Three Sermons, Sermon 2
The ſecond SERMON.
2 Theſſ. 2.15.
Therefore (Brethren) ſtand fast:
GReat deliverances ought to bee celebrated with ſolemn remembrances, Nationall deliverances with Nationall remembrances. When God delivered the Nation of the Iewes from that intended Pariſian Maſſacre, Mordecai proclaimed the foureteenth and fifteenth dayes of the month Adar to be kept holy, that they ſhould make them dayes of feaſting and joy. It is recorded of the Iewes, Heſt 9.20.that on theſe dayes, when they reade the booke of Esther, as often as mention is made of their enemy and adverſary wicked Haman, ſo often they expreſſe their inward indignation by ſome externall angry paſſion, they ſtampe with their feete upon the ground, they knocke their hands, they threaten with their frowne, they thunder with their words.
This day, this fifth day of November, a day for ever to be remembred by the Engliſh Nation, GOD delivered, God immediately and miraculouſly delivered, our Religion, our King, our Queene, our Prince and Princeſſe, the Senate and Councell of this Kingdom, the Iudges, the Knights, the Burgeſſes, the whole houſe of Convocation, the monuments of our fore-fathers, the records of the Kingdome, in a word, the whole kingdome, from that diabolicall, monſtrous, unparallell'd Gun-powder Treaſon; This day our High Court of Parliament hath enacted, (and may that Act be as the Act of the Medes and Perſians that alters not, may it ſtand as the Sunne and Moone for ever) that this day ſhould be kept holy, that wee celebrate this day with a joyfull triumph, with new Cantica Canticorum: with whole new ſets of ſongs, with preaching, with feaſting, and ſending gifts one unto another, with ringing of Bels, with making of Bonefires, with ſounding Trumpets, with thundering of Ordnances, with all outward expreſſions of joy: That ſo God may ſee our thankfulneſſe, that people from the Pulpit may heare of their deliverance, that children in the ſtreetes may underſtand the ſalvation of the Lord: that ſtrangers abroad may know the barbarouſneſſe of the Plot, the Religion of the Traitors, the bloud-thirſtineſſe of Papiſts; Horret animus, beleeve me I cannot thinke on the horror of the Treaſon, but my ſpirit is moved within me, my indignation is ſtirred, as often as the very mention of the name Papiſt is made, of ſuch Papiſts that adhere to the Pope of Rome as to their head, Italian, Spaniſh, Ieſuited, Gunpowder Papiſts; I could bee angry and ſinne not, I could ſtampe, knocke, bend my brow, and thunder (were it lawfull) I could take up the execration of David, let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth, and my right hand forget her cunning, when I forget the deliverance of this Day.
That therefore you may for ever remember, and ſtand faſt to the Goſpell received, and not bee tempted to that damning Religion, I have made choiſe to ſpeake in the words of the Apoſtle,
Therefore (Brethren) ſtand faſt.
IN which words you have a duty enjoyned, Stand, faſt.
Secondly, the reaſon enforcing, in the illative word; Therefore.
The Apoſtle, the Doctor of the Gentiles exhorted the beleeving Theſſalonians to ſtand faſt, and the more to move them calls them, Brethren, foreign, a brother, is derived of foreign, uterus, a wombe, brethren being properly, uterus, the fruit of one wombe; The Apoſtle and the Theſſalonians were not brethren in nature, but brethren in grace, & ſanctior eſt copula cordium, quam corporum: This compellation carries much affection with it, and imports thus much, that he tendered the beleeving Theſſalonians as his mothers wombe, or his own bowels, even as his brethren, therefore he gives them this neceſſary exhortation in all brotherly love and earneſtneſſe,
Stand faſt:
The reaſons that enforce it, are implyed in this word, Therefore, Therefore? Wherefore? Two Reaſons may bee gathered from the coherence of theſe words.
Firſt, the Apoſtle tells them, there will be an Apoſtacy, a falling away; Therefore ſtand fast. Of which Apoſtacy you may read from the third verſe to the thirteenth verſe.
Secondly, hee remembers them of Gods mercy to them in bringing them to the knowledge of the Goſpell, from the thirteenth verſe to the fifteenth;
Therefore (Brethren) ſtand faſt.
Theſe are the Reaſons to enforce this duty, and of theſe in their order plainly.
Reaſ. 1.And firſt, Therefore ſtand faſt; becauſe there will bee an Apoſtacy, and a falling away; That there will bee an Apoſtacy and a falling away, all muſt, all do confeſſe, our times and the times of our fore-fathers are ſad witneſſes of the accompliſhment of this Prophecy. The Apoſtle ſpeakes it in expreſſe termes, there muſt be an Apoſtacy and a falling away firſt; That this Captaine Apoſtate (whom the Apoſtle v. 3. cals the man of ſinne, and doth ſo exactly deſcribe) is the ſame with the Antichriſt of whom Saint Iohn writes in his Epiſtle, and the falſe Prophet you read of in the Revelation, for ought I know wee have unanimous conſent. But who this man of ſinne is, the Antichriſt, the falſe Prophet, there's the difference; Not to ſpend much time in the ſearching out thereof, or in anſwering to this quaere; The Fathers are not competent Iudges in this particular: The Papiſts themſelves, thoſe pretended adorers of them, yet in this leave them and refuſe them,Dan. 12.9. Daniel tells us that the Prophecy is ſealed to the end, Saint Auſten ſaith ingenuouſly, that concerning this chapter hee could not underſtand the meaning of it; To the Fathers theſe Prophecies were riddles and darke ſayings, yet by that glimering light they had, the myſtery of iniquity beginning in the Apoſtles time, they could, they did point out the time, the place, and ſome the perſon. The Fathers could not tell who this man of ſinne was; Our adverſaries of the Church of Rome will not tell us, they labour to free the Pope from it rather then to faſten it upon any other; And while they labour to build new Babel, Lord how are they confounded! The Rhemiſts confeſſe that Rome is the place, yea Bellarmine, Ribera, and others ſay, certainely Rome is the ſeate; The Sunne ſhines cleare as at nooneday, they can, but will not ſee; I could muſter whole Armies of the reformed Churches, produce a cloud of witneſſes, empannell many grand-Iuries, of our owne learned men, that readily will anſwer to this quaere: the Papacy is this Apoſtacy, the Pope this man of ſinne, the Antichriſt the falſe Prophet: the time would faile me to bring forth King David and all his worthies, King Iames, the Biſhops, and Profeſſors and learned men of that learned age, all which plainly and freely confeſſe and anſwer that the Papacy is this Apoſtacie, the Pope this man of ſinne, the Antichriſt, the falſe Prophet; In this particular I may truly ſay of that King of Schollars, what the ſervants of King David ſaid, he is worth tenne thouſand: how plainely hath hee publiſht to the whole world, and ſent it abroad to the Emperor, to Chriſtian Kings and Princes, wherein he hath declared his opinion concerning this thing, how plainly in his paraphraſe upon the Revelation in his meditation upon the twentieth Chapter; in his Apologie to Kings and Princes; For my part I will walke under the protection of this great King, and follow the ſteppes of thoſe learned men, backt with the authority of the booke of Homilies, and take it for granted indeed which cannot reaſonably bee denyed, it may eaſily bee made good that the Papacy is this Apoſtacy, the Pope this man of ſinne, the Antichriſt the falſe Prophet; Then my exhortation to you, is the ſame with Paul to his Theſſalonians. Therefore (Brethren) ſtand fast, that you be not entangled and drawne away to Popery. If Saint Paul thought it neceſſary in his time, when the myſtery of iniquity began to worke, and the man of ſinne was not revealed, when the Cockatrice Egges were not hatched, and the Pope had no being in the world, to exhort the believing Theſſalonians to ſtand faſt, that they might not bee drawne away with that falling away, how neceſſary is it for us, and at this time ſeaſonable for mee to exhort you (beloved) now that the myſtery of Iniquity is ſtrongly working and the man of ſin clearely revealed now that the Pope is regnant in full power and ſtrength, to exhort you in the words of the Apoſtle.
Therefore (Brethren) ſtand faſt.
Firſt, conſider if you ſtand not faſt indeed, you may be drawne away to Popery.
Secondly conſider, It's a dangerous thing to bee drawne away to Popery.
Firſt, you may eaſily be drawne away: The Papacy is an alluring, inticing, tempting, bewitching Religion. Sir Walter Rawleigh knew what hee ſaid, and he ſpake truth when hee ſaid it, that were hee to chooſe a Religion for licentious libertie and laſciviouſneſſe, he would chooſe the Popiſh Religion; No Religion under Heaven ſo conſonant, ſo congruous, ſo ſutable, ſo agreeable to corrupted nature, to fleſh and bloud, as the Religion of the Church of Rome; ſee I beſeech you what the ſpirit of God faith of it in the ſeaventeenth of the Revelations and the firſt, and ſo forth to the ſixth verſe, you muſt have patience that I may read the words to you.
And there came one of the ſeaven Angels which had the ſeaven Vials, and talked with mee, ſaying, come hither I will ſhew unto thee the judgement of the great whore that ſitteth upon many waters, with whom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication, & the Inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication, ſo hee carryed me away in the ſpirit into the wilderneſſe, And I ſaw a woman ſit upon a ſcarlet coloured beaſt, full of names of Blaſphemy, having ſeaven heads and ten hornes, and the woman was arrayed in purple and ſcarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious ſtones and pearles having a golden cup in her handfull of Abominations and filthineſſe of her fornication, and upon her forehead was a name written, Myſtery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and the abominations of the Earth, and I ſaw the woman drunken with the blood of the ſaints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Ieſus, and when I ſaw her I wondred with great admiration.
That by the great whore, that by Babylon here ſpoken of, Rome is underſtood, the Romanists themſelves doe freely confeſſe, the Rhemists doe not peremptorily but faintly deny it, they diſtinguiſh indeed of Babylon in Rome, and the Church in Rome, they tell us Saint Ambroſe, Tertullian, Ierome, theſe confeſſe it, I could adde ſome more ancient, Bellarmine freely acknowledgeth it; Indeed they ſay Saint Iohn ſpeaketh of Rome Ethnick, not of Rome Chriſtian; Rome under the perſecuting Emperour, not of Rome under the Chriſtian Pope: It is enough, they confeſſe that Babylon is Rome, and Rome the ſeate of Antichriſt, and we all know Saint Iohn writes a Prophecy, not a Hiſtory; Hee tell us what ſhould bee, not what then was, and if Saint Iohn ſpake of Rome, it muſt neceſſarily follow, that he ſpake of Rome as now it is, not of Rome as then it was; of Rome Chriſtian, not Rome Ethnicke; of Rome under the Pope, not under the Emperor.
Thus you ſee Rome is compared to a Whore, to a great whore that ſits upon many waters, rules many nations, who made the Kings of the earth drunke with the wine of her fornication, that is clothed in Scarlet, Purple, Gold, Silver, precious ſtones and the like, and now mark how eaſie a thing it is to bee ſeduced, inticed, bewitched by the Church of Rome, what an alluring, enticing, tempting Religion it is, you ſee it is compared to a Whore, to a great Whore, to the chiefeſt of whores, to the mother of Harlots, ſhe hath in her hand a Violl of Gould full of abominations; You that are not acquainted with the Arts and Crafts and ſubtilties of Whores, read what Salomon ſaith,Pro. 7.10. who was the wiſeſt of men, yet ſhamefully befooled by them; A thouſand women took hold of him, and of them all he profeſſed he found not one good: hee ſpake much of them becauſe hee was much abuſed by them, and knew much by them, as in other places, ſo in the ſeaventh of the Proverbs: The Whore there ſpoken of makes Religion her pretext, uſes much art, flattery, and impudency; This great Whore, that bewitcheth the ſoules of men, ſhe pretends Religion, Saint Iohn ſaith, She had in her hand a golden Cup, though in that Cup was abundance of abomination, yet the Cup was of Gold. There are in the Church of Rome many ſingular, excellent, and admirable truths and things which as a golden cup ſhe holds forth; She hath the Scripture, the Sacraments, the Articles of the Creed, the Lords Prayer, the Tenne Commandements, many excellent things, whatſoever the Church of Rome holds with the Church of England is pure ſilver and pure gold: All that ſhe adores beſides, is at the beſt hay and ſtubble, yea much poyſon, and abominations, Saint Paul ſaith, verſe the fourth, the man of ſin ſits in the Temple of God, not in that materiall Temple, which was at Ieruſalem, (a fond conceit of ſome of the Ancients) The Papiſts themſelves how willing ſoever they are to embrace any thing that may take it from Rome, yet they themſelves refuſe it,Dan. 9. and the laſt. that Temple (Daniel ſaith) ſhall never be reſtored; Chriſt ſaith, not one ſtone ſhall be left upon another, and Hiſtory reports, that when they went about to build that Temple again, GOD from heaven by fire deſtroyed it; But in the Temple of God, that's the man of ſin, that ſits in the Church of God, the moſt eminent of all the Churches of God, where God had a great people, and whence God gathered his people; Antichriſt though he be an Adverſary and the adverſary Saint Paul ſpeaks of, the greateſt adverſary that ever the Church had, yet notwithſtanding is no open profeſt adverſary, as the Turke and Iew, but a ſecret, cloſe, myſterious adverſary, that ſits in the Temple of God.
In that Temple, ſee what bewty and glory to dazle the eye, and to charme the mind of the beholder; This great Whore is not only arrayed in gold and ſilver, Scarlet, Purple, and precious ſtones, as a woman may be, and therefore is called a woman alſo, but hath the attire of an Harlot, wanton, laſcivious attire, a ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous dreſſe; look into their Churches and ſee, not only the bewty and glory of them, as a woman may have, but a ſuperſtitious, Idolatrous dreſſe, as their Images, Crucifixes, Altars, Croſſes, and burning Tapers, all ſet forth lively to ſight; Looke into their ſervice and ſee what Pompe and glory and outward ſtate, What rich Robes, what Mucſicke, what ſinging, what ſweet and burning Incenſe, and the like. The Temple in Ieruſalem was not more glorious in outward Pompe, more gloriouſly arrayed, there were not more ſacrifices and ceremonies, then there are in the Church of Rome at this day; It was neceſſary to bee ſo at Ieruſalem, God would have it ſo, the people were a carnall people, meere children in underſtanding, God led them as a Nurſe by the hand, pleaſed them with carnall objects, with glorious buildings, with multitude of ſignificant Ceremonies, with terrene and earthly delights, God did it to this end, that hee might wooe and invite them to his ſervice. The Church was then in its Infancy; but now the Church is growne neere unto perfection, in it's laſt age, therefore they are not now neceſſary, Gods people how are a ſpirituall people; The Church of Rome uſeth now, what Ieruſalem did then, what then God commanded now hee forbids, what then hee bleſſed now hee curſes; To draw them to ſuperſtition and Idolatry, both which are ever beutifull and ſpecious, full of pomp and ceremony.
Secondly, in the Papacy there is nothing hard nor difficult, nothing which a meere Carnall man, which a voluptuous perſon, a very Epicure and Libertine cannot eaſily digeſt; All the Religion of the Church of Rome is like the Religion of the Scribes and Phariſees, the true fathers of them, a very outward Religion, an empty Casket, a dead and naked Carkas, what is Popery but a painted outſide: Their Church prayers they doe not underſtand, their private prayers they meaſure by weight, their Repentance and confeſſion, it is in ſome ſmall pennance, their faith is the faith of the Church, they live not by their owne faith; Their Obedience is to the Pope, not to God; They have their pardons, their indulgences, their Purgatory, their ſupererogations; and I know not what, no ſinne that they can commit, but the Pope will pardon, no ſinne that they would commit, but the Pope can diſpenſe withall, no matter how long they have lived in ſinne, in any ſinne, though the ſin againſt the HOLY GHOST; yet extreme unction at the laſt wil ſalve all: I know they make a great cry, and clamor; and tell us, as the Prieſts of Baal▪ they cut themſelves with Knives and Launcers till the bloud guſh out, they tell us of their frequent faſtings, of their often watchings, of their bloudy whippings, of their long Pilgrimages, their Rigorous diſcipline, their voluntary poverty, their ſimple obedience, their Maſſacring the body, their lying in the duſt, and endangering of their lives, and a great deale more and could anſwer all theſe with the firſt of Iſay: Who hath required theſe things at your hand, what are theſe their ſacrifices? trifles, nothing in compariſon of that great worke God doth require: were all theſe true, reall and not fained, did they the ſame things indeed which they ſeeme to doe, were there no Iugling nor no deluſion, nor mitigation, nor diſpenſation, yet all theſe and more in the extremity and height, were nothing to the crucifying of the fleſh with the affections of it, to the mortifying of earthly members, ſinnes as deere as the bodily members, to the killing of the old man, to the breaking of the heart, to the wounding of the ſoule, to the ſpirituall obſervation of the Law, and to the beliefe in Chriſt Ieſus; what is it for a man to give the firſt borne of his body for the ſinne of his ſoule? to give his goods to the poore, and his body to bee burned to ſave his ſoule? Yea what is it to lye in their Inquiſition, their Purgatory, in hell a thouſand yeares, and to purchaſe Chriſt by this? all this were nothing, what the ſervants of Naaman ſaid, My Father, If the Prophet had commanded thee a greater thing, wouldſt thou not have done it? how much more, when he ſaith, Waſh and bee cleane; If the Pope command greater things to purchaſe Heaven, would they not doe it, how much more theſe ſmall things? There's nothing hard in the Church of Rome, which a meere Carnall man, a voluptuous Epicure, a Libertine cannot eaſily digeſt.
Thirdly, in the Papacy there are many Arts, and Crafts, and ſubtilties and deviſes to deceive and entice people withall; Saint Paul ſaith, verſe 9. that the man of ſinne his comming is after the working of Sathan, with all power and ſignes, and lying miracles, and the like; Antichriſt hath his hookes, his ſnares, his ginnes, his temptations and deluſions, ſutable to every complexion and condition of man or woman; If hee ſees any Ambitious, hee tempts them, as his father did our Saviour Chriſt, when he ſhewed him all the kingdomes of the world, and the glory of them, great preferments and dignities there are in the Church of Rome, more preferments and greater than are in the true Church of God: nor are they ſparing to promiſe to give them: Adams ſinne cleaves to all Adams ſonnes, we would bee above, this is a peſtilent baite, and by this they draw many Schollers from us; If they meete with any covetous, they have their ſilver and golden Balls, the golden wedge and Babyloniſh garment, they will ſhowre gold into their lappes, and by this they draw Marchants and Tradeſmen from us; If they meete with any credulous and ſuperſtitious, they have their ſignes and wonders and lying miracles. I know no Religion extant in the world, that challenges wonders and miracles but the Religion of the Church of Rome: they object againſt us, and upbraid us with it, that we have no wonders and miracles, they have, much good may it do them. Antichriſt comes in all deceiveablenes of unrighteouſneſſe with ſignes and lying wonders to deceive them that periſh; If they meete with any fearefull by nature, and ſcrupulous of hell, they have their apparitions and viſions, make them heare ſcriekings and howlings, preach nothing but horror and terror, hell, death and damnation; If they meete with any ſicke, they excerciſe their charms and ſpells, and can and do caſt out devils through the power of the devill. If they meete with any conſtant in Religion, they have their torments, their tortures, their purgatories, their hel, their Inquiſition; Satan (ſaith one) doth not alwayes appeare in one and the ſame faſhion, but hath as many ſeverall changes, as Proteus among the Poets: At Liſtra hee appeares like a Comoedian, as if a ſcene of Plautus were to be preſented upon the Stage, at Antioch like a Ieſuite with traditions in his mouth. At Athens hee fallies out like a Philoſopher; At Epheſus like an Artificer in his Apron: And as Sathan, ſo the eldeſt ſonne of Sathan, ſo in the manner, with ſignes and lying wonders, he hath his profound Plots, his lying and ſubtill deviſes, his wiles and ſtratagems, to deceive them that are ſtedfaſt: It's eaſie to be drawne away, then
Stand fast:
Laſtly, in the Papacy, conſider the agents the inſtruments, Romes factors, the great Whores Pandors are crafty to inveagle and betray me to their Religion, they are crafty, ſubtill, baſe and impudent. Read how the ſpirit of God deſcribes them in the ninth of the Revelations and the firſt verſe, and ſo forward.
And the fifth Angell ſounded, and I ſaw a Starre fall from Heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomleſſe pit, and there aroſe the ſmoake of the pit, as the ſmoake of a great furnace, and the Sunne and the aire were darkened by the ſmoake of the Pit, and there came out of the ſmoake, Locuſts upon the Earth, and unto them was given power, as the Scorpions of the earth have power, and it was commanded them that they ſhould not hurt the graſſe of the earth, neither any greene thing, neither any tree, but onelyonly thoſe men which have not the ſeale of God in their foreheads, and to them was commanded that they ſhould not kill them, but that they ſhould bee vexed five moneths, and that their paine ſhould bee as the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hee hath ſtang a man: therefore in thoſe dayes ſhall men ſeeke death and ſhall not find it, and ſhall deſire to dye, and death ſhall flye from them: and the forme of the Locuſts was like unto horſes prepared to battaile, and on their heads were as it were Crowns like unto gold, and their faces were like the faces of men, and they had haire as the haire of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of Lions, and they had Habergeons as the Habergeons of Iron.
The Papiſts themſelves confeſſe, that there by the Starre fallen from Heaven is meant the maſter of ſome great error and hereſie, and by the Locuſts that ariſe out of the earth, the reachers of thoſe hereſies, that goe about to infect the people of God. The Rhemiſts ſay, this Starre fallen from Heaven is ſuch as Arius, Luther and Calvin was; The Star that ſhall lead me to the light of this Starre that is fallen from Heaven, ſhall bee that fixed Starre now in Heaven, KING Iames. Kings have a ſpeciall intereſt in the book of the Revelation; And God hath made them of great uſe there to bring downe the man of ſinne: Then it may well ſtand with the wiſdome of God to reveale the meaning to them: And of all Kings, I heare of none that hath taken that paines in the Revelation as King Iames; This Starre (ſaith hee) is the Pope who was once in the kingdome of Heaven, as a glorious bright Starre in Heaven above, who had an eminent place in an eminent Church of God; The Locuſts that infect the aire, are that innumerable multitude and diverſe orders of Eccleſiaſticall perſons, as Fryers, Monkes, Prieſts, Cardinalls, Ieſuites, and I know not whom, who bring as much deſtruction upon all ſorts of men, as Locuſts to the graſſe, and tender herbe; As Locuſts come by ſwarmes, and overſpread the whole earth, ſo theſe fill the whole earth with their Inſinuations; The ſhape of them is like unto Horſes, prepared to battell, to ſignifie that their forme of practiſe and policie ſhall be ſo worldly wiſe, that they ſhall want nothing pertaining to the ſetting forth of their intents, no more than a horſe of ſervice, which is curiouſly barbed, fitted and prepared for the fight; They had on their heads, Crownes of Gold, they pretend great holineſſe, none more then that Eccleſiaſticall order, even as the Elders, becauſe of their true holineſſe, had Crownes of Gold, ſo they, becauſe of their pretended holineſſe, have Crownes of Gold alſo. They have the faces of men, they come with the faces, and Reaſonings of men; Sophiſticall Arguments, ſubtill Philoſophy, which Saint Paul cals vaine Philoſophy; The haire of women: As the haire of women is a ſpeciall part of their bewty to deceive men, ſo they have Arts and Crafts, to draw men to their Religion; They have habergeons of Iron: to ſhew they are backt with authority, and the like. I could goe on further, they are many and crafty, full of power, have Crownes of Gold, the heads and faces of men, the haire of women, all alluring, tempting, enticing and bewitching: thoſe that in this place are called Locuſts, in the ſixteenth of the Revelation and the 13. are call'd frogs: Frogges indeed, like thoſe frogs that came into the houſes and bed-chambers of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and of his ſervants, and all his people, no place nor perſon free: they are the ſublimate, and the tranſcendent Inſtruments of deceit, they come out of the mouth of the Dragon, out of the mouth of the beaſt, and out of the mouth of the falſe Prophet; The very ſpirit of the Devill, active, powerfull, ſtrong and ſtirring, full of deluſion to deceive men.
Brethren, you ſee what reaſon you have to ſtand fast, that you be not by any drawne back againe to Popery.
Secondly, conſider, it's a dangerous thing to be drawne away to Popery. I ſay, conſider the danger that attends all them, that are drawn away. All Papiſts, in that ſenſe that I ſpeake of Papiſts, for I doe not ſpeake of all that may be Popiſhly affected, or incline to ſome Popiſh opinions, but ſuch Papiſts as derive their name from Papa, the Pope, that hold him to bee the head of the Church, that ſubſcribe to the Counſell of Trent, all Italianated, Ieſuited Papiſts, they are Traitors to the King under whom they live, Heretickes, Infidels and Atheiſts, in continuall danger of temporall deſtruction, and at laſt ſure of eternall damnation.
Firſt, all ſorts of Papiſts are Traitors to the King under whom they live; Not to prove this by an Induction of particulars from thoſe many Treaſons that have beene committed in this Land, when was there any Treaſon, ſince the beginning of Reformation, or ſcarce before, but they were the Contrivers, Plotters, Actors, at leaſt the favourers and Abettors of it? Was not Sumervile, Parrey, Babington and his complices Papiſts? was not Lopez and his Abettors Papiſts? was not Campion and Parſons Papiſts? were not the Gunpowder Traitors Papiſts; was not Cateſby, Winter and Perſey, was not Digby, Rooke-wood and Treſham, was not that Incarnate Devill Guido Fawkes, were they not all Papiſts? Nor yet to prove them Traitors, becauſe the Law of the Land makes them Traitors, which hath enacted, that all thoſe Prieſts and Ieſuites that come into the Land are Traitors, all that bring Agnus Dei, that maintaine the Popes ſupremacy above the Kings, and labour to draw obedience from the King, and perſwade to Rome, are Traitors. But I will prove it from the principles and maximes of their owne Religion, that ſhew neceſſarily all ſuch Papiſts muſt bee Traytors in that kingdome where they live; All Religions may perhaps have ſome that are Traitors in it, but no Religion under Heaven (ſet aſide the Religion of the Church of Rome) doth neceſſitate and compell men to be Traitors; They have a maxime among them, I finde it in Bellarmine, that Kings have not their immediate power from God, but from the people, yet ſo that the people transferre their power into the perſon of the King, yet keepe habitually in themſelves, which they may make a principle for Traytors: It's ſaid of all that the Pope may excommunicate Kings, and Kings ſtanding ſo may be depoſed, and thoſe that goe about to infect the people, the people ought to riſe up againſt them, and that it is not only a lawfull, but a neceſſary and a meritorious worke; The Engliſh Papiſts (ſaith a Ieſuited Engliſh Prieſt) are well to be excuſed for not riſing againſt their King, becauſe they want power; had they power to their will, the King ſhould either obey the Pope, or elſe they would not obey the King.
Papiſts are Traytors.
Secondly, Papiſts are Heretickes, Infidels and Atheiſts, not to ſpeake of their innumerable multitude of leſſer errors, called Veniall ſinnes, yet notwithſtanding the number of them may helpe to drowne the Shippe of Rome, nor yet to ſpeake of their groſſer Tenents, not yet confirmed in the Church of Rome, but diſputed in their Schooles, there are ſome hereticall errors maintained among ſome, ſo groſly hereticall, that whoſoever holds them, muſt neceſſarily be an Heretick, Infidell and Atheiſt; Such is their Image worſhip, their Altar worſhip; their Croſſe worſhip, their Saint worſhip, their Angell worſhip, their Relicke worſhip and the like, ſuch is Iuſtification by works, works of ſuper-arrogation, but above all, the tranſcendent hereſie, the head of hereſies, that the Pope is the head of the Church, above the Scriptures, above Synods, above Counſells, that he cannot erre, is ſo hereticall, that whoſoever holds it in Radice, in fundamento, denies all the Articles of the faith, denies the booke of God, and by neceſſary conſequence denies GOD himſelfe: for whoſoever they are that build any thing on a falſe foundation, if the foundation falls, all the building falls with it. Saint Paul tells us, that the man of ſinne, ſits in the Temple of God as God, and exalts himſelfe above all that's called God, above all Kings and Princes, to whom God imparts ſome part of his power and name, above all Synods and Councells, yea he ſhewes himſelfe as God, for he advances himſelfe above God, he will diſpenſe with the morall Law, bleſſe where GOD doth curſe, and curſe where God doth bleſſe, no Law, nothing ſhall binde him, this wicked one, (called ſo verſe the eight, the Greeke word ſignifies properly this lawleſſe one, for ſo indeed the Pope is a lawleſſe perſon whom no law of God nor man is able to bind,) he diſpenſeth with ſolemne oathes, the ſureſt tye betwixt man and man: that exact and well compoſed oath of Allegiance, they make it a Sampſons Cord; To hold the Pope to bee the head of the Church, is more incongruous and improper, more blaſphemous and derogatory againſt Chriſt, then if a man ſhould make an excellent Image of exquiſite and exact forme, delineated in all the points to the life, with necke and ſhoulders, with armes and hands, with thighes and legges, and ſhould place thereon a Gorgons head of an hideous and monſtrous ſhape. That Image in Daniel was more uniforme that had a head of gould, breaſt and armes of ſilver, belly and thighes of braſſe legges, of Iron, and feete part of Iron, and part of Clay, then to have the legges and thighes of Gold, and the head of Clay; This is ſo hereticall and damnable, that whoſoever holds it muſt neceſſarily bee a Heretick, Infidell and Atheiſt.
Thirdly, Papiſts are in continuall danger of temporall deſtruction. The Popes Paraſites, Romes builders, give the ſame glorious titles, Attributes and Eulogium, to the City of Rome, that once the Prophets of God did to Ieruſalem, calling it the Holy City, the City of the great King, the joy of the whole earth, the Queene of Nations, the everlaſting, the eternall Citie, and yet Rome muſt downe, Babylon ſhall fall, the ſpirit of God ſpeakes plaine enough, reade the whole eighteenth of the Revelations at your leiſure, hee that reades it may underſtand, for the Text you ſee is plaine enough, it muſt downe.
Rome muſt downe by the ſword, Popery muſt downe by the word; Rome firſt, Popery after; Thoſe ten Kings that cleave unto her ſhall at the laſt make War againſt her, Rome ſhall down, Popery ſhall looſe it's ſtrength, though not it's being, till the comming of Chriſt; I will not determine the ſet time when Rome ſhall downe, I have read the Conjectures of many, yet all agree, the time cannot be long, but Rome muſt downe; At the firſt comming of our Saviour Chriſt when there was a generall expectation of him, the Iewes did not know the particular time, the yeare, the monethmonth, the day, there is at this day in the Church of God a generall expectation of ſome change, though wee cannot particularly tell the time, the yeare, the month the day, it may be the time is now at hand, the Trumpet is ſounding to battaile; it may bee preſent with our ſelves, of uncertaine things wee can ſpeake but uncertainly, I ſubſcribe to them rather that conceive the yeare to bee one thouſand ſixe hundred ſixtie and ſixe though upon other grounds; tis plaine, Satan ſhall bee tyed up a 1000 yeares, ſixe hundred ſixty ſixe yeares is the number of the Beaſt, Antichriſt ſhall ſo long reigne, theſe two together make the juſt number, beſides looke into the Latin Alphabet, the tongue that Rome uſeth, and the numerall letters make up this number: But this wee can certainely ſay, Rome muſt downe, Rome ſhall fall, Rome in the Revelation is ſet downe by the name of Sodom, Gomorrah and ſpirituall Ieruſalem, Rome equalls their ſins, and ſhall beare their plagues, God calls his people to come out of her, that they bee not partakers of her ſinnes, and of her plagues: Rome muſt fall, and Papiſts are in continuall danger of temporall deſtruction.
Laſtly, all Papiſts (in that ſenſe that I ſay Papiſts) are ſure of eternall damnation, I may not ſpeake peace, where God ſpeakes no Peace: When Iehoram ſaid to Iehu, what peace Iehu? he anſwered, what peace as long as the witchcrafts and whoredomes of thy mother Ieſabell remaine? What peace can I ſpeake to Rome, while the ſpirituall whoredomes and witchcrafts of the Church of Rome remaine among them? Saul loſt his kingdome for ſparing Agag: And God may damme me, for ought I know, if I refuſe to damne them. They are but falſe Prophets Balaam-like, that bleſſe where God doth curſe; God preaches damnation to them, I may not preach ſalvation. In the third verſe of this Chapter, Antichriſt the man of ſinne is called the ſonne of perdition, and he is ſo indeed, both actively and paſſively: he is damned himſelfe, and is the cauſe of the damnation of others. The ſpirit is plaine in the 10, 11, and 12. verſes, hee ſhall work in them that periſh, and for this cauſe God gave them up to ſtrong deluſions to believe lyes, that all that receive not the truth in the love of the truth, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe, might be damned: See in the twentieth of the Revelations and the tenth verſe, what the end of them is, where all they muſt goe, into the lake that burnes with Fire and Brimſtone: They that write profeſſedly of this queſtion, whether a Papiſt can be ſaved or no, diſtinguiſh of times, places and perſons, firſt of times, ſince the Reformation, and before the Reformation: at thoſe times of ignorance God did connive; Then men would have ſeen and could not, the Sun did not then ſhine, our fore-fathers might bee ſaved in that Ignorance; But God commands every one to ſeeke after knowledge, the Sun ſhines cleere enough, Papiſts may ſee and will not, God gives them over to affected ignorance: he that will be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Againe they diſtinguiſh of places, where the light of the Goſpell hath ſhined, and where it hath not ſhined: in ſome places the Goſpell ſhines very bright and very cleere, as in ſome parts of France and Germany, and (bleſſed be God) in England; In ſome places is darkneſſe, they have the word rarely preached to them, God will not be mercifull to thoſe Papiſts where the light of the Goſpell ſhines as cleare as may be, and yet they remaine in darkneſſe.
Laſtly, they diſtinguiſh of perſons. It's confeſt of all, that a learned Engliſh Apoſtate Papiſt, cannot be ſaved. God hath preach'd damnation to them, ſo muſt we; Now you ſee the danger of being Papiſts, they are Traitors to the King under whom they live, Hereticks, Infidels, and Atheiſts, in continuall danger of temporall deſtruction, and at laſt ſure of eternall damnation.
And you ſee the firſt Reaſon why we ſhould ſtand fast, becauſe there wil be an Apoſtacy, a falling away to Popery, the ſecond followes more briefly.
Secondly, Therefore ſtand faſt, Reaſ. 2.becauſe of Gods great mercy in bringing the Goſpell among you, as the Apoſtle inferres this exhortation from the thirteene and foureteene verſes, thoſe immediately before the Text. Conſider (beloved) what a bleſſing it is, that God hath brought the Goſpell into this Land, and miraculouſly preſerved this Goſpell.
Firſt, conſider what a bleſſing God hath brought among us, this glorious Goſpell, the greateſt bleſſing that ever God brought into any nation under heaven. Were the Land as the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah was before its deſtruction, were it as Eden before the curſe, as the Garden of God, as Paradiſe, were all our Marchants as Nobles, our Nobles as Princes, our Princes as Emperors, were Silver and Gold as it was in the dayes of Salomon, were our houſes like Salomons houſe, our Churches like his Temple, were the foundations of our Cities, the Gates, the Walles, all of Pearles and precious ſtones, as wee read of the new Ieruſalem, yet (beloved) what were all this, if wee had no Sunne to enlighten us and ſhine upon us? What good would all this doe us? Light is ſweete, and it is a pleaſant thing to ſee the Sunne, that ſweetens all, the want of it embitters all, Deut. 4.7, 8. For what nation is there ſo great that hath Statutes and Iudgements ſo righteous, as this I ſet before you this day? What Nation is ſo great as this Nation, that hath ſuch righteous Iudgements? Marke, the righteouſneſſe of GOD to a people makes a Nation great, and God is ever neere the people where the Goſpell is, Righteous Iudgements and righteous Statutes makes a Nation great, and we have righteous Iudgments and righteous Statutes, therefore a great Nation.
See the curſe of that people from whom God takes the Goſpell, and then tell mee what a bleſſing it is to have the Goſpell; It's neceſſary (ſaith the Apoſtle) that the Goſpell ſhould bee firſt preached to you: but ſince you have refuſed life and ſalvation; loe henceforth wee turne to the Gentiles; Everlaſting life and the Goſpell goe together: Salvation is of the Gentiles: Salvation and the Goſpell goe together: the Kingdome of GOD ſhall bee taken from you, and given to a Nation that will bring forth better fruits. Marke, the kingdome of GOD and the Goſpel goe together; and if that Kingdome bee once taken away, then all the kingdomes of the world, Crownes and Scepters heapt together cannot comfort that people. Beloved, God hath brought the Goſpell among you, the greateſt bleſſing:
Therefore Stand fast:
Secondly, conſider how and when God brought the Goſpell to us, England was a Land of darkneſſe: Poperie, Superſtition and Idolatry mightily prevailed among us, what nation almoſt under Heaven more Barbarous, Idolatrous, heatheniſh, ſuperſtitious, then the Engliſh Nation: Inſomuch that one calls it the Popes Aſſe, becauſe of thoſe Antichriſtian taxations and burdens laid on us, and for thoſe many Rebellions, Treaſons and ſeditions, our King was proverbially called the King of devils, yet in the time of the greateſt darkneſſe of Popery and Ignorance God brought this Goſpell, though not as the Sunne at noone day, yet as the Sun in the morning, that ſhines more and more to the perfect day.
Laſtly, conſider God hath preſerved this Goſpell among us in great peace and in great plenty by weake meanes.
I muſt begin (becauſe the time is paſt) with that bleſſed Queene of ever bleſſed memory, Queene Elizabeth, who though ſhee was of the weaker Sexe, and daughter to a great King, in the Raigne of her ſiſter Queene Mary, a poore priſoner ſhut faſt in the Tower, toſſed from place to place, in continuall danger of her life, attended with bloudy diſpoſed men, often deſtined to death, yet God bound up her ſoule in the bundle of life, and ſet her in the Throne, and great things God did by her: through her, Religion was reſtored to its Primitive purity; Shee refined the corrupt Coine, reſtored the Royall Navie, ſuccored the Scots againſt the French, the French Proteſtants againſt the Papiſts, and both of them againſt Spaine; Shee defended Belgium againſt the whole Armies of Spaine, Shee commanded the whole Ocean, kept continuall warre with the Beaſt; The roaring Bulls and damned Treaſons that came from Rome, were but as Arrowes of Reed thrown againſt a Brazen wall; Shee brought Spaine low, conquered his invincible Armado, eſcaped thouſands of Treaſons, after a long and bleſſed Raigne dyed in her bed in peace; She left her Religion and her kingdome in peace, and purity to her ſucceſſor.
What Clouds of bloud hung in the aire, what threatnings and denunciations of Warre, what diſmall dayes did the Papiſts prophecy of, when the Orientall Starre did ſet in the Weſt; Yet God brought a Starre from the North, KING Iames came to the Crowne, and no dogge did open his mouth to barke againſt it: he continued what ſhee had begun, perfected what ſhe did leave, he newly tranſlated the Bible, a great and glorious worke, perfected our Liturgy, gave the greateſt blow to the man of ſinne of all that went before him; GOD preſerved his dayes very long, like Salomons: this day ſpeaks Articulately enough, and with a loud voyce concerning his and our preſervation, from the Gunpowder-Treaſon: never treaſon ſo bloudily intended; ſo ſecretly and cloſely carried ſo neere to be executed, ſo damnably undertaken, ſo admirably defeated, as the Gunpowder Treaſon; Not unto us, not unto us, but to thy Name be praiſe, O Lord: Brethren, you ſee what Reaſon you have to ſtand faſt: becauſe of the Goſpell, the greateſt bleſſing, which God hath brought in by weake meanes, and preſerved in great power: This for the Reaſons enforcing this duty, I muſt ſpeak a word of the duty, which that you may doe, briefly,
Stand faſt:
Firſt, doe not foſter nor nouriſh any ſecret hid ſinne, or corruption in your boſome;2 Tim. 3.6 It's prophecied of the laſt times, that they that are led away with error will firſt be led away with their owne luſts, none but ſuch whom God hates (ſaith Salomon) will God ſuffer to fall into the hands of a whoriſh woman, and God hates none but them that love their ſinne: Let mee tell you, one luſt nouriſhed in the ſoule, will bring a man to hell, to the devill; One luſt maintained, will bring a man to Rome, to the Pope; It was a good advice that one gives young Chriſtians, that they ſhould begin at the latter end of Saint Pauls Epiſtles, a corrupt life can never have a ſound judgement, beware of nouriſhing the leaſt ſinne, beware of covetouſneſſe, beware of pride, beware of lukewarmneſſe, beware of every ſin. The Pope is called the man of ſinne in this Chapter, and whoſoever allow themſelves in any ſinne, are in danger (being hard put to it) to adhere to the man of ſin.
Secondly, have no converſe, no acquaintance, no familiarity, no friendſhip, have nothing to doe with Papiſts, depart from them, that yee bee not partakers in their ſinnes, they are of an infectious nature, and a man cannot touch pitch and not be defiled by it. See what a ſpeciall charge God gives the people in the 7. of Deuteronomie from the firſt verſe to the ſixth; Have nothing to doe with the Nations among whom ye come, have no acquaintance, make no league, no covenants, no mariages with them, and there's a morall Reaſon annexed that concernes us as much as them; for they will turne you away from following mee: And there you ſee what GOD charges them, To cut downe their groves, breake downe their Images and the like; I cannot but commend herein the policie of our Adverſaries of the Church of Rome: That will not ſuffer one Lutheran, nor Calviniſt, nor any of the reformed Religion to be within their power, but upon the leaſt ſuſpition, he muſt into the Inquiſition. What's the reaſon that the Pope will not diſpenſe in Spaine or Italy if a Papiſt marry a Proteſtant, and yet here they will diſpenſe with them; I pitty thoſe that have Papiſts lying in their boſomes, thoſe Children that have popiſh Parents, thoſe ſervants that have popiſh Maſters, thoſe Tenants that have Popiſh Land-lords, thoſe poore neighbours that have great Popiſh friends, Beloved, ſtand faſt, have nothing to doe with Popery in any kinde whatſoever.
Thirdly, read none of their books, truſt none of their miracles, beleeve none of their Legend, preſerve none of their Relickes, keepe none of their Images.
You may ſee what a ſtrict charge God gives the Nazarites, he forbids them wine, that they ſhould drinke nothing that comes of the Vine;Num 6.3. & 4. The beſt of the Kings of Iudah are branded for leaving the groves: in the beginning of Reformation, when the King ſeized upon the Abbies and Monaſteries, it was both policy and wiſdome in time not onelyonly to ſeize upon their goods, but to demoliſh their houſes, to ruine their buildings, to lay deſolate their places, for Ziim and Ohim, had they continued, thoſe Locuſts and Frogges would have filled their places againe.
In Italy and Spaine there is not one Booke of Proteſtant writers ſuffered among them, they have their Index Expurgatorius to wipe out what ever may ſavour of true Religion, Nay as a wiſe and learned Traveller ſaith, the books of Bellarmine are very rare to bee found among them, becauſe hee quotes the Arguments of the Proteſtants in them, learne wiſedome from them, have nothing to doe with what they have.
Fourthly, pray mightily to GOD that God will uphold and ſtrengthen you with the right hand of his power, that you may ſtand faſt, CHRIST tells Peter hee prayed for him, that his faith might not at all faile; If CHRIST prayed for Peter, Lord what great need have we to pray for our ſelves, that our faith may not faile? you may (Beloved) bee tempted yet above your ſtrength, there may yet come a time of tryall, and an houre of temptation, you have not yet reſiſted unto bloud, yet you have lived in a land of peace and ſafety, you have not beene ſcar'd with the barking of Vncouth Wolves, Prieſts and Ieſuites have been baniſht from among us, and long may they be baniſht, once they were baniſht from France, thither they returned againe, the times may come about ſo, that they may returne to us againe; O you that would ſtand faſt, pray, pray mightily to God, Barnabas was drawne away, for ought I know the temptation may be ſo great, that we may be drawne away; Then do as IEHOSAPHAT did, when that great Army came againſt him, cry mightily to GOD that you may ſtand faſt.
Laſtly, would you ſtand faſt? Receive the truth in the Love of it. Becauſe they would not receive the truth in the love of it, God gave them up to ſtrong deluſions; I ſay, receive the truth in the love of it. You heare many Sermons, you have the book of God in your hand, much peaching; It is not enough to have the word of God in your heads, but you muſt have it in your hearts.Heb. 11. We read of the Fathers, that they received the promiſe afarre of, the word is emphaticall, they leapt at the promiſe, received it with great Ioy; O let the word ſinke deep into your hearts, be well grounded in Religion: It is better there, then ſwimming in the braine, many poore ignorant men, by this have kept cloſe to the truth, when many great Schollers have proved Apoſtates, receive the truth in the love of it; Thus much for the duty, have patience for one word of exhortation.
Muſt we ſtand fast to the Goſpell,Vſe of Exhortation. that we be not drawne away to Popepery? ſuffer (men and Brethren) a word of Exhortation: You that are Magiſtrates of the Land, you that are Miniſters, yea all the people of God. Among other Reaſons, ſome give this Reaſon for one; why Samuel went throughout the Land every yeare in circuit, to ſee if he could find out any Idols of the Gentiles, that they had hid, or any graven Image or carved worke; Our Iudges in their Courts, and Biſhops in their Viſitations give in charge, for diligent inquiry, what Recuſant Papiſts, or popiſhly affected there are; We have ſingular, excellent, good lawes, for the preſervation of the puritie of Religion, and to keepe under Popery; whence then is it (men and brethren) that Popery ſo far prevailes this day, that Popery ſo much increaſes among us; I beſeech you that are arm'd with Authority, go to the utmoſt of your authority, you that have power to puniſh, puniſh; to indict, indict; to preſent, preſent: let not Papiſts reſt in peace, in ſafety, in ſecurity by you; If the chiefeſt and greateſt men of a Pariſh bee Papiſts, their children, their ſervants, their attendants, their Tenants, their poore neighbours, their rich kinred and friends, are all in danger by them. My Lord, will have his followers aſwell of his vices, as of his perſon; If hee leaves his friend at the Churchdoore, hee turnes not backe without his Attendants: If his honour pleaſe to bee Idolatrous, they will waite on him to Maſſe; You that keepe backe the ſword from doing juſtice, when God calls for it, you may your ſelves dye by the ſword of God, and the bloud of all that Pariſh through your neglect, ſhall lye upon your heads, Crudelitas pro Chriſto, pietas eſt; cruelty for Chriſt is godlineſſe. You to whom the ſword of the ſpirit is committed, draw forth that ſword; Lift up your voyce like a Trumpet, Cry aloud and ſpare not; Tell the Papiſts of their tranſgreſſions, and the Church of Rome of her Abominations: Warn the People of God to flye from them, leaſt they be partakers of their ſinnes, and of their plagues, Exhort them to ſtand fast, to the Goſpell already received, diſcover the nakedneſſe of the one, and ſhew the beauty of the other: The Angell of the Church of Epheſus is commended for his labour and patience, and for that hee could not beare with them that were evill, but tryed them that ſaid, they were Apoſtles, and were not, and hated the Nicolaitans, which GOD alſo hates; Let this bee our Crowne and our Glory, that if any periſh, they periſh not through our default; O let not falſe Shepheards, theeves and wolves bee more painefull; Let not Ieſuites compaſſe Sea and Land, to make one Proſelyte, of their owne Religion, which when they have done, they make him ſeavenfold more the child of the Devill then themſelves; Let them not come with their lives in their hands, with the hazard of their bloud, to pervert them committed to our charge, and our ſelves ſit ſilent, but let us lift up our voyces in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon: And let them know, there are Prophets among them, and if the people will not be charmed, ſend them to God with this Inſcription on their foreheads; Noluerunt incantari: They will not be charmed; Let us to our power ſave our owne ſoules and them that heare us.
Laſtly, you the people of God, ſtand faſt, to the Goſpell, if an Angell from Heaven preach any other Doctine, let him be accurſed; O ſearch the Scripture throughly: It was the ſpeech of a dying Archbiſhop of this Province, one of the laſt that ever he ſpoke to his Chaplein, I have ſaid much, and writ much, and read much, and preacht much; Yet in all the booke of God, I doe not finde the leaſt ground for Popery. Saint Paul withſtood Peter to his face, and gave him no place, no not for an houre; O withſtand Peter of Rome, who can challenge nothing of Peters, but that title which Chriſt once gave him, Sathan, and that fact, in denying his Maſter; I ſay, withſtand him to his face and give him not place, no not for an houre. I can never ſufficiently admire and wonder at the ſpeech of bleſſed Luther, who (though he was very earneſt to have the Communion adminiſtred in both kinds, contrary to the Doctrine and cuſtome of the Church of Rome,) yet he profeſſes, if the Pope (as Pope) commanded him to receive in both kindes, he would but receive in one kind: Its a generall rule among the beſt, that what the Pope commands as Pope, though it bee good or indifferent, as to pray, to read, to lift up an eye, a hand, to weare blacke or white, a lace, a modell, to drop a Bead, as the Pope commanding it; It is a receiving the marke of the beaſt, a yeelding our ſelves the Vaſſalls of Sathan, and an Implicite denying the faith of Chriſt; So extremely venimous is the poyſon that lyes at the root of that fundamentall hereſie, which they have layed at the very Rocke and foundation of their faith, ſo dangerous and pernitious it is to hearken to the Pope.
The renowned Martyrs in Queene Maries days, would ſhow no reverence to the commiſſioners from the Pope, and let mee tell you there are many things in the Church of Rome that may be, that are decent to be uſed in the Church of God, ſome things there are at this day in practiſe in the Church of Rome, that were in uſe in that Church when it was not Antichriſtian, in the times of the Primitive Biſhops and bleſſed Martyrs; Some things uſed, that are not yet commanded by the Pope as Pope: what ever we uſe with the Church of Rome, we uſe it, as commanded by another power, not becauſe commanded by the Pope, ſo that what we doe, is to bee accounted an Act of obedience, what they doe is to bee condemned, becauſe commanded by the Pope; be wiſe as Serpents, Innocent as Doves, rightly diſtinguiſh of times, places, and perſons, ſo ſhall you not endanger your own ſoules, nor diſobey them that are over you, nor ſcandall them that live with you.
Laſtly, muſt we ſtand faſt? Let us give thanks to our Lord God, that we ſtood faſt to this day; It is very meet, and our duty, that wee ſhould at all times and in all places give thankes to thee, ô Lord, holy father, but chiefely for the deliverance of this day, from that unparallell'd matchleſſe, damnable Gunpowder Treaſon. Therfore with Angels and Archangels, and all the glorious company of heaven, we laud and magnifie the name of God and ſay,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabboth, glory be to God on high.
O all ye works of the Lord, praiſe ye the Lord, bleſſe him and magnifie him for ever.
O all yee Angels of the Lord, bleſſe yee the Lord, praiſe him and magnifie him for ever.
O all yee Children of men, bleſſe yee the Lord, praiſe him and magnifie him for ever.
O all yee Priests of the Lord, bleſſe ye the Lord, praiſe him and magnifie him for ever.
O all yee ſervants of the Lord, bleſſe yee the Lord, praiſe him and magnifie him for ever.
O all yee Kings and Emperors, all people and Princes, all Iudges, young men and maides, old men and babes, praiſe yee the name of the Lord, for his name is only excellent, his glory is above the Earth and Heaven, hee hath exalted the Horne of his people, the praiſe of all his Saints, even the people of England, a people neere unto him, praiſe the Lord; Happie are we, who are like unto us? ſaved by the Lord, the ſhield of our helpe, and the ſword of our excellency. The eternall God is our Refuge, and underneath him, are the everlaſting Armes, he hath ſaved us, and if wee truſt in him, hee will ſave us, from this time forth and for evermore, bleſſed be the God of our ſalvation, and let all the People ſay, Amen.
FINIS.