what estate and for what causes the serious and diligent tractation thereof required a large extent of time to speake sufficiently and exactly thereof to instruct the ignorant to confute the aduersaries to dissolue doubts and to settle the conscience of euery intelligent and indifferent hearer in a very plaine and certaine apprehension of the truth for that was my desire and I hope it is my successe But now being to treate of the Praedicate IT IS FALLEN which is so certaine to ensue and so easie to vnderstand I will speake thereof with such breuitie as may not be obscure and such length as may not be tedious vnto you And because method doth make the discourse more easie and the memorie more firme as well in the hearer as in the speaker I will propose this order for my speech First I will speake of the time of this Punishment why it is expressed in the preterperfect tense it is fallen as if it were alreadie past Secondly of the Duplication why it is set forth with this Ingemination it is fallen it is fallen since it shall fall thus but once with a finall and irrecouerable ruine Thirdly of the qualitie and condition of this ruine how it is a fall and what the Spirit of God doth intend thereby The FIRST point concerning the Time in the preterperfect tense It is fallen THe word it selfe according to the originall Text being in the aorist signifieth a fall in a time indeterminately or vncertainly past is more aptly rendred is fallen then hath fallen as Ioh. 11.14 our Sauiour saith of Lazarus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is dead as it is to be translated in that place where as in my Text is imported an act which is past and done with a CONTINVANCE in that state For Lazarus did die and then continued in the state of the death so here Babylon IS FALLEN and remaineth in the condition of her ruine from whence shee shal not haue her resurrection to worldly glorie though Lazarus had his resurrection to temporall life for shee shall fall and neuer rise againe as wee shall afterwards perceiue But now as the blessed Virgin desired to vnderstand of the Angel How shall this be Luc. 1.34 that shee being a Virgin should yet conceiue a sonne so how can this be that Babylon being in her Imperiall souereigntie at the time of this Praediction which yet in the very letter carrieth the forme of a relation and report and now being after so many hundred yeeres in her Papall eminencie standing then and not being fallen yet shee should notwithstanding be here said to bee alreadie fallen as if that were then past which is not yet come I frame my answere out of the learned disputation of Epiphanius haeres 79. where he doth well obserue that Esay the Euangelicall Prophet foresaw some things which were then to come as if they had beene alreadie past and that they are expressed rather in the manner of a Narration then of a Prediction and this was chiefly for two causes First to helpe the weakenesse of the Prophets faith and secondly to declare thereby the firmenesse of Gods promise in whose preuision counsell and purpose the things were alreadie past vnto and before him though they were yet to bee fulfilled in their act and execution vnto and before men These two reasons hold due proportion iust correspondency in with our present case where S. Iohn the Euangelical Prophet of the new Testament doth vnderstand by reuelation of the Angel or rather of Iesus Christ himselfe as it is Apoc. 1.1 that the proud and tyrannical Babylon is fallen that God hath executed his fierce wrath vpon that vsurping Citie FIRST then God did by this forme of speech confirme the faith of his seruant then and of vs now that the length of time might not shake the constancie of his and our faith in expectation of this euent but that with patience we might attend the certaine pleasure of God though to bee fulfilled in an vncertaine time So in the Prophet Esay chap. 53. vers 4.5 c. Hee was despised hee carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions hee was afflicted c. thus Esay wrote of the sacred Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ which ensued neere vpon the space of eight hundred yeeres after the time of this Prediction or Narration rather for so it is in the tenour of the words which doe rather Historically relate then Prophetically foretell and thus the Prophet and with him the faithfull Iewes doth comfort himselfe in the secure expectation of so great a blessing in the solid stabilitie of this faith in which or rather by which hee saw that with the eye of his soule which he neuer saw with the eye of his bodie The thing was infallible but the time was not so reuealed vnto him at least hee neuer reuealed it vnto vs as vnto Daniel that excellent and glorious Prophet Dan. 9.25 This example alone might suffice in this behalfe but that we haue another more answerable to our present purpose as being the very type and true figure thereof Esay 21.9 Where the Prophet by vision doth vnderstand the ruine of Literall Babylon expressed and set downe in the very like forme of words Babel is fallen all the Images of her Gods hath hee broken vnto the ground There God doth support the faith of Esay and of his children to whom hee doth so cleerely reueale as if the act were absolutely past the destruction of that potent rich and stately Citie which was Gods Scourge to afflict his people and his Hammer to ruinate the Citie of Gods delight and Temple of his presence In like manner God doth here in my Text giue great consolation vnto S. Iohn his seruant and vnto vs his brethren in the seene rather then foreseene ruine of mysticall Babylon which in her Imperiall state did for certaine ages with Heathenish crueltie persecute spoile murther Gods Saints with copious effusion of their bloud which was the Seed of his Church and in her Papall state hath for many Ages with Antichristian furie afflicted tormented killed many a member of Iesus Christ which for loue of his truth and feare of his Name could not and would not participate in the Cup of her incantations wherewith shee bewitcheth many Kings and Kingdomes in the World The point then which I here obserue is this that our faith maketh vs happie and secure our faith lifteth vs vp aboue sense and reason our faith is Iacobs staffe whereby we passe ouer and through the Iorden of this World our faith is Manna which feedeth vs in the Wildernesse of this World and neuer ceaseth till wee come into the Canaan of Heauen then and not before her Commission doth expire For as Barzillai conducted Dauid ouer Iorden but went not with him to Ierusalem so faith carrieth vs out of this miserable World but goeth not with vs into the heauenly Kingdome where the fruition of God and vision of his
respect and seruice vnto the Emperours till the subiect became the Souereigne of his Prince and a spirituall Pastour was changed into a temporall Monarch Likewise for the Church of God the same Saint Peter doth thus instruct all Pastours To feed the flocke of God c. which is an Office now too base for so great a Monarch and then not to comport themselues as if they were Lords ouer the heritage of God as it is 1. Pet. 5.2 3. For what is more contrarie to an Apostolicall spirit then pride exaltation aduancement of themselues with the contempt of others For which cause the Bishops of Britaine vpon the aduise of an holy person in those times reiected Augustine the Monke whom Gregory the Great sent into England and refused to treate with him when they discouered the pride and insolencie which appeared in his demeanure as venerable Beda himselfe though very fauourable to the proceedings of Augustine doth recount in the Historie of our English Church Now let vs obserue the Apostolicall stomacke for what is not Apostolicall in that seat a glorious name to insnare poore seduced soules of the holy Father in Babylon and whether such courses examples rules and ordinances of monstrous Pride were euer knowne or doe remaine vpon the Records of Antiquitie euen from the beginning of the World vnto this present day in any other Monarchie Kingdome or State of whatsoeuer qualitie or degree This Luciferian pride the fittest Epithete for the Papall you must goe into Hell and leaue the Earth if you will finde the like doth appeare in fiue particular instances as being sensible demonstrations of the same FIRST the pride of the holy Father appeareth in the particular facts of certaine Popes vpon the presumed Souereigntie of their Apostolicall seate He was a Pope that crowned and decrowned Henrie the Sixth the Germane Emperour with his foot shewing thereby that as the Imperiall Crowne was vnder the Papall and subiect vnto his Dominion euen vnder his foot so it is in the Popes great power vpon his holy pleasure to giue Kingdomes and to take away Kingdomes to erect Kings and to suppresse them againe as if they were the Tennis balls wherewith his Holinesse doth play He was a Pope who in disdaine of the Imperiall dignitie made Henrie the Fourth attend barelegged and barefoot with his Empresse and their sonne by way of penance in the Winter season at his Apostolicall gates Hee was a Pope that treading vpon the necke of Fredericke Barbarossa the Emperour with his Apostolicall foot insulted gloriously vpon the poore deiected Prince and profanely abused the sacred Scripture to his Apostolicall purpose Thou shalt walke vpon the Lyon and Aspe the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy feet Psal 91.13 It is no maruell then that our King Henry the Second did humble himselfe so farre as to kisse the knee of his Legate whose foote to haue kissed is a matter of speciall grace according to the Constitutions of the Papall Church as you shall immediately perceiue for now wee insist onely vpon the matters of fact whereof I haue made a little remonstrance in a few examples referring you vnto the Histories which yeeld copious testimonies in this kind SECONDLY then this pride appeareth in their owne Ceremoniall Ordinances formally prescribing the courses of humilitie vnto Christian Princes in their attendance of the Apostolicall Father There the Emperour holdeth his bridle when the Pope rideth in Apostolicall pompe there Kings and Princes being marshalled according to the new Herauldry of Babylon march before him in their rankes Sometimes the Pope beeing aduanced vpon mens shoulders in a goodly Chaire of Apostolicall state the Emperour and Kings precede in their due order as so many Vshers of his Holinesse who throweth abroad his Apostolicall benedictions vpon the people with his sacred fingers This pride may yet seeme to be humilitie in comparison of his glorious exaltation in the Church of Saint Peter for vnder his name passeth all this exorbitancie where Monarchs humbling themselues vpon the ground meekly kisse his Apostolicall feet and then are afterwards admitted vnto so great a fauour as to kisse his cheeke All which was performed in the person of Charles the Eighth the French King vnto Alexander the Sixth as Guicciar dine relateth in his first Booke with humble seruice in so great a Prince deserueth the note of base deiection vnto the Triple-crowned Beast But thus the purpled Whore can either inchant with her cup or subdue with her Sword the greatest and most puissant Princes of the World Where is the exemplum dedi from Christ Iesus in this case The Vicar and the Master stand in Diametricall opposition almost in euery point as well as in this the Master kissed the feet of his poore Disciples but heere the Vicar requireth the greatest Monarchs vnto the kisses of his feet he proudly challengeth this submission from them and they basely performe it vnto him that so hee might appeare to bee what hee is euen Antichrist Lifting vp himselfe aboue all that is called God THIRDLY this pride appeareth by his vsurpation ouer the Crownes of Princes and that in different manner Sometimes by a particular interest as hee pretended in Scotland to diuert thence the militarie forces of King Edward the first Sometimes by donation or surrender as he pretended in England by the submission of King Iohn and therefore called his Sonne Henrie the Third by the ignoble stile of his Vassall and so by artificiall insinuations and colourable Titles he intrudeth vpon seuerall Dominions to make some speciall challenge thereunto If no such oblique and sinister course may serue his turne yet he hath two other wayes to come vnto his designed ends and that is either INDIRECTLY and as hee is Pastour of the Church to take Kingdomes from their owners for their offences and to collate them vpon other Princes as for example the Pope stirred vp Charles the Earle of Angeow against Manfredus the King of Sicilia the true Lord and possessour thereof by the gift of his Father Fredericus the Second and also the Pope stirred vp the said Charle against Cunradinus the Sonne of Conradus and Grand-child of the said Fredericus to depriue him of his life and to disseize him of his lawfull inheritance in the Kingdome of Naples both which Kingdomes he bountifully bestowed vpon the said Charles in like manner the Pope dealt with Iohn d' Albret King of Nauarre and with our late renowned Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory and glorious name though not with like euent or else DIRECTLY and as he is Lord of the World from whom all Princes haue their dependent power to bestow them at his pleasure as iust occasion shall mooue and good discretion shall direct his Holyship in this case which last opinion hath a daily growth in Babylon amongst the Parasites of the Court. For you must distinguish with Gerson betwixt Aula and Ecclesia the Court and the Church of Rome This Pride in the
head of the Church of Rome descendeth vnto the members For as the Cardinalls who are the great regotiatours in the publike affaires of the world are the cosins of mightie Kings who salute them by that affable and gracious name as being glad and ambitious of the affection of these purpled Fathers in the Apostolicall Court so the whole bodie of the shaued Clergy pretendeth an exemption from the lawfull iurisdiction of their naturall Lords as being subiects secundum quid after a certaine manner or measure and a body rather collected and vnited vnder the Pope then vnder their owne Souereignes in whose Lands they receiued their first breath and vnder whose protection they enioy their liuelyhood with the preseruation of their liues FOVRTHLY this pride appeareth in his domination ouer the whole Church as first that all spirituall power of order and iurisdiction is deriued from his Apostolicall Seate that hee can depriue suspend excommunicate such as withstand his pleasure that appellations may be made and in some cases must be made vnto him from the sentences and censures of Bishops in all places of the world that he may demand and receiue a supply of monyes and necessaries for the vse and benefit of his Apostolicall greatnesse that hee is answerable to no power in the Church or State that hee may by reseruations and prouisions bestow Ecclesiasticall benefices vpon whom hee will in any part of the Christian world that he is greater then all the Church and is in truth and effect the very Church which being essentially in the whole societie of Christians is representatiuely in a lawfull Councell and virtually in the Pope so that finally the Church their Mother is the Pope their Father who is the Lord the Head the Guide the Pastour the Vniuersall Bishop of the Church Which insolencies and oppressions in the Holy Father made Gerson bitterly to complaine That the Head of the Church was growen too heauy for the whole bodie thereof and our learned Countrey-man Bishop Grosthead to pronounce That the Church would neuer be freed from the yoake of her Aegyptian bondage but by the dint and edge of a bloudie sword FIFTHLY and lastly his pride appeareth in his great and glorious titles taken vp partly by himselfe and partly ascribed vnto him by others with gratefull appobation of the Apostolicall Seate As for example hee is a Vice-God as in that inscription Paulo Quinto Vice-deo where the numerall letters V. L. V. I. V. C. D. make vp the fatall number of 666. containing the mysterie of Antichrist his name Apocal 13.18 but this is too little therefore hee is plainly a God nay that is too little also he is our Lord God as I shewed you once before and yet sometimes Nec Deus es nec homo sed neuter es inter vtrumque Thou ô Souereigne of the World art neither God nor man therefore Antichrist for Christ is both but art betwixt both neither the one nor the other Hee is Dominus dominorum quoad potestatem the Lord of Lords in regard of his power though Seruus seruorum quoad humilitatem saith bald Baldus the Seruant of Seruants and be it so but in the sense of Noah in his malediction of Canaan Genes 9.25 in regard of his meekenesse O meeke and humble Saint whose ordinarie title hath beene his Holinesse his Blessednesse more compatible with his Apostolicall office then his Maiestie which is indeed the pleasing and acceptable stile vnto which their proud and tyrannicall vsurpations doe aspire And therefore this was well attibuted vnto Paulus the fifth by Ludouicus ab Alcasar the Iesuite in his dedicatorie Epistle prefixed before his miserable exposition of this mysticall booke Yet thou wast more wise and circumspect ô noble and victorious Iulius Caesar that diddest refuse the title of a King and thou wast more modest ô Princely Augustus that diddest reiect the title of a Lord. But behold here is a greater then both which accepteth all alloweth all as indeed challenging a great deale more Let him then take one title more to furnish vp his glorious stile hee is Lucifer in his pride ambition and insultation ouer all States Ciuill Ecclesiasticall as the pretended Lord of both The THIRD Comparison betwixt Literall Babylon and Papall Rome THe third point wherein this comparison doth stand is INIVRIOVS VIOLENCE against the Crowne Imperiall and Estates of Souereigne Princes in which tempestuous courses the Spirituall Babylon of Rome doth exceed the Literall in Chaldea and the rather because the later had a speciall commission in this behalfe which the former doth vainely pretend by lame deductions and inferences but cannot prooue directly by the testimonie of any Scripture The commission of Nebuchadnezzer was vnder the warrant of God himselfe as being the executioner of his seuere Iustice and therefore God affoordeth him the title of his Seruant not onely for his expedition against Tyrus Ezek. 29.18 but against his owne people Ierem. 25.9 Now our Babylonian Monarch not by the authoritie of Gods Word not by any cleere euidence of reason founded vpon the same not by any example of his predecessors or of any other Bishop in the more pure and innocent state of the Church but out of his owne appetite and desire of temporall power which Christ gaue him not which the ancient Popes challenged not which they durst not pretend nor could they execute till the decadencie and expiration of the Romane Monarchy in these occidentall parts hath often thrust the sickle of his forged authoritie into the haruest of other mens Kingdomes Witnesse the distressed King of Nauarre Iohn d' Albret mentioned before sententially deposed by the Pope and a part of his Kingdome thereupon inuaded by his neighbour the King of Spaine Witnesse my deare Countrey of England in the time of that vnfortunate Prince King Iohn whose Kingdome was by Papall authoritie exposed vnto the furie of the French the King himselfe being compelled like a silly man to surrender his Crowne vpon his knees into the hands of an Apostolicall insolent Legate and so remaining for the space of fiue daies without a Crowne committed now vnto the benignitie of the Church hee receiued it againe vpon such base and ignoble termes as it pleased my Lord the Legate to impose vpon him one whereof was if the Babylonians say true that he should hold it by fealtie from the Church of Rome and for acknowledgement thereof pay an annuall tribute vnto the Pope so wise and skilfull are these men to fish in troubled waters being now not fishers of men but fishers of Kingdomes Witnesse England againe in the time of King Henry the eight who by a Papall processe of Paul the third was depriued of his Kingdome and his subiects commanded by force and armes to eiect him out of the confines therof the successe whereof was for a time troublesome to the King but in the end inglorious to the Pope the tenour of whose roaring Bull and Capitoline thunderbolt deserueth your speciall
agreeably heere with the Spirit of God Hence it is that a learned Iesuite duly expending the concurrencie of these proper and indiuiduall markes doth ingenuously confesse Omnia profecto nisi in Romam non conueniunt all these things agree vpon no other Citie but Rome alone as I shall further obserue anon Hence it is that Bellarmine concludeth by demonstration of these notes Babylon was certainly Rome and therefore hee insisteth vpon it as a matter of speciall aduantage to proue that Saint Peter was at Rome De Rom. Pont. l. 2. c. 2. Thus much concerning the second interpretation of this name of Babylon We haue found the place it is Rome we are yet to enquire of her state whether it be past as it was Ethnicall or whether it be present as wee conceiue it is or whether it bee future as some learned Papists themselues doe teach So still we draw neerer and neerer vnto Rome till she say vnto me as Ahab vnto Eliah Hast thou found me O mine Enemy 1. Reg. 21.20 The THIRD Interpretation THe third interpretation of the name of Babylon in this place is this that Rome is Babylon not onely as she was Ethnicall nay rather she is Babylon here not as she was Ethnicall nor in her estate now already past but in another state which was future and yet to come in the time of this prediction and was then to succeed in ensuing Ages after that Paganisme was extinct after that Heathenish Idolatry did decrease after that Persecution by the Emperours did cease and after that peace was restored vnto the Church This interpretation I will approue by three Remonstrances to be sincere proper and true FIRST by the playne euidence and coherence of this Scripture by two perspicuous demonstrations out of the same First because this Babylon is heere so called by title and she is so indeed when neere vpon the period and consummation of the World not that she shall then begin to be this Babylon for this opinion of some Papists pretending that Rome shall bee Babylon within two or three yeeres of the end of the World and not before I shall refute in due place but because she continueth so in the decourse of many yeeres and Ages after the time of her Ethnicall estate neere vnto the determination of the World The truth hereof doth cleerely appeare by the consequence of things and connexion of euents in the seuenteenth eighteenth and nineteenth Chapters of this Booke For the sinne of Rome and her ruine together with the causes and Concomitancies thereof being copiously expressed in the seuenteenth and eighteenth Chapters we find that immediately thereupon in the nineteenth Chapter the Saints prayse God for the notable iudgement executed vpon this Citie and therefore our learned Souereigne doth well obserue in the title and argument of that Chapter that the Saints prayse God because the Pope is destroyed for it is he whose excessiue pride and exorbitant proceedings draw this scandalous name and dolefull vastation vpon this vnhappy place Secondly because we find Chap. 17. v. 12. that ten Kings whether precisely ten I doe not now enquire arose and assumed Royall power vnto themselues vpon the dissolution of the Romane Empire for as it fell into pieces by the vast magnitude therof and could not subsist vnder her owne greatnesse so out of her parts sundry States and Principalities did arise It followeth Verse 13. that these Kings gaue their power vnto the Beast namely the Second Beast arising in the place and after the decay of the first as wee reade Apocal. 13.11 12. that is to say they had no sooner obtained their dignitie and estate vpon the dissolution of the Empire but they surrendred a great part of their glorie and authoritie vnto the Pope who by degrees artificially and cunningly inuaded the Imperiall Seate and power so that in admiration of his excellencie these Kings as deuoted sonnes or rather Seruants or rather Slaues of his SANCTITIE submitted a great part of their Royall Scepter vnto his triple Crowne This prediction as wee reade in this diuine Booke so what the accomplishment thereof hath beene the Histories of sundry Nations and the passages of succeeding Ages doe sufficiently declare But let vs proceed againe It followeth verse 16. that after this submission of their Regall power vnto the Beast with whom or neere about that time they arose euen at one houre verse 12. they shall hate the Whore and burne her with fire to wit Rome this Babylon though formerly they gaue their Kingdomes vnto the Beast but how long vntill the Words of God be fulfilled vntill the appointed time And what shall incline these Kings to withdraw their obedience from this Second Beast and to associate themselues in this fearefull expedition against him and his Citie God shall put this motion into their hearts for her sinnes against his Maiestie and Papall iniuries done against the Crowne and Royall dignitie of these Kings shall excite them vnto this warre as hereafter it shall more euidently appeare But now this is the point vpon which I doe insist that this great and fatall destruction of Rome being yet to come and not yet fulfilled this name and this estate of Rome is not alreadie past as Victorius and Parsons and the most generall number of Papists do simply ignorantly pretend in this behalfe but her sin is present for she now is Babylon and her punishment is future for she shall hereafter fall as I shall cleerely demonstrate in the succeeding passages of my speech Meane while let vs obserue with ioy vnto our selues and with gratitude vnto God that the successe and euent of this Prophesie doth alreadie beginne for that many Kings doe hate this Whore and haue discouered the qualitie of this second Beast and as I hope shall euer continue in that disposition of minde and rectitude of iudgement till God shall induce other Princes to concurre with them in the finall accomplishment of this great and glorious worke And so much concerning the first remonstrance to proue thereby that Rome hath the name of Babylon in and for her estate which was not present but future in the time of Saint Iohn and that she shall be destroyed in regard of her sins in that estate when her Ethnicall condition is past and neerer vnto the consummation of the World SECONDLY I make remonstrance of this position by obseruation of the nature and propertie of God and that in two respects First by the TRVTH of God For he hath promised vnto euery particular man turning from his former sinnes that hee shall surely liue and not dye yea that all his former iniquities shall not be mentioned but he shall liue in regard of the righteousnesse which afterward he hath done Ezek. 18.21 22. If this be true in a particular person shall it not be true in a particular Citie Is God mercifull to one and not vnto many euen many thousands It is his owne iust plea for his singular mercy vnto
all the Saints This former Dominion was lost this imperiall State was dissolued but behold a second Beast of whome I haue spoken much before but you shall heare more fully of him anon entring by little and little into and vpon the place of the former with a pretense of greater authoritie carried with a new forme and vnder another colour and in this Papall State Rome hath sent and communicated her Idolatries vnto the World hauing a cup of gold in her hands full of abomination and filthinesse of her fornication Apoc. 18.4 which she doth not now receiue from others as in her Ethnicall condition but others receiue it from her by her Papall incantations and by the venditation of her sacred power Hence it is that Babylon hath such dominion in the World extensiuè by such a large dilatation and intensiué by so strong an operation thereof Therefore Apocal. 13.11 the second beast appeared like a Lambe as the Pope entred vpon this dominion with a faire pretense of a Catholike Pastor a Successour of Saint Peter a Vicar of Christ c. and hee had two hornes which word horne signifieth power very frequently in the Scripture so that his two hornes are indeed two powers which this second Beast with his humble stile of Seruus seruorum Dei doth pretend whence Babylon hath gained so great authoritie and veneration in the World The first power which he did originally pretend was onely Spirituall the power of the KEYES and therefore the Pope doth arrogate all this power in the whole Church vnto himselfe and saith that from him it is deriued vnto the inferiour Pastors there of as the power of Order and the power of Iurisdiction which all Bishops and others in the Cleargie hold immediately or mediately from his Apostolicall feate as the true proper and onely fountaine thereof From hence all Dispensations doe flow to it all Appellations doe tend she hath all fulnesse of power from Christ others haue a part of it from her nay if we may beleeue her principall Doctors her Peter gaue their Pastorall authoritie vnto the other Apostles else Rome could not be the Mother-church in Bellarmines iudgement de Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 23. and therefore as all Ecclesiasticall power was deduced onely from S. Peter at the first so now it is deduced onely from his personall Successours in this Apostolicall seate Now vnto this Spirituall power in the Church they subiect all temporall power in the State as I will presently declare as being of greater excellencie and vertue And it is true indeed that the spirituall power of the Church excelleth the temporall in the State but how ratione finis because the end of the Churches power is eternall life and ratione medij because the courses whereby shee worketh are spirituall meanes namely such as are contained in the Word of God conducing vnto this end But yet this her spirituall power excelleth not the temporall power of Princes in dominion command sublimitie and glorie which are properly appendant to their Crownes The second power which Babylon doth challenge by her second Beast is Temporall which her Popes haue affected with many insinuations and sometimes with open vendication thereof and her neerest friends aduance it with the best art which wit and learning can minister in this behalfe And certainly this is the opinion which daily increaseth in Babylon and which they will indeuour to support with might and mayne though some more moderate Babylonians doe not yet giue way vnto this highest Antichristian course For I finde three seuerall Opinions in the Church of Rome vpon this point 1. The first giueth all temporall dominion directly vnto the Pope as the principall Souereigne of the World from whom all Princes dependently hold their Crownes These are true Babylonians indeed but all such are actuall Traytors against the dignitie and supreame honour of the Crownes of Princes vnder whom they liue 2. The second giueth all spirituall power not temporall to the Pope but yet indirectly drawing on a temporall power ouer Princes in ordine ad spiritualia in ordine ad Deum c. viz. that the Pope may depose an hereticall or an irregular Prince from his Crowne as hauing authoritie ouer him in this case to depriue him of his estate All such Babylonians are habituall Traytors disposed and alwayes resolued in preparation of heart to execute any Papall sentence of deposition as far as they can against their owne naturall Lords and Souereigne Princes 3. The third opinion denying the second of these as the second denieth the first giueth a meere spirituall authoritie vnto the Pope to excommunicate a Prince for his correction and saluation and to bring him to a penitent submission vnto God and his Church but without any such temporall effect as the second opinion doth inforce And hence it is that the Oath of Alleageance in this Kingdome so wisely deuised and necessarily enacted though it subuert and contradict the first and second Opinions yet it leaueth this last and third Opinion vntouched neither affirming nor denying it because all moderate Papists that treate of the Popes power as namely Doctor Barkley and the more milde Babylonians in England denying it in the first and second degree doe yet constantly affirme it in the third But these men find least grace in Babylon which is more delighted with the second Opinion and chiefly with the first and therefore we see that as the first groweth daily more strong in Rome so the second hath lately gotten more aduantage in France in the minoritie of the King by the subtile Oration of Cardinall Peron which our most excellent Souereigne hath cleerly refuted by his diuine and learned Pen. To conclude now the third proofe of my assertion you may perceiue that the large Dominion of Babylon which the Iesuits truly find in Rome but falsely conceiue it to be there within a very little time onely before her ruine doth appertaine vnto the CHVRCH and not vnto the Citie but so far forth as it is the place wherein the Pope doth reigne so that in it his Successors must continue euen vntill the time of Antichrist when they shall be expelled out of the confines thereof and there they shall exercise their domination not onely with Saint Peters Keyes but also with his two Swords This is the power of Babylon which the Reuelation doth truly foretell and which these Iesuites could not discerne therein But as humane reason disapproueth their idle conceits and naked coniectures so certaine experience ioyned with diuine prediction doth confirme our assertion in this point And so I come vnto a fourth and a more important proofe thereof FOVRTHLY therefore I proue it out of the conformitie betwixt the prediction of Saint Paul and the Reuelation of Saint Iohn both contayning one sense of matter vnder different forme of words the point it selfe being one as proceeding from one Spirit First then it is the prediction of Saint Paul that Antichrist shall be reuealed
if this be not Idolatry Yea Gregorie himselfe disapprouing the fact of Serenus doth yet reprehend the popular adoration of Images in that time which certainly did not exceed if it did equall the Papisticall in our dayes And though Doctor Carrier who seemed not therein to vnderstand the Papists or not himselfe pretendeth gloriously in his Letter to the Kings most excellent Maiesty that the point of Images and the worship thereof is a small matter of none offence c. yet my eyes my heart do teach me otherwise and therefore notwithstanding all their sophisticall distinctions I must resolue with Erasmus It is more easie to take Images out of the Church then to define by what reasons they may stand therein Finally their doctrine in this point is so false contrary to Gods Word to the iudgement of the ancient Fathers to the opinion of many former Papists also and their practise so wicked that in this odious and execrable Idolatry you may see the old Babylon reuiued in the new which varying from the Scripture from the Church yea from her selfe commeth more neerely vnto the patterne of Babylon whose name she beareth and as you may easily see shee beareth it not in vaine but the daughter daily going forward in the courses of her Idolatry wil at the last excell her Mother notwithstanding all her distinctions to which she may adde this viz. There is a double Idolatry Ethnicall and Christian or rather Antichristian as wee shall yet more euidently discerne The THIRD instance concerneth their exorbitant and irregular adoration of the Pope For howsoeuer they delay the heate of the matter with the coole water of a moyst and emptie distinction as the oppressed Emperour Barbarossa spake vnder the feet of the insulting Pope non tibi sed Petro not to thee but vnto Peter I submit my selfe euen to this base conculcation to whom the Pope answered againe Et mihi Petro it is vnto Peter and also vnto me or else by some other euasion of ciuill religious and diuine worship or the like yet if wee consider with what opinion of his excellency which they attribute vnto this Babylonian Idoll they adore the Pope what Diuinitie in regard of his pretensed office they ascribe vnto his insolent person and lastly with what power and authoritie they inuest him we may well perceiue that this is Idolatry and not of the meanest degree Hence it is that immediately vpon his election so soone as euer he is now Sanctissimus the most holy Lord howsoeuer wicked before the Cardinalls come to their seruice of adoration for so is the very terme imposed vpon this solemne action and with most kisses of his sacred feet for he is greater then Kings who vouchsafe vs the kisses of their hands euery Cardinall doth performe his homage in signe of subiection vnto the new aspiring Potentate of the earth And because this action should better expresse their Idolatry in this point his new Holyship is aduanced vpon an Altar the place of the God of their Masse the Idoll of bread and as I haue vnderstood by the relation of others he is there or thence adored as the God of the Church the God of the World of which presumptuous Titles I shal speak more in a more conuenient place of my discourse And the truth is though this adoration may seeme too much yet it is the lesse to be admired in them if we consider that in the opinion of his Babylonian vassals he is a pardoner of sin and a deliuerer from paine that can by his Pontificial authority draw soules out of Purgatorie that can depose Kings that can dispose Kingdomes that can absolue subiects from the strong obligations of Oath and Nature that can absolue Princes from the bond of a iust and necessary Oath made vnto their Subiects as in the case of our King Henry the Third whence ensued the publike calamitie of this Kingdome that can dispense against the Scriptures that can define matters of faith as infallibly as the Scriptures yea saith Gregory de Valentia a Iesuite for who but a Iesuite were a fit Author for so strange a speech that cannot erre that must bee beleeued in his Pontificiall definitions Whether he vse diligence or not in vnderstanding and determining the point for wee beleeue that if hee will pastorally define any thing with purpose to bind the Church vnto his definition he shall not hee cannot erre therein So writeth the Iesuite in his Analysis fidei O sure anchor of their Religion the rocke their petra vpon which Christ buildeth his Church and they their faith Doe you maruell then at the outragious title ascribed vnto him by a Canonist the same being printed and re-printed and neuer corrected that this second Beast in Babylon should beare the the stile of Dominus noster Deus Papa Our Lord God the Pope And doe you maruell that whom they so extoll in dignitie more then all Kings they should so adore with worship no lesse then a God If this be not Idolatry what is Idolatry and what doth deserue that name The child humbleth himselfe vnto his Father the subiect vnto his Prince and this honour is due If you will call it adoration though the word be not receiued publiquely into such vse I will admit it because it is a ciuill action founded vpon the Word of God and warranted by the examples of his Saints in regard of a certaine diuine authoritie which by Gods holy ordinance doth shine in their persons But since the Pope assumeth this honour of an higher and different nature also without the warrant of Gods Word and against the rule of Gods Word with immoderate exaltation as Gerson spake of Popes in his time volunt adorari vt Dij they will be adored as Gods yea by Kings also who are the Gods of this earth by Gods owne approbation for so hee speaketh also of inferiour Magistrates Psal 82.1 vnto which as he hath no proper right by any warrant from God so no mortall man the greatest Souereigne that is or euer was were he the onely Lord of all the World as the Pope doth gladly beleeue of himselfe and there are sundry Babylonian Parasites that applaud his insolencie in this kind can haue right by Gods Word vnto the like I conclude therefore that this adoration of the Pope the God of Babylon is Idolatry and such as is not to bee found any where but in Rome where the Pope sitteth in the Temple of God lifting vp himselfe aboue all that is called God Saint Paul saith not that which Is God to wit in nature for so the Pope pretendeth a subiection vnto Christ but that which is called God to wit in title and office as Kings are most properly for aboue all such Gods this man of sinne doth exalt himselfe as you haue heard a little now but shall heare more anon howbeit also it is true that he exalteth himselfe aboue the God of Heauen and earth while he maketh the
obseruation for that hee exciteth the subiects of England against their King by a most impudent and ignorant application of the Scripture Wee being placed saith hee in the Seate of Iustice according to the prediction of the Prophet Ierem. 1.10 saying Behold I haue set thee ouer the Nations and ouer the Kingdomes to plucke vp and to roote out and to destroy and throw downe c. This is a Text which sounded to his purpose and therefore Carerius de potest Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 3. maketh this peruerse glosse vpon that text The Prophet Ieremy speaketh this in the person of Christ vnto the Bishop of Rome that if Kings bee wicked hee may punish and correct them A terrible correction vnto a King to be deposed from his Imperiall Crowne by the Babylonian Beast and to be exposed vnto the crueltie of his owne subiects This is their art and this is their pietie in the exposition of the sacred Scriptures to bring them vnto their owne fancies But thou Carerius and thou ô Paul you lay violent hands vpon Christian Princes and vpon Gods owne Word You say that this was spoken by the Prophet in the person of Christ that so you might bring his title in this point vnto the Pope as being his Vicar and so endued with this power of deposition vnder Christ but it is not so for God speaketh it precisely vnto his Prophet You say that therefore the Pope is placed ouer all Kingdomes to excommunicate Princes to giue away their Kingdomes c. It is not so but God giueth a commission to his Prophet to denounce his iudgements against sundry Nations as hee doth afterward and to foretell their ruines according to his propheticall and pastorall office that God did impose vpon him to this effect But I leaue these Babylonians in their absurd and presumptuous interpretation of the Scriptures and proceed vnto their tyrannicall actions Witnesse then here againe my deare and natiue Countrie vnder the most happy prosperous and gracious administration of our late Souereigne Queene ELIZABETH twice deposed by these furious Beasts first by Pius the fifth who bestowed her Kingdome most liberally vpon the King of Spaine to get it by Armes if he could and this Pontificall donation standeth in Azorius the Iesuite for one principall instance and president of the Papall authoritie in this behalfe By vertue or rather vice of his Bull the subiects were absolued from their obedience and thereupon some taking vp Armes in the Northerne parts came vnto alamentable but a deserued end whose bloud being shed by the Iustice of England will be iustly required of Babylon the cruell Mother of her Children and so shall the bloud of many Priests and other Romish Catholikes who dyed iustly for their transgression of the Statute made against Romish Priests comming into England all persons entertaining them as culpable of highest treason Why for now the Popes Emissaries the Priests came with a resolution to maintaine his proceedings and they whom the Priests reconciled were now spirituall members of that Church which sought the perdition and ruine of their Prince Was it not now necessarie and it was not done till now vpon the thirteenth yeere of her reigne to prouide the antidote of such seuere Lawes against the poison of such vnnaturall Subiects Secondly she was deposed againe by Sixtus the fifth vpon the time of the great inuasion to be executed by that inuincible Armado from Spaine in the yeere 1588. Neere vpon which time by the negotiation of Parsons the Iesuite Allen was promoted vnto the dignitie of a Cardinall for the better accommodation of all matters in that execrable designe who therefore wrote an Admonition to the Nobilitie of England as full of fraud falshood and impossibilitie in that which he vndertooke to assure as of malice treason and villany against the person of his Souereigne Ladie who finally had the glorie in their shame to the contempt of Babylon and admiration of the world Witnesse France in the tyrannicall and proud fury of Boniface the eight who came into his Apostolicall Seate like a Fox reigned in it like a Lyon and dyed like a Dog against Philip sirnamed the Fayre whom that Babylonian Monarch vendicating vnto himselfe all power Spirituall in the Church and Temporall in the world deposed sententially from his royall Dignitie and State disposing the same by his Apostolike liberalitie vnto Albertus King of the Romanes but that Heroicall and Magnanimous Prince preserued and maintained both to the great ignominy and contempt of the vsurping Beast Witnesse Germany where Henry the fourth by the Papall insolencie of Gregory the seuenth a true and euident Antichrist was abandoned by his subiects violently persecuted by Henry the fifth his naturall vnnaturall sonne who succeeding in that nominall Empire the Pope being the reall Emperour was afterwards by the diuine vltion of God though by the Apostolicall operation of the Pope forsaken by his owne people the Empire such as it was being collated vpon another What should I say of Philippus the Emperour brother of the said Henry and Otho Duke of Saxony erected by Pontificiall meanes against the said Philip Who suffered both vnder the Babylonian Beast What shall I say of Frederick the second sonne of the said Philip persecuted circumuented oppressed by the spirituall Fathers of Babylon His sonne also Conradus suffered like outrages by the Father of the Romane thunderbolts exciting the Lantgraue of Thuring against him and persecuting the royall family of Barbarossa till it came finally vnto that ruine which the Babylonian Beast did long desire in his heart and at the last did effectuate by his meanes And now by the way wee may here obserue the miserable condition of Princes who must weare the Babylonian yoake to their shame or cast it off to their danger standing vpon the dreadfull tearmes of deposition murther and other disastrous calamities when one Prince being deposed by Papall furie another Prince rather out of desire of his Kingdome then out of obedience to the Pope is readie to inuade his Dominions so that one of them is made the executioner of another and all of them instruments of the Papall Tyranny till by this meanes the Papal iurisdiction ouer them all groweth strong by prescription Nos sanctorum c. being a better plea for the Popes in latter Ages then it was in the time of Hildebrand the Pope who pretended the example of his predecessors for the deposition of Princes and so in processe of time all Princes as the Popes doe cunningly affect shall hold their Kingdomes as donatiues of the Babylonian Seate I am wearied and so perhaps are you in the prosecution of this vnhappie argument wherefore I will gather vp my sayles and conclude this tedious Voyage with two remarkeable obseruations The first concerneth the Papall intrusion vpon the Citie of Rome it selfe the centre of that Empire whose circumference was so largely extended in the World the proper and peculiar seate of the
First Beast Apocal. 13.1 till the Second Beast Apocal. 13.11 by his artificiall proiects and the popular applause of the Citizens diuested and disseized the true Lord of his ancient right For Leo the lawfull Emperour of Rome residing in Constantinople as many of his Predecessours before him was excommunicated by Gregorie the Second bearing the name but not hauing the disposition of the first his subiects were released by Apostolicall dispensation from their Oath of Alleageance and vpon these proceedings the Romanes like wicked Traytours submitted their Citie vnto the Pope a more wicked Traytour then they as vnto their Souereigne Lord if that bee true which the Iesuite Azorius doth affirme Instit Moral part 2. lib. 4. c. 20. Thus the old Lord beeing vniustly depriued a new Lord entred vniustly into his place The second concerneth the Papall intrusion vpon Infidels for hee must goe out of the World that will goe out of his reach vpon whose estates also and Kingdomes this Babylonian Monarch stretcheth out the line of his Apostolicall power Witnesse America poore distressed America in the liberall donation of large and ample Territories therein vnto the Kings of Spaine For he was a Pope but a Catiline a Iudas the man of sinne or rather of all sinnes euen that execrable villaine Alexander the sixt who out of his meere motion and liberalitie as the Beast roareth in his Bull to that purpose did bestow all the great and mightie Kingdomes in these parts vpon Ferdinand King of Arragon and Elizabeth Queene of Castile and vpon their heires for euer Therefore Francis Lopez in his generall Historie of the Westerne Indies lib. 1. cap. 19. expressing the title and interest of the said Princes in these rich and spacious Kingdomes setteth downe the Bull of Alexander the sixt who out of his Papall authoritie and particular affection to his Countrey freely and powerfully bestowed them vpon the said Princes and their heires to this end and purpose That all men may vnderstand saith hee that the conquest and conuersion of these Countreyes which the Spaniards doe make is by the authoritie and donation of the great Vicar of Iesus Christ Is this then the title and right which Spaine pretendeth to haue in this new and other World Is this the colour and pretense for the cruell and infinite effusion of bloud humane though not Christian in these miserable Countreyes whereof Benzo an Italian and Bartholomaeus à Casa himselfe a Spaniard doe so pittifully complaint conuerted now as you may perceiue vnto Christian Religion so powerfully by the Sword Wherefore I may truly say that euery drop of Indian bloud shed in this discouery and conquest shall be required of Babylon as truly guiltie of the same according to the prediction of the Angell In her was found the bloud of all them that were slaine vpon the earth namely in the Dominions of Infidels as well as of the Prophets and of the Saints in the Christian World it selfe Apocal. 18.24 And now because the diligent obseruation of this particular prepareth vs vnto a fourth Comparison betwixt the Literall Babylon and Papall Rome therefore I pray you to cast your eyes backe a little vpon this passage of the Scripture that so you may looke forward the better vnto the sequele of my speech Well saith the Angell that the bloud of ALL MEN slaine vpon the earth was found in Babylon for in her is the bloud of these Indians in her is the bloud of her owne Pseudo-Catholikes shed in England by the Sword of Iustice in her is the bloud of all them that perish in for or by her designes in her is the bloud of many Christians shed for the truth of Gods Word in so many Countreyes in her is the bloud of many thousand persons shed vpon the contentions of her Popes in her is the bloud of so many people taking armes vpon her incantations against their Souereigne Lords in her is the bloud of so many thousand Christians in their vnlawfull warres against other Princes vpon her prouocations in her is the bloud of many poore subiects against whom she hath incited their owne Princes Thus Rome began in the bloud of two brethren it increased in the bloud of many neighbours it was inlarged by the bloud of many Prouinces it stood in the bloud of many subiects it continued in the bloud of many people first by Emperours lastly by Popes and it shall end in the bloud of her selfe and her followers as you shall see more cleerely hereafter when wee come vnto the second part of my Text. Meane while I proceed vnto a new comparison which fitly taketh its beginning from the end of this discourse The FOVRTH Comparison betwixt Literall Babylon and Papall Rome THe fourth point then wherein this comparison doth stand is CRVELTIE bloudie crueltie very spectable in that ancient Monarchie the figure of the Papall as the Scriptures themselues in the two Prophets Esay and Ieremy besides ciuill Histories doe sufficiently deduce vnto our knowledge vnto which for breuitie sake I must now remit you as men expert and skilfull in the sacred Sriptures it being a great part of your happinesse that you haue Gods Word in your owne tongue which many other Nations though bearing the name of Christians doe not enioy to read it and obserue it for your instruction and vnspeakable comfort Well then let vs leaue the first and come vnto the second Babylon which in this point of barbarous and inhumane crueltie exceedeth all example of Ages past and preuenteth the example of all that are to come vnlesse it be in the persecutions which she perhaps may yet raise against the Church of God for the instruments of crueltie are in their habitations which Iacob spake of his bloudie sonnes and I may speake it of our more bloudie mother Her voice is the voice of bloud Surge Petre Paule quinte Occide c. Arise O Paul the fift in name but Peter in Office so is euery Pope and therefore none taketh that name vpon him when in their entrance vpon the Papacie they leaue their former Christian names as comming vnto an Antichristian place arise and kill the Venetians saith that flattering false cruell Baronius their learned Cardinall kill them with thy thunderbolts which rarely kill any but men of softer metall despoile them of their Dominion expose them vnto ruine because they dare so insolently resist thy great and mightie power Heere was a killing Text in deed especially by vertue of SAINT PETERS name who knew well how to handle a Sword and because hee cut off a seruants eare why may not his successours cut off a Princes head For what Text if it touch Saint Peter doth not animate and confirme these Babylonian Monarchs vnto Depositions Assassinates Poysons though in their sacred Hoast it selfe as Henry the sixt the Emperour knew very well by wofull experience and finally to ruinate Christian Princes that dare withstand their Antichristian pride Yet wonder not at the former Text for that
of this horrible treason by Sixtus in his Oration pronounced vnto the Cardinalls in his Consistorie to this purpose Bellarmine doth confidently answere that this Oration was neuer deliuered by the Pope that hee liuing in Rome heard no mention of it that the Cardinalls conuersing then in the Court protested that they neuer had any knowledge of the same and so the point is vtterly denied and must bee reputed for a deuice of such as were the enemies of the Church O bloudie Citie it is all full of lyes saith Nahum the Prophet of Nineuch and I may now so speake of Rome for here is lying added vnto murthering impudencie vnto crueltie what veritie then what equitie what conscience can you expect from her Note therefore that amongst some Romish Priests that tooke and defended the Oath of Alleageance though for this cause they haue beene censured publikely in the Sermons of some Iesuites by the name of Wolues such as had no commission to teach to absolue to minister the Sacraments c. as hauing lost their whole authoritie by taking this Oath and perswading others to doe the like to the high preiudice and impugnation of S. Peters Seate from whence it was deriued there was one William Warmington Chaplaine vnto Cardinall Allen vpon the very time that this panegyricall Oration proceeded from that vaine-glorious Pope who by his Pontificiall excommunication deposed our late gracious Queene and now in a solemne speech commended the murther by way of admiration which Clement had perpetrated vpon the sacred person of that vnhappy Prince This Warmington therefore in a booke published for the defence of the said Oath doth freely and ingenuously confesse that this Oration being vttered in the Consistorie by Sixtus the Pope his Lord and Master being then and there present was earnestly requested by some of the Cardinalls to recollect the speech of his Holinesse and to commit the same to writing which he being a man of singular memorie did accordingly performe with the commendations and thankes of the said Cardinalls affirming that to their best remembrance this coppie presented vnto them by Cardinall Allen did truely containe word for word the verie Oration pronounced vnto them by his Holinesse so that this was the originall and Mother-coppie whence so many transcripts were made and issued forth into the publike view And he saith further that his speciall friend Master William Rainolds author of Caluino-Turcismus remaining then in the Low Countries and receiuing a transcript of the said coppie from him conceiued the said speech to bee a certaine approbation of that fact as indeed the forme and matter thereof doe sufficiently euince O Bellarmine where is thy conscience of the truth O Sixtus where is thy tender respect of Christian bloud yea more of Princes and yet more of the first borne and eldest sonne of thy Church O Babylon where is thy shame that darest thus admire approoue extoll without one word or syllable of dislike that ingenuitie is not in thy whorish breast such a murther so wickedly executed and vpon so great a Prince FIFTHLY and lastly the crueltie of Babylon appeareth by her doctrines tending to the effusion of bloud She can depose Kings from their States shee can absolue Subiects from their Alleageance she can bestow Kingdomes at her pleasure shee can stirre vp hostile inuasions shee can authorize secret murthers of Princes by Daggers Poysons or any other detestable meanes as you shall heare in my second Sermon from Mariana a Iesuite as farre from the true nature of Iesus as neere vnto his sacred name Hence it is that many Emperours and Princes in ancient times fearefully obseruing the powerfull incantations of Babylon and that their liues with their estates stood by vertue thereof in perpetuall danger for he may easily take away the life of another that contemneth his owne as many inchanted Babylonians doe were therefore compelled by humane feare to entertaine that vnitie and correspondencie with her in outward tearmes which they hated and contemned in their inward thoughts For as Porsenna the ancient King of Hetruria was induced to spare the life and farther torment of Mutius a confident and glorious Romane who offered priuate violence vnto his Royall person when hee heard Mutius solemnely protesting that the death of Porsenna was certainly concluded vpon by a number of Romanes no lesse resolute vnto that action then himselfe and no lesse resolued to suffer any torment then to aduenture vpon any perill for that end and purpose and thereupon Porsenna desisting from his warres made a peace with the Romanes out of feare and not of loue so there haue beene sundry Princes in former Ages that perceiuing this vehement and formidable inclination in the Romanists to act any villanie and to suffer any penaltie so that they might attaine vnto their desired end to subuert Kingdomes to depose Kings to lay violent hands vpon their persons c. were thereby inforced to submit themselues vnto the Babylonian Monarch rather choosing to liue vnder his tyrannie then to die by his designes Thus also euery man that standeth in speciall opposition vnto Babylon the Mother of Murthers may truly say with Dauid There is but a step betweene me and death 1. Sam. 20.3 Howbeit that should bee the resolution of euery Christian Prince in the behalfe of Gods truth which was the reckoning of vertuous Hester in the behalfe of her people If I perish I perish Yet feare not O Religious Princes it is Gods cause which you maintaine therefore hee will also maintaine you he will defend the defenders of his Faith hee hath a better guard of holy Angels about your Royall persons The diffidence of his preseruation in any ariseth from the imbecillitie of faith not resting vpon his word and promise If the noble aspect of Scipio bred such an awfull reuerence in the hearts of theeues and murtherers that they did therefore rather admire his vertue then seeke his life when they came into his presence doubt yee not but that God will worke such an impression of feare in the hearts of Babylonian Traytors that they shall not dare attempt or at the least not effectuate any course of violence and iniquitie against your sacred Persons Finally to conclude this point of Romish crueltie let no faithfull and sincerely affected Nazianzen an earnest Preacher a zealous Writer a well deseruing Prelate or Minister in the Church despaire of Gods protection though a Murtherer dare vndertake to assaile him in any priuate manner or secret place as sometimes it fell out in the case of that learned constant and glorious Bishop related by himselfe in the description of his owne life Be couragious then in the behalfe of Gods eternall truth feare not the crueltie of Babylon death is the debt of Nature by the desert of sinne to die for Gods cause it is an act of glorie in this World and it hath a reward in Heauen Let thy tongue therefore speake and thy pen write and thy heart pray let
death So he resolueth that Babylon falleth twice but he neuer came once neere vnto the truth of the point for he seemeth either to speake of Babylon as it is the mysticall Citie of sinne and not as the particular Citie of Rome or else he meaneth that this fall doth signifie the fall of Rome from Paganisme vnto Christ which being a fall of singular felicitie and ioy differeth much from the fall intended in this place which is a fall of great miserie sorrow and feare as you shall perceiue anon when I come vnto the third part of my Sermon where I am to treate directly of this point Therefore I come now vnto a SECOND exposition which seemeth to be ingenious but is not substantiall namely that Rome hath a double fall the one in respect of Gods truth and grace wherein shee sometimes stood and from whence shee is long since fallen But though shee bee so fallen yet this fall is included in the subiect of my Text BABYLON which implyeth the condition of Rome in her sin and not in the praedicate IT IS FALLEN which signifieth her estate in her punishment so that the second fall of Rome is her extreme ruine by the vindictiue Iustice of God And indeed this the fall here to bee vnderstood for that as I said before the Angel speaketh here of the punishment not of the sin of Rome and so this second fall ensueth vpon the first for because shee is Babylon fallen from Gods truth shee shall therefore haue another fall expressed here by repetition and perish by Gods iudgement THIRDLY then this Fall is heere repeated to shew the certaintie of the euent as written in the Booke of Gods immutable Decree Pharaoh had two Dreames which differed in forme and resemblance but agreed and were one in the sense thereof and purpose of God Gen. 41.32 c. The ruine of Rome is here expressed by one word twice vttered but with the same meaning and the same intention that as the Dreame was doubled vnto Pharaoh because the thing was established by God so the subuersion of Rome is inculcated here in my Text vnto vs because this thing is established by God and shall bee performed infallibly in the due and appointed time Therefore as before her fall was notified in the preterperfect tense she is fallen so here it is ratified in the duplication of the same word it is fallen it is fallen For who could reasonably and probably conceiue according to the euidence and appearance of things in that time or long after that Rome so glorious in the Empire so venerable in the Church so potent in Kingdomes so rich in estate so renowmed in fame should come to this despicable and deplorable end Thankes therefore be vnto our God who as hee can and will humble her Pride abase her Glorie breake her Power dissolue her Strength and defeat her Policies to her confusion and the honour of his Name so hee hath now so cleerely reuealed and so certainly assured this Truth and the certaintie thereof vnto vs for our comfort that now we enuie not her greatnesse because wee know her fall wee feare not her malice because wee see her miserie wee regard not the insolent venditation of her supposed eternitie because wee perceiue the dolefull expiration of her estate But here by the way wee may obserue to our admiration that many Babylonians should not yet discerne and feare this extreame vastation so certainly to fall vpon that miserable Citie so constantly pronounced so vehemently reiterated by the Angell vnto Saint Iohn and that being simply gulled with the false opinion of her Ethnicall estate alreadie past they should bee so blind and obdurate in the knowledge and acknowledgement of so cleere and so euident a truth Notwithstanding when I reflect vpon the iudgements of God inflicted vpon other people I see that before their fatall destruction they haue suffered an extraordinarie defect in humane policie and ordinarie wisdome the iustice of God concurring with the merit of their sinnes so that they could not carefully preuent an eminent and imminent danger nor wisely foresee the same So the Lord himselfe doth giue his owne testimonie of the excecation of the Edomites otherwise an ingenious and circumspect Nation in this manner Is wisdome no more in Teman Is counsell perished from their children Is their wisdome vanished Ieremie 49.7 And that this their excecation proceedeth from God hee himselfe doth declare by the Prophet Obadiah Verse 8. Shall not I in that day euen destroy the Wisemen out of Edom and vnderstanding from the Mount of Esau Whence it is that they could not discerne a false friend from a true enemy who vnder the pretensed termes of loue and vnitie did supplant and vndermine their State Therefore it is said in the Verse immediately going before the men that were at peace with thee haue deceiued thee whereupon the Lord passeth his Diuine censure vpon Edom in these words there is none vnderstanding in him For as the Philistims put out Samsons eyes and then made him grind for their vse so GOD permitteth the secret and malicious enemies of some Nation to put out the eyes of their wisedome by sugred delusions and then make them to serue vnder the burthens which they impose vpon them FOVRTHLY and lastly this duplication of Babylons fall is to shew the conformitie betwixt the Old Testament and the New in this behalfe and that one Spirit in sundry Ages did in the like manner direct and assist the Church For thus wee reade as I noted once before in the Prophet Esay Chap. 21. Verse 9. Babell is fallen it is fallen Thus the Antitype of new Babylon answereth to the type of the old the Spirit to the Letter the thing to the figure For as the Seraphims cried one to another in the same words holy holy c. Esay 6.3 so the two Testaments haue mutuall consonancie of words in this point to signifie thereby vnto vs that this being spoken once nay rather twice of Literall Babylon and being fulfilled in her it beeing now spoken againe the second time of the Mysticall Babylon shall be completed in her likewise since by the Historicall euidence of things that are alreadie past wee may securely repose in the Prophetical prediction of things that are yet to come It is still the same God that pronounceth it the same Spirit that reuealeth it the same Prouidence that guideth all things to their certain and determined euent Hence therefore we may deduce for our instruction that the presidents of the Old Testament should direct and informe vs vnder the New to trust in God whose Truth is still the same to loue God whose Goodnesse is still the same to feare God whose Iustice is still the same who by the examples of his seueritie in the Old Testament frameth vs vnto the reuerence of his Name and obedience of his Will in the New as Saint Paul himselfe doth grauely and diuinely teach vs 1. Cor.
shape or colour so I will in silence admire and I would condole it also but that I find the Saints reioyce thereat Cap. 19. 1. 2 3. this fall I say of Rome and thus by silence as wanting all words I shall speake more that if I could deliuer the nature of it in many Thus now at the last I haue made an interpretation of this fall comparing it with other falls which were some shadowes of it Rome being her owne type herein Howbeit as the Prophet Esay 9.1 calleth it a light affliction of some Tribes of Israel by Tiglah Piesar in comparison of the greater captiuitie afterward vnder Shalmaneser so the former fals of Rome were light in comparison of this fall nay rather they were concussions and shakes this onely is the fall and ruine thereof Consider therefore the very words of the Text wherewith I will finish this part of my Discourse Chap. 18. It is become an habitation of Deuils reward her as she hath rewarded you fill her the Cup double her plagues shall come in one day death sorrow and famine shee shall be burnt with fire no man buyeth her ware any more her Merchants shall howle and cry c. Then Chapter 19.3 her smoake rose vp for euermore And so much of the fall namely for the manner and qualitie of the same Whereby you may perceiue the simple subtiltie of some learned Papists who suppose this fall of Rome to bee meerely spirituall in falling from Ethnicall Idolatry vnto Christian Religion and not a materiall fall by outward ruine as Ludouicus ab Alcasar doth vainly dreame standing in a foolish opposition heerein vnto the iudicious resolution of Viegas and Ribera his more ingenious and exact compeeres Now for conclusion of this whole matter I must take notice of foure Questions which are appendant and belonging vnto this fall by faire discussion wherof I shall exempt and take out of your minds certayne Doubts which may arise and perhaps are alreadie risen in your apprehension of this fall The FIRST Question FIrst therefore if you desire to vnderstand by whose meanes and operation Babylon shall thus fall and who shall bee the instruments of Gods vindictiue Iustice in this behalfe I answere from the sacred Oracle of God himselfe that it shall bee executed by the vniforme and powerfull concurrencie of many Kings and States concerning whom three things are markeably deliuered in this Propheticall Word of God First there is obserued their beginning and exaltation Apoc. 17.12 The tenne hornes to wit of the Beast Verse 3. which is the second Beast in Babylon succeeding in the place of the first Apoc. 13.11 are ten Kings which yet haue not receiued a Kingdome to wit in the time of Saint Iohn but shall receiue power as Kings at one houre with the Beast For as the seuerall Dominions of the Kings and States in Europe were members of the great and mightie bodie of the Romane Empire which was dissolued afterward into these parts of which it was formerly compounded and made so these Kings and States arose neere vpon the same time which is here called one houre not in an exact measure of time but in a conuenient propinquitie and neernesse of time according to the phrase of holy Writ wherein the word houre is taken in this sense as 1. Thes 2.17 Wee were kept from you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an houre and Philem. 15. Onesimus departed from Philemon his Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an houre and Saint Iohn 1.2.18 Little children it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last houre c. It followeth that they receiued this power at one houre with the Beast beause as the Imperiall dignitie and glory did decay by fraction partition of the potent Empire so the second Beast in Babylon the Papall State beganne to aduance it selfe and to succeed by a pretense of Ecclesiasticall Supremacie in the place of the former Beast the State Imperial as he began to decrease according to the prediction of S. Paul which I haue touched before in the precedent Sermon vnto which I must therefore remit you for the more cleere vnderstanding of this point But now you may see what these Kings are whence when with whome and from whom they tooke their Royall dignitie and power Secondly there is obserued the subiection and submission of their power vnto this second Beast whose Ecclesiasticall glorie and estimation did insnare the ciuill Dominion of these Kings for so it followeth Verse 13. They shall giue their power and authoritie vnto the Beast vpon which he cunningly intruded by faire pretenses of his succession vnto the Prince of the Apostles and of his immediate function vnder Iesus Christ whose name hee abused to the corruption and suppression of his Euangelicall Truth Thus these Kings became his instruments also to serue his turne in the oppugnation of Christs Doctrine and in the persecution of his members as the prediction in the fourteenth Verse doth truly beare and the euent of things doth notably declare And now they were made the hornes of this second Beast that is to say his strength and corroboration as this word horne doth often signifie in the Scriptures but more specially in the Booke of Psalmes as in the Prophecies of Daniel whereby hee should subsist in power honour and command for all these things shall decay in the Beast when these Kings shall withdraw their obedience from him and resume their owne power which as they did fondly submit vnto him so hee doth proudly vendicate vnto himselfe for so hee was foretold by Saint Paul that he should lift vp himselfe aboue all that is called God Thirdly there ensueth their action of hostilitie and enterprize of warre against Babylon wherein this Beast doth reigne for so it is written Verse 16. The ten hornes which thou sawest vpon the Beast are they that shall hate the Whore what are they like Amnon whose loue to Tamar turned into hatred and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire the old punishment which in the Law of Nature was inflicted vpon Whores Genes 38.24 Here is a strange Metamorphosis Friends changed into Enemies setters vp into pullers downe Defenders into Expugnators Babylons louers into her haters the strength of the Beast into his ruine This is the Lords doing as you shall heare anon and it is meruailous in our eyes Meanewhile I cannot passe forward vnto the discussion of other points without a serious consideration of this namely that these Kings thus submitting their Royall power vnto the Beast partly to take a Crowne by his donation partly to hold it ratified by his confirmation partly to hold it vpon tearmes of fealtie to him partly to acknowledge all their Dominion to be deriued from his plenitude of power partly to suffer him to execute forreigne iurisdiction in their Realmes partly to stand in awe of his sentententiall deposition partly to suffer an expilation of the goods and
reuenues of their subiects issuing forth of their Kingdomes to the supportation of Babylon partly to permit their Clericall subiects to be exempted from their Regall authoritie and many other courses whereby the proud vsurping Beast doth either closely like a Fox insinuate into their Crownes or violently like a Lion insult vpon the same by their owne folly tendernesse and ignorance in the beginning that so Gods Word might be fulfilled herein I say I cannot neglect the obseruation of this point that now these Kings not the same in person but in succession should beginne to bee wise to vnderstand his tyrannie to see their owne miserie and to reuenge these wrongs with fire and with sword without compassion and without remorse Leo a Bishop of Rome but in more happy times yet one that in some things prepared a way for the aduancement of this second Beast which from a Pygmie became an Hercules and by seuerall augmentations grew vp more and more from small beginnings vnto the full proportion of his greatnesse wherein he stood long but now beginneth to fall thou O blessed Leo by the venerable authoritie of thy graue and gracious person by thy perswasiue Eloquence and gentle intreates diddest once diuert the hostile inuasion of Attila King of the Hunnes from Rome not then Babylon and thou wast a Sauiour vnto her as many of the Iudges in ancient Israel were called not by a Sword but by thy word full of power and efficacie in thy religious mouth But now this Spirit this excellencie shall not bee in thy successours when the fatall houre of her last desolation and fall is come for the wrath of these Kings shall bee specially incensed against this Beast a Lyon indeed not in heroicall fortitude and Christian magnanimitie but in crueltie oppression insultation stirring vp these Kings vnto this furie which no perswasion no eloquence no policie can appease And now to conclude this point I find two obseruations that attend this last passage of my discourse The FIRST concerneth a dogmaticall errour and false opinion preuailing very much in the Synagogue of Rome to wit that Antichrist shall destroy Rome which false opinion by misinterpretation arose out of the true doctrine of S. Paul viz. That Antichrist shall not be disclosed vntill the Romane Emperor were taken out of the way which then withheld and so kept downe all other power that Antichrist could not exalt himselfe Hence the ancient Fathers as namely S. Hierome epist 151. quaest 11. and long before him Tertull. in apologetic cap. 32. whose iudgement also S. Augustine doth follow de Ciuit. Dei l. 20. c. 23. but vpon another ground taken and mistaken out of the Prophet Daniel doe very truly deduce and inferre that the Romane Empire shall not bee destroyed vntill the comming of Antichrist and therefore they seemed reasonably to suppose also that it shall bee destroyed by him and so consequently that Rome it selfe shall suffer her finall ruine by his power and by his meanes Which erroneous deduction seemeth to haue had a generall applause in the ancient times of the Church as wee may see by the testimonie of Lactantius who liued in the time of Constantine the Great vpon the yeere 320. Thus therefore hee writeth Institut diuin l. 7. c. 25. That the end of the world will not come till the destruction of Rome and that the abominable Tyrant Antichrist shall performe that worke But as Lactantius with many other Christians was infected with sundry false appehensions as in this very Chapter That the world should stand but two hundred yeres after their time and else where That Christ should reigne a thousand yeeres on the earth c. so in this particular conceit he and others digressed apparantly from the truth as wanting the cleere euidence of times and the successe of things to helpe them in the right interpretation of the Scriptures in this propheticall kind It is then a very certaine and pregnant truth which Tertullian Augustine Hierome Chrysostome and others did conceiue that the Romane Empire should stand till the reuelation of Antichrist according to the prediction of S. Paul And againe it is true in a great part that Antichrist hath destroyed it for the Popes were a speciall meanes to exclude the Emperour out of Italy and Rome which they haue inuaded and erecting a new Empire in the Kings of France and after in Germanie they finally made this Nominall Emperour of Rome a Reall slaue of Babylon though sometimes with great reluctation and opposition of the Emperours as he was able to resist whom therefore the Popes did gladly suffer to bee depriued of their rights in Italy the same being a Countrie specially accommodated for the aduantage and securitie of his greatnesse because there are sundry formes of gouernments and many particular states therein In regard whereof as one hath a diligent eye to obserue and hinder the increase and inlargement of another so if any of them oppose his Holinesse hee is readie with his thunderbolts to shake that State in pieces and to raise vp other Princes there to make an execution of his sentence And because he doth pretend some particular interest in the goodly and rich Kingdome of Naples he therefore installed the Kings thereof with this caution and reseruation That they should neuer take the Empire vpon them fearing thereupon the potencie of so neere a neighbour as being preiudiciall vnto his triple Crowne This was a matter of speciall exception taken against Charles the fifth in his election vnto the Imperiall State though not pursued because there was no remedie against so mightie a Prince who as hee seemed to accept the Empire against the ancient prouision of the Popes so he seemed vnmannerly to resigne the same vnto Ferdinand his brother and to establish him therein without the notice and approbation of the holy Father Thus farre then we agree with the iudgement of antiquitie touching the Romane Emperour and Antichrist because it agreeth very well with the prediction of Saint Paul But the predictions of Saint Iohn doe sufficiently refute the last opinion which seemeth to be inferred out of the former by an emptie and barren speculation to wit that the Citie of Rome shall bee destroyed by Antichrist and his associats as Lactantius lib. 7. c. 16. doth erroniously conceiue For the Second Beast in Rome is Antichrist himselfe to whom the ten Kings gaue their power and Babylon shall be destroyed not by this Second Beast but for this Second Beast the ten Kings not being now his helpers and assistants in this subuersion of Babylon but his enemies assailants to ruinate Babylon wherin he reigneth because of his abominable comportment therein as the context of the Scripture it selfe doth infallibly demonstrate and conclude And therefore as in many other points concerning Babylon and Antichrist the ancient Christians were much deceiued so particularly in this namely to imagine that he should destroy Rome who is the Man or rather the Beast that
which wee haue not already found FOVRTHLY and lastly wee may obserue that as the mysticall condition of this Babylonian Rome is by cleere remonstrance made by learned and iudicious men notoriously discouered vnto all the World so the hornes of the Papall Beast haue begun to fall from his head his power being thereby much abated and neuer likely to bee recouered againe but one horne after another shall be plucked off Wherefore as I may certainly conclude that the Turke shall not destroy the states and dignities of these ten Kings whatsoeuer Zanchius a learned and profound Diuine did conceiue to the contrary for which he suffered some opposition as in the second part of his Miscellanea it may appeare and whatsoeuer Melancthon himselfe deliuered in his publike Lectures that all Germanie should bee possessed by the Turke and my reason is grounded vpon the Scripture shewing that the ten Kings which arose with the second Beast in Rome shall destroy Rome at the last and therefore if the Turke obtaine their Kingdomes it must be after the fal of the Rome which they must first ruinate so I may very reasonably and probably affirme that the Kings which are alreadie fallen from the Beast the Pope shall neuer returne vnto him againe to giue their power a second time vnto him and to submit their Royall States vnto the Papall Crowne But if Babylon should aduance her selfe in England againe which wee haue no cause to feare nor Papists reason to hope yet that shall not hinder the accomplishment of this worke for Babylon must fall it is decreed by GOD it shall bee performed by these Kings Notwithstanding since Babylon is full of malice and indignation playing first the Foxe to enter into the Lords Vineyard that shee might be a Lyon afterwards to kill the Keepers thereof let vs not be secure in obseruing her courses nor fearefull to sustaine her conflict Let vs be prepared for that which may not perhaps be prepared for vs Wee must not bee wanting to Martyrdome though it may bee wanting vnto vs ne desit animus Martyrio saith Saint Cyprian Let vs not want a mind to die for the truth of Christ hee may be an habituall Martyr euer that is an actuall neuer in preparation of mind not in passion of bodie in will and not in worke as Saint Bernard speaketh of Saint Iohn the Euangelist that hee was a Martyr in will though not in worke whereas the Innocents were Martyrs in worke but not in will and Saint Stephen in both But here let no man deceiue himselfe with a sudden apprehension of Martyrdome as a matter of little difficultie to vndergo but let him consider rather that multi ante persecutionem Leones in persecutione cerui many are Lyons in the time of peace but Harts in the time of persecution as one of the Ancients spake by experience of those times that many who speake gloriously of their resolution appeare cowards in their performance as the historie of Doctor Pendleton and Master Sanders may testifie and finally that they whom God calleth vnto so great a worke shall bee prepared by him with gifts conuenient for that purpose Therfore Saint Ambrose writing vnto his sister Marcella Epist 44. saith modestly of himselfe because God knew me to be weake hee hath not yet giuen the Deuill power ouer my bodie And though I should desire martyrdome and offer my selfe vnto it perhaps he doth iudge mee yet to be vnable for so great a strife and therefore doth exercise mee with other labours and diuers afflictions but hath not tried mee in this kind O the rare humilitie of such an excellent spirit Let vs then by his example bee willing not boasting readie not desirous to dye for the cause of God if Babylon should yet againe try vs in the fire of her persecution before shee come to the fire of her owne ruine And so much of the third point namely the time when Babylon shall be destroyed by these Kings The FOVRTH Question THe FOVRTH and last question concerneth the state of the Pope of Papists and of Poperie vpon this fall of Babylon whether hee and they and it shall come vnto a finall extirpation with Babylon or what may bee conceiued probably of each in the discourse of iudgement and reason by deduction out of the sacred Scripture it selfe This question then hath three seuerall branches as you heare and therefore I will treate of them all in order as it shall please God to assist mee with the celestiall illumination of his blessed Spirit The FIRST Branch of the fourth Question concerning the POPE WE doe not now enquire concerning the Person of the Pope whether a Iohn as many were or a Iohne as one was supposed to be but concerning the State place office and dignitie of the Pope and as hee is the Second Beast in Babylon inuading there the Imperiall Seat and by another forme or colour of gouernment vsurping the Imperiall power as the ancient Fathers doe vsually speake of Antichrist according to the tenour of the Scripture it selfe in this behalfe and as the experience of latter ages doth really verifie and exhibite the truth of their iudgement herein vnto our eyes I answere then that as Bellarmine doth vainely flatter himselfe lib. 4. de Pont. Rom. cap. 4. concerning the time of this ruine of Babylon namely that it shall not be vntill the end of the world and in the time of their chimericall and imagined Antichrist whose reigne enduring three yeeres and an halfe is ended by the second comming of our Lord Iesus Christ as they simply pretend so hee doth delude himselfe and others when he saith that in the time and after the time of her ruine the Pope shall bee called and indeed shall be Romanus Pontifex the Bishop of Rome For the truth is apparant by the tenour of the sacred Booke of the Reuelation that the Papall Beast is the cause of the expedition made by the tenne Kings against Babylon that this warre made vpon Babylon is in regard of the pride oppression and other sinnes in Babylon as shee is borne vp and supported by the second Beast whose Dominion was aduanced by their submission vnto him and shall bee suppressed by their concurrencie against him It is not then a quarrell against the Citizens or the edifices of Rome but against her vsurpations exercised by the Triple-crowned Beast therein Neither had these Kings performed their designe if when they burnt the Citie of Rome the Beast should still remaine Therefore as Babylon it selfe shall fall so the power of her Beast shall be destroyed by these Kings as being coupled and commixed with the same For as the ruine of Literall Babylon was accompanied with the ruine of the Chaldaean Empire so the fall of Mysticall Babylon shall bee accompanied with the fall of her Beast whom these Kings will now permit no more to tyrannize with Papall dominion in the Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall State for as the power of the Beast standeth
by these Kings so it shall fall by these Kings This is vnderstood in the words of the Scripture Apoc. 18. No man buyeth her ware any more of her that is to say The traffique of the Whore and spirituall negotiations of her Beast by Pardons Dispensations and other fornications as they are called shall cease vpon her ruine made by these Princes of the earth Whereas then Bellarmine saith the Pope shall still continue Bishop of Rome I answere not by any Souereignety and Dominion which Bellarmine perhaps may pretend that Antichrist shall not permit him actually to exercise in that time but wee affirme by demonstration of the Scripture that the ten Kings shall depriue him of that power in the world which he formerly enioyed by their concession which shall then expire Notwithstanding if Sibylla doe truely prophesie of Rome that it being once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength and power as S. Hierome descanted vpon her name shall afterwards become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a street as Lactantius doth record Inst l. 7. c. 25. the Bishop of Rome may perhaps remaine then in the qualitie and place of an ordinarie Bishop but shall not bee receiued any more as vniuersall Pastour of the Church not as the Beast was before not with such latitude of power not insulting againe ouer States and Churches And if the prophecie of Hildegardis a sacred Virgin of great reputation vpon the yeere 1150. be of any force the Bishop of Rome shall bee reduced vnto the condition of other Bishops c. as I haue seene and read in a very faire and ancient Manuscript of parchment concerning the predictions of that religious person If therefore I may expresse a graue matter by a light example namely of Sir Thomas Moore who hauing resigned his office of the Lord Chancellour came himselfe vpon the next Sunday vnto the Pew of his Ladie in the Parish Church of Chelsey speaking vnto her in his facetious and wittie manner Madame will you goe My Lord is gone which were formerly the vsuall words of her gentleman Vsher when the Lord Chancellour departed out of the Church so may I say in this case when Babylon shall be wasted with fire and the Beast shal be despoyled of his power Our Lord the Pope is gone but yet the Bishop may still remaine And then Christians may reckon ab vrbe euersâ as Pagans did ab vrbe conditâ when the power honour and glory of Babylon and her Beast shall perish and bee extinguished by the concordable operation of these great and puissant Kings who therefore will continually suppresse it that it may neuer increase and gather strength againe The SECOND Branch concerning PAPISTS I Speake not now of ordinary Papists but chiefe Babylonian Papists that is to say such as haue a speciall vnion and coniunction with the Pope in those things which appertayne vnto the Mysticall impietie of this second Beast Wherefore the name of a Papist is taken either from Poperie which hee doth defend or from the Pope to whom he doth adhere In the first acception I esteeme him a Papist that leauing the Pope in the principall and essentiall points of the Papacie doth yet beleeue sundry errors defined resolued and maintayned in the Romish Church vnder the gouernment and administration of the Pope of which kinde of Poperie and sort of Papists I shall treate more particularly in the third Branch which doth immediately ensue But now in the second acception he is really and formally a Papist who is vnited vnto the Pope not in regard of the Popes person but in regard of his seat place and dignitie which he vsurpeth in Babylon and therefore doth especially beleeue and follow the Pope in such particular points as depend vpon his Papall Office as namely The Popes temporall Superioritie ouer all Princes as being the chiefe and in truth the onely Souereigne of the World which is the peculiar and intimate character of the Antichristian Beast or at the least if he haue not this temporall power ouer all Princes directly as their Lord yet indirectly as Pastour of the Church to depose and dethrone them which indirect authoritie doth yet inuest him with a pretended iurisdiction ouer all the World and is a more subtile insinuation of the Babylonian Beast and that he hath an infallible iudgement as Pope in the controuersies of Religion to bind the whole World vnto his definition vpon paine of Ecclesiasticall censure which opinion being greatly imbraced in their Church and daily increasing suffered much opposition by the Sorbonists and generally by the Church of France and that from this Papall seate all Christians haue the practice and benefit of Indulgences the peculiar Ware of Babylon that this Apostolicall and Supreame Seat hath power to dispense with Oathes and with Mariages in certaine degrees of consanguinitie and affinitie and that all Christians must haue recourse vnto her for Dispensations Absolutions c. that vnto this seat belong Appellations from all parts of the Christian World as vnto the highest Authoritie vpon Earth by which courses they exhaust much treasure of all Kingdomes and vexe the subiects with tedious and expensiue trauels that this Beast hath power to call generall Councels and to ratifie or nullifie their Decrees and other Babylonian doctrines belonging to the mysterie of the second Beast In this sense and acception of a Papist King Henry the Eighth in his iust necessary and conscionable discession from the Church of Rome vpon the point of his vnlawfull Mariage with the Ladie Katherine his Brothers Wife which by Papall Dispensation was contracted against the Word of God and Law of Nature especially as her case did stand was now no longer a Papist because he reiected the Pope in these Mysteries of the Papacie and in all points that had dependencie vpon his Seat Office and pretensed Authoritie in the Church Whence it is that this magnanimous Prince iustly prouoked but vniustly handled by the holy Father writeth vnto Charles the Fift and to all Christian States in these very words Orbis intelligat varias PAPISTARVM fraudes c. and againe ne Papa Regum authoritate ad extir pandas crescentis Euangelij radices c. abuti possit So that though this King remayned still a Papist in the first acception howbeit he made an happy entrance also to the purgation of sundry abuses in the Church as by taking away some superstitious Feasts some highly respected Images some much adored Relikes the Word of God was translated into the vulgar tongue and many other things were done in his time for the reformation of blind and ignorant stupiditie in the Church yet notwithstanding in the mayne and essentiall things which specially giue the true denomination of a Papist he is to be exempted cleerely from the crime and contagion of this Title And yet as Iehu did performe the Worke of God imposed vpon him for the ruine of Baal and that Idolatry but departed not from other sinnes of Ieroboam and
the Kings of Israel so this excellent Prince destroyed the Baal of Rome and his power within the confines of this Kingdome but in many other things hee still followed the doctrines of Rome but yet so as he conceiued them though vntruly to bee built vpon the Word of God and conformable to the iudgement of the ancient Church I answere therefore FIRST that when these ten Kings shall take vp their Armes against Babylon many Papists of the second and worst degree and acception shall firmely combine with the Pope the second Beast and shall seeke his defence against the incursion of these mightie Kings such Papists I meane as specially the Iesuites are and the Canonists and all such as adore this Beast for his supposed excellencie and glorie so that by the opposition of their owne force and by their excitation of their Adherents they shall make all possible but yet a vaine resistance against this generall enterprise of these potent Kings because they loue reuerence defend with writing propugne with their power and aboue all other Papists maintayne to their vttermost this second Beast in Babylon as their dearest Lord and highest Potentate of the Earth to whom as they say all men must be subiect vpon the necessitie of their saluation SECONDLY therefore I inferre that since the Beast himselfe shall fall with his Babylon as being a fall not only of one particular place but of some great power these Papists also concurring in his defence and opposition of these Kings shall certainely come vnto a finall ruine For as these Kings shall bring the Beast vnto desolation so they will not suffer such to liue as shall by doctrine iustifie and magnifie the power of this Beast which they hate and will destroy or by politike meanes seeke his aduancement or by forcible contradiction procure his supportation and defence against their inuincible armes which by Gods owne warrant they shall take vp against Babylon and against the Antichristian vassals that admire the glorie and follow the poyson of the second Beast therein As for other Papists of inferiour note and not of this marke or stampe I will deliuer my iudgement in the third Branch vnto which therefore I addresse my speech The THIRD Branch concerning POPERY THough this word Popery seemeth to include all erroneous doctrines in the Papal Church which are many in number and not reconciliable with the truth of Gods Word yet we must distinguish heere as wee haue before for that such points as depend vpon the Popes pretended office and beare speciall reference thereunto as namely they are for which some Papists haue their principall denomination as I did obserue in the second branch are truly and really Popish not in regard of the person of this or that Pope as Heresies doe most generally carrie the name of their inuentor and in this case also it were not hard to shew that some Popish doctrines had either their beginning or else their principall corroboration from certaine Popes and might therefore well be stamped with their names but in regard of the Papall See office dignitie and vsurped superioritie of this second Beast and therefore such points of their doctrine and practise issuing from the Pope as he is Pope and not as he is this or that particular person and being a part of the Mysterie of Iniquitie which Saint Paul did foresee are Popish and Poperie and therefore this kind of Poperie connexed to the Papall Seate and Office will haue a certaine end and determination with the fall of the Pope this second Beast whose ruine is implied in the fall of Rome it selfe And therefore we may heere not impertinently obserue that in the points of Popery all are not of one and equall degree but such doe specially beare the marke and cognisance of Antichristianitie as do more highly aduance this beast in his pretended authoritie ouer all Kings and ciuill States ouer all Churches and Ecclesiasticall persons in and ouer the consciences of men in which he setteth vp his Dominion to reigne therein and finally whereby hee doth most neerely oblige and tye men vnto him by the glorious ostentation of his great and sacred power Secondly there are other points of Poperie not vniustly so called as being defined by Papall Councels whose infallible Decrees depend vpon the Popes assent as being parts of that corrupt bodie of erroneous doctrine which is taught in his Synagogue sustayned by his authoritie defended by his Writers propugned by secular Princes as seruants of the Pope though stiled by more honourable names finally such as tend to the confirmation of the Pope and that Babylonian Church in which the mysterie of iniquitie beginning long agoe hath now fully declared it selfe in so great an Apostasie and defection from the truth And if you require a speciall catalogue of these Popish errours they are for the greatest part comprised in the twelue Articles of the new Creed framed and proposed by Pope Sixtus quartus in Bulla super forma iuramenti professionis fidei which containe the principall errours of the Papall Beast and of the Papists miserably seduced therein from the integritie of Gods Word and extreamely different from the Catholike sense of the more pure and ancient Church I answere therefore when God shall deliuer his Church from the Aegyptian bondage which it suffereth vnder this Babylonian Beast that in due probabilitie of reason if not all yet many of these more grosse absurd and enormious errours now predominant in the Church of Rome shall be corrected by the more sound and Christian iudgement euen of those who liue in the outward communion of the Romish Church for there neuer wanted some more Religious spirits that did dislike oppose and seeke to redresse the growing and growne errours therein and that Christian Princes shall willingly concurre to the reformation of Popish errours when a more free and indifferent course shall be opened for a generall Councell then can be yet obtained while this Babylonian Beast doth reigne to treate dispute and conclude vpon things which appertaine vnto the peace and puritie of the Church To conclude this passage therefore I shall intreat your prudent and iudicious consideration of three markable points which I now tender and present vnto your religious hearts The FIRST that the Church of Rome as it standeth at this day offending rather in additions vnto Gods truth in regard whereof they foolishly call ours a Negatiue Religion which doth truly deny and iustly impugne their additions then in subtractions from the same though they erre also in this kind taking lawfull authoritie from the ciuill Magistrate taking halfe the Communion from the Laitie taking away the Word of God from the people by concealing it in an vnknowne tongue c. and so in other things against which therefore our doctrine is affirmatiue in opposition of their errours I say that the Church of Rome doth hold and teach the fundamentall points of Christian Religion positiuely in the Articles of the
be truly said also that Christ himselfe did die in sundry respects but then shee was in her Ethnicall state so in it Christ doth still suffer in regard of his Truth there oppressed in regard of Antichrist there aduanced in regard of the Faithfull by him persecuted for it is done vsually through the operation of this Second Beast abusing the authoritie of Kings and Princes to this wicked purpose There hee sitteth that trampleth vpon your Crownes and Scepters there hee sitteth that deposeth you from your States there hee sitteth that absolueth your subiects from the two indissoluble bonds of Oath and Nature there he sitteth that disposeth your Kingdomes at his pleasure that exciteth your owne people against you by the curses of his Excommunications that stirreth vp your friends and neighbours to make warre vpon your hereditary lands Now the time is come it is past with God it is now at hand that you may you must you shall take vp a temporall against his spirituall Sword diuest him of his pretended power expose him vnto scandall ignominy ruine extreame desolation reward her or him it is all one in effect the one doth imply the other euen as shee hath rewarded you and giue her double according to her workes and in the cup that she hath filled to you fill her the double as it is Apocal. 19.6 Now if you require of me the names of these ten Kings I meane not the names of their Persons but of their States I cannot I dare not deale so punctually in this case as some who presume by particular commemoration of their ten Kingdomes to muster vp the names of these ten Kings that shall effectuate this great and glorious worke It may bee a question and so it is with mee whether this number of ten may bee taken in that distinct and precise accompt or whether it be not a certaine for an vncertaine number as the Scripture doth vsually speake or rather whether in these numbers of speciall perfection the Septenary the Decenary the Centenary the Millenary a whole and vniuersall companie is to be vnderstood or not And I doe the rather so conceiue it to be vnderstood because Saint Augustine himselfe hath framed this opinion in my breast For this learned Father treating of the persecution by Antichrist and the consummation of the World ensuing presently therevpon supposeth that in the Prophecie of Daniel chap. 7.8 the little horne arising amongst the ten hornes of the fourth Beast which certainly is the Romane Empire and plucking away three of the former ten hornes is ANTICHRIST who as Lactantius said before Saint Augustines dayes out of the common errour of those times shall subdue three of these ten Kings for so the ten hornes are interpreted Vers 24. and conioyne his power with the other seuen to destroy the Romane Empire and to sacke the Citie of Rome Inst lib. 7. cap. 16. Which errour was so pregnant in the time of reuerend and constant Athanasius that therefore he thence inforceth a probability against Constantius the wicked Arrian persecuting Emperour to bee the ANTICHRIST as hauing sundry markes of him and in particular hauing subdued three Kings Britannio Gallus and Magnentius who striued with him for the Imperiall Crowne Athanas in Epist. and solitar vitam agentes Now though in this point they were all inuolued and wrapped in a misprision of that Scripture for that little horne is not Antichrist as they were perswaded nor the Turke as some more lately haue imagined but Iulius Caesar and his successors who translated the Empire of Rome from the publike state vnto a particular person yet Saint Augustine proceedeth with better aduice when he commeth vnto a reuiew of those ten Kings in the Prophecie of Daniel who yet are not the same as you may very easily obserue with our ten Kings in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn and therefore hee writeth in this manner Vererime sanè fateor c. I confesse that I am in feare least perhaps we bee deceiued in the ten Kings whom Antichrist seemeth to find as ten persons and so he may come before we be aware there being not then so many Kings in the Romane World For what if by this number of TEN the whole company of Kings be signified after whom hee is to come as by the Millenarie Centenarie and Septenarie numbers the vniuersitie of things is often imported in the Scripture So Saint Augustine De Ciuit. Dei lib. 20. cap. 23. By this his prudent and remarkeable obseruation fitly to bee applied vnto my present purpose I may very reasonably collect that a great and generall number of Kings whose states were sometimes members of the Romane Empire whereof they haue inuaded a part by their particular Dominions but Antichrist the whole by his supreame power shall arise in a confederacie and expedition to burne the Whore Babylon and to subdue the Beast the Pope and so to accomplish that Royall worke vnto which God hath alreadie consecrated them in his holy Word SECONDLY I direct my speech vnto you my Fathers and Brethren of the sacred Tribe of Leui you who beare the siluer Trumpets and blow the alarme you that take vp your spirituall armes for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but yet mightie through God 2. Cor. 10.4 against this odious Whore and execrable Beast fight against them with a learned tongue that is not enough fight also with your aduised Pen it conquereth more then Alexanders Sword O detestable silence in so necessarie a cause hatefull modestie in so needfull an enterprize cursed feare in so iust a quarrell which is Gods in Heauen and so many Kings in earth Thou callest others to fight and sittest thou still and in so needfull a time Remember that of the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A good and faithfull Minister will bee writing with his hand aduising with his head fighting with his tongue Let Rome vnderstand her sinne that she is BABYLON one word but a stinging word it compriseth all iniquities and let her know her ruine that she IS FALLEN to come in act but past in his preuision who hath confirmed it by his decree Tell these Kings that if they be now auerse from this worke yet God shall incline and bow their hearts vnto it as Alarichâ—â— was inwardly vrged and compelled to take Armes against Rome Sozom. lib. 9. c. 6. Tell the whole world that though it seeme a difficult worke yet it is Gods worke vnto whom nothing is impossible and that it is reuealed in his Word in which nothing can faile therefore Babylon must fall and fall thus for his Word cannot fall who giueth vs certaine assurance of this infallible successe THIRDLY I speake vnto you noble in descent great in dignitie rich in goods Starres of greater light in the firmament of the State but borrowed from the primigeniall and originall light of the Sunne therein the glorious Souereigne thereof you that by proper valour can performe much your selues and by speciall