THE THIRD PART OF Naked Truth: OR, Some serious Considerations, that are of High Concern to the Ruling Clergy of England, Scotland, or any other Protestant Nation.  
AND ALSO A Discovery of the Excellency of the Protestant Religion as it stands in Opposition to Papistical Delusions.  
Being a Representation of what is the true GLORY of Protestants, and WHAT ARE The Base, Contemptible and Ridiculous Principles, on which those that are called Roman Catholics do build, as upon the Sand.  
Being very necessary for all Protestant Families in this present Juncture of time.  2 Thess. 2.8, 9, 10, 11. 
And that wicked shall be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth, and shall destroy with the Brightness of his Coming; even him whose Coming is after the working of Satan, with all Power, and Signs and lying Wonders, and with all deceivableness of Unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the LOVE of Truth that they might be saved, and 
For this Cause God shall send them strong  
Delusions that they should believe a LIE.   
LONDON, Printed for Richard Janeway in Queens-Head Alley in Pater-Noster-Row, MDCLXXXI.   

THE PREFACE, BY A Friend of the Author.  
THough Falsehood and Errors have need of a Veil or a Vizard to hid the naked Face of it, because Falsehood when it appears in its own Colours it is a very unpleasant and unlovely Object: Yet on the contrary Truth appears most lovely, and most desirable when the naked Face of it is most perspicuous, when it appears without Veils or Vizards.  
In this ensuing Discourse, Truth is so nakedly discovered, (viz. those parts of Truth here treated of) as the Ingenious Readers will certainly be as much enamoured with the Beauty of it, as once they were with that worthy Discourse that first appeared in this Nation, bearing that name of Naked Truth, which now is styled The first Part, (another Discourse bearing the Title of the Second Part of Naked Truth having been also some time since published) for as in that first part of Naked Truth, great Loveliness did appear to all ingenious and un-interessed Persons; so assuredly this third part of Naked Truth, will engage the Hearts of many thousands to it, that may have a view of it.  
And though some Persons (whose Errors, and Evils, that first part of Naked Truth did discover) (at lest by reflection) were so impudent as to scribble against it: yet what did they do in it, but lay open their own Shame and Folly to all men? So that if they had been publicly known, they would have exposed their Persons as much to contempt and hissing, as their dirty Papers were to Abhorrency.  
In this third part of Naked Truth, is a discovery of some of those parts of Truth, as were not treated of in the first Part, nor yet in that which is styled the second part of Naked Truth, but in this Discourse three things are performed.  
First, The Naked Truth is so laid open with reference unto some things, which concern the Ruling Clergy of any Protestant Nation; as will engage the most Ingenious among the said Clergy to return solemn thanks-givings to God for this third part of Naked Truth.  
Secondly, the Naked Truth is made so conspicuous, with reference to that which is the true glory of Protestants in opposition to Popery, as hath never yet been done by any Pen.  
Thirdly, the Naked Truth is so, and in such a manner displayed, as the Filthiness and the Odiousness of the Scarlet-Whore is made so Patent, and Bare, as may tend to the opening of the Eyes of the Kings of the Earth, and of every ordinary and intelligent Person, as may work in them a loathing, and a detestation of her as Rev. 17.16. is said shall be wrought,  
And it may be hoped, that this very Discourse may prove to be such a Mirror or Looking-Glass, to as many of that Scarlet Generation (that are related to the Scarlet-Whore, whose great thirstiness for Blood is so notoriously made manifest, both formerly and lately) as will but give themselves leave seriously to look upon their own odious Pictures, I say this Mirror may so discover to them, so much of their own Shame, as they never saw before, as possibly may work in them a loathing of themselves, and a true Repentance of their evil Ways, which have not been good, according to Ezek. 36.31. and may engage them to join with Protestants to hate the Whore and to make her desolate and naked, and to burn her with fire.  
For we have great ground to hope that the discoveries of naked Truth more and more, will tend to the enlightening of all Nations professing Christianity, both Protestant and Papistical, (for some Protestants have in some things erred also,) and to the Conversion of both from the Errors of their ways, and to the bringing of all dissenting Parties to that sincere Love one to another, and that true Peace one with another, that becomes the Gospel. Even to that perfect Unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to which he hath determined to bring his Church in due time, (which time may be near even at the door.) To which all true Christians, (whatever their present Errors and Weaknesses may be,) will in Sincerity say, Amen and Amen.   

The Glory of PROTESTANTS, And the Shame of PAPISTS.  
HAving for some time laboured and traveled with desire of Soul, to bring forth those things that have been given to me, which may tend to Peace and Unity, I shall in this short Discourse only touch at some few things in order thereunto. And the first thing that I shall humbly present to the Consideration of the Protestant Churches, both at home and abroad is, That as the business of the Christian Religion is now a thing not capable to be separated from an Affair of State: so considered as such, it is far more difficult for a Protestant Prince upon some accounts to govern it, than for a Popish Prince, and that for the following Reason: which difficulty when the Reason is considered, may easily be remedied, according to that Maxim, Take away the Cause and the Effect ceaseth.  
The Reason or Cause of this difficulty, I shall here therefore endeavour to lay open, and to manifest with all plainness and clearness. I say therefore that the reason of this Difficulty is because the Prince having the Character or Repute only of a Secular Authority, hath not that immediate Influence upon Religion itself, or upon Religious People, which the Clergy hath; for as it is not to be expected that a Prince should have that knowledge, so neither is it possible that he should be any way so Conversant in, or so attendant upon the Affairs, Controversies, and Disputes which do relate to Religion, as the Clergy may.  
And by reason of this, Though a Prince may in other things have never so great an ability of Judgement,  
And though he be never so Absolute or Supreme; Yet he is denied the Right of this Judgement, as to the Matters of Religion, in regard that this is appropriated solely to the Clergy.  
And the Clergy taking upon them the sole right of Judgement, in all Religious and all Ecclesiastical Affairs, do by this means presume, That their judgement alone is to be received by the Prince, whensoever they see it reasonable to desire his Authority, to Confirm and Assent to such things in Religion, as they would have confirmed and assented unto;  
And whensoever they on the contrary, shall desire his nulling and repressing such things, as they properly dislike, and would have nulled and repressed by him.  
And seeing all such Representations, when at any time made by the Clergy, are not only the easier, but the sooner gained by them, because of the entire trust that in the whole affair of Religion, is generally committed to them, as to Persons not only of supposed sufficiency, but of supposed Conscience and Integrity. And because there can be no third party therefore, that hath a power to examine the things propounded by them, or to sift into the grounds or reasons of them.  
They are the more easy to be gained also, because of the Power and Influence which all pretences about Religion, do commonly and rationally carry with them, with reference to the public Peace, and to the establishment of Piety, and to the procuring both of Prosperity, and of blessing upon a Nation itself. Which things being generally apprehended and believed by all, to be the real Consequences of Religion;  
Nothing therefore can render a Prince more plausible, or to speak more properly,  
Nothing renders a Prince more naturally grateful, to the hearts, or more inwardly awful and reverend to the mind and affections of his people, than the Supposition of his being Religious or pious doth.  
And therefore all Propositions about Religion, having this advantage above all others of any kind whatsoever; no marvel if they gain a more easy reception with any Government, than any other Proposition can.  
Especially if offered by such, who claim the main care and charge of all things which concern Religion, and concern the welfare of it, as well as they challenge the chiefest knowledge and judgement about it.  
For these reasons therefore, and for the purchasing and the conserving such a name among his people, as may become a Prince that would justly be accounted Pious, and for the avoiding the Blemish and Imputation of the contrary, a Prince is ofttimes induced through the instant request and importunity of the Clergy, both to dispense with, and yield to such things, which otherwise if duly examined, would neither be judged suitable, nor perhaps consistent with his Dignity, either to do or to grant.  
So that though it be a thing for those reasons very plain, That a Prince cannot in the affairs of Religion, easily decline the Judgement and Representation of the Clergy: yet nothing is more certain than this,  
That their Judgements and their Counsels prove sometimes, not only imposing but very dangerous both To his Government, To his Safety, To his Honour, and to his Interest.  
And the more, because as the rise of their Advice doth often proceed, (if not for the most part) from those Considerations and no other, wherein their own interest as a Clergy is particularly, and sometimes privately concerned: so the end of their advice terminates many times, in nothing else beyond this.  
That due Care and just Consideration, which is but fit to be had to their Prince's Interest, being either not so faithfully, or uprightly, or at least not so circumspectly minded by them as it ought.  
For the Proof of which, we may appeal even to matter of Fact, there being not one or two but rather too too many Precedents to be found, wherein the Advice which the Clergy hath given to Princes, hath been so precipitate and rash, that Princes to avoid those mischiefs that have followed from their Counsels, (and doubting lest other and farther inconveniences might ensue upon them that might be worse) have been forced ofttimes to rescind their own Orders, though to the lessenning of the Credit and Authority of their Government.  
Yea not only so, but through the importunity of the Clergy, and through the rashness and unseasonableness of their Counsels, it is not one Prince, but several Princes, that have been frequently entangled, Either with Divisions and Dissensions at home among their own Subjects, or with quarrels abroad among their Neighbours, not only to the disquiet of their Government, To the Ruin of many ancient Families, To the shedding of much innocent Blood, and to the waste and consumption of an extreme Mass of Treasures: but which is yet worse, to the doing of all this without any Fruit, and to the giving over (at length) the very quarrel itself, even for these very Reasons, viz.  
Because they saw they were misled in it, and were able to effect none of those ends, which others propounded to them by it, and which they propounded to themselves, than which nothing can render a Prince more unfortunate, to the eye of himself or of others: which unfortunateness by their engaging in quarrels relating to Religion, hath nevertheless happened not only to Princes of ordinary, but to Princes of extraordinary Wisdom, Courage, and Conduct.  
Witness the ill success of Charles the Fifth, in his War upon the Princes of Germany.  
And of his Son Philip the Second of Spain, in his attempt upon the Netherlands.  
And witness also three Kings of France, one after another.  
And witness, what is not fit to be particularised, even those things that happened at home even in our own Country; which have drawn a Mourning-Veil upon the Records of our own times.  
And yet so untractable have the Clergy been at some Times, and in some Places or Countries, that if a Prince shall refuse their Advice (though out of judgement) or shall oppose the unreasonableness of their Counsels, though never so justly, They do hereupon, not only meet and Herd among themselves, but partly by Preaching, partly by Writing, and partly by other ways of negotiating, they do Endeavour to gain to themselves, both the greatest Persons and the greatest part of the Nation, even to prevent the effects of this Judgement, Prudence, and Moderation.  
And if these things we have now said have any Weight or Truth at all in them, they will evidence the Deductions following to be as true and as certain, viz.  
1 That the Affair of Religion is of too active a nature to lie wholly neglected, and unregarded by any Government.  
2 That none can have a principal hand in the Government of it, but they must have the principal power and opportunity through it, to affect the people more than any other, either in the point of Obligation, or in the point of Neglect and Disrespect.  
3 That this must be much more true and certain in such a Nation, where the People's Zeal and Affections do run most strongly of any to Religion, (as in these Nations) than it is or can be true, in any other Nations whatever.  
4 That whoever will weigh it, must find the Clergy therefore singly for this Reason, even because of their mere Calling and Relation to Religion, to be considerable in every Nation both for Power and Interest.  
5 That though they dare not merely because of their Calling, any way challenge an Order or Superiority above the Prince, nor can: Yet they are by consequence always made Independent upon the Prince, and sometimes absolute over the Prince, when the Prince himself shall entirely, and without any check commit the Affairs of the whole Church and Religion to them.  
Because if they govern Religion well, and entirely according to the People's satisfaction, they must unavoidably draw and engage the very Souls, Hearts and Consciences of the People to them, and that by the firmest, strongest, and most lasting Tie of any, which is that of their Minds, and Affections, and of the Duty they own unto God.  
If on the contrary they Rule the Affair of Religion wholly and perfectly to the Disgust, Oppression, or Bondage of the people, they must of necessity as much disgust the Government; though not for itself, yet because of that absolute Authority which it maintains and upholds in the Clergy.  
6 That the committing the Affairs of Religion and of the Church entirely to the Clergy without any check at all upon them, is yet the more against the Interest of the Prince, because it layeth an express Temptation upon them, to Govern both the Church and Religion absolutely, and at their own Will, and consequently to govern Religion with much less Care, Heed, Circumspection, and Moderation, than otherwise they would have done.  
7 While the Clergy govern the Affairs of the Church and of Religion absolutely, and by their own Will, without any Check whatever upon them, The Prince himself neither hath nor can have the least security, that they will not Govern all things directly agreeable to their own Interest, and to their private and particular Concern, let that Interest with the Means best to effect it, be never so distinct, to the Interest of the Prince, or to the Interest of the People; or never so destructive or contrary to either.  
8 That it is less adviseable for a Protestant Prince to commit the Affairs of the Church, and of Religion absolutely and entirely to the Clergy, than it is for any other Prince. Because the Clergy are by this, without any Head at all over them, and without any Council whatever that is superior to them, (which they are not under the Papists themselves) and because the Prince, must by this means inevitably subject himself to their Advice, and to the Effect of it, let the Issue of it prove never so inconvenient or rash to him, as is manifest from the Examples before mentioned.  
9 That it is the less adviseable also for a Protestant Prince than for any other Prince, Because it is not only against the Example of Holland, but against the Example of all the Protestant Princes that were Instrumental in the first Reformation, and of most of their Successors.  
10. That as it must be utterly against the Interest of a Prince to take part with the Clergy, when ruling of Religion wholly and perfectly to the disgust of the People: so it must recommend him, not only to the Judgements, but to the Minds, Hearts and Affections of the People, even beyond what any thing else hath a power to do, if he shall please, more especially at such a time as that is, to gratify them with the sense of his own Care of them. And there cannot well be a greater Season, and Opportunity put into the hand of any Prince, either to Honour himself, or to oblige a People, and to oblige them to him in strictness by all Ties that are possible to be laid in Gratitude or Conscience upon them; Than for a Prince to take the Affairs of Religion, or of the Church, into his own hand at such a time, as they have most miscarried in the hand of the Clergy.  
And to manifest to his people that it is his fixed resolution, to defend that which is the Foundation of Protestantism, and which is the true glory of it, in opposition to the Popish Religion, of which I shall now more particularly discourse.  

The Glory of the Protestant Religion is,  
That by the Reformation there was a restoration of the Scriptures, in the Vulgar Tongue, as well to the common people as to any others, and this was one main part of the Reformation, if not the chiefest of any that came by the Reformation itself, and it is the true glory of it, without which any thing else that came by the Reformation could have been but of little advantage to us.  
And if a Protestant Prince do assure his people, that he will maintain and defend this Principle, or Foundation of Protestantism, This will, and must firmly and strongly engage all the Hearts and Affections of his Protestant Subjects unto him.  
But whether the Prince will defend and maintain this Principle or not, yet it is unavoidable: That all Protestants as well in all other Nations beyond the Seas where any Protestants are as well as in these three Kingdoms, do irresistably cleave to this Principle, viz. That by the Reformation the free use of the Scripture is restored to all people, And this Principle being fixed in them, it hath these four following Effects.   

The first Effect.  
1. That no man or men (that no party of the Clergy or any other) shall ever be able to remove the influence, which the Divine Authority of the Scripture must have, and cannot but have, upon the Minds and Consciences of the People professing the Protestant Religion, as the Scriptures are acknowledged to be.  
The ONLY Word, the ALONE Rule of the mind of God unto his People.  
This Character or Apprehension of the Dignity and Authority of the Scriptures, being so Essential to our Reformation itself, that there is no Protestant can so much as doubt of it. It being that which is not only commonly taught in our Pulpits, but frequently inculcated to us, while we are Children by our Parents, and by those Masters which take the Care of us while we are at School.   

The Second Effect.  
And secondly, this Principle of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, being from our very Education thus firmly rooted in us, it must make the influence of it to be equally as strong, and equally as powerful upon the Consciences of us, even as the Scriptures themselves are, which is equal with the very Authority of God himself: and especially upon all such as are religiously Educated and Bred: so that there is no Obligation or Tie whatever, which is capable to be laid upon men upon any civil, outward, or temporal Account, that is able to have any part of that strength, or influence upon them, as the Scriptures must necessarily have upon, and over the generality of all Persons in the Protestant Church: which is a second Effect, which can never be removed by any Authority of man whatsoever.  
The strength and prevalency of which Tie as made upon the Consciences of all Persons as Protestants, by or from the Scripture, is yet the more considerable, because whatever Worship, Service, or Religion we as Protestants do profess to give unto God, we profess it only from the Authority of the Scriptures themselves, and from the Authority of them, as they are thus owned and professed by the Protestant Church to be our Supreme: and (consequently) our immediate Tie in all that we believe, and in all that we act as Protestants towards God which hath not its Termination in, or its dependence so much upon men, or upon the Ruling Clergy, or upon the Church, as upon the Scripture or Word of God itself.   

We judging it lawful enough to forsake the Church, when we once judge the Church in what it believes, or in what it acts, or practiseth toward God to have forsaken his Word.  
And our Profession or Religion being thus founded, I mean out of Conscience purely to God's Word: Every man then, properly as a Protestant, if he be Sincere, doth as much believe that the Worship (whatever it be that he professeth) is as truly agreeable to the Mind and Will of God, as is the very Scripture itself. And consequently that he is as much to contend for the said Worship, as he is bound to contend for the Authority of the Scripture itself: For these two being taken by him but for one thing, (viz. the Truth and Authority of the Scripture, and the Truth and Authority of what he professeth,) consequently the same Tie that binds him to the Scripture, must of necessity bind him to that Religion whatever it be, which he as a Protestant professeth unto God. And consequently if there be no Tie so firm or so strong upon the Conscience, as that of the Divine and Absolute Authority of the Scripture is: There can be no Tie stronger than what Protestant's as such (and as Sincere) must necessarily have for the Religion, whatever it be that they do respectively profess unto God.   

The Third Effect.  
And Thirdly, This now being made clear and undoubted, viz. That the Tie and Obligation that every man hath to the Worship which he professeth unto God, properly as a Protestant lieth in, and riseth immediately from the Scriptures. And it being likewise cleared that the highest Tie which can possibly be laid upon the Conscience of any man, is that proceeding from the Scriptures, as they are The ONLY Rule of God's Mind and Will to us.  
It must necessarily follow, that if the Authority of men can neither remove the Use of the Scriptures themselves, nor remove the Obligation which they have above all things upon the Consciences of men, even from their very Education, as they are The only Rule of God's Mind, than no Authority of man, can ever possibly remove the Obedience which men will always conceive themselves obliged to give to the said Word, in whatever it be they apprehend it doth clearly command. Seeing this Obedience is looked upon to be the same, (and no other) with an Obedience given to God himself.  
And if an Obedience given unto God, be in Conscience also infinitely preferable to any Obedience to man, then must an Obligation to the immediate Law and Will of God, be always preferable to, and stronger than any Obligation whatever, to the Law or Command of men, which is a third unavoidable Effect of it.   

The Fourth Effect.  
And Fourthly, if the Law of the Church, or of the Ruling Clergy, cannot in the matter of Worship any way compel or bind men to Obedience, farther or otherwise than as they apprehend it to be agreeable to the Law of God, or to the Law of his Word: Then neither can the Law of the Prince, or the Law of the Civil Government bind men's Consciences, in the matter of Worship, further or otherwise than the Law of the Church, viz. no otherwise, than as the said Law shall appear to them to be agreeable to God's Law, which is the Law of his Scripture or Word. And consequently it can never be avoided by any Protestant Prince, but his Authority as relating purely to things Civil, with the Efficacy of it, must stand upon one Rule;  
And his Authority as relating to things of Divine Worship, with the Efficacy of it, must necessarily and unavoidably stand upon another Rule.  
And therefore that his Authority over his Subjects in the one, and in the other of these, must of necessity be distinguished. Which is the fourth thing that we say cannot in any Protestant Government possibly be prevented. That these four things are the certain Effects, of that which is the Main part, or the Chiefest Privilege of any that came by the Reformation itself before mentioned, may be further and more fully demonstrated thus.  
For if no Law can possibly Eradicate that Notion, That there is a God: Then no endeavour of man whatever, can hinder his being worshipped, by such at least as have a sense of his being, and do verily believe that HE IS.  
Wherefore, if we are trained up from our Childhood, and trained up not only as men, but as Protestants, firmly to believe that God will accept of no other Worship at all from us as Christians, but what is agreeable to his Word. And if it be a thing continually inculcated to us even from our very Infancy,  
That it is in a Conformity to this Word alone, that all Religion whatever doth consist;  
Then it is not Reason only, but Experience itself, which attests it, That a man may as soon quit his Notion that there is a God, or be afraid to own it.  
And may assoon quit the Notion that God is to be worshipped, or be afraid to own it.  
As he may quit or be afraid to own (as he is a Protestant) this Notion, viz. That God is so only to be worshipped, and no otherwise than he hath set down in his Word.  
And if this Notion then about his Word, as the only Rule of the Worship of God, be as firmly planted in us by our Education, as any Notion can be planted in us, that belongs to our nature as men: It must needs follow, that a Government may as well, and with as good success, hope or propound to itself by a Law, to extinguish common Notions, as hope or propound to itself by a Law, to extinguish among any Protestant Nation, the Notion of the necessity of Worshipping God according to his Word.  
And therefore if it be rightly considered it will likewise appear: That it must be to him that is truly educated as a Protestant, every way as grievous to be commanded by a Law to forsake Christianity itself, as to be commanded by a Law to forsake that Worship, which he as a Protestant cannot but believe in his heart, is alone agreeable to the Mind and Law of God, which is that Worship that is given to God directly conformable to his Scripture or Word. And of the Truth of this the Martyrs in Queen Mary's time are a competent Witness.  
And consequently they that pretend to take another Measure of Protestantism, than according to what is thus firmly rooted in the hearts of men, both by their Education, and by the very Principles and Doctrine of the Reformation, do seem but to prevaricate only with the reformed Religion, and with the sixth Article of the Church of England, and do if not in Words, yet in Actions seem manifestly to declare, that they neither really believe the Scriptures, or the Christian Religion, or the Reformation to be of God.  
For if the whole of the Christian Religion be contained in the Scripture, and in the Scripture alone, as the sixth Article of the Church of England doth both plainly and expressly confess it is: Then to make the rule of the Word to be our rule wholly as Christians in the Worship of God, is so far from an Obstencie, and so far from any thing of Humour or Superstition, or Conceitedness, that the contrary can be no way dispensable, and much less maintainable before God: and therefore there is neither any part of Popery itself, nor any thing of Idolatry, though never so gross, but it may be as easily imposed upon, and as easily entertained by a Protestant, as any worship may; which he evidently seethe, or is sufficiently persuaded of in his Conscience to be against the Mind of God, or against the Rule of his Word.  
Seeing it is This Rule that is the only Index of his Mind as to us, and it is This Rule alone, to which all the Promises of God are entirely made, and all the Promises of God being made to This Rule only; This Rule, and no other, must then as we are Christians, be The alone Foundation both of all our hope, and of all our trust toward God. And must consequently be the only ground upon which we can as Christians have any expectation of Salvation and Life. And therefore the whole Interest, and Concern of our Souls, (at least as we are Protestants) doth, and must stand entirely upon the said Word. Which things if they cannot possibly any way be denied,  
Then the disobeying of all such Laws in the matter of Worship, as are NOT agreeable to The Word of God, or which at least appear not to be so, is a thing wholly inevitable, and is impossible to be avoided in a Protestant Government; even as we are rational persons, because there is a threefold reason that necessarily impels it.  
First as it hath its rise from that most forcible and indeleable Character which is writ in the Minds of all men; which is, That seeing GOD IS, HE ought to be worshipped in some manner or another of necessity.  
Secondly, as it hath its rise from that Character which hath equal force with the other in the Minds of us; as we are bred Protestants, viz. That God is no other way to be worshipped, nor will accept of any other worship from us (as Christians) but what is agreeable to his Word. Which two Principles, seeing by virtue of our Education they make but one indeed in our hearts, as we are Protestants they do and must constrain us assoon to abandon all worship itself unto God, as to abandon that worship which is properly agreeable to his Word. Because so far as we abandon this, we do abandon all Worship that is according to our Principles as Protestants, either acceptable with God, or agreeable to the Mind of God.  
Wherefore if to these two we shall add the third ground of its rise, which is as certain also as either of the other, viz. That we neither have hope in God, nor any Promises made us by God further than as we obey him in his Word, or further than as we worship him according to the Rule of it.  
I say these three things being now jointly considered, and seriously weighed by us: what man is there, or what man can there be, who firmly believes that there is any such thing as Salvation and Life, who will not run any hazard rather than forbear what he judgeth to be the Worship of God? or rather than he will observe such a Worship unto God as he cannot but know, or cannot at least but verily believe to be contrary to his Mind, and contrary to the Rule of his Word.  
If it be evil then, for any man to believe that God is indispensibly to be worshipped after some manner or another, or evil for a man to believe that there is no other rule of his Will or Mind to us as we are Christians but his Word, and therefore no other Rule wherein his Worship is contained besides his Word.  
Or if it be evil to expect that God will most truly, faithfully, and fully perform his Promises to us, if we shall serve him according to his Word, and not otherwise,  
I say if any of these three things are evil, than it may be evil to disobey any Law relating to the Worship of God though it be not agreeable to his Word. But if none of these things be evil in themselves, they can never make any man evil who simply conforms to them, I say not simply for his conformity how strictly or entirely so ever it be.  
And therefore if these three Principles are of such a nature, as creates a necessity of our compliance with them, even as we are rational persons, we must either then remove the Principles themselves, and the lawfulness of them, or we must unavoidably suffer and permit their efficacy as lawful over men. For to allow the Principles themselves as good, and lawful, and as necessary and indispensible in themselves, and to disallow nevertheless the Practice of them; or to disallow such persons as follow them and embrace them, and to account such persons to be only disturbers, or to be men so evil and bad as that they are not fit to be tolerated in a Nation, even though no Crime besides this be objected against them: Is either grossly to prevaricate with the said Principles, and to make but a mock or sport of them, or it is to do that which is absolutely repugnant, absurd, and contradictory in itself: which is wholly against the Reason and Nature of a man as a man.  
For though it cannot be maintained, that all the Laws of men must or ought necessarily to arise out of the Laws of God, viz. either that of his Word, or that Law written in the heart of man, Yet it is maintained among all Christian Governments whatever,  
That no Law of the Civil Magistrate hath any power to supersede any Law of God, whether it be that writ in the heart of man, or that writ in his Word, and therefore it is universally agreed by all Governments, and cannot be denied by any that profess Christianity, That all humane Laws if they be inconsistent either with any of those common Principles that are writ in our Nature, (which are called the common Principles of Reason) or with any thing that is expressly writ in the Word of God, They are null and void in themselves. Because they are against a prior or preceding Obligation, which all men as men have by Nature unto God, as unto their Supreme Lord and Creator.  
Wherefore in as much as it is clear, that all Laws which command men to forbear that Worship, which they as Protestants do in their hearts judge, and believe to be agreeable to the Mind, Will, and Word of God, or which commands them to conform to such a Worship, as they judge according to their own Understandings (and cannot but believe it) to be disagreeable to the said Mind, Will, and Word of God, are of this nature, that is,  
First, they are such Laws as have a manifest Inconsistency either with the Law writ in the heart itself, which is, That God is indispensably to be worshipped in some manner or another, Or,  
Secondly, they are such Laws as have an Inconsistency with the Law writ in the Word of God, which is, That he will reward all such as shall obey him according to the Rule which he hath given them in his said Word, and will punish such as shall do the contrary. Or,  
Thirdly, they are such Laws as have an Inconsistency with the Rule of the Reformation itself, which is, that all Worship which is Christian, and foederal, is to be given to God according to the Scriptures, and that whatever IS NOT read in the Scriptures, nor may be proved by the Scripture, IS NOT to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith. Which are the very words of the sixth Article of the Church of England, (and which Article if wounded, the rest of the thirty nine Articles must be wounded equally with it, seeing they are judged to be founded mainly upon it,) I do therefore with all humbleness say, that all such Laws (in any Protestant Government whatever) which restrain such a Worship as is agreeable to the Word of God, or is really believed to be such by them that practise it, I say all such Laws are entirely against that Prior Law or preceding Obligation, which men as men have by Nature indispensably unto God, as to their Immediate Creator and Lord, above any which they have or can have unto man, how lawfully soever he may be the Superior of them.  
And consequently, that all Nonobedience or Nonconformity to any of the said Laws, though it be in a sense voluntary, yet it is neither elective nor indeed truly or properly free, And therefore that such Nonobedience is not any the least breach of affection, Nor any the least forfeiture of a man's Duty to his Prince, or to the Government, Because it is a Nonconformity or Disobedience that is absolutely constrained, compelled, and of an inevitable and indispensible nature in its self, by reason of the Prior Law or of the preceding, and indispensible Obligation which we have both as Men and as Christians unto God; And have above and beyond any Obligation that we have, or can have possibly to any person as the Prince or Superior of us.  
And all men that maintain the contrary, and that either out of a Luxury of Wit, or out of a Super-foetation of Vanity, Insolency, or Pride do seek to baffle this Argument, or to evade the force of it, from or under the pretence of the Capriciousness, Humoursomness, and affectation of Singularity that may be in some Persons; may with as good Reason, and with as solid a Judgement make a mere Mock or Ridicule of all the Martyrs that have ever been since the World stood, and may as well call Daniel, and the three Children, and all the Primitive Christians, and the Apostles who suffered for God, and for the Testimony of his Word, and of Christ, Revel. 6.9. Revel. 1.9. men that were only capricious, humourous, and persons that did affect a Singularity, as call all men so at this Day, whoever they are that do not conform to the Laws Nationally made about Worship and Religion:  
For if their bare Allegation that all men that do not conform, are men only of humorous, and capricious Tempers, and men who merely affect a Singularity and Disturbance; shall be taken for a sufficient Evidence against them.  
By as just a Law, the Testimony of any Atheist, may as well be taken against all the Martyrs that ever were. And the Testimony of any common Person, may be taken against them themselves (that allege this,) that they are Atheists. And if this last be not reasonable, neither is the first. For if another's bare Allegation is not to be taken against them, nor aught to be allowed as an Evidence, So neither is their bare saying to be taken against others.  
By all that I have said then, it will appear that there is a clear difference, between the Authority of a Prince in things Civil, and in things relating to Worship and Religion.  
For as a Prince's Authority in things Civil is unquestionable, and enterferes with no Law of God whatever, and can have no pretence therefore to entrench upon the Conscience, or upon any prior Obligation or Duty that a man oweth unto God, and as it must for all these Reasons be necessarily and indispensably obeyed, and submitted unto by all his Subjects;  
So on the contrary, a Prince, especially as a Protestant can put out no Law about Divine Worship, but his Subjects so far as they are Protestants, are bound in Conscience and by the very Principles of that Religion which they profess, not only to Consider it, But to Examine it, whether it be agreeable to the Word of God or not, and if it appear not to be such (at least according to the best of their Understandings,) As they will have a Plea always not to submit to it, by Reason it intrencheth upon a Prior Obligation; So this Plea cannot well with Justice be denied them, if no Crime whatever in their Conversation can be proved against them. NOR can men in this Case be actually punished, and proceeded against without the Sense and Grief of that Wrong, or Oppression that is manifestly done to them, and suffered by them, especially seeing their Nonconformity to the said Laws, proceeds not as we said, either from their Election or Liberty. Nor yet from any breach of Duty or Affection to their Prince: But only from what appears to them to be an Inevitable, or Indispensable Necessity that ariseth, and is occasioned from their mere Profession as they are of the Protestant Religion. To this end I shall therefore offer one Argument more which shall be taken from,   

The Character of a Papist.  
The thing which doth Essentially distinguish a Protestant from a Papist, more than any Note, Mark, or Character whatever besides, is, That a Papist by his Principles as a Papist may not, and indeed cannot dispute any Law whatever, relating to the Worship or Service of God, provided it be declared and established by what he acknowledgeth to be the Church: Because he takes the Authority of the Church for the whole Argument, or for the only Foundation of all his Obedience unto God; rather than the Divine Authority of the Scripture or Word. And because he presumeth the Church also to be a thing altogether Holy, and such as neither hath Erred, nor can Err, for should he question this, he must question the whole of his Religion itself: opposite to which Character, we shall now consider,   

The Character of a Protestant.  
But the Protestant Church on the other hand, having separated from the Church of Rome, not only upon the Supposition that she hath actually Erred, but that she hath been grossly corrupted as well in Manners as in Faith. And the Protestant Church having for the better Justification of her own Practice, both in the matter of Worship, and in all things relating to Doctrine, and Faith, SET UP The Scriptures as the Sole and Sovereign Rule of God's Mind and Will to his Church: As she cannot challenge the Exercise of any Authority therefore, that is beyond that of the Scripture; or any that is not subordinate to the said Scripture itself: So it is expected that all the Duties which she requires, and all those Articles or Points of Faith which she at any time recommends, to such as are the Members of her, should always be enforced from those Arguments properly, and only, which are drawn from the Scripture: Because it is this, which she herself hath appealed unto, and this only which she challengeth to justify her.  
A Protestant then, that understands the Grounds of his Religion, or that hath been at all instructed in the Rise or Principles of the Reformation, taking this for the very first Article of his Faith; That a Church may Err, and may have Corruption in it, and may in its Worship possibly swerve, and departed from the pure Mind, Word, and Wisdom of God: And laying that no less firmly as the Foundation of his Belief on the other hand, viz. That the Scripture cannot Err, nor can be other than the unalterable, and incorruptible Rule of God's Law, and of his Will and Mind to his People, he cannot possibly hold the Authority of the Church to be Divine, any further or otherwise, than as it appears to be clearly grounded upon the Scriptures as the Word of God. And therefore the Tie or Obligation which he hath to obey the Church, so far as it relates to the Conscience, and binds the Conscience, ariseth out of no other Ground, than from the Conformity which he seethe, or is persuaded that the said Church hath in her Laws, Orders and Doctrines to the said Word, and if this Conformity doth or shall once cease in the said Church, a Protestant as a Protestant, cannot but judge his Tie or Obligation to her as a Church ought to cease also with it.  
And this being the true State of that Radical or Essential Difference that is between the Principles of a Protestant, and the Principles of a Papist as a Papist,   

It will hence follow,  
That if a Church that professeth herself to be Protestant (or the Ruling Clergy of a Protestant Church) shall not much consider, or regard the justifying of what Laws, and Orders she makes by the Consonancy they expressly have, to the Law or Mind of God in his Word, (which is his Rule to the Church) nor shall much concern itself to clear, and enforce the Faith and Doctrine which she holds, by the Evidence of its Truth, or by the Authority of it, as sufficiently grounded upon that Word that is absolutely Divine: But shall on the contrary, in whatever she Commands or in the things she Teacheth, constrain or exact an Obedience from her Members to herself, and to her own Authority as absolute, and as unsubordinate to the Word of God, and therefore to her Authority as it is a distinct thing from the said Word: That Church, (or the Clergy rather, that are the Rulers of it) so far as she doth this in any Doctrine, or in any Law that she makes indispensable, doth so far cease in her Principles and Practice to be Protestant: and doth so far disclaim not only a main and chief Ground of her Separation from the Church of Rome; but the very Principle itself, upon which she pretends to guide herself, in her Reformation.  
For it cannot be denied that these were the great, and the main Causes of our Separation from the Church of Rome, viz.  
First, Because she had made herself Absolute, and had set up an Authority in the matters of Worship and Faith, above that of the Scriptures, as the only Word of God. And  
Secondly, Because she did not barely excommunicate men, but did also persecute them, and did deprive them both of their Estates, Liberties, and Lives upon a Principle as contrary to humane Reason, as it was contrary to humane Society, and Quiet: viz. not for any evil in their Conversations, in their Morals, or in their Lives: But merely for obeying what they sincerely judged to be the Law, Mind, and Will of God. And merely for believing that his whole Law, Will, and Mind to his Church as a Church, especially relating to the Worship of himself, was contained in his Word.  
Thirdly, Because by this persecution, as it was extended to the extreme Punishment of Persons, both in their Liberties, and Goods, and sometimes in their Lives, by stinking Prisons and want of Necessaries; she did unavoidably draw upon herself the Gild of men's Apostasy, hypocrisy, and Dissimulation, who durst not but obey and comply with her Commands, merely out of fear. And did as unavoidably draw upon her the Gild of all that Suffering, Cruelty, and Blood whatever it were she spilt, and did inflict upon those persons who withstood her Commands, and who were otherwise in all things blameless, both as to their Morals, Lives, and Conversations.  
I say if it be matter of Fact, and that which cannot be denied, that these three things, were some of the Main, and Principal Causes for which we separated from the Church of Rome; and for which our first Reformers themselves called her Antichristian: and sometimes Bloody, and sometimes the Scarlet Whore. And if these three things, when at any time mentioned with reference to the Church of Rome, are still acknowledged to be evil, and so styled to this day, so far as it concerns her. Yea if these three things, are at this very present in our Controversies with that Church, not only charged upon her, but cast in her teeth, among many other things by way of reproach, and to set forth the just ground, that we even as the Church of England, (as well as other Churches) have both of exception against and hatred of her.  
MUST NOT these three things be MUCH MORE EVIL in a Protestant Church? who after she hath condemned all these things, not only as evil but as Antichristian in the Church of Rome; and after she hath pretended to separate from the said Church for them, doth nevertheless give herself leave to practise them, without condemning herself at all in them? And MUST NOT This Practice cast a manifest Blemish, and Reproach upon on her own Reformation? and evidence to the world that she doth not either believe the Principles of it, OR doth not at least dare to Trust to it.  
Wherefore if the said Church (or the Clergy rather as the Rulers of it) merely upon these Grounds, and only to these ends, which are both thus evil in themselves, and thus contrary to the very Grounds and Ends of our Reformation, shall endeavour to Engage the power of the Civil Magistrate to her Assistance, (which God forbidden they should ever do any more in England; for we have good ground to believe that several of the Ruling Clergy if not all, do abhor it, to their Praise be it spoken) I humbly offer it to Consideration, whether in moving this to a Prince, especially as he is a Protestant, she doth or can move him to any other purpose, than That his Authority may promote the Defection she hath made from her own Principles, and may Countenance her in that, which she knoweth that the Rules of the Reformation, and of Protestantism cannot: viz. not only her Cruelty and Severity, but her Exorbitancy?  
And whether she hath, or can have any Argument to the said Prince, for his Countenancing of her, greater than this, (viz) Than as she knoweth that all the evil which would be charged upon HER wholly and ONLY as a Church may now through his countenancing of her be in part as well charged upon his Royal Authority and Pleasure as upon her. Which Argument being really of no better a nature than this, whether it be therefore reasonable in itself? or whether it be so much as fit or modest for the said Church to make? or whether it be agreeable to that Duty, Honour, and Sincerity which she as a Church professeth to owe, and aught at all times uprightly to pay to her Prince, I humbly leave and submit to the Judgements of all Ingenious Persons, and especially when with reference to the Effect of this Motion, it is matter of Fact; that though twenty six private Persons would be thereby gratified, (some of whom are men of no Birth, Interest, or temporal Estate in the Nation) and more than twice so many thousands are greatly grieved, injured, and wronged in their Persons, and Estates, which are equally his Majesty's Subjects as well as they. And many of which are every way Peers to them, for Birth, for Virtue, for Loyalty, for Temperance, for Morality, for Mercy, for Charity, for temporal Estates; and even for Learning also.  
And here it will be necessary in the next place, to consider again what it is in these respects, that we blame the Church of Rome for, I mean,   

What the Gild of the Church of Rome is.  
For either Gild is a thing of Weight before God, or it is not. And either the Gild which hath been charged upon the Church of Rome, (by reason of her Persecution) by our Reformers first; and by many worthy Men of the Church of England since, is justly charged upon her, or it is not.  
But if that Gild be Real, and that it is justly charged upon the said Church, It is apparently Criminal two ways,  
First, as she through her Persecution is the cause of all that Hypocrisy, Dissimulation, and Apostasy, which men commit for mere fear of her, and by which though out of weakness, they do greatly wrong their own Conscience, and greatly injure their former Profession before God, and know they do so, and lie ofttimes under trouble of Conscience all their lives afterward for it.  
And secondly, she is equally guilty, as she is the cause (by reason of her Persecution) of the Sufferings, Distresses, and great Afflictions, which many particular Persons, and many Families groan under: by which she occasions many solemn Complaints, Cries, and Appeals to be made unto God, which men who are conscious to themselves of their Sincerity towards God, did pour out to him as the Righteous Judge of all persons.  
And if this be The Gild of the Church of Rome, and if we as Protestant's when we writ against the Church of Rome, do say that all the Righteous Prayers, Appeals, and Complaints to God against her shall be heard. And that she shall answer as well for the Crimes of others, as for the Oppressions and Wrongs that she hath done to others.  What then can be said, when a Protestant Church, or the Clergy rather who are the Rulers of it, shall be guilty of the same manner of Persecution, and upon the very same unjust (or upon more unjust) Grounds or Principles that the Popish Clergy are? and when by the means of this Persecution, the said Protestant Clergy are the occasion of many men's Hypocrisy, Dissimulation, and Desertion of their Principles, (through weakness) to the extreme injury and wrong of their Consciences; and are the express Cause of the Sighs, Sufferings, Groans, and Complaints of divers others, that are poured out in the very bitterness of their Souls unto God; and when the said Protestant Church, or the Ruling Clergy rather of it, shall have no sense at all of the evil of any of these things; nor seem to be in the least moved or concerned for them? 
These things being considered, the Question is, whether any man that is rational, can draw any other Conclusion from them but that,  
The said Protestant Church, (or the Ruling Clergy of it) do not believe themselves at all, when they writ against the Papists for these things, and that notwithstanding they do threaten the Church of Rome, with the Judgements of God because of their Cruelty, and of their Persecutions of men for their Conscience sake: yet they do indeed but laugh in their sleeves at it, and do not believe any such thing, as that the direful Judgements of God shall come upon any, either for Cruelty, or for Persecution of others for Conscience sake, or for being the occasions of many men's sinning against, and wounding of their own Consciences: but that when they speak of the Judgements of God, they speak of them but as Scare-Crows, Bug-bears, or Potguns.  
For would it not be an uncharitable thing, or rather is it not an incredible thing, for any man to think that the Protestant Clergy should do the very same things, which they expressly declare and acknowledge to be heinous Offences, and Crimes against God, in their Adversaries the Church of Rome, if they did really believe themselves in what they usually writ, when they threaten them with the Judgements of God upon them for the said things?  
If to avoid this, which they perhaps may look upon as some imputation, or reflection upon them: the said Protestant Church (or rather the Ruling Clergy of it) shall deny the Case to be the same, and shall say that the Grounds or Principles upon which they persecute men, are much different from those of the Papists or Church of Rome.  
Let them (I mean the Ruling Clergy) lay down the State of it, and show us wherein the greatness of the said difference doth consist.  
For if the Fact for which men are punished by the said Protestant Clergy be the very same, (or of the same nature) with that for which the Popish Clergy do punish men, viz. for their worshipping God, and for their worshipping of him not contrary to the Scripture, or contrary to any thing that seems clearly, and plainly their Duty in the Word of God, but contrary only to some Order or other in the Church. And if the quality of the Persons that do suffer, and that are punished by the Protestant Clergy, are the same also with those that are punished by the Popish Clergy, that is, such men as are neither  in, Nor so much as accused or charged by them with or for any Crime, Or any Immorality in their Lives and Conversations: But such as otherwise demean themselves in all Duty, and with all Subjection to their Superiors.  I say if both these are the very SAME one with another, wherein doth the Essential Difference lie, between the Persecution of the Popish Clergy, and the Persecution of the Protestant Clergy, unless it be strictly in this? 
That the Protestant Clergy, do pretend to believe the Scriptures to be the Supreme Rule, and mind of God to his Church; and if asked do freely grant, That men are NOT bound in Conscience to any Rule Superior to this, Nor can be bound in the things of Faith, or in things relating to the Worship of God to any Rule above this.  
And yet at the same time that they own this, they persecute their Brethren, not only in their Liberties, but in their Goods, Fortunes, and Estates, and sometimes in their Lives also (through nasty Prisons, and want of Conveniences) for acknowledging the said Scriptures, to be such as they themselves do own them to be, and for that they accordingly conform to their own Principles. Whereas,  
The Popish Clergy, though they persecute men for the same Crimes, yet they do not give so much Honour to the Scriptures, nor do so much as pretend to it,   

But which of these two,  
Are for this very Cause the greater Crimes before God, may be left to all rational men to consider.  
In the mean time, I am most sure of this, That whereas our first Reformers did call the Church of Rome Antichristian, and did charge her with Innocent Blood, and did put the name of Scarlet-Whore for this Reason upon her: Yet now it is most certain, the Stain and Discredit of it, is in her eyes manifestly lessened, if it be not wholly bletted out.  
For it is impossible that the Church of Rome should ever hereafter grant, these things to be Stains or Crimes proper only to her, which she doth not only see, but can daily observe some Protestant Church or other to follow her in, upon such Grounds as are far less justifiable in the said Protestant Church, according to the Principles they profess, than they are in herself.  
And that this is not a thing ever to be hoped or expected from her hereafter, is the more clear in regard the said Church of Rome hath already, in so many words, sharply, and closely Retorted it upon the Protestant Church: So that the VERY things which we blame the said Church of Rome for, and for which we accuse her Criminally, And which we pretend to be the main Grounds, why we could no longer have any Communion with her, which was her laying aside the sole Authority of the Scriptures, And her persecuting such as desired to walk according to the Rule of it, some Protestant Churches have not only imitated her in, but have outgone her, and have done so much worse than she ever did, by how much we have contradicted the Principles we profess, which she hath not.  
And that she hath cast this, as a Reproach upon us in words, and hath alleged several Arguments to confirm it, and such as have not to this very day been answered by us, is matter of Fact.  
And if in all Courts of Judicature, matter of Fact, be good Evidence, and if the highest Evidence that can be given in matter of Fact is, when the Fact is able to speak and attest itself, or when it is capable to be attested to by thousands, then is the Evidence which I here bring, every way as good, and every way as vallid, to prove what I affirm. Which is,  
That the Church of Rome hath endeavoured to justify and acquit her self, from the Crime of unjust Persecution and Blood, by instancing the same thing in the Practice of Protestants one toward another: and therein hath exonerated herself from the sole Gild of this evil, and from the sole Gild of her being alone that Babylon mentioned Rev. 17. which hath been frequently fixed singly upon her, and attributed to none besides her.  
And she hath produced several Arguments also, and those of Weight to make it appear, That Protestants In their Persecution one of another, are far more unjust, upon the Principles we profess as Protestants, than she is upon her own Principles, how much so ever we have pleased to inveigh against her, and revile her.  
And these Arguments she hath no way scrupled publicly and openly to divulge in English; to the end, that every man that is rational may the better examine them, and judge of them.  And that we have not as yet pleaded to the said Arguments, Or to the Retortion she hath made upon us: either by denying the Fact itself absolutely, or by distinguishing the respective differing Circumstances and Grounds of it, is also well known. Whereby she hath the more just occasion to think, that those Protestants that have thus persecuted others, are conscious to themselves of their own Gild. 
And seeing all this is pure matter of Fact, one of these two Conclusions therefore do seem to be impossible to be avoided, viz.  
That either we have done very evil in charging the Church of Rome as Antichristian, and in charging her as guilty of the Blood of the Saints, which is mentioned Rev. 17.6. (which must nevertheless be inevitably charged some where) and very evil to impose the name of Scarlet-Whore and of Babylon upon her. Or, If the Protestant Churches have said all this really in Judgement and really in Truth against her, Then have some Protestant Churches done much worse themselves, in being actually guilty of the same things, which have been so criminally charged upon her.  
And if the Church of Rome be guilty of Innocent Blood, than none that is sober can doubt, but she must at length be liable to the extreme Judgements of God for it.  
And therefore if any Protestant Churches have followed her in that very Gild, the same judgements must as unquestionably come upon them, and perhaps more severe.  
And to the end that all Protestant Churches may be awakened, to consider their great Danger in this Case, if they have been Persecutors of their Brethren,  
I need do no more, than to lay before them the express Prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ in this Case, (viz.) That there should be some who delaying in their hearts the Consideration of his coming, should instead of giving a portion of Meat to their fellow-Servants, be found smiting of them.   

The Pertinancy, Weight and Importance of which Prophecy of Christ with reference even to the Theme we have at present in hand, will appear very clear upon the Grounds or Arguments following, which are these.  
1. That for the certainty of the said Prophecy, viz. That there should be some Persons that would be forward to smite others, we have a double Testimony even by two of the Evangelists, as Math. 24.48, 49, 50, 51. And Luke 12.45, 46, 47.  
2. That the Persons who would be so forward to smite others, and of whom therefore the Lord Christ speaks this, were to be of the Church, and were to be those very Officers properly that were to be advanced in his Church above others, is not only plain by the Circumstances of the words themselves, but is yielded to by all Expositors, both Modern and Antient.  
3. That the Lord Christ would not have mentioned such a thing expressly concerning his own Stewards, even concerning those Officers which were to have the highest Rule and Trust in his own Church, Nor would have left it upon so good a Record to us, if he had not in his Wisdom surely foreseen that this Case, (how notorious and strange so ever it may appear) would certainly happen in his Church, there is not the least Reason to doubt. And the less, seeing we have another Testimony left us to this purpose by St. Paul also, Acts 20.28, 29, 30. with reference expressly to the Officers of the Christian Church. Nor is it any way disagreeable to the Analogy of Faith, That if our Lord himself suffered properly from his Church, (and his own Prophets, also before him) and suffered from the very Rulers, Elders, and Overseers of the said Church: Then his Servants should not think it a very strange thing, (and much less an impossible) if they suffered also from his Church, and from Persons of the very same Note, Name, Rank, Quality or Dignity in it, and especially seeing Christ hath left a standing Rule John 15.20. John 13.16. Luke 16.40. That the Servant is not greater than his Lord, and therefore is not to expect a Privilege above his Lord.  
4. That the Persons who are to be smitten by the Stewards, Prefects, or Chief Officers of Christ's own Church, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even their very fellow-Servants and no other, viz. such Persons as own, and serve the same Master, or Lord, which the said Stewards profess to serve: and such as have received the same Testimony of his Word, or the same Rule of his Mind and Will to them, which the said Stewards and Chief Officers have, is plain and unquestionable also, even from the words themselves.  
5. That the smiting which is here spoken of by the Lord Christ is, literally intended by him for actual Stripes, or for such external Punishments, and Miseries which were to be inflicted by the Chief Officers and Stewards of his Church, upon the Persons of Men, is not questioned by any I know of, at least the contrary hath never been maintained in any Age of the Church.  
6. And it appears the rather, because the smiting here mentioned, was to be of a Nature so very injurious, so oppressing and wrongful to them that were smitten; Yea so provoking to the just Mind, and Temper of the Lord Christ; That as an Argument how much he abhorred such a smiting, and how much he was displeased at it, he threatens the said Stewards and Chief Officers of his Church, That he would cut them in sunder for it, and would give them their Portion with the very Unbelievers, and Hypocrites.  
7. Which Severity, it were unreasonable to believe, that he who was so meek a Master, would ever have threatened, and threatened especially against the very Stewards, Rulers, and Officers of his own House, or of his own Church, if he had not foreseen, that the Cruelty which these very Stewards and Officers would use towards others in smiting of them, would be such, and so very merciless, that the said Stewards would be such, as would deserve no Mercy, or Pity at all from him.  
For if it be a Rule, That they and they only, are to receive Judgement without Mercy, who themselves have shown or exercised no Mercy, James 2.13. Then it is impossible, that these Chief Officers and Stewards of Christ's Church, should be punished by him without Mercy, if they in smiting their fellow-Servants, had not utterly shut out all Bowels, and all mercy toward them.  
8. And therefore the sum of the Lord Christ's Speech, and the end indeed of it appears both plainly, and briefly to be this, That as there would be among the very Stewards, and Chief Officers of his Church, some that would be forward to smite their own fellow Servants, and to smite them so cruelly, and in such a manner, as they would show no kind of Compassion, Bowels, or Remorse at the sufferings of them, though this were but humane:  
So the said Stewards should at length, most certainly meet with the like measure of Treatment at the hand of the Lord himself; and should not fail to receive the execution of his wrath and judgements upon them for it.  And these things being thus established I shall from the whole lay down only two Positions, which I humbly conceive none can dispute with me (and much less go about to baffle) that will not make an open mock of the Lord Christ's own Sayings.  

The First Proposition is,  
That it can no way be denied, But among those very Stewards, Rulers, or Chief Officers which were to be set over the Lord Christ's own Church, some would be found smiting of their fellow-Servants.   

The Second Proposition is,  
That it cannot be denied, but among the said Stewards, Rulers, or Chief Officers of his Church, some should and would be guilty of such a manner of smiting, wronging, and ill treating of their fellow-Servants, as should and would render them in the Lord Christ's Esteem, no better than Hypocrites or Infidels.  
And if neither of these can be any way questioned, by such at least, as question not the Validity, and Divinity of the Lord Christ his own Say, Then for as much as the Ruling Clergy of our own Church, have sometimes not only cruelly mulct some of their fellow-Servants in their Goods, but have caused them to be imprisoned, whereby some times (through the hard usage they have met with in Prisons, and for want of those Necessaries that might be convenient, they have lost their Lives,) And consequently the Ruling Clergy of our Church, have been guilty at least, of being Smiters of their fellow-Servants, and even of such of their fellow-Servants as profess not only the same Faith, but the very same Principles of Reformation that the said Ruling Clergy do.  
And seeing it is yet further matter of Fact, that notwithstanding the said Ruling Clergy have thus severely punished their fellow-Servants, yet they have not so much as charged or accused them of any Vice, Crime, or Immorality in their Lives, or Conversations, and much less have proved any such thing against them; But have caused them to be beaten, and treated after this manner singly for this Reason and no other, viz. Because in worshipping the Lord Christ, They chose rather strictly to observe his Mind and Will, according to the best understanding they have of HIS Word, I say, rather than to observe any such Orders or Rites as were not SO warranted, But were set down only by their fellow-Servants, that were Officers of the Church above them. Consequently then, the Issue must needs be very short, between the said Ruling Clergy, and their fellow-Servants that have been thus smitten by them.  
For either this smiting of them for this very cause here rehearsed, and for no other, IS very wrongful in its self, as being against the very light of a man's Nature, and against that Supreme and Primitive Obligation which the Conscience hath indispensably unto God, above any that it can have unto man, OR it is not at all wrongful.  
And either this kind of smiting which hath been used and urged and pressed for by the Ruling Clergy of our own Church, IS such a smiting as appears to have been without all Pity or Remorse to such as have been so smitten and beaten by the said Clergy. OR it hath not.  
But if the smiting we have here Instanced, and Instanced as matter of Fact be such as hath been used by the Stewards and Rulers of Christ's own Church, and used towards their fellow-Servants, but hath been used wrongfully, And used without any manner of Remorse to the sufferings of the said Persons, whatever their sufferings be.  
Then it must either be the very same kind of smiting, with that for which the Lord Christ in this speech of his (that is thus Recorded by two several Evangelists) doth threaten the Rulers and Stewards of his Church, that he will cut them asunder and account them as Hypocrites. OR it is not the same, NOR of the same kind.  
But if it be not of the same kind, Then it concerns the Ruling Clergy themselves to clear themselves, and to give an instance, what kind of smiting there is, or hath been used by the Ruling Officers of any Christian Church, that is, or hath been more wrongful, and more injurious than this, and that is more remorseless and cruel than this, which the Lord Christ doth here condemn, and will certainly take vengeance for.  
For some Case we must necessarily and unavoidably put, (unless we will deny or make a Mock of the Lords Christ's own Words,) and such a one, as we may give a sufficient Instance of, even an Instance in a Christian Church, between the Rulers and Officers of the said Church, and others belonging to the same Church, wherein the wrong that is to be done by the said Ruling Officers, in smiting others of the said Church, is to be so extremely evil, and so perfectly injurious and cruel, as that the Authors of it, will neither merit any Mercy from the Lord, nor are according to his Word, to expect any Mercy from him.  From the Consideration of the Premises, these following things are humbly presented to the Consideration of the present Ruling Clergy of our own Church; some of which (if not all) it is to be hoped, are men of tender Hearts, like the good King Jesiah that trembled at the Reading of the Word of the Lord in the Book of the Law, viz. 
That for as much as we have stated or instanced such a Case as is matter of Fact, and such as cannot be denied to be used, or practised by the Ruling Clergy of our own Church, towards others of the same Church and Profession of Faith with themselves. And in as much as we have stated it expressly in order to the clearer evidencing of the Gild of the said Clergy, by reason of their said smiting: and for Conviction consequently of the Judgements that they are (without Repentance) inevitably liable unto for it. We do therefore further say that,  
If the said Ruling Clergy shall in any respect disallow the said Instance, or shall think it meet to exonerate themselves from the Gild, that is by the said Instance intended to be charged upon them. Then we say that,  
They cannot avoid the instancing or stating of some other Case, relating to the Rulers or Stewards of the Christian Church, and to their smiting of others in the said Church, and to the evil of it, that must be more agreeable to what the Lord Christ here Condemns, than this Instance or Case is which we have here mentioned as matter of Fact.  
Nor can they avoid the Instancing or stating of some other Case, that must merit consequently more Punishment from God and that must be in its own Nature far worse, and much more injurious cruel and remorseless than the Case which we have here instanced and stated is.  
Nor can they avoid the instancing or stating some other Case, that must much more properly Relate to Babylon, and to that particular and express Character, or broad Mark, that is set upon her, by the Angel or Apostle (Revelat. 17.6.) than this particular Instance or Case doth, which hath been instanced relating to the Ruling Clergy of our own Church; which is here mentioned: Or else they must say that, that Vision of the Apostle is not to be regarded by us.  
Nor can they avoid the instancing or stating of some other Case, differing from what we have here mentioned, that must for the nature and kind of its smiting, be wholly agreeable to the Practice of the Church of Rome, and to the Ruling Clergy of it, and not at all agreeable to the Practice or Custom of themselves.  
But if the Ruling Clergy of our Church cannot state any such Case, relating to the smiting of others of the same Church, and Faith with them, which shall manifestly differ in all these four Circumstances, from the particular Instance or Case we have here mentioned, and which every man knoweth is Matter of Fact, than these two things will be impossible to be avoided by the Ruling Clergy of our Church, as  
First, that they will never be able to show us wherein, the Grounds or Principles upon which they proceed to the Smiting, Punishing or Persecuting of their fellow-Servants, are not only different but far more justifiable than those, upon which the Popish Clergy proceed in their Cruelty and Persecution of the Protestants. And  
Secondly, they will never be able to give us any clear Reason, and much less any Cogent and Invincible Arguments why we should believe, That the Judgements of God will unquestionably reach the Church of Rome for her Cruelty, and Persecution of the Protestants, but will not reach at all the Ruling Clergy of the Protestant Church, for their Smiting and Persecution that they are guilty of against their Brethren of the same Faith and Reformation.  Which two things we may be assured, that all the tenderhearted of the Ruling Clergy of our Church, will lay to heart: There being some things, which that Holy Man of God even the Prophet David sometime had done for which his Heart smote him. And some things he was about to do for the prevention of which he gave solemn thanks to God. For we find that David's Heart smote him after he had numbered the people, and after he had but cut off the Skirt of saul's Garment, 2 Sam. 24.10. and 1 Sam. 24.5. And he gives solemn Thanks for Abigails being an Instrument to prevent him from shedding Blood, 1 Sam. 25.32. 
For if the Church of Rome do punish others really, and indeed upon the Principle of Disobeying her Authority, though she dare not pretend this openly, lest her Cruelty and Bloodguiltiness, being for no other Cause, should be so manifest, that it would never be able to admit of a competent Apology, Colour, or Excuse. And therefore leaving this she insists upon the Ground of Her Persecution, as it is for Heresy only.  
But if we on the other hand, punish others not only with loss of Goods, but with loss of Liberty, Banishment, and perpetual Imprisonment, which is far more Cruelty than Immediate Death itself, (and would be more willingly chosen by most men) and do all this, for a Nonconformity, and Disobedience to the Orders, and Rites of the Church, without so much as a pretence to any Gild of Heresy, Then  
Where is the difference between these two sorts of Persecutors, unless the Ruling Clergy of our Church have done it more daringly, and more Broad-facedly than the Church of Rome doth?  
But, which is more to be considered and laid to heart.  
If the Church of Rome do not punish those that acknowledge her to be a True Church, but those only that condemn her as a false Church, and who do under this Notion professedly separate from her as from that Babylon mentioned in the Revelations.  
And if we on the other hand punish those that own, not only the same Faith and Doctrine, But the very same Principles of Reformation with ourselves, and who therefore give no just Provocation nor use any such reproachful Language to our Church as the Protestant Churches generally do to the Church of Rome.  
Where then is the difference, unless it be that she renders evil to her professed Enemies, who cannot but openly own a Hatred and Contempt for her, We inflict all manner of Evil upon our Brethren, that supplicate for Peace with us, and would be glad not to separate from us? and which of these two than is the more ingenious?  
But which is yet more, If we as we are Protestants, cannot but grant that there is to be a Subordination of the Church, not only immediately to the Lord Jesus Christ himself, but to HIS Word, and that we utterly deny that he hath any such One, as a Vicar upon the Earth, and utterly deny that any man whatever hath any power to dispense with the Commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, so far as they appear to be clear to us from his Word, wherefore, if we notwithstanding we make these things to be the very Profession of our Faith, yet shall never punish any, But such as keep exactly to all and every of these Principles, and shall observe them conscientiously, and strictly. Whereas the Popish Clergy on the contrary, punish none but such only who deny or oppose wholly the things which their Church affirms.  
Where then is the Reasonableness of our Punishment, and the Unreasonableness of theirs? and which of these two hath the greater Resemblance of Hypocrisy, even in our own Judgement? whether our Punishment or theirs? seeing we punish men for following the Principles we allow, They never punish any but for following those Principles that they totally disallow.  
But the evil of this Persecution further appears thus, for if we as Protestants say we have separated from the Church of Rome out of Conscience. First, because she imposed those things that were Inscriptural upon us. And secondly, because she was guilty of Blood, and that the Characters of a false Church did for both these Reasons lie upon her, and therefore that we cannot but give thanks solemnly unto God for our Deliverance out of her power.  
And if the Ruling Clergy of a Protestant Church, have nevertheless not spared to persecute unto Blood, even those that have not only out of the same two Motives, separated with us, But by persisting constantly in the said Motives, do daily justify us.  
How comes our Blood and Persecution to be less sinful than hers? and why should it be less crying unto God? for had we never so intently studied, how we might have put the greatest stumbling-Block we could before our Adversaries, or how we might have brought the greatest Blemish, Scandal and Reproach that was possible upon our Reformation: or how we might have opened the Complaints and Exclamations of men most against us; What Course could possibly have been taken, to all these ends, that could have been more effectual than this? For how can he that is thus persecuted by the Ruling Clergy of a Protestant Church, give Thanks unto God solemnly, for his Deliverance out of the Church of Rome's Thraldom, when the very same Persons, that pretend to be delivered with him, Imposeth nevertheless the like Thraldom upon him? Or how shall he that is thus persecuted, be any way able to imagine, and much less to believe, that the Church which persecutes him, is serious in her Profession of Thanks unto God for her own freedom, when she is no sooner freed herself, but she brings others into the same Hardship and Servitude, that she herself did but a little while since, greatly complain of and groan under? But leaving these things to be most seriously considered, by all Protestant Churches in these three Kingdoms, and elsewhere, even by all whomsoever they Concern; I shall now proceed to give in this place,   

A Description of the Absurd, Ridiculous and Contemptible Grounds and Foundations on which the Papists Build.  
Though nothing is more Evident than this, that the Thraldom or Bondage of the Church of Rome, doth principally consist in the disagreeableness of her Doctrines, to the Rule of the Scripture, yet nevertheless it is Matter of Fact, That the Church of Rome doth not in plain, and express Terms deny the Truth, or deny the Authority of the Scripture, or deny the end of them as they are appointed for the Church. And if we cannot for this Cause justly charge her with any of these things; Then we must necessarily grant, that the said Doctrines so far as they are corrupt, and have a real Inconsistency with the Scripture itself, could have their Rise at first not otherwise,  
Than by virtue of her Authority as a Church. And consequently, that as they had thus their Rise at first, so they have had their whole Maintenance and Support, ever since, no otherwise than as this Authority being Absolute and Arbitrary hath defended them against whatever might be said from the Authority of the Scripture, in opposition to them.  And therefore here we shall lay open her Shame and Nakedness, and her great Absurdity, that lieth in the Manner and Method, and Nature of her Policy. For the Acquiring of that Arbitrary, Absolute and unlimited Power which she exerciseth. 
And first, we find that she doth upon her own Authority affirm, That it is neither the Letter of the Scripture, nor the Grammar of it, how Plain, Clear, or Express soever it be, that doth or aught to bind the Consciences of men, but the sense of the said Scripture only. And  
Secondly, she doth affirm, That it is not the sense of the Scripture also, which doth or can any way directly bind the Consciences of men, if this sense be considered nakedly in itself, (either as literal, or mystical) but that the said sense is capable of binding only considered as it is Catholic. And  
Thirdly, That it is not either in the Letter or in the Grammar of the said Scripture, how clear or plain soever it be, that the Divine Authority of it is placed, but simply and only in the sense of it as this sense is the sense of the Universal Church, and therefore that sense which is properly called Catholic.  
Which Propositions, she having in her Prudence thus peculiarly laid down, as the Grounds or Foundations not only of all Christian Faith, but of all Christian Verity and Truth itself.  
In the next place she builds upon these unsound Grounds, an Assumption that is parallel to them, and that is every way as entirely her own as the former, viz. That she alone hath not only the Right (as exclusive to all others) of Dispencing this Catholic Sense to all the Members of the Christian Church, but of dispencing it in order to their Salvation, and hath inherent in her, the full and absolute Power finally, and Inappealeably, to determine at all times, and upon all Occasions, what the said Catholic Sense is concerning all Points whatever that may be controverted, and concerning all places of Scripture whatever that may be doubted of, or disputed.  
And that as this Power is absolutely necessary for the Preservation of the Unity, so for the Preservation of the Purity of the said Christian Faith: in regard it is impossible, that such a Sense of the Scripture as is wholly Universal and Catholic should at any time Err.  
The Conclusion then (if all these Premises be true) is, That the Church of Rome is to be believed, and that all her Determinations whatever they be are for Conscience sake to be Obeyed, and Submitted unto, even by the whole Christian Church, without any Dispute or without so much as any scruple of Mind.  
This Conclusion, being that which all the Partisans and Champions of the Church of Rome, do labour with Might and Main to bring every man to, and therefore it is the same with that Security and Rest, which they pretend all men may have, not only with absolute Safety, but with absolute satisfaction, in the Bosom of their Church.  
But indeed this Conclusion hath not any tendency to Salvation at all, but is quite contrary to all that is alleged, and leads expressly to nothing else but to the utter Overthrow, and Subversion of the whole Scripture itself, with the Mind, Law, Will, and Counsel of God, so far at least as depends upon Revelation; in regard it puts the Scripture, together with the whole Authority of it, (though Divine in itself) absolutely, perfectly, and entirely into the Arbitrary Will and Power of the said Church.  
And therefore the Protestants upon Consideration of the extreme Mischiefs, that must of necessity follow from such a Conclusion as this, they do with Indignation reject it. And  
First, The Protestants do wholly deny, that the said Church of Rome hath any rightful Authority to make null the Grammar of the Scripture.  
Secondly, The Protestants do much more deny, that she hath any Right to institute or set up such a Sense of the Scripture, (under any name or pretence whatever) that is either opposite to the Grammar of the Scripture, or that at least pretends that there is not a necessity to follow and observe the Rules of it.  
Thirdly, Consequently they utterly deny, that she hath any Right to transfer the Authority of the Scripture, from the Sense proper to the Letter of itself, to such a Sense as is only and properly hers. And  
Fourthly, They deny, that she hath any Right or any Power to set up any Sense of her own at all, which is not absolutely subjected to the Rule and Authority that is inherent to the Scriptures, Letter, and Word, with the proper Sense of it, as this is and aught to be Supreme to all others.  
Fifthly, And they do much less acknowledge, that she hath any such Right in her, or derived to her therefore, as to make her Sense of the Scripture (or what she declares to be so,) the Sense of the Universal Church.  
Sixthly, Or that she hath any Right to make her sense of the Scripture, to be the Absolute or Supreme Rule of all Infallible and Christian Truth, or to disallow any Appeal from her proper Determinations, to the living Rule of the Scriptures Grammar, and to the Letter or Word of it.  
Seventhly, And the Protestants denying all these things, they do deny therefore that she hath any Authority, Power, or Right to dispense with, That Duty and Obligation which is divinely and absolutely laid upon the Consciences of men, which is, To obey the Word of God in the literal, plain, and express Sense of it.  
Eighthly, And the Protestants do deny consequently, that the Consciences of men are, or can any way possibly be obliged to her bare Determination of the Sense of the Scripture. Especially so far as this is set up absolutely by her, and is not dependant upon any Sense proper to the Words, and Grammar of the Scripture itself.  
All and every of which Powers, as the Protestant Church doth wholly deny to the Church of Rome; So for as much as the Church of Rome, can pretend to no one of the said Rights, or Authorities now mentioned, otherwise than as it must by some means or other, be lawfully conveyed or derived to her.  The Protestant Church therefore challengeth her and provoketh her, to show that special and peculiar Commission, by which SHE and SHE alone is impowered to do all or any of those things before named. 
Because, without this Commission can be produced, and produced upon some Clear, Evident and Sufficient Warrant or Ground, for it: All Her pretences to the said Authority, (seeing it is so manifestly destructive to the Scripture itself,) must needs appear to be, not only Precarious, but very frivolous and very absurd.  
The Church of Rome being thus challenged and provoked in the point of her Commission, and yet well knowing that there is nothing which she can possibly appeal unto for the proof of her Authority, beside the Scripture itself.  
She becomes hereupon, to be several ways distressed and perplexed.  
First, because she finds that she cannot allow of the Grammatical Sense of the Scripture, in any one Case whatever, But she must necessarily, and unavoidably allow it in all other Cases also, where it may equally and with as good warrant be alleged.  
Secondly, she discerns, that if she should allow the Grammar of the Scripture to be Authoritative at all, she should never be able to prevent the pretences that others would have, (even among the Laity itself) to be as competent Judges of the said Grammar as herself.  
Thirdly, besides these two extreme Inconveniences (which by her are not to be endured) she evidently also seethe that the Words of Scripture themselves, will not of themselves, by any literal Construction or Exposition of them, be sufficient to prove any such Authority as she claims, and that should the words of the Scripture be urged therefore, no further than according to the express Tenor of them, or according to the sense that the Grammar itself would bear of them, she should be so far from gaining the Power and Commission which she pretends to have a Warrant for, that instead of it, she should expose her Authority to a manifest hazard, even not only to be sifted, ventilated, and discussed by others; but as freely censured by such as should observe the nature of her Inferences, and how weakly and infirmly they are deduced, with respect to the genuine Force or Construction of the words themselves.  
And therefore as for all these Reasons, she apparently discerns that the Grammar of the Scripture is an Adversary absolutely to her, so she doth as smartly and dexterously perceive, that the Scripture itself, were the Authority of it allowed to be in the Grammar, would be as great an Enemy every way to her, as even the literal and Grammatical Sense of it is.  
For in as much as these three things are at once both equally and necessarily Incumbent upon her, and such as cannot any of them possibly be dispensed with by her, viz.  
First, to prove the peculiarity of her Authority above any other Church beside her whatever, And  
Secondly, to justify the Incorruption of her Doctrine, And  
Thirdly, to preserve the pretence that she hath by this consequently to Infallibility.  
And seeing these three do so much concern her, that it is a thing very plain, and very easy to perceive, that unless they can all be maintained, upheld, and defended in some measure rationally by her, she can no way keep up her temporal Power, nor any way avoid a lyableness to a Reformation.  
Wherefore having upon a due and serious survey of the Letter and Grammar of the Holy Scripture, sufficiently found, and clearly observed, that the Scripture as thus strictly considered, in the Order, Disposition, and Construction of its Letter, will never be serviceable to her in any one of these three Respects: but will on the contrary, expressly oppose her.  
As she is hereby expressly convinced then, that there can be no cause why she should magnify the express word of it; and much less any cause why she should trust in it, or appeal to it, so lest that others should be carried away with a rational Opinion of it, and should for this cause be induced to urge, and press several things against her from it: She saw it but necessary that she should come to a deliberate Resolution with herself, To weaken the Credit of the Scripture wholly, and not only to deny all Authority, and even all Divinity itself to be in the Word, Letter, and Grammar of the Scripture, (strictly considered by itself) but to deny also that any Sense is capable to be certainly had from it, or any truth that is infallible, which how hold a thing soever it might seem to be, yet she saw it no way avoidable by her, because she had no way besides this, to secure herself against all that Inconveniency, that she knew the Scripture would and must otherwise cast upon her necessarily, by virtue of the expressness and Authority of its Letter.  
Having then taken up this Resolution in the first place, considering nevertheless maturely with herself, that if she should cast off all her Relation to the Scripture wholly, and entirely, she could not maintain the very Authority of the Church itself; and much less should be able to defend either the Divinity, or the Infallibility of those things that are sought by her: She therefore cometh to a second Resolution, which she judgeth no less necessary and expedient for her than the former, viz. To maintain the Divinity, and set up the Authority absolutely of the Scripture, though not in the express Letter of it, nor in the Sense proper to it, yet (as we have said already) in another Sense that she sets up instead of it; That is, according to such a Sense which she judges convenient that she herself should (as a Church) put upon it, and put upon it in such manner also, and with such a Construction and Exposition, as might be most suitable to her own end; and most answerable to her own particular Interest: which Sense she therefore styles by the specious Name or Appellation of the Catholic Sense, or of the Sense of the Universal Church, in distinction at least from (and for the better avoiding of) that Sense which is truly literal, and is properly Constructive and Grammatical.  
And as it is this Sense alone therefore as Catholic, that she confines both the Authority and Divinity of the Scripture to, and that also entirely: So she doth this in her own more than ordinary Judgement and Prudence. In regard she is sure that this Sense will never fail her, but will always be ready to abett whatever shall upon any occasion be determined by her: Because this Sense requires no deeper Reason, nor any firmer Bottom or Ground at any time for it; Than what resolves itself at length into the mere arbitrary Will and Pleasure of herself. And so she can never be accountable further for it, than barely to declare it or affirm it to be the Catholic Sense; because she saith it is the Sense of the Universal Church.   

And is not this rare Policy?  
And therefore to justify this medley Sense, which (if what she saith be true) is both the Sense of the Scripture, and is not. And which must necessarily be the Sense of the Scripture because the Church will so have it; and not because it is a Sense really, properly, or radically inherent in it. To justify also her Rightful throwing off the Authority of the Grammar itself, and to justify her transferring the whole Divinity of the Scripture, from the natural Order and Construction of its Words, to a Sense altogether foreign to its Letter, and to the expressness of it.  I say to justify ALL THIS she pleads her own Authority, not only as Divine, but as absolute, and infallible: and consequently as that which ought to be submitted unto by every one, and that readily as to the very Ordinance, and Appointment of God himself. 
Which being the very Question itself that was in dispute, and that very thing therefore that was first of all necessary to be proved by her, she is constrained by this means whether she will or no, to run round in a Circle, viz.  
To prove her proper Authority by the Catholic Sense of the Scripture, And  
To prove the Catholic Sense of the Scripture by virtue of her proper Authority.  
And at length not only without all ground, but without all shame or sense of Justice, to beg the whole Argument itself in Controversy between us: Than which we say, there can be nothing whatever, that is either more unreasonable, or more impudent and base.  
And having gotten her Authority therefore in this manner, not only, or not so much by shuffling, as by plain snatching it; and being conscious to herself that it would be a very vain thing for her, to suppose she should be able to defend the said Authority, by any better Argument than that very Stratagem she made use of it to prove it: she concludes it to be most safe to maintain it therefore, in the same manner as she got it: which is by force, and therefore resolves to punish all men with Death, that will be so hardy as to deny it; so far at least as her Power or Mediation can any way extend to do it.  
And yet lest the Quarrel should by this means look as if it were too personal, and too private, and that such Princes as were less concerned at it, should not be much disposed to engage with her in it: She, as if she were Pious in the very Execution of her Malice, pretends this shedding the Blood of men (though it may seem indeed to be very severe yet) is absolutely necessary: not so much because they disobey her as because they disobey and oppose the Catholic Sense of the Holy Scripture, In which Catholic Sense all the Authority, and Divinity of it, (if you will believe her) is properly placed, and that by opposing of this they oppose by Consequence, not only the Catholic Faith of the Church, but the consent of all Christianity itself, In the unquestionableness of which, the Security and Salvation of men can only and alone rest: which pretext is another part as well of her Absurdity as of her Violence and Fraud.  
That notwithstanding she neither hath nor can prove any Obligation that men in Conscience can have to her Authority, or to rely upon the Determination of it. And though she cannot otherwise require the belief of it from any, but as it is a thing merely precarious, yet she puts all to death that yield not to this absolute Usurpation of her Power.   

The Use of this last preceding Discourse.  
From this brief Scheme or summary Prospect of the Nature of this new and peculiar Policy of the Church of Rome, We may easily make a measure of her Wisdom, as well as of her Truth; for by this short State or Account that we now have of these Motives which did mainly induce the said Church, entirely to lay aside the express Letter and Grammar of the Scriptures, (at least as to the Certainty, Truth, or Infallibility of it) we may easily have a view of several horrible Absurdities, Contradictions, and indeed Impieties, that she is by this means forced, and necessitated to fall into, of which we shall now mention a few Particulars.  
For first as it is Matter of Fact (which is the most infallible Evidence in the World) that all the Doctrines of the Church of Rome, do depend solely upon The Authority of the said Church: So it is Matter of Fact equally, That both the said Doctrines and the said Authority itself, (which upholds the said Doctrines,) do depend upon the Catholic Sense of the Scripture. For the same Reason therefore, it is even from the strictness of the Connexion and mutual Dependence of these three one upon another, That as the Doctrines of the Church of Rome, must necessarily be all of them True, and all of them Divine, If the Authority of the said Church is altogether True, and altogether Divine: So also the Authority of the Church of Rome, must be unquestionably Divine, If the Catholic Sense of the Scripture upon which it is alone built, be absolutely Divine and free from all possibility of Error.  
And consequently then, as the surest proof that we can possibly have of the Divinity of all the Doctrines of the said Church, doth lie in the proof the divine Authority of the said Church, and in the sureness of it: So the surest proof of this doth lie in the proof of the Catholic Sense of the Scripture, viz. in the Proof, that this Catholic Sense is both divine and infallible, and free from all manner of Error imaginable.  
For it is this Sense alone that gives being to the said Authority.  
In as much then, as it is strongly alleged that the Catholic Sense cannot possibly but be Divine, Infallible, and free from all manner of Error: The Authority of the said Church therefore must necessarily be Divine, Infallible, and free from all manner of Error, and therefore it is impossible, but the Doctrines which are taught by the said Church, must be such also: that is, They must be Divine, Infallible, and free from all Error.  
So then, these three are and must be all of them Divine alike, viz,  The Doctrines of the Church of Rome, and the Authority of the said Church, and The Catholic Sense of the Scripture. 
And consequently, the Sense of the Universal Church must be as Divine as any of these three, Because the Catholic Sense of the Scripture, and the Sense of the Universal Church is but one and the same, (Et quae in eodem Tertio conveniunt inter se conveniunt) wherefore seeing of all these, The Catholic Sense of the Scripture is— The main and sure Basis of all the rest— and that upon the Divinity, certainty, and infallibility of This, ALL the Divinity, Authority, and Infallibility of the Church of Rome, with its whole Doctrine doth, and must wholly and entirely depend. The absolute and unquestionable Certainty or Divinity of this therefore, is first to be cleared: seeing this (as we said) is of all others the most strongly alleged.  To one that is an apt Scholar to understand, and receive whatsoever the Church of Rome teacheth, we shall here show how this is, by her cleared. 
To evidence then the truth of the Catholic Sense of the Scripture, how Infallible and Unquestionable it is, and to manifest not only the necessity, but the absoluteness of its Divinity, We need not much more than one Reason, because this doth of itself upon the matter, amount to a Demonstration; (which is,) That there is nothing more clear or more certain, than that the said Catholic Sense neither really is, the Sense of the Scripture, nor really is not: nor any thing more certain, than that the said Catholic Sense is Both: That is to say, both it is, and it is not the Sense of the Scripture. And that we may be yet the more fully and distinctly instructed in the nature of this Mystery, and of the strangeness of it, we are to know, That the extraordinary wonderful, and peculiar Power of this Catholic Sense, lieth, in the singular Relation which it hath to the Universal Church, and to the Scripture as it is the Sense of neither of them properly and entirely; and yet is the Sense of both of them at one and the same time.  
For though this Catholic Sense cannot be had without the Scripture, and though it is, and must necessarily be given therefore to the said Church by the Scripture. Because it is the Scripture only that the said Church doth always refer to, when it doth at any time cite, or allege the said Sense as it is Divine. And consequently though without the said Scripture, it had been wholly impossible that the said Church should either have Challenged or laid Claim to any Truth that had been Authoritative or Divine. Notwithstanding this, The said Catholic Sense both is given, and must necessarily be given to the Scripture by the said Church; because without the said Church, it would be impossible that this Sense should ever be found out in the Scripture itself, in regard nothing is more certain, than that the Scripture hath of itself properly no Sense at all (at lest none that is True, Certain and Infallible, but as this is by the Universal Church, and by the Prudent Care and Foresight of it bestowed upon it. And so we must unavoidably grant, that though the Catholic Sense be but One, yet this One Sense is both created by the Church for the Scripture, and created by the Scripture for the Church, (Which is a very rare and unusual sort of Production.  
And therefore it will follow also: that if we regard the Truth, Certainty and Infallibility of this Catholic Sense, it is wholly and entirely from the Church, because neither the Authority properly of it, nor its Divinity, doth consist in its Truth, or in its Certainty, If we regard the Divinity and Authority of this Catholic Sense, it is not only originally, but entirely from the Scripture: because it may be Divine, though it have neither Certainty nor Infallibility in it, (at least) as the Church of Rome tells us. And consequently, the said Catholic Sense considered as it is strictly in the Scriptures, hath indeed both Authority absolutely in it, and Divinity: but it neither hath Truth, Certainty, nor Infallibility. But considered as it is strictly in the Church, it hath both Truth, Certainty, and Infallibility absolutely in it. But it hath not for all this any thing of Divinity, or Authority; for this it must borrow from the name of the Scripture.  
So that it is plain, That the said Catholic Sense is neither the Sense of the Church properly and entirely, nor the Sense of the Scripture properly and entirely, and yet that it is the Sense of both of them entirely. And the Reason for this is also plain, viz. Because according to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, the Divinity of the Catholic Sense is one thing: its Truth, and Infallibility is quite another: for though the Church can give to the Catholic Sense its Truth and Infallibility entirely, yet she cannot give any part of its Divinity.  
And though the Scripture, can give to the Catholic Sense its whole Divinity; and consequently its Authority entirely yet it cannot of itself give it any thing of truth, or any thing of Infallibility, but this it must have from the Church.  
So mystically is this Catholic Sense parted and divided between both. By which partition of the Catholic Sense (which is strange) we come to know another thing also (which is as strange) and which otherwise we should never have been able to have found out, viz. That though the end of giving the Scripture was unquestionably for the enlightening Ruling and Governing the Church, yet the end of setting up the Church was equally also for the enlightening Ruling and Governing of the Scriptures.  
Which as it is a Consequence that can no way be avoided by the Rules of the Church of Rome, so it is as manifestly absurd as all the rest. Secondly, The Divinity of the Catholic sense with the necessity absolutely of it, will appear also yet the more clearly if we shall consider, that unless we do admit the Church in the first place to be holy, infallible, and free from all manner of Error imaginable, it will and must be impossible that the Catholic sense of the Scripture should be absolutely True, Holy, Infallible and free from all Error. Because the sense of the Scripture becomes thus Catholic, Holy, Infallible and True, only as it is the sense of the Catholic Church first, and as it is by this means derived to the Scripture itself. And for any to seek a sense in the Scripture therefore that is Holy, True, Infallible and free from all Error alone by the Scripture itself, without the Direction and Assistance of the said Catholic or Universal Church is manifestly absurd. Both because the Scripture hath properly of itself no sense at all that is certain: and because it is the immediate Authority of the Church only, upon which the sense of the Scripture so far as it is properly Catholic, Infallible, and absolutely True is wholly and entirely built.  
And yet on the contrary, in regard it must be confessed that the Church could not possibly have so much as either Name or Being, were it not for the Scripture itself, and much less that it could have those Privileges, or that Authority placed in it which it challengeth above all others for being Holy, True, Infallible and free from all manner of Error. Unless we admit therefore the Scripture in the first place to be originally True, Holy and Divine, and therefore to contain all Authority and Truth prmitively in itself, that is Holy, Absolute and Divine: and that by reason of this its primitive Sanctity, Divinity and Truth; it hath a power simply and properly of its self to confer a Divine Right, Authority, and Infallibility to the Church, it will and must be impossible that the said Church, should be any way impowered or enabled either to teach such Doctrines as are Certain, True, Holy and Divine, and without any fallibility whatever; or that it should be able to declare, what that sense of the Scripture is, which is absolutely Holy, True, Infallible and free from all manner of Error. Because if the whole being of the Church is entirely from the Scripture, than not only all the Holiness, Truth, and Infallibility of the said Church, with the truth of whatever it teacheth, but all the Authority also, which it hath or challengeth by reason of any of these extraordinary Properties, is, and must unavoidably be built upon the Scripture also, and upon the primitive Truth, Authority and Sanctity of it.  
Both which things now being admitted, it must necessarily follow, that if we will fully comprehend the Divinity of the Catholic sense, and come to be convinced of the necessity and absoluteness of its Infallibility, Authority and Truth; we must grant, that the Truth, Holiness, Infallibleness and Authority of the Church, was and could not but be before the Truth, Holiness, and Infallibility, of the Scripture sense. And must also grant that the Truth, Sanctity and Authority of the holy Scripture, was and could not but necessarily be before any Truth, Holiness, Infallibility and Authority was or could possibly be in the Church: and consequently we must grant that these were both first, and so both of them were one before another respectively.  
In like manner we must grant that as there is an absolute necessity that the Church, and its Authority as infallible should be built upon the Scripture entirely, and upon the Original Authority of it, so there is as great a necessity that the Sense of the Scripture with the truth of it (wherein its Authority doth properly and principally consist,) should be built upon the Church, and upon the Authority of it, and therefore a necessity, that both these should be built each upon the other mutually and respectively, and therefore a necessity that the Church should be the Foundation of all the Scriptures truth, and that the Scripture should be the Foundation of all the Church its Truth, and therefore that each of these, should be the respective Basis or Ground of the other of these mutually.  The Clearness, Consonancy, Coherence and manifest Consistency, of all which things, whoever doth not understand, and doth not also fully and unquestionably believe, is neither a Scholar that is quick enough, nor a scholar that is qualified enough for the sufficient and substantial comprehending, of the Divinity of the Catholic sense. 
And therefore upon the consideration of the whole we may conclude that if all these things now mentioned are substantially true, and capable to be clearly understood by rational Persons, and that they are consistent really one with another: Then it must be certain, that the Church of Rome is both a true Church, and its Doctrines are all certainly and unquestionably true, and all its followers must be true Christians also, and free from all Error, for these things must be all of them true and certain alike.  
But if these several things above mentioned are manifestly contradictory and absurd, and such therefore as are no way possible to be rationally understood, or capable to be consistent any way one with another: then these things can never be true, viz. Either that the Church of Rome should be a true Church, or that its Doctrines should be all of them true, or that its followers should be such true Christians as to be free from all Error. Seeing none of these three things can be otherwise true, or certain, than as the several things above mentioned are true or certain, which are manifestly absurd and utterly false.   

The horrible Wickedness of the Church of Rome further manifested.  
The Impiety and Wickedness, as well as Absurdity of the Church of Rome in this invention of the Catholic Sense, and in her setting up of it, will be evident also to any that will consider, that even while she goeth about, not only to corrupt but to defeat the Scripture of its proper Authority (as a Divine Writing) by her denying that any Sense is capable to be had from it, but what the Church only doth give it, and by denying therefore that the Litteral or Grammatical Sense or Construction of the Scripture is in any place certain, or at least not so certain, as it may be said of its self to be simply, absolutely or infallibly true, or so certain that it is in any place sufficient to give an infallibility of truth to us, she doth no other than discover by all this what her drift is throughout all this Device.  
For she would never run herself upon so many Rocks, to maintain things so manifestly gross, and absurd as this Invention puts her upon, were it not that her aim by all this is— To spoil and deprive the Scripture utterly not only of all power and Authority, but of all Right immediately and absolutely of its self, to bind and oblige the Consciences of men to it, even though the sense of it should, from the plain and genuine Construction of its words appear never so strong, clear or coherent to them— which Scope or Design of the Church of Rome, for withdrawing our Obedience and Subjection wholly from the Scripture itself, even in things that are plain, and can be no way doubted by us as we are rational Persons, and understand well enough what the Nature and Import of Sense is. I say this scope or design of withdrawing our Obedience from the Scripture itself, and from the plain and genuine fence of it, is no other than openly to withdraw us from the plain and express Mind of God, (the Scripture being his Word) which is not only to offer an Injury to the Authority and Council of God, but to his very Grace also, in giving his Word to us. And yet that this is the Chief and Principal Aim of the Church of Rome in her contending for the Catholic Sense, and in her disallowing all other Sense whatever to the Scripture, is the more clear because it is matter of Fact, that wheresoever she can or doth exercise any Dominion either by herself, or by her delegates, there she will suffer none, even not of her own Clergy, to depend upon the Scripture strictly. But will have all men at all times, to submit all their Judgements, and all their Consciences absolutely to her particular Determinations, in all things relating to Faith, whether the things she doth determine be agreeable or not agreeable to the Word, or Rule of Faith itself. And if all her own Natives are treated with this Severity, and Arbitrariness by her, is is easy then to imagine what Strangers may expect from her, especially if we consider that for the more effectual preventing the Laity also, to show any manner of Duty immediately to the Scripture, and lest they should be convinced even by the very sight of it, or should hold themselves obliged to the things plainly and expressly commanded by it, she doth throughout all places, where she hath any Power utterly forbid all use of the Scripture to them, and will not suffer the Scripture so much as to be read, or heard by them in a Vulgar or known Tongue.  
By which Instances it may sufficiently appear, (seeing these things are matters of Fact) that the Endeavour used by the Church of Rome to lessen the Credit of the Scriptures Letter, Grammar or Word, as if there were no certainty of sense in it, is not really grounded upon any thing which may justly be attributed to the Scripture itself: * But is a thing absolutely plotted, Contrived, form or purposely Designed by the said Church for no other end, but that men might not rely upon the Scripture, or trust to the truth of those things that may be plainly and expressly founded in the very Letter of it; and so might be moved to give Obedience to the Authority of it, and to be led by it, NOR for any other end, but that Men might not be able to plead the said Word, with the expressness of it against her, or have a just ground to examine her Doctrines or Authority by it; and to withdraw from her or to assert there is a necessity that divers things should be reform in her.  
And for this Reason it is therefore, that she neither hath any Subjects, nor can, or will admit of any to be her Subjects, whether of the Laity or Clergy, who will not withdraw their Obedience immediately from the Letter of the said word, and from the Authority of it, and give it to her as a Church.  Which injury against the Authority of the Scripture, or written Letter of the word of it, as it is therefore knowingly, wittingly and willingly committed by the Church of Rome, must for this cause be much the greater. 
But the greatness and heinousness of it, is made most manifest by that Argument which the Apostle useth, Heb. 2.2, 3. Heb. 10.28, 29. Heb. 12.25. For if the Law or Covenant of Moses how divine soever, was given to the Church nevertheless by one that was no more than a Servant only in God's house: And if that the Grace and Truth which came by Jesus Christ, was given us by the only Son of God, who was properly the Lord himself of the House: Then a Sin, or Crime done purposely against the Gospel of Christ, and out of a real intent or design to turn men from the express Word, or Letter of that Law or Covenant which was set up by Christ,— must be a far greater Evil, or Impiety against God, than the like sin attempted against the Law of Moses, with a purpose or intent to turn men from the Letter and express Word of it.  
There is such Force and Strength in this Argument, added to what hath been already said, as there needs no more to be said, to manifest the abominableness of this Evil, and therefore we shall herewith conclude this Discourse, as with that great word of Truth, which ought in this case to be most of all pondered, and considered by them whom it most concerns.  
For if it were evil in any, (even in him that had the name of a Prophet,) to turn men from the Law, or from the Word of Moses who was but the Servant of God, with an intent that they should rely upon another word, different from it even upon his Word, (or upon such a Sign or Wonder as was wrought by him) who did desire so to turn them from Moses, and if this was such an Evil, as was by Gods own Command— to be punished absolutely with Death— Then how much greater evil must it be in the sight of God, to go about to turn men from the express Word, and Law of the Lord Christ, who was the only begotten Son of God, with an intent that they should rely upon another Word, different from it, and to do this not only wilfully, but avowedly, and professedly, by preaching to men openly; that it is not their duty to rely upon the Word of Christ, (as it is immediately and expressly set down by the Holy Spirit,) but upon the Church only, and what the Church shall declare to them concerning the said Word, and when to effect this also the better, men shall throw so great Contempt and Scandal upon the said Word, as to affirm it to be so dark and confused, that no certain or infallible Sense either is in it, or can possibly be had from it.  
And if this sin were the greater under the Law, because of those Miracles which God had wrought by Moses, to testify him to be the Servant of himself, Than it must be an aggravation of the said sin under the Gospel: Because God hath not only by Miracles, but even by Moses himself, and by many other means and ways in his Providence, born a far greater Testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ (than ever he did bear unto Moses,) and hath abundantly manifested, That he was the Only begotten Son of himself.  
And if any man under the Law, that did attempt to turn men from the word of the said Law, was to be accounted as a false Prophet, much more than ought he to be so accounted, that doth both with all Industry and set Design endeavour to do this under the Gospel.  
FINIS.