An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

A second reason may be taken from the correspondency and plausibleness of such a kind of Religion and Government to carnal reason.¹ especially when it is subdued by any terrors of conscience: for it was a season (and that held many years together) wherein the Priests, Friars, and Monks, had marvellous power to sting the consciences of men with the loathsomeness of their sin in the sight of God, and they had admirable dexterity therein: These four things were all the matter of their Sermons, Virtue and vice, Heaven ⟨p. 56⟩and Hell; If you be virtuous, then you shall go to Heaven; If you be vicious, then you must go to Hell: Now they would so convince mens consciences, and upon conviction bind the conscience under terror, as eternally shut out of Heaven, for want of virtue, which they had not; that indeed when these mens consciences are thus perplexed and wounded, here is a Religion that finds them so many salves and medicines, as ease the power, but not remove the cause of the disease; that is, they set men a course; well, though you be vicious, and though Hell be dreadful, yet Purgatory may ease you by Prayer, and you may be dispensed with from going to Hell, especially by the Popes pardon, or by your own works, by your confessions, by self-whippings and scourgings, or by going a Pilgrimage, you may be discharged of this burden; This was very plausible to carnal reason, especially if they gave so much to such a Monastery, that they may offer so many Sacraments for them (for they look at the bread in the Lords supper as a propitiatory Sacrament:) here were so many means to satisfy the consciences of those that were superstitious, as nothing could be devised to give better content to the spirits of men in those days: any man that knows it, shall find it true, that when the conscience is terrified with the curse of Gods Law, and never showed the true way of fellowship with Christ, no man is so tender and conscionable in the performance of all duties as they: If you will have them kiss the Popes foot, or give so much to a Monastery; and by this means Hell shall be shut against them, and Purgatory discharged: But for assurance of Salvation in Christ, they could not endure that; they that stood for that, they tell them, what, you will not have men do good works, away with that, faggot and halter for such Heretics.

A second reason may be taken from the correspondency and plausablenesse of such a kinde of Religion and Government to carnall reason.