That their offices,¹ entrance, administration and maintenance, with their names,² titles, privileges, and prerogatives the power and rule they usurp over and in these ecclesiastical assemblies over the whole ministry, whole ministration and affairs thereof, yea one over another by their making priests, citing, suspending, silencing, deposing, absolving, excommunicating, etc. Their confounding of ecclesiastical and civil jurisdiction, causes and proceedings in their persons, courts, commissions, visitations, the rest of less rule, taking their ministry from and exercising it under them by their prescription³ and limitation, swearing canonical obedience unto them, administering by their devised imposed, stinted popish liturgy, etc. are sufficient proofs of the former assertion, the particulars there being duly examined by and compared to the rules of Christ’s testament, or allowed in or over His church.

1. Daniel 7:8, 25; 8:10–12; John 10:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, 8–9; Revelation 9:3ff.; 17:4–5, 16; 18:15, 17; compare with Articles 1, 7, 12–14, 19, ff. ↩︎
2. 1 Kings 12:27; Zechariah 11:15–16; Luke 22:25–26; John 3:29; 1 Peter 5:3; Revelation 2:1; 14:11; 17:3–5; 13:15–17 ↩︎
3. Isaiah 29:13; Ezekiel 8:5; 13:9–11, 18–19; Micah 2:11; Malachi 1:8, 13–14; Matthew 7:7–8; Galatians 1:10ff.; 2:4–5; Colossians 2:20, 22–23; Revelation 13:15–17 ↩︎