of grace that Christ instituted 4. The Pope opposeth Christ in the main ends of his coming into the world Christ came to take away sin to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting righteousness by once sacrificing himself to the Father Dan. 9.24 Heb. 10.10 11 12 13 14. But the Pope will have Christ offered for sin in every Mass as truly as he was upon the Cross and that it is as satisfactory and meritorious he will have the merits of Saints our own penance and purgatory oster death to satisfy for and take away sin whereby the satisfaction of Christ is rendered as still unfulfilled and the pardon of sin unprocured as it was before his coming into the world Christ came to give a greater measure of his spirit to the Church that his people might have more freedom of access to God Eph. 3.12 more boldness with him Heb. 10.19 20. and more abundant grace to enable them to pray to and serve God Rom. 8.25 John 10.10 for having removed the shadows and sacrifices of the Law and clearly exhibited himself and his redemption they were now to come with greater confidence and freedom through his name to the Father John 16.23 24. but the Pope disappointeth all this by hiding from the people the plain doctrine of salvation by teaching them that they must not come to him immediately but by the mediation of his Mother and all the Saints and that these must be ingaged by many prayers Temples and offerings to interceed with Christ for them whereby the service of the Gospel is made as uncomfortable and as chargable as that of the Law and the people are kept in as much ignorance as ever the Jews were and in as much bondage to their Priests and more without whose Masses and absolutions they cannot be forgiven yea by their doctrines and uncertainty of Salvation penances satisfactions and purgatory and the necessity of Christ's being often sacrificed for them their consciences are brought into a far greater bondage than ever the Jews were in Again Christ by his death resurrection and ascension hath obtained all power conquered the Devil opened a clear way into heaven for his servants Heb. 2.14 Philip. 2.9 10. Heb. 6.19 20 29. But the Papists keep the people in as great bondage by fear of the Devil as ever the Heathens were in except there be a Cross in the way they are in danger to meet him at every turning in every Church-yard Market c. yea every time they go out of doors unless they cross themselves or be sprinkled with holy water if it were not for crosses the devil would get into their meat their drink their books their beds and into their pockets also And as for Christs entering into Heaven it is little comfort to them seeing they must hope to go thither but after some thousands of years spent in the pains of Purgatory 5. Christ abolished the Tyranny and bondage his people were in both to Heathen Monarchs and the Jewish Polity Christ appeared in the latter end of the fourth Monarchy to set up his Kingdom that his people might be subject to him and no longer to the lusts and wills of lawless Tyrants as they had successively been oppressed and devoured both by Babylonians Persians Greeks and Romans and he promised that Kings should be their nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers being subject as well as they to the laws of Christ But the Pope interposeth and usurpeth all the domination and prerogatives and exerciseth all the Tyranny of the Roman Emperours causing all people to submit to Rome with as great slavery as ever Rev. 13. v. 15 16 c. and maketh laws as absolutely by his own will as ever the Heathens did Christ also dissolved the Jewish Polity that his people should no longer be bound to one temple City or Land for any part of their worship as the Jews were to Canaan and Jerusalem or to any Common wealth of People but that in all places they might lift up pure hands to him and have his presence with them whereever two or three should be gathered in his name for the intents or purposes of his worship Matth. 18.19 20. But the Pope will have Rome to be the mother of all the Churches thither all the world must come to keep their Jubilees every five and twenty years thither they must bring their controversies and hard cases and many sins cannot be forgiven without coming to him as the high Priest all Churches depend upon him yea are one body whereof he is the Head and must receive their laws their Priests their benedictions all from him and his power so that they are in greater bondage than the Jews were by how much they are dispersed abroad in the world and are more numerous A third character of this Apostasie is insolent pride v. 4. This man of sin and adversary of Christ exalteth himself above all that is worshipped or called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Calvin in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is lifted up above all that is called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that is any way sacred We read of some Heathen Princes as Romulus Alexander c. that would be accounted the sons of God and be worshipped but their own people detested their pride and yet they acknowledged a supreme God above them Caligula would be thought equal with Jupiter their chief God but these were impious insolencies never established by laws or approved by the people much less defended and practised by succeeding generations but this Popes arrogate to themselves through many ages successively this their whole Clergy defend and their whole people practise yea it is the very soul and life of the Popedom to be honoured and obeyed above all that is called God 1. Magistrates are called Gods being Gods Vicegerents Psalm 82.6 But the Pope exalteth himself above all these challenging the dominion of the whole world to be given to him and he disposeth of it to whom he pleaseth He calleth Emperours and Kings his servants and vassals He sets them up and pulls them down at his pleasure Paul the 4. taxed Queen Elizabeth with insolency for presuming to take the Crown without his leave The Roman Ceremonial appointeth that when the Pope rideth abroad the Emperour or chief King that is present or their Embassadors in their absence should hold his Stirrup and accordingly some Emperors have done it and have been checked for holding the wrong Stirrup and if the Pope be disposed to be carried in his Chair the Emperour Kings and their Embassadors are to put their shoulders to it 2. He exalteth himself above all the Ministry Lanis the general of the Jesuites maintained in a set Lecture at the Council of Trent that the sole power of the Church was committed to Peter and that the other Apostles Evangelists c. received their Power from him In like manner the Pope as Peters successour hath the sole power of the universal
shall that wicked be revealed c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wicked or lawless person when the restraint and laws of the Emperours were taken off then was the time for the lawless person to appear who professeth himself subject to no law but above all humane and divine The removing the imperial seat from Rome to Byzantium by Constantine the Great gave the first advantage to the aspiring minds of those Bishops for then the eyes of all were upon them instead of the Emperours then they disdained to come to Councils and set Ambassadours in their names two or three at a time in Princely manner then they cried up the dignity and primacy of Peter and of the Apostolick See and insinuated themselves into the affairs of all Churches again when Rome was sackt by the Goths and Vandals and the Emperours power decayed in Italy the Bishops of Rome assumed more authority to themselves and were ready to comply with barbarians and invaders against their natural and Christian Prince to increase their own power When Odoacer had taken Rome and made himself King of Italy Pope Gelasius joyned with him called a Council of seventy Bishops at Rome and presided in it in the presence of the usurper Ann. 570. After this when the Imperial race was almost extinguisht in the East by the impious Tyrant Phocas Boniface 3. readily joyns with him writes flattering letters to him and obtained of him the long desired title of universal Bishop Ann. 606. And now the Emperours are beholding to the Bishops of Rome to hold their dominion in Italy yet this was a Clog to them that their election must be approved by the Emperours when therefore they had prevailed with Constantine 4. to release them of this obligation and to grant that whom the Senate and people of Rome chose he should be received as Pope without asking the Emperours consent then they had perfectly shaken off the yoak and the following Popes Gregory the 2. and 3. excommunicated 2. Emperours Philippicus and Leo for opposing Image worship absolved their Subjects from their Oath of allegiance and raising war against them finally drove them out of Italy about the year 750. Yet the Lombards troubled the Pope till he called in Pipin who subdued them and his Son Charles the great who put an end to their Kingdom And now the Pope was Lord of Italy and giveth Charles the tile of Roman Emperour and after about 6 generations he tranferred it to the Germans And now the Pope had a new and his last difficulty these German Emperours challenged the confirmation of the Popes election and the investing of all Bishops within their dominons but the Pope was grown so strong that by plain force and continuall wars he at last compelled the Emperours to renounce all power over the Popes and Italy it self to resign the investiture of all Bishopricks to the Pope yea to have his own election confirmed by the Pope and to hold his Crown as his gift which was principally managed though not finished by Hilderbrand Pope Gregory 7. about the year 1077. And now the man of sin was revealed indeed and come to maturity and from his time divers learned men of every nation declared and proved the Pope to be Antichrist and ever since the Pope hath filled all the West with wars Massacres and the private murders of his inquisition to uphold the power he had so honestly gotten he hath also made attempts upon the Eastern Churches and he gained some power over them while the Latines reigned in Constantinople but that fell with them and the East hath been oppressed by the Turk as the West by the Pope though not altogether in so terrible a manner for he for money grants the Christians their Churches and exercise of their religion but the Pope will suffer none to live that will not submit to him It may justly be a wonder how it was possible the Bishops of Rome many of them mean and inferiour men and many most flagitious could possibly attain so great power and dignity It was a mystery saith the Apostle and it was done insensibly At first the Bishops of Rome were eminent for parts piety and sufferings as usually such men are preferred and imployed in great especially Metropolitical Cities this gained them great credit with all Churches and both Ministers and people had them in great veneration and desired their judgement and counsel in weighty cases then the Emperours newly become Christian thought they could not bestow honour and power enough upon the Church especially on the Imperial seat they granted them their Courts their Apparitors and attendance with leave to all Christians to bring their causes to their Courts this made them Pettie-Princes then they challenged the right of appeals from all Churches though opposed and shamefully foiled by the Churches of Africk they would receive any persons and causes into their patronage the more unjust the better for them for the criminal persons having no hope of redress in their own Churches wholly relied upon the Popes authority and he to increase his authority would do his utmost for them and this was the reason why the Popes of Rome who long maintained the true doctrinal worship at length set up image worship Transubstantiation and all the rest of their superstitions viz. because the promoters and defenders of these corruptions fled to the Popes authority to shelter themselves from the power and censure of the sounder part of the Church and the Pope still sided with the worst that thereby he might oppress those who would not acknowledge his universality and supremacy at last the Pope having by these means insinuated into the minds and affections of the worst but greater part he did by force establish his throne above all and by force he hath kept it moreover the sloth and ignorance of may in the ministry and the pride of others who sought to advance themselves by advancing the Pope did not a little contribute to his power also the confusions of the Empire by the invasions of the Barbarians much helpt it forwards for they overturned the government destroyed the more knowing people in themselves being both Pagans and void of all learning received Religion from the Pope and superstition together and suffered themselves to be inslaved by him under the pretence of obedience to Christ and is chief Apostle St. Peter and his successours and their poor Princes suffered their people to be deceived and were deceived themselves by these plausible arts insomuch that they gave up their power to that Roman beast and thought it good service to Christ when they could serve his pretended Vicar 't is reported that 30 Kings and Queens of England have left their Kingdoms and gone to Rome to see St Peters successor and to die there A fair warning to Princes and magistrates to maintain their own power and the dignity of their places and to all Ministers to look to their own charge and to the people to
and corrupt and poyson the rest by errour superstition Idolatry The Papists plead that Antichrist shall deny both God and Christ his person and incarnation 1 John 2.22 cap. 4.3 But this the Pope doth not yet the doth it in effect though not in words when he useth and exerciseth the names titles power and office both of the father and the Son and hath set himself against the pure doctrine worship and discipline of the Gospel The Papists cannot prove from this or any other place certainly that such an Antichrist as they describe is to be expected and we do prove all the properties of Antichrist to belong to the Pope even this of denying Christ to be come in the flesh in effect though not expresly and yet some of them have called the Gospel a fable and have been professed Atheists If Christ rule not his Church if the Pope be head with absolute power over it if Christ he daily made of a bit of bread and daily Sacrificed by the Priest to make attonement with the Father as they teach and practise this is in effect to say he is not come nor hath made satisfaction to God for the sins of his people However we need not contend whether the Pope be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist that what to come or some other Heretick may be intended we are sure Antichrist fits the Pope and we have little more of him than his name but that he is the man of sin the Son of perdition the author and maintainer of a general apostasie and that Rome is the Whore of Babylon is clear from this place and Rev. 17. and this is all the Protestants mean by the name of Antichrist V se From all this we inferr 1. That pretence of some Papists that they are of the Church but not of the Court of Rome i. e. for the Romish religion but not for the Popes supremacy is altogether vain The Pope as Pope claimeth the full power of Christ both over the Church and over the world and if they believe him to be infallible they must believe he hath this power also if he deceiveth them in this he may deceive them in matters of religion likewise But they that will refuse the Oaths of Allegiance and supremacy because those deny the Popes jurisdiction over our Kings and can consent to the deposing of their persons and the giving away their Kindoms to strangers are certainly for the Court as well as for the Church of Rome 2. That the Pope is not to be acknowledged or respected as a temporal Prince The power he hath is usurped on the pretence of being head of the Church which is a power Christ never gave a magistracy that God never instituted his titles and claims are blasphemous he rules as a God not as Gods vicegerent nor doth he use his power for the proper ends of government to maintain the true religion justice honesty or sobriety among men and to preserve the peace of the world but to subvert religion justice and all morality and to imbroil all nations for his own interest As a society of Bandites or Pirates is no common-wealth but they are to be reckoned hostis humani generis enemies of mankind so the Pope is to be reckoned hostis Ecclesia the professed irreconcileable enemy of Christ and it is some degree of defection to have any commerce with or any respect for that Antichristian State Ver. 5. The Apostle having spoke thus much of the man of sin calleth the Thess to remembrance of what he had said to them about this matter when present with them Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things Moses forewarned Israel of a great apostasie that would be among them even such as would threaten utter destruction did not God remember his Covenant and that even then there was such a leaven working a nongst them Our Saviour foretold his disciples that false Christs and false Prophets should arise and deceive many and the Apostles in all their Epistlesforetell that seducers and defections would come in the Church all which is done to prevent the security that men are prone to and that the Godly might both beware of and be less startled at such things when they should see them come to pass The Apostle adds v. 6. and now you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time He had told the Thessalonians what would delay the power and revelation of this Man of sin for a time that he might not prevail till the appointed time and then he should discover himself for he should not get his power or shew his wickedness all at once or apparently till some letts be removed out of his way but should secretly insinuate and grow by degrees till he should come to his full strength Ver. 8. For the Mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now letteth will lett untill he be taken out of the way Ver. 8. And then shall that wicked be revealed The Apostle saw that there was even in his days some beginnings of this Man of sin some tendency toward the great apostasie but it was secret and a mystery of iniquity this is another character of this apostasie viz. that it should be mysterious and under fair pretences Christ and the true doctrine of Salvation are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystery of godliness 1 Tim. 1.16 and the apostasie from this faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mystery of iniquity The great Whore Rev. 17.5 had a name written in her forehead Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth Though she should be both unclean and wicked her self and the author of it to all the earth yet it should be under fair pretences in a mystery Some travellers have observed amongst other antiquities at Rome Du Moul. Accom of proph Rev. 17. that there are shewn some ancient Miters of former Popes that have the word Mysterium in Golden characters upon the front of them as if she had been ambitious to have the prophecie verified of her self The Apostle also 1 Tim. 4.3 saith that the apostasie of the latter times should be brought about by men that talk lies in Hypocrisie forbidding to marry and to eat certain meats c. This plainly points out the Church of Rome The Heathens Jews and Turks are open and professed enemies of Christ but the Pope is a secret and mystical enemy that betrays Christ with a kiss and under the pretext of friendship Their pretences are such as these 1. That the Popes absolute power is for the honour of Christ that it was fit that he that is Lord of Lords and King of Kings should have a servant or Deputy on earth who should have Soveraign power over all persons and causes That his Church should not be subject to secular men and temporal Princes but to one who is Christ's immediate Vicar They say it is
it for the publick religion is set out as if it were to be the end of the world and such a consternation to seise upon men as if the end of all things were come upon them The Scriptures foretel in many words and with many circumstances the fall of Mystical Babylon which is Rome and mostly in the same words that foretold the ruin of old Babylon as is plain by comparing the 51. ch of Jeremiah with the 18. chap. or Rev. and this is spoken both to deter men from complying with Rome and encourage the godly to patience in their sufferings under her Tyranny but all this is needless in a great measure if no more were intended than to tell the world that Rome and her power should be destroyed when the whole world should end moreover it is prophesied Rev. 17.16 that the ten Kings that gave their power to the beast i.e. some of them shall take the Whore eat her flesh and burn her with fire chap. 18.2 An Angel again foretells that Babylon should be cast down with violence as a great milstone into the Sea and never rise again which were no wonder if this were not to be till the end of the world It is also said v. 2 3. as it was of old Babylon that all unclean and hateful birds should lodge in the ruines of Rome v. 4 5. Christ commands his people to come out of her that they may not partake of her plagues v. 6. they are commanded to be the executioners of Gods wrath upon her and to reward her double for all that she hath done to them v. 8 9. some of the Kings that still adhered to her with others of all sorts are described to make great lamentation over her when they behold the smoak of her burning and chap. 19. is a triumphant Song of the Church for Christs victory over Babylon and their deliverance from her these things are certain and show that the Church shall be delivered both from the seduction and persecution of the Pope some time before the end of the world and it is very probable that the thousand years peace of the Church foretold chap. 20. is to succeed the fall of Rome all other conjectures about it are already confuted by the event and that it cannot be meant of heaven is evident from this that Gog and Magog are to make insurrection against the Church a little before the thousand years expireth and the general judgement is described to follow soon after Vse 1. This should keep men from embracing and persuade them to forsake the Romish religion It is as all other carnal things be a perishing Religion that Church Christ hath promised to destroy and that with a desolation proportionable to all the magnificence and pomp she hath enjoyed with an overthrow that shall make a change as if the world were ending 2. Let the godly strengthen their patience in bearing all her violence and persecutions there is an appointed end Rome shall as certainly fall and her power and policy be broken as old Babylon was ruin'd which was once the terror of the world and had held the Empire near fourteen hundred years longer than Rome shall the blood and sufferings of the Saints shall be revenged upon Rome abundantly Rev. 18.7 8. and they shall have abundant joy in her destruction and their own deliverance even such as Israel had when they were escaped out of Egypt thorow the Red Sea and saw all their enemies dead on the shore Rev. 15.2 3 4. 3. The godly both ministers and people should be encouraged to oppose and strive against Popery to the utmost their labour shall not be in vain Christ will consume the man of sin by his word in their mouths and in time engage the Princes that now favour her to destroy her the preaching and writing of godly ministers the endeavours and sufferings of godly people are so many Testimonies against Rome and do weaken her interest and shall in time be all revived and prevail for her ruin notwithstanding all her arts and force and cruelties to preserve her self of which we have a pledge in that by these means many Kingdoms and Nations have already forsaken her 4. Though there be no power and strength to defend the Church and the truth though few should be valiant for it fear not the word and spirit of Christ will turn about the hearts of Princes and people to hate the Whore in due time the work is Christs own he hath undertaken it and who can resist his spirit when he will turn the hearts of men It seemeth that Rome shall have great probability of prevailing over the Church of Christ and great confidence of her own prosperity immediately before her fall Rev. 18.7 8. She saith in her heart I sit as Queen and am no Widow and shall see no sorrow Therefore shall her plagues come in one day c. even as Pharaoh did most distress Israel and was most confident of success the night before his ruin this very confidence of Rome and her last rage against the Church will engage God to its defence and provoke the world to her destruction Ver. 9. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders v. 10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness Here are described the arts and methods by which the man of sin should attain his greatness and deceive the world partly that we may be the more aware of him and partly to set out the power of Christ and the efficacy of his word by whom he shall be destroyed notwithstanding all his arts and policies to preserve himself his coming saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his appearing and attaining supremacy in the Church is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the effectual working of the Devil the Devil never shewed so much art and contrivance in the erecting of any power or State as in that of the Popedom for besides force the usual methods whereby the four former great Monarchies were raised and preserved which also the Pope made use of here are other peculiar methods suited to the nature of a religious Monarchy or Tyranny under pretence of religion these are all power signs and lying wonders which are various expressions of miracles and miraculous operations to gain credit to their Doctrine and pretences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all unrighteous deceits and cheats as Moses approved and confirmed his law and institutions by miracles and wonders and Christ with his Apostles confirmed the Gospel with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost Heb. 2.4 so Antichrist endeavored to prove his power errors and superstitions by miracles signs and wonders so the words here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie but the difference is great betwixt them the miracles of Moses and the Prophets Christ and the Apostles were real weighty and useful things frequent and innumerable apparent to all the world exposed
their Church declares it nor is any sense or meaning to be fixt upon as the certain sense of any Scripture but what they determine to be the meaning of the place Accordingly the Trent Council out of their great power have determined the vulgar Latin Translation of the Bible to be authentick and equal to the Greek and Hebrew originals Council of Trent Ses 4 though their own authors acknowledge it to be most false defective and in many things ridiculous Now then our faith is not ultimately resolved into the Scriptures we do not believe and obey because we know and are sure from Scripture that this is the mind of God but because the Pope or Church declare it to be the mind of God yea though the words of Scripture plainly condemn what they teach or though the Translation of a Scripture be contrary to the original which was indited by the spirit of God immediately yet if they say this is the meaning of the place and the true translation of it we must believe it The foundation then of all our faith and obedience is the determination of the Church or Pope Obj. But they are infallible they say Answ This they can never prove but if they were if I must believe meerly upon their Testimony and saying they are infallible my faith is still resolved into the witness of men their testimony concerning themselves is but a humane Testimony they do not cannot prove it by any divine infallible proof therefore my faith and obedience must ultimately pesolve into humane authority The Apostles were infallible yet had not they dominion over the faith of the Church 2 Cor. 12.24 to command what should be believed and practised but they proved by infallible and divine Testimony of miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost that what they taught came from God and so the belief of the people was built upon the Testimony of God to the Apostles doctrine 1. Cor. 2.4 5. the Apostle saith his preaching was in demonstration of the spirit and of power That their faith might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God If their faith had been grounded upon the Apostles own Testimony of his self that he was infallible and upon his determination concerning any Scripture or doctrine out of his own wisdom though he had seemed to prove it strangely their faith had stood upon the authoty wisdom of man but therefore their faith was built on God because his spirit did powerfully demonstrate what the Apostle preacht to be from God therefore unless the Papists can prove their infallibility by miracles and demonstration of the spirit theirs is but a humane Testimony and so we know it is and a false one too and therefore it is an intolerable abuse to take the Church off from faith and obedience to Christ as the head commanding and ruling her and from the holy Spirit as inditing and confirming the holy Scriptures and to subject her to the authority and determinations of fallible and sometimes most wicked men To let pass that the Papists themselves not being agreed who is the infallible supreme judge whether the Pope Council or the whole Church no man of them hath any sure foundation for his Faith If they say the Scripture declares who is the supreme infallible Judge I answer that Judge must again tell us what is the meaning of that Scripture The Pope saith it means him the Council and Church say it means them here are three pretenders to supreme and infallible authority and to interpret the Scripture which soever a man adheres to it is two to one but he is mistaken however here is no way to determine who is the infallible Judge unless there be infallible marks and Testimonies of it given by God and then they are of the supreme authority and neither Pope Council nor Church themselves but such they can never produce Thus the whole matter is but an inconsistent juggle to bring the Church into subjection to the Pope 3. Because the Church of Rome takes away the Scriptures from the people yea and alloweth the Clergy themselves the use of the corrupt vulgar Translation of the Bible only Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10.14 How then shall the people get Faith or grow in it when they must not have the Scriptures to read themselves nor have them read to them by their teachers but in an unknown tongue and that Translation so corrupt also that if any of them should understand Latin they would yet have much difficulty to find the truth The Scriptures are Christs Law whereby he governs his Church and the peoples Magna Charta the Charter of all their priviledges and of all Gods promises spiritual and temporal to take this from them is to deprive them both of the rule of their obedience and of the foundation of all their faith and hope in God This is not to be endured upon any pretence whatsoever 4. Because they impose the celebration of Gods worship in an unknown tongue the Papists celebrate their prayers Sacraments and singing of Psalms all in Latin which as they know the people understand not so they would not have them understand it by this means the people are deprived of all true worship For worship is the reverence and affection of the soul to God either in ascribing honour to him or desiring of him and trusting in him for whatever we need This it is impossible man should give to God in and by those words and expressions which he understandeth not which for what he knows may blaspheme God or beg a curse instead of a blessing which as managed by illiterate Priests oftentimes are nonsense and signifie nothing and sometimes contrary to sound Doctrine yea may at all times for what the people know be directed to an Idol or a Devil instead of God For preaching of the word the Papists pretend but little to it And thus the Roman Church is a Church of Christ which acknowledgeth not him for her head and Governour nor his word for her rule and Law nor his worship for her practice but sabjecteth her self to a wicked man under the name of Christs Vicar taketh his will for her Law and his institutions for her worship without Question and without understanding This is an abuse Jot to be tolerated 5. The Idolary that the Papists impose on the Church the Apostle is express You cannot partake of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils the Cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils 1 Cor. wor-10 20 21. and these Devils he saith are shipped in Idols by Idolaters with whom therefore we must have no communion now the greatest part of the Papists worship consists in the worship and invocation of Saints Angels and the Virgin Mary and their waser-God which they practise upon the very same grounds on which the Heathens worshipt their Idols and therefore are Idolaters as well as the