Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity, Title page – Summary
A SHORT DECLARATION of the miſtery of iniquity.
Ier. 51.6.
Flee out of the midſt of Babell, and deliver every man his ſoule, be not deſtroyed in hir iniquity, for this is the time of the lords vengeance, he vvill render vntounto hir a recompenſe.
Hoſea 10.12.
Sovv to your ſelves in righteouſnes, reape after the meaſure of merciemercy, breake vp your fallovv ground, for it is time to ſeeke the lord, till he come & raine righteouſnes vponupon you.
Anno 1612.
To the Reader.
THE feare of the almighty (through the vvorke of his grace) having novv at laſt over vveyed in vsus the feare of men, vvee have thus farr by the directiō of Gods vvord and ſpirit ſtrecthed out our harts and hands vvith bouldnes to confeſſe the name of Chriſt before men, and to declare to Prince and People plainly their tranſgreſsions, that all might heare, & ſee their fearefull eſtate and ſtanding, and repent, and turne vntounto the lord before the decree come furth, and before the day of their viſitation be paſt, and that the thinges that belonge to their peace be altogether hid from their eies: and vvhereas in this vvriting vvee have vvith all humble bouldnes ſpoken vntounto our lord the King, our defence for this is, that vvee are taught of God eſpecially to make ſupplications, praiers, interceſsions, and give thankes for our lord the King: and wee are taught that the gracious God of heaven (by whome the King reignes) would, that the King ſhould be ſaved and come to the knowledg of the truth, and therefore wee the Kings ſervants are bound eſpecially by all the godly endeavors of our ſoules and bodyes to ſeeke the ſalvation of the K. although it were with the danger of our lives: for if vvee ſavv our lord the Ks. perſon in dāger either by privy conſpiracie or opē aſſault wee vvere bound to ſeeke the Ks. perſervation & delivrance, though it werewith the laying downe of our lives, which if wee did not, wee ſhould readily and moſt worthily be condemned for traytors; hovv much more are wee bound to ſeeke the preſervation and delivrance of the ſoule and body of our lord the King ſeeing wee ſee him in ſuch great ſpirituall danger as wee do. And if anie ſhalbe offended at vsus for ſo doeing, they therein love not the King: and if our lord the King ſhould be offended at vsus his ſervants for ſo doeing, the King therein loves not himſelfe: and if all men, and the King ſhould for this be offended vvith vsus (which God forbid) yet herein wee are ſure our God wilbe well pleaſed with vsus, in that wee have with our beſt ſtrength and faithfullnes obeyed him, who comaunds and teacheth vsus, to admoniſh all men every where to repent, and this is our ſure vvarrant, and our aſſured hope and comfort. Now as wee have, (according as wee hold our ſelves bound) thus farr confeſſed Chriſts name before men by writinge, ſo wee ſhall (the lord aſsiſting vsus) be ready, as wee hold our ſelves bound to confeſſe Chriſt before men by vvord of mouth, not fearing (through Gods grace) them that kill the body and after that are not able to do anie more. In this duty to God and his people, wee muſt needs confeſſe wee have hitherto greatly fayled, but wee will novv be ready the lord ſtrengthning vsus rather to be ſacrificed for the publiſhing, of the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, and for the ſervice of your faith, then to faile as vvee have done both in our dutyes to God and you. This vvee readily vovve to God and promiſſe to you and to vvill to do this good is preſent vvith vsus, but vvee find no meanes in vsus to performe this duty and ſervice, & vvee ſee a lavv in our fleſh ſtrongly rebelling againſt the lavv of our mynds but our aſſured truſt & confidence is, that Gods grace alone is ſufficient for vsus to make vsus every vvay able vntounto theſe thinges, vntounto the vvhichwhich of our ſelves vvee are no vvay able, yet wee vvill ſay with the holy Appoſtle Paul, If God be on our ſide, vvho can prevaile againſt vsus? & vvho ſhall ſeperate vsus from the love of Chriſt? Shall tribulation or anguiſh, or perſecutiō, or famin or nakednes, or perill, or ſvvord? no the lord vvee truſt in theſe thinges vvill make vsus conquerors: and though our outvvard man ſhould periſh, or ſuffer many afflictions, (vvhichwhich vvee vvere moſt foliſh if vvee ſhould not vvait for) yet let the people of God looke vntounto the truth vvee vvitnes, & conſider vvith holy and vviſe harts vvhether vvee have not good vvarrant, yea direct comaundement to do that vvee do, though vve be vnfitt and vnvvorthy for ſuch a ſervice. Shall vvee heare the lord ſay, Come out of hir my people: and ſhall the Spirit of God comaund him, that heareth: ſay Come: and ſhall not vvee ſay Come? Shall the vvord of the lord comaund to Call vp Archars againſt Babell, and all that bend the bovv to beſeig it round about, and let none eſcape, & to recompence hir the dubl, Ier. 50.29. Reuel. 18. And ſhall vvee ſpare our arrovves though they be vveake? and ſhall the Spirit of God ſay, All yee that are myndfull of the lord kepe not ſilence Eſa. 62.16. And ſhall vve hold our peace becauſe vvee are not eloquent? No, no, vvee have too long neclected our duties herein, and novv through Gods grace vve dare no longer do ſo: and therefore do vvee thus cry vntounto you the people of God, ſaying Babilon is fallen, ſhe is fallen, Come out of hir, Come out of hir, for if you ſtill partake with hir in hir ſinnes, you ſhal certenly be partakers of hir plagues: and therefore alſo vvee ſay. Let him that is a thirſt, Come: and let vvhoſoever vvill, take of the vvater of life freely: and vvee call vntounto all valiant Archers that bend the bovv, to come to the ſeige againſt this great Citié: and vvee pray all that are myndfull of the lord not to kepe ſilence, nor to give the lord reſt, till he repaire, and vntill he ſet vp Ieruſalem the praiſe of the vvorld. And our continevvall praiers vntounto the lord are, and ſhalbe that the lord vvill enlighten your vnderſtandings, and raiſe vp all the affections of your ſoules and ſpirits, that you may apply your ſelves vntounto theſe thinges, ſo far as his vvord and ſpirit doth direct you, and that you may no longer be deceived and ſeduced by thoſe falſe Prophetts who propheſie peace vntounto you, vvhen vvar and deſtruction is at the doore, vvhichwhich the lord give both you and them to ſee, that you may all flie vntounto the lord for your delivrance and ſalvation. Amen.
Tho: Helvvys.
The principal matters handled in the Booke.
A Declaration vvith proofe, that theſe are the days, of greateſt tribulation, ſpokē of by Chriſt. Mat. 24. vvherein the abhominatiō, of deſolatiō is ſeene to be ſet in the holy place.
That there hath bene a generall departing from the faith, and an vtter deſolation of all true Religion.
That the Propheſie of the firſt Beaſt. Reuel. 13. is fulfilled vnderunder the Romiſh ſpirituall povver and Gouerment.
That the Propheſie of the Second Beaſt is fulfilled vnderunder the ſpirituall povver & Gouerment of Arch-Biſhops & lord Biſhops.
Hovv Kings ſhal hate the vvhore, & make hir deſolate.
VVhat Great Povver and authority: vvhat honor, names & titles God hath given to the King.
That God hath givē vntounto the K. an earthly kingdome vvith all earthly povver againſt the vvhichwhich, none may reſiſt but muſt in all thinges obey, vvillingly, either to do, or ſuffer.
That Chriſt alone is K. of Iſraell, & ſitts vponupon Davids Throne, & that the K. ought to be a ſubiect of his Kingdome.
That none ought to be puniſhed either vvith death or bonds for tranſgreſsing againſt the ſpirituall ordināces of the nevv Teſtamēt, and that ſuch Offences ought to be puniſhed onelyonly vvith ſpirituall ſvvord and cenſures.
That as the Romiſh Hyrarchy ſay in vvords they cannot err: ſo the Hyrarchy of Arch-Bs. & lord Bs. ſhevve by their deeds, they hold they cannot err: & herein they agree in one.
The falſe profeſsiō of Puritan-iſme (ſo called) & the falſe Prophet is thereof diſcovered.
Their tvvo deceitfull excuſes for their vndergoeing of all thoſe thinges, they cry out againſt, made manifeſt.
The falſe profeſsiō of Brovvniſme (ſo called) plainely laid open vvith their falſe Prophetts, and vvith their falſe ſuppoſed ſeperatiō from the vvorld.
The vanity of their moſt deceitfull diſtinction betvvixt a falſe Church, and no Church (vvherevpon their vvhole falſe building ſtands) made evident.
Some perticuler errors in Mr. Robinſons booke of iuſtification of Separatiō, laid open.
That no mā iuſtifying anie falſe vvay, or anie one error, though of ignorance, can be ſaved.
The perverting of thoſe vvords of our Saviour Chriſt Mat. 10. vvhen they perſecute you in one Citie, flee into another, contrary to all the meaning of Chriſt plainly ſhevved.