A DISCOVERIE OF THE BEASTS Being AN EXPOSITION OF THE XIII Chapter of the Revelation of JESUS CHRIST Wherein All true Christians yet in Babylon are admonished to come out And the Anti-christians fore-told what their plagues will be By I. W. Revel 16. 15. Behold I come as a thiefe blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walke naked and they see his shame Printed in the year M. DC XLI CHRISTIAN READER AMong the many excellent helps which the Lord at this present time hath given unto his Elect for to discover the Mystery of Iniquity and to direct them in the way which Ieadeth to eternall life this little Treatise is a choice and chiefe one Thou art therefore desired to peruse the same with an understanding and impartiall heart and so doing I doubt not through Gods blessing on they labor but thou shalt reap much comfort and good thereby I have set it forth for the publike good and do desire the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that it may prove so every where even a means to raze down the false Churches and to help forward the buildlng up of Gods House And so prayes he who is thine if thou be Christs I C. AN INTERPRETATION OF THE XIII CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST THe Eternall whose power is over all from the beginning hath put enmitie between the Serpent and the Woman Gent. 3 15. and between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent whereupon it hath come to passe in all ages that the seed of the woman hath laboured to break the Serpents head that is to destroy his works tread him under foot and triumph in victory over him He on the contrarie hath laboured as earnestly to resist God to deceive the Nations and to bring all into condemnation and destruction with with himself And amongst the manifold waies and means which Satan hath devised and practised to manifest his malice against God and his Saints none hath been more dangerous nor more availeable to further iniquity and cause destruction then the Antichristian generation which under the title of the Church and Spouse of Christ and Ministers of the Gospell have corrupted the earth and brought the Nations into miserable bondage and slaverie In this 13 Chapter is declared the state policy and proceeding of the Antichristian Dominion and Kingdom as the same was signified and foreshewed to Iohn the servant of Jesus Christ in a threefold forme First by a Beast rising up out of the Sea having 7 heads and 10 hors ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Secondly by a Beast comming up out of the earth having two hoâ—â—es like the Lamb but spake like the Dragon vers 11 12 13 14 Thirdly by an image of the first beast which the second beast caused them that dwelt on the earth to make as in vers 14 15 16 17 18. As the Dominion of the Medes Persians and Grecians which persecuted and destroyed the holy people of God the Iews were signified and foreshewed to Daniel in a vision under the formes of severall beasts according to the qualities of those Dominions so here the Antichristian dominion which persecuted the Churches and people of Christ was foreshewed to Iohn under the formes of such Beasts as are here described whereby we may learne that as reason and judgement is not to be expected in a beast so equitie and right is not to be expected in this dominion but the contrarie Concerning the first of these beasts John sayth That as I stood upon the sea sand I saw a beast rise up out of the sea hauing seven heads and 10 hornes and upon his hornes 10. Crownes and upon his heads the names of blasphemy And the beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard and his feet as the feet of a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the dragon gaue him his power and his seat and great authoritie That by this first beast was signified and represented some state of people and body politique I presume no reasonable man exercised in the Scriptures will deny because as it hath been sayd it is there to be seene that such states and dominions as God hath used as rods and scourges to chastise and correct his Church and people withall have been represented by beasts States and dominions they are of two sorts either Ecclesiastical or Civil but of which sort the State here meant is there hath been and is great opposition Many understand it to be the Romane Empire to which I cannot consent because the Romane Empire is ordeyned of God and is therefore a lawfull Dominion But the Dominion here represented is sayd to be from the dragon that old serpent the Deuill who is sayd to giue his power and his throne and great authoritie unto it and therefore unlawfull neither can I conceave it to be any other ciuil dominion for the same reason But to be short I vnderstand it to be an Ecclesiasticall State or Dominion and in perticular that Dominion which is called the Catholike Church representatiue consisting of the Prelacy and Preisthood of many Nations as Patriarches Cardinalls Archbishops Bishops with divers other elected persons who being called and gathered into Counsells or Synods usually called generall Counsells did usurpe and take on them the office of Iesus Christ in making lawes and Canons erecting Courts instituting offices and officers in matters of Religion as for the government of the Church and for the worship of God to be of all men observed and obeyed These generall Counsels or as the Catholicks call it the Catholicke Church representatiue haue challenged and exercised spirituall authoritie and dominion According to the text ouer all kindreds tongus and nations By their laws and canons they guided and governed them as one uniuersall or Catholicke Church made them also to observe their decrees and commaundements for doctrine this thay haue done both before and also since the Pope was exalted to his dignitie as all histories of the Church do testify So that it hath been and is a great question among the Catholicks whither the authoritie of the Pope or the Catholick Church in cases of Religion be the greater And whereas it is said in the 12. verse that the second beast exercised all the power of the first Beast before him thereby is confirmed the trueth of this exposition For the second Beast being the Pope as hereafter is shewed hath exercised the whole power of the Catholick Church or generall counsels and not of any other state or Dominion Further that this is the first beast here presented that which followeth through Gods helpe shall make manifest and apparant But before I doe proceed I desire the reader to observe that I do not condemne all vse of counsells and Synods but doe hold that divers churches may lawfully be assembled together to consult and advise of matters concerning Religion and the worship of God for their
instruction information of their Iudgements and so a good and holy vse may be thereof But that any counsells haue such power over the church of Christ as to impose vpon them their cômandements for doctrine and usurp the goverment of the Churches and to rule and reigne over them by their lawes and Canons and prescribe rules and formes how God will be worshipped as these generall counsells haue done that I doe deny as being contrarie to the perfecton of the holy Scriptures and the practise of the Apostles and Elders of the-Church of Ierusalem 2 Tim. 3.17 Deut. 4.2 Reve. 22 18 Act. 5 10 who being assembled together did professe it to be a tempting of God to lay such a yok on the disciples necks as the observing of the Iewish ceremonies which being vnlawfull to do it is uuch more vnlawfull to devise and impose any other And therefore the sayd assembly of the Apostles Elders concluded to lay no greater burden vpon the disciples then to abstaine from such necessary things as either were simply evil in them selues as fornication Act. 15 8 19 c. or else euill in respect of offence as meate offered to Idols blood and things strangled Now to proceed first it is said of this Beast That hee did rise up out of the sea By his rising vp was foreshewd that the Antichristian policie should arise from a poore and meane estate to great riches and honour in the world which we and former generations have seene to the uttermost fulfilled For dayes there were when the Churches of Christ both Ministers and people were hated despised and persecuted in the world spoiled of their goods made gazing stocks and wonders and afflicted with all kinde of cruelty as histories both sacred and humane do abundantly specifie and declare The Apostle Paul saith of himself and his fellow-bretheren the Ministers of the Gospell that they were as men appointed to death and in the account of the world as the filth refuse and of-scouring of all things But since this beastly generation hath succeeded the Church and under the titles of Ministers of the Gospell and the Bishops ouer Gods people have found meanes by little and little to rise up and to exalt themselves over the Nations and to bring the multitudes and peoples and Nations and Tongues under their Iurisdiction rule and Dominion Rev 18 3 2 Thes 2. 7. and they have so risen up that they are become the great men of the earth and are waxed rich through the abundance of their delicacies This mysterie of iniquity was working in the Apostles time for there were then crept into the Church those that desired worldly pompe and promotion and were not contented with the portion of the Lords Heritage but their ambitious desires could not then be satisfied there was a let in the way that hindered it which lets being removed their purposes soone after took effect fitly therefore is this generation said to rise up in respect of those whose successours they boast themselves to be The former hold no certaine dwelling places but were exposed to hunger thirst cold nakednesse buffetings c. But these latter have their Lordly Houses warlike Castles and Princelike Palaces they have their Rents Revenues and abundance of riches in great excesse they are pompously arrayed in stately Robes and rich apparell they rule like Lords over the people and have power to aflict all that will not beare the yoke of their Dominion thus is this generation risen vp and exalted as all may see that list to minde it The Place from whence this Beast is said to rise up is the sea The naturall sea wee know is the gathering together of many waters Gen. 1.9 10. A Like thing must that be out of which this beast was to rise But in the 17. Chapter Multitudes and nations peoples and Tongues are resembled by waters therefore the gathering together of such into one body politike may rightly be resembled by the Sea Thus then the truth standeth By the rising up of this Beast out of the Sea was foreshewed that those many waters that is the people and multitudes and Nations and Tongues not onely under the Romane Empire but most nations and people of the World being gathered into one Sea or Ecclesiasticall State should breed and bring forth this Monster For they being of two contrary sorts the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman Children of the Kingdom and children of the wicked unto the one sort the Word of God in the administration thereof is the savour of life unto life unto the other sort it is the savour of death unto death The one sort feare God and will obey him rather then man The other feare and reverence the arme of flesh more then they do the living God These as light and darknesse being contrary one to another the one being of Christ the other of Belial how therefore should they in things concerning God and Christ Faith and Religion agree together Those which be of God cannot but witnesse against those that be of the world because their deeds are evill Those which are of the world are heady high-minded proud boasters wise in their own conceit and therefore scorne to be rebuked and hate to be reformed These being together in the world as Wheat and Tares in one field and as Sheep and Goats in one Flock the true end of the administration of the Word of God had been to call and separate the one from the other the precious from the vile beleevers from infidels But notwithstanding this generation thought it to be wisdom to take a contrary course namely to bring all people of all sorts to be one Church and likewise unto uniformity in Religion And because it could not be effected by the Word of God that sword of the Spirit they procured the help of worldly governours to bring it to passe by their power and command By which device and policie these many waters that is the Nations and people have been gathered into one Church and Ecclesiasticall body politike here represented by the Sea and have been brought to use all one order or worship service and government But this conformitie not being procured through love but constrained by feare was but an humane devise and worldly policy and no divine Institution and therefore could not be upholden maintained and continued by the Word of God and the administration of a serviceable Ministery but by the over-ruling power of a Lordly Prelacie whereupon it was thought meet that Synods or Counsels of the chiefest of the Prelates and Cleargie of divers Dominions should be gathered together to make Laws and Canons which all men should be constrained by penall Laws to observe and yeeld obedience unto and so peace and unitie might be preserved and kept amongst them And in short time it came to passe that whatsoever these Synods or Counsels did agree upon and set down how false soever was to be
and 50 Canons And for refusing to worship them in these things many are put back and those that formerly have been ordained for refusing so to do which they call revolting have had their penall Laws executed upon them which is Suspension Degradation and Excommunication and after these many other afflictions in body goods and name being accounted factious and seditious persons that have no right to buy or sell their Wares Concerning the people whereof the Church of England consisteth it is necessary that we finde them such as the Scriptures do require otherwise they canâ—â—â— be accounted the Church of Christ and to this end observe these few places following Ezeck 44.19 Thus saith the Lord no stranger uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into any Sanctuary And the people of Israel for suffering such uncircumcised strangers to enter into the Sanctuary of the Lord hee calleth them a rebellious people that had poluted his Sanctuary and broken his Covenant And in the 23 verse The Lord teacheth his Ministers to put difference betweene the holy and prophane the cleane and uncleane And according to this was the practise of the Apostles in the Primitive Age who by preaching the Word gathered none but such as beleeved and voluntarily submitted themselves to walke according to the profession of the Gospell and if any did cunningly creep into the fellowship of the Saints and not walke accordingly they were to be cast out by the Church as in the 1 Cor. 5. Likewise the Apostle Paul he separated the Disciples of Ephesus from those that beleeved not so the Apostle taught the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.14 15 c. Be not unequally yoked together with unbeleevers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse And what communion hath light with darknesse And what concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidell And what agreement hath ehe Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate faith the Lord and touch not the uncleane thing and I will receive you Now if we compare the Church of England with these Scriptures we shall finde that the practise and proceedings thereof hath been and is contrary The people thereof for the most part are such as visibly and apparantly live in all kinde of licentiousnesse and in their workes deny God being abominable and disobedient For these Lordly Prelates being armed with the Sword of Civill authority and having the Law of their side they have not laboured by painefull preaching to draw men to the obedience of the faith and to the fellowship of the Gospell apart from the prophane and wicked that speak evill of the waies of the Lord but they have compelled and inforced all sorts of people both religious and prophane not onely such as feare God but also such as feare him not by bodily punishments to be conformable to the profession which is by their Canon Law established in this Church As if the Word of God that Sword of the Spirit were not mighty enough in operation for the gathering together of the Saints That this is their practise is plain by the 90. and 114. Canons where it is said that Ministers and Church-wardens must present all persons above the age of thriteen years that come not to the Church and receive the Sacraments after which presentation if they doe not conforme they shall bee excommunicated imprisoned and have their goods attached This is the means which hath been used for the gathering of this Church of England whereby they have confounded and mingled them together whom God hath commanded to be separated wherein what do they lesse then think themselves wiser and stronger then God The Word of God is the seed whereby the Church of God is begotten and those that are begotten by any other means are bastards and not Sonnes for as that Woman is an Harlot which hath Children by any but her lawfull Husband so that Church whose members are gathered by any other way or means then by the Word of Goâ— perswading and moving their hearts the same is not the Church of Christ But this hath been the manner of gathering the Church of England and therefore it is unworthy to be adorned with the title of the Church but ought to be accounted the Image of the first Beast before spoken of that is of Great Babylon which is an habitation of Divels an hold of foule Spirits and a Cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird. And for confirmation hereof by the testimony of their own mouthes let us but consider the estimation which the members of this Church have one of another Some there are amongst them who for making more conscience of their waies then the rest are in dirision called Puritans or Precisians these on the contrary seeing the ungodly conversation of the rest of their brethren esteeme them as wicked prophane carnall and unregenerate men such as for the most part are mockers contemners and evill speakers of the truth and in whom is no appearance of Religion and the feare of God and therefore they distinguish the better sort from these prophane persons by the name of Professours This is the estimation which they have one of another which is a manifest note that they are not come into the order of the Church of Christ I deny not but there are many amongst them that are the Saints and Servants of Christ that are godly and zealous people which so far as they know they labour to yeeld obedience to the Commandements of Christ and although by meanes of their Guides which make them to erre and go astray keeping them in ignorance of this doctrine yet it shall go well with them Such persons I say as fitt stones for the building of the Church of Christ but so long as they remaine in this confusion they can no more be said to be the true visible Church of Christ then a heap of stones fitted for a building can be said to be a House therefore they must be separated from the wicked and placed together according to the order prescribed by Christ Jesus and practised by his Apostles as in the New Testament before they can be so esteemed As these Prelates will have this Church of England to be accounted the true Church of Christ so they will have the true Church of Christ to be accounted false schismaticall and hereticall as in the 9. 10. and 11. Canons by which it doth appear that if any people separate from this corrupt Church state and joyne together apart from the wicked and prophane to walke in all the waies and ordinances of Christ prescribed in his Testament acknowledging Christ Iesus to be the onely King Lord and Law-giver in matters of Religion and the worship of God which
suffered in any Kingdom or Common-wealth and so they blaspheme the Tabernacle of God in a high degree as if Gods people were a company of ungodly rebels and wicked conspiratours but the righteous Lord will in due time visit his people and rebuke his enemies And on the other side for Gods people now to deny the kingdom of the Beast that is as they call it the holy Catholike Church Militant to be the true Church of Christ To refuse to partake and communicate with them in their abominations delusions and unlawful works of darknes is adjudged disobedience schisme and contempt of the power and authorty of the Church To speak against their proceedings sedition disturbance of the peace of the Church heresie impiety and what not Thus they adorne the Harlot which corrupteth the earth with her fornications with the title of the Church and Spouse of Christ and Tabernacle of God and so blaspheme the Tabernecle of God as if it were not a communion of Saints by calling and profession but an habitation of Divels an hold of foule Spirits and a Cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird. Further it is said of the Beast that it did blaspheme those that dwelt in heaven that is the Saints departed this life Those that dwell in heaven are then blasphemed when it is said of them that they take it as an honour done unto them when we make them our Patrons build them Temples set up their Images offer and pray unto them and make them Mediatours between Christ and us for by this they are made not onely Idols but also favourers and chief maintainers of Idolatry They are also blasphemed when the doctrine which they taught and practised is condemned for heresie or when erronious doctrines vaine traditions superstitious rites ceremonies and customes are fathered upon them as received from them by Tradition as unwritten verities but the world hath been brought to believe that Saints in heaven might by these means be as it were bought and sould between Priest and people wherein they have been highly blasphemed Moreover it is said that it was given to the Beast to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations Warre is made with the Saints when they are accused to Rulers and Governors to be Heretikes Schismaticks wicked and ungodly persons and they may then be said to be overcome whem their accusers are justified and they condemned according to this this Scripture hath been fulfilled and verified Great and of long continuance have been the warres which the Beast hath made with the Saints and many have been the victories of this kinde which the Beast hath had against them as the Histories and other records of the Nations do plentifully witnes It was given to the Beast to make warre with the Saints when Rulers and Governours gave way to the Beast to devise and make laws at their own pleasure concerning Religion and the worship of God and then to condemne for Delinquents and evill doers all that would not observe those Laws How free and forward Rulers and Governours have been to give such power unto the Beast they themselves have felt by long and wofull experience for much woe hath the Beast wrought not to the poore and meaner sort of the Saints onely but even to Emperours and Kings and all degrees of people and therefore it is said in the words following that power was given unto this Beast over every Kindred Tongue and Nation So that the exaltation thereof was such as to be a Father above all fathers to every Kindred a Lord above all Lords to every Tongue a King above all Kings to every Nation Thus was this Beast exalted and sate as a Queen triumphing over them having all of all degrees brought in bondage unto her Dominion which was a just recompence upon their heads that gave such power unto this Beast yet see how the world was herein deluded they were not captives against their wills but in blind devotion had this Beast in most high reverence as being a devine power ordained and given by God and not from the Dragon Thus did the Lord give them over to be deluded by this Beast as a just reward of their vngodlynes in that they receaued not the loue of the truth but tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Further it is declared in the words following That all that dwell vpon the earth must worship him that is the Beast whose names are not written in the booke of the life of the Lamb slayne from the foundation of the World by those that dwell on the earth is ment those that have set their habitation there and choose rather to enioy the prosperitie of the world and plesures of sinne together with the Beast then to sufffer affliction for the truth and for witnessing against the Beast these are they that worship him that is receaue their precepts and rules for their doctrine and wholesome instuction and observe their ordinances and Lawes as perfect rules of eqitie and righteousnesse casting the word of God declared in the holy scriptures be hind their backes and treading his Ordinances vnder their feete making farre more conscience not to eate an Egge on Friday then to steale or to commit adulterie But of such it is said that their names are not written in the Booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world That is they are not of the number of Gods Elect and Choosen in Christ and given vnto him for his portion and heritage whose condition is to be hated despised persecuted and afflicted in the world for righteousnes sake in whom the Lamb Christ Jesus as in his members hath been slaine since the beginning of the world which condition those which cannot brook and endure but count it a pleasure to live deliciously for a season and take delight to enjoy the pleasures of sin may thereby be discribed not to have their names written in the Book of life Concerning these things it is added If any man have an eare let him heare As if it should be said few there be which have an eare to heare these things For who can indure to heare that Catholike Church which they account to be spirituall holy and heavenly to bee compared to a Beast ugly in forme and horrible and monstrous in nature Who can endure to heare that Power that Throne and that authority which they believe to be of God to be said and affirmed to be of the Dragon that old Serpent the Divell and Satan Who will believe that a righteous God would give way to his enemies the workers of iniquity so farre to prevaile and so long time as for many hundred years together to delude the Nations to bring them into bondage and to keepe them in slavery And that a few poore despised people of no reckoning in the world here one and there another should see more and be wiser then
we are fallen and being enemies and opposers of Christ and his Kingdom it doth behoove us to know them to the end that wee may eschew them and their evill wayes and seek after the truth making strait steps unto the Kingdom of God Now that we our selves may make particular use hereof it is necessary for us to examine the Nationall Synod or Convocation consisting of the Prelacy and Clergie of the Land who whilst they remained under the yoke and bondage of the Church of Rome and whilst they exercised their power which was first given them by the Pope for and in the behalfe of that Church and Dominion they were the very Image of the first Beast before mentioned But being now separated from the Pope and Church of Rome they think as it should seem that their spirituall Pontificall power and authority which they exercise is lawfull and warrantable and to be submitted unto They being gathered together boast themselves to be the representative body of the Church of England and the true Church of Christ and that they have power to make Laws and Canons for Government thereof and for the worship of God which all men ought to yeeld obedience unto as appeareth by divers of their Bookes of Canons But we are not to take this upon their word but to make triall thereof by the Word of God whether it be true or false If the Word of God did give them such power and authority then indeed we were bound in conscience to yeeld already obedience to their Lawes and Canons But the most wise God and Disposer of all things who knoweth the vanity of mens mindes would not have his people to hold their faith in respect of mens persons and at their pleasure to alter and change the same and therefore did not give to any of his Ministers power to make Laws in matters of Religion and for the worship of God but gave them power onely to teach the Nations to observe the things which he had commanded them as in the 28. of Mathew the 19. and 20. verses And the Apostle Paul biddeth the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.1 to be followers of him as he followed Christ And in the same Chapter he also saith That which he had received of the Lord he delivered unto them Acts 15. Also the Assembly of the apostles and Elders of the Church of Ierusalem they would not impose any yoke of bondage upon the Churches of Christ but held it to be a tempting of God so to do as before hath been shewed And this agreeth with that in Deut. 12.32 Whatsoever I command you take heed you do it Thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom By which Scriptures it is plain that the chiefest Ministers of the Gospell had no such power as these Prelates presume to have as we shall finde by examining their particular Canons and Constitutions of which for examples I will onely note some few of their late and best reformed Book made Anno 1603. in the first year of the Kings Majesties reign by which it will be apparant that they passe the bounds of the Subjects of Christ and that they have no power from him to make such Laws but by so doing they usurp the place of God to reign in mens consciences for unto him onely it doth belong to make Laws in matters of Religion and for the worship of God to which men are onely bound to yeeld obedience without adding or detracting and that for this their presumption they are liable to the curse of God being indeed the Image of the Beast here spoken of that is originally sprung from the Dragon and hath received power of Law-making from him Concerning the first and second Canons wherein they pretend their zeal for the abolishing of all forraign power repugnant to the jurisdiction of the Kings Majestie over the Ecclesiasticall estate he being the highest power under God to whom all men owe most loyall obedience and that his Majestie hath the like authority in Causes Ecclesiasticall as the godly Kings had amongst the Iews To these I do most willingly assent and agree And further do desire that as the Pope so the Prelacy with all their Antichristian Adherents which usurp spirituall power and superiority above the Majestie of Christ Iesus being a strange and forraigne generation brought in and established in this Land by the Pope of Rome may also be abolished and cast out after him for by them the Pope lives in hope hereafter to be served as he hath been heretofore to the great vexation of the Kings and Princes of this Land yea to the losse of their Crown and lives But to be short I will proceed to mention some few of their Canons whereby iniquity is established for a Law and their beastlinesse discovered In the third Canon it is enacted that whosoever shall affirme the Church of England by Law established not to be a true and Apostolicall Church teaching and maintaining the doctrine of the Apostles that person shall bee excommunicated ipso facto That there are some yea many doctrines of the Apostles maintained in the Church of England I do not deny so there are in the Church of Rome But that the Ecclesiasticall state or spirituall body politike which is called the Church of England which consisteth of Arch-bishops Diocesan Lord-bishops Suffragans Deanes Arch-deacons Prebends Canons Chancellours Commissaries with the rest of the Clergie as heads and guides of that body to go before and the whole multitude of the Layitie as they call it which is as the Tayle to follow those Heads that this politicall Body is the Spouse and Church of Christ as they affirme in their seventh eighth and ninth Canons that I do deny For first if it were true that they are the Ministers of Christ which is his Church we should finde warrant for them in his Testament wherein is set down the Ministers which he hath set in the Church namely Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers and also their office and administration But in all the New Testament no Arch-bishops nor Lord-bishops no Deanes nor Arch-deacons Prebends Priests nor Canons no Chancellours nor Commissaries and other their Court-officers nor any such administration as they challenge and execute can there be found they are a strange generation that is risen up out of the earth for earthly-minded and vaine men have invented them and therefore the body which consisteth of them cannot of right bee acknowledged to bee the Body of Christ whose Ministers in respect that they are called according to the Commandement of Christ are from Heaven But it is indeed the Image of the first Beast whose mouth was as the mouth of a Lyon his body like a Leopard and his feet as the feet of a Beare an ugly compounded and deformed monster And as their names are strange and different from the Ministers of Christ so is their practise contrary they are not servants to the Flock and Church of Christ