Reformation Unjustly Charged as Enemies

To all those that sincerely love the Lord Jesus, and seek the 〈◊〉 estate of his kingdoms, and namely, in the brethren throughout England, Wales, & Ireland: JOHN 〈…〉 knowledge, 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 with all other 〈…〉 .

T HE Cluds of England, (beloved in the Lord) to wit, Peace and prosperity, have now of a long time to be 〈◊〉 all estates among us for the most part, that instead of our thankfulness unto God, for his great & undeserved blessings: they have caused our land to bring forth most strange effects, unto the dishonor of the Lord's name, the hindrance of his truth, the lykelie ruin of his Church, and the general grief and discouragement of all his children. We know well enough, what kyndnesse the Lord hath generally shown unto our kingdom at such time as we little deserved the same, and what thankfulness we have repaid him again, our practice doth evidently testify.

It is not yet many years above 30. since we were matched, yea, and overmatched with strangers, ready day and night to have the same cruelty shown upon us, which that proud and bloody nation the Spainyard, doth now the second time purpose to execute. But our God delivered us from that imminent bondage. The blessing is to be remembered, especially seeing the kindenes was then shown unto our state, when not only the whole kingdom being moste shamefullie fallen from God to the worship of devils, was overgrown with the weeds of Idolatrous popery and superstition: but even those plants graffed among us by the devils own hand, were so highly accounted off, that rather thē they should not have their full growth in England, they were watered with the blood of the saints of God. Behold here, O England, thy deliverance from bondage, in the day wherein thou didst deserve captitutie, and look for an heavier yoke, if thou continuest to be unthankful. But what do I speak of this outward liberty, seeing the other freedom of the soul bestowed upon us at the same instant, doth utterly obscure this blessing, and make it seem nothing in comparison. The Lord therefore, that all the glory of his kindness towards a rebellious nation might indeed be his own, and that he might justly require the fruit of thankfulness at our hands, together with the government of hir right excellent Majesty, brought unto us the inestimable treasure of his Gospel, which to this day he hath continued contrary unto our deserts. Howe this gospel was at that time, and now is received among us, it shall be partly declared afterward.

Since the enjoying thereof (how vnthankfullie soever our state hath entertained the same) it is well known that in regard of outward peace and prosperity, this land hath been in our days the miracle of all the kingdoms in the earth. For the Lord hath from heaven commanded the blessing of outward plenty to be with us in all that we have set our hands unto: and as for our peace, it hath been such as other nations have been glad to borrow the same from us, which also we have been able to lend unto them. And although the Lord to testify his wrath against the abuse of his blessings hath sometimes chastened us with some taste of famine, and threatened diverse times to take away our peace, yet whensoever we have had but one dear year in all our quarters, he fully recompensed the dearth thereof, with the unexpected abundance and plenty of the next. And if you look unto our enemies that have risen up, either at home or abroad to disturb our quietness, they may be truly said to come against us one way, and to have fallen before us seven. So that if within the circuit of heaven, you would see a kingdom wonderfullie blessed with outward peace and prosperity, England must be the pattern thereof. And I would to God that this were the only president that England doth afford unto us and our posterities? But alas, it is far other wise. For as the Lord's blessings have been multiplied upon us, so hath our unthankfulness augmented it sense out of measure. Consider the state of religiō at this day, & see what a grateful cuntrie England hath been unto hir God. The Lord by the mouths of his servants, and by his fore-named blessings, hath these 31. years besought and earnestly entreated, yea wooed as it were all estates among us, to look unto their own souls today, wrile it is called today, and to lay a sure hold upon him while he may be found, by a thorough receiving of the Gospel: together with the ministers thereof: and by showing kindenes unto his desolate house. But what hath England answered? Surelie with an impudent fore-head The hath said:

Loe here England's thankfulness (beloved) foral the mercies and kindness which hir God hath vouchsaved unto hir. And tell me in thy conscience whether thou thinkest that she hath rendered according unto the reward bestowed upon hir, who in so great a desolation of God's service, hath not once shown hir self to be moved with any compassion that way. And I do apeale unto thy conscience, whether I have not truly set down the affection which all estates among us generally considered do bear unto the Lord's pure worship and service. In so much as if he should send some Jeremiah to stand in our high ways, & inquire whatsort of men he could find within our land, who had in any thankful manner remembered the Lord's goodenes, by regarding his wast and ruinous sanctuary, well he might meet with someone here and there, as a cluster of grapes after the vintage, that in some grateful sort, acknowledged the Lord's hand towards us: but as for the general state either of the magistracy, of the ministry or of the common people, beheld nothing else, but a multitude of conspirators against God, against his truth, against the building of his house, against his Saints and children: and consequently against the wealth of their own souls, and the public peace and tranquility of this whole kingdom. Concerning the common people, their profannesse, impiety, contempt of God and his religion, and their hatred unto his children, with all other their wickedness, may seem to deserve some excuse, because they never as yet had any means to know God aright, for the holy ghost may truly say of them They are poor, they are foolish, for they have not known the way of the Lord, nor the judgments of their God. And therefore what mervell is it, though they have made their faces harder than a stone, and refused to return.

But these that would be accounted our Prophets, and the ministers of the Sanctuary, have had better means to know the will of their master, and therefore just & righteous shall he be, whensoever he rewardeth them with the fruits of their own hands, if they have broken the yoke: of their obedience, and caste from them the bonds of that carefulness, whereby it behooved them to bind themselves, that they should not forget the house of their God. Will you then come unto them, and see what they are? Alas, you can behold here no other sight but a multitude of desperate and forlorn Atheists, that have put the evil day far from them, and endeavored to persuade their own hearts, that gods holy ministry, and the saving health of men's souls, are matters not to be regarded. You shall find among this crew, nothing else, but a troop of bloody soul murderers, sacriligious church robbers, and such as have made them selves fat with the blood of men's souls, and the utter ruin of the Church. The whole endeavor of which cursed generation, ever since the beginning of hir Majesty's reign, hath tended no otherway, then to make a sure hand to keep the church in bondage, that being bound in their hands, it should not dare for fear of being murdered to seek for liberty. Of these men, contained within the number of proud and ambitious prelates, our Lord Archbishops and Bishops, godless and murthering Non-residentes, profane and ignorant idol shepherds, or dumb dogs,

Now if they who would be accounted the ministers of the holy Sanctuary, are found so unanswerable, both unto the callings, which they would claim unto them selves, and also unto the Lord's kindness snewed unto our Land: it were but folly to demand what thankfulness our Magistrates and such as deal in the execusion of justice, have repaid unto their God. For they having suffered themselves, to be led by the forenamed blind guides must needs stumble at that stone, which is offensive unto their leaders. And therefore hand in hand, have our magistracye and ministry walked in the contempt of true Religion. And the one of these having uncircumcised ears, have made that the other cannot hearken, and unto both the word of the Lord, (in which they have no delight) is made a reproach: Insomuch as among those who deal in the cause of justice, there are found wicked persons, as the prophet saith, even wicked lawyers and judges (who seem to know of no other God, but their own gain,) that lay wait for the blood of God's saints, as he that setteth snares, and mark whether they can hear of any that go further in the cause of God, than the corruption of our state doth permit. And if they find any such, they know how to wrest against them, a clawse of some statute, contrary not only to the meaning thereof, but even contrary unto all justice & equity, yea common reason it self, and the very grounds of all good Laws, and statutes. So that it is now grown, and hath been of a long time a common practice of these godless men, to make of the statutes ordained for the maintenance of Religion and common quietness a pit wherein to catch the peaceable of the land. The common enditementes of the Lord's true and faithful ministers for matters of trifles, as the omission of the surplise, Churching of women, Cross in baptism &c. doeth manifestly witness the iniquity of these Atheists. Whereby though as the Prophet also complaineth they are become great, wax̄ rich, and grown into favor with our counsel, and such as bear chief authority under hir Majesty: yet let them be assured they procure unto their souls, swift and heavy damnation, without speedye & earneste repentance. And because our counsel may be truly said to delight in this injury and violent oppression of God's saints and ministers, therefore whensoever the Lord shall come to search for the sins of England with lights, as Zephaniah saith, he will surely evisite our counsel with an heavy plague. Because undoubtedly they are frozē in their dregs, & persuade their own hearts that the Lord will do neither good nor evil in the defense of his messengers and children. And then shall they feel what it is to wink at (much more to procure) the oppression of the Church of Christ. I will not in this place charge our counsel with that which followeth in Jeremiah, upon the place before aledged, namely that they execute no judgment, no not the judgment of the Fatherless. But this I will say, that they cannot possibly deal truly in the matter of justice between man and man, inso much as they bend all their forces to beceaue Christ Jesus of that right, which he hath to the government of his Church. The which ungodly and wicked course as they have held on ever since the beginning of hir Majesty's 〈◊〉 , so at this day they have taken greater boldne, and grown more rebellious against the Lord and his cause then ever they were. Insomuch as their Honors in token of their thankfulness to him, that hath exalted them, dare now charge the cause of reformation to be an enemy unto our state, and such as favor the same, to be unquiet and factious men disturbers of the common peace and quietness, and sowers of sedition among the subjects. This evil dealing of their Honors with the Lord's truth, and us that profess the same within England, have enforced me to take some pains in the writing of this treatise. The which in regard of mine own weakness, and the weight of the matter, I would have left most willingly, unto the handling of some that had been of greater gifts than myself, it the cause being more depelye charged with the former crimes in my person, then in any other that I can hear off at this present, did not require my weak labors and endeavours for the clearing of the same, from so godless and untrue an accusation.

For the farther vnderstanidng of this particular occasion moving me to write, thou art to understand (beloved in the Lord) that within these few months, a warrant under six counsellors hands, hath been given out from their Honors, and sent by public messengers unto all such places of the Land, as there was any lykelihood of mine abode. The effect whereof was this.

The names of their Honors, who have by these letters proclaimed themselves to be of their number that shall lend their shoulders to uphold the kingdom of darkness, I do for the reverence which I owe unto hir Majesty's government conceal, save only John Cant. (as he writeth himself) whom both in respect of his Antichristian Prelacve over God's Church, and for the notable hatred which he hath ever bewrayed towards the Lord and his truth, I think one of the dishe norablest creatures under he auen, and accordingly do account of him. Desiring the Lord, if it be his will, to convert both him and all other the detected enemies of Zion, that their souls may be saved: or if he hath appointed them to damnation, and meaneth not otherwise to be glorified by them, speedelye to disburden the earth of such reprobate cast-awayes.

But to return again unto our purpose, if the accusation wherewith I am unjustly charged in the former warrant, reached no farther then my own person, it were my duty in regard of the quietness of our state, to put it up: But seeing that it doth not touch me at all, any further then I have been an instrument to promote the cause of Christ's government and wholly striketh at that truth, in the defense whereof it pleased the Lord to use my weak and polluted hands: I do make it known unto the world. Firste that I am accounted an enemy unto our state, for no other suspicion and color, but only because I have by public writing, labored to defend and induce in our church, that uniform order of church regiment, which our Savior Christ hath ordained in his word, to continue perpetually therein: and also have endeavored to seek the utter ruin and overthrow of that wicked hierarchye of lord Bishops, together with whatsoever corruption dependeth thereupon. Now that I cannot be charged of enmitye to our state, for any other cause than this which I have expressed: I make it clear, in that my bringing up having been all the days of my life at my studies, I never as yet dealt in any cause more or less, that any ways concerneth the civil state and government. And as for attempting anything against hir majesties person, I know the devil himself dares not be so shameless as to intend any accusation against me in that point. The case then being thus manifest and clear, that I am thought an enemy to the state, not for intermeddling with any civil action, but only for seeking the wealth of Zion. I do in the second place make it known by this present treatise, that the sincere handling of this cause is so far from being an enemy unto our state: that they do notably detect their impiety against God, and their enmity to the kingdom of his son Christ, whosoever they be that dare presume to burden, either the cause or the sincere professors thereof, with so palpable and manifest a slander, And as for the injury, that herein they offer unto hir Maiestye, who would by these sclaunders enforce hir to lay down hir peaceable scepter, and to take up a bloody sword against hir best subjects: our blood (though they never have power to spill it) which they thirst after, shall in the day of judgment testify the same to their condemnation, except they repent. And hir Majesty, if she give ear unto such counsellors is to fear, lease in the Lord's just judgment the day may come upon hir and hir Lande, (which in thy mercies Lord remove far from hir) wherein she shall full bitterly lament and bewail, that in time she took not greater trial of our loyaity, who now are reckoned within the number of hir moste dangerous subjects, So that the injury by the former unjust accusatiō, offered unto God's cause and us his people, stryketh also at hir Maiessies own estate And the Lord vouchafe hir an heart to consider thereof, before it be too late. For assuredly those that are our enemies for the profession of the truth, cannot be hir sure fiends, whatsoever they may pretend.

And because I see that we be fallen into those times, wherein Satan worketh the defacing of the way of truth, and supporteth his own kingdom by instruments of no mean countenance: and also perceive that base man beginneth to take strength unto himself against his maker: I have purposely framed myself to make it known unto Satan and his complices that all their might and power in oppugning us for this cause is spent in vain. For although the cause be stood unto by weak and sinful men, if respect be had to that which we are in ourselves, I yet let man know that in the strength of our God, we are so far from being dismayed with the wisdom, countenance, or power of whatsoever is made of flesh, that for mine own part, I cannot sufficiently wonder, that any creature dares be so bold, as to proclaim war against us for this cause. And therefore whatsoever enemies the Lord bath raised up against me (a contemptible worm,) for the maintenance of his truth, be they noble or unnoble, counsellors or inferior men, I am so far from fearing their power, that the more I see them rage, the greater strength I see reached unto me by the Lord's free mercies to stand to that truth, which they rave against. And by how much the more I see them banded against the son of God, by so much the greater hope do I conceive, that the case wherein I stand, shall get the upper hand over them, whether they will or not. I believe, and therefore I am forced to speak these things. In the uttering whereof, as I thank my God, I have a feeling of mine own great wants and imperfections: so I am not without some comfortable assurance of his hand with me in this cause, to seal whatsoever truth I shall utter herein, according to his word. In respect whereof, I do warn and admonish those counsellors with whom and against whom, especially I deal in this treatise, to repent them of their great insolency, whereby they have been puffed up with Sennacherib to magnify and oppose themselves against the cause and people of the Lord of Hosts: as against the religion and people of some of the gods of the earth. Otherwayes they are to fear, least the Lord having raised up many of them, out of mean places into the throne of justice, meaneth to show his power and great name, by making them examples of his fearful wrath as he did Pharaoh, who wrought his own overthrow as the * text expressly noteth: by exalting himself against the people of the Lord. For assuredly the Lord will not forget his church forever, but at the * appointed time, he will break the horn of the wicked and the righteous shall be exalted. If men will wonder that we being so contemptible in the sight of the world, dare yet be so bold, as to control great states and mighty men, and to challenge them of injustice against the son of God and his members, who will not stick to brag with Pilate, that they have power to crucify Christ, and to absolve him they are to understand, that we know of no power, but from above: & therefore of no power, that is able to bear out injustice and wrong: the hills of the robbers we grant to be high, and vnassaileable in the sight of an eye of flesh: but we have learned of the holy man, to account the habitation of the wicked to be accursed even when he seemeth to be best rooted: for we know that the steppes of his strength shall be restrained, and that his own counsel shall cast him down. And as for our selves, we confess that we are but base worms, (and we would to God that we were lower in our own eyes,) such as live not according unto outward appearance, because our life is hid with Christ in God. But yet least me should take occasiō to persecute us, because they know not with whom they deal, because they are ignorant, whence we are, or whether we intend: seeing by our walking they may truly judge us to be descended of some other race than themselves are, and to look for another dwelling place than any we can enjoy here. They are to understand that we are borne not of mortal but of immortal seed, by the lively word of God, and that we are the servants of that Lord, who is not ashamed to be called our God. And we are so far from hunting after the wages of unrighteousness with them, that we freely confess our selves to be but pilgrims and strangers upon earth: and therefore travel towards that heavenly city which our God hath prepared for us. To be brief, we are the law full successors of those men, who through faith quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword. Of weak, were made strong, who were tried by mockings and scornings, yea moreover, by bonds and improsonments, who were stoned, hewn a sunder, slain with the sword, wandered up and down in sheep skins, being destitute, afflicted and tormented, and yet in all these distresses were more then conquerors through the power of their God. Wherrwith also we hope to be assisted, whensoever it shall please the Lord to give our enemies leave to try our patience. To conclude, we are those unto whom the Lord made this promise, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the lord is mine helper, neither will I fear what man can do unto me.

If then our counselors and great men will not provoke this God against their own souls, they are to be exhorted before they deal any farther against the procurers of reformation, to betake them unto their second thoughts, and acknowledge their temeritye in lifting up their hands against God and those whom he accounteth of, as the apple of his own eye. For in fighting against us they labor very strongly we grant, to aggravate & hasten their own damnation, but their purposes are they never able to effect.

To come unto you beloved, for whose strengthening and comforting I have especially taken pains in this treatise, if God hath called any of you to suffer for this cause, think it an exceeding preferment that he hath vouchsaved you to be partakers of the afflictions of the gospel, and in any case be not dismayed at your troubles. The cause is proved to be such, as for the which you may not only suffer with a good conscience: but such as in the defense whereof, you may expect for the affistāce of God's comforting spirit: and such, as wherein all Christians are bound to suffer, when they are thereunto called. I have also shown it to be that cause, which is compassed about with a cloud of wi nesses, and made commendable and bewtiful unto all Christians, with the blood of the holy Martyrs of Christ. The same spirit which assisted them unto the end, will not leave you in any of your temptations. So that by your prayers you seek unto the Lord for strength, and be careful to learn obedience by the things which you suffer. As we are taught by his example, who by sufferings was made unto us the author of aeternal salvation. Be therefore humbled under the hand of your God, & know that you stand neither by your own strength, nor by the goodness of that cause wherein you suffer: but only by the assistance of his spirit, who requireth a great care in all his children to please him in reverence and fear: for even our God is a consuming fire.

Concerning such of you as the Lord hath not tried with any afflictiō for this cause, I beseech you be not ashamed of the chain of your brethren, mourn with those that lament for the cause of God. When they are imprisoned, think yourselves to be in bonds. And I do especially and above all things beseech those that favor the reformation, to labor more and more in the reforming of themselves and such as be long unto them. We know that considering the season, it is now time to rest from sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed. It might have been something tolerable in times past for a sincere professor, to have an ignorant, an untaught, and a unreformed family: but in this clear light, and in a profession of so great sincerity to continue in these sins, is altogether unbeseeming the gospel of Christ. Long hair, great ruffes, laying out of wemens hair, and strange attire, is a participating with the unfruitful works of darkness and a token that the gospel hath not been faithfully received. And therefore let it be no longer tolle rated among the reformed professors of England. Vow and perform with the holy man David, that you will sing mercy and judgment, & walk in the uprightness of your harts in the midst of your families, and if you will make peace indeed with the Lord, follow the counsel of the holy ghost in removing iniquity far, not only from yourselves, but also from your tabernacles & hou ses. Shew what reformation can do in a whole kingdom, by the practice thereof in your own persons and families. And that will be the best argument both to confute the adversary, and to draw the indifferent to like the cause. And as the Lord shall give unto any of you access either unto hir Majesty, or any of their Honors, so be careful to promote this truth. We have all of us (we must confess,) be ne so careless and secure in these points, and therefore it is, that by the juste judgment of God, our Bishops are at this day so insolent against the truth. And unless we labor more strongly to have these Cananits rooted out we may write upon it, that they will be pricks in our eyes, & thorns in our sides, & still vex us as they do at this day. Where I say that professors should labor strongly, to have our hierarchy and contemptible Idols rooted out of our Church, my meaning is not that any private strength should so much as lift up a hand, much less use any violence against these caterpillars: but I mean that we should more vehemently labor with the Lord by prayers, and by the reforming ourselves & our families, and deal earnestly with hir Majesty & their Honors that our cause may be aequally heard.

My meaning in the former point I thought needful to express, because I know what sclanders would otherwise be raised against me, to the hurt of the cause by those that are enemies thereunto: whose madness (I doubt not) will shortly appear unto all men. And I trust in the Lord, that he will one day give hir Majesty a descerning ey, to judge aright between them and us, and then shall it appear, whether we or they do seek the peace and quietness of hir kingdom. In the mean time we will content our selves with the eye of our God. Yet one thing I would wish to be considered of by hir right excellent Majesty, namely whether it be not an inconvenient season when our fortaine enemies are at the doors, publicly to traduce hir best and most trusty snbiects as enemies to hir state. For if the Spainyard shall hear, that (besides the popish faction) the fore-wardest professors of the gospel in England are but her Majesty's half friends, what will not the hope of a threfold discord in our state move him to attempt? I do therefore fear that many of the forwardest enemies of reformation, are not the backwardest friends that the King of Spain hath in England at this day. But least the enemy should deceive himself, with a golden dream: I am to make it known unto all Spaniards and Spanish practicers, that we are such enemies unto Queen Elizabeth, as we do not only pray day and night for the state of hir Kingdom and hir person: but also we are ready to stand in the defense of hir royal person and right, to the loss not only of our goods and blood, but even of our lives, and that against men and Angels, even all creatures without exception. Thus much my good brethren, I may boldly set down in the name of you all, because I know by what spirit you are guided. And as for your sakes, next unto the defense of the truth, I have taken this labor in hand: So I do with the Apostle humbly entreat the Lord, that my service herein may be acceptable unto the Saints throughout England, Wales & Ireland: whom together with myself: and all the Lord's elect, I commit unto his hand, who is able to reserve us unto the day of redemption.

TO THE READER.

M.D. Haddon delivered in Parliament a Latin book concerning church discipline, written in the days of king Ed. 6. by M. Cranmer, & Sir John Cheek knight &c. This book was committed by the house to be translated unto the said M. Hadon, M. George Bromely, M. Norton, &c. If thou canst good reader help me, or any other that labor in the cause unto the said book: I hope (though I never saw it,) that in so doing thou shalt do good service unto the Lord and his Church

REFORMATION NO enemy to her Majesty and the State.

A Lthough it be most true, that our Savior Christ Jesus doth vouchsafe unto nations and kingdoms, the fruition & use of his holy word and gospel upon no other condition, thē that all men of all degrees and callings, as well high as low, will be content to have their states altered and changed, at the pleasure, appointment, and determination of his will & word: yet notwithstanding it is as true, that the said word and gospel of his, bringeth nothing with it that can possible be an enemy to any state, either private or public whatsoever. The which point I take to be so clear and manifest that no state-men can deny it, save only those who have made a leagne with the devil & a covenant with hell; by virtue whereof, they stand bound to account the Lord and all his holy ways to be enemies unto them and their cursed proceedings. For no man can pretend the gospel and word of God to be his enemy, but he must needs also confess, that he hath bidden defyance unto the Lord of heaven & earth, who accounteth himself to be loved and hated of men, according unto the affectiō which they bear unto his word. This hatred of God & his word, because th'adversaries of reformation in England dare not avowe, therefore as a foundation of the whole treatize following I lay down this ground, which they themselves will not call in question. Namely: That the reformation which at this day we endeavor to bring into our Church, is moste unjustly and wrongfully accounted an enemy unto our state, if it can be proved to be a matter approved off, and maintained by the word and gospel of JESUS CHRISTE. Where I would gladly know two things of them. First whether they judge that which we labor for to be according to to the word or no? They must answer, that they cannot so think of it: for if they did, they would not stand against us as they do. Secondly, if they thought our cause to be good, that is, if they thought it to be according unto God's word: I demand of them, whether notwithstanding the goodness of our cause, they would yet think us that labor in the same, to be enemies unto the state or no? We make no question but they have a better opinion of us. For whatsoever they say of the cause, they can report no otherwise of the favorers thereof, thē of those that have always shown themselves most faithful and trusty towards their prince and cuntrie. For although within these 31. years, there have been many seditious and treasonable attempts, undertaken against her Majesty and the state, by men of all sortes and degrees: yet by the goodness of God it cannot be shown, that any one hath had a hand in any of these practices and conspiracies, whoever opened his mouth for reformation, or any wise favored the same. And as for attempting any undutiful or disloyal action in the promoting of the cause it self: we have been so far from being guiltye in that point, that one of y ^e most shameless & most impudent slanderers that are amongst all our adversaries (intending of set purpose to stain the cause and the favorers of reformation, with sedition and treason) was enforced to pass by us, and to suffer the venom of his lying and slanderous tongue to light upon our brethren in the kingdom of Scotland, which he would never have done, if with any couler he could have fastened his slanderous vntruethes upon us the professors of his own cuntrie. So that if we could discharge our hands of the cause we defend, we doubt not but our adversaries themselves would pronounce us guiltless of all disloyalty against our prince and cuntrie.

Seeing then it is clear, that reformation is therefore accounted an enemy unto our state, because it is supposed to have no ground in the word of God: and seeing the favorers thereof are thought to be turbulent men, not for any thing that in a good matter they have seditiously attempted; but inasmuch as they labor to promote a cause, that of it self is an enterprise dangerous unto her Majesty's crown and dignity: we are for the clearing of the one and the other, to see whether the endeavors of those, who desire to have the Church of England otherwise reformed then hither to it hath been, be such, as they require nothing in that whole work, but only that which the word of God commandeth to be put in execution. The which course if they be found to take, then also doth it follow, that neither they, nor the cause maintained by them, can with any couler be accounted enmity unto the kingdom wherein they live.

And here if I should demand of the most that condemn both us & the cause wherein we stand, what that is, which is sought to be reformed in our Church, I dare be bold to say, that there is not one amongst ten of them, that knoweth whether it be black or white that we would have. Wherein they do not only show themselves, to weigh the most precious and weighty jewel under the sun with a most vn-eauen hand: but also (if we believe the holy Apostle) to claim inheritance in y ^e wages of unrighteousness, inasmuch as they speak evil of those things which they know not. The which course if they still hold on, the same Apostle telleth them, y ^e they shall perish through their own corruption.

To the ende then it may appear what that reformation is which we seek for, and which these men do account the enemy of our state; it is to be understood, that by reformation we mean nothing else, but the removing of all those unlawful callings which are maintained in our Church and ministry, contrary unto the revealed will and written word of the Lord our God, and the restoring thereunto of all such offices and ministries, as the same God under the pain of his heavy displeasure, requireth to be planted in his church, when or wheresoerver he raiseth fit men for those functions. To speak more plainly, by reformation we mean, first the rooting out of our Church, of all dumb and unpreaching ministers, all nonresidents, Lord Archbishops and bishops, commissaries, officials, chancellors, and all the rest of the wicked offices that depend upon that ungodly and tyrannous hierarchy of Lord Bishops, together with their government, and whatsoever maim, deformity or want there is in our Church by means of them & their plaees. Secondly, by reformation we mean the placing in every congregation within England (as far as possibly able men can be provided) of preaching pastors and Doctors, governing elders, & ministering Deacons, with whatsoever health, comliness and good order, the Lord by the faithful labors of these officers would have brought into his church. And these are the only matters that we mean by the reformation of our Church. The which cause in both the parts thereof, is made so just and equal by the word of God, that the promoting of it, can be accounted the disturbing of no state that hath not determined with it self to maintain the kingdom of Satan and his prerogative. For the word of God maketh it out of controversy, that neither the expelling of dumb ministers & L. Bishops, &c. out of the Church, nor the inducing of Pastors, Doctors. Elders and Deacons into the same, can be burdened with anything contrary unto the welfare of princes and common-wealths, unless they will also charge the Majesty of God with the same accusation. And here we appeal from our adversaries to the word, & are content either to be condemned or aquitted by the judgment thereof, upon whose judgment also, they dare not but profess themselves to rely.

First then we hold it intolerable, that the holy ministry of the word and Sacraments, and the charge of souls, should in our Church be committed unto such men, as are no more able to teach us what belongeth to the pure worship of god, then can many a child of six years old. And we would know whether by the word we may be accounted for this position, to be enemies either unto our most dear prince, or unto our most loving country? What doth it determine in this matter, are we thereby aquitted or condemned for this our assertion? Surely aquitted: And that by the voice of the Son of God himself, who openly declareth that the misery of that people is unspeakably pitiful, where the blind leadeth the blind, who also by his own example, hath taught us what compassion we ought to have of our brethren, that are scattered as sheep without a shepherd, having none to lead them, nor feed them in the way of eternal life. And therefore is so far from disliking this care of ours towards the salvation of our brethren & cuntrimen, that he hath enjoined us, when we see our brethren thick and threefold to fall into the ditch of blindness and ignorance, and so into the pit of eternal woe & destruction, to pray unto the Lord that he would raise up meet guides, who may lead his people in the true and upright way that leadeth unto life. Before we go any farther, behold here how the case standeth between us and our adversaries, and judge uprightly. Our Savior Christ JESUS teacheth us to be moved with pity and compassion, when we see the blind lead the blind, and our own flesh perish for want of the true knowledge of God. We see this lamentable sight in our land everywhere, & we may hear the blood of ignorant souls cry day and night in the ears of the Lord, for juste vengeance to be poured upon their blind leaders, and such as maintain them. What shall we do in this case? shall we not be touched with any remorse at all? Far be it but we should. We are therefore moved therewith, and as Christian duty bindeth us: we do endeavor both by our prayers unto the Lord, and by our petitions and suits unto our Magistrates, and every other way that become Christians, to have these murderers removed, and to have those placed in their rooms, who bring with them, & faithfully execute this great and high commission, whereof the Apostle speaketh in the person of all true ministers. Now then are we Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you through us, we pray you in Christ's stead, that you be reconciled unto God. But what say the adversaries unto us, for the performing of so necessary a duty. Verily their censure is, that in so doing we are enemies unto the state. We reply upon them again, that the word of God doth clear us, of their unjust accusation, which doth not so much light upon us, as upon the word and docttine of the son of God. For they that condemn the disciples of sedition, for practicing that which their master enjoined them, must needs pass sentence against the master, as a teacher of seditious doctrine. And therefore we are so far from being moved with the vnaequall dealing, that we wish them whosoever they be, to give ear unto the inditement which the Psalmiste frameth against them in these words. [You have given your mouths to evil, and with your tongs you forge deceit. You sit and speak against your brethren, and you have slandered the sons of your mother. You have encouraged yourselves in a wicked purpose, and common together howe to lay snares privily, and say, who shall see. You have taken crafty counsel against the people of y ^e Lord, and consulted against his secrete ones.] And because they must needs confess themselves guilty of this accusation in every point, therefore we do also advise them, by true and speedy repentance to betake them unto the Lord, least as it is in the Psalm [He tear them in pieces, and there be none that can deliver them.] And we entreat them that are in authority, to weigh the state of the people of this land with the word of God, and then we doubt not but they shall see the motion of removing the dumb ministry out of our Church, and the planting of careful teachers, to be the best piece of service one of them, that ever was attempted under their government. If to redress the wants of the pure worship of God, and to remove the condemnation both of the bodies & the souls of men, be thought a service worthy to be undertaken. For alas, by means of the false and loitering guides, which have kept out the true and painful watch-men, the service of God hath now for the space of 31. years, continued at that miserable stay in our kingdom, that in the most congregarions, not of miserable Wales and Ireland only, but even of England itself: we want not some necessary member, but even all the vital partes, as the heart, lyfeblood, yea and soul of true religion: namely, the word preached, even the very seed, without which men can neither be begotten unto, nor nourished in the hope of eternal bliss and happiness. Again, by reason of this desolation of our Church, the most of our people within all our provinces, wandering as blind men in the dark, know no means either how to yield the Lord any part of his true worship, or howe they shall be saved in the day of wrath. Here your Highness. of hir Majesty's privy counsel, who profess yourselves adversaries unto reformation, and therefore upholders of our ignorant ministry, are cited before the tribunal seat of God, and required in his name, to consider the injury that you offer unto his Majesty, both in the maintenance of these blind guides, & also in your proceedings herein; for both which, you are sure one day to be called to a reckoning. First by maintaining these idols, you countenance and maintain the ruins, defectes and profanation of God's true service, together with the damnation of men's souls. Secondly, your proceedings in the maintenance of the blooddie cause, is such, as under the profession of true religion, I think the like hath been seldom seen. For you think it a small matter for you, thus to bereave the Lord of his true honor, & to lend your authority, might and power unto Satan, to uphold ignorance and blindness, unless also as a testimony of your perseverance in this damnable way, you do account of them that seek to bring you into a better course, as of the professed enemies of your state. These accusations I know, are grievous to be laid to the charge of these Counselors, who through Europe have the name to be furtherers of God's glory & the salvation of men's souls: But they are such as if I prove them not most true, let my blood wipe away the slander which I have undutifully raised upon the rulers of my people: Here the word of God is to be approached unto, out of the which we are to learn, what true worship and service they can yield unto God, & what hope of salvation they can have, who never enjoyed the word preached.

Concerning the true worship of God, we are to know, that the word who alone is to instruct us therein maketh two sorts thereof. The one inward and the other outward. The inward worship, is the worship of the spirit, when the heart and the soul is by God's spirit so directed, that in truth and sincerity it yieldeth to the Lord, the worship which he requireth according unto his word. Of this worship our Savior Christ speaketh unto the woman of Samaria, John 4.23 24. [The hour cometh saith he, and already is, when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth, for the father requireth evē such to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and truth.] Without this inward worship it is impossible to be saved, and without it no service can be acceptable unto God. But although this inward worship be the fountain whence the outward that is in truth doth flowe and proceed: yet is the inward no otherwise ordinarily wrought in men, then by means of the outward. So that even as the outward is never truly acceptable unto God but when it proceedeth from the inward, even so is the inward ordinarily found in none, save only in those wherein it hath been begotten by the ministry of the outward. But this inward worship in spirit and truth, is not in the power of man to give or to take away at his pleasure, but the Lord must and doth work it, when & where he pleaseth, yet never ordinarily but by means of the outward,

The true outward worship of God then, is that alone, whereby as by the ordinary instrument or means the Lord hath appointed to beget, nourish increase and continue the inward worship of the soul and the spirit, by the which the Lord is to be served in spirit and truth. This outward worship is such by the ordinance of God, as men may be truly said, either to hinder or to promote the same, and by the hindering or promoting hereof, they may be judged to hinder or promote both the salvation of themselves and others, and also the inward worship of the spirit either in themselves or in others. And by the affection that men bear hereunto, the Lord doth try their love and also their hatred towards him & his glory. This worship although it be outward, yet is it of that nature, as they who are partakers hereof, may according unto the word expect for the presence of God's spirit, whensoever they approach unto the Lord thereby. Otherwise if it hath not this promise of the spirit annexed unto it, it is but a rudiment of the world or of the flesh, & therefore cannot be anything for the furthering of men in the worship of God.

This outward worship, or this outward means to serve God truly and sincerely, consisteth of two partes or ordinances, according unto the twofold end for the which the Lord hath appointed the said outward worship of his. The first part hereof, is that ordinance whereby the Lord hath appointed, not only to beget faith in men, or to engraffe them into Christ, but being engraffed to build and aedifie them forward as lively stones of that holy temple, whereof Christ Jesus is both the head & the foundation. This ordinance of God, appointed both to beget & to aedifie faith, is only the word preached The second ordinance wherein the outward worship of God consisteth, is contained in those exercises of religion, which the Lord ordained only for edification, and were never appointed to beget faith. By edification I mean whatsoever concerneth our furthering in the work of our salvation, begun in us through faith by the word preached. Unto this second part, we are to refer public prayers, singing of Psalms, reading of the scriptures, receiving of the sacraments, and administering of the Church censures, &c. All which are effectual to edification, but not to the begetting of faith: For that is only wrought by the word preached, without which also, public prayers, singing of psalms, &c, are so frustrated of the end, viz. the edification, for the which the Lord hath ordained them, as they cannot possibly aedifie any aright, save only these who have learned the right use of them by the preaching of the word, & in whose hearts faith which is the ground-work, whereupon the whole building of gods service must be planted, hath been begotten by the same word ordinarily. And these holy ordinances of god, to wit, prayers, receiving of the Sacraments, are so far from aedifying these people, who have not been instructed in the right use of them by the word preached, that unto such they are nothing else but a sealed book, and proceeding from such, they are nothing else but pollution in the Lord's sight. For no service can be acceptable unto god, but that which proceedeth frō faith. For without faith it is impossible to please God.

Now then according unto that which hitherto hath been spoken, let your Hb. weye what service your people throughout all hir Majesty's dominions for the most part, can yield unto the Lord, and how they stand in the hope of saiuation, and consequently how careful you have been of the glory of god and the salvation of his Church. Your people you will say everywhere, have had these 31. years the use of public prayers, singing of Psalms, reading of the Scriptures in their own tongue, they have further enjoyed the sacraments of baptism & the Lord's supper. Be it so, but what is all this? Can these things going alone without the word preached, be anything effectual to that worship in spirit and truth, which is the only service that the Lord regardeth, and without which, all exercises of true religion are but swine's-blood before his Majesty? Or can they be any thing forcible to work the salvation of your people. Questionlesse you see that they cannot. For they are ordained of god, not to lay the foandation of the spiritual worship, but as means to aedifie and build upon, the foundation being laid. They are ordained you see also, not to go alone, but to accompany the word, without the which they are fruitless and to no purpose. Nay though it were possible that without the word they could work some edification in men, yet notwithstanding they were never appointed to beget men into the hope of eternal life. For regenerate flesh and blood they cannot, because they were only appointed to edify those whom the word should beget. So that men may all their life time enjoy these exercises of true religion, and yet be far from the outward means whereby the Lord requireth himself to be worshipped in spirit and truth, and whereby the salvation of their souls should be wrought. And though your Honors show youre selves never so great favorers of reading the word, public prayers, &c. which in themselves are acceptable to God; but among our people for the most part, abominablie profaned: yet because you maintain those to outcountenance the preaching of the word, and to be polluted by such men as ought not to deal with the holy things of the Lord: You are no otherwise accounted of in his sight, then the professed enemies of that pure worship in spirit and truth (wherein alone he delighteth) the maintainers of the profanation of his service, and adversaries unto the salvation of his Church. And what other account I beseech you can he make of you, which dare presume to platte him out the perfection of his service, and appoint him a way to save his people according unto your own pleasure. He hath set down in his word, that without faith it is impossible to please him, and so that without faith it is impossible for men to worship him in spirit and truth, and come to eternal life. In this point I hope you will not gainsay his Majesty. He goeth farther, and manifesteth the ordinary means to beget faith and salvation, to be only the word preached. And therefore requireth the forwardness of all those that would not be guilty of neglecting his honor, to promote the said preaching of his word. Herein you oppose yourselves unto him, & reply again, that he must needs provide himself of new ordinances, or else he can neither in this life be worshipped in truth of your people, nor glorified with their salvation in the life to come. For unless reading of the word, public prayers, the profanation of his sacraments by the polluted fingers of most ignorantmen, can work all that he requireth, he can have no means in the most congregations within the dominions of England to be purely worshipped, and to gain himself a name, by the saving of the distressed souls of men. And you are so resolute with the Lord in this point that you proclaim all them to be enemies unto your state, whosoever dare open their mouths in his cause against your unadvised resolutions. So that whatsoever favor your Honors pretend unto some part of the true outward service of his Majesty: yet inasmuch as you lend your whole force to maintain and keep in the Church, the reading idol ministry, which you may know well enough, can neither beget faith, nor any true edification in your people, and by whom the Lord accounteth himself & his ordinances to be profaned: the very truth is this, that you stand at this day guilty in his sight, of the defects, ruins and profanations of his worship, and also of the utter undoing of many a thousand soul within England. And I do not see what you can allege for your defense, except you will join with that notable seducer of your people, the Arch. of Cant. and affirm, either that salvation may be wrought in your people by hearing the word read, or that reading is preaching. But alas these fig leaves, are so far from standing you in any stead, when the Lord shall enter into areckoning with our land, for the small care that our governors have had in furthering his service, that his wrath will be kindled against our state, almost for nothing more, then because that both these errors of this wicked deceiver have been uncondemned therein, and also as a token I think of our hatred unto the Lord and his gospel, such a detected enemy unto the gospel as he is, hath been promoted unto one of the highest rooms at the counsel table, to the ende, as the maintaining of his proceedings do witness, that he might be a scourge unto God's Church within hir Majesty's dominions.

Well, he saith that men may be saved by hearing the word read, as by the ordinary means. If it be not so, woe be to him that ever he was borne, whose practices these 20. years almost have tended to no other ende, then to maintain this damnable error of his. For if men cannot be saved by reading, where shall he stand, which hath brought upon himself the guiltiness of so many souls, by silencing so many faithful preachers, and planting readers in their stead. And therefore I do not so much blame him for framing his corrupt judgment according unto the rule of his ungodly practices. For if his practice were contrary unto the light of his knowledge, then hath he a more fearful account to make, who hath quenched the light of his understanding to the ende he might with less remorse, rave against the Majesty of God. But his blindness cannot make others inexcusable, that willingly follow after such a leader, & therefore let us see what the word saith unto this assertion.

The Apostle Paul affirmeth, that seeing the world by wisdom knew not god in the wisdom of god, it pleased god by the foolishness of preaching, to save as many as believe: Will you then have a salnation that is by faith which you must have, or none at all. Surely the Apostle tells you, that it pleaseth the Lord to work this no otherwise in the hearts of men then by preaching, which unto the worldly wise men is but foolishness, but unto us that are saved, it is the wisdom of god, and the power of god. Even as thē we can expect no salvation but that which is apprehended by faith, so can we not hope to have this saving faith wrought in us by any other means then by preaching. For the Apostle setteth down in express words, that as many as believe, are saved by the means of preaching. Again, how shall they call upon him, saith the same Apostle in another place, in whom they have not belecued? How shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? Howe shall they hear without a preacher. Behold then, if we will so hear as we may believe, the Apostle telleth us that this must be the hearing, not of a reader but of a preacher. If then this seducing prelate, cannot make good a salvation which is to be obtained without faith, as heaven and earth know he cannot: or if believing to salvation be conveyed unto men's souls by no other hearing, then by the hearing of a preacher, as the Apostle telleth: then also it followeth, to the shame and confusion of all erroneous deceivers, that he cannot justify a salvation wrought in men's hearts by any other ordinary means, then by the word preached. But he will here object, that the Lord may if it please him, work faith in men's hearts without preaching. That is as if he should say, that the Lord is so powerful, as when man will not instruct by means, he can teach his elect without means. Who ever denied this? Or what is this to prove his wicked assertion. The question is not what the Lord can do, especially where means is not to be found. For in such cases we do not use, to tie the omnipotent power of the Lord, within the bounds, no not of his own ordinances, but the point in controversy is, what that way and ordinary means is, whereby the Lord hath decreed to work a saving faith in the hearts of his people, whether that ordinary means be the word preached, or the word read. The spirit of God you see teacheth us, that that ordinary way and means is preaching. The Archb. of Cant. teacheth it to be reading. Now whether of the two, shall hir Majesty's people believe? Surely let the Lord be true, & let shame & confusiō cover the faces of all his encmies, & namely of this wicked prelate, who is not afraid in express terms, to give the lie unto the Majesty of God. For the which madness of his, how great soeueuer he may be in our kingdom, I am sure that the sentence, without his unfeigned repentance, is long since decreed against him, that he shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven. And if God had not blinded his right eye, as a token of a farther judgment which is like to fall upon him, he might have seen long since, that y ^e Apostle Peter attributeth the work of men's regeneration or new birth, and so faith and salvation unto the word preached and not read. For so he writeth. Being borneagaine (saith the Apostle) not of mortal, but of immortal seed by the word of God, which liveth and endureth forever, and this is the word (saith he) which is preached among you.

But what can he see, who hath voluntarily so blinded himself (and laboreth to wrapp others in the same darkness) as he will make men believe that he is of judgment, that the meaning of the Apostle in saying, How can they believe without a preacher, is as if he said, how can they believe without a reader? For what else doth he affirm then this, in holding reading to be preaching. For he that avoucheth reading to be preaching, cannot deny readers to be prechers. And here is all the light which the Lord hath left in that dark understanding of his, which is justly made bruitishe, inasmuch as it hath blinded it self, to the end (as I said) he might with the less compunction, or gnawing of his conscience fight against God. But let him and all his maintainers know from me, that he who spared not the Angels, that had sinned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them unto chains of darkness, to be kept unto the damnation of the great day, is able to make this brutish man an example unto all those that hereafter shall tread in his ungodly steps, especial seeing in these things, which naturally he might know, he (as lude saith) hath corrupted himself. For if there had been no scripture to have instructed him, yet very natural reason might have taught him, that reading and preaching are of that diverse nature, that in common reason, the one of them cannot be the other. For I pray you, who is so simple but knoweth by the light of nature, that the preching that carrieth salvation with it, which he affirmeth to be reding, is another manner of work thē can be learned by the industry of man in a months labor. And yet behold, such is the preaching which this mā hath framed unto us in his writings, whereby the Church of England should be saved, that an unlettered man coming from the plough, might in one months study be made an able preacher, and so an able minister of the doctrine of salvation. For if reading be preaching (as he saith) yea and such a preaching as is able to beget men to salvation, which also he affirmeth, then also doth it follow, both that an able reader is an able preacher, and also that any man enjoying the benefit of his senses, may in one month, be made an able minister of that great and admirable work of men's souls. The conceit whereof, is such an indignity unto the Majesty of God, and to the mysteries of true religion, as a greater cannot be offered. And is this all the thanks, that we in England give unto the Lord, for the fruition of his gospel? Or is this all the commendation that true religion hath deserved at our hands? to be made fair baser then any of the common crafts of the world. Well, the Lord seeth this vile injury offered unto his gospel, and the ministry thereof, and in his time will recompense it. Concerning this absurd and senseless error, I will say no more at this time: But first, that if the father hereof, to wit, the Archb. of Cant, had lived in some of the former ages that embraced the truth, he had been commended unto posterity, as a detestable forger of errors, amongst the number of these pernicious heretics, that have endeavored to obscure the light of the truth. Secondly, that it maketh the ministers prayer for the spirit of utterance, and his care in his study, to be altogether needles & superfluous matters. And so this man hath found out such a methodical kind of preaching, as the spirit of God never thought off. The Apostle Paul desireth the brethrē to pray for him, that utterance might be given unto him, to the end he might bold lie open his mouth, to publish the secrets of the gospel: & he further chargeth Timothy, to take heed unto learning and to continue therein, for in so doing he should both save himself and those that heard him. But this godless man, that indeed he might show himself not unlike that son of perdition, of whose body and kingdom, by virtue of his Antichristian prelacy, he is also a limb and a member, presumeth to enter into the Lord's chair, and to create new ordinances for ministers to be guided by, in publishing the mysteries of the gospel. But though he be like to continue as he is, viz. a deceiver that waxeth worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, as the holy ghost saith: yet it concerneth your Highness. to turn over a new leaf, Seeing your consciences must needs tell you, that if you follow his damnable errors, you are also to fear lest you be partakers of the judgments, that are likely to be fastened upon him, and all those that delight to hide the truth in ungodliness. And seeing the service of the Lord, together with the salvation of men's souls, is by means of this dumb ministry, at such a miserable stay among us, (as hath been set down) it will be your duties to take these things more to heart then as yet you have done, and to seek the redress of them.

For our own parts, the defectes of God's religion being thus lamentable in our land, and the souls of our brethren with pitiful cries requiring our aid and assistance, we cannot in conscience deny them the remedy that we are able to minister: namely, the painting out of their misery, and the means howe to be delivered therefrom. And assuredly, if we should hold our peace and wink at these calamities, the stones in the streate, would rise up in judgment against us. Wherefore also, your Highness. may accuse us to be dangerous subjects as well, because we are not without Christian affections, as for that you see us moved with pity at the ruins of God's house, and the likely damnation of our cuntrimen. For such is the opperation of God's spirit in his children, that they are altogether void of the assurance of eternal life, yea without God in the world, whosoever are not moved with grief and sorrow, whē they see either the service of their God, or y ^e salvation of those with whom they live not to be regarded. Vnles then you of hir Majesty's counsel, would go about to quench the motions of God's spirit in the hearts of hir Majesty's people, you cannot charge them with any evil practice against the state, for laboring the rooting out of this dumb and ignorant ministry, whereby as you see the Lord's service is most wretchedly profaned, & the salvation of his Church most cruelly hindered and withstood. Nay as your Highness. would show yourselves to have any spark of God's spirit in your hearts: so you must be careful to join with us in this work, wherein indeed you ought to be our foreleaders. For otherwise (never deceue your own hearts) there is not a man of you that can possibly be saved. Weye the speech my Ll. for it concerns you as much as the price of your souls is worth. I say then, that the enmity which in this point we bear unto the state of England is such, as unless you that are of hir Majesty's privy Counsel join with us in the same, you cannot possibly see the face of Christ to your comforts. The reason hereof is, that there is no salvation unto that soul, wherein Christ Jesus doth not remain and dwell by his spirit, as the Apostle teacheth us in these words, Prooue yourselves (saith he) whether you are in the faith, examine yourselves, know you not that Jesus christ is in you, except you be reprobates. Either then a reprobate heart, or an heart possessing Christ Jesus. Now my Ll. I appeal unto your consciences, whether you think that Christ can possibly dwell in those hearts, who are not both grieved at the damnation of their brethren, and the miserable deformities of the service of God among thē, & are with all ready every way that lieth in them, to prevent the one, and to set forward the other. What? can Christ be there where there is not a desire, & a readiness to labor, that the glory of God may shine upon earth, by the saving of perishing souls, & the setting up of the sincere honor of the Lord? Your consciences I am sure, must needs bear witness to the contrary. For to deny this, were nothing else, but to make the spirit of Christ in his children to be pitiles of the woeful estate of such souls, as for any thing they know, were ordained to life, and careless in seeking the glory of God, in his pure worship.

What is the conclusion then, surely that youre Highness. must either manifest yourselves, to be of their number, for whom the blackness and terror of the great day is prepared, or else you must join with the rest of the saints of God within hir Majesty's dominions, not only in mourning for the wants of true religion among our people, and the misery that ensueth thereof, but also in laboring moste earnestly to find speedy means for the curing of so deadly a wound. You see then howe the case standeth between the Lord, nay, between your felues, and your own souls. The day will come, when all those whose sins are not forgiven, and iniquities covered by Christ Jesus, shall drink of the deadly wyne of God's wrath. And you see that Christ will be a covering unto none, save only unto those, in whom he dwelleth by his spirit: and more-over, that his spirit cannot be in them, who are not moved with the dishonor of his name, & the destruction of men. The Lord warneth you of these things, and requireth of you, that although for the love of his Majesty, and the mercies both outward and inward which he hath & doth offer to heap upon you, you cannot be moved to regard his ruinous Church, and woeful people: yet, that you would be stirred forewarde here-unto by the care which you are to have of your own souls. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God. Vengeance is his, and he will recompense it. Wherefore as you would not drink of the dregs of that bitter cup of his indignation, declare unto the world, by the speedy removing of this dumb ministry, and apoynting faithful teachers in their stead, that the Lord hath not in this age placed over England, a counsel of men that are careless of his glory, cruel towards the people committed unto their charge, and consequenthe, a counsel of men that are without God in the world, fed with honor and promotion against the day of slaughter. Men that are so far from respecting the honor of their God, and the eternal salvation of men, that they are altogether without natural affection towards the good of their own souls. For assuredly my Ll. whatsoever good opiniō you may have of yourselves, and yourowne proceedings: the Lord and his Church both in this age, and also among posterity, cā make no other reckoning of you, than of those that lived without the true God in this world, as long as you shall be found upholders of the ignorance which raygneth among your people. Where-upon also you shall one day by experience find it to be true, that because the saving spirit of God never came near your harts, to work a sorrow and a mourning therein, for the spiritual aniserie of your brethren & counuiemen: you made no other use of your being here upon earth, thē to provide for yourselves, an exceeding measure of plagues and torments, that may endure upon you forever and ever. You see it cannot be otherwise: for, to be without compassion towards the miserable dispersion of poor sheep that wander without a guide, is to be void of Christ Jesus and his fanctifying spirit, unto the want whereof there is joined nothing else, but final damnation both of body and soul.

Wherefore good my Ll. suffer the words of exhortation to enter into your souls. The Lord is my witness that I speak not unto you, without the consideration and reverence due unto your places. It pitieth me to see the case wherein ye stand before the Lord: for surely ye cannot (as I have said) posiblie be saved, so long as you hold on your course in consenting unto ignorance and blindness. There is nothing but judgment merciless unto those that defer their turning unto him. Deceaue not yourselves thē, for as I shall answer before the Lord, in the fearful day of judgment, I have set before you the way of life, & the way of death. Choose life therefore that you may live, which you shall never do, except you do rid your hands of the defense of this pestilent ministry, & consecrate thē to make up the breaches of God's sanctuary. Where you see, how little beholding ye are unto those wicked men y ^e are your Chaplains, who have never made your estates known unto you. You may justly acconut those ungodly flatterers, to be the greatest enemies you can have. For they are guilty of your blood, & serve you almost for no other use, than to hasten God's judgments upon you. But their guilte and punishment shall not deliver you in the day of wrath, for the soul that sinneth shall die the death And therefore now that the light is made known unto you, let it not be your condemnation, that light coming among you, yet you loved darkness more than light.

Well hitherto it appeareth how wrongfully the favorers of reformation are charged with enmitye unto our state, for laboring to have the dumb ministry rooted out.

The next bane of our Church are nonre sidents, whereof all our Ll. Bb. are guilty: the which corruption is so great, that I do marvel with what face it can be tolerated in a Christian state. And therefore I make no question whether the word of God maketh it lawful for us to endeavor that no such vilanie be heard off in Israel anymore. The dumb Minister though intolerable, hath yet some color of his sin, because under the name of feeding he starueth the poor sheep. But the bloody non-resident hath no cloak to hyde his vilanie: for he is so out of measure become impudent in his sin, that he dareth make an open profession of murder This sin whereof the Papists themselves have long ago been ashamed, hath so kindled the wrath of God against our kingdom, that I fear he will be no otherwise pacified towards us, than by sending a sword through our land, which may revenge the blood of innocent souls, which these 31. years hath benespilt like water upon the earth, by means of these professed murderers, and that under the profession of the gospel.

Though I preach, saith the blessed Apostle, I have nothing to rejoice of: for necessity is laid vpō me, yea and woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. This is spoken in the person of all true ministers. But our non-residents have dispensed with this necessity, by means of their degrees of their Chaplain-shipes, and of their faculties. And as for the woe denounced against them, they have a distinction at hand wherewith to delude that curse: which is, that although they cannot be continually resident at everyone of their charges, yet they are not all the year lightlye absent from all of them. And although they do not continually preach at neither, yet they are not always idle, but at sometimes they do preach, either upon their own charges, or else abroad, where occasion is offered. Now in their absence they do not provide so evil for their people, but that contrary to the express will of the Lord, they place others in their stead to take the oversight of the Sanctuary. And whensoever they are absent from all their benefices, it is not without some reasonable cause: for at all such times they attend either in the Courte, in the Vniuersitye, or are otherwise necessarily bestowed in their private or public affairs. And as for the lybertie that one man should have many benefices, it is necessary for the encouraging of stadents, and the increase of able men to withstand the common adversary. By all which speeches of theirs, we see to our grief, the words of the holy Apostles to be verified in our woeful times, viz. That in the Church of God there should be mockers in the last times, which should walk after their own ungodly lusts, having their consciences burned with an hot iron men of corruptminds, destitute of the truth, which think that gain is godliness. But I marvel what these mockers will answer unto the holy Ghoste, who commandeth that they who labor not, must not ear, and showeth that it is required of the ministers of Christ that they be found faithful. And I marvel what they will answer unto the Apostle Peter, by whom they are enjoined, as they would receive the incorruptible crown of glory, whē the great shepherd of the sheep shall appear, to feed the flock of God, that dependeth upon thē caring for it, not by cōstraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, not as though they were lords over God's herrtage, but that they may be ensamples to the flock. And I do wonder, what they will answer unto the diligence which the apostle Paul used in teaching the people with whō he was conversant, whose example all the ministers of Christ ar bound to follow. You are witnesses, & God also (saith the Apostle) how holilie and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe, as you know, how that we exhorted you and comforted, and besought everyone of you as a father his children, that you would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom & glory. And again in another place: You know (saith he) from the first day that I came unto Asia, after what manner I have been with you, at all seasons serving the Lord with all modesty, and with many tears, and temptations: which came unto me by the lying await of the Jews, and how that I kept nothing back, that was profitable, but have shown you and taught you openly, and throughout every house. Well, whether these cursed mockers will scorn at these godly examples and labors of the blessed Apostles, or no: & go about to answer the matter by their childish unlearned distinctions, it is not greatly material. Of this I am assured, that as unto all those places they have not a word to answer according unto truth: so especially will they be dumb, when the right use of their talents (if they have any) are required at their hands. And let all non residents, and especially these tyrannous atheists or Prelates (I mean) understand, that if they will needs be rulers over gods household, they are bund to give the Lord's family their meat in due season: yea, and to continue in feeding of them until the coming of their master, that when he cometh he may find them so doing. Otherwise if like evil servants they shall still continue to say in their hearts, that their master doth defer his coming, and still continue to smyte their fellow servants, much more to pyne & starve them, their master will come in a day, when they look not for him, & in an hour, when they are not aware off, and because in that day he findeth them not so doing, as the holy Ghost speaketh, that is, because like faithful servants he findeth them not distributing unto their fellows their meat in due season, he will cut them off, and give them their parte with hypocrites, where shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth. And this will be their reward.

As for you my Ll. who wink at all the abominations of these tyrannous murderers, and show not yourselves moved with the dishonor wherewith they stain true religion, & the misery which they have brought upon our Church, the Lord be merciful unto you. For I see no way for you, but as you allow the wicked course of these mē, so you shall be partakers of their heavy damnation. And as you cannot wash your hands from any of the blood that is spilte in our Church, because your eyes have seen it, and either show no dislyke thereof, or maintain the same: so of all other the murders committed upon the souls of men within England, you are most guilty of this, whereof the non-resident is the butcher: because a great parte of this cruelty is committed in our Church by your means: for this is the sin whereunto you give a commission, and unless ye delivered the sword into the hands of these bloody tyrants, their slaughter would not be so in use among us. For whereas many could not otherwise be qualified (as they cal it) to have moe benefices than one: you know that to be Chaplayne unto a noble man, or to the most of our Counselors, if not unto all, giveth a full liberty unto this cruel and unnatural slaughter. Insomuch as you bring this blood unto your houses, and are not only accessories there-unto, but principal offenders therein. Whatsoever then your Highness. will do in other points of the reformation of our Church, it is plain, that you can no longer suffer your places to be a couerture unto this sin in your godless Chaplains, except you would have the Lord and his Church to bear witness against you, that you have conspired against the blood of your countrymen and people.

And as your Highness. are bound in the sight of God, to wash your hands from the maintenance of this sin in your fore named servants, that in a good conscience you may testify before the Lord and say, Our hands have not spilled this blood where of our Chaplains are guilty, neither have our eyis seen it: So also are you bound to detest both the same, & all other the impieties, that reign in our Church, by means of these wicked Prelates, and their government. Whose very callings are so directly against the word of God, that possibly they cannot stand in the Church of Christ, without the intolerable oppression thereof: and the impeaching of whatsoever liberty almost, the Lord hath left unto the same in his word. And when I consider the great injury that is offered unto the Lord and his Church by means of this wicked Hierarchy, and whatsoever dependeth thereupon: I cannot but think it a strange matter, that the oppugning of so intolerable a corruption should be hardly thought off, much less accounted unsufferable in a Christian state. For these corruptions of Ll. Archbishops, & Bishops, Commissaries, Archdeacons, Chancelors, &c. were altogether unknown in the Church of God, until the kingdom of Christ fell in the ages by past to decay, and Satan in the ruins thereof, began to lay the foundation, of that monarchy of his, wherein Antichrist at this day doth bear rule. That these things may be the better understood, and that it may be made know̄ whether the offices of Archb. & Bb. with the rest of that stamp: belong unto, and had their beginning from the kingdom of Christ: or else, sprang up when Satan began to lift his hand for the erecting of Antichrists throne, and so appertain unto his government: we are to consider what is meant by the kingdom of Christ, in the decay whereof we affirmed these offices of Archb. and Bb. to have had their original & beginning. By the kingdom of Christ then generally taken, we understand that regiment and superiority, which the Lord Jesus hath above all principalities, that are either in heaven or in earth, not simply as he is the second person in trinity, God above all, blessed for evermore, but as he is the son manifested in the flesh, Christ god and man, and so the head of his Church. In respect of this regiment of his, the word of God speaketh of his kingdom 2. manner of ways: first it maketh the same to be everlasting: secondly it considereth of it as it is temporary and to remain for a time. In the former respect it cannot possible any ways decay. Of this eternal kingdom of his the Angel Gabriel spake unto the holy Virgin Marie, after this sort: Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bear a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, & shall be called the son of the most high, & the Lord God shall give unto him the thron of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom shall be none ende. Concerning the latter regard of his kingdom, the holy Apostle Paul writeth in these words. Then shall be the end, when he hath delivered the kingdom unto God, even the Father, when he hath put down all rule and authority, and power: for he must reign until he hath put all his enemies under his feet. Where the Apostle speaketh of the kingdom of Christ as it is temporary, and to continue only unto the day of judgment & no longer. Now this temporary regiment of his, is also of 2. several considerations. For the word speaketh of our savior Christ and his government, either as he hath all power in heaven and earth committed unto him, and so he is called the Lord of Lord's, the king of kings, & the prince of the kings of the earth, because he is Lord of all kingdoms and common wealths, to dispose and rule them at his pleasure, even as he is man, or else it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his body which is the Church here upon earth, by ceratine offices and ministries, which he hath appointed to be in his body, to wit the Church, for the gathering together of his Saints, for the work of his ministry, and the edification of his body. In both these regards, he is said in the day of judgment to deliver the kingdom unto his father. For whereas now, as he is Lord of kingdoms and common-vealthes he ruleth by the civil Magistrate, & other ways by his power, even in the midst of his enemies: he shall in the day of judgment put an ende unto this regiment, when all his enemies are put under his feet and so deliver the kingdom unto his Father. Again, because in the day of judgment when we are all met together, we shall not stand in need of any edification, & so the means thereof by the preaching of the word, the administration of the sacraments, &c. shall cease, the government of Christ also, as far as it is performed by these means shall cease. And so in this respect he is said to deliver the kingdom unto his father. For after that day, he will no longer govern and rule us which are the members of his body by means as he now doth: but he which is the Lamb, being in the midst of the throne of God, shall immediately govern us by himself, and bring us to the lively fountains of waters.

Now the kingdom of Christ being taken in this latter sense, for that government of the Church ordained under the new testament, whereby he which is the son being manifested in the flesh, to take upon him the regiment of his own house, doeth now from heaven by the operation of his spirit, guide and govern his Church, is such: as no part thereof must be administered by any offices, or officers, save only by those, whom in his word he hath appointed thereunto. The which case standeth upon such manifest grounds of aequitie and justice that their madness is apparantlie wicked, who go about to attempt the contrary. For seeing no office can have any place in the kingdom and body of Christ, viz. the Church, which is not a member thereof: and seeing our Savior Christ hath not left his Church imperfect, but absolute and complete of all hir members (otherwise he should be an imperfect builder of his house, and far more imperfect than Moses is said to be, the contrary whereof is testified of him in y ^e word) the enterprise is intolerable, that any man should add of his own invention unto that which is most perfect: & whereunto that which is added being impertinēt, must needs be altogether a burden unprofitable and noisome unto the body. Because our Savior who is the head of his body giveth life only unto the members of his own appointment & making: insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdom & body, those officers which were not ordained and appointed in the word of God to be therein: you bring in these things that appertain not unto the kingdom of Christ.

Now according unto these grounds, let us see unto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong, whether unto the government of christ or unto the kingdom of the beast. You see, if they apertaine unto the Church of Christ, that they wer ordained members thereof, in the written word & will of God. Here then we will not be the judges, let our adversaries speak thē selves: whether their offices be appointed in the new testament or not, for therein must they be mentioned, if they belong unto the kingdom of Christ, and are the members of his body. What will their answer be in this point? Surelie they must confess, that from the beginning of the new testament unto the latter end of it, there is not a word spoken of Ll. Arch b. and Bb. So that whensoever, or by whomsoever they had their original, they have it not from our Savior Christ and his word. Because he hath ordained no members of his body, and no offices of his Kingdom, since the written word of the new testament was penned. Whervpon we must needs conclude, that they belong not unto his kingdom. Nay, we go further and say, that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so far from having their callings warranted by the word, that their very names, much more their offices, are by the same made detestable and odious unto the church, as shall presently appear. As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great, that they & the purity of the gospel together with the liberty of the church, cannot stand together.

Concerning the purity of the Gospel, their callings pollute the same 2. manner of ways, and infringe the liberty of the church by as many. Firste they will be Ministers, and civil magistrates too, that is, they will be ministers of the kingdom of Christ, and the kingdom of the world all at once. Whereby they declare unto us, that they think it not sufficient to be as their master was, who affirmed his king dome not to be of this world: that is, that he was not manifested in the flesh, to intermeddle with the execution of civil functions: but to be ruler of a kingdom, that consisteth in another manner of government and dominion than the kingdoms of the world do. Whose example in this point, all his true ministers must needs follow, unless they will make a shameful defection from their master, unto whom (being here upon earth) though he were the lord of all his creatures, it had been unlawful, to have taken upon him the function of the civil magistrate. And therefore we read that when the multitude would have made him king, he withdrew himself out of the way, because that he was not sent hither to deal in any thing, but in the work of man's redemption: and so if as a Magistrate he had intermeddled with the dispensation of civil things, be had not contained himself within the limites of that calling, whereunto he was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Not that the calling of the Magistrate being God's ordinanceis a thing unlawful in itself, but that the Lord hath so appointed, that he which is to be the minister of the glad tidings of the gospel, cannot be the minister of civil justice and execution. By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracy & ministry, though proceeding both of them from the Lord, do yet flow from him in a diverse consideration and respect. For the civil magistrate is the Lord's liuetennant and messenger, in respect that the Lord is governor and ruler of all his creatures, and especially of men: and therefore hath appointed the civil magistracy, to keep them in that outward obedience, which he requireth at their hands. Now the minister is the Lord's messenger in another regard. viz. In respect that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation unto men, if they believe and obey his gospel. Unless therefore we would make the Lord, to be the Redeemer of mankind, in that respect that he is the Creator and the governor thereof, & so confound thedecree of the government of the creatures, with the decree and ordinance of man's redemption, we cannot without the breach of the Lord's holy will, confound these two callings together. And surly by how much the work of man's redemption from the eternal wrath of God, is more excellent, than the work of the creation and government of the creatures: by so much the more detestable and odious do they manifest themselves: who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconciliation made between God & man, do either utterly reject their ministry, because they think it to base, and gainlesse a calling: or else as a farther countenance unto the most glorious vocation under the funne, do add the civil magistracy there-unto. Whereby they show themselves indeed to have made a shameful apostasy from the doctrine and practice of our savior Christ and his Apostles. The weapons of whose warfare were not carnal, that is, not such as wherewith men by an arm of flesh, as by civil authority, improsonmēt, &c. brin g their matters to pass, but mighty in God to cast down holds, casting down the imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thoght unto the obedience of Christ. Here are the only weapons that our Savior Christ and his Apostles used, and the only weapons that are granted unto ministers, to overthrow the gayn-sayer. And as for the civil punishment of the obstinate, they must commit that unto the magistrate, who beareth not the sword in vain. For it is he and not the minister of the word, whom the Lord hath appointed to take revenge of him that doth evil. Now compare the dealings and practices of our bishops, and what weapons they use to encounter with those that stand against them, and you shall perceive that they have not only abused the force of that sword (which violentlie and wrong fully their predecessors wrested out of the maiestrats hand) to keep the church in bondage: but also that this confusion of the magistracy & ministry in one person (though the furtherance of the truth were intended thereby) cannot stand together with the sincerity of the gospel: the purity whereof also they have corrupted, in the tyrannous superiority, which they usurp both over their fellow Ministers, and also over the rest of the church, with no less breach of the ordinance of God, than the impeaching of the liberty of the church,

For the first point, to wit, of the superiority which they as ministers claim over the church & mess̄gers of Christ, it is intolerable tyrannous, & directly against a plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testament by our Savior Christ himself. The place is commonly known, and hath been cited for this purpose, I think by all those that ever dealt in this cause. And there arose also a strife among them (that is, among the disciples saith the text) which of them might seem to be the greatest, but he said unto them, the kings of the nations reign over them, and they that bear rule over them, are called gracious lords, but ye shall not be so. In which place we see the spirit of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself, to have plainly forbid̄ all his ministers, either to have any superiority & dominion over the church & their brethrē to rule any wise as Lord's & princes do, or yet to be so called. Where also three especial & monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expressly inhibited & forbidden. First, they will be ministers of the gospel, and yet be greater then their brethren, & rule over the church. Secondly, they will be ministers of the gospel, and yet bear rule like lords. Thridlie, they will be ministers of the gospel, and yet called lords. Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Savior christ, You shall not be so? That is, you my disciples shall be so far from having any superiority one over another after my departure, and so far from bearing rule as civil Magistrates, Princes and Lord's do: that you shall not be so called by any names or titles, that do carry with them the honor and the preeminence due unto princes and lords. They that bear rule over the nations saith our Savior, are called gracious lords, but ye shall not be so. Here we see plainly that he forbiddeth his disciples to bear the name whereunto preeminence is joined which may further appear, if we consider that in forbidding them to [kurieuein] that is, to rule like lords, he forbiddeth them also to be [kurious] viz. lords, as far as that name [kurios] is a title of worldly honor, preeminence and government, & no farther. And no farther I say, because the word [kurios] in the Greek tongue, (as also the word [adhon] in the hebrew, and [dominus] in latin,) signifieth a master, or Sir, as well as a Lord, which is proved, John 12.21 & 20.5. where Philip the apostle, & our Savior Christ (supposed by Maric to be the gardener) are called [kurici] sirs, or masters. In which sense it is not forbidden unto ministers to be called [kurioi.] Which I add to stop theynlearned and foolish cavils of our adversaries, who go about to prove it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue, which always are names of worldly honor and promotiō, in our common speech, as it were for them, to have the former greek, Hebrew, & latin names, attributed unto them. Which by the places before quoted, & to any man of understanding in the tongues appeareth to be a cavil unworthy the answer. And that our Savior Christ forbidding his ministers to [kurieuein] viz, to rule like lords, forbiddeth them also to be called Lord's, it is most clear in that other ways he should open a wide door unto the ambition and pride, of proud and ambitious men. For it is a far greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right have the dignity of a lord, to desire the name and title thereof: than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed. So that in forbidding his disciples to (kurieuein) bear rule as the lords of the nations do, he forbiddeth them also to be called and termed by their titles. I know what hath been objected by the Archb. unto these things, and will again be said, if it be not prevented: namely, that our Savior forbiddeth tyrannous lordship and tyrannous bearing of rule in the former place, & not just, upright, and lawful government. Where I beseech your Highness. to lend me your attention, & you shall see the intolerable boldness of this man in perverting the truth, who is not ashamed (whensoever it may be for his behoove) to teach points of doctrine mere directly against the words & mind of the Lord Jesus. I demand then of him, whether our Savior Christ did not in the place afore cited, so answer his disciples in the pointe whereof they doubted, as he did fully resolve them? He dares not deny it I am sure. For in pointes that are needful to be known & revealed, our Savior being demanded one thing doeth not frame his answer unto that whereof no question is made, and so leave his church vnsarisfied. What was the question then? Was it whether any of them should rule like a tyrant? was it whether any of them should gape after promotion? no such thing. For they knew well enough, that it was very gainlesse for them to demand of our savior which of them should be a tyrant? which of them should abuse his lawful superiority, or which of them should be an ambitious prelate? they knew well enough that he would allow no such dominiō and preeminence. Besides, the apostles (we may well think,) were not so blind, as to demand any such question of their master. Now then they demanding no such thing at his hands, to what end should he tell them, that they should not be tyrannous rulers? They made no question of any such matter, & therefore a resolution of that which they called not into controuersye, was nothing to the purpose, but left them as doubtful as they were before. Wherefore we are to conclude, that as the question was concerning lawful preeminence & bearing of rule, his negative answer being frained unto their question, denieth unto them, not only a tyrannous and an ambitious prelacy, whereof they made no question, but even that dominion & preeminence which of itself is lawful in thē, who by the ordinance of God are capable of it: to wit, in the civil magistrate. And whereas the Apostles dreaming of a worldly kingdom, might allege for themselves, that their demand was not altogether without ground, because they contended for no other superiority then was allowed off, in the rulers of wordly kingdoms: our master Christ answereth that objection, and telleth them, that although it be lawful for civil governors to bear rule over their fellow officers and colleagues, that is, over civil magistrates, and although it be lawful for them to bear lordlie rule and authority, and to have high stiles and titles, yet among you that are Ministers of the Gospel, it shall not be so saith he. And to persuade them hereunto, he bringeth in his own example, who came to serve and not to bear rule in the ministry of the new testament. Making it also known unto them, and to all his true ministers, that although they were according unto his example to serve, and not to exercise dominion all the time of their being upon earth in publishing the gospel, yet there was a kingdom prepared for them wherein they should have an especial preeminence. But as for any dominion here upon earth, if they would be his true disciples, they were to look for none, but to be as he was, and to take the Ministerye upon them on the same condition that he did. viz. to serve and not to bear rule therein.

Of all these things then we do conclude, that this threefold corruption of our Archb. and Bb. First, in usurping upon the government of the civil magistrate: secondly, in claming unto themselves those high names and titles, which belong unto worldly honors and promotions: lastly in the lordlie preeminence and superiority, which they usurp over the whole body of the Church, within their diocese in general, and over their fellow ministers in particular, is altogether a matter to be detested of all true Christians, as abhominable and odious in the presence of the Lord. And seeing our head Christ Jesus granteth unto his body this libertle, that all the members thereof should be servants and not lords therein, (as he himself did serve & not bear rule in the kingdom of the gospel) and hath given all true ministers this privilege, that none of them should rule over the other, it must needs be that this lordlyke government which our bishops arrogate unto themselves over the church of God and the Ministers of it, cannot in it self, though it were never abused, but be prejudicial unto the liberties of the church, and the ministers thereof.

Therefore my Ll. maintain the Hierarchy of Bb. as long as you will, you uphold thereby nothing else, but the tyranny and bondage of the church, together with a chief and an especial portion of the kingdom of Antichrist. For as this pestilent Hierarchy hath been proved, not to appertain unto the kingdom of Christ: so your Highness. are to know, that the same belongeth unto no other body, then unto that regiment whereof the son of perdition is the head. For unto the kingdom of Christ as you see, it doth not belong, to the kingdom of the world, that is, unto the civil magistracy it cannot appertain, for it would be accounted an ecclesiastical constitution, and not any civil regiment. To Muhammadism, or to any other heathenish Idolatry, it cannot belong, because it is only retained among those that pretend the name of Christ, and are either the true church in deed, or at the lease do wrongfully retain the name of the true church. Now unto the true church it doeth not belong, as we have already proved, because it is a government consisting of those offices, which the head never ordained to be in the body, and consisteth of such members, as would bear rule and not serve in the ministry of the Gospel. We must then place them in deed where of right they ought to be, that is in the false synagogue, which unjustly arrogateth unto it self, the name of the true church of God, and that is in the kingdom of Antichrist, the Pope: Whose kingdom must begin in the church of god and not among the heathen, as it was expressly fore told by the apostle Paul. Satan therefore being to lay the foundation of this antichristiā kingdom within the church and temple of God, that he might with more color afterwards pretend the name of the church, began by little and little to poison the ministers of the gospel with worldly promotion and superiority, and so from small beginnings brought the Hierarchye unto that height of pride wherein we see it at this day, not only in his own kingdom where he ruleth by his vicaz the Pope, but evē among us in the persons of our wicked Prelates. And although Satan was enforced to watch a long time, for his opportunity, ere he could bring the ministers of the gospel unto lordship & dominion, (for unto the time of Pope Silvester Rome itself was without any lordship atal) yet notwithstanding he was driven to work that in the Church, before ever he could advance the mā of sin unto the chair of iniquity. So that by means of this superioritye and worldly dominion of the ministers of the word, he began at the first to make the way for the in bringing of the mystery of iniquity. which as the holy ghost testifieth, began to manifest itself in the age of the apostles. And going on forward by degrees, he so strengthened these plants of his own grafting, that he made thē to be the instrnmentes by the strength and power whereof, he convaied the whole body (whereof they were the members) head and all, into the temple of God. For in these wicked offices of Archb. and Ll.Bb. the man of sin first began to manifest himself, & now he is especially upheld through no other power, but through their means, by whom also the whole kingdom of Idolatry and darkness under him is especially governed. For the inward parts of that kingdom, to wit, the pestilent errors whereby he poisoneth the world, would easily wyther and decay, were it not that they are fostered & nourished by these ruling members of Archb. & Bb Who although when they were first brought into the church (being therein ordained for good purposes as flesh & blood did imagine) they were not nor could not be discerned to be members of the Antichristian kingdom, because that mystery was not then made fully visible, yet ever since that body hath appeared, we know them to be members thereof in such sort, as wheresoever they are maintained, there the limbs and members of Antichrist are countenanced and upheld.

But we are not to think that Satan, by whom these offices of Archbishops and L. Bishops, were first invented, doeth at all times and places use them to the one and self same purpose, he knoweth full well, that he cannot always effect what he would do with them, and therefore he is content, until conveniencye be offered, to bestow them as he may. But always this is a ground, he hath some service for them in all ages. At the first planting of them, and long after that, he did not vohold open Idolatry, and manifest apostasy from Christ by their means, he could not do it, the times would not suffer him, who though other ways very corrupt, were yet far from that vile dishonor of God. Example hereof you may see in Pope Gregory the first of that name, and especially in all his predecessors, whose superioritye and dominion he could not so have at commandment, as he had the prelacy of all those that followed after him unto this day. And yet had he his turns to bring to pass by their superiority, though the most of them were undoubtedly God's dear children. For he used their places, as steps and degrees to advance Antichrist into his throne. Now in that kingdom of the man of sin, since Rome became the cage of every unclean beast, and the very receptacle of Devils, he hath the Hierarchy at his own commandment, to accomplish his own will by it unto the full. So can he not have it in England at this day. The time will not suffer it, her Majesty and our state will not bear it, and yet notwithstanding he worketh by these Antichristian offices very mightily as we see, in staying the course of the gospel, and the establishing of the kingdom of darkness: though not by means of any public Idolatry, yet by the maintenance of ignorance & blindness, and by the oppression of the church.

And in earth, not simply as he is the second person in trinity, God above all, blessed for evermore, but as he is the son manifested in the flesh, Christ god and man, and so the head of his Church. In respect of this regiment of his, the word of God speaketh of his kingdom 2. manner of ways: first it maketh the same to be everlasting: secondly it considereth of it as it is temporary and to remain for a time. In the former respect it cannot possible any ways decay. Of this eternal kingdom of his the Angel Gabriel spake unto the holy Virgin Marie, after this sort: Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bear a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, & shall be called the son of the most high, & the Lord God shall give unto him the thron of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom shall be none ende. Concerning the latter regard of his kingdom, the holy Apostle Paul writeth in these words. Then shall be the end, when he hath delivered the kingdom unto God, even the Father, when he hath put down all rule and authority, and power: for he must reign until he hath put all his enemies under his feet. Where the Apostle speaketh of the kingdom of Christ as it is temporary, and to continue only unto the day of judgment & no longer. Now this temporary regiment of his, is also of 2. several considerations. For the word speaketh of our savior Christ and his government, either as he hath all power in heaven and earth committed unto him, and so he is called the Lord of Lord's, the king of kings, & the prince of the kings of the earth, because he is Lord of all kingdoms and common wealths, to dispose and rule them at his pleasure, even as he is man, or else it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his body which is the Church here upon earth, by certain offices and ministries, which he hath appointed to be in his body, to wit the Church, for the gathering together of his Saints, for the work of his ministry, and the edification of his body. In both these regards, he is said in the day of judgment to deliver the kingdom unto his father. For whereas now, as he is Lord of kingdoms and common vealthes he ruleth by the civil Magistrate, & other ways by his power, even in the midst of his enemies: he shall in the day of judgment put an ende unto this regiment, when all his enemies are put under his feet and so deliver the kingdom unto his Father. Again, because in the day of judgment when we are all met together, we shall not stand in need of any edification, & so the means thereof by the preaching of the word, the administration of the sacraments, &c. shall cease, the government of Christ also, as far as it is performed by these means shall cease. And so in this respect he is said to deliver the kingdom unto his father. For after that day, he will no longer govern and rule us which are the members of his body by means as he now doth: but he which is the Lamb, being in the midst of the throne of God, shall immediately govern us by himself, and bring us to the lively fountains of waters.

Now the kingdom of Christ being taken in this latter sense, for that government of the Church ordained under the new testament, whereby he which is the son being manifested in the flesh, to take upon him the regiment of his own house, doeth now from heaven by the operation of his spirit, guide and govern his Church, is such: as no part thereof must be administered by any offices, or officers, save only by those, whom in his word he hath appointed thereunto. The which case standeth upon such manifest grounds of aequitie and justice that their madness is apparantlie wicked, who go about to attempt the contrary. For seeing no office can have any place in the kingdom and body of Christ, viz. the Church, which is not a member thereof: and seeing our Savior Christ hath not left his Church imperfect, but absolute and complete of all hir members (otherwise he should be an imperfect builder of his house, and far more imperfect than Moses is said to be, the contrary whereof is testified of him in y ^e word) the enterprise is intolerable, thatanie man should add of his own invention unto that which is most perfect: & whereunto that which is added being impertinēt, must needs be altogether a burden unprofitable and noisome unto the body. Because our Savior who is the head of his body giveth life only unto the members of his own appointment & making: insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdom & body, those officers which were not ordained and appointed in the word of God to be therein: you bring in these things that appertain not unto the kingdom of Christ.

Now according unto these grounds, let us see unto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong, whether unto the government of christ or unto the kingdom of the beast. You see, if they apertaine unto the Church of Christ, that they wer ordained members thereof, in the written word & will of God. Here then we will not be the judges, let our adversaries speak thē selves: whether their offices be appointed in the new testament or not, for therein must they be mentioned, if they belong unto the kingdom of Christ, and are the members of his body. What will their answer be in this point? Surelie they must confess, that from the beginning of the new testament unto the latter end of it, there is not a word spoken of Ll. Archb. and Bb. So that whensoever, or by whomsoever they had their original, they have it not from our Savior Christ and his word. Because he hath ordained no members of his body, and no offices of his Kingdom, since the written word of the new testament was penned. Whervpon we must needs conclude, that they belong not unto his kingdom. Nay, we go further and say, that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so far from having their callings warranted by the word, that their very names, much more their offices, are by the same made detestable and odious unto the church, as shall presently appear. As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great, that they & the purity of the gospel together with the liberty of the church, cannot stand together.

Concerning the purity of the Gospel, their callings pollute the same 2. manner of ways, and infringe the liberty of the church by as many. Firste they will be Ministers, and civil magistrates too, that is, they will be ministers of the kingdom of Christ, and the kingdom of the world all at once. Whereby they declare unto us, that they think it not sufficient to be as their master was, who affirmed his kingdom not to be of this world: that is, that he was not manifested in the flesh, to intermeddle with the execution of civil functions: but to be ruler of a kingdom, that consisteth in another manner of government and dominion than the kingdoms of the world do. Whose example in this point, all his true ministers must needs follow, unless they will make a shameful defection from their master, unto whom (being here upon earth) though he were the lord of all his creatures, it had been unlawful, to have taken upon him the function of the civil magistrate. And therefore we read that when the multitude would have made him king, he withdrew himself out of the way, because that he was not sent hither to deal in any thing, but in the work of man's redemption: and so if as a Magistrate he had intermeddled with the dispensation of civil things, he had not contained himself within the limites of that calling, whereunto he was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Not that the calling of the Magistrate being God's ordinance is a thing unlawful in itself, but that the Lord hath so appointed, that he which is to be the minister of the glad tidings of the gospel, cannot be the minister of civil justice and execution. By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracy & ministry, though proceeding both of them from the Lord, do yet flow from him in a diverse consideration and respect. For the civil magistrate is the Lord's liuetennant and messenger, in respect that the Lord is governor and ruler of all his creatures, and especially of men: and therefore hath appointed the civil magistracy, to keep them in that outward obedience, which he requjreth at their hands. Now the minister is the Lord's messenger in another regard. viz. In respect that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation unto men, if they believe and obey his gospel. Unless therefore we would make the Lord, to be the Redeemer of mankind, in that respect that he is the Creator and the governor thereof, & so confound the decree of the government of the creatures, with the decree and ordinance of man's redemption, we cannot without the breach of the Lord's holy will, confound these two callings together. And surly by how much the work of man's redemption from the eternal wrath of God, is more excellent, than the work of the creation and government of the creatures: by so much the more detestable and odious do they manifest themselves: who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconciliation made between God & man, do either utterly reject their ministry, because they think it to base, and gainlesse a calling: or else as a farther countenance unto the most glorious vocation under the sun, dee add the civil magistracy there-unto. Whereby they show themselves indeed to have made a shameful apostasy from the doctrine and practice of our savior Christ and his Apostles. The weapons of whose warfare were not carnal, that is, not such as wherewith men by an arm of flesh, as by civil authority, improsonmēt, &c. bring their matters to pass, but mighty in God to cast down holds, casting down the imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thoght unto the obedience of Christ. Here are the only weapons that our Savior Christ and his Apostles used, and the only weapons that are granted unto ministers, to overthrow the gayn-sayer. And as for the civil punishment of the obstinate, they must commit that unto the magistrate, who beareth not the sword in vain. For it is he and not the minister of the word, whom the Lord hath appointed to take revenge of him that doth evil. Now compare the dealings and practices of our bishops, and what weapons they use to encounter with those that stand against them, and you shall perceive that they have not only abused the force of that sword (which violentlie and wrongfullye their predecessors wrested out of the maiestrats hand) to keep the church in bondage: but also that this confusion of the magistracy & ministry in one person (though the furtherance of the truth were intended thereby) cannot stand together with the sincerity of the gospel: the purity whereof also they have corrupted, in the tyrannous superiority, which they usurp both over their fellow Ministers, and also over the rest of the church, with no less breach of the ordinance of God, than the impeaching of the liberty of the church,

For the first point, to wit, of the superiority which they as ministers claim over the church & mess̄gers of Christ, it is intolerable tyrannous, & directly againsta plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testament by our Savior Christ himself. The place is commonly known, and hath been cited for this purpose, I think by all those that ever dealt in this cause. And there arose also a strife among them (that is, among the disciples saith the text) which of them might seem to be the greatest, but he said unto them, the kings of the nations reign over them, and they that bear rule over them, are called gracious lords, but ye shall not be so. In which place we see the spirit of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself, to have plainly forbid̄ all his ministers, either to have any superiority & dominion over the church & their brethrē to rule any wise as Lord's & princes do, or yet to be so called. Where also three especial & monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expressly inhibited & forbidden. First, they will be ministers of the gospel, and yet be greater then their brethren, & rule over the church. Secondly, they will be ministers of the gospel, and yet bear rule like lords. Thridlie, they will be ministers of the gospel, and yet called lords. Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Sauiourchrist, You shall not be so? That is, you my disciples shall be so far from having any superiority one over another after my departure, and so far from bearing rule as civil Magistrates, Princes and Lord's do: that you shall not be so called by any names or titles, that do carry with them the honor and the preeminence due unto princes and lords. They that bear rule over the nations saith our Savior, are called gracious lords, but ye shall not be so. Here we see plainly that he forbiddeth his disciples to bear the name whereunto preeminence is joined which may further appear, if we consider that in forbidding them to [kurieuein] that is, to rule like lords, he forbiddeth them also to be [kurious] viz. lords, as far as that name [kurios] is a title of worldly honor, preeminence and government, & no farther. And no farther I say, because the word [kurios] in the Greek tongue, (as also the word [adhon] in the hebrew, and [dominus] in latin,) signifieth a master, or Sir, as well as a Lord, which is proved, John 12.21 & 20.5. where Philip the apostle, & our Savior Christ (supposed by Marie to be the gardener) are called [kurici] sirs, or masters. In which sense it is not forbidden unto ministers to be called [kurioi.] Which I add to stop the unlearned and foolish cavils of our adversaries, who go about to prove it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue, which always are names of worldly honor and promotiō, in our common speech, as it were for them, to have the former greek, Hebrew, & latin names, attributed unto them. Which by the places before quoted, & to any man of understanding in the tongues appeareth to be a cavil unworthy the answer. And that our Savior Christ forbidding his ministers to [kurieuein] viz, to rule like lords, forbiddeth them also to be called Lord's, it is most clear in that other ways he should open a wide door unto the ambition and pride, of proud and ambitious men. For it is a far greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right have the dignity of a lord, to desire the name and title thereof: than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed. So that in forbidding his disciples to (kurieuein) bear rule as the lords of the nations do, he forbiddeth them also to be called and termed by their titles. I know what hath been objected by the Archb. unto these things, and will again be said, if it be not prevented: namely, that our Savior forbiddeth tyrannous lordship and tyrannous bearing of rule in the former place, & not just, upright, and lawful government. Where I beseech your Highness to lend me your attention, & you shall see the intolerable boldness of this man in perverting the truth, who is not ashamed (whensoever it may be for his behoove) to teach points of doctrine mere directly against the words & mind of the Lord Jesus. I demand then of him, whether our Savior Christ did not in the place afore cited, so answer his disciples in the pointe whereof they doubted, as he did fully resolve them? He dares not deny it I am sure. For in pointes that are needful to be known & revealed, our Savior being demanded one thing doeth not frame his answer unto that whereof no question is made, and so leave his church unsatisfied. What was the question then? Was it whether any of them should rule like a tyrant? was it whether any of them should gape after promotion? no such thing. For they knew well enough, that it was very gainlesse for them to demand of our savior which of them should be a tyrant? which of them should abuse his lawful superiority, or which of them should be an ambitious prelate? they knew well enough that he would allow no such dominiō and preeminence. Besides, the apostles (we may well think,) were not so blind, as to demand any such question of their master. Now then they demanding no such thing at his hands, to what end should he tell them, that they should not be tyrannous rulers? They made no question of any such matter, & therefore a resolution of that which they called not into controuersye, was nothing to the purpose, but left them as doubtful as they were before. Wherefore we are to conclude, that as the question was concerning lawful preeminence & bearing of rule, his negative answer being frained unto their question, denieth unto them, not only a tyrannous and an ambitious prelacy, whereof they made no question, but even that dominion & preeminence which of itself is lawful in thē, who by the ordinance of God are capable of it: to wit, in the civil magistrate. And whereas the Apostles dreaming of a worldly kingdom, might allege for themselves, that their demand was not altogether without ground, because they contended for no other superiority then was allowed off, in the rulers of wordly kingdoms: our master Christ answereth that objection, and telleth them, that although it be lawful for civil governors to bear rule over their fellow officers and colleagues, that is, over civil magistrates, and although it be lawful for them to bear lordlie rule and authority, and to have high stiles and titles, yet among you that are Ministers of the Gospel, it shall not be so saith he. And to persuade them hereunto, he bringeth in his own example, who came to serve and not to bear rule in the ministry of the new testament. Making it also known unto them, and to all his true ministers, that although they were according unto his example to serve, and not to exercise dominion all the time of their being upon earth in publishing the gospel, yet there was a kingdom prepared for them wherein they should have an especial preeminence. But as for any dominion here upon earth, if they would be his true disciples, they were to look for none, but to be as he was, and to take the Ministerye upon them on the same condition that he did. viz. to serve and not to bear rule therein.

Of all these things then we do conclude, that this threefold corruption of our Archb. and Bb. First, in usurping upon the government of the civil magistrate: secondly, in claiming unto themselves those high names and titles, which belong unto worldly honors and promotions: lastly in the lordlie preeminence and superiority, which they usurp over the whole body of the Church, within their diocese in general, and over their fellow ministers in particular, is altogether a matter to be detested of all true Christians, as abhominable and odious in the presence of the Lord. And seeing our head Christ Jesus granteth unto his body this libertle, that all the members thereof should be servants and not lords therein, (as he himself did serve & not bear rule in the kingdom of the gospel) and hath given all true ministers this privilege, that none of them should rule over the other, it must needs be that this lordlyke government which our bishops arrogate unto themselves over the church of God and the Ministers of it, cannot in it self, though it were never abused, but be prejudicial unto the liberties of the church, and the ministers thereof.

Therefore my Ll. maintain the Hierarchy of Bb. as long as you will, you uphold thereby nothing else, but the tyranny and bondage of the church, together with a chief and an especial portion of the kingdom of Antichrist. For as this pestilent Hierarchy hath been proved, not to appertain unto the kingdom of Christ: so your Highness. are to know, that the same belongeth unto no other body, then unto that regiment whereof the son of perdition is the head. For unto the kingdom of Christ as you see, it doth not belong, to the kingdom of the world, that is, unto the civil magistracy it cannot appertain, for it would be accounted an ecclesiastical constitution, and not any civil regiment. To Muhammadism, or to any other heathenish Idolatry, it cannot belong, because it is only retained among those that pretend the name of Christ, and are either the true church in deed, or at the lease do wrongfully retain the name of the true church. Now unto the true church it doeth not belong, as we have already proved, because it is a government consisting of those offices, which the head never ordained to be in the body, and consisteth of such members, as would bear rule and not serve in the ministry of the Gospel. We must then place them in deed where of right they ought to be, that is in the false synagogue, which unjustly arrogateth unto it self, the name of the true church of God, and that is in the kingdom of Antichrist, the Pope: Whose kingdom must begin in the church of god and not among the heathen, as it was expressly fore told by the apostle Paul. Satan therefore being to lay the foundation of this antichristiā kingdom within the church and temple of God, that he might with more color afterwards pretend the name of the church, began by little and little to poison the ministers of the gospel with worldly promotion and superiority, and so from small beginnings brought the Hierarchye unto that height of pride wherein we see it at this day, not only in his own kingdom where he ruleth by his vicar the Pope, but evē among us in the persons of our wicked Prelates. And although Satan was enforced to watch a long time, for his opportunity, ere he could bring the ministers of the gospel unto lordship & dominion, (for unto the time of Pope Silvester Rome itself was without any lordship at all) yet notwithstanding he was driven to work that in the Church, before ever he could advance the mā of sin unto the chair of iniquity. So that by means of this superioritye and worldly dominion of the ministers of the word, he began at the first to make the way for the in bringing of the mystery of iniquity: which as the holy ghost testifieth, began to manifest itself in the age of the apostles. And going on forward by degrees, he so strengthened these plants of his own grafting, that he made thē to be the instrnmentes by the strength and power whereof, he convaied the whole body (whereof they were the members) head and all, into the temple of God. For in these wicked offices of Archb. and Ll. Bb. the man of sin first began to manifest himself, & now he is especially upheld through no other power, but through their means, by whom also the whole kingdom of Idolatry and darkness under him is especially governed. For the inward parts of that kingdom, to wit, the pestilent errors whereby he poisoneth the world, would easily wyther and decay, were it not that they are fostered & nourished by these ruling members of Archb. & Bb Who although when they were first brought into the church (being therein ordained for good purposes as flesh & blood did imagine) they were not nor could not be discerned to be members of the Antichristian kingdom, because that mystery was not then made fully visible, yet ever since that body hath appeared, we know them to be members thereof in such sort, as wheresoever they are maintained, there the limbs and members of Antichrist are countenanced and upheld.

But we are not to think that Satan, by whom these offices of Archbishops and L. Bishops, were first invented, doeth at all times and places use them to the one and self same purpose, he knoweth full well, that he cannot always effect what he would do with them, and therefore he is content, until conveniencye be offered, to bestow them as he may. But always this is a ground, he hath some service for them in all ages. At the first planting of them, and long after that, he did not vohold open Idolatry, and manifest apostasy from Christ by their means, he could not do it, the times would not suffer him, who though other ways very corrupt, were yet far from that vile dishonor of God. Example hereof you may see in Pope Gregory the first of that name, and especially in all his predecessors, whose superioritye and dominion he could not so have at commandment, as he had the prelacy of all those that followed after him unto this day. And yet had he his turns to bring to pass by their superiority, though the most of them were undoubtedly God's dear children. For he used their places, as steps and degrees to advance Antichrist into his throne. Now in that kingdom of the man of sin, since Rome became the cage of every unclean beast, and the very receptacle of Devils, he hath the Hierarchy at his own commandment, to accomplish his own will by it unto the full. So can he not have it in England at this day. The time will not suffer it, her Majesty and our state will not bear it, and yet notwithstanding he worketh by these Antichristian offices very mightily as we see, in staying the course of the gospel, and the establishing of the kingdom of darkness: though not by means of any public Idolatry, yet by the maintenance of ignorance & blindness, and by the oppression of the church.

And they are greatly deceived who think the members of the Antichristian kingdom to serve the Devil in no stead, when they are not joined with their head, and when he maintayneth not open wars against Christ Jesus by their means: It is far otherwise. For he knoweth even under the profession of the gospel, howe to employ them to his singular advantage, as well as in the kingdom of the Pope, and even to the same purposes very often̄. For we know that the sway which he beareth in Babylon it self, by Archb. and Ll. Bb. consists not only in maintaining the open impicties, I dolatry & errors which are there held, but a great part of his working power in them, showeth it self, in suppressing the truth, and in the tyrannous upholding of those poor souls in miserable darcknesse, who would gladly be at the light, were it not that they are kept in bondage and slavery, by means of his foresaid instruments. The like use hath he for Archb. and Ll. Bb. in England at this day. Where he defendeth errors, maintaineth ignorance, hindereth the truth, and oppresseth the church, yea & persecuteth the Saints of God to the loss of their goods, and their liberty, and even unto the blood by their power. And if he cannot as yet tread down the civil magistrate and erect open Idolatry by thē, it is because his time is not yet come. For as I said, hir Majesty and our state can brook no such thing. And I do think that the men who exercise these Antichristian offices amongst us, would be hardly gotten to afford him their help in these cases. But when her Majesty (whose life the Lord continue unto his glory, the good of his church, & hir own comfort) is gone the way of all the world, & when our estate is some-thing more infected with popery then as yet it is, and so the favorers of that Idolatry are crept into the seats of Archb. and Bb. see whether these members will not desire to be joined with their head? It cannot be otherwise. For the Devil by whom they were first instituted hath this purpose in retaining them in the true church: that by their means when he findeth his opportunity he may, either bring the church, over whom they rule, from the obedience of Christ Jesus, unto the bondage and slavery of Antichrist, or else murder those that will not yield unto that Idol. He hath always held this course. King Edward & Queen Mary's days do testify this unto us. And we may well think, that as when these members were first planted in the church, (though the Archb. of Rome himself a long time maintained true religion in far better state, than the Archb. of Cant. doeth now) they never ceased until they were joined with Antichrist their head, and had carried the true church captive with them unto the same abomination: so now being cut off from their head, they will not be quiet until again they be engraffed into their proper and natural body.

Now that they are the members of that body & not of the kingdom of Christ besides all that hath been spokē, this reason may serve instead of many. Namely, that Satan never thinketh himself to have fully erected Popery, until such time as he hath established the Hierarchye of Lord Bishops. For whereas popery consists of 2. especially pointes, viz. the false religion, and the false government of that synagogue, neither of those partes can be away where that kingdom is complete & absolute.

Entertaine the false religion of the pope, & deny the receiving of the hierarchy, ye do not fully yield unto popery, & submit yourselves fully unto the Antichristian kingdom. On the other side, receive the religion of Christ, together with the government by pastors, doctors, elders, & deacons, which he hath appointed in his word, and you do fully entertain whatsoever belongeth unto the kingdom of the gospel, though you never know what the hierarchy of Bb. doth mean: which could not be true, if the hierarchye belonged unto that kingdom of Christ. Seeing then that the kingdom of Christ, and true religion may be absolute & perfect, though the offices of Ll. Archb. and Bb. be not joined thereunto: and seeing that where these are not retained, some part of Popery is wanting: it followeth that L. Archb. and Bb. do appertain unto the regiment of the beast and his Idolatry, & not unto the religion and kingdom of Christ. The consequence whereof is, that they who labor and strive for the maintenance of those coruptions in our church, labor and strive for the upholding of a part of the kingdom of Antichrist the pope. The continuance of whose members amongst us, serveth to no other purpose, then to keep possession, until the head hath gotten him sufficient force, to invade both the true church of God, and the throne of the civil Magistrate in our kingdom. And surely if this Hierarchy, under whose wings Popery hath grown so fast within these 20 years, doth stand any long time in England, I look for no other effect to come from it but these two. First a toleration for men to profess popish Idolatry. Secondly, upon the grant hereof, I look that by little & little the state of her Majesty's crown (which the Lord forbid,) should be brought in bondage under the Antichristiā authority of the pope. If you grant the former, the latter must needs follow. For let it once be seen that popery hath gotten such strength among us, that after 31. years banishment, we have been violentlie enforced & compelled to receive the same again into our bosoms, and you shall then perceive, that it will be an easy matter for the Pope and his hirelings, to bring the crown of England to stoup unto Antichrists Miter. And as the lykly ruin of hir Majesty's estate must needs ensue upon the quiet profession of popery, within any parte of her dominions: so out of question the continuance of this Hierarchye will so increase the number of Papists among us, that of force (whether we will or not) they will have the liberty of their idolatrous consciences in their Idol service. They that know howe their number have augmented within these 16. years in our state, and how Satan hath framed his instruments meet for this purpose, may easily judge that there is some reason, why this fear should be conceived. The members never think them selves well placed, when they are not annexed unto the head. Either then remove these members, or undoubtedly they will one day, bring whatsoever is committed unto their government, and make the same subject & thrall unto that head, for the service whereof they them-selves were appointed.

Where it is said, that the offices of Archb. and Bb. cannot stand in the church, without the infringing of the liberties thereof, and that they are menbers of the body of Antichrist, I know it will be objected, that many good men (even since the last revealing of the gospel) supplied these places: as M. Cranmer, M. Hooper, M. Latimer, M. Ridley, M. Bale, &c. whom if we should account either to be usurpers over their fellow brethren, and the rest of the church of God in their time, or to have continued in Antichristian callings, the matter will be thought strange, and hardly taken. Whervnto the answer is this. That for their callings, it cannot be denied but they were the offices of the Antichristian kingdom. And for the men themselves, they could not possiblye any ways continue in them without the breach of God's ordinance, and the impeaching of the libetties of the Church in some measure. For in some sort they did rather bear rule than serve in the ministry of the gospel. And yet notwithstanding all these imperfections, we think these men to have been such, as for whom we are to give the Lord hearty thanks (not that they were Ll. Bishops, but that they faithfully labored in the ministry of the gospel, and sealed the same with their blood. In respect whereof also we account their memory to be blessed and reverend amongst posterities. But what is all this unto the Bishops of England at this day? Are they Latimers? Are they Cranmer's, Ridleyes, Hoopers? Though for some causes I could wish they were, yet I thank God frō my heart that they are not. For then their Hierarchy would not so soon fall to the ground, as now I hope it will. But alas it may grieve any Christian heart, to consider the differences that are between these upstart corrupt tyrants, that now reign over our church, & those ancient sincere fathers. Compare them together, but only in one pointe, and you shall see how lamentablie they differ.

Those reverend men of God, M. Cranmer, M. Latimer, M. Hooper, &c. having by great striving recovered our church (though a dead church) out of the hands of tyrannous murderers, labored by all means possible to put life into it by the preching of the word, that being alive, & made strong they might also restore it unto liberty. Our Bb. on the other side what do they? Surely rather then the church under their jurisdictions should recover hir liberty, their whole care is how they may murder the same. I sclander them not. For rather than they will suffer any to be over gods people, who doth instruct them in those things that concern the lyberty of the church, and the tyranny of the popish government, they will violently thrust all such teachers from their flocks, and place Idols in their stead. And what is this else, but to murder the church, rather than it should not be in bondage unto them. For they that bereave the church of the word preached, take away the very life thereof. The words that I have spoken (saith our Savior) are spirit and life. And I appeal in this place unto the consciences of our Prelates: whether if all the prechers in England sought the overthrow of their hierarchy, they would not thrust thē all out of their places, rather then the church should be delivered from their antichristian jurisdiction. It is plain they would. For B. Cooper maketh the putting down of Ll. Bb. to be the plain overthrow of the church. And reading is preaching saith the Archb. Better then for the church to stand by these quiet reading murderers, then to be overturned by seditious teachers. The case therefore is manifest, that they love our church so well, as rather than they should not bear rule therein, they will see the heart blood of it: that being thereby tamed, it may content itself with any tolerable servitude. Look then what difference there may be between desperate murderers, & the careful physicians of men's souls, between merciless tyrants, and the pitiful fathers of the church. & the very same difference shall you find, between our Antichristian Prelates now living and those reverend fathers afore-named. And that the world may see how these our tyrants have adulterated & corrupted religion in Engl. (within these 20 years especially) from the purity, wherein it was left unto us, not only in the writings of our Savior Christ & his apostles, but even in their writings, whose steps our Bb. bear the world in hand that they do more nearly follow. I mean by the favor & assistance of my God, to make it known ere it belong in a peculiar treatise written for that special purpose.

To return unto your Highness. again: you see by this time, how detestable the offices of L. Archb. and Bb. are in the presence of the Lord God: & you see that he accounteth a church government exercised by them to be accursed before his Majesty, because they are the members of Antichrists body, because they bear rule like Lord's, & serve not as ministers in the church. Now, do you think him & his word to be enemies unto our state, because they ar of this judgment? I hope you do not. How cometh it then to pass, that you allow not us to subscribe unto that truth which the Lord doth maintain? Is it because our assertions ar dangerous unto the state? that cannot be, unless you account the Lord an enemy thereunto: for we affirm nothing, but that which he hath given us commission to utter. Or is it because we behave our selves seditiously in our message? that cannot be proved. For the men who are most severely punished for favoring this cause, have & do carry themselves as peaceably, & dutifully towards her Ma ^tie and the state, as any of their quality within the whole kingdom whosoever. Ad mit it were otherwise: is it reason that you should reject the cause of God, for the faults of men? Will you deal unjustly with the Lord, because we deal undutifully with the state? If we be found any wise guilty punish our misdemenor, but grant the cause. If you yield not thereunto, what do you else in laying hands upon us, but manifest your hatred unto gods truth & his people, & the love you bear unto the antichristian hierarchy. Either then my Ll. you must needs publish your enmity unto the Lord & his kingdom, or you can no longer countenance these murthering Antichristian prelates, and their bloody train. The case of England is now become lamentable, when the state thereof under the Gospel, is said any wise to consist in these pestilent corruptions, which ever since they first sprang up in the church of God, have been unto this day, gainsaied by the most sincere professors therein.

The government of the church by bishops, began not before the year 607. as that reverend learned man M. Bale, being a bishop himself in King Edwards dapes, hath set down: his words in English ar these: From the year 607. the Church began to be ruled by the polity and government of Bishops. which government was especially devised and invented by the monks, &c. The testimony of M. Bale is true. For in this age everye particular Church, was governed by the Bishop, the elders & deacons, &c. as the authors of the Centuries do witness. And although long cre this time many bare the names of archb. & Bb. yet was not the church at their commandment as it is now, neither could they abide this superiority which our Bb. do exercise one over another, as it appeareth by a synod kept here in England, where this preeminence was utterly condemned. And it is here especially to be observed, that in this age the name of B was common unto all ministers (corruptly called priests) of the word and sacraments. For Pope Gregory invaieth against y ^e priests of his time, who for bribes did ordain bishops: and he advyseth Ianuarius to choose B. where priests were wanting. Again, Lawrence archb. of Cant. anno 615. together with his fellow bishops, that is, the priests of Brytain (saith Beda) wrote unto the Scots. By these and the like places we see the name bishop to have been common unto all the ministers of the word 300. years after the second Nicene Counsel.

Now that we know the original of these corruptions: let us briefly see how from time to time, they have been gainsaid in the church. First of all the ancient Brytones or Welshmen unto the year 730. did altogether detest whatsoever Romish invention Augustine the monk planted among the Saxons and therefore they allowed not this government of bishops. Whervpon Adelhelmus a learned westsaxon, but a favorer of the regiment of Antichrist, wrote against them. Secondly a synod held in France under Carolomannus, ordained that every city should have hir B. And Carolomannus himself found fault with the pope, because he sought after worldly dominiō. Not long after his time Claudius Taurinensis an Italian B. wrote against the primacy of y ^e pope, & rebuked him for neglecting his own function. In the synod of Macer the civil & ecclesiastical callings are so distinguished, that one person cannot be capable of both. Valtram B. of Noremberg, wrote against the civil jurisdiction of the ministry: so did Sigelbert y ^e monk. Anselm archb. of Cant. taught that a B. ought no more to intermeddle with the civil sword, than the king with the ecclesiastical. And he decreed in a synod held at London, that no spiritual person should sit in any secular office. Wherevpon M. Fox demandeth how Stephen Gardener could be L. Chancelor of England, & so we upon the like ground, would know how the archb. of Cant can be president of the counsel? To omit Otho Frisingensis who was of Anselmus mind, we will come to the Waldēses. Their doctrine was, that the pope ought not to deal in civil causes, and that all ministers were of equal authority. Here then the reader is to understand, that we hold nothing in this cause against the Bb. but that which y ^e true visible church of God, have maintained now for the space of more then 400. years. For the Waldenses (who yet remain, as it appeareth by their letters to M. Calvin, & his unto them) have been a true visible church, these 430 years. Let the B. bring but this warrant for their hrerarchy, and we will yield.

I am enforced to be short, and only to name (not all) but the chief of the ages following that oppugned the corruptions of our B. Williā Ockam and Marsis • , Patauinus, the greatest learned men of their time, wrote against the civil jurisdiction of the pope. In whose time Philip the french king held a parliament, wherein one of his counselors proved out of the word against the Bishops, that they ought not to deal in civil causes. John Hus was burned at the counsel of Constance, because among other points he defended all ministers to be of equal authority And John Claydon was burned at London the sometime, because he defended a book, wherein Archb. were proved to be the seats of antichrist. At the counsel of Basil the Ambassadors of the Bohem. proved all civil rule to be forbidden the clearpy by the word. M. • uthers judgment who was borne not many years after this counsel is sufficiently known. Our own martyrs as M. Tyndale, M. Barns, M Hooper, have so disliked this government of Bb. as no men more. This doctrine of theirs being according unto the word, they sealed with their blood, and is now acknowledged the doctrine of our church.

The conclusion of all is this: that unless our state-men will reject god and his word, and allow the spilling of the blood of his holy saints and martyrs: they cannot pretend unto be enemies unto the state, for seeking the overthrow of the government of L. Arch and Bb. withal the corruptions annexed the revnto.

The second; art of this book remaineth behind, which shall be published as soon as the Lord will grant me opportunitye. I have been 〈◊〉 forced for some causes to end this more abruptly than I would have wished. If thou fauorest the cause (reader) thou wilt bear with, 〈◊〉 fault, if thou art an adversary thereunto, thou will think too much already spoken, and so by abrupt silence, (compared with that which I have spoken,) to be no fault at all.