The Contrariety of POPERY TO THE Blessed Word of GOD; Wherein may be seen that the DOCTRINE and PRACTICE OF THE Church of Rome Are not consistent with the SACRED ORACLES OF THE Old and New Testament; Very fit now to be seriously minded by all Good PROTESTANTS, when we have such Warnings of the Approach of Popery.  
Written by DIGBY BULL M. A. and late Rector of Sheldon in .  
LONDON: Printed for the Author; and are to be Sold by J. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall, 1695.   

I. The Fundamental Doctrine of the Romish Church, That the blessed Apostle St. Peter was the Head and Governor of all the Apostles and of all the Church, is not consistent with the sacred Scriptures but is flat contrary to them.  
THIS grand Position of the Church of Rome, whereupon all their pretended Power and Authority is built, is altogether groundless and false, and not consistent with the blessed Word of God, as we may see by a multitude of places.  
First, We may see, That the places of Scripture, which are urged upon this account, have no force at all to prove that St. Peter was the Universal Head and Governor of the Apostles and of the Church. Great Matters are spoken of St. Peter, but nothing at all that will prove this. Matt. 16.18. Saith our blessed Lord to him; Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. But this doth not prove, that St. Peter was to be the sole Foundation of the Church; and it is clear by other places of Scripture, that this is not the meaning of this place. For in this Similitude wherein the Church is compared to a Building, Jesus Christ our blessed Lord is the sole and only Foundation, and none can pretend to be a Foundation in such a high manner as he is so. And this the Apostle St. Paul hath plainly taught us, 1 Cor. 3.11. For other Foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Here, when some were pretending to be of Paul, and some of Apollo's, the Apostle doth positively affirm, That Christ Jesus is the Foundation upon which the Christian Church was to be built, and neither Paul, nor Apollo's, nor Cephas or Peter, are to stand in competition with him in this respect. And when the Foundation is attributed to the Apostles, they are mentioned together, and Christ is called the chief Cornerstone. Ephes. 2.20; saith St. Paul; And are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Cornerstone. And in St. John's holy Jerusalem, the Apostles are all equally concerned. Rev. 21.14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations (saith he) and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The Apostles, we see, are all concerned in the Foundation of the Christian Church, and it was to be built upon them all as Ministers in this Spiritual Building, and in respect of the Doctrine and Foundation of Christ which they laid; and St. Peter alone is not the Foundation of the Christian Church. And not only St. Peter, but others also are mentioned as Pillars of the Church. Gal. 2.9. saith St. Paul; And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me—. James and John here are accounted as Pillars of the Church as well as Cephas, that is Peter. It is plain, we see, that St. Peter was not appointed to be the sole Foundation of the Christian Church; and that nothing can be fairly urged from these words of our Saviour to him, to prove him to be the Universal Head of the Church.  
Again our blessed Saviour promiseth to St. Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and power of binding and losing. Mat. 16.19; And I will give unto thee (saith he to Peter) the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Here we see that very great Power indeed is promised to St. Peter; but yet this doth not at all prove him to be the Universal Head over all the Church: For this seems not to be an actual Grant of this Power, but only a Promise; and the actual conferring of this Power doth clear this matter, That it was not granted to St. Peter alone, but to all the Apostles. This may be clearly seen by these places. Matt. 18.18. Verily I say unto you (saith our Lord) whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall lose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Here the Power of Binding and Losing, the same Power that St. Peter was to have, is as firmly ratified and confirmed to all the Apostles as it is to St. Peter, and he could pretend to no Power above his fellow Apostles. And after our Saviour's Resurrection, immediately before his ascension to Heaven, when he most solemnly invested the Apostles with this Power, he equally gave it to them all. Joh. 20.21— 23. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. Here, we see, this Power is actually and solemnly settled upon them all: And the Commission is large, bearing a correspondence with that which God the Father gave him: As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you, in the plural number. And the Commission is Universal: Whose soever sins ye remit—. This great Power than we see plainly is actually settled upon them all, and none hath a greater share of it than his Fellows. And when St. Peter said unto our blessed Saviour, in behalf of himself and his Fellows, Matt. 19 27, 28. Behold we have forsaken all, and followed thee, what shall we have therefore? Our Saviour returned this answer; And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his Glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel. And, saith he, Luke 22.29, 30; And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel. Here we see that it is equally granted to them all to sit upon Thrones, and to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel. And these places are understood to respect the Power that they were to have to govern Christ's Church here upon Earth, after his departure to Heaven. It is clear then that our blessed Saviour gave and left St. Peter no more Power and Authority than he did the rest of the holy Apostles.  
Again the Care of Christ's Flock is recommended to St. Peter. Joh. 21. 15-17. Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon Son of Ionas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, ye Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my Lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon Son of Ionas, lovest thou me? He saith, yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my Sheep: And so a third time. But this doth not prove that St. Peter had any Power and Authority granted him over the rest of the Apostles by our blessed Saviour. And we may see that our blessed Saviour hath recommended the Care of his Church to all the Apostles, and commanded them all to preach the Gospel and to baptise. Matt. 28. 18-20. And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All Power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you—. Here our Saviour tells his Apostles that all Power was given him in Heaven and in Earth; and therefore because he had received this full Power, he sends them all forth with Power to preach and baptise, and grants not this Commission to St. Peter alone. And Mar. 16.15; And he said unto them, Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gospel to every Creature. The same Commission, we see, is granted to them all indifferently without any manner of prelation. And accordingly they all went about the execution of it, ver. 20: And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them—. And St. Paul tells us that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision, (that is, of the Gentiles) was committed unto him, in like manner as the Gospel of the Circumcision, (that is, of the Jews) was committed to St. Peter. Gal. 2.7. But contrariwise (saith St. Paul) when they saw that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the Gospel of the Circumcision was unto Peter. And saith he in the following verse, v. 8; For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision, the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles. Thus we see that St. Paul had the same Commission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, that St. Peter had to preach it to the Jews; and that God wrought Wonders by him for the Conversion of the Gentiles, as he did by St. Peter for the Conversion of the Jews: which farther shows that the sole Care of the Church was not committed to St. Peter alone. It is manifest then that by these words (Feed my Lambs, and feed my Sheep) no Superiority and Authority is granted to St. Peter over the rest of the Apostles.  
Again St. Peter seems sometimes to be the Mouth of the Apostles, and the chief Speaker amongst them. But this can argue no Superiority over them; because St. James seems in a more eminent manner to do so than he; And passeth Sentence in the whole Assembly of the Apostles and Elders, when St. Peter himself also was present: For in that remarkable Synod at Jerusalem, when the Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this matter; viz, Whether it was needful that the Gentiles should be circumcised after the manner of Moses, or not; and after St. Peter had declared how God shown his approbation of them, by granting them the gift of the Holy Ghost; St. James here seems to be the Chairman and Precedent of this Assembly, and gives the definitive Sentence, which was followed by them all. Acts 15. 13-20. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and Brethren, harken unto me. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a People for his Name. And to this agree the words of the Prophets—. Wherefore my sentence is, That we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we writ unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of Idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. In this eminent manner doth St. James, and not St. Peter, pass Sentence in this Assembly of the Apostles and Elders. And this we see is followed by them all: ver. 22-29. Then pleased it the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas—. St. James was Precedent here, and chief Speaker in a more eminent manner than ever we read that St. Peter was; and it may as fairly be argued that he was Superior in Authority, as it may that St. Peter was so.  
Again St. Peter is oft named first in the Catalogues of the Apostles in the Gospels. But this can be no good argument to prove that he had a Superiority over them. In all Catalogues some one must be named first; and for his Age, or because he was an active and forward man among the Apostles, or for some such reason St. Peter may be first named. But to show that nothing of Superiority can be proved from hence, we may see that St. Paul useth no such constant order. Gal. 2.9; It is, James, Cephas, and John; where Cephas (which is another name of Peter) is set after James. And 1 Cor. 1.12, he nameth Paul and Apollo's before him: And so 1 Cor. 3.22. This Priority of Order in the Gospels will prove nothing of Superiority that he had over them. These are the chief places of Scripture that are urged to prove that St. Peter was the Head and Governor of the Apostles, and had Authority over them. But any impartial Reader may see that these places will prove nothing at all to this purpose, parallel places showing as much concerning the rest of the Apostles.  
Secondly, We may see by other places in the Gospels, that St. Peter was not made the Head and Governor of all the Apostles and of all the Church, and that none of them was to be such a Head and Governor of all the rest.  
It was not St. Peter, but St. John that was the beloved Disciple above the rest, and whom our blessed Lord favoured most, and admitted to a greater familiarity than the rest: And if any was to have been set over the rest, it may seem probable that our blessed Saviour would have bestowed that Honour and Dignity upon his beloved Disciple. Joh. 21.7. That Disciple whom Jesus loved, saith unto Peter—. And Joh. 13.23, 24. Now there was leaning on Jesus bosom one of his Disciples whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spoke. St. John is the beloved Disciple, as we may see by the end of his Gospel; And St. Peter himself had recourse to him, desiring him to ask our Lord concerning this matter, when he was fearful to ask him himself. And when our blessed Lord was upon the Cross, he recommended his Mother to St. John's Care, and not to St. Peter's. Joh. 19 26, 27. When Jesus therefore saw his Mother, and the Disciple standing by, whom he loved, he said unto his Mother; Woman, behold thy Son. Then said he to the Disciple; behold thy Mother. And from that hour that Disciple took her to his own home. Here we see that our blessed Saviour recommended his dear Mother to the Care of St. John, and not of St. Peter; and yet it is highly probable that this Care would have been committed to him, if he alone was to have been Christ's Vicar General. This Care wherein our Saviour was concerned when he was expiring upon the Cross, had been very fit to have been committed to him, if his Power and Authority had been greater than the rest. But yet St. Peter we see took not the Care of her, nor was he entrusted with it.  
In matters of Trespass and Wrong our blessed Saviour orders that an offended and injured Brother should go and admonish the offending Brother alone: And if that would not do, that he should take with him one or two more to convince him of his fault: And if this proved ineffectual, that he should then tell it to the Church, that they might judge of it; but order no appeal to St. Peter in this case. Matt. 18.15—, If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: But if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican. Here in Matters of Injury and Wrong the last Appeal that our blessed Saviour orders is to the Church: And if an offending Brother will not hear the Church, we are to have no more to do with such. And if our Saviour had left a Supreme Power with St. Peter, and constituted him the sole Determiner of all Controversies and Matters in debate, he sure would have ordered that Appeal at last should have been made to him, that he might have put an end to the Matter in dispute, and might have quieted men's minds. But here is no such thing; and yet our blessed Saviour had great occasion here to mention St. Peter's supreme Power and Authority, if he had granted him any such thing; which clears the matter more, that St. Peter was not at all before the rest in Authority and Power. And immediately upon this our blessed Saviour subjoins these words: Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in Heaven—, v. 18.  
Again our blessed Lord hath sufficiently showed, that no one of his Disciples was to exalt himself above the rest, and to Domineer and Lord it over them. He forewarned them that they should not be called Rabbi, because they were all Brethren and of an equal Rank and Order. Matt. 23.8; But be not ye called Rabbi (saith our Lord to them) for one is your Master, even Christ, and ye are all brethren. And when there was a strife among them which of them should be the greatest; our Saviour expressly tells them, that it should not be so amongst them as it was among the Gentile Kings, that one of them should exercise Lordship and Dominion over the rest. Luk. 22.24—, And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them; The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them, are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. Here we see that there was a strife among them, which of them should be the greatest; and this shows that our Saviour had exalted none of them above his Fellows: For if he had done so, this Dispute would have ceased, and they would have all acquiesced and sat down contented with what their Lord and Master had done, and have accounted St. Peter the chief, if our Saviour had made him so. But our Saviour having determined nothing in this matter, they fall to strife about it. And at this time he grants no Pre-eminence to St. Peter above the rest; which sure he would have done, if he had intended that St. Peter should have been the Head of them all. But instead of this he expressly tells them, that no one of them should Lord it over the rest, as the Gentile Kings exercised Lordship over the Gentiles. It is plain then, That our blessed Saviour granted to St. Peter no Superiority and Authority over the rest of the Apostles.  
Thirdly, We find no footsteps of any Superiority and Power over the rest of the Apostles that ever St. Peter claimed or pretended to. He arrogated not such Supreme Authority over the rest; but shows a more humble Mind, as it became a Disciple and an Apostle of such a Master of Humility and Condescension as our blessed Saviour was. He styles himself a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ in his Epistles, and gives himself no Title of Superiority. 1 Pet. 1.1. Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers—. And 2 Pet. 1.1. Simon Peter, a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ—. He exhorts the Elders to feed the Flock of God among them, and saith that he also is an Elder, assuming no other Title to himself but what he gave them. 1 Pet. 5.1. The Elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an Elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ—. He joins himself with the rest of the Apostles, and saith, the Commandment of us the Apostles, and asserts no Authority of his above theirs. 2 Pet. 3.2. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy Prophets, and of the commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour. He pretends here no more but to be of the same level with the rest of the Apostles, and assumeth no Authority above them. He dissuadeth the Elders from Lording it over God's heritage. 1 Pet. 5.2—. Feed the flock of God (saith he) which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: Neither as being Lords over God's heritage; but being ensamples to the flock. From filthy Lucre and Lording it over the Flock he dissuades them; and we may be sure that he set them no ill Example herein. He affirmeth our blessed Saviour to be the chief Shepherd, and enforceth his Exhortation by the Crown that they should receive from him, and doth not urge any supreme Authority of his own. v. 4. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear (saith he) ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away. Such is his carriage and demeanour, and there is no appearance of any Superiority and Authority that he usurped or claimed over the rest of the Apostles.  
Fourthly, We may plainly see by the Acts of the Apostles, and by the Epistles of St. Paul, that St. Peter had no Power nor Authority over the rest of the Apostles. When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Gospel, they sent Peter and John to them, to confirm them therein, and that they might receive the Holy Ghost. Acts 8.14. Now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Here, we see that St. Peter, as well as St. John, is sent by the Apostles to these new Converts at Samaria. And herein they act as Ministers under the Apostles. For, as our Lord saith, Joh. 13.16; He that is sent is not greater than he that sent him. And hereby we see that St. Peter was not accounted their Superior no more than St. John. The right hands of Fellowship were given to Paul and Barnabas by James and John, and Peter himself too. Gal. 2.9. And when James, Cephas and John (saith St. Paul) who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the Heathen, and they unto the Circumcision. Barnabas and Paul are not commanded by them as Ministers under them, but taken into Fellowship with them; and this is done by James and John as well as Peter; and they are to take care of the Church of the Gentiles, as the other were to take care of the Church of the Jews: And this shows that St. Peter was not then accounted the Head of the Apostles. And St. Paul we may see, withstood St. Peter at Antioch. Gal. 2.11. But when Peter was come to Antioch (saith St. Paul) I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. And ver. 14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all; If thou being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews; why compelest thou the Gentiles 〈◊〉 live as do the Jews? St. Paul here shows that he knew of no Power and Superiority that St. Peter had over him and over the whole Church to be an Universal Head thereof. Again St. Paul tells the Corinthians, that he was in nothing behind the very chiefest Apostles. 2 Cor. 11.5. For I suppose (saith he) I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles. And 2 Cor. 12.11, saith he; For I ought to have been commended of you: For in nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles. St Paul doth here clearly prove to us, that St. Peter had no Power and Authority over all the Apostles: For he mentions the chiefest Apostles in the plural number, which shows that St. Peter alone was not exalted above all the rest; and he affirms that he himself was not their Inferior. Again where St. Paul reckons up the Orders of Men that God had constituted and appointed in the Church, he plainly shows that St. Peter was not the Head of the Apostles; and placed in an Order above them: For he shows that the Apostles in general are the first Order of Men in the Church. 1 Cor. 12.28. And God hath set some in the Church (saith he) first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers—. And Ephes. 4.11, saith he; And he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers. For the perfecting of the Saints—. Apostles are the first that our blessed Saviour hath set and appointed in his Church, as the Apostle here plainly shows, and St. Peter was not set up as a Head above them all. And we may see that St. Paul acted as wholly independent upon St. Peter. He ordained Timothy Bishop of Ephesus, and gave him Instructions and Commands how to carry himself, and what Persons he should ordain. 1 Tim. 3. And he gave him a solemn Charge to observe what he had written to him. 1 Tim. 5.21. I charge thee (saith thee) before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect Angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another—. He gave him Instructions and Commands and this solemn Charge to obsrve them; but here is no mention of any Power derived from St. Peter, or any account to be rendered to him. He also ordained Titus Bishop of Crete, and gave him Instructions how he should carry and demean himself. Tit. 1.5. For this cause (saith he) left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every City, as I had appointed thee. Titus was to walk according to his Instructions, and as St. Paul had appointed him, and without any regard at all to St. Peter. And St. Paul of himself, without any Power or Direction from St. Peter, gave Orders and Commands in all Churches where he came and planted the Gospel. 1 Cor. 7.17. But as God hath distributed to every man (saith he) as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk; and so ordain I in all Churches. It is not St. Peter, but St. Paul himself that doth thus ordain in all Churches. And 1 Cor. 16.1; saith he; Now concerning the Collection for the Saints, as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye. And he showeth that the Care of all the Churches lay upon him: 2 Cor. 11.28. It is plain that St. Paul acted without any dependence upon St. Peter; and that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was committed unto him, as the Gospel of the Circumcision was to St. Peter, Gal. 2.7. In the Divisions at Corinth, some affirmed themselves to be the Disciples of Paul, and others of Apollo's; which shows that they knew nothing of St. Peter's being the Head over all the Church, and had been instructed in no such point of Doctrine. 1 Cor. 1.12— Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollo's, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptised in the Name of Paul? And these Divisions St. Paul blamed and affirmeth that they were the Ministers of Christ and the Gospel, and instructs them in no Supremacy of St. Peter's. 1 Cor. 3.3— For ye are yet carnal (saith he) for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions; are yet not carnal, and walk as men?— Who then is Paul? and who is Apollo's? but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. By these and such places it is clear that St. Peter was not exalted above the rest of the Apostles, and that this Position and Doctrine of the Church of Rome [That St. Peter was the Head and Governor of all the Apostles and of all the Church] is not consistent with the sacred Scriptures but directly contrary to them.   

II. Their Position and Doctrine, That the Bishops of Rome do succeed St. Peter in such a Supreme Power and Authority, and are now the Head of all the Christian Church, is not consistent with the sacred Scriptures, but directly contrary to them.  
This is proved by what hath been said already: For if St. Peter had no such Universal Power and Authority over the Apostles and all the Church (as it is clear that he had not) than the Roman Bishops have no ground to pretend to succeed him in such a supreme Power and Authority. This is altogether vain, seeing there is no truth in the former. And there is no proof at all that they should be St. Peter's Heirs and Successors, and be the only Masters of that Power and Authority which he had in the Church. And how then can they assume such an Universal Power and Authority which he had not? Heb. 5.4. And no man taketh this honour unto himself (saith the Apostle) but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. And how then can the Bishops of Rome justly assume to themselves such a supreme and universal Power over all the Church, till they can show some Divine Commission for it? And for such Authority they have no Plea nor Colour from the sacred Word of God. There is no clear place in the sacred Scriptures to prove that ever St. Peter was at Rome; and he wrote no Epistle to them, to confer any Power upon them; and in those Epistles that he wrote, he makes no mention of any such Power and supreme Authority that they were to have. St. Peter was chief the Apostle of the Jews, as St. Paul showeth; Gal. 2.7. And how then can the Roman Gentiles pretend that all his Power is devolved upon them? St. Peter was much at Jerusalem, and the Bishops of that place might have had a better Title to be his Successors in a higher manner than others, if any were to have been so, than the Bishops of Rome can have; because he was chief and primarily the Apostle of the Jews. St. Peter was also at Antioch some time; Gal. 2.11. And the Bishops of that place may allege as good a Plea to be his Successors, as the Bishops of Rome can. Again, St. Paul writes an Epistle to the Romans, and several Epistles from Rome; but no intimation in them that the Bishops of that place only were to be St. Peter's Successors and to have an universal Power and Authority over the whole Church. And from hence we may see that St. Paul knew nothing of any such universal Power that the Roman Bishops were to have: For if he had known that our blessed Lord had designed them to be the Universal Pastors over all the Church, we may be sure that he would not have been wanting to have instructed the Churches, to which he wrote, in this great Point of Duty, and to have let them know where the Supreme Power of the Church was lodged, that they might have had recourse to it in all weighty Concerns. The Apostle commandeth Christians, Heb. 13.17, To obey them that have the Rule over them, and to submit themselves, but not a word of obeying the Roman Bishop, nor any regard that is to be had to him more than to another.  
Again, if any place should have been Invested with such a Supreme Power over all the Christian Church, we may well conclude that Jerusalem should have been the place: For more is said of that place tending this way, than of any place in the whole World besides. This is the place that is renowned above all others in the sacred Word of God; and the Bishops of this place might have pleaded the most of all for a Divine Right of Governing the Universal Church of Christ. For this was the Holy City, as St. Matthew calls it, Matt. 4.5. This was the City of the Great King, as our Saviour himself calls it, Matt. 5.35. Neither by Jerusalem (saith he) for it is the City of the Great King. This was the City of the Lord of Hosts, the Great King of all Kings. This was the place where Christ the Great Shepherd of all did exercise the Power that God the Father gave him over all the Church; and for whose sacred Temple he shown so much Zeal, and was so much concerned; Mar. 11.15—. Within the jurisdiction of this City, and among the Jews who had a dependence upon this City as their great Metropolis, did our Lord do all his Miracles and exercised his Pastoral Office. This was the great Metropolis of the whole World, and here had Almighty God recorded his Holy Name. Psal. 87.2, 3; The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob: Glorious things are spoken of thee, O City of God. Great Matters were spoken and predicted of this City. This was to be the City of Truth; Zac. 8.3. Thus saith the Lord, I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, and the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy Mountain. This was the place from whence the Law was to go forth, according to the predictions of the Prophets. Isa. 2.3. And many people shall go and say; Come ye, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And Micah 4.2; For the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem From this place was the Law and Word of God to go forth. This is the place where God is said to dwell for ever; and he promiseth to  her Priests with Salvation. Psal. 132.13, 14. For the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation: This is my Rest for ever. And ver. 16. I will also  her Priests with Salvation—. This is said of this place and the Priests thereof. Here the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost; Acts 2. Here was held the first Council; Act. 15. And St. James, that was Bishop of Jerusalem, was Precedent of this Council of Apostles and Elders. And if all this, and much more, be said of this place in the Word of God; we may be sure that Jerusalem should have been the place of Supremacy and Power over all the Church, if any place should have been so. We may be sure that the Bishops of this place should have been the Universal Head of the Church, if there should have been any such Head: For more may be said for a Divine Right, of Ruling over all the Church, for Jerusalem, than for any place in the whole World besides. But seeing Jerusalem has no such Superiority, and doth not exalt itself over all other places, we may be sure that no other place ought to do so; For Rome or any other place cannot stand in Competition with it for Superiority, or urge any thing out of the sacred Oracles to countervail what is said of it.  
Again, we may see that it is an impossible thing for one spiritual Pastor to superintend and overlook the Affairs of the whole Church, and to do it in such a Christian manner as it ought to be done. There is no more likelihood that one Bishop should Rule and see to the whole Church, than that one Temporal Prince should govern the whole World, which hath never yet been done, since it hath been overspread with Inhabitants. It is altogether impossible for one Pastor to take Care of the Church that is scattered into the four quarters of the Earth, and to administer Assistance to places a thousand or perhaps four or six thousand miles from him. To such he can be nothing but an Inutile Pondus, and hinder them of that speedier Help and Succour which otherwise they might have, by having Pastors of their own, that could act without waiting for his tedious Commissions.  
And it is clear that particular and National Churches had Power to govern themselves, without any dependence at all upon the Church of Rome. The Epistles to the Corinthians do show that they had Power to govern their own Church according to St. Paul's Direrections and Commands. 1 Cor. 5.12. Do not ye judge them that are within? saith the Apostle. And by the Power of Christ were they to deliver over the Incestuous Person to Satan. ver. 4, 5; In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ (saith St. Paul) when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the Power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In this weighty Matter which was to be done in such a solemn manner, there was no need of any Authority from St. Peter or Rome, but they might act of themselves with the Power of Christ. And saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 14.40; Let all things be done decently and in order. By this Chapter and other places in his Epistles to the Corinthians, we may clearly see that St. Paul doth give them full Power to govern and rule their own Church, without any dependence at all upon Rome or any other Church. And the Epistles to Timothy and Titus do plainly show that they had Power to do so too. And our Lord, as I have showed before, hath expressly declared that no one of his Disciples should Lord it over the rest as the Kings of the Gentiles did: Matt. 20.25—. And this plainly shows that all the Pretences of the Roman Church of this kind are vain and groundless, and not at all consistent with the Gospel of Christ.  
But farther, It is our Lord's Prerogative and Peculiar to be the Chief Shepherd and the Universal Head of all the Church; and those that do assume such a Title invade his Prerogative and Right. This the Apostles shows that our blessed Saviour Christ is the Supreme Head of the Church and the Chief Shepherd thereof. Ephes. 1.20—. Which he wrought in Christ, (saith the Apostle) when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand, in the heavenly places, far above all Principality and Power—: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is his Body. And saith he, Ephes. 5.23; For the husband is the head of the Wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church. And again, Col. 1.18, And he is the Head of the Body the Church; who is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. And St. Peter showeth that Christ is the Chief Shepherd. 1 Pet. 5.4. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, (saith he) ye shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away. And he tells the dispersed Jews to whom he wrote, that they ought not to Lord it over God's Heritage. ver. 3. Neither as being Lords over God's heritage; but being ensamples to the flock. We see that no Bishops are to Domineer over the Church; and that it is our Lord's Right and Peculiar to be the Head and chief Shepherd of the Church, and that no one ought to invade this Right and Prerogative of his. And no one ought to be forward to give such Supremacy and Preeminence to any earthly Bishop, and think it a light thing to do so.  
Lastly, Those that keep not the Doctrine of the Gospel pure and uncorrupt, but fall to gross Errors and Heresies, can be no true Governors of the Church at all, much less the supreme Governors thereof. This the sacred Scriptures plainly show. A Bishop must be blameless (saith St. Paul, Tit. 1. 7-9) as the Steward of God—; Holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort, and to convince the gainsayers. And such men as act flat contrary to the Gospel of Christ, do make void their Authority. Matt. 5.19, saith our blessed Saviour; Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. And Joh. 15.6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. No one must pretend to be a Pastor under our blessed Lord that doth not carefully observe his Doctrine and Commands; but must then expect to be cast out like a withered branch that is to be cast into the fire and burned. And St. Paul showeth that an Apostle or an Angel that should pretend to come from Heaven, which should preach contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel, is not to be heard and heeded, but to be accounted accursed. Gal. 1.8. But tho' we (saith he) or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be Accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other Gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed. But it is plain by these Papers that Popery is another Gospel, in that they make the Pope the supreme Head of the Church, and allow him a Power to overrule and disannul the sacred Commands of our blessed Lord at his own pleasure, and to set up his own Commands in the room of them. And how can the Bishops of Rome then, that establish another Gospel, and whom the Apostle here pronounceth accursed for so doing; How can they, I say, be any Pastors at all of Christ's Church? And what good Christian then, that is zealous for our blessed Lord and his sacred Commandments, can comply in such a sinful Religion as Popery is? And saith St. John, 2 Joh. 9—, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God—. If there come any unto you, and bring not this Doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds. We are to have nothing to do, we see, with such as keep not the Doctrine of Christ pure and uncorrupt, and much less to account them our true Heads and Governors. And Rev. 22.18— saith St. John; For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this Book; If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy City, and from the things which are written in this Book. It is clear by these places, that such as keep not the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ pure and uncorrupt, cannot be the true Pastors and Governors of the Church of Christ, nor so much as true Members thereof, but have a Woe and Curse denounced against them. And it is clear by what is said in these Papers, to such as will impartially consider it, That the Doctrine and Practice of the Romish Church is not consistent with the Gospel of Christ, but contrary to it; And therefore that the Bishops of Rome, that are the Patrons of such Doctrine and Practice, cannot be true Pastors of the Church of Christ, and much less the supreme Pastors and Head thereof, if any such should have been. From what hath been said upon this and the former Head, it is manifest that this Doctrine and Position of the Romish Church, That the Bishops of Rome do succeed St. Peter in a supreme Power and Authority over all the Church, is not consistent at all with the sacred Word of God, but is quite contrary to it.   

III. Their keeping the sacred Scriptures in a Tongue unknown to the common People, and not suffering them to come to the knowledge of them, that they may read them and practise the things therein commanded; And instead of them, imposing their own Commands and a blind Belief upon their Proselytes and Lay-Members, is flat contrary to the Word of God, and a very wicked thing.  
This is a very sinful thing, to suppress and stifle the blessed Word and Commands of Almighty God, and a downright opposing of the Gospel of Christ, to endeavour to keep men from the knowledge of it: This is a quenching of the Light of the sacred Scriptures, that are to be our guide unto eternal Life: This is highly injurious both to God and Man too. We may see that God hath commanded that his Word and Laws should be declared and made known to all men, and that all should be taught them. God commanded the Jews that they should teach their Children his Laws and Ordinances. Deut 6 6—. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Thus diligently were they to reach their Children the Law of the Lord, and often to repeat it to them, that they might perfectly understand and know it, and not be kept in ignorance of it. And this they are often and strictly commanded to do; Deut. 4.9—, and 11.18—, and 32.46—. And in a solemn manner was this Law of Moses to be read all over to all the People at certain times. Deut. 31.11. When all Israel (saith Moses) is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing. And Moses read the Book of the Law and Covenant in the audience of the People, that they might know it and keep it. Exod. 24.7. And he took the Book of the Covenant, and read in the audience of the People: And they said, all that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient. Moses read to them in their own Language that they well understood. And in the Land of Moab by Jordan did he again declare the Law of God to the People; Deut. 1.5. And after Moses, Joshua his Successor read all the Law of Moses to the common People, that they might understand it and keep it. Josh. 8.34, 35. And afterward he read all the words of the Law, the blessings, and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the Congregation of Israel, with the Women, and the little ones, and Strangers that were conversant among them. Here we see that the whole Law was read to all the Congregation, even to the Women, Children and Strangers among them. Good Josiah, after the Law of God had been suppressed for some time through the prevailing of Idolatry, caused the Law of God to be read in a solemn Assembly both to great and small, that they might all understand it. 2 Kings 2●. 2. And the King went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the Priests and the Prophets, and all the People both small and great; and he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which was found in the house of the Lord. And after the Captivity we may see that Ezra read the Law publicly to all the People both Men and Women. Neh. 8.3. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and all those that could understand: And the ears of all the people were attentive unto the Book of the Law. And ver. 8. So they read in the Book in the Law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And ver. 18. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the Book of the Law of God. And Neh. 9.3. And they stood up in their place, and read in the Book of the Law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day—. This great care was then taken to instruct all the People in the Law of the Lord, and to interpret it to them where they did not well understand it. And in the time of our blessed Saviour and his Apostles we may see that the Law of Moses and the Prophets were constantly read every Sabbath-day to the common People in a Language that they understood. Acts 13.15. And Acts 15.21. For Moses of old time (saith St. James) hath in every City them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day. This we see was the constant practice of the Jews, when Idolatry and great wickedness did not prevail over them, to instruct the common People in the Law of God, that they might hear it: And this they were commanded to do. And the same we may see is required under the Gospel, that the common People should still be instructed in the Law and Word of God. Our blessed Lord hath taught us this both by his own Practice, and by positive Command: For he himself read the Scriptures in the Synagogues, and commanded his Apostles to teach all Nations his Precepts and Commands. Luk. 4.16—. And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up; and as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the Book of the Prophet Isaias. This we see he usually did, and hereby he hath showed us that it is our duty to do so, and to do what we well can to instruct all People in the Word of God, and not to keep them in ignorance of it. And our Saviour bid the Jews to search the Scriptures, and from thence to instruct themselves. Joh. 5.39. Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life—. And saith he, Matt. 13.9. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And he commanded his Apostles and Ministers to go and teach all Nations to observe all his Commands, and not their own. Matt. 28.19, 20; Go ye therefore (saith he) and teach all Natitions—; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And Mar. 16.15. And said unto them, Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gospel to every creature—. The Gospel and Word of God is to be preached to every Creature, and no one is to be kept in ignorance and deprived of it, that would hear it. And St. Paul gives command that his Epistles should be read to all the Church, and not be kept from the common People. Col. 4.16. And when this Epistle (saith he) is read amongst you, cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea. And saith he to the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. 5.27; I charge you by the Lord, that this Epistle be read unto all the holy Brethren. Such order and such a charge doth he give that his Epistles should be read unto all Christians, that all might hear them, and that they should not be kept from the knowledge of any persons. And he commands Timothy to be diligent in reading the Word of God to those under his care. 1 Tim. 4.13. Till I come (saith he) give attendance to reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrine. He is to give attendance in reading the Word of God to his Flock, as well as in Exhortation and Doctrine. By these and such places we may plainly see that it is the Will and positive Command of Almighty God that his blessed Word should be made known to all Men, even to the common People; and that it is a chief part of the Office of all Pastors and Governors to take diligent care to instruct those that are under them herein. And God did in an extraordinary manner enable the Apostles to speak strange Languages for this very end and purpose, That they might preach his Word to all People in their own Tongues which they understood, as we may see in the Acts of the Apostles. And this also shows that all men ought to have the Word of God in their own Language that they understand.  
We may also see that the Scriptures were written for Instruction, Admonition and Comfort, and that the ignorance of them is the cause of Error. Rom. 15.4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime, (saith St. Paul) were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. And 1 Cor. 10.11. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the World are come. But how can the common People and the generality of Men receive Instruction, Admonition and Comfort by them, if they are industriously kept from them, flat contrary to the design for which they were written? And saith our Lord; Matt. 22.29, Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures. We may also see that the sacred Scriptures are recommended to us as the surest Guide of our Lives, as the only Book of Wisdom; and that a Blessing doth await all those that carefully read them, with a hearty desire to learn and practise what they read therein. Psal. 19.7—. The Law of the Lord is perfect (saith the Psalmist) converting the Soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes. And Psal. 119.9, saith the Psalmist; Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. And ver. 98. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies; for they are ever with me. And ver. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. The Word of the Lord, when well read and minded, will enlighten the eyes, and make Wise the simple and Foolish, and is to be read and known by them. And St. Paul commendeth Timothy for his knowledge of the holy Scriptures from a Child. 2 Tim. 3.15. And that from a child (saith he) thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. This early knowledge of the holy Scriptures had Timothy, and hereby we see that Children are to learn them. And all good men are to make them their daily study and Meditation. Psal. 1.1. Blessed is the man, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly—; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And saith St. John, Rev. 1.3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand. By these and such places we may clearly see, that all men ought to know and understand the blessed Word of God, and not be kept in ignorance of it; and that the Word of God is not to be kept in an unknown Tongue from them, that the common People cannot read it. This is but to put out People eyes, that they may lead them more easily at their own pleasure; and to keep them from seeing their gross Errors.  
And this is a grand piece of wickedness against Almighty God, for the Romish Church to take upon them to overrule his Divine Commands, and to disannul the Decrees of Heaven at their own pleasure. This I think can well be deemed no other but flat Hostility and open Rebellion against Almighty God himself, Thus to intercept and seize upon his Divine Laws and Commands, and to suppress them that they may not become known to Men, that they may fulfil them; And instead thereof to issue out their own Commands, that they may be observed and kept: To tell men that they must not trouble themselves with the Divine Laws and Commands of Almighty God; but that they must mind the Commands of the Romish Church and take great care to keep them: If this be not sinning with an high hand, let any Man of reason and understanding judge. This sure looks like that Man of Sin, 2 Thess. 2.6; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And if Saul was rebuked as a Rebel against God, because he did not execute all God's Command, 1 Sam. 15.22—; well may the Romish Church be deemed such, that is so far from keeping God's Commands, that it doth set itself industriously to keep all others from keeping of them. And they may justly fear that that Woe of our Saviour, that he denounced against the Scribes and Pharisees may light upon them also. Matt. 23.13. But woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering, to go in. This seems to be their practice, and they have just cause to fear this Doom.  
And their Practice, in imposing a blind Belief upon their Proselytes and Members, requiring them to believe as their Church believeth, without examining, is not agreeable with the sacred Word of God. We are to examine things by the Word of God, and not to take all for Truth and Right that Seducers and others would impose upon us for such. This is peculiar to the brute Beasts to be led wholly by the guide and conduct of Man, and never to consider whether the things be Good or Evil, Right or Wrong that they do. But Men of all Ranks are endowed with Reason and Understanding, and are made Masters of their own Actions, and every one of us must give an account of himself to God, Rom. 14.12; and therefore they are not to be led thus blindfolded by others, like Beasts that are void of reason. And the sacred Scriptures, which are to be our Rule of Faith and Obedience, do show that we ought not to be led so blindly by others. This our blessed Lord showeth; Matt. 23.8, 9; But be not ye called Rabbi, (saith he) for one is your Master even Christ, and all ye are brethren. And call no man your Father upon the earth, for one is your Father which is in Heaven. No one is to take upon him to be our Master in such a high manner as our blessed Lord is so: And we are to own no one for our Father in such a high manner as God is so, to command our Faith and Obedience in such a high manner as he may; and we are to account no one our Father in any way of competition with him. And the Apostles themselves disclaimed the having any dominion over Men's Faith, as St. Paul showeth. 2 Cor. 1.24. Nor for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy. The Apostles claimed no such Power over Men to make them believe what they pleased, but only what God required them to believe.  
And we are often told both by our blessed Lord and the Apostles, that there would come Impostors and Deceivers, and are warned to have a great care that we be not seduced by their Heresies and Errors. And this plainly shows that we are not to be led blindly by others, but to examine every thing carefully by the sacred Scriptures. Matt. 7.15. Beware of false Prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves, saith our Lord. And saith the Apostle; Acts 20.29—. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock: Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away Disciples after them. Therefore watch—. And 1 Tim. 4.1. Now (saith the Apostle) the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy—. And saith St. Peter, 2 Pet. 2.1—. But there were false Prophets among the people, even as there shall be false Teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies—. And Rev. 2.9; saith our Saviour by St. John; And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan. And ver. 20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that Woman Jezebel, which calleth herself Prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto Idols. And Rev. 3.9. Behold, I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan (which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie)—. And again, Rev. 18.4. And I heard (saith St. John) another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. By all these frequent Warnings, and such like, to have a care that we be not seduced by false Prophets and Teachers, it doth plainly appear that it is our duty not to be led blindfoldly as the Romish Church would have us, but to be very circumspect and careful who and what we give credit to. And some of these places, as I have showed, do respect the Romish Church, and do particularly warn us against the Errors thereof.  
And we are also cautioned by our blessed Lord and the Apostles to be very circumspect and careful herein, and not to let Men impose upon us what they please. Mar. 4.24. And he said unto them, Take heed what you hear. And Luk. 8.18. Take heed therefore how ye hear. And saith St. Paul, 1 Thess. 5.21; Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. And saith St. John, 1 Joh. 4.1; Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God. And saith St. Paul, Ephes. 5.6; Let no man deceive you with vain words. By these and such Admonitions and Exhortations we see that it is our duty to try and examine all things well, before we believe and practise them, and not blindly to believe and follow others in matters of weight and moment.  
And we may see, that when people believe and follow a false Prophet or a false Guide, it is at their own Peril and Hazard, and that this will not excuse them and free them from the danger that they run in going a wrong way: And this also will clearly prove to us, that we are to look well to ourselves, and not to be led blindly by others, without proof from the Word of God. The People that heeded the false Prophets did it to their sorrow; Jer. 14.16. And the people to whom they prophesy, shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, because of the Famine and the Sword, and they shall have none to bury them—. And they that follow a blind Guide are like to speed as he doth. Matt. 15.14. Let them alone (saith our Lord) they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. With blind Guides, we see, we may go to the Pit of Destruction. And what will it profit us to have their company there to increase our sorrow that we were so miserably deluded by them? The Prophet that came to Bethel, was slain by a Lion for returning back contrary to the Word of the Lord; and yet the Prophet that brought him back, pretended that he had an express Order from God to bring him back again; 1 King. 13.15—: But notwithstanding this he was slain for his Disobedience: So dangerous a thing we see it is for men to go contrary to the sacred Word of God through the vain persuasions of deluding men. And Ahab perished and lost his life at Ramoth Gilead, notwithstanding his false Prophets bid him go and prosper. 1 Kin. 22. This Practice of the Romish Church to require poor Souls to believe what they please without any ground out of the Word of God, is not agreeable with the sacred Scriptures we see; and is fit for none but such as have abandoned and cast off all care of their Immortal Souls, and are altogether regardless what becomes of them in another World.  
Their keeping the sacred Scriptures in an unknown Tongue from the common People, that they may not read them and practise the things therein contained: And their imposing a blind Belief upon their Proselytes and Members, requiring them to believe without Ground and Examination, are both, we see, flat contrary to the blessed Word God and very sinful.   

iv Their performing their Worship and Divine Service in an unknown Tongue which the common People do not understand, is not agreeable to the sacred Scriptures.  
Such blind Service and Devotion is not fit for Men, that are endowed with Reason and Understanding, to use towards Almighty God, who are to serve him with a reasonable and hearty Service. And such vain Service and Babbling is not agreeable to the Word of God. Eccl. 5.1; saith the Preacher; Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil. And sure to serve God with such a blind Worship and Service can be no better than the sacrifice of Fools, when Men neither consider nor so much as understand whether the things, which they utter or join in, are good or evil. We are to serve God in Spirit, as our Lord hath taught us; Jo. 4.24. God is a Spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. But this can be no spiritual service sure, when Men neither regard nor understand what they say, or say Amen to. This can be no better than pure Lip-service (if it may be allowed to be so much) which God complaineth of as a thing not pleasing and acceptable to him without the heart. Matt. 15.7, 8; saith our Saviour; Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. And this is all that such blind Devotions can arrive to, viz. to honour God with Lip and Mouth, if they do so much. And our Prayers and Devotions are to have a good influence upon ourselves, and to work good upon us; That when we beg pardon for our sins, we thereby should be made more sensible of our own vileness and unworthiness, and the heinousness of our sins; that we may be the more deterred from committing the like: That in deprecating of Evil and praying for Good, we may be made the more sensible of our own needs and wants, and of the tender love and care and Fatherly affection that God hath for us; and that he is full of Mercy and prone and forward both to give and forgive; and that we by his example should be drawn to do the like: And that in returning him Praise and Thanksgiving we might see how infinitely we are bound and obliged to him, and thereby be moved to a greater sense of gratitude, and to have our hearts more inflamed with love towards him again. But such blind Devotions as are used in the Popish Church, cannot well have such good influences upon ourselves, nor be so beneficial for the bettering of our Lives. A devout performing of our Services to God with the heart and understanding, will tend much to the working of good motions and desires and affections in us; but such cannot well be affected by such a blind way of Worship. God is to be loved with all the heart and mind and understanding; Matt. 22.37. And so we may be sure that he is to be worshipped and served, and not in such a manner as the Papists make the common People to worship him, in an unknown Tongue which they understand not. And this is clearly against the Doctrine of St. Paul to use an unknown Tongue in the worship of God, which the common People understand not. This he showeth ought not to be done. 1 Cor. 14.2. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue (saith he) speaketh not unto men, but unto God; for no man understandeth him—. This he showeth to be of no use to Men, when they understand not the Language. And ver. 7— And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise you, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? There is an absolute necessity that what is spoken in the Congregation should be understood of the People. And ver. 11. Therefore (saith he) if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a Barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a Barbarian unto me. Here the Apostle showeth how useless and insignificant a strange Tongue is to such as understand it not, and that there can be no communion in such a case. And ver. 14, 15. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. The Spirit of him that prayeth in a strange Tongue may be well affected; but the Understanding will be altogether unfruitful; and to such as understand him not, the speaker will be but a Barbarian, and they will not know whether he blesseth or curseth. And we are to worship and serve God with all the powers and faculties of our Souls; and this we cannot do in an unknown Tongue. Ver. 16. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say, Amen, at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? Here the Apostle plainly showeth, that such as understand not the Language cannot join in the Prayers and Thanksgivings that are made therein, and say Amen to them, when they understand not what is said. And ver. 17. For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. Such Service we see is altogether unedifying. And saith he again, ver. 27.28. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But if there be no Interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church, and let him speak to himself and to God. All, we see here, is to be so done in the Church, that all may understand it: And he that could speak a Tongue which the Congregation understood not, was to be silent in the Church, except there were some Interpreter, and not to speak what could not be understood by the Congregation. By this Chapter it is clear that the Practice of the Romish Church in performing their public Worship in an unknown Tongue, which the common People understand not, is directly contrary to the Word of God. And our Saviour forbiddeth all vain Babble and vain Repetitions; Matt. 6.7. But when ye pray (saith he) use not vain repetitions, as the Heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. And yet such vain repetitions do the Popish repetitions seem to be.   

V Their worshipping of Images is directly contrary to the sacred Scriptures.  
This God hath expressly and strictly forbidden in the second Commandment of the Decalogue, and given positive Command That no Image nor Likeness of any thing whatsoever should be made for Worship; and that men should not bow down to any such Image or Likeness, or any ways else worship and serve them. Exod. 20.4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God—. And so Deut. 5.8—. The Command we see is very full and clear against the making of any Image or Similitude for Religious use, and against the performing of any kind of Religious Worship and Service to any such Image or Likeness of any thing whatsoever But for Ornament where they were not to be worshipped, this Command doth not forbid the making of Cherubims, as we may see Exod. 25.18. and 26.1. But these are no Plea for the Idolatrous uses of them. The making of Images or any Similitudes for Religious Worship, and the performing of any Religious Worship and Service unto them, either as the mediate or ultimate Object thereof is flatly and clearly here forbidden. And this we may see is confirmed by a multitude of places more in the sacred Scriptures. Exod. 20.23. Ye shall not make with me Gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you Gods of Gold. And all kinds of Images and Figures for a Religious use are forbidden, of what matter or fashion soever they were made, as the Law of Moses sufficiently showeth. Leu. 19.4. Turn ye not unto Idols, nor make to yourselves molten Gods; I am the Lord your God; And Leu. 26.1. Ye shall make you no Idols, nor graven Image, neither rear you up a standing Image, neither shall ye set up any Image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it; for I am the Lord your God. And Deut. 16.22. Neither shalt thou set up any Image which the Lord thy God hateth. The setting up any Image whatsoever for Religious Worship is strictly forbidden, and declared to be hateful to Almighty God.  
And we are not to think that the Idols and Images and Statues and Pictures of the Heathens only are here forbidden: For there is no such restriction and limitation in any of these places to show that they were solely designed against them, and that the modern Image-worship of the Papists is not forbidden hereby; but the Images that the Papists use are as strictly forbidden as the other; and there is no exception to show that Images may be used in Religious Worship, when they are for the Worship of Almighty God, or his blessed Son, or the Saints and blessed Angels. The Idolatrous Israelites and the very Heathens did pretend as much as this, as we may gather from several places in the sacred Scriptures; and yet they are condemned as very grievous Idolaters. It doth appear that the Israelites made their golden Calf for the Worshipping of the true God thereby; because the People said, These by thy Gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt: And when Aaron proclaimed a feast for this Idol, he said, To morrow is a Feast to the Lord. Exod. 32.4, 5. And he received them at their hand, (viz. the golden earrings) and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf; and they said, These be thy Gods O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an Altar before it, and Aaron made proclamation and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. This Calf and Idol that they had made, we see, was to represent and personate the great God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt; and the feast of this Idol was to be a feast to the Lord. And saith the Psalmist, Psal. 106.19, 20; They made a Calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten Image. Thus they changed their Glory into the similitude of an Ox that eateth grass. Their Glory, that is, their glorious God did they thus change into this similitude of a Calf. By these places it is clear that they intended to worship the true and great God by this molten Image of theirs. And yet they are condemned as notorious Transgressor's of the sacred Commands of Almighty God, and as Corrupters of themselves, for what they did herein. Exod. 32.7—; And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down: For thy People which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten Calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy Gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this People, and behold it is a stiffnecked People. Now therefore let me alone, that my Wrath may wax bot against them, and that I may consume them—. They pretended, as the Papists now do, to worship Almighty God by this Calf; but notwithstanding this, God abhorred them for it, and his Wrath was ready to break forth against them and consume them. It appeareth that Micah's Images were for the service of the true God. Judg. 17.3—. And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand, for my son to make a graven image and a molten Image; now therefore I will restore it unto thee: yet he restored the money unto his mother, and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven Image and a molten Image, and they were in the house of Micah. From hence it doth appear that they intended to serve the Lord by these Images. Jeroboam pretended by his Calves also to worship and serve the Lord, as we may see, 1 King. 12.28. Whereupon the King took counsel, and made two Calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy Gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. From hence it doth appear, that he pretended to worship and serve the same God by his Idolatrous Calves, that was worshipped at Jerusalem, and the same God that brought them up out of the Land of Egypt. And yet he is branded with infamy for his practice herein, and called Jeroboam the Son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; 2 King. 10.29: And his House and Family were totally consumed upon this account; 1 King. 13.34. And this thing became sin unto the House of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. And 1 King. 14.7—. His pretending to serve and worship the true God hereby, did not at all excuse his Idolatry; but notwithstanding this, his Calves are called other Gods, and the judgement of God came upon his House for his wickedness herein: And it doth appear that the very Heathens by their Images and Idols did design to worship the supreme God, as the Apostle showeth. Rom. 1.22, 23. Professing themselves to be wise (saith he) they became fools; And changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. From hence we may see that they originally at the first intended to worship the supreme and incorruptible God by these Images of men and beasts, and used them as Substitutes and Representations of him in Religious Worship. And Rabshakeh also pretended that the Altars that Hezekiah destroyed, were for the Service of the supreme God. 2 King. 18.22. But if ye say unto me (saith he) we trust in the Lord our God: Is not that he whose high places, and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? Hence we may see that he pretended that these altars and high places were for the worship and service of the Great God above, that was the God of Israel. The old Idolaters both Israelites and Heathens pretended as much we see, for their Image-worship as the Papists now can do; and yet we see that they are both condemned in the Word of God. We are to make no Images or Similitudes and Likenesses of Man or Beast or Crucifixes to worship the Great Jehovah thereby, or his blessed Son, or the Glorious Trinity; For this would be Idolatry like the Heathenish Idolatry and flat against the Commands of God: And the worshipping of the Images of the Saints is a more base and vile kind of Idolatry, and a more wicked thing, because they themselves are not the true Objects of our Worship.  
And the more to show that no Images or Similitudes are to be used in the Worship of God, we may see that when Moses made the Tabernacle for his Worship and Service, the Mercy-seat was to be left vacant and empty, and to be filled with no Image or Similitude, but only such Sparks of Glory as God himself was pleased to exhibit there; Exod. 25.17—. And if God been to be worshipped by any Image or Similitude, we may be sure that one should have been placed in this peculiar Seat of his. But there was to be none, and hereby are we taught that none is to be made for Religious uses. And Moses warneth the People that they should not corrupt themselves by making a graven Image or any Similitude upon this account, and enforceth his Charge to them with this reason, because they had seen no Similitude of God, when he spoke to them from Mount Sinai. Deut. 4.15—. Take ye therefore (saith he) good heed unto yourselves (for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire) Lest ye Corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven Image, the Similitude of any figure, the Likeness of male or female, the Likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the Likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, the Likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the Likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth—. Here it is plainly showed that no Images or Similitudes whatsoever are to be made as Mediums to Worship Almighty God by.  
And we may see that this would be very injurious to him, and a great derogation from his exceeding great Glory and Majesty, and tend much to the debasing of Him in our minds, to make dead and senseless Images to personate him, which are much more vile and mean than ourselves. This is, as St. Paul saith, the changing the Truth of God into a Lie, Rom. 1.25: For how can he be represented by a dead and senseless Image, who so far exceeds all the understanding and apprehension of Man? Our Saviour hath told us that God is a Spirit; Joh. 4.24. He is a most Glorious Spiritual Being, that cannot perish and decay, but is an Everlasting and an Everliving God: And how can be then be represented by a Material and corruptible Image, that must return to destruction and dust at the last? This is the way to beget mean and low thoughts of Almighty God in our minds; and such we ought not to have of him, as the Apostle showeth, Acts 17, 29: Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God (saith he) we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone graven by art or man's device. God is of such a vast Immensity and Infinity that is not to be expressed nor conceived by us. Thus saith the Lord (Isa. 66.1.) the Heaven is my Throne, and the Earth is my footstool; Where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? And Jer. 23.24. Do not I fill Heaven and Earth, saith the Lord? And so dreadful was his Majesty upon Mount Sinai, that the Israelites cried out that they should be all struck dead with it, if the Lord spoke any more to them, Exod. 20.19; Deut. 5.25: And how then shall he be represented in any meet way by dead stocks and stones, and so mean and base a thing as an Image is? And the Prophet Isaiah having set forth the great Majesty of Almighty God in a high and lofty manner, asketh to whom he may be compared, and showeth, that Images cannot represent him. Isa. 40.15—. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balances; behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering. All Nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity. To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven Image, and the Goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold—. But saith he, ver. 21— Have ye not known?— It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the Inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the Heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the Princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity—. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the holy One. God is clothed with Honour and Majesty, and covered with inaccessible Light, and is an invisible Being that cannot be beheld with mortal eyes, Psal. 104.1. 1 Tim. 6.16: And how then shall he be represented by sordid Images that are much more base and vile than ourselves? These we see would be a great reproach to Almighty God, and highly injurious to him; and therefore are by no means to be used. And our blessed Saviour is to be worshipped as he is God, and therefore no Image can be made to represent him: And his body too is now glorified and spiritualised and not to be represented by an earthly Image. And the Saints departed are either separated Spirits, or else have their bodies glorified and made incorruptible, and therefore cannot in any meet manner be represented by a dead and senseless Image; and they are not to be worshipped themselves, and much less their Images.  
We are strictly commanded not to bow down to any Images or Similitudes whatsoever; nor to perform any other Religious Worship and Service to them, such as the building of Temples and rearing up of Altars to them, the lighting of candles or lamps before them in a Religious way, the making of Prayers or Religious Addresses to them, and returning them Praise, the offering of Sacrifices and burning of Incense to them, the making of Vows to them or swearing by them, the showing of any reverential fear towards them, and placing any trust and confidence in them; the performing of any such Religious Service towards them, or joining with those that do so, is clearly forbidden by the sacred Word of God.  
And the worshipping of Images and all such Idolatry is as well forbidden by the New Testament as the Old. Our blessed Saviour hath taught us in his answer to the Devil, that God alone is to be worshipped and served. Matt. 4.10. For it is written (saith he) Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And saith St. James concerning the Gentiles, Act. 15.20: But that we writ unto them, that they abstain from Pollutions of Idols. And ver. 29; That ye abstain from meats offered to Idols. And saith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 10.7; Neither be ye Idolaters, as were some of them. And ver. 14. Wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from Idolatry. St. Peter also shows Idolatry to be a grievous Crime; 1 Pet. 4.3. And saith St. John, 1 Joh. 5.21; Little Children keep yourselves from Idols; Amen. Idolatry we see is strictly forbidden by the New Testament as well as the Old. And it is plain by the sacred Scriptures all along, that Images that are made for worship are Idols, and that the worshipping of them is Idolatry. Psal. 115.4—, saith the Psalmist; Their Idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not—. We may plainly see that these Idols were Images. And so again, Psal. 135.15—. And saith St. John, Rev. 9.20; And the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repent not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship Devils, and Idols of gold and silver, and brass and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk—. And this place, as Dr. More showeth, respecteth the Romish Church itself. It is evident from all these places and many more, that the worshipping of Images and such Idols is a very sinful thing.  
Again we may see, that God commanded that the Worshippers of other Gods should be put to death, as not fit to live any longer, and to deter all others from the committing of such gross and notorious Impiety: And such Gods were for the most part Images and such Idols. That man, or woman that had gone and served other Gods, was to be stoned to death; Deut. 17.2—. And that Prophet or Friend or Relation that went about to draw them to serve other Gods, was to be put to death. Deut. 13. 15. And that Prophet, or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God—. And ver. 6—. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend which is as thine own soul entice thee secretly saying, Let us go and serve other Gods which thou hast not known—; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; Thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die—. And the City that fell to Idolatry was to be destroyed. ver. 12.— If thou shalt hear say in one of thy Cities, saying, Certain men the Children of Belial are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the Inhabitants of their City, saying, Let us go and serve other Gods, which ye have not known;— Thou shalt surely smite the Inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city and all the spoil thereof—. Idolaters are here called the Children of Belial, and were all to be put to death for committing such abominable wickedness, and to deter and fright others from committing the like; and their City and Goods were to be burnt as accursed things; so detestable is this sin to Almighty God. And such, as we may plainly see, is all Image-worship.  
Again we may see that God commanded that all Images, as well as all other Idolatrous worship should be destroyed: And the Jews were strictly commanded to do this. Exod. 23.24. But thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their Images. And Exod. 34.13. But ye shall destroy their altars, and break their Images, and cut down their groves. And Numb. 33.52. Then ye shall drive out all the Inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their molten Images, and quite pluck down all their high places. And Deut. 7.5. But thus shall ye deal with them, ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their Images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven Images with fire. And again, Deut. 12.3. And you shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and you shall hue down the graven Images of their Gods, and destroy the name of them out of that place. In all these places were they strictly commanded to beat down and destroy all Images for Religious use, and all such Idols out of their land. This is often repeated to them that they might be sure to take great Care to do it. And they were commanded to cast away the very gold and Silver that was upon them as a cursed thing, and not to take it to them that they might not be snared thereby. Deut. 7.25, 26. The graven Images of their Gods shall ye burn with fire; thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein, for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it; but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing. Here we see what cursed and abominable things Images are to Almighty God, and that his People and Servants are commanded to abhor and detest them, and not to take so much as the gold and silver that was upon them, lest they should bring a Curse upon themselves thereby. And this one might think should be enough to keep all good People from all Image-worship, and to make them abhor all such thoughts.  
And we may see that all good Kings and Princes did beat down and destroy all Images and such Idols according to the Commands of Almighty God. Moses burned the Calf that Aaron had made, and ground it to Powder and cast it upon the water, and made the Children of Israel to drink of it, notwithstanding it doth appear that it was made for the Service of the true God: Exod. 32.20. Hezekiah broke down the Images that were set up to be worshipped in Judea; and is commended for doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord; 2 King. 18.3—. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord—. He removed the high places, and broke the Images and cut down the groves. And yet Rabshakeh pretended that he had broken down the Altars of the Lord. Josiah broke down all the Images that he met with in his Dominions, and is commended for a good King, and for doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord: 2 Chron. 34.2—. And he destroyed Jeroboam's Altar at Bethel, and it is like his Calf too, if it were to be found, and was not destroyed before: 2 Kings 23.15. And yet Jeroboam pretended to serve the true God by his Calves, as I have showed before. King Asa also destroyed the Images and all such Idolatrous Worship, and is commended herein for doing that which was good in the eyes of the Lord: 2 Chron. 14.2—. King Hezekiah also broke in pieces the Brazen Serpent that was set up by Moses, when it was abused to an Idolatrous use, that it might be no more an occasion of Idolatry: 2 King. 18.3—. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord—. He removed the high places—, and broke in pieces the brazen Serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the Children of Israel did burn incense to it. This we see can be no Plea for Idolatry and Image-worship, because he broke this brazen Serpent to pieces when it was thus abused to an Idolatrous use; and his commended for doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord. These we see broke down and destroyed all Images and such Idols, and are commended for their practice in so doing. And we may see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not be driven to worship the golden Image that King Nabuchadnezzar had set up, by all the threaten and Terrors that he could use, tho' he threatened to cast them forthwith into the midst of a Fiery Furnace, if they did it not: Dan. 3.15—. And because they would not break the sacred Commands of Almighty God, and commit such wickedness as the King commanded them, but were resolved to part with their Lives, tho' it were in this terrible and dreadful manner, rather than do so; God did in a wonderful manner deliver them, and they received no harm at all, tho' they were cast into a fiery Furnace, as we see in that Chapter.  
Again farther, we may see that God hath declared himself to be a jealous God, and that he will not part with his sacred Rights and give his Worship to Images and Idols; and that a Woe and Curse is denounced against such Idolaters; and that they are like to be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to go to the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone. God declareth himself to be a jealous God in the second Commandment upon this account. Exod. 20.5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. And so Exod. 34.14. For thou shalt worship no other God; for the Lord whose Name is jealous, is a jealous God. And saith he, Isa. 42.8. I am the Lord, that is my Name, and my Glory will I not give to another, neither my Praise to graven Images. And saith Moses, Deut. 4.24. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. God we see hath flatly declared that he will not part with his Sacred Worship and Service, and let them be given to Images and Idols; and hath oft declared that he will be full of jealousy and Fury when men set up Images and such Idols to rival him. And a Curse and Woe is denounced against such as worship Images. This is the first of Moses' Curses. Deut. 27.15. Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten Image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the crafts-man, and putteth it in a secret place; and all the people shall answer, and say, Amen. Tho' this should be done secretly, yet he that should do it is here pronounced Cursed. And saith the Psalmist, Psal. 97.7; Confounded be all they that serve graven Images, that boast themselves of Idols; worship him all ye Gods. And saith the Prophet Isaiah, Isa. 42.17; They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed that trust in graven Images, that say to the molten Images, ye are our Gods. And Isa. 45.16. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded all of them, they shall go to confusion together that are makers of Idols. And saith God by the Prophet Habakkuk, Habak. 2.19; Woe unto him that saith unto the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach. Such Woes and Curses and Confusion await the makers and worshippers of Images, and such must they expect. And to conclude this particular, we may see that Idolaters are to be excluded and shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to have their portion in the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone. And it is plain by the sacred Scriptures that the worshipping of Images is flat Idolatry: And from hence it doth appear that all Image worshippers are like to be utterly excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven, and to go to the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone. This is plain that Idolaters are not like to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. 1 Cor. 6.9. Know ye not (saith St. Paul) that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters— shall inherit the Kingdom of God. And saith he again, Gal. 5.19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleaness, lasciviousness, Idolatry—, of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. It is clear that all Idolaters are like to be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to have their part in the Infernal Lake of fire. Rev. 22.14— saith St. John; Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of Life, and may enter in thorough the gates into the City. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and Idolaters—. Those that keep, and not those that so notoriously violate and break the Commands of God, are the persons that are to inherit his blessed Kingdom. And Rev. 21.8; saith St. John again; But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the Lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. We see that Idolaters must go to this dreadful place of fire and brimstone; and it is clear that Image worshippers are great Idolaters, and that they are like to go to this dreadful place of Torment. It doth plainly appear that the worshipping of Images is flat contrary to the blessed Word of God in a multitude of places; and that all the Pretences of the Papists, that they worship Almighty God, or our blessed Saviour, or the Saints by them, signify nothing at all to excuse them from Idolatry and breaking the sacred Commands of Almighty God; and that these Pretences are no more than what the old Idolaters both Jews and Heathens have made, which are so much condemned in the Word of God; and that all Image-worshippers are like to go to the dreadful Lake of fire, and to perish to all Eternity. This one Particular doth show that there is no hope of Salvation for Papists so long as they practise such abominable Idolatry.   

VI Their worshipping of the Saints and Angels is not agreeable to the blessed Word of God.  
This is the making of them Gods, and is contrary to the first Commandment. Exod. 20.3. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me The worshipping of Saints and Angels is to make them Gods, and contrary to this great Commandment, and many other places in the sacred Scriptures. God hath declared that he will not give his Glory to another. Isa. 42.8. But by worshipping of the Saints they give it away. And our Saviour hath showed us that God alone is to be worshipped and served. Matt. 4.10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. But in worshipping of Saints and Angels they go directly against this Precept, and do not worship and serve him alone. And St. Paul shows that the blessed Angels are not to be worshipped, but that it is vanity of mind in such as attempt it. Col. 2.18. Let no man domineer over you, that is a volunteer in humility and worshipping of Angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. The Translation in the Bible differeth a little here, but this seems to me to be the true meaning of the Greek here. And here the Apostle dissuades us from being drawn away by others to the worshipping of Angels, who through the vanity of their own mind run inconsiderately into such things as they understand not, and for which they have no warrant. And much less are we to be drawn then to the worshipping of Saints. And we may see that the blessed Angel would by no means suffer St. John to worship him. Rev. 19.10. And I fell at his feet to worship him (saith St. John) and he said unto me, See thou do it not, I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus; worship God. And Rev. 22.9; saith he, And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the Angel which shown me these things: Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servants, and of thy brethren the Prophets, and of them which keep the say of this book; Worship God. The blessed Angel would by no means be worshipped we see, but showeth that God only is to be worshipped; and if the blessed Angels are not to be worshipped, but God only; we may be sure that the Saints are not to be worshipped. And we are not to make Mediators of them; for we are taught that there is but one Mediator between God and Man, and that is our blessed Lord. 1 Tim. 2.5. For (saith the Apostle) there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Our blessed Saviour alone is our Mediator, and we are not to make Mediators of the Saints. The worshipping of the Saints is the making of them petty Gods, and the worshipping of them by Images is gross Idolatry, and both are contrary to a multitude of places in the sacred Scriptures. And by what hath been said before, we may see that those that practise such things are like to perish eternally, if they do not betake themselves to a speedy Repentance and Amendment of their sinful Practice herein.   

VII. Their Doctrine of Transubstantiation [that is, That the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, after Consecration, are changed into the real Body and Blood of Christ our Saviour] is not agreeable to the blessed Word of God.  
St. Paul hath plainly taught us, that it is Bread after Consecration, and that it is still Bread when it is eaten. 1 Cor. 11.26, 27, 28. For (saith he) as often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. Here we are plainly taught that it is still bread when it is eaten. And our Saviour calls the wine the fruit of the vine. Matt. 26.29. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom. Our Lord here shows us that this was the fruit of the vine and wine when he drank it. And our eyes and hands and mouth do testify to us, that the bread and wine in the Sacrament are bread and wine when we eat and drink them; and it would be nonsense and madness to think that our blessed Saviour eat his own body and drank his own blood, and gave them also to his Disciples that they might eat and drink them too. We are taught that there is but one Christ, and that he cannot be divided. Ephes. 4.5, 6. One Lord (saith the Apostle) one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all—. And 1 Cor. 1.13; saith he; Is Christ divided? Hereby showing that he cannot be divided. And Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and is but one; Joh. 3.16. But according to the Doctrine of the Romish Church, that will have Christ to be wholly in every bit of the consecrated bread, there will be millions of Christ's directly contrary to the sacred Scriptures. We are also taught that Christ is in heaven at the right hand of God, and that he is to abide there till he shall come to judge the World at the last day. Acts 1.11. This same Jesus (said the Angels) which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven. And till we see him come in this visible and glorious manner, we are to know that he is not bodily present here upon earth. And saith the Apostle, Act. 3.20—. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the Heaven must receive, until the times of restitution of all things—. And he tells us that he is at the right hand of God; Rom. 8.34. And there we are to know that he is to abide until these times of restitution, when, and not before, God will send him again to judge the World. And therefore it is plain that Christ cannot be bodily present in such a multitude of places here upon earth at one time, as the Papists would have him to be, contrary to these places of Scripture, and contrary to all the reason and understanding of man. We are taught that Christ's body is glorified and spiritualised and made incorruptible. Phil. 3.20—. For our conversation (saith the Apostle) is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body—. And saith he again, 1 Cor. 15.42. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption—; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. Our bodies are to be made glorious bodies like Christ's body; and our bodies are to be made spiritual and incorruptible bodies; which shows that Christ's body is such. And he is to return no more to corruption, as the Apostle saith, Acts 13.34. And how then can the glorified and spiritual and incorruptible body of Christ be eaten by men and return to corruption again? This Doctrine of the Church of Rome we see is flat contrary to the sacred Scriptures, and to all the sense and reason and understanding of man.  
And as for those Words of our Saviour, Matt. 26.26; This is my body; We may see that this is a very common and ordinary way of speaking, to call things by the names of those that they signify and represent. The Paschal Lamb is called the Lord's Passover. Exod. 12.11. And ye shall eat it in haste, it is the Lord's Passover. This was to signify and to be a Sacrament of the Lord's passing over the houses of the Israelites when he saw the blood of this Lamb upon the Door-posts, and not suffering the destroying Angel to enter into them; but the Lamb was still flesh, as is said ver. 8; and could not be the Lord's passing over the houses of the Israelites, but only as a Sacrament and Rite to signify this Action of passing over them and showing them Mercy, when the Egyptians were destroyed. Pharaoh's kine are said to be years of time. Gen. 41.26—. The seven good kine are seven years—, And the seven thin and ill-favoured kine that came up after them are seven years. But these kine could not be years of time any otherwise than that they signified so many years of plenty and so many years of scarcity that were to come. The bones which Ezekiel saw are said to be the whole House of Israel. Ezek. 37.11. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole House of Israel: behold they say our bones are dried—. But here we see that no more is meant hereby but that this vision of bones was to represent and signify the House of Israel. By these and many more Instances, we may see that this is a common way of speaking. And hereby it is plain that by these words, This is my body; we are to understand, that this bread was to be a Sacrament and Signification of his Body: For we see, and are taught by the sacred Scriptures, that it is bread still, as I have showed.  
Again our Saviour saith that he is a door; John. 10.7. And men may as well argue for a Transubstantiation here, as upon those other words of his. But how ridiculous would a man make himself that should from hence affirm, That Christ, after he spoke these words, was turned into a perfect door, and that his body was no more flesh and bones, but changed into as real a door as ever moved upon hinges? Our Saviour saith that he is a vine, Joh. 15.1. And men may as well argue for a Transubstantiation from hence as from the other place, and say that Christ after these words, was no more a man, but was then changed into as real a vine as ever grew in the ground, and bore grapes. But to talk after such a vain and whimsical manner as this, is more fit for mad and distracted persons, than for such as pretend to Sobriety and Understanding.   

VIII. Their worshipping of the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is contrary to the Word of God, and gross Idolatry.  
We see that the Bread and Wine are bread and wine still after Consecration, tho' they be consecrated and set apart to a sacred use. And our Saviour and his Apostles have given us no Command nor Example to worship them. And this is to make them Idols, and is contrary to a multitude of places in the sacred Scriptures. This is flat contrary to the great Commandment, Exod. 20.3: Thou shalt have no other Gods before me: For this is to make and have a multitude of Gods before him. And saith Moses, Deut. 11.28; And a Curse, if ye will not obey the Commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other Gods which ye have not known. And Deut. 28.14. And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other Gods to serve them. But here is a new Breed of God's brought up, and (which is a deplorable thing) by such as pretend to be the Disciples of the blessed Jesus, who came to teach us to worship and serve God alone in spirit and truth. God hath declared that he will not give his glory to another, Isa. 42.8. And therefore we must not give his Glory and sacred Rights to the consecrated Elements in the Lord's Supper. Our blessed Saviour hath told us, that we must worship and serve God only in a Religious manner, Matt. 4.10; and Luk. 4.8: And therefore we must be careful to keep this great Commandment, and not be so profane as to fall down and worship the bread that we eat. St. Paul chargeth this upon the Heathen as a grievous Crime, Rom. 1.25; That they changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature, more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever, Amen: And we must not now run into the like Crime, when we have so clear a Light shining before us: For if we do, we shall be greater sinners in so doing, than the Heathens were. By these and many other places we may see, that this is contrary to the blessed Word of God, and gross Idolatry to fall down and worship the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, and to make Idols of them. From all such Idols must we keep ourselves, as St. John hath commanded us, 1 Joh. 5.21; if we would not have our part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, wherein we are told that Idolaters shall have their part. Rev. 21.8.   

IX. Their pretending to sacrifice and offer up Christ to God the Father for the Quick and Dead, is not agreeable to the sacred Word of God.  
We are taught in the sacred Scriptures, That Christ hath offered up himself once for all, and hath purchased Eternal Redemption for us, and that there is no need that he should be offered up again for our Salvation, Heb. 9.12; saith the Apostle: But by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained Eternal Redemption for us. And ver. 25, 26. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high Priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others. For than must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the end of the World, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And ver. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. Christ was not to offer himself often, as the high Priest offered every year, but one offering was sufficient; and by it hath he put away our sins and obtained eternal Redemption for us, and there is no more need of his suffering again. And saith the Apostle, Heb. 10.10. By the which Will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And ver. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God. And ver. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. By one offering hath our Saviour perfected and completed his work of our Redemption, and there is now no more need of his being offered again, and it is but a vain thing to pretend to more offerings of him; and to pretend that the Bread is his real Body. We are taught that Christ is to die no more; and therefore he cannot be sacrificed and offered up to God the Father in the Mass-service. Rom. 6.9, 10; saith the Apostle, Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Christ we see is no more to die and return under the power and dominion of death again; and therefore it is a great piece of vanity and wickedness to pretend to sacrifice and offer him up to God the Father for the sins of men. We are redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ, 1 Pet. 1.18—; and without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins, Heb. 9.22. And how then can the Mass-sacrifices signify any thing? It was a very sinful Crime in those that put the Son of God to death; And how then can it be deemed an acceptable service to God in those that pretend to act it over again? This is a grand piece of impiety for men to pretend that they have such Power over the blessed Son of God, as to sacrifice and offer him up here at their own pleasure, whenas we are assured by the sacred Scriptures the word of Truth, That Christ is in Heaven at the right hand of God.   

X. Their keeping the Cup in the Sacrament from the Lay-people is not agreeable to the sacred Scriptures.  
Our blessed Saviour gave the Cup in the Sacrament to all, and commanded that all his Disciples should drink of it. Matt. 26.27. And he took the Cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. Here our Saviour commandeth that all his Disciples should drink of the Cup; and his Command is as positive and clear as well can be. And Luk. 22.17. And he took the Cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves. This we see is no less to be divided among them all than the bread was. And St. Mark tells us that they all drank of it. Mar. 14.23. And he took the Cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them; And they all drank of it. This is the plain and positive Command of our Saviour that all without any exception should drink of the Cup in the Sacrament; and this we see all his Disciples did. And St. Paul doth plainly show that all are to drink of it, that partake of the bread. 1 Cor. 11.26—. For as aften as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup—. Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily—. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. This we see is the Apostle's command that every one after due examination should both eat of the Bread and drink of the Cup, The keeping the Cup in the Sacrament from Lay-people we see is flat contrary to the positive and express Command of our Saviour and the Apostle.   

XI. The Practice of the Romish Church in respect of Marriages is not agreeable to the Word of God.  
First, The prohibiting the Marriage of Clergymen is not agreeable to the Word of God. The Word of God alloweth them to marry as well as other men, if they see good cause for it; and it is great Tyranny and an evil thing to deny them this Liberty. The Law of God allowed the Priests, and even the High Priests to marry, as we may see Leu. 21.7—, and in several other places; They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane, neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God—. And ver. 13—; And he shall take a wife in her virginity—. The Priests might marry notwithstanding God accounted them holy to himself, and would not suffer them to profane themselves in many other respects wherein the Common People might profane themselves. And we see that Aaron and his Sons were married men, and yet were the High Priests of the Jews; and that they married as they saw good, observing only the limitations of the Law of God. And the Gospel doth allow all men liberty to marry, that see good cause for it. And it doth require that those should marry that have not the gift of continency, and cannot well otherwise keep themselves chaste; but it tolerates no whoredom at all. 1 Cor. 7.2, saith St. Paul; Nevertheless to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Here is no exception, but all may marry that see need for it. And saith the Apostle, Heb. 13.4; Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. And St. Paul doth plainly show, that Bishops and Deacons might be married men. 1 Tim. 3.2. A Bishop then (said he) must be blameless, the husband of one wife—. He that had not married one Wife, and put her away, and married another, as the Jews sometimes did; but had married but one Wife, he might be a Bishop. And so might the Deacons be married men, as we may see, ver. 8—. And St. Paul alloweth Bishops and Elders to be married men in his Instructions to Tit. 1.5—. And it doth appear that St. Peter the Apostle was a married man, mention being made of his Wife's Mother. Matt. 8.14. Mar. 1.30. 1 Cor. 9.5. And the Apostle tells us that it is better to marry than to burn. 1 Cor. 7.9. But if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry, than to burn. Such as are in danger to be tempted to wickedness, are not only allowed, but advised to marry and keep themselves pure, and not to fall to Whoredom. And the Apostle showeth that the forbidding of Marriage is a sinful and evil thing. 1 Tim. 4.1—. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly (saith he) that in the latter times some shall departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils—; Forbidding to marry—. This is one thing that these sinful men would do: And hereby we see that it is an unlawful thing to prohibit marriage and to keep any Order of men from their liberty herein, which God hath granted to all. The Practice of the Romish Church is not agreeable to the sacred Scriptures, in not suffering the Clergy to marry. To prohibit Marriage, and to tolerate Whoredom is flat contrary to the sacred Word of God.  
Secondly, The Romish Church doth tolerate Incestuous Marriages, and the Popes do grant Dispensations for such Marriages as are forbidden by the Word of God.  
God hath forbidden all Incestuous Marriages in the Book of Leviticus, and told us what persons we are to marry. Leu. 18.5— None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness, I am the Lord. And the several degrees of persons that we are not to approach to, are mentioned in this Chapter and in the twentieth Chapter of this Book. And here we may see that the marrying a Brother's Wife is unlawful. Leu. 18.16. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife, it is thy brother's nakedness. And Leu. 20.21. And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it shall be an unclean thing. And John Baptist told Herod that it was not lawful for him to have his Brother's Wife. Matt. 14.3—. For Herod (saith St. Matthew) had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias sake, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. But notwithstanding these plain and positive Commands of God, the Popes at their pleasure will grant Dispensations for the marrying of such persons as are here forbidden, and for marrying a Brother's Wife.  
Thirdly, The Practice of the Romish Church in dissolving of lawful Marriages is not agreeable to the Word of God.  
When a Marriage is lawfully contracted and duly solemnised, it is not to be dissolved but only upon the account of Fornication. This is our Saviour's determination in this Matter. Matt. 5.31.— It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. And Matt. 19.3—. The Pharisees came unto him, tempting him and saying unto him: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them; Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female? And said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh—. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And again, Mar. 10.8—. And they twain shall be one flesh, so than they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. This we see is a sacred Knot, and a work that God hath done, when it is lawfully done according to his order, and not to be dissolved by man, except in the case of Fornication. And saith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 7.10, 11. And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord; Let not the wife be separated from her husband: But and if she be separated, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband; and let not the husband put away his wife. Christians are not to put away their Wives, but were even to keep their Heathen Wives, if they would live with them, and not leave their Husbands because they were Christians. But notwithstanding Marriage is so sacred a thing, and we are commanded not to dissolve it, yet the Church of Rome doth dissolve the Marriage of all Priests; and we see that the Marriage of the Clergy is as lawful as the Marriage of other men. This we see is flat contrary to the express Word of God. In these matters concerning Marriages it is clear that their Practice is not agreeable to the sacred Word of God.   

XII. Their Doctrine of Purgatory, and their Masses and Prayers and Absolutions for the delivering of men from thence, are not agreeable to the sacred Scriptures.  
And first, we may see that the places alleged to prove these, will prove no such thing. Our Saviour hath told us, Matt. 12.32; That whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world or age, neither in the world or age to come. But this place doth not prove that any sins shall be forgiven in another world, which are not forgiven in this. This only shows that no pardon at all was to be granted to this sin. And so it is explained in St. Mar. 3.29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal Damnation. This place in St. Matthew is clearly explained to us by the Spirit of God, how we are to understand it; and nothing like Purgatory we see can be drawn from it. And we may see that such expressions as these in the Scriptures prove nothing at all to this purpose. Our Saviour saith concerning the man that was born blind, Joh. 9.3, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents. But this is no proof that other men do sin before they are born into the World: Nor does this place prove that sins shall be forgiven in another world, which are not forgiven in this. And if some sins were to be forgiven in another World, that would belong to God, and men here upon earth have nothing to do to order the affairs of the World to come, and are in ignorance as concerning the State and Condition of the greatest part of particular men, tho' something may be known concerning a few. And great arrogancy and vanity it is for men here to pretend to order the affairs of the World to come and another life.  
Again saith our Saviour, Matt. 5.25, 26; Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him, lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Here our blessed Saviour doth exhort and persuade men to repent and amend their lives, and to make satisfaction for all the Injuries and Wrongs that they have done to others, while it may be done here in this World; and lets them know, that if they do not take this wise course to make satisfaction now, they shall hereafter be dealt with with great rigour and severity, like one that suffers the extremity of the Law, and is not released from prison till he hath paid the uttermost farthing that was due from him. These words [till thou hast paid—] do not prove that such an one shall be released, but are rather to be understood of lying in hell for ever. But here is nothing like Purgatory, and no proof that men shall be delivered from thence by Absolutions and Prayers and Masses, &c: But this place, instead of proving of Purgatory, is a strong argument to prove that there is no such place. For here we see that our Saviour doth exhort men to take such a course in due time that they may not be cast into prison; and if they will be wise betimes and take care, he showeth that men may escape this prison and not come into it at all; And when men are cast into this prison, he doth plainly affirm that they cannot be discharged from thence by Absolutions, nor be begged and bought out thence by Prayers and Masses, etc.  
Again we read of the Holy Jerusalem, Rev. 21.27; That there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth—. But this is no proof at all that men must be purged in Purgatory after death; And the Word of God doth plainly teach us that we are to be purged and cleansed other ways. We are cleansed and sanctified by Baptism, by the Word and Spirit of God, and by the blood of Christ, and not by Purgatory after death. 1 Cor. 6.11. But ye are washed (saith St. Paul) but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. And saith our Saviour, Joh. 15.3; Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. And Ephes. 5.25—, saith the Apostle, Even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. That he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. And saith St. John, 1 Joh. 1.7; But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Here we see how men are cleansed and purified and made fit to enter into the Holy Jerusalem: And here we see that there is no need of Purgatory, and that men are not cleansed and purified this way; but that they are purified by the Ordinances of Christ, by repentance and forsaking of their sins and evil ways, by being baptised into the Christian Religion, and living of holy and innocent lives according to the Doctrine and Commands thereof; and by the precious blood of Christ, and by the Holy Spirit of God. These Texts of Scripture do plainly prove to us that there is no such place as Purgatory, because there is no need of it, and men are not cleansed and purified by it, but are purified by other ways and means. Nothing like Purgatory can be gathered from this place in the Revelation chap. 21. ver. 27.  
Again saith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 3.18, 19; For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. And these Spirits the Papists would have to be in Purgatory, and that Christ by his Spirit went to preach to them. But this will prove nothing to their purpose. For these are those sinful Wretches that were disobedient in the days of Noah, and then it was that Christ preached to them by his Spirit in Noah and the righteous men in those days. And thus saith St. Peter, ver. 19, By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison: Which some time were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing. And while the long-suffering of God waited for their repentance in the days of Noah, than it was that Christ preached to them by his Spirit in Noah and other pious men perhaps too: For it was the Spirit of Christ that was in Noah and the Prophets. But they being then disobedient, and abusing God's Mercy and Long-suffering, and refusing to amend their sinful lives, are now in hell eternally damned, and not in Purgatory, and the Long suffering of God doth now no longer wait for their repentance; and here is no proof that Christ preached to any such spirits in prison after his death. And it doth appear that these sinners are like to perish for ever from 2 Pet. 2.4—: For (saith he) if God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgement: And spared not the old World, but saved Noah the eight person a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly—. Here we see that these wicked and ungodly men are reckoned with the Angels that sinned and are cast down to hell: And from hence it doth appear that they are like to perish for ever, and that they are not in any Purgatory out of which they are like to be delivered. Here in this place of St. Peter [1 Pet. 3.19.] there is nothing that looks like the Popish Purgatory out of which men are to be delivered by Prayers and Masses and Popish Absolutions.  
Again saith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 3.15; If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. And this some Papists would have to be the fire of Purgatory. But it is clear that the Apostle asserteth no such thing as Purgatory here. The Apostle here doth show that this was to be a fiery Trial, to try every man's work of what sort it was; and that if a man's work should be burnt in this Trial and be found to be nought, he should very narrowly escape and be saved as by fire. He doth not here positively affirm that he shall be saved by fire, but useth it as a similitude to express the difficulty of such a man's being saved; That he shall be saved just as a man is saved by or out of the fire when his house is on fire about him, and there is but one step between him and death: Ver. 11— saith St. Paul; For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Here it is clear that the Apostle speaketh of some day of Trial, some such Judgement as came upon the Jews, as seems probable. And here we see that those that built upon the foundation of Christ sound Doctrines and good pious works according to the Gospel of Christ, such as would abide the fiery Trial of this Day, and the strict examination of Almighty God, (as gold and silver will abide the fire) those we see were to receive a reward, and were like to speed well; and here is no mention made that they should escape and be saved as by fire in such a hazardous and difficult manner. But those that should build corrupt Doctrines and sinful Works upon this foundation, such as would not abide the fiery Trial of this Day (as Wood and Hay and Stubble will not abide the fire) such men were like to suffer loss, and be in extreme danger, and their deliverance would be like the delivering a man out of the fire, when he is just ready to be swallowed up with destruction. To escape by or out of the fire, is a common expression to signify a narrow escape out of some great danger. Psal. 66.12; saith the Psalmist, We went thorough fire, and thorough water—: That is, not through Purgatory, as is clear enough, because it was in this World, but through great hardships and dangers. And Amos 4.11. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning—. That is, ye were preserved from destruction just when it was seizing upon you, like as a brand or stick is preserved from being burnt, when it is snatched out of the very fire. And so Zee. 3.2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? And saith St. Judas ver. 23; And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire: That is, delivering them from the great danger that they were in. And to be saved, by fire, is to be saved from perishing by it; as St. Peter useth the like expression of being saved by water, that is from perishing by water. 1 Pet. 3.20. While the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water: That is, from being destroyed with the Flood which drowned the old World. And so St. Paul useth, by fire, here in this place. When such a Day of Trial and Judgement cometh upon men, God of his great Mercy may deliver some from the fire of Destruction, when they have deserved and are ready to perish by it, who will afterwards be truly thankful for such a Mercy and make a good use of it, and have not provoked him in such a high degree and sinned so presumptuously against him as others have done. In all these places that are alleged for the proving of the Romish Purgatory we see, that there is nothing like it; and that these very places do plainly prove to us that there is no such place as Purgatory where men are tormented, and from which men are to be delivered by Masses and Prayers and Papal Absolutions.  
Secondly, We may see that this is confirmed by many places more in the Sacred Scriptures, that there is no such place as Purgatory. And  
1. We may see that our work is to be done and completed here in this world in order to our eternal Salvation, and is not to be done by us in the Romish Purgatory after death; and therefore it is manifest that there is no such place as Purgatory where men are to be tormented and fitted for Heaven and Happiness. Eccles. 9.10; saith the Preacher; Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whether thou goest. Here the Divine Preacher showeth that all our work is to be done and completed here in this World, and that there is no place for work or action in the grave after death. And said he, Eccles. 11.3; If the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north; in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. And hereby he seemeth to intimate unto us, that men at death fall like trees, and cannot afterwards alter their condition. And saith our Saviour, Joh. 9.4; I must work the work of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work. And this night, we may be sure, will come at death, tho' our Lord here may have some respect to Persecution too. And saith St. Paul, Phil. 2.12; Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Here the Apostle doth plainly show that every one is to work out his own Salvation here in this World, and exhorts us to do it with exceeding great care, and lets us plainly see that it is not to be done by the Prayers and Absolutions of others after we are dead. And saith the Apostle, Heb. 3.13; But exhort one another while it is called to day—: Hereby also showing that our work is to be done here before death. And at the great Day of Judgement every one is to be judged according to the things that he hath done here in the body. 2 Cor. 5.10. For (saith St. Paul) we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body; according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. According to the things done here in the body in this world, are men to be judged at the last day, and here is no regard that is to be had to the matters of Purgatory, which shows that there is no such place. And after death we may see that the righteous cease from their labour and are at rest, and therefore are not labouring and tormented in the fire of Purgatory. Job. 3.12, 13. Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts, that I should suck? For now should I have slept; then had I been at rest; with Kings and Counsellors of the earth—. And ver. 17. There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest. Job concluded that he should be at rest as soon as he was out of this troublesome world, and that other righteous men should be so too; and yet he had perfect knowledge of a world to come; Job 19.25—. And Daniel was to be at rest. Dan. 12.13. But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and stand in the lot at the end of the days. And saith the Prophet, Isaiah 57.1—, None considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace. From evil here in this world is the righteous man taken; and when he departs hence, he enters into peace and rest. And saith the Apostle, Heb. 4.9—; There remaineth therefore a rest to the People of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, least any man fall after the same example of unbelief. A rest remaineth to the People of God after this life is ended, and here we are to labour that we may enter into it. And saith St. John, Rev. 14.13; And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me, Writ, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence forth, yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. Those that die in Christ are blessed and happy, and are then to rest from their labours, and not to be tormented in Purgatory.  
2, We may conclude from hence also that there is no Purgatory, because the body has need to be purified as well as the soul, and must be purified before it goes to Heaven; but the body is not purified in Purgatory, and therefore we may conclude that the soul is not purified in any such place. It is more likely that the body should be purified in such a fire, than that the soul should be so; but the body lies here in the grave with us until the resurrection, and is not purified by Purgatory: And yet the body must be purified before it can go to Heaven. For the Apostle hath told us, That flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and that corruption doth not inherit incorruption, 1 Cor. 15.50. But our bodies are to be glorified and spiritualised by our blessed Lord. Phil. 3.20—. For our conversation is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. The body is to be purified before it can go to Heaven; but it is certain that the bodies of men dead are in the grave and not in Purgatory, and that the bodies of the righteous are to be changed and glorified by our blessed Saviour; and we may be sure also that the souls of the righteous are purified by him. When we by the grace of God, have done what we can to purify our souls, we may be sure that our blessed Saviour will complete this purity, and present them without spot before the Throne of God; as I have showed before. This clear proof before our eyes, that the bodies of men departed are not in Purgatory but in monuments and graves here upon earth, doth make it more evident that there is no such place as Purgatory, but that it is a vain Fiction and a mere Fable. All Receptacles of the dead shall at the last day deliver up the bodies of men that are in them, and are there to remain till that day according to John's Vision. Rev. 20.13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (or the Grave) delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. In the several receptacles, where the bodies of men are and shall be reposed and laid up, are they to abide till the general day of Judgement, and are then and not before to be delivered up.  
And if there were any need that men should be purified in Purgatory before they can be fit for Heaven, there would be the same need and necessity that the last generation of men should be purified herein before they could be fit for Heaven: But we are taught by St. Paul, that at the last day the dead shall be raised up, and that the living shall then be changed and so go with them straight to Judgement to meet the Lord, and that the righteous shall from thenceforth abide with him for ever. 1 Cor. 15.51. Behold (saith he) I show you a Mystery; we shall not all sleep (that is, die) but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed: That is, those of us that shall be then living. And 1 Thess. 4.15—, saith he; For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, That we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep: For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. The last generation of men shall be changed and so go straight away to meet the Lord and to Judgement; and the righteous of them are then to abide with the Lord for ever; and they go not to any Romish Purgatory. And they prove to us that there is no necessity of any such place, and that in truth and reality there is no such place at all.  
3. We may see that it is not our duty to pray for the dead, and that our Prayers in such cases are like to avail nothing, and therefore that Prayers and Masses and Absolutions for the dead are altogether vain. We have no Example in the Word of God for any such practice, and we may see by David's Example that we are not to pray for the dead. 2 Sam. 12.23— But now he is dead (saith he) wherefore should I fast? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. Here we see that David ceased from all religious duties upon the account of the Child, as soon as he knew that he was dead, and concluded that it was now to no purpose for him to Pray and Fast for it any more. And saith St. Paul, 1 Thess. 4.13—, But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again; even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. The Apostle here forbiddeth immoderate sorrow for the dead, and showeth that good men do sleep and rest in Christ, and shall be raised up again: But here is not a word of Purgatory, or of praying and saying Masses for the dead, where the Apostle speaketh of the concerns of the dead. And the Scriptures do show that Prayers and Masses and Absolutions cannot profit the dead. Psal. 49.7— saith the Psalmist; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever) That he should live for ever and not see corruption. And saith God, Ez. 14.14; Tho' these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God. By these places we may see that it is very great Vanity to pretend to deliver the Souls of men in another World, seeing such pious and holy men, and such favourites of God were not able to effect any such deliverance in this World. And the Apostle tells us plainly, That every one shall bear his own burden; Gal. 6.5. But to be delivered by the Services of others is not to bear ones own burden. We may see that Prayers and Masses and Absolutions for the dead are very vain, and that it is not our duty to pray for them.  
4. We may see that all men are reduced to two sorts, viz. the Righteous and the Wicked; That there are but two ways for them to go, to happiness and to misery; That the Righteous enter into a state of happiness upon their departure hence and go not into torment and punishment, and that the Wicked enter into a state of misery and are never like to be released out of it; And therefore that there is no such place as Purgatory where men shall be tormented for a time and afterwards released from it. The sacred Scriptures do all along rank men into these two sorts of Righteous and Wicked, tho' sometimes by other names, as the Evil and the Good, the Just and the Unjust, the Saints and the Sinners, the Children of God and the Children of the wicked One, Believers and Infidels, etc. Under these two sorts doth our blessed Lord comprehend all men. Matt. 5.45. That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven; For he maketh his sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good, and sendeth rain on the Just and on the Unjust—; that is, upon all men. And so Matt. 13.49. and 25.33. We may see also that there are but two States of Life which men are to enter into after death, the one of joy and happiness, the other of sorrow and misery. Matth. 7.13— saith our Lord; Enter ye in at the straight gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at; Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. And Matt. 18.8—. Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands, or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And to this effect, Mar. 9.43—. And again, Matt. 25.21— 46. In all these and the like places we see that there are only two places and States for men to enter into after death; the one of joy and happiness, the other of torment and misery; and that all men are like to enter into one of these two States of Life, and that there is no third State and Condition for them to enter into.  
Again we may see that the Righteous and just after their departure hence do enter into a State of Joy and Happiness, and therefore that they are not tormented in Purgatory. They enter then into rest, as I have showed before, and therefore not into Purgatory. And of Lazarus in the parable it is said that he was carried presently after death into Abraham's bosom. Luk. 16.22. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom—. And we may be sure that Abraham the Friend of God is not in Purgatory and torments. And this place showeth as much, because the rich man went to a quite different state, to hell and torments, and Lazarus' condition is opposed to his; and he is said to be comforted, and therefore certainly not in misery and torments. ver. 25. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Here we see in this parable that Lazarus was carried straight away after death into Abraham's bosom into a place of comfort and joy, and that he went not into any such place as Purgatory: And hereby are we instructed that all righteous men shall be conveyed as soon as they are dead to a place of comfort and joy. And our blessed Lord commended his spirit into the hands of God the Father, when he was expiring upon the Cross. Luk. 23.46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. He commended his spirit into the hands of God the Father, and thither certainly it went. And by this example of the Captain of our Salvation are we taught to do the like, and to commend our souls at the hour of death into the hands of Almighty God; and may be sure that all righteous men's souls go thither, and not into Purgatory. And St. Stephen commended his spirit to our blessed Lord. Acts 7.59. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. Into the hands of our blessed Lord did he commend his spirit; and there is no doubt but that thither it went even to our blessed Lord where he saw him standing at the right hand of God; ver. 56; and not into any Purgatory. And St. Paul concluded that he should be with Christ as soon as he was dead; and Christ is at the right hand of God, as the sacred Scriptures testify. 2 Cor. 5.8. We are confident, I say (saith he) and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. And Phil. 1.23. For I am in a straight betwixt two (saith he) having a desire to departed, and to be with Christ, which is far better. He concluded that when he departed hence he should be with Christ: And Christ is at the right hand of God, as these places show, Rom. 8.34. Ephes. 1.20. Col. 3.1. St Paul doth plainly show that righteous men go to Heaven as soon as they die and departed hence; and that they go not to any such place as Purgatory. And as for Elijah, we are told that he went body and soul straight away to Heaven. 2 King. 2.11. And it came to pass as they still went on, and talked, that behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven. Here we plainly see that Elijah was carried straight away by this whirlwind into Heaven both body and soul, and went not to be purified first in any Romish Purgatory. We read also of Enoch that God took him; Gen. 5.24. And this doth show that God took him to himself, and that he sent him not to any Romish Purgatoy. And we may see that the Penitent Thief went immediately into the Paradise of God. Luk. 23.42—. And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. The Penitent Thief was immediately after his death to be with our blessed Lord, and therefore not in any Purgatory, but in the Paradise of Heaven a place of joy and happiness; 2 Cor. 12.2—. It is clear that righteous men immediately after death go to a place of joy and happiness, and are not to be tormented in any Purgatory.  
And as for the Wicked they are like to go to Hell a place of torment and misery, and are not like to be released from thence at all. This is showed by the Parable of the Rich man, that the Wicked immediately after death go to Hell, and are like to abide there for ever. Luk. 16.22— The rich man also died and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments—. Here we see that he went presently to Hell a place of torments. And he could obtain no ease nor comfort, and no release from this place. Ver. 24—; And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Here it is plain that he could obtain no ease nor comfort, and that this small request would not be granted him: And by the Gulf here, Abraham showeth that it was not in his power to help and relieve him; and that his condition was not to be altered. And in the verses following he desireth that his Brethren at his Father's house might be warned to take care in time that they came not into this place of torment; but he doth not desire that they or any persons else upon earth should pray for him: For if it were not in Abraham's power to help him, much less in theirs. And it doth appear that the torments of Hell are everlasting, and that there is no help for men when they are there. Matt. 18.8— saith our Saviour; Than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And Matt. 25.41—. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire—. And ver. 46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment. And Mar. 9.43. Than having two hands, to go into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And Rev. 14▪ 11. saith St. John; And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; And they have no rest day nor night, who worship the Beast and his Image—. And Rev. 20.10. And the Devil that deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the false Prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. By these and such places it doth appear that the Wicked are like to be tormented in Hell for ever, and are not to be released from thence: And that all Prayers and Masses and Papal Absolutions will signify nothing at all to them, and cannot deliver them from thence. And now seeing all men are ranked under these two sorts of Righteous and Wicked; seeing there are but two places and states to go to after death, viz. Heaven and Hell; seeing the Righteous after death upon their departure hence go into Heaven a place of joy and happiness, and the Wicked go to Hell where they are to abide for ever, and from whence they cannot be delivered; It is from hence also manifest that there is no such place as the Romish Purgatory, and that it is a mere fiction and sinful delusion. It it clear that the Doctrine and Practice of the Romish Church concerning Purgatory are not agreeable to the sacred Scriptures, and that a multitude of places therein do bear testimony against them.   

XIII. Their selling of Pardons and Indulgences for Money is not agreeable to the blessed Word of God.  
The sacred Scriptures do show that there is no Pardon to be had for men's sins, except they repent of them and forsake them, and become new and reformed men: And a wicked thing it is to pretend to pardon them before they are so. Isa. 55.7, saith the Prophet; Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Upon this condition of repenting and forsaking of sin, and returning to God, he will pardon, but not else. And this God showeth, Ez. 18.21: But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. And ver. 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth, shall he live? all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: In his trespess that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Here we see, ver. 20, that the soul that sinneth must die and not be pardoned except he repent; but upon repentance and amendment here is mercy and pardon to be had, but not without it. And saith our Saviour, Luke 13.3; Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. And Luk. 24.47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations. Repentance is to be preached to all as the condition of pardon and remission of sins. And saith St. Peter to Simon Magnus, Acts 8.22; Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. This was the way that St. Peter prescribed to have his sins forgiven; viz. to repent and humbly to pray to God for pardon and forgiveness: And he hath set us no example of selling of pardons, but the quite contrary. And he hath showed us that Spiritual Gifts and Powers are not to be sold and bought for Money. Ver. 18—, And when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. The gifts of God are not to be bought with Money: And from hence it doth appear that the Pardons of men's sins ought not to be sold for Money; and that such Pardons are but miserable Deceits to the poor deluded Souls that buy them. And saith our Saviour to his Apostles when he sent them forth; Matt. 10.8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: Freely ye have received, freely give. This is the Command of our blessed Lord that his gifts should be freely communicated to all persons that were capable of them and well qualified for them, and not sold in such a covetous manner for sinful gain. And saith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 1.18—, For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation—. But with the precious blood of Christ, or of a lamb without blemish and without spot. It is this Blood that hath redeemed us, and this Blood and not silver and gold, must procure us the pardon of our sins. By these places (without drawing a multitude more together here, which might be alleged to this purpose) it is plain that the Popish way of selling pardons is not at all agreeable to the sacred Scriptures, but contrary to them.   

XIV. The Practice of the Romish Church in deposing and dethroning of Emperor's Kings and Princes, and turning them out of their Empire's Kingdoms and Dominions; and absolving their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance, and from all Fidelity and Obedience to them, is directly contrary to the Word of God.  
This is very great wickedness to turn Princes out of all their Rights and Dominions, and to tolerate Rebellion Perjury and Regicide, and such black and bloody Crimes; and to involve whole Kingdoms in dismal War and Blood. This is not to act like a Servant of Christ the Prince of Peace, to turn whole Kingdoms thus into Disorder and Confusion, and to set men to kill and destroy one another, and to command them to commit such wicked things as these, and to violate the sacred Commands of God to the contrary. The High Priests among the Jews were subject to their Kings and Princes, and did not Lord it over them at this rate. Aaron was subject to Moses, tho' the younger Brother, because he was the supreme Magistrate among them. David and Solomon, and the rest of the Kings of the Jews did Rule as Supreme Governors, and the High Priests were subject and obedient to them. And we read not that ever our blessed Lord and his Apostles did depose and dethrone any Kings and Emperors because they would not presently submit to them, or gave any command that they should be deposed and removed upon any such account. We cannot find that ever the blessed Jesus and his Apostles set such a wide gate open to sin and wickedness, and gave men liberty to practise what Villainies they pleased against their Sovereign and the Lord's Anointed tho' an unbeliever. We cannot see that they have made Perjury and Murder lawful upon any account, much less the murdering of a King: But we may see that such practice is strictly forbid by the Gospel. Our Saviour hath commanded that Caesar should have his deuce. Matt. 22.21. Render therefore unto Caesar (saith he) the things which are Caesar's; and unto God, the things which are God's. Caesar was not to be dethroned, but to have his Deuce, tho' a Heathen. And the Apostles strictly enjoin and command obedience to Kings and all supreme Governors. Rom. 13.1—, saith St. Paul; Let every soul be subject unto the higher Powers; for there is no Power but of God; the Powers that be, are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power, resisteth the Ordinance of God; and they that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation. And ver. 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. Here is a positive and strict Command that all men whatsoever should be subject to the supreme Power; and no less than Damnation is threatened to them that resist and rise up against lawful Authority and Government. And saith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 2.13—; Submit yourselves to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the King, as supreme; or unto Governors, as unto them that are sent by him. To the King and Governors in all things that are good and lawful doth St. Peter command us to be subject and obedient. And saith St. Paul to Titus, 3.1; Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magistrates, to be ready to every good work. By these and such places it doth plainly appear that all Subjects are strictly commanded to be subject and obedient to their lawful Governors, and are like to perish if they rise up against them. And to command them to rebel and rise up against their lawful Governors, is to command them to break these sacred Commands of the Gospel, and to do that for which they are like to perish and be damned. Rebellion Perjury and Murder are very great and black Crimes, and for such are men like to go to the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone; as St. John shows, Rev. 21.8. Murderers and all Liars are to have their part therein; and perjured Persons may be reckoned in the front of Liars. To command men to do these things, is to command men to do things which are extraordinary sinful and wicked, and to be the great Firebrands of the world: And yet such is the Practice of the Church of Rome, to do these things flat contrary to the clear Commands of the Gospel of Christ, and to the destroying of whole multitudes of men both here and hereafter too.   

XV. Their debasing and vilifying of the blessed Word of God as obscure and dangerous and insufficient, and productive of Errors and Heresies: And their making their oral Traditions of as great Authority as the Word of God, and letting them take place of it, is sinful enough, and inconsistent with the sacred Scriptures.  
We are to believe that the Wisdom and Goodness of God hath taken sufficient care that the Canon of the sacred Scriptures should be perfect and complete, and that there should be no defect in them. And we are to believe that they are plain and clear enough to direct all men to eternal Life, that will diligently read them, and hear them read and preached, and carefully practise what they are taught therein. And this is St. Paul's testimony of them: 2 Tim. 3.15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. These sacred Writings will furnish all men with sufficient Instructions for Salvation. And saith he, for 16, All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. St. Paul doth here show that the sacred Scriptures are sufficient to make men perfect, and thoroughly furnished with Instructions to all good works. Tho' some places in them are somewhat dark and difficult to be understood, yet such as will carefully mind these sacred Writings, may there clearly see their duty and what they are to do that they may obtain eternal Life; and there are no Instructions compararable to them.  
And we may see that oral Traditions ought not to be had in as great a veneration as the sacred Word of God, and be made of as great Authority. For this would be little less than adding to the Word of God, to make such Traditions as sacred and of as great Authority as it. And this we are commanded not to do. Deut. 4.2. Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you; neither shall you diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you. And Deut. 12.32. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Thus strictly did God command that nothing should be added to, or diminished from his sacred Word and Commandments. And the Jews are sharply rebuked by our blessed Lord for making void the Commands of God by their Traditions. Matt. 15.3—. But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the Commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and he that curseth father or mother let him die the death. But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your Tradition. And saith he, Mar. 7.7. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the Commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men—. The Jews are sharply rebuked for setting up their Traditions so high and making the Word of God void by them; and yet they pleaded as much for their Traditions as the Church of Rome can for here's. And here we see how vain a thing it is for men to pretend to serve God, while they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, and follow their own vain traditions, and make them of equal authority with the Word of God, and prefer them before it. And saith St. Paul to Titus, Tit. 1.13—, Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the Faith; not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. The Commandments of men, if they once come to vie with the sacred Word of God, are utterly to be rejected. By these places, and what hath been said before, we may see that it is great wickedness to set up any thing in competition with the sacred Word of God. The Practice of the Church of Rome, in undervaluing the blessed Word of God, and setting up of Traditions in competition with it, and preferring them before it, is repugnant to the sacred Scriptures and a very great Crime.   

XVI. Lastly, the bloody Cruelty of the Romish Church is not at all consistent with the Gospel of Christ.  
The bloody Wars that have been raised by the Papists against the Protestants and such as refused the Communion of the Romish Church, upon the account of Religion; the cruel Inquisitions that have been set up in the Popish Countries; the merciless Massacres that have been committed and perpetrated by them; and the horrid and hellish Burn that they have used towards the Protestants, are not at all agreeable to the sacred Scriptures. The Persecutions of the Romish Church exceed all the Persecutions of the Pagan Emperors; and more Christian Blood hath been shed by Papists, than ever was shed by the Heathen Emperors. But such bloody Cruelty, and such treacherous Murdering and destroying of men by thousands is not at all agreeable to the Gospel of the blessed Jesus the Prince of Peace, that came to save men's Lives and not to destroy them. When Solomon's Temple was built, it was built without the noise of hammers and axes and iron tools; 1 King. 6.7. And the Gospel was introduced without the noise and use of iron-weapons. Our blessed Saviour and his Apostles practised no such Cruelty, and commanded no such thing to be practised by Christians, but the quite contrary. Our Saviour gave no positive command to his Disciples to take up the Sword (as I conceive) by those Words, Luk. 22.36—: And suffered St. Peter to cut off Malcus' ear, ver. 50, only that he might have an opportunity of doing an act of mercy and kindness to him, even at that time when he came to apprehend our Lord and to take him away to be crucified. And he cured his ear again, that no one might have any just cause to complain that any injury or wrong was done to him by Christ or his Disciples. And when his Disciples would have called for fire to come down upon the Samaritans as Elias did, because the Samaritans would not entertain them perceiving that they were Jews, he rebuked them, and told them that he was not come to destroy men's Lives, but to save them. Luk. 9.54. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from Heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And from hence it is plain that the Disciples of the blessed Jesus ought not to destroy men's lives, but to do what they well can to save them. Ananias indeed and Sapphira his Wife were stricken dead upon St. Peter's admonition of them▪ Acts 5.1—. But this seems to be done by the immediate power of God, and St. Peter caused no violent hand to be laid upon them. And this was for a very great Crime, for lying to the Holy Ghost and to God. And such sins against the Holy Ghost men are not now well capable of committing, except God should now vouchsafe such evidence and demonstration of the Holy Spirit as was then, which is not to be expected. This place cannot be any encouragement at all now to Cruelty and Bloodshed. Elymas for his wickedness was stricken blind upon St. Paul's words; Acts 13.11. But this seems also to be done by the immediate power of God; and it is probable that he had still time to repent; and God might thus afflict him that he might be brought to repentance hereby, if he would. St. Paul ordered that the incostruous Person at Corinth should be delivered to Satan; 1 Cor. 5.5. But this was for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus: That by such chastisement he might be brought to repentance and so be saved. He also delivered Hymeneus and Alexander to Satan; 1 Tim. 1.20. But it was that they might learn not to blaspheme. He ordered also that an heretic after the first and second admonition should be rejected; Tit. 3.10: But gave Titus no command to put him to death. And our blessed Saviour commanded his Apostles, when he sent them forth, to be harmless like Doves. Matt. 10.16 Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves Our blessed Lord and his Apostles practised nothing like this bloody Cruelty, and he commanded his Apostles the quite contrary, and shows that he came into the World upon no such design, but for a quite contrary end: And the Gospel is full of Precepts commanding the highest charity and love and goodness that can be to all men even to our enemies. Matt. 5.44; saith our Saviour; But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the Evil, and on the Good; and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust. And to this purpose, Luk. 6.27. This universal love and charity are we to exercise that we may be the Children of God, and imitate his universal love and kindness; and if we do not so, we shall not approve ourselves to be the true Children of God. And saith St. Paul, Rom. 12.14; Bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not. And ver. 20; Therefore if thine Enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. And saith he, Gal. 5.22—; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith or faithfulness, meekness, temperance—. These are the works of the good Spirit of God, and not Bloodshed and Cruelty. And saith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 1.22. See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. And 1 Pet. 2.15. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. This, and not the Sword and Rack and Fire, is the way that he prescribes to silence the ignorance of the foolish. And 1 Pet. 4.8. And above all things (saith he) have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. This fervent and universal love and charity doth the Gospel require. And so far ought we to be from malice and cruelty towards others, that we should rather be ready to lay down our own Lives for them, when it is likely to be beneficial to them, as St. John shows; 1 Job 3.16; Hereby perceive we the love of God, (saith he) because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  
And so far is the Gospel of Christ from tolerating and giving any encouragement to such bloody Cruelty and merciless Practices that it flatly declares that Murderers shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, but that they are like to perish eternally, and to go to their Father the Devil, that was a Murderer from the beginning, as our Saviour saith, Joh. 8.44. That such are not to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, St. Paul shows, Gal. 5.19—. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, (saith he) which are these; Adultery, fornication—, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelling, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And saith St. John, 1 Joh. 3.15▪ Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal Life abiding in him. For Envy and Hatred and Murder especially are men to be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven. And saith St. John, Rev. 21.8; But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers,— shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Such bloody Murders and merciless Cruelties as are committed by the Romish Church are thus severely threatened in the Gospel; and it Cries out aloud against them as directly contrary to it. We are to lead holy and innocent Lives, and to take great care that we do not cause the Christian Religion to be evil spoken of among Unbelievers; Rom. 2.24. 1 Tim. 6.1. Tit. 2.5. But such wicked and hellish Practices are the ready way to cause Jews, Turks, and Pagans to cry out against it, when they see such inhuman Cruelty and merciless Murders committed by the Professors of it. Such bloody Spectacles are of a very moving and frightful nature, and very distasteful and odious to all men that have any sense of humanity left in them, and the ready way to make them abhor the Christian Religion, when they see such as call themselves Christians to act like the worst of men: And for this must they one day answer. And a sad thing it is to see that such as call themselves Christians should now be the greatest Enemies of the Christian Church, and put men to death in a merciless manner purely for Points of Conscience, where the poor Sufferers have Truth and the Gospel of Christ on their side. By what hath been said it is clear enough that the bloody Cruelty of the Romish Church is not at all agreeable to the Gospel of Christ, but flat contrary to it.  
By these particulars, without going any farther, we may see that Popery is not at all consistent with the sacred Scriptures and the Gospel of the blessed Jesus, but quite another Religion directly contrary to it, even in the Fundamentals of it. For in the Christian Religion we are taught that Christ is the Head of the Church, and are positively commanded to call no one Father and Master in such a high manner, and to admit no Competitor with him. But in Popery the Pope is the Head of the Church: And tho' he pretends to be Christ's Vicar, yet in truth and reality he is no such thing, but acteth like a supreme Lord of the Church himself, and will admit of the Christian Law and the Commands of the Gospel no farther than they suit with his humour and pleasure or interest, and at his own will and pleasure doth overrule them; and herein doth take upon him a Power above our blessed Lord. And by these Papers it is plain that the Members of the Romish Church live in an open and notorious violation of the Christian Law and the Commands of the Gospel. They call themselves Christians, but in truth and reality they are not Christians, but men of another Religion quite different from Christianity, and may be called Papists in opposition and contradistinction to Christians: For as we Christians do own Christ for our Head, and profess ourselves to be his Disciples, and look upon his Laws and Commands as sacred and to be kept inviolable, and do engage to take care to keep them: So do they own the Pope for their supreme Head, and are his Disciples, and do set up his Laws and Commands that are ratified by his Authority as supreme and above the Laws and Commands of Christ, and look upon themselves as obliged to keep them inviolable, and take more care to keep them than the Laws of Christ. The Romish Church notwithstanding its outward profession of Christianity, yet in reality is not to be looked upon as any part of the true Christian Church, but as a People of another new Religion. And there is no doubt to me but that the Papists are the Gentiles spoken of Rev. 11.2; and that the time is now at hand that they shall tread the holy City, the true Church of Christ, under foot forty and two months: And that the Popedom and Romish Church is the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit, that shall make War with the Witnesses of God and overcome them—: And that those names of Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon the Great do belong to Rome and the Romish Church. And the Learned and Reverend Archbishop Usher, Dr. More, and Dr. Barrow do not say much less. [Archbishop Usher 's Predictions, Dr. More 's Antidote against Idolatry, Dr. Barrows 's Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy.] And we may see that Divine Providence hath afforded as great a Cloud of Witnesses against Popery in these latter ages of the World, as it hath against the Pagan Idolatries in the Primitive times of Christianity. And I suppose upon a fair examination it will appear that far more have died Martyrs here in Europe in testifying the Truth against Popery, than have died Martyrs in the time of the Pagan Emperors in testifying the Truth in opposition to Pagan Idolatry. And when these things are fairly considered, I cannot see, but that Christians heretofore might, with as much safety to their Souls, turn to Pagan Idolatry, as Protestants may now turn to Popery. The glorious Martyrs that have suffered in the Popish Persecutions are as high a Testimony against Popery, as any that can be found, I believe, against Pagan Idolatry. And for my part I do not see how Protestants that turn to Popery can be saved, or how Papists that wilfully continue therein when they see and consider these things, can be saved and escape eternal Destruction. How far God may extend Mercy over and above the declarations of the Gospel, in pitying the ignorance and infirmities of some, is an Arcanum that we cannot look into, and belongs not to us to open. But as to the declarations of the Gospel there is certainly no hope of Salvation to be had in the Romish Church, as it is now corrupted. And if any one thinks that I strain the Cord too far, and would have me to remember to keep within the bounds of Charity; I return him this answer; That I am in Charity with all the World, as I hope, and desire the Good and Well-being of all men both here and hereafter; And that I think it far greater Charity to deal plainly and sincerely in a matter of such weight and moment, than to use any deceitful and treacherous Flattery to the deluding of men's precious and immortal Souls, and to give them any just cause to curse me hereafter, when they are wrapped up in Eternal Woe and Misery. I believe St. Paul and St. John were men full of true Christian Charity; and yet they positively declare, that those that commit such sins as they enumerate and reckon up, are not like to be saved but to be eternally damned, if they do not repent in time. And seeing the Romish Church is so notoriously guilty of many of those very sins, there is no cause that any good Body should be offended at me for asserting, That there is no hope of Salvation to be had in that Church; and for being willing to save both Protestants and Papists, by endeavouring to keep the one Party from falling to such a corrupt and sinful Religion, and to draw the other from it. And our Church in effect declareth as much as I do: For in Athanasius' Creed we have these Words: Which Faith, except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And our Church having made this a part of her public Liturgy, hereby doth show that this is her sense, and that this was the sense and judgement of the Primitive times. And seeing the Romish Church doth not keep the Catholic Faith whole and undefiled, as it it clear enough by these Papers, therefore our Church doth declare that the Papists and Members of the Popish Church are like-to perish everlastingly, if they do not repent in time.  
To conclude then, seeing Popery is so notorious a violation of the blessed Word of God, and there are such plain declarations in the sacred Scriptures against it; seeing no less than Eternal Death is threatened to the things that are constantly practised therein, and the Professors of it are accounted no better than Gentiles in the Revelation of St. John; seeing God hath set a whole Cloud of Witnesses and Martyrs to give testimony against it by resisting unto Blood, and by choosing rather to be burnt to death in the fire than to turn to it; From hence we may well be assured of the sinfulness of this Religion, and that it is at the hazard of our Lives and Souls if we turn to it. There is no halting in this case; for if we turn to it, we go presumptuously upon Destruction. Let us then be wise betimes, and not trifle with Eternity, and run wilfully into the Lake of everlasting fire. Let us not by a little Terror of men be driven to it, and so bring the Curse and Wrath of Almighty God upon ourselves. But seeing we are warned of its coming before hand, let us do what we can to prepare ourselves against it, that we may not be born away with the violence of it when it cometh. Let us reform and amend our sinful lives, and be in a readiness to die, if God should call us to give farther testimony against it; and let us then call upon him for his blessed Assistance, and go cheerfully to the Stake, rather than to turn to so sinful a Religion, wherein we are like to perish to all Eternity.  
And I desire that all well minded Papists would seriously consider what is said here, and lay it to heart, and not hearken to deluding Priests and Jesuits. I hope and am fully persuaded that Mercy doth yet wait upon them, and that if they will now return from Popery and become good Christians, and live according to the Precepts and Commands of the Gospel, they may preserve their Souls; and that God will pass by their Provocations hitherto. But if they do not now repent and return, I doubt it will go very sore with the Papists of these Kingdoms. For as I am confident and well assured that Popery is at hand, and will prevail here for a time; so am I also confident that after the 42 Months, Rev. 11.2, are expired, it will be driven out again; and then I fear that the Wrath of God will fall very heavy both upon Papists, and upon such Protestants as turn to Popery. It is very probable that there may be some Bloodshed at its entrance; but I expect that the great Slaughter and Destruction of men will be when it is driven out again. You may peruse The Watch-man's-Voice, and the Letter of a Protestant Clergyman, etc. I have no more but my hearty Prayer, That Almighty God of his great Mercy and Goodness would have mercy upon the whole Kingdom, and turn us all from our own sinful ways into the path of Life, and preserve us safe unto his eternal and blessed Kingdom, for his dear Son Christ Jesus' sake: Amen.  
FINIS.