if

 COMPLAINTSi
_ o  CONCERNING.
 CORRVPIIONS AND
Ga11;vA_Ncas in CHURCH-
.GOVﬁRNMENL

~DI§f"’[5It: ATED AND DI-
Wfnizcrnn to the KINGS nioﬁ EX-

F ctllcnt iMajcﬁic, the tight Honourable
Loans, and the Honourable Houfci

 

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 A r, '  "ofCo MM 0 Lg-s now aﬂétnblcd in 
J: ;‘g PA&LtAMzNT. »
‘By ccrtainc peaceably aflcftcd Prcsbytcrs of ~ ‘

 ; gliggihurch of England, in the name of
—*.‘ ' all thcrcﬁ oftheir Ba E T H RE N.

glindcrtaking to maintain: the truth of their
ﬂﬂons, againit whatfocvcr Contradiﬁtouts, if

_  t a: by ' ublique Edit} of fuprctnc authority they ”
"  ; be called fo_ir_th, granting them as f _,
and frce auduncc as their Advcrthm.  -

and Itiglgc 3 not prcingagcdpr pt;-. 
' - ‘ xgfolyed for tithe: tide. A;-.

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32;’,     (" , 

CO M PL A IN TS
C'ONCER'NING g »
CORRVPT I ONS‘
  

CHuRcH—GovER'NMEN1*."

 rq 

, T is the mifer-'y of pious undertakings;
' ~;:»   elipeoialliy in tnauaermoﬁwieight, that
 " by reafon of humane frailtie , they
  cannot be perfeﬂted at once , but by
degrees, andaftermuch'time: whence it com-_
meth to paﬂ"e,? that theygate oftenagiven over,
or by i_ntel‘Yecnihg oppoﬁtion forced to abor-
tion, and imperfeéiiﬂhe. Such was the cafe of
th'at great reformation begun with us 5 as in :
the daies of thofe renowned Princes, King Ed-‘ 4
ward, and Queen‘eElizabeth,. and till this day, 
remaining unaccomplifhed.. - - ‘

Thofe now bleifed Martyrs and holy Con-'-_
feﬂbnrs , who were under thofe pious Princes,-
the ﬁtﬂ Reformers of our Church found things
by that Papall Apoftacy fo much corrupted and
disjointed , that being unable at once to cope
with all the difeales of the Church.,t.hey did,as
wife Phyﬁtians, fer themfelves ﬁrﬁ agaiuﬂ the
‘ A 2. molt

 
   

$3133)

(2)

mod deadly. defening the tell till afterwards.
‘ Hence by fuffering and preaching,they migh-
tily pulled downe the Babylon of Popifhdttl‘
&rine , and fomething 100 they didin matte’!
ofGovernement and Difcipliae. But becaufe
the vitalls of the Church confift in doétrinall
vcrities, therefore their chicée bent ofendea-
vour was for a reformationin them , which in
their time with great fucceﬂ'e they eifoﬂed: lea-
ving the reducing of Government and Difci-

line to it’s Primitive integritie, as-a worke to
gee done by poﬂeritie.

But, alas, as ufually it fallsout,the bellows-
of perfecution ccaﬁng, the ﬁre of zeale fooue
bcganne to abate -, to that after that ﬁrft heate
and impetus of reformation , { as if they which
had but begun, had at one eﬂhy done more then
enough) t e buﬁneffe went on nofurther even
till this day , Nay , ( as fome ediﬁce; gi-
ven over before it bee eoveﬂd ) it hath

ﬁnce rather decaied and fallen backe againe;

Such power hath pompe and cafe to blunt the
edge of facredinventions, and quench the {pic
rit of reformation .

As maladies not perfeﬁly cured, returne, or
turn to fame other difcafes, to was it with this
im rfe& reformation; doﬁrinall points being
re ced, but matter of difcipline left In its
former ﬁate , almoﬁ untouched : hence $1093
amongft us, even from the cradle ofont‘ 1‘€f_°1“
med Church , three feverall opinions: which

have

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‘hareenntihued even till this time‘: whofe dif-

cord nourifbed by oppofition of hot (‘pit-its,
hath encreafed till now they are come to that
extremitie,that the life and being of this {acted
Bodie, is even endangered thereby.

One {ide cries downe E ifcopacie for An ti~
chriﬂian 5 and all the dependent Governe-
ment, Canons , Ceremonies , and Liturgiefor
remainders ofPoperie, abominable, and to bee
departed from. Thcother extreme , cries it
up for facred,of Divine, Apoflolicke inﬂituti-
‘on; and it’: de ndent Politie for the moﬂ: ab-
foiute, to whit all ought to be brought, as to a
Rule of Perfeaiou : cenfuring other Char.

cheswhich have it not,either as none-,ot els im-;

perfe&,wanting a tnaine part of their bone 50}.
In the midi} ofthefe two, are a Remnant of
{ad lookers on, which have mourned in fecret,
ﬁaffered with patience, prayed for peace , and
reachedit , and fanétiﬁcation to the people;
while thofe other two, one by feparating, the
other by pen-l'ecuting,and both by froward dif-
puting,have fervedup their differences to an in-
tollerable, irreconcileable height. Both thefe
facriﬁcing to their own conceits , account all
which are not with them , to be againﬂ them.
‘ But efpecially , that Epifcopal faaion (for
diﬂ-ioaions fake give us leave fo to call it : )
which by the indulgence of gracious Princes
growing powerfull, have laboured an extirpa-

tion of all which will not thinke, fay, and
A 3 fwearc

C 4).
fweare to their opinions. Hence oflare have‘
all been: involved, as of the oppolite faaion,
which are not of theirs.-, . and no place left for
a moderate». neutrality-. New Ceremonies ,
Tasltes, Canons, Oathes have beene invented;

as nets and ﬁves to try out all ,. as bad ﬁIh,. or.
chafe , which have but diﬂiked the remaining

corruption: and defeats, which th-e.ﬁt(l:'p1unge.-

ofReforrnatiohdld not re‘dre(Te. Noitolcrar

ting now of any thing as abnrthen 5. much
ﬁlent diﬂiking of what wee a could in‘ fecret

rieve for , but not amend -f but approve all,
1_wearc to all we mutt, or el{'e'-be thrnﬂrout ,Ias‘;
fchifmaticall Puritans , and i excrementitious.
hurthens of the Church, - _  
On this enforcement,We(a~ rt of a Multi--
tude of laborious Prerbyterf. o the Ghur_c,h.in'
the name of all the reft) doe now Complainet

bccaufe in this height of alldevouring Faction;
our patient ﬁlence will nolongcr priviled

e

us from extirpation. . _ gl
' And ﬁth into onrhands, God hath put fol
bletfed an opportnnity,as to {peak to the whole.
Kingdome, Head and Members at once, in one.
Body conioyned andtintent , about a work of
Reformation. We be humbly bold and plaino
to lay open our Grievances, hoping that the
fez time is come for the quenching of there
coales ofdiifenﬁon, which have not only lived;
but encreafed for fo many years in the Church;
by completingof that Reformation , which ill

the

( S )
themaine vital] points was long {ince efFe&ed*:
and in the reﬁ (wee hope , and pray) after
more then an age ofinter-‘ru tion,is refe rved as
your Crowne and~'Glory to he perfeéted.
‘Experienceehath e’re this taugh-tus the woe-
full eﬂ‘e&s-of an halfe done worke: the uplhot
ofour‘jarres~now declares that fcrupulous ur-
ging ofRi’tualls, cannot Rand with the welfare
of a Church . T-hofe Convul-{ions,.and renting
Paines the body now feeles, thew us that the
humours were not at ﬁrft fully purged: God
wilf have athrough worke done. . If inftead of
redreﬂing that which remaines , you tbinke to
tranfaé} all thefe differences by. removing of
Perfons, and not Things-5 well you may thu[h
our Troubles for a feafon,but they will return:
againe with agreater violence. . e. e = 
Now is that Power na&uated,“'whlch alone
can bringczo‘  ebisgreat worke. And if the
tort! taife’ pleafure in this h-ispoore Cburch,he
wi 11 give th eeffea, that it maybe performed. .
If men would reft in the {ole aurhorityof
the Scriptt_1_res,?rno_ﬂ oontroverﬁes both about
points’ of ‘ ‘Faithond 3Fo_rmes. of Government
wotrld angle an_ae‘IIlie’:1io’folution.- «Andif be’-
ﬁdes,Gqds Word , we bringin -mens.au‘thority
we draw out the thredof contention into.end-
ieﬂh difputes zmens faces differ notmore in fea-
tur3"then‘their miandes doe in opinion. :: and
each will dote on , and propugne his owne

conceits: their judgements diﬂcnt one from
- another,

<6) 
another,and oft from them felves. . 
Let the divinely infpired§vrici_n‘gs then heel
our guide in this point-of Church Gover_nn;ent:.:
what is there confiituted muﬂ: be_c_hc1dinviola- J
ble : what isa deviation from that, mutt bee pp
accounted Apoliacy and Corruption,ag well in
Difcipline as in Doélrine: "no plea of anti ui-ti,
tyor uuiverfality, can priviledge it from’
imputation , what is not therein appointed, _
mutt at xnofi bee held but as c

onducent not npeé
telTarie.. No, though it be proved to he:'recei-
ved into the Churches , in the

age immediatly
{ncceeding the Apoﬂles: all;after them were
but of a private fpirit. And it is apparent that
Ambition and Cor-ru ions grew u as foonein 
the Government of eChureb.a lgirors in the
Doctrine thereof. i
Suffer us therefore , with yourwonted petii. -
ence and lenity, which are men preing ed . 4
no {ide or fa&ion,bu_t the free hruhlean mee
{ervantsofTruth, to declare our triindd eon?-
eerning the ﬁrﬂ and pureﬁ form of the Church'-
es government; and then (as Veritar e uepfurp .- .
ﬁn’ at olrligm) from that light to di cover the 
heavie grievances which at this day remain: 
uurenioved in our National] Church.  
1-. It is a perpetual] Ordinance of CIm'ﬂ,tha‘t
there {hculd be Teﬂon and Teacher: in the
Church for the

adminiﬁration of the Word,’
Sacraments,and f 'rituall Difcipline. ’

a, That there dbea Soeietie of thtré
‘faﬂorr .

I at‘

‘”"""' T - “L:~s.i.u'i?‘.:%f’." ' A  '

 

(77)

Paﬁor: or Prgrbytrrin every particularchnreh,

is”-an A‘po{tolickeappointment5 who ha" an-‘-0

exaaly prefcribed what manner of men they
ought to be. , ‘

3-. That thiscompany of Elders ‘lhonlcﬂaave
the charge of the Church, in which they are
conﬂituted :«and the power of Feeding, Cen fu-
ring and ‘Ordering the ‘Flocke committed to
them : as alfo of ordering Elders and Olﬁcers
in the Church : The worke of Preaching and
facramentall adminiﬂration to be done by any
one of them : But that of jurifdiéiion and Or-
dination by thefociety, as a common A&, not
competible to any onein particular.

4. Among thefe, and in all their Aas, there
ought to be Decencie, Order, the Bond of
Peace, Humility, Meeknelfe, and an ayme, that
the fpirit of the molt fcandalons Offender , or
ﬂubborneﬂ oppofer may be brought to Re-
pentance; and faved in the Day of the Lord
}e/us.
5. That the Bounds and extent of every
particular Church ought to be a Towne , and
fo mnchof the adjacent Territory and Villa-
ges as fuch a Presbytery can well by them felvs
watch over, and take a fpirituall care of.

6. That this fociety , efpecially thofe of
theﬂi which ldlfaar in the Wordalul Do£?rinc,may
challenge from the People, whom they take
fpirituall care of,douHc honourtand liberal fait-

able Maintcna'ne'e,to the Calling they execute.

B 7. That

C3)

7. Thatevery one whois confecrate to this - ;

Presbyterie or Office muﬁ wait on it : be inﬁant
in it,and therfore reﬁde within the conﬁnes of
that Church , where he hath fuch charge, 0’
there where he may by himfelfe on all occaﬁt
ons attend on it. t I
8._ That in cafes of ﬂrife and difficulty in any
Church , recourfe rnuft be had to the Meeting
of the ruofr able Presbyters of the Churches for
their determinations : and every one ought to
f ubie& his Spirit to-the Spirits of fuchProphets,
yielding to the Cuﬂomes of the Churches of
God : -provided they cnoﬂe not the All-.com-
mandiing evidence of God: immutable Word,
either direﬁly, or by due con fequenee.
Thefe are Rules in theGofpell, either dire-
aly conﬂituted, or evidently deducedour of
expreﬂe Con ﬂitution-,or praélife fo folemn and

Ilniverfall, that it hathin it the reafon and:

venue of an Conftitution .-Co that every addition
which thwarteth or hindereth the due execu-
tion of thefe, mutt needs be accounted aDege-
neration from originall rity of Govern-
mentgand a corruption in acted Politic , have
it never {'0 much Antiquity , or weight of hu.

mane Authority to plead for. it, and give coun-,
teuancc to it.

One thing morerhene isrvhich on probable" ‘

ground, (eemeth to be taken up by the lptaaiﬁ
offorne Churches in the latter end of .t c APO’

1ﬁolike.age,_fome of them yet living-,and that if

the

 

 

’ ‘C 9)
theproﬁafie or preﬁdence of one of thefe P“-
.r, Bifbop: or Trerbyers above the ref}. But it
cannot poliibly with any colour of confequenee
be proved to be Jaiboritative .- being only for
Order and Unitie , that all their common A&s

yfhould have a beginning from One : as if many

Deacons fhonld appoint an Arch-Deacon ; or
many Bifhopsan Arch-Bilhop, in common a&s
to be the Month and Hand of the fociety.

And thispreeminence of One(if the utmoft
of darke probability be granted) appeareth to
be but the meere praéiife ’of fame particular
C.lmI_fChcc;" fo that it cannot have the univerfall
bmdl ng force of a Law front that grpnndgmuch
le{I'e of an Apoﬁolike Contticution, or Divin e
Right. _

Now are we defcended from the ﬁrﬂ Age ;
and fo what ever follows can be but of humane
and alterable Conﬁitntion. Very foou thcfc
preﬁdents of the Presbterier, either aﬂhmed, or
by their Compresbyters had conferredon them
Authority andjurisdicﬁiong and by way of pro-
priety the name oftifbof .-fo that whc re before
it was the P1-esbytery,now it was the Biﬂup and
his ‘Prerbyters.

But obferve : I . That his Dioces, Parilh, or
Church was no larger then He and his Pre:6;-
uracould well Overfec and Govetnco 2. That
this Bzjbojahad the Burthen, as well as the Dig-
aitie and Ohiefty paired over tohim,for He was

the ordinary Preacher of that Church : the
  L 3 9 ‘frerbyterr

C10’)

.¥reJ5'7tcrJ for the moft part a{liﬁing'in“matter‘  

of Dlfcipline and {acratne'n«:all_ Adminiﬂryati-i

on. 3. That hedid nothingof weight by him- i

felfe , but with the concurring Authority andi
confent of his Piexlzyterie. i o

Beyond this, we will not proceed - forthelc '.’

Baﬂaapt now gottenabove their Brethren , and
making up the rnaiue body of the .Councels- , in“

which all Decrees were.ena€ted,: k«new~ how to it

make the diﬂance ’twixt~ themfelves and their

once Compresbyters greater and greater , by»
lifting up themfelves,and depreﬂing thofe,who' i

now of Aﬂbeiates were become Servants and;
Vaﬂals toEpifcopall principalitic.  
But what-ever came to paffe in after-Ag-es,i»r‘
was but by the hand of Man eItabli{hed',and‘ the"
like handmay abolifhit 2 reduced all muff be to
the former Scripture andApo&olik ru1‘es.lf ac«~
celforiesdeviat from the rn,t heyare Apoﬁacies,

which muftberedaccd-, iﬁthere bea through: i

Reformation. How can their maintenance be.
jvuﬁiﬁed in a Church which hath .profeﬂ'ed.to.

make the Scriptures her Rule, and to xrejea all’ ’ V

which is exalted againﬁ its Divineaud abfolute
Soveraignt y.

Proofes we have not annexed to the former" _
ailerted Truths, to avoyd over-bold. rohx,1t1e~

in a fupplication of this nature : as 9.1 o becaulh.
the molt of them are obvious to every M805
colleaion which is exercifed in God: B‘00k_¢-
But if any of them {hall be oppofcd, being C01‘
lcdto it by Authority», and having th¢fL‘-';
O .'

or

 

 

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 p1Ei1ig1'ged 

witféy G5d9:gt&S¢:.WIch'aH:mcekhdﬂ'qdD8k%
' " ‘what is hectié.eaﬂ'crtcc! Tfcontrak

i&__io"n-of ‘inffaychrsf-T7 '1 :_ X. .‘  :;.-3?» I-.._,  -,
;. Nowtwi tlrwc praccﬁdiislgiatnnmcrétian; QB
ahofq pbliq_ni»ti,es undcotru ptioinsimcn r;C'b:rr6s
(}overm_n_e—nt- ,. which call to?‘your.’fupsreame
Power to be reﬁiﬁed. And wee. proteft before.
the _Ail-knowing God, that Wee doeit not out
of engic of any mans Greatneife, or ambitious’
Affeﬁation to bee. medling in State affaires ,-
things too highfor us : but from the powerful!
command of Confcience; from unfaigned love
to the Gofpell of Cl»-zﬂ,w.hofe Efﬁtacie. isrnucht
impeach: by the following Corru ions.-,. and.
andfrom filiall Commiferation 0 our woun.
ded andtorne Mother. Whofe breaches wea
verily apprehend cannot be made upgbnt by re-
ducin of her Di('cip1_inctg8. nr¢"C0ﬂC0rddnce'
with t ('c.origiaal!DiviI1c refcript-,ions.._ :
We complain then,   -

I. That the Power ofjurifdiftion and Or-
dination is claimed and exercifcd by Bzfbopr, as
their {ole Right , in aldiﬁinaion from Prerby
term. This we afﬁrme to be an Exorbi-tance
from the {econdof thofe right, original! and
Apoftolike Ordinances for Church -Govern-—
ment. And as itis a departure from the Rule;
fo it isa maine corruption of evill confequence
in the Church: for it is , Firfi, an Ufurpation
and undue. appropriation of a.Legacic which

Chriﬁ beﬁowed in Common , to _reﬁde ‘in the
B g AC0»:

. Relidents, and Lazie Voluptua

_ Irefbjtcric of a

V

»( I2 )

‘Confﬂ‘ﬂ5,OfViVl10lC Preﬂqtcrie, and to bee exer-
-cifed by their common l'n&'r

age. It not being in
the Przﬂ

yer: power to {trip themfelves , and
.caﬂ: on

one man that which was beftowed, and
by the Donor intended to the whole Commu-
nity oftheir focietie. Secondly, a fevering 05
the Word and the Keyes ,which cannot with-
out detriment to; either bee fnndred. To Feed
and Rule are the two parts of Paﬂor-ﬂaipwherc
both zare, there is a1’a(}or : fo that, with us,
while it is Ones worke to governe which“ fel-
dome Feedeth : and the worke as the tell to
Feed, which muff not meddle with Govern-

ment, there is no full Paﬁor: But the Office is
delhoyed by being divided; and the Word in
the mouthes of a difarmed Pr: mic is weake ,
edgeleﬂe andcontemptible. Tgi-rdly , the _or-
daining of a Number of Prerbyterc at large .-
whereby the (lurch is ﬁlled

with needy Mini-
{’cers,loofe from any fetled e

m Ioyment, ﬁtat
low rates to’ bee hired by fat lnraliﬁs , Non-

ries; which elfe
would bee to feeke of Mercenarie fupplies‘, or
bee driven in a ptnurie to

give higher wages;
But hereby the Sacred Oﬂice is expofed to Con-
temptf; and the Ordination to the Oﬁce and

nﬂltution into 3 Charge, are made feverall
Aas.-, a divorce unheard of in that Primitive
Politic: Which groﬂe abufe could not bee , 35
Ordination were the common A& of the wholc
(batch. Fourthly, intromiﬂion

to

 

torlseorerﬁght of  “’ “FM” 
ﬁoniacall , fcandalous_, an map: to teach ~
which can ealilyﬂealo into Ofﬁce, by the cone
nivence or corruption of One; but : If the
Power were in a Multitude, it could not foone

be eﬁ‘e&ed.s
2. The exceﬂive Provinciail extent of Di-

gcefan (barber, is an evident departure not
onely fromthe ﬁft oftbofe pure original! Con-
ﬂitutions 5 but alfo from the manner of after
Ages, till Bifhopr in their Synods provided bet .
ter for their own Great ne(Te, then the (‘lmrrbe r
Welfare- Then they degraded the Chm-pz'j‘copz';
and made Orders that Bilbopr (hould be placed
only in the greater and more frc uentc.-dCities.
Thisis, asa departure from the rﬂ: pure man-
ner; fo much for the worfe; for hence arife
thefe Grievances : Negleét of Reformation ,
both in difordered Minitiers and People : Re-
moteneife of the Bifbopr feat : Expences ofTra.
vailing 5. Difﬁcultie of proving, and tedious exc-
peéiation of the iflhe of Suits,where Crimes
muff bee tried before ]udges', who are meerei
ftrangers to the Perfons and-Caufesa commit’);
before them, deterre almoii all men from o
troublefome an undertaking : And thus the
cbarrlm are peﬁer’d within atnons 0§'€nd€~l'S2
which could not be if the bounds of a Cbarrba
were foappointed, that all its members might
be under the eye of the Governonrs. 2. Depu-A

ration of Authoriticand Jurifdiﬁion £0 °‘h°f55—
2:

‘( I4)

an-loft gtoffet degeneration from ‘that Primi-
tive Difci line 5 which never heard of fnch a
thing as t e deputing of any part of ‘Paﬂarall
Oﬁiee : which :is committed to Men fortheir
Perfonall abiiitiesg and cannot without abufe
be committed to thofe who are oft Lay men,

and neither of Paﬂarall parts or Calling. Hence
that numerous frie8< fubordination ofOfﬁcers,‘
with the multitude of Fees’, which muff needs
be, where the Cburcbe: are whole Cowttriex ; fo
1 arge,that it is impoﬂible thatone Pajfor [hould

difpatch all by bimfelfe.

3. The Non-reﬁdence of men having P4j2'o-
rall (‘barge is a groﬂe violation of the fevcnth
ofthofe Apoﬁolike Confiitutions; and -is”a'n,
unexcufable Corruption, unfit to be tolerated
in any well governed ﬂmrcb.

4. A Plurality of Paﬂonll Charge: underta-
ken by one Man , is alfo a groffe exorbitancie,
brought in with the former, after Church 60-
«umnent was at the worft. Two Evilsnvhieh are
the fhame of our Church, not fit to bee natnedin
a Reformed Church : brought in, and Continuv
ed meerely to notlrilh Ambition, Pompe , Vo-
luptuoufnes,and Avarice in Clergie-men. Tbefe
two ufually goe togethcr,this laﬁ necetﬁtatin
the former; and are feminarie Evils. I-‘irﬁ, in.
ducing a ucccfﬁtic dcputing Pa_{¥'oraIl’CI2arge,
which every one before God undertakes to’ per-
forme in his ‘,owne Pcrfon. Secondly , church
Robbery , by tranfporting the facrcd allow;

IDCD ‘

/A

 

(I 5)
lance paid and-intended for the mainteuanc
3 vigilant painfull Paﬁar over the foules of the

People which atford it to another Place
Pct on 5 which hath onely the Title and Charge,

but doth not the worke of a P-aﬁor. 3. Thirdly,

eof

and

Impietie in placing a Mercenary unable for the
Charge; or Irfuitice, if He fubfcitute one ablc
and full difc arging the Oﬂicc, allowing him
the lealtypartof that maintenance which was
originallyintcnded (and in no other plea can
be challenged of the People) for performing

the Oﬁcg,

-5- Impoﬁng, and rigorous urging on great’:
undoing , extirpating Penalties , Ceremonies,
Taskes, and Oathes, meerely adp/acitlml , and
for their owne ends 5 contrary-to the fourth of
thofe prime Scripture Cannons 5 wherby Chri-
ﬂian libertie in indifferents is much impaired-
Many worth _Men of great abilities,paines and
fneeeﬂe of xniftry in their [‘barga:, but of ten-
der and {irié} Confciences,have been thrufi out;
{chifmes and diffentions in the bowels of the
C/Mr:/1:, for the {pace now of more then fourt-
fcore yeares nourifhed, _to the prejudice of our
Eccleﬁa&icallnPeace; which we apprehend can
never be fully attained, till liberty of Confci-
ence in indilferencies , and points of {mall con-
fcquence, but, teat Controverﬁe bee granted.
Iffeveritie of enfures , and force could have
brought forth Unitie, it had in this time beene

eifeéled. This Remedie hath beene long ap-
‘ ‘ C plied

(“I 5)
plied, and ‘yet {add experience now tells ns,that*«
the difeafe hath growne worfe and wort’:-

6. The carriage and conftitntion of out Con-
vocations or(if they may be fo called )our Nati-
onall Synodes is {nah , that it is impoﬂible to
proceed to a reformation in any ofthefe Eccle-
ﬁafiieall diftortions , by that
they, for the maine, but Meetings of the one
Party, conﬁﬁing of Bifhops , Deanes ,'. Arch-
D¢=Icons,and other dependers on Epifcopacy,
and preengaged perfons?  that there, is as

little hope for nsof reformation in points of - -

Government, from them, as was for the Prote-
ﬁants ﬁde,oFa faire deciﬁon of their cont rp-
verfies in the Councell of Trent, where parties

are lndgel , the fentenee iepa&d,.be£ore the
caufeis heard. - - ‘ ‘

We have done. Would to God we cohld

make the Churches maladies, and our grievan-
ces fewer : -So far at-eve from making them 0-
dions, by raifing them to a multitude. Thai’:
ﬁx we conceive to be the Capitall and Semina-
ry evils : Others of inferior allay we omit, be-
came they moﬁly ﬂow from thefc,and the prin-

cipal! being removed, the Acceﬂaries will alfo a

fall.

Oh that there were a way to cnre.I.IIcers,
and notﬁrﬁ to anti p them,and lay them open?
We proteli before the   fearcher of all hearts!
that nothing but our zeaie tothe Truth, and
our Mothetsweliuae, could have moved as out

of-

way: what are '

(17)

vol’ a-refolution ofﬁlence, andbrought us to

{land up thus -as*PlatintiiFes. r

Far be it from any charitably minded Chri-
ftian, whofe eye (hall be cal’: onjthcfe ape:-s,to
paﬂe on us any hard Cenfurc of Here xe,Schil'm,

- or fatfious inclination.

We call not -alllipifcopacie Anti-Chriﬁian,

not condemn: their fuperiority , as {imply un-
lawfull, as did that old Aériw. Though we
muff needs Cay, what every Godly Antiquary

cannot but fee, that

ofconfu on,the.Papac

it was a faire occaﬁon for

that Myﬁery of iniquity to workc on 5 a fit-
ly raifed round on which to build that fabriclt
y. That man of Gnnc,

lbonlearnedto exalt himfelfeabove Bilh0ps:,

-from their elevation above their once fellow

fals tothe Pope, who

-Communion for thefe corruptions.

Presbyters. I-low juﬁly were they made Val‘-
ﬁrﬁ had made the Pres-

byters ofthe;Chur:hes«thcirS ?
Neither‘ do we erzgere almre contra almre,

diflblve the Churches unity, and leave her
When’

‘-we call for atCure, we afﬁrme that there is life,
«andthopc.ofrccover_y. It is an argument that

our charity remaines.:, and

therefore we can-

..not be charged as Novations, and Separatifis.
A turbulent diflcmpefd 26216, Cannot be
imputed to them whole ayme is peace , whofe
tdeareeﬂeeme of unity isfuch, that they could
-redeeme it with their blood : And who all

this time have borne chefeburthens, now com-
(; 2 plamed

(18)

plained of, with aﬁlent patienee,.ai-ndihad {iill
continued under an humble fubmiﬂion , ands
yceldingconformity, ifthat would have given
content, as till thefe times» it had done : But:
when things grew to that extremity , that
we mufi not onely beare,but allow, and fweare.
Valfallage, to that which we cannot but call
corruptions , and deﬂeéiions, in Government,
fromApoliolike Puriy:It was high time to.com-
plaine, and to cry out , fora removall of evils ,
whichwe mull approve, or not Be.

Politicall’ defeﬁs and‘ diftempers , can have
noredrelle, burfrom that power , which is {us-
preme; Vnto that therefore, with all proiirate
humility , weprefent our earnefi reqiieﬂ , that
thefe evils,being difcovered, maybe removed.

We are poore Men, of lowveondition, whofe
rneafure is not to rule, but to fubmit. sV.Vc_. pm.
fcribe not formes ofGovernment:We difclame
not Epifcopacie, ‘Government: mnli be, orruine
will he in all Societies. Ifwe mutt obey ,. as
gooci a Bifhop with asPresbytery, asva‘ Presbyte-
ry without a—Bil1iop.A~l we fue for is,that (lmji
may rule without impeachment, in his owne
I-loufe. . That thole generall fotealledged
conflitutions, which he and his Apoﬁles fetled
in the Churches of their ﬁrft gathering, may be
ohferved inviolable. '

Humane Ordinances fhould ﬁn-xhcr , not
make voyd, or hinder Divine. Let your Au-
thority reteyne in-Government,.or eﬁahljilh

W at.

e mutt needs be t
- when the members are out o

( 15 )

what it feeth convenient, fo it concord with,or
at leaﬁ, doe not enorvate thofe {acted Rules,
What ever is againli them,
that it-any whit Brands in their way, mull: be re-
moved,or we lhall never fee true peace : That
peace which kiffeth Righteoufnelfe, which is

the ﬁrme Band of Spirituall unity. __
Reﬂleﬂe paints, and inordiate AOtion,'

fome higher fet, fome lower,then they lhould
be: Innovation it muff needs be termed , and
defeaion, be the Authors never fo mauy , An-

fwerve

cient, or holy, where theirradditionals
fe the ufe, andintention 0 -.

from, and opgo
rigiuall Con ‘ it

or {'0 beﬁdes them,

he confequent of Luxati-ans :
f their due ‘places,

utions. .
{ut'i».'iance of our ‘

A redreffernent of this,is the
me not to deﬁne the '.

lowly Petition 5, we preﬁx _
mannerhow, but we befeech that It may be,
and fully ,- foeirat-matter be not left for atohrrd
Couvulﬁon , and" lolidly , that Corruptrons
fpringnot againe, out of any remaynin prin-
ciples. So (hall the Soulesof all the
love the Lordlefw in ﬁncerity, and pf€‘€1':h15
Truth, beyond felfe- refpeas , bath in pfcfﬂl 17:
and future ages renowne your names, 43 0
thofe who have done worthily = HOW CV51‘ 3 W‘?
have difcharged our Duty 5 and 1'" the
Lord ﬁnd meanes, and time, to I003 011‘: What‘

ever he hath not planted.
n- I N» I» S-

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