The Judgment of Babylon, Tract · Judgment 1
The judgement of the late Arch-biſhop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland, what is underſtood by Babylon, in Apoc. 17. & 18.
Apoc. 18. v. 4.
Go out from her my people, that ye be not partakers of her ſins, and receive not of her plagues.
IN theſe words we are ſtraightly enjoyned, upon our peril, to make a ſeparation from Babylon. For the underſtanding of which charge, theſe three Poſitions following are to be conſidered.
The firſt Poſition.
THat it is plainly foretold in the the Word of God, that after the planting of the Faith by the Apoſtles; the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth ſhould be ſeduced and drawn into damnable errours: and that the mother of all theſe Abominations of the Earth, ſhould be a certain great City called Babylon, in a Myſterie.
Proof.
THis we finde directly laid down in the Revelation, that aaApoc. 17. v. 18. & 18 v. 2. & 21. great Citie calledbApoc. 17.5. in a myſtery Babylon ſhould become the mother of the ſpiritual whoredome and abominations of the earth, ſo that thecApoc. 17 2. & 18. v. 3. Kings of the earth ſhould commit fornication with her, and the Inhabitants of the earth ſhould be made drunke with the wine of her fornication.
The ſecond Poſition.
THat by this great City Babylon (the Mother of all the abominations of the earth) is underſtood Rome.
Proof.
1. BY the clear Teſtimony of Scripture, in the ſeventeen Chapter of the Revelation; where this City is deſcribed unto us, Firſt by the ſituation; that it is ſeated upon ſeven Hills, (v. 9.18.) and then by the largeneſs of the Dominion thereof; That it is that great Citie that ruleth over the Kings of the earth, (v. 18.) Now that by theſe two marks Rome was moſt notoriouſly known in the Apoſtles dayes, may appear even by the Romane Poets, who deſcribe Rome juſt after the ſame manner, asd(Horat. in Car. ſeculari.) Dii quibus ſeptem placuere colles. Ovid;
Sed quae de ſeptem totum circumſpicit orbem
Montibus, imperii Roma Deumque locus.
Triſt. lib. 1. Eleg. 4. Lib. 3. Eleg. 10.Rome the place of the Empire, and of the Gods, which from ſeven hills doth take a view of the whole world.
And more ſhortly Propertius.
Septem urbs alta jugis toti quae prafidet Orbi.
The City mounted on ſeven hils which ruleth the whole world. No man reading Propertius, ever made queſtion, but that Rome was here deſcribed; and therefore no reaſon why any doubt ſhould be made, what that great Citie may be, which with the ſame colours is painted out unto us in the book of the Revelation.
2. By the judgement of the anancient Fathers, affirming expreſly that Rome is meant by Babylon, in the ſeventeenth Chapter of the Revelation, as the Rhemiſts themſelves doe voluntarily confeſs in their laſt note upon the first Epiſtle of Peter
3. By the Confeſsion of thoſe who are moſt Devoted to the See of Rome: as (to name one for many,eDe Rom. Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 2. (Bellarmine the Cardinal Jeſuite; whoſe words are theſe: [John in the Revelation every where calleth Rome Babylon, as Tertullian hath noted in his third Book againſt Marcion, and in his Book againſt the Jewes: and it is plainly gathered out of the ſeventeenth Chapter of the Revelation: Where great Babylon is ſaid to ſit upon ſeven Mountains and to have Dominion over the Kings of the earth. For there is no other City which in the time of John had Dominion over the Kings of the Earth, but Rome; and the building of Rome upon 7. hills, is a matter moſt famous.]
Hitherto Bellarmine.
The third Poſition.
THat old Rome onelyonly under the Heathen perſecutors (from the time of the firſt Emperour till Conſtantines dayes) was not Babylon (as the Proctors of the Church of Rome would perſwade us) but Rome in her laſt dayes being free from the Government both of Heathen and Chriſtian Emperours. And that Rome was to be that Babylon, which ſhould draw the Kings and Nations of the world unto Superſtition and Idolatrie from ſuch time as it ceaſed to be ſubject to the civil Prince (and became the Poſſeſſion of the Pope) until the laſt deſtruction thereof, which is yet to come.
Proof.
1. THe matter of Babylon is revealed unto Saint John as a myſterie, Apoc 17.6. But the perſecution of the Church by the Heathen Emperour was far from being a myſterie: For it being openly committed,Apoc. 1.9. Saint Iohn himſelf at the ſame time being a companion with the reſt of the Saints in this tribulation (baniſhed for the Word of God, and for the witneſsing of Ieſus Chriſt into the Iland Pathmos:) this could not be ſhewed as a ſecret and mystical thing. And therefore ſome further matter, not then openly known to the world muſt here be intended.
2. The ſtate of Babylon after her fall, is thus declared, Apoc. 18.2. It is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon the great Citie is become the habitation of Devils, & the hold of all foul ſpirits, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird; for all Nations have drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication with her, &c. If Heathen Rome onelyonly were Babylon, it would follow that upon the fall thereof in the dayes of Conſtantine the Emperour, Rome profeſsing the Faith of Chriſt ſhould then become the habitation of Devils, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Which being a moſt groſſe and abſurd imagination, it muſt needs be granted, that afte… … …ayes of the Chriſtian Emperou…, the faithful Citie ſhould become a harlot; even Rome (whoſe Faith was once renowned throughout Romans 1.8.all the world) ſhould become Babylon the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the Earth.Apoc. 17.5.
3. Such a Deſolation is foretold ſhould come upon the great City Babylon (which in the ſecond poſition is proved to be Rome) that it ſhould utterly be deſtroyed and never built again, nor reinhabited, (Apoc. 18. v. 21, 22, 23.) Now at that very time when this judgement ſhall come; it is ſaid that the Kings of the Earth which have committed fornication with her, ſhall bewail her and lament her, (Rev. 18. verſe 9.) whereby it is moſt evident that Rome is not to ceaſe from being Babylon, till her laſt deſtruction ſhall come upon her; and that unto her laſt gaſpe ſhe is to continue her ſpiritual fornications, alluring all Nations unto her ſuperſtition and idolatrie,
4. Saint Paul, 2 Theſſalonians 2.7. Declareth that there was One in his time who did hinder the revealing of that wicked man, who was to be the head of this Apoſtacie, and falling away from the Faith. And when that he ſhould be taken out of the way, then (ſaith the Apoſtle Verſe 8.) Shall that wicked man be revealed. He that with-held and made this hinderance in the Apoſtles time could be no other but the Emperour, in whoſe hands, as long as the poſſeſſion and governement of Rome remained, it was impoſſible that that wicked One (of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) ſhould raigne there So that upon his removal, that man of ſinne muſt ſucceede in his roome, whereupon that great Citie, wherein he placeth his Throne falleth to be that Babylon, Revel. 18.23.which ſhould deceive all Nations with her inchantments. Now all the world can witneſſe, that the Emperour, who ſometime was the Soveraigne Lord of Rome, is now quite turned out of the Poſſeſſion thereof, and the Pope entered thereupon in his ſtead. Whereupon it followeth, that the Pope (for all his Holineſs) is that wicked one of whom the Apoſtle Propheſied,2 Theſſ. 2.4. that he ſhould ſit in the temple of God exalting himſelf above all that is called God or worſhipped: And conſequently, that Rome, (where he hath ſettled his Chayre) hath long ſince begun, and yet continueth to be that Babylon; from whoſe communion we are charged to ſever our ſelves, by that voyce from Heaven,Apoc. 18.4. Goe out of her my People, that ye be not partakers of her ſinnes, and receive not of her Plagues.