Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	glory_n	saint_n	4,413	5	6.3240	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03335	Mystical babylon, or Papall Rome A treatise vpon those words, Apocal. 18.2. It is fallen, it is fallen Babylon, &c. In which the wicked, and miserable condition of Rome, as shee now is in her present Babylonian estate, and as she shall be in her future ineuitable ruine, is fully discouered: and sundry controuersiall points of religion, betwixt the Protestants, and the Papists, are briefly discussed. By Theophilus Higgons, rector of the parochiall Church of Hunton, neere Maidstone in Kent.	Higgons, Theophilus, 1578?-1659.	1624 (1624)	STC 13455; ESTC S118140	129,351	289

this deepe point an egregious disputation was held in Scotland it is related immediately after the martyrdome of Adam Wallace in the Acts and Monuments of the Church published by Master Foxe where some profound Doctors of Babylon did substantially resolue that primariò formaliter principaliter vltimatè capiendo strictè this prayer may be said onely vnto God but secundariò materialiter minùs principaliter non vltimatè capiendo largè it may be said vnto Saints What is so absurd and impious which by distinctions may not be defended in the Church of Rome And why may not that prayer be directed by them vnto the Saints since Dominus being changed into Domina our Lord into our Lady the Psalmes of Dauid whereby hee comforted himselfe in the Lord his God are turned by the Papists into an inuocation of our Ladie And why may not both bee done by them who find such an exact conformitie betwixt our Sauiour Iesus Christ and their S. Francis that hee may also bee truely stiled Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes But since there is no end in the prosecution of their blasphemous absurdities in this kind I will conclude this last point of Romish Idolatry in their inuocation of Saints and finally obserue that it is an idolatrie also in them thus to transferre the peculiar sufficient and glorious Office of Christ his Mediatourship vnto any Saint he or she though his owne Mother towards whom though he bare a filiall respect according to humane nature yet you shall neuer finde in his acts or words any one passage or inclination which might seeme to intitle her vnto such exorbitant honour as the Babylonians assigne vnto her by a boundlesse and groundlesse superstition and specially since as necessitie did not compell them so no good reason could perswade them vnto this seruice Why because all and more is to be found in Christ then in any or in all the Saints in this behalfe For what doe wee or can wee desire in any intercessor Power with him of whom hee doth intreate any thing Affection to them for whom hee doth intreate and a sufficient Capacitie of hearing and receiuing their requests First then for Power with God haue all the Saints so much as he with the Father who testifieth of him This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3.17 Secondly for Affection vnto vs is any Saint more kind more louing more facill and gracious No none is like vnto him Why First because he tooke our whole nature not the person of one man and espoused it to his owne person it being truly indued with all naturall affections and sanctified with grace without any measure of the Spirit Therefore in this regard he is as neere vnto mee as any man nay neerer then all men And secondly because in this nature hee suffered for me with passions of bodie and soule hee died for me he satisfied Gods wrath for me and so bought mee for his owne therefore in this regard I am more deare vnto him then vnto his blessed Mother or vnto all the Saints that reigne with him in glorie Hence it is that He sendeth vs not vnto them but calleth vs vnto himselfe Come vnto me c. Matth. 11.28 Thirdly as for his Capacitie of hearing vs who can denie it to be infinite in him who being God is infinite in euery thing And as for his humane nature who can sufficiently iudge of the capacitie of it also in this behalf which by the grace of personal vnion with God and so by the glorie of extraordinarie vision in him hath such a Sea of knowledge as we are not able to comprehend in the litle shels of our vnderstanding Therefore as Saint Peter said to whom shall wee goe c. so I say to whom shall we rather goe then to him in whom all these things so happily concurre Why shall I giue his honour away vnto another and thereby take away my comfort from my selfe So shal I be an iniurious Idolater against his excellencie and my owne saluation as they are generally in the Babylonian Church where the most sweet inuitations and comfortable assurances of Christ vnto vs are applied vnto his Mother as Come you all vnto mee and suffer little children to come vnto me with other of like nature which diuine sentences I haue seene for my euidence is from mine owne vnhappie eies appendant in papers vpon Tapistrie or vpon the walls of their Chappels and ascribed vnto her vpon a Festiuall day solemnely dedicated vnto her seruice with this Motto Intrate per me enter in by mee words peculiar and meerely proper vnto Christ himselfe fairely written in capitall Letters and placed ouer the doore to instruct all men thereby that came into the Chappell that they must enter into the Church by the inuocation of her name and into Heauen by the mediation of her Praier Let them now distinguish againe with strictè and largè primariò and secundariò c. yet their consciences cannot escape the crime of Idolatry in this course which they esteeme to be verie deuout but we know it to be verie prophane And thus much concerning the first generall point of comparison which is in the matter of Idolatrie betwixt the old and the new Babylon I proceed therefore vnto the second The SECOND Comparison betwixt Literall Babylon and Papall Rome THe second point wherein this comparison doth stand is PRIDE a sinne of speciall note in the first Babylon the Ladie of Kingdomes Esay 47.5 but what is her end Desolation and ruine How and for what cause I will make the arrogancie of the proud to cease and I will cast downe the pride of Tyrants faith the Lord Esay 13.11 But heere the second Babylon exceedeth the first the daughter comming after the mother in the order of time goeth before her in the degree of pride Wee haue heard of the pride of Moab he is exceeding proud saith the Prophet Ieremie 48.29 So I may say of this Babylonian Beast his pride his arrogancie his fastuous carriage of himselfe toward the whole ciuill State and toward the whole Church is such as may argue him to be the successor of Tarquinius Superbus in whom the Regall authoritie of ancient Rome did expire rather then of Saint Peter whose succession and Apostolicall power he doth pretend but without conformitie to his Apostolicall doctrine in these things who teacheth all men to bee subiect vnto the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to him that excelleth or that is the chiefe or as the very word doth beare that ouer-haueth hauing indeed all others vnder him 1. Pet. 2.13 Did not Saint Peter include himselfe in this precept Then he was not syncere Or not his successors Then he was defectiue in this point But the truth is he was truly an humble person though of a feruent spirit and prescribeth that doctrine which hee followed and his successors embraced acknowledging their due

Councells by Fathers by Reasons framed out of the grounds of Scripture and Religion but in a new obscure intricate course of Positions Suppositions Conclusions vaine Opinions of darke and obscure Schoolemen c. which made the learned Doctor Raynolds say that till hee saw this Treatise of Indulgences hee tooke Bellarmine to be a man of some conscience and that hee wrote out of his perswasion but now hee conceiued of him otherwise But I proceed and hasten vnto a conclusion of this point This Babylonian ware of Indulgences is that traffique of the Church of Rome whereby shee keepeth her intimate correspondencie and participation with all her members tying thereby their consciences by a secret and strong obligation vnto the Pontificiall Seate it being also of singular vse in the manner of her proceedings For as this Merchandize is the daughter of many false doctrines Supererogations Merits euen the hatefull and dangerous merit of Condignitie of an Ecclesiasticall treasure arising out of the merits of Christ and also of the Saints the same being more then they were bound vnto and therefore being not rewarded vnto them in heauen may bee communicated to the poore soules in Purgatorie and the dispensation of this mysticall treasure is committed vnto the Pope by vertue of his keyes c. so it is the mother of many wicked practises for the aduantage of their Church as being the very bellowes which blow the fire of treason against the Persons and States of Princes This is the ware wherby Babylon bewitcheth not onely priuate men but great Kings for her Merchants are the great men of the earth Apocal. 18.3 Therefore infinite store of this Babylonian trumperie was transported vnto the poore Indians for the pretended benefit of their soules but for the intended benefit of a Princes worldly estate This is the ware which Leo the tenth so freely and bountifully dispensed for the redemption of soules out of the Purgatorian fire which keepeth warme the kitchin of his Holy-ship in the compassion of his charitable heart and fulnesse of his Papall power Said I freely Forgiue mee this wrong it was for the commoditie and reliefe of his sister Magdalen as Guicciardine a Popish Historian doth relate lib. 13. who had her Factors to distract and vent this Babylonish ware whence Magdalen the sister had the gaine but Leo the brother had the losse for vpon this occasion no lesse iust before God then acceptable to the Christian world Martin Luther began that course which hath succeeded so happily to the further discouery of Babylon and scandall of her wares for since that time her brocage hath suffered a great decay Finally this is that ware whereby this merchandizing Babylon doth principally subsist in honour authoritie riches and applause of the world inebriated with such incantations of her whorish cup and deluded with the vaine hope of these miserable helpes What should I speake of the Pedlery of Meddalls Beades Graines Holy Water Images certayne peculiar Churches Chappels and other places of blind deuotion vnto which sundry Pardons are appendant as being the meanes and instuments of Papall benignitie thereby to dispense and communicate Indulgences vnto poore seduced soules euen as certaine Fryers receiuing temporall reliefe from their deuoted followers pretend to communicate the merits of all the Saints of their owne order vnto them for their helpe and some Lay-men by wearing a Franciscans Girdle and vsing certaine Ceremonies according to the Rites of the Papall Church are made partakers of the merits of Saint Francis and of all the brethren of that religious Order All which and many more Wares come originally out of the Store-house of Rome To conclude then vnto these Indulgences some of them being for an hundred thousand yeeres so liberall is the holy Father I may adde other spirituall ware of Babylon as of Agnus Dei which is a ware of speciall vertue and force but chiefly of Dispensations which are sometimes the dissipations of diuine and humane right of naturall and morall bands as full of great presumption against the Lawes of God and Nature to tye some Princes in vnlawfull Mariages and to vntye many subiects from lawfull obedience as of singular art thereby to intangle Souereignes and subiects in the obedience of that predominant See and to keepe them vnder the captiuitie of the Triple Crowne Therefore the Pope doth greatly applaud his owne felicitie when Princes insnared with the loue or terrified with the greatnesse or oppressed by the power of this Apostaticall Seat will humbly sue vnto him for Dispensations or accept such gracious fauours kindly at his hands whereby hee gaineth ground vpon them still to keepe them more securely within the obedience of the Church which they shall not dare to offend without the perill of their liues and states And now since this Romish ware is Spirituall and of the Church and for soules not temporall not of the Citie and for this life I conclude the second proofe of my assertion namely that this Babylon in my Text is the Church of Rome or Papall Rome or Ecclesiasticall Rome wherein the greatest Monarch doth reigne next vnder the King of Heauen aboue all the Kings of the Earth as we know by their owne pretenses challenges doctrines and vsurpations in this behalfe And so I proceed vnto a new and the third proofe of my said assertion THIRDLY therefore I proue my assertion to be true because the whole World as the Iesuites say perhaps they meane the Romane World according to the phrase of Scripture Luc. 2.1 and the sense of the ancient Fathers or some great part thereof and specially in Europe shall bee vnder the gouernment of Rome and so she shall make a generall communication of her Idolatry vnto the same Now in this great dependencie of the World vpon Babylon and in this vniuersall reference of Nations vnto her how can this be verified of the Citie How should the Citie arriue vnto such a large Dominion in the World and specially in so little a time as the Babylonians doe prescribe You haue heard the difficultie proposed lately by Ribera himselfe and how hee resolueth it by a poore coniecture But the truth is cleere and easily seene where God doth open the eye namely that Rome had this generall Dominion once in and by her Imperiall State not onely vnder the Emperours succeeding Iulius Caesar but while the dignitie of Rome remayned in the Senate and the authoritie in the people During this Imperiall State Rome receiued Idolatry from all Nations as Leo sometimes Bishop of Rome doth speake Serm. 1. in Natal Petri Pauli and the ciuill Stories of Liuie Plutarch and others doe sufficiently declare how ambitious rather then zealous or how senselesse rather then religious the old Ethnicall Rome was in bringing forreine Gods and extraneous Idolatrie into her bosome for the publike honour and safetie of that blinded Citie Therefore Rome had once her Pantheon a Temple of all the Gods conuerted since into a Church of

state of Religion to depend vpon the oracle of his mouth corrupteth the Sacraments mutilateth them depriueth the people of Gods allowance vnto them in the holy Cup peruerteth the condition of the Church maketh himselfe a Monarch therein trampleth vpon the Crownes of Kings dispenseth against Gods Word maketh that lawfull which God made vnlawfull in subiects to rise against their Souereignes maketh that vnlawfull which God made lawfull in the Cleargie to haue their wiues and so in these and other courses setteth himselfe against God and aboue God as some doe vnderstand that Scripture 2. Thessal 2.4 Both these expositions are true and according to both the Papall Monarch doth so aduance himselfe that hee is adored with diuine worship rather then ciuill and humane The Fourth and last instance concerneth their inuocation of Saints which hath sundry ingredients of Idolatry of which it is compounded as you may obserue by foure particular points The First point is by taking away that right which is incommunicably proper vnto God alone as the tribute of Mankind payable onely vnto him in the two duties of Prayer and Thankesgiuing so that this very terme of Inuocation without iniurie vnto the diuine Maiestie cannot bee impropriated vnto Saints as the Papists doe commonly vse the same de sanctorum Inuocatione beeing the title of Bellarmines dispute Li. 1. de Sanct. c. 15. Which word the Scripture contayning the Mother-language of the children of Gods Church doth peculiarly attribute vnto our Religious seruice of God Inuoca mae c. Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Ps 50.15 And quemodo inuocabunt c. how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 For this cause the Scripture directeth vs euer vnto God in the Old Testament and thus according to the tenour of the New all our petitions are framed in the name and mediation of Iesus Christ our Lord neither is there any one syllable in all the New Testament teaching by precept or by example any other course of Prayer vnto or by any other Mediator of Redemption or Intercession there being but one of both then onely by Iesus Christ As for the Old though some inconsiderate and more dull Babylonians did heretofore produce sundry passages out of it to prooue their inuocation of Saints yet the latter and more circumspect haue vtterly forsaken that course as implying a contradiction because the soules of the ancient Fathers being then in limbo and secluded from the vision of God which vision of God is the ground of their petitions vnto Saints as therefore hauing a knowledge in him of our requests vnto them c. they were then incapable of our requests So then neither in the Old Testament as they confesse nor in the New as I dare confidently auouch is there extant one precept one example one proofe directly or indirectly by any plaine assertion or cleere deduction that any such prayer is to bee made by vs vnto Saints or that any such was euer made vnto them by any Apostle Euangelist Pastour Doctour or any faithfull Christian whatsoeuer till at length either vncertaine tradition was pretended without the written word or humane perswasion guided by carnall affection and a peruerse but pleasing imitation of the Gentiles gaue an entrance vnto this errour at the beginning which standing rather by example of men then by the Law of God gained a daily increase and finally from a lesser to a greater degree is come vnto such an exorbitancie that the Mother of Christ hath ten petitions made vnto her in stead of two that are made vnto her Sonne besides innumerable requests tendered vnto inferiour Saints The Second point is that Papists take hereby Gods authoritie from him and conferre it vpon the Saints which is to make them Idolls by aduancing them in the place and office of God and this appeareth in all kinds of things which wee can desire of God In things Spirituall as increase of grace faith defence from the Deuill c. which they intreate of Saints not onely as suitors for them but as collators of these benefits Wherefore they pray thus vnto the blessed Virgin Tu nos ab hoste protege Et horâ mortis suscipe Da nobis virtutem contra hostes tuos Defend vs from the enemy receiue vs in the houre of death giue vs strength against thine enemies So that in and vpon the point of death the mouthes of the sicke if able to speake sound still Iesus Maria ioyning them both together and it is well that they giue the precedencie vnto the Sonne since they often call vpon her with these blasphemous words Monstra te esse Matrem Iure Matris impera Shew thy selfe a Mother command him by the right of a Mother c. or others standing by sound it in their eares with their loudest voyce and strongest sides which I haue sometimes heard and doe now remember with vnspeakeable griefe In things Eternall for they pray vnto Saints that they would open heauen vnto them and receiue them into their ioyes and particularly vnto the blessed Virgin to whom all the petitioners doe especially resort euen with the plaine neglect of Christ by reason of fabulous stories and fond visions In things Corporall for as particular Saints in the simple dotage of these blind Babylonians haue a particular care of certaine creatures and a gift of cure for their maladies so S. Anthony is for Hogs S. Roch for Dogges S. Low for Horses whereof I haue seene a faire company tyed about his Chappell in the time of Masse celebrated therein that came for helpe vnto that Hospitall so they haue a facultie or power to heale particular diseases in men for here againe S. Anthony is a speciall Saint for the fire which therefore beareth his name but not to be tedious also in so ridiculous a point S. Mumlyn is the onely Saint for teeth neere the Citie of S. Omer thither the tender Infants vexed with breeding their young teeth are carried in their mothers armes and commended by them vnto the pittie of that obscure Saint from whom vpon my certaine knowledge one Infant neuer obtained remedie but dyed without any compassion or reliefe from any Saint eyther hee or shee The Third point is that hereby the Babylonians take Gods priuiledge from him and bestow it vpon others by granting vnto Saints the knowledge of our cogitations hearts which are the Sanctum Sanctorum into which God alone and no man liuing in earth or in heauen can enter But say they the Saints haue a fruition of God and so in him a vision of our hearts and of other things of which silly pretence and wittie delusion I will speake more in the fourth point which doth presently ensue Meane while if this fruition of God bee the cause that they doe so confidently inuocate the Saints in heauen then may the Father make a petition vnto his Child-Saint who deceasing after baptisme wherein originall sinne

is forgiuen before the commission of an actuall sinne goeth certainely to heauen and hath there the fruition of God and by vision in him may be a petitioner for his Father who is a petitioner vnto him What is the impediment or defect what impeachment is there of this practise vnlesse they say either that the Father is not certaine of the intention of him or her that baptized his child and so the want of due intention maketh a nullitie in the Sacrament and consequently leaueth his child in the state of damnation ô pitifull doctrine yet such is theirs or else that so young a Saint deserued not the grace to bee a Mediatour to receiue petitions from vs in earth nor to present them with effect vnto God in heauen I haue spoken for the Babylonians what I can in this case if they can say more for themselues they shall haue audience when they please The Fourth point is that hereby they ascribe such an omnisciencie or knowledge of all things and that in an instant vnto the Saints whereof no creature though beatified is or may be capable by the euidence of Scripture or consequence of reason Let vs then put the case as a thing possible which is very probable also that in one indiuisible point of time a million yea many millions of suitors make their petitions vnto the blessed Virgin by prayers conceiued in the heart or vttered with the mouth for that is all one in effect since the Saints know our petitions in God which need an immediate successe the same prayers also being often diuers and sometimes contrary in regard of the matters which they concerne Now consider the absurditie of the Babylonians in this behalfe that the blessed Virgin instantly heareth or rather seeth all their prayer instantly presenteth them vnto God instantly sendeth such a varietie of helpes vnto her distressed suitors This is not to beatifie a soule but to deifie a creature to make it a God at the second hand to giue that knowledge of all things vnto a Saint which being in God cannot without communication of the God-head bee deriued vnto any Creature Therefore onely the Sonne of God and the Holy Ghost haue a knowledge of all things with the Father because the person of the Sonne is from the Father and the person of the Holy Ghost is from them both with the communication of Deitie to the Sonne in his generation and to the Holy Ghost in his procession But since euery blessed soule remaineth in the condition of a creature in substance though glorious in knowledge though increased therefore it hath a finite knowledge for as the state of beatitude requireth a great addition of knowledge so the state of a creature requireth a determination of knowledge whereas the Babylonians extend it infinitely by the vision of God in whom these soules see all things as they suppose This generall errour is ancient and the speciall author of it is venerable S. Gregory the Great but not so great that without any Scripture to iustifie this point we should subscribe vnto his assertion Yea but it is his faire conclusion inferred out of a true position How Vident videntem omnia the Saints see him that seeth all things What then Ergo vident omnia therefore they see all things It seemeth to bee an ingenious but it is no substantiall inference Let vs examine the position and then the conclusion deduced out of the same As concerning the position it is true The soules in heauen see God not sensibly with any corporeall eyes nor imaginarily in any fancie but intellectually by immediate intuition without any vayle or other meanes into the diuine Essence But how farre forth Not by totall comprehension of the Deitie which they behold for so the Sonne seeth the Father and the Holy Ghost seeth them both but by such a participation of God as a creature can receiue and is necessary vnto the blessednesse therof which consisteth in the fruition and in the vision of God The conclusion therefore of Gregory out of the said position is lame and cannot stand by the strength thereof since hee onely seeth all things in God who seeth God absolutely and fully by comprehension of the Deitie as Christ seeth his Father but so and in such a plenitude of vision no creature can see the Creator As for the soule of Christ that is of an higher knowledge because the humane nature hath the vision of God by vnion with God in the person of the Sonne So then the poore Babylonians are still in the case of Idolatry for they by this falsly conceiued omnisciencie in the Saints translate them or to speake in their owne language transubstantiate them into God Neither doth their deuice of Speculum that God is the looking glasse of the Saints in whom they see things as you heard before relieue them from the crime of Idolatrie for this conceit issueth from the former and is all one with it in effect and both are poore euasions For though God be a looking glasse vnto the Saints yet he is voluntarium a voluntary one to represent what he will in the freenesse of his pleasure not necessarium a necessary one to represent vnto the Saints all that which is in the compasse of his excellencie and knowledge for then why should they not as well foresee or rather see all future things as well as all present things in him Finally if they see all our prayers and so all other things in him by the very nature of their beatificall vision as the Babylonians doe fondly collect why then doe some of the ancients teach that the soules in heauen are informed by Angells executing a ministeriall office here in the earth of sundry occurrences that passe here in the militant Church Which opinion standing with good congruitie of reason according to the passages of Scripture and principles in diuinitie doth therefore necessarily conclude against the supposed omnisciencie of the soules knowing all things in God by the vision of his diuine Essence that they haue such a latitude of knowledge as the Babylonians doe conceiue but as you see without any sufficient testimony of Scripture or pregnant inference well deduced out of certaine and approoued grounds Now as you haue heard their Idolatry in sending vp emptie and vnfruitfull prayers vnto the Saints for they must conuert them into the nature and dignitie of God to make them vnderstand the thoughts of our hearts and the multitude of occurrences in this world so behold their Idolatry also in murmuring out their Pater noster vnto Saints yea before the Images of Saints to whom they direct that excellent and incomparable prayer which though Christ taught vs to poure out vnto his Father yet many among them present vnto the Saints Which practise of simple people in the Church of Rome I cannot say how farre the learned do maintaine I haue not read nor did I euer aske their opinion in this behalfe but I find that vpon

from God and from his truth standing vpon his Word and as she is departed from her selfe as she was in the more pure and ancient times in which no Catalogue of names can bee produced to iustifie any succession in those doctrines wherein wee iustly dissent from them and they vniustly from the Primitiue Church O how gladly would we returne vnto Rome if shee would returne vnto her selfe Shee will not doe the one therefore wee cannot doe the other To conclude this point since the iniudicious auoydance of one errour draweth vs into the danger of another Arrius was in opposition vnto Sabellius and Eutyches vnto Nestorius but all in errour let men be well and soundly aduised in their departure from this Babylon lest they erect a new Babylon compounded of their owne fancies by Anabaptisticall furie and Anarchicall paritie through a misprision of things vpon false vnlearned and dangerous principles namely that the way to come neerest to the truth is to goe farthest from the Pope that the Church of Christ must stand in an vniuersall contrarietie vnto Rome that the meanes to bring things vnto a medietie and proper state is to runne into an opposite and contrarie course as to bring a crooked sticke vnto streightnesse you must wreathe and force it the other and the contrary way Which instance being made to this purpose by a learned man standing in the tearmes of inconformitie to the Church of England Master Hooker that Oracle of Theologie made answere vnto him very well that the Church of England was alreadie come to her medietie and setled estate but by this instance it seemeth that the said learned man with some others running a way of extreame opposition were yet to come vnto some other medietie and condition after they had thus bowed things vnto a contrarie course And to say the truth vpon certaine experience to auoyde the Scylla of one shipwracke some men runne indiscreetly vpon the Charybdis of another being so transported with intemperate Zeale that without Learning Wisdome or Conscience they impute the name of Poperie vnto any thing that they ignorantly distast and cast the aspersion of a Papist vpon any person that they maliciously disaffect Such ciuill warres in the Church haue their end without triumph of which point I shall speake more anon FOVRTHLY great is the happinesse of our Church and State being deliuered from the yoake and tyrannie of Babylon which held them both in seruitude and captiuitie for many yeeres For if any Land may iustly complaine that cruell Lords haue had the dominion ouer them ENGLAND might complaine of this indignitie and did often complaine of it with many and bitter teares and particularly in the Reigne of King Henrie the Third whom as Matthew Paris doth relate the Babylonian Monarch stiled his Vassall and England his Iade for shee did beare his burthens of oppression in sundry expilations and deepe exhaustions of her Treasure Afterward in the reigne of his Sonne King Edward the first hee sent forth peremptory interdictions vnto all the Cleargie of this Land requiring them vpon vertue of their obedience vnto the Apostolicall Seat not to contribute their Subsidies and iust reliefe vnto their Souereigne Lord the King directly and cleerly against the prescription of Saint Paul vnto all Christian subiects though vnder vnbeleeuing Princes instructing them to giue tribute vnto whom they owe tribute Rom. 13. O the rare Diuinitie of Babylon The Cleargie of England must giue monies vnto the Pope if hee require them but not vnto the King if he forbid them Vpon this occasion ensued a rebellious opposition in the Archbishop of Canterburie Peckham by name against his lawfull Souereigne that victorious and puissant King as indeed the Pope seldome wanted a Prelate in that See to concurre with him against the King to the iust prouocation of his Royall displeasure and no small inconuenience of the whole Cleargie in this Land But leauing temporall things wherein this Iland suffered great calamitie and vexation by the Babylonian Monarchs drawing monies out of mens purses and withdrawing their obedience from their naturall Lords and Kings I come vnto spirituall things wherein your deliuerance from Babylon pertaineth vnto the soule and ministreth vnto you matter of higher contemplation as namely that you are freed from dangerous errous of false doctrines from the oppression of conscience wherein the Pope did reigne and tyrannize from the vncomfortable and ridiculous seruice of God in an vnknowne tongue from prostitution of the bodie and soule vnto stocks and stones from Idolatrous adoration of a breaden God from the vexing feare of fained Purgatorie from the vaine hope of Babylonian Pardons and finally in a word from the vanitie of vncertaine traditions with a number of superstitions and fopperies whose obseruation was with great difficultie and little profit yea rather with singular detriment vnto the glorie of God and perfection of his Church Which things being iustly cast out of this Church as Christ expelled abuses out of the Temple Iohn 2.15 you haue a peaceable state of conscience toward God in the sweet libertie of his truth vnder a gracious and learned Souereigne a sincere Professour and a constant Protectour of the same FIFTLY they beare a speciall obligation to God for his singular mercie whom hee hath drawne out of the societie of Babylon and from the contagion of her cup which with Circaean intantations metamorphizeth men into beasts intoxicating them with her venimous dregges till God of his meere grace seeking them who had lost themselues take away the veile of errour from their eyes and make them vnderstand from whence Apoc. 2.5 and to what they are fallen Though they wanted his preuenient grace and therefore fell yet they had his excitant grace and therefore rose againe and if they haue assistant grace none are more humble in their minds none are more carefull of their wayes none are more gratefull vnto God none are more seruiceable vnto the Church Let not the elder brother repine at the reuersion and entertainment of the younger why should man shew his enuie where God doth shew his pittie Acknowledge thy owne infirmitie in thy brothers fall commend Gods grace in his restitution to his estate the neerer he was to Hell the neerer he may be to Heauen SIXTLY whereas many out of the insufficiencie of knowledge or weaknesse of iudgement or neutralitie of Religion setting vp the saile of their conscience vnto the wind of time incline strongly vnto Rome or prostitute themselues wholy vnto her communion let them consider that it is BABYLON hated of God and ordained to destruction which they embrace and though they liue corporally in England France c. that yet they liue spiritually in her that they are members of this Citie and that therefore they must weare the liuerie of her name they are BABYLONIANS in their true and proper title Let them then reiect the name of a PAPIST the inuention they say of LVTHER but well accommodated for many

meritorious cause of her fall Apoc. 17.2 The Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her and the Inhabitants of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication to wit in her Ecclesiasticall State Then secondly we heare of the efficient cause of her fall v. 17. God hath put in the hearts of the ten Kings to fulfill his will and to doe with one consent for to giue their Kingdome vnto the Beast How long Vntill the words of God bee fulfilled What then They shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and burne her with fire Vpon what motion From God as the Text doth plainly beare And therefore our most learned and prudent Souereigne doth truly and aptly obserue in this place The hearts of the greatest Kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to make them his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them Here then I note three things FIRST though Kings may bee carried by their proper motion of malice or auarice or of some other affection in their warres against some people and in bringing them to ruine yet therein we may obserue and must confesse that it is digitus Dei Gods finger or rather Gods hand in this worke So Nebuchadnezzar himselfe a cruell proud insolent Prince in his warres did so performe the will and purpose of God therein that God himselfe giueth him the title of his seruant and commendeth his seruice done vnto him not only against his enemies a people that knew not his Lawes as it is Ezekiel 29.18 but also against his owne people Ieremy 25.9 And so in his sacred expugnation of Babylon these Kings are Gods seruants they doe their worke from him and hee doth his worke by them Therefore Saint Ambrose or whosoeuer is the Author of that Commentarie vpon the Reuelation doth ingeniously deliuer his iudgement vpon the words of my Text Babylon is fallen it being here the voyce of God to declare it the hand of God to effect it that in this case dixisse Dei fecisse est dixit enim cecidisse Babylonem quia ipse fecit vt caderet The speech of God is the worke of God for hee said that Babylon is fallen because he brought it to passe that Babylon should fall SECONDLY we may heere consider that as there is mercie in God to receiue vs vnto grace so there is Iustice in him to punish our sinnes Marci● knew not this but because of different operations proceeding from God hee made a diuersitie of Gods one good another iust or rather cruell one the maker of the body another of the soule one whom he would loue another whom he would feare one in the Law another in the Gospell But wee know one God alone onely good onely wise onely gracious whose mercie is free and proceedeth from himselfe whose iustice is right and is prouoked by vs for as wee haue malum culpae to offend him so hee hath malum poenae to afflict vs. Amos 3.6 Esay 45.7 THIRDLY and lastly though Reason may seeme to perswade vs as it perswadeth Babylon her selfe that she is so strengthened by the confederacy of Princes as in many dangers shee hath not neglected the tearmes of prudencie in this behalfe by the amitie of her Friends by the diligence of her Negotiators by the policie of her Counsellours by the art of her Learning by the abundance of her Riches and finally by a generall confluence of all outward meanes for the supportation of her Estate that shee shall neuer fall for so she saith in her heart I sit being a Queene and am no Widdow and shall see no mourning Apoc. 18.7 yet Faith assureth me that her owne Friends her owne Vp-holders her hornes these ten Kings her old Louers shall bring her downe to the Earth to fall so low that shee can fall no lower I meane not in place and situation but in condition and estate Now if Rome aske or if my owne reason demand of me how can this be I answere God hath said it and hee will doe it I haue heard his Word and now I doe expect his Worke. Away then with quomodo how can this or how can that bee when God speaketh and God assureth vs and God reuealeth his Will vnto vs. This Word commeth in with incredulitie and want of faith as the diuine Preacher Saint Chrysostome doth excellently note vpon the question of the Iewes Iohn 6.52 How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate Therefore I rest vpon the truth of God that is it which I beleeue and I am no farther scrupulous in regard of many improbabilities and difficulties which reason suggesteth and presenteth vnto me in this point If I haue as now I haue Gods Word that this Worke shall be performed I am not curious to inquire of the manner and meanes how hee will bring the same to passe And so much concerning the second cause of the fall of Babylon by the cooperation of these Kings The THIRD is an excitant cause inward in respect of the iust wrath of these Kings but outward in respect of the prouocation thereof by the indignities and iniuries of Babylon against the Potentates of the Earth Now as in the first and second causes I had the plaine testimonie of Scripture so heere in this third I haue the certaine assurance of strong reason to confirme and settle my iudgement therein for now I beginne to discouer some impulsiue cause arising from Babylon that stirreth vp these Kings vnto the execution of Gods Worke. First therefore Babylon hath treasonable doctrines against the state and dignitie of Kings though they were the hornes and strength of the second Beast therein as namely to depose Kings from their royall seates yea to take away the faire Titles wherewith she had inuested them before as this Beast had once taken vpon him to depriue Francis the French King of his Title of the most Christian King and to translate it vnto Henry the Eighth of England as Guicciardine their owne Historian doth record though afterward with greater furie and indignation hee proceeded against the same Henry who had beene a principall horne to corroborate and confirme the Maiestie of the Triple Crowne Againe this Babylon exposeth the persons of Princes vnto priuate violences and publike impugnation by their owne subiects as well as their States vnto the Rapine and Inuasion of forreigne power Lastly this Babylon doth aduance her Beast aboue all ciuil Lords and Souereignes not onely by an indirect authoritie ouer them in case of Heresie and for spirituall ends to which opinion onely and no farther a multitude of Babylonians doe incline though with the peremptorie censure of the Beast himselfe and violent oppugnation of his chiefe Adherents in that behalfe but by a direct and superiour authoritie ouer them as Lord of Lords and King of Kings So Boniface the Eighth intruded vpon the Crowne of France but found the strong