Fourthly,1 you may see the corrupt Original, and dangerous State of corrupt religion, and of such kind of Churches as are drawn out by the model of the Roman Catholic visible Church, any image of that beast: I do not trouble you with what others think to be the image of the Beast (I should but weary my self in so doing) but if the first beast be the Roman Catholic Church, as it must needs be, then the image must be according to it, though not of equal authority, yet of the like frame; whereas the Lord hath instituted no other but particular Congregations to bring in a whole Nation (that may contain a thousand Congregations) into one Church, what an image is this of the Roman visible Catholic Church: It is not Catholic indeed, it is short of that, but so large as it carries a Nation, it exceeds Diocesan, and Diocesan exceeds particular Congregations: Now see the danger of this; you see the first rise was from the power of this beast, He causeth all the earth to make an Image of this Beast: He did not bring them to make one in number, but one in England, and one in Scotland, and one in France, and one in Germany, and in every Country according to their divisions, and Princely Potentates; that all that dwell in the limits of that Jurisdiction, they have one Cathedral Church, to which all other Parochial Churches do belong; this he causeth them to do: and when he hath done it, giveth it the very like breath of the Roman Order; though not in so vast a measure, yet in a fair model, that they are like the image of this holy Father, and so by this means it comes to pass, by his Laws and Canons which he persuades all to receive, and which is a wonder, since they have cut him off from being head of the Church, yet still they retain the life of Papacy, in the State of such Chancellors, and Parators, and such kind of Civill, and Ecclesiastical power mingled together; that a Cathedral Church forty or fifty miles off, shall send terrible censures to cut off the poor Saints of God, and they must obey it; and if they stand in an Heretical course (as they call it) there is no living for them, they will kill their Prophetical life, as they did the two Witnesses; or if they do in any effectual manner work, they will not stick to call ⟨p. 238⟩them to account, and cast them out, and deliver them to the Secular power, and they shall deliver them to fire and sword.
Fourthly,1 you may see the corrupt Originall, and dangerous State of corrupt religion, and of such kind of Churches as are drawn out by the modell of the Roman Catholick visible Church, any image of that beast: I do not trouble you with what others think to be the image of the Beast (I should but weary my selfe in so doing) but if the first beast be the Roman Catholick Church, as it must needs be, then the image must be according to it, though not of equall authority, yet of the like frame; whereas the Lord hath instituted no other but particular Congregations to bring in a whole Nation (that may containe a thousand Congregations) into one Church, what an image is this of the Roman visible Catholick Church: It is not Catholick indeed, it is short of that, but so large as it carries a Nation, it exceeds Diocesan, and Diocesan exceeds particular Congregations: Now see the danger of this; you see the first rise was from the power of this beast, He causeth all the earth to make an Image of this Beast: He did not bring them to make one in number, but one in England, and one in Scotland, and one in France, and one in Germany, and in every Countrey according to their divisions, and Princely Potentates; that all that dwell in the limits of that Jurisdiction, they have one Cathedral Church, to which all other Parochiall Churches do belong; this hee causeth them to do: and when he hath done it, giveth it the very like breath of the Roman Order; though not in so vast a measure, yet in a faire modell, that they are like the image of this holy Father, and so by this meanes it comes to passe, by his Laws and Canons which he perswades all to receive, and which is a wonder, since they have cut him off from being head of the Church, yet still they reteyn the life of Papacy, in the State of such Chancellors, and Parators, and such kind of Civill, and Ecclesiasticall power mingled together; that a Cathedrall Church forty or fifty miles off, shall send terrible censures to cut off the poor Saints of God, and they must obey it; and if they stand in an Hereticall course (as they call it) there is no living for them, they will kill their Propheticall life, as they did the two Witnesses; or if they do in any effectuall manner work, they will not stick to call ⟨p. 238⟩them to account, and cast them out, and deliver them to the Secular power, and they shall deliver them to fire and sword.
- 1Use 4.Ʋse 4.
