Certain Discourses, Part 1
The judgement of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland, what is understood by Babylon, in Apoc. 17. & 18.
Apoc. 18. v. 4.
Go out from her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and receive not of her plagues.
IN these words we are straightly enjoyned, upon our peril, to make a separation from Babylon. For the understanding of which charge, these three Positions following are to be considered.
The first Position.
THat it is plainly foretold in the the Word of God, that after the planting of the Faith by the Apostles; the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth should be seduced and drawn into damnable errours: and that the mother of all these Abominations of the Earth, should be a certain great City called Babylon, in a Mysterie.
Proof.
THis we finde directly laid down in the Revelation, that aaApoc. 17. v. 18. & 18 v. 2. & 21. great Citie calledbApoe. 17. 5. in a mystery Babylon should become the mother of the spiritual whoredome and abominations of the earth, so that the cApoc. 17 2. & 18. v. 3.Kings of the earth should commit fornication with her, and the I…habitants of the earth should be made drunke with the wine of her fornication.
The second Position.
THat by this great City Babylon (the Mother of all the abominations of the earth) is understood Rome.
Proof.
1. BY the clear Testimony of Scripture, in the seventeen Chapter of the Revelation; where this City is described unto us, First by the situation; that it is seated upon seven Hills, (v. 9. 18.) and then by the largeness of the Dominion thereof; That it is that great Citie that ruleth over the Kings of the earth, (v. 18.) Now that by these two marks Rome was most notoriously known in the Apostles dayes, may appear even by the Romane Poets, who describe Rome just after the same manner, asd(Horat. in Car. seculari.) Dii quibus septem placuere colles. Ovid;
Sed quae de septem totum circumspicit orbem
Montibus, imperii Roma Deumque locus.
Rome the place of the Empire▪ and of the Gods,Trist. lib. 1. Eleg. 4. Lib. 3. Eleg. 10. which from seven hills doth take a view of the whole world. And more shortly Propertius.
Septem urbs alta jugis toti quae praesidet Orbi.
The City mounted on seven hils which ruleth the whole world. No man reading Propertius, ever made question, but that Rome was here described; and therefore no reason why any doubt should be made, what that great Citie may be, which with the same colours is painted out unto us in the book of the Revelation.
2. By the judgement of the anancient Fathers, affirming expresly that Rome is meant by Babylon, in the seventeenth Chapter of the Revelation, as the Rhemists themselves doe voluntarily confess in their last note upon the first Epistle of Peter
3. By the Confession of those who are most Devoted to the See of Rome: as (to name one for many,eDe Rom. Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 2. (Bellarmine the Cardinal Jesuite; whose words are these: [Iohn in the Revelation every where calleth Rome Babylon, as Tertullian hath noted in his third Book against Marcion, and in his Book against the Jewes: and it is plainly gathered out of the seventeenth Chapter of the Revelation: Where great Babylon is said to sit upon seven Mountains and to have Dominion over the Kings of the earth. For there is no other City which in the time of Iohn had Dominion over the Kings of the Earth, but Rome; and the building of Rome upon 7. hills, is a matter most famous.] Hitherto Bellarmine.
The third Position.
THat old Rome onelyonly under the Heathen persecutors (from the time of the first Emperour till Constantines dayes) was not Babylon (as the Proctors of the Church of Rome would perswade us) but Rome in her last dayes being free from the Government both of Heathen and Christian Emperours. And that Rome was to be that Babylon, which should draw the Kings and Nations of the world unto Superstition and Idolatrie from such time as it ceased to be subject to the civil Prince (and became the Possession of the Pope) until the last destruction thereof, which is yet to come.
Proof.
1. THe matter of Babylon is revealed unto Saint John as a mysterie, Apoc …7. 6. But the persecution of the Church by the Heathen Emperour was far from being a mysterie: For it being openly committed,Apo…. 1▪ 9. Saint Iohn himself at the same time being a companion with the rest of the Saints in this tribulation (banished for the Word of God, and for the witnessing of Iesus Christ into the Iland Pathmos:) this could not be shewed as a secret and mystical thing. And therefore some further matter, not then openly known to the world must here be intended.
2. The state of Babylon after her fall, is thus declared, Apoc. 18. 2. … is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon the great Citie is become the habitation of Devils, & the hold of all foul spirits, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird; for all Nations have drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication with her, &c. If Heathen Rome onelyonly were Babylon, it would follow that upon the fall thereof in the dayes of Constantine the Emperour, Rome professing the Faith of Christ should then become the habitation of Devils, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Which being a most grosse and absurd imagination, it must needs be granted, that after the dayes of the Christian Emperour, the faithful Citie should become a harlot; Romans 1. 8.even Rome (whose Faith was once renowned throughout all the world) should become Babylon the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the Earth.Apoc. 17. 5.
3. Such a Desolation is foretold should come upon the great City Babylon (which in the second position is proved to be Rome) that it should utterly be destroyed and never built again, nor reinhabited, (Apoc. 18. v. 21, 22, 23.) Now at that very time when this judgement shall come; it is said that the Kings of the Earth which have committed fornication with her, shall bewail her and lament her, (Rev. 18. verse 9.) whereby it is most evident that Rome is not to cease from being Babylon, till her last destruction shall come upon her; and that unto her last gaspe she is to continue her spiritual fornications, alluring all Nations unto her superstition and idolatrie,
4. Saint Paul, 2 Thessalonians 2. 7. Declareth that there was One in his time who did hinder the revealing of that wicked man, who was to be the head of this Apostacie, and falling away from the Faith. And when that he should be taken out of the way, then (saith the Apostle Verse 8.) Shall that wicked man be revealed. He that with-held and made this hinderance in the Apostles time could be no other but the Emperour, in whose hands, as long as the possession and governement of Rome remained, it was impossible that that wicked One (of whom the Apostle speaketh) should raigne there. So that upon his removal, that man of sinne must succeede in his roome, whereupon that great Citie, wherein he placeth his Throne falleth to be that Babylon, Revel. 18. 23.which should deceive all Nations with her inchantments. Now all the world can witnesse, that the Emperour, who sometime was the Soveraigne Lord of Rome, is now quite turned out of the Possession thereof, and the Pope entered thereupon in his stead. Whereupon it followeth, that the Pope (for all his Holiness) is that wicked one of whom the Apostle Prophesied,2 Thess. 2. 4 that he should sit in the temple of God exalting himself above all that is called God or worshipped: And consequently, that Rome, (where he hath settled his Chayre) hath long since begun, and yet continueth to be that Babylon; from whose communion we are charged to sever our selves, by that voyce from Heaven,Apoc. 18. 4. Goe out of her my People, that ye be not partakers of her sinnes, and receive not of her Plagues.