Sermon 17 November 1599, Epilogue
Epilogus.
GReat alterations hauehave bin raiſed in Europe this laſt hundred yeares or Century,Anno Do. 1600. Periodically begining in the 8. yeare of Alexand the 6. Pope cō tinued to Clem 8 regiment beeing Pope, ending in a Romiſh Iubile at which time Maximilian was Emper. the 17. of K. Henry the 7 the 42 of Queene E. l. z beth Rev. c. 10 Councel of Nice the 6. Canon. Dan 7. Revel. 16. and greate changes through the world hauehave iſſued herevpon: but omitting all civil broyles, and all bloudy warres that hauehave beene managed vponupon other cauſes, giuegive mee leaue (good Reader) breefly to ſpeake my minde of ſuch marvelous effectes that hauehave inſued the miraculous alteration of Religion in this Century of our age. The myſterye whereof and whole hiſtory was prophetically ſeene by S. Iohn in the Revelation the 10. Chapter in the viſion of the mighty Angell that came dovvne from heaven clothed with a clowde, and the raignebowe about his heade, his face ſhining as the Sunne, & his feete as pillers of fire &c. The originall of this alteration firſt flowed vponupon the revoulte of many Chriſtian nations from the Sea of Rome being one of the 4. Seas Patriarchichall and Apoſtolicall by the 6. Canon of the great Counſel of Nice eſtabliſhed. Which ſea was in great honor over al the world, as long as the Romaine Empire monarchically ruled & triumphed, repreſēted by that vgly beaſt which had …rō teeth prophecied of in the 7. Daniell, & held the ſterne of a great part of the worlde, and ruled regally over the 10. kings ſpoken of in the Revelation.
The occaſions of this revolte were the declination of the Sea of Rome frō the ſincerity of the faith Apoſtolike, and the vnſpeakable corruption which had crept into that Sea, or Papacy. For herevpon immediate…y diverſe nations, inlightened from aboue in the ſincere light of Gods worde (according to the former prophecy ſeene by S. Iohn in ſpirit) which had been long ecclipſed by the darke ſhadowe of of humane traditions, beganne to withdrawe themſelues from the bondage of that Babylon; endevoring to reſtore religion in their ſeverall kingdomes & dominions to the auncient and Apoſtolicke for no,Imitating heerin the going of A…l… …o build N…ivch …en. 1 1. relinquiſhing … bel, & Abrahams le…ui… Vr of the Childres Ierem 51.9. ſounded vponupon the inf…l…ble rule & Canon of holy ſcripture revealed in the olde and newe teſtament: vvhichwhich ſeparation from the Sea of Rome was not to be miſliked; partly becauſe the ſea of Rome perſecuted the profeſſors of this reform … with ſi…e and ſworde, and with all bloudy maſſ…cres: partly for that Rome would admitte no reformation of her c…ruptions, but grew vncurable according to that of the Prophet Ieremy: Wee would hauehave cured Babylon, but ſhee would not be healed: forſake her, and let vsus goe every one into his owne country. For her iudgmente is come vp vntounto heavē, and in lifted vp to the clawdes.
The …ſſues of this alteration hath produced wonderfull effects betweene two ſorts of people, the named Catholickes, and Proteſtants. For although divers ſubdiviſions of ſects hauehave in this laſt Century ſprong vp, yet al the reſt hauehave beene but handfuls to theſe two, namely to the Catholickes, and Proteſtantes: out of theſe hauehave iſſued the greateſt lamps of learning: by theſe two, moſt books hauehave beene written: by theſe two, greateſt States hauehave been ruled & altered, greateſt Regiments hauehave beene managed. The others hauehave beene but petty Conventicles, ſometimes here, ſometimes there; ſprowring, riſing, falling, favored of ſome few▪ in few yeares declining, ſometimes bl…ſted by the ſecular power, ſometimes dying by devouring one another: the better and wiſer & the chiefeſt part ever bending themſelues to the embracing of one of theſe and to no other. Theſe 2. how they hauehave beene b…nded one againſt the other all the world knoweth▪ the bookes written vponupon both the ſides teſtifie, their great enmity in the eies of all people hath deſciphered, reſembling by effectes in ſequele though not in original the ſchiſme of Iſrael frō Iuda originally ſpringing from Salomons ſinne, ſeconded by Ieroboās crafty pollicy,1 King 12 2. Chron: 10 & K. Roboams folly, God iuſtly puniſhing king Salomons Idolatry.
Howe faire the malice of this diviſion ſhall extende it ſelfe, and how long it ſhall continue, God only knoweth, who d…ſpoſeth and ordereth al things in their due ſeaſons,Dan. 2.21. 2. Pet 3.8. before whom a thouſande yeares are but as one day, to wh…e e…e… all future thinges are infallibly preſent. Only this we know, that this diviſion hath bred in many mens mindes irreconciliable hatred as we finde in effect. The manifeſtation wherof may be ſeene evidently in this ſhort T…atiſe, …nd is felte ſenſibly through out al kingdomes of C…tendome, into which the venome of this Gargr…na hath bin diſperſed. This, I ſay, the …eader ſhall eaſily find in this ſhort Treatiſe, if hee wil but examine vponupon vvhat ſl…ight reaſons, and how weake grounds the honor of this flouriſhing …ealme, the excellēcy of our gracious Queene (… G…d long preſerue) the ſincerity of the Apoſtolicke Religiō which we profeſſe, are fought to be diſgraced, depraved, and ſc…andered by men zealous of pretended Catholiciſme.
Divers remedies hauehave beene fou…ht to ſu…e the feſtred ſores of this cankred diverce, whereof ſome of them hauehave bin touched by Iacobus Acontius in his bookes de ſtratagemate Sathans, …y leſt…rus & others.Iac. Acont. lib. 8. de ſtratagem. Sat. …eſlerus. Geneſ 33. Ieremy. Exodus. But this vlceri growne to ſuch ha… h…ad that no b…l… can cu…e…, no balme, I ſaie, but his, who reconciled Ep… to Iacob, which brought the people of Iſraell out of the Aegyptian & Babylonian bō dage and thraldome to their owne land, the land of promiſe; which can giuegive ſpirit to the rotten and deade bones to whom Ezechiel was cōmanded to prophecie;Ezekiel. 37. which cā ioine the two pieces of wood into one, wherein the names Iuda, Ephraim, and Iſraell were in diſiointment ſeverally written, which can renue our hearts, and giuegive vsus grace to walke in his waies after hee hath diſcouered vntounto vsus the greevouſnes of our ſinnes; which by his great and ſ…rill ſounding trumpet Saint Paule hath foretolde of the converſion verſion of the ſtifnecked generation which crucifi…d the Lorde of life,Roman. 11. and is able to graf…e in againe to the Oliue the broken branches fallen away th…ough vnbeliefe, branches not only broken, but alſo withered. Beſe…ch we him to performe this according to his good will and pleaſure, who only is wiſe, only is holy, only omnipotent and mercifull, who is God almighty and bleſſed for euer. To this God the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt be all honor, glory, and dominion world without end. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Holland, Sermon 17 November 1599 (1601)