A BRIEF DISCOVERY OF THAT Which is called the Popish RELIGION WITH A word to the Inquisition discovering their seat of Injustice and Cruelty And also a word to them who are in Bondage under this deceit that upholdeth the Beasts Worship And a word to the Pope who calls himself a Bishop and is not his throne of deceit is discovered by the Spirit of the Eternall God Given forth by me who am called of the World A. GARGILL LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black spread Eagle neer the West end of Pauls 1656. A brief discovery of that which is called the Popish Religion with a word to the Inquisition discovering their seat of Injustice and Cruelty and also a word to them who are in Bondage under this deceipt that upholdeth the Beasts worship FRIENDS MInde the light of Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made who will lead you to righteousness and holiness in him there is no strife nor no debate you are guided by the Prince of the Air who leadeth to iniquity and all manner of abhomination against the Lord and his anointed your imitation and false worship lyes in the fall of Adam your guide is the Serpent full of subtilty and invention and pride covetousness and all manner of evill is exalted in you your fruits are the deeds or darkness out of the right of Jesus bring your deeds to the light let that judge your ways and practises whether they are wrought in God yea or nay God is the guide of all them that fear him he leads unto righteousness but your wayes are deceit and abhomination they are wrought by Magick art the Magicians of Egypt imitated Moses who had the power of God by the Devill were theâ— guided to work by subtilty for their glory but that glory had an end and so will yours in time the Lords hand is against your deceit your abhominable pride and wickedness which standeth in your deceit you are deceivers of souls for your own advantage you seek the fleece and starve the flock by this your magick authority and conjuration which you have gathered in by the Prince of the air the Devill is your God whom you serve he was a deceiver from the beginning by him you are led to deceive the people of their eternall happiness to be led by your conjuration and your Necromancy The Prince of the air leadeth you to airy imaginations without substance Christ is the substance and him you know not to be your guide you are guided by another the Harlot is your guide the well favoured Harlot decking her self making of Images and painting of likenesses of things without substance the substance of all you know not the light of Jesus is a stranger to your wicked minds who are bent against God and his wayes you despise and cast them behind your backs you are the painted whore in this your practise The Devil is your Head and Christ the Head you know not the Lamb of Innocency you never knew to be the light of the world who leads to plainness and honesty your comfort is in this life you know no other but that which leads to pride and all manner of abhomination covetousness is your root it is the root of evill by which the Canker enters it hath corrupted your hearts and minds and made you subject to the Devil who is a Master and Lord over you you are his servants whom ye obey your Idoll Gods in them you live and have your being your being is in this life you know no other nor no better Pride is exalted in you you know not him that leads out of the world nor out of the things of the world for your being is in them your being is in the dust among the Serpents and beasts and ravenous Wolves and with them you do feed in the wilderness of destruction destruction is your end if you do not repent and serve the living God who leadeth out of all babels and trifels pleasing the mind with the fruitless works of darkness your pictures and Images and your praying to Saints and worshipping your dumb Gods which cannot answer the true God you do not know that leadeth out of the world he is unchangeable your God changeth but our God lives for ever whom we serve he dyeth not the God of Heaven is our Lord and Lawgiver and our Head and no other do vve ovvn but Christ Jesus the Son of God he leadeth out of all things that are visible he is invisible to the carnall eye no man can see his face and live it is death to the carnall to knovv God is life eternall all carnall things must dye and have an end your Pope is carnall and vvicked and abhominable before the Lord and an exalted bubble is he vvhom you call your Head of that vvhich you call your Church it is but bables and an invention of the Devill and by him are you guided to exalt one another and to make you a God like your selves Christs-Vicar you do call him where have you learnt that word or from whence did it come can ye tell it is deceit that is your guide you plead antiquity but the antient of daies shall judge you all and all your gathering without God subtilty and deceit hath upheld your vain titles of Monks Fryers and other Orders gathered in by your imaginations who led you to these things did the Spirit of God yea or no or by tradition of them whom you call your antient Fathers Fathers they were of iniquity Authors of evill like your selves by the Devill are you guided to follow tradition knowing not the Spirit which leads to life all your practise is in death it doth not renew your minds nor change the heart to become holy for you are desperately wicked and murderers and thieves and Idolaters you have stoln your Religion as you call it out of the pit it came and into the pit it shall return any one that comes in any other way but by Christ Jesus are thieves and Robbers Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge your Harlotting is known to the Lord who is the Judge of all Judges your deceit gathered in by the Counsell of the wicked one who is your foundation by him you are guided to practise that which neither Apostles nor Prophets did and yet you say your Pope is Peters successor where do you read in the Scripture that Peter sate in a Chair with a triple Crown upon his Head did not the Apostles freely Preach the word of the Lord without money or any advantage to themselves the glory of the world by them was denyed they feared not their lives to the death they gave all their substance to the poor now learn to know the power the poor in Spirit shall see God and live for ever but you are exalted above the light that which discovers sin the light of Jesus who enlightens all men into the world it shews your evill deeds of darkness acted out
cannot give the worlds treasure is but vanity and a lye by a lye are the Kingdoms of the earth upheld in their vain concupiscence long yea long hath the heritage of the Lord laid waste I pitty your souls that lye in darkness you see not the light which doth not change all is changeable under the Sun the Son of righteousness never changes your light changes and burns out your Lamps and Candles in your Synagogues of Satan and you â—ight them again to beautifie and adorn the place of your lust where your life stands what glory is this to the Lord and what doth it advantage you to do these things God never required when did God require any of these things at your hands as for going into Cloysters or Monasteries do you hear any such names in Scripture for Saints to lodge in their habitation was in the Lord and not in earthly Houses their habitaiton is a House without hands a building of God and God is the Author of that practise which the Saints follow no other Author have we but the Lord he is our Lord and Law giver you have Lords many and Laws many and as you make them you break them your selves you say you should not murder nor steal nor commit adultery and you your selves are adulterated from God you have committed fornication with the Scarlet coloured Whore and drunken the Cup of her Abhomination is not this murthering of the just one which is a friend to all and would not the death of any You have no pitty to your own souls you lye in your Blood and do not see the God of the world hath blinded the eye the Eternall eye of God disâ—overs all your abhominations which are gathered in by your subtill minds and inventions imitating and practizing by tradition thus hath one generation deceived another Many Authors have you for your traditions all from one Root and the Root is evill As for Augustins Jesuits and Caputians when did the Lord by his Spirit guide you to these names there is but one name to be saved by and that name leadeth out of all names the Lord giveth a new name and a white stone to his people and none knows it but they that have it you change your names from one name to another but where is the life that leadeth to salvation that you know not you cannot witness a change by the power of God from your evill wayes and what doth it advantage for you to change your names How vain is this how naked is your conditions before the Lord you cannot be hidden any longer Light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evill now will the Lord appear in the children of light to discover all your abhominations and your deeds to be evill Evill minded men you are who deny the Lord to be the Author and finisher of your faith he that hath faith as a grain of mustard seed removeth mountains mountains of sin I mean which hath been exalted above the Lord and his anointed you annoint your Priests with Oyl to imitate Aaron where is the fruits of this anointing the anointed of the Lord is pure purity and peace becometh his House for ever where is this House witnessed by you Are not your minds corrupted with dumb Idols And self-inventions and your Gods is like unto your dead and dumb Idols is your hearts addicted too you mind not the living God that quickneth and raiseth from death to life from the power of Satan to serve the living God your prayers and inventions is all in the fall it is Cains sacrifice all your worship is abhomination unto the Lord you act it in the old nature which is enmity against God out of the light of Jesus do you busie your minds praying to Mary and making of Images and likenesses you are not you worship the works of your hands by vain tradition have you been led from one generation to another have you lived in Idleness and sloath not knowing the Cross of Christ that Crucifies sin your Crosses of wood and stone cannot save you nor redeem you from your vain conversation you bow to your Cross and rise again as wicked and carnall as ever the Cross of Jesus is not so it teaches to deny self selfly minded men cannot please God neither can they in all their imitation performe the minde of God in that which standeth in the old nature all must be destroyed all your inventions come down to the light of Jesus which shines in a dark place dark is the heart of man a light hath God placed therein bring your deeds to it there your fruits may be made manifest whether they are wrought in God yea or nay did God ever require or when did you hear his voice that you say you are guided by his Spirit and you say the true Church cannot erre This is true the Church of Christ cannot erre who are guided by his eternall Spirit his Spirit you never knew to guide your minds and to lead you to these practices as worshipping Images you deny the resurrection of Jesus you serve your lusts and your Popes Invention by his Articles you are guided to deprive Kings of their authority and sit in the seat of Justice as you call it If you were spirituall there things need not concern you you are usurpers in all your practices you say that which you call your Church is above the Law it is above the Law indeed you neither fear God nor man you are Lawless livers to make your Churches as you call them a preservation for murdâ—rers he that sheds mans Blood by man shall his Blood be shed All manner of evill do you uphold for money murderers and adulterers and say you can for give them did you ever read in the Scriptures that ever pardons were sold for money where is your example for these things why do you hide the Scripture from the people or by what authoritie were they not given forth by the Spirit of God for generations to come God excludes none all that will come may and drink of the water of life freely free is that Spirit that leads to righteousness it straitens none that will believe and turn to the Lord. Come all ye that are heavy laden saith the Lord and I will give you ease he burdneth none his yoke is easie and his burden light unto all them that desire to live with him he is a cherisher of the innocent and a destroyer of deceit deceit hath gathered into your hearts swift destruction to your souls if you repent not repent and turn to the Lord that your evill deeds may be forgiven come near unto the Lord by the light of Jesus which shines in darkness the heart of man is dark it comprehendeth not the light but the light of Jesus comprehends you all and discovers your deeds to be evill and all your practices abhomination to the Lord repent and turn in
of God to guide their minds and that wisdom leadeth to an heavenly kingdom where there is no end an end shall be put unto all under the Sun when the Son of righteousness doth arise with healing under his wings then shall all flesh be saved he saveth his people from their sin they who minde this innocent guide which shews them sin it will lead them to another kingdom out of subtlety and deceit by subtlety was Eve beguiled The Serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field promised knowledge of good and evill ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evill was not his a lye to deprive man of his eternall happiness leading out of pure obedience promising that which could not be he that doth evill knows not good and he that doth good knows not evill Gods ways is a stranger to mans ways and mans ways is a stranger to the Lord in that nature which stands in disobedience through Adams fall Adam disobeyed God in eating the forbidden fruit and in that nature hath the Generations of the earth been lead in disobedience continually do men act by tradition one of another and the righteous Law of God is forgotten The unrighteous pâ—ant the seed of the evill hath flourished long upon the earth long hath the Lord suffered under your abhominations now will the Lord call you to an account you must give an account to the Lord for all your evill deeds done in the flesh without the Spirit of God you have acted and worshipt you know not what what hath your worships been hath it brought you to an holy life yea or nay God is holy and his worship is holy and out of God is nothing accepted he that dwells in God dwells in love and love is the fulfilling of the Law This Commandement I leave among you saith Christ Jesus that ye love one another where is all your love do ye not murther one another and Cozen one another and cheat one another doth not the Pope your Author do these things he which you call your grand Bishop and your holy Father you call him Christs Vicar you say he is but you are lyers and the true riches not in you you are strangers to the Lord and the Pope whom you call your head he is your head you know no other a wicked man he is like your selves and a blasphemer and a lyer and usurper The hand of the Lord is against that seat of pride that is upholden by him his glory shall be shaken and that root shall be removed and his end shall become desolate who is a deceiver a deceiver is he who seeks self his glory is advanced by the children of darkness Search and try these fruits by the light of Jesus whether or no they be wrought in God pride and covetousness selfly mindedness an advanced Bubble is he whom you you call your head Christ is the head of all them who trust in him he is a head and a well spring of life he is a living fountain to them that believe Belief maketh perfect through pure obedience is God known to them that put their trust in him and stay their minds upon the Lord of life he is life and light in him there is no darkness at all all are fallen from God who acts in the dark and without the light In the beginning was light and this light is the life of men he breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul and this soul was perfect untill the transgression this transgression leadeth man out of God for God is light and man is darkned by the Prince of darkness who leadeth out of God now consider who is your leader or by whom are your minds guided are you not busied in your minds about many things yea or nay while Adam lived in the state of innocencie he was perfect even as God had him made there is an estate of innocencie which leadeth unto life and this life is hid in God the world sees it not because of the enmity the Serpents seed it is the seed of sedition who hath betrayed man of his eternall happiness and his well being A being hath man in the fall through disobedience he lyeth in Blood even a murtherer from the beginning was Cain Cains nature dwelleth in the children of disobedience the nature of man is enmity against God God is a redeemer from that nature If man turn unto that which is pure the light of Jesus that discovers sin sin is an enemy to man in the beginning it was not so God made man upright man sought out many inventions By the Devill hath he been led to the destruction of his soul he is an enemy to all mankinde and a lyer from the beginning and by a lye hath his kingdom been upheld all your invention is of man a humane invention is your practise of that which you call your Religion he that seems to be Religious and bridles not his tongue he is a lyer and the truth abideth not in him your toâ—gues are at liberty who swear and lye and blaspheme the name of God blasphemy is your practice your Religion as you call it it is blasphemy against God and the Author is the Devill and by a lye you uphold your authority as to say your Pope is a Vicar what is a Vicar can you tell or by what authority doth he sit with a triple Crown upon his head and a Shepheards Crook in his hand who is his Author or where had he this example did not Christ and his Disciples wander up and down and had no certain abiding upon the earth they labourd and went up and down and preached the glad tydings of the Gospel to them that would repent and turn from their evill ways you live as Sodomites and your Shepheard like unto you your Pope it is I mean so called of you a name devised of the Devill an invention of Babylon was any such name given of old in the times of the Apostles or Prophets did any man that feared God receive authority to sell pardons for money Christ saith come all you that are heavy laden and I will give you â—ase he is a redeemer out of corruptible things he is a good Shepheard he giveth his life for his Sheep without money and without price may you come and drink of the water of life freely he forbiddeth none the fountain of living water is set open for the Lambs therein to feed but no Wolves no ravenous Beasts no Popish Prelats in that nature wherein they now stand The workers of iniquity are shut out of the Counsell of God their Counsell is abhomination who are devourers of the Creation the Creation is given to man to be used in the wisdome of God but men have abused and wronged that which was given and gathered to themselves swift destruction your example and your Author leads your minds against the truth he that exalteth himself shall be abased Is not this