MIRMAH, OR, THE Deceitful Witness.
A PROPHECY of SOLOMON Now first and seasonably discovered; wherein the Deceitful Witnesses of Rome are made manifest to all; And our Protestant Witnesses are Justified, Praised, and Defended; chiefly the late happy Discoverers of the Romish Plots & Deceits.
By WILLIAM RAMSAY, B. D. Lecturer in Istleworth, and Chaplain to the Right Honourable Thomas Earl of Ossory.
BEING A SERMON Preached Novemb. 5. on PROV. 14.25.
A true Witness d [...]l [...]vereth Souls: but a Deceitful Witness speaketh lies. Or, as the Original signifies, The Lord of Rome speaketh lies.
LONDON, Printed for Benj. Billingsley at the Printing-Press within the South-west Piazza of the Royal Exchange in Cornhill, 1679.
TO JOHN RAMSAY of Bewick in Northumberland, Esq AND TO Major ROBERT RAMSAY His Brother, Health and Felicity.
THis Dedication becomes both you and me, being design'd for a publique engagement of such mutual affection, as becomes three only Reliques of a most ancient Family, never yet stain'd with any spot of Dishonour or Disloyalty. The one of you God has made Steward of the Estate of the Family; which though greatly diminisht by the death of our Great unkle, John Ramsay late Earl of Holderness, &c. without Issue, and too soon after by the death of his Brother and Heir [Page] Sir George Ramsay our Grandfather, who left my Father too young to manage Affairs; and by the last Kings Warrs, in which my Father rais'd a Troop of Horse at his own sole Charge, and suffer'd much; and by the death of our Eldest Brother before the Kings Return, and of our Dear Father quickly after; yet the God of our Family is the same still, and can raise it again in due time: Only be we thankfull for his present great favours; and serve we him in the advantageous stations wherein he hath placed us. The other of you, God has renown'd with Military Skill and Action at home and abroad, as he did many of our Family before, and lately two great unkles, Collonel Ramsay and Major General Ramsay under Gustavus Adolphus. I am placed between you, as in Age, so in Station; a Steward and a Souldier too, but in Spiritual matters; wherefore let me now be as a mediant term [Page] of union to joyn ye in one. I think I am the first of our Family of this Function, at least in England. Wherefore, as the Function it self is Honourable and Divine, give me leave, to the Honour of my Choice, to essay something in Vindication of the Truth; I may say, in Vindication of our Church and State. For the Truth, which I here assert, hath receiv'd such solemn Attestations from King and Parliament, from all manner of Testimony, that to deny or oppose it, were to give the Lye to Church and State, and to affront the Throne as well as the Pulpit. I particularly stand engaged to bear this Testimony, being more intimately acquainted with the Principles and Practices of the Church of Rome, by occasion of my Forain Travel for twelve years among them. Now this Plot is justified by those Principles, and highly prais'd, defended and rewarded by that Church: Therefore those [Page] Principles are manifestly condemn'd by this Plot, and that Church to be detested for it, to be denyed, and utterly forsaken by all that love the Truth and the Gospel of the Peace of Jesus, to whom you are daily commended by the most earnest and hearty Prayers of
A SERMON PREACHED Novemb. V. 1679.
THis is a Prophecy, as well as a Proverb; and Solomon was a Prophet as well as a Proverbialist; as appears in many other places.
We shall first consider it as a Proverb. So it contains two Propositions; The first, the Character of a True Witness: A true Witness delivereth Souls. The second, the Character of a Deceitful Witness; But a Deceitful Witness speaketh lies. Both Characters are very compendious, and very distinctive, as Characters ought to be.
The Character of a true Witness consists in two things; the one express'd, the other immediately [Page 2] implyed. The thing exprest is the Motive, End, and Effect of his Testimony, To deliver Souls. A True Witness delivereth Souls. Matsiel nephashoth, that is, rescueth others from Oppression or destruction: and this is the motive and end of his Testimony; not to hurt or oppress any, or to condemn or to destroy the guilty: but to deliver the guiltless, to maintain the Truth, to defend Innocence, and to deliver the Innocent from those that would oppress them. A True Witness accuseth a Murderer, bears evidence against him, and the Murderer is justly sentenced and condemned to death: But the end of the Testimony of the true Witness, is not the death or destruction of the Murderer, but the preservation of men, that the evil of Murder may be taken away. This then is an essential Character of a True Witness, the end of his testimony is to deliver Souls; A True Witness delivereth Souls.
Whence follows a Second thing, an individual Property of a True Witness. The end of his Testimony being Truth and Innocence, the preservation and deliverance of Souls; He will never stain his testimony with a Lye, nor harm his own Soul, or wrong his Neighbours Cause with an untruth. This is evidently included in the first, as also in the term of a True Witness; [Page 3] especially as the Hebrews term it, Hedemeth, that is, A Witness of Truth. If then he be caught in a Lye in his Testimony, he cannot have the credit of a true Witness. For that's a sure Proverb which went a little before the Text, Prov. 14.5. A faithful Witness will not lye. The end of his Testimony is not his own profit, much less anothers harm. The Guilty man deserveth death; yet a true Witness accuseth him not that he may dye: but as Hed-emeth, as a Witness of Truth, he speaketh the truth for truths sake; and accuseth the guilty to deliver the Innocent. So this Character is essential, A true Witness delivereth Souls; that is, the end and effect of a Witness of Truth is this, to deliver them that are Innocent.
From this, The Character of a Deceitfull Witness is plain, consisting in the two opposite points. The end of a Deceitful Witness is not to deliver Souls, but to draw Souls into harm▪ and his means to that end is always a lye; yea, he attains not his end easily without many lyes. Therefore his Character is this, A deceitful Witness speaketh lies: Japhiac chesabim, that is, breatheth lyes, as he breatheth the air; or uttereth lies easily, or rather of necessity, even as a man breatheth: and so the word is rendred, v. 5. [Page 4] A false Witness will utter lies: Which is to be understood too; that a false Witness cannot be long hid: for his own lies shall discover him. So were the two Elders, the false Accusers of Susanna, discovered by Daniel. And God the Great lover of Truth will not suffer the truth to be long opprest by the lyes of men. Therefore Solomon tells us, Prov. 19.5. A false Witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape; and repeats it again v. 9. A false Witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
Thus much of the Text, as it is a Proverb, and contains the Characters of a True and of a Deceitful Witness. We shall now discover in it a double combination of Prophecies. First, A Prophecy of Christ, the Great Witness of Truth on one hand; and of Antichrist, the Great Deceitful Witness on the other. Secondly, A Prophecy of true Protestant Witnesses, on one hand; and of Deceitfull Romish Witnesses on the other.
First, We have here a distinct Prophecy of Christ the Great Witness of Truth; as we gather clearly from the Property of the terms in themselves, and from conference of them with other Scriptures. The terms in themselves are [Page 5] proper to Christ. He only is properly, Hed-emeth matsiel nephashoth, The Witness of Truth that delivereth Souls, whom the Spirit knew when Solomon thus wrote. Every other true Witness is term'd Hed-emunim, as v. 5. that is, a Witness of truths, or of true things, a faithful Witness; but Christ is Hed-emeth, The Witness of Truth, or Truth it self, or the Prime-Witness, or the Witness of all Truth. This is likewise the style of the Prophets and of the Apostles, Isa. 55.4. Behold, I have given him for a Witness to the People, &c. Rev. 1.5. Jesus Christ the faithful Witness. Rev. 3.14. The faithful and true Witness. Likewise Jesus Christ is properly he that delivereth Souls: for he came to that purpose, and therefore is he called Jesus. And in the style of the Prophets too, this term of Matsiel is appropriated to God. As Dan. 6.27. when God had deliver'd Daniel from the Lions, God is there styled, Meshesib ou Matsiel, He that delivereth and rescueth, that is, Souls from destruction, as Daniel from the Lions. Then this Proverb of Solomon is a distinct Prophecy of Christ, A True Witness delivereth Souls; that is, The great witness of Truth, Christ the Truth it self, shall come; and shall deliver the Souls that believe on him.
From this it is easie by the Rule of Opposites [Page 6] to interpret the second part of the Proverb, which is a Prophecy of Antichrist the great Deceitful Witness. And a very remarkable Prophecy. For the Spirit of God in Solomon, not only here foretells the obvious signification of the words, that there shall be an Antichrist, a great Witness of Deceit, who shall seduce Souls with Lies, in opposition to Hed-emeth, that great Witness of Truth, who saveth Souls by Truth. But Solomon further by the words (if he, that readeth, understandeth) points out that Antichrist who he is; and by the name he gives that Deceitful Witness in the Text, tells us distinctly, that it is the Lord of Rome, or the Great one of Rome. For the Word of the Holy Ghost, the Hebrew word, which the Vulgar Translation renders, a Deceitful Witness, is in the Masorethan contraction Mirmah, in Original latitude Maromah, in Radical expression Maroum, and signifies every way, literally and grammatically, the Lord of Rome, or, the great one of Rome. This, though I think never observ'd before; yet to him that will inspect the Hebrew Tongue, will be as clear as Columbus his Land to the first Discoverers. I have writ a peculiar Discourse which makes this fully plain, and intelligible, and certain, and shews [Page 7] the Mysterious Number of the Beast to be undeniably proper to this Name in the Text; which Discourse shall follow this in the Press: At present I shall only take occasion to give you a passing view of the thing it self.
The thing asserted is this. These words of Solomon, A Deceitful Witness speaketh lies, are to be render'd from the Hebrew, The Lord of Rome speaketh lies. The proof depends wholly upon the understanding of the Hebrew word; and we know that in difficult or obscure places, especially in Prophecies, and most peculiarly in such as concern the Name or Discovery of Antichrist, it is said, Let him that readeth understand; and, Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the Number, &c. So that we must not expect the thing to be obvious; but rather a thing hid a long time; but when once discover'd, very clear to all. So is this present Word of the Text, in the Hebrew Mirmah, or Maromah, or Maroum. This plainly, literally, and grammatically, signifies the Lord of Rome. For Mar in Hebrew is a Lord, and often us'd for Baal or for Adon, says Buxtorfius; as Dan. 2.47. Mare-malchin, A Lord of Kings. 1 Cor. 16.22. Maranatha: The Lord cometh. And Romah or Roum in Hebrew is the same with Romë in Greek, [Page 8] Roma in Latine, and Rome in English. Then Maromah plainly, literally, and grammatically signifies the Lord of Rome. Therefore the Text is to be render'd thus: The Witness of truth, which is Christ, delivereth Souls. But Maromah, The Lord of Rome speaketh lies. Both words and sence agreeing thus, I can see no difficulty in the thing: yet I shall add another fair Etymology of the Word, and but another can be given.
The Word, however contracted or dilated, Mirmah, Maromah, or Maroum, has in it the force and signification of three radical words, Marah, Roum, and Ramah: From the second the Name of Rome is Originally derived, and Romulus from Rome; not Rome from Romulus. The first signifies to rebell; the second to be lofty in pride; the third, to supplant or to deceive. Now if Rebellion, Pride, and Deceit, be not the properest characters both of the City, and of the Lord of Rome, let all judge that know Rome; certainly characters, by which the Spirit of God has distinguisht that City from all others. And we know that Rome, with the Lord-Popes thereof, has openly rebell'd against the Kings and Emperours to which it was subject, and has exalted it self in pride above their heads, [Page 9] and has deceiv'd the Nations of the Christian World with all manner of deceivableness, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Thess. 2.10. Then the Lord of Rome is that Mirmah, Maromah, or Maroum, of which Solomon prophesies, A Deceitful Witness speaketh lies. That is, Maromah shall seduce and destroy Souls with lies; as Hed-emeth shall save and deliver Souls through the truth.
From this results a secondary Prophecy, of true Protestant Witnesses, on one hand; and of deceitfull Romish Witnesses, on the other. For, as the Lord of Rome is found here to be the great deceitful Witness opposite to Christ; so the subordinate Romish Witnesses must needs be those deceitful Witnesses, which are opposite to the subordinate VVitnesses of Christ; which as they are called Christians from Christ, so are they called Protestants from their opposition and protestation against the VVitnesses of Rome. Thus the Text will import this. A True Witness, that is, a Protestant Witness, delivereth Souls, but a Mirmah, a Romish Witness speaketh lies.
This Prophecy might be made good throughout all the points of Controversie between us and them, which concern Souls: But I shall confine my Discourse to two most eminent [Page 10] causes of Fact, that is, the Powder-plot of Ann. 1605; and the Plot of 78. or of the last year, if it may not rather be term'd a Plot of present being. My business will be this: To prove unto ye, that in both Plots, no less in this than in that, the Prophecy of Solomon is fulfilled; That the Protestant VVitness is the true VVitness, and delivereth Souls: but Mirmah, the Romish VVitness is the deceitful Witness, and speaketh lies.
First, That our Protestant VVitness was the true VVitness, as touching the Powder-plot; VVe have three unquestionable Arguments: 1. The Unanimous Declaration of the whole Kingdom by Publick Vote in Parliament, by vertue whereof this Fifth of November has been observ'd now Seventy four years. 2. Matter of Fact; The Plot was not only contriv'd, but carried so far on, that there wanted nothing but the Sitting of the Parliament, which scarce a day before was prevented by an obscure Letter which gave occasion to search under the Parliament-House, and the Powder in sufficient quantity was found ready laid, Man and Match ready, nothing wanting to blow up King and both Houses of Parliament the first moment of their Meeting. 3. The Confession [Page 11] of some eminent Plotters who gloried in the fact, though the rest utterly denyed it, or extenuated to nothing the guilt of the Roman Church: and of late they seem ready to confess that Plot, that they may better be believ'd in their obstinate denial of this.
But Secondly, I say of this Plot of 78. We have no less, yea, we have greater Evidence of this, than ever England had of that. 1. As touching the first kind of Argument.
That of the Gunpowder-Treason was declar'd by the Vote of One Parliament, which was sufficient: but this by several Votes of several Parliaments, Nemine contradicente. And by publick Edict all the Churches of England kept solemn the 11 th. day of April last, and I doubt not but will have a Memorial as perpetual as that of November 5 th.
2. As for matter of Fact, we have more real evidence of Fact in this, than was in the Powder-plot. For, though the Powder, Man, and Match were ready; yet no Execution was done, not a hair of any mans head singed, nor did the smell of Fire pass on any man: But in this Plot, most fearful Execution has been done. The chief of our Cityes, and the chief Emporium of Europe, turn'd to Ashes, with the [Page 12] most dreadfull combustion that the Fire-works of Hell and Rome could effect. Great Conflagrations of our best Burroughs, and of many other most considerable, and some re-built, places. Yea, this Plot has drawn the Sword too, to a dreadful Execution; to the most horrid Murder of the most considerable and worthy Magistrate of the Royal City and County. In whose Blood we may read aforehand the bloody Sentence which shall be pronounced against us, if Papists by Plot, Policy, or Power, can ever be Masters over us.
In the Gunpowder-treason the design was discover'd by way of Riddle, only in one obscure Letter no man knew whence: but in this Plot we read their horrid Designs at large, in many Letters, packets of Letters, Colemans, Harcourts, and several others.
In the Powder-plot a few obscure Actors were discover'd: but in this not a few, nor obscure; whereof several have been tryed with excess of Clemency, and found guilty by the fairest Evidence. Many yet expect a Tryal, of whom we can say nothing: but this is certain, much more matter of Fact is already prov'd in this Plot, than ever was prov'd in the Gunpowder-treason.
[Page 13]As to the third kind of Argument, the Confession of the Guilty. If we take not things superficially, we shall find more considerable Confessions of the Papists, and of the Plotters themselves in this Plot, than was in the Powder-treason. For, 1. In the Powder-treason we find but One, and him for a short time too, that in abhorrence of that Plot (which was evident before) came and made discovery of the Complices, and of their designs and proceedings. But in this Plot we have at least six considerable persons, who were for some years active among the Plotters, and privy to all or most of their designs, and these men, in a Conscionable dread and abhorrency of the hellish plot, have discover'd it, to the full satisfaction of King and Kingdom, as appears by many publick Declarations. That we may truly say, to the Papists and plotters, We judge and condemn ye from your own mouths: your selves are your own Witnesses.
2. As for those executed Plotters, who at their death and Execution denyed the Fact, and with most fearful Execrations professed their Innocence: if we weigh their words well, which are but words; we will find them to contain a Confession most suitable to themselves, [Page 14] and more convincing to us, than if they had confessed in plain terms, as some of the Powder-plotters did. For, 1. The constant Form that they us'd in their Protestations, did not deny the real thing, which is the plot; but they denyed that which we mean by the plot; that is, they denyed all design to murder the King, or to subvert the Kingdom, or by any rebellious way to alter Religion. For in plain English, according to their principles, without Equivocation, they deny our King to be King, or that his is the Kingdom, or that to Kill him is Murder, or that to raise an Army against him is Rebellion, or that to bring in Popery is to subvert the Kingdom or Church: But on the contrary, they are ready to maintain to death, and to profess in flames, that the Pope has the Right of this Kingdom, and can give it to whom he pleaseth; and that Charles Stuart is an Heretick, and no King; and (which is an horrour to speak) that it is no Murder, but a most Godly and Heroick Act to stab, shoot, or poyson him. Wherefore, although they design'd all these things most earnestly, yet this was not to plot against Church or State, but to defend both. Therefore, they dyed not as guilty of the least Act [Page 15] or Thought against King, Church or State; but as the true Subjects and zealous Instruments of both, and so they commended their Souls into the hands of God, expecting a Crown of Martyrdom in Heaven, and the Worship of Martyrs on Earth. And, as for some extern Acts, of meeting, consulting, subscribing, &c. they were not bound to give their Enemies advantage by Acknowledging such things; but rather utterly to Deny them all, for the advantage of so good a Cause, and for the glory of the holy Church. Thus, I say, that very Form of Denyal, which the dying plotters used, is a fair Confession suitable to themselves, and more convincing to us (especially of the guilt of that Church) than if they had confessed the fact in plain terms, as some Powder-plotters did. And I have yet further reason to say so.
For in the Powder-plot, those that confess'd it, confess'd it to glory in it. Not one Priest confess'd it to repent of it. Which is more wonderfull than our present case. They dyed glorying openly in that horrid Plot, as one of them boasted, that he had wrought under ground in his Shirt till he sweat. But now in this plot, the eyes of the Nation are so open'd, [Page 16] and all discern so clearly the horrour of such Facts, that the most impudent Devils of Hell could not openly glory in such things. The Jesuits then and Romish Plotters had good reason to change their Council since the Powder-plot, and to prescribe to their Martyrs another Form of Confession to be us'd at their Martyrdoms: and that they did so, is to me a certain thing. Indeed the Form they us'd was very subtilly contrived, but is not wonderful at all to them that are acquainted with their methods of Equivocation; which is an Art of no small Circle, and teacheth how to equivocate most, when they most protest against it; as the Liar never lies more, than when he swears he lyes not at all. And what is Equivocation but the most deceitful Art of Lying? proper to these deceitful Witnesses.
Yet I say this; That holding the Principles of the Church of Rome to be true, as these men certainly held, even at their death; they might protest themselves to be innocent from all manner of plotting or acting against the King or Kingdom, without any Equivocation at all. For without all Equivocation, this is certainly true in their principles, that the Pope has the Right of the Kingdom of England, and he that acts [Page 17] for the Pope, cannot act against the Kingdom: And I dare say, that for this very principle, there are hundreds of Priests ready to dye, and would expect the Worship and Crowns of Martyrs should they dye so. For among them, he that dyes for the Cause of the Pope, is a more glorious Martyr than he that dyes for the bare Cause of Christ. So Anselm and Becket, those Rebels, are as glorious Saints as any in the Romish Kalendar; and Beckets Feast is primae Classis, equal to Christs; but the Feasts of the Apostles are secundae Classis, a Form below.
I say then, those that dyed for this Plot, made more Confession than those of the Powder-plot. For those of the Powder-plot made but one Confession of the Fact, glorying openly in it. But these have confest both Fact and Crime; for by a subtle artificial Form of Justification they made a Confession of the thing: And also, by not daring to boast in it openly, as their Brethren had done before, they made a Confession of the Crime; and of the shamefull horrour of it. And certainly the horrour of the Fact, and publick shame, was the only reason, why these new kind of Martyrs, Martyrs of Maromah, made no more open Confession. And I verily believe, if England do its part, [Page 18] to make this Romish plot evident to the world, it will prove sufficient to make Rome and her Religion stink, that no King or people in the World shall endure it.
Thus we have all the Evidence we can require concerning these horrid plots of Rome. And this plot of 78. has no less, yea much more Evidence than that of the Powder-treason, and greater Evidence cannot reasonably be demanded: yet greater Evidence I doubt not but a short time will produce. But we have produced enough to our purpose, to shew, that according to Solomons Prophecy, the Protestant Witnesses are true Witnesses, but Maromah's Witnesses deceitfull.
I need not say much more to explain the Epithete of the Prophecy: That the Protestant Witness delivereth Souls; but Maromah's Witness speaketh lies. For it's plain, our Witnesses, God be bless'd, have deliver'd our Souls, even the Soul of our King, and of the best of his people, from most fearfull destruction. And in this late Plot, our Witness has deliver'd us, not from one way, but from many wayes of destruction. For the Plotters had prepared all the Instruments of Death that Hell could produce; Fire and Sword, Jesuit-powder and Balls, [Page 19] and all the new Ignatian Inventions: Nay, Poyson and Dagger too, even for the King; Armies at home, Armies from abroad. They had gather'd men of all Professions, and almost of all Nations, to carry on the work. We cannot now instance so much, as future times may. But this we can say, Englishmen, Irishmen, Scotchmen, Frenchmen, and very probably men of the other neighbouring Nations, not only Martial men, but Divines, Lawyers, Physicians, Astrologers, Religious of all Orders, all have been deeply plotting against us. And from the mouths of all these devouring Beasts our Witnesses have deliver'd our Souls. Well then may that be repeated to their praise; A True Witness delivereth Souls.
I will add, that in all probability the very Motive and End of the Testimony of our Witnesses was to deliver Souls, not their own, but ours. For, whosoever will consider the certain Dangers which these Witnesses underwent by offering such a Discovery, and the uncertain Issue of making out their Evidence, and withstanding their Adversaries, which they could not be ignorant of; must needs conclude, that nothing could move these men to offer at such a Discovery, but either the force of an affrighting [Page 20] Conscience, or an invincible love of Truth, or a natural Sympathy and heart-melting Compassion towards their King, Countrey, Friends and Acquaintance, all ready to be fearfully Massacred; or in fine, an irresistible Impulse from God, who by thus defeating the Plots of Men and Satan, and by making their own Tongues to fall upon them, would shew himself to be God indeed; a God that loves to save and not to destroy; a God that can punish the Wicked by their own works, and preserve his own as it pleaseth him; A God who loves to do good and great things by his own hand, and for his own Names sake, who exalts his Mercy above all his other Works, who only disposeth of Kings and Kingdoms; whom all Kings and Kingdoms, ours especially, ought to serve and fear, to praise and magnifie for ever and ever. Let then Solomons Proverb be spoken in earnest of our Witnesses, by way of prophecy and of praise; A true Witness delivereth Souls: But, of Romish Witnesses, the other part is no less verified, Maromah, A Deceitful Witness speaketh lies. He will do it on his Death-bed, at the Barr, on the Gallows; and which is more, at the Sacrament. Nay, these men were bound by the Sacrament to lye, both in [Page 21] Life and in Death, and that by a Triple Sacrament, of an Oath, of Confession, and of the Eucharist. They died like Judas, as wickedly, but more politickly. He confest, and was asham'd, and hang'd himself. They were asham'd, and would be hang'd rather than confess.
I might add, to seal the veracity of our Witnesses; that whereas the Romish Witnesses, even packs of them, as that pack of St. Omers, and that of Stafford-shire too, have been overtaken in palpable Lies and Contradictions: yet the minutest Criticks of our time, and those not a few, nor a little busie, have not been able to fix, scarce a seeming Contradiction, on the Testimonies of our Witnesses; no, not on their longest Narratives, which is a strong evidence of their sincere Veracity. But because perhaps neither their Narratives nor their Testimony is yet at an end, I shall say no more of that, but conclude,
First, with a word to these Witnesses. Let them proceed in a faithful Testimony, with courage and confidence in the God of Truth, speaking and avowing the Truth for Truths sake; not to confound their Enemies, (yet the Confusion of their enemies will justly follow;) but let their design be to preserve the Innocent, [Page 22] to serve the Church of God, to save their King, and his People, to Deliver Souls. Following the Example of their Lord and Master, that Hed-emeth, That Great Witness of Truth, whose glory is to save, and not to destroy, and who came to save his Enemies, if they would have been saved.
Secondly, A word to these deceitful Witnesses of Rome, and to all Papists that are led by their Deceits. O ye Bar-Jesuses! The Word of God is fulfilled concerning you, which he spake by his Servant Paul, 2 Tim. 3.13. Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. You first began to equivocate with God and your own Consciences, speaking lies in hypocrisie, having your Consciences seared as with a hot Iron, 1 Tim. 4.2. Then you proceeded to equivocate with one another, The Pope with the Priest, and the Priest with the Pope; and the Priest with the People, and the People with the Priest; deceiving each other with great and glittering words, of Catholick, and Infallible, of Papal and Apostolical power, of almighty Bulls and Briefs, of Jubilees, Pardons, Dispensations, Indulgences plenary, semiplenary, superplenary, with all the Market-stuff-terms of Penance, Mass and Purgatory; and you have deceived [Page 23] many Nations with these your deceitful Lies, poor England for many Ages. At last you came to that Supremacy of Equivocation, that your very Head and most holy Lord, calling himself, The Servant of the Servants of God, and the most humble Servant of Kings, means to serve them only as his Vassals, to destroy them at his pleasure, and to Curse all them that serve them in a better sence. And see what progress you have made in that Service. First, you took upon you to Crown Kings; you soon took leave to Censure the Kings you Crown'd; then to Excommunicate them, then to Depose them, and to raise and arm their Subjects against them; and this way failing, you take the Crown into your own hand, and give it to what Vassal of yours you please. But all these open methods failing, you proceeded to Fraud and Stratagems; but Frauds above ground failing, you went under the Earth as deep as Hell, to blow up King and People with Powder-mines: But these too failing, you brought the Lake of Fire and Brimstone on the Earth, and refin'd double and treble all the Arts of Hell, and you laid a Plot which you thought invincible, and that Heaven and Earth could not defeat it. But Heaven has shewn its power in England, and you are utterly [Page 24] confounded; and the God of Heaven seems now to say of you, 2 Tim. 3.9. They shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be made manifest unto all men.
And now, You Papists of England, I hope the Folly, the Deceitfulness, the hellish Cheats, the damnable Principles, the Devilish Practices, the Antichristian Religion of Rome is manifest to you all: And that whether you have been concern'd in this Plot or no, yet you will never be concern'd with such Teachers more, to be led by their Deceits; nor continue Members of so hellish a Body, under the influence of so devilish a Head.
Now we, for whom God has done such wonderfull things, what manner of persons ought we to be? How ought we to love, to serve, to praise, to fear, to obey, to follow to death, our God and Lord Christ Jesus! who is the true and faithful Witness, who delivereth our Souls from Death, who has so often and so wonderfully deliver'd this Kingdom, and I believe will deliver it from all its enemies, especially the Enemies of his Gospel, and has promised to do great things for us, and seems to provoke us to love, even while we provoke him to Anger. That he may make us fit to receive his Favours to the end,
Let us pray.
O God, who gavest the Son of thy Love to the World, to be the Witness of Truth, that by the power of his Grace, and by the light of his Gospel, all men might be deliver'd from Darkness and eternal Death: But men receiving not the Truth in love, thou didst send them strong delusion to believe the lies of Antichrist the deceitful Witness. But in great and tender Mercy thou deliveredst this Nation from that Delusion, and hast by late and miraculous Providence deliver'd our King and People from the horrid Plots of that Man of Deceit: O let the Glory of thy Truth still shine upon us, and be thou our God, and we thy People, and let the Great Witness of Truth seal this Mercy for ever. And let every faithful Soul say, Amen.
Books sold by Benj. Billingsley at the Printing-press in Cornhill.
CHristian Religions Appeal from the Groundless Prejudices of the Sceptick to the Barr of Common Reason: Wherein is proved, That,
1. The Apostles did not delude the World.
2. Nor were themselves deluded.
3. That Scripture matters of fact have the best Evidence.
4. The Divinity of Scripture is as demonstrable as the Being of a Deity. By John Smith Rector of St. Mary's in Colchester. Fol. Price 12. s.
Of Baptism and the Lords Supper: Two short Discourses, opening the Nature, Design and Ends of those two great Gospel Ordinances, and teaching the Holy use and Improvement of them. 12 o. Price 6 d.
A Sermon Preached before the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen of the City of London, at Guild-hall Chappel, August 18. 1678. By Robert Neville, B. D. Rector of Ansly in Hertford-shire. 4 o. Price 6 d.
The Necessity of Receiving the Holy Sacrament, that great Test both of the Christian and Protestant Religion: Declared in a Sermon at a Conference of the several Ministers of the Deanry of Braughin in the County of Hertford; appointed by the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London, to be held at Ware, August 28. 1678. By R. Neville Rector of Ansly. 4 o. Price 6 d.