Examination of those Plausible Appearances in the Romish Church, Chapter 11
CHAP: XI. That the policie of the Roman Church, serues all for preiudice against her.
WEE hauehave seene then, that neither the pompe, nor the ceremonies of the Church …f Rome can doe her any seruice, but only to make her the more suspected, the more shee stands vponupon them: euen as the rioto…s luxury, a…fected postures of countenance, and m…ltitude of compliments in a woman make her chastitie more questionable. But peradventure the policy, government, and authority which she takes vponupon her, hauing a visible head, si…ting in a throne more then imperiall, in the citty of Rome, heretofore the Queene and Empresse of the vniverse: and now by vsurpation greater then ever she was, having succeeded the Empire, and in this succession surmounted it in greatnesse of soveraigntie which she takes vponupon her: exercising dominion over the body, and the soule, in this life and after it, in this world, & without the circuit of it; without being accountable to any, submitting all to her selfe, not only the outward man, but the inward also, even the conscience. Peradventure, we say, this consideration may make vsus both to reverence, and admire her. This doubtlesse may set her out most amiably to carnall eyes: but the spirit iudgeth otherwise, yea quite contrary of it. When the protestation of Christ shall come into our memories, aIoh. 18.36.that his kingdome is not of this world: the exhortation of Christ, that bMat. 10.25.his Disciples should not be like to the kings of the nations, the example of Christ, who being himselfe Lord of Lords, King of Kings, during the time of his abasement, became cMat. 17.16.tributary to a Prince, a tyrant: The commandement of Christ, when he bid to pay vntounto Caesar, that which is Caesars, and vntounto God that which is Gods. The dAct. 23.10.practice of this commandement in the Apostles, who acknowledged themselues subiects to superiour powers, subiecting to them every eRom. 13.1. 1 Pet. 2.13.14.soule by their e…hortations, when they protested that they f2. Cor. 4.5. 2. Cor. 1 24. 2 Thes. 2.4.were the servants of the faithfull for Christs sakee, that they had no power over their faith. These considerations make that which ravisht fleshly eyes, mishapen, hideous, and terrible to a spirituall view; especially when it shall bee considered that this boundlesse power, and transcendent dignity is a character of Antichrist, the true condition of his Antichristian kingdome, directly contrary to that of our Lord Iesus Christ.
Certainely be it as it will, that there hauehave beene, are and will be many g1. Ioh. 2.18.Antichrists, and false teachers, which oppose themselues against Christ, yet there is one of them to hlb. & 2. Thes 2.4.whom this title is, by an vnhappy excellency, principally due. Inasmuch as that beside the abominable impurity of his doctrine, which is common to him with the others, hee invades the royall prerogatiue of Christ; hoising himselfe aboue i2. Thes. 2.4.the Magistrate and the Angells themselues, and so aboue all that is called God (for these are they to whom this name is allowed in Scripture), whil'st arrogating to himselfe a power over consciences, hee pretends a supremacy over all Christians: a supremacy of religion, and which is spirituall; and so fits in the temple of God, behaving him…elfe, as if he were God; taking vponupon him the power of binding & loosing consciēces; of making that sinne which God hath not called sinne; of giving dispensations where God giues none; of rating good workes and setting a price vponupon them, enhauncing, and moderating the market according to his occasions. kSee Monsieur d… Nevers his discourse of his embassage to Rome.When he hath terrified the consciences of the greatest Monarchs, working this impression into them by his deputies, that how serious soever their repentance may be, yet they cannot enioy peace either of soule, or body, vnlesse his absolution come betweene. Whil'st he makes vncleane the vse of creatures whom God hath sanctified by his word, not commending a fast, but inforcing an abstinence from certaine creatures against the expresse word of God, which pronounceth this doctrine, a doctrine of Divells. Whil'st he vndertakes to make lViz: that of the Cleargy.marriage vnlawfull, which the Scripture hath called honourable amongst all men, and the bed vndefiled. When hee dispenseth with the mViz: Monastick vows….breaking of vowes, when hee allowes for honest those nWitnesse the King of Polonia, who by a dispensation maried his sister in law.marriages, which the word of God hath declared to be incestuous. When he declares by his indulgentiall Bulls, that prayers had in a pl…ce by him assigned, are more pretious, then if they had beene without his assignation. Exercising this traffique, that with the sale of things spiritual, of soules and consciences, he may stuffe his treasures, which he imployeth, as the world knoweth, either in maintaining warre against Christian Princes, or in promoting his kindred, or in making his proud, prophane, Epicurean court swimme in superfluities of dissolute luxury. What shall we say more? When he vndertaketh to shut and open at his pleasure the gates of Paradise, to prolong, or abbreviate the torments of those that are departed. When arrogating to himselfe this power, he vseth such a partiality in the execution of i…; partiality, say we? When he proceeds in such niggardlinesse, and avarice, yea such barbarous inhumanity, savîng only whom it pleaseth him to saue, being able (if you will beleeue himselfe) to saue all. Is not this to arrogate a power proper, and peculiar to God alone? But this power which in God, the Lord and Master of all, is no whit tyrannicall: in man, who is obliged to doe for another all he can possible, to louelove his neighbour as himselfe, more then tyrannicall. Finally, when oClem 5 in bu…a indulg.out of his authority, he employeth the Angells, in the pretended execution of his commandements, v…urps not he an authority more then humane, altogether divine? Yet notwithstanding, this so strangely vsurped power, is the master sinew of that policy, by which this vnwildy body subsisteth, the Colossus and maine pil…ar of the Roman Church, a nerue which taking its originall from the head, straggles through the whole body, being distributed to every member proportionably to its vse: even as in the kingdomes of the world, the Monarches reserving with themselues, as it were, the spring-head, and sunne of soveraignety, nevertheles communicate the streames of this spring, the beames of this sunne in proportion to their officers, according to each of their functions.