and helpers of their joy but they are authours of their woe challendging and exercising Lordship and Dominion over their faith for in stead of a due administration of the Word of God they have mingled a cup of fornication for the people to drink that is devised a forme of Book-worship with Orders Rites and Ceremonies which they have imposed on the people under the title of Divine Service and which they must observe without adding thereto or taking any thing from it as in the 4 6 7 8 and 14. Canons Further they are not painefull Preachers but lazy Lords they are not followers of Christ and of his Word but are contemners thereof casting it behinde their backs and will not be reformed nor ruled by it they are Law-makers much like Nebuchadnezzar for as he would destroy all that would not worship his golden Image So whosoever doth refuse to yeeld obedience to their Lawes shall bee most severely punished as is plaine by divers penalties annexed to their Canons In consecrating and ordaining Priests they are like to Ieroboam for as he consecrated whom he would of the basest of the people to be the Priests of the high places which he had set up so do they ordaine for the most part ignorant fellows to be their Parish Priests and inferiour Ministers wherein though they do most absurdly yet will they not bee contradicted as we may see by the 57 Canon where it is said whosoever shall refuse to communicate with a dumb and unpreaching Minister Let him be excommunicated And although their owne Doctours complaine and cry out against it yet they will not amend amongst the rest it is worthy to be observed what their own great Champion profound Master Hooper faith viz. That both Arguments from light of nature Laws and Statutes of Scripture the Canons that are taken out of ancient Synods the decrees and constitutions of sincerest times the sentences of all antiquity and in a word every mans consent and conscience is against ignorance in them that have the cure and charge of soules If it be so how unreasonable and beastly is it for the Prelates to ordain allow and approve of such for the Ministers of Christ of which there are many hundreds in the Land whom the Prelates are not ashamed to forbid to expound the Scriptures as in the 49 Canon where it is said that some of their Parish Priests shall not take upon them to expound in their cure or else-where any Scripture or matter or doctrine but shall onely study to read c. It is greatly to be wondred at that so many grave heads as were gathered together and sate consulting about these matters should breed and bring forth such absurd and impious Canons If there were nothing else this allowance of dumb Ministers is sufficient to shew the vanity of their mindes and the darknesse of their foolish hearts So that wee may truely say of them that when they professed themselves to be most wise by exalting and making themselves equall with God in making Laws for the government of his House the Church even then they became most foolish and voide of judgement As for the best sort of their Parish Priests which are men of learning and gifts they must also be confined within their limits they must worship God according to the rules prescribed them by these their spirituall Fathers as in the 38 Canon If any Minister shall omit to use the forme of prayer or any of the Orders or Ceremonies prescribed in the Communion Book let him be suspended and if he do not conforme within the space of a moneth let him be deposed The absurdities and blasphemies contained in that Comon Prayer-book are many which having been discovered and laid open by divers Treatises already published in print I will omit onely this I will adde that in the imposing of that Service Booke or any other this great iniquity is committed by the imposers thereof That they do exalt themselves both against Christ who is ascended into Heaven and hath given gifts to his Ministers Ephes 4.1 11 12. for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the Church his Body and also they exalt themselves against the Holy Ghost who onely hath power to help our infirmities Rom 8.26 and to furnish men with gifts to worship God aright Further their Preachers may not teach against their corrupt Church state and Ministry though they know it to bee Antichristian nor against the forme of worship prescribed in the said Common-prayer Book nor against the ceremonies nor the Government of the Church of England by Arch-bishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and the rest that beare office in the same nor against the manner and form of making and consecrating Bishops Priests or Deacons nor against the Laws and Ordinances Ecclesiasticall established in the said Church whosoever transgresseth in these things shall be excommunicated ipso facto as is plaine in the 4 6 7 8 and 54. Canons Thus by excommunicating and cursing they labour to maintaine and defend their corruptions but not one jott of Scripture dare they shew and no marvaile seeing the whole Scriptures are against mens inventions and traditions of which nature these abuses are being left here by the Pope and retained and renewed by his Prelates As they may not teach against these things so on the contrary they may not teach the true and right way which Christ hath prescribed in his Testament how we must worship God nor how the true Church of Christ ought to be gathered and constituted the Ministers thereof ordained nor the manner how it ought to be governed as appeareth in the 9.10 11. and 12. Canons By which we may see in what bondage their Preachers are kept they must hide their Talent in the earth and put their candle under a Bushed lest men by the light thereof should come to the knowledge of the truth and believe it Also it is to be observed as a generall rule that none good or bad learned or unlearned can be suffered to receive their Orders of Priesthood or Deaconship or be admitted to preach or execute a Ministery in their Parish Churches unlesse they sweare to conforme to the worship and ceremonies prescribed by these Prelates and also submit to their Anti-christian rule and government which they challenge to themselves as being Lords over all Thus by swearing they make their inferiour Priests to sell themselves to worke wickednesse which trick they have cunningly devised to bring the Land in subjection to these Antichristian yoke And upon the taking of this Oath they receive the Prelates Marke which is called in this Chapter the Marke of the Beast which is understood to be the Letters of Orders under the Prelates hand and Seale to testifie that they are made Priests or Deacons according to the Order and Canons prescribed in that behalfe in this their Convocation as we may see in the 36 48
a visible God not onely to behold with their eyes and look upon but also to eate and that their Maker and Redeemer to their everlasting salvation And being so effectually deluded as that they beleeved these lies hereupon they wondred and followed the Beast Well might they wonder to see bread and taste bread where was no bread and to see wine and taste wine where was no wine for so were they made to believe and to eate flesh and drink bloud and yet neither to see nor take flesh nor bloud this was a wonder to wonder at and who would not follow him for a guide that had power to worke such wonders But they did not onely follow the Beast as the Iews did Christ when they saw his miracles But they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make warre with him To worship is to heare and obey and by worshipping the Dragon was shewed that they wholly addicted themselves to be directed and ruled by the Beast whom the Dragon used as his instrument to work his will and to whom he had given authority and power to that end thus originally they worshiped the Divell Secondly they worshipped the Beast as being the instrument of the Divell and they became subjects in all things obedient unto the Beast as being of such holinesse and truth as that it could not erre nor deceive others and of such power as what they loosed on earth was loosed in heaven and what they bound in earth was bound in heaven and therefore such a power as had no match or peere so that they boasted and said of it Who is like unto the Beast As David considering the power and wonderfull workes of God saith Who is like unto the Lord So do the Nations boast of this Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast And further they said of him Who is able to make warre with him As if they should say This our holy Mother hath power to excommunicate and deliver to Satan all of what estate condition degree soever they be that will not heare her voice beare her yoke and be ruled by her Who therefore is able to make war with her that is make his party good against this our holy Mother Of such admiration was this Beast in the earth thus hath the world thought and spoken of her And moreover there was given unto this Beast a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given him to make 42 moneths As the mouth is the means and instrument whereby men do declare their mindes so this Beast had a mouth to declare and utter her minde by which mouth was signified a ministery of false prophets and lying spirits namely Doctours School-men Monkes Fryers and all sorts of their Preachers who teach for doctrines the commandements of the Beast and declare and utter the minde and will of the Beast as being equall to Gods Word this their Canons Laws Books and Monuments do manifestly witnesse The effect of that which this mouth uttereth is noted to be great things and blasphemies They boast of this Beast that she is the holy Catholike Church Militant the Mother of all rrue beleevers the chaste Spouse of Christ the Pillar and ground of Truth that it cannot erre c. And that all which will have God to be their Father must have her to be their Mother Finally that out of her lap and communion there is no salvation These and many other such great things speaketh the mouth of this Beast which are indeed great things and being so spoken are great blasphemies For is it not great blasphemie to call that Holy which is most abominable To call her the Mother of all true Beleevers which is the mother of fornications and of all abominations To call that the Pillar and ground of Truth which hath corrupted the earth with her errours and fornications and caused all Nations to drink of the wine of the wrath thereof To say there is no salvation but in her fellowship whose end and judgement is to go to destruction Beware of false Prophets and teachers of lies for such are the mouth of this Beast And it is further to be minded that it is said of this Beast that the mouth which she had was given her for had this Beast no more to maintaine this mouth then she hath of her own by discent and heritage she could not have so many to speak for her as she hath But Emperous and Kings Princes and Nobles and other great sinners became benefactours to this Beast giving unto her Lands and Tenements Rents and Revenews to maintaine this mouth to utter great things and blasphemies and more then this Power was given him to act or make two and forty moneths For the better understanding of this point let this be considered In the Antichristian kingdom they have a rule how to proceed in every cause but not given them of God but of their own making which they commonly call the Canon Law concerning which Law here we may learne by whom it was made and how long it was in making These Makets usurp the name of the Church of Christ but the true Church is the Kingdom of Christ and being the Kingdom of Christ it hath him onely for Law-giver they therefore which under the title of the Church presume to make laws are fitly and worthily resembled by a beast for what is more vnreasonable then for those whose greatest dignity glory and happines consisteth in hearing obeying and administring of gods word to fall from this and Lucifer-like to exalt and oppose themselves against their Maker as though they were wiser and iuster then God and to adde unto his Testament Which is suficient to instruct us in all Wisdom and to make the man of God perfect in every good worke and to take from the same Testament at their pleasure which is not lawfull to do to any mans Testament without great offence and iniustice as the Apostle sheweth Ga. 3.15 yet thit is the way wherein those great doers the authors of the Canon Law haue walked It is said of those Actors that Power was given them c. Where first we may observ that of themselves they had not this power for then it could not haue beene said to be given them but given them it was it is therefore to be considered Who was the giver Not Christ he gave his disciples no power to make Laws but gave them charge to teath belivers to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them it is certain therefore that this power was given them not by God but by men namely by Kings and Princes for the states and degrees of men considered it is plaine that none can give power to make Lawes but such as be Soveraignes by such therefore this power to make Lawes was given unto this Beast But what should move Soveraignes to give power to Bishops
suffered in any Kingdom or Common-wealth and so they blaspheme the Tabernacle of God in a high degree as if Gods people were a company of ungodly rebels and wicked conspiratours but the righteous Lord will in due time visit his people and rebuke his enemies And on the other side for Gods people now to deny the kingdom of the Beast that is as they call it the holy Catholike Church Militant to be the true Church of Christ To refuse to partake and communicate with them in their abominations delusions and unlawful works of darknes is adjudged disobedience schisme and contempt of the power and authorty of the Church To speak against their proceedings sedition disturbance of the peace of the Church heresie impiety and what not Thus they adorne the Harlot which corrupteth the earth with her fornications with the title of the Church and Spouse of Christ and Tabernacle of God and so blaspheme the Tabernecle of God as if it were not a communion of Saints by calling and profession but an habitation of Divels an hold of foule Spirits and a Cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird. Further it is said of the Beast that it did blaspheme those that dwelt in heaven that is the Saints departed this life Those that dwell in heaven are then blasphemed when it is said of them that they take it as an honour done unto them when we make them our Patrons build them Temples set up their Images offer and pray unto them and make them Mediatours between Christ and us for by this they are made not onely Idols but also favourers and chief maintainers of Idolatry They are also blasphemed when the doctrine which they taught and practised is condemned for heresie or when erronious doctrines vaine traditions superstitious rites ceremonies and customes are fathered upon them as received from them by Tradition as unwritten verities but the world hath been brought to believe that Saints in heaven might by these means be as it were bought and sould between Priest and people wherein they have been highly blasphemed Moreover it is said that it was given to the Beast to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations Warre is made with the Saints when they are accused to Rulers and Governors to be Heretikes Schismaticks wicked and ungodly persons and they may then be said to be overcome whem their accusers are justified and they condemned according to this this Scripture hath been fulfilled and verified Great and of long continuance have been the warres which the Beast hath made with the Saints and many have been the victories of this kinde which the Beast hath had against them as the Histories and other records of the Nations do plentifully witnes It was given to the Beast to make warre with the Saints when Rulers and Governours gave way to the Beast to devise and make laws at their own pleasure concerning Religion and the worship of God and then to condemne for Delinquents and evill doers all that would not observe those Laws How free and forward Rulers and Governours have been to give such power unto the Beast they themselves have felt by long and wofull experience for much woe hath the Beast wrought not to the poore and meaner sort of the Saints onely but even to Emperours and Kings and all degrees of people and therefore it is said in the words following that power was given unto this Beast over every Kindred Tongue and Nation So that the exaltation thereof was such as to be a Father above all fathers to every Kindred a Lord above all Lords to every Tongue a King above all Kings to every Nation Thus was this Beast exalted and sate as a Queen triumphing over them having all of all degrees brought in bondage unto her Dominion which was a just recompence upon their heads that gave such power unto this Beast yet see how the world was herein deluded they were not captives against their wills but in blind devotion had this Beast in most high reverence as being a devine power ordained and given by God and not from the Dragon Thus did the Lord give them over to be deluded by this Beast as a just reward of their vngodlynes in that they receaued not the loue of the truth but tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Further it is declared in the words following That all that dwell vpon the earth must worship him that is the Beast whose names are not written in the booke of the life of the Lamb slayne from the foundation of the World by those that dwell on the earth is ment those that have set their habitation there and choose rather to enioy the prosperitie of the world and plesures of sinne together with the Beast then to sufffer affliction for the truth and for witnessing against the Beast these are they that worship him that is receaue their precepts and rules for their doctrine and wholesome instuction and observe their ordinances and Lawes as perfect rules of eqitie and righteousnesse casting the word of God declared in the holy scriptures be hind their backes and treading his Ordinances vnder their feete making farre more conscience not to eate an Egge on Friday then to steale or to commit adulterie But of such it is said that their names are not written in the Booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world That is they are not of the number of Gods Elect and Choosen in Christ and given vnto him for his portion and heritage whose condition is to be hated despised persecuted and afflicted in the world for righteousnes sake in whom the Lamb Christ Jesus as in his members hath been slaine since the beginning of the world which condition those which cannot brook and endure but count it a pleasure to live deliciously for a season and take delight to enjoy the pleasures of sin may thereby be discribed not to have their names written in the Book of life Concerning these things it is added If any man have an eare let him heare As if it should be said few there be which have an eare to heare these things For who can indure to heare that Catholike Church which they account to be spirituall holy and heavenly to bee compared to a Beast ugly in forme and horrible and monstrous in nature Who can endure to heare that Power that Throne and that authority which they believe to be of God to be said and affirmed to be of the Dragon that old Serpent the Divell and Satan Who will believe that a righteous God would give way to his enemies the workers of iniquity so farre to prevaile and so long time as for many hundred years together to delude the Nations to bring them into bondage and to keepe them in slavery And that a few poore despised people of no reckoning in the world here one and there another should see more and be wiser then