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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	part_n	5,261	5	4.5208	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43611	The black non-conformist, discover'd in more naked truth proving, that excommunication, confirmation, the two great Episcopal appurtenances & diocesan bishops, are not (as now in use) of divine, but human make and shape, and that not only some lay-men, but all the keen-cringing clergy are non-conformists ... : also a libel, and answer (thereunto) fitted to every man's case (be it what it will) that is cited to ecclesiastical courts, whose shallow foundation is unbared, and a true table of ecclesiastical court fees, as it was return'd into the star-chamber, Anno Domini 1630, by the ecclesiastical fellows themselves, and compar'd with the statutes : also concerning the unlawfulness of granting licences to marry, Quakers-marriages, folly, as well as other evil consequences of that new law-maxim, viz. that no non-conformists ought to be jury-men : shewing also, that, religion, religion, that should have been the world's great blessing, is become the plague of mankind, and the curse of Christendom ... / by Edm. Hickeringill ...	Hickeringill, Edmund, 1631-1708.	1682 (1682)	Wing H1797; ESTC R22899	136,499	106

COnfirmation was at first a good Invention of the Church and politickly and wisely ordain'd not in supplement to Infant-Baptism for that is sufficient without it but to the end that when Children come to the years of discretion and have learned in the Church-Catechism what their Godfathers and Godmothers vowed and promised for them as their Sureties and Pledges 'till they came to Age that they should in their own persons vow the same with their own mouth and consent openly before the Congregation But it is not a Sacrament or necessary to Salvation as the Papists insinuate for it is certain by God's Word as said in the Rubrick of the said first English Common-Prayer Book since the Reformation made in the Reign of Edward VI. That children beeying Baptised yf they depart out of this lyfe in their infancye are undoubtedly saved And this Common-Prayer Book as is said before is declared to be composed by the Aid of the Holy Ghost in the Statute 2 Ed. 6.1 And there is the Church-Catechism set down beginning as ours What is your Name And ending with these words And therefore I say Amen so be it But our Catechism is much larger and all of it ought to be learnt by all before they be brought to the Bishop to be confirm'd And 'till they can say this Catechism and give account of it not like a Parrot hudling it over but sensible and understanding what they say shall they be confirm'd by the Bishop who ought by himself or such as he shall appoint Pose them or Appose them in it nor then neither except they also bring with them one Godfather or Godmother that every Child may have a Witness of their Confirmation Nor then neither ought they to be confirm'd except the Curate of the Parish where they dwell come along with them or at least send a Certificate in writing with his hand subscribed thereunto the Names of all such Persons within his Parish as he shall think fit to be presented to the Bishop to be confirmed And then if the Bishop upon Posing them find them fit they shall be confirmed in manner as prescrib'd in the Common-Prayer Book But are these things observed or who regards them I have been 19 or 20 years Rector of the Rectory of All-Saints in Colchester and during that time have had three several Bishops or Diocesans Gilbert Bishop of London never made any Visitation into the Countrey and over his Diocess to confirm any and yet the same Rubrick says None shall be admitted to the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 'till they be confirmed or desire to be confirmed which last words are not in the first Common-Prayer Book of Edw. VI. Humphrey Bishop of London made but two Visitations and in the latter never came near Harwich and that Countrey by twenty Miles nor near Colchester by above eight Miles Henry Bishop of London has also made two Visitations and consequently Confirmations and several of my Parish have been confirmed by them But how I never gave a Certificate of the Names of such as I thought fit and capable of Confirmation the Question was never ask'd me nor of any Minister that I know of nor Godfathers and Godmothers requir'd as the Rubrick enjoins to every one that is confirm'd nor many if any of the children Men or Women appos'd or pos'd by any Bishop or other by him appointed to examine the fitness of them for the same Nor did I ever see any Bishop ever examine any if they did I that was present saw it not done and I am sure many if not all were confirm'd without questioning the matter or any such said Certificate from the Curate Surely Confirmation was godlily design'd but a perfunctory performance thereof at all adventures is quite contrary to the Institution and Act of Vn●… Nor did I ever hear this essential Question put by the Bishop namely Do ye here in the presence of God and of this Congregation renew the Solemn Promise and Vow that was made in your Name at your Baptism nay some have been confirm'd to my knowledge that were never baptized ratifying and confirming the same in your own persons and acknowledging your selves bound to believe and to do all those things which your Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook and most of them I am sure of my Parish never had any Godfathers or Godmothers nor their Parents could be persuaded to procure them or if they were willing they were not able by any means or persuasion to procure Sureties to be bound promise and vow for their Children or undertake by Vow that they should forsake the Devil and all his works and obediently keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments for you Answer I do But I say there required no Answer where the Question was not put nor the Answer particularly requir'd of each of them For all that was required or I am sure of a great many was but to kneel down whil'st the Bishop with a Common-Prayer Book in one hand and the other hand upon the head of the person to be confirmed said over each of them these words Defend O Lord this thy Child or this thy Servant if past Infancy or Childhood with thy heavenly grace that he may continue thine for ever and daily increase in thy holy Spirit more and more until he come unto thy everlasting Kingdom But in King Edward VI's Common-Prayer Book Confirmation was quite another thing and the words these First The Minister signed them with the Sign of the Cross saying Signe them O Lord and mark them to be thine for ever by the vertue of thy holy Crosse and Passion confirme and strengthen them with the inward Unction of thy Holy Ghoste mercifully unto everlasting life Then the Bishop shall cross them in the forehead and lay his hand upon their head saying N. or M. or any other Name N. I Signe thee with the Signe of the Crosse and lay my hand upon thee In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen But the Prayer preceding is the very same with ours observe it Almightie and everliving God who hast vouchesafed to regenerate these thy Servants of water and the Holy Ghost And hast geven unto them forgevenesse of all their sinnes Sende down from Heaven we beseeche thee O Lord upon them thy Holy Goste the Coumforter with the manifolde giftes of Grace the Spirite of wysedom and understanding The Spirite of councell and gostly strength The Spirite of knowledge and true godlinesse and fulfyll them O Lorde with the Spirite of thy holy feare but ours adde onely now and for ever And then this Collect following is almost the same with that of King Edw. 6. I 'll set down only part of it namely Almightie everliving God whiche makest us bothe to will and to doe those thinges that be good and acceptable unto thy Majestie we make our humble supplications unto thee for these Children upon whome after the xample of thy holy Apostles

Bishops then made per saltum as at leap-frog skipping over 3 or 4 Heads none vaulted into the Holy See or Seat nor leapt so high at one Jump but mounted as to the Altar and Holy of Holies by Stairs Steps and by Degrees Because a Bishop should be a Presbyter or Elder 1 Tim. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a young Novice And why And why what stops his Grace The Apostle shews cause for his Non-placet in the next words lest he fall into Temptation or the Condemnation of the Devil by being puffed up with Pride 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swelled like a Bladder with the Windy and Fanatical Self-conceit of his own merit when in truth that Bigness is nothing but windy Emptiness and being discovered or let out will fall and flag as Lucifer did from Heaven That is the meaning of the Condemnation of the Devil namely the same Sin of being swell'd with Pride and Self-conceit will have the same Punishment that Lucifer had But notwithstanding all this the Church made bold to crack a Commandment in the case of Nectarius who having great Friends and Relations was chosen Patriarch of Constantinople whilst he was a Souldier a Layman and unbaptized And I can tell you the Patriarch or Pope of Constantinople would have scorn'd in those days to have given the Wall to the Pope of Rome Also stout Captain St. Ambrose that would scorn to bend to the Emperour Theodosius but flatteringly cring'd to the Usur per Eugenius was chosen Notwithstanding the Canon-Law to be Bishop of Milan whilse he was a Souldier and Governour of the same City and Metropolis of Milan nay also unbaptized as I remember Thus when the Church can nail the Canons or crack a Commandment for Men of great Parts Interest Relations and Friends surely to show its Charity it may condescend a little from its rigorous Constitution and reach a helping-hand themselves also being frail and tardy and Indulgence in this my case to me a poor little Man that has neither great Friends great Relations great Parts great Learning nor indeed great any thing save a great Adversary To the 2d Question namely Quest 2. If Christ or his Apostles did ordain such an Ordinance as Excommunication who were the Administrators Answ The Answer is easy namely such as had Ability to judg and discern Right from Wrong Truth from Falshood and an Orthodox-man from an Heretick by the Gift of the Holy Ghost called discerning of Spirits For we shall be in fine taking if upon a fair Trial and Issue what colour is such a Horse white or brown we should place a blind Man upon the Bench or Jury or Men-purblind and short-sighted The Pope craftily foresaw this before ever he applyed that of Tit. 3.10 to his Jurisdiction namely a Heretick after the first or second Admonition reject And therefore he first made himself the Infallible Judge that cannot be mistaken but alwayes discerns Right from Wrong Truth from Falshood an Orthodox-man from an Heretick for then and then only is Excommunicating a Heretick rational when built and only then when built upon Infallibility take that away and down comes the lofty Fabrick or Fortress or Cittadel of Excommunication that has so aw'd and overaw'd the whole Christian World For what a Blunder is it in Ratiocination to say the Church of Rome Alexandria Antioch have erred and the Church of England may erre and yet these same Churches shall as stifly decide and positively assert what is and what is not Truth as if they were not Seekers Searchers and Viatores but Infallibility men For supposing a Church or Church-men may err as did the greatest Council of Bishops that ever was in the World about 700 at Ariminum Sirmium c. who were Arrians and denied the Divinity of our Saviour the Orthodox and Protestants had a good time of it to be burnt by the Bishops as Hereticks for asserting the Divinity of our Blessed Saviour Lawn-sleeves then nor all those Reverend Habits and Accoutrements of the Bishops whether the Most Reverend or the Right Reverend Fathers in God we see by many Experiments are no infallible Marks or Signs of Truth without all peradventure as if all their Placets must must must needs be right whilst they are frail like other Mortals And therefore Excommunication like Scanderbeg's Sword is but a common Weapon except it be wielded by Scanderbeg's Arm Judgment and Dexterity A Crieple would make but bungling work with it nay perhaps lose it to the Enemy and then we shall have it turn'd upon us fatally Good Crieples sit still and be quiet till you get Apostolical Arms Judgment and Dexterity for fear this two-edged Sword with which you do so cut and hack dismember and mangle the Body of Christ for a Guinee a cut be one day turned upon your selves with the fatal Edge towards you if the Enemy recover it and get it in his hand again The Enemy the common Enemy the Papists first from Tit. 3.10 Excommunicate a Heretick that is they deliver him over to Satan as the Apostles did but finding Satan would not take the Excommunicate as he did in the Apostles days then the Pope by an Arrogance as petulant as the Sarcasme surrogates the Magistrate instead of Satan to take the Excommunicate for the destruction of the Flesh and that in the most compendious way by Fire and Faggot for the destruction of the Flesh Body and Bones in the Flames And though amongst us the Heretick shall not now be delivered over to the Magistrate to be burnt since the Abolition of the Writ de Heretico comburendo yet even at this day when holy Church which yet confesses her self subject to error signifies a Man to be Excommunicate for Heresy the Magistrate takes him with the Writ de Excommunicato capiendo for the Destruction of the Flesh not with the fierce Fire and Faggot but still with a lingring death a Goal until he Repent and Recant that his wicked Error As for example Suppose a man should not with both his eyes which are good as other mens and with which he can see as far into a Milstone as any man should assert that though it be the positive Law of the Land to Excommunicate and Deprive men of the blessed Sacrament yet he cannot see in Holy Writ that Christ debarr'd Judas the Traytor nor that the Apostles ever did by Practise or Injunction command such a Discipline by some called an Ordinance of God in depriving them of the Ordinances of God as if a Physician should command that the Patient should never take a Cordial or Sanative Medicine because he is sick Alas Alas Cordial Medicines are made for the very nonce for the sick as the Sacraments for sinners and the whole if there be any such have no need of this Physick but them that are sick And if all sinners must be deprived of the blessed Sacrament and Excommunicate I doubt the Bishop and his Chancellor that Excommunicate sinners must

we have layd our hands mark that for it is the same in our Common-Prayer Book to certifye them by this Signe of thy savour and gracious goodnes towarde them leat thy fatherly hande c. I know a Bishop being a great person may as Majesty uses to do when he means only his own single act and single hand say we we for so it is said we have laid our hands But how these words our hands can be meant of the Bishop's laying on his single hand and but one hand cannot be reconciled to any Grammar For in King Edward VI's Reign the happy Reformers kept up Imposition of hands not hand as the Collect aforesaid says after the example of the holy Apostles and in imitation of the Apostles laying on of their hands upon the Disciples and thereby conveying to them the gifts of the Holy Ghost Therefore the Papists anoint or have an Unction in meer Mimickry or Imitation of the Unction of the Holy Ghost which was not sold or made of Apothecary Drugs as the Papists Unction is but purely spiritual gifts of the Holy Ghost the gift of Tongues discerning of Spirits c. But they that would fain be accounted Successors of the Apostles and of St. Peter and St. Paul and love to be called the Apostolical men would make Confirmation to be performed or of right ought to be performed by Bishops onely who the Papists account to be the onely Apostolical men and Successors of the small Prophets or Apostles St. Matthew Thomas c. and the Pope the onely Successor of St. Peter and St. Paul But our first Reformers did not confine this Act of Confirmation to a Bishop alone but to other his Fellow Presbyters who signed with the Cross and said as many words over the head of the Child as the Bishop himself Thus when John was present Peter did not bid him stand aside but both of them together laid their hands upon the young Converts and they received the gifts of the Holy Ghost in imitation whereof Confirmation was brought in And the Rubrick makes the Curate or his Certificate a necessary qualification and that of King Edw. 6. the first Reformers the Minister laid his hands on or at least signed the Party with the sign of the Cross and said words over him or prayed over him And probably also as is usual in Ordination both laid their hands on or else what English or Sense is in those words in the Collect Vpon whom we have laid our hands But now I say the Bishop without the concurrence or consent of the Minister of the Parish who best knows the state of the Flock alone confirms all that come which are very few God knows not one in a hundred or more that are baptized And those or most of them hand over-head without any previous examination of their fitness And therefore who can pray in Faith or believe what he says and prays as aforesaid in these words God who hast vouchsafed to Regenerate these thy Servants by water and the Holy Ghost and yet for ought he knows I am sure of some were never baptized so much as by water over whom yet he prays or ought to pray in these words and then and hast given unto them forgiveness of all their sins c. Be not deceived God is not mocked saith the Apostle But what extravagancy will not men run into that would grasp all to themselves contrary to the provision the Law has made for the Minister's consent and concurrence at least to this same Confirmation to his actual laying on of Hands as well as the Bishops in King Edward VI's time and signing with the Cross as well as the Bishop and praying over their heads part of that Prayer that now the Bishop will say alone but in King Edward VI's Common-Prayer Book the Minister said alone before the Bishop toucht the Party to be confirmed So that Confirmation without previous examination and fitness without Godfather or Godmother for a Witness and without the Curate's presenting those of his Parish to be confirmed and certifying their fitness is not only rash and perfunctory impertinent and contrary to the great design those had that invented it but is also illegal and against Law and the Act for Vniformity Hereafter I may perhaps shew at large when and by whom it was invented but this for the present I am clear for the use of it according to Law but the abuse of it is abominable I write this for the observation of the Law and that such as cry down Nonconformists and call for Gaols Stocks Fines Excommunications Suspensions Deprivations and Confiscations may learn Forbearance Mercy Humanity and Kindness to humane kind considering humane frailty so visible in themselves and may not with the same mouth opened against other Nonconformists at the same time pronounce their own doom and deprivation of their spiritual Promotions that are worth the keeping and tugging for And may learn to be quiet and bless Almighty God that they are so well on 't themselves and never Vex themselves to vex others breathing out nothing but mischief and ruine to such as are loth to unman themselves by servile Baseness Flattery and Sycophantry For my part I would much rather cease to be a Clergyman than cease to be an Honest man an Englishman and a Gentleman Which ne'r a Flattering Pimp and Sycophant in England can possibly be In short Confirmation is either good for something or good for nothing either good fit and expedient or not expedient If it be not expedient Why is it put into the Common-Prayer Book or so much as once perfunctorily practis'd If it be good for something which I readily grant then why is it not us'd but abus'd 1. Why is it ever us'd by a Bishop rashly hand over-head Hickletee-Pickletee to all that kneel down whether baptiz'd or unbaptiz'd whether they can or cannot say their Catechism whether they have Godfathers and Godmothers along with them or though they never had any such Godfathers or Sureties but tell Stories when they say They did promise and vow three things in my name c. as in the Catechism And not one word of all the three is true or was ever promis'd or vow'd by any body no not by their own Parents who one would think ought to be most concern'd both in the Vow and Performance 2. Why does not the Bishop require the Significavit from the Parish-Minister of the Truth of the Premises and the fitness of those that are to be confirmed but this 't is to do all alone what is impossible to be well done by any one man 3. Why does not the Bishop go to all the Parishes in his Diocess to confirm the Souls that are therein It is his work and he is well paid for the same And why onely at a great Town two or three where there is a great Inn and good Accomodation I am confident St. Paul never sent his Harbinger before him when

Souls The Apostolical pretenders Preach not one farthing better many much less I do not say much worse than when they were poor Priests Peter set ope ' the Prison-Doors and made a Goal-delivery But some the Goals would fill if they might have their Will Peter said indeed Silver and gold have I none And these indeed scarce know when nor think they have enough In short as I said once before I protest I do not know wherein St. Peter's pretended Successor imitates Peter but in denying his Master I wish I could see him on the stool of Repentance and weep as Peter did weep bitterly Instead of making others weep with their Inquisitions High-Commissions and their Tricks and Shams making the poor Widow and Orphans weep and curse them Apostolical men Successors and Imitators of the Apostle For shame no more With what Forehead I hate the Impudence more than the Hypocrisie Paul labour'd with his hands to get a Living others labour to undo men and their Families Paul had a Viper on his hand did him no hurt others have Vipers in their hearts and do as much hurt and mischief as in them lyes Paul raised Jairus's Daughter to life these breathe nothing but Goals Pillories Excommunication and Destruction Paul Excommunicated Swearers and Blasphemers and some Popes History says and Apostolical men would Blaspheme upon occasion Curse and Swear like Hectors But what and wherefore in nomine Domini do these men pretend Right to Excommunicate because St. Paul did it or the Primitive Church of Corinth that had both St. Paul's special order for it and his Spirit and his Sentence 1 Cor. 5.3 4. They had Gifts of the holy-Holy-Ghost particularly that without which no man was so impudent to bind or loose or pretend to the power of the Keys in the Primitive times that wanted it namely the Gift of Discerning of Spirits St. Paul could see through a man into him into his very heart so could St. Peter and therefore did that which is a sin in any of us to do that have not the gift of Discerning of Spirits Therefore St. Paul called the Conjurer Elymas Enemy of all righteousness and Son of a Devil and St. Peter by his Spirit perceiv'd that Simon Magus was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity The Pope and Popelings are ready enough at calling of Names but clavis errans they Nick-name men and call him a Child of the Devil that is more a Child of God a thousand times than themselves and yet they 'l be doing their endeavour and good-will to deliver them to Satan and yet God will not suffer Satan to take one of them that they Excommunicate that we know of no signs nor marks on 't but rather as they say of the Foxes proverbially The more they are curst the better they thrive Take him Satan Satan will not then take him Magistrate he must Whereas the Apostle Paul that made the Church of Corinth Excommunicate the Incestuous person it was for the destruction of the Flesh and Diseases as they did Job when God Excommunicated him or delivered him to Satan either kill'd him or brought him nigh unto the Grave if great Godly sorrow did not intervene Away with this Mimickry and Pageantry and Apish Imitation If we have the Spirit of the Apostles we are Apostolical men indeed they Peter and John Acts 8.17 Layd their hands on the Disciples and they received the gifts of the Holy-Ghost So the Pope and Cardinals c. they will be imitating and seem to do something and they 'l Confirm by Laying on of Hands but not that neither right according to their own Rubricks as I 'le show by and by but cui bono Away with Lying and Vanity let God be True and every man a Lyar I would appeal to any mans Conscience If ever he received any Gift of the Holy-Ghost by such Imposition of Hands and speak the Naked-Truth now and do not cogg lye and flatter your self nor dissemble any of you that ever was B Be-Pop't or that any Pope would tell truly and not lye Whether he felt whilst he was at it with Imposition of Hands that any vertue went out of him as it did out of our Saviour when he did the Woman good Away Away with Folly and Pageantry at this time of day God will not be mocked And every Plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out saith our Blessed Redeemer and I believe him let Hell and the Pope think themselves never so cock-sure and culminant 'T is readily granted that if any man was a Heretick they should avoid him or reject him and cast off his Company in ordinary Conversation and if any Brother walked disorderly they should not eat nor drink nor dine nor sup with him that he might be ashamed But to think that God or good Men the Prophets Christ or his Apostles did ever in the Old or New Testament command any Men Synod or Synagogue Church or Court that they should shut the Church Doors and shut out the worst of Sinners from the Sacraments or Communion or hale them into Church either by the Head and Ears or which is the same Excommunicate him or put him out of Commons or the Communion of the Church the only Food and Cure of our Souls and made on purpose for Sinners is an opinion as senceless and groundless as it has been baneful and mischievous to all Societies and the Peace of Christendom I grant though sacra sacris and Holy things ought not to be cast to Dogs therefore the Text says Examin your selves and so eat of this bread and drink of this cup. Examin himself It is not said examin him Priest and confess him you Priest and Catechize him John Presbyter nor you Lay-Elder But let him examin himself and so let him come but sao piculo at his own Peril But the Church nor the best of men are not defiled with communicating with the vilest of sinners Was there ever any better than our Blessed Saviour or worse than Judas yet Christ eat the Passeover with him and probably the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper yet he then knew him and had Publisht him a Traytor whom before he call'd Devil I hate the Puritanical Pharisaical Hypocrisie of any Religion they shall be defiled with communicating with Sinners Drunkards c. And yet St. Paul and the Church of Corinth as good as the best of them are not commanded to forsake the Lords-Table though we read that some came thither Drunk and to fill their Bellies with the Bread and Wine 1 Cor. 11.21 Alas every man has enough to do if he mind it well to look after his own Preparation but that any that had not the Gist of Discerning of Spirits nor these neither did Excommunicate or forbid the Communion to any in the Old or New Testament I boldly say 't is false Nor can they prove but that he that was delivered to Satan did also come if

makes it a necessary qualification of a Priest to be a Linguist and yet to my knowledge not a Fryar in forty can speak true Latin Did the Apostle deliver the Incestuous Person by his spirit to Satan and also the Blasphemers Why the Pope would be at it too though he cannot Kill whom he Excommunicates for Hereticks 'till he makes the silly Bigotted Magistrate Gregory it for him And so also most of the Popish Prelatical-tricks are meer Mimickry and Idle as well as Apish Imitation of the Apostles And he is fore't to pretend to this Juggle and Cheat because his Ambition has Entitul'd him Peter's Successor and his pretty Cardinals and Bishops Apostolical men give the Word backward for these Apostolical men Apostolical men Thus the Gypsies imitated Moses and Aaron with their Inchantments Exod. 7. till Aaron's Rod swallowed up their Rods yet Pharaoh's heart was hardned and he and all his Conjurers look't upon all Religion as a humane Invention till by being abominably Lousie and like Atheistical Herod eaten up with Lice they confest Digitum Dei the Finger of God Nor do I think the Popish Conjurers will ever part with their dear dear precious gainful Money-Trade of the Keys till some remarkable Judgment fall upon them for the Abominable and Atheistical abuse Alas the Keys 't is plain were no silver Keys nor earthly worldly mens Keys and therefore when Christ gave them to Peter he calls them Matt. 16.19 The Keys of the kingdom of Heaven So that an Excommunicate Person clave non errant if justly and duly Excommunicated by Persons qualified as the Apostles were with the Gift of the holy-Holy-Ghost called the Gift of Discerning of Spirits without which we never read in Holy Scripture that any Man or Church took upon him or them to Excommunicate any body I say such an Excommunicate Person is by the Evangelical Precept to be as much shut out of Church as if he had never entred in or as much as and no more than a Heathen-man or a Publican But that ever Christ or his Apostles or the Primitive-Church did ever intend by Excommunication to lay claim to his Purse or deprive him of his Freedom Liberty or Property Moneys or Lands as the Jesuits held by asserting that Dominion is founded in Grace and is the ground-work of the Pope's Tyranny and Vsurpation over Princes and their Subjects is no where found in Holy Writ nor any such Appendix Writ or Label hanging at any Excommunication that ever I heard of in the Gospel or Primitive Church Nor the least hint in the Gospel that our blessed Saviour who would not suffer a Prelate no not St. Peter amongst his Disciples should under colour and by vertue of Excommunication grant them a Licence to rend and tear rant and domineer as nay more than the Princes of the Gentiles over one another much less by such a stratagem to deprive Nonconformists Atheists or Libertines of their Lands or Goods Freedom or Free-hold nor ever attempted any such Invasion of the Heathen Emperors Dominions but quite contrary paid them Tribute taught subjection to them by vertue of Religion not usurpation upon their civil Rights under colour of Religion and this no Man can deny who does believe our Saviour when he said My Kingdom is not of this world And therefore he never meant when he parted with these Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to his Church and Servants that they should flourish them huff and vapor with them fight and quarrel threaten and revenge or vend their malice with them or much less knock Mens brains out with these Keys or by the help of these Keys by more nimble conveyance get into their Purses or pick their Pockets or which is worse lock them up in a Jayle by vertue of these Keys and deprive them of their Lands and Livings Liberties and Properties No no it was the Pope the Pope and his Off-spring that first turn'd these Keys the wrong way as I have said and contrary to the way of Christ for which he and all such as he meritoriously deserves the name of Antichrist or contrary to Christ 'T is Pride devilish Pride call 't what you will that makes men Lord it over God's Heritage and enslave their Bodies and Souls too together with insatiable Avarice in greedy Dogs that can never have enough 'till they get the Devil and all This makes the Popes both the greater and the lesser by the abuse of Excommunication or the power of the Keys to cram their Coffers to enrich their Nephews and satisfie their Whores when decrepit old Age cannot surrogate to their Lust and therefore my Letany is From the Popes both the greater and the lesser From Le Chese the French Confessor And from his Popish Successor Libera Libera CHAP. IV. ANd I 'le justifie it it is but a Branch of Popery in any sort of people that decry the Pope and all his Works if they do the very same things whilst poor men change their Lords indeed but not the Lordliness and Vsurpation And that Incestuous Person that was Excommunicated and Delivered to Satan I Cor. 5.4 Wherefore was it To what end and purpose The same Text tells us for the destruction of the flesh his lustful Flesh or fleshly Lusts not for the destruction of his Estate Freedom or earthly Priviledges but that his spirit might be saved All the design and all the management and all the consequences were spiritual purely spiritual Our Blessed Saviour though it was proffer'd him and some would never have refused the Preferment that have not the mind of Christ would not be a Judg in Civil matters Counsellor nor Privy-Counsellor For his Kingdom was a spiritual Kingdom his Rule a spiritual Rule in mens Hearts and Spirits by his Word and Spirit his Weapons were not Carnal but Spiritual for the bringing down of strong Holds not Castles and Mannors No no the Devil and the Pope and such as follow the steps of Antichrist set up and maintain and uphold this Anti-Kingdom in opposition to the Kingdom of Christ but the Pope was glad to uphold his tottering Kingdom with the Inquisition High-Commission Racks and Gibbets Fire and Faggot Fines and Imprisonments or which is all one deliver them over to the Magistate to be Excontioners for him We thought it a fair deliverance from this Popish thraldom when we were delivered from the Inquisition High-Commission Racks and Gibbets Fire and Faggot too of late by condemning the Writ de Heretico Comburendo I do not deny though but that the two last Fines that is unjust Fees and Imprisonments are to this day in England the Consequences of Excommunication But they are mistaken that think these Consequences are held forth to us in the Gospel of Christ or the practise of the Apostles or Primitive Church No no Fines and Imprisonments attend Excommunication upon another score namely the Law of the Land and therefore you hear me say nothing against it I know what I could say if

or Commissary might testifie Excommengement that is make a S●gnicavit of Excommunication into the Kings Court Note by the way that Spiritual-Courts were not esteemed the Kings-Courts they must be the then Pope's Courts or no bodies Courts except they themselves be Soveraigns and for mischief that ensued thereupon Ay Ay that work was worthy a Parliament if they knew but how to 'mend a r●tten Spiritual-Fabrick that has no foundation in the Word of God it was ordained by Parliament for Remedy But was not the Remedy still the same with the Disease that none should certifie Excommengement but the Bishop only there they hit it Did no body ever hear of a Gentleman he shall be nameless for me that would needs have a Hat button'd up of the right side but happening to put it on the wrong way stamp'd and star'd like mad at the Haberdasher Sirrah quoth he did not I speak for a Hat that button'd up on the right side yea quoth the Haberdasher but that will cost ten shillings more cost what it will cost quoth Gallant that had more Money than Wit I 'le have it so he was glad to go home and bring him the same Hat again and putting it on right all parties were pleas'd Or him that bespoke a Picture of a Horse lying tauveing upon his Back and the Painter brought it and set it before him en passant at which disappointment the Gallant rav'd 'till going home and for more Money he brought him the same Picture turn'd topsie-turvy and so the fool was pleas'd Was fault found with the Significavits of Officials Commissaries c. Oh then let the Bishop for the future send them to the Kings-Courts Ay well 't is done And what are you better when Bishops signifie just as Officials certifies Hixius doxius Face about as you were now the Cap I hope is Button'd upon the right side Are you now pleas'd Gentlemen Surely you are well helpt up now When God knows the Bishop is not ubiquitary Can he be here and there and every-where he is but a man What would you have Can he signifie of his own knowledg the merit of the Cause Or who ought or ought not to be Excommunicate when he judges meerly by hear-say and 20 Miles of and by Implicite Faith in his Proxies and of his own knowledg knows nothing whether he does well or ill right or wrong a meer Lottery for Souls And if as Cook Inst 1. Sect. 201. a Certificate upon another Bishop's report is not sufficient much more a Certificate upon a Register Surrogate or Officials report is illegal and insufficient An error in the first concoction Physicians say can never be amended in the second and third so here if the Official miss the mark the Bishop never mends it but shoots at random lets sly at all in Course and after him in Course too the Writ follows in Course Course-doings to be sure though the Sell-souls think 't is very sine It makes them sine that 's certain that 's all the good is got by this great mischief to the Kings Liege-people this 't is to be wiser than God and to set up an Ecclesiastical Discipline unknown to Holy Scripture and the Primitive times For what should a blind man do in the Gun-room he may Fire a Canon and kill a Friend as like as an Enemy or fight against God with Gods own Sword by Coring his Servants this is to kick against the pricks to bind and loose before Christ has breathed on us and given us the Gift of the holy-Holy-Ghost the Gift of Dis●…rning of Spirits or Spirit of Discerning take the Sword out of the Mad-mans hand or the Blind-mans hand he 's more like to do mischief with it than good Except it were lawful to have an Ecclesiastical Discipline that like an Essex● Jury hang half and save half or like drawing of Cuts for Souls long Cut or short Cut or like David's Revenge upon Moab making them all lie down in a Field Men Women and Children then stretching a Line through the middle of them on one side to put to death and with one full Line to keep alive 2 Sam. 8.2 A most nimble dispatch and compendious way of Execution There 's some hopes yet for a true man to escape by this Lottery but we are worse Is there any Whores Whoremasters Swearers Blasphemers c. let them live and 'mend what Ecclesiastical Discipline did ever correct a Debauchee But is there ever a true man or one that dares speak truth in a Province S●…ner search him out Cite him to Court Come hither Sirrah Vallain you Rogue you speak truth in an Age of Sycophantry Pimping and Pandering make an example of him Indict him Sue him Article against him Swear against him get Witnesses to swear that he spoke scandalous Words against the great Lord Bishop Ha Sirrah Have we got you within the swing of a Statute of Scandalum Magnatum we 'll swinge him with a Vengeance Ay Ay it is even so you are in the right on 't Who dare deny you have got the whipping hand of him be sure you keep it it shall go hard else if power can but be persuaded to make curt'sie to Revenge Yea yea Did you never see the Character of a keen over-grown Churchman Drawn by a Pen not a Pencil in all his Bloody and Bloaty Features 't would make a man Spew to look at him in that trim with his two Appendixes Hell and the Gaol attending his Beck In good time I have it at their Service so Drawn to the Life that he that runs may read his Name in Characters and digito monstrarier dicier hic est I 'le let you see your own Faces in my Mirrour the Successors of the cruelty of Bloody Bonner Men born to ruin will never take warning yet History will tell them that a Bloody Joab never came to the Grave in Peace and the Persecuters were choak't with the Blood they spilt or drown'd in the tears of the Widows and Orphans that they made For Heaven has ears and there is a secret Nemesis a Divine Vengeance that pursues him and finds him out Lurk he behind what power he will to hide his hated Head from God's Justice Hodg like a Horse-leech still for Blood doth thirst By Blood the Villain liv'd by Blood he burst Come strike then and feel how hard it is to kick against the pricks you 'll find that striking the Naked Truth is striking a naked Weapon with a naked Hand the harder you strike the deeper you are gasht try as soon and as often as you will Iniquity and Cruelty will in time meet with its match in this World at least truth shall Conquer as Christianity got ground in the World by suffering when the Blood of the Martyrs were the seed of the Church Therefore let false men strike and spare not show as much Plodding-Policy after Revenge Craft and Cruelty as the Devil can teach them when they lay their Heads