The Modern Statesman, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Religion not to be made a stalking-Horſe to Ambition, or Avarice.
IF any ſhall but queſtion in the leaſt, theſe mens jus divinum, preſently they are Hereticks, Schiſmaticks, Sectaries, &c.
If any man ſhall not have the ſame whirligiggs in their pates as the other, or will not aſſent in an inſtant to what ever Chymaera their rambling fancies produce, let them be what they will, Parliament or City, Magiſtrates or private perſons, Teachers or Hearers, preſently pray them down, purge them, they are ſelf-ſeekers, Tyrants, Enemies to the Saints, Antichriſtian, and Baals Prieſts, and what not, yea ſuch as are to be deſtroyed.
Yet by yout leave furious Saint, you muſt excuſe our diffidence of your tenents, yea and of your Saint-ſhip too, until we perceive more ground for thē, and find a better temper in you; our Lord and Maſter I am ſure hath given us ground to doubt you, and I hope the ſervant is not above the Lord, it will be beſt for us then to obſerve him, When his diſciples would have had fire commanded from heaven, He tels them, ye know not what manner of Spirit you are of, for the Son of Man is not come to deſtroy ſouls but to ſave them; we know who is Abaddon, foreign, the Deſtroyer, and it is his badg to be ſpitting of fire; why is it not as lawfull for us to queſtion an opinion though it have your ſtamp and ſuperſcription upon it, as it was for the Bereans to bring even Apoſtolical words to the touch-ſtone? Yet were they rewarded by Saint Paul with the title of foreign, more noble, an Epithite we canot find in your Catalogue. But you will ſay, they believed, they did indeed, but not hand over head, and ſo may we when we find the ſame Spirit bearing witneſſe to your doctrine which did to the Apoſtles.
But through all your cantinglanguage we do diſcover your aimes, indeed out of the abundance of the heart your tongues tell us, you would be popular, great and powerfull, and injoy the fat things of the earth, theſe only belong to you and your tribe, you are to rule the Nations, to bind their kings in chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; the old itch of temporal Lordſhip is wretchedly broke out upon you, your hands are the hands of Eſau, though your voice be the voice of Jacob, your practices are unchriſtian, though yout profeſſion be ſanctity; Chriſt he promiſes to make his diſciples fiſhers of men, but you fiſh for honour, worldly power, and riches for your followers, a bewitching bait to catch poor mortals: we read of the devil tempting our head with the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, but from whom have you Commiſſion thus to tempt his members? Who gave you authority to diſpoſe of worldly powers? Is your Maſters kingdom of this world? If it be, we muſt rank you with thoſe antichriſtian uſurpers, who arrogate to themſelves a power above all that is called God: What more doth that man of Rome? whom we find beſtowing the kingdoms of the world on thoſe that will bow down and worſhip him, but curſing, depoſing, and turning out of office all that refuſe to ſubſcribe to his fopperies. Thus we ſee Mahomet not with this loadſtone drawing men, but with his Sword conquering them, he drawes his Sword, bids them deliver up their Souls, and upon this condition he will ſpare their lives: Signailla quae Tyrannis et latronibus non deſunt, what more do Tyrants and Thieves? But ſure the Chriſtian Religion ſtands not in need of ſuch helps, whoſe principles in themſelves are attractive and magnetical, enamouring ſouls, and leading them captive in the ſilken bonds of love with the cords of a man.