T 11 E C H U R C H oF R 0 M E, Book IV. METAPHO~ PARALLEL towards the befl: of Men, profdling Chrifl: and Religion in Uprightnefs and Truth: For which Change of her firlt Head, Hufoand, and Guide of her Youth, for this vile Perfon, with which !he commits mofl: abominable Lewdnefs, togecher with the Kinas of the Earth, fhc is rank<d by the Angel amongfl: the worfl: of \Vomen, and fl:iled, ~s . her Tfpe and Predeceffot of old, a well-favored Harlot, or of the Angel, a Woman, a City, and notorious Whore, which ill and black Characters we conclude w'ith this· Argumenr: If there be no Body of profef1ing People in the Chrifl:ian vVord, that harh fo appa– rently declined or adulterated from what rhey once were, deferred the holy DoCtrine, Example, and right Government of Jefcs Chrifl:, and fet up another vioble and pub– lic Head of the Church in room and Head of him, whofe Power and Laws are pre– ferred above and before the Authority and Laws of the Lord Jcfus, as Rome P opal, or Church of Rome hath done: Then Rome Papal, or Church of Rome is this Whore fpoken of: But there is no Body of profe!ling People in the Chrifl:ian World, that lmh fo ap– parently declined, or adulterated, or deferred the hJ!y DoCtrine, Example, or right Government of Chrifl:, ut Jupra: Ergo, Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, is this Whore fpoken of. To reinforce this Argument, let it be !hewed by any Man, that any People different from the Church of Rome hath made fuch a Change, in point of Religion and Head– fhip, and Matters thereto pertaining, fo as that this black CharaCter of lf/ho,-e can more fitly·and fully be made to meet upon .them, and we mufl: confefs our Argument not weighty; but till then, we conclude it carri_es ConviCl:ion in the Bowels ot it. V. Baby/on, this Woman, this City of ConfuGon, this Whore, is a very great Woman, City, and W bore : And the great City was di– vided. /lnd the Woman which thou Jmuft, is that great City, &c. 'I'he Merchants flood afar off, faying, Alas ! alas ! that great City, llaby– lon, that mighty City. Again they wept, Jaying, /llas! alas ! that great City, which was cloatbed, &c. What .City is iike unto this great City'! /lnd cried, <oeeping and wail– ·ing, Jaying, Alas! alas! that great Ci!y, wherein were made rich! &c. And a.mighty Angel took up a Stone, like a great Mill-jlone, and caft it into the Sea, Jayi;Ig, ']'bus with Vio– lence Jball.that great City Babvlon be thrown down. I will jbew thee the Jt!dgment if the great Whore, &c. He bath judged the great If/bore, &c. Rw. xvt. 1 9· xvii. 1 H. xviii. 10, r6, 18, 1.7, 21. xvii. r. and xix. ·2. Grear in four Re– fpeC\s: ( t.) Great in Name. (2.) Great in Power. (3.) Great in Multitude. (4.) Great in .'\ction, vile Ac'tions. V. Rome P apal, or Church of Rome, is not only a Woman, a City, a 'J\Thore, but a \'ery great VVo.. man, City, and Whor<; great in many refpeCts, but chieBy in thcle our: 1. She bath a f!reat Name, no Name fo great in the Chrifl:ian World, as the Name of Rome. She is called a ~teen, becaufe joined by ContraCt to a great Man, the Man of Sm, a l\1an greater than Emperors, and temporal Princes, who pre– tends a Power to give them their Crowns, to fet them upon their Heads, and kick them olf at .pleafure. 2. Great in Power. She gives Rules to King– doms, advances ber ecclefiafl:ica] Laws above temporal ; ftts her Head, and the chicfd1: of her Sons, above fecular J urifcliCI:ion; makes them un– accountable, and pretends a Power to abfolve and ble[, them; and without Controverfy, .the letTer is bldfed of the gr<"lter. 3· Gr~at in Mul.titude. There are no People befides, th at are in a fpiritual united Body, and viiible Community, profeffing Chriftiani<y, com– parable to her for Multitude, and the vaft N um– bers of her Sons and Dau,ghrers. 4· Great in ACtion, vtle Actions, fuch as de· poring and poifoning Princes, fomenting Jea– louftes, raifing Wars, feuing Nations together by the Ears, invading Rights., making Uproars, burn– ing Cities, and carrying on dreadful De.vafl:ations, where 01e is gainfayed. And that which adds to her Greatnefs, is the invincible Confidence fhe bath, that all Perfons and Things are made for her, and given to her, fo that all Things !he cloth are allowed as legal and jufl: in Heaven : From whence we frame this Argument: Argument. If there be ne united Body ofPeople, or viftble Community in the Chriftian World, that is fo great in Name, Power, Multitude and Action, vile ACtions, as Rome 3 Pap~
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