society and refuseth none but the godly therefore fitly was he thus prefigured Secondly by the quallity and disposition of the Leopard was signified that this Generation should be subtile and crafty in getting their prey They boast themselves to be the Church and Spouse of Christ but if it be so whence then had they that infinite store and abundance of worldly wealth and riches wherewith they exceed in deliciousnesse of living This was not the condition of Christ and his Disciples the Lord himselfe had not whereon to lay his head but in that respect was more destitute then Foxes which have holes and then Birds which have nests his Disciples wanted gold and silver and had no certaine dwelling place whence therefore had this Generation their Lands Livings and Lordships Their Castles Mannors Houses and Princely Palaces It will be said of the donation and gift of Emperours Kings and other great States and of the charitable devotion of all sorte of people But how were people brought to be so full handed to this generation To bring this about much slight craft and nimblenesse of with was used first people were made to believe that what they gave to the Church was to the maintenance of the Ministery of the Gospell and for the comfort and reliefe of the poore and therefore should be a sacrifice so well pleasing to God and meritorious as that it should receive great reward at his hands herewith the mindes of religious and devout people was so much moved that they thought nothing too much to give to the Church by means whereof Churches began to grow rich Secondly people were made to believe that the worshiping of Images and Relicks of Saints and building of Churches Chappels Oratories c. and endowing them with Lands Tenements Parsonage and Vicarage houses c. was an effectuall way to have favour with the Saints and to procure their praiers and intercession for them By these and such like means this wylie and crafty generation deluded the people and made themselves rich and robbed Christ of his honour who onely is our Advocate to God And furthermore they gathered in heaps of wealth by Masses Pilgrimages Pursse-penance Offerings and such like Merchandises wherein their subtilty and craft was prefigured by a Leopard a Beast subtile by nature whose property is to lie in waite for her prey and slilie to catch it as the Cat doth the Mousâ— and in that respect doth well resemble the Antichristian Clergie that subtill generation But further it is added that the feete of this Beast were as the feete of a Beare The Leopard is more nimble to catch then the Beare but the Beare is more strong and eager to hold fast that which he hath seased vpon then is the Leopard both these properties this generation hath nimble to catch and greedy to hold they catch by slight But hold by force and therefore in catching resemble the Leopard but in fast holding the feete of a Beare To this it is added that the mouth of this Beast was as the mouth of a Lion And by this another propertie of the Antichristian Clergie was foreshewed for as the Lion when he hath taken his prey roareth vpon it at whose roaring the Beasts tremble So this generation being thus exalted and made rich and have gotten their prey they terrifie the small Beasts of the Forrests roaring with curses and excommunications against be he Prince or Pesant that shall presume to part stakes with them or meddle with their prey or diminish their portion but an Egge or an Onion That these be the properties of this Generation needs no proof it is manifest by daily experience Here therefore we may learne what to esteem and judge of the Antichristian Cleargie together with those Multitudes People Nations and Tongues out of which they have sprung and over which they are set and supported namely that they are a monstrous and beastly Generation excelling in craft covetousnesse pride cruelty and all iniquity and therefore not to be esteemed as they boast themselves to be a holy Catholike Church and Spouse of Christ which cannot erre c. And by this we may see how lamentably the Nations have been deluded and led into errour and ungodlinesse by their guides and leaders Now it followeth that unto this Monster the Dragon gave his power and his Throne and great authority Here is declared of whom the Prelates and Clergie have received their spirituall Lordships power authority and jurisdiction to devise and make spirituall Laws and Canons to erect spirituall Courts and create Officers to beare rule and exercise dominion over the Nations even from the Divell they have not any lawfull authority from God but an usurped authority from the Divell whose instruments they are to advance his kingdom and to persecute the Saints which obey God rather then men And here we may observe that they are rightly called spirtuall Lords because originally they proceed from that prince that ruleth in the aire the spirit that worketh in the children of unbeliefe but withall in stead of spirituall Lords Laws Courts and Officers call them spirituall wickednesses and so we give them their right titles and being such if we will fight the good fight of faith we must by witnessing what they be wrastle against them and not submit unto them but stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not be intangled with any yoke of bondage and that we may wrastle and prevaile we must take unto us the whole Armour of God Ephes 6. Further Iohn saith that he saw one of the heads of the Beast as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondred after the Beast By this Head which was as it were wounded to death was signified the reviving of Priesthood the mysterie whereof in few words is this The workers of iniquity in this Antichristian kingdom having ordained this order of ministery called Priesthood whether it were in imitation of the Iews or Heathen it is doubtfull but certain it is that because it wanted externall sacrifices it came short both of the Iewish Priesthood and also of the Heathen so that it was a lame and wounded Priesthood and was not respected In time it came to passe that they found out a sacrifice as is to bee seene in their masse-Masse-book which was the transubstantiating of Bread into Wine into the very Body and Blood of Christ really and substantially as they use to speak and teach and being so transubstantiated to offer it up unto God a sacrifice propitiatory both for quick and dead Thus the wounded head of Priesthood was cured and revived and so became the worlds wonder as now it followeth to be declared according as Iohn here witnesseth And all the world wondred after the Beast That is the people of the Nations having this Priesthood set over them and commended unto them to be of such power and dignity as that they could make them
held Canonicall and those that contradicted the same were therefore cast out and condemned as Heretikes This was the manner and the occasion of the rising of this Beast out of this turbulent Sea And here by the way observe 〈◊〉 1.17 That every good giving and perfect gift is from above from the Father of lights But this Beast is from the Sea beneath not from above and therefore not belonging to the kingdome of Christ But an adversary and enimie thereof Of this Beast it is said that he had 7 heads a thing which is monstrous in nature And therefore by this wasforeshewed that the dominion represented by this beast should be a monstrous dominion Concerning these heads let this be considered That the whole state or society of the Antichristian Sea is of two sorts of people the one sort they call the Cleargie the other sort the Layetie Of these the Cleargie are as heads and guides to direct and go before and the Laietie as the body or rather the tayle to follow after Again by the same policy their Cleargie are sorted into seven orders or degrees namely to speake in their language 1. Iamtores sets ostiarij 2. Lectares 3. Exorcistie 4. Acolithi 5. Subdiaconi 6. Diaconi 7. Sacerdotes These are the seven orders of the Antichristian Cleargie As for Popes Cardinals Patriarches Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deacous c. they are titles of Dignity and not of order For the Pope is but a Priest concerning his orders and when he stands at the Altar and faith Masse he doth that as Priest and not as a Pope and so of all other degrees This considered it may well bee said of the Anti-christian Synagogue and State that it is as a Monster with seven heads As for the Ministers which God hath ordained to be in his Church they are first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. 1 Cor. 12.28 c. See also Rom. 12.6 7 1. Eph. 4 11 12 13. And these onely were given for the gathering together of the Saints for the work of the Ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ. Not some to have a bunch of Keys with a charge of the doors of this or that Temple or Cathedrall Church Another to have a book to read to the people things which neither he nor they did understand A third to have a Book of Conjurations or Charmes with charge to read them or say by heart to such as were distracted of their wits or possessed with Divels and to put their hands upon them A fourth to have a Taper or Wax-candle with a Candlestick to carry before the Priests and Deacons in doing their service A fift to recive of the people oblations and offerings and to deliver them to the Deacon to carry to the Altar to read the Epistle and to stand by the Preist while he was saying the Masse A sixth to be the Bishops spie and intelligencer to informe him of such as be irregular and observe not their orders to read the Gospell attend the Priest at the Altar c. A seventh to consecrate the Hoast as they call it and then to offer it as a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and dead These are not they which God hath given to be in the Church But these are they whereof the Antichristian Cleargie consisteth for whosoever is one of that Cleargie is one of these seven orders be he Pope Prelate or else whatsoever and to note and foreshew this point of policy this Beast which IOHN saw had seven heads If any shall thinke this to be a vaine frivolous and strange interpretation to understand by the seven heads of the Beast these seven order of the Cleargie as thinking those heads to betoken things of greater note and importance Let such consider what account and reckoning is made of such persons as have received the Sacraments of Orders and holy tonsure in the kingdome of the Beast and they shall finde the interpretation not impertinent but very agreeable For a time there was since the writing of this prophesie Vide Concil Matisconen secundum Can. 9.10 when the meanest shrimp that was within these holy Orders as they call them was held to be of that dignity that the chiefest and worthiest secular Iudge in a Kingdom was held unworthy to judge or censure them for any trespasse or fact how notorious wicked and manifest soever because they had received holy Tonsure and were thereby consecrated and set apart unto God to be his portion and heritage and to pray for the people and therefore were exempted from all secular jurisdiction and power such was their dignity accounted to be and still is where that kingdom prevaileth and hath the dominion yea ever in this Land that quarrell hath cost the King his Crown as it is to be seene in the Histories of the Reign of King IOHN and not his Crown onely but his life also Now if the meanest of them be above the dominion of any King or secular Iudge and secular Iudges be the heads of the people whom God hath appointed to beare rule over them well may these be said to be as heads in the kingdom of the Beast wherein these shavelings are holden to be so holy and high in dignity and degree As this Beast which Iohn saw had seven heads so likewise it had ten hornes whereby was foreshewed that as the Kings of the Medes and Persians were shewed and represented to Daniel by the two hornes of the Beast which he saw in his vision so the Kings of many Kingdomes should be as garders and defenders of the Antichristian kingdom and state And that this Scripture hath been fulfilled to the uttermost by the Kings of the Nations is so manifest that none can be ignorant of it that are of judgement and experience And it was just with the Lord to make the Kings of the earth vassals to this Beast because they received not the love of the truth but took pleasure in urighteousnesse they would not forsake their sins to live godlily righteously and soberly as all must do that will attaine salvation but they would live after their lusts and for their sins they would make satisfaction by building of Churches and Monasteries c. and endowing them with Lands Rents and other Revenews by means whereof those which traded like Merchants in those many waters the kingdom of the Beast grew rich and wealthy and became the great men of the earth Furthermore John faith of the Beast that he saw that it was like a Leopard c. By the resemblance and likenesse of a Leopard was signified that this Beast should be foule and full of spots as is shewed in the 18 Chapter Babylon is become the habitation of Divels and the hold of foule spirits and the Cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird. The filthinesse of this Beast is apparant in that he doth by force and Armes compell all sorts of wicked and ungodly people to be of his
we are fallen and being enemies and opposers of Christ and his Kingdom it doth behoove us to know them to the end that wee may eschew them and their evill wayes and seek after the truth making strait steps unto the Kingdom of God Now that we our selves may make particular use hereof it is necessary for us to examine the Nationall Synod or Convocation consisting of the Prelacy and Clergie of the Land who whilst they remained under the yoke and bondage of the Church of Rome and whilst they exercised their power which was first given them by the Pope for and in the behalfe of that Church and Dominion they were the very Image of the first Beast before mentioned But being now separated from the Pope and Church of Rome they think as it should seem that their spirituall Pontificall power and authority which they exercise is lawfull and warrantable and to be submitted unto They being gathered together boast themselves to be the representative body of the Church of England and the true Church of Christ and that they have power to make Laws and Canons for Government thereof and for the worship of God which all men ought to yeeld obedience unto as appeareth by divers of their Bookes of Canons But we are not to take this upon their word but to make triall thereof by the Word of God whether it be true or false If the Word of God did give them such power and authority then indeed we were bound in conscience to yeeld already obedience to their Lawes and Canons But the most wise God and Disposer of all things who knoweth the vanity of mens mindes would not have his people to hold their faith in respect of mens persons and at their pleasure to alter and change the same and therefore did not give to any of his Ministers power to make Laws in matters of Religion and for the worship of God but gave them power onely to teach the Nations to observe the things which he had commanded them as in the 28. of Mathew the 19. and 20. verses And the Apostle Paul biddeth the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.1 to be followers of him as he followed Christ And in the same Chapter he also saith That which he had received of the Lord he delivered unto them Acts 15. Also the Assembly of the apostles and Elders of the Church of Ierusalem they would not impose any yoke of bondage upon the Churches of Christ but held it to be a tempting of God so to do as before hath been shewed And this agreeth with that in Deut. 12.32 Whatsoever I command you take heed you do it Thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom By which Scriptures it is plain that the chiefest Ministers of the Gospell had no such power as these Prelates presume to have as we shall finde by examining their particular Canons and Constitutions of which for examples I will onely note some few of their late and best reformed Book made Anno 1603. in the first year of the Kings Majesties reign by which it will be apparant that they passe the bounds of the Subjects of Christ and that they have no power from him to make such Laws but by so doing they usurp the place of God to reign in mens consciences for unto him onely it doth belong to make Laws in matters of Religion and for the worship of God to which men are onely bound to yeeld obedience without adding or detracting and that for this their presumption they are liable to the curse of God being indeed the Image of the Beast here spoken of that is originally sprung from the Dragon and hath received power of Law-making from him Concerning the first and second Canons wherein they pretend their zeal for the abolishing of all forraign power repugnant to the jurisdiction of the Kings Majestie over the Ecclesiasticall estate he being the highest power under God to whom all men owe most loyall obedience and that his Majestie hath the like authority in Causes Ecclesiasticall as the godly Kings had amongst the Iews To these I do most willingly assent and agree And further do desire that as the Pope so the Prelacy with all their Antichristian Adherents which usurp spirituall power and superiority above the Majestie of Christ Iesus being a strange and forraigne generation brought in and established in this Land by the Pope of Rome may also be abolished and cast out after him for by them the Pope lives in hope hereafter to be served as he hath been heretofore to the great vexation of the Kings and Princes of this Land yea to the losse of their Crown and lives But to be short I will proceed to mention some few of their Canons whereby iniquity is established for a Law and their beastlinesse discovered In the third Canon it is enacted that whosoever shall affirme the Church of England by Law established not to be a true and Apostolicall Church teaching and maintaining the doctrine of the Apostles that person shall bee excommunicated ipso facto That there are some yea many doctrines of the Apostles maintained in the Church of England I do not deny so there are in the Church of Rome But that the Ecclesiasticall state or spirituall body politike which is called the Church of England which consisteth of Arch-bishops Diocesan Lord-bishops Suffragans Deanes Arch-deacons Prebends Canons Chancellours Commissaries with the rest of the Clergie as heads and guides of that body to go before and the whole multitude of the Layitie as they call it which is as the Tayle to follow those Heads that this politicall Body is the Spouse and Church of Christ as they affirme in their seventh eighth and ninth Canons that I do deny For first if it were true that they are the Ministers of Christ which is his Church we should finde warrant for them in his Testament wherein is set down the Ministers which he hath set in the Church namely Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers and also their office and administration But in all the New Testament no Arch-bishops nor Lord-bishops no Deanes nor Arch-deacons Prebends Priests nor Canons no Chancellours nor Commissaries and other their Court-officers nor any such administration as they challenge and execute can there be found they are a strange generation that is risen up out of the earth for earthly-minded and vaine men have invented them and therefore the body which consisteth of them cannot of right bee acknowledged to bee the Body of Christ whose Ministers in respect that they are called according to the Commandement of Christ are from Heaven But it is indeed the Image of the first Beast whose mouth was as the mouth of a Lyon his body like a Leopard and his feet as the feet of a Beare an ugly compounded and deformed monster And as their names are strange and different from the Ministers of Christ so is their practise contrary they are not servants to the Flock and Church of Christ