THE VNLAWFULNES AND DANGER OF LIMITED PRELACY, OR PERPETVALL PRECIDENCIE IN THE CHURCH, Briefly discovered.  3 john 9 
Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence receiveth us not.  
Ambitio non patitur quemquam in ea mensura honorum conquiescere, quae quondam fuit ejus impudens votum. Seneca de beneficiis. Lib. 2.  
Ambition suffereth no man to rest in that measure of honours, which sometimes was his impudent wish.  
Printed in the year 1641.   

To the READER.  
THE causes which to this day have hindered the determination of this unhappy controversy about Church government in the Reformed Churches, are no other: But first, The judgement of God punishing the unthankfulness of this Age, for the incomparable benefit of the Gospel; and in great wisdom and loving kindness, trying and exerciseing his Church, that they who are approved may be made manifest. And secondly, The corruption of the heart of man, loving preeminence, and preferring himself to his Brethren, which maketh him, although but a Bramble in comparison of the Olive-tree, the Figtree and the Vine, to say and to make others to speak in the ears of men, Whether is better for you, either that all the Sons of Jerubbaal (which are threescore and ten persons) reign over you, or that one reign over you? and upon this followeth the blindness and error of the mind, in depending more upon the prejudice of custom and constitutions of men then upon the judgement of Scripture to be believed for itself. Yet hath the Lord his own appointed time for ending of Controversies; and if the period of this debate be now approaching (as it appeareth to him who looketh with observation to the working of God, the insolency of the Prelates, and the Prayers and desires of the people) a few of the many considerations pressed in former times will, by the blessing of God, prove sufficient and effectual for determination. They who are acquainted with the Reformation here, and in other Nations, will not much mervell, when the Winter is past, and the spring time cometh; That with the sweet breathe of Zephyrus, at sometimes there be whirlwinds and contrary blasts; and when the Flowers appear upon the earth, that the weeds also set up their heads. But the diligent hand of the faithful Labourers, will purge the Vine-yard of these noisome Herbs, which have taken rooting in the time of Prelacy. That this Prelacy may be removed root and branch, and the Ministry of Christ be established in purity and power, is the purpose of this paper; and the Prayer of the writer for the welfare of Zion.   

THE UNLAWFULNESS AND DANGER OF A LIMIted PRELACY: Or perpetual presidency in the Church briefly discovered.  
IN the Church of Christ, 
Offices in this Church which are of men, supposed to be unlawful.  It may and aught to be taken for a Supposition, and as a principle undeniable, that all the Offices, and Vocations, in the House of God, must be of God, and not of Men; and that such as are of Men and not of God, are unlawful: for this was presupposed by Christ himself, in his dispute with the Pharisees; the Baptism of john whence was it, from heaven or of men? Matth. 21.25. Mark 11.17. Luke 20.1. By the Pharisees themselves in the same places. By the Apostle, Gallat. 1.1. Not of men, neither by men: but by jesus Christ, and God the Father. Again, Hebr. 5.5. No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. And by these who are our adversaries in this cause, both while they disput against the universal Episcopacy of the Pope, and use the words of Tertullian, which may be thrown bacl upon themselves, Quiestis? quomodo et unde venistis? quid in meo agitis nomine? and while they dispute against us for the Diocesan Bishop, and will prove Episcopacy, by divine right, knowing that the assertion of the princiall Office and Calling in the Church, merely upon humane right, were a challenge of the Scriptures, that they are not perfect; and an exalting of the wisdom of Men above the wisdom of Christ: although Man can no more make the Office, nor he can give the Grace; and from Christ both the Institution of the Office, and the blessing of the Officers, must come. It is therefore supposed to be no less unlawful to add an Office to divine Institutions, than it is unlawful to take away an Office warranted by divine Institution; the one making it maimed. We are forbidden praecepto negativo to presume to govern the Church by humane wisdom: We are commanded Praecepto affirmativo, to follow the rule of divine wisdom: And we are warranted praecepto comparativo, rather to follow Christ them Antichrist; for so must we speak, because it cannot be denied by any, but such as deny the Pope to be Antichrist.  
This then being for a principle presupposed, if we will not shut our eyes against the light, and involve ourselves in subtleties, which the wit of Man set on work by his own ambition, and the love of preeminence, hath invented against the plain truth of Scripture obvious to every one who desireth to know, The Office of a Bishop, as he is conceived to be a Pastor above other Pastors: whether in power, or in degree and dignity, with be found in itself, and not only in respect of the abuse of his power, or of his degree and dignity, to be unlawful.  

The Office of a Prelate is not found in Scripture.  Because the Scripture intending to express the Offices and Officers of the Church, and speaking so often of them and of their Gifts and Duties; and that not upon occasion, but of set purpose, as Rom. 12.2. Cor. 12. Eph. 4, doth neither express, nor imply any such Bishop: Shall we suffer ourselves to think that the Apostles, so well acquainted with the will of Christ; 
(a) Acts 1.3.  so fully taught of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, and so faithful in the delivering his Commandments, that the Officers may know how to behave themselves in the House of God, and keep themselves pure: 
(b) 1 Tim. 3.15.  and in charging them in the sight of God to keep his Commandments without spot, 
(c) 1. Tim. 5.21. 1 Tim. 6.13.14.  would not in some one place or other distinctly and positively speak of the office, gifts, priority or power of such a Bishop? Have they been so careful in expressing the office, gifts and duty of the meanest Officers 
(d) Act. 6.  and did they speak nothing of the greatest? would they have neglected the weightyer matters of the Law of Christ? no surely, these they would have done, and not have left the other undone.  
All the Officers of the New Testament both ordinary, and extraordinary, 
No difference in Scripture between a Pastor and a Bishop.  are designed and distinguished by their names, or Compellations, as Apostles, Evangelists, Presbyters, Deacons. The extraordinary and superior, have upon good reason, the names of the ordinary, and inferior common unto them, as the Apostles are called 
(e) 1. Pet. 5.1.  Elders. But this is not reciprocal, for the ordinary and inferior are never called, by the names of the extraordinary and superior: the Deacon is not called an Elder, nor the Pastor by the name of the Apostle, or Evangelist. It is true that Barnabas is called an Apostle 
(f) Acts 14.4. and 14.  because he was an Apostle of Christ as Paul was. Titus and others 
(g) 2 Co. 8 13.  and Epaphroditus 
(h) Phil. 8.23.  are only called Apostles or Messengers of the Church. Whence it must follow, that the Office of a Bishop is not an Office superior to the Office of a Pastor, since the name Bishop is common to the Pastor; and that the Office of a Bishop, and the Office of a Pastor, are not different, but one and the same office. Since the names are altogether common in all the places of the New Testament. 
(i) Acts 20.28. Phillip 1.1. 1 Tim. 3.2. 1 Pet. 5.1.  And the Syriac Interpreter hath translated the one by the other. 
(k) Tit. 1.7  What reason can there be, while the Officers are distinguished by their names, and the names of Bishop and Pastor are common, but that the Office of the Bishop and Elder is one and the same Office; the one name signifying, sapientiae maturitatem, and the other Industriam curae Pastoralis, saith Beda.  

No Bishop of Bishops, or of Pastors in Scripture.  We find, that in the Ministry of the New Testament there is a comely, beautiful, and Divine Order: one kind of Ministers both ordinary and extraordinary, being placed in degree and dignity before another, as the Apostles before all other Ministers, the Pastor before the Elder, and Deacon: But we do not find in Ministers of the same kind, that one hath majority of power, over others, or priority of degree and dignity before others, except upon the moral respect of age, zeal, gifts, etc. No Apostle is in degree above other Apostles, no Evangelist above other Evangelists, nor Elder above other Elders, no Deacon above other Deacons: upon what ground then from Scripture? can we believe or conceive that one Pastor is in degree superior to other Pastors, or that, in all other sorts of Ministers, ordinary and extraordinary, there's all be a parity in their own kind, and only in the Office of Pastors, an inequality.  
The whole power, and all the parts of the Ministry which commonly are expressed, 
Every Pastor hath power of ordination and Jurisdiction.  by the power of Order and Jurisdiction, are in Scripture made common to the Pastor and the Bishop; for the Pastor hath power to Preach the Word, and minister the Sacraments: As one of the Presbytery he hath power to lay on hands, and ordain Ministers, 
(l) 1 Tim. 4.14.  and hath not only the Keys of the inward and private Court of Conscience, but hath also committed unto him and his fellow Presbyters, the Keys of the outward and public Court of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction and censure, and both ways to bind and lose in: when the Apostles first planted the Christian Churches, and when they were to departed and were near unto death, they recommended the care of these duties, in all the churches unto the particular Pastors, or Bishops. 
(m) Act. 15.6. Act. 16.4 Act. 20 28, ●9. 1 Cor. 5. 1 Cor 14.32 40. 1 Th●. 5.12. Tit. 1.9. 1. Tim. 5.12. Heb. 13.17.  And therefore the Pastor, and Bishop are in Scripture, one and the same in power and degree, neither hath the Bishop any degree, or power, order or Jurisdiction, but that which he arrogateth to himself, for the honour of his Priesthood, and for setting up his Monarchical power, against the word of God, nor ought any such power be given him. A point which is strongly proved by our Divines, against Papists and Prelates.  
Ecclesiastical power was not committed by Christ to any one but to many, 
Power ecclesiastical, not given to one, but to many.  It is not said, tell the Bishop or any one of the Church, but tell the Church, 
(n) Mat. 18.17.  nor was it exercised and acted by any one of the Apostles alone, for Paul not alone, but with a Presbytery, laid hands upon 
(o) 1 Tim. 4.14.  Timothy, and the Apostles, not alone, but joining with the Elders, 
(p) Act. 15.  did determine controversies, and discern censures, the same also was the practice of the Apostolic Churches at Corinth, Thessalonica, and in Asia. In all which the Discipline of the Church, was exercised by many, and not by any one. And therefore to exalt a Bishop to any part of his power or any degree of Eminence, above his Brethren for exercising this power, is against the Institution of Christ, and contrary to the practice and pattern of the Apostles and Apostolic Churches.  

All majority forbidden the Officers.  All majority and pre-eminence in this kind, is expressly forbidden by Christ, the Kings of the Nationas, etc. 
(q) Luke 22, 25.  according to this the Apostle Peter, disclaimeth not pride in majority, but majority itself 
(r) 1 Pet. 5.1.  Non est dictum sola humilitate sed veritate saith Bernard, Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prohibet Christus, non modum rei, sed rem ipsam, say others. Other ways, that which Tacitus writeth of Otho, might have been applied to them, Omnia servilit●r pro dominatione; and the temptation of the Disciples was not tyranny, but superiority, Christ speaketh to them sometimes of Thrones of glory, in the Church Triumphant, never of any throne of Dignity in the Church Militant: If any such throne whether of Ecclesiastical authority or perpetual presidence, had been lawful, would he not at sometimes have taught them, what it was, and with what cautions and Limitations they were to possess it, as that you shall have precedency of degree, 
Precepts in the Gospel to be interpreted according to the rules of the Precepts of the law.  but not of power; of dignity, but not of authority.  
These and the like arguments Militant, not only against the exorbitancy of Prelates, but against the Prelacy of the Ministers of jesus Christ's, and if we will as indeed must understand the commandments of Christ in the Gospel, 
(ss) Mat. 5.19 〈◊〉, 27, 33, 43.  according to the rules agreed upon, in the interpretation of the precepts of the Law, we must confess that not only the Tyranny, the Pride, the Pomp, the Priority and power of Lord Bishops, but all the parts, all the degrees, means, causes, Incentives, occasions, provocations, beginnings and appearances of these evils are forbidden, and that we are commanded to stop the way with thorns, 
(t) Hos. 2.6.  lest they return to their former lovers, and to hid all their earrings, that they be not found again. 
(u) Gen. 35.4.   

Rule of reformation from the prime times.  If the reformation of Episcopacy be intended, we must not take our rule, and pattern, from ancient and Primitive times, but from the first times, and from the very beginning, as Christ in the matter of divorcement, did not speak of David's, or abraham's, or Lamech's times, but of adam's, saying, but from the beginning it was not so, so must we in the matter of this divorcement ascend, not to the times of Augustine or Cyprian, or Ignatius; but to the times of Christ, and the Apostles, and to the first Institution of the Ministry, at the beginning, and so much the more, because many of the Fathers, did unwittingly bring forth that Antichrist, which was conceived in the time of the Apostles, and therefore are incompetent Judges in the question of Hierarchy, and upon the other part, the lights of the Christian Church, at and since the beginning of Reformation have discovered many secrets, concerning the Antichrist and his Hierarchy, which were not known to former ages, and have showed us, that at the beginning there was no kind of difference of a Bishop, from a Presbyter. The way of defection is broad and easy, of which we have domestic examples. In this Island in fewer years the Church of Scotland suffered a great Eclipse, in fewer years ours was greater, and darkness had covered the Land, if the Lord had not prevented us.  
Suppose Episcopacy were shaved and stripped naked of all external, 
Limited Prelacy unlawful  and heterogeneal pomp, and power, and of the internal power of sole ordination and jurisdiction, suppose nothing were left unto the Bishops, but a perpertuall presidence in Church assemblies, and Synods, Suppose him to be chosen by the Clergy, and to be subject to their censure, as other Ministers, and suppose all the cautions, and limitations, that can be devised be put upon him, to keep him within his bounds from exorbitancy, yet still is he such a plant, as God never planted, rooted not in Scripture, but in the Earth, and bringing forth such fruits, as can neither be acceptable to God nor profitable to men; This degree and primacy of order, by which he is lifted up above his brethren, cannot be separated from some primacy of power, and when it meeteth with ambition, and opportunity of advancement through the favour of Princes, or the neglect of another time, whether careless or more careful about other matters, it shall gather strength again, and regain what it now looseth, by the razor of Reformation, shall of a Consul make a dictator, and pull down the house which it made even now to shake. Election doth nor hinder his power to be Episcopal, for not only inferior Bishops are chosen by their Chapters, but the Pope also by his conclave of Cardinals, neither will this hinder his power to be Episcopal, because it is under a Synod, for the best of the Papists hold that the Pope subject to an ecumenical Council.  
Woeful Experience hath taught, that from this perpetual presidence, and Primacy of order, 
Prelacy and Popery inseparable.  as the first step of the ladder, Antichrist hath mounted up, to the Primacy of power, to archiepiscopal dignity, to be a Patriarch, and at last to be universal Bishop and Antichrist, and shall we now after the mystery of iniquity is made manifest, allow him in this land, the first step of the Ladder, establish him thereby, and not turn him quite off, and overturn the ladder itself? this were a dangerous recidive, this were twice to make shipwreck, and the second because wilful, worse than the first, where before we were patients, now to be agents in so great an evil, and to make that which was before, against our will, our evil of pain, now by our wilful error to be our evil of sinner: were it not better, by the total ruin of Episcopacy to give example, to other Churches, whose eyes are upon us, by doing the like, to pull down the Pope? to put him out of hope to rise again in this Church, and to make all Papists despair to regain this Kingdom to the Roman religion? it being their own declaration, that were all England once brought to approve of Bishops, it were easy to reduce it to the Church of Rome. 
(a) Cutzen pol, Li●, 2. c. 18. Limitation of Prelacy will prove weak, by the example of the Church of Scotland.   
All bonds and limitations, although many, although strong, although made never so wisely, will prove but weak to keep them in order, and bear down their aspiring Ambition, which our neighbour Church of Scotland, for the greater part, did not believe at first: and which we could hardly be induced to believe now, were we not taught by their example: for in the year one thousand six hundred, the Church of Scotland being met in a General Assembly at Montrose, these cautions and limits were agreed upon; the King's Majesty consenting: 1. That the Minister chosen to this place shall not be called Bishop, but Commissioner of such a place. 2. That he shall neither propound to the Parliament any thing in name of the Church, without their express warrant and direction; nor shall he keep silence, or consent to any thing prejudicial to the weal and liberty of the Church, under the pain of deposition. 3. Under the pain of Infamy and Excommunication, he shall at every Assembly give account of the discharging of his Commission, and shall submit himself to their Censure, and stand to their determination whatsoever, without appellation. 4. He shall content himself with that part of the Benefice which shall be assigned him, not prejudging any of the Ministers in their live. 5. He shall not dilapidate his benefice. 6. He is bound as any other Minister to attend his particular Congregation, and shall be subject to the trial and censure of his own Presbytery and Provincial assembly. 7. He shall neither usurp nor claim to himself any power of jurisdiction in any point of Church government, more than any other Minister. 8. In Presbiteries, Provincial and general assemblies, he shall behave himself in all things, and be subject to their censuring, as any of the Brethren of the Presbytery. 9 At his admission to his Office, he shall swear and subscribe to fulfil all these points, under the pains foresaid, otherwise not to be admitted. 10. In case he shall be deposed, he shall no more voice in Parliament, nor enjoy his Benefice. 11. He shall not have voice in the General Assembly, unless he be authorised with Commission from his own Presbytery. 12. Crimen ambit●●, shall be a sufficient cause of deprivation. 13. The General Assembly, which the advice of the Synod, shall have power of his nomination or recommendation. 14. He shall lay down his Commission annuatim, at the foot of the General Assembly to be continued or changed, as the General Assembly with his Majesty's consent, shall think fit. 15. Other cautions to be made, as the Church shall finde occasion. The godly and sincere Ministers disliked this course altogether, and some did protest against it: but others loving pre-eminence above their Brethren, and hunting after fatter Benefices did consent themselves, and persuaded others to consent unto it, but did aftewards break all these bonds, and finding themselves unable to give account, according to the Council given to Perecles, they procured that there should be no free General Assemblies, lest they should be called to account, and when they were challenged of their perjury, and perfidious dealing, their Printed Apology declared their perfidy to be double, 
Refut. libel, de regim Eccles. Scotae pag. 89. cum viderit breviz in quibus voluntatur incerta, & ancipitia repeter pedem, nec vertet terga sed sensim recedit, in tutum. Senec. Epist. 22.  which we will express in their own words, because they may be useful at thit time, and teach us what may be expected from their fellows: Conditiones aliae protempore magis quo contentiosis rixandi ansa praeriperetur, quàm animo in perpetuum observandi acceptae. What then may be hoped for in this Land, were people have been enured to this yoke. Prelates have been in possession, the Court is near to shire upon them, and where there be no Nationall Assemblies, but such Provincial Assemblies, where these new Bishops shallbe Precedents; or if National Assemblies shall be appointed, shall they not either be fordidden to meet, or shall they not be overruled by these Bishops, that in a short time, they shall not only recover their wont power and pomp, by the consent of the Assemblies, and thus, be come deeply rooted, and with greater difficulty removable then before, but shall also double their tyranny, manet alta ment repostum, and thus our last state shall be worse than the first.  
This perpetual precedent, 
Prelacy not the cure, but the cause of Shisme.  or moderate Prelate which was at first, and is now pretended to be a remedy against Schism, hath not only proved a remedy worse than the disease, by making way to the greatest Bishop, the Antichrist, but likewise doth foment and increase the disease itself of Schism and Division: for beside that it shall maintain a shameful Schism against all the Reformed Churches, especially against the neighbour Church of Scotland, which will cause continual jealousies, and heartburning betwixt the two Nations, if we shall allow and establish Episcopacy, which we did before but tolerate, and they have found and judged upon good reasons to be intolerable, It shall rend the bowels of the Church and Kingdom within itself; the Parliament shallbe divided, some for it, and others against it; and of these who shall be for it; there shallbe subdivisions, some for one limitation, and some for another: after the Parliaments Authority shallbe for it; the body of the Kingdom, at least the godly and Religious shallbe against it. Whence shall arise almost in every Parish no small debate and contention, and many sorrows and discontents, instead of that universal joy which is expected through the whole kingdom. The Ministers, and whole Clergy shall be rend asunder, is their Sermons, Lectures, and Polemic writings and Pamphlets; some defending the old Episcopacy, some the new; and the sounder part oppugning both, and still pressing a further Reformation; some gaping for Prelacies, and getting them; others enraged for want of them; a third sort still living in hope of preferment; and the remnant opposing all this competion, and emulation. And although this Prelacy were appointed, and received with general consent of Parliament, Pastors and People (which no man will expect, who is not a stranger in this Church and Kingdom) yet who can hope that this Tree shall bring forth the fruits of truth and peace in this Land, at this time, which it never produced in any time or place since the beginning? There can be no peace to the Body, till the bad humour now stirred be purged out; and when this jonah is cast into the Sea, then shall there be a calm. The work also shall be more easy, and the labour much less in rooting up the Tree, then in lopping the branches, which will take a long time, and much debate and deliberation.  
In Christian Policy, 
Prelacy against both Christian and common policy.  that Government of the Church is most useful for Kings, and Kingdoms which is best warranted by the Word of God, by whom King's reign and Kingdoms are established Religion, and Righteousness are the Pillars, which God hath made for upholding his Majesty's throne. Prelacy and Ceremonies are invented and framed by the wisdom of Man, for setting up, and supporting the Pope's Monarchy; no Ceremony, no Prelate, no Prelate no Pope. 2. Which serveth most to the preservation of pietic, righteousness, and sobriety, against their contraries, which where they reign as they do always where Prelates have place, and power, are the certain causes of many calamities and judgements, and of the changes and periods of States, Kingdoms, and Families. 3. Which maketh the face of the Church and Religion in a Kingdom most beautiful and glorious, not with Prelatical pomp and splendour, like the Kings of the Nations, but with sound faith, a pure worship, and holy life: And 4. Which conduceth most for truth and peace against Heresy and Schism: for which effect, Church Assemblies of Ministers, equal in order and degree, meeting in Presbyteries, Provincial and Nationall Assemblies, are powerful means; as the experience of all the Reformed Churches hath taught us, and against which Prelacy hath a natural antipathy, it being the nature thereof to love greatness, and to grow big by the division of the Church: and therefore the Prelacy will bear with all Religions, provided they be not anti-episcopal, will not only suffer Heresies and divisions to arise and grow, but will foment them, that the parties may depend upon him as their Judge, 
Contzen. polit. Lib. ● c. 19  and that the thoughts of others may be drawn from his Mitre to other matters.  
Again, in common policy, that Government of the Prelates should be shunned, because he is a superfluous and unprofitable member, the Son of God having provided for all the necessities of the Church by Officers of his own appointment. Shall that be esteemed to be good policy in the Church, which no wise man would judge to be good aeconomic in his own house, no Magistrate would admit in his own charge? shall Servants or subjects, appoint one to rule over them at their own pleasures; or shall we think that a Minister hath abilities for all the parts of his function, and shall not be able to preside in an Assembly, or is there none in the assembly fit to be precedent but one? 2. because the Prelate is an unprofitable burden, requiring in his greatest moderation a revenue more than ordinary, and serveth for no good use, neither to Church, King, nor Country. 3. Because the Prelate, by his power, with Prince and Peer, and by his usurpation and tyranny over the People, divideth betwixt the Rulers and the people, and maketh the Civil government, which without him would be light and easy, to be heavy, and grievous to the people. 4. Because a Pastor no sooner becometh a Prelate, but he beginneth to howl with the Wolves, although he look like a Shepherd; he turneth his back upon his Pastoral charge, or looketh down upon it, and his fellow Brethren, as below him, and setteth his face toward the world, hoping by time to be loosed of his bands, and to become one of the greatest Officers of estate, and blowing the bellows of division betwixt the King and his Nobles, and betwixt the King and the Church, that his serviceableness may appear the more, and he may be warmed by the fire which he hath kindled himself. They will now accept of Limitation, and it may be some of them call for it. But did any of them speak of late against the exorbitancy of their Brethren, or will they hear of moderation afterward? If we will lay aside prejudices, we may clearly perceive that the Church, perfect in Officers, may be governed without Prelates, with more honour to God, with more love and respect to Authority at home and abroad, with greater riches and glory to the Crown, with more contentment to the people, greater peace amongst ourselves, and greater terror to all our enemies.  

The different use of the names of Pastor and Prelate, dangerous.  Although we do not contend about words, yet the appropriation and Monopoly of names in matters of this nature, hath in it more realty then at first. We do observe there is no inequality, nor difference of Office, power, or degree, betwixt a Pastor and a Bishop. It is against reason to call on Pastor by the name of a Presbyter or Minister, and another by the name of a Bishop: the differences of the names doth beget conceptions of different degrees and Offices, doth procure worldly respect; and in process of time, authority to one Presbyter above another, and so maketh way to Episcopal Monarchy, is alreadily mistaken through ignorance or inadvertency, as implying a relation, not to a particular flock, but to other Pastors, and a whole Diocese, and hath been in the Church of Scotland dangerously misapplyed by many, conceiving the name of Bishop, which only designed the benefice, to be the name of the Office, and thereby presuming that the Office of a Bishop still remained there, which was also our error concerning the government of that Church, till we were better informed of late: against this no better remedy than that the thing being abolished, the name be no more appropriated.  

When the time of persuasion cometh, a few arguments are sufficient.  Neither do we intent, nor can any man expect, nor do the weighty affairs of those, whom this matter most concerneth, suffer any large debate about it, volumes are stuffed with arguments on both sides, conscience of duty in this Article of time, observation of providence, courage for the cause of God, and contempt of the world, will help our resolution against the subtleties, sophistications and wranglings of humane wit, which will no more receive satisfaction, in this question of the regal office of christ, nor the Papists will suffer themselves to be silenced, in other controversies, about this or his other offices. When the appointed time cometh of the ending of long lasting debates, it is not unlike unto the rising of the Sun after a long Winter night, and the eyes to see, are more useful, than arguments to persuade, the ways of god are made known, and darkness can no more prevail against the light, in no Theme have colours and praetexts been more multiplied, then in this of Prelacy, the ambition and avarice of the heart of man quickening his spirits, and giving life to his brains, for his own miserable ends, but to an indifferent eye, and a mind unpartially disposed and not interessed, they suddenly disappear and vanish: nothing is more pretended than antiquity, although they can say with Cyprian, consuetudinem veritate majorem non esse, although disputing for their dignity, they put the purple robe of authority upon the Fathers, yet when the Papists dispute against them by this authority, they quickly put it off again, and although they boast of the Fathers, and will prove the superiority of Bishops, from several forcible arguments out of antiquity, yet find they disappointment and emptiness, where they desire most to abound, for nothing in all this cause is more pressed, by the strongest amongst them, then that the Angels of the Churches of Asia, were Bishops like unto themselves, and yet not want of will in them, and diligence in reading of the Fathers, but the Fathers (whom they would have to pronounce not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. O child, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, O son of lupiter) writing on the place, are mute, and do fail them, turning their glosses another way, but this and all other their pretences are answered, and the whole matter of true Church government, treated at large many years ago, without a word of reply from the Bishops or their Clergy, who yet try all Authors, if they can find so much as one sentence, even in dedicatory Epistles (which use to be more encomiastic than dogmatic) to speak for them.  
It hath been the greatest praise of civil powers, that they have exceeded all who went before them in the reformation of religion: 
Motives to a full reformation.  Asa took away Idolatry, but jehosaphat removed the high places also, Hezekiah did more, he broke the brazen serpent, but josiah destroyed the Idol Temples also, who therefore hath this testimony to the end of the world, that like unto him there was no King before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might: neither is this a dispraise to Religious Princes going before, who according to their measure of knowledge, and as the times would suffer, did reform Religion; nor a disgrace, but rather a promoting and perfecting of the work of Reformation begun by them. The matters of the Kingdom of Christ, the head and Monarch of his Church are in hand, in which, as in our own matters we have no power to dispense, or to decline to the right hand or to the left; and to rest in a lukewarmness or Samaritanism, which may make our condition afterward to be restless, and provoke the Lord to make us a reproach. The changes, and revolutions which we hear of in other Kingdoms, are documents, that the divine Providence is about some great work, in which we are now called to act our part, in the sight of men and Angels. 
Non tantum praesentis sed vigilantis est, occasioneus observare properantem, Senec, Epist. 22  The opportunity of Reformation is rare and singular, and cannot be paralleled in any History, and therefore to be used in all reverence, with heavenly prudence, and abstractnesse of spirit, from earthly considerations. We are zealous of our own liberties, let us be more zealous of the liberties of the Kingdom of Christ, that both we ourselves, and the Posterity may have a well grounded and blessed Peace.  
FINIS.