For this also is another evil that hath attended their invention. The Guides of the Church after a while were not contented to make use of Humanely devised Forms of Prayer, confining themselves unto their use alone in all public Administrations; but moreover they judged it meet to impose the same practice on all whom they esteemed to be under their Power. And this at length they thought lawful yea necessary to do on penalties Ecclesiastical and Civil, and in the issue Capital. When this Injunction first found a prevalent entertainment is very uncertain. For the first two or three Centuries there were no Systems of composed Forms of Prayer used in any Church whatever, as hath been proved. Afterwards, when they began to be generally received, on such grounds and for such Reasons as I shall not here insist on (but may do so in a Declaration of the Nature and Use of spiritual Gifts, with their continuance in the Church, and an enquiry into the causes of their Decay) the Authority of some ⟨image 17⟩great Persons did recommend the Use of their Compositions unto other Churches, even such as had a mind to make use of them, as they saw good. But as unto this device of their Imposition, confining Churches not only unto the necessary use of them in general, but unto a certain Composition and Collection of them, we are beholding for all the advantage received thereby, unto the Popes of Rome alone, among the Churches of the second Edition. For from their own Good Inclination, and by their own Authority, without the advice of Councils, or pretence of Traditions, the two Gorgons heads, whereby in other cases they frighten poor Mortals, and turn them into Stones; by various Degrees they obtained a pretence of Right to impose them, and did it accordingly. For when the Use and Benefit of them had been for a while pleaded, and thence a progress made unto their necessity, it was needful that they should be imposed on all Churches and Christians by their Ecclesiastical Authority. But when afterwards they had insinuated into them, and lodged in their Bowels, the two great Idols of Transubstantiation and the unbloody Sacrifice, not only Mulcts Personal and Pecuniary, but Capital punishments were enacted and executed to enforce their observance. ⟨image 18⟩This brought Fire and Faggot into Christian Religion, making Havoc of the true Church of Christ, and shedding Blood of thousands.
For this also is another evil that hath attended their invention. The Guides of the Church after a while were not contented to make use of Humanely devised Forms of Prayer, confining themselves unto their use alone in all publick Administrations; but moreover they judged it meet to impose the same practice on all whom they esteemed to be under their Power. And this at length they thought lawful yea necessary to do on penalties Ecclesiastical and Civil, and in the issue Capital. When this Injunction first found a prevalent entertainment is very uncertain. For the first two or three Centuries there were no Systemes of composed Forms of Prayer used in any Church whatever, as hath been proved. Afterwards, when they began to be generally received, on such grounds and for such Reasons as I shall not here insist on (but may do so in a Declaration of the Nature and Use of spiritual Gifts, with their continuance in the Church, and an enquiry into the causes of their Decay) the Authority of some ⟨image 17⟩great Persons did recommend the Use of their Compositions unto other Churches, even such as had a mind to make use of them, as they saw good. But as unto this device of their Imposition, confining Churches not only unto the necessary use of them in general, but unto a certain Composition and Collection of them, we are beholding for all the advantage received thereby, unto the Popes of Rome alone, among the Churches of the second Edition. For from their own Good Inclination, and by their own Authority, without the advice of Councils, or pretence of Traditions, the two Gorgons heads, whereby in other cases they frighten poor Mortals, and turn them into Stones; by various Degrees they obtained a pretence of Right to impose them, and did it accordingly. For when the Use and Benefit of them had been for a while pleaded, and thence a progress made unto their necessity, it was needful that they should be imposed on all Churches and Christians by their Ecclesiastical Authority. But when afterwards they had insinuated into them, and lodged in their Bowels, the two great Idols of Transubstantiation and the unbloudy Sacrifice, not only Mulcts Personal and Pecuniary, but Capital punishments were enacted and executed to enforce their observance. ⟨image 18⟩This brought Fire and Faggot into Christian Religion, making Havock of the true Church of Christ, and shedding Blood of thousands.
