Pardon and a gracious acceptation if we were not first justified our works would not be accepted nor rewarded Because our persons are accepted in Christ therefore our works are rewarded for Christ that imperfect righteousnesse of works which we have doth wholly depend upon the righteousnesse of faith now the imperfection of our righteousnesse is pardoned the sincerity of our obedience is accepted and yet we are not justified by our own sincere obedience no not in part but are onely and wholly because perfectly justified by the compleat and perfect obedience of Iesus Christ We must then trust with our whole soul to the obedience of Iesus Christ and not trust at all to any good quality infused into us or good works wrought by us for our Iustification This is the pure Protestant Religion commended to us in the second Chapter In his third Chapter he doth largely explain the office and use of Faith because Faith is the instrument of our justification and we can never keep the unity of Faith in the bond of Peace if we do not agree about the Nature or the Offices and use of Faith I am sorry I must lay aside this Book but if you will be pleased to take it up I may conclude my Epistle onely give me leave to renew my suit to you concerning a Nationall Covenant a Nationall Thanksgiving a speedy and free Assembly If the Prelaticall men are displeased that so many Bishops are passed by let them remember what the Archbishop of Canterbury saith That there have been some corrupt crafty Bishops who by plots and tricks have disturbed all Synods and most Councels Astutos veteratoriae improbitatis Episcopos qui arâ—ibus suis ac dolis omnia Concilia perturbabant I shall conclude all with that Prayer which I used at the Fast Lord never was there any Kingdom that made an higher Appeal to thy Majesty then our poor Kingdom hath made Both sides appeal to thee not onely by a Warre but a Protestation Lord be pleased to decide the Controversie let that side prevail which doth most sincerely desire thy glory the Kings good the Kingdoms welfare by an happy Reformation and a Christian Peace I am sure you will say Amen to the prayer of Your daily Oratour at the Throne of Grace FRA CHEYNELL Courteous Reader SOme passages in my Sermon have reference to a little treatise which I lately published about Socinianisme in that booke you will meet with much Latine which is not translated yet if you turne over but the first foure or five leaves you may without the helpe of Latine if you read attentively pick out the scope of the book some quotations were scholasticall and would not beare English some are full of blasphemies others there are that will seeme superfluous to any but a scholar who delights to know every circumstance Be pleased to read the booke the Sermon and Epistle beleeve and obey the Scriptures and prepare for Martyrdome we know not how soone we may be called to seale the truth with our dearest bloud lend the Author thy patience and thy prayers F. C. A SERMON PREACHED AT THE late Fast before the Commons House of PARLIAMENT ZECHAR 2. 7. Deliver thy self O Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon BEhold two Nations two manner of peodle strugling in the bowels of this Text and Kingdom Jacob and Esan Sion and Babylon Now the Kingdom lies groaning in its throws and pangs in its agony and bloody-sweat let us fall into a devout agony and penitent sweat if we cannot sweat blood let us sweat tears let every pore of our body be a weeping eye a crying a praying mouth to beg a safe delivery for our labouring Mother who travails in the anguish of her spirit Let us intreat God to comfort England as he did Rebekah Genes 25. 23. And the Lord said unto her Two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels O let us pray that either Babylon may be separated expelled out of the bowels of Sion or Sion delivered out of Babylon When the poor Iews were prisoners in Babylon by the rivers of Babylon there they sat down and wept and wept amain when they remembred Zion Psal. 137. 1. Oh for Ieremies tears and Ieremies spirit that we might write another book of Lamentations to bewail the miserable security of this present age Sion sits down by the rivers of Babylon the waters of strife and rivers of Confusion and shall there be no fountain in our Head or Heart no penitent streams flowing from our eyes The God of heaven make this marble sweat that we may not keep a Mock-fast to day with dry eyes and hard hearts Come let us blow off the ashes from our zeal let us enflame our hearts with sad but servent devotion Sure if as Heraclitus dreamt our soul were but an Exhalation the heat of our devotion would melt it into one indivisible tear Our soul would be its own tear and we might well weep out our eyes and souls together on this day of tears Oh let us remember to joyn Zecharies zeal with Jeremies tears let us lie upon our faces to day but up up to morrow the Prophet cryes Ho Ho in the verse before my Text to awaken and enflame your zeal and indignation against Babylon Come â—pread abroad like the four winds of heaven saith the Lord Deliver thy self O Zion c. In the words observe Zions bondage and Zions deliverance Zions Memento and Gods Alarme Zions Memento to put her in minde of her sad condition she was yet in the house of Bondage like Galba's wit she had but a foul habitation an ill seat and worse neighbours Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon But that 's not all it is not a bare gentle Memento in a still voice Heus heus divinum {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Heark heark God himself sounds an Alarme Zion's fast asleep she snorts again and therefore the Prophet lifts up his voice and cryes So Ho O Zion awake awake rouze up thy self out of thy secure pleasing dream Thy soul is asleep awake quicken thy spirits put on strength O Zion put forth thy strength use all possible diligence for thy redemption and Deliverance Deliver thy self O Zion c. The Text at first glance presents these two Propositions to our serious consideration 1. It is sometimes the hard lot of Zion to dwell with the daughter of Babylon This point is so clear that I need not explain or confirm it wee 'l let that passe and hasten to the second 2. Zion must take all fair opportunities and use all lawfull meanes to deliver her self from Babylon I desire to spend my strength upon this Doctrin Give me leave to open the point a little Come let us walk the Round and survey the bounds of Zion and the bounds of Babylon By Zion the Prophet means the people of God whose * hearts were set on Zion because God
the Devill Babylon was the Malignant Church the Sinke of Sinne the stall of Beasts the Throne of Idols the Temple of Devills and mother of confusion No place more infamous for their pride and tyranny their cruelty and Idolatry well might Sion be weary of such a loathsome prison and noisome dungeon which could not but be offensive by its stench and darknesse even as Babylon the great is the Habitation of Devills the Strong hold of foule spirits Rev. 18. 2. The 3d. Reason is taken from the Terminus ad Quem the place unto which they were called unto Ierusalem unto Sion Every motion takes its denomination from its Terminus ad Quem but here even the Travailers themselves who were to move take their Title from that Place unto which they moved The people are called Sion because they were called forth to goe to Sion Deliver thy self O Zion Sion was a place beloved of God and all his people the people were in love with Sion with respect to Gods Election institution Promise Blessing God had chosen that place for his Seat of speciall Residence and did there exhibite himselfe to his people by a visible presence Moreover God had by a speciall Institution recorded his name and set up his ordinances in Sion and therefore the Temple was to be built againe on that mountaine the Jewes were confined to a certaine place to Sion Some parts of publique worship were so appropriated to that place that they were to be performed there and no where else Deut. 12. 13 14. Take heed to thy self that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest but in the place which the Lord shall chuse in one of the Tribes there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there thou shalt do all that I command thee The particular offerings are more distinctly specified in the 11. verse of the same Chapter Your burnt offerings and your sacrifices your tithes and the heave-offering of your hand and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord Finally God had promised a blessing to all them who came up to Sion to worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holinesse At first there was a generall promise given Exo 20. 24. In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and I will blesse thee But when God had chosen Ierusalem for the Seat of Royalty the place of Justice and Sion as the Mountain of Holinesse and place of publique Worship then all the Tribes were to go to Ierusalem for Justice and to Sion to sacrifice Psal. 122. 4 5. Whither the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord For there are set Thrones of Iudgement the Thrones of the house of David The poor people had long been deprived of the benefit of Iustice and the liberty of Religion but now God had promised by his Prophet Zechary that their Common-wealth should be setled their Church established their City and Temple both new builded Zech. 1. 16 17. Therefore thus saith the Lord I am returned to Ierusalem with mercies my house shall be built in it saith the Lord of Hoasts my cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem The first Temple was as glorious as Art and cost could make it but God who hath gold and silver heaven and earth at his disposing had passed his word to them that he would shake heaven and earth sea and land and fill the latter house with the glory of the Lord Jesus who is the desire and glory of all Nationa Haggai 2. from the 6. verse to the 9. Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this House with glory saith the Lord of Hoasts the silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of Hoasts the glory of this latter House shall be greater then of the former c. The Prophet you see had good reason to invite them to new Jerusalem here below a kinde of heaven upon earth to Sion the habitation of Iustice and mount of Holinesse the praise of the Jews the glory of the Gentiles the House of God and Type of Heaven Fourthly God had now removed all rubs he had opened the Kings heart and the prison doors if they would be active it was in their own power to deliver themselves and therefore the Prophet calls upon them to use their power and to take that fair opportunity which was offered for their deliverance and their glory Deliver thy self O Zion Why Zion wilt thou be a Felo de Se thy shackles are knockt off the Poâ—ts are open the Commission is now sealed come be not cruell to thy self what wilt thou be thine own tormentour thine own prisoner Before the seventy years were expired thou wast detained in Babylon thou wast a prisoner there but now thy time is out and therefore if thou stayest longer yet thou are not a Prisoner but a dweller in Babylon Deliver thy self O Zion that dwellest in Babylon There 's the Emphasis and strength of the Prophets exhortation The Use of this Point is to stirre up the Christian Zion all true Protestants to deliver themselves from Antichristian Babylon from the Babylonish army the Babylonish Church The Iâ—wish Zion had a miraculous deliverance from the Assyrian Babylon though God be the Lord of Hosts and hath all armies at his command yet Zion was to be delivered not by might or by the power of an Army but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts by the Immediate hand of God Zech. 4. 6. But I doe not find that Christian Zion shall be delivered upon such easie termes from Antichristian Babylon doe not â—latter your selves with vaine hopes our deliverance will cost bloud 1. This is cleare to any man that hath studied the booke of the Revelation what upon prayer study God hath revealed by the clear Texts of the Revelation I will this day deliver unto you though I were sure to die S. Iohns death or to be banisht into S. Iohns Iland The God of heaven give us a further Revelation of this Revelation that it may be interpreted by the same Spirit by which it was written S. Iohn tels me that the Spirits of Devills shall go forth to the Kings of the earth of the whole world to gather them to Armageddon to the battel of that great day of God Almighty Rev. 16. 14. 16. Secondly I know it is a great while yet to that great battell yet the Spirits will be Scouting out long before And sure these Spirits have been at worke of late in Ireland England Scotland too the Babylonians are active must the precious sonnes of Sion be meerely
had of old set up his Ordinances there and made them a gracious promise That they should return thither again and enjoy him once more in the Beauty the Glory of Holinesse There were two Mounts which did belong to Hierusalem Mount Moriah and Mount Zion the Temple was built upon Mount Zion and therefore Zion was the Mount of Holinesse and as it were the Throne of God here below thither did the people flock Micah 4. 2. Come let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord for the Law shall go forth of Zion behold Zion is the Mountain of the Lord But we must consider further that besides the Iewish Sion there is a Christian Sion spoken of in the Prophets and this very place of Micah which I have cited points at the Christian Sion a Church consisting of all Nations Gentiles as well as Jews be pleased to peruse the words But in the last dayes it shall come to passe that the Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the Mountains and it shall be exalted above the hills and people shall flow unto it and many Nations shall come and say Let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord verse 1. 2. That this is clearly meant of the Christian Sion besides the evidence of the words themselves the last verse of the former Chapter the third Chapter of Micah doth sufficiently declare for the Iewish Sion Sion in the letter was to be plowed as a field and the Mountain of that House was to be left as desolate as the high-places of the Forest Moreover this Prophesie was to be fulfilled in the last dayes Micah 4. 1. Finally the Law shall go forth of Zion saith the Prophet Micah to the Jews the Law came forth of Sinai but to the Christian Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles the Law came forth of Sion when the Spirit was plentifully powred down upon some of all Nations at Ierusalem Acts 2. and therefore not * Rome but the Church which was gathered at Ierusalem if any Church was the a Metropolitane or mother Church and younger Churches were the daughters of that Evangelicall Sion For we are not come to the Mount that burnt with fire Heb. 12. 18. but unto Mount Sion Verse 22. The Apostle doth expound this Allegory more fully Galat. 4. 24. Which things saith he are an Allegory for these are two covenants or testaments the one from Mount Sinai which gendreth to bondage the other then is from Mount Sion which tendeth to freedom a covenant of Grace the spirit of grace and holinesse which is more plentifully poured out upon the Christian Sion makes us precious sonnes of Sion free-men indeed You see the Bounds of Sion Let us now take a view of Babylon I need not say any thing of Babylon in Egypt my Text points me to Babylon in Assyria the Scriptures mention a third b Babylon and in my Application the times will call upon me by Analogy and proportion to speake much of this third Babylon which is a Mysticall Babylon the Romish Babylon and yet I think wee need not travaile so farre as Rome to finde out Babylon did you never heare of an English Babylon in Ireland and an Irish Babylon in England and a Romish Babylon even in Scotland Is there not a Babylon in the North and another in the West a Babylon almost in every City towne and parish nay if we are impartiall in the search we shall certainely finde some Malignant lusts some brats of Babylon in our owne bosome you see the bounds of Babylon I shall begin with the Jewish Sion and shew you what reason this Sion had to deliver her self from the Assyrian Babylon 1. The first Reason is because God had so often called upon Sion to separate from Babylon the people were First awakened by Jeremiahs prophecy Secondly they were encouraged by Cyrus his Proclamation you may finde both put together Ezra 1. 1. Now in the first yeare of Cyrus King of Persia that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might bee fulfilled the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia that he made Proclamation c. There was a threefold Call a call from God a call from the Prophet and a call from the King and the Lord who stirred up the spirit of Jeremy and the spirit of Cyrus did stirre up the spirit of his people to answer this call and depart from Babylon for upon this Proclamation divers of the children of the Captivity went up to Ierusalem under the conduct of their Generall Zâ—rubbabel as you may read Ezra 2. 1 2. Now these are the Children of the Province that went up out of the Captivity of those which had beene carried away unto Babylon and came againe unto Ierusalem and Iudah every one unto his City which came with Zerubbabel c. Thirdly the Governors people were quickned to this great duty of forsaking Babylon and building Sion by the ministry of the Prophet Haggai and about two moneths after by the Prophet Zechariah Ezra 5. 1. Hag. 1. 1. Zech. 1. 1. They both prophecied in the second yeer of Darius Haggai in the sixth moneth Zechary in the eight moneth But it seemes too many of the people upon some Carnall discouragements were unwilling to goe to Ierusalem which was now but an heap of old rubbish and dead ashes nay some were as willing to stay in Babylon as Lots sons-in-law to â—tay in Sodom God therefore gave them another Call yet in the seventh yeere of the raigne of Artaxerxes and then many went up from Babylon upon the motion of Ezra the scribe Ezra 7. 6 7 8. ver. But there were many lingerers behind yet and our long-suffering God who is rich in patience did vouchsafe another Call yet about thirteene yeeres after in the twentieth yeere of Artaxerxes â—or about that time Nehemiah began to stirre as you may read Nehem. 2. 1. You see here is Call upon Call this may suffice for the first Reason * because nothing but obedience to the Call of God can declare us to be the true Church of God My second reason is taken from the Terminus à Quo the place from whence they were called Babylon or the daughters of Babylon the City of Babylon was the Metropolis or mother Citty the adjoyning townes and villages are called the daughters of Babylon because they followed the ill example of the City they were nursed up in all manner of Babylonish Idolatry and Impiety Some of the people that belonged to Sion did certainely loyter too long in these townes and villages and therefore the Prophet calls upon them in my Text Deliver thy selfe O Zion that dwellest with Babylon with the daughters of Babylon that are as bad as their mother Babylon is in the language of Augustine The City of the Devill and was it fit that the people of God should lye loytering in the City of
blow it will prove a bloody and a fatall Day for the seventh Angel pours out his vial and cries the deed is done 't is finished when all the Babylonian troops shall be gathered to Armageddon the destruction of troops as the word imports The Beast shall receive many a wound before but this blow shall dispatch him he shall never hold up his head more Deliver thy self then O Zion Christ is the great Deliverer but though Christ be Principall we must be Instrumentall in this great work of our own deliverance Deliver thy self O Zion and if thou canst not be delivered without fighting fight for thy deliverance 1. Consider that Rome is Babylon St. Iohn never speaks one good word of Rome quite thorowout the book of the Revelation he calls it Egypt or Sodom or Babylon the throne of the Beast the strong-hold of foul-foul-spirits the habitation of Devils Rome was once the Spouse of Christ but behold she is not onely turned an whore but the mother of Harlots and fornications the Metropolis of Apostasie and mystery of Iniquity the great whore Revel. 17. 1. a blasphemous whore in the third verse a whore in purple verse the fourth an impudent whore that hath her beastlinesse written not onely upon her Cell but upon her Forehead verse the fifth a drunken whore a bloody whore in the sixth verse I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus We need not run to Antiquity to ask their opinion what whore and what beast this is or where this whore dwells St. Iohn speaks so plain that the * Jesuits themselves are forced to confesse that this whore was to domineer at Rome It is the City which is built upon seven Hills which had had so many governments five of which were fallen before St. Iohn writ this Book Kings Consuls Tribunes Decemvirs Dictatours one remains still saith St. Iohn namely the government of Emperours and the other that of Popes was not then come And that we might be sure not to mistake St. Iohn tells us that it is the great City which reigned over the Kings of the earth in his time Revel. 17. 18. 2. Consider who is the Generall or the Commander in Chief of the Babylonian Army St. Iohn hath set him forth like a God of the world with Titles enough the Serpent the Dragon the Angel of the bottomlesse-pit for 't is he that gives all the orders and directions to Antichrist He advises him to lay claim to a Power which belongs not to him Irenaeus long since hath clearly shewn that the Beast with two horns and the False Prophet are but one and the same Beast Learned Mr. Mede hath shewn that the Beast with ten horns doth signifie the Secular Power of ten Kingdoms who by the impious subtilty of the Dragon combine together to make a Body a Romish Common-wealth the Beast with two Horns is as you use to call it the Ecclesiasticall Power The ten Kings or Kingdoms were to make up but one Beast of burthen for the Whore to ride upon that is they all joyn together to support the Whore and therefore these ten Horns are all placed upon the seventh Head that is they strengthen the last government the Popish government Now as the great Dragon did manage the whole businesse whilest that Heathenisme was supported by the power of the Romane Emperours as St. Iohn shews in the twelfth Chapter of the Revelation so doth the Dragon over-rule the whole businesse in the time of the Antichristian Popes as St. Iohn shews in the thirteenth Chapter for the Dragon gave the Beast his Power and his Seat and great Authority Revel. 13. 3. and they worshipped the Dragon who gave power to the Beast verse the fourth and therefore the Beast is said to ascend out of the bottomlesse pit Revel. 17. 8. If you look upon the Pope as Bishop of Rome so he came up out of the earth his Ordination was not from heaven but if you look upon him as Pope as Universall Bishop a Temporall Monarch a King even of kings we say he had 〈◊〉 blacker Institution he ascended out of the bottomlesse-pit Take it thus then Satan had his Seat in Heathen Rome but he hath his Throne in Popish Rome ever since the Romane Court hath had the confidence to call it self the Catholique Church it hath offered more violence and done more mischief to the true Church of Christ then ever was done by the Romane Empire and therefore as the 7. trumpets did sound an Alarme against the Romane Empire so the 7. vials are all to be poured out upon the Popish Empire the Anti-christian State 3. Consider that where the Pope and his Agents prevail by a Babylonian Army there they do constantly exercise a Babylonian Tyranny When the people were so mad as to prefer Caesar before Christ God gave them into the hand of the Romane Emperour and he tyrannized over them and God would not deliver them just as he threatned before-hand by his Prophet Zechary 11. 6. I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand and into the hand of his King and they shall smite the land and out of their hand will I not deliver them The Emperour did smite the land indeed but the Pope of Rome will tyrannize far worse then the Emperour If ever God for our sins sell us into the hand of that Man of sinne he will not onely tyrannize over our bodies and estates but over our consciences too If ever he enter England with his tripple-crown with his sword in one hand and his keyes in the other he will tyrannize like a Pope he will curtall our Creed and yet enlarge it I beleeve in the holy Catholike Church that is as they interpret it too often in the Pope that must be our onely Creed and we shall finde that a large one We must a swear obedience to the Popes Commands they say that vow of obedience is implied in their Baptisme and therefore they name the Trinity but for fashion sake and do indeed baptize their children in the name of Antichrist Now if the Popes Commands are in force and the Commands of God dispensed with the Commands of the Pope will soon justle out the Commands of God You know the Pope hath by the b Plenitude of his power struck out the second Commandment and by the same authority he may when he please strike out the first Commandment and by consequent all the rest and then he may make a new Preface and a new Decalogue if that number will content him he may say as the c Extravagant saith that he himself is the Lord our God who desires to bring us into the land of Aegypt the house of bondage he should do well to put in that where we shall have no other God but the Pope for he exalts himself above all that is called God
distinguishing times but the State hath no reason to trust them to Reform the Church who have indeed corrupted the Church Fourthly It cannot be denied but that a Church may reform it self per partes if the whole will not joyne Though Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend if they will not amend with us what reason have we to perish with them Fifthly If a State should make choise of men of mean parts and ordinary gifts to reform the Church meerly because they have been found faithfull must these men be contemned for their weaknesse when they preach none but Catholike Doctrine and presse men to submit to Primitive Discipline No sure they should rather be respected and encouraged for their faithfulnesse Sure I am there is a kinde of Majesty in Truth and somewhat more then Majesty to wit * Divinity in Scripture-truths and therefore such Truths need not borrow any thing from the speaker for the single Vote of one that is Orthodox is to be more respected then the Votes of many hundred learned Heretiks In the 6th place give me leave to use their own Argument which they commonly urge against the Councell of Trent they say That Councell was of no Authority because it did consist of men that were professed enemies to all that called for Reformation or a free Councell This reason is alleaged and magnified by the * Archbishop of Canterbury and I beleeve it will conclude as roundly against a Convocation rebus sic stantibus as it doth against the Councell of Trent I hope saith the Archbishop an Assembly of enemies are no lawfull Councell and the Decrees of such an Assembly are Omni jure nulla give me leave to adde like the Decrees of the last Convocation Their last exception against the Assembly is because you have named some men that are Schismatikes their reason is because they deny subjection to their Bishop or Metropolitan They shall receive an answer to this objection from Antonius de Dominis a man Prelaticall enough It is not Schismaticall saith he to deny Jurisdictionall subjection to a Bishop or Arch-bishop by reason of some Personall exceptions against him because such a man may embrace Communion with the Church and yet separate from the Bishop or Arch-bishop without breach of charity if his exceptions against him be just and necessary But they will I know reply That some men whom you have chosen do not onely except against the Person but the Office of a Prelate To which I answer that they themselves do now confesse that Monarchy is not Jure Divino because they see it is clearly proved that Episcopacy is but Iure Humano for they are resolved that Episcopacy shall be at least as high as Monarchy They acknowledge that there is sufficiency of power to govern in a State where there is no Monarch and why then by the same reason is there not sufficiency of power to govern in a Church where there is no Bishop I mean Prelate They must not be angry if we lay Episcoâ—acy as low as they themselves have laid Monarchy Besides I would advise them to take heed how they call every man a Schismatike who denies Prelacy to be Iure Divino lest by that censure they condemn their betters Our Conclusion then stands firm You may deliver your selves from the Antichristian faction in this Kingdom by a just and necessary separation Be pleased to observe what I say We have just and necessary cause of separation from the Antichristian faction in this Kingdom under which Notion many will be comprehended who call themselves Protestants foâ— admit these men are not of the Popish Religion it is enough that they are of the Popish faction they have received the mark of the Beast if they have not received it in their forehead yet they have received it in their brain and in their hand too for the grand Delinquents do plot for Antichrist and fight for Antichrist and that 's more then enough The Papists have Covenanâ—ed to protect these Capitall Delinquents in despight of the highest Court of Justice in the Kingdom and they again in requitall must maintain the Catholique Cause and promote the Antichristian Designe and therefore these men are of or belonging to the Antichristian faction I doubt not but that there is many a man in Italy nay at Rome who is not a Papist in his heart the folly and villany of the Priests being so notorious as it is and yet for some Temporall advantages they receive the mark of the Beast because no man is permitted to buy or sell no nor to keep what he hath bought save he that hath the Mark or the Name of the Beast or the * number of his Name as St. Iohn hath it Revel. 13. 17. And you know how it is now in England at this very day Let us not then Complement any longer to separate from them with whom we are forbid to communicate is not Faction but Religion I would not be mistaken I do not go about to seduce you to Brownisme I am farre enough from that for I willingly embrace communion with all Reformed Churches or Congregations but you know we must not communicate with any Church or Congregation in their present errour though that Congregation be willing to be reformed and have all things in it which are simply necessary to salvation much lesse may we communicate with the Antichristian Faction or with any company of men who do stubbornly maintain their errours and reject communion with all men who will not communicate with them even in their known and palpable errours Object But such a separation as this would be exceeding scandalous To which I answer in the words of Bernard That the Delinquents indeed are scandalous and the cause of all the scandall which arises upon the publike reproof of their scandalous sins I shall close up this point with a word of Caution Proceed you may to a Separation but proceed you must not to a peremptory damnation of all that do yet linger in Babylon for some may remain there out of the simplicity of their hearts and they that for the present are enemies as concerning the Gospel may be beloved as touching the Election Rom. 11 28. In the sixth of Zechary and the 6th I read of some black Horses sent into the North-countrey that is against Babylon but there went out some white Horses after them to shew that God had still a remnant in Babylon and these white Horses these good Angels were sent with a message of peace to invite them to repentance and bring them home to Sion and what by the service of the black Horses and the ministery of the white the spirit of the Lord was quieted in the North-countrey ver. 8. nay in the 14. verse crowns were prepared for some that were yet in Babylon Let us then suspend our censures of this or that mans finall estate though if we consider his
Iesus Christ All the world knowes that Babylon grew great at first by claiming an universall Jurisdiction in Spiritualls over the whole Church of God by vertue of that usurped and Anti-christian title of * Vniversall Bishop I have not breath or strength enough to tell you the story of Boniface the third at large nor am â—at leisure to relate how Pope Hildebrand laid aside the two-edged sword of the Word tooke up the two-handed sword of Temporall Spirituall Jurisdiction it is cleare that by the power of these two swords Babylon was raised to such an height that the Popes have ever since tyrannized like Babylonian Monarchs over Kings and Emperours as if the Pope had been Nebuchadnezzars successour whose Title is confessed by Daniel to be King of Kings Dan. 2. 37. Much lesse can I relate what violence hath been used for the oppressing poore Protestants in every corner of the world by this Beast of Babylon but give me leave in the name of all the Churches to renew that charge of the Prophet * The violence done unto me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shal the inhabitant of Zion say shal Germany say and France say and my bloud upon the Chaldeans shall Jerusalem say shall Ireland say nay England poore England doth this day joyne in the Charge against all the Antichristian Protestants give me leave to call them so who are of the Antichristian faction and joyne with the popish army in shedding the bloud of Saints under the notion of Parliament dogges and Rebells the bloud of England and Ireland be upon all them who have shed the precious bloud of Protestants out of a presumptuous and malicious wickednesse This scruple being removed I shall now proceed if my voice will hold to give you some plain Directions for a thorow Reformation the first Direction is Negative 1. You must not build Sion with the Materials of Babylon with any thing that may truely and properly be said to be fetcht from Babylon as old Babylon was not to be built any more so was there no stone to be taken from thence to build any other place They shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations but everlasting desolations shall be upon thee saith the Lord Jerem. 51. 26. Beware then how you receive any Principles any Fundamentals or Corner-stones from romish-Romish-Babylon let everlasting desolations dwell upon it Let us not receive the Babylonian-Creed the Trent-Creed nor the Romish-Liturgie the Church of God hath a spirit of Prayer and therefore needs not send to Babylon to Rome for prayers The Papists seem to acknowledge that their Liturgie is corrupt because they have often pretended and as some boast have really made severall Reformations of their Liturgie You see then that those men have steeled their brows with a more then Babylonish impudency who have been ever and anon altering the English Liturgie for the worse as if the Missall had been Jure divino and therefore the Liturgie could never come near enough to the Romane Masse Beleeve it if the Faction that is now up in Arms prevail we shall have that Service book which was prepared for Scotland or a a worse some Babylonian-Service imposed upon us as Divine-service and can any man that hath but an English-heart within him bear such a Cheat If we had but the noble valour which dwelt in the Britains of old whilest they worshipped the Goddesse of b Victory before they knew Christ it is impossible but our spirits should rise against such grand Impostures But I forget you and my self Be sure that there be no Babylonian gods no Romish Idols tolerated in England let it be no longer counted the piety of the times to make our Churches houses of temptation let that prophesie Micah 1. 7. be fulfilled in our dayes Let the graven Images be beaten to pieces and the hires thereof burnt with fire let all the Idols be laid desolate for all was gathered of the hire of an Harlot and they shall return to the hire of an Harlot You know there is hire taken for both kindes of Harlotry at Rome Let us have no more Babylonian Ministers Priests so they would be called let us have no more Babylonian Altars for fear they bring in the Babylonian Sacrifice You know how many English Martyrs did sacrifice their lives in protesting against the sacrifice in the Masse and though some black-mouthed Priests of late have called them Foxes-Martyrs yet I will be bold to call them the Martyrs of the Lord Jesus and the Martyrs of the Holy Ghost I must beg time to prove what I say it is a weighty truth and we know not how soon we may be called to seal this truth with our dearest blood The Apostle proves it undeniably by sundry arguments in the Epistle to the Hebrews in the 7. 8. 9. and 10th Chapters I will pitch upon the tenth because there you have the summe of all There is no other Sacrifice which can take away sin but the Sacrifice which Jesus Christ himself offered upon the Crosse read the tenth verse By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of what of a wafer-cake no of the body of Iesus Christ But how often must his body be offered once for all not as often as there is a Masse but once for all But who must offer the body of Christ why Christ himself this Man verse the 12th a Masse-Priest cannot offer up the body of Christ for Christ is both Priest and Sacrifice But may not a Masse-Priest offer some other sacrifice for sinnes No there is but one sacrifice for sinne ver. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes and that one sacrifice is to be but once offered the Apostle repeats this that we might not forget it this sacrifice was offered once for all verse 10. once for ever verse 12. once for all sinnes once for all times it is of perpetuall vertue and merit once for ever Is not that plain and full Oh but Christ is gone to heaven and we are not yet perfected Why vain man Christ hath finished his work and therefore is gone to heaven he is sate down ver. 12. and he hath done his work or else he would not sit down he hath not left any part of the Service to be perfected by a Masse-priest and therefore do not expect to be perfected by any other offering in the Masse or out of the Masse read the 14. verse For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Ye are sanctified by that one offering verse 10. and perfected by it verse 14. But who is the witnesse of this truth why the Holy Ghost in the very next verse the 15th verse Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witnesse to us Judge now whether they that did bear witnesse to this truth be not Co-martyrs with the Holy Ghost and therefore Co-heirs with Jesus Christ You
see what reason we have to Protest against that Babylonian sacrifice in the Masse You have now received the knowledge of this truth and if you sinne wilfully after you have received the knowledge of the truth it is principally meant of this truth there remains no more sacrifice for sinne because ye have wilfully and maliciously rejected the Onely All-sufficient Sacrifice of Jesus Christ trusting upon some other Sacrifice that of the Masse or the like and done despite to the Spirit by a most malignant contempt of the witnesse of the Spirit What argument can be more prevailing to perswade us to hold fast the Profession of our Faith the Protestant Faith lest we fall from a coldnesse and neutrality in Religion into a desperate malignity and unpardonable Apostasie Away with Babylonish Gestures Names and Titles Rites and Ceremonies away with Babylonish Garments too our professed Babylonians begin now to air the mouldy Copes they wear the Babylonish Garment that they may have the wedge of gold and in their own phrase they dissemble under a Cope and are if you will beleeve them Protestants in their Hearâ—s Our Prophet Zechariah will informe you how to deal with these men Put them into an Ephah that they may be kept within compasse within their bounds by severe discipline and clap a talent of lead a weighty censure upon the mouth of the Ephah Zech. 5. 8. Let the Ephah be lifted up on high between heaven and earth verse 9. that is let the sentence be so Publike that all may take notice of it and then let the Ephah be carried away quite out of Sion and let an house be built for it in the land of Shinar that is Babylon ver. the 11th let their Habitation be there from whence they drew their Corruption for there they may settle upon their own Base their own Lees their own corrupt Principles If such as are Notorious and Incorrigible were Excommunicated by an Assembly of Divines and some Civill-punishment inflicted upon such as are within your reach by an Ordinance of Parliament the sinne would not be Nationall men would see and fear and do no more so wickedly in England For the sharpest punishments are inflicted onely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by way of Prudence for terrour and reformation not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by way of retribution for no punishment inflicted by man can possibly countervail a sin against God 2. Make Gods Authority your Foundation build upon it it is an Impregnable Rock though the windes blow the rain beat the waves roar and dash themselves into Foame yet your House wil stand and your Orders can never be disanulled if built upon the Rock Make Gods word alone the Rule of Reformation and keep close to your Rule and then all your Orders will be acknowledged to be Responsa prudentum and such as deserve to be Rescripta Principum this is the way to make your Orders prevail not onely by your Authority but by their Own Authority 3. Pray for the Holy Spirit for the Spirit gives both Light and eyes You will meet with so many new sinnes new dangers new temptations new mercies new troubles that you had need beg hard for a spirit of Prayer that you may be able to make new Prayers every hour severall Prayers upon severall occasions Sion must prevail by Prayer Sion was the Mount of Prayer there was the house of Prayer this is as they use to call it in some Reformed-Churches a Prayer-day but every day must now be a day of prayer extraordinary prayer we must spend more time then ordinary in our private devotions Get ye up to Mount Olivet and there pray for Mount Sion joyn heads and purses and forces and prayers together Josuah's sword will not prevail without Moses his prayer Be of good comfort though your enemies can out-swear you yet they cannot out-pray you If they be a thousand thousand strong and march against you with all their might Call upon the Name of the Lord and rest upon your God Asa did so and by the prayer of faith prevailed against a thousand thousand Ethiopians and three hundred Chariots 2 Chron. 14. 9 to the 12th verse Oh send to France and Ireland and Germany for their experimentall Prayers 4. Humiliation is an excellent Preparative for Reformation and there is no duty more pertinent to the Text and proper not onely for this day but for these times In those dayes and in that time saith the Prophet Jeremy the 50. Chap. and the 4. verse what times what dayes why when the children of Israel shall come out of Babylon they and the children of Iudah together going and weeping they shall go and seek the Lord their God Honourable and Beloved let us this day seek our God with tears if ye would be Princes with God and have power with him as Prince Jacob had you must weep and make supplication in Bethel the house of God there God will be found and there here he hath spoke with you to day read the twelfth of Hoseah the third and fourth verses Blessed be our great God who did put it into your hearts to draw up a Catalogue of the sins of this Nation O that you would weep over every sin in that Catalogue before you sleep O let us read our sins in those miseries which are come upon us We have nourished Malignant lusts within us which rebell against the spirit and fight against the soul we have made sport past-time with those sins which shed the blood of the Lord Jesus O let those sins draw tears from us which drew blood from Christ We have grieved the holy Spirit and therefore well may the Spirit refuse to comfort us who haue grieved him Well may the God of heaven bathe his sword in our blood and make the land â—at with our carcasses for we have forfeited our very Estates and lives we do not deserve one bit of bread or drop of water justly may God feed us with the bread of sorrows and give us tears to drink We would not serve God with joyfulnesse for the abundance of all things and therefore well might God send us to serve our enemies in the want of all things Deut. 28. 47 48 Behold the heaven is as brasse and the earth as iron because we have had a brazen brow and there is an iron sinew in our necks we have gone on impudently and stubbornly in our sinnes Gods Doctrine hath dropped as the raine and distilled as the dew but not as the dew upon the tender herbe for our hearts have not been tender our lives have not been fruitfull well might our unfruitfulnesse be the cause of the lands barrennesse We have abused Gods blessings for the maintenance of our pride luxury wantonnesse we have sought against God with his owne blessings and therefore he hath good reason to disarme us Oh let us weepe for Ireland weepe for England weepe for the King