Three sermons preached at the Collegiate Church in Manchester by Richard Heyricke.

The second SERMON.

2 Thess. 2.15.

Therefore (Brethren) stand fast:

GReat deliverances ought to bee celebrated with so∣lemn remembrances, Na∣tionall deliverances with Nationall remembrances. When God delivered the Nation of the Iewes from that intended Parisian Massacre, Mordecai proclaimed the foureteenth and fifteenth dayes of the month Adar to be kept holy, that they should make them dayes of feasting and joy. It is recorded of the Iewes,

that on these dayes, when they reade the booke of Esther, as often as men∣tion is made of their enemy and adver∣sary wicked Haman, so often they ex∣presse their inward indignation by some externall angry passion, they stampe with their feete upon the ground, they knocke their hands, they threaten with their frowne, they thunder with their words.

This day, this fifth day of Novem∣ber, a day for ever to be remembred by the English Nation, GOD delivered, God immediately and miraculously de∣livered, our Religion, our King, our Queene, our Prince and Princesse, the Senate and Councell of this Kingdom, the Iudges, the Knights, the Burgesses, the whole house of Convocation, the monuments of our fore-fathers, the re∣cords of the Kingdome, in a word, the whole kingdome, from that diabolicall, monstrous, unparallell'd Gun-powder Treason; This day our High Court of Parliament hath enacted, (and may that Act be as the Act of the Medes and Per∣sians that alters not, may it stand as the

Sunne and Moone for ever) that this day should be kept holy, that wee ce∣lebrate this day with a joyfull triumph, with new Cantica Canticorum: with whole new sets of songs, with preach∣ing, with feasting, and sending gifts one unto another, with ringing of Bels, with making of Bonefires, with soun∣ding Trumpets, with thundering of Ordnances, with all outward expres∣sions of joy: That so God may see our thankfulnesse, that people from the Pul∣pit may heare of their deliverance, that children in the streetes may understand the salvation of the Lord: that stran∣gers abroad may know the barbarous∣nesse of the Plot, the Religion of the Traitors, the bloud-thirstinesse of Pa∣pists; Horret animus, beleeve me I can∣not thinke on the horror of the Trea∣son, but my spirit is moved within me, my indignation is stirred, as often as the very mention of the name Papist is made, of such Papists that adhere to the Pope of Rome as to their head, Ita∣lian, Spanish, Iesuited, Gunpowder Papists; I could bee angry and sinne

not, I could stampe, knocke, bend my brow, and thunder (were it lawfull) I could take up the execration of David, let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth, and my right hand forget her cun∣ning, when I forget the deliverance of this Day.

That therefore you may for ever re∣member, and stand fast to the Gospell received, and not bee tempted to that damning Religion, I have made choise to speake in the words of the Apo∣stle,

Therefore (Brethren) stand fast.

IN which words you have a duty en∣joyned, Stand, fast.

Secondly, the reason enforcing, in the illative word; Therefore.

The Apostle, the Doctor of the Gen∣tiles exhorted the beleeving Thessaloni∣ans to stand fast, and the more to move them calls them, Brethren, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a brother, is derived of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, uterus, a wombe, brethren being properly, ute∣rus, the fruit of one wombe; The

Apostle and the Thessalonians were not brethren in nature, but brethren in grace, & sanctior est copula cordi∣um, quam corporum: This compellation carries much affection with it, and im∣ports thus much, that he tendered the beleeving Thessalonians as his mothers wombe, or his own bowels, even as his brethren, therefore he gives them this necessary exhortation in all brotherly love and earnestnesse,

Stand fast:

The reasons that enforce it, are im∣plyed in this word, Therefore, There∣fore? Wherefore? Two Reasons may bee gathered from the coherence of these words.

First, the Apostle tells them, there will be an Apostacy, a falling away; Therefore stand fast. Of which Aposta∣cy you may read from the third verse to the thirteenth verse.

Secondly, hee remembers them of Gods mercy to them in bringing them to the knowledge of the Gospell, from

the thirteenth verse to the fifteenth;

Therefore (Brethren) stand fast.

These are the Reasons to enforce this duty, and of these in their order plainly.

And first, Therefore stand fast; be∣cause there will bee an Apostacy, and a falling away; That there will bee an Apostacy and a falling away, all must, all do confesse, our times and the times of our fore-fathers are sad witnesses of the accomplishment of this Prophecy. The Apostle speakes it in expresse termes, there must be an Apostacy and a falling away first; That this Captaine Apostate (whom the Apostle v. 3. cals the man of sinne, and doth so exactly describe) is the same with the Anti∣christ of whom Saint Iohn writes in his Epistle, and the false Prophet you read of in the Revelation, for ought I know wee have unanimous consent. But who this man of sinne is, the An∣tichrist, the false Prophet, there's the difference; Not to spend much time

in the searching out thereof, or in an∣swering to this quaere; The Fathers are not competent Iudges in this particu∣lar: The Papists themselves, those pre∣tended adorers of them, yet in this leave them and refuse them, Daniel tells us that the Prophecy is sealed to the end, Saint Austen saith ingenuously, that concerning this chapter hee could not understand the meaning of it; To the Fathers these Prophecies were riddles and darke sayings, yet by that glimer∣ing light they had, the mystery of ini∣quity beginning in the Apostles time, they could, they did point out the time, the place, and some the person. The Fathers could not tell who this man of sinne was; Our adversaries of the Church of Rome will not tell us, they labour to free the Pope from it ra∣ther then to fasten it upon any other; And while they labour to build new Babel, Lord how are they confoun∣ded! The Rhemists confesse that Rome is the place, yea Bellarmine, Ribera, and others say, certainely Rome is the seate; The Sunne shines cleare as at noone∣day,

they can, but will not see; I could muster whole Armies of the reformed Churches, produce a cloud of witnes∣ses, empannell many grand-Iuries, of our owne learned men, that readily will answer to this quaere: the Papacy is this Apostacy, the Pope this man of sinne, the Antichrist the false Prophet: the time would faile me to bring forth King David and all his worthies, King Iames, the Bishops, and Professors and learned men of that learned age, all which plainly and freely confesse and answer that the Papacy is this Aposta∣cie, the Pope this man of sinne, the An∣tichrist, the false Prophet; In this par∣ticular I may truly say of that King of Schollars, what the servants of King David said, he is worth tenne thousand: how plainely hath hee publisht to the whole world, and sent it abroad to the Emperor, to Christian Kings and Prin∣ces, wherein he hath declared his opi∣nion concerning this thing, how plain∣ly in his paraphrase upon the Revelati∣on in his meditation upon the twentieth Chapter; in his Apologie to Kings

and Princes; For my part I will walke under the protection of this great King, and follow the steppes of those lear∣ned men, backt with the authority of the booke of Homilies, and take it for granted indeed which cannot reasonab∣ly bee denyed, it may easily bee made good that the Papacy is this Apostacy, the Pope this man of sinne, the Anti∣christ the false Prophet; Then my ex∣hortation to you, is the same with Paul to his Thessalonians. Therefore (Brethren) stand fast, that you be not entangled and drawne away to Popery. If Saint Paul thought it necessary in his time, when the mystery of iniquity be∣gan to worke, and the man of sinne was not revealed, when the Cocka∣trice Egges were not hatched, and the Pope had no being in the world, to exhort the believing Thessalonians to stand fast, that they might not bee drawne away with that falling away, how necessary is it for us, and at this time seasonable for mee to exhort you (beloved) now that the mystery of Iniquity is strongly working and the

man of sin clearely revealed now that the Pope is regnant in full power and strength, to exhort you in the words of the Apostle.

Therefore (Brethren) stand fast.

First, consider if you stand not fast indeed, you may be drawne away to Popery.

Secondly consider, It's a dange∣rous thing to bee drawne away to Po∣pery.

First, you may easily be drawne a∣way: The Papacy is an alluring, inti∣cing, tempting, bewitching Religion. Sir Walter Rawleigh knew what hee said, and he spake truth when hee said it, that were hee to choose a Religion for licentious libertie and lascivious∣nesse, he would choose the Popish Re∣ligion; No Religion under Heaven so consonant, so congruous, so sutable, so agreeable to corrupted nature, to flesh and bloud, as the Religion of the Church of Rome; see I beseech you what the spirit of God faith of it in the

seaventeenth of the Revelations and the first, and so forth to the sixth verse, you must have patience that I may read the words to you.

And there came one of the seaven An∣gels which had the seaven Vials, and talk∣ed with mee, saying, come hither I will shew unto thee the judgement of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the Kings of the earth have commit∣ted fornication, & the Inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication, so hee carryed me away in the spirit into the wildernesse, And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of Blasphemy, having seaven heads and ten hornes, and the wo∣man was arrayed in purple and scarlet co∣lour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearles having a golden cup in her handfull of Abominations and filthi∣nesse of her fornication, and upon her fore∣head was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and the abominations of the Earth, and I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus,

and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration.

That by the great whore, that by Babylon here spoken of, Rome is under∣stood, the Romanists themselves doe freely confesse, the Rhemists doe not peremptorily but faintly deny it, they distinguish indeed of Babylon in Rome, and the Church in Rome, they tell us Saint Ambrose, Tertullian, Ierome, these confesse it, I could adde some more an∣cient, Bellarmine freely acknowledgeth it; Indeed they say Saint Iohn speaketh of Rome Ethnick, not of Rome Christi∣an; Rome under the persecuting Empe∣rour, not of Rome under the Christian Pope: It is enough, they confesse that Babylon is Rome, and Rome the seate of Antichrist, and we all know Saint Iohn writes a Prophecy, not a History; Hee tell us what should bee, not what then was, and if Saint Iohn spake of Rome, it must necessarily follow, that he spake of Rome as now it is, not of Rome as then it was; of Rome Christian, not Rome Ethnicke; of Rome under the Pope, not under the Emperor.

Thus you see Rome is compared to a Whore, to a great whore that sits upon many waters, rules many nations, who made the Kings of the earth drunke with the wine of her fornication, that is clothed in Scarlet, Purple, Gold, Sil∣ver, precious stones and the like, and now mark how easie a thing it is to bee seduced, inticed, bewitched by the Church of Rome, what an alluring, en∣ticing, tempting Religion it is, you see it is compared to a Whore, to a great Whore, to the chiefest of whores, to the mother of Harlots, she hath in her hand a Violl of Gould full of abomi∣nations; You that are not acquainted with the Arts and Crafts and subtilties of Whores, read what Salomon saith, who was the wisest of men, yet shame∣fully befooled by them; A thousand women took hold of him, and of them all he professed he found not one good: hee spake much of them because hee was much abused by them, and knew much by them, as in other places, so in the seaventh of the Proverbs: The Whore there spoken of makes Religi∣on

her pretext, uses much art, flattery, and impudency; This great Whore, that bewitcheth the soules of men, she pretends Religion, Saint Iohn saith, She had in her hand a golden Cup, though in that Cup was abundance of abomi∣nation, yet the Cup was of Gold. There are in the Church of Rome many singu∣lar, excellent, and admirable truths and things which as a golden cup she holds forth; She hath the Scripture, the Sa∣craments, the Articles of the Creed, the Lords Prayer, the Tenne Com∣mandements, many excellent things, whatsoever the Church of Rome holds with the Church of England is pure sil∣ver and pure gold: All that she adores besides, is at the best hay and stubble, yea much poyson, and abominations, Saint Paul saith, verse the fourth, the man of sin sits in the Temple of God, not in that materiall Temple, which was at Ierusalem, (a fond conceit of some of the Ancients) The Papists themselves how willing soever they are to embrace any thing that may take it from Rome, yet they themselves refuse

it, that Temple (Daniel saith) shall never be restored; Christ saith, not one stone shall be left upon another, and History reports, that when they went about to build that Temple again, GOD from heaven by fire destroyed it; But in the Temple of God, that's the man of sin, that sits in the Church of God, the most eminent of all the Churches of God, where God had a great people, and whence God gathered his people; Antichrist though he be an Adversary and the adversary Saint Paul speaks of, the greatest adversary that ever the Church had, yet notwithstanding is no open profest adversary, as the Turke and Iew, but a secret, close, mysterious adversary, that sits in the Temple of God.

In that Temple, see what bewty and glory to dazle the eye, and to charme the mind of the beholder; This great Whore is not only arrayed in gold and silver, Scarlet, Purple, and precious stones, as a woman may be, and there∣fore is called a woman also, but hath the attire of an Harlot, wanton, lasci∣vious

attire, a superstitious and Idola∣trous dresse; look into their Churches and see, not only the bewty and glory of them, as a woman may have, but a superstitious, Idolatrous dresse, as their Images, Crucifixes, Altars, Crosses, and burning Tapers, all set forth lively to sight; Looke into their service and see what Pompe and glory and out∣ward state, What rich Robes, what Mucsicke, what singing, what sweet and burning Incense, and the like. The Temple in Ierusalem was not more glorious in outward Pompe, more gloriously arrayed, there were not more sacrifices and ceremonies, then there are in the Church of Rome at this day; It was necessary to bee so at Ieru∣salem, God would have it so, the peo∣ple were a carnall people, meere chil∣dren in understanding, God led them as a Nurse by the hand, pleased them with carnall objects, with glorious buil∣dings, with multitude of significant Ceremonies, with terrene and earthly delights, God did it to this end, that hee might wooe and invite them to his

service. The Church was then in its Infancy; but now the Church is growne neere unto perfection, in it's last age, therefore they are not now necessary, Gods people how are a spiri∣tuall people; The Church of Rome useth now, what Ierusalem did then, what then God commanded now hee forbids, what then hee blessed now hee curses; To draw them to super∣stition and Idolatry, both which are ever beutifull and specious, full of pomp and ceremony.

Secondly, in the Papacy there is no∣thing hard nor difficult, nothing which a meere Carnall man, which a voluptu∣ous person, a very Epicure and Liber∣tine cannot easily digest; All the Re∣ligion of the Church of Rome is like the Religion of the Scribes and Phari∣sees, the true fathers of them, a very outward Religion, an empty Casket, a dead and naked Carkas, what is Pope∣ry but a painted outside: Their Church prayers they doe not under∣stand, their private prayers they mea∣sure by weight, their Repentance

and confession, it is in some small pen∣nance, their faith is the faith of the Church, they live not by their owne faith; Their Obedience is to the Pope, not to God; They have their pardons, their indulgences, their Purgatory, their supererogations; and I know not what, no sinne that they can commit, but the Pope will pardon, no sinne that they would commit, but the Pope can dis∣pense withall, no matter how long they have lived in sinne, in any sinne, though the sin against the HOLY GHOST; yet extreme unction at the last wil salve all: I know they make a great cry, and clamor; and tell us, as the Priests of Baal▪ they cut themselves with Knives and Launcers till the bloud gush out, they tell us of their frequent fastings, of their often watchings, of their blou∣dy whippings, of their long Pilgrima∣ges, their Rigorous discipline, their voluntary poverty, their simple obedi∣ence, their Massacring the body, their lying in the dust, and endangering of their lives, and a great deale more and could answer all these with the first of

Isay: Who hath required these things at your hand, what are these their sacrifi∣ces? trifles, nothing in comparison of that great worke God doth require: were all these true, reall and not fained, did they the same things indeed which they seeme to doe, were there no Iug∣ling nor no delusion, nor mitigation, nor dispensation, yet all these and more in the extremity and height, were nothing to the crucifying of the flesh with the affections of it, to the mortifying of earthly members, sinnes as deere as the bodily members, to the killing of the old man, to the breaking of the heart, to the wounding of the soule, to the spirituall observation of the Law, and to the beliefe in Christ Iesus; what is it for a man to give the first borne of his body for the sinne of his soule? to give his goods to the poore, and his body to bee burned to save his soule? Yea what is it to lye in their Inquisiti∣on, their Purgatory, in hell a thousand yeares, and to purchase Christ by this? all this were nothing, what the servants of Naaman said, My Father, If the Pro∣phet

had commanded thee a greater thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much more, when he saith, Wash and bee cleane; If the Pope command greater things to purchase Heaven, would they not doe it, how much more these small things? There's nothing hard in the Church of Rome, which a meere Carnall man, a voluptu∣ous Epicure, a Libertine cannot easily digest.

Thirdly, in the Papacy there are ma∣ny Arts, and Crafts, and subtilties and devises to deceive and entice people withall; Saint Paul saith, verse 9. that the man of sinne his comming is after the working of Sathan, with all power and signes, and lying miracles, and the like; Antichrist hath his hookes, his snares, his ginnes, his temptations and delusions, sutable to every com∣plexion and condition of man or wo∣man; If hee sees any Ambitious, hee tempts them, as his father did our Sa∣viour Christ, when he shewed him all the kingdomes of the world, and the glory of them, great preferments and

dignities there are in the Church of Rome, more preferments and greater than are in the true Church of God: nor are they sparing to promise to give them: Adams sinne cleaves to all Adams sonnes, we would bee above, this is a pestilent baite, and by this they draw many Schollers from us; If they meete with any covetous, they have their silver and golden Balls, the golden wedge and Babylonish gar∣ment, they will showre gold into their lappes, and by this they draw Mar∣chants and Tradesmen from us; If they meete with any credulous and su∣perstitious, they have their signes and wonders and lying miracles. I know no Religion extant in the world, that challenges wonders and miracles but the Religion of the Church of Rome: they object against us, and upbraid us with it, that we have no wonders and miracles, they have, much good may it do them. Antichrist comes in all de∣ceiveablenes of unrighteousnesse with signes and lying wonders to deceive them that perish; If they meete with

any fearefull by nature, and scrupu∣lous of hell, they have their appa∣ritions and visions, make them heare scriekings and howlings, preach no∣thing but horror and terror, hell, death and damnation; If they meete with any sicke, they excercise their charms and spells, and can and do cast out de∣vils through the power of the devill. If they meete with any constant in Religion, they have their torments, their tortures, their purgatories, their hel, their Inquisition; Satan (saith one) doth not alwayes appeare in one and the same fashion, but hath as many severall changes, as Proteus among the Poets: At Listra hee appeares like a Comoedian, as if a scene of Plautus were to be presented upon the Stage, at Antioch like a Iesuite with traditi∣ons in his mouth. At Athens hee fallies out like a Philosopher; At Ephe∣sus like an Artificer in his Apron: And as Sathan, so the eldest sonne of Sa∣than, so in the manner, with signes and lying wonders, he hath his

profound Plots, his lying and subtill devises, his wiles and stratagems, to deceive them that are stedfast: It's easie to be drawne away, then

Stand fast:

Lastly, in the Papacy, consider the agents the instruments, Romes factors, the great Whores Pandors are crafty to inveagle and betray me to their Re∣ligion, they are crafty, subtill, base and impudent. Read how the spirit of God describes them in the ninth of the Revelations and the first verse, and so forward.

And the fifth Angell sounded, and I saw a Starre fall from Heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomlesse pit, and there arose the smoake of the pit, as the smoake of a great furnace, and the Sunne and the aire were darkened by the smoake of the Pit, and there came out of the smoake, Locusts upon the Earth, and unto them was given power, as the Scorpions of the earth have power, and it was comman∣ded

them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth, neither any greene thing, neither any tree, but onely those men which have not the seale of God in their foreheads, and to them was com∣manded that they should not kill them, but that they should bee vexed five moneths, and that their paine should bee as the paine that commeth of a Scorpion when hee hath stang a man: therefore in those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not find it, and shall desire to dye, and death shall flye from them: and the forme of the Locusts was like unto horses prepa∣red to battaile, and on their heads were as it were Crowns like unto gold, and their faces were like the faces of men, and they had haire as the haire of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of Lions, and they had Habergeons as the Habergeons of Iron.

The Papists themselves confesse, that there by the Starre fallen from Heaven is meant the master of some great error and heresie, and by the Lo∣custs that arise out of the earth, the reachers of those heresies, that goe

about to infect the people of God. The Rhemists say, this Starre fallen from Heaven is such as Arius, Luther and Calvin was; The Star that shall lead me to the light of this Starre that is fallen from Heaven, shall bee that fixed Starre now in Heaven, KING Iames. Kings have a speciall interest in the book of the Revelation; And God hath made them of great use there to bring downe the man of sinne: Then it may well stand with the wisdome of God to reveale the meaning to them: And of all Kings, I heare of none that hath taken that paines in the Revelati∣on as King Iames; This Starre (saith hee) is the Pope who was once in the kingdome of Heaven, as a glorious bright Starre in Heaven above, who had an eminent place in an emi∣nent Church of God; The Locusts that infect the aire, are that innume∣rable multitude and diverse orders of Ecclesiasticall persons, as Fryers, Monkes, Priests, Cardinalls, Iesuites, and I know not whom, who bring as much destruction upon all sorts of

men, as Locusts to the grasse, and ten∣der herbe; As Locusts come by swarmes, and overspread the whole earth, so these fill the whole earth with their Insinuations; The shape of them is like unto Horses, prepared to bat∣tell, to signifie that their forme of practise and policie shall be so world∣ly wise, that they shall want nothing pertaining to the setting forth of their intents, no more than a horse of ser∣vice, which is curiously barbed, fitted and prepared for the fight; They had on their heads, Crownes of Gold, they pretend great holinesse, none more then that Ecclesiasticall order, even as the Elders, because of their true holinesse, had Crownes of Gold, so they, because of their pretended holinesse, have Crownes of Gold al∣so. They have the faces of men, they come with the faces, and Reasonings of men; Sophisticall Arguments, sub∣till Philosophy, which Saint Paul cals vaine Philosophy; The haire of wo∣men: As the haire of women is a speci∣all part of their bewty to deceive men,

so they have Arts and Crafts, to draw men to their Religion; They have habergeons of Iron: to shew they are backt with authority, and the like. I could goe on further, they are many and crafty, full of power, have Crownes of Gold, the heads and fa∣ces of men, the haire of women, all alluring, tempting, enticing and be∣witching: those that in this place are called Locusts, in the sixteenth of the Revelation and the 13. are call'd frogs: Frogges indeed, like those frogs that came into the houses and bed-cham∣bers of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and of his servants, and all his people, no place nor person free: they are the sub∣limate, and the transcendent Instru∣ments of deceit, they come out of the mouth of the Dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false Prophet; The ve∣ry spirit of the Devill, active, power∣full, strong and stirring, full of delusi∣on to deceive men.

Brethren, you see what reason you have to stand fast, that you be

not by any drawne back againe to Po∣pery.

Secondly, consider, it's a dange∣rous thing to be drawne away to Po∣pery. I say, consider the danger that attends all them, that are drawn away. All Papists, in that sense that I speake of Papists, for I doe not speake of all that may be Popishly affected, or in∣cline to some Popish opinions, but such Papists as derive their name from Papa, the Pope, that hold him to bee the head of the Church, that sub∣scribe to the Counsell of Trent, all Italianated, Iesuited Papists, they are Traitors to the King under whom they live, Heretickes, Infidels and Atheists, in continuall danger of tem∣porall destruction, and at last sure of eternall damnation.

First, all sorts of Papists are Trai∣tors to the King under whom they live; Not to prove this by an Inducti∣on of particulars from those many Treasons that have beene committed in this Land, when was there any Treason, since the beginning of Re∣formation,

or scarce before, but they were the Contrivers, Plotters, Act∣ors, at least the favourers and Abet∣tors of it? Was not Sumervile, Par∣rey, Babington and his complices Pa∣pists? was not Lopez and his Abettors Papists? was not Campion and Par∣sons Papists? were not the Gunpow∣der Traitors Papists; was not Cates∣by, Winter and Persey, was not Digby, Rooke-wood and Tresham, was not that Incarnate Devill Guido Fawkes, were they not all Papists? Nor yet to prove them Traitors, because the Law of the Land makes them Traitors, which hath enacted, that all those Priests and Iesuites that come into the Land are Traitors, all that bring Ag∣nus Dei, that maintaine the Popes supremacy above the Kings, and la∣bour to draw obedience from the King, and perswade to Rome, are Trai∣tors. But I will prove it from the principles and maximes of their owne Religion, that shew necessarily all such Papists must bee Traytors in that kingdome where they live; All Re∣ligions

may perhaps have some that are Traitors in it, but no Religion un∣der Heaven (set aside the Religion of the Church of Rome) doth necessitate and compell men to be Traitors; They have a maxime among them, I finde it in Bellarmine, that Kings have not their immediate power from God, but from the people, yet so that the peo∣ple transferre their power into the per∣son of the King, yet keepe habitually in themselves, which they may make a principle for Traytors: It's said of all that the Pope may excommuni∣cate Kings, and Kings standing so may be deposed, and those that goe about to infect the people, the people ought to rise up against them, and that it is not only a lawfull, but a necessary and a meritorious worke; The English Papists (saith a Iesuited English Priest) are well to be excused for not rising a∣gainst their King, because they want power; had they power to their will, the King should either obey the Pope, or else they would not obey the King.

Papists are Traytors.

Secondly, Papists are Heretickes, Infidels and Atheists, not to speake of their innumerable multitude of les∣ser errors, called Veniall sinnes, yet notwithstanding the number of them may helpe to drowne the Shippe of Rome, nor yet to speake of their gros∣ser Tenents, not yet confirmed in the Church of Rome, but disputed in their Schooles, there are some hereticall er∣rors maintained among some, so gros∣ly hereticall, that whosoever holds them, must necessarily be an Heretick, Infidell and Atheist; Such is their Image worship, their Altar worship; their Crosse worship, their Saint wor∣ship, their Angell worship, their Re∣licke worship and the like, such is Iu∣stification by works, works of super-arrogation, but above all, the trans∣cendent heresie, the head of heresies, that the Pope is the head of the Church, above the Scriptures, above Synods, above Counsells, that he can∣not

erre, is so hereticall, that whosoe∣ver holds it in Radice, in fundamento, denies all the Articles of the faith, de∣nies the booke of God, and by neces∣sary consequence denies GOD him∣selfe: for whosoever they are that build any thing on a false foundation, if the foundation falls, all the building falls with it. Saint Paul tells us, that the man of sinne, sits in the Temple of God as God, and exalts himselfe a∣bove all that's called God, above all Kings and Princes, to whom God im∣parts some part of his power and name, above all Synods and Coun∣cells, yea he shewes himselfe as God, for he advances himselfe above God, he will dispense with the morall Law, blesse where GOD doth curse, and curse where God doth blesse, no Law, nothing shall binde him, this wicked one, (called so verse the eight, the Greeke word signifies properly this lawlesse one, for so indeed the Pope is a lawlesse person whom no law of God nor man is able to bind,) he dis∣penseth with solemne oathes, the su∣rest

tye betwixt man and man: that ex∣act and well composed oath of Alle∣giance, they make it a Sampsons Cord; To hold the Pope to bee the head of the Church, is more incongruous and improper, more blasphemous and de∣rogatory against Christ, then if a man should make an excellent Image of ex∣quisite and exact forme, delineated in all the points to the life, with necke and shoulders, with armes and hands, with thighes and legges, and should place thereon a Gorgons head of an hideous and monstrous shape. That Image in Daniel was more uniforme that had a head of gould, breast and armes of silver, belly and thighes of brasse legges, of Iron, and feete part of Iron, and part of Clay, then to have the legges and thighes of Gold, and the head of Clay; This is so hereti∣call and damnable, that whosoever holds it must necessarily bee a Here∣tick, Infidell and Atheist.

Thirdly, Papists are in continuall danger of temporall destruction. The Popes Parasites, Romes builders, give

the same glorious titles, Attributes and Eulogium, to the City of Rome, that once the Prophets of God did to Ierusalem, calling it the Holy City, the City of the great King, the joy of the whole earth, the Queene of Nations, the everlasting, the eternall Citie, and yet Rome must downe, Babylon shall fall, the spirit of God speakes plaine enough, reade the whole eighteenth of the Revelations at your leisure, hee that reades it may understand, for the Text you see is plaine enough, it must downe.

Rome must downe by the sword, Popery must downe by the word; Rome first, Popery after; Those ten Kings that cleave unto her shall at the last make War against her, Rome shall down, Popery shall loose it's strength, though not it's being, till the com∣ming of Christ; I will not determine the set time when Rome shall downe, I have read the Conjectures of many, yet all agree, the time cannot be long, but Rome must downe; At the first comming of our Saviour Christ when

there was a generall expectation of him, the Iewes did not know the par∣ticular time, the yeare, the moneth, the day, there is at this day in the Church of God a generall expectation of some change, though wee cannot particu∣larly tell the time, the yeare, the month the day, it may be the time is now at hand, the Trumpet is sounding to bat∣taile; it may bee present with our selves, of uncertaine things wee can speake but uncertainly, I subscribe to them rather that conceive the yeare to bee one thousand sixe hundred sixtie and sixe though upon other grounds; tis plaine, Satan shall bee tyed up a 1000 yeares, sixe hundred sixty sixe yeares is the number of the Beast, An∣tichrist shall so long reigne, these two together make the just number, be∣sides looke into the Latin Alphabet, the tongue that Rome useth, and the numerall letters make up this number: But this wee can certainely say, Rome must downe, Rome shall fall, Rome in the Revelation is set downe by the name of Sodom, Gomorrah and spiri∣tuall

Ierusalem, Rome equalls their sins, and shall beare their plagues, God calls his people to come out of her, that they bee not partakers of her sinnes, and of her plagues: Rome must fall, and Papists are in con∣tinuall danger of temporall destru∣ction.

Lastly, all Papists (in that sense that I say Papists) are sure of eternall damnation, I may not speake peace, where God speakes no Peace: When Iehoram said to Iehu, what peace Iehu? he answered, what peace as long as the witchcrafts and whoredomes of thy mother Iesabell remaine? What peace can I speake to Rome, while the spirituall whoredomes and witchcrafts of the Church of Rome remaine a∣mong them? Saul lost his kingdome for sparing Agag: And God may damme me, for ought I know, if I refuse to damne them. They are but false Prophets Balaam-like, that blesse where God doth curse; God preaches damnation to them, I may not preach salvation. In the third verse of this

Chapter, Antichrist the man of sinne is called the sonne of perdition, and he is so indeed, both actively and pas∣sively: he is damned himselfe, and is the cause of the damnation of others. The spirit is plaine in the 10, 11, and 12. verses, hee shall work in them that perish, and for this cause God gave them up to strong delusions to believe lyes, that all that receive not the truth in the love of the truth, but had pleasure in unrigh∣teousnesse, might be damned: See in the twentieth of the Revelations and the tenth verse, what the end of them is, where all they must goe, into the lake that burnes with Fire and Brimstone: They that write professedly of this question, whether a Papist can be sa∣ved or no, distinguish of times, pla∣ces and persons, first of times, since the Reformation, and before the Re∣formation: at those times of ignorance God did connive; Then men would have seen and could not, the Sun did not then shine, our fore-fathers might bee saved in that Ignorance; But God commands every one to seeke after

knowledge, the Sun shines cleere en∣ough, Papists may see and will not, God gives them over to affected ig∣norance: he that will be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Againe they distin∣guish of places, where the light of the Gospell hath shined, and where it hath not shined: in some places the Gospell shines very bright and very cleere, as in some parts of France and Germany, and (blessed be God) in England; In some places is darknesse, they have the word rarely preached to them, God will not be mercifull to those Papists where the light of the Gospell shines as cleare as may be, and yet they re∣maine in darknesse.

Lastly, they distinguish of persons. It's confest of all, that a learned Eng∣lish Apostate Papist, cannot be saved. God hath preach'd damnation to them, so must we; Now you see the danger of being Papists, they are Traitors to the King under whom they live, Here∣ticks, Infidels, and Atheists, in continu∣all danger of temporall destruction, and at last sure of eternall damnation.

And you see the first Reason why we should stand fast, because there wil be an Apostacy, a falling away to Po∣pery, the second followes more briefly.

Secondly, Therefore stand fast,be∣cause of Gods great mercy in bring∣ing the Gospell among you, as the Apostle inferres this exhortation from the thirteene and foureteene verses, those immediately before the Text. Consider (beloved) what a blessing it is, that God hath brought the Gospell into this Land, and miraculously pre∣served this Gospell.

First, consider what a blessing God hath brought among us, this glorious Gospell, the greatest blessing that ever God brought into any nation under heaven. Were the Land as the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah was before its destruction, were it as Eden before the curse, as the Garden of God, as Para∣dise, were all our Marchants as No∣bles, our Nobles as Princes, our Prin∣ces as Emperors, were Silver and Gold as it was in the dayes of Salomon, were

our houses like Salomons house, our Churches like his Temple, were the foundations of our Cities, the Gates, the Walles, all of Pearles and pre∣cious stones, as wee read of the new Ierusalem, yet (beloved) what were all this, if wee had no Sunne to en∣lighten us and shine upon us? What good would all this doe us? Light is sweete, and it is a pleasant thing to see the Sunne, that sweetens all, the want of it embitters all, Deut. 4.7, 8. For what nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Iudgements so righte∣ous, as this I set before you this day? What Nation is so great as this Nati∣on, that hath such righteous Iudge∣ments? Marke, the righteousnesse of GOD to a people makes a Nation great, and God is ever neere the peo∣ple where the Gospell is, Righte∣ous Iudgements and righteous Sta∣tutes makes a Nation great, and we have righteous Iudgments and righ∣teous Statutes, therefore a great Na∣tion.

See the curse of that people from

whom God takes the Gospell, and then tell mee what a blessing it is to have the Gospell; It's necessary (saith the Apostle) that the Gospell should bee first preached to you: but since you have refused life and salvation; loe henceforth wee turne to the Gentiles; Everlasting life and the Gospell goe together: Salvation is of the Gentiles: Salvation and the Gospell goe together: the King∣dome of GOD shall bee taken from you, and given to a Nation that will bring forth better fruits. Marke, the kingdome of GOD and the Gospel goe together; and if that Kingdome bee once taken a∣way, then all the kingdomes of the world, Crownes and Scepters heapt together cannot comfort that people. Beloved, God hath brought the Gos∣pell among you, the greatest bles∣sing:

Therefore Stand fast:

Secondly, consider how and when God brought the Gospell to us, Eng∣land was a Land of darknesse: Pope∣rie, Superstition and Idolatry mighti∣ly prevailed among us, what nation al∣most under Heaven more Barbarous, Idolatrous, heathenish, superstitious, then the English Nation: Insomuch that one calls it the Popes Asse, be∣cause of those Antichristian taxations and burdens laid on us, and for those many Rebellions, Treasons and sedi∣tions, our King was proverbially cal∣led the King of devils, yet in the time of the greatest darknesse of Popery and Ignorance God brought this Gos∣pell, though not as the Sunne at noone day, yet as the Sun in the mor∣ning, that shines more and more to the perfect day.

Lastly, consider God hath preser∣ved this Gospell among us in great peace and in great plenty by weake meanes.

I must begin (because the time is past) with that blessed Queene of ever blessed memory, Queene Elizabeth, who though shee was of the weaker Sexe, and daughter to a great King, in the Raigne of her sister Queene Mary, a poore prisoner shut fast in the Tow∣er, tossed from place to place, in con∣tinuall danger of her life, attended with bloudy disposed men, often de∣stined to death, yet God bound up her soule in the bundle of life, and set her in the Throne, and great things God did by her: through her, Religion was restored to its Primitive purity; Shee refined the corrupt Coine, restored the Royall Navie, succored the Scots a∣gainst the French, the French Prote∣stants against the Papists, and both of them against Spaine; Shee defended Belgium against the whole Armies of Spaine, Shee commanded the whole Ocean, kept continuall warre with the Beast; The roaring Bulls and dam∣ned Treasons that came from Rome, were but as Arrowes of Reed thrown against a Brazen wall; Shee brought

Spaine low, conquered his invincible Armado, escaped thousands of Trea∣sons, after a long and blessed Raigne dyed in her bed in peace; She left her Religion and her kingdome in peace, and purity to her successor.

What Clouds of bloud hung in the aire, what threatnings and denun∣ciations of Warre, what dismall dayes did the Papists prophecy of, when the Orientall Starre did set in the West; Yet God brought a Starre from the North, KING Iames came to the Crowne, and no dogge did open his mouth to barke against it: he continu∣ed what shee had begun, perfected what she did leave, he newly transla∣ted the Bible, a great and glorious worke, perfected our Liturgy, gave the greatest blow to the man of sinne of all that went before him; GOD preserved his dayes very long, like Salomons: this day speaks Articulately enough, and with a loud voyce con∣cerning his and our preservation, from the Gunpowder-Treason: never trea∣son so bloudily intended; so secretly

and closely carried so neere to be exe∣cuted, so damnably undertaken, so admirably defeated, as the Gunpow∣der Treason; Not unto us, not unto us, but to thy Name be praise, O Lord: Bre∣thren, you see what Reason you have to stand fast: because of the Gos∣pell, the greatest blessing, which God hath brought in by weake meanes, and preserved in great power: This for the Reasons enforcing this duty, I must speak a word of the duty, which that you may doe, briefly,

Stand fast:

First, doe not foster nor nourish any secret hid sinne, or corruption in your bosome; It's prophecied of the last times, that they that are led away with error will first be led away with their owne lusts, none but such whom God hates (saith Salomon) will God suffer to fall into the hands of a who∣rish woman, and God hates none but them that love their sinne: Let mee tell you, one lust nourished in the

soule, will bring a man to hell, to the devill; One lust maintained, will bring a man to Rome, to the Pope; It was a good advice that one gives young Christians, that they should be∣gin at the latter end of Saint Pauls Epistles, a corrupt life can never have a sound judgement, beware of nouri∣shing the least sinne, beware of cove∣tousnesse, beware of pride, beware of lukewarmnesse, beware of every sin. The Pope is called the man of sinne in this Chapter, and whosoever allow themselves in any sinne, are in danger (being hard put to it) to adhere to the man of sin.

Secondly, have no converse, no ac∣quaintance, no familiarity, no friend∣ship, have nothing to doe with Pa∣pists, depart from them, that yee bee not partakers in their sinnes, they are of an infectious nature, and a man can∣not touch pitch and not be defiled by it. See what a speciall charge God gives the people in the 7. of Deuterono∣mie from the first verse to the sixth; Have nothing to doe with the Nations a∣mong

whom ye come, have no acquain∣tance, make no league, no covenants, no mariages with them, and there's a mo∣rall Reason annexed that concernes us as much as them; for they will turne you away from following mee: And there you see what GOD charges them, To cut downe their groves, breake downe their Images and the like; I can∣not but commend herein the policie of our Adversaries of the Church of Rome: That will not suffer one Lu∣theran, nor Calvinist, nor any of the reformed Religion to be within their power, but upon the least suspition, he must into the Inquisition. What's the reason that the Pope will not dis∣pense in Spaine or Italy if a Papist mar∣ry a Protestant, and yet here they will dispense with them; I pitty those that have Papists lying in their bosomes, those Children that have popish Pa∣rents, those servants that have popish Masters, those Tenants that have Po∣pish Land-lords, those poore neigh∣bours that have great Popish friends, Beloved, stand fast, have nothing to

doe with Popery in any kinde what∣soever.

Thirdly, read none of their books, trust none of their miracles, beleeve none of their Legend, preserve none of their Relickes, keepe none of their Images.

You may see what a strict charge God gives the Nazarites, he forbids them wine, that they should drinke nothing that comes of the Vine; The best of the Kings of Iudah are branded for leaving the groves: in the begin∣ning of Reformation, when the King seized upon the Abbies and Monaste∣ries, it was both policy and wisdome in time not onely to seize upon their goods, but to demolish their houses, to ruine their buildings, to lay deso∣late their places, for Ziim and Ohim, had they continued, those Locusts and Frogges would have filled their places againe.

In Italy and Spaine there is not one Booke of Protestant writers suffered among them, they have their Index Expurgatorius to wipe out what ever

may savour of true Religion, Nay as a wise and learned Traveller saith, the books of Bellarmine are very rare to bee found among them, because hee quotes the Arguments of the Prote∣stants in them, learne wisedome from them, have nothing to doe with what they have.

Fourthly, pray mightily to GOD that God will uphold and strengthen you with the right hand of his power, that you may stand fast, CHRIST tells Peter hee prayed for him, that his faith might not at all faile; If CHRIST prayed for Peter, Lord what great need have we to pray for our selves, that our faith may not faile? you may (Beloved) bee tempt∣ed yet above your strength, there may yet come a time of tryall, and an houre of temptation, you have not yet resisted unto bloud, yet you have lived in a land of peace and safety, you have not beene scar'd with the barking of Vncouth Wolves, Priests and Iesu∣ites have been banisht from among us, and long may they be banisht, once

they were banisht from France, thither they returned againe, the times may come about so, that they may returne to us againe; O you that would stand fast, pray, pray mightily to God, Bar∣nabas was drawne away, for ought I know the temptation may be so great, that we may be drawne away; Then do as IEHOSAPHAT did, when that great Army came against him, cry mightily to GOD that you may stand fast.

Lastly, would you stand fast? Re∣ceive the truth in the Love of it. Be∣cause they would not receive the truth in the love of it, God gave them up to strong delusions; I say, receive the truth in the love of it. You heare many Sermons, you have the book of God in your hand, much peaching; It is not enough to have the word of God in your heads, but you must have it in your hearts. We read of the Fa∣thers, that they received the promise afarre of, the word is emphaticall, they leapt at the promise, received it with great Ioy; O let the word sinke deep

into your hearts, be well grounded in Religion: It is better there, then swimming in the braine, many poore ignorant men, by this have kept close to the truth, when many great Schol∣lers have proved Apostates, receive the truth in the love of it; Thus much for the duty, have patience for one word of exhortation.

Must we stand fast to the Gospell, that we be not drawne away to Pope∣pery? suffer (men and Brethren) a word of Exhortation: You that are Magi∣strates of the Land, you that are Mi∣nisters, yea all the people of God. Among other Reasons, some give this Reason for one; why Samuel went throughout the Land every yeare in circuit, to see if he could find out any Idols of the Gentiles, that they had hid, or any graven Image or car∣ved worke; Our Iudges in their Courts, and Bishops in their Visitati∣ons give in charge, for diligent inqui∣ry, what Recusant Papists, or popish∣ly affected there are; We have singu∣lar,

excellent, good lawes, for the pre∣servation of the puritie of Religion, and to keepe under Popery; whence then is it (men and brethren) that Po∣pery so far prevailes this day, that Po∣pery so much increases among us; I be∣seech you that are arm'd with Autho∣rity, go to the utmost of your authori∣ty, you that have power to punish, punish; to indict, indict; to present, pre∣sent: let not Papists rest in peace, in safety, in security by you; If the chie∣fest and greatest men of a Parish bee Papists, their children, their servants, their attendants, their Tenants, their poore neighbours, their rich kinred and friends, are all in danger by them. My Lord, will have his followers as∣well of his vices, as of his person; If hee leaves his friend at the Church∣doore, hee turnes not backe without his Attendants: If his honour please to bee Idolatrous, they will waite on him to Masse; You that keepe backe the sword from doing justice, when God calls for it, you may your selves dye by the sword of God, and the

bloud of all that Parish through your neglect, shall lye upon your heads, Crudelitas pro Christo, pietas est; cru∣elty for Christ is godlinesse. You to whom the sword of the spirit is committed, draw forth that sword; Lift up your voyce like a Trumpet, Cry aloud and spare not; Tell the Papists of their transgressions, and the Church of Rome of her Abominati∣ons: Warn the People of God to flye from them, least they be partakers of their sinnes, and of their plagues, Ex∣hort them to stand fast, to the Gos∣pell already received, discover the na∣kednesse of the one, and shew the beauty of the other: The Angell of the Church of Ephesus is commended for his labour and patience, and for that hee could not beare with them that were evill, but tryed them that said, they were Apostles, and were not, and hated the Nicolaitans, which GOD also hates; Let this bee our Crowne and our Glory, that if any perish, they perish not through our de∣fault; O let not false Shepheards,

theeves and wolves bee more paine∣full; Let not Iesuites compasse Sea and Land, to make one Proselyte, of their owne Religion, which when they have done, they make him sea∣venfold more the child of the Devill then themselves; Let them not come with their lives in their hands, with the hazard of their bloud, to pervert them committed to our charge, and our selves sit silent, but let us lift up our voyces in season, and out of sea∣son: And let them know, there are Prophets among them, and if the peo∣ple will not be charmed, send them to God with this Inscription on their foreheads; Noluerunt incantari: They will not be charmed; Let us to our power save our owne soules and them that heare us.

Lastly, you the people of God, stand fast, to the Gospell, if an Angell from Heaven preach any other Do∣ctine, let him be accursed; O search the Scripture throughly: It was the speech of a dying Archbishop of this Province, one of the last that ever he

spoke to his Chaplein, I have said much, and writ much, and read much, and preacht much; Yet in all the booke of God, I doe not finde the least ground for Popery. Saint Paul withstood Peter to his face, and gave him no place, no not for an houre; O withstand Peter of Rome, who can challenge nothing of Peters, but that title which Christ once gave him, Sa∣than, and that fact, in denying his Ma∣ster; I say, withstand him to his face and give him not place, no not for an houre. I can never sufficiently admire and wonder at the speech of blessed Luther, who (though he was very ear∣nest to have the Communion admini∣stred in both kinds, contrary to the Doctrine and custome of the Church of Rome,) yet he professes, if the Pope (as Pope) commanded him to receive in both kindes, he would but receive in one kind: Its a generall rule among the best, that what the Pope com∣mands as Pope, though it bee good or indifferent, as to pray, to read, to lift up an eye, a hand, to weare blacke or

white, a lace, a modell, to drop a Bead, as the Pope commanding it; It is a receiving the marke of the beast, a yeelding our selves the Vassalls of Sathan, and an Implicite denying the faith of Christ; So extremely veni∣mous is the poyson that lyes at the root of that fundamentall heresie, which they have layed at the very Rocke and foundation of their faith, so dangerous and pernitious it is to hearken to the Pope.

The renowned Martyrs in Queene Maries days, would show no reverence to the commissioners from the Pope, and let mee tell you there are many things in the Church of Rome that may be, that are decent to be used in the Church of God, some things there are at this day in practise in the Church of Rome, that were in use in that Church when it was not Antichristian, in the times of the Primitive Bishops and blessed Martyrs; Some things used, that are not yet commanded by the Pope as Pope: what ever we use with the Church of Rome, we use it, as com∣manded

by another power, not because commanded by the Pope, so that what we doe, is to bee accounted an Act of obedience, what they doe is to bee condemned, because commanded by the Pope; be wise as Serpents, Inno∣cent as Doves, rightly distinguish of times, places, and persons, so shall you not endanger your own soules, nor dis∣obey them that are over you, nor scan∣dall them that live with you.

Lastly, must we stand fast? Let us give thanks to our Lord God, that we stood fast to this day; It is very meet, and our duty, that wee should at all times and in all places give thankes to thee, ô Lord, holy father, but chiefely for the deliverance of this day, from that unparallell'd matchlesse, dam∣nable Gunpowder Treason. Therfore with Angels and Archangels, and all the glorious company of heaven, we laud and magnifie the name of God and say,

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabboth, glory be to God on high.

O all ye works of the Lord, praise ye the Lord, blesse him and magnifie him for ever.

O all yee Angels of the Lord, blesse yee the Lord, praise him and magnifie him for ever.

O all yee Children of men, blesse yee the Lord, praise him and magnifie him for ever.

O all yee Priests of the Lord, blesse ye the Lord, praise him and magnifie him for ever.

O all yee servants of the Lord, blesse yee the Lord, praise him and magnifie him for ever.

O all yee Kings and Emperors, all people and Princes, all Iudges, young men and maides, old men and babes, praise yee the name of the Lord, for his name is only excellent, his glory is above the Earth and Heaven, hee hath exalted the Horne of his peo∣ple, the praise of all his Saints, even the people of England, a people neere unto him, praise the Lord; Happie are we, who are like unto us? saved by the Lord, the shield of our helpe, and the sword of our excellency. The eternall God is our Refuge, and un∣derneath him, are the everlasting

Armes, he hath saved us, and if wee trust in him, hee will save us, from this time forth and for evermore, blessed be the God of our salvation, and let all the People say, Amen.

FINIS.

Notes

• Hest 9.20.
• Reas. 1.
• Dan. 12.9.
• Pro. 7.10.
• Dan. 9. and the last.
• Reas. 2.
• 2 Tim. 3.6
• Num 6.3. & 4.
• Heb. 11.
• Vse of Ex∣hortation.