A Map of Rome, Sermon 4
THE ROMISH CONCEPTION.
Psalme. 7.14.15.16.
The Kings Maiesty in his Speech on the gunpowder treason applieth this text to that occasion.Behold, he shall trauell with wickednesse: for he hath conceiued mischiefe, but he shall bring forth a lye.
He hath made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the pit that he made.
His mischiefe shall returne vponupon his own head, and his cruelty shall fall vponupon his owne pate.
THe occasion of the Psalme is in the inscription, concerning the words of Cushi, one of Sauls Courtiers, and Dauids accusers to Saul, as if hee had beene a Rebell, and sought Sauls life. The parts of it are three.
1 A prayer for deliuerance from his enemies, and that God would cleare his innocency, to the 12. verse.
2 A Propheticall prediction of the destruction of the wicked, to the 17. verse.
3 A vow of thankfulnesse for deliuerance, in the last verse.
These three verses of my Text, being part of the se…ond generall, hauing in them two particulars: First, that all the labour of wicked men against the Church is …ut labour in vaine, in respect of their owne intent and expectation, verse. 14. Secondly, that the labour of wicked men is turned cleane contrary to their owne intent and expectation, vers. 15.16. And these things are set downe two waies: 1. In Metaphor and similitude. 2. In simple and expresse speech.
The former, Plots of the wicked aptly comp…red to a womans trauaile.that all their labour is in vaine against the Church, is expressed by a Metaphore frequent in Scripture, taken from the trauell of a woman. The minde of a wicked man is compared to a wombe or belly. The conception is hurtfull and mischieuous thoughts and enterprises. The cunning contriuing, carrying, and watching of fit opportunities, is the nourishing, perfecting, and preparing to the birth, while they carrie it the iust moneths: in the meane time swelling with their own presumptions, and glorying in the certaine expectation of their conceiued hopes. The attempting of their enterprises is the parturition and trauell, which costs them no small paine and labour. The birth or fruite is some misshapen monster, some mischieuous impe, some treacherous Massacre, some inuincible armie or powder-plot, borne (as Onuphrius writes of Pope Alexander the 6. for the destruction of all Italy, so) for the destruction of all England, Scotland, and Ireland. But this monstrous shape is called a lye, because mentiri is contra mentem ire (as some allude.) When they looke vponupon their owne childe, and see the vgly face and shape of it, in all the deformed members: it is not to their minde, they are ashamed and confounded, and would faine seeke some father abroad, either the Hugonot; in France, or the Puritans in England, but that it is so like the fire as none can mistake the father of such a monster.
The latter, that all the labour of the wicked is turned quite contrary to their owne expectation, is set downe by another similitude, taken from Hunters, who as they lay snares, and ginnes, and pitfalls, to take the sillie creatures; euen so wicked men digge pits, and delue deepe, and lay their traines to winde in the godly into the destruction by them prepared: In which sense it is said of Io…sh and I…hoiakim, Ezek. 19.4.8. that the nations laid their nets for them, and they were both taken in their pit.
But himselfe falles into his owne pit which he made: that is, whatso…uer mischiefe the cruell Aduersaries deuise against the godly, it catcheth themselues, whereof Dauid had good experience: Sa…l layes his traine, and digs a pit against Dauid.
1 Sam 18.21. I will giuegive Dauid Micoll, that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistims may bee vponupon him: and verse. 25. the King desireth no dowry, but only an hundred foreskins of the Philistims, to be auenged of his enemies, for Saul (saith the Text) thought to make Dauid fall by the hand of the Philstims: but Saul fell into his owne pit, himselfe fell by the hand of the Philistims, Chap. 31. The Philistims pressed so fore vponupon him, that they slew his three sons, wounded himselfe sore, and his owne hand also was against himselfe.
In the last verse of my Text, all this is set out in simple and expresse words, His mischiefe shall returne vponupon his owne head, his cruelty vponupon his owne pate, according to that in Prou. 5.22. His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe, and he shall bee holden with the cords of his owne sinne.
Deuises against the Church vain, & pe…nicious to her enemies.Doct. The wicked counsels and enterprises of the enemies of the Church, are not only vaine in respect of others but mischieuous against themselues. Esa. 33.11. yee shall conceiue chaffe, & bring forth stubble: the fire of your breath shall deuour you, In which place the holy Ghost holds the same comparison as here: comparing wicked men to women that hauehave conceiued, who carry and nourish the child in their wombe, and at last bring forth. But what child bring they forth with so much trauaile? Surely that which is a shame to the Parents: chaffe and stubble, vaine and vnprofitable conceits, that come to nothing. But that is not all. They bring forth a dangerous and pernicious i…pe, which for the most part is the death of the mother. It is a fire, which as easily consumes them, as a mighty and ragi…g fire doth chaffe or stubble. Their own fire deuoures them.Pro. 6.17. For, can a man carry fire in his bosome, and not be burnt? Esa. 59.5. The wicked conceiue mischiefe, and bring forth iniquity: they hatch the cockatice egges. The cockatrice or basiliske is no sooner hatched, but it kils him with the very sight that lightes vponupon it, and ordinarily it eates out the belly of the dam in comming forth. Such are the issues and fruits of cruell and mischieuous men against the Lord and his people. Psalme 9.15. The heathen are sunke downe in the pit that they made: in the net that they hid is their owne foot taken.
Reason. 1 This is so because God scattereth the deuises of the craftie, so as they cannot accomplish what they enterprise. Iob 5.12. he will not alwaies let the successe be to their expectation. They consult not with God, but against him, and therefore must not prosper. Come (saith Pharaoh) let vsus worke wisely to keep vnderunder the Israelites.Exod. 1.10. But hee could not worke wisely enough: the more they oppressed, the more the other increased, verse. 12. They might drowne many male children, but themselues must saue Moses the Deliuerer. 2. Gods louelove to his Church makes all the counsels of the enemies pernicious to themselues: for hee takes all that is done against the godly, as done against himselfe: he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye, Zach. 2.8. God hath vndertaken the care and charge of his people, and will neuer neglect the safety of his charge, nor to releeue his people that commit themselues to him; but especially when they call vponupon him to turne the counsels of wicked Achitophels into folly. All the contempt and cruelty is against God himself: therefore mischiefe against the Church must needs bee like an arrow shot bolt-vpright▪ which falles vponupon the head of the shooter. 3. The deuise of wicked men against the iust must needs miscary, because they set their plots vponupon a slippery foundation, which will bring downe the house vponupon their owne heads: namely vponupon lies and falsehood. Psal. 62.3.4. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be all slaine, ye shall be as a shaken wall: their delight is in lies. And the whole frame leanes vponupon the arme flesh, or the arme of man, which they make their hope, and so lie vnderunder the curse of them that make flesh their arme, Ier. 17.5. and withdraw their hearts from the Lord. Esa. 59.4. they trust in vanity, conceiue mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 4. It is most iust with God to render tribulation to them that trouble his seruants:2. Thess. 1.6. that the most righteous law of retaliation might be returned on them. Psal. 62.11. God spake it once, yea twise I heard it, that power belongeth to God, and mercy:foreign. for thou rewardest eueryevery one according to his deed. How iust is it, that the Artizan of death should perish in his owne net? and, that he who breweth mischiefe, should drink it?
This is that iust retaliation which our Sauiour threatens, Mat. 7.2. with what measure you mete, it shall bee measured to you againe. If the Egyptians make a wicked decree to drowne the Israelitish children, and will needes follow them into the sea to drowne them: it is iust that themselues bee drowned with a memorable destruction. You hauehave heard how Daniel was appointed for the Lions food, but the next day all his accusers and their families were cast in in his stead, and torne in pieces ere they came to ground. You hauehave heard also how the same furnace which was prepared for Sadrach and his fellowes, licked vp and burnt (in stead of them) the accusers. Yea the Lord in this iust retaliating of euil men, hath often smitten their owne consciences, and opened their owne mouths, to cleare his righteous iudgement: as we see in Adoni-bezek, Iudg. 1.7. seuenty kings vnderunder my table with their thumbs cut off gathered bread vnderunder my table; As I hauehave done, so hath God rewarded mee.
2 Thess. 1.2. Histor. Eccles. lib. 9. cap. 9Eusebius recordeth of the cruel tyrant Maxentius, that comming with an armie against Constantine the Great: to dec…iue Constantine and his armie: he caused his souldiers to make a great bridge ouer Tiber where Constantine should passe, and cunningly lay plankes on the ships, that when the army came vponupon the plankes, the ships should sinke, and so drowne the enemie: but Maxentius hearing of Constantines approching: in his rage rushed out of the gates of Rome,Pontibus his deuolutus est, ruos ad religiosi Principis parauerat exitium. and commanded his followers to attend him: and through fury forgetting his owne worke, led a few ouer his bridge: and the ships sinking, himselfe and his followers, were all drowned. And Eusebius fitteth our very text vntounto him, Lacum ap…ruit, et effodit cum, et incidi… in soueam quam operatus est, He made a pit and digged it, and fell into the pit that he made.
This sets forth vntounto vsus the misery of the wicked enemies of the Church:Enemies of the Church, subiect to 4. great miseries. which we shall more clearely see in foure particulars.
1 Misery: That all their paine and labour is for their owne destruction. Sinne in Hebrew is called gnamal, and in Greke ponerîa: both which words signifie labour and trauell: to note the great labour, that wicked men take in committing sinne; they are euen as women in trauell. Ier. 9.5. they take great paines to doe wickedly. Sinne is a worke of the flesh, and sinners are workemen, Esa. 59.5. weauers and spinners: but weaue an ill web, and spin a thred of their owne destruction, euen an halter for their owne heads; as Haman was at charges to set vp his own gallows. Our text shews, that they wilbe at paines and trauell for their designes, as a woman that carries and brings forth a childe; but the birth killes themselues, and themselues must feele the smart of their subtill deuises.
2 Misery: That they liue in perpetuall perill of destruction. There is not a moment, wherein they can free or secure themselues from the stroke of God: They cannot say at any time, Now we are in safety: because they are alwaies in armes against God. If they would hide their counsells from him, behold, he sees in the darkenesse aswell as in the day, to ouerturne them all, and make wicked counsell worst to the counsellor. Ps…lm. 139.12. Malum consilium, consultori pess…umIf they would combine themselues in holy leagues and confederacyes, heare what the wise man saith, Prou. 11.21. though hand ioyne in hand, yet shall not the wicked escape vnpunished. All of them vnited are as easily ouercome in hi… hand, as one man. Esa. 8.9. gather ye together on h…pes, and ye shall be broken to pieces: gird your selues, and ye shall bee broken to pieces. Psal. 14.4.If they would by rage and furye make quicke dispatch, and swallow vp at once the people of God, and eate them as bread: behold, themselues are neuer nearer destruction than when they are most violent. The Aegyptians were not more readie to kill and slay, than the waters were to drowne them.
3 Misery: That inexpected destruction comes, when they expect the sweet fruit of all their labour: when they looke for light, behold darknesse. Here this birth of wicked men is vnlike the trauell of women. When the childe is borne, the womans danger and paines are gone, and ioy comes in the stead▪ Iohn 16.21.because a child is borne into the world, and this mak…s her forget her sorow. But in this birth, and afterward …s the greatest danger and perill, and but a beginning of sorows. When they cry peace, peace, then comes a sudden destruction. Balthasar was seased on euen in his cups, where there was nothing but carowsing and iolity: and Amnon in his brothers house, at a feast, when his heart was most merry, was slaine by his brother: which was the issue of his incest. Little thought hee, that that reckoning awaited him.
4 Misery: That the mischiefe plotted against their greatest enemies recoyles vponupon themselues; as a piece ouercharged, and recoyling, strikes downe the shooter, not the party aimed at. Prou. 11.8. The iust escapeth out of trouble, and the wicked commeth in his stead: and, the wicked shall be a ransome for the iust. Wicked men catching the godly at aduantage are mercilesse: no pity may be vsed, no ransome will be taken for their deliu…rance: therefore God takes the matter in hand,Wicked to be pitied rather than …na…ed. to pay a ransome for them, body for body, skin for skin, life for life and the right owners of mischiefe shall enioy it.
Vse 2.There is little cause, why Gods people should enuie the prosperity of their enemies, or study for reuenge: but rather pitty them, and pray for them so many as are curable, for their last dish will marre all the feast: little do they know what they are doing. They are twisting a cord, to hang themselues. They are digging a pit, but the earth falles on them, and pashes themselues to pieces. The bread of affl…ction prepared for others, themselues m…st eate. They (poore men) are in trauell of a viper, which must needs kill the parent:V…pera, …. d. …. and seeing they cannot bee stopped from sin, they cannot be stopt from the punishment.
As little cause hauehave the enemies to glory in their conception. Stay a while, and behold the lineame…ts of the birth from top to toe, and see a shamefull and ougly vi…sage.
I come now to the application hereof to our present occasion.
This day is this text fulfilled in your eares. Wherein giuegive me leaue a little to shew you,Con…eption of pow…er traytors … ▪ yet p…nicious to them. how our owne sowers of winde hauehave reaped the whirlewinde, and how those who trauelled with wickednesse, hauehave brought foorth not onelyonly a lye, but an vntimely and mischieuous birth, which no sooner saw the light, but most iustly it depriued the parents of it.
This misshapen monster was the Gunpowder-treason, a mother of treasons, an vnmatchable store-…ouse of villanies, wherein grex cum reg…, arae cum focis, Pietie and Iustice, Peace and Plentie, Religion and Honestie, should all hauehave been buried in one graue, and all consumed in one bonfire.
This conception pleased them well: for it was meete, that whence they receiued all their mischiefe (namely, the Parliament) that very place should be designed for their punishment, said Catesby to Winter, who wondred at the fi…e conceit.
They beare not their conception without much labour, and paines, and care, and cost: Great care of secrecie, that none be admitted into the Councell,Much adoe in th…s conception. but by oath and the sacrament. Great labou… in many painfull iourneys, both beyond seas, and on this side, in digging the pit and the mine, night and day, many moneths together, &c. And as great cost: Digby hath 1500. pounds: Tressam 2000. Percy would bring 4000, and ten galloping horses, though he robbed the Earle of Northumberland for it, out of the rents of seuerall houses. The charge of 36. barrels of powder, wood, coale, iron in abundance, and of victuals for so many labourers and diggers. No lesse care in contriuing, and forming this misshapen monster in the wombe, and carrying it the due moneths. And all this while they swell with conceit, and dreame of nothing but disposing the kingdom, and eueryevery mans estate. EueryEvery thing both at home and abroad is so cunningly contriued: they make themselues sure of all. Why? the Letter saith, God and man hath concurred to punish the wickednesse of these times. And to the Lord, Retire your selfe into the countrey, where you may expect the euent with safetie: for though there be no appearance of any stirre, yet I say they shall receiue a terrible blow this Parliament, and the danger is past so soone as you hauehave burnt the letter. And in the countrey, the night before the day designed to be our doomes-day, they boldly entred into a stable, and tooke away great horses, which they made account of, as their owne by their owne Law, now the Lawes were blowne vp. And Sir Nimrod Digby appoynts his hunting match that day, to surprise the Lady. They hauehave their Proclamations readie, and all cocksure. Thus hauehave they conceiued mischiefe, and these Digbyes and diggers hauehave digged a pit with a mouth as wide as hell, to swallow vp three great kingdomes at one morsell; and hauehave carried the conception the full moneths.
Much adoe to little purpose.Now to the Birth. For, what (saith Percy) shall we alwaies talke (Gentlemen) and neuer doe any thing? But what doe they? They bring foorth a lye: a vaine worke they hauehave in hand: God scatters their deuice. They plot destruction against all the godly in the land; they cannot hurt one of their haires. Nay worse than so: the pit they hauehave digged falls on themselues. These hunters hunt the liues of others, themselues are hunted and taken. The powder they lay for others, blowes vp themselues. And this is worth the obseruing, that Catesby first deuiseth the powder-plot, and his owne powder first burnes himselfe;Saepe in magistro… scelera rediérunt suos. he first smarted, and was maimed, and after killed together with Percy by one bullet shot with powder. Others consenting were many slaine with shot and powder, yea euen those whose liues were desired to be spared for further vse: yet Gods iustice brought their owne de…i…e on their heads. One of them (as Faux) was sorrie he could not blow vp himselfe: he would hauehave thought it a benefit, if it had been no worse with him than he had intended to others. Another (as Winter) seeing the vglinesse of this monster, was so confounded▪ as he professed, that his fault (for the temporall part) was greater than could be forgiuen: and confessed hee saw too late, that such courses please not almightie God. All of them, in case it had been done, purposed to disauow it for the foulenesse of it, till they had power enough to make their partie good: and counted it an action worthie to be laid vponupon their greatest enemies, whom they termed Puritans. Yea God opens their owne mouthes against themselues. Winter professeth before hand, that if it should not take effect, the scandall would be so great, which the Catholike Religion should susteine by it, as not onelyonly our enemies, but our friends also (saith he) would with good reason condemne vsus.
Thus we see the truth of God, and his iustice: for hee hath said, Woe to thee that spoylest: shalt thou not be spoyled? Esai. 33.1.Ye see how iustly he that takes the sword, Matth. 26 …2.perish th…by by the sword. Here is iust, Agags case,1. Sam. 15 33. Thy sword made many childlesse, and Gods sword shall make thy mother childl…sse.
See also what little cause we hauehave to trust Papists, who da…e attempt such deuices for the reliefe of the Catholike cause, as all of them confessed this was. Must you… Religion be thus relieued? It hath euer so been: and so neuer was from the Lord. Obiect. Why doe you impute this to our Religion, being the error of a few infortunate Gentlemen?Treason not accidentall, but essentiall to Romish religion. Answ. If it were onelyonly the error of their nature, (to vse the Kings Maiesties distinction) it were the more tolerable: but it is the error of their Religion: And most truly hath his Maiestie shewed, that no other Sect of Heretickes (not excepting Turkes, Iewes, Pagans, or they of Calicute) did euer by the grounds of Religion maintaine, that it is lawfull or meritorious to murther Princes or people for the quarrell of Religion; but onelyonly Romish Catholikes.
This doctrine they would as impudently deny as they doe other. The light makes them ashamed, and so they denie their owne doctrines. They will denie, that the Pope properly pardoneth sinnes, or that they teach it. They will as impudently denie, that euer Pope had a bastard: that euer a woman was Pope, and an hundreth such, which their owne chiefe writers a…ow. But let vsus know, that religion, which is set vponupon lyes, and held vp by lyes, by conceiuing mischiefe, and bringing foorth lyes, to be fitter for Antichrist, than for Iesus Christ, or Christians professing his name.
And now, seeing the wicked are fallen into the pit they made, and the powder they laid for vsus, hath blowne vp themselues; let vsus conclude with the next words of this Psalme, We will praise the Lord according to his righteousnesse, and sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. We will set foorth his righteousnesse and faithfulnesse, in keeping his promises, and in sauing the liues of thousands of his Saints, destinated to death, as sheepe to the slaughter.
The end of the fourth Sermon.