Zions Memento and Gods Alarm, Sermon

Zions Memento and Gods Alarm · Sermon

p. 1A SERMON PREACHED AT THE late Faſt, before the Commons Houſe of PARLIAMENT.

ZECHAR. 2. 7.

Deliver thy ſelf, O Zion, that dwelleſt with the daughter of Babylon.

BEhold two Nations, two manner of peodle ſtrugling in the bowels of this Text and Kingdom, Jacob and Eſan, Sion and Babylon. Now the Kingdom lies groaning in its throws and pangs, in its agony and bloody-ſweat; let us fall into a devout agony and penitent ſweat, if we cannot ſweat blood let us ſweat tears, let every pore of our body be a weeping eye, a crying, a praying mouth, to beg a ſafe delivery for our labouring Mother, who travails in the anguiſh of her ſpirit. Let us intreat God to comfort England, as he did Rebekah, Geneſ. 25. 23. And the Lord ſaid unto her, Two manner of people ſhall be ſeparated from thy bowels: O let us pray that either Babylon may be ſeparated, expelled out of the bowels of Sion, or Sion delivered out of Babylon.

p. 2When the poor Iews were priſoners in Babylon, by the rivers of Babylon there they ſat down and wept, and wept amain, when they remembred Zion, Pſal. 137. 1. Oh for Ieremies tears, and Ieremies ſpirit, that we might write another book of Lamentations, to bewail the miſerable ſecurity of this preſent age! Sion ſits down by the rivers of Babylon, the waters of ….ſtrife, and rivers of Confuſion, and ſhall there be no fountain in our Head, or Heart; no penitent ſtreams flowing from our eyes? The God of heaven make this marble ſweat, that we may not keep a Mock-faſt to day, with dry eyes and hard hearts.

Come, let us blow off the aſhes from our zeal, let us enflame our hearts with ſad but ſervent devotion: Sure if, as Heraclitus dreamt, our ſoul were but an Exhalation, the heat ….of our devotion would melt it into one indiviſible tear: Our ſoul would be its own tear, and we might well weep out our eyes and ſouls together on this day of tears. Oh let us remember to joyn Zecharies zeal with Jeremies tears, let us lie upon our faces to day, but up, up to morrow; the Prophet cryes Ho, Ho, in the verſe before my Text, to awaken and enflame your zeal and indignation againſt Babylon. Come, …pread abroad like the four winds of heaven, ſaith the Lord: Deliver thy ſelf, O Zion, &c.

In the words obſerve Zions bondage, and Zions deliverance: Zions Memento, and Gods Alarme. Zions Memento, to put her in minde of her ſad condition, ſhe was yet in the houſe of Bondage, like Galba's wit ſhe had but a foul habitation, ….an ill ſeat, and worſe neighbours: Zion that dwelleſt with the daughter of Babylon. But that's not all, it is not a bare gentle Memento, in a ſtill voice; Heus, heus, divinum foreign, Heark, heark, God himſelf ſounds an Alarme. Zion's faſt aſleep, ſhe ſnorts again, and therefore the Prophet lifts up his voice, and cryes, So Ho, O Zion awake, awake, rouze up thy ſelf out of thy ſecure pleaſing dream: Thy ſoul is aſleep, awake, quicken thy ſpirits, put on ſtrength O Zion, put forth thy ſtrength, uſe all poſſible diligence for thy redemption and Deliverance. Deliver thy ſelf O Zion, &c.

The Text at firſt glance preſents theſe two Propoſitions to our ſerious conſideration.

p. 31. It is ſometimes the hard lot of Zion to dwell with the daughter of Babylon: This point is ſo clear that I need not explain or confirm it, wee'l let that paſſe, and haſten to the ſecond.

2. Zion muſt take all fair opportunities, and uſe all lawfull meanes to deliver her ſelf from Babylon: I deſire to ſpend my ſtrength upon this Doctrin.

Give me leave to open the point a little: Come, let us Explication.walk the Round and ſurvey the bounds of Zion, and the bounds of Babylon. By Zion the Prophet means the people of God, whoſe **Anima eſt ubi amat, non ubi ani mat, Bernard.hearts were ſet on Zion, becauſe God had of old ſet up his Ordinances there, and made them a gracious promiſe, That they ſhould return thither again, and enjoy him once more in the Beauty, the Glory of Holineſſe. There were two Mounts which did belong to Hieruſalem, Mount Moriah, and Mount Zion; the Temple was built upon Mount Zion, and therefore Zion was the Mount of Holineſſe, and as it were the Throne of God here below, thither did the people flock, Micah 4. 2. Come, let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord—for the Law ſhall go forth of Zion: behold Zion is the Mountain of the Lord. But we muſt conſider further, that beſides the Iewiſh Sion, there is a Chriſtian Sion ſpoken of in the Prophets; and this very place of Micah which I have cited, points at the Chriſtian Sion, a Church conſiſting of all Nations, Gentiles as well as Jews; be pleaſed to peruſe the words. But in the laſt dayes it ſhall come to paſſe, that the Mountain of the houſe of the Lord ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the Mountains, and it ſhall be exalted above the hills, and people ſhall flow unto it: and many Nations ſhall come and ſay, Let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, verſe 1. 2. That this is clearly meant of the Chriſtian Sion, beſides the evidence of the words themſelves, the laſt verſe of the former Chapter, the third Chapter of Micah, doth ſufficiently declare: for the Iewiſh Sion, Ne… ullum reſtabit Civitatis veſtigi…, pars in arva pars in rudera, mons etiam …mus Dei in excelſa ab…bit ſilvoſa, nec non …erarū luſtra vide Ta…no… in ….Sion in the letter, was to be plowed as a field, and the Mountain of that Houſe was to be left as deſolate as the high-places of the Foreſt. Moreover this Propheſie was to be fulfilled in the laſt dayes, Micah 4. 1. Finally, the Law ſhall go forth of Zion, ſaith the Prophet Micah, to the Jews the Law came forth p. 4of Sinai, but to the Chriſtian Church conſiſting of Jews and Gentiles, the Law came forth of Sion when the Spirit was plentifully powred down upon ſome of all Nations at Ieruſalem, Acts 2. and therefore not **Rom. 11. 16, 17.Rom 11:16Rom 11:17Rome, but the Church which was gathered at Ieruſalem (if any Church) was the aaforeign. Theo…. Hiſt. Eccleſ. l. 5. …. 9. I… Ieruſalem prim… fan…a Eccleſia totius or bis Eccleſias ſeminavit, …iero…ym. Co…n Iſa c. 2. 1, 2Sir 50:5Sir 50:9Isa 2:1Isa 2:2Metropolitane or mother Church, and younger Churches were the daughters of that Evangelicall Sion: For we are not come to the Mount that burnt with fire, Heb. 12. 18. but unto Mount Sion, Verſe 22. The Apoſtle doth expound this Allegory more fully, Galat. 4. 24. Which things, ſaith he, are an Allegory; for theſe are two covenants, (or teſtaments) the one from Mount Sinai which gendreth to bondage, the other then is from Mount Sion, which tendeth to freedom, a covenant of Grace, the ſpirit of grace and holineſſe which is more plentifully poured Se… Reverend M. Reynol…s his learned Annotations on pſal. 110. from p. 269. to 274. Hiero…olymā Matr…m & Fontem Religionis vocat Teitull. cont. Marcion, lib 2. foreign per orbem …rrarum diſperſa, …yus …ives ſumus, …uorum foreign eſt in …a l…s Vide Be… Annot. in c. 4 … Gal. ver. 26.out upon the Chriſtian Sion, makes us precious ſonnes of Sion, free-men indeed. You ſee the Bounds of Sion.

Let us now take a view of Babylon. I need not ſay any thing of Babylon in Egypt, my Text points me to Babylon in Aſſyria; the Scriptures mention a third bb1 pet 5. 13… Babylo…is nomen multis plac…t foreign …fic…te con…uſionem in urbe Romana, Ioach, …amerar. Babylona autem pro…ie acc…pit … pro celebit …lla Aſſyriae urbe. Annot …b. Decem reges odio habituros purpuratam meretricem, id eſt, Romam, Bel. l. 3. de Rom. P…nt. c. 13. Hieronymus cum Romae ad Aſellam ſcripſit in haec verba. Ora autem ut de Babylone a… Hieroſolymam regrediar. Cum in Babylone verſares & purpuratae Meretricis eſſe Colonus a…ure Quiritium v… v…rem. Hierenym ad Ger…nt. de monogamia.Babylon, and in my Application the times will call upon me by Analogy and proportion to ſpeake much of this third Babylon, which is a Myſticall Babylon, the Romiſh Babylon; and yet I think wee need not travaile ſo farre as Rome to finde out Babylon: did you never heare of an Engliſh Babylon in Ireland, and an Iriſh Babylon in England, and a Romiſh Babylon even in Scotland? Is there not a Babylon in the North, and another in the West? a Babylon almoſt in every City, towne and pariſh? nay if we are impartiall in the ſearch, we ſhall certainely finde ſome Malignant luſts, ſome brats of Babylon in our owne boſome: you ſee the bounds of Babylon.

I ſhall begin with the Jewiſh Sion, and ſhew you what reaſon this Sion had to deliver her ſelf from the Aſſyrian Babylon.

1. The firſt Reaſon is, becauſe God had ſo often called Reaſons.upon Sion to ſeparate from Babylon: the people were Firſt, awakened by Jeremiahs prophecy. Secondly, they p. 5were encouraged by Cyrus his Proclamation: you may finde both put together, Ezra 1. 1. Now in the firſt yeare of Cyrus King of Perſia (that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might bee fulfilled) the Lord ſtirred up the ſpirit of Cyrus King of Perſia that he made Proclamation, &c. There was a threeſold Call, a call from God, a call from the Prophet, and a call from the King; and the Lord who ſtirred up the ſpirit of Jeremy, and the ſpirit of Cyrus, did ſtirre up the ſpirit of his people to anſwer this call, and depart from Babylon; for upon this Proclamation divers of the children of the Captivity went up to Ieruſalem under the conduct of their Generall Z…rubbabel, as you may read, Ezra 2. 1, 2. Now theſe are the Children of the Province, that went up out of the Captivity of thoſe which had beene carried away unto Babylon, and came againe unto Ieruſalem and Iudah, every one unto his City, which came with Zerubbabel, &c. Thirdly, the Governors & people were quickned to this great duty of forſaking Babylon, and building Sion by the miniſtry of the Prophet Haggai, and about two moneths after by the Prophet Zechariah. Ezra 5. 1. Hag. 1. 1. Zech. 1. 1. They both prophecied in the ſecond yeer of Darius, Haggai in the ſixth monethmonth, & Zechary in the eight monethmonth. But it ſeemes too many of the people upon ſome Carnall diſcouragements were unwilling to goe to Ieruſalem which was now but an heap of old rubbiſh and dead aſhes, nay ſome were as willing to ſtay in Babylon as Lots ſons-in-law to …tay in Sodom. God therefore gave them another Call yet in the ſeventh yeere of the raigne of Artaxerxes, and then many went up from Babylon upon the motion of Ezra the ſcribe: Ezra 7. 6, 7, 8. ver. But there were many lingerers behind yet, and our long-ſuffering God who is rich in patience did vouchſafe another Call yet, about thirteene yeeres after in the twentieth yeere of Artaxerxes, …or about that time Nehemiah began to ſtirre, as you may read, Nehem. 2. 1. You ſee here is Call upon Call; this may ſuffice for the firſt Reaſon; **foreign, the Church takes it, very name from its obedience to Gods cal. Omnes in Eccleſia non ſunt ex eccleſiâ.becauſe nothing but obedience to the Call of God can declare us to be the true Church of God.

My ſecond reaſon is taken from the Terminus à Quo, the Reaſ. 2.place from whence they were called, Babylon; or the daughters p. 6of Babylon, the City of Babylon was the Metropolis or mother Citty, the adjoyning townes and villages are called the daughters of Babylon, becauſe they followed the ill example of the City, they were nurſed up in all manner of Babyloniſh Idolatry and Impiety; Some of the people that belonged to Sion did certainely loyter too long in theſe townes and villages, and therefore the Prophet calls upon them in my Text. Deliver thy ſelfe, O Zion, that dwelleſt with Babylon, with the daughters of Babylon that are as bad as their mother. Babylon is, in the language of Auguſtine, The City of the Devill; and was it fit that the people of God ſhould lye loytering in the City of the Devill? Babylon was the Malignant Church, the Sinke of Sinne, the ſtall of Beaſts, the Throne of Idols, the Temple of Devills, and mother of confuſion. No place more infamous for their pride and tyranny, their cruelty and Idolatry; well might Sion be weary of ſuch a loathſome priſon, and noiſome dungeon, which could not but be offenſive by its ſtench and darkneſſe, even as Babylon the great is the Habitation of Devills, the Strong hold of foule ſpirits, Rev. 18. 2.

The 3d. Reaſon is taken from the Terminus ad Quem, the place unto which they were called, unto Ieruſalem, unto Sion. Reaſ. 3.Every motion takes its denomination from its Terminus ad Quem, but here even the Travailers themſelves who were to move take their Title from that Place unto which they moved. The people are called Sion, becauſe they were called forth to goe to Sion. Deliver thy ſelf O Zion. Sion was a place beloved of God, and all his people, the people were in love Pſa…. 87. 2. …: Lord loves the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Iacob.with Sion with reſpect to Gods Election, inſtitution, Promiſe, Bleſſing. God had choſen that place for his Seat of ſpeciall Reſidence, and did there exhibite himſelfe to his people by a viſible preſence. Moreover God had by a ſpeciall Inſtitution recorded his name, and ſet up his ordinances in Sion, and therefore the Temple was to be built againe on that mountaine; the Jewes were confined to a certaine place, to Sion; Some parts of publique worſhip were ſo appropriated to that place, that they were to be performed there, and no where elſe: Deut. 12. 13, 14. Take heed to thy ſelf that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou ſeeſt, but p. 7in the place which the Lord ſhall chuſe in one of the Tribes, there thou ſhalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou ſhalt do all that I command thee: The particular offerings are more diſtinctly ſpecified in the 11. verſe of the ſame Chapter: Your burnt offerings, and your ſacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord. Finally, God had promiſed a bleſſing to all them who came up to Sion, to worſhip the Lord in the Beauty of Holineſſe: At firſt there was a generall promiſe given, Exo 20. 24. In all places where I record my Name, I will come unto thee, and I will bleſſe thee. But when God had choſen Ieruſalem for the Seat of Royalty, the place of Juſtice, and Sion as the Mountain of Holineſſe, and place of publique Worſhip, then all the Tribes were to go to Ieruſalem for Juſtice, and to Sion to ſacrifice, Pſal. 122. 4, 5. Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord unto the Teſtimony of Iſrael, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. For there are ſet Thrones of Iudgement, the Thrones of the houſe of David. The poor people had long been deprived of the benefit of Iuſtice, and the liberty of Religion; but now God had promiſed by his Prophet Zechary that their Common-wealth ſhould be ſetled, their Church eſtabliſhed, their City and Temple both new builded, Zech. 1. 16, 17. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord, I am returned to Ieruſalem with mercies, my houſe ſhall be built in it, ſaith the Lord of Hoaſts: my cities through prosperity ſhall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord ſhall yet comfort Zion, and ſhall yet chooſe Jeruſalem. The firſt Temple was as glorious as Art and coſt could make it: but God who hath gold and ſilver, heaven and earth at his diſpoſing, had paſſed his word to them, that he would ſhake heaven and earth, ſea and land, and fill the latter houſe with the glory of the Lord Jeſus, who is the deſire and glory of all Nationa, Haggai 2. from the 6. verſe to the 9. Yet once it is a little while and I will ſhake the heavens, and the earth, and the ſea, and the dry land. And I will ſhake all Nations, and the deſire of all Nations ſhall come, and I will fill this Houſe with glory, ſaith the Lord of Hoaſts: the ſilver is mine, and the gold is mine, ſaith the Lord of Hoaſts: the glory of this latter Houſe ſhall be greater then of the former, &c. The Prophet you ſee had good p. 8reaſon to invite them to new Jeruſalem here below, a kinde of heaven upon earth, to Sion the habitation of Iuſtice, and mount of Holineſſe, the praiſe of the Jews, the glory of the Gentiles, the Houſe of God, and Type of Heaven.

Fourthly, God had now removed all rubs, he had opened the Kings heart and the priſon doors, if they would be active Reaſon 4.it was in their own power to deliver themſelves, and therefore the Prophet calls upon them to uſe their power, and to take that fair opportunity which was offered for their deliverance, and their glory, Deliver thy ſelf, O Zion: Why Zion, wilt thou be a Felo de Se? thy ſhackles are knockt off, the Po…ts are open, the Commiſſion is now ſealed; come, be not cruell to thy ſelf: what wilt thou be thine own tormentour, thine own priſoner? Before the ſeventy years were expired, thou waſt detained in Babylon, thou waſt a priſoner there, but now thy time is out, and therefore if thou ſtayeſt longer yet, thou are not a Priſoner, but a dweller in Babylon. Deliver thy ſelf O Zion, that [dwelleſt] in Babylon: There's the Emphaſis and ſtrength of the Prophets exhortation.

The Uſe of this Point is to ſtirre up the Chriſtian Zion, all true Proteſtants, to deliver themſelves from Antichriſtian Babylon, from the Babyloniſh army, & the Babyloniſh Church. The I…wiſh Zion had a miraculous deliverance from the Aſſyrian Babylon; though God be the Lord of Hoſts and hath all armies at his command, yet Zion was to be delivered not by might or by the power of an Army, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hoſts, by the Immediate hand of God, Zech. 4. 6. But I doe not find that Chriſtian Zion ſhall be delivered upon ſuch eaſie termes from Antichriſtian Babylon, doe not …latter your ſelves with vaine hopes, our deliverance will coſt bloud. 1. This is cleare to any man that hath ſtudied the booke of the Revelation, & what upon prayer & ſtudy God hath revealed by the clear Texts of the Revelation, I will this day deliver unto you though I were ſure to die S. Iohns death, or to be baniſht into S. Iohns Iland. The God of heaven give us a further Revelation of this Revelation, that it may be interpreted by the ſame Spirit by which it was written. S. Iohn▪ tels me that the Spirits of Devills ſhall go forth to the Kings of the earth, & of the whole p. 9world, to gather them to Armageddon, to the battel of that great day of God Almighty, Rev. 16. 14. 16. Secondly I know it is a great while yet to that great battell, yet the Spirits will be Scouting out long before. And ſure theſe Spirits have been at worke of late in Ireland, England, & Scotland too; the Babylonians are active, & muſt the precious ſonnes of Sion be meerely Paſſive? No, they muſt all Liſt themſelves under the King of Kings, whoſe veſture will be dipt in Anti-Chriſtian bloud: For as S. Iohn ſhewes that the whore, the beaſt, the falſe Prophet, the Kings of the earth, and the Devill joyne forces and gather their armies together; So will the Omnipotent Lambe, whoſe name is the Word of God, judge in righteouſneſſe and make war, Rev. 19. 11. He will overthrow the ſpirituall Iuriſdiction of Anti-Chriſt by his Word and Spirit, by that ſharpe ſword which goes out of his mouth. ver. 15. the conſciences of men In temple D… ſe det Antichriſtur, hoc eſt, Anſelmo Interprete, in mentibu… fidelium. Anſel… in 2 Theſ. cap. 2. In templo Dei, id eſt in eccleſia, qu… multi de Eccleſia illum recipient, vel ſecundum Auguſt▪ quod in templo Dei ſedeat, id eſt, principetur. Aquin. in 2 Theſ. 2. l…ct. 1. Aug de C…. D…i lib 20. cap. 19.2 Thess 2ſhall be ſo convinced by the powerfull preaching of the Goſpell, that Anti-Chriſt ſhall no longer ſit as God in the Temple of God, in the * conſciences of men, which are the peculiar Temple of God; and for this reaſon the Anti-Chriſtian faction doth ſo violently oppoſe all powerfull preaching. But then for the Temporall dominion of Anti-Chriſt: Ieſus Chriſt hath prepared a Rod of Iron, which ſhall breake in pieces all his uſurped power, and dominion, like an earthen veſſel, becauſe he hath his power from earth, and not by any ordinance from Heaven; Chriſt will come and over-rule him with a Rod of Iron, and tread the Wine preſſe of the fierceneſſe & wrath of Almighty God, Rev. 19. 15. and in that day of wrath Chriſt will have an army in the field, Rev. 19. 19. And I ſaw the Beaſt, and the Kings of the Earth, & their armies gathered together, to make war againſt him that ſate on the horſe, and againſt his Army. Behold the Noble Army of the Lord …eſus! and obſerve further, that it is ſuch an Army as is ſtirred up to fight from Scripture motives, not from Politique conſideratious, and therefore it is added in the 21. ver. That their bodies were ſlaine with that ſword which proceeded out of the mouth of Chriſt: & yet it was a bodily ſlaughter, for it followes, all the Fowles were filled with their fleſh: and no marvaile if theſe ſouldiers were encouraged to fight up-Scripture-motives, if you conſider what kinde of ſouldiers p. 10they are who doe the deed; Men Choſen and Faithfull. For when the Kings of the earth have given their power to the Beaſt, theſe choiſe-ſouldiers will be ſo faithfull to the King of Kings, as to oppoſe the Beaſt, though armed with King-like power. So S. Iohn, Theſe [Kings] have one minde, and ſhall give their power and ſtrength to the Beaſt; Theſe ſhall make war with the Lambe, and the Lambe ſhall overcome them, for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him are Called, and Choſen, and Faithfull. Rev. 17. 13, 14. You ſee the faithfull people make no ſcruple at all of fighting againſt the Beaſt, though their enemies were like enough to ſay, that by fighting againſt the Beaſt, they did rebell againſt their owne Kings, who had given their power, and ſtrength unto the Beaſt. Mark what that Text ſaith, they were called to this ſervice, choſen and pickt out on purpoſe, & therefore they had not been faithfull had they deſerted the Cauſe, and refuſed the ſervice. Nay they are encouraged to war by a promiſe of victory, and therefore are reſolved to fight againſt De…e aute illa quae it a coaluerint regna—cū Agus pugnabunt, victoria tamea tandē penes Agm…m Dominum noſtrum futura. Appl…c. Illud dudū factu… eſt, … que etiamnum fit: Hoc etiam aliquat… factu…, ſed multō glorioſio… victorta quandoque impletū …i ſperamus. Vti Doctiſſimus Interpret C…nt … Apocal. p. 261.the Beaſt, though hee come armed with the power and ſtrength of ten Kings, ſo S. Iohn. I could now tell you a long ſtory of the King of Spaine, & another of the King of France; but the times call upon me to ſpeak plain and home, and yet I will not ſpeake Treaſon neither. To what end ſhould we waſte time about a diſcourſe of Hull, and the Militia? Come ſpeake to the point. If a King of the Proteſtant Profeſſion ſhould give his ſtrength and power to his Queene a Papiſt, and ſhe give it to the Iefuits, to the Beaſt, it is neither Rebellion nor Treaſon to fight for the King, to recover his power out of the hand of the Beaſt; I ſay, for the King, that the power being regained may be ſetled upon the Kings Royall perſon, and poſterity; and then it is to be hoped that the King & they will take warning and beware how they truſt out their power another time. We are engaged to fight againſt the Anti-Chriſtian faction by our very … T…tu… ad Martyr.Baptiſme: Vocati ſumus ad hanc Militiam Dei vivi iam tunc cum in Sacramenti verba reſpondimus, as Tertullian to the Martyrs.See a little trea…ſe which I lately put forth of the Riſe, &c. of Socinianiſine.

But the Socinians and Anabaptiſts ſo much complained of, do here caſt in a ſcruple: We Chriſtians, ſay they, are called p. 11to faith & charity, and therefore it doth not become us to go to war. It is true, Chriſtians are called to faith, and therefore to deſend the faith, they muſt contend earneſtly for the faith, and be valiant for the truth. The Apoſtle reckons acts of valour Jude v. 3… Jer. 9. 3. Heb. 11. 33, 34.Jer 9:3Heb 11:33Heb 11:34amongſt acts of faith: Through faith they waxed valiant in fight, &c. Much more is it an act of faith to be valiant in the defence of the faith, an act of Juſtice and Religion; ſo Auguſtin.

And if you talk of charity, conſider that of the Authour, Omnes, omnium charitates Patria complectitur, Cic. off. l. 1. give me leave to ſay, Chriſtus complectitur. That is not true charity which will not conſiſt with faith: Be charitable to thine own ſoul, and the Church of God: Love thy Countrey, thy Religion, and thy Saviour better then thy eſtate, thy life, thy friends: be out of charity with the Whore and the Quid enim culpatur in bello? an quia moriuntur quandeque morituri ut dominentur in pace victur…t hoc reprehendere tim… dorum eſt, non Religioſorū—Alioquin Iohannes cum ad cum baptiz andi milites ve…irent dicentes, Et nos quid faciemus … reſponderet, Arma abjicite, Militiam Iſtā de…erite—ſed quia ſ…iebat eos, cum hac militand… facerent, non eſſe Homicidas, ſed miniſtros legis, & non ultores injuriarum ſuarum, ſed Salutis publicae Defenſores, vide Auguſt contra Mantch. lib. 22. cap. 74.Beaſt, they are fitter objects of thy hatred, then of thy charity; nay we muſt hate the Whore, and burn her fleſh; there is no mercy to be ſhewen to this Whore, ſhe will never be quiet till ſhe is burnt. It concerns the Governours of Sion, who are as the **Angelus vindemiator adbibitis Sanctis, quorum ad hoc negotium ei praefectura deman data eſt, betros Beſtianos putabit… abſci…detque: Eaque putatione ſua faciet in Armag…dduntem congregari, &c. Conſulas velim eruditi M. Mede Comment. in cap. 1…. Apocal. p. 255. & 265. ubi hac verba legas: Qua multorum manibus peraguntur, Angelo tamen tanquam …i gerenda Pr…ſidi & Duci pre communi l…quendi more tribuuntur.Angels of the Lord, to thruſt in their ſickle into the Romiſh vineyard, & cut down vine, and grapes, and all, becauſe it is the Vine of earth, it is not the Vine of heaven, all the Antichriſtian cluſters muſt be gathered together, and thrown into thegreat Wine-preſſe of the wrath of God: and when once the Wine-preſſe comes to be troden, beleeve it blood will ſpring up to the very Horſe-bridles, for the ſpace of a thouſand and ſix hundred furlongs, Revel. 14. 19, 20. This prophecy hath reference to that great ſlaughter which ſhall be made, Revel. 19. when the Lord Jeſus ſhall come to tread the Wine-preſſe, verſ. 15. You may gueſſe further yet at the greatneſſe of the ſlaughter, by the invitation of the fowls of heaven to ſupper, at the latter end of the day; Come, gather your ſelves together unto the ſupper of the great God, verſe 16. You may read the bill of fare in the 18. verſe, Come ye fowls of heaven, Come, eat the fleſh of Kings, and the fleſh of Captains, and the fleſh of mighty men, and the fleſh of Horſes, p. 12and of them that ſit on them, and the fleſh of all men, both free and bond, both ſmall and great. This Propheſie ſhall not be fulfilled till the pouring out of the laſt vial, for this is the laſt blow it will prove a bloody and a fatall Day; for the ſeventh Angel pours out his vial, and cries the deed is done, 'tis finiſhed when all the Babylonian troops ſhall be gathered to Armageddon. the deſtruction of troops, as the word imports. The Beaſt ſhall receive many a wound before, but this blow foreign … foreign ….ſhall diſpatch him, he ſhall never hold up his head more. Deliver thy ſelf, then O Zion. Chriſt is the great Deliverer, but though Chriſt be Principall, we muſt be Inſtrumentall in this great work of our own deliverance. Deliver [thy ſelf,] O Zion; and if thou canſt not be delivered without fighting, fight for thy deliverance.Conſiderations.

1. Conſider that Rome is Babylon; St. Iohn never ſpeaks one good word of Rome, quite thorowout the book of the Revelation; he calls it Egypt, or Sodom, or Babylon, the throne In Apoc. 17. appellatur Anti-Chriſtus, meretrix Magna, Sander. De Ant. Demonſt 13. The Pope is the whore that rides the Beaſt, yet St. Iohn doth ſometimes call this whore the Beaſt, Rev. 1 … verſe 11, 12. 1…. 17. becauſe … is the head of the …, that is, of thoſe people & Nation, which are as ſubject to the Pope a… a poore beaſt to a mercileſle… rider. foreign, ſid foreign, ſcilicet foreign. Non dicit ipſa …. Be… a eſt, ut perperam vertit vul…atus interpres, ſed ipſe, ſcil. rex. octavus eſt. Vide Dounam, de A…o lab. 1. cap. 5. ſect. 11. p. 57.Rev 17Rev 1:11Rev 1:12Rev 1:1Rev 1:17of the Beaſt, the ſtrong-hold of foul-ſpirits, the habitation of Devils. Rome was once the Spouſe of Chriſt, but behold, ſhe is not onelyonly turned an whore, but the mother of Harlots, and fornications, the Metropolis of Apoſtaſie, and myſtery of Iniquity, the great whore, Revel. 17. 1. a blaſphemous whore in the third verſe, a whore in purple, verſe the fourth, an impudent whore, that hath her beaſtlineſſe written, not onelyonly upon her Cell, but upon her Forehead, verſe the fifth, a drunken whore, a bloody whore, in the ſixth verſe, I ſaw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints, with the blood of the Martyrs of Ieſus. We need not run to Antiquity to ask their opinion, what whore, and what beaſt this is, or where this whore dwells; St. Iohn ſpeaks ſo plain, that the **Vltimum caput Beſtia (impertum Romanura tenentem ſine nomine Imperatotus) A…iſtum eſſe fa…etur Bellarminus lib. 3. de Pontifice c. 15. Conſulantur Viegas in Apo. 17. …. 3. Ribera in Apot. 14. Numb 27.—20. Ambroſius Anſvertus in Apocalip. lib. 6. Vbi eſt illa dudum ſuper omma regna exaltata in…lyta Roma, Babylon ſecunde? Beatus Rhenanus, Petrarcha, Aventinus, Dantes, Ludovicus Vives in ab 18. Civ Dei. c. 22. Primaſius in cap. 16. Apocalip. Roma eſt quaſi ſecunda Babylon, Aug de G…. con…. Manich. lib. 2 c. 1. Hieronym. Epiſt, ad Euſtoch. Paulin. Marcell. Idem in Catal. Script. Eccleſ in Marco Antichriſtus j am pridem natus eſt Romae, & al…ius extolletur in ſede Apoſtolicâ, inquit Ioa… Abbas. Mal o de Antichriſto p. 182, Bellarm. l. 3. de Rom. Pont. cap. 13.Num 27Jeſuits themſelves are forced to confeſſe that this whore was to domineer p. 13at Rome: It is the City which is built upon ſeven Hills, which had had ſo many governments, five of which Septem urbs alta jugis, toti qua proeſidet orbi, Propert. l. 3 eleg. 10. Tertul. adv. Iudaeos. Idem Centra Marcion. l 3. c. 13.were fallen before St. Iohn writ this Book, Kings, Conſuls, Tribunes, Decemvirs, Dictatours; one remains ſtill ſaith St. Iohn, namely the government of Emperours, and the other, that of Popes, was not then come. And that we might be ſure not to miſtake, St. Iohn tells us, that it is the great City which reigned over the Kings of the earth in his time, Revel. 17. 18.

2. Conſider who is the Generall, or the Commander in Chief, of the Babylonian Army; St. Iohn hath ſet him forth like a God of the world, with Titles enough, the Serpent, the Dragon, the Angel of the bottomleſſe-pit, for 'tis he, that gives all the orders and directions to Antichriſt: He adviſes him to lay claim to a Power which belongs not to him. Irenaeus long ſince hath clearly ſhewn that the Beaſt with two horns, and the Falſe Prophet, are but one and the ſame Beaſt: Learned M^r. Mede hath ſhewn that the Beaſt with ten horns, doth ſignifie the Secular Power of ten Kingdoms, who by the impious ſubtilty of the Dragon, combine Nam ſeptē capitū numerus Romani regni inſigne eſt, ut & decem cormium geſtamen—cornibus (quae ſolius noviſsimi capitis ſunt, impoſita diademata regnū illud ſub noviſſimi capitis vice exhiberi oſt c̄ dunt. M. Med. Cō. Apocal. p. 182. Per Beſtiam c 13. Apoc. de terra aſcendentem—omnium concordi ſententia deſignatur Antichriſtus, Iodoc. Clict in Dam. l. 4. c 27. Antichriſtū foreign obſervavit Cyrillus foreign.together to make a Body, a Romiſh Common-wealth; the Beaſt with two Horns is, as you uſe to call it, the Eccleſiaſticall Power. The ten Kings, or Kingdoms, were to make up but one Beaſt of burthen, for the Whore to ride upon; that is, they all joyn together to ſupport the Whore, and therefore theſe ten Horns are all placed upon the ſeventh Head, that is, they ſtrengthen the laſt government, the Popiſh government. Now as the great Dragon did manage the whole buſineſſe, whileſt that Heatheniſme was ſupported by the power of the Romane Emperours, as St. Iohn ſhews in the twelfth Chapter of the Revelation; ſo doth the Dragon over-rule the whole buſineſſe in the time of the Antichriſtian Popes, as St. Iohn ſhews in the thirteenth Chapter; for the Dragon gave the Beaſt his Power, and his Seat, and great Authority, Revel. 13. 3. and they worſhipped the Dragon, who gave power to the Beaſt, verſe the fourth, and therefore the Beaſt is ſaid to aſcend out of the bottomleſſe▪ pit, Revel. 17. 8. If you look upon the Pope as Biſhop of Rome, ſo he p. 14came up out of the earth, his Ordination was not from heaven; but if you look upon him as Pope, as Univerſall Biſhop, & a Temporall Monarch, a King even of kings, we ſay he had …. foreign. A Cy…ll… tempore ratio ineunda eſt, uti de Alexandrinis ſermo habetur; ut i à tempore Bon…fa…i: ter…ii, …, Nu…us enim Ponti…icum Romanorum univerſalis Epiſcopus ſalutatus erat a…te Boni…cium ….… blacker Inſtitution, he aſcended out of the bottomleſſe-pit. Take it thus then, Satan had his Seat in Heathen Rome, but he hath his Throne in Popiſh Rome; ever ſince the Romane Court hath had the confidence to call it ſelf the Catholique Church, it hath offered more violence, and done more miſchief to the true Church of Chriſt, then ever was done by the Romane Empire; and therefore as the 7. trumpets did ſound an Alarme againſt the Romane Empire; ſo the 7. vials are all to be poured out upon the Popiſh Empire, the Anti-chriſtian State.

3. Conſider that where the Pope and his Agents prevail … …demque a… … Pro… tium in par… A…emanni… Po… ma… … Mat … intelligas ….by a Babylonian Army, there they do conſtantly exerciſe a Babylonian Tyranny. When the people were ſo mad as to prefer Caeſar before Chriſt, God gave them into the hand of the Romane Emperour, and he tyrannized over them, and God would not deliver them; juſt as he threatned beforehand by his Prophet Zechary, 11. 6. I will deliver the men, every one into his neighbours hand, and into the hand of his King, and they ſhall ſmite the land, and out of their hand will I not deliver them. The Emperour did ſmite the land indeed, but the Pope of Rome will tyrannize far worſe then the Emperour. If ever God for our ſins ſell us into the hand of that Man of ſinne, he will not onelyonly tyrannize over our bodies and eſtates, but over our conſciences too: If ever he enter England with his tripple-crown, with his ſword in one hand, and his keyes in the other, he will tyrannize like a Pope, he will curtall our Creed, and yet enlarge it: I beleeve in the holy Catholike Church, that is, as they interpret it too often, in the Pope; that muſt be our onelyonly Creed, and we ſhall finde that a large one. We muſt aaIn Baptiſm… … t… eſſe & Im… tum …ament… O…eatenti… …ga Pa…m …ſwear obedience to the Popes Commands, they ſay, that vow of obedience is implied p. 15in their Baptiſme, and therefore they name the Trinity but for faſhion ſake, and do indeed baptize their children in the name of Antichriſt. Now if the Popes Commands are in force, and the Commands of God diſpenſed with, the Commands of the Pope will ſoon juſtle out the Commands of God. You know the Pope hath by the bbCapiſt p 23. B. Papa eſt quaſi D…u… in terr…, mā jor homine & minor De…l, Penitud… nem …nens Petaſta…. Vide qu… luſ… ſat ſup…ique blaſphem… de Paul… 5. ſcripſit …. …ui…us ab Al…aſar in Apoc. ca…. ad Ioan. Apoſ….—qui nu… Ve… …lit p… Antichriſtus … ſit ſe…vus, …amen adora… vult ut Deus. Iren…us li…. 5▪ c penultimo.Plenitude of his power ſtruck out the ſecond Commandment, and by the ſame authority he may when he pleaſe, ſtrike out the firſt Commandment, and by conſequent all the reſt; and then he may make a new Preface, and a new Decalogue, if that number will content him, he may ſay as the ccCredere Dominū Deum noſtrum Papam▪ …onditorem dictae Decretalis—non ſic potuiſſe … prout ſtatuit Ha… I… Gl…ſſa … Ca… …xtr. Ioan, …2 de verborum ſignificat c. Cum in…. Reform… Gloſſae exemplar a…ſpiciis Grego…. editum … illam (ſcil De…) Vitio Typographo…um omiſſa… reſti…t. Q…imum … vit R… Epiſcopu… D…t Diat▪ ib de A…, l. 4. c. 10. p. 311.Extravagant ſaith, that he himſelf [is the Lord our God,] who deſires to bring us into the land of Aegypt, the houſe of bondage (he ſhould do well to put in that) where we ſhall have no other God but the Pope, for he exalts himſelf above all that is called God; but we may have as many Images, and Idols as we pleaſe, and ſo take the Name of our God in vain; we muſt keep all the Saints dayes, and then we ſhall not be at leiſure to keep the Lords-day; you know the Popes Agents here in England, about four years ago, did not onelyonly diſpenſe with the people for obſerving the Lords-day, but enjoyn them to prophane it: you know their Doctrine about Aequivocation, and Fornication; they do too often count Murther meritorious, a Doctrine which doth well become the mouth of that purple whore, who is drunk with the blood of Saints. St. John hath drawn this Monſter to the life; you may gueſſe how the Pope will tyrannize by the very picture of the Beaſt, Revel. 13. 2. No one beaſt hath ill qualities enough to furniſh the Pope, and therefore he borrows ſomething from the Leopard, and ſomething from the Bear, and ſomething from the Lyon, beſides what he hath from the Dragon; this Antichriſtian Monarch hath all the tyrannizing qualities of three of thoſe Monarchies which the Prophet Daniel hath deſcribed; the Leopard was the type of the Graecian, the Bear of the Perſian, the Lyon of the Babylonian Monarchy; it is obſervable that he hath the Mouth of a Lyon, a Babylonian mouth, he will plead for Babylon, he will ſend forth ſuch Edicts as Nebuchadnezzar p. 16did, they ſhall be burnt alive who will not worſhip the Image which he hath ſet up: You ſee he hath the mouth of a Lyon, nay the mouth of a Dragon, for though he pretends that he is the ſervant of ſervants, (and the curſe of Cham indeed is a fit title for him) nay though he ſay he is Chriſts Vicar, and hath two horns like a Lambe, yet he ſpeaks like a Dragon, Revel. 13. 11. What ſay you then, brethren, ſhall we run into the paw of this Bear, into the mouth of this Lyon, this Dragon, who is as great a tyrant as the Graecians, Perſians, Babylonians, put them all together? nay he comes in the power of the Dragon, of the Devill himſelf, and therefore he will not onelyonly tyrann…ze as an Emperour, but as a Devill. Deliver thy ſelf, O Sion, from the Babylonian Army, that thou mayeſt never groan under the iron yoak of Babylonian tyranny.

4. Conſider that the men of Europe are moſt given to admire the Babylonian Beaſt, and to ſubmit unto him; All the world, ſaith St. Iohn, wondred after the Beaſt, Revel. 13. 3. this was the Europaean world; take heed ye men of Europe, do not wonder after the Beaſt, for fear you worſhip him, for ſo it follows in the very next verſe; firſt they wondred, and then they worſhipped: be not terrified with the ſtrength and proviſions of the Babylonian Army; if any man be ſtricken with fear and admiration both at once, and cry out with thoſe admirers, and worſhippers of the Beaſt, Revel. 13. 4. Who is like unto the Beaſt, who is able to make warre with him? let him take theſe following Encouragements, and then he ſhall ſee, that there is one that is able to make war with the Beaſt.

1. My firſt way of Encouragement is to remove your diſcouragements, Encouragements.and to affright you out of all your fears; you are afraid of the threats and rage of the Babylonian Party. I will fright you more, Chriſt doth out-threaten Antichriſt, therefore if you will be affrighted, feare Chriſt moſt, the wrath of God, and the effects of his wrath, his puniſhments, are far more terrible then any that can be inflicted by the Babylonian Army: read the fourteenth Chapter of the Revelation, the ninth and following verſes: If any man worſhip the p. 17Beaſt, and his Image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his [hand,] obſerve that, though by his forehead he may ſeem a Neuter, yet if he have the Mark in his hand, and work cloſely under-board for Antichriſt, that man ſhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation, and …e ſhall be tormented with fire and brimſtone, in the preſence of the holy Angels, and in the preſence of the Lamb: And the ſmoak of their torment aſcendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no reſt day nor night, who worſhip the Beaeſt, and his image, and whoſoever receives the mark of his name. What think you now? have not they who comply with Antichriſt, greater diſcouragements then they that oppoſe him? had not a man better adventure up to the very mouth of a Cannon, then be tormented with the fire of He…, or the wrath of God? Let the fear of God preſerve thee from all falſe fears. Timor Dei efficit ut caetera non timeantur. Fear not them that kill the body, but fear him who can caſt thy ſoule and body into Hell, yea feare him. Doſt thou not beleeve a Reſurrection? why then doſt thou fear them that kill the body? ſhew me an army that can keep my body from riſing, or my ſoul from aſcending, & I will be afraid of them.

My ſecond Encouragement is taken from Gods dealing with Babylon of old. I ſhall not tell you any long ſtories out 2. Encourag.of Xenophon, Herodotus, or the reſt, about the taking of Babylon, but content my ſelf with what I finde in Scripture.

1. God did dry up Euphrates, a river ſo deep and ſwift, that the Babylonians laughed at all the attempts of any enemy that ſhould go about to take their City, and yet Babylon was ſoon taken, when God did but ſay to the deep, Be dry, Iſai. 44. 27. God did plead the cauſe of Sion, and dry up the ſea of Babylon, and all the ſprings. Ierem. 51. 36. And will not God plead the cauſe of his Evangelicall Sion? will he not dry up the Euphrates, the Sea of Rome, and all her ſprings? Yes ſurely, God doth intend to dry up the Romiſh Euphrates, Revel. 16. 12. The River is not now ſo deep, it doth not overflow the banks ſo far as it hath done of late dayes; we have gained much ground from the Romiſh-ſea. Let us look to our Banks, and keep what we have gained.

p. 182. God did give up the Babylonians to luxury, drunkenneſſe, ſecurity; I will make them drunken that they may rejoyce, and ſleep a perpetuall ſleep, and not awake, ſaith the Lord, Jerem. …. 39. The people of Babylon were drunk, and aſleep, and left the gates open, Iſai. 45. 1.

3. God did break thorow all their Fortifications, and make all thoſe gates, and bars which were faſt, flie open, to make way for Cyrus, Iſai. 45. 2.

4. God did diſcover all the hid treaſure, and ſecret wealth of Babylon, Iſai. 45. 3.

Finally, God did ſpeake terrour to the hearts of the Babylonians, their hands did faint, their hearts did melt, their faces were like a pale trembling flame, which riſes now, and anon it falls, and at laſt goes away in a ſmoak; ſo I underſtand that place, Iſai. 13. 8. Their faces ſhall be as the faces of the flames.

It is certain, that God loves his Evangelicall Sion as well as he loved the Iewiſh Sion, and he hates the Romiſh Babylon more then ever he hated the Aſſyrian Babylon: let us then depend upon the love and power of God, the promiſes of the Goſpel, the wiſdom and fidelity of Chriſt, for the deſtruction of Romiſh Babylon. The time will not permit me to ſpeak diſtinctly of thoſe ſeverall Heads: Yet take a third Encouragement.

3. All the People of God are called upon to deale with 3. Encourag.this Romiſh Babylon as ſhe hath dealt with them. Reward her, evē as ſhe rewarded you; nay higher yet, double unto her double, according to her workes: in the Cup which ſhe hath filled, fill to her double, Revel. …8. 6. Babylon was wont to caſt out Sion, let Sion now caſt out Babylon; the baſe ſonnes of Babylon baniſhed ſome precious ſonnes of Sion as farre as America, and when they had done, they ſcoffed at them as if they were Barbarians, becauſe baniſhed into a rude Barbarous Country, they might better have ſaid as Salvian did of old, Barbaros iſtos fecit noſtra barbaries. Come then, let us deale as juſtly with the Babylonians as they have dealt cruelly with us, let Papiſts have as little encouragement to ſtay in England, as ſtrict Proteſtants have had; let thoſe men of iron entrailes, and brazen p. 19bowels, who are Spaniardized and Italianated, I meane Jeſuited, goe live in Spaine or Italy, ſuch Monſters are not fit for our Climate. You are Phyſitians to the State, and theſe are Purging times, let all Malignant Humours be purged out of the Eccleſiaſticall, and Politique Body. O let the Excrements be expelled, the vitall, and integrall preſerved in health and ſtrength. But if there be any who out of ſimplicity have wondred after the Beaſt, and are now probably reduced and credibly penitent, ſuch may be ſpared in hope: yet it will not be amiſſe to give them a little Phyſique to prevent a Relapſe.

4. Chriſt is ſtronger then Antichriſt; Oh let us depend upon his love to his Brethren, his Members, his Church, his 4. Encourag.Spouſe. God will in due time make his enemies know that his Church hath an husband which will maintain her cauſe, & avenge her quarrell. The effectuall power, and watchfull providence of Ieſus Chriſt, is conſtantly imployed for his Churches good; the ſeven Hornes of the Lamb are ſtronger then the ten hornes of the Beaſt. S. Iohn doth deſcribe Chriſt by the Similitude of a Lambe with ſeven hornes and ſeven eyes, to note his power, and providence, Rev,. 5. 6. Though the Beaſt hath ten horns, yet he wants theſe ſeven eyes, theſe ſeven ſpirits. Now the Lambe with ſeven eyes will diſcover all the plots, & projects of the enemy, al the Arcana Belli, and Arcana Imperii too. What though the Dragō aſſiſt the Beaſt, be of good comfort, Chriſt hath overcome the Devil, he hath broke the Serpents Head, and that is the reaſon that the Politicians wits are ſo often crackt, and that they delude themſelves with ſuch feaveriſh conceits, and brain-ſick inventions. The ſtrength of a City was uſually in the gates, and there they commonly ſate in Councell, but Chriſt hath promiſed that Hell gates, that is, the Power and Policy of Hell, ſhall never prevaile againſt his beloved Church. Chriſt hath this ſame crackt-braine Serpent in a chaine, he can rebuke him, or trample on him. The three troublers of Sion, the Beaſt, the falſe Prophet, and the Devill, ſhall be all three tormented together in Hell for ever and ever. Rev. 20. 10. And at the battell of the great day of God Almighty the Beaſt and the falſe Prophet ſhall be both taken, and thrown alive into the lake p. 20which burns with fire, and brimſtone, Rev. 19. 20. So let all thine enemies, all thy implacable and incorrigible enemies periſh O Lord. I ſhall cloſe up this point with the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, Put your ſelves in aray againſt Babylon round about, all yee that bend the bow ſhoot at her, ſpare no arrowes, for ſhe hath ſinned againſt the Lord—take vengeance upon her, as ſhe hath done doe unto her, Ier. 50. 14, 15.

Hitherto we have conſidered the Babylonians as gathered into an Army, and I have ſhewne what encouragements we have to fight againſt them. I muſt now looke upon them as gathered into a Church, and ſhew you what reaſon wee have to ſeparate from them; this point is very pertinent to the Text, and times and therefore give me leave to inſiſt upon it. Flee from the Land of the North, ſaith the Lord in the verſe before my Text, Babylon ſtood North from Ieruſalem, and therefore Flee from the Land of the North is as much as if he had ſaid, Flee from Babylon, deliver thy ſelfe O Zion that dwelleſt in Babylon, dwell there no longer, but deliver thy ſelfe by a Separation. The Prophet Ieremy will make Ierem. 51. 6. 11.Jer 51:6Jer 51:11the Call full and compleat. Flee out of the midſt of Babylon, and deliver every man his ſoule, be not cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lords vengeance. ver. 6. yea the vengeance of his temple. ver. 11. Now that we have the ſame Call from Heaven to depart from Romiſh Babylon, is moſt evident, Rev. 18. 4. And I heard another voice from Heaven, ſaying, foreign Ariſt. Topic.Come out of her my people: and that for theſe two reaſons, they are both ſpecified in the Text, the 1^t. is, That ye be not partakers of their ſinnes, the 2^d. That ye receive not of her plagues.

1. Be not Partakers of her ſinnes, eſpecially thoſe ſinnes Sententia D. Davenant. de Pace procuranda inter Evangel p. 8. En grande & horrendum obſtaculum quo Eccleſiae Reformatae non abſ que ſummo animi dolore & …orrore coguntur extra Eccleſiae Romana commumonem manere.which corrupt the worſhip of God, or faith of Chriſtians, do not joyne with her in that Grand ſinne, for which S. Iohn calls her Whore ſo often, the ſinne of Idolatry; it is ſuch an unreaſonable ſinne, that a ſober and rationall man would be aſhamed to be overtaken with, as the Prophet Jeremy obſerves, Cap. 51. 7. Babylon is a golden Cup in the Lords hand, it hath made all the earth Drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine, therefore the Nations are Mad: drunken and mad, or elſe they would never commit Idolatry. S. Iohn in like manner p. 21points at the Romiſh Harlot, the great Whore of Babylon, and bids us obſerve the golden Cup in her hand full of En ſtigma Catholicae foreign.abominations and filthineſſe, in the 17. Chapter of the Revel. ver. 4. and thoſe that drink of this amorous Cup, full of enchantments, are bewitched and drunk, or elſe they would never worſhip the Beaſt, and the Devill, as it is plaine they Principale crimen generis humani, ſummus ſaeculi reatus, Idolololat…ia. Tertull de Idol.do, Rev. 13. 4. I hope I need not ſpend time in diſſwading any here preſent, from worſhipping the Devill and the Beaſt.

2. Another ſinne there is with which the Great whore doth uſually poyſon her daughters, and her lovers, 'tis Hereſy, Vide D. D…wnam de Antichriſt lib. 3 c. 7. Catalogus error. de Principiis, nec non partibus Theologiae. Haereſis illa magni momenti—de l…ſtificatione & ſalute ex Meritis operum ſperanda—juſto Dei judicio in Eccleſiam admiſſa: ne n…mir…m qui Dei longanimutatem Teſtiumque praedicationem tamdiu, tamque pertinac… ter co …empſerant—poſtmodum acciperent de fructu A…ber… vitae &c. Com Ap…c. p 258. Vide bullam Pai quarti ſuper farmâ lura…. euti profeſſionis fidei. Ego N. firmâ fide credo—omnia & ſingula quae continent …rin Symb…lo fide…, quo ſancta Romana Eccleſia utitur, viz. Credo in unū D…ū Patre…n: & deinde ſequuntur 12 articuli novi Symboli. Articulus duo. lecimus ſic ſe habet. Caetera item omnia a S S T… Synodo definita recipio, dā. nata rejicio. Vide Staepl. Relect. cont 4. q. … a …3.a kind of Catholique Hereſy, all the Heretickes almoſt that ever were, have emptied their back ditches into the Sea of Rome, that receives all the filth of former ages; but of all their Hereſies, there is none more dangerous then that of expecting Iuſtification, & ſalvation, for the merit of their own works. Learned M^r Mede obſerves, that Rome had played the whore a great while before God gave her up to beleeve this lye. But now, ſaith he, by the juſt judgment of God, ſhe hath received that Recōpence of her errour which was meet: God for herpertinacious cōtempt of the preaching of the witneſſes, hath by giving her up to this Hereſy, as it were turned her out of Paradiſe (that's his meaning) leſt ſhe ſhould eate of the tree of life & live for ever. The Papiſts repeat the Apoſtles Creed, but they doe not beleeve it in the Apoſtles meaning. Now it is evident that a new ſenſe doth make a new Creed. But they are not ſo modeſt as to content themſelves with this grand corruption, though weak deluſion, for they have added new Articles of faith to our old Creed, they have compoſed a Trent-Creed, and they will not admit any man into their Communion, who beleeves the Apoſtles Creed, unleſſe he will beleeve this Trent-Creed. Conſider that the private fancies of a domineering Faction were Canonized with a Curſe, in the Conventicle of Trent, and inſerted into the Creed by Pope Pius the fourth. And Stapleton tells us plainly, that the Trent Councell had power to make a Propoſition an Article of faith, Etiamſi non confirmetur ne probabili teſtimonio Scripturarum. I need not then ſay any more in this weighty point. For the truth is, our Creed is the p. 22Creed of Sion, and theirs the Creed of Babylon, their Creed is Romane, and ours Catholique. The greateſt Article in their ….account, which they adde to the Creed, concerns the Supremacy of the Pope, Subeſſe Romano Pontifici eſt de neceſſitate ſalutis; we muſt build our faith upon the Popes Infallibility, and beleeve that he is the Foundation▪ the Head, and Huſband of the Catholique Church; we know not how to pardon this blaſphemy, or to hold this Head, unleſſe we depoſe Chriſt, and ſet up Antichriſt, who if he had nothing elſe to hinder him, but the frailty and corruption of his nature, all the world knowes that he cannot ſuſtaine, quicken, ſave the Church, and therefore is not the Foundation, Head, or Husband of the Catholique Church, but the Head of the Malignant Church, the Whore that rides the Beaſt, the great Antichriſt, Romes God, and the Devills Vicar. Nay the Pope hath proceeded higher yet, hee hath given us a new Bible too, nay the Popes have given us more then one, wee muſt take one from Sixtus, and another from Clement, two Bibles which doe not agree with the Originall, or with one another; the Papiſts are puzled which of theſe tranſlations ſhould be received: whether they ſhould adventure to bee curſed by Sixtus, if they receive Clement's tranſlation, or to be curſed by Clement, for receiving Sixtus his tranſlatiō. I am not at leiſure to ſay any thing of the Rhemiſh tranſlation, or their Notes: I could give you many other reaſons why you ſhould ſeparate from Rome, but theſe may ſuffice, if you will not Apoſtatiſe, Omnes Eccleſi… Evangelic… … cum … idol… f… di… …o… Secundarii capit… ſive Fu…menti … a… talp… & …ſpertiliones a…ceru… Dave▪ …an…s ubi …up…a …ap… quar…o d… Fun…ame…to M…ſte…ial… p. 65.and commit folly with her, you cannot poſſibly communicate with her, unleſſe you will build upon a new Foundation, the Popes Infallibility, or the Ieſuites Prudentiall Motives; in a word, you cannot be admitted into the Romane Communion▪ unleſſe you will have a new Bible, a new Creed, a new Religion, a new Head of the Church, that is in plain Engliſh▪ unleſſe you'l pul downe Chriſt, & ſet up Antichriſt in the Throne of Ieſus Chriſt: & if you yeeld to that, all the plagues in this brooke will light upon you; I need ſay no more of the 2^d. reaſon. But ſtay, if wee ſhould ſeparate from the Antichriſtian faction, here in England, we may bee guilty of a grievous Schiſme, for our ſeparation will bee p. 23grounded, as they ſay, upon the judgement, or rather opinion of a few Engliſh Divines in a kinde of Nationall Aſſembly, and our Antichriſtian men challenge all the world to give one Precedent for ſuch a ſeparation. I doe this day accept their challenge, and ſhall anſwer them in a word. The aaAnd this is ſaid to have amounted into a formal Separation from the Church of Rome, & to have continued ſomewhat more then an hundred years. Archbiſhop of C…. …elat. p. 172. The church of A…ck made this separation in a Nationall Councel of their own. Ibid. p. 174.African Church made a direct ſeparation from the Church of Rome for an hundred yeares at leaſt, and their ſeparation was grounded upon no other Judgment then the Judgment of a Nationall Aſſembly in Africa, and occaſioned meerely by the uſurping pride, and tyranny of the Pope. It is evident that all the Martyrs, which did ſuffer in the time of that bitter perſecution under the Vandals▪ died in the time of this Separation. If we have more weighty reaſons then any that are drawn from the Popes tyranny, we ſhall be no greater Separatiſt's then thoſe glorious Martyrs, and thoſe famous Fathers, Auguſtine, and Fulgentius, for they were Formall Separatiſts. Baronius was the firſt man that ever had the face without forehead, or reaſon, to call this truth into queſtion; Binius followes him; Bellarmine ſaw that he muſt queſtion; the moſt faithfull, and famous editions of the Councells, if he denyed a truth written with a Sunne-beame, and therefore he had ſo much wit as to cry, Nihil affirmo, in his 2^d book de Romano Pontifice, & 25. Chap. It ſeems the great Cardinall was put to his wits end, when he had beat his braines and turned his books, he durſt not deny it, & yet would not affirme it. The Archbiſhop of Canterbury, though no great friend to thē who ſeparate from Romiſh corruptions, is ſo ingenuous as to ſubſcribe to the convincing teſtimony bbThe edition Anno 1524. by Iſidore: an olde …it…on printed, 1530. P. Crabbe his edition imprinted Anno 1538. the edition of Valentinus Iove…iu… 1555▪ of Suriu… 1567. of Nicolinu… 1585. B… R. Pont. …b 2 cap. 25.of ſo many unqueſtionable editions of the Councells, you may read frō p. 172. of his Relation, to the 175. And it is well known how o…ten ccTota fe…e Germa…ab is ante noſtra… …tatem à ſede Roman… d…ſceſſionem fecit Semel … divortium facere cum …xo… c…gerent…r Preſbyteri …terum cum Gregorius ſeptimus Hen▪ quanto Imperatori infeſtus Germanos f…lminando vellet ab ipſo divelle…e. Omittam recentior… Exempla, qu… per ſe expendant ſani Lect…res Vide Tractatum de vera Pacificatio…s & Eccleſi… reformand… ratione ab exim…o Theologo ante annos 80. editum. Num po…nte ſimili occaſione recuſum ope…a D. Riveti. Vide Animadverſ. Rive… in Annot. H. G. c. 15. p. 65.Germany hath made a Formall ſeparation from the Antichriſtian faction.

But it will be further objected, That the Aſſembly which you intend to call, is no Convocation, and therefore it cannot be of ſo much Authority as a Nationall Aſſembly.

To which I anſwer, That the Perſons whom you have nominated, p. 24I except but one [my ſelf,] are more learned & judicious, more pious, nay more peaceable, take ſo many for ſo many, then the members of the laſt Convocation.

Secondly, You have found by woſull experience, what it Hieronym, C…m ment in Soph… Au…eret Dominus nominae vanae gloria & admirati… n… …al…, quae verſantur in Eccleſia—ſed & nomina ſacerdotum cum ſacerdotibus qui …ſtra ſibi applaudunt in Epiſcopali nomine & in Preſbyter…i dignitate, & non in opere Ed…. Baſil. 1537 p. 251.is to rely upon ſuch as are the Standing Members of a Convocation, or ſuch as are choſen after the ordinary manner, by perſons as corrupt as themſelves. St. Hierom hath a kinde of propheſie in his Commentary upon Zephaniah; That in the dayes of Reformation, idle Biſhops ſhould be removed, for God will take away all Names of vain glory out of the Church, the names of Prieſts, nay the Prieſts themſelves, who did vainely boaſt of the Epiſcopall Title, and dignity of Prieſthood, but did nothing worthy of that Title or Dignity.

Thirdly, In theſe winnowing-times, when the chaffe is in ſome meaſure ſeparated from the wheat, the ſecrets of many hearts are diſcovered, and thoſe that are approved are made Hoſeah 4. 15. vide Hieronymum in locum. Non deb… ſororis quondā tua in fornicatione exempla ſectari, & cum eâ idola …lere—& ne aſ…en…as in Bethaven—quia poſt▪ quam auret ibi vituli poſiti ſunt—non domus Dei appellatur, ſed domus Idoli—tanquam vacca laſcivteus aſt…o percita inſanivit Iſrael fornicationis ſpiritu percuſſus.manifeſt, the State hath good reaſon to approve thoſe whom God himſelf hath approved, by making their fidelity manifeſt in this Day of tryall, theſe diſtinguiſhing times: but the State hath no reaſon to truſt them to Reform the Church, who have indeed corrupted the Church.

Fourthly, It cannot be denied, but that a Church may reform it ſelf, per partes, if the whole will not joyne; Though Iſrael play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend: if they will not amend with us, what reaſon have we to periſh with them?

Fifthly, If a State ſhould make choiſe of men of mean parts, and ordinary gifts to reform the Church, meerly becauſe they have been found faithfull, muſt theſe men be contemned for their weakneſſe, when they preach none but Catholike Doctrine, and preſſe men to ſubmit to Primitive Diſcipline? Vide Theodoret. Eccleſ. Hiſt lib. 4. foreign, &c. Haeretitorum omnium ſemper intentio fuit, captare gloriam de ſingularitate Scientia. Bernard, in Cant. Ser. 65. Vitis plebecula quicquid non intelligit plus miratu…. Hieron. Epiſt ad Nepot.No ſure, they ſhould rather be reſpected and encouraged for their faithfulneſſe. Sure I am, there is a kinde of Majeſty in Truth, and ſomewhat more then Majeſty, to wit **Dignitatus Scriptura eſt ipſa divinita… n…m ſive Auctorem, ſive Argumentum, ſive Interpretem (Spiritum Sanctum) ſpectes, omnia divina ſunt, & ſpirat… divinitatem▪ vide Mendoſ. Praefat. in Com. in lib. Regum.Divinity, in Scripture-truths, and therefore ſuch Truths need not borrow any thing from the ſpeaker, for the ſingle p. 25Vote of one that is Orthodox, is to be more reſpected then the Votes of many hundred learned Heretiks.

In the 6^th. place, give me leave to uſe their own Argument, which they commonly urge againſt the Councell of Trent: they ſay, That Councell was of no Authority, becauſe it did conſiſt of men that were profeſſed enemies to all that called for Reformation or a free Councell. This reaſon is alleaged, and magnified by the **See the Arch-Biſhop of Cant. his relation of the Conference. ſect. 27. p. 214.Archbiſhop of Canterbury, and I beleeve it will conclude as roundly againſt a Convocation, rebus ſic ſtantibus, as it doth againſt the Councell of Trent: I hope, ſaith the Archbiſhop, an Aſſembly of enemies are no lawfull Councell, and the Decrees of ſuch an Aſſembly are Omni jure nulla; give me leave to adde, like the Decrees of the laſt Convocation.

Their laſt exception againſt the Aſſembly is, becauſe you have named ſome men that are Schiſmatikes; their reaſon is, becauſe they deny ſubjection to their Biſhop or Metropolitan.

They ſhall receive an anſwer to this objection from Antonius de Dominis, a man Prelaticall enough. It is not Schiſmaticall, ſaith he, to deny Juriſdictionall ſubjection to a Biſhop, Si autem ſer…ata u…tate & charitate negetur alicui Epiſcopo, vel Metropolitano, vel Primati &c. obedientia ſ… la, ſola que Iuriſdictionalis ſubjectio, non eſſe vere ac propri… Schiſma, quando cum ſola perſona Pr…l…ti diſſenſiones & ſimultates exerceantur. M. Ant. de Dom Rep Eccleſiaſt. lib. 7. …. 10. ſect. 74. Se… Dr. …erne. Secundum Honorum vocabula, &c. Auguſt. Epiſt. 19. Audi & aliud teſtimonium in quo manifeſtiſ…ime comprobatur …und…m eſſe Epiſcopum atque Preſbyterum. Hieron. Epiſt. ad Evagrium. Vide Era…mi Annotat. Excellenter tamen Canones duos tantum ſacros ordines appellari cenſent, Diaconatus ſ…il & Preſbyteratus, qui… hos ſol os Primitiva Eccleſia legitur habuiſſe, & de his ſolis pr…ceptum Apoſtoli habemus. P. L…b▪ lib 4. diſt. 24. And when the Maſter of the Sentences comes to ſpeak of the Quadripertite Order …e paſſes this cenſure. Horum autem diſcretio à Gentilibus introducta videtur, quod ſuos Flamines alios ſimpliciter Flamines, alics Archi…amines, alios Prothoſ…amines appellabant. Archiepiſcopos & Epiſcopos Flam… & Archi▪ …ami… loco in Anglia inſtitutos …iſſe a Fagano & Derviano à Papa El…utherio in Britanniam miſſ… … probat D. …ſſerius vir di…uſi…im… eruditioni… de Britan. Eccl. Primord. c. 5.or Arch-biſhop, by reaſon of ſome Perſonall exceptions againſt him, becauſe ſuch a man may embrace Communion with the Church, and yet ſeparate from the Biſhop, or Arch-biſhop without breach of charity, if his exceptions againſt him be juſt, and neceſſary. But they will, I know, reply, That ſome men whom you have choſen, do not onelyonly except againſt the Perſon, but the Office of a Prelate. To which I anſwer, that they themſelves do now confeſſe, that Monarchy is not Jure Divino, becauſe they ſee it is clearly proved, that Epiſcopacy is but Iure Humano; for they are reſolved, that Epiſcopacy ſhall be at leaſt as high as p. 26Monarchy. They acknowledge that there is ſufficiency of power to govern in a State, where there is no Monarch; and why then by the ſame reaſon, is there not ſufficiency of power to govern in a Church where there is no Biſhop, I mean Prelate? They muſt not be angry, if we lay Epiſco…acy as low as they themſelves have laid Monarchy. Beſides, …d and …d Biſhop …w…ll proves at large that Prelates are not Iure Divino, in h…s defence of the Apology of the Church, …art 2. p 99 10…, 101.I would adviſe them to take heed how they call every man a Schiſmatike who denies Prelacy to be Iure Divino, leſt by that cenſure they condemn their betters. Our Concluſion then ſtands firm, You may deliver your ſelves from the Antichriſtian faction in this Kingdom, by a juſt and neceſſary ſeparation.

Be pleaſed to obſerve what I ſay, We have juſt and neceſſary cauſe of ſeparation from the Antichriſtian faction in In fronte per profeſsione; … manum, per operationem. Auguſt de Civ. Dei. lib. 20 c. 9. Inter ſeptem Sacramenta tria ſunt in quorum p…re … tione Character Antichriſti… mi…ur—I… Baptiſmo q…dem …cculte Character impr…r…itur, in q…o tacitum eſſe dicu…t & implicitum … ramentum obediontiae …a Pap…—An ideo baptizan. tur …omines in Chriſtum ut ſerviant Antichriſto … Down d… Antich l. … p …42.this Kingdom; under which Notion, many will be comprehended who call themſelves Proteſtants; fo… admit theſe men are not of the Popiſh Religion, it is enough that they are of the Popiſh faction; they have received the mark of the Beaſt, if they have not received it in their forehead, yet they have received it in their brain, and in their hand too, for the grand Delinquents do plot for Antichriſt, and fight for Antichriſt, and that's more then enough. The Papiſts have Covenan…ed to protect theſe Capitall Delinquents, (in deſpight of the higheſt Court of Juſtice in the Kingdom) and they again in requitall, muſt maintain the Catholique Cauſe, and promote the Antichriſtian Deſigne, and therefore theſe men are of, or belonging to the Antichriſtian faction. I doubt not but that there is many a man in Italy, nay at Rome, who is not a Papiſt in his heart, the folly, and villany of the Prieſts being ſo notorious as it is, and yet for ſome Temporall advantages, they receive the mark of the Beaſt, becauſe no man is permitted to buy or ſell (no nor to keep what he hath bought) ſave he that hath the Mark, or the Name of the Beaſt, or the **Concerning the number 25. which is the root of …. the number of the Beaſt; Set Mr. Francis P…t…ers Interpretation; as alſo of the oppoſition betweene …2. and 2…. Chriſt had 12. Apoſtles, Antichriſt …5. Cardinalls. In England there were at firſt 25. Biſhops, and 3▪ Archbiſhop… as lear…ed Dr. Ʋſher ſhewes Antiqu. Brit. c. 5. There were 25. Abbots in England who …ad voices in Parliament, as Mr. C…den; and Mr. F. Potter Interpretat. c. 24. p. 167.number of his Name; as St. Iohn hath it, Revel. 13. 17. And you know how it is now in England p. 27at this very day: Let us not then Complement any longer; to ſeparate from them with whom we are forbid to communicate, is not Faction, but Religion. I would not be miſtaken, I do not go about to ſeduce you to Browniſme, I am farre enough from that, for I willingly embrace communion with all Reformed Churches, or Congregations; but you know we muſt not communicate with any Church, or Congregation in their preſent errour, though that Congregation be willing to be reformed, and have all things in it which are ſimply neceſſary to ſalvation; much leſſe may we communicate with the Antichriſtian Faction, or with any company of men who do ſtubbornly maintain their errours, and reject communion with all men who will not communicate with them, even in their known and palpable errours.

Object. But ſuch a ſeparation as this would be exceeding ſcandalous. To which I anſwer in the words of Bernard, Cum carpuntur vitia, & inde ſcand… lum oritur, ipſe ſibi ſcandali cauſa eſt qui fecit quod argui debet, non ille qui argu…t, Hernard Ep. 78.That the Delinquents indeed are ſcandalous, and the cauſe of all the ſcandall which ariſes upon the publike reproof of their ſcandalous ſins. I ſhall cloſe up this point with a word of Caution: Proceed you may to a Separation, but proceed you muſt not to a peremptory damnation of all that do yet linger in Babylon; for ſome may remain there out of the ſimplicity of their hearts, and they that for the preſent are enemies, as concerning the Goſpel, may be beloved as touching the Election, Rom. 11▪ 28. In the ſixth of Zechary, and the 6^th. I read of ſome black Horſes ſent into the North-countrey, that is, againſt Babylon, but there went out ſome white Horſes after them, to ſhew that God had ſtill a remnant in Babylon; and theſe white Horſes, theſe good Angels, were ſent with a meſſage of peace, to invite them to repentance, and bring them home to Sion; and what by the ſervice of the Vide Tarnovium in locum.black Horſes, and the miniſtery of the white, the ſpirit of the Lord was quieted in the North-countrey, ver. 8. nay in the 14. verſe crowns were prepared for ſome that were yet in Babylon; Let us then ſuſpend our cenſures of this or that mans finall eſtate, though if we conſider his preſent eſtate, we have no reaſon at all to communicate with him, but all p. 28the reaſon in the world to ſeparate from him.

3. Deliver your ſelves from Babylon by a thorow Reformation: Do not wonder that I talk of a Reformation after ſeparation, for you muſt ſeparate before you can reforme: there is an untoward generation, which will never be reformed; take St. Peters counſell, Acts 2. 40. Save your ſelves from that untoward generation, and then reforme; and conſider withall, that you are like to finde a great many men that will be forward enough to ſeparate, and yet unwilling to reforme. Do you think there are no States-men, who love the Mount of Moriah, better then Mount Sion? they would prefer the State, but no matter for the Church, they care not if it ſink and periſh; I could wiſh that theſe Secular men, juſt of Gallio's temper, would conſider that when the Iews thought they might preſerve their State, if they did curry favour with the Romanes, and reject Chriſt, God made them ſlaves to the Romans for rejecting of Chriſt. … need not apply. In the 11^th. Chap. of our Prophet Zechary, we read of two ſtaves, the ſtaffe of Beauty, and the ſtaffe of Bands, When the people broke Covenant with God, by diſobeying the Ordinances of God, and rejecting Chriſt, then God cut his ſtaffe of Beauty aſunder, and broke that Church-Covenant, the externall Covenant which he had made with T… not the Covenant of Grace, but a covenant which concerned the Adminiſtration of the … mea… of Grace.that people, ver. the tenth, he did unchurch them, deprive them of his Ordinances, which are the ſtrength, the beauty, the glory of a Nation, and therefore are called the ſtaffe of Beauty. Obſerve a little farther, that when the ſtaffe of Beauty was broken, it was not long ere the ſtaffe of Bands was cut aſunder: Then I cut aſunder my other ſtaffe, even Bands, ver. 14. Then, When? Why, when they undervalued the Lord Jeſus, they thought him worth but 30. pieces, a goodly price; read the 12. and 13. verſes: Then I cut aſunder my other ſtaffe, I broke the brotherhood between Judah and Iſrael: they were, in a word, deprived of Gods Ordinances, and given up to Civill-wars▪ the ninth verſe of that Chapter doth ſufficiently expreſſe their miſery. Then ſaid I, I will not feed you, that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off: and let the reſt eat every one the fleſh of another. If that p. 29be not full enough, read the ſixth verſ. I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, ſaith the Lord: but lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand, and into the hand of his King, and they ſhall ſmite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. A ſad Text. Learn from hence: That when a people are Un-churched, they are undone; if you deſire to preſerve the State, be ſure to preſerve the Church, and if you deſire to preſerve the Church, O then reform it, and do it ſuddenly too, for fear the diſeaſe grow too ſtrong for Remedies. Beleeve it, that part of England, which adheres to the Babyloniſh faction, and will not be reformed, that part muſt be deſerted; there is good ground for it, Jerem. 51. 9. We would have healed Babylon, but ſhe is not healed; forſake her; that's plain-Engliſh.

But what needs a Reformation? (ſay ſome) were not our Petrus de Alliaco Card. Camerac. Libellum obt…dit in Concil. Conſtant. de Reformatione Eceleſiae contra opinionem eorum qui putatunt Concilia Generalia minus neceſſaria eſſe, quia omnia bene à Patribus noſtris ordinata ſunt. Faſcic. Rerum Expet. p. 28.Fathers wiſe and honeſt men? what need we be more wiſe, or pure then they were? they lived happily here on earth, in peace and plenty, and they do now triumph gloriouſly in heaven, what can be deſired more?

1. I anſwer, Many of our Fathers were honeſt, and ſome of them very wiſe in their generations, conſidering their light, and their means; we enjoy their labours, the fruits of their wiſdoms, and God be praiſed, a more glorious light, and therefore no marvaile, if we ſee ſome things more clearly then our Fathers did.

2. Again, our Fathers ſaw many things amiſſe, which they were not able to reform.

3. Had our Fathers enjoyed the ſame happy light which ſhines round about us, and thoſe fair opportunities which God hath let fall from heaven into our lap, there is no queſtion but they would have reformed more in one year, then we have done in two.

Parſons obſerves, that the Parliament of England, in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign, rejected the Catholike Doctrin, Popiſh Doctrins he means, but ſaith he, they retained ſomething of the Catholike uſe in the whole government of their Church; and therefore Mr. Cartwright found fault with them, and ſhewed them what was yet p. 30farther to be reformed: but Scotland, ſaith Parſons, Holland, Zeland, and ſome parts of France, followed M^r Cartwrights way; but Biſhop Bancroft was the principall oppoſer of this faction, he meanes Reformation in England, You ſee M^r Cartwright did what he could, but Biſhop Bancroft and the Babylonian faction were too potent, & contrary to the judgment of Sion, of the Reformed Churches abroad, Bancroft prevailed, for he ſuggeſted that this diſcipline of Sion would not onelyonly overthrow the Babyloniſh Monarchy, but the Engliſh Monarchy alſo. But it ſhould have been conſidered, and let it be conſidered now,

1 That the government of the Church is not aaOptato Scriptors Africano qu…iam Epiſcopi di… foreign: ſed qui jam aet…te Auguſtini ad…ovendam ambitionē ſuam vel altenam, e…m …ppellationem quidam tra…e…ant—…n Conc…lio Ca…thag…enſi, …llo quo typhus titulo… eſt coercitus, etta… iſte Princeps Sa…erdotum damnatur. Et …aron…o quidem in … hiſtoria factum diſplicet ſed viris ſanctiſ…im… ratio facti conſtitit: Et quae ſunt dei…eps …uta, quae que …e …dem…, Deum …lio prae…ui…ſe, & illos Patr…s …iritu f…iſſe act…s prophetico▪ manife…i…ime argu…t, &c. Iſaac. Caſaub. Exercit. 15.Monarchicall, no Monarch ſave Chriſt alone is Head and King of the Church, though every Monarch that's truly Chriſtian be a King in the Church; For it is one thing to be a King in the Church, and another to be King over the Church.

2. Every King as a member of the Church, is in an Eccleſiaſticall ſenſe ſubject to the diſcipline of the Church; for ſuch a kind of ſubjection will well conſiſt with his Civill Soveraignty, becauſe it is not a Civill Subjection. Judicious bbNeque tamen iſta inter ſe pugnant, idē ut imperet Collegio Eccleſiaſtico & pareat idem: imperat enim qu…admodum medico imperat Rex, paret ut paret medico. Nam ſi medicum facientem officium morte m…lct et, nonfaci…t quod decet ſap. entem Principem, ſed quod faciunt furioſi & in…ani—Rex enim cum Sen…tui Eccleſiaſti…o paret non par…t t…i …bedientia Civili qua Collegium reſpiciat, ſed obedientia Religioſa quae Deum re…t. …amero Pralect▪ de eccleſia, T…mo primo; Eclit. quart. pag. 25.Camero was a man very tender of pitching upon any concluſion which might be prejudiciall unto Kingly power, and he uſeth an excellent ſimilitude to illuſtrate this point: As it is in the cure of the body, ſo is it in the cure of the Soule; now a King for the Cure of his body, muſt patiently yeeld himſelfe to his College of Phyſitians, for though he rule over them as a King, yet he muſt be ruled by them as a patient. In like manner a wiſe King will (and every King ought to) be perſwaded by the College Eccleſiaſticall in point of diſcipline to obey the Rules and orders of Ieſus Chriſt; for the King in this point doth not obey the College, but Chriſt himſelfe.

3. It is well knowne that Kings and Emperours have beene ſubjected to Epiſcopall, and too often enſlaved by Prelaticall power. Who knowes not that the Biſhop of Millaine p. 31ccFatetur Bellarminus Antichriſtum fore ultimum qu… tenebit Romanum Imperium ſine nomine Romani Imperat. Bellarm. de miraculis Antichriſti, c. 15.would not admit the Emperour to the Communion till he had repented of that outrage, and bloudſhed at Theſſalonica, which was occaſioned by the Emperours paſſionate Command? It is generally confeſſed, that Ambroſe did well in rejecting the Emperour from the Communion, and that the Emperour was no leſſe an Emperour, and a farre better Ioannes Conſtantinopolitanus fuit pracurſor Anti-chriſti, Bonifacius ipſus erat Anti-chriſtus. Down. de Antichriſto. l. 2. c 8 ſect. 2 p. 130.man by ſubmitting to a Miniſter of the Goſpell, preaching, and adminiſtring ſome part of the diſcipline of Ieſus Chriſt. All the world knowes that Babylon grew great at firſt by claiming an univerſall Juriſdiction in Spiritualls over the whole Church of God, by vertue of that uſurped, and Anti-chriſtian title of **Ego autem fidenter dico quod quiſqui…ſe Ʋniverſalē Sacerdotem vocat, vel vocari deſiderat, in elatione ſua Antichriſtum procurrit Greg. Ep l. 6. Indictione 15 cap. 194. Epiſt 30. p …8 Edit Parrhiſ. in aedibus Ioann… Parvi L'an. de grace mil cinq ce…s & dixbuit. Proceſſu temporis Epiſcopus Conſtant▪ univerſalis Patriarcha, Romanus univerſalis Papa dictus erat uti Onuphr. Annot. in Platin. Bonifac. 3. Phocam à Bonifacio rogatum ſtatuiſſe ut Eccleſia Romana eſſet caput omnium Eccleſia…ū & Magiſtra. Nam antea Eccleſia Cō ſtantinopolitam primam ſeſe ſcribe…at omnium Eccleſiarū Math. Weſtmonaſterienſis Mauritius titulum hunc …rivolum, Gregori… ſtultum v… citarunt. Gregori… ubi ſupra.Vniverſall Biſhop. I have not breath or ſtrength enough to tell you the ſtory of Boniface the third at large, nor am …at leiſure to relate how Pope Hildebrand laid aſide the two-edged ſword of the Word, & tooke up the twohanded ſword of Temporall & Spirituall Juriſdiction; it is cleare that by the power of theſe two ſwords, Babylon was raiſed to ſuch an height, that the Popes have ever ſince tyrannized like Babylonian Monarchs, over Kings and Emperours, as if the Pope had been Nebuchadnezzars ſucceſſour, whoſe Title is confeſſed by Daniel to be King of Kings, Dan. 2. 37. Much leſſe can I relate what violence hath been uſed for the oppreſſing poore Proteſtants in every corner of the world, by this Beaſt of Babylon: but give me leave in the name of all the Churches to renew that charge of the Prophet, **Jer. 51. verſe 35.Jer 51:35The violence done unto me, and to my fleſh, be upon Babylon, ſhal the inhabitant of Zion ſay, ſhal Germany ſay, and France ſay, and my bloud upon the Chaldeans, ſhall Jeruſalem ſay, ſhall Ireland ſay, nay England, poore England, doth this day joyne in the Charge againſt all the Antichriſtian Proteſtants, (give me leave to call them ſo) who are of the Antichriſtian faction, and joyne with the popiſh army, in ſhedding the bloud of Saints, under the notion of Parliament dogges, and Rebells; the bloud of England, and Ireland, be upon all them who have ſhed the precious bloud of Proteſtants out of a preſumptuous and malicious wickedneſſe. This ſcruple being removed I ſhall now proceed, if my voice will hold, to give you ſome plain Directions for a thorow Reformation: the firſt Direction is Negative.

p. 321. You muſt not build Sion with the Materials of Babylon, with any thing that may truely, and properly be ſaid to be fetcht from Babylon; as old Babylon was not to be built any more, ſo was there no ſtone to be taken from thence to build any other place: They ſhall not take of thee a ſtone for a corner, nor a ſtone for foundations, but everlaſting deſolations ſhall be upon thee, ſaith the Lord, Jerem. 51. 26. Beware then how you receive any Principles, any Fundamentals, or Cornerſtones from Romiſh-Babylon, let everlaſting deſolations dwell upon it. Let us not receive the Babylonian-Creed, the Trent-Creed, nor the Romiſh-Liturgie; the Church of God hath a ſpirit of Prayer, and therefore needs not ſend to Babylon, to Rome for prayers.

The Papiſts ſeem to acknowledge, that their Liturgie is corrupt, becauſe they have often pretended, and as ſome boaſt, have really made ſeverall Reformations of their Liturgie. You ſee then, that thoſe men have ſteeled▪ their brows with a more then Babyloniſh impudency, who have been ever and anon altering the Engliſh Liturgie for the worſe, as if the Miſſall had been Jure divino, and therefore the Liturgie could never come near enough to the Romane Maſſe. Beleeve it, if the Faction that is now up in Arms prevail, we ſhall have that Service book which was prepared for Scotland, or a aaSome Offices, Lita…ies, Roſaries, Pſalters compoſed in honour of the Queen of Heaven.worſe, ſome Babylonian-Service, impoſed upon us as Divine-ſervice; and can any man that hath but an Engliſh-heart within him, bear ſuch a Cheat? If we had but the noble valour which dwelt in the Britains of old, whileſt they worſhipped the Goddeſſe of bbTerram Britan… ante adventum Chriſti in uni… Dei religionem minime conſenſi…e, nominatim vero And…aſten, ſive Andaten, Victoria Deam, Dio Caſsi…, alii Apoll. & Dianam coli conſu…viſſe prodider…n…. Arch. Armac. Brit. Eccl. Ant. c. 1.Victory, before they knew Chriſt, it is impoſſible but our ſpirits ſhould riſe againſt ſuch grand Impoſtures. But I forget you and my ſelf. Be ſure that there be no Babylonian gods, no Romiſh Idols tolerated in England; let it be no longer counted the piety of the times, to make our Churches houſes of temptation, let that propheſie Micah 1. 7. be fulfilled in our dayes: Let the graven Images be beaten to pieces, and the hires thereof burnt with fire, let all the Idols be laid deſolate; for all was gathered of the hire of an Harlot, and they ſhall return to the hire of an Harlot: You know there is hire taken for both kindes p. 33of Harlotry at Rome. Let us have no more Babylonian Miniſters, Prieſts, (ſo they would be called) let us have no more Per ſingulos Martyres Ieſus condē natur: ſi condemnatur Chriſtianus pro hoc tantum quod Chriſtianus eſt, Chriſtus eſt qui condemnatur Orig. in Ier. Hom 11.Babylonian Altars, for fear they bring in the Babylonian Sacrifice: You know how many Engliſh Martyrs did ſacrifice their lives in proteſting againſt the ſacrifice in the Maſſe, and though ſome black-mouthed Prieſts of late have called them Foxes-Martyrs, yet I will be bold to call them the Martyrs of the Lord Jeſus, and the Martyrs of the Holy Ghoſt. I muſt beg time to prove what I ſay, it is a weighty truth, and we know not how ſoon we may be called to ſeal this truth with our deareſt blood. The Apoſtle proves it undeniably, by ſundry arguments, in the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, in the 7. 8. 9. and 10^th. Chapters. I will pitch upon the tenth, becauſe there you have the ſumme of all. There is no other Sacrifice which can take away ſin, but the Sacrifice which Jeſus Chriſt himſelf offered upon the Croſſe; read the tenth verſe. By the which will we are ſanctified through the offering: of what? of a wafer-cake? no, of the body of Ieſus Chriſt: But how often muſt his body be offered? once for all, not as often as there is a Maſſe, but once for all. But who muſt offer the body of Chriſt? why, Chriſt himſelf, this Man, verſe the 12^th. a Maſſe-Prieſt cannot offer up the body of Chriſt, for Chriſt is both Prieſt, and Sacrifice. But may not a Maſſe-Prieſt offer ſome other ſacrifice for ſinnes? No, there is but one ſacrifice for ſinne, ver. 12. But this man after he had offered one ſacrifice for ſinnes, and that one ſacrifice is to be but once offered; the Apoſtle repeats this, that we might not forget it, this ſacrifice was offered once for all, verſe 10. once for ever, verſe 12. once for all ſinnes, once for all times, it is of perpetuall vertue and merit, once for ever: Is not that plain and full? Oh but Chriſt is gone to heaven, and we are not yet perfected. Why vain man, Chriſt hath finiſhed his work, and therefore is gone to heaven, he is ſate down, ver. 12. and he hath done his work, or elſe he would not ſit down, he hath not left any part of the Service to be perfected by a Maſſe-prieſt, and therefore do not expect to be perfected by any other offering in the Maſſe, or out of the Maſſe: read the 14. verſe, For by one offering he hath perfected p. 34for ever them that are ſanctified: Ye are ſanctified by that one offering, verſe 10. and perfected by it, verſe 14. But who is the witneſſe of this truth? why, the Holy Ghoſt, in the very next verſe, the 15^th. verſe; Whereof the Holy Ghoſt alſo is a witneſſe to us. Judge now, whether they that did bear witneſſe to this truth, be not Co-martyrs with the Holy Ghoſt, and therefore Co-heirs with Jeſus Chriſt. You ſee what reaſon we have to Proteſt againſt that Babylonian ſacrifice in the Maſſe. You have now received the knowledge of this truth, and if you ſinne wilfully after you have received the knowledge of the truth, it is principally meant of this truth, there remains no more ſacrifice for ſinne, becauſe ye have wilfully and maliciouſly rejected the OnelyOnly All-ſufficient Sacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt, truſting upon ſome other Sacrifice, that of the Maſſe, or the like, and done deſpite to the Spirit, by a moſt malignant contempt of the witneſſe of the Spirit. What argument can be more prevailing, to perſwade us to hold faſt the Profeſſion of our Faith, the Proteſtant Faith, leſt we fall from a coldneſſe and neutrality in Religion, into a deſperate malignity, and unpardonable Apoſtaſie. Away with Babyloniſh Geſtures, Names, and Titles, Rites, and Ceremonies, away with Babyloniſh Garments too: our profeſſed Babylonians begin now to air the mouldy … ſol… m… ſ…l…nn…a agenda …ce…us. Epiſt. ex Regiſt. Greg…. … 12. … 15. Auguſtino Epiſ…op… Anglorum de uſ… …. …t ſuper …nes qu… in …uti ſwit veſtibus alients—…mplentes templu… e…us impietate & dolo-induite Chriſtum, induite viſcera miſericordia—pro miſe…cordi… …ndui…ur …ta…e, pro v… tutibus vit…u, (i.) pro Chriſto Anti-chriſto. Hieron. in Soph c. ….Copes, they wear the Babyloniſh Garment that they may have the wedge of gold, and in their own phraſe, they diſſemble under a Cope, and are, if you will beleeve them, Proteſtants in their Hear…s. Our Prophet Zechariah will informe you how to deal with theſe men, Put them into an Ephah, that they may be kept within compaſſe, within their bounds, by ſevere diſcipline, and clap a talent of lead, a weighty cenſure, upon the mouth of the Ephah, Zech. 5. 8. Let the Ephah be lifted up on high, between heaven and earth, verſe 9. that is, let the ſentence be ſo Publike that all may take notice of it, and then let the Ephah be carried away quite out of Sion, and let an houſe be built for it in the land of Shinar, that is Babylon, ver. the 11^th. let their Habitation be there, from whence they drew their Corruption, for there they may ſettle upon their own Baſe, their own Lees, their own corrupt Principles. If ſuch as are p. 35Notorious, and Incorrigible, were Excommunicated by an Aſſembly of Divines, and ſome Civill-puniſhment inflicted upon ſuch as are within your reach, by an Ordinance of Parliament, the ſinne would not be Nationall, men would ſee and fear, and do no more ſo wickedly in England. For the ſharpeſt puniſhments are inflicted onelyonly foreign, by way of Prudence, for terrour, and reformation, not foreign, by way of retribution; for no puniſhment inflicted by man, can poſſibly countervail a ſin againſt God.

2. Make Gods Authority your Foundation, build upon it, it is an Impregnable Rock; though the windes blow, the rain beat, the waves roar and daſh themſelves into Foame, yet your Houſe wil ſtand and your Orders can never be diſanulled, if built upon the Rock. Make Gods word alone the Rule of Reformation, and keep cloſe to your Rule, and then all your Orders will be acknowledged to be Reſponſa prudentum, Reſponſa Prudentum …m legis obtinebant apud I…dices, qua poſtea dictaſunt Reſcripta Principum.and ſuch as deſerve to be Reſcripta Principum: this is the way to make your Orders prevail, not onelyonly by your Authority, but by their Own Authority.

3. Pray for the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit gives both Light, and eyes: You will meet with ſo many new ſinnes, new dangers, new temptations, new mercies, new troubles, that you had need beg hard for a ſpirit of Prayer, that you may be able to make new Prayers every hour, ſeverall Prayers upon ſeverall occaſions. Sion muſt prevail by Prayer, Sion was the Mount of Prayer, there was the houſe of Prayer; this is, as they uſe to call it in ſome Reformed-Churches, a Prayer-day, but every day muſt now be a day of prayer, extraordinary prayer, we muſt ſpend more time then ordinary in our private devotions. Get ye up to Mount Olivet, and there pray for Mount Sion, joyn heads, and purſes, and forces, and prayers together; Joſuah's ſword will not prevail without Moſes his prayer: Be of good comfort, though your enemies can out-ſwear you, yet they cannot out-pray you: If they be a thouſand thouſand ſtrong, and march againſt you with all their might, Call upon the Name of the Lord, and reſt upon your God; Aſa did ſo, and by the prayer of faith prevailed againſt a thouſand thouſand Ethiopians, and three p. 36hundred Chariots, 2 Chron. 14. 9, to the 12^th. verſe: Oh ſend to France, and Ireland, and Germany for their experimentall Prayers.

4. Humiliation is an excellent Preparative for Reformation, and there is no duty more pertinent to the Text, and proper, not onelyonly for this day, but for theſe times: In thoſe dayes, and in that time, ſaith the Prophet Jeremy the 50. Chap. and the 4. verſe; what times? what dayes? why, when the children of Iſrael ſhall come out of Babylon, they and the children of Iudah together; going and weeping, they ſhall go and ſeek the Lord their God. Honourable, and Beloved, let us this day ſeek our God with tears; if ye would be Princes with God, and have power with him, as Prince Jacob had, you muſt weep and make ſupplication in Bethel, the houſe of God, there God will be found, and there, here he hath ſpoke with you to day; read the twelfth of Hoſeah, the third and fourth verſes. Bleſſed be our great God, who did put it into your hearts, to draw up a Catalogue of the ſins of this Nation: O that you would weep over every ſin in that Catalogue, before you ſleep. O let us read our ſins in thoſe miſeries which are come upon us. We have nouriſhed Malignant luſts within us, which rebell againſt the ſpirit, and fight againſt the ſoul; we have made ſport & paſt-time with thoſe ſins which ſhed the blood of the Lord Jeſus, O let thoſe ſins draw tears from us, which drew blood from Chriſt. We have grieved the holy Spirit, and therefore well may the Spirit refuſe to comfort us, who hauehave grieved him. Well may the God of heaven bathe his ſword in our blood, and make the land …at with our carcaſſes, for we have forfeited our very Eſtates, and lives; we do not deſerve one bit of bread, or drop of water; juſtly may God feed us with the bread of ſorrows, and give us tears to drink. We would not ſerve God with joyfulneſſe, for the abundance of all things, and therefore well might God ſend us to ſerve our enemies in the want of all things; Deut. 28. 47▪ 48▪ Behold, the heaven is as braſſe, and the earth as iron: becauſe we have had a brazen brow, and there is an iron ſinew in our necks, we have gone on impudently, and ſtubbornly in our ſinnes: Gods Doctrine hath dropped as p. 37the raine, and diſtilled as the dew, but not as the dew upon the tender herbe; for our hearts have not been tender, our lives have not been fruitfull, well might our unfruitfulneſſe be the cauſe of the lands barrenneſſe. We have abuſed Gods bleſſings for the maintenance of our pride, luxury, wantonneſſe, we have ſought againſt God with his owne bleſſings, and therefore he hath good reaſon to diſarme us.

Oh let us weepe for Ireland & weepe for England, weepe for the King, and weepe for the Parliament: you know that all the Politicians in the Chriſtian world are now beating their braines, and ſtudying how to ſeduce our beloved King, his Throne is compaſſed about with ſnares, and he is even wedded to a Temptation, his very Counſellours are, too many of them, Seducers, or flatterers, like the houſe of Achzib, a lie to Mic…h 1. 14.the Kings of Iſrael, & therefore it is no marvaile if our King be miſled. O then let us weepe for our tempted King, for our ſeduced King; Be it knowne to all the world that we doe ſtill Reverence both his perſon, and Authority, and are ready to obey any lawfull Commands which he ſhall ſend us in a Legall way. Be it knowne to our enemies, that we weepe for our King, and pray for our King, onelyonly we dare not flatter him, we dare not ſtrengthen that party which doth ſeduce him, becauſe we doe truly love and honour him.

5. Let us enter into a covenant of Reformation; this was the ſtratagem of Sion, when they came out of Babylon; ſee whether their caſe be not ours, you may read it, Neh. 9. 36. and following verſes. For the Land which thou gaveſt our Fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof: behold, we are ſervants in it, and it yeeldeth much encreaſe unto the Kings whom thou haſt ſet over us, becauſe of our ſins; alſo they have dominion over our bodies, and over our Cattell at their pleaſure, and we are in great diſtreſſe; And becauſe of all this we make a Sure Covenant, & write it, and our Princes, Levites, & Prieſts ſeale unto it▪ The people of this land have made a generall Covenant by taking the Proteſtation, but we want ſuch a diſtinct, and ſpeciall Covenant as this was, you may reade the particular points of the Covenant, Neh. 10. Oh that you would be pleaſed to make as diſtinct a Covenant, as you have made a Confeſſion. p. 38Let us come to particulars in our Proteſtation, there will be but little Reformation till this be done, nay there can be no Safe, Rationall, Chriſtian Pacification till this be done: That you may be fully convinced of this truth, be pleaſed to peruſe a book of Chriſtian Pacification, and Reformation, printed about 80, yeares ſince, but lately publiſhed by judicious, and learned D^r Rivet, you ſhall finde it at the end of D^r Rivets Animadverſions upon Grotius his Annotations on Caſſander. In that book you will finde what errours we muſt proteſt againſt, and what points we muſt ſtand upon when we come to conclude a Pacification. For, ſaith that Reverend Author, our enemies know that we ſhall never have peace if they can ſeduce us from the Authour of peace, and if they can prevaile with us to let go one truth, they will hope to prevaile with us in due time to let goe all. For when men doe wilfully let fall any truth, God doth uſually give them up to beleeve lyes. Thinke ſadly of this buſineſſe; beleeve it, no buſineſſe is of higher concernment, you had need have a Choice Committee of both Houſes, and an Aſſembly of learned, pious, and experienced Divines, to conſult about it; till Articles of agreement are drawne up, it is impoſſible we ſhould ever agree, and therefore there is no way like this to ſettle truth and peace at once, and make them greet and kiſſe each other. Be pleaſed to take ſome courſe that this Covenant may bee Nationall: you know the godly part of a Nation are the Nationall Church. You ſee a Reaſon why I do not medle with particulars, that's not the worke of one man; onelyonly let us be thus punctual for the preſent, let us every one in our ſeveral places & callings reſolve to do all that lyes in our power to Reforme particular Congregations, and our owne particular Perſons. Firſt for particular Congregations, you know the great grievance in every pariſh. Sion dwells with Babylon, with a prophane ignorant multitude who are all borne with a Pope in their belly, and are not yet redeemed from that groſſe ſuperſtition and vaine Converſation which they received by Tradition from their Fathers. We have a little Temple, and a great Court, as it is, Revel. 11. 12. Give me leave to ſpeake unto you as Jotham ſpake to the men of Sechem, Iud. 7. 9. Hearken unto me, you p. 39Worthies of England, that God may hearken unto you. I beſeech you by the tender mercies of God and the bowells of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that there may be ſome courſe taken to keep back Dogges from ſnatching away the childrens Bread: my Soul melts within me when I conſider that men that are ſcandalouſly ignorant & prophane men that have not knowledge enough to diſcerne the Lords body, or grace enough to Examine, or prepare themſelves, are ſuffered to eat and drinke their own damnation. Oh conſider what it is for ſo many thouſands in England to remaine guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord Ieſus: can a deluge of our bloud waſh away a guilt of ſo deepe a dye? You know our chiefeſt happineſſe doth conſiſt in communion with God in Chriſt, and therefore wee ſhould conſider to whom we deliver the ſeales of this Communion. Why ſhould any that are not yet Saints be admitted to one of the higheſt priviledges of Saints, Church communion in the higheſt? The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a diſtinguiſhing Ordinance, and therefore it is not fit that men ſhould come as promiſcuouſly to the Sacrament as to an Ordinary The Canaanite of old was a thorne in the eyes and ſides of Gods people, but in the day of Reformation, the Canaanite was to be turned out of the houſe of the Lord of hoſtes, they are the laſt words of our Prophet Zachary. They who have no union with Chriſt can have no Communion with him; they who have not yet taſted of the ſpeciall love of God the Father, the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, or the communion of the holy Ghoſt, can have no right to this communion, this Sacrament; for he can never eat the Body of Chriſt who hath not the Spirit of Chriſt, becauſe it is to be ſpiritually eaten. There were of old **Greg. l. 9. Ep. 61▪ vide bella…m. de Ec. leſ. l. 3 c. 2.Communicatory letters ſent from one Church & Country to another; and why might there not in perplexed Caſes be ſome Communicatory letters ſent from an Eccleſiaſticall College to direct poor ſimple congregations, and doubting Paſtors, who ſhould be admitted, and who rejected? I cannot omit one Caution, which is briefly this, that no man muſt be excommunicated meerely becauſe it doth not evidently appeare that he is regenerate, becauſe a man may be regenerate, and yet not able p. 40to evidence his Regeneration to himſelf, much leſſe to others. In ſome caſes a regenerate man may be ſecluded for a while, and one that is not known to be unregenerate may be admitted, till his ſcandalous converſation doth ſet ſome black mark, or brand upon him: For ſome mens ſins go before to judgement, and others follow after; glorious hypocrites, and cloſe Malignants cannot long be hid, 1 Tim. 5. 24, 25.

In the laſt place, let us make it our ſaddeſt buſineſſe to reform our own particular perſons. Honourable, and Beloved, are there no ſinnes amongſt you? even amongſt you? Quis cuſtodiet ipſos cuſtodes? Have the Reformers no need of Reformation? turn your eyes inward, tell me ſadly, what do you diſcover there? are there no Babyloniſh Inmates protected there? ſuch as can never be defended? are there no unruly paſſions, no unmortified luſts, no ſelf-ends, or ſiniſter reſpects, ſuch as beg your priviledge, and enjoy your favour? Theſe, theſe are the Brats of Babylon; O happy, thrice happy ſhall he be, who takes theſe Infant-luſts, before they are grown up, and daſheth them againſt the Rock; as it is in Pſ. 137. ver. 9. This is the proper work of a Faſt. What have you done to day? You have ſate here five or ſix hours, and miſſed a dinner; Is this the Faſt that God hath choſen? is this all that he requires of you? Doth he not command you to humble your ſouls, to break your hearts, to afflict your ſpirits, to mortifie your luſts, deny your ſelves, reform your lives, take up your croſſe and follow Chriſt? Will you cut off your right hands, and pull out your right eyes? Will you take Chriſts yoak upon your necks, his burthen upon your ſhoulder? Will you lay down your honours, your eſtates, your lives at the feet of Jeſus Chriſt? Will ye live to him, and if he calls you to it, will you die for him? If you have wrought your hearts to this temper to day, then you have faſted to the Lord. God takes notice of your zeal; you beat down Croſſes, and Images, but take heed you do not leave ſome idols ſtanding in your own boſomes: Is there no luſt of covetouſneſſe, or luſt of uncleanneſſe, no pride, ambition, envie, malice, enſhrined within your hearts? Down, down, with theſe. You know there are Idola ſaeculi, as well as p. 41Idolatempl…: foreign ſunt foreign; all your luſts muſt be Anathematized, Curſed, that they may, like the fig-tree, after it was curſed, die and wither at their very root. Tell me, is not ſelfe-love an Idoll? is it not the great Whore? is not luſt a Beaſt, a Monſter with many heads and horns? Oh hate this Whore, mortifie ſelfe-love, and you ſtab the Beaſt to the heart, for ſelf-love is the very heart and ſoul of Originall ſinne, it is the laſt enemy which will be deſtroyed: it was primum vivens, and it will be ultimum moriens: Come then, let us beat down our bodies, and cry to God to humble our ſouls, and beat down our corruptions, let not onelyonly Reaſon Vote down your luſts, but Faith and Zeal pray them down. The precious ſons of Sion are moſt troubled with this ſame Babylon within, and therefore they do make moſt frequent and penitent complaints againſt themſelves, and put up moſt zealous prayers to God, to give them power and victory over their head-ſtrong and ſtomackfull corruptions: and in their prayers, their faith ever cloſes with ſuch promiſes as aſſure them of grace enough to reſiſt temptations, and mortifie their corruptions; this is the way to keep a faithfull, penitent, holy, zeaelous, heavenly Faſt. This is to faſt as our Saviour did, who made it his meat and drink to do the will of his Father.

Be pleaſed to conſider that you muſt not only beat down Babylon, but build up Sion, Sion is built by faith and holineſſe: In the firſt place then,

1. Look to your faith: The walls of Babylon, like the walls of Jericho, are battered down by faith: all the faithfull priſoners in Babylon, whoſe hearts were ſprinkled by the blood of the Covenant, were priſoners of hope, and therefore were ſure to be delivered from the bottomleſſe-pit, in which there is no water; for Babylon was a type of Hell. As for thee alſo by the blood of thy Covenant, I have ſent forth thy priſoners out of the pit, wherein is no water, Zechar. 9. 11. Beaſts live by ſenſe, Heathens live by reaſon, Chriſtians muſt live by faith, they muſt mortifie their luſts, renounce their merits, reſt onelyonly upon Chriſts perfect obedience, and full ſatisfaction for their juſtification; for we cannot be Conſtituted righteous p. 42but by the obedience of Chriſt, Rom. 5. 19. In this faith, foreign.let us live, in this, let us die.

2. Study Holineſſe: Holineſſe is the beauty of Sion, for there they were to worſhip God in the beauty of holineſſe, there can be no beauty in our ſouls, no glory in our Congregations without holineſſe. Sion was the Mount of holineſſe, Zech. 8. 3. Holineſſe is the end of Humane ſociety;

Ʋtque alios alii de Relligione docerent,

Contiguas Pietas juſſit habere domos,

Certainly this Age is even grown Barbarous, or elſe Holineſſe, which is the end of Humane ſociety, and the life of Chriſtian ſociety, would never be contemned, and deſpiſed, as it is now adayes in this wicked generation. O what a baſe thing is it for a Nation to be aſhamed of its glory, and to glory in its ſhame! Men think it a baſe thing for to be holy, and yet God himſelf is glorious in Holineſſe, Exod. 15. 11. Certainly if this Nation would be glorious in Holineſſe, Gods right hand would be glorious in power, and daſh our enemies to pieces, Exod. 15. 6. Without holineſſe we cannot have any intimate acquaintance with God, or good men: We long for Peace, but Peace is a Iewell which God gives to none but thoſe that are of his acquaintance. Iob 22, 21. Acquaint now thy ſelf with him, and be at Peace, thereby good ſhall come unto thee. A godly life, is the life of God: thoſe that were ſtrangers to a godly life, are ſaid to be alienated, or eſtranged from the life of God, Epheſ. 4. 18. They then that ſtrike at holineſſe, ſtrike at the life of God, and have a kinde of Atheiſticall murther in their thoughts, they would lay the Church a bleeding, let out the very heart-blood of Religion, and take away the life of God. If England will not be holy, it cannot be happy, if we continue in our lukewarmneſſe, and profaneneſſe, Wo, wo be unto us, though it go well with Sion, it will go ill with us; Sion was preſerved, even when Ieruſalem was deſtroyed and England may be deſtroyed for its unthankfulneſſe, unfruitfulneſſe, hereſie, idolatry, lukewarmneſſe, and profaneneſſe, &c. and yet the Church preſerved, for the Church is not confined to any place. It concerns us then to be ſuch manner of p. 43men, in all holy converſation, 2 Pet. 3. 11. ſuch pilgrims on earth, and citizens of heaven, that it may appear that we ſeek a better Countrey, an Heavenly, and then God will not be aſhamed to be called our God, Heb. 11. 16. But if we go about ſpirituall duties, with carnall hearts, and worldly mindes, if we lie at catch, waiting for a fair opportunity to return into Egypt, the God of heaven will be aſhamed to own us for his people. Heb. 11. 15, 16. Brethren, if we live in the ſpirit, let us walk in the spirit, as the Apoſtle adviſes, Gal. 5. 25. let us March fair and ſtreight, in rank and file, as the word ſignifies, foreign Mihi videtur foreign aliquid amplius quàm foreign ſignificate, …mpe …a inced…re ut certum ordi… teneas, & quaſi lineamnen tranſilias. Bez…. Annot. foreign …ſt ordo in aci… ſervatus, à fron… incipi…, & p…r ſuccenturiatos a tergo …ive Subſtites ſigillatim ad extrem…m agm… porrectus.foreign, walk according to the Canon given to Evangelicall Souldiers, Gal. 6. 16. and if we walk according to Rule, this Rule of the new Creature, Verſe 15. mortifying our luſts, crucifying our ſelves to the world, and living unto Chriſt in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe, Peace will be upon us, and upon Sion the Iſrael of God, verſe 16. We muſt not conceive, that we may walk every man according to a Canon of our own deviſing, this man according to one Canon, and that according to another; no, it behoves us all foreign, to walk according to the ſelf ſame Rule, or Canon, and foreign, to minde, ſavour, reliſh, the ſelf ſame thing, to promote the great Deſign, namely the quickning, and ſeaſoning this Kingdom with the Power of godlineſſe; for we have been a great while ſick of a Form of godlineſſe, a mortall diſeaſe, for it was but a dead Form; The Lord quicken, and awake us out of our Dead-ſleep, for if we content our ſelves with this Dead-form, we are in danger to be buried in our own ruines. You ſee we are not afraid to diſcover our Plots, and truely I am guilty of no other, then what I have this day diſcovered: I ſhall employ my utmoſt ſtrength, conſecrate my Totum nil, blow my Rams-horn againſt Babylon, and ſtudy how to build up Sion, that's all I intend. Honourable, and Beloved, let us as it becomes men of Sion, devote our ſelves to God, and ſpend our ſtrength in the Practiſe of Piety: Let us be better acquainted with our ſelves, and with our God; let us learn what ſinne, and what grace meanes; let us be watchfull over our own hearts, with an holy jealouſie; nay let us ſet a watch before our mouthes. p. 44and all our ſenſ…s, nay let us watch over one another, that we may provoke one another unto holineſſe, and good works. Let us beſeech the God of heaven to kindle gracious deſires in our hearts, that we may oppoſe and conquer all our filthy and unplacable luſts, for our luſts ſet us all in a Combuſtion. From whence come wars, but from the luſts of Jam. 4. 1.Jas 4:1pride, envy, malice, ambition, covetouſneſſe? The Lord ſpeak to our conſciences, and convince them, to our implacable luſts, and mortifie them, and we ſhall be all at peace. Beleeve it, we want peace, meerly for want of holineſſe: Keep cloſe to the rule of holineſſe, and I dare warrant you, you ſhall (as Joſiah did) die in Peace, though you are killed in Warre.

3. In the third place, let us ſtudy Thankfulneſſe: We may well ſit down and conſider how to be thankfull to our good God, for the dawnings of our deliverance: The ſonnes of Sion were very joyfull in the Houſe of thanksgiving, long Ezra 6.Ezra 6before their work was finiſhed. Should we not be thankfull for Ireland? hath not God been the helper of the friendleſſe? hath he not wrought miraculouſly, even without meanes, above meanes, and againſt meanes? And ſhould we not be thankfull for England? hath not God done wonders enough for our Nation, to ſtirre up your hearts to enjoyn a ſolemn…day of Thanksgiving quite thorowout the Kingdom? Some of our Deliverances have been Nationall; Oh let the Thanksgiving be Nationall, as well as the Deliverance. You did not long ſince hear good news from the Weſt, but were you thankfull? if you were not, why then, ſure you may conclude, that the ſad news which you lately received from thence, was the juſt puniſhment of your unthankfulneſſe. The very Heathens will condemn us for our unthankfulneſſe; they never received a conſiderable victory, but they brought in their Opima spolia Jovi Feretrio. O let us ſing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriouſly, he is our ſtrength and ſong, and is become our ſalvation: He is our Exod. 1….Exod 1God, our fathers God, and we will exalt him: Iehovah is a man of warre, Iehovah is his Name. He hath redeemed us in his mercy, and he will guide us in his ſtrength to his holy Habitation; The Lord will eſtabliſh his Sanctuary amongſt us, p. 45and he ſhall reign over us, and our poſterity for ever and ever. Who is like unto thee, O Iehovah, amongst the mighty ones, who is like unto thee? glorious in Holineſſe, fearfull in Prayſes, and doing wonders? Who is like unto thee, O Ireland? The Eternall God, who rideth upon the Heavens, is thy refuge, and underneath are his everlaſting armes, he ſhall thruſt out the Enemy from before thee, and ſhall ſay, Deſtroy them. O Deut. 33.Deut 33let Ireland be a land of Plenty, let the Heavens drop down their dew, and the fountain of Iacob be upon it. And happy art thou, O England; who is like unto thee, O people, ſaved by Iehovah, the ſhield of thy Help, and the ſword of thy Excellency? thine Enemies ſhall be found Lyers unto thee; keep Covenant with thy God, and thou ſhalt not be Confounded world without end.

In the laſt place let us keep a Charitable Faſt to day; here's a Bill preſented for a Contribution to Maimed Souldiers, I want ſtrength to publiſh it diſtinctly and audibly. I beleeve you will eaſily be perſwaded to part with your money to them who have ſhed their bloud for you; their bodies have bled already, now let your purſes bleed; And here is an Order which concernes Ireland. Oh let Ireland live in your boſome! why doe we not faſt, three or foure times every weeke, that we may ſend ſome proviſion to the poore Proteſtants in Ireland? If our faſting may keepe the moſt conſiderable part of that kingdome from ſtarving, are we not bound to Faſt? And forget not the other Churches, they all come under this endearing Title [thy ſelfe.] Deliver thy ſelfe O Zion: Is not Ireland our ſelfe? & Scotland our ſelfe? and Bohemia our ſelfe? are not all the Reformed Churches our ſelfe? plot for them all, & pray for them all, love them & treat with them, & ſo far as the Scripture will give you leave, conforme to thē in point of Diſciplme, that we may all ſpeake the ſame thing, and be perfectly joyned together in the ſame minde, and the ſame Judgment. And the Lord preſerve this reſolution in the hearts of us, and all his people for ever, that we may all live like Saints, or die like Martyrs. Amen, Allelujah, Amen, Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Francis Cheynell, Zions Memento and Gods Alarm (1643)