that one place was the other Commaundement enforced Nay the Apostle vnto Timothy as opposing to that sayth that now It is lawfull in all places to hold vp pure hands without wrath and doubting The Commaundement therefore in respect of the execution was plainely Temporall and as such an Idolatrous House stood opposite to that one-place so Ceremoniall And indeed it well and aptly taught that we should dissolue all conuentions of Schismatikes and Heretiques for bringing them to vnitie with the one Catholique body of Christ Iesus Wherewith let be remembred first that Euery creature since the remouall of the partition Wall which stood betweene the sew and Gentile it is made holy by the word and prayer Secondly for Vse it is lawfull to them that be sanctified and so hold it lawfull To deny this is to Iudaize and in effect not onely to say that the CHRIST is not come but also to blaspheme the libertie whereto Christ hath made vs free Thus the Diuell vnder the colour of Synceritie labours to annull Christianitie But if a man should let the former trueth of doctrine passe and then should put them to prooue that all our materiall Churches were from the very roote Idolatrized should he not put them to an endlesse businesse If they say that from the first Stone they were dedicated to some Idol-saint it is more then they can proue howsoeuer since for distinction sake or otherwise they haue had some Names put vpon them But admit it from the begining of their very Forme what reason can there be of vnlawfulnes to pray in them more then of praying in Amsterdams Churches librarie except they there study without Prayer and then it is like to be but a prophane study Or their praying in S. Annes S. Giles or S. Mâ—udlins parioche be it at bed or at board seing these Parioches were dedicated to such Saints as Anne Giles yea some of them to the Paternoster Creede Aue Kyriâ— whereof comes the word Kyrk If they answer that no doubt they may do this so well as Iudahs Prophet Preached before Bethels Alter or S. Pauls vsage of any deuotion in the Ship dedicated to Castâ—r and Pâ—llux I replie euen as lawfull it is for vs to pray in our Churches howsoeuer froÌ„ the foundation deuoted But the ground of such lawfull and well doing rests neither in their or our action But in this that so we do according to the former Doctrine it being a Doctrine according to godlynes directing vs to the true vse of euery creature But as To the Cleane all tâ—ings are cleane so To the vncleane and vnbeleeuing is nothing cleane For euen their â—â—indes and conseiences are vncleane So much of the Materiall Church considered from the Greeke * word Kyriake CHAP. iij. Touching the wordes Synagôgé and Ecclesia c. THe Septuagint that is the Seauentie learned Iewes or as Aristeas writes to his brother Philocratos 72. that is of euery Tribe sixe they at the request of Ptolemy Philadelph one of the Kinges of the South in Daniel did translate the Law into Greeke These in Moses vse the word Sinagoge for Congregation speaking of Israel not of the Tabernacle for if they speake of the Tabernacle then they write Tou martyrÃou of Witnesse not as we of Congregation It may be from the martyring of Beastes in that place whereby their fayth was witnessed to God-ward But in Leâ—iticus 8. 3. they ioyne both Synagogé Ecclesia togeather thus And assemble Pasan ten Synagogén ecclesias The whole Synagogue of the Church The writer of the Mà chabees-storie stiles the same Ecclesián pistôn The Church of Beleeuers In a word these two wordes Synagogé and Ecclesia be vsed each for other in diuine writing whether we intend thereby the place of sacred meetings or the people that so meete in these places 1. Synagogue for the place as Ioh. 16. 2. Act. 13. 14. with other places And Ecclesia for the place as 1. Cor. 11. 18. where the Apostle opposeth that place to their priuate Houses Compare it with vers 22. The like in 1. Cor. 14. 34. 2. Synagogue taken for a Conuention of people as before and also in Reuel 3. 9. And Ecclesia taken for a Conuention of people as afore and in many places of the New Testament yea for an vnciuill hurlie-burly as in Act. 19. 39. 41. called else-where the Beastes of Ephesus â— A certaine Auncient putteth this difference betweene them Ecclesia sayth he is a Conuocation and spokâ—n of reasonable creatures Capable of a calling But Synagôge is properly Congregation and spoken of Beastes of the flocke for such the Latines câ—ll Greges who come togeather rather by câ—action or driuing for so the Greeke word signifieth then by calling vnto as the â—â—rmer word importeth It must needes be graunted for pretty that he hath said but how fitting in Diuinitie it may be guessed by the vse of the wordes in the former allegations I conclude then that the Ecclesiasticall word Kyriake and the two Canonicall namely Synagoge and Ecclesia they all be of vs translated Church intending thereby as in the former Chapter An house of meeting specially for sacred vse or as in this Chapter more plainely they import a People so meeting For in this Discourse we are not to speake as Ciuilians in their Law but as Diuines in our Law CHAP. iiij Touching Church-people THe word Ecclesia or Church doth somtimes intend the whole mysticall Body of Christ Iesus contayning not onely such Christians as be here Militaâ—â— that is fighting against the Diâ—el world and flesh but also that part of the holy Armie which hauing in the last act of life trod Satan vnder foote are now in Heauen Triumphant In some good sense the good Angels Our Fellow-seruants and of our Brethren the Prophets may be put into the Churches Albe But seeing by Church we properly vnderstand Mankind with whose nature he hath Communicated not with that of Angels I therefore in this Discourse must so be vnderstood And passing by the triumphant Church as they haue passed from the Sanctum here to the Sanctum sanctorum aboue we are to consider this Militant Church as it is Knowen to God or as it is Knowen to Vs. As it is knowen to God so The Lord not we doth know who are his And in that sense the Church is to vs inuisible or vnseeable As it is knowen to vs so it is like vnto Noahs Arke containing not onely a reuerend Shem but an hollow-hearted Cham not onely Beastes cleane but also vncleane Or it is like to the Tabernacles Sanctum where were not only holy oblations but also some ashes and light-snufs which were to be cast out of the Sanctam Againe this Militant Church is to be considered not onely in the Whole for which it is called in our Creede The Catholique Church but also in the parts whereof euery Society is termed a Communion of Saâ—â—tes By which
the Church being onely the Piller and Ground of that trueth The veritie of all which was typed out in the Auncient Church before Christ came in the flesh Before the Flood for 1656. yeares the Church remayned in some few Families After the Flood in a few Families till the guift of the Law at Mount Horeb or Sinaj Then the Church began to be more visible and of more glorious constitution first in the Wildernesse then after in Canaan till the time of Salomons sonne Rehoboam Then ten Trybes schisme from the two leauing the two in some orderly state but betaking themselues to grieuous Idolatrie Yet during the times of such Idolatrie God did not leaue them but stirred vp many excellent Prophets among them as Elias Elisha Ionah Amos and others togeather with excellent Schooles of Prophets as at Bethel and Iericho till such time as Assur caried them away captiue In meane time the case stood farre better with the Church in Iudah till the Lord for their sinnes sake suffred Nebuchadnezar of Babel to carry them captiue to Babel There they continued 70. yeares without exercise of Sacrifice At the 70. yeares end they are permitted by the next Monarchist to repaire home for building the sacramentall Citie and Temple But some seauen seauens of yeares euen 49 yeares as Gabriel foretold Daniel it was ere that worke could be finished From that time they continued vnder the gouernment first of the Medes Persians represented by Nebuchadnetsars siluery Breast and Armes Then vnder the Brasen Monarchy of the Greekes Afterwardes vnder the Duarchie of Egipt and Syria the first South from Iudeà the second North as Daniel plainely foretold them And so they reach to Christ that Stone cut from the Mountaine who dashed that Image of Nebuchaanetsars to powder When Christ came we finde the Church as for some 600. yeares it had been quite out of order and very few of them that could brooke the Lord of life or his sauing Gospell Principall Starres for this Storie S. Luke layeth downe when as he giues vs the most glorious persons in succession of pedigree from the first Adâ—m to the second that is vnto Christ Iesus who is blâ—ssed for euer From which holy typicall Storie I conclude first an Euer visibilitie of the Church Secondly but such a visibilitie as inow was more inow lesse inow glorious inow the glory eclipsed inow in constitution inow shaken asunder Nor can it be thought strange that the Daughter I meane the Christian Church brought foorth of mother Zion should be subiect to such mutabilitie and change when as she hath not been inferiour to her Mother for sinne and therefore as capable of iudgement To flesh and blood it is indeed somewhat harsh that Christes Diademe in the earth should be at any time deiected as may appeare by Ethan in Psal. 89. but such deiection is the Churches lot before the second comming of Christ as it was before his first comming And that it should so fall out himselfe foretels in Math. 24. the mysterie whereof begun to worke in the Apopostles times as the Apostle tels the Thessalonians This poynt I conclude with that of Bullinger Omnibus temporibus retinet sibi Dominus ecclesiam etiam in medio corruptissimi mundi et in medio haeresum schismatum atque corruptionum Tempora illa speaking of mother Zion â—ypum praetulere vltimis nostris temporibus in quibus ho die viuimus CHAP. vj. Touching a visible Christian a visible Christian society and a visible Christian society established AFter the deuision of Israels ten Tribes from Iudah for Benjamin being mixt with Iudah was so couched vnder that tearme togither with some of Leuj the people of the world was distinguished Israel being dispearsed as afore into Iew and Gentile So that who was not of the Iewes were called Gentiles The difference betweene which two sortes of people stood thus ¶ The Iew was a people possessed of the Couenant made to Abraham namely That in his Seed all the kindreds of the earth should be blessed He sayth not to thy Seeds as speaking of many but and to thy Seed as of one which is CHRIST Besides of them were the Prophets and to them was the adoption and the glory and couenants and the gift of the Law and the seruice of God and the promises Of whom were the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen So that the Iewes were as Salomons seruantes standing before him as in his chamber of presence hauing all means to make them truely blessed An easie matter therefore for them had not wilfull pieuishnesse hindred them to haue become true visible Christians For the Gentiles they were as the Apostle tels the Ephesians without Christ and were Aliants from the common wealth of Israel and were strangers from the couenants of promise and had no hope and were Atheoi without God in the world Yea they were not onely destitute of all sauing Good but possessed with all euill By the worke of Creation they were necessarily drawen to acknowledge an inuisible Power for the Creator which they called God as the world is of Mercury Trismegistos called Gods sonne and that this God was Heis d' est ' antogenes One and of hiâ—â—selfe as a most ancient Poet Orpheus teacheth in his Hymne of God together with other excellent respects of God but wheÌ„ they should come to worship him they went a whoring after their owne inuentions comming to that one God by a thousand-thousand Idoles seeking God downe in the Creature whereas by the Creature as by Iaacobs Ladder they should haue clymed vpwards to the Creator An hard matter thus it was for a Gentile to become a true Christian. But as things impossible with man are possible with God so after the Lord had taken a first-fruites of the Iewes as Apostles and others he takes this wild Oliue of the Gentiles and plants it in the stocke of the Iewes that thencefoorth they might become children of Abraham by liuing in the fayth of Abraham 1 Who then is to vs a true visible Christian Euen Hee be hee Iew or Gentile that holds the fayth of Abraham And what was the fayth of AbrahaÌ„ This he beleeued that God would raise vp a Seed euen Christ out of his seed in whom alone himselfe and others should receiue the eternall blessing for earthly blessinges he saw to be flitting and therefore looked after a better as the Apostle enformeth the Hebrewes How was this blessing to be effected That he was taught from the Analogie of Sacrifice namely that the Messiah should feele the fierie indignation of God and by his death make satisfaction for Sinne. Adam lyued by the same Fayth expecting the promised Seed of the Woman which should breake the head of the Serpent And that Fayth Habel testified in sacrificing his Lambe Sheth Enosh and the rest knew no other Fayth And Noahs
ostendit probat discipulum Tho. Aquinas in Lect. 4. super Galat. 3. see him also on Rom. 3. his tongue turned to English runnes thus No Workes either Ceremoniall or Morall are the cause why any man is iust before God For Workes are not the cause that man is iust but the execution and manifestation of his iustice because no man is iustified with God by his Worke but by the habite of Fayth infused Let the Romanist wrangle in the abuse of Distinction so long as they shall euen through their Church as they will haue it it hath through all ages passed for vndoubted trueth that vnto Iustification with God no one externall Worke whatsoeuer no not of Baptisme or Circumcision hath once been required for essentiall to the sauing-being of a Christian but Sola fides Fayth onely which is internall and the guift of God also But to become a Christian visible vnto others there is required such outward Workes as fruites whereby we may be well perswaded of the Fayth that is inward as the inward life of the tree which is vnseeable otherwise then in the fruites flowing from it The first fruite of which Fayth to vs-ward is a free Confession that the heart so beleeueth For sayth the Apostle with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation The second speciall Worke is subiection to Baptisme the seale of their iustification annexed to the word of beleefe and therefore the Apostles commission ran thus First Preach and then Baptize Nor would the Eunuch so instantly haue craued Baptisme had not Philip taught the necessitie thereof True it is that it is not necessarie to saluation simply but conditionally as it may be conueniently had But Contempt or wilfull Omission is as damnable as Esaus base thought of Canaan and king Ahaz his hypocriticall shew in seeming not to stand in need of a Signe For how can a soule haue true respect to Gods Word when it shall thinke lightly or vilely of that Seale which is suffixed to that Word A third Worke flowing from true Fayth is a Desire of being further informed in the mysterie of the Gospell which the Angels themselues desire to peire into whom notwithstanding it so much concernes not And who will not desire to know the full of their Fathers Will The fourth fruite issuing from true Fayth is to Loue God aboue all and our Neighbour as our selfe and to testifie the trueth of such loue in all duties of Pietie and Iustice as from Gods word shal be manifest Such a soule so beleeuing working is to vs-ward a true visible Christian. 2 A companie of such gathered togeather are a true Christian assemblie or as the Apostle sometimes calles them finding them in some house a Church of God Which caused Tertullian to conclude thus Vbi tres Ecclesia est licet Laicj Where be but three although Lay-men there is a Church 3 A company of such not only gathered togeather but also possessed of spiritual Ouerseers and Seruitours for the regiment of the whole by Doctrine and Discipline such a people be a true visible constituted Church For as the common sort of them be but as an Eare for hearing so their Ouerseers be as an Eye for seeing and the Seruitours as necessarie Hands to their Ouerseers As the Apostle then can say If all the Body were an Eye where were the hearing So I by like proportion If all were Eye and Eare where were the power of conuayance betweene them CHAP. vij Touching the Ministers of an established Church THE auncient Church of Israel had constituted vnto it two sortes of Ministers Priestes Leuites The Priestes againe were deuided into 2. sortes first in that one was to be Hy-priest not onely for a yeare as was the corruption at last but for the whole tearme of life and he onely might enter into the Sanctum sanctorum and in other businesses was principall In the second place were many other Priestes attending the dayly Sacrifice which after by Dauid were for better order distributed into 24. Classios Of the Leuites simplie so called for otherwise the Priestes were of Leuj they were deuided into two rankes each knowing what partes of the Tabernacle he was to wind vp and carry the one sort of them called Gershomites the other Merarites as all the Priestes were called Kohathites according to the Heads of the Families they came of But when Dauid prepared for a Standing house vnto the Lord he distributed them into other Orders for other purposes as in 1. Chro. 25. and this by no particular precept from the Lord otherwise then from the generall rule whereto Naturall reason leadeth namely That all in the Church should be done with comlynesse and order Another sort of Ministers God prouided for that Church and these were the Prophets and Prophetisses stirred vp out of what tribe soeuer These were not constituted to the Tabernacle or Temples businesses but raysed vp of God besides any ordinarie forme of calling specially for calling Priest and people into order when they erred from the commandement And as their calling for forme sake was extraordinarie so they were furnished with guifes extraordinarie both for knowledge and strange workes working The Ordinarie ministrie therfore constituted to the Church were Priestes Leuiâ—es the extraordinarie ministrie tyed not directly to any one place or people they were such Prophets tearmed of elder times Seers This for that Churches ministrie ¶ The New-testaments Church hath her ministerie proportionable to her Mother Some for calling and qualification Ordinarie some againe Extraordinarie Extraordinarie were these Apostles Prophets Euangelistâ— all whose Outward forme of calling so well as qualification was besides the generall rule Apostles and Prophets hauing their calling immediatly from God howsoeuer the Church might adde sometimes their seale vnto it as in the sending out of Paul and Barnabas The Euangelistes had their calling immediatly from the Apostles and sometimes I doubt not from the Prophets being indeed to these that called them but as godly trustie seruantes as Elisha was to Elias Geâ—èzi should haue been to Eâ—isha The ordinarie ministerie were Bishops Deacons the first being as the Eye of the Church therfore in English called Ouer-seers the other as the Churches hands for better dispatch of some dueties therefore in English called Ministers and Seruitours And into these two sortes as Maister and Man the Apostle distributes them in 1. Tim. 3. But then these Bishops called also Elders for that ordinarily they were such for their yeares they be of two sortes one of them hauing preheminence for place and voyce as the Hy-priest ouer his brethren and for that in Râ—uel 2. 3. hee is styled The Angel of the congregation and very fitly for his place may be tearmed Arch-bishop which is in plaine English but chiefe Bishop or chiefe Ouerseer Obiection Christ is the onely Arch-bishop of
Prayer specially he being a Priest vnto God and deuoted to Prayer By this little taste iudge of our Aduersaries learning and discretion though I of many be most vnfitted to propound it 4. Touching their exception at Capitall letters an exception now very vulgare the case standes thus There be in the Common-seruice Booke certaine great Letters within whose Circumference the Grauer of these Letters hath sometimes put certaine Pictures resembling Triton Hercules c. For which diuers doe charge the Booke for an vpholder of Idolatrie I answere it is nothing to the Matter because not of the Bookes matter Nor is the Matter a pinne the worse though the Manner of conuaying it be not so sutable as may be If there be a fault in the Fashion blame the Taylor not the Wearer These Spirites by like proportion may rayle vpon euery Bible as an vpholder of Corruption Why for that euery Printer wil be found to haue fayled in something as in mistaking a Letter displacing a Poynt c. Secondly if they so stumble at the Pictures of persons that haue been idolatrized why not also at the Picture of a Rose which some Mahumetistes venerate as sproung of the blood of the most lasciuious Goddesse that the Gentles ouer had namely Venus others of them for that it had as they say the originall from the sweat sweete sweat of their Prophet Mahomet a sweete sweatie Prophet vpon which superstitious conceites the Rose may not forsooth fall to the ground And why with as good reason doe they not reiect the two Capitall letters T and X the first hauing been idolatrized as the Crosse of Christ the other as the Crosse of S. Andrew Or why contend they not about the Capitall I which being the fashion of a Piller vnder which forme it is sayd of Clemens Alexandrine the Gentiles did worship God they might also entitle it a Monument of Idolatrie The Apostle forbids men to contend about Wordes and these hold it a vertue to make warre about Letters yea about the very Ornament of Letters I perceiue that they will play small play ere they sit out for wranglers Though it be not alwayes of Absolute necessitie that there be a Leitourgie yet respectiuely times may bring with them a deepe necessitie thereof And if any times then these times for if no forme be concluded of but euery one left to his owne discretion herein as the Apostles iustly were they being filled with spirit of Discretion not one Congregation wil be like another But as among the Romanistes the multiplicitie of Monckerie begot multiplicitie of Differences euery one affecting so his owne Order as therewithall grew a contempt of the other so this Church would so affect this Forme and that Church that Forme and a third a third forme c. as therewithall would arise such praysinges dispray singes likinges dislikinges as no one Parioch would be at quiet with another nor any possible vnitie among the Teachers Let it remaine then for Orthodoxall not onely that such a Leitourgie is lawfull but also for begetting and continuing vnitie that such an vniforme Leitourgie is very expedient and needfull With the Apostle to the Corinths he there handling also matters of Order in the Church I thus conclude If any man lust to be contentious we haue no such custome nor the Churches of God CHAP. xij Touching the Beginning of the Christian Chruch c. VVHen the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a Woman who being aged about 30. yeares the age whereat the Koâ—athite began to waite at the Altar did then publiquely fall a preaching and of gathering Disciples vnto him About three yeares a halfe after he suffered and was buried The third day after he arose and for fourtie dayes after he appeared to his Disciples specially to eleuen of them who are called Apostles Then he ascended vp into Heauen and ten dayes after the Apostles then being conuened in an house in Ierushalem he raines downe Guiftes vpon his Disciples by the which they were not onely fitted to Teach and Gouerne the Church but also furnished with all Language and power of Myracles They so furnished doe take to themselues Assistants called Euangelistes or Prophets and the Church of Ierushalem being shaken asunder they to Samaria and so to the vttermost partes of the earth as they were of Christ foretold and commaunded immediatly before his Ascension And as they were before commaunded to cry that as vpon the house-top which he had told them as in the eare so they repaire vnto the most publique and populous Cities which were Head-townes to the Countrie adiacent So they preached in Ephesus Corinth Colossus Philippi Thessalâ—nia Rome c. that so the Christian fayth might not onely beat the Diuel at first hand out of his principall fortes but also from these Head-townes the Law might goe out to their Pagies or Villagies which Pagies receiued the Gospell at second hand and so subiected themselues to the Church in their Citie And because many Pagies were long ere they came to the Fayth being much remote from the holy meanes in the Citie they came to be called Paganes in an ill sense as Infidels whereas before it was but the tearme that belonged to the inhabitants of these Pagies or Country places Heere I could note and it is worthy the noting that the Countrie Christians howsoeuer meeting in some Countrie house might be tearmed a Church as before yet they made not an established Church The Church for plenarie power of doctrine and gouernement was stablished in the Citie that city-City-church exercising her iurisdiction ouer Country assemblies came to be called the Metropolitane Church and the like Ecclesiastique Histories make this poynt plaine and easily from the Apostles Actes and Epistles the thing may be collected The Bishop of Brownisâ—â— must needes in this ioyne with mee seeing his Established Church at Amsterdam in Netherland exerciseth authoritie ouer some assemblies in England and elswhere which is a Bishoppricke of more length by many hundred myles then any Bishop in England hath besides that betweene him and some of his Sheepes dwelling plots there is a large Sea if not Seas by the which he is not like to ride somuch as once in a yeare through the Suburbes of his Church for keeping Visitations But what doe I following that squeaking Lapwinge As the Apostles were appoynted to take possession for Christ from one corner of the earth to another and to the Romaines he testifieth that their sound then was gone through the earth as Dauid also foretold in the 19 Psalme though in amâ—sterie so that blessed gladâ—tidinges was brought into Britaine and our predecessors then barbarous rude naked and painted with Woad were amongst others of Iaphets seede allured by the sweetnesse of the Gospell to come into Shems Tent and to worship one and the same true God the Father of Christ Iesus That some of the Apostles or
ocio juxta Babylonem Bethlehemetica forsuan Rura suspas Nor can he in this speach be thought to take Rome for Babylon in respect of time passed alone but that it was such for the time present else why should Fabiola sigh after Bethleems fieldes againe Andreas Archbishop of Cesarea in Cappadoce sayth the same thus Vetus Roma in Canonica B. Petri Babylonis vocabuso designatur And Ansbertus hath this S. Iohn vocat Romam Babylonem illam secundam And so minded be diuers others Some take the mysticall Babylon opposite to Ierushalem onely for such an vniuersall corporation of Christians as liue not according to the Ghospell or more plainely for the Multitude of Reprobates So doth Haymo and others And indeed I vnderstand a trueth to be in both For as S. Iohn in Reuelation 17. doth depaint out Rome â— first by the 7 Hilles according to no other Citie and secondly by this that it then raigned ouer the Kinges of the Earth which then Rome did it being the Monarchicall Citie so likewise that City-fornicatrix he sayth sitteth vpon the Waters which he expoundeth to be people multitudes and nations and tongues that is Nations not of one language but of many So that howsoeuer that Citie be the principall Seate or Sea yet true it is also that Multitudes of people abroad euen of sundry languages are of the the same body and corporation And seeing that body is called an Harlot which tearme properly is giuen to such a one as hath defiled the Mariage bed by ioyning her selfe to a Strange flesh and such a one no Christian can be that shakes not of Fayth in Christ for betrothing it selfe to some humaine inuention it necessarily followeth that all such people doe make vp that fornicating Body as seeke their iustification with God by any other meanes then by Fayth in Christ onely Nor can it intende the spirituall fornication which Heathen haue with their Idols seeing that is no Mystery or Secret but this is as S. Paul and S. Iohn call it And a Mystery must this needes be to hold Christ Iesus the Sauiour and yet vnderhand to seeke saluation by their owne worke much like to some Harlot that will fight and contende for her Husband and yet sometimes steale aside and say with her in the Prouerbes Stole Bread is sweete Such is my iudgment of this mysticall Babylon called also an Harlot ¶ For the Beginning and continuance of this Babel the cause standeth thus Satan that taught Adam to neglect the Tree of life and so consequently the Sonne of God in whom our life is hid taught him also to seeke a life God-like in his owne worke opposite to Gods appoyntment Heere was the beginning of Babel that is in English of Corfusiâ— for herewith not onely all thinges in Man but also Earth and all things in it became Confused and out of Order Cain his eldest Sonne continued this worke opposite to our great Shem by seeking happinesse in the outward worke of Sacrifice without Fayth in Christ Iesus howsoeuer he would be thought to haue Fayth in the blessed Seed promised to his Father in Paradise To Cain succeded others in the same euill going an whoring after their owne inuentions till the Flood tooke them away After the Flood Cham and Câ—naan reare vp this mysticall Babel againe whom Shems people after subdued as Noah fore-prophecied But the Duell hauing broched this Wine once he leaues not off till he made many in the Iewish Church euen the strict Pharises that ages Puritanes to seeke iustification with God by the workes of the Law Our Sauiour comming in our Nature taught the people to seeke life in himselfe and the Apostles afterwards inculcate the same Ghospell but the Diuell still raysed some vp in the Christian Church that reuiued the Pharises doctrine as specially may appeare by the Apostles Epistle to the Gaâ—athians In fine the Church of Rome deuiseth a number of workes as Oblations Pilgrimages Censinges Deuotions to Images with a thousand the like in doing whereof the doers should be iustified euen ex opere â—â—orato by vertue of the outward worke wrought And to merit at Gods hands by such sleighty workes doing it was so toothsome to flesh and blood as the Kinges of the Nations did readily receiue it and they drinking of that cup their people followed till the Harlots cup of Abhominations made them generally drunken So this opposite Ghospell begun so it encreased and so Babylon was erected ¶ Now for the fall of it S. Iohn in Reuel 17. foretelleth that the former Kinges shall in time arise against the Harlot or Malignant Church wherevpon in chap. 18. he seeth Babeis fall How this is effected he telles in the 19 chapter when he attributes it there to him that rideth on the White horse whose names or titles be these The Word of God the King of Kinges and the Lord of Lordes And S. Paul to the Thessalonians calling the former Corporation a Man of Sinne a Sonne of Perdition a wicked Man because they be all one in an opposition to Christ and his free-grace he declares that the Lord shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth that is by the power of his Ghospell For as the rising was by propounding humaine Fables and leaden Legendes the Ghospell meane time wrapped vp in an vnknowen Tongue so the fall of it wil be by preaching Christes Ghospell in euery Tongue as vnto such purpose to the Apostles were giuen all sortes of Tongues And that the walles of Babel haue been a falling in these partes of the World euer since the time of our Wickliff vntill this hower and that by no sword of man but by the two edged Sword of Gods Word experience and the worke already wrought to Gods prayse will witnesse Tut say the Romanistes the Opposers haue been till now of very late yeares very few weake and simple I answere al the liker to be of God the work wrought to proceed from the power of God for so Christ did conquer the World the Foolish confounding the Wise and the Weake ouerturning the Strong Had our Churches been Reformed by the number and might of man we should not so easily haue seene the power of the Ghospell That therefore which they call our Shame we hold our Glory Decus non dedecus And that the walles of this Babylon will quickly fall flatte on the ground whereby the very Tower of their strength may be easily surprised these Reasons perswade mee 1. First diuers of the Kinges which were as their Bulwarkes are fallen vnto our side and S. Iohn sayth that the rest will follow 2. Secondly as their Tongues at the literall Babel were slit wherevpon that worke declyned so it is well knowne to them that haue conuersed inwardly with them they grow more more deuided in the language of Diuinitie So that Ferus Granatensis Pinâ—us and many able amongst them haue much vnuayled the