A Seasonable Discourse ABOUT RELIGION IN THE Present Conjuncture.  
By J. G. Gent.  Be always ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, 1 Pet. 3.15. 
LONDON, Printed for George Grafion at the Mitre near Temple-Bar in Fleetstreet, 1689.   

THE PREFACE.  
HAving in several parts of the Kingdom, seen the Standard of Popery set up, and observed the High and Insolent Carriage of the Priests and Zealots of that persuasion: I thought they would not stand long, God suffering them to be so puffed up with their present Prosperity, For Pride is the forerunner of a Fall, and resolved, according to my weak Abilities, to follow the example of some pious and learned Men, with setting my helping though weak hand, to pull off the Vizard of that Religion, and briefly to draw it in its own colours, and in few words to discover the Iniquity and mystery of it, but insensibly it swelled to a greater bulk than I thought at first it would do: Some of late having in particular well refuted the Errors of some of their Doctrines, I thought fit not to insist thereupon, but merely by the by, and in general to point at them, only that of the necessity and duty of making the word of God to be the rule of our Faith, I somewhat enlarged upon, it being so Fundamental a Principle of our holy Religion. I farther judged it to be material to give a Character of the Spirit of Popery, and justify it by their Rules and practise: And to show that the Opinion we have of that Roman Society is not an effect of our Fancy, but grounded upon sure Foundations, able to convince rational Men how Popery is the Kingdom of Antichrist; and in the whole, I purposed to myself, in the present Conjuncture, to bear record to the Truth, to do some small Service to the Church of God, and to inform those who in these Points want some additional degree of Instruction. I must add how some alterations are happened since the time when this was ready for the Press, which is five Months ago, and withall because like the Jews who used to say, The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord; Papists cry out, The Church the Church. I would have people not to be moved at so fair a Name, or so specious a pretence, brcause the Roman-Church is a Church as a Whore is a Woman, for she hath Body and Soul, but is full of Infamy: As puddle Water is Water, but stinking and corrupt, so that Soctety is full of Error, heresy, Superstition and Idolatry. This is the best that can be said of her; for it would not be difficult to prove it to be no true Christian Church, it wanting the pure teaching of true Christian Doctrine, and the right administration of Sacraments according to their Institution, which are the marks of the true Church.   

TO William Peyto Esq;  
SIR,  
'TIs not enough for Men to know that Sentence of Scripture, With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation, Rom. 10.10. But they must endeavour also to reduce it to practise. The heart is the center of Faith, but Faith must not be confined within it, it ought to break out and spread abroad, specially in time of Trial; true Faith, like the Palm-Tree, grows under the weight; the Mouth must never disown the Heart, but it must speak what the other feels, and according to ones abilities assert Divinity in all the Parts thereof, whither Didactical for Dogmes and Doctrines practical for Life and Conversation, or Polemical for Controversies; for one is not only to know, but also to live according to his Faith and Knowledge, and defend it against Cavils and Objections.  
The Consideration of this duty incumbent upon every Christian, put me upon compiling these few Sheets which now are here published, and which upon several accounts are due, and ought to be dedicated to You, for they had their Conception in Your House, and at several times, and upon many occasions, the Author hath been made so sensible of your Love and Kindness, that he lies under an Obligation to declare it to the World. Your generous Spirit hath extended itself upon several Objects, but none of them ever entertained thoughts of a higher and more real Respect for You than doth  
Sir, Your most humble Servant, J. G.   

A Seasonable Discourse ABOUT RELIGION IN THE Present Conjuncture.  
IN human Sciences, some things are problematical; so that of two different Opinions, one may without bad consequence, hold that which he pleases, for they are only to try and exercise the Wits of Men: However, in all 'tis not so, there being Assertions so undeniable, as in the cases of numerical Truths, that whosoever would deny that two and three make five, and that five and five make ten, would be looked upon as one who had forfeited common Sense and Reason: If it be so, as certainly it is, what must we say of Noble and Divine Truths which are essential to be known in order to our Salvation, which though they be very plain and clear in themselves, yet through the seduction of Satan, and the blindness of Man's understanding are hidden to those that perish, in whom saith St. Paul, 
a 2 Cor. chap. 4. v. 3.4.  The God of this World hath blinded the Minds: Hence arise contrary Opinions: And as difference in judgement often causes division in Affections; so from this spring's want of Charity, Hatred, and Animosities, as the Church of Rome hath many times made Protestants sufficiently sensible of.  
'Tis true, Papists and Protestants do agree about some of the Fundamental Points of Christian Religion, as the Godhead, Nature, and Persons, the Creation of the World, the Fall of Man, the Promises, and sending a Saviour of the World; namely, our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered under Pilate, &c. but on the other side, the former lessen the sad effects of Adam's apostasy, with settling in Man a pretended Free Will to choose or reject his Salvation, and farther as much as in them lies, they destroy the Kingly, Prophetical, and Priestly Offices of our Saviour, with their instituting other Heads of the Church than himself, other Laws than those he hath given, and other Priests and Sacrifices than that which he once offered upon the across; other Mediators by them called of Intercession, as if Christ would be content to have purchased Salvation, and leave others to obtain the application, and with their bringing in other means of Salvation, as Merits, Indulgences, Purgatory, &c. which Inventions of theirs( to make use of our Saviours words to the Pharisees) make the 
b Matth. chap. 15. v. 3.  Commandments of God of no effect.  
Furthermore, although we are agreed as to the end, namely that there is Heaven and eternal Happiness prepared for Believers, and Hell with everlasting Misery for Unbelievers; yet we differ about the means and the way; the thing is not of so small a concernment for us, but that with our utmost Endeavours we ought to inquire and seek after this true Way, the more because it is 
c Matth 7. v. 13.14.  narrow, and few are they that find it.  
It is a natural desire in Men to wish others were of their Mind and Opinion; wherefore we who upon good Grounds believe to be in the true Way, would advice, exhort, and persuade those of the Church of Rome to come to us, as on their part they would draw us to them; what then must be done in the case? for as they will say, 'tis not just we should be Judges in our own Cause; so they must own, 'tis not just neither they should be Judges in their own; thus there is a necessity of a Judge not taken from amongst them, nor from amongst us; then both sides laying aside all Prejudices of Birth and Education, we must ●xamine both Religions, with a full purpose to choose the true, and resign up ourselves to the sentence of an impartial and infallible Judge; but such a one is not to be found amongst Men, which all are apt to be biased, and none is infallible, no though they were altogether. I then necessary conclude, that God must decide between them and us about the Justice of the Cause. And because we must not expect God should now immediately speak from Heaven( which is reserved for the last day) the more because he already hath spoken and pronounced in his revealed Will, which is the Book of holy Scriptures, and which we are agreed to be the Word of God: We therefore can refer ourselves to no more noble and fitter Judge upon every account, and so declare we resolve to stand or fall by it; and I think it very reasonable for us to make here our Rule, that which hereafter shall be our Judge: For saith the Lord Jesus, 
a John 12.48.  The words that I speak shall judge you at the last day, these words of his contained in the Gospel: And St. Paul saith, 
b Rom. 2.16.  God will Judge the World by his Gospel. This is one of the Books which St. John saith in his Revelation, 
c Rev. 20.12.  were opened. This is the Law whereby all ought to rule their Faith and doctrine; for I fully believe there is more Authority in one Text of Scripture, than in the judgement of all Men in the World put together; let every one own this saying whensoever Men are in comparison or competition with God, 
d Rom. 3.4.  Let God be true and every man a liar; for God is infallible, and no Man in the World is so; wherefore all are forbidden 
e 1 Cor. 4.6.  to presume above what is written; Men of themselves without the light of the Word, do judge Carnally of Spiritual things, and when they will measure the doctrines of Grace by their own natural light, then saith St. Paul, 
f Rom. 1.22.  Thinking themselves wise, they become Fools.  
I think we offer very fair, and whosoever in matters of Religion refuses to be judged by Scriptures, gives evidence against his own Cause, and as much as in him lies with disowning the Word for his Judge, doth wrong and injury to God and to Jesus Christ, who hath so clearly and so expressly said, 
g John 5.39.  Search diligently the Scriptures, for by them you are thought to have eternal life, and they do bear witness of me. Which is a positive Command, answering to that of the Old Testament, 
h Isa. 8.20.  To the Law and to the Testimony, a thing as commanded here, so commended in the people of Berea, 
i Acts 17.11.  who having received the Word with readiness, daily preached into Scriptures to know whether things preached to them were so.  
I further declare, I will not believe any Article of Faith, except it be grounded in Scripture; and more, if about a Text, I give an Exposition different from that of our Adversaries, I would not have them to believe it, except I ground it upon some other Text; after this I leave every serious moderate and impartial Man in matters of controversy, to consider the difference of our dealings from that of the Church of Rome, who call the Word of God a Nose of Wax, that can be turned any way, a Sword that cuts on both sides, pro and con, which all Heresies are grounded upon, no more to be believed, without the Testimony and Authority of the Church than Esops Fables or the Alcoran. No wonder then if they forbid people to red it as being a dangerous Book; and in Spain, Italy, and other places where the Inquisition is, it is safer for a Man's life to Steal, to murder, and to break all the Ten Commandments, than to be found with a Bible in his own Language: O shane! Children are deprived of the Food which the Father hath appointed for them. Who is he of you, saith our Saviour, 
a Matth. 7.9, 10, 11.  that will give his Son a ston, if he asks him Bread; or a Serpent, if he asks him a Fish? If then you who are evil, know how to give your Children good things, how much more will your heavenly Father? 'Tis true, some have mis-interpreted and misapplied Scriptures; but doth not St. Peter say, 
b 2 Epist. 3.16  Some that are unstable and unlearned, do wrest Scripturees to their own damnation. Spiders turn into poison those Flowers out of which Bees make Honey: It were as good to forbid the use of Meat and Drink, because there are Gluttons and Drunkards; 'tis not the fault of those things, necessary to preserve the life of Man, but of those who abuse them.  
If there was no other Cause of our Separation from Popery but this Contempt of the Word of God, I would look upon it as sufficient to engage us to continue in it. Christ being about perfecting the Work of Salvation, made his Testament before his Death, revealing his Will and Mind to the Church which he purchased, and left those Rules and Directions for it to believe, and whereby to be governed, otherwise that great Work had been imperfect: Our Saviour himself, with his own mouth, instructed and informed his Disciples as much as for that time they could bear; but saith he, When I am gone, I will sand 
c John 14.16. & 16.13.  you the Comforter, who will teach you all things, and led you into all truth. 
d Acts 2.4.  Upon the day of Pentecost that holy promised Comforter came upon them, whereupon they were filled with the Holy Ghost, as a full supplement to what was wanting to a farther knowledge of the Truth, and a sufficient understanding of the mystery of Salvation: After that time, and not before, were written the Books of the New Testament, which in order to our said Salvation we ought to confult, as a Man who is to have a Trial, will be informed of the nature, sense, and meaning of the Law, because he is thereby to be judged, as we also shall be at the last day by the Word of God, at which time our Saviour will say, 
a Luke 19.27.  Bring me hither those Enemies of mine, who would not have me to Reign over them with the sceptre of my Word, and slay them before me; they would not hear my Voice, because they 
b Joh. 10.3.27.  were none of my Sheep, nor that 
c Isa. 30.21.  Voice behind them which said, This is the way, walk ye in it.  
Whilst they refuse to be judged by the Word, they mistrust the Judge, and dare not abide the trial of the Law, which is a good argument for us; but if they would consent to own Holy Scriptures to be the Judge, they are sure to be cast; thus Protestants ever desired, and we are most confident, Scriptures do condemn all those heaps of Traditions and human Inventions which they have introduced without and against the Word of God, as I hope anon to make it appear.  
But before, I must show the unreasonableness of that Party, in avoiding to be tried by holy Scriptures; though they cannot deny it to be the Word of God, yet will not have Men to believe it except the Church assures us of it; nay they give all Authority to that Church or Society of theirs above Scriptures, for they would have the Bible, being the Word of God, to depend upon the Testimony of the Church, though Christ, whose Word it is, saith; 
d John 5.34.  He receives Testimony from no Man; and he assumes the Prerogative of bearing Record of himself. 
e John 8.14.  If I bear Record of myself, saith he, my Testimony is true, for I know whence I come, and whither I go. By these means they would have the Word of an Infallible God to depend upon the Evidence of fallible Men; and with this they would magisterially begin; for when we offer to examine by the Word of God which of the two Churches, their or our be the true, which of the two hath the right Marks of Christ's Church, the pure preaching of his Word, the true administration of the Sacraments, and the simplicity of that Worship which he requires of us; they fly off, and would have us to own their Church exclusively to every other Christian Society, to be the true Church( which is the question) that same Church to be the Judge of the Word of God, yea and an Infallible one too: What a partiality is this?  
Thus they would have their Church to be the true one, and we must take their bare word for it; if we except a pretended Succession as well grounded as Constantine's Donation; for not a word of it in Scripture, and they cannot deny but it hath at several times been interrupted, as it may easily be proved by many Instances; for those who amongst them do reckon their Schisms, make them amount at least to 28, and at once there were no less than three Popes, all deposed by the Council of Constance, and a fourth chosen: But if Succession be a right Title to make a true Church, the Jewish Church and the Scribes and Pharisees had it in our Saviour's time, for they sate in Moses's Chair; and the Mahometans had their Mufti's for these many hundred years, and the Heathens and Romans had their Pontifes or High Priests( observe, this is the Popes great Title) for thousands: We have a Veneration for true Antiquity, but Antiquity without Truth is, as 
a Cyprian.  one saith well, An old Error. The true Christian Religion we reckon from our Saviour's time, and of his Apostles; and to Reform abuses crept into it, we say we must go up to those times, as to the Spring; thus 'tis usual to do when Waters are corrupt through the fault of Pipes, or of such like things; so that in matters of Faith, whatsoever doth not flow from the Springs of Scripture, either expressly or by good consequence, is to be rejected, under whatsoever pretence it be brought, though never so specious.  
To proceed further, if we ask them, Where can we find these Decisions of the Church about Scripture and Articles of Faith, must it be in the Canons of Councils, in the Writings of the Fathers, and of their Doctors? they will affirm it. But how can this consist with every capacity ( for some Men of the meanest parts are to be saved) it requires a great deal of time, yea many years, then Learning, skill in several Languages, and when all is done we are to give them Credit no farther than they agree with the Word of God, the more because we find Council against Council, Father against Father, Doctor against Doctor, any some do sometimes contradict themselves: what need then of these long and tedious ways about? Is it not in reason better directly to go to holy Scripture as the Fountain of doctrines, and Articles of Faith? for every Man can in his own Language red the whole Bible at least once a year, and the Psalms once a month; therein is clearly set down all that is necessary to be known to salvation, a God, Maker and Redeemer of the World, one in Nature, Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in whom we ought to believe, and hope, and to obey his Commands; in a word, the Ten Commandments, the Lords Prayer, and the Creed, are the substance of the whole Scripture, plainly containing what we ought to do, to pray for, and to believe; and I hope no rational Man will deny that for a Christian to hear this Word red, preached, and singing of God's Praises in a Language which he understands, is of greater use, comfort, and advantage, than to be present at a Mass, which is the Quintessence of their Religion, when he indeed heareth part of it, but understands nothing of it, and which the Habits, different Postures, and several tones of the Voice make a Play and a mere Pageantry.  
Yet I must not omit to say, that we are not to refuse a Guide that leads us to Scriptures, and helps us the better to understand them, with comparing one part with the other; on the contrary, I will look on myself as much obliged to such a one; but if he would bind me to an implicit Faith, tie me to his Sleeve, impose on me what interpretation his fancy can suggest, and make me forswear my sense and reason, then I would leave him there, and look upon him as a blind Guide, who would make me run the danger of falling into a Ditch; I look upon this as when I go to a Church wherein I am born and bread, I follow Father, Mother and other Teachers, who assure me I am in a good and a true Church, I say I must have that consideration for those who have given me life, and have taken care to see me instructed in my Religion; but when once I am come to years of discretion, I think it worth my pains to examine whither or not they have said the truth, which I must be convinced of upon my own knowledge; those of Berea whom I mentioned before are not blamed, but commended for examining what the Apostles themselves preached to them, much more what a Priest can say to one; for Faith and Religion do not destroy our Reason: I am fully satisfied Faith is not to be known by Ignorance, seeing Scripture calls it knowledge, 
a Isa. 53.11. John 17.3.  My Servant the righteous shall justify many through the knowledge they shall have of him; and this is eternal life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. To conclude this, I cannot illustrate it better than with what is contained in the 
b John 4.  4th of John, the Samaritan Woman after her Conversation with Jesus Christ, goes to her Town, invites the people of it to go to Christ, for which she gives them reason, He must be a Prophet, for he  told me all things that ever I did; to show how Reason, and not a blind Obedience, must persuade us in matters of Religion; this people, upon her saying, goes to seek after our Saviour, and when they have been a while with, and have heard him, they say to the Woman, We believe not now because of thy word, but because we find and see that he is the Son of God. So I say, Fathers, Mothers, Teachers, I at first went to such a Church, because you invited me to it, but now I continue in it, not because you brought me to it, but because I find by my own knowledge and experience, and am convinced in my judgement that it is the true Church wherein I heard the Voice of the Lord Jesus, who is our King, Prophet, and High-Priest, whose words and Commands are our only Law, and whose Sacrifice is alone the Expiation for our Sins; now this Voice and Word of his is contained in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and this Law is 
a Psal. 18.8.  pure, perfect, converting the Soul, the Testimony of the Lord is faithful giving wisdom to the simplo, 'tis a Lamp to our Feet, and a Light to our Paths: 
b Rom. 7.9.  The Law of God is holy, just, and pure. 
c 2 Pet. 1.9.  'Tis a Light that shines in a dark place, and 
d 2 Tim. 3.15, 16.  holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation, being all given by Inspiration of God, profitable for doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, 
e Mark 12.24.  for want of knowing it, Men do Err. Wherefore we are fully resolved wholly to adhere, and stick to this holy Word, we make it our Evidence, our Advocate, and our Judge, for he who hath given it to us, with order to be ruled by it, is the God of Truth.  
But now we must come to the reason why the Church of Rome will not own it to be Judge of our Controversies, because therein their Religion is condemned, there is nothing for their usurped Authority and pretended infallibility; 'tis the Comforter alone, by Christ promised, who leads us into all Truth, 
f 2 Pet. 1. v. 20, 21.  No prophesy of Scripture is of any private Interpretation: for prophesy came not in old time by the will of Man, but holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Hear what St. Paul saith of this holy Word, 
g Hebr. 4.12.  The Word is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged Sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of Soul and Body, of Joints and Marrow, and is the discerner of thoughts and secret intents of the heart. Herein lies part of the Iniquity of that Religion that Men in it do attribute to themselves that which belongs to God alone. Who of them either together or asunder may lawfully pretend to an Infallibility of judgement, and to know all things right and as they are, that cannot deceive others, nor be deceived by others? If they be infallible in their judgement, then also incorruptible in their Affections and practise, which how far from Truth, let our Enemies themselves be the Judges: Now the mystery of that Iniquity is, that thereby they lay a Yoke upon the Souls of Men whom they reduce to a blind Obedience; so that not only they must not dispute, but not so much as doubt of any thing imposed on them, as Articles of Faith, 
a Bellarm. cont. Barcl. c. 31.  though they should say that not to be Sin which is Sin, and that to be Sin which is not Sin; for this Bellarmin saith, the Pope can do; if this be true, it must be granted too, that he can make that not to be the Body of Christ which is the Body of Christ, and that to be the Body of Christ which is not, as in the Mass; nay they say 
b Conc. Florent.  he may make new Articles of Faith, he is called God's Lieutenant and Vicar upon Earth. Pope Paul the Fifth, in one of his Bulls, doth call himself Vice-God; But are not these the Names of ●asphemy and the Tongue of the Beast 
c Rev. 13.11.  speaking Blasphemies? He hath Horns like the Lambs, but speaketh like the Dragon.  
This Infallibility of the Pope, with his Supremacy, must be proved out of this Text of Scripture; The 
d 1 Cor. 2.15.  spiritual man judgeth of all things, and is judged of no man; and when the Disciples said to our Saviour, 
e Luke 22.38.  Behold two Swords; Our Saviour's Answer, 'Tis enough, did thereby give the Spiritual and Temporal Swords to Popes; This is their strong way of arguing out of Scripture. But must this pretended Infallibility be settled upon Popes, yea such Ones as Gregory the Seventh, Bonifacius the Eighth, Alexander the Sixth, Silvester the Second, Benedictus the Eighth, and so many others, Monsters in nature, as affirmed by Anastasius, Cardinal Beno, Platina, Petrarcha, and other Writers? nay by 
a Ann. 912.  Baronius himself in his Annals, about the Year, 1000. or thereabout? Genebrardus saith, There were fifty of those Popes irregular, disordered, and apostatical, Chron. lib. 4. pag. 553. Quod per annos 150. Pontifices circiter 50. a Joanne scilicet 8. ad Leonem 9. a virtute Majorum prorsus defecerunt. Bernard makes Lamentations upon the State of that Church in those times. I would willingly know where resided the Infallibility, when at the same time were three Popes or Anti-Popes who Excommunicated one another, and were all deposed by the Council of Constance, as I said before? These things are so visible and palpable, that several Men of that Religion could not deny it. Therefore some settled the Infallibility not in the Pope, but in the Council, for the Council of Constance decreed the Council to be above the Pope. People of that Communion differ about this pretended Infallibility, some place it in the Pope, and to believe otherwise would pass in Italy for a damnable heresy; others in a Council, and others in Pope and Council; let them first agree amongst themselves, before they argue for it against us; and 'tis as certain that Councils erred as well as Popes, and some of them destroyed and set up what others had set up and destroyed. Was not the Council of Arimini in an Error against Fundamentals, condemning the Nicean Council, and declaring for the heresy of Arrius against Christ's Divinity, in it were near 600 Bishops. The 2d Council of Ephesus erred with Eutiches and Dioscorus? The Council of Carthage where was St. Cyprian with 86 Bishops, almost all of Africa, decreed that Baptism administered by heretics was not to be allowed, but they that had been baptized by such, ought again to be baptized, which was condemned afterwards; and herein the Romanists agree with us: Several other Instances I could produce, as the Council of Frank fort assembled by Charles the Great, which condemned the Canon about Images of the second Nicean Council: But to conclude this Point of their Chimerical Infallibility, several learned Men of that Religion have of late taken up the Cudgels, and spoken upon that Subject as strongly as ever did any of the first Reformers: He who beyond Seas hath written the Book called Honest and sure means to Convert heretics, hath spoken home, and Talon the French King's Advocate-General, in 
a 1688.  his late Plea, looks upon that Infallibility of the Pope as a Scare-Crow, and cuts by the root his Authority and Infallibility, looking upon this present Pope as an old doting-Man, not able to govern himself, much less that Church. Indeed of late the Gallican or French Church hath in relation to that Point discovered several things, which were Secrets amongst them, and unknown to us, though I dare not to affirm out of what Principle; for though of late some Men there were banished, or put in Prison, for asserting the Popes Infallibility, yet about twenty years ago 
b Some Jansenists.  others had been confined or exiled, for denying the same Infallibility.  
One word I must say of a pretended Primacy, first of St. Peter over the rest of the Apostles, then of Popes as Successors of St. Peter over all other Bishops; but as to the last, the Pope is no more Successor of St. Peter than the Grand signior or Turk is of Constantin; because he resides at Constantinople. As to the first, Scripture hath declared against it, not only with making no mention of such an Office or Dignity in the Church, in those 
c Rom. 12.6, 7. 1 Cor. 12.8, 9, 10. Eph. 4.11.  Texts where mention and enumeration is made of all Offices belonging to it, and where in case there had been such a one, it would not have been omitted but name, but also with plainly condemning it: When the Disciples disputed who should be the first amongst them, Christ tells them, There ought to be no domineering, 
d Mark 10.42, 43, 44.  but he who will be the first, let him be Servant of all. Our Saviour could not make it appear more clearly than he doth, that there ought to be no Primacy amongst his Disciples, otherwise this was the place to have asserted it; again, 
a Matth. 3.8.  Be not called many Masters, for one alone is your Master. And 
b Luke 22.24.  St. Luke relates that Dispute as happened the day before our Saviour's being taken, and after the promise of the Keys of Heaven; for if Christ had decided it, no ground had been left to have disputed it, and St. Peter 
c 1 Pet. 5.1, 2, 3.  calls the Elders his fellow-Elders, and exhorts them to feed the Flock, not as Lords over the Heritage of the Lord: Compare this Humility with the Pride of Pope Martin the Fifth, who in a Bull or Commission given to one of his Legates, calls himself by the following Titles, The 
d council. Senens.  most holy and most blessed, who hath heavenly Power, Lord upon Earth, Successor of Peter, the Christ of the Lord, the Lord of the World, the Father of Kings, the Light of the World, the High-Priest. The very Title of Universal Bishop which they assume, is opposed by Pelagius 2. distinct. 99. And so far rejected by their Gregory the First, who lived about 600 years after Christ, that he calls it a name of 
e Ad Eulog. lib. 7. Ep. 3.  Pride, and declares that whosoever takes it to himself is fore-runner of Antichrist; St. Austin 
f Lib. 3. de Baptismo cap. 3.  condemns it, and so doth St. Cyprian, but this was settled soon after Gregory, in the days of Bonifacius the Third, who owned Phocas Emperor, after he had killed his Lord Mauritius, upon condition he would declare him Universal Bishop; thus agreed these two Brethren in Iniquity. Here I could say that St. Peter, even after his being restored to his Apostleship, and after Christ's Ascension, had no Primacy above the rest; 
g Marc. ib. 7. John 1.44. 1 Cor. 1.12. Gal. 2.9.  he is not always name the first, he did not preside in the Council of Jerusalem, nor doth he speak the first. He doth 
h Acts 15.7.  not pronounce the conclusion of the Council, the 
i Ibid. 13.  sending to the Gentiles is not done by him, the Decree 
k 22.  is not published in his Name, 
l 23.  the Church-Offices are divided between other Apostles, and him as a fellowpartaker 
a Gal. 2. ver. 9.  in the Work of the Lord, he is 
b Acts 8.14.  sent to Samaria by the other-Apostles, he is called to give an 
c Acts 11.2, 3.  account of his Commission, he is 
d Gal. 2.11.  publicly censured by St. Paul. This ground of Primacy being thus overthrown, the Pope's pretended Superiority will necessary fall.  
So will the rest of that Babels Inventions, in point of Religion, if we do examine it by the Word of God. How can the Pope be called The Head of the Church, if Scripture saith, 
e Eph. 1.22.  That God hath subjected all things under the Feet of Christ, and made him Head over the whole Church, which is his Body? As in the natural Body there is but one Head, otherwise it would be monstrous, so in the Mystical Body of Christ, there can be but one Head, under what notion soever: And in the same 
f Eph. 5.23.  Epistle, The Husband is the head of the Wife, as Christ is the head of his Church. Now in Marriage there ought to be no Lieutenant; seeing then Jesus Christ is in the same manner as in Marriage, no need of a Lieutenant or Vicar; in the same Text Christ is called The Head and Saviour of the Church, whosoever then hath the Impudence to take the Name of Head of the Church, may by the same reason take that of Saviour to it, which is no less than Blasphemy. How can they deny all Sins to be mortal, when Scripture saith, The 
g Chap. 5.23  wages of sin is death; The 
h Rom. 6.33.  Soul that sinneth it shall die; Cursed 
i Ezek. 18.20  be he that remaineth not in all the things of the Law to do them: 
k Gal. 2.10.  Though one had kept the whole Law, yet if he offendeth in one point, he is guilty of all? How can they say, Lust is not Sin? if Scripture saith, 
l Jam. 2.10.  Thou shalt not covet: I had not known 
m Exod. 20.  Sin but by the Law; for I had not known Lust, 
n Rom. 7.7.  except the Law had said, Thou shall not covet. Thus as they lessen the Corruption and Guilt of human Nature, so they do what they can to detract from Grace, with saying There are Men perfectly just in this life, contrary to what David saith, 
a Psal 129.3.  Lord if thou markest our Iniquities, who can stand in thy sight? 
b Isa. 64.6.  all our righteousness are as filthy rags: Who 
c Prov. 20.9.  can say my heart is pure? I am free from sin. St. Paul that chosen Vessel cries out, 
d Rom. 7.22, 23, 24.  O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? St. John the beloved Disciple, 
e Johns 1 Epist. 1.8.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth of God is not in us. And St. James saith without exception, 
f Jam. 3.2.  In many things we offend all. How dare they say, we can do Works of Superogation, or more perfect than those which God doth Command, and that these very Works do justify us before God; contrary to what David saith, 
g Psal. 142.2.  Enter not into judgement against thy Servant, for no living man can be justified in thy sight? And St. Paul, 
h Rom. 3.20.  No flesh shall be justified in Gods sight by the works of the Law; and in another place, 
i Gal. 2.16.  Knowing that man is not justified by the Law, but by Faith in Jesus Christ. They who would have these Works meritorious of eternal life, ought to know that St. Paul calls eternal life 
k Rom. 6.23. Rom. 11.6.  The gift of God, and if by Grace, then it is no more of Works, otherwise grace is no more grace: And hereupon St. Luke is very plain, 
l Luke 17.10.  When you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say we are unprofitable Servants, we have done that which was our duty to have done; again, 
m Eph. 2.8.  By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God. In matter of Salvation, we can never attribute too little to ourselves, nor too much to the Grace of God; but the Romanists as much as in them lies, do raise their own strength, and derogate from free Grace; for they think some cannot only deserve eternal life, but also degrees of Glory in Heaven; poor Wretches, 
n 1 Cor. 4.7.  What hath any man but what he hath received? and if he received it, why doth he glory as if he had not received it?  
They go further, and with their Impious Tenets they render to the Creature that which is due to the Creator alone; they Institute other Mediators than Christ. When St. Paul saith, 
a 1 Tim. 2.5.  There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus; If there be many Mediators, there must also be many Gods, for God and Mediator are joined; and the word One in the Original is equivalent to that of alone or only; thus in another place it is used, there is 
b Eph. 4.5.  One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism. Now our Saviour saith, 
c John 14.6.  I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, none come to the Father but by me: 
d Acts 4.12.  Neither is there Salvation in any other: 
e 1 John 2.1.  We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 'Tis then for Intercession as for Redemption, which is a very improper Distinction of theirs: Why then should we go to Saints? 
f John 6.68.  To whom should we go, thou hast the words of eternal life. Saints do not know what passes on Earth, 
g Eccles. 9.5.  The dead know not any thing; 
h Isa. 63.16.  Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel knows us not. That part of theirs, namely their Soul which is in Heaven( for the Body lies in the Grave) is altogether taken up with the beatifical Vision. I know they say, Saints are God's Friends, and that by such means 'tis usual to have access to Princes; but in Scripture there is nothing commanded to that purpose, and why should we go to Servants, when the only beloved Son offer us his Favour, and calls us to himself, 
i Matth. 11.28.  Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. They add, Saints are like Lieutenants of Princes, to whom they present Petitions; so they make them to be Masters of Requests to God. 'Tis true, Princes want such Men, because they stand in need of being informed; but God is every where, and knows all things by himself. This is their way of bringing such weak Arguments to uphold those Dreams and Fancies which they have introduced into Religion, to make part of it, when they ought to know that such Comparisions are lame, and may at the most serve to illustrate, but not to prove a thing specially of such a nature as relates to Religion; but we do not so, we bring formal Texts of Scripture to prove our Articles of Faith, and in great number too.  
What shall we say to that imaginary place of theirs called Purgatory, where after this life the Souls of Believers must be purged with a material Fire of some sin, till they be taken out by the blessed Virgin, who on every Saturday in the week goes down to redeem some, or else by virtue of the habit of one St. Francis and of Sta. Clara, which they were butted in, or else by the means of Indulgences of Pope and Church, or by virtue of Masses said for them, all which things, Masses, Indulgences, Habits, Vows, &c. do cost moneys, and are not gotten for nothing; this purges the Purses of those who are so given up to themselves, as to believe these Delusions and Cheats; for one said very well, The Pope is the Head of the Roman Church( if it deserves that name) Mass is the Soul. For it is that great Diana 
a Acts 19.25.  which procures gain to so many Merchants and Craftsmen, and the Purgatory is the Belly; for it fills the Coffers, and makes the Pot to boil to feed those lazy Droons. Besides, this imaginary place, they also have forged two others, the Limbus of the Fathers, where they pretend the ancient Fathers and Believers laid till our Savivours death. The other is the Limbus or place for Children, where go those who die without Baptism, Names, and things altogether unknown to Scriptures. How far doth the Spirit of Man run in the way of delusion? when once 'tis in it, there is no end: What doubts, troubles, and perplexities must these Opinions led Men into, when we do rest upon that Promise and Truth of Scripture, 
b 1 John 1.7.  That the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin? We make no such mock at God as to say, God forgives the Guilt, but inflicts the Pain; a Mans sins are forgiven him but for Hundreds or Thousands of years he must be tormented and burned in Purgatory; which in plain English is to say, A condemend Man hath his Pardon, but he must be hanged for all that. This is to have a wrong opinion of the Mercies of God, and to value them less than moneys, which can purchase the Habits and Indulgencies, and pay far the Masses I mentioned a little above: But what doth St. Peter say? 
a 1 Pet. 1.18, 19.  You were not redeemed with corruptible things, as gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.  
I will speak but few words of two Popish Doctrines more, which though they be of different nature, I join them, because holy Scriputre puts them together, but with a notable Character; 'tis about a Command to abstain from certain Meats, as may be Flesh in Lent, and upon Fridays, and a Prohibition from Marrying, as in that Church 'tis used in relation to Priests; which two things, after 
b 1 Tim. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  Scripture, we may very well call, Doctrines of Devils, and departing from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits. And though these two only be name there, it may be very well applied to many other Articles of that Religion; that Text is to be red with attention, nothing can be more plainly spoken, and 'tis strange to hear how after this, Cardinal Campaggio one of the Pope's legates at the Council of Trent should be so impudent as to argue it 
c Sleidan.  to be better for a Priest to keep a Whore than to mary; for, saith he, when he keeps one he knows he doth ill, confesses himself, and obtains Absolution; but if he marries, he thinks he doth well, so doth not come to Confession, death without Absolution, 
Bellarm. de Monach. lib. 2. cap. 3.  and consequently in a state of Damnation; this is a pleasant way of arguing; by the by let me take notice about the pretended Sacrament they call Confession, I look upon it as a great encouragement to Sin( though they would have us to believe the contrary) for let one be guilty of the most odious and horrid Sin that can be, when he hath confessed it, and done the imposed Penance, which is commonly easy and trivial, suppose it be to walk bare feet even under the Gallows, which, amongst them is looked upon as very severe, instead of going to such a Church, saying their Beads so many times; upon this, Absolution is obtained, and then they think themselves as clear from that and other sins, as if they had never been committed: Is not this an encouragement to begin upon a new score? and is it not 
a Mark 2.7.  Blasphemy to say that any but God can forgive Sins? We do not deny but that Ministers may do it by way of Declaration, that when a Sinner doth truly repent of his sins, they are forgiven him, for God hath said so, 
b Ezek. 18.21, 22.  but no man can do it as a Judge, and by form of Jurisdiction, which is the question between Papists and us. One thing more I must here observe how much that Society hath learned to multiply things, for as they have multiplied the two places, Heaven and Hell to five, adding Purgatory and the two Limbus, mentioned before; so to the two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lords Supper they added five more, amongst which is Confession, so is also Marriage, which because St. Paul 
c Eph. 5.31, 32.  in the Illustration he makes of Christs Union with his Church, by the Comparison of that between Husband and Wife, the word Mystery is used, with relation to Christ's Union with his Church, not to Marriage, they would have it to be a Sacrament; if so, then Babylon the Great must be a Sacrament, for there is 
d Rev. 17.5.  Mystery Babylon the Great. Moreover they would have the virtue of the Sacraments to depend upon the intention of the Priest, a thing very strange in itself, though not as coming from them, who are used to vent all manners of Absurdities; if therefore when a Bishop amongst them gives Ordination( for this also is one of their Sacraments) and hath not the intention, that Man is no Priest, hath no Ordination; so the Marriages he blesseth are no Marriages, but Concubinages; he baptizes, but there is no Baptism; and in the great Ceremony of the Mass, if the Priest who says it, hath no intention to Consecrate, then there is no Transubstantiation, the little Wafer remains Wafer, and all those who adore it, adore a piece of Wafer, a Creature, and so are guilty of high Idolatry; and how can they be sure the Priest hath an intention to Consecrate?  
But 'tis time for me to say something about that which they call Mass, 'tis, say they, a Sacrifice Expiatory for the sins of the living and of the dead; surely this people would bring in a new Covenant, for they introduce new Mediators, new Sacraments, new Priests, new Altars, new Sacrifices, unknown to Christ, to his Apostles, and to holy Scripture, and their words Mass, Transubstantiation, accidents without substance, are Barbarous, the Language of Babel, and not of Sion; 'tis known to every Christian how Christ is the end of the Law, how all legal Ceremonies and Sacrifices ceased, after the Sacrifice of himself upon the across, when he said, 
a John 19.30.  All is fulfilled, or 'tis finished; no more Sacrifices but of Prayer and Thanksgiving, in remembrance of that same Sacrifice upon the across, whereby he 
b Gal. 3.13.  saved us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us: 
c John 1.29.  He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World, and there 
d Acts 4.12.  is no Salvation in any other. 
e Heb. 9.26, 28.  He hath appeared once for the destruction of Sin by the Sacrifice of himself: Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation. red the whole Chapter, and in the following, 
f Heb. 10.10, 14.  We are sanctified-through the offering of the Body of Christ once for all; and further, By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Why then to reiterate a real; perfect, and sufficient Sacrifice, and again expose the glorious Body of Christ to suffering, for he cannot 
a Heb 9.25, 26.  be offered often without often suffering? This mock-Sacrifice of the Mass they call Expiatory for Sins; but did any one ever hear or red in Scriptures of an Expiatory Sucrifice, without the death and destruction of the thing offered; for St. Paul in that same 9th. Chap. of the Hebrews v. 22. saith, Without shedding of blood is no remission. Now they confess that in this pretended Sacrifice, is no shedding of blood, consequently it cannot be Expiatory for the sins of the living, much less for those of the dead, for whom neither Prayers nor Sacrifices are to be made.  
I look upon this Mass as one of the most odious and abominable parts of that Mystery of Iniquity, which, as much as in it lies, is destructive of the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus upon the across, and contains a multiplication of Errors, Absurdities, and Idolatry; and if there was but this difference between Papists and us; it were a just and more than sufficient ground to keep us from joining with them. It is contrary to Scripture, to Reason, and to Sense; to Scripture, as appears by the Institution of the Lords Supper, 
b Luke 22.19.  Our Saviour took Bread, blessed and broken it, and gave it to them, saying, this( that is the Bread broken and blessed) is my Body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me. This is all that appeared of that action, no Sacrifice offered, his Body was in his place, and consequently could not be eaten by them; this manner of speaking, is, for signifies or is the sign of, is commonly used in the Old and New Testament, thus Joseph said to pharaoh, 
c Gen. 41.26, 27.  The seven good Kine are seven years, and the seven good Ears are seven years, and the seven thin and ill-favoured Kine that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty Ears blasted shall be seven years of Famine. And in the observation of the Passover to which under the New Testament the Lords Supper hath succeeded the unleavened Bread wherewith it was eaten, is called 
a Deut. 16.3.  The Bread of Affliction, and let this serve for so many Instances in the Old Testament; in the New our Saviour saith, He is the 
b John 15.1.  Vine, his Father the Husbandman. 
c 1 Cor. 10.3, 4.  The Fathers did all eat the same Spiritual Meat, and did all drink the same Spiritual Drink, for they all drank of the Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. Christ was aimed at as the true Object of most of those things in the Wilderness performed by God's Order; and the ministry of Moses, who represented Christ, for in this Chap. Baptism in the Cloud and in the Sea is spoken of, than of their spiritual eating and drinking, whither the Passover of which St. Paul saith, Christ is our Passover, 
Vers. 16.  or of the Manna wherefore in the same following Chap. 11. the Apostle falls upon the matter of the Lords Supper. Now in other places of Scripture Christ is sometimes called The Way, the Bread from Heaven, &c. Which are all improper manners of speaking, not to be taken according to the Letter: but what need we go farther than the Institution of this holy Sacrament to prove it; for it cannot be denied that the words of the distribution of the Cup do contain a double Figure. Our Saviour saith, This Cup( there is a metonymy) meaning the Wine in the Cup. Thus amongst all Nations 'tis usual to call for a Glass of Wine, that is, for Wine in a Glass, for there is no Glass made of Wine. Several instances could be produced to prove how such way of speaking is common amongst us. Then 2ly, Here is a visible Metaphor or manner of speaking, when our Saviour saith, 
d Luke 22.20.  This Cup, that is, the Wine in the Cup, is the New Testament in my blood. How can a Cup of Wine be called a Testament? then after the Consecration 'tis by our Saviour called 
e Matth. 26.29.  The Fruit of the Vine, and not his Blood, as before; further he doth not Command them to offer a Sacrifice, but to do that which they had seen him do in Remembrance of him. And in several other places of Scripture this is called 
a Acts 2.42.  The breaking of Bread, and not the Sacrifice of his Body after his Resurrection: And St. Paul saith; 
b 1 Cor. 10.16.  The Cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? 'Tis Bread, and not the Body of Christ that is broken, and the Holy Ghost fore-seeing the abominable abuse which in time should be made of that holy Sacrament, takes a special care to have the matter cleared by St. Paul, 
c 1 Cor. 11.23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.  where 'tis plainly called Eating of this Bread, drinking of this Cup; and this eating and drinking in remembrance of Christ, and so doing we show the Lords death till he come; that is, at the last day to Judge the World, till which time 
d Acts 3.21.  Heaven must receive him until the time of restitution of all things, and then he 
e Acts 1.11.  shall come in like manner as the Disciples saw him go up; that is, visibly, which cannot be asserted of that pretended coming of his to the Mass. What they object of the 6th of John, Except you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot have eternal life, hath relation to that holy Sacrament which was instituted after, not long before his death; yet we find there a Reproof of the gross apprehension of those of Capernaum, The 
f John 6.63.  words I say to you are spirit and life, it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.  
Having shewed how this is contrary to Scripture, I must now demonstrate it to be against natural reason; it destroys the nature of a Sacrament, which ever consists of a visible sign and of an invisible Grace thereby represented; it destroys the being of a natural Body, which, at the same time, cannot be in many, or rather thousands of places; for this reason our Saviour's glorified Body is in Heaven at the right hand of the Father, and they who seek that glorious Body in the Sacrament otherwise than in a spiritual way, do deserve the Censure of Angel to the Maries in the Gospel, 
Luke 24.5.  Why seek ye the living amongst the dead? Again, how can it consist with reason, that the Body of Jesus Christ should be as tall and big, and with all its dimensions, as on the across, in a little Wafer of about the bigness of a Crown? or rather in one point, for they say, there are as many Bodies as crumbs. And here by the by I must take notice that Bread, and not a Wafer is to be used according to the Institution, and upon the accunt of the Analogy, for Bread feeds our Bodies, and a Wafer wants that nutritive faculty; in this also it destroys reason, with making accidents subsist without their substance, a form without a matter; much could be said upon this Subject, but I forbear, because some great Philosophers of theirs, as Cartesius, &c. have shewed the impossibilty of these things, upon which account some places of their Books are disapproved and condemned. One thing more I must say in relation to the Wafer, it puts me in mind of what the Prophet Isaiah saith, 
b Isa. 44. from 13. to 20. vers.  The Carpenter stretched out his Rule, he hewed down Cedars, and taketh the Cypress and the Oak: he will take thereof and warm himself, yea he kindleth it, and baketh Bread, yea he maketh a god and worshippeth it, he maketh a graved Image, and falleth down thereto, &c. So the Priest hath made a Wafer, whereof may be a part is given or spoiled, with another part he will seal his Letters, and with another part he makes his God, falls down before and adores it, and may be says with one of their own, He who created me without me is now created by me. This, with the worshipping of Images, are the greatest hindrances to the Conversion of Jews and Mahometans; Turks daily upbraid Christians with these words, You Rascally Christians, you make your God and eat it when all is done.  
This also gainsays sense, but Faith destroys neither reason nor sense: St. John says, 
c 1 John 1.1.3.  That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled: that declare we unto you: And to convince Thomas his Disciple, our Saviour saith to him 
a 1 John 20.27  Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my Side, and be not faithless, but believing. When Miracles have been done, Senses were convinced, as when our Saviour turned Water into Wine in Cana, 
b John 2.9, 10.  it had the accidents, that is, colour and taste of Wine; For the Ruler of the Feast said to the Bridegroom, every man at the beginning doth set forth good Wine, and when men have well drank, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good Wine unti now. And when the Lord Jesus did other Miracles, the senses of people were convinced of them. Thus our Saviour said to the Disciples whom John Baptist had sent to him, Tell him the things you see, 
c Matth. 11.4, 5  The blind recover their sight, the Lame walk, the Lepers are cleansed, the Deaf hear, and the dead are raised, &c. Yet Papists out of a transcendent Impudence, Tyranny, or Blindness, would have us to deny our own Senses, and make me believe I eat Flesh, when I am sure 'tis Bread; that I drink Blood, when I see and taste it is Wine. That here is a natural Body which must have a Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Arms, &c. when by my Eyes I am convinced 'tis but a little Wafer; surely they must take me for a mad or a Bedlam-Man, or they must be such themselves; this and other Absurdities silly and ignorant people must believe to be most true, yea though they should say, they have seen the Sun at Midnight, which I maintain to be no more absurd than the other: 'Tis not enough to justify these Absurdites, to say God is Almighty, and can do all things; no Man doubts of God's Omnipotency, but his Power is acted by his Wisdom and Truth; God will not gainsay himself, nor do things implying contradiction, because he cannot deny himself; he will not make a thing to be and not to be, to be a natural Body, and not to have the essential qualities of a natural Body; in this the revealed Will of God, and not our extravagant Fancies, must be the Rule of what we ought to believe, or not to believe; God doth not all what he can, he can, if he pleases, create new Worlds, destroy this, and do many more things which he will not do; but he cannot lie, 
a 2 Tim. 2.13.  deny himself, or do things contrary to his Nature and Attributes.  
But I have been long upon this Point, so must pass to a few things more( and that briefly too) which are condemned by Scripture. Nothing can be more plain against Service in the Church in an unknown Tongue, then what St. Paul saith, 
b 1 Cor. 24.  to whom I refer the Reader to peruse the whole Chapter; this is one of the things which makes me to hope, that in these times people will not suffer themselves to be seduced, to go to that Babel where they are Barbarians one to another, as are people and Priest when he saith Mass, this is a kind of judgement: For 
c 1 Cor. 14, 21, 22.  in the Law it is written with men of other Tongues will I speak with this people, wherefore Tongues are for a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. Therefore that seduced and abused people, should open their Eyes, and instead of admiring that outward Pomp of their Service, they ought to learn, it is a sign of God's anger, they are spoken to in a Barbarian and unknown Language, which they cannot well say Amen to. How could people( I now speak to Protestants) who are used to red and hear the Word of God red and preached in a Language they understand, receive any pleasure or comfort in a Church where things they take to be most essential, are performed in a strange Tongue? We know for certain, that in a Neighbour Nation, some who tried how they could agree with that Religion( which upon a worldly account they had been glad to have effected) found it not consisting with their Conscience, which thereupon awakened, and their heart did rise against it; so that they left Honours and Fortunes, and ventured Liberties and Lives to get into places where they might serve God, as they did before, with freedom and liberty.  
Having spoken of the Lords Supper, I must not omit the Sacrilegious Impiety of the Church of Rome, in depriving people of the Cup, and giving but one part of that holy Sacrament. 'Tis most certain our Saviour Instituted it in both kinds, For 
a Matth. 26.27  he took the Cup and gave Thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. And in the 14th of Mark 'tis observed, 
b Mark 14.23.  They all drank of it. 'Tis very remarkable that the word All is joined, not with the eating of the Bread, but with the drinking of the Cup; for thereby the Holy Ghost hath fore-warned, us against the abuse to come. St. Paul doth join them, 
c 1 Cor. 10.17.  For we who are many, are Partakers of the same Bread, and of the same Cup. This last part is not in our Bibles, but 'tis contained in one 
d In a Bible printed in Rouan by Raphael du Parival the Kings Printer, 1612.  of the Popish Bibles; the same are joined, when mention is made of those under the whole Testament, who in the same Chapter, 1 Cor. 10.3, 4. Did all eat the same Spiritual Meat, and did all Drink the same Spiritual Drink, which was Christ. The Council of Constance, which was held in the year, 1414. knew and owned that the Lord Jesus Christ had Instituted the Sacrament under both kinds, Bread and Wine; that the Apostles and Primitive Church had also practised it, but say they, for good reason( best known to themselves) they thought fit to alter it, and give only the Bread to the people: Seeing they undertake to alter that which Christ hath Instituted, and accordingly his Apostles practised; they must think their Authority at least as great and infallible as that of Christ and of his Apostles; but see the infallibility of such corrupt and partial Assemblies, for more than about seven years after, the Council of Basil restored and granted the Cup to the Bohemians. Yet hear what saith the Council of Trent, 
e Sess. 21. Can. 2.  If any one says that the catholic Church was not moved with just Causes and Reasons to make the Seculars and Priests who do not Officiate, receive only under the kind of Bread, or that the Church erred in it, let him be Anathema. This is very Magisterially decided, yet let us see what these just Causes and Reasons are; one is that as every drop in the Cup, is the whole Blood and Body of Christ; if one drop should fall out of the mouth upon a beard, or on the ground, it would be a loss and a profanation of that whole Blood and Body; in case such accident should happen, they would be put to it, as when the Wafer falls and is broken into pieces, which hath befallen several times, even lately within these two or three years in Paris, when the Glass before it falling, the Idol, did fall likewise in the Street, and the Priest who carried it, having for Pennance put a Rope about his Neck, fell a scraping upon the stones, and gathered the pieces of his God together with dirt and dust. Another reason is, that as the Body contains the Blood, so the Bread being transubstantiated doth also contain it; yet for all this care of theirs, I do not see how, according to their Principles, they can prevent that profanation they seem so solicitous to hinder; for that holy Body being taken into the mouth, must go down into the stomach, thence to the belly, and so to a filthy place, unfit for so holy a thing as is the glorified Body of our Saviour; 'tis in danger of being eaten by Rats, Mice, and Dogs, and to fall into the dirt, as I said just now, when carried about. And must this holy thing be eaten by Dogs? No saith 
a 7.6.  St. Matthew. Must wicked Men, a Judas, and such like, be fed with this heavenly Bread, which if any one eats of, he 
b John 6.51, 56.  shall live for ever, and if any one eats his flesh and drinks his blood, he dwells in Christ and Christ in him? Is it possible that a Miscreant and Unbeliever, called Dog and Swine, to whom holy things and Pearls are not to be given, should eat the flesh of Christ, and live in him? Can we think he would give his precious Flesh to eat and his holy Blood? yea that Blood of the New Covenant to drink, for those whom he would not so much as to pray for, a Judas, a traitor, for so many Sons of Perdition? Is that precious Blood of so small a value? Let Papists make these things agree, as they must, according to their Principles, 'tis beyond my power to reconcile them with the Word of God, nor that same Transubstantiation with the accident that befell the Emperor Henry the Seventh, 
a Fasciculus temporum, anno 1314.  who as all the World knows was by a Priest poisoned with a consecrated Wafer; so was Pope Victor the Third, and Henry Archbishop of York; and 'tis most certain the substance of the poison remained: for the Body of Christ is no poison.  
Something I must say about Images, worshipping of Saints, and of Miracles, which have a kind of connexion and dependence of one upon the other: As to the first, certainly the abuse in that Church is very great; in Scriptures 'tis expressly forbidden 
b Exod. 20.  to make any Image of any thing in Heaven, upon Earth, or under the Waters. The Second Commandment is positive upon it, wherefore Papists have thought it fit to make alteration in the first Table of the Law, and to reduce to three, the four Precepts of it. Under the Old Testament God was so careful to renew that Commandment, for which he gives Reasons, 
c Deut. 4.15, 16, &c.  Keep your Souls carefully, you never saw any likeness of your God, when he spoken to you in Horeb, lest peradventure being deceived, you make graved Images, or likeness of any Male or Female. Isaiah saith, 
d 40.18.  To whom then will ye like God? and what likeness will ye compare unto him? For this St. Paul 
e Rom. 1.21, 22, 23.  Calls men Fools, for changing the Glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like corruptible Man, and to Birds, and four-footed Beasts, and creeping things. As this was the Character of the Romans when Heathens, so 'tis of the Romans when Christians; who make bold to represent God the Father like an old Man, with grey Head and Beard; sometimes like a Pope with a three-fold Crown; God the Son like a Lamb, and the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove. Will not God say to them, Who required this at your hands? Here follows the punishment, 
a Rom. 1.26, 27, 28.  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections, and gave them unto a reprobate mind. 
b Hab. 2.18.  Images are Teachers of lies. which as 
c Psal. 115.5, 6, 7, 8.  David says, Have Ears but hear not, Eyes but see not, Mouth yet speak not, Hands and handle not, Feet but walk not, neither speak they through their throat; they that make them are like unto them, so every one that trusteth in them. For all this the Church of Rome hath them not only of the three Persons of the blessed Trinity, but also to go against every part of the Commandment, of Angels, as Michael, Gabriel, and of Saints dead and alive, and are not content to have them, but also to Worship them. This the second Council of Nicen hath decreed, and calls those Hypocrites who say they ought to be only worshipped and honoured, but not adored. 
d Lib. de adoratione.  Vasques the Jesuit affirms it with hard circumstances, Bellarmin 
e Lib. 2. c. 12.  de imaginibus Sanctorum; and when the Council of Trent came upon that Point, they approved the Canon of that 2d Nicean Council; 
f Sess. 25. dar. 2.  and all the World knows how violent and stirring were the Romanists against the Iconoclasts, or Breakers of Images, which several Emperors of Constantinople were for, so that Papists must not deny this to be the Doctrine of their Church, since some of their Authors have written Books a purpose de cultu imaginum, or the service of Images; amongst others, 
g In Epist. ad R. c. 1.  Naclantus, &c. I know some amongst them are ashamed of it; even at that pretended Council of Trent, where all the Errors of that Church were confirmed, four things were asked by the ambassadors of the Emperor Ferdinand, of Maximilian King of Bohemia, by those of Francis the Second, and after of Charles IX. of France, and those of the Duke of Bavaria. The four things were, the Service to be performed in a known Language, Marriage granted to Priests, The Cup restored to the People, And a regulating of Worship rendered to Images, but with no success, as all the World knows.  
They who would excuse or palliate the thing, do say the Honour rendered to the Images, is relatively to the Person it represents, for they are no such Fools as to believe the Image can do any thing for them; however I say 'tis enough they look out for such an Image, and kneel before it. Do they think that the Jews in the Wilderness had so much forfeited common sense and reason, as to believe that the Calf, towards the making of which their 
a Exod. 32.  Wives had given their Earrings, Bracelets, and Rings of Gold, was the God that brought them out of Egypt? No surely, for it had been made after that time in the Wilderness; yet for all this God looks upon it as one of the highest pieces of Idolatry that could have been committed against his Majesty, for which he would have destroyed them, had not Moses stood in the Gap; yet God pronounced this dreadful threatening, When I visit I will remember it; though a great judgement had been executed upon several of them; and to this day there is a saying amongst the Jews, That no judgement of God is inflicted upon them, but there is in it some grain of the Golden Calf; but no need of publishing this Idolatry; what one or few Men of that Religion have written, is not to be taken for the Doctrine of that Church, as the Books abou Grace, written by the Jansenists, will not be admitted to be the Doctrine of their Church; but it must be what their Councils and Popes have determined, and what is their general Practise.  
Now it is most certain that several Images, as that of Loretto, and others pretended to be Miraculous, are visited, served, vowed and prayed to; as to the number of these, we may say to them what the Prophet 
a Jer. 11.13,  said to the Jews, As the number of thy Cities, such is the number of thy gods O Judah. For to come to their Saints which have succeeded to the gods of the Heathens; No State, no Town, no Parish, no Company of tradesman; and I dare say, no superstitious Person amongst them but hath his Saint, and his Protector; those who go to Sea, and upon Waters, have St. Nicholas the new Neptune; St. George and St. Martin with other Champions are the new Mars; so for several sorts of Diseases, St. Rock for the Plague, St. Maur for the Itch and Scab, &c. So Beasts have their Patrons, St. Antony for Swine and Horses; St. Gallus for Poultry: Of all this I could make a long enumeration: And to these Saints they make Images, consecrate Churches, dedicate Altars, appoint holy Days, and as to the Service and Honour they make imaginary Distinctions. The Worship yielded to Saints, is called Dulia, to the Virgin Superdulia, and to God Latria; and 'tis to be observed as to some of these Saints, either it doth not appear that ever there were such persons in the World as St. Christopher, or else they were Rogues canonised( as they call it) or made Saints by Popes, holy Men too, as well as they who justly suffered for opposing or murdering of Princes, as Thomas Beket, James Clement, and those which the Reverend Society of Jesuits can muster up, &c. and these made Saints for Interest, Bribery, Faction; one said very well, Those are upon Earth honoured as Saints, whose Souls are perhaps tormented in Hell. And now in Rome 'tis a Common saying, that the Pope when he hath made a French Saint, must the next time make a Spaniard, and afterwards other Nations must have their Turns: Nothing so ridiculous as their Ceremonies and Formalities about making new Saints: As to the blessed Virgin, they make a Goddess of her and give her the same Title; against which in the time of the Jews the Prophet 
b Jer. 44.17, 18, 19.  complains so much, namely, The Queen of Heaven, which must be the Juno of the Heathens. They pray to her to command her Son, they say her Milk is as saving as the Blood of Christ, and such like Blasphemies, as are to be seen in her litany, and elsewhere; as for us we honour her as the Mother of our Saviour, as full of Grace, and blessed amongst Women; but still do look upon her as a Creature, and give her none of the Honour which is due to God alone.  
Now this Service rendered to Saints and their Images is grounded upon supposed and ridiculous Miracles, which to believe, one must have forfeited common sense and reason; let their lives of Saints, Legends the Miracles of the Virgin, and such Books be red, and one will find as much to laugh at, at least, as in Don Quicksot, Guy of Warwick, Renard the Fox, and the like. We will find one Francis mad and out of his Wits, One Dominick full of rage and fury, One Anthony in company with his big, and several of the prevailing Society with this motto fit for them, Venales ainae, ibi fas, ubi maxima merces: And as their number is great, so they are divided into several Classes; some with Ass and Cow are of the Society of Jesus at his Birth, others with Judas during his life, and others with the Thieves at his death. There would be matter enough to fill up whole Volumes about the Miracles of these Saints, and of their relics; and though in some places some laugh at them, in others, people are so blind that they would look upon one as a Miscreant and Infidel, who would not believe those nonsensical Miracles, though never so ridiculous, which they reckon to be piae fraudes, or pious Cheats. There are some of those pretended Saints, or Wretches alive, which do not refuse part of that Honour which they pretend to be due to their Saints, whilst 
a Acts 10.25, 26.  St. Peter refused it from Cornelius, 
b Acts 14, 14, 15.  St. Paul and Barnabas rent their Clothes, when they saw at Lystria people coming to Sacrifice to them, and the Angel 
c Rev. 19.10. & 22.8, 9.  twice refused it from St. John.  
These and many more, which, for brevity-sake I omit, are the Abuses which the Church of Rome is guilty of, which might easily be reformed, if they would but harken to the Word of God, and be ruled by it; but they refuse it, some out of Ignorance, others out of Interest; yet under the Old Testament, this was the practise of the Church, for under 
a 2 Chron. 17.9.  Jehosaphat's Reformation was according to Scriptures, the same was done under 
b 2 Chron. 31 3, 4.  Hezekiah, according to the Law of the Lord. After their return from the Captivity, they who reformed Divine Worship, did it as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Thus by our fore-Fathers 'twas practised in the last Age, in that blessed Reformation, which to Seal so many  shed their blood, and lost their lives for the Testimony of Jesus, and of his Truth; they ever declared, and so we still, that all we desire, is to have Doctrine and Worship settled according to the Word of God. This was the practise of our Lord and Saviour, 
c Luke 24.27.  beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself; thus did St. Paul 
d Acts 26.22.  witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come; The Father of lies is convinced of this truth, for when he assaults our Saviour, he raises his battery out of Scriptures, 
e Matth. 4.6, 7, 10.  It is written, and out of the same our Saviour confutes him. The like he doth against the 
f Matth. 22.31,  Sadducees, and in the Council of Jerusalem to end the debate they were upon, St. James 
g Acts 15, 15.  brings in Scripture, whereof the Authority and Excellency is by our Saviour so exalted, that he 
h Luke 16.29, 30, 31.  prefers it before Miracles, which our Adversaries do so highly value, and would have them to be a Mark of the true Church: There our Saviour makes Abraham answer the rich Man, to what he desired for his Brethren, They have, said he, Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them; The other replying, They should sooner believe and be converted, If they were spoken to by one from the dead, which is the greatest Miracle that can be done; No, said Abraham, if they believe not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. Let therefore all Men learn how to value that holy and precious Word of God, want of which, under the name of 
a Amos 8.11.  Famine, is threatened as one of the greatest Judgments that can be inflicted upon a people; this I press the more, because I look upon it as one, if not the most necessary duty incumbent upon a Christian, especially now in these times of Trial and Temptation.  
But 'tis fit I should here give a Character of the Roman Church, and show what Spirit it is acted by: Popery I look upon as full of Errors in Doctrine, 
Character of the Romish Church.  of Superstition and Idolatry in Worship, as I hope 'tis hitherto pretty well made to appear, her practise in many things is detestable. I may call it a mongrel Religion, for though it be Christian, it hath some things of the Jewish and Heathenish; they would turn the Gospel into a Ceremonal Law, and make Religion consist in outward shows and performances. I leave any one to judge whither the things for which St. Paul chides the 
b Col. 2.20, 21, & 16.  Colossians, for their Traditions, Touch not, handle not, taste not; for observation of Days, new Moons, Meat and Drink, which he calls Commandments and Doctrines of men, such are their Abstinencies, Mortifications, Vows of Poverty, Chastity, Obedience, which have a show of Wisdom and Humility, but are Will-worship; and the Apostle bids them, To beware lest any one doth beguile them of their Reward in a voluntary humility, 
Ver. 18.  worshipping of Angels; and this he calls To be vainly puffed up by a fleshly mind. I say, I leave any one to judge whither these be not the same things practised in that Church. 
c Psal. 45.13.  The Kings Daughter is all glorious within, the beauty of the true Church, and of the Soul of a Believer, is inward; 'tis for Harlots to mind painting, and those superficial and outward Ornaments that can please the lust of the Eye, and draw Customers to them. 'Tis observed that Jezable 
a 2 Kings 9.30  painted, and the Prophet 
b Jer. 4.30.  Jeremiah speaks to this purpose, Though thou clothest thy self with Crimson, though thou deckest thee with Ornaments of Gold, though thou rentest thy Face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair, &c. Which seems to be an allusion to that wicked Woman. 'Tis known by the Old Testament, and by what is said of her in the 
c Rev. 2.20.  New, what a Woman she was; but Virgins and chast Women do follow another course. In time of setting up some new Saint, or publishing Pardons for a time, or full Indulgences, or of Processions, and the like; to invite and amuse people, Gold, Silver, and Jewels are set upon Altars, rich Hangings, Pictures, and such things upon the Wall, and over the doors with Images of Wood, Marble, Wax, of the Saints, decked with rich Cloths, Points, Laces, Nosegays, and Crowns of Flowers, with music of Voices, and Instruments to please the Ear as well as the Eye, people are upon their knees, telling their Beads, and muttering their Prayers; this outward show hath a great affinity to what the Prophet Censures for the Daughters of Jerusalem; but the true Church to invite people, hath only the beauties of Holiness, purity of Doctrine, simplicity of Worship, and Exhortations to live as becometh the Gospel of Christ. What I said of many things borrowed from Heathens, by the Church of Rome, I could easily prove; but one hath done it very well in a Book called Conformity of the Ceremonies, &c.  
The Genius of the Romans ever lead them into Superstition and Idolatry; any one who reads their History, especially that of Livius, will meet with many and sufficient proofs of it; this went so far with them, that instead that other Nations destroyed the gods of those they conquered: On the contrary the Romans received 
d Isa. 3.18, 19, &c.  and served the gods of those they had overcome, as I could show at large: That same Genius and Spirit did and still doth continue amongst them, and from them hath been spread upon those who are of the same Religion, whither they be far or near: Do not so many pretended Miracles of some Wafers, Images of the Virgin and Saints bleeding when run through with a knife by a Jew or any such one, look like Romances? especially that of the little house, by Angels brought from Bethlehem into Dalmatia, thence to Recanata, and lastly to Lorretto, where it now is; these are effects of a wounded imagination, suitable with that Spirit of the Ancient Romans for Idolatry and Superstition. 'Tis then a Spirit of Error, for they will be guided by their own lights, which are but ignes fatui, Fiery Vapours without the light of the Gospel, they err, not knowing the Scriptures, and not making them to be their rule: The light of mans natural reason, except it be guided by that of grace and of the word, is mere darkness: when once men are given to follow their own imaginations, there is no end but from one precipice they fall into another, and instead of walking in the truth they are hurried into errors; this is the Spring of their many unsound and heterodox Doctrines so contrary to their pretended Infallibility before mentioned, whereunto this I must add; amongst the many wrong notions which Papists have about the Church these are two, 1. God hath promised to make his Church infallible. 2. The Roman is that true Christian Church: As to the first we say, God hath given an infallible rule of Faith to his Church, because he who hath dictated it, is the Spirit of Truth and infallible, but we deny any or all members of the Church though together, to be infallible, because they are men: Papists are mistaken when they apply Christ's promise, That the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Churchs to an Infallibility, there our Saviour doth promise to preserve it from ruin, but not from error; for Scripture saith plainly in several places; there will be Wolves amongst the Flock, false Prophets, false Brethren, even Heresies, Acts 20.29, 30. and elsewhere: As to the 2d. that the Popish is the true catholic Church, as she calls her self, we hope before we have done, to make the contrary plainly to appear.  
The Spirit of that Religion is farther a Spirit of Pride, derived upon them from those wicked Angels who apostatised out of Pride, as appears by those proud and vain Titles before mentioned, which the Heads of that Church, attribute to themselves. Pope Victor excommunicated the Greek Church( whence ever since continued the separation of those two Churches) because they refused to join with him in keeping Easter upon the same day wherein he would have it to be observed: Another of them excommunicated them who said there are Antipodes, a World under us: But some will say these was the acts of some men: But of such men as are reckoned infallible Heads of that Church, I will add something more general, or rather as general and a token of as great a pride and uncharitableness as can be, that Society called the Roman catholic Church( which name is a contradiction in itself, it signifying universal particular Church) gives Sentence of condemnation and damnation against all and every other Christian Society and Communion that differs from them, as the Greek, Abyssen or Ethiopian, Maronite, Georgian and other Christian Churches in the World, as well as all Protestants and Dissenters from Popery: yet they do not agree, but they are divided amongst themselves even about Essentials, they have Franciscans and Thomists or Dominicans, Jansenists, Molinists or Jesuits, and Molinos doth at present make a noise amongst them: all amongst them are not so past shane as to approve the Jesuits principles about their Doctrine of probability which countenances any error in Doctrine, or the directing of the intention, whereby all Morals are corrupted, for they allow or excuse the breach of every one of the ten Commandements, as I could instance in every precept, were it not that 
a Mystery of Jesuitism or the provincial Letters and the Book against Morals of Jesuits.  some of their own have saved me that trouble; only I will mention two, one is, that a Son may wish for his Fathers death, not to desire the destruction of him who gave him life, but only to be in a better condition to live according to his quality; the other is, a Servant may steal from his Master, when his wages are not answerable to his merits and services, or to the wages of others who deserve no more than he.  
That same Spirit of Pride makes them to call us heretics; but we may retort it upon them, and say, they are heretics themselves, for an heretic is he who believes a thing or things he ought not to believe; now we believe nothing but what they believe themselves, but we do not believe all that which they believe, so they believe what they ought not to believe, thus the ground of our complaint against them is positive, when theirs against us is negative.  
They are possessed by a Spirit of Slander and Forgery; 'tis a property of the Devil to slander, or rather tis the true signification of the Word in its original: St. Paul speaking of Women 
c 1 Tim. 3.11.  saith, they must not be Slanderers, which is also translated evil speakers, false accusers, the Greek is Devils; so 'tis in the Book of 
d Rev. 12.9, 10.  Revelation, the Devil and false accuser of the Brethren is cast down. Now 'tis usual with that Church to traduce, as the worst of men, those who are not of their opinion; to that purpose they blacken them as much as can be, accusing them of Blasphemy, Impiety, of making God the Author of Sin, Enemies of good Works; only because with Scripture we deny Justification by Works, they call us Enemies of Christ and of his Church, heretics, schismatics and many more such Lies which are suggested by him who is a liar and a murderer from the beginning; and because this is relating to God, who knows the truth, and will not humour them in their Malice and Rage, therefore they address themselves to men, saying, We are Enemies of Authority and lawful Power, as 
a Esther 3.8.  Haman did say to Ashuerus, and the Enemies of the Jews 
b Esra 4.15.  accused them to be rebellious and noisome unto Kings, and being evil to the end, they cunningly engage Princes Authority, as was effected with Nebuchadnezar against Daniel 
c Daniel 3. and Chap. 6.5.7.  and his Friends; their Enemies said, we shall not find an occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God. The same Maxim that Spirit followed against our blessed Saviour, calling 
d Luke 23.2.  him a perverter of the People, and an Enemy to Caesar; and St. Paul is called 
e Acts 24.5.  a pestilent fellow and a mover of Sedition amongst the People, and not long before 
f Chap. 22.22.  they cried out away with such a fellow, for tis not fit that he should live. So Papists suppose crimes and are never weary of forging Lies against those who will not adore the beast; they in the last age made those who fell from them, pass for Monsters not made like other Men, but like Devils with Horns and otherwise defaced; in a word, they made use of the same ways against Protestants, which Heathens at first had practised against Christians: and this leads me to speak of their Craftiness, and then I will pass to their Violence and Cruelty.  
As Children of darkness are in their generation wiser than the Children of light, so like Satan they have their 
g 2 Cor. 2.11.  Devices and their 
h Rev. 2.24.  Depths; so where Papists are not, they endeavour to creep in, then to pled for a toleration, after for an Equality, then they struggle for a Superiority, after which they destroy every thing that opposeth them: Let every Nation concerned look to it, their Priests and Monks come into their Houses in Sheeps Clothing, but at last prove to be ravenous Wolves when they are in, they meddle with domestic affairs, sometimes make divisions to become necessary, and be sought after to procure peace; they come in under the notion of Curates, Confessors and directors of Conscience, yet some attempt upon the Honour and Chastity of Women, and all aim at getting the ruling of the House; and when they have influence upon the Husband and the Wife whose secrets they are acquainted with by means of Confession, they turn it to their particular advantage, or to that of their Convent. But this is the inferior sort of policy, that of the Court of Rome is of a higher degree and more refined: to have introduced a Jurisdiction under the name of Spiritual, into the Dominions of other Princes and States, is thereby to have set up a Throne above theirs; for in a word, those Nations which seem most of all to slight the power of Rome own it to be Center of their Unity, and the Pope to be the Head of their Church; then so many of the Clergy, but especially Monks and friars, who live within the Dominions of those Princes, are as an Army quartered, upon occasion to do the Pope service; for they confess, say Mass, speak from the Pulpits, and have influences upon the Spirits of the People, especially of the most superstitious; all these have sworn Obedience to their superiors, which by degrees leads them to the General of every Order, who commonly resides in Rome, depends upon the Pope, and sends his Orders to those who are bound to obey him. This makes me look upon the condition of Protestant Princes who have nothing to do with Rome, even according to human prudence, happier and safer than those who have.  
Another way of the Court of Rome to make Friends and Creatures, is the Nomination to or Confirmation in benefice; of pleasing others with sending to them blessed Swords, Roses, Cradles and Dependencies, besides Indulgences, Blessings and relics of old rags or dry Bones, of a Rib, Arm, Finger of one or other pretended Saint; for 'tis most certain, these things they dig for under ground in or about Rome, and as there are thousands of such things, they themselves own Popes cannot tell whose Saints of theirs they are, only they think the Pope hath right to give them what name he pleases; and in Rome Strangers buy some of these things to bestow them upon a Church or chapel when they are come home. Formerly Popes could make greater gifts to men, upon one Prince bestowing the Estates of another, and disposing of the Dominions of others as if it had been their own, which certainly pleased ambitious Princes more than if they had been presented with some Drops of Milk or some few Hairs of the blessed Virgin, or the Tooth or Finger of a Saint: Here I could much enlarge upon the Folly, Idleness and Cheats about such relics, but I forbear to add to what I said of the policy of Rome, that besides the vast numbers of benefice which the Pope hath the disposal of, the dignity of Cardinals makes many Princes and other persons of several Nations court the Pope to obtain it, for some of their Relations and Creatures, and they who received it, think themselves bound to stick to the interest of their Church more than to that of their own Families, as being fed with hopes of being chosen Pope at one time or other.  
If the Church of Rome be, as it is and hath been, as cunning and crafty as any Society in the World, even in things of lesser concernment, it is and hath been much more in those of the highest importance. The managing of the Council of Trent can convince any one who will take pains to examine it, by those who sued for it 'twas intended for a Reformation of that Church in Manners and doctrine in the Head and Members, yet the success of it proved quiter contrary, for there their Errors in Doctrine, Worship and Discipline were confirmed, how shy to make a breach between themselves about those points they disagreed in, whereof some are very considerable and which on both sides they were hot upon, how careful in their Decrees to express things in ambiguous terms, not to disoblige either of the parties: And though at first debates were not altogether ruled by the Pope, yet 'twas so at last; insomuch that the Spirit which directed that Assembly was said to be sent from Rome in a Mail, because thence came their Resolutions according to the Popes Orders: at first some Ambassadors did somewhat stop the motions, but after the Cardinal of Lorain had been at Rome lodged in the Popes Palace, much caressed by him and measures taken for the Elevation of his Family in France, then all went on very swiftly according to the Popes mind, and those things which remained undecided, were left to his ordering.  
A Spirit of Perfidiousness and Treachery is another Character of the Church of Rome; other Societies commonly make some account of their Words and Promises, but with them it avails nothing; the Word of God forbids 
a Rom. 3.8.  to do evil that good may come out of it; but with them, swear, forswear, kill and steal ad majorem Dei gloriam to advance the glory of God, all is well: In the common Society of Men, to break his Word and Promise is a note of Infamy, and whosoever doth it will be called a Rogue and a Rascal; but Popery is above that, and not tied to such rules; so one doth not know which way to take them, for they will break the greatest ties, and thereby dissolve all Society with them; so that no trust is to be put to what they say, their Doctrines of Probability, of directing the intention and mental reservation amongst the rest of their Morals, have more and more made them known to the World, they are but Comments upon and explanation of a Decree of the Assembly of Constance; those men were not satisfied to break Word and Hand to men, but they must pass it into a Law, and must proclaim themselves Villains by a Canon of their own, asserting that Faith is not to be kept to heretics; they did not value the honour of the Emperor sigismond, nor the pass he had granted, but they must turn it into a snare, John Hus and Jerome of Prague must for all that be burned: Is this a carriage fit for Christians, nay for men to use one towards another? this makes Jews and Mahometans blaspheme against the Name of Christ; Shall Oaths, Engagements and Promises of men be only snares and tricks to cheat others? Let Turks be asked how it is that now they are brought so low, they will answer, their Prophet is angry against them because they have broken the peace they had sworn to observe; let the King of Persia, by Emperor and King of Poland be desired to make War upon the Turk in this favourable conjuncture to recover the City of Bagded, he will not( saith he) break the peace he hath made. Will not this people at the last day rise up in judgement against those Christians, who make nothing of Oaths and Promises? yet for these very things in this life God's Judgments are brought upon Persons, Families and Nations, without going up to Saul, Zedechia, nor so far as sigismond himself, and Charles the Fifth who smarted for it, let us but cast our Eye upon the condition the Turkish Empire is now brought to, a party of 15 or 20000 Rebels depose their Prince and set up another, cut to pieces the great Officers of the Empire, falls a plundering part of the chief City of the Empire; I think this should make all men, who do not consider God so as to perform their Oaths, to tremble, and to think that there is a God who rules in Jacob and to the utmost parts of the earth; this also ought to be a Lesson for those who are for setting up absolute and despotic powers, which indeed puts Lives, Liberties and Fortunes of Subjects in the Hands of the Sovereign; but when the tide turns, Lives and Fortunes of Princes lay at the mercy of Rebels, and of a disloyal multitude.  
But to return to the Council of Constance, I must not omit to say, they thereby had so broken the Emperor's Credit, that the Bohemians would not come to the Council of Basil, which was held few years after, neither would they trust the Emperor's Pass, but they made the Fathers( so called) of the Council to sign it too, the Martyrdom of John Hus and Jerome of Prague leads me to the violence and cruelty of that Church, which since that time vast numbers of Christians have been made sensible of.  
Cruelty is their natural Master-sin; is there any part of Europe but can witness of it, and number some Martyrs? Did we ever hear that any Christian-Society hath for Religion-sake persecuted another with so much rage and fury? Waldenses, Albigenses, Hussites, Taborites, Picards, Gueux, Huguenots,( for to make them odious, they traduced them under several names, as the Heathens did the first Christians, covering them with several sorts of Skins, to have them devoured by wild Beasts) Oh Protestants bring in you Evidence: They were not satisfied with Rope, Sword, Water, Fire to destroy the living; but their cruelty must also be extended upon the ashes of the dead. Our Wickliff 41 years after his death, was by the Council of Constance ordered to be taken out of his Grave, and his bones to be burned. Oh ye Children to him that was murderer from the beginning, what can you say for the Massacres in the valleys of piedmont( the last dispersion of that poor people makes up the 28 Persecution they have suffered) in France, in the Low-Countries, where, within the time of the Duke of Alvas Government, 18000 were for Religion put to death by the hand of the Hangman? See the Extract of the Barbarous Massacre of Ireland in 41. How can you excuse the Massacre of Ireland, and of what we now see beyond Seas? Why formerly so many Croisades published, so many Men raised to destroy Men, ruin Sovereigns with their Subjects for Religion? Counts of Toulouze, Counts of Foin, Kings of Arragon, and others, whom, though Papists, they spared not under pretence of Religion. Can you in the least lay such a blemish upon our Religion? No, we are Christians, our holy Religion hath better instructed us; but you are Christians only in name: Those bloody murders were approved at Rome, and in the places where they were committed, Te Deum sung, and Medals coined about it. Thou Scarlet Whore, drunken with the blood of Martyrs, when wilt thou cease to  shed their blood? Can a Cause be good which is defended by such means? or is there any thing of humanity in such proceedings?  
Do we think those several sorts of Spirits are withdrawn from them? No, as bad as ever; the older the Devil grows the more experience he hath, and the more cruel he is: When 'tis question to do hurt to those who differ from them, they stick to their old Principles, Faith, Promises, Edicts are not to be kept to heretics; nay rather than not to do Mischief, they will act contrary to their other Principles,( I say other Principles, because that of doing hurt is one of their Fundamental ones,) amongst them it is an Article of Faith, that God leaves Man to his free will to choose or reject the means and ways of his Salvation. Now, I say, if God who hath an absolute Right over his Creature, doth( according to them) divest himself of it; Why should mortal Man deprive others of that liberty, and say absolutely, I will have it so? Is not this to exalt himself above God, who sometimes is pleased to hear? 
a Isa. 1.18.  Come now and let m reason together saith the Lord. Often God in Scripture gives reason for what he doth, but a Man who gives none but his Will and Pleasure; hath none to give; for if he had, he would not fail to show, press, and amplify it, because Men are glad to be able to justify those actions of their which seem to be against right and reason: Hence may be seen how unjust and unreasonable it is, merely upon account of Religion, to ruin them who behave themselves peaceably, and are obedient to Authority, even by the Testimony of the same sovereign, and are zealous to promote the good of his Affairs, which Commendation and more are by the present 
b In a Letter of his to cromwell, dated 25th of June, 1655.  French King given of his Subjects of the Protestant Religion, the same Subjects of whom there is given so good a Character, have been barbarously and unmercifully used by him who gives it; but to show this is the Spirit of that Church and Religion, he is not alone; the 
c In Letters and printed Papers.  late Duke of Savoy, and at the present his Son, having both given Commendations of Zeal and Loyalty to their Protestant Subjects of the valleys, have done what they could to undo them, and the present hath rooted them out of those Parts. If some good Pen goes about giving the World an account of the last Persecution in those two several Countries, as I hope it will be, a great deal of Injustice, villainy, and Cruelty will appear to the World. These last Persecutions are no ways inferior, but in some Circumstances worse than any that ever were raised against the Church; mean and unworthy ways were used to bring about that Design, and by the very same acts whereby they broken their Promises, they pretended to observe them; they were about 25 years to undermine loyal and patient Subjects, and yet all along pretended to have a mind to observe Edicts and Promises, till at last the foul mystery came to be revealed; for then 'tis plainly declared there had ever been a mind to break those authentic Acts and solemn Engagements, pretending it also to have been the design of fore-Fathers; but every one hath enough to answer for himself, and not also for Ancestors: To drive that mystery of Iniquity to the utmost, at the same time when those Engagements are repealed, deceitful Promises of Safety are given to those who will not change with allowance to stay; yet at the same time the Seed of the old 
d Rev. 20.2.  Dragon are on their march, to force people to deny their God, and this in the most cruel and different ways that Hell could contrive. This may be called to forfeit Honour, Justice, Charity, and Humanity.  
Foul Spirits transform themselves into several Shapes, into Monsters, Dragons, Serpents,( under which Figures they are represented by Scripture) and sometimes into Angels of Light, at one time roaring, giving fair Language at another, just as it suits with their designs and occasions; now by the same means, and then by contrary tending to the same end: Where the Papist is the strongest, by love or by force, saith he, I will have you to be of my Religion; where he is not, he pleads for a Liberty of Conscience, which to deny, is, saith he, to usurp upon God's Prerogative; but this Liberty is pretended for all, but intended only for one sort of Religion, and to palliate at the same time that at home the destruction of the Protestant Faith is aimed at, those, who for the same Cause, are driven out of their Country, are received and relieved; nay those very Persecutors of their own Subjects, encourage and help those who profess the same Religion they hate so much, who are Subjects of Princes of their own. Who can comprehend this mystery of Babylon? who can understand this Riddle? But God is pleased to unfold it, to the end all prudent and discreet Men should not be imposed upon. Let us admire at and adore God's Providence, who makes use of the greatest Enemies of his Truth to assist those who suffer and are persecuted for it; in the mean while 
e Isa. 10.7.  they mean it not so, as God speaks of the Assyrian; neither did Herod and Pilate think they did 
f Acts 2.23.  what God had determined in his Council should be done. But whither or not they intend it, God is served and his Purpose fulfilled; all Men, yea the Devils themselves are subservient to his ends, for the Lord knows how to bring good out of evil, and light out of darkness; therefore let not his people be afraid or discouraged, though the Ship of the Church be tossed with Wind and Waves, Christ is in it, and though he seems to sleep, when 'tis time he will awake, rebuk Wind and Sea, and bring a Calm; for Man's Extremities are God's Opportunities. Yet this excuses not the Instruments whose designs are evil, though God's end be good, and he knows how at last to take the imaginary wise in his fancied Wisdom, and the crafty in his own Craftiness, suffering them to go so far as 
a Hab. 1.10.  to Sacrifice to their own Nets, and to offer Incense to their dregs. We must not go far back to find an Instance of it, the late or present continued Persecution beyond Seas doth afford it, they laid Baits for every kind of humour: To the Ambitious they offered Honours, to the Covetous beneficial Places, with Pensions to the Needy; and for those who make Conscience of their ways, Books were published tending to remove prejudices which Protestants have justly conceived against Popery, to represent it otherwise than it is; for the Book of the Bishop of Meaux, and others written upon that Subject, differ from the Principles of that Religion, as contained in the Acts of the Council of Trent, and in the Writings of Bellarmin, and of other chief Authors of that Church. This was to cheat people, to dispose Men to change Religion, and to get new Converts( as they call them) by Hook or by Crook; for all are not of the same violent temper, as others, who speaking of Protestants were heard to say, we know they must be damned, and damning for damning; 'tis as good to have them damned in our Church as out of it, provided we save their Children; but those were milder, and said to Protestants, do but come in amongst us, you shall believe what you please; a Reformation is intended, which will begin as soon as you are joined with us; but when they had gotten them in, thinking they were sure of them, instead of leaving them alone to enjoy the promised liberty of going to Church or not going; confessing or not confessing, which likely had lead them into an indifference and carelessness for Religion, whilst their Children had been bread in Popery; They fell upon pressing them to go to Mass, to Communion, to Confession, which so awakened the Consciences of that people, that vast numbers ventured the danger of a Prison, of the Galleys, of Convents, of being sent into America, and above 400000 are gotten out. This shows how God hath infatuated, and in part disappointed their Designs, and in several particulars I could easily show how the like hath happened in some other parts.  
But 'tis not enough for us to have drawn a Prospect of the Spirit which that Religion and Church are acted by, we must also see what a Character the Word of God gives of it: In order thereunto I must lay down these few Preliminaries; in the beginning, the Devil, being fallen from God, went about to make Man Follower of his apostasy, wherein he succeeded too well for Mankind; and being thus set up against God; and as God hath his, so he would have his own, as Cain was, but Abel was on Gods side. Since that time the World was divided into Good and Bad, with an enmity of these last against the former, which cost Abel's life; it afterwards continued all along, as we see, in Abraham's Family between Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, and amongst the Jews themselves, as between them and the Gentiles. This Beelzebub was so enraged upon the coming into the World of our Saviour, 
b 1 John 3.8.  Who came to destroy his Works, that he would have had him murdered in his very Cradle. Thus continued the enmity of the Serpents and the 
c Gen. 3.15.  Womans Seeds. Thus went on the building of the Cities of God and of Satan; and as the Lord Jesus Christ being come into the World, had purchased a People and a Church to himself; Satan aimed at setting up an Antichrist to oppose him: And as he succeeded when he entred into Judas to make him betray his Master; so he went about to raise an Antichrist out of those who professed themselves to be Christians, but Apostates; and as the Devil himself is God's Ape, so this Antichrist should imitate Christ, yea call himself Christs Vicar and Lieutenant upon Earth; but the more to carry on his Design, this Antichrist was not to be a single Person, but a Succession and a long one( as they boast of) of many that should keep their Seat in a certain place, where they would play Rex, and Rule and Govern according to their own Mind and Will.  
Although in Scriptures mention be made of Antichrist, and of some who should be Fore-runners of this Great One,( as Moses, Elias, and John Baptist were of our Saviour.) St. Paul is after our Saviour the first who hath best Characterizd him, and given a larger and clearer Description of him in these words, 
a 2 Thess. 2.3, 4.  Let no man deceive you, the day of Christ shall not come till after the Man of Sin is revealed, the Son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. The last day shall not come till the Man of sin, the Father of sin, who not only is sinful himself, but also makes, invites, and entices others to sin: And as 'tis said in the 
b Rev. 17.2.  Revelations, Makes others drunk with the Wine of her Fornications. For in Scriptures Antichrist is represented sometimes under the name of a Man, and sometimes of a 
c Rev. 17.1, &c.  Woman: Now this Man of sin must be revealed, the Son of perdition; that is, must be known for what he is, and what his end will be, namely to be cast into a Lake of Fire, burning with Brimstone, for therein the 
d Rev. 19.20.  Beast and false Prophet were cast. Take notice that the name of Son of Perdition given here to Antichrist, is the same by our Saviour given to Judas, 
e John 17.12.  None of them thou gavest is lost, but the Child of Perdition, to show that as that first Son of Perdition was one of the Disciples of Christ, so the second Son of Perdition or Antichrist was to arise from amongst those who make profession of being Christians; for this is one of the marks which now St. Paul gives of him, That he sitteth in the Temple of God which is the Church; I desire Papists to name it is, in the Christian Church, I desire Papists to name any other Christian Society or Church but their own, which this having Antichrist amongst them can be applied to: It may not be attributed to any of the first Reformers, who are all dead, and whilst alive admitted of no Superiority amongst them; that Succession tied to the Kingdom of Antichrist is to be found no where else but in the Church of Rome: Hence I conclude, that if there be an Antichrist in the World, as certainly there is, he is to be found only in the Church of Rome. What we say agrees with St. Paul, for by him this Man of sin is said To oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God. First above Princes, who in Scripture are called gods, I 
f Psal. 82.6.  said you are gods. Several places in History make this good; let these two Instances serve for all, one is Pope Bonifacius the Eighth his Letter to Philip a French King, wherein he declares, He hath all Power in Spirituals and in Temporals, &c. The other is the act of Alexander the Third, who at the Porch of St. Marks Church in Venice trampled under feet the Emperor Frederick, who had before him cast himself upon the ground, and the Pope caused these words of David 
g Psal. 91.13.  to be spoken aloud, Thou shalt walk upon the Lion and Adder: the young Lion and Dragon shalt thou tread under seat. But he also exalteth himself above all that is called and worshipped as God; their Wafer is so, and whilst this Wafer is carried by the hands of a Priest who walks, the Pope is carried upon the shoulders of men; Is not this to exalt himself above that which by them is called and worshipped as God, though it be not God? he sits in the Temple of God, in a Church that calls her self Christian: Lastly he shows himself that he is God, carries himself as if he were a God, for these are the Words of the Bible of Louvain: I cannot forbear once more to say, Can any one deny this to be the Character of Popes?  
I think this is plain enough for any one that will not shut up his Eyes; but to be fully and unanswerably convinced of it, one must red the Book of Revelation, 'tis the last of the Holy Scripture, wherein Christ in a Vision reveals to his beloved Disciple St. John, the different states and conditions of the Church to the end of the World, where Rome is pointed at as visibly as can be. I know, it to be a prophesy, and am not ignorant neither, that to understand a prophesy before the time of its accomplishment come, one must in some measure be endowed with a Spirit of prophesy; but when it is fulfilled, and the prophesy is wholly or in part become an History, peoples Eyes must be opened and it must not be neglected; a prophesy whereof no part is fulfilled, is certainly a dark thing; but the parts that are fulfilled, dispose us to understand and give an insight into those that as yet are not: Knowledge acquired with time and experience comes in by degrees, and one degree helps to understand another: Upon the first invention of Watches, one who was not of that trade, seeing a piece or two of it asunder, could not apprehended what it was for; but being  told of it, and seeing all or most together, he began to understand the use and end of it; so we may say of Providence, the Masterpiece of Gods wisdom and power, at first lies dark and a prophesy to us, but wh●n once it is upon the wheel, and we begin to understand some of the motions, then daily we know more and more of it; as before breaking of day, 'tis dark, but when once it hath begun, every moment it is lighter and clearer to us: Then we must not shut up our Eyes, for as secret things belong to God, which we ought not to prie and dive into; so revealed things belong to men, which we are not to neglect, but to look into; as also we are commanded with the rest to red this Book of Revelations, which is the occasion of this Discourse, whereof we may understand the prophecies that are fulfilled, as were those of the Old Testament, after they had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Lord.  
After this I hope we may proceed, and hear what the Book of Revelations saith of Antichrist, what Marks it gives of him, and who these Characters were for, and may be applied to; in the 11 and 12 Chapters it begins to speak about it, there is 
a Rev. 12.4, 13, 17.  a Dragon which would have swallowed up the Child of a Woman, which is interpnted the Church; then having missed the Child, he persecuted the Woman, and made war with the remnant of her Seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the Testimonies of Jesus Christ; here is a persecution of Christians by a Dragon which in the 13th Chapter gives his power and his seat to a Beast, so that the Beast succeeded in the same place to the authority which the Dragon had before; and for a greater conformity of the Dragon with the Beast, observe, they had each of them seven Heads and ten Horns, only with this difference, that the Dragon had seven Crowns upon his seven Heads, and the Beast ten Crowns upon his ten Horns: That Rome and her Empire are truly designed, no man though but indifferently versed in History, can deny; but anon it will much more clearly appear, for in the 11 Verse of that 13 Chapter, after the first Beast, appeared another Beast with two Horns like a Lamb, but he spoken like the Dragon; he exercised all the power of the first Beast, caused the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first Beast, and he did great wonders, so much as to make fire come down from Heaven, as Curses and Excommunications; this Beast which had something like a Lamb an outward show of Meekness, yet spoken highly and cruelly with his fulminating Bulls, so like a Dragon: Yet this is common to both, that they persecuted, for in relation to the first Beast, Chap. 13.10. having spoken of leading into Captivity and of killing with the Sword, 'tis added, here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints, and this Character of the second Beast is given in the same words, Chap. 14.12. Here is the patience of the Saints that keep the C●mmandments of God and the Faith of Jesus. This first Beast is then Rome Heathenish persecuting the first Christians, and the second is Rome Christian persecuting true Christians, because they would not worship the Image of the Beast, nor receive her mark nor the number of his name; under this Image of the Beast are to be understood Idols of Gold, Silver, Brass, ston, Wood, Chap. 9.20.  
Now the Seat where the Dragon, then the two Beasts resided one after another, is called Spiritually Sodom, by reason of her abominable sins and corruptions; Egypt, upon the account of Tyranny, Slavery and Drudgery, Chap. 11.8. and Babylon by reason of its Idolatry in several places of the Book: It is also said to be the place where Christ was crucified; we know our Saviour was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem, which was at that time under the power of the Romans who sent a Governor, such was Pilate who condemned the Lord Jesus to be crucified, a Roman kind of death for Slaves, but unknown to the Jews till conquered by the Romans, wherefore no doubt to be made but that Rome is the place pointed at to be the Seat of Antichrist; after the Roman Emperors had left or been driven out of it, upon occasion of so many eruptions upon and taking of it by Huns, Goths, Vandals and other foreign Nations, who took, plundered and laid it waste, of which at last and by degrees Popes took possession, and made themselves Masters of, and ever since resided in it, and attributed the temporal sovereignty of it, and this was done by succession of times, not at once but by degrees; in case any doubt remains, the 17 Chap. will fully clear it. 'Tis worth observing, that in the Book of Revelations when mention is made of Antichrist, something is said, to draw the Readers attention, as Chap. 13. ver. 9. If any man have an ear let him hear, and Chap. 17. vers. 9. Here is the mind that hath wisdom.  
This Chapter must be red with great attention, for it doth unfold the Mystery of Antichrist under the name of the great City, Babylon the great, the great Whore, whose judgement was very well worth the pains of an Angel to call for St. John and show it to him, under the shape of a Woman richly adorned in Purple and Scarlet, decked with gold, pearls and precious stones, with a golden Cup in her hand full of Abominations, which Cup may have a relation to the abominable Idolatry amongst them, when they adore for the Creator that which is the creature, for in and over a Cup is that Idolatry committed under the name of a Sacrifice, that Cup is full of abominations and filthiness of her Fornication, therewith she made drunken the Kings and Nations of the Earth which joined with her in that Idolatry: this Woman did sit upon a scarlet coloured Beast, Purple and Scarlet are the known colours of Rome: and what is said of this Beast that it is full of names of Blasphemy with the seven Heads and ten Horns, makes it sure to us, that this is the same Beast mentioned in Chap. 13.1. which is also said to have seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy; this name of Blasphemy viz. Vicar of Christ, Vicegod, his Holiness, &c. which I mentioned before with the Inscription upon the Forehead, do demonstrate who these things are intended for; then the Character of Cruelty and Bloodthirstiness, when she is said to be drunken with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus, which agrees with the 6 Verse of the 16 Chapter: for they  shed the Blood of the Saints and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy; nothing can be fuller than what is said, Chap. 18. the last Verse, And in her was found the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth; yea since at first when Christian Religion appeared till now, and we may say, till her fall, for every day more is and will be spilled upon that cause; 'tis Rome that  shed it: the first Beast or Rome Heathenish  shed that of our Saviour and of the first Christians with that rage, that we red the Neroes, Domitians and other Roman Emperors persecuted the professors of Christian Religion; and Rome Christian washed her self in the blood of those who would not worship the Image of the Beast, or receive her mark, without which they might neither buy nor sell,( this of late happened much in a part of the World) and who bearing witness against the corruptions of that Church would not comply, as do those whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb. If St. John who saw this Woman but in a Vision, at the sight of her wondered with great admiration; how much we, who have heard, red, seen and do daily see her abominable and cruel practices, ought to hate and abhor her? 'tis true if we consider the rising and progress of that man of sin, and power of Antichrist, we cannot forbear entering into admiration of God's providence and forbearance, as of the blindness and stupidity of the World to suffer itself so much and so long to be imposed upon: It must be granted that all the policy and craftiness of Hell hath been at work about it, smilings and frownings, seducing and bewitching of people, cheating and out of fear or interest engaging many of all ranks and qualities.  
To that effect that Antichrist or Woman( for I hope by this time people are satisfied tis one and the same) did long ago set up and hath since continued a trade for which she had Merchants, namely, the great men of the Earth, for by her Witchcraft were all Nations deceived, Chap. 18.23. Now her merchandises are Gold, Silver, precious Stones, Pearls, Fine linen, Purple, Silk, Scarlet; their Cardinal Caps, Palliums, Prelates Clothes and Habits, which distinguish their Offices and places in in that Hierarchy, which with their Ceremonial Ritual, Missal, Maestro di Camera, and relation of the Court of Rome, do require a man's whole life thoroughly to understand them. But a thing much to be taken notice of, is that amongst several sorts of merchandise, a very important one is name, namely, Souls of Men: As for their Ecclesiastical places, under what name soever designed, let them trade, change, buy, sell and use Simony; but to make a trade of precious and immortal Souls, 'tis such a business, such a Sacrilegious attempt as indeed with St. John we may very well admire at; yet 'tis a thing which hath been and is still practised amongst them by way of Pardons, Indulgencies,( whereof they own some to be false and supposed, as it appears by a printed 
a Not long since.  Paper published in Venice, by the Inquisitors wherein several are name) Masses, Purgatory, Pilgrimages, visiting Churches and relics, but nothing of those without moneys; we can desire no better Interpreters than one of their own, 
b Laurentius Valla, and some think Baptista Mantuanus.  Amongst us every thing is sold, Churches, Priests, Altars, Masses, benefice, Fire, Incense, Prayers, Heaven, yea God himself. The Words of the Original are these: 
— Venalia nobis  
Templa, Sacerdotes, Altaria, sacra Coronae,  
Ignes, Thura, Preces, Coelum venal, Deusque.  This trade was extended all the World over, and could not but make rich the Merchants of it, the loss of it makes them so bewail in the 18 Chapter from the 15 to the 20 Verses, whilst in the 20 Verse Heaven the holy Apostles and Prophets are bidden to rejoice, because God hath avenged them; this makes those Merchants not only to bemoan, but with rage and fury to rise up, as did 
a Acts 19.  Demetrius and his Fellows Craftmen of Diana at Ephesus.  
Now 'tis time for us to draw near the Angel, and hear how he explains the Vision and prophesy or Mystery( as called by the Angel) of the Woman and of the Beast: in Scripture 'tis usual to represent Empires and Monarchies under the name and shapes of Beasts; so in 
b Dan. 7. See how that Chapter agrees with this of the Revelations, even compare the 7th Chapter of Daniel with the Rev.  Daniel the Vision of the four great and universal Monarchies, the first like a lion, the second like a Bear, the third as a Leopard, and the fourth( which signified the Roman, as the other three the Assyrian, Persian and Greek or Macedonian) was dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong, having great Iron Teeth, it devoured and broken to pieces, and stamped the residue under his Feet, and it was unlike to the Beasts that were before it: Indeed the Roman Empire was stronger and of a greater extent than any that went before: The Vision of St. John hath relation to that of Daniel, for the Beast which the question is now about, had the qualities of the other three; 'twas like a Leopard in swiftness; his Feet as of a Bear to represent his strength, and the Mouth of a Lion to show his courage and ravenousness, all which are set down, Rev. 13.2. And for a greater conformity of the Vision of the two Prophets, Daniel saith, The fourth Beast had ten horns, which is also one o●●he Marks of that of St. John, in the place where before were three of the first Horns plucked away, there came another little Horn in which were eyes like the eyes of a Man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things, 〈◇〉 Da●●el, which hath relation to the second Beast mentioned in Rev. 13.11. Thus there is a conformity of the Vis●●●s of the Prophet Daniel and of St. John, but with this difference, that as in St. John's time the three first Empires were fallen, he saith nothing of them, only speaks of the fourth also under the name of a Beast, which( saith he) Was, is not, and yet is; that is, a great Period of that mighty Dominion of the Romans, when it was a republic, was past, and consequently was not at the time when he saw the Vision; but he adds, Yet is: The Dominion itself and Body is but under another Name, before it was by way of a Commonwealth, and now in St. John's time by way of Monarchy or Empire, they whothen ruled being called Emperors.  
This Beast, saith St. John, had seven heads and ten horns, the seven heads are seven Mountains on which the Beast sitteth. This is very clear, for Rome stands upon seven Hills or Mountains: The Angel adds another signification of the seven heads, namely, Seven Kings, whereof five are fallen, the sixth is, and the other not yet come. This signifies so many different ways which Rome had been governed by; for at first 'twas by Kings, then Consuls, Tribunes, &c. and in St. John's time by Emperors. The ten horns of the Beast are as many Kings who have given their Power to the Beast; this is the Prophetical style, when time past or present are put for the future; for when St. John did see they had no Kingdoms, but were to receive Power as Kings at one hour with the Beast, at the time of the Vision they were not. These Dominions with succession of time, having been founded out of the ruins of the Roman Empire; 'tis most certain, that at first some Princes and States did help to rise and set up Antichrist( as History doth inform us of it) and to make War against the Lamb the Lord Jesus, and his true Members. A second Interpretation is given to the ten Horns as the ten first Kings were to give their Power to the Beast, so after that ten other Kings or Kingdoms would not, as the former, give their Power to the Beast: On the contrary, they would hate and make her Desolate, which began when the Goths and other Nations came to Rome, and after happened in part since the blessed Reformation; and though for the present the Work be at a stand in some places, 'tis not so in others. I hope England and Scotland will hate that Whore more and more, and burn her with fire, not only as it hath been practised upon the Fifth of November, but in a more real and effectual manner. I see no need of any further insisting upon the Interpretation about the Beast.  
The most important is now to know who or what is signified by the Woman 
a Rev. 17.  sitting upon the Beast, which the Angel calls The great Whore with whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication, and the Inhnbitants of the Earth have been made drunken with the Wine of her Fornications. This is the chief Subject of the Vision, to be taken notice of by her dress and posture; but chiefly upon the account of that remarkable Inscription upon her Forehead, which brands her for the most abominable thing that can be seen or heard of: This is her Name, containing a Mystery, Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. We must not literally take it to be a Woman, there is a mystery in the thing, for though we know it to be meant of Rome; She is called Babylon, as I said before, upon the account of her Idolatry; but the Title of Babylon the Great is added, because in point of Idolatry Rome hath out-done all that ever went before or came after her. Babylon, whose name she borrows, was but little Babylon, and nothing in comparison to her as to Superstition and Idolatry: Babylon had her gods of Gold and Silver, and so hath this of Brass, ston, Wood, Wax, and painted; but besides she hath her Wafer-god, which Babylon never had nor dreamed of. Babylon never pretended to put in her mouth, eat up, swallow down, digest in the Stomach, and voided her gods into the draft; none but Babylon the Great can do such things; not only she is an Harlot, but also Mother of Harlots, Spiritual Harlots, who run after other gods, worshipping as God, that which is not God; and bestowing upon the Creature that which is due to the Creator alone, making a kind of a god of every one they have a mind to Canonize, or make a Saint of; this is the part of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth; usually in Scriptures the holy Spirit of God, by the mouth of the Prophets, doth represent the abominable sin of Idolatry, by the filthy ones of Fornication and Adultery, which shows the foulness of these, seeing they are made use of to represent one that is so execrable, and the most God-provoking sin in the World; so the Spirit of that Church is foul and filthy.  
Now let us see who is this Woman, also called Whore; the Angel having said, That the Waters where the Whore sitteth, are People, Multitudes, Nations and Tongues; he plainly tells in the last verse of the Chapter, That the Woman is the great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth, that is Rome; he doth not name it, but no clearer Description can be given of it; for in St. John's time Rome was the Master of the World, and reigned over Kings, Princes, and States of the Earth. Whosoever will be called Chosen and Faithful must be with the Lamb against the Beast: For ever there hath been and still is a War between them: All whose names are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, are with the Lamb, who at last will overcome, for he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. These things we must believe, if we give heed to the Word of God, Then let him that is holy and righteous be holy and righteous still, as also he that is unjust and filthy be unjust and filthy still, Rev. 22.11. And I add, Let him that after such Lights is blind, be blind still. I am sure 'tis clearly foretold in this Book of Revelation, That Antichrist shall seduce Nations, Domineer over Kings and Multitudes of people, make War against the Saints and overcome them; but at last be overcome by the Lamb, and that he would boast of the splendour and lasting of his Reign. With St. John I must say, He that hath Ears to hear let him hear.  
I proceed farther, and do affirm, That the Church of Rome which is the Seat of Antichrist, doth attribute to her self several of the Marks which in this Book are given of the Beast, of the Woman, and Antichrist, which I already observed are one and the same. I will instance it only in three: The first is Miracles which Bellarmin 
a De Eccl. lib. 4. cap. 14.  asserts to be one of the Marks of their Church. Now the second Beast about which is the question, 
b Rev. 13.13.  Doth great Wonders, and makes fire come to down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men, and Chap. 16.13, 14. Three unclean Spirits like Frogs came out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false Prophet, for they are Spirits of Devils working Miracles, to go unto the Kings of the Earth, and of the whole World, to gather them to the battle of God Almighty. Would to God there were not so many abroad of those unclean Spirits. A second mark of their Church is multitude, 
c Bellar. lib. 4. cap. 7.  this also is one of the Marks whereby to know the Beast, 
d Rev. 13.7.  Power was given him over all Kindreds, and Tongues, and Nations. And 
e Chap. 17.15.  the Waters where the Whore sitteth, are Peoples, and Multitudes, and Nations, and Tongues. The universal Bishop hath had to do with almost the whole World, For 
f Chap. 13.16.  all the World went after the Beast, Small and Great, Rich and Poor, Free and Bond, because he 
g Ver. 14.  deceived them that dwelled on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he had Power to do. That Church assumes to her self the name of catholic which may be understood, in relation to those abominable sins of the Flesh committed in the center of it by way of Fornication, Adultery, Incest, Sodomy, and bestiality; for the allowance of some of which is paid a Tribute, and 
h De amissa Grat. & Stat. peccat. lib. 2. cap. 18.  Bellarmin justifies it, so doth Emanuel Sa●voce Judaeus art. 5. A third Mark which the Church of Rome owns, is a Temporal 
i Bellar. de Eccl. lib. 4. cap. 18.  Felicity and Happiness, which attend on it, and the Pope is called The glory of the World. Babylon also glorifies her self, and lives deliciously, For she saith in her heart, I sit 
k Rev. 18.7.  Queen, and am no Widow, and shall see no sorrow.  
If then that Church doth not disown those Characteristical Tokens peculiar to Antichrist; Why should not we make it to the application thereof? We are not the first that have done it since the time Rome became an abominable Harlot; we can bring many Evidences, against it, but these we reduce to two, one is an Italian, who in his time followed the Court of Popes, and lived long before Luther and Calvin, 'tis Petrarcha, who was born, bread, and died a Papist; in several places of his Works, which may easily be quoted, he curses and bitterly inveighs against Rome, calls it wicked and impious Babylon, Mother of Errors, a nest of Heresies, &c. The other Evidence which cannot be partial for our Religion, because he lived and died before Reformation, 'Tis Lewis the Twelfth, one of the French Kings, who gives Rome the name of Babylon; but is not content with that, he saith, He will destroy it; yea, the very name of it; to which effect he caused moneys to be coined with this Latin Inscription, Perdam Babilonis nomen, whereof some remain, and are a Monument of what that King thought Rome and her Pope at that time, Julius 2. had deserved.  
That time was not come, nor may be is not as yet, but when it is, God will do his Work, and find Instruments enough fit for it, though often they act out of different Principles, and for other ends than God's, as did the 
a Isay 10.5.6, 7.  King of Assyria, as I mentioned before. As the raising of Antichrist was not upon a sudden, so his Fall cannot be a days work. 
b 2 Thess. 2.8.  God, saith St. Paul, shall consume Antichrist with the Spirit of his mouth( that is, with his holy Word, the reading and preaching whereof hath given a great blow to his Empire,) and shall destroy him with the brightness of his appearing; that is, he shall not be totally ruined till our Saviour comes at the last day, so that the whole prophesy is not fulfilled; We may well say, Babylon is falling, for Reformation hath much weakened it; and after the light of the Gospel is so clearly appeared to Men in several parts of the World, 'tis not likely he can recover what he hath lost: The present Cruelties and Craftinesses against God's Church, are some of his last strugglings, for he already hath received his Mortal Wound, and the Dragon he is acted by, daily becomes more and more enraged, seeing his time grows shorter. Some of the ten Kings hate the Woman and the Beast, their eyes being opened to see her abominations; so will in time the eyes of others be, St. Paul in that 2 Thes. 2. speaks of him with so much contempt and hatred, that every one that reads it must with that great Apostle be of the same mind; that whole Chapter is to be red and several expressions to be taken notice of with special attention: the Mystery of Iniquity did already work in St. Pauls time; for the great mover of it, namely, Satan, was very busy; he began to have instruments for his work, Pride and Ambition did creep in, one 
c ● John 9.  Diotrephes loved to have the pre-eminence amongst others, there were some of the forerunners and small ones, as to the great one, there was a let; he which now withholdeth, saith St. Paul, shall let till he be taken out of the way; the Roman Empire subsisting, Antichrist could not be set up, till that was removed and the place was yielded to this; for the first Beast was to give his power to the second Beast, as he had received his from the Dragon, Rev. 13.4. Emperors were to lose their power before Popes could succeed therein, before there were in Rome any such Vicegods, Vicars of Christ and universal Bishops, which last title I must say it by the by, was not owned by the Greek nor any of the Eastern Churches, I name before, amongst which there was no Reformation, as happened in Europe; for long before they lived in a separation from the Church of Rome, and had nothing to do one with the other.  
From the premises 'tis clearly deduced how it is a Duty incumbent upon true Christian Souls, that as yet are in the Society of Rome, to come out of it, lest 
d Rev. 18.  partaking of her sins, they should also receive of her plagues; much more are they who be out of it, forbidden to return into it, for this like the Dog, were 
e 2 Pet. 2.22.  to return to his own vomit, and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire: the true Israelites are not to turn their hearts towards Egypt, nor look back towards Sodom as did Lot's wife, whom the Apostle bids us to remember as to the sin and punishment of it, but rather to 
f Heb. 10.23.  hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering, for he who hath promised is able to perform. This Faith or Religion we do profess, is the same which Christ hath instituted, the Apostles preached, and the true Church believed; this Faith saith St. Paul in another place, we ought to 
g Col. 1. 2●.  continue in, and not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel. So to 
h Gal. 5.1.  stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of Bondage. I confess the task is hard, for we wrestle not only against flesh and blood the smiles and frownings of the World, and against our own corrupt inclinations, but also 
i Eph. 6.12.  against Principalities and Powers, against the worldly Governors, the Princes of Darkness of this World, against Spiritual Wickednesses in high places.  
The substance of our charge and impeachment against Popery is, that it is abominable in its principles and practise, its principles in Doctrine are full of errors, and in Worship full of Superstition and Idolatry, and its Practise full of Cheats, Treachery and Cruelty; in as much as in it lies it overturns the Covenant of Grace, and makes null the Work of our Salvation, with setting up, contrary to Scripture, new Mediators, new Priests, new Sacrifices, new Sacraments; and not content to destroy the Priestly Office of Christ, doth also annul his Royal and Prophetical Offices, with introducing into the Church other Laws, Rules, and Doctrines, as are Traditions, than those which the Lord Jesus hath in his holy Word given to his Church and making other Voices than that of the great Shepherd, to be heard amongst the Flock. Lastly, with their destroying with Sword and Fire all those that differ from them, and will not believe and do as they. For all this we look upon the Church as represented by that burning-Bush; 'tis amid the Flames of Persecution, and burns, but is never consumed.  
England as much, if not more than any Nation in the World, hath cause to be thankful to God for his heavenly and spiritual Mercies, specially for the blessed Reformation and Deliverance from the Tyranny and Errors of the Church of Rome in Doctrine and Worship; double Deliverance, I may may call it, for God did twice work that Grace for us. King Edward that hopeful pious young Prince lived but a short time, to the great grief of the Nation, and what had been done under him was soon stopped, and almost ruined under Queen Maries bloody Reign, then the Truth of the Gospel and Work of Reformation were sealed with the blood of many Martyrs; but God in his Mercy was pleased to restore the true Religion under the happy Reign of Queen Elizabeth, of ever blessed Memory; at that time Rome being much grieved for the loss of this Kingdom, poured out her Emissaries, who, at several times, and in different ways attempted upon the Life and Dominions of her Majesty: After in King Jame's time followed the hellish Design of the Gun-powder Treason, and the horrid Massacre in Ireland in the days of Charles the First, and the late Popish Plot against King Charles the Second, which though some would deny, because they who have the Malice to attempt such things, have also the Impudence to deny them; yet after a weighty Examination of the business in Council, the King's Proclamation affirming it, and the Votes of the Parliament assuring there was on Foot a Hellish-Plot and Conspiracy, to rational and impartial Men, are proofs of the truth of it, and the actings of that Party, which for the present is so busy, do sufficiently declare what they would be at. When we see almost every place of Trust, Profit, and Power; put in the hands of Men of such Principles, and all would, if there were enough of them to fill them up, when we see professed Papists to be Judges, Sheriffs, Justices of Peace, Mayors, Lord-Lieutenants, Deputy-Lieutenants of Counties, Governors of Places, Officers at Sea and Land, chief Ministers of State, and Priests of the worst sort to be jailers: What must we look for but a Subversion of Law, Liberty and Church? people cannot be such Fools, nor so blind, but they must see, Penal Laws and Tests being repealed( which are our Arms of Defence, and consequently not to be thrown away as our Enemies would have us to do.) farewell all Parliaments, no more need of any, except it be to set up Popery by a Law which is like to be the next thing; for the Churche's Bulwark consisting in so many Acts of Parliament, being down, our Church will not be suffered to stand; Church-Lands notwithstanding all Promises on the contrary, must return to the first Owners; these are no bare-Fears and Jealousies, but real and as sure Dangers, and unavoidable Evils as can be: We must not be lulled asleep with vain and fallacious Promises, as easily broken as made; the Spirit of that Religion cannot deny himself, not only considering it in that Party which now Rules amongst them, but also in the whole Body and Fundamental Maxims of that Church; the Canon of the Council of Constance, of Faith not to be kept with heretics, not being repealed; and that of the 4th Council of Lateran, about destroying heretics, still subsisting both in Doctrine and Practise; it orders Princes, when required, to do it, under pain( in case of refusal) to be deprived of their States, and Dominions to be forfeited to the Pope in case they have no other sovereign; and in Rome they have their Congregation or Council about the Propagation of their Faith and Extirpation of heresy.  
This ought to move us the more, because there is no more dissembling, things are acted above board; already Miracles are wrought, for the Eyes of the blind are opened, and none but men of those principles or of none at all, can pretend to any ground of doubting of it: If Laws were repealed we could see those who have no Religion, and keep amongst us only out of fear of punishment, being free from the obedience they owe to them, fly out and declare themselves; though I hope the number of such is inconsiderable, then no stop till Religion and Property be wholly subverted. Out of these considerations will for the future upon the Government be imposed a necessity of totally rooting Popery out of these Nations. Let not our Adversaries say, that because in our active Obedience we desire to preserve our Religion and Conscience, therefore are wanting in our Loyalty to the King our sovereign; our holy Religion teaches us our duty that as we fear God, so we honour the King, and daily pray for his preservation and prosperity; our Loyalty hath been tried and approved in hard and difficult times, not only for the whole Royal Family, but also for his present Majesty; and more, the greatest marks of respect and obedience we can give to Kings, is to stand to and obey their Laws; they speak and act not by themselves, but by their Ministers, Chancellors, Judges, Secretaries of State, Admirals, &c. according to the nature of Affairs; but they never speak more authentically than when they sit at the head of their great Council the Parliament, then they speak as from the Throne and as Kings, enacting Laws which are the true Royal Language, then we hear, harken to, and with all possible Zeal and Joy do obey them.  
I hope we have no cause to fear any attempts of Popery upon our Consciences, so as to be effectual in drawing us away from the truth: God hath so abundantly forewarned and prepared us against such assaults with the light of the Gospel, which so clearly and so fully hath been preached amongst us, and hath appeared like the Sun at Noonday, that being as we ought to be, well instructed in the principles of our holy Religion, 'tis to be hoped people will not suffer themselves to be seduced and perverted, which if any one were so forsaken of God, as to do it, it were to sin against the greatest lights of Grace that ever any Nation enjoyed. Let us therefore continue in the ways of Truth, with a full assurance that at last Truth will prevail and have the upper hand, the Lamb will overcome the Beast, and the ston cut without hands will break to pieces every other power and dominion: in the mean time, Let 
a Mal. 3.16.  them that fear the Lord speak often one to another; and follow St. Paul's advice, Let your con●●●●●on be as becometh the Gospel of Christ, and 
c 2 Tim 2.19.  le● every one that calls upon the Name of the Lord depart from Iniquity; 'tis not enough to profess true Religion, but we must live accordingly.  
Then 'tis Christian prudence to stand fast together in one mind laying aside all divisions and differences about circumstantial things according to the rules of Charity. We now may see how near we have all been becoming a Prey to our common Enemy; therefore let us be taught by our own experience, and here let that Union which to the praise of God is now settled between all Protestants beyond Seas, though of different persuasions be found amongst us, or else we would become unworthy of God's signal mercies, and of what he hath done for us. I hope Dissenters may see we have some good Protestant Bishops, those worthy Prelates, who lately stood in the gap, without which Religion had been in a great danger; and they may be now satisfied how the Liberty of Conscience pretended for them was intended for others; they would have been made use of only as instruments to serve the turn of Popery, and like Ladders and Scaffolds removed when the work had been done. I hope also our Churchmen are sensible how much hurt Dissenters could have done being considerable as they were, and upheld by Authority, if they had not been well inclined; but thanks be to God, both sides have well acted their part, and both sides must enjoy the benefit of their labours, continue unanimous and be united altogether to shut the door against Popery; and thus all will approve themselves to be true to Religion and Country, or else that Spirit of Popery which is always busy and restless, and beyond Seas upheld by great powers and Crafty men, will strive to work divisions amongst us, under several pretences, which only our Union can prevent, with God's Blessing: and as late●y 〈…〉 and still are of one side to take St. Paul's advice to the Colossians 2.8. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ: So on the other side we must practise that precept of Love and Charity so often and so strongly pressed upon us in Scriptures, by the example of the Father, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who have so much loved us, even when we were their Enemies; in this men shall know we are our Saviours Disciples, if we love one another; his beloved Disciple St. John's Exhortations are all together for Love; 'tis said of him that when by reason of his old age, he was disenabled to preach, he constantly used to say to his Flock and those that were about him, What I said from the beginning, I say it again and again, Love one another as the Lord Jesus hath loved us. red the 13th Chap. of 1 Cor. Nothing availeth without Charity, which is the fulfilling of the Law; therefore as we tender the happiness of our Souls, the Spiritual and Temporal good of the Nation, and for the howels and tender mercies of God, Let us be loving, meek, gentle and tender hearted one towards another.  
Let not this opportunity of securing Religion and Liberty which God hath now put in the hands of the Nation be lost, for fear God in his anger would altogether deprive us of it, and so could be recovered no more; let us know the times of refreshing, and of our visitation and be patient, giving time to the workers of our deliverance to finish it; so great a work cannot be done in a moment: let us look behind upon the precipice the Nation hath avoided through the mercy of God when we were upon the brim of it, and by all possible means prevent being again brought to it, hating Sodom and Egypt out of which God in a high measure hath delivered us; when not only Popery was as forced upon us, but also Royal Prerogative screwed up so ●●gn, and passive Obedience pressed so far that nothing but Slavery could be looked for: but let us now courageously overcome all difficulties, which the Enemies of truth and peace would endeavour to lay in the way; so go on from Strength to Strength and from one degree to another, till Religion, Laws and Liberties be settled upon so sure a foundation as that for the future it will not lye in the power of any to alter or overthrow them: Let no discouragements be given to those who are about it, but rather let them be encouraged and their hands strengthened, till that great and good work be brought to a happy end, to the glory of God, the good of his Church, to the honour, safety and happiness of the English Nation.  
FINIS.