these his doings do not my words doe good to him that walketh vprightly Therefore trust ye not in lying words saying the Temple of the Lord Ier. 7.4 The Temple of the Lord are these as the English crie the church the church The church of the Lord are these Bishops and theire defenders Chap. 18.18 For the law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word from the prophet The Lord answereth such proud men How doe ye say wee are wise and the Law of the Lord is with vs. Chap. 8 8.9 They have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is there in them for from the least to the greatest every one is given to covetousnes from the prophet to the priest every one dealeth falsly For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people sleightlye saying peace peace when there is no peace They are wicked in these things Isa 57.21 and there is no peace to the wicked saith my God And therfore whereas som say there are still some good preachers yea som that are conformable I answer so were there in those first ages after Constantine But the zeale of these Canons and inventions did more and more take vp mens mindes and eate out the other It is true in this case as in that of riches The church hath brought forth riches dignities diocessan dominion Canons ceremonies cringes Altars masses c. The daughters have devoured the mother in Romish churches and so they will in England if God prevent it not And therefore whereas others say so long as wee may have the Gospel well preached in som parishes why should wee trouble our selves with these things I answer ought not such men to take care that the Gospell may be continued to them and theire children in that puritie simplicitie wherein it was left by the Apostles Which as ye see can not be Ier. 2.35 if those things be not reformed for they turne from the Truth yet thou saiest Because I am innocent surely his anger shall turne from me Constantius could never have spread the Arrian heresie so far as he did but by the helpe of Bishops For a Bishop beeing like a King or a Pope in his diocesse the most will out of feare or flatterie follow him as he doth the Prince or mightie favourite what ever his religion be because he can either raise him to more honour or trouble him And therfore it may be saide of the hierarchie ceremonies and ordinances and theire defenders If they be not with Christ and his kingdum in these cases they are against him Mat. 12.30 and if they gather not with him they scatter helpe the Adversaries For in these times those that are Christs seeke to get the victorie over the Beast and over his marke Some by preaching or writing Rev. 15.2 others by theire lawes and swords and others by theire professing and contending earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saincts others by theire praiers and other honest indeavours While on the other side Papists and popelings contend as earnestly for the observation and authority of tradâ—tions and ceremonies which is the marke of the Beast though they covering the matter call them the vnwritten word of God Bellarmin in his 4. booke of the vnwritten word of God Chap. 2 maketh three sorts of traditions 1. Divine which were spoken by Christ but not written 2 Apostolike spoken by the Apostles but not written 3. Ecclesiasticall which he saith are introduced from ancient customes by the Prelates or by the people and creepingly by the silent vnquestioning agreement of the people have gained strength of law And indeede have at one time or other beene confirmed by councels A man may here see what mischiefe followed the first vnquestioning agreement and consent of the people For of this sorte as the fountaine of all the rest is the authority of diocessan Bishops theire power in theire Courts and Canons excommunicating imprisoning c. and ruling both the ordinarie pastors and people with force and crueltie in divers things which as was shewed did creepingly by the silent and vnquestioning agreement of the people gaine the strength of law and supplanted the presbiterie ordained of God and the power of each congregation in choosing theire minister and excommunicating the refractarie and so made of none effect that law of Christ Tell the church the presbyters and people Ezech. 34.2 to 12. And then the diocessan office served not to feede the flock of God but themselves the flock became a prey to such Shepheards yea diocessan power beeing thus invented and established became a snare and net as the Prophet saide to the Priests and howse of the King For then followed theire traditions the distinction of meates Hos 5.1 the observation of holy daies feasts and fasts wearing the surplesse and more then sixe hundred yeares after Christ the latin service singing antemes by the sound of the organs setting vp of Altars bowing to them and at the name of Iesus building guilding adorning and consecrating of cathedrall churches endowing them with greate revenues signing themselves with the signe of the crosse setting vp Images in churches to a religions vse and likwise candles invocation of Saints and praying vpon beades the Popes succession in Peters chaire single life of Priests purgatorie and persecution to those that would not beleeve these the like things All which were introduced froÌ„ ancient customes by the Prelates or people and creepingly gained strength of law one after another and in short time served men for a religion the defence of the first making way for all the rest as men do now begin to perceive in England where as the hierarchie it selfe so divers of these things beeing popish are preached by Bishops and others and begin to get the strength of law and naturally to make way for the rest and indeede to serve men for a religion if God prevent it not 2. Cor. 11.3 So soone doth the Serpent through his subtiltie beguile men and corrupt theire mindes from the simplicitie that is in Christ for as wee shewed they doe not tend to edification as is pretended but to destruction seeing Bishops by them doe rule men with force and crueltie Ezech. 34.4 The word of God such observations as rightly arise from it doe truly edifie so doe the Sacraments to men that know the truth the inventions and ordinances of men haveing but a shew of godlinesse and Wisdom are but beggarly rudiments yea turne from the Truth Col. 1.23 Gal. 4.8 Tit. 1.14 And yet so things goe as if the authority of the Prelates which puts all men to silence or makes them flatter might give them the strength of Law and make men beleeve that Gods will is that they should be obeyed which is in effect to make them his vnwritten word For his will is his word But this is as the vnwritten
word the Papists talke of and ye see they doe but talke of it For they confesse theese things were introduced from ancient customes and creepingly by the silence of the people who were vrged to conformitie by the flattering and menacing clergie and loth to be counted Schismatikes Refractarie Puritans they gained the strength of Law some sooner some later but all in a like manner as beeing the inventions of ambition will worship superstition and tyranie to which God gaue them over because like the Angels they kept not theire first Estate Rom. 1.20 they did not like to retaine God in theire knowledge they did not abide in the truth nor in theese cases received the love thereof but as the flattering defenders of the English hierarchie and traditions they scorned and mocked all that opposed them and sought puritie in Religion as fooles Schismatikes and hypocrits that strained as they say at gnats and made schismes aboute trifles this mocking was that which gaue all manner of corruption strength and in crease as it doth in England Where he is reckoned a wise able divine that knows how to scoffe such men out Gal. 5.9 as Papists did A litle leauen leaveneth the whole lumpe They thus corrupted were given ouer to beleeue lies This aversion from the creators word was a conversion to the word of creatures to the decrees of men in Synods and councels Ier. 2 13. It was a forsaking of the Lord the fountaine of liveing waters and hewing them out broken cisterns that can hold no water And because they did not take the marke of God to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints and seeke to get the victorie over the Beast and his Image and marke as all Christians should God gaue them over to take the marke of the Beast to worship him and his Image and to drinke of the golden cup which the greate whore holdeth full of abhominations Reu. 17. and filthinesse of her fornication Such honour offices dominion power worship ceremonies and Religion as God never ordained But what cared they so they could but by theire flatterie and false glosses get the consent and helpe of Princes and make them beleeve this was to defend the Church which either as they did or omitted God would prosper or punish them For thus they made Emperours Kings take pleasure to assist them and so as the Prophet saith Hos 7.3 They make the King glad with theire wickednesse and the Princes with theire lies And so indeede did the false Prophets in Ieremies time and likewise in the time of Ahab and other Kings And therfore the Angel seeing the greate wickednesse of the whore of Babylon in theese things and the destruction that was ready to fall on her for them saith Reu. 18.2.3 Babylon the greate is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of deuls and the hold of euerie foule Spirit and a cage of everie vncleane and hatefull bird for all nations haue drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication viz. to which God in his wrath gaue her and them over And the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her enforcing her Lawes and errours on thâ—ire subjects and the Marchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies that is which she had neede of for the maintaining of the pompe of her Prelates ceremonies and Tempels The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearles ver 12 and fine linnen and purple and silke odours and frankencense c. Now observe this committing of fornication with her is of two sorts 1. When Kings and States give theire power and strength to the Beast and Church of Rome fighting his battailes and enforcing her Lawes customs and errours on theire people 2. When they commit some of the same evils or the like though not all as she doth Kings commit fornication with her who doe it in som things though not in all Yea though they doe them not in obedience to her or to please or serve her Henrie 8. denied the Popes supremacie yea was at difference with the Church of Rome in som things yet still committed fornication with her in other things by houlding and maintaining divers other of the Romish Lawes errours and customes Any man holdeth the Doctrine of Balaam that layeth a stumbling block before the people though it be not the verie same kinde of stumbling block which Balaam taught but som other To be guiltie of Ierobams sinne was not alwayes to set vp calves but he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam who by any other invention or presumption made Israel to sinne Som follow the way of Kaine Iude 11. some perish in the gainsaying of Corah and some are cast away by the deceitfulnes of Balams wages though not in the same particulars nor in the same manner but in a like So do some Kings commit fornication with Babylon who maintaine any of her presumptions or any like them The Greeke Churches from the yeare 607. that the Pope had obtained to be called vniversall Bishop haue seperated from the Church of Rome denying not onely the supremacie but euen worshipping of Images and som other Romish errours Yet in retaining the hierarchie of diocessan Provinciall and Patriarchall Bishops the masse divers other Romish customs errours and ceremonies both before the yeare 607. and since they haue committed fornication with her While in theese things theire feare toward God is also taught by the traditions and precepts of men they haue cause to feare Christ will not finde them to be of his Ierusalem but of Babylon the greate not of his true Church but of the Synagogue of Sathan For he reckoneth all to be of the one or the other The second councell of Nice taught and commaunded worshipping of Images And then the Greek Emperour with his mother Irene and many Greekes committed fornication in that particular with Babylon M. Moulin observeth how absurd and weake the reasons of thar councell were Buckler of the faith in preface Yet if Kings and councels once maintaine such errours how weake and foolish soever theire reasons be many are soone ready to follow and flatter theire pernicious wayes So likewise in matter of the Lords day or any other commaundement of God if they giue allowance to Prophane or breake it you doe in vaine tell theire flatterers of Gods Law they will stop your mouth or crie you downe with vrging the Lawes of men the Kings injunctions or the like shifts the common refuges of the most superstitious and Prophane men How absurdly doe such in theire much magnified common prayer say Lord haue mercie vpon us and encline our hearts to keepe this Law when they thus allow and defend the breach of it It is a verie poore honour to maintaine a power and Prerogative in such cases against the Lord and his ordinances and Servants Kings doe at last
take theese things into consideration when after the new Ierusalem is manifested they bring theire glorie and honour to it They then begin to see that the government is on Christs Shoulders that men ought to observe his ordinances onely in matters of Religion that for want of holding this firme many abhominations have entred into churches and nations That all these evils follow that errour that the church hath power to ordame change or abrogate ceremonies without any necessity like that where in some countries by reason of theire coldnes the body is not dipped in Baptisme but sprinkled For when Prelates have once got this conclusion to be received that wee are bound to the ceremonies and institutions of the church so that whosoever doth wittingly neglect them is guiltie of disobedience and breach of the first commaundement as it pleaseth them to infer they can not rest there but then they get more ground of vs and taking it for granted that themselves are the church they say wee are to ascent to the opinions of the church in controversies of faith and may not forsake theire definitions although they doe not agree to our owne particular opinions therein And that they will call our owne particular opinions which though it have the testimonie of Iesus agreeth not with theires men that by theire seeking after wealth honour and authority shew that they are of this world And when they have also got this tenet to be once received they can at the pleasure of any that may advance them introduce any errour of the Romish church or other wicked men and by they re power carrie it out against the most learned and zealous They will boldly affirme the office of diocessan Bishops to be of divine institution That the Sacraments confer grace ex opere operato so of other things wherein they will vnder one pretext or other forbid refutation of such errours knowing that if they can but get the countenance of Princes though never so ignorant in such things the most will out of feare or flatterie follow them and the rest will be forced to hold in their heads and so they easily get a dominion ouer mens faith such shamefull lukewarmenes errour and temporising doth the defense of the hierarchie and ceremonies bring forth and so greate a stumbling block are they to make men fall to other Romish corruptions and errours which indeede are the naturall fruits of that tree Councels and Kings doe not thinke of those things why tempt ye God to put a yoake vpon the neck of the Disciples Act. 15.10 Rom. 14.13 which neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare Iudge this rather that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way But as if theese precepts did not binde them they put heavie yoakes on the necks of Christians and manifest stumbling blocks in mens waies as Babylon hath donne and therefore no marvaile if the Angel say The Kings of earth have committed fornication with her Of whome therefore and theire flatterers God may demaund as somtime of the Iewes what iniquitie they or theire fathers had found in him what want of wisdom or perfection in his Testament and ordinances that they were gone from him after theire vanities and inventions It is true that when Kings are entertained into cities in triumph they are oft pleased with theire magnificent pageants and shewes because they are new inventions but God is not as man He hath in all things prescribed vs a forme of worship and service he hath given vs a tree of life that hath its propper leaves and therefore Kings and Magistrates should know that mens inventions how ancient soeever they be are dangerous that they are not Governours against or besides but vnder God in theire dominions to see his will performed and withall that they are so much the more justly called Gods and truly honourable as they rightly seeke to doe and have all things donne according to his revealed word When on the other side they enforce on theire people mens inventions and countenance defenses of them which are not of the truth for nō lie is of the truth noe errour 1. Ioh. 2.21 Ioh. 8. and therefore not of God but of him that is the father of lies it is not God but Sathan that hath a throne in them they maintaining theese things in ignorance and obstinacie doe not make the Church in theire dominions a Ierusalem but a Babylon as * See the crowne of a Christian Martyr the Testimonie of Iesus in the Revelation doth abundantly manifest And seeing the Kings of the earth do in this commit fornication with her Such as are Iewes indeede Christians indeede will rather suffer any thing then be enforced to serve God after such inventions precepts of men Here is the patience of the Saints Rev. 14. here are they that keepe the commaundements of God and the faith of Jesus There are many in greate Britaine and other parts who haue left Babylon in many of her abhominations but not in all Some of theese are verie zealous against other errours of Babylon and yet either defend a hierarchie traditions and ceremonies which are Romish or else are cold against them because they are maintained by Kings and convocations of Prelates who by theire power keepe theese men from the knowledge of Gods will in theese cases who otherwise were like enough to follow it if they might be suffred to see the proofes thereof Because theese men are not wholy out of Babylon therefore that voice of God is surely addressed to such come out of her my people Chap. 18. that ye pertake not of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues Which certainly is not onely spoken to such favourers of the Protestant Religion as live in Italie and other Popish Kingdoms but to those also who haue left Babylon in many things but not in all and so seeme to haue one foote out of her and another in her The voyce crieth to theese because the Lord knoweth that vnlesse they can say to God in sincerity of soule Psal 119. with my whole heart haue J sought thee o let me not wander from thy commaundements I hate vaine inventions but thy Law doe I loue they are not Iewes indeede they neither haue right to the tree of life nor can enter in through the Gates into the new Ierusalem but doe indeede remaine without with dogges sorcerers c. Rev. 22.14.15 And if they had no care of theire Soules yet in regard of those plagues of Babylon whereof they may pertake in this world they haue cause to leave her follies and come out of her For her sinnes haue reached vnto heaven Rev. 18. and God hath remembred her wickednesse Certainly in theese late wars of Germanie and other parts he hath begun to avenge it and to shew that the sixt vial beeing powred out such are the effects of it Greate rewards doth God