuſed.

But this Defendant hopeth, that this honourable Court like that noble Nehemiah with other true-hearted loyall Subjects, remaining about the King, will now at laſt informe his Majeſtie of the intolerable inſolence of the Prelates, of which he beleeveth they were formerly ignorant, or not ſo well acquainted, and ſeeke by his authority for redreſſe, againſt their impudencie. As for this Defendant for his part, he is reſolved, though left alone, ever to ſay, LET THE KING LIVE FOR EVER. And although he ſhould ſuffer a thouſand torments from the Prelates, living and dying, he will ever cry, LET THE KING LIVE FOR EVER. And let the name of his learned and tranſcendent Father live to perpetuity. And let the enemies of the King and the Goſpel periſh. Neither will he ever ſuffer, to the uttermoſt of his power, That either the Kings honour, or the dignity of his moſt illuſtrious Father, or the glory of our moſt holy Profeſſion, or the honour of the holy Scriptures, ſhall be contaminated, or Babylon or ſuperſtition advanced in his Dominions, and cruelty and injuſtice exerciſed by the Prelates over his poor Subjects, and hold his peace.

All which evidently appeare in the daily proceedings of the Prelates in their High Commiſſion; and from their ſpeech hourely there, and their practiſes through the whole Kingdome. Some p. 44of which he deſireth in order to prove, that the honourable Court may be the fuller informed that he hath not cauſleſly in his Apologie laid any crime unto their charge, which they are not guilty of.

And now to proceed to the other things, the Defendant is charged with, viz. that he taxeth the High Commiſſion Court of cruelty, injuſtice, want of wiſdome and temperance, and that they are perſwaders of his Majeſtie to bloud-ſhed, and are the upholders of idolatry, ſuperſtition and profaneneſſe; that he ſcandalouſly defameth the witneſſes produced againſt him, and that he hath cauſleſly and boldly inveighed againſt the Oath ex officio, and other the ancient formes of proceedings of the High Commiſſion Court. To all theſe the Defendant anſwereth as they lie. And firſt, whereas the Defendant chargeth them, with cruelty, injuſtice, want of wiſdome and temperance, he conceiveth he hath very good reaſon for that his charge, both in reſpect of himſelfe and others, and in regard both of the ſoules and bodies and eſtates of men; all which they captive, enſlave, or diſſipate and ſcatter at pleaſure, and in as much as in them lies, ſeeke the ruine of.

To ſay nothing of their dayly practices, who condemne men without either exhibiting Articles, producing of witneſſes, or any legall proceedings againſt them, as if a man ſhould be hanged without evidence given, or indictment framed, which is the height of injuſtice: the Defendant ſaith, that their very proceedings againſt himſelfe, ſufficiently ſhew their cruelty, injuſtice, want of wiſdome and temperance, and their very ſpeeches apparantly prove all theſe things. Neither is there ſuch a preſident of wrong and cruelty in the whole world, that any man, of what ranke, order or degree ſoever he be, that ſhall write a Booke in defence of that Religion that is eſtabliſhed by publicke authority, for the honour of the King, and in defence of his Prerogative, againſt a common enemy, that for this indeavour of his ſhould be ruined, he, his wife and children caſt into priſon, deprived firſt of all poſſibility of livelihood, railed upon, and reviled publickly, and after all this given to the devill, and that onelyonly for writing a booke which had nothing in it but Scripture, and in the which the Defendant thought they meant him; and that they ſhould ſtill proſecute him, and ſeeke his eares and the defacing of him, which they threaten. Such a Preſident of wrong and cruelty, the Defendant p. 45ſaith, cannot be produced in toto Macrocoſmo, and therefore the Defendant in reſpect of his own particular, juſtly chargeth them with cruelty injuſtice and intemperance. And in reſpect of all other honeſt men, that come under their juriſdiction, the ſame may be ſaid and proved by thouſands, whether one reſpect their ſouls, bodies, or goods, for they uſe cruelty in regard of all, ſparing neither age nor ſex, poor or rich, young or old, bond or free: but upon every triviall occaſion, or for the meane t neglect of any of their idleſt and impious Ceremonies, or for any miſpriſion, it is enough to have him hoiſted into the High Commiſſion Court, and brought from the remoteſt parts of the kingdom, to the utter undoing of them and their families, when as the greateſt breach of any of the Commandments of the firſt table, is not once thought of.

And in the bringing of them into troubles, they deal with thoſe poor men, as they do with bears and buls at Paris Garden: they firſt, by violence, and their officers to their mighty expences, hale them into their Courts, and then with bands of two or three hundred pounds, they tie them to their ſtakes, and bait them three or four years together, with all maner of contumelies and reproaches, vexations, expences, calamities and torments; till they have wearied them to death, and made their lives tedious unto them, and after all this, they fling them into one jaile or other, deſtitute of friends and moneys. And as if this were not enough, even as the perſecuters of the Martyrs in the Primitive times, as Hiſtories relate, dealt with the Saints, when they brought them to the ſlaughter, they were wont to clothe them with the skins and hides of wilde beaſts, that ſo they might make them the more formidable, and the better animate their dogs and curs againſt them to teare them in pieces.

In like manner do the Prelates and their complices in theſe our times deale with poore honeſt Chriſtians and the true and faithfull ſervants of the Lord, and the Kings moſt loyall Subjects, they make them monſtrous, ugly and deformed unto all men, King and Nobles, by their Relations and Informations they clothe them with: ſaying of them, That they are maligners and enemies of Governement, troublers of Church and State, Seducers of the Kings Subjects, making them diſloyall unto their Prince, ſtirrers up of ſedition and faction, and a thouſand ſuch crimes, ſetting all the people againſt them, & in their open Courts have their Orators to blanch over p. 46their defamatory falſe accuſations, charging them with foule crimes, the thought of which never came into their heads; as this preſent information may witneſſe. Yea in the very Court Sermons they incenſe the King and Nobles daily againſt thoſe, they brand with the name of Puritans and Sectaries, which all this honourable Aſſembly can witnes, and the Defendant hath heard many Court Sermons with his own ears in the time of his liberty, but never heard one where the Puritans as they terme them, were not brought up in the pulpit and moſt ſhamefully and unchriſtianly traduced, as thoſe that oppoſed the Kings proceedings, and ſuch as maligne his government and trouble the peace of Church and State, and humbly beſought his Majeſtie that ſome ſevere courſe might be ſought and taken againſt them.

Theſe and ſuch like ſprincklings of their brotherly Rhetorick the Defendant himſelf hath often heard, neither can this honourable Court be ignorant of the truth of this. And what is all this but great cruelty and injuſtice to abuſe thus their brethren by malicious and falſe accuſations, to the incenſing of their Gracious King and Soveraign againſt them; when they are moſt innocent and harmleſſe, deſiring nothing more then the life, ſafety, proſperity and happineſſe of his Majeſtie and of his Royall Progeny and his flouriſhing raigne, and would loſe ten thouſand lives if they had them for the honour of his Crowne and dignity? for they deſire nothing more then to be found loyall; neither do they ſeek any thing more then the peace and welfare of the Church, and the good of this Common-wealth. And therefore if there be any this is cruelty and injuſtice in a high degree, to deale thus mercileſly with their too too much already afflicted brethren, of whom they are ever making ſiniſter relations to King, Councell and State, to the depriving of them many times of their liberty, livelyhoods and ſtates, to the making of them and theirs ever miſerable, and all this alſo they do in their Courts every day, defaming them as enemies of government and enemies of the Church, and caſting them into priſon with great Fines on their backs. And this is the cruelty they daily uſe in reſpect of their bodies, lives and eſtates. But yet their cruelty is greater in reſpect of their ſoules, for they have through the Kingdome of England and Wales taken away almoſt all their glorious painfull Miniſters, and thoſe that with moſt diligence taught the people, and ſent droanes and loyterers amongſt them, dumbe dogs, that cannot barke: and is not p. 47this great cruelty to the poor Souls of men to deprive them of the food of life and to ſtarve them?

See what Paul ſaith to Barieſus the Sorcerer in the 13. of the Acts, when Sergius Paulus the Deputy of the Country a Prudent man, called for Barnabas and Saul, and deſired to heare the word of God, it is ſaid, that Elemas the Sorcerer withſtood them, ſeeking to turne away the Deputy from the faith, to whom Saul filled with the holy Ghoſt, fetting his eyes on him, ſaid: O full of all ſubtilty and all miſchiefe! thou childe of the devill, thou enemy of all righteouſneſſe, wilt thou not ceaſe to pervent the right wayes of the Lord? Thoſe then that take away the meanes of Salvation, and hinder others from the hearing of the word, they are moſt cruell unto them, hindering of them of ſalvation it ſelfe, and ſuch are the children of the devil, the enemies of all righteouſneſſe, and perverters of the wayes of the Lord, the holy Ghoſt hath ſpake it, and Chriſt himſelfe ſaith Matth. 23. and the 13. Wo unto you Scribes and Phariſees hypocrites, for ye ſhut up the Kingdom of heaven againſt men: for you neither go in your ſelves, neither ſuffer you them that are entring, to go in. And in Luke the 11. and verſe the 52. he ſaith, Wo unto you Lawyers: for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye enter not in your ſelves, and them that were entring you hindred. Chriſt himſelfe pronounces woe here, to all ſuch Soule murtherers as take away the key of knowledge from the people, and ſhut up the Kingdome of heaven againſt them, which is the greateſt cruelty that can be exerciſed over miſerable men: and yet this is the daily occupation of the Prelates, of which the whole kingdome can witneſſe, how that they have made moſt places deſolate, depriving them of the bread of life, the preaching of the Goſpell, and taking away the key of knowledge from them, and in ſtead of true nouriſhing food, they give them the huskes of Ceremonies, and vaine traditions, and idle ſuperſtitious obſervations. Neither do they onelyonly extinguiſh and put out all their ſhining lights, but they ſeverely puniſh thoſe that ſeek it, or go after it where it is; ſo that, if one do but go out of his own pariſh, where he hath no preaching, and where perhaps there hath not been a Sermon ſeven yeares together, as there are many ſuch pariſhes in this Kingdome, he is forthwith hailed into their Courts and tormented to death, and is not this horrible cruelty? yea, if one neighbour do but go to another, and that but to hear a Sermon repeated, when he dare not p. 48goe out of his owne pariſh, he is immediately hailed into their Courts as a keeper of Conventicles, and miſerably there tormented: and is not this alſo great cruelty? Eſpecially when any of their lewd pariſhioners may goe from year to year out of their own pariſhes a drinking and quaffing, and that on the Lords day and holy dayes as they call them, and have their meetings in troopes and great aſſemblies in drinking Schooles, tippling there to the great diſhonour of God, and many times to the great miſchiefe of others, and the prepetrating of many ſinnes, and all ſuch though they never heare Service neither divine or humane, finde favour in their Courts, and ſerve for witneſſes againſt the generation of the juſt and thoſe that fear God, and they are eſteemed good Sons of the Church, though in all other things they be alſo never ſo impious.

Neither is there any law againſt thoſe children of Beliall: neither can any man deny this that knoweth any thing, for the defenders of ſuch fellowes and tormentors of the moſt godly. And if this be not alſo inſufferable tyranny and cruelty let every reaſonable man judge. In this information his moſt excellent Majeſtie is truely and deſervedly commended, that he is an enemy to Popery and all innovation of religion, as his Highneſſe hath often declared himſelfe, and that he doth daily frequent the Church and is diligent in hearing of Sermons. And this moſt eminent piety in our noble King and Soveraign, we his loyall though poore Subjects, heartily rejoyce at, deſiring the Lord of heaven ſtill to enflame his Royall heart with a zeale for the glory of God and the propagation of the Goſpel, and to continue in him an increaſe a love unto his holy word.

Now, all men know, that Kings examples have been ever the paterne for their Subjects, and it is the duty of all good Citizens and Subjects to imitate their King in all wel doing, and men uſe commonly to ſay: Regis ad exemplum, the Kings example is ever to be followed, and it is his royall hearts deſire, that his Subjects ſhould imitate him in that his piety. Now what a great and unexpreſſible cruelty is this in the Prelates towards the poore people and how great a diſhonour is done to the King in it, that they will not let his Subjects be good; for it is good in the King and highly commendable before God and men to hear the Word of God often preached, and to be diligent in the hearing of Sermons, or elſe the Informers would not have ſet it down as ſo ſingular a p. 49vertue in our Royall King: and yet they puniſh this good in his Subjects, and it is a cauſe of the utter undoing of many of them if they goe to Sermons, and when they are found to be diligent at the hearing of the Word, and the going to a Sermon into the next Pariſh when they have none in their owne, is matter ſufficient to mount them up in the High Commiſſion, which is none of the ſmalleſt cruelties that holy and pious men groane under, to the infinite diſhonour of God and the King, and the needleſſe vexation and moleſtation of his dutifulleſt Subjects, who deſire to follow in that their godly Princes example. In Saint Iohn Baptiſts time, it is ſaid, That Jeruſalem, and Judea, and the Region round about, came all to heare him, running after Sermons, and ſo they did after Chriſt: And it ſtands recorded in ſacred Writ to their eternall honour, and for our imitation. For all the Saints godly examples are ſet downe for us to imitate, and we never read that any were by the very enemies of the Goſpel in thoſe dayes, the Scribes, Phariſees, and high Prieſts, moleſted or troubled for the ſame; and it is ſaid of them, that they tooke the Kingdome of heaven with a kinde of holy violence, and their diligence in hearing the Word is related and told of them as a thing very honourable and praiſe worthy; and ſo it is very well related in the Information of our gracious King to his immortall honour and great praiſe, and ſo it is and ever to be honoured in his Majeſtie, and his example in this to be followed of all his obedient Subjects. And is it not a tranſcendent cruelty then in the Prelates, that poore Chriſtians in our age may neither obey the Commandement of God, who injoyneth us to heare in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, nor imitate the Saints of old in their pious indeavours in building up themſelves in their moſt holy faith, nor follow the good paternes of their Kings and Governours, but they muſt be ſeverely puniſhed for it, yea undone & traduced for it as evill doers? If this be not great cruelty and tyranny it ſelfe in the Prelates, there was never none: for they rob them of heaven and earth, and all other comforts in as much as in them lieth. Nay, which is yet more, to ſhew their cruelty, injuſtice & unrighteous dealing: the Prelates in the Baptiſme of infants conſtrain the Godfathers and Godmothers there ſolemnly to promiſe that they will call upon them that are baptized when they come to years of diſcretion often to hear Sermons, and to this duty are alſo the baptized tied.

p. 50Now, when they are come to yeares of underſtanding, and in obedience of their promiſe they made by their God-Fathers and God-mothers, and perhaps being ſtirred up alſo by their exhortation to this good duty of hearing the Word, if they goe out to heare Sermons when they have none in their owne Pariſhes, they are firſt puniſhed in their purſes and liberties, and then given to the Devill for this good worke, which they notwithſtanding have tied them to by ſpeciall promiſe in their Baptiſme, and if all this be not unſpeakable cruelty, tyrannie and injuſtice, there was never none in the world, and yet this is the dayly practice of the Prelates thorow the Kingdome, as all men know. And which is yet more to be obſerved, in the ſame Sacrament of Baptiſme children promiſe there by their God-Fathers and God-mothers, or they doe it for the children to be Baptized; that they will forſake the Devill and all his workes, the pompes and vanities of this wicked world, and are there ſigned with the ſigne of the Croſſe, that innocent Ceremonie, as they call it, that he ſhall continue Chriſts faithfull Souldier, and fight under his Banner all the dayes of his life, againſt the World, the Fleſh, and the Devill, by the which promiſe he is bound to the utmoſt of his power alwayes to oppoſe all errours, wickedneſſe, and prophaneneſſe. Now if any in conſcience of his promiſe either ſpeake or write in defence of the truth, as it ought to be defended, or if he doe but put in practice that which he hath promiſed, in oppoſing of Errour, Superſtition, Prophaneneſſe, Idolatrie, or the iniquities of the times, the Prelates ſeverely puniſh them for it, as their dayly proceedings witneſſe, and if this be not a daring cruelty alſo, and great injuſtice, there is none exerciſed upon the earth: for what is injuſtice and cruelty, if puniſhing of men for doing their duty, and keeping their promiſe, and performing that which the Prelates themſelves have tied them to by ſpeciall promiſe, be not?

They teach all Chriſtians in another Ceremonie of ſtanding up at the Goſpel, and at Gloria Patri, and at the Creed, to ſhew their readineſſe and promptitude in fighting for the faith of Jeſus, and their holy Religion againſt Hereſie, Poperie, and all Innovations, all which, our Gracious King declares himſelfe, that hee will never allow of or ſuffer, and the neglect of this Ceremonie will p. 51coſt a man an undoing. Now if any, being taught by this Ceremonie, come forth to the combat, and but oppoſe themſelves againſt Popery, Errours, or Innovations, in defence of the Faith, and the honour of their King, they are puniſhed moſt ſeverely for it by the Prelates, both in the high Commiſſion and other Courts, and Bils, and Informations, and Articles are exhibited, and made againſt them, as evill doers and troublers of the State, and all for doing that they teach them by their Ceremonies, and binde them by promiſes and oath to do, which is Hyperbolicall tyrannie; injuſtice and cruelty in thoſe reverend Fathers. It ſeemes they would have Chriſtians like Saint George a horſebacke, ever mounted, but never moving, and if they doe chance to ſtirre, or dare be ſo bold as to move, they immediately are caſt downe and breake either their eares, or their noſes, or their foreheads, and it may be they are alſo whipped to the bargaine for being ſo bold, ſome miſchiefe for the moſt part followes their endeavours, and that for doing their duty, and that which they were taught by Ceremonies: and is not this arrogant tyrannie, cruelty and injuſtice in the Prelates, to puniſh, and that ſeverely, both the neglect, and the doing alſo of their duty, and that they are injoyned to doe? Without all doubt there is no ſuch cruelty in the world as is dayly practiſed by the Prelates, and in their Courts, of the which there might mightie Volumes be made, but the Defendant hath inſtanced in theſe few things onelyonly, becauſe they are knowne to moſt men, and obvious every day, and the Defendants condition, and his cauſe, can ſufficiently witneſſe their unrighteous dealings, and that in divers reſpects; for they dealt with him againſt the very light and law of nature, and as they would not be done by, to make him accuſe himſelfe, to admit his ſworne and capitall enemies, and which firſt informed them againſt him out of meere malice, as was proved by many, to be proſecutors and witneſſes againſt him; yea to ſpeake as it is, that the Prelates themſelves ſhould be Accuſers Parties, Witneſſes, Jury and Judge in their owne Cauſe, as they were: this, the Defendant ſaith, is unrighteous dealing, to which may be added the defending of the Popes quarrell, to condemne him for one thing, and putting thoſe things likewiſe in the Records of the Court, for which by the whole Court he was freed p. 50duplicate page p. 51duplicate page p. 52from. As for example, the Defendant was condemned onelyonly for his book, now in the order of the Court or Sentence, it is put in, that he was condemned for the other things alſo which howſoever they were in themſelves very ridiculous, yet it is great injuſtice to ſuperadde them, and ſo to deal with him. Neither is that a ſmall part of injuſtice to puniſh and condemne the innocent and juſtifie the wicked, both which are an abomination to the Lord.

Now they condemned the Defendant for writing againſt the Pope, and adjudged his Booke to be burnt, and juſtified his adverſaries, and Cho…ny who writ in defence of the Church of Rome; and it is their dayly practice to condemne bookes that are writ for the Honour of Religion, accuſing them to be factious pamphlets: but Bookes that are writ for the advancement of Popery and Superſtition, and in defence of the Pontificalitie of Prelates and the magnification of the Church of Rome, to the trampling downe of Regall Au hority, and for the murdering and killing of Kings, for the bringing in of Innovations into a Kingdome and for ſuppreſſing of true Religion, many of which are not to be named, of theſe Bookes a man may buy ſhipfulls of them in Pauls Church yard, all which tend to the ruine of the Kingdome, and perverting of Religion, and the ſeducing of the Kings good Subjects. And all other Bookes of Arminians, Soſinians, and a thouſand ſuch blaſphemous treatiſes are bought and ſold publikely in every Stationers ſhop, with the Prelates very good liking. And the greateſt enemies of the truth, ſuch as Bellarmine, Baronius, Tyrrian, Cajetan, are not onelyonly publickly vented but are before the King, and in the Univerſities, and indeed in every Pulpit magnified with glorious titles, as the learned Cardinal, incomparable Bellarmine, thoſe grand impoſtors and perverters of the wayes of God, and ſuch as have abuſed King JAMES of Famous memory, and blaſphemouſly defamed our moſt Holy Religion; All theſe Authours and many more with their Bookes, the Defendant ſaith, are daily approved of, and commended by the Prelates, and ſuch as extoll the Church of Rome patronized by them and maintained. And what is it then to advance Popery, if all theſe doings of the Prelates be not? and what is it to favour prophaneſſe and irreligion, if the puniſhing and ſilencing of thoſe that write and ſpeake againſt the iniquity of the times, p. 53be not? let all men judge of this with ſerious reaſon, and they will ſoon perceive, that in this accuſation of the Prelates, the Defendant hath no way wronged them. And for their intemperance and want of wit, it is notoriouſly alſo known who raile moſt ſhamefully and unhumanely upon all honeſt men that come before them, as their very ſpeeches in their cenſure may witneſſe. Judges of old were wont to give Sentence in leſſe matters being full of compaſſion, with teares in their eyes; neither do we read of any Judges ſince Chriſts time but of Ananias the High Prieſt, and Feſtus the Governour that they ever did revile thoſe that were brought before them, or give them any ill language. And the one was a Jew, and the other a Heathen, both enemies of Chriſt and Chriſtians. But for Chriſtian Judges and them Spirituall ones, for ſuch contumeliouſly to abuſe their brethren, as they did the Defendant, and daily doe others, and to give them over to the Devill and to perpetuall chaines for every triviall thing, yea even for a miſpriſion or a very ſurmiſe, and to make a man an offender for a word, and to ruine them, their wives, and children for ſuch things, and that with ſcoffes, reproaches, tants and mocks, this the Defendant affirmeth, in the Prelates, is both cruelty, injuſtice, intemperance, and want of wiſdome, and ſo he nothing doubteth but this honourable Court and all rationall men will judge.

Neither doth his gracious Majeſtie or this honourable Court as he truly beleeveth, know, how they abuſe his poor Subjects; neither will God take this well at their hands, for it no way beſeemeth thoſe that would be thought the Fathers of the Church ſo to do. For if we look upon Timothy and Titus whoſe ſucceſſors they would be thought to be, and the rules that they followed and were guided by, we ſhall finde a vaſt difference between them. Saint Paul in his ſecond epiſtle to Timothy chapter 2. telleth him, That the ſervant of the Lord muſt not ſtrive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekneſſe, inſtructing thoſe that oppoſe themſelves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth, &c. And in another place, the ſame Apoſtle ſaith, A Biſhop muſt be patient and no brawler. Now when the Prelates ſo exorbitantly behave themſelves, trampling all Apoſtolicall Canons under their feet and ſo baſly revile the good ſubjects of the King & their brethren, trampling alſo the ſacred ſcriptures under their feet, & hat with as great contempt as p. 54the Papiſts themſelves doe, advancing Popery every way, and the Defenders of it, can any deny that theſe are intemperate, imprudent, unjuſt men, and furtherers and upholders of Popery? and whereas the Defendant is charged in the information, That he accuſeth the Prelates as upholders of Idolatry ſuperſtition and prophaneſſe, and that he defameth the witneſſes brought againſt him, and hath cauſleſly and boldly inveighed againſt the oath Ex officio.

The Defendant humbly intreateth the honourable Court that with patience they would hear his anſwer to theſe things, and then he will come to the laſt thing that concerneth him, the Letany, and the occaſion of the writing of it. What he himſelf hath done, he is ever reſolved to ſeale with his beſt blood, and to juſtifie and make good whatſoever he ſhall accuſe the Prelates of. Amongſt the which he acknowledgeth, that he chargeth them to be advancers of Popery, idolatrie, ſuperſtition and prophaneſſe. And ſo they are, as hath been already ſufficiently evinced, and by that which followeth ſhall yet more illuſtriouſly appear. For what is it to advance Popery and idolatry if that the Prelates daily do it not? without, men will think that Popery onelyonly, that advanceth the Popes Supremacy, and they Proteſtants onelyonly, that go no farther in oppoſing that Hereticall religion, when that is among many Divines counted one of the leaſt controverſies in Theology between Papiſts and us true Catholicks. Greater matters I woſſe, hundreds are there between us. And howſoever the King, bleſſed be God, and his predeceſſors by the blood of their Subjects and the ſacrificing of themſelves, have ſhaken off the yoake of the Pope: yet his poor Subjects are under many Popes which deal worſe with them then ever Popes did to Kings in the midſt of their ſwellingſt pride and arrogancy, yea every pariſh Prieſt and baſe fellow that is but a Prelates Servant, can ruine and undo the honeſteſt man upon any information; So that for the Subjects condition it is worſe, and they are in a far more deplorable predicament then they were in under the Pope, by this change; for now they have neither their conſciences, their liberties, their purſes, their bodies, their limbs or lives in any ſecurity but as the Prelates and their creatures pleaſe are deprived of all, who ſeek continually for their blood and ſtarve many of them in priſons, and expoſe them to infinite miſeries and calamityes, ſo that they are as ſheep to the ſlaughter, ſlain all the day long. And of their deadly crueltie againſt thoſe that fear p. 55God the whole Kingdome can witneſſe, and how that they make the… every where moſt odious. But now to the matter the Defendant chargeth the Prelates with, viz. that they are advancers of Idolatry who can doubt of it, that knoweth the very rudiments of Divinity or i… the leaſt meaſure hath been acquainted with the Lawes of God? For as God onelyonly is and muſt be the object of all Divine worſhip, as the firſt commandment teacheth, for him onelyonly we are to ſerue Matth. 4. as Chriſt alſo commandeth, and to worſhip any other or to truſt in any thing elſe is i…olatry in a high degree: for we muſt love him with all our hearts and all our Soules and truſt onelyonly in him. So likewiſe for the manner of his worſhip that muſt alſo be as he commandeth, not as we vainely conceive. For he hath ſaid, Thou ſhalt not make to thy ſelf any graven image, or the likeneſſe of any thing in Heaven above, or in the earth beneath, thou ſhalt not bow down to it or worſhip it. By which precept for the very manner of his worſhip it is not left to our diſpoſing, that we ſhould after our inventions ſerve him. Neither is he to be ſerved any other way, or by any other means then he hath in his Word preſcribed, which is a large commentary upon that text; So that no man that hath eyes can pretend any longer that he ſeeth not the truth. And among all learned and Orthodox Divines this is accorded and aſſented unto. That thoſe, that by their own inventions, as by Images, Crucifixes, Altars, Ceremonies, or Syllables and letters, or whatſoever other meanes ſerve him, without expreſſe command from God go about to worſhip him, are Idolaters; and ſuch worſhip is idolatry; and of this kinde of ſervice and adoration are the Samaritans guilty, of whom it is ſaid, that they worſhipped the true God, and ſo they did in many things, according to the Law of Moſes and had Circumciſion and the Paſſeover, and looked for the Meſſias to come. But becauſe they added their own inventions to that worſhip, and brought in their own devices with it, and ſet up a will worſhip, therefore they were eſteemed the enemies of God and proclaimed idolaters. Ye worſhip ſaith Chriſt you know not what. So that they that according to their own pretences and inventions ſerve God, worſhip they know not what, and therefore are idolaters, and all ſuch Divine worſhip as is not preſcribed by God ſuch ſervice is idolatry, Of which kinde and nature is altar-worſhip, crucifix-worſhip, table-worſhip, place-worſhip, ceremony-worſhip, bread-worſhip, Syllable-worſhip and all p. 56ſuch like-worſhip, and indeed all will-worſhip, and whether or no the Prelates be not advancers of Altars, and Crucifixes, and place-worſhip, ceremony and bread-worſhip, and ſuch traſh, let all the Kingdome judge: And all theſe are Popery, ſaving the worſhipping of altars: for the Defendant yet never ſaw the Papiſts ſo baſly idolatrous as to worſhip a naked altar: indeed, where there is a Crucifix upon an altar, they bow, but never to the altar or table alone, as he is moſt confident the Papiſts themſelves wil acknowledge, & therefore ſo groſſe the Prelats are in their Popiſh performances, that they exceed them in idolatry. And ſo it is, that thoſe that are moſt vainly ſuperſtitious amongſt them, they are in the readieſt way to preferment, and others of a contrary minde, moſt contemned and vilipended, which ſheweth ſufficiently what favourers of Popery the Prelates are. Yea, for all manner of Popery, they affect it, and defend it, and maintaine it, and the Authours and Abetters of it.

And as to all other the reſidue of the offences, and miſdemeanours, complained of in the ſaid Information, and examinable in this Honourable Court, this Defendant ſaith, that he is not guilty of them, or any of them, in manner and form, as by the ſaid Information is ſuppoſed. All which matters this Defendant is ready to averre and prove as this Honourable Court ſhall award. And humbly prayeth to be diſmiſſed out of the ſame with his coſts and charges againſt the Prelates, by vexation in this and his former ſuit in the High Commiſſion moſt wrongfully ſuſtained.

FJNJS.

End of the text · John Bastwick, Demonstration that All Malignants are Enemies to God (1643)