Suppose the Roman Church were sound in faith, in manners, in dis- cipline ; yet, being but a particular church, that it should challenge such a right to itself, in giving laws to all other churches at its own pleasure, and that every particular society which doth not depend upon her beck in all things should be excluded from hope of salvation, or not counted a fellow-church in the communion of the Christian faith, this is a thing that cannot be endured.
That the Pope, as to the extent of his government and administra- tion, should be universal bishop, whose empire should reach far and near throughout the world, as far as the church of Christ reacheth ; this, as to matter of fact is impossible ; as to matter of right, is sacri- legious. As to matter of fact it is impossible, because of the variety of governments and different interests under covert of which the par- ticular churches of Christ find shelter and protection in all the places of their dispersion ; and therefore to establish such an empire, that shall be so pernicious to the churches of Christ which are harboured abroad, is very grievous ; and partly by reason of the multitude and diversity of those things that belong to governments, which is a power too great for any created understanding to wield. As to matter of right, it is sacrilegious ; for Christ never instituted any such universal vicar as necessary to the unity of his church. But here was one Lord Jesus, and one God, and one faith, but never in union under one pope. And therefore we see, in temporal government, God hath distributed it into many hands, because he would not subject the whole world unto one, as neither able to manage the afiairs thereof, nor brook the majesty of so large an empire with that meekness and moderation as becomes
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a creature. It is too much for mere man to bear. Now religious concernments are more difficult than civil, by reason of the imperfec- tion of light about them ; and it would easily degenerate into super- stition and idolatry ; therefore certainly none but a Grod is able to be head of the church.
2. The authority of making laws. Consider it either as to matter or form, the matter about which it is exercised, or the authority itself ; their intolerable boldness and proud ambition is discovered in either. As to the matter about which this power is exercised, for temporal things, God hath committed them to the care of the magistrate ; and it is an intrusion of his right for the Pope to take upon himself to in- terpose in civil things, to dispose of states and kingdoms ; a power which Christ refused : ' Man, who made me a judge over you ? ' Luke xii. 14. As to matter of religion, some things are in their own nature good and some evil ; some things of a middle nature and indifferent. As to the first, God hath established them by his laws; as to the other, they are left to arbitrament, to abstain and use for edification, accord- ing to the various postures and circumstances of times, places, and persons, but so that we should never take from any believer, or suffer to be taken from him, that liberty which Christ hath purchased for us by his blood. It is a licentious abuse of power not to be endured. We are to ' stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,' Gal. v. 1. The apostle mainly intends it of the observance of the ceremonial law, which was a bondage, because of the trouble and expense. Oh ! but then the price wherewith Christ bought our free- dom should make us more chary of it, and stand in the defence of it with greater courage and constancy, whatever it cost us. The captain told Paul that his liberty as a Eoman was ' obtained with a great sum,' Acts xxii. 28. Now, the court of Ptome doth challenge such a jiower, that it commandeth and forbiddeth those things which God hath left free, as distinction of days, meats, marriage, according to their own pleasure, 1 Tim. iv. 3 ; nay, sometimes dispenseth with that which God hath expressly commanded or forbidden ; and then what doth it but make him equal with God, yea, superior to him ? That physician possibly may be borne with that doth only burden his patient with some needless prescriptions, if for the main he be but faithful ; but if he should mingle poison with his medicaments, and also still tire out his patient with new prescriptions, that are altogether troublesome, and costly, and nauseous, and for the number of them dangerous to life, it behoveth his patient to look to his health. And this is the very case. The Pope doth sometimes make bold with dispensing with God's laws, and doth extinguish and choke Christian religion by thousands of impositions of indiflerent things, which is not to be endured.
And then as to the authority itself ; accordiug to the eminency of the lawgiver, so is his authority more or less absolute. Therefore when a mortal man shall challenge an authority so absolute as to be above control, and to give no account of his actions, and it is not lawful to say to him, AVhat doest thou? or inquire into the reason, or complain of the injury, this is that which the churches of Christ cannot endure. Therefore they had just ground and cause of withdrawing, and mak- ing up a body by themselves, rather than yield to so great encroach-