Babylons Beauty, Title page – Address
Babylons Beautie: OR THE ROMISH-CATHOLICKS SWEET-HEART.
Containing a moſt lively and lovely Deſcription of Romes Cardinall Vertues and rareſt Endowments, with her Apoſtolicall Benedictions on Kings and Kingdomes, under her tyrannicall Subjection; briefly and bravely depainted, in their Native-ſplendour.
A worke moſt ſeaſonably compoſed for the revived eternall ſhame of all the mad-Maintainers and Idolizers of Romes great Diana, ſo cried-up and fought for, now a daies, by Papiſts, Atheiſts, and formall Malignant Proteſtants.
By John Vicars.
REVEL. 17. 2, 3, 4. And I ſaw a Woman ſit upon a ſcarlet coloured Beaſt, full of names of Blaſphemie. And the Woman was arayed in purple and ſcarlet, and decked with gold and precious-stones and pearles. With whom the Kings of the Earth had committed fornication, and the Inhabitants of the Earth had been drunke with the wine of her fornication.
Imprimatur:
James Cranford.
London, Printed by G. M.for Ralph Rounthwait. M. DC. XLIV.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, THE Lady Rebeccah Wollaſton, Lady Majoreſſe of the moſt famous and renowned City of London, and to the Right Worſhipfull the Ladie Anne Sprignall, Two moſt eminent Patroneſſes and Patterns of Virtue and Piety: J: Ʋ. ever prayeth all encreaſe of Grace here, and fulneſſe of Glorie hereafter.
Right Honourable and Right Worſhipfull:
THe many deepe tyes and faſt-binding Ligaments of obliged Gratitude, which have long time tied me in all ſincere obſervances to both your good Ladyſhips; doe extraordinarily induce, nay enforce me to moſt ſerious study and reſolution to lay happy hold on all opportunities (though but in any ſmall meaſure, rather than to incur the leaſt ſuſpect of black Ingratitude, hatefull to God and men) to manifeſt the integrity of my moſt gratefull Heart, in any, in all my ſincere Services and beſt abilities. And having now compoſed and compiled this little Treatiſe, entituled, Babylons Beautie, or The Romiſh-Catholickes Sweet-heart; Even a briefe Deſcription of that impudent and audacious Whore of Rome, the Great Diana of theſe back ſliding daies. Me thought I could not poſſibly pitch upon more fit Patrons thereof, than your good Ladiſhips, my ever worthily moſt honoured good Friends, whom I know by moſt happie experience to be two moſt eminently gracious and grave Matrons in this our Iſrael; two moſt fruitfull and faithfull Profeſſours and practiſers of true Piety and Holines; yea, I ſay, two moſt hearty and heroick haters and contemners of this Romiſh-Strumpet, and all her moſt deteſtable Idolatries and abhominable ſuperſtitious fooleries and mimicall fopperies in Religion, meer baubles of Babel to mock and cheat the children of errour & diſobedience. Accept then (Right Honourable and Right Worſhipfull) I humbly pray you, this ſmall Symboll and true Testimonie of my moſt gratefull heart, and ever, every way, bounden best ſervices (for many moſt immerited ſweet favours) truly and duly devoted to both your good Ladyſhips. Which ſingular favour and accuſtomed Chriſtian Candour will (and that moſt meritoriouſly) extraordinarily add unto, and mightily augment the, already, deep endeerments of
Your good Honours and Worſhips in his Prayers, his Beſt, ever to be commanded, John Vicars.
To the Reader.
Courteous Reader:
HAving, very lately, compiled and publiſhed a little Treatiſe, entituled, A Looking-glaſſe for Malignants; and finding that it hath been entertained with much love and candid approbation: I have been thereby greatly encouraged againe to put my pen to paper, and here, now, to preſent unto thee a Beautifull Object to look-upon, even a lively (but ſcarce lovely) picture of the Pope of Rome and her moſt pregnant Proſelites, the Papiſts; which I have, Ironically, entituled, Babylons Beautie. I remember, that I have read, it was a cuſtome among the Lacedemonians, that to make their children the more to hate that filthy ſin of Drunkenneſſe, they would bring them into the ſight and preſence of ſtarke Drunkards; that, thus, ſeeing with their owne eyes, the baſe and beaſtly behaviours of thoſe Swiniſh Drunkards, that moſt filthy ſinne might appeare the more odious and deteſtable to their children: So, I, ſeriouſly conſidering with my ſelfe, the moſt ſtrange, fooliſh and faithleſſe doting diſpoſition and moſt mad humour of very many ſottiſh and ſenſleſſe men and women, Proteſtants (forſooth) of the largeſt ſize (as well as bewitched Papiſts) ſo extremely to admire and adore the filthie and rotten Strumpet of Rome, in all her moſt abhominable Babyloniſh Beauty, or rather (and moſt rightly) ſtupendious deformity; I doubt not but in zeale to my God, and Chriſtian love, and pitty to my country mens poore periſhing ſoules, deſire (with thoſe ancient Lacedemonians) to ſet before their eyes (if they will not wilfully and obſtinately blinde them) a moſt true and exact deſcription, even, Ad amuſsim & propriis …c genuinis coloribus, of the main and moſt materiall abhominations and intoxications of the moſt audacious and ſhameleſſe Whore of Rome, who with the cup of her poyſonous fornications hath made the Prince and people of the earth mad-drunke, even to execrable loathing. That hereby (if it be poſſible) I might make them loath, hate and abhorre the ſame in the ſerious ſight therof; And now especially, in theſe our baſe back-ſliding and impiouſly apoſtatizing times from truth and holineſſe, wherein men and women do ſo degenerouſly look-back at, and like and long for the ſtinking Garlick and Onions of Romiſh Egypt, even to the eternall hazarding of all they have, of all they are, both bodies and ſoules. And, this (good Reader) I have the rather now done; firſt, becauſe of the conveniencie of this worke, to theſe preſent times, whereby I have a moſt juſt occaſion to cast a little of her owne dung into the face of that impudent Whore of Rome, yea now, I ſay, when ſhe is ſo ſottiſhly adored, admired and deſired, by many Malignant or Atheiſticall Proteſtants, forſooth, and all under the specious vizard of any beggarly Peace, Unitie and Conformity. Secondly, to eaſe the Reader of much pains to ſee and ſearch out theſe things in other Authours, both ancient and moderne, which are both various and voluminous, and, ſo, very hard to be found by them without much tediouſneſſe and trouble. Thirdly, to eaſe poore mens purſes and expences hereabout, who cannot be at the charge (if at leaſt they have a deſire to ſee or know theſe things) to buy or procure the great volumes wherein theſe matters are ſcatteringly contained. Farre much more, I acknowledge, may be ſaid on this ſubject, even enough to fill great volumes and to tyre and terrifie the moſt patient inquiſition for them; but this may ſuffice, I hope, to ſtop the mouths of pernicious Papiſts and their left-hand-Brothers our miſchievous Malignants, profane Proteſtants at large, whom any Religion, or no Religion, will better content, than the true Religion, which ſo preſſes the practiſe of the power of Godlineſſe, the main thing they ſo mightily maligne and desperately despiſe, ſcorne and ſcoffe at. Whom, therefore, leaving to their great and moſt righteous Maſter, to whom they muſt either ſtand or fall; hoping theſe few and faithfull collections will give much ſeaſonable content and ſatisfaction to all truly religious Chriſtians and pious Proteſtants, I reſt,
Thine in the Lord John Ʋicars.