was in Babylon being a servant and a tenant of the scarlet whoore c. And more clearly to Marcella in the name of Paula and Eustochium hee inviteth her to come out of Rome being that Apocalyptick Babylon whereby it is clear what Hierome did esteeme of Rome And in the preceeding chapter the whore is said to sit cloathed in purple dyeed with the bloud of the Saints with a golden cup full of fornications in her hand having in her fore-head A mysterie Babilon Rome therefore is that mystick Babylon the citie situat upon seven hilles which did reigne over all the kingdomes of the Earth at that time And it is observable that the Popes ordinarie vesture is Scarlet and in the frontispice of his Mitre as Joseph Scaliger witnesseth in his notes on the New Testament is written Mysterie which he learned by the report of Lord Montmorency who was certified thereof in his being at Rome Moreover the same Scaliger sayeth there that the Masse in all languages hath the name of Mysterie which I doubt not is by Divine providence for it is full of mysteries in all the parts gestures actions and rites thereof in so far that for their exposition they require a voluminous treatise as Durandus Rationale and idle pennes of others imployed upon that superstitious subject doe testifie Yea there is no part of their white garments that wanteth its mysterie wherefore the better reformed churches have rejected them for their forged operation and popish mysticall signification The scarlet the golden cup the mysterie the imperiall citie situat on seven hilles do evidence what that mystick Babilon Rome is and the pope who resides there In this book of Divine Revelation Rome is branded with three titles and names of Egypt Sodome and Babilon It is called Egypt in the XI Chapter because it oppresseth the people of God and maketh them worke in brick and clay of corrupt doctrines and humane inventions It is there also called Sodome because of idlenesse and fulnesse of bread and that filthie and unaturall lust not to be named which made GOD to raine fire and brimstone thereupon for many idle bellies be there dumb dogs that preach not prodigalitie and luxurie do reigne amongst them and these unnaturall lustes wherewith the Sodomites were infamous so abounds in Rome that Petrus Damianus leaving Rome and betaking him to the wildernesse in detestation of this Sodomiticall villanie published a book intituled by him Gomorraeus which he did dedicat to Leo the ninth Cardinal Baronius in his Annales clearly confesseth the same And the Archbishop de la Casa was not ashamed to present to the view of the world a treatise in the commendation of filthie Sodomie which was printed and reprinted at Venice O Coelum ad haec non sadas O terra non dehiscis O Heavens doe yee not blush O Earth doest thou not open thy mouth and swallow such vile and grievous sinners But O LORD great is thy patience which the impenitent abusing do treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Thirdly Rome is called Babilon which signifieth confusion for the confusion of tongues at the building of Babell because in Rome mystick Babilon there is a confusion of secular and ecclesiastiâ—k governement distinguished and divided by GOD himselfe in the persons of Moses and Aaron and from thence as is evident in the reigne of Jehosaphat except in extraordinarie cases untill the dayes of the Macabees whose successours confounding church and policie as a thing ordinare did loose both church and policie And unto Peter the keyes of the kingdome of Heaven was committed and not keyes of the kingdome of the earth And the Canons of the Apostles so called interdict ecclesiastick persons from medling with civile affaires The prime and purer Antiquitie not onely condemneth the same but in the last and corrupt dayes Bernard ad Eugenium enveyeth against all secular governement in the persons of Churchmen But Babilon hath confounded these giving in both the plenitude of power to the Pope and from him as the source and spring all power to streame forth and bee derived at his pleasure in spirituall and temporall governement This is a great confusion but there is a greater and worse in mixing and confounding trueth with errour in the worship of GOD for they have joyned with the word GOD their traditions with the two Sacraments of GOD their five bastard sacraments with the bloody sacrifice of CHRIST their unbloodie sacrifice of the Messe with the merit of Christ the merit of man with the adoration of the Creator the adoration of the creature with the blood of Christ the blood of Martyrs And this way have built up their Babell of confusion And because of this double confusion if they repent not double confusion in GODS just judgement is prepared for them Therefore that we may eschew this confusion and GODS fierce vengance let us come out of Babell To come out of Babylon is not only to come out with the feet of our body but three wayes we must come out of Babylon In minde affection and action In minde and judgement disproving and condemning their errours in heart and affection hating them in action in deed and body forsakeing them and that with resolution never to returne And he who in these three forsaketh Babel may bee said truely to come out of Babel But this coming out of Babel presupposeth a residing and dwelling in Babel Whereby we may answere to these who aske us where our Kirk was before the dayes of Luther I aske likewise where they who came out of Babel was before their coming out of Babel It must bee said that they were in Babel So our Church before the reformation which was three hundred yeares before Luther was in mystick Babylon the Romane church But though it was in it it was not of it for if it had beene of it as John sayeth it had not went from out of it It was in it and with it as a masse of metall consolidat of gold silver and tinne wherein though the gold and silver be mixed with the tinne they are no part of the tinne and by the melting of the skilfull founder are separate and distinguished one from another So were the good and the bad mixed together in the Romane church till GOD by the Reformers as so many skilfull founders did separate and divide his own Elect from the reprobate If it bee further demanded who these were of our profession that did remaine in the Romane church I answer they were of three sorts Publick opponents to the Romish errours Private opponents and a third who were neither publick nor private opponents Publick opponents I might name many but I will content mee with some most remarkable When the Gregorean Liturgie was obtruded to the Christian Kirk in these Westerne parts these of Millan did oppose the same being better pleased with the Liturgie of Ambrose these of Spaine did
the same lyking better the Mosarabick and that of Isidorus then the Romane Liturgie The religious Votaries of Bangor resisted the Romane liturgie till blood and death What opposition was made against single life of Church-men in Germanie England and many other places it is notore to all that are not strangers in historie When images were received in the Kirk with a relative worship about the seven hundred year of GOD the Germanâ— and French bishops did resist the same and a Councel was holden by Charles the great in Germanie at Franksurd where images with their worship were condemned and the books yet extant called Libri Caroli magni do evidence the same A little after this there arose some disputes about the manner of Christs presence in the Sacrament when the seeds of Transubstantiation were in sowing Bertram stirred up by GOD did oppose the same The like did Scotus Erigena Rabanus and after these Beringarius till Pope Innocentius the third with his prevailing faction in the 1215. year of GOD did determine that monstrous errour of Transubstantiation A litle before this time Hildebrand bishop of Rome was not only content to liberat himself from the investure of the Emperours but also did subject the Imperiall crown to this Priestly mitre and thereby put the Christian world in a combustion which he effectuat not without great opposition even of the Cleargie for the Cleargie of Germanie did resist and many Divines did account him to be the Antichriâ—â— And in this his more then sacrilegious jurisdiction usurped over the Kirk of Christ in councels not only the Cardinall of Arles Sorbonists of Parise but the generall councel holden at Constans did oppose and condemne And in late dayes Valla Erasmuâ— Beatus Renanus with many others though they lived in the societie of the Romane Kirk did condemne many errours and abuses therein Besides these publick Opponents there were many thousand private Opponents who were as these seven thousand in the Church of Israel who bowed not their knees to Baal but if not openly yet secretly did oppose the same as Nicodemus lived amongst the Pharisees and Joseph of Arimathea amongst the Counsellours who condemned Christ and these who had not defiled themselves but followed the Lamb mentioned Revel 14. 4. There were thirdly many whose eyes GOD did illighten in the article of death who not finding any comfort in the intercession of Saints and doctrine of merits and therefore leaving these impure cisternes had their recourse to the living fountaines of waters which did spring out of the intercession and merits of Christ to the eternall refreshment of their souls If it bee replyed how the Romane Kirk being as we call an adulterous Church could beget Children to GOD as also being a false and corrupt Church how shee could bring furth Orthodoxe and true professors I answer An adulterous woman may bring surth Children to her Husband and to her Paramours as is evident Hos chap. 2. vers 2. Pleade with thy mother saith the LORD That shee put away her whoordomes from betwixt her breasts c. Here sons of GOD and yet their mother is an adulteresse Sons of GOD they are because they plead for GOD against their mother for her adulteries So an adulterous Kirk may beget children to GOD as also a false and corrupt church may beget true professors As the Jewish Church in the dayes of Christ for the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisies did infect the same and Christ commandeth his Disciples to beware of that leaven and yet to obey the Scribes and Pharisees as they sate in the chaiâ—e of Moses By their leaven Pharisees did poyson the soules of many to their destruction and sitting in the chaire of Moses teaching the Law of Moses and not their owne inventions did beget children to GOD. After this manner the voice of Christ and the voice of the Antichrist sounding in the church of Rome thereby children was begotten to Christ and the Antichrist Thevoice of Christ was heard in holy Scriptures written for our consolation the voice of the Antichrist is heard in his traditions The voice of Christ is heard in the administration of Baptisme and the Lords Supper the voice of the Antichrist in the administration of his five bastard sacraments The voice of Christ is heard in the saving doctrine of his merite and righteousnesse the voice of the Antichrist is heard in the doctrine of the merite and righteousnesse of man The voice of Christ is heard in the blood of Christ that speaketh better things then the blood of Abel the voice of the Antichrist in the forged satisfactorie blood of Martyres If it be demanded how in the Romane church the voice of Christ was known and distinguished from the voice of the Antichrist I answere That Gods children have a discretive judgement given unto them whereby they know the voice of Christ from the voice of the Antichrist My sheep hear my voice sayeth Jesus Christ and they follow me And this should not seeme strange for if the lambe amongst the bleeting of ten thousand sheep can discerne the voice of her mother much more the lambs of Christ Jesus can discerne the voice of their Father and Sheepheard Christ Jesus And since GOD hath given by a naturall instinct unto the beasts by smell and taste to discerne what hearhes are wholesome and convenient for their food and what noysome shall wee not think that GOD much more will enable by his grace and Spirit his owne children bought with no lesse price then the blood of his Son to discerne what is hurtfull what conduceable for their salvation Neither will it follow by any necessare inference that the Romane kirk is a true Kirk because by it children are begotten to God seeing this falleth out not properly but accidentally for Papacie tendeth not to beget children to Christ but to Antichrist Therefore obey this voice from Heaven and come out of Babylon The reasons to move us to come out of Babylon here mentioned are two her sinnes and her plagues for her sins Sins and plagues are copulative Who so sinneth shall bee plagued Therefore if we partake of her sins we shall partake of her plagues If it be asked what be these her sins I answere what sins do not reigne in her But passing the generall I will mention five sins in speciall for the which Babylon shall bee plagued and destroyed viz. Pride Crueltie Deceit Idolatrie Heresie Such is her pride that although there be besides her the Kirkes of Grece Syria Africa and Ethiopia which disclaime her power as Antichristian yet shee arrogantly usurpeth the title of the Catholick church as proper and due only to her when in effect shee is neither the Catholick Kirk nor a sound member of the same Pride also in a high degree possesseth all her Cleargie The meanest Priest is stiled as a Knight and the meanest Nunne as a Ladie of Honour Bishops and Archbishops are as Lords and
the full injoyment of God But the foolish braine of man evanishing in fond speculations did conceive that the souls not fully purged from sin Flitting out of the tabernacles of this mortality before they did attaine to the fruition of God behooved to be purged by fire as most fit for that use Whereupon was kindled this fire of Purgatory to wast and consume the moyens of the simple and credulous and warme the kitchines of the Romane church And it is to be observed that this errour was not universally received for the Greek church to this day reject and condemne the same As to altars Bellarmine confesseth that there is no mention either of Priest or altar in scripture in the dayes of the Apostles for that whereof is spoken Heb. 13. 10. is Christ our altar in heaven upon whom we offer our prayers and Minucius Felix who lived in the 300 year of God witnesseth that Christians in his time had no altars nor images And though Tertullian who lived about that same time in the Latine Church mentioneth an altar yet it is to be understood that there was then no sacrifice of the body of Christ seeing the same author against Marcion calleth the bread a figure or representative signe of the body of Christ and that kneeling at the altar recorded by him in his book intituled Of Repentance importeth no ordinare bowing to the altar but the humble gesture of a penitent which was performed sometimes at the entrie of the church without and sometimes within With altars there came in sacrifices first representative and commemorative then subjective by faith and prayer then propitiatorie and at last the offering of Christ under the naked speces of bread and wine The Canonick Scriptures dyted by Divine inspiration were first only read in the church as is evident out of Justine Martyres apologie Origen and the councell holden at Laodicea and other councels But in the latter end of the 400 year of God the reading of Apocrypha in the kirk did open a doore to the reading of homilies and they to the reading of the acts of Martyres and thereafter the fabulous legends of Saints fictitious for the most part in stead of Gods word did sound in his church and 〈◊〉 last the reading of Apocrypâ—â— and humane writs in the church made that these books called Apocrypha were esteemed Canonick and of no lesse authoritie then if they had beene dyted by the holy Ghost Whereby we may clearly perceive how dangerous it is to give way to wil-worship and humaine 〈…〉 such as faiars dayes crossing in baptisme images altars reading of Apocrypha in the church and the rest of the that Romishrubbish Neither only after this manner secretly but openly errours were obtruded and imposed upon the church under colour of law by a prevailing faction to the regrate and grief of many good Christians who did in private mourne and according to their power resist the same as in the corrupt councels the second of Nice Lateran these of Constans Florencs c. Besides this thirdly great way was made to superstition and idolatrie when the Gregorean liturgie by violence to the effusion of blood of many Saints was inforced upon the Christian world Thaâ— have I declared that the Romane antiquitie in religion is no antiquitie but noveltie as also when and how errours had their original some closely and unknown in the â—owing and spring till they came to maturitie others appearing at the first in thâ—â—r colours were opposed by the Godly which notwithstanding by a prevailing faction were established some under pretext of law others by violence It may seeme strange that the Romane religion being contrare to grace by the presumptuous merite of man contrare to peace by anxious doubtings whereby they keep the souls of men in perpetuall suspensions being also contrare to reason and sense as to maintaine a body without dimension a subject without accidents and accidents without a subject contrare to all societie by approving lying and equivocation Contrare to the light of nature dispensing with incestuous marriage Contrare to magistracie in freeing subjects from the oath of alleadgeance their native Prince and teaching further man to scourge his body kill his King and eat his God being I say such a religion it may appear strange and admirable that men of great learning and understanding Thould be addicted and devoted thereto But there be five reasons why it so falleth out first they have transformed as I said the glorie of 〈◊〉 Eternall God into the similitude of corruptible freatures and God therefore hath infatuaâ— and given them over unto a reprobate minde as he did the Gentiles for the like sin â— They are drunk with the cup of fornication of the Babylonish whoor and as men drunk are bereaved and spoiled of their iudgement and understanding so are they â— They worship images the worshippers whereof as saith the Psalmist by Gods iustice are made like 〈◊〉 of them and as the images have eyes and see 〈…〉 and heare not so are they â— Because the love of the Trueth is not in them as the Lord gave over the Jewws to strong delusions so hath God done with them in Romane church who are enemies to the word of God forbidding the reading use and exercise thereof Finally God fayeth by Esay because the Jewes did worship him after the precepts and traditions of men that their understanding should bee blinded that in hearing they should not heare and seing they should not see To this judgement the Romane church by their vaine inventions and traditions have made them selves lyable For 〈◊〉 therefore that we be not carried with the Current of errour to destruction it is expedient we beware of these fix rocks whereupon many have made shipwrack of their faith which are mentioned by the Apostle Coloss 1. chap. to wit Philosophie Traditions dead and unprofitable Ceremonies called the Rudiments of the world Wil-worship pretended humilitie and uncertaine speculations The church of Christ hath felt the wounds of all these and is still bleeding therewith crying for the help and hand of a pitifull and skilfull Physiciar The church was first wounded by Traditionarâ—s as by Papiaâ— the first of that number and others following Then by Wilworship as festivities and holy dayes to creatures and such like Moreover by humane rites and ceremonies in the sacraments especially in baptisme as crossing spitle oyle salt c. What errours were brought in by Platonicke Philosophie in the prime antiquitie by Origen and others and in the latter ages by the Romish schoolemen what be the uncertaine speculations of the hierarchie of the Angels and pretended humilitie of worshipping of angels and mediating by them dolefull experience doth testifie Therefore let us beware of these rocks and direct our course by the compasse of GODS word which is of greater authoritie by many degrees then the voice of the church not in it self only
but in regard of us for though the authoritie of John the baptist the miracles of Christ the testimonie of one sent from the dead the voice of an Angell from Heaven and the voyce of GOD heard of the disciples in the Mouâ—â— were of themselves divine and infallible yet in respect of us as testifieth Peter GOD will have his word to be of a more certaine authoritie In it God hath judged and determined all contraversies and his decision registrate by the Prophets and Apostleâ— continueth to the end of the world and the duetie of the Kirk is to search out his decisive sentence conteined in the holy Scriptures and apply the same Our adversaries to â—id this divine authoritie of Gods written word have forged four deceit full rules Antiquitie Councels Traditions and the voice of the Church which being tryed shall be found no rules for the rule of faith must be infâ—llible these are not so the Phaâ—â—sees pretended Antiquitie which Christ rejected tradition which also he rejected the voice of the Church even of the doctors that sate in Moses chair the Lord bids the people beware of it calling it the Leaven of the Pharisees which he interpreteth to be the Doctrine of the Pharisees Shall they alleadge Councels Christ His Apostles and their doctrine were condemned in themâ— yea and even by the testimonie of our Adversaries these rules shall prove no rules The ancient Doctors and Fathers of the kirk have erred in many things which the Adversaries themselves confesse The like they affirme of Councels On traditions they never yet could agree And as for the voice of the Church which by their glosse and commentarie is the voice of the Pope it hath beene by many of themselves condemned for heresie Therefore let us come out of Babel least we be pertakers of her plagues By these plagues is understood her destruction which shall not bee speedie but a lent destruction and by degres as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a consumption importeth a Thess 2 till at last she be totally and eternally destroyed For as the mysterie of iniquitie did grow and advance by degrees so shall it fall by degrees It was conceived as holy Scripture witnesseth in the dayes of the Apostles it was quickned in the time of Victor and did stirre more powerfully under Stephanus and Cornelius bishops of Rome more yet under Damasus and others following most strongly did it move in the time near the birth under Leo the first It was borme and brought to the view of the World by Boniface the third upon whom the title of universall bishop was conferred by Phocas Emperour as a sythment and satisfactorie price for the bloud of his Master Mauritiâ—â— cruelly and treasonably shed This bruid of iniquitie did grow and was advanced much by the decay of the Greeke impire and donations of the western Emperours till at last it came to the full hight and maturitie in Hildebr and in whom the Antichrist was so visible that many of the Cleargie in France and Germanie and others did avow him to bee the Antichrist This destruction GOD shall bring to passe three wayes as Wee learne out of holy Scripture First by the sword of the Spirit 2 Thessâ— chap. 2. vers 8. Next by the sword of the Kings on Earth Revel 17. chap. 16 and 17. verse Lastly by the brightnesseof the Lords coming 2 Thess 2. 8. God also hath wounded her by the sword of the Spirit first in raising up the Valdenses against her of whom Frier Reinerius who wrote against them thus reporteth saying That they were of all the most pernicious sâ—ct for Antiquitie some holding they were from the Apostles time for generality there scarce being any nation where they are not And tastly for shew of piety in that they live justly before men and believe all things touching GOD aright and all the articles of the Creed only they blaspheme and hate the church of Rome By these Vaidenss the Romane beast gote so deep a wound that though by all meanes they laboured to cure the same yet shall it not bee cured but waxeth more and more incurable for the publick and open reformation begun by them did not so wound that Beast as the reformation by Wickleph who did more clearly espie and more sharply refure the Mysterie of iniquitie then others before him and that reformation by Husse made the wound yet deeper and after him by Luther and Zuinglius it was deepest of all so this wound is incurable And as the mysterie of iniquitie rose by degrees so doeth it fall by degrees Neither doth the article ' O help their cause as if the Antichrist were one singular man seing it is usuall in Scripture under one to comprehend many The woman in the Revelation cloathed with the Sun having the Moone under her feet though shee be but one representeth the Church which is a collective body and comprehendeth many So the Angels in every one of the seven Churches is interpreted by many collectively for many Pastors and Messengers of God And every one of these four beasts recorded by Daniel doth signifie not onâ— singular King only but a race of many Kings and Kingdomes as is clear by the 23. and 24. verses of the seventh chapter of Daniel Yea the Popes of Rome abuse the name of Peter pretending his name to all their usurped tyrannie Therefore it is that their large possessionm Italy are calleds Peters Patrimonie their Pole-money collected sometimes out of England Peters pence And their Plenâ—tude of jurisdiction they claime over the whole church Peters keyes and that one rocke in a popish glosse upon which they will have the church to be built is a lawfull succession of the Bishops of Rome which they affirme to have descended from Peter the blessed Apostle notwithstanding they be as far different from Peter in a doctrinall succession which is the only true succession as Cajaphas that condemned Christ was from holy Aaron first high Priest of the Jewish nation It may be haplie objected that many Bishops of Rome were godly and suffered martyredome for the Christian faith I answere that it is the antichrist and the antichristian Kingdome and not every person in that line that is appointed for destruction for what is recorded of Victor Lee the first and others who being tickled with the itch of ambition aspired to a supremacie over the church doth not argue them to be reprobates but men compassed with infirmities Who were building Babylon not knowing that they were building Babylon even as faithfull Gideon when he was making his Ephod of the ear-ring given him of the spoile of the Midianites was erecting a monument of idolatrie to the destruction of his house and knew not he was so doing So the Bishops in affecting Soveraignitie were ignorantly promoving the antichristian Kingdome which God appointeth to destruction Therefore Come of Babylon the