A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 5 · Sermon 60
BLOUDY EDOME. THE LX. SERMON.
PSAL. 137.7, 8.
7. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edome, in the day of Jeruſalem; who ſaid, Raze it, raze it even to the foundation thereof.
8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be deſtroyed: happy ſhall hee be that rewardeth thee, as thou haſt ſerved us.
Right Honourable, &c.
WHat a ſtorme is in the skie, that a vehement paſſion is in the mind; it darkeneth, it ſtirreth and troubleth it, and after fearfull crackes it reſolveth in the end into a ſad ſhower: ſuch a violent perturbation ſeized at this time on the minds of the exiled Jewes in Babylon, when the inſolent Conquerours, adding affliction to their affliction, and gall to their wormwood, in a flouting and jeering manner called for their Hebrew ſongs and melody in that their heavie and dolefull eſtate. What ſo unſeaſonable as to require a man to ſing pleaſant ſongs, when his very heart-ſtrings are broken with griefe? What ſo lamentable and pitifull, as not to be pitied in greateſt miſery? nay to bee inſulted upon and laughed at? Wherefore what with a longing deſire of their country, and ſorrow for their loſſe of it: what with zeale for the Lords honour, and the glory of Sion: what with indignation againſt ſuch ſavage and barbarous uſage, the people of God over-caſt as it were with a blacke and diſmall cloud, partly breake out into direfull execrations, like thunder and lightening, ver. 7, 8, 9. partly vent their griefe in ſighes, ver. 4, 5, 6. partly reſolve it into a ſhower of teares, ver. 1. Edome is blaſted as it were with lightening for her wicked words, ver. 7. and Babylon is ſtruck with a thunder-bolt for her cruell deeds againſt Gods People, City, and Temple, verſ. 8, 9. Edome ſhall be remembred for the miſchievous counſell he gave; and the daughter of Babylon ſhall be for ever razed out of memory, for razing Jeruſalem to the ground. And let all the ſecret and open enemies of Gods Church take heed how they imploy their tongues and hands againſt Gods ſecret ones: they that preſume to doe either, may here reade their fatall doome written in the duſt of Edome, and aſhes of Babylon.aPlin. …at. hiſt. l. 21. c 4 Roſa ſiccis quàm humidis odoratior, omni reciſione atque uſtione proficit, tranſlatione quoque ocyſſimè. Roſes loſe not their naturall ſmell by tranſplantation, but (as Pliny obſerveth) grow more fragrant thereby. It is ſo with men, the naturall affection they beare to their country is rather increaſed than decreaſed by peregrination; as the ſighes which the captive Jewes breathe out in this Pſalme, and the plentifull teares which they ſhed by the waters of Babylon, may be abundant proofes unto us. As they walked in the pleaſant fields about Babylon, they thinke of the lamentable eſtate of their owne Country, and the ruine of their City and Temple, which caſt downe their countenance, and drew abundance of teares from their eyes, ſighes from their heart, and prayers from their mouth for Babels Babel, that is, the confuſion of the Babylonians, who neither ſpared City nor Temple, but ſacked and razed both downe to the ground.
This is the ground upon which the Pſalmiſt ſweetly runneth through the whole Pſalme: wherein foure things are particularly deſcanted on;
1. The grievous affliction of Gods people, who were baniſhed their native ſoyle, and by the waters of Babylon ſate downe and wept.
2. The inhumane cruelty of the Babylonians, who not content to baniſh them out of their native country, endeavoured alſo to baniſh all naturall affection out of their mindes, requiring from them light and merry ſongs in this their great heavineſſe.
3. The zealous affection of the people towards their Country.
4. Their effectuall prayer to God againſt their enemies the Edomites, as the inſtigators of the ſiege and ſacke of Jeruſalem; and the Babylonians as the chiefe actors in that bloudy Tragedy.
Remember the children of Edome, &c. We have in theſe words,
1. A patheticall imprecation.
2. A propheticall denunciation.
Edome is accurſed, Babylon is ſentenced; the one for adviſing, the other for committing outrage upon Gods people. Nothing will ſatisfie their malice and cruelty but a glut of bloud, and maſſacre of Gods Saints, and razing the holy City againe and againe if it were poſſible to a ſecond foundation.
In the patheticall imprecation note we particularly,
1. The curſe it ſelfe, Remember.
2. The parties accurſed, The children of Edome.
3. The cauſe why they are accurſed, their words ſteeped in the gall of malice, Downe with it, downe with it to the ground.
Likewiſe in the propheſie againſt Babylon obſerve,
1. Her title, Daughter of Babylon.
2. Her judgement, Which art to be deſtroyed.
3. Her ſin, implyed in thoſe words, As ſhee hath ſerved us.
Remember. Remembrance is the calling to mind of ſuch things as before we had forgot, or at leaſt put by and laid aſide for the preſent. God therefore, who at once apprehendeth all things paſt, preſent and future, cannot be properly ſaid to remember any thing; yet by a figure he is ſaid to remember his covenant, when he performeth the conditions on his part: to remember his children, when he rewardeth them for their obedience: and to remember his enemies alſo when hee repayeth unto them the workes of their hands. The good theefe taketh the Word in the good ſenſe:bLuk. 23.42. Lord, remember mee when thou commeſt into thy Kingdome. And David, cPſa. 106.4, 5.Remember mee, O Lord, with the favour thou beareſt thy people: O viſit mee with thy ſalvation, that I may ſee the good of thy choſen, that I may rejoyce in the gladneſſe of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. But the Jewes here take the words in the worſt ſenſe; Remember the children of Edome, that is, thinke upon them according to their deſerts. There is a precious balme that breaketh the head, and the ſoft drops pierce ſtones; even ſo the milde and meeke prayer of Gods people here againſt their unnaturall brethren the Edomites pierced the heavens, and prevailed with him that is omnipotent. God remembred his peoples juſt complaints, and the Edomites paid for it. Thus if we would remember the words of God,dRom. 12.19. Heb. 10.30. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, ſaith the Lord; and when wee are wronged in the higheſt degree, commit our cauſe to him, and not to vow, threaten, or practiſe our owne revenge: God would certainly right us in due time. Are wee not brethren? If then we have hard meaſure offered unto us, why doe we not complaine to our heavenly Father? Why doe wee not powre out our groanes into his boſome either in the words of Brutus, ePlut. in vit. Brut.foreign? Or rather in the words of David, fPſal. 35.1.Plead thou my cauſe, O Lord, with them that ſtrive with mee, fight againſt them that fight againſt mee? Or of the ſlaine under the Altar,gRev. 6.10. How long, O Lord holy and true, doeſt thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell upon the earth?
Yea, but ye may object, Is not this Remember here an imprecation or a curſe in words as ſmooth as oyle, and yet in the ſenſe as ſharp as ſwords? What then? may the children of bleſſing curſe? Is not curſing accurſed by the Prophet? His hPſal. 10.7.mouth is full of curſing. As he loved iPſal. 109.17.curſing, ſo let it come unto him: as he delighteth not in bleſsing, ſo let it be farre from him. Are not curſes fitly compared to arrowes ſhot bolt upright, which fall downe upon the head of him that drawes the bow? Doth not our bleſſed Saviour command us to kMat. 5.44.bleſſe them that curſe us? And doth not the Apoſtle repeat it againe and againe for feare we ſhould forget it,lRom. 12.14. Bleſſe them that perſecute you, bleſſe (I ſay) and curſe not? Are not curſed ſpeakers ſharply cenſured by the Apoſtle, and ranked among the greateſt ſinners?mRom. 3.13, 14. Their throat is an open ſepulchre, with their tongues they have uſed deceit: their mouth is full of curſing and bitterneſſe, their feet are ſwift to ſhed bloud.
The reſolution of this doubt conſiſteth in a diſtinction of the
1. Parties,
1. Curſing.
2. Curſed.
2. Cauſe.
Saint Auſtine alloweth of no curſing by malediction, but propheticall prediction. Peter Martyr putteth a great difference between curſing, which proceeds from a ſenſe of our private wrong, and that which breakes out of zeale for Gods honour when his name is blaſphemed, or his kingdome oppoſed, and truth ſcandalized. Men (ſaith he) may not curſe carnali affectu, out of a carnall affection: but it is another thing, cùm aguntur Spiritu Dei; when they are moved thereunto by the Spirit of God. He diſtinguiſheth alſo of temporall and eternall evills, and he is of opinion, that in ſome caſe temporall evills may be wiſhed to our enemies, becauſe they may turne to their good; but in no wiſe eternall. Pareus having diſtinguiſhed of humane imprecations and divine, and ſubdivided theſe either into immediate or mediate, determineth, that obſerving ſome conditions, wee may without ſinne curſe ſome kind of men.
What we may ſafely build upon in this queſtion, I will lay down in three aſſertions.
1. Men that have the gift of Prophecy may curſe the enemies of God and his truth, not only in generall, but alſo in particular: as David dothnPſal. 69.25. Acts 1.20. Judas, Peter oAct 8.2, 20.Simon Magus, and Paul the highpAct. 23.3. Prieſt. For this kind of curſing is not properly malediction, but prediction; neither is it ſpoken voto optantium, ſed ſpiritu prophetantium, as Saint Auſtine teacheth us to diſtinguiſh.
2. Men endued with eccleſiaſticall power may pronounce Anathema's, deliver to Sathan, and curſe obſtinate heretickes and contemners of eccleſiaſticall diſcipline. For this is jus dicere, not maledicere; an act of power, not impotent affection; of cenſure, not revenge. Howbeit, the Church muſt be ſparing of theſe thunder-bolts of execration and excommunication, remembring alwayes that this power isq2 Cor. 10.8. given to them for edification, not for deſtruction. For it is moſt true, that the Athenian Prieſt anſwered to thoſe that would have had her curſe Alcibiades: Prieſts (ſaith ſhee) are appointed to bleſſe, not to curſe; to pray for people, not againſt them. Notwithſtanding if the Church meet with a Simon Magus, ſet in the gall of bitterneſſe and bond of iniquity: or an Elymas, that will not ceaſe to pervert the right waies of God: or an Alexander that mightily withſtandeth the preaching of the Goſpel; ſhee may brandiſh the ſword of the Spirit, and cut ſuch off from her viſible aſſemblies for a time, till they make their peace with God by repentance, and with the Church by confeſſion and humble ſubmiſſion to her ſacred Canons.
3. Men neither inſpired by God, nor authorized by the Church, yet may and ought to pray againſt the kingdome of Sathan and members of Antichriſt in generall, and all whoſoever ſtop the free paſſage of the Goſpel, or hinder the advancement of Chriſts Kingdome. For we cannot love God, but we muſt needs love them that love him, and hate them that hate him, even with a perfect hatred. As wee muſt bleſſe them that bleſſe him, ſo wee may and ought in generall to curſe all that curſe him. In warre wee may aime at the Standard, and ſhoot at the Flagge and Enſignes; but it is againſt the law of armes to levell at any particular man: in like manner we may ſhoot out of zeale fiery darts of execration at the Standard of Sathan, and levell at the Flagge and Colours of Antichrist; but wee may not curſe or doome to the pit of hell ſuch a nation, city, aſſembly, or man in particular.
1. Becauſe God only knoweth who are his: he that is now a great perſecuter, or a ſcoffer at the truth, may be in time a zealous profeſſor; and it is a fearfull thing to curſe the children of bleſſing.
2. Becauſe it is very difficult, if not impoſſible for any in this kinde to curſe, but that malice and deſire of revenge will mingle themſelves with our zeale, and thereby wee ſhall offer with Nadab and Abihu ſtrange fire.
3. Becauſe we are commanded to pray for our enemies, who the more they have wronged us, the more they ſtand in need of our prayers. For the greater injury they offer us, the more they hurt themſelves: they wound us in body, but themſelves in ſoule: they ſpoyle us of our goods, but they deprive themſelves of Gods grace: they goe about to ſtaine our good name, but by detraction and falſe calumniation they worſe ſtaine their owne conſcience: they may worke us out of favour with Princes and great men, but they put themſelves out of favour with God thereby.
Yee heare how execrable a thing curſing and execration is, and yet what ſo common? I tremble to rehearſe what wee heare upon every ſleight occaſion. O remember from this Memento in my Text, that unleſſe yee were inſpired as the people here were, and knew that thoſe whom yee curſe were hated of God, as theſe Edomites were, by curſing others yee incurre a curſe, and by caſting fire-brands of Hell at your brethren, yee heape hot burning coales upon your heads. And ſo I paſſe from the curſe to the parties curſed:
The children of Edome. The Edomites or Idumeans were of the race of Eſau, Jacobs elder brother, who comming home hungry from hunting, and finding his brother ſeething pottage, grew ſo greedy of it, that he bargained with him for a meſſe at the deare rate of his birth-right. This red broth bought at ſuch a price, was ever after caſt in Eſau his diſh, and from it hee was called rGen. 25.30, 31, 32, 33.Edome, and all his poſterity Edomites or Idumeans, as if yee would ſay, red or bloudy ones. Such was their name, and ſuch were they: a bloudy generation, of the right bloud of Eſau. For as he ſought the life of his brother Jacob, ſo they ever plotted the ruine and deſtruction of the Jewes their brethren; and in the day of Jeruſalems fearfull viſitation, when the Babylonians had taken the City, and put all in it to the ſword, and robbed the Temple, and ranſacked all the houſes, and left nothing but the wall, their unnaturall brethren the Idumeans in ſtead of quenching, or at leaſt allaying the fury of the Babylonians by their praiers and compaſſionate teares, caſt oyle into the flame, and ſet them in a greater rage againſt them, and inſtigated them to a further degree of cruelty, even to pull down all the houſes, and ſacke the walls, ſaying, Raze it, raze it to the ground. For which their inhumane and ſavage cruelty againſt the Church of God, God remembred them in due time, and rewarded them as they had ſerved their brethren, to fulfill the prophecies ofſJer. 49.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Jeremy and Obadiah: tObad. ver. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.For thy cruelty againſt thy brother Jacob ſhame ſhall cover thee. In the day that thou ſtoodeſt on the other ſide; in the day that the ſtranger carried away captive his forces, and forreiners entred into his gates, & caſt lots upon Jeruſalem, even thou waſt as one of them. But thou ſhouldeſt not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a ſtranger, neither ſhouldeſt thou have rejoyced over the children of Judah in the day of their deſtruction: neither ſhouldeſt thou have ſpoken proudly in the day of their diſtreſſe. Neither ſhouldeſt thou have ſtood in the croſſe wayes, to cut off thoſe of his that did eſcape, neither ſhouldeſt thou have delivered up thoſe of his that did remaine in the day of diſtreſſe. For the day of the Lord is neere upon all the heathen: as thou haſt done, ſo it ſhall be done unto thee, thy reward ſhall returne upon thine owne head. Behold a notable example of divine juſtice in meting to the wicked their owne meaſure, and puniſhing them with that where with they offended. The Edomites proved falſe to the Jewes their brethren, and their neereſt friends prove falſe to them: They received a wound (ver. 7.) from the men of their confederacy, even from them that ate their bread: Non expectato vulnus ab hoſte ferunt.
Remember, O Lord, the Edomites, but deſtroy the Babylonians. Though the Edomites dealt moſt cruelly with their brethren the Jewes, yet the Jewes are not ſo farre tranſported with paſſion againſt them, as not to put a difference between them and the Babylonians. By the way wee may note the condition of Chriſts deareſt Spouſe in the world: both Edomites and Babylonians, forraine and domeſticall enemies, thoſe that are neere, and thoſe that are farre off conſpire againſt poore Jeruſalem, and bring her (as you ſee) upon her knees, crying to heaven for revenge, and by the ſpirit of propheſie promiſing Cyrus good ſucceſſe in his enterpriſe againſt Babylon.
O daughter of Babylon, that is, City of Babylon, by an elegant Hebraiſme; as tell the daughter of Sion, that is, tell Sion. We reade of a twofold Babylon in ſacred Scriptures, of the one in the Old Teſtament, the other in the New: the one proper and materiall, the other figurative & myſticall: the one the ſeat of Nebuchadnezzar, & the Emperors of Aſſyria, the other the ſeat of Antichriſt: the on ſituate by the great river, by whoſe banks the Iſraelites ſate downe and wept, the other ſitting upon many waters, that is, as the Angel expoundeth it, many uApoc. 17.15.peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues: the one keeping the bodies of Gods people, the other their ſoules in captivity and bondage. This latter not only the ancient Fathers, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Saint Jerome, and Saint Auſtine, but alſo the Jeſuites themſelves, Ribera, Vegas, and Bellarmine put upon the racke, and ſorely tortured with the arguments of Proteſtants, confeſſe to bee Rome. For the Whore of *Apoc. 17.18.Babylon is ſaid to be the great City, which reigneth over the Kings of the earth: and ver. 17. Shee is ſaid to ſit upon a beaſt, having ſeven heads, which are ſeven hills, ver. 9. Now there was no City in the world which ruled over the Kings of the earth at that time when St. John wrote but Rome: neither was there any place ſo famouſly and generally knowne by any marke as Rome by the ſeven hills upon which it is built; which is therefore called ſepti-collis urbs, and her inhabitants in Tertullians time ſeptem collium plebs, and the chiefeſt feaſt which they kept in December upon thoſe ſeven hills, ſepti-montium. What of all this will ſome Papiſts ſay? let the daughter of Babylon be the mother of fornications, let the ſpeech of SaintxAug. l. 18. de civit. Dei, c. 20. Rom… altera Babylon, & prioris filia. Ibid. Vives in comment. Hieronym. epiſt. ad Marcellam. Non aliam exiſtimat deſcribi à Johanne in Apocalypſi Babylonem, quàm urbem Romam. Auſtine be as true as it is elegant, Babylon quaſi prima Roma, Roma quaſi ſecunda Babylon, what will enſue hereupon? nothing but this, That the Pope is Antichriſt. This conſequent cannot be avoided by their uſuall diſtinction of ancient and new Rome, Heatheniſh and Chriſtian, Imperiall and Papall: for Saint John ſpeaketh of Rome in her later time, when Antichriſt ſhould ſit in her, when Babylon ſhould fall, and be broken into ten peeces, or kingdomes: which was not fulfilled in the reigne of the Heathen Emperours; and therefore muſt be accompliſhed in the reigne of Popes, who are the ſeventh head of the Beaſt, that is, the ſeventh forme of government of that City. Five were fallen in Saint Johns time (viz.) Kings, Conſuls, Tribunes, Dictators, Decemvirs: the ſixth was upon it (viz.) the head of Emperours; the ſeventh was to riſe up (viz.) the head of Popes.
But becauſe ye may ſuſpect, that out of prejudicate opinion againſt the Pope, we wreſt theſe Sciptures againſt the See of Rome, I will bring in all my evidence at this time againſt the Pope out of the writings of the ancient Fathers, who cannot be thought to deprave Scriptures out of an ill affection to Rome. For they then honoured and highly eſteemed the Church of Rome, as a principall member of Chriſts Spouſe: yet even then they conceived that ſhe would in time become the Whore of Babylon. For Irenaeus calculating the number of the Beaſt 666. maketh of it this word, foreign, The name of Latinus (ſaith he) containeth the number 666. and is very likely to be the name of the yIren. l. 5. adv. haer c. 30.Beaſt: for they are the Latines that now reigne. And Tertullian gheſſing at the time of Antichriſts riſing, ſaith,zTertul. de reſurrect. Romani Imperii abſceſsio in decem reges diviſi, Antichriſtum ſuperinducit; The decay of the Romane Empire being divided into ten kingdomes, ſhall bring in Antichriſt. Saint*Ep. ad Algaſ. Jerome ſtrikes neerer the Popes triple crowne: The purple Whore is Rome, and her name of blaſphemy is, Roma aeterna. SaintaEp. ad Theſ. Vacantem Imperii principatum invadet. Chryſoſtome expreſly affirmeth, that Antichriſt his throne ſhall be the vacant ſeat of the Romane Empire. SaintbGreg. ep. l. 4. Sacerdotum ei paratur exercitus. Gregory ſeemeth to have received ſome particular advertiſement of the approach of the man of ſinne in his dayes: Antichriſt (ſaith he) is ſetting forth, and an army of Prieſts is levied for him. Lay all theſe particulars together, and the totall ſumme will be, that the Pope is Antichriſt. The name of Antichriſt is Latinus, his ſeat is Rome, his riſing is upon the fall of the Empire, his guard is an army of Prieſts. Saint Gregory implies that Antichriſt ſhall be a Biſhop.cP. Mouline contr. Coeffet. part. 3. Accomprirement des prophecies. Irenaeus that he ſhall be a Latine, or of the Latine Church. Saint Jerome that Rome ſhall be his See. Tertullian and Chryſoſtome, that hee ſhall waxe in the waine of the Romane Empire. The Romane Empire is fallen long ſince, being divided into ten kingdomes to wit, of the Almanes, England, France, Spaine, Denmarke, Scotland, Poland, Navarre, Hungary, Naples, and Sicilie. Theſe ancients were farre from the times of Antichriſt, and yet you ſee how right they aime at him:dCatalog. teſt. verit. the leſſer marvell that many in ſucceeding ages, as Echardus, Otho Friſingenſis, Robert Groſthead, Dulcinus Navarenus, Marſilius Patavinus, Dantes, Michael Ceſenus, Johannes de Rupe-ſciſſa, Franciſcus Petrarcha, Henricus de Haſsia, Walter Brute, John Huz, Johannes de Veſalia, & divers others hit him full, and faſtened upon him the name of Antichriſt. For they as being neere him, ſaw in him cleerly all thoſe markes, whereby Saint Paul and Saint John deſcribe that man of ſinne, and ſon of perdition. from which we thus argue:
He in whom all or the principall marks of Antichriſt are found, he is the Antichriſt.
But in the Pope all or the principall marks of Antichriſt are to be found:
Ergo the Pope is the Antichriſt.
By Pope we underſtand not this or that Pope in individuo, but rather in ſpecie, or to ſpeak more properly, the whole ſucceſſion of Popes, from Boniface the third, or at leaſt Gregory the ſeventh, otherwiſe called Heldebrand. As the word Divell in the New Teſtament for the moſt part ſignifieth not any particular ſpirit, but indefinitely an evill ſpirit, or the kingdome of Sathan: and as the foure beaſts in Daniel ſtand not for foure Monarchs, but foure Monarchies; ſo the Beaſt in the Apocalypſe, in whoſe ougly ſhape Antichriſt appeares, ſeemeth not to repreſent any ſingular Pope, but the See of Rome after it degenerated into the Papacy. Now in the Biſhops of Rome after Boniface and Heldebrand, we find the name, the ſeat, the apparrell, the pride, the cruelty, the idolatry, the covetouſneſſe, the impoſture, the power, and the fortune of Antichriſt.
1. The name of Antichriſt containeth in it the number 666. which Irenaeus findeth in the word Latinus, foreign.
2. The ſeat of Antichriſt is a City built upon ſeven hills that ruleth over the whole world: this City Propertius will tell you to be Rome, Septem urbs clara jugis, toti quae praeſidet orbi.
3. The ornaments of Antichriſt are ſcarlet, and purple, gold, jewells, and precious ſtones, which the Pope weares, eſpecially on high dayes.
4. The time of Antichriſt his riſing is fore-told to be after the diviſion of the Romane Empire: after which it appeares by all ſtories, that the Pope grew to his greatneſſe.
5. The vices of Antichriſt are theſe eſpecially:
1. Pride: he ſhall exalt himſelfe above all that is called God, that is, Princes; and doth not the Pope ſo, who admitteth them to kiſſe his feet, arrogateth to himſelfe a power over them to depoſe them, and diſpoſe of their kingdomes?
2. Idolatry or ſpirituall fornication: the great Whore is ſaid to commit fornication with the Princes of the earth; and doth not the Pope intice all Kings and Princes to idolatry, which is ſpirituall fornication?
3. Cruelty: the Whore is ſaid to bee drunke with the bloud of Saints. I need not apply this note, both their owne and our ſtories relate of many thouſands by the Popes meanes put to death for the profeſſion of the Goſpel, under the names of Lioniſts, Waldenſes, Albigenſes, Wickliffiſts, Huſſites, Lutherans, Calviniſts, and Hugonots.
4. Impoſture: Antichriſt ſhall come after the power of Sathan, in all power of ſignes and lying wonders; and who pretend miracles, and abuſe the world with Legends of lyes, but the Popes adherents?
5. Covetouſneſſe: through covetouſneſſe hee ſhall with feigned words make merchandize of you. Now the wares wherewith the Whore of Babylon deceiveth the world, what are they but her pardons, indulgences, hallowed beads, medalls, Agnus Dei's, and the like?
6. The Beaſt is ſaid to have eApoc. 18.11.hornes like a Lambe, and to ſpeake like a Dragon, and to exerciſe all the power of the firſt beaſt. This agreeth to the Papacy and Pope, who reſembleth Chriſt, whoſe Vicar he calleth himſelfe, and arrogateth to himſelfe Chriſts double power, both Kingly and Prieſtly. He exerciſeth alſo the power of the firſt beaſt, to wit, the Romane Empire deſcribed by ſeven heads and ten hornes, becauſe as the firſt beaſt, the Romane Empire by power and temporall authority, ſo the Pope by policy and ſpirituall juriſdiction ruleth over a great part of the world.
7. It is written of the Whore of Babylon, that the Kings of the earth ſhould give their power to her for a time, but that in the end they ſhould fApoc. 17.13, 16.hate her, and make her deſolate; which we ſee daily more and more fulfilled in the Papacy.
I will be as briefe in the application, as I have been long in the explication of this Scripture. Babylon is figuratively Rome, and Rome is myſtically Babylon. The Edomites the inſtigators of the Babylonians, and partners with them in the ſpoyle of the Iſraelites, may well repreſent unto us Romiſh Prieſts and Jeſuited Papiſts, rightly to be termed Edomites from Edome, ſignifying red or bloudy. For a bloudy generation they are, as appeareth by their treaſonable practices againſt Queen ELIZABETH of happy memory, and our gracious Soveraigne now reigning. Theſe verily ſeeme the naturall ſonnes of Eſau, who hated Jacob becauſe God loved him, and ſought to deſtroy him and his poſterity becauſe their father bleſſed them; even ſo they hate our Jacob, and ſeeke to root out his poſterity, becauſe God hath bleſſed him with ſo many crownes, and crowned him with ſo many bleſſings. They had thought in their mindes, as we reade, Geneſ. 27. The daies of gGen. 27.41.mourning will come ſhortly, and then wee will kill Jacob. But bleſſed be the God of Jacob, who delivered his annointed from the power of the ſword.
The more I looke upon the Edomites or Eſauites, the more likeneſſe I find between them and our unnaturall countri-men, Jeſuited Papiſts. The Edomites pretended that they were of the elder houſe of Iſaac, and theſe pretend that they are of the elder Church, which is the houſe of God. The Edomites, though they were brethren to the Jewes, yet they behaved themſelves towards them like mortall enemies; even ſo our Engliſh Papiſts, though they are our kinſmen and countri-men, yet ſince Pope Pius his excommunication of Queen ELIZABETH, they have proved the moſt dangerous enemies both of our Church and State: even in this reſembling the Edomites, that as they not only vexed and perſecuted the people of God themſelves, but alſo inſtigated the Babylonians againſt them; ſo theſe not content to plot treaſons, ſow ſedition, ſtirre up rebellion in our kingdome, have dealt with forraine Kings & States to invade our Kingdome, and root out both Church and Common-wealth. What pity is it that our Rebecca ſhould have her bowells rent within her by two ſuch children ſtriving in her wombe? It followeth, In the day of Jeruſalem. Jeruſalem had a day, after which ſhe ſlept in duſt; & the daughter of Babylon appointed a day for England, a fatall and diſmall day, a blacke and gloomy day, or rather a Gomorrhean night, in which a helliſh deſigne againſt our Church and Common-wealth was attempted, and if God himſelfe had not miraculouſly defeated it, it had been acted: a deſigne to deſtroy both at once with fire and brimſtone, not falling downe from heaven, but rather riſing up from hell; I meane a deep vault digged by the myners of Antichriſt, and fraught with juyſſes, billets, barres of iron, and 36. barrells of gun-powder, like ſo many great peeces of Ordnance full charged, and ready to bee ſhot off all at once, to blow up the houſe of Parliament, with the royall ſtocke, and the three eſtates of the Kingdome. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edome in that day, or rather for that day, in which (ſhall I ſay) they ſaid, Raze it, raze it to the very foundation? they more than ſaid it, or cried it, they would have thundered it out; they aſſayed it, they did what they could to raze it. For they planted their murdering artillery at the very foundation of it. Curſed be their wrath, for it was fierce; and their rage, for it was furious, nay barbarous, nay prodigious, to cut off root and branch at once, to beat downe City and Temple with one blow, to ſnatch away on the ſudden the King and Prince, Queen and Nobles, Biſhops and Judges, Barons and Burgeſſes, Papiſts and Protestants, Friends and Enemies, and carry them up in a fiery cloud, and ſcatter their diſmembred members, or rather aſhes over the whole City. O daughter of Babylon, worthy to bee deſtroyed becauſe thou delighteſt in deſtruction; happy ſhall he be that taketh thy young children and monſtrous brats, viz. treaſons, plots, conſpiracies, and unnaturall deſignes againſt Prince and State, and daſheth them againſt the ſtones.
To draw towards an end, and to draw you to a reall thankſ-giving to God for the deliverance of the three eſtates of the Kingdome, like the three children from the fiery furnace heat by the daughter of Babylon. God hath done great things for us this day, whereat wee rejoyce; let us doe ſomething to him and for him: he hath remembred us not in words, but in deeds, let us remember him as well in deeds as words: let us honour him with our ſubſtance, let us bleſſe him with our hands, let us praiſe him with our goods.
Peradventure you will ſay, Our hPſal. 16.2.goods are nothing to him, our goodneſſe extendeth not unto him, he is far above us, and out of the reach of our charity: ſee how the Prophet himſelfe removeth this rub in the next verſe, But to the Saints that are on the earth, and to them that excell in vertue. And our Saviour aſſureth us, thatiMat. 25.40. Verely, verely, I ſay unto you, inaſmuch as ye have done it unto one of the leaſt of theſe my brethren, ye have done it unto mee. Whatſoever we doe unto them, Chriſt taketh it as done unto himſelfe. In feeding the hungry ye feed Chriſt, in clothing the naked ye cloth him, in viſiting the impriſoned ye viſit him. Though ye cannot now with Mary Magdalen reach up to his head to breake a boxe of Spicknard, and powre it on him, yet ye can annoint him in his ſicke and ſore, comfort him in his afflicted, provide for him in his famiſhed, relieve him in his oppreſſed, yea and redeem him alſo in his captive members. This to doe is charity and mercy at all times, but now it is piety and devotion alſo. It is not ſufficient for you to lift up your hands in prayer and thankſgiving, ye muſt ſtretch them out in pious and kHeb. 13.16.charitable contributions: for with ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed. And if ever ſuch ſacrifices are due to him, now eſpecially upon the yeerly returne of the feaſt wee celebrate for the preſervation of our King and Kingdome, Church and Common-wealth, Nobles and Commons, Goods and Lands, nay Religion and Lawes from the vault of deſtruction. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edome in that day what they ſaid, Novelties ſhall paſſe with a crack, and Heretickes ſhall receive a blow: and what they aſſayed, even to raze Jeruſalem and Sion to the ground: and forget not, O Lord, the Whore of Babylon, which hath dyed her garments ſcarlet red in the bloud of thy Saints and Martyrs: make all her lovers to forſake her, and abhorre her poyſoned doctrine, though offered in a cup of gold. Strip her of her gay attire, pluck down her proud looks, & humble her before thy Spouſe: and if ſhe will not ſtoop nor repent her of her ſpirituall fornication & ſavage cruelty againſt the profeſſours of the truth, reward her as ſhee hath ſerved us. But as for thoſe that have forſaken Babel, & joyne with us in the defence & confirmation of the Goſpel, proſper them in all the reformed Churches, and grant that as they all agree in the love of the ſame truth, ſo they may ſeek that truth in love, and that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgement, that they may diſcerne thoſe things that differ, and approve of thoſe things that are excellent; that they may be ſincere, and without offence till the day of Chriſt, being filled with the fruits of righteouſneſſe, which are by Jeſus Chriſt, unto the glory and praiſe of God. Cui, &c.