the child of the Devill then themselves Let them not come with their lives in their hands with the hazard of their bloud to pervert them committed to our charge and our selves sit silent but let us lift up our voyces in season and out of season And let them know there are Prophets among them and if the people will not be charmed send them to God with this Inscription on their foreheads Noluerunt incantari They will not be charmed Let us to our power save our owne soules and them that heare us Lastly you the people of God stand fast to the Gospell if an Angell from Heaven preach any other Doctine let him be accursed O search the Scripture throughly It was the speech of a dying Archbishop of this Province one of the last that ever he spoke to his Chaplein I have said much and writ much and read much and preacht much Yet in all the booke of God I doe not finde the least ground for Popery Saint Paul withstood Peter to his face and gave him no place no not for an houre O withstand Peter of Rome who can challenge nothing of Peters but that title which Christ once gave him Sathan and that fact in denying his Master I say withstand him to his face and give him not place no not for an houre I can never sufficiently admire and wonder at the speech of blessed Luther who though he was very earnest to have the Communion administred in both kinds contrary to the Doctrine and custome of the Church of Rome yet he professes if the Pope as Pope commanded him to receive in both kindes he would but receive in one kind It s a generall rule among the best that what the Pope commands as Pope though it bee good or indifferent as to pray to read to lift up an eye a hand to weare blacke or white a lace a modell to drop a Bead as the Pope commanding it It is a receiving the marke of the beast a yeelding our selves the Vassalls of Sathan and an Implicite denying the faith of Christ So extremely venimous is the poyson that lyes at the root of that fundamentall heresie which they have layed at the very Rocke and foundation of their faith so dangerous and pernitious it is to hearken to the Pope The renowned Martyrs in Queene Maries days would show no reverence to the commissioners from the Pope and let mee tell you there are many things in the Church of Rome that may be that are decent to be used in the Church of God some things there are at this day in practise in the Church of Rome that were in use in that Church when it was not Antichristian in the times of the Primitive Bishops and blessed Martyrs Some things used that are not yet commanded by the Pope as Pope what ever we use with the Church of Rome we use it as commanded by another power not because commanded by the Pope so that what we doe is to bee accounted an Act of obedience what they doe is to bee condemned because commanded by the Pope be wise as Serpents Innocent as Doves rightly distinguish of times places and persons so shall you not endanger your own soules nor disobey them that are over you nor scandall them that live with you Lastly must we stand fast Let us give thanks to our Lord God that we stood fast to this day It is very meet and our duty that wee should at all times and in all places give thankes to thee ô Lord holy father but chiefely for the deliverance of this day from that unparallell'd matchlesse damnable Gunpowder Treason Therfore with Angels and Archangels and all the glorious company of heaven we laud and magnifie the name of God and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth glory be to God on high O all ye works of the Lord praise ye the Lord blesse him and magnifie him for ever O all yee Angels of the Lord blesse yee the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O all yee Children of men blesse yee the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O all yee Priests of the Lord blesse ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O all yee servants of the Lord blesse yee the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O all yee Kings and Emperors all people and Princes all Iudges young men and maides old men and babes praise yee the name of the Lord for his name is only excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven hee hath exalted the Horne of his people the praise of all his Saints even the people of England a people neere unto him praise the Lord Happie are we who are like unto us saved by the Lord the shield of our helpe and the sword of our excellency The eternall God is our Refuge and underneath him are the everlasting Armes he hath saved us and if wee trust in him hee will save us from this time forth and for evermore blessed be the God of our salvation and let all the People say Amen FINIS The third SERMON GEN 49. 5 6. and 7. verses Simeon and Levi are Brethren Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations O my soule come not thou into their secret into their assembly mine honour be not thou united for in their anger they slew a man and in their selfe will they digg'd a wall cursed bee their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell I will divide them in Iacob and scatter them in Israel THis Chapter containes the last Will and Testament of the Patriarch Iacob made on his death bed and it consists of two parts First the Legacy and portion that he bequeathes to his children Secondly his care concerning his buriall together with the manner of his death My Text is part of the first part and contains that part and portion that appertaines to Simeon and Levi wherin be pleased to consider with me two generalls First their sinne Secondly their censure Their sinne in the fifth and part of the sixth verses Their censure in part of the sixth and seaventh verses Their sinne was murder amplified and aggravated First by their mutuall consent and agreement in sinne Simeon and Levi are brethren Iunius saith on the Text Iacob doth not call them brethren because they were so in nature but because they were brethren in the murder Secondly their sinne is aggravated and amplified from the manner of their acting and perpetrating it they did it wilfully revengefully in their anger they slew a man in their selfe-will they digg'd a wall Thirdly from the extension the measure and degree their anger was fierce their wrath was cruell Their censure that also is aggravated First by the person that adjudgeth them it was their father Secondly from the circumstance of time when he did it when he was on his death bed Thirdly from the manner how he did it First with indignation and detestation denying any further protection to
Three Sermons preacheâ— at the Collegiate Church in MANCHESTER The first on Psal. 122. ver. 6. Iuly 8. 1640. the publike Fast day Shewing the misery of Warre with our feares and hopes and meanes of Prevention The second on 2 Thes. 2.15 November 5. 1638. Discovering the Man of sinne with his delusions abominations and desolations The third on Genesis 49. ver. 5.6 7. November 5. 1639. Laying open the Perjuries Treacheries Treasons the Murthers Massacres Cruelties of Rome-Christian By Richard Heyricke VVarden of the said COLLEDGE LONDON Printed by T. B. for L. Fawne and are to be sold at the signe of the Parat in Pauls Church-Yard 1641. TO THE RIGHT Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament now ASSEMBLED VEspatian the Emperor sent to ELVIDIUS PRISCUS a Senator of ROME charging him not to appeare in the Senate If hee did to speake no otherwise then what he would have him to whom he returnd As a Senator it was fit he should be there and being there hee would freely speak his conscience The Emperor replyed if he did he should dye for it He answered hee never said he was immortall doe what you will J will doe what J ought Jt is in your power unjustly to put mee to death It is in my power to dye constantly It is your Royall priviledge Your persons are under his Majesties sacred protection your liberty of speaking granted to be without interruption Awake your glory doe yee your selves awake right early Let your hearts be fixed fixed in the Lord as the Poles of Heaven and the center of the earth Let Righteousnesse bee your Parliament Robes let Iudgment be your Crown and Diadem let causes at your great Tribunall hee heard to speake not persons That the blessing of three perishing Kingdomes may come upon you I was but lately Remov'd into these parts and one of speciall note forewarnd me I should be Crucified as CHRIST was betwixt two Theeves The Papist the Puritan The Papist like the Rayling and Blaspheming Theefe soone discovered himselfe They swarme and are terrible the shew of their countenance witnesseth against them Like destruction they shew themselves at Noone-Day The Puritan if it bee not onely a name without an existence is worthy your wisdome to tell us who he is It may be for feare of crucifying with the good Theefe he is stollen into Paradise the name is of Vast and amongst many of Odious signification Papists doe charge the Church of England with the heresie of Puritanisme King Iames by Bellarmine metamorphosed into his Chaplaine was said to bee a Puritan The English Parliament is called a Puritanicall Parliament The Vniversity of Oxford the strength of Puritanisme Bristow speakes out All Protestants in ENGLAND are Puritans Protestants at large such as are Ambitious of the credit not of the truth of their holy profession Heathens in lives Christians in faith They reproach civill morall Jnfidels with that name They Pharisaicall Professors They powerfull CHRISTIANS Yea of late I have also heard them much branded with the name that would not yeeld up their Soules and their Consciences to the Chaire of Bishops with their estates Liberties and Lives to the will of their Superiors The name is very large and very reproachfull A Bishop affirm'd he could as easily fetch one off from the guilt of Felony as from the imputation of Puritanisme My humble motion is make us all Puritans or to leave no Puritan amongst us There are wals of partition when those that were of GODS Institution became enmity Eph. 2.14 CHRIST layd them as flat as the Walls of Iericho with Iericho's curse upon them Bee pleased to batter down these Wals lay the Canons in the face of them and JERVSALEMS curse upon them Let not one stone be left upon another At the first of the Reformation they were though not necessary yet lawfull our Reformers were modest and moderate They would not unnecessarily offend the weake Romanist GOD had a People amongst them the waters of BABYLON were ebbing But now since the Sea of ROME like the waters of JORDAN begin to swell and overflow the Bankes since the great River TIBER flowes apace since the Papists are emboldned and hardned in their Idolatrie and Superstition since the strong as well as the weake Protestant are grieved and vexed with them and there are indeed too many false Apostles that earnestly contend for them and with a strong and mightie hand obtrude them upon us Take unto your selves the Zeale of Our LORD and SAVIOUR The Evangelist records hee twice purged the Temple The multitude of offenders the might and malice of the observers the danger of the action nor the perill of the consequence staies his hand The King of Scythia slew Anacharsis the Philosopher for the worshipping the mother of the GODS after the Athenian manner If the Plague of Leprosie could not bee clensed by taking away a few stones out of the house but the Leprosie would returne againe then the house the Timber the Morter must down when Ceremonies become scandalous they are to be abolished These Sermons sute well with two of the greatest workes the Kingdome expects from you They breath enmitie to Rome Peace amongst our selves Preached when the times ranne Counter to both The man of sinne of late yeares hath reviv'd amongst us it may bee a lightening before death Popery hath multiplyed abundantly In Lancashire it hath superabounded above an Hyperbole The Masse hath out-faced our Christian meetings Iesuites have jeered our Ministers confronted and abused authoritie MANCHESTER the Goshen accounted in this Egypt is of late yeares darkned with the blacknesse of it some of our prime men in dignitie authority power have revolted to them Their example commands many Great men have their followers of their Vices as of their persons and when they please to bee Idolatrous their children servants tenants their poore kinred and Jdolizing Neighbours will to the Masse with them One speciall cause of this encrease of Popery is the vastnesse and the greatnesse of many Parishes prefer'd to the trust of such that adde Church unto Church themselves residing at neither or if they are with their people they are non resident in the midst of them yea too often when they are in the Pulpit These Mother-Churches have many daughters seaven eight nine CHAPPELS subject to them to which belongs no certaine or no competent maintenance Hence ignorance and prophanenesse desolate places full of dolefull Creatures Ziim and Ochim King Iames in his piety and wisdom appointed 4. Lancashire Preachers to perfect his work Let every Golden Candlestick have his Lamp burning and shining in it devils could not stand before the Gospell therefore Popery shall be consumed by it J had served in these parts the same time that PAUL did at Athens and my spirit was troubled to heare and see the superstition Hence I ventred with danger enough to preach these Sermons may they strengthen your
a time of peace there was no instrument of Iron no toole of the work-man heard in the rearing of it Christ the Prince of peace his Disciples the children of peace quiet fishermen not hollowing hunters and whooping Faulkoners may the Church be as the Temple Ierusalem as the Schoole of Christ a Citie a house of peace take Ierusalem in in the third sence in the largest acception of the word for the whole kingdome of Israel of which Ierusalem was the head Citie and then pray for the peace of Ierusalem for peace in the kingdome pray that there may be no homebred conspiracies none left of the house of Saul to wage warre with the house of David no discontented Sheba to blow the Trumpet of sedition and rebellion no flattering Absalom to steale away the hearts of the Kings people no gallant Adonijah to make a strong partie against Salomon no Achitophel Politician to give pernicious counsell against David pray that there may bee no revolting in the kingdome that neither Edom nor Libnah no kingdome nor Country no Citie nor Towne nor person may fall from their allegiance to the King Pray that there may bee no forraine enemy no Syrian no Assyrian no Egyptian no Roman no Turke no Saracen no Italian no Spaniard no Dutch no French Pray for the peace of Ierusalem for all the kingdomes that pertaine to the King of Ierusalem for all the Countries Cities and Townes in these kingdomes for the Church in the kingdome Pray for the peace of Ierusalem the Citie the Church the kingdome Peace is taken in as large a sence as prosperity it comprehends all blessings in the wombe of it I shall principally take it in the strictest sence and Ierusalem in the largest and then the duty is Pray for the peace of Ierusalem that there may bee no warre in the kingdome Warre is only sweete to them that are ignorant of it Our kingdome hath enjoyed a longer time of peace then some kingdomes have of being Our age hath not beene rowsed with the barking of uncouth-Wolves the midnight drum hath not frighted our sleepes the sounding trumpet hath not deaft our eares our beacons have not beene fired our shippes arrested our walls manned our Townes have not beene ransacked our houses ruined our women ravished our infants dashed against the stones wee have not sowed and the stranger reaped we have not built and the enemy possessed we have not beene confounded with strange languages but peace hath beene within our walls and plenteousnesse within our dwellings Peace the daughter of the Gospell of peace Plentie the daughter of Peace Peace the glory of Heaven the joy of the whole world Pray for the peace of Ierusalem IN the prosecution of which I will shew you the misery of Warre the great danger that wee are in of having warre the hopes that remaine to escape it I begin with the first First consider the misery of warre The sword is one of Gods foure sore Iudgements whereby he layeth waste and maketh desolate the greatest kingdomes And I will appoint over them foure kinds saith the Lord the sword to slay and the dogges to teare and the fowles of the Heaven and the beasts of the earth to devoure and destroy For thus saith the Lord how much more when I send my foure sore Iudgments upon Ierusalem the sword and the famine and the noysome Beast and the Pestilence to cut off from it man and Beast Where you may be pleased to observe the sword is not only one of the foure but the first of the foure the most devouring the most destroying God usually sendeth none of these judgments but when his patience is much wounded when his Royall Indignation is kindled when his Iustice is forced when his mercy hath no more to say God hath a store house a rich treasury a Magazen of judgments there are all Instruments of death and bloud sicknesse to death and sicknesses not to death Agues and Feavours and consumptions and these God usually sends before the destroying Pestilence God hath his Staffe and his Rod his Bow and his Arrowes with these he corrects the sons of men before he drawes his sword his sword furbished and glittering to make a sore destruction Iupiter throwes not at first his dreadfull Thunderbolts The heavens usually grow darke and blacke the clouds gather together the raine falls the lightning breaketh forth the sword the famine the noysome beast and the Pestilence they are in the darkest in the most inward roome of the Castle and Tower which God never opens till he be hard put to it till his lesser judgments are despised see the method of Gods proceedings he will proceed from few to many from lesse to greater he will punish us seaven times more for our sinnes when the foure winds breake loose when any of these foure judgements come then God is angry indeed of these foure judgments the sword the famine the pestilence and noysome beasts the sword is the worst of the foure that which God reserveth till the last as the greatest witnesse of his displeasure and the swiftest messenger for our destruction any one of these foure brings feare and trembling horror and terror palenesse and death if the pestilence which is but Gods Arrow if that bee let off of the string though in any part of the kingdome the Arrow that flyes in the darke that usually poysons most in the darke corners of the land amongst the poorest sort of people yet what a feare it strikes into the body of the whole kingdome if but one Citie be infected what flying out of the Citie what watch and ward what strict examination and doings of all that come from that Citie every one being like Cain afraid of every one that meete them least they should kill them runnagates upon the face of the earth Remember the feare that surprised you when GOD shot this Arrow but into one house of this Towne when it fetched the heart-bloud but from a few what flying what posting away your selves your households my Brethren if the plague bee so terrible what will the sword bee that comes after the plague more fierce more terrible by how much the mercies of man are lesse then the mercies of God yea when the sword comes the rest of these foure Iudgements attend on it The plague may come alone and the famine may come alone and noysome beasts may come alone these oftentimes come before the sword if possible to prevent it but when they cannot doe the work the sword will then contemne the rod set at naught what ever the former judgments have done it will come furbished and sharpened and this blacke guard of pestilence famine noysome beasts will be at the heeles of it The sword layes men dead in the fields it ruines Townes and houses it leaves the fields unplowed unharrowed unsowed hence famine growes grievous that kills whom the sword escapes the noysome stinch of the dead begets plagues that
them he is not hastie to cut off a member 't is the last that which he is the loathest to use yea God seldome or never useth this plague this judgement but he presently repents him of it and avengeth the bloud shed upon them that shed it Reade at your leasure 2 Chron. 28. ver. 9. Isay 10. verse 12. Rev. 6. ver. 6. Lastly see some aggravating circumstances of this judgment men are ever made the instruments of warre and therefore this judgment is greater then that immediately comes from GOD those instruments of cruelty the lesse they have of reason the more unreasonable the more fierce in their cruelties hence the mercies of man are cruelty in respect of God the cruelties of beasts farre worse than the rage of man the warre of Inanimate creatures more raging then that of the beast The Lion the Tyger know their bounds better then the fire the water yet the depravation of the more eminent and excellent is worse then the meere negation in the other when patience is abused in GOD it turnes into the heaviest fury the least sparke of his hell is greater than the greatest fire on earth when men lose their reason they are more mad then the beast that never had it bloudy minded men are the Instruments of this punishment and of them the most strong and stout and lusty the most irreligious licentious and violent persons the most base sordid and dung-hill people Againe in warre no man can bee master of his owne where ever the Souldiers passe their hands are bird-lyme like the griping Griffin they seise upon all The Danites rob Micah and Micahs voyce must not be heard least when he cryes for his goods he looseth his life war exhausts the Treasures of the Land there will be many borrowers that never will pay againe Theeves and Robbers The Kings Exchequer shall want money the Chamber of the Kingdome shall bee without supply then the Subject shall bee made poore no trading much spending Subsidies Fifteenes Taxes Privie seales Ship-moneys provision moneys Conduct money a thousand wayes to emptie private purses In warre men dye many deaths here lyes one without an Arme a Legge Trampled under the Horses feete none regards their cryes their lamentations The Drummes the Trumpets drowne their voyces In warre multitudes are led Captive tortured and tormented made vassals and slaves By warre strangers and enemies invade our possessions possesse our houses and lands deprive us of our rights liberties and inheritances by warre unnaturall slaughters are committed oftentimes the father fighteth against the sonne and the sonne against the father more bloud is shed in warre than any other way when GOD intends to destroy a stocke a Country a Kingdome he sendeth warre by war might often prevailes against right the worser part the stronger the ruines and desolations of warre last long after a few months the next yeare may supply the defacings of the plague of famine but many yeares many ages to repaire the losse by warre You see the misery of Warre As you would escape the fury of it pray for the continuance of our peace Pray for the peace of Ierusalem Secondly consider the great danger we are in of loosing our peace of falling into the misery of warre GOD deales fairely in the administration and execution of his justice Surely the Lord will doe nothing but he will reveale his secret to his servants the Prophets seldome or never doth God bring generall judgments upon a people but hee gives faire warning he strikes not unawares You have heard of late sad presages signes and forerunners of destructions I will not tread that path againe The sword is the plague we now feare God hath given us some warning the sword hangs over our heads God hath been long whetting his sword hee hath blowne his Trumpet to the Battle he hath discharged his warning peeces hee hath charged his murdering peeces First lay to heart that God hath already visited us with all other plagues and judgements yea hee hath gone them over againe and againe how often hath the Land groaned under the plague what dearths and scarcities have we had what secret and wasting judgments have beene consuming of us GOD hath runne through his Armory his Treasury Castles Towers Magazens he hath tryed all the rest of his judgments to see if they will bring us to Repentance so that none remains but the sword hath not GOD visited us with the plague with plague after plague with dearth and famine hath he not made the heavens brasse and the earth Iron hath hee not let loose the foure winds of the earth which have overthrowne Shippes and houses hath there not beene fearefull earthquakes thundering and lightning strange divisions dissentions mutinies fearefull sad things amongst us What remaines for God yet to do if all this will not doe the worke but that hee sends the sword the last the worst of all See Amos 4. verse 6. and so on I have given you cleannesse of teeth in all your Cities yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord I have withholden the Raine from you yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord I have smitten you with blasting and mil-dew yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord I have sent among you the Pestilence yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord He speakes after the manner of men in whom just indignation stoppes the passage of further speech The greatnesse of his wrath wants words to expresse it selfe And because I will come prepare to meete thy God O Israel God will come like a man of warre prepare to meete the Lord See if thou be able to stand against him with his sword drawne furbished and sharpened ready to make a sore destruction God hath gone over other Iudgments againe and againe therefore we may well feare the sword is now comming Secondly God hath sent the sword amongst other nations wee hitherto like Gideons fleece have beene dry when all the earth about us hath beene drencht with bloud the sword hath beene in Bohemia in the Palatinate in Denmarke in Germany in France in Holland The Cloud hitherto hath bin violently carryed from us and hath emptyed it selfe in other parts The sword hath beene filled with bloud and hath beene made fat with fatnesse drunke with bloud when the Angell of the Lord with his drawne sword had visited other places of the kingdome at last he came and stood over Ierusalem when God hath gone through other Lands and Countryes through other kingdomes and Churches he will then sheath his sword upon us The Iudges they are now in their Circuit they have their Commission from the King to goe from one County to another the Iudges before they have done they will come in their Circuit to us wee must have our
to God They have their pardons their indulgences their Purgatory their supererogations and I know not what no sinne that they can commit but the Pope will pardon no sinne that they would commit but the Pope can dispense withall no matter how long they have lived in sinne in any sinne though the sin against the HOLY GHOST yet extreme unction at the last wil salve all I know they make a great cry and clamor and tell us as the Priests of Baal they cut themselves with Knives and Launcers till the bloud gush out they tell us of their frequent fastings of their often watchings of their bloudy whippings of their long Pilgrimages their Rigorous discipline their voluntary poverty their simple obedience their Massacring the body their lying in the dust and endangering of their lives and a great deale more and could answer all these with the first of Isay Who hath required these things at your hand what are these their sacrifices trifles nothing in comparison of that great worke God doth require were all these true reall and not fained did they the same things indeed which they seeme to doe were there no Iugling nor no delusion nor mitigation nor dispensation yet all these and more in the extremity and height were nothing to the crucifying of the flesh with the affections of it to the mortifying of earthly members sinnes as deere as the bodily members to the killing of the old man to the breaking of the heart to the wounding of the soule to the spirituall observation of the Law and to the beliefe in Christ Iesus what is it for a man to give the first borne of his body for the sinne of his soule to give his goods to the poore and his body to bee burned to save his soule Yea what is it to lye in their Inquisition their Purgatory in hell a thousand yeares and to purchase Christ by this all this were nothing what the servants of Naaman said My Father If the Prophet had commanded thee a greater thing wouldst thou not have done it how much more when he saith Wash and bee cleane If the Pope command greater things to purchase Heaven would they not doe it how much more these small things There 's nothing hard in the Church of Rome which a meere Carnall man a voluptuous Epicure a Libertine cannot easily digest Thirdly in the Papacy there are many Arts and Crafts and subtilties and devises to deceive and entice people withall Saint Paul saith verse 9. that the man of sinne his comming is after the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying miracles and the like Antichrist hath his hookes his snares his ginnes his temptations and delusions sutable to every complexion and condition of man or woman If hee sees any Ambitious hee tempts them as his father did our Saviour Christ when he shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them great preferments and dignities there are in the Church of Rome more preferments and greater than are in the true Church of God nor are they sparing to promise to give them Adams sinne cleaves to all Adams sonnes we would bee above this is a pestilent baite and by this they draw many Schollers from us If they meete with any covetous they have their silver and golden Balls the golden wedge and Babylonish garment they will showre gold into their lappes and by this they draw Marchants and Tradesmen from us If they meete with any credulous and superstitious they have their signes and wonders and lying miracles I know no Religion extant in the world that challenges wonders and miracles but the Religion of the Church of Rome they object against us and upbraid us with it that we have no wonders and miracles they have much good may it do them Antichrist comes in all deceiveablenes of unrighteousnesse with signes and lying wonders to deceive them that perish If they meete with any fearefull by nature and scrupulous of hell they have their apparitions and visions make them heare scriekings and howlings preach nothing but horror and terror hell death and damnation If they meete with any sicke they excercise their charms and spells and can and do cast out devils through the power of the devill If they meete with any constant in Religion they have their torments their tortures their purgatories their hel their Inquisition Satan saith one doth not alwayes appeare in one and the same fashion but hath as many severall changes as Proteus among the Poets At Listra hee appeares like a Comoedian as if a scene of Plautus were to be presented upon the Stage at Antioch like a Iesuite with traditions in his mouth At Athens hee fallies out like a Philosopher At Ephesus like an Artificer in his Apron And as Sathan so the eldest sonne of Sathan so in the manner with signes and lying wonders he hath his profound Plots his lying and subtill devises his wiles and stratagems to deceive them that are stedfast It 's easie to be drawne away then Stand fast Lastly in the Papacy consider the agents the instruments Romes factors the great Whores Pandors are crafty to inveagle and betray me to their Religion they are crafty subtill base and impudent Read how the spirit of God describes them in the ninth of the Revelations and the first verse and so forward And the fifth Angell sounded and I saw a Starre fall from Heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key of the bottomlesse pit and there arose the smoake of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace and the Sunne and the aire were darkened by the smoake of the Pit and there came out of the smoake Locusts upon the Earth and unto them was given power as the Scorpions of the earth have power and it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth neither any greene thing neither any tree but onely those men which have not the seale of God in their foreheads and to them was commanded that they should not kill them but that they should bee vexed five moneths and that their paine should bee as the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hee hath stang a man therefore in those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not find it and shall desire to dye and death shall flye from them and the forme of the Locusts was like unto horses prepared to battaile and on their heads were as it were Crowns like unto gold and their faces were like the faces of men and they had haire as the haire of women and their teeth were as the teeth of Lions and they had Habergeons as the Habergeons of Iron The Papists themselves confesse that there by the Starre fallen from Heaven is meant the master of some great error and heresie and by the Locusts that arise out of the earth the reachers of those heresies that goe about to infect the people of God The Rhemists say this Starre fallen from
Great Prince saith hee Your Majestie need not feare the treason of the Iesuites for you are protected by the particular care and extraordinary favour of GOD which over-shadowes you and makes you redoubtable to all your enemies But Sir saith hee what hopes or meanes of safety or refuge to posterity when the Rat is in the Bagge when the Serpent is in the bosome the powder in the Pistoll Iesuites saith he that are sworne servants to the Pope can never bee true subjects to their Prince they exempt themselves from obedience and avouch the same of all Clergie men to make their party the more strong yet poore Prince after a little while had the Iesuites knife in his heart God preserve our King and hee that brought him from Spaine to the admiration of many that he might preserve him a blessing to this age preserve him from the power and cruelty of Spaine yet as a Privie Counsellor spake of Q. Elizabeth concerning the Papists he never went to bed but awaked with feare least he should heare of her death by Treason nor never Rose in the morning but expected the same ere night So wee may bee sure of this where ever occasion is offered how ever for the present they may strive to appeare good subjects traitors wil be ever traitors ready to vent their Treason the least occasion shall be enough to kill Kings and blow up Parliaments This is the third Aggravation Fourthly Simeon and Levi in their anger they slew a man in their selfe will they digg'd downe a wall Their anger was fierce their wrath was cruell Salvian asketh What so great wickednesse in the Christian Religion that for this cause Parents curse their children and children their Parents No anger so fierce nor rage so cruell as that against sincere professors I cannot but admire at the divelish rage of the Church of Rome against us they esteeme all the reformed Churches no better then Turkes Iewes and Infidels nay worse for they admit these to dwell in the midst of them Blasphemers murderers witches perjured persons traitors they can dispense with they account us dogs worthy nothing but rackes torture torment worthy cruell death and beastly buriall they will not allow us a place in their purgatory but send us to Hell yea those damned Hypocrites the Lords Inquisitors the very Nero's and Caligula's of the Age say they show too much lenitie to such dogges as we are Theodosius in his hot Rage caused 7000. of Thessalonica cruelly to be put to death for which cause Ambrose excommunicated him and he relenting made this Law that execution should not soone follow sentence but thirtie dayes should passe betweene them They have not the reason of men but the rage of Lions the Venym of Serpents and devils that are hasty to shed bloud It was a cruell wish of Caligula that wish't all Rome had but one neck that he might cut it off at one blow and the King of Spaine that wish't all the Netherlands a Sea My brethren there is no rage wrath nor malice like to the wrath of Rome I cannot enlarge my selfe in every particular No piety to God no justice to Innocents no pitty to their friends no loyaltie to their Soveraign nothing is able to keep them in Romes Babylonicall furnace is seaven times hotter their rage and superstition like two impetuous torrents beare down all respects before them but that rage is most hellish which in peace storms and thunders which brings me to the fift Aggravation The fifth circumstance that aggravated the sinne is that they falsified their words they broke their covenants The Papists teach that no faith is to be kept with Infidels Heretickes Oathes and agreements ought to bee sacred and kept among all nations Heathens will not infringe their oathes when once the name of their God is upon them for the terror of that God Therefore the Heathen Embassadors of Rome chose rather voluntarily to returne and be tortured to death then perjured When one of them equivocated to save his life the Senate put him to death But the Rome Christian not onely practise but teach that men may men must breake and the Pope can dispense with the breaking of the oath The Councell of Constance determined this in the case of Iohn Hus and Ierom of Prague whom they illegally burnt though they had promised safety saying no faith was to bee kept with Hereticks This made the friends of Luther so unwilling to let him goe to Wormes though his resolution was unalterable I go saith he in the name of God and of Iesus Christ though as many Devills were in Worms as there be tyles on the houses I would goe And indeed it was the same Iesus Christ preserved him for Baals Priests there would have him put to death and had not the plaine opposition of Lewes Elector Palatine prevailed with the noble disposition of Charles the ninth they had burnt him also Good God! that they that have the faces of men the Intellect of Angels the profession of Christians the Repute of learning so great a name through the whole world yet notwithstanding maintaine such divelish Atheisticall and damnable positions contrary to all humane society to the shame of Christians to the ignominie and reproach of Christ Iesus Saint Paul in the 2 Thessalonians 2. calls him the lawlesse man no law can bind him no covenants no agreements When the Cardinals meete to choose a Pope in the Conclave they make a vow whosoever is chosen Pope he shal sweare to such Articles as they make And Sleydan saith the Pope is no sooner chosen but he breaks them all and checks their Insolencies as if they went about to limit his power to whom al power is given in heaven and in earth The Christian Religion never suffered so great a scandall and losse as when Iulian the Legate dispensed with the oath wch Vladislaus made to Amurath the Turk The cause saith Sir Walter Rawleigh of the cruell war forty yeares betwixt the Netherlands and the King of Spaine which cost one hundred Millions of money and the lives of foure hundred thousand of men is dispensing with the oath the King of Spaine took I le instance in one to which a second cannot bee added Henry the second Emperor and Paschall the Pope made an agreement for further testimony of their Reconciliation and for more security the Pope doth administer the Sacrament with these words Take this pledge of my true love and our unfained reconciliation let him bee divided from Iesus Christ and have no part in his kingdome who first breakes covenant yet the very next yeare with the consent of his Cardinals hee broke this oath when oathes and Covenants are like Sampsons cords not able to binde what safety can there be in the world Some Iesuites laugh at the Zeale of our King and State in making the oath of Allegiance and say it 's to bind silly Foxes and is easily broken and say the Pope can dispense with