THE BISHOP'S LOOKING-GLASS, OR THE CLERGIES PROSPECTIVE.  
Wherein they may clearly see themselves in their Persons, Offices, in their Lives and Conversations.  
Laid open by way of Inquisition, by the following Discourse.  
By R. P.  
LONDON, Printed for F. Coules, and W. Ley at Paul's Chain, 1641.   

THE BISHOP'S Lookingglass.  
THere is nothing more necessary for Mariners on the vast Ocean, than a Prospective glass, to descry their enemies thereby to defend & preserve themselves, looking in such a glass they my perceive things a far off as near at hand; by which means they are the sooner readier to oppose an enemy & prevent danger. Even so necessary is this Mirror, this Land-Glasse I intent to treat of (a Parliament) in this may be discovered who are enemies and who friends to the Kingdom, who are friends and who enemies to themselves: In this Glass may be clearly discerned what dangers are near, and how to avoid and prevent the same. This Lookingglass I have denominated the Bishop's Mirror or the Clergies Prospective, not but that it is necessary, yea of absolute necessity for the whole State and body Politic of this Kingdom to look into: But my reason why I attribute to it this only denomination is, because these Persons of the Clergy, as well great Prelates as inferiors Ministers, have been the only Enemies of this Kingdom, as well to the Religion, as Civil Laws and Statutes ordained for the Government thereof.  
In this Prospective they may, if they look but in it, see clearly themselves and all their actions; they may by the same discern the danger they are in, and what means they may best use for prevention thereof: And in speaking hereof, I shall observe 2 principal things.  

1 The best way to look in this Glass to discern rightly.  
2 When having perfect sight herein, rightly to descry how to preserve the spectators from danger, if they perceive themselves defective.   
And first of the manner of looking in this Mirror, & that is twofold.  
First, as the spectators are constrained to present themselves to the view thereof; and secondly, as voluntarily of themselves look therein: And by this we may perceive the exceeding virtue of this Mirror, in drawing to its view like the Loadstone, persons be they never so refractory, never so obstinate, be their hea●ts like Iron, this Glass if but looked into will make them compliable, and mollify their cruel and hard-hartednesse. And secondly, the virtue thereof, in refreshing, comforting, and curing the wounds, sores and diseases, the spectators perceive themselves by the same to be infected withal.  
1 And for the first, constrained inspection into this Prospective, is a necessary virtue belonging to the same, for man by nature given altogether to uncleanness & impurity being infected with all kind of wickedness & impiety, blinded in understanding, averse in will and affection to any thing that is good, unwilling to look into and examine themselves, or to be discerned and taken notice of by others, thereby nourishing and suffering their infectious diseases to spread and increase, not only in themselves, to the endangering and hastening of their perpetual destructions, but is catching to others, and of such a dangerous nature is this sickness of perverse and unclean spirits, that when once caught, not easily again to be removed or cured by any ordinary means, but requires great skill and extraordinary pains to remove and cure the same, so that this virtue in this Prospective is for the reasons I have alleged, not only necessary, but of absolute necessity.  
2 Another virtue there is in this Glass, and that is the sovereign power and efficacy thereof, in curing and remedyingall diseases and infirmities whatsoever the State is infected withal, no ulcer being never so dangerous, no sore be it never so infectious, but viewing it in this Mirror, will receive remedy; no discontent, or trouble of mind whatsoever, of any person, of what degree or dignity soever, of what function or profession soever, ●ut may receive comfort, & contentment, and be pacified, if they view themselves in this Prospective, and thus much of the 2 prime and sovereign virtues this Glass is attended and endowed withal.  
I come now to prosecute my intentions touching the right manner of looking into this Mirror, and that as I said is twofold.  
1 Constrained obedience in presenting themselves to the view of this Glass, the sovereign power of this Mirror in this particular, I have somewhat already touched only, serving for proof of the necessity of this virtue. I now will handle the virtue itself, the power and sovereignty of this Prospective is so great, and spacious, that it brings within its circumference all persons whatsoever in this Kingdom, from the highest to the lowest, no person be he never so high in authority, never so great in honour and dignity, never so well favoured and beloved, either of his Prince or the People, of never so holy a function and profession, be he of never so politic and subtle a Wit, and Understanding; be he never so private in his actions and designs, but will he, nill he, he must view himself and be viewed in this Glass, if he be within the Circuit and Compass thereof: and thus much shall serve to be spoken of the power of this Prospective.  
2 I come to speak of the willing spectators that present themselves to the view thereof, in which I observe these particulars.  
1 Such persons as by command from the King present themselves cheerfully to his Majesty with their advice and counsels in the service both of their King and Country.  
2 Such persons as present themselves to the view of this great Counsel by Petitions and Complaints, wherein they set forth their diseases, griefs and infirmities, wherewith they are pained and oppressed, not naturally infected withal. The first of these I will not speak otherwise o●, than as the only subject of my discourse, upon which the second hath its only dependence, and from and by which it only expects ease and redress; and this is the only manner and best means to discover their griefs, and diseases, by their Petitions, Remonstrances and Complaints, and the soon way for speedy remedy.  
And this brings me to the second thing I intimated at the beginning of this Treatise, and that is the diseases and infirmities, nay the most dangerousest wounds in a Commonwealth, that may be discovered by this Glass, and then the remedies to salve and cure the same.  
1 The diseases are many and great that have catched and infected both many and great persons, and by them cast abroad and spread even over the whole Kingdom, I will only name the chiefest and greatest wounds and sores of this State, which hath almost brought the same to destruction, the persons infected herewith, and the Manner of their infecting many others with the same plagues.  
The first disease in this Kingdom, was Innovation in Religion.  
2 Endeavouring to subvert the Laws of this Land.  
3 To endeavour to overthrow Parliaments, and destroy the just rights and Privileges thereof, the securest and safest way of Government that ever was in this Kingdom,  
4 Oppression, Injustice, and cruel tyranny used and exercised over the persons, lives, and estates of his Majesty's loving subjects, by Superiors, and men in places of Authority.  
5 Extortion, bribery and the like, used in Courts of judicature.  
6 Ship money, Levies, Taxes, Customs, and the like illegally levied upon the subject.  
7 And lastly undermining circumvention, and overburthening the Subjects by unlawful Grants, Patents, and Leases of Offices & almost of all Commodities of Free trade in this Land: And thus much of the diseases, I come now to the Authors hereof, which have procured this general infection spread throughout the Kingdom; and they I conceive to be of the best sort of men, the greatest in Honour and Dignity, both Spiritual and Temporal, as well as the Inferior: As 1, Bishops, Deans, Archdeacon's, Doctors, Proctors, Ordinaries and other Officers, and men of account and authority in the Clergy. 2, Privy Councillors, Peers, Noblemen, Lords and others following the Court, and have got into their Prince's favour. 3, judges, and other Officers in places of judicature. 4, Pattentees, Grantees, Lessees and Farmers of Customs, and the like: These I conceive have been the only authors and producers of all the troubles, miseries, and diseases of this Kingdom: And now I come to the manner of their increasing and spreading these their Plots & dangerous actions over the whole Land; in which I shall only speak of the Bishops and Clergy, this present Treatise, being only attributed to themselves and the troubles and distempers by them raised in this body Politic is to be considered in three respects: 1, In respect of their Persons, in respect of their Offices, and in respect of their Practices, in their Lives and Conversation.  
1 In respect of their Persons Bishops; in great authority and power, not only Teachers, but Rulers of the Children of God, Shepherds over the flock of Christ; these persons being infected with Pride, Ambition, Haughtiness of heart, with Popish superstition, Ceremonies, Arminianism and the like; corrupt in Doctrine and profane in Discipline; infected with Avarice, Luxury, and all lasciviousness; puffed up with vain Glory self estimation of their own Merits, Wisdom, and Learning, with too much confidency, trusting to their own power, and the favour of their Prince, procured by their subtle wit and wily practices, & upon their Alliances with Peers and other Grandees of this Kingdom: these persons, I say, being thus infected, looking into this Prospective may discover themselves and their infirmities, or rather incommodities with which they are attainted,  
2 I come now in the second places to their Offices, and they are two fold, Spiritual and Temporal; the first, they claim to appartaine to them of that function Jure Divino, and the latter they usurp to themselves under pretence of both Swords, the Sword of the Spirit, and the Sword of the Magistrate: By the first, they exercise Spiritual jurisdiction in several Courts Ecclesiastical: In the latter they administer Civil Injustice, justice I would have said, in Courts of common judicature. I see in the first part of their usurped authority Spiritual, they be infected with Bribery deceit, cruelty, oppression and injustice, commanding as they are Rulers in the Church, things not warranted by the Word of God, but altogether contrary and against the same; Imagining the inferior Clergy to preach and teach only such things that are delectable to their Palates, agreeable to their wills and pleasures, not the truth but news inventions; instruments of the Devil, by him only lead, ruled and seduced, to endeavour to build up the kingdom of Antichrist, and hinder the increase and propagation of the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ, as superstition, Popish Ceremonies, nay such corrupt and unfound doctrine, which concurres altogether with the doctrine of the Church of Rome, binding men's Consciences to the strict observance of their unlawful commands and injustly punishing with rigour and severity, all such as in tender Conscience would not agree or submit to the same, and comply with them in their error, degrading of them from the Ministry, fining, imprisoning, banishing, confiscating their goods, nay corporal punishment, as pillorcing, dismembering, branding and stigmatising of them and such like cruelties by them exercised and used over Godly and Zealous Ministers, causing the flight of many hundreds, nay thousands into Foreign nations and uninhabited and Savage Countries, to the endangering their lives of themselves, their wives and children, and the loss of all their fortunes to their utter impoverishment and desolation, if God of infinite mercy had not wonderfully preserved them.  
And thus much of the diseases wherewith they have infected their usurped spiritual jurisdiction, I proceed to their temporal: In this likewise if they be infected with injustice and opression in their places of Civil Government: to endeavour to seduce the judges of the Land & other officers pertaining to the Common-lawes of this Land in their opinions; and the better to colour their wicked practices to procure them, set forth in a high degree the Prerogative of the King, his undoubted power and authority over the persons, lives and estates of his Subjects, when he shall upon his own pleasure command the same: That all the subject hath is his, that the subject is but as it were tenant at will of any thing he possesseth and that it may be taken away at the pleasure (not of their Lord & lawful Sovereign) but at the pleasure of the high and mighty Prelates, whom neither King nor Kesar must contradict or correct for their insolences; I say if these persons have infected these their Offices usurped either Spiritual or Temporal, with any or all of these dangerous sores before mentioned, if they look but in this Crystal, either by constraint or voluntarily, they may receive cure.  
3 I come now to the last thing I am to speak of concerning this subject and that is the 3 means by these persons Prelates and their adherents used to spread abroad their venomous intentions, by their actions in their lives and conversations; If therefore they be infected in their lives with malice, anger, hatred, revenge of & against such as are not flexible to their dispositions, & yielding to their desires, profane, wanton, dallying, mo●king, scoffing at the pure and sincere preaching of the Word of God, reviling and disdaining the painful and zealous▪ teachers of the same, tollerating, approving, conniving, and winking at▪ nay commanding as w●●● by their Proclamations and Edicts of their own devising and setting forth, as instancing the same by their own examples, using recreation, dancing, music, playing, drinking, whoring, etc. encouraging and animating wicked and lascivious persons in their ungodly ways, placing in the Ministry, dissolute and scandalous persons, void of all fear of God, yea of Civil Government of themselves affable and pliable only to their Superiors, that do by their evil examples and erroneous doctrines draw more souls from God to the Devil than, I verily believe, would have fallen away of themselves, if no teaching had been since these corruptions have been admitted in Religion, both in doctrine and discipline, I say, if they have been infected with these foul ulcers and diseases, i● they look into this Mirror, they may receive cure.  
I come now in a word or two to the means and medicinal remedies whereby these troubles of the Commonwealth are to be cured and removed; and they are these.  
1 By wholesome Laws by the whole King & State made for the restraining of the exercise and longer usage of such corrupt doctrine and discipline, superstition and ceremonies introduced and innovated in Religion by these Prelate's authors of the same.  
2 For these persons thus defective, penitently to submit themselves to this safe and secure way for their cure, and in time leave off their vicious courses and perverse actions by them hitherto practised.  
3 And lastly, if obstinately they refuse to submit themselves to this way and means for their cure, but still let their corruption and infection increase to that height that ordinary means cannot cure the same, then to cut off these as rotten, and altogether unprofitable and dangerous members of the Commonwealth, is the safest way to prevent future trouble by this infection: And thus much for this present Discourse, desiring all things amiss in this Kingdom both in Church and State, may by this Crystal Mirror be discovered and rectified, to the everlasting peace and tranquillity of his Sacred Majesty and all his Dominions.  
FINIS.