The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

10. Again another bondage that they are in is, that they are urged to the ways of Idolatry, and sin by violence, without regarding the weakness of any, or seeking to inform any, not regarding that place, Ezek. 34.4. When God complains, they did Rule his people with Cruelty: And if any be weak and desire to be informed they jeer at them, and say a prison, or a fire, or a fagot, shall inform them. These and many other things might be named, to show the most abominable and vile bondage that those are in that are under Antichrist; but put both together the outward and the inward bondage, to be under those that are of such base and vile spirits this is mightily against the spirit of an ingenious man: And for a Church of God, a thousand Congregations, to be under the power of a base, filthy abominable, Whoremaster, that is known to be so, to be troubled by him when he please, what a most horrible bondage is this? And so for any Congregation to be, in which there may be thousands of Souls, to be under the power of a Tapster, or Hostler, or any base fellow, this is a mighty bondage: As now suppose a rich man die, and he hath a Kinsman, though never so vile and base, then his land coming to him he hath the Advowson of the place, then may be he sends two or three hundred miles for a Priest, may be one like himself, and though he ⟨p. 206⟩be never such a blasphe men, and base fellow and swearer, then they not knowing of him, and so having nothing to say against him, They cannot keep him from the place; Now that one though never so wild, should have such power, to appoint whom he will, any drunkard, Where master Priest over such a Congregation, and they must depend upon him, to have the Ordinances of God administered by him this is a sore bondage. Bondslaves are fed merely with Chaff and bran, so with what chaff and husks are those fed withal that are under Antichrist: Many people are loath to submit to the true government of Christ, to the true Ministers of the Gospel; if they tell them of any sin they are guilty of, their hearts belch and swell, and they will not yield, yet they will submit to the officers of Antichrist, and they will rule over them and do with them what they will. As Saint Paul says in 2 Cor. 11.20. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.