and Diocess and of all other Suffragans to worship our Lady MARY the Mother of God our Patroness and Protectoress evermore in all adversity with such like kind of Prayer and accustomed manner of ringing as the Devotion of Christs faithful people is wont to worship her at the ringing of Coure Lesson when before day in the morning ye shal cause them to ring that with like manner of Prayer and ringing she may be every where honored devoutly by the aforesaid Our and Your Suffragans and other subjects as well religious as Secular in your and their Monasteries and Collegiate Churches And they had likewise the Image of St. Petronel and the Image of St. Christopher and the Image of the Crucifix all which and more were worshipped with Profession bowing of the Knees Oblations offering of Frankincense going on Pilgrimage kissings and setting up of Tapers or Images of Wax lighted and burning before them according to a Decree made by Pope Gregory the third at a Council at Rome held in the year 732. Fifthly In the Houses of high places that the Heathen and the Idolatrous Kings of Judah and Israel built they made Altars and reared up in them Ahab he reared up an Altar in the House of Baal 1 King 16.32 Chron. 33.3 and Manasseh he reared up Altars for Baal and a Grove as Ahab King of Israel did whereon they burnt Incense And Jeroboam stood by the Altar and he offered upon the Altar and burnt Incense And so likewise there was in those Houses of high places falsly called Churches here in England Altars and Super-Altars Rails Transubstantiation Reservation of the Lords Body as they called it and Mass Mattens and Evening-song holy Bread and holy Water Auricular Confession Absolution and Blessing and Cursing with Bell Book and Candle and singing of Dirges and playing on the Organs and burning of Lamps Now Now all this stuff and more was fetcht out of the bottomless Pit and turned into Decres to be observed and done by both Priest and people according to the Decrees made by the Popes viz Sebevianus Vitalianus Pelagius Martin and Benidicto the third And the ground and the end of all which doing was but to maintain the filthy lusts of the learned men who were trained up at Oxford and Cambridge to do all these things Sixthly The Houses of high places were consecrated for Pope Felix the third made a Decree That the Churches so called should be made hallowed by none but by a Bishop And Pelagius a Pope he devised a Memento to be used at the consecrating of them And Anselm Arch-bishop of Canterbury by the permission of King Henry the first and about the sixth year of his reign assembled a great Council of the Prelates and Clergy of England together at Westminster in which Synod and other Councils by them it was decreed That no Churches as they called them should be hallowed before the necessary provision be made for the priests and for the Church to be maintained And again the high places that the Heathens and the idolatrous Kings built up Mâ—cca 10.83 84. Amos 6.13 were called by these Names following viz. Dagons House Dagons Temple Baals House and the House of High places that Jeroboam built up was called the Kings Chappel these Houses of high places are falsly called churches chappels Kings chappels Queens chappels Cathedal Churches and according to a device of Pope Felix the third they dedicated their Churches so called one to Christ and that is falsly called Christs Church and one to Peter and that is falsly called St. Peters Church and one to Paul and that is falsly called St. Pauls Church and others are falsly called by Name St. Georges Church St. James Church St. Maryes Church St. Katherns Church St. Bennits Church They might as well a called it Pope St. Benidicts Church and St. Martins Church or alias Pope Martins Church and Pope St. Nicholas Church Quest But some it is very like will say That their Churches are reformed of all such things as is before written To this I shall answer First The Names that was given them at their dedication by the Popes and popish bishops stands still as Christs Church St. Pauls Church St. Peters Church And again they are not yet reformed of all those PICTVRES and Images for still there remains the PICTVRES of men women and children in many of them and especially in and about London of Kings and Queens Earls Lords Ladyes and their children and others and in many places there is made by the Painters and others the likenesses of Angels Eagles Doves Lyons Wolves Hinds Asses Snakes the likeness of Boughs or Trees and the likeness of Water and the likness of the Sun Moon Stars and Firmament And their Churches so called are places of vanity and lightness and pleasures still and likewise they are places of false Worship Deut. 4.16 17 18 19. like the House of Rimmon still and they are Houses of Pictures and the likenesses of creatures is still in them which is contrary to what God did forbid the doing of saying Take ye therefore gâ—od heed unto your selves lest ye corrupt and make you a graven Image tâ—e similitude of any figure the likeness of male or female the likeness of any Beast that is on the earth the likeness of any winged Fowle that flyeth in the Air the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground the likeness of Fish that is in the waters beneath the earth for ye saw no similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb And so yet the Houses of high places here in England were never reformed but in part like those of Israel and Judah that Jeroboam Rehoboam Ahab Manesseh and of other of those Kings caused to be set up were but in part reformed until such time that King Josiah came 1 King 13.1 2 3. according to the Word of the Lord spoken by the prophet when Jeroboam stood by the Altar at Bethel to burn Incense of which reformation I have set down some particulars as followeth For although much of the Idolatry that Jeroboam Ahab and others had set up were pulled down destroyed at several times by other Kings that succeeded them yet the complaint was That the high places was left standing still and not pulled down And so say I that some Kings and Rulers that succeeded the Saxons here in England have reformed many things that the Saxon Kings and others did do but to this day the houses of high places falsly called Churches the Tythes and the Priests remain standing up still like the stump of Dagon For Asa King of Judah did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God for he took away the Altars of the strange gods 1 King 15.14 2 Chron. 14 15. chap. and the high places and he brake down the Images and cut down the Groves that his Fathers had made and Asa removed his Mother
c. but such a work God hath not required any one of them to do but they have in their own wills and by their own imaginations done it for I have read That it was thought good that the Election of the Bishop of Rome should be of no strength without the consent of the Emperor of Rome the Emperor did choose the Bishop of Rome But saith my Author This is now void for now the Cardinal they choose the Pope and the Pope he makes Cardinals and Bishops and the Bishops they ordain the rest with their Assistants viz. their Ordinaries Suffragans Arch-Deacons and by a carnal commandment did they ordain and consecrate them Pope Iohn the thirteenth writ to King Edger in England and willed him to see in his Cathedral Churches that none be promoted to be Bishops but such as were of the Monastical Religion Anno 747. And likewise willed the said King Edger To seclude all the Secular Prebendaries at Winchester to place in Monks And that no Secular Clark should be chosen a Bishop And so in King Edgberts reign Dunston Bishop of Canterbury Oswald Bishop of York and Ethelwaldus Biâ—hop of Winchester they discharged the Priests and Cannons out of their Houses to place Monks in their Cells and Cathedral Churches as they called them but in former times the black Monks who went all in black clothes as the priests of England now do that followed the order of pope St. Bennit were called Regulars and Votaries and had nothing to do with any Ecclesiastical Ministry Anno 606. till the time that Bonifacius the fourth made a Decree that Monks might use the Office of Preaching Christening and of hearing Confessions and assoyling them from their sins And in King Edwins dayes the black Monks of Bennits Order began to swarm in England out of which Habite of black clothes the priests of England cannot yet get out of to this day And now seeing that I have mentioned these black Monks of pope Bennits Order I will put forth three Queries for the parish-Ministers so called of ENGLAND to answer with moderation First Seeing that you now in these dayes so many of you go in black Apparel and in long black clokes especially Whether the Chemarims which were certain idolatrous priests who wear black apparel as you may read in the Marginal Note upon the tenth chapter of Hosea and the fifth verse be your example so to do yea or nay Secondly Or whether do ye in love follow the fashion of the black Monks of Pope St. Bennits Order in your so doing year or nay Thirdly Seeing that Anselm Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with the Prelates and Clargy of England in their Synodal Council decreed Hen. 1. and about the sixth yeer of his reign at Westminst That the Garments of the priests should be of one colour and that their Shooes should be decent then I say Whether a black colour was thought to be most decent for the priests gaâ—ments and if it was then Whether you the priests of England who are now called Ministers do out of conscience at this day observe that Decree and so wear your garments all of a black colour as mâ—st decent yea or nay The Kings and Rulers of the earth with the pope made for themselves Bishops Danes Danes and Chapters Parsons Vicars Priests Ministers and by their own carnal commandments were they made and not otherwaies as you may see hereafter In the dayes of king Henry the fourth it was agreed upon by the king Statuâ—o ex Offiâ—iâ— Reg. Hen. 4. and the bishops and other lords That no man within this Realm er other of the Kings Majestyes Dominions presume to take upon him to preach privily or apertly without special License firct obtained of the Ordinary of the same place And in the dayes of the said king Henry the fourth Constitutions was made by Thomas Arundal Arch-bishop of Canterbury and others and he directed his Mandate and sent to all and singular as he said our Reverend â—rethren Fellow-bishops and our Suffragans and to Abbots Priors Danes of Cathedral Churches Arch-Danes Pâ—ovests and Cannons also to all Parsons Vicars Chaplins and Clarks of parish-churches as he called them and to all Lay dwelling in his province of Canterbury Greeting That no manner of person secular or regular being authorised to preach now by the Laws prescribed or licensed by special priviledge shall take upon him the Office of preaching the Word of God or by any means preach unto the Clargy or Laytie either within church or without in English except he first present himself and be examined of the Ordinary of the place wâ—ere he preacheth and so being found a fit person as well in manners knowledge he shall be sent by that said Ordinary to some one churâ—h or more as shal be thought expedient by the Ordinary according to the quality of the person Now take notice that all Laws Decrees Ordinances and Constitutions were made and established by the Authority that the kings and bishops had from the pope and by the pope and his authority was all the bishops danes arch-deacons suffragans priors priests vicars chaplains made and ordained here in England An. 25. Hen. 8. chap. 20. For first the king he was to nominate who should be appointed to be bishop to any See or Diocesse within this Realm and that then every person so presented to the pope and by him approved of was to be consecrated here in England by the Arch-bishop in whose province the said bishoprick shall be Read the Act at large An. 26. Hen. 8. cap. 14. but when king Henry the eighth had cast off the pope then it was enacted by the King and the Lords spiritual and temporal and Commons assembled in parliament That no person or persons that the King should nominate to be a bishop or arch-bishop in this Realm hereafter should be commended to the pope or to the See of Rome to have the dignity or office of arch-bishop or bishop within this Realm And it was likewise enacted That King Henry the eighth should nominate the person to be bishop or arch-bishop to the bishopprick that shall hereafter be void and that he was to send his Letters Missive to the Prior and Covent or the Dane and Chapter of the cathedral Churches where the See of such Arch-bishopprick or bishopprick shall happen to be void and they was to choose and elect that person whose name was contained in the Letter Missive to the Office and Dignity of the arch-bishopprick and then the party so chosen was to be presented to the King the other bishops was to consecrate him and then he was to be invested into his place And so king Henry the 8th was set in the popes place to be Head of the church An. 26. Hen. 8. cap. 1. and the Defender of the Faith and the same thing that the pope did for the most part he did with his biâ—hops and others to help
after they had sung a Psalm the Assembly was to be dismissed with a blessing Canon 33 35. and then they was to give with him a Testimonial of his ordination for the which he was to pay ten shilllings to the Register of the Assembly March 20. 1653. Ordinance O. P. and his Council Can. 39. and Can. 51. And an Ordinance was made by the present Rulers of this Nation for appointing Commissioners for Approbation of publike Preachers that the places destitute throughout this Nation may be supplied with able and faithful Preachers And for this end Commissioners were authorized to judge and take knowledge of the ability and fitness of any person that was nominated and presented to them and before any person was to be admitted to be setled in any Benefice or publike Lecture to preach and to take the stipened or profits thereof he was to be judged and approved one by the persons hereafter named in the Ordinance of whom you may see in the said Ordinance at large First They were to see if the party nominated and presented be a person for the grace of God in him Can. 36. 39. Secondly of his holy and unblameable conversation And thirdly as also for his knowldege and utterance able and fit to preach the Gospel And fourthlyly upon their Approbation of such his ability and fitnesse according to the qualification above mentioned they are to grant unto such Parson admission to such Benefice or Lecture by an Instrument in Writing under a common Seal Can. 41. The Bishops Cannons and Constitutions and the two Ordinances are in part equivolent each with other But in the latter end of the Ordinance they conclude and say It is not intended nâ—r shall be construed to be any solemn or sacred setting apart of a person to any particular Office in the Ministry of which I let passe for others to judge what difference there is betwixt this solemn and sacred setting apart and fome others in the foregoing generations for the Pope he gave power to the Cardinals who were his Legates and by them to the kings and the bishops And a Parliament they set King Henry the eighth in the seat of the Pope and then the bishops received their power from the King and the Parliament to make Ministers by a carnal commandment and so it continued so long almost as Kings and Queens reigned in England And the Parliament of Lords and Commons they took that power from the late King and his Bishops Articles of Religion 36. to themselves and gave power to an Assembly of Presbyter Divines to make Ministers by but that lasted but until the Parliament was dissolved And since the dissolution of the short Parliamont O. P. and his Council have taken the like Power and given the like power to their Commissioners for to judge and approve of who are fit to be preachers only in those places destitute throughout this Nation So that the Kings Queens and other Rulers of this Nation having got into their hands the same power that the Pope had did and do the same works in effect as the pope did but say I Who hath required this at their hands to do seeing that it is the alone and proper work of Christ to make and send forth his Messengers and Ministers as the Scripture testifieth how that Christ Jesus said unto his Disciples Luke 10.2 Matt. 9 37 38. Eph. 4.8 9 10 11 12. 1 Cor. 12.28 The Harvest truly said he is great but the labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth labourers into his Harvest And Christ when he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophecs and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers And said Paul God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ and for the perfecting of the Saints Now I say That God nor Christ did not give that power neither to pope nor to Cardinals nor to Bishops nor to Kings or any other Rulers nor to Councils or Assemblies nor to Commissioners since the dayes of the Apostles neither did he command them nor any one of them to go and ordain men to be preachers for hire nor to make ministers of the Gospel nor to give any man a commission to go to a parish in a city or to a town or to a village and there of the people take tythes and money for their preaching to the value of 100.l 200.l more or less by the yeer this is a work that God never required at any one of their hands to do no more then he did of Ieroboam who for making and consecrating of the lowest of the people to be priests for the high places which thing doing became a sin unto the House of Ieroboam even to cut it off from the face of the Earth 1 King 13.33 34. and to dedroy it Ye may read in the Scriptures that Moses he had a command from God alone for to go and take Aaron and his sons the Levites with him Exod 28 29 chap. to 12 13 14 15. c. Lev. 8.1 2 3 4 c. Numb 8.5 6 19. ver from among the children of Israel that they might minister unto the Lord in the priests office and to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation But who gave Ieroboam and other the Kings of Israel and Judah any command to make priests for the houses of high places And who required any Emperor King Queen or any other Ruler of the Earth to make ordain or consecrate bishops priests ot ministers for to pray read or preach in the houses of high places falsly called churches And Elijah he had a command from the Lord to go and annoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholak to be a prophet in his room 1 King 19.16.19 20 21. ver FOXES Acts Monuments Vol. 1. but by what authority did the pope go annoint cardinals bishops c. for did not the Emperor and others choose the pope or popes then had not the pope his command and authority from the Emperor and others and not from the Lord God that commanded Elijah to do what he did Matth. 28.19 20. And Jeâ—us Christ said unto his Disciples All power is given to me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway unto the end of the world But the Bishops of England they had their power in the dayes of King Henry the eighth An. 25. Hen. 8. cap. 20. Luke 24.49 Acts. 1.4 and 2.4 Eph. 4.11 from him and the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament to make ordain and consecrate Arch-Bishops Bishops Deanes and Chapters Deacons Priests Ministers
preaching writing printing or otherwayes were counted Hereticks and then according to the Popes Canons Decrees and Institutions were the Cardinals Bishops and others of his Clergy to proceed against them in their Ecclesiastical Courts by iniquisition examination or proof of Witnesse c. and so to passe definitive sentence upon them according to the Popes Canons and Decrees c. and then those they called Hereticks were delivered by them to the Secular Powers viz. the Magistrates of the Land who did punish those that they called Hereticks by whipping stocking hanging burning chopping off of their heads or cutting out of their tongues and put balls of Iron in their mouths and boared their tongues through with hot Irons banishment and confiscating of Goods and many other torments c. And now I will instance one particular mans sufferings and that which they made his crime was for setting up a certain Bill upon one of their falsly called Church doors against the Popes pardons in which Bill he named the Pope to be Antichrist for the which he was three several dayes whipped and after that he was burned in the forehead I would have Parliaments to take notice of this whipping and burning and not do as the papists do and for pulling down the Images and breaking them to pieces he was by the Canons Priests and Monks c. judged and condemned and by the Secular Powers had his right hand cut off from his arm and with a sharp pair of pinsons they violently pull'd his Nose off from his face and his paps from his breasts and both his arms from his body and afterward burned him in the fire And so by this example let all judge what spirit these were of whether this spirit that led them on to do this was of God or of the Devil I say That that spirit that led them on to destroy mens bodies or otherwayes Luk. 9.54 55 56. Matt. 26 51 52 53. by burning was not the spirit of Christ Jesus for Christ answered Iames and Iohn saying The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them therefore see how contrary that spirit was by which the Pope and his Clergy was guided by to destroy the lives of men to the spirit of Christ as you may read And the same spirit that guided the Pope and his Councils to destroy mens lives guided them to make Decrees to pay tythes for in the Council of Lateren under Pope Gregory the tenth said they Let no man give his tythes where he pleaseth as before but let them be paid to Mother-Church c. Now do but observe Tindall who said That all moral Divines have a wicked conscience TINDAL in his Book of the Revelation of Antichrist full of scrupulosity and said he All that do pursue are Antichrist the Pope the Cardinals Bishops and their Adherents Take notice and their Adherents do pursue therefore the Pope Cardinals Bishops and their Adherents are Antichrist and I say If of Antichrist then not of Christ but against Christ and his annointed did they sit in counsel and plotted against the just to destroy them And now ye shall see it appear that the Popes Adherents viz. the Bishops and the Clergy of England were guided by the same spirit as the Pope was Statute ex Officio Hen. 4. and also the Magistrates likewise for in the dayes of King Henry the 4th it was agreed upon by the King the Lords spiritual and temporal and by them enacted That no man within this Realm or other of the Kings Dominions do presume to preach teach inform maintain openly or in secret or make or write any Book contrary to the Catholike faith and determination of holy Church and if it happen that any person or persons of what kinde state or condition soever he or they be do attempt any manner of thing contrary to this Proclamation and Statute c. the Ordinary of the same Diocesse upon information had power by the said Statute so called to cause the party or partyes so defamed and evidently suspected to be arrested and to detain the party or parties in safe custody until he or they had purged themselves touching the Articles laid to his or their charge in that behalf or else till they had denyed and recanted c. And further If any person was lawfully convinced before the Ordinary of the place or his Commissaries of the said preachings teachings opinions writings c. and would not abjure and recant then sentence was to be pronounced by the Ordinary or his Commissaries upon the party or partyes and after sentence pronounced he or they were to be delivered over to the Secular Power viz. the Mayor Sheriffs or Sheriff or Bailiff of the City Town Borrough or Village of the same County who were to take unto them the said persons so offending and cause them to be openly burned in the sight of all people c. And Thomas Arundal Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with other of the Popes Adherents added to the Statute so called their own Constitutions whereof one was Item No manner of person shall presume to dispute upon the Articles determined by the * The Pope his Adherents were meant by them to be the Church Church as is contained in the Decrees Decreetals or Constitutions provincial or in the general Councils nor none shall call in doubt the Authority of the said Decreetals or Constitutions or the Authority of him that made them nor teach any thing contrary to the determination thereof c. and whosoever doth preach teach or obstinately affirm contrary to this and all other Constitutions and Decrees except he recant in manner and form aforesaid shall forthwith incur the penalty of Heresie and shall be pronounced an Heretiâ—k in all effect in Law And no sooner was these Constitutions and their pretended Laws finished but Thomas Arundall Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the learned Clergy his Brethren Suffragans and Assistants fell to put it in execution and past sentence definitive upon William Sautre alias Chautre for an Heretick and delivered him over to the Secular Power viz. the Mayor and Sheriffs then of London to be put in execution and for fear said my Author that it should not be speedily enough done The Spanish Inquisition is no Law of God nor the Dominican Fryars that were deputed Inquisitors were no just Iudges of Heresie Neither was the English Clergy who were led by the same spirit See FOX Act. Mon. Vol. 1. Elizabeth Young denyed to swear in the dayes of Queen MARY Matth. 5.34 35 36 37. 23.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. Ier. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 11. Iames 5.12 Luke 23. chap. Act. 12.2 the Bishops called upon the King to make a Decre who thereupon did and sent it to the then Mayor and Sheriffs of London to put it in execution and the words of the Decree in the latter end of it are as followeth Provided alwayes according to the Law of
God and man and the Canonical Institutions in this behalf accustomed That such Hereticks convict and condemned in form aforesaid ought to be burned with fire We command you as straitly as we may or can firmly injoyning you that you do cause the said William Sautre being in your custody in some publike or open place within the Liberties of your City aforesaid the cause being aforesaid published to the people to be put in the fire and there in the same fire really to be burned to the great horror of his offence and the manifest example of other Christians Fail not in the execution hereof upon the peril that will fall thereupon Teste Rege apud Westmonast 26. Febr. An. Regni sui And the like was done upon Iohn Badly a Taylor and Sir Iohn Oldcastle alias Lord Cobham and William Thorp for denying swearing by the Book and saying the Priests had no title to tythes under the Gospel was committed to prison in which it was thought that he dyed Now here I observe that in the Scriptures and in the heart it is written that Christ said Swear not at all and likewise that those Ministers that he sent out to preach the Gospel writ to the Brethren saying My Brethren swear not neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath c. Now Christ that taught men they should not sweare at all he was by the Scribes and Pharisees and the high Priests who taught men to swear counted a perverter of the Nation and was vehemently accused and said that they had a Law and by that Law he ought to dye and they did not cease till that he was put to death And Iames he was by Herod slain with the sword who writ to the twelve scattered Tribes saying Above all things my brethren swear not c. And William Thorpe for denying to swear by a Book at the Pope and his Adherents command was put in Prison wherein it was thought that he dyed And now in these dayes some lye in prison because they will not swear at all Now I suppose that none will be so impudent as to say that Christ and the Apostles were not guided by the spirit of truth but that they will say on the contrary viz. That Christ and his Apostles were guided by the spirit of truth Then I say thus That the Scribes Pharisees and the high Priests and the Pope and his Adherents viz. the Rulers of the earth the Bishops and the Clergy were and are all guided by a spirit of error by which spirit of error the Scribes Pharisees chief Priests the Pope and his Adherents viz. the Bishops and the Clergy and the Rulers of the earth taught men to swear and do teach and compel men to swear by the same spirit of error And again The same spirit which Christ Jesus and his Apostles taught men that they should not swear at all taught many of the Martyrs to deny swearing at the Pope and his Adherents command And the same spirit teacheth us the people called Quakers to deny swearing at all for say we It is better to obey God rather then man and therefore we rather choose to suffer for the name of Christ then to obey man by swearing contrary to the Law written in our hearts by the spirit and by the power of the spirit of truth are we taught and do deny the paying of tythes to the priests of this Nation who are called Ministers or any other and by the power of the same spirit of truth do we so many of us as are called thereunto suffer not only bonds with patience but likewise the spoyling of our goods with cheerfulnesse for the Name of Christ Jesus our Lord our Law-giver our Judge and our Priest for ever of God by the power of an endlesse life and not by a carnal commandment as the priests of this Nation called Ministers are now made by But of tythes I have more to say hereafter and the priests likewise Anno 1540. 31. year of H. 8. April 8. And now I come to shew what an Act was made in the dayes of King Henry the 8th the popes Successor here in England who by the means of Stephen Gardiner was stirred up to shew himself severe and sharp against those new Sectaries Anabaptists and Sacramentaries as they called them and that some Articles might be set forth to confirm the ancient Catholike Faith and for this and other ends through the device of the popes Adherents the King summoned a parliament to be holden at Westminster of all the States and Burgesses of the Realm also a Synod or Convocation of all the Arch-bishops Bishops and other of the learned Clergy of this Realm to be in like manner assembled in which Parliament and Synod of the Bishops and the Clergy and by their means viz. the Bishops and Clergy it was decreed in pretence of unity among the Kings subjects That the six Articles which they had made should be received among the people and withall a penalty to be inflicted upon them that refused them which penalty and the Articles were called the Whip with six strings And the six Articles consisted the first of Transubstantiation The second of their Sacraments of both kinds FOX Act. and Mon. Vol. 2. The third about Priests Marriage The fourth was about the Vows of chastity or Widow-hood The fifth was about private Masse helping of souls out of purgatory And the sixth was about Auricular Confession And for the bloody penalty that was annexed unto those six Articles take as followeth and then judge whether the King and his Bishops and Clergy did not act like the Pope and whether they were not led all by the same spirit as the Pope was led by yea or nay Item That if any person or persons within this Realm of England or any other of the Kinge Dominions after the twelfth day of Iuly next coming by word writing printing cyphering or any other way should publish preach teach say affirm declare dispute argue or hold any opinion that the blessed Sacrament of the Altar under the form of bread and wine after the consecration thereof there is not present really the natural body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ conceived of the Virgin Mary or that after the consecration there remaineth any substance of the bread and wine or any other substance but the substance of Christ God and man or after the time abovesaid publish preach teach say affirm declare dispute argue or hold opinion that in the flesh under the form of bread is not the very blood of Christ or that with the blood of Christ under the form of Wine is not the very flesh of Christ as well apart as though they were both together or by any means abovesaid or otherwayes preach teach declare or affirm the said Sacrament to be other substance then is abovesaid or by any means contemn or deprave or despise the blessed Sacrament that then every such person or
of the Disciples Christs Annointed a yoke of bondage which Christ their King and Law-giver hath freed them from as hereafter you may read how the Saxon Kings who governed or ruled this Land About the year 604. they began to build the high places called by the Names of Cathedral Churches Churches and Chappels And about the yeer 635. they began to build up Crosses and Altars And about the yeer 666. they began to build up Abbiet Monasteries Fryar-Houses See Fox Act. Mon Vol. 1. Chantry c And about the yeer 720. King Inas alias Ina King of the West-Saxons made a Law That the first fruits of all that was sown should be paid at the day of St. Martin as he called it And in the yeer 933. King Adlestan made a Law That tythes should be paid of all the proper goods as well of living Cattel as of Corn and the first fruits of the ground c. And in the yeer 940. King Edmond made a Law That tythes with the first fruits of every mans Crop should he duly paid c. And in the year 959. King Edgar ordained and decreed concerning Liberties and Freedoms of the Church as he called it That tythes and first fruits of Corn and Peter-pence be all duly paid c And about the sixt yeer of King Henry the first Anno 1106. Anselme Arch-Bishop of Canterbury by the permission of the King assembled a great Council at Westminster of the Prelates and Clergy of England and amongst other Councils and that it was decreed That no tythes should be given but to the Church so called And in the yeer 1215. Pope Innocent the third sent his Decretal Epistle into England to the then Arch-Bishop of Canterbury by whose means it was decreed That private tythes should be paid at Easter so called And in thâ— yeer 1274. at a Council at Lateran held under Pope Gregory the tenth a Canon was made in this manner that is Let no man give his tythes where he pleaseth as before but let them be paid to Mother-Church as he called it And in the dayes of King Henry the 8th by his Authority and the Lords spiritual and temporal and the Commons assembled in Parliament an Act was made for the payinng of tythes offerings and other duties of Holy Church Now I say What were these Offerings Were they Heave-offerings or Wave-offerings or Burnt-offerings or Sin-offerings or Trespasse-offerings that were to be paid to the Parson Vicar Curate c. I would have all people to take notice also of the Preamble of the said Act because that Thomas Bradley tells us Tho. Bradleys Book called Cesars Duc. That the Lords spiritual sate in one Parliament in the Vpper-House in great Power and with them in that Parliament twenty six Abbots which together with the Bishops were able to carry a great Vote against the Lords temporal which in those dayes said he were not so numerous and besides there was full convocation of the Clergy sitting and unanimously assenting c. I do not doubt but the Bishops the Abbots and the Clergy would assent to any thing for their own profit right or wrong But wo be unto them that decree unrighteous Decrees and that write grievousness which they have prescribed Isa 10.1 2. and to turn aside the needy from judgement and to take away the right from the poor of my people that the Widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherlesse c. The words of the Preamble of the Act are as followeth Forasmuch as many evil disposed persons have attempted to withhold their tythes as well predial as personal An. 27. Hen. 8. ch 20. due unto Almighty God and holy Church and also have contemned and disobeyed the Processes and Decrees of the Ecclesiastical Court of this Realm Be it enacted c. that every subject of this Realm according to the Ecclesiastical Laws of this Church of England and after the laudable usage and custom of the Parish where he dwelleth or occupieth shall pay his tythes offerings and other duties of holy Church c. An. 26. Hen. 8. cap. 1. An. 28. Hen. 8. cap. 11. Now they had made King Henry the eighth the supreme Head of their Holy Church by an Act of Parliament instead of the Pope so that their Churh was as unholy as the Popes was and is for one and the same spirit guided them all in making their unrighteous Decrees for tythes first fruits and offerings c. So in the dayes of King Edward the sixt Personal tythes was the tenth part of a Tradesmans clear Gaius an Act was made for the true payment of all manner of predial Tythes and personal Tythes Offerings Obventions Profits Commodities or other Duties to the Parsons Vicars Proprietories c. Be it also enacted c. That every of the Kings Subjects shall from henceforth truly and justly without fraud or guile divide set out yeeld and pay all manner of their predial tythes in their proper kind as they rise and happen c. And the parsonal tythes was to be paid at Easter An. Ed. 6. cap. 13. and the offerings were to be paid at four offering-dayes or in default thereof to pay the said offerings at Easter then next following And likewise the Parliament of Lords and Commons they made an Ordinance for the payment of tythes c l take their words as followeth Ordinanee of Lords Commons Die Veneris 8. Novemb 1644. Be it therefore declared and ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled That every person and persons within the said Realm and Dominion shall fully truly and effectually set out yeeld and pay respectively all and singular tythes offerings oblations obventions rates for tythes and all other duties known by the Name of tythes to all and every the respective Owners Proprietors Improprietors and possessors Ordinanco of Lords and Com. Dei Luna 9. Aug. 1647. as well Lay as Ecclesiastical persons respectively viz. Parsons Vicars Rectors c. And another Ordinance they made to award trebble damages to the parties complaining of the non-payment of tythes whether minister or other person which Ordinances of the Lords and Commons was renewed and confirmed to stand in force by Oliver Protector and his then Council Ordinance of O.P. and his Council Aug. 1654. by a Clause in an Ordinance made for the ejection of scandalous ignorant and insufficient Ministers and School-Masters And this last parliament that sate have confirmed the said Ordinance made by Oliver Protector and his then Council to continue for three years for the proof of which see their Declaration of Acts and Ordinances made by this last Parliament and assented unto by Oliver protector When thou sawest a thief Psalm 50.18 thou thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with the Adulterers And now I say In the presence of the Lord God and from his power who bears me witness and whose testimony I bear
persons so offending their aiders comforters counsellors consenters and abettors therein being thereof convinced in form under-written by the Authority abovesaid shall be deemed and adjudged Hereticks and every such offence shall be adjudged manifest Heresie and that every such offender and offenders shall therefore have and suffer judgement execution pain and pains of death by way of burning without any abjuration Sanctuary or benefit of Clergy to be therefore permitted had allowed admitted or suffered and likewise the forfeiture of all the Estate real or personal to the King c. And by the same Parliament it was likewise enacted That Parliament confirmed the Spanish Inquisition The Oath for the Commissioners of the bloody Inquisition That for the more effectual execution of the Premises full Authority of Inquision of all such Heresies c. should be committed and directed down into every Shire to certain persons provided that the Arch-Bishop or Bishop or his Chancellor or his Commissary to be one and that every person that should be named Commissioner in this Inquisition should first take a corporal Oath the tenor of which Oath here ensueth Ye shall swear that ye to your cunning wit and power shall truly and indifferently execute the Authority to you given by the Kings Commission made for correction of Hereticks and other offendors mentioned in the same Commission without any favor affection corruption dread or malice to be born to any person or persons as God you help and all Saints c. All you Rulers and Magistrates of England that swear and take Oaths what spirit is it that teaches you to frame Oaths leads you to swear Oaths and to give Oaths to men or women Heb. 6.16 Exod 22.10 11. 1 Kings 8.31 were they that forged the Oath above-written and sware and required people to take the said Oath guided by the spirit of God so to do yea or nay And again Was that Oath the Oath of the Lord that they had forged to be taken yea or any Did the Pope and his Adherents give or administer the Oath of the Lord to any yea or nay Was the Pope and his Adherents taught by the spirit of God to frame Oaths to be taken yea or nay Or did the spirit of God lead the Pope and his Adherents to swear and to take Oaths against the Saints and Servants of God whom they persecuted to death yea or nay I say Nay the spirit of God neither taught them to make or to forge Oaths neither did the spirit of God teach or guide them to swear by their own forged out of the bottomlesse pit Oaths Neither are Parliaments nor Councils in these our dayes taught by the spirit of God to make Oaths nor doth the spirit of God teach them to swear neither by the Bible or by their hand Iames 5.12 Matth. 5.34 35 36. 23.16 to 22. or by any other creature or part of any creature nor by any of their framed Oaths but the spirit of God did teach and does teach the contrary now as it did in the dayes of Christ and the Apostles which spirit I own and obey but that spirit that frames Oaths which are not the Oath of God and swears and requires people to swear by an Oath forged out of the bottomlesse pit FOX Act. Mon. Vol. 2. L. CROMWEL made Earl of Essex Great Chamberlaine of ENGLAND and Vice-goâ—â—rnor to the King I deny that spirit and its practise for it is not the spirit of God but the power of the prince of the Aire that rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience I have read in the Book of Martyrs of one Thomas Lord Cromwel that in the dayes of King Henry the eigth did this Nation of England a deal of good service as the story of his life death doth relate how profitable an Instrument he was in destroying Abbies Monasteries Nunneries c. and routing out of the Land the works of the Monks Fryars Nuns and other such like brutish drones and pulled down the Rood called the Rood of Grace and all his Engines and shewed them openly at Pauls Crosse with the blood of a Duck which the papists made the people to believe it was the blood of Hailes and other such like pieces of Idolatry and Witchcraft he removed out of the way that the people was seduced by with the learned men of Oxford and Cambridge So likewise he was an Instrument to discover the treachery of the Bishops and the Clergy who had sworn to be true to the King and afterwards swore also to be so to the pope and for the proof of the same he produced a copy of their oath to the pope which was read in the Convocation-House before them and the matter was so plain that they could not deny it And likewise Thomas Lord Cromwell presented the Bible to the King and obtained License that the same might freely passe to be read amongst all his subjects This Bible was of the lesser volume but a Bible of a large Volume began to he printed at Paris with an intent of Marginal Notes to it of which the said Lord Cromwel was a great helper of it forward At which the Clergy was offended and the cursed Bishops bringing their purpose to passe brought Thomas Lord Cromwell out of favor with the King and after to his death For after the six Articles with the penalty annexed to them and the full Authority of the bloody Inquisition was confirmed then the said Thomas Lord Cromwell being in the Council-chamber was suddenly apprehended and committed to the Tower of London and sundry crimes surmizes objections and accusations as they called them were brought against him c. The best of men in their generations have alwayes been counted Hereticks by they who are Hereticks indeed 1. The first and chiefest Article that they had against him to accuse him with was above all others Heresie alias an Heretick 2. That he was a supporter of them whom they counted for Hereticks as Barns Clark and many others who he by his Authority and Letters written to the Sheriffes and Iustices in divers Shires rescued and discharged out of Prison And I say he did well in so doing 3. That he did disperse among the Kings subjects great numbers of Books containing as they said manifest matter of much Heresie Diffidences and Misbeliefe was their manifest Heresie in the Bible that he disperst abroad let the Hereticks themselves answer 4. That he caused to be translated into our English Tongue books comprizing matter expresly against their Sacrament of the Altar and that after the translation thereof he commended and maintained the same for good and Christian Doctrine and good reason he should so do 5. They charged him with some hainous words spoken against the King in their falsly called Church of St. Peter the Poor in the month of March so called in the thirteenth year of the Kings reign which was about 18. years before but
if any such words was spoken as tended to Treason they were Traytors for concealing it so long Read the story of the life and death of THO. L. CROMWEL in FOX Act. Mon. Vol. 2 Here you see what was charged against the man for his good service and for all his good service that he had done the King and the Nation by the means of the blood-thirsty clergy had his head cut off at the Tower-Hill in London One thing I observe at the doing or bringing about this thing to be done is That before time the two Bishops viz. Sardiner Bishop of Winchester and Bonner bishop of London were made friends who before were the greatest enemies each to other that might be and by their means Barns Clark and many others were burned all that was contrary to themselves must be burned in the fire and they so delighted in burning of people that they burned some papists of their own Religion as well as Hereticks as they called them And thus ye may see what a bloody generation these learned men have been who were brought up at Cambridge and Oxford and other schollars and by a carnal commandment of man made Ministers and Preachers for no sooner did any thing of God appear in a King or other Magistrate but these like the red Dragon were ready to deuour that good thing in them For I find that young King Edward was one of a meek spirit Reâ— 12.4 and much inclined to clemency for he alwayes spared and favoured the life of man and favoured the life of those they called Hereticks for one Ione Butcher should have been burned and all his Council could not move him to put his hand to have her burned but were fain to get bishop Cranmer to perswade him to do it but Cranmer could not with much labour induce the King to do it do but take notice of the Kings answer to bishop Cranmer said the King What will ye have me to send her quick to the Devil in her error And yet although one Cheek the Kings School-Master could not perswade the King nor his council could not perswade him to set his hand to the burning of the woman Yet the bishop like the old Dragon overcame him to put his hand to the writing but Cranmer confessed that he had never so much to do in all his life as he had to cause the King to do it for said the King to Cranmer I will lay all the charge upon you before God So likewise his council sent the said Cranmer then Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Ridley bishop of London to perswade the King to permit his Sister the Lady Mary that bloody Queen to have private Masse in her House without prejudice of the Law for the which they alledged their reasons and perswasions for the accomplishing of the same but the King replyed to them by answering to them from the Scriptures so that they confessed what he said was true But still they like the Devil did urge him to it politickly and alledged what danger it might be to him if he should deny such a thing but the King answered them and willed them to be content for he would said he spend his life and all he had rather then agree and grant to that which he knew certainly to be against the truth Yet notwithstanding they urged him still to grant it and would by no means have his nay whereat the King seeing their importunity burst out in bitter weeping and sobbing and desired them to be content c. And by these two before writ of viz. King Edward and Thomas Lord Cromwell ye may see how those learned men could turn and wind about to destroy the appearance of God not onely in Kings and Rulers but likewise in others and if they could not destroy it one way they would destroy it another and that was by causing their bodyes to be imprisoned wracked whipped hanged burned c. as witness all the Martyrs in Queen Maryes dayes whereof Cranmer himself was one and the same spirit that ruled in those bishops and the clergy ruled in the bishops and the clergy in the days of the late King as witness the cruel sufferings of Henry Burton Iohn Lilburn William Prynne and Iohn Bastwick c. and the same spirit of envy and cruelty reign now in these dayes in the parish-ministers * But not in the Ministers of Christ of England for the Tree is known by its fruit for not only by their deeds but by their words do I judge them to be such as for what I have heard from some of their own mouths I shall let it pass and their deeds to me likewise But by the way take notice what Mercurius Politicus said viz. that several petitions were presented to the House Thursday the 18. day of Decemb. 1657. containing divers complaints against the growth and exorbitances of the people called Quakers and so did Pharoah against the children of Israel was this day read Exod. 1. chap. The first was from the county of Devon and Exceter The second was from the Ministers of Northumberland Durham and New Castle upon Tine but not from the Ministers of Christ And the third was from the Justices of the Peace Gentry Ministers of the Gospel as he said and others in the county of Palatine of Chester and the attestation of the same petition by the Mayor Aldermen and Ministers of the city of Chester not the Ministers of Christ The fourth was from the Mayor Aldermen and Common-counsel of the city of Bristol with the Ministers of the Gospel as he said and other chief Inhabitants there The fifth was the humble petition of divers well-affected persons Gentlemen Ministers he did not say here Ministers of the Gospel and others in the county of Cornwall which said Politicus were all referred to a Committee to consider of them and to collect such heads as may be fittest for a Bill for the suppressing of the mischiefs and inconveniences complained of therein c. And let the prisons in England testifie of the sufferings of those people called Quakers by the means of the Parish-Ministers of England and also the losse and spoyle of their goods for non-payment of tythes and likewise the whipping stocking and stoning of them by the brutes of this Nation above all other Nations for whereever they have yet come the Rulers hath not dealt the like to them as they of their own Nation have done unto them which Nations may be a witness against England in the day of Judgement for the hypocrisie and cruelty in her Rulers and their Ministers c. Quest But it is very likely that some may say They be not all such as thou shewest them to be for some of them are better then others therefore thou must not condemn all to be alike c. Answ I do grant that amongst the Rulers and Magistrates of this Nation there is some that are more sober moderate and discreet
proud nor wanton nor given to filthy lucre to run in the way of Baalam for gifts and rewards neither were they any persecutors fighters quarrellers c. but were in all generations persecuted stoned whipped stocked and imprisoned and put in Dungeons and hailed out of the worlds Synagogues or falsly called churches and brought before Magistrates and by the Devil some were cast into prison many slain which for the most part was done by the means of the priests the false prophets for said Christ O Jerusalem Jerusalem Matth. 23.37 1 Kings 12.4 18.4 22. c. 24 27. v. 2 Chr 24.21 Jer. 20 1 2 3. 26.7 8 11. 28.1 4 6. Amos 7.10 11 12 13. Matth. 26.34 Acts 5.24 25 33. Acts 7.54 58. 12.2 3 4. 14.19 Acts 16 22 23 24. Acts 21.27 28. 2 Cor. 11.24 25 26 27 28. thou that killest the prâ—phets and stonest them which are sent unto thee And the chiefe priests and all the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen and mocked the Messengers of God and despised his word and misused his Prophets c. Read the Scriptures quoted and see how they were misused and by whom And again the Prophets of the Lord and the Apostles and true Ministers of the Gospel they did not preach for hire nor did they study or divine for money as the false ones did Mich. 3.11 and do still Neither did they seek for gaine from their quarters as the false ones did Isa 56.10 11. and do still Neither did they feed themselves with the fat and clothe themselves with the wool as the false ones did Ezek. 34. and do still Neither did they bite with their teeth nor prepare war against them that put not into their mouths as the false ones did Mic. 3.5 and do still Neither did the true Prophets nor the Apostles or the true and faithful Ministers of the Gospel steal the word from their neighbour and then cry and say Thus saith the Lord when the Lord had not spoken to them as the false ones did Jer. 23.3 chap. 14. v. 19. and do still Neither did the true Prophets and Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel come before they were called nor run before they were sent of the Lord as the false ones did Jer. 14.15 23.32 and do still by a carnal commandment of manl Neither had the true Prophets nor the Apostles and Ministers of Christ any Lands and Houses appointed them by the Kings of the earth for a certain dwelling place upon the earth as said Paul 1 Cor. 4.11 Heb. 11.37 36. as the false ones had Gen. 47.22 26. 1 Kings 18.19 and have so to this day Parsonages Vicarages Rectories and Glebe-Lands here in England which was given to the Pope and his Adherents viz. the Clergy who were called the Church with their high places all together by popish Saxon Kings and others as hereafter shall appear out of their own Records for see the Oration of King Edgar one of the Saxon Kings to the Clergy as followeth in part Fox Act. Mon. Vol. 1. Let said he the great devotion of our Ancestors move you whose Alines the madness of the Clerks doth abuse My Great-Grandfather as ye know gave the tenth part of all his Lands to the Churches and Abbyes And my Great-Great-Grandfather Alferdus of holy memory thought it not meet to spare his Treasures his Goods nor Costs nor Rents that he might enrich the Church My Grandfather the elder Edward your Father-hood viz. the Pope is not ignorant of how great things he gave to the Churches it becometh you to remember with what gifts my Father and his Brothers did enrich Christs Altars c. But by the way take notice of another piece of service that was done by another of those Kings that is Oswald King of Northumberland when he went to fight against Cadwalla set up at Hevenfield in Northumberland an altar and a cross unto which he kneeled down and prayed for victory Anno 635. The Donations and Priviledges granted and given by King Ethelbald to religious men of the Church as he called them It is wont for the most part to come to passe that by reason of the uncertain changing of the times that those things which have been confirmed by the testimony and counsel of many faithful persons without any consideration of reason may be dangâ—rously and fraudulently dispersed so as to come to nought by the contumacy and dissembling devices of many unlesse they be committed to eternal memory by the Authority of Letters with the testimony of Hand-Writers Wherefore I Ethelbald King of the Marshes for the love of the heavenly Country and a remedy for my soul have foreseen that I must take care that I make it free for some good work in every bond of the beloved for because that Almighty God through the mercy of his clemency without any desert of mine hath bestowed upon me the Scepter of Government therefore I do willingly retribute unto him out of that which he hath given for this cause Whilest I live I grant this Donation That all Monasteries and Churches of my Kingdom be made free from publike charges and labours and burdens excepting onely the building of Towers and Bridges which are no more profitable for any thing at any time Let the servants of God have a peculiar freedom in the fruits of the Woods and fields and in taking of fish Let them not give any gifts either to Kings or Princes unlesse it be of their own accord but let them be free to serve God c. Now followeth the second gift given by the abovesaid King to the Clergy The Priviledges and Donations given by Ethelbald to the Clergy Anno. 844. Our Lord reigning for ever Forasmuch as in our dayes we see dangerous times are upon us by reason of burning of Warres and taking away of our Riches and the most cruel depredations of barbarous Enemies and of the Paganish Nations wasting us therefore I Ethelbald King of the East-Saxons with the Council of my Bishops and Princes have avouched it as wholesom counsel and an uniform remedy That I grant an Hereditary Portion of Lands to God and St. Peter and all the Saints by a perpetual right to be possessed to wit a part of my Land that it may be secure and free from all secular services and tributes to the King both great and small without taxes which we call Witterden and that it may be free from all things for the remission of our souls and of our sins to the serving of God only without any expedition or building of a Bridge or fortifying of a Tower that so they may without ceasing pour out prayers to God for us so much the more diligently to the end that we lessen their servitude in some measure c. So now here you may see by these gifts above written of what persons they were that gave and setled the Parsonage-Lands Glebe-Lands
the Lord God will lead you out of all strife and contention and teach you how to agree with your adversaries quickly and to love your neighbor as your self and to forgive your enemies and to live in peace with all men Therefore I say to all people Cease from the Lawyers and follow the Lord wholly who giveth to man every good thing And again I say people Cease from the Doctors for so long as ye follow them ye will never enjoy your healths and come to God who sent his Word and healed the people and delivered them from their destruction Christ healed the woman of her Issue who had spent all that she had and had suffered many things of many Physicians and was nothing bettered but grew rather worse Therefore I say Forsake the Physicians and come to Christ who rebuked the Feaver and it left Peters Wives Mother God he wounds and he heals he kills and makes alive he brings down to the Grave and raiseth up again But some it is very like may say Must we not use the means when we are sick and take something to do us good Yea but I say Wait with patience upon the Lord stand in awe and sin not and if the Lord command thee to go and take a Plaster of Figs and lay to thy sore or to go and drink water 2 King 20.5 6 7. 2 King 5.14 Luke 17.19 or wash in the water and thou shalt be whole then go in the name and in the fear of the Lord and do as he commands and believing in the Lord so shalt thou be made whole Now I say That these three sorts of men for I will put the Doctors and Astrologers together the Priests who are called Ministers the Lawyers and Physicians are all unto the people like the Locusts the Caterpillar the Palmor-worm for all of them will have the peoples money and what the one leaves the other comes after and takes And again I say That these learned men have been ever a generation of persecutors of the people and servants of God and the Scriptures doth testifie with me that those Priests that were made and consecrated by men end the false Prophets were in all generations persecutors of the true Prophets and servants of the Lord which he sent forth to declare his Messages and this I will prove both by Scripture and History to be true For it is thus written in the Scriptures That Ieroboam the son of Nebat King of Israel 1 King 12.31 13.33 34. made at Bethel Priests of the lowest of the people which were not of the sons of Levi for the high places But in the dayes of Ieroboam the son of Ioath King of Israel God sent Amos an Herdsman of Tekoa to Bethel and Amos in the Name of the Lord declared against the high places and said The Land should be desolate and the Sanctuaries of Israel should be laid waste and that the Lord would rise against the House of Ieroboam with the Sword But Amaziah the Priest of Bethel he sent to Ieroboam King of Israel Amos 1.1 7.10 11 12 13 saying Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the House of Israel and the Land is not able to bear all his words for thus saith Amos Ieroboam shalt dye by the sword and all Israel shall be led away captive out of their own Land And Amaziah the Priest of Bethel said unto Amos O thou Seer go flee thee away into the Land of Iudah and there cat bread and prophesie there but prophesie not again any more at Bethel for it is the Kings Chappel and the House of the Kingdome 1 King 22.11 22 24. ver 2 Chron. 18.10 11 23. ver And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah one of Ahabs false prophets went and smote Micaiah the true Prophet of the Lord upon the Cheek c. And in the dayes of Iehoiakim King of Iudah God sent Ieremiah to go and stand in the Court of the Lords House and God commanded Ieremiah saying All the words that I command thee to speak unto them diminish not a word And Ieremiah said unto all the people that came to worship in the Lords House Thus saith the Lord I will make this House like Shiloh and I will make this City a curse to all the Nations of the earth c. And when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking Ier. 26.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 16. ver Luke 22.2 66. ver Matth. 26.3 4. 2â— 1 2. then the priests and the false prophets and the people took Jeremiah saying Thou shalt surely dye And the priests the prophets spake unto the princes and to the people saying This man is worthy to dye but the Princes and all the people said unto the priests and to the prophets This man is not worthy to dye for he hath spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord our God c. And the chief Priests and the Scribes and the Elders conspired against Christ Jesus the Son of God and held a consultation and they and the whole Council took Jesus and bound him and carryed him away and delivered him to Pilate and would not cease till they had got him crucified and put to death for said they We have a Law Iohn 19.7 Act. 4.7 chap. 23. ch v. 2. 25. ch v. 2 3 and by our Law he ought to dye because he made himself the Son of God c. And so likewise in the dayes of the Apostles if any tumult or imprisonment or death fell upon them the Priests the Scribes and the Rulers of the Temple would often have a hand in in it first or last And as the priests and false prophets were that Jeroboam and other of the Kings of Israel and Iudah had made such like persons for persecuting were the Bishops and the Clergy of England who were bred up at the Vniversities of Cambridge and Oxford and such are the priests who are called Ministers in these dayes for I say The same spirit that ruled the Pope Cardinals Bishops c. in the persecution of the servants and saints of God the same spirit ruled the Bishops and the Clergy in the dayes of the Kings and Queens of England and the same spirit rules the priests called Ministers in England now in these dayes as it did them in those dayes Pope INNOCENT the third Pope LEO at RATISBONE See the form of the Spanish Inquisition FOX Act Mon. Vol. 1 2. See the Table of Germany Spain France Italy and other Countreys as well as the English Martyrs JOHN CLARK of Melden in France a Wool-Carder by Trade This latter was done upon him at METZ in LOTHERING 1524. for the Pope in his Councils made Degrees and Canons Institutions for the correction of Hereticks as they called them for whosoever did speak against him his Laws Decrees Canons and Institutions or the Popish Religion in general or particular either by disputing
against all those above-named unrighteous unjust and impure Decrees Laws Statutes Acts Constitutions Canons and Ordinances that have been made by men for to require the people to pay first fruits tythes offerings oblations obventions rates for tythes or such like that they are not of God and likewise That all those men who sate in councils and parliaments and have made those laws whether kings popes earls lords lords and commons protector and council or parliaments I say That they were not guided nor taught nor led by the spirit of God so to do but by a spirit of error were they ruled by for to bring again a yoke upon the neck of Christs Disciples by those unjust and unholy and unrighteous laws decrees constitutions acts and ordinances and clauses in ordinances whereby they require and compel Christs Annointed to pay first fruits tythes offerings oblations obventions or any other rates in lieu of the same I say That those laws for the payment of tythes c. are not good for whatsoever law it is that is not good in its original or foundation can never be made good by any act or acts of man subsequent Now I say That the ground and original of these laws for the payment of first fruits and tythes c. since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was from the pope and his adherents the pope and his adherents are Idolaters and all the Idolaters are ungodly and such as hate the Lord Read 2 Chron. 18 19. chap. for Ahab the King and Israel was an Idolater and he was led by a lying spirit to go up to Ramath Gilead Iehosaphat King of Iudah joyned with him and said to Ahab I am as thou art my people as thy people but Hanani the Seer said to Iehosaphat Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord such are the pope and his adherents ungodly and such as hate the Lord therefore those laws that had their original foundation from the pope and his councils were and are altogether illegal and unjust in their original for can a corrupt fountain send forth sweet water neither can the pope and his adherents who are led by a spirit of error send forth pure and just laws Therefor say I to all the Rulers of England Should you help the ungodly to make laws against the Lord against his Annointed do ye not make your selves manifest by your actions herein to be such as love them that hate the Lord do not ye do the same things in nature though not in substance as the pope and his Adherents do or worse for the pope used to excommunicate or to curse out of his Church those that would not pay tythes and happy they were that were so excommunicated out of his church by him and his adherents See the Petition of Right and 〈◊〉 Act for regulating the Privy Council and taking away the Star-Chamber Anno 17. Caroli Regis but ye make laws to take three times the value of the tythes from them that cannot in conscience pay tythes c. and put men in prison for non-payment of tythes to the undoing of them their wives and small children which is contrary to the Common-law of the land And again It is a Maxime in the laws of this land That whatsoever in its original is altogether illegal and unjust can never by tract or length of time or by Actor Acts subsequent be they what they will in any kinds or construction of law be made just or legal And for the clear proof of which read Judge Huttons Argument against Ship-Money pag. 48 49. and Vox Plebis pag. 20. 43. and the fourth part of Cooks Reports pag. 125. and Vernons Case See also John Lilburns Grand Plea made against the Lords Jurisdiction over the Commoners Anno 1647. pag. 8. 13. And said the men of Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire and Herefordshire See the Booke called The Husbandmans plea against tythes Printed 1647. Because said they Acts of parliament are Acts of men and not Oracles from Heaven a parliament as well as a Council may be led by wrong principles and so erre and so make laws Acts or Statutes that are unjust c. And again I say That all they who put those unrighteous and unjust laws for tythes c. in execution and all they who receive tythes firrst fruits oblations obventions offerings or any other thing in lieu of the same and all those who either through subtilty or willingly payes the said first fruits tythes oblations obventions or offerings or any thing in leuâ— of the same in obedience to those laws that are made by the ungodly and such as hate the â—ord I do judge them all to be enemies of God and such as will not that Christ Jesus should rule and reign over them neither do they own him to be unto them a King Law-giver and Judge but by their works do make themselves manifest to be such as deny Christ Jesus to become in the flesh for did they love Christ Jesus they would suffer the spoyling of their goods for his Names sake and keep his Commandments and did they own Christ to be King and Law-giver then they would obey no laws but his and submit to him that hath disanulled the law which was a shadow of good things to come and blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances having abolished in his flesh the law of commandments contained in Ordinances and changed the priesthood who by a law took tythes and not have revived an old law that was done away by Christ Jesus at the time of reformation by himself for who hath required that law to be revived again by them at their hands but onely the Pope and his Adherents whose work they do for his servants ye are to whom ye obey Therefore my son if sinners entice thee consent thou not neither follow a multitude to do evil walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their pathes for the wayes of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord therefore go not in the way of evil men as for God his way is perfect his work is perfect all his wayes are judgement a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he and the way of God is strength to the upright an dt they that walk in his pathes finde peace but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity c. And now I come to shew out of Histories the testimonie that others in former yeers have born for Christ and against tythes Fox Acts and Mon. Vol. 1. and them that took tythes I finde written that about the yeere 1360. in the prayer and complaint of a Plow-man wherein he said as followeth Ah Lord he that * Calleth cleepeth himself thy Vicar upon earth viz. the Pope hath ordained an order of Priests to do thy service and therefore he chargeth | Lay-men lewde men in pain of cursings to bring his