all the Saints This former Dominion was lost this imperiall State was dissolued but behold a second Beast of whome I haue spoken much before but you shall heare more fully of him anon entring by little and little into and vpon the place of the former with a pretense of greater authoritie carried with a new forme and vnder another colour and in this Papall State Rome hath sent and communicated her Idolatries vnto the World hauing a cup of gold in her hands full of abomination and filthinesse of her fornication Apoc. 18.4 which she doth not now receiue from others as in her Ethnicall condition but others receiue it from her by her Papall incantations and by the venditation of her sacred power Hence it is that Babylon hath such dominion in the World extensiuè by such a large dilatation and intensiué by so strong an operation thereof Therefore Apocal. 13.11 the second beast appeared like a Lambe as the Pope entred vpon this dominion with a faire pretense of a Catholike Pastor a Successour of Saint Peter a Vicar of Christ c. and hee had two hornes which word horne signifieth power very frequently in the Scripture so that his two hornes are indeed two powers which this second Beast with his humble stile of Seruus seruorum Dei doth pretend whence Babylon hath gained so great authoritie and veneration in the World The first power which he did originally pretend was onely Spirituall the power of the KEYES and therefore the Pope doth arrogate all this power in the whole Church vnto himselfe and saith that from him it is deriued vnto the inferiour Pastors there of as the power of Order and the power of Iurisdiction which all Bishops and others in the Cleargie hold immediately or mediately from his Apostolicall feate as the true proper and onely fountaine thereof From hence all Dispensations doe flow to it all Appellations doe tend she hath all fulnesse of power from Christ others haue a part of it from her nay if we may beleeue her principall Doctors her Peter gaue their Pastorall authoritie vnto the other Apostles else Rome could not be the Mother-church in Bellarmines iudgement de Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 23. and therefore as all Ecclesiasticall power was deduced onely from S. Peter at the first so now it is deduced onely from his personall Successours in this Apostolicall seate Now vnto this Spirituall power in the Church they subiect all temporall power in the State as I will presently declare as being of greater excellencie and vertue And it is true indeed that the spirituall power of the Church excelleth the temporall in the State but how ratione finis because the end of the Churches power is eternall life and ratione medij because the courses whereby shee worketh are spirituall meanes namely such as are contained in the Word of God conducing vnto this end But yet this her spirituall power excelleth not the temporall power of Princes in dominion command sublimitie and glorie which are properly appendant to their Crownes The second power which Babylon doth challenge by her second Beast is Temporall which her Popes haue affected with many insinuations and sometimes with open vendication thereof and her neerest friends aduance it with the best art which wit and learning can minister in this behalfe And certainly this is the opinion which daily increaseth in Babylon and which they will indeuour to support with might and mayne though some more moderate Babylonians doe not yet giue way vnto this highest Antichristian course For I finde three seuerall Opinions in the Church of Rome vpon this point 1. The first giueth all temporall dominion directly vnto the Pope as the principall Souereigne of the World from whom all Princes dependently hold their Crownes These are true Babylonians indeed but all such are actuall Traytors against the dignitie and supreame honour of the Crownes of Princes vnder whom they liue 2. The second giueth all spirituall power not temporall to the Pope but yet indirectly drawing on a temporall power ouer Princes in ordine ad spiritualia in ordine ad Deum c. viz. that the Pope may depose an hereticall or an irregular Prince from his Crowne as hauing authoritie ouer him in this case to depriue him of his estate All such Babylonians are habituall Traytors disposed and alwayes resolued in preparation of heart to execute any Papall sentence of deposition as far as they can against their owne naturall Lords and Souereigne Princes 3. The third opinion denying the second of these as the second denieth the first giueth a meere spirituall authoritie vnto the Pope to excommunicate a Prince for his correction and saluation and to bring him to a penitent submission vnto God and his Church but without any such temporall effect as the second opinion doth inforce And hence it is that the Oath of Alleageance in this Kingdome so wisely deuised and necessarily enacted though it subuert and contradict the first and second Opinions yet it leaueth this last and third Opinion vntouched neither affirming nor denying it because all moderate Papists that treate of the Popes power as namely Doctor Barkley and the more milde Babylonians in England denying it in the first and second degree doe yet constantly affirme it in the third But these men find least grace in Babylon which is more delighted with the second Opinion and chiefly with the first and therefore we see that as the first groweth daily more strong in Rome so the second hath lately gotten more aduantage in France in the minoritie of the King by the subtile Oration of Cardinall Peron which our most excellent Souereigne hath cleerly refuted by his diuine and learned Pen. To conclude now the third proofe of my assertion you may perceiue that the large Dominion of Babylon which the Iesuits truly find in Rome but falsely conceiue it to be there within a very little time onely before her ruine doth appertaine vnto the CHVRCH and not vnto the Citie but so far forth as it is the place wherein the Pope doth reigne so that in it his Successors must continue euen vntill the time of Antichrist when they shall be expelled out of the confines thereof and there they shall exercise their domination not onely with Saint Peters Keyes but also with his two Swords This is the power of Babylon which the Reuelation doth truly foretell and which these Iesuites could not discerne therein But as humane reason disapproueth their idle conceits and naked coniectures so certaine experience ioyned with diuine prediction doth confirme our assertion in this point And so I come vnto a fourth and a more important proofe thereof FOVRTHLY therefore I proue it out of the conformitie betwixt the prediction of Saint Paul and the Reuelation of Saint Iohn both contayning one sense of matter vnder different forme of words the point it selfe being one as proceeding from one Spirit First then it is the prediction of Saint Paul that Antichrist shall be reuealed
MYSTICAL BABYLON OR Papall Rome A Treatise vpon those words APOCAL 18.2 It is fallen it is fallen BABYLON c. In which the wicked and miserable condition of Rome as shee now is in her present Babylonian estate and as she shall be in her future ineuitable ruine is fully discouered And sundry Controuersiall points of Religion betwixt the Protestants and the Papists are briefly discussed By Theophilus Higgons Rector of the Parochiall Church of Hunton neere Maidstone in KENT PSAL. 119.126 It is time for thee LORD to lay to thine hand for they haue destroyed thy Law LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Matthew Lownes and William Barret 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR HENRY MOVNTAGV Knight Baron of KIMBOLTON Viscount MAVNDEVILLE Lord President of his MAIESTIES most Honorable Priuie Counsaile Right noble and truly Christian LORD SInce I haue presumed to appeare thus in publique and to treate peculiarly of this subiect Mysticall Babylon rather then of any other and finally to recommend this Treatise vnto your fauourable patronage I stand therefore obliged to expresse my Motiues and Reasons in the two former points for the generall satisfaction of others and in the last for the particular of your Honorable Selfe As for the FIRST I am not mooued vpon any oblique respect to take vp the Sword of my Pen in this spirituall warfare I am not vexed with the ambition of preferment nor affectation of applause for I desire earnestly of God that the diuine sentence of Saint Paul may bee deeply grauen in my heart The World is crucified vnto me and I vnto the World Neither am I prouoked vnto this designe out of any spleene or vindictiue humour against the Church of Rome or any person therein and indeed I haue beene so farre from giuing them any speciall distaste that I haue obserued the tearmes of ciuill and morall respect towards some of them to my greater preiudice then I will either bragge or complaine of vnto the World But the true and proper causes are these First I am bound as a dutifull Sonne of my Mother-Church from whose sacred breasts I drew the first nutriment of my faith to succour and comfort her in her distressed estate while the little Foxes of Rome eate vp her Grapes and the wild Boare thereof seeketh to enter into the Vineyard of God And therefore since euery man indued with any facultie of writing should performe his seruice vnto the Church of God especially when and where the contagion of Heresie doth dilate it selfe as Saint Augustine doth grauely aduise I could not bee silent in so necessarie a time for as wee shall answere vnto God for our idle words so wee shall answere vnto him for our dangerous silence Secondly to make some satisfaction thereby vnto the Church of God which being vniustly wronged by my meanes doth iustly challenge this remedie of my paines that the hand which hath hurt her may somewhat helpe her and that as I haue made a wound so I may make a cure againe Thirdly to procure the sweete peace of my conscience towards God that I may heale the wound which I haue formerly made vnto my owne soule Christian Wisdome teaching me to powre some Oile into that to supple it which hath found so much Vineger to fret it and therefore I am resolued to neglect all troubles without that I may find this comfort within Fourthly to exempt hereby all scruple out of their hearts who desire to vnderstand the state and disposition of my conscience in the matter of Religion For as Saint Hierome being vehemently suspected of the infection of Origens errours did therefore diuert that suspition by cleere publication of his mind in writing That they who would not beleeue his tongue in his deniall might yet beleeue his Pen in his refutation thereof as hee doth ingeniously write in this behalfe so I find my selfe very deeply charged in the point of conscience and discretion to giue sufficient notice vnto all the sonnes of my Mother touching my Faith and Religion by some Treatise now to bee published vnto the World and to remayne I hope after my decease as a Record what I doe certainly beleeue concerning the doctrine of faith professed in this Church of England and oppugned by the Church of Rome SECONDLY therefore I haue made speciall election of this subiect concerning Rome and her ruine as being of greatest importance in it self and specially in these dayes For whereas the most vsuall subiects of disputation betwixt vs and the Papists are particular and therefore haue a particular issue of veritie or falshood therein this is of an higher nature of a larger extent and of a more generall effect for that it doth concerne not onely a part of her doctrine but the whole being of the Church of Rome it toucheth not a branch or two but the very root it selfe it reacheth not onely vnto a piece of her building but vnto the very foundation thereof And therefore this disputation viz. Whether and How the name of Babylon in the visions of Saint Iohn doth agree vnto Rome is of singular consequence thereby to confront the audacious insultations of her politike Agents to giue an Antidote against the poyson which they seeke to instill into many vnsetled hearts that so they who are fallen from the truth may bee happily reduced vnto it and they who are falling may be strongly confirmed in the same Now THIRDLY and lastly it remaineth most worthy Lord that I make true remonstrance of the causes which haue bred this confidence in mee to offer vp this little Treatise vpon the Altar of your Honourable fauour I speake not of your descent and extraction out of a Noble Family nor of your high degree of Honour nor of your speciall aduancement in the State for which respects many men apply themselues vnto the seruice and attendance of great persons but aboue all things I am comforted in your sincere and constant profession of the Truth which grace seemeth to be hereditarie in your House as being spectable in all the branches thereof Since therefore Greatnesse and Goodnesse haue mutuall coniunction in your Lordships person I cannot suppose that a Worke of this nature can want your acceptation nor the Author thereof your protection Whereof also I conceiue the greater hope because I haue knowne heretofore by the double testimonie of mine eyes and eares the gracious inclination of your Honour towards mee and that onely for the Truths sake and the Words sake as indeed I haue euer found them to be my most assured and certaine friends that haue affected mee in this regard But if I should need or seeke any externall or farther motiue to induce your Honour to vouchsafe your patronage vnto mee and vnto this Treatise I would not goe out of your owne Family though it must bee from the liuing to the dead but I would intreate it by the deare and precious memory of that religious learned most accomplished Prelate your famous Brother
of the Church darkeneth all the glorie of the Citie which also now by a Popish Metaphor is translated into the Church for that the Citie and the Church are now coupled in vnion together both being in subiection to one head in regard whereof it is Ecclesiasticall Rome rather then Ciuill the Citie being swallowed vp of the Church as Pharaohs fat Kine were deuoured by the leane The name of Babylon then agreeing to Rome as wee shall more cleerely perceiue anon falleth eminently vpon the Church there rather then vpon the Citie hauing all the properties of Babylon which the Reuelation doth assigne as in the sequell of my Sermon you shall very sensibly discerne SECONDLY therefore I prooue my assertion by the reuiew of that Merchandtze in Rome which is spirituall and of the Church there not temporall and of the Citie as some doe poorely conceiue and weakly prooue And because this is a matter of especiall consequence I resolue to sound the depth of this mysterie and to lay it forth in liuely colours as it shall please God to guide and to direct my thoughts The 〈◊〉 Merchants of this Babylon are soule-merchants dealing in spirituall affaires vnder the great and terrible Monarch of the Church therein sitting as God in the Temple of God This is not mine inuention but the very testimonie of the Scripture it selfe Apocal. 18.13 For the Spirit of God making a large enumeration of the Wares and Merchandize of this Babylon a Spirituall Babylon and consequently spirituall Wares vnder a spirituall Prince concludeth it with the SOVLES of men as the proper and pretended subiect of their negotiations though vnder and by the pretense of spirituall things this Papall Monarch doth exercise a temporall and an earthly domination as the principall scope of his subtile practises and operations in the World And because this point is exellently deliuered by the learned pen of our gracious Souereigne I will expresse it in his owne words Babylon shall haue many that shall bee Merchants vnto her of the soules of men by selling for Money PARDONS giuen by that Monarch the second Beast which shall bee thought to haue power to saue redeeme and free mens soules namely out of Purgatorie Wherefore it was truly affirmed in a Booke composed by the Clergie of England in the Reigne of King Henry the eight vnto the which all the principall members of the Clergie did subscribe as by name Gardiner then Bishop of Winton and Boner then Archdeacon of Leicester c. that it was necessary that such abuses bee cleerely put away which vnder the name of Purgatorie haue beene aduanced as to make men beleeue that through the pardons of the Bishop of Rome SOVLES might be cleerely deliuered out of PVRGATORIE and all the paines thereof But since I shall haue occasion anone to touch this ware and other merchandizes of Babylon more neerely to the quick let vs obserue here by the way what the learned paire of Iesuites doth conceiue of this traffick whether it may be taken in a Litteral or in a Spirituall sense whether it may appertaine vnto the Church or vnto the Citie of Rome RIBERA commeth first in order who treating of these Merchants in Apoc. 18.3 speaketh of their repaire vnto Babylon to fill her with all varietie of things and afterwards in v. 11. hee saith that the Merchants shall weepe and lament for the destruction of Rome where they had so great negotiation because they can haue no more traffick in that great and opulent Citie VIEGAS followeth speaketh more copiously vpon this point in Apoc. 18.3 For he saith that Merchants shal flow together to Rome being Babylon neere the end of the world out of al parts of the earth shal lament the fall of Rome because their traffick with her shal be intercluded for euer Afterward nu 6. he saith that it is manifestly gathered by so much such precious merchandise as is expressed here in this Chapter that Rome shal attain vnto very great power and abundance of riches and that her Empire which shal be most flourishing shal be largely propagated in all the world And again he affirmeth immediately thereupon that in the last times Rome shal be a most flourishing Citie her Empire very large that she shal liue in great pleasure in great abundance of al things that she shall then serue IDOLATRIE and that thus being Babylon she shal come vnto a fatal woful end Thus they hunt counter in the literal sense of temporal merchandise other Babylonians also with them or rather before them run in the fame course as by name our country-man D. Bristow to whom D. Worthington from whō I receiued this notice did attribute very much for his sober graue and deep iudgement who long before the commentary of Viegas came forth as I suppose before the commentary also of Ribera euer saw the light was cōfident in his opinion that this should be the condition and estate of Rome in the latter daies which I haue now related out of their works O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue that which is so cleerely reuealed in the Scriptures if you compare their prediction with the euent of things For first these Merchants are called the Merchants of Soules as I noted before vpon the point of Indulgences of which I shall speake more anone With which spirituall merchandise we may ioyne many other matters of their traffique by dispensations absolutions appellations faculties inuestitures and many pretended interests of the Church of Rome in a word by their courts Legantine by the discursations of Legates and Apostolicall officers in Temporall and Ecclesiasticall estates to the singular aduantage of Babylon and the negotiators of that Apostaticall See Secondly it is extreamely improbable that Rome should become such a Tyrus such a Mart of the Nations Esay 23.3 as these men pretend a place of such traffique and negotiation it being by situation and want of conueniences incapable of so great employments as neither shee enioyed in the highest pride of her Paganicall estate nor any Citie if the Text be are purely a litterall sense in so many verses 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 23 amplifying her merchandize with rare varietie of phrase of most commodious situation indued with all benefits of Art and Nature did perhaps euer enioy the like Thirdly it is morally impossible that Rome in this future imagined estate should increase to such an immoderate and vast power as is described in this place Apoc. 18.3 ALL NATIONS haue drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and THE KINGS OF THE EARTH euen they that chap. 17.3 gaue their power and authoritie vnto the Second Beast haue committed fornication with her and THE MERCHANTS OF THE EARTH are waxen rich with the abundance of her pleasures This rare and portentuous euent in Rome after her Ethnicall estate after her entertainment of Christian Religion as the Iesuites confesse doth require no small extent of
forth vnto sufficient notice Hee therefore that now seeth not this truth hath a shallow head and hee that seeing it will yet dissemble it hath an hollow heart Such men therefore I may truely compare vnto Achan for as hee tooke the Babylonish garment and couered it in his Tent Iosh 7.21 expecting a more conuenient time to make some further vse thereof so they lay vp Babylonian doctrines and superstitions in their hearts expecting a time to make more publike practise thereof as opportunitie may giue them securitie in this behalfe men therefore that looke downeward vnto the changeable times in the earth but not vpward vnto immutable eternitie in heauen NINTHLY since Rome is Babylon therefore vnitie and peace and concord should reigne in the Church of God which shee laboureth to vndermine with her policie and to ruinate with her power that all may conspire in a sacred expedition to performe the word and worke of God against Babylon the denne of that accursed Beast For if the diuersitie of tongues hindred the setting of Literall Babylon vp the diuersitie of hearts will hinder the pulling of Spirituall Babylon downe Let vs pray then for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue it let euery man endeauour to cure domesticke wounds and make none that euery honest heart may beare witnesse vnto it selfe and say with the wise woman of Abel in her Apologie for her Citie I am one of them that are peaceable and faithfull in Israel 2. Sam. 20.19 TENTHLY and lastly I conclude with a Morall obseruation vpon this point Since Rome is degenerate from her ancient state in purer times when shee was a professour of the truth and a protectour of them that repayred vnto her for defence thereof hauing lost her Excellencie and forfeited her Name by a sorrowfull change of Glorious Rome into Impure Babylon wee may therefore consider that the Grace of GOD is not tyed to any place not fixed to any Citie not bound vnto any Kingdome but as hee giueth it freely by his fauour so hee taketh it away iustly for our sinnes Hence it is according to the construction of this point by Ribera the Iesuite that this Rome now faithfull in his opinion may become and shall become Babylon heereafter in her Idolatrie Dominion Power Riches c. though indeed shee is now so in all these things neyther can it bee presumed by any reason that shee should become so within a little time euen the space of two or three yeeres as they ridiculously conceiue but necessarily suppose for their owne discharge and that shee shall be a Cage of vncleane Birds and that she shall truly deserue this name of Babylon by the confluence of all Impieties that shall then reigne therein Which future as he pretendeth but present as we see estate of Rome and change of her name in the change of her condition hee approoueth by the instance of Ierusalem as I noted before once a faithfull Citie the place of Gods speciall delight c. yet afterwards a rebellious Citie a Where in her Idolatries and sinnes wherewith afterward she prouoked him vnto his fierce and vindictiue wrath And indeed well might this calamitie fall vpon Rome if it fell vpon Ierusalem How is the faithfull Citie become an harlot thy siluer is become drosse thy wine is mixt with water Esay 1. 21. since Ierusalem was priuiledged with more Immunities by Gods owne concession and testimonie then euer was that fatall Citie of Rome howbeit vnder the Emperours shee boasted of her eternitie and vnder the Popes shee braggeth of Saint Peters Chaire as beeing fastened vnmoueably vnto her sides for so doth Bellarmine conceiue and earnestly presse this point de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. cap. 4. as a most probable opinion and piously to bee beleeued And though shee may bee burned in the time of Antichrist saith hee yet that shall not bee till the end of the World yea by their computation of Antichrists reigne perhaps within a yeare or two before it since Antichrist reigning but three and an halfe cannot presently subdue other parts of the World and bring his power against this Citie But leauing Bellarmine with his fellowes intangled in the bird-lime of their owne absurdities let vs not maruell at this mutation in Rome which we now behold the name of it being thus translated into Babylon since the dignitie and glorie and lustre of her ancient vertues are now extinguished by the inundation of her sinnes mentioned before leading her into the Sea of her perdition nor at the mutation of Ierusalem of which you heard before her name signifying they shall see peace but shee saw and felt the miserie of warres for her great and many sinnes let vs I say not maruell at the one or other but let vs feare the like vnto our selues if God leaue vs vnto our selues to dye and to perish in the course of our sinnes Hee may take away the kingdome from vs and giue it vnto another Nation hee may remooue our Candlesticke and place it in another Region so may Albion this white and faire Countrey of England wherein wee dwell loose her name and be turned into a black darke and dismall Land and then also God may be glorified in our destruction as he hath beene glorified in our preseruation and great felicitie euen to the admiration of all Lands and enuie of some that haue complotted but could not effect our ruine Therefore while wee haue the light let vs walke in it and cast away the workes of darknesse that Gods truth may euer dwell in our Land that as wee haue receiued it from our Fathers in peace though they left it vnto vs by their bloud so wee may transmit the same vnto our Children and bee euer readie also to seale it with our bloud if God shall vouchsafe vs that double honour to beleeue in his Sonne and to suffer for his sake The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON WHEREIN IS DISCVSSED the Second Part of this Text Namely the PREDICATE expressing the punishment of ROME It is fallen it is fallen AS Zarah first appeared in the birth but retyring himselfe gaue way and passage vnto Pharez to come before him into the world Gen. 38.29 so the Punishment of Rome being first here in order of place but last in order of sense hath resigned its prioritie vnto the Sinne of Rome in the method and disposition of the parts which I haue followed in the pursuite and discussion of my Text. Now therefore I come from the Subject to the Praedicate from Babylon to her fall from the Sinne of Rome to her Punishment so confirmed so ratified and entayled therevnto that no wit though subtile no learning though great no policie though deepe no Art though curious no strength though mightie shall bee able to diuert nullifie and preuent the same as hereafter we shall in due place most cleerely discouer and discerne As for the Subject BABYLON whether it bee Rome or not and in
for euer of this scandall which misprision and errour I haue refuted in my former Sermon But let vs proceed with S. Hierome who addeth immediately by way of acclamation O potent Citie O Lady-citie of the world O Citie commended by the voyce of the Apostle interpret thine owne name according to the Greekes it is a name of FORTITVDE according to the Hebrewes it is a name of SVBLIMITIE Keepe that then which thou art called let vertue make thee high let not pleasure make thee base All this pertaineth to her honour and exaltation but then hee giueth his aduice vnto her presently in the very next words Thou mayest by thy repentance escape the malediction which our Sauiour hath threatned vnto thee in his Reuelation No not so S. Hierome by your leaue shee shall not escape this is not a simple Commination against Rome which may bee preuented but a resolution which must be fulfilled And now to conclude this obseruation I here discouer some perplexitie as I said before and vncertaintie yea perhaps contradiction in this Rhetoricall passage of this learned Father For since he doth confesse that howsoeuer Christian Rome had wiped away the infamie of her Ethnicall estate and doth notwithstanding immediately affirme that the Commination of Christ specified here in my Text and more largely discoursed in the residue of this Chapter is yet in force against her and that it is yet to be executed vpon her if she by repentance shall not diuert and euacuate the same one of these two things must necessarily here ensue namely that either shee will bee Babylon againe in succeeding ages and iustly deserue this ruine and so S. Hierome by the former words doth not discharge Rome from the name of Babylon for the time to come but onely in that her present state or else that God shall punish her in the time to come for her sinnes alreadie past which I doubt how it may stand with the Truth and Iustice of God as I haue more largely deduced in my former Sermon And so leauing it vnto your iudicious censure what you will determine of S. Hierome in this case since this iudgement is laid vpon Rome in the name of Babylon and for her Babylonian sinnes I end this obseruation with the confession of the learned Iesuites as well as of some ancient Fathers that Rome being Babylon shall be certainly destroyed howbeit not by Antichrists power as they conceiue but for Antichrists pride as we haue partly seene heretofore and shall see more hereafter A Second vse to be made of this point is for the consolation of Gods children shee curseth them shee excommunicateth them shee deposeth Kings shee disposeth Kingdomes shee exposeth both to ruine shee absolueth subiects from obedience shee stirreth forraine powers against them shee burneth shee drowneth shee spareth no meanes to extirpate them out of the world Comfort now your selues in Gods promise shee is fallen with him shee shall fall before vs for Gods Word shall not fall Againe shee taketh vpon her to foretell our ruine and destruction Pererius a learned Iesuite but a blind Babylonian in his exposition of Genes 15.16 complaineth bitterly of the persecution of Catholikes in England which saith he meaning England though she remaine in the course of her sins yet she enioyeth great felicitie but he recollecteth himselfe with that speech of God vnto Abraham the sinnes of the Amorites are not yet full ENGLAND saith hee though full of sinne hath not yet fulfilled the number of her sinnes but when they are come to their height shee shall certainely perish and if any man thinke that this time is not farre off hee in my opinion is not farre from the truth Now though wee are to learne something of our enemies but more by the examples in sacred Scripture that we may repent and change our liues that so God may shew his mercie and compassion towards vs yet two things I obserue here the one for their reproofe the other for our comfort The first is for their reproofe for as S. Augustine doth truely note the Deuill to gaine the reputation of Prescience and Deitie foretelleth such things as hee is resolued to effect and bring to passe by his owne power and meanes if God giue permission vnto his desire so the Ianizaries of Babylon the progenie of Loiola Frogges in the Reuelation 16.13 as some haue ingeniously conceiued for that a Iesuite is ordinarily a politicke and actiue Polypragmon and so an Amphibion that conuerseth in two elements of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall affaires of the Church and of the state may seeme to bee Prophets in foretelling the ruine of my deare and natiue Countrey whereas they foretell that which themselues do proiect and labour to atchieue and it had been effectuated long before this time but that he hath had mercy vpon England who will shew none to Babylon and hath not left this other better world of Brittaine vnto their pernicious designes The second is for our comfort they haue prophecies of our destruction but written in their owne wicked and treacherous hearts and therefore I may say vnto such a Prophet as Nehemiah vnto Sanballat Neh. 6.8 It is not done saith hee it shall not bee done say I according to these words that thou sayest for thou fainest them of thine owne heart Thy prophecies are vagabond lies flying vp and downe in wandring papers of no weight or value but this our prophecie or rather S. Iohns or rather Christs by him is registred in the sacred Scripture of infallible truth So that wee may say securely concerning the ruine of Babylon with our not their S. Peter 2.5.19 Wee haue a most sure word of a Prophet to the which wee doe well that wee take heed for Babylon shall fall since Gods Word cannot fall the sentence is past the execution is at hand And thus much of the first point to bee obserued here in the second part of my Text namely the TIME of Romes punishment which being then and yet to come is expressed by the Angels proclamation in the time alreadie past The SECOND point concerning the duplication of her punishment It is fallen and againe it is fallen AS our blessed Sauiour sent forth his Disciples two and two Luc. 10.1 so he setteth forth the notice of Babylons ruine by a doubled voyce And as the Law of the Decalogue was written twice by the finger of God so the fall of Babylon is proclaimed twice by the mouth of Christ The reasons whereof with such circumstances as deserue due ponderation in this case I will examine with perspicuous breuitie and so proceed to the maine substance of my Text. The FIRST reason is that which S. Ambrose vpon the Reuelations or the Author of that Commentarie which is graced with his name doth assigne in this manner Babylon is said twice to fall because a great multitude fell from her communion and entertained the Christian Faith and because shee shall bee punished in the last day with eternall
beareth rule therein as in the very Seate and Center of his Dominion The SECOND obseruation which from thence I frame and tender vnto your religious hearts is a Morall truth namely that God doth often punish our sinnes by such meanes and instruments as were seruiceable vnto vs therein to the accomplishment of our desires So wee read Ezek. 16.37.39 c. that whereas the Iewes committed spirituall fornication with the Idols of Aegypt and Assyria and reapposed more in the helpe of the Aegyptians and Assyrians sometimes then in the protection of God therefore he threatneth to giue them into their hands who being instruments of their sinnes against him should bee also instruments of his iudgements against them Sundry are the examples in this kind which I cannot now produce but leauing the ponderation of this point vnto your owne hearts I aduise you in the tender feare of God so to please him in all your wayes that not onely all men but all his creatures may bee disposed and inclined by him to our incolunitie and preseruation So saith the Wiseman When the wayes of a man please the Lord hee will also make his enemies at peace with him Prou. 16.7 To this purpose spake Eliphaz in Iob. 5.23 The stones of the field shall bee in league with thee and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee But if wee sinne impenitently against him euery creature in heauen and earth is readie prest by his instinct and motion to reuenge the iniurie done vnto him who is the Creator of heauen and earth And so much concerning the first question I come therefore vnto the second The SECOND Question SECONDLY if you require of me what are the causes for which these ten Kings shall take vp their Armes against Babylon I answere partly out of the euidence of the Scripture and partly out of the demonstration of reason that three principall causes concurre in this behalfe The FIRST is a meritorious cause by congruitie and condignitie as they vse to speake of the merit of their workes in regard of her sinnes which I haue touched heretofore in the comparisons betwixt the Misticall and the Literall Babylon which being a burthen vnto the earth cry for vengeance vnto heauen And now here is a collection of her sinnes the old and the new come into one reckoning and account They were past in act but remained in guilt wherefore it is said Apoc. 18.5 Her sins are come vp vnto heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities for though hee alwayes remembred them in his prouidence and knowledge yet now hee declareth his remembrance by the execution of his Iustice Thus we perceiue that God hath a time to permit sinnes and a time to punish sinnes the former and the latter sinnes together of any state or of any person when our repentance bindeth not vp the hands of his iustice but our continuance addition and renouation of sinne draw the sword out of the scabbard and compell him vnto the manifestation of his wrath as it is here in the fall of Babylon whose sins are bound vp together in this great and fearefull iudgement But since she will make no benefit of this instruction as being obdurate in the course of her sinnes and prepared for destruction let vs obserue it brethren for our owne vse since wee know the iust seueritie of God which leadeth vs vnto speedie repentance least he arraigne vs at the barre of his Iustice for our ancient for our latter sins This obseruation pertaineth first vnto a Kingdome and State hee doth not forger her sins though he remember them not presently in iudgement After many hundred yeeres he called Amalek vnto an account I remember saith he vnto Saul what Amalek did vnto Israel how they laid wait for them in the way as they came vp out of Egypt therefore he sent Saul vpon an expedition against the Amalekites to destroy them from the face of the earth O that my natiue Countrey would take notice of this at the heart and not adde sin vnto sin new vnto the old prouoking God vnto great indignation against her But two things comfort me here the one that God will spare the Land because hee hath many faithfull seruants therein that mourne for the sins of England and that as Eliphaz speaketh in Iob 22.30 the innocent shall deliuer the Iland For it is not the Sea that can defend vs from inuasion it is not any Castle that can saue vs from the enemy and sin within the Land is of greater force to destroy it then any foe without but some righteous men are in the Iland and God doth spare it for their sake The other is that according to Dauids option and choyce wee shall rather fall into the hands of the Lord then of men for the punishment and castigation of this Land This obseruation pertaineth secondly vnto the Church which falling in her inward puritie cannot stand long as Gregorie noted in her outward glory If wee haue not a place in the conscience of men by our effectuall doctrine and our exemplarie life that wee haue a mansion in their very hearts then the Law our Gouernment our Temporalties all outward prouision for the Ministers of the Church shall make them but a weake consistencie and a feeble station in the world Let not our sins preuaile against vs to prouoke God and we shall not feare the complotments of any mortall man whose breath is in his nostrills This obseruation pertaineth thirdly vnto euery particular person of whatsoeuer qualitie or condition rich or poore high or low For for if thou addest the sins of thy age vnto the sins of thy youth for which Dauid intreateth pardon of God Psalm 25.7 and makest an accumulation of thine iniquities of latter vnto former without remorse of thy conscience and feare of Gods displeasure saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornenesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst know then that the Lord will not be mercifull vnto thee but then the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against thee and euery curse that is written in his booke shall light vpon thee and the Lord shall put out thy name from vnder heauen Deut. 29.19 20. yea out of heauen also that is hee shall declare that thy name was neuer written there according to that in the Psalme Let them be put out of the booke of life Psa 69.28 And so much concerning the first cause why these ten Kings assemble against Babylon to worke her fall The SECOND is an efficient cause and that is God by his iustice his iustice being prouoked by her sins according to that of the Prophet Esay 42.24 Who gaue Iacob to the spoile and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord because wee haue sinned against him Thus we haue a connexion of the first and second cause in this one sentence which meete in Babylons case For first wee heare of the
meritorious cause of her fall Apoc. 17.2 The Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her and the Inhabitants of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication to wit in her Ecclesiasticall State Then secondly we heare of the efficient cause of her fall v. 17. God hath put in the hearts of the ten Kings to fulfill his will and to doe with one consent for to giue their Kingdome vnto the Beast How long Vntill the words of God bee fulfilled What then They shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and burne her with fire Vpon what motion From God as the Text doth plainly beare And therefore our most learned and prudent Souereigne doth truly and aptly obserue in this place The hearts of the greatest Kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to make them his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them Here then I note three things FIRST though Kings may bee carried by their proper motion of malice or auarice or of some other affection in their warres against some people and in bringing them to ruine yet therein we may obserue and must confesse that it is digitus Dei Gods finger or rather Gods hand in this worke So Nebuchadnezzar himselfe a cruell proud insolent Prince in his warres did so performe the will and purpose of God therein that God himselfe giueth him the title of his seruant and commendeth his seruice done vnto him not only against his enemies a people that knew not his Lawes as it is Ezekiel 29.18 but also against his owne people Ieremy 25.9 And so in his sacred expugnation of Babylon these Kings are Gods seruants they doe their worke from him and hee doth his worke by them Therefore Saint Ambrose or whosoeuer is the Author of that Commentarie vpon the Reuelation doth ingeniously deliuer his iudgement vpon the words of my Text Babylon is fallen it being here the voyce of God to declare it the hand of God to effect it that in this case dixisse Dei fecisse est dixit enim cecidisse Babylonem quia ipse fecit vt caderet The speech of God is the worke of God for hee said that Babylon is fallen because he brought it to passe that Babylon should fall SECONDLY we may heere consider that as there is mercie in God to receiue vs vnto grace so there is Iustice in him to punish our sinnes Marciâ— knew not this but because of different operations proceeding from God hee made a diuersitie of Gods one good another iust or rather cruell one the maker of the body another of the soule one whom he would loue another whom he would feare one in the Law another in the Gospell But wee know one God alone onely good onely wise onely gracious whose mercie is free and proceedeth from himselfe whose iustice is right and is prouoked by vs for as wee haue malum culpae to offend him so hee hath malum poenae to afflict vs. Amos 3.6 Esay 45.7 THIRDLY and lastly though Reason may seeme to perswade vs as it perswadeth Babylon her selfe that she is so strengthened by the confederacy of Princes as in many dangers shee hath not neglected the tearmes of prudencie in this behalfe by the amitie of her Friends by the diligence of her Negotiators by the policie of her Counsellours by the art of her Learning by the abundance of her Riches and finally by a generall confluence of all outward meanes for the supportation of her Estate that shee shall neuer fall for so she saith in her heart I sit being a Queene and am no Widdow and shall see no mourning Apoc. 18.7 yet Faith assureth me that her owne Friends her owne Vp-holders her hornes these ten Kings her old Louers shall bring her downe to the Earth to fall so low that shee can fall no lower I meane not in place and situation but in condition and estate Now if Rome aske or if my owne reason demand of me how can this be I answere God hath said it and hee will doe it I haue heard his Word and now I doe expect his Worke. Away then with quomodo how can this or how can that bee when God speaketh and God assureth vs and God reuealeth his Will vnto vs. This Word commeth in with incredulitie and want of faith as the diuine Preacher Saint Chrysostome doth excellently note vpon the question of the Iewes Iohn 6.52 How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate Therefore I rest vpon the truth of God that is it which I beleeue and I am no farther scrupulous in regard of many improbabilities and difficulties which reason suggesteth and presenteth vnto me in this point If I haue as now I haue Gods Word that this Worke shall be performed I am not curious to inquire of the manner and meanes how hee will bring the same to passe And so much concerning the second cause of the fall of Babylon by the cooperation of these Kings The THIRD is an excitant cause inward in respect of the iust wrath of these Kings but outward in respect of the prouocation thereof by the indignities and iniuries of Babylon against the Potentates of the Earth Now as in the first and second causes I had the plaine testimonie of Scripture so heere in this third I haue the certaine assurance of strong reason to confirme and settle my iudgement therein for now I beginne to discouer some impulsiue cause arising from Babylon that stirreth vp these Kings vnto the execution of Gods Worke. First therefore Babylon hath treasonable doctrines against the state and dignitie of Kings though they were the hornes and strength of the second Beast therein as namely to depose Kings from their royall seates yea to take away the faire Titles wherewith she had inuested them before as this Beast had once taken vpon him to depriue Francis the French King of his Title of the most Christian King and to translate it vnto Henry the Eighth of England as Guicciardine their owne Historian doth record though afterward with greater furie and indignation hee proceeded against the same Henry who had beene a principall horne to corroborate and confirme the Maiestie of the Triple Crowne Againe this Babylon exposeth the persons of Princes vnto priuate violences and publike impugnation by their owne subiects as well as their States vnto the Rapine and Inuasion of forreigne power Lastly this Babylon doth aduance her Beast aboue all ciuil Lords and Souereignes not onely by an indirect authoritie ouer them in case of Heresie and for spirituall ends to which opinion onely and no farther a multitude of Babylonians doe incline though with the peremptorie censure of the Beast himselfe and violent oppugnation of his chiefe Adherents in that behalfe but by a direct and superiour authoritie ouer them as Lord of Lords and King of Kings So Boniface the Eighth intruded vpon the Crowne of France but found the strong
which wee haue not already found FOVRTHLY and lastly wee may obserue that as the mysticall condition of this Babylonian Rome is by cleere remonstrance made by learned and iudicious men notoriously discouered vnto all the World so the hornes of the Papall Beast haue begun to fall from his head his power being thereby much abated and neuer likely to bee recouered againe but one horne after another shall be plucked off Wherefore as I may certainly conclude that the Turke shall not destroy the states and dignities of these ten Kings whatsoeuer Zanchius a learned and profound Diuine did conceiue to the contrary for which he suffered some opposition as in the second part of his Miscellanea it may appeare and whatsoeuer Melancthon himselfe deliuered in his publike Lectures that all Germanie should bee possessed by the Turke and my reason is grounded vpon the Scripture shewing that the ten Kings which arose with the second Beast in Rome shall destroy Rome at the last and therefore if the Turke obtaine their Kingdomes it must be after the fal of the Rome which they must first ruinate so I may very reasonably and probably affirme that the Kings which are alreadie fallen from the Beast the Pope shall neuer returne vnto him againe to giue their power a second time vnto him and to submit their Royall States vnto the Papall Crowne But if Babylon should aduance her selfe in England againe which wee haue no cause to feare nor Papists reason to hope yet that shall not hinder the accomplishment of this worke for Babylon must fall it is decreed by GOD it shall bee performed by these Kings Notwithstanding since Babylon is full of malice and indignation playing first the Foxe to enter into the Lords Vineyard that shee might be a Lyon afterwards to kill the Keepers thereof let vs not be secure in obseruing her courses nor fearefull to sustaine her conflict Let vs be prepared for that which may not perhaps be prepared for vs Wee must not bee wanting to Martyrdome though it may bee wanting vnto vs ne desit animus Martyrio saith Saint Cyprian Let vs not want a mind to die for the truth of Christ hee may be an habituall Martyr euer that is an actuall neuer in preparation of mind not in passion of bodie in will and not in worke as Saint Bernard speaketh of Saint Iohn the Euangelist that hee was a Martyr in will though not in worke whereas the Innocents were Martyrs in worke but not in will and Saint Stephen in both But here let no man deceiue himselfe with a sudden apprehension of Martyrdome as a matter of little difficultie to vndergo but let him consider rather that multi ante persecutionem Leones in persecutione cerui many are Lyons in the time of peace but Harts in the time of persecution as one of the Ancients spake by experience of those times that many who speake gloriously of their resolution appeare cowards in their performance as the historie of Doctor Pendleton and Master Sanders may testifie and finally that they whom God calleth vnto so great a worke shall bee prepared by him with gifts conuenient for that purpose Therfore Saint Ambrose writing vnto his sister Marcella Epist 44. saith modestly of himselfe because God knew me to be weake hee hath not yet giuen the Deuill power ouer my bodie And though I should desire martyrdome and offer my selfe vnto it perhaps he doth iudge mee yet to be vnable for so great a strife and therefore doth exercise mee with other labours and diuers afflictions but hath not tried mee in this kind O the rare humilitie of such an excellent spirit Let vs then by his example bee willing not boasting readie not desirous to dye for the cause of God if Babylon should yet againe try vs in the fire of her persecution before shee come to the fire of her owne ruine And so much of the third point namely the time when Babylon shall be destroyed by these Kings The FOVRTH Question THe FOVRTH and last question concerneth the state of the Pope of Papists and of Poperie vpon this fall of Babylon whether hee and they and it shall come vnto a finall extirpation with Babylon or what may bee conceiued probably of each in the discourse of iudgement and reason by deduction out of the sacred Scripture it selfe This question then hath three seuerall branches as you heare and therefore I will treate of them all in order as it shall please God to assist mee with the celestiall illumination of his blessed Spirit The FIRST Branch of the fourth Question concerning the POPE WE doe not now enquire concerning the Person of the Pope whether a Iohn as many were or a Iohne as one was supposed to be but concerning the State place office and dignitie of the Pope and as hee is the Second Beast in Babylon inuading there the Imperiall Seat and by another forme or colour of gouernment vsurping the Imperiall power as the ancient Fathers doe vsually speake of Antichrist according to the tenour of the Scripture it selfe in this behalfe and as the experience of latter ages doth really verifie and exhibite the truth of their iudgement herein vnto our eyes I answere then that as Bellarmine doth vainely flatter himselfe lib. 4. de Pont. Rom. cap. 4. concerning the time of this ruine of Babylon namely that it shall not be vntill the end of the world and in the time of their chimericall and imagined Antichrist whose reigne enduring three yeeres and an halfe is ended by the second comming of our Lord Iesus Christ as they simply pretend so hee doth delude himselfe and others when he saith that in the time and after the time of her ruine the Pope shall bee called and indeed shall be Romanus Pontifex the Bishop of Rome For the truth is apparant by the tenour of the sacred Booke of the Reuelation that the Papall Beast is the cause of the expedition made by the tenne Kings against Babylon that this warre made vpon Babylon is in regard of the pride oppression and other sinnes in Babylon as shee is borne vp and supported by the second Beast whose Dominion was aduanced by their submission vnto him and shall bee suppressed by their concurrencie against him It is not then a quarrell against the Citizens or the edifices of Rome but against her vsurpations exercised by the Triple-crowned Beast therein Neither had these Kings performed their designe if when they burnt the Citie of Rome the Beast should still remaine Therefore as Babylon it selfe shall fall so the power of her Beast shall be destroyed by these Kings as being coupled and commixed with the same For as the ruine of Literall Babylon was accompanied with the ruine of the Chaldaean Empire so the fall of Mysticall Babylon shall bee accompanied with the fall of her Beast whom these Kings will now permit no more to tyrannize with Papall dominion in the Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall State for as the power of the Beast standeth