Two Sermons THE ONE A HEAVENLY VOICE CALLING ALL GODS people out of Romish BABYLON The Other AN EVERLASTING Record of the utter ruine of Romish AMALEK By THOMAS TAYLOR Preacher of the Word at REDDING in Berkshire LONDON Printed by J. H. for Iohn Bartlet and are to be sold at the Golden Cup in the Gold-Smiths row in Cheapside 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND worthie Knights and Burgesses of the Lower-House of PARLAMENT IN most humble sense of mine owne unworthinesse which holdeth no comparison with the height of your authoritie place judgement and learning I have emboldned my selfe to present unto your wisdomes this voice from Heaven calling all the people of God out of Babylon For what voice can be more worthie of audience than a voice from Heaven What voice more seasonable than this amongst the grave consultations of the most important affaires and weightiest causes of God of his Majestie and of this flourishing Kingdome Or who more fit to heare this voice directed to Gods people than you the representation of all the people of God in this Kingdome You I say who sit in the places of your worthie Predecessors by whose consent and assent with that Higher and Honourable House the whole Kingdome was formerly set out of Babylon so farre as by the blessing of God now it is God will without mee saith Ioseph speake for the life of Pharaoh and without mee effect all his good purposes for the prosperitie of his Majestie and his people and you without mee well know the managing of the weightie businesses which you have in hand neither can my candle adde any light unto your Sunne onely having begunne to speake let me finde grace in your eyes and pardon to encourage you in the doing of what you doe Your wisdomes know that what were the two studs of the house in which Sampson played that is Religion and Iustice in the Common-wealth if they be pulled downe or shaken the Church and Common-wealth fall together and all under the fall must needs perish of the two Religion claimeth our first and chiefe care as intending Gods glorie more immediately and mans good not temporarie chiefly but eternall And therefore whereas heathen Governors could provide for the observation of the second Table Christian Governors as the gates of the world lift up their heads that Christ the King of glorie may enter in among them And all godly Parlaments whereof we have not a few examples in Scripture first setled the causes of God and Religion and then the causes of the King and of Civill Iustice as all the companies gathered for the Lords battels must say on everie side of the Host For the Lord and for Gideon Now of all the great and important causes of God which can be offered to your tractation none is more weightie than the subject of this little Treatise none more neerely concerning your selves to whom the care of your brethren is now committed as Benjamin was by his father to Iudah and on whom next to his Majestie the breath of our nostrils and that Higher and honourable house the care of all our safetie is now laid And as all the voices of the land have made you the eyes of the land so are all the eyes of the land held upon you to helpe us against these Babylonians who have beene and are so busie to bring us backe into our former Babylonish Captivitie and to oppose your selves stoutly with our Darius against these adversaries of Ierusalem who like the Midianites have too long troubled us with their wiles And because the planting of Christs Kingdome is the onely meanes to supplant the Kingdome of Babylon and the breath of Christ can onely blast the hopes of Antichrist a readier way cannot bee devised to effect this voice from Heaven than to provide that the knowledge of the Sonne of God may bee propagated thorow the land and that the blowing of the rams hornes of the Gospell may lay downe the wals of this Romish Ierico even with the ground If your wisdomes should send men over the Kingdome as Moses did the spies to search the land of Canaan they would bring you backe a true report that a great part of this Kingdome still lieth as a barren wildernesse destitute of the blessed means of grace and that many great parishes are as the mountains of Gilboa on which the sweetshowers and raines of the Gospell fall not or verie seldome neither doe the happie dewes of holy doctrine fall on them in their night nor the beames of the Sun of grace dart upon them in the day These faithfull messengers would informe you that all this waste and untilled ground is left for the Babylonians for Seminaries Priests and Iesuites to inhabit That these parishes are the verie thickets in which these snakes and vermins hide themselves who beare nothing about them but poison treason and seduction That these places of such blacke and reigning ignorance lie open to spoile and hazard to be drawne easily away by the poysoned breath of the most sottish Priest not to Poperie onely but even to rebellions and treasons which for most part arise out of ignorant and blinde zeale And now who knoweth whether the supply of this want and the remedie of so great an evill bee reserved for the crowne of his Majesties age and the eternall renowne of this Honourable Parlament So noble a worke requireth no lesse noble an Agent such a glorious and famous act well suiteth with him who for wisdome and understanding is the glorie and fame of the whole earth And now noble and worthie Gentle-men God forbid that you should not take to heart the miseries of your brethren wanting food who behold our Lord Iesus Christ more grieved in spirit to see his Country-men want Preachers than when hee saw them in bondage under the Romans God forbid that you should sinne against God and not bestirre you by planting the true knowledge of God to pull downe the strongest pillar of Poperie that you should not move everie stone for the beautifying of Bethel for the setting open of the gate of heaven here upon earth for the establishing of Gods pure worship and for the removall of everie scandall and advantage of Babylon Goe on therefore worthie men in the Lords strength open your mouthes for the dumbe and silent and be faithfull mediatours for the Kingdome of Christ as you desire him to be a faithfull Mediatour for you in the Kingdome of his Father And from hence would arise another happie fruit wherein the glorie of God and his Gospell would shine out in great brightnesse to the infinite disappointment of these Babylonians namely a more religious and conscionable observation of Gods holy Sabbaths whose honour is wofully violated not without the great scandall of our religion by ordinarie travels both by land and by water Oh that your wisdomes would earnestly move our highest terrene Majestie upon earth for the Sabbaths
of the high God that Gods house might be frequented and that the wayes of Sion may be beaten on the Lords day and not the high wayes thorow the Kingdome What an advantage were it towards happinesse if men carelesse of their owne salvation were straitly bound to the meanes of knowledge What an advantage towards your present errant and businesâ—e for as the fourth Commandement concerning the Sabbath is set in the middle as the heart of the Lawes of God sending life and vitall bloud into them all so it is the sinewes of all the Lawes of men without observation of which all other good Lawes will bee but as the seven greene cords upon Sampsons armes headstrong and impudent sinners breake thorow them as easily as sire thorow flax because the sword of the Lord and of Gideon goe not together What need I here adde more to so intelligent persons but my prayers that you would plead this cause of his in earth who pleadeth yours in Heaven and who will requite it seven fold into your bosomes And wheras the Babylonians have mightily increased of late in their hopes numbers and strength not onely those forraigne frogs and Locusts the Priests and Iesuites have in great armies invaded our Countrey but our home-adversaries have greatly multiplied and Recusants risen up everie where with great hopes of raising up the ruinous wals of Ierico againe We fearing left these sonnes of Zerviah may grow too strong for us doe trust and pray that your wisdomes seeing the matter of religion growes somewhat more doubtfull than formerly not by increase of Papists onely but by swarmes of Atheists ready to take the strongest side will set a jealous eye over those ancient enemies and disturbers of the peace of the Gospell and provide that these Frogs may be taken away from us and our people and confined to their owne sea and rivers for the heaps of them stinke in the land that their merchandise be vendible no more that their base coines bee no more currant amongst us nor such strange children brats of Babylon nourished any more amongst us unlesse they will doe as the Kenites who joyned to the Iewes and dwelt among them only to learne the lawes worship and institution of the Iewes more skilfully Looke backe worthy Gentlemen upon the zeale and former love of your famous predecessors who pulled downe the nests of these Antichristian birds and hating neutrality and thoughts of reconciling two such contrary religions which as iron and clay can never be tempered together awaken your zeale to make the hopes of Babylonians utterly to perish of ever recovering their kingdome againe in this kingdome Cause the uncleane birds that flutter againe about us with some hopes to roust and nestle among us if that only would serve their turnes to know the prudence and circumspection of so grave wise and godly a Senate who are skilfull not only to devise but also to revise and revive the good and wholesome lawes enacted and now strengthned for the preservation of his Majesties person for the prosperity of the Gospell the flourishing of this kingdome and the utter subversion of Babylonish confusion in the same In this great worke against Antichrist shew your love to Iesus Christ. If ever you will doe him an honourable service this is the time It may be the whole course of many of your lives cannot doe him so much pleasure seeing none of you know whether you shall ever attaine such an opportunitie Many other excellent services you may performe to the honour of God and good of your countreys as you are godly men but now you are to serve his providence and set up his glory in those high offices which only Parlament men can performe God who sitteth in the midst of Gods sit with you all in this high consultation that of both your houses may be said Iâ—hovah Shammah God is there That this convention may be remembred from one future Generation to another that your Noble acts in it may bee like the acts of God which are most perfect and happy at the last and that thence you may reape an happy harvest of glory from him and with him whose glory you have aimed at and to your powers upheld and promoted In whom I rest In all humble dutie and service THO. TAYLOR Errata PAg. 6. l. 11. reade Ethnick Rome pag. 6. l. 18. reade and became Christian. pag. 17. l. 18. reade sent pag. 19. l. last reade to the third sort pag. 25. l. 3. leave out here Asa. margent 2 King 25. pa. 27. l. 11. reade 2. Branch pag. 5. mar for Alcusan read Alcasar REVEL 18.4 Come out of her my people that yee be not partaker of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues WHen Easterne Babylon was to be destroied for her cruelty and oppression of Gods people the Jewes the Lord graciously warneth the godly in Babylon to get out from her lest they also should be wrapped up in her destruction And when Westerne Babylon is to be destroied for her cruelty and oppression of Gods people among the Gentiles the same Lord looking backe to the same prophecie upon the same occasion repeateth the same admonition and urgeth the same reasons to the same persons for the same end that they might be safe in the destruction of the same city Babylon in a mystery as appeareth by comparing the second verse of this chapter with this fourth verse The parts of the verse are two 1. A Commandement Come out of her my people 2. The reasons two-fold 1. Lest ye partake in her sinnes 2. and receive of her plagues Every word calls for Attention 1. If we had a voice from heaven will the worst say we would heare and obey now here is a voice from heaven 2. A commanding voice of God requiring simple and speedy obedience Come out of her 3. A voice directed to Gods people among whom it may presume it selfe welcome 4. Gods people obey for love of vertue and may not partake in Babylons sinnes 5. Even their dulnesse of flesh must be quickned by feare of punishment and take heed they receive not of her plagues If you shall as Gods people welcome this heavenly voice and shall please to lend me your Christian attention I will so succinctly as I may not be obscure open the parts first the Commandement and then the reasons which will furnish vs with such variety of matter as wee may remit tedious both disputes and discourses to other auditories 1. In the Commandement are 1. The persons to whom it is directed My people 2. Whence they must depart from her 3. how they must depart come out My people 1. Note Babylon is not a city of God yet in Babylon is a people of God for the Church is Catholike and though Babylon cannot be the Catholike Church no more than a finger can be an hand or an hand the whole bodie yet in Babylon are some members of the Catholike Church
thrice before excommunication much more may a whole Church expect it 3. We are come out of Babylon by Gods blessing in that we have pulled downe the Temples of their Idols in that both in substance of Doctrine and Sacraments our Ministery agreeth with the Scriptures the head of Dagon is cut off his stump cast downe and cast out and we labour in purging away all the scent and stinke of him so far are we from worshipping the beast or receiving his Image 4. We cannot therefore separate from the Church of England but we must goe out from the true Church of God and from the Spouse of Christ who acknowledgeth Christ for her head and foundation and by beleeving in his righteousnesse alone is made a member of his body No reason will serve these unreasonable men for then I might now get from them but their importunity staies me to answer one objection and so I will leave them Obiect But what a number of corruptions have you an heape of mens Traditions which Christ never acknowledged but bred and borne in Babylon and what a number of Gods ordinances doe you want which a true Church of Christ cannot want and can you be a Church of Christ Answ. 1. Was not Lot got out of Sodom when he saw the smoke of the Citie If it were granted then that a little smoke of the Citie did trouble our eies must it follow that we are still in the midst of Babylon 2. They point us to some corruptions and errors to which I say 1. Let them shew me a soyle in the world where Wheat groweth without some chaffe and I will goe with them But that is not at Amsterdam 2. None of the corruptions which they falsly terme are of that high nature as to call for a personall separation because none of them are fundamentall The least corruption that we can certainly espie which yet is not in constitution but in execution we must separate from in iudgement in affection in practise but to separate personally for any error not fundamentall let them teach it them to whom all errors are alike but we may not be so dull 3. Our Church being ioyned to the head Iesus Christ and retaining the vitall parts of the Word and Sacraments neither if wanting of something which should be present nor if remaining something to be cast out can thrust her from the right and title of the Church of God but is in essence and being a Spouse of Christ. For example cut off both a mans armes both his legges cut off his eares and nose now he wanteth many things which a man should have but yet so long as the head stands alive upon the body and other vitall parts remaine he is indeed a man although a maimed one Againe suppose a man had ten fingers on an hand or three armes or suppose an hand stood where the foot should stand or the mouth were set in the forehead here were a great aberration and confusion against naturall symmetrie of a mans body yet hee is a man though a very deformed one whereas where there is no head or no union of members to that head there were no body no man So whatsoeuer they can say though falsly is wanting in our Church or whatsoever they say is redundant or superfluous she being founded on Christ her head and truly dispensing the word and Sacraments they cannot overthrow her being of a true Church of Christ. 4. To conclude with them some things make to the being of a Church some to the comelinesse and well being of it if their nimble eies could finde never so many abuses not fundamentall all these shall only make to the disgrace and vncomelinesse of the Church but shall never overthrow the being of it Whatsoever we want let not God want his praise nor we thankfulnesse that we want not that whereby Gods people may enioy the ioy of their salvation And this may serve for answer to those Separatists if all the corruptions they charge us with were truly obiected against us as they are not 3. To the three sorts who goe away from us to Babylon because they were never of us would to God they would timely consider 1. If the Lord be so earnest that his people which are in Babylon should fly out of her it cannot but be too preposterous and desperate for those that are gotten out to run in againe 2. That if it be a signe of the Lords people to depart out of Babylon it must needs be a signe of him or her that is not the Lords to run into her and so to continue 3. What is the fearefull hire of Apostasie and Apostates of whom the spirit of the Lord speaketh lothsomely as of dogs and swine turning to their vomit and wallowing What can be the expectation of such as forsaking the sound profession of the Gospell fall away from Christ to Antichrist but the most dreadfull doome which is to be awarded against the Lords most cursed enemies 4. That they sinne without a cause which aggravates the sinne nay against so cleare a light and truth enacted protected crowned and in these daies after 70. yeeres of the sunshine of the Gospell which hath beene the best time the Gospell hath had in the world for so long together this thirteene hundred yeeres so as for our meanes we might have beene as stable as rocks upon our rocke and foundation 5. That they sinne against a speciall commandement of God yea against a voice from heaven in this text they cannot say in the day of the Lord they were not warned Lastly because they love to looke upon pictures now leaving them I will leave with them an Emblem of such gracelesse Apostates as themselves When Israel was in the Wildernesse God gave them a daily harvest of Mannah from heaven but they grew weary of the Lords provision they remember the garlike the leekes and onyons of Egypt and backe they will to Egypt in all haste but all the while they remembred not the oppressions tyranny stripes labours sighs burdens the bricks and fiery furnaces So doe these looke after the pompe pride wealth and liberty of Romish Egypt but remember not the miserable servitude and bondage and their tyranny upon their consciences they remember not their traiterous doctrines their miserable attempts against kings and kingdomes their furious fires their perfidious massacres their bloudy inquisition They remember not what comfortlesse hopes that doctrine and Religion will afford them in the day of their death for there 's no understanding Papist dare trust unto it and yet looke backe they will But what is the issue and conclusion of all As all they in the wildernesse miserably died and never entred into the Land of rest so these Apostates may exchange Mannah with Garlike for the present but in the day of the Lords visitation they shall reape according to their sowing when greatnesse nor wealth when Iesuiticall subtilties nor penall satisfactions neither shall
Haman in his bitter hatred of the Iewes may bee invited to the Queenes banquet but little knoweth hee how neere mischiefe is unto him Herod went on a while stretching out his hand against Peter and Iames but little knew he that God was preparing lice to eat him up Shemei cursed David with an horrible curse and carried it a great while after Davids death but at length he knew that hee had spoken it against his owne life And most memorable was that example of the Iewes who carried the death of the Sonne of God forty yeares and never bethought themselves but when they thought all was forgotten then came the Lord like a lion upon them and teared and spoiled and paid them once for all and wasted and scattered them with so fearefull a curse as never befell any Nation under heaven the which lieth upon them and all their posterity even till this day Let this move all men to feare to offer the least reproach or injurie to the least of Gods Children Wise men are afraid to incurre the Kings indignation and therefore it is said that in Hesters time the feare of the Iewes fell upon the land so let the feare of Gods children fall upon thee whosoever hast formerly distasted them and let it binde thy hands and thoughts from conceiving or acting the least evill or hard measure against them Vse 1. To comfort the Church of God in these threatning times when Gebal and Ammon and Amalek have gathered and combined their forces against this citie of God For 1. If we looke towards God he hath undertaken to revenge the just quarrels of his people that if themselves would put up the wrongs and oppressions inflicted by the adversaries yet the Lord will not put them up or passe by them without revenging them Adde hereunto that he hath written in a booke the ruine of her foes neither can they prevaile in their purposes so long as the Lord turneth an enemie and fighteth against them that provoke him Let the enemies lift up their heads and hands aloft and speake presumptuously against the mountaines of Israel yet feare not worme Iacob nor faint thou citie of God thou hast the hand of the highest lifted up for thee and the arme of the Almighty stretched out for thy defence and safety 2. If we looke to the enemies they are many and mighty but Amalekites we have to doe with cruell enemies but accursed in their persons in their enterprises and in all the wicked meanes of accomplishing the same and if we looke a little into the resemblance we shall see that as Romish Amalek have notably expressed the like cruelty with these in our text so shall they meet with the same certaine perdition they being written by God to destruction as truly as the former For 1. Amalek signifieth a smiting people and of all Religions never was any so fierce or smiting as Romish Amalek their cruelty transcendeth the barbarous cruelty of Turkes or Scithians no degrees of men could avoid their strokes with both their swords they make no difference of men but strike at Princes and people Kings and kingdoms they smite the living and the dead and make no bones to blow up three whole kingdomes at once with one terrible blow or stroke The blowes of the old Amalekites were gentle and soft to the blowes of this smiting Amalek 2. Amalek then came forth against Israel presently upon their deliverance from Pharaoh presently upon the fruition of Manna from heaven and waters out of the rocke Amalek cannot endure Gods grace to Israel in those means of their sustentation nor yet in the pillar of the cloud and fire for their safety and direction Even so the Romish Amalekites presently encampe themselves against the people of God so soone as ever they are gotten out of the darknesse and bondage of Egypt Wilfull enemies are they against the grace of God and against the word of his grace which is the Mannah and Water of life for our refection thorow this our wildernesse 3. Amalek was the first enemie that Israel had after their comming out of Egypt and waged war against Israel to hinder them from going into Canaan and not onely by force but by fraud they spoile the people of God for they come as Grashoppers in multitude and destroy the fruit of the earth and leave no food for Israel so as Israel was exceedingly wasted Even so the Romish Amalek and Antichrist was one of the first enemies of the Church of the new Testament he began in his forerunners in the Apostles daies presently after our redemption wrought by Iesus Christ from the hellish Pharaoh and ever since her rise hath laid in the way of the Israel of God to hinder them from the heavenly Canaan and hath by force and fraud wasted the Church sending into our kingdomes besides forcible instruments of violence and infinite bloudshed innumerable armies of seducing Priests and Iesuits who would have left the people of God no food by the word and Sacraments and not only robbed them of their spirituall meanes but in their temporall state by crafty conveyances carving to themselves whatsoever fat or sweet the kingdomes of the earth have affoorded 4. Amalek forgetteth all kindred and all bonds and respects of Nature they regard not that they were of the same bloud with Israel which might have beene some restraint to their fury So the Romish Amalekites forget all naturall bonds and most heathenishly lay themselves in the vaults caves of blacke darknesse for the destruction of their owne naturall and loving Prince with purpose to spare neither root nor branch Old Amalek would eat up and destroy their enemies countrey these Amalekites like so many Vipers would eat up the bowels of their owne mother and native country Duke Medina his sword knew no difference betweene a Protestant and a Papist no more doth the powder and iron barres but send up suddenly to heaven as in a fiery chariot even them of their owne Religion such fiery zeale as carried Alphonsus Diazius out of one kingdome into another to kill his owne brother Iohn Diazius with his owne hands for surenesse only because he was a Protestant Old Amalek cannot equall these Savages and Monsters with whom no respect of age or sex no degree of honour or learning no plea of Religion nor Iustice no instinct of humanity or manhood it selfe can prevaile for a drop of mercy or pitie from them 5. Amalek commeth cowardly upon Israel and smiteth the hinmost and falleth upon the women and children in their fainting and wearinesse The same course doe the Romish Amalekites take in their plots for seduction and destruction Their seducing Priests fall upon the weaker sex and sort as the devill did at first and overcome first the weake and faint ones such as lag after their colours as cowardly as the old Amalekites encountred Israel so also doe these Nay they come in warlike manner after they had declared