THere is nothing more necessary for Marriners on the vast Ocean, than a Prospective glasse, to descry their enemies thereby to de­fend & preserve themselvs, looking in such a glasse they my per­ceive things a far off as neare at hand; by which meanes they are the sooner readier to oppose an enemy & prevent danger. Even so neces­sary is this Mirror, this Land-Glasse I intend to treate of (a Parliament) in this may be discovered who are enemies and who friends to the King­dome, who are friends and who enemies to themselves: In this Glasse may be clearely discerned what dangers are neare, and how to avoyd and prevent the same. This Looking-Glasse I have denominated the Bishops Mirror or the Clergies Prospective, not but that it is necessary, yea of absolute necessity for the whole State and body Pollitique of this Kingdome to looke into: But my reason why I attribute to it this only denomination is, because these Persons of the Clergy, as well great Pre­lates as inferious Ministers, have been the only Enemies of this King­dome, as well to the Religion, as Civill Laws and Statutes ordained for the Government thereof.

In this Prospective they may, if they looke but in it, see cleerly them­selves and all their actions; they may by the same discerne the danger they are in, and what meanes they may best use for prevention thereof: And in speaking hereof, I shall observe 2 principall things.

• 1 The best way to looke in this Glasse to discerne rightly.
• 2 When having perfect sight herein, rightly to descry how to pre­serve the spectators from danger, if they perceive themselves defective.

And first of the manner of looking in this Mirror, & that is twofold.

First, as the spectators are constrained to present themselves to the view thereof; and secondly, as voluntarily of themselves looke therein: And [Page 2] by this we may perceive the exceeding vertue of this Mirror, in drawing to its view like the Load-stone, persons be they never so refractory, never so obstinate, be their hea [...]ts like Iron, this Glasse if but looked into will make them compliable, and mollifie their cruell and hard-hartednesse. And secondly, the vertue thereof, in refreshing, comforting, and curing the wounds, sores and diseases, the spectators perceive themselves by the same to be infected withall.

1 And for the first, constrained inspection into this Prospective, is a ne­cessary vertue belonging to the same, for man by nature given altogether to uncleannes & impurity being infected with all kind of wickednes & impiety, blinded in understanding, averse in will and affection to any thing that is good, unwilling to looke into and examine themselves, or to be discerned and taken notice of by others, thereby nourishing and suffering their infectious diseases to spread and increase, not onely in themselves, to the indangering and hastening of their perpetuall destructions, but is catching to others, and of such a dangerous na­ture is this sicknesse of perverse and uncleane spirits, that when once caught, not easily again to be removed or cured by any ordinary meanes, but requires great skill and extraordinary paines to remove and cure the same, so that this vertue in this Prospective is for the reasons I have allea­ged, not only necessary, but of absolute necessity.

2 Another vertue there is in this Glasse, and that is the soveraigne po­wer and efficacy therof, in curing and remedyingall diseases and infirmi­ties whatsoever the State is infected withall, no ulcer being never so dangerous, no sore be it never so infectious, but viewing it in this Mir­ror, will receive remedy; no discontent, or trouble of mind whatsoe­ver, of any person, of what degree or dignity soever, of what function or profession soever, [...]ut may receive comfort, & contentment, and be pa­cified, if they view themselves in this Prospective, and thus much of the 2 prime and soveraigne vertues this Glasse is attended and indowed with­all.

I come now to p [...]osecute my intentions touching the right manner of looking into this Mirror, and that as I said is twofold.

1 Constrained obedience in presenting themselves to the view of this Glasse, the soveraigne power of this Mirror in this particular, I have somewhat already touched only, serving for proof of the necessity of this vertue. I now will handle the vertue it selfe, the power and soveraignty of this Prospective is so great, and spatious, that it brings within its cir­cumference all persons whatsoever in this Kingdom, from the highest to the lowest, no person be he never so high in authority, never so great in honor and dignity, never so well favored and beloved, either of his [Page 3] Prince or the People, of never so holy a function and profession, be he of never so politique and subtle a Wit, and Vnderstanding; be he never so private in his actions and designes, but will he, nill he, he must view himselfe and be viewed in this Glasse, if he be within the Circuit and Compasse thereof: and thus much shall serve to bee spoken of the pow­er of this Prospective.

2 I come to speake of the willing spectators that present themselves to the view thereof, in which I observe these particulars.

1 Such persons as by command from the King present themselves cheer­fully to his Majesty with their advise and counsels in the service both of their King and Countrey.

2 Such persons as present themselves to the view of this great Coun­sell by Petitions and Complaints, wherein they set forth their diseases, griefes and infirmities, wherewith they are pained and oppressed, not naturally infected withall. The first of these I will not speake otherwise o [...], than as the only subject of my discourse, upon which the second hath its only dependance, and from and by which it only expects ease and re­dresse; and this is the only manner and best meanes to discover their griefes, and diseases, by their Petitions, Remonstrances and Complaints, and the soonest way for speedy remedy.

And this brings me to the second thing I intimated at the beginning of this Treatise, and that is the diseases and infirmities, nay the most dange­rousest wounds in a Common-wealth, that may be discovered by this Glasse, and then the remedies to salve and cure the same.

1 The diseases are many and great that have catched and infected both many and great persons, and by them cast abroad and spread even over the whole Kingdom, I will only name the chiefest and greatest wounds and sores of this State, which hath almost brought the same to destru­ction, the persons infected herewith, and the Manner of their infecting many others with the same plagues.

The first disease in this Kingdom, was Innovation in Religion.

2 Indeavouring to subvert the Laws of this Land.

3 To indeavour to overthrow Parliaments, and destroy the just rights and Priviledges thereof, the securest and safest way of Governe­ment that ever was in this Kingdom,

4 Oppression, Injustice, and cruell tiranny used and exercised over the persons, lives, and estates of his Majesties louing subjects, by Superiors, and men in places of Authority.

5 Extortion, bribery and the like, used in Courts of Iudicature.

6 Ship money, Leavies, Taxes, Customes, and the like illegally leavied upon the subject.

[Page 4] 7 And lastly undermining circumvention, and overburthening the Subjects by unlawfull Grants, Patents, and Leases of Offices & almost of all Cōmodities of Free trade in this Land: And thus much of the diseases, I come now to the Authors hereof, which have procured this generall infection spread throughout the Kingdome; and they I conceive to be of the best sort of men, the greatest in Honor and Dignity, both Spiritu­all and Temporall, as well as the Inferiour: As 1, Bishops, Deanes, Arch­deacons, Doctors, Proctors, Ordinaries and other Officers, and men of accompt and authority in the Clergy. 2, Privy Councellors, Peeres, Noblemen, Lords and others following the Court, and have got into their Princes favour. 3, Iudges, and other Officers in places of Iudica­ture. 4, Pattentees, Grantees, Lessees and Farmers of Customes, and the like: These I conceive have been the only authors and producers of all the troubles, miseries, and diseases of this Kingdome: And now I come to the manner of their increasing and spreading these their Plots & dan­gerous actions over the whole Land; in which I shall only speake of the Bishops and Clergy, this present Treatise, being only attributed to themselves and the troubles and distempers by them raised in this body Pollitique is to be considered in three respects: 1, In respect of their Persons, in respect of their Offices, and in respect of their Practises, in their Lives and Conversation.

1 In respect of their Persons Bishops; in great authority and power, not only Teachers, but Rulers of the Children of God, Shepheards over the flock of Christ; these persons being infected with Pride, Ambition, Hautinesse of heart, with Popish superstition, Ceremonies, Arminianisme and the like; corrupt in Doctrine and prophane in Discipline; infected with Avarice, Luxury, and all Laciviousnesse; puft up with vaine Glory selfe estimation of their own Merits, Wisdome, and Learning, with too much confidency, trusting to their own power, and the favour of their Prince, procured by their subtle wit and wily practises, & upon their Al­liances with Peeres and other Grandees of this Kingdom: these persons, I say, being thus infected, looking into this Prospective may discover them­selves and their infirmities, or rather incommodities with which they are attainted,

2 I come now in the second places to their Offices, and they are two fold, Spirituall and Temporall; the first, they claime to appartaine to thē of that function Jure Divino, and the latter they usurpe to themselves un­der pretence of both Swords, the Sword of the Spirit, and the Sword of the Magistrate: By the first, they exercise Spirituall Iurisdiction in seve­rall Courts Ecclesiasticall: In the latter they administer Civill Injustice, Iustice I would have said, in Courts of common Iudicature. I see in the [Page 5] first part of their usurped authority Spirituall, they be infected with Bri­bery deceipt, cruelty, oppression and injustice, commanding as they are Rulers in the Church, things not warranted by the Word of God, but al­together contrary and against the same; Imagining the inferior Clergy to preach and teach only such things that are delectable to their Palates, agreable to their wils and pleasures, not the truth but news inventions; instruments of the Divell, by him only lead, ruled and seduced, to indea­vour to build up the kingdom of Antichrist, and hinder the increase and propagation of the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ, as superstition, Popish Ceremonies, nay such corrupt and unfound doctrine, which concurres altogether with the doctrin of the Church of Rome, binding mens Con­sciences to the strict observance of their unlawfull commands and inju­stly punishing with rigor and severity, all such as in tender Conscience would not agree or submit to the same, and comply with them in their error, degrading of them from the Ministery, fining, imprisoning, banish­ing, confiscating their goods, nay corporall punishment, as pillorcing, dismembring, branding and stigmatizing of them and such like cruelties by them exercised and used over Godly and Zealous Ministers, causing the flight of many hundreds, nay thousands into Forraine nations and uninhabited and Savage Countryes, to the indangering their lives of themselves, their wives and children, and the losse of all their fortunes to their utter impoverishment and desolation, if God of infinite mercy had not wonderfully preserved them.

And thus much of the diseases wherewith they have infected their u­surped spirituall Iurisdiction, I proceed to their temporall: In this like­wise if they be infected with injustice and opression in their places of Ci­vil Government: to indeavour to seduce the Iudges of the Land & other officers pertaining to the Cōmon-Lawes of this Land in their opinions; and the better to colour their wicked practises to procure them, set forth in a high degree the Prerogative of the King, his undoubted power and authority over the persons, lives and estates of his Subjects, when he shal upon his own pleasure command the same: That all the subject hath is his, that the subject is but as it were tenant at will of any thing he pos­sesseth and that it may be taken away at the pleasur [...] (not of their Lord & lawfull Soveraigne) but at the pleasure of the high and mighty Prelats, whō neither King nor Kesar must contradict or correct for their insolen­cies; I say if these persons have infected these their Offices usurped either Spirituall or Temporall, with any or all of these dangerous sores before mentioned, if they looke but in this Christall, either by constraint or vo­luntarily, they may receive cure.

3 I come now to the last thing I am to speak of concerning this subject [Page 6] and that is the 3 meanes by these persons Prelats and their adherents used to spread abroad their venimous intentions, by their actions in their lives and conversations; If therfore they be infected in their lives with ma­lice, anger, hatred, revenge of & against such as are not flexible to their di­spositions, & yeelding to their desires, prophane, wanton, dallying, mo [...] ­king, scoffing at the pure and sincere preaching of the Word of God, revi­ling and disdaining the painfull and zealous▪ teachers of the same, tolle­rating, approving, conniving, and wi [...]cking at▪ nay commanding as w [...] by their Proclamations and Edicts of their owne devising and setting sorth, as instancing the same by their owne examples, using recreation, dancing, musick, playing, drinking, whoring, &c. incouraging and ani­mating wicked and lascivious persons in their ungodly ways, placing in the Ministry, dissolute and scandalous persons, voyd of all feare of God, yea of Civill Government of themselves affable and pliable onely to their Superiors, that do by their evill examples and erroneous doctrines draw more soules from God to the Devill than, I verily beleeve, would have fallen away of themselves, if no teaching had been since these cor­ruptions have been admitted in Religion, both in doctrin and discipline, I say, if they have been infected with these foule ulcers and diseases, i [...] they look into this Mirror, they may receive cure.

I come now in a word or two to the meanes and medicinall remedies whereby these troubles of the Common-wealth are to bee cured and re­moved; and they are these.

1 By wholesome Laws by the whole King & State made for the re­straining of the exercise and longer usage of such corrupt doctrin and di­scipline, superstition and ceremonies introduced and innovated in Reli­gion by these Prelates authors of the same.

2 For these persons thus defective, penitently to submit themselves to this safe and secure way for their cure, and in time leave off their vitious courses and perverse actions by them hitherto practized.

3 And lastly, if obstinatly they refuse to submit themselves to this way and meanes for their cure, but still let their corruption and infection in­crease to that height that ordinary meanes cannot cure the same, then to cut off these as rotten, and altogether unprofitable and dangerous mem­bers of the Common-wealth, is the safest way to prevent future trouble by this infection: And thus much for this present Discourse, desiring all things amisse in this Kingdom both in Church and State, may by this Chrystall Mirror be discovered and rectified, to the everlasting peace and tranquillity of his Sacred Majesty and all his Dominions.