have power over the estate of the life to come 1. Over Heaven Hee claimes transcendent power in that and doth abuse that place in Mat. 16. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven that whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Therefore he can open the gates of Heaven to them that are dead 2. They have power over Purgatory Upon so much done and given they can help them out of Purgatory They make account the torments of Purgatory are equall to the paines of Hell but that Hell is for ever and Purgatory but till the last Judgment 3. They have power over Hell they have not absolute power to deliver out of Hell only Gregory is said to have delivered Trajans soul out of Hell but though they cannot deliver out of Hell yet they can ease the torment The witnesses of this will hardly owne it but it is the judgment of the most devout to that Sea So that he gave to the Catholick church his power of signs and lying wonders of all kinds of efficacy of delusions and power of making Warre and he gave him great authority over the Scriptures over mens Consciences over the treasures of the Church over Kingdomes and Princes and Powers of the world to come and over Purgatory and Hell And therefore consider if this be not a vast power which is here given and acknowledged to be given by himselfe to the Catholick visible Roman Church You must not wonder that the Catholick Church did not claim all this at first but came to this by degrees and more faster grew to this especially at that time when this second Beast that received in spiritualls his power speaking like a Dragon had got all this transcendant power In the mean time from the very first you shal find this power in the representative Catholick Church They quartered them into severall Jurisdictions into Bishopricks and when they had done that they rested not till they had set one over the rest and that was this of Rome And besides this was devillish Authority to make Laws to bind all Christian Congregations to take their Government from them 3ly In every Councell they devised some new Doctrine and some new form of worship and Government which was the seed out of which this transcendant power was hatched For the reason of the point you may aske how hee should give all this power which he never had himself how he should give that which never was his to a Beast so as to carry all things with that transcendant power for divine power he had not himself he was cast out from it how then could hee give this to any State in the world First from Gods divine Justice and heavy Judgment upon the unthankfull world That look as God in former times did give up the Roman Pagan world to be ruled by Satan as the god of it and therefore he is called in 2 Cor. 4. 4. the God of the world So now God gave up the Roman Christian world as he did the Pagan world before the Scripture tells us so 2 Thes 2. 8 9 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved he gave them up to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse They loved not the simplicity of the Apostles Institutions concerning Churches and Laws and Doctrine and Apostolick government but did affect high preferments and setled endowments and carnall excellency Now the Lord therefore gives Satan wonderfull power that as of old he was once the God of Pagan Rome so now in the Church he gives them Church-power that what he could not retaine in his owne hands that he substitutes and gives to the Roman Catholick Church to carry it along with great successe and that 's the first Reason the judgment of God upon the unthankfull world A second Reason is taken from the effectuall means which Satan used to advance the Roman Church by to exalt his Church above all others what were the means The means were these First Ignorance raising a smoak out of the bottomlesse Pit darkning all the light of the Church Rev. 9. 2. The Sun and the Aire were darkned by reason of it There was a mighty dark mist as it were They regarded not the love of the truth they studyed it not and so the Lord left them to palpable grosse ignorance in so much that at that time when the second beast arose had we seene any that lived in the former time of Religion and that lived now we would not have thought they had been the same men such palpable darkness were they left unto of ignorance Now palpable ignorance is the mother of all Superstition and Idolatry and the misguidance of all things in the Church A second means which he used was terror of Conscience which he set on effectually by the Locusts Rev. 9. 3 5. There came out of the smoak Locusts and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the Earth have power They had such a notable power to sting the Consciences of men that men would seek for death and could not finde it and take desperate courses drowning or hanging or any thing rather then to live in that terrour They that shall read Parsons Resolutions Granatensis shall find what terrible threats there are applyed to terrifie but never shewed them the way to come to Christ to binde up such broken souls Now the Conscience broken and not healed is fit to sow any superstition in A third means was the superstition and hypocrisie of the votaries and of all afflicted but unsetled consciences Terror of conscience makes them greatly devout They tell them of a state of perfection and that they shall shrowd themselves in such a Monastery and there they should live devoutly and be kept from the pollutions of the world Many Princes have been thus taken and have given large endowments to pray for their souls their consciences being wounded A fourth meanes was the subtilty and sophistry of the School-men suppressing the reading of the Scriptures and mixing Philosophy with Divinity that they might as well have studied a point of Aristotle as their divinity and make as good use of the one as of the other They left studying of Scriptures and read Peter Lombard which was mentioned in Latine and this was a notable meanes A fifth meanes was the policy of the Canonists who had gathered together all those Canons that tended to Christs powerfull Government and fastned them upon the Catholick Church and the Bishop of Rome being head he had it all committed to him a notable means to bring in Tyranny Last of all lying miracles 2 Thes 2. 9. Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes lying wonders Thus you see the means how the
did any earthly Prince challenge that he could not erre nor that none must controll him if he did There have been Laws made to controll the greatest Princes Nebuchadnezzar was taught to be controlled that in the end Shadrach Mesech and Abednego goe away rewarded 3. The Catholick Church and the Pope is the head of it claimes a power of binding and loosing To bind mens consciences by his Laws and to loose mens consciences by his Indulgences and that not ministerially as Ministers do from the Word but by a Juditiary power to dissolve the bond of naturall Obedience incestuous Marriages Oaths and Covenants in Marriage Natural relations between Parents and Children and morall Relations between Princes and Subjects There is not any bond that he cannot loose nor any liberty which he cannot restraine And this not over a few only but over the vast world so far as it is Christian And 4. It is a great thing he speakes and he speakes it not behind the door when he challengeth Soveraign dominion in way of advancement of Religion over all Kingdoms so as to depose their Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms leave any State to choose where he hath power If his Crowne be to be fetched from Rome as it was in former times when it was most active He will set it on but dash it off againe out of the plentitude of his power to â—et up and throw downe at his pleasure He opened his mouth to speak great things He is never so in his element as when he doth hold forth such vast authority and divine propriety proper to the Father Son and holy Ghost Now as he speaks great things so blasphemes against God and wherein Against his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Against his name All these are blasphemies against Gods name to attribute all these divine properties to a beastly man to a great beast And it is blasphemy to ascribe any divine honour or to put it upon any creature Images served the holy Ghost calls blasphemy Isa 65. 7. You have blasphemed me upon every green hill And in Ezek. 20. 27 28. he complaines of the like blasphemy that they blasphemed him by their Idolatires In Mar. 2. 7. Why doth this man speak blasphemies who can forgive sins but God onely It were to speak blasphemy in any but in Christ Secondly It is against his Tabernacle that may be either meant the body of Christ as 1 John 14. He tabernacled amongst us Or it may be meant the visible Churches such as are instituted by him For the body of Christ it is blasphemy to go to every Masse Priest to make him the body and blood of our Saviour Or if you understand the Tabernacle to be the Church that is the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. 16. Now to call the Church of Christ a Conventicle of Hereticks and Schismaticks it is blasphemy and so they count all the Churches here And for the Saints in heaven to put upon them divine worship to build Temples to them to put up Prayers to them to keep Holy-dayes to them it is blasphemie to them it is a great dishonour Paul and Barnabas when they saw men to come and offer sacrifice to them Men and brethren why doe you these things you cannot do us a greater injury And for the Saints in heaven that is pure Churches he condemns them for Hereticks and Schismaticks and as unworthy of Christian communion and Christian burial these are blasphemies So you see the meaning of this Scripture There was given him a mouth to speake great things and to blaspheme God in his Name in his Tabernacle in those that dwell in Heaven Thus hath he done many yeares and thus doth hee still Now for the reason of the point you see the point stands upon two branches 1. That such power was given him 2. That he did effectually and abundantly put it foâ—â—h He opened his mouth Let mee give the reasons of both 1. Why such power was given him it was First from God in his just judgement to punish the unthankfull world that received not the love of the truth Therefore the Lord gave them over to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 10 11. This is the just judgment of God that since they refused the simplicity of wholsome Doctrine and had itching eares they should have such men as came with the subduing word of the Law to speak great things and they should have what they aske This is from Gods just jugement A second Reason is from Satan for God concurred and Satan concurred and Christian Princes concurred herein Satan concurred for this reason that he might be avenged of God and despight the name of Christ that had cast him out and dethroned him from his divine power That whereas he was the great God of the world and the God of Israel but a puny God of the lesser Nations now hee is to be no God to trust on but like a Toad or Serpent this doth so enrage the venome of the old Devill that he powrs forth a flood of malice and venome against the Church and Christ as much as may be to testifie to the world hee would be Lord and the Lord Jesus should not prevaile And if he may not be God he will set up a Beast that shall be adored as God And it is a great despight to Christ to advance a Beast that shall carry great State and power and dare and will speak greater things then all the Churches of Christ I as great as the Lord himself shall speak look what one speaks the other wil speak it all and speak it abundantly As the Devill himselfe sometimes said to Christ All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me The same doth he speak at this day and he will speak without controll Another reason that binds Satan so to speak is not only his old enmity to Christ but from his malice against the Church When hee saw that the seed of the woman had thus dethroned him and cast him out of divine power he powrs forth a flood of malice after her and he sends forth an ugly Beast that if he can may root out the face of Christianity and root her out from the face of the earth Rev. 12. 15. These are the Devils reasons that mooved him to stirre up the Beast and to give him a mouth to speake so boldly as hee did But why will Christian Princes be so prodigall to submit themselves to him God had committed to them the care of the Churches that all Churches should live peaceably and quietly under them in all godliness and honesty why would they so degenerate and suffer the Bishop of Rome so to arrogate and speak such great blasphemies The reasons were 1. Because they were ignorantly blinde It was a time of palpable darknesse darknesse
ten Kings that is to say the body of Christian Princes and all the Nations subject to them they all gave their power unto the Beast Rev. 17. 17. No nation professed Christianity but professed also subjection to the Sea of Rome that is to the Romon Catholick visible Church And the Papists are large in this Bellarmine makes it a 4 th note of the visible Church amplitude of power and he gives sundry instances Stories are evident that all Nations did professe this Religion specially after the subduing of the Waldences though they did before setting aside that remnant of the womans seed that were fled into the wildernesse Now no Nation in Christendid professe other Religion then Popery especially from the time of Charls the Great to Charles the fifth which was a matter of 720. years There was no visible profession open unlesse in some secret corners of the world no Nation held forth any other Religion then Popish nor professed subjection to any other Church Now in every Nation there are or may be divers Tongues as in England you have the English and Welsh and Cornish Tongues besides others that are discrepant from English But he saith not only every Nation but every Tongue that is every Language they all gave their power to the Beast And in every Tongue we have many Kindreds and there is no man that could ever say but some of his kindred have been Popish or are Popish to this day if not all yet some of the ancientest and those the greater part here is the universality of it And I say further he had ample and great power for to have power over all argues amplitude It is said in the beginning of the 8 vers which I will take in and open here it is said They shall worship him That 's a great power when it doth amount to inward worship not civill but divine worship It was divine worship that he challenged and all Nations gave him To give Laws of faith and worship and government to all Churches in Christendom that was divine power peculiar to the Lord Jesus It was divine power to challenge toihimselfe imposition of Kings and deposition of Kings without consent of the people To provoke the people to do it whether they liked their Prince or no this is transcendant above all created power Besides it was divine worship they gave in giving him power over their Consciences challenging to himself and they also yeelding freely a power to bind Conscience with the Laws he gave them to loose their consciences either from the Laws of God in matter of Oaths to loose them from guilt of sinne to loose their consciences from Contracts from Confederacies this is divine power They all worship him whose names are not written in the booke of the Lamb and some of them too for a season but they continue not God opens their eyes to repent of it and to rise from under it It was divine power to chalenge infalibility of Judgment to judg of Scripture out of the Oracle of his owne braines These were all divine worship they gave to the Catholick Church and to the head of it the Bishop of Rome So that marvayl not as the Text saith there was given Exasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a lame power but an unlimited power over all people in Church and Common-wealth and over conscience There is nothing wherein the Catholick Church had not power throughout all Christendome Now further the Text tells you All this power was given He did not wholly arrogate this power to him though he did so too but it was given him though he took it and took all advantages to get it No man can receive any thing except it be given him from above But he had it given him Given him by whom by God by the Devill and given him by Christian Kings Churches and Common-wealths and Families First it was given by God in his just judgment God gave them up to delusions to believe lyes 2 Thes 2. 11. And he gave two reasons why God gave them up to those delusions 1. To avenge their want of entertainment of the truth in love Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved vers 10. 12. Because they would not receive Christ nor the simplicity of his government and worship in Church-state therefore God gave them up to Satan and to the man of sinne and to the Catholicke visible Roman Church 2. That they all might be damned that have pleasure in unrighteousnesse in the same verse The Lord gave them up therefore to damnable distempers damnable usurpations and Ordnances the Lord gave them up for these two Reasons and they are one subordinate to another Secondly this power was given by Satan also For it is said The coming of Antichrist shall be after the working of Satan with all powers and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 9 10. By the efficacy of delusion which was by the jugling of those great men in those times for efficacy of delusion is by miracles so by deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse which is three-fold The sophistry of Schoolmen the policy of the Canonists that made their Laws out of the Popes decrees still advancing the Popish Church and the head thereof partly by the devotion of Monks and Fryars And if you aske why Satan did this there is a double reason of that First to revenge the injury which the Church did him by bringing forth a Man-child a Christian Emperour to depose him from his glory wherein he was worshipped as the great God of the world Now when hee sees hee is cast off from the honour he had and there was no more place left for him in heaven it comes to passe that he pours forth a flood of barbarous nations and damnable Heresies after the woman and makes war with the remnant of her seed Rev. 12. 13. 15. 2. A second Reason that stirred up Satan was out of the ancient enmity against Christ and the seed of Christ Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed which is Christ and all the seed of Christ which are both publique and private Christians he hath an inveterate enmity against them all and therefore he gives the Church of Rome all the power that Pagan Rome had The third sort of givers of this large power to this Beast and the head of it the Pope was The voluntary devotion of Christian Princes and States They did voluntarily resign themselves up and their Kingdoms and States and Churches and Common-wealth and Consciences and all to the obedience of the Sea of Rome Rev. 17. 17. They with one accord gave their Kingdomes to the Beast God put it into their hearts to do it that is true but they were left of God and acted by Satan and so were they brought about to give this power unto the Beast Some were brought unto this by the Popes
Though there were some ruffinly Captains that would have had him cut off Ambroses head no saith he let him alone he does it out of love to God and my soul Therefore with many teares and much dejection of soul he sanctifiâ—d God in his heart and was afterwards received againe into the Church not onely to the great comfort of the Church where he lived but of all others that were under his Government and he never lost the honour of his Government No man ever lost by submitting to the Authority of Christ we may trust the Lord for that Authority is more worth then our haires and yet he numbers our haires and all the comforts of the world are not answerable to it trust him with it as he that is faithfull and he will certainly provide that nothing shall be lost commit your souls to him as to a faithful Creator and the Lord finding his name sanctified in it before the people he will certainly sanctifie us and our names before them as we sanctifie his Let us yeild up our selves to the service of his Kingdome when men have been contrary minded the Lord hath pursued them with fearful judgements You know the case of Nadab and Abihu Lev. 10. 1. They came before God with strange fire and the Lord makes a strange worke and consumes them with fire Annanias and Saphira that dealt deceitfully with the Church some part they delivered but kept back part of their substance what followed upon that The Lord struck them dead you will say those were in those dayes in which God was neere to his Church Beleive it the Lord is as neere to his Church now though not in miracles as then there needs not miracles now The Lord will confirme his Truth Rev. 2. 23. All the Churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reignes and hearts and I will give to every one of you according to your workes As men deal subtilly he will deal subtilly with the faithful with plain hearted with conscionable men he will deal faithfully and all the Churches shall know it the Lord will not have his judicature in his Church bafled down with partiall and Annanias his confession The Lord will set his face against those men and cut them off from the land of the living that shall dis-regard his throne and Crown And therefore it behooves all men whom it may at any time concern to sanctifie his name My sonne give glory to God and tell me what thou hast done Josh 7. 19. And he ingenously tells him from first to last which no body ever could tell but saith hee I saw among the spoiles a goodly Babilonish Garment and two hundred sheckels of Silver and a wedge of Gold of fifty sheckels weight then I coveted them and took them well saith he thou hast troubled Israel and the Lord shall trouble thee but yet this acknowledgement was the valley of Achor for a door of hope Hos 2. 15. for their prosperity and victory over all their enemies So that if all Nations and Languages be thus ready to submit to the inventions of men how justly doth the Lord challenge due subjection to his will to sanctifie him in our hearts to throw down our Crowns if we have them at his feet and glad we may do so It is evident Rev. 4. 10. that all the Church the four Officers and 24. Elders they all cast their Crowns down before him Though they all did weare Crowns all had Authority yet they cast them all down at his feet when they came before him that sate upon the throne and before the Lambe There they stooped In the presence of Christ they threw down their Soveraignty and let the name of Christ be magnified and his Ordinances have free passage but for them let their honour fall down Lastly let it learn us thus much to take to heart in these dayes the estate of our Ancestors and Fathers of old in those dayes For if every Kindred have worshipped the Beast then thy Kindred have done it or Ancestors We speak not in dederision of them but they have all done it the body of them though here and there some may be left out and all their power they have given to the Beast to rule Families Churches and Common-wealths and all our Kindred and especially our Tongues have done it not onely those that speak Dutch and Spanish but we have been more devoted then any Christian Nations in giving such vast revenues and Monasteries and so large devotion to the man of sinne none have been so devout as English It is incredible to tell the great payments they made to the Pope it is not to be numbred And if all Tongues have submitted to the Beast then they that speak English as well as those that speak Scottish or Welsh or Brittish the body of all Kindreds if not to this day It must therefore humble us in regard of this their sinne which will be set upon our score unlesse the Lord humble us for it the contagion of their sinn reaches to us and his jealousie will cut off root branch Gods jealousie is kindled by Images and superstitions I will visit the iniquities of their Fathers upon their children men may suffer much for their Ancestors and for their Kindred Tongues and Nation And therefore it behoovs us all to be humbled for the sinne of our Ancestors and they hoped to be saved by the intercession of Saints c. This provokes the jealousie of God Therefore if we would not have our teeth set an edge by these sour Grapes it behooves us to be humbled that the intaile of Gods curse may be cut off from us though it lay heavy upon them that went before us Rev. 13. 8. And all that dwell on earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lamb c. YOu have heard that upon the recovery and healing of the wounded head of the Catholick Church sundry effects followed the Dragon gave unto the Beast a four fold power Power to speak great things power to continue and to be active 42. moneths power to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them Power of soveraignty and Authority over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and that even to worship that all that dwell on the Earth shall worship him believing as the Church believes and neither more nor lesse submitting themselves in conscience to all their decrees and expecting their salvation in the fellowship of that Church which is divine worship peculiar onely to the Lord Jesus In the words now read you have these that worship the Beast that is that give this divine honour to the Catholick Church to believe as they believe to submit their consciences to the power of this Beast taking up all their observations for worship for Government from them not from God and looking for their salvation in reconcilement with this Church I say these men that doe thus worship
but the power of the blood of his Sonne and the world hath such hold of us and we of it that if it were not for the blood of the Sonne of God we should never be rescued from that engagement And therefore let all flesh know there is that power of sinne and of the world in the best natures and best education that unlesse the Lord come with the blood of his Sonne we should be wedded to the world and our sins and lusts and perish everlastingly And for the Devil you say you defie him and did renounce him in Baptisme and promise it or some other in your stead But if there were not a strong power of Satan in us how comes it that the blood of Christ must be shed to destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill Heb. 2. 14. And therefore consider of it so strongly did the cuâ—se of the Law â—â—reaten us such power hath sin over the best nature that were it not for the blood of the Sonne of God is were not possible we should be redeemed from them Therefore if thou hast a good opinion of thy selfe that the world hath no hold of thee nor thy passions and lusts and the Devill least of all whatever the Law of God saith know that there was nothing could redeem us from this but the blood of the Sonne of God and if thou dost not believe this however thou art thus naturally born the truth is thou tramplest under foot the blood of Christ as not worth the spilling If men be thus exact in their courses so equal in their dealings if the Devil have no power over you to what end did he through death destroy the Devill that had the power of death If sinne have no dominion over you wherefore did he shed his blood that the power of sinne should be destroyed And therefore all the while a man is out of Christ and the warme blood of Christ is not applyed thee thy soule is a bleeding to death That look as it is with some men when in a consumption have little hope of recovery then they wil kill some lamb and while it is warme will take the warme body of the lamb and fasten it to them that they may be repaired Truly thus doth the Lord with us he knowes we are farre consumed in a state of worldlinesse and a state of sinne and Satan how shall the Lord rescue us and repaire us No way but this here is an innocent Lamb he wraps him about us warmes us with his blood and so he recovers us againe from our consuming condition consuming with sinfull lusts and passions and Satanical delusions Look as Physitians they will soon ghesse what the disease is by the receipt If the Lord prescribe such a receipt as this the blood of the innocent Lamb of God then know it for a certain truth we were in a desperate condition consuming and wasting and dead too overspread with the world and Satan and so had everlastingly perished had not the Lord provided such a plaister as this And indeed this will yet humble us the more in case the Lord make it appear that all this is done for me and thee we may say as Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 19. 28 what are we but as dead dogs in the sight of God that the Lord should give his onely Sonne to recover such dead dogs as we from that wofull estate in which we and our fathers lived and many of them dyed in yet the Lord hath been more mercifull to us but what are we all but that the Lord might have cut us off Herein the Lord commends his love to us that when we were sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5. 8. Secondly it may serve to teach us the wonderful and unspeakable love of God and of his Christ to us the one that was thus willing to send his Sonne the other thus willing to go that his blood should be thus spilt like water upon the ground and himselfe cast aside of men for the while but for ever accepted of God that we might be saved Herein the Lord magnifies his mercy to mankinde his justice that he will be satisfied his mercy that he will have satisfaction in his Sonne and doth not require it of our persons It is rich Grace that so we may stand and wonder that the Lord should ever do it to such as we to give his Sonne an innocent Lamb for us Thirdly it may teach us for ever to loath and abhor all sinne as that which so deeply displeaseth God so as no satisfaction might be made for sinne but the blood of his own Sonne and no blood could satisfie but that and this sin hath been the slaughterer of the innocent Lamb of God It provokes God greatly and slaughters his own Sonne this is the power and venome of Sinne. And therefore unlesse we take delight in the deep displeasure of God which is unappeasable but in the blood of his Sonne how shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. He means dead through Christ Christ is dead and we in him and with him all that have fellowship with him Can we see the wrath of God rising again first in our soules and breaking forth in fiercenesse of the Lords indignation How shall we dare to tread under foot the blood of the Covenant as if it were an unholy thing If there were no other argument to discourage from sinne this alone might prevaile the nature of sinne that so deeply displeaseth God as there is no satisfaction but by the blood of Christ and to consider that sinne hath slaughtered Christ Jesus And therefore the meditation of the slaughter and death of Christ should be as a slaughtering knife to cut asunder all temptations to sinne What is it that all pleasures and profits can put upon us to countervaile the losse of the favour of God and the blood of the Lamb can any sinne procure the favour of God or any thing answerable to the favour of God or can any allurements of the world or temptations that can put upon us or Satans suggestions can they make the blood of Christ an unworthy thing or give us greater matters then the blood of Christ hath purchased And therefore how shall we sinne against the love of God how shall we commit this great wickedness and sinne against God sinne against the blood of this immaculate Lamb of God These very considerations are enough to cut off all sinne Fourthly this may serve therefore to teach us all to give up our selves back again to Christ that we may now live to him That we may now live to the father and to the Son that we may not live to sinne to Satan to the world But to him that hath dyed for us and given himselfe for us I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. Christ suffered for sinne he dyed for us that we might not now
as there is any charity it is in God but God hath no such charity And if any Protestants be so charitable they are more charitable then the word of God allows them If they say that a man may live and dye in that Religion and be saved The holy Ghost doth professe the contrary and would have all the world to know and believe it Therefore let no man build upon the policy of State Protestants Let God be true and every man be a lyar If that the voyce of the Lord speak let it be heard and let the voyce of John be heard That if any man be devoted to that Church hee cannot live and dye a child of God Obj. 3. But what an opinion is this to cast away our fore-fathers that kept such good houses and such good Christmasses and Festivalls and double Festivalls to damne them all to hell Is it not a cruell and barbarous opinion Answ I answer for our Fore-fathers their soules are in Gods hand They lived in those times but how farre they were devoted unto the Catholick Religion wee know not This we know that there was a Temple of God a company of Gods people in the darkest times of Popery that did see their vanity and did beare witnesse against them otherwise we must not out of naturall affections destroy divine Revelation A man must in this case forsake father and mother Luk. 14. 26. I speak of it the more because I know not whether some of you may have occasion to travell where you shall finde some that will tell you a quite contrary taile to these that you have now heard out of the word of God For a second Use It may serve to teach us the darknesse of our hearts which is in us generally to believe this and indeed the impossibility that any naturall man should heare it that is to say so to heare it as to believe it He that hath an eare to heare let him heare That is let him know and understand it And this doth argue evidently that all that have not hearing eares do not believe this else would they see the truth of these things And let this take away all admiration from poor Christians who do often admire why do not such great Doctors and Bishops believe these things and see them as well as some poor despicable Puritans and why doth not the Catholick Church see it The reason is playn why they do not see it they want eares to heare and how should they heare it Now the Text tells you They that worship the idolls are like unto them Psal 115. 6 7 8. They have mouths but they speake not Eyes have they but they see not They have eares but they heare not c They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them If they that worship the Beast be like unto the Beast then it is not great Learning in the Tongues that can give men eares to heare And let not any man be offended if so be they see the world of another opinion if they be but naturall men the naturall man receiveth not these spirituall mysteries 1 Cor. 2. 14. Thirdly how much will it lye upon the people of God what a weight will it lay upon us all whether in Church-fellowship or out of Church-fellowship to blesse God who hath delivered us from the fellowship of this Religion And to be everlastingly thankfull that our next Fathers though not our Grand-fathers have been separated from the worship of the Church of Rome And how are we bound to stand for ever stedfast from communion with them what ever pretences are put upon us Be not deceived you forsake your owne salvation if you hearken to their whisperings If you think your soules precious then know it you cannot be reconciled unto Rome but your names are blotted out of the Lambs book of life Vers 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall goe into captivity hee that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword The next note is this THat as the Roman Catholicke Church have led the Churches and people of God into captivity and have slaughtered many of them with persecution and warre So that state at length shall go into captivity and finally be destroyed with warre and slaughter You heard before she made warre with the Saints and overcame them and slaughtered many thousands of them and shewed no mercy neither to man woman nor child No more will the Lord shew compassion upon her In Psal 137. 8 9. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed Happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones It was spoken of old Babylon in Caldea and is verified also in this Babylon Happy shall he be that rewardeth her as she hath served us and that taketh her young children and dasheth them against the stones Rev. 17. 11. The beast that was and is not shall goe into perdition And vers 16. They shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eate her flesh and shall burn her with fire They shall drink of warre and slaughter Obj. But how is it said that Christ shall consume him with the breath of his mouth there 2 Thes 2. 8. Answ I answer these things are subordinate but not opposite for ever since Luther they have been wasting But after his coming in the brightnesse of the Gospel men shall be clearly convinced that this is the great whore and Beast that destroys all the world The Lord will then mightily discover her unto Princes that have been darkned and vailed in their judgments about her they shall see the state of her and grow to hate her with utter detestation The reason is from the wisdome and equity of Gods justice expresly mentioned in the Text For he that leades into captivity must go into captivity he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword What measure a man meets it shall be measured to him again Mat. 7. 2. Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9. 6. Woe to thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled and dealest treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with thee when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled and when thou shalt make an end to deale treacherously they shall deale treacherously with thee Isa 33. 1. All that take the sword shall perish with the sword Mat. 26. 52. Meaning in an unlawfull way and for unlawfull ends The use is first of terrour to all Roman Catholicks what ever their devotion may be let them know and understand the issue of it will be utter desolation and blood and slaughter will be their portion one day And when Gods appointed is come it will be measured unto them as they have measured unto the Church of God Secondly It may be a great comfort unto
the Churches and Saints of Christ that have been overcome or have suffered any hard-ship from any of these Those that have been troublesome to Gods Churches and people the Lord will one day visite them all and he will one day root them out of the land of the living They shall one day know what pillars and scourges and fire and faggot meanes what torments meane what bloody inquisitions meane They shall be recompenced seven-fold into their bosomes Here is the patience and faith of the Saints The third note is this The Lord doth as much acknowledg and accept the patience and faith of his Saints that have suffered under the Roman Catholique Church as he did the faith and patience of the Primitive Saints that suffered under the Roman Pagan Emperours against Heathenish idolatry The Papists themselves are full of acknowledgment of the Primitive Martyrs and will write many Legends of them as the Pharisees they did build the Sepulchers of the Prophets and yet killed their Successors Fulfill saith Christ the measure of your fathers You garnish the sepulchers of the dead bodies and yet you kill their Successors They will acknowledg them the Primitive Martyrs but what are those that suffered in Switzerland in France in England in Germany They look at those as Lolards and Hereticks But what saith the Lord of them Even of them as well as of those that suffered in former times the Lord doth accept their sufferings and saith of them Here is the patience and faith of the Saints Wherein the Lord doth acknowledge the faith by which they overcome this Beast and patience to be the patience and faith of the Saints The world saith otherwise but the Lord saith of those that suffered under this Beast Here is the patience and faith of the Saints So in Rev. 12. 13. Here is the patience of the Saints Write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from hence-forth as well as in ancient times Blessed are they that dye in the faith of Christ Jesus in the hottest and highest times of Popery The Reason is evident First because the faith of such Christians and their patience was the faith and patience of Christ That is to say that which both fastned upon Christ and bore witnsse unto Christ and suffered patiently for Christ as did the Primitive Christians in the ten Persecutions And it was such a faith as by which they overcame the world 1 John 5. 4. It was faith in Christ Jesus even that faith by which they chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Heb. 11. 24 25. It was that faith by which they despised honour Even the same case of Christ in Moses hand and in their hands and the point is of like nature Roman Idolatry is but another Edition and their Errors are as fundamentall subvertions to that which shouâ—d be the faith of Gods elect And their Government is directly contrary unto the Gospel-government of Christ Jesus as light is to darknesse When their faith in the cause of Christ do carry them along in suffering for him it is then the patience of Christ It was the like faith and patience of Christ to suffer under Annas and Caiaphas as under Herod It is true in the one he suffered as an enemy to Caesar in the other as a blasphemer but the case is all one No matter what the persons 〈…〉 Christian in profession Iâ— the cause be the 〈◊〉 of Christ it is the patience and faith of Christ which is in his 〈…〉 whomsoever they suffer 〈…〉 Reason is from the greater exercise of saith and 〈◊〉 to discern and suffer under Christians against Christians 〈…〉 Pagans 〈◊〉 Heathen persecutors For the use of the point Fiâ—st it cryes downe all the scandalous sentences that Courts have given against the Saints of God they say here are the suffering of Lolards and Hereticks Jesus Christ from heaven saith Here is the faith and patience of the Saints Do not therefore count it obstinacy and contumacy in heresie nor pravity It is the faith and patience of the Saints if Chrâ—st calls it so his word must carry it When they shall all appear before his Judgment-seate whose word shall stand then his or theirs He will say here is the cruelty and outrage of the persecution of Antichrist that puts the Lambs of Christ to death Secondly It may serve to teach us how much the Lord delights to honour his patient and faithfull servants Hee writes upon their Toomb-stones as it were so many Saints or faithfull Martyrs of Christ are those who have thus suffered This doth the Lord Jesus Christ write upon their stakes where they are burned in Smithfield or else-where and upon the chains wherewith they are bound A great encouragement it is unto Christians to be constant in the profession of the Gospel and to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints We must not therefore be afraid to stand fast in the profession of the Truth and to hold it to the death If we should dye in his Cause in a way of persecution to be slaughtered by the outrage of ungodly men what ever the world say of it the Lord will from heaven beare this witnesse to it That it is the patience and faith of the Saints Thirdly it must teach all who would suffer for the name of Christ to be well assured of their cause and then to adde constancy to their suffering in their cause Otherwise unlesse it be the cause of Christ it is no patience but obstinacy blindenesse and ignorance But see that your cause be the cause of Christ and then cleave unto it by the invincible â—aith of Gods elect to overcome the world and look Lyons and Dragons in the facâ— without fear and astonishment and look at punishment and tortour as not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed It looks at them as things that Christ hath endured greater and other of the Saints of God have gone before uâ— in the like or a greater martyrdome Therefore first look to the cause and then believe in the truth of the cause and the faithfulnesse of Christ that will maintaine his servants stable and firme and cause them to hold out unto the end But do not take up your reformation upon custome nor side with any thing for custom of the country where you are because your Magistrates and Elders do commend it to you for it behooves every christian man to know well what he beleives and practise and to know the doctrine of Christ and the Government and the worship of Christ and that not because men say so but because you see light for it from the word of the Son of God Then your next care is to look that you depend upon Christ for strength that as he suffered for you you may be able to suffer for him ther 's the faith of Gods children And for