Episcopacy by Divine Right Asserted, Title page – Dedication
EPISCOPACIE BY Divine Right.
ASSERTED, BY JOS. HALL, B. of Exon.
IN DOMINO CONFI …
LONDON, Printed by R.B. for Nathanael Butter, at the Pide-Bull by S. Auguſtine's Gate. 1640.
TO THE KINGS Moſt Excellent Majeſtie, our moſt Gracious Soveraigne Lord, CHARLES, By the Grace of GOD, of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
May it pleaſe your Majeſtie.
WHen, about a year agoe, I preſumed to tender to your Royall hands ſome few ſhort Propoſitions concerning Church-Government, I little thought, that either the publike, or my own Dioeceſan Occaſions would have called on me for ſo large and ſpeedy a purſuance of them, as now I am invited unto. Epiſcopacie ſince that time hath ſuffered in the north, even to the height of patience; and I have met with ſome affronts within my owne Iuriſdiction: All evils (eſpecially thoſe of Schiſm…) … (as the pl…g…) … …ing, and doe much miſchiefe, both in their act, and the ſpreading; It was therefore time for me to bend my beſt indeavours both to the remedy of what had happened in mine owne Dioeceſſe, and prevention of what future miſchiefe might enſue. And long I ſate downe, and waited for the undertaking of ſome abler pen; but ſeeing ſuch a ſilence in ſo needfull a ſubject, as one that might not be too long wanting either to the vindication of the common cauſe, or the ſafety of my owne charge, I have thus boldly ruſhed forth into the Preſse.
I cannot be ſo weakly inconſiderate, as to think that I could put my finger into this fire, and not be ſcorched; I doe well know, never any man toucht upon this quarrell, who was not branded with the deepeſt cenſure; Yet I do willingly ſacrifice my ſelf herein to God and his Truth.
I confeſſe my heart burnes within mee to ſee a righteous cauſe thus martyred through unjuſt prejudice, and to ſee ſome honest and well-minded Christians miſled into a palpable error under the pretence of zeale and piety, by the meere names of two or three late Authors, not more learned and godly, than (in this point) groſsely miſtaken.
If your Majeſties great Cares of State could part with ſo much leiſure as to peruſe this ſhort, but faithfull relation of the first ground, and originall of this unhappie diviſion in the Church, it might pleaſe your Majeſtie to be informed, that when Petrus Balma, the laſt Biſhop of Geneva was by his mutining Citizens frighted, and driven out of his place, and that Church was now left headleſſe: Farell, and Viret, two zealous Preachers there, deviſed, and ſet up a new platforme of Church-Government never before heard of in the Christian World; Themſelves would ſupply the Biſhop; and certaine Burgeſſes of the City ſhould ſupply his aſsiſtant Clergie; and both theſe together would make up the body of an Eccleſiaſticall Senate or Conſiſtorie. This ſtrange bird thus hatched by Farell, and Viret, was afterwards brooded by two more famous ſucceſſours; and all this within the compaſſe of our preſent age. Now, had this forme (being at firſt deviſed only out of need for a preſent ſhift) contained it ſelfe within the compaſſe of the bankes of the Lemane lake, it might have beene there retained, with either the connivence, or pitie of the reſt of the Chriſtian world: but now finding it ſelfe to grow in ſome places, through the fame of the abettors, into requeſt, and good ſucceſſe; it hath taken the boldneſſe to put it ſelfe forth to the notice and approbation of ſome neighbour Churches; and ſome there are (which I bleſſe my ſelfe to ſee) that have taken ſuch liking to it, that they have affected a voluntary conformity thereunto: and being weary of that old form of Adminiſtration, which hath (without contradiction) continued in the whole Christian Church from the times of the bleſſed Apostles of Chriſt incluſively untill this preſent age, are not onelyonly eager (out of their credulity) to erect this new frame, but dare venditate it to the world, after fifteene hundred yeares deep ſilence, for the very Ordinance, and Kingdome of Chriſt; whereas, if any living man can ſhew any one lay Presbyter, that ever was in the Christian World, till Farell and Viret firſt created him, let me forfeit my reputation to ſhame, and my life to juſtice. This is the true ground of this wofull quarrell; wherein I cannot but heartily pitie the miſguidance of many well-meaning ſoules, of your Majeſties ſubjects, which are impetuouſly carried away in the throng, by the meere ſway of names, and tyrannie of an ignorant zeale; not being ſo much as ſuffered to know where they are, or on what ground they goe: the fervent deſire of whoſe reclamation, as of the ſettlement of others, whom the ill condition of the time might cauſe to ſtagger, hath put my pen upon this envious, but neceſſarie taske; whereto alſo my zeale was the more ſtirred, by an information, which I received from the late meeting at Edinburgh; In the eight Seſsion whereof it is reported, that one M. G. Grahame Biſhop of Orkney had openly, before the whole body of the Aſſembly, renounced his Epiſcopall Function, and craved pardon for having accepted it, as if thereby he had committed ſome hainous offence; this uncouth act of his was more than enough to inflame any dutifull ſon of the Church, and to occaſion this my enſuing (moſt juſt) expostulation. Only I had need to crave pardon of your Majeſtie for the boldneſse of this interpellation, that I have dared to move your Majeſtie to deſcend ſo low, as to take view of this (on my part, ſo confidently undertaken) duell; Although, if the Combatants be ſingle, yet the Cauſe is ſo common, as that the whole Church of God claimes her intereſt in it; But your Majeſties long-knowne goodneſſe incourages me to this preſumption; And withall, I could not but have ſome due regard to that right, and propriety, which your Majeſtie may juſtly challenge in all the labours of this kinde, from whoſe pen ſoever, as being under God appointed the great Patron of all divine truths, the great Guardian and Protector of theſe parts of his Church upon earth, whoſe true, ancient, and Apoſtolicall government is here queſtioned, and whoſe deſerved devotions, and faithfull prayers ſhal be continually powred out to the God of heaven, for your Majeſties long and happy preſervation, amongſt which ſhall be duly paid the daily tribute of
Your Majeſties moſt humble, Loyall, and zealouſly devoted Subject, and Servant, Ioſ. Exon.