BP CARLETONS TESTIMONIE Concerning the Presbyterian Discipline IN THE LOW-COƲNTRIES, AND Episcopall Government Here in ENGLAND.

VVherein is briefly discovered the No­velty of the one, and Antiquity of the other; with a short taste of the inconveniences that attend the new Plat-forme, where that is set up in the roome of the old Primitive Government.

Published for the common good.

‘Tolle Episcopos, & tot erunt schismata, quot homines.’

LONDON, Printed for Nath: Butter. 1642.

TO THE READERS.

IF you are of those that are disaffected to the Church-government by Law established amongst us, I wish this small Tract into your hands to choose, to be read and considered of by you with your most serious thoughts, that so it may help on your conversion. Doe not cast it away ere you have perused it, because here a Bishop speaks in his own cause. With the same reason a conformable man may cast away Smectymnuus, because there so many Presbyterians speak their own cause.

Reade it. The Author (however some of your perswasion beare the world in hand most injuriously, and most cunningly, that a Rotchet must necessarily cover a Papists heart) was all his life, at flat defiance with Rome; and had he been cal­led to the fiery tryall, doubtlesse he would have followed Cran­mer, Ridley, Latimer, Hooper, those famous Protestant Bi­shops even to the stake, and sealed that doctrine with his bloud, which his tongue and pen published to the world.

Among other Tracts of his now extant, he hath a book forth against Pelagianisme and Arminianisme. The book styled Thankfull Remembrances speaks likewise this Bishop Au­thor; a book which no friend to Rome would certainly ever have written. Let him be then your Remembrancer, and un­prejudiced by you, (notwithstanding his Lawne sleeves) prevail [Page] so far with you to move you, if you finde he delivers truth to change your mindes in case you be now Schismaticall in the point of Church-government.

This learned man was one of those sent by that blessed Peace-maker, our late famous Soveraigne King JAMES to the Synod of Dort upon a friendly errand: I would to God this solid and honest piece of his might helpe to make faire accord at home in his own Countrey, which so much needs paci­fication now in the Church as well as the State.

I shall not despaire, but that it may conduce somewhat to­ward the one, so parciali [...]y and all prejudicate opinions be laid aside. It was a good saying of a great scholar, Amicus Plato, &c. Plato is our very good friend, so is Socrates, and so Aristotle, but Truth is a much dearer friend. Somewhat like this would you would say once and hold to it, Amicus Calvi­nus, &c. Calvin is our very good friend, so is Beza, and so Cartwright, but Truth is by much our dearer friend.

Were these your mindes and resolutions, you would no lon­ger wish that yoake of discipline on your necks, which this ho­nest Bishop will tell you in the next leafe, the Netherlanders groane under and would faine cast off. So I refer you to the Bi­shop, I for my part have done with you, when I have assured you this is a true draught of learned Carlton; and onely far­ther (which civility requires) bid you

Farewell.

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.

FINIS.

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