joyful news FROM THE TREATY CONTAINING The Kings Majesties Remonstrance and Declaration at NEWPORT in the Isle of Wight, on saturday last, concerning the Citizens of LONDON, who petitioned against the TREATY.  
AND His Propositions to all His Majesties elects within the said City, concerning the sense and Resolution of His Majesty touching the Presbyterian Government, and the peace of this Church and Nation.  
Subscribed, CHARLES R.  
Whereunto is annexed, The Answer of His Majesties loyal and faithful subjects to the said desires,  


Die 9. Octob. 1648.  
Perused and extracted out of the original Copies, and published by authority, for general satisfaction of all loyal and true-hearted subjects within the Kingdom of England, and Principalities of Wales.    
Octob. 10. LONDON Printed for R. W. 1648.   

joyful news for England from the Treaty at Neuport.  

CHARLES. R  
I Conceive that episcopal Government is most consonant to the Word of God, & of an apostolical Institution, as it appears by the Scripture, to have been practised by the Apostles themselves, and by them committed & delivered to particular persons, as their Substitutes or successors therein: as for Ordaining of Presbyters & Deacons, giving rules concerning Christian Discipline, & exercising Consures over Presbyters and others, & hath ever since till these last times been exercise by Bishops in all the Churches of Christ: and therefore I cannot in conscience consent to abolish the said Government.  
Notwithstanding this my persuasion, I shall be glad to be informed, if our Saviour and the Apostles did so leave the Church at liberty, as they might totally alter or cang the Government at their pleasure which if you can make appear to me, then I will confe: sse that one of my great scrupleses is clean taken away, and then there onely remaines. That being by my Corsination Oath obliged to maintain Episcopal Government, as I found it settled to my hand, whether I may consent to the abolishing thereof, until the same shall be evidenced to me to be contrary to the Word of God  
Newport, Octob. 2. 1648.   
The Answer to the said paper, whereas your Maj. doth conceive, That the episcopal Government, was by the Apostles committed & delivered to particular persons, as their Substitutes or successors therein( as for ordaining presbyters and Deacons, giving rules concerning Christian Discipline, and exercising censures over Presbyters and others) seeming by the alleged places of scriptures to instant in Tim. and Titus, and the Angels of the Churches. We humbly answer,  
1 And first to that of Tim. & Titus, we grant, that Tim. and Titus had authority and power of ordaining Presbyters & Deacons, and of exercising censures over Presbyters and others, though we cannot say they had this power as the Apostles substitutes or Successors in episcopal, government, nor that they exercised the power they had as being Bishops in the sense of your Maj. but as extraordinary Officers or Evangilists, which Evangilists were an Office in the Church, distinct from pastors and Teachers, Eph. 411. And that they were Evangelists, it appears by their being sent up and down by the Apostles, or take along with them in company to several Churches as the necessity & occasion of the Church did require; the one of them being expressly called an Evangelist, 2 Tim. 4. 5. And neither of them being any where in Scriptures called Bishop, neither were they fixed to Ephesus and Creet, as Bishops in the Churches committed to them, but removed from thence to other places, and never, for ought appears in Scriptures, returned to them again. And it seems clear to us, that neither their abode at Eph. and Creet was for any long time, nor so intended by the Apostle, for he employs them there upon occasional business, and expresseth himself in such manner 1 Tim. 13. Titus 1. 5. As doth not carry the fixing or constituting of a Bishop in a place as a perpetual governor: And it is as manifest, that they were both of them called away from these places. 2 Tim 4. 9. Titus 3. 12. so that they may as well be called Bishops of other city, or Church where they had any considerable abode, as they are pretended to have been of Ephesus and Creer, as they are called by the Postscrips of these Apostles, the credit of which Postscrips we cannot build upon this point.  
2. To that of the Angels of the Churches, the Ministers of the Churches are called stars & Angels, which Denominations are Metaphoricall and a mystery, Rev. 1. 20, The mystery of the 7 stars Angels in respect of their mission sending; stars in respect of their station & shining. And it seems strange to us, that so many express testimonies, of scriptures, and allegorical denominations or mysteries should be opposed; These Angels being no where called Bishops in vulgar acceptation, nor the word Bishop used in any of Iohns writings, who calls himself presbyter, nor nor any m●n●ion of superiority of one presbyter to another, but in Diotrophes effecting it.  
And as to that which may be said that epistles are directly to one: We answer that an number of perso●s are in the mysterious and prophitique writings expressed in singulars.  
And we humbly conceive that being written in an Epistolary style these writings are directed as letters to collective or representative bodies use to be that is to one but are intended to the body in meeting assembled; which that they were so intended is clear to us, both because there were in Ephesus B●shops, and presbyter to whom the Apostle committed the Government of the church and by divers expressions in these Epistles as Rev. 2. 24. So that we cannot consent that any singular person had Majority over the rest.  
Having thus proved by pregnant places of S●●ipture compared together, that the Apostles themselves did not institute or practise episcopal Government, nor commit and derive it to particular persons, as their substitutes or successors therein. We shall in further discharge of our duty to, and for, the full satisfaction of your Maj. in this point, briefly declare into what Officers hands, the ordinary and standing Offices of the Church were transmitted and derived by and from the Apostles.  
The Apostles had no successors in eundem gradum: The apostolical Office was not derived by succession being instituted by Christ, by extraordinary and special commission; but for the ordinary & standing use and service of the Church, their were ordained only 2 orders of offices, viz. Bishops and Deacons, as Phil. 1. 1. and of them doth the Apostle give the due Characters of officers: 1. Tim. 3. 2. 8. From both which places of scripture we conclude with ancient expositors both Greek and Latin, that Bishops are the same with presbyters, and besides presbyters, there is no mention of any other Order, but that of Deacons of both which Orders there were in the Apostles times, in one City more then one, at in philippi and Ephesus.  
As for the Ages immediately succeeding the Apostles, we Answer.  
First, Our faith reacheth no further then the holy scriptures; no human testimony can beget any more then an human faith.  
2. We answer, that it is agreed upon by all learned men, as well such as contend for Episcopacy as others; that the times immediately succeeding the Apostles are very dark in respect of the history of the Church.  
3. That the most unquestionable Record of those times gives clear testimony to our assertion, viz. The Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, who reciting the order of Church Officers expressly limits them to two Bishops and Deacons; And they whom in one place he called Bishops, he always afterwards nameth presbyters.  
4. We grant that not long after the Apostles times, Bishops in some superiority to presbyters, are by the writers of those times reported to be in the Church, but they were set up not as a Divine Institution, but as an ecclesiastical, which is clear by D. Reynolds his Epistle to Sir Francis Knoles wherein he shows out of Bish. jewel that Ambrose, Chrysostome, jerome, Augustine, and many more holy Fathers, together with the Apostle Paul, agree that by the word of God there is no difference between a presbyter and a Bishop.  
For a conclusion we add, that the doctrine which we have herein propounded to your Maj. concerning the order of Bishops and presbyters, is no other then the doctrine published by K. Henry the 8. 1543. For all his subjects to receive, allowed both by the Lords spiritual and temporal with the neither house of Parl. of these two orders only( so saith his book) that is to say, Priests and deacons, the scripture maketh express mention, and how they were conferred of by the Apostles by prayer, and imposition of their hands, by all which it seems evident that the order of Episcopacy, as distinct from presbyters is but an ecclesiastical Institution, and therefore not unalterable.  
Lastly we answer, The Bishop of these times was one presiding in, and joining with the presbytery of his Church, ruling with them, and no● without them, either created and made by the Presbyters choosing out one among themselves, as in Rome & Alexandria, or chosen by the Church, and confirmed by 3 or more of his neighbours of like dignity, within the same precinct. Lesser Towns and Villages & small Cities until the council of Sardis decreed that villages and small Cities should have no Bishops, least the authority of a Bishop should thereby come into contempt, but of one claiming as his due & right to himself alone, as a superior order or degree, all power about ordination of presbyters & Deacons, & all jurisdictions either to exercise himself, or deligate to whom he will of the laity or Clergy, as they distinguish according to the practise of these in our times, we red not till the latter & corrupter ages of the church.  
In answer to that part of your Maj. paper, wherein you inquire whether our Saviour & his Apostles did so leave the Church at liberty, as they might totally alter or change the Church government at their pleasure, we humbly conceive, that there are substancials belonging to church government, such are appointed by Christ and this Apostles, which are not in the Churches liberty to alter at pleasure: But as for Arch-bishops &c. we hope it will appear unto your Maj. conscience, that they are none of the Church Governours appointed by our Saviour & his Apostles, we beseech your Maj. rather to look to the original of them then Succession.  
Octob. 9. Letters from the Isle of Wight to members of both houses, doth ascertain, That his Maj.( after several daies debate) hath yielded to the most material clauses in the 2 bill concerning Religion, & made some progress in the rest; It is conceived, that his Maj. will give his royal assent to this( as also to the succeeding Prop.) very suddenly. On Wednesday Octob 7. His Maj. declared his mutual clemency, & ardent affection, concerning the Citizens of London, acknowledging their forwardness to a personal treaty, and their sums of money to carry on the same, to be an act of great obedience, and for those that endeavoured to obstruct it, his Maj. doth freely forgive.  
Newport 8 Oct. 1648.   
FINIS