sonne of perdition which is an aduersary and is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit in the Temple of God boasting himselfe to be God Remember yee not that when I was yet with you I told you these things And now you know what withholdeth euen that he might be vttered reuealed at his time For the mistery of iniquitie doth alreahy work c. Againe in the 10 Chap. of S. Mathew these be Christ his words The brother shal deliuer vp the brother to death and the father the sonne and the children shall arise against theic fathers and mothers and shal put them to death And ye shal be hated of all for my names sake But he that endureth to the end shall be saued Now considering that these be the latter daies that the end of the world is hard at hand by these tokens manifest and dayly to be séene euery where in Christendom before our eies let vs diligentlie search of whence this variance and deadly discorde sowen and sprong vp through all Europe is deriued out as it were of a welspring or fountaine For euery malady proceedeth of his cause take away the cause and imediatly ensueth the curing of the sore or disdase What hath bene and is the originall cause that the knot and band of brotherly loue is broken in the partes of the world professing Christ that the rage cruel and beastly fearcenesse taketh place bearing sway that the Peace which was in one house is put to flight that enuy hatred and maâ—â—ce créepeth in that War and the sword threatneth destruction euery where euen to the Innocentes That Sathan is let loose abroad to increase the malice of men and to kindle the fier brand of all wickednesse Uerily the originaull causes of all these troubles at this present broiling and afore this time many yeares past hath bene and is the holie Father as they call him the Pope the Bishop of Rome whom Saint Paule as ye haue heard now before couertlie describeth to be Antechrist the Son of perdition which is exalted aboue all that is called God I beséech you gentle Readers bée yee indifferent Iudges euen as the trueth of God his word shall leade you as the interpretation vpon holie Scripture made and set downe by the ancient approoued Doctors of the Church euen from the Apostles time til 1000 yeares past shal direct you when the Pope rideth from his castle to S Peters Church in Rome and is caried sitting in a Chaire aloft by men vpholding the same vpon their shoulders And the Sacramentall bread is set in a Pyx on a Nag or white horse backe led by a Priest in a white Surplice going afore him his gard enuironing the holie Father and crying with aloud voice to the people gazing on to sée the sight in this Italian word Abasso Abasso which is to say Bow and bend downe your selues or knéele downe not so much to the Pix as to the Pope Is not here the Bishop of Rome exalted aboue all that is called God and aboue the God in the box For the Popes doctrine teacheth men to cal the SacrameÌ„tal bread God when they term it their Maker when the make it a Sacrifice propiciatory for the quick and the dead in their Masses when they reiterate day by day on the Altar that oblatation once offered vpon the crosse once for all for filthy lucre and gaine as in trentals of Masses c. Doth not the Pope boast himselfe aboue all that is called God when hee sitteth in S. Peters Church enthronished thrée or foure yardes higher then the Altar or Sacramental bread reserued in the Pix blessing and crossing them that lie prostrate before him when he vnder his Buls writteÌ„ or printed in shéeps skins sent to those that dwell 1000 or 1500 miles from him being at Rome forgiueth vpon mony taken horrible murders incest parracide and such like crimes the heartes of the parties not considered whether they be trulie and vnfainedlie penetent or no. When the Pope most arrogantly peruerteth the wordes spoken in the Psalme 90. only of Christ. Super Aspidem Basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis Leonem Draconem Thou shalt goe vpon the venemous beast and Adder the yoong Lion and Dragon shalt treade vnder thy feete and applieth them with a Sathanicall pride vnto himself and to those that from time to time â—it in his Chaire which is horrible basphemie But here I will vse a litle digression from the man to the certaine place of his habitation that the Beast may the better bee knowen by his den and accustomed haunt where he fatteth and franketh himselfe For more and better prooffe of the sequele of this matter and so to settle their consciences in the truth which hitherto haue but blinded Hear I desire you in the Lord Iesus certaine authorities from the Primitiue Church to this age consenting and agréeing together that Babylon specified in the Reuelation of S. Iohn doth â—â—te and signifie vnto vs the Cittie of Rome in Italie First it is vsuall in holie Scripture to set downe some word by some Trope to signifie a thing turned away from that which it properlie betokeneth And it is vsed in writing when an argument commeth in handeling out of which may grow either vehement suspition or feare of an imminent danger In this sort S. Paule 2. Tim. 4. sayeth himselfe to haue bene deliuered out of the mouth of a Lion meaning by naming the Lyon the cruel Prince Nero. That in this place the sence is Nero to be taken for the Lion The ancient Doctours of the Church as Hierome vpon the life of Paule Chrisostomus Theophilactus Aquinasâ— Lyranus Interpreters vpon holie Scriptures doe agree consent By like Trope our Lord Christ in the 13 of Luke calleth the King Herode by the name of a For. Ignatius an holie writer in the Primititiue Church vsing this maner of spéech saith that he he himself was compassed about with ten Leopards which Ignatius afterwarde interpreteth to be ten cruel souldiors to bring him captiâ—e to Rome Thus as S. Paule couertlie by the name of a Lion would haue to be vnderstanded Nero. Our Lord Iesus by the name of For meaneth Herod And Ignatius by the Leopardes tearmeth Souldiors So the authour of the Reuelation would haue Rome to bee knowen by the voâ—able of Babylon With this also agreeth S. Peter who in the end of the fifth chap. of his former epistle writing from Rome saieth thus The Congregation which is at Babylon saluteth you Here note that vpon this place of Peter as well the olde and ancient Interpreters as the newe doe agrée that the word Babilon is set downe for Rome as testifieth Pâ—pias Hierapolites in Eusebius vpon the Ecclesiasticall Historie 2 booke 15. Chapter Hierome vppon the life of Marke the Euangelist Nicolaius Lyra an approoued writer by the Romishe Church and
mencioned iudge of this said Hierarchia of this holy principality or gouernment of the Church which the author of the book wold onely apply to the see of Rome as to the chiefe of the same where good bad popes are associated together in the rehersall as though Gods church were not from the beginning guided conducted in all truth by the holy ghost before the Papacy took place or as if gods spirit could not blow wher it listed not in one circuit of ground only but in the church whersoeuer dispersed euen where gods word is truly preched the sacraments rightly administred whether it bee in the east of the world the west south or north part of the same This fellow doth not only sanctifie the impurest monsters of the world but also restraineth and tieth the grace of God his spirit to the Popes girdle Succession in the See of Rome is of no more force to prooue principalie in the Church then that the Bishopricâ—es of Cullen in Germany of Toledo in Spaine may prooue the line by discent by Regester Bookes many hundreth yeares O mad and fantasticall heads of such as of selfe wil beléeue him to wit the Pope and Rome his See to haue of right the superioritie of the Church Hierusalem and mount Sion had these wordes spoken of her that follow Psalme 132. For the Lord hath chosen Sion too be an habitation to himselfe This shalbe my rest for euer Here will I dwell for I haue delight therein Yet Hierusalem 40. yeares after that Christ hath suffered was sacked to pretermit in silence what was doone afore to it by the Assirians their king The Temple with the city wals and houses was taken rased wasted and consumed that one stone was not left vppon another by Titus and Vespacian For what shal we now think of Rome wheâ— was there any promise made to it which Rome by trope is painted out and spoken in the 14. and 17. Chap. of the Reuelation of S. Iohn to be Babylon that gret whoore where whole stréets of Curtesans liue without checke sauing that at the beeginning of Lent they come to auricular confession take ashes receiue the Sacrament and pay their taxes to the Pope and his officers After Easter they returne to theyr old life againe and so continue all the yeare See what filthy lucre may cause For these women pay swéetly what heads of the Church are these who would trust or haue anie confidence in them I pray and desire all men as they loue their soules and saluation to looke into the holy Scriptures to study and read them diligently and to conferre the Bishop of Rome his doings and doctrine with gods Booke and they shall quicklie espie and confesse that the Pope is the selfe same son of perdition spoken of by S. Paul to the Thessalonians as is afoâ—esaide and so spéedly forsake him What is the let what is the stop and bar that these Catholiques as they call them selues draw backe and come not forward Their Maister the Pope would not haue them once open or looke into the holy Bible translated into the vulgar tongue And they will not read it nor any other booke that may bring knowledge of the truth they loue to dwell in ignorance God grant of his infinit mercy that they maie amend and waxe wise in time Amen It may séeme to some that I haue bene somewhat too long in this discourse of Rome and of the Pope I pray theÌ„ of patience seeing the matter is so far forth not impertinent that it touched and concerneth not a few but all not one region or countrey but all the partes of Christiandome not the saftie of mans bodie only but the health of the soule not temporall but eternall life And no inuectiue can be sufficient on him til his name and tyrannical seate be raised vp from the bottome and his memoriall quite extinct his pride thrust downe together with Lucifers in Hell His doctrine abolished as these few Latine verses following doo partlie declare Papa sibi metuens frontem fore cornibus orbam Lurida bacchatur trux aconita vomens Et cupit extinctos diro molimine Reges Mergit at hunc Stygijs CERBERVS ater aquis Non prius in latis spatiosi finibus orbis Diâ—sidij coedis languida praxis erit Cum socijs quà m Papa suis plorare iubetur Eius extinctum nomen ab orbe perit Totius Europae magni consurgite Reges Arma inquam celerivos capitote manu Totius Europae communem pellite pestem Icta armis vestris Bestia tetra cadat Sic gens Christicolum tranquilla pace fruetur feruescet verae religionis amor Which verses may be thus englished not following word for worde but the sence truely taken out The Pope fearing least his strong force might him alone forsake Doth fret and cast his poison ranke new shiftes of helpe to make And first doth seeke with treacherie Th' annointed of God to kill Without their let or any stop His purpose to fulfil Both braule and strife shall neuer cease Nor edge of sword wax dul Till Pope and all his partakers Be rapped on the scull Ye mightie Kinges of Europe all Vse force expell away The common plague of Christendome Vse force vse force I say If beast once fall that fenced was Time past that hornes had ten Debate shall slake and peace ensue God grant it so Amen For it is the Pope that is the â—eade and Câ—leâ—taine of the Confederates in Europe at this day who the last yeare viz. 1588 endeuoured to bvxe and spoile this noble realme of England to molest trouble our most gratious soueraigne Lady Quéene but in vaine thanked be God they were frâ—strate of their purpose if they might haue had any good successe they determined afterward to â—lea and root out all the professors of true religion in Christendome This was the resolute determination purpose and inintent of this Antichrist Chieftain and his confederates the Spaniardes with their societie To prosecute the same with effect diuers yeares past preparation hath bene made of money armor weapon ships ordinance victuals and all other necessarie furniturâ— for mortall warre to inuade England But God euen the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob God the God of Elizabeth Quéene of England whom she dayly and hourly honoureth and serueth hath confounded their deuises broken their cros-bowes of stéel shortened their armes weakened their bodies which they bragged to be so strong made faint their heartes and courages in Iulie last past 1588 and in August following and September that the Debâ—ra of England may say God hath bin on our side God fought for her God ouerthrew her enemies Thus it is apparant our deadly enemies is the Pope that aduersary as S. Paule tearmeth him that is exalted aboue al that is called God maintaining the war made vpon England this laâ—â— yeare with 〈◊〉 and men abetting and
The Fountaine and VVelspring of all Variance Sedition and deadlie Hate Wherein is declared at large the opinion of the famous Diuine Hiperius and the consent of the Doctors from S. Peter the Apostle his time and the Primitiue Church in order to this age expresly set downe that Rome in Italie is signified and noted by the name of Babylon mentioned in the 14. 17. and 18. Chapters of the Reuelation of S. Iohn Chap. 17. verse 5 And in her foreheâ—d was a name written a mysterie great Babylon the mother of whoredome and abhomination of the earth 6 And I saw the woman dronken with the blood of the Saintes and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus LONDON ⧠Printed by Roger Ward dwelling vpon Lambard hil neere vnto olde Fish-street 1589. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND noble Earls the Earls of Huntington and Warwicke Grace Peace felicitie in the Lord Iesus RIght Honorable the warres rumors of warres breach of brotherly loue manifolde troubles and dissention growing euerie where through Europe which is the part of the worlde professing Christ argue the dissolution of all things premonished by our Lord not to bee farre hence distant It behooueth therfore all good Christians considering the time to be circumspect to watch and pray accordingly as vve are commanded by our Sauiour in these words Vigilate Orate againe Estote prudentes sicut Serpentes Be ye wise as Serpents And we are deeplie to consider from whence this venome and poyson floweth which drunk and sucked in by the space of many years passed hath transformed and as it were charmed the braines and sences of many men that according to the words of the Prophet seeing they see not hearing they heare not and vnderstaÌ„ding they vnderstand not in matter concerning principally the saluation of their soules The remedie of which mortall maladie consisteth in this to knowe and search out the cause and that knowen to remooue the same and then to apply medicine for curing of it In all which pointes Right Honorable I shew briefly in this small treatise following the doctrine of S. Peter the Apostle and the best learned and most approoued Authours opinions consenting deliuered from age to age which open the sinfull man and misterie of iniquity the onely cause of troubles and not yet well perceiued neither vnderstanded of the greater sort Committing these my labours to your Honors tuition and protection whose zeale to true and sincere Religion attentiue eare giuen alwaies to the Preaching of Gods worde and laudable life concurring as sure testimonie well knowen to the world makes me bolde to dedicate vnto your LL. this Pamphlet hoping that the booke beeing your own as it is and therefore the more to be desired to be read and to come into many mens hands whome all in generall for your singular vertues do reuerence honour and loue may profite doo good and perchance conuert not a few from their obstinate opinion in cleauing to the woorishe Babilonicall Church wherein rather of selfe-wil than of any grounded reason they dwell and persist And on the contrarie side confirme and establish the others whose hearts alreadie conducted by the holy spirite see the light of Gods truth and ensue it And herein withall humblenes I make manifest my conscience according to the small talent which vnto me is lent hope that my dutie obedience and good vvill to her Maiestie Lords of her Counsell and my Countrey may in the sequel sufficiently appeare Praying God to send both your Lordships long life with encrease of honour Your Lordships most humble Christoph. O. The Fountaine and VVelspring of all Variance Sedition and deadlie hate throughout Christiandome MEdicines be applied to the bodie sicke and diseased but exhortations are vsed to giue courage and more stomacke to the forwarde stout and industrious that the spark of vertue alreadie ingenerated in them may grow to a bigger flame and substance with increase or els to stir vp raise and plucke forward the mind of man when it languisheth I therefore of the lowest sort of all among the learned purposing to vtter my conscience and knowledge by way of exhortation my most bounden dutie first towardes the Quéenes Maiestie and neâ—t to the people of my natiue soile and Country of England déeply considered and moouing me thereto doo earnestly pray and instantly require al true English men of euery degrée as they tender y â— safty of their soules and bodies to giue attentiue eare and wel to marke the whole discourse of this my purposed treatise the rather because it is of waight of most great importance touching the weale publique in this litle Isle of England and preseruation of our most royall and gratious Quéene Elizabeth and next of vs all English ingenerall our countrie wherein we are bred and borne our wifes children kinsfoolkes and posteritie whereof we should haue a most cheefe and especiall care regard especially and aboue all of religion which concerneth our soules to liue here and euer in the world to come In al which by God his grace I intend to vse perspicuity to be as briefe as the vrgent occasioÌ„ of so necessary a cause shal suffer me yet pretermitting many things which otherwise should haue bene touched to auoid tediousnes and prolixitie in matter now apparant already and many yéeres alredy past made manifest vnto y â— whole world CoÌ„sider O noble Eugland that thou hast enimes that hate thée deadly that go about as much as in them is to work thy destruction Consider how the professors of the word of God els wher in Europe far hence and those that dwell next almost vnto vs be manaced vexed and persecuted with all rigor and crueltie from time to time afflicted euen to death the malice whereof procéedeth of causes of long time afore growen hereafter specified and fore warned in holie Scriptures Ponder déeply and call to minde with your selues Nos incidimus in tempora periculosa We are fallen into the perillous time Nos sumus in quos fines Seculorum deueneruÌ„t We be those vpon whom the ends of the world be come The tokens thereof be plaine and manifest told afore by our Sauiour and Lord Iesus Christ which be these Nation shall rise against nation and Realme against Realme then shall they put you to trouble and shall kil you and yee shall be hated of all Nations for my names sake And then shall many be offended and shal betray one another c. So the time is certaine that the day of iudgment is at hand But of the day and hower saith Christ knoweth no man no not the Angels of heauen but my father onely The Apostle S. Paule in his 2 Chap. of his Epistle of the Thessalomans teaching when the day of Christ shall be at hande thus saieth Let no man deceiue you by any meanes For the Lord shall not come except their come a departing first and that the sinfull man be opened the
Chapter If we acknowledge our sins he that is Christ is faithfull aend Iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnes And our Lord himselfe giueth vs this lesson Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis onerati estis ego reficiam vos Come vnto me all yee that Labour and are heauie laden and I will refresh you It is he our Lord Christ that hath borne our sinnes and paied the ransome for them vpon the Crosse. Now brethren wil you trust in the Popes Pardons who hath no more authority than any brother Bishop or Minister hath to forgiue sins and to pronounce absolution to them that be hartely penitent by authoritie giuen to the Apostles generally and so to their successours and all Ministers that come not in by the window but by the doore For as for the wordes spoken by Christ to Peter alone of binding and loosâ—â—ng it is answered If all the Apostles had the same authoritie by Christes his worde as it may appeare in Mathew 18. and Iohn 10. Than Peter being but one had it not alone But if if it were spoken to him alone in Mathew yet it doth not restraine the generall grant made to others in the places cited before Quorum remiseritis peccata c. Whose sinnes yee shal forgiue they shalbe forgiuen quorum retinueritis retenta sunt For those words are spoken in the plurall number whereby all Priests claime true interest in absoluing For will you hear what the Priests vtter after auricular confession hard at any mans hand and iudge your selfe Dominus Iesus qui est summus Pontifex absoluat te ab omnibus peccatis tuis c. ego auctoritare mhi commissa absoluo te in nomine patris filij Spiritus sancti Amen which is to say Our Lord Iesus which is the highest Bishop absolue thee from all thy sinnes and I by the auctority committed vnto me absolue thee in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Amen Where is sinnes reserued in the Canons to the Pope onelie to forgiue Why practiseth hee to send abroad his pardons in parchment with leaden seales for money where is his warrant in holy Scripture wherevpon our Sauiuiour Christ saith in the fiftéenth of S. Mathew In vanum colunt me homines docentes doctrinas mandata hominum In vaine doe they serue me teaching the doctrines precepts of men Here I must put you in remembrance of a fond fellow who hath set out a book intituled Hierarchia a Gréeke word a glorious title a shewe or promise by the word of a great matter where in the end and effect it prooueth nothing It is a rehearsall by name of the popes from Peter which was the first Bishop of Rome if it so be true and how one succéeded an other from time to time and this was by Election in diuers sorts one whiâ—e by the voice or suffragies of the people as though Democratia were in vre sometime by the consent of the better sort in degrée as when the Deane and Chapter elected and that doth adumbrate Aristocratia And lastly and principally when the chiefe gouernour maketh his choice of any person where is the rule of Monarchia But succession by election is one thing and the right of inheritance another We daily sée that a good father hath sometime an vngratious sonne that godly parents haue a child descended from them afterward to be euill disposed I haue found a man according to my hartliking saith God of Dauid the king And yet his son Salomon succéeding him fell to women and Idolatry insomuch that God being angry rent his kingdome after his daies into two parts viz. Rehoboam reigned ouer 2 tribes Ieroboam ouer 10. If this be where state of inheritance claimeth his right that for sin God put teth downe one and setteth vp another and oftentimes changeth the inheritance from one line of kindred in to another of what force is succession that commeth by Election which is grounded upon humaine pollicie The Electors naming and appointing to office whome they will mooued thereto somtime by méed and corruption of mony sometimes by fauour and friendship procured somtimes by hatred and enuie the better maâ—râ—iected and the worse chosen It is not denied but that many lerned vertuous of laudable life haue bene Bishops and Pastors professing Christ in Rome But tâ—ey with their whole flocke as they might be caught for the most part suffered Martirdome vnder the persecuting Emperors of the same city as Nero Diocletian others A body of the best complection which is sanguine by continuance of time and disorder of diet in meats drinks and other féeding draweth vnto it grosse humors and so â—alleth into diseases that the alteration wil be such that ye shall not know it to be the same So the See of Rome both during the time of the Primitiue Church and long after retained a beautie of knowledge and holynes but by litle and litle it fell away and was defaced as rust créepeth vpon yron and other metals by continâ—ance especiallie when they be not rubbed scraped and dried S. Paule spake these words in this time Etiam mysterium iniquitatis operatur and now the mistery of â—iquitie doth worke And againe as is aforesaid by the said Paule what withholdeth euen that the sonne of perdition might bee reuealed at his time Most true it is where Christ saith Ego sum vobiscum vsque and consumationem Seculi I am with you euen to the end of the world that the holy ghost hath bin is and will be with his Church to to the end and wil neuer leaue it destitute As when the Heresie of the Arrians oueâ—â—â—owed the worlde the holy Spirite of God stirred vp Athanasius to defend his truth which Athanasius albeit he was forced to flie hide himselfe oftimes in dens caâ—es for the space of diuers years yet the Church of God was with him in hys dens and caues For where the truth is there is the church Idolatry worshipping of Images masses dirriges and Heauen to be sold for mony murdring of saints stewes in whole stréets of Curtesans blessings for méed cursings for enuy are to be found in Rome yea and Antichrist himselfe who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God therfore there is not the true Church What monsters haue bene admitted to the Papacie after one thousand and od yeares after Christ it hath bene somewhat afore touched may séeme to such as haue not read Histories almost incredible What execrable practise was this to enter and possesse the Popes chaire by Magicke and Art forbidden both by Gods law and mans to giue himselfe to the deuill to gette worldly dignitie and promotion to infame himselfe for euer to purchase a momentary and transitory pelfe to win wealth glory on the earth to léese eternal ioy and heauen Upon this monster last rehersed popes afore
many other which heere to rehearse it were to long And so much the more this hath a resemblance of truth that the Apostles had reueiled vnto them many and sundry things concerning the latter times of the falling of the Romaine Empire of the reueiling of the acurssed sonne Antichrist of the abhomination standing in the holy place All which the Apostles set out as it were shadowed somewhat darkly as it is left vnto vs in writing and may be séene in the 24. of Mathew 2. Thessalonians In which two places there is spoken of these matters as it were by points and prickes rather than by any oopen speach Againe the same Papias taught afterward in Alexandria and had bene the scholler of S. Iohn the Apostle whervpon we should be perswaded that he must néeds heare the same interpretation of his maister concerning Rome to be named by Babylon and that the same interpretation was as well in the Churches of Asia where S. Iohn preached as in Europa where S. Peter taught And least peraduenture any might doubt that no good and iust testimony may be brought out of the ancient and approoued writers of the Primitiue Church succeeding next to the Apostles age you shal hear the opinion of those which were next to the Apostles Tertullian did write in the yeare 170. after Christ. He in his worke against the Iewes hath this written Babylon in the writing of Iohn bereth the figure of the city of Rome in that it is great proud in force and a beater downe of the saints Who will now doubt but that the said Tertullian heard this at the Apostles mouthes Also Origines liued in the yeare 200. And he wrote in Alexandria many bookes and the 12 Homily vppon Ezechiell the Prophet he thus expoundeth that there is Babilon where is confusion of maners by vices mischieuous doing continually growing And therfore it is no maruell if the holy writers pondring what was y â— state of the Romains Empire which was the head of the world especially the city of Rome haue defined Rome to be Babilon in their bookes Now hear an euident manifestation of this where Hierome wrote about the yeare of our Lord 380. teaching the Churches both in Asia and Europa in his commentary vppon Esay 47 chap. hee witnesseth y â— many beside him in his time and age did interpret the daughter of Babilon which should be made humble not to be Babylon in Caldea but to be the city of Rome in Italie which is called specially by the name of Babilon in the Reuelation of S. Iohn and in the Epistle of S. Peter all threatnings which be spoken by the Prophet against Babilon to be referred to the distruction of the city of Rome Likewise the said Hierom in a certaine Epistle to Assella complaining of the corrupt maners of the city of Rome calleth Rome by the name of Babilon Againe the said Hierom in the end of his 2 booke against Iouinian turning his oration to the city of Rome I speake vnto thée saith he which hath blotted out the blasphemy written in thy forhead by the confessing of Christ. O mighty city lady of the world interpret thy name Rome is by the Gréekes a name of strength by the Hebrues a name of highnes kéep that that thou art called Let vertu make thée high let not voluptuousnes make thée low Thou maist eschue by repentance the curse which our sauior hath threatned in the Reuelation Thou hast the example of the Niniuites Beware the name of Iouinian which is deriued of an Idoll S. Avgustine liuing in the time of S. Hierom but yet a litle yonger accounted the chief among the latin Deuines and hauing respect to al that was spoken of Rome by those that had written afore in y â— Church declareth many things to be like in Rome and Babilon for in his booke De ciuitate Dei the fifth Booke and second Chapter he calleth Babilon the first Rome In his 18 book and 22. chap. he compareth Rome with the city of the wicked whiâ—â—h Cain builded The one saith he was builded of câ—in which â—â—ue his brother abel The other was builded by Romulus which killed his brother Rhemus Againe Orosius a Spanish writer liuing in the time of S. Augustine sheweth that Rome and Babilon were alone and especiciallie beside all other wickednesse in opressing the Saintes of God Lib. 2. cap. 3. and again lib. 7. cap. 2. But perchance some to this afore may make obiection alledging that at that time when these ancient writers did write Rome was gouerned by most cruell Emperours which persecuted horibly all good Christians inflicting vpon them all torments and most sharpe death But now Rome is no more gouerned by Emperours that be wicked and thirst the blood of the godly but Rome is vnder the iurisdiction of the holie Pope and for that cause to be reuerenced and honored of all Therefore if any man should now say in these our daies that Babylon mentioned in the Apocalips might betoken Rome no sufficient cause or ground of matter were to confirme or corroborate his assertion to be found But the answere to confute this is ready of great force and validitie and not to be conuinced Albeit wicked Emperors euen from the Apostles time and long after by some hundred yeares held Rome for the chiefe seat imperiall and put manie to sundrie kindes of torment and death for confessing Christ yet S. Hierom who liued about 380 after Christ and after S. Augustin and Orosius whose ages were during the raignes of Iouinian Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius Emperours who not onely fauoured but greatly aduanced Christian religion did in their bookes taxe sharply reprehend Rome by the name of Babylon then gouerued rather by Popes and Bishops as it is knowen than by temperall princes And here is further to be noted that these Christan Emrours aforesaid ruled and made their abode in Constantinople and the Popes administred all at Rome by litle and litle mal engin deceit sinister practise with hypocrisie counterfeit humblenes now and then by force enterminled encroched not to bee onely equall but chalenged to haue superioritie not vpon the Cleargie onely but ouer Emperors and kings to make lawes at their lust pleasure to wage war make battel yea to tread down vnder their féet the whole world if they might bring it to passe All hitherto said and written doth the testimony of the Church of Leodia in the low countries confirme set down about the year of our Lord 1100 against Pascalis the second of that name then Pope That is as followeth hitherto saith he I haue but interpreted that S. Peter wold by the name of Babylon note Rome because at that time Rome was spotted with all kind of Idolatrie sin and filthines And now my sorrow doth interpret vnto me that S. Peter terming with a spirit of prophesie the congregation gathered together in Babylon did foresée the