BISHOPS DEFENDED FROM Scripture, Laws, and other undeniable Authors, by D.D. Vidua, a Bishop of a Parish, and S. Th. Pr.  
The 2. Edition.  Hebr. 12.15. 
Be ye Bishops, lest any one do fail from the grace of God.  
AN HUMBLE MOTION TO THE PARLIAMENT.  
IN the year 1639, this Treatise was imprinted to the Parliament, whose author through the alone favour and power of God, offereth in any free university, by Disputation written, for so none can eat his word, to prove these Articles. 1. There is no provincial Bishop in Scripture. 2. The power of the keys, of things indifferent, and of choosing a Minister is in the people. 3. No money or gift must be taken for any spiritual justice. 4. That a provincial Bishop is a mere Lay-Elder, an Image of the Beast. Revelat. 14.9, 10, 11. one of the spirits of Devills, Rev. 16.14. The way to reform these is, as is now in Reformed Churches. 1. That all who will may be of a Reformed Church. 2. That they may choose their Church-officers. 3. That maintenance of such may be as is now in Reformed Churches, whereby most excessive riches come to be disposed by you. To conclude, I Petition for justice in most remarkable and far more then Heathenish cases, and after very many years, a safe return into my country. God prosper you and yours, with the greatest blessings that possibly can be.  
A Bishop Episcopus, is an overseer, and these are first, able Christians, Heb. 12.15. or a Church, Matth. 18.2. Elders, containing Ministers, Ruling Elders, and Deacons, 1 Pet. 5.1. Acts 14.23.3. Onely Ministers and Ruling Elders, Phil. 1.1. whose bishopric, power, maintenance and practise, describe a true Bishop from a false Bishop.  
1. A Church is general over all the earth, yea and in heaven, or a particular bishopric in one assembly, 1 Cor. 14.23. The whole Church must come together in one. Ecclesia be people called together, for divine or profane affairs, Acts 19.39. Cenchrea and Corinth, being within hearing of each others Sea, be bishoprics. Plinij 4.4. Phaedra Ovidij: Et tenuis tellas audit utrumque mars. From Bersheba to the middle of jerusalem, be about 40 English miles. From the Midland Sea of judea to the wilderness, be about 50 miles, whence by the rule of Proportion, Ios. 15.126 Cities the seats of Bishops, were under 3 miles from their utmost limits. The bishopric of Bethlehem, is about 6 miles from jerusalem, 2 miles from the City Bethfur, 3 miles from Eder and Aman, Emaus is about 2 miles from Socch and Bethoron, and 60 furlongs from jerusalem. An English mile is 8 furlongs, Luke 24.13. The 2 bishoprics of Sydon and Sarepta be distant about 5 miles. Gibeah and Ramah be about 3 miles distant. Silo is nearer to Ramah, judge. 19. Those ways in regard of the mountains have many crooked turnings. From Dan to Beersheba be 140 miles, and 50 from the Midland Sea to jordan, by the rule of Proportion, wherein the Cities of 9 Tribes and an half, being divided into bishoprics, show readily the greatness of them, Gal. 1.2.22. For a provincial Church is never red of under the gospel, and therefore the Provinces of judea, Galatia, Samaria, and the like, are said to have Churches, but never one Church alone, 980 Towns and 60 Castles of the Jews, maintained war 6 years against the Romans, wherein 500000 are said to be slain, before the year of the Lord, 139. All Cities be bishoprics.  
Some Villages be Cities: as Bethlehem, these 60 of jair, and the like. Cenchrea was no City. C. 23. Q. saith, Primates as the custom is, be in Villages. A Bishop of one onely Parish is usual in Canons. C. 9.2. & 3. No Primate or Metropolitan ought to judge or excommunicate, save in cases of his own Parish, unless called thereunto by him whose right it is. At this day, within the proper Dominions of the Pope, bishoprics and archbishoprics be of the greatness of Parishes. The bishoprics of Florence and Fesulae be about 3 miles distant. The compass of the Kingdom of Naples is 1460 miles, in which be 20 Arch-bishops, and 107 Bishops. Zacynthus is 60 miles in compass, and hath 2 Bishops. Cyprus, Rhodes, Sicily, and Achaia, where Paul was, have bishoprics like Parishes. Malta about 60 miles in compass, hath 4 Cities. Egypt a small Region, had 20000, saith Pliny. Capreae 40 miles in compass, hath a Bishop. Pope Gregory the Great disalloweth the greatness of bishoprics in England. D. 70. Crete is accounted in compass about 860 miles, which being divided to an 100 Cities, hath Bishopicks like those in judea and of the Pope. 6 miles in a Quadrangle produce 1 mile and an half to each side, and 3 quaters of a mile from the Church in the middle. Tit. 1.5. yea a bishopric within the journey of a Sabbath, is the more allowable, Acts 1.12. Mount Olivet ariseth with 3 tops, from whose middle-most the Lord is said to have ascended, which is esteemed about one mile in height. The syriac saith, it is 8 furlongs from jerusalem. Bethania is 2 miles from jerusalem, or 15 furlongs, on the further side of the Mount. Iosethus 11.18. Luke 24.50. in whose Territories the Ascension was. The Primitive Vigils or watchings about Churches might be, not to violate the journey of a Sabbath, Acts 14.23. Each Assembly should have Bishops, although in the first conversion or persecution, but 2 or 3 were in a Church, Mat. 18. Churches were in the Families of Philemon, Nymphas, and Aquila, whose bishopric traveled thorough many Regions. The 12 Tables say: Ritus familiae patriaeque servanto. The Civill and Canon Law, permit not more Families to assemble without a lawful Officer, and therefore a Church of more Families was forbidden in Rome. Rome was then above 70 miles in compass. Paul writeth to the Saints, not to the Church of Rome, as his manner is to writ, when more Churches were in a City, Col. 1.1. & 4.15. Rom. 1.1. The Church of Aquilla did leave many Churches at Rome, and every true Bishop in Scripture is over but one onely Congregation: but no provincial Bishop is over but one onely Congregation. The bounds of one mile from the middle produce 8 miles in compass; 2 miles produce 16, &c.  
2 The power of a Church before the Law, was in Families: under the Law in Synagogues, Mat. 5.21. and in the highest Court of Judges, Priests and Kings, Deut. 17.9.12. always provided, that they judged according to Scripture, for otherwise councils had made accursed the Lord and his Disciples. After the Law, the Keys of Peter, Mat. 16. and of all the Apostles, John 20. came onely to each particular Church, Mat. 18. Thus a Congregation, electeth two to stand for the Apostleship of Iudas, Acts 1. It chooseth Deacons, Acts 6. It accused, judged, and absolved Peter, Acts 11. It elected Church Governous, Acts 14.23. Here the interpretation allowed by Bishops, saith: They choose and placed them by the voice of the Congregation, Acts 17.10.11. It examined and judged the doctrine of Paul. It appointed Paul to go to a council. Bishops can be no Church, nor be ever so called in Scripture, without people: but people be a Church without Bishops. The whole Church and Brethren pronounce sentence with the Apostles, in the first general counsel, Act. 15. Bishops be so far from this power, that no where in Scripture, an Epistle can be proved to be written to any Bishop, but always to the people, as to the Hebrews, Corinthians, and the like, to whom the Apostles always give this power. The Corinthians not the Bishop, are said to excommunicate and absolve the incestuous, yea the people, not the Bishop, be blamed for not excommunicating, 2 Thes. 3.14. The Thessalonians must excommunicate.  
Archippus must be admonished by the people to fulfil his office, Col. 4.17.  
Archippus was a Bishop.  
Again:  
All that be of a Church, must be overseen by the people being as Bishops, Heb. 12.15. 〈◇〉, and must be subject to the people, 1 Pet. 5.5. and must confess sin to them, Iam. 5.16.  
To whom alone the power of things indifferent is given by God, they alone have it.  
But to the people alone, the power of things indifferent is given by God, 1 Cor. 14.40. who must see all things done with comeliness and order.  
It is not to be proved by Scripture, that a Synod or counsel have authority over a particular Church to command, but to advice and persuade: For in the counsel of the Apostles, Act. 15. Scripture alone governed, by which the Lord Christ commandeth his doctrine to be tried. An Apostle might err, as appeared by Peter more then once. No provincial Church or Bishop hath power of the Keys. For they be not in Scripture.  
Therefore can not excommunicate or absolve. The old Translation onely allowed by Papists, and M. Calvin, and other learned, with the Syriac and some Greek Copies, leave out the subscriptions as being false, where Titus and Timothy be called Bishops: and the Canons allege those very Epistles, to show doctrine quiter contrary that Bishops be onely by custom, D. 93. yea Paul commandeth Timothy to do the work of an Evangelist, who differeth from a Bishop, as an Emperour from a Constable of a Parish, yea the Acts of the Apostles, and Epistles, show these two alike to be Evangelists. And I know that no Divine can prove the subscriptions of the Epistles to be true. Apoc. 1.2, 3, 14, 16. angel seemeth to contain more persons then one, as Israel for Israelites, and those also be sometimes temporal States and Souldiers. And therefore no Epistle being proved, to be written to any Bishop, the power ecclesiastical is appropriated, in the Epistles to the people. For he who hath power, must be lawfully called thereunto, as Aaron was: yea which is more, there can be but one form or being to one creature, and therefore the election of the people, and ordination by their Elders, is the alone being a Bishop. Therfore Elders and Deacons thus elected be spiritual men, and provincial Bishops be merely Lay Elders. This is most clear from the former texts, and from the each 100 years after the Law, yea heathens show this, as Lampridius in the life of Alexander, Ammianus Marcellinus, in the election of Arch-bishop Damasius. The Emperour Charles the Great, and Lewes, with others. D. 63. Machiavel in his History sheweth, what election of the people to make Popes, remained until about 1061. of the Lord. Other authors also say the same of others, yet after that time, Pope Paschal would have the consent of the people, and about 1125. of the Lord, the Canons of the election being diligently observed, by persuasion of lo, a Citizen of Rome: Pope coelestine was deposed, because he was elected by Cardinals, and Pope Honorius the II. was by the people elected in his place, and approved the true Pope by succeeding Popes. After 1136. the people choose coelestine the II. About 1143. of the Lord, C. 8. Q. 1. concludeth, that a Minister must be sought for by the election of the people, not so much as naming any one of the clergy. About 20 years after, the true Christians were name Waldensians, who about 1220 of the L. were about a thousand in Towns, and in the Town of Biders, one hundred thousand were esteemed to be, these had no ministers from the Pope, witness friar Caesarius, lib. 5. & 6. who then saith but a few were Canonically called, where he condemneth not all: yea the History of Machiavel sheweth, that before 1300 of the Lord, the Popes began to lose spiritual power, and that the people imprisoned the Pope Bonefacio. About 1330. of the Lord. The Proclamation of the Emperour Ludovicus sheweth the election of the people to make Popes, who then choose Pope Nicolas: yea the learned of those times subscribed to this: 1431. of the Lord, in the council of Basil, it was decreed with the consent of Pope Eugenio 4. Act. 15. being alleged, that the godly and learned might judge in councils with Bishops, who about that time deposed and elected Popes: About 1535. of the Lord, the Popish Bishop of Munster answereth, that he was made Bishop by the will of the people, Sleidan, l. 10. This is the doctrine of Reformed Churches, as appeareth in their confessions: yea Papists, and Bellarm. de Dei verb. 3.5. clearly confess: that in the Primitive Church, the power of binding and losing was in particular congregations, which power is also over a Minister, witness Pope Gregory the Great, who writeth to the Citizens of Naples, to examine, to judge and to depose their Minister, if they find him faulty, and to choose another in his place. This was the cause of Peter and of Chrysostom, and of the Popes Damasus, Gregorius the Great, and of many others: yea, Pope lo the 4, offereth his case to be tried by the Deputies of Lodovic the Emperour, so that all things should be examined by them concerning the Pope, and nothing should be left undetermined, C. 2. Q. 7. M. Calvin saith, Inst. 4.5. So many decrees of Synods do most severely forbid a Minister to be otherwise made, then by the election of the people, and if it be otherwise done, they command it to be of none effect: yea it is Symonia and Ambitus, the most horrible of all crimes, to corrupt the election of the people: Therfore more heinous it is, to take it away, C. 1.2, 3, 7. Q. 4. Here the keys of Peter help not, who by Scripture can never be proved, to have been at Rome, or to have given this power to the Pope: yea Scripture sheweth, that Peter was the Apostle of the Jews, Gal. 2. who were banished from Rome, that he writeth to the Jews, amongst whom he lived in Babylon, near to Mark, who is known to have been martyred about Alerandria in Egypt. near to which is the Egyptian Babylon, abounding now with many ruins of Christianity; The Babylon of Mesopotamia was then ruinated by building Seleucia, which then was not under Rome. Yea Paul a little before his martyrdom mentioneth not Peter to have been at Rome, although he speaketh of far lesser persons. Paul telleth the Romans, that he was their Apostle. Rom. 15.15.16. in whose Empire his preaching was, who in his Epistle to the people of Rome, giveth the power of government to the people. The like is observed of Peter, a little before his martyrdom, not to mention any one at Rome, Hierom who lived long in judea, and is one of the best describers thereof, and Lyranus say, Peter suffered at jerusalem, near to Egypt Southward, of which be 62 Kingdoms of Jewish Christians, and in and near which were principally the Circumcised. The more learned Papists seeing this, do fly to Ephes. 4, where they must of necessity argue thus:  
Whosoever claimeth to be an Apostle to the worlds end, is an Apostle.  
But the devil and Pope, and such others, claim to be Apostles, For they be not immediately called by the Lord Christ, as the Apostles were.  
And for corrupting of Fathers and councils to help Papists, is so notorious, that a Printer confesseth in public print, how Papists abused his press herein. Their forgeries old and new cannot be denied.  
Ordination may be omitted saith C. 5. Q. 6. yea Deacons who be Elders, but not Ministers, may ordain, Acts 6. 1 Tim. 4.13. Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 12. 1 Pet. 4.11. 1 Tim. 5.17. yea Popery sheweth, that an heretic may ordain, whose Priests and Bishops, altering Religion, do still abide Priests, C. 9. Q. 3. sheweth, that no Primate or Metropolitan is a Minister in another Parish, because he is not elected by the people. The reason is good, for in another Parish then his own, he is a mere Lay man, and so is a provincial Bishop, for he is not called as Aaron was, yet later Popery holdeth, that these may ordain. For laying on of hands was appropriated to Bishops alone, about 577 of the Lord, by Pope John III. which continued to make Ministers, when about 1335 of the Lord, Pope Benedict XII. brought the giving of all spiritual livings to the Pope, who hath a common rate for selling of benefice. C. 1.2. & 3. Master Calvin writeth of making of Ministers by Bishops, Instit. 4.5. What can you accuse in the Reverend Fathers, but that in so open Church robberies, by sporting without any shane, they laugh at God and men. Would they do this, if they thought there was a God?  
3 The Lord Christ and his Apostles lived on alms. Peter and John had no silver. Paul laboured with his hands. C. 12. sheweth the mean diet and expenses of Bishops. They must not suffer any one to want in their bishoprics. C. 12. from Act. 2.45. & 4.32. and that they must not give the goods of the Church, to kindred or friends, otherwise then to other poor. Machiavel sheweth this to be first noted, about 1281 of the Lord, from Pope Nicolas. Also Bishops, Commissaries, and all of their spiritual Courts, must not take one farthing for justice, but give justice freely, which freely they received, Math. 10. C. 1. imitating herein Reformed Churches and Heathens, witness Pliny lib. 5. Epistolarum. Tacitus An. 11. Ovid. Am. 1. Turpe reos empta miseros defendere lingua, &c. Good Lawyers had greater rewards then fees. For taking of money causeth bad justice, witness the Heathens, therefore the Courts of Bishops be the worst on earth, and the Courts of Reformed Churches be the best spiritual Courts, but Bishops obtained 1, a 4.2. a 3.3 half and 4. all that belonged to the poor. For which, Fathers and councils, do most fearfully curse them, and pronounce such to be reprobates, C. 12. Master Calvin Instit. 4.5, saith: I pray you, if they had any spark of the fear of God in their hearts, could they sustain this conscience, that whatsoever they eat, and be clothed withall, should come from theft and robbing of Churches?  
D. 95. saith: That a Minister is the same which is a Bishop, and by custom alone ( sola consuetudine) Bishops be above Ministers, D. 93. Every one by the power of the name of a fellow Bishop, which unlawfully ( illicit) they have challenged to themselves, without the Church, do bring to their own uses, all that which appertaineth to the Levites: yea, they take all things from all. The wretched Minister beggeth in the streets. The Bishop alone enjoyeth goods, he alone useth the ministry, the Bishop alone challengeth all: he alone entereth upon portions appeartaining to other men; he alone ( solus) murdereth all men( or rather the Bishop is the most notorious of all thieves and murtherers.) But let a Bishop make himself equal to other. From a Bishop, the sentence of revenge is not deferred, unless all be restored, D. 70. Pope Vrbanus saith; We say, the Deaconship and ministry be no holy Orders, for it is manifest, that the Primitive Church had onely these. D. 39. saith; It is most manifestly declared and proved, that a Bishop and a Minister is the same, Tit. 1.5. 1 Tim. 4.14. Acts 20.17.18. Ministers be Bishops, Phil. 1.1. 1 Tim. 3.1. 1 Pet. 5.2. 2 John 1. & 3 John 1. let Bishops red the Acts of the Apostles, and remember their own condition. In the Epistles to Titus and Timothy, mention is made of the ordination of a Bishop and Deacon, but nothing at all is spoken of a Minister, because that a Minister is contained in a Bishop; They be of the same ministry, 1 Tim. 4.14. D. 21. saith, Amongst our Ancestors, Bishops and Ministers were the same, and their difference was most all brought in from the Gentiles ( maxim) and flamens of the devil. D. 70. The Canons of later Bishops be against the Law of God and man. Secondly, they make Church-wardens perjured. 3. They be against the old Canons, and therefore are of no force. For always in the Canon Law, the elder authority must be preferred. Thus far the Canon law, Apoc. 17.18. They come from the bottomless pit, Apoc. 16. Bishops against the Canon law being in Courts of Kings, be called spirits of Divels, D. 51. Annas and Caiphas had a calling from God, but these have none, Luke 22.25. For Ministers may not rule over Ministers, with lawful authority of the Lord, Rom. 14.9. From the Pope to the Paratour is the Image of the Beast, as from the Emperour to the hangman. It is imprinted in the Book of Martyrs, witness Woodruffe, by the allowance of the King and Bishops, that the twelve disciples of Antichrist be these; The Pope, Cardinals, Patriachs, Arch-bishops, Bishops, Arch-deacons, Commissaries, deans, Monks, Canons, Friers, Pardoners. Also the Kings and Bishops allowance is of the Notes, Rev. 9.1. The star fallen from Heaven be Bishops. 3 Locusts and Arch-bishops, Bishops, &c. And I am sure, that no distinction is from the Form, betwixt a provincial and a Popish Bishop. These have ruinated a multitude of imperial, Kingly, Noble, and Common Families, Cities, Kingdoms, and continue to ruinated; The Civill Law, witness justinian, is so much against them; that Pope Honorio about the year 1216. did forbid it to be red in the University of Paris; The Common law condemneth all Bishops to be in Praemunire, therefore Bishops be against Parliaments. friar Caesarius lib. 2. imprinted amongst Papists, writeth; I can believe all things, but I can scarce believe, that at any time, any Bishop of all men can be saved; The state of the Church is now come to this pass, that it is not worthy to be governed, but by reprobate Bishops. Master Calvin Instit. 4.5. agreeing herein with Papists. and Gildas, saith; At this day, there is no kind of men, more infamous, and more arrand and Arch, D. 61. saith, when a Lay-man excelleth the life of a Bishop or a Clergieman, the election then of a Lay-man to be a Bishop, may be accounted good; Thus Severus was made an Arch-bishop of a Weaver, Fuller, or a worker in wool; and Ambrose a Bishop, of an Heathenish soldier. What honest or civill man, but abhorreth and smarteth for the horrible abominations of the Courts of the Bishops Commissaries? Pope Gregory the Great saith, I think Brethren, that the case of God suffereth no more hindering of right from any, then from Priests; None greater Villanes, Every one which doth that in divine worship which is not the precept or practise of Scripture deserveth damnation, Levit. 10.1. Nadah and Abihu do that which was not commanded, and where is their fact forbidden in Scripture? Col. 2.23. it is will-worship, Gal. 1.8. it is besides Scripture, Acts 28.27. it is none of all the will of God, Math. 28.20. nor of all things whatsoever commanded by the Lord, Revel. 22. it is adding and taking away from Scripture; It is not forbidden in Scripture, but is besides it, to believe 4 or 10 Persons in the Deity: or a 1000 worlds: and other such blasphemies; but Bishops do that which is not commanded, and therefore let them red, Revel. 14.9. If any in divine worship, shall follow any temporal state or Bishop, rather then Scripture, and shall receive any worship, not commanded by Scripture, either in profession or action; He shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed to make strong, and unmixed to make weak, in the pot of his wrath; and shall be tormented in fire and brimstone, before the holy Angels, and before the Lamb; And the smoke of the torment of them ascendeth for evermore, and they have no rest day or night, that worship the Beast and his Image, and if any one receiveth a mark to be name one of theirs in divine worship; Former Bishops who have sinned of ignorance herein, I leave to God. Master Calvin Instit. 4.5. saith; We affirm their kingdom to be the tyranny of Antichrist, where Bishops are for the most part very rude Asses. What madness is it to seek the order of a Church among them? Scripture sheweth true Bishops to be, first, a pastor to teach, secondly, a doctor to catechize, and visit the sick, Thirdly, Elders to govern. Fourthly, Deacons to relieve the poor. All which take not one farthing from the poor and good uses, or for any spiritual case and justice whatsoever, as now we see in Reformed Churches, but they maintain the poor admirably well. These true Bishops and Deacons are to be defended, and false Bishops to be deposed, whose notorious abominations will otherwise bring ruin. Gallobelgious noteth, that all the warres of Christendom, except peradventure that one against the Town of Brunswick, have been begun by Bishops and their clergy. The Popish State of Venice permit no temporal power to any Bishop. Machiavel in his History sheweth them and theirs to be Divels in plays and Tragedies. 2 Cor. 11.14. beware of Divels like Angels of light. No flatterer to the Pulpit flatterer, 1 Kings 22.15. they destroy Kings, Prov. 29.4.5. A provincial Bishop was never planted by God, Mat. 15.13. C. 2. Q. 7. Subjects be Asses and Oxen, their owners be Balaam Bishops. Becanus calleth Kings Dogs to be made away if they be idle. Chonan in his Book dedicated to Wil. Canterbury, and publicly allowed, saith; that Prelates be the heads and hearts to Kings. But I defend true Bishops of Parishes, not the false of Provinces.   

Printed in the year 1641.