The Ripping-up of Sir john Presbyter's Garment: OR, THE Groundwork of Schism, Laid open to all true Protestant Readers, etc.  
Reader,  
I Shall not stop your desires by an Epistle, but fall plainly to the Matter, which I hope may not only divert, but convert thee, if you are not already Conformable; for know, those foul and damnable Presbytical practices which are daily working, are not invisible to the Allseeing God, though for a time they may be so to men.  
I know their present designs are strengthened and encouraged by the same Party, who made the late Insurrection in Scotland; they think (and stick not to speak it too) that by compulsion the King must yield to their demands: but let them not be deceived, for howsoever in Scotland some thought themselves strong enough to resist their Prince, yet I thank God they are not so popular here, but the King's Laws and Authority is able to overtake them: And assured they may be, that these their insolent oppositions against the King and his Interest, will make their Faction be more narrowly looked into; for certainly they have not any spark of God's Grace, nor Loyalty to their King, and so are become the Children of Sin and Rebellion: wherefore behold their proceed, and judge them accordingly.  
You may perceive how that Sect, since the first beginning of it, (which was but in Queen Mary's Reign) hath proceeded from evil to worse by innumerable degrees: at first they did only manifest a dislike of Episcopal Government, and some Ceremonies used in the Church of England, as liking better the Government of Geneva; which was desired by Mr. Calvin, and that cunningly enough for the State of that Republic, which being Popular, could not brook any other but that which is Popular also. And yet I must tell you, Mr. Calvin wanted nothing of a Bishop, but only the Title; for the Church of Geneva is not a Parochial, but Diocesan Church, consisting of divers Parishes, which make up one great Presbytery, and he all the days of his life was Moderator thereof: And so likewise Mr. Beza, for ten years after the others death, held the same place of Government; until Danaeus set him beside the Cushion, and procured the Precedency to go by turns. In the next place, from dislike they proceeded to contempt of Episcopal Government; and this (if you will believe St. Cyprian) hath been the very beginning of all Heresies and Schisms, Initia Haereticorum (saith he) & ortus Schismaticorum haec sunt, ut praepositum superbo tumore contemnant. And again, Vnde Schismata & Haereses orta sunt nisi dum Episcopus qui unus est, & Ecclesia praeest, superbâ quorundam praesumptione contemnitur: & homo dignatione Dei honoratus ab indignis hominibus judicatur. In the third place, from contempt they did proceed unto open disobedience unto all the Orders of the Church, and (like those of whom Nazianzen speaks) would be pleased with nothing but what did proceed from their own devising, esteeming him the Holiest man, who could find most Faults. From disobedience they did proceed unto Schism and open Separation, accounting themselves only to be the Brethren and Congregation of Christ, and all others who are not of their Faction to be the Children of this World. From Schism they proceed to Heresy; for it is most true which St. Jerome did observe, that Omne Schismagignit sibi Haeresin, every Schism doth devise unto itself an Heresy, some false Doctrine or other, to maintain their Separation: And these men have devised not a few, and some that have been condemned by Ancient Councils and Fathers; as namely, Epiphanius reckons among the condemned Heresies of Aerius, that he maintained there was no difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter, and that all set Fasts are unlawful, Jewish and Superstitious. And is not such the Doctrine of these men? But their disobedience, Schism and Heresy, has again drawn them even to the brink of Rebellion, where the hopes of some immediate proceed, etc. has stopped their Career for the present: But I am deceived if they have not yet a farther Journey to go, and that they no ease can find till arrived at the second part of the Good Old Cause, from which their hearts now differ but little; and if you'll but read the History of the late Civil Wars, you will find their proceed were then more moderate than now they are. This is the just Judgement of God, that they who outrun the limits of his infinite goodness, and the mercy of their most clement and gracious King, should also run out of their own wits, and into the very Lake of Perdition and Puritanism.  
I beseech all good Protestants in time to consider their ways and proceed, and how they endeavour to cast mists before our eyes, whilst their Rebellious practices run to the point they so earnestly pray for: I protest their gross Hypocrisy in matters of Religion, and their base injurious dealing with Kings, who are God's Vice-gerents here on Earth, is most unpardonable, both which I have observed by their Doctrine and Practices, and will now give you a brief taste of both.  
As for their Doctrine, we know they would, if they durst, take from the King all Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical, and will not allow him to do those things which the good Kings of Judah; and the Godly Emperors of the Primitive Church did; nay they will not accept or allow of so much as one Member of Parliament, recommended by the King, nor His Majesty to make any Laws concerning matters of outward Order and Polity; nay they have gone farther, allowing and encouraging Subjects to resist their Prince, and are now on the same step of Rebellion, and that next door to being done by force of Arms; and in some cases to depose him, nay and condemn him as a Tyrant: And though the Godliest Prince in the World, by them he must be esteemed so, for it much pleases the Presbyter to declare him such; so that according to this account, Kings must be in a far worse case under Presbytery, than ever they were under the Pope. This is their Doctrine; and now I will show you their Practice: First, those of the same fraternity in Scotland, how they dealt with King James; they persecuted him in his Mother's womb, and when he came unto ripe years, they would not suffer him to enjoy one quiet day, by their Seditious practices: of a great many, I will cull out some of their Attempts, which are most notorious. First, when the Ringleaders of that Faction had concluded the State of Bishops to be unlawful, they sent their Commissioners unto the King, commanding him and his Council under pain of Excommunication to put them down. Secondly, when King James was taken Prisoner at Ruthen, by their Treachery, intending thereby to enforce His Majesty to their own ends, he being happily delivered from them, did with the consent of his Three Estates in Parliament, declare it to be a Treasonable Fact; but the Seditious Ministers being assembled, and taking themselves to be the Supreme Judicatory, did pronounce that Treason to be most just and lawful: but they being farther examined on that point, declined his Majesty's Authority, alleging he was no Judge over them in Church-matters: all this and much more you may read in King James his Declaration, printed Anno 1585. When the Earl of Bothwell was in the act of Rebellion against the King, and had divers times attempted to take away his Majesty's Life, there were by the Ministers great Collections made to maintain the said Earl in his Rebellion. Afterwards when the Gowries conspired against his Majesty, and he miraculously rescued by the Valour of his Servants, his Majesty desired there might be a Public Thanksgiving throughout the Realm for his deliverance; but those of that Faction did plainly say, they neither believed the King or his Nobles, nor that ever there was such a Conspiracy; but that it was a Plot of the King to murder the Gowries. One thing I cannot omit, how they called a National Assembly to be held in Aberdeen, the King suspecting the event, and having long before by Act of Parliament, all Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical, sent to inhibit them by Proclamation, but they would not desist: whereupon some were apprehended, indicted and found guilty of High Treason; yet that merciful Prince did neither take Life nor Goods from any of them, only caused six to be banished, who upon the acknowledgement of their offence, were admitted to their former stations again: and yet the Tincture of Rebellion would not out, for the Successors of those very persons are to this day some of the principal Firebrands in a new, but worse Conspiracy; witness the late Insurrection in Scotland, the most inhuman and barbarous murder of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, etc.  
Thus have I given you a brief account of their Doctrine and Practices concerning the opposing of Kings; but lest this should be thought a National sin, and so Jerusalem upbraid her Sister Samaria, I will show unto you, that they of the same Fraternity in England, have not at all swerved from the tracks of their Scotch Predecessors, but rather are become more dangerous and bloody in their designs; witness King Charles the First, of blessed memory, how barbarously they dealt with his Majesty, and the whole Line-Royal, by their means to be banished: And yet when God of his infinite mercy had recalled our gracious King Charles the Second, and set him on his Throne, in the spite of those his mortal Enemies, he of his great goodness and compassion extended his gracious Pardon to all such as were any ways concerned against him only some few excepted; and yet even from that very day have these wicked Varlets run on in the old path of Rebellion and Conspiracy, and are even at this juncture studying ways to dethrone his most Sacred Majesty: and yet these are the things we silly Protestants take for Saints, and cannot discover them to be of the Black Robe, until we come to dance to the second part of the same Tune they played in 41. when then perhaps 'tis too late. For if ever there were Devils transformed into Saints, 'tis now, and thrust in under the Skirt of John Presbyter's Cloak, who with the pretence of Sanctity, labour to bring all manner of discord into the Church, and consusion into the Kingdom, and the Government thereof; as if the Regulating of Church and State, wholly rested with the Rabble Faction. By the sum of all Histories it is plain, these People envy all Kings whatsoever, and so get Gods promise made to his Church, That Kings should be her Nursing-fathers', and Queens her Nursing mothers, etc.  
But what need I repeat matters of old? For the Children are worse than the Fathers, and their present devices doth surpass all the Iniquities of their Fathers, and will make those of old to be forgotten: And yet these are the people who swear to be good examples to us of all Godliness, Soberness; and in fine, of every Duty they own to God and Man. Now pray Reader guests what Godliness, Soberness, or Righteoushess, has or can be in such proceed: they now begin to be weary with assaulting us with their Tongues, which are sharper than Arrows, and with their Pens, which writ Treason in as plain a stile, as their Parsons in their Pulpits teach it; and are come (as Tertulltan says) a stilo ad maechaeram, from words to blows or very near the matter: which puts us to say, with Bernard, Leones evasimus, sed incidimus in Dracones, we escaped the mouths of Lions, but have fallen into a Den of Dragons; for these sure are Cerastes fiery flying Dragons. But it would be well if their madness stay there, for they not only do wrong unto God in the highest degree, but would touch his Anointed, by entering into a mutual League and Covenant, by incensing and Arming his Subjects against him, taking Oaths of them to stand by, and maintain the Cause, and endeavouring to sow discord amongst those of Loyal Souls, to the confusion of our gracious King and his Government. Good God can such call themselves Christians that do these things? can they warrant this out of God's Word, which commands to obey our King, and that for Conscience sake, even then when all Kings were Enemies to Christianity and Religion? or have they any Examples for such proceed out of pious Antiquity? The Christians in the Primitive Church, when they were led as Sheep to the slaughter, and suffered the most exquisite Torments that could be devised, yet would never take Arms to resist their Prince, but put on this resolution Arma nostra preces & lachrymae: Yea, when those persecuting Emperors had occasion of War against the barbarous Nations, the Christians were the Emperor's best and most faithful Soldiers, so terrible unto their Enemies, that they were called the Thundering Legions: And St. Austin doth highly commend them for their faithful Service unto the Heathen Emperors, who did most cruelly spill their Blood, only for their profession of Christ. And let no man say, it was for want of Power, that they did not defend themselves by Arms; for it is well known, that if they had thought it lawful to resist the Emperor, they were of that number, power and resolution, that they might have shaken the foundations of the whole Empire. But now it seems our Presbyterians, of whom I speak, have learned another sort of Doctrine, and think they are bound to stand to the defence of their dread Sovereign, his Person and Authority, in defence of the true Religion, (as they express it in the Confession of their Faith, whereunto they all are obliged to swear;) so that they do plainly insinuate, they are no farther bound to defend the King's Person and Authority, than he doth stand in the defence of the true Religion, and that only must be accounted so, which they themselves best like of: If the King will not maintain that, than they are freed from their Allegiance. Wherein they have more than justified the Jesuits, for about the beginning of the late Civil Wars, a Jesuit wrote a Book in defence of the Loyalty of their Order, alleging that Protestants had allowed the Rebellion of Subjects against Princes, and gives instance for the same in Buchanan, Knox, and Goodman: and now it fears me, that ere it be long another Jesuit may publish a Book, to prove that the late Insurrection in Scotland, was a greater Rebellion than was the Popish Plot: For if matters are carefully inspected, we may find our Puritain Brethren have engaged a great part of Scotland and Ireland, and many who know not what the matter means; so that this may be called the common sin of that Sect, whereas the other cannotbe charged upon the Religion of the Papists. But perhaps you will say, it is Religion that moveth them: What! did ever the true Religion allow of Rebellion? Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum: I know they pretend the defence of the National Confession of their Church, and the Oath received by their Forefathers in the year 1581. by the King's example and commandment; but if it be so, I will subscribe their Covenant also, which is the greatest Curse I can lay upon my mortal Enemy.  
And now I have taken from them all pretences of Religion, which is not fit to be a Mask for such Villainy; I will guests what are the true causes that set them on work, not using light conjectures, but building on more then probable grounds.  
First, That which sets the Clergy on work, is self-love, which (as St. Austin says) did build the City of the Devil: it is pride, singularity, ambition, and the desire of popular applause; they cannot endure to acknowledge a Bishop, esteeming themselves men of greater gifts and perfections. This pride has been the occasion of many Heresies in the Church, as will evidently appear unto those who read the Histories of Arius, coveting the Bishopric of Alexandria; of Donatus, labouring to have been Bishop of Carthage; of Novatus, desiring a Bishopric in Italy; and divers others I could name, who affected these Honourable places, and receiving their several foils, when through ambition they could not obtain what they sought for in the Church, they laboured to gain Honour another way. I could also tell you of many who are now Ringleaders of the Faction here in England, as Pemberton, Stretton, Alsop, Whitaker, and divers others, who publicly preach Sedition and Rebellion in their several Meetings, and the King to be a Conspirator against himself: If such can be the true Doctrine of Christ, as they pretend it is, God have mercy on all Protestants.  
Secondly, That which sets the Laymen on work, is Convetousness: amongst whom not a few would gladly pray (as their predecessors have done) upon the Abbeys, Church-Lands, Bishoprics, Tithes, and Church-Duties, etc. And they in Scotland and Ireland, as they are of the same Stock, so consequently they are also of the same mind: And when they hear any speak against Popery, Bishops, or Catheral Churches, nay against the King or his Government, (for there's enough dare do it) how it pleases and tickles their Ears, looking for the like prey they formerly had? These darklanthorn Saints have already in their hearts devoured the Government both of Church and State, and value not Religion, so they may but get the Spoil; nay I am confident they would have been content to have Crucified our Blessed Saviour, so they might but have had his Garment. Our Age is full of Bloodthirsty Cormorants, whose hearts and inclinations are full of Perjury, Blasphemy, Murder, and Treason in all degrees, and are still yawning after a prey to fill the bottomless Sacks of their greedy Appetites with: And although it be to their perpetual shame and infamy, yet would they purchase a second Field of blood, so little they value the name of an Englishman, which once was beyond parallel, and is now even among the Turks become a scorn, and must be dashed in the Teeth with Murdering their King, though never so loyal in heart. Thus have these Vipers made our whole Nation odious to the World by their venomous Doctrine.  
Thirdly, I may more than probably conjecture, that they have another aim, even such as was Jeroboams: when he had drawn away the Ten Tribes from the House of David, he said in his heart, If the people go up to Jerusalem to worship, their hearts will return again unto their Lord Rehoboam; and therefore he erected two Golden Calves, and said unto the people, It is too far for you to go up to Jerusalem; these are the Gods that brought you up out of the Land of Egypt: So these intending to draw away the King's Subjects from their Obedience, and perceiving that if they should join with His Majesty's good Subjects, in the true and orderly worship of God, that their hearts would return again unto their Lord the King; they have devised an Idol of their own brain, like Jeroboam's Calves, even their Presbyterial Discipline, and cry that up as the only true worship of God.  
And yet I hold them not all to be alike guilty, but that many, yea the far greatest part, have not as yet learned the depth of Satan: we may distinguish them into two degrees; The first sort are, they who are the principal Contrivers and Actors, and the Seducers of others; for such there is no excuse to be made, therefore I shall leave them as wild Asses, to be spoken with in the mouth of their affliction: The second sort, and the far greater number, are the Seduced, which are like those 200 which followed Absalon out of Jerusalem, knowing nothing of his Treason; these have been drawn to dance after their Pipe, though they understood not the Tune, yet they are carried along with it, and all done under Godly pretences, for they are made to believe, that the very state of Religion, Church, and Kingdom, do depend on the Covenant, and that they are all bound in Conscience to defend the National Confession of Faith, and the Oath ●o maintain it, sworn by their Forefathers: besides, it is with the people a very plausible matter, to hear them depraved that are in Authority, but especially to understand of any Liberty or Power, which may appertain unto themselves. Furthermore also, it is not unknown to any of Judgement, how much the profession of extraordinary Zeal, doth work with the un-thinking Multitude; when they see men go simply in the Streets, bowing down their heads like Bulrushes, though their inward parts burn with deceit, wring their Necks awry, fetching deep sighs, and turning up the whites of their Eyes, as though they were in some intolerable grief; and finally, make long Prayers, under colour whereof they would not only devour the Houses of the Fatherless and Widows, but the Married people also, in so much that none can escape their violence. Lord, what Tyrannical hands are we like to fall into! can these men produce me one Text of Scripture, to support or verify their proceed? No not one; for those Holy Laws admit not of Usury, Sacrilege, Disobedience to a lawful Authority, and Rebellion against Princes: these are the very Incendiaries of Christendom, as if they had come to set Fire on the Earth; not gentle and mild, but are more austere in their carriage than ever was Cato; they are known to be the most rigid Censurers of others, whilst they applaud their own Vicious Actions in the highest; they easily espy the Mote in their Brother's eye, but cannot endure to hear of the Beam in their own.  
All this have I done, to detect these men and their proceed, to the end that I might draw from amongst them, all that pretend to Christianity, or any the least Moral Virtues, if there be any such uncorrupted: for who would follow their steps, whose Religion is Sacrilege, whose Bond is Perjury, whose Badge is Rebellion? Therefore come out from among them, and partake not in their sins, lest you receive also of the Plagues God has prepared for them, and think not to halt thus between God and Baal; neither do thou fear their power, for howsoever they prosper for a time, it is but a Summer Storm, and let them be assured it will not be long before their turn of Sufferings come about: For that God by whose Power King's Reign, will give strength unto his King, and exalt the horn of his Anointed; he will scatter the people that delight in War, and make their hearts to melt, and their joints to tremble. This I protest to God I speak out of the great grief of my heart, and the very anguish of my Soul; when I consider the dreadful after-claps that are like to ensue, it fears me, that our Sins are come to a full maturity, and that we are ripe for God's Sickle to reap us. I dare not say, with St. Paul, that I could wish myself Anathema, or separated from Christ for my Countrymen; but I do say with all sincerity of heart, that I could be content my Life were given in a Sacrifice, so that could procure the Peace and Unity of our Nation, that so my King and his good Subjects may be preserved from the most damnable havoc John Presbyter designs to make amongst us: Therefore I beseech all you of good will to join with me, by applying our endeavours for quenching of this Fire, (which as yet is only to be found by its Smoke) let all of us be instant with God in Prayer, lifting up our hearts and hands to the Heavens, and beseech him who is the Author of Peace, that he will be pleased to open the eyes of that wicked People, and turn their hearts, that they may acknowledge their Duty to God, and perform their Obedience to his Vicegerent: This is the true Prayer of honest  
Tom the Joiner.