people of these times who though in word they acknowledge the higher powers yet in practise they doe not seeing all their opinions and practises in matter of religion are still to disgrace authoritie and gouernment hereby established both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall I know that many of them are zealous persons but they are zealous as the Apostle saith to the Galathians amisse Oh that they would weigh that next vnto zeale towards God is zeale to Gods vicegerents and where they are ill spoken of and despised in the heart as it is where their wayes of gouernment are impugned there can hardly be right zeale towards God it being a marke of such as are ordained to damnation to despise gouernment Iude vers 8. and to speake euill of those that be in authority Acts 12. Secondly Superiours are ouer reuerenced by ascribing too much vnto them and extolling them too highly as the people are noted to haue done to Herod saying the voyce of God and not of man whereat the Lord was so displeased that hee strook him with an horrible death and as the Popes flatterers extoll him calling him alterum deum in terris another God vpon earth and Dominum Deum papam the Lord God the Pope with other the like blasphemous appellations 1. Cor. 11.1 Thirdly by making them absolute patterns to be followed in all things for it is no excuse for people liuing in sinne to say they follow their minister or for children to follow parents or subiects their Princes for examples of the greatest are no further to be followed but as they follow Christ as Paul speaketh of himselfe Follow mee as I follow Christ Iesus The blind guide and he that followeth him shall both fal into the ditch 4. By preposterous obseruance towards them in the Congregation which is when we rise vp to great persons being in the very act of Gods worship this is absurd as much as if wee should say by thy leaue Lord a little heere commeth a greater then thou for why else dost thou rise if he be greatest and most worthy whom thou dost now worship Wherefore looke not for nay suffer not this absurd honour to be done vnto you yee great persons parents and masters vnlesse ye would part stakes with God yea be better accounted of whilst men rise off their knees to God to bow vnto you 5. By our humble prostrating the body vnto them as vnto God Acts 10. Saint Peter forbad this vnto Coâ—nelius and the Angels raised vp Daniel and Saint John prohibiting this kind of reuerence to be done by one fellow-seruant to another This gesture where it proceedeth from religious humiliation and worship commeth very neare the brinkes of open Idolatrie and cannot but incurre that reprehension Take heed thou doest iâ— not But in ciuill worship performed to Kings I dare not condemne the lowest prostrations whereas I see in the Scripture that such gestures were vsually exhibited to the most pious Kings 2. Sam. 14.22 So Ioab to Dauid fell to the ground on his face and bowed himselfe Yet could I wish that Christian Princes in their piety and by their authoritie would enact a difference betweene the signes of reuerence yeeldable to the heauenly and the earthly Maiesty that there might bee some outward as well as inward adoring gesture appropriated to Gods worship vtterly vncommunicable to any mortall man though bearing the image of God and exercising a vice-gerency of his Soueraignty What is to be thought of childrens kneeling to their parents morning and euening to aske their blessing Answ Kneeling to aske blessing I take it that this custome is lawfull and grounded vpon this Commandement Honour thy father and mother that they may prolong thy daies that is by their blessing which in godly parents hath euer been accounted a sacred â—â—ing Therefore Isaac would giue his blessing to his sonne Esau before his death and Iacob to his children and the children of I seph which examples though they were extraordinary as farre as they were speciall prophesies yet they shew it to bee a very ancient and laudable custome and of excellent vse for children to aske and parents to giue their blessing vnto them because as their curse hath alwaies been ominous to wicked children and disobedient that is such as hath bin followed with Gods curse so their blessing hath been auspicious that is such as hath been followed with Gods blessing vpon good children and obedient And the like is to be thought of the blessing of spirituall parents that it hath vertue by Gods ordinance annexed vnto it and therefore is not to bee neglected but reuerently to be receiued before that wee depart the congregation For kneeling vnto parents and vnto Princes if it be but as vnto men it is as lawfull as any other low bowing vnto them for nothing can bee pressed against the one but it alike impugneth the other if it bee otherwise intended by way of religious adoration as some Heathen Emperours haue taken vpon them the honour of Gods it is Idolatrous The sinnes of Superiours And hitherto of the sinnes of inferiours Superiours sinne against this commandement by too much austerity and rigor or by too much remissenes Their sinne may be referred to these heads 1. Cruelty and threatning for this is most vniust and vnequall for the reuerence and seruice which seruants and children doe to their parents and masters wherefore it is forbidden Yee masters doe the same things to them Ephes 6.9 putting away threatning knowing that euen your master is in heauen and there is no respect of persons with him Thou doest rather represent the deuill who striketh feare into men and terror in thus doing then God whose Image thou shouldest beare 2. Denying them things conuenient meat drinke cloth resting time and recreation which may be sufficient Heere is Mammon serued indeed whilst to get wealth thou dealest so vnworthily with thy family euen wringing it out of their flesh and spirits which thou doest thus pinch and beate downe that they cannot be so seruiceable to Church or common-wealth They shall crie against thee to heauen and their crie shall bee heard if being weary of their liues through thy hard vsage they shall doe any mischiefe to themselues or others or runne head-long into any forlorne course through griefe and despaire thou art guiltie of their sinne because thou haste driuen them to it 3. Prodigally wasting all or most part of thy estate without any prouidence for posteritie or care to reward the extraordinary paines of thy houshold seruants 2. Tim. 5.8 If there bee any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell 4. Neglecting the good education of youth through the want of teaching or praying for them and inuring them to good duties and by leting passe grosse sinnes and disorder without due correction Heauy will their account be for this at
Lybia and Pentapolis and the Roman Bishop had the like custome for the Churches about him so the Bishop of Antioch and of euery other Prouince should be supreame within his owne Diocesse and the same thing is decreed in the Constantinopolitan Councell vnder Theodosius the Emperour and in many more and in the sixt African councell Con. Constant Can. 2 when the Bishop of Rome laboured for the supremacy of all he was discouered to falsifie the Councell of Nice for his purpose by comparing the Copy which hee had sent with others kept by the Patriarke of Constantinople and of Alexandria and so was reiected with disgrace both Zozimus Boniface Con. Affric 6 and Siluester and it was decreed that it should not bee lawfull for any of Africa or any other Prouince hauing Metropolitanes of their own to appeale to the Bishop of Rome But first their owne Bishops and Metropolitane should haue the cause brought before them then a prouinciall councell and then a generall And in the seuenth African all Prince-like supremacy is taken away from the highest Bishop Can. Affric 7 Can. 6. Primae sedis episcopus non appelletur Princeps sacerdotum aut summus Sacerdos c that is the Bishop of the first seat may not be called the Prince of Priests or chiefe Priest or such like but onely the Bishop of the first seat Hist â—sagde Cent 6. cap. â— pag. 41. And according to these councels some Romane Bishops themselues haue affirmed Iohn the third hath left written that none ought to be called chiefe Priest or vniuersall Bishop Clement the third Bishop of Rome from Peter as they reckon liuing in the dayes of John the Apostle wrote an Epistle vnto vnto him with this superscription Clement Epist Johan Clement to the Brother of the Lord the Bishop of Bishops gouernour of all the Churches of God wheresoeuer the are founded by his prouidence Now if the Apostle as longest liuer of them all were chiefe gouernour of al as he acknowledgeth he denyeth his superiority to any other in the world that I may adde no more of the learned Fathers of the Church that could not beare this high title in any but the Antichrist as in Gregory the great Bishop of Rome who affirmed Gregor Epist. lib. 4 Epist 32.34.36.38.39 that the title of vniuersall Bishop agreed to none but either to Antichrist or to his forerunner c. But the Bishop of Rome hath intruded vpon this title in degenerating times in the Roman councell called by Boniface the third this thing was chiefely handled and decreed that the Roman Bishop should be Pope and Pontifex that is chiefe Bishop and haue full power to call and to disssolue Councels and to ratifie or abolish things decreed by Councel through the fauour of wicked Phocas Anno 606. who slew his maister Mauritius to obtaine the Empire and being reproued by the Bishop of Constantinople preferred his aduersary the Bishop of Rome in this manner who had a long time gaped after it And this his priuiledge was after confirmed by Pipin who was made King of France his master being deposed and did this to gratifie the Bishop of Rome for this good office done vnto him But his authoritie ouer councels hath since againe beene reuersed and he made subiect vnto them by the councell of Constance and of Basil Againe for free-will you may see the contrary decrees of councels before in the Treatise of mans corrupt estate vnder the third question For the worshipping of Images it was the plaine decree of the Constantinopolitan councell vnder Constantine Copronymus wherein were 338. Hist Magd. Câ—m 8. cap. 9. pa 550. Of Images Bishops that if any man should presume to make the Image of God the Father or of Christ or of any Saint hee should bee accursed Hist Mag. Cent. 8. cap. 9. p. 639. And about forty yeeres after viz. Anno 794 vnder Charles the Great was a Councell held at Franckfort wherein it was decreed that Jt should be altogether estranged from the Christian faith and held agreeable to the superstition of the Heathen to worship and adore Images And with this doth all antiquitie consent But contrariwise in the second Nicene Councell assembled by Irene the Empresse of Constantinople who wickedly and vnnaturally put out her owne sonnes eyes and draue him into banishment it was decreed that they should bee worshipped Con. Trid. Ses 25 c. 2. and more lately in the Councell of Trent order is taken that the same Nicene decree bee of all men followed The like might be shewed of the calling of Councels anciently by Emperours but now by Popes of supreame honour which was wont to be giuen to Kings Emperours but now to Popes Of Purgatory the reall presence in the Sacrament the adoration of the Host workes meritorious supererogatory of Monkery infinit ceremonies of which nothing anciently but now the world is full of decrees hereabout But these contradictions already obserued may suffice to shew that the Roman Church it selfe is not free but subiect to errour and heresie for contradictories cannot bee both truthes therefore it must needes sometime onely haue beene in the truth and sometime againe carried away with heresie Lastly this further appeareth from the consideration of the manner how things haue beene carried from time to time in the Church viz. sometime according to the will of one Emperour King or Pope and sometime of some few and that not sincerely but apparantly seeking themselues and oftentimes to satisfie their malicious mindes I should dwell too long here if I should enter into a particular exemplification of this it is so plaine to all that read of their proceedings as that it cannot be denied First something hath beene conceiued by an higher power then a Councell called and his minde being divulged they feare to appeare that be of a contrary opinion or if they appeare they are not admitted into the Councell or through feare recanting are receiued so it is proceeded to the matter propounded Then a great shewe is made of calling vpon the Spirit of truth for his assistance but all is concluded according as was before conceiued and accordingly is taught in the Churches and thus the people of God vnder the pretext of Councels is seduced Which things being so let the Reader iudge whether the Church visible may not easily erre seeing the fountaine from whence things there held doe proceed is thus troubled and filthy Againe admit that freer councels which represent the Church bee called which cannot be granted to haue beene in the Roman Church certaine hundreds of yeeres last past yet who be they that make vp councels are they not men that I may not say men altogether intangled with voluptuous liuing aspiring after nothing but honours filthy lucre for the most part what assurance I pray you can we then haue that they cannot er yea what feare may we not iustly haue that they haue
vnnaturall Sinne that can bee in the world and therfore because other meanes of punishment is taken away the law doth brand the dead carcasse with infamous buriall 2. It is also the most dangerous and vnrecouerable except the sinne against the holy Ghost for it seldome giueth any time of repentance and perhaps more seldome any probability Hee that dyeth thus dyeth alas in Satans worke and I feare me in Satans hands Yet I presume not to confine Gods extraordinary and boundles mercy that can reach it selfe forth inter â—ontem fontâ—m after voluntary headlong percipice I deny not this to be possible But O dreadfull tryall of this ballance which in probability weigheth down so heauy on the other side as to presse wretched man to hell it selfe Distressed Brother art thou tempted to this hellish and monstrous sinne Gather thy strength vnto thee say Auoid Satan if thou tell mee I shall notwithstanding bee saued commending my soule to God when I dye say thou art a lyar and the father of lyes for the truth saith â—f a righteous man turneth from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity in the sinne wherein he is found he shall surely dye If hee telleth thee that thou shalt thus end thy sorrowes say thou art heerin a lyar also Satan I shall passe thus rather from sorrow to greater sorrow from temporall woe to eternall to be gnawed vpon by the worme that neuer dyeth and to bee burned with the fire that neuer goeth out If it be said there are some that dye thus Obiect 2. Selfe-murther â—â— pâ—eseruâ— vertue inuiolate August de Ciuit Dâ—i to preserue vertue vnuiolate as Lucretia to preserue her chastity and certaine Matrons of Rome of whom S. Augustine writeth and some that they may be glorious Martyrs as the Donatists of old holding that if they could procure death to themselues they should immediately passe to glory in heauen Sol. They are all in the same dangerous and demnable plight notwithstanding without extraordinary and euen miracu-repentance they perish as guilty of their owne death Read S. Augustine in the same place excellently setting forth the vice of Lucretia which by the Heathen was commended for a vertue 2. Murthereing of other men 2. Vniust blood-shâ—d This is vniustly to shed the bloud of any man by any meanes whatsoeuer First I say it is an vniust shedding of bloud because there is a shedding of bloud that is no sin as of the bloud of creatures which are giuen vnto man for meat or which are any way noysome vnto him contrary to the Tacian heresie which denyed it to be lawfull to kill any thing Againe there is s shedding of the bloud of man which is no sinne viz. when it is done iustly by such persons as to whom it doth belong and this is by the Magistrate or at his appointment onely and that by iust proceedings for Hee â—eareâ—h not the sword in vaine Rom. 13.4 but is Gods Minister to take vengeance on those that doe euill And it is so necessary for them to put to death where there is iust and necessary cause as that if they spare Gods curse will follow for the Lord hath expressly taught Num. 35.33 that bloud defileth the land and the land cannot be clensed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it And on the other side if they put to death vniustly through malice or for any priuate reuenge they are murtherers for so far forth only may they reuenge by death as they are Gods Ministers set a worke by him Ioh. 21.15 Whence we may see that heathen Kings persecuting the poor Christians to the death were murtherers and in like manner are such as be in authority in the Church of Rome that doe diuersly murther the poore people of God by burning by the sword and by cutting their throats in butcherly manner only for following a righter and more holy way then is allowed amongst them Peter of whose succession they brag so much durst not so to haue turned his maisters charge Feed my sheepe feed my lambs into killing them though they had run out of the fold He would not haue taken heart vpon so sleighty a ground Act. 10. vp Peter kill an eate as some doe to iustifie this killing of the poore sheepe of Christ nay to murther or expose to murther Gods Anointed Lastly there is another iust cause of shedding bloud viz. in lawfull and iust wars and in defence of a mans owne life for iust warres are called the Lords battels 2 Chron. 20.15 as Iehoshaphat encouraging his men saith The battle is not yours but Gods But some make doubt whether it be lawfull for Chrstians to wage warre Answ This is the fancy of the Anabaptists whose follies are easily refuted out of their own furies and ourages in Germany where they that impugned lawfull warre and Magistracy made vse in their rebellions of that which themselues disauowed namely the Sword And as for the vocation of a Souldier surely Iohn Baptist when the Soldiers came vnto him Luk. 3.14 demanding of him What shall we doe Did not answer them that they must of necessity cast off their Swords if they would be the seruants of God but rather aduised theÌ„ to remaine still the Military seruants of Caesar else what place can those precepts haue Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly be content with your wages Another frenzy of the same sect denieth all vse of the sword at home in time of peace by way of ciuil iustice as if it were against Christian perfection put any man to death by the hand of publike authority though for neuer so grieuous a crime tending to the dissolution of humane society and defacing the Image of God Alas frantique soules that in hatred of Murther maintaine Murther Shall he that hath murthered one man be suffered by suruiuing to embrue his hands with the guiltlesse blood of more Our Sauiour himselfe whose nearest Disciples these saintly innocents would seeme to bee expressly pronounced this law of Iustice Math. 2â— 52 They that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword That is priuate auengers that wring the sword out of the Magistrates hand to vsurpe the vse of it for their own passions must expect to feele the edge of it and to be cut off by it This publique reuenge is so far from being a sinne that as euen now I shewed it is a necessary duty in him that beareth the Sword If this Sword had no edge or were not imployed vpon iust occasion verily it were borne in vaine Obâ—ect But the Apostle Paul say they speaketh of Heathen not Christian Magistrates I answer hee speaketh of Magistrates as Magistrates generally of all whether Heathen or Christian Is not a Christian King Gods ordinance Gods Minister Doe we not owe tribute and honour to Christian Kings as well as to heathen Surely much more Are there not that