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

In the primitive times when the heathen would put the Christians to a cruel death, they tied a living man to a dead man, that so by the filthy savour, and stench of the dead carcass, they might poison the living man to death; this they counted the worst of death; the death of deaths. So when the dead ordinances of mans Inventions, shall be tied to the living ordinances of Gods appointment. What is this, but as much as in us lies to poison the living with the dead? But I pray tell me, what unkindness hath the good ordinance of Christ done to us, that we should put it to so sad a death. And as Christ said to the Jews, I have done many good works amongst you, for which of all these do you take up stones against me? so may the ordinances of Christ say, O ye people of England, I have done many good works among you; I have converted many of you by preaching to you; I have healed many of you, that were sore bruised; I have comforted many of you that were sore troubled, for which of all these do you use me thus unkindly; for which of all these do you thus tie, and link me to that, which never entered into the heart of God to match me with. What Luther saves concerning preaching, that may, I say, concerning all the ordinances of God. We that are Ministers (saith he) think to take our people with our expressions, and if we light upon an expression that pleaseth us well, we think that it should convert every one that hears it from us; but then the Auditor comes & hominem olet, he smells man in the expression, turns his back upon it, and the whole vanisheth, ⟨p. 15⟩and comes to nothing. The explication is plain, and easy.

In the primitive times when the heathen would put the Christians to a cruell death, they tyed a living man to a dead man, that so by the filthy savour, and stench of the dead carkasse, they might poyson the living man to death; this they counted the worst of death; the death of deaths. So when the dead ordinances of mans Inventions, shall bee tyed to the living ordinances of Gods appointment. What is this, but as much as in us lyes to poyson the living with the dead? But I pray tell me, what unkindnesse hath the good ordinance of Christ done to us, that wee should put it to so sad a death. And as Christ said to the Jewes, I have done many good works amongst you, for which of all these doe you take up stones against me? so may the ordinances of Christ say, O ye people of England, I have done many good works among you; I have converted many of you by preaching to you; I have healed many of you, that were sore bruised; I have comforted many of you that were sore troubled, for which of all these doe you use me thus unkindly; for which of all these doe you thus tye, and linke me to that, which never entred into the heart of God to match mee with. What Luther saves concerning preaching, that may, I say, concerning all the ordinances of God. We that are Ministers (saith hee) think to take our people with our expressions, and if we light upon an expression that pleaseth us well, wee think that it should convert every one that heares it from us; but then the Auditor comes & hominem olet, hee smels man in the expression, turnes his back upon it, and the whole vanisheth,