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

As a Beast that hath horns on his head, as he turns, so must the power of his horns be set and put forth: If therefore the Catholic Church, or any Officer of it shall condemn a man as an Heretic, and then deliver him to the secular power, they never dispute the cause, but take it for granted; If their holy mother Church condemn him, the Secular Power must push and crush him to the very Earth, and trample him under foot, and rend his bowels from his body, if he once be delivered to them. Now this makes the Church a beast, that hath this power over the Princes of the Earth, that look what is their lust, or their ignorance, or their error, and the contrary adjudged by them to be Heresy, that the Secular power must maintain the one, and condemn the other. It is a comfortable thing for Churches to be strengthened and protected by civill Magistrates: But if they captivate their power to the Church, that what Church Rulers call for not according to the Word, but their Lusts, that the civill Magistrate must confirm, that makes the Church a Beast: And therefore be wise now O ye Kings, be instructed O ye Judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, &c. Psal. 2. 11, 12. Kiss the Lord Jesus, submit to him, and in him to the church; Lick the dust off the feet of the church, dispensing his counsel and will: But when by implicit obedience the Common-wealth must he prostitute to the Beast, it makes the Beast more monstrous then it is: The authority of Princes in that kind makes such churches to be very beastly and ugly monsters.

As a Beast that hath horns on his head, as hee turns, so must the power of his horns be set and put forth: If therefore the Catholick Church, or any Officer of it shall condemn a man as an Heretick, and then deliver him to the secular power, they never dispute the cause, but take it for granted; If their holy mother Church condemn him, the Secular Power must push and crush him to the very Earth, and trample him under foot, and rend his bowels from his body, if he once be delivered to them. Now this makes the Church a beast, that hath this power over the Princes of the Earth, that look what is their lust, or their ignorance, or their errour, and the contrary adjudged by them to be Heresie, that the Secular power must mayntain the one, and condemn the other. It is a comfortable thing for Churches to be strengthned and protected by civill Magistrates: But if they captivate their power to the Church, that what Church Rulers call for not according to the Word, but their Lusts, that the civill Magistrate must confirm, that makes the Church a Beast: And therefore be wise now O ye Kings, be instructed O ye Judges of the earth, serve the Lord with feare, and rejoyce with trembling, &c.