Sr. HENRY VANE HIS SPEECH In the House of Commons, at a Committee for the Bill against Episcopall-Government, Mr. HID sitting in the CHAIR. June 11. 1641.  
LONDON. Printed for Francis Constable, 1641.   

Sr. HENRY VANE HIS SPEECH, At a Committee for the Bill against Episcopal Government, june 11. 1641.  
Master Hid,  
THe debate we are now upon is, whether the Government by Archbishops, Bishops, Chancellors, etc. should be taken away out of the Church and Kingdom of England: for the right stating whereof, we must remember the vote which passed yesterday, not only by this Committee, but the House, which was to this effect: That this Government hath been found by long experience, to be a great impediment to the perfect reformation and gowth of Religion, and very prejudicial to the civil State.  
So that then the Question will lie thus before us, Whether a Government, which long experience hath set so ill a Character upon, i●…ing danger, not only to our Religion, but the civil State, should be any longer continued amongst us, or be utterly abolished? For my own part, I am of the opinion of those, who conceive that the strength of reason already set down, in the Preamble to this Bill, by yesterday vote, is a necessary decision of this Question: For one of the main ends for which Church-government is set up, is to advance and further the perfect reformation and growth of Religion; which we have already voted, this Government doth contradict; so that it is destructive to the very end for which it should be, and is most necessary and desirable; in which respect certainly we have cause enough to lay it aside, not only as useless, in that it attains not its end, but as dangerous, in that it destroy●● and con●…dicts it.  
In the second place, we have voted it prejudicial to the civil State, as having so powerful and ill an influence upon our Laws, the Prerogative of the King, and liberties of the Subject, that it is like a spreading leprosy, which leaves nothing untainted, and uninfected which it comes near.  
May we not therefore well s●y of this Government, no our Saviour in the fifth of Matthew speaks of salt (give me leave upon this occasion to make use of Scripture, as well as others have done in this debate) where it is said that salt is good; but if the salt hath lost its savour, wherewith will you season it? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men: so Church-government, in the general, is good, and that which is necessary, and which we all desire; but when any particular form of it hath once lost its savour, by being destructive to its own ends, for which it is set up, (as by our vote already passed we say this hath) then surely, Sir, we have no more to do but to cast it out, and endeavour, the best we can, to provide ourselves a better.  
But to this it hath been said that the Government now in question, may be for amended and reform, that it needs not be pulled quite down or abolished: because it is conceived, it hath no original sin, or evil in it: or if it have, it is said, regeneration will take that way.  
Unto which I answer, I do consent that we should do with this Government, as we are done by in regeneration, in which all old things are to pass away, and all things are to become new, and this we must do, if we desire a perfect reformation, and growth of our Religion, or good to our civil state. For the whole Fabric of this building is so rotten and corrupt, from the very foundation of it to the top, that if we pull it not down now, it will fall about the ears of all those that endeavour it, within a very few years.  
The universal rottenness, or corruption of this government, will most evidently appear by a disquisition into these ensuing particulars.  
First, Let us consider in what soil this root grows: Is it not in the Pope's Paradise? do not one and the same principles and grounds maintain the Papacy, or universal Bishop, as do our Diocesan or Metropolitan Bishops? All those authorities which have been brought us out of the Fathers and antiquity, will they not as well, if not better, support the Popedom as the order of our Bishops? So likewise all these arguments for its agreeableness to Monarchy, and cure of Schism, do they not much more strongly hold for the acknowledgement of the Pope, then for our Bishops? and yet have Monarchies been ever a whit the more absolute for the Pope's universal Monarchy? or their Kingdoms less subject to schisms and seditions? whatsoever other kingdoms have been, I am sure our Histories can tell us, this Kingdom hath not: and therefore we have cast him off long since, as he is foreign, though we have not been without one in our own bowels. For the difference between a Metropolitan, or Diocesan, or universal Bishop, is not of kinds, but of degrees: and a Metropolitan or Diocesan Bishop is as ill able to perform the duty of a Pastor to his Diocese or Province, as the Universal Bishop is able to do it to the whole world: For the one cannot do but by Deputies, and no more can the other; and therefore since we all confess the grounds upon which the Papacy stands are rotten, how can we deny but these that maintain our Bishops are so too, since they are one and the same?  
In the second place, let us consider by what hand this root of Episcopacy was planted, and how it came into the Church.  
It is no difficult matter to find this out; for is not the very spirit of this order, a spirit of pride, exalting itself in the Temple of God, over all that is called God? First, exalting itself above its fellow Presbyters, under the form of a Bishop; then over its fellow Bishops, under the title of Archbishops, and so still mounting over those of its own profession, till it come to be Pope, and then it sticks not to tread upon the necks of Princes, Kings, and Emperors, and trample them under its feet. Also thus you may trace it from it first rise, and discern by what spirit this order came into the Church, and by what door; even by the backdoor of pride and ambition, not by Christ Jesus. It is not a plant which Gods right hand hath planted, but is full of rottenness and corruption; that mystery of iniquity, which hath wrought thus long, and so fit to be plucked up, and removed out of the way.  
Thirdly, Let us consider the very nature and quality of this tree, or root in its self, whether it be good or corrupt in its own nature; we all know where it is said, A good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit, nor a corrupt tree good fruit: Do men gather grapes of thorns, or sigs of thistles? By its fruit therefore we shall be sure to know it; and according as the fruits of the Government have been amongst us, either in Church, of Commonwealth, so let it stand, or fall with us.  

In the Church.  
AS itself came in by the back door into the Church, and was brought in by the spirit of Antichrist, so itself hath been the backdoor and inlet of all superstition and corruption into the worship and doctrine of this Church, and the means of hastening us back again to Rome. For proof of this, I appeal to all our knowledges in late years past, the memory whereof is so fresh, I need enter into no particulars.  
A second fruit of this Government in the Church, hath been the displacing of the most godly and Conscientious Ministers; the vexing, punishing, and banishing out of the Kingdom, the most religious of all sorts and conditions, that would not comply with their superstitious inventions and ceremonies; in one word, the turning the edge and power of their Government, against the very life and power of Godliness; and the favour and protection of it unto all profane, scandalous, and superstitious persons tha● would uphold their party. Thousands of examples might be given of this, if it were not most notorious.  
A third fruit hath been Schism and Fractions within ourselves, and Alienation from all the reformed Churches abroad.  
And lastly, the prodigious monster of the late Canons, whereby they had designed the whole Nation to a perpetual slavery and bondage to themselves, and their superstitious Inventions. These are the fruits of the Government in the Church. Now let us consider these in the Civil State: As:  

1 The countenancing all illegal Projects and proceed, by teaching in their pulpits the lawfulness of an arbitrary Power.  
2 The overthrowing all process at Common Law, that reflected never so little upon their Courts.  
3 The kindling a war between these two Nations, and blowing up the flame, as much as in them lay, by their Counsels, Canons, and Subsidies they granted to that end.  
4 The plots, practices, and Combinations during this Parliament; in all which they seem to have been interested more or less.   
Thus have they not contented themselves with encroachments upon our spiritual privileges, but have envied us our Civil freedom, desiring to make us grind in their mill, as the Philistims did Samson, and to put out both our eyes. O let us be avenged of these Philistims for our two eyes!  
If then the tree be to be known by its fruits, I hope you see by this time plainly the nature and quality of this tree.  
In the last place, give me leave for a close of all to present to your consideration the mischiefs, which the continuance of this Government doth threaten us with, if by the wisdom of this Committee they be not prevented.  
1 The danger our Religion must ever be in, so long as it is in the hands of such Governors, as can stand firmly in nothing more than its ruin; and whose affinity with the Popish Hierarchy makes them more confident of the Papists, than the professors of the reformed Religion, for their safety and subsistence.  
Secondly, the unhappy condition our civil State is in, whilst the Bishops have vote in the Lord's house, being there as so many obstructions, in our body Politic, to all good and wholesome Laws tending to salvation.  
Thirdly, the improbability of settling any firm or durable peace, so long as the cause of the war yet continues, and the bellows that blow up this flame.  
Lastly, and that which I will assure you goes nearest to my heart, is the check which we seem to give to Divine Providence, if we do not at this time pull down this Government. For hath not this Parliament been called, continued, preserved, and secured, by the immediate finger of God, as it were for this work? had we not else been swallowed up in many inevitable dangers, by the practices and designs of these men and their party? Hath not God left them to themselves, as well in these things, as in the evil administration of their Government, that he might lay them open unto us, and lead us, as it were, by the hand, from the finding them to be the causes of our evil, to discern that their rooting up must be our only cure? Let us not then halt any longer between two opinions, but with one heart and resolution give glory to God, in complying with his providence, and with the good safety and peace of this Church and State, which is by passing this Bill we are now upon.   
FINIS.