The Argument.Argument

TO inflict puniſhment upon evill doers is no unholy thing; But the troubers of the Church and State are evill doers; therefore Lordly Biſhops being troublers of the Church and State; it muſt needes appeare that they are evill doers.Concluſiion And ſo it muſt needes of conſequence follow, that to inflict puniſhment upon the offending Lordly Biſhops it is no unholy thing, but lawfull, juſt, and right.

To prove that it is lawfull to puniſh evill doers, Saint Peter ſaith, That we ought to ſubmit our ſelves to the King, and to the governors ſet over us by him for the puniſhment of evill doers, 1 Peter 2.13.14. And Saint Paul ſaith, If thou doe that which is evill be afraid, for hee beareth not the ſword in vaine; for he is a miniſter of God, and a revenger to execute wrath upon that man that doth evill, Rom. 13.4.

To prove that the troublers of the Church and State are evill doers. The Prophet Ieremie ſaith, that the Lord is againſt them that Propheſie falſe dreames, and doe tell them, and cauſe the people to erre by their lies, and by their lightneſſe, as it is Ieremiah 23.32. And how have our Lordly Biſhops and Prelates propheſied falſe dreames, and endeavored to corrupt the Church with errours; and by their lies and lightneſſe troubled the whole land (nay, all the Kings Dominions, from conſideration whereof,Theodoretus, • ooke 1. cap. • 0. The office of Biſhop. that ſaying of Conſtantine is no more but juſtice, If the Biſhops (ſaith he) move troubles, by my hand they ſhall bee put • i •• ed, for my hand is the hand of Gods Miniſter.

The office of a Biſhop is to teach the People truth; and to inſtruct them in the waies of peace and love; Therefore our Lordly Biſhops who have ſet up lies and falſhoods in ſtead of Truthes, and have moved troubles in ſtead of Peace and Love? have much abuſed that holy office unto which they pretend they are called.

• eaſon.The Reaſon (why to inflict puniſhment upon the offending Lordly Biſhops is no unholy thing) is plaine: Becauſe the Lordly Biſhops are movers of troubles in the Church and State.

• ow they •• ve trou •• ed the • hurch.I. They have beene movers of troubles in the Church, both by their eſtabliſhing of Popiſh Ceremonies; and by their Lordly Goverment.

By their eſtabliſhing of Popiſh Ceremonies; by binding the conſciences of men to the obſervance of them: as ſetting up of Alters, Images, and Cruſifixes, wearing of Surpluſes, bowings, Chringings and the like: Of which Saint Paul warned the Coloſſians to take heede of, ſaying, beware leaſt any man ſpoyle you through Phyloſophy and vaine deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the would, and not after Chriſt. And Saint Ambroſe ſaith, that by good right,Booke of •• gins. we are to condemne all new things that Chriſt hath not taught, even all ſuch things ſaith he, are to be judged deteſtable, and to bee defied.

By their Lordly goverment, in ſilenſing and puniſhing holy Miniſters, and neglecting and paſſing by the too great abuſes of others, of whom the Prophet Ezekiel ſpeakes (ſaying) will ye pollute me among my people for handfulls of barley, and for peeces of bread, to ſlay the ſoules that ſhould not die, and to ſave the ſoules alive that ſhould not live, Ezekiel 13.19. and as the Prophet Malachy ſpeakes, now wee call the proud happie, yea they that worke wickedneſſe are ſet up, Malachi, 3.15.In his 11 • . Epiſt. It is not long ſince we might have taken part with Saint Auſtin in his lamentation, nay the time of comfort doth now conſiſt chiefly in hope; This thing ſaith he, doth greeve mee, that ſo many things wholeſomely commanded in the holy Scriptures, are not regarded, and that our times are full of ſo many preſumptions, that he hath beene more ſharpely puniſhed which with his bare feet hath touched the earth in the octavas, then the drunkards, &c.

II. They have alſo been movers of troubles in the State, and that both with our neighbour nations, and alſo among our ſelves.

By troubles with our neighbour nations; in ſo much that had not God beene mercifull to us,How they have troubled the State. our land ere this might have beene a wofull deſolation, with our ſtreets full of blood, and our fields full of dead vnburied Carkaſſes, whileſt wee having our Swords embrude in the bloud of our neighbouring united nation of Scotland, and their ſwords alſo perſed into our ſides; all being the ſubjects of one King: In the middeſt of this woefull tragidie, we might have beene all ſurpriſed by a forraine enemie; witneſſe that great ſpaniſh fleet, with all their munition, wives, and children: But ever bleſſed bee our good God who hath preſerved us.

By troubles amongſt our ſelves, by compelling to ungodly, and unlawfull oathes, by abuſes in their unjuſt proceedings in their Courts; but we now hope to ſee theſe cockatice egges cruſhed to peeces.

Excellent is that ſaying of Cyrill, we travill ſaith he, 17. Epiſtle to Theodoſi •• earneſtly in this thing above the reſt, that the Eccleſiaſticall eſtate may remaine ſure, in ſuch ſort as is ſeemely for the glory of God, and fit for our times, that it may continue in peace and tranquility by common conſent without varience, that it may be quiet in Eccleſiaſticall matters, that godly religion may be preſerved, and that the life of ſuch as are choſen into the Clergy and Prieſthood, may be cleare from ſcandall.

Let us but conſider what the iſſue of their proceedings might produce; ſhould they have gone on in bringing Popiſh ceremonies,The end of their ſeremonies. ſuperſtition and Idolatry into the Church, as may appeare by their jeſtures, by their ornaments, and by their actions.

By their jeſtures, in their bowings, and adorations before the Altar, with their faces towards the Eaſt, or at the name Jeſus, as if God was incloſed in the Altar; as if the Eaſt were fuller of Gods Majeſtie then the Weſt, or other parts: And as if the name Jeſus was above or before the name of Iehovah, all which is Idolaty and ſuperſtitious.

By their ornaments, In that they would make us beleeve that holineſſe is in the Surpli • e, Cap, Tippet, or Cope, above other garments: that the Altar is holier then the reſt of the Temple; and that the Temple walls make them people holy. And by theſe ceremonies our Lorly Biſhops and Prelates would have us to worſhip God, which is nothing but Idolatry and ſuperſtition: therefore ſaith the Prophet Ieremiah, Truſt ye not in lying words ſaying; the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, are theſe, Ier. 7.4.

By their actions; In that they aſſume to themſelves Lordly titles, and rule over other Miniſters; which our Saviour Chrriſt reprooveth ſaying; if any man deſire to be firſt, the ſame ſhall bee laſt of all, and ſervant to all, Marke 9.36. This indeede is the practiſe of that great Idoll of Rome the Pope. But oh that all our Lordly Biſhops, and idle Prelates would call to minde that ſaying of Saint Auſtin, 〈◊〉 his 7. Homil. O brethren moſt deare (ſaith hee) If the beſt of men at the laſt day of Judgement ſhall ſcarſe be able to give an account for themſelves, what ſhall become of our Idle Lordly Biſhops, and dumbe Prelates; at whoſe hands ſo many ſoules ſhall then be required.

Theſe ſuperſtitious ceremonies belong to Rome, that great whore of Babylon; but our reformed Churches cannot digeſt them: It hath been found recorded in the ancient records of London remaining in Guild Hall, that when King Lucius ſent to Rome to Elutherius the Pope, to know the cuſtomes, lawes and there eſtabliſhed; that ſo the ſame might be practiſed here in England, he received this anſwer: ye may ſaith he reject the lawes of Rome, but the lawes of God can ye not reject; ye have received ſaith he, (through the Grace of God) the lawes of God and the Doctrine of the faith of Chriſt into your Kingdome; you have the old and new Teſtament in your Realme; take out of them by the grace of God, and adviſe of your ſelves a law, and by that law, through Gods ſufferance rule your Realme. But be you Gods Vicor in that Kingdome but bleſſed be the Lord who hath put it into the Kings heart ſo to doe without ſending to Rome, for ſhould wee not have ſent to Rome for lawes of diſcipline, we ſhould have found Elutherius dead, and inſtead of his grave counſell, nothing but Idolaty and Superſtition: and if our Lordly Biſhops had not ſuch counſell from Rome, I wonder how they met with all their Romiſh Ceremonies: But now happie is this our Kingdome ſince our gratious King doth now adviſe with his ſubjects in calling that honorable and happie aſſembly of Parliament; to eſtabliſh the lawes of this our Realme, according to the waves of God written in his holy word and that ſince the Paſtors are become brutiſh, and have not ſought the Lord, Iermiah 10.21. our gracious King himſelfe is the true Vicar of God, and maintayner of his holy lawes; allowing no lawes in his Kingdome but the lawes of God.

Yet albeit theſe prophane Prelates,In his coment on Iſay 13.13. (as Calvin ſaith) would turne and withdraw us from under this goverment, yet will we hold our ſelves faſt unto it, becauſe we aſſuredly know our ſelves to belong to it; and leave them to your Majeſties further conſideration, and to the high and Honorable aſſembly of Parliament.