Sions Memento AND Gods Alarum IN A SERMON AT VVESTminster before the Honorable House of Commons on the 31. of May 1643. the Solemne day of their monethly Fast By FRANCIS CHEYNELL late Fellow of Merton College in Oxford Printed and published by order of the House of COMMONS REVEL. 19. ver. 19. 20. And I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the Horse and against his army And the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone REVEL. 17. 1 2. Come hither I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication LONDON Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1643. TO THE HONORABLE House of COMMONS now assembled in PARLIAMENT IDare not dispute your Power for even Dr. Ferne himself is Satisfied in his Conscience or else he would never have granted it in his Tract entituled Conscience Satisfied that the two Houses of Parliament are in a sort Coordinate with His Majesty ad aliquid to some Act or Exercising of Supreme Power that is to the making of Laws by yeelding their consent and this saith he they have by a Fundamentall Constitution Nay the Order of the House of Commons cannot in reason but oblige all the Commons of England it doth not indeed oblige the King he is exempt by his Soveraignty the Lords plead Peerage I have not yet heard of any other Plea and therefore I will not dispute your Power but obey your Order You shall have the glory to command mihi autem obsequii gloria relicta est pardon the expression we Merton College men have been used to Tacitus 't is his expression The times are sad my Text was seasonable Though Babylon be at Rome yet there are some sonnes and daughters of Babylon too here in England Sion is now surrounded by them and your Honourable House is most eminently opposed by them Many there are that plot against you all the Antichristian Politicians in the Christian world are beating their brains how to destroy you but their Plots are discovered their Designes defeated by the watchfull providence of an Omniscient God Many there are that fight against you against you I say for it is evident that those many thousands who are up in Arms do not fight for the King but against the Parliament This man fights for a place at Court and the other perchance for a place in the Church or rather over the Church O bloody Simony some fight for Pluralities and some for Bishopriks some for Patents some for Monopolies some have lost their places in the Star-Chamber and High Commission and have scarce any thing to â—rast to but the sword The Papists fight to subvert Religion Delinquents to subvert the Laws and the Parliament too because it hath power to make declare enforce the Law The Roysters fight to destroy your persons and gaine your estates to pay their Tavern-tickets and yet there is a Divine one Dr. â—erne who seems to excuse all this and by his excuse doth certainly encourage them to do what is inexcusable And the good Doctor would fain perswade you and all the Commons of England to sit still the whilest and lose your Religion for Conscience â—ake your Laws Liberties Estates Lives for Peace sake And what will Peace advantage your Posterity if the Army in the North will give them Peace upon no other terms then these that either they must turn Papists or else be content to be Beggers and which is worse Slaves Some that gloried in the Title of Royalists do now perceive That it is not enough to stand for the King unlesse they will declare themselves for the Queen and they are not a little startled at that Is this the Bishops holy War for the Catholique Church Be it the Bishops War saith Dr. Ferne in his first Book Well be it so Why then sure the Bishops have much blood to answer for For it is well known to this whole Kingdom and to some Churches abroad that the Parliament desired to have all Church-matters fairly debated {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as Nazianzen speaks not by an Army but by an Assembly the Bishops then have clearly declined this Rationall way of triall and taken up Arms against the Parliament in the old quarrell and sure the Parliament hath good reason to defend themselves It seems the Bishops arguments are spent and therefore they call for Powder and Bullets to prove that Prelacie is Jure divino I say Prelacy for there is a great deal of difference between Prelates and Bishops Pontifices nunc Bella juvant sunt caetera nugae What they cannot prove by the Word they would fain make good by the sword What because men of tender consciences can be no longer pursued in their Courts must they be pursued even unto death by force of Arms but stay What 's their fault Why they are enemies They are enemies to such pomp and state as some Bishops cannot but confesse may well be spared This Plot came from Rome for I remember Hostiensis saith That from the dayes of Pope Adrian till his time the Cardinals and Bishops of Rome had scarce ever laid down their Arms a Erasmus complained that in his time the Bishops were men of warre When the Duke D'Alva tyrannized over the Netherlands there were new Bishops b Sees erected in every City and then presently the Inquisition was brought in upon them as if there could never have been any absolute tyranny without the help of the Bishops But you will tell me that the Men may be faulty and yet the Order blamelesse I answer that the dignity of their Order should be tried by the Word and the men being faulty should not be protected by the Sword Blush ye heavens and be ashamed O earth that ever proud ambitious spirits should enflame differences between King and Parliament onely that they may feed themselves with vain hopes of being Bishops at last and enjoying Pluralities the whilest Let the Searcher of hearts judge between us and let them beware that they do not hear aconfounding voice like that in the Historian Quintili Vare redde Legiones Tu Episcope redde Legiones redde Animas I was bold in my Sermon to lay Prelacy as low as Prelaticall men have laid Monarchy I was too bold they say in calling the Pope whore so often But it is as certain that Pope John the eighth or Joan the first was a Whore as the credit of impartiall Historians I except the Sacred onely can make a matter of fact certaine which was done so long ago The ancient Popish Historians acknowledge this truth The Successour of Leo the fourth is generally described by name John the eighth by firname English by place a Pope by
sâ—x a woman aod by her lust a Whore She tyrannized somewhat above two years some reckon the moneths and dayes she played the beast with one of her own servants and died in travail in time of solemn Procession in the high street No man ever went about to prove this Story a Fable but he proved himself a Foole For this story is confirmed by the testimony of a Theodoricus de Nâ—em one of the Popes Secretaries by b Charanza Archbishop of Toledo by c â—ulgosus sometimes Duke of Genâ—a by d Platina keeper of the Library in the Vatican at Rome a man commanded to write the truth by e Pope Sixtus the fourth a man that had been racked and deprived of his dignities by Paul the second it seemes he bad spoken truth too freely and therefore Sixtus restored him to his dignities and did not onely enjoyn but encourage him to write the truth To these I might adde John of Paris Divinity Reader in the Vniversity of Paris g Polaâ—â—s an Archbishop and the Poâ—es Peâ—…tiary h Trithemius Abbot of Sâ— Martins Monastery i Philippus Bergomensis I will not omit Krantius he is an excellent Chronographer and k Bellarmine saith not to be suspected because he wrote before Luther nor is Achilâ—es Grasâ—erus to be dâ—srespected because he collected his Epitome out of very châ—â—ce Historians Here is weight in these testimonies if any man look for number he may see Sigebert Boccace Mantuan Petrarch Gotefridus Viterbienâ—s Palmerius Nauclerus â—abellicus Volateran Schedel and divers others cited at â—arge in that learned â—raâ—t of Mr. Alexander Cook set out on purpose to confirm this truth or he may read Mr. Bell his Moâ—ives or his Survey of Popery Books that I never yet saw answered But what if one Pope were a Whore and delivered of a Bastard before all the People peradventure the rest of the Popes were more holy No John the eleventh was promoted to the Popedome by Theodora a famous Whore John the twelfth was a Bastard begotten of Marozia another mans wife by Pope Sergius the third John the thirteenth abused his fathers Concuâ—…e Some Popes have been notorious for Incest and Sodomy Julius the second Martin the second and divers others Boniface the eighth had issue by both his Nieces Lucretia was daughter and whore to Pope Alexander the sixth her Epitaph will be more lasting then Brasse or Marble Hoc jacet in tumulo Lucretia nomine sed re Thais Alexandri filia sponsa nurus You may see more instances in Platina Oâ—â—phrius Sleidan We are so much given to Romane Courtship now adayes and our ears have been so little used till now of late to the old expressions of zealous Protestants that such like passages will be counted little lesse then rayling by some Gentle Readers but let such hear what Reverend Dr. Abbor sometimes Bishop of Sarum a man of a meek spirit observed when he treated of this Argument The Pontificall Chair saith he was so infected with that She-Pope and famous Whore John the eighth that scarce any man ever since climbed up to that Seat of Pestilence but he hath stunck of that or some other Whore I will not give you occasion to stop your noses by ripping up the beastlinesse of the fat Monks and wanton Priests whom the people might well call Fathers because they begot so many Bastards Non male sunt Monachis graâ—a indita nomina Patrum Cum numerent natos hic ubique suos There hath been enough said to give and I know all impartiall men will take satisfaction The great Designe I had in my Sermon was to overthrow Babylon and build up Sion I touched upon the Heresie Idolatry Tyranny of the Antichristian Faction that Protestants might be moâ—e watchfull and Popery more odious It is my daily prayer that God would unite the King and Parliament and my great Request to your Honourable House was that you would put forth your strength for the recovery of that Power which the Antichristian Faction by force or fraud hath wrested out of the Kings hand that when it is regained it may be setled upon the Kings Royall Person and Posterity For this end and purpose I made an humble Motion to you that you would seriously consider what Points we must stand upon and what Errours we must Protest against that so there might be a more speciall and punctuall Covenant of Peace drawn up subscribed nay sealed and King and Parliament might Victoriously joyn in an happy Union against the Antichristian Faction this in England which is intimately Confederate with that in Ireland and equally Rebellious against the Kings Authority in His highest Court of Justice In my discourse about the Covenant I mentioned a Book which directs us how to make a Christian Pacification by a thorow Reformation The Authour of that Book did not set himself to dispute with Turks or Jews or grosse Papists but with some treacherous Reconcilers who under colour of Pacification and some pretence of a moderate Reformation would take away half Christ at least and three quarters of our old Creed as if they could make us amends by giving us a New one and we might Covenant to tear Christ and his Gospel to pieces for Peace sake The Protestants talked much of the Cause of Christ saith the same Authour as long as they had their swords by their sides but when they had laid down their Arms and were in danger of their lives then they forgat the Cause of Christ and began to think that zeal was rashnesse and constancy stubbornnesse But if we love Christ and our souls better then our lives let us resolve never to embrace any conditions of Peace which mingle the Inventions of men with the truth of God Let us maintain the Doctrine of free Justification our Salvation depends upon it and let us preserve the Worship of God entire and pure for saith he if we look onely to matters of Faith and contend not for purity of Worship we seem to have lesse care of Gods honour then of our Salvation Moreover in matters of such moment we must weigh and consider every phrase word title lest by obscure or slipperâ— terms our Adversaries evade and leave us in the lurch This is the substance of the first Chapter His second Chapter concerns Justification and he would have us consider that it is not enough to say we are justified by Faith but we must say we are justified by Faith because Christs righteousnesse is imputed and our sins are not imputed to us that beleeve We must not deny our Regeneration and yet we must not confound it with our justification We must obey God with all our heart and all our strength and yet we must not plead any other obedience for our Justification at the Tribunall of God save the obedience of Iesus Christ Our good works shall be rewarded that 's encouragement enough but the reward is grounded upon a free
Pardon and a gracious acceptation if we were not first justified our works would not be accepted nor rewarded Because our persons are accepted in Christ therefore our works are rewarded for Christ that imperfect righteousnesse of works which we have doth wholly depend upon the righteousnesse of faith now the imperfection of our righteousnesse is pardoned the sincerity of our obedience is accepted and yet we are not justified by our own sincere obedience no not in part but are onely and wholly because perfectly justified by the compleat and perfect obedience of Iesus Christ We must then trust with our whole soul to the obedience of Iesus Christ and not trust at all to any good quality infused into us or good works wrought by us for our Iustification This is the pure Protestant Religion commended to us in the second Chapter In his third Chapter he doth largely explain the office and use of Faith because Faith is the instrument of our justification and we can never keep the unity of Faith in the bond of Peace if we do not agree about the Nature or the Offices and use of Faith I am sorry I must lay aside this Book but if you will be pleased to take it up I may conclude my Epistle onely give me leave to renew my suit to you concerning a Nationall Covenant a Nationall Thanksgiving a speedy and free Assembly If the Prelaticall men are displeased that so many Bishops are passed by let them remember what the Archbishop of Canterbury saith That there have been some corrupt crafty Bishops who by plots and tricks have disturbed all Synods and most Councels Astutos veteratoriae improbitatis Episcopos qui arâ—ibus suis ac dolis omnia Concilia perturbabant I shall conclude all with that Prayer which I used at the Fast Lord never was there any Kingdom that made an higher Appeal to thy Majesty then our poor Kingdom hath made Both sides appeal to thee not onely by a Warre but a Protestation Lord be pleased to decide the Controversie let that side prevail which doth most sincerely desire thy glory the Kings good the Kingdoms welfare by an happy Reformation and a Christian Peace I am sure you will say Amen to the prayer of Your daily Oratour at the Throne of Grace FRA CHEYNELL Courteous Reader SOme passages in my Sermon have reference to a little treatise which I lately published about Socinianisme in that booke you will meet with much Latine which is not translated yet if you turne over but the first foure or five leaves you may without the helpe of Latine if you read attentively pick out the scope of the book some quotations were scholasticall and would not beare English some are full of blasphemies others there are that will seeme superfluous to any but a scholar who delights to know every circumstance Be pleased to read the booke the Sermon and Epistle beleeve and obey the Scriptures and prepare for Martyrdome we know not how soone we may be called to seale the truth with our dearest bloud lend the Author thy patience and thy prayers F. C. A SERMON PREACHED AT THE late Fast before the Commons House of PARLIAMENT ZECHAR 2. 7. Deliver thy self O Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon BEhold two Nations two manner of peodle strugling in the bowels of this Text and Kingdom Jacob and Esan Sion and Babylon Now the Kingdom lies groaning in its throws and pangs in its agony and bloody-sweat let us fall into a devout agony and penitent sweat if we cannot sweat blood let us sweat tears let every pore of our body be a weeping eye a crying a praying mouth to beg a safe delivery for our labouring Mother who travails in the anguish of her spirit Let us intreat God to comfort England as he did Rebekah Genes 25. 23. And the Lord said unto her Two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels O let us pray that either Babylon may be separated expelled out of the bowels of Sion or Sion delivered out of Babylon When the poor Iews were prisoners in Babylon by the rivers of Babylon there they sat down and wept and wept amain when they remembred Zion Psal. 137. 1. Oh for Ieremies tears and Ieremies spirit that we might write another book of Lamentations to bewail the miserable security of this present age Sion sits down by the rivers of Babylon the waters of strife and rivers of Confusion and shall there be no fountain in our Head or Heart no penitent streams flowing from our eyes The God of heaven make this marble sweat that we may not keep a Mock-fast to day with dry eyes and hard hearts Come let us blow off the ashes from our zeal let us enflame our hearts with sad but servent devotion Sure if as Heraclitus dreamt our soul were but an Exhalation the heat of our devotion would melt it into one indivisible tear Our soul would be its own tear and we might well weep out our eyes and souls together on this day of tears Oh let us remember to joyn Zecharies zeal with Jeremies tears let us lie upon our faces to day but up up to morrow the Prophet cryes Ho Ho in the verse before my Text to awaken and enflame your zeal and indignation against Babylon Come â—pread abroad like the four winds of heaven saith the Lord Deliver thy self O Zion c. In the words observe Zions bondage and Zions deliverance Zions Memento and Gods Alarme Zions Memento to put her in minde of her sad condition she was yet in the house of Bondage like Galba's wit she had but a foul habitation an ill seat and worse neighbours Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon But that 's not all it is not a bare gentle Memento in a still voice Heus heus divinum {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Heark heark God himself sounds an Alarme Zion's fast asleep she snorts again and therefore the Prophet lifts up his voice and cryes So Ho O Zion awake awake rouze up thy self out of thy secure pleasing dream Thy soul is asleep awake quicken thy spirits put on strength O Zion put forth thy strength use all possible diligence for thy redemption and Deliverance Deliver thy self O Zion c. The Text at first glance presents these two Propositions to our serious consideration 1. It is sometimes the hard lot of Zion to dwell with the daughter of Babylon This point is so clear that I need not explain or confirm it wee 'l let that passe and hasten to the second 2. Zion must take all fair opportunities and use all lawfull meanes to deliver her self from Babylon I desire to spend my strength upon this Doctrin Give me leave to open the point a little Come let us walk the Round and survey the bounds of Zion and the bounds of Babylon By Zion the Prophet means the people of God whose * hearts were set on Zion because God
the Devill Babylon was the Malignant Church the Sinke of Sinne the stall of Beasts the Throne of Idols the Temple of Devills and mother of confusion No place more infamous for their pride and tyranny their cruelty and Idolatry well might Sion be weary of such a loathsome prison and noisome dungeon which could not but be offensive by its stench and darknesse even as Babylon the great is the Habitation of Devills the Strong hold of foule spirits Rev. 18. 2. The 3d. Reason is taken from the Terminus ad Quem the place unto which they were called unto Ierusalem unto Sion Every motion takes its denomination from its Terminus ad Quem but here even the Travailers themselves who were to move take their Title from that Place unto which they moved The people are called Sion because they were called forth to goe to Sion Deliver thy self O Zion Sion was a place beloved of God and all his people the people were in love with Sion with respect to Gods Election institution Promise Blessing God had chosen that place for his Seat of speciall Residence and did there exhibite himselfe to his people by a visible presence Moreover God had by a speciall Institution recorded his name and set up his ordinances in Sion and therefore the Temple was to be built againe on that mountaine the Jewes were confined to a certaine place to Sion Some parts of publique worship were so appropriated to that place that they were to be performed there and no where else Deut. 12. 13 14. Take heed to thy self that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest but in the place which the Lord shall chuse in one of the Tribes there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there thou shalt do all that I command thee The particular offerings are more distinctly specified in the 11. verse of the same Chapter Your burnt offerings and your sacrifices your tithes and the heave-offering of your hand and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord Finally God had promised a blessing to all them who came up to Sion to worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holinesse At first there was a generall promise given Exo 20. 24. In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and I will blesse thee But when God had chosen Ierusalem for the Seat of Royalty the place of Justice and Sion as the Mountain of Holinesse and place of publique Worship then all the Tribes were to go to Ierusalem for Justice and to Sion to sacrifice Psal. 122. 4 5. Whither the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord For there are set Thrones of Iudgement the Thrones of the house of David The poor people had long been deprived of the benefit of Iustice and the liberty of Religion but now God had promised by his Prophet Zechary that their Common-wealth should be setled their Church established their City and Temple both new builded Zech. 1. 16 17. Therefore thus saith the Lord I am returned to Ierusalem with mercies my house shall be built in it saith the Lord of Hoasts my cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem The first Temple was as glorious as Art and cost could make it but God who hath gold and silver heaven and earth at his disposing had passed his word to them that he would shake heaven and earth sea and land and fill the latter house with the glory of the Lord Jesus who is the desire and glory of all Nationa Haggai 2. from the 6. verse to the 9. Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this House with glory saith the Lord of Hoasts the silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of Hoasts the glory of this latter House shall be greater then of the former c. The Prophet you see had good reason to invite them to new Jerusalem here below a kinde of heaven upon earth to Sion the habitation of Iustice and mount of Holinesse the praise of the Jews the glory of the Gentiles the House of God and Type of Heaven Fourthly God had now removed all rubs he had opened the Kings heart and the prison doors if they would be active it was in their own power to deliver themselves and therefore the Prophet calls upon them to use their power and to take that fair opportunity which was offered for their deliverance and their glory Deliver thy self O Zion Why Zion wilt thou be a Felo de Se thy shackles are knockt off the Poâ—ts are open the Commission is now sealed come be not cruell to thy self what wilt thou be thine own tormentour thine own prisoner Before the seventy years were expired thou wast detained in Babylon thou wast a prisoner there but now thy time is out and therefore if thou stayest longer yet thou are not a Prisoner but a dweller in Babylon Deliver thy self O Zion that dwellest in Babylon There 's the Emphasis and strength of the Prophets exhortation The Use of this Point is to stirre up the Christian Zion all true Protestants to deliver themselves from Antichristian Babylon from the Babylonish army the Babylonish Church The Iâ—wish Zion had a miraculous deliverance from the Assyrian Babylon though God be the Lord of Hosts and hath all armies at his command yet Zion was to be delivered not by might or by the power of an Army but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts by the Immediate hand of God Zech. 4. 6. But I doe not find that Christian Zion shall be delivered upon such easie termes from Antichristian Babylon doe not â—latter your selves with vaine hopes our deliverance will cost bloud 1. This is cleare to any man that hath studied the booke of the Revelation what upon prayer study God hath revealed by the clear Texts of the Revelation I will this day deliver unto you though I were sure to die S. Iohns death or to be banisht into S. Iohns Iland The God of heaven give us a further Revelation of this Revelation that it may be interpreted by the same Spirit by which it was written S. Iohn tels me that the Spirits of Devills shall go forth to the Kings of the earth of the whole world to gather them to Armageddon to the battel of that great day of God Almighty Rev. 16. 14. 16. Secondly I know it is a great while yet to that great battell yet the Spirits will be Scouting out long before And sure these Spirits have been at worke of late in Ireland England Scotland too the Babylonians are active must the precious sonnes of Sion be meerely
their own works Learned Mr Mede observes that Rome had played the whore a great while before God gave her up to beleeve this lye But now saith he by the just judgment of God she hath received that RecoÌ„pence of her errour which was meet God for herpertinacious coÌ„tempt of the preaching of the witnesses hath by giving her up to this Heresy as it were turned her out of Paradise that 's his meaning lest she should eate of the tree of life live for ever The Papists repeat the Apostles Creed but they doe not beleeve it in the Apostles meaning Now it is evident that a new sense doth make a new Creed But they are not so modest as to content themselves with this grand corruption though weak delusion for they have added new Articles of faith to our old Creed they have composed a Trent-Creed and they will not admit any man into their Communion who beleeves the Apostles Creed unlesse he will beleeve this Trent-Creed Consider that the private fancies of a domineering Faction were Canonized with a Curse in the Conventicle of Trent and inserted into the Creed by Pope Pius the fourth And Stapleton tells us plainly that the Trent Councell had power to make a Proposition an Article of faith Etiamsi non confirmetur ne probabili testimonio Scripturarum I need not then say any more in this weighty point For the truth is our Creed is the Creed of Sion and theirs the Creed of Babylon their Creed is Romane and ours Catholique The greatest Article in their account which they adde to the Creed concerns the Supremacy of the Pope Subesse Romano Pontifici est de necessitate salutis we must build our faith upon the Popes Infallibility and beleeve that he is the Foundation the Head and Husband of the Catholique Church we know not how to pardon this blasphemy or to hold this Head unlesse we depose Christ and set up Antichrist who if he had nothing else to hinder him but the frailty and corruption of his nature all the world knowes that he cannot sustaine quicken save the Church and therefore is not the Foundation Head or Husband of the Catholique Church but the Head of the Malignant Church the Whore that rides the Beast the great Antichrist Romes God and the Devills Vicar Nay the Pope hath proceeded higher yet hee hath given us a new Bible too nay the Popes have given us more then one wee must take one from Sixtus and another from Clement two Bibles which doe not agree with the Originall or with one another the Papists are puzled which of these translations should be received whether they should adventure to bee cursed by Sixtus if they receive Clement's translation or to be cursed by Clement for receiving Sixtus his translatioÌ„ I am not at leisure to say any thing of the Rhemish translation or their Notes I could give you many other reasons why you should separate from Rome but these may suffice if you will not Apostatise and commit folly with her you cannot possibly communicate with her unlesse you will build upon a new Foundation the Popes Infallibility or the Iesuites Prudentiall Motives in a word you cannot be admitted into the Romane Communion unlesse you will have a new Bible a new Creed a new Religion a new Head of the Church that is in plain English unlesse you 'l pul downe Christ set up Antichrist in the Throne of Iesus Christ if you yeeld to that all the plagues in this brooke will light upon you I need say no more of the 2d reason But stay if wee should separate from the Antichristian faction here in England we may bee guilty of a grievous Schisme for our separation will bee grounded as they say upon the judgement or rather opinion of a few English Divines in a kinde of Nationall Assembly and our Antichristian men challenge all the world to give one Precedent for such a separation I doe this day accept their challenge and shall answer them in a word The a African Church made a direct separation from the Church of Rome for an hundred yeares at least and their separation was grounded upon no other Judgment then the Judgment of a Nationall Assembly in Africa and occasioned meerely by the usurping pride and tyranny of the Pope It is evident that all the Martyrs which did suffer in the time of that bitter persecution under the Vandals died in the time of this Separation If we have more weighty reasons then any that are drawn from the Popes tyranny we shall be no greater Separatist's then those glorious Martyrs and those famous Fathers Augustine and Fulgentius for they were Formall Separatists Baronius was the first man that ever had the face without forehead or reason to call this truth into question Binius followes him Bellarmine saw that he must question the most faithfull and famous editions of the Councells if he denyed a truth written with a Sunne-beame and therefore he had so much wit as to cry Nihil affirmo in his 2d book de Romano Pontifice 25. Chap. It seems the great Cardinall was put to his wits end when he had beat his braines and turned his books he durst not deny it yet would not affirme it The Archbishop of Canterbury though no great friend to theÌ„ who separate from Romish corruptions is so ingenuous as to subscribe to the convincing testimony b of so many unquestionable editions of the Councells you may read froÌ„ p. 172. of his Relation to the 175. And it is well known how oâ—ten c Germany hath made a Formall separation from the Antichristian faction But it will be further objected That the Assembly which you intend to call is no Convocation and therefore it cannot be of so much Authority as a Nationall Assembly To which I answer That the Persons whom you have nominated I except but one my self are more learned judicious more pious nay more peaceable take so many for so many then the members of the last Convocation Secondly You have found by wofull experience what it is to rely upon such as are the Standing Members of a Convocation or such as are chosen after the ordinary manner by persons as corrupt as themselves St. Hierom hath a kinde of prophesie in his Commentary upon Zephaniah That in the dayes of Reformation idle Bishops should be removed for God will take away all Names of vain glory out of the Church the names of Priests nay the Priests themselves who did vainely boast of the Episcopall Title and dignity of Priesthood but did nothing worthy of that Title or Dignity Thirdly In these winnowing-times when the chaffe is in some measure separated from the wheat the secrets of many hearts are discovered and those that are approved are made manifest the State hath good reason to approve those whom God himself hath approved by making their fidelity manifest in this Day of tryall these
present estate we have no reason at all to communicate with him but all the reason in the world to separate from him 3. Deliver your selves from Babylon by a thorow Reformation Do not wonder that I talk of a Reformation after separation for you must separate before you can reforme there is an untoward generation which will never be reformed take St. Peters counsell Acts 2. 40. Save your selves from that untoward generation and then reforme and consider withall that you are like to finde a great many men that will be forward enough to separate and yet unwilling to reforme Do you think there are no States-men who love the Mount of Moriah better then Mount Sion they would prefer the State but no matter for the Church they care not if it sink and perish I could wish that these Secular men just of Gallio's temper would consider that when the Iews thought they might preserve their State if they did curry favour with the Romanes and reject Christ God made them slaves to the Romans for rejecting of Christ 〈◊〉 need not apply In the 11th Chap. of our Prophet Zechary we read of two staves the staffe of Beauty and the staffe of Bands When the people broke Covenant with God by disobeying the Ordinances of God and rejecting Christ then God cut his staffe of Beauty asunder and broke that Church-Covenant the externall Covenant which he had made with that people ver. the tenth he did unchurch them deprive them of his Ordinances which are the strength the beauty the glory of a Nation and therefore are called the staffe of Beauty Observe a little farther that when the staffe of Beauty was broken it was not long ere the staffe of Bands was cut asunder Then I cut asunder my other staffe even Bands ver. 14. Then When Why when they undervalued the Lord Jesus they thought him worth but 30. pieces a goodly price read the 12. and 13. verses Then I cut asunder my other staffe I broke the brotherhood between Judah and Israel they were in a word deprived of Gods Ordinances and given up to Civill-wars the ninth verse of that Chapter doth sufficiently expresse their misery Then said I I will not feed you that that dieth let it die and that that is to be cut off let it be cut off and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another If that be not full enough read the sixth vers I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land saith the Lord but lo I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand and into the hand of his King and they shall smite the land and out of their hand I will not deliver them A sad Text Learn from hence That when a people are Un-churched they are undone if you desire to preserve the State be sure to preserve the Church and if you desire to preserve the Church O then reform it and do it suddenly too for fear the disease grow too strong for Remedies Beleeve it that part of England which adheres to the Babylonish faction and will not be reformed that part must be deserted there is good ground for it Jerem. 51. 9. We would have healed Babylon but she is not healed forsake her that's plain-English But what needs a Reformation say some were not our Fathers wise and honest men what need we be more wise or pure then they were they lived happily here on earth in peace and plenty and they do now triumph gloriously in heaven what can be desired more 1. I answer Many of our Fathers were honest and some of them very wise in their generations considering their light and their means we enjoy their labours the fruits of their wisdoms and God be praised a more glorious light and therefore no marvaile if we see some things more clearly then our Fathers did 2. Again our Fathers saw many things amisse which they were not able to reform 3. Had our Fathers enjoyed the same happy light which shines round about us and those fair opportunities which God hath let fall from heaven into our lap there is no question but they would have reformed more in one year then we have done in two Parsons observes that the Parliament of England in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign rejected the Catholike Doctrin Popish Doctrins he means but saith he they retained something of the Catholike use in the whole government of their Church and therefore Mr. Cartwright found fault with them and shewed them what was yet farther to be reformed but Scotland saith Parsons Holland Zeland and some parts of France followed Mr Cartwrights way but Bishop Bancroft was the principall opposer of this faction he meanes Reformation in England You see Mr Cartwright did what he could but Bishop Bancroft and the Babylonian faction were too potent contrary to the judgment of Sion of the Reformed Churches abroad Bancroft prevailed for he suggested that this discipline of Sion would not onely overthrow the Babylonish Monarchy but the English Monarchy also But it should have been considered and let it be considered now 1 That the government of the Church is not a Monarchicall no Monarch save Christ alone is Head and King of the Church though every Monarch that 's truly Christian be a King in the Church For it is one thing to be a King in the Church and another to be King over the Church 2. Every King as a member of the Church is in an Ecclesiasticall sense subject to the discipline of the Church for such a kind of subjection will well consist with his Civill Soveraignty because it is not a Civill Subjection Judicious b Camero was a man very tender of pitching upon any conclusion which might be prejudiciall unto Kingly power and he useth an excellent similitude to illustrate this point As it is in the cure of the body so is it in the cure of the Soule now a King for the Cure of his body must patiently yeeld himselfe to his College of Physitians for though he rule over them as a King yet he must be ruled by them as a patient In like manner a wise King will and every King ought to be perswaded by the College Ecclesiasticall in point of discipline to obey the Rules and orders of Iesus Christ for the King in this point doth not obey the College but Christ himselfe 3. It is well knowne that Kings and Emperours have beene subjected to Episcopall and too often enslaved by Prelaticall power Who knowes not that the Bishop of Millaine c would not admit the Emperour to the Communion till he had repented of that outrage and bloudshed at Thessalonica which was occasioned by the Emperours passionate Command It is generally confessed that Ambrose did well in rejecting the Emperour from the Communion and that the Emperour was no lesse an Emperour and a farre better man by submitting to a Minister of the Gospell preaching and administring some part of the discipline of
Iesus Christ All the world knowes that Babylon grew great at first by claiming an universall Jurisdiction in Spiritualls over the whole Church of God by vertue of that usurped and Anti-christian title of * Vniversall Bishop I have not breath or strength enough to tell you the story of Boniface the third at large nor am â—at leisure to relate how Pope Hildebrand laid aside the two-edged sword of the Word tooke up the two-handed sword of Temporall Spirituall Jurisdiction it is cleare that by the power of these two swords Babylon was raised to such an height that the Popes have ever since tyrannized like Babylonian Monarchs over Kings and Emperours as if the Pope had been Nebuchadnezzars successour whose Title is confessed by Daniel to be King of Kings Dan. 2. 37. Much lesse can I relate what violence hath been used for the oppressing poore Protestants in every corner of the world by this Beast of Babylon but give me leave in the name of all the Churches to renew that charge of the Prophet * The violence done unto me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shal the inhabitant of Zion say shal Germany say and France say and my bloud upon the Chaldeans shall Jerusalem say shall Ireland say nay England poore England doth this day joyne in the Charge against all the Antichristian Protestants give me leave to call them so who are of the Antichristian faction and joyne with the popish army in shedding the bloud of Saints under the notion of Parliament dogges and Rebells the bloud of England and Ireland be upon all them who have shed the precious bloud of Protestants out of a presumptuous and malicious wickednesse This scruple being removed I shall now proceed if my voice will hold to give you some plain Directions for a thorow Reformation the first Direction is Negative 1. You must not build Sion with the Materials of Babylon with any thing that may truely and properly be said to be fetcht from Babylon as old Babylon was not to be built any more so was there no stone to be taken from thence to build any other place They shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations but everlasting desolations shall be upon thee saith the Lord Jerem. 51. 26. Beware then how you receive any Principles any Fundamentals or Corner-stones from Romish-Babylon let everlasting desolations dwell upon it Let us not receive the Babylonian-Creed the Trent-Creed nor the Romish-Liturgie the Church of God hath a spirit of Prayer and therefore needs not send to Babylon to Rome for prayers The Papists seem to acknowledge that their Liturgie is corrupt because they have often pretended and as some boast have really made severall Reformations of their Liturgie You see then that those men have steeled their brows with a more then Babylonish impudency who have been ever and anon altering the English Liturgie for the worse as if the Missall had been Jure divino and therefore the Liturgie could never come near enough to the Romane Masse Beleeve it if the Faction that is now up in Arms prevail we shall have that Service book which was prepared for Scotland or a a worse some Babylonian-Service imposed upon us as Divine-service and can any man that hath but an English-heart within him bear such a Cheat If we had but the noble valour which dwelt in the Britains of old whilest they worshipped the Goddesse of b Victory before they knew Christ it is impossible but our spirits should rise against such grand Impostures But I forget you and my self Be sure that there be no Babylonian gods no Romish Idols tolerated in England let it be no longer counted the piety of the times to make our Churches houses of temptation let that prophesie Micah 1. 7. be fulfilled in our dayes Let the graven Images be beaten to pieces and the hires thereof burnt with fire let all the Idols be laid desolate for all was gathered of the hire of an Harlot and they shall return to the hire of an Harlot You know there is hire taken for both kindes of Harlotry at Rome Let us have no more Babylonian Ministers Priests so they would be called let us have no more Babylonian Altars for fear they bring in the Babylonian Sacrifice You know how many English Martyrs did sacrifice their lives in protesting against the sacrifice in the Masse and though some black-mouthed Priests of late have called them Foxes-Martyrs yet I will be bold to call them the Martyrs of the Lord Jesus and the Martyrs of the Holy Ghost I must beg time to prove what I say it is a weighty truth and we know not how soon we may be called to seal this truth with our dearest blood The Apostle proves it undeniably by sundry arguments in the Epistle to the Hebrews in the 7. 8. 9. and 10th Chapters I will pitch upon the tenth because there you have the summe of all There is no other Sacrifice which can take away sin but the Sacrifice which Jesus Christ himself offered upon the Crosse read the tenth verse By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of what of a wafer-cake no of the body of Iesus Christ But how often must his body be offered once for all not as often as there is a Masse but once for all But who must offer the body of Christ why Christ himself this Man verse the 12th a Masse-Priest cannot offer up the body of Christ for Christ is both Priest and Sacrifice But may not a Masse-Priest offer some other sacrifice for sinnes No there is but one sacrifice for sinne ver. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes and that one sacrifice is to be but once offered the Apostle repeats this that we might not forget it this sacrifice was offered once for all verse 10. once for ever verse 12. once for all sinnes once for all times it is of perpetuall vertue and merit once for ever Is not that plain and full Oh but Christ is gone to heaven and we are not yet perfected Why vain man Christ hath finished his work and therefore is gone to heaven he is sate down ver. 12. and he hath done his work or else he would not sit down he hath not left any part of the Service to be perfected by a Masse-priest and therefore do not expect to be perfected by any other offering in the Masse or out of the Masse read the 14. verse For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Ye are sanctified by that one offering verse 10. and perfected by it verse 14. But who is the witnesse of this truth why the Holy Ghost in the very next verse the 15th verse Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witnesse to us Judge now whether they that did bear witnesse to this truth be not Co-martyrs with the Holy Ghost and therefore Co-heirs with Jesus Christ You
Tim. 5. 24 25. In the last place let us make it our saddest businesse to reform our own particular persons Honourable and Beloved are there no sinnes amongst you even amongst you Quis custodiet ipsos custodes Have the Reformers no need of Reformation turn your eyes inward tell me sadly what do you discover there are there no Babylonish Inmates protected there such as can never be defended are there no unruly passions no unmortified lusts no self-ends or sinister respects such as beg your priviledge and enjoy your favour These these are the Brats of Babylon O happy thrice happy shall he be who takes these Infant-lusts before they are grown up and dasheth them against the Rock as it is in Ps. 137. ver. 9. This is the proper work of a Fast What have you done to day You have sate here five or six hours and missed a dinner Is this the Fast that God hath chosen is this all that he requires of you Doth he not command you to humble your souls to break your hearts to afflict your spirits to mortifie your lusts deny your selves reform your lives take up your crosse and follow Christ Will you cut off your right hands and pull out your right eyes Will you take Christs yoak upon your necks his burthen upon your shoulder Will you lay down your honours your estates your lives at the feet of Jesus Christ Will ye live to him and if he calls you to it will you die for him If you have wrought your hearts to this temper to day then you have fasted to the Lord God takes notice of your zeal you beat down Crosses and Images but take heed you do not leave some idols standing in your own bosomes Is there no lust of covetousnesse or lust of uncleannesse no pride ambition envie malice enshrined within your hearts Down down with these You know there are Idola saeculi as well as Idolatemplâ— {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sunt {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} all your lusts must be Anathematized Cursed that they may like the fig-tree after it was cursed die and wither at their very root Tell me is not selfe-love an Idoll is it not the great Whore is not lust a Beast a Monster with many heads and horns Oh hate this Whore mortifie selfe-love and you stab the Beast to the heart for self-love is the very heart and soul of Originall sinne it is the last enemy which will be destroyed it was primum vivens and it will be ultimum moriens Come then let us beat down our bodies and cry to God to humble our souls and beat down our corruptions let not onely Reason Vote down your lusts but Faith and Zeal pray them down The precious sons of Sion are most troubled with this same Babylon within and therefore they do make most frequent and penitent complaints against themselves and put up most zealous prayers to God to give them power and victory over their head-strong and stomackfull corruptions and in their prayers their faith ever closes with such promises as assure them of grace enough to resist temptations and mortifie their corruptions this is the way to keep a faithfull penitent holy zeaelous heavenly Fast This is to fast as our Saviour did who made it his meat and drink to do the will of his Father Be pleased to consider that you must not only beat down Babylon but build up Sion Sion is built by faith and holinesse In the first place then 1. Look to your faith The walls of Babylon like the walls of Jericho are battered down by faith all the faithfull prisoners in Babylon whose hearts were sprinkled by the blood of the Covenant were prisoners of hope and therefore were sure to be delivered from the bottomlesse-pit in which there is no water for Babylon was a type of Hell As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Zechar. 9. 11. Beasts live by sense Heathens live by reason Christians must live by faith they must mortifie their lusts renounce their merits rest onely upon Christs perfect obedience and full satisfaction for their justification for we cannot be Constituted righteous but by the obedience of Christ Rom. 5. 19. In this faith let us live in this let us die 2. Study Holinesse Holinesse is the beauty of Sion for there they were to worship God in the beauty of holinesse there can be no beauty in our souls no glory in our Congregations without holinesse Sion was the Mount of holinesse Zech. 8. 3. Holinesse is the end of Humane society Vtque alios alii de Relligione docerent Contiguas Pietas jussit habere domos Certainly this Age is even grown Barbarous or else Holinesse which is the end of Humane society and the life of Christian society would never be contemned and despised as it is now adayes in this wicked generation O what a base thing is it for a Nation to be ashamed of its glory and to glory in its shame Men think it a base thing for to be holy and yet God himself is glorious in Holinesse Exod. 15. 11. Certainly if this Nation would be glorious in Holinesse Gods right hand would be glorious in power and dash our enemies to pieces Exod. 15. 6. Without holinesse we cannot have any intimate acquaintance with God or good men We long for Peace but Peace is a Iewell which God gives to none but those that are of his acquaintance Iob 22 21. Acquaint now thy self with him and be at Peace thereby good shall come unto thee A godly life is the life of God those that were strangers to a godly life are said to be alienated or estranged from the life of God Ephes. 4. 18. They then that strike at holinesse strike at the life of God and have a kinde of Atheisticall murther in their thoughts they would lay the Church a bleeding let out the very heart-blood of Religion and take away the life of God If England will not be holy it cannot be happy if we continue in our lukewarmnesse and profanenesse Wo wo be unto us though it go well with Sion it will go ill with us Sion was preserved even when Ierusalem was destroyed and England may be destroyed for its unthankfulnesse unfruitfulnesse heresie idolatry lukewarmnesse and profanenesse c. and yet the Church preserved for the Church is not confined to any place It concerns us then to be such manner of men in all holy conversation 2 Pet. 3. 11. such pilgrims on earth and citizens of heaven that it may appear that we seek a better Countrey an Heavenly and then God will not be ashamed to be called our God Heb. 11. 16. But if we go about spirituall duties with carnall hearts and worldly mindes if we lie at catch waiting for a fair opportunity to return into Egypt the God of heaven will be ashamed to own us for his people Heb.