BP Carletons' testimony Concerning the Presbyterian Discipline IN THE Low-countries, AND episcopal Government Here in ENGLAND.  
Wherein is briefly discovered the Novelty of the one, and Antiquity of the other; with a short taste of the inconveniences that attend the new platform, where that is set up in the room of the old Primitive Government.  
Published for the common good.  
Tolle Episcopos, & tot erunt schismata, quot homines.  
LONDON, Printed for Nath: Butter. 1642.   

TO THE READERS.  
IF you are of those that are disaffected to the Church-government by Law established amongst us, I wish this small Tract into your hands to choose, to be read and considered of by you with your most serious thoughts, that so it may help on your conversion. Do not cast it away ere you have perused it, because here a Bishop speaks in his own cause. With the same reason a conformable man may cast away Smectymnuus, because there so many Presbyterians speak their own cause.  
Read it. The Author (however some of your persuasion bear the world in hand most injuriously, and most cunningly, that a Rotchet must necessarily cover a Papists heart) was all his life, at flat defiance with Rome; and had he been called to the fiery trial, doubtless he would have followed Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Hooper, those famous Protestant Bishops even to the stake, and sealed that doctrine with his blood, which his tongue and pen published to the world.  
Among other Tracts of his now extant, he hath a book forth against Pelagianism and Arminianism. The book styled thankful Remembrances speaks likewise this Bishop Author; a book which no friend to Rome would certainly ever have written. Let him be then your Remembrancer, and unprejudiced by you, (notwithstanding his lawn sleeves) prevail so far with you to move you, if you find he delivers truth to change your minds in case you be now schismatical in the point of Church-government.  
This learned man was one of those sent by that blessed peacemaker, our late famous sovereign King JAMES to the Synod of Dort upon a friendly errand: I would to God this solid and honest piece of his might help to make fair accord at home in his own country, which so much needs pacification now in the Church as well as the State.  
I shall not despair, but that it may conduce somewhat toward the one, so parciali●y and all prejudicate opinions be laid aside. It was a good saying of a great scholar, Amicus Plato, &c. Plato is our very good friend, so is Socrates, and so Aristotle, but Truth is a much dearer friend. Somewhat like this would you would say once and hold to it, Amicus Calvinus, &c. Calvin is our very good friend, so is Beza, and so Cartwright, but Truth is by much our dearer friend.  
Were these your minds and resolutions, you would no longer wish that yoke of discipline on your necks, which this honest Bishop will tell you in the next leaf, the Netherlanders groan under and would fain cast off. So I refer you to the Bishop, I for my part have done with you, when I have assured you this is a true draught of learned Carlton; and only farther (which civility requires) bid you  
Farewell.   

BP Carletons' testimony concerning the Presbyterian Discipline in the Low-Countries, and Episcopal Government here in England.  
TOuching the point of their Discipline in the Low-Countries, I can witness that they are weary of it, & would gladly be freed if they could. When we were to yield our consent to the Belgic Confession at Dort, I made open protestation in the synod, That whereas in the Confession there was inserted a strange conceit of the parity of Ministers, to be instituted by Christ; I declared our descent utterly in that point; I showed, that by Christ a Parity was never instituted in the Church; That he ordained 12. Apostles, and also 70. Disciples; That the authority of the 12. was above the other; That the Church preserved this order left by our Saviour. And therefore when the extraordinary authority of the Apostles ceased, yet their ordinary authority continued in Bishops who succeeded them, who were by the Apostles themselves left in the government of the Church to ordain Ministers, and to see that they who were so ordained, should preach no other doctrine; That in an inferior degree the Ministers that were governed by Bishops, who succeeded the 70. Disciples; That this order hath been maintained in the Church, from the time of the Apostles; and herein I appealed to the judgement of Antiquity, and to the judgement of any learned man now living, and craved herein to be satisfied, if any man of learning could speak to the contrary. 
a B. Davenant. B. Hall.  My Lord of Salisbury is my witness, and so are all the rest of our 
b D. Ward. D. Goad. D. balcanqual.  company, who spoke also in the cause. To this there was no answer made by any; whereupon we conceived that they yielded to the truth of the Protestation. And somewhat I can say of mine own knowledge, for I had conference with divers of the best learned in that synod, I told them that the cause of all their troubles was this, that they had no Bishops amongst them, who by their authority might repress turbulent spirits, that broached novelties. Every man had liberty to speak or write what he list, and as long as there were no ecclesiastical men in authority to repress and censure such contentious spirits, their Church could never be without trouble: Their answer was, that they did much honour and reverence the good order and discipline of the Church of England, and with all their hearts would be glad to have it established amongst them; but that could not be hoped for in their State. Their hope was, that seeing they could not do what they desired, God would be merciful to them if they did what they could. This was their answer, which I think is enough to excuse them, that they do not openly aim at an anarchy, and popular confusion. The truth is, they groan under that burden, and would be eased if they could. This is well known to the rest of my Associates there.  
FINIS.