Rook IV. 'MY S T E R Y B A B Y L 0 N. SsJ M E T A P I-I 0 R. P A R A L L E L. profefs God, bttt in Works dory him. For under this verbal Humility, here is the greatefl: Pride in the World; under this verbal Meeknefs and Self-denial, the greattl~ 0ppreffion and Crudty, Covetoufnels, and Love of the vVorld; as appears by their pompotiS Garbs,. their cruel Punifhments,. and the vaft ·Sums of Mor.ey brought in trom all Parts of therr Domrnrons, by Slerghts, and cunnrng and decertful Cheats : B"Gdes a meer Hodge-podgc of Principies, one Order or Fraternity profcffing that which another writes againft:, and cries down; which is the more fhange to come from a Church infallible: Bdides the (\range Mixtures in their viltble ViTorfhip, of Traditions, and human Inventions, of lying and diabolical Tricks, of Blefling by a CrofS, confecrating holy Water, and clean ling by it, which are too numerous and te~ dious to relare, and the ltls needful, beraute every Man that ha.rh feen their \oVays, hath an imperfeEt Book of it in his own Mind, and can read the Truth of what we fay within himfelf. And !tt any People in the Chriflian World, pretending to Religion, be compared to them, for fupernumerary, trifling and inrignificanr Ceremonies crouded into their pretended Worfl1ip; nay, let all the People in rhe C.hrifl:ian World be laid in the Ballance againfl the Church of Rome in this refpecr, and they will be fou nd in– conceivably wanting: For which we have this Reafon to judge her tO be Baby/on, and the City of Confufion. If the: e is more Confufion, in Contrariety of Principles, PraEt;ces, contradicting Pretenfions, crouding in Supernumeraries, and Myfteries of unfcripwral lnvemions, into vifible Worfl1ip, in Rome Papal, or the Church of Rome, than is to be fuund amongfl: any or all People pretending Relig:on, in the Chrifl:ian World befides; then is Rome Papal, or the.Church of Rome, the great Baby/on, ur City of ConfuGon. But there is more Confufion, in the fore-mentioned RefpcEts, to be fou nd in Rome Pap.J , or the Church of Rome, than in any or all. People pretending Religion in the Chrillian World btfides: Ergo, &c. ' 1V. Baby/on is not only a WoIV. Rome Papal, or ·Church of Rome, is not man, and a City, a City of Cononly a Woman, and a City, a City of Confufion, fuGon, bur fhe is a Whore, which is but according to Scripture-hifrory, and notorious a !\range Word to be applied to a Matter of Fact, fr.e is a Whore aifo, and may be great and famous People; a Word juflly fo called; for in the A poltles Time fhe joined t hat carries in it one of the highdl: herklf to rhe Lord, by firm Ties of a Gofpel Impe.,chmenrs, bm no other rhan Covenant and P rofdTwn, and was rhe renowneci was given to Ifrael, Judah, and JeSpoufc of the Son of God, ·owned and profelfed rufa!em, in the Days of old, upon him in the Time of .Hearhenifin, r~ceived the ·a very good Reafon, Ifa.. !vi!. 3· Apoflles and Servants of God amongfl: them, .·and xvi. '7· Hof iv. and v. 3· withfl:ood the Fury of the Emperor;, fuffered Per– ·For they being joined in Covenant fecl1tion, had their Faith fpoken of through\lut with God, to lervc him in Obedithe whole World; and yet after all this, like Jfrael ence and SubjeEtion, did, like of old, fl1e left God, and his holy Laws, made tto an adulterous \oVo:nan, break Idols to herfelt of Saints, Angels,-RdiqlleS, and Wedlock, and fer up other Lovers Imnges, upon which fhe doared, and forlook the ·or [dol; in his Stead, and continued Son of God, upon the 'vVorking and A ppearance (o a long Time, rill a lliJJ of Diof t!le Man of Sin, who exalted himfelf into the vorce was given, and God proPlace of Chrifl:, and became her Head, by which .claimed rlwm not married w J1im means fhe is fO far degenerated from what Che once as hi3 Wift. but a Whore, and was, rhat fhe n:rains norhing, holds faft nothing divorced, Ezek. xvi. 38. I-lof i. 9· of what really appertains to true Godlinefs, but and ii. 2 , 5· Yet it is obfervable, the bare Names of God and J eft1s Chrill, having that they ufed hi N ame, though corrupted the true \'o1orfhip of the Son of God, they worfhipped Jdols, and cried, her fir(t Hu!band, and notorioufly abandoned Obe– ·'The 'Temple of the Lord, tbe Tem- · dience ro him, taking this vile l'erlon to be her pie of the Lord arc <ve. .Head, &nd chief Guide, and fetting hi m in the Place of, and Dignity above her firlt Head, and ·true Guide·of her Youth ; and yet, like lfrael of old, lliJJ cries, The true Church, the Catholic Church, the Mother Church are we ; having on her Forehead a ftrange My.f– tery written, i.e. God, Chrifl:, Truth, Verity, InfaJJibility; and next to this there lies ,neareft her Heart, Devil, Pope, Lying, Deceit, Perjury, Idolatry, and horrible Cruelty 10 1 towards
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