wretched worms of the earth. Notwithstanding, forasmuch as they wrong themselves with over rigorous and extreme exactions, by means whereof they fall sometimes into such perplexities as can hardly be allayed; it hath therefore pleased Almighty God, in tender commiseration over these imbecilities of men, to ordain for their spiritual and ghostly comfort Consecrated Persons, which by Sentence of power and authority given from above, may, as it were, out of his very mouth ascertain timorous and doubtful minds in their own particular, ease them of all their scrupulosities, leave them settled in peace and satisfied touching the mercy of God towards them. To use the benefit of this help for our better satisfaction in such cases is so natural, that it can be forbidden no man; but yet not so necessary, that all men should be in case to need it.

They are, of the two, the happier, therefore, that can content and satisfy themselves, by judging discreetly what they perform, and soundly what God doth require of them. For having, that which is most material, the substance of Penitency rightly bred touching signs and tokens thereof, we may boldly affirm that they do [err], which imagine for every offence a certain proportionable degree in the passions and griefs of mind, whereunto whosoever aspireth not, repenteth in vain. That to frustrate men's confessions and considerations of sin, except every circumstance which may aggravate the same be unript and laid in the balance, is a merciless extremity; although it be true, that as near as we can such wounds must be searched to the very bottom. Last of all, to set down the like stint, and to shut up the doors of mercy against Penitents which come short thereof in the devotion of their Prayers, in the continuance of their Fasts, in the largeness and bounty of their Alms, or in the course of any other such like duties; is more than God himself hath thought meet, and consequently more than mortal men should presume to do. That which God doth Jer. chiefly respect in men's Penitency is their hearts. The heart is it which maketh Repentance sincere, sincerity that which findeth favour in God's sight, and the favour of God that which supplieth by gracious acceptation whatsoever may seem defective in the faithful, hearty, and true offices of his servants. "Take it (saith Chrysostom) upon my Chrys. credit, Such is God's merciful inclination towards men, that Repar.

xxix. 13.

ii. 12.

de

ad

Deposit.

c. Talis.

laps. lib. Repentance offered with a single and sincere mind he never Theodor. refuseth; no, not although we be come to the very top dist. 3. of iniquity." If there be a will and desire to return, he receiveth, embraceth, omitteth nothing which may restore us to former happiness; yea, that which is above all the rest, albeit we cannot, in the duty of satisfying him, attain what we ought, and would, but come far behind our mark, he taketh nevertheless in good worth that little which we do; be it never so mean, we lose not our labour therein. The least and lowest step of Repentance in Saint Chrysostom's judgment severeth and setteth us above them that perish in their sin: I therefore will end with St. Augustine's conclusion, "Lord, in thy Book and Volume of Life all exxxix. shall be written, as well the least of thy Saints, as the chiefest." Let not therefore the unperfect fear; let them only proceed and go forward.

Aug.

in Psal.

[16.]

BOOK VII.

THEIR SIXTH ASSERTION, THAT THERE OUGHT NOT TO BE IN THE CHURCH, BISHOPS INDUED WITH SUCH AUTHORITY AND HONOUR AS OURS ARE.

THE MATTER CONTAINED IN THIS SEVENTH BOOK.

1. The state of Bishops although sometime oppugned, and that by such as therein would most seem to please God, yet by his providence upheld hitherto, whose glory it is to maintain that whereof himself is the author.

2. What a Bishop is, what his Name doth import, and what doth belong unto his Office as he is a Bishop.

3. In Bishops two things traduced; of which two, the one their Authority; and in it the first thing condemned, their Superiority over other Ministers: what kind of Superiority in Ministers it is which the one part holdeth, and the other denieth, lawful.

4. From whence it hath grown, that the Church is governed by Bishops. 5. The time and cause of instituting every where Bishops with restraint. 6. What manner of power Bishops from the first beginning have had.

7. After what sort Bishops, together with Presbyters, have used to govern the Churches which were under them.

8. How far the power of Bishops hath reached from the beginning in respect of territory, or local compass.

9. In what respects Episcopal Regiment hath been gainsayed of old by Aërius. 10. In what respects Episcopal Regiment is gainsayed by the authors of pretended reformation at this day.

11. Their arguments in disgrace of Regiment by Bishops, as being a mere invention of man, and not found in Scripture, answered.

12. Their arguments to prove, there was no necessity of instituting Bishops in the Church.

13. The fore-alleged arguments answered.

14. An answer unto those things which are objected, concerning the difference between that power which Bishops now have, and that which ancient Bishops had, more than other Presbyters.

15. Concerning the Civil power and authority which our Bishops have.

16. The arguments answered, whereby they would prove, that the Law of God, and the judgment of the best in all ages, condemneth the ruling superiority of one Minister over another.

17. The second malicious thing wherein the state of Bishops suffereth obloquy, is their Honour.

18. What good doth publicly grow from the Prelacy.

19. What kinds of Honour be due unto Bishops.

20. Honour in title, place, ornament, attendance, and privilege.

21. Honour by endowment with Lands and Livings.

22. That of Ecclesiastical goods, and consequently of the Lands and Livings which Bishops enjoy, the propriety belongs unto God alone.

23. That Ecclesiastical persons are receivers of God's rents, and that the Honour of Prelates is to be thereof his chief receivers, not without liberty from him granted of converting the same unto their own use, even in large manner. 24. That for their unworthiness to deprive both them and their successors of such goods, and to convey the same unto men of secular callings, [were] now extreme sacrilegious injustice.

state of

although

some

time op

The 1. I HAVE heard that a famous Kingdom in the world Bishops being solicited to reform such disorders as all men saw the Church exceedingly burthened with, when of each degree pugned, great multitudes thereunto inclined, and the number of them by such did every day so increase that this intended work was likely in would to take no other effect than all good men did wish and labour seem to for; a principal Actor herein (for zeal and boldness of spirit) God, yet thought it good to shew them betimes what it was which

and that

as there

most

please

by his

providence

apheld

whose

to

tain that,

himself

is the author.

must be effected, or else that there could be no work of perfect Reformation accomplished. To this purpose, in a bitherto, solemn Sermon, and in a great Assembly, he described glory it unto them the present quality of their Public Estate by the main- parable of a tree, huge and goodly to look upon, but without whereof that fruit which it should and might bring forth; affirming, that the only way of redress was a full and perfect establishment of Christ's Discipline (for so their manner is to entitle a thing hammered out upon the forge of their own invention), and that to make way of entrance for it, there must be three great limbs cut off from the body of that stately tree of the Kingdom. Those three limbs were three sorts of men: Nobles, whose high estate would make them otherwise disdain to put their necks under that yoke; Lawyers, whose Courts being not pulled down, the new Church-consistories were not like to flourish; finally, Prelates, whose ancient dignity, and the simplicity of their intended Church-discipline, could not possibly stand together. The proposition of which device being plausible to active spirits, restless through desire of innovation, whom commonly nothing doth more offend than a change which goeth fearfully on by slow and suspicious paces; the heavier and more experienced sort began presently thereat to pull back their feet again, and exceedingly to fear the stratagem of Reformation for ever after. Whereupon ensued those extreme conflicts of the one part with the other; which continuing and increasing to this very day, have now made the state of that flourishing Kingdom even such, as whereunto we may most fitly apply those words of the Prophet Jeremiah, "Thy breach is great ii 13.] like the sea, who can heal thee?" Whether this were done in truth, according to the constant affirmation of some avouching the same, I take not upon me to examine; that which I note therein is, How with us that policy hath been corrected. For to the Authors of pretended Reformation

[Lam.

with us, it hath not seemed expedient to offer the edge of the axe unto all three boughs at once, but rather to single them, and strike at the weakest first, making show that the lop of that one shall draw the more abundance of sap to the other two, that they may thereby the better prosper. All prosperity, felicity, and peace, we wish multiplied on each Estate, as far as their own hearts' desire is: but let men know that there is a God, whose eye beholdeth them in all their ways; a God, the usual and ordinary course of whose justice, is to return upon the head of malice the same devices which it contriveth against others. The foul practices which have been used for the overthrow of Bishops, may perhaps wax bold in process of time to give the like assault even there, from whence at this present they are most seconded.* Nor let it over-dismay them who suffer such things at the hands of this most unkind world, to see that heavenly estate and dignity thus conculcated, in regard whereof so many their predecessors were no less esteemed than if they had not been men, but angels, amongst men. With former Bishops it was as with Job in the days of that prosperity which at large he describeth, saying, "Unto me men gave ear, they [Job waited and held their tongue at my counsel; after my words 22, 25.] they replied not; I appointed out their way and did sit as chief; I dwelt as it had been a King in an army." At this day, the case is otherwise with them; and yet no otherwise than with the self-same Job at what time the alteration of his estate wrested these contrary speeches from him, " But now [Job they that are younger than I mock at me, the children of 1, 8, 9.] fools, and offspring of slaves, creatures more base than the earth they tread on; such as if they did shew their heads, young and old would shout at them and chase them through the street with a cry: their song I am, I am a theme for them to talk on." An injury less grievous, if it were not offered by them whom Satan hath through his fraud and subtilty so far beguiled, as to make them imagine herein they do unto God a part of most faithful service. Whereas Cyp. the Lord in truth whom they serve herein is, as St. Cyprian Ep.3.

xxix. 21,

lib. i.

[In the struggle for a thorough Reformation much that is not defensible must have occurred, but impartial history has pronounced its judgment on the provocations. Of the infringements made and maintained by Authority in relation to Religion the reader may in part judge from what is before him: of those relating to Civil Affairs, Dr. WARNER, Rector of St. Michael, Queenhithe, in Vol. II. p. 247, of his Eccl. Hist. of England, 1757, has not hesitated to denominate Queen Elizabeth, "a Tyrant, who violated the Laws by which she held her Crown."]