THE FOUNDATION AND Rise of many of the Practices, Customs, and formalities of the Priests, Lawyers, and People of England Examined, and found to be from the Pope and his Authority. IN SOME QUERIES TO THE Priests, Lawyers, and Professors, for any of them to ANSWER; In Order to the Purging of themselves (if they can) from being truly adjudged the Practisers and Upholders of the Pope's Superstitions, Innovations, Institutions, and Imposing, since the time (and against the Practices) of the Apostles, and pure Primitive Church. By a Member of the true Church that is in God, in whose Name and behalf this is Printed, By me Thomas Hart. London, Printed in the Year, 1659. TO ALL THE Priests, and Professors, and Lawyers IN ENGLAND: Answer us these Queries in Writing, or Print. Querie 1. WHether or no you are not Levened with the old way of Popery? And whether or no you have not the old Leven of Popery amongst you secretly in your hearts, and under your skirts and garments? Come to plainness without any evasions. Querie 2. Do not you call all your Courts in the Names of the Days given from the Pope, and your Terms, as Hillary Term, Easter Term, Trinity Term, Michaelmas Term? And do not you require all men to appear in your Courts, by the Names of your Saint Days, as eight days after St. Hillary, fifteen days after St. Hillary, eight days after the Purification, and at so many days after Easter, the morrow of the Ascension day, the morrow of Trinity, and so many days after Trinity, and so many days after St. Michael, the morrow of All Souls, the morrow of St. Martin, and the like? And are not all these Relics of Popery, lodging in your bosom, and showing you have not the with nor wisdom, ye Lawyers, and Judges, and Priests, and Teachers beyond the papists and Pope, to call your people to your Courts but in the Names of the days that the Pope has given, now how are ye in the supreme above the Pope, how do you deny the Pope here, and renounce Popery here, or how do you renounce his supreme power when these things are amongst you in your Authority, in your Courts; Now if you say ye cannot, or know not how to call your people to your Courts in any other Name than the Pope has given to the days, than he is your School Master, than he is your Teacher, and you have not found another Teacher yet, than the Pope is head yet, to teach you, of Priests, Lawyers, and Judges, to teach you to give Names to your days, by which ye know the days, and the people come to know that they must Answer on them at your Courts; now if you say this is not Popery, the naming of these days by the Saints names, and appearing such a Saint day, and calling your Terms and Courts by such days, and then people to answer at the Term after such a Saint day; of whom learned you it but of the Pope? And was not he the Author of it, did Christ or his Apostles teach you such a Doctrine, or are you taught out of the Scriptures such a Doctrine? Now if you have not the wisdom to give Names to your days, Lawyers, Teachers, and Judges, and Magistrates without the Pope's help, but be fain to call your days by the same names as the Pope gave, how do not you feel his Superstitions amongst you, does not his power stand up, how is his Image slain, are not those his Marks amongst you of his Leven; were these Names of Saints amongst the Apostles before their decease, or come up since their decease? Come, if you will have Popery renounced amongst you root and branch, and relics, and the leven, and his marks, and his image, and his power, and his authority, root out all that he set up, root it out. Querie 3. Who gave Names to all your Steeple-houses, and called them Churches? Were they not Papists Houses, and their Names given to them by the Pope, and his authority, and power, as St. Mary's, St. Peter, St. Paul's, and were these Steeple-houses ever St. Paul's, St. Peter, St. Maries, St. Margarats, etc. Now has not the Pope's power a high degree amongst you yet, and has the Priests, Lawyers, Judges, ever yet manifested a wisdom, an understanding or knowledge beyond the Popes, to teach the people, not to call their houses by the Pope's Names that he has given to them, and not to call the days by the Pope's Names that he has given to them, as Saints days, St. Luke, St. John, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Peter, and Christmas, and Easter, and Whitsuntide; where did ever any of the Apostles or Saints before their disease name their days after this manner, or teach the people to do so, or Christ either; but what has been since the days of the Apostles in the Apostasy, and how are you come out of the Apostasy, or to deny the Pope's teachings, though you may do it in words outwardly, yet it's his wisdom and knowledge, that has given Names to your days, and to your Churches as you call them, which are made use of by you, and not another's, as is plainly declared by your fruits on the house top; Now how can you say you are not Popishly affected, when all these dregs are amongst you, lies in the Barrel unpurged out. Querié 4. Are not all your Acts and Laws given forth and made in the Name of such a day, as Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday; And such a Month, as January, and February, and March, and April, and May, and June, and July, and August; has not all these things been learned of the Heathen and Papists: the Papists who apostated from the truth, and the Heathen who worshipped the Sun and Moon and Stars, and show that they have been your teachers, their wisdom has taught you to name your Days, and your Months, and that you have not a wisdom beyond their wisdom to teach the people the contrary, and does not this show that you are apostated from the true Christians, and the true Jews, who called the Days, the First day, and Second day, and Third day, and so to the Seventh day: and First month, Second month, Third month, and so to the Twelfth month: And are not you that call your Months by the Names that the Heathen gave, and call your Days by the Names of Saints, that the papists gave them, and by the names that the Heathen gave them, as Sun's day, and Moon's day, that worshipped the Sun, and called it the Sun's day, that worshipped the Moon and called it the Moon's day, that worshipped Saturn, and called it Satur's day and the rest, as your Almanacs declare, formed amongst the Papists and Heathen, is not here Heathenism & Popery, and Idolatry, both going together, and Heathenism and Popery, and you found amongst them, and they amongst you, out of the true Jew's life an language, and of the true Christians. Querie 5. And has not many of your biggest sort of Bibles called Church Bibles, crosses in them standing at the verses ends, so full of lying signs, and while those are standing how have you blotted out Popery and the Pope's image, and mark, and sign; and how is it that so many Crosses yet stand upon the Steeplehouse ends in many parts of the Nation, and in high Ways, and Market-places, and pictures in the Windows and Images, if Popery be cast out and renounced amongst you: behold all people as ye pass up and down, and take notice of all the Steeple-houses in England, and high Ways, and see if there be not upon many of them a Cross; now how is it you say, that you have renounced Popery, and the Pope's mark, the Pope's image, and the Pope's sign stands up upon the house top yet, and calling up the people in the Names of the Saints days to Terms and Courts, and calling the names of your Churches by the Saints Names yet, how is the Pope's power killed here and his image thrown down, when the Cross stands upon the end of the Steeplehouse, and the pictures in the Windows, and the Steeplehouse called by the name of Saints, and the holy Bell, the Saints Bell rings, Ting, ting, as you may hear up and down in London and many places; was not all this done by the Pope's teaching and the Pope's wisdom, and the pope's power, which he calls supreme, and your Priests yet standing up in them and not crying against them, how have you here renounced Popery? Querie 6. Was not all your sprinkling Infants from the Pope? Did it not first rise from him? Was not all your tithes, temples, steeple-houses, chapels first set up by the Pope, and by him called Churches, there is a Cross on the end of them, which is a sign who set them up, not yet thrown down; is not this a sign of abundance of Idolatry, and Popery, and Popish affection that is amongst people of the Nation yet, while Tithes, and Temple, and Pulpit, and Priests, and Crosses, St. Peter, St. Maries, St. Paul's houses stands up and calling people to appear such a day by such a Saints Name, is not all this set up by Pope and Papists? And has not Popery a great authority while these things are standing, and his Name great amongst people, and his image not spoiled? And have not you his mark in your hand, while you have your Names to your days as he gave, and your Names to your Churches as he gave, and the Cross on the end of your Churches which he set up, and do not you call them by the same Name that he gave both your Days and your Churches, and so how do not you here stand in the Pope's power, how do you renounce it, when you have his image, his mark, his names yet amongst you? Are not these the Pope's images, marks, and names, Saints days, holy days, which ye gave forth your Summons to appear at Easter, such a Saints day, and call your Houses by the Names that the Pope gave, and Crosses, are not these his Marks and Images, which are not yet down and spoiled? Querie 7. From whence came all your Parishes, and who was the setter of them up, and the bvilders of your Steeple-houses, and setting them East and West, and setting the Porches and Chancels, and the Body of the House, what was the pattern, the Temple and Jew's Synagogues, and who was the imitator of all this, if not the Pope, and done by his power, and Hallowed, and Consecrated by it, and so do not they call it Holy Ground ever since, and so is not that the place where neither Priest nor Curate might or may be spoke to, though one be moved of the Lord, without imprisonment, and has it not been the Pope and his power that has quenched the Spirit? Querie 8. And how came up all your Churching of Women, and who has had the Marrying of people, and from whence had the Priests that power, if not from the Pope at the first, for does not their Priests Marry, and is not all your Tithes, Pulpits, Temples, Priests, set up by the Pope's power and authority, which have the pictures, the crosses at the end of them, and has not all these been set up since the day, of the Apostles in the Apostasy, and all to be judged and condemned with the Pope's power, with the Pope's authority? Querie 9 And is not all your making Ministers by the will of man by Schools and Colleges, as ye pretend for Christ, as the Papists makes them by Schools and Colleges, and did not the Pope set up your Colleges and gave them their names, of Christ's College, St John's College, Trinity College, Imanuel College, Jesus College, All Souls College, Magdalen dalen College, etc. And have not you been beholden to the Pope for his wisdom, and has not he been your Teacher in all these things, and when did you renounce his Doctrine and his Teaching in all these things, and throw it out of the Nation, and does not his Doctrine stand here amongst you for a memorial, and was not all this Teaching from him that gave your Names to your Colleges, to your Steeple-houses, to your Days, and is not the stink of Popery amongst you while all these Names and Images are so frequent amongst you, spoke up and down your streets, and how can the Papists and Jesuits but laugh at you when ye deny them in words, yet embrace their Doctrine, Practice, and Superstitions, was not this the Pope's Doctrine to give these Names to your Houses and Colleges, as St. Peter's, Trinities, john's, Paul's, and as yet calling your Days by the Saints Names, if you say nay, then declare by Scripture where the Apostles gave any such Names to Days, set up Colleges, gave any such Names to them, as Trinity, Peter, john's, or set up any such Houses with Bells in them, and a Pulpit, and a Glass, does not the Papists say their Mass by the Hourglass? Do not you read your Sermons written in your Papers by the Glass, or speak what you can remember of the Scriptures, or the old Father's Exposition of them by the Glass, and does not this favour of Popery, and now how can you take to Oath of Abjuration amongst you to swear against all Popery, and swear to deny all Popery, and Crosses stands upon your Steeple-houses ends, the Popish-house ends, and you call your Steeple-houses by popish names given to them, and you call your Colleges by Popish names, and you call your Days by Popish names, your Months and Weekdays by Popish and Heathen names, which shows the Pope's Doctrine is not denied, and here is the Pope's Leven amongst e●…, which I say to all people beware of it, which has got up since the days of the Apostles. Query 10. And have you not had all your degrees, orders, as Bachelors of Arts, Masters of Arts, Bachelors of Divinity, Doctors of Divinity, Doctors of Physic, Doctors of Laws; was not the Pope the first letter up of this, and the allower and giver of the Maintenance to maintain this by his power, and then gave to the Colleges the names of the Saints. Now come and see all if you can stand on your own Legs, without the Pope's Doctrine, without the Pope's Orders, without the Pope's Teaching, without the Pope's Wisdom, without the Pope's Instructions, and if you can give Names to your Houses without the Pope's counsel, give names to your called Churches without the Pope's counsel, and give names to your Days without him; was not he the first that called them Churches, and holy Houses; come let us see how you can stand now and throw the Pope's counsel aside, the Pope's Doctrine, the Pope's wisdom; come ye that be of your Colleges, and Priests, and Lawyers, and Judges; let us see how you can name your days, and your months, not as the Pope and the Heathen do: see how you can name them; let us see if you have a wisdom beyond their wisdom, and how you can have your days, and months, and not as the Heathen, not as the Pope and his counsel; let us see how you can stand on your own legs without the Pope's help, and Heathens help and authority; what are not ye able to give Names to your Days, to your Months, to your Colleges, to the Houses, your Colleges by the Names that the Papists gave them, and your names as the Heathen did? O what is your ignorance? Were the Apostles seven years at a School, before they went and preached Christ: oh abominable! and were not the Papists the first beginners of this? and was not all this in the Apostasy since the Apostles? and must the Spirit be quenched in others that have not served the Apprenticeship? and is not this like another Trade, that till I have served seven years, I may not set up, there was a Law to the contrary, and has not this Law been among the Priests, that none shall speak in their Steeple-houses, or Pulpits, or speak to them without a prison? and does not all this smell and taste of ●he Pope; who had a Law that none should speak to the Pri●…ts, but it was called Disturbance: as witness Queen Mary one of the arms of his Tree where he least sheltered under; and has not all his limiting the holy One, quenchi●… the Spirit, been since the days of the Apostles amongst the ap●…es from the true Church, who said, if any thing be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace,; you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted, for God was not the author of confusion, but of pence: and this was in all the Churches of the Saints. Now is not this confusion amongst you and your Teachers, to bid him hold his tongue, there is something revealed to another that sits by, and shows that all your Church be in the apostasy from the Apostles Doctrine; and you be all them that be gone from the Spirit, that the Apostles and Saints were in that gave forth the Scripture, but only have the Sheep's clothing, the outside, and has not that covered the Woolvish spirit in you? has not the Fruits in this. Age declated it? did ever any of the Apostles before their decease, or the Churches, make such work amongst the people for Tithes as you do in your Parishes, which is this day one of the greatest things in the Nation, that you are suing, haling the people (before Courts, Justices, Benches for Maintenance, whom you are not able to resist in the spirit, with all your Logic, Learning, who have been seven years at your Trade, at your Schools, that a company of innocent people, which many of them cannot read letters should confound all your wisdom, which before them is not able to stand; wonder and be ashamed, and confess that the Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures, is again made manifest. Query 11. When Queen Mary had set up Popery in the Nation; was there not many of the people then in those days which cried against popery, and cried against the popish Priests, and went into the popish houses, the Steeple-houses; then did not she make a Law and a Decree, that whosoever did disturb Priest or Curate in the Church, or Churchyard, preaching, singing, or giving the Mass, defacing or marring a Cross in the Church, or Churchyard, he should be imprisoned three months; and was not it called maliciously, and wittingly done, that to mar their Crosses then, and cry against their Priests then; and was not he called a disturber that would have marred their Crosses, or broken their Pictures out of the windows, or spoke to the priest in that they call their Church, or Churchyard? and did not many of them suffer imprisonment, and some of them Martyrs? and has not the priests of our Age been by the same Law guarded, that has the popish House, and their Church as they call it, and Churchyard, and Cross on the end of it, and pictures in the windows of it; and if any did speak to the Priest in the Popish house that they call the Church, he was to suffer by the same Law as a malicious disturber; Now how has our Priests here of the Nation renounced Popery when they had their Law to guard them, and cry the others did well in the days of Queen Mary, that cried against popery who suffered by the Law; and they do ill now who suffer by the same Law, because they cry against them that are guarded with it, which many of the Martyrs suffered by; and they used the same Weapons against such as the Lord God moved to cry against them, Popery, and Papists, and Queen Mary's Law, and the popish House and Cross on the end of it, and the Priests that uphold it, and the Colleges by which they were made which were named of the Pope, and the days which are named after the Saints, and yet these which are covered with popery, their Houses, their Names, their Maintenance, their Tithes, their Garments smell with it, and have been guarded by the Papists Law, such as they know cannot swear at all, but declare against them, and the Papists alsso, to such they put the Oath of Abjuration, to such as they know cannot swear who are true Christians, out of the apostasy in the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles before the Papists were, who set their foot upon all the Papists upon the earth, and their Likenesses, and Images, and Crosses, and Crucifixes, and all the train of it, head and tail they trample under foot, bred or born; was not the Pope the first setter up that people should teach for handfuls of Barley, and shocks of Corn and Pease, and Wool, and their Easter-reckoning, and Midsummer deuce; was not the Pope the first ordainer of this? Come Priests, and Lawyers, and Judges, how smells your Garments of popery in all these things? where are your free Gospel-teachers, when your Priests and Teachers are quarrelling with people for reek-pennies, and plow-peannies, and money for gardens, bees, foals, milk, eggs, hemp and flax, and apples, and plums; now does not all hear your Garments stink of popery? was not the Pope the first rise of all this, who ravened from the Spirit since the Apostles? where is your freely-received freely give; is the gift of God to be sold for money, to be compared, or equalled, or measured with earthly things? oh ye are in the gall of bitterness; did ever any Minister of Christ quarrel for out ward things, and cast people into prison till they die, as the Priests of this Nation do keep people in prison because they will not give them maintenance, keep some in prison till they die, oh abominable, make all your Names stink through all Nations; are not your Priests and Ministers of the Nation, National Priests that puts in prison those that cannot pay you Tithes, and put in your mouths, and you will keep them in prison till they die, as some of you have done, who have kept in the prison till they die; are not you here as bad or worse than the Spanish, for do they in Spain keep any in prison till they die? do they keep them in prison because they cannot give them maintenance, or because they cannot bow to their Worships? Now you that cast people into prison because they cannot pay you your Tithes, and will not let them come out till they die, how or wherein do you differ from the Papists Inquisition; and how, and who was the first author of this? did Christ send you forth to do so, and this work; or the Apostles give you a command to do so? nay you will cast them in prison, and put them in prison, and take treble damage of them, or three or four times the value, for whom you do no work, and are not Ministers too; does the Papists so; and cast them into prison till death; what is this but like a Spanish Inquisition, and the smell of popery, and not the smell of a Christian; are not you in this from Christ, and the Apostle apostated, nay is it not worse than a Spanish Inquisition, for there they are carried before a Court, and have a trial and judgement; but here the Priests can send to she Lawyers for a Writ, and by that the Magistrate Will take their bodies, and put them in prison, and there keep them without either hearing, trial, or judgement, weeks, months, and years, yea till they die in prison. Querie 12. Who made the Priests and your Ministers, did not the Bishops? And who made the Bishops, did not the Pope and Cardinals? And so has not the Pope been the Channel that you all came out at in the Apostasy; and is not he the Key and the Door you all came through, which all these Tyths, Temples, Priests, making of Priests, Colleges, Names after the Saints to days, to your houses, has run through his Channel and opened with his Key, the Pope's Key, and set up by his authority: Now if you do say and argue that the Pope, though he was in error, might make Ministers, and you do succeed from the Apostles, with whom Christ said he would be to the end of the world through him: I say no, you cannot succeed from the Apostles through him, for he being Apostated inwardly, ravened from the Spirit of Christ, and gone from the Apostles, and got the sheep's clothing, that is the outside, but inwardly a ravening Wolf, that is ravened over most part of Nations; and he having inwardly ravened, gone from the Apostles; having got the Sheep's clothing, Christ's and the Prophets, and Apostles words, the outside from him, in this you are Successors, as your fruits have declared, who has the outside as he has the Sheep's clothing, but inwardly ravening Wolves, ravening up and down for your prey, and would destroy such as cannot put into your mouths, and are contrary minded to you, and give you Maintenance, and give you Tyths, which neither you nor the Pope are the Successors of the Apostles whom he would be with to the end of the world, for such Christ said should come, that if it was possible should deceive the very Elect, in the 7. and 24. of Matthew; which Paul, Peter, and Judas, saw was come and coming, and John saw already in the world, and went forth from them, so Mark, went forth from the Apostles, so not Successors, such as had the Sheep's clothing, which all that dwelled upon the earth went after, and all Nations came to drink the cup of Fornicat on; which should make war against the Saints, and overcome them, them that kept the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of Prophecy, them that ravened from the Spirit, which all the world went after, and them that a welt upon the earth worshipped, and here came up the first Beast, and second Beast, and all his Names and Heads, and Horns, which all that dweit upon the earth wandered after; and the cry has been; who is able to make war with him; so these that inwardly reigned, whored, went forth from the Apostles with all that dwelled upon the earth, went after, and all Nations drunk the cup of Fornication, the Kings of the earth, these preached not the Gospel, though they had the Sheepsclothing, which were ravened from the life; these were the deceivers of the World, and the Nations. And again, the beast and false prophets should be taken, and the downfall of Babylon, and the great Whore judged, and the Saints and the Lamb get the victory, and the everlasting Gospel come to the preached to them that dwell upon the earth again, for all that dwell upon the earth had worshipped the beast, and drunk the cup of Fornication, the Whore's cup, which Christ said should come, which inwardly ravened, which has had the Sheep's clothing; these has not been the successors of the Apostles which went forth from them, that is clearly seen, which all Nations of the world went after, and drunk their cup; and so I challenge you all to answer, and declare against you all to be the Pope's successors, and whether or no you and they be not of the stock which Christ said should come inwardly ravening, got he Sheep's clothing, which went forth from the Apostles, which all Nations came to drink their cup; and so whether or no amongst you, are not all the names, heads, and horns one pushing against another? and whether or no you are not all wrestlers against flesh, and blood and creatures, you are striking them, and beating them, and prisoning them for your bellies, yea to death? did ever the Apostles do as you do? prison men, hale men before Courts. Session, Assizes, prison them to death for their bellies as you do; are not you here of them which serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies, which the Apostle saw amongst the apostates; do not you prison them, and prison to death for Tithes, successors, which coveted no man's silver, nor gold, nor apparel, but gave freely; do you walk in the Sheep's steps, the Apostles steps that Christ says to, freely ye have received, freely give. Now I say, you are the Pope's successors, have not you Tithes as they have? have not you his Houses with Crosses on them? do not you observe the Names that he gave to the Colleges? do not you observe the Names that he gave days, tell me of whose Family are you; there is a stop between the Pope and the Apostles, and you both; but you and the Pope having had both the sheep's clothing, and the Wolf covered with it, and you, and he, and them his Company, are all the wrestlers against flesh and blood, instead of bringing the Creatures into the liberty of the sons of God, instead of destroying the power that captivates the Creatures and causes the enmity amongst Creatures, destroying the creatures that be contrary minded to you, and so that is the Pope's spirit indeed, and differs not a whit from it, and so in that you are his successors, but it is not the Apostles spirit, so your Ministry, and spirit and the Popes, is quite another than the Apostles, who warstled not against flesh and blood, but against the powers, and spiritual wickednesses, so here is your spirits and the Popes tried, and found to be in the Apostasy. Querie 13. And how would you have done to have kept your Sermons in your memory, had not the Bible been turned into Chapters and Verses 450 years ago, and was it not the Pope and such as belonged to him, that turned it into Chapters and Verses, and so have not you and the Pope been upon one border, having had the Sheep's clothing; but neither you nor he can endure to hear talk of the light within men, the anointing within men to teach them, Christ within them, the Spirit within to lead them, the Word within to be obeyed, that which may be known of God made manifest in them, to come to, before they retain God in their knowledge, or retain his Covenant; now this with you is called non sense and whymsies, which was the pure Doctrine of the Apostles, before your and the Pope's apostasy, with which pure Doctrine you and the Pope are fathomed and comprehended, to which pure Doctrine people are now come, and what you ravened from, and what you went from (to that which they and you) and ravened from, who are burst into Names, and Sects, and Heaps, wanting the inside, the life amongst you, having the outside the sheep's clothing, wrestling against flesh and blood, destroying one another about your Worship, Teaching, Ministry maintenance, yea, as I said before, prisoning to death for your Bellies; Now may not all see whether you be not inwardly ravening Wolves, so have ravened from the Spirit, the Pope and you in which is the Unity, which the Scriptures were given forth from, which is the bond of peace, which the Apostles were in, so to that which you and the Pope went from, is people now coming, and come, with the same they see you, comprehend you, and fathom you; where the Apostates and Pope, and you left, is now people come, and to that must come, if they come into Unity, if they come to be succeeders of the Apostles; Glory to the Lord for ever, the Way is found, the Key is found, but not in the Pope's hand, nor yours, as the manifestation is showed to the whole world, preached on the house top, by prisons, by inquisitions, yea, by prisoning to death for your Bellies, and prisoning for your Bellies, and summoning people up and down, from Sizes, to Sessions, and Courts, for your Bellies, and destroying one another about the Prophets, Christ's, and the Apostles words, and burst into Names, Heaps, Sects, Heads, about them, so this doth show, That neither you nor the Pope, nor any of his adherers, nor Apostates since the Apostles, have had the Key, but the Key has been taken away from people by them that went from the Apostles, which in wardly ravened; but the Key is found, your first going out is opened, and the Apostates and apostasy seen, and your garments are turned up, and your Wolf is seen, and your Grandfather the Pope seen, and you have kept the Sheep's clothing the outside, and have been fight with one another about—; so the way to break off from Popery is to come to that which the Pope, and his adherents, and Apostates went from, which they ravened from, that went from the Apostles, and then destroy his image, root out his Name from amongst you, and his marks, and receive them not, call not your days by his naming, and own not him to be your Teacher, the Pope, deny his Doctrine, and deny Heathenish practices, customs, deny the Heathen to teach you to call your Months, and your Weekdays; deny the Pope to teach you to name your Colleges, as St. Peter's, St. john's, Trinities, etc. and deny the Pope's Orders amongst your Teachers that are made Teachers at your Colleges, if you will be called not the successors of the Pope, and will have Popery broken down amongst you, and break down your Glasses which you have preached and read your Sermons by, by the hour, like Sayers of the Mass, and so have been the limiters of the holy One, and quenchers of the Spirit, none must speak in the time of his Glass, here is popish like; and did not the true Apostle say, You may all speak One by One? If any thing be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace, is not this confusion amongst you, and sets you all in confusion and disorder? Are you the successors of the Apostles, their Church, and Ministry; nay, you are declared to be Apostates from them; your Goals, Prisons, declare it: Again, If you will have Popery down, and the smell of it out of the Laud, down with your Papists houses with Crosses on the ends of them, your Steeplehouse, called Churches, and your Pulpits, and your Tithes, and your Offerings, and your Glesb-lands, away with them, come out of the Earth, and abroad in the Nations, preach the Gospel without Bag; Judas the betrayer was of the Ministry that carried the Bag; the succession of the Apostles was turned against by the Apostates, them that in wardly ravened and rend forth from the Apostles, and so turned against them that kept the testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy; who have long ravened up and down, and reigned in the world; but the Saints and the Lamb shall overcome them, and the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the Earth, and the holy Prophets shall rejoice over her, which went forth from the Apostles, which made War against the Saints, that turned against the Saints, which the Saints and the Lamb shall again overcome, and the everlasting Gospel be preached; And is it not said, The blood of the Martyrs, the blood of the Saints, the blood of the Prophets, which the Whore, the Beast, and the false Prophets has slain, they have drunk, and made themselves drunk with it; and are not you of them that persecure to death, that P●ison to death the Saints, because they cannot give you Tithes; and have not you prisoned to death many, persecuted to death many in this Nation, spilt the blood of many in this Nation, of the Saints, prisoned to death in York, prisoned to death in Durbam, prisoned to death in Norwich, prisoned to death in Lancaster, prisoned to death in Colchester, prisoned in Appleby till a little before death, and in Bristol there prisoned till carried out in a Basket, beaten, and bruised; and bloodshed, and will not the blood of the innocent cover you, | and many in the Nation lies in prison; how can you say, you are the Apostles successors, think you the Lord will not avenge himself of you, for the blood of his Saints, for the blood of his prophets, and many beaten and bruised by you in your Steeple-houses, and not long lived after; and have not more of the Saints been prisoned by you, and for you, in this Nation within these four or five years' last passed, than was in all Queen Maries days, and ever since by Papists and Bishops? Querie 14. Where did the Apostles, the true Church, set some days apart to eat Fish, and not other Flesh, as many of your people does on the days you call Wednesdays, and Fridays, and to observe Cbristmass, Easter, Whitsuntide, calling them Feastival times, and making abundance of provision, destroying the Creatures, using Gaming, Dancing, disguising themselves, and play days; when and where by Cards, Dice, Shovel board, Drinking, much filthiness is committed, and abominable practices; where did the Apostles or Saints any such things, pract see, or observe Shrove-tuesday, Good-friday, Albollow day; is not the Pope the Father of all such as observe these; they follow his Doctrine, and do not you all hold up his Doctrine, power, and authority, that holds up St. Michael's day, St. Andrews day, St. Matthews d●y, St. Marks day, St. Mary's day, Chaistmass day, Whitsuntide, Easter, your Feast days, and Fast the Evens of them, and Holy Thursday, and has not the Pope been your Teacher; where did Peter, or Paul, or any of the Apostles set up Stevens day before their decease, or Jobn Baptists day, or any of the Saints days that were slain before their decease, or command that any should observe their days after them, show it by the Scripiure, or else acknowledge you have kept the people in ignorance, and have held up the Pope's Doctrine, and yet would seem to deny him; and yet his foundation is standing, and you have laid no other; now how can you take the Oath of Abjuration, and the foundation of Popery yet standing amongst you, and you have built upon it from generation to generation, and have not openly declared against it, but kept people in ignorance: and thus has people been kept and nursed up in Superstition and Idolatry by such as you that have served your bellies, and speak against the Pope in words, while his foundation is lying amongst you; this is the worst of men's conditions, to speak a 'gainst men behind their backs, but make use of their wisdom, doctrine, and understanding for their ends, for their ease; Come search the Scriptures, and see if ever there were such things amongst the Apostles, and see how far you are from the Apostles, and how near of kin to the Pope; do you think that all your works shall not be brought to judgement? Queris 15. And how differ you from the Papists, and the Pope, who say the Spirit is in the Sacrament as you call it; and the Pope saith, it's his body after consecration; and what is it that you have your priests and Teachers in England, which is not from the Pope? and what foundation have you to stand upon, but what he has laid in all your practice; as your making Ministers by Colleges as he did and doth, and your Orders and degrees from him, and sprinkling Infants from him, and your singing David's Conditions in Metre from him, your Tithes and Maintenance from him, and your Churches from him, and your Bells from him; and have not you many old popish and heathenish books, which your children read, and are taught in; and do not you set a cross before their A. B. C. calling it Christ's cross, and so begin to train them up in popery as soon as they can speak, train them up with old Popish books, and way of Learning, and then send them to the papists College till they be fit to go to the popish-house to get theirliving; are not your days named by the Pope, and your observing of times from the Pope, and the names of your Colleges from the Pope, and the names of your Steeple-houses from him, and the names of your weekdays and months left to you by the Pope, your praying before and after Sermon left to you by Pope, and your preaching by hour-glasses, and your taking Texts, and your Clerks to say, Amen, and your Ringing so many times; and the setting of your Steeple-houses east and west, and your churching of Women from him, and your Marrying, and your serving so long at Colleges before you be made Ministers from the Pope, your wearing long Robes, and black , and your being called of men Master, seeing Christ said, Be not ye called of men Master, and your Pulpit set in the highest place of the Assemblies from the Pope; and was not he him that laid this foundation for you, upon which you stand? and how can you take the Oath of Abjuration when your heads are covered with Popery? the Cioss stands over your houses, over your heads; was not your Steeple-houses from the Pope; and your sweeting from the Pope, seeing Christ saith, Swear not at all; is not all your burying your people in that which hath been called hallowed ground from the Pope? and your praying with two caps on your heads, and preaching, and yet saying, if a man have a hat on, he is covered. Is not your Tithes, Easter-reckoning, Midsummer-dues, Oblations, Obventions, Mortuaries, all from the pope, and did not he lay this foundation? and have not you built on it? and are not you building on it yet? and was this the foundation of the Apostles, or the Saints before their decease, or the apostates from them? who built all your Parsonage-houses, and gave you all your Gleab-lands, and the Tenths of all men's labours; and who set up First-fruits, and Tenths, but the Pope, since the days of the apostasy from the Apostles? did not he claim them as his wages; and if you have denied the Pope and his work, why do you still pay his wages, and take it? how many hundred thousand pounds a year is gotten in this Nation by you that make a trade of the Scriptures, whose foundation in so doing was never from the Apostles, nor those that gave forth the Scriptures, but from the pope, and those that are apostated from the Apostles. Now are not the hidden things of popery brought to light, and ripped up as the hidden things of Esau was in the time of old; now are not the Hypocrites seen, that cry against the Pope in words, and stands upon their foundation which is laid; was not the Pope the beginner of your Organs, and all manner of Music since the days of the Apostles, had the Apostles and Saints Organs amongst them, and so many sorts of Music before their Decease; yea but if you do say, we have laid aside Surplus, and we have laid aside Tippet and Rails, and Altar, and signing Children with the Cross, and God fathers, and Marrving with the Ring, and we have laid away our Organs in many places and the Crosses that were upon our Steeple-houses, and in the Yards and highways are pulled down, and some of our Maypoles are thrown down, and some of us do not observe Lent, nor eat Fish on Fridays, nor read the Common-prayer-book taken out of the Mass, nor read over the dead body at Bury, oh deceit; who plucked down these th●ngs? how cried you against these things, before the Sword of the Magistrate and the Soldiers broke your Pictures our of your windows, and threw some of your Crosses down, and the rest stands, and it's said they do no hurt; when do you go up and trample down popery, and throw the Cross off your Steeplehouse, and you say they that are in the highway are for marks; oh deceit! why cannot you set up posts if you will have marks; and had the Magistrate but been faithful when he was beginning to throw down your Cross, he would have let never a one stood in England, and have hurled them down in other Nations. Querie 16. You Magistrates, when gave you the Priests the Oath of Abjuration to renounce Popery? or when took they it that has the Popish House with the Popish Cross on the end of it wh●ch they preach in, and Papish pictures in the windows, and Bells to call them together, _& Popish names to their Houses, as St. Mary's, St. john's, St. Peter, St Paul's, and calls their Colleges by the names of the Saints which the Papists gave them; when did the Priests renounce these names; when did the Priests renounce the Crosses on the Steeple-house-ends; and how is it so many of them stand on the Steeple house end yet, and pictures in the windows; and how is it that they call their days by the names the Pope gave to them, and Houses, and Colleges; and when took these the Oath of Abjuration, or when was it to them proffered to renounce Popery; when was the Oath of Abjuration put to those that have their Tithes, Easter-reckoning, Midsummer-dues, Obventions, Oblation, Mortuaries, who was the first Layer, the foundation of all this, but the Pope, and how can they renounce him and keep them. Now if you do say you have left off Mass, though the Cross stands upon many of your Houses-ends yet, and your houses be called by the Popish names; and ye have your Easter-reckoning, and Midsummer deuce, and your Tithes, and Gleab lands, which was the Pope's maintenance that he allowed, and he laid forth, as having no other, nor can tell how to get any other; how can ye take his wages then, and will not do his work: was not the wages then given to him that did the work, that said the Mass; when took you the Oath of Abjuration that take this wages; when did the Apostle set up Midsummer-dues, and Tithes, and Temples with Crosses; are not you sheltered under this, and covered with popery, when renounced you all these things, answer. And seeing that you take the wages that the Pope set forth, your Easter-reckoning, Tithes, Gleab-Lands, Midsummer deuce, that ye hold up the maintenance, and not do the work; would ye not do the work, say the Mass if that it should be put upon you, seeing you take the wages that did the work, who dares trust you; and is it honest to take the wages, and not do the work; when did you ever renounce or forsake any of the Popish doctrines, practices or superstitions, but as the Magistrate laid them off, and east them off. Querie 17. And where had the Apostle a Clerk to say Amen, and he must have his Wages, and if the People would not give it, than he sued them and strained their goods, as your Clerks do, who take the goods of such as be not of the Church nor of the Congregation. Querie 18. Where did ever the Apostles Sue any for Money, or hale any before Courts for Money, that was not of their Church, or any that was of their Church? Where did ever the Apostles put any in prison for Money, for Tithes, that was not of their Church, or that was of their Church? Querie 19 When the first Priesthood fell, did not the Tyths fall with it, and the Maintenance that belonged to it, when the everlasting Priesthood came in, and the everlasting Gospel, they that preached it, lived of it; did the Apostles tell the Jews, hat though their Priesthood was changed, the Maintenance was still to continue, or did they take or require it of them? So when the pope's work falls, must not his Mainten●…ce fall that he gave for doing his work, and is it honest for any to take the one that will not do the other? Querie 20. You that say you are Ministers of Christ, and watch for the soul, what is the soul that you watch for, and what is Conscience? Querie 21. You that say Prophecy is ceased, does not John bid the holy Prophets rejoice over the Beast and false Prophets, and Mother of Harlots; how differ you here from John, he bids them rejoice, and you say they are ceased; do not you here show your Apostasy from John's Doctrine: and the Scripture saith, the secress of the Lord are revealed to them that fear him, and you say that Revealation is ceased; Now had you said, that men had been ceased from fearing the Lord, than you might have said, Revealation had been ceased better; but upon such the wrath is revealed, and the righteous judgement of God will be revealed, and then you shall know that revealation is not ceased, and that the Lord does reveal his secrets to them that fears him, and upon them that holds his truth in unrighteousness, and fears not God, he will reveal his righteous judgements. Querie 22. What are you but like a company of Readers of Mass, or Readers of Common-prayers, who have many of you gotten your Sermons written in papers, and the old Father's Expositions of Scripture, and some of you can carry them a little longer in your memory, it may be as long as an Hourglass will run; and how can you be called any other but Readers of Authors, when you will say you never heard the voice of God, nor have the same spirit as they had who gave forth the Scriptures, as you do publish to all the Nation; now here you may all see, what a garment you wear and have worn; Now be not angry because we would have you to put off your garments, which the Pope made for you, and to put on the garments of Christ, which the Apostles and Saints wore before the apostaty, which thousands are now come to, and coming, glory to the Lord God forever, whose dominion is over all dominions, and Kingdom over all Kingdoms, whose Sceptre is holden forth to all Nations, and his pearl is found amongst his People, with whom is his right hand. You give forth your oath of Abjuration to deny Transubstantiation in the Sacrament, and images, and the Pope and his power, to them that are snum; me to that which was before the Pope came up, which the Apostles were in, and deny the Pope and his Sacraments, and his Bread and Wine, and Transubstantiation, and his Images, and his Tithes, and his Pulpit, and his Crosses, & his Names, & his Purgatory, & his names to his Steeple-houses, to his Colleges, & to his days, and his Easter-reckoning, and Midsummer deuce, and his Clerk and his Wages, & his Gleab-lands, and his Worshipping of Names and Images, and dropping of Beads, and his Steeple-houses and Crosses on the ends of them, and his Colleges he makes Ministers by, and do witness Christ the substance, and God who makes Ministers by Will, and to such you are tendering your oath of Abjuration, that cannot swear, but abide in Christ's Commands, and are come to that which was before the apostasy, so to such as you know cannot swear, that be in the Covenant of God Christ Jesus, in which they have peace with God, and witnesses the substance of all Types, Figures, Shadows, Similitudes, and see where there is no changing nor shadow; and to such you are giving your oath of Abjuration, to deny your Transubstantiation in the Sacrament; who deny all your Sacraments, and all that practise them, the Pope and his followers, for the Pope ye know, and the Jesuits and Papists will swear for their own ends, but we deny all Religions upon earth that stands in swearing, and do not own them, but see them standing in the apostasy, and do witness the Religion that is out to of Oaths. Now if you say, Abraham swore, and David swore, and the Prophets & Priests swore; Christ before Abraham was, a greater than Solomon & David called him Lord; the end of Priests & Prophets said, Swear not at all, who reigns over the house of Jacob, and Joseph. And do you not say men in strife swear, they that are in strife are out of the doctrine of Christ; and if you say the Angels swore, the Angels must worship him, who saith, Swear not at all; and the Apostle saith, My Brethren, above all swear not, neither by Heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other Oath; and who does, are in the apostasy. Have not all these things been set up since the Apostles that be amongst you, and the Papists, that deny the Light that hath enlightened every one that comes into the world, by which the world was made: natural lights, made lights, created lights, were made by him that came a light into the World, and enlightens every one that comes into the world, that all men through him might believe, and he that believes not, the light is his condemation, and he is condemned already, For this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deads' be evil; with which light we see before the apostasy was, before Pope was, and all that are sprung from him, the many heads, and names, and horns, which light fathoms and comprehends them all. From the Pope and his Posterity are we come to that which he and his Posterity went from, with which we reign over the world, which will make him, and all his Posterity, and all the Heathen upon the earth to tremble, who are called QUAKERS. Here is scarcely any thing to be looked upon in this Nation, but the Pope is the Author of it; for I have looked upon your Steeple-houses, and there beheld abundance of Munkish faces, pictures, and images, and a Cross on the top of the Steeple-houses, and the Pope's Cross is upon your half Crowns, six pences, and shillings, and upon your Gold and silver: but Oh saith the Professors and Priests, we have no popery amongst us, and we cannot endure the Pope's image, and yet stamps it upon your silver, and upon your Gold, and look upon your Weights and Measures, which is not tolerated until the pope's image, the Cross, be stamped upon them; you must not Buy nor Sell until the Pope's image be upon your Weights, upon your Measures; and are not you ashamed to pluck down Crosses in some places, and yet carry them up and down in your Pockets, and purses, the Pope's image, the Cross, and is not the Cross the Arms of England, and London, and is not the Pope's image, the Cross, a top of your Stepple-houses, which you call your Churches, and so the Pope's image you have set up a top of your Church, is not the Cross still standing, and upon your Ships, is not the Cross upon your silver, upon your Gold, upon your Weights and Measures; and was not the Author of all these Crosses the Pope, since the days of the Apostles, who said the Cross of Christ is the power of God, and is not the power of God, the arm of the Lord, by which he doth mighty acts to Rule Nations withal? And is not the Arms of Scotland called Saint Andrews Cross, and is not the Seal of Ireland the Harp and Cross, the Arms of England and Scotland the Cross, and your Buying and Selling Weights and Measures is by the Cross, and Steeple houses, and ships with the Cross on the top of them, a top of your Gold and silver, the Pope's Cross is; even upon your Bibles, both new and old Translations, there you may find the Pope's image, the Cross, almost upon every thing? Is not the Cross a top of the Mace that is carried to the Parliament House, and is not the cross pictured in the Parliament House, and how many of them called Knights, Lords, and Gentlemen that bears their Crosses in that which, you call your Shields, or Arms, or Escutcheon, and fight for it, and kill one another for it, and spend many thousand pounds for it; and is not the Pope the Supreme Author, the first beginner of them since the days of the Apostles, of all these Crosses; and upon almost all your signs in the City the Cross is set up, in Taverns, Inns, and Alehouses, and other bad Houses hath their Cross upon their signs, and many Watermens wears the Pope's Crosses upon their Breasts, which is near unto their hearts; and the Pope is glad of these things, that bis Crosses should be so much affected and set up for the Arms England, Scotland, and Ireland, Crosses almost in every place, and is not the Pope's Cross upon the Arms of London, your chief City; is not the Cross upon the very City Mace, and is not the Pope's Cross upon your Ships, and upon your Gold, and Silver, Weights and Measures, ye set the Pope's Crosses upon your signs, upon yourselves, upon your Escutcheons, ye set the Pope's Cross upon your Crowns, upon your Coaches, upon your Waterman's Badges you may find the Pope's image, the cross; and doth not the Porters carry the cross hanging about their Girdles; and do not your Carmen carry the cross in a little piece of Wood up and down the City in a Cart, the Pope's red Cross rides up and down in the Cart; and is not all your Swords, Knives, Cannons, and instruments of War stamped with the Pope's cross, all that are made in this City: And you set the Pope's cross upon the Broad Seal of England, and was not the Pope supreme Author of all these crosses: And how long is it since you left sprinkling your Children with the sign of the Cross, and was not the Pope's cross the first thing your Children use to learn in their Horn books, and look upon the chief place of your City, the Exchange, there you may find upon the pictures of your Kings, and of your Queens, the Popers cross; and is not this a sign you have lost the cross of Christ, the power of God, that you set the Pope's cross upon all these things that be in esteem, or belong to your Dominions? And is not this a sign that you have lost the cross of Christ, which is the power of God, and all these crosses without (as Wood, Stone, Iron, Gold, Silver, Brass, Tinn, Led, Glass) carving and painting the Pope's image; the crosses hath all been set up since the days of the Aposles, in the apostasy, which the Pope hath been the first Author of them, in the night of darkness, and your Hirelings, and Teachers, are established by the Broad Seal, in which is the cross, and that gives them an entrance into their Ministry, and Function; with the Pope's crosses, is their Commission sealed, with their Father's cross, who is the Author of it, by which right they creep into their Father's Masle-houses, with the cross on the end of them, who have lost the Seal of the Spirit, and yet they call the Quakers popish, which all these things came up since the days of the Apostkes, and since men have Witnessed their Salvation wrought out with fear and trembling, and have lost the Cross, the power of the Spirit of God; in which Cross of Christ, the power of God, the Apostles were in, before the Pope and his cross came up, is the Quakers come into, and denies all his supremacy and crosses, in what nature soever they are found in, are they denied, and witnese only the power of God to be the cross of Christ, and denies all other stamps with crosses; and it is a shame to all Religions Protestants, and Magistrates, to have the dirty Pope's cross upon all these things ; and upon the Conduits and Standards stands the Pope's cross, and upon London Bridge are many of the Pope's crosses set up; and the bounds of your Lands and parishes are the Popes to be found, where the Priest once a year used to go a Processioning, cleansing those crosses, and then strewing them with Flowers. now if we own the Pope's Authority which is called supreme, we should own his crosses; but we that are come to the Apostles, deny the Pope's cross, and witness the power of God, the cross of Cheist, so root out all the Poper crosses out of the Land and Nations, and let not the Pope's cross stand amongst you; and come to the power of God, the cross of Christ, that you may have another wisdom beyond the Popes to order things withal, and throw out his works, for the cross was the Pope's work, for that was set up by his wisdom, and few of them yet plucked down, and ye have an understanding, to give signfications to things, that we may know them by, without the cross, for the Pope is glad as long as you keep his crosses upon your Seals, upon your Maces, upon your Gates of your City, upon your Steeple-houses end, upon most part of your Signs, Ships, Badges, Conduits, Bibles, Flags, Colours; the Pope is glad as long as you have his image, the cross, set upon all these things, which have had a great authority; therefore sweep it out of the Land with the power of God, which is the cross of Christ, that is the word of the Lord unto you. From the Seed of GOD, called Quakers. Postscript. HEre all may see how they have been out of the power of God, which the Apostles were in, which power is the Cross of Christ, 1 Cor. 1.18. and how since people have been Apostated from it. And how the Pope hath spread his Authority abroad, and set up his Cross, which the Apostates from the power of God was the first Author of them, who apostated from the power of the Cross of Christ, apostated from God, and set up wooden Crosses, and stone Crosses, just like the Heathen when they went from the life of God, they set up Images; but now with the power of God the Cross of Christ, are all these Apostates seen, and the setters up of those wooden crosses, and stone crosses, the founder of them is found out, and with the power of the Lord must be confounded which went forth from the power of God in the dark, and by the usurped authority upon most of the things set up and stamped, their outward carnal crosses, and carnal images, and so out of the image of God, the power of God, the cross of Christ, with it you must be all confounded, both crosses, image, and founder of them, but the life and power of God is risen which the Apostles were in before the apostates, which the people called Quakers are come into that. And here is likewise some Queries for all Professors and Teachers, that they may give an account of them, for people in general would be satisfied: therefore it doth concern Teachers and Priests to answer, and give a public account of them to the people, that all may see from what stock and root they come. For these things the people have long stumbled at, and look that the Priest should give satisfaction concerning these things, which if no answer, the people may conclude them apostates from the Apostles, which sees the day most of these things have got up. From a Lover of truth, and Righteousness, and Peace, that it may be establishes upon the housetop. FINIS.