A Protestant Antidote Against the Poison of Popery, Title page – Dedication
A PROTESTANT ANTIDOTE Againſt the POYSON OF POPERY. CLEARLY Proving the Religion of the Church of Rome, to be
1. Superſtitious,
2. Idolatrous,
3. Damnable,
4. Bloody,
5. Novel,
6. Inconſiſtent with the Publick Peace,
7. Irreconciliable to true Chriſtianity.
Publiſhed for the Publick Good.
By Chriſtopher Neſſe, Miniſter of the Goſpel in Fleetſtreet, London.
Every Plant which my heavenly Father hath not Planted, ſhall be rooted up.
Matth. 15.13.
LONDON, Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms in the Poultrey. 1679.
To the Right Honourable, the Lords and Commons of England.
Right Honourable, &c.
'TIS a moſt Conſpicuous and undeniable Truth, that You are the grand Patriots and preſent Patrons of all that is near and dear to us, both as we are Men and as we are Chriſtians: You are our bleſſed Zerubbabels (which ſignifies Born in Babel or far from Confuſion; the good Lord grant, that however ye might be born in it, ye may be graciouſly removed far from it) Or our ſweet Shezbazzars, (which ſignifies Joy in Tribulation, the good Lord make you no leſs to theſe three Nations) whom God hath raiſed up (in this critical conjuncture of Babyloniſh Confuſion) as Saviours upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Eſau, or Romiſh Edom; that the Kingdom may be the Lords, Obad, v. 21. Even a Kingdom of Righteouſneſs and true Holineſs; wherein the Crown may be placed upon our Lord Chriſts (not Antichriſts) Head, Cant. 3.11. 1 Chron. 29.11. Iſai. 33.22. that there may be a foreign, a divine or holy Government; and that the Temple of the Lord (which hath been burnt and broken down) may be built again, that the Lord our God may dwell amongſt us. It muſt be acknowledged, that (as Zerubbabel or Shezbazzar had in his way, ſo) you have in your way great Mountains, Zech. 4.7. Mountains of Prey, Pſal. 76.4, 5. Yea, deſtroying Mountains, Jerem. 51.25. Though Babylon be called there a deſtroying Mountain, and ſeated upon a Rock that is unacceſſible and not underminable, yet God hath promiſed (for your encouragement) that he will level it and lay it low enough, v. 28. This deſtroying Mountain God will make a burnt Mountain, like a great heap of Rubbiſh and Aſhes, as this City lately was when burned down by Babyloniſh hands; the Lord will Retaliate, and pay Rome with her own Coin, as it is foretold of her, (that Radix omnium malorum.) Rev. 17.16, 17.
Tota eris in Cineres quaſi nunquam Roma fuiſſes,
Wo, wo, wo to her, God will make Roſtmeat of her Fleſh, and burn her (for an old Bawd) with fire: this deſtroying Mountain ſhall be deſtroyed, when God cometh to Threſh thoſe Mountains and beat them as ſmall as Duſt before him, Iſa. 41.15. Oh that you may be a new ſharp Threſhing Inſtrument (having Teeth) in the hand of the Lord, to maſh in pieces thoſe mighty Mountains, and to level the loftyeſt of them (that are ſet aloft, and overtopping the poor feeble Jews, Nehem. 4.2. the Seed of God) and to bring them to the loweſt place (which is fitteſt for them) to wit, the Footſtool of Chriſt: Surely every Mountain (though never ſo great) ſhall become a Plain, or a Champiagne Paſſable Path, the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it, ſaying: Who art thou, O Great Mountain? before Gods Zerubbabels thou ſhalt become a Plain, Zech. 4.7. which is the Virgin Daughter of Sion's lofty Interrogation, inſulting over the defiled and defiling Daughter of Babylon, notwithſtanding her Greatneſs and Haughtineſs, 2 Kin. 19.21. There is no Mountain ſo ſtrong but it may be moved, if not removed, by an Earthquake, when God terribly ſhaketh the Earth, Hag. 2.6. Nah. 2.3. Babylon meddles not with her match, in meddling with a matchleſs God, who is more glorious and excellent than all Mountains of Prey, Pſal. 76.4. All Mountains melt at his Preſence, Nah. 1.5. Pſal. 114.3, 6, 7. He that giveth the gift of Miracles whereby to remove Mountains, 1 Cor. 13.2. muſt needs have that power much more himſelf; A quo aliquid tale eſt, illud eſt magis tale. The Rabbins ſay, that the Pillar of Glory (which was Iſrael's Conduct from Aegypt to Canaan) ſtubbed up every Buſh, and levell'd every Mountain that lay in their way to the Land of Promiſe.
Right Honourable, The Lord of Hoſts be with you, and the like Pillar of Providence (to do the like Offices of Love for you in your difficult Work) go before you: As the Temple (lately burnt) cannot be built again, until thoſe Mountains of Rubbiſh (which lyes upon the ground) be removed; ſo the Temple of God cannot be Repaired by you (our Zerubbabels) untill this work be done: Your Preſent and Primary Work is to remove Mountains of Rubbiſh, the [foreign] that which now Letteth will Let, until it be taken out of the way, 2 Theſſ. 2.6, 7. The Spirit of the Lord be upon you, that (as you have already given many hearty lifts at the Rubbiſh, ſo) you may not only effectually remove it, but be able alſo to caſt it all into the Brook Kidron, 2 Chron. 29.16. and 30.14. and 2 Kin. 23.12. Oh! what good man will not aſſiſt you in caſting ſuch Traſh into the Town-ditch, (ſuch a ſordid place was Kidron,) that you may go on and Proſper (as Aſah, Hezekiah, and Joſiah did,) in the Name of the Lord. What true Engliſhman will not ſay, [The bleſſing of the Lord be upon you, Pſal. 129. ult.] And ſay, [God ſpeed your Plough,] that hath ſo much fallow ground to break up before you, that you may not ſow among Thorns, Jer. 4.3. Alas! you do meet with much Fallow Ground, a Miſpah with its Snares, a Tabor with its Nets, Hoſ. 5.1. A Beth-Aven, much Land of darkneſs, all Fallow Ground in England, although it was ploughed up in Edward the Sixths, and in Queen Elizabeth's time, &c. The Plough of the Goſpel muſt go oft over the Land, before it be fit Soil for the Celeſtial Seed, from the beſt of Sowers, the bleſſed Seedsman, the Lord Jeſus: 'Tis for Wo and Lamentation, that our Land is grown fallow again, and ſhould it not (by your Plough) be broken up, our Nation would ſoon be broken up: The breaking up of thoſe bloody Romaniſts may prevent the breaking up of this bleſſed Nation; ſhould thoſe curſed Thorns be ſuffered to grow up again with their ſharp Pricks, (as they did after the firſt Ploughing by Edward the Sixth in the Marian days,) Oh! what dreadful Flames, Burnings, and bloody Cruelties would fall upon us? Witneſs that [Praelibamen] or Foretaſt thereof, not only in thoſe frequent Fires, but alſo in that Barbarous Murther of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey, before the Power of the Nation was made over to them.
My Lords and Gentlemen, Ploughing Work is a Work of great difficulty, eſpecially among tall, overgrown, deep rooted, and churliſh Thorns; rending and tearing up of Fallow Ground, and turning it upſide down is a Work of great Difficulty; yet the Removens prohibens, removing Remora's hath moſt hardneſs in it, when this is done, the Action will prove leſs difficult than the Agitation; the Contrivance will be harder than the Accompliſhment. The ſecond Ploughing of Fallow Ground is more eaſie than the firſt, and the third is more eaſie than the ſecond; the Ardua as well as Arcana Imperii are now before your Honours: You are got into a Wood, Wilderneſs, and Labyrinth, (no leſs is your Generation-work God hath called you to) and were I as worthy as Jonathan, I would do that Office of Love, yea duty for you, which he did for his dear David, when he went into the [Wood] to him, and ſtrengthned his hands in God, 1 Sam. 23.16. by minding and reminding you of the Promiſes, Providences, and Protection of your God: My Cordial Prayers to God for you ſhall be conſtantly, that you may be coming out of the [Wilderneſs,] leaning upon your Beloved, Cant. 8.5. and going thence with our Engliſh Iſrael towards the Land of Promiſe; yea, and I doubt not but you have a better Threed than that of Ariadne, which helped Theſeus out of the [Labyrinth,] even the Wiſdom of the wonderful Counſellor, to extricate you out of all thoſe Popiſh Intreagues you are now involved in. And that I may the better Strengthen your hands in God, I cannot hide from you thoſe Preſaging Providences of Gods Prevalent Actings, in tendency to our deliverance from Popery at this juncture of time; all which buoys up my Faith above my Fear, and (I hope) may do yours.
The firſt Preſaging Providence is, Great Diſcoveries do preſage great Deliverances▪ God hath marvellouſly brought to publick light thoſe private Popiſh and Diabolical deeds of darkneſs: Previſion is [tantamont] Prevention, both in Sacred and Civil Hiſtory; praeviſa jacula minùs-feriunt, et premoniti, premuniti; forewarn'd, forearm'd, and Darts foreſeen are dintleſs. God hath ſhot three Arrows, (as in David's Caſe, 1 Sam. 20.21, 22.) three Witneſſes, Mr. Oats, Mr. Bedlow, and Mr. Prance, Arrows all, not to wound us but to warn us, that the intentions of Bloody MEN were for our utter deſtruction. Thus when Mordecai was Informed, or [Jadang, Hebr.] came to know of the bloody Decree, this was Gods means to break the Neck of cruel Haman's wicked deſign, Eſth. 4.1. &c. Thus alſo the marvellous diſcovery of the Powder Plot (in this Land) was (in Gods hand) the marvellous diſappointment of it: And ſurely 'twas no bad Argument, which Sampſon's Mother uſed to his Father Manoah, If God would have deſtroyed us, he would never have diſcovered theſe things unto us, Judg. 13.23.
The ſecond Preſaging Providence is, Diviſion is the Mother of Deſtruction: (God forbid it ſhould be amongſt us, ſicollidimur, frangimur, if we claſh we break,) but now (praiſed be God) 'tis found among our Enemies: The Language of Babel-Builders is divided and confounded; oh how do Prieſts and Jeſuits now divide and diſcover Prieſts and Jeſuits, &c. Hereby their Nimrods or cruel Hunters with all their curſed Chamites, are diſperſed from their Babel-Building, Gen. 11.7, 8, 9. Our Lord ſaith, If Satans Kingdom be divided againſt it ſelf it cannot poſſibly ſtand, Matth. 12.25, 26.
The third Preſaging Providence is, A Beginning hath a Preſaging Tendency to the End. To this Zereſh (Haman's Wife, and probably a prudent Woman) ſpoke ſhrowdly and pertinently, ſaying: If Mordecai be of the Seed of the Jews before whom thou haſt begun to fall; thou ſhalt not be able to ſtand but thou ſhalt ſurely fall before him, Eſth. 6.13. Principium per media tendit ad finem: Haman was but barely begun to fall a little below Mordecai in honour. Hence his final Fall was foretold, either by Divine Inſtinct as the Sybils and Caiphas, or only by Humane Prudence, drawing this notable Concluſion from the common cuſtom of Riſing and Falling Favourites: And may not we inferr alſo, that ſeeing ſome of Gods and the Kingdoms Adverſaries have certainly begun to fall before you (the true Mordecai's of our day) they ſhall not be able to ſtand, but ſhall ſurely fall before us: Oh that it may be a final and an irrecoverable Fall.
The fourth Preſaging Providence is, Perſecution of Proteſtants peaceably diſſenting, is much turned into Juſtice upon Papiſts bloodily deſigning: Whereby the Lord intimates, he will perform with his Hand what he hath promiſed with his Mouth, to wit, of taking the Cup of Trembling out of the hand of Sion, and of putting it into the hand of Babylon, (Iſa. 51.17, 22, 23.) to make her drink the very dregs of it, Rev. 14.10. Babylon ſhall drink not only unto drunkenneſs but alſo unto madneſs, ſhe ſhall Spue and Fall and riſe no more. Jer. 25.18, 21.
The fifth Preſaging Providence is, A changing the Kings Word: This was a Praeſage of Deliverance to Gods Triary, the three Nobles of Babylon, that the Kings Word or Counſel was changed; they had been taken into the Kings Council, Dan. 1.20. and 2.49. but afterwards were impeached and caſt into the Furnace: Thoſe Servants of the moſt High God, were not only delivered, but promoted to their former and greater Honours, Dan. 3.28, 30. In concurrence herewith, the Kings Word (or Counſel) is now changed, ſome Perſons of Honour (who have been highly honoured, but afterwards Impeached and caſt into the Tower) are again Promoted to be of the Privy Council, and one▪ (as another Daniel) to be Preſident thereof: The Riſing of New Favourites is always the Fall of Old ones, as Mordecai's was of Haman's. No doubt the ſame God that hath changed the Kings Word (or Counſel) can influence his Heart as he did the Heart of Cyrus, Ezra 1.1. The Kings Heart is in the Hand of the Lord, Prov. 21.1. to turn it as eaſily as the Ploughman doth his Water-courſe with his Paddle, or the Gardiner with his hand.
The ſixth Preſaging Providence is, The mighty Turn which is wrought upon the Spirit of the Nation in General: 'Tis expreſly ſaid, that the [Sibbah hebr.] Circuit, Revolution, or turning about of the Spirit of the Ten Tribes was from the Lord, 1 Kin. 12.15. As the Heart of the King ſo the Hearts of the Kingdom are in the Hand of the Lord, and he ordereth all diſorders, Judg. 9.23. 1 Sam. 8.19, 22. There is a Cry in our Ears at this day, Oh Wheel! And there is a Wheel within a Wheel; Ezek. 10.10, 13. 'tis the Father of Spirits that ſets on or takes off the Spirits of People, and vox Populi eſt vox Dei.
To Summ up all, the ſeventh and laſt Preſaging Providence is, God hath put his Hand to the Plough, and he will not look back, Luke 9. 62. The Wheel (of Providence) goes ſtreight forward, and returns not as it goes, Ezek. 1.9, 12, 17. But to the Place whither the Head looks, the Wheels follow it: They turned not as they went, Ezek. 10.11. God poſitively Proteſteth, When I begin I will alſo make an end, 1 Sam. 3.12. When he once begins his Execution of Juſtice, [quod Verbis minatur, reipſa praeſtabit,] he will perform with his Hand what his Mouth hath ſpoken, and go through ſtitch with his Work, he will neither dally nor deſiſt till it be done; and aſſuredly none can deny, but the Great God hath begun this his Great Work (called his ſtrange Work, Iſa. 28.21.) and God will Accompliſh his Fury, Ezek. 5.13. for All his Works are perfect, Deut. 32.4. He is not like the fooliſh Builder in the Goſpel, that lays the Foundation and hath not wherewith to finiſh, Like 14.28, 30. But the good Work that God hath begun, he will perform it until the day of Jeſus Chriſt, Phil. 1.6. Notwithſtanding the pauſes that Providence makes in its Paſſage and Progreſs, ſuch are but as ſo many Parentheſe's which never interrupt (but rather Illuſtrate) the Sence of a Sentence. Sometimes 'tis the Method of Providence (in order to the fulfilling of Promiſes) to ſtep backward; as David, after he was Anointed the firſt time by Samuel, was brought to Saul's Court to drive away the Evil Spirit from Saul, which could not but give him ſome hope of the Crown God had promiſed him by Samuel, yet after this was David brought thence to his Country Life of being a Shepherd. Notwithſtanding Gods Providence, as the Battering Ram (that ſteps backward) comes on with greater Force again. Now,
My Lords and Gentlemen, Having all theſe Preſaging Providences (humbly Propoſed, not peremptorily and Dictator like Impoſed) for your Encouragement; Ariſe and be doing for the Lord is with you, 1 Chron. 22.16. The ſound of Gods goings is gone out before you, (the Footſteps of his Anointed, Pſal. 89.51.) and you may hear an hurrying noiſe upon the very tops of thoſe tall Cedats (you have impeached) in the Tower; therefore now muſt you up and at it; and (with holy David) beſtir your ſelves (like Men, yea like Gods) againſt thoſe uncircumciſed Philiſtins, 2 Sam. 5.23, 24. That the Lord may give you the Gift of Miracles, not only for Removing thoſe great Mountains that lye in your way, but alſo to caſt out thoſe ſeven Unclean Spirits (mentioned in this Treatiſe) out of the Land, ſo as never to return upon us any more, Mark 9.25. That God may be your Arm every Morning, Iſa. 33.2: And that the Arms of your Hands may be ſtrong by the bleſſing of the Everlaſting God of Jacob, Gen. 49.24. and that your Bow may abide in ſtrength, until you have ſhot the Arrows of England's Deliverance, 2 Kin. 13.17. So Prayeth,
Your Daily, and Moſt Devoted Grator, Chriſtopher Neſſe.