The Bishops Condemned out of their Own Mouths, Title page – To the reader
FELO DE SE, OR THE Bishops Condemned Out of their own Mouthes: Confessing their Politick Devices, and unjust Practices, to settle and maintain their Lordly Dignities and private Interests, to the Impoverishing and ruine of the Nations wherein such idle and unprofitable Drones are suffered to domineer. In a Familiar Discourse betwen the said Bishops and their Tenants: Begun in 1660, the year of their unhappy Resurrection, and continued to this present year 1668. Published for Information of the People, who groan to be delivered from that yoke of Bondage, which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear. By a Mourner for the poor Nations, that are enslaved under Prelatical Tyranny, and one that was once of this black-fac'd Hierarchy (as Luther was of the Popish) but is now wonderfully delivered from them.
K. J. In his Speech to a Parliament in the Year 1609. called, An Apologie for the Oath of Allegiance, hath these words; I do utterly deny that there is any Earthly Monarch of the Church, whose Word must be a Law. Because earthly Kingdoms must have earthly Monarchs, it doth not follow that the Church must have a visible Monarch too; for the World hath not one earthly temporal Monarch; Christ is his Churches Monarch, and the Holy Ghost his Deputy.
Printed in the Year of Hope. 1668.
The Epistle to the READER.
Courteous Reader,
THou art here invited to see some strange and wonderful Creatures, and if thou canst spare two hours time to look in, and behold them in their strange shapes, subtilties and natures, thou wilt not loose thy labour or money; possibly thou wilt wonder where such monstrous Beasts were bred, when thou hast taken a survey of them, and well pondred and considered them from Head to Tail; it is twenty to one but thou wilt think, that I found them in Utopia, Arabia, or at Rome; that such Hydra's could not be brought forth, and bred up amongst Protestants, and suffered to live and devour their Frutts: But to satisfie thy doubts, I do assure thee, that I found them nearer home, though they smel very rank of the Romish Air, and their Speech and Voices do assure us, that they are of that Breed, and who were their Sires; yet I saw them thriving in the Brittish Fields, and knew that they were of a Forraign extract, yet the very same sort of Creatures that I enquired after. As soon as I went into the Fields and Vine-yards, I found them, and knew them to be of the Romish Crew, by several Marks, Spots, and Qualities; but withal, they have some pretended ingenuity, begond some other Creatures, when they may get money by it, in confessing their subtilties and devices, as you may see in the Discourse within, which came very seasonably and accidentally to my hand. You know that Wolves, Foxes, Goats and Hoggs, have very rank smels, and are not fit Companions for any other Creatures, they stink so abominably, especially if they have been well fed in their Kennels and Styes, as these have been these several years. These are known to be the very same Cattel, that they were reported to be; I knew them, as by their strong and hurtful scents, so also by their black feet, red faces, proud and lofty gates and carriages, disdainful looks, and churlish language, superstitious garments, covetous, tyrannical, oppressive, and persecuting spirits and practices; their usual haunts and walks, and their different colours and complexions. For, whereas other Cattel are either white or black, red or brown; these, and every one of them, have all these hues, white and black, red and brown, and therefore they may well be called wonderful, and strange: for other Beasts and these differ very much; these can travel best in the dark nights, in dirtiest and filthiest wayes, so cannot others; yea, other Beasts are fatted and fitted for the slaughter in a years time, but these are above seven years a fatting. All other Beasts are good for one use or other, either alive or dead, but these are good for nothing. The grease of Hoggs, Foxes and Doggs, is good for something when they are dead, but so is not theirs, although they are fuller of grease than than others: So that thou mayest search all the world over and not find the like Cattel; not any Beasts of their proportion, colours, natures, works, devices, ends, practices, and unsatiable lusts. These are the most venomous, dangerous, and deadly creatures in the world, which the subtilest Naturalist can describe; they have poyson in their Tongues and Teeth, in their Feet and Noses, in their Canonical Garments, in their Ceremonies, Worship, and Discipline. These are they that corrupt and poyson all sorts of men; These are the Creatures that make the Earth to groan under them, that are the great Oppressours, and destroyers of thousands of souls and bodies in the Nations where they are. These are the most loathsome and hateful Creatures in the World, that have many a Curse daily, both from rich and poor. These are they that have driven the Lords Labourers out of his Vineyards, by violence and cruelty, and have usurped them into their own hands, and have spoyled the Fruit, and have most abominably corrupted and polluted the Lords pleasant and holy things. These are the Creatures that have destroyed Kings and Nations, that have been the immediate Authors of all the Miseries that have fallen upon States and Kingdoms. These are the Cormorants and Caterpillars, that have devoured the Earth, that have spoiled the Trade and Traffique of the Nations, and brought thousands to beggery. These are the Creatures that have made so many Widows and Fatherless-Children, that have filled the Land with blood and violence. These are the Corrupters of Counselers and Councils, the great obstructors of publick Iustice and Iudgement; these do strain at Gnats, and swallow Camels, that neither fear God nor reverence Men, and that have mens persons in admiration for advantage. These are without Consciences, and such whose deeds are evil and only evil, and whose ends and rewards shall be according to their works.
Reader, I shall detain thee no longer in the Porch, lest I should tire thee, and suffocate thy Stomack, before thou hast read and considered what is within; but while thou hast an appetite, I would have thee haste in, where thou shalt see these strange sights, and hear them speak with strange tongues; and if thou art in doubt whether they are such indeed, as upon the report of this Epistle they seem to be, I pray thee hear what they say of, and for themselves, whose Testimonies are sacred and canonical, and thy doubts will be quickly and fully resolved from their own Mouthes.
Farewel.