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
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
shee committed in the time of Iohn shee shall bee called Babylon againe marke this well good hearers for now the Iesuite draweth neere vnto the point as it was in the case of Ierusalem which of a faithful Citie once became afterwards a Whore So he But let vs heare the man tell out his tale hee hath yet more to say to acquit his Mother Church and Father-Pope and therefore num 38. hee affirmeth That this name of Babylon is neuer applyed vnto the CHVRCH of Rome but onely vnto the CITIE howbeit not as the Citie long hath beene vnder the Pope and now is vnder him nor indeed shall haue this name while the Pope is Lord and Gouernour thereof but as shee was Babylon in her Ethnicall state so she shall be hereafter againe vpon her defection from the Pope and from Christianitie neere the end of the world Now because Ribera feared another censure here hee maketh another preoccupation num 40. in this manner diuinare me dicet quispiam Some man perhaps will say that I take vpon me to be a Prophet and to foretell things to come but saith hee I would intreate that man to lay aside his preiudice to examine the whole matter with mature iudgement and to beleeue me no farther then reason and truth shall perswade him in this case Then hee addeth num 42. That for as much as Rome in her Ethnicall state was so idolatrous so wicked and so cruell against the Christians for that all the Martyrs throughout the Romane Empire were put to death by the authoritie of Rome and by the power of Romane Magistrates therefore it is iust and meet that she her selfe should once suffer for her impious courses which being not yet done according to the purport of this Scripture shall be done hereafter when she shall be no lesse wicked then she was in former times Then num 43. he proceedeth in a faire and ingenious manner of Theologicall discourse saying Whereas this extreame desolation shall fall vpon Rome neere the end of the world it is very iust and equall in good congruitie of reason Why Because the Citie is still the same which being once so defiled with sin must one day be purged with fire Besides saith he there are many Citizens in Rome at this day who by their name and stock boast of their descent from the ancient Romans who alwayes increased there in great number Then hee addeth further that as a Citie built out of the ruines of a former is reputed to be one and the same Citie with it so here in this case the latter Citizens of Rome when she shall be destroyed may be accounted the same Citizens with the former though they be not of their bloud and kindred because they ioyne themselues vnto the former and become as it were one body and one common-wealth with them but specially by their imitation of the facts and sins of their Predecessors This saith he Num. 44. is the cause therefore why the latter Romanes neere the end of the World following the impieties of the ancient shall be punished and the more grieuously also in that regard So that saith hee though her old sinnes committed in her Ethnicall state were forgotten by God in regard of her Christian profession which shee entertayned afterward yet now vpon her new and like Impieties neere the end of the World the old are remembred againe and therefore she shall be burned for them both together Excellently and diuinely spoken according to the true tenour of the Scriptures elsewhere and particularly of the Reuelation it selfe and therefore Ribera began to grow warme in the conclusion of this discourse protesting in this manner We know this truth so perspicuously by the words of this Reuelation VT NE STVLTISSIMVS QVIDEM NEGARE POSSIT so that the veriest foole in the world cannot deny the same Then hee addeth Since Babylon shall be the shop of all IDOLATRIE and of all impieties therefore it cannot be doubted but that this shall be the condition of Rome hereafter And thus hauing made his explication of the Text he propoundeth a very fit question in the end of his discourse Num. 51. namely By what meanes the Citie of Rome neere the end of the Vorld should attaine vnto so great a power and abundance of riches He answereth first that no man can certainly know the reason thereof and secondly that this may come to passe partly by reason of the tenne Kings who shall make a conquest of the whole World and diuide it amongst them and partly in regard of Antichrist who shall bee aduanced in this time by meanes whereof Rome shall shortly returne vnto her ancient power and shall haue these tenne Kings vnder her gouernment who a little after shall reigne in the whole World but finally these Kings shall destroy Rome Apoc. 17.17 Here the coniecture of Ribera founded vpon the vaine speculations of some ancient Fathers not vnderstanding the nature of this mysterie nor the sense of the Scriptures in this behalfe failed him very much as not knowing that Ecclesiasticall Rome is this Babylon and that the Pope is the second Beast therein by which meanes truly Rome hath beene eleuated in a new and second greatnesse in the World in some sort excelling the former in her Ethnicall estate as by due remonstrance it shall hereafter appeare Meane while good hearers excuse my tedious declaration taken out of the Commentarie of this learned Iesuite as contayning much varietie of matter of very markeable obseruation for my purpose My second Babylonian Authour is Viegas a Iesuite also and a Doctor of Diuinitie and Professor thereof first at Conimbrica then at Ebora two Vniuersities of Portugall who framed a more copious and elaborate Commentarie vpon this sacred Booke of the Reuelation insisting very often in the steppes of Ribera and especially in this point whereof we now intreat Therefore though it bee materiall to expresse the iudgement of Viegas also vpon the same yet I may contract his long Discourse into a few words This Viegas then in Apocal. 17. § 2. confesseth that the destruction of this Babylon foretold cap. 18. shall be in the last times before the end of the World Afterwards § 3. he saith that this Babylon is the Citie of Rome howbeit not as she is now vnder the Pope but as she was heretofore in her Ethnicall condition and as she shall be hereafter in the time of Antichrist vpon her defection from the Pope and from her Christian Faith and then he sheweth in many words the qualitie of her sinnes and manner of her ruine conformably with the iudgement of Ribera and that for old sinnes ioyned with the latter God shall execute his wrath vpon her by these ten Kings as hee doth more largely deduce also in cap. 18. § 6. Thus you haue heard the consonant exposition of these two learned persons the second treading in the steps of the first and both for the maine point now in question in the steps
time and opportunitie of meanes such time and such meanes as cannot be found in this supposed pedling merchandizing Babylon For first if you consider the extent of time according to the common iudgement and generall conceit of these Babylonians themselues you may palpably discouer the vanitie of their surmise Vnderstand therefore and well obserue that in their opinion taken by them out of many Ancients and mistaken by them out of some passages of the Scripture the reigne of Antichrist is confined vnto the space of three yeeres and an halfe Againe consider that in their opinion Antichrist and his adherents shall destroy the Citie of Rome and that vntill the defection of Rome from the Pope vpon this very time the Pope shall retaine this Citie as the place of his Papall Seate as being affixed vnto the same See Bellarm. de Pont. l. 4. c. 4. Now therefore since Rome shall be Babylon againe communicating her Idolatry to all Kings and Nations and shall haue a large Empire in the world and there shall be the exercise of great traffique and commerce by the Merchants of the earth and shee shall attaine vnto an immensitie of riches may we not perceiue that this new and extraordinary condition of Rome doth require a good sufficiencie of time to compasse and effectuate such an admirable euent And yet forsooth Rome shall not fall from the Pope till vpon this very time so that after his departure voluntarily or rather necessarily out of Rome now beginning as they say to become a Babylon againe all these wonderfull effects must ensue in Rome and in the world and yet all this must be done within a very little time as you see against all probabilitie of reason and all possibilitie of things as you may easily discerne by comparing one part of their suggestions with another which are arena sine calce sand without lime as Caligula spake of the writings of Seneca supposed points without any coherence of semblable truth But in our apprehension of this Scripture all points haue a faire substantiall and orderly connexion for as much as Rome being Babylon vnder the Pope who is her Second Beast as the euents concurring cleerely with the prediction doe sufficiently deduce vnto our knowledge hath therefore had not onely a spatious time but a proper meanes also to atchieue and performe such strange designes to communicate IDOLATRY to the world and to obtaine an Empire in the world and to attaine great riches and state and finally to haue commerce with the world by her spirituall wares wherewith she doth intangle and insnare the world by her artificiall delusions couered with the glorious veyle of APOSTOLICALL termes Therefore secondly whereas an opportunitie of meanes is required in such a rare successe of things the Babylonians themselues are puzzeled to inuent some colourable deuice in this behalfe Whence it is as I noted before that Ribera in Apocal. 14. num 51. pondering deepely vpon this point saith I thinke that no mortall man can certainly know by what meanes Rome in the end of the world should come vnto such an incredible power c. Notwithstanding saith hee a man may in some sort coniecture out of the words of the Apostle Apocal. 17. where wee reade that the purpled Whore sitteth vpon a Beast hauing ten hornes in which are vnderstood ten Kings who shall subdue and diuide the whole world betwixt them In their time shall Antichrist reigne whence I doe suspect that Rome hauing cast out the Pope shal in a short time reuert vnto her ancient power so that shee shall haue those tenne Kings vnder her gouernement who a little after shall reigne in the whole earth And yet these forsooth are also the ten Kings that must finally destroy her with fire and sword What probabilitie is in this supposed meanes to produce such prodigious effects and that within so little time let any man endued with reasonable capacity with ingenuity and with conscience consider aduisedly with himselfe he may perceiue that as the Iewes being conuinced out of the Old Testament concerning Christ haue certaine diuerticles and poore euasions to escape the force of truth so here this Iesuite being conuinced out of the New touching Babylon and the condition of Rome masked in that name will not see his owne Antichrist who is truely the Second Beast to whom these ten Kings long agoe surrendered a great part of their Royall power whereby Rome aspired vnto such dignitie in the world and thence it is that Rome hath such a new Imperiall State vnder the Papall Crowne and by spirituall wares belonging to the shop of a spirituall Monarch hath traded so generally with many parts of the Christian world Fourthly wee may discerne the vaine conceit of their pretended Literall sense concerning this Babylonian Merchandize because they now change the coppie and tenour of the very Text which being Mysticall as I noted before and a Mysticall Babylon vnderstood therein they run suddenly from the Mysterie to the Letter from the Tree to the Barke taking all now in an open outward obuious sense against the generall purport of this Booke and particular of this place And yet I deny not but that Rome hath some vse of Merchants and merchandise in a Litterall sense to furnish her Idolatrous Temples her masking Masses and thereby to commend her spectable vanities vnto men of popular iudgement and of carnall hearts And thus much heere by the way to dissolue the knot wherewith the Iesuites would tye our vnderstandings vnto an apprehension of much temporall merchandize which shall abound in Rome for a few yeeres or dayes rather before her finall end accompanied with the very end of the world Now therefore I returne againe vnto a reueiw of the spirituall merchandize in Rome and particularly of INDVLGENCES which are dispensed from this Apostolicall Seate alone as Bellarmine saith in praefat lib. de Pont. Rom. Vnde habemus Indulgentiarum communicationem nisi ab hac sede Whence haue wee the communication of Indulgences but from this Seate alone What are these Indulgences A relaxation of temporall paines inflicted vpon soules in Purgatorie Oh the falshood of this execrable merchandize Did the ancient Church of God so beleeue and teach No not for a thousand yeeres Indulgences were then a relaxation only of Ecclesiasticall censures inflicted vpon penitents by the Church and therefore Peter Lombard the studious collector of the whole summe of Religion who flourished vpon the yeere 1172. made no mention of this great mysterie of Papall Indulgences which began a little after by the sophistications of darke and subtill Schoolemen Roffensis himselfe confessing that the vse and practise of them was lately receiued in the Church And therefore you may obserue that Bellarmine treating last of all concerning Indulgences which gaue occasion of the publike and iust discession of Protestants from the Church of Rome proceedeth not in this disputation as in the rest by that faire and ingenious method viz. by Scriptures by
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
forth vnto sufficient notice Hee therefore that now seeth not this truth hath a shallow head and hee that seeing it will yet dissemble it hath an hollow heart Such men therefore I may truely compare vnto Achan for as hee tooke the Babylonish garment and couered it in his Tent Iosh 7.21 expecting a more conuenient time to make some further vse thereof so they lay vp Babylonian doctrines and superstitions in their hearts expecting a time to make more publike practise thereof as opportunitie may giue them securitie in this behalfe men therefore that looke downeward vnto the changeable times in the earth but not vpward vnto immutable eternitie in heauen NINTHLY since Rome is Babylon therefore vnitie and peace and concord should reigne in the Church of God which shee laboureth to vndermine with her policie and to ruinate with her power that all may conspire in a sacred expedition to performe the word and worke of God against Babylon the denne of that accursed Beast For if the diuersitie of tongues hindred the setting of Literall Babylon vp the diuersitie of hearts will hinder the pulling of Spirituall Babylon downe Let vs pray then for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue it let euery man endeauour to cure domesticke wounds and make none that euery honest heart may beare witnesse vnto it selfe and say with the wise woman of Abel in her Apologie for her Citie I am one of them that are peaceable and faithfull in Israel 2. Sam. 20.19 TENTHLY and lastly I conclude with a Morall obseruation vpon this point Since Rome is degenerate from her ancient state in purer times when shee was a professour of the truth and a protectour of them that repayred vnto her for defence thereof hauing lost her Excellencie and forfeited her Name by a sorrowfull change of Glorious Rome into Impure Babylon wee may therefore consider that the Grace of GOD is not tyed to any place not fixed to any Citie not bound vnto any Kingdome but as hee giueth it freely by his fauour so hee taketh it away iustly for our sinnes Hence it is according to the construction of this point by Ribera the Iesuite that this Rome now faithfull in his opinion may become and shall become Babylon heereafter in her Idolatrie Dominion Power Riches c. though indeed shee is now so in all these things neyther can it bee presumed by any reason that shee should become so within a little time euen the space of two or three yeeres as they ridiculously conceiue but necessarily suppose for their owne discharge and that shee shall be a Cage of vncleane Birds and that she shall truly deserue this name of Babylon by the confluence of all Impieties that shall then reigne therein Which future as he pretendeth but present as we see estate of Rome and change of her name in the change of her condition hee approoueth by the instance of Ierusalem as I noted before once a faithfull Citie the place of Gods speciall delight c. yet afterwards a rebellious Citie a Where in her Idolatries and sinnes wherewith afterward she prouoked him vnto his fierce and vindictiue wrath And indeed well might this calamitie fall vpon Rome if it fell vpon Ierusalem How is the faithfull Citie become an harlot thy siluer is become drosse thy wine is mixt with water Esay 1. 21. since Ierusalem was priuiledged with more Immunities by Gods owne concession and testimonie then euer was that fatall Citie of Rome howbeit vnder the Emperours shee boasted of her eternitie and vnder the Popes shee braggeth of Saint Peters Chaire as beeing fastened vnmoueably vnto her sides for so doth Bellarmine conceiue and earnestly presse this point de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. cap. 4. as a most probable opinion and piously to bee beleeued And though shee may bee burned in the time of Antichrist saith hee yet that shall not bee till the end of the World yea by their computation of Antichrists reigne perhaps within a yeare or two before it since Antichrist reigning but three and an halfe cannot presently subdue other parts of the World and bring his power against this Citie But leauing Bellarmine with his fellowes intangled in the bird-lime of their owne absurdities let vs not maruell at this mutation in Rome which we now behold the name of it being thus translated into Babylon since the dignitie and glorie and lustre of her ancient vertues are now extinguished by the inundation of her sinnes mentioned before leading her into the Sea of her perdition nor at the mutation of Ierusalem of which you heard before her name signifying they shall see peace but shee saw and felt the miserie of warres for her great and many sinnes let vs I say not maruell at the one or other but let vs feare the like vnto our selues if God leaue vs vnto our selues to dye and to perish in the course of our sinnes Hee may take away the kingdome from vs and giue it vnto another Nation hee may remooue our Candlesticke and place it in another Region so may Albion this white and faire Countrey of England wherein wee dwell loose her name and be turned into a black darke and dismall Land and then also God may be glorified in our destruction as he hath beene glorified in our preseruation and great felicitie euen to the admiration of all Lands and enuie of some that haue complotted but could not effect our ruine Therefore while wee haue the light let vs walke in it and cast away the workes of darknesse that Gods truth may euer dwell in our Land that as wee haue receiued it from our Fathers in peace though they left it vnto vs by their bloud so wee may transmit the same vnto our Children and bee euer readie also to seale it with our bloud if God shall vouchsafe vs that double honour to beleeue in his Sonne and to suffer for his sake The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON WHEREIN IS DISCVSSED the Second Part of this Text Namely the PREDICATE expressing the punishment of ROME It is fallen it is fallen AS Zarah first appeared in the birth but retyring himselfe gaue way and passage vnto Pharez to come before him into the world Gen. 38.29 so the Punishment of Rome being first here in order of place but last in order of sense hath resigned its prioritie vnto the Sinne of Rome in the method and disposition of the parts which I haue followed in the pursuite and discussion of my Text. Now therefore I come from the Subject to the Praedicate from Babylon to her fall from the Sinne of Rome to her Punishment so confirmed so ratified and entayled therevnto that no wit though subtile no learning though great no policie though deepe no Art though curious no strength though mightie shall bee able to diuert nullifie and preuent the same as hereafter we shall in due place most cleerely discouer and discerne As for the Subject BABYLON whether it bee Rome or not and in
death So he resolueth that Babylon falleth twice but he neuer came once neere vnto the truth of the point for he seemeth either to speake of Babylon as it is the mysticall Citie of sinne and not as the particular Citie of Rome or else he meaneth that this fall doth signifie the fall of Rome from Paganisme vnto Christ which being a fall of singular felicitie and ioy differeth much from the fall intended in this place which is a fall of great miserie sorrow and feare as you shall perceiue anon when I come vnto the third part of my Sermon where I am to treate directly of this point Therefore I come now vnto a SECOND exposition which seemeth to be ingenious but is not substantiall namely that Rome hath a double fall the one in respect of Gods truth and grace wherein shee sometimes stood and from whence shee is long since fallen But though shee bee so fallen yet this fall is included in the subiect of my Text BABYLON which implyeth the condition of Rome in her sin and not in the praedicate IT IS FALLEN which signifieth her estate in her punishment so that the second fall of Rome is her extreme ruine by the vindictiue Iustice of God And indeed this the fall here to bee vnderstood for that as I said before the Angel speaketh here of the punishment not of the sin of Rome and so this second fall ensueth vpon the first for because shee is Babylon fallen from Gods truth shee shall therefore haue another fall expressed here by repetition and perish by Gods iudgement THIRDLY then this Fall is heere repeated to shew the certaintie of the euent as written in the Booke of Gods immutable Decree Pharaoh had two Dreames which differed in forme and resemblance but agreed and were one in the sense thereof and purpose of God Gen. 41.32 c. The ruine of Rome is here expressed by one word twice vttered but with the same meaning and the same intention that as the Dreame was doubled vnto Pharaoh because the thing was established by God so the subuersion of Rome is inculcated here in my Text vnto vs because this thing is established by God and shall bee performed infallibly in the due and appointed time Therefore as before her fall was notified in the preterperfect tense she is fallen so here it is ratified in the duplication of the same word it is fallen it is fallen For who could reasonably and probably conceiue according to the euidence and appearance of things in that time or long after that Rome so glorious in the Empire so venerable in the Church so potent in Kingdomes so rich in estate so renowmed in fame should come to this despicable and deplorable end Thankes therefore be vnto our God who as hee can and will humble her Pride abase her Glorie breake her Power dissolue her Strength and defeat her Policies to her confusion and the honour of his Name so hee hath now so cleerely reuealed and so certainly assured this Truth and the certaintie thereof vnto vs for our comfort that now we enuie not her greatnesse because wee know her fall wee feare not her malice because wee see her miserie wee regard not the insolent venditation of her supposed eternitie because wee perceiue the dolefull expiration of her estate But here by the way wee may obserue to our admiration that many Babylonians should not yet discerne and feare this extreame vastation so certainly to fall vpon that miserable Citie so constantly pronounced so vehemently reiterated by the Angell vnto Saint Iohn and that being simply gulled with the false opinion of her Ethnicall estate alreadie past they should bee so blind and obdurate in the knowledge and acknowledgement of so cleere and so euident a truth Notwithstanding when I reflect vpon the iudgements of God inflicted vpon other people I see that before their fatall destruction they haue suffered an extraordinarie defect in humane policie and ordinarie wisdome the iustice of God concurring with the merit of their sinnes so that they could not carefully preuent an eminent and imminent danger nor wisely foresee the same So the Lord himselfe doth giue his owne testimonie of the excecation of the Edomites otherwise an ingenious and circumspect Nation in this manner Is wisdome no more in Teman Is counsell perished from their children Is their wisdome vanished Ieremie 49.7 And that this their excecation proceedeth from God hee himselfe doth declare by the Prophet Obadiah Verse 8. Shall not I in that day euen destroy the Wisemen out of Edom and vnderstanding from the Mount of Esau Whence it is that they could not discerne a false friend from a true enemy who vnder the pretensed termes of loue and vnitie did supplant and vndermine their State Therefore it is said in the Verse immediately going before the men that were at peace with thee haue deceiued thee whereupon the Lord passeth his Diuine censure vpon Edom in these words there is none vnderstanding in him For as the Philistims put out Samsons eyes and then made him grind for their vse so GOD permitteth the secret and malicious enemies of some Nation to put out the eyes of their wisedome by sugred delusions and then make them to serue vnder the burthens which they impose vpon them FOVRTHLY and lastly this duplication of Babylons fall is to shew the conformitie betwixt the Old Testament and the New in this behalfe and that one Spirit in sundry Ages did in the like manner direct and assist the Church For thus wee reade as I noted once before in the Prophet Esay Chap. 21. Verse 9. Babell is fallen it is fallen Thus the Antitype of new Babylon answereth to the type of the old the Spirit to the Letter the thing to the figure For as the Seraphims cried one to another in the same words holy holy c. Esay 6.3 so the two Testaments haue mutuall consonancie of words in this point to signifie thereby vnto vs that this being spoken once nay rather twice of Literall Babylon and being fulfilled in her it beeing now spoken againe the second time of the Mysticall Babylon shall be completed in her likewise since by the Historicall euidence of things that are alreadie past wee may securely repose in the Prophetical prediction of things that are yet to come It is still the same God that pronounceth it the same Spirit that reuealeth it the same Prouidence that guideth all things to their certain and determined euent Hence therefore we may deduce for our instruction that the presidents of the Old Testament should direct and informe vs vnder the New to trust in God whose Truth is still the same to loue God whose Goodnesse is still the same to feare God whose Iustice is still the same who by the examples of his seueritie in the Old Testament frameth vs vnto the reuerence of his Name and obedience of his Will in the New as Saint Paul himselfe doth grauely and diuinely teach vs 1. Cor.