A brief discovery of the corruption of the ministrie of the Church of England, or, Three clear and evident grounds from which it will apear that they are no ministers of Christ published for the information of all by Thomas Colyer.

A Third Parrallel. BETWEEN Them, and the Artificiall Merchan∣dizing Tradesman.

THe onenesse between the Artificiall Tradesman and the Priests, will appear, these few things con∣sidered.

The tradesman, before he attains his craft, or cal∣ling, must first be an Apprentice seven years, that so he may get understanding and art in his calling, for there is some mystery in every calling; therefore time is required for the understanding of it, which by the Law is not judged lesse than seven years.

So it is with the Priest; he must, before he can be his crafts-master, spend many years in the Schools, perhaps twice seven before he comes to maturity, at least, he had need be one seven years in the Universi∣ty, commonly called the schools of the Prophets, the nursery of piety, or rather of impiety and wickednesse, the well-head of Divinity, or rather humanity; and then by this time he hath gotten a pretty good head and hand, he is, its likely, able to make a sermon now and then, or else he must needs be a very dunce, for he hath a very dull head that cannot learn his trade in seven years; yet so it comes to passe among these men very often, as well as other tradesmen▪ some are more ready and handy in it then others, one can make two Sermons perhaps, while another can scarce make one:

so it is with your Shoomakers, Taylers, or any other handicrafts-man: and so like other tradesmen, they prove differently; some prety honest in their way, o∣thers knaves, some drunkards, others sober, some whore-masters, others chaste, some more wise and crafty, others simple and foolish, and thus now their Apprentiship being expired, they are become Masters of Art. The second thing to be expected, is their freedome to set up their trade: so it is with the handi∣crafts-man especially in the City of London, or other priviledge places, for a small matter they are declared free-men of London. So it is with the priests, after they have served their Apprentiships, gained the Art of making a Sermon, and before two, some of them; they now must get their freedom, which is the appro∣bation and ordination of some principle men of the same Art; thus it is with the tradesman, and thus it is with the Priests, that is, either the hands of the Pre∣lat, or some other Prelaticall, Episcopall creatures, newly Anabaptizeed into the name of Presbyters, or CL Asses.

3. The tradesman having obtained his freedome, he now opens shop-windows, and sets himself to work: so likewise those Priests, they have their shops, (viz.) their studies full of good old books, Authors, Fathers, all expositures of Scripture, and they set themselves to work, search one Author, and another Author, and for the most part these are the fountains from whence they draw all: come to ask their judgement upon a∣ny text of Scripture, you must tarry till they have looked their expositers, and then they will tell you what their expositers say, whether it be true or false; for you must note, they are not infalliable, nor Apo∣stolicall. 4. The tradesmen must have a time to make their wares, he cannot make them with his

word, nor blow them together with the winde: the shoomaker must have his time to make his shooes, the Tayler to make a garment, &c. and when its made, its made, & not before. So must these tradsmen of another nature have their times to make a Sermon, some a moneth, some two weeks, some one, some two or three in a week, when like to have good sale, but a time they must have to make it up, they cannot preach by the spirit, alas! they know not what it is, they are strangers unto it, they oppose it, this is that will throw down these Sermon-makers in conclusion; when poor tradesmen, Coblers, Taylers, Tinkers, Plow men Car∣penters, all sorts of men shall preach the everlasting Gospel, with so much light, life, and power, that will darken all the light of these Sermon-makers; and then none will buy their wares any more.

5. When the tradesmans ware is made, it is then fit for sale, and he hath his free market in his owne town, he steps forth sometimes into other markets, that so he may vend his wares at the dearest rates, it is his liberty, and doubtlesse he may lawfully doe it; and sometimes when he wants ware, he buies of another to fit his customers, that so he may keep his calling go∣ing: so it is likewise with our spirituall merchandi∣zers when their Sermons are made, they have their market daies to set them at sale, their Sunday or their Sabbath, the first day of the week: well might they, as I have heard them formerly, stir up people to come to their spirituall markets; for they sell all, and that at an excessive, excised rate too, and they have their change of markets, if it make for their advantage; they can sell one year perhaps for twenty shillings a Ser∣mon, the next they have found a new market place, where they can sell it may be for 40 shillings or three pound a Sermon, then Sermon-making is worth som∣thing,

a goodly trade: many Gentlemen of note and quality bring up their children to this craft; and they can besides this, break forth now and then a day into a new market, which ads unto the old store, for this they are sure, their own goes on at home, although themselves keep market in another place; and some∣times when necessity, or idlenesse drives them to it, they buy of other men, viz. Preach a Sermon of ano∣ther mans, if the people know it not, it goes for cur∣rant, though sometimes they can read along with them as they preach, but I must confesse this is something base. Thus it appears, that our spirituall Merchants run parrallel with the temporall, and that Preaching is become a meer art amongst men; and truly they have their shops full of godly wares; by which they delude and deceive souls, John in Revel. 18. 11, 12. Opens their shops, or rather their pack, where he gives them the tearm of Merchants; and abundance of good ware there is, and they sell all, and the souls of men too.

Quere. How may they be said to sell the souls of men?

Answ. In that they own those to be Christians, which are no Christians, and those to be Churches, which are no Churches, for this very end, that they may inrich themselves; thus they sell souls, that is, de∣lude and undoe souls under the name of Christians for money; witnesse their readinesse to sprinkle and co∣zen Infants, if their parents pay them Tythes, else not: they sell the souls of men, for five or ten pound, they will forsake their cure of souls, as they call it, sel them for gain, be a shepherd to them this year, sell his Inte∣rest in them the next, go whither they will, he cares not, if he can get advantage: a very hireling, that doe not only fly from his flock when danger comes, but sels his interest in them for gain, come what wil come of them, he cares not; although it's confest, it's better

where they are not, then where they are, for there is some hopes of undeluding poor souls.

Thus it evidently appears, that the artificial trades∣man, and the Masters of Arts the Priests, run parrallel together, as much spiritualnesse in the one as in the other; I mean in relation to their calling; although its confest that the first is lawfull, the second, altogether earthly, sensuall and devilish; only take notice of a word by the way, wherein it will appear, that the Art and trade of making and selling of Sermons, far ex∣ceeds all other arts and trades besides, and that in these following particulars.

1. In their Gentility, they are masters before e∣ver they open their shops, or set up their trades.

2. In their sale, they usually have the highest mar∣kets, they often sell their Sermons (when cheapest) for an Angel; when one might buy as good in a book∣sellers shop, and it may be a better for three pence, so that their ware comes usually to a good market, espe∣cially of late, except some poor ones, or Cavaliers, they its like would be content with a reasonable mar∣ket sometimes, but its like ere long that this trade of Sermon-selling will be very dead and low, so low; that they will stand weeping and crying alas! alas! for no man buies their wares any more; and how will their honour, house-keeping and hospitality go forwards then?

3. They have one great advantage more, they doe not only meet with the dearest markets, but they can sell one Sermon diverse times, they can sell a Sermon, and yet keep him to make and sell twenty paire of ser∣mons, and yet have never the lesse. Let any handi∣crafts man come forth and doe the like, if they could, they might well inrich themselves: but was ever such a thing as this heard of? What, sell a thing, and keep a

thing, and sell it again? Yea, and again too perhaps. Should I know a shoomaker sell shooes, and yet keep them, and sell them again, I would brand him for an arch cozoner, or the like of any other calling.

4. Advantage, They can sell that which is not money nor ware, as the proverb is; so it be some∣thing it passes: a tradesman must sell that which is good, or else he shall be counted dishonest, and the buyer hath so much liberty as to try it, to look into the goodnesse of it, if he like it, he buyes it, if not, he leaves it; but these Merchants have gotten an Ordi∣nance to compell men to receive what they bring them, be it good or bad: Oh horrid wickednesse! What, must we have it whether we will or no? You Merchants of London, stir up your selves, get you such an Ordinance if you can, it must needs inrich you: What, sell all manner of stinking wares by a Law? And none durst question it?

5. They are Monopolizers too, they have gotten their Pattentees to Monopolize all to themselves, none must sell, nay, none may give, when they sell; a wonderfull way to inrich themselves, Was there ever such a thing as this heard of? What, to Monopolize the gift of Preaching!

Quere. Is not this against the liberty of the Subject?

Answ. Yea, questionlesse.

Quere. Have not the Parliament declared against it?

Answ. Yea.

Quere. Was it not one end of the Parliaments war to free the Subject from it?

Answ. Yea, it was so pretended, and I suppose it was really intended.

Quere. Are not Monopolizes and Monopolizers much more dangerous and dishonourable, in spirituall things then in temporall?

Answ. Yea, For first, Herein the free operation of the spirit is as much as lyeth in man prevented by it.

Secondly, Poor ignorant English men are much a∣abused by it, who know not their liberty.

Thirdly, the spirituall Merchants of the man of sin, the kingdome of Anti-christ, are inriched by it.

Quere. Did the Parliament thinke they had made a Patentee, and the Priests Monopolizers, when they gave them that Ordinance, that none should preach but them∣selves?

Answ. I suppose they did not, if they had, they could not have walked in a way so directly against their own principles, their own Declarations, and the Subjects liberty.

Quere. May we not expect that the Parliament will call in this Patentee again?

Answ. Yea, questionlesse, when they see the evil of it, and it is the subjects liberty to expect it; it is that for which they have adventured their lives, suffer∣ed the losse of their estates; and therefore it cannot but be a great bondage and burthen unto the subjects, to see and feel the heavy yoak and bondage of Mono∣polizers yet remaining.

However, God will take their Patentee from them, for the Saints must speak those things they have seen and heard; notwithstanding their engrossing all into their own hands: Thus have I briefly, and plainly discovered the carelesnes and corruption of the Priests of England, notwithstanding their fair pretences, not scandalizing their persons, but discovering their evil conditions, to that end that Englishmen might not be enslaved, especially in their spirits, unto such a gene∣ration, who alone seek themselves.