THE DOWNFALL OF THE PRETENDED Divine Authority of the Hierarchy into the Sea of ROME. FROM Some Arguments, and Motives, to the final Extirpation of that unlawful government of the PRELACY: as having no foundation in the Scriptures, but only in that filthy dunghill of the Canon Law of the Pope's Authority, and therefore Antichristian. And So they are wrongfully blamed for abuse of their offices, the very nature and right use whereof is to overthrow Churches and Kingdoms, Laws of God & man, to propagate the kingdom of Antichrist: the office is so bad as cannot be used otherwise. Also their dangerous practices discovered: and the great Objection of Martyr-Prelates answered. By V N. V  
I know thy works, and thy labour, and patience, and how thou canst not endure them which are evil, and thou haste tried them which say they are Apostles and are not, and haste found them liars. Apoc. 2.2.  
Ostentantes se se quasi sint pastores ecclesiae, quasi sint Episcopi cum sint merae umbrae, personae lupercales, statuae mutae, & picturati trunci.  
Sub magnifico Episcoporum titulo, totum Mundum perdentes.  Luther: de falso nom: & ordine Episcoporum. Tom. 2. Vitebergae. p. 330. 
Anno ReX ChrIstVs,  VerVs, regnVM papae DestrVet.   

Ad Chariss: suum, V. N. V.  

PAstorum in orbe cernimus  
Ovilis Christi copiam:  
Pauci ah! quibus corde Dei  
Est gloriae meditatio:  
Sed ventris esse plutimos  
Britannae pastores, magis  
Videmus addictos papae  
Traditionibus impijs:  
Cujus superbos spiritus  
Sic, qui induerunt atque opes  
Ejus relictas possident  
Quas devorant voraciter:  
Queîs imminent regaliter:  
Et veritatis deprimunt  
Veros patrones, & Dei  
Veri timentes opprimunt  
In gratiam nisi papae  
Suique commodi, & sui  
Honoris eminentiae.  
Sed ipsa quae fluunt Dei  
Ex fonte verbi Limpido  
Hos judicant, hos comprobant,  
Antistites papae imperî,  
Qui templa tot deglutiunt  
Qui templa tot tot devorant.  
Ne quis per illos devius  
Aberret à Dei via  
Fugiatque tales impios  
Et fastuosos clericos  
Falsosque pastores procul.  
procul.  
procul.  
In gratiam scripsit  
Inanes Arce viros.    

To the Reader.  
COURTEOUS READER;  
IF duty to Religion and Subjects liberties; if loyalty to sovereign Authority; if long and heavy pressures under the enemies of all these may challenge any privilege at this time; then may I crave leave to creep in amongst the crowd without presumption, in this abyss of troubles, with my present (to this great work in hand for Reformation) composed of naked truth clad in her own colours, in a few succinct Arguments, closely backing one another, as links in a chain, drawing all one way in one strong cord, not one of which I conceive could be wanting, though I have studied as much brevity as might stand with perspicuity, in abusinesse so very weighty, as to give vigour and life to the active axiom of the time, and present exigent, for the final extirpation of the usurped duplicated authority of the Prelacy; the great bowl or branch of the Romish Hierarchy: Eclipsing all our glory, eluding all Authority, by their lofty dignity and innate Antipathy to all true Church policy, and our Parliamentary sublyme authority, and noble designs, to which above all humane service I profess to be devoted, and to which I here present my homage and hostage of my best endeavours. If herein thou findest any thing worthy of observance, use it to thine advantage for the common good.  
Every one within his limits improving his endeavours and interest in this present honourable Parliament, to make the Hydra's head of Prelacy, with all the corrupt members of that body, the holocaust to expiate the wrath of God so long threatened against this Land defiled with their abominations, and bloody cruelties, in their long opposition of Christ's Kingly office, and that by an Antichristian tyrannical government, incompatible with all Christian policy and free subjects liberties, the vindicating whereof shall assuredly add more lustre to this ancient Kingdom's glory, and our Parliaments deserved fame, than all the gems or radiant stones in the Triple crown or Spanish Diadem.  
And since the Prelates of late have been so presumptuously busy in melting base mettle, and casting their Canons, and mounting them so high as to batter down all Religion, and authority, fortifying their tottering holds of Episcopacy in the rearing again the old ruins of Babel. Shall not the Lords servants be much more bold for Christ, than they for Antichrist? shall they fortify and plant Canons contrary to both Laws of God and of the Land, to batter down our Religion and liberties, and shall not we rear our forts and plant Canons of proof by both Laws, and play upon their Babel Building? long ago, yea of old determined to destruction, as Jericho, 
Iosh. 6.  and cursed they who shall attempt to rear its ruins again.  
If ever were a time for Christ's servants, as men of another spirit, to take courage and Camp about Babel; then now when she hath laid our Zion waste: high time for every faithful servant of God, and loyal subject to be up and be doing, every one something within compass of his calling. This is solely the Author's mind and aim at this time in Conscience of his duty, here representing to thy view, a new reared battery against Babells' lofty fort of Prelacy, planted with ten new cast Canons of old tried mettle, playing upon their tottering building on all parts, from the highest pinnacle to the groundwork and foundation: which is not only sandy but laid in a filthy dunghill, and wasting daily; so the servants of Christ may even hence be encouraged, that the downfall of it is feasible enough if they camp about it with courage and constancy, as the Israelites about Jericho, and we shall see it fall suddenly with Shout and Cry.  

The names of the Canons, and how they are planted and discharged.  
1 Canon ab alto fulminans, strikes down right from heaven fiery hot thunderbolts at their two high pinnacles of archiepiscopal blasphemy.  
2 Canon lucis a meridie fulgens, pays them on the blind side for they look Southeast, Rome-ward, and are blind Southward. Sun-ward; their right eye is darkened and no light in them, Zach. 14.17.  
3 Canon Regis Caroli Christi vindex, plays upon the corner stone of their building.  
4 Canon John the Baptist ex officio suo, plays upon their breast-works.  
5 Canon old Roman on the Southeast, which way they look most for help, plays upon the main bulk and body of their building, where all their treasure and baggage lies.  
6 Canon Apostolic, in a running trench, closely batters the foundation round about on every side.  
7 Canon ex ore Christi eradicans, or Canon root all, fires a mine which springs and scatters the ground-stones of the foundation.  
8 Canon gregis & utriusque legis, or Canon cleanse all, from the honourable high Court of Parliament, runs round about their works, charged with great and small short, sweeping out root and branches, and cleansing the Land of all their remnants.   

The next two Canons are planted upon their passage to cut off all aid and secure from them, whiles the other are battering.  
9 Canon Minans, or stand of Assistants.  
10 Canon flagrans, a long Basilisk whose fiery eyes at long distance threatens death and destruction to all that come near to plead for them, or partake with them against the Lord jesus, the mighty King incensed to wrath against their working.   
And thus courteous Reader, if thou mindest aright this service, I hope thou shalt find it not unprofitable at this time, but affording some useful instructions to all sorts of men, whereby 'tis hoped some may be bettered in some measure.  
1. The first to be looked at are the suffering servants of God, who have lain under long and great oppressions under the Prelates, these may hence be comforted, to see their long deserted cause at length victorious, though the siege prove long, these Canons are strong, will not miscarry if the service be hot, nay if some of them be not discharged at all that depend on men's hands and handling, yet there are enough besides in the number that will not spare them, and are in the divine hand of a jealous God, who will let fly at them, one thunderclap from on high at their blasphemy, will tear their building from top to bottom, or a word from the Lord jesus mouth, shall root them when he gins to roar in mount Zion, his voice is powerful and full of majesty, Psal. 29.4. he will shake their deep rooting, and lay them on the ground; his eyes are as flames of fire if once his wrath begin to burn, woe to them he finds in his way of advancing his kingdom; he will make waste mountains and hills of greatest enemies, for the Lord is jealous, the Lord avengeth, the Lord avengeth and is furious, the Lord will take vengeance on his enemies, Nahum 1.2. and he will comfort Zion, and build her waste places, he hath had respect to the prayer of the desolate, and will not tarry, they may then be comforted, to them belongs the songs and palms of victory over the beast of Rome and his Image, in these bats of Babel; these are they that come out of great tribulation, that keep the Commandments and faith of Jesus, that are not defiled with the filthiness of the whorish woman, for they are the virgins that follow the Lamb, and shall enter with him through the gates into the City. The consideration whereof should mitigate their present sorrows, having an eye to the recompense of reward.  
2. The enemies of Christ's kingdom may read their doom from the righteous judgement of the Lord of hosts, and be at last provoked to repentance and resignation of their unlawful offices, and do homage to Christ's Sceptre, who otherwise will come as a these in the night upon them, and cut off their pomp and power, and make them naked and unarmed, and cast them out as dogs out of the holy City; and so there be left them no place to repentance, though they seek it with tears, out of time, when the gate of the Kingdom is shut against them, they may howl, and cry, and knock till they be weary, ere St. Peter's keys come to open. This will certainly befall them sooner or later, if they repent not.  
3. Those that are gone back to the fleshpots of Egypt, and are swimming down with the stream of the time, may be forewarned to return, and come out of the tents of these wicked men, lest by partaking in their sins, they partake of their plagues; 
Isa.  for it is the time of the Lords vengeance, the year of recompense of the Controversies of Zion.  
4. All sorts of men, loyal subjects of the King, and good Patriots of their Country, may be moved with pity to help to remove the insupportable burdens which press down the land to ruin and misery, 
Vbi dolor ibi digitus, is the part and duty of every member of the body.  all flowing from the Hierarchy: and till the pressures in Religion be removed, and Christ's kingdom advanced, the Commonweal cannot be eased: they are like Hypocrates twins, they mourn and rejoice, live and die together. 'tis the office of Prelacy that keeps out Christ's kingly office, is the Achan sin that troubles the Land, and is the cause of all our miseries, and threatens still greater: if that be not removed, God's wrath will not be appeased, our troubles not ended. The Lord pity us, and ease himself and us of these his Adversaries, who will not have Christ to reign over them.  
Undique concurrunt ac crescit turba malorum, sed cum probrosi castra superba tenent.  Lament. 5.17, 18. 
For this our heart is faint, our eyes are dim, because of the mountain of Zion which is desolate, the Foxes walk upon it.   

SOME ARGUMENTS AND MOTIVES TO The final Extirpation of the usurped unlawful Government of the HIERARCHY. AS Having no foundation in the Scriptures, but merely in that filthy dunghill the Canon Law of the Pope's Authority, and therefore Antichristian.  

Argument I.  
THat Name which is only proper to the Lord Jesus, is unlawful, yea blasphemy for any man to assume. But so is the name Archbishop only proper to the Lord Jesus, (1 Pet. 5.4. Heb. 13.20. Acts 3.15. & 5.31.) the chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. 1 Pet. 2.25. Ergo for any man to assume that name is unlawful; yea blasphemy, and the blasphemer should be stoned to death, Levit. 24.11.14.   

II.  
That office whose original is not known is unlawful. But the original of the office of Archbishop is not known: as the chief champion of Prelacy confesseth, Whitgift count. Cartwright, pag. 351. And further, nothing can be said for the primacy of a Metropolitan Bishop, but what will as well maintain the primacy of the Pope as universal Bishop of all the world. Ergo the office of an Archbishop is unlawful.   

III.  
That name and office which is unlawsull, and blasphemy for any man to assume, no Prince or humane power may lawfully give. But so is the name and office of Archbishop, as before. Ergo no Prince or humane power may lawfully give it to any man; and we hope his Majesty when he is rightly informed, will explode the remembrance of it: this is the very corner stone of their building, if this once fail, the whole fabric will suddenly tumble upon their heads. The Lord grant it, and put into the heart of our royal Sovereign to execute his will upon these Bats of Babel.   

iv  
No officer in the Church is lawful, who cannot prove his function from the word, as john did when the Priests questioned him, 1 john 20.23.25. But all these officers in the Hierarchy from the chief Metropolitan to the meanest Apparitor, are such as cannot prove their functions from the word when they are questioned: their only prooses are fulminations of Canons, censures, excommunications, prisons, and fines, cutting of cares and noses and brands. Ergo unlawful.   

V  
Those officers whose names, offices, and practices are deriyed from Antichrist, and serve principally to uphold and propagate his Kingdom, ought not to govern the Church the Spouse of Christ: who will not have her ruled by such as live by the vices of men, and hire of whores, commutations of penance, selling of sins and giving liberty to all licentiousness. But Archbishops, Diocesan Bishops, Deans Archdeacon's, Chancellors, officials, etc. their names offices and practices are such; as in one word appears in that they have their foundation in that filthy dunghill of the Canon law, and thence their practices, Ex mero officio, are only warranted to uphold and propagate the Kingdom of Antichrist, and bring in Popery again. Neither can any thing be produced for a Diocesan Bishop and Church, but from the same ground will arise an Universal Church and Bishop, they stand upon one Antichristian foundation, which makes the Prelates and their officers love the Papists so well. Ergo they ought not to govern the Church the Spouse of Christ.   

VI  
Those officers in the Church, whose offices and government from the foundation and very nature of their offices, do waste and overthrow the principal functions of the Church and offices of Christ, are not of Christ but of Antichrist. But such are the offices of Archbishops, Diocesan Bishops, etc. and the rest of that rabble. Ergo not of Christ but of Antichrist.  
The Major I suppose no sound Protestant will deny.  
The Minor proposition is that must abide all the battery from the lofty Prelacy, their forts and mounts of molehill-authoritie; but in the skirmish, we shall find them all in a confusion, flourishing their colours, and drawing forth and mounting their Canons, and playing and discharging upon their own Canon Law, as if they seemed to batter their own foundation, (like cunning Fencers that make a flourish on the stage and seem to knock down one another, but 'tis a point of art to maintain the trade) but as soon as the fury is over, we shall find them with their Canons drawn into their old fortification, and upon the next advantage in the field again, and at their old work and battery, at the foundations of the Church with greater fury, (it being the very nature of their office so to do) yea (if God prevent not now by the diligent hand of this honourable Parliament) to mount their Canons and Canon Law to such a height, as to batter at the Royal Authority, Parliamentary privileges, and Subjects liberties, to make havoc of all, and bring in and erect a papal foreign Jurisdiction in this Land again.  
There be two main Branches of our Minor proposition, 
Two branches of the Minor.  that the offices and government of the Hierarchy, 1. from the foundation of, 2. from the very nature of their offices and government do waste and overthrow the functions of the Church and offices of Christ, we will demonstrate.  
1. 
First branch.  That it is founded in the Canon Law, what their offices are, and how to be exercised, in such practices as uphold and propagate the Kingdom of Antichrist, read Angelus de Clansio, and other Canonists, where you may see their warrant for their offices, and practices in their government: to which upon all occasions they have their recourse in any difficulty, and fetch their dark light in stead of the Scriptures. So as when a new Prelate, a new Archdeacon, or a new Chancellor comes into his new office like a fresh man, the inferior officers that be old practitioners in that Law, must instruct him in any matter of difficulty falling out in his government, after that Law, by which all must be ordered: and that it is true that the Canon Law is the foundation of their offices and government. See a book compiled out of the Canon Law, and entitled; Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum, Printed 1571, and now of late reprinted and allowed by Authority; and in he Preface of the said book it is confessed, that the Canon Law of Popish government was still retained in England to that day, and so is to this.  
Now what this Canon Law is, appears by the Law itself to be nothing else but the Laws and Decrees of the Popes of Rome and their authority point blank opposite to the Laws of God in general, and the Laws of Christ (for governing his Church) in special, and to our King's prerogative royal and laws of the Land. And 'tis a wonder how this Canon Law, branded and abolished by so many Statutes and Acts of Parliament, should be suffered to be exercised in this Land without (as Lawyers say) the incutring of a Praemunire. being a Law of foreign and Papal Jurisdiction, abolished by the Stat. of 4. Edw. 6. cap. 11. & 1 Eliz. cap. 5. & 5. Eliz. cap. 1.23. and others. And how this usurped government, is grown to an insufferable height, overtopping all authority, religion and liberties, I leave to the learned in the Laws, and grave judgements of this honourable Parliament.  
We come then to the second branch of our proposition; that it is from the very nature of their offices, 
Second branch.  that they waste and overthrow the sunctions of the Church and offices of Christ, merely from that their foundation and warrant (in the Canon Law) of their practices in all they do in their offices, as before.  
Now the nature of every thing is best tried and seen in the things which issue from it, as the proper works and actions of every function, springing from the root and foundation, as giving Laws for warrant and commission, so vigour and life for execution; and from thence we shall see as in a Prospect through their practices (so warranted) into the nature of their offices, and whether they waste the Church and overthrow the offices of Christ or no.  
The principail sunctions of the Church are; 1. 
Four main functions of the Church.  the word. 2. prayer. 3. Sacraments. 4. discipline; all which like the mother that old withered wrinkled faced whore of Rome, they have most foully adulterated and filthily polluted.  
1. For the word 'tis the very nature of their offices, 
1 The World.  flowing in through their so warranted practices, to mix and mingle it with men's inventions, and shut their eyes against the Scriptures brightness; tell one of these Prelates of warrant from the word, and he will give you such a learned answer, as would make his horse break his halter, if he knew how unmerciful his Master were to his beast, as to question what warrant he hath from the word to give him a peck of Oats. An argument from Scripture sets them all in a rage; such an antipathy there is between the word and the very nature of their offices. 2. They corrupt the word with false doctrines, from their Canons, Books of Articles and Homilies, writings and preach, wherewith the Pulpits sound aloud throughout the Land. 3. Their offices are to cause the people drink these troubled waters, or drive their backs to the wall. 4. They have turned the Ministry wholly into a Jewish-Popish Sacrificing Priesthood. 5. They set up a new kind of reading-preaching, and suppress sound preaching, silence and suspend the orthodox Preachers, and fill their places with Metaphysical cloudy-brained Humanists, Arminian 
* Mountebancks.  and Popish fellows, who usually stuff their Sermons out of Aristotle's Ethics, and the Friars postils. 6. In stead of the word they set up Images, Crucifixes, Altats, and teaching Ceremonies, to stir up the dull minds of men, against Christ's prerogative and prophetical office, to which it belongs to teach his Church by his word and works, and not by men's inventions and works of men's hands. 7. They Pope-like corrupt the word with their stinking breath, breathing forth for Scripture what they please, some are the Fathers, others the sons of the Church, and in summa the Church of themselves, and exalt themselves above the Scriptures, especially when they meet in the Convocation house, and have their Canons in casting, they make laws above and against the word, and preach for them, & punish the breach of them more than the breach of God's Commandments. 8. By virtue of their offices they assume a power to confer holiness upon things and places, consecrate Churches, Altars, and places, and place holiness in their superstitions and abominations, as Altars, Altar-cringing, Jesus, and East-worshipping, etc. Whereas the word alone hath power to sanctify and make holy. Thus by bringing in the accursed thing of Rome's Idolatry, they are become the A●bans that trouble the Land. 8. Nature works so strongly in their offices, as you may now see it in their bold impudent faces, professing reconciliation of us to Rome, pronouncing them happy that shall be the instruments to reconcile the petty seeming differences, and make us at one with their mother, but I hope before that be done they and their mother shall be both confounded, Jere. 50.11, 12. For the light hath dazzled them, the Sun is gone down, and the day is dark over them to make them confounded and ashamed, Zach. 14.17. Mich. 3.6, 7.  
2. For Prayer, 
2 Prayer.  how do they by their very office profess and practise the corrupting of it, which as incense should be purely offered, Mal. 3. They, 1. fill the house of God with smoke of the strange fire of their abominations of all sorts, new and old inventions, Litany and long some service, said and sung, with yelling and chanting like the Priests of Baal, their old and new inventions, fopperies, second Service, and corrupt prayers, all put together, as like the Mass as an apple is like an Orange. 2. By their offices, they ordain Priests of the lowest of the people, to offer up their corrupt prayers, as dunibe Sir john's, ale-house-keepers, and generally vile persons, who like Elyes son's cause men to abhor their offerings. 3. All this corruption in worship flows out of the Canon Law, as the filthy fountain through their offices, as the pipes to set it abroad to infect the world, and is preserved as in cisterns in the Canons and service-booke, the second main basis whereupon Episcopacy stands in the dunghill Canon Law, which casts such a foul savour in the nostrils of God, as we may admire his patience in suffering it so long, without sweeping it and us all together away in some strange inundation of Judgement.  
Nothing but a flood of Justice and reformation will prevent his kindled anger against us, manifested of late in so many fearful and prodigious signs and wonders, especially in and about Churches, as if he had pointed with his finger that there is his quarrel, one strange fire procuring another, and threatening yet greater if we repent not, reform not.  
3. 
3 Sacraments.  For the Sacraments, how have they changed them into Sacrifices, witness their baptismal regeneration, kneeling at Sacrament, or bread-worship, wherein we are beholding to Costerus the Jesuit for telling us their meaning right out, if Christ (saith he) were not teally in the bread, our kneeling were worse and more gross Idolatry than that of the Heathen. Thus they turn the Sacraments into propitiatory Sacrifices, to wash away sin and confer grace, xapere op rato: and so the inward work of God's Spurit banished, it would be too tedious to be more in particulars.  
4. 
4 Discipline.  For discipline, the nature of the office shows itself hear most, as in the strongest pulse, working with all its might continually by their Canons and Canon Law authority to oppose and suppress Christ's Kingly office and government, to repair and restore the ruinous kingdom of Antichrist, and that judas-like, Antichrist-like under a feigned profession of friendship to Christ. 2. Their offices uphold the Popish Canon law government, which hath left us no footsteps of the Apostolic discipline, and kingly office of Christ, wholly swept away in the great deluge of Popery, and never yet restored as our first reformers aimed, which may appear by the Preface to the commination in the common prayer-book, and were enough to set all reformed Spirits on work to perfect what they in the infancy of reformation left undone or saw not clearly, being then newly risen out of the long darksome night of Popery, and how should their diligence shame our negligence in so bright a Sunshine of the Gospel as we have had since, and stir up our spirits to search out and set up that primitive discipline they aimed at now above fourscore years ago, which hath been so much disputed for, written for, and petitioned for at so many Parliaments, and been only hundred by these Antichristian Prelates, whose office it is to justle Christ from his throne, until the words of God be fulfilled 
* Apoc. 17. 1●. , because they know the setting up of his kingdom will be the downfall of theirs, they cannot stand together; therefore this hath been long their masterpiece, with all their craft and cunning to uphold their Papal government and tyranny by their Canons and Canon law, to crush all who have stood in their way to oppose them, and plead for Christ's own discipline, using them worse than Turks would have done as witness the multitude of Ministers and people in prisons murdered, of thousands banished, of families scattered, and estates ruined for standing for Christ's discipline. 2. The very nature of their office is to thirst after the blood of God's servants; Where Antipas my faithful martyr is slain, there is Satan's throne, Apoc. 2.13. Of this tyranny let one of themselves be witness, (out of whose mouth the Lord exacted this testimony) Prelate Vaughan in a speech to Dr Morton long ago, (now Prelate of Duresme) confessed that the persecution of these times were worse than in Queen Mary's days, and gave reasons for it. Now let Prelate Morton speak how they are increased in his time and by him, or if he will not, it may be God may exact it of him sometime with more horror of conscience than any of his predecessors, because he sins against greater light and more warnings; yea let Prelate Usher speak whether his hands be clear of the bloody persecutions in Ireland of late, and if they will not, the earth shall discover her blood, and no more hid her slain: the infection of the bloody office is grown to such a height as hath not left any one of them untainted one way or other. 4. If they all should hold their peace, the stones will cry in their High Commissions and Courts, their books and Court Records shall testify to posterity of their tyranny in government. So as it hath been an old tried Maxim of their Courts; That a good man makes a bad cause there: how hath the terror of their Courts made many Ministers and people, like the figtree, cast their fruit before they felt the storm, upon the first puff of wind of appearance of troubles, when they have heard an I seen how other men have been crushed and undone by them 
* Vestigia terrent. . The very sight of a Puritan (as they brand them in their Courts, makes their blood rise and their spirits rage and swell as against the mortal enemies of their Dominion. And if the Papists plot of a long intended bloody Massacre had prevailed and not of late from Heaven been prevented, I believe their white sleeves would have been died in our blood ere now: their doglike appetite so hungers after the Puritans blood, as the very nature of their office so to do, and cannot be otherwise, for this is the fruit of the old withered stock of Rome's Hierarchy, and the longer this tree of Prelacy springing out of that root shall stand, it grows taller and stronger, from the nourishment it receives from the sap and root in the dunghill foundation of the Canon Law: and according to the nature of the soil the fruit must be, and so of necessity bring forth daily more bitter fruits to the Church of God, like apples of Sodom. 5. The brightness of divine truth in this point of discipline, hath so dazzled the Prelatical party, that of late they have confessed the discipline of the Church of England to be the same with the Church of Rome; and yet they are either so modest as ashamed to have it called Antichristian, or else so impudent as to deny the Pope to be Antichrist; as whores and bawds love the gain aside pleasarcof their filthy trade, but cannot endure the name. What a shame is it to our Religion and Nation, to uphold Artichrists filthy trade and government, the mother of all abominations, and mistress of whoredoms; a thing so scandalous to all the reformed world of Protestants. 6. Let our dear friends and exiles in America speak, and the whole Kingdom at home of the scattered families of Christ's servants, witness what havoc they have made of the Church; and what rule they keep in Court and Country, Town and City, from the Metropolitan to the meanest son of the Church, how they pierck and pranse it, above all Nobility and Sentry, and become the only brave fellows and fac t●●ums, in all affairs in the Commonweal as well as in the Church. So as at length they have over-shadowed the whole State, Eclipsed the very royal Authority, hindered the Sunshine of his Princely aspect from his loyal subjects, and which is not the least of all, by the mists of then inventions and smoke of their superstitious abominations, arising out of their sulphurous Seas, like the Asphaltites, they darken the light of the sun of Righteousness, and hinder us of the Lord Jesus his beautiful and shining rays and influence of his sweet countenance, which like the Sun in his strength, would revive all our droopings, and make the Land to flourish, when once his throne, his rest were set up amongst us. O how would he make his rest glorious, Isa. 11.10.  
Thus at last to conclude this argument, we have found in the office of Prelacy, the principal marks of Antichrist; corrupt doctrine, corrupt worship and tyranny in government; all naturally flowing through their offices out of the same dunghill foundation with Antichrist; for if it were not in the nature and power of their offices thus to do, their kingdom would long ago have fall'n and come to nothing.  
And therefore the Prelates are wrongfully blamed for abusing their offices, thevery nature and right use whereof is to waste and overthrow the Church and offices of Christ, to overturn Kingdoms and Laws, to propagate the kingdom of Antichrist; the office is so bad they cannot use it otherwise, no more than one of them can ride a horse blind and lame of all legs, over mountains and hills, without hazard of his neck: the office or Episcopacy is the blind and lame Jade which they are mounted upon to over-ride all divine and humane authority, and will certainly break their necks ere long; and therefore the best office their friends can do them, is to stop their galloping, and to save their necks help to dismount them.  
Ob. This cannot be so, will some say, why should the Prelates be so venturous, or ride so madly, they sure have a more care of themselves, than so desperately precipitate themselves to fatal ruin.  
Ans Because they ride for a better horse, whence they had this, which makes them so loath to part with the Jade, and rather will venture a fall: every Priest rides for a parsonage, every person for a Prebendary, every Prebend for a Deanery, so for a Bishopric, an Archbishopric, a cardinalship, till some of them that ride fastest at last be mounted on men's shoulders, to make Princes run at their stirrup. Complain not then of the Prelates abuse of their offices in trampling upon you, when it is the nature of the beast, and ride he must: if you would be eased of your pain, dismount the rider, and knock the lame Jade on the head.  
And thus we see how under a pretence of love to Christ, they overthrew all his offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King, and therefore the conclusion stands firm, that they are not of Christ, but of Antichrist: and then our next Argument tells us what will be the end of them.   

Argument VII.  
Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted out, Mat. 15.13. The Prelacy and their offices are no plants of the Father's planting. Ergo they shall be rooted out, and as an abominable branch (of the old withered stock of Rome's Hierarchy be cut down and cast out of the Church) as the garments of the slain, (thrust through with the sword of authority) and as a carcase trod under foot, Isa. 14.19.  
The Major proposition is undeniable, being out of his mouth who is faithful and true, Apoc. 13.14. and will make it good in his own time, for out of his mouth goes a two edged sword, the sword of his Spirit, sharpening and thrusting forth the sword of the Magistrate, which in due time he will cause to be furbished and made bright to the slaughter of these his enemies, who will not have him to rule over them, Luk. 19.17.  
The Minor is their part to prove. See Argument 4. And if they have any Letters Patents for their offices, let them open their black boxes and produce them, or else as polluted be put from the Priesthood, as those, Nehem. 7.64. that could not reckon up their Genealogy from Livi. 2. In all the book of God from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalypse, we find not one word of warrant for the name or office of an Archbishop, Diocesan Bishop, Deane, Archdeacon. Chancellor, or any of their orders, but are merely derived from Antichrist, crept into the Church by carnal policy and flattery, and abuse of Prince's favours, and have no foundation but in the Canon Law of the Pope, as before, Arg. 5. and 6. that's all the divine authority they have, and no wonder if it be divine enough for them to stand upon, being the same with Antichrist; for Diocesan Bishops were the first step whereby the Papacy mounted to its height, and are the pillars of its support even to this day. But when the Prelate's father their authority, some upon God the Father, some upon God the Son, and others upon the holy Ghost, they declare themselves to be of that stamp Christ reproves and accuses of blasphemy, and to be of the Synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not but do lie, Apoc. 3.9. Who say they are Apostles and are not, but are found liars, Apoc. 2.2. So then when they boast of divine authority, they are right like themselves, for that is another mark of Antichrist, the adding of lies to all their abominations, for which they shall be cast out of the holy City, Apoc. 22.15.  
3. The whole stream of truth flowing out of the Scriptures, as the fountain runs so strongly against them that down they go to the Sea of Rome, that dead Sea, to fetch their pedigree from that ancient family of long Enmity to Christ, the Ancient of days, and fountain of all Antiquity, before whom nothing was, and without whom nothing was made or done, Joh. 1.2, 3.  
That this is so, see clearly Mr Paul Baine his diocesan trial, the very Prelate's ratsbane, and will burst them ere long; it savours so sweetly of the Scriptures fragrant fullness and excellency by the breathe of God's Spirit (which is the Prelates deadly poison) that none of them durst ever take it in hand to answer it, now about twenty years published; and there who will may read the doom of their divine authority.  
4. If they fly to Antiquity, we ans. 1. We acknowledge no antiquity, but what is according to the Scriptures, the Judge of all Controversy; it's a sure rule of the learned against the Papists, that Whatsoever is not according to the Word, but by or besides the Word is against the Word. 2. We answer with Cyprian the flower and sweetest bloom of all antiquity, a Martyr and a Bishop, but no Lord, or Diocesan Bishop. Epist. ad Pomp. Epist. 74. Antiquity without truth, is antiquity of error, and antiquity without truth is nothing worth saith our learned Whitakers, Controverse de Eccles. quaest. 5.  
But to leave them more without excuse, we will prosecute yet one trial more of them, which we learn from our great Master the Lord Jesus, for the discovery of false Prophets, who come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, are avening Wolves, By their fruits ye shall know them, Mat. 7.15, 16, 20. False Prophets in Scripture always set forth such as have no lawful but a pretended office, so the Diocesan Bishops, etc. are the false Prophets we have to do withal; the name of Prophets, so the name of Bishops is the sheep's clothing they come in to do the works of Satan and Antichrist; the very name of Bishop (which in itself is good) is like jacob's voice with Esau's hands, there's much power of Satan used under the shelter of words and names, as of great force to deceive, Mountebanck-like, and therefore saith Luther, 
Luther. de falso nom. & ordine Episcoporum. Tom. 2. p. 330.  they show or set out themselves as if they were Pastors of the Church, as if they were Bishops, when they are mere shadows, sacrificing persons, dumb statues, and painted trunks, under the lofty high title of Bishops, destroying the whole world: and therefore having been too long deceived with words and names, we now will follow Christ's rule, By their fruits to know them.  
The office of Prelacy, is the lame Jade we spoke of even now, and hath been long tried by the Word, but now is grown so hot ridden, as will not abide that kind of handling, therefore the last trial of them is this, By their fruits to know them, and so by their footsteps we shall see which way they are running.  
Now the fruits of the office, we have showed in the foregoing Argument to be the overthrowing of the offices of Christ, and propagating the Kingdom of Antichrist, Ex mero officio, as the proper fruits of their functions, and naturally flowing through the office out of that filthy lake of Rome's authority (as before) and therefore the fruits must needs be according to the soil, bitter fruits to the Church of God. And here we will take a further trial of them, and how they grow and increase in fruitfulness.  
Such plants as are of the Father's planting, the Son purgeth that they may bring forth more fruit, joh. 15.2. Fruits unto holiness: Ephes. 4.24. But we see when these men once enter into a Bishop's Sea, or other their offices, they soon whither and cast their fruit; how many of learning and good abilities, before they entered into these corrupt offices, have quickly after fallen under the withering curse of the Figtree, Never fruit grew more upon thee. And how can it be otherwise, there's such a plaguy infection lies in the office arising out of the filthy dunghill foundation, which rots and blasts all the fruits of their learning and moral parts, and renders them wholly like the soil they live in, and corrupt air of the Episcopal Seas they breath in: here's the infection, the poison that kills them sooner or later; 'tis in the office, not so much in the person, but as the office infects him; therefore no safety to their persons till they be put out of the infected places to lodge in fresh air. 
A Caveat.  Their counsel then is not good who would only remove and change the persons, and put other learned men in the places. O it is the greatest cruelty you can do to these men's souls, you had better place them to live in a Pest-house, or cast their bodies alive into the Mari Mortuo, than into a Bishop's Sea, if they be good men they should so save their souls, whereas this way you hazard their souls and bodies both. Let none then be so cruel to their friends, to put them upon this preferment on so desperate a condition, wherein it's as possible for them to bring forth good fruit as for an Apricock to grow in a dunghill. We have Christ's assurance for it, A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit; the tree still signifies the office not the person, for it's spoken of false Prophets, and trial of them by their fruits; Do men gather grapes on thorns, or figs on thistles, still shows it to be the office of those false Prophets, where Christ never ordained any good fruits to grow, and therefore none to be expected, but of a corrupt tree corrupt fruit; Therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, Mat. 7.16. to 20. This good fruit as we shown even now is fruit unto holiness.  
We will try then the fruits of this tree of Episcopacy, and the several branches of its offices, and we find them all taste of the dunghill soil, they are rooted in and receive their proper nourishment from, and are no fruit unto holiness: For we do find by woeful experience, that the fruits of their offices and government hath filled the Land with all profaneness, and sinning with greediness in all licentiousness, and therefore unholy offices, an unholy government, which not only countenance sinks of sin and wickedness, but live in and are maintained by the vices of men, as the hire of whores, selling of sins and filthiness, commutations of penance, and oppressions of his Majesty's Subjects, and disabling them for King and Country's service. This is the chief maintenance of their offices, which if once, with the Canon Law that warrants these practices, were taken away, we should quickly see this great Amphitheatre of Prelacy moulder down and fall into the dunghill from whence it arose, and then one fair flood of Justice from this honourable Parliament, would soon sweep away all the filth together, and cleanse the Land of these corrupt and contagious offices.  
The seats of their offices, their Cathedral Cities and Palaces are very donnes of all filthiness and profaneness, the most unclean birds in the Country resort to dwell under their shadow, as having there liberty to live in all licentiousness. The name of holiness there, is as a Jew to an Egyptian an abomination; their Abbeys, Deaneries and Episcopal Seas are like the A●phaltites, pitchy sulphurous Lake, nothing that favours of or breath's holiness can live there. Their Courts and Judgements-seats are so many batteries against holiness, thundering and flaming out fire and smoke from their Canons and murdering pieces, at the very name of (or persons that look after) holiness, as the mortal enemies of their dominion and government, against which if a man let the least word fall, presently ex officio excommunicate him, ipso facto, ere he stir from them, he shall not have a warning peace to be gone, but a whole battery of Canons discharged upon him, in such heat and rage, fire and smoke of their fulminations, as he shall scarce know what ground he stands on, till for change of air he be hauled away to a stinking prison, to complain to the bare-walls. Oh if he be a Puritan, that's condemnation in the abstract, enough to rid the Land of him, yea the world too, if they get their opportunity.  
And for their language in the exercise of their offices, they speak half in the language of Ashdod, Nehem. 13.24. like the mingled people, Jere. 50.37. of many religions, yea of any save the true, because that's no friend to them, and their functions.  
But because they boast so much of their descent from Christ and his Apostles, but are found liars, Apoc. 2.2. We will (by their leave) take a walk further through their Orchards, and taste of their ripest fruits and try what soil they taste of, whether the fruits of the functions of Christ and his Apostles, or of Antichrists functions and offices.  
1. When Christ was to leave his dear Disciples in a troublesome world, he left his peace with them for a Legacy, joh. 15.27. to comfort them in all their troubles, and commands them to love one another because the world would hate them, as it hated him, joh. 15.17. But these Prelates by their vexatious offices, suffer Christ's Ministers and servants to have little peace, and less love, hate them Cain-like, even to the death; but a Papist is a brave companion for them, at Table, in Coach, in counsel and familiarity, in all their affairs; as Blackwell the Priest said long ago, I wonder, said he, of what religion your Bishops are, us they persecute because we are Papists, but they hate a Puritan, and of the two, they love us the better: and how that love is increased, shows they are birds of the black feather, (like the Raven that after she once got out of the Ark never returned) so, as soon as ever one of these Prelates is got into a Bishop's Sea, they are flown out of the Church, the infection of the fowl nest like the plague of Leprosy, strikes them, some sooner, some later, so as they take to their wings and fly home to Rome, the resting place of their ambitious minds, and who can blame them (for it is the nature of the office, to be like and love their mother) and not rather help them forward to her. Sic canibus catulos similes sic matribus haedos. 
Virgil.  Of this their flight to Rome, see it clearly in their endeavours of reconciling us to their Mother, and others of them not so skilful in the art, as forward in the flight, labouring openly to reduce us wholly to Rome, Ex professo tanquam ex officio, as the very nature of the office so to do, to beget and bring forth many children to their mother, there's some plain dealing in these if they do not turn with the wind, which now troubles them in their flight and work. For as birds nodding their heads, let us see which way they are flying, so the Prelates and their sons of the Church by their nodding Eastward, let us see their aim is Rome-ward. And when in this late Episcopal quarrel with the Scots by their sole instigation, they saw a necessity of open flight to the Popes and Papists aid, or lose their fat Bishoprics, expecting this fair season for their flight, they were so ready for it, as they had their excuses ready before hand. [That if Popery came into England again, the Puritans were the cause of it 
* Prelate of Duresme. ] as Tenterton Steeple is the cause of Goodwin Sands.  
2. Christ would not meddle with the Magistrates authority in dividing the Inheritance, Luk. 12.13.14. as without compass of his office, his kingdom was not of this world, joh. 18.36. These Prelates are wholly worldly, must be chief in Parliaments, in the King's Counsels, in chief offices. Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, etc. and oversway all the affairs in Court and Country, as if by their pretended divine Authority, they had full Commission from Christ to divide the world amongst them, and Pope-like challenge all the Kingdoms of the world, and the ends of the Earth for a possession, from Psal. 2. Thus like Foxes on the mountains, Ezek. 13.4. on mountains of prey (Psal. 76.4.) mounted in their High Commissions and Courts, like to the Mountains of Leopards, Cant. 4.8. they pray upon all that come near them; fine and imprison, and cease on men's lands and estates, and divide many an Orphan's inheritance among them.  
3. John the Baptist the greatest Prophet bome of women, Luk. 7.28. his clothing was but course, Camels hair and a leathern girdle about his loins, his diet but homely, Locusts and wild honey, Mat. 3.4. These Prelates ruffle it bravely in silks and velvets, and pure Lawn sleeves, like Butchers ever ready to have their hands in blood, and the meanest son of the Church must have a silken girdle with a rose up to his nose, as if his pride were his presume, and for his diet it must be dainty fare, no Butcher's meat, Pheasant and Venison for their weak stomaches (oppressed with studies but of what kind? Quare) washed down with the most delicious wines. As they! so their prebend's must keep residence at the Bishop's Sea, (but not at their Parishes) to feast the Clergy while the flocks are starving with cold service of a St john. Whose belly is their God, whose glory their shame, who mind earthly things Phil. 3.19. Of whom that of the Monks of old is verified.  
O monachi vestri st machi sunt amphora bacchi,  
Vos estis deus est testis turpissima pestis.  
4. Paul accounted all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and counted them but dung, and for to gain Christ suffered the loss of all things, Phil. 3.8. These Prelates account all gain they by their offices gather, and pick out of men's purses by fines and taxes and illegal courses to gain Antichrist. Witness Paul's, and such like good works they cry up, to make gorgeous Temples, nests for Idols, Images, Altars, Crucifixes, and rich Ornaments, baits and allurements to carnal sense, to draw the ignorant to their mother's fornications in her old rotten age. And for loss, before they will lose any thing of their dignity to gain Christ, they will hazard the loss of Christ and all these three Kingdom to Rome and Spain or France.  
5. Peter calls Paul, Beloved brother these like Spanish Donns, must be called of their brethren, My Lord, your Grace, and Right reverend Fathers, and be bowed to like Princes.  
6. Peter is content to stoop so low as to write himself in the lowest style belonging to his function, An Elder, 1 Pet. 5.1. These on the contrary assume the highest styles of Earls in their writing; as Will: Cant, Tho: Duresme, Jos: Exon. Exonored of his spectacles in his old days, for he hath eyes for other men to see with, but it is at blind man buff. But thanks be to God we can see so much with our own eyes, that they are begun to fall, when Jos: Exon is fallen so low, as from a Father to a son of the Church, with the meanest Priest, as having too long lorded it over his brethren.  
7. We are commanded to fear God, honour the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change, Pro. 24.31. These Prelates are so Cocksure in their warm nests as in the clefts of the Rocks, that they show little fear of God or his revenging Justice, as if they had writ over their gates, Mock God, Mock Devil, Babel-like at defiance with both; I sit as a Queen and shall never be moved, Isa. 47. Apoc. 18. And as the Spaniard had writ over the gates of the Buss in Brabant or Boss-le due, this blasphemous Inscription, When the Buss is taken God shall be a liar; as I have heard of credible hands; but God made the Hollander blot out that blasphemy, & left them liars. 2. For honour of the King, they so fare observe it as their own honour is concerned, and in the first place regarded, the other must but serve it. 3. And because they have not honour enough, or be high enough, they are busy meddling with Papists and Jesuits, the great artists of the world for changes of Kings and Kingdoms and States, turning them up-side down, to change our Laws, our Religion, and liberties, and lives too; and to plant the Land with Spaniards, as we had found ere now, if the Spanish Fleet last year had once landed, but blessed be God, who without us prevented it, and broke that devilish design, and gives us fair warning to take heed to such Prelates, so officious in their offices, whose nature sures so with the Jesuits, always digging under ground and working changes. They have sucked all the nourishment to higher advancement that this State can afford them, and so full ripe for a Mitre and a Cardinal's cap, which here are not, that 'tis high time they were gone where they may have them, rather than they bring Rome and Spain to us to obtain them.  
These are a taste of some of their ripest fruits we find as yet, though doubtless others may find many more, but blessed be God who hath a little shaken their fruits that now our hogs do eat them.  
Yet certainly Right Honourable Worthies now assembled in Parliament, if this tree of Episcopacy none of Gods planting, but a plant of Satan's planting, sprung up in the dunghill of the Papacy, naturally bringing forth these bitter fruits, be of you suffered to stand but till another solstice of warm Sunshine come over from Rome or Spain, we shall find more dangerous and deadly fruits of it ere long, Acherontam vendo. What mischiefs will they not hatch ere they lose their gainful offices, their pleasant lofty dignities; will never be content in a lower condition; nay, before they quit their ground, as stout Soldiers and Champions of the Romish Monarchy, they will be busy under ground with the Jesuits, the chief Masters of fireworks, to spring a mine of some horrid plot of a new invention, to make all these three Kingdoms shake: as some of their excommunicate brethren of Scotland bolted out of late; alas their hearts were so heavy as they must vent some wind rather than burst. Are not these brave Spirits will venture upon such hard service for their Master? The King of Spain we hear stands in need of such artists to blow up the walls of Lisbon, 'tis pity he should want them.  
And therefore Right Honourable, bestir yourselves betime to meet those underminers with a countermine, to spring them and their works together: there's no other way of safety to our King and his posterity, and all these three Kingdoms, so linked together in so many bands, as we must of necessity stand and fall together. I love to speak plain English, and think none will blame me of temereity or rashness at this time, but such as speak too much Spanish. I do but the office of a Beacon, which is Monstrare, non ducere nec docere, to show the approaches of dangers, if you prevent not. Men use not to blame him who lies Sentinel perdue as a lost man, for giving warning of danger.  
Though now it might seem we have enough of the Prelates windy divine authority, now found none of Gods planting as by their fruits at Christ's command we have tried and found them: and therefore nothing now wanting, but the execution of his own sentence, to be rooted out, which we now expect by the diligent hand of this Honourable Parliament. Yet may I not pass till I have met with Tho: Duresme in particular, because he hath deceived many, both Papists and Protestants in their expectations, and by his leave, I would feign love my Religion and Country above his dignity or regality more fit for one of the King's Sons than any Prelate, and therefore for his cause we will have one bout more about the office.   

Argument VIII.  
Those offices and that government in the Church, which nourish ignorance and blindness, an idle, ignorant, and unsound Ministry, persecute our Religion established, and the orthodox Preachers and professors of it, and cherish and countenance Popery and Papists, and their dangerous meeting and Masses, are not of Christ, but of Antichrist. But such are the offices and government of Diocesan Bishops and the rest of that rabble. Ergo not of Christ but of Antichrist.  
The Major if they will cavil at here, see it made good Arg. 6. And so we proceed to the proof of the Minor; which if it be all made good in the office and officers of Tho: Duresme, accounted one of the best in the bunch, it may be worth something, to move the rest in modesty to take it home to them without more ado.  
1. For ignorance and blindness, an ignorant idle and unsound Ministry, persecution of Religion established, and the orthodox preachers and professors of it, though too conformable, his diocese and government may better challenge the Metropolitan precedency, than his kingly regality: none of them, not W●● Cant. or the winged little Wren, hath flown more swiftly home to Rome in their practices, at least he may deserve the place next to them, none of them h●…●o sco●…d their Seas of sound Preachers, (as if they were Pirates to the Prelate's office) as he hath done, so 〈…〉 few puritan Preachers (as they term them) whom his worse reputed predecessors, had left in that diocese, and some others brought in by men well affected to preaching in that poor ignorant Country, (an object of this honourable Parliaments pity) he hath had the honour to root them out. So as in one poor County of Northumberland and town of Newcastle, in about seventy two or more Parishes (besides Chappells) whereof divers live of two three and four hundred per annum, as we are credibly informed by some of the Inhabitants of credit, there's scarce a Minister left that is not a superstitious innovator, or not popish, and Arminian, or that make conscience of preaching, but as they please at their leisure, or regard the people's souls, but prey upon their fleeces, and poll their purses, 
August. de pastore.  like soule-murtherers, as Augustin calls them. And some Gentlemen who have been at the charge of keeping godly Preachers, have been robbed of them by these Wolves ravening, that lay waste Countries and Congregations; such rule he keeps. If Tho: Duresms house were so kept as he hath kept Gods, there would be nothing but hunger and hard walls, and cold entertainment for his fat prebend's: and who knows but the Lord may ere long send as much famine amongst them, as they have had feasting, and the poor flocks starving. And for his County Palatine of Duresme, that soil cannot bear sound preaching and Preachers, no plants for his Palatinate, but if you will talk of fat parsons and parsonages, fat prebend's, pluralists, and tot quots, etc. his soil affords as good store of these fat Cattle, like kine of Bashan (as it doth of fat Oxen) nestling in fat live of four, five, six, and seven hundred pound per annum, and as full stall-fed as any in the Land: most of which livings have been of late supplied by his kinsmen and others his friends, brought in by him into chief offices, popish and superstitious, of Dr Cousins garb, so as he hath out gone his predecessors herein. In summa, Will: Cant. or little Wrenns dioceses cannot parallel his, for a crew of dumb dogs, Sir john's, alchouse-keepers, profane antic fellows, more fit for a stage than a pulpit and other popish Arminian Mountebancks, that vend the Italian wares as fast as any in the Land. So that in this particular, he is the greatest soule-murtherer in the Land without the mountains of Wales, woe will be to him for it; and for oppression, and Enclosures, etc. his poor Palatines say, that their case is little better than the poor Irish Crammacrees under the Lord Lieutenant.  
2. For Superstition, let his Cathedral and Sea of Durham witness, and be visited, it will be found as well feathered as the Wrens nest: and for Tho. Duresme himself, he is so zealous of Altar-worship, and such fopperies, as before he miss of his devotion, he will duck to a Tomb, in stead of an Altar, its good to be sure.  
3. For countenancing Popery, and cherishing Papists, his Chancellor, Archdeacon, and officials, in riding their Circuits, make these their chief familiars: but for puritanes, they toss and tumble them in their Courts, till they be wearied out of their callings, and Country too, Tho: Duresme himself threatening to rid the Land of them, till then, saith he, it will never be at rest. And if the times had not suddenly turned above all humane expectation, its most probable by many prodigious signs, that the first bloody massacre of all that but favoured our religion as well as the putitanes, 
Newcastle be thankful to God, thou hast 'scaped a scourging.  should have begun in his Diocese, in Northumberland, and town of New astle, full stuffed with his palatine Papists, it seems, to that end, and those of the most dangerous in the Land, never molested till the Scots scattered them.  
The said Tho: Duresme amongst his palatine Soldiers, most Papists, in these late Episcopal broils was observed to have in his Coach with him one of the most dangerous Papists in the North, & fit to be one of his Council of War in his regality, and in that Episcopal quarrel with the Scots; which being publicly taken notice of, was very offensive to many, and scandalous to his Majesty's government, and to his pretended divine Authority, to see Tho: Duresme so accompanied: I know not what he can say to this, but that he left his Rochet and office at his Sea of Duresme, and now in his regality no more Bishop; as the Lutherane Priests in Germany, when they go to a feast, lay down their black gown, saying, Lie thou there Priest, now I'll be as jovial as the best of you: so Chameleon-like change into any colour.  
He also nourishes in his Diocese a company of popish-Arminian Ministers, of Wil: Cants. chief correspondence, by whom (as by the like in other parts of the Land) he hath had constant intelligence of all matters, and of all the persons and families that favour our religion in those parts, that once they might get a day to rid the world of them.  
He also connives at dangerous meetings of the most stirring Papists, their baptisms and night burials, with tapers, and torches, and bells ringing, but without the use of the Service Book, and against their own Canons: whereby it appears, their Service Book and Canons serve only against puritanes, and must not be discharged against Papists. So as the chief Towns of his diocese, are of late become dens of Papists, and places of resort to their meetings and Masses, and of traffic and trade in their Books and Beads and Romish Merchandise.  
All which considered, he may be said to have given the lie to all his former works and writings against the Papists. So that it may be verified of him, that he is the greatest Papist friend that ever came in Duresme since our reformation. See here how the Antichristian office hath blasted all his fruits, and made him the shame of his old age, and of that pretended divine office of Episcopacy, which now the Lord will have made naked to the world. And all this flows out of the dunghill foundation and filthy nature of the office, serving principally to propagate Antichrists kingdom, to waste the Church and overthrow the offices of Christ. So as it would seem that Episcopacy now is come to its full height and ripeness in this Land: it hath ever since our reformation opposed Christ's kingly office, as its mortal enemy, whereby it's grown to this height at this day to overthrow his Prophetical and Priestly offices also: that all the world may see, as in the Sunshine, that the offices and government of the Prelacy, are merely Antichristian.  
By this time, I think, they have done, and so have we with their divine Authority, as having too long raked in that dunghill, and therefore we come now to the issue. That since they cannot reckon up their genealogy from Levy, (from another divine authority than the Canon Law) let them as polluted be put from the Priesthood, Nehem. 7 64. Thus did good Nehemiah and the Princes, true patterns of reformation before us. The Lord put into the hearts of his Majesty, and the Worthies of this Honourable Parliament, to follow their example, and to cleanse the Land of this polluted Priesthood and filthy dunghill offices of Antichristian Authority, which hath so long eclipsed the Gospel's light, and the name and fame of our Nation's glory in the eyes of all the reformed world, who with the bulk and body of Popery, have also cast off this heavy yoke and regiment of Episcopacy.  
Therefore as not compatible with Christ's kingly office and sceptre of his World, with Our royal King's Authority, our Zions peace, and Kingdom's glory in the flourishing of Christ's Kingdom. We hope this Honourable Parliament, will no longer suffer this tree of Satan's planting to stand, but root it out, according to Christ's own sentence and will, 
Away with all the reverend Fathers, and their sons of the Church, with all their trumpery.  Mat. 17.16.20. and 15.13. Cut off from Babel root and branch, son and nephew, name and remnant, destroy her utterly, let nothing of her be left, jer. 50.26. Isa. 14.22. think it not to be sufficient (for you will not find it so) to curb the insolency, and lop off the lofty spreading branches of this tree of Episcopacy, when the Lord Jesus hath said it shall be rooted out, and hath laid the axe of his Word to the root, and will have it cut down, Mat. 3.10. and cap. 17 20. and east into the fire.  
Do you Right Honourable and Noble workmen of the Lord, take it as a choice blessing, that now the Lord hath by a Parliament put into your hands the axe of authority, to be also laid to the root of this tree, and count it your greatest honour, every one of you, to lend it a blow, and it will suddenly fall; God hath done his part, if you set to yours, he will put strength into your hands against all difficulties; 
Ios. 1.9.  be strong and of good courage, these Canaanites shall be but bread for you, Numb. 14.9. for the Lord is with you: to remove mountains of difculties that lie in your way, if ye faithfully trust to his assistance, ye shall say to these mountains, remove and they shall be cast into the Sea, Mat. 21.22. Blow up the very roots, and weed the ground, the land of it, that nothing of it be left, and the place will be a fruitful soil. Their pluralities and fat Live they have enclosed and impaled to serve their ease, their pomp and pleasures, will be as Sharon, Sheepfolds for Christ to feed his flocks by his Shepherd's tents, Cant. 1.8. Therefore do not this work of the Lord negligently; if you curb their greatness and lop the branches never so much, and leave the root, the office in the ground, within their warm nests and Episcopal Seas, though you shall bind it down with Iron bands, and lay upon it all the weight of good Laws you can possibly devise, it will through the sent of the puddle water, 
job 14.9.  bud and spring again next season, and bring forth more bitter fruits than ever: Episcopacy, (not the persons is the root of all our evils) it is that unclean bird we spoke of that is flown out of the Ark, and will never be drawn to your lure, never be disciplined. Set up Christ's Kingdom, and it will bring in Armfuls of blessings to us and our posterity, and make our Kingdom flourish. If men were but once acquainted with that royal Sceptre and government, his sweet and easy yoke, they would quickly see the benefit of reformation, and what a heavy yoke the Prelacy hath been to our King and State and whole Land.  
Now having showed the unlawfulness and evils of the offices, and tried them both by the Word and by their fruits to be Antichristian. If any yet will be so venturous against so clear light to open their mouths to plead for Episcopacy, & oppose the setting up of Christ's Kingly office in his throne and glory, we will show them the danger of it for their warning, in two shorts Arguments.   

Argument IX.  
If the Prelates and their officers in the exercise of their unlawful offices, do many things in the worship of God without warrant of the Word of God, they are guilty of the sin and punishment of Nadab, and Abihu, of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram. But so do the Prelates and their Officers: as witness the whole source of their superstitions, and men's inventions of old, and late innovated abominations of Jewish Popish and Heathenish fopperies and Ceremonies, which they have brought into the worship of God.  
Ergo they are guilty of the like sin and punishment.   

Argument X.  
If Nadab and Abihu, Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, were so strangely punished for once presuming (in the exercise of their lawful offices) to do that which they had no warrant for. What may the Prelates and all their confederates expect, but unheard of plagues, and strange punishments, for not once but many years, (after many warnings, and against light and knowledge abounding) doing many things in the worship of God without warrant of the word of God, and that in the exercise of their unlawful offices. As those perished wonderfully in the withstanding Moses and Aaron, and the word of God, shall not these Prelates and their partakers perish much more wonderfully in the withstanding of Christ, fare greater than Moses.  
But Nadab and Abihu, were so strangely punished as fire from heaven consumed them, Levit. 10.1. and the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed up quick, Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, and all their company, in the sight of Moses and Aaron, and all the people; as we may see at large, Numb. 16.  
Ergo the usurping Prelates and all their partakers, may look out for some strange unheard of punishment, from the Lord of Hosts waiting for them and all that join with them in opposing Christ in his Kingly office and discipline. An end is come, the end is come, it watcheth for them, behold it is come, saith the Lord, Ezek. 7 6. It is recorded to all posterity to the world's end, as a brand of infamy upon all those that did partake in that opposition of Moses; They perished in the gainsaying of Core, Judas 11. Let all that plead for and partake in the unlawful offices and practices of the Prelates, take heed to this in time: for the Lord is a strong God, who judgeth the whore and all her bats and abominations, Partake not in her sins, lest ye partake in her plagues, Apoc. 18.4.8.  Come out of the tents of these wicked men, Numb. 16.26. 
Object. 
The main objection for Prelacy answered.  Oh but (say some) we have had godly Martyrs, and many learned men that have been Diocesan Bishops as these are, and their government been long approved, and Religion under it wonderfully flourished as in any Nation; And many worthy Instruments both in the Magistracy and Ministry, who have submitted to this government, which sure they would not have done if it were unlawful and Antichristian.  
Answ. 1. The Church and faithful Ministers have not all light at once or by one instrument, or yet by many worthy lights, the remembrance of whom is precious, and therefore as we would not detract any thing of their deservings from them, so must we not stick fast in their footsteps and go no further. For still daily more and greater light of the Gospels' brightness is to be expected till the fullness of the Gentiles light come in, and be swallowed up in the Jews fullness, Rom. 11.12. Christ Jesus comes to his people as the Sun arises, first, there's the dawning, than the darkness expelled, and still brighter light, till the Sun shine in his full strength.  
Secondly, These worthy Martyrs that were Diocesan Bishops, in the dawning of the Gospel's light after a long darksome night of Popery, must be confessed to rise up in their Rochets out of the Papacy, and saw not presently into the unlawfulness of their office, yet some of them did and resigned, as Latimer; but they set themselves against the most clear corruptions in doctrine and worship, so fare as they had light; as for Discipline it was so swept away in that great deluge of Popery, that no footsteps of it were to be seen in those times, or if any thing of it, yet but as the blind man in the Gospel recovering his sight, saw men walking like trees, very darkly and confusedly.  
Thirdly, As their sight grew somewhat clearer, they saw into a godly discipline in the primitive Church, at which they aimed, as in the Preface to the Common prayer book at the Commination may be seen, and implies they saw into another discipline than that they had amongst them, and brought with them out of the Papacy, and is used to this day, therefore not the right discipline, and yet that primitive discipline, it is as probable they saw at a great distance even then, and so left it to be searched out more clearly of the following generation, and if they did see it any thing clearly, and if any thing hindered their light of breaking out into a more full reformation, we may thank even the Diocesan Bishops for it, whose love of pre-eminence as ours now was the chief let in reformation in those times, as our Histories show. So as we have little cause to boast of Bishops, as instruments of our resormation, if we were well acquainted with the state of those times, and what hinderers of Reformation the Bishops were, yea some of them that after suffered as Martyrs in Queen Mary's time.  
Fourthly, Some Bishops suffering as Martyrs after their morning light was clouded again with hot persecutions and storms arising, even out of the same Seas they were in, by the changing of the wind in Queen Mary's time, is no more an argument from their martyrdom that their office was good, than if a Cardinal in Rome or Spain should profess the Gospel, and suffer for it: his office were nevertheless still Antichristian.  
Fiftly, When these storms were over, and a greater light broke out in Queen Elizabeth's time, of a brighter Sunshine, multitudes of learned and godly Ministers began to see clearly the foundation of Babel lay close and unseen in the office of Episcopacy, and in the keeping out Christ's Kingly office especially, and therefore preached, writ, disputed, and suffered for it, even as Martyrs of those times by the tyranny of the Prelates who still oppose it to this day; as witness Cartwright, Parker, Fenner, Childerley, Chatterton, Traverse, Reinolds, and a many more; and at King James his first entrance about a thousand Ministers stood for Reformation of the Episcopal government, and for setting up of Christ's Kingly office, who were in a sew years wasted and spent and banished and devoured of these ravenous Wolves, wives and children undone, and many families scattered, estates ruined for opposing this prelatical office and government, so as little cause have we to boast of the office, it hath been a bloody office to this day. Also many living yet can witness how a reformation hath been still petitioned for to Parliaments, even to this day: though with no success, because their sins were not full, nor ours repent of and reform.  
Sixtly, For many worthy instruments in Magistracy and Ministry, submitting to Episcopal government. Ans. 1. Divine examples, (but not humane) do bind the Conscience, and make their practices rules to us; secondly, the Churches of a whole Nation, yea of many Nations, abounding with men of excellent parts, both in the Magistracy and Ministry, may yet long neglect some of God's Ordinances, partly through ignorance, partly for want of assistance of the supreme Magistrate, as all the times of the Judges, and many good Kings, even from Joshua to the time of Artaxerxes, the feast of keeping of booths was neglected. Because, first, there's much natural blindness in the best men: secondly, the Church often too careless in some weighty things: thirdly, men are ready to sit down ere their work be half done, soon weary in so great and public works as Reformation is: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Thus as they of old long neglected the feast of booths, so have we too long neglected Christ's discipline and government: the Lord pardon it.  
Seventhly and lastly, for the flourishing of Religion under the Prelate's government, we have no cause to thank them; they have always persecuted the light and life of it, and done their best to put out the light, and to bring in an Egyptian darkness again: secondly, it hath been those they have most persecuted who have spread the greatest light, for a persecuted light is ever the brightest, which shows it to be of God, and like to him, though darkness comprehend it not; to him be glory that we have any light after so hot persecutions, and so many banished, this is a sign our persecuted light shall prevail: Tandem bona causa triumphant, was that renowned old Duke of Saxons Motto in all his bitter troubles with Luther. Thirdly, though some see it not, so sleepy-headed in their ease and pleasures, they little regard the hazard God's Ark is in, yet others that have watched long in the long winter night of the Church's troubles, for the dawning of the day of deliverance, have found ill fruits of flourishing of Religion, and seen a great decay of the power of godliness these many years past, and many Ministers and professors fallen, some in following the sway of the times for worldly things, others through pusillanimity of spirit, into great decay of gifts and deadness, all for want of Christ's discipline, to keep all men in their several stations, and active in obedience; and to hedge in the Church from the inroads of enemies. The Lord teach us the use and benefit of, and open our eyes to see the want of, & pardon our so long neglect of Christ's Kingly office.   

Conclusion of all.  
Since now the pretended divine Authority of the Hierarchy is failed in the foundation, and left them no footing, but in the filthy dunghill of the Canon Law of the Pope's Authority, exalted above the Scriptures, in which they Mother like have built their nests, as in the clefts of the rocks of the seven hilled City. And they in God's just judgement so blinded and of late confounded in their Counsels, as to cast off his Majesty's royal Authority, by which they have stood too long: and not a little trenched upon, they deserve to find and feel, that He bears not the sword in vain, Rom. 13.4. but is God's vindex of his own and subjects wrongs many ways, so especially in opposing Christ so long in his Kingly office, and now at last in all his offices. As they by the abuse of his Majesty's sword have ruined many, so by the same sword let them perish; Who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; He that killeth with the sword, shall be killed with the sword, Gen. 9.6. Apoc. 13.10. Matth. 26.52. the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, and we wait the fulfilling of it. The Lord put into the hearts of our royal King, and of this honourable Parliament, to fulfil his will upon Babel and all her bats and abominations, Amen, Amen.  Jerem. 50.24.26. 
I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken O Babylon, and wast not ware, thou art sound and also caught, because thou hast striven against the Lord. Tread her in hèapes, destroy her utterly, let nothing of her be left.   

The benefits of Reformation of Discipline.  
Then shall Christ's workmen with great alacrity begin to build the house of God, which these men have defaced and defiled, and make a beautiful habitation for the Lord Jesus to dwell and delight in, and great shall be his glory in the midst of us, in presence and protection. Then shall our eyes see our King in his glory on his throne, and our Jerusalem in peace, Isa. 33.17.20.  
Then also shall King Charles his throne be more glorious than any his predecessors; then shall Judgement and Justice flow forth as a mighty River, to sweep away all sin and wickedness.  
Then shall our King be to the Just as rain upon the grass new mown; 
Psal. 72.  the Mountains shall bring forth peace, and the little hills righteousness; Court and Country shall flourish, the Land shall bring forth her increase, and God even our God shall bless us, and all the ends of the Earth shall sear him, Psal. 67.6. When they hear and see what great things he will do for us.   

A short appendix touching Discipline.  
Since in this great and honourable High Court of Parliament, every subject is so concerned as bound to submit to what shall be therein established, therefore as a member and wellwisher of the welfare of the whole body, I crave leave for a word or two concerning discipline. Since 'tis now in every man's mouth, what form of discipline we shall have, when the Prelatical, as none of Christ's, shall be justly abolished. Which seems to me to upbraid the ignorance and unthankfulness of this age, (the fruits of Episcopacy) as if men in the Sunshine should complain of darkness: or as if the Spirit of Christ which descended upon the Apostles, teaching all things, and leading them into all truth, should have left them wand'ring at random without direction in governing the house of God; or yet left it arbitrary to men's several minds, humours, and frames. The Scriptures are full and plentifully furnished with instructions for the whole frame and fashions of the house of GOD, which all brought together and set up, would be a beautiful structure; it is the tabernacle of God with men, Apoc. 21.3. walking in the midst of them, 
2 Cor. 6.16.  Apoc. 2.1. Luk. 2●. 17. It were a piece of heaven's happiness to see it advanced in the same form Christ hath appointed and his Apostles practised and instituted in all the Churches, to be perpetual to the world's end. All I have to say in one word, 'tis that I would consent to; keep close to that pattern, and beware of the several frames of men's brains, to govern the Church by humane policy, after the manner of earthly Kingdoms and States, which was the first thing brought in the plague of Episcopacy, and will still leave a backdoor to papal tyranny in the Church of God: from which we can never be secured until Christ's own government be established, 'tis his own Sceptre must rule and no inventions of men or Angels, if possibly they could be consulted with.   
FINIS.