Zions Memento and Gods Alarm, Title page – To the reader
Sions Memento, AND Gods Alarum. IN A SERMON AT VVESTminſter, before the Honorable Houſe of Commons, on the 31. of May 1643. the Solemne day of their monethly Faſt.
By FRANCIS CHEYNELL late Fellow of Merton College in Oxford.
Printed and publiſhed by order of the Houſe of COMMONS.
REVEL. 19. ver. 19. 20.
And I ſaw the Beaſt and the Kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together, to make war againſt him that ſate on the Horſe, and againſt his army. And the Beaſt was taken, and with him the falſe Prophet.—Theſe both were caſt alive into a lake of fire burning with brimſtone.
REVEL. 17. 1, 2.
Come hither, I will ſhew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that ſitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication.
LONDON, Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard. 1643.
TO THE HONORABLE Houſe of COMMONS, now aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
I Dare not diſpute your Power, for even Dr. Dr. Fern his Conſcience ſatisfyed lately printed at Oxford. ſect. 2. pag 6.Ferne himſelf is Satisfied in his Conſcience (or elſe he would never have granted it in his Tract, entituled Conſcience Satisfied) that the two Houſes of Parliament are, in a ſort, Coordinate with His Majeſty ad aliquid, to ſome Act, or Exerciſing of Supreme Power, that is, to the making of Laws, by yeelding their conſent: and this (ſaith he) they have by a Fundamentall Conſtitution: Nay, the Order of the Houſe of Commons cannot in reaſon but oblige all the Commons of England; it doth not indeed oblige the King, he is exempt by his Soveraignty; the Lords plead Peerage, I have not yet heard of any other Plea, and therefore I will not diſpute your Power, but obey your Order. You ſhall have the glory to command, mihi autem obſequii gloria relicta eſt, pardon the expreſſion: we Merton College men have been uſed to Tacitus, 'tis his expreſſion.
The times are ſad, my Text was ſeaſonable: Though Babylon be at Rome, yet there are ſome ſonnes and daughters of Babylon too here in England: Sion is now ſurrounded by them, and your Honourable Houſe is moſt eminently oppoſed by them: Many there are that plot againſt you, all the Antichriſtian Politicians in the Chriſtian world are beating their brains how to deſtroy you, but their Plots are diſcovered, their Deſignes defeated by the watchfull providence of an Omniſcient God, Many there are that fight againſt you, againſt you, I ſay, for it is evident that thoſe many thouſands who are up in Arms, do not fight for the King, but againſt the Parliament: This man fights for a place at Court, and the other, perchance, for a place in the Church, or rather over the Church: O bloody Simony! ſome fight for Pluralities, and ſome for Biſhopriks, ſome for Patents, ſome for Monopolies; ſome have loſt their places in the Star-Chamber, and High Commiſſion, and have ſcarce any thing to …raſt to but the ſword. The Papiſts fight to ſubvert Religion: Delinquents, to ſubvert the Laws, and the Parliament too, becauſe it hath power to make, declare, enforce the Law: The Royſters fight to deſtroy your perſons, and gaine your eſtates to pay their Tavern-tickets: and yet there is a Divine, one Dr. …erne, who ſeems to excuſe all this, and by his excuſe, doth certainly encourage them, to do what is inexcuſable. And the good Doctor would fain perſwade you and all the Commons of England, to ſit ſtill the whileſt, and loſe your Religion for Conſcience …ake; your Laws, Liberties, Eſtates, Lives, for Peace ſake: And what will Peace advantage your Poſterity, if the Army in the North will give them Peace upon no other terms then theſe; that either they muſt turn Papiſts, or elſe be content to be Beggers, and which is worſe, Slaves? Some that gloried in the Title of Royaliſts, do now perceive, That it is not enough, to ſtand for the King, unleſſe they will declare themſelves for the Queen: and they are not a little ſtartled at that: Is this the Biſhops holy War for the Catholique Church? Be it the Biſhops War, ſaith Dr. Ferne in his firſt Book▪ Well, be it ſo: Why, then ſure the Biſhops have much blood to anſwer for. For it is well known to this whole Kingdom, and to ſome Churches abroad, that the Parliament deſired to have all Church-matters fairly debated, foreign, as Nazianzen speaks, not by an Army, but by an Aſſembly; the Biſhops then have clearly declined this Rationall way of triall, and taken up Arms againſt the Parliament in the old quarrell, and ſure the Parliament hath good reaſon to defend themſelves. It ſeems the Biſhops arguments are ſpent, and therefore they call for Powder and Bullets, to prove that Prelacie is Jure divino. I ſay Prelacy, for there is a great deal of difference between Prelates, and Biſhops.
Pontifices nunc Bella juvant, ſunt caetera nugae.Palingenius.
What they cannot prove by the Word, they would fain make good by the ſword. What? becauſe men of tender conſciences can be no longer purſued in their Courts, muſt they be purſued even unto death, by force of Arms? but ſtay: What's their fault? Why, they are enemies: They are enemies to ſuch pomp and ſtate as (ſome Biſhops cannot but confeſſe) may well be spared. This Plot came from Rome, for I remember Hoſtienſis ſaith, That from the dayes of Pope Adrian, till his time, the Cardinals and Biſhops of Rome had ſcarce ever laid down their Arms. aNunc belligerantur Epiſcopi, nec ali…d fere quam belligerantur. Eraſ. Annot in cap. 3. Luc….Eraſmus complained, that in his time the Biſhops were men of warre. When the Duke D'Alva tyrannized over the Netherlands, there were new Biſhops bMr. Fullers Pro▪ fane State. …. 19.Sees erected in every City, and then preſently the Inquiſition was brought in upon them: as if there could never have been any abſolute tyranny without the help of the Biſhops. But you will tell me, that the Men may be faulty, and yet the Order blameleſſe. I anſwer, that the dignity of their Order ſhould be tried by the Word, and the men being faulty, ſhould not be protected by the Sword▪ Bluſh ye heavens, and be aſhamed, O earth, that ever proud ambitious spirits ſhould enflame differences between King and Parliament, onelyonly that they may feed themſelves with vain hopes of being Biſhops at laſt, and enjoying Pluralities the whileſt. Let the Searcher of hearts judge between us, and let them beware that they do not hear aconfounding voice, like that in the Hiſtorian, Quintili Vare redde Legiones, Tu Epiſcope redde Legiones, redde Animas. I was bold in my Sermon to lay Prelacy as low as Prelaticall men have laid Monarchy. I was too bold, they ſay, in calling the Pope whore ſo often. But it is as certain that Pope John the eighth, (or Joan the firſt) was a Whore, as the credit of impartiall Hiſtorians (I except the Sacred See Mr. Alexander Co…k his Dialogue about Pope …oane. Cognomine Anglicus, natione Moguntinus▪ vide F… ſci… temporum ata… 6. ad An. 854.onelyonly) can make a matter of fact certaine, which was done ſo long ago. The ancient Popiſh Hiſtorians acknowledge this truth. The Succeſſour of Leo the fourth is generally deſcribed, by name John the eighth, by firname Engliſh, by place a Pope, by ſ…x a woman, aod by her luſt a Whore: She tyrannized ſomewhat above two years, ſome reckon the moneths and dayes; ſhe played the beaſt with one of her own ſervants, and died in travail, in time of ſolemn Proceſſion in the high ſtreet. No man ever went about to prove this Story a Fable, but he proved himſelf a Foole. For this ſtory is confirmed by the teſtimony of a… & …Theodoricus de N…em, one of the Popes Secretaries, by b…Charanza Archbiſhop of Toledo, by c……ulgoſus, ſometimes Duke of Gen…a, by dD… m…mora…Platina, keeper of the Library in the Vatican at Rome, a man commanded to write the truth by eDe …Pope Sixtus the fourth; a man that had been racked and deprived of his dignities by Paul the ſecond: it ſeemes he bad spoken truth too freely, and therefore Sixtus reſtored him to his …dignities, and did not onelyonly enjoyn, but encourage him to write the truth. To theſe I might adde John of Paris, Divinity Reader in the Ʋniverſity of Paris, g Pola…s an Archbiſhop, and the Po…es Pe…tiary, h Trithemius Abbot of S…. Martins Monaſtery, i Philippus Bergomenſis, I will not omit Krantius, he is an excellent Chronographer, and k Bellarmine ſaith, not to be ſuspected, becauſe he wrote before Luther, nor is Achil…es Graſ…erus to be d…ſrespected, becauſe he collected his Epitome out of very ch…ce Hiſtorians. Here is weight in theſe teſtimonies, if any man look for number, he may ſee Sigebert, Boccace, Mantuan, Petrarch, Gotefridus, Viterbien…s, Palmerius, Nauclerus, …abellicus, Volateran, Schedel, and divers others cited at …arge in that learned …ra…t of Mr. Alexander Cook, ſet out on purpoſe to confirm this truth: or he may read Mr. Bell his Mo…ives, or his Survey of Popery; Books that I never yet ſaw anſwered. But what if one Pope were a Whore, and delivered of a Baſtard before all the People, peradventure the reſt of the Popes … D ….were more holy. No, John the eleventh was promoted to the Popedome by Theodora a famous Whore: John the twelfth, was a Baſtard begotten of Marozia (another mans wife) by Pope Sergius the third: John the thirteenth abuſed his fathers Concu…e. Some Popes have been notorious for Inceſt and Sodomy, Julius the ſecond, Martin the ſecond, and divers others; Boniface the eighth had iſſue by both his Nieces, Lucretia was daughter and whore to Pope Alexander the ſixth; her Epitaph will be more laſting then Braſſe or Marble,
Hoc jacet in tumulo Lucretia nomine, ſed re
Thais, Alexandri filia, ſponſa, nurus.
You may ſee more inſtances in Platina, O…phrius, Sleidan. We are ſo much given to Romane Courtſhip now adayes, and our ears have been ſo little uſed till now of late to the old expreſſions of zealous Proteſtants, that ſuch like paſſages will be counted little leſſe then rayling by ſome Gentle Readers; but let ſuch hear what Reverend Dr. Abbor, ſometimes Biſhop of Sarum, a man of a meek spirit, obſerved when he treated of this Argument. The Ib. ubi ſupra pag. 199.Pontificall Chair, ſaith he, was ſo infected with that She-Pope and famous Whore John the eighth, that ſcarce any man ever ſince climbed up to that Seat of Peſtilence, but he hath ſtunck of that, or ſome other Whore. I will not give you occaſion to ſtop your noſes, by ripping up the beaſtlineſſe of the fat Monks, and wanton Prieſts, whom the people might well call Fathers, becauſe they begot Hoſ…ienſ de Orig. M…nach lib. 6 c. 3.ſo many Baſtards;
Non male ſunt Monachis gra…a indita nomina Patrum,
Cum numerent natos hic & ubique ſuos.
There hath been enough ſaid, to give (and I know all impartiall men will take) ſatisfaction. The great Deſigne I had in my Sermon, was to overthrow Babylon, and build up Sion. I touched upon the Hereſie, Idolatry, Tyranny, of the Antichriſtian Faction, that Proteſtants might be mo…e watchfull, and Popery more odious, It is my daily prayer, that God would unite the King and Parliament; and my great Requeſt to your Honourable Houſe was, that you would put forth your ſtrength for the recovery of that Power, which the Antichriſtian Faction by force, or fraud hath wreſted out of the Kings hand, that when it is regained, it may be ſetled upon the Kings Royall Perſon, and Poſterity. For this end and purpoſe, I made an humble Motion to you, that you would ſeriouſly conſider what Points we muſt ſtand upon, and what Errours we muſt Proteſt againſt, that ſo there might be a more speciall and punctuall Covenant of Peace drawn up, ſubſcribed, nay ſealed, and King and Parliament might Victoriouſly joyn in an happy Union againſt the Antichriſtian Faction, this in England, which is intimately Confederate with that in Ireland, and equally Rebellious againſt the Kings Authority in His higheſt Court of Juſtice. In my diſcourſe about the Covenant, I mentioned a Book, which directs us how to make a Chriſtian Pacification by a thorow Reformation: The Authour of that Book did not ſet himſelf to dispute with Turks, or Jews, or groſſe Papiſts, but with ſome treacherous Reconcilers, who under colour of Pacification, and ſome pretence of a moderate Reformation, would take away half Chriſt at leaſt, and three quarters of our old Creed, as if they could make us amends, by giving us a New one, and we might Covenant to tear Chriſt and his Goſpel to pieces for Peace ſake. The Proteſtants talked much of the Cauſe of Chriſt (ſaith the ſame Authour) as long as they had ….their ſwords by their ſides, but when they had laid down their Arms, and were in danger of their lives, then they forgat the Cauſe of Chriſt, and began to think that zeal was raſhneſſe, and conſtancy ſtubbornneſſe. But if we love Chriſt and our ſouls better then our lives, let us reſolve never to embrace any conditions of Peace which mingle the Inventions of men with the truth of God: Let us maintain the Doctrine of free Juſtification, our Salvation depends upon it, and let us preſerve the Worſhip of God entire and pure; for ſaith he, if we look onelyonly to matters of Faith, and contend not for purity of Worſhip, we ſeem to have leſſe care of Gods honour, then of our Salvation. Moreover, in matters of ſuch moment, we muſt weigh and conſider every phraſe, word, title, leſt by obſcure, or ſlipper… terms, our Adverſaries evade, and leave us in the lurch. This is the ſubſtance of the firſt Chapter. His ſecond Chapter concerns Juſtification, and he would have us conſider, that it is not enough to ſay, we are juſtified by Faith, but we muſt ſay, we are juſtified by Faith, becauſe Chriſts righteouſneſſe is imputed, and our ſins are not imputed to us that beleeve. We muſt not deny our Regeneration, and yet we muſt not confound it with our juſtification. We muſt obey God with all our heart, and all our ſtrength, and yet we muſt not plead any other obedience for our Juſtification at the Tribunall of God, ſave the obedience of Ieſus Chriſt. Our good works ſhall be rewarded, that's encouragement enough; but the reward is grounded upon a free Pardon, and a gracious acceptation: if we were not firſt juſtified, our works would not be accepted, nor rewarded; Becauſe our perſons are accepted in Chriſt, therefore our works are rewarded for Chriſt; that imperfect righteouſneſſe of works which we have, doth wholly depend upon the righteouſneſſe of faith; now the imperfection of our righteouſneſſe is pardoned, the ſincerity of our obedience is accepted, and yet we are not juſtified by our own ſincere obedience, no not in part, but are onelyonly (and wholly, becauſe perfectly) juſtified by the compleat and perfect obedience of Ieſus Chriſt. We muſt then truſt with our whole ſoul to the obedience of Ieſus Chriſt, and not truſt at all to any good quality infuſed into us, or good works wrought by us, for our Iuſtification: This is the pure Proteſtant Religion, commended to us in the ſecond Chapter. In his third Chapter, he doth largely explain the office, and uſe of Faith, becauſe Faith is the inſtrument of our juſtification, and we can never keep the unity of Faith in the bond of Peace, if we do not agree about the Nature, or the Offices, and uſe of Faith. I am ſorry I muſt lay aſide this Book, but if you will be pleaſed to take it up, I may conclude my Epiſtle; onelyonly give me leave to renew my ſuit to you, concerning a Nationall Covenant, a Nationall Thankſgiving, a ſpeedy and free Aſſembly: If the Prelaticall men are diſpleaſed, that ſo many Biſhops are paſſed by, let them remember what the Archbiſhop of Canterbury Schol G▪ Naz. d… d… vit Cer. Archb. Cant. Relat. p. 27.ſaith, That there have been ſome corrupt crafty Biſhops, who by plots and tricks have diſturbed all Synods, and moſt Councels. Aſtutos & veteratoriae improbitatis Epiſcopos, qui ar…ibus ſuis ac dolis omnia Concilia perturbabant. I ſhall conclude all with that Prayer which I uſed at the Faſt. Lord, never was there any Kingdom that made an higher Appeal to thy Majeſty then our poor Kingdom hath made: Both ſides appeal to thee, not onelyonly by a Warre, but a Proteſtation Lord, be pleaſed to decide the Controverſie, let that ſide prevail which doth moſt ſincerely deſire thy glory, the Kings good, the Kingdoms welfare by an happy Reformation, and a Chriſtian Peace: I am ſure you will ſay Amen to the prayer of
Your daily Oratour at the Throne of Grace, FRA: CHEYNELL.
Courteous Reader,
SOme paſſages in my Sermon have reference to a little treatiſe, which I lately publiſhed about Socinianiſme: in that booke you will meet with much Latine which is not tranſlated, yet if you turne over but the firſt foure or five leaves, you may without the helpe of Latine, if you read attentively, pick out the ſcope of the book; ſome quotations were ſcholaſticall, and would not beare Engliſh, ſome are full of blaſphemies, others there are that will ſeeme ſuperfluous to any but a ſcholar, who delights to know every circumſtance. Be pleaſed to read the booke, the Sermon, and Epiſtle, beleeve and obey the Scriptures, and prepare for Martyrdome, we know not how ſoone we may be called to ſeale the truth with our deareſt bloud; lend the Author thy patience and thy prayers.
F. C.