The glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the Church of Rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the Lord, Francis Howgill.

CHAP. II. Concerning the entering in of the Apostacy, and the Declination from that purity of Doctrine, Worship and Practice, and when it began down∣wards from the entering of it in, until this present age and time. (Book 2)

CHrist the true Prophet, which Moses spake of, whom the Lord raised up, & manifested in the ful∣ness of time, he prophesied and declared of false Pro∣phets that should arise, Mat. 7. 15. Beware of false Prophets which shall come unto you in sheeps cloa∣thing, which are inwardly ravening Wolves, ver. 16. ye shall know them by their fruits; and in Mat. 24. 11. But many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many, and this came to be seen, and fulfilled in the age of the Disciples; and John Testified, 1 Joh. 2. 18. Little children it is the last times, as ye have heard that Antichrist should come, even now there are many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time, they went out from us, but were not of us; and Chap. 4. 3. So they entered in then and went out from the Light, from the Power of God, which the Apostles preached for the remissions of sins. And Jude he testi∣fied against such as was entered in, who was in Cains way, that were degenerated, and killed, and in Ba∣laams

way for gifts and rewards, and yet preached up the words which the Apostles spoke, (but for filthy Lucre) and had mens persons in admiration because of advantage. And Peter said, false Prophets and false Teachers should arise, that should bring in damnable Heresies, that should deny the Lord that bought them, and many should follow their pernicious wayes, 2 Pet. 2. 2. And the Apostles wrote to Timothy the Bishop or overseer, that the Spirit spoke expresly that in the last times some should depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils, speaking lies in Hypocrisie, forbiding to Marry, and abstain from meats, &c. 1 Tim. 4. and again Paul in the 2 Tim. 3. saw the Apostacy coming in, and perillous times should come, that men should be lovers of their own selves, Covetous, Boasters, without natural affecti∣on, Truth-breakers, False accusers, dispisers of them that are good, Traytors, Heady, High-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the truth, having a form of Godliness, but denying the power; and as the same Apostle saith in another place, was enemies to the Crosse of Christ; And these went out into the world, and this is 1400. years agoe and upwards. Then the mystery of iniquity began to work and worught, and they went out and did not preach up the Jews Reli∣gion, the ordinances of the first Covenant: But they preached Christ in words, and transformed into the form of the Apostles words, but denyed the Cross, and spoke those things they ought not for filthy Lucre sake; and there was the beginning of the Hirelings that care not for the Flock, and those went out into the world, and many followed their pernicious waies, and there held the form but denyed the power, and so indeed preached another Gospel, and they lived in the liberty of the flesh, and held People in the Liberty,

yet prosylited them into a kind of a faith which was seigned, and these kinde of false Apostles, and deceit∣ful workers, led many after them; and there was the beginning of the Apostacy, and they published these things in the World, and when the Name of Christ came to be in reputation, and the preaching of the Gos∣pel to be in request, then they for filthy Lucre went out with the words, and retained the form, not the Jew∣ish from altogether, but the form of the Saints wor∣ship and practice, which were in the Church of Christ, which were elect and precious; and they grew to such a head and to such a body, and became such a number; and yet gain-sayers, and in Cains way, for they were out of the power, and out of that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh; and they spred them∣selves over Nations, and Kindreds, over Tongues, and People; and Nations, and Kindreds, and Tongues, and People, have now got the name of a Church, and the seat thereof came to be great, the false Church the Harlot, Mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots, which had denied the Husband Christ, the power of God; her seate was set upon Nations, Kindreds, Tongues, and People, and these were her seate; And John said these were the waters, which he saw the Whore or false Church sit upon, and she turned, and all her children against the free-woman, the Lords spouse, the Lambs Wife, and made her fly into the Wilderness, for a time, times, and half a time, and she reached out her Golden Cup (a fair out-side) but full of forni∣cation within, and she claimed Christ to be her Hus∣band, and sate as a Queen, and the Kings of the Farth, John sa•• in the Revelation drink of her Cup, and be∣witched by her Sorceries; and then all the Nations becoming Water, and unstable, being drunk with for∣nication, sraggered up and down, and reeled up and down, and stood in nothing, being out of the power

which should have stablished them: And then a great Beast arose (out of these Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues, and People, which are these waters) with seven heads and ten horns, and then these Apo∣statized Disciples or Ministers which preached for filthy Lucre, and them that beleived them, sheltered them under the Beast, and cryed, who is able to make war with the Beast? and the Kings of the Earth gave their strength to the Beast which arose out of the wa∣ters; and now the false Church gets upon him, (these that had the form of Godliness and out of the power) and rides upon the Beast and he carries her, and hath done this many years, and she hath travelled in the greatness of his strength. And then Laws began to be made about Religion, and then began compelling; we heard of none in the Primitive times, nor in the true Church, but now the false Church calling her self by the Free-Womans name, and getting on the outward dress, and habit, and attire, saith I am she; have not I the form and ordinances which was practi∣sed in the Apostles dayes? Who doubts of that, may look into the Primitive times, and see that I am con∣formable to the form which was amongst the first Christians in things that are outward. And thus she hath deceived the Nations, Rev. 18. 23.

Now Rome look to thy beginning, and read thy O∣riginal, and view thy Antiquity. We will grant thee every dram, and every hour of time these thirteen hundred years, and prove thee to be in the Apostacy in doctrine and practice from the Primitive time, after the first hundred years after Christ was manifested in the flesh. And Christendom look about thee, for thou art measured, and thy compass is seen; If Nati∣ons, and Kindreds, and Tongues, and People, have drunk the Whores Cup, since Johus dayes, as will be made manifest; then what cause hast thou Rome, to

boast of Antiquity, and universality, for that doth the sooner prove thee to be a Harlor then the true Church, and thy universality which hath long been boasted of, proves thee no more to be the true Church of Christ, then the sea can prove it self to be a Rock; for if Na∣tions, Kindreds, and Tongues, and Languages, and People universally be the waters that the Whore sits upon, and the Beast rose out of the Waters. Now read thy self; we have measured thee as in the hol∣low of a hand, and we have thee in the Apostacy, clear thy self when thou can; If the Beast compelled all both small and great to worship him, and made war with all that bore not his Image, then we have thee between us and the Apostles time as in a press, for not such compelling was in the true Church, by any Ecclesiastical or Secular power; Instance if thou can from the Apostles writings any such thing, or where Cains Weapons was lifted up, or Creatures men and women killed by the Sword, or destroyed with lingring torments in the time of the Apostles. Now in that it is said the Church hath been universal, to that more might be said. Europe or some parts adjacent is not all the Earth, and it is no where found since the Apostles, that klling, and compelling, and forcing hath been but by thee, and them that are at the best, but in the Suburbs of thy City which afterwards I shall in brief descend to, and so it is evidently known, that thy Church (so called) hath been upheld more by cruelty and force then any sound Doctrine or Practice agreeable to the Apostles dayes: Though thou may wipe thy Mouth, and say I am clear, we per∣secute none to death, we have a Beast to ride upon, and will make war for our City, and will compell to our worship, and institutions, we'l cry him up for the higher power, and we will frighten people that who resists this, resists the ordinance of God; And he will

kill, and destroy, and compel, and force, and we shall be clear, and he will call us the holy Church, and we will call him the higher Power; And so it is clear and evident by what hath been said that thou art in the Apostacy, as hereafter shall be manifested by name and practice.

First, thy Ministers are not according to the Minist∣ers of Christ in the Primitive times, their call not such, their practice no•• such. They were made Mi∣nisters in the primitive times by the holy Ghost and by the Spirit, but yours by natural parts, Tongues, Arts, Philosophy, and Study, and packing up Old Authors together to make a little discourse of, and this must be called the Gospel.

Secondly, the Ministers of Christ they preach freely, not for gifts, and rewards, and Tythes; but you have brought in Judaisme, Tythes which be∣longeth to the first Priest-hood, your Oblations, Obventions, your Mortuaries, and these Invent∣ed, and Introduced things to maintain your Ministers by.

Thirdly, the Ministers of Christ did not compel any at Corinth, Thessalonica, Macedonia, or any other Church to give them such and such maintenance by force, who received not their Doctrine. But you compel and force, and have made that which you call the Gospel, chargeable to the Earth where you have power, 1 Cor. 9. 18.

Fourthly, your Doctrine is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the primitive times, as that the real and substantial presence of Christs Body and blood (after the consecration of Priests) is in the bread and wine which may corrupt, and so doth not the body of Christ do contrary to Christs Doctrine, who saith he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live for ever, Joh. 6. 56. But you that eat that which you call his sub∣stantial

and real Body and blood; both it and you shall corrupt.

Fifthly, of the unbloody Sacrifice of the Masse, this sacrifice doth no good at all, for where there is no blood there is no life, and where there is no blood there is no remission saith Paul, Heb. 9. 14. and so your sacrifice is abominable, and an Idol, and such an one as there is no mention made of in the Scrip∣tures.

Sixthly, of your Liturgy, and publick prayers in an unknown tongue, this is an unprofitable and a vain Worship, and this is like your unbloody Sacrifice; herein you are like Barbarians one to another, and how should they that worship with you say Amen, when they know not what you say, you praying in an unknown tongue is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine, who said, 1 Cor. 14. and the 18 verse. I thank my God I speak with Tongues more than you all, verse 19. yet in the Church I had rather speake five words with my understanding that I might reach others also, then ten thousand in an unknown Tongue.

Seventhly, your Doctrine of Purgatory, an invented and an imagined thing, as to clense from sin; this is contrary to the Primitive Doctrine, the blood of Christ clenseth from all sin, John 1. 7. and your distinctions of mortal and venial sin is to blind people withal, for the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6. 23.

Eightly, Of worshiping and invocation of Angels, and Saints as mediators between us and God; this is contrary to the primitive Doctrine, there is one Medi∣ator between God and man, even the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. 2. 5. and he alone makes intercession for all them that beleive. Heb. 7. 25. and the Angel repro∣ved John, Rev. 22. 8, 9. when he would have wor∣shiped him, and said unto him, see thou do it not, for I am thy fellow Servant, &c. and the Prophet said

thou art onr Father though Abraham know us not, and Israel be ignorant of us, Isay. 63. 6.

Ninthly, of Reliques and sacred Images, this is con∣trary to what the Lord spake by the Prophets, Lev. 26. 1. ye shall make you no I dols nor graven Image, nei∣ther rear you up a standing Image, neither shall you set up any Image of stone in your Land, to bow down un∣to it, Deut. 6. 22. neither shalt thou set thee up any Image, which the Lord thy God hateth; and Ezek. 6. 4 and your Images shall be broken; and Rom. 1. 23. there they were condemned that changed the glory of the incorruptable God, into an Image made like to cor∣ruptable man, &c. Thus you may plainly see your I∣dolatrous Image worship is forbidden, and condemned in the Law, Prophets, and new Testament, and as for your Reliqne worship you have neither command nor example for it from Christ nor his Apo∣stles.

Many more things might be enumerated, which is found among you in the Apostacy, as your voluntary poverty, and feigned humility, and your wilful vows, and many more things which are found to be contrary to the Church of Christ, which must be turned from and denyed, if ever you come to know the everlasting Gospel which is to be preached again to the Nations, by which they must be brought out of all this Apo∣stacy.

Furthermore, as to the practice and Discipline of the Catholick Church (as it is called) which pleads for antiquity, we find it not consonant and agreeing to the Churoh in the primitive times, the first hundred years after Christ.

As for the vestmeuts your Priests wear at cer∣tain times, one on this manner, another on that, your Ecclesiastical men, or Church-Officers of several ranks and orders, such we find not in the primitive

times, in that which may be truly called primi∣tive.

And for the invented holy dayes and their eves, for fasting, and feasting, we find no such things in the Primitive Times, and such a service for such a day, and such a worship for such a day, we find not in the first hundred years after Christ.

And for your Lent, which one of your Fathers in∣vented, and this was his ground, because God had the tenth of the increase or Tythes due to himself, and for his Ministers under the Law, therefore it was neces∣sary that the tenth part of dayes should be allowed as Tythes to the Lord; O grosse ignorance, and palpable blindness, midnight it self came upon you in the time of your visibillity, when the True Church was fled in∣to the Wilderness. As though the Lord was not Lord of all dayes, and as though all dayes were not his, and to be used to his glory.

And your prohibiting meats, and distinguishing of meats, one holy for such a day, another for such a day, flesh one day, and fish another day, as though there were not the flesh of fish, or one thing were clean and another unclean.

And this invented trumpery hath been observed for Catholick and Apostolick Doctrine, but by whom we must needs tell you, by the Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues, and People, upon which the Whore sits, and out of which the Beast rose. And we will grant you antiquity enough this many hundred years, and yet we will prefer the Primitive times before you, and bring their Doctrine, and practice to reprove you, though we do not desire to go in Cains way, and to kill Creatures that are out of the Doctrine of Christ, and contrary to Apostolick and Catholick Doctrine, which wrestled not with the flesh and blood, but with spiritual wickedness, whose weapons were not carnal,

but Spiritual, and yet they had great might in them, and threw down by these weapons, that which never could be by Carnal, 2 Cor. 10. 4.

Again, your forbiding to marry, which is reckoned by the Apostles Doctrine to be a Doctrine of Devils, and contrary unto that the Apostles Doctrine was, marriage is honorable in all estates, the bed undefiled, Heb. 13. 4.

And seeing you plead Peter was at Rome, and Pe∣ters chair, and that the Bishop of Rome doth succeed him, and hath the Keys as Peter had; Why do you exclude the chief Bishops as you account them, from marrying, and divers other orders, seeing Peter had a wife, and seeing that it is Catholick, and Apostolick Doctrine (before you could claim the name of visible Church) that a Bishop should be the husband of one wife, and should not be covetous nor no striker, nor given to Wine, nor filthy Lucre, &c. But since the Bishop of Rome hath appropriated to himself, to be the head of the Church, and the chief Bishop over all the Catholick Church, It hath been manifested how much covetousness, and covetous practices hath been acted, as money for Pardons, and Indulgences, and get money for the living and the dead, and the invented Purga∣tory hath filled your coffers, and your meritorious works have been sold at a dear rate; In so much that a poor Woman who hath lost het husband, and he deceased must pay ten shillings for a mortuary, that he may be prayed for, or some of your merits may be accounted to him which you have in store as a stock to sell to any, who come with a prize in their hand. And from whence have you all these Tythes; have yo•• not borrowed them of the Jews? And yet you are no Jews, and such things we do not read among the Iews were Tytheable, as Pigs, Eggs, Hens, and Geese; to omit greater mat∣ters,

and the smoak passing up the chimneys, and that which you call your Peter pence. And this is con∣trary to the Catholick and Apostolick Doctrine, which Peter would have been ashamed, to ever have mentioned either amongst Iews or Gentiles.

And now I would ask you a question or two, see∣ing John saw the true Church flee into the Wilderness, the woman that was cloathed with the Sun who brought forth the man-child. What cause have you to boast of visibility, or universality? Now when were you in the wildernesse? if your Church hath not been so, then it demonstrates that your Church is nor the woman cloathed with the Sun, for she did fly into the wilderness as with the wings of an Eagle.

Secondly, whether hath your Gospel been univer∣sally and publickly preached these sixteen hundred years or nay? And is it the very same that was preach∣ed in the first hundred, or two hundred years, seeing that John saith, that all Nations did drink of the whores cup of fornication. And then N••tions were Waters, Seeing he saith the Gospel shall be preached again to Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues; which clearly de∣monstrates, there was a time when the everlasting Gos∣pel was not preached to the Kindreds, and Tongues, which are the waters upon which your Church is Sci∣tuated; And it is evidently manifested that yours hath been another Gospel then that which was preached in the Apostolick Church, and in the Catholick Church, the first hundred or two hundred years after Christ was manifested in the flesh. Much might be said, to de∣monstrate the Truth which is in hand, that there hath been an apostacy, the beginners whereof came forth in the Apostles dayes, and afterward; grew into a body and became like a great Sea, which according to the best Ecclesiastical writers, which have given a narra∣tive of the first five hundred years, declared that there

was a great loss within 300. years; but in five hun∣dred years or less, the very power of Godliness was de∣nyed, and very much of the form. And though your Church pleads Antiquity for a Thousand years for these things a fore mentioned, which they would be hard to prove; For although it should be granted them, yet we will joyne issue with them in this thing, and are able to prove all these Doctrines and Practices, not to be as it was in the first two hundred years (ex∣cept they will own such as taught the Doctrine of Bala∣am, and taught the Doctrine of Devils, and went in Cains and Chores way) for an example.

It were not hard to prove the introducing of all these things before mentioned, and how they have come in by degrees, one Counsel that rose out of the waters ordaining this, another ordaining that; and so have risen up into this great body of darkness, some of the practices borrowed from the Jews, and some from the Heathen, and some invented of themselves in lat∣ter ages; So that the worship that was in the Spirit and in Truth, in Christs and the Apostles dayes is turned from, and such a numberless number of vain Traditions, Avemaries, Creeds, and Pater nosters, and such a deal a do as there is about their unbloody Sacri∣fice of the Masse, that they are glad to be counted by their beads on strings, as many very well know; By all that which hath been said may easily be collected, that there hath been a great Diviation, and apostacy from the Doctrine and practice of the Primitive times; thus far as I am descended I leave it to the Reader to judge, and compare these things with the Churches doctrine and practices in the first hundred years after Christ, and if these things be found invented, and with∣out footing or ground, then let them that are inform∣ed, depart from them.