to be ordained of God and necessary when indeede it is theire owne office that is not necessary seeing it onely serveth for such things to persecute men for the Testimonie of Iesus and more to force vnnecessarie then necessarie ceremonies For kneeling in prayer good order and reverent gesture in the Church are vsed in the french Churches as commendable and necessarie and yet in men that in those other thâ—ngs are disobedient to the truth theire verie prayers are abhominable and but mockeries much more theire owne deuised cringes and gestures as in Papists who abound in such things and as if a man should with all order and reverence bow his body to the King his chaire of Estate Image or seale and yet despise or neglect many of his wholsom Lawes and commandements The orders and ceremonies which God ordained are indeede to religion as the barke or leaues to a tree that is a comely part of it but as for other ceremonies and inventions with theire pretended significations which beeing devised by man are more then are in the reformed Churches of France or were in the Apostles time they are not to the religion and truth of God as they say like the barke to the tree which if it be taken off the tree withereth but as the ivye to the oake which seemes to adorne and embrace it but indeede binds shadowes and by degrees wasts and destroyes it For these shewes serve many for a religion and a cloake of persecution and the power of Bishops serues for a tyranous terrour to keepe men from pâ—aching and writing the truth and setting theire names to theire bookes in the cases of the hierarchie traditions Altars images pelagianisme or the like and consequently to beget flatterie and lukewarmnesse in Clergie and people and eate out that loue and zeale of the truth in all things that they either doe now or may hereafter prohibit or maintaine Such was and such is the fruite of theire power and therfore certainly it is not of God but of men of the world of the coueteous lust of the eyes and of the pride of life and therfore what matters it who gaue it them whether councels or Kings they cannot make black white nor euill good nor that Lawfull which is so unlawfull and pernicious to the Kingdom of God Constantine no doubt thought he had offered a greate sacrifice to God in giueing them so much as he did other Emperours Kings therfore haue augmented it But he that forbiddeth to adde to his word or take from it saith to obey is better then sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. Therfore Asa to doe that which was right in the eyes of God did not vrge his owne or other mens inventions 2. Chro. 14.3.4 but tooke away the Altars of the strange Gods and the high places and Images other Kings had erected and commaunded Judah to seeke the Lord God of theire Fathers and to doe the Law marke and the commaundement Chr st beeing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords though Kinges as his deputies haue greate power in matters of Religion yet that is so as in theese things not so seeke theire owne but Gods will donne in earâ—h as it is in heauen I saith he Ioh. 8.26 chap. 6.34 Tract 40.41.54 speake to the world those things which I haue heard of him J came not to doe mine owne will but the will of him that sent me He saiâ—e this that was the eternall word and Wisdom of God yea verie God and eternall l fe For indeede he was not his owne wisdom word but the Fathers as August n doth mâ—nâ—fest on theese the like places of the Gosspell And shall not Kings then who are but his Deputies much more say it yea doe it either by causing the word of God to be faithfully taught in theire cities as David and Iehoshaphat or by rooting out all monuments and stumbling blocks of superstition and idollatrie and by suffering theire subjects to preach freely against them and to worship the Lord in the beautie of holinesse as Hezechiah and Iosiah did that is in a word by causing theire subjects to worship God aright and take his marke in the puritie of his ordinances and not to worship the Beast and take his mark in receiving professing and defending his corrupt traditions and ceremonies For to serve God and make others serve him in the beautie of holinesse Psa 110.3 is to make men serve him in the holinesse of the truth according to all that is written in his Testament Ios 1.8 and not with cathedrall service and musick after the pompous traditions and inventions of Prelates and theire Canons as some infer For the Image of God is renewed in all righteousnesse and holines of the truth Ephes 4.24 and if God would not that wee should be again in bondage to the rudiments which himselfe ordained in the ceremoniall law Christ haveing nailed them to his crosse much lesse to those which the pope and church of Rome or other men have invented or established It were good that Princes and theire chaplains would think of that Ezra 7.21 whatsoever is commaunded by the God of heaven that is in matters of religion let it be diligently donne where mark he saith not commaunded by Kings for why should there be wrath against the Realme of the King and his Sonnes That is either for neglecting Gods commaund or vrging inventions of men for therfore wee are willed not to thinke of men and theire power above that is written 1 Cor. 4.6 It is the necessity of conformitie imposed upon Ministers that furnisheth them as it did the Papists with arguments to defend traditions humane precepts and Canons against this truth and so to make a fearfull war against God Which I observe not so much of them who haveing subscribed follow theire ministrie preach the word and never speake of English traditions hopeing God will reforme them as of those that defend and preach them Isa 1. never thinking that God may say vnto them who required these things at your hands What Gospell is this How doth it helpe the Kingdom of God What knowledge what fai h what holinesse of the truth doth it worke They yet strive to justifie these ordinances and all the power of the prelates 1. Cor. 14.40 saying the Apostle saiâ—h Let all things be donne decently and in order therfore Synods may ordaine diocessan Bishops and all such Canons as are in England and doubtlesse the will of God is that they should be obeied I nswer the Apostle by this decencie and order can not meane any thing that shall overthrow any of the ordinances of God or make his word of none effect in any particular He speakes it of things before mencioned in his Epistle Chap. 11.21 Chap. 12. There were divers who did eate theire suppers when they came to the Sacrament one is hungrie and another is drunken this was not decently and in order If any
word made flesh that reveale the father for thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Mat. 4. and him only shalt thou serve And above all in this in beleeving his word only who can not deceive nor be deceived Otherwise though thou pray vnto him and vse all externall devotions he will not account that service or following him but following a man knowes not who what or wherefore for how shall they call on him in whome they have not beleeved Rom. 10.14.15 And how shall they beleeve in him of whome they have not heard there can therefore be no true serving him without hearing and beleeving nor no hearing to salvation without hearing of him nor indeede without obeying or following for therfore it is added But they have not all obeied the Gospel Some obey it not at all as Iewes others would serve God and Mammon others Christ and Antichrist others Gods word and the precepts of men but this is not to obeie the Gospell to follow Christ to worship him aright for he saith In vaine they worship me who teach for doctrines the commandements of men Thus doe they who teach that diocessan Bishops should be received and obeied Mat. 15 9. which make Gods word of the presbiterie of none effect and this they also doe by other theire traditions and precepts which not only crosse the Gospel in other things See the crowne of a Christian Martyr but serve men for a religion and so make the word of God of none effect And while they hold that Gods will is that they should be obeied that is in effect to teach them for doctrines they are no longer things indifferent but necessarie or rather presumptions that turne from the truth Mar. 7.8 and make men lay aside the word of God for laying aside the commandements of God ye hold the tradition of men As if he saide ye cannot hold the tradition of men but ye lay aside the commandement of God as wee finde true in matter of the presbiterie and other things Againe No man hath seene God at any time Ioh. 1.18 the only begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him All things are delivered vnto me of my father and no man knoweth the father save the Sonne Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 15.15 and he to whome the Sonne will reveale him But he saith to his Apostles All things that I have heard of my father J have made knowne vnto you so he hath fullie declared him And the Apostles have declared vnto vs in the new Testament all the counsell of God If therfore the Sonne Act. 20.27 have not revealed these traditions and precepts of men in his Testament it is a greate presumtion to say they may be imposed or that Gods will is that they should be obeied For because Christ only is the word that revealeth the father therefore that only should be taught which he hath revealed by his Apostles Evangelists but he hath not revealed these precepts of men and therfore he saith In vaine they worship me who teach for doctrines commandements of men As if he saide rejecting God his word ye worship him whose traditions ye receive Ioh. 4. and that with the greatest and trewest worship The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth Viz. in obeying the truth and yealding themselves to be wholly governed by it as by a perfect and necessarie rule which requireth not a difference of meates or such triviall things but righteousnes and peace Rom. 14 16.18 ioy in the holy Ghost He that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God He is a true worshipper For so Paul saith After the way that they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things that are written To beleeve the Testaments and no more Obejed is the true worship This must needes be the worship vsed by them who are saide to worship in the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimonie Rev. 11.1.19 because there was nothing seene in it but the Arke of his Testament they beleeved and obeied all things that were written therein and no more 1. Sam. 15.22 To beleeve and to obey is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of rammes It is the best service and worship as the very Iesuits prove from this place Ignati de obed virtute sect 5 and thereby condemne themselves who give this best service to theire superiour by beleeving and obeying him as one that can not be deceived though they cannot perceive but he commaunds things contrarie to God and so make him theire God Thus the Pope sits in the Temple of God as God or as men say most maister in things and thus papists worship the Beast and his image For his servants ye are to whome ye obey And yet this worship in matters of religion is only due vnto God whose word alone is the spirit that giveth life yea men have more or lesse the Spirit of prophecâ—e 〈◊〉 â—â—â—uld be obeied as they speake according to that word and thâ—â—â—fore the Angel saith worship God for the testimonie of Iesus is the Spirit of prophecie Rev. 19 His testimonie and no other For the church is subject to Christ not to the preceps of men This testimonie ye ought to beleeve and obey Ephes 5.24 as Paul did in beleewing all things that are written and so to worship God in Spirit and truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him The Papists then in receiving and teaching for Doctrines precepts and traditions of the Pope and Church of Rome so contrarie to the word do certainly giue them this true and greate worship which only belongs to God and so are like them who changed the truth of God into a lie Rom. 1.25 and worshipped and served the creature more then the creator who is blessed for ever Thus they are saide to worship the Beast and his Image Many thinke that some such thing is done by those in England that defend teach the authority of the Bishops theire hierarchie Canons decrees and ceremonies because many of them are popish and more pressed by many then some points of the Gospel And though divers doe not doe this with a purpose to set vp poperie vnlesse in a few things neither can be perswaded that the hierarchie is a limbe of the Beast yet the obedience to it in these things if they or it be not of God is a worship to it and a serving the creature more then the creator which indeede is much more donne by the Papists to the Beast and his Image And here by the way it is a thing worthy observation that if in the primative ages of the church vnder the first Christian Emperours some were touched with some of the popish opinions as very few were and those only in some things yet they did neither maintaine them against such light of doctrine
THE FALL OF BABYLON IN VSVRPING ECCLESIASTICALL POWER AND OFFICES AND THE MISERABLE ESTATE of them that pertake of her fornications Revelation 18.4 Come out of her my People that ye be not pertarkers of her sinnes and that ye receyve not of her plagues Imprinted in the yeare of our Lord. 1634. THE PREFACE TO THE Reader IT was a question prophetically asked of those times wherein the Church and truth of God should suffer greatest persecution and opposition why doe the Heathen rage Psa 2. and the People imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the Earth set themselves the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his Christ saying Let us breake theire bands asunder and cast theire cords from us But for all these forces and devises of men who are not Iewes indeed Christians indeede but Gentiles and Heathen Yet saith God have I set my King upon my holy hill of Syon and that as he saith to have the Heathen for his inheritance and the ends of the Earth for his possession eyther to rule them by the rod of his power by the revealed word or to break them in pieces like a Potters vessel â—or it had beene sâ—yde He shall judge among the Nations Isa 2. Well therefore is it added Be wise now therefore o ye Kings be instructed ye Iudges of the earth Serve the Lord with feare c. For as the Church of God in generall so every true member of it will be ready to say Chap. 33. The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King and that therefore it were a happy thing if Princes and States would be pleased to consider that they are onely Lords over men properly and directly as they are theire subjects and not as they are Christs Disciples Christians and spiritually his subjects withall that God is not pleased with unwilling worshippers whereby neyther Christian societies are bettered nor the persons themselves For while all are compelled to a conformitie especially if it be in things not according to the word of God many haveing presently theire Religion in respect of mans authority not of Gods become Hypocrites Timeservers and a kinde of Atheists which is worse such men by theire formalitie though they have litle else in them doe oft attaine authority in such Churches and thereby get dominion over mens faith in other things For though in the primitive times the Bishops of Rome had no such ample power yet the fi st step to it was that of imposing conformitie in things devised by men by them counted indifferent and innocent if not proffitable and necessary which power beeing graunted them they soone got authority over all Ministers and People and then so much over Kings that in verie pollicie they thought it theire best course to hold all theire subjects in matters of Religion to the obedience of the Church of Rome rather then to adventure the danger of her displeasure whereby they brought both themselves and theire subjects into a far worfe thraldom then that of the Aegyptian bondage What reason then is there that this power thus Popishly taken up should still be maintayned against the poore subjects From the beginning it was not so For the Ancients finding the burden imposed by Heathen Tyrants to be intollerable sayde Tertull. that it is no propertie of Religion to compell to Religion which ought to be taken up freely that no man is forced by the christians against his will Lactanc seeing he that wants faith and devotion is vnserviceable to God and that God not beeing contentious would not be worshipped of the vnwilling And in deede after he had manifested his whole truth the new Ierusalem his true church if these things would not serve to convince men he saith He that is vniust let him be vniust still and he that is filthie Rev 22. let him be filthie still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still Yet doe I not denie all compulsion to the hearing of Gods word as the meanes to worke religion common to all sorts good and bad much lesse excuse civill disobedience palliated with religious shewes and pretences vsed by Annabaptists others or condemne necessarie restraint of publik idolatrie the excercise of all erronious religions So as these rules of reason be held inviolâ—ble That the bond betweene Magistrate and subject is essentially civill but religious accidentally only th ugh eminent So that he is only to hinder and punish that which God would have hindred and punished and to cherish that only which God would have cherished and not by the cunning of prevaricators who serve not the Lord Iesus but theire owne bellies to be drawne either to hold them guiltie that follow Gods Testament or those guiltlesse who erre in theire hearts practises because they have not known his waies nor indeede will know them whence it may come to passe that he that persecutes the chu ch of Christ defeÌ„deth the Synagogne of Satan may thinke he doth God service when he hath rather cause to feare that he helpeth his grand enemie the devill I have therefore endeavoured to shew these things in the fall of Babylon and withall that as the christian Magistrate hath his power of Magistracie from God which his Christianitie serves to sanctifie and direct so vndoubtedly he is to vse it for God and his honour and that in his true worship in which he is espetially honoured and only against the contrarie The world doth ring of three complaints 1. When a State professeth the reformed Religion hath Churches governed by Elders as neere as it can to the practise of the primitive Churches yet by a tolleration or connivance gives leave to Annabaptists Arminians Lutherans Papists and others to have Churches in the same Cities 2. When a State is of the Popish Religion and maintaynes it yet both gives absolute tolleration to the reformed Religion and contemnes it as in France 3. When a State professeth the Protestant Religion and withall a hierarchie traditions and Ceremonies which are Romishe commanding all to a conformitie in them and forbidding all confutation of them and of some other Popish Arminian tenets and practises much connived at In the two first men say if Sathan have a Synagogue or Throne in the one ende of a Citie yet Christ hath a Throne in the other his Temple is open and his Servants have libertie to serve him as the primitive Churches did neyther is any man compelled to other they may freely preach write against all errours This cannot be sayde of the third and therefore if a poore Christian that would flie out of Babylon be forced to dwell in one of them let him learne by Christs word in which he ought to take up his habitation THE FALL OF BABYLON IN VSVRPING ECCLESIASTICALL POWER AND OFFICES And the miserable estate of them that pertake of her Fornication THE church
may finde by the Scriptures if he doe but observe that rule of Christ Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will that is be ordered by it he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God er whether J speake of my selfe Men can not know the truth in this point because they are not willing to know it much lesse to doe it and hold it fast as they are willed But because God hath suffered diocessan Bishops so many hundred yeares and hath not sodainly slaine them when they began to innovate as he did Nadab Abihu and Vzza therefore men are so foolish as to thinke he is so well pleased with the invention that now it should not be so much as questioned when they know if that argument were good the like might be saide for Antichrist who began to rise and raigne with them yet will not men see it Much lesse will they beleeve that as for lesser presūptions in the Corinthians Paul saith for this cause many are weake and sick and many sleepe 1. Cor. 11.21.31 so God punished these as well at theire first rising with the persecutions as since with many plagues spiritual temporall Eccl. 8.11 Psa 50.21 Because sentence against an euill vvorke is not executed speedily therfore the heart of the Sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe euill J kept silence and thou thoughtest that I vvas altogether such a one as thy selfe That is wel enough pleased with thy works But I vvil reproue thee and set them in order before thine eyes and as the Prophet sheweth Ier. 5.1.3.4.5 Isa 26.9.10.11 God inflicteth his punishmēts on a citie or people to make them seeke his truth and to bring them to the knowledge of it O Lord are not thine eyes vpon the truth thou hast stricken them but they haue not grieued for they know not the way of the Lord they haue broken the yoke burst the bonds When thy Judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learne righteousnes The godly will but let fauour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse Nor yet when the hand of God is vpon them Exod. 32 34. When thy hand is lifted vp they will not see But they shall see be ashamed for their enuie at the people and as he saith in a like case In the day vvhen I visit Ier. 12.1 Habak 1.13 I will visit theire sinne vpon them In the meane time why should any godly man be so moved at their prosperitie as to put forth his hand to their wickednesse or in discontent to say wherfore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deale verie trecherously For then he will make them to see that his church is called the Tabernacle of the Testimonie The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimonie in heauen was opened Reu. 15.5 Chap. 11.19 And ther was seene in it the Ark of his Testament To shew vs that as vnder the first Testament all things concerning the Priests the service was to continue according to the first institution 1. Sam. 2.28 so ought it to be vnder the new I did giue saith God to Elie vnto the howse thy Father all the offerings made by fire to let him know they ought to haue been contented with what God had giuen them and not to take more as his Sonnes did the Testimonie was as well concerning the office and right of the Priests as other things there was not any thing to be suffered of coueteousnes ambitious vsurpation or humane inuention Deut. 19.19.20 So was it to be vnder the new Testament For when God by Moses had spoken of Christ and that which he should speake in his name it is added in the next words But the Prophet which shall presume to speake a word in my name which I haue not commaunded him to speake euen that Prophet shall die And when Christ saith Reu. 22.18 If a man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagnes written in this booke wee are not onely to take it of thrusting things into the text or adding to it but of speaking and in his name imposing on Churches and people things in religion which he commaunded not God so taxed this fault in the Iewes Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.8 that he counted all things yea theyr verie worshipping of him to be vaine while this was suffered Because in the primatiue Church men did not striue to ouercome the intruding of inuentions by holding fast Christs works vnto the end but let in now a litle and then a litle the truth was daily betrayed and lost and so it must needes be where they are maintained the lesser presumptions make way for the greater Gods word and truth is his glorie Psa 4.3 But saith he how long will ye turne my glorie into shame yet this they doe who would make it defend or allow the inventions and precepts of men This is a harlot like trick to giue her husbands goods and glorie to her adulterers But as Israel and Iudah did it so haue Christian Churches Thou ô Rome wast at first a famous Church but like them Ezech. 15. Esa 48.8 chap. 1. thou didst trust in thine owne beautie and playedst the harlot because of thy renowne thou didst deale very trecherously and wast called a transgressor from the wombe How soone did the faithfull citie become an Harlot It was full of judgment righteousnes lodged in it But now murderers c The Prophets Prophesie falsly Ier. 5.31 and the Priests beare rulle by theire meanes and my people loue to haue it so and what will they doe in the end thereof I answer they made a like custom and long continuance a warrant for theire inuentions as they doe that vpon like grounds defend euill They despise the Law of the Lord. Amos. 2.4 And their lies caused them to erre after which their Fathers walked They would rather doe as their Fa hers had donne and taught then as God commaunded By reason thereof men talke in vaine that tell them of Gods ordinance They cannot hearken Ier. 6.10 Behold the word of the Lord is vnto them a reproach they haue no delight in it I haue written to him the greate things of my Law but they where counted as a strange thing Hos 8.12 And the reason is well giuen Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the Leopard his spots Chap. 13.23 then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill All men are subject to finde excuses and even to wrest the Scriptures to defend ancient custome◠It was Gods gracious promise vnto them for all this Isa 1.25.26 Chap. 2.12 I will purge away thy drosse And I will restore thy Iudges as at the first thy counsellours as at the beginning Wee saw he hath promised as much in the case of his church for the
word the Papists talke of and ye see they doe but talke of it For they confesse theese things were introduced from ancient customes and creepingly by the silence of the people who were vrged to conformitie by the flattering and menacing clergie and loth to be counted Schismatikes Refractarie Puritans they gained the strength of Law some sooner some later but all in a like manner as beeing the inventions of ambition will worship superstition and tyranie to which God gaue them over because like the Angels they kept not theire first Estate Rom. 1.20 they did not like to retaine God in theire knowledge they did not abide in the truth nor in theese cases received the love thereof but as the flattering defenders of the English hierarchie and traditions they scorned and mocked all that opposed them and sought puritie in Religion as fooles Schismatikes and hypocrits that strained as they say at gnats and made schismes aboute trifles this mocking was that which gaue all manner of corruption strength and in crease as it doth in England Where he is reckoned a wise able divine that knows how to scoffe such men out Gal. 5.9 as Papists did A litle leauen leaveneth the whole lumpe They thus corrupted were given ouer to beleeue lies This aversion from the creators word was a conversion to the word of creatures to the decrees of men in Synods and councels Ier. 2 13. It was a forsaking of the Lord the fountaine of liveing waters and hewing them out broken cisterns that can hold no water And because they did not take the marke of God to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints and seeke to get the victorie over the Beast and his Image and marke as all Christians should God gaue them over to take the marke of the Beast to worship him and his Image and to drinke of the golden cup which the greate whore holdeth full of abhominations Reu. 17. and filthinesse of her fornication Such honour offices dominion power worship ceremonies and Religion as God never ordained But what cared they so they could but by theire flatterie and false glosses get the consent and helpe of Princes and make them beleeve this was to defend the Church which either as they did or omitted God would prosper or punish them For thus they made Emperours Kings take pleasure to assist them and so as the Prophet saith Hos 7.3 They make the King glad with theire wickednesse and the Princes with theire lies And so indeede did the false Prophets in Ieremies time and likewise in the time of Ahab and other Kings And therfore the Angel seeing the greate wickednesse of the whore of Babylon in theese things and the destruction that was ready to fall on her for them saith Reu. 18.2.3 Babylon the greate is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of deuls and the hold of euerie foule Spirit and a cage of everie vncleane and hatefull bird for all nations haue drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication viz. to which God in his wrath gaue her and them over And the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her enforcing her Lawes and errours on thâ—ire subjects and the Marchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies that is which she had neede of for the maintaining of the pompe of her Prelates ceremonies and Tempels The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearles ver 12 and fine linnen and purple and silke odours and frankencense c. Now observe this committing of fornication with her is of two sorts 1. When Kings and States give theire power and strength to the Beast and Church of Rome fighting his battailes and enforcing her Lawes customs and errours on theire people 2. When they commit some of the same evils or the like though not all as she doth Kings commit fornication with her who doe it in som things though not in all Yea though they doe them not in obedience to her or to please or serve her Henrie 8. denied the Popes supremacie yea was at difference with the Church of Rome in som things yet still committed fornication with her in other things by houlding and maintaining divers other of the Romish Lawes errours and customes Any man holdeth the Doctrine of Balaam that layeth a stumbling block before the people though it be not the verie same kinde of stumbling block which Balaam taught but som other To be guiltie of Ierobams sinne was not alwayes to set vp calves but he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam who by any other invention or presumption made Israel to sinne Som follow the way of Kaine Iude 11. some perish in the gainsaying of Corah and some are cast away by the deceitfulnes of Balams wages though not in the same particulars nor in the same manner but in a like So do some Kings commit fornication with Babylon who maintaine any of her presumptions or any like them The Greeke Churches from the yeare 607. that the Pope had obtained to be called vniversall Bishop haue seperated from the Church of Rome denying not onely the supremacie but euen worshipping of Images and som other Romish errours Yet in retaining the hierarchie of diocessan Provinciall and Patriarchall Bishops the masse divers other Romish customs errours and ceremonies both before the yeare 607. and since they haue committed fornication with her While in theese things theire feare toward God is also taught by the traditions and precepts of men they haue cause to feare Christ will not finde them to be of his Ierusalem but of Babylon the greate not of his true Church but of the Synagogue of Sathan For he reckoneth all to be of the one or the other The second councell of Nice taught and commaunded worshipping of Images And then the Greek Emperour with his mother Irene and many Greekes committed fornication in that particular with Babylon M. Moulin observeth how absurd and weake the reasons of thar councell were Buckler of the faith in preface Yet if Kings and councels once maintaine such errours how weake and foolish soever theire reasons be many are soone ready to follow and flatter theire pernicious wayes So likewise in matter of the Lords day or any other commaundement of God if they giue allowance to Prophane or breake it you doe in vaine tell theire flatterers of Gods Law they will stop your mouth or crie you downe with vrging the Lawes of men the Kings injunctions or the like shifts the common refuges of the most superstitious and Prophane men How absurdly doe such in theire much magnified common prayer say Lord haue mercie vpon us and encline our hearts to keepe this Law when they thus allow and defend the breach of it It is a verie poore honour to maintaine a power and Prerogative in such cases against the Lord and his ordinances and Servants Kings doe at last
offer to him that overcommeth and that questionles as well by war as spirituall weapons He that is called faithfull and true Chap. 19. doth in righteousnesse judge and make war against her that sitteth on many waters and so doe these that fight his battails To them that voyce crieth Reward her as she hath rewarded you and double vnto her double according vnto her works In the cup c. For she saith in her heart I sit as a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be vtterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord who judgeth her Notwithstanding that she seemeth daily to strengthen her selfe by plots devises and friends by Iesuiticall and Spanish practises yet fall she must Many thinke this cannot yet be because England doth not yet set against her as if God could not fulfill his worke without the ayde of lukewarme helpers Ioh. 18. and newters Christ saith Euerie one that is of the truth heareth my voyce Therefore if English Prelates and others that beare sway there doe not heare it in theese things they haue cause to doubt that they are not in all things of the truth nor quite come out of Babylon I wonder how they can evince vnto themselves that they are not of Babylon the greate nor pertake of her sinnes who haue no more zeale against her Marvaile not that they doe not desire to have swords drawen against her who scarce endure that the sword of the Spirit should be vnsheathed against Babylon much lesse against those tenets of theire owne which are Romish and Antichristian The ministers of the french and dutch churches though they be not wholly excercised in points controverted which were no wisdom seeing there are many other points of faith and salvation wherein the people are also to be built vp and fortified yet they scarce make a Sermon but in somthing or other they confute poperie and establish the people in the truth as God requireth If English Prelates have not made this course to be in a sort forbidden yet men say that by discountenancing of such preaching they have at least put it out of fashion as foolish and vnproffitable while in the meane they are contented and desirous that men should preach and contend for the authority of theire hierarchie traditions and ceremonies if not for Arminian tenets A thinge that pleaseth papists who looke for fruite of them knowing them to be popish yea many are so foolish as to love and praise this kinde of preaching and to loath the confutation of it as God complained of the Iewes Ier. 5.31 The prophets prophecie falsly and the Priests beare rule by theire meanes and my people love to have it soe and what will ye doe in the end thereof That is when destruction comes on you for it It is strange that men will not see that this theire preaching and contending for humane inventions and errours is to offer strange fire and the entrance way to all corruption as it was in the Church of Rome whose superstition errours crept in by degrees by degrees did eate out true Religion It will be saide it hath not yet donne so in England both the citie and countrie haue many zealous Christians yea many that are conformable I answer true yet they are verie few in respect of the rest and such as beare the Sway who count zeale against poperie puritanisme and are ready to say with them in the Gospell Ioh. 7.48 Act. 28.20 Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharises run this course but this people who knoweth not the Law are cursed Because they walke not after the high Priests the Bishops For as concerning this sect wee know it is every where spoken against And howsoever these called puritans whether they be conformable or peaceable reformists are such as will be religious whether the Bishops like it or noe as som Iewes would be Disciples for all the high Priests Elders and Pharises therefore this is no thanks to Bishops no fruite of theire government who like better of civill and ceremonious men such as pretend love of common prayer though they haue neither knowledge true loue of the word nor affection to defend religion against Papists and theire practises and like hypocrites doe but pretend a love to prayer For in those prayers they say that in knowledge of him standeth our eternall life Graunt vs in this world knowledge of thy truth And yet are enemies to this knowledge and the meanes of it preaching hearing conference and reading of some good bookes They pray for increase of grace to heare meekely his word receive it with pure affection and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Yet theire life and actions shew that they are so far from loveing these things that they mock and persecute all those that doe as knaves and hypocrites Yet in some cases as God saith of such men Isa 58. they seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes as a nation that did righteousnes and forsooke not the ordinance of theire God they aske of me the ordinance of justice they take delight in approching to God They fast and like the Bishops looke God should regard them for it But though men be never so religious in observing some of Gods ordinances if they despise or neglect the rest or any of them Deut. 15.21 chap. 17.1 the Lord hateth that Religion as a lame sacrifice Theire hands were full of blood and in other things they had transgressed the Lawes changed the ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant Isa 1.11.12.13.14.15 therefore he saith to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me I am full of the burnt offerings Bring no more vaine oblations incense is abhomination vnto me New Moones Sabbaths and appointed feasts my soule hateth And when ye make many prayers J will not heare He counteth all this but complement all religion and would not heare them in these things though he had commanded them who would not heare him in others Like the Prelates who say well that in baptisme wee promise to forsake the world and all the pompe and vanitie thereof Yet can not be perswaded by Gods word to cast theire crownes theire offices and the pompe and vanitie of them at the feete of Christ though it be proved that they are not of God but of men of the world Romish and doe much mischiefe but insteade of confuting they persecute such as pleade Christs cause in proveing these things terryfying all men of that profession more then any other with theire power in the high commission as the Papists doe Protestants with the iniquisition striveing to make them hatefull to Princes and yet keepe theire proofes from theire eyes as if they were worse then the tenets of Papists and Arminians which are not so straitly prohibited nor so narrowly looked vnto B. London