THough Warre may be said to have more Fathers then one, yet as a punishment to the In­habitants of the Earth; it comes from God, who being displeased with, and provoked by the wickednesse of a People, doth many times manifest his displeasure, and ex­ecute his wrath upon them, by the excercise of Warr; now in this respect, and in reference to VVarre as a judgement comming from God, all Warrs upon Earth may be called occasionall, because that by the wickednesse of people, God is provoked, and by their sins, the Lord is occasion­ed to bring Warr upon them: and this the Lord God hath done upon three sorts of People, Viz. His one people, Heathens, and Papists.

God hath inflicted Warr upon his owne Peo­ple: who among you shall hearken to this, and take heed, and heare? for afterwards, Who gave Jacob for a spoyle, and Israel to the Robbers. Did not the Lord against whom we have sinned, for [Page 2]they would not walke in his wayes, neither be obe­dient unto his Lawes, therefore he hath powred upon him his fierce wrath, and the strength of Battail. Isa. 42.23. Son of man when the Land sinneth against me by committing a Trespasse, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it. And so on to the 20. and 21. Verses. Though Noah Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live saith the Lord God, they shall deli­ver neither Son nor Daughter, they shall but deliver their owne souls by their righteousnesse, when I send my four soare Judgements, of which the Sword is one, which shall kill them without, and in the Chambers feare, both the young man, and the young Woman, the Suckling with the man of Gray haires: I said I would scatter them abroad, I would make their remembrance to cease from among men, save that I feared the fury of the Ene­my, least their adversaries should wax proud, and least they should say, our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this, Deut. 32.25. Thus we see, that Warr is not onely threatned but hath beene in flicted up­on Gods owne People, when they have sinned a­gainst the Lord: You onely have I knowne of all the Families of the Earth, therefore I will visit you for all your Iniquties, Amos. 3.2.

Now by this very meanes of inflicting Warr upon a People, hath the Lord brought them to Repentance. The Children of Ammon passed o­ver Jordan to fight against Judah, and Israel was sore distressed, and then they cryed unto the Lord, saying, Wee have sinned against thee. Jud. 10.9, 10. Awake awake, and stand up O England and Ire­land; O England and Ireland, who hath drunke deepe of this cup of Gods wrath; for you have drunke the dreggs of the cup of trembling, and [Page 3]wrung them out, according to that of Isa. 51. 17.

It followes, that the Lord God both hath and will bring Warr upon Heathens. But now be­fore I come to instance in a way of proofe, I de­sire to looke upon all these Scripture Instances, which I shall make use of, as recorded by the holy Ghost, to remaine through all ages in full force and authority, against, and in Gods due time to be verified, upon a Succession of the heads and mem­bers of Heathens, and upon a Succession of the heads and members of Papists. I shall take no­tice of the metaphor, and of the sence of things, as I goe along, and shall apply my selfe to the pre­sent time, and things with which I have to doe; I shall shew my thoughts, and refer it to others: this is the perswasion of my mind and heart, that the Lord God will not onely bring Warr, but by Warr wil utterly destroy the beauty and power of Mahomet, which hath ruled among the Turks and Heathens; the beauty and power of the Pope, which hath ruled amongst the Papists; the beauty and po­wer of all such of the Inhabitants of the Earth, who shall in spirit, Judgement, and practice, cleave and adhere to Heathens, and Papists. Let all such consider what the Lord God is now a doing, and submit to providence, least by Warr they be bro­ken in peices.

Now there is one thing more to be hinted be­fore I proceed in a way of proofe, in the producing of Scripture precedents, consisting either of Per­sons or Nations, who may be term'd types of such, who shall in the latter dayes be by temporall War ruined or destroyed; according to this Scripture, Behold the Tempest of the Lord goeth [...]o [...] [...]ith wrath, [Page 4]the whirlewind that hangeth over shall light upon the head of the wicked, the fierce wrath of the Lord shall not returne, untill be have done, and untill he have per­formed the intents of his heart, in the latter dayes, be shall understand it. Jer. 22. and 23.

But that which I was to doe, was this, I must make some distinction betweene the Types of the heads of Heathens and Papists, in my producing and applying of Scripture-Texts against them: the which I shall endeavour to performe, by applying such Scriptures against them, as I shall apprehend to be most suitable to them in a way of resem­blance betweene them; in the first place, I shall ranke them both together, and in a generall way apply such Scriptures against them, as doe seeme to me to threaten the ruine of them; and then I shall apply against them severally by themselves, in a particular way, I shall in an indifferent respect sometimes take the one for the other, as there is in them comprised all those which are indeed the professed enemies of God, his truth, and people: to this purpose, and in reference to the whole Worke, I shall make use of the 25. of Jerem. In which Chapter the Lord God imployes this Pro­phet against his owne people, in the first place; but in the next more mainly against the Nations, and the World, against his, and his peoples ene­mies; so now, judgement is begun at the house of God, as in Germany, Ireland, and England, but God will make an end with his, and their Enemies: but to returne to the thing in hand.

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all Judah, in the fourth yeare, which he delivered to the people, the Lord, sayth he, Hath sent all his [Page 5]Servants the Prophets, rising early and sending them, but you would not heare, nor encline your eares to obey. They said turne againe now every one from his evill way, and so on, Neverthelesse they would not heare me saith the Lord, but have provoked me to anger, to their owne hurt: therefore saith the Lord of Hosts, be­cause ye have not heard my words, I will doe so and so, unto you. Here in this text there are very sad and heavy judgements, and very great and dolerous ca­lamities threaten'd against & brought upon Judah, and Jerusalem, Gods owne people. But then marke what follows in the 15. Vers. For thus hath the Lord God of Israel spoken unto me, take the cup of wine, of mine indignation, at mine hand, and cause all the Na­tions to whome I send thee, to drinke it; and they shall drinke, and be moved, and be madd, because of the Sword that I will send among them. It is true, it followes in the 18. Vers. That Jerusalem must drinke of the cup, and the Citties of Judah, and the Kings and Princes thereof. But Pharaoh [...]ing of Aegypt, and his Ser­vants, and Princes, and all his people must pledge them. And all sorts of people, and all the Kings of the Land of Uz, and all the Kings of the Land of the Philistims, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the Rem­nant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the Ammo­nites, and all the Kings of the North far and neare, and all the Kingdomes of the World which are upon the earth: Therefore say thou unto them, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, drinke and be drunken, and spew, and fall and rise no more, because of the Sword which I will send among you. But if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand, to drinke, then tell them, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, you shall certainly drinke, for lo I begun to plague the Citty where my name is called up [Page 6]on, and should you goe free? you shall not goe unpunished, for I will call for a Sword upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth. Now let the wise judge, if the people of the Lord who are a Citty of Citizens, who have and doe call upon the Name of God thorow all ages, have beene wasted by Warr, and the tempo­rall Sword, as both Scripture and other Histories doe affirme. And in particuler, the Waldenses, and Albingenses, the Germans, and Rochellians, the Irish and English, and many others, certainly there is yet a world of Heathens and Papists, who shall have blood to drinke. Truely for my own part, I tremble to thinke of that, which I thinke the sword of the Lord will doe up and downe in the VVorld, now in a short time; and yet in refe­rence to some events which will certainly follow, I doe desire to rejoyce.

But to goe on with the Prophets worke, There­fore Prophecy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, the Lord shall roare from above, and thrust our his voyce from his holy habitation; he shall roare upon his habitation, and cry abroad, as they that presse the Grapes, against all the inhabitants of the Earth, the sound shall come to the ends of the Earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with the Nations, and will en­ter into judgement with all Flesh, and he will give them that are wicked to the Sword. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, behold a plague shall goe forth from Nation to Nation, and a great whirlewind shall be raysed up, from the Coasts of the Earth, and the slaine of the Lord shall be at that day, from one end of the Earth even un­to the other. And it is observable, that it is the wicked who are in speciall given up to perish by the sword: let all the ungodly in the World, of [Page 7]what Religion soever they seeme to be of, thinke of this.

I will suggest but one Scripture more, to this purpose, and then apply in a particular way; it is the 24. of Isa. Behold the Lord maketh the Earth empty, and he maketh it wast, he turneth it upsidowne, and scattereth abroad the Inhabitants thereof: the Earth lamenteth and fadeth away, the World is feebl'd and decayed, the proud people of the Earth are weakned; feare, and the Pit, and the snare are upon thee, O In­habitant of the Earth, and he that fleeth from the noyse of the feare, shall fall into the Pit, and he that commeth up out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare, for the VVin­dowes from on high are open, and the Foundations of the Earth doe shake; the Earth is utterly broken downe, the Earth is cleane dissolved, the Earth is moved ex­ceedingly, the Earth shall reele two and fro like a drun­ken man. it shall be removed like a Tent, and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it; so that it shall fall and rise no more: The Earth shall ne­ver be in such a posture againe, as it was in before; and in that day shall the Lord visit the Host above, that is on high, even the Kings of the World that are upon the Earth.

And now I should come to apply against Hea­thens and Papists in a particular way, but that me thinks I heare some say, that all this is old Testa­ment, and is already veryfied and fullfilled upon the times and People which are past, and there­fore doth not relate to these times.

I Answ. The Old Testament is the sacred word of the Eternall God, and it indures for ever, is it not a Prophecy, and a Foundation of the New? And is not the New Testament a veryfying and a [Page 8]fulfilling of the Old, were they not both for sub­stance brought forth together, as it were like two glorious twins, flowing from the gracious Bowels and infinite wisdome of God, who is from ever­lasting to everlasting, God over all, blessed for e­vermore, and whatsoever things were written a­foretime, were they not written for our learning? Surely the everlasting God is now in these our times, a fullfilling many of his words which are written in that Old Booke of his, which is called, The Old Testament.

The Lord our God is now a performing much of his worke upon Earth; Christians should now be much at worke in Heaven by Prayer, and upon Earth by Observation, that so they might magni­fie God in his works, which are great, and sought out of those which love them: unworthy are they which do'nt in such a time as this is, plentifully eye God in the glorious goings of his holy Provi­dence, who is now risen like a Giant refreshed with VVine, to helpe the meeke of the Earth, and is now making it appeare, that his Excellent Ma­jesty judgeth in the Earth, and that there is a re­ward to be given on Earth, to them which truely feare his Holy Name. This is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us, O England, England, what is the God of Heaven doing in thee, what is the Lord of the Earth doing for thee, O England strive against thy heart, and tongue-Divi­sions, lay asside thy carnall plea for self-interests; cease from thy reproachings, bite not thy Chil­dren, neither slander thy Mothers Sons; 'tis sad to thinke of this, that Christians doe manifest a kind of delight, in opposing and in disgraceing of [Page 9]one another, tell not this in Gath, publish it not in the Streets of Ashkelon, least the Daughters of the Philistims rejoyce, least the Daughters of the Un­circumcised triumph; rather then doe thus, la­bour to stirre up the Gift of God which is in thee, pray, repent, reforme, beleeve, waite, he that is thine helper will not forsake, nor faile thee, for he is a present helpe in time of need, the Lord of Hosts is his name, the God of Jacob is thy refuge; fight couragiously if need require, the God of Victory is on thy side, who is God, and will be exalted among the Heathen, and among the Pa­pists, and among all the Enemies of this Reforma­tion, and they shall know that they are but men. But I am gone a little two farr from the thing in hand, I doe not deny this, but that there is much of the Scripture already fulfilled, in this, and in o­ther respects, yet I thinke they are not fully verifi­ed and fulfilled: as for men, times, and Nations, they may be bound, they have beene so, but the word of God is not bound, as the Apostle in ano­ther case speaks; it is a truth, that there shall not onely be Warrs, in the dayes and times of the Gos­pell, but there shall be Warrs and rumours of VVarrs, and Nation shall rise against Nation, and Realme against Realme. I shall not long detaine my selfe from what I intend, I shall but consider, and compare a few Scriptures and presently come to that I have promised; the Scriptures are these, Isa 21. and Isa. 47. Jer. 50. and 51. Chap. 17. & 18. Rev. Behold this mans Chariot commeth with two Horsmen, and he answered and said, Ba­bell is fallen, it is fallen, and all the Images of her Gods, hath he broken unto the ground. I was [Page 10]wroth with my People, I have polluted mine In­heritance, and given them into thine hand, thou didst shew them no mercy, O Antichrist remem­ber this, but thon didst lay thy very heavie yoke upon the ancient, and thou saidst I shall be a Lady for ever, so that thou didst not set thy mind to these things, neither didst thou remember the lat­ter end thereof; therefore now heare thou that art given to pleasures, and dwellest carelesse, she sayth in her heart, I am and none else, I shall not sit as a Widdow, neither shall know the losse of Children, but these two things shall come to thee suddenly, on one day, the losse of Children, and Widdow-hood, they shall come upon thee in their perfection, & so on to the end of the 17. of Isa. the 50.& 51. chapters of Jer. Almost through out, a cry of Battail is in the Land, and of great destruction, how is the Hammer of the whole World destroy­ed and broken, How is Babell become desolate a­mong the Nations, I have snared thee, and thou art taken O Babell, and thou wast not aware, thou art found and also caught because thou hast stri­ven against the Lord, the Lord hath opened his treasures and hath brought forth the Weapons of his wrath, for this is the worke of the Lord God of Hosts, come against her from the uttermost border; open her storehouses, tread on her as on Sheaves, and destroy her utterly, let nothing of her be left, destroy all her Bullocks, let them goe downe to the slaughter: Woe unto them for their day is come, and the time of their visitation. Agreeable to these Scriptures is that of the 18. of the Revelation, which is New Testament. And he cryed out mightily with a loud voice, saying, it is [Page 11]fallen, Babylon the great Citty, and is become the Habitation of Devills; her sins are come up to Heaven, and God remembred her iniquities, in as much as she glorified her selfe, and lived in plea­sures, so much give yee to her torment & sorrow, for she sayth in her heart, I sit being a Queene, and am no Widdow, and shall see no moruning, there­fore shall plagues come in one day, death, and sor­row, and famine, and shee shall be utterly burnt with fire, for strong is the Lord God, which will condemne her. 'Twas Babylon in the Old Testa­ment, 'tis Babylon in the New Testament, the one called Easterne, the other called Westerne Baby­lon, the which is Rome, called Babylon a Mystery, great Babylon the mother of Whoredomes. Rev. 17.5. The Easterne Babylon is destroyed, God did destroy it by a temporall VVarr, because Babylon would shew the People of God no mercy, the wes­terne Babylon which is Rome, and those which it comprehends, is, and must be destroyed, because they neyther have, nor will shew the People of God any mercy, they are in the purpose of God, and must be in reference to an eternall and visible accomplishment in the sight of men and times, it seems God will destroy under this name or noti­on: see or read to this purpose.

• Master Brightman upon the Revelation.
• Master Dent upon the Revelation.
• Master Perkins in his Reformed Catholick. p. 3.

Doctor Taylor in his Booke Dedicated to The Honourable House of Commons Assembled in Par­liament, in the Yeare 1624. In which Booke there is this passage, at the latter end of one of his Ser­mons, [Page 12]say they were warned and called out, but now can­not be eyther pittyed or helped. As Lots Cosins though they made a merriment of Lots admoniti­on, yet they saw the Lord in earnest, and then too late wished they had departed according to the voyce of the Lord. But now God will not, and Lot cannot help them, neither can they shift them­selves out of the fire when the dreadfull shower falleth, doe thou sit out the summons at thy perill, but one of the two thou must choose, eyther thou must goe out of Babylon, or goe into her destructi­on.

And now I come to that which I call produce­ing and applying of Scripture, as it doth most e­vidently and certainly threaten ruine and destru­ction to the generality of Heathens and Papists in this present VVorld by the Sword and temporall Warr; severally and in a particular respect I now proceede, and apply against Antichristian Papists, though I named Heathens first: and in my con­ceite the second Chapter of the Prophecy of Ha­bukkuk, doth speake clearely and fully to that seat of iniquity, that cursing, and that cursed Anti­christ, that great than of sin the Pope, and Popes of Rome, and their professed Adherents. I shall as I have begun cite this Scripture. Behold he that lifteth up himselfe his mind is not upright in him, yea indeed the proud man is as he that trans­greffeth by VVine, therefore shall he not endure because he hath enlarged his desire as the Hell, and is as death and can [...]ot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all Nations, and heapeth unto him all People. Now who but the Pope and Popes of Rome hath done thus especially in both respects I [Page 13]meane spiritualy as well as temporally. See a place in the New Testament, 2 Thess. 2. Let no man de­ceive you by any meanes, for that day shall not come except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be disclosed or revealed, even the sonne of perdition, which is an adversary and ex­alteth himselfe against all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe that he is God, and then shall the wicked man be revealed, he shall have a visible being, in, and upon this Earth. Who is this the Pope and Popes of Rome, which is that Antichrist whom the Lord shall con­sume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall abo­lish with the brightnesse of his comming. I con­ceive this is meant of the faithfull, sincere, power­full preaching of the Gospell of Jesus Christ, King of Saints, who appeares by his spirit in the preach­ing of his word, and by this glorious mean es both hath and will consume and abolish the spirituall power of that mistery of iniquity, held forth by that man of sin, the Popes of Rome, whose com­ming is by the working of Satan, with all power and signes, and lying wonders: that this is so, see Luke 10.17.18. And the seaventh returned a­gaine with joy, saying, Lord even the Devills are subdued to us through thy name, and he said unto them I saw Satan like lightning fall downe from Heaven. See Isa. 14.12. How art thou fa [...]en from Heaven O Lucifer, sonne of the morning, and cut downe to the ground, which didst cast lots upon the Nations, yet thou saydst in thine heart I will ascend into Heaven, and exalt my Throne above, beside the Starrs of God, I will fit also upon the [Page 14]Mount of the Congregation, in the sides of the North. What should this meane but the Church of God upon Earth, to this purpose see Rev. 18.20. Yet further I will ascend above the height of the Clouds, and I will be like the most high; alas poor Pope, but thou shalt be brought downe to the Grave, to the sides of the pit, and they that see thee, shall looke upon thee, and consider thee, say­ing, is this the man that made the Earth to trem­ble, and that did shake the Kingdomes, if this 14. of Isa. doe, as happily it may, relate to some perti­cular King of the Nations, yet surely withall, it doth relate to a succession of Popes, concerning whom it may be said, the Lord hath broken the rod of the wicked, and the Scepter of the Rulers. Observe according to this account▪ that a successi­on of Antichrists, are held forth sometimes in Scripture under the notion or forme of a man. Observe that this man is very like to, and is com­pared with Satan, the Devill: observe that this Devill-like-man, or manlike Devill Antichrist, the Popes of Rome who did not onely aspire, but did get into high places, and did attaine so great preferment in the Church of God upon Earth, and in the Church did take it upon him as if he had beene God, and in this respect had built his nest as high as Heaven, in his owne vayne conceite, from whence the Lord God will fetch him downe with a VVitnesse, his spirituall power by spirituall meanes, and his civill and temporall power, by ci­vill and temporall meanes, to this purpose, see Hab. 2.6. Shall not all these take up a parable a­gainst him, and a tanting Proverbe against him, and say, Ho he that encreaseth that which is not [Page 15]his, how long, and he that ladeth himselfe with the thick Clay, shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall stirre thee, and thou shalt be their prey because thou hast spoyled many Nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoyle thee, because of mens blood, and for the wrong done in the Land, in the Citty, and unto all that dwell therein, woe unto the Popedome of Rome, who hath built Townes with blood, and e­rected a Citty by iniquity. Call up the Archers against Babell, all ye that bend the bowes, besiege it round about, let none thereof escape, recom­pence her according to her worke, and according to all that shee hath done doe unto her, for shee hath beene proud against the Lord, Jer. 50.29. Even against the holy one of Israel, here, and in Rev. 17.6. Antichrist is set sorth under the noti­on of a Woman, And I saw the Woman drunken with the blood of Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Christ, and when I saw her I wondered with great mar­vaile, therefore shall her young men fall in the Streets, and all her men of Warr shall be destroyed in that day saith the Lord. Now Antichrist is spoken unto as a man, Behold I come unto thee O proud man, sayth the Lord God of Hosts, for thy day is come, even the time that I will visit thee, now that we may take notice that the Lord God doth not con­fine his meaning to the person of any one particu­ler man or woman; 'tis thus recorded; and the proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up, and I will kindle a fire in his Citties, and it shall devoure all round about him, 'tis Citties and Nations which God doth threaten with desso­lation, but to the next Verse. Thus saith the Lord [Page 16]of Hosts, the Children of Israe, and the Children of Judah were oppressed together, and all that took them Captives held them, and would not let them goe. Litterally I beleeve they shall be let goe in a short time; spiritually there be Children of If­rael now in England, and in many other places and parts of the World; the People of God, true Chri­stians are the Israel of God in all ages, and to such as doe truely feare, and sincerely serve the true and the living God the maker of Heaven and Earth, in this present time wherein we now live, it may be said to them, that their Redeemer is strong, whose Name is the Lord of Hosts, he shall main­taine their cause, that he may give rest to the Land, and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babell, the which are such, where ever they dwell, as doe in spirit, judgement, and practice, professedly declare them­selves to be either Heathens, or Papists, or noto­riously wicked; let the generallity of such know, that now in this very instant of time wherein we live, that the Sword of the Lord God of Hosts is now upon such Chaldaeans as these, a Sword is upon the Chaldaeans sayth the Lord, and upon the Inha­bitants of Babel, and upon her Princes, and upon her wise men: a Sword is upon the soothsayers, and they shall dote, Romenish and Malignant Priests they shall prove fooles, a Sword is upon her strong men and they shall be afraid, a Sword is upon their Horses and upon their Charets, and upon all the Multitude that are in the midst of her, and they shall be like VVomen; a Sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be spoyled: Babell is suddenly fallen and destroyed, howle for her bring Balme for her Soare, if shee may be healed; we [Page 17]would have cured Babell, may all the faith full Mini­sters of the Gospell, of all Countreys say, but Ba­bell neyther would nor could be healed, forsake her, let us goe every one to his owne Countrey, for judgement is come up unto Heaven, and is lifted up to the Clouds: 'tis high time for all every where who meane to have their souls or bodies preserv'd, to draw home to Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them who by a right rule doe trust in him for Sal­vation.

Oh that men would heare and take notice in the behalfe of themselves, as it may be of concerne­ment to them what the Counsell of the Lord is, which he hath devised against Babell, and his pur­pose which he hath conceived against the Land of wicked Romish Chaldeans, see, and compare Jer. 51.13. with Rev. 17.15. O thou that dwellest up­on many Waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, even the end of thy coveteousnesse. Now if it be asked, by whom will God bring this great destruction upon his, and his peoples enemies? Answ. And observe, when the Lord of Hosts shall have an Army of men in the Field, whose hearts shall be set at liberty to worship Christ in the beauty of holinesse, and to praise his Holy Name with courage and constancy, then shall the enemies helpe destroy one another. 2 Cron. 20.23. Againe, Israel is the rod of his Inheritance, the Lord of Hosts is his Name: marke what the Lord God saith to his People: Thou art mine Hammer, and Weapons of Warr, for with thee will I breake the Nations, and with thee will I destroy Kingdomes, and by thee will I breake Horse and Horsman, and by thee will I breake the Chariot and him that Rideth therein. [Page 18]Jer. 51.19. To this purpose is that of Rev. 18.6. Reward her even as shee hath rewarded you, and give her double according to her works, and in the cup that shee hath filled to you fill her the double. But one note by way of parity or likenesse, and I have done with the Romish Antichrist for this time 'tis cleare to me, that the old Heathenish Ba­bylon, was a manifest Type, and visible figure of the Romish Babylon, which now is as yet in being, and that as face answers to face, so in reference to their actions, they have very clearly portraied out each others lineaments, for what was done against God, his truth, and people by the one, hath beene pra­ctised and acted by the Other, and that to thelife, as we say, and against more light and knowledge, and with greater strength of malice, hath the Romish Antichrist persecuted the Church of Christ be­yond the Heathens, therefore certainly God will be avenged upon such a People as this, for true and righteous are his judgements, for he hath condem­ned the great Whore of Rome, which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his Servants shed by her hands, and hath, which showes the certainty of the thing, now that the Kings of the ancient Heathens, were in some respects Types of the Romish Popes, and they the Antitypes of them, I refer to the review­ing of these Scriptures, Isa. 14. Jer. 50. & 51. Hab. 2. Rev. 17. & 18. To all which I shall add, Revel. 13. In which I observe that the Popes of Rome are set forth in the forme of a Beast, and that this Beast hath received his power from the Dra­gon, which is the Devill, And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast, and [Page 19]they worshipped the Beast, saying, who [...]s like un­the beast, who is able to Warr with him, and there was given unto him a Mouth that spake great things, and blasphemies, and power was given un­to him to doe forty two Moneths, and he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blas­pheme his name and his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven, and it was given to him to make VVarr with the Saints, he was permitted so to doe. Observe, Antichrist makes warr with the Saints, or upon the Saints, I understand this meant of a temporall VVarr, and of Antichrist his putting the Saints upon a defensive VVarr, though to his owne ruine. Observe, the Saints who are a People that doe not delight in VVarr simply, as it is a de­struction to the life and well being of man, yet the Saints doe and must mannage a temporall Warr, when justly occasioned and necessitated thereunto, in the behalfe of truth and of themselves. But to the words againe, with the Saints, and to over­come them, and power was given him over every kindred, and Tongues, and Nations, that is, to Antichrist the Pope, and Popes of Romish Baby­lon, this is that Satan-like and Beast-like man, which hath made the Earth tremble, and the Na­tions shake. This is the man who hath led the Saints for some hundreds of yeares into Captivi­ty, it is he that hath killed them with the Sword, therefore it is he and his Adherents that must be led into Captivity, and that must be killed with Sword of the Lord of Hosts, put into the hands of his People, I observe by the way, that this Scrip­ture, I meane Rev. 13.10. is not to be aleadg'd a­gainst those noble minded Christians which doe [Page 19]in these dayes and times, out of conscience to God and in love to truth and their Country, hazzar [...] their lives in the high places against the enemies of God, with a desire and purpose if possible to preserve truth, and peace, and true Religion in their persons, Families, and Nation wherein they live; I rather conceiue it a Prophecy which re­lates to the temporall destruction of Antichrist by the Sword of Warr, who is aforehand with the people of God; for he, and his Adherents have already led them into Captivity, and hath killed them with the Sword.

I shall mention a passage or two out of a Ser­mon which was preached in the Arch Palatine Court, in the yeare 1617 that only in Belgia, containing the 17. Provinces of the low Coun­tries, whilst CHARLES the Fifth lived, were slaine and murdered fifty thousand Christians: and that the Duke of Alva cruelly boasted that in the space of six yeares after he had beene Governour of that Countrey, there had beene eighteene thou­sand persons killed by his Commandement, and also from the yeare 1576 to the Agreement at Gaunt, there had perished by the Tyranny of Pa­pists, thirty thousand, yet sayth the same Author, there was a greater vintage and harvest in France, for sayth he, it may be prov'd by arguments worthy to be beleev'd, that from the yeare 1564 to the yeare 1586, that is, in the space of twenty two yeares, that one hundred and forty thousand god­ly persons were put to death, besides those already mentioned, & besides those that were put to death by the Papists in England, in Queene Maries dayes, and besides those slaine In King Charlses [Page 20]time. I have likewise read in the History of the Waldenses of one Panza one of the Popes Inquisi­tors, who did cut the throats of foure score Chri­stians, and then quartered them, and caused stakes to be set up for the space of thirty miles, and caus­ed a quarter to be fastened to each stake. Next to this there is mention made of threescore women who were brought to the Rack by the Fathers of the Popes inquisition, who all perished by their horrible cruelty.

In the History of the Albingenses there is men­tion made of one hundred and forty men and wo­men, who because they refused to submit to the Church of Rome, were all of them throwne into a fire at one time, and burnt to death by the Earle Simon, and the Popes Legat.

These few instances fell in by the way, there is enough upon record to prove that Antichristian Papists have beene the most bloudiest and the most devouringst Woolves, that have had a being upon this Earth; therefore for my part I beleive the Lord God will punish this Romish Babylon, and will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up, and the Nations shall not flow together any more unto him, yea the Wall of Ba­bylon shall fall, and the dayes are come in which God will doe judgement upon the Graven Images of Babylon, and her whole Land shall be confound­ed, and all her slaine shall fall in the middest of her.

I have now done with Papists, only I wish to as many of them as doe belong to the election of grace, a visible repentance from sin and Idolatry; an actuall faith in the true Scripture [...] Jesus [Page 22]Christ, the eternall Son of God, a holy and a harm­lesse life, and preservation to their bodies from that Warr and from that destroying Sword which is already occasionally drawne and will be extend­ed to, and excercised upon the generallity of will­full, stubborne and obstinate Papists all the world over. I call it an occationall Sword, in a twofold respect.

First, the Papists by committing more sins then I am able to mention, and greater sins then I know how to paint out, have justly occasioned God to bring the Sword of warr upon them; and they have occasioned, you, I may say inforced the Saints, I doe not say, to bring Warre upon them, but in their owne just defence, to maintaine a Warr a­gainst them. They, the Antichristian Papists I meane, have beene many hundreds of yeares, rais­ing, and acting of most cruell and bloudy Warrs upon the people of God called Protestants of late yeares; they have made long furrows upon their backs, in the parts of Germany, in France, in Ireland, in England, for they have beene the hatchers of all these Warrs, and they have beene the maine actors of them too, and they will continue to raise and to act warr in Ireland, in France, and it may be in Scot­land too, they will never end their warr, till warr hath ended them, or at least, their power; they will continue their malicious endeavours to destroy the true Church of Christ upon this Earth, by warr, in that faggot and fire hath now failed them, the which God hath made a defensive Citty, an I­ron pillar, and Brazen wall against them, and they shall fight against it, but they shall not prevaile a­gainst in. Jer. 1.18.19. for the Lord of Hosts is [Page 23]with his Church to deliver it from the power of every destroying enemy as well temporall as spi­rituall ones, and the Church of Christ shall be up­on this Earth in the appointed time as a Citty, sought out and not forsaken, for glorious things are spoken of thee o thou Citty of God.

One word more and I have done, let all those Papists take notice of this, which doe harbour in them the same mind which ha's beene in their Fa­thers, who have not onely by Warr for a long time destroyed the true Members of Christ, but by most exquisit and incredible torments as well in prisons and Caves of the Earth, as upon Scaf­folds and at Stakes, have most barbarously and most unhumanly murthered the Saints of Christ, see Master Wadsworths booke to this purpose. I say seeing that you the seed of those evill doers, have now called us into the Field, who doe professe our selves friends and Servants to Jesus Christ; whom you have mocked and Brethren to those his Servants, whom you have cruelly murthered; I say take notice of this, that you are like to find as much gallantry as you have acted cruelty. [...] know will fight, but we professe to fight fai [...], whether it be in Ireland, or elsewhere, therefore now you brave English spirits, shew your selves gallant still' for the Sword must doe great things, according to that which Master Brightman hath sayd, that the time shall come when disputing by the pen, should cease, and that the Sword should end the contro­versy between the Papists and the Protestants. I beleeve this time is now come, and be you assured of these things, that as these Antichristian Papists, shall make Warr with the Lamb, so the Lamb [Page 24]shall over come them, for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him are cal­led, and chosen, and faithfull, Rev. 17.14.

One word to those amongst them that truely feare God, thus saith the Lord, My people goe out of the middest of her, and deliver yee every man his soule from the fierce wrath of the Lord, least your heart even faint, and yee feare the ru­mour that shall be heard in the Land, a rumour shall come one yeare, and after that in another yeare shall come a rumour and violence in the Land, Ruler against Ruler, Jer. 51. and 45.46. And I heard another voyce from heaven say, Goe out of her my people that yee be not pertakers in her sins, and that yee receive not of her plagues. Rev. 18.4.

I now come according to my promise to pro­duce and apply Scripture against the Heathens of these times, I desire what I said at my beginning may be remembred: that is, that I have in some respect spoken to these already, and therefore now I shall no [...] [...] much to them, onely I shall take no­tice that there is a very great people now in being upon this Earth, who are professed enemies to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that these are distinct from Papists, and that they have beene and still are great Oppressors of the people that profes Jesus Christ, and his Gospell: and that the power and pride of these Heathens shall be brought downe, by the temporall Sword in these latter dayes, and that then they shall become the Inheritance of Jesus Christ, to whome God the Father will give the Heathens of these times unto, for an Inheritance, [Page 25]and the uttermost parts of the Earth to him for his possession; by the way, I confesse that I am lit­tle or nothing seene in the knowledge of the Hi­stories of times, neither am I so much in consulta­tion with them, as with the God of times; I know but very little either of the past or present State of forraigne Countries, nor of the externall causes, nor humane reasons of the severall new framings and mouldings of those Nations, in the remore parts of the Earth, nor of those severall new con­stitutions into which they have in severall peeces of time beene put into, by the overruling and all-disposing hand of the great God of Heaven, who is the Lord of the Earth, and doth whatever he will both in Heaven and Earth, and will doe what he hath promised to doe, and likewise what he hath threatened to doe, it is true the vision is for an ap­pointed time, it shall speake, and not lye: this time is certainly come, yea, the set time is come, and God is now manifesting of himselfe by theex­cercise of the temporall Sword, to Nations, Fami­lies, and to particular persons. I confesse, as I said even now, that from a want of the knowledge of such things as I have made mention of, I remaine unable in some respects to steere a course suitable to the apprehensions which I have of the present face and appearance of things, when I thinke of them according to the glorious word and unfa­thomd workings of the great and mighty God, who is in his judgements unsearchable, and in his wayes past finding out, 'tis true, the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, hath acted his great works, and made his almighty power to appeare in all ages, in which he hath beene wonderfull in his doings towards [Page 26]the Sonnes and Daughters of men, and that in re­ference to the setting up and casting downe of Na­tions, and people, in, and by the excercise of War, and the temporall Sword, but yet I verily thinke I speake with submission, that the Lord is now a doing, and a bringing to pass such a peece of work, by the excercise of temporall warr, at this time, as there hath not in the world yet appeared the like, in reference to all events, notwithstanding mens Opinions to the contrary; for my part if in this I erer, 'tis for no bye end, this is the thing I observe. First, the blood of many thousands in severall ages who have truely feared God, hath beene shed by the cruelty of the Nations; now 'tis very cleare to me that the Lord will never give up his people to such a dreadfull cruelty that they should destroy people in cold blood, as we say, as they have beene even multitudes of them destroyed, some have beene burnt to death, others Racked, and so by di­verse other exquisit torments they have beene murthered.

Secondly, 'tis as cleare to me that the Lord will by the hand of his people make inquisition for blood, and that by the same hand will avenge the blood of his Saints, whose blood hath beene shed by the Nations, therefore Nations shall be dealt withall, by the Sword of temporall warr, the Na­tions have in a private Murtherous way, made themselves drunke with the blood of Gods Saints, the Lord will deale with the Nations in a publick way, he will make his Arrowes drunke with the blood of his, and his Peoples enemies, and the sword of the Lord in the hands of his people, shall eate the flesh of Kings, and the flesh of Captaines, [Page 27]and the flesh of mighty men, Rev. 19.18. Againe, me thinks this is somthing to be consider­ed of, what are the Nations now a doing? truely they be now a gathering themselves together; what to doe? To destroy if they can all the Inhabi­tants of Zion, I meane all such as doe truely and sincerely seeke and serve the true God, according to the rules of his holy word the Scriptures.

But to the thing in hand, Now also many Nati­ons are gathered against thee, saying, Zion shall be condemned, and our eye shall look upon Zion, but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, they un­derstand not his Counsell, for he shall gather them as the sheaves in the barne. Mica. 4.11.12. Observe, surely that dark and dismall Cloud which now ho­vers upon the world is like for some time to grow somwhat thicker, and the storme is like to be som­what more terrible then yet it is, before these pre­sent Warrs now in excercise come to a full end, the Nations are now gathering themselves toge­ther, What to doe? to destroy spirituall Zion, they say the Church and people of God shall be condemned, and they will be the Executioners, but they know not the thoughts, nor the purposes of the Lord, they little thinke what God will doe by this their gathering together; they gather and the Lord God gathers, but for contrary ends, they intend one thing, and the Lord meanes ano­ther, they an extermination of truth, and true Christians, God intends a preservation of both, yea a great deliverence and a glorious enlargment too. I speake with reverence to God, who will at this time doe two works at once, even use the Sword of temporall Warr, with the Sword of his [Page 28]word, and with the delivering of his people, will performe the ruine of his, and his peoples Ene­mies. Behold in that time when I shall br [...]ga­gaine the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all Nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there, for my people, and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scatrered among the Na­tions, Joel. 3. Assemble your selves and come all yee Heathen, and gather your selves together round about, there shall the Lord cast downe the mighty man, let the Heathen be weakned. Observe, those the enemies of God, which in Scripture are sometimes called mighty, are here prophetically destynated to weaknesse. Let the Heathen be weak­ened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I set to judge all the Heathen round about: put in your Sithes for the Harvest is ripe, come get you downe for the wine presse is full, yea the winepresses run over, for their wickednesse is great, O multitude, O multitude, come into the Valley of threshing, for the day of the Lord is neere in the Valley of threshing, the Sunne and Moone shall be darkned, and the Starrs shall with­draw their light. That is, as I conceive, in this their day of Gods visitation, they shall finde no help in Creatures, neither in the Sunne the Moon, nor the Starrs, in, and by which, the Heathens of all times have beene so much led, as appeares by the words of Jer. 10.2. Thus saith the Lord, learne not the way of the Heathen, and be not dismayed at the signes of Heaven, for the Heathen are dis­mayed at them. I have read some Authors which affirme that there are Heathens of these times, who [Page 29]doe worship the Sunne and the Moone, to whom I may speake as the Prophet speaks, thou art wea­ried in the multitude of thy Counsells, let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers, the monethly Prog­nosticatours, stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Isa. 47.13.

Againe, this may admit of a spirituall meaning, whence we may take notice, that the light of the glorious Gospell, which both hath and doth shine in the World, as the Moone, and as the Sun, shall stand them in no stead, in this time of great di­stresse, which have contemptuously banished it from them, or refused to give it entertainment, when the Lord in mercy hath made a tender of it unto them, certainly both Papists and Heathens have done this, and now the Lord God in his just judgement will shut up all light from them, and darknesse shall be upon them till they perish in the same. The Lord, sayth the Prophet, shall roare out of Zion, and utter his voyce from Jerusalem. Observe, in those dayes and times in which the Lord God shall what his glittering Sword, and shall with his hand take hold on judgement, and shall execute vengeance on his enemies, and re­ward them that hate him, that then the Lord will roare from Zion then God will appeare terrible to his, and his peoples enemies, from, and by his spirituall Zion, in the excercise of temporall meanes; God will thresh them with the Sword. Agreeable to this is that of Mica. 4. last. Arise, thresh O Daughter of Zion, for I will make thine horne Iron, and I will make thine hoofes Brasse, and thou shalt breake in peice many people, Jacob shall be a fire, and Joseph a flame, and Edom shall [Page 30]be as stubble. Mal. 4.3. The Enemies of God have beene drunke with the blood of Gods Saints, and the Lord God will make his Arrowes drunke with the blood of his enemies, and his Sword in the hand of his people shall eate flesh, yea, and that for the blood of the slaine, and of the Cap­tives, when I begin to take vengeance of the ene­mies. Deut. 32.42. Now in this day and time, the Lord God will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the Children of Israel, Joel. 3.16.

I will but suggest that of the Prophet Isa. 2. and I have done; certainly in such a day and time as this is, it will be thus, The high looke of man shall be humbled, and the loftinesse of men shall be abased, and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day, for the day of the Lord of Hosts is upon all the proud and hauty, and upon all that is exalt­ed, and upon all the Cakes of Bashan, and all the high Mountaines, & upon all the hills that are lif­ted up, and upon every high Tower, and upon e­very strong Wall, and upon all the Ships of Tar­shish, and all pleasant Pictures, and the haughti­nesse of men shall be brought low, and the lofti­nesse of men shall be abased, and the Lord shall onely be exalted in that day, and the Idolls will he utterly destroy, then they shall goe into the holes of the Rocks, and into the Caves of the Earth, from before the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his Majesty, when he shall arise to destroy or to shake terribly the Earth.