defign of which was to blefs all nations, and to make men univerfilly good and happy, hath been so perverted and abused, as to become the inftrument of oppreffion and tyranny, and productive of thofe very evils that it was intended to prevent or remedy.

You will perceive that all thefe mifchiefs have arifen from investing its minifters with worldly power and dominion, contrary to the defign of its author, and to the precepts and pattern of his gospel.

You will find, that these men fo degenerated from their first inftitution, as to fet up for ruling, inftead of inft ucting; and though they pretended à zeal for fouls, yet their behaviour plainly fhewed, that they cared not what became of fou's if they could but obtain power and wealth,

the

the conftant objects of their purfuit :: that for many ages they manifefted either the groffeft ignorance of the nature and defign of chriftianity, or the most wilful and wicked oppofition to it; and that they fo blinded and deluded the people,, that temporal ideas were conftantly annexed to a religion that is fpiritual; and Christ's kingdom, which is not of this wold, was made a worldly kingdom indeed!

You will fee that what they called the Church, was a mighty Babel, built upon the ruins of reason, righteousness, truth, goodness and mercy, all that is dear and facred to men! You will obferve, that notwithstanding it was the defign of their holy office to lead men to all happinef they have been the greatest foes to the ease and comfort of men, preferring ac all times their own pride and grandeur to the peace and welfare of nations: That

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for this end, they have promoted and encouraged fuperftition in the people, oppreffion and tyranny in princes; have foothed and flattered wicked kings in all their violent and ruinous measures; have preached doctrines of flavery, jus.tified all defpotic and arbitrary encroachments; have taught that obedience to the will of the prince was the indispenfable duty of the people, and that where the latter could not in confcience comply with the demands of the former, thy must not however relift, but be paffive where they could not be active: and that by these felfifh and lying doctrines, they have brought this nation to the very brink of ruin and perdition.

It will here be manifeft to you, that they were the men that bred all the dif cord betwixt King Charles I. and his parliament; that fuch firebrands as Laud, Manwaring,

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Manwaring, and others (the Sachever els of that day) advised and promoted all the cruel and pernicious High-Commission and Star-Chamber courts, and hurried on that prince to thofe illegal practices, which afterwards juftly brought him to the block :: for it is evident that he deserved it, and that the people were under a neceffity either of cutting him off, or of being flaves themselves without redemption.

Hence you will learn, that it must be the extremeft ftupidity and infatuation, the effect either of the greateft ignorance or the greatest malice, to countenance or support any power in priefts; and that it is the duty of all men to oppose and break their power by all poffible means: that it is poison and destruction both to religion and civil government, to give the minifters of religion any power, except that of reafon and perfuafion; this being all the power which confifts with the

nature of chriftianity (a free and rational religion) and with the peace and happiness of human fociety for that wherever priefts had more power, they always employed it to the worst purposes, to blind, deceive, and enflave the world.

You will learn alfo from hence, not to be abufed and impofed upon by words. and founds, and particularly by the word Church, the most fenfelefs found of all others, which has no meaning but a wicked. one; for the priests never ufe it but either for fond fuperftition or terrible dominion :: and when they damn a man in their creeds, worry him in their diabolical courts, and throw him into prifon, and call this the Power of the Church, they can mean nothing by that phrafe but their own power; these things being as contrary to chriftianity, as they are to all reafon and natural juftice. And indeed, if the christian religion gave the leaft countenance to fuch

practices,