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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03335	Mystical babylon, or Papall Rome A treatise vpon those words, Apocal. 18.2. It is fallen, it is fallen Babylon, &c. In which the wicked, and miserable condition of Rome, as shee now is in her present Babylonian estate, and as she shall be in her future ineuitable ruine, is fully discouered: and sundry controuersiall points of religion, betwixt the Protestants, and the Papists, are briefly discussed. By Theophilus Higgons, rector of the parochiall Church of Hunton, neere Maidstone in Kent.	Higgons, Theophilus, 1578?-1659.	1624 (1624)	STC 13455; ESTC S118140	129,351	289

obseruation for that hee exciteth the subiects of England against their King by a most impudent and ignorant application of the Scripture Wee being placed saith hee in the Seate of Iustice according to the prediction of the Prophet Ierem. 1.10 saying Behold I haue set thee ouer the Nations and ouer the Kingdomes to plucke vp and to roote out and to destroy and throw downe c. This is a Text which sounded to his purpose and therefore Carerius de potest Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 3. maketh this peruerse glosse vpon that text The Prophet Ieremy speaketh this in the person of Christ vnto the Bishop of Rome that if Kings bee wicked hee may punish and correct them A terrible correction vnto a King to be deposed from his Imperiall Crowne by the Babylonian Beast and to be exposed vnto the crueltie of his owne subiects This is their art and this is their pietie in the exposition of the sacred Scriptures to bring them vnto their owne fancies But thou Carerius and thou ô Paul you lay violent hands vpon Christian Princes and vpon Gods owne Word You say that this was spoken by the Prophet in the person of Christ that so you might bring his title in this point vnto the Pope as being his Vicar and so endued with this power of deposition vnder Christ but it is not so for God speaketh it precisely vnto his Prophet You say that therefore the Pope is placed ouer all Kingdomes to excommunicate Princes to giue away their Kingdomes c. It is not so but God giueth a commission to his Prophet to denounce his iudgements against sundry Nations as hee doth afterward and to foretell their ruines according to his propheticall and pastorall office that God did impose vpon him to this effect But I leaue these Babylonians in their absurd and presumptuous interpretation of the Scriptures and proceed vnto their tyrannicall actions Witnesse then here againe my deare and natiue Countrie vnder the most happy prosperous and gracious administration of our late Souereigne Queene ELIZABETH twice deposed by these furious Beasts first by Pius the fifth who bestowed her Kingdome most liberally vpon the King of Spaine to get it by Armes if he could and this Pontificall donation standeth in Azorius the Iesuite for one principall instance and president of the Papall authoritie in this behalfe By vertue or rather vice of his Bull the subiects were absolued from their obedience and thereupon some taking vp Armes in the Northerne parts came vnto alamentable but a deserued end whose bloud being shed by the Iustice of England will be iustly required of Babylon the cruell Mother of her Children and so shall the bloud of many Priests and other Romish Catholikes who dyed iustly for their transgression of the Statute made against Romish Priests comming into England all persons entertaining them as culpable of highest treason Why for now the Popes Emissaries the Priests came with a resolution to maintaine his proceedings and they whom the Priests reconciled were now spirituall members of that Church which sought the perdition and ruine of their Prince Was it not now necessarie and it was not done till now vpon the thirteenth yeere of her reigne to prouide the antidote of such seuere Lawes against the poison of such vnnaturall Subiects Secondly she was deposed againe by Sixtus the fifth vpon the time of the great inuasion to be executed by that inuincible Armado from Spaine in the yeere 1588. Neere vpon which time by the negotiation of Parsons the Iesuite Allen was promoted vnto the dignitie of a Cardinall for the better accommodation of all matters in that execrable designe who therefore wrote an Admonition to the Nobilitie of England as full of fraud falshood and impossibilitie in that which he vndertooke to assure as of malice treason and villany against the person of his Souereigne Ladie who finally had the glorie in their shame to the contempt of Babylon and admiration of the world Witnesse France in the tyrannicall and proud fury of Boniface the eight who came into his Apostolicall Seate like a Fox reigned in it like a Lyon and dyed like a Dog against Philip sirnamed the Fayre whom that Babylonian Monarch vendicating vnto himselfe all power Spirituall in the Church and Temporall in the world deposed sententially from his royall Dignitie and State disposing the same by his Apostolike liberalitie vnto Albertus King of the Romanes but that Heroicall and Magnanimous Prince preserued and maintained both to the great ignominy and contempt of the vsurping Beast Witnesse Germany where Henry the fourth by the Papall insolencie of Gregory the seuenth a true and euident Antichrist was abandoned by his subiects violently persecuted by Henry the fifth his naturall vnnaturall sonne who succeeding in that nominall Empire the Pope being the reall Emperour was afterwards by the diuine vltion of God though by the Apostolicall operation of the Pope forsaken by his owne people the Empire such as it was being collated vpon another What should I say of Philippus the Emperour brother of the said Henry and Otho Duke of Saxony erected by Pontificiall meanes against the said Philip Who suffered both vnder the Babylonian Beast What shall I say of Frederick the second sonne of the said Philip persecuted circumuented oppressed by the spirituall Fathers of Babylon His sonne also Conradus suffered like outrages by the Father of the Romane thunderbolts exciting the Lantgraue of Thuring against him and persecuting the royall family of Barbarossa till it came finally vnto that ruine which the Babylonian Beast did long desire in his heart and at the last did effectuate by his meanes And now by the way wee may here obserue the miserable condition of Princes who must weare the Babylonian yoake to their shame or cast it off to their danger standing vpon the dreadfull tearmes of deposition murther and other disastrous calamities when one Prince being deposed by Papall furie another Prince rather out of desire of his Kingdome then out of obedience to the Pope is readie to inuade his Dominions so that one of them is made the executioner of another and all of them instruments of the Papall Tyranny till by this meanes the Papal iurisdiction ouer them all groweth strong by prescription Nos sanctorum c. being a better plea for the Popes in latter Ages then it was in the time of Hildebrand the Pope who pretended the example of his predecessors for the deposition of Princes and so in processe of time all Princes as the Popes doe cunningly affect shall hold their Kingdomes as donatiues of the Babylonian Seate I am wearied and so perhaps are you in the prosecution of this vnhappie argument wherefore I will gather vp my sayles and conclude this tedious Voyage with two remarkeable obseruations The first concerneth the Papall intrusion vpon the Citie of Rome it selfe the centre of that Empire whose circumference was so largely extended in the World the proper and peculiar seate of the

all the Saints This former Dominion was lost this imperiall State was dissolued but behold a second Beast of whome I haue spoken much before but you shall heare more fully of him anon entring by little and little into and vpon the place of the former with a pretense of greater authoritie carried with a new forme and vnder another colour and in this Papall State Rome hath sent and communicated her Idolatries vnto the World hauing a cup of gold in her hands full of abomination and filthinesse of her fornication Apoc. 18.4 which she doth not now receiue from others as in her Ethnicall condition but others receiue it from her by her Papall incantations and by the venditation of her sacred power Hence it is that Babylon hath such dominion in the World extensiuè by such a large dilatation and intensiué by so strong an operation thereof Therefore Apocal. 13.11 the second beast appeared like a Lambe as the Pope entred vpon this dominion with a faire pretense of a Catholike Pastor a Successour of Saint Peter a Vicar of Christ c. and hee had two hornes which word horne signifieth power very frequently in the Scripture so that his two hornes are indeed two powers which this second Beast with his humble stile of Seruus seruorum Dei doth pretend whence Babylon hath gained so great authoritie and veneration in the World The first power which he did originally pretend was onely Spirituall the power of the KEYES and therefore the Pope doth arrogate all this power in the whole Church vnto himselfe and saith that from him it is deriued vnto the inferiour Pastors there of as the power of Order and the power of Iurisdiction which all Bishops and others in the Cleargie hold immediately or mediately from his Apostolicall feate as the true proper and onely fountaine thereof From hence all Dispensations doe flow to it all Appellations doe tend she hath all fulnesse of power from Christ others haue a part of it from her nay if we may beleeue her principall Doctors her Peter gaue their Pastorall authoritie vnto the other Apostles else Rome could not be the Mother-church in Bellarmines iudgement de Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 23. and therefore as all Ecclesiasticall power was deduced onely from S. Peter at the first so now it is deduced onely from his personall Successours in this Apostolicall seate Now vnto this Spirituall power in the Church they subiect all temporall power in the State as I will presently declare as being of greater excellencie and vertue And it is true indeed that the spirituall power of the Church excelleth the temporall in the State but how ratione finis because the end of the Churches power is eternall life and ratione medij because the courses whereby shee worketh are spirituall meanes namely such as are contained in the Word of God conducing vnto this end But yet this her spirituall power excelleth not the temporall power of Princes in dominion command sublimitie and glorie which are properly appendant to their Crownes The second power which Babylon doth challenge by her second Beast is Temporall which her Popes haue affected with many insinuations and sometimes with open vendication thereof and her neerest friends aduance it with the best art which wit and learning can minister in this behalfe And certainly this is the opinion which daily increaseth in Babylon and which they will indeuour to support with might and mayne though some more moderate Babylonians doe not yet giue way vnto this highest Antichristian course For I finde three seuerall Opinions in the Church of Rome vpon this point 1. The first giueth all temporall dominion directly vnto the Pope as the principall Souereigne of the World from whom all Princes dependently hold their Crownes These are true Babylonians indeed but all such are actuall Traytors against the dignitie and supreame honour of the Crownes of Princes vnder whom they liue 2. The second giueth all spirituall power not temporall to the Pope but yet indirectly drawing on a temporall power ouer Princes in ordine ad spiritualia in ordine ad Deum c. viz. that the Pope may depose an hereticall or an irregular Prince from his Crowne as hauing authoritie ouer him in this case to depriue him of his estate All such Babylonians are habituall Traytors disposed and alwayes resolued in preparation of heart to execute any Papall sentence of deposition as far as they can against their owne naturall Lords and Souereigne Princes 3. The third opinion denying the second of these as the second denieth the first giueth a meere spirituall authoritie vnto the Pope to excommunicate a Prince for his correction and saluation and to bring him to a penitent submission vnto God and his Church but without any such temporall effect as the second opinion doth inforce And hence it is that the Oath of Alleageance in this Kingdome so wisely deuised and necessarily enacted though it subuert and contradict the first and second Opinions yet it leaueth this last and third Opinion vntouched neither affirming nor denying it because all moderate Papists that treate of the Popes power as namely Doctor Barkley and the more milde Babylonians in England denying it in the first and second degree doe yet constantly affirme it in the third But these men find least grace in Babylon which is more delighted with the second Opinion and chiefly with the first and therefore we see that as the first groweth daily more strong in Rome so the second hath lately gotten more aduantage in France in the minoritie of the King by the subtile Oration of Cardinall Peron which our most excellent Souereigne hath cleerly refuted by his diuine and learned Pen. To conclude now the third proofe of my assertion you may perceiue that the large Dominion of Babylon which the Iesuits truly find in Rome but falsely conceiue it to be there within a very little time onely before her ruine doth appertaine vnto the CHVRCH and not vnto the Citie but so far forth as it is the place wherein the Pope doth reigne so that in it his Successors must continue euen vntill the time of Antichrist when they shall be expelled out of the confines thereof and there they shall exercise their domination not onely with Saint Peters Keyes but also with his two Swords This is the power of Babylon which the Reuelation doth truly foretell and which these Iesuites could not discerne therein But as humane reason disapproueth their idle conceits and naked coniectures so certaine experience ioyned with diuine prediction doth confirme our assertion in this point And so I come vnto a fourth and a more important proofe thereof FOVRTHLY therefore I proue it out of the conformitie betwixt the prediction of Saint Paul and the Reuelation of Saint Iohn both contayning one sense of matter vnder different forme of words the point it selfe being one as proceeding from one Spirit First then it is the prediction of Saint Paul that Antichrist shall be reuealed

c. 30. Since therefore the Pope is truely that man of sin who appeared in his superlatiue power vpon the declination of the Romane Emperour for thence wee inforce by the verse words of Saint Paul that Antichrist is come euen as the Christians proue against the Iewes that Christ came long agoe because the Scepter departed from Iudah and then the Messiah was to be borne according to the prophecie of Iacob wee may conclude that the Babylon wherein hee sitteth is Rome not the Citie alone but the Church which seemeth to be entayled vnto that fatall place in the iudgement of her chiefest Doctors Thus farre out of Saint Paul and now we come vnto Saint Iohn Secondly then this prediction of Saint Paul is a fitting key to open the visions of Saint Iohn in this behalfe in cap. 13. 17. For in his thirteenth Chapter hee had a vision of two distinct beasts the very same which wee haue alreadie seene in the prophecie of Saint Paul Behold therefore the description of these Beasts and yet first vnderstand I pray you what the name of BEAST doth generally purport as well in this Reuelation of Saint Iohn as in the prophecies of Daniel whereof also I am now to take some speciall notice namely cap. 7. v. 4. Foure great Beasts saith hee came vp from the Sea Euery word hath weight as I will shew you in the retrograded order of the Text. They came from the great SEA signifying that the conuersions of publike States should bring great troubles and perturbations in the world They came vp or ascended for the great Monarchies had small beginnings and were aduanced vnto a very high estate They are Beasts for these Monarchies did with furie and violence enter increase and gouerne in the earth Lastly they are foure whereof the last is the Romane Monarchy thus characterized and marked by Daniel v. 7. The fourth Beast was fearefull and terrible and very strong c. and it had ten hornes which in the twentie fourth verse are interpreted ten Kings for the Romane Monarchie had a various and difforme gouernment of different nature from all precedent Monarchies till the Caesars who are here called the little horne rose vp who subduing a great part of their strength drew the principalitie vnto themselues and erected the Monarchie in their owne persons and this is the true genuine and proper interpretation of that text Now I returne vnto Saint Iohn The FIRST Beast which Saint Iohn did see Apocal 13.11 c. is the same Romane Monarchie and expressed in this manner A Beast arose out of the Sea hauing seuen heads and ten hornes c. and then followeth the persecution raised by this Beast against the Church of God This Beast was certainely the Romane Empire which in the publike gouernment by the Senate and by the people and in the priuate afterward by one person was still one and the same Beast hauing indeed ten hornes at the first till afterward one little horne carried the sway when it grew vnto great power that reuelled in Babylon and domineered in the world by whose Edicts and Authoritie the Christians so generally for many yeeres suffered cruell deaths and horrible tortures for the glorious name of Iesus Christ When this Tragedie was ended and that this first Beast though now growne more milde and tamed by the knowledge of the true Faith beganne afterwards daily to decline from his greatnesse and at the last to bee taken out of the way according to the words of Saint Paul then began a SECOND Beast to come vp out of the earth Apocal. 13.11 that is to say some other great and principall Potentate for so the word Beast importeth here as it doth in Daniel before began to reare vp himselfe and therefore is here said to come vp as hauing an inchoation and then an augmentation of his power and it is not without cause said here that he came out of the earth whereas the former Beast verse 1. came out of the Sea as the other three Beasts also did Daniel 7.4 because as hee is contrary to Christ who came from heauen so hee hath a different entrance into the world from the former Beast with Saint Iohn saw and from the other three which Daniel saw because those foure Beasts had a tumultuous violent and troublesome beginning of their Empires which came as it were out of a raging Sea but this Second Beast here in Saint Iohn hath a quiet secret peaceable ascension as it were out of the earth comming vp with the milde aspect of a Lamb not suddenly aduancing himselfe like the other Beasts with terror but cunningly insinuating himselfe into the hearts and affections of men as Ribera doth well expound this place and is therefore well said to come vp out of the earth because being little meane at the first in comparison of his future glorie hee doth afterward attaine vnto a speciall and extraordinary power in the world euen to doe all which the first Beast could doe before him v. 12. Marke now this passage well It doth appeare that the First Beast viz. the Romane Empire in the ciuill state was now taken out of the way How doth that appeare Because this second Beast did all which the former could doe before him therefore the former was gone that is to say the great Imperiall power of Rome was now decayed and another arose vp after it in as great dignitie and power as the other did obtaine These two Potentates the first and second Beast stood not together in their greatnesse two Sunnes shine not in one firmament and the Pope did well espy this when he compared the Romane Empire to the Moone and the Romane Papacy to the Sunne as being of greater excellencie so that the Empire had her light from it and lost her light before it as being not able to shine in the glorious presence thereof And this is true indeed for O thou poore Empire of Germany what art thou before the conspect and shining light of the mightie Papacie of Rome which leaueth thee an emptie Title and possesseth the full power thereof But I proceed It doth now also appeare farther that this second Beast who could not aspire vnto the proportion of his greatnesse during the consistencie of the former is mounted vp into the Imperiall Dignitie and Seate but after the expiration of the Romane Empire for that Beast is gone that supreame power is abolished as he hath inuaded his Dominion to doe all that the other could doe before him If you aske how this came to passe I answere not by Sword not by Conquest not by forcible meanes for this Beast came out of the earth in a more meeke and meane fashion and like a Lambe but by a faire pretense of his Euangelicall Keyes which afterwards became no lesse powerfull then Swords and two Swords spirituall power which was the first horne that grew and then temporall power which was the second horne annexed vnto the

perhaps may beare some shew of bloud but wonder at this that Pasce oues meas Feede my Sheepe saith Christ vnto Peter Iohn 21.16 should approue these killing courses in the Pope these violent depositions of Princes these rebellious insurrections of people But it doth so and in whose iudgement euen of Bellarmine himselfe De Rom. Pont. lib. 5. cap. 7. Who thence inferreth a certaine and necessary power in the Pope to depose two sorts of Princes the one hereticall whom he compareth vnto cruell Wolues the other irregular whom hee compareth vnto vnruly Rammes and therefore saith hee since the Pope is Pastour of the vniuersall Church and hath an Office to feed the SHEEPE that is to say all faithfull Christians hee must haue a power to restraine and resist such WOLVES and RAMMES as trouble and infest the flocke So that in conclusion Pasce in Bellarmine and Occide in Baronius according to the new Grammer and Diuinitie of Babylon meet both in one centre of signification and in one issue of sense O skilfull Mercurialists to draw bloud out of the veines of the holy Scripture Yet these are the men that opprobriously and scornfully obiect this textuall folly vnto the Diuines of the Reformed Church in misapplying the Scriptures vnto their misguided fancies But now I proceed to make a sufficient remonstrance of bloudie crueltie in their mysticall Babylon by foure seuerall and inuincible demonstrations thereof FIRST then the crueltie of Babylon appeareth in raysing vp subiects against their naturall Lords to the inualuable expense of Christian bloud England can say some thing in this behalfe not onely in the more ancient times as of King Iohn who with his people suffered much by the instinct and operation of Rome but in these latter times both of King Henrie the Eighth against whom some noble Persons conspired and some meaner Subiects rebelled by the procuration of Rome to the losse of their bloud which shall be found in her and in the Halcyonian dayes of Queene Elizabeth by insurrections in the North by clancular and secret Treasons of damnable Parricides by hostile inuasions resolued against England and in part effected in Ireland all depending vpon Babylon and issuing from her designes which instructed her Priests to seduce the people heere from their iust obedience whence ensued the iust execution of both by the necessary prouision of the Lawes and in the happy Reigne of our most gracious Souereigne Lord King Iames who therefore enacted a speciall and prudent Law by consent of the Peeres and People of this Kingdome to try thereby the alleageance and fidelitie of his subiects which Oath finding so much opposition and impugnation from the Babylonian Monarch did minister an ineuitable necessitie vnto this State to draw some bloud from such Priests as rather obserued and respected the Papall Seate of Babylon then the Royall Crowne of England And this bloud so iustly shed will bee found not in England but in Babylon it selfe But France may speake much more in that generall and bloudie Massacre vnder Charles the Ninth procured by Babylonian operations and therefore when the report thereof came vnto Rome shee like a bloudie Whore so the Scripture calleth her applauded that Thracian or rather Scythian crueltie of her children sang her Te Deum in publique gratulation of that horrible fact disbursed her Indulgences out of her spirituall Treasures for the benefit of the cruell Murtherers and so sent her gifts abroad as reioycing in their ruine Apocal. 10.11 c. France can yet speake more which in the end of the Reigne of Henrie the Third and beginning of the Reigne of Henrie the Fourth opened the veines of her bodie and let forth streames of her owne bloud by the prouocation of Babylon till it was stanched by the vnhappie submission of that great King vnto the Triple-crowne Yet then also hee could not bee secure for some principall Babylonians supposing that the King confessed that with his mouth which hee denied in his heart Iohn Chastell a young Disciple of old Iesuites was suborned to offer violence vpon the sacred Maiestie of the Kings person but could not performe that Tragicall act which Rauilliac did afterwards effectuate with his most wicked hand But I proceed Germany can speake more then any other Nation whose terrible warres stirred continued and supported by the meanes of Babylon for many yeeres in the reigne of sundry Emperours embrued the earth with copious effusion of Christian bloud making it a true Adamah an earth red with bloud and giuing it her originall name againe As for Italy shee cannot be silent in this case if she remember the bloudy faction of her Guelphs and Gibelines with sundry warres raised vp by Papall furie and sometimes managed by their owne persons forgetting that they who take the sword shall perish by the sword Matth. 26.52 What shall I say of the Holy Land it selfe which in tedious and expensiue warres procured enterprised by Papall motions and what the Pope could not performe with his owne temporall meanes to assist this warre hee performed by the Spirituall Exchequer dispensing his Indulgences thence to further and aduance the same consumed much treasure of the Christians and more of their bloud But you will say it was an heroicall and glorious act I answer looke vnto the Popes designes and intentions therin with the issue of that glory You will say it was a pious and a religious act I answer the pretence is more specious then the enterprise is alwayes iust in such a case For it may be disputed Whether or how farre forth it is lawfull for Christian Princes vpon the pure and sole title of Religion to make such warres vpon the Turke who by the power of the sword and by submission of the people and by long possession hath such an interest into those lands the matter of faith and religion neither giuing vnto any Prince nor taking from any the proprietie of his temporall and worldly state Such is the doctrine of the sacred Scripture such was the practise of the ancient Church SECONDLY The crueltie of Babylon appeareth in stirring vp persecution against the professours of Gods eternall and inuincible truth which no policie of man no furie of diuells can possibly extinguish because it is founded vpon the true rock Christ Iesus and not vpon the pretensed rocke or rather stocke of the Apostaticall Seate in Babylon Now if I should here make a particular account of her crueltie in this kind against the persons of many Martyrs it would exceed the proportion of one or many Sermons Or if I would make it yet more generall by a suruey of persecutions in many Countries by sword and by fire which burning zeale yet lodgeth in their Scythian hearts the relation would bee as tedious as it is vnnecessary since the histories of sundry Nations are extant in this behalfe and a great part of them is diligently collected by the industrious pen of Master Fox in his Acts and Monuments of the

for euer of this scandall which misprision and errour I haue refuted in my former Sermon But let vs proceed with S. Hierome who addeth immediately by way of acclamation O potent Citie O Lady-citie of the world O Citie commended by the voyce of the Apostle interpret thine owne name according to the Greekes it is a name of FORTITVDE according to the Hebrewes it is a name of SVBLIMITIE Keepe that then which thou art called let vertue make thee high let not pleasure make thee base All this pertaineth to her honour and exaltation but then hee giueth his aduice vnto her presently in the very next words Thou mayest by thy repentance escape the malediction which our Sauiour hath threatned vnto thee in his Reuelation No not so S. Hierome by your leaue shee shall not escape this is not a simple Commination against Rome which may bee preuented but a resolution which must be fulfilled And now to conclude this obseruation I here discouer some perplexitie as I said before and vncertaintie yea perhaps contradiction in this Rhetoricall passage of this learned Father For since he doth confesse that howsoeuer Christian Rome had wiped away the infamie of her Ethnicall estate and doth notwithstanding immediately affirme that the Commination of Christ specified here in my Text and more largely discoursed in the residue of this Chapter is yet in force against her and that it is yet to be executed vpon her if she by repentance shall not diuert and euacuate the same one of these two things must necessarily here ensue namely that either shee will bee Babylon againe in succeeding ages and iustly deserue this ruine and so S. Hierome by the former words doth not discharge Rome from the name of Babylon for the time to come but onely in that her present state or else that God shall punish her in the time to come for her sinnes alreadie past which I doubt how it may stand with the Truth and Iustice of God as I haue more largely deduced in my former Sermon And so leauing it vnto your iudicious censure what you will determine of S. Hierome in this case since this iudgement is laid vpon Rome in the name of Babylon and for her Babylonian sinnes I end this obseruation with the confession of the learned Iesuites as well as of some ancient Fathers that Rome being Babylon shall be certainly destroyed howbeit not by Antichrists power as they conceiue but for Antichrists pride as we haue partly seene heretofore and shall see more hereafter A Second vse to be made of this point is for the consolation of Gods children shee curseth them shee excommunicateth them shee deposeth Kings shee disposeth Kingdomes shee exposeth both to ruine shee absolueth subiects from obedience shee stirreth forraine powers against them shee burneth shee drowneth shee spareth no meanes to extirpate them out of the world Comfort now your selues in Gods promise shee is fallen with him shee shall fall before vs for Gods Word shall not fall Againe shee taketh vpon her to foretell our ruine and destruction Pererius a learned Iesuite but a blind Babylonian in his exposition of Genes 15.16 complaineth bitterly of the persecution of Catholikes in England which saith he meaning England though she remaine in the course of her sins yet she enioyeth great felicitie but he recollecteth himselfe with that speech of God vnto Abraham the sinnes of the Amorites are not yet full ENGLAND saith hee though full of sinne hath not yet fulfilled the number of her sinnes but when they are come to their height shee shall certainely perish and if any man thinke that this time is not farre off hee in my opinion is not farre from the truth Now though wee are to learne something of our enemies but more by the examples in sacred Scripture that we may repent and change our liues that so God may shew his mercie and compassion towards vs yet two things I obserue here the one for their reproofe the other for our comfort The first is for their reproofe for as S. Augustine doth truely note the Deuill to gaine the reputation of Prescience and Deitie foretelleth such things as hee is resolued to effect and bring to passe by his owne power and meanes if God giue permission vnto his desire so the Ianizaries of Babylon the progenie of Loiola Frogges in the Reuelation 16.13 as some haue ingeniously conceiued for that a Iesuite is ordinarily a politicke and actiue Polypragmon and so an Amphibion that conuerseth in two elements of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall affaires of the Church and of the state may seeme to bee Prophets in foretelling the ruine of my deare and natiue Countrey whereas they foretell that which themselues do proiect and labour to atchieue and it had been effectuated long before this time but that he hath had mercy vpon England who will shew none to Babylon and hath not left this other better world of Brittaine vnto their pernicious designes The second is for our comfort they haue prophecies of our destruction but written in their owne wicked and treacherous hearts and therefore I may say vnto such a Prophet as Nehemiah vnto Sanballat Neh. 6.8 It is not done saith hee it shall not bee done say I according to these words that thou sayest for thou fainest them of thine owne heart Thy prophecies are vagabond lies flying vp and downe in wandring papers of no weight or value but this our prophecie or rather S. Iohns or rather Christs by him is registred in the sacred Scripture of infallible truth So that wee may say securely concerning the ruine of Babylon with our not their S. Peter 2.5.19 Wee haue a most sure word of a Prophet to the which wee doe well that wee take heed for Babylon shall fall since Gods Word cannot fall the sentence is past the execution is at hand And thus much of the first point to bee obserued here in the second part of my Text namely the TIME of Romes punishment which being then and yet to come is expressed by the Angels proclamation in the time alreadie past The SECOND point concerning the duplication of her punishment It is fallen and againe it is fallen AS our blessed Sauiour sent forth his Disciples two and two Luc. 10.1 so he setteth forth the notice of Babylons ruine by a doubled voyce And as the Law of the Decalogue was written twice by the finger of God so the fall of Babylon is proclaimed twice by the mouth of Christ The reasons whereof with such circumstances as deserue due ponderation in this case I will examine with perspicuous breuitie and so proceed to the maine substance of my Text. The FIRST reason is that which S. Ambrose vpon the Reuelations or the Author of that Commentarie which is graced with his name doth assigne in this manner Babylon is said twice to fall because a great multitude fell from her communion and entertained the Christian Faith and because shee shall bee punished in the last day with eternall