Lords greater or lesser universal or particuiar cannot claim any right thereto over the Church of Christ from him or from Peter or from Paul being denyed by every one of them To whom then will they turn for their Foundation and Authority Let them look to it as they will answer it before the only Lord that bought us that we should be his Free-men and Servants to him and not the Slaves of Men in our Consciences as they are made in the Mystery of Iniquity Babylon the grear the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth Rev. 18.13 Let us view this Mystery a little further which is headed with such a Monster that is got up above all Kings Princes Emperors and see how it suits with that which was foretold of it by Paul that chosen Vessel of the Lord 2 Thes 2. He speaking there of the Day of Christ satisfies the Brethren that it was not at hand nor should come till there had been a falling away first and the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition be revealed And then gives them a little touch of him that he might be known when he appeared And thus he describes him ver 4. of that Chapter Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God This is the Apostles Description of him that was to arise in the falling away and was to be the Top-Stone in the Mystery of Iniquity Now let us make search and see where we can find one that answers this Description like as the Pope doth Who is there that sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God and exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped who is there that hath risen in the Apostacy and doth so besides the Pope I know that some honest people sensible of a Mystery of Iniquity working Inwardly in the Heart and not minding that which was to appear outwardly do apply all Inwardly that is spoken of it but I must desire them and others to consider 1. That the Mystery of Iniquity here spoken of by the Apostle was not yet risen in the Apostles Dayes when he spoke of it only he saw it working to get up But it was to be letted or hindred until he that did let was taken out of he Way or he was an Enemy also that should let it and therefore was to be taken out of the Way but the Inward Mystery of Iniquity in the Heart was alwayes the same 2. I would have them to consider that the man of Sin the Son of Perdition which the Apostle spoke of was not to be revealed till that which with-held the Mystery of Iniquity was taken out of the Way And so it had its appointed time of working of getting up of being revealed and of being headed by that man of Sin and also of being consumed and destroyed as is evident from this fore-named Chapter 2 Thes 2. I would not have any think that I speak against the searching out of that Inward Mystery of Iniquity lying and lurking in the Hearts of Men but it s my present Work to discover something of that false Mystery that hath risen up as a compacted Body pollitick or Citty and is headed by a particular person in Imitation of the Body of Christ and of Christ the one Head thereof but under that shape a Devourer and Destroyer and so hath his Name Apollyon Son of Perdition John calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 9.11 And Paul here calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both from one root which signifies destroying for he is a Destroyer and must go into Destruction or Perdition and so Judas was called by the same Name who betrayed the Innocent Blood he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of Perdition but this must be another and not Judas for Judas was gone to his place long before but this Son of Perdition was not yet risen and rightly may this Shedder of Innocent Blood have the same Name given him which was given to Judas who betrayed the Blood of the Innocent seeing they both agree in one Spirit of committing Murder there is only this difference that Judas had not a Mystery to act under but this hath a Mystery of Iniquity to act his part under which was not then risen in Judas's time and so that which then went for plain down-right Treason and Murder now goes for something more plausible that it may not be counted Murder but the just Judgment of God upon Hereticks or the just Censure of the Church against Hereticks And then the people taught this bloody Tenent That it is no Sin to kill a Heritick and so the great Murthers of the Papists come to be looked upon as good Service done to God O horrid Mystery to make so great a Crime which is no where tollerated or countenanced by Christ or any of his Apostles but utterly forbidden and the quite contrary taught by them I say to make this look as a piece of Service done for God! So here the shedding of Blood of Innocent persons hath got a Mask over it and is acted in a Mystery The greatest Crime how fair a pretence it hath got and so they that are involved in this Mystery they come to be drunken with the Blood of Saints and this stands as an inseparable Mark upon the Mystery of iniquity Revel 17.6 Blood of Saints Blood of Martyrs But how doth this their Tenent and Practice answer the Spirit of Christ Jesus our Lord and of the Holy Apostles While he was in the Body he went about doing good but did no harm to any nor would suffer it to be done to any And therefore he forbad James and John when they would have called for Fire down from Heaven upon those that did not receive him it is said he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what Spirit ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy Men's Lives but to save them Luke 9.55 56. But you see that the Mystery of Iniquity is come for another End even to destroy Men's Lives So when Pater drew his Sword and cut of the Ear of Malchus Servant to the high Priest Jesus would not suffer it to pass without healing it again and saith to Peter put up thy Sword again into his place for all that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword Mat. 26.52 And Christ told his Disciples that the time would come that Men should put them out of their Synagogues yea and kill them and think that in so doing they did God Service just as they do under the Mystery of Iniquity But mark from what ground These things will they do unto you saith he because they know not the Father nor me John 16.3 So that you may see that Ignorance which among the Papists is counted the Mother of Devotion is the ground
Sons of God and so walking with God in the Spirit they needed no such thing to keep them in mind of God nor did they use any such things But wherefore I say again do you set Images and Pictures before you when you pray to the Lord Is it to divert your minds that you should mind something else besides the Lord in your prayers lest you should serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your mind or you set such things as mediators between God and you If so then know that you have Chosen to your selves mediators which God hath not appoirted but you have set up the devices of your own hearts If it be only to put you in mind of the Lord then when you are put in mind of him and go to pray to him turn from them and put them out of your sight lest they divert your minds But wherefore must the Image of Mary the Mother of Jesus and the Image of Peter or any other holy servant of Christ be set before you when you pray Do you worship their Pictures Or do you pray to the Picture or to them If you worship their Pictures or pray to their Pictures you are Idolaters If you pray to them that are represented by the Pictures you make Gods of them and so still you are Idolaters And you give them that worship which is only due to God which Paul and Barnabas durst not take to themselves when the men of Licaonia would have done Sacrifice to them but rent their clothes and ran in among them to constrain them as soon as they perceived it If you say That was Sacrifice but this is prayer to them I Answer Is not prayer Sacrifice Is it not preferred before burnt Sacrifice Is it not above the burning of a Lamb or an Ox or above the burning of Incense Is not the thing it self more then the Type or Shaddow The Type sometimes is an abomination though of Gods own appointment as Sacrifices and burnt Offerings and burning of Incense was Isa 66.3 But the true Incense the prayers of Saints never is so Therefore prayer is greater then sacrifice which the Apostles abhorred to be done to them Nor would Petor suffer Cornelius to worship him but took him up saying stand up I my self also am a man Act. 10.25 26. Neither would the Angel of the Lord suffer John to worship him when he fell down before his feet to worship but saith to him See thou do it not for I am thy fellow Servant and of thy brethren the Prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this Book Worship God Rev. 22.9 You may hence learn if you be Ignorant of it That Angels and the Prophets and others that keep the sayings of this Book are all Fellow-Servants to God And because they are Fellow-Servants they ought not to worship one another the least Member is not to worship the greatest neither Saint nor Angel That 's the reason the Angel gives why he would not suffer John to fall down before his Feet to worship because he was but his fellow-Servant Do you think that Mary or Peter or John or any other holy Servants of the Lord would not say the like if they were present and see you falling down to worship before their Feet and to pray to them would they take the Honour of God to themselves any more then the Angel did No surely they would not stand between God and his Honour any more then the Angel did Your falling down to worship them shews that you are ignorant of that pure and holy Spirit that dwelt and dwelleth in the Saints which makes them Jealous of such actions lest God thereby should be robbed of his Glory There 's no right Spirit will desire it or delight in it but be afraid of it It s the spirit of the Devil that delights to be worshipped who would have had Christ to fall down and worship him and now would have Men to fall down and worship any thing but God and it s that spirit which Men gratify when they worship any other but the Lord. Therefore turn from this Idolatry and worship the only Lord God who made you the Heavens and the Earth and all the Host of them even all the Angels and Holy Men that are in Glory who themselves fall down and worship him and dare not take to themselves that which belongs to God Will you make Gods of Men and imagine them to be present as God is over the Face of the Earth It may be ten thousand Persons or more in several parts of the Earth as far distant some of them as the East is from the West may be all praying at once to the Virgin Mary or to Peter or some other do you think them to be present in all Places to hear their Prayers as God himself is present If you do so think of them then how differ they from God in his Omni-presence and Omni-science If you say No they are not present every where as God is then if they could hear Prayer yet how many of these must pray in vain to those who cannot hear them I thus follow you to convince you of your Error if it may be Away away with your abominable Idolatry in making God's of Men and praying unto them as if they were every where and let your Hearts turn to the Lord who hath created you and in whom you live and move and have your being who upholds all things by the Word of this Power and who is present in all your Hearts and Reins and sees the Intents and Purposes of your Hearts Who though he made all things and the Heaven be his Throne and the Earth his Foot-stool yet humbleth he himself to draw near unto his Creature and to this Man will I look saith he that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at my Word Isa 66.1 2. Therefore none need to be discouraged and pretend to make Mediators of the Saints as if they themselves were unworthy for the poorer in Spirit that any one is the nearer doth the Lord draw to that man And he hath appointed no Mediator between himself and us but one even the Man Christ Jesus for so the Apostle Paul hath plainly expressed it 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God saith he and one Mediator between God Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Therefore they they set up to themselves other Mediators they are gone from the one Mediator which God hath appointed and follow devices of their own Hearts and the vain Traditions of men which will not profit them Lastly you give us all ground to think that you are guilty to your selves or at least wise your Predecessors were guilty to themselves of breaking the second Commandment by your Images and Pictures or else what need they have put it out of your Bibles or out of the number of the ten Commandments But it look't them so full in the Face that they were not able to behold it and therefore expunged it out of your Bibles It may be some may read it here who never read it in their Bibles therefore I will set it down here for them to read Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image or the Likeness of any thing which is in the Heavens above or in the Earth beneath or that is in the Water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Jealous God visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shewing Mercy unto thousnds of them that love me and keep my Commandments This is that second Commandment which your Books want because your Practice will not bear it it s written Exod. 20.4 5 6. If any be so bold as to say there is no such Commandment let them consult with the Jews and ask them whether their Bibles have it in or no for they can give you certain Information in that point and from them we have all received the old Testament Thus I have in Faithfulness laid before you what was represented to me from the Lord concerning your Condition And God is my Witness before whom I stand that I have not writ these things in Malice or Wrath against you or any Person among you but in Faithfulness to your Souls to let you see where you are And if any of you continuing in your bloody Principles and bloody spirit for you are noted for a bloody People shall seek my Life for my Love to you in dealing plainly with you in leting you know the Truth and so add that also to your Blood-guiltiness I value it not upon this Account in Testimony of the Truth delivered to you and of service to your Souls therein And therefore I subscribe my Name who am a Lover of Truth and Righteousness Meekness Humility Love and Faithfulness in whomsoever I find them and of all whose Hearts are towards the Lord in Sincerity Written in the Year 1673. and in the 7th Moneth By William Tomlinson THE END
the Church thereby But Christ Jesus the Lord and our alone Saviour saith No let them alone untill the Harvest Now chuse which Master you will cleave to for you cannot serve both in their contrary Precepts If Christ Jesus be your Saviour then follow him but if the Pope and his Companions be your Saviours then follow them and continue in your bloody Principles and Practices and bloody Spirits and see if they can save you who cannot save themselves nor give account unto God for what they do seeing they go contrary to his Commands See if they can make your Prayers accepted who are Men of Blood themselves and whose own Prayers are therefore an abhorring to the Lord. Your Church is a Church of Blood and therefore all your Prayers are an Abomination to the Lord. Repent therefore in the first place of your Blood-guiltiness whosoever of you hath but consented in your Hearts to that Act of killing for Religion and cleanse your Spirits from that Scarlet Dye whosoever you be and come before the Lord with Love in your Hearts for your Enemies and then your Prayers may find Access to the Throne of Grace But if you come otherwise with a Principle of killing and destroying in your Hearts you do but pray for your own Destruction when you say Forgive us as we forgive Nor will your Crucifixes or Crossings of your selves prevail any thing with the Lord being but empty shaddows of things whereby you evade the true Cross of Christ and cast it off your Necks It s true Constantine the great so called he as it s recorded of him used the Sign of the Cross in his Ensigns in Battel and that properly to hold out against the Persecutors of Christianity that he openly owned and embraced that Christ who was crucified upon the Cross whom the Enemies therefore vilified because of that manner of Death and crucified some of his Followers after the same manner in contempt of him But he was to honour him under the same Sign which they despised him for We may believe that that thing was prompted to him from the Lord But its good to consider his condition at that time and how suitable it was to his Condition and the times It s true there was that in his Heart that favoured and cherished the Christians and which abhorred the Persecutions of the other Emperors for then was the Roman Empire divided among four of which Constantine was one And especially his Heart rose against the detestable Wickedness of one of the Emperors called Maxentius who ravished the Citizens Wives and put many to Death unjustly And so Constantine thinking how to remove that Tyrant cast in his Mind what God he should chuse to himself to call upon as a Helper in that Work in going against that Tyrant And in this his Deliberation and Care to effect this Work it s said That abright Pillar shining in Heaven was represented to him in form of a Cross with this Inscription In hoc vince that is In this overcome You may observe that he was wavering in his mind what God to turn to for a Helper being yet ignorant of the true Helper and therefore the Lord answered the Simplicity of his Heart by a Sign shewing him to whom to turn and also gave him that despised Name of Christ crucified to war under and by the outward Sign of the Cross to hold forth in the World the Crucified Christ being at that day so despised And so being obedient to the Lord in holding forth that Name and owning him openly by that Sign the Lord made him victorious and great But now ever after to make an Idol of the Cross as if the Cross had done all for Constantine this is just like the doings of the Israelites for whom the Lord commanded Moses to set up a fore-running Sign of Christ crucified even the Serpent in the Wilderness by looking up to which they should be healed who were stung with fiery Serpents for after the use of that brazen Serpent and service of it was ended they went a whoring after it admiring it and idolizing it as if it had healed by its own Vertue And just so do you after the Sign of the Cross when the service of it is finished And therefore as Hezekiah took the brazen Serpent and stampt it to Powder so ought the outward sign of the Cross which you so Idolize be dealt with The Cross of Christ which you ought to take up dayly and bear about you is the Crossing of your own corrupt Wills and Affections and fleshly and carnal Liberties and Looseness of the Tongue to utter Vanity You ought to cross your Wills in laying down your Necks to the Yoak of Christ in bearing the Reproaches of loose and ungodly Walkers who scoff at a Holy and Innocent Conversation and also in bearing the Opposition and Contradiction of such as may traduce you for withdrawing from those who worship God after the Traditions of men and have a Form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof In these and such like things as these doth the Cross of Christ lie not in a Childish Picture of the Cross or antick signing of your selves as if the Power lay in that Therefore become Men in Understanding and offer unto God a rational sacrifice laying aside Childish things I have something still before me to offer unto you for your good for my soul intirely desires your deliverance from under your bondage that you are in to the man of sin Your Images and Pictures wherefore doe you use them in your approaches to the All-seeing God who is present in all places and searches all hearts and knows the thoughts of the heart Wherefore I say doe you use them If you worship them then are you Idolaters If you say nay we worship them not but only use them as representations to put us in mind of God and of Christ Jesus our Saviour then be ye witnesses against your selves That Christ Jesus dwells not in your hearts to imprint the living remembrance of himself in you Are you members of the Catholick Church which is so surely built upon the Truth that all deserve to be burnt as Hereticks that submit not to your Traditions And are you so forgetfull of the Lord that you need Images to mind you of him Be witnesses I say against your selves that God dwells not in you nor you in him and that you have lost the Union which the Saints once had and yet have with God who therefore stand in no need of such things to put them in mind of the Lord for his loving presence in them keeps their minds and hearts with the Lord. Therefore you are become strangers to God and to the holy Anointing which keeps abiding in him And herein you are degenerated from the first state of Believers and of the Primitive Church at Rome who were led of the Spirit and had the witness of the Spirit witnessing with their Spirits that they were the
the Souls of Thousands and Thousands to their Perdition in making them believe and depend upon his Pardon and to purchase it with Money If he hath such a Thought then he is where Simon Magus was in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity And in the Authority of the Truth I declare him to be so and that his Heart is not right with God and that he hath neither Part nor Lot in this matter of giving the Gift of God which cannot be purchased with Money And whereas he boasts of Peter as being his Successor by Peter's Words is he cut off from Peter and grafted into Simon Magus and so is Successor in his Spirit to Simon Magus and what help can you expect from such a one You that are learned among the Papists for shame a wake out of your Sluggishness and inform your People better and let them understand the Danger they are in who thus hazard their Souls upon a Man that is one with Simon Magus in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity Let it be granted you that Peter was at Rome and that he and Paul abode there and instructed the Church there What will this avail as to Succession of Peter It is not succeeding in Place or in any outward Concern that makes a Man a true Successor of those Holy Servants of the Lord but only a continuing in the same Spirit and Doctrine Now the Pope continues in neither he is of another Spirit contrary to Peter's Nor doth he abide in Peter's Doctrine as will be manifest from Peter's Words That he is of another Spirit is plain by what hath been already said Peter judged him that thought the Gift of God might be purchased with Money he judged him by that very Thought to he in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity But the Pope being blinded and not savouring aright the Things of God he doth not judge so of them that have the same thought now If he did he must needs judge himself to be such a one and all the Popes that ever have been who have set to Sale their Pardons and Indulgencies for the Buying and the Selling of the Gifts of God for Money arise both from one Thought to wit That the Gift of God may be purchased for Money and so both are in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity The refore be not deluded in thinking him to be Peter's Successor because he may be in the same City where Peter once was and there usurp Authority over the Consciences of People which was never given of God For he is a Stranger to Peter's Spirit yea and is grosly ignorant of or rebelliously disobedient to Peter's Doctrine as I shall further demonstate from Peter's own Words 1 Pet. 5. Peter writing to the Churches exhorts the Elders of them after this manner The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed now mark his Exhortation Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the Over-sight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock and when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away From this Doctrine of Peter the Pope differs in many things 1. He doth not make it his Business to feed the Flock of Christ as Peter did and as he exhorted other Elders to do to whom he commends the Episcopacy or Care to watch over their Souls And there was never any appointed Bishops among all the Churches by any of the Apostles but in Order to that Work of feeding the Flock But the Pope hath found out a new Work even to rule Nations with the Carnal Sword as the Princes of the Nations do which was in plain Words forbidden by Christ Mat. 20.25 26. Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion ever them and they that are Great exercise Authority upon them but is shall not be so among you What can be spoken plainer Therefore Peter here exhorts the Elders doth not thunder them with a Domineering Bull as the Popes do but exhorts them to their Duty And Paul he saith plainly The Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal 2 Cor. 10.4 Let the Pope shew where he hath his Fellow among all the Churches of Christ in the Apostles Dayes or for many Generation after where any were chosen Bishops but to feed the Flock he is grown as far different from the Apostles yea from the many succeeding Bishops of Rome after the Apostles Dayes as a Leopard or Wolf is from a Lamb as may easily be made manifest 2. He differs from Peter's Doctrine in desire of filthy Lucre Not for filthy Lucre saith the Apostle But the Pope out of his desire of filthy Lucre sets at sale what he accounts the Gift of God as is shewed already unless he will blasphemously say that the Pardon of Sin is not the Gift of God but his own exclusively And I cannot think that the Pope is so palpable a blaspheming Miscreant as to say so though he blasphemes in other things which he perhaps is not aware of and which may in due Place be minded if God will But here I desire the Reader to note that what is here said of the Pope is applyed not to any one particular Man of them only but to that State of the Popedom which makes them all guilty of these things that come into it 3. The Pope hath turned his Back of these Words of Peter Not as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock That he Lords it over God's Heritage is so manifest in the World that I think few will deny it it being so apparent that he Lords it both over the Bodies Souls Consciences and Estates of People I think Kings and Potentates may bear Testimony of this as well as others seeing they have felt his Power in dis-throning some and enthroning others and waiting attendance at his Gates till he was pleased to look upon them Oh Lucifer whether art thou risen darest thou look Peter in the Face that Holy Humble Servant of the Lord whom thou boasts of as his Successor No that Pure Holy Humble Heavenly Presence of Peter if thou shouldst behold it would smite thee to the Dust thou art not able to behold his Words without Guilt upon thy Conscience much less his Presence How canst thou look these Words in the Face Neither as being Lords over God's Heritage If any shall say he is not a Lord over God's Heritage let him shew how many Degrees higher he can be then he is and how he can Lord it more then he doth over Men's Bodies and Consciences thundring out his Eulls against those that break from under his Yoke and flee from under his Bondage for the saving
of murderring the Innocent And such principles as this is part of that Smoak that hath risen out of the bottomless pit of Men's Imaginations and hath darkened the bright shining of the Gopel of Truth and kept Men in the destroying Nature ignorant of God and of Christ And he that opened this bottomless pit and let out such Smoak was a Star fallen from Heaven The Angels or Ministers of the Churches Christ called Stars Apoc. 1.20 Now this was a star fallen to whom the Key of the Bottomless pit was given who had power to open the pit This must needs be in the Churches of Christ for there were the Stars Now what is the Use or power of a Key but to let forth or shut in This Star had got that power that he could let forth smoke out of the bottomless pit He could establish Principles and Doctrines and Traditions of his own and so open the bottomless pit of Men's Inventions and Imaginations for there is no bottom to be found And so here rises a smoak out of this pit which darkens the Sun the pure Light received from Christ And so the bright Sunshine of Truth being darkened with smoaky Imaginations of Men's Hearts and Wisdom of the Flesh out comes the Locusts out of this smoak who have Power to kill and so comes in the murdering Spirit again which was once cast out by the Doctrine of Christ and of his Holy Apostles And the King over these murdering Locusts was he that was the Angel of the bottomless pit the Star that was fallen from Heaven Rev. 9.1 2 3 11. Thus you see whence was the reviving of the killing Spirit which had been prohibited by Christ It was from a fallen Star one that was fallen from the pure Doctrine of Christ and from an Innocent and Heavenly Life yet retained such Power from his place that he was in that he could make his own smoaky Imaginations take place and his fleshly Wisdom which works contrary to the Wisdom of God Thus this man of Sin being exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped you may understand what Power he hath and whereto it tends It works quite contrary to Christ Jesus and to the Holy Apostles though under pretence of honouring them he bears up himself in peoples Imaginations as Successor to them and the chief Father in the Church of Christ People open your Eyes and be not so befooled with that doating blockish principle that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion but search the Scriptures and try all things and hold fast that which is good as you are exhorted in the Scripture to do 1 Thes 5.21 And those at Berea that did so when Paul preached to them were commended for it and counted of a more Noble Spirit then others in that they would search and see with their own Eyes and not take things upon trust therefore many of them believed as you may read Act. 17.10 11 12. Is it likely that Ignorance should make men more devout to God Have not the most knowing Men in the World been alwayes the most devout to God Search the Scriptures from end to end and see Begin at Enoch who saw Dayes that are yet to come so far of was not be devout to God think you who had this Testimony that he walked with God Was not Abraham devout towards God who fore-saw the Day of Christ in his time and rejoyced Did Moses want Devotion Did his being brought up in all the Learning of Aegypt or his great Knowledge in all the Counsels of God make him less devout to God Was David less devout because he made the Testimonies of the Lord his Delight and his Meditation and doth not he pronounce him Blessed whose Delight is in the Law of the Lord Was Daniel less devout by understanding by Books the time of their Captivity O sottish principle contrary to all Experience have not the most devout Men mentioned in Scripture been Men of deep Understanding in the things of God for shame you Teachers among the Papists teach them better Doctrine and let it appear that you do so by their Liberty and Boldness to search into all Truth For we know you do but lye if you say you teach them otherwise whilst they live according to that principle and dare not search the Scriptures Do ye not remember that it was said of old Hos 4.6 My People are destroyed for lack of Knowledge What do you delight in the Destruction of people that you keep them lockt up by such a principle from searching the Scriptures It s a Doctrine to be abhorred by all Men as fit only for Hell and the Kingdom and Children of Darkness who hate the Light lest their Deeds should be discovered But it s not to be admitted among the Children of Light who are not of the Night but of the Day who love the Light and bring their Deeds to the Light that they may be made manifest that they are wrought in God If the Pope and his Subjects were Children of the Day they would not fear the Light but love it as all Children of the Light do But being in Darkness they love the Darkness and its fit Doctrine for his Kingdom to keep his Subjects and Slaves in Darkness lest they should discover his Abominations and so deliver their own Souls from under his Thraldom for Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion to him and to the dead Forms of Worship and vain Repetitions and Traditions which he keeps the People in Bondage to for his own Gain But let him or any of his shew from the Writings of the Holy Men of God where ever such Doctrine was taught among them It s he that hath the Key of the bottomless Pit that hath taken away the Key of Knowledge darkening the Sun and the Air with his smoak It s he that hath let out that Doctrine out of the bottomless Pit Deliver your selves you poor deluded People who are held Captive in his Chains of Ignorance under that serpentine Fallacy that it is the Mother of Devotion for its only so to him but not to God who will have the Knowledge of himself to be as the Waters that cover the sea as he hath promised and shall be fulfiled in due time And therefore Peter opens to you the Way to Knowledge but this false Successor shuts up the Way to Knowledge Add to Faith Vertue saith Peter and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-Kindness and to Brotherly-Kindness Love for if these things be in you and abound 2 Pet. 1. they make that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and in that Blindness would the Pope and his Agents keep you by Doctrines of Darkness lest you should see too far to be ruled by them If you did
but quit your selves of that one principle of Darkness and with single Hearts search into Truth as the Bereans did you would come to see many more things of your own selves to be faulty How easily might you see by the Scripture the horrid Blasphemy of that Man of Sin that such a one as Simon Magus who thinks that the Gift of God may be purchased with Money should claim so near Title to the unspotted pure and holy Lamb of God while he is in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity deluding your Souls with his pretended pardons for Sin to rob you of your Money But indeed he cannot sell you that nor give you that which he hath no Power in Many other things are corrupted among you if I may not say all and you are far from that pure State in which the Church of Christ was at the first at Rome But these things were first presented in the Light before me to mind you of that if it be the good Will of the Lord some of you may have your Eyes opened that you may see to whom you enslave your Souls and may flee out of Babylon lest you partake of her Sins and so pertake of her Plagues And if any of you shall be incensed against me for telling you the Truth I must bear it For I write not these things in Contempt of any or to vilifie any particular Person but in Faithfulness and Compassion to your Souls to lay before you the State wherein you stand enthrawled in your Spirits to a false Power no Successor of Peter but of Simon Magus a fallen Star the Angel of the bottomless Pit King of the Destroyers who hath his Name Abaddon and Apollyon who is exalted above all that 's called God or that is worshipped and so seeing where you are you that are simple-hearted and have any Honesty in your Hearts towards the Lord you may be awakened to look about you and to quit your selves like men and may seek after the Liberty of the Sons of God and to serve him as his Free men purchased by the Blood of Christ from the vain Traditions and Injunctions of men which the Lord hath not commanded Other things still open themselves before me which I would not hold back from you but as the Lord doth open the Error of them to me so to communicate the same to you Your Beads and set number of Prayers and Crucifixes and antick Crossings of your selves they are all Works of Darkness and of the Night and not of the Day and will not abidethe Light Think you that that God which searcheth the Heart and Reins and saith My Son give me thy Heart that he delights in Lip-Labour or in the Number of Prayers insomuch that you stand in need of a String full of Beads to count the number of your Prayers by This is just to do like the Heathen who think to be heard for their much babbling and vain Repetitions which Christ forbad to his Disciples Mat. 5.7 8. And which the Lord hated and cryed out against by his Prophets among the Jews Isa 1.15 When you spread forth your Hands I will hide mine Eyes from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not hear your hands are full of Blood And its in vain also for you so long as you retain your Bloody Tenents or Bloody Thoughts to expect to be heard of the Lord. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth for such the Father seeketh to worship him Joh. 4.23 24. And they that so worship him they have a better helper and remembrance then either Beads or Books We know not what to pray for as we ought saith the Apostle to the ancient Church of Rome to whom he writ Rom. 8.26 27. But where 's our Helper then Not from Books or Beads but the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities There was the Helper of the ancient Church of Rome and there 's our Helper one that knows the mind of our Spirit and makes Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered There 's the Helper of those that cannot tell how to utter a Word and their groanings are heard of the Lord who searcheth the Hearts And this Helper administers Words also according to the Condition of the Heart as there is need But when the Heart is far from him then to draw near him with the Lips this is but an Abomination before him and to offer up the Sacrifice of Fools and so your Beads are of no use but in the offering up the Sacrifice of Fools I wonder that you your selves do not consider the Childishness and Ridiculousness and Folly of them they are so Ridiculous Childish Bables that they are not worthy to be mentioned by Christians who should know a measure of the Spirit of Christ in them to teach them to pray know ye not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobate reprobate to every good Work But I shall come closer to your Prayers then your Beads Your Prayers themselves are all Abomination to the Lord with Beads or without Beads by the help of Books or without them Your private Devotions or Prayers and your publick Prayers all are Abomination to the Lord while your Hands are full of Blood and your Hearts and Thoughts full of Blood Your Principles are bloody your Practices are like them full of blood Market-places Stones in the Street will witness against you that you are a bloody People your Prisons your Inquisitions will witness against you and therefore your Prayers are an Abomination to the Lord. And it will not cure the Sore it will not hide your blood-guiltiness to say they are Hereticks they are Tares that we cut off such as infest the good Wheat they are Troublers of the Church and it s no Sin to kill a Heretick So indeed you are taught as by your Practices hath sufficiently appeared to the World But have you never read what Christ said to those his servants who enquired of him whether they should pluck up the Tares or no Math. 13.29 30. How he forbad them saying Nay Let both grow together until the Harvest and then he explains to his Disciples when the Harvest shall be and whose Work it shall be to separate the Tares from the Wheat The Parable begins ver 24. and ends with ver 30. And Christ's own Explanation of that Parable you may read from ver 36. to ver 43. where he saith plainly The Harvest is the End of the World and the Reapers who are to do that Work are the Angels And so he reserves that Work for them who shall be sufficiently able to distinguish Tares from Wheat Heroticks from true Christians And therefore till then they are to be let alone in the Field which is the World Now here are two contrary Lessons your Masters say you may kill Hereticks and so instigate you thereto and make you believe that you do good Service to God and