neither granted by God nor a Good Angel for God never sells his Mercies for Money And this was the Theology of Simon Magus a Magician to think the Holy Ghost might be bought with Money to which was made a Tart Answer Act. 8.20 Peter said unto him Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the Gift of God may be purchased with money And Christ gives express Command to his Disciples Missionated by him with Power of Signs and Miracles to do good to the People Matth. 10.7 Go Preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Heal the sick cleanse the Lepers raise the dead cast out Devils freely ye have received freely give So Elijah when he had cured Naaman of the Leprosy took no Money of him but punished Gehazi for doing the same 2 Kings 5.20 And Moses when he did provide the Miracle of Manna he did not ask any Money or sell it to those who needed for that had been to have deprived God of thanks for his own Gift And Petrus Quinqueranus Relates That when some Neopolitan Kings had inclosed a place with a Wall which was of great Resort of Poor for the gathering of Manna there that they might be Excluded from gathering unless they paid a Tribute or Impost for the same The Manna suddenly ceased and fell no more and when as the Doors were again set open it fell as before The Place was again the Second Third and many times shut up for Tryal and still when it was shut the Manna fell not at all but when open as at first it Continued to fall Plentifully Camerar Centur. 2. cap. 160. p. 401 402 403. It is not here affirmed That if such as are Preachers or Teachers of the Truth of God receive necessary maintenance for their study and pains in Executing the same unless they pretend to Preach by Inspiration That their Doctrine is from Daemons and not from God for the Labourer is worthy of his Hire and these have not Received their Gift freely but by long study and Paynes but only this is affirmed That if they pretend to any Extraordinary and Miraculous Gift from God or Angels as to be Mediators for Prayers or to keep God under Lock and Key in a Temple and Receive money for Executing the same it is a Manifest sign they have neither their Gift from God nor Good Angels but from Daemons Some that have Writ of Witchcraft say That such as Pray though to God for unlawful things if they succeed and have Their Prayers granted It is a Sign That they have made a Covenant with the Devil for God never grants unlawful Prayers therefore it must be the Devil or Fortune And that a Man may be a Witch yet not know it There being therefore two great Dangers to Pray by a Priest who takes money for his Prayers first That he Prays to Daemons under the Name of God Secondly That he will make unlawful Prayers Quid non mortalia pectora cogit Auri sacra fames Flectere si nequeat superos Acheronta Movebit Should the Doctrine of the Omnipresence spread men would rather Pray to God as Christ Commands in secret and Omnipresentially to whom they may Pray and He Exacts no money of them nor Compels their Consciences to Pray in unlawful Forms or for unlawful Matters rather than Imploy so Chargeable and Dangerous a Mediator who if God is in Person Omnipresent is not only useless but hurtful whereby he will lose all his Money and Hire for his Prayers and the Silver-Smiths of Diana have their Trade utterly spoiled 3 Men would be induced to worship in secret and Omnipresentially to avoid another Danger incident to Prayer by a Priest for the Prayer by a Priest would be in Publick in a Synagogue or Temple which is lyable to a double danger one of Daemons the other of Men to neither of which any Modest or Prudent Petitioner desires to have his Prayers known not to Daemons because he may have Errors and Imperfections in his Prayers which if discovered only to God He is ready to prevent those Dangers he would draw on his own head by his Rash Petitions and like a Father in pity to his Child to forgive them whereas if Discovered to Daemons they if not by God restrained would be ready to grant him success in all the Noxious things he asks to Insnare and Ruin him Not to Men first because for any to confess his private Sins or Enumerate his private Wants or Desires in Publick would but afford matter of Derision to the Heathens Secondly The malice of Men would be apt to wrest all the Words though innocently intended of his Prayers sometimes to Herefie sometimes to Sedition sometimes to Treason it self and the same would kindle the hatred and sometimes provoke the Rage of all Dissentients against him As at Vassy in France Fifteen hundred Protestants being assâ—mbled in a Church on a Sabbath day to Pray and hear the Word of God the Duke of Guise suddenly Compassed the Church with Armed Souldiers himself standing in the Door with a drawn Sword and Cruelly sent his Souldiers who killed all without Distinction of Age or Sex Acts and Mon. 4 Granting the Omnipresence Bishops could not pretend Power to Nâ—ll and Dissolve private Marriage Consummated by Birth of a Child nor separate those at whose Matrimonial Acts God was present as a Witness and Party and thereby joined them not to be put assunder by Man 5 Granting God to be Omnipresent and present in the Internal Sâ—irit and heart of Man and sees and knows thereby all of his thoughts all External Ceremonies of Worship are useless yea the Compulsion to them is the highest Denial of his Internal presence and all the Difference and Distinction taken away how to know the Worship of God from the worship of Men and the Counterfeit Worship from the True for though to the worship of Men External Ceremonies are necessary and the Internal thoughts of the Heart cannot be Express'd to Men but by External acts of the Body yet to God it is otherwise for he being present in the Heart it self it were as Impertinent that the Heart should be Compelled to Pray or Express it's Intentions by External Ceremonies without the Body as to Compel a Vassal when his Prince is in the midst of the House with him to throw his Petiâ—ion out of the Window to be sent to him many Miles off by the Priest who is in the outer Court And as Compulsion to Worshâ—p by the outward Ceremonies of a Priest or a Tempâ—e is unnecessary so is it the way to Compel an Hypocritical and Counterfeit Worship contrary to the Command of Christ Joh. 4.21 Where he talking with the Woman Concerning to the Two Places of Worship the Temple of Samaria and the Temple of Jerusalem Saith Woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father And vers 23. The hour cometh and now is
Disciple for it is said when the Evening was come he was there alone but both Groves and High-places which were by Priests Consecrated for publick Conventions of Men and Women to Worship Publickly are commanded in Scripture to be destroyed Levit. 26.30 Hos 10.8 Amos 7.9 The first who built Temples were the old Egyptian Priests which they Dedicated to Priapus and drawing Women thither by Consecrated Whoredom thereby instituted the same the places of Publick Worship as well as of Marriage The next was Cecrops King of Athens who first in Greece instituted Marriage by a Priest in a Temple and with the same brought in the Publick Worship of Idols and Altars and Sacrifice for them whereby People were drawn from the Private and Omnipresential Worship of God to Marry and Worship Idols in Temples for the Gains of the Priests yet even amongst these Idolaters the wiser sort though Heathens understood these Pontifical Impostures but durst not speak against them as neither did Plato nor Aristotle Heathens believed the Omnipresence being warned by the Fate of Socrates though they many times express'd themselves that they believed the Omnipresence of God One desiring Demonax to go into the Temple of Esculapius to pray for the health of his Son Is he so deaf said he that he can hear no where but in a Temple Eras lib. 8. Apopth And Eratus the Greek Poet whom Paul cites speaks thus of Gods Omnipresence Plena sunt Jovis omnes Plateae Omnium etiam hominum Fora plenum est mare Pleni sunt Portus ubique Jove fruimur omnes Hujus enim genus sumus So the great Latine Poet Virgil Eclog. 3. Jovis omnia plena Ille colit terras illi mea Carmina curae Jove keeps the Earth all things full of him are And he even of my Verses taketh care Cato after the overthrow given by Caesar to Pompey of whose Party he was being advised to consult with the Oracle of Jupiter Hammon what course he were best take Answers thus Estne Dei sedes nisi Terra Pontus Aer Et coelum virtus superos quid'quaeritis ultra Jupiter est quocunque vides quocunque moveris Lucan Is Gods Seat other than Earth Sea and Air And Heaven and Vertue why do you despair And seek beyond who wheresoe're in these You go or see there to be found doth please It is not here affirmed as is already said That 't is unlawful for any to Marry or Worship by a Priest in a Temple or in a Publick Convention but it seems unlawful to compel any whose Conscience is dissentient or doubtful and that the Scriptures and Christ are so far from Compulsion that where Parties are not agreed they forbid so much as two or three to convene as Amos 3.3 Can two walk together except they agree and though they do agree yet single Prayer in private seems to be prefer'd as appears by what follows Prayer in Temples and Synagogues forbid by Christ and a distinction of the Place of Prayer and Preaching Commanded There is as little encouragement given by the Prophets in the Old Testament for Sacrifices Altars and Temples as there is by Christ in the New for Prayer and Sacrament in Synagogues and Temples Jer. 7.4 Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord these are Hos 8.14 Israel hath forgotten his Maker and buildeth Temples Revel 21.22 There was no Temple in the New Jerusalem nor was there any Temple in the Earthly Paradise more than in the Heavenly yet was Marriage instituted by God But hear next what he who saith Matth. 12.6 here is one greater than the Temple will say of Prayer in Synagogues which were the Jews Parochial Churches and Temples which were the Cathedrals John 4.21 Jesus talking with the Samaritan Woman saith unto her Believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor in Jerusalem Worship the Father And Verse 23. The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him And they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth 'T is granted the Jews set up a Local Worship in Synagogues and Temples but this Judaisme Christ expressly saith the hour was then come that it must be abolish'd and all Jewish Ceremonial Law and the Temple it self he foretold in the future there should not be left one stone upon another That he forbids a Prayer to be made in Synagogues Temples or any other publick Place and commands the same to be made privately in the Closet appears Matth. 6.5 When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the Corners of the Streets that they may be seen of Men. Verily I say unto you they have their reward But when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly The Jewish Synagogues were their Churches or Temples having a lesser or Parochial Jurisdiction and the Cathedral Church or great Temple having the National Jurisdiction but Prayer in both is abolished by Christ It is granted that in both the lesser and the greater Christ used to Teach as it is said Matth. 4.23 And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of Diseases amongst the People And Mar. 14.49 he saith of himself I was daily teaching in the Temple And the avoiding of publick Prayer he taught not only by his Precept but Example for we never find that he so much as Convened the Twelve who were his own Family to pray with him but Mark 1.35 He went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And Matth. 14.23 He went up into a Mountain apart to pray and when the Evening was come he was there alone And Matth. 26.36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane and saith unto the Disciples Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder Whereby it is clear that Christ both by Precept and Example taught there ought a distinction to be made between the place of Preaching and Prayer the one to be publick the other to be private the one to be in conventions the other to be single and alone and if he prohibited the contrary to any who were free he much more prohibited any should be compell'd Then as to Non-Communicants 't is manifest Christ never instituted the Sacrament in a Church or Temple nor appointed the same to be after Celebrated there for he instituted it in a private House and no company with him but his own private Family with him as Matth. 26.17 It is said Now the first day of the Feast of unlevened bread the Disciples
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and those that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth To worship therefore in Spirit and Truth is the Internal Worship of the heart and not the External Ceremonies which may be Compelled and Counterfeit and if mixt with the Worship of God are not directly to Worship God but the Idol or the Priest as for example I shall instance the usual Ceremonies of uncovering the Head Bowing and Kneeling to which men are compel'd in Temples Compulsion to external Ceremonies is to Worship the Idol and the Priest and not God as both Ancient and Modern Pagan Idolaters pretend the same distinction of Worship to and towards the Image where those or other Ceremonies are used as do the Papists and if the same should be allowed there could be no Idolatry committed in the World and the Second Commandment were useless and deservedly by the Papist turn'd out of the Decalogue for all Nations in the World whether Civil or Barbarous which use Idols or Images yea the Tartars Africans Indians and very Americans say They Worship not the Idol but their God in the Idol But if once the Omnipresence is believed this Faith destroys all Ceremonies of Worship both towards and to and in and shews the Worship of Spirit and Truth to be every way and every where and that Idols ought not to be brought into the Place or mixt with the Divine Worship they manifestly drawing the Honor of Bowing Falling down Kneeling or the like towards or before them pretended to God to be given themselves for which reason it seems Josephus lib. 8. cap. 2. de Antiq. Jud. says Solomon sin'd and broke the Law in making Similitudes in the Temple of Beasts of Brass to underprop the Brazen Sea and Lions to set unto his Throne which are apt to be Converted to Idolatrous Uses and of the Act of Hezekiah 2 Kings 18.4 to take away those External Ceremonies of Worship then in fashion for it is said He removed the high Places and brake the Images and cut down the Groves and brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent which Moses had made for unto those days the Children of Israel did burn Incense to it and he called it Nehushtan Yet here might it have been said by the Idolatrous Priests who made great gains of these Ceremonies of Bowing Kneeling and Falling down to those Images that they were very Ancient and Decent Ceremonies and great Ornaments of the Worship of God and they did not Bow Kneel Fall down or offer Incense to the High Places but God in them yet here in the Judgment of Hezekiah these external Ceremonies gave the Honour pretended to be given to God to these Idols and he therefore Abolished them In the like manner do the Priests now the Images are removed yet Surrogate in their stead what Idols they can of Temples and Altars abolished by Christ and under pretence of the Ornament and Decency of Worshipping God by Compulsion to those External Ceremonies of the Body to which it is impossible to compel the worship of the Spirit and Soul draw to themselves wholly that Divine Honour which they feign is given through these to God as is easie to be seen in every common Church or Temple the People walk talk and place themselves in what posture they please till the Priest appears and is heard in the Pew then as if the Apparition of a Deity spake there is such shuffling away of Hats and falling on knees to receive an Absolution which none but God can give of their Sins and as assoon as the Morning Service is ended and the Priest got out of the Church all the Hats are again on and not a man to be seen on his knees till the Priest again return in the Afternoon then are they all again on their knees to pray according to the foremention'd distinction towards him but not as they said to him and receive his Benediction which none is able to give but God and these Ceremonies of falling on their knees towards the Priest in those many Postures of Confessions of Sins Penance Absolution and Benedictions were so scandalous to the Heathen that when a Christian reproved one of them that he fell down before a dead Idol and worshipped it he would answer That the Christian fell on his knees before a worse living Idol Et quod Pontificis coleret Genitalia In the like manner was a Jesuit Recriminated who reproved an Indian King of Candecan that he fell down and worshipped his Paw-God and answer'd That He fell down and worshipped his Crucifix To the same purpose have some Episcopal Protestants been Recriminated who reproved Papists that they bowed and fell on their knees to the Host in the Mass and answer'd that they bowed and fell on their knees to the High Altar and the Bread received from it So neither side can justifie but Recriminate which how weak Argumentation it is concerning the worship of God in Spirit and Truth is easily understood But to return to the first consideration That the Priest is worshipped and not God by the Ceremonies of the Temple appears in regard if they taught that the People must put off their Hats or fall on their knees in token of Reverence to God as being in the Temple Consecrated by the Bishop more than in another place then must they teach them that they ought to perform the same Ceremonies when both Bishop and Priest are out as well as in and must be perpetually as long as they are in the Church seeing God is perpetually in it and both Bishop and Priest must be perpetually uncovered when there as well as the People and as well before Service as after and as well without the People as with them but they neither teach nor practice any such matter but only command uncovering and kneeling to be towards themselves when present therefore they give the whole Honour of these External Ceremonies to themselves and not to God So the Popes Missionary Priests breed up the poor Americans in such Superstition and Slavery as they worship the Priests for Gods and if a Priest do but ride on a Journey through the street they all as he passeth fall on their knees with their hands Elevated towards him praying him to forgive their Sins and give them their Benediction which the Priest very gravely doth making many Mumpsimusses with his Mouth and Crosses in the Air with his finger towards them and they for the same bring him plenty of Provision and Oblations to his Lodging where he Inns The Arch-Bishop of Moscho reputed the Greek Pope or chief Patriarch when he Consecrates the River there for Baptism which is once a Year he Rides in great State in most Rich and Gorgeous Robes carrying the Sacrament in his Lap the Emperour himself leading his Horse by the Bridle and many persons casting before
came to Jesus saying unto him where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passeover And he said Go into the City to such a man and say unto him The Master saith My time is at hand I will keep the Passeover at thy House with my Disciples The reasons why Christ prohibited publick and commanded private Prayers may be divers 1. The first is express'd to avoid vain glory and suspition of Hypocrisie 2. To avoid the dangers incident to Conventions in Temples or publick Places whereby he foresaw his Church might be destroyed and how many of the Primitive Christians and since have by this means of the Conventions in Churches and Temples suffer'd some have had the Churches fired about them and themselves burnt in them others have been in them Massacred with the Sword others carried away and destroyed by Torments which had never happened to them if they had followed Christs Precept of not casting their Pearl before Swine or when they were persecuted in one City to flie to another or kept themselves in their Closets to pray 3. The impossibility of a Convention of People to agree what they would have prayed for were it but when they would have Rain and Dry-weather 4 The impossibility of worshipping God in Spirit and Truth unless he is worship'd as Omnipresent for as he that worships God in an Image or towards an Image commits Idolatry because he confines his Omnipresence to the petty Prison of an Idol so who in his Imagination comprehends him who is Incomprehensible in the walls of a Temple is as guilty of Idolatry as the other only one worships him in a greater Idol and the other in a lesser And as to Marriage in a Temple or by a Priest 't is manifest the Jews never Married in a Temple nor did Christ ever Marry any Man or Woman nor any of the Apostles Marry any nor had any Precept to do it and all the Primitive Christians for 300 Years after Christ so far observed the Precept and Example of Christ and abhor'd Marriage or Worship in Temples and Altars that Celsus doth reproach them with it that they had no Sacred places of publick Worship and Origen in Answer confesseth that they were not instituted by Christ but crept in afterwards Notwithstanding all which the Divinity of the later Times hath been so far from following the Precept and Example of Christ that it hath destroyed the Omnipresential Worship of God commanded by him in Spirit and Truth with a gawdy Ceremonial Worship by Priests and Temples for to discover the Truth of this great Mystery of Iniquity of Popish Priests it concerns them in the highest points of their Profit to abolish as much as they can possible all thoughts of Gods Omnipresence for if this is once understood it will appear there is no need for the People to pray by a Priest whereby they will lose their gainful Offices of Masters of Requests for where the Prince is in presence there needs no such Officer 2. This will lose their gainful Office of Confession of Sins for where God is in Presence 't is better to confess to him than the Priest 3. It will lose them their Pardon-Office which brings them in Millions for who is so mad to beg Pardon of a Priest if God is in presence and he may beg it of him 4. It will lose him his great Office of Benediction of all those who are Married in his Temple for if God is in presence at â—ome of whom the Party may crave a Benediction who is so mad to think he need go beg a Benediction of a Priest in a Temple 5. It will lose him his Office of Excommunication and casting out of his Synagogue and out of the Presence of God for if God is Omnipresent then can none cast out of his presence for these good Reasons are all the Clamorous School men silent and have writ nothing Material concerning that great Attribute of God his Omnipresence nor have the in numerable Heaps of Theologists inclosed any thing considerable of this point nor have the Bishops so much as once named it in the 39. Articles but like Lapwings drawing the Readers as far as they can from their nest diverting his Fancy when they speak of God to matters unintelligible and not necessary to Salvation and fitting the rest with matters totally Tending to their gain I cannot pass the Contemplation of the Omnipresence of God without some further Remarques for without this he could not be Omnipotent he could not be Omniscient he could not be a God he could not be distinguished or known from an Angel or Daemon or any inferior Spirit or Invisible Power But that these are Circumscribed in their Vagrant Ubi's or Chain'd to their fix'd Localities to dwell in such a Temple to haunt such a Grove to give their Response from the hollow of such a Dodonaean Oak Such a Delphick Den from the belly of such a Sibyll the Breast of such a Prophet the Brayns of such a Dreamer of Dreams These shew their Miracles only at such an Image such an Idol such a Tomb such a Sepulchre such a Fountain such a River such a Pool of Bethesda But are not able to shew them every where nor to be present every where Seeing therefore to believe in God only is the Fundamental of all Religion and we cannot believe in Him unless we know Him and so cannot know Him unless we can distinguish Him from an Angel or Daemon or other Invisible Power nor Worship in Spirit and Truth unless we can distinguish Theolatry from Angelolatry and Daemonolatry and Theology from Magick nor when we are in distress can we know where to Pray to Him for deliverance if we know not where to find him and he being Invisible is impossible to be found unless he is Omnipresent and if we Run to Temples Tombs Images Idols Oracles we fall into the Power of Darkness Daemons Magicians or Deceivers And even the foremention'd Demonax and Cato and many other Heathen themselves will rise up in Judgment against us And seeing the whole Language of Theology is grown Anthorpomorphite to describe the Infinite Power in human shape in human Apparition or what is worse in Brutish of Lamb or Dove and confine him to a small Throne in the Coelum Empyraeum from whence these mischiefs would follow That Saturn would make his Orb the Round Table of eating Children Jupiter his the Seraglio for his Rapes Mars his a Spoliary Sol his a Throne to assume Supreme Worship to himself Venus hers a Stews Mercury his a Den of Theives Luna hers a Nunnery for secret Endymions The Prince of the Air his a Forge of Cyclopses to fire the World and in the Bottom of all these the Pope his an Infallible Chair In Hell and Purgatory to Rule the Roast Then would be no Government of these Variant and Contrariant Orbs Then would the Doctrine of Christ be in vain Matth. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold
him on the ground most Rich Garments to be trampled on by the proad Palfrey and when he hath passed over a parcel still fetching those who are left behind and throwing them again before lest the feet of his Holy Horse should touch the Earth whose Master commands the Heaven Some have thought by these Ceremonies the Horse is more honour'd than the Emperour the Lap than the Horse the Sacrament than God and the Bishop than all The Latine Pope hath had a Crotchet to wear the Cross on his Pantofle when he admits to the Honour of kissing his Toe yet none doubts but he aims more at the Honour of his Toe though a crabbed one than of the Cross To the Emperour who pâ—rformed this Servile Homage saying in Extenuation of his Dishonour Non tibi sed Petro the Pope replied Et mihi Petro. Not only the Babylonian Priests of Bell but of all Nations in the World who could obtrude on the People the Ceremonies of Sacrifie have under pretence of feeding the Noses or the Mouths of their Gods fed their own Bellies and not their Gods But the Doctrine of the Omnipresence destroys all these Ceremonies of Sacrifices Incense Burnt-offerings Images Hostes Masses High-Altars Temples and Oblations by Priests for if God is present in the House and at the Table of the owner were it possible he could be hungry or desire Meat and Drink he could as many great Princes have done from their meanest subject more conveniently take a Meal from a Thousand Tables wheresoever he likes best than the Priest to gather it for him in his Alms-basket at the Temple and there to eat it himself and say to the Priest as is said Psal 50.12 If I were hungry I would not tell thee for the World is mine and the fulness thereof Will I eat the flesh of Bulls or drink the blood of Goats Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the most High And call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Were God likewise tolerated to be worshipped as Christ commands Omnipresentially in Spirit and Truth Forms of Prayer Compulsive are Ceremonies but not Directive then could there be no compulsion to the Ceremonies of Forms of Prayer Forms of Vestments Forms of Songs Forms of Musick for Forms of Prayer and other Forms of Worship in things indifferent if made compulsive by Penalty became Ceremonies and destructive to the Worship of God in Spirit and Truth and compulsive they cannot be made unless the Ceremony of the place of Worship be made compulsive But if they are only Directive and without Penalties as the Form of the Lords Prayer left by Christ who made it not Penal to miss a word or syllable or a letter in the Use of the same then are they no Ceremonies nor Ceremonial Laws but Favours and Adminicles to help and direct and not to punish the Weak who need them if Popes and Bishops therefore should not smother the knowledg of Gods Omnipresence then must they allow that God is present in the heart of every one who Prays as well as in every other place and being there as Job saith 42.2 I know thou canst do every thing and that no thought can be withholden from thee And it is said Psal 7.9 The Righteous God trieth the Hearts and Reins And Psal 94.11 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man And if so they need neither carry nor send their Prayers to a Pope Bishop or Priest to offer them to God in a Temple or at the Altar but he may present them to God himself and in a way more pleasing to him on his own Altar of a broken heart which way of Worship in the heart would utterly destroy their great Office they usurp of being Masters of the External Ceremonies of Divine Worship which brings them in infinite Riches and likewise an Idolatrous Worship and Honour to Exalt themselves above all that is called God 6. If Prayers might be made to God in the heart of man or as Christ directs in the Closet as Omnipresent then would the Priest lose his great gains of the Post-Office to Heaven for sending Prayers though not by Letter or Writing yet which is as good by word of Mouth or better if the Letters should chance to be lost or Spies for Intelligence break them open by the way When Prayers are brought to the Priest to be sent so high and so far for the Petitioner he will send them by some Angel who is the swifter or some Saint who is the slower and surer to carry them the first Stage then He delivers the Message to our Lady of Loretto if she be not below at her Chappel to carry them another Stage and to deliver them to her Son who is to make the next deliverance of them to God which way of Posting Prayers so far is very costly and dangerous and many times Petitioners get no Returns as long as they live unless when intercepted by the Prince of the Air and he grants their wicked Petitions with a Vengeance all which cost and mischief had been prevented if the Petitioner in person had as Christ bids him offer'd his Prayer to God in person in his Closet 7. The Priests could not put God into a Wafer or piece of Bread and set him on an Altar or carry him about in a Box they could not lock him up in a Temple and carry the Keys at their Giâ—dle by which they would lose excessive gains 8. There would be no more Pilgrimages to Mecha or Jerusalem Rome Loretto Compostella and a multitude of other Places which would lose them vast gains 9. They would lose the gains of Praying to Saints and Angels for they who believe God only to be Omnipresent and the Vbi's of Saints and Angels to be unknown and uncertain when and whether in Temples or no would rather pray to God only than such as they knew not where or when to find and might therefore be mocked as Elijah 1 Kings 18.27 mocked Baals Prophets and said Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a Journey or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked 10. They would lose the gains of all Sanctuaries Asylums and Horns of the Altar for if God is every where why should Malefactors have more privilege there than every where whereby neither Cain by Land nor Jonah by Sea could flie the Presence of the Lord and the same is no Protection but a Punishment to the Wicked 11. There would be no more buying or hireing places of Burial in Chancels Churches Church-yards or other Consecrated ground by such as believed God Omnipresent whereby a great Revenue would likewise be lost to Popish Ecclesiasticks All which recited matters and the foremention'd Mediator Confessor Penance and Pardon Offices and divers others conduce infinitely to the gain of Papal and Episcopal Priests and the Pride and Power of the Kingdom
Brother yâ—ur self when Caught you find In snares for others you designed Learn Who ill Principles extends Against his Foes destroys his Friends And when for us you dig a Pit You are the next fall into it It was your Church what er'e it saith Law Latine left and Latine-Faith And Babbled without Mood or Tense In Church and Court and without Sense That blind might lead the blind and they Rob so all pass'd through their dark way You before Hearing first did Curse And Oulaw too to take a Purse Of which too late you now complain And we to help have tri'd in vain The Papist too brought Fictions in And Forgery that foulest Sin The Papists too were the first sharks And sate in Courts Bishops and Clerks And left their Cursed Presidents Of Forms for their wicked Intents Which still continue now and you As well as we begin to Rue At least the Poor of either side Though they touch not the Prelat's Pride And if you Perish by the same Who but your selves now can you blame The Protestant at length Essai'd Although by greater Power dismai'd Forms Fictions and Forgeries By Papist left to blind the Eyes Of Justice and Religion And in a Language still unknown And the High Places of old Baal Which did both Souls and Bodies Thrall To take away and teach their Youth Worship in Spirit and in Truth And Justice too by those who swayed In a True Ballance to be weighed For Fictions and Forgeries Come from the Father of all Lies But still the Protestant in vain To Supreme Power did complain While Papist-Peers in Parliament And Pensioners the Publick Rent Force from the Common's Skin and Bones It was in vain to make our moanes From Justice then with many Jeers You kept and first made us shed Tears Although deceived in your hope Perhaps now from your selves they drop And you and we suffer alike From strokes which you and us did strike Am I not in as bad a Case As you within this Dismal Place And me to make yet in a worse They Outlaw may as well as Curse You have unto the Dreadful Doom Of God Appeal'd which is to come You nothing owe I to the same Appeal and his most Dreadful Name I have committed no Offence ' Gainst men nor ' gainst my Conscience For which I 'm Sentenc'd to lie here And be your Fellow-Prisoner Who Rule the Conscience can but God Or who can change it with a Nod I see not when the Bishop winks Or if I think not as he thinks Or cannot by Implicit Faith Believe what e're the Bishop saith Is' t just because that I cannot I should lie here to Starve or Rot Pap. Brother I 'le freely tell my mind And say where Protestants are kind To Catholicks in Recompence They each enjoy their Conscience And Toleration hath united Not only those before Recited But bloody Wars could not be ceased In Germany 'till Conscience eased On each side was in the same Nation By a mutual Toleration The like in Hungary was acted And no Peace there could be transacted Between the Emperor and them 'Till Grafted both on the same Stem And many other like appear Too many to be Cited here They are not Commons but our Peers Who set us both now by the Ears They Pensions take from Rome and France Poor Us to Tyburne to advance And with some part when 't is espi'd They Pardon Buy and us Deride Why then should English Freedom miss More than our Neighbour Dutch or Swiss Or Driven be to Gaol or Church Conscience and Justice both to Lurch Prot. Brother I 'm not so void of Sense As Punishment on Conscience To wish who in so high degree Suffer for it my self you see But on what Terms the wiser State Will both Religions Tolerate I cannot tell or if no fears They have of Poor but only Peers I know not only this I say We should small Prudence then bewray To trie for others and in vain 'Till our own Liberty we gain Pap. Yet we in this do both agree Though Toleration none there be And both alike for this contend That whether he is Foe or Friend Yet before Hearing he ought not In Cruel Prison Starve or Rot And Magna Charta none can be Of Property or Liberty Unless 't is in the same Expres't Before a Judgment no Arrest 7. The Three Kingdoms condemn one another without Hearing by a Non-Union of their Three Parliaments Of the Fatal Danger threatning all Protestants by the Division of the Three Parliaments of England Scotland and Ireland and the inestimable Benefits ensue the Union of the same in one House Unless the Supreme Judicatory is rightly constituted to Judg between the King and his Subjects Church and Church Kingdom and Kingdom Nation and Nation Possession and Succession and between one Subject and another it is in vain to constitute inferior Judicatories to any of those great ends of Preservation of Religion and Justice Peace and Truth Liberty and Propriety for there being no Supremeequal Judg constitute there will-be no inferior Judg equally constitute and being no equal Judg Supreme or inferior if Kingdoms happen to become Plaintiffs and Defendants one against another for Religion or any other Quariel they are necessitated to condemn one another without Hearing because they agree not by what Judg they will be heard but will like the Scythians worship the Sword and Fortune for the Gods and Judges of the World and begin their Sute one against another with Execution by the unjust Capiases and Outlawries of War and Proclamations of the same by the Trumpet 1. First therefore the great danger these Three Protestant Kingdoms lie under is If any Papist should again as they have by their perpetual Plots hitherto endeavour'd to kindle a Civil War there can be nâ— Judg equal Elected by them able without the Persons Elected sit in one House to punish the Incendiaries and prevent the War Succession of the Crown divided by divided Parliaments 2. If the Succession of the Crown should happen to become contentious between Competitors and the Parliaments continue as they do divided in several Houses and several Places the Three Kingdoms if they depart from the immutable Moral Law of God either to the Ecclesiastical Laws of their several Churches or to the Temporal Laws of the several Kingdoms they may each have several Laws Privileges and Customs of Succession one from another and the Houses of Lords may have different Customs and pretences to Judicatories from Houses of Commons and the Episcopal Assemblies and Synods may pretend several Rights of Judicature from the Law-Courts so every Kingdom may happen to be divided in their Sentence of Succession and one to Judg it to A. another to B. another to C. the House of Lords in one to Judg it to D. in the other to E. in the other to F. the House of Commons to Judg it in one to G. in the other to H. in the other to
take any Oath unless it be only in Cases Matrimonial or Testamentary But whereas also by a certain Act in Parliament began and holden at Westminster the 8th Day of May in the 13th Year of our Reign and there continued till Wednesday the 30th Day of July in the 13th Year of our Reign afâ—resaid and from the same Day the Parliament Adjourned till the 20th Day of November then next following amongst other things it was Enacted by the Authority of the said Parliament That it should not be lawful for any Arch-Bishop Bishop Vicar General Chancellor Commissary or any other Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to offer tender or administer to any Person whatsoever the Oath usually called the Oath Ex Officio or any other Oath by which such Person to whom it may be offered or administred might be burdened or compelled to confess or accuse him or her self of any Criminal matter or thing whereby he or she might be burdened with any Censures or Punishments as in the said Act amongst other things it is more fully contained Yet you the aforesaid Bishop after the Coming forth of this Act viz. the 23d Day of July in the 27th Year of our Reign in no wise regarding the said Law and Statute at Chichester in the County of Sussex did offer and tender unto the said Thomas Watersfield being then Church-Wapden of the Parish Church of Arundel in the said County of Sussex a certain illegal Oath Ex Officio to be performed by the said Thomas Watersfield in a Cause neither Matrimonial nor Testamentary by which the said Thomas Watersfield might be forced to accuse himself of divers matters Criminal and with which he might be Burdened with divers Punishments and Censures Ecclesiastical In which Oath as it was then tendered the said Thomas Watersfield should with his utmost Diligence Present every Person which then or lately was Inhabiting within the said Parish of Arundel who hath done any offence or neglected any Duty mentionâ—d in certain Articles contained in a certain Printed Book which Book was then and there shewn by you the said Bishop to the said Thomas Watersfield and the said Thomas Watersfield doth Aver at the time of the Tendering of the said Oath and before and afterwards ever since and hitherto That he hath dwelt and been Resident in Arundel aforesaid and that in the said Printed Book at the said time that the said Oath was tendered to be performed there was contained amongst other thâ—ngs this Question viz. Whether every Person Inhabiting or Sojourning within the Parish of Arundel aforesaid did daily resort every Lords-day and Festival appointed for Divine Service to the Church and whether they did there remain the whole time of Divine Service quietly with Reverence Order and Decency and whether Church wardens and Officers called Sides-men did observe those which came late after the beginning of Divine Service or went away before the end of the same and whether they did suffer some to stand idle or to talk in the Church-Porch or to walk in the Church-Yard during the time of Prayer and Preaching or other Sacred Duties And forasmuch as the said Thomas Watersfield did then and there refuse to take the said Oath you the aforesaid Bishop did pronounce the Sentence of Excommunication upon him afterwards that is to say upon the 23d Day of July in the 27th Year of our Reign aforesaid at Chichester aforesaid In Contempt of Us and the manifest Damage Prejudice and Impoverishment of the said Thomas Watersfield and against the Form and Effect of the said Statute and the Common Law of this Our Realm of England And whereas such Pleas by the Laws of England of Right belong to Us and not to You We therefore being willing to maintain the Laws of our Crown and the Law and Custom aforesaid as by the Bond of our Oath we are bound to do We forbid you firmly enjoining you not to intermeddle or hold before you the said Bishop the Plea and Sentence aforesaid as to any Answers in the said Articles concerning the said Thomas Watersfield or any thing from thence attempted But that you Release and Dissolve all Decrees and Sentences if any be against the said Thomas Watersfield by reason of the said Fulmination And that you do absolutely Release him the said Thomas Watersfield from all Decrees and Sentences upon occasion of the said Fulmination Teste at Westminster the 6th Day of May in the 28th Year of Our Reign Wurley The Suggestion on which this Prohibition is granted remains Recorded in the said Court of Common-Pleas in Mr. Wurley's Office Roll 551. Excommunicators Murderers John Hus and Jerome of Prague held That Priests ought to Preach notwithstanding Excommunication That Bishops were Murderers for delivering men over to the Lay-power for Disobeying them That such Excommunication was a humane Invention to maintain the Pride and Cruelty of the Clergy And were Martyr'd for this and other Truths The King shall be forced to Execute every Decree of the Pope or Priests with the Temporal Sword though contrary to his Conscience otherwise he shall be Censur'd if obstinate not worthy to hold his Crown Sheriff of Englands Oath The Sheriffs of England are compell'd to be Sworn to Assist and Execute all the Commands of Bishops not excepting against the King himself which is a most wicked Oath to be suffer'd For though it doth not Swear in express words to give the Supremacy of the Temporal Sword to this Spiritual Sword of Excommunication that the Priests were too subtle to have appear openly in their Form Excommunicators Usurp Supremacy yet doth it require him to Swear what is Aequipollent to assist and maintain the Bishops and Commissioners of the Holy Church as often as by them requirâ—d whereby their Spiritual Sword is made the Imperant and the King 's Temporal Sword the Obedient The Imperant hath Supremacy over the Obedient as it is said Rom. 6 16. Know ye not to whom ye yeild your selves Servants to Obey his Servants ye are to whom ye Obey Shall the Sheriff therefore be compell'd to be a Traitor to deliver the Temporal Sword intrusted in his hand by the King to those who assume that Luciferian Title of the Holy-Church to be Supreme above the King which is point-blank contrary to his Oath of Supremacy which obliges him to suppress with it such a Rebellious Pride to the utmost of his Power The Sheriff is likewise by the Law of Scotland to do Execution on Excommunicate Persons as appears Skene de verb. signif tit Schiriff Sheriff of Scotland whose words are The Sheriff shall take and apprehend all Cursed and Excommunicate Persons at the desire of the Bishop or his Official and put them in Prison untill they satisfie God and the Kirk Stat. 2. Reb. Br. specially them quhahes remained under the Censure of Excommunication by the space of Forty Days Quon Attach Rextali 76. And by Ja. 2. P. 4. cap. 7. it is Enacted That
the King Then they carried him Forth out of the City and stoned him with stones that he Died. Whence is to be Noted 1. That the Whore of Babylon imitates Jezabel in sending Letters in the Kings name for so are all Excommunicato Capiendo's and Haeretico Comburendo's in the name of the King in whose Dominions they are Granted and Sealed with his Seal 2. Jezabel pretended Religion Proclaimed a Fast and accused of Blasphemy so do the Ministers of the Whore pretend Religion wholly and solely in those Writs 3. In this they are worse than Jezabel for she accused only of Blasphemy which is an External Act and if there had been any such thing it had been possible to have been witnessed but these punish and destroy for Internal Thoughts and Conscience 4. Jezabel accused of Actual Blasphemy against God which is Malum in se and against the Moral Law and though Ahab and she were both Idolaters yet did not accuse Naboth That he was a Recusant or Non-Conformist to come to the Temple of their Idol or to join in their Common-Prayer before it or would not bow to their Altar or observe their Ceremonies nor do we find amongst all the Idolatries amongst the Israelites that any was compell'd by Force to Worship them neither could there have been Seven Thousand who had not bowed the Knee to Baal had there been Penal Statutes against Recusancy or Non-Conformity but the now Masters of Ceremonies are worse than Jezabel who destroy men unless they will break the Moral Law bow to Idols and Altars and obey the Ceremonial Law of men above the Moral Law of God 8. That the sole end of Compulsion to Forms of Worship or Confession of Faith is to get Money and not the Glory of God Take these farther Examples in the Primitive times Anno 346. Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia a man of great reputed Integrity and strictness of Life being a Dissentient from the common practice of other Bishops absented himself from the Publick Conventions where things were practised against his Conscience and kept Meetings in Private Houses Preacht and Administred the Sacrament not in the places and manner appointed by the other Bishops Cannons they seeing their Gainful Canons and Orders like to be laid aside Conspired together at the Council of Gangra and Antioch making severe Canons of their own and likewise pretending Apostolical Canons against all Bishops or Presbyters for so were they called which should be Non-Conformists that they should be Excommunicated and Deposed not regarding though to Acts against their Consciences and not Commanded by the Moral Law of God but though this Corruption crept in even in the Primitive times amongst those who called themselves Christians and the misery of Iniquity did then begin to work 2 Thes 2.7 And there were then many Anti-Christs 1 John 2.18 Yet no Example or Precept could they pretend from Christ or his Apostles for these Anti-Christian and Anti-Apostolical Canons Coin'd to get Money and Compulsory to Consciences either to destroy themselves by Acting contrary to their own Light or openly to accuse themselves to be destroyed by others where did Christ who abolished all Ceremonials and Declared the Worship of God to be in Spirit and Truth make so much as one Canon against Recusancy to Pray in Temples or Non-Conformity to Prayer in Forms Where did Christ or his Apostles make one Law or Canon Compulsory to the Conscience in Form of Worship or with the Penalties of Confiscation or Excommunication hanging at the tail of it where did they ever make so much as one such Canon of Marriage the matter now in Controversie or where did Christ or any Apostle of Christ so much as Marry one Couple or give Authority to any Priest to do it or to receives Fees for the doing who would never make Canons to compell the Conscience to that or any thing else were it not to get Money Cyrillus who passes for a Father of the Church getting to be Bishop of Alexandria Anno Dom. 4.18 turn'd out all the Novatians out of their Churches there they being Non-Conformists to his and the chief matter objected against them was They were against Bishops which might have satisfied a Successor of Christ who pretended only to lay up Treasure in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust doth Corrupt but he Rifled all the Treasure from those Churches and from their Bishop or Presbyter all the Substance he had and like a new Broom swept all clean into his own Coffers Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 7. How far different from the Example of Christ who though he whipt the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple and overthrew the Tables of the Money-Changers took not one Penny of the Money but Bishop Cyrill aim'd at the Monopoly of the Trade to himself here on Earth and left the Treasure in Heaven to Christ Theodosius Bishop of Synada a City in Phrygia was a great Scourge to Non-Conformists whom he called Hereticks but he persecuted them not out of Zeal but Covetousness to wring Money from them wherefore to that end there was no Device but he practised and to afflict them the more he put them in Fetters to hold up their hands at the Bar Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 3. But while Theodosius went to Constantinople to obtain greater Power yet to Squeez Dissentients and Non-Conformists and particularly those who were against the Faith of one Substance and had above all other Persecuted Agapetus a Bishop of a contrary Faith Agapetus in his absence to gain his Enemies Bishoprick from him turn'd to be of the same Faith with his Enemy and acknowledged one Substance of the Father and Son and who before was an Homoiousiast became now an Homousiast and obtain'd thereby the Government of the Diocess Churches and City of Synada shortly after Theodosius return'd home from Constantinople to Synada and brought with him the Authority from the Lieutenant whereof he bragged not a little that he had enough to Pepper the men to the purpose who were not of one Substance with him and being Ignorant of all the things which were done in his Absence he straight way went to the Church where he found but small welcome for the Doors were made fast against him and after he knew their Dealing again he posteth to Constantinople there he bewail'd his State to Atticus the Bishop and open'd unto him That he was Injuriously Thrust from his Bishoprick Atticus apprehending that all fell out for the Profit of the Church of God endeavour'd to pacifie him with mild and courteous Language Exhorting him to embrace a quiet Life void of Trouble and Molestation and not to prefer his own Gain and private Lucre above the Publick Profit and Peace of the Church and thereon writ to Agapetus willing him to enjoy the Bishoprick and not to fear at all the Displeasure of Theodosius Id ib. By which appears though Bishops call themselves Angels and Messengers of God yet are they not like them of whom it is said