A MOTION Humbly presented To the Consideration of the High Court of PARLIAMENT CONSISTING Of Twenty Quaeres concerning the setlement of the CHURCH Decemb, 2. 1641.  
As also a grave SPEECH Made by Sir JAMES PARROT.  
London Printed, for Richard Smithers. 1641.   

A MOTION Humbly presented to the High Court of Parliament.  
FIrst, whether that such Bishops as ours be, aught to govern the Church, according to the Institution of the primitive Church, and whether their calling be truly jure Divino: so that in no case it ought to be removed, but must of necessity abide in the Church of Christ for ever?  
2. Whether such an Institution to be jure divino, not being possible to be proved, and those Bishops who have governed our church, have (especially of late) been a scandal to the church, & dealt deceitfully with us, and are become so odious to all Protestant Churches; as they have been, and now are, it be not a great scandal to our Church whilst they govern it.  
3. Whether (all reformed Churches elsewhere, so far as they could, having cast out their Bishops as an Antichristian government) our Church will not remain unreformed in the greatest matter, whilst that function doth remain amongst us.  
4 Whether that government by Bishops (first established by Papists, as lineally descending from the Pope, and by papists still by Arguments so maintained) be not a great heartening, and encouragement to all Papists, giving them still hopes of bringing in popery by working with them; for what better or easier way can they have to bring in, or to increase Popery, as experience hath abundantly showed, than Agents for the Romish faction, being in every Province of this Kingdom: there is no more to be done, but only to prevail with the Prelate thereof, who for the most part not only are too ready to hearken to any project for reward, but are too much in love with the entertaining of popery: have not many good Ministers been very painful in their callings before, but after they have been made Bishops have been great Arminians, if not entire Papists? May not the Prelate of Canterbury be a precedent herein, in some respects, with many more hopeful Ministers first, but after the superstitious consecration of them (as they call it) to be Bishops have been notoriously impious, wicked, and popishly affected.  
5 Whether their abiding, being only by permission of the King and Parliament; it being so that they who cry out most against them are the strongest protestants, and such who labour for reformation for no private end, but labour for such a reformation as comes nearest to the prescript of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for that pray oft. Whether it would not be a great grief, and discouragement to them, in case that the Bishops should not be removed?  
9 Whether it be not a great Argument to persuade the removeall of our Bishop's government, it being so that those who seek the same are such, who are not only of godly and honest life, and conversation, but are such, for the most part, as are ready with their goods, liberties, honours, yea their lives to maintain the honour of the King?  
7 Whether many of those who labour for their continuance still in the government of the church, be such who do it out of Christianity, or any love either to the King, or whether for the most part they be not men of an evil life, and conversation, or evilly affected towards the King's Majesty, or towards his Majesty's liege people, or have not some relation towards popery, or towards popishly affected people, or at the least, are familiarly the companions of the Prelates, or their Adherents, or receive some way or other profit by them?  
8 Whether in such petitions as have been put up against the Bishops, there hath been any such underhand dealing in the getting of hands, as there hath in those petitions, or many of them, that have been put into the house for them?  
9 Whether in case they should pass over all these brunts and exclamations, under which they now lie, and should still abide and govern the church. It would not be then of dangerous consequence, and embolden them ever hereafter to attempt any thing what they please, and for aught we know ere long, fall upon popery with great dexterity, and if possible, engross such a power into their hands, as will hardly ever permit them to be kerbed again?  
10 Whether in case they should be established by this great Parliament, they who before did assume such power, and play such tyrannous parts, and were so great a burden to the godly and faithful protestants, would not now, in case they should be established by this great Assembly, whether they would not be more cruel than ever they were, and the Church of England be then under a greater bondage and slavery, than ever it was before, since O. Mary's days,  
11 Whether they have not ever been in all places of Christendom the greatest enemies to the Country where they have lived, of any Subjects, and for the most part, the only and sole movers, and causers both of foreign dangers, and domestic Calamities?  
12. Whether they have not been a great hindrance to the flourishing of the Gospel in all parts & places, where they have governed, as not only foreign parts, but our own land can testify: where have we one Prelate in this land, that would labour to set up preaching, where it was wanting in his Dioceses: though moved in it, & for it: no, they thought there was too much preaching already. Surely, did not our Prelates fear rather that in case the people should be well acquainted with God's word, they would be plainly discerned to be of an Antichristian government.  
13 Whether for them still to abide, be not dangerous to the King's Majesty, to the Queen, or towards their hopeful children: there being in so many Histories, so many Relations of most dangerous consequence thereof to Princes: that when they have been about a Prince, & have been kerbed, or could not have their will: then have the Prelates turned traitors, and bloody-minded: then have they laboured by a thousand shifts to murder their Prince, as divers stories both of our own, and other can testify abundantly: whether therefore for his Majesty's safety they ought not to be removed, especially, at this Parliamentary Reformation.  
14 Whether a Presbyterial government doth not come nearer to the practice of the primitive church in the Apostles times, than the government of Prelates? 15. Whether the Bishops in Scotland being removed, and a Presbiteriall government established: in which government, where ere it hath been established hath been no such scandals or blemishes, as have continually been amongst the Bishops? whether it be not more probable that it will be more happy for us to be so governed in England also, both Kingdoms being wholly governed by one, & the same, our gracious King?  
16. Whether in case our Bishops should still remain, theirs being removed: it may not become of evil consequence, either to us, or them, one Religion being established under one King in one & the same Island by divers Government, and Discipline: which being divers one must needs go beyond, and before the other?  
17. Whether in case their's being reform, & ours not, divers of our brethren of England will not remove thither, if not to some other parts, & so every them: but make our own Kingdom to be the poorer?  
18. Whether they have not in Scotland attained to a better and more probable way to root out popery by their Presbyterial Government, than ever we are likely to do by the Prelates?  
19 Whether all Sects and Sectaries will not be more convinced and kerbed, more perfectly & truly discerned, and the spreading, and growth of all false religion and heresies more fully & perfectly stopped?  
20 Whether God will not hereby be more glorified, the King's Majesty more safely reign in Honour, the Church flourish in Religion, and the whole Land in peace and safety? Amen.   

SIR JAMES PARROT His Worthy Speech in Parliament.  
IT is said the Bishops were before the King and his Counsel, and with tears did disclaim in their opinions; but we see their fact. The Bishop of London did entertain for his Chaplain in his house, one that did dispute the Arminian points, who said, what Arminians writ, I will maintain, and do believe: this I will justify upon my Oath.   
FINIS.