merchandize of them And when in this work it shall be told you that it belongs not to you to meddle with Religion your power is only in things Civil being a Civil Magistrate Do you consider the foundation of honesty is laid in Godliness and all the duties of the second are grounded in the obedience of the first Table That men are to obey you for conscience sake and conscience respects God only and if you set their consciences at liberty in the things of God sinfully you may expect that God shall let their consciences loose from obedience unto you judicially for furely they that are to obey you only out of conscience to God if they make no conscience of obedience to him it cannot be rationally expected that they should be conscientious in obedience towards you The Magistrate is to rule with God and his great care is to be that nothing provoke God to depart from his Government for what ever men imagine it is the Lord that builds the house that keeps the City Ezech. 10.2 and fire taken off the Altar burns more fiercely when scattered over the City then common fire Let therefore the great things of Christ and of his Gospel be your care and be you very vigilant against all the wiles of Antichrist for he is a Beast issuing out of the Earth Rev. 13.11 of a base original and yet growing up insensibly Stirpium more Mede and his horns are like a Lamb when he speaks like a Dragon The more subtilty there is in this Adversary the greater circumspection is required in you So shall you be chosen Instruments in the Lords hand to keep this people from returning to Babylon so shall you eminently serve your Generation lay down your sword in peace and the ruine intended endeavored upon this City shall not be in your hands which is the humble and hearty prayers of him who is Yours to serve you in the Gospel VV. S. A Voice from Heaven Calling the People of God to a perfect separation from mystical BABYLON REV. 18.4 And I heard another voice from Heaven saying Come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues THis Book sets forth the state of the Church and of the Empire under the two last heads of the fourth Beast and it contains in it in reference to the Empire three great Prophesies First of the Seals which I conceive refer unto Rome Pagan Secondly Of the Trumpets which refer unto Rome Christian after the time of Constantine the Emperour Thirdly Of the Vials which refer unto Rome Antichristian after the Apostasie spoken of 2 Thes 2.3 There must come a falling away first that the man of sin may be revealed the son of perdition the rise of Antichrist is set down in this Book Ch. 13. under the representation of two Beasts noting his double power one temporal so he is a Beast arising out of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns The other Ecclesiastical so he is a Beast arising out of the Earth having two horns like a Lamb c. and his ruin is described Chap. 16. where are set down the several steps and degrees thereof These words of the Text refer unto the time of the fifth Vial which is to be poured out upon the Throne of the Beast Chap. 16.10 which in this Chapter is more fully set forth with the manner and the several circumstances thereof when a mighty Angel shall cry with a strong voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul spirit and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird These words now read unto you Quamobrem aliquot Electi delitescunt adbuc in eluvione Romanae impietatis quorum Deus meminit in communi perditione improborum Bright are taken out of Jer. 51.45 My people go ye out of the midst of her and deliver ye every man his own soul from the fierce anger of the Lord and they contain in them two things first An exhortation unto the people of God who are yet supposed to be mixt amongst the Romish Idolaters yea even then when Rome comes to receive its last plagues in these words come out of her my people Secondly The reason given thereof taken from a double evil First of sin that ye be not partakers of her sins Secondly of suffering that ye receive not of her plagues Two things are to be spoken of by way of explication before I can propose the Doctrine which I intend and they are these First What is meant here by Babylon Secondly What is the destruction which is here threatned unto Babylon First what is meant by Babylon for the understanding thereof we read Chap. 17. ver 3 4 5. Of a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured Beast full of names of Blasphemy c. and her name was written in her forehead Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots Babylon therefore here spoken of is described to be a Woman and vers 18. the Woman is interpreted to be that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth so that Babylon in the sense of the holy Ghost is a great City and that antient Babylon cannot be here meant is plain partly because the ruin thereof was prophesied Isa 21.9 Jer. 51.64 Thus shall Babylon sink and shall not arise from the evil that I will bring upon her Which threatnings were inflicted long before Saint Johns time but the City here spoken of did then raign over the Kings of the Earth and John in this book doth speak of nothing but the things that were and that should come to pass hereafter as appears Chap. 1.19 Write the things which thou hast seen the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter It appears also because the Spirit of God hath given us two words of purpose to keep us off from a literal sense one Chap. 11.8 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritually called Sodom and Egypt it is a City therefore that is here spoken of that hath the name of Sodom and Egypt yet not to be literally but spiritually understood and the other is Chap. 17.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mysterie Babylon the Great it is not therefore to be literally but mystically interpreted and what City in S. Johns time did rule over the Kings of the Earth but Rome called every where in this Book the great City and by Historians Orbis totius compendium orbis terrarum lux regina c. Cum caput illud Oâ—bis â—ccidet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse caeperit quis dubitet venisse jam finem rebuâ— humanis orbique terrarum Illa est enim civitas quae adhuc sustentat omnia c. Ne Tyrannus lumen illud effodiat cujus interitu mundus ipse lapsurus est Lactan. de divin praem lib. 7. cap. 25. Yea and A Lapide himself though a Jesuit doth
acknowledge all this to be meant of Rome and can be understood of nothing else only he refers it to Rome in the latter dayes of the world his Observation upon Chap. 18. is this Nota Romam meretricem esse mercatricem cauponam quae vine suo omnes inebriat dementat And this is called mystically Babylon upon a double account First because of their resemblance in sin First in pride and Self exaltation Babylon the glory of Kingdoms the Beauty of the caldeans excellency Isa 13.19 So Rome she saith in her heart I sit as a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow Revel 18.7 Secondly In Tyranny and cruelty Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lords hand that made all the Earth drunken the Nations have drunk of her wine therefore are the Nations mad Jer. 51.7 So mystical Babylon is a woman that sits upon many waters rides upon the Scarlet coloured Beast and hath a golden cup in her hand and she was found drunk with the blood of the Saints and the Martyrs of Jesus Rev. 17.6 Thirdly In their Witchcraft and Sorcery therefore Caldeans and Southsayers are commonly put one for another most of them being Magicians and addicted unto those unlawfull Arts So Mystical Babylon by her Sorceries are all Nations deceived Rev. 18.23 Which sometimes makes me fear Popery in England much the more because it cannot but be apparent unto every judicious man that Sorcerie grows common amongst us and we have many instances that as Heresie and Cruelty so Heresie and Sorcery have gone together Secondly It is called Babylon because of the likness in the punishment First The Vengeance upon Babylon was the Vengeance of the Temple Jer. 50.28 the Violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitants of Sion say and my blood upon the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem say Jer. 51.35 So it shall be with Mystical Babylon in her was found the blood of of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth and the Lord will avenge this blood of his servants at her hand and will give them blood to drink for they are worthy Rev. 16.18 19.2 Secondly The destruction of Babylon did come suddenly these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day the loss of children and widdowhood they shall come upon thee in their perfection in the multitude of thy Sorceries and the great abundance of thy Inchantments Isa 47.9 So will the Lord deal with mystical Babylon she shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation her plagues shall come in one day Death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire For strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Rev. 11.10 18.8 Thirdly The destruction of Babylon shall be perpetual it shall never be built never be inhabited nor dwelt in from Generation to Generation but the wild Beasts of the Desart shall lie there Owls shall dwell there and Satyrs dance there Isa 13.20,21 The same is said of mystical Babylon also No crafts-man shall be found any more in thee the sound of the Milstone shall be heard no more in thee the light of the candle shall shine no more in thee but thou shalt become the habitation of Devils and the cage of every unclean and hateful Bird Rev. 18.2.22,23 Secondly what is the destruction threatned to Mystical Babylon in this Book Duplex Babylonis interitus in hisce vaticiniis primo pro urbe Bestiae regia puta urbe Romana deinde pro Civibus aut Civitate Romana quam constituit Papa c. Mede clavis Apoc. Cap. 11. there is a double ruin overthrow denounced against her First as Babylon is taken for the City called the Throne of the Beast Rev. 13.2 sc that which was unto the Heathen Emperours the Metropolis or Imperial City this was given to this new Beast and becomes his Throne also Rev. 13.2 Thus Babylon is to be destroyed under the fifth vial Rev. 16.10 and unto this destruction the words of the Text refer Secondly Babylon is not only taken for the City but the Citizens the inhabitants thereof the chief part of which are the Pope Cardinals Bishops with their several Religious Orders who after the burning of the City by the ten Kings shall escape by flight and shall send forth their Emissaries unto the Kings of the Earth not subdued by the Lamb and shall prevail with them to joyn in the same interest and stir them up to unite in that great Battail Armageddon where Antichrist with all his scattered troups and his confederates even all the wicked of the Earth shall be destroyed at once for the Lord loves to see them perish together to bind them in bundles to burn This destruction of Babylon is reserved to the last Vial that upon the Ayr and then shall great Babylon come up into remembrance before God to her utter ruin that her name shall either be blotted out or become a Curse in the Earth Having thus opened the words the Observation which I have pitcht upon is this Doctr. That it is a special duty which the Lord requires of his people living in such times that they make a separation from Mystical Babylon and that especially when her ruin draws near For the opening of it there are two things to be considered First What separation is required Secondly What are the grounds and the reasons of it First What kind of separation doth the Lord require of his people this we are the more narrowly to look into because it is a controversie between us and them and the question as Cardinal Perron proposeth it is Liceatne à communione visibilis Ecclesiae discedere Cameron opusc miscel pag. 522. therefore I must give you this distinction First There is a separation that is a sin Secondly There is a separation that is a duty First There is a separation that is a sin These are they that separate themselves sensual not having the Spirit Jude 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Decompound may seem to note thus much that they separate and separate till they have forsaken all the true Churches of Christ upon Earth many there are for this kind of Separation who say there are no true Churches Ordinances Ministery and with the foot of pride and contempt not only depart from them all but kick at them Unto these I would only say three things First this Doctrine doth at once destroy the whole plot of this Book of the Revelation wherein the Lord shews unto John all things that should be acted for his Church unto the end of the World and the Spectators thereof which are as the Chorus and upon every occasion give their Acclamations are the Churches First The Church is here meant because first there is Gods presence amongst his people his Throne is there
his aim in all that he did Brevi efficiam ut anathema sit esse Papistam And we have the more need to be stirred up hereunto because since this Nation departed from Rome there were never greater attempts nor higher hopes to bring us back unto this spiritual Egypt then there are at this day To make this manifest I shall propose to you some of my observations upon the present times which seem to argue a tendency and inclination this way First A Universal unsetling of all things in Religion all the Principles and the Doctrines of Godliness are either denied or disputed though it be true Spiritus Sanctus Scepticus non est Luther which is to me a ground of fear that there is an intent to bring in another Gospel Antichrists Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lye I dare not say I dare not think that this is the intendment of all those that go this way but surely it is finis operis though not operantis Yet I am not without fear that many do it designedly and speak lyes in hypocrisie to that very end when we look upon the rise of Antichrist we shall find that Satan before hand cast out of his mouth a flood after the woman which is interpreted to be the Arian heresie and abundance of corrupt Doctrines accompanying it which though they pass too and fro for some years yet all setled and were gathered into the Sea of Rome at last and it is to be feared Satan hath the same aim at this day though Magistrates and men in Authority may profess never so much against it Imperatores facti sunt Christiani sed diabolus nondum factus est Christianus August Secondly Consider the instruments that are abroad in the World we read of frogs sent out of the mouth of the Beast Rev. 16.13 that is by his especial command and commission and these go forth unto the Kings of the Earth in all shapes and we have cause to fear nay apparent ground to believe that besides the men of corrupt minds risen up among our selves there are many of those sent in among us it were well if we could look upon our Cities Army Navy yea Councels to be free and so much the rather it is to be feared because we see all antient Heresies revived Arians Macedonians Montanists Patripassians yea that conceit of Joachim Abbas Joachim Abbas docebat triplicem doctrinam à tribus personis dimanare doctrinam sc Legis à Patre doctrinam Evangelii quod consignatum habemus à Filio tertiam doctrinam à Spiriu sancto expectandam quam appellat Evangelium aeternum Daven in Colos Cap. 2. v. 2. that there is a Gospel of the Spirit another Gospel then that preached by Christ and to observe by what mean persons these doctrines are vented and yet all the antient Arguments used to maintain them A considering man observing this can hardly imagine but that there be some that do secretly and with the best advantage instil such things into them and that in an unobserved way for they are said to be spirits that is though they act very powerfuly yet invisibly their motions ways and practices are not known Thirdly Consider that constant pressing of liberty of Conscience which if granted must be universal for who hath power to lay a restraint upon one mans conscience more then another and therefore the Patrons of this opinion do plead for a toleration for Popery upon a Religious account and that it is no more to be imposed upon then any other perswasion as also that doctrine of Mariana the Jesuite Marian. c. 10. Cont. Volit l 2. Cap. 16. now so generally insisted upon and pleaded for Princeps nil stauat de Religione The Magistrate is not to meddle with matters of Religion there were two Doctrines antiently which of necessity brought in Popery though a man knew-nothing else of that Religion sc That the true Church cannot err and that the Church of Rome is that true Church Now there are two other principles sprung up in the world First that the word in the heart and the Spirit working there is not to be tryed and examined by the word in the Book that being but a dead letter and for the Spirit to be examined by the word is a minoration thereunto Secondly as the word must not try the spirits of men so Magistrates have nothing to do with their Religion These two principles received lay all open to Popery or Atheism And if Popery as a Religion receive but a Toleration and the same Countenance that others do it being a Religion most agreeable to Nature as corrupt and so exactly fitted to it it will soon have the most followers for when Popery first appeared in the world the whole world wondred after it as it had done after Arianism a little before Fourthly Look to the Apostacy of the present age men falling from all things in Religion and with an impudent face denying deriding all the Scriptures the Trinity the Godhead of Christ his sufferings and satisfaction Justification by imputed Righteousness the Law of God as the Rule of Obedience and whatsoever Doctrines Christian Religion is built upon now we know that a great Apostacy did make way for Popery 2 Thes 2.3 God giving them up to believe a lye and by this means the man of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawless one was revealed and there is great cause to fear that the present Apostacy amongst us may have such a tendency for we see men fall from one thing to another untill they hold to nothing in matters of Religion such an Apostacy as I think I may without breach of Charity say that hath not been the like in any Christian Church since that great Apostacy before named and being thus become as it were an outward Court may we not fear that God should give us over to be trodden down of the Antichristian Gentiles again and not receiving truth in the love of it he should give us up to believe that lye Fifthly If we consider farther that Antichrist shall have yet a day for it the time of the killing of the witnesses being yet to come For they must Prophesie in sackcloth and ashes a thousand two hundred and sixty daies which is Contemporary with the whole reign of Antichrist which is two and forty months and if we take the beginning from the division of the Empire into ten Kingdoms The ten Kings receiving Power the same hour with the Beast I cannot find upon any account the time of their Prophesie in Sackcloth and Ashes to be fulfilled and if so their killing time and the insulting of the Antichristian party over their dead bodies because they were dead that tormented those that dwell on the Earth must be yet to come and that neer unto the time of Antichrists ruine and who knows yea hath not every one reason to fear that the present Apostacy and defection may lay the ground of and prepare