Ghost pitch upon sixe and the multiplication of sixe by ten Why you that are conversant in the Latine Bible look Junius his notes and he tells you whereas all the Catholique Church was formerly governed by five books of Decretalls Boniface he did compile a sixth book of Decretalls and called it Sextus you that have the book of Canons may finde it which being said the Pope a perfect number and therefore being added to the former books of Decretalls it maketh up a certain plat-form of direction for all matters of practice and manners in the discipline of the Church and so it is a perfect number of all things to be done in the Church both for doctrine worship and government so the Popes Canons are summed up in his Sextus there is the reason why he makes sixe the foundation all their Administrations are founded and measured out from their Canonâ—Lawes which are all wrapped up in six volumes and the sixth is the most compleat of them all Now if you will aske why this sixe comes to be multiplyed by ten If ye observe it all the government and maintenance of the Roman State is by tenths by tithes all the people must give the tenth to the Priest and the Priest to the Bishop for the mayntenance of the Catholicke Church and so the whole Government comes to be multiplyed maintained and established Thus you see what the number is and the reason why the Holy Ghost calls it so and how he doth oppose it to the contrary number of that which is delivered by the blessed Apostles and followed by the holy Saints of God from one generation to another Put then all these together and all will amount to this That whereas the number of Christ upon which both his followers are built and his Church and all the Dimentions and Administrations of it Their foundation their gates their length heighth and breadth all of them are founded in the Apostolicall doctrine For Christ prayed for his twelve Apostles and all that should believe in his name through their word John 17. 20. It is the comprehension of all Saints to the end of the world whereas they are built upon Apostolicall simplicity both for their State and Church-administrations they are all built upon twelve and multiplyed and enlarged by 12. On the contrary all the Roman Catholickes they are built upon the Popish Lawes and Decrees all which require subjection to the Popish Church and submission to that Church and to the Pope as the head of that Church receiving doctrine and worship and discipline from that Church and that was founded in sixe on the sixe books of their Decrees and it is multiplyed according to the same books to mayntayn all the Clergy from the Pope to the lowest Parish priest And it is wisdome to find this out and it requires heavenly wisdome to see the dangerous state of this and yet they that have wisdome may finde this out and when they search it out They will finde it but the number of a man not of the Angel or of the Apostles or of any messenger of God I remember the speech of one of the Saints of God That it is a most unworthy thing that the Church of Christ should be governed by the Lawes of Antichrist and such were all their sixe books and it is most unworthy that both the Church it selfe and all the Images of it that they are all governed by these sixe bookes and it is most unworthy that Antichrist should govern all the Administrations of the Church that if a man be cited it shall be by a Latine writ and if he appeare he shall be proceeded against according to Canon Lawes and if he be censured it shall be a Canon Law and in Latine and so shall his Absolution be and what pertayns to their whole government it is but founded in these sixe books of Decretals and count them and you shall find them but the number of a man nothing but meerly the wit and policy of men either to keep unity as they say but tyranny in government or to enrich men with fees or maintayne the honour of some Cathedrall person it is all but meer humane invention Now for a man to see not only the Roman Catholicke visible Church to be a Beast but that the Pope the head of it is a beast and the image of that Church is a beast Diocesan Provinciall Nationall and Metropolitan Churches are but images of this great beast and to see all the numbers and rights they thrust upon the Church by Canons they are but the number of the beast the number of a man humane inventions what is appointed by the Church whether Crosse or Surplice or kneeling at the Sacrament they are but the multiplication of Canons Canon multiplyed on Canon but it is still but the power of the Canon this is great wisdome to find it out And it behooves those that have wisdome to consider it and they that consider it shall find it but a meer humane device one as well as another and they will consider which way the State goes and which way the State leanes Though some poor hearts think they are bound to obey the Lawes of the Kingdom and some good souls many times will be tampering with them too much but he that shall observe it shall find it but the number of a man when he doth find it He shall find thus much that if he do believe as God is wont to teach to his people they shall not have the liberty of Commerce in buying and selling nor leave in spirituall or temporall occurrances and dealings with them For the use of it First let it be some word of encouragement and comfort unto all the servants of God that have got the victory over this number though with their losse not to look at their losses as an unexpected thing or new matter but prophecyed of above 1500. years agone John wroâ—e of it in his time what you lost in your liberties in the Church wherein you lived it is no more then what the Lord foretold you that you should not have liberty to buy and sell if you did beare witnesse against the beast and his mark and name and number of his name then there is no abiding for you in any Church in Christendome which is either Catholicke or framed after the image of it as Nationall Diocesan or Cathedral or Provincial it is not possible you should get the victâ—over these things and have liberty of commerce It is not enough that we have cast off the Pope and what is an image of Popery which we sometimes have submitted unto and have born against it and it is not enough to abhor the name of a Papist so far as we have been corrupted It is well that ye have born witnesse against the Hierarchy and the papall government but may we not hearken to the Canon of the Church maintained by a whole National Councel and may we not
Priest also over the Kings of the world in Temporalls Hee had two hornes like a Lamb as the successor of Peter and as if he had nothing but from Christ but he spake like a Dragon When he had once power by his Lamb-like horns he then spake like a Dragon Therefore to speak that which I conceive to be the truth I do look at this first beast as indeed of like condition with the Pope and very nearly joyned to him The Pope is one of the heads and rulers of this Beast but yet distinguished from the beast it selfe and is not the same with the beast This therefore all things weighed according to the Text I conceive to be the first beast the Roman Catholick visible Church The seven heads and ten horns are a clear description of the Roman State Now this State here is neither the Pagan Roman Empire nor the Christian Roman Empire as hath been shewed And therefore it must needs be a third Roman State distinct from the former and succeeding in their place and what is that but the Roman Catholicke visible Church Of this Church the Pope is the head both as universall Bishop over all Churches and chiefly Lord in Temporalls that had both Swords and obtained both Authorities to be highest supream head in Spirituals as also supream head in Temporalls he was Soveraign Governour in all And the Roman-catholick visible Church it comes just in the room of the Roman Empire how was it described The beast that had seven heads and ten horns this comes in his room the one governs all the world in his way and the other all the Churches another way This is the Beast that the Dragon stirs up to make War with the Saints Now to appply this description to this Church for the better understanding of the Text. Qâ— I saw a beast rise out of the Sea You may aske what is the Sea from whence this beast ariseth Answ The Sea is the collection of many waters The gathering together of the waters called the Seas Gen. 1. 9 10. And what are the waters The waters which thou sawâ—st are People and Nations and Languages and Tongues Rev. 17. 15. So then what is the beast here that ariseth out of the Sea It is some soveraign State that ariseth out of the connexion of many Nations into one body as you know the Roman Catholick Church is not confined within the lifts of the City of Rome though there the head is seated but the whole Roman Sea it is well called a Sea in that respect it is that which comprehends all Nations whether subject to the Eastern or Western Emperour yea and other Nations that did not submit themselves to the one or other as if they did recollect themselves as into one Sea all banks are broken down in the Sea yet there is no distinction but all is one Sea one vast body And such is the Roman Catholick visible Church all partitions are here broken downe all Churches make but one visible Catholick Church And again it is well said to arise out of the Sea according to the like description which Daniel makes of the foure Monarchs in Dan. 7. Hee saw the foure windes of heaven strive upon the great Sea and foure Beasts came up from the sea divers one from another From the multiplyed agitations of the Sea it came to passe four great Monarchs did arise Just thus from the tumult of particular Churches did this Beast arise for when they could not agree in the Churches but some were of one minde some of another it was the wisdom as they thought of Christian Princes and Bishops but it was but humane wisdome and was indeed from the Dragon and not from Christ they thought it would be best to have but one church and the Bishop of Rome to be the head though at first they divided them to four but in the end they would have the Bishop of Rome over all that so they might have unity for they say unity springs from one head and unlesse you have one head you cannot have unity Therefore from the particular Church of a Congregation they came to Diocesan from Diocesan to Metropolitan from Metropolitan to Patriarchal from Patriarchal to Cecumenical And so it comes to pass all Churches must be gathered into one Sea that is one Catholick Church For look what reason they had to set Bishops over particular Churches So having many Bishops by the same reason they must have some Metropolitan and of many Metrapolitans foure or five Patriarchs and of them one Chief that is the Pope the Father of Fathers he must be the grand Governour of all Therefore doth he rise out of the Sea out of the Sea of Tumult and Sea of Contention And if you take Sea for corruption in Doctrine and worship and Government as some good Interpreters do it was from thence also that this beast did arise This beast did arise out of them all for had either pure Doctrine or worship or Discipline been well looked unto it had not been possible that such a beast as the Catholick visible Roman Church should have bin raised up It is further described to have seven heads and ten horns The holy Ghost describes them so fully that we need no further interpretation of them He tells us in the 17. Chapter of this book the ninth and tenth verses The seven heads are seven Mountaines on which the Woman sitteth which are the mountaines of the City of Rome it is built upon seven hills and the seven heads are also seven Kings that is seven Kingly governments soveraign governments The first were Kings then Consuls then Decemvins then Dictators then Tribunes and then the Caesars Five were fallen that is were past in John's time the sixth were then extant and they were the Caesars the Pope he makes the seventh Now the Pope then is the seventh of these Heads but the seventh head and the beast are two distinct things though he be one that rules the beast and hath a great influence in the guiding of it Hee was to receive a deadly wound and after became an eighth head whereas he was but one of the seven So that he is one of the Heads but there is difference between the head and the beast and the beast it selfe And it is said He exerciseth all the power of the first Beast that in conclusion what the Pope decrees that stands So that it is not a generall Councell that determines any thing authentically without him but he doth all that the first beast doth Hee would have the Catholick Church honoured but it is that himselfe may be honoured as the Lord of the Church So therefore for the heads these are the seven Heads And for the Hornes he tells you they are so many Kings which were not then risen to Soveraigne Power but John saw it in a Mystery afore hand But when this Beast ariseth this Pontifex maximus then they receive a Kingdome at the same
AN EXPOSITION UPON The Thirteenth CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION By that Reverend and Eminent servant of the Lord Mr. JOHN COTTON Teacher to the Church at Boston in NEW-ENGLAND Taken from his mouth in Short-writing and some part of it Corrected by himself soon after the Preaching thereof and all of it since Viewed over by a friend to Him and to the Truth wherein some Mistakes were amended but nothing of the Sense altered LONDON Printed for Tim. Smart at the Hand and Bible in the Old-Bayly 1656. TO THE READER Christian Reader THE tongue of the just or righteous saith Solomon Prov. 10. 20. is as choise silver The words that fall from the tongue of such are very precious and profitable And truly such are the words that dropt from the tongue and lips of this holy and righteous man Mr. Cotton As he himselfe had by his owne blessed experience found the tongue of that righteous man D r Sibbs as choise silver yea better then the choisest gold of Ophir by which the Lord was pleased to convey heavenly and eternall treasure into his soule Even so also have many precious soules some now above in glory others still here below found the words that have distilled from his tongue to be above much fine gold and of more weight and value then the greatest treasure of this whole world Divers that are yet alive and do remain unto this present may can hear witnesse to the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth But I shall crave leave to name only one now amongst the Saints at rest who was indeed one of a thousand in his time and place viz. that great and eminent man Dr. Preston whose heart the Lord wrought powerfully upon by the tongue of Mr. Cotton and that not long after his heart had been seized upon by the tongue of that sweet Singer before mentioned And because the story is so remarkable I shall be willing to relate in briefe the substance of what I had sometimes in private from the tongue of this our Reverend Author himselfe He being according to his course to Preach before the University Schollars in Cambridg had a great conflict in himselfe about the composing of his Sermon viz. whether after the plain profitable way by raysing of Doctrines with propounding the Reasons and Uses of the same Or after the mode of the University at that time which was to stuffe and fill their Sermâ—ns with as much Quotation and citing of Authors as mighâ— pâ—ssibly be On the one side 't was suggested to him that if he should not go the former way he should not be faithfull to the Lord in seeking his glory but his owne c. And on the other side if he should not shew his Learning it would not onely be a disparagement unto himselfe but also unto the Colledg which had so lately chosen him out of another to be Fellow for he was chosen Fellow in Emanuel Colledg out of Trinity where according to his yeare it fell out so as he could not be capable of a Fellowship What is this that Cotton that was so famous and had such a name for a great Schollar what a poore choise hath Emanuel Colledg made Thus he was tossed too and againe pro and con in his thoughts as I thinke he sayd about a fortnight the Lord seeming to try his sincerity at the first but at length he came to a resolution to deny himselfe what ever the world might judge or say of him His Text if I mistake not being in 2 Cor. 2. 16. And who is sufficient for these things Two or three Doctrines as it seems he raised from the words The Schollars came generally with great expectation to heare a more then ordinary learned Sermon from him that was so famous throughout the University and thereupon the Masters of Art at the beginning stood up erectis auribus amongst whom Mr. Preston was one but soone perceiving which way he went which was so extreamely contrary to their expectation they sate them downe in great discontent pulling their hats over their eyes thereby to expresse their dislike of the Sermon but before 't was ended something dropt from the tongue of the Preacher which the Lord made unto Mr. Preston to be as choise silver indeed whereby hee was so affected that he was made to stand up againe and change his posture and attend to what was spoken in another manner then he and the rest had done These things Mr. Preston afterward getting to be acquainted with Mr. Cotton by coming to him under pretence of borrowing a Booke of him which he might have easily had elsewhere returning it againe related particularly unto him Thus our Reverend Author by denying himselfe for the Lord had that cast in upon him viz. the gaining of such an eminent person to Christ which was a thousand times better then the airy applause of the world in being accounted a learned man Yet neither did he loose that way but had the repute of that too and not without cause to his dying day notwithstanding his continuall care to avoyd all appearance of affectation in the course of his Ministry either in regard of shewing Learning or in the manner of expressing what he did deliver whereby the power and effect of his Preaching did appear to be wholly of God being desirous to speak to the understanding and capacity even of the meanest and by manifestation of the Truth to commend himselfe to every mans conscience in the sight of God A taste whereof we have in these Sermons of his here published It were too great arrogance for mee to thinke to adde any authority to these or any other of his precious labours by my commendation of them I might as well go about to adde to the light of the Sunne by my Candle The very name of Cotton is enough to set an high price upon what ever hath that stamp Oâ—ely being earnestly desired by the Christian brother the publisher of this Exposiâ—ion who having the pen of a ready Writer did take those Notes from the mouth of the Preacher to give my testimony to the world that these were indeed the very Sermons of that holy Servant of the Lord whose name they bear I shall willingly affirm and testifie having lived in that American wildernesse about 13. or 14. yeares in the Towne next adjoyning to Boston and so had thereby the happy priviledg of enjoying the benefit of the precious labours of Mr. Cottons in his Lecture upon every fifth day in the week I say I do here declare and testifie unto the world that these Sermons upon the 13 th Chapter of the Revelation for the substance of them giving allowance for such defects of the Amanvensis which cannot but be expected ordinarily and yet I confesse are but very few in this Treatise were published by that faithfull servant of the Lord Mr. John Cotton about the 11. and 12. moneths if I mistake not of the year
is such power as is far above the reach of man None of them all have such power as he not those that are called Gods So they admire his power what he can do to inward or outward man to publique or private States And they do not only admire the Catholick Church and the head of it and adore them but in both these they adore the Dragon that gave all this power to the Beast The meaning may be exprest in two branches 1. The Dragon is expressed as animating heathen Rome for that hath seven heads and ten horns which are the armes both of heathen Rome and of this Beast Now he is called the Dragon as he acted heathen Rome and as he was Lord of heathen Rome he gave all this power to the Pope For they thought it meet since it was the Imperiall City when it was Pagan that therefore it should be the mother of all Churches And being the Imperial City it was the bloud-sucker of many millions of the souls of Gods servants that caused the Dragon to put that honour upon Rome 2. But that is not all There is another branch comes neerer the full meaning of the Text that was for the honouring of the Bishop of Rome and of the Catholick Church viz. taking another doctrine for the Gospell their Idolatry for pure worship their Government for the discipline of Christ their pardons for Justification of sinne by Christ In all this they doe indeed give true worship to the Dragon for what are all these but Images they are none of Gods Ordinances if you referre them to the heads of Scripture they are but Images of Christ In stead of the Ministery of Christ you have doctrines of men In stead of justification by the righteousnesse of Christ you have justification by works In stead of pardon of Sin from Christ you have it from the Pope All things are in another forme an Image of another forme set up devised contrary to what the word establisheth Now you shall finde this to be true if you doe vary from the kingdome of God and Christ then you worship the Dragon You read in 2 Chron. 11. 15. Jeroboam ordained him Priests for the high places and for the Devils and for the Calves which he had made he had no Preists but for the golden Calves and what were they they were but Images and his intendment was not to bring in another object of worship but another manner of worship Jeroboam worshiped Jehovah in Images which God had not appointed and so he worshipped the Divill and not God And you shall read when the Turke was brought in to revenge the Idolatry of Christendome Rev. 9. 20. It is said The people that were not cut off with the plague they repented not of the worke of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and brasse and Stone and of wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk which shews that when men worship Images that is God in Images it is not God that is so worshipped but the Divill and all such worship doth not advance the kingdome of God but the kingdome of the Devill therefore it is reall honour to him and therefore this their taking all this vast honour all Churches receiving all from them is none of Gods Institution but the Devils practice for it was the Devill that gave him his power and great authority Therefore saith the holy Ghost they worshiped the Dragon who gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the beast This worship of the beast they gave it all to him that gave this power to him which was to the Dragon and therfore you read that he had the key of the bottomlesse pit Rev. 9. 1 2. And he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth There went out Monks Friars and a rabble of all superstition Now if you shall aske the reason why people upon the healing of this wound did so mightily admire both the visible Catholick Church and the head of it and adore both and Satan himselfe in both The reason was First from the wrong Interpretation of some Scriptures which were very frequent with them in those dayes and are still and that was that the Catholick Roman Church was builded upon a rock and that rock was the Bishop of Rome and into his hand the Lord Jesus by Peter had given the keys of the kingdome of Heaven and these keys had absolute universall power to binde on Earth and upon his binding on earth Christ would bind in heaven this was an error in judgment that did so possesse their hearts that upon the healing of this wounded head all the world did admire him Therefore Bellarmine makes a large discourse Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone and they that trust in him shall never be confounded and so never was there any man that was an enemy to the Catholick Church but was confounded nor never did any man stand for the Catholick Church but was preserved and so they did admire him A great inundation of barbarous Nations were all driven out by the piety of the Bishop of Rome they were able to overturn the Emperors of the East and it was overturned and bring them to his feet and all to be at his disposing This was some confirmation to them that he was the successor of Peter that now whoever is saved it must be by the power of this key or else never look for any saving in this world A second reason may be taken from the correspondency and plausablenesse of such a kinde of Religion and Government to carnall reason especially when it is subdued by any terrors of consceence for it was a season and that held many years together wherein the Priests Friers and Monks had marvellous power to sting the consciences of men with the loathsomnesse of their sinne in the sight of God and they had admirable dexterity therein These foure things were all the matter of their Sermons Vertue and vice Heaven and Hell If you be vertuous then you shall go to Heaven If you be vicious then you must go to Hell Now they would so convince mens consciences and upon conviction binde the conscience under terror as eternally shut out of Heaven for want of virtue which they had not that indeed when these mens consciences are thus perplexed and wounded here is a Religion that findes them so many salves and medicines as ease the power but not remove the cause of the disease that is they set men a course well though you be vicious and though Hell be dreadfull yet Purgatory may ease you by Prayer and you may be dispensed with from going to Hell especially by the Popes pardon or by your own workes by your confessions by selfe-whippings and scourgings or by going a Pilgrimage you may be
this Beast they are described here by their state by their spirituall and eternall state that is to say they are described by a deniall of their elect estate and that is exprest in a deniall of the proper adjunct of that state and that is the writing of their names in the Lambs book of life for that is the proper adjunct of all the elect people of God that their names are written in the book of life of the Lamb these men men therefore being denied this proper adjunct of an elect state they are the refore here described by their damnable condition and state now this therefore is here predicated of them all that their names are not written in the booke of the life of the Lambe who ever they be that worship this Beast and he saith All did worship him save onely they whose names were written in the Lambes booke of life They that did worship the Beast had not their names written in the Lambs book of life So then this book in which their names are said not to be written it is set forth by the end and by the subject of it 1. By the end It is the Book of life Not that it was a living book but because they that are written in that book are written unto life that they may live to eternity to grace and glory 2. It is described by the subject It is the Lambs Book of life either he is the possessor of it God giving it to him that he might take notice of all the names therein and keep them safe to salvation or else he is the subject of it as being the first and principall person who is written in it for he of old hath been observed to be the head and cheif of the elect of God in Ephes 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world therefore he chose him first and us in him as he is well pleased first with Christ and in Christ with us Mat. 3. 17. whether you speak of Gods everlasting complacency or of the manifestation of it in effectuall vocation it is in Christ that he is well pleased first with Christ and in his name with us so he is said to be fore-ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 20. So therefore it is said to be the book of the Lamb the Lambs booke of life because that the book is given to him and because also that he is the principall person that is first and primarily and fundamentally written in this book I say it is first given to him as if all the persons that God intends life unto he did give them as it were in a scroul or book to the Lord Jesus but of that I shall speak a little more by and by In the mean time I speak now to the Analysis of the Text but if you shall not trasâ—â—â—e it whose names are not written in the Lambs Book of life but as it is here and indeed so it holds in the Originall the Book of life of the Lambe Though it be the like sence then it may hold out a further notion and meditation and that is this 1. That the Lambe is the subject of that life whereof it is said it is the Book of life of the Lamb. 2. He is the Author of it to the elect people of God in John 14. 19. that holds forth both that he is that life to us Christ as God-man is the subject of this spirituall and eternall life and his man-hood so receives it as a common vessell to all his elect members and because he lives we shall live also therefore he is the Author both of giving and preserving this life to his heavenly Kingdome Now by this Lambe I need not tell you is meant Christ the Lambe without spot John 1. 29. We are redeemed by the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without spot 1 Pet. 1. 19. This Lambe is here described by his suffering which was slain was put to death a violent death and that suffering of his is amplified by the ancient vigour and efficacy of it slain from the beginning of the world Now the note that first offers it selfe from this verse is this That such whose names are written in the lambs book of life they all and they onely are preserved from the worship of the Beast For here it is said That all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him saving they whose names are written in the Lambes Book of life they shall not worship him but all whose names are not written in the book of the life of the Lambe they shall worship the Beast So then they whose names are written in the Lambes book of life they doe not worship him for if their names be written there they are expresly exempted but they that doe worship him they are said not to have their names written in the Lambes book of life So that such whose names are written in the Lambes book of life they and all they and they onely are preserved from the worship of the Beast It is a speech to the like purpose that you read in Rev. 17. 8. and upon the like occasion The Beast that thou sawesâ— was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomelesse pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the Earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of life from the foundation of the world c. They admire and adore him where he tells you of an ancient act hee doth not tell here when it was written there he doth that ancient book wherein from the foundation of the world they were written and therefore before the world such as were written in the Lambes book of life were lockt up to be preserved from the adoration of the Beast and all the rest were left to worship the Beast For opening this point here a Question or two may be moved for explication of the termes of the Doctrine which have been a little expounded before First Quest 1. Then it may be demanded what is this Book of life Answ You read in Scripture of sundry books according to which our eternall state stands or falls if I may so call them that are said to be opened at the judgement day whether at the last judgement or some representation of the last judgement it is all one for the Doctrine In Rev. 20. 12. it is sayd When the Thrones were set the Books were opened and another book which is the Booke of life So here is one book according to which his Saints were judged besides the booke of life but that also was opened These bookes are truly observed by others to be first the book of Gods Providence in Psal 139. 16. which is also called in Mal. 3. 16. the booke of Gods Remembrance wherein he takes notice of all persons and actions that is keeps as exact account of them as if they were written before him in a book which
of fire and brimstone But those that worship the Beast are not written in the Lambs booke of life that is in the Text Here are two propositions very evident All that are written in the Lambs booke of life doe not worship the Beast But those that worship the Beast are not written in the Lambs baok of life Then the conclusion is They shall be cost into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone That if it appear that this Beast is the Roman Catholick Church and the head of this Beast is the Pope The conclusion will be most evident that no man living and dying a Papist can go beyond a Reprobate I dare not say but some that are ignorant whom devotion hath carryed to that Religion it is possible some of them when they come to death may see the vanity of that Religion of worshipping Saints and of confining their Faith to them but that is not by their Religion but if they dye in that Religion and if their faith and worship be thrust upon them from the Roman Catholick Church and they worship Saints and Angels and believe in their owne merits for their justification I do pronounce to you that a Papist living and dying a Papist cannot go beyond a Reprobate I meane such an one was not written in the Lambs booke of life And they that are not are cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone that is the issue And therefore what a fearfull thing is it in such that do all they can to reconcile Nations to the Church of Rome and are mad upon Romish religion what desperate service do they undertake to bring men to such a religion as destroys many millions of soules It is true Those that are written in the Lambs booke of life God looseth none of his sheep but it is evident they are bloody Butchers of many Christians not chosen yet devout Christians many an one under pang of Conscience with sence of many sinfull passions and lusts are not able to get out but by a Priests absolution and if they be covered with a Fryars coule they hope they shall do well enough Such a conscience as can be opened and healed by such wooden keys as these if they know no more such cannot be saved I will not enlarge it but it were necessary to be pressed and urged in some places look not at it as a matter of curiosity and circumstance what Religion a man dyes in and think as some States-men doe that if it were not for hot-spur'd Jesuites on the one side and hot-spur'd Puritans as they call them on the other side Protestants and Papists might be easily reconciled These are the whisperings of flesh and blood but that which is written in the word doth bear expresse testimonie against such a conclusion For if Jesuites were removed and Puritans too yet if there were any left that thought they could worship the Church of Rome as they require that you must believe as they believe your faith is built upon the Church and upon the dispensation of the keyes of that Church such a faith and obedience as fals short of Christ Jesus that all salvation is to be expected from him if both Jesuites and those they call Puritans were removed if there were none but that take up their faith and obedience in that worship they hold forth I say there is not any one of them that so live and so dye knowing what they believe that can be saved Indeed you read in Rev. 3. many know not the depth of Satan and it is another matter what God may dispence to them in private but men that know what they do and believe according to the doctrine of that Church and worship according to the direction of it I say men living and so dying there is not one of them whose names are written in the Lambs book of life and therefore shall be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone This may teach us a true ground of any mans preservation from the pollutions of the world bewitching pollutions sometimes a Catholick Strumpet carries all the world after her as in those times Sometimes the world swallows up the Church and every man thinkes him happy if hee may be clad with thick clay others are taken up with provisions for their belly and sensuall Epicurean lusts there be a world of such people Now what doth preserve the people of God that they are not carryed away either with the Catholick religion or with worldly ambition they are not taken with these but see the vanity of them what are any of us better then those that have been bewitched by these but what puts the difference The originall difference is God hath written them in the Lambs book of life and what hee hath written he hath written as Pilate sayd Hee hath written such to life and his decree is irrecoverable My counsell shall stand and I will do all my pleasure Isa 46. 9 10. Therefore there is the Originall from thence it flows the Lord Jesus Christ concurring with the Fathers counsell he hath given us redemption from the blood of Ancestors and redeemed us from the present evill world and will seek up every stragling Lamb and presents us spotlesse to his heavenly Father and then the spirit of God by which he works all in the hearts of his people that receives us for Christ and the spirit for Christ comes and takes possession of us and so thereby girds up our loyns to a dependance on him and his grace that we are preserved and saved from those fearfull temptations that overcome others and all the world are over-whelmed withall It may teach us the marvellous freedome of the love of God and therefore to admire the wonderfull love of God the cause of all this our preservation from such prevailing evills as swallow up the whole world how doth it appear why I pray you consider when the Lord wrote down thy name or mine or any mans name who stood by at his elbow if I may so speak to put him in mind of my name or thine he thought of us if our names be there and he set us downe and he delivered us to Christ Jesus by name what ever thy name is he took notice of thy name such a man in such a place he will live in this or that Countrey he is one take notice of him lay down a price for him in fulnesse of time send a spirit into this heart if he live in a Popish Countrey save him from Popery If in a worldly Countrey save him from the world where ever he lives save him from himself and bring him to my heavenly Kingdom but what was there in us that could commend us to God or what could there in us but what he appointed but what he should put into us he could not fore-see any thing but that hee must work it therefore it must certainly be his undeserved love that must