A LOOKING-GLAS FOR THE PRESBITARY GOVERNMENT, ESTABLISHING IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.  
OR, A Declaration of the Revolution of the times, pithily composed and seasonably recommended to the view of all sorts of people, but principally to the Judicious Reformers of the Church and State.  

Look in this Glass you'll not think't strange,  
England once more receives a change.  
Of Scotland's Government, you'll have a view,  
And England's Presbitary which is new.  
As in a Glass you here may see,  
The King: the Kingdom's misery.  
The Crown resigned, Religion suffers,  
By Pride, Ambition, and Self Lovers.   
LONDON, Printed by B. A. 1645.   

A LOOKING-GLASS For the PRESBITARY GOVERNMENT, Establishing in the Church of EEGLAND.  
AS I consider the matter which I have to write, me thinks it hath the rare nature of a Looking-glass; to show and represent that which is behind, aswell as that which is before, wherein I doubt not but to gain the better acceptance if I avoid these things which are commonly known; and have often sounded in your ears.  
Before the Conquest the Pope had no supremacy in England, but all the intercourse and Commerce between the See of Rome and this Kingdom, was in these three partticulers.  
First, it was confessed that the English were converted unto Christianity by the means of Pope Gregory, about the year of our Lord six hundred.  
Secondly, the Kings of England paid Peter-pences to Rome, which in the old English were called Almespence, and were distributed among the poor impotent persons which should come out of England to Rome; which was paid upon this reason?  
The Pope taking upon him to be a dispenser of spiritual gifts, and that, the Mother-Church of the world, that Church received all into it, viz. the halt, blind, sick, etc. And for that the Conclaves of Rome were not only thirsty after money, but loath to be pestered with the frequent resort of poor people into the City, without having means from the several Countries from whence they came, for their relief and maintenance; they found out this way not only to defray that charge, but to bring a great Revenue into the Pope's Treasury.  
Thirdly, the Bishops and Abbots had sometimes deeds of privilege and confirmations to their Seas and Abbathies from the Pope of Rome, but before Henry the seconds time, the Bishops took no oath to the See of Rome, neither was the Popish liturgy or the Cannon Law of any use before his days in this Kingdom; for Pope Gregory saith, it was not necessary that the Roman liturgy should be followed in this Kingdom, any other m●ght serve, but in Henry the seconds time, Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury, practised to enlarge the power of the Pope, for which he being killed in a preposterous manner, though the King de●●ed to have any hand in the fact: yet to be reconciled to the Clergy, he granted all their demands; and what privileges they desired. So that the death of Be●ket ●n the seventeenth year of Henry the second, Anno 1171. was the birthday of the Canon-Law, Notwithout cause did then the Pope Canonize Becket and appointed for him a holiday in England, yet Caesarius the Monk, questioneth whether Becket were saved or not?  
Thus was the King led away by a Popish Clergy faction, insomuch that (now and not before) they plead exemption from temporal jurisdiction, and yet are made temporal judges, being Sheriffs of Counties, and Bailiffs of Hundreds, which makes Graftshood Bishop of Lincoln break forth into these words. That for a Divine to meddle in a sequeler Court is, as if a Bird in the Air should with the Mouldwarp work in the earth.  
The Pope having by this means gotten such strong footing in this Kingdom, no means was left unattempted to enthral this Island in stronger cords of bondage and servitude, which was the easier to effect; for that King john sought rather to please the Faction, then to regulate the Law's ●f the land: because he was a usurper, and of so weak capacity, that as he had no right to the Crown, so he cared not to wrong the whole Kingdom; both in not defending their Liberties, and resigning his interests therein; surrendering the Crown to the Pope to his dishonour and perpetual infamy. Thus was the Crown of our King taken from him and laid at the feet of the Holy Father, with which at this day his Mitre is laureled about.  
These growing evils begat the wars between the King and his Barons, temp●re Henry the third, in whose reign Mounford a Frenchman was the only favourite of the King's delight, and now were the Reins of Rule put alone into the hands of the King's half Brethren; Adam, Guido, Godfrey, and William; these Ministers do what they list, they fill upon the places of justice, and (being strangers) put out English men and exacted of whom and how they pleased, set prizes on all offices, and ruled the Law with their own breasts, keeping the subject from complaining to the King; and these strangers seemed not to have been invited hither, but to have entered the land by Conquest. And this we see is the capacity of Government in a King, when it falleth to be a prey to such lawless Minions; for they generally take warrant from Prince's weakness, of licentious liberty.  
This King being thus drawn away from his Commons, was brought into such want, that he first sold his Lands, than his jewels, and pawneth his Crown; and when he had neither credit to borrow (having so often failed the trust he made) nor mortgage of his own, laid to pawn the jewels of Saint Edward's shrine, and afterwards was forced to break up his house, and with his Queen and Children,  
Cum Abatibus & Prierihus humilia satis hospitia quaerunt, et prandia.  
The State was managed by sour and twenty Commissioners, so that he had left himself neither election of public officers, nor private attendance; and was forced to exile his half brethren under his own hand in writing, and the King himself being taken prisoner at the battle of Lewis, was brought to see his error and misfortune; and afterwards by a happy concurrence with the Commons, was reestablished in his Throne, and reigned many years after in glory and tranquillity.  
Although upon the settling of those distractions the Adversaries to the public weal of this Kingdom received such a stroke, that they were able to act little for many years after; yet were they always plotting and contriving against this State, by secret jesuitical and Domestic plots, and raising jars and open commotions abroad: witness the continual wars between England and Spain in the days of Queen Elizabeth of happy memory, and the Irish rebellion at the same time; all which troubles were hatched by the Spanish and Jesuitical faction at home: which at her Majesty's first entrance to the Crown (though for wisdom and virtue was the Phoenix of her sex) had so cunningly insinuated with her sacred Majesty, that they had almost at the very morning of Knowledge (which indeed is the constant practice of their sandy foundations) persuaded her that there was too much preaching, and that one or two preaching Ministers in a County was sufficient; which was so subtly infused into her ear, that it took such impression in her Royal Breast, that her Majesty wrote a Letter to Bishop Grindall then Archbishop of Canterbury, seeming to relish that advice, but this religious Bishop being then four miles distant from Court, wrote another Letter to her Majesty, declaring that her Majesty was misadvised therein, desiring that she would not have a thought of restraing the worship and service of God, showing that nothing was so dangerous to her person as ignorance in her people, proving that to be the cause of the Rebellion (about the same time) in the North; besides it was one way whereby she should best discharge her duty to God, if she promoted his Gospel.  
This Counsel of the Bishops wrought so effectually on the Religious affections of that gracious Queen, that she presently (not to consult with flesh and blood) received the former Council, and looked upon it and the persons as favouring of the jesuitical faction, and although the G●oves (many Relics of Popery) were no● utterly taken away (it being then but the dawning of the day) yet Religion did flourish and increase not only during the whole Reign of that famous Queen, but in the time of King James maugre, all the wicked practices of the adversaries of our Religion and Liberty, and when they perceived that they were infatuated in their Counsels, and confounded in their domestic plots (that it might appear to the world, that they are ever plotting mischief) they take on them the managing of a Treaty of marriage for our King that now is, till they had treated the Palsgrave out of his Kingdom, and after so much time lost, a match was concluded with France to our fare greater disadvantage at the present, and hath proved a scourge to us for the future; neither do we read that ever any match with France proved advantageous to this Kingdom, though the parties were of our Religion; much less therefore could it be expected when they were of different Religions, and Articles agreed upon (which on out side were too well kept) that such a number of Priests and Capuchians, should come over into England, and that Idolatry should be openly exercised in her Majesty's Chapel; ●hough a●l English men except her Majesty's servants were prohibited from coming thither) neither was the Queen to use any private persuasions to his Majesty, concerning matters of Religin.  
But mark how the Game was played, now, Canterbury's Chaplains must preach nothing but themselves and Arminianism (the subtlest sort of Popery) and we must believe that Papists were honest men, and might go to Heaven as soon as Protestants (yet they might always account and call us Heretics and that there was some little difference between their Religion and ours, that they might easily be reconciled, and as an efficatious means of this reconciliation, her Majesty's Chapel doors must stand open to all Comers, and sights be seen there, and music to be heard; fare exceeding any pastime at Interludes or Stageplays, the number of Priests about her Majesty must have been doubled (if not trebled) and jesuites peeping, nay swaggering about in every street: more Chapels must be built, and Nunneries erected; the Queen herself is forced (for what offence I know not) to go barefoot to Tyburn and back again on penance? His Majesty put to an excessive charge in maintaining those which under a profession of poverty eat the fat of the Land, and had their pockets full of gold, and a garb like a Lord, yet might not his Majesty complain of this, nor suffer it to be spoken on. Nay when they had broken all their conditions, instead of banishing them (as by the Law they might) they are now become such necessary instruments, and so potent; that they must set forward and contribute to the maintaining of a war against our brethren of Scotland.  
Yea further, their advice is held better than a Parliament, and Father Phillips is protected within the verge of the Court, against the power and authority of the supreme Court in the Kingdom; and the King cannot rest in his private Chamber.  
And although the King by his Proclamation declare the insurrection in Ireland to be a Rebe lion, yet within a short time after their factors are protected, and the Rebels (to the dishonour of his Majesty) are so impudent, that they boast of the authority they have from the Royal powers, to warrant their massacring thousands of Protestants in that Kingdom, and the provisions which were designed for their relief by the Parliament, are intercepted by the Papists in England, and their adherents; the Parliament are sometimes termed Rebels, and sometimes no notice taken of them: and an Anti-Parliament cal●ed at Oxford, which imitated all those branches o● privilege which is only prosper to the Parliament at first called by his Majesty's writ: wherein he calls them his great Cousell; but when it appeared that this plot to deceive the people, could not take that effect as was intended, It is once more granted, that the L●rds and Commons assembled in the Parliament at Westminster, are the Parliament of England? by which at the last is confirmed (even from Oxford) that whatsoever Ordinances, etc. have been made at Westminster since the sitting of the House, have been done by the Parliament of England, what ever G. Dighy was pleased heretofore to call them, and whatsoever a Parliament hath power to do, may be done by them hereafter.  
Having thus fare declared the state of this Kingdom from the Conquest unto our times, under the burden of an aspiring jesuited Clergy, and their faction, it remains, that I should briefly represent unto you the true state of the Church, by which, as in a glass you may perceive the foundation, increase, and alterations therein; which that I may the clearer demonstrate unto you, I shall ascend above the Conquest, and in the first place lay before you the state of the prosessours of Christ and his Gospel in the primitive times: for our orthodox writers speaking of those times, say thus; From the time of our Saviour, until the Emperors became Christians, the people of God assembled upon the face of the earth much, as the fishes do in the Sea, or the birds in the Air; for the inhabitants thereof admit of no bounds or particular divisions; neither were Christians allowed any particular bounds or places of residence or meeting, but gathered together and assembled sometimes in private houses, and sometimes in Cells and Caves; and therefore were the more materially called the Catholic Church dispersed over the face of the Earth, for all the world was but one Diocese or Parish: the Church in those times much resembling the Church of England in the days of Queen Mary, yet were they called a Church; for by this word is meant the Assembly of faithful Christians, for Solomon blessed all the Church of Israel, and Saint Peter saith, the Church saluteth you.  
But when the Emperor became a Christian, there was soon a glorious visible Church, for Eusebius writes, about the year 254. after Christ, there was forty six Presbyters in the Church of Rome, and 1500. poor people maintained by the contribution of the Christians of the City; and there was of the Clergy 108. which were men that had such excellent gifts, and of so holy a conversation, that the proverb of those days is, that they had wooden Challaces, and golden Priests.  
But to descend nearer to our times and our own country Ethelbert King of Kent married with Berta, the French Kings daughter, who was a Christian and she being desirous to have her husband, of her Religion, made means to Pope Gregory, first to send some ministers to convert the English who sent Augustine the monk and Candidus the Priest, which were courteously received by the King, and Augustine made Bishop or minister of Canterbury, there being a Church or Temple; and being the chief place in the dominions of the King of Kent, other places became subordinate to this, and so he got the title of Metropolitan or Archbishop, and as Christanity increased and Churches built they were but as chapels of ease to this church, and all were brought hither to be christened this being the parish church, for we find in the Epistle of our Saxon King Renulphus, that the whole archiepiscopal sea of Canterbery is called parochia, or a parish, yet at that time there were other places for christians to assemble in; but the church, at canterbury was like unto Halifax in Yorkshire, which hath twelve chapels belonging to its Diocese or parish.  
In England before William the conquerors time there were few country churches, or at leastwise parish churches, for Dioceses or parishes were erected since according to the civil government of the Land, to the intent it might be known out of what towneship tithes were due.  
Having laid this foundation and shown you what a church is, and what a Bishop and his Dioceses were we will give a short view of their varying from their first station, for by degrees they usurp authority over the whole clergy, get into temporal offices and become rather Statesmen then Divines yea though the Bishop of Winton saith, that the Church is never taken for the assembly of Priests alone, but for the assembly of all the faithful, yet the Clergy alone assembled in their convocations would be accounted the Church of E●gland, as Linwood hath it, and were grown to that height, that Anselme Archbishop of Canterbu●y writes in his Epistle to the Pope, that the power of the holy Church is drawn by two open, of equal strength and beauty, the King and himself. And the Bishop of Winton, though he were the King's brother, assembled all the Clergy against King Stephen, And Temopre H●●ry 1. The Bishop complies with the Pope standing in defence of the King, until the King complying with his Parliament, made a Law that if any Bishop or Clergyman had any wrong offered him he should have no writ to redress it, that all the lay fees of the Bishop and Clergy, should be seized into the King's hands, that if any man met with a Clergy man which had a better horse than his he might unhorsed him and change with him (than change was no robbery?)  
By this means the King was for the presnt restored to his right of government, and the present abuses found some redress, but they could not long be kept under, for innumberable are the precedents which I might recite in the days of Hen●y 7. Edward the 6. Queen Marry, Queen Elizabeth, and King james too, of the plots against the Church, against the Kingdom, against preaching, against Religious discourse, and Godly meetings, and to bring in Popery, tyranny profanation, all which have been practised by many Bishops, but because I would not be tedious, finding them all summoned up in one (as yet) living example, who though in his life was like his predeceslour Thomas Becket, yet I am cofident he will not in his death; for the death of Becket is said to be the birth of the Canon Law and superstition, but I hop● the death of this man, will be the death of these and many other Romish Dregs.  
And thus being again descended to the present times, I shall say little concerning the first part of my discourse touching the Civil government of this Kingdom, for that it hath abundantly been manifested to the world, the unwearied pains, and uncessant endeavours that have been long used by the Honourable Houses of Parliament, to redress them, and to remove the causes from whence all those evils flow; wherein by the way we may observe that the evil of evils, or the greatest evil that ever befell this Kingdom, is, that the inhabitants thereof for the most part, are as a man in a dead palsy, and one side quite benumbed, and utterly void of sense or feeling; or like one that is stricken with some other desperate disease: and instead of seeking a cure, plungeth himself into a condition irrecoverable. And such an evil as this is not to be paralelld amongst all the distempers and revolutions of times, since Christianity first entered this Island. For though our Historians mention former differences between the King and his subjects (and that in time of a Parliament too) which grew to so great a height, that it produced open wars (even when the whole Kingdom for matter of Religion, were universally of one mind) yet were the Commons of this land so tender of their birthrights and liberty of their posterity, that they maintained them with their dearest blood; but in a dead Lithurgy is this age, that although liberty was never deeper engaged and Religion, the life of our lives at the stake, the greatest part of this Kingdom either stand as Newters, or most unnaturally, by a course of violence, endeavour to plunge themselves and their posterity into a condition irrecoverable, and though they profess a hatred to Popery, join with all the Papists in the Kingdom, yea the uncivillized barbarous bloody Irish Rebels, which are more cruel then Nero.  
But I hasten to a period, for it is my task to draw my conclusions from what I roughly represent, and lay before you; for having in the second part of my discourse declared the foundation of Christianity, the nature of a Church; and given you a short hint of the manner of Discipline and government therein, and how it hath varied from the first foundation, I shall humbly leave the rectifying or re-establishment thereof to the grave and judicious reformers of the Church and State. For though there be some doubts whether the Church at jerusalem, were but one Congregation or assembly in the Apostles time, yet if we consider the multitude of Christians that were there, and the several sorts of Languages, and Nations, in i● we may thence gather, that there were more places to Congregate then one, else all could not hear, or if they could, yet were not capable to understand and edify. And as for the division of parishes the matter is not great, being a politic Law, which a State have had power to make in all ages.  
That there were Presbyters in the Church is not denied, but some question is made what power and authority they had over the Clergy which we humbly conceive may easily be cleared, and though the Minister may be presented by the Presbyters (as in the Church of Scotland) yet may there be such testimony and approbation given, by consent of the P●●ish where he or they are to serve, that all scruples 〈…〉 away; and tender consciences (both in this and 〈…〉) receive good satisfaction. And the difference between ●●e Presbyterians and Independents, is not in point of Religion, but in matter of Civil Government, which the Civ●●● Magistrates have power to settle according to the policy of 〈◊〉, which power hath been exercised heretofore in this Kingdom, wherein I humbly conceive they followed the example or the renowned Senators of the Roman State, for though I find not in the old Law of Moses, that any man was to die for theft, yet I read that two thiefs were crucified with our Saviour, which being according to the politic laws amongst the Romans, was not condemned by Christ himself or his Apostles And when Shemei was confined to a city, out of which he was not to go on pain of death, though we read not before of any such penalty upon the breach of such confinement; yet he was executed for that offence, and the judgement acknowledged against him to be just and good.  
If this be the case, than the Parliament of England have power to make Laws, for the Civil Government in Church and Commonwealth (which are not repugnant to the word of God) and by the Laws of this Land, parishes are already divided: and those which are called Independents, are not able to make it appear that there was any such Independency as some have aimed at in the Church of jerusalem or elsewhere in the primitive times, after the Church came to be settled. O let it not therefore be said in Gath, or published in Ashkelon; that any haughty spirits strive to make a breach amongst those which are within the Pale of the Church of God, but let us submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake, and let it be our constant prayers, that this great Counsel may go on in establishing such laws in Church and Kingdom, as may be for the glory of God, and establishing of peace and tranquillity amongst us; So shall they do worthily, and be rendered famous to all posterity.  
FINIS.