THE TRUE Mark of the Beast OR THE PRESENT DEGENERACY OF THE Church of Rome FROM THE FAITH once delivered to the SAINTS A SERMON on November 5. 1681. By EDWARD PELLING Rector of St. Martin's Ludgate and Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Somerset Quid Romae faciam Mentiri nescio Juv. Sat. 3. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may Ye also do Good that are accustomed to do Evil. Jer. 13. v. 23. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that Man of Sin be revealed the Son of Perdition Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that He as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing Himself that He is God 2 Thess 2. v. 3 4. London Printed for Joseph Hindmarsh at the Black-Bull in Cornhill and Walter Davis in Amen Corner 1682. To his Grace my ever Honoured and Dear Lord CHARLES Duke of SOMERSET Marquess and Earl of HERTFORD Viscount BEAUCHAMP and Baron of TROWBRIDG My Lord SEldom do some men make any Comments but they chuse me for their Text. Since I presented to your Grace a little Sermon preached on the 30 of January Factious people have accused me of Partiality for not Publishing this that was Preached on the 5th of November last and thence the Charity of our Modern Blessed Saints who like the Old Nestorians are nati ad Calumniandum rarely gifted in those two Virtues Lying and Slandering hath concluded that I am a secret friend to the Popish Interest Which manifest and gross injury I have yet the less reason to repine at since so many thousands of men who are far my betters have an equal share of it so that all who are not given to change all who are not weary of a Happy Peace all who Dread to be Slaves again to their Fellow-Subjects all that are true friends to the Government Establisht in Church and State all that love the Person and acquiesce in the Wisdom and Counsels of the King all Ranks and Degrees of men even Peers and Prelates who Abhorr the seditious practises of Ambitious Revengefull and unquiet Spirits are Libell'd under the notion of Tantivyes Popishly affected Papists in Masquerade Irish Bog-trotters and under I know not how many Nick names more Little do they consider in the mean while how they Dishonour the Reformed Religion and what great Service they do the Romanists when they call every Honest man a Papist and make Knavery to be a Characteristical note of a TRVE PROTESTANT And though the Sons of the Church of England be thus traduced as unfaithfull to their Mother yet we hope the indifferent world will consider that none but they have effectually undertaken the defence of the Protestant Cause all a long And 't is observable that since the discovery of the late Popish Plot whereas the Church of England hath both by Preaching and writing industridusly Laboured against Popery the Dissenters have Laboured with all their might and main against the Church of England which when men of Judgment and Integrity shall consider they will soon discern who they are amongst us that are the best friends to the Church of Rome As to mine own particular My Lord I do sincerely protest as in the presence of the Eternal and Omniscient God that I have ever liv'd and by Gods grace am resolved to dy a true member of our Church as it is now Establisht And for the rest of my Brethren the Conformable Clergy they cannot be suspected but either by Ignorant or by Ill men it being impossible for those who give their Vnfeigned Assent and Consent to our Liturgy to entertain any kind or favourable Opinion of those Errors and Corruptions which we justly Condemn in the Roman Church Therefore to deal truly with your Grace the onely Reason why this Sermon was not Publisht before was because I looked upon it as so inconsiderable a thing in comparison of what has been done by men of Great Learning and True Worth that I could not take the confidence to shew it the World Some discourses may be fit enough for the Pulpit which may not be so fit for the Press and such I conceive this Discourse to be However since 't is going abroad it will not take up much room in the World and this advantage I gain by it an opportunity of presenting my most Hearty Service and Duty to your Grace and of professing my self what I am My Lord Your Grace's most Obedient Obliged and Affectionate Servant and Chaplain EDWARD PELLING March 16 1681. A SERMON PREACHED ON The Fifth of November 1681. Rom. 1. 8. First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole World YOu see by the Verse preceding that St. Paul directed this Epistle to the Church of Rome that then was and you may be sure that the Modern Romanists have not failed to make the most use of this Text more indeed by far than the Apostle ever intended to give them occasion of making for as it is their constant custom when they Comment upon the Fathers if they meet with any little passage though it be but the clink of a word that seems to favour their Errors to catch hold on it presently as if all the world were their own whereas they abuse the Writer all the while and either willingly mistake or studiously wrest the place contrary to the true sense of the Author so when they are Commenting upon the Scriptures if they light upon any one Text which with all their Art and Skill they can but take advantage by to plead from it and to Hallow their Impieties they run away strait with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glad that they have found a booty a dainty and strong Argument for their Cause But if St. Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles an Apostle that together with Peter preached and suffered Martyrdome at Rome an Apostle to whose Writings the Protestants do frequently Appeal and whose Epistles some of the Romanists have been very angry with because they do too much favour the Hereticks as they have been pleased to say if this Great man did so commend the Faith of the Church of Rome as he doth in this Text and if He spake so Honourably of it as that it was admired by the whole world we may reasonably expect to hear enough of their Brags And indeed this is their Starting place whence they run out into very high Encomiums of their Church and they tell us of a great number of Ancient Fathers that join with them in their Applauses they would perswade us that St. Paul here doth not only Declare what the Church of Rome was then but moreover that he did Prophecy that it should be an Excellent Church unto the worlds End and that his Commendation respecteth as well the Christians at Rome in his days as their Posterity and Successors for ever They tell us that the Apostle pointeth
the Faith which all the Apostles preach'd which all Christian Churches receiv'd and for which the Roman Church is here commended was made up of those principal Doctrines which at this day we find in our Creed To these were it necessary to add the Testimonies Tert de veland Virgin de prascrip Atkanas in initio fine Symbol of Church-writers I might instance in Tertullian Athanasius and divers more who speaking of the Creed own'd it to have been the One only immoveable and sufficient Rule which all Christians went by the Catholick Faith and the Faith of all Churches in the world which whosoever believed was a right Catholick and sound Believer But to avoid prolixity I shall only take notice of what we meet with in Irenaeus who lived in the Iren. adv Haer. lib. 1. c. 2 3. 4. very next age to the Apostles for rehearsing the Articles of the Creed he tells us that That was the Faith which the whole Church over the whole world had received from the Apostles and their Disciples that every Church held taught and kept with all diligence and care and that the Churches in Germany in Spain in France in the Eastern parts of Egypt in Africk and in the mid-land parts of the world which takes in Rome too did in His dayes believe no other Doctrines than what were contained in the Apostles Creed and that the Universal Church was One because the Faith of every Church in the world was one and the same and that none either taught more or believed less than that One Faith did amount unto Alas in those dayes the Creed of all Christians was a plain easie and short one for they thought themselves obliged to this only to believe the Essentials of Christianity and to lead good lives and it had been well for Christendom had after-ages taken no other care but by multiplying Articles some have multiplyed Errors too and as Seneca observed of the old World that while men lived upon a Simple and Natural sort of Diet they were very healthful and strong but multos morbos multa fercula fecerunt when they came to be Nice and Luxurious and would have variety of costly Dishes served up at their Tables many diseases followed so it is observable in this Case as long as Christians contented themselves with a Simple Religion and a plain short Creed so long the Faith continued in a good state but when they came to be wanton and would needs have this and that Point set out according to their Gusto Religion became Sickly and men Unsound and by abusing their Learning they were the less Virtuous and the less Orthodox but yet the more Techy and Imperious 2. But to come to our next Point I know the Church of Rome will by no means hear of this that She has play'd any Tricks with the Ancient Faith either by Adding to it or by Taking from it or by Embasing it with any Novel Mixtures nor indeed that it was Possible for Her to do it considering that Singular Prerogative of an Un-erring Judgement which she pretendeth to have above all Churches beside But this is a most vain and ridiculous conceit for because she was faithful once it will no more follow that she hath been so ever since then it will follow that because the Husbandman soweth Wheat in his Field it shall bring forth no Tares or that because a Child is Innocent upon his Baptism he shall never grow up to be a Man of Sin or that because a Virgin is yet unspotted she will never turn Whore or that because a man is yet in Health he shall never be crazy or that because a Town is yet free from the Plague it shall never be visited with it or that we shall not be mortal because our Climate is Temperate our Air good our Physicians skilful and our Food at present is wholsome A long Tract of Time produceth many and great Alterations for one Generation passeth away and another comes and many times we see that the Posterities of men are not half so good as their Predecessors were and that Religion which was sprightly and visible in One Age may be almost Lost in another Anciently the Faith of the Church of Rome was Right and her Bishops were Wise and Holy men but because she had this Honour in the Primitive times was it impossible for her ever to lose it Was it Impossible either for the Sheep in the fold to catch the Bane or for the Shepherds to fall asleep or for Wolves to creep in unawares or be encouraged and invited to come in at Noon-day Why look ye now This is as great a piece of Non-sence as if you should believe that because the City of London is now well stockt with a Knowing and Honest Clergy it may not be as ill stockt with a pack of Illiterate and ill men should Times alter and our Laws and Government be subverted 'T is true Christ promised his Church That the Gates of Hell should not prevail against her But this promise belongs not to any One particular National Church but to the Church in General 'T is true also that Christ said Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world but 't was spoken to All the Apostles and to all their Successors for ever 'T is true likewise that Christ prayed That Peter 's Faith should not fail but this was a Personal respect to Peter himself but no security for those that came after him and we may well wonder how it should come into the head of any Papist to dream from that Text that because Peter himself did not utterly forsake the Faith ergo it was impossible for Marcellinus to become an Idolator or for Eleutherius to turn Montanist or for Liberius to fall off to the Arians or for Honorius to be a Monothelite or for Anastasius to turn Nestorian or for Pope John the 23d of that name to teach That there is no Future state of Happiness nor any Resurrection of the dead And yet we have proved it upon them that these things were done and taught and that the Faith of these and other Bishops of Rome hath actually failed either in whole or in a very great part When St. Paul writing to the Church of Rome gave her this warning Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11. 20. and when he besought them to mark such as caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned Rom. 16. 17. either the Church of Rome was then in danger of being tainted with Scandalous Principles and of Apostatizing from the Truth and of Falling from the favour of God or else the Apostle was an Impertinent man and ill adviz'd to give them such Needless admonitions and to tell them of danger when there was none 3. But not to argue any longer at this rate If it be made appear that the Primitive Faith of the Church of Rome is Actually corrupted and
to their Church as to the Mother Church of the whole world and that he extolleth their Faith as that which all other Churches were to look upon and mind and observe as their Rule that they were to account Her not their Sister but their Mother and Superintendent that they were from thenceforth to say after Her and to seek for the Law of Christ at Her mouth and in every particular to follow Her Directions so that whosoever in process of time should not be of Her Communion he ought not to be look'd upon as a Catholick or a Christian but as a Foreigner and an Alien to the Covenant of Grace Can any thing be Higher than this and yet what a slight Pedestal is it which this Tower of Babel stands upon Indeed St. Paul had reason to Praise the Church of Rome in His time because its Faith was Pure Entire and Uncorrupted then and so continued for a considerable time after Let it be granted too because the words of Hegesippus Euseb Hist Eccles lib. 4. c. 22. seem to argue it that the Bishops of Rome were in His days of the same true Faith with the Bishops of other Churches Let it be allowed too that even in Iraeneus's time that Church kept the Apostles Iren. adv Haeres lib 3. c. 3. Tradition meaning that Doctrine which the Apostles had once for all delivered unto the Saints Nay I see no danger if we go further yet and allow that those Commendations which St. Cyprian Cyp. Ep. 55. Hier. Apol. 3. adv Ruffin Jerome and others of the fourth Century gave of that Church were not meer Complements but that she was so Faithful in the main that she could not easily or would not willingly be guilty of Persidiousness especially in cases of moment I say Let us suppose all this that for some Ages the Church of Rome continued a Virgin not deflowr'd by any Hereticks yet it will by no means follow that she did not prostitute her Chastity in after Ages or that it was not Possible for her ever to turn Harlot There is no reason for that Fancy that if men be once in a good State they shall be so always much less reason is there for that conceit that a Church which is once Pure shall never be defiled and yet this is the thing which many unwary Romanists now take for granted that since the Faith of their Church was once right and sound which St. Paul doth here intimate and confess she neither did nor could Adulterate and Corrupt it and so that it is as Sincere Pure now as ever it was in the Apostles dayes And according to this rate Cornelius à Lapide the Jesuite doth reckon in his notes upon my Text That the Faith of the Roman Church was sound in St. Paul 's time amd so down to St. Jerome's time and so by necessary consequence unto this time for never hitherto saith he hath any Heresie tainted Rome as it hath other Cities This is a Point necessary to be Examined or rather a Fallacy that highly deserves to be Detected for the good of such Souls as are willing to be instructed And therefore I shall take occasion from the Text and the Day to shew you these following things in Order 1. What that Faith was which St. Paul here commendeth 2. That it was possible for this their Faith to be altered and corrupted in After-ages 3. That the Ancient Faith of the Church of Rome hath been de facto Actually corrupted 4. That a Reformation of those Corruptions was on our side Justifiable And so in the last place we will leave it to the impartial world to consider whether those violent Methods are justifiable which the Romanists have used since the Reformation for the Re-establishment of those Corruptions And of these as briefly as I can 1. What the Faith was which the Apostle here commendeth the Church of Rome for and which he saith was spoken of throughout the whole World It is certain in the general that the Faith of the Church of Rome was not different from the Faith of other Churches for as there was but One Lord so there was but One Faith over the whole Christian World Ephes 4. 5. And the Reason why St. Paul with Thankfulness takes notice of the Romans Faith was not because it was Other or more Excellent than that which was received in other places but because Rome being the great Imperial City whereunto the world was necessitated to have recourse the Christian Faith was likely thence to Disseminate it self every where over all the parts of the Empire in a very short time Now if we enquire particularly what that Faith was we shall find it to have been this viz. A Confession of the Necessary and Important Doctrines of Christianity A Belief of those Main and Fundamental Truths touching the Divine Nature and Authority of our Blessed Saviour touching the things which he did and suffered for the Salvation of the world and touching those inestimable Blessings which wereconsequent hereunto as the Sanctification of our hearts by the Holy Spirit the Remission of our Sins and the Hope of an Happy Resurrection to Eternal Life for Christ his sake These are the Grand Articles of the Christian Faith and they are summed up in that short Collection of Christian Verities which we call the Apostles Creed because whether they themselves compiled that Collection or no it contains those main Points and Doctrines which the Apostles preached at Rome and in all places beside as the only Credenda or matters of Faith that were absolutely Necessary to Salvation Of this we have Testimonies abundant for when St. Paul preached at Athens they were the Fundamental Substantial Doctrines of Christianity which he taught viz. Jesus and the Resurrection as St. Luke tells us Act. 17. 18. And when the great Apostle wrote to the Corinthian Church he told them what that Gospel was which he had received himself and which he had delivered unto them and by which they were to be saved And what was that Gospel why a Collection still of these Necessary matters of Faith how that Christ died for our sins and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4. Nay writing to That Church of Rome whose Ancient Faith we are now considering he declares what that was which he and the rest of the Apostles made the common subject of their discourses to the Romans and to all other people and still it was of the necessary and prime matters of Faith for This saith he is the word of Faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 8 9. Now can any thing be plainer than this That