And in satisfaction, perhaps I have not made satisfaction enough by their injunction laid on me, and therefore I must satisfy in hell ; what a rack is this to conscience ?
So, what a rack to conscience is that opinion, that the pope cannot err ; when I cannot tell, perhaps, whether he be the right pope or no. If he came in by simony, or is not in cathedra {nnnn), and many conditions they have to solve that point. If any of those conditions be not observed, he is not the man he should be ; what tyranny do they force upon people over their faith ? Therefore they are called in the Revelations, ' scorpions,' Rev. ix. 3, 10 ; indeed they are spiritual scorpions, that sting the soul of God's people.
The devil is the king of darkness ; and is not he the prince of darkness that maintains ignorance of the word of God, that all his old tenets and opinions may have the better sway, that he may sit in the blind and dark consciences of people ? It is said that he ' sits in the temple of God,' 2 Thess. ii. 4, that is, in the church ; u^lj, he labours to have another temple, to sit in man's soul, which is the temple of the Holy Ghost. It is not suf- ficient for him that is the man of sin to have any other place, he must sit in the very souls and consciences of men.
Satan hath a special malice to sit in the plaee of God. Since he was turned out of heaven, and cannot come thither, he will come to that place, if he can, upon earth where God should be ; and where will God be ? God will especially be in the hearts of his people, in the souls and consciences of his people. Conscience is God's throne. Satan being thrust out of heaven, labours to stablish his throne there. Now they that are Satan's vicars, led with his spirit, they are of the same mind. Let them be what kind of great ones they will, they desire to sit in God's throne, in the con- science ; and if a man will not tie his conscience to them, he is nobody to them. This is the property of antichrist in the highest degree ; as far as any are addicted to this, that they will not be satisfied, but the consciences
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of liion mnsi 1)0 tied in them, they must deny all honesty, and justice, and law, and all to please them, and to ^'nilify them with particular kindness ; so far they arc led with the spirit of antichrist, and of the devil himself, who lahours to sit in God's throne, that is, in the hearts and consciences of people. And therefore, as I said, they labour to keep people in darlcness for this vcr}^ purpose, that people may let them into their consciences, and rule them as they please.
As Samson, when they had put out his eyes, they led him to base ser- vices ; so do they with God's people, they put out their eyes, and then they lead them to grind in the mill, to all the base services they can. Judges xvi. 21. It is not to be spoken of the brutish slavery and ignorance that is in Spain and other countries where that devilish inquisition reigns, which is a great help to popish tyranny.
What should I speak of the state of the Romish Church ? Indeed the main scope of it is to subdue all to them, to subdue all kings and kingdoms to them. That is the grand scope of the greatest of them. Others have their particular scope for their bellies and base ends ; but those among them that have brains, that are governors, their scope is to bring all under their girdle ; and how shall they do this ? They cannot bring their per- sons, but they must bring their consciences ; for where the conscience is, the person will follow presently. Therefore they labour to lay a tie upon the conscience of prince and people, upon all, that so they may domineer and rule over their consciences. And for that end, they labour to nourish them up in blindness ; for by blindness they rule in the conscience ; and ruling their conscience, they may rule their persons and kingdoms. This is their main scope, this hath been their plot for many hundred years.
So that the Romish religion indeed is nothing but a mere carnal devilish policy, to bring others to be subject to them ; and to make not only kings and princes, but to make God, and Christ, and the Scriptures, whatsoever is divine or human, to make all to serve their aims. What do they with Christ, but under the name of Christ serve themselves ? "VNTiat do they with the church, but under the name of the church, carry their own ends ? What do they with the names of saints and angels, Peter, Mary, &c., but under a plausible pretence carry their own ends, and set up a visible great- ness in this world, answerable to the Cffisariau monarchy ? This is plain and evident to all that will see, that it is so ; and one main way to attain their ends is to rule over the conscience.