A VINDICATION OF THE True Episcopal RELIGION, As it was Planted and Set forth by our Saviour Christ, Who Ordained the First Twelve Bishops, and afterwards maintained it by his Apostles against all his Enemies, especially the Papists and Non-Conformists, Who have striven to disparage it, and to overthrow it.  
By W.C. Student in Divinity.  
LONDON, Printed for W. Chandler. 1681.   

A VINDICATION of the True Episcopal Religion, etc.  
THis Church of England, as it is now, was planted by Joseph of Arimathea who buried the Body of Jesus. The Church of Jerusalem being in great Persecution, Joseph was put into a Cell or Dungeon, and watched by the Highpriest; but by Providence was delivered out, and came to a place where were Ten Christians that the Jews had put into a Boat without Oars, to shift for themselves; into this Boat Joseph and his Son Joseph entered, which brought them to Marseilles in France, from whence they came into Britain, as Cardinal Baronius affirms out of the most ancient Records in the Vatican Library, of Joseph's Preaching here: his words were; Lazarus, Mary, Marry Magdalen, Martha, and Marcela, whom the Jews hated more than others, were banished Jerusalem, with Maximinus a Disciple. Cardinal Baronius sets down the Year when Joseph came into England, out of the ancient Records in the Pope's Library, viz. in the Nineteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius the Emperor, and in the Thirty fifth year of Christ. I might quote many more Authors, which all agree of his coming into Britain, and planting the Christian Religion; but sure it was, he planted the Time Episcopal Religion here, as he had it from the Apostles, which hath continued here in England ever since, though with much Persecution. The First Persecution was by the coming of the Saxons. I might speak at large of the Heathen Persecutions; but I shall wave them, and come to the Christian Perfecutions: And first, by Austin the Monk, whom Gregory Bishop of Rome sent over to. England, to pesuade them to condescend to the Orders of the Church of Rome, and to unite with them; which the British Bishops refused, and told them, that our Church was planted before theirs: Yet Austin uses all the means he could for the bringing of them to their Society, having procured, by means of. Ethelbert, a Meeting of divers British Bishops, and other Principal Men of the Clergy, at a certain place in Worcestershire, called after upon this occasion Austin's Oak; where by Persuasions, Threats, and. all manner of means, he endeavoured to draw the Britan's to an entire Conformity with the Church of Rome, which then was fallen from the Purlty of former Times, whereas the Britain's had still continued, as Geoffery of Monmouth saith, in the same Tenor of pure Doctrine which they had received in the first Infancy of the Church. Their Answer was short and peremptory, That they might not submit themselves to him, having an Archbishop of their own. Austin not discouraged, procured another Meeting, to which many more of the Britain's repaired than before; it is said there were seven Bishops. Before this Assembly certain Britain's thought it good to ask Counsel of a certain Old Man, to know of him whether he thought it best for them to submit to Austin, or not; he advised them, if he were a Man of God, to take the Course he shown them, and to follow the same: and when they asked him how they should discern whether he were such an one, or no; he pronounced this. Saying of our Saviour, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart; if then this Austin be a meek and humble Man, it is an evident sign he beareth the yoke of Christ: but if he be stout and proud, he is not of God you may be sure: This therefore is my advice; Have a care that he and his Company be first in the place where you meet; if then (you being the greater number) he rise not to do you Reverence, but despiseth you, despise you him also, and his Counsel. Austin first entered the Place with great pomp; and when the British Bishops came in, never moved to rise or salute them; This they taking very ill, gainsaid him in every thing, exhorting one another not to yield a jot unto him by any means; For (say they) he that will not deign so much as to rise out of his Chair to salute us, how much more, when we have submitted ourselves to his Jurisdiction, will he despise us, and set us at nought? With this Repulse Austin was so much moved, that. he could not forbear to send out Threats against the poor Britain's, telling them, That they which refused Peace with their Friends, should shortly find War and Enemies. How well he seconded his Words by Deeds, appeareth by the Words of Thomas Grace, who wrote the Chronicle about 300 years since. Austin being refused by the Bishops, and other Learned, of the Britain's, complained to King Ethelbert, who forthwith levied his Power, marched against them, and slew them in a most cruel manner, having no more regard of them than Wolves have of Sheep Their fury was so great against them, that Ethellert sent Elfred King of Northumberland to help him, and that. Austin met them at Chester upon this occasion. The Britain's received a great Overthrow; for besides an infinite number of Soldiers, were slain a great Company of Monks, no less than 1100, who never sought at all, but by Prayer. Of all other of the Clergy, the greatest spleen was against them, as the greatest Wrong-doers, because they would not receive quietly the yoke of a Foreign usurping Jurisdiction, intruded upon them.  
The next Persecution was by Queen Mary, about the year 1554 who hurned the Twelve Bishops and Doctors which compiled the Book of Common Prayer, with many more of the Clergy, and of the Commonalty; till a Gentleman told the Queen, If she used this way of Burning, she would weaken the Church of Rome; for all that beheld them admired them, that Death being so sanctified to them, that they seemed not to feel the Flames. This Persecution was terrible for the time it lasted; but it pleased God to take her away in a very short time, and bring in Queen Elizabeth of happy Memory, who established the Lpiscopal Religion again, with the Book of Common Prayer, which Queen Mary had burned; whom God blessed with a Reign of 44 years.  
The next Persecution, designed by the Papists, was in King James' Reign, in 1603. when they had plotted by Gunpowder (which was laid for that purpose under the Parliament-house) to blow up the King, and the Chief of the Nobility of this Land. This devilish Plot, had it taken effect, had been the worst of all the Perfections; for it would have taken away their Lives in a moment, so that they should have no Meditation for their Souls good. This Plot aimed to destroy the Soul, as well as the Body; but, Melted be God, it was discovered.  
The next Plot that was by the Antichristian Papists was in Ireland. This was an inhuman Persecution, such as the very Heathen would abhor. They rebelled agains their King, ripped up their Women with Child, and slew their Husdands at their own door.  
The next Persecution was against the King and the Church of England, by the Nonconformists, especially the Presbyterians; for they first broke the Unity of the Church of England, and caused a Rebellion in Scotland, by raising an Army against King Charles the First, one of the best Kings that ever Reigned in the World, about the year 1640. and after pursued the Rebellion, and raised an Army in England, and fought against the King himself, and killed many of his Loyal Subjects, and pursued their King until they had brought him to the Block. This Persecution was against; the Church, as well as the King; they murdered the Archishop of Canterbury and Dr. Huet, and deposed the Bishops of all their Spiritual Employments; and then they fell to Sacrilege, to robbing of the Church, abolished the Common Service Book, and sold the Bishop's Lands, and most of the Church-lands, and put down the Discipline of the Church as much as they could, imitating the Papists in many things, committing Rebellion, Murder, Treason, Sacrilege, and Perjury; pretending, as the Papists do now, all was for the Glory of God, and for the Reformation of the Church.  
Episcopal Religion was ordained by Christ and his Apostles, who ordained the first twelve Bishops; and after the Apostles gave order for the placing of Bishops in many Churches, for the well ordering of the Church. Joseph of Arimathea, Disciple of Christ, one that buried him; planted our Church of England according to the purest way, which hath continued for above 1600 years a true Church for the most part, as many Historians write, notwithstanding much Persecution by the Heathen and the Antichristians; and yet they have enjoyed and kept up this Church in some corners of this Land, till a Change of Government hath happened, and the Governors have been converted by it and have defended it from evil Men. Now I beseech you all, the good People of England, from the King to the beggar, to take especial notice of the Persecution of this innocent Church of England, which is the truest mark of a true Church.  
You see how Satan by the Heathen, and by the Papists, and by the Nonconformist, hath persecuted it to the utmost of his power; yet God of his Mercy and Providence hath defended it against all the fury of the Enemies: Therefore all good People of England, comfort yourselves, and. serve God in this Church with rejoicing and praising God, for preserving and defending this Church against all his Enemies. Wherefore you may be assured, as Gamaliel told the Jews, this work is of God, and it cannot be overthrown; for, saith he, if it be of themselves it will conic to nought; but if it be of God, you cannot overthrthrow it, lest you be found Fighters against God. Charles the First sealed it with his Royal Blood; the twelve Bishops and Doctors sealed this Church by Fire and Blood in Queen Mary's Reign: The Blood of the Martyrs is the seed and seal of a true Church.  
I shall now speak something of the Church of Rome which was planted by St. Paul, as most Historians write, because he commends it in I Rom. in these words, I thank God thy Faith is spoken of throughout the whole World; and so it continued a true Church for near 600 years, having above Gixty Bishops, whereof Linus was the first, whom St. Paul speaks of in his Epistles. All those Bishops were godly Men, being subject to the Civil Magistrate. Pelagius the Second, in his days, perceiving that Maurice the Emperor went about, to make and establish an Universal Bishop, very much opposed it, and decreed, That no Bishop, no not the Bishop of Rome himself, aught to be called the Universal Bishop; and Bishop Gregory his Successor writeth, That none of his Predecessors ever consented to use so prosane a Title. And also the said Gregory writeth to the Bishop of Constantinople, who was willing to take that Title upon him, What wilt thou answer to Christ the Head of the Universal Church, that thus goest about by the Name of Universal Bishop to make all his Members subject to thee? Whom dost thou imitate in so perverse a Name, but Lucifer, that would have been singular, alone, above all his fellow Angels? Sabinianus succeeded Gregory, and after him Boniface the Third, who obtained of Phocas the Emperor, as afterwards is set down, That the Bishop of Rome should be called the Head of the Church: Since which time the Pope hath been called the Prince of Priests, and Supreme Head of the Universal Church; Titles due only to Christ himself, the Great Bishop of our Souls.  
Cedrenus setteth forth Phocas to be a Wine-bibber, given to Women, a bloody Man, fierce, without Mercy, cruel of Manners, an Heretic: and Theophylact Simocatta describeth him after this manner; A Caledonian Tyrant, covered with Iron, in a manner barbarous, of the Generation of the Cyclops, a Centaur in Purple, most petulant, whose chief strife was for the Kingdom of Drunkenness: A fit Man to be Antichrist's Midwife, to bring him into the World! The Authority of the former Bishops extended no farther than unto Matters of Religion; they were subject to the Emperors, some of them created by him, as Paget affirms in his History of the sundry sorts of Churches, and denied the Pope's Supremacy, with their Superstitious Worship, introduced by Boniface the Third, by calling Councils of a few Italian Bishops, and turning out many good Bishops, which would not consent to their creating of Sin: And some they murdered, as Paget affirms, because they withstood their wicked Decrees, especially in the Council of Trent, who enacted a Canon, That the Traditions of the Church of Rome must be honoured and embraced with the like honour and reverence as the Holy Scriptures are honoured. In this Council, their first Sin they created and decreed, was for Image-Worship, contrary to the Second Commandment, 2. Invocation of Saints, contrary to the Practice of the Church, the Examples of Holy Men, and to the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. 3. The Propitiatory Sacrifice in the Mass, which derogateth from Christ's Sacrifice once offered for us 4. Communion in One Kind, directly against Christ's Precept in the Institution. St. Paul saith, Col. 1.18. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels, intruding into those things which they have not seen, vainly puffed up by their fleshly mind. In this Council they also decreed, That all Bishops and Ministers must teach the People to worship Saints, Images, and Angels, contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles, and of St. John the Divine, in Rev. 19 who saith, I fell at the Angel's feet, to worship him; and he said unto me, See thou do it not; I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren, that have the testimony of Jesus: Worship God. Here, good People, take notice, their Decrees are quite against the Word of God: They command Angel worship, and the Angel tells John, See thou do it not, I am thy fellow-servant; worship God. St. Paul tells the Thessalonians, 2 Thess. 2.3. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling awry first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God; and so on: and then at ver. 12. he concludes with these words; For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  
The Mystery of Iniquity began to work in the time of Gregory the Great, the second Bishop of Rome before Boniface the first Antichristian Bishop. The said Gregory, writing to the Bishop of Constantinople, sharply reprehends him in the words before quoted; and he saith also, Whosoever shall call himself Universal Bishop, or desire so to be called in the pride of his heart, is the forerunner of Antichrist. I may by no means omit again to remember you, what St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians, in the place before cited, from ver. 1. to 12. of that Chapter: upon which St. Austin, in his Book de Civitate Dei, hath these words; This Scripture (saith he) doubtless is meant of Antichrist: And again, Truly (saith he) I am utterly ignorant what others Conjectures are hereof; but I will not be silent: Some say St. Paul spoke of the state of Rome, and would not be plainer, lest he should incur a slander, that he wished Rome's Empine an evil Fortune. The same Father hath given his opinion, That these Words, He that withholdeth shall let, till he be taken out of the way, and then the wicked man shall be revealed, are meant of Antichrist: No man doubteth (saith he) that this may not unfitly be understood of Rome: As if he had said, He that now reigneth shall reign, until he be taken away. This may be meant of those good Emperors that should be taken away by death; and then that wicked Man was revealed, Phocas the Emperor of Rome, who was the Father of Antichrist, and created Boniface the Third, Bishop of Rome, an Universal Bishop of the Christian World.  
He opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. I shall give you a Definition of the God here spoken of, Temporal and Spiritual; and first of the Temporal God. Moses, in one of his Books, speaking of the Temporal Gods, says, I have said, you are Gods, but you shall die like Men, ye Princes shall fall like others. Here God is pleased to call Emperors, Kings, and Princes, Gods, because they execute Gods Will upon Earth. Here the Man of Sin exalteth himself above the Temporal Gods, in placing and displacing them at his pleasure; he maketh them believe that he can put them into the state of Damnation, or absolve them, at his pleasure; whereas for the first 600 years, more than sixty Bishops were subject to their Emperors and Kings, and many of them Ordained and Instituted by their Order, till Boniface the Third, and Phocas that wicked Emperor.  
Again, He exalteth himself above the great God of Heaven and Earth. Christ refused to be called Good, and told them, There was none good but God; but the Man of Sin, the Pope, thinks it not a sufficient Honour to be called Good, or Holy; but Most Holy: a Title due to none but the Great God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here in this very Particular he exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.  
Again, He is so uncharitable, as shows he is nothing of a true Christian; for he will Excommunicate the Reformed Churches from the highest to the lowest, though he never knew any of them, nor their Doctrine or Manners, and does his endeavour to send them to Hell, though we know his Power is nothing against our Church. Whereas the Great God saith, As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of a sinner, but that all should come to repent and be saved. And the said Pope, the Man of Sin, hath Excommunicated all God's Vicegerents of this Land, from Queen Elizabeth to our gracious King that now is. Here the Luciserian Bishop shows how he exalts himself above all that is called God, in Excommunicating Gods Vicegerents, when no doubt but many of them may belong to the Election written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the Foundation of the World. Here the Man of Sin toucheth the Wisdom of the Godhead, in putting into the state of Damnation those whom God hath elected; for, saith the Apostle, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect? It is God that justifieth. In this he exalteth himself above all that is called God; so that he, as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. But you will say, That the Temple of God was at Jerusalem. St. Austustine, in his Book de Civitate Dei, gives you his Judgement in that; In Templum Deum, saith he, In some Temple of God: And he adds, It could not be meant of the Temple at Jerusalem, because Titus Vespasian had destroyed and sacked it, so that there was not left one stone upon another, which was not thrown down: nor of an Heathenish Idols Temple; for that was no Temple of God: but he must sit in some Christian Temple, which may not unfitly be applied to Rome. So he. Now St. Augustine, and many of the Learned, do conclude, That St. Paul meant this of that great Cathedral, St. Peter's Church in Rome, which may not unfitly be called the Temple of God, because for the first 600 years after Christ, Religion did slow plentifully from thence into many Parts of the World, as St. Paul speaks in Rom. 1. that their faith was spoken of thorough the whole world: And there was Constantine the first Christian Emperor converted to the Faith, in whose Reign Arius broached his Heresy in Africa; whereof when Constantine heard, he said, There was no true serving of God without Unity and Love: and thereupon he made a Decree, and Sealed it with his own Seal, in these Words; I straightly charge and command more than 300 Bishops, that you go into Africa, and summon Arius, and examine his Doctrine, whether it be according to the Word of God, or no; and if not, to brand him for an Heretic, that it proceed no further: as Eusebins saith, in his Ecclesiastical History.  
Where was St. Peter's Successor, the Pope of Rome, when Constantine executed his Ecclesiastical Power? which Authority has been claimed and exercised by the Bishop of Rome but since Phocas the Emperor, and Boniface the Third, who was made by that wicked Emperor Universal Bishop. And without doubt, as St. Augustine saith, Rome is that Temple of God where Antichrist and the Man of Sin should sit, according to St. Paul: so that he, as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. But you may say, How doth he show himself that he is God?  
I aswer thus; Here he sits in his great magnificent Throne, in his rich Robes, his Triple Crown on his Head, and in his pretended Peter's Chair, where he shows himself that he is God, in blessing whom he pleases (but not without Money) and cursing whom he pleaseth. Here he makes his unlawful Decrees to be believed and honoured equal with the Scripture, upon pain of his Curse if they do not. Here they must kiss his Feet, give him his Godhead Title Most Holy, which is due to none but God. Here he delivers Souls out of Purgatory, makes Indulgences and Pardons for Sins past and to come: Here they buy their Sins, and the Man of Sin sells their Sins; but none of these without great Sums of Money. In all these things he shows that he is God, because he can put whom he pleaseth into the State of Salvation, and whom he will into the State of Damnation, nation, and for Money forgive them their Sins past and to come. I have hear shown you, that that wicked man is revealed, the man of Sin, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and with the brightness of his coming; whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders. For this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness. Beloved Brethren, I beseech you in the Lord Jesus Christ, that you do not adhere to the Man of Sin, nor believe his deceivable lying Doctrine, that you have no part with those of whom St. Paul speaks, who believe lies, and believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness.  
Again, the Man of Sin styles himself the Vicar of Christ, and Head of the Church; but follows not Christ, neither by Example not Doctrine: Christ was humble, meek, and lowly, and taught us to pray for them that hate us: The Man of Sin, contrary to Christ's Doctrine, curses them that hate him, and many of them that love him, if they displease him. The Apostles told our Saviour he should command strange Fires to consume his Enemies; he told them, they knew not what Spirit they were of, he came not to destroy Men, but to save them: The Man of Sin, contrary to this Doctrine, by his Persecution burns many of Christ's Servants by Fires, as in the time of Queen Mary. The Apostles asked Christ who should be greatest; Christ told them, That he that would be greatest should be as him that serves, or Servant to all: The Man of Sin maketh himself greatest, and above his fellow-Bishops, yea above all that is called God, contrary to Christ's Doctrine.  
You see how he proves himself to be the Man of Sin St. Paul speaketh of to the Thessalonians, by his Wicked Practice, as in tolerating Perjury, Rebellion, Treason, and Murder, in this late Plot against our Sovereign Lord the King, and his Loyal Subjects, to destroy the Government head of Church and State.  
Now the Lord bless our Sovereign Lord the King, the Duke of York, and all the Loyal Subjects of England. The Lord keep us all from any adherence with the Man of Sin, and that we believe not his deceivable lying Doctrine, lest we should come into the state of the Damned, which St. Paul▪ speaketh on. And Lord, we thank thy gracious Majesty, that thou hast delivered us out of the hands of the Man of Sin, and of his Wicked Designs, and from all the Plots our Enemies have had ever since we have been a Church. O Lord, I beseech thee to continue thy good hand of Providence over us thy unworthy Servants, in preserving us from all dangers that may fall upon us, by reason of our Sins. O Lord, give every one of us such a measure of Grace as thou shalt think fit, that we may hate Sin, and every false way, which hinders thy Blessings from us.  
The Lord grant, that our Sovereign Lord the King, and his Successor, may take such care over this present Church, that as God shall deliver the Enemies of this Church into his hand, they may have Justice done according to the Will, of God, that so he may truly be called The Defender of the Faith in Heaven, as well as on Earth. And all this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake, our Blessed Redeemer.  

Presbyterian Government defective, in breaking the Unity of the Church of England.  
FIrst, they broke their Oath of Allegiance with their King; then the Ministers broke their Oath of Canonical Obedience with their Bishop, which are both Perjury: Then they raised an Army against their King, both in Scotland and in England, which is Rebellion, which is as the sin of Witchcraft; then they Fought against the King's Person, which is Treason, a crying sin; then they turned out their Bishops out of their Spiritual Office, and sold the Church Lands, and took away the Discipline of the Church and Common Prayer, which was composed by Martyrs, and rob God's Church, which is Sacrilege; then they pursued the King with their Armies, and took him, and murdered him, which is Treason in the highest degree: And all this, as they pretended, was for a Reformation, which in the end proved a Deformation of the Church of England. Judge in yourselves what Reformation could be, when all their Actions determined in sins, and of a deep Dye; as Perjury and Rebellion, Sacrilege, Treason, and Murder: All which proceed from the Spiritual Man of sin, the Devil, who is the cause of all Sin and Division. Hear what St. Paul saith; Mark those that cause Division and avoid them; for they serve not the Lord Jesus. Who then must they serve, but the Devil? From the Presbyterians, after they had broke the Unity of the Church of England, I say, from that evil Root, sprung the Independent, Anabaptist, and the Quaker; and all these are divided within themselves in Judgement of their Religion: There is the Presbyterian against the Independent and Anababtist, and the Anabaptist against the Independent and the Presbyterian, and the Quaker against them all, and all these against; the true Episcopal Church; as I told them upon a Dispute, there was Ephraim against Manasse and Manasse against Ephraim, and both against Juda.  
If they were God's Disciples, they would love one another; but I fear they are not, because they have not Charity one towards another. St. John in Epistle 1. Chap. 2. ver. 10. saith, They went out from us, because they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have kept with us.  
Now for all those crying Sins I have repeated, I wish from my heart they are not guilty of them; and what I have written is not out of any malice; but as they were Brethren once, to inform them of their Error and Sin, wishing their Repentance might be their Punishment; for I believe that many of them are civil honest-meaning Men; but they err not knowing the true meaning of the Scripture.  
Now I beseech the Lord God of Peace and Love, That he would give those Dissenters such a measure of Grace, that they may see their Errors, and repent, and come into the true Episcopal Church they went out of: which hath been proved a true Church by Fire and Sword, as Gamaliel told the Jews, That if the work were of God, they could not overthrow it, lest they were found fighters against God: Therefore have a care that you speak no evil nor Fight no more against this Church, lest you be found Fighters against God. Now the Lord grant that these Dissenters may come into the true Church they went out of, and conform to the Government of the Church, which is allowed by God and the King; and there they may exercise their Spiritual Parts God hath given them, that they together with us may serve God with one Heart and with one Mind, holding the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and Love, without which no Man shall see the Lord: Which the Lord grant of his mercy through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.  
FINIS.