The second Part OF THE UN-DECEIVER: Tending to the DISCOVERY Of some prelatical AND ANTINOMIAN ERROVRS; AND THE Clearing of that part of the late COVENANT OF THE THREE KINGDOMS Which concerns Both.  
LONDNON, Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the Brasen-Serpent in Pauls Church-yard, 1643.   

THE SECOND PART OF THE Undeceiver: Tending to the Discovery of some prelatical and Antinomian errors, and the clearing of that part of the late Covenant of the three kingdoms which concerns both.  
THere are two weighty Points commended to our saddest thoughts in these sad times, namely, how to procure first a Reformation, and then a Pacification; John the Baptist was sent in the Spirit of Elias to procure both, Luke 1.17. to turn the hearts of the Fathers towards the Children,( there's a Pacification) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ther's a Reformation. Now there are two sorts of men that oppose a thorow-Reformation, and therefore hinder a rational and Christian Pacification. The first sort are carried away with prelatical errors, the second sort are carried away with Antinomian errors.  
For the first of these, we must consider how they have Idolized the Prelates, and canonised the Service-book, or( if you will) canonised the Prelates and Idolized the Service-book.  
First for the Prelates, they are by this time known to be Usurpers, and Seducers; now the Rule is, That an Ancient Usurpation is rather a cause of confusion then a ground for prescription: It is certain that the Primitive Church had the best Discipline, and therefore the restoring of the Primitive Discipline cannot be denied to be a Reformation, and the Reformation of the Church cannot bring desolation upon the State; because Christ will bless his own Ordinance, and defend his own Discipline by his own power.  
Obj. But the King hath sworn to maintain Prelacy, and the Ministers have sworn to yield canonical obedience.  
Sol. The Law of Nations frames this Answer, In omni Iuramento semper excipitur authoritas Majoris. If you look upon the Church of England as a national Church, which hath all the Rights, privileges, and Immunities,( which by the Word of God are conferred upon every true Church) confirmed unto it and settled upon it by the grand Charter of the Kings of England, it is clear and evident, that neither the King nor the Ministers, can be obliged to give any thing to the Prelates( by virtue of an Oath) which is denied unto the Prelates by Gods Word,( there's Authoritas Majoris) and the grand Charter, there's Authoritas Majorum: The words of the great Charter are known, yet I will take the pains to transcribe them, Concessimus Deo & hac praefeuti Chartâ confirmavimus pro nobis & haeredibus nostris in perpetium quòd Ecclesia Anglicana libera sit; & habeat omnia jura sua integra & libertates suas illaesas, &c. vide madge. Chart. c. 1. This is the Grant of the Kings of England which binds them and their Heires for ever, to preserve all the Rights, Liberties, and privileges,( of and in the Church of England) which belong to a free Church, and without which a Church cannot bee a free Church. Now the Church of England cannot be a free Church, if the Prelates be suffered to Lord it over the Ministers and People of God in England, and therefore the King is bound according to the Grand Charter to extirpate Prelacy in England, as he hath already done in Scotland. We must bee more careful of spiritual then temporal liberty, we are very tender of the personal liberty of every Subject in particular, but we must be most tender of the liberty of the whole Community of true Protestants as they make one ecclesiastical body, or Society, and it doth not lye in the power of any one or more members of that Body, to swear away the liberty of the whole Society or Church, I say Church, for all the sincere Protestants who do now enter into this national Covenant are a national Church by virtue of this Covenant; nay, all the Covenanters in all the three kingdoms are hereby made one Church, though they cannot in person meet collectively in one Congregation, but in regard of their Multitudes are forced to meet distributively in several Congregations, or else Representatively, in such Guides who are chosen Delegates or Commissioners, to propound, reason, or treat in their behalf in some general Assembly; but that by the way.  
We answer farther, if a man have sinned by taking an unlawful Oath, each Child( that hath learnt his catechism) knows that as soon as he is convinced of his sin, he is bound to repent of it, and cannot be engaged in point of conscience to commit a second sin rather then to repent of his former sin. It would be strange Divinity to affirm that a man is bound in conscience to sin, and forbid to repent; whether it is better to go on in a sin, or repent of a sin, wee may safely let them judge, — qui nondum aere lavantur: he that hath sworn rashly, must repent deliberately, and not perform his oath wickedly after he is convinced of the sinfulness of his oath; for after conviction, it is a greater sin to keep his oath, then it was before conviction to take the oath, because the first was a rash sin, and a sin of ignorance and weakness, the second is a deliberate sin against judgement and conscience.  
We need not in these times dispute the point whether the Prelates be of an Antichristian Order, it is sufficient that they are of the Anti-christian Faction, for the Prelates in England are confederate with the Papists in England, Ireland; I might add spain and Italy; and the Prelates have engaged their own lives and fortunes, the lives and fortunes of all their Hierarchy( as they call it) from the dean to the Apparitor, nay, the lives and fortunes of all the prelatical party, to promote the black and bloody design of the whole Anti-christian Faction; so that now we are put upon these straights, that either we must root out Prelacy, or wee cannot root out Popery, and if we do not root out Popery, the Papists will root out protestantism, that is, true Christianity; unless then we will lose our Religion, and our Civill right freely to exercise our Religion, unless we will go over to the Anti-christian party, or which is worse, profess Christ, and serve Anti-christ, we are compelled to protest against the prelatical Hierarchy, and to endeavour to take away root and branch. Bishop Hall made too high a claim, and I believe he and his party will repent it. Bishops, saith he, must be men of an Upper House, the peers of the Church p. 88. Of his divine Right of Episcopacy; or as he stretches Hieromes expression to justify the tyranny of some Bishops, A Bishop must be as a general in an Army, who hath power both to Marshall all the troops, and to command the Captaines and Colonels, and to execute Marshall-Law upon Officers. p. 120. Oh you see what the Bishops affect, beware, beware in these bloody times, lest the Bishops execute Marshall Law upon you, if you will not list yourself in some of their troops, and fight under their Colours, the Black-Crosse displayed in Aceldama a field of blood; Sure such conceits as these of executing Marshall-Law, &c. never entred into Saint Hieroms phantasy, whilst he was awake. What ever this Bishop can take together out of suspected; nay, illegitimate passages fathered upon ancient and famous Authors, all that he urges upon us to assent and subscribe unto, in favour of our Lord-Prelates, wee must believe( when wee are at leisure) that Ignatius the Martyr said●, that a Bishop bears the resemblance of God the Father, that he is superior to all Principality and Power, and therefore we must be subject to the Bishop as unto the Lord, and to the Priests as to the Apostles. And what proportion is there( saith Bishop Hall) betwixt the respects we owe to God and to man▪ p. 136. But do you hear Lord Prelate, is not this blasphemy? And must a Bishop be acknowledged superior to all principality and power( I will give you leave to put in what you have left out) in causes ecclesiastical? Is not this a denial of the Kings Supremacy in causes ecclesiastical? do you not maintain that Caesar must obey the Bishop? pag. 142. and is not that your meaning also, p. 143. when you say, Princes must yield their necks to the yoke of Christ? &c. You sshould first have proved that the yoke which the Bishops have of late imposed on Princes, and their people, is the yoke of Christ. Sure I am if Presbyters should use the same speeches to Princes which the Martyred Saints used to their Heathen persecutors, you would have accused them of treason, but it seems Bishops may use them, and make as bold with Kings, as Valentinian and trajan did with Valens; but Bishops cannot be accused of Treason, because they are in your opinion superior to all Principality and Power: or as jeremy tailor hath it, The Bishop is in a peerless, an incomparable Authority, and all the whole diocese are his Subjects, in Regimine Spirituali: Episcopacy asserted, p. 213. and 214. and the same Master tailor construes that of Ambrose to the great advantage of the Bishops, Pasce oves meas, unde regendae sacerdotibus contraduntur, m●rito Rectoribus suis subdi dicuntur, and the sheep are delivered to Bishops, as to Rulers, and are made their Subjects, p. 213. Another man would have said no more, but that the sheep or people are under their Rectors, for so ordinary Pastours are usually entitled; but these Factors for Prelacy must in stead of feeding the sheep feed the pride, and excuse the tyranny of the Prelates. I know Doctor Hall, and jeremy tailor, pretend to reduce Episcopacy to the Primitive Consistence, but they take some forged testimonies for Primitive testimonies: witness those passages of Ignatius formerly mentioned, which are foisted in by Interpolation; witness those Canons, which they call the Canons of the Apostles; and witness those apostolical Constitutions, as they term them, under the name of Saint Clement, Nay, Master tailor will adventure as far as the decretal Epistles, and builds much upon the conformations of Saint Rembert, and Saint Malchus ratified by miracles, Saint Clements Epistle to Saint james, translated by Ruffinus; I need say nothing of S. Dionysius, Dorotheus and the rest. Master Taylors book is exceedingly cried up, and it is published by his Majesties command, but truly I see nothing new in it, but what stinks of prelatical Popery; his argument drawn from episcopal confirmation, consignation, Chrismation, is new, because newly translated out of Popish Authors, and if the prelatical party had not been posting towards Rome, he durst not have urged it. The giving of the Holy Ghost by imposition of the Apostles hands, was not, saith Master tailor, for a Miraculous gift, but an ordinary grace, which ordinary grace is to be still conferred upon the Church; but it cannot be conferred by Presbyters, therefore it is necessary that there should be Bishops, Prelates, in the Church to confer this grace of Consigning or Confirmation. The ministry of the Spirit( which he saith) is the ordinary Office of giving the Holy Ghost by Imposition of hands, is proper and peculiar to Prelates, red his Episcopacy asserted from p. 28. to 35. He would have new baptized people to be brought to the Bishop, that by Imposition of his hands, they may obtain the Holy Ghost, and so have a supply made of what was wanting after baptism, p. 34.  
And he concludes that it was the belief of christendom that the Holy Ghost was by no ordinary ministry given to faithful people after baptism, but onely by apostolical or episcopal Consignation and imposition of hands, in the same 34. page.. But it were worth the while, to inquire what this episcopal Consignation is which the man contends for, it belongs he saith to the ordinary office of Apostleship, an office above Presbyters, but an office to be continued in the Church, and therefore there must be Prelates in the Church, that this so necessary an office may be performed, pag. 35. But you must turn a great many leaves before he will acquaint you with the secret, and therefore to save you a labour, I will point you to the places you must observe out of him, that there is a three-fold Chrismation; the first is in baptism, wherein the Priest doth consign the forehead of the child with ointment in the form of a cross( for he tells you, that Consignari is used in Antiquity for any signing with the cross or annealing, pa. 206.) and this may, by the leave and favour of the Bishop, be done by a Priest or Presbyter; But this chrism or ointment must be composed and consecrated by the Bishop, and fetched from the Bishop by the Deacons for the use of all Churches, Chrisma confectum ab Episcopo, pag. 207. Consecratum ab Episcopo, pag. 208. But you must conceive that this chrism in the fore-head is a ceremony of baptism, and not of Confirmation, for Confirmation is peculiar to the Prelate, pag. 206. And Unction or Chrismation is especially to be used in Confirmation after baptism, Sacramentum Chrismatis is the usual word for Confirmation, pag. 205. Behold a new Sacrament for to make supply of what was wanting in baptism, and this supply can be made onely by a prelatical Consignation: But lest the gloss upon the Canon Law should be less popish then Mr. tailor, he remembers that the Presbyters may confirm their Auditors by Confirmation of Faith, but the Prelates onely by Consignation of chrism, pag. 203. Well, give us the Confirmation of Faith, and let them take the Consignation of chrism, the members of the distinction are surely opposite; it seems then that the Bishops do confirm men without Confirmation of their Faith, they confirm men in Rite and mystery, the presbyters in Faith and Doctrine by their preaching, pag. 203. Bishops indeed have not used to preach of late, but stay, is not this Confirmation in faith by the ministry of the Spirit? and is it not a confirmation after baptism? why, sure then we need not to have any Bishops to consign or anneale the Baptized people, and then what is become of this goodly argument? Nay farther, Mr. tailor confesses, that there was a long dispute between the Greek and latin Churches, whether persons confirmed by Presbyters should be reconfirmed, pag. 201. I hasten to the third Chrismation, and that is in plain English, extreme unction, which is the annealing of a dying body, and a part of Reconciliation( that's English) which in case of extreme necessity is permitted to Presbyters, pag. 206, 207. I believe the Church of Christ may enjoy the ministry of the Spirit by the powerful preaching, &c. of Presbyters without any one of these three kinds of Chrismation; and therefore the Church may flourish without Prelates.  
Behold Mr. Taylours grand Argument lies speechless, but he hopes to set up the Prelates higher yet, by conferring upon them a Legislative Power, that he may the better establish their Authority of Cognition of causes, and coercion of persons, whether Lay-men or Clergy-men. The Presbyters, and Clergy, and Laity must obey,( saith Mr. tailor) therefore the Bishop must govern and give them laws, pag. 220. It is, if you will believe him, a great part of Christianity to honour and obey the Bishops, pag. 214. It is a fault to remain in Virginity without the Bishops leave, pag. 216. it seems Virginity is of prelatical Cognizance.  
The Presbyters are hardly used, but the Lay-men are much more abused. The Presbyters( he saith) at the most can but rule in conjunction and assistance, but ever in subordination to the Bishop, the Laity must obey de Integro;( be wholly subject to the Bishop) For that is to keep them in that state, in which God hath placed them, pag. 219. Mr. tailor cannot deny but that the Presbyters were termed συνέδρευται και σύμβουλοι τ●ν Επισκόπων, counsellors and assessors with the Bishop in Igna●ius his time and yet he would fain reserve the Superio●ity of jurisdiction to the Bishop, and that Absolutely and Independently of conjunction with the Presbytery, pag. 225. It seems the Bishops affect an independency, and therefore are so angry with those Ministers who are termed Independents. He talks much of Cyprian, but it is clear and evident that Cyprian did not affect that Absolute Independency which Mr. tailor contends for; it is true that Cyprian being chosen Pr●positus or President of the Presbytery, he took it to heart that they contemned and reviled him whom they had chosen to be their Praepositus, Provo●● or President, and that the Presbyters did challenge the whole Authority and reserve it to themselves; whereas they were not a Presbytery without their President; Quod nunquam omnino sub Antecessoribus factum est, ut cum contumelia & contemptu Pr●posititotum sibi vendicent Presbyteri: These are Cyprians words, and what is there here to prove that a Bishop, Provost, President is Independent upon a Presbytery? Mr. tailor urges a great many passages out of the Acts of several councils; but who over denied that Bishops did magnify their own Authority? or who that is wise would make them Iudges in their own cause? Truly it is ridiculous to endeavour to prove what was the constant practise of Primitive christendom out of the Canons of councils; and to say that provincial councils are made catholic by adoption, and inserting them into the Code of the catholic Church is to out-speake the Iesuites themselves, and yet these are Mr. Taylours expressions, pag. 234. And I wonder much that Mr. tailor hath so little forehead to affirm that he can find no presbyters joining either in Commission or Fact, in power or exercise with Bishops, but that Censures are appropriated to Bishops. he speaks more to the purpose when he saith that the Canons of councils were confirmed by secular Authority, as appears in the imperial Constitutions, pag. 235. and then from all his allegations he may indeed infer this conclusion, that prelates were established between three and four hundred yeares after Christ by secular Authority; but what is this to the point in hand, namely, to show the constant practise of Primitive christendom? or to show that prelacy is jure Divino? But because Mr. tailor hath laid so much weight upon the ancient Canons( as he calls them) let us, if you will, see what is that canonical power conferred upon Bishops. The ancient Canons( saith he) asserting the Bishops power in cognitione causarum speak in most large and comprehensive terms, και οἴ τ● θέλωσιν ἐξουσίαν ἔκουσι, They have power to do what they list, their Power is as large as their Will, pag. 235. Behold an Arbitrary Government, Bishops may do what they list in the determining of all controversies which concern Church affairs, and judging of all causes that are of ecclesiastical cognizance; Now those things which christianity( as it prescinds from the interest of the Commonwealth) hath introduced, all them and all the causes emergent from them, the Bishop is Judge of, such as are causes of Faith, Ministration of Sacraments and Sacramentalls, Subordination of inferior Clergy to their superior, censures, Irregularities, Orders hierarchical, Rites and ceremonies, Liturgies and public forms of Prayer, Dispensation of Church-vessels, Ornaments and goods, receiving and disposing of the Patrimony of the Church, and whatsoever is of the same consideration, p. 237. Here's ample power indeed, the Bishop may do what he pleases in all these and the like matters, for he is in the language of the Iesuites our superior, and therefore Mr. tailor talks of the Subordination of the inferior Clergy to their superior, the Bishop must be acknowledged, as Leontius was called, ὁ κανὼν τῆς Εκκλησίας, the Canon or rule of the Church; what need we then to have canonical Scripture for our rule? I cannot stand to reckon up all the swelling Titles of the Prelates. All power( saith Mr. tailor) is derived from Christ, now Kings are Christs Vicars in his regal power, but Bishops are Christs Vicars in his sacerdotal and prophetical power, pag. 245. Sure I am he hath not set the Kings Throne very fast on this foundation, for Christ saith, his kingdom was not of this World, must the King conclude from hence, that he must have no kingdom in this world? And it is not very sure that Prelates are Christs Vicars in his priestly Office, unless they will say that they are priests after the Order of Melchisedech, or that Christ had a changeable and no eternal priesthood, or finally are willing that Prelates should be crucified as Christ was. But though Lord-prelates have such pre-eminence, yet Mr. tailor tells us that the Presbyter challenges an higher power, because the book of Order of Excommunication in Scotland assures him, that the Presbytery doth censure men for murder, Treason, Witch-craft, &c. Nay, they think every action of any man to have in it the malignity of a damnable sin, pag 250. Nay, they nullify all Courts and judicatories besides their own, Ib. sure he transcribed these two last accusations out of some Iesuite; doth Mr tailor think any action performed by us in the state of imperfection to be perfectly pure as it comes from us? is there no culpable defect adherent to our best actions? and yet we do not excommunicate any man for such defects. It may be Mr tailor hath a farther reach, and thinks some sins are not mortal, but in their own nature venial. I will not expatiate any farther lest I follow him in his digressions, but because he scoffs so much at presbytery wee will examine whether there may not be more said for presbyterial Government, then he or any other can say against it.  
In that apostolical List of Church Officers, 1 Tim. 3. and Philip. 1. either Prelates are left out, or preaching Presbyters: but it is clear and evident that the Apostle doth every where allow of preaching Presbyters, therefore the Prelates are left out. I hope we may urge Philip. 1.1. though I know it was urged by Aerius, the place is clear to prove that the Church did then consist of Saints, Deacons, and Presbyters, and it is so clear that Epiphanius who condemned Aerius, was forced to aclowledge that there was no Bishop at the first placed in that and other Churches; St jerome saith the same, and Saravia confesses that Epiphanius is mistaken more then once in those positions which he lays down instead of answers to the arguments of Aerius, vide Saraviam de divers grad. cap. 22. If a Bishop hath so great a power, as the prelatical men say he hath, then we need only prove that in the language of the Apostle a Presbyter and a Bishop are both one, and therefore they are of equal Authority. But this you will say, is the heresy of Aerius. I answer first, that reverend Beza doth defend Aerius against Epiphanius in this point: Secondly, learned jewel, though a Bishop, defends Aerius against Harding: What saith Bishop Jewel, is it so horrible an heresy to say, that by the Scriptures of God, a Bishop and a Priest( or Presbyter) are all one? Thirdly, Bishop Jewel cites Chrysostome, jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, and saith, these, and many more holy Fathers together with St. Paul the Apostle for thus saying, must by Master Harding's advice, be condemned for heretics. jewels Def. Apolog. part. 2. pag. 202. Medina adds Primasius, Oecumenius, Sedulius, Theodoret, and Theophylact. Medin l. 1. de sacrorum hominum origine & continentia, cap. 5. Chysostome, considering that place, Philip. 1.1. saith there were not many Bishops in one City, ἀλλὰ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους, he called the Presbyters, Bishops: Some city that of St jerome, to put a difference between Bishops and Presbyters, Quid enim facit exceptâ ordinatione Episcopus quod Presbyter non faciat? But these men must not stand to this rule, unless they will lose their Jurisdiction, whilst they contend for Ordination. Besides, this Reservation was a mere Usurpation, for the Presbyters did ordain by Imposition of hands in the time of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 4.14. By the hands of the Presbytery; Beza observes that some would fain turn πρεσβυτ●ριον into 〈◇〉 πιοκοπεῖον, nay the hands of the Presbytery into the hands of the Prelate, for the Prelate challenges sole Ordination. Mr. tailor stands much upon Cyprians authority in this point; Now what Cyprian meant by Presbytery is so clear in his third Book, Epist. 11. that Saravia confesses Cyprian understood πρεβυτ●ριον to be an Assembly of Presbyters; Fateor Cyprianum Presbyterii voice significass●, Confessum Presbyterorum, vide Sarav. de grad. Ministr. cap. 22. pag. 213. Aerius then was unjustly condemned for saying that Presbyters might ordain; this place of Timothy in the judgement of Cyprian and many Ancients more, proves that Presbyters may ordain: Besides, we have another instance for it in the Church of Antioch, there were certain Prophets and Teachers, who laid their hands upon Saul and Barnabas, and separated them to the work of the ministry whereunto God called them, & they did ordain Saul and Barnabas by the command of the Holy Ghost, Act. 13.1.2.3. who dares deny that this Ordination was complete? and yet there was no Apostle nor Prelate present at this Ordination: And what are the Ministers in the Reformed Churches( where there are no Prelates) no Ministers, because they are ordained without a Prelate? The Canon Law which our Prelates would fain have established, doth permit an abbot to ordain if he be a Presbyter, that's all the Law requires, dist. 69. c. Quoniam,( let them leave citing the decretal Epistles, if they will not admit of that Canon Law) Abbati manuum impositio conceditur dum constet illum esse Presbyterum: But enough of that, I pass to Iurisdicton, and here wee shall have our prelatical men citing the decretal Epistles thick and threefold, but Duarenus de Benef. Eccles. in Prooemio observes that most of the decretal Epistles which concern jurisdiction were written to English Prelates, and therefore they are but so many catholic compliments, not Dogmaticall Resolutions, as Mr tailor would have them: But you'l say they city many Fathers in this argument; First, we know that many Fathers have erred in matters of faith, and it is more likely they should err in matters of Fact, because we do rely upon human testimony( which is very deceitful) for matter of Fact. If any one that is reverenced for Antiquity and Piety hath been too credulous, and hath taken up some relations upon trust without due examination, that one man may deceive an hundred, and then if we will reckon right, the hundred testimonies of succeeding Writers is virtually and in a rational account, but the Testimony of that one man, upon whose credit all their Relations do depend. Secondly, it is well known that when the Fathers ar● in their rhetorical vein, they use many hyperboles which will not hold weight without a grain or two of favourable allowance. I remember Hieromes excuse, Rhetoricati sumus, & in modum declamatorium paululum lusimus, Hieronym. adv. Helvidium— ludicious Rivet in his tract de Patrum Authoritate pag. 67. passes this grave censure, Rhetoricantur interdum Patres vehementius vel in exhortationibus, vel in Favorem aliorum; if they are apt to over-lash in favour of others, certainly they are most apt to exceed in favour of themselves, or at least them of their own rank and order. Thirdly, the Fathers seldom entred into a controversy, but they ran too far from their Adversary, and left the truth in the middle between them and their Adversary. Now the Fathers who lived in the time of Aerius and since, have in opposition to Aerius extolled Bishops more highly then they ought. Fourthly, that of learned Casaubon is very considerable, the Fathers handle some things διδακτικῶς, and some ὀικονο●●… ως, dum proposito suo serviunt vide Casaub. Annot. ad Epist. G. Nyss. ad Amb & Bas. pag. 88. & 89. Now that some of the Fathers did proposito suo inservire, in handling the cause of Bishops, is out of doubt, and others might be easily drawn into the same dissimulation, as good Barnabas once was, Galat. 2.13. And yet I reverence Antiquity as highly as the most reverend Fathers desire me to reverence it; Concerning the catalogue of Bishops, see Augustines Epistle, 15● ad Generosum; Give me leave to begin with Scripture, and I will sh●w enough out of Antiquity in the close. The prelatical men talk much of the Angels in the Revelation, much might be said, but I think this sufficient, the angel of Ephesus was no Prelate, for all the Presbyters of Ephesus are styled Bishops, 〈◇〉 is the word, and had power of Government given them by the Holy Ghost, if 〈◇〉 import Government, as the prelatical men say it doth, red Act. 20.28. St Hierom proves from this place and three more, that a Bishop and a Presbyter are the same in name and power. When St Peter speaks of that ordinary power in which the Ministers of the Gospel succeed the Apostles, he calls himself a Presbyter, and exhorts the Presbyters in high language, 〈◇〉, 1 Pet. 5.1.2. and he would not have them 〈◇〉, v. ●. they might have replied, had there been any Prelates over them in those dayes, Alas, alas, the Prelates are more likely to Lord it over us and the people, give this counsel to the Prelates, they stand in more need of it.  
I wonder that men that have been bread in an University should explode and scoff at a Collegiate Government by a college of Pastours and a President. again, I admire that men should fancy that to erect a Presbytery, is to set up a Government which is more prelatical then the Prelacy itself; for in a Presbytery there is a Priority of Order in the President to avoid confusion, but no prelatical Authority to avoid Tyranny, there is no chair for Diotrephes there. Finally, wee utterly disavow the maintaining of the Independency of a presbyterial Church, because we maintain the use of Synods to be lawful and necessary, nor do wee maintain an independency of Synods, for the word is their Rule. It is clear and evident by the light of nature, that the part must be in subjection to those who command the whole, all the Members of this Congregation must be subject to the Guides, Governours, & Overseers of this Congregation, & all the Members of this & the Sister-Congregations are subject to the Presbytery, many Presbyteries subject to a provincial Assembly, & all the Provinces of the Nation subject to a national Synod, and the Synod subject to the holy Ghost speaking in the word; is not here order, equity, decency? Why do men then talk of Anarchy, or dream of a popular Government by the many-headed multitude, as if all should run into confusion, and there should be an absolute Parity, and no Order, or decency at all if Prelacy be extirpated? Away with such vain conceits, it is evident by what hath been said, that distances will be observed, secundum sub & supra, still; But the great objection is that Prelacy was at first instituted to suppress schisms, and therefore if once Prelacy be extirpated, all manner of Sects and schisms will arise in the Church: I answer, wee know by sad experience, that the Prelates have been the Ring-leaders of an Antichristian schism: and we know by good experience, that the Church and kingdom of Scotland is more firmly united under the presbyterial Government, then England hath been under the prelatical; no sooner doth a Sect or a schismatic peep out in Scotland, but presently they are nipped by the Presbytery: And if Prelacy was first invented and Bishops preferred to hinder schism, surely since Prelates are become the greatest schismatics, Incendiaries, Prelacy may be abolished( since nothing else will serve the turn) that the Schism which the Prelates themselves have made & strengthened, may be timely quelled. The power of the keys in the hand of a Presbytery or Synod is sufficient to quell both heretics and schismatics: if a schism hath rent a Province or a Nation to pieces, that Province and Nation is bound by the Word of God, the Dictates of sound reason and Christian prudence to stand to the Decrees of a Provintiall or national Synod, so far forth as these Decrees are agreeable to the Word of God, for so far and no farther do they bind. Let Mr tailor consider that of St Cyprian in his third Book and 19th Epistle, and then he will confess with Cyprian, that one Prelate is not sufficient to cure a provincial schism: Quae res cum omnium nostrum consilium & sententiam spectet, praejudicare ego, & solùm mihi rem communem vindicate non audeo. And let him construe that of Augustine, Peregrinus Presbyter & Seniores Ecclesiae Musticanae regionis, &c. lib. 3. contra Cresconium, cap. 56. Or that of Tertullian, Cum Presbyterii ordine president probati quique Seniores honorem istum non pretio said testimonio adepti. Apolog cap. 39. There is a twofold θεραπεία, or Ministry, saith Clemens Alexandrinus, βελτιωτικὴ and ύπηρετικὴ: the first he saith belongs to Presbyters, the second to Deacons; now βελτιωτικὴ, being opposed to ύπηρετικὴ, must necessary imply an Authoritative jurisdiction: he saith nothing of a third kind of ministry; this θεραπεία βελτιωτικὴ was to better the people, not onely by persuasion, but by jurisdiction, for he saith the Deacons were to attend upon the Presbyters, as children upon their Parents, as ordinary men upon Governours. Vide Clem Alexand. Stromat. l. 7. non procul ab initio p 700. Bishop Hall acknowledges that it doth appear by the observations of Iustellus, and the two learned Casaubons, that there were Seniores Ecclesiastici in the Church of old, and he is forced to confess that they were not onely Seniores Populi, as Magistrates or Aldermen of Incorporate towns and Cities, but Seniores Ecclesiae, or Ecclesiastici; and his conceit is ridiculous to dream that such men so renowned were but Church-wardens, he is glad to add, or Vestry-men at the highest, & so doth in effect grant the whole question concerning Vestry-Elders, red his Reply to Smectymnuus, pag. 146. What will they say to Cyprians distinction between Presbyters and Seniors, when he complains that the Presbyters were too supercilious, taking upon them to do so much absque consensu Seniorum? I believe it will trouble them to answer that question: but they will be more troubled to answer all those Ancient Records which are pressed home by that learned Antiquary Salmasius. I will not enter into that dispute, whether there be a twofold power of the keys, potestas concionalis, and potestas Disciplinaria? or whether it be a pastoral Act to define or determine any thing in Synods and councils? or whether there be not a difference between pastoral teaching, and synodical teaching? whether a Lay-man being Elected a Commissioner to propound, Reason, and Vote in a Synod, in the behalf of some Congregation, be not a kind of ecclesiastical person, in regard of that Office whereunto he is elected and deputed? and finally, whether if a wholesome constitution should be carried and decreed by the Vote of such a person, helping to make the mayor part in a Synod, that wholesome Decree doth not bind the people Ecclesiastically in regard of the Authority of them who composed it, as well as Materially, or rather Morally, because the matter of the Decree is agreeable to the Word of God? I must wave these questions and divers others, & pass to the next prelatical error, Their Canonizing or idolising of that Service-booke, which the most judicious Divines of the Reformed Churches have ever looked upon as a Pageant tricked up with tolerable, or( as others) intolerable fooleries, a mass of Superstition, a Magazine of Ceremonies, the lazy Church-mans Pillow, the blind-Church-maens Spectacles, the lame Church-mans Crutches, and the Common peoples Idol. Nay, some mass mongers amongst us to testify their compliance with Rome, have not been afraid to speak out in the reign of Canterbury, and call it mass in English, witness Cozens, ●ecklington, montague▪ ●nd others. I need say nothing of the letter o● Pope pus ●●e 4. for the ●onfirmation of the Service book, you may see enough in Br●stowes Motives or Carriers Considerations; Nor need I take notice of the Letter of King Edward the 6. to the Papists of Cornwall and Devonshire, written by the advice of his ●ouncell; these things have been largely insisted on by others. But I would fain have any man prove that when men began to call upon the Name of the Lord at the first in the dayes of Enos, Gen. 4.26. that then they had a Set-forme imposed upon them; Now certainly the Spirit of Supplication since the Ascension of the Lord Iesus is more plentifully powred forth upon the Church, & therfore if men be forced ●o red a Dead-form, and pray by book in these dayes of light and glory, there will sad effects and consequences follow upon such a rigorous Imposition & constraint. It is evident by lamentable experience that divers Ministers of happy parts and excellent gifts by the use of this Dead-forme in the Service-Booke, have been utterly disabled to pray after a spiritual manner upon solemn, but unexpected occasions; their parts have been dried up, and withered, their gifts blasted, their spirit straitned in such a fearful manner, as may well deter any man from tying himself to a Service-Booke, and neglecting those parts and gifts which God hath out of his free bounty bestowed upon him, lest God punish his neglect and unthankfulness, after such a remarkable manner as may make him an example to all posterity. I presume no man will defend that order in the Common Prayer book, for the reading of Apocrypha, and omitting divers parts of canonical Scripture; it is a sin that cries to Heaven for vengeance upon this Nation, that wee have by such a solemn Order preferred the Apocrypha before the Word of God, as if the inventions and( to say truth) the fooleries of men did tend ●●●e to edification then the Scriptures, which were written by the Divin● inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Nor is it possible to excuse many ridiculous passages in that Translation of Scripture which is retained in the Common-Prayer. Book; witness that Passage, And Easter a Feast of the Iewes was nigh; and that of Galat. ●. 20. where they make zeal a fruit of the flesh, which perchance is the reason, why the prelatical men have been so constantly obeied by the common people when they have inveighed against zeal; sure the common people have taken this Translation for the Word of God, and looked upon zeal as a fruit of the flesh which would pollute and defile them, and therefore there is so little zeal in those Countreys where they have had no other service, then what is contained in this Service Book. Moreover, they have in the Epistle for the Sunday after Christmasse-day falsely, if not blasphemously and Heretically translated Galath. 4.5. That we through Election might receive the Adoption that belongs to natural sons, an arrant contradiction, and as we use to call it, a Bull, for no natural son can be said to be adopted, nor is any adopted son a natural son; Nothing but Generation can make a man a natural son. Now none but the Lord ●esus is the natural son of God. The true Translation is, That we might receive the Adoption of sons. Now the adopted sons of God are in that very verse opposed to his natural son spoken of in the former verse, God hath sent forth his own son, vers. 4. that is, his natural son; but enough of that; And they might have followed a better Translation of Galat. 5.19.20. which runs thus, The works of the flesh are manifest, &c.— hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies; and not as they red in their Epistle for the 14th Sunday after Trinity▪ The deeds of the flesh are manifest, &c. Hatred, variance, zeal, wrath, strife, seditions, Sects, in stead of Heresies; our Arminians tell us, that heretics are pious and innocent men, and therefore not punishable. They follow the mass book in Translating Luke 1.28. hail thou that art full of grace, in stead of hail thou that art highly favoured: and so Luk. 1.48. he hath regarded the lowliness, in stead of the low estate; as if the blessed Virgin had merited to be the Mother of God by her humility and lowliness of mind; the Word in the original is 〈◇〉, and not 〈◇〉. I cannot omit their Translation of Psalm. 105.28. They were not obedient to his word, but the Holy Ghost declares the contrary, and saith, they rebelled not against his word. In the Gospel for St Luke's day, they Translate Luk. 10.1. The Lord appointed other seventy and two, whereas the holy Ghost saith the Lord appointed other seventy, th●y take the boldness to add two more then the holy Ghost sp●●ks of. Now this fault is the more inexcusable because there is a purer Translation of the Scriptures, published by Authority, and yet the Prelates have still retained these gross corruptions.  
I wonder that they should all this while connive at such an intolerable disagreement between the Translations, I will give but one instance more, in the psalms in the Common-Prayer-Book, Psal. 58.8. we red, so let indignation vex him ●ven as a thing that is raw, in stead of these words, He shall take them away as with a whi●lwind both living and in his wrath, as you may see by comparing it with our new Translation; but observe that it is the ninth verse in the New-Translation. Besides, there is no sense in that Liturgicall Translation, Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns, so let indignation vex him even as a thing that is raw. The common people( hearing that there is only a directory for Worship intended, as appears by the late Covenant) conceive that they shall be deprived of whatsoever is in the Common-Prayer-Book; but they should consider that the Common-Prayer-Book contains things of very different natures, Creeds, Commandments, Psalms, Prayers, &c. Now the Parliament never intends to take away the psalms, Commandments, or those parts of Scripture which are called Epistles and Gospels, but the people shall enjoy these in a more faithful Translation in their Bibles, and have them familiarly expounded and powerfully applied to their consciences by able and conscionable Ministers; for the Parliament daily seeks for such to instruct the people, but the Prelates would never allow of any such Translation in the Service-Book, or such an exercise as the expounding of the Commandments, &c. They counted that as bad as Preaching. Nay, the Parliament intends not to take away the Creeds, for though they be not parts of Scripture, yet because the sum and substance of them was collected out of Scripture, the Creeds shall be retained, and those obscure phrases which might occasion a mistake, namely, the Descent into Hell, &c. shall be explained agreeable to the Word of God, and the Analogy of faith. Moreover, we must put a great deal of difference between the Lords Prayer, and Prayers composed by man; The Parliament will not take away the Lords prayer, nor forbid the use of it; and if some prayers( composed by men subject to mistakes) which are many of them rather good wishes then Prayers, be omitted, there will be no great want of them, considering first, that though there are many Christian prayers, in regard of the expressions, yet the whole body of them hath ever by the prelatical party been designed to an Antichristian use, namely to nourish an ignorant lazy and ambitious Clergy, for the Non-Residents by this means do only pay for a Reading Curate, and are allowed to bee Non-Residents: Secondly, that they were composed in times of ignorance, for the help of Ministers almost as ignorant as the common people: Thirdly, that God hath now furnished his Church with men of excellent parts and gifts, Who are able to pray as well as preach upon all occasions, and it were as great pity to hinder the exercise of these mens gifts by making a Prayer for them, as by making a Sermon for them; the one is as great a shane to them and damp to their Spirits as the other: and the State may as well forbid them to preach a Sermon of their own studying, and tie them to red Homilies, as to forbid them to use a prayer of their own composing, and command them who are truly judicious, Practically holy and Experimentally Devout, to red a prayer out of a book, more like a schoolboy then Reverend Pastours of the Church of Christ. Nay, if an ingenious School-boy would bee ashamed to red a Declamation composed by another, when he is called to perform that exercise, sure a Minister of Christ will bee more ashamed to have a prayer made for him by Bishops or Arch-Bishops, when the Arch-Shepheard & Bishop of his Soul hath left him, A pattern of prayer, a rule of prayer, and a Spirit of prayer to help his infirmities, and bless him with abilities for this great duty of prayer. It concerns Ministers in this point to imitate the Apostles, Act. 6.4. to give themselves continually to prayer, as well as to the Ministry of the Word; 〈◇〉 is the full expression of the holy Ghost in that place. Can the Prelates teach us to pray better then the holy Ghost? Now the holy Ghost teacheth us both what and how to pray; We know not what to pray for, as wee ought, we are ignorant of matter and manner; the holy Ghost helps our infirmities in both, Rom. 8.26. And if the holy Ghost doth afford such assistance to ordinary Christians, sure much more to Pastours whom he hath commanded to give themselves to prayer, and to whom he hath given variety of pastoral gifts that they may discharge all pastoral duties. Christ hath sent some Pastours, some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, that the Saints may be no more Children, Ephes. 4.11.12.14. Now doth God sand Pastours, sand them for the work of the Ministry? and doth he not enable them for the work of the Ministry? or is not prayer a work of the Ministry? Is the pastor sent by God to perfect the Saints, and will not God perfect the pastor for the performance of pastoral duties, that the Saints may be perfected? Hath God sent Pastours to instruct the Saints that the Saints may no longer be children, and must the Pastours still remain children, and bee set to red prayers out of book, like very children? Away with such ridiculous and vain conceits. But if the common people who have been nursed up in ignorance and superstition, will not part with their old customs, and are resolved to keep this Service-Book, let it bee then considered whether the Queen and the Prelates and the roman Catholique-subjects,( I must not say Rebels, English and Irish, now after the Irish Pacification, whom the Queen and the Bishops have stirred up) are likely to pleasure the people in this particular? It is well known that the great Prelates do not like this Common-Prayer-Book, they composed one a great deal worse, and sent it into Scotland; I am persuaded the most ignorant people would lose their dearest blood rather then receive that Common-Prayer-Book which was sent into Scotland, and they must expect that or a worse, if the Bishops may have their will. And sure if the Queen may prevail with the Bishops, or the Jesuits with the Queen, the common people shall not have, no not that Common-Prayer-Book( which was sent into Scotland) in English; they must have it, or the very mass, in latin, that's plain English; nay, believe it good people, the Queen and her party are likely to take away not only this Common-Prayer-Book, but even the Bible also, and not leave you so much as the Word of God in English. Oh, but if the common-prayer-book bee taken away, what Religion shall wee have? Why sure, that Religion, which Christ and his Apostles had before there was any Common-Prayer-Book, for they left us none, and Christians had none for the first 300 yeeres; Your Religion is many hundred yeeres more ancient then this Common-Prayer-Book, the Primitive Religion is the old Religion. Bee content then with a Directory, and if any man pray non-sense, blasphemy, &c. he shall bee punished for not observing the pious and prudent directions given.  
But though this form prescribed in the Service-Book be a Dead Form, yet for their sakes who composed it, let it be honourably butted. I need say no more of the prelatical errors; all that they have to pled now, is the Law of the Land, and that is much insisted on by some. First, I wonder they should now come to pled Ius humanum, who have bragged so much that they were jure Divino, and given out that they would not hold their bishoprics an hour, if they could not prove that they held them by Divine Right. Secondly, This case being propounded to a great Lawyer and Antiquary in th●● kingdom, it was resolved by him, That the Hierarchy abjured in this Covenant, was never established by Law in England. Thirdly, though there w●s a Prelacy forged by the Canon-Law, and that Law too much received in time of Popery, yet by the submission of the Clergy in the 25th of Henry the 8th, that Law was clearly abolished, and consequently all Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Arch-Deacons, &c. depending upon the Authority, and drawn from the grounds and rules of the Canon-Law, are abolished. Fourthly, the Bishops have had power to exercise jurisdiction in England by virtue of the High-Commission, but the Act passed against the exercise of that power in the High-Commission, hath made their Commission voided, and their Authority of none effect. Fiftly, that Statute of proviso's which they brag of, will not advantage them, for by that it appears that they were set up to inform the people of the Law of God▪ and to make Hospitalities, and alms, and other works of Charity, and this they may do still according to their ability. This case being propounded to a great Statesman, whether the Prelates, who have engaged themselves in this Antichristian war, should not have a legal trial? His answer was, We give Law to an Hare, but we give a polt to a polt-cat. Dr Hall( as hath been shown) saith the Bishops might give Marshall law: and now it seems they must suffer Marshall law. Sure a Prelate in arms, and a Prelate Confederate with the Irish Rebels of the Spanish faction, may thank himself if he get a polt, and will deserve but part of cardinal Richelieu his Epitaph, if he get a victory.  
Hic jacet  
Sacerdos in Castris;  
Theologus in Aulâ;  
Episcopus sine grege;  
Cardinalis sine galero;  
Rex sine nomine;  
Qui spirare desiit, & Timeri,  
Quo migravit Sacramentum est.  
So much for Prelates; Even so let all thine enemies perish O Lord, but let them that love thee, bee as the sun when he goeth forth in his might, that England and Ireland, and all the Reformed Churches may have rest, Amen, Amen. judge. 5.31.  
But a word or two at this time to the Antinomians; for certainly they have very little reason to cry out against this Covenant, unless they are offended with the Gospel, as well as with the Law; for the sins specified in this Covenant are sins directly against the Gospel, and will they deny that we are too humbled for sins against the Gospel also? who is there who hath not good cause to cry guilty, and aclowledge that he hath not as he ought, valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel? Oh! the under-valuing of the Gospel of the Lord Iesus is a crying sin, our sin will cry, if we do not. O let us loathe ourselves because wee have not laboured for the purity and power of the Gospel, that wee have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him in our lives: These, these, are sinning sins, the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding amongst us. do we not in the close of the Covenant beseech the Lord to strengthen us by his holy Spirit, that we may be enabled to keep this Covenant? as that a legal prayer? O but we swear to preserve the Discipline and Government in the Church of Scotland; True, but we swear only to preserve it against our common enemies. and sure the Antinomians will grant that the Discipline of the Church of Scotland is far better then English Prelacy, or down right Popery. But are there no defects in that Discipline? admit there be, yet nevertheless so far forth as they have attained, let it bee preserved: If the moon have spots, must it bee plucked from the Firmament? and if a Church have defects, must wee suffer it to be ruined by an Antichristian faction, which seeks the ruin of all Churches which desire a thorow-Reformation. Finally, the Church of Scotland is willing to see her defects, if you can show them, they will give you thanks, and reform according to their Covenant; they desire that all three kingdoms may bee brought to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion and form of Church Government according to the Word of God. It is confessed on all sides, that as the Essentials of Government are prescribed, Instituted, and Constituted in the Word: so there are divers circumstances which are to bee ordered by the general Rules in the Word, the particular Cases must be Referred to Christian prudence. Wee have in this Covenant many motives set before our eyes; The glory of God, the advancement of Christs kingdom, the honour and happiness of the Kings Majesty and his Posterity, the due public Liberty, safety and Peace of the kingdoms. The glory of God which is first name is the last and utmost end, the rest are but subordinate ends, or rather means to procure that last end: Come then, agree for shane, if the glory of God do not move thee, thou den iest thyself to be a creature, for thou art not moved with that which was the end of thy creation, the glory of God; if the advancement of Christs Kingdom doth not move thee, thou deniest thyself to bee a Christian; if the honour and happiness of the King and his Posterity doth not move thee, thou deniest thyself to bee a Subject; if public liberty doth not invite thee, thou art a slave; if safety doth not persuade thee, thou art desperate; if peace cannot charm thee, thou art Implacable. Come then, you that have any Faith in God, any love to God, any zeal for God, any loyalty to your King, any natural affection to your country, any charity for Ireland, Scotland, &c. any Prudence and Providence for Posterity, any sense of Religion, any belief that there is a God, and that there will bee a day of Iudgement, I beseech you, I beseech you, as you will answer it at that day, deal honestly with the Searcher of hearts, and express your sincerity, zeal, and constancy, in making, and in keeping this Covenant with the Lord of hosts.  
FINIS.   

Librum hunc cvi titulus ( The Second Part of the Un-deceiver) perlegi, nec quicquam in eo reperio quo minus cum summâ utilitate Imprimatur.  
Ia. Cranford.