ROME NOT CALLED A CHURCH.  JEREMIAH 7. 4. 
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these.  
Printed in the year, 1641.   

To Mrs ELIZABETH FOOT.  

Early begin to think upon thine end,  
Longest do they live, who are disposed to die.  
In youth when many wholly do offend,  
Zeal is most pleasing to the God most high;  
And they who have been long enured thereto,  
Be able much to suffer, more to do:  
Even shame for Christ, which drives the most away,  
They can receive with meekness and with joy:  
Here's the true Christians shield, and Sun, and stay.  
Fix fast thy Foot unto the word divine;  
other, there only doth God's wisdom shine,  
One beam whereof is first discovered here,  
That which (I think) did never yet appear.  
Yours H. VINCENT.    

ROME NOT CALLED A CHURCH. ROMANS 1. 7.  

YOu who read Paul to the Romans now with us,  
Know, Paul's Epistle is inscribed thus.  
To th' Saints that are at Rome: Why how now Paul?  
What was that famous Rome no Church at all?  
To th' Saints, why not To th' Church? why didst not thou  
Writ To the Church at Rome? didst not allow  
That Rome was then a Church? why other places  
Thy Spirit-guided pen thus sweetly graces;  
To th' Church; To th' Church: yea further, even there  
Where grosser errors and corruptions were;  
As, Corinth, and Galatia, yet dost thou  
Write Church and Churches: what's the matter now  
Why Rome's not so saluted? sure it is,  
The blessed Spirit had some aim in this.  
Rome was a Church most pure and excellent,  
Rome was a Church most highly eminent;  
Yet neither in that Salutation there,  
Nor (I believe it) any other where  
Is Rome once called a Church, or in God's book,  
(He that expects to find it, let him look,)  
Doth that allseeing, knowing spirit of thine,  
Those two so thwarcing syllables conjoin  
Of Rome and Church, or Church and Rome: no, no;  
The Church of Rome the Scriptures do not know.  
And sure if I be asked, whether I  
Hold Rome a Church of Christ; thus I'll reply:  
Where is it said, that Rome or new or old,  
Or old or new? where have the Scriptures told  
That Rome, or is, or ever was a Church?  
Where is't precisely called Church? I search  
Th' Apostles writings, yet I cannot find,  
That ever Christ hath so revealed his mind.  
Unless it be the Church which blessed Peter  
Calls Church of Babylon; and no man meeter  
(Save john himself) to cry aloud to all,  
Come out of Babylon before it fall.  
Come out of Rome, for now by strong delusion,  
There nought remains but horrible confusion.  
In Rome's no room for me, and such as I,  
All you who love your souls and bodies fly.  
But O all you, who do the Scriptures search,  
Show me where else Rome's ever called a Church.  
And O ye Popish Priests, take this not ill,  
That I stand stiffly to the Letter still.  
You, you yourselves, even you have taught me this,  
For when we say, we may be sure of bliss;  
You ask, and think thereby to Nonplus us,  
Where our admired Scripture speaketh thus;  
Thou john, thou Thomas shalt attain Salvation:  
Thou james, thou Philip shalt escape damnation.  
And though we say and show it, that the Word  
Doth what's equivolent thereto afford;  
Yet will not this suffice, for still you crave,  
Where any of us such a Scrtpture have.  
And why may we not then with you so deal,  
And say this unfound text to us reveal,  
Where Rome is called a Church: and chief too,  
Because we are commanded so to do  
To you, who seek to shake our comfort thus,  
Accordingly as you have done to us.  
Say then, and show us where the Lord affirms  
Pure Rome a Church in strict and even terms.  
No, no, I know there's no such place at all,  
In Peter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, john, james, Paul;  
Or in that little book of faithful jude,  
No Letters left our spirits to delude.   

But Lord what was thy very mind therein?  
Surely thou sawest, that the man of sin,  
Would there not only (in the time to come)  
Rule, reign. and rage, roar rather, even at Rome;  
But also (to be thought to hold the truth)  
Would have the Church, the Church, still in his mouth  
You must believe the Mother-Church of Rome,  
The Cath'like Church, or else receive your doom  
Among the Devils and the damned souls:  
The Church, the Church of Rome keeps Christ his rolls.  
Thou Lord foreseeing that those croaking frogs  
Would count all other, (even thy children) dogs,  
Who cannot grant belief unto their lie;  
Which under name of Church they magnify.  
Wouldst not so much as give a Church's name,  
To such as turn their glory into shame.  
Thou didst foresee, sweet Lord, that all their noise,  
Would be the Church, the Church, the Church thus says;  
And therefore wouldst not give a Church's name,  
Though what was fully equal to the same.  
Thou saw'st, sweet Lord, that they who should sueceed;  
Would not thy dearbought flock with Scriptures feed:  
But with their own Traditions and decrees,  
Not with pure milk, but poison, dregs and lees.  
And yet all this for wholsom'st food must go,  
Because the Church, the Church will have it so.  
And therefore wouldst not say to th' Church of Rome,  
Though then thy Gospel there did kindly bloom.  
Yea, though thou gav'st that very name to such,  
Whose blots were more, whose fame not half so much.   
FINIS.