Clavis mystica a key opening divers difficult and mysterious texts of Holy Scripture; handled in seventy sermons, preached at solemn and most celebrious assemblies, upon speciall occasions, in England and France. By Daniel Featley, D.D.

BLOUDY EDOME. THE LX. SERMON.

PSAL. 137.7, 8.

7. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edome, in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Raze it, raze it even to the foundation thereof.

8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed: happy shall hee be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us.

Right Honourable, &c.

WHat a storme is in the skie, that a vehement passion is in the mind; it darkeneth, it stirreth and troubleth it, and af∣ter fearfull crackes it resolveth in the end into a sad shower: such a violent perturbation seized at this time on the minds of the exiled Jewes in Babylon, when the insolent Conquerours, adding affliction to their afflicti∣on, and gall to their wormwood, in a flouting and jeering manner called for their Hebrew songs and melody in that their heavie and dolefull estate. What so unseasonable as to require a man to sing pleasant songs, when his very heart-strings are broken with griefe? What so la∣mentable and pitifull, as not to be pitied in greatest misery? nay to bee in∣sulted upon and laughed at? Wherefore what with a longing desire of their country, and sorrow for their losse of it: what with zeale for the Lords ho∣nour, and the glory of Sion: what with indignation against such savage and barbarous usage, the people of God over-cast as it were with a blacke and dismall cloud, partly breake out into direfull execrations, like thunder and lightening, ver. 7, 8, 9. partly vent their griefe in sighes, ver. 4, 5, 6. partly resolve it into a shower of teares, ver. 1. Edome is blasted as it were with lightening for her wicked words, ver. 7. and Babylon is struck with a thun∣der-bolt for her cruell deeds against Gods People, City, and Temple, vers. 8, 9. Edome shall be remembred for the mischievous counsell he gave; and the daughter of Babylon shall be for ever razed out of memory, for razing Jerusalem to the ground. And let all the secret and open enemies of Gods

Church take heed how they imploy their tongues and hands against Gods secret ones: they that presume to doe either, may here reade their fatall doome written in the dust of Edome, and ashes of Babylon.a 1.1 Roses lose not their naturall smell by transplantation, but (as Pliny observeth) grow more fragrant thereby. It is so with men, the naturall affection they beare to their country is rather increased than decreased by peregrination; as the sighes which the captive Jewes breathe out in this Psalme, and the plentifull teares which they shed by the waters of Babylon, may be abundant proofes unto us. As they walked in the pleasant fields about Babylon, they thinke of the lamentable estate of their owne Country, and the ruine of their Ci∣ty and Temple, which cast downe their countenance, and drew abundance of teares from their eyes, sighes from their heart, and prayers from their mouth for Babels Babel, that is, the confusion of the Babylonians, who neither spared City nor Temple, but sacked and razed both downe to the ground.

This is the ground upon which the Psalmist sweetly runneth through the whole Psalme: wherein foure things are particularly descanted on;

1. The grievous affliction of Gods people, who were banished their na∣tive soyle, and by the waters of Babylon sate downe and wept.

2. The inhumane cruelty of the Babylonians, who not content to banish them out of their native country, endeavoured also to banish all naturall affection out of their mindes, requiring from them light and merry songs in this their great heavinesse.

3. The zealous affection of the people towards their Country.

4. Their effectuall prayer to God against their enemies the Edomites, as the instigators of the siege and sacke of Jerusalem; and the Babylonians as the chiefe actors in that bloudy Tragedy.

Remember the children of Edome, &c. We have in these words,

• 1. A patheticall imprecation.
• 2. A propheticall denunciation.

Edome is accursed, Babylon is sentenced; the one for advising, the other for committing outrage upon Gods people. Nothing will satisfie their malice and cruelty but a glut of bloud, and massacre of Gods Saints, and razing the holy City againe and againe if it were possible to a second foun∣dation.

In the patheticall imprecation note we particularly,

• 1. The curse it selfe, Remember.
• 2. The parties accursed, The children of Edome.
• 3. The cause why they are accursed, their words steeped in the gall of malice, Downe with it, downe with it to the ground.

Likewise in the prophesie against Babylon observe,

• 1. Her title, Daughter of Babylon.
• 2. Her judgement, Which art to be destroyed.
• 3. Her sin, implyed in those words, As shee hath served us.

Remember. Remembrance is the calling to mind of such things as be∣fore we had forgot, or at least put by and laid aside for the present. God therefore, who at once apprehendeth all things past, present and future, can∣not be properly said to remember any thing; yet by a figure he is said to

remember his covenant, when he performeth the conditions on his part: to remember his children, when he rewardeth them for their obedience: and to remember his enemies also when hee repayeth unto them the workes of their hands. The good theefe taketh the Word in the good sense:b 1.2 Lord, remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome. And David,c 1.3 Remem∣ber mee, O Lord, with the favour thou bearest thy people: O visit mee with thy salvation, that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoyce in the glad∣nesse of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. But the Jewes here take the words in the worst sense; Remember the children of Edome, that is, thinke upon them according to their deserts. There is a precious balme that breaketh the head, and the soft drops pierce stones; even so the milde and meeke prayer of Gods people here against their unnaturall bre∣thren the Edomites pierced the heavens, and prevailed with him that is om∣nipotent. God remembred his peoples just complaints, and the Edomites paid for it. Thus if we would remember the words of God,d 1.4 Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord; and when wee are wronged in the highest degree, commit our cause to him, and not to vow, threaten, or practise our owne revenge: God would certainly right us in due time. Are wee not brethren? If then we have hard measure offered unto us, why doe we not complaine to our heavenly Father? Why doe wee not powre out our groanes into his bosome either in the words of Brutus,e 1.5 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉? Or rather in the words of David,f 1.6 Plead thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with mee, fight against them that fight against mee? Or of the slaine under the Altar,g 1.7 How long, O Lord holy and true, doest thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell upon the earth?

Yea, but ye may object, Is not this Remember here an imprecation or a curse in words as smooth as oyle, and yet in the sense as sharp as swords? What then? may the children of blessing curse? Is not cursing accursed by the Prophet? Hish 1.8 mouth is full of cursing. As he lovedi 1.9 cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighteth not in blessing, so let it be farre from him. Are not curses fitly compared to arrowes shot bolt upright, which fall downe upon the head of him that drawes the bow? Doth not our blessed Savi∣our command us tok 1.10 blesse them that curse us? And doth not the Apostle repeat it againe and againe for feare we should forget it,l 1.11 Blesse them that persecute you, blesse (I say) and curse not? Are not cursed speakers sharply censured by the Apostle, and ranked among the greatest sinners?m 1.12 Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit: their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse, their feet are swift to shed bloud.

The resolution of this doubt consisteth in a distinction of the

• 1. Parties,
  • 1. Cursing.
  • 2. Cursed.
• 2. Cause.

Saint Austine alloweth of no cursing by malediction, but propheticall prediction. Peter Martyr putteth a great difference between cursing, which proceeds from a sense of our private wrong, and that which breakes out of zeale for Gods honour when his name is blasphemed, or his kingdome op∣posed, and truth scandalized. Men (saith he) may not curse carnali affectu,

out of a carnall affection: but it is another thing, cùm aguntur Spiritu Dei; when they are moved thereunto by the Spirit of God. He distinguisheth also of temporall and eternall evills, and he is of opinion, that in some case tempo∣rall evills may be wished to our enemies, because they may turne to their good; but in no wise eternall. Pareus having distinguished of humane im∣precations and divine, and subdivided these either into immediate or me∣diate, determineth, that observing some conditions, wee may without sinne curse some kind of men.

What we may safely build upon in this question, I will lay down in three assertions.

1. Men that have the gift of Prophecy may curse the enemies of God and his truth, not only in generall, but also in particular: as David dothn 1.13 Judas, Petero 1.14 Simon Magus, and Paul the highp 1.15 Priest. For this kind of cursing is not properly malediction, but prediction; neither is it spoken voto optanti∣um, sed spiritu prophetantium, as Saint Austine teacheth us to distinguish.

2. Men endued with ecclesiasticall power may pronounce Anathema's, deli∣ver to Sathan, and curse obstinate heretickes and contemners of ecclesiasticall discipline. For this is jus dicere, not maledicere; an act of power, not impo∣tent affection; of censure, not revenge. Howbeit, the Church must be spa∣ring of these thunder-bolts of execration and excommunication, remem∣bring alwayes that this power isq 1.16 given to them for edification, not for de∣struction. For it is most true, that the Athenian Priest answered to those that would have had her curse Alcibiades: Priests (saith shee) are appoin∣ted to blesse, not to curse; to pray for people, not against them. Notwith∣standing if the Church meet with a Simon Magus, set in the gall of bitter∣nesse and bond of iniquity: or an Elymas, that will not cease to pervert the right waies of God: or an Alexander that mightily withstandeth the preach∣ing of the Gospel; shee may brandish the sword of the Spirit, and cut such off from her visible assemblies for a time, till they make their peace with God by repentance, and with the Church by confession and humble sub∣mission to her sacred Canons.

3. Men neither inspired by God, nor authorized by the Church, yet may and ought to pray against the kingdome of Sathan and members of Antichrist in generall, and all whosoever stop the free passage of the Gospel, or hinder the advancement of Christs Kingdome. For we cannot love God, but we must needs love them that love him, and hate them that hate him, even with a perfect hatred. As wee must blesse them that blesse him, so wee may and ought in generall to curse all that curse him. In warre wee may aime at the Standard, and shoot at the Flagge and Ensignes; but it is against the law of armes to levell at any particular man: in like manner we may shoot out of zeale fiery darts of execration at the Standard of Sathan, and levell at the Flagge and Colours of Antichrist; but wee may not curse or doome to the pit of hell such a nation, city, assembly, or man in particular.

1. Because God only knoweth who are his: he that is now a great per∣secuter, or a scoffer at the truth, may be in time a zealous professor; and it is a fearfull thing to curse the children of blessing.

2. Because it is very difficult, if not impossible for any in this kinde

to curse, but that malice and desire of revenge will mingle themselves with our zeale, and thereby wee shall offer with Nadab and Abihu strange fire.

3. Because we are commanded to pray for our enemies, who the more they have wronged us, the more they stand in need of our prayers. For the greater injury they offer us, the more they hurt themselves: they wound us in body, but themselves in soule: they spoyle us of our goods, but they deprive themselves of Gods grace: they goe about to staine our good name, but by detraction and false calumniation they worse staine their owne conscience: they may worke us out of favour with Princes and great men, but they put themselves out of favour with God thereby.

Yee heare how execrable a thing cursing and execration is, and yet what so common? I tremble to rehearse what wee heare upon every sleight occasion. O remember from this Memento in my Text, that unlesse yee were inspired as the people here were, and knew that those whom yee curse were hated of God, as these Edo∣mites were, by cursing others yee incurre a curse, and by ca∣sting fire-brands of Hell at your brethren, yee heape hot burning coales upon your heads. And so I passe from the curse to the parties cursed:

The children of Edome. The Edomites or Idumeans were of the race of Esau, Jacobs elder brother, who comming home hungry from hunting, and finding his brother seething pottage, grew so greedy of it, that he bargai∣ned with him for a messe at the deare rate of his birth-right. This red broth bought at such a price, was ever after cast in Esau his dish, and from it hee was calledr 1.17 Edome, and all his posterity Edomites or Idumeans, as if yee would say, red or bloudy ones. Such was their name, and such were they: a bloudy generation, of the right bloud of Esau. For as he sought the life of his brother Jacob, so they ever plotted the ruine and destruction of the Jewes their brethren; and in the day of Jerusalems fearfull visitation, when the Babylonians had taken the City, and put all in it to the sword, and rob∣bed the Temple, and ransacked all the houses, and left nothing but the wall, their unnaturall brethren the Idumeans in stead of quenching, or at least allaying the fury of the Babylonians by their praiers and compassio∣nate teares, cast oyle into the flame, and set them in a greater rage against them, and instigated them to a further degree of cruelty, even to pull down all the houses, and sacke the walls, saying, Raze it, raze it to the ground. For which their inhumane and savage cruelty against the Church of God, God remembred them in due time, and rewarded them as they had served their brethren, to fulfill the prophecies ofs 1.18 Jeremy and Obadiah:t 1.19 For thy cruelty against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side; in the day that the stranger carried away captive his forces, and forreiners entred into his gates, & cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger, neither shouldest thou have re∣joyced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction: neither shoul∣dest thou have spoken proudly in the day of their distresse. Neither shouldest

thou have stood in the crosse wayes, to cut off those of his that did escape, neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remaine in the day of di∣stresse. For the day of the Lord is neere upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, so it shall be done unto thee, thy reward shall returne upon thine owne head. Be∣hold a notable example of divine justice in meting to the wicked their owne measure, and punishing them with that where with they offended. The E∣domites proved false to the Jewes their brethren, and their neerest friends prove false to them: They received a wound (ver. 7.) from the men of their confederacy, even from them that ate their bread:

Non expectato vulnus ab hoste ferunt.

Remember, O Lord, the Edomites, but destroy the Babylonians. Though the Edomites dealt most cruelly with their brethren the Jewes, yet the Jewes are not so farre transported with passion against them, as not to put a difference between them and the Babylonians. By the way wee may note the condition of Christs dearest Spouse in the world: both Edomites and Babylonians, forraine and domesticall enemies, those that are neere, and those that are farre off conspire against poore Jerusalem, and bring her (as you see) upon her knees, crying to heaven for revenge, and by the spirit of prophesie promising Cyrus good successe in his enterprise against Babylon.

O daughter of Babylon, that is, City of Babylon, by an elegant Hebra∣isme; as tell the daughter of Sion, that is, tell Sion. We reade of a twofold Ba∣bylon in sacred Scriptures, of the one in the Old Testament, the other in the New: the one proper and materiall, the other figurative & mysticall: the one the seat of Nebuchadnezzar, & the Emperors of Assyria, the other the seat of Antichrist: the on situate by the great river, by whose banks the Israelites sate downe and wept, the other sitting upon many waters, that is, as the Angel expoundeth it, manyu 1.20 peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues: the one keeping the bodies of Gods people, the other their soules in captivity and bondage. This latter not only the ancient Fathers, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Saint Jerome, and Saint Austine, but also the Jesuites themselves, Ribera, Vegas, and Bellarmine put upon the racke, and sorely tortured with the arguments of Protestants, confesse to bee Rome. For the Whore of* 1.21 Babylon is said to be the great City, which reigneth over the Kings of the earth: and ver. 17. Shee is said to sit upon a beast, having seven heads, which are seven hills, ver. 9. Now there was no City in the world which ruled over the Kings of the earth at that time when St. John wrote but Rome: neither was there any place so famously and generally knowne by any marke as Rome by the seven hills upon which it is built; which is therefore called septi-collis urbs, and her inhabitants in Tertullians time septem collium plebs, and the chiefest feast which they kept in December upon those seven hills, septi-montium. What of all this will some Papists say? let the daughter of Babylon be the mother of fornications, let the speech of Saintx 1.22 Austine be as true as it is elegant, Babylon quasi prima Ro∣ma, Roma quasi secunda Babylon, what will ensue hereupon? nothing but this, That the Pope is Antichrist. This consequent cannot be avoided by their usuall distinction of ancient and new Rome, Heathenish and Christi∣an, Imperiall and Papall: for Saint John speaketh of Rome in her later time,

when Antichrist should sit in her, when Babylon should fall, and be broken into ten peeces, or kingdomes: which was not fulfilled in the reigne of the Heathen Emperours; and therefore must be accomplished in the reigne of Popes, who are the seventh head of the Beast, that is, the seventh forme of government of that City. Five were fallen in Saint Johns time (viz.) Kings, Consuls, Tribunes, Dictators, Decemvirs: the sixth was upon it (viz.) the head of Emperours; the seventh was to rise up (viz.) the head of Popes.

But because ye may suspect, that out of prejudicate opinion against the Pope, we wrest these Sciptures against the See of Rome, I will bring in all my evidence at this time against the Pope out of the writings of the anci∣ent Fathers, who cannot be thought to deprave Scriptures out of an ill af∣fection to Rome. For they then honoured and highly esteemed the Church of Rome, as a principall member of Christs Spouse: yet even then they conceived that she would in time become the Whore of Babylon. For Irenaeus calculating the number of the Beast 666. maketh of it this word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The name of Latinus (saith he) containeth the number 666. and is very likely to be the name of they 1.23 Beast: for they are the Latines that now reigne. And Tertullian ghessing at the time of Antichrists rising, saith,z 1.24 Romani Imperii abscessio in decem reges divisi, Antichristum superinducit; The decay of the Romane Empire being divided into ten kingdomes, shall bring in Antichrist. Saint* 1.25 Jerome strikes neerer the Popes triple crowne: The purple Whore is Rome, and her name of blasphemy is, Roma aeterna. Sainta 1.26 Chrysostome expresly affirmeth, that Antichrist his throne shall be the vacant seat of the Romane Empire. Saintb 1.27 Gregory seemeth to have received some particu∣lar advertisement of the approach of the man of sinne in his dayes: Anti∣christ (saith he) is setting forth, and an army of Priests is levied for him. Lay all these particulars together, and the totall summe will be, that the Pope is Antichrist. The name of Antichrist is Latinus, his seat is Rome, his rising is upon the fall of the Empire, his guard is an army of Priests. Saint Gre∣gory implies that Antichrist shall be a Bishop.c 1.28 Irenaeus that he shall be a La∣tine, or of the Latine Church. Saint Jerome that Rome shall be his See. Tertullian and Chrysostome, that hee shall waxe in the waine of the Ro∣mane Empire. The Romane Empire is fallen long since, being divided into ten kingdomes to wit, of the Almanes, England, France, Spaine, Den∣marke, Scotland, Poland, Navarre, Hungary, Naples, and Sicilie. These an∣cients were farre from the times of Antichrist, and yet you see how right they aime at him:d 1.29 the lesser marvell that many in succeeding ages, as Echar∣dus, Otho Frisingensis, Robert Grosthead, Dulcinus Navarenus, Marsilius Patavinus, Dantes, Michael Cesenus, Johannes de Rupe-scissa, Franciscus Pe∣trarcha, Henricus de Hassia, Walter Brute, John Huz, Johannes de Vesalia, & divers others hit him full, and fastened upon him the name of Antichrist. For they as being neere him, saw in him cleerly all those markes, whereby Saint Paul and Saint John describe that man of sinne, and son of perdition. from which we thus argue:

• He in whom all or the principall marks of Antichrist are found, he is the Antichrist.
• But in the Pope all or the principall marks of Antichrist are to be found:
• Ergo the Pope is the Antichrist.

By Pope we understand not this or that Pope in individuo, but rather in specie, or to speak more properly, the whole succession of Popes, from Bo∣niface the third, or at least Gregory the seventh, otherwise called Helde∣brand. As the word Divell in the New Testament for the most part signi∣fieth not any particular spirit, but indefinitely an evill spirit, or the king∣dome of Sathan: and as the foure beasts in Daniel stand not for foure Mo∣narchs, but foure Monarchies; so the Beast in the Apocalypse, in whose ougly shape Antichrist appeares, seemeth not to represent any singular Pope, but the See of Rome after it degenerated into the Papacy. Now in the Bishops of Rome after Boniface and Heldebrand, we find the name, the seat, the apparrell, the pride, the cruelty, the idolatry, the covetousnesse, the imposture, the power, and the fortune of Antichrist.

1. The name of Antichrist containeth in it the number 666. which Ire∣naeus findeth in the word Latinus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

2. The seat of Antichrist is a City built upon seven hills that ruleth over the whole world: this City Propertius will tell you to be Rome,

Septem urbs clara jugis, toti quae praesidet orbi.

3. The ornaments of Antichrist are scarlet, and purple, gold, jewells, and precious stones, which the Pope weares, especially on high dayes.

4. The time of Antichrist his rising is fore-told to be after the division of the Romane Empire: after which it appeares by all stories, that the Pope grew to his greatnesse.

5. The vices of Antichrist are these especially:

• 1. Pride: he shall exalt himselfe above all that is called God, that is, Princes; and doth not the Pope so, who admitteth them to kisse his feet, arrogateth to himselfe a power over them to depose them, and dispose of their kingdomes?
• 2. Idolatry or spirituall fornication: the great Whore is said to commit fornication with the Princes of the earth; and doth not the Pope intice all Kings and Princes to idolatry, which is spirituall for∣nication?
• 3. Cruelty: the Whore is said to bee drunke with the bloud of Saints. I need not apply this note, both their owne and our stories relate of many thousands by the Popes meanes put to death for the profession of the Gospel, under the names of Lionists, Waldenses, Albigenses, Wickliffists, Hussites, Lutherans, Calvinists, and Hu∣gonots.
• 4. Imposture: Antichrist shall come after the power of Sathan, in all power of signes and lying wonders; and who pretend miracles, and abuse the world with Legends of lyes, but the Popes adhe∣rents?
• 5. Covetousnesse: through covetousnesse hee shall with feigned words make merchandize of you. Now the wares wherewith the Whore of Babylon deceiveth the world, what are they but her par∣dons, indulgences, hallowed beads, medalls, Agnus Dei's, and the like?

6. The Beast is said to havee 1.30 hornes like a Lambe, and to speake like a Dragon, and to exercise all the power of the first beast. This agreeth to the

Papacy and Pope, who resembleth Christ, whose Vicar he calleth him∣selfe, and arrogateth to himselfe Christs double power, both Kingly and Priestly. He exerciseth also the power of the first beast, to wit, the Romane Empire described by seven heads and ten hornes, because as the first beast, the Romane Empire by power and temporall authority, so the Pope by policy and spirituall jurisdiction ruleth over a great part of the world.

7. It is written of the Whore of Babylon, that the Kings of the earth should give their power to her for a time, but that in the end they shouldf 1.31 hate her, and make her desolate; which we see daily more and more fulfilled in the Papacy.

I will be as briefe in the application, as I have been long in the explica∣tion of this Scripture. Babylon is figuratively Rome, and Rome is mysti∣cally Babylon. The Edomites the instigators of the Babylonians, and part∣ners with them in the spoyle of the Israelites, may well represent unto us Romish Priests and Jesuited Papists, rightly to be termed Edomites from Edome, signifying red or bloudy. For a bloudy generation they are, as ap∣peareth by their treasonable practices against Queen ELIZABETH of happy memory, and our gracious Soveraigne now reigning. These verily seeme the naturall sonnes of Esau, who hated Jacob because God loved him, and sought to destroy him and his posterity because their father blessed them; even so they hate our Jacob, and seeke to root out his posterity, because God hath blessed him with so many crownes, and crowned him with so many blessings. They had thought in their mindes, as we reade, Genes. 27. The daies ofg 1.32 mourning will come shortly, and then wee will kill Jacob. But blessed be the God of Jacob, who delivered his annointed from the power of the sword.

The more I looke upon the Edomites or Esauites, the more likenesse I find between them and our unnaturall countri-men, Jesuited Papists. The E∣domites pretended that they were of the elder house of Isaac, and these pretend that they are of the elder Church, which is the house of God. The Edomites, though they were brethren to the Jewes, yet they behaved themselves towards them like mortall enemies; even so our English Pa∣pists, though they are our kinsmen and countri-men, yet since Pope Pius his excommunication of Queen ELIZABETH, they have proved the most dan∣gerous enemies both of our Church and State: even in this resembling the Edomites, that as they not only vexed and persecuted the people of God themselves, but also instigated the Babylonians against them; so these not content to plot treasons, sow sedition, stirre up rebellion in our kingdome, have dealt with forraine Kings & States to invade our Kingdome, and root out both Church and Common-wealth. What pity is it that our Rebecca should have her bowells rent within her by two such children striving in her wombe? It followeth, In the day of Jerusalem. Jerusalem had a day, af∣ter which she slept in dust; & the daughter of Babylon appointed a day for England, a fatall and dismall day, a blacke and gloomy day, or rather a Go∣morrhean night, in which a hellish designe against our Church and Com∣mon-wealth was attempted, and if God himselfe had not miraculously de∣feated it, it had been acted: a designe to destroy both at once with fire and brimstone, not falling downe from heaven, but rather rising up from hell;

I meane a deep vault digged by the myners of Antichrist, and fraught with juysses, billets, barres of iron, and 36. barrells of gun-powder, like so ma∣ny great peeces of Ordnance full charged, and ready to bee shot off all at once, to blow up the house of Parliament, with the royall stocke, and the three estates of the Kingdome. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edome in that day, or rather for that day, in which (shall I say) they said, Raze it, raze it to the very foundation? they more than said it, or cried it, they would have thundered it out; they assayed it, they did what they could to raze it. For they planted their murdering artillery at the very foundation of it. Cursed be their wrath, for it was fierce; and their rage, for it was furious, nay barbarous, nay prodigious, to cut off root and branch at once, to beat downe City and Temple with one blow, to snatch away on the sudden the King and Prince, Queen and Nobles, Bishops and Judges, Barons and Bur∣gesses, Papists and Protestants, Friends and Enemies, and carry them up in a fiery cloud, and scatter their dismembred members, or rather ashes over the whole City. O daughter of Babylon, worthy to bee destroyed because thou delightest in destruction; happy shall he be that taketh thy young chil∣dren and monstrous brats, viz. treasons, plots, conspiracies, and unnaturall designes against Prince and State, and dasheth them against the stones.

To draw towards an end, and to draw you to a reall thanks-giving to God for the deliverance of the three estates of the Kingdome, like the three children from the fiery furnace heat by the daughter of Babylon. God hath done great things for us this day, whereat wee rejoyce; let us doe some∣thing to him and for him: he hath remembred us not in words, but in deeds, let us remember him as well in deeds as words: let us honour him with our substance, let us blesse him with our hands, let us praise him with our goods.

Peradventure you will say, Ourh 1.33 goods are nothing to him, our goodnesse extendeth not unto him, he is far above us, and out of the reach of our cha∣rity: see how the Prophet himselfe removeth this rub in the next verse, But to the Saints that are on the earth, and to them that excell in vertue. And our Saviour assureth us, thati 1.34 Whatsoever we doe unto them, Christ taketh it as done unto himselfe. In feeding the hungry ye feed Christ, in clothing the naked ye cloth him, in visiting the imprisoned ye visit him. Though ye can∣not now with Mary Magdalen reach up to his head to breake a boxe of Spicknard, and powre it on him, yet ye can annoint him in his sicke and sore, comfort him in his afflicted, provide for him in his famished, relieve him in his oppressed, yea and redeem him also in his captive members. This to doe is charity and mercy at all times, but now it is piety and devotion also. It is not sufficient for you to lift up your hands in prayer and thanksgiving, ye must stretch them out in pious andk 1.35 charitable contributions: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. And if ever such sacrifices are due to him, now especially upon the yeerly returne of the feast wee celebrate for the preservation of our King and Kingdome, Church and Common-wealth, Nobles and Commons, Goods and Lands, nay Religion and Lawes from the vault of destruction.

Remember, O Lord, the children of Edome in that day what they said, Novelties shall passe with a crack, and Heretickes shall receive a blow: and what they assayed, even to raze Jerusalem and Sion to the ground: and forget not, O Lord, the Whore of Babylon, which hath

dyed her garments scarlet red in the bloud of thy Saints and Martyrs: make all her lovers to forsake her, and abhorre her poysoned doctrine, though offered in a cup of gold. Strip her of her gay attire, pluck down her proud looks, & humble her before thy Spouse: and if she will not stoop nor re∣pent her of her spirituall fornication & savage cruelty against the profes∣sours of the truth, reward her as shee hath served us. But as for those that have forsaken Babel, & joyne with us in the defence & confirmation of the Gospel, prosper them in all the reformed Churches, and grant that as they all agree in the love of the same truth, so they may seek that truth in love, and that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgement, that they may discerne those things that differ, and approve of those things that are excellent; that they may be sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Cui, &c.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Plin. ••at. hist. l. 21. c 4 Rosa siccis quàm humidis odo∣ratior, omni recisione atque ustione profi∣cit, translatio∣ne quoque o∣cyssimè.
• b 1.2

  Luk. 23.42.
• c 1.3

  Psa. 106.4, 5.
• d 1.4

  Rom. 12.19. Heb. 10.30.
• e 1.5

  Plut. in vit. Brut.
• f 1.6

  Psal. 35.1.
• g 1.7

  Rev. 6.10.
• h 1.8

  Psal. 10.7.
• i 1.9

  Psal. 109.17.
• k 1.10

  Mat. 5.44.
• l 1.11

  Rom. 12.14.
• m 1.12

  Rom. 3.13, 14.
• n 1.13

  Psal. 69.25. Acts 1.20.
• o 1.14

  Act 8.2, 20.
• p 1.15

  Act. 23.3.
• q 1.16

  2 Cor. 10.8.
• r 1.17

  Gen. 25.30, 31, 32, 33.
• s 1.18

  Jer. 49.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
• t 1.19

  Obad. ver. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
• u 1.20

  Apoc. 17.15.
• * 1.21

  Apoc. 17.18.
• x 1.22

  Aug. l. 18. de civit. Dei, c. 20. Rom•• altera Baby∣lon, & prioris filia. Ibid. Vives in comment. Hie∣ronym. epist. ad Marcellam. Non aliam existimat describi à Johanne in Apocalypsi Babylonem, quàm urbem Romam.
• y 1.23

  Iren. l. 5. adv. haer c. 30.
• z 1.24

  Tertul. de resurrect.
• * 1.25

  Ep. ad Algas.
• a 1.26

  Ep. ad Thes. Vacantem Im∣perii principa∣tum invadet.
• b 1.27

  Greg. ep. l. 4. Sacerdotum ei paratur exerci∣tus.
• c 1.28

  P. Mouline contr. Coeffet. part. 3. Accom∣prirement des prophecies.
• d 1.29

  Catalog. test. verit.
• e 1.30

  Apoc. 18.11.
• f 1.31

  Apoc. 17.13, 16.
• g 1.32

  Gen. 27.41.
• h 1.33

  Psal. 16.2.
• i 1.34

  Mat. 25.40. Verely, verely, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto mee.
• k 1.35

  Heb. 13.16.