WHen man hath forsaken the counsel of the Lord,Deut. 9.12, 16. Exod. 32.1, 8. Psal. 106.13, 21. ver. Numb. 25.4 Iudg. 2.10, 11, 12, 13. Psal. 2.2, 3. 1 Kings 11.38. & 12.28, 29. 2 Chron. 12 1. 2 Kings 21. ch. Read of Ma­nassah and A­mon. and turned from the onely true God his Maker, then he runs into the transgres­sion, and takes counsel of man, and sets himself to act against the Lord and his an­nointed, and in his imaginations he sets up other Gods for to worship and serve; and this hath been the practise of the Kings and Rulers of the Earth (and their Priests) who have been the onely instruments toge­ther, and the very Ring-Leaders of the people from the onely true God and his worship, to fall down and worship the gods that they in their imaginations have set up, which is Idolatry.

So likewise the Kings and Rulers of the Earth have done, and do now in these dayes, for the worship and service of their false gods; and in pretence of worshipping the true God, have those things in imitation which the only true God did do, and required to be done for his worship and service; but all those things which they in their imaginations did do in imitation of God, was their sin, for which the wrath of God was kindled up against them, to cut them off, and to destroy them. And now I will instance some particular things that the onely true God did do, and required to be done for his wor­ship and service; and afterwards shew how the Kings and Rulers of the earth have devised in their hearts to do the like for the worship of their false gods which was of their own setting up, and a grievous sin they did commit in so doing.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel that they bring me an Offring, Exod. 25, 26, 27, 28. chap. and ye shall take my Offring of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart; they were to take the offering of him that gave it willingly with his heart, and with that willing offring that came from the heart they were to make the Lord God a Sanctuary, that he might dwell a­mongst them; And the Lord said unto Moses, According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all the Instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it; and ye shall make the Ark of Shittim Wood; and [Page 5] God shewed unto Moses the pattern of the Tabernacle, how it should be built, and of what it should be made of, and all things belonging to it: And when Moses went about to make the Tabernacle, he was admonished of God how to do it; for said the Lord,Heb. 8.5. Exod. 25.40. Acts 7.44. Heb. 3.2, 3, 4, 5. See that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount; and verily Moses was faithful in all his House as a servant, and did see that all things was done as the Lord com­manded: And according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the chil­dren of Israel made all the work, and Moses did look upon all the work, and be [...]old, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it, & Moses blessed them: And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,And read Exo. 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, chap. On the first day of the first Month thou shalt set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of the Congre­gation; and Moses reared up the Tabernacle, according to all that the Lord God com­manded him to do, so did he. And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the Month, that the Tabernacle was reared up, and all things belonging to the service of the Tabernacle was brought and put into it, and set up in it: So Moses finished the work, and God said,Read Exodus 40. ehap. I mill sanctifie the Taber­nacle of the Congregation, and there will I meet with the children of Israel, and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory: and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

And God said unto Moses, Exod. 28.1, 2. & 29.44. I will sanctifie also both Aaron and his sons to minister unto me in the Priests Office: And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee Aaron thy Brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the Priests Office, even Aaron, Na­dab, and Abihu, Eliazer and Ithamor, Aarons sons, and thou shalt make holy Garments for Aaron thy Brother, for glory and for beauty: And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take Aaron, and his sons with him, and the Garments, Lev. 8. chap. and the anointing Oyle, and a Bullock for a sin-Offring, and two Rams, and a Basket of unleavened Bread, and gather thou all the Congregation together unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation; and Moses did as the Lord command­ed, and the Assembly was gathered together unto the door of the Taberna­cle of the Congregation; and Moses said unto the Congregation, This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done: and Moses brought Aaron and his Sons, and washed them with water, and he put upon Aaron the Coat, and girded him with the Girdle, and cloathed him with the Robe, and put the Ephod upon him, and girded him with the curious Girdle of the Ephod,Exod. 28.30. and bound it unto him therewith; and he put the Brest-plate upon him; also he put into the Brest-plate of Judgement the Vrim, and the Thumrim, and he put the Mytor upon his head, and upon the Mytor he put also the golden Plate, the Holy Crown, as the Lord commanded Moses; and Moses took the Anointing Oyle, and he poured of the Anointing Oyle upon Aarons head, and anointed him to sanctifie him. And Moses brought Aarons sons, and put Coats upon them, and girded them with Girdles, and put Bonnets upon them, as the Lord commanded; and Moses took of the Anointing Oyle, and of the blood w [...]ich was upon the Altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron and upon his Garments, and upon his Sons, and upon his Sons Garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, and his Garments, and his Sons, and his Sons [Page 4] Garments with him: And thus Aaron and his sons were sanctified for to Minister to the Lord in the Priests Office,Lev. 9. chap. in the Tabernacle before the Altar, for the accomplishing the service of God, to offer up unto the Lord sacri­fices for himself,Heb. 7.27. & 9.6, 7. Numb. 3. chap. and then for the errors of the people. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the Tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aa­ron the Priest, that they may Minister unto him; and they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole Congregation, before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, to do the service of the Tabernable; and they shall keep all the Instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the Tabernacle. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them; and thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them, Thou shalt sprinkle the water of Purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their cloathes, and so make themselves clean; then let them take a young Bullock for a Meat-Offring, and a­nother for a Sin-Offring; and thou shalt bring the Levites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and thou shalt gather tho whole Assembly of the children of Is­rael together, and thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord, for an Offring be­fore the Lord; and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites, and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an Offring of the children of Is­rael, that they may execute the service of the Lord; and the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the Bullocks, and thou shalt offer one for a Sin-offring, and the other for a Burnt-Offring unto the Lord, to make an attonement for the Levites: Thus shalt thou seperate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Le­vites shall be mine; and after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: And Moses, and Aaron, and all the Con­gregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites according to all that that the Lord commanded: But take notice a little, That the Levites were not to go in to wait upon the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregati­on, till that they were twenty five years of age, and upward; and when they came to be of the age of fifty years, they were to cease waiting upon the ser­vice thereof, and to serve no more; for the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, This is that belongeth unto the Levites, Lev. 8.23, 24, 25, 26. ver. From twenty and five years old, and up­ward, they shall go in to wait upon the service of the Tabernacle of the Congrega­tion: and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service there­of, and shall serve no more.

Forasmuch as ye see God did require a Tabernacle, an Ark, and an Altar, and all things belonging thereto, to be made for himself to dwell in, or a­mongst the children of Israel, wherein he would meet them in their worship and service done unto him; and so likewise you may see how he set apart, consecrated, and ordained Aaron and his sons, and the Levites to Minister in the Priests Office, and to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Con­gregation: so likewise God provided Maintenance for them who waited continually upon this service himself: therefore said Moses, At that time the Lord seperated the Tribe of Levi to bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, D [...]ut. 10.8, 9. & 18.3, 4. and to stand before the Lord to Minister unto him, and to bless in his Name: Where­fore Levi hath no part nor Inheritance with his Brethren: Therefore this shall [Page 5] be the Priests due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be Oxe or Sheep, they shall give unto the Priests the Shoulder, the two Cheeks, and the Maw, and the first fruit also of thy Corn, of thy Wine, and of thy Oyle, and the first of the fleece of thy Sheepe shalt thou give him,Lev. 27.30, 31, 32. and also the tythes of Land, whether of the seed of the Land, or the fruit of the Tree, it is the Lords; And the tithe of the Herd, or of the Flock, e­ven of whatsoever passeth under the Rod, the tenth thereof shall be holy unto the Lord: for said the Lord unto the children of Israel, viz. the eleven Tribes, Thou shalt truly tythe all the increase of thy seed that the field bringeth forth year by year, and ye shall bring all the tythes into the Store-house, Mal. 3.10. that there may be meat in my House for the Levite, because he hath no part nor Inheritance with thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess: And the Lord God spake un­to Aaron, and said, Behold, Numb. 18.20, 21, 24. I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an Inheritance for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: And God gave the sons of Levi who recei­ved the Office of the Priesthood, a Commandment to take tythes of their Brethren, because they had no part nor Inheritance with them:Heb. 7.5. Now these tythes and first fruits were not required to be paid in the land of Aegypt, nor yet in the Wilderness, as they went toward the Land of Canaan, were they to pay any tythes or first fruits, nor in any other land, but when ye go over Iordan, & dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, then was tythes to be paid, and then was the first fruits and tythes to be brought in, and no where else; for said Moses, Read Deut. 12. chap. to the 20. ver. Then shall there be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause his Name to dwell there, thi­ther shall ye bring all that I command you, your Burnt-Offrings, and your Sacri­fices, and your tythes, and the heave-Offring of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye have vowed before the Lord, and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your man-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your Gates, forasmuch as he hath no part nor Inheritance with you. So that it is very plain, first, That tythes and first fruits were to be paid in no land but in the land of Canaan, when that the children of Israel had the possession of it. Secondly, Tythes and first fruits were to be paid by the eleven Tribes in the Land of Canaan to the sons of Levi, who had a Law to take tythes and first fruits of their Brethren when they had rest round about from all their enemies, & dwelt safely in the same land of Canaan. Thirdly, the first fruits and tythes were to be paid of the fruit or increase that the eleven Tribes had of the land of Canaan, and of no other land: for it is written, When ye go over Iordan, and dwell in the Land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, so that ye dwell in safety, then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose for to cause his Name to dwell there, and thither shall you bring your tythes.

When the children of Israel had got possession of the land of Canaan, it was a long time before they had rest, by reason of their often rebellion and turning aside from the Lord,1 Sam. 4, 5, 6, 7 chap. so that the Ark of the Covenent of the Lord was often removed, and carryed from place to place, besides it once fell into [Page 6] the Philistines, who carryed it to Ashdod, and they set it up in Dagons House by Dagon their god; and after that they saw the hand of God against them for keeping it, then they sent it to Gath, and the Lord smote the men of the City both great and small with a very great destruction, and they had Em­rods in their secret parts; and then they sent away the Ark to Ekron, and the Ekronites they cryed out, and said, They have brought about the Ark of the God of Israel to slay us and our people, and then the Ark was carryed into the Philistines Country for seven months, and then it was sent in a new Cart to Bethshemesh, and the men of Bethshemesh sent Messengers to the Inha­bitants of Kiriathiearim to come down and fetch up the Ark to them; and the men of Kiriathiearim fetcht up the Ark of the Lord, and set it in the House of Abinadab in the Hill,2 Sam. 5, 6, 7. chap. and there it abode twenty years; and after that time when David was King over Israel, and that he had beaten the Phi­listines from Geba until he came to Gazer; then David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, and David said unto all the Congregation of Is­rael, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send a­broad unto our Brethren every where that are left in the Land of Israel, and with them also to the Priests and the Levites which are in their Cities and Suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: And said he, Let us bring again the Ark of our God to us, for we inquired not at it in the dayes of Saul; And all the Congre­gation said that they would do so, for the thing was right in all the eyes of che peo­ple. 1 Chron. 13.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. So David gathered together all Israel from Shihor of Egypt, even unto the entring of Hamath, to bring the Ark of God from Kiriathiearim: And David and all Israel went up, and they carryed the Ark of God in a new Cart out of tht House of Abinadab, and Vzzah put forth his hand to take hold of the Ark of God; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah, and God smote him there for his error, and there he dyed by the Ark of God; and David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Vzzah: And David was a­fraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the Ark of the Lord cowe to me? So David carryed the Ark aside into the House of Obed Edom the Gittite, and there it continued three Months; and it was told David the King, saying, the Lord hath blessed the House of Obed Edom & all that partain unto him, because of the Ark of God. So David went and brought up the Ark of God from the House of Obed Edom, into the City of David (which is Zion) with gladness, (and Da­vid made him Houses in the City of David,1 Chron. 15.1. & 16.1. 2 Chron. 5.2, 5. which is Zion, and he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and pitched for it a Tent) so they brought the Ark of God, & set it in the midst of the Tent (or the Tabernacle) that David had pitched for it. Now it came to pass as David sate in his house, that David said to Nathan the Pro­phet, Lo, I dwell in an House of Cedars, but the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord remaineth under Curtains; & the Lord had given David rest round about from all his Enemies; and Nathan said to the King, Go, and do all that is in thy heart, for the Lord is with thee; Read 1 Chron. 28, 29. chap. now it was in the heart of David to build an House of Rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and David had made ready Stuff for the building of it: But the word of the Lord came to Nathan the Prophet, saying, Go and tell David my servant, thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not build me an House to dwell in, for I have not dwelt in an House since the day that I brought up [Page 7] Israel unto this day, but have gone from Tent to Tent, and from one Taber­nacle to another; and the Lord said unto David, When thy dayes be fulfilled, 2 Sam. 7. chap and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall pro­ceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his Kingdom, and he shall build an house for my Name. Now when Davids dayes and his work was both near finish­ed, David assembled all the Princes of Israel, and the Princes of the Tribes, and the Captains of thousands, and the Captains of hundreds, and the Stewards, and Officers, and the mighty men, and all the valiant men unto Jerusalem; then David the King stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me my Brethren and my People, As for me, I had in my heart to build an house of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and for the Footstool of our God, and I had made ready for the building; but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an House for my Name, Because thou hast been a man of War, and hast shed much blood. Now said David to all the people, The Lord hath given me many sons, and out of all my sons the Lord hath cho­sen Solomon my son to sit upon this Throne of the Kingdom of the Lord over Israel; and the Lord (said David) said unto me, Solomon thy son he shall build me my House, and my Courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his Father, and he shall be my son. And David called for Solomon his son, and David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an House unto the Name of the Lord my God; but the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars, thou shalt not build an House unto my Name, be­cause thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight; behold, a son shall be born unto thee, his Name shall be Solomon, and he shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his Enemies round about, and I wil give peace and quietness all his dayes unto Israel; and Solomon he shall build an House for my Name, and he shall be my son, and I will be his Father, and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever. And Da­vid said, Thou Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an House for the Sanctuary, be strong, and do it, and the Lord be with thee, and prosper thou, and build the House of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee, onely the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and David gave unto Solomon his son the pattern of the Porch, and of the Houses thereof, and of the Treasures thereof, and of the upper-Chambers thereof, and of the inward Parlors, and the place of the Mercy-Seat, and the pattern of the Courts of the House of the Lord, and of all the Cham­bers round about, and of all the Treasuries of the House, and of the Trea­suries for the dedicate things; and also,2 Chron 28. ch. for the courses of the Priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the House of the Lord; all that which David had given him by the Spirit, shewed he unto Solomon, for said David to Solomon, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this Pattern: And when David dyed, Solomon his son reigned in his stead & when Solomon the son of David was strengthen­ed in his Kingdom, and found that the Lord his God was with him, and mag­nified him exceedingly, then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the Captains of thousands, and of hundreds, and to the Judges, and to every Governor [Page 8] in all Israel, and the chief of the Fathers; so Solomon, and all the Congre­gation with him, went up to the High Place that is at Gibeon, for there was the Tabernacle of the Congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the Wilderness;2 Chron 1. but the Ark of God had David brought up from Kiriathiearim, to the place which David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a Tent for it at Jerusalem; now in the night did God appear to Solomon in Gibeon, and the Lord said, Ask what I shall give thee; and Solo­mon said, And now O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant King instead of David my Father, and I am but a child, and I know not how to go out, or come in, and thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbred nor counted for multitude, give therefore thy servant an un­derstanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discover between good and bad: And this speech of Solomons pleased the Lord, and tho Lord said unto him, Be­cause thou hast asked this thing, 1 Kings 3. cha. & 5. chap. and hast not asked for thy self neither long life, nor riches, nor the life of thy Enemies, but hast asked for thy self understanding to dis­cern judgement: Behold, I have done acording to thy word; lo, I have given unto thee a wise and an understanding heart. Then Solomon came from before the Tabernacle of the Congregation that was at Gibeon, to Jerusalem, and reign­ed over Israel, and Solomon said, Now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversaries nor evil occurrent. Behold, I purpose to build an House unto the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my Father, saying, Thy son whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an House unto my Name; Then So­lomon began to build the House of the Lord at Jerusalem, in Mount Moriah, where the Lord appointed unto David his father,Deut. 12.10, 11, 12. 2 Chron. 3.1, 2. and that was the place that God did choose to cause his Name to dwell, and thither was the peo­ple to bring their tythes and first fruits, their Burnt-offrings and their Sacri­fices: And Solomon began to build the House of the Lord at Jerusalem in the second year of the second Month, in the fourth year of his reign, and when the House was finished throughout all the parts thereof, according to all the fashion of it, then Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated,1 Chron. 29.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. viz. the Gold, the Slver, and all the Instruments put he among the Treasuries of the Hduse of God, and then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel, and all the Heads of the Tribes, and the chief of the Fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of the City of David, which is Zion: and all the Elders of Israel came,2 Sam. 5.7, 9. 1 Chron. 11.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. and the Levites took up the Ark, and they brought up the Ark and the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and all the holy Vessels that were in the Tabernacle, these did the Priests and the Le­vites bring up: And the Priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the Oracle of the House, into the most Holy Place, even under the Wings of the Cherubins, and Solomon said unto the Lord, I have huilt an House of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever: And blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my Father David, saying, Since that day that I brought my people out of the Land of Aegypt, I chose no City among all the Tribes of Is­rael to build an House in, that my Name might be there, neither chose I any man to be a Ruler over my people Israel, but I have chosen David to be over my people [Page 9] Israel. And said Solomon, The Lord hath performed the word that he hath spoken, for I am risen up in the room of David my Father, & am set on the Throne of Israel, as the LORD promised to David my Father, and I have built the HOUSE for the Name of the LORD GOD of ISRAEL; and the Lord God said, I have chosen Jerusalem that my Name may be there: And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and I have chosen this place to my self for an House of sacrifice, for now have I chosen and sanctified this House,2 Chron. 33.7. Psal. 132.13. 2 Chron. 7.12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. that my Name may be there for ever, and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually, and my ears shall attend unto the prayers that is made in this place: and as for thee (said the Lord God to Solomon) if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my Statutes and my Judgements, then will I establish the Throne of thy Kingdom, according as I covenant­ed with David thy Father, saying. There shall not fail thee a man to be Ru­ler in Israel, but if ye turn away and forsake my Statutes and my my Com­mandments which I have [...]et before you, and shall go and serve other Gods, and worship them, then will I pluck [...]hem up by the roots out of my Land which I have given them,Deut. 12.10, 11 and this Hou [...]e whi [...]h I have sanctified for my Name will I cast [...]ut of my lig [...]t. Therefore [...]ake notice:

First, God told the [...]hildre of [...]ra [...]l when [...]he [...] were in the Wilderness, That when they came into the [...]n [...] whi [...]h he w [...]uld [...]ive them to possess, and that when he had given them rest [...]rom all thei [...] Enemies round about, then there should be a place which he would choos [...] to cause his Name to dwell in.2 Chron. 6.5, 6.

Secondly, Th [...]t in the Land of Canaan, Ierusalem was the place that God chose from am [...]ng all the Tr [...]bes of Israel, that his Name might be there.

T [...]ir [...]ly,2 Chron. 3.1. Deut. 12.5. Joh. 4.20. Exod. 23.14, 15, 16. Deut. 16.16. 2 Chron. 8.12, 13, 14, 15, 16. That at Ierusalem Solomon built in Mount Moriah a House (cal­led a Temple) unto the Name of the Lord, and for his Worship, according to the Command of God 2 Sam. 7.12, 13, 14. 1 Kings 5.5, 6. chap.

Fourthly, That to Ierusalem was the people of Israel required to bring their Burnt-Offrings, their Sacrifices, their first Fruits, and their tythes: Then Solomon offered Burnt-Offerings unto the Lord on the Altar of the Lord, which he had built before the Porch, even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the Commandment of Moses; and he appointed according to the order of David his father, the Courses of the Priests to their Service, and the Levites to their Charges, the Porters also by their courses at every Gate; so the House of God was perfected.

Now that which I come to write of further, is, That God required the people of Israel to pay the Priests and Levites their first fruits and tythes un­to them in the land of Canaan, Deu. 10.8, 9 & 14. cha. ver. 22, to the end. & 18.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and that they were to bring their Offerings and Sacrifices, their first fruits, and their tythes, unto the place which he should chose, & that to Jerusalem were the first fruits and the tythes brought into the House of the Lord to be for food for the Priests, the Levites, the fa­therless, and the widow, and the stranger, that they might eat and be satis­fied: And Hezekiah King of Iudah sent to all Israel and Iudah to come to Ierusalem to keep the Passeouer unto tne Lord God of Israel;2 Chron. 30, 31. chap. and Hezekiah appointed the courses of the Priests, and the Levires after their courses, e­very man according to his service; the Priests and tae Levites for Burnt-of­ferings, [Page 10] and for Peace-offerings; he appointed also the Kings portion of his substance for the Burnt-offering, to wit, For the Morning and the Evening Burnt-offerings, for the Sabbaths, and for the New Moons, and for the set Feasts, as it is in the Law of the Lord: Moreover he commanded the peo­ple that dwelt in Jerusalem to give to the Priests and the Levites their porti­on, that they might be incouraged in the law of the Lord: & as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance, the first fruits of Corn, Wine, and Oyle, and Hony, and of all the encrease of the field, and the tythe of all things brought they in abundantly; and the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the Cities of Judah, they al­so brought in tythes of Oxen and Sheep, and the tythe of holy things, which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them by heaps; and Azariah the Priest said to the King and the Princes, Since the people began to bring the Offrings into the House of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty, for the Lord hath blessed his people, & of that which is left is this great store: Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare Chambers in the House of the Lord, & they prepared them, & they brought in the Offrings, and the Tythes, & the dedicated things faithfully into the House of God, over which Azariah was Ruler.

And after the children of Israels return out of captivity from Babylon, when they had builded up the Walls of Ierusalem, and that they were setled again every one in their places, Nehemiah went the two and thirtieth year to the King of Babylon, and after certain dayes, he obtained leave of the King;Neh 10, 12, 13. chap. and he came again to Jerusalem, and he found the House of God forsaken, and perceived that the portions was not given to the Levites, be­cause that the Levites was fled every man to his field, then Nehemiah con­tended with the Rulers, and said, Why is the House of G d forsak [...]n? and he gathered them together, and set them in their places, and then brought all Judah the tythes of their Corn, and the New Wine, and the Oyle into the treasuries: Now God had commanded to bring all [...]he tythes into the Store-House,Mal. 3.10. that there might be meat in his House: And Nehemiah and the Rulers made Ordinances accordingly, and r [...]qui [...]ed the people, the children of Israel, to bring the first fruits of their ground, and the firrst fruits of all their trees year by year, unto the House of the Lord, and that they should bring the firstlings of their Herds, and of their Flocks to the House of God, unto the Priests that ministred in the House of God, and that they should bring the first fruits of their Dough, and their Off [...]i [...]gs, [...]n [...] th [...] fruit of all manner of trees, of Wine, and of Oyle unto the Priests, to the Cham­bers of the House of God, and the tythes of their ground they were to bring unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tythes in all the cities of their tillage; and the Priest the son of Aaron was to be with the levites when the levites took tythes; and the levites was to bring up the [...]ythe of tythes unto the House of God, into the Chambers of the treasure-House.

And so much I have in part set forth, to shew what God did do, and re­quired to be done in his worship and service, of which the Scripture speaks more at large. And now I come to shew how that the Kings and Rulers of the earth, who forsake the onely true God to serve strange gods, were the onely and chief Ring-leaders of the people from the true God and his way [Page 11] of Worship, to worship the Images that they had set up: And likewise, how they in their imaginations have in their actions imitated to do the like things for the worship and service of their false gods that they set up, as was done for the worship and service of the onely true God by his Com­mand.

And now I will lay down the particular things, to shew wherein the Kings and Rulers of the earth have acted in their own wills by their imagi­nations, to do those things for the worship of their false gods, which things that by them done were sin, and what things they are doing for a false wor­shipping of the onely true God, which is sin, and such as God never requi­red at their hands.

The first is, The building and repairing of the Houses of High Places,2. Kings 17.12, 15. Jer. 19.5. Jer. 7.31, 32. (called Churches) for the worshipping of their false gods in, or otherwayes for a pretence of worshipping the true God, which thing God never requi­red at their hands to do; For God dwells not in Temples made with hands, nor is he worshipped in Temples made with hands, but he is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth, and such worshippers the Father looks for, & dmells with him that is of an humble & contrite spirit, Ioh. 4.20, 21, 22, 23, 24. Acts 7.47, 48, 49. Isa. 57.15.

The second is, Their consecrating and making Priests to offer up Sacrifi­ces, to preach in those Hgh Places, called Churches, for money and tythes, is a thing that God never required at their hands to do, and therefore it is a sin for them so to do, 1 K ngs 13.33, 34. Matth. 9.37, 38.

The third is, the Laws that the Kings and [...]ulers (with the Pope and Bi­shops) of the earth, who sate in counsel together, have made, by which they compel the people of God to pay the Priests or Ministers that they have made, tythes and Hire by, which are contrary to God and Christ, and such Laws God never required them to sit together to make against him, and against his anointed: and therefore I say, that those Laws are unrighteous, unjust unholy, because they are not of God, but contrary to God, and therefore they are not to be obeyed, for God is to be obeyed rather then man, Isa. 10.1, 2. Mic. 6.16. Amos 8.4, 5, 6. Isa. 1.12. But of tythes I have something more to w [...]ite hereafter in its place.

First, God exal [...]ed from among the people of Israel Jereboam, the son of Nebat, one of King Solomons servants,1 King. 11. ch. & 14.7, 8, 9.10. and made him Prince over the peo­ple Israel; but Jeroboam turned away from the Lord God, and followed not the Lord to kee [...] his Com [...]andments with all his heart, nor stood in his counsel who had exalted him from all the people; but Jeroboam lightly e­steemed of the Lord, a [...]d set his counsel at naught; and set himself to do evil above all that were before him, and rebelled against the Lord, then the loss of Jeroboams Kingdom was set before him, and the fear of his life was upon him; and thus being surprised with fear on evevy side, he said in his heart, Now shall the Kingdom [...]eturn to the House of David; for said he, If this people go up to do sacrifice at Ierusalem, then shall the hearts of this people return again unto their Lord Rehoboam King of Judah, and they will kill me, 1 King. 12. chh and go to Rehoboam King of Iudah again: W [...]ereupon Ieroboam took counsel (but not of the Lord God who exalted him) and made two Calves of Gold, and the one he set up in a City called Dan; and Iereboam built up at Bethel a House of High Places, and he made an Altar at Bethel, and Jeroboam he [Page 12] set up the other golden Calfe at Bethel; and then Jeroboam said unto the people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem [to worship,] behold thy Gods O Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt. And thus you see how one of the Kings of the earth was the Ring-leaders of the people from the true God, to worship Idols, for the people went to worship before one of the golden Calves, even to the City of Dan, and that thing became a sin unto them; and Jeroboam he built an Altar at Bethel, and he made Priests of the lowest of the people, (which were not of the sons of Levi) and he placed the Priests in the Houses of High Places at Bethel: And Jeroboam he ordai­ned a Feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month (which he had devised of his own heart) like unto the Feast that was in Judah, [there was his imitation] and Jeroboam offered upon the Altar, sacrificing unto the Calves that he had made;1 King. 13. ch. and he stood by the Altar to burn In­cense; and the Priests that he had made of the lowest of the people for the High Places, burnt Incense upon the Altar, as it was done in Judah, so the like did he do at Bethel; But I do not find that the House of High Places was so glorious as the Temple was at Jerusalem. But behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the Word of the Lord unto Bethel; and as Jerobo­am stood by the Altar to burn incense, the man of God cryed against the Altar in the Word of the Lord, and said, O Altar, Altar, thus saith the Lord, Be­hold, a child shall be born unto the House of David, Josiah by Name, and upon thee shall he offer the Priests of the high Places that burn incense upon thee, and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee. Now Jeroboam who was turned from the Lord God that exalted him, fell to persecute the Prophet of the Lord, and Jeroboam himself put forth his hand when he heard the saying of the man of God, and said, lay hold on him; but the Lord God was just in causing his hand that he put forth to be dryed up,Read 2 Chron. 11. & 12. chap. for that he could not pull it again to him; yet the Lord God was merciful to his Enemy, and at the request of the man of God his hand was restored to him again; but after this thing Jerobo­am returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the peo­ple priests for the high places, after the manner of the Nations likewise of other lands: and for the Devils, and for the Calves which he had made, he ordained them priests, and whosoever came himself with a young Bullock, and seven Rams, the same he made a priest to them that were no Gods, and him who Jeroboam consectated, became one of the priests of the high places; and this thing became sin unto the House of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth: But take notice, that this House of High Places that Jerobam built at Bethel was called the Kings Chappel by Amaziah the priest of Bethel, Amos 7.10, 11, 12, 13. who was a persecutor of the prophet of the Lord, as you may read Amos.

2 Chr. 12.13, 14.And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned over Judah in Jerusalem, the Ci­ty which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his Name there: And when Rehoboam had established the Kingdome, and made it strong, then he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him, and Ju­dah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousie with their sins which they committed, above all that their Fathers had done, for they also built them high places and Images,1 King. 14 21, 22, 23. and Groves on every high Hill, and under every green tree, and there were Sodomites in the land, and [Page 13] they did according to all the abominations of the Nations which the [...]ord had cast out before the children of Israel. And thus you see now, that if the King turn from the Lord, & forsake his Commandments, the peop [...]e gene­rally follow to do wickedly with him; and as these two Kings did, so other Kings of Israel and Judah did the like, as you may read of Nadab, 2 Kings 15.25, 26. and Baasha, ver. 33, 34. and of Zimri and Omri, 2 Kings 16.19, 25, 26. And Ahab the son of Omri, King of Israel, did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him; and it came to pass, as if it it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, 1 King. 16, 3 [...] 31, 32, 33. for he took to wife Je­zebel the Daughter of Ethbaeal, the King of the Zidonians, and went and ser­ved Baal, and worshipped him; and Ahab he built a House in Samaria for Baal, & he reared up an Altar for Baal in the House of Baal, which he had built in Samaria; and Ahab had got for Baal four hundred and fifty prophets, and he had got four hundred prophets for the Groves that fed at Jezebels Ta­ble,1 King [...] 18.19. and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger then all the Kings of Israel that were before him: And the Samaritans they made Houses of high places in all their senced Cities, from the tower of the Watch­men, to the fenced City, and they set up Images and Groves, and they burnt Incense in the high places, as did the Heathen, and they served their Idols,Jer. 7.31. & 19.5. 2 Kings 17. ch. ver. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. wherefore the Lord God said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing: And the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the Seers, saying, Turn you from your evil wayes, and keep my Command­ments and Statutes according to all the law which I commanded your Fathers, and mhich I sent to you by my servants the Prophets: But they would not hear, but hardened their necks like the necks of their Fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God, and they rejected his Statutes and Covenant, and his testimonies which he testified against them, and they followed vanity, and be­came vain, and went after the Heathen, and worshipped all the host of Hea­ven, and served Baal. And Ahaziah son of Ahab, he reigned over Is­rael, and he walked in the way of his Father, and in the way of his Mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, for he served Baal, and worshipped him.1 King. 22.51, 52, 53. And after a reformation that King Hezekiah had made, as you may read 2 Kings 18. chap. Manassah his son reigned in Jerusalem, and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, for he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his Father had destroyed, and he reared up the Altars for Baal, and made a Grove as Ahab King of Israel did, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and he seduced the people to do more evil then did the Nations whom the Lord destroyed before all the Na­tions, and made Judah also to sin with his Idols, and he used inchantments,Read 2 Kings 21. chap. and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards, and observed times. Now was not Manasseh one that did forsake the Lord and his commandments, and did not he lead the peoplc on, & seduced them to do wickedly in serving strange gods, and worshipping Idols in the houses of high places? and thus you may see that the ground and foundation of the houses of high places (which we in England call Cathedral Churches, Churshes and Chappels.) was from the heathen and Idolatrous Kings and Rulers, and popish Kings, and others, built up to worship their Idols in; & now in these our days are upheld in pretence to worship the true God in; but I say, that God dwells not in [Page 14] temples made with hands, neither is he worshipped in them with those that assemble together in them, for God is a Spirit, and is wor [...]hipped in spirit and in truth. And now I will compare those houses of high places which Jero­boam, Ahab, Manasseh, and the heathens made, with those that we have in England, which are falsly called Churches, and see how far short they have fallen, and how far they do now fall short of being the same, or such like as they were.

First, The founders or builders of those houses of high places that the Scripture speak of, that I have before mentioned were built up by the hea­then and idolatrous people, at the command of the wicked and ungodly Kings and Rulers of the Earth, such as Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Ahab, and Ma­nasseh were, and now by hypocritical Kings and Rulers, and idolatrous Kings are upheld and maintained.

So these that we have here in England, were all of them built up by the popish Saxon Kings, and other Idolaters; I will onely instance some particu­lars of them, as I sound them written in our English Histories. About the year 604. by two of the Saxon Kings, viz. Etholbert King of Kent, and Segebert King of Essex, was founded the greatest house of high places in London, false­ly called by the name of the Cathedral Church,FOXES Acts & Monumen [...]s, Vol. 1. or St. Pauls Church, and through the instigation of Etholbert King of Kent, a Citizen of London be­gan in the year 614. to build the house of high places at Westminster, falsly called a Church.

And in the year 636. King Gilsus, King of the Moreians, began and foun­ded the house of high places, falsly called a Church, at Winchester, but it was finished by his son Kenwalcus? And about the year 932. by King A­thelstone was founded and by him builded the Cathedral at Exceter, HOLLINS. Chr. pag. 1009. as said Hollingshood in his Chronicle, who hath said likewise, that it is recorded in the History of the said Cathedral, thus, as followeth.

Atholstone, (the Cornish being subdued) returned to the City which an­ciently was called Monbeton, but now Exceter, and the [...]e sitting down An­no Dom. 932. he repaired the Walls of the same City, not much torn; also he gave a certain pension for the sounding a Monestry for the Monks, of the Family of God and St. Peter, alias, who served God and St. Peter: And Hollingshood saith, that in the year 1198. Pope Innocent the third established the erroneous Doctrine of Transubstantiation, and as it appeareth in the Decra­tals, made it an Article of the Symbole: And in the year 1218. his next successor Honorius the third, did confirm the same, and by a Decree also did establish Reservation, Candle-light, and praying for the dead, by which means the great number of Sacrificing and Massing p [...]iests did not onely en­crease, but Churches (falsly so called) and Chappels, began in all places e­very-where to be builded and erected for to wor [...]hip Images in; and the Sax­on Kings and others built Monasteries, Abbies, Nunneries, Chantry-houses, and Fryer-houses, for their Monks, Nunnes, Priests, Fryars, Ab­bots. And thus the founders or builders of your false Churches were I­dolaters, as those were spoken of in the Scriptures, and it was one and the same Spirit of Error and Witchcraft that guided them to do them in rebellion against God, for God never required it at their hands to do, 2 King. 17.12.15. Jer. 7.31. & 19.5.

Secondly, The Houses of high places that the heathen and the Idola­trous Kings of Israel built up, were built so large for height, length, and breadth, and so strange withall,Iudges 16. 1 Sam. 5. that they did contain and hold thousands of people; for the House that Dagon the god of the Philistine stood in, was so large, that it held about three thousand men and women upon the Roof, and the House was full of men and women, and the Lords of the Phili­stines were there: And Jehu he proclaimed a solemn assembly for Baal, 2 Kings 10. 1 Kings 18.22. and Je­hu sent through all Israel, and called for all the Prophets of Baal, and all his servants, and all the Priests of Baal, and all the worshippers of Baal, and they came all into the House of Baal, and the House of Baal was filled from one end to another: Now the prophets of Baal was in the dayes of Ahab four hun­dred and fifty men, and sure his priests, and his servants, and his worshippers were many more; for the House was filled with them from one end to the other, as saith the Scripture.

So likewise the Houses of high places here in England, which are falsly called Churches, are for height, length, and breadth builded so strong, espe­cially the Cathedrals, and some of the others, that above in their Galleries and below, they will hold thousands of men, yea, and the Princes, and the Rulers, and the Nobles, and the Judges, and the Priests that preach in them for hire, and the Prophets that study or divine for money, all in a Parish will but scarce fill them up from one end to the other, and another to help them.

Thirdly, The Houses of high places that Jeroboam and Ahab built, they had Vestries, and Vestments belonging to them, and likewise they had men that had the charge over them; take one for a pattern of all the rest;2 Kings 10.2 [...] And Jehu said unto him that was over the Vestry, Bring forth Vestments for all the worshippers of Baal, and he brought them forth Vestments.

So likewise the Houses of high places, falsly called Churches, here in Eng­land, they have men appointed to take the charge of them and their Ve­stries too, who are called by the Name of Churchwardens, Vestry-men, Clarks and Sexstones; and these, with Priests and the Vestry-men, are the Rulers of their false Church, which is but a house of high places: For first, at the end, or in the middle of some, there is a high place called the Steeple, where the formerly christened Bells hang; and that place is a high place for pleasure, and a place for profit by their ringing of their Bells, for when that one is dead they mourn, and ring Bells, and get money; and when one is marryed, they ring the Bells, and rejoice, and get money in the high place; and formerly the Bells was wont to be rung to keep evil spirits and tempests from their Towns; and when that the Pope or Bishop cu [...]st any for a sin, as they called it, they used to curse them with Bell, Book, and Candle, then the Bells was rung, that all might know that a he [...]etick, or some such like, was curst at high Altar: So with the Bells they bless, and with the Bells they curse; with the Bells they weep, and with the Bells they rejoice; with the Bells they take pleasure, and with the Bells they got money; and with the Bells they used to call people to worship Images, and now with the Bells the people are called together to worship a god a far off that they know not; and at the ringing the bells the priests make themselves ready to go p [...]each for their hire, who has the chiefest place in their Church, so called, viz the Pul­pit; [Page 16] and then there is a high place at the other end, called the Chancel, and high places of each side, called the Iles; and a high place called the Vestry in some, where formerly the priests Vestments, and Robes, and other trinck­its formerly lay in: and then a high place in the middle, called the body of the Church. And thus I have shewed wherein and how they are called hou­ses of high places, and I deny them to be Churches, &c.

Fourthly: In the houses of hlgh places that the heathens and the idola­trous Kings of Israel and Judah built, there was pictures, images, or the like­nesses of creatures made and set up in them to be worshipped as gods, which were not God, but Idols, the workmanship of mens hands; for Jeroboam he made in likeness two Calves of gold, and the one he set up at the City cal­led Dan, and thither the people went to worship; and the other he set up at Bethel; and Jeroboam said unto the people, These are thy gods O Israel, that brought thee up out of Aegypt: 1 Sam. 5.2. by Tho. Grashop. And the Philistines god was Dagon, and he was (as some write) made from the Navil downwards in the likeness of a Fish, and upwards like a man: and to this I refer the Reader to the Marginal Notes of the great Bibles. And the god that Ahab served was Baal, which was set up in the house at Samaria, which Ahab built for Baal: and Baal is taken for Ashteroth, the Idol of the Zidonians, which Jezabel caused to be worshipped:2 King. 10.18. & 1 Kings 16.31, 32. Iudg. 16. and Baal was made in the likeness of a Ewe, or a Sheep; read I say your Marginal notes of your great Bibles, upon the second chap­ter of Judges, verse 13. And Micah the man of Mount Ephraim he had two Images made of Silver, a graven Image, and a Moulten Image, and they were set up in the House of Micah, for Micah had a House of gods, and he made an Ephod and a Teraphim. Now all these gold and silver gods were the workmanship of mens hands, which the Carpenter, the Founder, the Graver formed and fashioned in the likeness of the creature, the which do­ing was forbidden of God,Deut. 5.8. who said, Thou shalt make thee no graven Image, or any likeness of that that is in heaven above, or which is in the earth be­neath, or that is in the waters under the earth.

And now I come to shew what manner of Pictures and Images we had, and now have in our high places, falsly called Churches, here in England: First, There was a Picture called the Rood of Grace, that was swayed up in a place called the Rood Loft, and hung upon shrines, which the people (be­ing seduced) were led aside to worship; for I will instance two or three par­ticular Roods, that the Reader may know what they were. The first that I now am going to write of,FOXES Acts & Monuments: Vol. 2. is a Rood that a Carpenter had made at a Town called Haddam, in Lancashire, in the fashion of an old man, gaping and grin­ning in such a sort, that their children were so frighted at it, that they durst not look upon it, whereupon the Inhabitants did not like it, and because it was so ill savoured they would not have it: But in the dayes of Queen Mary bloody Bonner commanded that a wel-favoured Rood should be made, and of a tall stature, which was done accordingly, and the Rood was dressed in white and green, and annointed with Oyle, & crept to, and kist, and weigh­ed up, and set in his old accustomed place, called the Rood Loft in Pauls Ca­thedral Church, so called by them; and by Edmund Bonners Order the Bells were rung for joy at the setting up of the Wooden god, alias, the Rood. A­gain I have read of another Idol which was called by the Name of the Rood [Page 17] of Dover Court, unto which the people did much resort, because a rumor was spread abroad among the people, That the power of the Rood of Do­ver Court was so great, that no man had power to shut the Church door (so called) where he stood, therefore said they, The door is fain to stand open night and day: Whereupon one Robert King, and Nicholas Marsh of Dod­ham, and one Robert Debnam of Estborgholt, being moved by the spirit of the Lord, did (like Gideon) go in the night ten Miles, and found the door of their Church open, as was reported, & they took down the Rood from his shrine, and carryed him about a quarter of a mile from his place where he stood, and stroke fire with a Steel and a Flint, and set fire to the Rood, and burnt him; for the which good act doing, they all three good honest men did suffer death by hanging in Chains. They had likewise in their Houses of high places, falsly called Churches, the Image of the Virgin-Lady Mary, which they worshipped, and called the Mother of God, their Patroness and Pro­tectress ever more in all adversity, and therefore Thomas Arundal Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, directed his Mandate to the then Bishop of London, to warn people to say certain prayers at the toling of a Bell, or ringing of Cor­phew; his words were as followeth: Thomas by the permission of God, Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Logate of the Suay Aposto­like; to the right Reverend our Brother, the Lord ROBERT, by the grace of God Bishop of of LONDON, Greeting. At the Request of the special Devotion of our Lord the King himself, We command your Brotherhood, straitly enjoyning you. That you command the Subjects of your City and Diocess, and of all other Suffra­gans, to worship our Lady MARY, the Mother of God, our Patroness and Pro­tectoress, evermore in all adversity with such like kind of Prayer and accustomed manner of ringing as the Devotion of Christs faithful people is wont to worship her at the ringing of Coure Lesson; & when before day in the morning ye shal cause them to ring, that with like manner of Prayer and ringing she may be every where honor­ed devoutly by the aforesaid Our and Your Suffragans, and other subjects, as well religious as Secular, in your and their Monasteries and Collegiate Churches: And they had likewise the Image of St. Petronel, and the Image of St. Christo­pher, and the Image of the Crucifix; all which and more were worshipped with Profession, bowing of the Knees, Oblations, offering of Frankincense, going on Pilgrimage, kissings, and setting up of Tapers, or Images of Wax lighted and burning before them, according to a Decree made by Pope Gre­gory the third, at a Council at Rome, held in the year 732.

Fifthly: In the Houses of high places that the Heathen and the Idolatrous Kings of Judah and Israel built, they made Altars and reared up in them: Ahab he reared up an Altar in the House of Baal; 1 King. 16.32. Chron. 33.3. and Manasseh he reared up Altars for Baal, and a Grove as Ahab King of Israel did, whereon they burnt Incense: And Jeroboam stood by the Altar, and he offered upon the Altar, and burnt Incense.

And so likewise there was in those Houses of high places (falsly called Churches) here in England, Altars, and Super-Altars, Rails, Transubstan­tiation, Reservation of the Lords Body, as they called it, and Mass, Mattens, and Evening-song, holy Bread, and holy Water, Auricular Confession, Ab­solution, and Blessing, and Cursing with Bell, Book, and Candle, and sing­ing of Dirges, and playing on the Organs, and burning of Lamps: Now [Page 18] Now all this stuff and more was fetcht out of the bottomless Pit, and turn­ed into Decres to be observed and done by both Priest and people, according to the Decrees made by the Popes, viz Sebevianus, Vitalianus, Pelagius, Martin, and Benidicto the third: And the ground and the end of all which doing was but to maintain the filthy lusts of the learned men, who were trained up at Oxford and Cambridge to do all these things.

Sixthly: The Houses of high places were consecrated; for Pope Felix the third, made a Decree, That the Churches so called should be made hallow­ed by none but by a Bishop. And Pelagius a Pope he devised a Memento to be used at the consecrating of them. And Anselm Arch-bishop of Canter­bury, by the permission of King Henry the first, and about the sixth year of his reign, assembled a great Council of the Prelates and Clergy of England together at Westminster, in which Synod and other Councils, by them it was decreed, That no Churches, as they called them, should be hallowed before the necessary provision be made for the priests and for the Church to be maintained: And again the high places that the Heathens and the idolatrous Kings built up,M [...]cca. 10.83, 84. Amos 6.13. were called by these Names following, viz. Dagons House, Dagons Temple, Baals House; and the House of High places that Jeroboam built up was called the Kings Chappel; & these Houses of high places are falsly called churches, chappels, Kings chappels, Queens chappels, Cathedal Churches, and according to a device of Pope Felix the third, they dedicated their Churches, so called, one to Christ, and that is falsly called Christs Church: and one to Peter, and that is falsly called St. Peters Church: and one to Paul, and that is falsly called St. Pauls Church: and others are falsly called by Name, St. Georges Church: St. James Church: St. Maryes Church: St. Ka­therns Church: St. Bennits Church: They might as well a called it Pope St. Benidicts Church; and St. Martins Church; or alias, Pope Martins Church; and Pope St. Nicholas Church.

Quest. But some it is very like will say, That their Churches are reformed of all such things as is before written: To this I shall answer.

First: The Names that was given them (at their dedication) by the Popes and popish bishops stands still, as Christs Church: St. Pauls Church: St. Peters Church. And again, they are not yet reformed of all those PICTVRES and Images, for still there remains the PICTVRES of men, women, and children in many of them, and especially, in and about London, of Kings and Queens, Earls, Lords, Ladyes, and their children, and others; and in many places there is made by the Painters and others the likenesses of Angels, Eagles, Doves, Lyons, Wolves, Hinds, Asses, Snakes, & the likeness of Boughs, or Trees, and the likeness of Water, and the likness of the Sun, Moon, Stars and Firmament: And their Churches, so called, are places of vanity, and lightness, and pleasures still; and likewise they are places of false Worship,Deut. 4.16, 17, 18, 19. like the House of Rimmon still; and they are Houses of Pictures, and the likenesses of creatures is still in them, which is contrary to what God did forbid the doing of, saying, Take ye therefore g [...]od heed unto your selves, lest ye corrupt and make you a graven Image, t [...]e similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any Beast that is on the earth; the likeness of any winged Fowle that flyeth in the Air, the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of Fish that is in the waters beneath the earth, for ye saw no similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Ho­reb. [Page 19] And so yet the Houses of high places here in England were never re­formed, but in part like those of Israel and Judah that Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Ahab, Manesseh, and of other of those Kings caused to be set up, were but in part reformed, until such time that King Josiah came,1 King. 13.1, 2, 3. according to the Word of the Lord spoken by the prophet when Jeroboam stood by the Altar at Bethel to burn Incense; of which reformation I have set down some par­ticulars, as followeth: For although much of the Idolatry that Jeroboam, Ahab and others had set up, were pulled down & destroyed at several times by other Kings that succeeded them, yet the complaint was, That the high places was left standing still, and not pulled down: And so say I, that some Kings and Rulers that succeeded the Saxons here in England have reformed many things that the Saxon Kings and others did do; but to this day the hou­ses of high places, falsly called Churches, the Tythes and the Priests remain standing up still like the stump of Dagon.

For Asa King of Judah did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he took away the Altars of the strange gods,1 King. 15.14. 2 Chron. 14, 15. chap. and the high places, and he brake down the Images, and cut down the Groves that his Fathers had made; and Asa removed his Mother from being Queen, be­cause she had made an Idol in a Grove, and he cut down her Idol, and stam­ped it, and burned it at the brook Kedron: and he took away all the high pla­ces and the Images out of the Cities of Judah, but the high places were not taken away out of Israel. 2 Chron. 16.7, 8, 9, 10. And Asa he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the Law and the Commandments: yet notwithstanding all that Asa had done, he was wrath with the Seer, and put him in a Prison-House, for he was in a rage with him for what he spoke unto him, and Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.2 Kings 11.1, 2.12.18. ver. 12. chap. 2 Chron. 24.1, 2, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

And Joash, the son of Ahaziah King of Judah, did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his dayes wherein Jehoiada the Priest instructed him; for all the people of the Land went into the House of Baal, and brake it down, his Al­tars and his Images brake they in pieces thorowly, and slew Mattan the Priest of Baal before the Altar: but after the death of Jehoiada the Priest, they left the House of the Lord God of their Fathers, and served Groves and Idols, and they sa­crificed & burnt Incense in the high places, for the high places were not taken away.

And Jehosaphat King of Judah he sought not after Baalim, 2 Chron. 17.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1 King. 22.43. 2 Chron. 20.32, 33. but sought to the Lord God of his Fathers, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel: Moreover he tooke away the high places and Groves out of Judah, but they were not all taken away, for as yet the peo­ple had not prepared their hearts to seek unto the God of their f [...]thers, but burnt yet in the high places Incense, so that all the high places were not ta­ken away; for Iehosaphat he had a love to the Idolaters, and not onely in bearing with them, but he joyned himself and his arm to them,2 Chron. 18.3. & 19.1, 2, 3. and said un­to Ahab, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war, for the which he was reproved by Iohn the Seer, who said unto Ie­hosaphat the King, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord, therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord: So that Iehosaphat went not on thorowly with his reformation, for the people offered and burnt in­cense in the high places, because they were not taken away, viz. their high places were not all taken away.

2 King. 18.3, 4, 5.And Hezekiah King of Judah he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done; and he and all Is­rael that were present, went out to the Cities of Iudah, and brake the Ima­ges to pieces,2 Chron. 31.1. and cut down the Groves, and threw down the high places and the Altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also, and Manas­seh, until they had utterly dest [...]oyed them all, and he trusted in the Lord God of Israel.

And Jehu King of Israel, with his Captains and his Guard, he smote with the edge of the Sword the Prophets and Priests,2 King. 10. the servants and the wor­shippers of Baal, and they brought forth the Images out of the House of Baal, and burnt them; and they brake down the Image of Baal, and brake down the House of Baal, and made it a draught House: Thus Iehu destroy­ed Baal out of Israel; howbeit, from the sins of Ieroboam the son of Ne­bat, who made Israel to sin, Iehu he departed not from them, to wit, the two golden Calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

But now it came to passe, That God raised up Iosiah King of Iudah, ac­cording as he had spoken by the Prophet in the dayes of Ieroboam, 1 King. 13.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. saying, Behold, a child shall be born unto the House of David, Josiah by Name, and he shall (O Altar, Altar) offer upon thee the Priests of the high places that burn Incense upon thee, and mens bones shall be burnt upon thee. And Iosiah com­manded that the House of the Lord should be cleansed, and the Keepers of the door brought forth out of the Temple of the Lord, all the Vessels that Manasseh had made for Baal, and for the Grove, and for all the Hoste of Heaven, and he burnt them without Ierusalem, in the fields of Kedron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel: and he brought out the Grove from the House of the Lord without Ierusalem, unto the brook Kedron, & stampt it to powder, and cast the powder thereof on the graves of the children of the people; and he brake down the Houses of the Sodomites that were by the House of the Lord, and he defiled the high places wherein the Priests had burnt Incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high pla­ces of the Gates, and he defiled Tophet, which is in the Valley of the chil­dren of Hinnom, that so no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Moloch; and he brake down the Altars that were on the top of the upper-Chamber of Ahaz, which the King of Iudah had made; and the Alta [...]s which Manasseh had made in the two Courts of the House of the Lord, did Josiah the King beat down, and break them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the Brook Kedron; and the high places that were before Ierusalem, which Solomon King of Israel had builded for Ashte­ [...]oth, the abomination of the Zidoniaens: and for Chemosh, the abomina­tion of the Moabites: Read 2 Kings 23. chap. and for Milchom, the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the King defile; and he brake in pieces the Images, and cut down the Groves, and filled their places with the bones of men: and he put down the idolatrous priests whom the Kings of Iudah had ordained to burn Incense in the high places in the Cities of Iudah, 2 Chron. 34. ch. and in the places round about Ierusalem: and he put down them also that did burn Incense unto Baal, and to the Sun, and to the Moon, and to the Planets (for Jupiter had a Priest, as you may read Acts 14.13.) and to all the Host of Heaven.

Moreover Iosiah he broke down the Altar at Bethel, and the high place that the King of Israel, Ieroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made; yea, both that Altar and the high place which was at Bethel he brake down, and burnt the high place, and stampt it small to powder, andf burnt the Grove, and all the Houses of high places that were in the Cities o Samaria, which the Kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord God to an­ger, Iosiah the King took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel: And Iosiah he turned himself, and spyed the Sepulchres that were at Bethel in the Mount, and sent, and took the bones [...]ut of the Sepulchres, and burnt them upon the Altar, a [...]d polluted it, ac­cording to the Word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed by the Altar before the face of Ieroboam, as he stood by the Altar at Bethel to burn Incense; and he slew all the priests of the high places t [...]at were there upon the Altars, and burnt mens bones upon them: And then he returned to [...]e­rusalem; and that he might perform the words of the Law which was writ­ten in the Book that Helkiah the Priest found in the House of the Lord, Io­siah he put away all the abominations that were spyed in the Land, viz. the Images, and the Idols, and the Wizards, and the workers with familiar spi­rits, and the times that Manasseh observed too: And thus Iosiah he went on, and prospered in his work,Lev. 26.30, 31. Deut. 18.9, to the 14. and made a thorow reformation both in Israel and in Judah, for he turned to the Lord with all his might, and with all his soul, and with all his heart, according to all the Law of Moses, neither af­ter him arose any like him. Here ye may see that King Iosiah did not do as other Kings did before him, that is, reform Idolatry in Judah, and let it re­main in Israel; and take away Baal, the Altar, and the Grove, and the House of Baal at Samaria, and leave the two golden Calves (the high place and the Altar) standing still at Dan and Bethel, which Ieroboam set up: Nay, he reformed Iudah and Ierusalem, Israel, Samaria, Dan, and Bethel, Lev. 20.27. and all of the abominations that were spyed in the Land, according to the Law of Moses.

And now ye shall see what reformation hath been made in England since that the Saxon Kings, the Danes, and other Idolaters built up the high pla­ces, falsly called Churches, Monaste [...]ies, Nunneries, Fryer-Houses, Chan­t [...]y-Houses, and Colledges: Now the first beginning of any reformation that I find of the Idolatry that they had set up, was in the dayes of Henry the eighth, wherein a Parliament was called, & it was enacted and decreed, That in causes and matters happening in contention, no person should ap­peal, provoke, or sue out of the Kings Dominions, to the Court of Rome. Secondly, It was designed and concluded, That all exportation of Anuities & first Fruits out of this Realm to the See of Rome for any Bulls, Breefes, or Palles, or expedition of any such thing, should utterly cease. Thirdly, It was enacted, That the Pope & all his Colledge of Cardinals, with his Pardons and Indulgences, which had so long clogged this Realm of England, to the miserable slaughter of so many good men (and which never could be re­moved before) was now abolished, eradicate, and exploded out of this Land, and sent home to their own country from whence they came; and what re­formation was this? none at all: for all this which they took away from the Pope, in a manner was setled upon King Henry the 8th. For first, they made [Page 22] him Head of the Church, as they called it, instead of the Pope: Their words of the Act are as followeth: Be it enacted by this present Parliament, That the King our Soveraign Lord, his Heirs and Successors, Kings of this Realm, shall be taken, accepted, and reputed the onely supreme Head (in Earth) of the Church of ENGLAND, so called, Anglicanâ Ecclesia. Secondly, And shall have and enjoy, annexed and united to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, as well the Ti­tle and Stile thereof, all Honours, Dignities, Preheminences, Iurisdictions, Pri­viledges, See Foxes Acts & Mo­numents, Vol. 2. Authorities, Immuniti [...]s, Profits and Commodities to the said Dignity of Supream Head of the same Church belonging and appertaining. Thirdly, And that our said Soveraign Lord, his Heirs and Successors, Kings of this Realm, shall have full Power and Authority from time to time, to visite, repress, redress, reform, order, correct, restrain and amend all such errors, abuses, offences, contempts, and enormities whatsoever they be, which by any manner of spiritual Authority or Iu­risdiction ought, or may lawfully be reformed, repressed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrained, or amended; any usage, custome, forraign Laws, forraign Authority, Prescription, or any thing or things to the contrary hereof notwithstanding.

Now for my part I see that none of the poor common people were ever the more eased of their burdens, (onely the King and the Bishops, with the rest of the Clergy) except their paying of Peter-Pence to the Pope, and that was none at all, because now the Priests have a Penny for the smoke of every Chimney, as the Pope had: Now see where the reformation was, first, That a Bible of the largest Volume, and in English, be provided, and set up in some convenient place of every Church, as they called it. Secondly, The Pater-Noster was to be in English. Thirdly, Sermons was to be made quar­terly. Fourthly, Such feigned Images (but not all) which were abused by Pilgrimage and Offerings, were to be taken down without delay. Fifthly, Tho. Bockets day was forbidden to be observed, but no other. And sixthly, The knoling of Aves was forbidden, lest the people should hereafter trust to have pardon from the Pope for the saying of Aves between the said kno­ling, as they have done in times past. Seventhly, The Abbies, Monasteries, Fry­ar-Houses, were many of them pulled down & destroyed. And eighthly, The Abbots, the Monks, the Fryars were suppressed; but the Popish Bishops, viz. Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and Priests, were upheld stil, & maintained by their goodly Lordships: Glebe-Lands, Rectories, and Tythes, as well as when the Pope was the Head of the Church, and men and women were burned for Hereticks, as they called them, then, as they were when the Pope was Head of the Church, so called: And Transubstantiation, and the Communion in both kinds: and Vows of Chastity: and the forbidding of Priests marriage: and private Masse: and Auricular Confession: and all Images, which served for no other use but as Books for unlearned men that can no Letters, to be admonished by them, as they said: All such stuffe was left, with the High Places, falsly called Churches, standing without any scruple at all.

And again, in the dayes of King Edward the sixt many, or very near all the aforesaid stuffe was laid aside, onely the Houses of High Places, the Bi­shops, Arch-bishops, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, their great Lordships, Recto­ries, Parsonages, Glebe-lands, Tythes, first fruits, and all these remained still unpull'd down: But when Queen Mary came to the Crown, and ruled, then all that her Father and Brother had reformed, she set up again, [except [Page 23] Abbies, Monasteries, &c.] and fell to burning of men and women for de­claring against her and her Bishops, and the Clargies, and the peoples abo­minations, according to the measure of light by them received, faster then all the Kings that were before her. And Queen Elizabeth, she and her Coun­cil, and Parliament, reformed many things, that the others set up in the high places, and otherwayes; but still they left the Arch-bishops, Bishops, their great Lordships, and the Glebe-Lands, the Rectories, and the Parsonages. the first Fruits, Tythes, and the Houses of High Places standing for to be maintained still.

But then in the dayes of the late King, the bishops and the Clergy by his Authority had got an encrease into their High places of their Organs, their Rails, their Altars, Organists, and Que [...]istors, bowing and cringing to the Altars; their white Surplisses, Tippits, Hoods, and Copes: and likewise Courts, Canons, and Intergatories, Parrators-prisons, Stocks, Whips, Gags, Pillories for the honest Puritans to be punished withall; but when the long Parliament sate, they voted twelve of the bishops to be Traytors, and cut off the head of one, and put down all the rest, with Danes and Chapters, and all their Courts, called Ecclesiastical Courts: the Star-Chamber, the High Commission Court, and Counsel Table,Anno 17. Ca­roli Regis. and all their Officers and Atten­dants belonging to them: and caused the Altars, Rails, Organs, Quirestors, Canons, Singing-men, and Singing-boyes to be all pull'd down and laid a­side, and caused the priests to lay aside their Surplisses, Tippits, Hoods, and took away the great Lordships and Lands from the Bishops, Danes and Chapters and sold them and their great Houses for the publike use, and cut off the late Kings head, and put down Kingly power or Government, as op­pressing and burthensom to the people, and voted down the House of Lords as uselesse; and made sale for the publikes use of the Kings Houses, Lands and Estates, and broke the Crowns to pieces for the publikes use, as was re­peated.An Act, Dei Vonens: Sept. 1650. And likewise they repealed those Laws which the Enemies of God made use of to persecute the godly people by, and so granted some liberty to religious and peaceable people, as you may see by an Act of Parliament, but notwithstanding all this, they have left the High places (falsely cal e [...] Churches) standing still, with the priests belonging to them, and the Glebe Lands, the Parsonages, and the Viccarages, and the Laws that the pope and popish Kings made to oppress the people by, with paying of tythes, and su­ing men at Law for tythes and imprisoning men for non-payment of tythes, & made an Ordinance for the taking trebble damages by distresse of mens goods for non-payment of tythes; all this still remains undone and unrefor­med still by this present power that now rules; and all those Judges and Ju­stices in whom the Devil rules, are protected, who casts some of us (the peo­ple called Quakers) into prisons,Rev. 2.10. and whip and stock us for bearing our te­stimony of Jesus by the spirit of prophesie: And likewise our payment of tythes is our testimony that we thereby do own Christ Jesus come in the flesh, and that for his sake do suffer both imprisonment and the spoyling of our goods, and so own him to be to us both King, Law-giver, Judge, and Priest, and deny all Laws that are made in opposition to him, who has changed the priesthood and disanulled the Law, even Christ Jesvs, the same yesterday, to day and for ever, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen. But I say, [Page 24] all those that make Laws for to pay tythes, and all they who by those Laws require or force people to pay tythes; and all they who do pay tythes, and all they who receive tythes, priests or improprietors, deny Christ Jesus by their works to be come in the flesh, and set at naught what he hath done up­on the crosse, and so likewise by their works own him not to be unto them neither King, Law-giver, Judge, Priest, nor Redeemer, and so they all agree together, and set themselves against the Lord and against his anointed: but of tythes I have more to say against them hereafter.

Quest. But it is very likely that some may say, What? wilt not thou pay thy money to the building and repairing of our Churches, or of that Church of the Parish where thou dwellest, for they that live in a Parish must do as the rest of the parish does, and be subject to the Orders and Customes of the place where they live.

Prov. 15.9. Exod. 23.2. ver. 24. Deut. 12.2, 3. Ans. The way of the wicked is abomination to the Lord; and it is written, Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil, nor do after their works: but I am to obey the Lord, and to keep his Commandments, therefore I have nothing to do with Ieroboams House of High Places, neither go I to worship in the House of Rimmon; therefore if Baal must have a House built or repaired, let Omri and Ahab do it, for I deny their works; and therefore refuse to put a hand to it,Isa. 15.1, 2. or to pay any money toward it; for I go not with Moab to the high pla­ces to weep nor to howle, neither do I take any delight in the high places that are decked with many colours upon the Walls, with the likenesses of several creatures drawn by the painters, and likewise their Scutchins and Streamers, and carved and graven Images of dead men, and women, and children, and the pillars of the high places likewise deckt with several colors, [...]zek. 16.16, 1 [...], 18, 19. all are whore­domes and abomination, as you may read in the Scriptures. And now I come to speak of the priests which now go under the title of Ministers of parishes, but formerly they had titles given them by men, of Arch-bishops, Bishops, Danes, Prebends, Arch-Deacons, Parsons, Rectors, priests, Clarks, made after the manner of other Nations, and not of God.

Isa. 29.13. 2 King. 17.32, 33. 2 Chron. 13.9.The people they feared the Lord, but said the Lord, Their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men. And they made unto themselves of the lowest of them Priests for the high places, which sacrificed for them in the Houses of high pla­ces, and after the manner of other Nations: Ieroboam he made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi, and he placed those priests in the high places which he had made at Bethel. Now the lowest of the people were young men who were made priests of; for Micah the man of Mount Ephraim he consecrated a young man,Iudg. 17. chap. and he became his priest: and he likewise had before consecrated one of his own sons, who became his priest: but the young man that Micah consecrated came out of Bethlehem-Iudah, and he was of the Family of Iudah, and a Levite, as saith the Scripture, and he took hire, for Micah he hired him to be to him a father & a priest for ten sheckles of silver by the yeer, and a Sute of Apparel, and his Victual, so Micah hired him,Mich. 3.11. and consecrated him, and he became his priest: The priests preach for hire, the prophets divine [or study] for money, and such were never made priests by the command of the Lord, but by man onely; for Ieroboam he returned not from the evil of his wayes, but made again of the lowest of the people priests for the high places, and whosoever would he consecrated him, and he [Page 25] became one of the Priests of the high places after the manner of other Na­tions, viz. the Heathen;1 Kings 13.33, 34. 2 Chron. 13.9. and this thing became a sin unto the House of Ie­roboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth: And the Kings of Judah they set themselves against the Lord, and agaist his Anointed, as the Kings of the Heathen did do, so did they; for they ordain­ed priests to burn Incense in the high places in the Cities of Judah,2 Kings 23.5. Acts 14.13. and in the places round about Jerusalem, unto Baal, the Sun, the Moon, and the Planets, viz. Mars, Venus, Mercury, Iupiter, and Saturn, and to all the host of Heaven, after the abomination of the heathen; and the Kings of the earth made Iupiter a priest, and Pharoah King of Aegypt he had made him priests, & gave them portions to eat; & the Land the priests of Pharoah had,Gen. 47.22, 26 2 Kings 17.13. was not sold with the rest of the Aegyptians; and Baal had priests made for him. Now in the dayes of these Kings of Israel and Judah, God raised up his own pro­phets, and sent them to declare against these priests & false prophets which the Kings of Judah and Israel had made for the Houses of high pla­ces, like unto other Nations; and likewise against both the Kings,2 Chron. 36.1 [...] Ier. 25.3, 4. the peo­ple, and the high places too, for all had transgressed very much after all the abominations of the Heathen: go read and see the testimony that the man of God bare against Ieroboam, 1 King. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. and of Elijah against Ahab and the prophets of Baal, 1 King. 18. chap. and the Vision that Isaiah saw in the dayes of Vzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah,Isa. 1.1, 2, 3. concerning Judah and Jerusalem, Thy princes, said he, are rebellious, and companions for thieves; every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: And of such priests as they had made, he said, His Watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, they are all dumb Dogs, they cannot bark; yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough; they are Shepherds that cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his Quarters. Isa. 56.10, 11 12. Ier. 1.1, 2, 3. & 2.13. & 7.31. & 8.1, 2. & 19. chap. And Ieremiah to whom the Word of the Lord came in the dayes of King Iosiah, and in the dayes of Iehoiakim King of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Ze­dekiah, and unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, saying, My people have committed two great evils, they have forsaken me the Fountain of living Wa­ters, and hewed them out Cisterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no water; they had forsook the Lord and his Commandments, and his House at Ierusalem wherein he had placed his Name; They have forsaken me said the Lord, and have estranged this place, both the Kings of Judah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem: They have built also the high places of Baal, and have burnt incense unto other gods: and they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the son of Hinnom, which I commanded them not: and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit: And said the Lord, the prophets prophesie lyes in my Name, I sent them not [so the Lord by his true prophet Jeremiah, Ier. 14.14. Read Ier. 23. chap. whom hee sent himself, disown'd those that the kings of the earth had made and sent forth] neither have I, said the Lord, commanded them, neither spake unto them; they prophesie unto you, said the Lord, a false vision, and a divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart. Ye may see that the prophets, the priests, and the high places that the kings of the earth,2 Kings 17.1 [...] 15. Ier. 7.31. & 19.5. who sate and took counsel together, and built high places, and made priests for them, that was such a work, and is such a work now as God never required at their hands to do, for the Lord disowns all, and said, Who hath required this at your hands? I [Page 26] commanded them not, nor spake it, neither came it into my minde: and those priests they preacht for hire, and studyed, or divined for mony, but such the Lord never sent; for see Ezekiels testimony against them, Ezek. 13. chap. [of Israel.] And in chap. 22. against both the princes, prophets, priests and people of Ierusalem. And likewise in chap. 34. against the shepherds of Israel. And Hosea he bate testimony against them, Hos. 4.6:7:8:9. & 5.1. & 8.3:4:5. & 10.8. And Amos he bare testimony against them, Amos. 7.9.10.11.12.13. ver. And Miaah he bare his testimony against them also, Mic. 1.5. & 3.1.2.3.5.9.10.11.12. ver. and Zachariah 11.17. And thus you may here all see how the Lord God by his prophets disowned and abhorr'd the works of the Kings, and Rulers of the Earth, and peo [...]le, for making Ima­ges, and worshipping of them; and for building up of Houses of high places, such as are now called Churches; and likewise for their consecrating and or­daining of priests for those high places Well then, was it a sin in those days? And do not the Kings and Rulers of the earth that do the same things either in whole or in part now, commit sin as well as they did? And do ye think that the Lord God does not abhor their works now as he did then? And do ye think, ye Rulers of England, priests and people, to escape the judge­ments of the Lord for your doing of such things more then they? Or do you think that they were greater sinners then you are? I tell you, nay; for except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. You see that many generations passed before King Iosiah came, and what? do you think that the Lord cannot raise up the like in England, to do the like work here as Iosiah did do, and pro [...] ­per in it likewise till it is finished? I tell you all, That your time is drawing on, and a reward for your works you shall be sure of; for such as you have sown, such you shall reap; for in a [...]l that ye have done, ye have but sown to the flesh, and of the flesh ye shall reape death and destruction from the Lord God.

Dist. 23. [...]ist. 3. Can. ADRIANUS. [...]. P. FOXES Acts 1 & oMnumentt Vol. 1. Constitutions & Canons, 32, & 39.And now I shall shew you that read this Treatise what I have read and ga­thered out of Histories, how that the Rulers of the Earth have (with the Pope) made Cardinals, Bishops, Deacons, Suffragans, Priests, &c. but such a work God hath not required any one of them to do; but they have in their own wills, and by their own imaginations done it; for I have read, That it was thought good that the Election of the Bishop of Rome should be of no strength without the consent of the Emperor of Rome, the Emperor did choose the Bishop of Rome: But saith my Author, This is now void; for now the Cardinal they choose the Pope, and the Pope he makes Cardinals; and Bishops, and the Bi­shops they ordain the rest with their Assistants, viz. their Ordinaries, Suffra­gans, Arch-Deacons, and by a carnal commandment did they ordain and con­secrate them.

Pope Iohn the thirteenth writ to King Edger in England, and willed him to see in his Cathedral Churches that none be promoted to be Bishops but such as were of the Monastical Religion: Anno 747. And likewise willed the said King Edger, To seclude all the Secular Prebendaries at Winchester, & to place in Monks: And that no Secular Clark should be chosen a Bishop. And so in King Edg­berts reign, Dunston Bishop of Canterbury, Oswald Bishop of York, and E­thelwaldus Bi [...]hop of Winchester, they discharged the Priests and Cannons out of their Houses, to place Monks in their Cells and Cathedral Churches, as [Page 27] they called them; but in former times the black Monks (who went all in black clothes as the priests of England now do) that followed the order of pope St. Bennit, were called Regulars and Votaries, and had nothing to do with any Ecclesiastical Ministry, Anno 606. till the time that Bonifacius the fourth made a Decree that Monks might use the Office of Preaching, Christening, and of hearing Confessions, and assoyling them from their sins. And in King Ed­wins dayes the black Monks of Bennits Order began to swarm in England, out of which Habite of black clothes the priests of England cannot yet get out of to this day. And now seeing that I have mentioned these black Monks of pope Bennits Order, I will put forth three Queries for the parish-Ministers so called, of ENGLAND to answer with moderation.

First, Seeing that you now in these dayes so many of you go in black Apparel, and in long black clokes especially, Whether the Chemarims, which were certain ido­latrous priests who wear black apparel (as you may read in the Marginal Note up­on the tenth chapter of Hosea, and the fifth verse) be your example so to do, yea or nay?

Secondly, Or whether do ye in love follow the fashion of the black Monks of Pope St. Bennits Order in your so doing, year or nay?

Thirdly, Seeing that Anselm Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, with the Pre­lates and Clargy of England in their Synodal Council decreed, Hen. 1. and a­bout the sixth yeer of his reign at Westminst. That the Gar­ments of the priests should be of one colour, and that their Shooes should be decent, then I say, Whether a black colour was thought to be most decent for the priests ga [...] ­ments? and if it was, then Whether you the priests of England, who are now called Ministers, do out of conscience at this day observe that Decree, and so wear your garments all of a black colour as m [...]st decent, yea or nay?

The Kings and Rulers of the earth, with the pope, made for themselves Bishops, Danes, Danes and Chapters, Parsons, Vicars, Priests, Ministers, and by their own carnal commandments were they made, and not other­waies, as you may see hereafter.

In the dayes of king Henry the fourth it was agreed upon by the king,Statu [...]o ex Of­fi [...]i [...] Reg. Hen. 4. and the bishops, and other lords, That no man within this Realm, er other of the Kings Majestyes Dominions, presume to take upon him to preach privily or apert­ly, without special License firct obtained of the Ordinary of the same place.

And in the dayes of the said king, Henry the fourth, Constitutions was made by Thomas Arundal Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and others, and he directed his Mandate, and sent to all and singular [as he said] our Reverend [...]rethren, Fellow-bishops and our Suffragans; and to Abbots, Priors▪ Danes of Cathedral Churches, Arch-Danes, P [...]ovests and Cannons; also to all Parsons, Vicars, Chaplins and Clarks of parish-churches; [as he called them] and to all Lay dwelling in his province of Canterbury: Greet­ing.

That no manner of person, secular or regular, being authorised to preach now by the Laws prescribed, or licensed by special priviledge, shall take up­on him the Office of preaching the Word of God; or by any means preach unto the Clargy or Laytie either within church or without in English, ex­cept he first present himself, and be examined of the Ordinary of the place w [...]ere he preacheth; and so being found a fit person, as well in man­ners & knowledge, he shall be sent by that said Ordinary to some one chur [...]h [Page 28] or more, as shal be thought expedient by the Ordinary, according to the qua­lity of the person.

Now take notice, that all Laws, Decrees, Ordinances and Constitutions were made and established by the Authority that the kings and bishops had from the pope; and by the pope and his authority was all the bishops, danes, arch-deacons, suffragans, priors, priests, vicars, chaplains, made and ordai­ned here in England: An. 25. Hen. 8. chap. 20. For first, the king he was to nominate who should be appointed to be bishop to any See or Diocesse within this Realm; and that then every person so presented to the pope, and by him approved of, was to be consecrated here in England by the Arch-bishop in whose province the said bishoprick shall be:Read the Act at large. An. 26. Hen. 8. cap. 14. but when king Henry the eighth had cast off the pope, then it was enacted by the King and the Lords, spiritual and tempo­ral, and Commons assembled in parliament, That no person or persons that the King should nominate to be a bishop or arch-bishop in this Realm hereaf­ter, should be commended to the pope, or to the See of Rome, to have the dignity or office of arch-bishop, or bishop within this Realm. And it was likewise enacted, That King Henry the eighth should nominate the person to be bishop or arch-bishop to the bishopprick that shall hereafter be void; and that he was to send his Letters Missive to the Prior and Covent, or the Dane and Chapter of the cathedral Churches, where the See of such Arch-bishopprick or bishopprick shall happen to be void; and they was to choose and elect that person whose name was contained in the Letter Missive, to the Office and Dignity of the arch-bishopprick; and then the party so chosen was to be presented to the King, & the other bishops was to consecrate him, and then he was to be invested into his place. And so king Henry the 8th. was set in the popes place to be Head of the church, An. 26. Hen. 8. cap. 1. and the Defender of the Faith and the same thing that the pope did, for the most part he did, with his bi [...]hops and others to help him. And so likewise I finde among the In­junctions and Ecclesiastical Orders drawn out by the King and his Council,FOX. Act. and Mon. Vol. 2. Constitut. and Can. made by K. JAMES and the Bish. 50, 51 it was agreed upon, and directed to the Parsons, Curates, &c. That they should not [...]dmit any man to preach within their Cures but such as were law­fully licensed thereunto by the king or the bishop of the Diocesse. Now it is to be observed, That none was to preach but such as was licensed there­to by the king and his bishops. And so likewise in the dayes of Queen Ma­ry none was to preach but such as should be licenced or allowed by her au­thority,An. 1. MARY 1. parl. cap. 1. or by any arch-bishop or bishop of the Realm; or by a lawful Or­dinary: or by the Vniversities of Cambridge or Oxford. So that all the prea­chers was made either by a woman or by men, that preached; and they whom God ordained and sent was not suffered to preach, but must be burnt.

And in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth it was enacted, That every person under the degree of a bishop, which doth or shall pretend to be a priest or mi­nister of Gods holy Word and Sacraments, shall in the presence of the bi­shop or guardian of the Spiritualities subscribe all the Articles of Religion which was agreed upon by the arch-bishops and bishops of both provinces,Ann. 13. ELIZ. cap. 12: and the whole clargy; but if the party did affirm or maintain any Doctrine directly contrary to those articles, except he did revoke his error, he was to be deprived.

And again,Constitut: and Can. 34. made in K. JAMES dayes. None was to be made a Minister or admitted to preach or ad­minister the Sacraments, being under the age of 24. yeers, unless he bring to that Diocesse from men known to the Bishop, to be of sound Religion, and a testimonial of his honest life, and of his professing the Doctrine ex­pressed in the said Articles. So that all the preachers, and ministers, and priests was made, ordained and allowed on by a Woman and her Bishops; and all that they did was contrary to what God had done, as you shall see hereafter. And thus the Kings, Queens, Lords, and Commons set themselves in councils, and took counsel together (but not of the Lord) how to make to themselves Bishops, Arch-bishops, Danes, Priests, Preachers, Ministers, &c. and if they did not like their preaching, then they did turn them out when they had so don; but who required any of all this at their hands? did God requre it at their hands? I say, Nay: for although God did long bear with them, yet you may remember what end they came to by the Parliament in those yeers they sate in, from 1641. to 1653.

But in the yeer 1644. the Lords and Commons then assembled in Parlia­ment,The parish Mi­nisters of Engl. are made by a carnal com­mandment. they made an Ordinance to give power to the Presbiter Assembly of Divines (so called by them, and the Presbyters) for the Ordination of Mi­nisters according to the Directory for Ordination; and they gave the Assem­bly of Divines Rules for examination of them they ordained to be Ministers, as hereafter is expressed.

1. He that was to be ordained was to address himself to the Ministers ap­pointed to ordain, and he was to bring with him a testimonial that he had taken the Covenant of the three Kingdoms,Can. 33, 34, 36. and how long he had been in the Vniversity, and of his diligence in his studyes, and what Degrees he had taken up there, and of his age, which was to be twenty four years at least; but especially of his life and conversation.

2. They was to proceed to inquire touching the Grace of God in him, and of his learning and sufficiency; and they were to make tryal what skill he had in the original tongues by reading the Hebrew and Greek Testaments: and of his other learning and skill in Logick and Philosophy: and what Au­thors in Divinity he had read: and they were to make tryal of his know­ledge in the chief grounds of Religion: and of his ability to defend the Orthodox. Doctrine against that which they called unsound and erroneous Opinions: and of his skill in the sense and meaning of such places of Scrip­ture as shall be propounded to him in case of conscience: and likewise, what skill he had in the Chronologie of Scripture, and of the Ecclesiastical History: and he was to expound a place of Scripture before the ordainers of him, and frame a discourse in Latine: and he was to preach before the people and the Ministers that were appointed to ordain him: and then after he was approved of, he was to be sent to the Church where he was to serve, and a Writing was to be read afore all the people, and after it was to be fix­ed upon the Church door, so called; and if no just exceptions was found against the party that was to be ordained,So it was done in the dayes of the Bish: s [...] Constit Con. 31. then they that were appoin­ted to ordain him, were to proceed to ordination by fasting and prayer to God for a blessing upon him that was to be set apart to the office of the Mi­nistry, and seven of them that was appointed to ordain was to be at the place, and one of them was to preach to the people of the office and duty [Page 30] of a Minister of Christ, and how the people ought to esteem of him for his work sake: And after Sermon was ended, he that preached was to demand of him that was ordained concerning his faith in Christ Jesus, and his per­swasion of the truth of the then reformed Presbyter Religion, & of his reso­lution to be diligent in prayer, reading, meditation, preaching, and his zeal against Error and Schism, and his care that himself and his family walk un­blamably. And when he had declared his willingness, and promised his en­deavours (by the help of God) so to do, then they that were appointed to ordain was solemnly to set him apart to the office and work of the Ministry by laying their hands upon him, with a short prayer to this effect.

Thankefully acknowledging the mercy of God in sending Iesus Christ for the redemption of his people, and for his ascention to the right hand of God the Father, and the pouring out his spirit, and giving gifts to men, Apostles, Evangelists, Pro­phets, Pastors and Teachers, for the gathering and building up of his Church; and for fitting and inclining this man to this great work; to beseech him to fill him with his holy sptrit, whom in his Name we Here let them impose their hands upon his head. set apart to this holy service, to fulfil the work of his Ministry in all things, that he may both save himself, and the people committed to his charge. And then after they was to commend by prayer him and his Flock to the grace of God: And after they had sung a Psalm, the Assembly was to be dismissed with a blessing;Canon. 33, 35. and then they was to give with him a Testimonial of his ordination, for the which he was to pay ten shil­llings to the Register of the Assembly.

March 20. 1653. Ordi­nance O. P. and his Council. Can. 39. and Can. 51.And an Ordinance was made by the present Rulers of this Nation for ap­pointing Commissioners for Approbation of publike Preachers, that the places destitute throughout this Nation may be supplied with able and faith­ful Preachers: And for this end Commissioners were authorized to judge and take knowledge of the ability and fitness of any person that was nomi­nated and presented to them: and before any person was to be admitted to be setled in any Benefice or publike Lecture, to preach and to take the stipe­ned or profits thereof, he was to be judged and approved one by the persons hereafter named in the Ordinance (of whom you may see in the said Ordinance at large.) First, They were to see if the party nominated and presented be a person for the grace of God in him.Can. 36. & 39. Secondly, of his holy and unblameable conversation. And thirdly, as also for his knowldege and utterance, able and fit to preach the Gospel. And fourthlyly, upon their Approbation of such, his ability and fitnesse according to the qualification above mentioned, they are to grant unto such Parson admission to such Be­nefice or Lecture by an Instrument in Writing under a common Seal.Can. 41. The Bishops Cannons and Constitutions, and the two Or­dinances, are in part equivolent each with other. But in the latter end of the Ordinance they conclude and say, It is not intended, n [...]r shall be construed to be any solemn or sacred setting apart of a person to any par­ticular Office in the Ministry; of which I let passe for others to judge what difference there is betwixt this solemn and sacred setting apart, and fome o­thers in the foregoing generations; for the Pope he gave power to the Car­dinals who were his Legates, and by them to the kings and the bishops. And a Parliament they set King Henry the eighth in the seat of the Pope, and then the bishops received their power from the King and the Parliament to make Ministers by a carnal commandment, and so it continued so long almost as Kings and Queens reigned in England. And the Parliament of Lords [Page 31] and Commons they took that power from the late King and his Bishops,Articles of Re­ligion, 36. to themselves, and gave power to an Assembly of Presbyter Divines to make Ministers by; but that lasted but until the Parliament was dissolved.

And since the dissolution of the short Parliamont, O. P. and his Council have taken the like Power, and given the like power to their Commissioners for to judge and approve of, who are fit to be preachers only in those places destitute throughout this Nation: So that the Kings, Queens, and other Rulers of this Nation, having got into their hands the same power that the Pope had, did, and do the same works in effect as the pope did; but say I, Who hath required this at their hands to do, seeing that it is the alone and proper work of Christ to make and send forth his Messengers and Ministers, as the Scripture testifieth, how that Christ Jesus said unto his Disciples,Luke 10.2. Matt. 9, 37, 38. Eph. 4.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. 1 Cor. 12.28. The Harvest truly, said he, is great, but the labourers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his Harvest. And Christ when he ascended on high he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, and he gave some Apostles, and some Prophecs, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers. And said Paul, God hath set some in the Church, first, Apostles: secondly, Prophets: thirdly, Teachers, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, and for the perfecting of the Saints. Now I say, That God nor Christ did not give that power neither to pope, nor to Cardinals, nor to Bishops, nor to Kings, or any other Rulers, nor to Coun­cils, or Assemblies, nor to Commissioners, since the dayes of the Apostles; neither did he command them, nor any one of them, to go and ordain men to be preachers for hire, nor to make ministers of the Gospel, nor to give a­ny man a commission to go to a parish in a city, or to a town, or to a village, and there of the people take tythes and money for their preaching, to the value of 100.l. 200.l. more or less by the yeer; this is a work that God never required at any one of their hands to do, no more then he did of Ieroboam, who for making and consecrating of the lowest of the people to be priests for the high places, which thing doing, became a sin unto the House of Ie­roboam, even to cut it off from the face of the Earth,1 King. 13.33, 34. and to de­droy it.

Ye may read in the Scriptures that Moses he had a command from God a­lone for to go and take Aaron and his sons, the Levites with him,Exod 28, & 29 chap. to 12, 13, 14, 15. &c. Lev. 8.1, 2, 3, 4, &c. Numb. 8.5, 6, 19. ver. from a­mong the children of Israel, that they might minister unto the Lord in the priests office, and to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: But who gave Ieroboam and other the Kings of Israel and Judah, any com­mand to make priests for the houses of high places? And who requi­red any Emperor, King, Queen; or any other Ruler of the Earth, to make, ordain, or consecrate bishops, priests, ot ministers for to pray, read, or preach in the houses of high places, falsly called churches.

And Elijah he had a command from the Lord to go and annoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, of Abel-Meholak, to be a prophet in his room;1 King. 19.16.19, 20, 21. ver. FOXES Acts & Monuments: Vol. 1. but by what authority did the pope go & annoint cardinals, bishops? &c. for did not the Emperor and others choose the pope, or popes? then had not the pope his command and authority from the Emperor and others (and not from the Lord God that commanded Elijah) to do what he did?

Matth. 28.19, 20.And Je [...]us Christ said unto his Disciples, All power is given to me in hea­ven and in earth; go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, unto the end of the world: But the Bishops of England they had their power in the dayes of King Henry the eighth,An. 25. Hen. 8. cap. 20. Luke 24.49. Acts. 1.4. and 2.4. Eph. 4.11. from him and the Lords and Commons as­sembled in Parliament, to make, ordain, and consecrate Arch-Bishops, Bi­shops, Deanes and Chapters, Deacons, Priests, Ministers, &c. and the like power and command they received from other Kings, Queens, and Parlia­ments afterward, but not from Jesus Christ; for they whom Christ sent out to preach, to them he gave power, and to them he gave some Apostles, some prophets, and some Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers: But those who were made by the power and command of the pope, the kings and rulers of the earth, they were called cardinals, arch-bishops, bishops, suffragans, priors, co­vents, deanes and chapters, deacons, arch-deacons, prebends, parsons, vicars, priests, rectors, clarks, ministers, &c. And the Assembly of presbyter Divines; so cal­led, and the Commissioners for approbation of publike preachers, they re­ceived their power, rule, and command to ordain ministers and preachers, and to set them solemnly and sacredly apart to the office and work of the Ministry, from the Rulers of the earth, as you may read at large in the two Ordinances made, one by the parliament of Lords and Commons, and the other by Oliver protector and his counsel, by them they had their power and command,See JOHN GOODVVIN's Book of TRI­ERS, pag. 5. and not from Christ, for without their power and command they did not act; and by that rule, viz. Acts and Ordinances, that the Rulers of the earth set them, they acted by, and not by the power or spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, as did the Apostles; and therefore all (both popes, emperors, kings, queens, counsels, parliaments, or rulers, bishops, assembly of divines, protector, counsels, and commmissioners) their works that they have done herein are abomination unto the Lord, because they are not done by his pow­er nor his spirit, but by the imaginations and devisings of their own hearts, w [...]ich by the light are seen, and made manifest to the children of the day, whom Cod hath by his spirit called out from amongst the Babylonians, to dwell in the city of God, and to worship him in spirit and in truth, for God dwells not in temples made with hands, nor is he worshipped in these chur­ches that are made with hands.

And now I shall come to shew you something of what I have both heard, read, and seen, and understand by the two Vniversities of Cambridge and Oxford; and likewise, of their teaching and bringing up, and their making of young men Masters, preachers, Doctors, &c. As for the two Vniversi­ties they were founded by the popish Saxon Kings, and other popish Kings, Bishops, Knights, &c. men and women. The first common School in Cam­bridge was founded by Sigisbert, King of the East-Angles; and the Vniversi­ty colledge in Oxford was founded by Allured, one of the Saxon Kings: and Baylie colledge at Oxford was founded by Iohn Bailiol, King of the Scots: and it is recorded, That Queens Colledge at Cambridge was founded by Margaret, the Wife of King Henry the sixth, and finished by Elizabeth, the Wife of King Edward the fourth: and the Brazen-Nose-Colledge at Oxford was founded by William Smith, bishop of Lincoln; but St. Iohns colledge at Oxford was founded by Sir. Thomas White, Alderman, and late before May­or [Page 35] of London: and for the other Colledges, they were founded in the ho­nor of one Saint or another, and called by their Names, viz. St. Iohns Col­ledge: All-Souls Colledge: Magdalene Colledge: and another is called falsly by the Name of Trinity Colledge, and another by the Name of Jesus Colledge, and one by the Name of Christs Colledge: and one by the name of Corpus Christi Colledge; that is, the Body of Christs colledge: and ano­ther by the Name of Christs Colledge. So by these Names and Titles ye may see what the founders were, and what their religion was; and now you shall see hereafter by the practise that is in these colledges, that the great and wise men of the world so highly esteem of for their works sake, are: But first, you shall see what the learned themselves have writ of them: Wickliffe terms the Vniversities to be the Synagogue of Satan: and John Hus. called them Lievetenants of Antichrist: And Luther called them the Gates of Hell, the Stews of Antichrist, Houses of Lyes; for said he,TINDALL in his Book of The Revelation of ANTICHRIST. They are all Here­tical by their School-Divinity, and they are Dens of Thieves, said he: And Tin­dal said, That whosoever ordained Vniversities, be it Alexander at Halis: St. Thomas, or any other, he was a star that fell from Heaven to the earth, for there are brought in (said he) moral vertues for faith and opinions for truth; and said he, The Vniversities are the very confused Cloud and opened Gate of Hell; and, said he, This Cloak [meaning the Vniversities] is of all other most noysome, and doth most hurt and damage; for said he, All moral Divines have a wicked con­science, full of scrupulosity. And Will Dell sayes, That yet the Vniversities are the strongest holds that Antichrist hath had amongst us: So that notwithstand­ing all their reformation in their Religion, the Vniversities remain in a man­ner as bad as they were. Now for their works; first, When any Schollar comes to any of these colledges, he is examined of his Latine and Greek, and Hebrew Tongues; and if he be a good schollar, and perfect in his answers, he is approved of, and when he has got him a Gown and a pair of Cuffs, he is admitted into the colledge to be a Student, and if he be a great mans son, or one that can make great friends to the Vice-chancellor, or the head-man of an House, then he gets the greater place in the colledge: but if he be a poor young man and of mean parentage, then a mean place must serve his turn: So that in their Fountains of learning to be Ministers is respecting of per­sons: for there is saying to the rich, Sit, or be thou here: and to the poor, Be thou in one of the meanest places: And then they are set to study Logick [that is, the Art of Reason.] Philosoyhy [that is, studying for Wisdom.] And there they read Aristotle and Plato's Works, and others, that they may be­come able disputants, that they may dispute at Schools, and make Theams and Verses: And in that time called Lent, one colledge disputes against another: Now do but observe a little of their behaviour and carriage in that time of their disputations: Those colledges who are to dispute one against another, makes choice of one amongst themselves in each colledge to dis­pute, that by their disputations it may be seen which is the greatest schol­lar: And he that they have made choice of to dispute, they take him up upon their shoulders, & carry him out of the school: and in the time of their disputing there is such hissing and shouting, like a company of Gamesters at play, and when they cannot get mastery with their tongues by disputing, then they fall together a fighting for mastery, and teares the Gowns from one [Page 34] anothers backs; and lose their hats, and beats one another along the streets, and some of them go away with black eyes. And at the end of four years, if any Schollar is judged fit in schollarship, he is to take a Degree, and then he must go about the city from colledge to colledge bare-headed, with a square cap in his hand, and a Hood upon his shoulders made of Lambs Skins with the Wool on it, which they call Visiting, to beg a Grace; and if none have any thing against him, then he takes a Degree of Batcheller of Arts; and when he hath taken that Degree, he may choose whether he will be a Divine, or a Lawyer, or a Physician, or an Astrologer; that Art which he chooseth to be of, he furnishes his study with Books accordingly; and so to study three yeers more; so that four years and three yeers is seven yeers, the time of an Apprentiship, unlesse that any be favoured by the Vice-Chancellor, who gives a yeer and several graces to the party favoured; and then in the time of Lent he is to dispute for his Degree of Master of Arts; and then at that time he takes his Degree of Master of Arts; and then he changes his Hood, and wears a silk one, and changes his Gown, and wears a pair of Colloshooes on his feet, and then he gives money and rich Gloves to the Vice-Chancellor, and to several Doctors, Proctors, and to the Bea­dles that goes before them with a silver tipt Staffe from place to place, and then a great Feast is made in the Colledge-Hall, and there they have their Wine and Musick. And then the next Degree he takes is Batcheller of Divinity, and after Doctor of Divinity; and now take notice, That when any comes to take his Degree of Doctor of Divinity, that several Doctors kneels down to the Vice-Chancellor to beg a Grace for the Doctor that is to proceed, and when the Vice-Chancellor hath granted him to be created a Doctor, then he riseth up, and kisseth the Vice-Chancellors cheek, and this is called the Doctoral kisse, and then is given a Doctoral Ring, Gloves, and a Doctoral Dinner, and Musick; and at their publike commencement or ta­king of their Degrees, they all meet together in one of the Houses of high places, falsly called St. Maryes Church, (or other) and there is great Scaf­folds built up, and there all round the high place sit all sorts of people, men and women, and in the middle stands a place somewhat like a Pulpit, and in that stands some one notable Varlot, who they count a brave Schollar, who is chosen out of the Vniversity, and he is called a Prevaricator, or a Terryfi­lius, and he stands up in the middle and presence of the Vice-chancellor, the Doctors, Heads, Students, Schollars, and all the great resort of Ministers and people f [...]r several hours, and jeers, scoffs, derides, and reproaches all sorts of persons, of all ages, sexes, sorts, and professions; and the Auditors they laugh, and rejoice, and hollow, and hisse, and stamp, and make a noise, rejoycing to hear his wickednesse, and so take pleasure in unrighteousnesse; and in these times the schollars are so rude, that at night time no women or civil people dare scarce passe out of their houses for fear of being abused by them.

Now in the time of these seven yeers they have several titles given, viz. Servitors, Vndergreagates, Divines, Students, Batcheller of Art, Master of Art; Batcheller of Divinity, and Master of Divinity, Doctor of Divinity, &c. and in these Vniversities they study Philosophy and vain deceit, the works of Flato and Aristotle, Logick, (the art of Reason) Rhetorick, (the [Page 35] art of well speaking) and read Books of Moral Philosophy, called Aethicks: and Divinity they study likewise, and mingle all together; and all this stuffe; viz. Logick, Rhetorick, Philosophy, Divinity, the Languages of Latine, Greek, and Hebrew, that they have learned & studyed for, are called gifts fit for the Ministry, say the wise men of the world; but I say, That these things makes not the Vnive [...]sity Schollars fit for Ministers of the Gospel, but makes them light, vain, proud, fantastical, bold, impudent, scoffers, and mockers, and persecutors, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, and despisers of those that are good, and so not fit to be Ministers of Christ, but of Anti­christ, which are but unprofitable talkers.

And likewise in these Vniversities are brought up yong men to be Law­yers, Doctors of the Law, Masters and Doctors of Musick; Batchellors and Do­ctors of Physick, Astrologers, Mathematicks, &c. and these two Vniversities are called the Eyes of the Nation, but they are both dark and blind ones; and they are called the two Fountains of Learning, but they are both stin­king Fountains, that no sweet water issues; out of them, therefore it is high time to cleanse them of their filth and abominations. And for their learn­ing, I am sure there is as much wickednesse and ungodlinesse learned and practised both by the Schollars and their Tutors and Governors, as by any other sort of people, as you see in part before written. And now I say, What is the reason that the Hospitals are laid down, and that the poor are not relieved as they were wont to be? And why are the servants wages ab [...]ted? Covetousnesse abounds; the hand is shut from the poor,Deut. 15.7, 8. Prov. 22.22. Iam. 5.1, 2, 3, 4. Hab 3.14. and the poor is rob­bed, and the cry of the poor is heard, and the cry of the Labourer is heard, and wo be to them that with-holds the Labourer of his wages, and devours up the poor, and that takes gifts and bribes for a thing of naught, & that take pleasure in unrighteousnesse, and rejoice in wickednesse, and live in plea­sures, and draw iniquity after you as with Carts Ropes. You Heads and Ru­lers of Oxford and Cambridge, take notice of what is writ [...]en against you: And as for your Schollars, they are as wild as a wild Asses Colts, headdy, high minded, fighters, quarrellers, scoffers, and many of them will be drunk and swear, & will cheat and cozen one another by setting one another upon the score for bread & drink, & rob mens Orchards too, some of them, which I have heard from their own mouths, & ly up a nights revelling & drinking, & set great sums of money upon their fathers scores to pay,Prov. 28.24. more then their fa­thers allow them; whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith it is no transgression, the same is a companion for a destroyer; and the drunkard shall come to poverty, and never inherit the kingdom of God: Here is sweet bruits to make Ministers of the Gospel of; but of such and such like do they make Ministers of at Cambridge and Oxford: for said William Dell in his Book,DELL's Testi­mony against Divinity De­grees: pag. 1. 22. The Vniversities (whose soul and life doth lye in humane learning and School-divinity) that they may gain the greater profit to themselves, and glory to their chil­dren, have (after the example of the Heathen) given their children Degrees in Divi­nity, as they in Art, and the glorious titles of Batchellors, Masters, and Doctors in Divinity, as so many Crowns of Gold upon their heads, to win them honour and reputation from all people, who have been under the delusion of Antichrist; and in the confirming of those Graduations or Degrees (which is also done f [...]r a sum of money) they give the Graduates License and power to preach, and to expound [Page 38] the Scriptures, and that by the sole Authority of the Vniversity; for said he, The Vice-Chancellor admitting a Batchellor in Divinity to his Degree, useth these words, In the Name of the Vniversity we admit you to declare all the Apostolical Epistles in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: And so the Bat­chellor in Divinity hath power in his Degree onely to deal with the Apostolical E­pistles, but must go no farther. And admitting a Doctor to his Degree, the Vice-Chancellor saith thus: We admit you to interpret and profess all the holy Scrip­tures, both of the Old and New Testament, in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, &c.

So that it is plain, That the Parish-Priests of the Nations, called by the world their Ministers, buy their Power, their Gifts at the Vniversities, of men, for a sum of money, Simon Magus-like, that they preach by for hire, and study or divine for money by: Therefore they who are made Ministers at Cambridge and Oxford are the worlds Ministers, and not Christs Ministers, for Christ Jesus said, All power in Heaven and in Earth is given to me: and he ascended up on high, Eph. 4.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Matth. 28.18, 19. and he gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, and for the perfecting of the Saints: And to those that he gave gifts to, he sent them forth to preach the Gospel in all Nations, saying, Go ye into all Nations, and preach the Gospel in every creature: And he gave them power, and of him they received power, and were by Christ alone made able Ministers,Matth. 10.8. Acts 2.4. Gal. 1.11, 12. 2 Cor. 3.6. 1 Cor. 12.28. Eph. 4.11. not of the Letter, but of the Spirit: and for this they gave not any money; for said Christ, Freely have ye received, freely give: neither did they learn the Gospel of man, but had it by the revelation of Iesus Christ: And those whom Christ sent out to preach the Gospel, were called Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, &c. But those that are made Ministers at the Vniversities of Cambridge and Ox­ford, are called Batchellor of Art, Master of Art: Batchellor of Divinity, Master of Divinity, Doctor of Divinity, &c. and these receive their power from men, and not from Christ: We (saith the Vice-Chancellor) admit you to declare, &c. Now Christ told his Apostles, That all power in heaven and in earth was given to him of his Fatther: but of whom received the Vice-Chan­cellor his power? not of Christ, but of man, as appears by a Statute-Law, the words are these,Anno 1. MA­RY: 1 Parl. cap. 3. a carnal com­mandment to make Ministers by. Prov. 15.8, 9, 26. ver. If any person or persons shall molest, disturb, vex, or mis­use any Preacher or Preachers that at any time hereafter shall be licensed, allowed, or authorized to preach by the Queens Highness, or by any Arch-Bishop or Bi­shop of this Realm, or by any other lawful Ordinary, (or by any of the V­niversities of Cambridge and Oxford) &c. Here by mans Laws the Vice-Chancellors receive their power and Authority to make Preachers, and for money do they admit men to preach: and for their gifts they pay men for, and for their admittance to preach they give money for; and for hire they preach, and for money they study and divine, and all that is done by the means of the two Vniversities, which is an abomination to the Lord: for a corrupt fountain, cannot send forth at the same place both sweet water and bitter: for I say, There is three sorts of men, or four, that ascends out of these two Fountains, viz. Cambridge and Oxford, and these four sorts are all learned men, and men that are in high esteem with the men of the world, and these are, the Lawyers, the Priests, called Ministers, the Doctors of Phy­sicks, and the Astrologers, which the world runs after a whoring, as after [Page 39] so many Idol-gods: for first, many people if they have lost any thing, or have any thing stolne from them, then they run to the Astrologers to know where it is, and there goes one part of their money for casting of a figure, and tel­ling of a lye. Secondly, If they be sick a little, then they run to the Do­ctors for help, and not to God, for he is not in all the thoughts of the wick­ed: and so the Doctor he gets another sum of money for his imaginary di­rections that profits not, but does hurt to the bodyes of men, women, and children. Thirdly, If any difference or quarrel befall amongst men, then straightwaies they run to ask counsel of a Lawyer, and ask not cousel of the Lord: and of the Counsellors, Lawyers, &c. they take counsel to arrest, and sue one another at the Law, and they get another part of the peoples money. Fourthly, The people run generally after the Priests, who they call Ministers, that preach to them for hire. and divine for money, thinking that by those unprofitable talkers they shall be taught the way to heaven, and to them they pay tythes, and to them they give money, gifts, and rewards, and of them they are ever learning, but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, because they are seduced by such unprofitable talkers;PAULS Epistle to the Laodice­ans, ver. 4. and so the Priests take the peoples money for nought, and the people being sedu­ced by these unprofitable talkers, give their money for that which is not bread, whereas if they would come and learn of Christ, who is the true way, and the way to the Father, and the way to peace and rest for their souls: he would lead them, and teach them, and feed them freely, without money and without price.

Therefore I say to all people, So long as you follow the unprofitable tal­kers, which you call Ministers, Psal. 107.19, 20. Mark. 5.25, 26, 27, 28, 29. Luke 4.38, 39. you will never come to the knowledge of the tr [...]th, nor to rest and peace for your souls: Thefore cease from them, and come to Christ Jesus the light, that by the light ye may come to the Father, and behold the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, that takes away the sins of the world, and behold the glory of God in the Grace of Christ Iesus.

And again, leave of going to ask counsel of the Lawyers, neither do ye take counsel of them, for so long as ye take counsel of them, ye will never keep money in your purse, nor your selves be at peace: Therefore I say peo­ple, When there ariseth any difference amongst you, go and ask counsel of the Lord, and take counsel of the Lord what ye shall do therein, and the Lord God will lead you out of all strife and contention, and teach you how to agree with your adversaries quickly, and to love your neighbor as your self, and to forgive your enemies, and to live in peace with all men: There­fore I say to all people, Cease from the Lawyers, and follow the Lord whol­ly, who giveth to man every good thing.

And again I say people, Cease from the Doctors, for so long as ye follow them, ye will never enjoy your healths, and come to God who sent his Word and healed the people, and delivered them from their destruction: Christ healed the woman of her Issue who had spent all that she had, and had suffered many things of many Physicians, and was nothing bettered, but grew rather worse. Therefore I say, Forsake the Physicians and come to Christ, who rebuked the Feaver, and it left Peters Wives Mother: God he wounds, and he heals: he kills, and makes alive: he brings down to the Grave, and raiseth up again. But some it is very like may say, Must we not use [Page 38] the means when we are sick, and take something to do us good? Yea: but I say, Wait with patience upon the Lord; stand in awe, and sin not: and if the Lord command thee to go and take a Plaster of Figs and lay to thy sore, or to go and drink water,2 King. 20.5, 6, 7. 2 King. 5.14. Luke 17.19. or wash in the water and thou shalt be whole, then go in the name and in the fear of the Lord, and do as he commands; and be­lieving in the Lord, so shalt thou be made whole. Now I say, That these three sorts of men, [for I will put the Doctors and Astrologers together] the Priests, who are called Ministers, the Lawyers, and Physicians, are all un­to the people like the Locusts, the Caterpillar, & the Palmor-worm, for all of them will have the peoples money, and what the one leaves, the other comes after and takes. And again, I say, That these learned men have been ever a generation of persecutors of the people and servants of God; and the Scriptures doth testifie with me, that those Priests that were made and con­secrated by men, end the false Prophets, were in all generations persecutors of the true Prophets and servants of the Lord, which he sent forth to de­clare his Messages; and this I will prove both by Scripture and History to be true.

For it is thus written in the Scriptures, That Ieroboam the son of Nebat, King of Israel, 1 King. 12.31. & 13.33, 34. made at Bethel Priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi, for the high places: But in the dayes of Iero­boam the son of Ioath, King of Israel, God sent Amos an Herdsman of Te­koa, to Bethel; and Amos in the Name of the Lord declared against the high places, and said, The Land should be desolate, and the Sanctuaries of Israel should be laid waste, and that the Lord would rise against the House of Ieroboam with the Sword: But Amaziah the Priest of Bethel, he sent to Ieroboam King of Is­rael, Amos 1.1. & 7.10, 11, 12, 13 saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the House of Israel, and the Land is not able to bear all his words, for thus saith Amos, Ieroboam shalt dye by the sword, and all Israel shall be led away captive out of their own Land: And Amaziah the Priest of Bethel said unto Amos, O thou Seer, go flee thee away into the Land of Iudah, and there cat bread, and prophesie there, but prophe­sie not again any more at Bethel, for it is the Kings Chappel, and the House of the Kingdome

1 King 22.11, 22, 24. ver. 2 Chron. 18.10 11, 23. ver.And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah, one of Ahabs false prophets, went and smote Micaiah the true Prophet of the Lord upon the Cheek, &c.

And in the dayes of Iehoiakim King of Iudah, God sent Ieremiah to go and stand in the Court of the Lords House, and God commanded Ieremiah, saying, All the words that I command thee to speak unto them, diminish not a word: And Ieremiah said unto all the people that came to worship in the Lords House, Thus saith the Lord, I will make this House like Shiloh, and I will make this City a curse to all the Nations of the earth, &c. And when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking,Ier. 26.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 16. ver. Luke 22.2, 66. ver. Matth. 26.3, 4. & 2 [...].1, 2. then the priests, and the false prophets, and the people, took Jeremiah, saying, Thou shalt surely dye. And the priests, & the prophets spake unto the princes and to the people, saying, This man is worthy to dye; but the Princes and all the people said unto the priests and to the prophets, This man is not worthy to dye, for he hath spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord our God, &c. And the chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the Elders conspired against Christ Jesus the Son of God, and held a con­sultation, and they and the whole Council took Jesus and bound him, and [Page 39] carryed him away, and delivered him to Pilate, and would not cease till they had got him crucified and put to death; for said they, We have a Law, Iohn 19.7. Act. 4.7. chap. & 23. ch. v. 2. & 25. ch. v. 2, 3 and by our Law he ought to dye, because he made himself the Son of God, &c. And so likewise in the dayes of the Apostles, if any tumult, or imprisonment, or death fell upon them, the Priests, the Scribes, and the Rulers of the Temple would often have a hand in in it, first or last.

And as the priests and false prophets were that Jeroboam and other of the Kings of Israel and Iudah had made, such like persons for persecuting were the Bishops and the Clergy of England, who were bred up at the Vniversities of Cambridge and Oxford, and such are the priests (who are called Ministers) in these dayes, for I say, The same spirit that ruled the Pope, Cardinals, Bi­shops, &c. in the persecution of the servants and saints of God, the same spirit ruled the Bishops and the Clergy in the dayes of the Kings and Queens of England; and the same spirit rules the priests (called Ministers) in Eng­land now in these dayes as it did them in those dayes;Pope INNO­CENT the third, & Pope LEO at RA­TISBONE. See the form of the Spanish In­quisition: FOX Act & Mon. Vol. 1, 2. See the Table of Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and other Countreys as well as the En­glish Martyrs. JOHN CLARK of Melden in France a Wool-Carder by Trade. This latter was done upon him at METZ in LOTHERING, 1524. for the Pope in his Councils made Degrees, and Canons, Institutions for the correction of Hereticks, as they called them; for whosoever did speak against him, his Laws, Decrees, Canons and Institutions, or the Popish Religion in general or particular, either by disputing, preaching, writing, printing, or other­wayes, were counted Hereticks, and then according to the Popes Canons, Decrees and Institutions, were the Cardinals, Bishops, and others of his Clergy, to proceed against them in their Ecclesiastical Courts, by iniquisiti­on, examination, or proof of Witnesse, &c. and so to passe definitive sen­tence upon them, according to the Popes Canons and Decrees, &c. and then those they called Hereticks were delivered by them to the Secular Pow­ers, viz. the Magistrates of the Land, who did punish those that they called Hereticks by whipping, stocking, hanging, burning, chopping off of their heads, or cutting out of their tongues, and put balls of Iron in their mouths, and boared their tongues through with hot Irons, banishment, and confisca­ting of Goods, and many other torments, &c. And now I will instance one particular mans sufferings; and that which they made his crime, was for setting up a certain Bill upon one of their falsly called Church doors, against the Popes pardons, in which Bill he named the Pope to be Antichrist, for the which he was three several dayes whipped, and after that he was burned in the forehead (I would have Parliaments to take notice of this whipping and burning, and not do as the papists do) and for pulling down the Images, and breaking them to pieces, he was by the Canons, Priests, and Monks, &c. judged and condemned, and by the Secular Powers, had his right hand cut off from his arm, and with a sharp pair of pinsons they violently pull'd his Nose off from his face, and his paps from his breasts, and both his arms from his body, and afterward burned him in the fire. And so by this example let all judge what spirit these were of, whether this spirit that led them on to do this, was of God, or of the Devil: I say, That that spirit that led them on to destroy mens bodies, or otherwayes,Luk. 9.54, 55, 56. Matt. 26 51, 52 53. by burning was not the spirit of Christ Jesus; for Christ answered Iames and Iohn, saying, The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them: therefore see how contrary that spirit was by which the Pope and his Clergy was guided by to destroy the lives of men, to the spirit of Christ, as you may read: And the same spirit that guided [Page 40] the Pope and his Councils to destroy mens lives, guided them to make De­crees to pay tythes: for in the Council of Lateren under Pope Gregory the tenth, said they, Let no man give his tythes where he pleaseth, as before; but let them be paid to Mother-Church, &c. Now do but observe Tindall, who said, That all moral Divines have a wicked conscience, TINDAL in his Book of the Revelation of Antichrist. full of scrupulosity; and said he, All that do pursue are Antichrist, the Pope, the Cardinals, Bishops and their Adherents. Take notice, and their Adherents do pursue; therefore the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops and their Adherents are Antichrist: and I say, If of Antichrist, then not of Christ, but against Christ and his annointed did they sit in counsel, and plotted against the just to destroy them.

And now ye shall see it appear that the Popes Adherents, viz. the Bi­shops and the Clergy of England, were guided by the same spirit as the Pope was;Statute ex Offi­cio, Hen. 4. and also the Magistrates likewise: for in the dayes of King Hen­ry the 4th. it was agreed upon by the King, the Lords spiritual and tempo­ral, and by them enacted, That no man within this Realm, or other of the Kings Dominions, do presume to preach, teach, inform, maintain openly or in secret, or make or write any Book contrary to the Catholike faith and determination of holy Church: and if it happen that any person or persons, of what kinde, state or con­dition soever he or they be, do attempt any manner of thing contrary to this Pro­clamation and Statute, &c. the Ordinary of the same Diocesse upon information had power by the said Statute (so called) to cause the party or partyes so defamed and evidently suspected to be arrested, and to detain the party or parties in safe cu­stody until he or they had purged themselves touching the Articles laid to his or their charge in that behalf, or else till they had denyed and recanted, &c. And further, If any person was lawfully convinced before the Ordinary of the place, or his Commissaries, of the said preachings, teachings, opinions, writings, &c. and would not abjure and recant, then sentence was to be pronounced by the Ordinary or his Commissaries upon the party or partyes; and after sentence pronounced he or they were to be delivered over to the Secular Power, viz. the Mayor, Sheriffs, or She­riff or Bailiff of the City, Town, Borrough or Village of the same County, who were to take unto them the said persons so offending, and cause them to be openly bur­ned in the sight of all people, &c.

And Thomas Arundal Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, with other of the Popes Adherents, added to the Statute so called their own Constitutions, whereof one was: Item; No manner of person shall presume to dispute upon the Articles determined by the The Pope & his Adherents were meant by them to be the Church. Church, as is contained in the Decrees, Decreetals or Constitutions provincial, or in the general Councils; nor none shall call in doubt the Authority of the said Decreetals or Constitutions, or the Authority of him that made them, nor teach any thing contrary to the determination thereof, &c. and whosoever doth preach, teach, or obstinately affirm contrary to this and all other Constitutions and Decrees (except he recant in manner and form aforesaid) shall forthwith incur the penalty of Heresie, and shall be pronounced an Hereti [...]k in all effect in Law. And no sooner was these Constitutions and their pretended Laws finished, but Thomas Arundall Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and the learned Clergy his Brethren, Suffragans and Assistants, fell to put it in ex­ecution, and past sentence definitive upon William Sautre, alias, Chautre, for an Heretick, and delivered him over to the Secular Power, viz. the May­or and Sheriffs then of London to be put in execution; and for fear (said my [Page 41] Author) that it should not be speedily enough done, The Spanish Inquisition is no Law of God; nor the Domi­nican Fryars that were depu­ted Inquisitors, were no just Iudges of He­resie: Neither was the English Clergy, who were led by the same spirit. See FOX. Act. & Mon. Vol. 1. Elizabeth Young denyed to swear in the dayes of Queen MARY. Matth. 5.34, 35, 36, 37. & 23.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Ier. 31.33. Heb. 8.10, 11. Iames 5.12. Luke 23. chap. Act. 12.2. the Bishops called upon the King to make a Decre, who thereupon did, and sent it to the then Mayor and She­riffs of London to put it in execution; and the words of the Decree in the latter end of it are as followeth: Provided alwayes according to the Law of God and man, and the Canonical Institutions in this behalf accustomed, That such Hereticks convict and condemned in form aforesaid, ought to be burned with fire: We com­mand you as straitly as we may or can, firmly injoyning you, that you do cause the said William Sautre, being in your custody, in some publike or open place within the Liberties of your City aforesaid [the cause being aforesaid published to the people] to be put in the fire, and there in the same fire really to be burned, to the great horror of his offence, and the manifest example of other Christians. Fail not in the execution hereof, upon the peril that will fall thereupon: Teste Rege apud Westmonast. 26. Febr. An. Regni sui.

And the like was done upon Iohn Badly a Taylor, and Sir Iohn Oldcastle; alias Lord Cobham, and William Thorp, for denying swearing by the Book, and saying the Priests had no title to tythes under the Gospel, was com­mitted to prison, in which it was thought that he dyed.

Now here I observe that in the Scriptures [and in the heart] it is written that Christ said, Swear not at all; and likewise that those Ministers that he sent out to preach the Gospel writ to the Brethren, saying, My Brethren, swear not, neither by heaven nor by earth, nor by any other oath, &c. Now Christ that taught men they should not sweare at all, he was by the Scribes and Pharisees and the high Priests (who taught men to swear) counted a perver­ter of the Nation, and was vehemently accused, and said that they had a Law, and by that Law he ought to dye; and they did not cease till that he was put to death. And Iames (he was by Herod slain with the sword) who writ to the twelve scattered Tribes, saying, Above all things my brethren swear not, &c. And William Thorpe for denying to swear by a Book, at the Pope and his Adherents command was put in Prison, wherein it was thought that he dyed. And now in these dayes some lye in prison because they will not swear at all.

Now I suppose that none will be so impudent as to say that Christ and the Apostles were not guided by the spirit of truth, but that they will say on the contrary, viz. That Christ and his Apostles were guided by the spirit of truth: Then I say thus, That the Scribes, Pharisees and the high Priests and the Pope and his Adherents, viz. the Rulers of the earth, the Bishops and the Clergy, were and are all guided by a spirit of error; by which spirit of error the Scribes, Pharisees, chief Priests, the Pope and his Adherents, viz. the Bishops and the Clergy, and the Rulers of the earth, taught men to swear, and do teach and compel men to swear by the same spirit of error. And again; The same spirit which Christ Jesus and his Apostles taught men that they should not swear at all, taught many of the Martyrs to deny swear­ing at the Pope and his Adherents command: And the same spirit teacheth us [the people called Quakers] to deny swearing at all; for say we, It is bet­ter to obey God rather then man; and therefore we rather choose to suffer for the name of Christ then to obey man by swearing, contrary to the Law written in our hearts by the spirit; and by the power of the spirit of truth are we taught, and do deny the paying of tythes to the priests of this Nati­on [Page 42] [who are called Ministers] or any other; and by the power of the same spirit of truth do we (so many of us as are called thereunto) suffer not on­ly bonds with patience, but likewise the spoyling of our goods with cheer­fulnesse for the Name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Law-giver, our Judge and our Priest for ever of God, by the power of an endlesse life, and not by a carnal commandment, as the priests of this Nation, called Ministers, are now made by. But of tythes I have more to say hereafter, and the priests likewise.

Anno 1540. 31. year of H. 8. April. 8.And now I come to shew what an Act was made in the dayes of King Henry the 8th. the popes Successor here in England, who by the means of Stephen Gardiner was stirred up to shew himself severe and sharp against those new Sectaries, Anabaptists and Sacramentaries, as they called them, and that some Articles might be set forth to confirm the ancient Catholike Faith; and for this and other ends through the device of the popes Adhe­rents, the King summoned a parliament to be holden at Westminster of all the States and Burgesses of the Realm; also a Synod or Convocation of all the Arch-bishops, Bishops, and other of the learned Clergy of this Realm, to be in like manner assembled; in which Parliament and Synod of the Bi­shops and the Clergy, and by their means, viz. the Bishops and Clergy, it was decreed in pretence of unity among the Kings subjects, That the six Ar­ticles which they had made should be received among the people; and with­all, a penalty to be inflicted upon them that refused them; which penalty and the Articles were called the Whip with six strings: And the six Articles consisted, the first of Transubstantiation. The second of their Sacraments of both kinds.FOX. Act. and Mon. Vol. 2. The third about Priests Marriage. The fourth was about the Vows of chastity, or Widow-hood. The fifth was about private Masse, helping of souls out of purgatory. And the sixth was about Auricular Confession. And for the bloody penalty that was annexed unto those six Articles take as followeth, and then judge whether the King and his Bishops and Clergy did not act like the Pope; and whether they were not led all by the same spirit as the Pope was led by, yea or nay.

Item; That if any person or persons within this Realm of England, or any other of the Kinge Dominions after the twelfth day of Iuly next com­ing, by word, writing, printing, cyphering, or any other way should publish, preach, teach, say, affirm, declare, dispute, argue, or hold any opinion that the blessed Sacrament of the Altar under the form of bread and wine (af­ter the consecration thereof) there is not present really the natural body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ conceived of the Virgin Mary; or that after the consecration there remaineth any substance of the bread and wine, or any other substance but the substance of Christ, God and man, or after the time abovesaid publish, preach, teach, say, affirm, declare, dispute, ar­gue, or hold opinion that in the flesh under the form of bread is not the ve­ry blood of Christ; or that with the blood of Christ under the form of Wine, is not the very flesh of Christ, as well apart as though they were both toge­ther; or by any means abovesaid or otherwayes, preach, teach, declare or affirm the said Sacrament to be other substance then is abovesaid, or by any means contemn, or deprave, or despise the blessed Sacrament, that then e­very such person or persons so offending their aiders, comforters, counsel­lors, [Page 43] consenters, and abettors therein [being thereof convinced in form under-written by the Authority abovesaid] shall be deemed and adjudged Hereticks, and every such offence shall be adjudged manifest Heresie: and that every such offender and offenders shall therefore have and suffer judge­ment, execution, pain and pains of death by way of burning, without any abjuration, Sanctuary or benefit of Clergy to be therefore permitted, had, allowed, admitted or suffered, and likewise the forfeiture of all the Estate real or personal to the King, &c.

And by the same Parliament it was likewise enacted,That Parlia­ment confirmed the Spanish In­quisition. The Oath for the Commissio­ners of the bloo­dy Inquisition. That for the more ef­fectual execution of the Premises, full Authority of Inquision of all such Heresies, &c. should be committed and directed down into every Shire to certain persons, provided that the Arch-Bishop, or Bishop, or his Chancellor, or his Com­missary to be one; and that every person that should be named Commissioner in this Inquisition, should first take a corporal Oath, the tenor of which Oath here ensueth; Ye shall swear that ye to your cunning wit and power shall truly and indifferently execute the Authority to you given by the Kings Commission, made for correction of Hereticks and other offendors mentioned in the same Commission, without any favor, affection, corruption, dread or malice to be born to any person or persons, as God you help, and all Saints, &c.

All you Rulers and Magistrates of England that swear and take Oaths, what spirit is it that teaches you to frame Oaths, & leads you to swear Oaths, and to give Oaths to men or women?Heb. 6.16. Exod 22.10, 11. 1 Kings 8.31. were they that forged the Oath above-written, and sware, and required people to take the said Oath, guided by the spirit of God so to do, yea or nay? And again, Was that Oath the Oath of the Lord that they had forged to be taken, yea or any? Did the Pope and his Adherents give or administer the Oath of the Lord to any, yea or nay? Was the Pope and his Adherents taught by the spirit of God to frame Oaths to be taken, yea or nay? Or did the spirit of God lead the Pope and his Adherents to swear and to take Oaths against the Saints and Servants of God whom they persecuted to death, yea or nay? I say Nay: the spirit of God neither taught them to make or to forge Oaths; neither did the spirit of God teach or guide them to swear by their own forged [out of the bottom­lesse pit] Oaths: Neither are Parliaments nor Councils in these our dayes taught by the spirit of God to make Oaths; nor doth the spirit of God teach them to swear neither by the Bible or by their hand,Iames 5.12. Matth. 5.34, 35, 36. & 23.16, to 22. or by any other crea­ture, or part of any creature; nor by any of their framed Oaths: but the spirit of God did teach, and does teach the contrary now as it did in the dayes of Christ and the Apostles, which spirit I own and obey: but that spi­rit that frames Oaths which are not the Oath of God, and swears, and re­quires people to swear by an Oath forged out of the bottomlesse pit,FOX. Act. & Mon. Vol. 2. L. CROMWEL made Earl of Essex, Great Chamberlaine of ENGLAND and Vice-go [...]rnor to the King. I deny that spirit and its practise, for it is not the spirit of God, but the power of the prince of the Aire that rules in the hearts of the children of disobe­dience.

I have read in the Book of Martyrs of one Thomas Lord Cromwel, that in the dayes of King Henry the eigth did this Nation of England a deal of good service, as the story of his life & death doth relate how profitable an Instrument he was in destroying Abbies, Monasteries, Nunneries, &c. and routing out of the Land the works of the Monks, Fryars, Nuns, and other [Page 44] such like brutish drones; and pulled down the Rood, called the Rood of Grace, and all his Engines, and shewed them openly at Pauls Crosse, with the blood of a Duck; which the papists made the people to believe it was the blood of Hailes, and other such like pieces of Idolatry and Witchcraft he removed out of the way, that the people was seduced by with the learn­ed men of Oxford and Cambridge. So likewise he was an Instrument to dis­cover the treachery of the Bishops and the Clergy, who had sworn to be true to the King, and afterwards swore also to be so to the pope; and for the proof of the same he produced a copy of their oath to the pope, which was read in the Convocation-House before them; and the matter was so plain that they could not deny it. And likewise Thomas Lord Cromwell presented the Bible to the King, and obtained License that the same might freely passe to be read amongst all his subjects: This Bible was of the lesser volume; but a Bible of a large Volume began to he printed at Paris with an intent of Mar­ginal Notes to it, of which the said Lord Cromwel was a great helper of it for­ward: At which the Clergy was offended; and the cursed Bishops bringing their purpose to passe, brought Thomas Lord Cromwell out of favor with the King, and after to his death: For after the six Articles with the penalty an­nexed to them, and the full Authority of the bloody Inquisition was con­firmed, then the said Thomas Lord Cromwell being in the Council-chamber was suddenly apprehended, and committed to the Tower of London, and sundry crimes, surmizes, objections and accusations (as they called them) were brought against him, &c.

The best of men in their genera­tions have al­wayes been counted Here­ticks by they who are Here­ticks indeed.1. The first and chiefest Article that they had against him to accuse him with, was above all others Heresie; alias an Heretick.

2. That he was a supporter of them whom they counted for Hereticks, as Barns, Clark, and many others, who he by his Authority and Letters written to the She­riffes and Iustices in divers Shires, rescued and discharged out of Prison: And I say he did well in so doing.

3. That he did disperse among the Kings subjects great numbers of Books, contain­ing [as they said] manifest matter of much Heresie, Diffidences and Misbeliefe was their manifest Heresie in the Bible that he disperst abroad, let the Hereticks themselves answer.

4. That he caused to be translated into our English Tongue books comprizing matter expresly against their Sacrament of the Altar: and that after the transla­tion thereof he commended and maintained the same for good and Christian Do­ctrine; and good reason he should so do.

5. They charged him with some hainous words spoken against the King in their falsly called Church of St. Peter the Poor, in the month of March, so called, in the thirteenth year of the Kings reign, which was about 18. years before; but if any such words was spoken as tended to Treason, they were Traytors for concealing it so long.

Read the story of the life and death of THO. L. CROMWEL in FOX. Act. & Mon. Vol. 2Here you see what was charged against the man for his good service, and for all his good service that he had done the King and the Nation, by the means of the blood-thirsty clergy had his head cut off at the Tower-Hill in London. One thing I observe at the doing or bringing about this thing to be done is, That before time the two Bishops, viz. Sardiner Bishop of Winchester, and Bonner bishop of London were made friends, who before were the grea­test [Page 45] enemies each to other that might be, and by their means Barns, Clark, and many others were burned; all that was contrary to themselves must be burned in the fire: and they so delighted in burning of people, that they burned some papists of their own Religion as well as Hereticks, as they cal­led them. And thus ye may see what a bloody generation these learned men have been who were brought up at Cambridge and Oxford, and other schollars, and by a carnal commandment of man made Ministers and Prea­chers: for no sooner did any thing of God appear in a King or other Ma­gistrate, but these like the red Dragon were ready to deuour that good thing in them: For I find that young King Edward was one of a meek spirit,Re [...]. 12.4. and much inclined to clemency, for he alwayes spared and favoured the life of man, and favoured the life of those they called Hereticks; for one Ione But­cher should have been burned, and all his Council could not move him to put his hand to have her burned, but were fain to get bishop Cranmer to perswade him to do it: but Cranmer could not with much labour induce the King to do it: do but take notice of the Kings answer to bishop Cranmer; said the King, What will ye have me to send her quick to the Devil in her error? And yet although one Cheek the Kings School-Master could not perswade the King, nor his council could not perswade him to set his hand to the burning of the woman: Yet the bishop like the old Dragon overcame him to put his hand to the writing; but Cranmer confessed that he had never so much to do in all his life as he had to cause the King to do it; for said the King to Cranmer, I will lay all the charge upon you before God: So likewise his council sent the said Cranmer then Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and Ridley bishop of London, to perswade the King to permit his Sister the Lady Mary that bloody Queen, to have private Masse in her House without prejudice of the Law, for the which they alledged their reasons and perswasions for the accomplishing of the same; but the King replyed to them by answering to them from the Scri­ptures, so that they confessed what he said was true: But still they like the Devil did urge him to it politickly, and alledged what danger it might be to him if he should deny such a thing; but the King answered them, and willed them to be content, for he would, said he, spend his life and all he had, rather then agree and grant to that which he knew certainly to be against the truth: Yet not­withstanding they urged him still to grant it, and would by no means have his nay; whereat the King seeing their importunity burst out in bitter weep­ing and sobbing, and desired them to be content, &c.

And by these two before writ of, viz. King Edward and Thomas Lord Cromwell, ye may see how those learned men could turn and wind about to destroy the appearance of God not onely in Kings and Rulers, but likewise in others; and if they could not destroy it one way, they would destroy it a­nother, and that was by causing their bodyes to be imprisoned, wracked, whipped, hanged, burned, &c. as witness all the Martyrs in Queen Maryes dayes, whereof Cranmer himself was one: and the same spirit that ruled in those bishops and the clergy, ruled in the bishops and the clergy in the days of the late King, as witness the cruel sufferings of Henry Burton, Iohn Lil­burn, William Prynne, and Iohn Bastwick, &c. and the same spirit of en­vy and cruelty reign; now in these dayes in the parish-ministersBut not in the Ministers of Christ. of Eng­land, for the Tree is known by its fruit; for not only by their deeds, but by [Page 46] their words do I judge them to be such as for what I have heard from some of their own mouths; I shall let it pass, and their deeds to me likewise: But by the way take notice what Mercurius Politicus said, viz. that several peti­tions were presented to the House Thursday the 18. day of Decemb. 1657. containing divers complaints against the growth and exorbitances of the people called Quakers [and so did Pharoah against the children of Israel] was this day read.Exod. 1. chap.

The first was from the county of Devon and Exceter. The second was from the Ministers of Northumberland, Durham, and New Castle upon Tine: (but not from the Ministers of Christ.) And the third was from the Justices of the Peace, Gentry, Ministers of the Gospel, as he said, and others in the county of Palatine of Chester; and the attestation of the same petition by the Mayor, Aldermen and Ministers of the city of Chester: (not the Mini­sters of Christ.) The fourth was from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Com­mon-counsel of the city of Bristol, with the Ministers of the Gospel, as he said, and other chief Inhabitants there. The fifth was the humble petition of divers well-affected persons, Gentlemen, Ministers, (he did not say here, Ministers of the Gospel) and others in the county of Cornwall, which (said Politicus) were all referred to a Committee to consider of them, and to col­lect such heads as may be fittest for a Bill for the suppressing of the mischiefs and inconveniences complained of therein, &c. And let the prisons in England testifie of the sufferings of those people called Quakers, by the means of the Parish-Ministers of England, and also the losse and spoyle of their goods for non-payment of tythes; and likewise the whipping stock­ing and stoning of them by the brutes of this Nation above all other Nati­ons; for whereever they have yet come, the Rulers hath not dealt the like to them as they of their own Nation have done unto them; which Nations may be a witness against England in the day of Judgement for the hypocri­sie and cruelty in her Rulers and their Ministers, &c.

Quest But it is very likely that some may say, They be not all such as thou shewest them to be, for some of them are better then others, therefore thou must not condemn all to be alike, &c.

Answ. I do grant that amongst the Rulers and Magistrates of this Nati­on there is some that are more sober, moderate, and discreet then others are, and will not put their hands to do violence and blood as others do; but of this better sort there is the lesser number. And so I say of those who are called the Parish-Ministers, [take notice that for all this I do not own them to be Ministers of Christ] that some of them, and but few, are more wise in their generation, sober and moderate men, and have not yet put forth their hands to do wickedly as the other have done, who professe themselves to be Ministers of Christ, but are not his, as appears by their pride, covetousness, envy, malice, wrath; for they are fierce despisers of those that are good, heady,Epist. of Paul to the Laodic. v. 11. high-minded, and are desirous after filthy lucre, and seek the honor of men, and not of God, and the ruine and destruction of mens bodies, and so are out of the faith, patience, gentleness, quietness, and the meek spirit, which is of great price with the Lord: and could they have the Ma­gistrate in all things to do their will, they would have had fire and Faggots put to the people called Quakers to have burned them, or else to have had [Page 47] us banished out of the Land before this, out of their way; nay, they would not have spared some of their own Brethren, the Ministers, so called, for they would have done by them as Stephen Gardiner and Edmund Bonner did by Ridley, Latimor, and Philpot in Queen Maryes dayes, or as the late Bi­shops did to Henry Burton; for the same spirit as was in Gardiner, Bonner, and the late Bishops, is ruling in the Parish-Ministers now, but that they can­not get all the Rulers of the Land to joyne with them to accomplish their designe; and these are such who are made Ministers and Teachers by a car­nal commandment of men, and the people who will not endure sound do­ctrine, but turn away their ears from hearing the truth, & are turned unto fa­bles, and according to their own lusts, having itching ears, they heap up to themselves Teachers made of Cambridge and Oxford Schollars, heaps of teachers made by a carnal commandment to be be Preachers & Ministers of Parishes [but not Ministers of Christ] Parsons, Vicars, Curates, Lecturers, Rectors, Chaplains, viz. His Highnesse Chaplain, the Ladys Chaplain, the Earls Chaplain, and their Lords Chaplain; and these Chaplains feed at their Earls, and their Lords and Ladyes Tables, like the prophets of the Groves that fed at Iezzabels Table: And thus they creep into Houses, and leadsilly women captive, who are laden with sin, and lead away with divers lusts, ever of them learn­ing, but by their preaching are not yet come to the knowledge of the truth.

And again, by the means of these parish-Ministers who are so made by a carnal commandment, rule hath been born, and is born to persecute the righteous under the Notion of Hereticks, Sedition, Schism, Seducers, Blas­phemers, &c. whenas all discord, debate, strife, erroneous Opini­ons, and divisions in matters of Religion, and what points of Religion they will believe, and what they will not believe, and blasphemy, imitations, de­ceiving and beguiling unstable souls is amongst the learned men themselves who are trained up, and have been traind up at the Vniversities in Logick, Rhetorick, Philosophy and vain deceit; for are not some of those who are called Ministers, for the Pope and his Religion in general? and others for the Episcopal Religion? and others for the Scottish Presbyters Religion? and are not some of them of the Independents Religion? and others of the Anabaptists, Antinomians, Arminians, and Fifth Monarchy-Men, so cal­led? and from whence arise all these Nick-names and ill-favoured tearms but from these Cambridge and Oxford Schollars, those unprofitable talkers,Epist. of Paul to the Laod. v. 4 who are made Ministers by a carnal commandment of man, and not of God? for the Ministers of Christ were not made Ministers by a carnal com­mandment, but by the Spirit; for said Paul, Our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. 3.5, 6. who al­so hath made us able Ministers of the New-Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit.

It was, and it is the work of the onely wise God,Heb. 11.5. Iude 14. Exod. 3.2, 3, 4, 5, 6.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Ier. 35.15. Isa. 6.8, 9 Ier. 1.5. Mat. 9.37, 38. & 10.1, 5, 6, 7. & 28.18, 19, 20. Mark 16.15. Luk. 24.47, 48, 49. Act. 1.4. & 2.2, 3, 4. 1 Cor. 12.28. Eph. 4.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Gal. 1.11, 12, 15, 16, 17. 2 Tim. 4.2. Epist. Paul to the Laod. ver. 1. and our Lord Jesus Christ, to ordain, to call, to elect, to sanctifie, to give power, gifts, and com­missions, and to send forth all true and faithful Messengers, Prophets, A­postles, and Ministers of the Gospel for to declare his Messages in particu­lar, and likewise to preach the Gospel in all Nations, in Cities, Towns and Villages; unto the utmost parts of the earth, and to bear witness of his Name before the Gentiles, Kings and Rulers, and the children of Israel, in season, and out of season, to divide the word aright.

And with this work God never did trust nor put into the hands of Pha­roah King of Aegypt to do, nor Jeroboam, nor the Turk, nor the Emperors, nor the Kings, nor Dukes, nor any other sort of Magistrates to do for God, neither did God put this work into the hands of the Pope, nor his Cardi­nals,Ier. 7.31. & 19.5. Isa. 1.12. John Good­win in his book of Tryers, p. 5. Matth. 28.18, 19. Mark 16.15. Rev. 1.17, 18. & 21.6. & 22.13. nor his Bishops, nor the Priests, nor the Vniversities, nor the Commis­sioners, of Tryars to do for him; therefore I say, Who hath required this at any of their hands to do, and by what Authority did any of the aforesaid make Ministers, seeing that God never required it at their hands to do? for said John Goodwin in his book, The two Commissions we implead, the one for Try­ers, the other of Ejecters, being neither of them given in charge by Jesus Christ.

For Christ Jesus spake unto his disciples, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth; go ye therefore into all the world, and preach the Gospel, and teach all Nations: Christ Jesus the Son of God, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever, the first and the last, it is he that liveth, and was dead; but behold, he is alive for evermore; he was before his works of old; he was set up for an everlasting salvation unto the ends of the earth,Prov. 8.23. Isa. 49.6. from the be­ginning, before ever the earth was made, when there was no depths, when there was no fountains abounding with water, and before the Mountains and the Hills was setled was Christ the Light brought forth, and was by his Father, while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the high­est part of the world;Prov. 8.22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. for when God prepared the heavens, when he set a compasse upon the face of the depth, when he established the clouds above, when he strengthned the fountains of the deep, when he gave to the Sea his Decree, that the waters should not passe his commandment, and when he appointed the foundations of the earth, then was Christ with God, as one brought up with him;1 Cor. 1.24. Iohn. 1.1, 2, 3. & 17.24. Coll. 1.16, 17, 18. Eph. 5.23, 25, 26, 27. Ioh. 10.11. 1 Pet. 2.25. Matt. 9.37, 38. Luk. 10.2. Matt. 20. ch. Ier. 15.19. Matth. 3.12. Ioh. 5.17. & 10.30, 37, 38. & 15.16. Isa. 6.3. & 48.10. to 15. Ioh. 15.16. Mar. 3.14, 15. Luk. 9.1, 2. Acts 1.4. & 2.1, 2, 3, 4. Ps. 68.18. Eph. 4.8, to 13. he was daylie his delight, rejoicing alwaies before him; he was by him when the Lord by his wisdom founded the earth, and by his understanding established the heavens, Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God, by whom all things were made, & without him was not any thing made that was made; & he was before all things, and by him all things consist; he rejoyceth in the habitable parts of his earth, and his delight is with the sons of men; he is the first and the last; the beginning & the end; he is the Head of the body the Church, which he loveth, and gave himself for it, and he, Christ Jesus, is the Saviour of the Body, viz. the Church: He is the good Shepherd and Bishops of our souls; he is the Lord of the Harvest, who is to be prayed unto, that he would send forth labourers into his Harvest, to reap the wheat of the Vinyard, to separate the precious from the vile, and to gather the fruit into his Garners: Christ Jesus said, I and my Father are one; the Father is in me, said Christ, and I in him; and my Father worketh hitherto, and I work: It was and is the work of Christ Jesus to ordain, choose, and to send forth Labourers into his Vinyard, and not mans work; for the whole earth is full of his glory, and his glory he will not give to another: And they who labou­red in the Word and Doctrine, were chosen and sent forth by Christ Iesus, and not by man; for said Christ Iesus to his Apostles, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, that you should go and bring forth fruit: All power, said Christ, is given unto me in heaven and in earth: And Christ he gave them pow­er, and said unto them, Go ye therefore into all the world, and preach the Gospel, and teach all Nations: and he endued them with power from on high: and he ascen­ded up on high, and he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, and he gave [Page 49] some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the word of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, and for the perfecting of the Saints. And said Paul, 1 Cor. 12.28. God hath set some in the Church, (not of mans setting) first, Apostles: secondly, Prophets: thirdly, Tea­chers, &c. Now there is diversity of Gifts, but they are given by the same spirit; And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall, &c. And thus much in the general for proof that it was, and is the work properly of God and Christ to ordain, choose, give power commission, and to send forth the Ministers of the Word and Gospel to preach the same, and to teach all Nations every where: And now I shall prove in particular that God and Christ did do this work without the help of the Rulers of the earth, or the Pope and his Adherents. As for instance:

For Paul he was an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the commandment of God and our Saviour, the Lord Iesus Christ, which is our hope:1 Tim. 1.1. And God said unto Annanias a Disciple,Acts 9.10. to 15. Gal. 1. chap. That Paul was a chosen Vessel unto him to bear his Name before the Gentiles and Kings, and the children of Israel: And Paul said he was an Apostle, not of man, neither by man, but by Iesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead; but said Paul, When it pleased God, who separated me from my Mothers Womb, Acts 26.19. and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen immediately, I was not disobedi­ent unto the heavenly Vision, nor conferred not with flesh and blood, neither went I up to Ierusalem to them which were Apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus, &c. And said Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians, But I certifie you Brethren, That the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man; for said he, I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it; but by the revelation of Iesus Christ, it pleased God to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the Heathen. Hereby it is plain, That Paul was not made a Minister of the Gospel at the Vniversities by man, neither had he a commission given him to go preach the Gospel by Authority from the Ru­lers of the earth, neither was he by man taught how to preach the Gospel.

And Iohn the Baptist he was not sent of man, but of God: for it is writ­ten in the first chapter of Iohn, and the sixth verse,Ioh. 1.6, 7, 8, 9. There was a man sent from God, whose Name was John; the same came for a witnesse to bear witnesse of the Light: And John the Disciple and Apostle of Christ writ, and said, These things we writ unto you that your joy might be full: This then is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, That God is light, and in him is no darknesse at all: And John the Baptist he bore witnesse of the same light that the Apostles were witnesses of,1 Ioh. 1.4, 5. and of the said Light was their Message to declare, that the people might be turned from darknesse to the Light, and from the power of Satan unto God who is light: And John said, That was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world: and that light is Christ, for said Jesus Christ, I am the light of the world: & John he was sent of God to bear witness of Christ the light, that all men through him might believe; for the Word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the Wildernesse, Luke 3.1, 3, 4, 5, 6. & John he went into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins, &c. And this was done in the dayes of Tiberius Caesar, but John was not (ye may see) sent by Caesar, but he was sent of God to bear witnesse of the light.

And the Prophets of the Lord they were all sent of God, and not by man,Amos 1.1. & 7.10. to 15. as you may read; Amos said that he was an Herdsman, and a gatherer of Sy­camore [Page 50] fruit, and Amos was among the Herdsmen of Tekoa, and said A­mos, The Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesie unto my people Israel. Here you may see that Amos was not tryed by Commissioners of Tryers, nor sent out to prophesie by any such as they are, but he was sent out of the Lord alone to prophesie; and he said, The Lord will roare from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, &c.

Ezek. 1.1, 2, 3. & 2, 3. chap.Neither was Ezekiel sent by man to prophesie, nor by man made a Watch­man over Israel: But the Word of the Lord came expresly unto Ezekiel in the Land of the Caldeans by the River Chebar, and Ezekiel said that he saw the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of the Lord, and when he saw it he fell upon his face, and he heard the voyce of one that spake; and said Ezekiel, He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speake unto thee: and the spirit of the Lord entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I hrard him that spake unto me: and he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, and thou shalt speak my words unto them, whe­ther they will hear, or whether they will forbear: And Ezekiel said, Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, Eat that thou findest, eat shis Roll, and go speak un­to the House of Israel: So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that Roll: and he said unto me, Son of man, Cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this Roll that I give thee: Then did I eat it, and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetnesse: And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the House of Is­rael, and speak with my words unto them, &c. So the spirit of the Lord lift me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me: And it came to pass at the end of seven dayes, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel, therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me, &c.

Neither was Jeremiah ordained by man to be a Prophet, nor was he by a­ny King of the earth,Ier. 1.4. to 10. & 27 ver. & 2. chap. 1, 2, 5. ver. & chap. 3.6.12. & 4.1. or other, consecrated, nor by any man sent forth to prophesie; but said Jeremiah, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying Before I formed thee in the Belly I knew thee, and before thou camest out of the Womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations: And the Lord put forth his hand and touched Jeremiahs mouth, and the Lord said unto him, Be­hold, I have put my words into thy mouth; and the Lord said unto Jeremiah, See I have this day set thee over Nations, and over Kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant: Thou therefore, gird up thy loynes, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. And the Word of the Lord came moreover unto Jeremiah, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? And again in the dayes of Josiah said the Lord unto Jeremiah, Go and pro­claim these words toward the North, and say, Return thou backsliding Is­rael, saith the Lord; if thou wilt return O Israel, saith the Lord, return un­to me; and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful saith the Lord, and I will not keep mine anger for ever: And the Lord said unto Jeremiah, [...]er. 1.18, 19. Behold, I have made thee this day a defen­ced City, & an Iron Pillar, & Brazen Walls against the whole Land, against the Kings of Judah, and against the Princes thereof, and against the priests [Page 51] thereof, and against the people of the Land, and they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee said the Lord, to deliver thee, &c. read the 20. chap. & the 23. and 26. chap. of Ieremiah, &c.

And Isaiah was made a Prophet, but not by man, neither by any King or Ruler of the Earth was he sent forth to prophesie,Isa. 6. chap. but he was consecrated and sent forth of the Lord alone: for said Isaiah, In the year that King Vz­ziah dyed, I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne, high, and lifted up, and his Traine filled the Temple; and above it stood the Seraphims, and one cryed unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory: And the posts of the door moved at him that cryed, and the house was filled with smoke: Then said Isaiah, Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with the Tongs from off the Altar, and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged. And Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send? And who shall go for us? Then said Isaiah, Here am I, send me: And the Lord said unto Isaioh, Isa. 8.1.11. ver. & 50.4, 5, 6, 7 Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not; &c. And Isaiah said, the Lord spake unto him with a strong hand, and instructed him that he should not walk in the way of the people: and he said the Lord gave him the tongue of the learned, that he should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; and the Lord o­pened his ear: and said Isaiah, I was not rebellious, neither turned away back, &c. And thus ye may see that the true prophets of the Lord, and the true and faithful Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel were ordained of the Lord, and chosen, and called, and sanctified by the Lord alone, and not by the Kings and Rulers of the earth, nor by the Pope and his Adherents, neither by Commissioners that were appointed by them or any of them so to do. And again, Those Prophets, Apostles and Ministers that God and Christ sent forth, were no raylers, nor scoffers, nor proud, nor wanton, nor given to filthy lucre, to run in the way of Baalam for gifts and rewards; nei­ther were they any persecutors, fighters, quarrellers, &c. but were in all ge­nerations persecuted, stoned, whipped, stocked and imprisoned, and put in Dungeons, and hailed out of the worlds Synagogues, or falsly called chur­ches, and brought before Magistrates, and by the Devil some were cast into prison, & many slain, which for the most part was done by the means of the priests & the false prophets; for said Christ, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Matth. 23.37. 1 Kings 12.4. & 18.4. & 22. c. 24, 27. v. 2 Chr 24.21. Jer. 20, 1, 2, 3. & 26.7, 8, 11. & 28.1, 4, 6. Amos 7.10, 11, 12, 13. Matth. 26.34. Acts 5.24, 25, 33. & Acts 7.54, 58. & 12.2, 3, 4. & 14.19. Acts 16, 22, 23, 24. Acts 21.27, 28. 2 Cor. 11.24, 25, 26, 27, 28. thou that killest the pr [...]phets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee. And the chiefe priests, and all the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen, and mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his word, and misused his Prophets, &c. Read the Scriptures quoted, and see how they were misused, and by whom.

And again, the Prophets of the Lord, and the Apostles and true Mini­sters of the Gospel they did not preach for hire, nor did they study or di­vine [Page 52] for money as the false ones did, Mich. 3.11. and do still. Neither did they seek for gaine from their quarters as the false ones did, Isa. 56.10, 11. and do still. Neither did they feed themselves with the fat, and clothe themselves with the wool as the false ones did, Ezek. 34. and do still. Nei­ther did they bite with their teeth, nor prepare war against them that put not into their mouths, as the false ones did, Mic. 3.5. and do still. Neither did the true Prophets nor the Apostles, or the true and faithful Ministers of the Gospel steal the word from their neighbour, and then cry, and say, Thus saith the Lord, when the Lord had not spoken to them, as the false ones did, Jer. 23.3. & chap. 14. v. 19. and do still. Neither did the true Prophets, and Apostles, and Ministers of the Gospel, come before they were called, nor run before they were sent of the Lord, as the false ones did, Jer. 14.15. & 23.32. and do still, by a carnal commandment of manl Neither had the true Prophets, nor the Apostles and Ministers of Christ any Lands and Houses appointed them by the Kings of the earth for a certain dwelling place upon the earth, as said Paul, 1 Cor. 4.11. Heb. 11.37, 36. as the false ones had, Gen. 47.22, 26. 1 Kings 18.19. and have so to this day, Parsona­ges, Vicarages, Rectories and Glebe-Lands here in England, which was given to the Pope and his Adherents, viz. the Clergy (who were called the Church with their high places all together) by popish Saxon Kings and o­thers, as hereafter shall appear out of their own Records; for see the Oration of King Edgar (one of the Saxon Kings) to the Clergy, as followeth in part.Fox. Act. & Mon. Vol. 1.

Let (said he) the great devotion of our Ancestors move you whose Alines. the madness of the Clerks doth abuse: My Great-Grandfather (as ye know) gave the tenth part of all his Lands to the Churches and Abbyes: And my Great-Great-Grandfather Alferdus of holy memory, thought it not meet to spare his Treasures, his Goods, nor Costs, nor Rents, that he might enrich the Church. My Grandfather the elder, Edward, your Father-hood [viz. the Pope) is not igno­rant of how great things he gave to the Churches; it becometh you to remember with what gifts my Father and his Brothers did enrich Christs Altars, &c. But by the way take notice of another piece of service that was done by another of those Kings: that is,

Oswald King of Northumberland when he went to fight against Cadwalla, set up at Hevenfield in Northumberland, an altar and a cross, unto which he kneel­ed down, and prayed for victory: Anno 635.

The Donations and Priviledges granted and given by King Ethelbald to religious men of the Church, as he called them.

It is wont for the most part to come to passe, that by reason of the uncer­tain changing of the times, that those things which have been confirmed by the testimony and counsel of many faithful persons, without any consider­ation of reason may be dang [...]rously and fraudulently dispersed so as to come to nought, by the contumacy and dissembling devices of many, un­lesse they be committed to eternal memory by the Authority of Letters (with the testimony of Hand-Writers.) Wherefore I Ethelbald, King of the Marshes, for the love of the heavenly Country, and a remedy for my soul, have foreseen that I must take care that I make it free for some good work in every bond of the beloved; for because that Almighty God through the [Page 53] mercy of his clemency; without any desert of mine, hath bestowed upon me the Scepter of Government, therefore I do willingly retribute unto him out of that which he hath given for this cause: Whilest I live I grant this Donation; That all Monasteries and Churches of my Kingdom be made free from publike charges, and labours, and burdens, excepting onely the building of Towers and Bridges, which are no more profitable for any thing at any time: Let the servants of God have a peculiar freedom in the fruits of the Woods and fields, and in taking of fish: Let them not give any gifts either to Kings or Princes, unlesse it be of their own accord; but let them be free to serve God, &c. Now followeth the second gift given by the above­said King to the Clergy.

The Priviledges and Donations given by Ethelbald to the Clergy, Anno. 844.

Our Lord reigning for ever. Forasmuch as in our dayes we see danger­ous times are upon us by reason of burning of Warres, and taking away of our Riches, and the most cruel depredations of barbarous Enemies, and of the Paganish Nations wasting us; therefore I Ethelbald, King of the East-Saxons, with the Council of my Bishops and Princes, have avouched it as wholesom counsel, and an uniform remedy, That I grant an Hereditary Por­tion of Lands to God and St. Peter, and all the Saints, by a perpetual right to be possessed, to wit, a part of my Land, that it may be secure and free from all secular services and tributes to the King both great and small, with­out taxes, which we call Witterden, and that it may be free from all things, for the remission of our souls and of our sins, to the serving of God only, without any expedition or building of a Bridge, or fortifying of a Tower, that so they may without ceasing pour out prayers to God for us so much the more diligently, to the end that we lessen their servitude in some mea­sure, &c.

So now, here you may see by these gifts above written of, what persons they were that gave and setled the Parsonage-Lands, Glebe-Lands, Vica­rage-Lands, and other Lands, and likewise for what use the parties gave them, & the end wherefore they gave them; and by this you may see how the Kings of the earth provided for the Clergy of their own and the Popes ma­king, but for the Prophets, and Apostles, and Ministers of Christ, they would not provide any such things for them, but instead thereof, they and their Churches provided for them Prisons, Dungeons, Whips, Stocks, Bridewells, Saws, Swords, Wracks, Fire and Faggots: And as for the Messengers and Ministers of Christ that he ordained and sent, they would not receive them into their Houses, nor their Doctrine neither: but those who they ordained and consecrated themselves,See Cesar Due by Tho. Bradley, D.D. and Minister of Nettlebed in Oxfordshire, but not Mini­ster of Christ. or such as were made by a carnal command­ment by the Pope and his Adherents, or by a Commission of Tryers, that come in their own names, and not in the Name of the Lord, such are recei­ved and provided for, and called by them Master, and a House and Land for a certain dwelling place is prorided for them, worth 100. l. or 200. l. more or lesse by the year; for the Rectory of Alsford in Hampshire stands in one of the Kings Books at 29. l. a yeer, but said Bradley, It was let at 450. l. com­munibus annis, viz. one year with another, beside a reserve of 30. l. a yeer that the Rector lived in himself: And this was not sufficient, but the Kings [Page 54] of the earth have taken away from the people (and given to their Ministers as their servants to preach them up) their Fields, their Vinyards, and their Olive-yards, even the best of them, and given them to their servants, and the tenth of the peoples sheep, and the tenth of their seed, and of their vinyards, and given them to their Priests, Ministers, and servants. And thus the Kings of the earth have done according as God bad Samuel tell the peo­ple the King they asked for would do.1 Sam. 8.1. to the 18.

But some it is like will say that the Kings gave their own lands to the Cler­gy:Read Hollins­head Chron. & Fox. Act. & Mon. Vol. 1. But I say, How came the Saxon Kings by their Lands here in England that they gave to the Clergy? Did they not take it from the people by their Swords? And did not William the Conqueror do the like? And did not the Saxon Kings and William the Conqueror prove tyrants to the people and treacherous likewise? And one thing I do grant, that is this, That the Kings or Rulers of the earth may with the consent of the people assembled in counsel, raise money for the publike good, that is, for the defence of the Nation, and for the preservation of the Nations peace and welfare at home or abroad, by Land and Sea, and defence of the nations enemies. But I say again, That the Kings and Rulers of the earth ought not to take away the peoples Goods, or the Fruits of their labour, nor the increase of their seed, nor the increase of their Flock or Herd, or their Vinyard to give unto others, nor to sell unto others,Isa. 1.23. Hos. 4.6, 7, 8, 9 Lam. 4.13. as some Kings of this Nation have done, and taken away from the people the tythes, and sold them to Improprietors, & others, they gave to their own Ministers, which thing is not good, but evil; and abo­mination in the sight of God; and the buyer and the receiver are as bad as the seller and the giver.

But some will say it is like, Must not our Ministers be maintained? how should they live? for they cannot work, for they were never brought up to work, and they cannot starve.

Thus I answer: That they are big enough and strong enough to work; therefore it is now time for them to begin to labour with their hands the thing that is good,Act. 20.33, 34. 1 Cor. 4 12. 1 Thes. 2.9. 2 Thess. 3.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. and in the sweat of their brows to eat their own bread; for our order is, That they that will not work, shall not eat, provided that they be strong and able to work, as your Ministers are; and they that set them to work let them pay them their wages out of their own Purses, and not out of theirs that own them not. And again, The true Prophets, and Apostles, and Ministers of the Gospel that Christ sent, they did not take tythes, nor gifts, nor rewards for preaching nor prophesying, for tythes was not the Gospel that they liv'd by: But those Ministers that the Kings and Kulers of the earth, the Pope and his Adherents make and sent forth, they take gifts, and rewards, and tythes for their preaching, therefore they commit sin with greedinesse, and do the thing that is not right in the sight of God, for God did not require tythes to be paid to those Ministers that are made and sent out by the Kings and Rulers of the earth, the Pope and his Adherents; but when God required tythes and first fruits to be paid, he required that the tythes and first fruits, should be paid to the Levites, Aaron and his sons, [whom God did [...]et apart] to minister in the Priests office,Exod. 24.12. Lev. 27.30, to 34. Ioh. 1.17. and for the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, Exod. 28.11 Numb. 3.12. Heb. 7.5.

I find in the Scripture that God gave the Law in Mount Sinai unto Mo­ses, for the children of Israel to observe and keep, even the Law, which was a shadow of good things then to come; for said Iohn, The Law was given by [Page 55] Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ: Now I say,Deut. 26. chap That Law by which the children of Israel was commanded to pay tythes, was given in Mount Sinai to Moses for the children of Israel to observe and keep when they came into the Land of Canaan: Heb. 10.1. Deut. 7.6, 7, 8. & 14.2. Ps. 147.19, 20. And this Law which was a shadow of good things to come, was committed unto the people of Israel to observe and keep, and to no other Nation; for the Lord God had chosen them to be a peculiar people unto himself above all people that were upon the face of the earth: and said David, He hath shewed his word unto Iacob, his Statutes and his Iudgements unto Israel: he hath not (said David) dealt so with any Nation, for his judgements they have not known. And Paul said,Rom. 3.1, 2. That un­to them were committed the Oracles of God. And now I come to write more largely of tythes then hitherto I have written.Exod. 34 26, 27, 28, 29. Lev. 27.30, to 34. Deut. 10.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. & 18.1, 2, 3, 4. Deut. 12.10, 11, 12. & 26 1, 2. & 19. v. 25. c. Lev. 27.30, 32. Exod. 34.26. Mal. 3.8, 9, 10

First, I finde that God did not command or require any people to pay tythes and first fruits but only by the children of Israel, and unto them he gave his commandment so to do, and to no other people.

Secondly, God required first fruits and tythes to be paid in no other Land or Nation but in the Land of Canaan only.

Thirdly; That when the children of Isral had possession of the land of Canaan, and that when they enjoyed peace round about them, then were they to pay first fruits and tythes, and not before

Fourthly, That the tythes of the land [of Canaan] whether the seed of the land, or the fruit of the tree, the wine, the oyle, the encrease of the seed that the field bringeth forth yeer by yeer: the tythe of the Corn, and the tythe of the Flock, or of the Herd, the Lord God said was his: and therefore said the Lord, The first fruits of thy Land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God: And again said the Lord, Bring ye all the tythes into the Store-hovse, that there may be meat in my house: and they that brought not in their tythes to that Store-House were cursed with a curse, for they had robbed God of their tythes and offerings, even that whole Nation had done it.

Fifthly, That in the land of Canaan, 2 Chron. 6.6. & 7.16. Deut. 12.11. Neh. 10.34, to 39. 2 Chron. 31.2. to 11. ver Ierusalem was the place where God did place his Name, and there was the Store-house builded that the first fruits and tythes were to be brought unto, and to that place were the tythes and first fruits brought, according to the law of God that came by Moses, and to no other place.

Sixthly, The first fruits and tythes which God said was his,Numb. 18. ch. Deut. 18.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Heb. 7.5. Numb. 28.25, to 31. Deut. 17.18. & 14.29. & 26.12 Heb. 7.5. Numb. 18.11, 24. ver. Deut. 18.3, 4▪ 5. he gave unto the children of Levi, even all the tenth of Israel for an inheritance, because the Levites had no inheritance among their Brethren.

Seventhly, That to the sons of Levi (who received the office of the Priesthood) for their service which they served, even the service of the Ta­bernacle of the Congregation, did God give the first fruits and tythes unto for their maintenance, and likewise the fatherless, the widow and the stran­ger that came within the gates was to eat thereof, and be satisfied.

Eighthly, God commanded the eleven tribes of Israel to pay tythes to the sons of Levi who received the office of the Priesthood, and to no other Priesthood did he require tythes to be paid unto since the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Ninthly, That the first fruits and tythes were by a law that came by Moses due unto Aaron and his sons the Levites (whom God had chosen, and not man, to minister before him at the Altar, and to do the service of the [Page 56] tabernacle of the Congregation) and to no other ministers or men whatso­ever were (nor are) tythes since that command was given;Heb 7.12. and the Priest­hood changed, and the Law disanulled.

And now by the way take notice a little what the service was that Aaron the Levite, Exod. 4.14. and chap. 28. chap. 29. ver. 29, 30. Heb. 9. chap. and his sons the Levites did, whom God did set apart thereunto: Aaron and his sons God set apart from the other tribes of I [...]rael for the ser­vice of the tabernacle of the Congregation, who did minister before the Lord in the Holy place in the tabernacle of the Congregation unto the Lord, accomplishing the service of the Lord, which stood onely in meats and drinks, and divers washings and carnal ceremonies which was imposed upon them and the children of Israel to do until the time of reformation: For first,Gen. 17.12. Lev. 12.3. Iohn. 1.22. Luke 22.1. they were to observe and keep the covenant of Circumcision; eve­ry male child at eight dayes old was to be circumcised. Secondly, they were to observe and keep feasts, viz. The Feast of the Passeover, or the Feast of unleavened Bread; the Feast of Penticost, and the Feast of Tabernacle. Now the people were to bring to the Feast of the Passeover a Lamb without blemish,Exod. 12. chap. Acts 2.1. Exod. 23.16. a male of a yeer old: Let every man (said Moses) take unto him a Lamb according to the house of the fathers, a Lamb for an house, &c. and the flesh of the Lamb was to be rosted with fire, and to be eaten with sowre Herbs and unleavened Bread, and they were to eat unleavened bread seven dayes. Again, the Feast of pentecost, that was the Feast that was of the first fruits of their Harvest;Lev. 23.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. & 33, 34, 35. Numb. 29. ch. the people they was to bring a sheaf of the first fruits of their Harvest unto the priest, and the sheaf was to be waved before the Lord, and the priest was to wave it on the morrow after the Sabbath, &c. and the feast of Tabernacles was to be kept on the seventh month, at the end of their Harvest, for seven dayes unto the Lord, wherein was divers of­ferings, viz. Burnt-offering, Meat-offering, Drink-offering, Sin-offering, &c. Now the people they were to bring their offerings voluntary to the door of the Congregation of the Lord, and there to offer it, &c. and if it was an offering of the Cattel of the Herd, the priests, Aarons sons, were to sprin­kle the blood upon the Altar, and to lay the Wood in order upon the Altar, and put fire to the Altar, and to lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order upon the Wood that was on the fire upon the Altar, and the priest he was to burn all upon the Altar. These offerings were made for sin; viz. for the sin of the Ruler;Lev. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. chapters. and for the sin of the priest of the Congregation; and for the sin of any of the people which they have committed wilfully or through ignorance, for which sins there was to be Burnt-offerings, trespasse-offer­ings, peace-offerings, &c. offered up by the high-priests; first for himself, and then for the errors of the people.

Exod. 29.1, 17. Lev. 8. chap.So likewise there was divers washings: First, Moses he washed Aaron and his sons with water when he consecrated them, according to the command of the Lord; and Moses he washed the inwards and the legs of the Ram that was for a burnt-sacrifice at that time, and a sweet sacrifice. And Aaron when he offered up a burnt-offering for his own sin,Lev. 9. chap. Lev. 1. chap. chap. 6.28. and for the sins of the people, he did wash the inwards and the legs of the Ram, and the inwards and the legs of the Bullock was to be washed in water, that any of the peo­ple brought to offer for a burnt offering before the Lord; and the brazen pot that the sin-offering was to be sodden in, was to be both scoured and [...]sed in water.

And again,Lev. 11. chap. Whosoever touched or did bear ought of the Carcases of a­ny beast or creeping thing that was counted unclean, he himself was un­clean, and was to wash his clothes: and he that did eat of a Carkase of a dead Beast was to wash his clothes.

And again,Lev. 14. chap. If a House that was spread with the plague of a fretting Le­prosie, and was by the commandment of the priest shut up, because it was un­clean, then he that went into the House in that time, and he that lay in the House, and he that eat in the House were to wash their clothes.

And again, If any man had a running issue out of his flesh he was unclean; and his bed wherein he lay was unclean;Lev. 15. chap. and the thing whereon he sate was unclean: therefore whosoever touched his bed, was to wash his clothes; and he that sate on the thing whereon he sate that had the issue, was to wash his clothes, and bathe himself with water, &c. Of which divers washings,Heb. 9.19, 20, 21. sprinklings, feasts, burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, drink-offerings, sin-offer­ings, trespasse-offerings, the attonement for the sin of ignorance, the free­will-offerings, the peace-offerings, &c. ye may read of more at large in the Scriptures, which things the Law required to be done, were all by the Apo­stle Paul counted but carnal Ordinances; and when the time of Reformati­on was come, they were all put to an end;Heb. 9.10. the hand-writing of Ordinances was blotted out, the Law disannulled, and the Priesthood changed, &c.

Now I say, That the Ministers of England never did this service for their tythes and first fruits as Aaron and his son did, nor the Improprietors nei­ther; therefore neither the Improprietor, nor the parish-Ministers have not any right to the tythes of the land, nor the first fruits neither; for the first fruits and tythes was Aaron and his sons due,Heb. 9. chap. who received the office of the priesthood by the Lords appointment or command, who were to attend con­tinually yeer by yeer at the tabernacle of the congregation, to accomplish the service of the Lord, which was to offer gifts and sacrifices for themselves, and for the errors of the people; for which service doing the Lord God gave them for their portion of the most holy things reserved from the fire:Lev. 2. ch. & 8.31. to 36. Numb. 18. ch. of every Oblation, Meat-Offering, Sin-offering, Trespasse-offering, Heave-offering, Wave-offering, &c. all the best of the Oyle, and the best of the Wine and the Wheat, viz. the first fruits of them, which the children of Is­rael should bring to offer unto the Lord, even to Aaron and his sons, who had the charge of the tabernacle of the Congregation, and the office of the priesthood there; to them the Lord God gave likewise of the firstling of a Cow, or the firstling of a Sheepe, or the firstling of a Goat, which was brought for an offering made by fire,Exod. 29. chap. for a sweet savour unto the Lord of the flesh thereof: The Wave-brest, and the right shoulder, and the fat of the Ram, and the Rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the Caul a­bout the Liver, and the two kindneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the rig it shoulder, and the breast of the Ram; and whether it be of Ox or Sheep they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks and the Maw,Deut. 18.3. Numb. 18.10. and a loaf of bread, and a Cake of oyled Bread, and a Wafer of unleavened Bread, and this was by them to be eaten in the most holy place every meal.

And again,Lev. 27.30, 32, 34. God he required the children of Israel to tythe all the en­crease of their seed that their fields brough [...] forth yeer by yeer; and he said, that all the tythes of the land, whether the seed of the land, or the fruit of the tree, and the tythe of the Herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever pass­eth [Page 58] under the Rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord; and all the tythes was brought into the House of the Lord; for said the Lord unto the chil­dren of Israel,Deut. 14.22. Exod. 23.19. & 34.26. Mal. 3.10. Deuc. 14.28. & 26.12.13. Prov. 3.9, 10. Thou shalt truly tythe all the encrease of thy seed that the field bringeth forth yeer by yeer, and the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the House of the Lord thy God: Bring ye (said the Lord) all the tythes into the Store-house, that there may be meat in my House, and the levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow which are within thy Gates shall come and eat thereof, and be satisfied, that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands which thou dost. And Solomon said, Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine encrease, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy Presses shall burst out with new Wine. And God gave to the sons of Levi (who received the office of the priesthood) a commandment to take tythes of the people according to the law,Heb. 7.5. that is, of their Brethren; and the Lord he spake unto Aaron, Numb. 18.21, 24. and said, Behold, I have given the children of Le­vi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their service which they serve, even for the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying thus, Speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tythes which I have given you from them for your Inhe­ritance, &c. Here you may plainly see, and the Scriptures do testifie that God gave the first fruits and the tythes to the sons of Levi, who received the office of the priesthood by his own command only; and likewise the sons of Levi they received tythes of the children of Israel, their brethren onely [and of no other people or Nation] by a law, which law stood in force to be ob­served and kept, by which law the eleven tribes of Israel was required to pay first fruits and tythes. And likewise the sons of Levi who received the of­fice of the priesthood to take tythes by; and this commandment was given to Moses in Mount Sinai with other commandments for the children of Israel to observe and do:Lev. 27.34. I [...]h. 1.17. Heb. 8.5. & 9, 10. chap. and Paul said, The Law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very Image of the things; for the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. Now those things which the law required was a figure for the time then present; in which time were offered both gifts and sacrifices by the priesthood which was ordained thereunto; and the law which was a shadow of good things to come, did impose upon the peo­ple many things to be done which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ceremonies until the time of reformation, which time of reformation was not until that Christ Jesus came, who is the sum and substance of all shadows and figures, and the end of the law, for he chan­ged the priesthood, and disanulled the law of ordinances, and him God rai­sed up to be a King, a Law-giver, a Judge, and a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec, Isa. 13.22. Iames 4.12. Luke 23.19. Heb. 7.21, 22, 23, 24. Deut. 18.15, 18, 19. Act. 3.22, 23. Isa. 9.6, 7. not by a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life; and by the same power a prophet was he, mighty in word and in deed, who came according as the Lord God did speak by Moses and the prophets; for said the lord unto Moses, I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him, and un­to him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you; and it shall come to passe, that every foul that will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. And Isaiah said, Vnto us a childe is born, unto us a son is given, and the Government shall be upon his shoul­der, his Name shall be called The Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, [Page 59] the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; of the encrease of his govern­ment and peace there shall be no end; upon the Throne of David, and up­on his Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and justice from henceforth and for ever; the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this: And when the fulnesse of time was come,Gal. 4.4, 5. even that time that was for reformation, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, who came to fulfil every jot and tittle of the Law;Ioh. 19.30. Rom. 10.4. Eph. 2.15. and when Christ Jesus the son had fulfilled the Law, he said upon the Cross, It was finished. And Paul testified and said, That Christ was the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth in him, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments con­tained in Ordinances; yea the carnal Ordinances which was imposed upon them un­til the time sf reformation, which time of reformation was when Christ Iesus the King, Law-giver, Iudge, and High-Priest for evermore, came in the fulnesse of time and blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us said Paul; even such a yoak it was upon the neck of the Disciples, that neither we nor our fore­fathers were able to bear, said Peter: But Christ the true King and Conqueror, who hath spoyled Principalities and Powers, and made a shew [...]hem of them openly, triumphing over them, even hee whom God hath raised from the dead, Eph 1.20, 21. C [...]l. 2.14, 15. and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalities, and power, and might and [...]o [...]inion. I say, He (Christ Iesus) hath blotted out the Hand-writing of Ordinance that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his crosse. Thus the Law was disannulled by Christ Iesus, who having abolished in his flesh the enmity, e­ven the Law of commandments contained in Ordinances: &c.

This is Iesus who was called of God, and not of man, nor after the law of a car­nal commandment was he made an high Priest, but after the power of an endlesse life he was made an High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec, and continueth for ever an unchangeable Priesthood; forsech an High-Priest it became us to have, who is holy, harmlesse, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher then the heavens: but by the Law by which the Levitical Priesthood came, were many priests which had infirmities, which continued not by reason of death, and so it passed from one to another; which Priesthood being imperfect in it self, perfected not any; for he offered up Sacrifices daylie year by year; first for himself, viz. for his own sins, & then for the errors of the people: which sacrifices were year by year offered up continu­ally, but the comers thereunto could never be made perfect: for if therefore perfe­ction had been by the levitical Priesthood, then what further need was there that a­nother Priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called af­ter the order of Aaron: but perfection came not by the Levitical Priesthood; for their sacrifices that they offered up year by year made not the commers thereunto per­fect: therefore there was a necessity that another should come.

But God so loved the world, that he gave his onely begotten Son, who gloryfied not himself to be made an High-Priest, but was gloryfied of his Father, who said unto him, Thou are my Son, to day have I begotten thee; thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec: and he was not only called a Priest for ever, but he was called of God an high Priest likewise after the order of Melchisedec: And Christ Iesus the Son of God came having compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way: and though he were a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect he became the author of eternal sal­vation unto all them that obey him, and hath obtained eternal redemption for us by his own blood: for by one offering of the holy of Iesus once for all, he offered one [Page 60] sacrifice for sins for ever, and by that one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. So that now ye may plainly see that the Levitical Priesthood who came by the law to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congrega­tion, and to offer up both gifts and sacrifices for their own sins, and likewise for the errors of the people, is changed into a more better and perfect then was before, which changeth not, but abideth for ever. Therefore seeing that the sons of Levi, who received the office of the Priesthood according to the Law (had a commandment to take tythes) were discharged from their office, and their service put to an end by that one offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all; for by that one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified: so that where there is remission for sin, there is no more offering for sin. Now seeing that it is so plain that by the sons of Le­vi [the Levitical Priesthood] perfection came not, therefore that priesthood was changed, and the sons of Levi discharged of their service by Christ Ie­sus, who offered himself a sacrifice once for all, and that by him perfection came for ever to them that are sanctified by that one offering: Therefore there was a necessity that a change of the Law should be made also by reason of its servitude that lay up­on the people, and likewise for the unprofitablenesse thereof.

The children of Israel were by the law commanded to pay first fruits and tythes for the maintenance of the levitical priesthood: And the sons of Levi who received the office of che Priesthood, had a commandment to take tythes of their Brethren according to the law, and of no other Nation or people were they to receive any first fruits or tythes: but verily that commandment is disanulled, and the law is changed by our King, our Law-giver, and our Iudge and Prophet, and Priest for ever, viz. Christ Iesus, who having abolished in his Flesh the enmity, even the law ef commandments contained in Ordinances, and hath blotted out the hand-wri­ting of Ordinances that was against us, and contrary to us, which was a yoake of bondage upon the neck of the Disciples: he took it and nailed to his cross, try­umphing over them in himself, and said, It is finished, for he is the end of the law for righteeusnesse to every one that believeth in him, &c.

But wicked and ungodly men who believe not in him, even Kings, Rulers, Pope,Matth. 13.54, 55, 56, 57. Mark. 6.23. Ioh. 7.48, 49. Bishops, Priests, for out of their own mouths they are judged: Have any of the Rulers believed in him? And said Paul, Not many wise men after the flesh, nor many mighty, nor many Nobles are called: even such as believe not in Christ Iesus, will not that he should reign over them, therefore they have made unrighteous, unjust and unholy laws for to require people to pay tythes to the priests and ministers which they themselves have so ordained, consecrated and sent forth, and not God: And the Priests and Ministers who are not ordained, nor con­secrated, nor sent forth of God, but by man; even they by their unrighte­ous, unholy, and the unjust laws of men they take tythes, and sue men at the unrighteous law for tythes, and cause men to be put in prison by the unjust law for tythes, and by the unholy law they take trebble damages of mens goods for non-payment of tythes; thus contradicting what Christ Jesus hath done: for Christ the true King and the just and righteous Lawgiver he disannulled the law,Eph. 2.15. Col. 2.14, 15. and abolished the law of Commandments; and blotted out the Hand-writing of Ordinances, and changed the priesthood that took the tythes; so that when the levitical priesthood ceased to be a priesthood, the tythes ceased also, and the law likewise.

Therefore I say, That the Kings and Rulers of the earth, the Pope and his Adherents, who have made laws to pay and to take tythes by, they are such [Page 61] as believe not in Christ Jesus the Son of God; for had they believed on Christ Jesus the Son of God, they would have owned him to have been a King and a Law-giver unto them; and likewise they would that he should have reigned over them as King; and had they loved him,Isa. 26.12, 13 & 33.22. Ioh. 13.21. Matth. 23.23. Luke 18.12. they would have kept his commandments: but such as own not Christ to be King and Law-giver, believe not in him, and so will not that he should rule and reign over them: These as the Scribes, Pharisees and Hyyocrites did, so do they pay tythes of Mint, Annis, Cummin, Rue, and all manner of Herbs, yea, and of all that they possesse, and so by their works they deny Christ to be King and Law-giver, and Priest too; but said Christ, Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither,Luke 19, 27. and slay them before me. Now there was a time that the Hypocrites, Scribes and Phari­sees paid tythes, as said Christ, Ye pay tythes, &c. and at that time that they paid tythes they omitted the weightier matters of the law, Judgment, Mercy and Faith, which said Christ, ye ought to have done, and not to leave the other (that is tythes) undone; which tythes was to be paid according to the law by the people of Israel; which law and carna ordinances imposed upon the people, continued for them to observe and do until the time of reformation, which reformation was by Christ Jesus who changed the priesthood and disannulled the law: and said Paul, He ha­ving abolished the law of commandments, and blotting out the Hand-wri­ting of Ordinances that was against us, nailing it to his crosse: so that af­ter that time that Christ had fulfilled the law, and put an end to that law which was a shadow of good things to come, and changed the Priesthood to which the tythes was paid. I say again, That there was no more tythes nor first fruits to be paid; and all they that refused to pay tythes and first fruits after that time of reformation which was made by Christ Jesus (who offer­ed one sacrifice for sins for ever, and after he had so done,Heb. 10.12. Rom. 4.15. he sate down at the right hand of God) they transgressed no law in so doing; for where there is no law, there is no transgression.

But the Heathen at this they raged, and the people imagined a vaine thing: the Kings of the earth they set themselves, and the Rulers, and the Pope, and the Cardinals, the Bishops, and the Popes Adherents took coun­sel together against the Lord, and against his annointed, saying, Come, let us break their bonds asunder, and cast their Cords from us: such would not that Christ should rule and reign over them; these were and are enemies to God; they have made the Word of God of non-effect; they have set Christ at naught, and have lightly esteemed the Rock of their salvation: they have cast his Law behinde their backs, and will have none of his reproof: they have not taken up the Crosse of Christ, nor gone in the strait way that leads unto life, but have gone in the broad way that leads unto destruction, being led by a spirit of error in their Councils, whereby they did make Decrees, Canons, Constitutions, Laws, Statutes, Acts and Ordinances which are un­just, unrighteous, impure, and not good: for said the men of Buckingham­shire, Bedfordshire, and Herefordshire, speaking of the Acts and Statutes made in former Kings dayes for the payment of tythes, said they,The Husband-mans Ploa a­gainst tythes, printed in the year 1647. Because Acts of Parliament are Acts of men and not Oracles from Heaven, a Parlia­ment, said they, as well as a Council, may be led by wrong Principles, and so erre, and so make Laws or Statutes that are unjust, &c. So acting against the Lord and against his Annointed in making Laws, Canons, Acts, &c. to pay tythes [Page 62] by; for after that Christ had disannulled the Law, and put an end to it, they made Laws to uphold and to pay tythes: therefore those Councils and Par­liaments, &c. who have acted and made such Laws formerly, and those that do act and make such Laws to pay tythes by now, were, and are led by a spirit of error to bring again upon the necks of the Disciples (Christs Annointed) a yoke of bondage which Christ their King and Law-giver hath freed them from; as hereafter you may read how the Saxon Kings who go­verned or ruled this Land. About the year 604. they began to build the high places called by the Names of Cathedral Churches, Churches and Chappels: And about the yeer 635. they began to build up Crosses and Altars: And about the yeer 666. they began to build up Abbiet, Monasteries, Fry­ar-Houses, See Fox. Act. & Mon Vol. 1. Chantry, &c

And about the yeer 720. King Inas, alias, Ina, King of the West-Saxons, made a Law, That the first fruits of all that was sown should be paid at the day of St. Martin, as he called it.

And in the yeer 933. King Adlestan made a Law, That tythes should be paid of all the proper goods, as well of living Cattel as of Corn, and the first fruits of the ground, &c.

And in the yeer 940. King Edmond made a Law, That tythes, with the first fruits of every mans Crop, should he duly paid, &c.

And in the year 959. King Edgar ordained and decreed concerning Li­berties and Freedoms of the Church [as he called it] That tythes and first fruits of Corn, and Peter-pence, be all duly paid, &c

And about the sixt yeer of King Henry the first, Anno 1106. Anselme Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, by the permission of the King, assembled a great Council at Westminster of the Prelates and Clergy of England, and a­mongst other Councils and that it was decreed, That no tythes should be given but to the Church, so called.

And in the yeer 1215. Pope Innocent the third sent his Decretal Epistle in­to England to the then Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, by whose means it was decreed, That private tythes should be paid at Easter, so called.

And in th [...] yeer 1274. at a Council at Lateran held under Pope Gregory the tenth, a Canon was made in this manner, that is, Let no man give his tythes where he pleaseth, as before but let them be paid to Mother-Church, as he called it.

And in the dayes of King Henry the 8th. by his Authority and the Lords spiritual and temporal, and the Commons assembled in Parliament, an Act was made for the payinng of tythes, offerings, and other duties of Ho­ly Church: Now I say, What were these Offerings? Were they Heave-of­ferings? or Wave-offerings? or Burnt-offerings? or Sin-offerings? or Tres­passe-offerings that were to be paid to the Parson, Vicar, Curate, &c. I would have all people to take notice also of the Preamble of the said Act, because that Thomas Bradley tells us,Tho. Bradleys Book, called Cesars Duc. That the Lords spiritual sate in one Parlia­ment in the Vpper-House in great Power: and with them in that Parliament twenty six Abbots, which together with the Bishops were able to carry a great Vote against the Lords temporal, which in those dayes (said he) were not so numerous: and besides, there was full convocation of the Clergy sitting, and unanimously as­senting, &c. I do not doubt but the Bishops, the Abbots and the Clergy would assent to any thing for their own profit, right or wrong: But wo be unto them that decree unrighteous Decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed,Isa. 10.1, 2. and to turn aside the needy from judgement, and to [Page 63] take away the right from the poor of my people, that the Widows may be their prey; and that they may rob the fatherlesse, &c. The words of the Preamble of the Act are as followeth: Forasmuch as many evil disposed persons have attempted to withhold their tythes, as well predial as personal, An. 27. Hen. 8. ch. 20. due unto Al­mighty God and holy Church; and also have contemned and disobeyed the Processes and Decrees of the Ecclesiastical Court of this Realm: Be it enacted, &c. that every subject of this Realm, according to the Ecclesiastical Laws of this Church of England, and after the laudable usage and custom of the Parish where he dwelleth or occupieth, shall pay his tythes, offerings, and other duties of holy Church, &c. An. 26. Hen. 8. cap. 1. An. 28. Hen. 8. cap. 11. Now they had made King Henry the eighth the supreme Head of their Ho­ly Church by an Act of Parliament, instead of the Pope; so that their Churh was as unholy as the Popes was and is; for one and the same spirit guided them all in making their unrighteous Decrees for tythes, first fruits and offerings, &c.

So in the dayes of King Edward the sixt,Personal tythes was the tenth part of a Tradesmans clear Gaius. an Act was made for the true payment of all manner of predial Tythes and personal Tythes, Offerings, Obventions, Profits, Commodities or other Duties, to the Parsons, Vicars, Proprietories, &c. Be it also enacted, &c. That every of the Kings Subjects shall from henceforth truly and justly, without fraud or guile, divide, set out, yeeld and pay all manner of their predial tythes in their proper kind as they rise and happen, &c. And the parsonal tythes was to be paid at Easter, An. Ed. 6. cap. 13. and the offerings were to be paid at four offering-dayes, or in default thereof, to pay the said offerings at Easter then next following.

And likewise the Parliament of Lords and Commons they made an Or­dinance for the payment of tythes, &c l take their words as followeth:Ordinanee of Lords & Com­mons, Die Ve­neris, 8. No­vemb. 1644. Be it therefore declared and ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parlia­ment assembled, That every person and persons within the said Realm and Dominion, shall fully, truly, and effectually set out, yeeld and pay respe­ctively all and singular tythes, offerings, oblations, obventions, rates for tythes, and all other duties known by the Name of tythes to all and every the respective Owners, Proprietors, Improprietors, and possessors,Ordinanco of Lords and Com. Dei Luna, 9. Aug. 1647. as well Lay as Ecclesiastical persons respectively, viz. Parsons, Vicars, Rectors, &c. And another Ordinance they made to award trebble damages to the parties complaining of the non-payment of tythes, whether minister or other per­son, which Ordinances of the Lords and Commons was renewed and con­firmed to stand in force by Oliver Protector and his then Council,Ordinance of O.P. and his Council, Aug. 1654. by a Clause in an Ordinance made for the ejection of scandalous, ignorant, and insufficient Ministers and School-Masters: And this last parliament that sate have confirmed the said Ordinance made by Oliver Protector and his then Council to continue for three years; for the proof of which, see their Declaration of Acts and Ordinances made by this last Parliament, and as­sented unto by Oliver protector: When thou sawest a thief, Psalm. 50.18. thou thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with the Adulterers. And now I say, In the presence of the Lord God, and from his power who bears me witness, and whose testimony I bear against all those above-named unrighteous, unjust, and impure Decrees, Laws, Statutes, Acts, Constitutions, Canons, and Or­dinances that have been made by men for to require the people to pay first fruits, tythes, offerings, oblations, obventions, rates for tythes, or such like, that they are not of God, and likewise, That all those men who sate in coun­cils and parliaments, and have made those laws, whether kings, popes, [Page 64] earls, lords, lords, and commons, protector, and council, or parliaments: I say, That they were not guided, nor taught, nor led by the spirit of God so to do, but by a spirit of error were they ruled by for to bring again a yoke upon the neck of Christs Disciples by those unjust, and unholy, and unrigh­teous laws, decrees, constitutions, acts and ordinances, and clauses in ordi­nances, whereby they require and compel Christs Annointed to pay first fruits, tythes, offerings, oblations, obventions, or any other rates in lieu of the same. I say, That those laws for the payment of tythes, &c. are not good; for whatsoever law it is that is not good in its original or foundation can ne­ver be made good by any act or acts of man subsequent: Now I say, That the ground and original of these laws for the payment of first fruits and tythes, &c. (since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) was from the pope and his adherents, the pope and his adherents are Idolaters, and all the Idolaters are ungodly and such as hate the Lord;Read 2 Chron. 18, & 19. chap. for Ahab the King and Israel was an Idolater, and he was led by a lying spirit to go up to Ramath Gilead, Iehosaphat King of Iudah joyned with him, and said to Ahab, I am as thou art, & my people as thy people & but Hanani the Seer said to Ieho­saphat, Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? such are the pope and his adherents, ungodly, and such as hate the Lord: therefore those laws that had their original foundation from the pope and his councils, were and are altogether illegal and unjust in their original; for can a corrupt fountain send forth sweet water? neither can the pope and his adherents, who are led by a spirit of error, send forth pure and just laws: Therefor say I to all the Rulers of England, Should you help the ungodly to make laws against the Lord, & against his Annointed, do ye not make your selves manifest by your actions herein to be such as love them that hate the Lord? do not ye do the same things in nature, though not in substance, as the pope and his Adherents do, or worse? for the pope used to excommunicate (or to curse) out of his Church those that would not pay tythes; and happy they were that were so excommunicated out of his church by him and his adherents;See the Petition of Right, and [...] Act for re­gulating the Privy Coun­cil, and taking away the Star-Chamber, Anno 17. Ca­roli Regis. but ye make laws to take three times the value of the tythes from them that cannot in conscience pay tythes, &c. and put men in prison for non-payment of tythes, to the undoing of them, their wives and small chil­dren, which is contrary to the Common-law of the land.

And again, It is a Maxime in the laws of this land, That whatsoever in its ori­ginal is altogether illegal and unjust, can never by tract or length of time, or by Actor Acts subsequent, be they what they will, in any kinds or construction of law, be made just or legal: And for the clear proof of which, read Judge Huttons Argument against Ship-Money, pag. 48, 49. and Vox Plebis, pag. 20. & 43. and the fourth part of Cooks Reports, pag. 125. and Vernons Case. See also John Lilburns Grand Plea made against the Lords Jurisdiction over the Commoners, Anno 1647. pag. 8. 13. And said the men of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Herefordshire; See the Booke called, The Husbandmans plea against tythes. Printed 1647. Because, said they, Acts of parliament, are Acts of men, and not Oracles from Heaven, a parliament, as well as a Council, may be led by wrong principles, and so erre, and so make laws, Acts or Statutes that are unjust, &c.

And again I say, That all they who put those unrighteous and unjust laws for tythes &c. in execution; and all they who receive tythes, firrst fruits, oblations, obventions, offerings, or any other thing in lieu of the same, and all those who either through subtilty, or willingly payes the said first fruits, [Page 65] tythes, oblations, obventions or offerings, or any thing in leu [...] of the same, in obedience to those laws that are made by the ungodly and such as hate the [...]ord, I do judge them all to be enemies of God, and such as will not that Christ Jesus should rule and reign over them; neither do they own him to be unto them a King, Law-giver and Judge, but by their works do make themselves manifest to be such as deny Christ Jesus to become in the flesh; for did they love Christ Jesus, they would suffer the spoyling of their goods for his Names sake, and keep his Commandments; and did they own Christ to be King and Law-giver, then they would obey no laws but his, and sub­mit to him that hath disanulled the law (which was a shadow of good things to come, and blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances, having abolish­ed in his flesh the law of commandments contained in Ordinances, and changed the priesthood who by a law took tythes) and not have revived an old law that was done away by Christ Jesus at the time of reformation by himself; for who hath required that law to be revived again by them at their hands, but onely the Pope and his Adherents whose work they do? for his servants ye are to whom ye obey: Therefore my son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not, neither follow a multitude to do evil; walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their pathes, for the wayes of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: therefore go not in the way of evil men; as for God his way is perfect, his work is perfect, all his wayes are judgement; a God of truth, and without iniquity; just and right is he, and the way of God is strength to the upright, andt they that walk in his pathes finde peace; but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity, &c.

And now I come to shew out of Histories the testimonie that others in former yeers have born for Christ, and against tythes,Fox. Acts and Mon. Vol. 1. and them that took tythes. I finde written, that about the yeere 1360. in the prayer and com­plaint of a Plow-man, wherein he said as followeth:

Ah Lord! he that Calleth. cleepeth himself thy Vicar upon earth, viz. the Pope, hath ordained an order of Priests to do thy service, and therefore he chargeth Lay-men. lewde men in pain of cursings to bring his Priests tythings and offerings to To maintain. finden his Priests; but Lord, in the old law the tythings of the lay-people they were not due to such Priests, but to that other children of Levi that served in the Temple: The Pope used to curse those that paid not tythes. But Lord! Paul thy servant said that the Order of Priesthood ceased in Christs com­ing, and the Law of that Priesthood: But Lord, What doom is it to curse the lay-people for tythes, and not curse the Parson that robbeth the people of tythings, &c.

And I finde in the story of Walter Brute in his Examination before the then Bishob of Hereford, these words following, viz. That no man is bound to g [...]ve tythes nor oblations, &c. said he; and if any man will needs give, he may give his tythes to whom he will, and not to their Curates: And said he,Anno 1407. Fox. Act. and Men. Wherefore see­ing that neither Christ nor any of his Apostles commanded to pay tythes, it is ma­nifest and plian, that neither by the law of Moses, nor by Christs laws, are Chri­stian bound to pay tythes, &c.

And William Thorp in his Examination before the Arch-Bishop of Canter­bury, in answer to their fourth Article, he affirmed, that in the new law, that neither Christ nor any of his Apostles took tythes of the people, nor com­manded the people to pay tythes neither to Priests nor to Deacons; but (as Cistersiensis telleth) that in the yeer 1211. one Pope Gregory the tenth ordai­ned tythes to be given to priests now in the new law: But said Willi­am [Page 66] Thorp, The priests that challenge tythes now in the new law, say in effect that Christ is not become man, nor that he hath suffered death for man. And said he again, That those priests that will challenge and take tythes, deny that Christ is come in the flesh, and do the priests office of the old law for whom tythes were granted, for else the priests now take tythes wrongfully. And said he, The parishioners that pay their temporal goods (be they tythes or offer­ings) to priests, are partners of every sin of those priests, because they sustain those priests folly in their sin with their temperal goods, &c. Now do but take notice of one question that Thomas Arundal Arch-bishop of Canter­bury asked the said Will. Thorp, that is, said the bishop, Why Lossel, doest thou deem that Holy Church hath erred in the Ordinance for tythes? &c.

Now I answer and say, Yea, their Church hath erred, and doth erre in making Ordinances, Constitutions, Canons and Decrees, both for tythes and all other things; and all the Rulers of the earth that do the same things are the Popes Adherents, and do erre likewise, &c.

And here followeth in part the testimony of divers others in these late dayes that they have born against tythes,A Book called led the Inditement of tythes. Printed 1646. and also by their imprisoment and spoyling of their goods.

First, Whereas divers honest and consciencious persons of the city of Lon­don, of the parish of Brides, and of the parish of All Hallows-Barking, were convented before the then Mayor of London for their non-payment of tythes to their parish-parsons, some of the Inhabitants of the parish of All-Hollows-Barking gave in their grounds and reasons for their so doing, which were as followeth? Said they,

1. We humbly conceive that tythes and circumcision were to cease, and to have an end at the coming of our Saviour Christ Jesus.

2. We do not know of any place in the New-Testement that command­eth the payment of tythes, nor that either the Apostles or Disciples requi­red the same, or pretend a right thereunto, or to any other set-maintenance, but on the contrary.

3. Tythes, Offerings, &c. being contrary to sound Doctrine and the pow­er of godlinesse, though the law of the land should require the same, we conceive our selves and all others bound in conscience and by our covenant to endeavor the extirpation thereof, and cannot without wilful sinning submit thereunto. And said they, We hope it will now appeare no more strange to abolish tythes, or any other thing contrary to sound Doctrine, then it hath been to abolish Episcopacy, Prelacy, and the Book of Com­mon-prayer, &c.

1. The paying of tythes is a submission unto the Jewish bondage, the law of tything being known to be a part of that ceremonial law and yoke of bon­dage which was laid upon Israel after the flesh,The Testimony of Nicholas Waterson a­gainst tythes. to be observed and born by them in the land of Canaan.

2. The requiring and paying of tythes is an implicite denying that Christ is come in the flesh; for said he, If there be not a change of the law, then the priesthood of Aaron remains;Heb. 7.12. and if that priesthood remains, then Christ is not yet come.

3. The Doctrine that tythes ought to be paid to the priests, presbyters, or clergy, is a popish Doctrine, inasmuch as it hath been devised and main­tained by the pope and his prelates, and is contrary to the Doctrine of the Scriptures: And said he, The payment of tythes, or any thing in the lieu [Page 67] of tythes, doth and wil support popish and prelatical iniquity; and those hu­mane laws that have required such payment of tythes, have been grounded upon popish Doctrine, and therefore are no more to be observed then those laws that injoyned the use of the Service-Book: And said he, They which have vowed the extirpation of popery and prelacy, have therefore bound themselves not to pay tythes, nor any thing in the lieu of tythes, &c.

If tythes (said he) be an Ordinance under the Gospel, The Testimony of Tho. Bennet against tythes. then they must be of an Evangelical institution even from the command of Christ, as well as other Gospel-Ordinances; but we find no other Ordinance for the exaction of tythes now, but a bare Mosaical Ordinance; therefore tythes are no Gospel-Ordinance: Tythes (said he) were never ordained but for the wages of typical services: therefore to continue the wages of such a work, cannot in equity be without the continuance of the work, which is a flat denyal of Christ come in the flesh. And said he, These that had the commandment for tythes, were onely to receive them of their Brethren, that is, of the other eleven Tribes, therefore not of the Gentiles, or were the Gentiles by that command bound thereunto; and if not in Moses time, muchlesse now: for said he, They were imposed upon the land of Canaan, therefore not upon England, or English men, being no part of Canaan, or the people any of the twelve Tribes; and the Iews to this day terminate the equity of tythes to their own land, as (said he) Mr. Seldon a Member of the House of Commons writeth in his History of Tythes: and likewise, That no payment of tythes was ordained in Christian Chur­ches, as Mr. Seldon observeth, till the General Counsel of Lateran: Therefore the Ordinance for tythes under the Gospel deriving its being and institution from the injunction of the Pope and his Council, doth subject us to the dictates of the See of Rome, against which we are all engaged by our former protestations, &c.

And the men of Middlesex in their first Letter to his then called Excellen­cy, the Lord General Cromwel, said, That tythes is an usurped popish Re­lique. And in their petition to the Parliament they said, It is very clear that tythes have been formerly by the popish Clergy subtilly perswaded, or rather extor­ted from our Ancesters: Wherefore, said they, we humbly desire that all tythes and tenths may be speedily removed, as a great oppression and usurpation, &c.

And Aug. Wingfield calleth tythes the Nursery of contention and strife; and that the proud and pompous priests did constrain the poor people of England, viz. the popish Canons, to pay their tythes unto them:In his Book called, Tythes totally routed by Magna Charta, print­ed 1653. So that tythes were grounded meerly upon a popish Canon, contrary to Magna Charta, which is acknowledged by the learned, viz. Magna Charta, to be the Common-Law of England both before and after the Conquest, &c. And Cook that learned Oracle in the Laws of England, said in his Chapter of tythes,Eighth Book of Cooks Re­ports, and in Dr. and Stud. JENKINS, fol. 139. That all Canons which are against the common law or custome of the land, are of no force: And in Bonhams case it is laid down for law, That Acts of Parliament made against common Right or Reason, are ipso facto, void: And it is proved by Jenkins, That the Common-Law shall controle Acts of Parliament made against Right or Reason, and adjudge them to be void, &c. And such are all the Acts, Statutes and Ordinances for tythes against both reason, equity and truth. And at a Parliament holden at Westminster in the two and forty yeer of Edward the third, it was assented and accorded, That the Great Charter, and the Charter of the Forrest, 42 Ed. 3. cap. 2. be holden and kept in all points, and if any St [...]nte be made to the contrary, that shall be holden for none.

And the Free-men of Bucks, Bedfordshire, and Herefordshire, said, That Tythes ts the mark of the Beast, or Antichrist, spoken of in the Revelations the 13. chap. ver. 16, 17. for said they, There is no ground in the New-Testament as can be found for them, See their Booke called, The Husbandmans Plea: printed 1647. but onely from the Popes laws and canons, and therefore may they be truly called a mark of the Beast, or Antichrist the Pope of Rome: Neither is there [said they] any greater tyranny of the Pope exercised over mens persons and goods, then is by this law of tythes: And said they in their Epistle, That tythes is the most unequal, the most irregular, and the most unagreeable to the Word of God: f [...]r said they in their Plea, If theref [...]r [...] perfection had been by the Priesthood of the Levite: then what further need was there that another priest should arise, for under it was the law established unto the people; & the ceremonial law was but for a time, even until the time of reformation, which was done by Christ Iesus, who changed the priesthood, Col. 2.14. and at his death abolished the law, bloting out the hand-writing of Or­dinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and tooke it out of the way, nailing it to the Crosse: And said they, As the payment of tythes is contra­ry to the Doctrine of the Gospel, so likewise it is repugnant to the power of godlinesse; for said they, Pope Gregory the tenth ordained that tythes should be given to the priests: So that the customs that we pay tythes by at this day, were setled upon this Kingdom by the Popes Legates in Provincial and Synodal Constitutions, about the time of Hen. 3. and Hen. 5. And said they, Tythes is a popish custom that is imposed by the Popes Authority, and not by the Authority of God,Seldons Histo­ry of tythes, chap. 11. without any warrant for it in the New-Testa­ment: So likewise tythes are a Relique of superstition, because they were at first given out of a superstitious opinion, viz. for satisfaction for the sins of the giver, his wife and children, as it appears by some of our old Char­ters, recorded by learned Selden. And said they, Tythes are an oppression to the Husbandman, and too heavy for him to bear, because that the tenth of the Husbandmans stock and yeers labour is yeerly taken from him under the name of tythes, which is every particular Husbandmans proper goods by a civil and natural right, so that neither Kings nor Parliaments can take them from them, nor any particular man by their appointment, without gi­ving to every particular man a consideration for it of equal value when he takes it from him, Rom. 8.2. Acts 20.33, 34, 35. or else he sins against the eighth Commandment, Thou shalt not steal; and against the tenth, Thou shalt not covet, &c. which Paul a Minister of Christ said he was free from. &c.

And I finde in a Book wherein is contained certain grievances of divers persons of this Common-wealth of England, See a Booke printed 1653. called, The af­flictions of the afflicted; or, The unjust exaction o [...] the Tythemongers discovered. who suffered, as the said Book relates, both imprisonment and the spoiling of their goods for the te­stimony of Jesus, and against tythes, as appeareth both in the Epistle and Schedule of their particular sufferings in the Book.

They said, That Antichristian Teachers, Improprietors, and all others which afflicts the consciencious people by owning, receiving, and urging of tythes and forced maintenance, denieth the work of the Lord Jesus done at his death, for in that he hath dissolved the levitical law and the priesthood, for he said, It is finished, as you may see Ioh. 10.30. for said they, Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth: and Christ is our Law-giver and High-priest, which came of the Tribe of Judah; and so the priesthood is changed, and therefore a necessity of a change of the law also:Luk. 10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. But said they, Tythes is no law of Christ to us; and it is a great sin to pay tythes and forced maintenance; the payment of tythes, said they, [Page 69] is against the Law of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine:Gal. 5.1. Act. 15.1, 2, 10, 19, 20. ver. and that if the law of England be contrarary to the law of God, we are not to obey it, but to obey God; for whether is it better to obey God, or to obey man? judge ye: But said they, Seeing that tythes is thus unjustly taken from the free people of this Nation, it is absolutely treason both in the Priest and Improprietor, for in so doing they destroy the fundamental law, where it is ordained that no free-man shall be taken, or imprisoned, or disse [...]sed of his Free-hold, Li­berty, or free Custom; neither shall he be out-lawed, banished,9 Hen. 3. cap. 29. 5 Ed. 3. cap. 9. Read the petiti­on of Right. or by any means brought to destruction; neither shall any passe or sit in judgement up­on him but by the lawful judgement of his Peers, [that is, his equals] or by the law of the land; and Magna Charta is acknowledged by the learned to be the Common-law of England both before and after the con­quest.

And now I shall refer the Reader to a Book, called, The Cry of the Op­pressed from under their Oppressions, wherein the Reader may see a cloud of Witnesses that have born, and still do bear their testimony for the Name of Jesus, and against tythes, who go under the Name of Quakers, who have suffered, and do suffer bonds and imprisonment, and likewise the spoiling of their goods they take joyfully, knowing in themselves that they in Hea­ven have a better and an enduring substance: And again, besides all this they undergo sore travels out of the North, and other parts of this land, to appear before the Judges at the Tearms, at Westminster, Tearm after Tearm do they continue still more or lesse, bearing their testimony, (not as the pa­rish-Ministers and the professors do, who professe Christ in words, but by their works deny him come in the flesh) against tythes, and that Christ Jesus is come in the flesh, and thir testimony of him [...]s born through suffering the losse of all for his Name sake, which to them is an evident token of their salvation, and that of God, for they that suffer with Christ shall reign with him; but unto their adversaries by which they do suffer, it is to them an evi­dent token of their perdition; for those mine enemies that would not, said Christ, that I should rule and reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me: I tell you, that God doth hear the cry of the oppressed, and he will avenge his own Elect which cry unto him day and night, for vengeance is the Lords, and he will repay it upon his adversaries, ye wicked and ungodly ones; because that judgement is not speedily executed upon you, therefore the hearts of you sons of men are set on to do wickedly; but know, that for all this you shall come to judgement; for the innocent have committed their cause unto God, who judgeth righteously, and you shall find, that when you appear before the Lord, who sees all your doings, and knows the thoughts of your hearts that they are evil, that with God there is no respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.

Ye see here before written, that I have shewed how the parish-Ministers that the Kings and the Rulers, the Pope and his Adherents have ordained and consecrated, and sent forth to their parishes to preach, have been, and are maintained; first, their maintenance is in part after the maintenance of the Levitical priesthood under the Law, viz. first fruits, tythes, offerings, oblations, obventions, &c. Secondly like unto Pharoah the King of Aegypts Priests, by portions of lands, viz. Parsonages, Vicarages,Ex [...]d. 47.24. 1 King. 18.19. Rectories and Glebe-lands. Thirdly, like unto the prophets of the Groves that fed at Jez­zabels table, viz. at Kings and Queens tables, Earles, Lords, and Ladyes ta­bles, [Page 57] yea,1 King. 13.33, 34. Mic. 3.11. and at Oliver Protectors table too. Fourthly, like the false pro­phets and the priests of the high places that Ieroboam and others consecra­ted, who preacht for hire, and divined or studyed for money; so they have some 30.40.50. 100. or 200 l. a yeer, and some more in the parish where they are setled for their yeerly maintenance and their Lecturers place to­gether; all which hath been, and is provided for those heaps of Teachers (which the world, who having itching ears, have heaped up to themselves, by which they are seduced, even by those unprofitable talkers, viz. Cam­bridge and Oxford Schollars) by the Kings and Rulers of the earth; the Pope and his Adherents.

And now I come to shew you out of Scripture how the Prophets that God sent forth was maintained: I shall instance how some of them were maintained, and so by them do ye judge how the rest were maintained: For, Elijah the prophet of God he was a hairy man, and he was girded about his loins with a leathern Girdle; and God commanded Elijah to go and hide himself by the Brook Cherith, 2 King. 1.8. Read 1 King. 17. chap. that is before Iordan, and God told him that he should drink of the Brook, and that the Ravens should feed him there: So Elijah went, according to the word of the Lord, and dwelt there, and the Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening? And it came to passe after a while that the Brook was dryed up because there had bin no rain in the land: And then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, and dwell there, be­hold, I have, said the Lord, commanded a widow woman there to sustaine thee: So he arose, and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the Gate of the City, he found the widow woman gathering sticks; and he called unto her, & said, Fetch me a little water in a vessel that I may drink, and bring me a morsel of bread in thy hand: And she went, and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she, and he, and her Houshold did eat many dayes; and the Barrel of Meal wasted not, neither did the Cruse of Oyle fail, according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah. And it came to passe after many dayes, that the word of the Lord came unto Elijah in the third year, say­ing, Go and shew thy self unto Ahab, and I will send Rain upon the earth: And Elijah went and shewed himself unto Ahab: and after that he had done the work of the Lord (as you may read in 1 King, 18. ch.) Iezzabel sent a messenger to him, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them, by to morrow about this time: And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Iudah, 1 King. 19. and he left his servant there, and he himself went a dayes journey into the Wildernesse, and sate him down under a Juniper Tree: and as he lay and slept under a Juniper Tree, behold, then an Angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise, and eat. And he looked, and be­hold there was a Cake baken on the coles, and a Cruse of water at his head, and he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the Angel came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, be­cause the journey is too great for thee: And he arose, and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat fourty dayes, and fourty nights, unto Horeb the Mount of God: And when Iezzabel cut off the prophets of the Lord,1 King. 18.4. Obadiah hid a hundred of them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. &c.

And now see after what manner Elisha the prophet of God was main­tained: It fell on a day that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great wo­man, and she constrained him to eat bread; and it was so,2 King. 4.8, 9, 01. that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread: And the woman of Shunem said unto her Husband, Behold, now I perceive that this is an holy man of God which passeth by us continually; let us (said she) make a little Cham­ber I pray thee, on the Wall, and let us set for him there a bed, and a Table, and a Stool, and a Candlestick, and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither: And it fell on a day that he came thither, and he turned into the Chamber, and lay there, &c. By these ye may see now that the Kings of the earth would not provide first fruits, tythes, offerings, ob­lations, obventions, nor set out portions of land and great Houses for the prophets of God which he sent, to live in,2 Chron. 18 25, 26 as they did for their own that they themselves sent, worth 100. l. a yeer, more or lesse: nay, said Ahab by Mi­caiah the prophet of God, Go take Micaiah and carry him back unto A­mon the Governor of the City, and to Ioash the Kings son, and say, Thus saith the King, Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of Affli­ction, and with water of Affliction, until I return again in peace. And this is that which the Kings and Rulers of the earth, the Pope and his Adherents, provide for the prophets that come and go in the Name of the Lord; but the prophets of the Groves that come and go in their own Name, they shall feed at Iezzabels table.

And Iohn the Baptist the Messenger of the Lord;Matth. 3. chap. Luk. 1.15. Luk. 3.1, 2, 3, 4 Matth. 1. chap who was filled with the holy spirit of God from his Mothers Womb, went preaching in the Wilder­nesse of Iudea, and in all the countrey about Iordan, preaching the baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins; and he was great in the sight of the Lord, but his Rayment was of Camels Hair, and a Leathern Girdle about his loins, and his meat was Locusts and Wilde-Honey: Here was nothing pro­vided for him by the Kings of the earth to maintain him the messenger of the Lord; no; but instead of a great House, Glebe-Land, Tythes and Offer­ings, Oblations and Obventions, and 100. l.Matth. 14 ch. a yeer Herod the Tetrach laid hold on him, and bound him, and put him in prison, and afterward cut off his Head. And such is the provision that the Kings and Rulers of the earth, the Pope and his Adherents make for the Messengers of the Lord: But the priest, and preachers, and teachers, and Ministers that are of their own ordaining, consecrating, or by their appointment and law so made, are well provided for, so that they eat of the fat of the land, and the finest of Wheat, and drink Wine and strong Drink, and take Tobacco, and go clo­thed in black soft Raiment, Cuffs, and Rings on their fingers, Ribans, and Boot-hose-tops, and sit at ease like a Queen, and feel no want in the out­ward like other men.

Aaron and the sons of Levi who received the office of the priesthood, they were maintained by first fruits, offerings, tythes, &c. according to the law, which was a shadow of good things then to come, until the time of re­formation: But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under the law, who in the fulnesse of time came, having compassion on the ignorant, & of them that were out of the way and being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; but Christ Jesus he glorified not himself to be made [Page 72] an High-Priest, but he that said unnto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee; the same said unto him, thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec: Now Christ Jesus he was cal­led of God an High-priest, and made an High-priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec, of God, not by a carnal commandment, but by the power of an endlesse life, and he offered up his body a sacrifice once for all, and by that one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified; and after he had offered that one sacrifice for sins for ever, he sate down at the right hand of God, and now where remission of these is, there is no more offer­ing for sin: So that Christ Jesus (who is the Mediator of a better covenant then that of the old) is the sum and substance of all figures and shadows held out by the Law which he put an end to; for he changed the priesthood and disannulled the Law, which was a shadow of good things to come, by which the tythes was paid. So that it is evident that Christ Jesus was not maintained by first fruits, offerings, nor tythes: neither did the Kings and Rulers of the earth provide any House or Lands for him whom God sent; For God so loved the world, that he sent his onely begotten Son into the world, but they would not bestow hundreds of pounds a yeere to maintain him with, nor settle him in a Vicarage, Parsonage, nor in a Rectory of two or three hundred a yeer; for said Christ Jesus, The Foxes have Holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests,Luk. 9.58. Luk. 8 1, 2, 3. Ioh. 13.29. but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head: For he went throughout every City and Village, preaching and shewing the glad tydings of the Kingdom of God; and those that received his Doctrine, and believed on him, such ministred unto him of their sub­stance; and Iudas carryed the bag, and he betrayed him into the hands of the chief priests, the Elders, the Rulers, Herod and his men of War, who delivered him up to Pilate to be condemned, and to be crucified, and plat­ted a Crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and provided a Crosse, and crucified him upon it, and mocked him, and thrust a spear in his side, and cast lots for his Garment, and gave him Vinegar to drink, and this was all that they provided for the Son of God; but they did not serve their own so, for the world loves their own, and calls them Master, Master, and sets them at the uppermost room at their feasts, and in the highest seat in their Assem­blies, &c.

Neither was the twelve Apostles nor the seventy Disciples that Christ called, and gave power to, and sent forth to preach the Gospel, maintained neither with first fruits, offerings, tythes, oblations, obventions, &c. for Christ said unto them, Freely ye have received, freely give: Go ye, preach, saying,Matt. 10 5. to 14. Mark 6.7, to 12. Luk. 9.1. to 6. Luk. 10.1, to 12 The kingdom of Heaven is at hand; provide neither Gold, nor Sil­ver, nor Brasse in your purses, nor Scrip for your journey; neither two Coats, neither Shooes, nor yet Staves, for the workman is worthy of his meat: And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go thence. And he called the twelve, and sent them forth by two, and by two, and they went out and preached, that men should repent: Christ said to his Apostles that the workman is wor­thy of his meat: Now do but take notice how they were maintained that Christ sent forth; said he, Into whatsoever City ye enter, and they receive you,1 Cor. 9.4. eat such things as they set before you, for the workman is worthy of his meat: And said Paul, Have not we power to eat and to drink? Yea, [Page 73] Christ gave them power to eat and to drink such things as was set before them by them that did receive them, they were to eat and to drink. And a­gain, said Christ, Into whatsoever house ye enter, say, Peace be unto this House; & if the Son of Peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; and in the same House remain, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the labourer is worthy of his hire, the workman is worthy of his meat: And Iesus said unto the twelve, When I sent you without Purse, and Scrip, and Shooes, &c. lacked ye any thing? Luk. 23.35 and they said, Nothing. And again Christ said unto them, Into whatsoever City ye enter, and they receive you not, go your wayes out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your City which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you; notwithstandithstanding be ye sure of this, That the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 1 Cor. 4.11, 12, 13. Acts 20.33 34, 35. 1 Thess. 2.9. 2 Thess. 3.8, 9, 10. And so likewise they was to do by a House where they would not receive them, nor hear their words; for of such they were not to take a­ny thing of, nor to abide with them to eat nor to drink, for the world was not worthy of them: for the world hated them because they were not of the world, but of Christ, therefore the Kings of the earth, nor the Rulers, nor the people would not provide for them, neither parsonages, vicarages, re­ctories, nor glebe-lands, nor tythes, nor first fruits, nor offerings, nor obla­tions, nor obventions, nor hundreds of pounds by the yeer to maintain them with, but instead thereof they provided Swords to slay them with,2 Cor. 11.25, 26, 27. Acts 12.2 3 4. & 16.23 24. and prisons to put them in, and whips, and stocks, and stones to stone them to death: Now had they been of the worlds Ministers, the world would have provided for them, for the world loves its own, and provides well for them, as you may see in these our dayes how the Kings and Rulers of the earth, the Pope and his Adherents have provided for theirs here in England; but as for those that are now come in the Name of the Lord, there is prisons, dungeons, stocks, whips, passes, stones, threatnings, and fines provided for them, beside beatings, and mockings, and reproaches, and spoyling of their goods: But is this the work of the Magistrate to do, and to suffer to be done? I say nay.

For he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God; they must be able men, men of truth, fearing God, hating covetousnesse; for said David, Exod. 28.21. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, the Rock of Israel spake to me, his word was in my Tongue: The God of Israel said, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God: 2 Sam. 23.2 3 4. ver. And thus the Magistrates ought to be from the highest to the lowest that ruleth over men, and then shall he be as the light of the morning when the Sun riseth, even as a morning without Clouds, and as the tender grasse springing out of the earth, by the clear shining of the Sun after rain, &c.

Now the work of the Magistrate is:

1. He is to be a protection to them that do wel, that is,1 Pet. 2.14. Rom. 13.3, 4. Tit. 2.11, 12. Rom. 8.14. Gal. 5.22, 23. to such who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit of God: now they who walk after the spirit of God, are taught by the grace of God to deny all ungodlinesse & worldly lusts, and likewise to live soberly, peaceably, honestly, righteously, and a god-like life and conversation in this present world; and they who are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God, (and by them is the fruit of the spirit seen, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith, meeknesse, temperance) and such are the well doers that the Magistrate is to be a protection too, for against such there is no law, &c.2 Sam. 23.6, 7. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be tou­ched [Page 74] with hands, for the man that shall touch them must be senced with I­ron, and the staffe of a Spear, and they shall be utterly burnt in the same place, &c. Therefore

2. The Magistrate is likewise to be a terror to the evil doers, that is, to such as are lawlesse,1 Tim. 1.8, 9, 10. Levit. 20.15, 16, 27. Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. disobedient, unruly, ungodly, unholy, and prophane, murtherers, man-slayers, fighters, quarrellers, whores, whoremongers, adul­terers, fornicators, Buggery, Thieves, Robbers, men-steeaers, swearers, cur­sers, drunkards, lyars, cheaters, false-witnesses, and perjured persons, Ido­laters, witches, amongst whom is hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, and these (and whatsoever things else that is contrary to the law that is holy, just, pure, and good) are the evil doers that the Magi­strate is to be a terror too; and for such the Law is made, and not for a righ­teous man; and that Ruler that doth contrary hereunto, bears the sword in vain, &c

2 Chron. 19.6. Exod. 18.22. Deut. 1.16, 17, &e. 16.18, 19 20. Exod. 23.3, 6, 7, 8, 9. 2 Chron. 19.5, 6, 7. Mic. 3.9, 10, 11, 12.3. The Magistrate that ruleth over men, are not to judge for man, but for the Lord, and they are to judge the people at all seasons, with just judge­ment: He is not to wrest the law; for if he wrest the Law, he wrests Judge­ment, which he ought not to do, but to judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him; he is to hear the cause of the poor, as well as the cause of the rich; the small as well as the great: he is not to respect persons in judgement: he is not to countenance a poor man in an evil cause because he is poor; neither is he to countenance a rich man in an evil cause because of his riches and high titles of honour: neither is he to pervert the words of the righteous, whether he be rich or poor. Neither is he to judge for reward, nor to take bribes or gifts, because they blind the eye, and so they cannot see to do just judgement, nor to judge righteously for the Lord betwixt man and man, rich and poor, great and small, &c.

4. The Magistrate that ruleth over man must not accept the person of the wicked,Psal. 82.2, 3, 4. Deut. 16.18, 19, 20. but he is to defend the poor and fatherlesse, and to do justice for the afflicted and needy, and to deliver the poor and needy and to rid them out of the wicked speedily: Therefore he is not to be afraid of the fear of man, but to fear the Lord God, and him alone to serve in doing of true justice, and in judging righteously; and he is to follow altogether that which is just, that so he may leve and inherit the land which the Lord God giveth him.

Hear O ye Kings, Rulers, and Iudges of the earth, the double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes, he wavereth like a wave of the Sea that is driven with the winde, and tossed to and fro: Therefore let your eye be single, that your whole body may be full of light, that ye may behold the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ, and so ye may see to do true justice and judgement for the Lord betwixt man and man: but if your eye be evil, your whole body is full of darknesse, confusion, and every evil thing, and so no justice nor true judgement is then done by you for the Lord. Be wise therefore O ye Rulers and Iudges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, the fear of the Lord is to depart from iniquity, and the beginning of wisdom: Therefore kisse the Son least he be angry with you, and when his wrath is kindled ye perish from the right way of truth and judgement: And ye that rule, while ye have time prise it, and rule with diligence, and be not sloathful in your businesse, but be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, and meddle not with things that be too high for you, nor with those things which ye ought not to have to do with: Read 1 King. 12.31. & 13.33, 34. & 16.30, 31, 32, 33.

In the time of ignorance God winked at many things, but light is now come in­to the world, and God calls upon all men every where to repent, and would have them come to the knowledge of the truth, that they may be saved: Therefore come out of Babylon my people, come out of Babylon, saith the Lord; and return O Is­rael, if thou wilt return, return unto the Lord, the onely true God, who is light, and in him is no darknesse at all; Christ Iesus is the light of the world, he and his Father is one; whoso followeth him shall not walk in darknesse, but shall have the light of life: He it the light and life of men, and to as many as receive him and believe in his Name, to them he gives power to become the sons of God; and the sons of God are led by the spirit of God, and the spirit of God it leads into all truth, righteousnesse and peace: But they who walk in darknesse they hate the light, they hate God who is light they hate Christ who is the light of the world: and the Law is light, & the reproofs of instruction are the way of life: Christ Iesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and light of men, he that believeth not is condemned al [...]eady, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God and this is the condemnation, Yhat light is come into the world, and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds be evil. Every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved: Whatsoever is re­proved, the light makes it manifest; What? know ye not that Christ Iesus the light is in you except ye be reprobates: the reprobates know not [...]hat Christ is in them: for light shines in darknesse, and the darknesse comprehends it not: and if the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish: neither is there any communion betwixt light and darknesse, nor no fellowship hath Christ with Belial: for he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not in the onely begotten Son of God, the light, and the light is the condemnation of all that hate it. The light shines in the heart; Christ he opened their understandings: For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; whatsoever is reproved the light makes it manifest; that which is reproved is sin, and sin is the transgres­sion of the law that is holy, just, pure and good: Now the light makes e­very transgression of the law manifest; the evil thoughts are made manifest by the light: the evil deeds are made manifest by the light: the evil words the light makes manifest; yea, the light makes manifest and brings to re­membrance all things that a man hath done in his life time, and sets his sins in order before him, although they have been done in secret: So that one man cannot reprove another for the thing done in secret, yet there is that in him that makes it manifest to him, and reproves him for it, which is the light; God is light, Christ is the light of the world, and doth enlighten eve­very man that cometh into the world: The Law it is light, and I had not known sin but by the Law; and the Law is written in the heart by the spirit of the living God: Now the same that makes sin manifest, the same reproves for sin; and this that reproves of sin is the spirit of truth, who reproves the world of sin, of righteousnesse, and of judgement: God he is a spirit, and he is light; Christ is the light of the world, the last man was made a quickning spirit; the second man is the Lord from Heaven, who was made a quickning spirit: it is the spirit that reproves the world, or every man in the world, of sin, and the same that reproves of sin, the same condemns for sin, this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world: God sent his son to con­demn sin in the flesh: the condemnation of God is to them that walk after [Page 76] the flesh: for this purpose was the son of God manifested, that he might de­stroy the works of the Devil; but there is no condemnation to them that walk after the spirit. Therefore take heed to the light that makes sin mani­fest: believe in the light, believe in God, for he is light: believe in Christ the light of the world: know you not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates? but he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him: and if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is per­fected in us: Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit: Believe therefore in the light, receive the light, love the light, bring your deeds to the light, that they may be proved whether they be wrought in God, for to as many as receive Christ Jesus the light, and believe in his Name, to them he gives power to become the sons of God, and the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God, and the spi­rit of God leads into all truth: and the spirit it teacheth to worship God in spirit and in truth: and hereby know ye the spirit of God, That spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: and that spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: Therefore hearken to the Lord, and hear what he saith; incline your ear, and hearken to his word that is nigh you in your hearts; hear what the spirit of God saith unto you, who speaketh expresly: Be obedient to the spirit of God, for there is no condemnation to them who walk after the spirit: for the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus frees from the law of sinne and death: and it is the grace of God that hath appeared unto all men that tea­cheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righ­teously and godly in this present evil world, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin, for he became the Author of eternal [...]alvation un­to all that obey him: Therefore mind the light, for they whose minds are stayed upon the Lord, he keeps them in perfect peace; but there is no peace to the wicked, for their minds are out from God, minding earthly things, so that God is not in all their thoughts, therefore the wicked and all that for­get God shall be turned into Hell. Therefore love not the world, nor the things of the world, for he that is a friend of the world, is an enemy to God; for the whole world lies in wickedness, and God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity; and he that delighteth not in the Law of the Lord, takes pleasure in unrighteousness, and he that takes pleasure in unrighteousness will do no true justice, righteousness, nor judgement for the Lord betwixt man and man: Wisdom is profitable to direct, and it is God that gives wis­dom: Solomon asked of the Lord, and said, Give therefore thy servant wis­dom, and an understanding heart to judge thy peogle, that I may discern between good and bad: Who teacheth like God [that giveth wisdom] that teacheth the Se­nators wisdom, and he is a wise man that will be ruled by the Law of God: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and he that is without this [and unru­led by the Law, doth neither righteousnesse, justice, nor true judgement for the Lord God: Therefore ye Rulers and Judges of the earth, let wisdom guide you, and the spirit of God teach you to serve the Lord, and to judge for him the people at all seasons, and see that ye respect not persons in judgement, but hear the cause of the poor as well as the cause of the rich, and rid the affli­cted out of the hands of the wicked speedily, and let justice be done speedi­ly upon the evil doers, and answer the people of the Land.

Concerning their parish-Ministers, their Houses of High-places, falsly called Churches, and tythes, oblations, obventions, &c. as Ioash did the Midianites when his son Gideon had thrown down the Altar of Baal, and cut down the Grove that was by it, And Ioash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? He that will plead for him let him be put to death whilest it is yet morning: If he be a God, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his Altar, Judg. 6.28, 29, 30, 31.