her sinnes and that yee receive not of her plagues And here I would know what it is that keepeth them here If they say the word and sacraments they are answered againe that they traffique in other merchandise of Antichrists meere invention besides these For they go unto Corahs owne Courts and are at Abaddons commaundement in the things which he himself hath invented as well as in those points wherin he turneth himself into an Angel of light and becommeth like the Minister of righteousnes And if it be for the Word and Sacraments onely that they remaine then I trust they wil hold it vnlawful for them selves or for any other to communicate in the merchandise which is meerly whoorish and Antichristian as resorting to the Prelates Courts to be censured by them comunicating with them c. It is the Priest onely or the Deacon that administreth the word and the Sacraments If they continue within these tents onely for the love that they have vnto these things then I trust they will have nothing to do with the Lord Archbishop the Lordbishop the Commissarie Chancellor Archdeacon Official c. and their traffique they bring with them Let them withdraw themselves from under their iurisdiction they shall see how long they can have quietnes within these tents But if they think as it is the practise of all that they may also be at the commaundement of these forenamed Corahs Dathans and Abirams then have they nothing to cover their wicked hypocrisie but they must be inforced to confesse that they are not perswaded in their consciences but that they may be members of those assemblies which conspire against Christ Jesus Whereas they durst not presume to continue within the tents of those that assembled themselves against Moses the servant And so they rest in undoubted expectation of a more fearefull judgement against them then fel vpon those that would not depart from the Tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram And what they speak of the word sacraments is before answered in as much as they of Corahs conspiracie might as well hav staied within their tents for these respects as they may within the assemblies of England And the point is not what they may have in these assemblies but whether they may stay there or not whatsoever is there to be found We say they ought not to stay They seeme not to deny it in that they bring no reason out of the word to prove the lawfulnes of their abode there but onely reasō frō that which they may have there Wheras first they should prove that they may stay in a cōspiring pestilēt assēbly before they tell vs what it is that they may have in the same They are simply instructed in the truth which is according to godlines that have not as yet learned that the whorish synagogues are decked with many of the Iewels that belong to the true spouse But touching the word and Sacraments which they seem to possesse there I say that within the tents of Corah though the Levites do teach the truth and administer circumcision yet is not this that truth or that circumcision which hath the promise annexed vnto them and therefore not that truth or those sacraments wherewith any of the children of God may participate as long as they are administred in that gainsaying Assemblie Let those truthes which they teach and those sacraments which they administer be brought out of these wicked tents and brought before the Lords Tabernacle as he commandeth and then are they to be received to be embraced and accounted more pretious then much fine gold and sweeter then the hony or the hony combe Otherwise the Saints of God are not to tast of them Not that they should reiect the truth at any tyme but that they may not be deceived by an abused truth and an abused ordinance to pollute the holy things of God and to violate the commaundements of Iesus Christ. The like is to be said of the truth taught and the Sacraments administred in the assemblies of this Land they are abused truthes abused Sacraments even such truthes and such Sacraments as wherby Satan would draw vs to be of the conspiracie which is raised vp mainteyned here against Iesus Christ They are such truthes and such Sacraments as are within the tents that is vnder the iurisdiction of the kingdome of Antichrist administred onely vnto such as will receive the marks and badge of that kingdome and vnto none other For he that will not confesse himself even by his deedes to be a member of that assemblie wherin an Archbishop is an Officer a Lord Bishop is an Officer a Chancellor is an officer an Archdeacon is an Officer a Cōmissary is an Officer a Preist is an Officer c. he cannot receive them And these abused truthes Sacraments are by the vnspeakable subtiltie of Sathan reteyned in these synagogues to the end that they may be made a bait to draw men a grin to ensnare them to be subiect vnto Antichrist in these his Ordinances before named And therfore whereas men and women do pretend that they have the word and Sacraments here it is but the net of delusion which they weave to catch their owne soules and to keep themselves subiect vnto Satan For it is not a bare truth and a bare Sacrament that we are to seek after but a truth and a sacrament that hath the warrant of the word with it But as the outward man liveth not by bread but by the word and promise of God that sanctifieth bread vnto his vse So doth not the inward man of the soule live onely by the truth made knowen or by the Sacraments administred but much more by the word and promise of GOD which make these effectuall when they are administred according to the ordinances of GOD. Theeves and robbers are fed we know to their sacietie with the bread of violence and robberie but they have no warrant of the word to eat any such bread So I know that the truth of God may be taught and the Sacraments administred I meane the sacraments which he appointed and none other among those which are fallen away from him which have conspired against him And the people of these assemblies may esteem of them think themselves highly favoured that they have them and yet in the mean time have they no warrant that any such truthes or Sacraments wil be sanctified vnto them and so no warrant to receive them And therfore when we speak of the word and sacraments we must first of all lay downe the promises of God and the commandement of God wherby we may assure our owne soules that this word and these sacraments are sanctified vnto vs. Be it then that the word and sacraments may be had in the assemblies of this land yet is not that the point that we call in question but whether this word and these sacraments may be had here according to the ordinances of God
set free from all spirituall bondage whatsoever Satan could not reigne in this land by these his forenamed ordinances if he brought not truth with him it is no marveil that he bringeth trueth unto us rather then lose his kingdome He can transforme himselfe we knovve into an Angell of light but vve must not receiv him or his merchādise vvhat glasse soever he casteth over them or in vvhat vveed soever he cloth himselfe And therefore let it not be thought vvonderful that vve reject that preaching those Sacraments and those Ministers that by their preaching ministerie and sacraments vvould dravve our consciences to be subject unto the povver of Satan Nay rather vve may vvonder vvith astonishment hovv they dare presume to minister before Iesus Christ in the garments vveeds and offices of the Locustes of the bottomles pit hovv they dare presse to offer before the God of Israel being strangers from the Tabernacle by vertue of their office It vvas a positive lavv under Moses that the stranger not being of the line of Aaron yea or not called to the holie office that vvould intermedle vvith the office of the Preist should dy the death for it Much more if he vvere an Eckronitish or an Ashdodean Preist in his office And is not this man vvorthie of more honour then Moses his ordināces to be yet more reverenced then Moses his vvere Oh then vvhat a fearful presumption is it for the Preachers of this land I speak nothing all this vvhile of the Idol-readers the Prelates the Cōmissaries the Chancellors the Deanes the Archdeacons c to take his vvord in their mouthes his Sacramentes in their hands to minister in his sight being not Ashdodeans or Eckronitish but Antichristian Preists which is more horrible by vertue of their office calling The sensible presidents of Gods fearefull iudgements upon Corah and the two hundred fiftie Captaynes of the Congregation being men that held and taught such of them as were teachers as many points of truth as our preachers can hold or teach time time being counted together The fretting consuming leprosie of K. Vzziah are written for their instruction ours that they should not presume to intermedle with the holy things of God especially by vertue of a false Antichristiā office If it be here said that we have nothing to do what office they have so they preach the truth I answer that this is it which Satan would have to wit that his ordinances his power his Ministerie should be received of vs without any scruple or doubt what we do therby Graunt him this once and he wil soon overthrow all religion I have shewed before that a good conscience will beginne with a lawfull calling and office especially in this holy work and therfore if men have not forgotten to be ashamed let them not use this gracelesse uncolourable shift any longer to iustifie their uneven walking For if their outvvard office and calling wil not abide the fire of the word they are but wolves and vsurpers whosoever they be And if they be ashamed or think themselves too good to derive their office authoritie and power from Iesus Christ the Church of Christ and every member therof ought to be ashamed and afraid to receive them Nay the Church cannot receive them without high treason against the head thereof Christ Iesus vnto whose power alone we must submit our selves for we have none other head but him and therfore wil acknowledge no other power but his to have authoritie to work vpon our consciences They know what penaltie was to be executed vpon him under Moses that spake in the name of other Gods unto that people how dare they then go about to thrust us away frō the Lord our God who hath redeemed us from the power of the grave and to bring us into subjection unto the ordinances of that godlesse Mauzzim Do they not know that that Christ is not a true Christ but an Antichrist whatsoever truth he teacheth whatsoever miracles he worketh which cannot prove his outward office and calling unto us out of the written word of God What Ministers then can they be but Antichristiā whose office calling cannot derive the genealogie therof out of the same booke of the written undoubted veritie Christ Iesus telleth us that the Scriptures are they which testifie of him that his power even to preach and not his preaching onelie is in the verie conscience of his adversaries from heaven and not from men Hee tooke not the honour of his office unto him selfe but he that said unto him this day have I begotten thee gave it him as the Apostle teacheth Iohn Baptist confirmeth his office out of the written word namely that he was that voice of him that crieth in the wildernes whereof the Prophet Isay had foretold the Church The holy Apostles confirme their office out of the written word For they wil not onelie prove that they preach nothing but the truth administer no sacramentes save the true sacramentes onely but also wil shewe that they derive the power authority to do this from him who hath all power in his hand that is from Iesus who did not onely instruct them what trueth the Church was to receive but also gave them a Cōmission to do the same from his owne mouth in saieng Go yee therefore c. Nay they durst not presume to choose any to supplie the roome of Iudas among them except they had bene able to bring the warrant of the written word for their ground that an office was void in the house of God and that another was to supplie that roome Paul the Apostle is able to proue his office unto us out of many places of the written word The Spirit of God testifieth that he is an Apostle of Iesus Christ not at his own hand but by the wil of God What wil the Preachers of our time then say for them selves why they should not do the like Many of them go about to deceive them selves the simple people by the place of Paul Yee are the seale of mine Apostleship We have called many say they But by vertue of what office say wee If they allege we have nothing to do to examine that truth nay cōmon sense wil answere them that then they are wicked intruders that they are Lawlesse theeves that they are false Prophets nay that they are Anabaptists and that we may know them by this bitter presumptuous fruite which cōmeth out of their mouthes For wil they presume to take the word of Iesus Christ in their mouths to intermedle with his Sacramentes to rule in his house and wil they not shewe us how they come in by what office they doe these things wil they under pretense of an inward power bragge of an outward office nay exempt themselves from the charge of of an office in the house of God under the vaile of their outward giftes and so breake into the same in steed of
to flee her presence and not to haue a word to speak that they dare stand unto while she is in place These and such like are the causes why the truth of God is so meanly attended upon and utterly cast off among men in our dayes for what reason is there as men usually conclude that those who in the estimation of the most are learned godly religious c. should have their practises reproved and themselves condemned as violaters of the Lords morall commandements seing they are especially deemed to urge the observatioÌ„ of them As an answer to all these frivolous cavils of fesh and blood I oppose once for all THE WORD OF GOD and the truth therof wherby I doubt not but to stop the mouth of proud flesh and to presse the same with the mace of Gods iudgements for evermore except they imbrace and obey the truth And therfore I do here in the presence of God his Angels charge theÌ„ whosoever they be into whose haÌ„ds this present treatise shal come that they presume not to suffer the former cavils to haue passage out of their lippes as being reasoÌ„s of any force why the truth of God should be beaten back smothered and kept in because men do account the same to be mean odious offensive sterne proud c. For why should not all the world lay their hand upon their mouthes when the GOD OF HEAVEN speaketh and labour to frame themselves and their affections meet to receive his truth and to be obedient to the same Shall proud men reiect it because it derogateth from their ruinous credite Shal they seek to keep it under because they will not come under the line and direction of the same Shall that be accounted odious which is most amiable most bewtifull to be desired above fine gold Job 28.19 yea of more valew then the Topaz of Aethiopia or the most pure wedge of the gold of Ophir and that onely because vaine men hate to be reformed by it Shall that be accounted proud offensive and haughty wherat none possiblie can stumble but proud scribes and pharisees or ignorant and worldly minded Disciples who wil not stick to say to the Lord himself that his sayings are hard and who can hear them Nay let vaine men labour to haue the eare of the learned that they may break in pieces their turning away to their shame confusion of face their hard intreaty of the truth and those that professe the same by revilings slanders imprisonments c. to their everlasting perdition without the Lords great mercy in turning them unto him which I earnestly wish them And as the whole truth oppugned in these dayes is in the eyes men of the nature and qualitie before mentioned so is this in particular for the clearing wherof I am to deal at this present The point is That it is unlawfull for any of what estate sex degree condition soever they be to communicate in any action of religion as in hearing trueth taught in receiving the Sacraments praying c. Within any of the publik meetings of the Land as now they stand by Law And therfore that this present Parliament c. The reasons of the first degree alleadged to prove the contrary wil be these namely that the assertion is traiterous seditious schismatical that it is Brownisme that it is odious offensive c. that it coÌ„demneth the doings of the children of God the practises of the most notable servaÌ„ts of Christ accuseth them all this while to have erred gone astray that it crosseth the iudgemeÌ„t of reformed Churches who are better perswaded of the asseÌ„blies of the land that excellent and famous men sawe not this that they were of an other mind c. But what is all this to the truth is it any new thing to see the truth arraigned indighted condemned and executed for treason and sedition though never convinced of the same We consider not whether kingdomes states be so out of order as that the truth cannot come to light but it wil be accouÌ„ted traiterous among them The onely thing that we especially respect is whether it be truth or not the which being found hold it we must defend it we must whatsoever account mans corruption maketh therof And therfore here is no more said against it but what in all ages hath bene falsly vttered against the truth Falsey I say because no truth can be traiterous unto the state of any Prince or Potentate And as vnto this in particular it shal be found to cary vndoubted stability with it for the vpholding of her MAIESTIES crowne authority priviledges preheminences within all her Realmes and Dominions and to be accompanied with the allowance of her Royall Lawes if it might haue the particular benefit of them Touching the crime of Brownisme Schisme c. It is an vnconscionable slaunder for truth holdeth of no creature it is derived onely from that head in whom all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hidden that is from IESVS CHRIST yet this I know to be the vsuall badge of the truth to be called after the names of men to be accounted schismatical that thereby the harts of the simple may be alienated from the same And Satan in this latter age hath bene a mervelous cunning RhetoriciaÌ„ this way there hath bene no truth brought to light but he haâ—h taken paines to paint it out for Zwinglianisme Luther anisme Calvinisme Brownisme c. Odious and offensive it hath bene already graunted to be onely in their eyes who refuse to be guided by the line and rule of the Maister builder wheras otherwise it is precious vnto them that labour to square themselves and their actions according to the paterne of the holy sanctuary and temple And to pretend against the truth that it condemneth the doings of men is nothing els but a manifest testimony that truth is truth who must bear rule and bring all into order yea let all men in the world be liars and let the Lord in this truth of his ordinances be iustified and prevaile 2 Sam. 11.17 12.9.11 David is a godlie man he is the sweet singer of Israel a man according to Gods own hart wel esteemed of wel reputed may he therfore do what he wil may he continue in sinne and must not the light reproove him Peter is the notable embassadour of Iesus Christ Gal. 2.11.14 a great instrument and furtherer of the truth but may he therefore clayme libertie not to be withstood to his face in his hypocrisie If this could be once graunted that the credit of men might cover their open breach of Gods lawe and their continuance therin it were but vaine to bring the truth to light Nay let the credit of the captaynes of the congregation be hanged against the sunne rather then their place estimation and the good opinion which men haue received of them should defend the whoring of the people with the daughters of Moab
Num. 28.4 especially their spiritual whordome with the ordinances of Antichrist and their proud reiecting of Iesus Christ Touching reformed Churches we are to walk by the line of the word and not after the iudgements of men When they have answered swered the reasons set downe in this treatise and have learned aright in what staâ—e the assemblies of the land do stand we wil give some better doome vnto their opinioÌ„s In the mean time we have a sure word of the Prophets wherevnto all those are to give eare 2 Pet. 1.19 who purpose to folow the light of the true day starr If men speak not according to this word but wilfully runne from the light therof to see what cloak they may have from Churches or men to cover their nakednes we must needs tel them with the holy Prophet that they do this Isa 8.20 because there is not a glimse of light in them And that they do not suffer themselves to be tried by the light of the word because their works are in darknes The case is marveilous strange that we having the written word of God at home and the things accused by the same to be out of order present before our eyes shall runne from the word and from common sense so farr also from home to ask the iudgements of men in that case which on the one side they know not aright and therfore cannot pronounce an equal sentence therof yea when their iudgements are gotten there is no more had but the conclusions of men against the direct warrant of the word The hierarchie hath so long time fought with this weapoÌ„ as it is a wonderfull case that those who have dulled the edge therof by the buckler of the word ar not ashamed to take it vp themselves But what shift can there be so mean that Satan wil not vse for the covering of his shifting polluted marchandise Yet is he and his vtterly besides the mark if they think that we regard the persons of men in this truth which we have in hand Nay if they were Angels from heaven accursed be they if they go about in the least point to seduce vs from the truth and word of Iesus Christ our Maister In whose behalf at this instant I do here in his presence before heaven and earth arraigne and convince the whole parish-assemblies of this Land and the members therof as traytors and conspiring with Antichrist against his Maiesty and consequently as being such at this present as from whome every member of CHRIST is to separate himself vnder paine of Gods everlasting wrath Wherfore hearken ye ô heavens and hear thou ô earth let posteritie bear witnes seing this age stoppeth her eares that I accuse these parish-assemblies of being guilty of a greater conspiracy against the Maiestie of Iesus Christ then that of Corah Dathan and Abiram was against Moses And therfore also of being in danger of the Lords indignation in a more fearful sort theÌ„ were those who abode with Corah and his company The case with Corah Dathan and Abiram was thus There were three especiall prerogatives belonging vnto the sonnes of Israel Gen. 49.3.4 1 Chron. 5. I. the kingdome 2. the birthright 3. the holy office of the Priesthood Reuben the first borne should have bene excellent in some of these as the Spirit of God recordeth had he not defiled his fathers bed but for this his sinn he lost his preferment Symeon being the next lost the same in like manner for his slaughter of the Schecemites in such sort as he was dispersed in Iacob scattered in Israel having never any proper tribe or inheritance after their owne name Levi being a brother in mischeif with him was also scattered yet the Lord in mercy vouchsafed him the dignity of the Priesthood 1 Chron. 5.1 as he did the Kingdome vnto Iuda and the Birthright vnto Ioseph who had two tribes and so a double portion amongest the children of his people Now at the comming out of Aegypt Moses by the commaundement of God I know conveighed both the kingdome that is the chief power of the civil authoritie as also the priesthood vnto his own fathers house And in regard of the priesthood he established it for ever in the line of Aaron his brother by a covenant of salt And to this purpose enacted that not onely the whol tribe of Levi even Gershom the elder brother and his sonnes should be vnder the iurisdiction and commandement of Aaron and his sonnes in the holy service of the tabernacle but also that none Aaron and his sonnes excepted either of the Levites Num. 3.10 4.10 or of any other the tribes of Israel should intermeddle with the holy office of the priesthood under paine of death Herevpon certain famous men of the congregation Corah of the house of Levi Dathan and Abiram of the house of Reuben the first borne Num. 16.10 17.5.8 with other two hundred and fifty captaines of the assemblie even all men of renowne charged Moses and Aaron of collusioÌ„ evil dealing with the Lords people in that they had transferred the priesthood vnto their fathers house without warrant so the Lord was faine to decide the controversie between them not onely by his iudgements vpon the chief conspirators and such as abode in their tents but also by the budding of Aarons rodde Now touching the controversie between Moses and Corah it was not whether the God of Israel was to be served or not for Corah and his company granted that as well as Moses It was not whether forreigne Idolatrie should be brought into the house of Israel for that would Corah and his company withstand as wel as Moses breifly it was not concerning any fundamentall point of religion as men now vse to speak but onely touching those offices Num. 16.10 and those officers wherby the worship of God was to be performed even touching the Priests office as Moses saith In regard of the persons it may seem to be somthing tolerable they were all of them members of the true visible Church before their conspiracie all famous men in the congregation 1 Chon 6.39.37.38 And Corah in particular brought vp his children in the fear of God in such measure as they wil have a famous name in the Church for evermore Num. 26.11 as being those who consented not vnto their fathers sinnes and therfore also perished not with them but were afterward imployed in the holy offices Wel the case of Corah being thus tollerable in the iudgement of flesh and blood yet was it vtterly vnlawful for any man either to preach the truth or to heare the truth taught within their tents And therfore much more unlawful to preach the same or to heare the same taught within any of the assemblies of England this day Because all these assemblies are not within the tents that is vnder the iurisdiction and of the conspiracie which Corah Dathan Abiram raised
men of what estate and condition soever they be tremble feare before the God of Queen Elizabeth because he is the living God which remayneth for ever his kingdome shall not perish his Dominion shal be everlasting that whosoever shall wilfully and wittinglie speake any blasphemy much more if they shall presume to take armour against him as this gainesaying generation now doth shal be drawen in pieces and their houses be made a sinck Know my Lords that if you shall do otherwise these heathen Kinges will accuse you in the day of the Lord and take heed that none of your actes statutes be found written with the bloud of the Saintes For great Babylon her warriours Corah and his mainteiners shall come to remembrance the Lord wil reward them according unto their deedes And as in the former respectes I call your Honours to record with mee so also herein I beseech you to testifie the trueth on my behalfe that I make an utter separation betweene her Maiesties Civill Authoritie and the Ecclesiasticall jurisdictiō of these Corahs these Dathans these Abirams The which I set downe because wee can no sooner account the false Ministerie of the Romish Church to be Antichristian as it is but evill disposed uncōscionable men wil be readie to selander us that we account her MAIESTIES authoritie to be so too as though her Majesties power were ecclesiasticall and not civil or that this Romish band were Princes by their authoritie What kinges and Princes do establish is one thing their Authoritie power wherby they do this is another They may of oversight or otherwise set up the power of Satan by mainteyning false religion worship ordinances c. Yet their Power that is their Civill Authority whereby they do this is the Ordinance of God though herein they highlie abuse the same and shall answere for it without their repentance Her majestie this high Court of Parliament hath hitherto established this Ecclesiasticall regiment of the Kingdome of Antichrist this band of Conspiratours against the Majestie of Iesus Christ but this Conspiracie is one thing the authoritie whereby the same is established is another The Conspiracie the Offices ther of are wholy from Satan from the Dragon from the beast from the false prophet out of whole mouthes these frogges issued and so to be rejected The Civill authoritie of her MAIESTIE and the Parliament wherby this treacherie of oversight I trust is upheld is the holy ordinance of GOD notwithstanding it faileth herein and therefore to be embraced to be obeied and had in reverence yet are they betimes to redresse the abuse before the Lord breake forth upon us in his wrath And the Ordinances of Antichrist established by the lawful civill authoritie do yet continue Antichristian and unlawfull Because false religion and false ordinances Reteine their Nature by what power soever they be established The breach of Gods Law is the same by whom soever it be countenanced enacted commanded The statutes of Omry the maner of the house of Ahab the Damascene Altar are still Idolatrous monuments and constitutions by whomsoever they be enacted though by Ezekiah Iosiah or by any other the Godly Princes of Iudah And therefore the pretence which some alledge contrary I feare me to the light of their owne knowledge to cover their submission unto the forenamed Antichristian ordinances that Archbishops and Bishops Chancellors Commissaries c. which her Majesties Lawes do allowe are become civill constitutions and not ecclesiasticall is altogither vaine and frivolous For first no part of Poperie was ever imposed upon us to be received of any the subjects of this Land but what her Majesties Predecessors the Kinges and Princes of this Land did by Law enact among their Subjectes Againe her Majestie doth establish this as an ecclesiasticall power and not as any civill Thirdly being an Antichristian Constitution in it selfe the power of man enacting the same cannot make it to be otherwise Breifely Masse or any their Heathen Ordinances being enacted by Civil authoritie may by this reason be frequented also as being a civil thing and not any Antichristian ordinance And therefore men cannot better themselves by this iugling This whol Antichristian band in the time of Poperie did not onely withstand Iesus Christ in the poinct of the outward offices being the extremitie of Corahs sinne but also denied him the preferment to lodge any wise in the heartes of any men within these Tentes Nay these Tentes in those daies were nothing else but a receptacle of all the inventions which Satan could devise for the dishonour of Iesus Christ In consideration whereof her Majestie and the state thought they had done well that they emptied those tentes of the greatest part of the fearfull ab hominations remayning in them overthrewe some of them as the Papacie the Cardinalship Monkery c. and planted the most of the vessels of the house of God that is the greatest part of the doctrine of the truth in them but the Tents and the Conspiracie still remaine in as direct a sort against the glorie of God as that of Corah was Nay by all this clensing emptying although we unfeighnedly praise our God for the same and confesse it to have been a great worke they have not as yet brought them into that puritie and that soundnes of Religion that the Tents of Corah were in as it will easilie appeare unto any that will consider that Corah strove with Moses but touching the Office of the Priesthood onely whereas these men overthrowe the whole face of the Church of Christ persecute the Truth and maintayne publikly many horrible sinnes whereat Corah would have blushed as the Idoll-preisthood non-residencie the descending of Christ into Hell after he gave up the ghost upon the Crosse and had said All was finished But touching the Authoritie of the civill power and particularly of her right excellent Majesty I am in this place for the stopping of all sclaunderous mouthes who have or would report otherwise of me inforced to set downe what I hold and beleeve according to the word of God I do therefore here acknowledge her Mejesties Sovereigntie and regall Authoritie to be the Ordinance of the God of Heaven whereunto all persons without exceptiō within her Realmes and Dominions are to be subject to yeeld obedience in the Lord not only for feare of punishment but even for conscience sake because her forenamed authoritie power is derived from the King of Kings even the Lord Iesus who hath all power in heaven and earth in his owne handes I doe also avouch that no forreigne power Prince potentate or state hath or possiblie can have any authoritie within the Territories of her dominions over any person or in any cause save onely what by special graunt he deriveth from her and her Roiall Lawes Her foresaid authoritie I acknowledge to stretch it selfe not onely ever all persons within her Dominions but also over all causes as
the Popish offices of Preists and Deacons were reteyned and that the offices of Christs kingdome were not restored And it is by vertue of the Popish offices of the Preisthood and Deaconrie that the whole worship of God is performed or rather polluted and prophaned in all the Assemblies of this Land for the proofe whereof I call not onelie her Majestie her lawes and this high Court of Parliament to witnes but also the cheifest mainteiners of the parish-Assemblies namely the forwardest Preachers of the Land who in times past confessed whatsoever they do now that the offices of Christ were not planted and therefore laboured to her Majestie and the Parlement to have them established in the parish assemblies In regard of her Majesties lawes the case is cleere that the State then being led by the sight of our fathers in king Edwards daies accounted the popish Church to be the Church of Christ though corrupt popish offices of Bishops Preistes and Deacons to be the offices of the Church of Christ and therfore retained them for so we find it set downe in the booke of ordering Bishops and Preistes made in King Edwardes time and established by her Majestes Lawes as the ground rule whence and according to the which all the Ministeriall offices of the parish meetings yea of the whole Land must be squared The book saith That it is evident to all men diligentlie reading the holie Scripture and the auncient authors In the Preface that from the Apostles time there have bene these orders of Ministers in the Church of Christ Bishops Preistes Deacons And therfore saith the booke to the intent that these orders should be stil continued reverentlie used esteemedin the Church of England it is requisite that no man not being at that present Bishop Preist or Deacon should execute any of them except he be tried examined admitted according to this booke Again no man in this Land can take a spirituall living either Parsonage Vicarage Curatship but by vertue of this Preisthood Deaconrie or a Popish licence equivalent unto this Preisthood so that if a Preacher be beneficed the same day that he denieth his licence his Preisthood his Deaconrie is he also deprived ipso facto if it please his Ordinarie and another may presentlie conveigh himselfe into his living if it were worth millions of gold Nay whosoever he be that wil cast of these Popish orders he is but a meere lay or private man and so not capable of anie office in anie of the assemblies of this land for so her Majesties lawes to wit the foresaid book doth conclude that these offices were evermore had in that reverend estimation that no man by his owne private authoritie might presume to execute any of them and consequentlie that all men should be called to the order of the Preisthood Deaconrie Prelacie according as this book doth allow He that is made a Minister in som reformed Church beyond the Seas is not capable of the Cure of a parish assemblie in this land except he shall receive a Deaconrie a Preisthood after the order of our land and yet he that receiveth orders in Rome is correspondent and answerable unto the pattern of our Deaconrie and Preisthood and so capable to buy sel that is to execute any publike function They are knowen cases that he who received his Preisthood or Deaconry in King Henrie the 8 his dayes is a Preist a Deacon under King Edward Queene Marie Queene Elisabeth by vertue of the same orders and he preacheth if he can preach being licensed therunto in King Henrie King Edward Queen Marie Queen Elisabeth their daies by vertue of the same Preisthood for the office is the same as both the booke and everie man for the most part doth account it He that hath received but primam tonsuram in King Henrie the VIII or Queen Maries daies being the first stepp of this abhominable order may by lawe performe those things under her Majestie which no lay man as they call him must presume to take in hand This case being cleer apparant if it be now demaunded why wee will not heare the truth taught by the preachers of the land why we wil not receive the Sacramentes at their hands we answere that this we refuse to do because we must not submit or consciences our soules and bodies being the temples of the holy Ghost to be wrought upō to be sat in unto any power in religion save only unto the power which is derived from our head Iesus Christ We answer that our head and Maister having all power dwelling in him hath this peculiar interest in vs being his members that he onely must sit in our Consciences by his ordinances This interest of his he will not communicate with any creature and therefore wee dare not though we should suffer a thousand deathes to transferre the same unto anie save unto himselfe alone and to joine with the popish assemblies of the Land If the preachers do seeke I ESVS CHRIST and his honour by their preaching they wil begin first with a lawful calling and office they wil derive their power from him by vertue of the offices that he ordeined in his word When they shall do this walk according to the doctrine which is according unto godlines wee will be the most willing to joine with them the most glad to hear them and to cōmunicate with them everie way to reverence them as the Ministers of Iesus Christ In the meane time let them not wonder that we hold this for undoubted truth namely That whosoever he be that sitteth in the temple of God that is worketh upon the consciences of men by vertue of an Antichristian power office and calling he is an Antichristian Minister whatsoever truth he bringeth with him The trueth which such Ministers do teach is but the bait whereby Satan in his mysticall delusion powerfull subtilties hideth the false power by meanes whereof hee in his ordinances ruleth over those that otherwise would yeeld him no subjection none obedience When he cannot utter his ordinances by falsehood he is glad to make them awaie by meanes of the truth And he ruleth in the consciences of men not onely by false doctrine but also by his false power and ordinances His kingdome of darknes consisteth not onelie in the lies and false doctrine and worship which he hath coined but also in the false and Antichristian ordinances which he hath invented for the ruling of his Idolatrous denne And therefore the children and Saintes of God avoyd both the one and the other We owe him none obedience in either of them and farre be it even farre be it I say that we should sinne so treacherouslie against our Lord Maister and so greivouslie against our owne soules to be subject unto Satan in either of them seing by the most precious bloud of Christ Iesus and by the power of his crosse and resurrection we have bene