vers 9 10. Even so the Church of Rome and it's Teachers reject the word of the Lord as is evident in the instances we have given and yet they say the Law the Scriptures and it's Exposition are with that is belong unto them They are they from whom men must receive it and upon whom they must depend for it Yea they do as the false Church in Isa 48.1 2. is said to have done who make mention of the name of the Lord but not in truth nor in righteousness though they called themselves of the holy City that is in effect the holy Catholick Church The like is timated of them in Jer. 18.18 where the persecutors of the Lord's Prophets that were such in truth yet said of themselves come let us devise devices against Jeremiah and add as if they had thence authority to do so for the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsel from the wise nor the word from the Prophet Now when we see or may see by the Scriptures of truth and the testimony of the Holy Spirit in them that there should be false Teachers among the Christians answerable to the false Prophets among the Jews that would bring in Doctrines swarving from the Scriptures and find that the Papists and their Teachers evidently do so their challenge of authority to be the sole Expounders of the Scriptures should nothing move us while we see that they therein walk in the steps of the false Prophets especially seeing also that they challenge an authority which the Holy Ghost hath not given them nor directed his followers any where unto For the Holy Ghost himself who led the Apostles into all truth Joh. 16.13 doth not in any Scripture testifie to us of Rome or the Roman Church that we should derive our Faith from her or resolve it into her or her Doctors more than into any other Church The Apostle Peter whose authority they pretend to have committed to them but without any evidence of the holy Scriptures and whose Successors they tell us their Popes or Bishops are could not leave more authority to them than he had exercised himself Now we find him expresly preferring the authority of the Scriptures before his own saying or testimony as to the resolution of other mens Faith Yea he as well as other Apostles proved his sayings by the holy Scriptures as is evident in his Epistles 1 Pet. 2.6 7. and 3.10 11 12. and obtruded nothing upon men on his own authority barely as the Popes presume to do He calls the word of Prophesy a more sure word than what he related of his own knowledge 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18 19. and instead of directing the Believers after his death to the Church of Rome and her Bishops which surely he would and ought to have done had he known of any power given of Christ to her or to them for resolving mens doubts and determining their Faith and exercising a dominion over mens consciences more than to other Churches or their Bishops yea or directing them to himself more than to the rest of the Apostles when he forewarned them of false Teachers Scoffers that would come in the last days He stirs up the Believers minds to remember the words of the Prophets and the Commandments of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour He saith not his own Commands or his rather than of the other Apostles but indefinitely of the Apostles puting in himself with them as one of the same rank and of no superior rank or authority among or over them much less doth he say that we should after his death be take our selves to the Church or Bishop of Rome for our direction guidance and preservation from the Error of the wicked but directs us to the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles the things spoken and commanded in and by them He thought not of the Lord Peter or the Lord Pope nor signified that the rest of the Apostles stood in relation more than himself to any man as their Lord but only to him who is the Saviour Yea and the Lord Jesus himself when afterward he appeared to John in the Isle of Patmos and gave him visions and revelations of the things that should come to pass in the world and unto the Churches directed him not to bid us go to Rome for resolution of our hearts in the matters of God and in what concerns our preservation in his truth but he in his several Epistles to the Churches bids Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches He bids not That he that hath an ear should hear the Churches simply no nor yet what the Spirit saith in the Churches much less saith he Let him that hath an ear hear what the Church of Rome saith or what her Bishop as an heavenly Oracle or the Spirit as either in it or him as Infallibly tied to his Chair should dictate to us And yet which is very considerable this Book of the Revelations according to the most authentick testimonies of Antiquity was written after the Deaths of all the other Apostles and its probable at least that he lived not long after it himself who was the Penman thereof and therefore if there were any judge or orderer of mens faith infallible to be looked to by all Churches besides the holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles or any Infallible Interpreter of them above the rest to be taken heed to it had been the proper place and time surely for Christ the faithful and true witness of God the Amen the firm and sure friend and Pastour of his Church to have signified who it is and directed the Church and every one that hath an ear to hear and hearken to him but neither when he was asked or there was a strife among the Apostles who of them should be the greatest did he tell them Peter should be their Prince and chief among them nor did he direct them here to any Successor of his at Rome or elsewhere as an infallible Guide and Head to them no there is no other Director as to matters of Faith and Worship directed to of God by his Holy Spirit in any Scripture as our absolute and infallible Guide but only the Spirit himself as speaking in and by the Scriptures to the Churches what the Scripture saith being called the saying of the Holy Ghost or Spirit as is to be seen Heb. 3.7 and 10.15 Act. 28.25 And surely they are guilty of horrible Idolatry that prefer the Testimony Word or Determination of any person or persons Church or Bishop before or above yea or but as equal with the testimony of the Holy Ghost to cast by his sayings or commands to listen to and be ruled by men is indeed to have the fear of God taught us by mens precepts and in vain to honour God or worship him which was the fault of the Jewish Church reproved by the Holy Ghost in the Prophet Isaiah for which also he
surely no private Brother nor any one or two with him is to be heard in whatever he or they may give out for truth or matter of faith whether it agree with the Scriptures and the commands of God and Christ or not or put absurd expositions upon the Scriptures that may be confuted by common sence And therefore neither speaks it there of any such authority given to the Church to give such interpretation or imposition laid upon any to receive such an interpretation given by any under that name Nor indeed by the Church can be meant there the Catholique Church all over the World much less is it tyed up to the Church of Rome except in it's proper Jurisdiction but it 's meant evidently of the particular society or congregation or Church to which such an offending Brother belongs For it is such a Church as any offended Brother his private admonition being rejected may inform of the offence and that upon the information given may also admonish the offender which can neither be done to or by the Catholique Church in it's Catholique and extensive capacity no nor yet to or by the Church of Rome as to the case of every or any offender to whom this rule appertains as to what is observable in case of scandal and offence that live in places remote from Rome and her Jurisdiction Surely our Saviour no where signifies that persons living in Judaea or Galilee should go or send up information against an offending Brother as far as Rome Nor find we that in any dissentions in the Churches any of the Apostles left any such orders in any of their Epistles however Rome may have challenged or desired such homage and honour to be done to her and hath put men upon such unreasonable and chargeable burthens since the times of her usurpations upon the World Her challenging that authority and homage to be done to her is but what the false Prophets of the Church of Israel calling themselves the Church or holy City were wont to do And therefore being forewarned by the Apostles even by St. Peter from whom the Pope pretends to derive his power that there should be false Teachers in the Christian Church or Churches now that would imitate and do like those false Prophets we are concerned to stand upon our watch and when we discern any party taking that course and walking in their steps not to give heed to them The Apostle Peter tells us that as there were false Prophets formerly among the people so there would be false Teachers among the Christian People that would bring in damnable Heresies going beside the Scriptures for that properly the word translated privily with reference to what was said before imports He had commended them before for taking heed to the sure word of Prophesie as to a Light shining in a dark place even the Prophets that came in old time by the will of God wherein the holy Men of God spake as they were moved or carried by the Holy Ghost the Scriptures of the Prophets Now these false Teachers going besides or contrary to them would bring in Heresies of damnation denying the Lord that bought them For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is introducent they shall bring in and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often either contrà or praeter against or besides as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i◠contrary to the Law Act. 18.13 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is either contray to or besides what we have preached and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contray to or besides what ye received or rather to what ye have otherwise received namely than as the false Apostles taught them Gal. 1.8 9. And so the sense is that these false Teachers should or would bring in damnable Doctrines or Heresies contrary to or besides that is differing from the forementioned Scriptures swarving from or opposing their sayings And such we find and have mentioned some of them and we may instance in more brought in and maintained by the Papists Now the false Prophets of old among the people to whom these false Teachers are compared and made to answer as the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even as there shall also be among you false Teachers imply were oftentimes the greatest and Prevailing party of the Prophets among the people such as the generality even the Kings Princes and multitude of the people usually followed as appears in Isa 9.15 16. and 29.9 10 11. Jer. 5.31 and 14.13 and 23.9 30 31 32. and 26.8 11. Lam. 2.14 and 4.13 Ezek. 13. and 22.25 28. Zeph. 3.4 And thence it was that the true Prophets were evil spoken of and traduced yea Persecuted and slain by them as if they had been false Prophets and seducers as is to be seen in Jer. 2.30 and 20.2 and 29.26 27. and 37.13 14 15 19 38.4 6. Mat. 23.29 30 31 37. Act. 7.52 Even as here the false Teachers are such and so received as that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the multitude or many it 's said shall follow their pernicious ways so as the way of truth which is agreeable to the Scriptures of the Prophets and the commandments of the Apostles shall be evil spoken of reproached and cast out as Heresie as the Church of Rome and it's Teachers cast out the commands and sayings of Christ and the Scriptures in many things and the way that is agreeable thereto accounting it Heresie and them that stick thereto Hereticks Now it was the way of the false Prophets whom these false Teachers which in these last days men have heaped up or multiplied by heaps to themselves that is in abundance as the Apostle Paul prophesied they would do 2 Tim. 4.3 do imitate that they used to say that they were the persons that had the Law with them and that therefore were to be listened to and followed as those to whom the Interpretation of it were committed and from whom it was to be received and that the true Prophets who clave to God and his word indeed were not to be hearkned to but persecuted and punished for contradicting them That this was the way of those false Prophets is evident in that they said we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Jer. 8.8 Just thus say the Church of Rome and it's Teachers we are the wise men we have the Law and Scriptures with us we are the true Interpreters of it and ye must take it from our mouths But the Prophets of God reproved those false Prophets and the people as joined with and led by them saying how say ye we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us the wise men are ashamed for lo they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is there in them Even they that said they were wise and that the Law of the Lord was with them had in truth rejected the word of the Lord and therefore were destitute of true wisdom and dealt falsly from the Prophet to the Priest
threatned to give up their wise and prudent men on whom the people leaned to an infatuation of their understandings Isa 29.9 10 11 12 13 14. and the fault charged by our Saviour on the Scribes and Pharisees and the Jewish Church as depending on them Math. 15.1 3 7 8 9. Mark 7.6 7. to vers 13. and it will be as great or a greater evil in us than in them if we make our selves guilty of it in as much as God having now spoken to us by his only begotten Son hath declared his Name more plainly and expresly than he had done in former ages and therefore greater heed and acquiescence in his words and sayings is expected from us for us then to forsake the fountain of Living waters which is Christ speaking in his Servants the Apostles and Prophets in the Scriptures to dig up Cisterns broken Cisterns as all men with their inventions and decrees and all their authority and power that are not his are would be a more astonishable madness than what of that nature was practised under Moses and the Prophets by the Church of Israel Jer. 2.12 13. Our Saviour in the Relation of the Rich man and Lazarus introduces Abraham directing the Rich mans five brethren to Moses and the Prophets and not to the Jewish Sanhedrim or High-Priest or any other persons claiming an infallible authority distinct from them though they might have had more colour by far for claiming such a thing either from that in Deut. 17.8.11.13 appointing men in case of doubt or controversy to stick to and observe the determinations of the High-Priest or chief Ruler of the People or from that promise in Isa 59.21 where God promiseth to put his Spirit upon Zion or some persons in it and his words into their mouth so as to continue it from generation to generation than any the Pope or the Church of Rome can shew for their claim yet I say Abraham directs them to no such person or persons but onely to Moses and the Prophets and if he so directed them then surely now that we have Christ and his Apostles also added as a compleatment of the revelation of Gods mind and will and as infallible Interpreters of Moses and the Prophets it behoves us to take heed to them as speaking in their words and writings and not to neglect or refuse them under pretence of insufficiency in them to direct us now aright without some other infallible Guide that he no where directs us to to determine us And that Rome or her Head the Pope is not Infallible in her doctrine of Transubstantiation the thing last insisted on is evident from hence that Gelasius one of their Popes or Bishops hath taught the Church that the bread in the Sacrament is not naturû or substantiâ mutatus changed in its nature or substance and others of them have taught and determined that it is substantially changed so as the flesh of Christ it is that is eaten and torn with the Teeth of the Communicants as in the Luteran Council was defined and in contradictories one part must needs be false which things duly considered may imbolden us to reject the Pleas and pretence of that Church as more groundless Usurpations Inchroachments by which they pervert men from the right ways of God which our Lord Jesus hath delivered to us Nay our Lord Jesus in the Book of the Revelations instead of directing us to Rome doth clearly call us off from it and hath revealed that to us concerning her which being taken heed to by us will admonish us to flee from her for by the concurrent consent of Interpreters as led to it by the Scripture it self compared with the state and condition of Rome it is Rome deciphered in that Book not by the Name of Jerusalem the beloved City of God in the light whereof the Nations of the saved should walk but by the name of Babylon the Enemy of Jerusalem and her Inhabitants and the subject of the deepest died sins and heaviest judgments mentioned in that Book Yea the Papist writers themselves are also forced to confess the truth hereof it is so palpable and evident yea rather than they will not prove St. Peter to have been at Rome Babylon shall signifie Rome too in his 1. Epistle 5.13 surely she was the City that then ruled over the Kings of the Earth and was built upon seven Hills or Mountains and that 's the City called Babylon Rev. 17.9 18. and its evident that she ruled over the Kings of the Earth not only in her Pagan but also as much or more in her Papal State wherein their Popes or Bishops have exacted Homage of them made them kiss their Toes hold their Stirrups wait at their Doors and do things far below their Majesty and Grandeur in subjection to them Now in all that Book no good is spoken of Babylon nor any direction is given to Gods people the followers of the Lamb to resort to her for any thing but much is spoken of its Wickedness Whoredom Idolatry Bloodiness while it remains and of its woe and misery irreparable in its fall as that that shall for ever Perish with express and vehement command to Gods people that are in her to come out of her lest pertaking with her in her sins they should also pertake with her in her Plagues Rev. 18.4 which one consideration also quite overthrows that corrupt interpretation that would confine what is said of her to her Heathen state only as the Papists to excuse themselves do or rather to blind themselves from seeing their own guilt for if it were so then she should have found her not as a City or Harlot destroyed for ever but by a glorious Metamorphosis or dispossession of the Spirit of Whoredom and Resurrection from her falls in Heathenism changed into the holy City or the Lambs Wife whereas there is not the least intimation of any such thing but a vehement assertion of her sinking like a mighty stone in the waters never to rise again Rev. 18.21 whence it is evident which I shall mention as a farther distinct charge and a farther instance not only of her fallibility but also that she is fallen foully already in that it is thereby evident That 7. She is guilty of Idolatry for that 's it that in Scripture is represented by Whoredom and she is called the great WHORE and the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth And she is certainly as great a WHORE from Christ as ever the old Babilon or the old Pagan Rome was and more truly so also being not so espoused to Christ in her Pagan state as since she turned Christian Indeed she is a Mystical WHORE corrupted from the purity of the Faith and Worship of God in Christ yet giving out herself to be a Queen and Lady the Queen or Darling of Heaven the only Catholique and Infallible Church In her Pagan state she was more openly and grosly a Harlot a gross Idolatress