(1 Tim. IV. 3.) that those who fhall apoftatize from the faith by worshipping of demons, fhall no lefs diftinguish themfelves by forbidding to marry, and commanding to abftain from meats, which God hath created to be received. with thanksgiving of them who believe and know the truth. -Doth the pope make himself equal and even fuperior to God, in affecting divine titles, attributes, and honors; in affuming a power of difpenfing with the immutable laws of nature and the gofpel; in fubftituting for the commandments of God the traditions of men; in treading upon the altar of God at his inauguration, and making the table of the Lord his footftool, and in that pofture receiving the adoration of his cardinals? It is foretold by Daniel, (VII. 25.) that the little horn fhall fpeak great words against the moft High, and think to change times and laws; and (XI. 36.) the king shall do according to his will, and he fhall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and speak marvellous things against the God of gods; and in like manner by St. Paul, (2 Theff. II. 3, 4.) The man of sin shall be revealed, the fon of perdition; Who oppofeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, fo that he as God fitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is "God.-Have the bifliops of Rome extended their authority and jurifdiction over feveral countries and nations? have they ufurped a fupremacy over all other bishops? have they partly by menaces, and partly by flatteries, obtained an entire afcendency over Chriftian princes; fo as to have them zealous members of their communion, blindly devoted to their intereft, and ready upon all occafions to fight their battles? It is nothing more than what was foretold by the prophets; by Daniel when he faid (VII. 20.) that the little horn had a mouth speaking very great things, and a look more flout than his fellows; and by St. John when he faid (XIII. 7.) that power was given unto the beaft over all kindreds and tongues, and nations; and (XVII. 2.) the kings of the earth have committed fornication, or idolatry, with the whore of Babylon; and (XVII. 13.) have one mind, and shall give their power and firength unto the beast.-Hath the church of Rome inlarged the powers of her clergy both regular

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and fecular, given them an almoft abfolute authority over the purfes and confciences of men, enriched them with fumptuous buildings and noble endowments, and appropriated the choiceft of the lands for church lands? This was plainly intimated by Daniel fpeaking of the blafphemous king, as the paffage fhould be tranflated; (XI. 39.) Thus fhall he do; to the defenders of Mahuzzim, together with the ftrange God whom he fhall acknowledge, he shall multiply honor and he fhall caufe them to rule over many, and fhall divide the land for gain.-Is the church of Rome diftinguithed above all churches for purple and fearlet color, by the richness and fplendor of her veftments, by the pomp and parade of her ceremonies, inciting and inveigling men with all artifices of ornament and oftentation to join in her communion? This was particularly fpecified by St. John fpeaking of the myftic whore of Babylon or the corrupted church, (XVII. 4.) And the woman was arrayed in purple and fearlet color, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.-Have the bishops and clergy of Rome in all ages been remarkable for their policy? have they fcrupled to promote their religion by all manner of lies and pious frauds? have they allowed of equivocation and mental refervation in oaths and promifes, and with the appearance of lambs in meeknefs and fanctity, acted like ravening wolves, with fury and violence? Daniel hath given the fame character of the little horn, (VII. 8.) Behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth fpeaking great things; and St. Paul of the apoftates in the latter times, (1 Tim. IV. 2.) Speaking lies in hypocrify, having their confcience feared with a hot iron; and St. John of the two horned beaft, (XIII. 11.) And I beheld another beaft coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.-Doth the church of Rome boaft of vifions and revelations, and make a fhow of miracles in atteftation of her doctrins? do her legends contain as many fpurious and pretended wonders, as the fcriptures do genuin and real? From St. Paul we learn, (2 Theff. II. 9, 10.) that the coming of the man of fin, is after the working of Satan,

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with all power and figns, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness; and from St. John, (XIII. 13, 14.) that the falfe prophet doeth great wonders in the fight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he hath power to do. Doth the church of Rome require an implicit obedience, condemn all who will not readily conform as heretics, and excommunicate and exclude them from the civil intercourfes of life? So the falfe prophet in St. John (XIII. 16, 17.) caufeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or fell, face he that had the mark of the beaft.-Have the Roman pontiffs occafioned the fhedding of as much or more Chriftian blood than the Roman emperors themfelves? have they all along maintained their fpiritual fovranty by fecret plots and inquifitions, by open dragoonings and maffacres, and imprifoned, and tortured, and murdered the true worshippers of God, and the faithful fervants of Jefus Chrift? This particular, as well as all the reft, exactly anfwers the predictions of the prophets. For it is affirmed of the little horn in Daniel, (VII. 21, 25.) that he shall make war with the faints, and shall prevail against them; shall speak great words against the most High, and fhall wear out the faints of the moft High: and the woman in the Revelation, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, (XVII. 6.) is reprefented as drunken with the blood of the faints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jefus, and (XVIII. 24.) in her was found the blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all that were flain upon the earth.

Befides thefe plain and direct prophecies of the corruptions and innovations of the church of Rome, there are feveral fecret glances at them, feveral oblique intendments and intimations of them.-Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world: (Acts XV. 18.) and when the holy Spirit dictated to the ancient prophets the prophecies concerning Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, and other tyrannical and corrupt governments, he dictated them in fuch a manner as plainly evinces that he had a farther view to this last and moft tyrannical and corrupt govern

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ment of all. Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, and the reft, are made the types and emblems of Rome; and many of the particulars predicted concerning the former, are more truly and properly applicable to the latter; and feveral of them have been applied accordingly by St. John. Jeremiah faid concerning antient Babylon, (LI. 7, 45.) Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunken of her wine, therefore the nations are mad: My people, go ye out of the midft of her, and deliver ye every man his foul from the fierce anger of the Lord: But how much more applicable are thefe expreffions, and St John hath applied them, to mystic Babylon or Rome? (XVII. 4. XVIII. 3, 4.) She hath a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations: all nations have drunk of the poisonous wine of her fornication: Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. The prophets themselves might not underftand this myftical, and faw perhaps no farther than the litteral meaning; but they fpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoft, (2 Pet. I.21.) who comprehends all events, the most remote as well as the most immediate. But the intimations of popery, which I particularly meant, are more frequent and more obvious in the New Teftament. Why was our bleffed Saviour fo very cautious in giving honor to the Virgin Mary, that he feemed to regard her lefs than the leaft of his difciples? (Matt. XII. 48.) Who is my mother? (John II. 4.) Woman what have I to do with thee? (Luke XI. 27, 28.) Blefed is the womb that bare thee; Yea, rather bleffed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it. Why did he rebuke St. Peter more feverely than any other of the apoftles, (Matt. XVI. 23.) Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offenfe unto me, for thou favoreft not the things that be of God, but those that be of men; and especially juft after giving him that high encomium (ver. 18.) Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church? May we not reafonably prefume that he fpake and acted thus, as forefeeing that divine worship which would idolatroufly be paid to the one, that fupremacy which would be tyrannically arrogated to the

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other,

other, and which that very encomium would impertinently be brought to countenance?How came it to pafs that our Saviour in inftituting his holy fupper (Matt. XXVI. 26, 27.) faid of the bread only, Take, eat, but of the cup more particularly, Drink ye all of it? May we not probably fuppofe that it was defigned to prevent or obviate their facrilege, who would have all indeed eat of the bread, but priests only drink of the cup? Why were the vices of the Scribes and Pharifees left to particularly upon record, if not chiefly for the correction and reproof of their natural iffue and defcendents, the clergy of the church of Rome? Read the whole 23d Chapter of St. Matthew, and you will find that there is not a single woe denounced against the former, but as properly belongs, and is as ftrictly applicable to the latter. Binding heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and laying them on mens fhoulders; doing all their works for to be feen of men; fhutting up the kingdom of heaven against men, neither going in themfelves, neither fuffering them who are entering to goin; devouring widows houfes, and for a pretence making long prayers; compaffing fea and land to make one profelyte, and when he is made, making him twofold more the child of hell than themselves; making ufelefs and frivolous diftinctions of oaths; obferving pofitive duties, and omitting the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; making clean the outfide, but within being full of extortion and excefs; outwardly appearing righteous unto men, but within being full of hypocrify and iniquity; building the tombs of the prophets, and garnishing the fepulchres of the righteous, honoring the dead faints, and at the fame time perfecuting the living; are as ftrong marks and characters of the one fect as they were of the other.-Do not forbidding implicit faith and obedience to men, (Matt. XXIII. 9.) Call no man your Father upon the earth, for one is your Father which is in heaven; forbidding the worship of angels, (Col. II. 18.) Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility, and worJhipping of angels; forbidding all pretences to works of merit and fupererogation, (Luke XVII. 10.) When ye fhall have done all those things which are commanded you, fay, We are unprofitable ferounts, we have done that which

was