Dragon gave him his power and Authority and such Authority that he exalts himself above all that is called God The use is thus much First it serves to shew the vanity of all that admiration of the Roman Catholick visible Church and devotion to that Church which hath so long for many Ages deluded the world and with which Jesuites and Seminaries doe to this day delude devout but carnall souls Here is great power given to them and great authority but whence hath the Church all this They pretend they have it all from Christ but they have it from the Dragon of the bottomlesse pit He gave him his power and seat and great authority It never came from Christ he never gave this power to any Church nor State in the world it is from the Dragon And whereas they plead it is the keys of the kingdome of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. It is verely as the Text calls it Rev. 9. 1. The key of the Bottomlesse pit There fell a star from Heaven to the Earth and to him was given the key of the Bottomlesse pit It is he that hath power to let out smoak out of the bottomlesse pit Not to let out men from thence as some have pretended or from Limbus which is the suburbs of Hell But to let out smoak damnable doctrine and false Government He hath power to open it but no power to shut it power to sting mens consciences but no power to heal them And therefore when Bellarmine makes the Roman Catholick visible Church to be the true Church he makes this the first note of a true Catholick Church whereas our Divines make Preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments and holy Diâ—cipline he refutes them and sets down three other universall Catholick visible Church to be the true Church And the truth is it is the very Beast to which the Devill gave this great Authority and power Wherefore let not men be bewitched with them but let us know they are all but efficacies of delusions what ever have been in this kinde spoken If any man say shall we disclaim an Article of our Creed to despise the holy Catholick Church God forbid we doe believe the holy Catholick Church spread over all Nations But a Church Catholick that shall have one visible head and be the Mother Church verily we look at it as the greatest and ugliest beast that ever was raised in the world Take all other Monarchies that the Scripture describes the Leopard of Greece the Lyon of Babell and the Bear of Persiae and they are either of them but a beastly state but here all these Beasts are mingled and confounded in one And besides It hath seven heads and ten horns A Leopard a Lyon and a Beare they are orderly creatures according to some Institution But here is a Beast that runs besides all institution and description of Scripture and societies of men that ever was raised The Catholick visible Roman Church is the most monster God forbid we should blaspheme any Church but I do but speak Scripture Let the world be judg if the Scripture can be accommodated to any but to this Roman-Catholick mother Church It is evident in Scripture these seven heads and ten horns must be some Roman State the Roman Pagan State it cannot be nor yet the Roman Christian State and a Roman State it is but there hath been no other Roman State but the Roman-Catholick visible Church and that hath claimed such great power and authority which is doubtlesse as incompatible to Scripture as may be which by the wit of man hath not been invented but by the Dragon and yet so goodly in the eyes of the world which great Princes are deluded and besotted withall and happy they that can be reconciled to that State Secondly Learn we to magnifie the free rich grace of God that hath delivered us from this great Beast and the worship of it and hath restored us in a great measure to the government of primative simplicity that now we may meet every Lords day that all may heare and all may be edefied where every one may brign his offence if hee cannot be satisfied in private and may be heard and the case in due time searched into and healed according to God This is Primative simplicity and this is direct proceeding without Lordly Prelacy which overwhelms all the world like a great Sea And it i well called a Sea for it swallows up all like a vast Ocean And the more thankfull ought we to be that he hath delivered us from the Image of the Beast as well as from the beast it selfe A Catholick Church that beareth sway over so many hundred Churches and overwhelms them all Such Lawes they shall make as shall binde all Nations and whether they give consent or no they must subscribe to them in point of government Were we sensible how odious this Beast were in the sight of the holy Ghost and of the Apostle John it would affect us with strong thankfulnesse and hearty enlargednesse to God that hath delivered us from so great a beast and from any image and picture of it unto which all the world is subject unlesse in some few places Thirdly It may teach all Church Officers not to affect any Lordly pomp and state For Officers of a Church to take upon them any great State or to see a Church composed in any such form you see in the eyes of the holy Ghost it is a Beast There is nothing more disproportionable to us then for us to affect Supremacy for us to weare the hornes that might push Kings to throw downe any or to desire Magistrates to execute what we shall think fit verily it is not compatible to the simplicity of the Church of Christ Neither may they give their power to us nor may we take it from them That when an Excommunication passe in the Church then to leave it to the Magistrate that so a man being excommunicated is left Ipso facto to civill censure upon the Churches censure this will cause the Magistrates to submit their power to the Church unavoidably that if a Church censure the Magistrates must proceed against them Now it is good to have these two States so joyned together that the simplicity of the church may be maintained and upheld and strengthened by the civill State according to God but not by any simplicity further then according to the word Beware of all secular power and Lordly power of such vast inspection of one church over another Take heed of any such usurpation it will amount to some monstrous Beast Leave every church Independant not Independant from brotherly counsell God forbid that we should refuse that but when it comes to power that one Church shall have power over the rest then look for a Beast which the Lord would have all his people to abhor Fourthly let it be in the feare of God an use to beware how we take Satans offers This
head of that Church It is cause of everlasting thankfulnesse and watchfulnesse not to be deluded by fine shewes of worldly men but let us see and know where true worship lies as the Lord hath declared himself in Christ and held him forth in the Gospel of truth Forthly let it teach us all where to bestow our admiration and adoration It was a charge that our Saviour gave to the Devill and which accordingly he himself practised and requires us to doe Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve The Devill askes this of Christ to bow downe to him and worship him The Lords Indignation is kindled his holy Zeale is inflamed against such a Sacriligious request Get thee hence Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve And as we are to worship him alone and no God but him so we are to admire none but him Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders Exod. 15. 11. There is matter of admiration who is a God like unto the Lord that forgiveth Iniquity Transgression and Sinne of which you read Mic. 7. 18. and which the Church holds forth there upon this very ground who is a God like unto thee why what is there in him that you so magnifie him he is a God that forgives Iniquity Transgression and Sinne here is cause indeed of admiration They admire and adore the Pope why Because they had satisfaction to their consciences in their way and an ungrounded hope of a better state in another world and pardon of Sinne in this and now they come to fellowship with Christ by the worship of the Devill But who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity Transgression and Sinne So that here is indeed matter of due admiration and let it be fastned there When a mans soul is brought low with the sence of Sinne and overpoured with the burden that lyes upon his conscience by reason of the guilt of Sinne what is matter of admiration now who is a God like unto thee that passeth by Iniquity transgression sin It is not the Pope of Rome that can take away sin it is not all the cunning of the Dragon that can do it And therefore to what end are all the admirations and worships that are put upon the Bishop of Rome and the Dragon that gave him his power They may please themselves in what satisfaction they apprehend they have but their own principles possesse them that they can never come to see the admirable goodnesse of God in forgiving their Sinnes But now when the Lord sheds abroad a spirit of grace and peace in the conscience and applyes the goodnesse of Christ to the discharge of the burden of Sinne and of quickning the heart in the peace of Christ Jesus this breeds admiration Blessed be God the Father of mercy and God of all consolation that of his aboundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope I say this blessing is worthy of admiration and not onely of wonderment but of acknowledging all glory and blessednes to him When the conscience is not pacified by a sorry duty done from man but by a sealed pardon from the spirit of God witnessed by the breath of the holy Ghost this is such a mercy to the soule as indeed raiseth the heart above all admiration of such a Beast I to a true detestation of this Beast and of the Dragon that hath so long bewitched and carried them captive to the imaginations of their own hearts and in the end to their everlasting perdition But let it be the care of Gods people as ever you desire to be blessed from the admiration of such a worm-eaten Religion so grow to an admiration of the God of mercy and grace and so we shall doe that upon just grounds which our Fathers did without grounds to this Beast and to the head of it Upon this ground this head being wounded and afterwards healed all the world wondred after him Here is an Image of Christ he was wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and he riseth againe and he proclaims all power is given him in Heaven and Earth Now see how this Vicar of Christ as they call him usurps as Christ was wounded and is risen againe so it is with this Beast he is wounded to death and afterwards healed and restored and now all the world admire and worship him Have they forgotten that Christ dyed for our Sinnes and was raised again for our Justification and doe they stand admiring at this Beast as he that was wounded and healed Therefore let it be a ground of true thankfulnesse to the Lord for the great change that is wrought in Christendome and let us give the Lord the admiration that is due to him that we may be preserved from those delusions wherewith others have been deceived and may goe on in this way constantly which the Lord hath established and called us unto Revel 13. 5 6. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue forty and two moneths And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven THE events that followed upon the healing of the Beast the first was That all the world admired him The second was Vniversall worship given both to the Beast and to the Dragon that gave power to the Beast of which wee have already spoken The third event remains now to be spoken to and that is the deligation of power to this Beast upon his recovery and the power given him is four-fold 1. There was power given him to speak great things and in particular great blasphemies 2. There was power given him to continue that is as the word signifies to be doing to be active to be powerfull and efficacious in his worke 42. moneths 3. There was power given him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them 4. Power was given him of dominion over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations First There was given him a mouth speaking great things Secondly There was power given him to continue 42. moneths and both these Authorities or Liberties they are amplified by the effect it wrought in the Beast He did effectually take that power which was given him and employed it to the utmost As he had a mouth given him so he opened his mouth in blasphemies and that amplified by the object of his blasphemy against God and God distributed his Name his Tabernacle and those that dwell in Heaven The note then that the words do afford first is this That after the healing of the wounded head of the Beast there was given to him power to speak great things even blasphemies which also he did effectually and abundantly exercise or
to blesse God for it And though we may think of mending our selves here or there yet you will finde it a difficult thing to finde 12. multiplyed by 12. in any place under Heaven that is either your foundation shall not be Apostolical institution or your administration apostolick doctrine That christians should be the foundation of Churches as the Apostles require Saints by calling and to build on such and to administer such according to the word of God Yea though the Lord should be pleased to give our Countrey-men free passage of a Parliament as now we have speech of it and though they be a wise Nation yet such is the very frame of the State and of the Sonnes of men that if the Lord give free passage of a Parliament you will find it a very difficult thing to have the State ruled by Apostolical judgment to reject all devices of men to shut out the greatest part of a kingdom from the Lords Table you would finde rebellions multiplyed exceedingly if they were of the spirit that they were of in Edward the sixths time And when you are gone out of the Countrey not that I would flatter the Countrey the Lord knows we our selves here have need to grow more spiritual daily but yet in respect of the Churches of God and administration of things here though we faile and go aside we have the rule to shew us the way back againe I say when you are gone go whether you will you will have much ado to finde materials and more ado to finde forme and administration as that it may be in cold blood you will fit and mourn by the waters of Babilon and hang your Harpes upon the willowes and say how shall we sing the Lords song the song of Zion in a strange Laâ—d Therefore let it provoke us to hold fast what we have received and not to be taken off with faire pretences to turne aside to one hand or the other if we be in a state of wisdome let us keep in it and beleive it whatever takes you to a contrary course to things as they stand if the holy Ghost say this is wisedome then I am sure the contrary of it must needs be folly Fourthly it may teach us in the fear of God to have an eye to our brethren in our native Country to consider those defects that those which reformed religion before us did leave in the recovery of the Country out of the jaws of Antichrist you see what the Lord requires of us that we should have nothing to do with the number of the Beast Though they cut off the head of the Beast from being of any soveraign power to them yet they took too much liberty for forme of worship and for the number of the Popes name and of Government by Canon Laws yea the whole Church discipline by the Popish Canon Law onely with this destinction that whereas the Pope enjoyed it before now the King he claims headship over the Church aswel as the civil State and he deriveth the Church-power to the chief Bishops and they worke upon it more and more and though it be true both Henery the eighth and much more Edward the sixth and Queen Elizabeth all these did set so many Councellors so many Divines and so many common and civil Lawyers to cull out of the Popes Decretals such Canons as were most fit for Government and most of such as cut off Popish supremacy yet they could never agree of it and so they admit them as the Popes Canons only yet so that whereas reference of Ecclesiastical matters was to the Pope now it is to the King as supream head and Governour but the Popes Canons are the government of the Church Now what was the reason There was an unsafe principle in their hearts that they thought it lawfull to take the Laws of the Roman Church and that any King might have power to make Laws to govern the Church as well as the Pope had It is true he hath power to make Lawes as well as the Pope had and better but the truth is neither the Pope nor King hath power to make Laws to rule the Church but it must be by the Laws of Christ Whatsoever is not of the number of 12. is superadded and will never prosper but this principle making them willing to admit such things though they were the chiefest of the Kingdome that were appointed for that worke yet they could never agree But had they received a little more light and wisdome to cut off the number of the Beast aswel as his head it would have prevailed for the liberty of Gods Ordinances and purity of Doctrine I say this being wanting to them let it not be wanting to us but through the mercy of God the servants of God have taken no small paines to clear up such things what the Laws are in the Church of Christ by which Magistrates and others are to be guided how far civil Government may reach and how farre it may not go still reserving this fundamental principle to hold them close to the direction of the holy Ghost by the 12. Apostles and this being the pious care of our Magistrates and of the Churches this wisdome will by the blessing of God be established that that which other Nations have not attained to this day may by the blessing of God be reached by us and yet though the Elders are to enquire and to commend to them such rules as may establish it it pleaseth God not to give as yet passage to our purposes appoint one day a storme of raine hinders appoint the second day fortnight then a storme of snow prevents that it is tough work to establish things of this nature it is difficult as if the Lord would have them established in a spirituall way as Moses the Law by 40. dayes fasting he had the spirit of God and larger measure by much then we yet the Lord requires serious humiliation of him And therefore since I heard that there hath been a seasonable motion to commend such a thing to the State that the whole country do in special maner seek God at such a time against the consultation of the general Court and this weighty point falling in for ripening of mens thoughts for the Laws of the Country and limitation of jurisdictions both of Church and Common-wealth the Lord saith he will be sought unto by the house of Israel Therefore I think the motion is seasonable and was glad to hear of it and thought to commend it to our honoured Governours that sit at Stern and all other Churches but we that are present have no power but in our own Church nor that but with the consent of the Church that if it be thought convenient this day seven-night might be set apart to seek the face of God that we may take time both to ripen our consultations and to prevaile with the Lord to prosper our consultations and administrations that this matter
AN EXPOSITION UPON The Thirteenth CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION By that Reverend and Eminent servant of the Lord Mr. JOHN COTTON Teacher to the Church at Boston in NEW-ENGLAND Taken from his mouth in Short-writing and some part of it Corrected by himself soon after the Preaching thereof and all of it since Viewed over by a friend to Him and to the Truth wherein some Mistakes were amended but nothing of the Sense altered LONDON Printed for Tim. Smart at the Hand and Bible in the Old-Bayly 1656. TO THE READER Christian Reader THE tongue of the just or righteous saith Solomon Prov. 10. 20. is as choise silver The words that fall from the tongue of such are very precious and profitable And truly such are the words that dropt from the tongue and lips of this holy and righteous man Mr. Cotton As he himselfe had by his owne blessed experience found the tongue of that righteous man D r Sibbs as choise silver yea better then the choisest gold of Ophir by which the Lord was pleased to convey heavenly and eternall treasure into his soule Even so also have many precious soules some now above in glory others still here below found the words that have distilled from his tongue to be above much fine gold and of more weight and value then the greatest treasure of this whole world Divers that are yet alive and do remain unto this present may can hear witnesse to the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth But I shall crave leave to name only one now amongst the Saints at rest who was indeed one of a thousand in his time and place viz. that great and eminent man Dr. Preston whose heart the Lord wrought powerfully upon by the tongue of Mr. Cotton and that not long after his heart had been seized upon by the tongue of that sweet Singer before mentioned And because the story is so remarkable I shall be willing to relate in briefe the substance of what I had sometimes in private from the tongue of this our Reverend Author himselfe He being according to his course to Preach before the University Schollars in Cambridg had a great conflict in himselfe about the composing of his Sermon viz. whether after the plain profitable way by raysing of Doctrines with propounding the Reasons and Uses of the same Or after the mode of the University at that time which was to stuffe and fill their Sermâ—ns with as much Quotation and citing of Authors as mighâ— pâ—ssibly be On the one side 't was suggested to him that if he should not go the former way he should not be faithfull to the Lord in seeking his glory but his owne c. And on the other side if he should not shew his Learning it would not onely be a disparagement unto himselfe but also unto the Colledg which had so lately chosen him out of another to be Fellow for he was chosen Fellow in Emanuel Colledg out of Trinity where according to his yeare it fell out so as he could not be capable of a Fellowship What is this that Cotton that was so famous and had such a name for a great Schollar what a poore choise hath Emanuel Colledg made Thus he was tossed too and againe pro and con in his thoughts as I thinke he sayd about a fortnight the Lord seeming to try his sincerity at the first but at length he came to a resolution to deny himselfe what ever the world might judge or say of him His Text if I mistake not being in 2 Cor. 2. 16. And who is sufficient for these things Two or three Doctrines as it seems he raised from the words The Schollars came generally with great expectation to heare a more then ordinary learned Sermon from him that was so famous throughout the University and thereupon the Masters of Art at the beginning stood up erectis auribus amongst whom Mr. Preston was one but soone perceiving which way he went which was so extreamely contrary to their expectation they sate them downe in great discontent pulling their hats over their eyes thereby to expresse their dislike of the Sermon but before 't was ended something dropt from the tongue of the Preacher which the Lord made unto Mr. Preston to be as choise silver indeed whereby hee was so affected that he was made to stand up againe and change his posture and attend to what was spoken in another manner then he and the rest had done These things Mr. Preston afterward getting to be acquainted with Mr. Cotton by coming to him under pretence of borrowing a Booke of him which he might have easily had elsewhere returning it againe related particularly unto him Thus our Reverend Author by denying himselfe for the Lord had that cast in upon him viz. the gaining of such an eminent person to Christ which was a thousand times better then the airy applause of the world in being accounted a learned man Yet neither did he loose that way but had the repute of that too and not without cause to his dying day notwithstanding his continuall care to avoyd all appearance of affectation in the course of his Ministry either in regard of shewing Learning or in the manner of expressing what he did deliver whereby the power and effect of his Preaching did appear to be wholly of God being desirous to speak to the understanding and capacity even of the meanest and by manifestation of the Truth to commend himselfe to every mans conscience in the sight of God A taste whereof we have in these Sermons of his here published It were too great arrogance for mee to thinke to adde any authority to these or any other of his precious labours by my commendation of them I might as well go about to adde to the light of the Sunne by my Candle The very name of Cotton is enough to set an high price upon what ever hath that stamp Oâ—ely being earnestly desired by the Christian brother the publisher of this Exposiâ—ion who having the pen of a ready Writer did take those Notes from the mouth of the Preacher to give my testimony to the world that these were indeed the very Sermons of that holy Servant of the Lord whose name they bear I shall willingly affirm and testifie having lived in that American wildernesse about 13. or 14. yeares in the Towne next adjoyning to Boston and so had thereby the happy priviledg of enjoying the benefit of the precious labours of Mr. Cottons in his Lecture upon every fifth day in the week I say I do here declare and testifie unto the world that these Sermons upon the 13 th Chapter of the Revelation for the substance of them giving allowance for such defects of the Amanvensis which cannot but be expected ordinarily and yet I confesse are but very few in this Treatise were published by that faithfull servant of the Lord Mr. John Cotton about the 11. and 12. moneths if I mistake not of the year
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
discharged of this burden This was very plausable to carnall reason especially if they gave so much to such a Monastery that they may offer so many Sacraments for them for they look at the bread in the Lords supper as a propiatory Sacrament here were so many means to satisfie the consciences of those that were superstitious as nothing could be devised to give better content to the spirits of men in those dayes any man that knowes it shall finde it true that when the conscience is terrified with the curse of Gods Law and never shewed the true way of fellowship with Christ no man is so tender and conscionable in the performance of all duties as they If you will have them kisse the Popes foot or give so much to a Monastery and by this means Hell shall be shut against them and Purgatory discharged But for assurance of Salvation in Christ they could not endure that they that stood for that they tell them what you will not have men doe good workes away with that faggot and halter for such Hereticks Thirdly there was a third Reason and that was from the great reverence of all Councells and Synods to the Sea of Rome The City of Rome had wont to be the imperiall City now in such a case as this they thought it but reasonable In heathenish Rome they gave all worship to them and so let Christian Rome give all their worship to the chief Head there and so to their mother Church all Catholicks would incourage others so to doe and so by this means there were such incouragements laid for admiration and adoration that you may not wonder at what the holy Ghost saith That when the wound was healed all the world wondred after the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not the Emperors of the East and West not the King of England France Spain nor all that have been of greatest force they were none of them able to hold up their heads against this great Beast The use of this point is thus much First you may observe from hence that Universality and Prosperity though they be given for two notes of a true Church by the Papists yet indeed they are but sopisticall deceitfull delusions They are not such marks of a Church as are peculiar to a true Church here is Universality All the world wondred after the beast and here is Prosperity all the world adore and admire the Beast Who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not all the Princes of the world So that here is externall prosperity for so they call it here are both these concur and they doe indeed argue a Catholick Church as Bellarmine saith but note this that Catholick Church which is visible which is the Roman visible Catholick Church the Scripture holds it forth as a great and ugly and monstrous Beast look not therefore at these as any good marks and signes by which Jesuites and Seminaries are wont to draw to deep devotion to the Catholick Church for all the world have run this way there is but a handfull a few of such as are otherwise minded what is Genevah and some others to Rome what have they been able to doe in comparison of the Church of Rome which is the Church of Churches none have been able to doe as they Secondly we may see the danger of this admiration and adoration the deadly and desperate danger of adoring the Catholick visible Church and the Dragon It is the cunning of these Priests and Jesuites to draw men by all means to be at least devoted to the Catholick Church and to submit their power thereunto for they say there is no union with Christ the head unlesse you be united to the visible head on Earth this is their usuall plea Now marke what the holy Ghost speaks in this Text he doth say that all the worship of this mother Church is but the worship of the Dragon Men are devoutly adicted to give up their souls to the Devill when they give up themselves to the Catholicke visible Church the Lord professeth he is not honoured by them they professe honour to he-Saints and shee-Saints and dead Saints and to all relicks and remnants of them the honour of them is given unto the Devill and not to God That look what Paul saiâ—h of heathen Rome John speaks of christian Rome This I say saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 20. That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils And so this saith John the holy Apostle equall to the Apostle Paul or next him but here guided equally with Paul in the Authentical word of God he saith They that worship God according to the prescript of the Church of Rome they worship the Devils and not God they worship the Dragon the old Serpent So that it is not so light a matter as Gallants at Court and great Kings apprehend they will be reconciled to their mother Church they will goe a Pilgrimage that is devised by the Pope and perform duties as their ghostly Father directs them and have their bead-prayers In all this what do they doe This is a worship to the great beast but this is the issue and substance of it they doe indeed worship the Dragon It is not the Lord Jesus nor God the Father nor the blessed spirit that is thus worshipped but this is indeed the worship of the Devill Thirdly this may serve to teach us to blesse the name of the Lord that hath delivered us from this admiration and adoration from this wofull Captivity and Calamity whereto our Fathers have been enthralled All those of them whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life they were all led this way and it is a marvellous deliverance that God hath wrought for us in taking our Religion from universality and from outward prosperity It is sometimes a snare to Christians this kinde of Government that we have and they are apt to say what doe any of the great Nations of the world for worship and Government did you ever know any such thing authorised in any Kingdome There is an inward principle in us by nature to doe as all the world doe what are we more wise then they It is a great temptation but we have cause to blesse God that hath wrought deliverance for us But what if all the world did worship the Devill as time was when they did what if all the world worship the Beast and the Dragon that gave power to the Beast must we doe so And as they are not grounds of our worship so they are fit grounds of unfeigned thankfulnesse to God that hath delivered us from that Religion by which all the world was bewitched to give their Crownes Honours Bodies and States to the devotion of the visible Catholick Church and to the
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
a kinde of sacred Authority in the consciences of men because he had this absolute power in Churches a great power for 1260. years together whether you reckon from Constantines time or Theodosius his time he had a marvellous power in Kingdomes Nations and Common-wealths But notwithstanding he had this power in those times yet Christ kept the interest in his own chosen as in Rev. 14. 1. where he had 144000. that were spotlesse virgins Answ â— The Lord Jesus will at length challenge all his own purchase them into his own hand when at the calling of the Jews all the Kingdomes of the world shall be given to the Saints of the most high Dan. 7. 26 27. The Lord will take them all into his own hand and power and jurisdiction but he must first throw down this enemy that hath usurped over his purchased possession But in the mean time this Beast swallows up all for so many Ages together For the use of the point First it may be to refute the Papists that give this as a true note of the Church namely amplitude of dominion as the Catholick Church had They give this for an infallible note of the Church now that note you see is here evidently ascribed to the people that worship the great Beast of whom the Lord saith here ver 8. their names are not written in the booke of the Lamb. So that this is a note not of an Apostolicall Church but it may be a note of an Apostaticall Church that is fallen away from the Apostles Doctrine It is a true description of that State of the Church You see here Power was given over to the Beast over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations And therefore amplitude of dominion is not an inseperable character of the Spouse of Christ for it may be given to those that are not the Church of Christ even to those that are but a Beast in the sight of God not his Spouse I may rather say the contrary that amplitude of Dominion was never a note of a Church of Christ since the world began For in the old Testament the State of the Church was Nationall and they had power over one Nation and sometimes conquered others as in David and Solomons time they conquered the Philistims Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites but it was never over all the whole world and that dominion which they had they did not challenge it by Church power but left them still to their own Religion for the Common-wealth propagated their power by arms having first occasion of warre given them by their arrogance to them In the dayes of the new Testament the Church that Christ instituted reacheth no further then to their own members and their own members reach no further then to one Congregation that all might hear and all might be edefied 1 Cor. 14. 23. So that if Church power extends no further then the bounds of one Congregation then that Church that swelleth and strecheth forth her power all the world over Kindreds and Tongues and Nations what an out-ragious swelling Beast is that that reacheth such vast dominion beyond the proportion that the Lord gave to his Church If you should see a body swell to such a vast bignesse that his armes shall reach from one end of the world to another would it not be counted a monster So in this case the Lord hath limited the power of the Church within it selfe it is a great power that they have but not so great as to binde conscience unless it be Ministerially and so they have power to binde Kings in chains and Nobles in lincks of Iron but to have power judiciary power over the Scriptures and over the conscience over and above the application of the word it is such as the Lord never gave to any Church but it is arrogated and usurped by the man of Sinne. Secondly it may serve to teach you the prouenesse of your natures to that which is evill above that which is savingly and spiritually good This power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations the Lord hath purchased by his death Rev. â— 9. He dyed and rose againe that he might be Lord both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. And upon his resurrection all power was given him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. He prayed for this power and the Lord promised to give him it Psal â— 8. Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession This hath the Lord bought with his pretious bloud and paid for by the power of his eternall Spirit and yet never did the Lord Jesus enjoy this power to this day which the man of Sinne hath enjoyed for so many years together He will enjoy it at lenght when he shall call in the Jews and with them the fulnesse of the Gentiles and reigne in Soveraigne Authority both in Church and Common-wealth according to all the Councell of his word and will But yet it was never known to this day that so many Nations did submit their thrones to the Dominion and Government of Christ and to the Truth of Christ and to worship him with the servants of God notwithstanding the purchase which Christ hath made of this Soveraignty and notwithstanding the efficacy of his prayer for obtaining this power that hee might have dominion over all As soon as Constantine brought the world to become Christian the woman she fled into the Wildernesse The true worshippers of Christ were soon troden under the hatches a mountaine of corruption in Church Government overwhelmed them amain that you cannot set the time when so many Nations served him and were as ready to take up arms in his quarrell as they have done for the man of Sinne. You will say did they not for the recovery of the holy Land many Churches conspire and lay their heads together and engaged themselves for this Warre why when they they undertook that Warre was it Christ that commanded any such thing that Churches should engage themselves and their Estates and Lives and Souls and all for the recovery very of the holy City was it not meerly undertaken by the Bishop of Rome and by the motion of the Catholick Church in a Generall Councell The Roman Catholick Church met in a Generall Councell and they agreed to set about this expedition They promised pardon of Sinne to the people and in hope of that and such like things they went about it It was service to the Beast not to Christ God never acknowledgeth it as any service to Christs Kingdome It was for the advancement of the head of the catholick Church but as any grew more wise they grew more afraid of them So that it is a wonder to see never did the the Christian world give that Authority to Christ as they have done unto the Pope and his Institutions which are not Ordinances of Christ Yea let me say another word which is above
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
sure he never fetched any acceptance from Heaven But you read of another fire fetched from Heaven by Eliah and that was to destroy those that mocked him 2 Kings 1. 10. 12. Which practise when James and John would have followed in Luke 9. 54 55 56. You shall read that they being offended with the Samaritans because they would not receive them Master say they shall we call for fire from Heaven to consume them as Eliah did Our Saviour utterly rejects that You know not saith he of what spirit ye are Now minde you that fetching fire from Heaven which is to destroy mens lives and not save them that James and John are taught to refusâ— as being incompatible to the Gospel But that which they refuse the Successour of Peter as they call him takes up if any Scribe or Pharisee or Samaritan refuse him then fire comes down from Heaven consuming fire and vengance and wrath and blood-shed and extreamity of outraged evils he causeth to come down upon them and in pretence from Heaven to destroy the Church and people of God that I take to be the cheif parâ— of the meaning of that But if any man will urge the letters of the Text which you need not in mystical Scriptures yet it is not without truth therein Gregory the seventh he declares this that he had strange power when he had much people about him he would have shaked the sleeve of his gound and caused fire to come down Now it is evident it might be for he was a Conjurer and 22. Popes together as their own storyes do record they were wiâ—ches and gave their soules to the Devil that they might obtaine the Popedome but they were but lying wonders for miracles require divine power but the Devil cannot go beyond the power of nature so that you may take it in the proper meaning their own men do much magnifie it and make it one of the markes of their Churche whereas Protestants that want miracles are not Churches So that those censures by which they thundred against christian Emperors they did follow with such success that they made all wonder that none could stand against them not Henery the fourth nor Henery the fifth not Leo the Emperour nor the King of Fraunce none of them all were able to take up armes against him they did all admire him Who is able to stand against him end to make Warre with him And that gave such free passage to his Laws that all christian States presently took up what injunctions he put upon them Fourthly by these miracles and the mighty successe of them he had power to cause them that dwell on the earth to make an Image to the Beast that had the deadly wound and was healed that is the Roman Catholick visible Church What is this Image of the Beast he causeth all the earth that is all earthly States to receive it he will suffer none to be without it what is this Image an Image not of their own making they must make an Image by his appointment It is an Image of the first beast not of the second directly and consequently the officers of that Beast must represent this second Beast but be an Image of the first if the first Beast was the Roman Catholick visible Church then if he causeth all the Earth to make an Image to that Beast then he causeth all Churches and Common-wealths to frame their State and platforme according to the Image of the Roman Catholick visible Church and therefore he causeth all Christian Princes to erect all their Churches in a Roman Catholick way what is that Metropolitan National Provnciall Diocesan Cathedral and Provincial Churches These are all lively characters of the Roman Catholick Church reserving stil pre-emenency to their mother Catholick Church of Rome but otherwise they are the lively Image of such a Church even as daughters are of their mothers and being overcome with the power of his miracles and deceits and delusions as you heard by the Policy of Canonists by carnall Policy and by their Votaries and by working miracles signes and lying wonders it is a wonder to see what power he had that all the power of the Popedome and of the Catholick Church was in a model and representation drawn in all Churches in Christendome during the time of 42. moneths which is 1260. years and then a great part of his Image was marred in a great part of Christendome but yet he still continues so then there is a lively Image of the Roman Catholick Church though it may be some are drawn from subjection thereunto and yet though they be drawn off from subjection to it yet still the Image and representation is written in the very foreheads of such Churches that is a fourth thing Fiftly He had power to give life to the Image of the Beast what life that it should both speak and cause That as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed How doth he put this life into the Image of this Beast to speak It is to speak with authorty as in verse 5. A mouth speaking great things He would speak and speak with authority that now these Diocesan Metropolitan and Provinciall Churches they can speak with authority as the Roman Catholick Church doth and their words must take place and he puts that life into it by his own canons and laws which they take up the canons and laws made by the Church of Rome do so animate Provincial and Diocesan Churches that they speak the same language not altogether so corrupt but with like authority and require like subjection of all persons and by your leave they grow to it for very conscience sake that those things which were indifferent before yet being laws of the Church now they must binde conscience this is to speak great things Now they have power likewise to cause as many as will not worship the Image of the Beast they shall be killed a signe none of them took that power like the beast but yet though they have not power to kill them yet to deliver them to the Secular power and they must kill them â— whatever the Diocesan Church doth agree on against her Hereticks that will not obey the Government or doctrine of the Church what then The deliver him to the Secular power then they cause him to be put to death and they deliver him to fire and faggot so you see the mighty power of this Beast There is one thing remaining of his power and that is the sixth and last effect He causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads Kings and Princes Ministers and Clergy men as they call them high and low whatever they be he causeth them all to receive a character or marke either in their right hand or in their foreheads A marke in the hand that character themselves call an indelible character and