Babylons downfall a sermon lately preached at Westminster before sundry of the honourable House…

It is your duty to search, and enquire after these persons, and to punish them according to their deservings.

Secondly, it is in you also to call for days of public humiliation, fasting, prayer, and soul-affliction. It will be said this hath been done already. True, it hath been done, and much good hath been done thereby in heaven; but when a man lays his ears to the several Committees, and hears what a world of evil is discovered in each Committee; what filthiness, and lewdness of filthiness in this and that Priest, in this, and that Officer; how can a man but break forth, and say, or rather sob. Good Lord, what a lamentable condition was this poor Land in? O that the weight of our sins should not break the axle-tree of Gods patience. O that we are a nation to this day. And then is there not yet need of more tears, humiliation, and soul-afflictions? Of all the reformed Churches in the world, England hath born the name, and worn the crown for the life, and power of godliness; yet give me leave with grief of heart, and sadness of spirit, to make a challenge. What reformed Church is there in all the world, that ever knew so many suspended Ministers as England? Speak (O Sun) whether in all thy travels from one end of the heaven to the other, thou didst ever see so many silenced Ministers as thou hast done here. And is there not then need of more humiliation, more fasting, and prayer, more self-afflictions, and more tears? I will lead you but to one Scripture, and leave it with you. Ezek. 43. 10, ⟨p. 13⟩11. Thou Son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed, of all that they have done; show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof, &c. I know not such another text in all the Bible, as this is for this purpose. One man says, the government of the Church of England is the best; another, that the Scottish government is the best; a third, that a third is best; another, O that I knew what were the government and form of Gods house, prescribed by God himself. Well. Wouldst thou know? If you be ashamed of your own iniquities, God will show you the form of his house.