BELLS FOUNDER Confounded OR Sabinianus confuted With his damnable SECT Jeremiah chap. 50. vers 2. Bel is confounded Chap. 51. v. 17. Every man is brutish by his knowledge Every Founder is confounded by the graven Image For his molten Image is Falshood and there is no breath in them Verse 18. They are vanity the works of errours in the time of their visitation they shall perish Verse 19. The portion of Iacob is not like them Verse 44. I will punish Bell in Babylon and I 'le bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him yea the walls of Babylon shall fall Written by a Lover of Musick especially in Churches Barns Durand and Platino tells That Pope Sabinnian brought in bells Anno 603. The Preface FOrasmuch as the PARLIAMENT hath voted down the Caâ—hedrals for satisfaction of the PUBLICK FAITH it 's humbly desired by the best affected that they would proceed therein according as the WORD OF GOD shall direct them and take into their serious consideration the Bill that 's drawn up for the demollishing of the Cathedrals with some exceptions of those which shall appear to be to the worship onely of the true GOD that so there may be satisfaction provided for the PUBLICK FAITH accordingly and whereas it hath been moved that the Bells should be pulled down also for satisfaction of the PUBLICK FAITH It 's humbly desired that the PARLIAMEMT would proceed therein likewise according to the Rules and Examples of the WORD OF GOD. ERRATA's PAge 4 line 25 for occasion read Oration l. 27 for soveraign read suffregan l. 29 for God read the Lord p. 9 l. 30 for the late read your late Babels Bells confounded BY SIONS ARGVMENTS Humbly proposed to the considerations of the PARLIAMENT IF the Brazen Serpent made by Gods appointment was broken in peeces when it was Idolized and that we must fight against spirituall wickednesses set up in high places If Baal must not be pleaded for If Bell must be confounded if the bleating of the Amalekites fat Cattel spared by King Saul was offensive to the Almighty If Babel is so sick of the Popish Catholike disease that no balm will heal her If the indignation of the most high is manifested from Heaven against the high places by thunder and lightning fire and brimstone Storms and Tempests O let the pillars of your hearts tremble and be ye moved at the terrour of the Lord who doth great things both in Heaven and Earth and hath said he will destroy the High places Flee therefore from such abominations and deliver every man his soul Plead not for Baal but let Baal plead for himself and put to your hand to the throwing down of all the monuments of Idolatry for so you have sworn to do and it 's not for you now to repent thereof Therefore let it not be grievous in your eys though the Houses of Baal be broken to pieces and the founded bells of Babels bulls confounded and disolved For surely if these these things had been quite abolished in the days of King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt many a precious life would have been preserved which now is destroyed but there being many Idols Temples and other monuments of Idolatry left undestroyed Queen Mary did speedily set up her abominable Idolatry in all these High places as much as ever and had the more time to exercise her self in most cruel persecution And when Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown she threw not down these abominations neither did King Iames nor the late King but did still let them remain to the dishonour of the living God and plaguing of the Kingdomes And although since the beginning of these late troubles there hath been some reformation made by demolishing of Crosses and Idolatrous pictures yet nothing is done so much as ought to be for the Roots of superstition even the Idolatrous high places are not yet removed though many of them were built intentionally in the forms of Crosses and consecrated to Popish Saints that thereby the people might the-more adore them Neither have you taken away the Popish bells though they are abominable Idols in the very conception formation dedication consecration exaltation and occupation thereof and therefore ought to be taken down and utterly demolished Oh therefore that the Honourable House of Parliament were throughly sensible how greatly the Name of God hath been blasphemed and many thousands of poor souls deluded bewitched and led headlong into hell by such abominable Idols Now that none may hence forward plead ignorance in omitting of this duty of demolishing of these Idols the bells which proceeded from the Dragon which is the Divel and Sathan I shall lay open the filthiness abomination therof See the complaint of Jacobus Selestadiensis to Maâ—imilian the Emperour as those who have read their books the Chronicles and have seen their practises have spoken can speak by experience What great abomination hath been committed about these cursed Idols the Bells What horrible blasphemies of God In Mr. Foxes acts and monuments and of the Saints in Heaven What solemn profanation of the Name of the living God See also The. Bacon upon the reliques indulgences pardons stations Exorcisinse consecrations benedictions where you shal see the abominations of the Bells and of his holy spirit What abuse and mis-application of the sacred Word by their filthy polluted lips What Exorcisms by the living God the God of Elizeus the Prophet What suplussing stoleing What crossing and cringing with the Priests Clarks singing What invocations execrations conjurations and benedictions blind devotions and admirations What wiping anointing sweetning perfuming What sprinkling with choise of Godfathers and Godmothers naming the pretty bables for babies the bels for Babels buls What singing and ringing What drinking and roaring What Gossiping at the said Christenings of these abominable Idols Far worse then the Calves of Beth-haven or the Image of King Nebuchadnezzar which was set up in the plains of Dura for these are â—â—vanced above the rest of their Gods even in the highest places of their Idols temples That the bels which through their prayers have been brought into a right shape into Christendome as they say may make sweet melody like Davids Harp and ring merrily as their Priests and Clarks did sing merrily afâ—er it was cast Te Deum and De pacem and a Domine factum est istud est myrabila in occulis nostris This is the Lords doings and is marvellous in the eys of us Oh horrible the Founder foundeth it and they say it is the Lords doings when it is the Divels doings For from whence came these cursed bells but from the Idol Bell and the Dragon Belzebub the Prince of the Divels Thus the children of Belial have called their bells by the name of old Bell of Babel even the God whom they worship and as Babel
signifieth confusion so the almighty saith Bell shall be confounded I le punish Bell Bell stoopeth and indeed the Bells begin to stoop already and it 's hoped the Lord of Hosts will dissolve them in his fury But how have the eys of the people been blinded and made to dote upon these detestable Idols that they prayed for the virtue of the Holy Ghost to be put thereon and again that the same may be sanctified and hallowed of the Holy Ghost and in another prayer that the Bell may be replenished with his heavenly blessing and in another prayer that the dew of the Holy Ghost may be poured out thereon Oh what power and glory what virtue and goodness do they ascribe unto this Bell for as at King Herods occasion the people cried the voice of God and not of men so these ignorant sots after the Bishops or soâ—â—raign hath wiped the bell with a linnen towel sing Vox Domine super aquas the voice of God is upon the waters Deus majestatis intonnuit Domine superaquas multas vox Domine in virtute vox Domine in magnificentia vox Domine confringentis cadros and also ascribe that salvation to these bells which belongs to God and onely to his Christ that the sound and noise thereof shall drive away the fiery darts ' and power of the enemies and make their army afraid And as the Heathen Romans of old ascribed deliverance to mother Idaea See Mayers hist pag. 125. upon the comming forth of a Prophesie of Sibil that if Idaea the mother of the Gods were brought to Rome they should be able to drive the forraign enemy out of Italy whereupon Embassadours being sent to Attalus King of Pergamus to fetch her and by the way the Oracle of Apollo being consulted with he that is that Devil answered that they must have a care to bring this Idaea into the worthiest mans house in Rome wherefore with great solemnity one that was judged by the Citizens of Rome to be the worthiest was required to meet the Idoll being then 50 miles off the City together with a company of Matrons who brought Idaea the mother of their Gods by turns upon their shoulders all praying as it entred that it would willingly enter and be propitious unto them so the foolish people now who hold ignorance to be the mother of devotion are made to believe that the sound and noise of the Bels shall drive away the fiery darts and power of the enemies and make their armies afraid and with such words do they pray at the dedication of the Bell and likewise that the imaginations of fantasies the striking of Lightnings the hurt of Thunderings the calamity of Tempests and all stormy spirits by the noise and sound thereof may depart and go far away and all the lying await of the enemy may be far put back that the beating of the Hail the storm of Winds the violence of Tempests may be mitigated and asswaged moreover that the fierce thundering and boystrous storms may be so measured that they do no harm or hurt his creatures in fine that the powers of the air hearing this bel may tremble and shake for fear and flee before the Banner of the holy Crosse and that when the sound of the bell pierceth through the clouds that the hands of the Angels may keep the congregation yea they ascribe such power unto the bells as when the walls of Ierico fell to the ground and would make the people believe that the presence of God is in them to work wonders as at the dividing of the sea and turning back of the waters of Iordan and say when it is demanded wherefore it may be answered the earth was moved at the face of the Lord at the face of the God of Iacob which turned the hard rocks into rivers of waters the flint stones into watry streams and thereupon say that when this present bell as the other vessels of the Altar is touched with the holy chrisom and anointed with holy oil all they that come draw near to the sound noise thereof may be free from all temptations of the enemies and they ascribe salvation to tâ—osâ— bâ—wâ—tching creatures as if there were power in them to deliver their souls from hell cause them to passe into heaven Thus God is dishonoured his my steries mocked his creatures abused superstition and idolatry upheld the poor people deceived O therefore make hast vote them down down with them down with them to the very ground for God hath a controversie with them and with all them that cry them up and let them not be exalted any more to the heaven but bring them down and destroy them for if you will not demolish them God himself will do it some other way either by sending some other power to do it or else by proceeding as he hath begun with Lightning and Thunder to destroy them notwithstanding all their prayers to be delivered from such judgements the bels you see can't deliver themselves and of all places in their Churches Gods lightning lighteth upon the Belfraies so that in divers countries the bells are melted by the vehemency of the flames of I A H and many people killed outright this year as well as heretofore and others dangerously hurt in so much as we see THE FINGER OF GOD pointing at them directing you to destroy them Moreover what abundace of good chear these bels with the Dragons Priests have devoured by the great Gosshops feasts which were made at the baptizing thereof What gifts offerings to the great impoverishing of the inhabitants whosoever readeth the book of Martyrs may see where it is complained of I would add soÌ„ething more how the Lords name is dishonored the Sabboth prophaned drunkeÌ„ness upheld and many other vices by the continuation of these ungodly trinkets and how much money is dayly raised by the ringing of the bells for the dead and mocking of many people by making them pray for the dead as if they were alive and dying But what hath been said and done is enough unless you would have God speak and do more then he hath If you doubt whether they belong to the Common-wealth assure your selves that whatsoever ammunition is sent to the enemy if it be taken it 's lawfull prize beloÌ„geth of right to the CoÌ„monwealth so these trinkets being devoted to the service of Antichrist do properly belong to the Common wealth to do by them as Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah and Iosia did by such idolatrous dedicated things without any further dispute or asking leave of the idolatrous propriators and as many high places were abolished by King Henery the Eight and many Crosses from of the Steeples and May-poles and superstitious signs by the Parliament were taken down Yea their Organs in their Churches were destroyed also by order of Parliament although they were never so tunable delectable to the ear heart had multiplicities of notes and all the flats
and sharps therunto belonging were full of divisions subdivisions and varieties of parts far exceeding the bravest Bag-pipes or the lustiest Lancashire Horn pipes with all their drones none of all which properties the bels in any one of your Steeple have and the Organs required not so many to be occupied in the setting them on work as the bels one was enough to blow and an Organist to play which was done with lesse toil and sweating then the ringing of bels some bels requiring sixteen men to ring each of them and at the best are but novelties in comparison of the Organs which is of four thousand years standing the bels being brought in by Pope Sabinianus in Anno 603. yet you have broken the Organs to pieces and the rails of the Communion Tables and the Founts although some Parishes and persons claimed a peculiar interest and property therein even so ought you to destroy these abominable bels and this is a general maxime that whatsoever is devoted to superstition and idolatry is forfeited to the Common-wealth and you ought to seiz upon the same as of the goods of Traytors which is devoted to the enemy and if you take not the opportunity now God hath put a prize in your hand your neglect wil be as a dead flie in the Oyntmēt of the Apochecary If the ignorāt people alledg that the noise of the bell is heard a far off and how shall they know when to go to Church if they be al taken down Wot you not that in a Market one bell is enough to give warning to the people and Tread not that God ordained any bells for his Church but what were made of Gold and they were not for the assembling of the Congregation neither but when they were assembled but indeed God ordained silver Trumpets for the assembling of his congregation and Trumpets of Rams horns at the throwing down the walls of Ierico instead whereof the Papists have ordained bells telling us they are good to clear the air but if these bauling bells were metamorphosed into roring Canons and charged with Gun-powder and flying bullets against the gates of our enemies they would clear the air better and make a better noise then now they do and be a better recreation therefore I pray delay not to abolish them now make an end where God hath begun lest he prevent you for out of heaven hath he thundred upon them and his judgements findeth them out in the valleys as well as on the hills If you say that you fear the People I answer They are but an arm of flesh and you need not fear them at all for now you have no enemy in the Land in arms against you but when you threw down the Crosses and May-poles and other monuments of idolatry you had the late King and his forces and an unconquered people to oppose you yet you went on and the Lord prosper'd you now you are strong but then you were weak now the government is setled in the way of a Commonwealth but then it was not setled you had the King and Lords and their Armies to oppose you And who can harm you if you are followers of that which is good When you demolished the Cathedral at Leighfield by the late Order who opposed you When King Asa threw down the high places and abolished the Idols it is said the land was quiet before him Do but you your duty and I 'le warrant you wil do wel enough the people wil not harm you GOD can cause his fear and terrer to fal upon them and thunder upon them by his power so that if they wil contemptuously stand to Plead for Baal they shall certainly perish and fall and if they will have the Idol Bel they must have the Dragon too Subscribed by SAMUEL CHIDLEY On the behalf of all Saints And for the cure of all Souls To the Honourable Committee for regulating the Markets The Humble Petition of Samuel Chidley Sheweth THat although GOD hath commanded That the places wherein the nations worshipped their gods should be utterly destroyed Yet there is suffered to stand still that abominable idol Pauls that old bawdy house of the whore of Babylon which was built dedicated and consecrated first by the heathens and after that by the Antichristians In which place filthy Idols have been set up abominable idolatry practised horrible blasphemies uttered against THE NAME of THE MOST HIGH GOD and cruel murthers committed against the Martyrs of IESVS CHRIST The repairing whereof though impossible to be finisht without abundance of money hath robbed the people of millions of treasure and made them poorer then Iob and occasioned much strife and many houses to be pulled down which were round about it Whose highest spire the lightning from heaven fire hath consumed once or twice The form of that house being a compleat cross the universal badge of a Papist And the ruines therof cumbring the ground the middle place thereof being ready to fall of it self the whole Fabrick thereof being no ornament but a disgrace to the City and whole nation and is of no repute amongst any rational men but a company of fool Papists and Atheists such beasts whom St. Paul fought with at Ephesus after the manner of men Besides some persons out of covetousness have lately stoln away very much of the Leads after the HOUSE had voted the destruction of the Cathedrals for payment of the PUBLICK FAITH Your Petitioner in conscience to his GOD humbly begs that that great Idol may be speedily rooted up to the very bottom of Sin Faiths for satisfying of the PUBLICK FAITH of this nation And that there may be a NEW MARKET erected there and called by another name that the adjacent streets may have a free passage without that usual interruption by crowds of people Carts and Coaches on every side All which will no doubt tend very much to the good of the Commonwealth in general and the City of London in particular and be pleasing to GOD which is best of all And your Petitioner shall ever pray c. FINIS