A HEAVENLY PROCLAMATION TO FLY ROMISH BABYLON. A SERMON PREACHED AT OXford in St MARIES Nou. 21.1613. BY SAMSON PRICE Master of Arts of Exeter College and Preacher to the City of Oxford. 2. COR. 6. 1●. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. AC: OX printer's device of Joseph Barnes AT OXFORD, Printed by joseph Barnes. 1614 TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL AND TRVELY WORTHY KNIGHT. SIR ROGER OWEN, all happiness. SIR the mystery of iniquity doth now work. Gr. l. 4. ep. 38. Never was Antichrist and his army of Priests (as Gregory calleth them) more enraged to oppugn the true Church than in these days, conceiving in likely hood that he hath but a short time, Rev. 12.12. and that the time is at hand, which the Lord hath promised, shall bring upon Babel the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his temple. Ier 51.6.11. Rev. 18.20. The Lord make good his word & hasten his work that the heavens may rejoice, and the Apostles and Prophets. Rome was sometimes famous for her faith, but now it is become Babylon as Jerome in his time confessed, Hier. ad Marcell viduam & praef. l. Didimi de Spir. Sancto. Euseb. l. 3. c. 26. & l. 4. c. 21. praising God, that he was freed from it. It conceived about the times of trajan saith Egesippus, and now hath brought forth the man of sin whose pride, doing reverence to no mortal man. Cerem. Rom. l. 3. Sect. 1. fol. 120. and his challenged of the title of supreme and immediate Pastor, are badges of Antichrist Gr, l. 6. ep. 30. This purple Idol, Reg. Indict. 15. causeth traditions to be matched with the written word of God, and is therein injurious to the wisdom of God; he causeth man's merits to be mingled with the merits of Christ therein injurious to the grace of God; he causeth divine worship to be communicated to stocks and stones, therein injurious to the glory of God. Thus the daughter of Zion is become the Whore of Babylon. In the council of Lateran strict charge was given to all Preachers that none should speak of the coming of Antichrist, Caranza sess. 11.19. Dec. 1516. Praeside Leone. 10. which prohibition argued the guilt of their consciences. But now the Pope hath his followers in triumph to give him the number of the beast as those books of Benedictus de Benedictis Bononiae excus. Anno. 1608. and Theses Caraffae Neapoli excusae 1609. Take the numeral letters V 5. L. 50. V 5. V 5. l. 1. C. 100 D 500 & it is the number of the beast 665. Rev. 13.18. dedicated unto him with this inscription PAULO V VICEDEO, do sufficiently prove, as is urged by that Noble Philip Mornai; Some would have Antichrist to be but one man standing upon the greek article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1. joh. 2.18. It is in Bell. l. 3. c. 2. de Rom. Pont. By as good reason there should be but one Davell because Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The Adversary came & sowed tars, Mat. 13.25. & but one righteous man, because S. Paul saith, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The man of God may be absolute. 2. Tim. 3.17. How truly many Popes of Rome have deserved this name I have laboured to prove in this Sermon which I present unto your Worship. I confess the argument is great & know that the blame of imperfection is so much the more when it lighteth upon a high choice. D. Sutcliffe D Abbot. D. Downam. Mr G. Powel. But this subject being handled so plentifully by many worthies in our Church, I undertook the burden the more willingly, and now offer this mite (Talents I have none) into the public treasury. I was importuned to publish this Sermon by some learned and religious friends, leisure fitted not since the preaching of it so opportunely as now. I dedicate it to you as the chief Patron of my studies by whose means I obtained my settled abode in this place. That Hon. judge your Reverend Father did countenance & encourage, my aged and painful Father in his Ministry in that flourishing town of Shrewsbury. Since, your favours have been extraordinary and bountiful. Accept from me, I beseech you these small fruits of my studies, as a pledge of my true observance, unto you, being a sincere lover of the truth, & generally honoured for your excellent learning. So wishing to your good worship the increase of all good graces and blessings, as also to your elect Lady & sweet olive-branch, I take my leave. From my study at Exeter College, Oct. 28.1614. Your Worships in all humble duty at command SAMSON PRICE. REVEL. 18.4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. THe Almighty God whose throne is heaven, the firmament his pavilion, and the earth his theatre, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first the last and the revealer of secrets, Da. 2.22. Victorin. in Apocal. Cuius antiquit as immortalitas, whose antiquity is immortality, gave an especial privilege to his messenger john an Apostolical Prophet to write this Prophecy to all succeeding ages, a book never rejected by any but the grossest Heretics. Epiph. That as he preferred Abel before Cain, jacob before Esau, David before Eliab, Mathias before judas, so he preferreth S. john before all the other Disciples, in this general charge to his Church. And he that made Moses who was a courtier, job the Potentate, Samuel the judge, Elisha the Ploughman Amos the Neat-heard, Gr. super Ezeck. jeremy a Priest, Isaiah of the blood royal a Prophet, Matthew a Publican, Peter a Fisher and Paul a Tentmaker, all to be penners or preachers of his word, now inspireth a poor exile to write the history of the Church in these intricate visions and revelations which he saw upon the Lord's day. Pro merito voluminis laus omnis inferior est Rupert. in lib. Where having sent to the seven Churches, and showed the authors of his message. God the Father and the Son, in the 5 first chapters, he cometh to predictions of things to come, c. 6. obsignations of those to be saved, c. 7. Indignations upon things to be destroyed, c. 8.9. His warrant to write to many peoples and nations and tongues and kings, c. 10. The Church's Prophets fight & falling by the beast, yet rising again c. 11. Her body compared to a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars upon her head, c. 12. Her combats, and they blessed that die in the Lord, c. 13.14 Her threatenings with 7 golden vials full of the wrath of God, c. 15. Her judgements upon her enemies in general, c. 16. and in these 17 and 18 chapped. her victories gotten against the Romish church; wherein Princes converted to the gospel (figured by a mighty Angel lightning the earth, c. 1.) do judicially decree that Babylon must fall, for troubling of states, for corruption in doctrine, with which she poisoned other nations, & for the immoderate riches of her Merchants who sold both justice and the souls of men, Rome selleth souls of men. Rev. 18.13. ver. 13. The Ministers of God must accomplish it by preaching the gospel, at the sound whereof Babylon falleth as once the walls of jericho at the noise of trumpets sounded by the Priests, and by the Ministry whereof as it were by the spirit of the Lords mouth Antichrist falleth into a consumption, as Dagon once fell before the ark. calling by this long oratorious exhortation to relinquish Babylon (as Lot was warned to leave Sodom) in a continuat set speech to 21 ver. a part of which I have chosen for the subject of my discourse. Clem. Alex. in locum. And I heard, etc. It hath been the admirable wisdom of the Almighty, never from the beginning to leave his Church without some comfortable promise. So immediately after the fall of our first Parents, he foretold of that restoration which should be made by Messiah his son, Gen. 3. as it came to pass in the fullness of time. Dan. 7.9.11. Ez 31. So he foretold by Daniel & Ezechiel, of the great trouble which his Church should endure by the persecutions of the divided Greek Empire, Alexander's posterity, Diod. l. 18. & Appian. especially the Kings of Egypt, and Syria, which descended of Ptolomeus and Seleucus, whom the Scripture calleth the Kings of the North, and the South, by the space of 294. years, and of the precise determination thereof at the coming of Christ. So he told Israel of their great servitude, and intolerable bondage in Egypt, Gen. 15. and of the full end thereof after 400 years. So here he sent john the Evangelist into a little Island of Pathmos, lying in the Aegean Sea, in the 96, Straho. l. 3. Eus l. 3. c. 18. year of our Lord, to prophecy of the ruin of a mystical Babylon (I mean Rome) as jeremy had foretold of the ruin of literal Babylon. Rome in this book compared to Sodom for filthiness, to Egypt for Idolatry, C. 11. v. 8. and in my Text to Babylon for both. And I heard, etc. It is like to that jer. 50.8. Fly from the midst of Babel, depart out of the land of the Chaldeans: or that jer. 51.6. Fly out of the midst of Babel, and deliver every man his soul: Be not destroyed in her iniquity. And I hear danother voice out of heaven. It is a divine inspiration to the Church, Parap H. Card. admonishing the elect as the other condemned the reprobate. The ordinary Gloss interpreteth it of the preaching of the word. Brocard of those Scriptures in Esay, jeremy, and Sophonie tending to this purpose. Saying come out of her my people. Meyerus, paralleleth it with that Za. 2.6. Ho, Marl. Lyra. Ho, come forth, and fly from the land of the North, saith the Lord. Marlorat, with 1. Co. 7.31. They that use the world, as they that used it not. Generally it is to be understood of the company of the wicked; we must leave them, they are lulled in the cradle of security, the Devil closeth their eyes with ignorance, filleth their cares with Sophistry, covereth their heads with presumption of mercy, and lardeth their hearts with the neglect of judgements; especially it is applied to Rome, which will easily appear to be Babylon. That ye be not partakers of her sins: either in consenting unto, H. Card. or acting of her abominations, whereby God's image is defaced, man made a monster, and God's child the devils Creature. And that ye receive not of her plagues. Si non fueritis participes in culpa, Hugo Card. non eritis similes in poena. If ye partake not in the offence, ye shall not partake in the punishment. Thus God, ever will be revenged upon Sinners. Sin cast the Angels out of heaven, Adam out of Paradise. By it Reuben lost his birthright, judas his Apostleship. It maketh to men death terrible, their persons to God execrable, the law to condemn us, conscience to accuse us, & the hand of the highest to plague us. The sum of which Scripture, In Ref. Cathol. according to judicious M. Perkins is, That they who hope for salvation must avoid the faith and Religion of the Romish Church. In the words I observe two general parts. 1 An admonition to forsake Babylon. Divisie. And I heard etc. 2 The reasons for this desertion. That ye be not partakers, etc. In the 1 General, there is. 1. The instrument of admonition. A voice from heaven. 2 The matter of the admonition. Come out of her my people. In the second general. 1. The danger of contagion conversing with the wicked. Lest ye be partakers. 2 The danger of punishment to be inflicted upon the consorts and complices of the ungodly. And that ye receive not of her plagues. In the 1. There is a heavenly voice sounded. In the 2. The elect are called. In the 3. An infection is threatened. In the 4. The plagues of the wicked are manifested Of these in their order, not what may be spoken, but what the short time, my weak readings, and simple, but well meaning ability, with your patiented attention and especially God's gracious assistance shall permit. Wherein I shall desire to speak resolutely, yet with submission to so learned an assembly. The cause is Gods, and my warrant from heaven to proclaim this voice as powerfully, as my weakness shall suffer me. It was a vain challenge of Galilaeus de Galilaeis, 1● Iae● to summon the stars to come near him, and to give him an account of themselves; Nuntius cider. he would hear their discourses. And a fond brag of Keppler that ever since Tycho Braches death, he hath received into his ear that no new thing should be done in heaven without his knowledge. De stella in cygno. And of him who professed, that he heard that which never man heard beside, a Sermon which Christ made in praise of his father joseph, dedicating it to Adrian the 6. josephlna di. Gieron. Gratian. But we are sure S. john heard many strange voices from heaven by the trumpets of Angels, amongst which this is very remarkable. It is a voice more shrill than that of the Egyptian who from the promontory of Hister was heard of Histaeus Admiral of Darius being then at Miletum as Herodotus fableth, Melpom p. 163 for they that were dead a while may hear this voice and live. In the scripture there is vox Implorativa, with my voice I called upon the lord Psal. Vox collaudativa. A loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne. Rev 7.10. Vox exhortativa, cry a loud, spare not, lift up thy voice as a trumpet? Is. 58.8. and if any man ask what the shall cry, he must cry as the voice from heaven, shall admonish him. There is vox Dei. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. This was a terrible voice to Adam I heard thy voice in the garden and was afraid. Gen. 3. Nec vox hominem sonat, It is the voice of God, not man.. Vox Christi, hear him. An oracle from heaven hath proclaimed it twice, in the river jordan, Mat. 3. & on the mount Tabor, Mat. 17. when we have heard him, and found him we must take hold of him chap. 3. In his word, we must believe him, in baptism endue him, in the Eucharist spiritually eat him, in the poor relieve him, in his life follow him, in his death trust in him, in his temple glorify him, on earth affect him, & then in heaven when we have heard his voice we shall enjoy him. Vox Dei & hominis as here, God speaketh to john, and the Church to us from heaven. Whence I collect this doctrine. The word preached aught reverently to be received in respect of the place whence it cometh, which is heaven. Doct. 1. Not that this is to be understood only of the place whither Christ ascended, but also of the congregation of the faithful where he is in the midst. Io. c. 4. v. 2.4. There is a throne in heaven about which are 24 seats, and 24 Elders. In the 5. ch. v. 10. these do praise Christ that had made them Kings and Priests unto God, and they should reign on the earth, 50. Ep. 2.6. The church is called heavenly jerusalem and in other places the kingdom of heaven; so that whether God from heaven doth command Noah to make & enter the Ark or that an Angel bid Lot get him out of Sodom? Whether Moses importune the people to get them from the tents of Dathan and Abiram, or the Prophet's isaiah & jeremy teach this Scripture for the leaving of Babylon, we must hear it as the voice of God coming from heaven. As there is a woe against them that will not preach, and a curse against them that preach negligently, so against them that will not hear carefully, whereby they might avoid judgements and punishments. There is a threefold voice of woes, c. 8.13. Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Woe unto the world because of Popery, whereby men are punished in their souls, they will not go to the law, & to the testimony, therefore they can have no light. Woe unto the world for turcism, because thereby thousands are murdered in their bodies not yielding to the word, whereby they might avoid the Lords wrath. woe unto the world because of the last judgement, for thereby the natural worldlings shall be plagued both in body and soul in Hell fire for evermore, because they hearkened not to the sound of the Gospel. The dangers of all these may be prevented by hearing this sacred voice, Avoice from heaven. Use 1 Acomfort to all Churches which have the voice of the word amongst them, whereby they are forewarned: wherein if any people were truly happy, it is this our Island, which hath the voice of many criers, preparing the way of the Lord, of many Turtles mourning betwixt the porch and the altar for the sins, saying Spare us good Lord, spare thy people. joel. 2.17. We of this Kingdom, 1 Sam. 21.6. have many a faithful, Ahimelech amongst us, who rather than David should perish with hunger, will give unto him the showbread of the Sanctuary, though they live hungerly themselves. Many a worthy Minister, who rather than David should die with thirst, will with the hazard of their lives give unto him of the water of Bethlehem. 2. Sam. 23.16. I deny not, but by reading a man may receive much comfort, and be excellently prepared, to get saving knowledge: yet the voice of preaching is the excellentest ordinary means which God hath sanctified to the salvation of his children, and to make them wise unto salvation. By this the mind of the ignorant is enlightened, the memory of the forgetful is strengthened, the heart of the obstinate is mollified, the affections of the untoward are reduced, the will of the perverse is restrained, and the life of the ungodly so changed, that at the voice of a simple and sinful man, he crieth out with the jews, Men & Brethren, what shall we do. With David; I am the man, with Saul, I have sinned, and with every private convert to say, God is in these men indeed, when they preach the heavenly voice. Were it not for preaching the word, where were the understanding of it, consolation by it, direction from it? Without it how should hard places be made plain, plain be applied, repugnances in it be reconciled, or oppugners of it be confuted. Take away preaching, and then down with our schools of learning, our houses of prayer, our obedience to Superiors, our love to equals, and our right to heaven. It is the power of God to salvation, the pillar of God in our journey to Canaan, the Angel of God to bring us out of Sodom, the messenger of God to prepare his way, the trumpet of God to cry down jericho, and the caller to bring us unto the Church of Christ, being illuminated by the spirit. For it is not the outward ministry of the word only that is able to convert. Let the Preacher be one of a thousand. job. 33.23. for the excellency of his gifts as prompt in the law of God as Ezra was, as mighty in the Scriptures as Apollo's, as eloquent to quicken & enlive his speech, as if he spoke with the tongue of an Angel, as painful as Paul, who laboured more than all the rest, as blameless in conversation as Zachary. Let the people hear never so gladly as Herod heard john. Never so earnestly as the jews heard the Prophet as one that had a pleasant voice and could sing well. Esek. 33.32. Let them hear never so long, as those that heard Paul until midnight. Let the matter be handled never so excellently, as all the Synagogue wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of Christ's mouth. Yet if the Lord give not a blessing, it is but the savour of death unto death. Paul may plant and Apollo water, but God gave the increase. Therefore every one must pray unto the Lord for an understanding heart, that as he would open the mouth of the Preacher, so also by his power, he would from heaven open the ears and hearts of the whole congregation, that they may hear this heavenly voice. Use 2 A Reproof of those who hearing the heavenly voice of the Church by the mouths of the Ministers, whereby their sins are plainly reproved, and their consciences powerfully convicted, for a while are as Agrippa almost persuaded to leave their swearing, lying, drunkenness, &c: will with tears confess their sins and promise great reformation, but presently all their good motions vanish like a morning dew, they return to their former courses, as the dog to his vomit, They live but their sick repentance is dead, Ipsius poenitentiae agunt poenitentiam, they repent of their repentance, Amb. de poenit. l. 2. c. 9 The preacher is unto them a voice, & nothing else, No voice from heaven. But it is far otherwise with the godly. If the Lord speak they tremble, if his word condemn a sin in them they fall down & mourn before him till he forgive it. So were the Publicans moved at the preaching of john Baptist, so the jews were pricked in their hearts at the preaching of Peter, so the jailor cried to Paul and Sylas what must I do to be saved. And good josias, his heart melted at the hearing of the law, so effectual is the word in the hearts of the elect let the preacher be never so weak and sinful, as Chrysostome well observeth. Chrys. in Mat. hom 6. When S. Austin's hearers with great applaus commended his preaching but mourned not for their sins, he told them. Folia haec sunt Nos fructus quaerimus. These are Leaves, we would have fruit. So S. Chrysostome, If ye hear me with sorrow I shall be thankful and glad, for who can make me joyful but you who made me sorrowful. He thought as Jerome, that the best commendations of the speakers were the tears of the hearers at the heavenly voices. Use 3 Is it so that the voice of the Church is a heavenly voice, then let not any man be puffed up with the excellency of his gifts. What hath he that is not from above? Let not any contemn his brother though far meaner. God often useth weak means to confound the mighty. Let not any have the persons of men in a factious admiration saying I am of Paul, I am of Apollo, I am of Cephas. But let us give one another the right hands of fellowship. Let us have the Ministers in love for their work sake. Let us be swift to hear and pray the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth labourers into his harvest. Let us take heed how we hear and pray unto the Lord to open our hearts. For alas, the hearts of many are so locked and barred against the the word, as the gates of jericho were against the Israelits, when none could go out or enter in. Josh. 6.1. Therefore is the Lord so earnest in knocking, calling, crying by his voice from heaven. He knoweth of what metal and matter we are made. This maketh him continue crying till we answer, speak still Lord, thy servants hear. Hearing is necessary, for it is the sense of discipline through which as through the beautiful gate, that heavenly Nymph, knowledge entereth into the temple of the soul. Faith cometh by hearing. They that will not hear are a generation of deaf adders that stop their ears against the voice of the charmer, worse than guilty Adam, raging Saul, the stiff-necked jewesi, mpious Herod, unhappy Felix, and irresolute Agrippa. Many blessings are appropriated to the hearer, and as many curses adjudged to him that will not hear, all included in that of Solomon. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Prov. 28.9. his very prayer shallbe turned into sin. Therefore he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. See that ye despise not him that speaketh, For if they escaped not which refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from this voice crying from heaven. But this voice crieth louder in the second circumstance, the matter of the admonition, Come out of her my people. It is a thing commonly observed, 1 3. 2ae. that amongst many wicked, there are some children of God. Lot was in Sodom, Gen. 14. Rahab in jericho, Josh. 2. jael amongst the Gentiles, jud. 4. Obadiah that feared God greatly & saved an hundredth of the Lords Prophets was the governor of Ahabs' house, 1. King. 18.4. There were Saints of Caesar's household, even of Nero that cruel monster; so here are many people of God in Babylon called from it before the Lord power out the vials of his wrath. The Doctrine here is plain, Doct. 2. that The Lord usually admonisheth the elect before he take revenge on the reprobate. The judge of the earth will not stay the righteous with the wicked, Gen. 18.25. How inextricable soever the peril seem to be, the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, 2. Pet. 2.9. Noah from the flowed, Let from Sodom, the godly in the Acts of the Apostles, many in jerusalem forewarned by a voice from heaven to get them to Pella, Eus. l. 3. c. 5. a city beyond jordan, and here God's people admonished to leave sinful Babylon before it be destroyed are sufficient proofs. Which the ancients describe thus. Confusion caused divisions of Nations, Regions and Religions: of this confusion Babylon of Assyria took the name. Pliny would have it a part of Syria which he extendeth hence to Cilicia. Pl. l. 5. c. 12. l. 16. Strabo addeth as far as the Pontic sea. Ptolemy thus boundeth it, on the North it hath Mesopotamia, Geogr. l. 5. c. 20 on the West Arabia deserta, Susiana on the East, on the South, part of Arabia, & the Persian gulf. Here was built the first city we read of after the flowed. Many glorious things are spoken of it, yet no City of God, L. 2. L. 3. c. 4. Herodotus would have the walls to contain in compass 480 furlongs. Diodorus but so many furlongs as there are days in the year, so that every day there was a furlong built, 1300000. workmen employed therein. The height of the walls was 200 cubits, the thickness 50, so spacious that Aristotle said it was rather a country then a city. L. 4. Pol. c. 2. It was one of the wonders of the world in regard of the many miracles of art, the works of Semiramis and Nabuchodonoser, who cried out, Is not this great Babel that I have built, for which proud words he was presently adjudged the loss of reason. There he established that golden head of the image, the seat of the Babylonian Monarchy, yea Dan. 3. He set up an image 60 cubits high, and 6 broad enjoining a Catholic idolatry thereunto, which the three Saints, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago refused, and in a fiery trial were found to be both Martyrs, & Confessors. As Babylon was, The affinity & likeness of Babylon & Rome, proved thus. so now Rome is. I must confess not properly Babylon, in as much as they were two diverse Cities: but Rome may be called, and is Babylon figuratively, spiritually, and by allusion. For as the old Eastern Babylon did a long time oppress the Church of the jews, so Rome this western Babylon hath long oppressed the Church of the Christians. As Babylon had 7. heads, Dion. Halicar. Sigon. F●nest●l●a Sueton. Octau. ch. 17.9. so Rome bade 7. see verall governments 1, by Kings 2. by Consuls 3. by Decenviri, 4. by Dictator's 5. by Triumvirs 6, by Emperors. Lastly by Popes. Babylon had 7 mountains, so Rome, therefore called by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Plut. probl. Rom the city with 7. heads, that is, 7. hills. Capitolinus, Palatinus, Aventinus, Exquilinus, Caelius, Viminalis and Quirinalis. Neither is it sufficient to say, that it is shrunk into the plain of Campus Martius, for though it may be true of the body of the town yet the Lateran Church and palace which by a charter of Gregory 2. was made the head of all churches almost 250. years since, after him by Pius 4, and lately by Pius 5, in which there have been held by several Popes some 33. Provincial or National, and 4 General Counsels for the raising up of antichrist's throne, where those two monsters first were bred, of Transubstantiation & the deposing of Kings, this Church stands to this day upon the hill Coelius. The Babylonians, when there came any war, had their Priests to consult with their Gods where they might hide themselves. Baruch. 6.48. so do they in Rome, otherwise the Virgin had never taught Hiacynthus what to do, as they feign of her image. Severin. de vita mirac. & act. canon. 12. H●●cynth. l. 1 c. 13. Babylon was termed the pride of the Chaldeans, tender and delicate. Rome was held the glory of the western world, and pride of the Romans. Babylon had all kingdoms in subjection to her. Rev. 17.18. Rome had the like, for jerusalem in S. john's time was made an heap of stones. The Babylonians grew in their prosperity, as fat calves in the grass, and bellowed as Bulls: who hath not heard the like of Monks and Friars, eating, saith Luther, till they came to be all belly, living to do nothing, but eating of the labours of other men: groaning under the burden of Epicurism, surfeiting and crying, Heu quanta patimur pro amore Christi! Babylon was a land of Images, where they doted on their Idols. Bell. de imag. jer. 50.38. Rome deifieth images as much. Babylon was noted for her oppression, and exacting of gold. Rev. 18.13. Is. 14.4. Rome is infamous, for her covetousness and merchandising of souls. Babylon vaunted, I shall be a Lady for ever, I shall not be a widow, nor know the loss of children, Is. 47.7. Rome hath the same words, v. 7. of this Chapter. All that is spoken of Babylon, In 17. Apoc. come 1. sect. 3. In Apoc. 14. Num. 42. fitteth Rome, saith Viegas. Ribera denieth not, that Rome is mystical Babylon, he saith truth persuaded him to believe it, not only of heathenish Rome, but also of Christian Rome. Antonius Puccius Clericus Apostoli. 3. Non. Mai. 1515. Sess. 10. told Leo in the Council of Lateran, that S. Peter called Rome, Babylon. B●ll. l. 2 de Rom. Po●t. c. 2. Bellarmine hath no Scripture argument to prove S. Peter's being at Rome, but taking this for a ground that Rome is Babylon. I omit many testimonies of Tertullian, adversus judaeos, and of S. Jerome in prologo Dydimi, and Ep. 17. and in Is. 47. of Austin de Civ. Dei, l. 18. c. 22. It is the unanimous opinion of almost all the Fathers. Episc. Eliensis in sortura Tor●● p ●87. O●os. l. 2. c. 3. Babylon and Rome had the like beginning, the like power, the like greatness, the like times. Look to words before my Text. All nations drank of the wine of the wrath of Babylon's fornications. What nations have not been afflicted with wars, treasons, cruelties, and many calamities from Rome? The Kings of the earth committed fornication with Babylon. Have not many Monarches suffered themselves, and their Kingdoms, to be corrupted with Romish superstitions? The Merchants of the earth waxed rich with the abundance of the delicates of Babylon. What wealth hath been carried about by means of Popish pardons, selling Salvation, yet are they but gulleries. Once heathenish Rome, now Babylon, saith Petrarch. For as heathenish Rome was founded in blood by Romulus the first builder killing his brother Remus: Aug Civ. l. 15. c, 5. so was Popish Rome settled in full possession by blood, some 607 years after Christ, Palmerius, juxta Bedam 612. Magdebur. Centur, 7. when Pope Boniface obtained of the Emperor Phocas (that murderer which slew his Master Mauritius) that the Bishop of Rome should be called the universal Bishop, & the Church of Rome, the head of all Churches; so that now the Pope like heathenish Anius, will be King and Priest, a King of Kings, as Paul 4, ad Ducem Florent. Rex Anius Rex idem hominum, Phaebique, sacerdos Virg. Ae. n. 3. and Prince of Priests. Cupers de Eccl. pag. 25. Num, 62. Is Rome now become Babylon, Use. 1. and is there so little hope of salvation there? O then bless we the name of the Lord, praise we him and magnify him for ever, that this our Church is freed from that land of darkness and house of bondage, where their holiness is hypocrisy, their zeal fury, their faith uncertain, their chiefest ground unwritten tradition. But our faith is the same with the faith of the patriarchs and Prophets & righteous Fathers from the beginning of the world. Let us look upon them, and consider with ourselves? Were they Idolaters, Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, jacob, David? Had they any to go unto for Indulgences and Pardons? Did they one call upon the other? Happy are we that are in such a case to follow these worthies. Blessed are we that have God only to be our Father & this Church to be our Mother. Rome was sometimes a glorious city, Ignatius called it Castissimam, Tertullian said it was a happy Church because the Apostles of Christ suffered martyrdom in it, B jew. in def. of apol. and left their whole doctrine unto it, but now saith he, O Roma a Roma quantum mutata vetusta es Nunc caput es scelerum quae caput or bis oer as? Seeing there are some Godly amongst the wicked, 2. Use. let them strive against the common sins, the best else may be overtaken. Hence is it, that for the warning of all, for a caveat to the people of God, that they who think they stand may take heed lest they fall, Criminations as well as the commendations of the best are registered in scripture, Noah's drunkenness as well as his uprightness. Lot's incest as well as the grieving of his righteous soul. The weakness of Moses at the waters of Meribah when he spoke unadvisedly with his lips as well as his zeal when he broke the tables, coming down from the mount Sinai. jonah his flying from Tharsis as well as his preaching in Niniveh, and here the elects being in Babylon is noted to the world and they publicly admonished to leave this cage of unclean birds, this den of Devils O the patience of a merciful God never striking but first warning, not suddenly taking revenge! How patiented is he towards many beastly Belly Gods, and swinish drunkards, that seek to bespatter the blood of Christ with their surfeits and filthy vomits. Towards horrible blasphemers, renting him asunder with their fearful oaths. Towards abominable Atheists, who with their damned crew, shake their heads at him, & like the young ones of Bethlehem make a mock of him. He is provoked every day, and yet he reneweth his mercy every day, to all, even to the obstinat'st Recusants, saying, why will ye die, which voice many have apprehended and fled out of Babylon. Amb. Hexem. l. 6 3. Ep. l. 7.48. For as S. Ambrose reporteth of the Partridges, that one stealeth away the eggs of another and hatcheth them, but, saith he, diverse of the young being hatched, when they afterward hear the voice of their own & natural dams in the field, leave their stepmother, and come again to her, to whom by original right they belonged. So many, who have been infected by the Church of Rome, after true grace imparted from above, return from their Seminaries, and adjoin themselves to our happy and true Church, where we have the word truly preached, the sacraments rightly administered, the poor charitably relieved, and Gods graces so abundantly bestowed, that God hath not dealt so with any other nation, because we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture, whom he hath called out of Babylon, that we might not be partakers of her sins. As it followeth in the first of my second general. Amongst all the occasions of sin, there is none more dangerous than evil company. For can a man take coals of fire in his bosom, and not be burnt, or handle pitch, and not be defiled, or fly with Ostritches and pelicans, and nor grow wild, or dwell in the tents of wickedness, Chrysostome. and not learn to be wicked? Rerum natura sic est ut quoties bonus malo coniungitur, non ex bono malus oritur, sed ex malo bonus contaminatur, Sooner the good may be infected by the bad, than the bad reform by the good: so was it like to be in Babylon, and therefore the people of God are called out, whence this Doctrine ariseth. Doct. 3. It is the part of God's children, to avoid the company of the wicked, lest they be infected by them. This made Moses and joshua, so earnestly to exhort the jews, Exod 34. Deut. 7. Ioh 23. Psal. 106.35. to make no compact with the other nations, lest they should be unto them a snare, to cause them to serve other Gods, and so the wrath of the Lord should be kindled against them, and destroy them. Which they not obeying, were mingled amongst the Heathen, and learned their works. How much more necessary is this doctrine now in the time of Antichrist, the Lord sending strong delusions, that if it were possible, the elect might be deceived. 2. Thess. 2.11. This hath made S. Paul and others so to press this point. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Ep. 5.11. Come out from among them and touch no unclean thing. 2. Co. 6.19. Hate the garment that is spotted with the flesh. Jude 23. Take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadduces. Mat. 16.12 For a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1. Co. 5.6. S. Basil therefore compared the wicked to them infected with the plague: and Bar. calls it a sacrilege like that of the jews laying violent hands upon Christ. Hom 9 Se. 1. conv. Pauli. It hurt the sons of Seth, good men before, but marrying with the daughters of Cain, Gen. 4.6.7. they filled the earth with so much sin, that a flood was sent to cleanse it. A good Prophet sent to Bethel, there breaking the altar and restoring to jeroboam his withered hand, yet in his return accompanying with the false Prophet was killed by a Lyon. 1 King. 13. Eus. l. 3 c. 33. The young man commended to a Bishop by St john, leaving the Bishop, became a thief. It is the hardest and most entangling knot that can be knit, Aug l. 3. conf. c. 8 Gr. in pastoral. such are the devils Merchants who in the markets and affairs of the world gain many souls to hell. We may see the fruit in Peter who denied his Master amongst the wicked, Remig. in Mat. 26. whom he ever confessed amongst the Apostles. Therefore Solomon spoke well, the friend of fools willbe made like unto them; Pr. 13. Eccl. 7. and the wise man, Depart from the wicked, and evils will departed from thee. So did S. john, he would not wash in the bath with Cerinthus; and Policarpus he would not salute Martion the heretic. S. Paul gave the reason, Eus. l. 3.52. What fellowship hath light with darkness or Christ with Belial, 2. Co. 6.15. & the Prophet confessed, I hate them that hate thee, with a perfect hate odiendo vitia, diligendo naturam, hating them as they are sinful, loving them as they are men; Gr. 2. baste. c. 46 In Ez. ho 9 for it is folly saith Gregory to please them who we know displease God. Seeing the company of the wicked is so infectious, Use, 1. and yet there are so many, 1. Co. 5.10. that we cannot avoid them unless we go out of the world, let us make a virtue of necessity; let us walk without reproof in the midst of a perverse generation. Of Noah's 3 sons one will be a mocker of his father. Of Abraham's 2 one a scorner of his brother. Of Isaac's 2 one will be carnal. The 11 brethren of jacob will sell the twelfth joseph, but happy is the little flock of Christ which separate themselves as the beloved people of God, and leave the wicked having been hurt by them. The child feareth the fire. The fish once wounded with the hook is always suspicious of the baits, The beast that hath once been caught and hath broken the snare will hardly be entrapped again. Hath nature made all creatures thus careful to prevent bodily dangers & shall not we be more careful in the case of our souls that when once by the mercy of God we have escaped from the filthiness of the world we be not catched again therein lest the latter end be worse than the beginning? O that all our English fugitives would look into this one lesson, that so they might leave Rome which opposeth itself against Christ in doctrine, in discipline, in life, so that now the Prophecies are fulfilled & so many reasons found true to prove that the Pope is Antichrist. Rog. Hoveder. in Rich. 1. So joachimus Abbess told Rich. 1. king of England going to the holy land, that Antichrist was borne in Rome and should be advanced higher in that See. So Robert Grosthead sometimes Bishop of Lincoln cried out on his death bed, Christ came into the world to gain souls, if any fear not to destroy Christ, Mat. Paris. in Hen. 3. he is Antichrist. He spoke it, Anno 1253. of Innoc. 4. who was found dead in bed his body full of blains the day after he heard that voice Veni miser in judicium Dei, come wretch before God's judgement seat. Vrban the 6, and Clemens the 7, Baldus in vit. Pont. l. 3 de pont. c. 15 two Popes at once called one the other Antichrist. That the Pope is Antichrist, Bellarmine describeth Antichrist to be the last king that shall hold the Roman Empire yet without the name of the Roman Emper our. Did not Pope Gregory 7, so, by the confession of Azorius the jesuit, Instit. moral. part. 2. l. 4. c. 20. l. ex quo. to the Emperor Leo then resident in Greece, excommunicating him for breaking down of Images, absolving all his subjects from their oath of allegiance, whereupon the Romans casting of the emperors yoke did solemnly swear obedience in all things to the Pope? Doth he not command the Emperor to hold his stirrup, serve his table with the first dish, L. Cerem. Eccl. Ro. l. 3. p. 1. and carry him upon his shoulders? Did not Pope Alexander the 3. set his foot upon the neck of the emperor Fredrick the I, misapplying that in Psal 91.13. Sigibert. in chr. Anno 1159. Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon. That the Pope is Antichrist, as Christ chose simple men, so shall Antichrist select subtle & crafty men, and experienced in the knowledge of the world, saith Gregory. Doth not the Pope so? Moral. in job. c. 16. Examine his consistory of Cardinals, Cloisters of Monks, orders of his schools, and societies, all these hold it a reproach unto them if they be not accounted most subtle. Tolet. Instr. sacerd. Parsons in treatise of mitigation. The professors of mental equivocation, I confess excel all Matchiavellian Politicians that ever have been hard of. That the Pope is Antichrist, Syb. orac. 8. so Sybil. oracul. 8. He shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he shall have a white head, and be called by a name much like Pontus. So is the Pope having a white mitre of Silver, and his name is Pontifex. That the Pope is Antichrist, I describe him not as a jew of the tribe of Dan, or one bred up in Bethsaida and Chorazin, or as Mahomet, or Nero, or one building up the city jerusalem, or one borne of a Friar & a Nun, or turning trees upside down with the tops in the ground and forcing the roots to grow upward, Blue. in Thes. flying up to heaven and then falling down breaking his neck as some have opened him; but working the mystery of iniquity, defacing the sacraments, selling pardons, in all things contrary to Christ, an Idol shepherd, a pandar of all evils, to whom even all the notes of Antichrist do agree as is sufficiently proved by a most worthy Mr in this our Israel in his learned book Demonstratio Antichristi. D. Abbot. M. of Baliol. Col. That the Pope is Antichrist, exalting himself above all things. Can. si Papa dist. 40. 2. Th. 2.4. Above Bishops, for none of them may say unto him, why dost thou this, though he lead infinite souls to hell; Let experience speak. Above Counsels, I. de benef. p. 4. for one may appeal from the council to the Pope, but not from the Pope to the Council, saith Ioh: Bede of prae: og of. K. Selva a Spaniard. Let experience speak. Above Angels, so Baronius in his paraenetical against the Venetians, abuseth that place to the clergy? Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels. Can. Lector. 34. dist. Above the Apostles for he may dispense against the Apostles Gl. verbo Fiat. Above the law, for the Pope caused the 2. command to be razed out in the synod of Ausburg. Anno 1548. Above the Sacraments, for he may change in them what he thinketh meet. Above the Church, Conc. Trid. Sess. 21. c. 1. L. 1. de R. Pont. c. 9 Can. Nemo iudicab. can. 9 q. 3. Sect. 4. de Cerem. c. 6. & l. 1. tit. 7. though to the shutting out of Christ saith Bellarm. Above Princes, for no secular can judge him. Therefore blesseth He a sword upon the night of Christ's nativity, giving it to some Prince his favourite, but never sending them the law or gospel. I might stand to calculate the number of the beast expressed in three greek characters, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 666. c. 13.18. mentioned by Irenaeus, L. 5. c. 25. L. 2. de temp. nov. c. 4 p. 157. who had the names of Antichrist from them that saw john, saith Acosta, he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The Italians were called Latini, which noteth of what country the beast should come. The Popes have all their religion, service, prayers, laws, decrees, writings, and translations in Latin, they prefer the Latin translations of the Bible before the Hebrew, and Greek; originals. That the Pope is Antichrist, Rev. 13.11. Faber Stapl. in Instit. Antichrist must have two horns like a Lamb, and speak like a Dragon; so is the Pope, in words calling himself servant of servants, but indeed suffering to be worshipped. Antichrist must have upon his head, written a name, Mystery. Rev. 17.5. Brocard in Ap. The Pope hath this word upon his Crown. Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God, Not that therefore the Church where the Pope is chief, is Christ's true Church, and therefore all Protestants should be joined to it, as Bellarmine reasoneth. But it is called so because they whom he hath seduced were sometimes the Temple of God. L 3 de Pont. c. 13. Ansel. 2. Th. As the Temple of jerusalem was so called the holy place, when the abomination of desolation was in it, not as being so properly, but because it had been once dedicated to God's worship, De temp noviss. l. 2. c. 12. saith Acosta. In the temple of God, that is instead of the whole Church, saith S. Austin. Doth not the Pope so professing, L. 20. Civ. c. 19, Grets. 2. coll. Ratisb. Sess. 1. to define any thing without a Council. Antichrist denieth that jesus is come in the flesh, and is Christ. 1. joh. 2.22. So doth the Pope, though not in grant, yet in ininference, overthrowing the truth of Christ's humanity holding his whole human body locally circumscribed in heaven, & at once (the same instant) wholly present in ten thousand places on earth, without circumscription, & that whole Christ is in the forms of bread with all his dimensions, every part having his own place & figure, & yet, so that he is wholly in every part of the bread. Denieth our justification by faith in Christ, ascribing it to our own works. Denieth Christ's satisfaction, as his Proselytes do, while they hold a payment of our utmost farthings in a devised Purgatory. Christ's mediation while they implore others to aid them. Adoring Angels, Saints, Bread, Relics, Crosses, Images What offals have they to allure Proselytes out of this Kingdom, who with Noah's crow fly out of the Ark, without any mind of return, at least without any good mind if they return, Immunities to warrant sin, Indulgences to remit sin, jubilees for liberty, Libels of contumely, Exemptions from loyalty, pretence of conscience, promise of preferment, faculties for treason and murders of the Lords anointed, facilities to climb heaven, not by jacobs' ladder (the grace of Christ) but by merits of Saints, supererogation of works, and pardons of Popes, sinful, miserable, all of them, abominable many of them. Gr. 9 refused the Gospel of Christ, and instead there of substituted a legend, Balaeus l. 5. vit. Pont. compiled by a Monk named Cyril. Pope Paulus Venetus painted himself, Plate vil. Adr. 1. desiring to seem a woman. Pope Hildebrand, Gr. 7. whom all good men saw, Annal. l. 5. pag. 455. to be of the kingdom of Antichrist (saith Aventinus) though Bellarmine called him a Saint, caused Pope victor the 2 to be empoisoned in the wine of the Eucharist, and cast his God into the fire, Benn Card. vit. Hild Abb. vesp. vit. H 3. Guicc. Chron. Ital l. 11. Anno. 1513. C. 11. Ann. 954. because it answered him not of his event in war with Hen. 4. Leo 10. upon the day of his coronation spent one hundred thousand Ducats, and called the Gospel of Christ a fable, as Guicciardine telleth, john the 12 drank to the Devil. Luit prand. rer. Europe. l. 6. c. 6. The whole Council of Constance Sess. 11. concludeth of john 23. Atempore iuventutis suae, From the time of his youth, he was ever of an evil disposition, shameless, unchaste, a liar, disobedient to his Parents, and given to many other vices. Innocentius 8, had 16 bastards by several strumpets, Octo nocens pueros genuit totidemque puellas Hunc merito poterit dicere Roma patrem. Marul de Innoe. 8. Gnic. l. 16. Many Popes are usually praised for goodness, not exceeding others in wickedness, so they witness of one, Bonus Pontifex, nihil memoria dignum reliquit, Bened. 1. Sisinius. Geneb. l. 4. Chr. of Another Nisi podagram habuisset nesciremus. Many have been trised away suddenly, it being suspected they would be over good. They may have the testimony of one of their own who afterward was Pope himself (Aene as Silvius) If time would permit I could bring forth many examples of Roman Bishops that were sound either to be Heretics or else defiled with other vices, De geslis council Basil. l 1 de Ro. Pont. yet all must be styled Popes of godly memory because say their Scribes, Gloss. Extrav. l. 5. ca Du. lum authorized by Gr. 13. we herein respect not what they did but what it became them to have done, by which reason, the honour of bonae memoriae belongeth to jeroboam amongst the Kings, Balaam amongst the Prophets, judas amongst the Apostles. He must know all things, err in nothing, direct, inform, animate, expound scriptures, canonize saints, forgive sins, create new Articles of faith, and in all these be as absolute as his maker. He must encroach upon the offices of Christ. His Kingdom, Priesthood, Prophecy. O ye heavens be astonished at this, and let all Christian hearts tremble to hear such blasphemies. Look upon all the succession from Pope Boniface 3 downward, D. Downam de Antich. and you will confess it is Antichrist. I say nothing of the now Pope Paul 5, Answer to a nameless Cathol Burghesius, but what the Seminary Priests sometimes spoke of him: He is a rash speaker, a heady undertaker, of a violent spirit, impatient of contradiction. He challengeth the succession of Peter, and name of Paul, but followeth neither. I search not over far, their orders of Benedict, which hath been so fruitful, that they say all the new orders which in latter times have broken out are but little springs Volladerius de Canoniza Francis Ro. in epist. and drops, & this the Ocean which hath sent out 52 Popes, 200 Cardinals; 1600 Archbishops, 4000 Bishops, & 50000 Saints approved by the Church. Look on their pardons. Leo 10, for only rehearsing the Lords Prayer, and thrice repeating the name of jesus, gieving 3000 years indulgence. Boniface acknowledging so many Indulgences to be in that one Church of Lateran, that none but God can number them. Indulgences are given not only to the Franciscans themselves, but to their Parents, to any which die in their habits, to any which desire they may do so, to those who are wrapped in it after death, though they did not desire it, and five years indulgence to those who do but kiss it. Rodol Cupers de Eccl. univars. fol 4. Scappus de jure non Scrip. l. 1. c. 25. Their Cardinals are so bound to the Pope, that it is not lawful for them without licence, first obtained from him to be let blood in a fever, yet he calleth them his brothers, Princes of the world and Co-iudges of the whole earth. I leave their Priests and jesuits, spirits of the Devil in many places of this land, breathing out infections, But blessed be the name of the Lord, who hath sent us a North wind, as is prophesied c. 16.13. to drive away these Popish frogs to the place whence they came where they are dealt with as the old Romans did with their dogs in the capitol; Cic. prosex Roscio. unless they did bark, their legs were broken, so these unless they libel against he worthiest of our Saints, or often contradict things against conscience, they have neither countenance nor maintenance. I enter not into their Monasteries 225044, as Durus de Paschalo reckons them, I● ep. Hulderic. Ep. August Anno 866. were the cause that there were 6000 Infants heads found in a fishpond: neither lead you into their bloody inquisitions, or horrid dungeons, but end this circumstance with that advice of S. Steven, O save your selves from this wicked Antichristian generation; and so I hasten to my last part. The punishment of Babylon: plagues. The plagues of Babylon for her persecuting the Church are many, Mortality, Beasts, Famine, c. 6.8. sores, blood shed by sea and land, c. 9.10.11. wounding with the sword, c. 13.14. unseasonable & distempered airs darkening her kingdom, Doct. c. 16. & here plagues, Whence this doctrine appeareth. God in justice will be revenged upon the enemies of his Church. The proofs of this are many. What Tyrant hath escaped without some judgement? Sueton. Domitian is slain with the daggers of his own servants, his wife consenting. Adrian, after he had crucified at once ten thousand Christians, hath an issue of blood, spiteth out his lungs, Spartian. l. 2. c. 12. and is so afflicted with a Dropsy, that he would have laid violent hands upon himself. Eus. hist. l. 7. c. 30. Valerian by the means of the K of Persia is flaied alive, powdered with salt. Dioclesian thrusting the Christians out of their offices, and burning their Bibles, Ruff. had his house fired with lightning, & himself so terrified with thunder, Niceph. chris. that in a madness he killed himself. Maximinus, rotteth with worms; and the apple of his eye falleth out. Aurelian hath his throat cut. Morindus is devoured of a monster that came out of the Irish seas. Cerinthus hath a hot house to fall upon him. Arrius voided his guts. Nappier in Apoc. 14. p. 183. So Rome must fall, but when, whether in the year of our Lord 1639, as some determine it, I dare not conclude, or whether by the ten horns, c. 17.16. that is, M. Dent. as some insinuate by the ten Kingdoms of Europe, England, Scotland, Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Sueveland, Poland, Russia, & Hungary I will not search. We know that of these, the beast hath lost the most, the others in France, Spain and Venice, do groan under the heavy yoke of the Pope, and must shake him of, so that the prophecies must be fulfilled, It is fallen, It is fallen, c. 14.8. A noisome and grievous sore shall fall upon it. c. 16.2. Her plagues shall come in one day, death and mourning, & famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with fire, c. 18.8. It shall be cast down like a great millstone into the bottom of the sea. c. 18.21. The voice of Harpers and musicans, Rev. 18.22, and Pipers, and Trumpeters, shall be heard no more in it. No craftsman shall be found in it, nor the sound of a millstone heard in it. The light of a candle shall shine no more in it. The voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more in it. The Lord doth the greatest exploits either by himself without means as he overthrew the Moabits and others. As he destroyed Pharaoh, 2. Chr. 20, as he overthrew jericho, & the Assyrians. Or by weak means as the innumerable army of the Madianits by Gedeons' 300. as the Philistines by jonathan and his armour bearer. As the Kings of Sodom by Abraham, In 7. and his family, Goliath by David, Sisera by jael. It is in vain then to ask how Rome shall fall. God can do it. Two foundations cannot stand at once. The Lord shall consume that wicked man, with the breath of his mouth, and abolish him with the brightness of his coming. Even so come Lord jesus, come quickly. So he will, though iniquity for a while get the upper hand, by corrupt subtlety, by the proud and false vaunts of antiquity, universality, and succession, By the glorious shows of their processions, the gaudy ornaments of their altars, the pomp of their services, the triumphs of their festivals. By their taking the best opportunity, to work upon those which are either most unable to resist, or most like to bestead them. By their rewards of the Calendar or red-hat. D. Hal in Ep. By the conjoined labours of whole societies, directed to one end, and shrouded under the title of one Author. By large maintenances raised from the deathbeds of some guilty benefactors. By their pretended miracles, wilful untruths, bloody inquisitions, depravation of ancient witnesses, expurgation of their own, condemnation of our writers, glorious titles, crafty changes of names, shapes, habits, conditions, and multitudes of Actors. But we have not so learned Christ, We have received the plain truth, Let us stand fast to it only. O let it never be said that our carelessness, indifferency, and idleness shall aid them, and wrong ourselves. We have a good King (and long may we have him) who in the lists of controversy, may grapple with Antichrist for his triple crown. We have those Bishops, who may justly challenge the whole Consistory of Rome. We have as many learned Doctors, and true hearted Divines, as no nation under heaven more. Christendom hath not the like two flourishing Universities. We want nothing, & shall we be wanting to ourselves. The cause is Gods, & in spite of the gates of hell, shall succeed, though we were not, our neglect may slacken the pace of truth, It cannot stay the passage. Our Honourable mother, Anno 880. Capgravius in Catalogue. Sanct. Angl. 884. Philippus chron. l. 4.960. Balaeus Cent. 2.1330. Wolphius lect. Memorab. tom. 1. Herod. hath had a religious founder King Alfred that stood for the use of the Scripture to the Laity against the Pope. joh. Patritius his Reader, that spoke against transubstantiation, Many honest simple people that defended Rome to be Babylon. Occam that wrote a book against Pope Clement calling him Antichrist. Let not us go backward. It is recorded of Croesus, that being in danger to be slain in the war, his son who had till that time been dumb, seeing his father in that estate, cried out O man kill not Croesus. Religion in many Places weary and is ready to bleed, If ever any amongst us were hitherto silent, let their zeal now revive it. Pyrrhus said he won more cities by the industry of his Orator Cineas, than he took by force of arms; Plut. in Pyrrh. Let our faithful preaching the word without mincing or singularity, or Popish and false allegations against those blessed men of God, Calvin, Beza, & the rest, win more souls, than the circumventing stratagems of the jesuits. Let me speak to you Nobly and Honourably descended flowers of this garden of the muses, To the hopeful sons of the Honorab. The L. Montegle, The L. Peter, The L. Spenser. Sr Robert Carey the Paradise of God, sons of so worthy Fathers. Season your studies with the reading of the word, Let not the book of the Law depart out of your hands, meditate in it day and night. Let the Poet encourage you. Prima tuo gerito pro Iove bello puer. Mart. To you, Reverend and learned worthies of our Israel, Let your resolution be that of Luther, Non potest is salutem consequi qui non ex toto cord Antichristum & Papatum oderit. Let your farewell to your friends, be as was that of the late memorable & learned D. Holland, Commendo vos dilectioni Dei & odio Papatus, Exhort them all to love God, & hate Popery. To all let my advice be, that of Ier, 50, 14. Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about (against Rome) All ye that bend the bow shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she hath sinned against the Lord. Do to her as she hath done to others, so for our zeal, God shall bless us, and crown us in his glorious Kingdom, whether he bring us, who died for us, even Christ jesus, to whom with the Father, and the Spirit, be ascribed all glory, and honour this day, and forever. Amen. FINIS.