The Contrariety of POPERY TO THE Blessed Word of GOD Wherein may be seen that the DOCTRINE and PRACTICE OF THE Church of Rome Are not consistent with the SACRED ORACLES OF THE Old and New Testament Very fit now to be seriously minded by all Good PROTESTANTS when we have such Warnings of the Approach of Popery Written by DIGBY BULL M. A. and late Rector of Sheldon in Warwick-shire LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by J. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall 1695. I. The Fundamental Doctrine of the Romish Church That the blessed Apostle St. Peter was the Head and Governour of all the Apostles and of all the Church is not consistent with the sacred Scriptures but is flat contrary to them THIS grand Position of the Church of Rome whereupon all their pretended Power and Authority is built is altogether groundless and false and not consistent with the blessed Word of God as we may see by a multitude of places First We may see That the places of Scripture which are urged upon this account have no force at all to prove that St. Peter was the Universal Head and Governour of the Apostles and of the Church Great Matters are spoken of St. Peter but nothing at all that will prove this Matt. 16.18 Saith our blessed Lord to him Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it But this doth not prove that St. Peter was to be the sole Foundation of the Church and it is clear by other places of Scripture that this is not the meaning of this place For in this Similitude wherein the Church is compared to a Building Jesus Christ our blessed Lord is the sole and only Foundation and none can pretend to be a Foundation in such a high manner as he is so And this the Apostle St. Paul hath plainly taught us 1 Cor. 3.11 For other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ Here when some were pretending to be of Paul and some of Apollos the Apostle doth positively affirm That Christ Jesus is the Foundation upon which the Christian Church was to be built and neither Paul nor Apollos nor Cephas or Peter are to stand in competition with him in this respect And when the Foundation is attributed to the Apostles they are mentioned together and Christ is called the chief Corner-stone Ephes 2.20 saith St. Paul And are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone And in St. John's holy Jerusalem the Apostles are all equally concerned Rev. 21.14 And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations saith he and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The Apostles we see are all concerned in the Foundation of the Christian Church and it was to be built upon them all as Ministers in this Spiritual Building and in respect of the Doctrine and Foundation of Christ which they laid and St. Peter alone is not the Foundation of the Christian Church And not only St. Peter but others also are mentioned as Pillars of the Church Gal. 2.9 saith St. Paul And when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto me James and John here are accounted as Pillars of the Church as well as Cephas that is Peter It is plain we see that St. Peter was not appointed to be the sole Foundation of the Christian Church and that nothing can be fairly urged from these words of our Saviour to him to prove him to be the Universal Head of the Church Again our blessed Saviour promiseth to St. Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and power of binding and loosing Mat. 16.19 And I will give unto thee saith he to Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Here we see that very great Power indeed is promised to St. Peter but yet this doth not at all prove him to be the Universal Head over all the Church For this seems not to be an actual Grant of this Power but only a Promise and the actual conferring of this Power doth clear this matter That it was not granted to St. Peter alone but to all the Apostles This may be clearly seen by these places Matt. 18.18 Verily I say unto you saith our Lord whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Here the Power of Binding and Loosing the same Power that St. Peter was to have is as firmly ratified and confirmed to all the Apostles as it is to St. Peter and he could pretend to no Power above his fellow Apostles And after our Saviour's Resurrection immediately before his ascension to Heaven when he most solemnly invested the Apostles with this Power he equally gave it to them all Joh. 20.21 23. Then said Jesus to them again Peace be unto you As my Father hath sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and said unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Here we see this Power is actually and solemnly settled upon them all And the Commission is large bearing a correspondence with that which God the Father gave him As my Father hath sent me even so send I you in the plural number And the Commission is Universal Whos 's soever sins ye remit This great Power then we see plainly is actually settled upon them all and none hath a greater share of it than his Fellows And when St. Peter said unto our blessed Saviour in behalf of himself and his Fellows Matt. 19 27 28. Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore Our Saviour returned this answer And Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And saith he Luke 22.29 30 And I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Here we see that it is equally granted to them all to sit upon Thrones and to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel And these places are understood to respect the Power that they were to have to govern Christ's Church here upon Earth after his departure to Heaven It is clear then that our blessed Saviour gave and left St. Peter no more Power and Authority than he did the rest of the holy Apostles Again the Care of Christ's Flock is
of our Saviour and the Apostle XI The Practice of the Romish Church in respect of Marriages is not agreeable to the Word of God First The prohibiting the Marriage of Clergy-men is not agreeable to the Word of God The Word of God alloweth them to marry as well as other men if they see good cause for it and it is great Tyranny and an evil thing to deny them this Liberty The Law of God allowed the Priests and even the High Priests to marry as we may see Lev. 21.7 and in several other places They shall not take a wife that is a whore or profane neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband for he is holy unto his God And ver 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity The Priests might marry notwithstanding God accounted them holy to himself and would not suffer them to profane themselves in many other respects wherein the Common People might profane themselves And we see that Aaron and his Sons were married men and yet were the High Priests of the Jews and that they married as they saw good observing only the limitations of the Law of God And the Gospel doth allow all men liberty to marry that see good cause for it And it doth require that those should marry that have not the gift of continency and cannot well otherwise keep themselves chast but it tolerates no whoredom at all 1 Cor. 7.2 saith St. Paul Nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband Here is no exception but all may marry that see need for it And saith the Apostle Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge And St. Paul doth plainly shew that Bishops and Deacons might be married men 1 Tim. 3.2 A Bishop then said he must be blameless the husband of one wife He that had not married one Wife and put her away and married another as the Jews sometimes did but had married but one Wife he might be a Bishop And so might the Deacons be married men as we may see ver 8 And St. Paul alloweth Bishops and Elders to be married men in his Instructions to Tit. 1.5 And it doth appear that St. Peter the Apostle was a married man mention being made of his Wives Mother Matt. 8.14 Mar. 1.30 1 Cor. 9.5 And the Apostle tells us that it is better to marry than to burn 1 Cor. 7.9 But if they cannot contain let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn Such as are in danger to be tempted to wickedness are not only allowed but advised to marry and keep themselves pure and not to fall to Whoredom And the Apostle sheweth that the forbidding of Marriage is a sinful and evil thing 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expresly saith he that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils Forbidding to marry This is one thing that these sinful men would do And hereby we see that it is an unlawful thing to prohibit marriage and to keep any Order of men from their liberty herein which God hath granted to all The Practice of the Romish Church is not agreeable to the sacred Scriptures in not suffering the Clergy to marry To prohibit Marriage and to tolerate Whoredom is flat contrary to the sacred Word of God Secondly The Romish Church doth tolerate Incestuous Marriages and the Popes do grant Dispensations for such Marriages as are forbidden by the Word of God God hath forbidden all Incestuous Marriages in the Book of Leviticus and told us what persons we are to marry Lev. 18.5 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him to uncover their nakedness I am the Lord. And the several degrees of persons that we are not to approach to are mentioned in this Chapter and in the twentieth Chapter of this Book And here we may see that the marrying a Brother's Wife is unlawful Lev. 18.16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife it is thy brother's nakedness And Lev. 20.21 And if a man shall take his brother's wife it shall be an unclean thing And John Baptist told Herod that it was not lawful for him to have his Brother's Wife Matt. 14.3 For Herod saith St. Matthew had laid hold on John and bound him and put him in prison for Herodias sake his brother Philip's wife For John said unto him It is not lawful for thee to have her But notwithstanding these plain and positive Commands of God the Popes at their pleasure will grant Dispensations for the marrying of such persons as are here forbidden and for marrying a Brother's Wife Thirdly The Practice of the Romish Church in dissolving of lawful Marriages is not agreeable to the Word of God When a Marriage is lawfully contracted and duely solemnized it is not to be dissolved but only upon the account of Fornication This is our Saviour's determination in this Matter Matt. 5.31 It hath been said whosoever shall put away his wife let him give her a writing of divorcement But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication causeth her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery And Matt. 19.3 The Pharisees came unto him tempting him and saying unto him Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause And he answered and said unto them Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female And said for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh What therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder And again Mar. 10.8 And they twain shall be one flesh so then they are no more twain but one flesh What therefore God hath joined together let no man put asunder This we see is a sacred Knot and a work that God hath done when it is lawfully done according to his order and not to be dissolved by man except in the case of Fornication And saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 7.10 11. And unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord Let not the wife be separated from her husband But and if she be separated let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband and let not the husband put away his wife Christians are not to put away their Wives but were even to keep their Heathen Wives if they would live with them and not leave their Husbands because they were Christians But notwithstanding Marriage is so sacred a thing and we are commanded not to dissolve it yet the Church of Rome doth dissolve the Marriage of all Priests and we see that the Marriage of the Clergy is as lawful as the Marriage of other men This we
Subjects are strictly commanded to be subject and obedient to their lawful Governors and are like to perish if they rise up against them And to command them to rebel and rise up against their lawful Governors is to command them to break these sacred Commands of the Gospel and to do that for which they are like to perish and be damned Rebellion Perjury and Murder are very great and black Crimes and for such are men like to go to the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone as St. John shews Rev. 21.8 Murderers and all Lyars are to have their part therein and perjured Persons may be reckoned in the front of Lyars To command men to do these things is to command men to do things which are extraordinary sinful and wicked and to be the great Firebrands of the world And yet such is the Practice of the Church of Rome to do these things flat contrary to the clear Commands of the Gospel of Christ and to the destroying of whole multitudes of men both here and hereafter too XV. Their debasing and vilifying of the blessed Word of God as obscure and dangerous and insufficient and productive of Errors and Heresies And their making their oral Traditions of as great Authority as the Word of God and letting them take place of it is sinful enough and inconsistent with the sacred Scriptures We are to believe that the Wisdom and Goodness of God hath taken sufficient care that the Canon of the sacred Scriptures should be perfect and compleat and that there should be no defect in them And we are to believe that they are plain and clear enough to direct all men to eternal Life that will diligently read them and hear them read and preached and carefully practise what they are taught therein And this is St. Paul's testimony of them 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation thro' faith which is in Christ Jesus These sacred Writings will furnish all men with sufficient Instructions for Salvation And saith he ver 16 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect thorowly furnished unto all good works St. Paul doth here shew that the sacred Scriptures are sufficient to make men perfect and thorowly furnished with Instructions to all good works Tho' some places in them are somewhat dark and difficult to be understood yet such as will carefully mind these sacred Writings may there clearly see their duty and what they are to do that they may obtain eternal Life and there are no Instructions compararable to them And we may see that oral Traditions ought not to be had in as great a veneration as the sacred Word of God and be made of as great Authority For this would be little less than adding to the Word of God to make such Traditions as sacred and of as great Authority as it And this we are commanded not to do Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you And Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it Thus strictly did God command that nothing should be added to or diminished from his sacred Word and Commandments And the Jews are sharply rebuked by our blessed Lord for making void the Commands of God by their Traditions Matt. 15.3 But he answered and said unto them Why do you also transgress the Commandment of God by your tradition For God commanded saying Honor thy father and mother and he that curseth father or mother let him dye the death But ye say whosoever shall say to his father or his mother It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me and honor not his father or his mother he shall be free Thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your Tradition And saith he Mar. 7.7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men For laying aside the Commandment of God ye hold the tradition of men The Jews are sharply rebuked for setting up their Traditions so high and making the Word of God void by them and yet they pleaded as much for their Traditions as the Church of Rome can for her's And here we see how vain a thing it is for men to pretend to serve God while they teach for doctrines the commandments of men and follow their own vain traditions and make them of equal authority with the Word of God and prefer them before it And saith St. Paul to Titus Tit. 1.13 Wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the Faith not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth The Commandments of men if they once come to vie with the sacred Word of God are utterly to be rejected By these places and what hath been said before we may see that it is great wickedness to set up any thing in competition with the sacred Word of God The Practice of the Church of Rome in undervaluing the blessed Word of God and setting up of Traditions in competition with it and preferring them before it is repugnant to the sacred Scriptures and a very great Crime XVI Lastly the bloody Cruelty of the Romish Church is not at all consistent with the Gospel of Christ The bloody Wars that have been raised by the Papists against the Protestants and such as refused the Communion of the Romish Church upon the account of Religion the cruel Inquisitions that have been set up in the Popish Countries the merciless Massacres that have been committed and perpetrated by them and the horrid and hellish Burnings that they have used towards the Protestants are not at all agreeable to the sacred Scriptures The Persecutions of the Romish Church exceed all the Persecutions of the Pagan Emperors and more Christian Blood hath been shed by Papists than ever was shed by the Heathen Emperors But such bloody Cruelty and such treacherous Murdering and destroying of men by thousands is not at all agreeable to the Gospel of the blessed Jesus the Prince of Peace that came to save mens Lives and not to destroy them When Solomon's Temple was built it was built without the noise of hammers and axes and iron tools 1 King 6.7 And the Gospel was introduced without the noise and use of iron-weapons Our blessed Saviour and his Apostles practised no such Cruelty and commanded no such thing to be practised by Christians but the quite contrary Our Saviour gave no positive command to his Disciples to take up the Sword as I conceive by those Words Luk. 22.36 And suffered St. Peter to cut off Malcus's ear ver 50 only that
Bishops of Rome do succeed St. Peter in such a Supreme Power and Authority and are now the Head of all the Christian Church is not consistent with the sacred Scriptures but directly contrary to them This is proved by what hath been said already For if St. Peter had no such Universal Power and Authority over the Apostles and all the Church as it is clear that he had not then the Roman Bishops have no ground to pretend to succeed him in such a supreme Power and Authority This is altogether vain seeing there is no truth in the former And there is no proof at all that they should be St. Peter's Heirs and Successors and be the only Masters of that Power and Authority which he had in the Church And how then can they assume such an Universal Power and Authority which he had not Heb. 5.4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself saith the Apostle but he that is called of God as was Aaron And how then can the Bishops of Rome justly assume to themselves such a supreme and universal Power over all the Church till they can shew some Divine Commission for it And for such Authority they have no Plea nor Colour from the sacred Word of God There is no clear place in the sacred Scriptures to prove that ever St. Peter was at Rome and he wrote no Epistle to them to confer any Power upon them and in those Epistles that he wrote he makes no mention of any such Power and supreme Authority that they were to have St. Peter was chiefly the Apostle of the Jews as St. Paul sheweth Gal. 2.7 And how then can the Roman Gentiles pretend that all his Power is devolved upon them St. Peter was much at Jerusalem and the Bishops of that place might have had a better Title to be his Successors in a higher manner than others if any were to have been so than the Bishops of Rome can have because he was chiefly and primarily the Apostle of the Jews St. Peter was also at Antioch some time Gal. 2.11 And the Bishops of that place may alledg as good a Plea to be his Successors as the Bishops of Rome can Again St. Paul writes an Epistle to the Romans and several Epistles from Rome but no intimation in them that the Bishops of that place only were to be St. Peters Successors and to have an universal Power and Authority over the whole Church And from hence we may see that St. Paul knew nothing of any such universal Power that the Roman Bishops were to have For if he had known that our blessed Lord had designed them to be the Universal Pastors over all the Church we may be sure that he would not have been wanting to have instructed the Churches to which he wrote in this great Point of Duty and to have let them know where the Supreme Power of the Church was lodged that they might have had recourse to it in all weighty Concerns The Apostle commandeth Christians Heb. 13.17 To obey them that have the Rule over them and to submit themselves but not a word of obeying the Roman Bishop nor any regard that is to be had to him more than to another Again if any place should have been Invested with such a Supreme Power over all the Christian Church we may well conclude that Jerusalem should have been the place For more is said of that place tending this way than of any place in the whole World besides This is the place that is renowned above all others in the sacred Word of God and the Bishops of this place might have pleaded the most of all for a Divine Right of Governing the Universal Church of Christ For this was the Holy City as St. Matthew calls it Matt. 4.5 This was the City of the Great King as our Saviour himself calls it Matt. 5.35 Neither by Jerusalem saith he for it is the City of the Great King This was the City of the Lord of Hosts the Great King of all Kings This was the place where Christ the Great Shepherd of all did exercise the Power that God the Father gave him over all the Church and for whose sacred Temple he shewed so much Zeal and was so much concerned Mar. 11.15 Within the jurisdiction of this City and among the Jews who had a dependence upon this City as their great Metropolis did our Lord do all his Miracles and exercised his Pastoral Office This was the great Metropolis of the whole World and here had Almighty God recorded his Holy Name Psal 87.2 3 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God Great Matters were spoken and predicted of this City This was to be the City of Truth Zac. 8.3 Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth and the Mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy Mountain This was the place from whence the Law was to go forth according to the predictions of the Prophets Isa 2.3 And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths For out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem And Micah 4.2 For the Law shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem From this place was the Law and Word of God to go forth This is the place where God is said to dwell for ever and he promiseth to cloath her Priests with Salvation Psal 132.13 14. For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my Rest for ever And ver 16. I will also cloath her Priests with Salvation This is said of this place and the Priests thereof Here the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. Here was held the first Council Act. 15. And St. James that was Bishop of Jerusalem was President of this Council of Apostles and Elders And if all this and much more be said of this place in the Word of God we may be sure that Jerusalem should have been the place of Supremacy and Power over all the Church if any place should have been so We may be sure that the Bishops of this place should have been the Universal Head of the Church if there should have been any such Head For more may be said for a Divine Right of Ruling over all the Church for Jerusalem than for any place in the whole World besides But seeing Jerusalem has no such Superiority and doth not exalt it self over all other places we may be sure that no other place ought to do so For Rome or any other place cannot stand in Competition with it for Superiority or urge
a wicked thing it is to pretend to pardon them before they are so Isa 55.7 saith the Prophet Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Upon this condition of repenting and forsaking of sin and returning to God he will pardon but not else And this God sheweth Ez. 18.21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not dye And ver 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned In his trespess that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Here we see ver 20 that the soul that sinneth must die and not be pardoned except he repent but upon repentance and amendment here is mercy and pardon to be had but not without it And saith our Saviour Luke 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And Luk. 24.47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations Repentance is to be preached to all as the condition of pardon and remission of sins And saith St. Peter to Simon Magnus Acts 8.22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee This was the way that St. Peter prescribed to have his sins forgiven viz. to repent and humbly to pray to God for pardon and forgiveness And he hath set us no example of selling of pardons but the quite contrary And he hath shewed us that Spiritual Gifts and Powers are not to be sold and bought for Money Ver. 18 And when Simon saw that thro' laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost But Peter said unto him thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money The gifts of God are not to be bought with Money And from hence it doth appear that the Pardons of men's sins ought not to be sold for Money and that such Pardons are but miserable Deceits to the poor deluded Souls that buy them And saith our Saviour to his Apostles when he sent them forth Matt. 10.8 Heal the sick cleanse the lepers raise the dead cast out devils Freely ye have received freely give This is the Command of our blessed Lord that his gifts should be freely communicated to all persons that were capable of them and well qualified for them and not sold in such a covetous manner for sinful gain And saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1.18 For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation But with the precious blood of Christ or of a lamb without blemish and without spot It is this Blood that hath redeemed us and this Blood and not silver and gold must procure us the pardon of our sins By these places without drawing a multitude more together here which might be alledged to this purpose it is plain that the Popish way of selling pardons is not at all agreeable to the sacred Scriptures but contrary to them XIV The Practice of the Romish Church in deposing and dethroning of Emperors Kings and Princes and turning them out of their Empires Kingdoms and Dominions and absolving their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance and from all Fidelity and Obedience to them is directly contrary to the Word of God This is very great wickedness to turn Princes out of all their Rights and Dominions and to tolerate Rebellion Perjury and Regicide and such black and bloody Crimes and to involve whole Kingdoms in dismal War and Blood This is not to act like a Servant of Christ the Prince of Peace to turn whole Kingdoms thus into Disorder and Confusion and to set men to kill and destroy one another and to command them to commit such wicked things as these and to violate the sacred Commands of God to the contrary The High Priests among the Jews were subject to their Kings and Princes and did not Lord it over them at this rate Aaron was subject to Moses tho' the younger Brother because he was the supreme Magistrate among them David and Solomon and the rest of the Kings of the Jews did Rule as Supreme Governors and the High Priests were subject and obedient to them And we read not that ever our blessed Lord and his Apostles did depose and dethrone any Kings and Emperors because they would not presently submit to them or gave any command that they should be deposed and removed upon any such account We cannot find that ever the blessed Jesus and his Apostles set such a wide gate open to sin and wickedness and gave men liberty to practise what Villanies they pleased against their Soveraign and the Lord 's Anointed tho' an unbeliever We cannot see that they have made Perjury and Murder lawful upon any account much less the murdering of a King But we may see that such practice is strictly forbid by the Gospel Our Saviour hath commanded that Caesar should have his dues Matt. 22.21 Render therefore unto Caesar saith he the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's Caesar was not to be dethroned but to have his Dues tho' a Heathen And the Apostles strictly enjoyn and command obedience to Kings and all supreme Governors Rom. 13.1 saith St. Paul Let every soul be subject unto the higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation And ver 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Here is a positive and strict Command that all men whatsoever should be subject to the supreme Power and no less than Damnation is threatned to them that resist and rise up against lawful Authority and Government And saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governors as unto them that are sent by him To the King and Governors in all things that are good and lawful doth St. Peter command us to be subject and obedient And saith St. Paul to Titus 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work By these and such places it doth plainly appear that all
cause Jews Turks and Pagans to cry out against it when they see such inhumane Cruelty and merciless Murders committed by the Professors of it Such bloody Spectacles are of a very moving and frightful nature and very distastful and odious to all men that have any sense of humanity left in them and the ready way to make them abhor the Christian Religion when they see such as call themselves Christians to act like the worst of men And for this must they one day answer And a sad thing it is to see that such as call themselves Christians should now be the greatest Enemies of the Christian Church and put men to death in a merciless manner purely for Points of Conscience where the poor Sufferers have Truth and the Gospel of Christ on their side By what hath been said it is clear enough that the bloody Cruelty of the Romish Church is not at all agreeable to the Gospel of Christ but flat contrary to it By these particulars without going any farther we may see that Popery is not at all consistent with the sacred Scriptures and the Gospel of the blessed Jesus but quite another Religion directly contrary to it even in the Fundamentals of it For in the Christian Religion we are taught that Christ is the Head of the Church and are positively commanded to call no one Father and Master in such a high manner and to admit no Competitor with him But in Popery the Pope is the Head of the Church And tho' he pretends to be Christ's Vicar yet in truth and reality he is no such thing but acteth like a supreme Lord of the Church himself and will admit of the Christian Law and the Commands of the Gospel no farther than they suit with his humor and pleasure or interest and at his own will and pleasure doth over-rule them and herein doth take upon him a Power above our blessed Lord. And by these Papers it is plain that the Members of the Romish Church live in an open and notorious violation of the Christian Law and the Commands of the Gospel They call themselves Christians but in truth and reality they are not Christians but men of another Religion quite different from Christianity and may be called Papists in opposition and contradistinction to Christians For as we Christians do own Christ for our Head and profess our selves to be his Disciples and look upon his Laws and Commands as sacred and to be kept inviolable and do engage to take care to keep them So do they own the Pope for their supreme Head and are his Disciples and do set up his Laws and Commands that are ratified by his Authority as supreme and above the Laws and Commands of Christ and look upon themselves as obliged to keep them inviolable and take more care to keep them than the Laws of Christ The Romish Church notwithstanding its outward profession of Christianity yet in reality is not to be looked upon as any part of the true Christian Church but as a People of another new Religion And there is no doubt to me but that the Papists are the Gentiles spoken of Rev. 11.2 and that the time is now at hand that they shall tread the holy City the true Church of Christ under foot forty and two months And that the Popedom and Romish Church is the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit that shall make War with the Witnesses of God and overcome them And that those names of Sodom Egypt and Babylon the Great do belong to Rome and the Romish Church And the Learned and Reverend Archbishop Usher Dr. More and Dr. Barrow do not say much less Archbishop Usher 's Predictions Dr. More 's Antidote against Idolatry Dr. Barrows 's Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy And we may see that Divine Providence hath afforded as great a Cloud of Witnesses against Popery in these latter ages of the World as it hath against the Pagan Idolatries in the Primitive times of Christianity And I suppose upon a fair examination it will appear that far more have died Martyrs here in Europe in testifying the Truth against Popery than have died Martyrs in the time of the Pagan Emperors in testifying the Truth in opposition to Pagan Idolatry And when these things are fairly considered I cannot see but that Christians heretofore might with as much safety to their Souls turn to Pagan Idolatry as Protestants may now turn to Popery The glorious Martyrs that have suffered in the Popish Persecutions are as high a Testimony against Popery as any that can be found I believe against Pagan Idolatry And for my part I do not see how Protestants that turn to Popery can be saved or how Papists that wilfully continue therein when they see and consider these things can be saved and escape eternal Destruction How far God may extend Mercy over and above the declarations of the Gospel in pitying the ignorance and infirmities of some is an Arcanum that we cannot look into and belongs not to us to open But as to the declarations of the Gospel there is certainly no hope of Salvation to be had in the Romish Church as it is now corrupted And if any one thinks that I strain the Cord too far and would have me to remember to keep within the bounds of Charity I return him this answer That I am in Charity with all the World as I hope and desire the Good and Well-being of all men both here and hereafter And that I think it far greater Charity to deal plainly and sincerely in a matter of such weight and moment than to use any deceitful and treacherous Flattery to the deluding of mens precious and immortal Souls and to give them any just cause to curse me hereafter when they are wrapt up in Eternal Wo and Misery I believe St. Paul and St. John were men full of true Christian Charity and yet they positively declare that those that commit such sins as they enumerate and reckon up are not like to be saved but to be eternally damned if they do not repent in time And seeing the Romish Church is so notoriously guilty of many of those very sins there is no cause that any good Body should be offended at me for asserting That there is no hope of Salvation to be had in that Church and for being willing to save both Protestants and Papists by endeavouring to keep the one Party from falling to such a corrupt and sinful Religion and to draw the other from it And our Church in effect declareth as much as I do For in Athanasius's Creed we have these Words Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly And our Church having made this a part of her publick Liturgy hereby doth shew that this is her sense and that this was the sense and judgment of the Primitive times And seeing the Romish Church doth not keep the Catholick Faith whole and undefiled as it it clear enough by these Papers therefore our Church doth declare that the Papists and Members of the Popish Church are like-to perish everlastingly if they do not repent in time To conclude then seeing Popery is so notorious a violation of the blessed Word of God and there are such plain declarations in the sacred Scriptures against it seeing no less than Eternal Death is threatned to the things that are constantly practised therein and the Professors of it are accounted no better than Gentiles in the Revelation of St. John seeing God hath set a whole Cloud of Witnesses and Martyrs to give testimony against it by resisting unto Blood and by chusing rather to be burnt to death in the fire than to turn to it From hence we may well be assured of the sinfulness of this Religion and that it is at the hazard of our Lives and Souls if we turn to it There is no halting in this case for if we turn to it we go presumptuously upon Destruction Let us then be wise betimes and not trifle with Eternity and run wilfully into the Lake of everlasting fire Let us not by a little Terror of men be driven to it and so bring the Curse and Wrath of Almighty God upon our selves But seeing we are warned of its coming before hand let us do what we can to prepare our selves against it that we may not be born away with the violence of it when it cometh Let us reform and amend our sinful lives and be in a readiness to dye if God should call us to give farther testimony against it and let us then call upon him for his blessed Assistance and go cheerfully to the Stake rather than to turn to so sinful a Religion wherein we are like to perish to all Eternity And I desire that all well minded Papists would seriously consider what is said here and lay it to heart and not hearken to deluding Priests and Jesuits I hope and am fully persuaded that Mercy doth yet wait upon them and that if they will now return from Popery and become good Christians and live according to the Precepts and Commands of the Gospel they may preserve their Souls and that God will pass by their Provocations hitherto But if they do not now repent and return I doubt it will go very sore with the Papists of these Kingdoms For as I am confident and well assured that Popery is at hand and will prevail here for a time so am I also confident that after the 42 Months Rev. 11.2 are expired it will be driven out again and then I fear that the Wrath of God will fall very heavy both upon Papists and upon such Protestants as turn to Popery It is very probable that there may be some Bloodshed at its entrance but I expect that the great Slaughter and Destruction of men will be when it is driven out again You may peruse The Watch-man's-Voice and the Letter of a Protestant Clergy-man c. I have no more but my hearty Prayer That Almighty God of his great Mercy and Goodness would have mercy upon the whole Kingdom and turn us all from our own sinful ways into the path of Life and preserve us safe unto his eternal and blessed Kingdom for his dear Son Christ Jesus's sake Amen FINIS
and Authority that he usurped or claimed over the rest of the Apostles Fourthly We may plainly see by the Acts of the Apostles and by the Epistles of St. Paul that St. Peter had no Power nor Authority over the rest of the Apostles When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Gospel they sent Peter and John to them to confirm them therein and that they might receive the Holy Ghost Acts 8.14 Now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent unto them Peter and John Here we see that St. Peter as well as St. John is sent by the Apostles to these new Converts at Samaria And herein they act as Ministers under the Apostles For as our Lord saith Joh. 13.16 He that is sent is not greater than he that sent him And hereby we see that St. Peter was not accounted their Superior no more than St. John The right hands of Fellowship were given to Paul and Barnabas by James and John and Peter himself too Gal. 2.9 And when James Cephas and John saith St. Paul who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given unto me they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship that we should go unto the Heathen and they unto the Circumcision Barnabas and Paul are not commanded by them as Ministers under them but taken into Fellowship with them and this is done by James and John as well as Peter and they are to take care of the Church of the Gentiles as the other were to take care of the Church of the Jews And this shews that St. Peter was not then accounted the Head of the Apostles And St. Paul we may see withstood St. Peter at Antioch Gal. 2.11 But when Peter was come to Antioch saith St. Paul I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed And ver 14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel I said unto Peter before them all If thou being a Jew livest after the manner of Gentiles and not as do the Jews why compellest thou the Gentiles 〈◊〉 live as do the Jews St. Paul here shews that he knew of no Power and Superiority that St. Peter had over him and over the whole Church to be an Universal Head thereof Again St. Paul tells the Corinthians that he was in nothing behind the very chiefest Apostles 2 Cor. 11.5 For I suppose saith he I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles And 2 Cor. 12.11 saith he For I ought to have been commended of you For in nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles St Paul doth here clearly prove to us that St. Peter had no Power and Authority over all the Apostles For he mentions the chiefest Apostles in the plural number which shews that St. Peter alone was not exalted above all the rest and he affirms that he himself was not their Inferior Again where St. Paul reckons up the Orders of Men that God had constituted and appointed in the Church he plainly shews that St. Peter was not the Head of the Apostles and placed in an Order above them For he shews that the Apostles in general are the first Order of Men in the Church 1 Cor. 12.28 And God hath set some in the Church saith he first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers And Ephes 4.11 saith he And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints Apostles are the first that our blessed Saviour hath set and appointed in his Church as the Apostle here plainly shews and St. Peter was not set up as a Head above them all And we may see that St. Paul acted as wholly independent upon St. Peter He ordained Timothy Bishop of Ephesus and gave him Instructions and Commands how to carry himself and what Persons he should ordain 1 Tim. 3. And he gave him a solemn Charge to observe what he had written to him 1 Tim. 5.21 I charge thee saith thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another He gave him Instructions and Commands and this solemn Charge to obsrve them but here is no mention of any Power derived from St. Peter or any account to be rendred to him He also ordained Titus Bishop of Crete and gave him Instructions how he should carry and demean himself Tit. 1.5 For this cause saith he left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee Titus was to walk according to his Instructions and as St. Paul had appointed him and without any regard at all to St. Peter And St. Paul of himself without any Power or Direction from St. Peter gave Orders and Commands in all Churches where he came and planted the Gospel 1 Cor. 7.17 But as God hath distributed to every man saith he as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and so ordain I in all Churches It is not St. Peter but St. Paul himself that doth thus ordain in all Churches And 1 Cor. 16.1 saith he Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye And he sheweth that the Care of all the Churches lay upon him 2 Cor. 11.28 It is plain that St. Paul acted without any dependence upon St. Peter and that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was committed unto him as the Gospel of the Circumcision was to St. Peter Gal. 2.7 In the Divisions at Corinth some affirmed themselves to be the Disciples of Paul and others of Apollos which shews that they knew nothing of St. Peter's being the Head over all the Church and had been instructed in no such point of Doctrine 1 Cor. 1.12 Now this I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas and I of Christ Is Christ divided was Paul crucified for you or were ye baptized in the Name of Paul And these Divisions St. Paul blamed and affirmeth that they were the Ministers of Christ and the Gospel and instructs them in no Supremacy of St. Peter's 1 Cor. 3.3 For ye are yet carnal saith he for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are yet not carnal and walk as men Who then is Paul and who is Apollos but ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man By these and such places it is clear that St. Peter was not exalted above the rest of the Apostles and that this Position and Doctrine of the Church of Rome That St. Peter was the Head and Governor of all the Apostles and of all the Church is not consistent with the sacred Scriptures but directly contrary to them II. Their Position and Doctrine That the