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BEfore the Law was given forth, there were divers did offer sacrifice, and buidled Altars unto the Lord, as Seth, Abel, Melchizedeck, Abraham, Isaac and 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉
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Jacob, who pere guiders and directers of People in the way of righteousness, who instructed their Fami∣lies in the fear of the Lord; But after the Law was given forth, Aaron and his Sons, and they were to offer sacrifice according to the command of the Lord, and to perform the worship that God had appointed; For that time and age at the Tabernacle and Temple there was Levites who bore the Ark, and looked to the vessels, and pitched the Camp, and div•••• other services, as singers and readers of the Law and Prophets on their Sabbath dayes, and Porters and the like, and all these petrained to the first Covenant and Priesthood, which was to have an end, both the Priesthood, and the Law and the service thereof; for it was but to conti∣nue till the substance came.
Now Christ being come the end of the Law, for righteousness unto all that beleive, made after the or∣der of Melchizedeck and not by a carnal command∣ment, he offered up himself once for all, and became the Author of eternal Salvation unto them that be∣lieve, put an end to the first Worship and Priest-hood.
Before he was offered up, he chose Disciples unto him, Twelve and also Seventy, and endued them with Power; and many did Believe through their words, and they were not Men of great parts, but as they were sitted by the Holy Ghost that gave them utte∣rance; and they were sent out not to Preach the Law but the Word of the Kingdom, and many did Believe, and grew and were confirmed in the Faith; and after Christs Ascention the Holy Ghost was Poured forth upon them in a more ample manner, and it did bring to their remembrance, as Christ had foretold, and they received great Gifts for the work of the Mi∣nistry; some were Prophets, some Apostles, some Evangelists, some Pastors, some Teachers, and all
made Ministers by the Spirit for the work whereun∣to they were chosen, and many were converted and did believe, then they that had the Word of God to publish, travelled as they were led and Moved by the Spirit, to publish the glad tydings of the Gospel; and when the Believers were many, and many young in the Faith, they ordained Overseers, or Bishops, or Elders, who were sound in the Faith, to watch over them that were begotten; but mark, they were approved men and Faithful, and of blameless lives, not given to covetousness, neither did tiran∣nize over them in rigour, but were apt to teach and instruct in love and gentelness; and they that had been Ancient Laborers in Gods Work did so, who had re∣ceived a Gift to Minister unto others, and as to be hel∣pers in the Work of the Gospel, and all that were or∣dained, were ordained by the Holy Ghost although its true they had the consent of the Brethren and the Church in that thing, and there were also Deacons ordained, which served to look to the Widows and for the Mi∣nistration of the Poor, and these were faithful men, and had also a gift. Stephen was one full of the Holy Ghost, and these were helps unto the Apostles, also the••e were some Faithful Widows, who were ex∣amples to younger men, and to instruct them, and to be patterns unto them, and all was as a body knit to∣gether in love, and served the Lord, and strengthened one another in the faith, and served one another in love, and all these forementioned served the Lord freely and willingly, and not for rewards, and gifts, and benefices, and earthly things; this was the state and glory of the Church in that time in short, and these are the Ministers we read of in the Primitive times.
But since the Apostacy hath entered in, and the Power hath been denied of Godliness, there is such a numberless number of names crept in we never heard
of then, and so many offices, and yet none of that work done which the Ministers of Christ did, but certain new invented things brought in for worship and service, and the power despised, and men seek∣ing offices, and great titles, and great benefits, and great revenues, and the heritage of God is laid waste, and the earth become like a wildernesse unplanted with good, and the sheep is scattered; And so all may compare these ensuing names and off••es with the A∣postles dayes and the primitive Church, and see if they be alike.
First of all, The Pope, his holiness, Christs Vicar, universal Bishop, Metropolitan Bishop, Lord Cardi∣nals, which were but Priests at the first ordained to baptize the Heathen, who came to Rome when the seat thereof began to be had in honour; but now they are swelled big and become Princes and the only men to govern States; also Monks of divers orders; and Friars of divers orders, Hieroms order, of Austins order, Gregorys order, Carmalite Friars, Cross or Crouchet Fryors, of Dominicks order, of S. Frances or∣der, Benets order, and all of these orders sprung up and were ordained in the midnight of darkness, with∣in this four hundred years at the most, as were easily proved; and Trinity order, and Brigandine order of Jesuites and Hermites, and Anthonies order, and Cluni∣sencies order. And Nuns sprung up; First, of one St. Clara, one order, then Brigidia a widow in the time of Urban the fifth, in the year 1370. and all these kind of orders were distitute of the true order of the primitive Church, and their service was appointed by them that ordained them, and these practised the patched inventious that were given them for worship which hath not concord with the primitive Doctrine, but borrowed from the Iews or Heathen; And all these kind of Offices, and Officers have been acting
their parts this many years, and led people into su∣perstitious blindness, and further from the Lord then ever.
But to come to the reformed Churches so called, and there is so many Officers and names, but few that do accord with the Apostles times either in name or nature; As Metropolitan Bishops, Arch-bishops, Lord-bishops, we heard not of Lord Timothy, or Lord Titus Bishops, before mentioned; but to come on to other Orders, Arch-deacons, Deans and Chapters, Prebends, and these must attend on some old super∣stitious Buildings called Cathedrals or Ministers, and there performs a service somewhat like the former, & these are injoyned their service like the Levites and Priests of old by turns and course, as once in a month or two it may be, and have a hundred or two hundred pounds in the year for the same, and hardly stir from thence till they die, except some greater advance of∣fer it self; also Commissaries, Procters, Parotters and these are subservient to the former: then Chancellors, Vice-chancellors, Doctors of Divinity, Batchelors, of Divinity, Doctors of Art, Masters of Art, Batche∣lors of Art, Graduates, under-graduates, and these be∣long to the former; then Prelates, Parsons; Vicars, Priests, Curates and Church wardens, all which titles and names, and Officers, if they be but compared with the Scripture, there will be hardly any parallel either concerning office, work, or Doctrine; and notwith∣standing all these orders and sorts who are fitted by humane learning or natural study, though divers years exercised therein, are not skilled in the word of righteousnesse, neither hath the tongue of the learned to administer a word in season to the weary, nor to turn the sinner from his sins; and thus the form of things, titles and names are holden up, but who seeks after the power of God, or to be made able Ministers
of the Spirit. Literal Ministers enough while main∣tenance lasts, but the ministration of the Spirit few is acquainted with; and if there be any such, it is well if they be not Persecuted; So in that which I have said the understanding will see, that there hath been a great Apostacy since the Apostles dayes in the Ministry, in Doctrine, in Worship and practice, divers of which I have touched upon, to the intent that they that enquire after the Lord, may depart out of the mist of ignorance and come to worship God in spirit and truth, and in the Temple made without hands, and be joyned to the Church which is in God, which the Gates of Hell prevails not against; though many will claim Authority from the Apostles, few will own their life, neither walk after their example; so take but a few more Institutions which is called Apostolick to this day, among them called Christian Churches.
Clatus the third Bishop of Rome, was the first that wrote this tittle, that is, greeting and Apostolick bles∣sing, he ordained the order of Priesthood.
Everastus the fifth Bishop, ordained that Priests should be honoured, and that they should be sha∣ven.
Alexander the sixth Bishop of Rome, ordained that Matrimony should be only solemnized, and that the married should be Blessed with the Priest, there was the beginning of being married by Priests.
Sextus about the year 114. after Christ, the seventh Bishop of Rome, ordained Holy Water, and ordered that it should be strowed abroad in Christians houses, and when the People met to worship.
Telesphorus the eight Bishop of Rome, ordained that the Communion should be laid upon an Altar, and that Lay people should not touch the Holy vessels nor the Holy Garments of the Priests; he ordained Lent
which was to be kept by the Clergy in the year one hundred forty two.
Higinus the ninth Bishop ordained the Communion to be celebrated three times at Christmas, and that Lent should be fasted.
Pius about the year 147 after Christ, the tenth Bi∣shop, ordained that Crism should be Ministred as Baptism, and that Children should have God-fathers and God mothers; here was the beginning of this great Ordinance, and he ordained that Easter-day should be kept on the Sunday.
Urbanus the seventeenth Bishop of Rome ordained Church-yards to be hallowed, and forbad marriage of Priests.
Pontianus the eighteenth Bishop, ordained that Psalms and Mattens should be sung in Church night and day to drive away evil spirits.
Sextus the twenty fourth Bishop in the year 222. after Christ, ordained that Priests should wear Holy Garments, as Coops and divers other things in imita∣tion of Aaron, and then came up surplices; he com∣manded Images to be set up in Churches.
Foelix the twenty sixth Bishop of Rome ordained di∣vision of Parish Churchres and Diocesses to Bishops.
Leo the Emperor gave Commandment that all Images and Pictures of Saints should be taken out of the Churches for the avoiding of Idolatry, but the Bishop of Rome withstood the Emperor; the Empe∣ror for his confirmation of taking of Images away, called a Councel of Bishops about three hundred and thirty, and they ordained and decreed that all Images should be taken away and burned in the 740.
But in the year 769. Gregory the third called a Council together at Rome, near a thousand Bishops, and condemned Leo the Emperor and three hundred Bishops for taking Images out of the Churches, and yet
the former Counsel and this, all of one Faith and Church, which they use to say could not erre, and the latter decreed they should be adored and Worshiped with all reverence.
Boniface the eighth, he gave licence to the mendicant Friars to hear the private Confession of sins, that people should confess to them.
Pope Alexander gave commandment that the Sacra∣ment should be made of the Sweet Bread, and command∣ed that water should be mingled with wine.
Innocentius the third ordained that People should confess their sins to a Priest once a year, in the year at the least.
And these kinds of Decrees stand for Apostolical to this day among the Apostates; and the reformed Churches so called do own many things that are too near a kin to them, and preffeth them for Ordinan∣ces and holy Institutions; yea in many Countries the self same things are both owned and practised in ma∣ny particulars, which I have mentioned before in other parts of this Book, and are looked upon as di∣vine service and holy Worship, which the Ministers of Christ who have the word of reconciliation to publish, are ashamed of, knowing them to be such things as never was practised nor holden out by Christ or his Apostles, but are brought in since dark∣ness hath over-spread the Earth, and the Power of God hath been lost; And at the first Institution there∣of, though there might be some shew of a good inten∣tion in the formers of them, but now they are be∣come absolute Idols; and however at the first some of the things mentioned might seem to some to be in∣different, yet now being prest of necessity, as the Ordinances of God, they are become Idols, and ought to be thrown away and departed from by all that professeth the Gospel of Christ Jesus, and the worship of God in the Spirit.
For the Lord God hath drawn away his presence, out of all formal and visible appearance, since Anti∣christ and the false Church hath got them on for a Garment, and to cover themselves withall, to the de∣ceiving of the Nations; And now in this the day of his power hath appeared in a more mysterious, and se∣cret and hidden way, and in a more spiritual ap∣pearance; Into this, deceit cannot enter nor trans∣form, and therefore all Babylons Merchants are angry, and Antichrists followers are full of Wrath, and the Dragon cast out floods after the heir, and her that brings him forth, and makes War with her Seed, but the Lord is putting on her Beautiful Garments, and Marrying her to himself, and she shall reign, and her Seed who are born of the Spirit, when she that sat as a Queen upon the Waters shall have an end, and the Dragon shall be laid hold on and Chained up, and the Beast and false Prophet be cast into the Lake for ever.
Blessed are they who keeps in the Faith and patience till these things be fulfilled, their hearts shall rejoyce, and their tongue praise the Lord, and magnifie him, whose throne is established in the Heavens, and his Kingdom is over all.
And although there was a defection from the Faith and practice of the Apostles in the first two hundred years after Christ, yet doubtless there were many who lived and died in the Faith, and suffered as Mar∣tyrs in the time of the great Persecutions by the heathen Emperors, and many who could not, nor did not sacrifice to their Idols, suffered death, and un∣der-went cruel torments by the Heathen who were in the Dragons power, for the Testimony of a good Con∣science, for confession of Christ Jesus; and although divers of the Bishops of Rome and other places, did bring in things which they instituted as matter of worship, & so people was darkned by them, yet in the
ten Persecutions by the Heathen Emperors many of them suffered Death, and thousands of the Christians besides; but deceit crept in by degrees, and invent∣ed things were brought in by the Leaders of the People, but these things that were invented, were prest to be observed in their Diocesses and Parishes which they had made and sat down in, but there was little compelling yet till the Dragon gave his power to the Beast, and it was 650 years before ever the Bishops of Rome did climb up unto their heigth, as to claim the title of the Universal Bishop or head of the Church, or challenged Supremacy over all Christian Churches; yet before this time abundance of Dark∣ness was entred in, and the power was much lost, and divers innovations were brought in for Ordinan∣ces, divers of the Jews Ceremonies, and divers of their institutions which belonged to the first Priest-hood, and these were prest upon the Churches by several leaders or Bishops, as Apostolick Ordinances, which had no concurrence with the Primitive Church in the firist hundred years after Christ, as hereafter may be shewn in diverse things wherein they were Apostatized from the life and Power of God, and from the practice of the Saints mentioned in the Scripture, and of the Churches planted in the Apostles dayes.