THE prelate's PRIDE: OR THE MANIFESTATION, THAT THE BISHOPS LORDLY Government from the original institution, is not De Iure divino, by divine right; but merely human and contrary both to the holy word of God, the practice of the Apostles, and of the primitive Churches in the purest times. Whereunto IS ADDED THE Bishop of Lincoln's prophecy concerning the Prelates. Printed in the year. M. DC. XLI. To the Bishops of ENGLAND. OH, that your visards were unmasked, that your ways might be discovered, that the state might see your aim, whereas now it is so much disturbed to rove to find out your seducements by conjectures! Now you are a great advancer of the chair of Rome, and by and by a child of our Church, and in difficult and unsettled times betwixt both, and stand out for neither. And sure Rome scarce dare trust you, lest you will not leave us, and we are fearful, lest you will fly to them, your own consciences can testify that you affect both, yet are you entire to neither, give me leave to speak plainly, because you are firm to neither, you are troublesome to both. To be too zealous in a pretended good work is ill, and so is it to sit still and be satisfied with ignorance, but worst of all to know both, and he firm to neither, will you still abide amongst us, and yet not be of us, and will you still cast your eyes on Rome, and yet ahide with us, are you ignorant, or unconstant; that you still stand on doubts, know yourselves, that we may know you: either abide with us with whom you speak, and cut your wings, or else betake you to your wings, and speak at Rome, and not so trouble us both. Either speak to us in the light, or abide with them who work in the dark. Remember death, and let the thought thereof cause your wavering to cease, and be firm in your resolutions. Will you not yet resolve? If you mean to choose, when shall it be, why not now, let your learning discover to you the dangers of delay, it makes you miserable in what you want, & doubtful in what you have, and trouble us to know what you are: why will you look to heaven with one eye, and on Rome's pomp with the other? God calls you if you will stand for him: then take a resolution, to cast this Jezebel out of the windows of our Churches, this Whore of Rome that hath thus advanced her pride, & bewitched you, is their not just cause for what I cry? Yet if you will still remain unconstant, who shall make you firm? If you love to stagger, yet acquaint us why you wi● thus be unconstant? Surely you waver, because you speak not plainly to us, your words are one thing and your aim another. Methinks I see your silence with a blush to answer this conjecture, as if thereby you granted, this to be the cause? Are you offended? I am grieved, and have I not cause, since civil jars have been by you so lamentable: will nothing please you but the glory of your own partaking, and the quietness of your own full-bellied peace? Think you to find more glory in them then in our Churches, we have one Christ; labour not then for those who divide his Garments: nay, his very body and blood. If you will be to us like Barnabas to Paul, yet be not to us like Simon Magus to Peter. Other Churches have complained of these distractions as well as we; yet our greatest grievance is in your unsettledness. Think you the glory of Rome to be so famous for you, amongst whom are several hundreds of Contrarieties amongst herself, which will distract you more than you expect, though their dissensions are smothered by their subtleties; have not you learned of them to fight closely within doors, without noise, which endangered, I had almost said begun frays in the field? Surely the more you labour for their policy, the more you run with them into want of Peace, and if you be not either partial, or incredulous, you may easily perceive the mischief of their secret Differences. Will you Rule the Church alone? alas! how full is such rule of contradiction and purposes repugnant to Christ her head! If you alone lay claim to the Church as yours; why do you chide with her best members, & disturb them; why do you fight with yourself; will you look for Peace, and not from GOD; indeed much pomp, and glory Rome's Churches sons receive, but it is better to be content with what estate Christ bequeathes to his Church. Will you rather let your soul, and the souls of all your flocks want their food, than you be taken from your Palaces? Is nothing worth your respect but earthly peace? But if you love your peace and glory so dearly that you will not leave it; take your peace and pomp to yourselves; let us have truth: yet if it may be Peace too; If you love your safety, and the Churches, seek rather grounds whereon to rest, than excuses for your abode in trouble, seek Peace and follow Truth, forsake Rome, and follow CHRIST: except you will rather abide in earthly pomp then come to Christ. Yours, if you Christs, H. W. THE prelate's PRIDE, OR, The manifestation that the Bishops Lordly government, from the original institution is not de jure divine, by divine right, but merely human. This is a token, that they hate the Lord, for that they will have themselves to be called by the name of Lords, saith Eusebius, in his 7. book of Preparation. THe Lordly institution of Bishops is not from divine right, but merely human. The Argument. THat institution which is from men, and The Argument not from the Word of God, is not of divine right, but human. But the institution of Lordly Bishops is not from God, but of men; therefore such Lordly predominancy of the Conclusion. Bishops, is not de jure divino, by divine right, but merely human. I. To prove that such institution as is from men, and not from the word of God, is not of divine right, but human which I shall clear briefly 3. ways, by Reason, by Scripture, and by the testimony of former Ages▪ I. Reason itself is forced to confess that such institutions, as there is no warrant for in God's Word, but are only forged by the inventions of men, can no ways be said to be from God, seeing the word of God expresseth not the same, except we will go about to make human mortals divine, or exalt them as Gods, or else add to those things which God hath written, and so bring those heavy plagues upon us, Revel. 22. 18. that which is from God is divine, but what is only from man, must needs be human. If the glory of all the wisdoms in the world, were in one assembly, and should conclude of some particular not expressed in holy writ, such institution, though never so approved by men, yet is it notwithstanding human, because instituted by men only, and having no warrant from God's holy word. 2. The holy Scripture so expresseth it; which, as the Prophet Jeremiah saith, is vanity, to speak the visions of a man's own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Ier. 23. 16. 3. St. Hillar. saith, that the tradition of man shall ●● Mat. ●● 12. be taken away (saith he) for it is human. Surely by this time I hope any reasonableman may be well satisfied concerning the first proposition, for the eyes of any may here behold how clear this is laid down, and proved, that such institution as is from men, and not from the Word of God, is not of divine right, but merely human. II. That institution only which is from the word of God, that alone is of divine right, and not the institutions or acts of the inventions of after Ages, being from themselves alone. Doth the scripture confirm it, than it must needs be divine; Is it only from man? Oh fond Age, wilt thou maintain such things as divine, which the holy writ doth not: then may many caterpillars more plead free privileges in God's garden, and many wolf's nest themselves amongst God's sheep. Have not some preferred plays before the Word of God, who have protested that the spirit of GOD hath more wrought upon their hearts at the conceit of some shadowed Tragedy, then being present at a Sermon? The usurer can plead that God is honoured by his doing good. The Papists can pretend their zeal before their Crosses, and Crucifixes, and all these, and many more can claim Antiquity, and plead as much for themselves as any Prelate: but all this while they are but human, and permitted by men, as the Prelates are; they are not permitted by God's holy word: nor no such vain inventions, which caused holy David to take up this resolution, I hate, saith he, vain inventions, but thy Law do I love. Psal. 119. 113. And though our Lordly Bishops would prove themselves to be the Lords Bishops from divine right, yet let them but consider that saying of St. AUSTIN, for as much (saith he) as Christ hath not revealed these in his 49 trea●●s on John. things, who dare be so vain or rash amongst us, as to affirm, without any testimony of the scriptures, that such things are divine, which the Lord hath not so declared of them. III. To prove that the Lordly government of Bishops is from men and not from God, and that shall be first from a brief survey of history how they have received their institution from men; & secondly by a brief Catalogue of some particular places of Scripture, in every book through the whole Bible, to prove that they are not permitted thus to stand by the word of God. 1. To prove that their institution is from men, & that to be brief, I will give you a little glimpse of Linus (in the first place) by the way, because Euseb. lib. 3 ch, 2. he was the first Bishop of Rome, that we read of from the time of the Apostles suffering; who never was recorded to be exalted to the prelacy, or Lordly government, whom St. Paul styles a brother and not a Lord, amongst those other brethren Eubulus, and P●dence, and Claudia, and the rest of the brethren, whom, as I take it, St. Paul aims. 2 Timoth. 4. 21. In those days also was Clement Bishop of in Eusebius. Rome, and the text of Scripture by St. Paul calls him no Lord. Lord Bishop was a strange language with him; no it was faithful yokefellow, it was Clement and other fellow-labourers, with the rest of the Preachers of the gospel, these were the styles of the Ministers, after the Apostles custom, as it is. Philip. 4. 3. There were then also many Christian preachers Idem lib. 5; ch. 12 in Jerusalem, as Marcus, Crassianus, Publius, Maximus, Valen●e, these and other Bishops in those days, we never read of any of them that were made Lords: or that were exalted to temporal dignities, except only such as Demas, who fell in love, indeed with the glory of the world; but the Apostle brands him for a forsaker of his calling, for his labour. 2 Timoth. 4. 10. Indeed some decretal Epistles have been forged Sym. 3 cen. of B. on Zephyrinus the 14. Bishop of Rome, but they are very foolish, and ridiculous; only forged of late, as many judicious Readers judge. As to consecrate the holy Cup, to be in a vessel of glass. That a Bishop being accused shall choose his own judges; and that no diffinitive sentence shall be denounced against a Bishop; until the time that his cause were heard of the Patriarch of Rome, &c. But alas! this is but a mocking of the Church of God, to attribute such swelling pride, such unaccustomed forms of judicature, such fencing, and guarding of unrighteous men against just deserved punishment, which being falsely forged upon the fathers, were, without all doubt, altogether unknown unto them in those days. And so also some decretal Epistles ascribed unto Pontianus, as Pontianus sanctae & universalis Ecclesiae Episcopus, &c. how palpable doth this seem to be false and forged, for such magnificent styles as these were not as yet in use. And afterwards Tom. 1. concil. when they crept into the Church, they were only at the first ascribed to them by such as admired the virtues of some singular and rare men, such as Cyprian & Athanasius, but no church man of any degree whatsoever, did in those times usurp such proud and arrogant titles of dignity in his own writings directed to other Christians, Sym. 3. cen. of B. and therefore the learned reject this Epistle, as composed by some late unlearned, and flattering fellow. Some have been so bold, not only to attribute to Cajus the 27. Bishop of Rome, the constitution of Plat, in decret la●●ex lib pont. Damasi. these ecclesiastical orders, but to attribute it even to the Apostles themselves, but I say, beatus qui non credit, they father the institution of these degrees upon them, as first to be Ostiarius, 2. to be Lector, 3. Exorcista, 4. Acoluthus, 5. Subdiaconus, 6. Diaconus, 7. Presbetor, 8. Episcopus, but happy is he who believes no such lies. As for Cajus the time wherein he lived, was a time of persecution & Cajus, he was fain to hide himself a long time in a Sym. 3 cen. of B. Cave. Had this been attributed to Bonifacius the 8. Gregory the 7. or to Alexander the 3. it might have been more probable: And as for the Apostles, indeed we find allowed 2 orders of Ministers, a Bi. and a Deacon, or an Elder and a Deacon, 1 Tim. 3. 1. but surely with them, a Bishop, Elder, Pastor, Shepheard, was all one, and not two distinct degrees, Acts 15. Titus 1. 5, 6, 7. Gordius, 8. Narcissus, Hierom catal. script. Eccls and a worthy man called Alexander, were Bishops in Jerusalem all at once, yet none of them desired pre-eminence, or any Lordly title, or rule over other Ministes. But to come to after times, some there are who have gone about to prove that Constantine did confirm the Bishop of Rome in his glory; but how can that be since the purple garment, the Palace of Lateran, the Superiority of Rome, and government of the West, all these honours, the Socra. lib. 5, ch. 2. Sym. 4. cen. of B. Emperor's successors to Constantine possessed and not the Bishops, for many hundred years after. Let us view the days of Innocentius the 1. about the time of St. Ambros. St. Cipriau. And we shall find that at his first beginning, about the year of our Lord, 400. About the reign of Theodosius the Emperor, who fighting with Eugenius the tyrant, was so miraculously delivered, who having recourse to God by prayer, his cause being holier, in the battle by a tempest of wind, Ruffin. lib. 2. cap. 17 GOD hearing his so often recourse to him by prayer, in the battle the Lord sent a wind which blew so vehemently, that the darts were turned back by the violence of the wind, in the faces of the tyrant's Army, of whom the Poet Claudian writes. Sure God doth love thee well, from heaven to send Claudian de 3, Consul. Honorii. his tempest for thine end, For from the air By blasts courageously, its force doth lend thou prayest, God hears, fierce winds to thee repair. The power which the Bishop of Rome now possesseth, did appertain to the Emperor, yet Ambros St Cipriau. Theodo, lib. 5 ch, 10. nevertheless in this Bishop's time, at the Emperor's death were plays and interludes practised, & many vain things invented, & this man also brought Sozom. lib. 8, ch. 28. ambition to the chair of Rome, who swelling in pride, usurped jurisdiction over other Churches: but the greater he grew in Lordly predominancy, Sym. 5. cen. of B. the more ignorantly were those ensuing Emperors led to their own misery, and the Saints of God cruelly persecuted. Socra. lib 6. ch. 23. Pope Bonifacius coming into the chair of Rome, about the space of a year after Innocentius prevailed with the Emperor Phocas, in whose days Antichrist sprang, and flourished in greater abundance, these were the days for which a proverb was used long time after, saying, the time of Phocas was the calamity of the Roman Emperor, but where was the great Bishop to help him afterwards, when his Head, feet, and secret Members were cut off, and burnt? Oh the misery that Princes, Churches, and kingdoms have been brought to by the usurping, tyrannising Prelates, who glory in their usurped Dominions. The Bishops of Rome are then successors you The council of Ser●ica. see to Innocentius; who for the great See, have no warrant from God, and stand upon no better grounds then on a temporal, and personal act; merely human. And what hath been the practice of other Prelates since this usurpation of the See of Rome, what do all other Lordly Bishops, but by degrees even as they are able tread the same steps; are they not a nest of ambitious Prelates, hunting for the supremacy foretold of Antichrist, 1 Ioh. 2. 22. & 4. 3. 2 Thes. 2. 3. but oh how hath this supremacy Greg. lib. 4. Epist. 32. ever been detested of the ancient primitive Churches, who with Gregory have been compelled to cry out as well as we? Oh times! oh manners! behold in all the parts of Europe, all things cry under them. Towns are destroyed, Castles are overthrown, Provinces are spoiled, because the Priests who should lie in ashes upon the ground weeping, they are seeking unto themselves names of vanity, and they do glory in profane styles. Truly, saith Claudius Thurinensis, he is not to Opt triparti, tum. be counted an apostolical bishop who sitteth in a chair of glory, but he who fulfilleth an Apostolic office. Oh it is a miserable thing to hear of those inormities, and abuses, commanded and committed by the Prelates from time to time, as the number of their holidays, and all lusts of uncleanness according to the sayings of Whores, and naughty women, who have bragged that they have gained more in one such day, then in 50. other days, and also their idleness, and uncomely behaviour proceeding from them, who have so defiled other men's houses, that the stink of their uncleanness, is known to the whole world. Oh then seeing so many Nations have from time to time received such corruption from the Prelates, Oh then where should reformation begin, but even at the Sanctuary, Ezekiel, 9 We may say of England as a Bishop once said of Rome. that Heldeber, tus England was blessed if Bishops were not rulers of her state, Or if her Bishops scorned not, their faith to violate. Eugenius the 1. being Bishop of Rome, found out yet more for the chair of Bishops sees then before, he was the first that made an ordinance that Bishops should have prison houses; nay, what glory would the prelates in all ages let pass, if they could obtain it. Let all men but consider how not only the Bishop of Rome, the Metropolitan Prelate, hath from time to time advanced his chair, but even those lesser Prelates, but too great pastors, (too great said I) indeed the proverb is, too good is stark nought, I pray God that their too greatness make not them stark nought, for I am sure it makes most, if not all worse than they were before, a good Minister may make a bad Lord Bishop, but I could never hear of a bad Minister that was made good by such advancement, yet they have also to their endeavour laboured to advance their Sees, as time, and opportunity would permit them. Bonifacius, a man borne in England not far Consta●ius 1. Gregorius, 1. and 2. Zaçharius Stephanus. from Exeter, he was familiarly acquainted with five Popes, and by them he was advanced to many honours, as to be the Pope's Legate in England, Germany and France, and afterwards Archbishop of Mentz, and all his travels was to bring those Nations to subjection under the Bishop of Rome, who by his treachery to the King of France (then reigning called Childericus, caused him to be disthroned, and thrust out, and another to be set in his place, but in the end he was justly rewarded and slain by the Pagans for his labour. But when Rhotardus Bishop of Soisan was commanded by Hadrian the Bishop of Rome to excommunicate the King of France his sovereign Char. Calvas Lord, he denied, and refusing so to do, returned an answer, advising him to be circumspect, and not rash, in pronouncing sentence of excommunication; This Bishop was a very proud man, and very serious in inquiry concerning titles of land, and other temporal affairs of the kingdom, but the Nobles of that Country reproved him for it, and told him that it was a strange and unaccustomed thing, that a Bishop should take-upon him, Sym. 10 cen. of B. to be judge in a controversy of civil affairs, or about titles and rights of kingdoms, because (as they told him) he could not be both a Bishop and a judge. I can not here overpass that defence of Marsilinus Patavinus, concerning Bishops. In his book Defensor pacis: He saith: 1 That one Bishop hath not authority over another, much less over Kings and Emperors. 2 That the word of God ought only to be judge in all causes as well ecclesiastical as temporal matters. 3 That the Bishops should be subject to the Magistrates. 4 That the head of the Church is Christ, and that he never appointed any Bishop to be vicar, over the universal Church. 5 That Bishops ought to be chosen by their own Church and clergy. 6 That the Clergy after Rome's institution, are a den of thieves. 7 That the Doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed, because it leads to eternal death. But to come to latter times: Let us look a little on Mr. Wicklisse, what he saith concerning Church government; he declares, 1 That in the time of the Apostles there were only two Orders, Elders, and Deacons, and no distinction of Patriarch, Archbishop, &c. and that such were only found out by Pride, and human institution. 2 That he who is most serviceable, and humble in the Church, and most enamoured with the love of Christ, the same is the nearest by Divine institution, unto Christ in the militant Church. 3 That whatsoever the Bishops command, which cannot be deduced clearly out of the Scriptures, is to be accounted heretical, and not to be obeyed. 4 That the Emperors, and secular Lords, are Sym. 15. cen. of B. seduced, who so extol the Prelates, which work so much iniquity amongst them, by Simony, covetousness, Whoring, and Pride, &c. yet pretend reformation in the Church. How did the people cry out thus in the days of John Husse, for working so much iniquity amongst them, and being accused before the King for such their wickedness, were severally punished. All ecclesiastical persons should in the places of cure of souls, use to their own people only the sword of the spirit by exhortation, reproof, direction, consolation, by faithful preaching, and instructing, which are the offices of the Church, and to leave the temporal sword to the temporal Magistrate, which was the rule of the Apostles, and their true successors, Act. 15. Such also was the custom here in England, until In the ●● year of his reign. King Henry the 4. at which time the popish prelates following the example of the man of sin at Rome, obtained a statute, and that without the free consent of the subjects, by which statute they got the temporal Sword into their hands, In the Record of the Tower. and have since used both at once, to the great grief and trouble both of Church and state, yet have they often gone about to prove their calling to be de jure divino, whereas you see it is from man's institution, and not from the Lord. II. To prove that the Bishops have not their Lordly government from God, and that it is not warrantable by the holy word so to be lifted up, that such a calling for a Bishop is not de jure divino, by divine ●ight. By the way, I shall give you a brief relation concerning the name Bishop, the signification whereof gives no way at all to Lordly predominancy, it signifies an overseer which hath a charge to look to, and thus it may signify. 1 One that is a surveyer to see and provide things necessary, for the life of man, It was at the first given Saith M, Dove. to clerks of the Market, whose office was to see things bought and sold. 2 One that is a spiritual overseer, an instructor, one that hath a charge over souls, as it is Acts 20. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 3 A Pastor teacher, or Elder of a Church, Phil. 1. 1. Luke 2. 8. Gen. 4. 7. 3. 4 The Mediatorship of Christ, in the salvation of the souls of his Elect, 1 Peter 2. last. Having now showed you that from the name bishop they can lay no right to their institutions of Prelacy, so neither have they any example from the Apostles to allow the institution thereof, for it is contrary to the Apostles practices as may appear. 1 The Apostles were messengers of God for the good of the Church, Phil. 2. 28. and 4. 18. and 2 Cor. 8. Rom. 16. 7. the Prelates send messengers to hurt the Church. 2 The Apostles preached the gospel constantly, Matth. 10. 1. Matth. 28. 19 Gal. 1. 1. the Prelates plead more to get to themselves the glory of the world, then preach to their flock. The Apostles preached the truth from the grace of ●●d, Rom. 1. 5. the Prelates plead for Romish Ceremonies, and superstitions. 4 The Apostles laboured for the enriching of the Church, and Congregation of God's Saints, 2 Cor. 6. 10. but the Prelates labour for themselves. 5 The Apostles suffered rebuke, and crosses patiently, 1 Cor. 4. 10. and 2 Cor. 6. 5. and 2 cor. 11. 23. but Prelates cannot endure to be meddled with. 6 The Apostles were satisfied with any dwellings; nay none at all, and they took great pains labouring with their hands, 1 cor. 4. 11. Acts 20. 23. and 1 Thes. 2. 9 2 Thes. 2. 8. but the Prelates though they dwell in their stately palaces, and live idly, and labour not at all, except it may be for two or three sermons in a year, &c. yet are they not satisfied. 7 The Apostles never used to sit in Courts of judicature, after the charge was given them to preach, they meddled not with states matters, they busied not themselves with such secular employments, Matth. 4. 18. Matth. 9 9 Mark. 10. 28. Rom. 11. Acts 13. 2. But the Prelates intrude themselves into such offices, and employ themselves more concerning states matters (I fear me) than they do in their studies most of them, if not all. 8 There were none amongst them that had dominion, one over another, but were all equal, as loving, and dear brethren, Matth. 20. 25. Luke 22. 25. 2 Cor. 1. 24. 1 Pet. 5. 1. But Lordly Prelates are exalted in their provinces over all the 〈◊〉 of the clergy. In a word our Lordly Bishops follow not the Apostles in their humble sincere, and pure lives, but in a proud, sinful, and contrary course of life, to the misery of all those over whom they rule. Their Lordly predominancy is directly contrary to the word of God; as may appear in divers places of the Scripture, Gen. 2. 7. Exodus 21. 14. Levit. 10. 1. Num. 1. 53. Deutr. 18. 2. Iosu. 3. 8. Judges 2. 7. 1 Sam. 25. 2 Sam. 15. 27. 1 King's 1. 52. 2 King's 22. 13. 1. Chron. 24. 5. 2 Cron. 29. 6. Ezra 7. 24. Nehem. 13. 29. Ester 3. 6. Iob. 36. 9 Psal. 132 9 Prov. 16. 5. Eccles. 2. 8. Cant. 6. 8. Esay. 14. 13. Ier. 23. 1. Lament. 2. 14. Ezek. 34. 2. Dan. 5. 17. Hosea 4. Amos. 4. 3. Obad. 2. 3. Jonah. 3. 2. Micha 3. 11. Nahum. 3. 18. Haba. 2. 5. Zepha. 3. 4. H●●ga. 1. 9 Zachar. 3. 8. Mal. 2. Let no man think to find any warrant in the word of God for Lordly predominacy of church men, a Minister of Christ, must not there expect to find a warrant for prelacy, for it is not of divine institution, no it is no custom of the church of Christ, it is the custom of the Gentiles to have dominion, and to exercise authority over their brethren, but saith Christ to the Apostles: It shall not be so amongst you saith he. Mat. 20. 25, 26. Mark. 10. 42, 43. Luk. 22. 25, 26. Christ gave them charge from time to time, to take heed of lifting themselves up by pride, warning them to take heed of Lordly predominacy: Christ sends them to be his servants, and to preach to the people in humility, and that by the example of himself, he sends them forth as Embassidours of his word, preaching it humbly, as he did, and warning them not to look for greater glory and pomp in the world, than he himself received, John 13. 15, 16. St. Peter he practises this lesson, who spoke before not my Lord or right reverend father, etc the rest of the Apostles, and Elders, men and brethren, saith he, know that God chose out me to preach the gospel, that the Gentiles might hear the word out of my mouth, & he preached to them and the people believed, and received the holy Ghost, saith be, and there was no difference betwixt us &c. as it is Acts 15. And St. Paul teacheth them not to be high minded, but to make themselves equal to them of the lower sort, Rom. 12. 16. And let the lofty Prelates blush at that his modest taunt, now ye are full (saith he) now ye are made rich, ye reign as Kings, but we are made a gazing stock, ye are honourable, but we are despised, but saith he afterwards, I pray you be followers of me, 1. Cor. 4. Oh! ye Prelates will not these so plain testimonies of your pride convince you! Look upon Paul a little further, and you shall see that he was so far from being a Lordly Prelate, that he gloried in being a servant to preach Jesus Christ, as it is 2 Cor. 4. 5. who never expected to receive titles of temporal honour, but as James Cephas, and John, the right hand of fellowship with the rest. Gal. 2. 9 Ephe. 6. 21. And those Bishops and Deacons, which were amongst the Saints at Philippi, as it is Phil. 1. 1. there were no prelacy amongst them, because of the fellowship which they had in the gospel, verse 5. Col. 1. 1. Thes. 3. 2. Oh! how great and grievous a sin is it for the Ministers of the Church of God, to sit in glory as Lords of the Temple of God 2. Thes. 2. 4. In all the whole Bible we can find no warrant for prelacy, or Lordly government for Pastors of the Church to lay claim to, only a Bishop or Pastor, or Elder, which you will, for they are all one, and a Deacon, the next degree immediately after them; and that only in ordination, &c. Not in Lordly predominacy. 1 Tim. 3. 2. And when there were any such amongst them, as had betaken themselves to worldly honour, and glory, the Apostles did reckon them forsaken, 2. Tim. 4. 3. And we may so plainly in that place, where St. Paul writes to Titus concerning the ordaining of Elders, as he first calls them, Titus 1. 5. to be so, & so qualified, he gives the reason of it in the 7. v. for saith he, a Bishop must be unreprovable, so that the very same which he first calleth Elder, he afterwards calleth Bishop, as it is plain to be understood in that place. They were all brethren, there were none of them set up or appointed by them to Lord it over the rest, as the Prelates do over the rest of the clergy, but taught as brethren. Philemon v. 1. Nay the high Priests themselves, are taken from amongst men, from causes of temporal matters, & are ordained for men, only in things pertaining to God, Heb. 5, i. And then surely for such as profess themselves to be the Ministers of Christ, they ought not to be made temporal Lords, and to sit in places of judicature, and to judge of civil matters, but their office is to draw nigh to God, Iam. 4▪ 8. 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 4. 3. 2 Ioh. v. 2. 3 Ioh. v. 11. Jude v. 1. what shall I say more, if our lordly Bishops will not take examples from the Apostles, let them take examples from the angel, who would not suffer John to fall down before him, no (saith he) I am they fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the Prophets, Revel. 22. 9 Thus you s●e that if our Lordly Bishops stand upon their guard to defend episcopal supremacy, they can neither father it upon God, or any title of his holy word, nor upon the Prophets, nor Apostles of GOD, nor upon pure times, who though they wrong the fathers of the primitive Church, to say that they had the same honour, yet you see it is not so, no, no, alas should the godly, humble, poor, unlordly Bishops of the primitive Orig. Hom. 6, in ●s. Churches, (who had no such worldly honour, offices, state, pomp, and secular power, as ours now enjoy) arise out of their graves, and behold the dominions, wealth, habit, and employment of our present Prelates, they would rather deem them Monsters, than Ministers, pilate's, than Prelates, Lucifers, than Preachers, Tyrants, than Overseers of Christ's flock, yea Princes, rather than Bishops of divine institution. An old prophecy of Gostred, Bishop of Lincoln concerning the Prelates. IT is reported of the Bishop of Lincoln that he should prophesy, that the Church shall not be delivered from the servitude of Egypt, but by violence and force, and with the bloody sword, and albeit their government be esteemed but a light matter, yet shortly more great and grievous things shall be seen. How happeneth it (saith father Latimer) that we have had so many cares many unpreaching Prelates, Lordly Loiterrers, and idle Ministers: This land is not (saith he) 〈◊〉 to plough, it is to stoney, too thorny, too hard for me to plough. They have so many things that make for them, so many things to say for themselves, that it is not for my weak team to plough them. They have to say for themselves, long customs, Ceremonies, 〈◊〉 authority, placing in Parliament, and many things more, and I fear me this Land is not yet ripe to be ploughed, for as the saying is, it lacks withering, this Land lacks withering, at least ways it is not for me for to plough; for what shall I look for among thorns, but pricking and scratching, what amongst stones, but stumbling, (I had almost said) what amongst Serpents but stinging; but thus much I dare say, that since Lording and loitering hath come up, Preaching hath gone down, contrary to the Apostles times; for they Preached, and Lorded not, but now they Lord and Preach not: for they that be Lords, will ill go to plough. And if the ploughmen in the country, were as negligent in their Office, as Prelates be, we should not long live, for lack of sustenance. FINIS.