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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49801	Theo-politica, or, A body of divinity containing the rules of the special government of God, according to which, he orders the immortal and intellectual creatures, angels, and men, to their final and eternal estate : being a method of those saving truths, which are contained in the Canon of the Holy Scripture, and abridged in those words of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which were the ground and foundation of those apostolical creeds and forms of confessions, related by the ancients, and, in particular, by Irenæus, and Tertullian / by George Lawson ...	Lawson, George, d. 1678.	1659 (1659)	Wing L712; ESTC R17886	441,775	362

things By whom he made the Worlds who was the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1. 2 3. He was more excellent then the Angels then Moses then all the Prophets He was the great Prophet acquainted with his Fathers secrets taught the Doctrine of Eternal Life confirmed the same by his Holy Life his glorious Miracles and sealed it with his bloud Besides God spake by the Apostles and especially after they had received the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven by Christ glorified according to his Promise These made up the Canon of the New Testament 2. They taught Doctrine that for the matter was new For besides the Morals formerly known and other Points revealed in the Old Testament they did declare and write by the infallible direction of the Holy Ghost That Jesus of Nazareth born at Bethlem crucified at Jerusalem was the Son of God was risen again from the dead ascended into Heaven made Universal King and an everlasting Priest makes intercession in Heaven That remission of sinnes and eternal life upon condition of Faith in him as glorified was promised and to be preached to all Nation 〈◊〉 the Jew first and then unto the Gentiles 3. Because these things though not contrary to Reason yet far above Reason were New and tended to the alteration of the former administration of God's Kingdom and many former Laws given by God unto the Fathers and the abolition of Religion that was then established in all Nations therefore it was confirmed by the new and excellent gifts of the Apostles the great and glorious miracles done in the Name of Christ the gifts of the Holy Ghost from Heaven upon such as heard and received this Doctrine by the conversion of Jews and Gentiles and this by mean and contemptible men These were special Works of the Supream and Eternal Providence and such as the like had not been done since the Creation nor ever since the times of those Apostles who could speak in the Languages of all Nations to whom God sent them so as the unlearned might understand them These taught first by word of mouth and then by Writing till the Canon of the New Testament was finished and the Originals of their Writings were kept in the Churches they planted and after composed in one body Thus far God spake to man § 10 by man infallibly inspired both by word of mouth and by Writing He speaks also to man by ordinary men who are not immediatly infallible but onely so far as their Doctrine shall agree with the former Inspirations and Revelations For the Word of God was always in the Church and his Divine Revelations were always the Rule of ordinary Teachers And in matter of Religion they had no Warrant to teach any thing but according to that Rule These ordinary Teachers were Fathers Masters of Families every Neighbour and Brother which had ability and opportunity Amongst the Jews the ordinary Prophets Scribes Lawyers who were learned in the Law of God Priests and Levites But the principal amongst these are the Learned who have taken that charge upon them according to a Lawful Call make it their chief business to whom maintenance by God's institution is due These in the New Testament are called Pastours Teachers Bishops Elders Ministers who take charge of mens souls This distinction of Teachers in the times of the Gospel may be grounded on that Text When Christ ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave gifts to men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastours and Teachers Ephes. 4. 8 11. The extraordinary were Apostles Prophets Evangelists The ordinary were Pastours and Teachers And these later as well as the former were given for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ ver 12. These also may teach the mysteries of God's Kingdom by word and by writing Yet neither their words nor writings were of equal authority with the words and writings of the Prophets and Apostles For the Authority of their Doctrine presupposeth that it is contained in the Holy Scriptures and that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God and that those which they affirm to be the Holy Scriptures are so indeed This gives occasion to examine what force may be in the Tradition of the Church to prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God This cannot be done to purpose except we know 1. What Tradition is 2. What the Church 3. What the Holy Scriptures be as most understand them in this point 1. Tradition in this particular is nothing but a Testimony which as such hath no force in it to prove any thing but that which is borrowed from the party testifying or the thing testified or from some other thing Therefore it is called Argumentum artificiale assumptum because it assumeth force from some other Reason or Argument A Testimony is either Divine or Humane For here I will say nothing of the Testimony of Angels The Divine Testimony is infallibly and necessarily true yet not as a Testimony but as the Testimony of God whose Veracity is such that he cannot d●●ive or be deceived He is true and Truth it self The testimony of man may be and is many times false for he is subject unto Errour and may be deceived because his knowledge is imperfect He may also deceive for want of fidelity and integrity There is no necessary and inseparable Connexion between his testimony and the truth because he himself as testifying and truth are separable This is the reason why testimonies in judgment are confirmed by Oath And for this cause the Doctrine of the Apostles so far as it was new was attested from Heaven 2. The party testifying in this particular is the Church as a Collective Body By Church may be understood either a particular Church or Churches or the Universal made up of all the Particulars This Universal Church is either the present Universal Church or the same considered as successively continued since the time of the Apostles or as including John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles or the Church of all times since the Beginning Again the present Universal Church of any time may be considered either as properly Universal or as representatively such in a general Council 3. The thing testified is that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God And by Holy Scriptures we may understand the whole Body of the Canon and the several Books of the Old and New Testament and the same in such a certain number as to exclude or include the Books called Apocrypha And these may be considered either in the Original Copies or in Transcripts or in Translations or else we may understand the principal matters of the Scripture concerning Faith in Jesus Christ and obedience unto his Commands After this explication given some things are to be observed 1. Concerning the thing testified and to be believed 2. Concerning the

Petition if once received becomes the matter of Thanksgiving A brief Explication of every several Petition and also of the conclusion CHAP. XIX Of Promises and Threatnings The Laws of God both Moral and Positive considered as a Rule of Judgment in Promises and Comminations The nature of Promises in general and of Comminations Their Order as following Precepts and Prohibitions The nature of the Promises of God-Redeemer The nature of Comminations The difference between Promises and Threatnings both in respect of themselves and of the subject and also the matter which are rewards or punishments bodily spiritual of this life of that which is to come CHAP. XX. Of Punishments What the Iudgment of God-Redeemer is It 's Particular Universal Of Punishments which might be reduced to order according to Chronology or according to Laws general or particular for the violation whereof they are inflicted The difference between the punishments upon Mankind for Adam's sinne and those which we are liable to for our sins against the Laws of God-Redeemer Several distinctions of punishments Of Spiritual punishments suffered in this life both by Unbelievers and Believers considered either as single persons or associate in lesser or greater Communities both Ecclesiastical and Civil Punishments suffered after Death before the Resurrection CHAP. XXI Of Rewards What a Reward of God-Redeemer is The distinction of Rewards into those of this life and that which is to come before and after the Resurrection Rewards presuppose the performance of a Duty and the first special Duty pre requires preventing Grace The first special Reward is to take away the Stoney-heart and to give an heart of Flesh. The second is God's writing of His Laws in Mans heart The third God becomes our God Christ our Head and we are made His Subjects His Members CHAP. XXII Of Justification The fourth Spiritual Reward is Justification defined The Judge and how considered The Party judged Man sinful guilty penitent believing in Christ as Propitator and Intercessour What kind of Faith justifying Faith is The Acts of it and what the Objects of these Acts are and what not Where the Iudgment or Iudicial Act is passed and how manifested What it is The proper effect of it Certain observations The greatest punishment Justification frees us frō is the want loss of the Sanctifying Spirit and the dominion of sin How this Doctrine differs from that of Trent Councel Three Questions 1. Whether God doth always in every Sentence of Justification free the guilty totally or sometimes onely in part 2. Whether there be two parts of Justification as Remission and Imputation 3. Whether good Works be a condition of Justification continued or final so as to give a right upon the Promise CHAP. XXIII Of the Parts of Justification and the continuance of it The Branches or Parts of Justification which some call Effects as Regeneration Reconciliation Adoption from which arises the happy estate of the justified The continuance of these in this Life and after Death before the Resurrection which might be called the Fifth Reward Mortification Vivification The Spiritual War The different Issue of the several Battails The last Issue which is a final Victory Of Perseverance and falling away CHAP. XXIV The Final and Universal Judgment The time of this Judgment The Judge His manner of coming The General Summons Convention and Appearance of Men and Angels The Eternal Rewards of the Godly The Eternal Punishment of impenitent and unbelieving Sinners These several Books following are Printed and to be sold by Francis Tyton at the Three Daggers in Fleet-street MR. Baxter's Saints everlasting Rest Quarto His Apologie containing Exceptions against Mr. Blake The Digression of Mr. Kendal Animadversions on a late Dissertatition of Ludiomeus Colvinus alias Ludovinus Molineus An Admonition to Mr. Eyrs With Mr. Crandon's Anatomy quarto Confession of Faith quarto Christian Concord quarto Defence of the Worcester-shire Petition quarto Advice to the Parliament quarto Letter to Mr. Durry for Pacification quarto Concerning the Saints perseverance quarto The Quakers Catechism quarto Of Infant-Baptism against Mr. Tombs The Unreasonableness of Infidelity Octavo Thirty two Directions for getting and keeping Spiritual Peace Octavo Against Popery Octavo Mr. Lawson's Examination o● the Political Part of Hobb's his Leviathan Octavo● These several Books of Mr. Gilberts Minister of Limtick in Ireland THe Libertine school'd Or A Vindication of the Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion Quarto A Soveraign Antidote against those sinful Errours that are the Epidemical Disease of our Times quarto A pleasant Walk to Heaven on Ephes. 4. 1. quarto The Blessed Peace-maker Or A Christian Reconciler intended for the healing of our Divisions quarto Innocents no Saints Or A Pair of Spectacles for a dark sighted Quaker By E. Dod. quarto Man's Duty in magnifying God's Work A Sermon preached before the Parliament on the occasion of the Victory obtained against the Spanish Fleet By John How Preacher of the Word at the abbey-Abbey-Church Westminster quarto The Perusall of an old Statute of Death and Judgment A Funeral Sermon By Mr. Bedford in quart● These several Books following of Mr. Strong HEavenly Treasure Or Man's chiefest good Twelves Communion with God the Saints Priviledge and Duty Twelves Thirty one Sermons preached on select occasions quarto The Will of Man subjected to the Will of God Octavo A Commemoration Sermon preached at Pauls on the 5th of November 1646 quarto A Voice out of the Temple Being also a Sermon on the 5th of November quarto A Confession of Faith of the severa● Congregations or Churches o● Christ in London commonly called Anabaptists quarto A Discovery of some t●oublesome Thoughts By Daniel King quarto Gospel-Glory in the 〈…〉 invisible Worship of God By Edw. Drapes quarto Common-Good Or The Improvement of Commons Forrests 〈◊〉 Cha●es by Inclo●ure By S. T. quarto An Assi●e Sermon Pre●●●bed by Th● Gilbert quarto The Word of Faith Or The Co●lection of the Sermons of a M●neth preached at Martins in the Fields methodically By Mr. Sanger Barton's Translation of the sin●ing Psalms Twelves Sydenham's for Infant-Baptism Octavo Renodeus Dispensatory in Folio Spencer's Similies in Folio Dr. Robinson's Endoxa in Octavo Dr. Harrison's Spiritual Logick in Octavo The History of Dreams By Mr. Philip Goodwin Minister at Watford Octavo The Three Theological Graces By Mr. Ward Octavo Biddle dispossest in answer to his Challenge Twelves Habbington's Edward the 4th in Folio His Observations on History in Octavo Allen 's Henry the 7th Octavo Buck on the Beatitudes in quarto Eurialus and Lucretia Octavo Herbert 's Henry the 8th Folio English Law By Charles George-Cock Folio Par on the Romans Folio Hackwel's Argument for the Liberty of the Subject quarto The false Brother quarto Mr. Sedgwick's Sermon at Mr. Strong 's Funeral quarto Hamilton's Case argued by Mr. Steel now Lord Chancellour in Ireland quarto Gospel-Ministery and Gospel-Light and Life By Dornford in octavo The Rise Fall and Ruine of Antichrist By

1. That as purely Moral it is always in force and God did never at any time dispense with it but made it the Foundation of all other Laws and it shall continue in force in Heaven For in the very estate of perfect glory all the Subjects of that eternal glorious Kingdom shall be bound eternally to love their God themselves and one another 2. God bound Adam in the day of Creation to the perfect and perpetual personal obedience of this Law and of other Positives as the onely condition of life and so that upon one sin he and all his should be liable to death without any remedy as from that Law This was the highest obligation 3. After that Adam and in him all his had once sinned this Law with the Positives did render him liable and bound to death 4. After that Christ was once promised as a Surety and Hostage to satisfie God's Justice offended by the sin of man it made him liable to death and all such punishments as God should inflict upon him 5. After the Fall of Adam it was in force so fa● as to bind all such as were out of the Church to Temporal and Eternal Punishments for their sins against it without any hope of Pardon and all such as were in the visible Church to Temporal and Eternal Punishments no ways removable but upon Faith in the Death of Christ. 6. It is in force always since sinful Man received the New Law and Covenant of Grace to bind him to repentance present repentance and return unto the sincere obedience of it to be performed by the power of the Spirit 7. It always is in force to bind the Regenerate Children of God here on Earth to endeavour and aym at an universal perpetual and perfect obedience and upon defect or default presently to return to God-Redeemer for mercy and pardon of what is past to be obtained by a Plea of Christ's Satisfaction and Merit and also further for the continuance and increase of His Sanctifying Grace Lastly after that Man is perfectly sanctified it 's so far in force as to bind him to perfect and eternal obedience unto it Such is the excellency of this Law as purely Moral that 1. If Man had kept it God would give life by it 2. That God never gave Man a liberty to be free from the Obligation of it 3. That God would never pardon any sinne against it without satisfaction made by the Blood of Christ believed and pleaded by sinful Man 4. That Christ merited and God restored the Spirit of Sanctification that Man might keep it 5. That He will not spare His own children when they transgress it by heynous and especially scandalous sins 6. That no Man can have union with Christ except he willingly separate from sin and return to the obedience of this Law 7. That no man can have full communion with God before he perfectly obey it 8. That there is one great change in respect of this Law First perfect Obedience unto it with other Positives was made the onely condition of life But afterwards that Promise of Life upon those strict tearms and that severe commination of Death upon Sin were abolished and Faith was made the onely condition of life So that it may be truly said that the Law of Works is abrogated but not the Moral Law considered in it Self Yet this change was but accidental as before These things premised § III concerning the Moral Law in general I proceed unto the Exposition of the DECALOGVE which though it was given to the Jewes contains the Heads and Method of the Morall Law And it may be considered either as a part of the Law of Works or merely as the Moral Law in general or as part of the Gospel in an Evangelical Notion As it was delivered in that terrible manner with these Clauses Do this and live and Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in this Book it had something of the Law of Works in it As it was annexed to the Promise made to Abraham and joyned with the Ceremonies typifying Christ it was Evangelical As considered in general abstracted from both these it was an Abridgement of the Moral Law respecting Man in this life not in the life to come It 's to be understood not strictly as given to Israel at that time but in a Latitude as it is explained in other parts of the Books of Moses especially in Deuteronomy in the Prophets and most of all as in the New Testament where it is explained by our Blessed Saviour and the Duties thereof pressed by Him and the Apostles upon all Christians And this is an Argument that some ways it continues in force in the Gospel As delivered in Exodus and repeated in Deuteronomy it rather contains the Heads to which other Duties not there expressed may be reduced rather then the Principles from whence they may be deduced It 's abridged in many places of Moses the Prophets and Apostles Yet that of our Saviour is most perfect wherein according to Moses he reduceth all to Love For Love is the whole Law This Loves either of God or of our Neighbour To love God above all is the first and great Commandement of the first Table To love our Neighbour as our Selves is the last Commandement of the second Table These two are purely Moral especially the former and the rest are such by participation as before Therefore the first is said to be the great Commandement The last to be like it CHAP. VII An Exposition of the Moral Law as methodically reduced to Ten Heads in the Decalogue by God himself And of the first Commandement With the Preface THE Decalogue so called by the Septuagint § I because consisting of ten words or Commands we find first delivered Exod. 20. and repeated Deut. 5. Wherein we have 1. The Preface 2. The Precepts or Commandements themselves The Preface is two-fold 1. Of Moses the Historian 2. Of God Himself The first Preface in these words God spake all these words The meaning is that 1. These Words or Commandements for so the Word in the Original sometimes signifies These I say and none else 2. These and all these 3. Were spoken published and promulgate 4. By God and God alone immediately in a wonderful and extraordinary manner in the hearing of all Israel prepared and assembled before Mount Sina in Arabia By this we understand that God Himself was the La-wgiver and the immediate Author of this Law And therefore it 's more excellent then any Law or Laws of any Nation in the World And seeing He spake these and these onely these and all these it 's not for Man to add and diminish And all and every one are authentick and of Divine Authority in an high degree The second Preface we have in these words I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage This second Preface is of God

use an Image with that intention Men may make Images to represent other things and by looking upon these Images they may be another act of the Mind remember the things represented if they know them distinctly as such and the more lively the Representations and the more perfect the knowledge of the things represented are the greater help it is to the Memory Yet it doth not follow from hence that in matter of Worship the Worship performed to the Image redounds unto the Samplar For though a man may intend in Worshipping the Image suppose of God to worship God Yet 1. We must consider that this Proposition presupposeth nay expresly saith that the Worship-Divine is first given to the Image which needs must be Idolatry it onely redounds unto the Samplar 2. The Image and the Samplar are really and infinitely distinct and different and cannot possibly make one Object 3. God did never promi●e to any man to accept that Worship which is performed to the Image as performed to Himself So that this Image-Worship is an obscure perplexed absurd irrational dangerous thing and altogether unwarrantable Though this Image-Worship be so expresly and peremptorily forbidden both here and in many other places of Scripture and God saith Thou sh●lt 〈◊〉 bow down thy self to them nor worship them Man yet saith Thou shalt bow down to the●● and worship or serve them That the Heathens should do this is not strange but that Christians should be guilty of this sin cannot but be matter of amazement It 's the Publick Doctrine and the general and constant practise of the Church of Rome and all her Adherents to make and set up Images in their Churches and Places of Publick Worship to bow down before them and to worship them several ways And to justifie this Practise and Doctrine the greatest Wits have been set on work 1. Some of their private Catechisms and Books of Devotion omit these words of making and worshipping Images 2. Some acknowledge the words as part of this Law given by God but say This part was but Positive and onely bound the Jews 3. Some so interpret and expound the words as that they may not be understood to forbid their practise 4. They make many distinctions of Worship and of the manner of Worshipping Images that so they may perswade men that though some manner of Image-Worship be forbidden yet theirs is not 5. Some tell us that the Worship onely of Idols and false Gods are forbidden here to be made and worshipped though this be very false and contrary to the Trent-Catechism Yet notwithstanding all this 1. They even their greatest Schollars and Clerks in this particular differ amongst themselves 2. It 's difficult for their Schollers impossible for the illiterate and Ignorant people to understand these distinctions yet both of them must believe and profess their Doctrine and practise it 3. Suppose they do all agree as they do not and could determine clearly some manner of Image-Worship which might be lawful as they cannot yet this Image●Worship is needless and unprofitable 4. This practise was always dangerous and an occasion at least if not a cause of Idolatry and it 's certainly known that many of the ignorant sort make their Images Idols and are gross Idolaters 5. There is no Commandement no Warrant no Permission no Toleration from God no example of any Saint Patriarch Prophet Apostle of any kind of Imag●-Worship in all the Book of God but many Prohibitions of all kind of such Worship 6. It 's a great scandal both to the Jew and Mahumetan and so a great impediment to their Conversion 7. It was the invention of the Devil and his wicked Agents it never had any better Author if we enquire into the original of it 8. It 's no way sutable to the pure and simple Worship of one God in Christ according to the Gospel Yet notwithstanding all these things it being confirmed by so many Laws and long-continued Custome will not without great opposition and resistence be abolished And so much the rather becau●e Demetrius with the Crafts-men by Image-making and the Priests by Offerings gain so much and the people love to have it so This is the Cup of Fornication wherewith the Whore of Babylon hath made drunk the Kings of the Earth and in the end She her self shall drink of the Cup of the Lords Wrath. The Reasons and Disswasives follow § VI and the first is from God's jealousie for the Lord your God is a ●ealous God Here He resumes His Titles and signifies that He is very tender of His glory and will not endure His People to glance upon these Images which is a kind of Spiritual toying and playing the Wanton with other Paramours and Corrivals He full well knew their proness and the danger And ther●fore commands all Monuments of Idolatry to be destroyed and prohibits the very names of other Gods that the very memory with the Monuments may p●rish for ever They who have renounced the Devil and all his Pompatical Worship and avouched God to be their God and Christ their Saviour must be pure and chaste yea free from the very appearance of this evil which tends to his dishonour and their ruine This sin begins in Superstition ends in plain Idolatry which is a corruption of his Worship a derogation from his honour a stain of their integrity a diminution of that true love and respect they owe unto him a breach of Covenant and in the end a persidious revolt and apostasie Therefore he cannot endure this Image-Worship but will severely punish it There be distinctions devised by men to maintain this Image-Worship that by them they may puzle and delude us But dare they insist upon them when they are convented before God's Tribunal Will he allow them Can they justifie themselves by them Can they assure us that there is no danger in Imagery and this kind of Worship Can they ever instance in any People that used it who in the end proved not Idolaters Whatsoever man can say in behalf of consecrated Images it 's certain the effect of this jealousie will be severe punishment for it follows that God will visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of such as hate him And this may be a second Reason or the same with the former as being an effect of that cause a punishment issuing from that jealousie which will burn like fire and not be quenched In this Reason we may observe § VII 1. The cause meritorious of this punishment 2. The subject that shall be liable unto it and suffer it 3. The extent of this punishment upon this subject In these words he seems to give the Rules of Judgment in Comminations and Promises according to which he will proceed with such as shall observe or violate his Laws in general yet these are proper to this Commandement The cause that doth deserve the punishment is sin this sin of Image-worship here called

impetuous stream did carry all before them This was the judgment of the Eastern and Southern Christians invaded by the Saracens and possessed by them from beyond Babylon and Arabia unto Barbary and Spain where they met the Northern Barbarians In these latter days How many Churches Christian are swallowed up by the Turkish Empire These were not meerly temporall judgments but spirituall Because the enemies did not onely invade and possesse their Countryes but in many places deprive them of their Teachers and the Gospel the glorious light whereof is mightily darkened as in ●ormer times so in these latter dayes by that Smoak and mist of Hell the doctrine of the Alcoran and that in many places of the World This is a just judgment of God which Christ avert from us because they walked not in the light of the Gospel when it so clearly shined upon them And its one of the most feafull punishments of Christians to be delivered up to believe lyes and false doctrine in matters of Salvation Yet Turks and other Mahumetans do not professe themselves Christians as we in this Western Corner of the World do But amongst us there be such as professe their faith in Christ who yet are in the just judgment of God delivered up to superstition Idolatry and most dangerous doctrines which have formerly been and now are dispersed into severall Nations We read That because men received not the Love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a Lie 2 Thes. 2. 10 11. Where we may observe 1. The sin which is Not to receive the love of the truth that they might be saved 2. The Punishment God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye For when God doth take away his Spirit from such as enjoy the word of God which they will not believe and practise it 's an easy thing for the Devil to delude the wisest and most learned in matters of Religion and then there is no Doctrine so false and absurd which man so deluded will not believe This hath been confirmed by experience of former times especially in that Temple or Church wherein the Son of Perdition shall exalt himself above all Civil and Ecclesiasticall powers The seat of this Wicked one must be some eminent City so the Scripture tells us and this City shall be called Babylon in a mystery and stand built upon seven hills Some say that Constantinople which was called New-Rome is so Yet that cannot be it Because it must be that City which did Reign over the Kings of the Earth when John received the Revelation from Heaven and that was not Constantinople which was obscure at that time The Character of this Whore was 1. That She made the Nations of the Earth drunk with her cup of fornication And 2. She Her self was drunk with the blood of the Saints and the Martyrs of Jesus Fornication is Superstition Image-worship and Idolatry The drinking of the blood of the Saints is the persecution and murder of all such Christians as shall refuse to acknowledge Her power and to receive Her abominable and Idolatrous worship Lest any therefore should be ignorant what City this is The spirit informs us 1. That it 's a City which professeth Christ. 2. It 's the seat of the Son of Perdition arrogating Supreme power not only in temporals but spirituals 3. It 's Idolatrous and Superstitious worshiping of Images 4. It sheds the blood of such Christians as will not acknowledge Her power and drink of Her cup of fornication 5. It 's a City that was built and once stood upon seven hills 6. It Reigned over the Kings of the Earth in the times of John the Divine 7. It 's a City that boasts of many lying signs and wonders and believes lies receives false Doctrine That this City and the man of sin therein should continue so long have so great power delude so many Nations in●atuate them seem to be holy profess her self the Mother of all Christian Churches the Temple of God infallible and that society out of which there is no salvation is a spirituall judgment from Heaven and far greater then the I●vasion of the Saracens and Barbarous Nations yea then the damned Doctrine of the Alcoran For that in many things is grosse ridiculous and absurd In this Mysticall Babylon the grossest errours put on the Vizard of saving and infallible truth the most abominable superstition of zealous devotion the greatest pride of deepest humility and he that beareth the title of Servant of Servants will be the Lord of Lords Besides all the transcended perogatives of this Church as of Supremacy Infallibility Authority above Scripture are maintain●d by the choisest wits of greatest Schollars And their Sophisms are so effectuall that not only the ignorant sort of people and silly women but persons of greatest power the Princes and Potentates of the Earth men of most excellent parts profoundest Learning and Policy are enchanted and bewitched by this great City This is one of the greatest trialls of Christians and the Church of God that ever came upon the World And if we Seriously consider we may easily understand that it 's God alone who preserves us in the truth And all such as love the truth and endeavour to practise it according to the plainnesse and simplicity of the Gospel may expect this blessing from Heaven even in the midst of these most dangerous times This is a fair warning to us all who enjoy the Scriptures and therein the word of God to take heed least we live unprofitably through our own neglect under the means of salvation For if we do not seriously attend unto the saving doctrine of the truth and give all diligence to practise it so far as we know it it will be just with God to suffer Sathan to delude us be a lying spirit in the mouths of our Prophets and to give us over to believe lyes errours heresies as we see it come to passe with many amongst us at this day By the former sins and neglect of our duty we do not only lose all the benefits and comforts which God hath promised and we might enjoy in a well constituted Church reformed in Doctrine Worship Discipline according to the word of God but also make our selves liable to the former punishments and all others which God hath threatned against us in his Book It 's the great and unspeakable mercy of God § XII which signifies his tender care o● our poor souls that he will make known unto us what glorious rewards we upon obedience to his Laws may expect from him and what fearfull punishments will follow upon our disobedience and impenitency The Law-givers and Rulers of the World think it sufficient to publish their Laws once enacted and to leave every man to take notice of them or neglect to do so at their perill But our gracious and most mercifull Lord sends his