AN ANTI-REMONSTRANCE, TO THE LATE HUMBLE REMONSTRANCE TO THE HIGH COURT OF PARLIAMENT.  
Printed Anno 1641.   

AN ANTI-REMONSTRANCE TO THE LATE HUMBLE REMONSTRANCE to the High Court of Parliament.  
THese few Leaves of Paper break on through, after the Humble remonstrance, with less noise, because of less bulk; and not stuffed with the husks of a bare pleasing speech, but presented to your view with more substance than Rhetoric, and with more things than words, and such as I hope will pluck off the vizard of dutiful Son from the Author of the Remonstrance, or make his Mother little beholding to him for his advice. Ye are not ignorant of the great distractions, oppositions, and of the diversity of affections and fears of the people of the whole land about the event of the Church's reformation in hand: for indeed some out of a zeal, somewhat inconsiderate do cry down Episcopacy as Antichristian. Others very moderate crave and wish earnestly, Episcopacy were reform and purged from the Romish and Tyrannical government that incumbers it, and which since the last reformation in King Edward the sixth days, no free Parliament yet was so happy as to redress: Again, a third kind of men carried by a contrary wind, maintain Episcopacy to be by Divine right, not so much as naming that apply of discord, nor mentioning the main thing which is so much stood upon, which is not that Episcopacy is either of Divine right or not, for if (as the Author of the remonstrance acknowledgeth,) a Church may stand without Episcopacy, it matters not much, which of these two opinions is held: but the main point debated lies in this assertion, that Episcopal government, as it is established in England is most disagreeable to Christ and the Apostles institution, and to therites and constitutions of the primitive Church, and makes a part of the mystery of iniquities, which the Roman Church for many hundred years in England hath had the greatest share in. Likewise the favourers of the humble remonstrance traduce as libelers the opposers of that tenet of Episcopacy by Divine right, and of the corruptions that attend Episcopacy, as it is established in England. These distractions and oppositions being such; may it please the Honourable Court seriously to ponder that there is as great a latitude between having no Bishops at all, and having them with the tendered limitations by those they call libelers; as there is between retaining a limited power in Bishops, and confirming the Bishops in the exorbitant authority and greatness of Government as it is established in England: which Government God forbidden it were retained, being as it is conceived by the most learned, pious, and judicious of the land most Antichristian, and attended with more evil than the quite abolishing of Episcopacy can prove hurtful, and of dangerous consequence; and that for these reasons and grounds following.  
I. Episcopal Government as it is established in England, is a continuation of the height of power and jurisdiction, which in the darkest times of Popery the Pope hath usurped by his Bishops and Abbots fare beyond the footing, he ever took in France, Spain, or Germany. Therefore what the Author of the remonstrance allegeth of the ancientness of Episcopacy, and of its continuance hitherto 1500. years is vain and frivalous, for the Roman Church upon the same ground or pleading of antitiquitie makes her heresies and abominations warantable.  
II. The Bishop's institution and inthronising is altogether repugnant and contrary to the laws and customs of the Primitive Church, and against the constitutions of the Prime Christian Emperors, who ordained that the people jointly with the inferior Clergy should present to the Emperor a catalogue of the most pious and learned men of the Diocese, and the man that the Emperor was to pitch upon, be invested with the function of a Bishop: for proof thereof read the constitutions of Charles the great; Lewis the godly, Gregory the great, Gelasius and others.  
II. The height and superiority of place that Bishops hold, is one of the greatest relics of the Popish tyranny in England, which is most unfit in Ministers of the Gospel, repugnant to the customs of other Nations, & to the distance, yea rather nearness of Office and dignity, that aught to be between Bishops and Ministers. It is not heard but in England that Chancellors or Lord Keepers take place after Arch-Bishops, while other Ministers are so fare inferior and distant from them, as a Prince from of poor tenant or a high sumptuous palace from a poor thatched cottage.  
FOUR The Bishops sole exercise of jurisdiction is such, as the like was never heard in any Court of justice, and is repugnant to reason and natural equity, and cannot be but an appendice derived from the son of perdition, that arrogates to himself an unerring sole power: The King's Bench, Common-pleas, & Exchequer, are benches of a certain number of judges; The Chancellor of England hath an assistance of 12. Masters. I would feign know when Christ said dic Ecclesiae, if he understood that a Bishop should be a sole judge within his Diocese in deciding any litigious cause.  
V Also the exercising of any power by deputies, which is the prerogative of Kings, is a monstrous usurpation in the Bishops of England; a strange bird hatched in no court but theirs, every judge in any other Court discharging his judicial function in his own person. 'Tis no marvel if they that Preach by deputies observe the like practice in keeping of Courts.  
VI The Bishop's jurisdiction entrenching upon the civil Magistrate or judge by their jus Pontificium or Canon law, which the Pope left them for a legacy, such are the causes testamentary and matrimonial, is an usurpation no less bad than the former, and derogates from the holy power of Ecclesiastical keys, which Bishops assumed in the prime pure times of the Church.  
VII. It were not so much to usurge jurisdiction, if their laws were but sound, and their legal proceeding just: But their High Commission, the oath ex officio, the horrible abuse of excommunication, the commutations of bodily penance into pecuniary, their hindrances of prohibitions, stopping the course of law, their determining of tithes & possessions of live by a Quare impedit, are as many pocky eyesores, which deface the holy calling of Bishops, and make them, though their first institution had been of Divine right, to be now less than of humane institution.  
VIII. There not depending on any free Ecclesiastical assembly is as much or more than the Papists ascribe to the Pope, who by main of them is thought inferior to the council and censurable by it.  
IX. Their Visitations are apish and counterfeit imitations of the ancient Synods which are degenerated into receipts of custom, as paying for Licences, Procurations, Benevolences, synodals, and the like. Nihil est quod curia Episcoporum non vendat, etc.  
X. Their convocations or Synods are little better; where deputati sunt deputantes, the deputies are deputing; where in most of the members of it, there is no free choice of election; but Bishops, Deans, and Arch-deacons have right to sit by their place and office: where those of the lower House are like to main stocks, that have no motion, but as they are carried by the members of the sphere of the higher house.  
Who ever shall read Mathaeus Paris and Mathaeus Westmonasteriensis; and view the disfigured face of the Church of England under Henry the second, John, & Henry the third, Kings of England, will acknowledge that the Pope had more power & jurisdiction in England in the persons of his Bishops and Abbots, then in any other Kingdom, and will not wonder if Bishops have hitherto kept possession, though they hold no more of the Pope; nor will he easily be persuaded, that that government is of Divine or Apostolical institution, which hath ever been contrary to the constitutions of the ancient Church, and to Imperial laws, and repugnant to the proceed of all Courts of justice, and to common equity and sense.  
FINIS.