when all things seemed desperate when all counsell and meanes failed among men and no hope was left euen then came deliuerance How can a poore bird wound in the nets of the Fowler expect but to be taken And this is matter of more ioy gladnesse than if the danger had bin lesse 2. Beyond and beside the expectation of the fowlers themselues to their greater disappointment confusion How will the fowler rage and storme when a silly bird is gotten away out of his net so doe the enemies of the Church who haue beene at great cost and charge and paines and beaten all their wits to lay their nets to be disappointed euen then when they haue their expectation betweene their hands as the case of these Conspirators was For the meanes the net is broken God alone hath broken in pieces their crafty counsels and deuises God hath frustrated all their purposes when they had hemd in the people of God as a bird in a net on euery side God himselfe makes a way out as when the net is broken asunder the bird escapeth Doctr. The Lord in his season powerfully deliuers his Church by breaking the nets of the enemie Psal. 33.10 The Lord breakes the counsell of the Heathen and brings to nought the deuises of the people Reasons 1. Because GOD is euer present with his Church in the midst of it to helpe it at the greatest pinches Esa. 8 9.10 Gather together on heapes ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces c. for God is with vs namely as our shield and protection and if God be with vs who can be against vs Zeph. 3.14 Reioyce O daughter of Syon be ioyfull O Israel reioyce with all thy heart O daughter Ierusalem the Lord hath taken away thy iudgement and cast out thine enâ—mies the King of Israel euen the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt see no more euill The Lord is euery where present but not euery where as in his Church he is the King and the shelter of it by a speciall prouidence 2. The Church is Gods darling and delight his people is deare vnto him he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 In all their troubles he is troubled and taketh wrong done to them as done to himselfe and therefore must needes reuenge vpon the enemies one time or other See Nahum 1.2.9 because the Lord is iealous ouer his people hee reserues wrath for their enemies he shall come vnto them as vnto thornes The cause also is his they hate the godly for his sake and therefore he takes their part 3. As God is willing to saue his people so also he is euery way most able 1. Hee is more watchfull for his Church than all his enemies can be against it Hee that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe in which he out-matcheth the enemies who though they often break their sleepe through greedinesse of the prey yet sometime they must sleepe Hee is a more watchfull guard than Sauls when Dauid came and tooke away his speare and pot from his head The phrase is taken from watchmen who stand on walls in time of warre to fore-see the approach of enemies and giue warning they may be treacherous or sleepy as when the Capitall in Rome had beene taken by the French-men if the Geese had not beene more waking than the watch-men of the walls But the Lord is a faithfull and watchfull keeper let neuer so many watch the mischiefe of the Church he is sufficient against them all hath seauen eyes Zach. 4.10 2. He is wiser than all his enemies and herein ouer-matcheth them that he knowes all their counsels they know none of his which aduantage the King of Israel had of the King of Syria by reason of Gods Prophet Hee knowes their whole plot and proiects and suffers them to carrie them a long time but knowes when to preuent them and how to dispose them to the good of his Church for there is neither counsell nor wisedome against the Lord. 3. He is stronger than all the enemies Ioh. 10.29 My father is stronger than all no one no nor all together can resist his power And therefore when great men haue banded and bended all their forces against Christ and his Church they imagine but a vaine thing Psal. 2.1 4. God hath waies enow to deliuer his Church euen when things seeme very desperate He hath seuen pipes to his seuen lampes and these oftentimes laid very secret and out of sight He can make a way in the sea and the waters a wall for his people which cannot be expected by man yea he can suspend and stay the course of nature he can suffer his children to be cast into the fire then qualifie and coole the furnace 5. The Lord commonly delighteth in such a deliuerance of his Church as is ioyned with the confusion of his enemies as in the red sea the same way and waters which were the preseruation of the one were the destruction of the other Esai 33.11.12 Ye shall conceiue chaffe and bring foorth stubble the fire of your breath shall deuoure you And the people shall be as the burning of liâ—e as the thoâ—nes cut vp shall they be burnt in the fire And hereby the Lord manifesteth his power and iustice 1. That the wicked while they take craftie counsell together should be pauing a way to their owne destruction Hee takes the wise in their craftinesse that they lay a net in which themselues fall When they make couenants with death and digge to hell to make Gods children so sure as none should escape them then their owne destruction shall be the Churches deliuerance What a broad net had Haman laid for the Iewes None could be fairer for the game than he that had the Kings edict ring postes and all he desired But in due season his net tooke himselfe and his familie his gallowes caught himselfe and his sonnes in whose destruction God laid the preseruation of his Church at that time The same in the powder-plot what deuice was euer fairer or neerer or when was there a more vniuersall net laid for Gods Church these thousand yeeres yet the Lord in the very full season ioyned our deliuerance with their detection and destruction 2. It is iust with God that wicked men while they deuise mischiefe should onely make rods for their owne backes though their pretenses be neuer so faire and specious As for example Dan. 6.7 the Courtiers of Darius as they can easily lay their plots to sway Princes to euill counsels come to the King whose power they would abuse and none wish him so well as they O King liue for euer none so obseruant of the Kings edicts as they All the rulers of the kingdome officers gouernours counsellors and Dukes haue made a decree concerning the worship of thee O King that none shall aske any thing for thirtie daies saue onely of
Popish Bishops was so violent a fowler to furnish his Maisters dishes that himselfe in fiue yeares space tooke and rosted 300. seely Martyrs most of them in his owne walke and dioces Such were our Fauxes and Fawkners who made sure account of such a prey as was neuer before layd for namely for three whole Kingdomes at once which would haue filled all their nets For God and man concurred to punish the iniquity of this time said the Letter to L. Mounteagle for the obtaining whereof they despised all danger and all labour is thought little in digging halfe a yeare together through hard foundations they will bestow any cost whatsoeuer of their owne and other mens Digby promised 1500. pounds Tressam 2000. Percy all that he could get of the Earle of Northumberlands rents besides tenne galloping Horses And nothing troubled Faux but that he was disappointed II. The Scripture both here and else where compares their meanes and instruments to snares nets and ginnes which are set in the wayes of Gods Saints to take them And that for two causes 1. It notes the secrecie of the danger which makes it farre more dangerous and ineuitable for nets and snares vse to be layd in secret and out of sight In vaine were the net layd before the eyes of all that hath wings Prou. 1.17 As therfore the fowlers or fishers go about their matters craftily and subtilly they will stand priuily behinde a tree they dissemble all they will lay meate as though they intended to feed the seely bird which they meane to feed vpon they haue a Lure or Call as if they were friends and birds themselues but the end is to kill and destroy So doe the Fowlers of Gods Church Psal. 83.3 They haue taken crafty counsell against thy people and haue consulted against thy secret ones So euer haue done the Romish Antichristian Fowlers who haue beene taught by their great Nimâ—od leoninae pelli assuere vulpinam Alwayes to match together the Lyon and the Foxe Iulius the 2. can turne him either way to Peters keyes or Pauls sword What they cannot doe by open force they can doe by secret fraud wherein oftentimes there lyes more strength than in the former The Syrian Antiochus Epiphanes was a liuely type of the Romish Antiochus of whom it is sayd Dan. 8.24.25 His power shall be mighty but not in his strength he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practise and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people and by his policie shall cause craft to prosper in his hand A liuely description of the Romish Antiochus or Antichrist that beast arising out of the sea hauing as well the hornes of the Lambe as the speech of the Dragon He intrudes himselfe as the head and husband of the Church while he robs and wastes it He professeth himselfe a seruant of seruants while he sets himselfe aboue all Kings and Commanders as Boniface the 8. in the yeare of Christ 1300. before a great concourse in a solemne Iubilee one day shewed himselfe in his Priestly Pontificals with the crosse carried before him the next day in an Emperours roabes with a naked sword before him and this title proclaimed Ego sum Pontifex Imperator terrestre ac coeleste imperium habeo All this is mine and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it What is the whole religion of Rome but a mysterie of iniquity a bundle of policie which by secret conueyances and tâ—â—ines both brought and held all the Kingdomes and Countries in Europe within the snare and bondage of a silly Fryar by sembled sanctity lying myracles false donations forged writings and the like and thus hath ensnared mens bodies goods liues and consciences Neuer saw the world so cunning a fowler Are his emissaries and such as he sends out of better disposition than himselfe No witnesse Gregory the great As Christ sent out simple and seely plaine men to raise vp his Kingdome so shall Antichrist make choise of crafty and double and deceitfull persons for his businesse How subtilly did these two friars ClemeÌ„t and his Associate lay their snares when they flew the French King Henry the 3. pretending great good businesse for the Church and State When the Papists in France could not by open force oppresse the Prince of Condy and Casper Colignius the Admirall of France they could by fraude and cunning as by a lure pretending peace and nuptiall solemnity raise a sudden Massacre by which thirty thousand Protestants fell into their snare who most perfidiously were slaine against all laws of God nature and nations not much without the space of one moneth What Potentate euer layd the foundation of obedience in conscience or could ouercome his enimies without warre by a parchment Bull or maintaine himselfe and his pompe at all mens costs and deuotions or conquer opposite Princes by their owne subiects or stablâ—sh himselfe by dispensing with vnlawfull marriages and lawfull oaths or mainetaine so many Intelligences by Confession or pleasure all men in their humours by wealth pouertie austerity voluptousnesse What a notable combination of knaueries is there in that religion wherein all these things and many more are most eminent most vsuall To come to our owne Country what did those trayterous bandits and emissaries Allâ—n Harding Sanders Parsons Campion and others but by writing and speaking pretend singular loue Instruction and care ouer their Country-men whose religion they left yet indeed what intended they but destruction of Prince and State being trumpets to rebellion raising vp armes some out of Spaine some out of Ireland some desperate cut-throts at home to take away the life of that blessed Lady Elizabeth of eternall happy memory What a number haue they snared vnder the pretext of peace truce and friendship as Duke Alba in the Low Countries and as the King of Spaine in 88. while he was prouiding that invincible nauy against our Prince and Country he sent the Duke of Parma to intreat of peace as if it were honesty in Catholikes whome they cannot kill by warre to delude and spoile them vnder the name of peace not without villany and perâ—ury How secretly did our late foolish fowlers lay their nets and traines with what faire pretences It was meerely and only for religion sayd Faux and he was bound inconscience to do it because the King was an heriticke he was sent by the name of Iohn Ionson to Percy to conferre for releefe of the Catholike cause All of them tooke an oath for secrecy yea heard Masses and tooke the Sacrament neuer to reueale any thing Now to the laying of snares as deep as hell 36 barrels of gunpouder are prouided numbers of iron bars to blow vp with one deadly blow in time of peace in time of Parliamentâ—al England Scotland and Ireland in their King and posterity in their lawes and gouernments in their Church and Religion in their Common welths and Iustice in
thee This Daniel one of the children of the captiuitie regards not thee nor thy decree They proclaime him seditious rebellious and a traitor that hath no respect either of King or law but despiseth authoritie and edicts well and wisely deuised and published These are ordinarie nets laid against godly men by vngodly Then must the law of the Medes and Persians sealed with the Kings signet be executed vpon him He is cast into the denne They haue him in their net But they cannot hold him Nor can he be deliuered but with the destruction of them all by the lions Here by plausible speeches what did they but make their owne rods And so was it in our owne instance in whom Gods iustice shined most eminently All the while they digged a pit for themselues and fell into the pit they had digged for others according to that of the Psalmist He hath digged a pit and is fallen into the pit hee hath made his mischiefe shall returne vpon his head and his crueltie vpon his owne pate As their heads and pates vpon stakes are still eye-witnesses 3. Gods iustice is herein manifest that for the deliuerie of his Church hee not onely breakes their nets but makes them breake their owne nets and neckes And this is the greater confusion when the authors of sin are made the authors of their own punishment For example Such is their thirst after the ouerthrow of the Church and godly that they still call in more company and take in more partners that if one misse another may hit and all may be sure not to faile But Gods hand now ouerruleth the matter and makes their owne carnall counsell their confusion that whereas one could keepe counsell company shall reueale it As in the many conspirators about the powder-plot in which one of them furthered the punishment of another but not the performance This shewes vnto vs that the Church is altogether inuincible no net shall long hold it but it shall breake thorow all nets It may bee pressed not oppressed oppugned not expugned It is an heauie stone to heaue against Zach. 12.3 For 1. The enemies cannot worke wisely enough to preuaile but as the more the Egyptians oppressed Israel the more they incresed so is it here 2. Though the godly be in themselues fewer weaker more simple more shiftlesse yet are they strangely and strongly preserued and may say with the Prophet there be more with them than against them 3. The Church stands vpon two sure pillars like Boaz and Iachin first Gods promise which is that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against her Secondly her foundation is on a rocke against which if the floods beate and the windes blow it shall surely stand Matth. 7.25 Why then doe the Pope and Papists and that Antichristian league still trauell with wickednesse and conceiue mischiefe to bring foorth a lye What doe yee imagaine against the Lord Nahum 1.9 This is a ground of comfort for vs when wee see enemies leaguing themselues against Gods people that they make no spare of destroying either by secret meanes or open Gods helpe and deliuerance will shew it selfe in due season he is a present helpe in trouble Is he a God a farre off and not at hand on the mountaines and not in the vallies Doth he heare his people before he call and not when they call No the Church is neuer so neere some great deliuerance as when her enemies are at the top of their pride and rage For when they will roote out the name of Israel and destroy the law then is it high time for the Lord to put to his hand When they haue power in their hand and no arme of flesh to represse them when none will offer himselfe in the cause of God then the Lords owne arme shall saue it but so as wee be found in the way of deliuerance carrying our selues in this affliction as children when they see the father hath taken vp the rod runne vnto our father confesse our sins bewaile them begge mercie and sue for it as for life and death This is the way to stay our fathers blow to obtaine compassion and cause him to throw his rod into the fire as the Prophet brings him in relenting for his people Hos. 11.8 How shall I giue thee vp O Ephraim how shall I deliuer thee O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are rowled together For this is the condition 2. Chron. 7.14 If my people among whom my Name is called vpon doe humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare out of heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land When we haue receiued such a seasonable deliuerance it becommeth vs to breake out into the praise of God and perpetuate the memory of it and prouoke our selues vnto thankfulnesse So doth our holy Prophet in this Psalme he sings out the praise of God to all posterity for so great a deliuerance in so present a danger Motiues heereunto 1. How many monuments hath the Lord himselfe erected from time to time to preserue in memory speciall mercies bestowed on his people 2. Hath he not taken order to write them in his booke of mercies and monuments Psalm 102.18 This shall be written for the generations to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. 3. Hath he not established and appointed speciall dayes for the memorie of speciall mercies most worthy to be had in euerlasting remembrance And surely my brethren if Moses and Israel had cause to compile a song for their so strange a deliuerance and the ouerthrow of their enemies as Exod. 15.1 If Deborah had cause to praise the Lord with voyces and instruments for the ouerthrow of the Canaanites and victory ouer Sisera as Iudg. 5.1 If the good women came with Timbrels and dances to praise the Lord when the Lord brought an horrible slaughter vpon the Philistians and their chiefe Champion Goliah who defied the hoast of Israel and railed vpon the God of Israel and so saued Israel that day as 1. Sam. 18.6.7 If that day were a day of ioy and gladnesse of light and reioycing wherein the Iewes preuailed against their enemies and saw the ruine of their chiefe aduersary Haman that cursed Amalekite as Hest. 9.17 Then surely haue we iust cause to sing out and declare abroad and reioyce both in Gods house and in our owne houses for the great things that the Lord hath done for vs in our admirable deliuerance out of a more admirable red sea not of water but of fire and brimstone and from the hands of those furious Champions of Antichrist those Romish Siseraes Goliahs that defied the hoast of British Israel and those cursed Amalekites against whom the sentence is passed that the name of Amalek shall
good and counted it an action worthie to be laid vpon their greatest enemies whom they termed Puritans Yea God opens their owne mouthes against themselues Winter professeth before hand that if it should not take effect the scandall would be so great which the Catholike Religion should susteine by it as not onely our enemies but our friends also saith he would with good reason condemne vs. Thus we see the truth of God and his iustice for hee hath said Woe to thee that spoylest shalt thou not be spoyled Ye see how iustly he that takes the sword perish thâ—â—by by the sword Here is iust Agags case Thy sword made many childlesse and Gods sword shall make thy mother childlâ—sse See also what little cause we haue to trust Papists who daâ—e attempt such deuices for the reliefe of the Catholike cause as all of them confessed this was Must youâ— Religion be thus relieued It hath euer so been and so neuer was from the Lord. Obiect Why doe you impute this to our Religion being the error of a few infortunate Gentlemen Answ. If it were onely the error of their nature to vse the Kings Maiesties distinction it were the more tolerable but it is the error of their Religion And most truly hath his Maiestie shewed that no other Sect of Heretickes not excepting Turkes Iewes Pagans or they of Calicute did euer by the grounds of Religion maintaine that it is lawfull or meritorious to murther Princes or people for the quarrell of Religion but onely Romish Catholikes This doctrine they would as impudently deny as they doe other The light makes them ashamed and so they denie their owne doctrines They will denie that the Pope properly pardoneth sinnes or that they teach it They will as impudently denie that euer Pope had a bastard that euer a woman was Pope and an hundreth such which their owne chiefe writers aâ—ow But let vs know that religion which is set vpon lyes and held vp by lyes by conceiuing mischiefe and bringing foorth lyes to be fitter for Antichrist than for Iesus Christ or Christians professing his name And now seeing the wicked are fallen into the pit they made and the powder they laid for vs hath blowne vp themselues let vs conclude with the next words of this Psalme We will praise the Lord according to his righteousnesse and sing praise to the name of the Lord most high We will set foorth his righteousnesse and faithfulnesse in keeping his promises and in sauing the liues of thousands of his Saints destinated to death as sheepe to the slaughter The end of the fourth Sermon THE ENGLISH GRATVLATION Psalm 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof wee reioyce THis Verse is the marrow of the whole Psal. occasioned by the returne of Gods people out of Babels Captiuity into their owne Country who neuer receiued lesse fauours than this without thanksgiuing Vnto which duty of praise the better to prouoke themselues they amplifie the benefit verse 1. and make it great in their eyes and hearts as it was in it selfe so great and incredible as when God brought it to passe they were as men in a dreame thinking it rather a dreame and a vaine imaginatioÌ„ than a reall truth or action 1. Because it was so great a deliuerance from so great and lasting a bondage it seemed too good to be true 2. It was sudden and inexpected when they little thought or hoped for it Thus the sudden and inexpected newes of Iosephs life made Iacobs heart fayle him that he could not beleeue the relation of his sonnes to be true 3. All things semed desperate nothing more vnlikely or impossible rather for indeed the godly themselues sticking so much to sense cannot so well weigh the great workes of God in the scoâ—les or with the weights of God as they should 4. The manner was so admirable without the counsell helpe or strength of man nay it was beyond and against all humane meanes that they doubt whether these things be not somnia vigilantium the dreames of men that are awake For so we read in Act. 12. that Peter being in prison the next day to be brought forth to death slept betweene two souldiers and the Keepers before the doore but was led out by an Angell and with him passed sundry gates and streetes verse 9. yet Peter knew not that it was true which was done but thought it had beene a dreame and that he had seene a vision It was so incredible so inexpected so suddaine so immediate a deliuerance that he could not beleeue it But as Peter being come to himselfe said Now I know for a truth that the Lord hath deliuered me vers 11. so this people of God knew it was more than a dreame euen a reall deliuerance and could not but expresse their ioy as men doe when they laugh But as the cause was abundant so they say they were filled with laughter verse 2. Nay the Gentiles themselues obserued the benefit and preached it euen the enemies could obserue a speciall worke of Gods power and fauour for them verse 3. And should they be behinde the Heathen and not with full heart and mouth celebrate the benefit Should God lose his glory by his owne people whom the benefit concerned and finde it among the Heathen who were but lookers on No and therefore they proclaime it in these words The Lord hath donâ— great things for vs c. Wherein we may consider these foure particulars 1. The Author or Agent the Lord. 2. The Worke or Act hath done great things 3. The Persons for whom for vs his Church 4. The Effect whereof wee reioyce Of these in their order I. The Agent is the Lord verse 1. the Lord brought back the captiuity of Syon It was a diuine worke passing not humane power onely but humane apprehension for it was not very easie to conceiue much lesse to effect Obseru All deliuerances of the Church are the works of God What meanes so euer he vseth himselfe is the principall Agent and of it it must be said Digitus Dei est hic This is the finger of God For 1. the helpe of man is vaine 2. God onely hath promised deliuerance and will be depended on 3. the glory of deliuerance belongs to no other Psalm 50.15 Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalâ— glorifie me II. The worke great things The Lord is a great God and great things beseeme him Psalm 135.5 I know the Lord is great and he doth great things 1. To manifest the greatnesse of his power aboue all creatures 2. That there may neuer want some great occasions of praising and glorifying his Name 3. That our eyes may be lifted vp aboue humane counsels and not fixed on inferiour things when we see euents which could be welded by nothing but an Omnipotent and Diuine hand III. The Persons for whom these great workes are done for vs
For he neuer striketh but withal prouides a remedy alwaies in iudgment remembring mercy And in this theâ— Returne there was great cause of ioy being so great a work of Gods mercy For 1. God seemed now to forget the causes of their Captiuity their idolatry their contempt of his Ministers with other hainous and foule sinnes which brake out so farre that there was no remedy 2. Cron. 36.15 But now he graciously returneth therefore certainly those sinnes are forgiuen them 2. They had now a long time beene exposed to all the enemies wrath who had vnmercifully oppressed and slaine them and cruelly dasht their infants braines against the stones carried them farre from house and home among heathens and strangers to them and to the Couenant strangely vsed them not suffering them any house or harbour but let them spend their time in weeping by the waters side exposed to all iniury of winde and wether of men and beasts But now as health is sweet after a long disease so is liberty after a long bondage Here is great cause to reioyce for temporall freedome from corporall misery 3. Their shame and reproch in captiuity was infinite the Aduersaries on one hand insult and call for their Hebrew songs on the other hand their Citie Babel whither they weâ—e carryed being the Metropolitan and head of the Monarchy at that time all the people of the knowne world resorted thither and carryed into all Countries the Iewes reproch But now the Lord hath remoued their shame and published from thence to all the world their glorious deliuerance 4. In Captiuity they were but ciues mundi men of the world but now they are ciuâ—s ecclesiae members of the Church that Country being a testimony to the godly that they belonged to Gods Couenant and to that heauenly Canaan of which that was a type Now their Captiuity was an abdication from the familie of God and being spoyled of these good things how could they thinke but that they were cast out from God from the Couenant from heauenly Canaan aswel as earthly But now they are receiued againe into the family and people and Country of God their title to heauenly Canaan is renewed and for this they reioyce 5. Whereas the Babylonians had robbed the Citie but especially had defaced and burned the Temple profaned both it and all holy things and set vp the abomination of desolation in stead thereof that now where God was worshipped of his owne people according to his will the diuell was worshipped by Heathens and Infidels Now the Lord hauing raised Syon out of the dust hee hath reared his Temple and his Worship againe hee hath cast out the filth and pollution by which they defiled his Temple hee hath set vp againe the shining lights in the Temple standing vp in golden Candlestickes hee hath set the sweet-bread on his Table the booke of the Law is restored againe and the holinesse of the Lord shines againe in all his ordinances God enioyes his worship and glory They enioy their land and peace and sit safe vnder his protection as in times past And these are the great things whereof they now reioyce Now to the application This day are these things performed in our eares who may truly say with the Church of Israel The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce We will not goe so farre backward as if time would giue leaue we might to compare the Lords generall mercies to vs with theirs wherein we are not inferiour giuing vs a land as rich more large peace more stable Kings and Princes as Sauiours and Iudges leading vs along to Canaan the couenant of grace as peculiar more sure to vs than to them What Oracles had they which we haue not yet we haue what they had not Had they worship in shadowes we haue it in substance Had they good things in promise and expectation we in the very thing and full accomplishment Christ was to come of them but he is come vnto vs. I will only speak of our deliuerance froÌ„ Babylon of which the Church here speaketh That Rome is Babylon the learned Iesuites themselues coÌ„fesse And if they did not we could easily shew that one egge is not liker another than Rome is to Babylon As in this Collation 1. Babel was the great Citie that must rule ouer all nations Gen. 10.10 And Rome is the great Citie that must rule ouer all Cities and Churches her Bishop must be Head and Monarch of the Church and set himselfe aboue all that is called God 2. At Babel was the first confusion of tongues Gen. 11.7 In and from Rome is the confusion of tongues and of errors one not vnderstanding another in the word or sacraments or other their seruices All is in a strange language to them 3. At Babel was horrible superstition and wickednesse in Priests and people and thence it spread all abroad Rome is a sinke of superstition and filthinesse and all nations haue drunke of her cup and beene made drunke with her horrible enchantments and wickednesse 4. Babel held the Church in slauery seauenty yeares so the Church of Christ hath beene oppressed a long time vnder the tyrannie of the Romish Church 5. Babel robbed and spoyled the Church of her treasures and the Temple of God and horribly polluted it Rome hath robbed the Christian world of infinite treasures by fraud and deceit selling for millions that which was not worth the dust of mens feet And the Church by her hath beene robbed of the word the Sacraments the offices of Christ and most comfortable doctrines the chiefe dowry and reuenew that Christ her Head gaue her 6. Babel most miserably intreated the Church Psalm 137.1 Her eyes did nothing but drop downe teares day and night And she prouided a furnace to cast such in as would not worship the image Dan. 3.6 All bookes and writings of the Church are full of the bloody cruelty by all instruments of cruelty and all plots of cruelty in the Romane Church both the head and the members Now that our deliuerance from Romish power and plots is as great a work to reioyce in as this of Israel from their captiuitie is easily proued 1. God hath broke the yoke of the King of Babel the Romish Nebuchadnezzar from off our neckes when we lay among the pots by that great Cyrus King Henry the 8. who thrust out the Pope and Papall power cut the sinewes of their strength cast out the Canaanites that were in the land pulled downe the dens of theeues and robbers and set his people to build an house for the Lord God of Israel As great a worke as euer the people of this nation saw either attempted or executed All the Kings before him durst not meddle well they might mourne vnder their bondage and murmure at the Oppressor but did nothing because they durst not 2. When Cyrus had begun the worke Darius commanded