and his Antichristian Church, the mystery of iniquity, was not by
this means wholly dissolved; but only was contracted and brought
into a less compass; for then the Archbishop made himself gene∣ral
master of the Church in each particular Kingdom, as the Pope
before had done in all; and after the Archbishop rises up a Natio∣nal
Assembly, as the General Councel after the Pope; and each
of these in their courses, usurp Lordship over the Church of
Christ, to the sad dissolution of its unity.
Most evident then it is, that during the time of the Apostasie,
the Church hath been most miserably Lorded even amongst us;
for the Priest he Lorded it over the People, the Arch-deacon over
the Priest, the Dean over the Arch-deacon, the Bishop over the
Dean, and the Arch-bishop over the Bishop; under which woful
bondage the Church cried out, as Isa. 26. O Lord our God, other
Lords besides thee have had dominion over us. And is this bondage
of the Church now eased, by casting off those strange Lords?
Yea, do not men rather seek to encrease it, by setting yet stranger
over it, whose names are so full of mystery, that the common people
cannot understand them? for now they would have the Classical
Presbytery set over the Congregational, and the Provincial over
the Classical, and the National over the Provincial; for so it is
Voted, THAT IT IS LAWFULL AND AGREE∣ABLE
TO THE WORD OF GOD, THAT
THERE BE A SUBORDINATION OF
CONGREGATIONAL, CLASSICAL, PRO∣VINCIAL
AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES
FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
CHURCH: Now here is mystery, and nothing but a certain
rising up into the old power, under a new name. And mark how
they prove this subordination of Congregational, Classical Provin∣cial
and National Assemblies, to wit, by that Scripture, Mat. 18.
where it is written, If thy brother trespass against thee, and will
neither hear thy admonition nor councel, nor the admonition, and
councel of other brethren, TELL THE CHURCH; that
is, the Congregation of the faithful. Now from this place they
prove the fore mentioned subordination of Assemblies, just as the
Pope once proved himself to be above the Emperour, to wit, be∣cause
it is written, Gen. 1. That God made two great lights, the Sun
to rule by day, and the Moon by night. Now if this might be