Page:The reason of church-governement urg'd against prelaty - Milton (1641).djvu/52

 fleshly wisdom and pride? in being altogether ignorant of God and his worship? no surely, for men are naturally asham'd of that. Where then? it consists in a bold presumption of ordering the worship and service of God after mans own will in traditions and ceremonies. Now if the pride and wisdom of the flesh were to be defeated and confounded, no doubt, but in that very point wherin it was proudest and thought it self wisest, that so the victory of the Gospel might be the more illustrious. But our Prelats instead of expressing the spirituall power of their ministery by warring against this chief bulwark and strong hold of the flesh, have enter'd into fast league with the principall enemy against whom they were sent, and turn'd the strength of fleshly pride and wisdom against the pure simplicity of saving truth. First, mistrusting to find the autority of their order in the immediat institution of Christ, or his Apostles by the cleer evidence of Scripture, they fly to the carnal supportment of tradition: when we appeal to the Bible, they to the unweildy volumes of tradition. And doe not shame to reject the ordinance of him that is eternal for the pervers iniquity of sixteen hunderd yeers; choosing rather to think truth it self a lyar, then that sixteen ages should be taxt with an error; not considering the general apostasy that was foretold, and the Churches flight into the wildernes. Nor is this anough, instead of shewing the reason of their lowly condition from divine example and command, they seek to prove their high pre-eminence from humane consent and autority. But let them chaunt while they will of prerogatives, we shall tell them of Scripture; of custom, we of Scripture; of Acts and Statutes, stil of Scripture, til the quick and pearcing word enter to the dividing of their soules, & the mighty weaknes of the Gospel throw down the weak mightines of mans reasoning. Now for their demeanor within the Church, how have they disfigur'd and defac't that more then angelick brightnes, the unclouded serenity of Christian Religion with the dark overcasting of superstitious coaps and flaminical vestures; wearing on their backs; and, I abhorre to think, perhaps in some worse place the unexpressible Image of God the father. Tell me ye Priests wherfore this gold, wherfore these roabs and surplices over the Gospel? is our religion guilty of the first trespasse, and hath need of cloathing to cover her nakednesse? what does this else but cast an ignominy upon the perfection of Christs ministery by seeking to adorn it with that which was the poor remedy of our shame? Believe it, wondrous Doctors, all corpo-