THE Priests IGNORANCE; AND Contrary Walkings to the SCRIPTURES:
OR The Practice of the Apostles, who were the true Ministers of Jesus Christ; Together with Thirty Seven Errours of the Priests, Discovered.
THe Teachers of this World professe the Scriptures to be their Rule, and Touchstone to try withall,2 John 4.9. Isa. 8.20. and he that walks contrary to the Scriptures is a Seducer, and hath the [...]pirit of Errour.
That which makes a Minister of the World,2 Pet. 1.21. Gal. 1.12. Ezek. 3.1. Jer. 23.33. and 22. is Oxford and Cambridge; and they are so long there, give so much for their Learning, and when they have done, they have so much for their preaching; the Prophets and the Apostles did not so, Christ gave no such Command; and here they act contrary to the Scriptures, and have the spirit of Error; And they will let none preach bur themselves, and such as come from Oxford and Cambridge; here they act contrary to the Scripture: for the Scripture saith, You may all prophesie one by one, and if any thing be reveal'd to him that stands by let the first hold his peace: here they limit the Holy One of Israel, and shew the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world have a set maintenance of the world and if any man refuse them, they sue him at the Law:1 Cor. 6.6. Acts. 20.23. 1 Pet 5.2, Deut. 4.2. Prov. 30.32. the Prophets and Apostles did not so; there act contrary to the Scripture, and have the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world take a Text, raise Doctrines Uses, [Page 2]Points, Tryals, Motives, and have a Clark to say, Amen: the Apostles did not so, these act contrary to the Scripture, and shew the Spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world sing David's Quaking,Psal. 6 5 6, 7. 1 Cor. 14.15. Psal. 13 11. Tremblings, Crying [...], Wakings, Praises, Prayings, Prophesies, in Meeter, and ha [...]e a Glasse to preach an hour; and when they read the Psalms, Hats must be on; when they sing them, Hats must be off, but the Priest hath one or two Caps on his head▪ the Apostles did not so when they spoke to the world; these act contrary to the Scriptures, and have the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world say, Let us sing to the praise and glory of God, and give the ignorant prophane people words to sing, as, I am not puft in m [...]nd, I have no scornfull eye, when as they are puft in mind and have scornful eyes, herein they dishonour the Lord, causing people to lye, shewing the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world have the chiefest places in the Assemblies,Mat. 23. 6, 7, 8.9.10.11. Mat. 6.5.7.8. called of men Masters, laying heavy burthens upon the people, stand praying in the Synagogues: Jesus Christ forbad such things. The Teachers of the world now act such things, contrary to Christs Command and practice; so shewing themselves Antichrist, Seducers and Dissemblers, and have the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world holds up outward Temples,1 Cor. 8.10. calling them Churches; whereas the Church is in God, 1 Thess. 1.1. and calls it the House of God, and thus act contrary to the Scriptures: they are Seducers, having the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world sprinkle Infants,Gal. 3.1. Luc. 1. 26.36. telling people it's an Ordinance of God, which is contrary to the Scriptures, never commanded by the Lord; but these hold it up, and so bewitch the people, and are seducers, and shew forth the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world call people unto a Sacrament,Gen. 10. Gen. 29.28. for the which there is no Scripture; here they act contrary to the Scriptures teaching people lyes, contrary to the Scripture, a Declaration of God: here they are seducers, and shew forth the spirit of Errour.
[Page 3] The Teachers of the world marry people, and take money for it, the Apostles did not so: here they act contrary to the Scripture, shewing forth the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world take mony for burying the Dead,Mar. 10 8. Mar. 8.12. the Apostles did not so: here they act contrary to the Scripture, shewing the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world take mony for Churching of Women, the Apostles did not so: thus these act contrary to the Scripture, shewing the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world have Easter Reckonings, and Midsummer dues, and mony out of Servants wages, the Apostles did not so: these act contrary to the Scriptures, and shew the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world preach Funeral Sermons over the Dead, and have ten shillings, more or less for their pains,Mar. 10.8. 1 Cor. 16.17, 18. as they can get it, the Apostles did not so: these act contrary to the Scripture, and shew the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world agree with the people for so much in the year for preaching,1 Joh. 2. 16, 17. the Prophets and Apostles did not so, it's contrary to Christ's Command,Rom. 12.2. Deut. 29.12. Freely ye have received, freely give: thus they act contrary to the Scripture, shewing the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world go in cuffs, and double Cuffs, and Boot-hose-tops, living in the lust of the flesh, following the fashions of the world, which the Apostles spoke against: here they act contrary to the Scripture, shewing the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world take Tythes,Nehem. 10.48. Nehem. 13.13 Neh. 12.44. Neh. 11, 16. the tenth of mens Estates: in the Old time Levi, who received Tythes, the Fatherlesse, Widows, and strangers were to come and be relieved within his gates: but the Priests of the world do not fill the Fatherlesse the Widow, and the strangers; here they act contrary to the Scriptures, and shew the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world say men shall never be perfect,Mar, 5.48. 1 Cor. 2.6. Phil. 3.15. when the Scripture saith, Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect; and we preach wisdom to them that are perfect, and every one that is perfect must be as his [Page 4]Lord; as many as be perfect be thus minded, stand perfect and compleat in all the Will of God: here they deny the Scripture, and shew the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world say,Rom. 6.22. Co [...]os. 2.111. 2 Co [...]. h. 17. Men shall never overcome their sins as long as they are here, nor be made free from the body of sin, and the Scripture saith, we are made free from sin, and have put off the body of sin; and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof, and all things are become new; here they act contrary to the Scripture, and shew the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the World say▪ that men shall not be sanctified throughout in body,Jude 1. 1 Joh. 3.7, 8. soul and [...]pirit, but in part, so long as they are here; herein they plead for a hold for Satan in them, and are Seducers and Deceivers, for the Scripture saith, ye are sanctified throughout in body, soul and spirit, and he that doth righteousnesse, is righteous, even as he is righte [...]us. Let no man dece [...]ve you: He that sinneth is of the Dev [...]ll, and never knew God. Here they go about to keep people in their sin, when Christ comes to take away sin, speaking contrary to the Scripture, and shewes the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the World say, the Letter is Light,Joh. 8.12. 2 Cor. 4.6. when the Letter saith, Christ is the Light: and the Letter is the declaration of the light, which was in them, that spoke sorth the Scriptures: here they speak contrary to the Scripture, and shew the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the World say,1 Joh. 1.1. Rom. 8.10. that the Letter is the Word, which is false, for the Letter saith that God is the Word the Letter is a declaration of the Word, which is fire, and sharper then a two edged sword; and the word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, and so they that draw pe [...]ple to the Letter, telling them it is the Word, are Dissemblers, Seducers, no Ministers of the Word but are in an Errour.
The Teachers of the World say;2 Cor. 3.6. Ezek. 13.3, 6.17. that the spirit is the Letter and they are inseperable, when the spirit saith the Letter killeth, and is death, and thou that wouldest raise the spirit out of the dead Letter, thou art a Di [...]iner and [Page 5]Conju [...]er, following the imaginations of thine own brain; here thou art a seducer, and shews the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world say,2 Cor. 5.18, 19. that salvation is in the Scripture, and that the power goes along with the Letter, which is death; God is the cause of mens salvation: here thou art a seducer, and shews the spirit of Errour.
The Teachers of the world say, that the four Books,1 Thess. 1.5. 1 Pet. 1.19, 20. Matthew, Mark Luke and John, is the Gospel which is but the Letter, a declaration of the Gospel;Matth. 23.27, 28. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, is glad tydings to imprisoned souls,Rom. 8.14. 1 Pet. 4.6.
The Teachers of the world pretending the Scriptures to be their ru [...]e and guide to walk by, and acting contrary; they shew themselves to be seducers, dissemblers and hypocrites, and shews the spirit of Errour.
THe Teachers of the world told us that Hebrew, Greek, and Latin was the Originall, and such might open the Scriptures who had that originall, and we do see that Pilate had that originall and could not open the Scriptures but crucified Christ,Luk. 23.38. Joh. 1.1. and when he had so done, he wrote in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and set it over Christ, and thus they are contrary to the original shewing the Spirit of errour, for in the beginning the word was.
And Luke a Minister of the word said, that they that was Ministers of the word took in hand to set forth in order,Luk. 1. a declaration, and thus they are contrary to the Scriptures shewing the Spirit of errour, and goe about with a forme of godlinesse to blind people.
And the Apostle saith that the Gospel was preached by Abraham, Rom. 1.16. Gala. 3.8. before the letter was written, and this Gospel are they ashaimed of, which is the power, shewing that Spirit which is erred from it.
And the Teachers of the world saith that Christ hath not enlightened every man that is come into the world,Joh. 1. when as the Scripture saith he doth, and John bare witnsse to it that he did, and thus they are erred from the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, shewing the contrary, a spirit of errour.
And the Teachers of the world have told us that the steeple-house is the Church, which was in the daies of Qu. Mary a place for all her Jesuit Priests, and she made a decree that whosoever did disturbe any of her Priests in the time of their service, whilst they was at their Masse or Ministring, as they call it, in their Church or Churchyard, or did deface any Crosse or Crucifix, they was to suffer three months imprisonment, and she was called a defender of the faith who gave forth this decree, which is quite contrary to Scripture and faith,2 Thesse. 1. as you may read 1 Cor. 14. which saith, you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learne, that all may be comforted; and thus the Papists and the Priests now are contrary to the faith, and contrary to the Scriptures, and the Church, shewing the [Page 7]Spirit of errour: for the Scripture saith,1 Thesse. 1.1. 1 Cor. 14.3 0. the Church is in God; And the Minister of God saith, if any thing be reveiled to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace. And the practi [...]e of the Ministers of God and the Church disturbs the Ministers of the world, now in our daies, as it did the Papists Priests, which makes them prison and persecute, manifesting the Spirit of errour.
And the Teachers of the world told us that Cambridge, and Oxford is the two Fountaines, and those was the Ministers of Christ that came from thence,Gala. 1. which we see through the mercy of the Lord, that they are the Ministers of the world, made by the will of man, and so are contrary to the Scriptures, shewing the Spirit of errour.
And the Teachers of the world told us that they was Ministers of God, and they was to open the Scriptures, and yet they told us they had not that Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures; so then another, the Spirit of errour.
The Teachers of the world told us, they was Ministers of Christ, and they do take Tyches of men,2 Pet. 3.3. Jude. 11. Gen. 4. and if they will not give it them, they sue them at the law, and take treble, but we do not read in the Scriptures that the false Prophets, false Shepherds, false Apostles, and false Teachers, and the persecuting Magistrates, that they ever did use such oppression: and here these Teachers are contrary to the false, and contrary to the true, shewing the Spirit of errour; therefore you that feare the Lord God, be awakened.
The Teachers of the world do manifest themselves to be in the errour, for how many Goales in the Nation are the Servants of God cast in, by and through their means, which shews that they are the Teachers that goes in Cains way and Balaams way, and so in the Spirit of errour which their fruits makes appeare out of the faith of Abel the sufferer.
Did ever any persecute that was in Abels faith, whom God hath re [...]pect to, but such Teachers as goes in Cains way, and Balaams way, as you may read in Jude and Peter, and is not here marks of the worlds Teachers, that all [Page 8]the honest hearted may see, that feare God, by their fruits and marks which they themselves do manifest. And do not they manifest themselves to be the bryars and the thornes where the Grapes and Figs growes not? And do not the Teachers of the world manifest themselves to be the ravening Wolves, which have gotten the sheeps clothing and by their meanes many of Christ sheepe are cast into prisons, and there almost murdered, and they have made many of their Magistrates without the feare of God to be their Executioners, to cast the Lambs of Christ into prison, but such as feare God see their folly, and the errours of the wicked Teachers are to many too mention.
Againe, such Preists as preached for hire, and Prophets that divined for mony, and heads that judged for rewards, these built up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity, therefore shall Zion for your sakes be laid wast, and plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become as heaps, and the Mountaine of the house shall be as the forrest: And all consider that be in the light, if this Nation be not brought to the same passe by these builder (which are now cryed against with the) light that Micah was in,Mich. 3.9.10.11. but them which be in the errour hold up them which be in the errour: but them which be in the light cannot hold up them which be in the errour, neither ever could in all ages, but the light did them judge and condemne; in which light the Saints have their unity, both with the Son and the Father: and this was given forth, that all may take warning in their life-time what they hold up.
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth,Psal. 37.12.12.14. the Lord shall laugh at him, for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow to casf down the poore and needie, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.