Nineueh vpon her repentance Should I not spare Nineueh that great Citie Ionah 4.11 Now therefore since Ethnicall Rome is past and that state is abolished saith Parsons for which cause she did beare the name of Babylon and Saint Hierome hath assured vs that Rome by her confession of Christ hath blotted out the blasphemie written in her forehead which point the Babylonians doe greedily embrace to their vnhappy excecâ—ation since Rome hath turned from her former sinnes and done righteousnesse since she hath had a glorious name by her renowmed Faith after the time of Paganisme Idolatrie and Persecution vnder her ancient Emperours since in our opinion she was a glorious member of the Church and in their opinion shee is still the Head Queene and Mistresse thereof embracing and propounding the truely Catholike Faith and finally since her ensuing repentance hath cleered the score of her preceding sins how can it consist with Gods Truth that in regard of her sinnes so long past and so deepely repented of he should lay a destruction vpon her in the time yet to come for it is yet to be fulfilled and that in so terrible and vnexemplifiable a manner Apocal. 18. Her ruine therefore and such a ruine which is yet to come when her Ethnicall estate is so long past doth sufficiently proue that later sinnes in a future age should renue and reuiue her old name if Babylon euer were the name of ancient Rome according to the tenour of the Scriptures and bring her vnto this lamentable end it being one of the last Tragicall acts of Gods Iustice vpon the great Theater of the world as it appeareth in the historicall predictions of this Scripture Secondly I make farther remonstrance of that position by the IVSTICE of God For he will not punish the children for their fathers sins euery one shall die for his owne Ezek. 18.4 Since therefore Rome is yet to be destroyed this destruction doth not attend her ancient sinnes committed in her Ethnicall estate and done away by her repentance in her Christian estate but for latter sinnes in latter ages wherein she was to beare the scandall of this name and to suffer ruine for the same Innocent Rome shall not perish for nocent Rome not the latter for the former not the Papall for the Imperiall not the Church for the State there cannot bee iniustice in God Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Yet I confesse that in succeeding ages God doth sometimes remember the sin of ages past and so it is said of Babylon Apocal. 18.5 God hath remembred her iniquities but in this case latter ages doe renew imitate and increase the sinnes of the former And so I grant that for her old sinnes of Idolatrie Persecution c. renewed afterward Rome shall suffer this ruine as Ribera and Viegas the Iesuites doe confesse Meane while this is the point which I commend here vnto your prudent obseruation If Rome were sinfull Babylon here spoken of onely in her Ethnicall estate which is a plausible delusion she should haue suffered her fatall punishment here threatned during that Ethnicall estate and not in her Christian condition whereas the speciall calamities of Rome since the time of this prediction ensued vpon Christian Rome not Ethnicall Rome by the furious incursions and impressions of the Goths and Vandalls which were castigations of Christian Rome and not of Ethnicall nor Antichristian Babylon whose finall and vtter subuersion being yet to come and neerer vnto the end of the world therefore Gods Truth and his Iustice doe cleerely euince that shee was to bee Babylon againe if shee were so once before and to bee stamped with this hatefull name after the time of her entertainment of Christian Religion and after the expiration of her Ethnicall estate this name arising out of a latter condition of sinnes for which shee should fall and in latter times in which shee should perish by the iust indignation of God and Man And so much for the second remonstrance THIRDLY I make remonstrance of my position by the ingenious and faire confession of two learned Babylonians themselues they also being Iesuites of eminent qualitie publike Readers in their Schooles who by diligent inquisition into the very Text of this Scripture and carefull obseruation of the circumstances thereof oppose themselues against the common errour of their owne side and cleerely deduce out of the coherence of many circumstances in this Scripture that this BABYLON doth signifie Rome not in her Ethnicall estate onely as the Papists doe more ordinarily conceiue but neere the conclusion of the world that then shee shall by her great sinnes deserue this name and therefore come to ruine Neither doe I make vse of their confession because it commeth from aduersaries but because they make it out of the conscience of truth grounded vpon the cleere euidence of the Scripture For I should thinke meanely of my cause if the truth and certaintie of my assertion stood vpon the falshood and errour of their confession and had no better strength to support it selfe The first Babylonian is Ribera a man of no vulgar note as being a Doctor of Diuinitie and professour thereof in Salmantica a famous Academy of Spaine This man wrote a Commentary vpon the Reuelation of Saint Iohn where treating vpon these words Apocal 14.8 Babylon that great Citie is fallen hee proueth by sundry infallible circumstances of the Scripture Apoc. 17. that this Babylon is not the generall societie of wicked men but a particular Citie and finally the Citie of Rome and therefore he concludeth his disputation as I noted before vpon that point in these words Omnia profectò nisi in Romam non conueniunt certainely all the circumstances in the Text cannot agree vnto any other place but vnto Rome alone in cap. 14. num 31. Then he commeth num 32. to explicate the state and condition of Rome in regard whereof this name Babylon and this ruine shee is fallen belong vnto her in this sacred Reuelation And here suspecting the scandall and offence of his owne brethren he entreth vpon this discourse with a preoccupation in this sad and graue manner Offensionem pio Lectori amoueri volo I will that no pious Reader a Romane Catholike that is to say a Babylonian should take offence at my exposition as if it were aduantagious vnto the Heretickes the Protestants who assume vnto themselues an occasion vpon this name of Babylon ascribed here vnto Rome to lay an imputation vpon the Church of Rome and our holy Father the Pope Wherfore num 34. hee saith that this name of Babylon agreed vnto Rome as shee was in her Ethnicall State an Idolatrous persecuting Citie but now saith hee the case is altered for shee is and long hath beene the Mistresse of Faith and the Mother of Christians Then hee addeth immediately Si quando haec eadem fecerit quae Iohannis tempore faciebat iterum Babylon vocabitur if Rome shall commit the same things hereafter which
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
of this horrible treason by Sixtus in his Oration pronounced vnto the Cardinalls in his Consistorie to this purpose Bellarmine doth confidently answere that this Oration was neuer deliuered by the Pope that hee liuing in Rome heard no mention of it that the Cardinalls conuersing then in the Court protested that they neuer had any knowledge of the same and so the point is vtterly denied and must bee reputed for a deuice of such as were the enemies of the Church O bloudie Citie it is all full of lyes saith Nahum the Prophet of Nineuch and I may now so speake of Rome for here is lying added vnto murthering impudencie vnto crueltie what veritie then what equitie what conscience can you expect from her Note therefore that amongst some Romish Priests that tooke and defended the Oath of Alleageance though for this cause they haue beene censured publikely in the Sermons of some Iesuites by the name of Wolues such as had no commission to teach to absolue to minister the Sacraments c. as hauing lost their whole authoritie by taking this Oath and perswading others to doe the like to the high preiudice and impugnation of S. Peters Seate from whence it was deriued there was one William Warmington Chaplaine vnto Cardinall Allen vpon the very time that this panegyricall Oration proceeded from that vaine-glorious Pope who by his Pontificiall excommunication deposed our late gracious Queene and now in a solemne speech commended the murther by way of admiration which Clement had perpetrated vpon the sacred person of that vnhappy Prince This Warmington therefore in a booke published for the defence of the said Oath doth freely and ingenuously confesse that this Oration being vttered in the Consistorie by Sixtus the Pope his Lord and Master being then and there present was earnestly requested by some of the Cardinalls to recollect the speech of his Holinesse and to commit the same to writing which he being a man of singular memorie did accordingly performe with the commendations and thankes of the said Cardinalls affirming that to their best remembrance this coppie presented vnto them by Cardinall Allen did truely containe word for word the verie Oration pronounced vnto them by his Holinesse so that this was the originall and Mother-coppie whence so many transcripts were made and issued forth into the publike view And he saith further that his speciall friend Master William Rainolds author of Caluino-Turcismus remaining then in the Low Countries and receiuing a transcript of the said coppie from him conceiued the said speech to bee a certaine approbation of that fact as indeed the forme and matter thereof doe sufficiently euince O Bellarmine where is thy conscience of the truth O Sixtus where is thy tender respect of Christian bloud yea more of Princes and yet more of the first borne and eldest sonne of thy Church O Babylon where is thy shame that darest thus admire approoue extoll without one word or syllable of dislike that ingenuitie is not in thy whorish breast such a murther so wickedly executed and vpon so great a Prince FIFTHLY and lastly the crueltie of Babylon appeareth by her doctrines tending to the effusion of bloud She can depose Kings from their States shee can absolue Subiects from their Alleageance she can bestow Kingdomes at her pleasure shee can stirre vp hostile inuasions shee can authorize secret murthers of Princes by Daggers Poysons or any other detestable meanes as you shall heare in my second Sermon from Mariana a Iesuite as farre from the true nature of Iesus as neere vnto his sacred name Hence it is that many Emperours and Princes in ancient times fearefully obseruing the powerfull incantations of Babylon and that their liues with their estates stood by vertue thereof in perpetuall danger for he may easily take away the life of another that contemneth his owne as many inchanted Babylonians doe were therefore compelled by humane feare to entertaine that vnitie and correspondencie with her in outward tearmes which they hated and contemned in their inward thoughts For as Porsenna the ancient King of Hetruria was induced to spare the life and farther torment of Mutius a confident and glorious Romane who offered priuate violence vnto his Royall person when hee heard Mutius solemnely protesting that the death of Porsenna was certainly concluded vpon by a number of Romanes no lesse resolute vnto that action then himselfe and no lesse resolued to suffer any torment then to aduenture vpon any perill for that end and purpose and thereupon Porsenna desisting from his warres made a peace with the Romanes out of feare and not of loue so there haue beene sundry Princes in former Ages that perceiuing this vehement and formidable inclination in the Romanists to act any villanie and to suffer any penaltie so that they might attaine vnto their desired end to subuert Kingdomes to depose Kings to lay violent hands vpon their persons c. were thereby inforced to submit themselues vnto the Babylonian Monarch rather choosing to liue vnder his tyrannie then to die by his designes Thus also euery man that standeth in speciall opposition vnto Babylon the Mother of Murthers may truly say with Dauid There is but a step betweene me and death 1. Sam. 20.3 Howbeit that should bee the resolution of euery Christian Prince in the behalfe of Gods truth which was the reckoning of vertuous Hester in the behalfe of her people If I perish I perish Yet feare not O Religious Princes it is Gods cause which you maintaine therefore hee will also maintaine you he will defend the defenders of his Faith hee hath a better guard of holy Angels about your Royall persons The diffidence of his preseruation in any ariseth from the imbecillitie of faith not resting vpon his word and promise If the noble aspect of Scipio bred such an awfull reuerence in the hearts of theeues and murtherers that they did therefore rather admire his vertue then seeke his life when they came into his presence doubt yee not but that God will worke such an impression of feare in the hearts of Babylonian Traytors that they shall not dare attempt or at the least not effectuate any course of violence and iniquitie against your sacred Persons Finally to conclude this point of Romish crueltie let no faithfull and sincerely affected Nazianzen an earnest Preacher a zealous Writer a well deseruing Prelate or Minister in the Church despaire of Gods protection though a Murtherer dare vndertake to assaile him in any priuate manner or secret place as sometimes it fell out in the case of that learned constant and glorious Bishop related by himselfe in the description of his owne life Be couragious then in the behalfe of Gods eternall truth feare not the crueltie of Babylon death is the debt of Nature by the desert of sinne to die for Gods cause it is an act of glorie in this World and it hath a reward in Heauen Let thy tongue therefore speake and thy pen write and thy heart pray let
causes vnto the vassals of the POPE let them contemne the imposition of it though they cannot auoid it but yet they shall neuer decline this title which the sacred Scripture it selfe so anciently so notably so ineuitably doth fasten vpon them to their outward shame and inward griefe Let them glorie in Rome which the Scripture declareth to be Babylon if it be any glorie to triumph in her that from exaltation as the name of Rome doth signifie in the holy tongue shall come to confusion as the name of Babylon doth import the name is changed Rome into Babylon the state is changed glorie into shame Know then O vnhappie children of the Romane Synagogue that you are Babylonians carrying the name of your Mother according to the verdict of Scripture as well as Papists carrying the name of your Father according to the proofe of reason So then we will speake with the Scripture and not with Luther you are Babylonians this is your name answere vnto it for by it you stand indicted at the Barre of the diuine iudgement SEVENTHLY if Rome be Babylon and we must goe out of it why doe some men perswade you to goe vnto her or at the least to meete her As if the differences in Religion betwixt you and her were not so materiall but that you may relinquish your opinions or else not so reall but that you and shee by the aduise of some Modificators and temperate men might bee reconciled together But I will discouer the impossibilitie of their deuise by foure euident and perspicuous Reasons First there are many points which admit no reconciliation especially such as concerne the Subiect namely whether the thing vpon which we dispute simply bee or bee not at all As for example the Papists dispute amongst themselues whether Purgatorie bee in Hell whether it haue a corporall fire whether Deuills be the Tormentors whether a soule bee in it for ten or one hundred yeares c. but they dispute not among themselues by way of doubt whether there bee a Purgatorie or not for they differ onely about the Praedicata or attributes thereof whereas they all agree concerning the Subiect that there is an estate of soules in temporall paine Now wee denie the Subiect it selfe and therefore the question proposed betwixt vs and them is Whether there be any PVRGATORIE or not Which either is or it is not and so there is no reconciliation in the differences of this nature betwixt vs and them for betwixt est and non est it is and it is not there is no middle thing But if the question be de Praedicato how this or that agreeth vnto the subiect as namely what reall presence of Christs bodie is in the Sacrament heere perhaps some reconciliation might haue beene deuised in this behalfe had not they in this and so in many other points excluded all meanes of reconciliation also by their definitions resolutions and modifications of the Praedicate in such a manner as cannot consist with the truth of Gods Word and euident principles of reason As namely they haue defined the reall presence to be by Transubstantiation of the Elements into the bodie and bloud of Christ hauing an inuisible existencie vnder the formes of Bread and Wine This modification beeing thus concluded by them and now reputed an essentiall Article of Faith there is no meanes of reconciliation in this case also nor in many other points of like qualitie and condition vnto this for what communion hath light with darknesse Secondly therefore they haue by certaine Councels the infallible and irreuocable Oracles of their Religion so defined and so resolued these and many other things that if wee cannot come to them in their points in regard of certaine falshood or of vncertaine truth in them they cannot come to vs in our points in regard of their owne principles from which if they once depart they renuerse and ouerthrow the very foundation of all their faith standing wholy vpon their late Councels and Popes Whence it is that they giue vs no leaue to speake dogmatically and problematically of the meanest point in their Religion as of Purgatorie Indulgences c. in such a manner as that the point may haue a supposed truth or that it may haue a possible falshood but they bind vs to receiue it indisputably as to be beleeued by necessitie and vpon the certaine perill of saluation and the reason is because as Bellarmine teacheth De Laicis cap. 19. § Quintò There is one and but one rule of faith whereby wee beleeue all and euery point of faith namely the Word of God expounded by the Church meaning their late Romane Church Therefore it is all one danger to deny all their Articles or to deny but any one Article Indulgences or the like resolued by a Councell and so propounded by their Church which if shee had a certaintie of errour in one point should haue an vncertainetie of truth in all Where then is the meanes of reconciliation or what reconciliation can you make while they insist in this course You must come wholy to them for they will not come in any one part or parcell vnto you and that were not a reconciliation with Rome but a submission vnto her Thirdly the Babylonians haue assumed vnto themselues the onely power of calling Councells the most proper meanes to determine all matters of Religion by the verdict of Gods Word and testimony of his Church the onely suffrages to define the onely authoritie of doing and proceeding after their owne pleasure and finally an vnquestionable infallibilitie to oblige vs vnto that which they canonically resolue and conclude Where then is the meanes of reconciliation If they could retrograde and goe backe from any point alreadie determined by them or from this course of determination it would bee as great a miracle vnto vs as the retrocession or going backe of the Sun in the dyall of Ahaz Fourthly and lastly the Babylonians themselues defie this businesse of reconciliation they scorne it as ridiculous they detest it as odious they reiect it as impossible Therefore when Cassander as being a moderate Pontifician entred vpon this designe the rigid and more seuere Babylonians as namely Iohannes à Louanio wrote vehemently and sharply against this attempt whom Bellarmine de Laicis cap. 19. doth follow insisting in the same steps Whence it is that Master Robert Parsons the Iesuite writeth in his Treatise of Mitigation precisely in this manner Wee agree with the Protestants in this that there can bee no agreement betwixt vs and them in Religion Chap. 2. num 5. Wherefore I may well approoue the aduised and iudicious answere of Beza vnto the late vnhappy French King Henrie the fourth That hee would endeauour to reconcile the persons Protestants and Papists but not their Religions the first being a charitable office the second an impossible worke To conclude this obseruation then be not deceiued by the pretenders of Reconciliation who would intangle your mindes with
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
what estate and for what causes the serious and diligent tractation thereof required a large extent of time to speake sufficiently and exactly thereof to instruct the ignorant to confute the aduersaries to dissolue doubts and to settle the conscience of euery intelligent and indifferent hearer in a very plaine and certaine apprehension of the truth for that was my desire and I hope it is my successe But now being to treate of the Praedicate IT IS FALLEN which is so certaine to ensue and so easie to vnderstand I will speake thereof with such breuitie as may not be obscure and such length as may not be tedious vnto you And because method doth make the discourse more easie and the memorie more firme as well in the hearer as in the speaker I will propose this order for my speech First I will speake of the time of this Punishment why it is expressed in the preterperfect tense it is fallen as if it were alreadie past Secondly of the Duplication why it is set forth with this Ingemination it is fallen it is fallen since it shall fall thus but once with a finall and irrecouerable ruine Thirdly of the qualitie and condition of this ruine how it is a fall and what the Spirit of God doth intend thereby The FIRST point concerning the Time in the preterperfect tense It is fallen THe word it selfe according to the originall Text being in the aorist signifieth a fall in a time indeterminately or vncertainly past is more aptly rendred is fallen then hath fallen as Ioh. 11.14 our Sauiour saith of Lazarus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is dead as it is to be translated in that place where as in my Text is imported an act which is past and done with a CONTINVANCE in that state For Lazarus did die and then continued in the state of the death so here Babylon IS FALLEN and remaineth in the condition of her ruine from whence shee shal not haue her resurrection to worldly glorie though Lazarus had his resurrection to temporall life for shee shall fall and neuer rise againe as wee shall afterwards perceiue But now as the blessed Virgin desired to vnderstand of the Angel How shall this be Luc. 1.34 that shee being a Virgin should yet conceiue a sonne so how can this be that Babylon being in her Imperiall souereigntie at the time of this Praediction which yet in the very letter carrieth the forme of a relation and report and now being after so many hundred yeeres in her Papall eminencie standing then and not being fallen yet shee should notwithstanding be here said to bee alreadie fallen as if that were then past which is not yet come I frame my answere out of the learned disputation of Epiphanius haeres 79. where he doth well obserue that Esay the Euangelicall Prophet foresaw some things which were then to come as if they had beene alreadie past and that they are expressed rather in the manner of a Narration then of a Prediction and this was chiefly for two causes First to helpe the weakenesse of the Prophets faith and secondly to declare thereby the firmenesse of Gods promise in whose preuision counsell and purpose the things were alreadie past vnto and before him though they were yet to bee fulfilled in their act and execution vnto and before men These two reasons hold due proportion iust correspondency in with our present case where S. Iohn the Euangelical Prophet of the new Testament doth vnderstand by reuelation of the Angel or rather of Iesus Christ himselfe as it is Apoc. 1.1 that the proud and tyrannical Babylon is fallen that God hath executed his fierce wrath vpon that vsurping Citie FIRST then God did by this forme of speech confirme the faith of his seruant then and of vs now that the length of time might not shake the constancie of his and our faith in expectation of this euent but that with patience we might attend the certaine pleasure of God though to bee fulfilled in an vncertaine time So in the Prophet Esay chap. 53. vers 4.5 c. Hee was despised hee carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions hee was afflicted c. thus Esay wrote of the sacred Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ which ensued neere vpon the space of eight hundred yeeres after the time of this Prediction or Narration rather for so it is in the tenour of the words which doe rather Historically relate then Prophetically foretell and thus the Prophet and with him the faithfull Iewes doth comfort himselfe in the secure expectation of so great a blessing in the solid stabilitie of this faith in which or rather by which hee saw that with the eye of his soule which he neuer saw with the eye of his bodie The thing was infallible but the time was not so reuealed vnto him at least hee neuer reuealed it vnto vs as vnto Daniel that excellent and glorious Prophet Dan. 9.25 This example alone might suffice in this behalfe but that we haue another more answerable to our present purpose as being the very type and true figure thereof Esay 21.9 Where the Prophet by vision doth vnderstand the ruine of Literall Babylon expressed and set downe in the very like forme of words Babel is fallen all the Images of her Gods hath hee broken vnto the ground There God doth support the faith of Esay and of his children to whom hee doth so cleerely reueale as if the act were absolutely past the destruction of that potent rich and stately Citie which was Gods Scourge to afflict his people and his Hammer to ruinate the Citie of Gods delight and Temple of his presence In like manner God doth here in my Text giue great consolation vnto S. Iohn his seruant and vnto vs his brethren in the seene rather then foreseene ruine of mysticall Babylon which in her Imperiall state did for certaine ages with Heathenish crueltie persecute spoile murther Gods Saints with copious effusion of their bloud which was the Seed of his Church and in her Papall state hath for many Ages with Antichristian furie afflicted tormented killed many a member of Iesus Christ which for loue of his truth and feare of his Name could not and would not participate in the Cup of her incantations wherewith shee bewitcheth many Kings and Kingdomes in the World The point then which I here obserue is this that our faith maketh vs happie and secure our faith lifteth vs vp aboue sense and reason our faith is Iacobs staffe whereby we passe ouer and through the Iorden of this World our faith is Manna which feedeth vs in the Wildernesse of this World and neuer ceaseth till wee come into the Canaan of Heauen then and not before her Commission doth expire For as Barzillai conducted Dauid ouer Iorden but went not with him to Ierusalem so faith carrieth vs out of this miserable World but goeth not with vs into the heauenly Kingdome where the fruition of God and vision of his
be not intangled with her voice She cryeth Venite come vnto me the mother of the faithfull but Christ saith Exite goe out of her my people that you bee not partakers of her plague for she is the Mother of Fornications And so much of the second fall of Babylon which hath now prepared vs vnto the third THIRDLY then this word doth signifie such a ruine as is without recouery with extreame vastitie horrible miserie vnspeakable desolation which Babylon shall more sensibly feele then we can truly declare res superat fidem the matter exceedeth beliefe humane beliefe that standeth vpon reason but not Diuine which is grounded vpon reuelation as I shall haue speciall occasion to declare more fully in my ensuing Discourse Meanewhile to iustifie this last acception and sense of this Word according to the tenour of the holy Scriptures I produce vnto you certaine instances very agreeable to our purpose For if wee speake of the persons inhabiting in Babylon then Dauid writeth aptly of such falling Psal 36.12 They mine enemies are cast downe they are fallen in the words immediatly before and shall not be able to rise But if we speake of the place it selfe Iericho is an example in this case Iosh 6. The walls fell downe man and woman young and old with all the cattle were destroyed therein And to fill vp the measure of the calamitie thereof shee was to lie buried in the Tombe of her owne ruines and a curse laid by Ioshua vpon the man that should repaire and reedifie the same To conclude the pitifull but vnpitied vastation of this Babylonian Citie her dolefull fall to follow the prescript euidence of my Text is resembled in the iust affliction which fell vpon the Citizens and Citie of Sechem which Abimelech destroyed and sowed the place thereof with Salt Iudic. 9.45 Such shall bee if any patterne can exemplifie her case the fall the fatall end the wofull period of this great and glorious Citie It is finall for I reade of none after it it is singular for I reade of none such before it For to passe by the conflagration of Rome by the Gaules when she was yet in the time of her minoritie and youth and to come to the state of her declination in the time of Honorius the Emperour vpon the yeare of Christ 414. we find in the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Histories that Alarichus King of the Gothes tooke the Citie of Rome rather by Famine then by the Sword as Saint Hierome doth relate burned some part thereof slue the Citizens despoyled them of an infinite abundance of riches but as I noted before gaue them their liues that could take Sanctuarie in the great and magnificent Church of Saint Peter After his decease which happened within a short time after this expilation of Rome his kinsman Ataulphus returned vnto Rome with a mightie power resoluing to put all the Citizens to the sword to raze the Citie vnto the very foundations to erect another in some commodious place and to impose the name of Gothia vpon it from which resolution he was diuerted by the humble supplications and gentle perswasions of his deerely beloued wife Placidia sister vnto Honorius and so Rome did then escape that ruine vnto which she is yet reserued and which she shall certainly feele in the due appointed time Afterward vpon the yeere 450. Gensericus King of the Vandals so sacked and ransacked the Citie of Rome that for some time it remained without any inhabitant to dwell therein But much more grieuous and fearefull was her desolation by Totilas King of the Goths vpon the yeere 547. a great part of the walls being cast downe the houses burned the Citizens killed so that neither man nor woman remained therein as Bellarmine himselfe out of Blondus doth briefly recite C. de Pont. Rom. l. 4. c. 7. but to a very poore and simple purpose as you shall heare anon in the passage of my discourse Meane while descending neerer vnto our times I smile at the fearefull apprehensions of Pope Alexander the sixth vpon the yeere 1494. when hee was troubled and all Rome with him at the militarie approach of Charles the eight of France and therefore vpon a treatie of peace hee accepted the Articles imposed vpon him by the victorious Prince for the time but with a perfidious heart as the sequell of things did discouer who thereupon was receiued into Rome with tender demonstration of singular respect and loue otherwise hee had certainly imitated the president of the conquering Gaules ancient times and burnt the whore with fire which worke did rather appertaine vnto his successours in the Crowne of France as time the mother of truth shall one day reueale to fulfill that which Truth the Sonne of eternitie Christ Iesus himselfe doth here foretell But leauing Rome in that passion of feare let vs behold her in the passion of sense vpon the yeere 1524. when the Imperiall Armie of Charles the fifth marching vnder the conduct of the Duke of Burbon who was fatally slaine before the walls of Babylon first surprised the Suburbes and then inuaded the Citie it selfe in whom it is doubtfull saith Guicciardine lib. 18. which Historie well deserueth your reuiew whether bare more rule the humour of crueltie to kill or the appetite of lust to deflower or the rage of auarice to spoile What honour and reuerence did these Catholike Souldiers performe then vnto the holy Father and his worthy Prelates As for him hee was made a prisoner in his owne Castle and redeemed himselfe from farther dangers at a great proportion of monyes and remained in custodie vntill it pleased the Emperour out of his speciall grace to release him againe As for them many of them were set vpon Asses and leane Moyles with great dignitie and contempt hauing their faces reuersed to the crowpe of the beasts and so being apparrelled with the habites and markes of their dignitie were made a spectacle of derision in the publike view while some other Cardinalls being naked and soled along with buffets and bastinadoes redeemed their liues with deepe exhaustion of their plate and treasure Now if in these calamities of Rome which are the praeludia and as it were the figures of her future destruction wee see such furious actions of hostilitie against her not onely by barbarous enemies but by them who carrie the names and titles of Christian and of Catholike by particular stile what incomparable crueltie will so many seuerall Nations exercise against her with implacable hatred vnder the Ensignes of so many seuerall Princes enraged against her for her violation of their Crownes stirred vp by the speciall iudgement of God O vnexemplifyable fall I want termes to expresse it And therefore as the Painter being to represent by a liuely Image the behauiour of the father of Iphigenia lamenting and bewayling her pitifull death drew a veile before his face that being a more proper signification of his griefe which could not be expressed in any
which wee haue not already found FOVRTHLY and lastly wee may obserue that as the mysticall condition of this Babylonian Rome is by cleere remonstrance made by learned and iudicious men notoriously discouered vnto all the World so the hornes of the Papall Beast haue begun to fall from his head his power being thereby much abated and neuer likely to bee recouered againe but one horne after another shall be plucked off Wherefore as I may certainly conclude that the Turke shall not destroy the states and dignities of these ten Kings whatsoeuer Zanchius a learned and profound Diuine did conceiue to the contrary for which he suffered some opposition as in the second part of his Miscellanea it may appeare and whatsoeuer Melancthon himselfe deliuered in his publike Lectures that all Germanie should bee possessed by the Turke and my reason is grounded vpon the Scripture shewing that the ten Kings which arose with the second Beast in Rome shall destroy Rome at the last and therefore if the Turke obtaine their Kingdomes it must be after the fal of the Rome which they must first ruinate so I may very reasonably and probably affirme that the Kings which are alreadie fallen from the Beast the Pope shall neuer returne vnto him againe to giue their power a second time vnto him and to submit their Royall States vnto the Papall Crowne But if Babylon should aduance her selfe in England againe which wee haue no cause to feare nor Papists reason to hope yet that shall not hinder the accomplishment of this worke for Babylon must fall it is decreed by GOD it shall bee performed by these Kings Notwithstanding since Babylon is full of malice and indignation playing first the Foxe to enter into the Lords Vineyard that shee might be a Lyon afterwards to kill the Keepers thereof let vs not be secure in obseruing her courses nor fearefull to sustaine her conflict Let vs be prepared for that which may not perhaps be prepared for vs Wee must not bee wanting to Martyrdome though it may bee wanting vnto vs ne desit animus Martyrio saith Saint Cyprian Let vs not want a mind to die for the truth of Christ hee may be an habituall Martyr euer that is an actuall neuer in preparation of mind not in passion of bodie in will and not in worke as Saint Bernard speaketh of Saint Iohn the Euangelist that hee was a Martyr in will though not in worke whereas the Innocents were Martyrs in worke but not in will and Saint Stephen in both But here let no man deceiue himselfe with a sudden apprehension of Martyrdome as a matter of little difficultie to vndergo but let him consider rather that multi ante persecutionem Leones in persecutione cerui many are Lyons in the time of peace but Harts in the time of persecution as one of the Ancients spake by experience of those times that many who speake gloriously of their resolution appeare cowards in their performance as the historie of Doctor Pendleton and Master Sanders may testifie and finally that they whom God calleth vnto so great a worke shall bee prepared by him with gifts conuenient for that purpose Therfore Saint Ambrose writing vnto his sister Marcella Epist 44. saith modestly of himselfe because God knew me to be weake hee hath not yet giuen the Deuill power ouer my bodie And though I should desire martyrdome and offer my selfe vnto it perhaps he doth iudge mee yet to be vnable for so great a strife and therefore doth exercise mee with other labours and diuers afflictions but hath not tried mee in this kind O the rare humilitie of such an excellent spirit Let vs then by his example bee willing not boasting readie not desirous to dye for the cause of God if Babylon should yet againe try vs in the fire of her persecution before shee come to the fire of her owne ruine And so much of the third point namely the time when Babylon shall be destroyed by these Kings The FOVRTH Question THe FOVRTH and last question concerneth the state of the Pope of Papists and of Poperie vpon this fall of Babylon whether hee and they and it shall come vnto a finall extirpation with Babylon or what may bee conceiued probably of each in the discourse of iudgement and reason by deduction out of the sacred Scripture it selfe This question then hath three seuerall branches as you heare and therefore I will treate of them all in order as it shall please God to assist mee with the celestiall illumination of his blessed Spirit The FIRST Branch of the fourth Question concerning the POPE WE doe not now enquire concerning the Person of the Pope whether a Iohn as many were or a Iohne as one was supposed to be but concerning the State place office and dignitie of the Pope and as hee is the Second Beast in Babylon inuading there the Imperiall Seat and by another forme or colour of gouernment vsurping the Imperiall power as the ancient Fathers doe vsually speake of Antichrist according to the tenour of the Scripture it selfe in this behalfe and as the experience of latter ages doth really verifie and exhibite the truth of their iudgement herein vnto our eyes I answere then that as Bellarmine doth vainely flatter himselfe lib. 4. de Pont. Rom. cap. 4. concerning the time of this ruine of Babylon namely that it shall not be vntill the end of the world and in the time of their chimericall and imagined Antichrist whose reigne enduring three yeeres and an halfe is ended by the second comming of our Lord Iesus Christ as they simply pretend so hee doth delude himselfe and others when he saith that in the time and after the time of her ruine the Pope shall bee called and indeed shall be Romanus Pontifex the Bishop of Rome For the truth is apparant by the tenour of the sacred Booke of the Reuelation that the Papall Beast is the cause of the expedition made by the tenne Kings against Babylon that this warre made vpon Babylon is in regard of the pride oppression and other sinnes in Babylon as shee is borne vp and supported by the second Beast whose Dominion was aduanced by their submission vnto him and shall bee suppressed by their concurrencie against him It is not then a quarrell against the Citizens or the edifices of Rome but against her vsurpations exercised by the Triple-crowned Beast therein Neither had these Kings performed their designe if when they burnt the Citie of Rome the Beast should still remaine Therefore as Babylon it selfe shall fall so the power of her Beast shall be destroyed by these Kings as being coupled and commixed with the same For as the ruine of Literall Babylon was accompanied with the ruine of the Chaldaean Empire so the fall of Mysticall Babylon shall bee accompanied with the fall of her Beast whom these Kings will now permit no more to tyrannize with Papall dominion in the Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall State for as the power of the Beast standeth