BP Carletons testimony concerning the Presbyterian Discipline in the Low-Countries, and Episcopal Government here in England.
TOuching the point of their Discipline in the Low-Countries, I can witnesse that they are weary of it, & would gladly be freed if they could. VVhen we were to yeeld our consent to the Belgick Confession at Dort, I made open protestation in the Synode, That whereas in the Confession there was inserted a strange conceit of the parity of Ministers, to be instituted by Christ; I declared our discent utterly in that point; I shewed, that by Christ a Parity was never instituted in [Page 2] the Church; That he ordained 12. Apostles, and also 70. Disciples; That the authority of the 12. was above the other; That the Church preserved this order left by our Saviour. And therfore when the extraordinary authority of the Apostles ceased, yet their ordinary authority continued in Bishops who succeeded them, who were by the Apostles themselves left in the government of the Church to ordaine Ministers, and to see that they who were so ordained, should preach no other doctrine; That in an inferiour degree the Ministers that were governed by Bishops, who succeeded the 70. Disciples; That this order hath been maintained in the Church, from the time of the Apostles; and herein I appealed to the judgement of Antiquity, and to the judgement of any learned man now living, and craved herein to [Page 3] be satisfied, if any man of learning could speak to the contrary.B. Davenant. B. Hall. My Lord of Salisbury is my witnesse, and so are all the rest of ourD. Ward. D. Goad. D. Balcanquall. company, who spake also in the cause. To this there was no answer made by any; whereupon we conceived that they yeelded to the truth of the Protestation. And somewhat I can say of mine owne knowledge, for I had conference with divers of the best learned in that Synode, I told them that the cause of all their troubles was this, that they had no Bishops amongst them, who by their authority might represse turbulent spirits, that broached novelties. Every man had liberty to speak or write what he list, and as long as there were no Ecclesiasticall men in authority to represse and censure such contentious spirits, their Church could never be without trouble: Their answer was, that [Page 4] they did much honour and reverence the good order and discipline of the Church of England, and with all their hearts would be glad to have it established amongst them; but that could not be hoped for in their State. Their hope was, that seeing they could not do what they desired, God would be mercifull to them if they did what they could. This was their answer, which I thinke is enough to excuse them, that they doe not openly aime at an Anarchie, and popular confusion. The truth is, they groane under that burden, and would be eased if they could. This is well knowne to the rest of my Associates there.