nferior priesthood, and
church-officers, by ordination engagements and oaths of canonical
obedience, a few have been able to impose their own laws and canons,
upon a whole kingdom; yea, upon three kingdoms, it being an
inconsiderable company, either of ministers or people (the Lord be
merciful to us in this thing) that have had eyes to discover the mystery
of iniquity, which these men have driven; and much more inconsiderable,
that have had hearts to oppose and withstand their tyranny and
usurpations. And why may not God make use of the same stratagem to ruin
their kingdom, which they used to build it? Yea, God hath seemed to do
it already, while in that place where they cast that roaring canon, and
formed their cursed oath, for the establishing their Babel prelacy, with
its endless perpetuity. In the very same place hath this covenant been
debated and voted, once, and a second time, by command of public
authority, for the extirpation of it root and branch, and the casting of
it out for ever, as a plant which "our heavenly Father hath not
planted." And who knows, but this may be the arrow of the Lord's
deliverance, which, as it hath pierced to the very heart of prelacy, so
it may also give a mortal wound to the papacy itself, of which it will
never be healed by the whole college of physicians (the Jesuits), who
study the complexion and health of that Babylonian harlot.

In the sixth and last place, the good success this course hath found in
the churches, may encourage us with much cheerfulness and confidence to
undertake this service. It hath upon it a _probatum est_, from all that
ever conscientiously and religiously used this remedy. It recovered the
state and church of the Jews, again and again, many a time, when it was
ready to give up the ghost; it recovered and kept a good correspondency
between God and them, all the time it was of any esteem and credit
amongst them. It brings letters of testimonial with it, from all the
reformed churches; especially from our neighbour nation and church of
Scotland, where it hath done wonders in recovering that people, when all
the physicians in Christendom had given them over. It is very
remarkable. God promiseth to bring them "into the bond of the covenant;"
and in the next verse it follows, "and I will purge out the rebels from
among you." There is an [and] that couples this duty, and this mercy
together; "I will bring you into the bond," "And I will purge out." The
walls of Je