eminent of our English Bishops since the withdrawing our selves from him that it may the rather appear that the judgement of the Primate concurres with the rest of his brethren before him Bishop Jewell that learned Bishop of Sarishury in his Exposition of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians cap. 2. is very large in the application of the whole prophesie to the See of Rome as that of the vision of Saint John concerning Babylon p. 373. c. Concludes that Antichrist shall not be a Jew but a Christian not a King but a Bishop and a holy Father and should weare a Mitre For on whom saith he should an Army of Priests attend as Gregory the great a Bishop of Rome prophesied of Antichrist but upon a Bishop and an universal Bishop at least one so claiming that universality see his recollection of the whole pag. 319. wondring any man should doubt of it 't is so apparent And what he saith p. 279. viz. that he knew what he should speak would be ill taken of many such affection they bear to him whom the Apostle deciphers to be Antichrist though I shall say nothing but what the holy scriptures and learned writings of the Fathers have left unto us and which the Church of God hath at this time proved to be true will be found I fear also in many of this age whose inclinations are too much declared in the defence of that See in this particular Bishop Abbot one of his successours Bishop of Sarisbury in that book of his called Antichristi demonstratio which were his Lectures at Oxford is as full also Wherein at his entrance having spoken of the name of Antichrist and given some descriptiption of him he addes these words All which are most fitly to be applied to him Haec verò notatio nominis Antichristi si illam integram acciptamus quadrat in illum optimè quem esse verum illum Antichristum Deo juvante demonstrabimus Romanum dico Pontificem qui se esse caput Ecclesiae Christi Christi vicem implere gloriatur whom with Gods assistance we shall demonstrate to be the very Antichrist I say the Bishop of Rome who arrogates unto himself to be the head of the Church of Christ and his Vicegerent c. and p. 92. wonders at the blindness of men like Owls at noon day not to see it accordingly Arch-bishop Whitgift in his defence of the Answer to the Admonition often applies the Title of Antichrist to the Bishop of Rome as a thing taken for granted See Tract 8. p. 349. where having spoken much of him before he thus concludes I know that those Sects and Heresies gave strength unto Antichrist and at the length were one speciall meanes of placing him in his throne even as also I am perswaded that he worketh as effectually at this day by your stirres and contentions whereby he hath and will more prevail against this Church of England then by any other means whatsoever Therfore it behoveth you to take heed how you divide the Army of Christ which should unanimitèr fight against that Antichrist That he means the See of Rome none can doubt Whosoever shall read Bishop Andrews his Tortura Torti cannot but conceive his judgement to be the same Where he hath many of the observations which have been mentioned already from the situation on seven hills and the 7 head governments And p. 183. upon the grant on both sides that Babylon is Rome (p) De eo tantum nobis lis erit jam quanam illa ibi Roma Babylon aut Roma quo tempore Babylon esse coeperit Cui rei tot ibi circumstantias adhibet S. Johannes vix ut in ea errare cuiquam contingat Quae enim Babylon ibi eadem meretrix magna dicitur c. Edoctum autem ibi se dicit Johannes à spiritu de rebus quae ventura essent Quod si jam Romam ibi quo tu sensu vis designavit nihil venturum edocuit spiritus Ethnica enim tum Roma in Auge erat vel maximè Propheticus verò is liber totus haberi solet c. nimis autem illa misella tum prophetia foret si praediceret fore ut persequeretur Râ—ma Christianos vidit vero hoc priusquam in Pathmos relegatus esset c. p. 183 184. and p. 185. De ea Roma quae veneficiis seducit quae agnum specie refert scriptam tamen in fronte blasphemiam in Templo Dei sedet cujus merces hominum animae quam decem Reges igne concrematuri sunt ad perniciem sempiternam quae per pseudo prophetam suam vim habet signa faciendi Verè à Torto dicitur Romam Christianam perditam non iri Non certè sed illam Antichristianam scilicet c. he states the question for the time and resolves it cannot be Rome Ethnick for then it had been no prophesie it being at that time a persecutor of the Christians and a shedder of the blood of the Saints which Saint John then had the experience of himself with divers other arguments from her inchantments manner of destruction making merchandize of soules the persons which shall burn her which could not agree to Heathen Rome Adding to be the same beast which hath horns like the lamb sits in the Temple or Church of God exalts himself above all that is called God one that was not in being in Saint Johns time pretendeth to to the working of miracles and so concludes that though Rome Christian may not go into perdition yet Rome Antichristian shall which hath been drunk with the blood of the Saints and the Martyrs of Jesus c. Bishop Bilson in his book of the difference between Christian subjection and unchristian Rebellion delivers his judgement often accordingly as a matter out of controversie affirming the Tyranny of Rome to be the power of darknesse and kingdom of Antichrist applying the pride of the Papacie to that of the man of sin exalting himself in the Temple of God 2 Thessal 2. It was saith he the ancient device and drift of Antichrist to make himself mighty when it was first attempted by Hildebrand Greg. 7. and now coloured by the Papists with the name of Religion p. 527. 817. c. Bishop Hall that elegant and pious Bishop of Norwich hath much to this purpose dispersed through his works No peace with Rome Sect. 1. Look on the face of the Roman Church she is Gods and ours look on the back she is quite contrary Antichristian Sect. 22. shall we ever grow to that height of madnesse as to come from the Standard of God to the tents of the Roman Antichrist The heavens shall passe away by a change Rome by a destruction not a change The Honour of the married Clergy Were it not for this opinion i. e. the forbidding it the Church of Rome would want one evident brand of her Antichristianisme Sect. 15. Speaking of a Popish Priest Well doth it become the son of
tam vel claram vel certam in scriptis patrum interpraetationem non habeant Operabatur enim modò mysterium tum iniquitatis Signatus adhuc liber erat hujus prophetiae Verissimum autem verbum est aenigma esse prophetiam omnem cùm nondum completa est ut quamvis prisci illi omni genere Charismatum vitae verò sanctimonia longo nos intervallo supererarint mirari tamâ—n non debeat quis si illis tùm non adeo explicata omnia suerint quam nobis per gratiam Dei jam sunt quiconsummatam jam prophetiam illam quotidiè oculis usurpamus pag. 186. But it is no wonder those things which I have said have not so clear or certain an interpretation in the writings of the Fathers for it was then a mystery of iniquity which wrought the book of this prophesie was as yet sealed up And it is a most true speech every prophesie is a riddle while 't is not fulfilled And though those Ancients very much excelled us in all manner of gifts and specially in the holinesse of life yet no man hath cause to wonder that all these things did not seem so clear to them as by the grace of God they are now to us who do see this prophesie now consummated daily before our eyes Certainly while Rome continued in its purity the Fathers of that age might well have wondred with great admiration as Saint John himself did and look upon it as incredulous that it should have degenerated into that pride Idolatry Murder and become the Mother of all abominations c. even as we would at this day if the like should be foretold of England which hath been so famous for Religion in being a shelter for such as have been persecuted by the See of Rome abounded with writers against it and the chief Church of the reformed Religion in opposition to Popery I say if any should take upon him a spirit of prophesie in averring it should in time be an advancer of Popery and be utterly over-run with it and become a persecutor of such as should oppose the errours of it the sinke of Heresie Schisme and prophanenesse c. would not we who now live be as far from believeing the report as Hazael was at what was told him by the Prophet concerning himself But Thirdly There are some grounds out of the ancient Fathers which may be accounted as foundations whereupon to build this application the more firmly being as Bishop Andrews saith a wonder they should see so much looking on these things only quasi per transennam Tertullian who lived about 400 yeares before the Emperour was cast out of Rome in the Exposition of that 2 Thes 2.9 and now ye know what with-holdeth or who letteth verse 7. he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way saith this Quis nisi Romanus Status cujus abscessio in decem Reges dispersa Antichristum superinducet tunc revelabitur iniquus Who can this be but the Roman Empire whose removal out of Rome being dispersed into 10 Kingdomes must usher in Antichrist and then shall the wicked one be revealed what he saith in his Apology for the Christians to the Emperour Severus who was afraid of the multiplying of them as Pharaoh was of the Israelites in Egypt hath bin touched already in the former Treatises where the principal argument against any such fear is this viz. The (e) Christianis necessitatem incumbere orandi pro Imperatoribus etiam pro omni statu Imperii rebúsque Romanis quod vim maximam universo orbi imminentem accerbitates horrendas comminentem Romani Imperii commeatu scimus retardari Apol c. 32. Commeatum dicere solet Tertullianus spatium temporis praescriptum c. Vid. Downham Episc Derens de Antichristo lib. 2. Christians have need to pray for the Emperour and even for the whole State of the Empire and the Roman affaires in regard we know the greatest mischief hanging over the whole world threatning horrible and bitter things to be retarded by the continuance of the Roman Empire which being compared with the former exposition must be meant in the same sense and is so applied by Bishop Abbot demonstrat Antichristi n. 92. Cyril Hierosolymitanus and Ambrose say the like upon the same place 2 Thes 2. Then shall that wicked one be revealed viz. cum completa fuerint tempora Romani Imperii post defectum Romani regni appariturum c. i. e. he shall appear after the failing of the Roman Empire for as long as that stands he dares not appeare Saint Chrysostome upon the same (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. id est Imperium Romanum quando è medio sublatum fuerit tunc venit ille c. vacantem Imperii principatum invadet tentabit ad se rapere hominum Del Imperium this can be no other then the Roman Empire for as long as that stands he dares not shew himself but upon the vacancy of that he shall attempt to take to himselfe both the power of God and man which how it fits the Papacy may easily be discerned Saint Jerome hath much to this purpose in divers places In his answer to the 11. q. ad Algasiam expounding that passage ye know who letteth c. remember what I told you when I was with you c. he saith (g) Non vult apertè dicere Romanum Imperium destruendum quia tum adversum Christianos rabiem concitasset persecutionis he could not openly name the Roman Emperour lest it should have caused a cruell persecution against the Christians who imagined their Empire to have been without end and referres them to what they had from him by word of mouth And indeed there was none but the Roman Empire that could then either have let or hindred the man of sin from that presumptuous tyranny or that the Apostle had cause to be cautious in naming for fear of raising that molestation of the Christians And in his Epistle ad Gaudentium hearing that Rome was taken by he Gothes and Vandals and saw the Western Empire declining he was looking for the man of sin to have sprung up in his room at least expected his birth then So accordingly Saint Augustine in his twentieth book de Civitate Dei cap. 19. makes it to be a matter out of doubt nullus ambigit that the successor to the Emperour in Rome shall be the man of sinne The same saith (h) Donec de medio fiat donec regnum quod nunc tenet de mediâ— auferatâ—r hoc de Imperio Romano dictum est propterea Paulum non id apertè scribere voluisse ne calumniam incurrat quod Romano Imperio malè optaverit Primasius and (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tenet intelligit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod prohibet vel impedimento est quidnam autem est illud nisi Romanum Imperium c. nisi enim hoc
excessive decking of Images and Idols with painting gilding adorning with pretious vestures pearles and stones what is it else but for the further provocation and inticement to spiritual fornication whieh the Idolatrous Church understandeth well enough For she being indeed not only an harlot as the Scripture calls her but also a foule filthy old harlot for she is indeed of ancient yeares and understanding her lack of nature and true beauty and great lothsomnesse which of her self she hath she doth after the custome of such harlots paint her self and deck and tire her self with gold pearle stone and all kind of pretious jewels that she shining with the outward beauty and glory of them may please the foolish fantasie of fond lovers and so entice them to spiritual fornication with her Who if they saw her I will not say naked but in simple apparel would abhorre her as the foulest and filthiest harlot that ever was seen According as appeareth by the description of the garnishing of the great strumpet of all strumpets the Mother of whoredomes set forth by Saint John in his Revelation Apoc. 17. who by her glory provoked the Princes of the earth to commit whoredome with her c. and it followeth pag. 77. And it is not enough to deck Idols but at the last come in the Priests themselves likewise decked with gold and pearle and with a solemn pace they pass forth before these golden puppets and fall down to the ground on their marrow-bones before these honourable Idols and then rising up again offer up odours and incense to them c. He that reads the whole cannot judge of it to be meant otherwise then of the Papacy And if the fifth and sixth part of the Sermon against wilful rebellion be viewed there will be found such a large narration of the pride and ambition of the Bishop of Rome that there will not need any further help to an application of that 2 Thes 2. to him which thus beginneth viz. After that ambition and desire of dominion entred once into Ecclesiastical Ministers whose greatnesse after the doctrine and the example of our Saviour should chiefly stand in humbling themselves And that the Bishop of Rome did by intolerable ambition challenge not only to be the head of all the Church dispersed throughout the world but also to be Lord of all kingdoms of the world as is expressely set forth in the book of his own Canon-Lawes He became at once the spoyler and destroyer both of the Church which is the kingdom of our Saviour Christ and of the Christian Empire and all Christian kingdomes as an universal Tyrant over all The particulars of whose actions to that end are there related viz. The Bishop of Rome stirring up subjects to rebell against their Soveraigne Lords even the Son against the Father pronouncing such Schismaticks and persecuting them who refused to acknowledge his above-said challenge of supreme authority over them discharging them from their oath of fidelity made not only to the Emperour but to other Kings and Princes throughout Christendome The most cruell and bloody wars raised amongst Christian Princes of all kingdoms the horrible murder of infinite thousands of Christian men being slain by Christians the losse of so many great Cities Countries Dominions and Kingdomes sometimes possessed by Christians in Asia Affrick and Europe The miserable fall of the Empire and Church of Greece sometime the most flourishing part of Christendom into the hands of the Turks The lamentable diminishing decay and ruine of Christian Religion and all by the practice and procurement of the Bishop of Rome chiefly which is in the Histories and Chronicles written by the Bishop of Rome 's own favourites and friends to be seen claiming also to have divers Princes and Kings to their vassals liege men and subjects c. behaving themselves more like Kings and Emperours in all things then remained like Priests Bishops and Ecclesiastical or as they would be called spiritual persons in any one thing at all c. and so concludes with an exhortation of all good subjects knowing those the speciall instruments of the Devill to the stirring up of all Rebellion to avoid and flee them Is not this a full description of the pride of that man of sinne 2 Thess 2. in exalting himselfe above all Kings and Princes and that son of perdition being understood actively who was the cause of the perdition or losse of so many thousands of Christian mens lives And in the sixth part of the same Sermon you have a more particular relation of the Bishop of Rome 's blood-shed according to the description of that Harlot Revel 17.6 in these words viz. And as these ambitious usurpers the Bishops of Rome have overflowed all Italy and Germany with streams of Christian blood shed by the rebellions of ignorant subjects against their naturall Lords and Emperours whom they have stirred thereunto by false pretences so is there no Countrey in Christendome which by the like means of false pretences hath not been over-sprinkled with the blood of subjects by rebellion against their naturall Soveraigns stirred up by the same Bishops of Rome c. And in conclusion as the Sermon often entitles the Bishops of Rome unsatiable wolfes and their Adherents Romish greedy wolfes so doth it in speciall call the See of Rome the Babylonicall beast in these words viz. The Bishop of Rome understanding the bruit blindnesse ignorance and superstition of the English in King Johns time and how much they were inclined to worship the Babilonical beast of Rome and to fear all his threatnings and causelesse curses he abused them thus c. I have transcribed these the more largely out of the Book of Homilies both that such as have rejected them as Popish may see their errour and those that now so much favour the See of Rome that they call such language railing may have their mouthes stopped being it is from the mouth of the Church of England in her Homilies which is a good warrant for her sons to say after her Let the Reader judge whether these passages do not confirme rather then contradict or be contrary as Doctor Heylene saith to the Articles of Ireland and the Primates judgement of the See of Rome I shall only alledge one passage more and that is in the conclusion of the second part of the Sermon for Whit-sunday viz. Wicked and nought were the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part as doth well appear by the story of their lives and therefore worthily accounted among the number of false Prophets and false Christs which deceived the world a long while the Lord defend us from their Tyranny and pride that they may never enter into this Vineyard again but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world And he of his great mercy so work that the Gospel of his Son may be truly preached to the beating down of sin death the Pope the Devill
doctrine in it that it should be a scandall to us either And yet we were not then to seek for an ordained Ministery there having been for many hundreds of years before that a flourishing Church among us which the Saxons whom he came to convert had been the persecutors and destroyers of as Gildas tells us so that in that or the former sense the objection is not worth the answering Answ 4 But fourthly I suppose they mean of later Centuries when that complaint of the Prophet concerning Jerusalem might be appliable to Rome How is that faithful City become a harlot it was full of judgement righteousnesse lodgeed in her but now murderers c. i. e. Since the Bishop of Rome became corrupt in doctrine and worship For this first we thus answer While we were under the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome it doth not appear that he ordinarily usurped more then a mandatory nomination of the Bishop to be consecrated which out of a blind fear of his excommunication was assented unto but the consecration was not by him but other Bishops here within our selves And I account the ordination or consecration to be derived from such as gave imposition of hands not from the mandate for them to do it Henry the eight and the Kings succeeding assumed the like power in the nomination of the person which accordingly might not be gainsaid but from thence it cannot be argued that our ordination or consecration was deduced from them for the Kings mandate served not to give power to ordain which those Bishops had before intrinsecally annexed to their office but only was a warrant to apply this power to the person named in that Mandate Now this being all which was usurped by the Bishop of Rome in relation to the consecrations of our Bishops in England when we were under the Tyranny of the Papacy there is as little force for our deriving our ordination from him also And if those Bishops of Sidon which as Arch-Deacon * De Minister Anglican Mason tells us assisted in the first consecration in Hen. 8. as in Edward the sixth's time were not meerly Titular but had their consecration from the Greek Church which is altogether a stranger to the See of Rome it would take off somewhat from the pretence of a totall derivation from thence Object But still it may be objected that we have at least received our Ordination from such as professed the Religion of Rome Answ First it could not be called properly the Religion of Rome till the Councell of Trent which determined many years after our falling off from the See of Rome The Papists ask us Where was our Religion before Luther we might reply Where was the Popish Religion before that time 'T is true most of those poysonous errours were sowen up and down the world before but not collected fully into a body and so owned and headed by the Papacy till then For till that time scarce any point we hold now against them but there were some of their own Authours who held it also So that to speak properly the now Romish Religion in their new Creed with other appurtenances was established since our form of ordination 2. Suppose we received our ordination from such who were corrupted with Popish errours yet if they retained the Fundamentalls of Christian Religion their ordination may be valid those like some part of the barke of the tree uncut may convey the Sappe from the root to the preserving of life in the branches What Saint Augustine saith of the Donatists in some things mecum sunt they concurre with me in other things they are defiled may be applicable to the Church of Rome and if so why may we not receive through them what was of Christs remaining in them without being defiled with that corrupt part which is their own why may not there be in this a separation of the precicious from the vile And in our reformation we withdrew our selves no further from her then she hath declined from her self in the Apostles time and from the ancient state and condition of it then as one saith well Nostra Ecclesia ab hodierna Romana Ecclesia contaminata recessit ut ad pristinam puram Apostolicam Romanam accedere posset We forsook the present corrupted Church of Rome that we might be nearer a kin to the first pure Apostolical Roman Church in the primitive times 3. In a word we do affirme that neither their corruption in opinion or vitiosity of life do or did void it to the party ordained none doubts of the Baptisme of our fore-fathers administred by those of the like in the Church of Rome as if there needed any reiteration by them who survived our reformation neither do we renew the orders received in that Church when any Priest is converted and betakes himself to our communion and why should it be questioned here Let the Seal be of Silver or brasse the impression is alike valid if affixed by order to the deed Parents in generation convey to the child what is essentiall to humane nature not that which is accidentall A maimed Father begets a Son like himself as he was before he lost his arme as the circumcised did and doth an uncircumcised child the like application may be made to the transferring of ordination in such a wounded diseased Apostatized Church as the Roman now is and by such corrupted persons in life and doctrine continuing in it so they do observe the * See Bishop Bedels letter to Wadsworth p. 157. My defence for your Ministry is that the forme Receive the Hâ—ly Ghost whose sins ye remit are remitted doth suciffiently comprehend the authority c. essentials in ordination other superstructures or corruption in the ordainers doth not null it either to the persons themselves or successors which might be further manifested by the pâ—actice of the Church in all ages 1. That Ministration under the Law the Priests of which the Jewish Writers say were consecrated by laying on of hands had as much cause to stand upon succession as any yet ye find often that the Priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites had corrupted their wayes were defiled with Idolatry in Ahaz and Manasses time and others as bad or worse then the See of Rome yet after a reformation the succession which was by their hands was not questioned Though the Priesthood ran through much filth yet retaining the essentialls of the Jewish Religion as circumcision c. they were owned of God again in a successive ministration See in the height of their Idolatry when they were offering their children by fire unto their Idols yet by retaining the Sacrament covenant of circumcision their children are called the Lords children Ezek. 16.20 Thou hast taken thy sons which thou hast borne unto me c. thou hast slayn my children in causing them to pass through the fire etc. 2. In our Saviour Christs time there was as bad a succession as
THE JUDGEMENT Of the late Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH and PRIMATE of IRELAND Of BABYLON Rev. 18.4 being the present See of Rome With a Sermon of Bishop BEDELS upon the same words Of laying on of hands â—eb 6.2 to be an ordained Ministery Of the old Form of words in Ordination Of a Set Form of PRAYER Published and enlarged by Nicholas Bernard D. D. and Preacher to the Honourable Society of Grayes-Inne London Unto which is added a Character of Bishop BEDEL And an Answer to Mr. Pierces Fifth Letter concerning the late PRIMATE LONDON Printed for John Crook at the Sign of the Ship in S. Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE Right Worshipfull Sir WILLIAM ELLIS BARONET His HIGHNES Sollicitor GENERALL The Readers and Benchers With the Ancients Barresters and Students Of the Honourable Society of Graies-Inne YEe are thus intituled to these Treatises The occasion of publishing the First was a Sermon preached by the late Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH in your Chappell of the same subject Nov. 5. 1654. who out of his old love to this society whereof he was a member intended it as his last the request then made to him for the permission of printing that he did satisfy in his consent to the publishing of this For the other some parts of them have been long agone preached before you by the Authour though now in another manner enlarged which as a testimony of his due observance and respect to this Honourable Society he desires may be accepted from him who is Grayes-Inne Octob. 27. 1658. Yours in the service of Christ N. BERNARD To the Reader HOw Popery and (a) Though of late it hath had that latitude as to comprehend Episcopacy yet in Ancient Records which I have seen it was limited to the Deans and Chapters For this was then the form of the Arch-Bishops Provinciall visitation declaring that he would visit Episcopum Praelatos clerum populum Prelacy came first to be contracted is not my enquiry but sure I am they are here very far asunder such as do apply that of Babylon Rev. 17. and the Man of sin 2 Thes 2. to the Pope can hardly be accounted Popish which you find affirmed by the late Archbishop of Armagh and Bishop Bedell in their discussing of the same words And who are supported in it by the most Eminent Bishops of England and Ireland since the Reformation Archbishop Whitgift Bishop Jewell Abbot Bilson Andrews Downham Morton Hall Davenant Prideaux with others who have unanimously given their votes the same way as is hereafter shewn And indeed it could not be otherwise expected from some of them who had been taught to put him into their (b) Common Prayer in Edw. 6. Letany From the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities Good Lord deliver us So that if any of later years professing themselves to be the sons of those old Prophets have so far favoured the See of Rome as to divert the stream of that application some other way it appears they have in it degenerated from their Ancestors The first Treatise being the Primates three positions concerning Babylon was wrot above 40 years agone which appears by the places of Scripture rendred according to the old Translation and sent to an Irish Jesuit in Dublin as I take it (c) The first that broached that figment of the Nagge 's head consecration in England after 45 yeares silence of any other Author which in Bishop Bedells Letters to Wadesworth p. 142. is confuted Christophorus à sacro bosco there called F. Halywood the summe of which having been delivered by the Primate in a Sermon which he preached at Grays-Inne Nov. 5. 1654. and being much desired by some of the Auditours to be published he did condescend to permit this with that other Letter following in their satisfaction The learned Sermon of Bishop Bedels being of the same subject I heard him preach it in christ-Christ-Church Dublin 1634. before the Lord Deputy and Parliament The occasion of his giving a copy of it was at the request of a Papist to have shewen it to some learned men of his own Religion and my opportunity to have it was the near relation I had to him for divers years in that See which after these 22 yeares lying latent with me I have taken this fit occasion to publish it That which I have added is by way of confirmation from some grounds out of Ancient Fathers the successive votes both of the learned Writers in those ages who lived under the Tyranny of the See of Rome as of our eminent Bishops and Writers since that yoke was cast off in England with the concurrence of our book of Homilies severall Synods of our own and other reformed Churches the determination of the * Synops Theol. disp 4â— de Christo Antichristo conclus Ex quibus apparet Pontificem Papam Romanum revera Antichristum filium perditionis esse c. Dutch and French Divines It being very observable that whatsoever differences there are in the reformed Churches in other matters yet there is a marvellous unity in this To which is added the like judgement of Arminius and some of the Church of Rome continuing at least in that communion who professe it out-right others by way of consequence Their chief Writers who meet us halfe way granting the place only disputing the time contending as much as we that Babylon Rev. 17. must be meant Rome the difference between us whether Ethnick or Papall For that of the Primates judgement seconded by some eminent Writers what is meant Heb 6.2 by laying on of hands and of the sense of the old form of words in Ordination viz. Receive the holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest c. and the use of them to be continued I had leave from himself for the manifesting and enlarging of it And I suppose the last subject concerning a Set Form of Prayer will passe with the lesse opposition by the concurring of divers eminent and worthy Persons whom the contrary-minded cannot but highly esteem of Having both in the former and this taken up Saint Pauls manner of arguing with the Athenians as certain also of your own have said c. or as elsewhere one of themselves even a Prophet of their own c. And surely the Primates appearing so much against the See of Rome in the first cannot but be a preparative to the hearkning unto him the rather in the two later For my self I have no other design in the whole but the peace and unity of the Church which we are all bound to seek and without which end and aim all gifts whatsoever coveted by us are of no value and I hope to have that interpretation from such as are so affected Two things which have been enlarged by way of Vindication of the Eminent Primate from the injuries of Doctor Heylene came so in my way that I could not passe them which else by his being in the esteem of
out of their own land to the same place of Babel where they continued seventy years unto the overthrow of the Babylonian Monarchy by Cyrus The Prophets Isay and Jeremiah foretel the ruine of this Babel and delivering of Gods People from her Tyranny whom they exhort upon her fall to returne into their own land Hence is this forme taken and this whole Chapter is compiled of little else but the phrases of the Prophets touching Babel and Tyrus as the diligent reader by comparing the concording places may easily perceive This Exhortation to leave Babylon is Depart ye Isa 52.11 Ser. 50.8 and Jer. 51.6.9 Depart ye goe out from thence remove out of the middest of Babylon and goe forth out of the land of the Chaldeans flee out of the middest of Babylon and deliver every man his Soul be not cut off in her iniquitie forsake her and let us goe every one into his own Countrey Vers 45. My people goe ye out of the middest of her and deliver ye every man his Soul from the fierce anger of the Lord which as you see are almost the very words of this Text so that which followes here in the seaventh Verse I sit as a Queen and am no VVidow and shall see no sorrow is taken out of Isaiah 47.7 8. The wayling of the Merchants of this Babel and the store and preciousnesse of her Merchandize is borrowed from the like Description of the Costlyness of Tyrus Ezekiel 27. Ezek. 27. The inrecoverable ruine of this Babel shewed in the end of this Chapter by the signe of a great Milstone cast into the Sea is taken out of Ier. 51. Ier. 51. Where the Prophesie of that it self against Babel is appointed to be bound to a Milstone and cast into the river Euphrates which ran through the old Babell with this word Thus shall Babel sinke and shall not rise from the evil which I will bring upon her These Prophecies were accordingly accomplished as you may see in Daniel Daniel 5. for she is related in a great Feast made by Belshazzar to a thousand of his Lords wherein he would needs bring forth the Vessels of Gods House for his Nobles and Concubines to quaff in God wrote his Doom with a hand upon the wall of his Banquetting house and the same night the Medes and Persians under Darius and Cyrus entered the Citie slew the King and proclaimed libertie to Gods People Ezra 1.1 to return into their Countrey and reedifie the House of God as you may see and thus came Babel the Glory of Kingdomes as it is called Esay 13.19 to Confusion But this is the literal Babel whereunto there is a reference in this Text What now is the Mystical Babylon which here Gods People are bidden to leave Questionlesse some City answering to this in State in Glorie in Oppression of the People of God neither must we take it for the buildings onely and houses but for the State also and Policy as besides the Evidence of the Type of old Babel so taken by the Prophets and the common use of all Authours in like Case doth lead us There be two Opinions recited by Cardinal Bellarmine in this matter one that it should be the communitie of all the wicked and reprobate But this hath no manner of agreement with the Circumstances of the Text This is not seated on seven hills nor hath it seven Kings five fallen one being and another to come nor will those things that are foretold of the destruction of Babel agree to this Exposition and is rejected by the learned of that side And himselfe names another which he approves for the better viz. that here by Babel is meant the Citie of Rome As that was in Saint Iohns time for as he shewes out of Tertullian Look as old Babylon was the head of that Empire whose King persecuted and lead into captivity the People of God so did Rome then This is not onely Bellarmines judgement but Salmeron Viegas and others of that side that Babylon is Rome They do well to yield to the clear evidence of truth so clear in deed as it would be too shameful impudence to deny it For what City was there which in Saint Iohns time could have the addition of great but onely Rome or did rule over the Kings of the earth or to omit all other Arguments was seated on seven hills Septemque una sibi muro cirnundedit arces It may be said Constantinople also is set on seven hills and not unfitly for it was built in Emulation of Rome called new Rome but not till some * Anno 330. Ages after Saint Iohns time we need not spend more words in a plain matter having our Adversaries own Confession Babylon is Rome and old Rome yea saith Bellarmine Heathen Rome persecuting Rome Hear I beseech you Right Honourable and beloved to observe well not what Isay but what Saint John what the Angels what our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe doe foretell and relate in this Chapter touching the fall of this Babel or Rome It is confessed if Babylon be Heathen Rome that is now falne and hath been above a thousand years agoe and consequently thenceforth it is become An habitation of Devils the hold of every foul spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful bird for these are by the Angel conjoyned with the fall thereof in the 2 Verse will Bellarmine and his fellowes now confess this to be so I trow not But because it may be some body else will that we may speak not only to the men but to the matter Observe that the ruine of Babylon here spoken of is so described as to be sudden in one day in one houre her desolation is not only without recoverie but even Consolation Verse 8.10.19 like to the throwing of a stone into the Sea Verse 21.22 23. so as neither Musick nor Minstrel nor the sound of a Quâ—rn or any Crafts-man nor the voyce of a Bridegroome or a Bride nor light of a Candel shall be found in her any more This cannot agree with the Conversion or the Subversion of heathen Rome for all these things are yet left now to be found there and if men will not wilfully shut their eyes they must me thinkes needs see that this Desolation did not then come upon Rome nor is yet come upon her And therefore it is not Heathen Rome but after the embracing of Christian Religion which is to fall and consequently that out of which Christs People are called Viegas of likelyhood was aware of this and therefore hath devised another shift to escape by He saith Rome is here to be tâ—ken in a double estate That before it received Christs Faith and that which shall be in Antichrists time when as Saint Iohn saith in this and the former Chapter It shall revolt from the Bishop of Rome and from the Faith as he saith a little before Antichrists coming or at least at the beginning of
Decretals And if any make scruple to look on that Book let him see Bellarmine undertaking that the Pope intâ—nding to teach the whole Church can in no case erre in things appertaining to Faith De Rob. Pont. Cap. 3. Ver. 5. no no yet the particular Church of Rome that it is probable and pious to believe the Pope cannot become an Hereticke even as a particular Person that he is the judge of Controversiâ—s in the Church and his judgement certain and infallible Add to these that the same Bellarmine makes Temporal Felicity one of the notes of the Church De Not. Eccl. l. 4. c. 8. One point more rests in the speech of the last Angel concerning Babylon in this Chapter Verse the last That in her was fâ—und the bloud of the Prophets and Saints of all that were slain upon the Earth And in the former Chapter Verse 6. John saw the woman drunken with the bloud of Saints and Martyrs of Jesus That Heathen Rome was such there is no doubt And although Bellarmine would draw the Text another way to Jerusalem that this is the great City Verse 11.8 where the bodies of two witnesses shall lie unburied where also the Lord was Crucified since in the Romane Empire and by a Romane Deputy and to a Romane Death our Lord was put But this doth no less stick by Christian Rome unto this day to be drunken with the bloud of Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Let Histories be turned and an exact account taken how many thousands otherwise good Christians have been slain and massacred merely for his pleasure sake And because they would not submit to her Obedience I think it will very evidently appeare that they are imcomparably more then all those that suffered Martyrdome for the Christian Religion under Heathen Romes persecution To omit those whom as an Imperious Harlot she hath caused to be killed for calling her name in question Thus you see the Description of Babylon doth no lesse agree to the present then the old Heathen Rome the great City her command over the Kings of the Earth Her inchanting Cup Her wantonness and delicacy Her arrogancy and pride Lastly that bloudy and bloud-thirsty Cruelty against the worshippers of Christ exercised by her and which I desire you to observe by her alone for in no other part of the Christian world you shall find it To conclude then since neither Heathen Rome onely as she was heathen as Bellarmine would have it can be Babylon nor partly Heathen and partly Antichristan as revolted from the Pope with a gap of a thousand years between as Viegas divineth And the Character that the Holy Ghost sets upon Babylon doth no lesse but rather more agree to the present Pontifical Rome then to the old Imperial It is the falsely termed Christian indeed the Antichristian Rome which is the Babylon out of which Gods People are called And how they are to go out of her it rests to be considered Bellarmine cites Saint Augustine to prove that it is Corde non Corpore not in place but affection But the Temple of Gods people departing from Babel would seem to imply both And the rather because this great City is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Rev. 11.8 now such was the departure of Lott out of Sodome and Israel out of Egypt It is true that by Cyrus his Edict Gods people were permitted to return into their own Countrey to the place where the Lords worship was then fixed Now there is no such place specially appointed as our Lord Iesus Christ shews in his speech with the woman of Samaria John 4. But certainly if any of Gods people cannot by separation in judgement and affection so live as not to be partakers of the sins of Babylon they are to go out bodily also and in no wise to touch any unclean thing Gods people are warned to do even by the consideration of the Holy vessels of the Lord which they carried with them out of Babylon The reason which confirms this charge of going out of Babylon is drawn from the danger of participation in her sins and in her Plagues that is Isay 52.11 blowes stripes punishments which are not onely those mentioned in the 8 Verse Death Mourning Famine Fire but as in the 14. Chapter where the same Proclamation is made of her fall which is here the drinking of the hot and unalaid wine of Gods vengeance and to be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and the Lamb and the smoak of their torments shall ascend for ever and ever We have thus descussed the meaning of this Scripture which being all laid together is this Saint Iohn hears our Lord Iesus Christ admonishing from Heaven his faithful people to come out of the obedience of Romish Popish Babylon least partaking with her in her sins they receive also of her stripes and punishments both Temporall and Eternal Here concerning the person of the speaker mentioned in this first place and that circumstance that he speaks from Heaven I will for the present say no more but desire onely that it may renew the religious attention of all that each would say with himselfe I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints that they turn not to folly That every one would remember the words of the Apostle see that ye despise not him that speaketh Heb. 12.25 for if you escaped not when ye refused him that speaketh one Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven But these points shall be more profitably pressed when we shall have considered the speech it self Wherein observe first he call his people to come out of Babylon a plain Argument that there are many not onely good Moral and Civil honest men there but good Christians not redeemed onely but in the possession of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which may be confirmed by these reasons First there is amongst these that are under the tyranny of the Romish Babylon the Sacrament of entrance into the Covenant of Grace Baptisme by which those that are partakers thereof are made Members of Christ the children of God and heirs of Eternal life of these that have but this Seal of Gods Covenant viz. infants are no small and contemptible part of Gods People though as yet they cannot hear this Voyce of Christ calling out of Babylon besides this there is publication of the tenure of the Covenant of Grace to such as are of years though not so openly and purely as it might and ought yet so as the grounds of the Catechisme are preached sin is shewed Christs redemption or the story of it is known Faith in him is called for John 3.18.36.5.24 and this Faith is by the Grace of God wrought in some For the Word of God and his Calling is not fruitless but like the rain