A short view of the prelatical church of England laid open in ten sections by way of quere and petition to the High and Honourable Court of Parliament, the several heads whereof are set down in the next two pages / written a little before the fall of that hierarchie, about the year 1641, by Iohn Barnard, sometime minister of Batcomb in Somerset-shire ; whereunto is added The anatomy of The common-prayer.

II. There be twenty four Bishops Diocesan Lord Bishops.

They are seated in several places throughout the King∣dom.

Of these three are under York

• ...Carleile,
• ...Durham,
• ...and Chester.

All the rest are under Canterbury.

Dependants on these.

• Their traine of Domestick Servants.
• Their Chaplaines.
• Their Officers concerning their temporalities.
• Their 24. Courts.

And hereto belong,

• 26 Chancellours, with waiters on them,
• 24 Registers with their men,
• 24 Gentlemen Apparatouss.
• 48 Proctours, if but two to a Court.
• 120 Apparitours at least, more then a good many.

QVAERE.

Whether these Diocesan Bishops be jure divino, and have warrant from Scripture?

Whether St. Peters speech reacheth not to them, that they should not Lord it over Gods heritage by over-ruling it, 1 Pet. 5.3?

Whether we cannot be as well without them, as all other reformed Churches; or whether we will condemne those Churches for casting them out, or not receiving them in?

Whether this be not a mockery to say, no Bishop no King, seeing they also say, no Ceremony no Bishop, therefore no Ce∣remony no King, what a weake standing bring they a King unto? But a King is Gods ordinance; nor so they? And in Denmark hath been a King and no Bishops this hundred years?

Whether Bishops wanting in Diocesses, upon vacancy some ten, some twenty years (as some have been) may not be so for more years, & so forever? And if they may be wanting in a Diocesse, why not in a Province, and so why not every where?

Whether may not our King, as lawfully cast them out

of his Dominion, as did the King of Denmarke his Grand∣father out of his Kingdome?

Whether by their authority have they advanced true Religion, or upheld meer formes of it, as shews, habits, gestures, and Ceremonial observances, rather then the power of godliness?

What wickednesse and vanity is suppressed by him; nay, what errour, what vice, Idolatry, and prophanesse groweth not under them?

What one made better by them in the wayes of God?

What one brought to a pious reformation by their Citations, Excommunications, and imposed Penancies?

The humble Petition,

That they may be seated in Pastorall charges, every one over a Particular flock, as all the first Bishops were, there to preach, and teach the people, and so their many dependants might be taken away.

That their Chancellours be removed from them, and their over∣swa••ing wasterfulnesse in their Courts be taken down, and cut off.

That they, their Officers, and their Courts be brought under some such authority, as may rule over them, question them, and duely censure them, when there is just cause, and not suffer them to be like Kings, free without command, or any power of censure at all over them, is it fit they should judge all, and be free from the judgement of any?

Notes

• Read Tim. and Ti∣tus un∣bishoped.