AN Awakening Voice TO THE PAPISTS Declaring to them The Fallen State of the POPE from PETER's and of the Church of Rome from what it once was In Love to the Souls of those who have any Uprightness in their Hearts towards the Lord but through Ignorance are held in Bondage that they may be Awaked and see where they lie And if any shall smother these things lest they should come to the Sight or Knowledge of that People let them take heed that they bring not upon themselves the Guilt of their Blood William Tomlinson Printed in the Year 1673. AN Awakening Voice TO THE PAPISTS Declaring to them The Fallen State of the POPE from PETER's and of the Church of Rome from what it once was WHen I look back and view that pure State and Condition of that Ancient Church of Christ which was first planted at Rome by Paul as I suppose that chosen Vessel of the Lord and afterwards Watered by him and Refreshed and Conforted and Instructed and Strengthened by his Ministry and by his Epistle to them which is full of Heavenly Doctrine and Consolation and when I compare their State now with their Condition then the words of the Prophet Isaiah concerning Jerusalem Isa 1. arise in my mind concerning Rome How is the Faithful City become an Harlot It was full of Judgment Righteousness lodged in it but now Murderers Thy Silver is become Dross thy Wine Mixt with Water thy Princes are Rebellious and Companions of Thieves every one loveth Gifts and followeth after Rewards they judge not the Fatherless neither doth the Cause of the Widdow come before them Therefore thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the Mighty one of Israel Ah! I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies As is befel Israel so it hath herein happened to Rome That as they fell from a more Intire State to a Corrupt and Rebellious so hath Rome fallen from that Integrity and Purity which the Church of Christ there was first brought forth in to a Corrupt Erronious and Dismally Dark Condition and is become a very Sink of Sin and Wickedness And therefore the Words of the Prophet do every way as aptly fit her condition as they did the Israelites of old You that are of her Alliance look not upon these words as Railing for my Heart is not in Bitterness against you but in Compassion to you for your Good it desires to set before you something of the Danger you lie under and consider it not being involved in Darkness by Principles that have risen out of the Bottomless Pit but were never taught by Christ and thereby are you held as in Chains under the Dominion of the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition Neither are these words Railing as I shall make it manifest to you that have Eyes to see and Hearts to consider thereof I say therefore in plain and open terms The Popes to whom you subject your selves they are not what you take them to be nor can they do that for you which you expect from them They cannot give you Pardon for your Sins being themselves in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity Think not these Harsh or Rash Words I will prove them to be so and that from Peter whom they boast of as if they were his Successors And do you also learn with me the same Lesson from Peter that you may the better know both your own state and your Popes Take your Bibles and Testaments if you have any and read Acts 8. where you will find That when the Gospel was first planted in Samaria there was one Simon who beforetime had used Sorcery in the same City and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself was some great One to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying This is the Great Power of God thus the blind people took the Powers of Darkness to be the great Power of God But this Simon the Sorcerer beholding the Miracles which Philip did and hearing the Doctrin of Life held forth by him believed and was baptized and continued with Philip as a right Discipie Then the Church at Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received the Word of God they sent unto them Peter and John who prayed for them that they might receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost for as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus then laid they their Hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost Now Simon Magus as we may call him for Distinction sake he was with them and remained all this while as a Disciple of Christ and undiscovered to be what he was Well how came he to be discovered What was the Discovery of him mark it even that carnal thought of his Heart concerning the Gifts of God and the Mysteries of his Kingdom that they might be purchased with Money and he manifested this his Thought by his Words in offering Money to the Apostles for that Power to give the Holy Ghost as they did Then said Peter to him ver 20 c. Thy Money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the Gift of God may be purchased with Money thou hast neither Part nor Lot in this matter for thy Heart is not right in the Sight of God repent therefore of this thy Wickedness and pray God if perhaps the Thought of thy Heart may be forgiven thee for I perceive that thou art in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity Observe there was nothing at all objected against him of his former Sorcery in Way of Discovery of his Condition but only this present Thought of his Heart that the Gift of God was to be purchased with Money Now if that Thought discovered such a Condition then it discovers the same now and at all times and in all Persons wheresoever it is found It is a certain Discovery and by it Peter certainly perceived him to be in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity and saw that his Heart was not right in the Sight of God and therefore excluded him from having my Part or Lot in those matters of giving the Gift of the Holy Ghost Now if any 〈◊〉 what is this to the Pope I answer He hath the same thought therefore he is in the same Condition with Simon Magus That he hath the same thought appears manifestly because he sets at Sale the Pardon of Sins a Gift of God which cannot be purchased with Money If you say He knows better and hath not such a Thought as Simon Magus had I answer either he hath such a Thought or he hath not If he hath not such a Thought but knows better and that the Gift of God cannot be purchased with Money then is he the vilest Wretch and greatest Cheat in the World to set that at Sale for Money which he knows cannot be purchased with Money and so to delude
of murderring the Innocent And such principles as this is part of that Smoak that hath risen out of the bottomless pit of Men's Imaginations and hath darkened the bright shining of the Gopel of Truth and kept Men in the destroying Nature ignorant of God and of Christ And he that opened this bottomless pit and let out such Smoak was a Star fallen from Heaven The Angels or Ministers of the Churches Christ called Stars Apoc. 1.20 Now this was a star fallen to whom the Key of the Bottomless pit was given who had power to open the pit This must needs be in the Churches of Christ for there were the Stars Now what is the Use or power of a Key but to let forth or shut in This Star had got that power that he could let forth smoke out of the bottomless pit He could establish Principles and Doctrines and Traditions of his own and so open the bottomless pit of Men's Inventions and Imaginations for there is no bottom to be found And so here rises a smoak out of this pit which darkens the Sun the pure Light received from Christ And so the bright Sunshine of Truth being darkened with smoaky Imaginations of Men's Hearts and Wisdom of the Flesh out comes the Locusts out of this smoak who have Power to kill and so comes in the murdering Spirit again which was once cast out by the Doctrine of Christ and of his Holy Apostles And the King over these murdering Locusts was he that was the Angel of the bottomless pit the Star that was fallen from Heaven Rev. 9.1 2 3 11. Thus you see whence was the reviving of the killing Spirit which had been prohibited by Christ It was from a fallen Star one that was fallen from the pure Doctrine of Christ and from an Innocent and Heavenly Life yet retained such Power from his place that he was in that he could make his own smoaky Imaginations take place and his fleshly Wisdom which works contrary to the Wisdom of God Thus this man of Sin being exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped you may understand what Power he hath and whereto it tends It works quite contrary to Christ Jesus and to the Holy Apostles though under pretence of honouring them he bears up himself in peoples Imaginations as Successor to them and the chief Father in the Church of Christ People open your Eyes and be not so befooled with that doating blockish principle that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion but search the Scriptures and try all things and hold fast that which is good as you are exhorted in the Scripture to do 1 Thes 5.21 And those at Berea that did so when Paul preached to them were commended for it and counted of a more Noble Spirit then others in that they would search and see with their own Eyes and not take things upon trust therefore many of them believed as you may read Act. 17.10 11 12. Is it likely that Ignorance should make men more devout to God Have not the most knowing Men in the World been alwayes the most devout to God Search the Scriptures from end to end and see Begin at Enoch who saw Dayes that are yet to come so far of was not be devout to God think you who had this Testimony that he walked with God Was not Abraham devout towards God who fore-saw the Day of Christ in his time and rejoyced Did Moses want Devotion Did his being brought up in all the Learning of Aegypt or his great Knowledge in all the Counsels of God make him less devout to God Was David less devout because he made the Testimonies of the Lord his Delight and his Meditation and doth not he pronounce him Blessed whose Delight is in the Law of the Lord Was Daniel less devout by understanding by Books the time of their Captivity O sottish principle contrary to all Experience have not the most devout Men mentioned in Scripture been Men of deep Understanding in the things of God for shame you Teachers among the Papists teach them better Doctrine and let it appear that you do so by their Liberty and Boldness to search into all Truth For we know you do but lye if you say you teach them otherwise whilst they live according to that principle and dare not search the Scriptures Do ye not remember that it was said of old Hos 4.6 My People are destroyed for lack of Knowledge What do you delight in the Destruction of people that you keep them lockt up by such a principle from searching the Scriptures It s a Doctrine to be abhorred by all Men as fit only for Hell and the Kingdom and Children of Darkness who hate the Light lest their Deeds should be discovered But it s not to be admitted among the Children of Light who are not of the Night but of the Day who love the Light and bring their Deeds to the Light that they may be made manifest that they are wrought in God If the Pope and his Subjects were Children of the Day they would not fear the Light but love it as all Children of the Light do But being in Darkness they love the Darkness and its fit Doctrine for his Kingdom to keep his Subjects and Slaves in Darkness lest they should discover his Abominations and so deliver their own Souls from under his Thraldom for Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion to him and to the dead Forms of Worship and vain Repetitions and Traditions which he keeps the People in Bondage to for his own Gain But let him or any of his shew from the Writings of the Holy Men of God where ever such Doctrine was taught among them It s he that hath the Key of the bottomless Pit that hath taken away the Key of Knowledge darkening the Sun and the Air with his smoak It s he that hath let out that Doctrine out of the bottomless Pit Deliver your selves you poor deluded People who are held Captive in his Chains of Ignorance under that serpentine Fallacy that it is the Mother of Devotion for its only so to him but not to God who will have the Knowledge of himself to be as the Waters that cover the sea as he hath promised and shall be fulfiled in due time And therefore Peter opens to you the Way to Knowledge but this false Successor shuts up the Way to Knowledge Add to Faith Vertue saith Peter and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-Kindness and to Brotherly-Kindness Love for if these things be in you and abound 2 Pet. 1. they make that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and in that Blindness would the Pope and his Agents keep you by Doctrines of Darkness lest you should see too far to be ruled by them If you did
the Souls of Thousands and Thousands to their Perdition in making them believe and depend upon his Pardon and to purchase it with Money If he hath such a Thought then he is where Simon Magus was in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity And in the Authority of the Truth I declare him to be so and that his Heart is not right with God and that he hath neither Part nor Lot in this matter of giving the Gift of God which cannot be purchased with Money And whereas he boasts of Peter as being his Successor by Peter's Words is he cut off from Peter and grafted into Simon Magus and so is Successor in his Spirit to Simon Magus and what help can you expect from such a one You that are learned among the Papists for shame a wake out of your Sluggishness and inform your People better and let them understand the Danger they are in who thus hazard their Souls upon a Man that is one with Simon Magus in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity Let it be granted you that Peter was at Rome and that he and Paul abode there and instructed the Church there What will this avail as to Succession of Peter It is not succeeding in Place or in any outward Concern that makes a Man a true Successor of those Holy Servants of the Lord but only a continuing in the same Spirit and Doctrine Now the Pope continues in neither he is of another Spirit contrary to Peter's Nor doth he abide in Peter's Doctrine as will be manifest from Peter's Words That he is of another Spirit is plain by what hath been already said Peter judged him that thought the Gift of God might be purchased with Money he judged him by that very Thought to he in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity But the Pope being blinded and not savouring aright the Things of God he doth not judge so of them that have the same thought now If he did he must needs judge himself to be such a one and all the Popes that ever have been who have set to Sale their Pardons and Indulgencies for the Buying and the Selling of the Gifts of God for Money arise both from one Thought to wit That the Gift of God may be purchased for Money and so both are in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity The refore be not deluded in thinking him to be Peter's Successor because he may be in the same City where Peter once was and there usurp Authority over the Consciences of People which was never given of God For he is a Stranger to Peter's Spirit yea and is grosly ignorant of or rebelliously disobedient to Peter's Doctrine as I shall further demonstate from Peter's own Words 1 Pet. 5. Peter writing to the Churches exhorts the Elders of them after this manner The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed now mark his Exhortation Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the Over-sight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock and when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away From this Doctrine of Peter the Pope differs in many things 1. He doth not make it his Business to feed the Flock of Christ as Peter did and as he exhorted other Elders to do to whom he commends the Episcopacy or Care to watch over their Souls And there was never any appointed Bishops among all the Churches by any of the Apostles but in Order to that Work of feeding the Flock But the Pope hath found out a new Work even to rule Nations with the Carnal Sword as the Princes of the Nations do which was in plain Words forbidden by Christ Mat. 20.25 26. Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion ever them and they that are Great exercise Authority upon them but is shall not be so among you What can be spoken plainer Therefore Peter here exhorts the Elders doth not thunder them with a Domineering Bull as the Popes do but exhorts them to their Duty And Paul he saith plainly The Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal 2 Cor. 10.4 Let the Pope shew where he hath his Fellow among all the Churches of Christ in the Apostles Dayes or for many Generation after where any were chosen Bishops but to feed the Flock he is grown as far different from the Apostles yea from the many succeeding Bishops of Rome after the Apostles Dayes as a Leopard or Wolf is from a Lamb as may easily be made manifest 2. He differs from Peter's Doctrine in desire of filthy Lucre Not for filthy Lucre saith the Apostle But the Pope out of his desire of filthy Lucre sets at sale what he accounts the Gift of God as is shewed already unless he will blasphemously say that the Pardon of Sin is not the Gift of God but his own exclusively And I cannot think that the Pope is so palpable a blaspheming Miscreant as to say so though he blasphemes in other things which he perhaps is not aware of and which may in due Place be minded if God will But here I desire the Reader to note that what is here said of the Pope is applyed not to any one particular Man of them only but to that State of the Popedom which makes them all guilty of these things that come into it 3. The Pope hath turned his Back of these Words of Peter Not as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock That he Lords it over God's Heritage is so manifest in the World that I think few will deny it it being so apparent that he Lords it both over the Bodies Souls Consciences and Estates of People I think Kings and Potentates may bear Testimony of this as well as others seeing they have felt his Power in dis-throning some and enthroning others and waiting attendance at his Gates till he was pleased to look upon them Oh Lucifer whether art thou risen darest thou look Peter in the Face that Holy Humble Servant of the Lord whom thou boasts of as his Successor No that Pure Holy Humble Heavenly Presence of Peter if thou shouldst behold it would smite thee to the Dust thou art not able to behold his Words without Guilt upon thy Conscience much less his Presence How canst thou look these Words in the Face Neither as being Lords over God's Heritage If any shall say he is not a Lord over God's Heritage let him shew how many Degrees higher he can be then he is and how he can Lord it more then he doth over Men's Bodies and Consciences thundring out his Eulls against those that break from under his Yoke and flee from under his Bondage for the saving