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

The heathen could say, Virtue groves upon the rocks, and if the extirpation of Babylon, with the reformation of true Religion, were not a hard work, it were not fit for a Parliament to do. They are met to untie such knots as none else can untie. The heathen King said to a poor man, Though this gift be too great for you to receive, yet it is not too ⟨p. 18⟩great for me to give. Either it is of God that you are assembled, or else it is not; if it be not, why sit you here, if it be, can any thing be too hard for God; Wherefore, let your faith laugh in the face of difficulties. For as unbelief will make a thing difficult though never so easy, so faith will make a thing easy though never so difficult.

The heathen could say, Vertue groves upon the rocks, and if the extirpation of Babylon, with the reformation of true Religion, were not a hard work, it were not fit for a Parliament to doe. They are met to unty such knots as none else can unty. The heathen King said to a poore man, Though this gift be too great for you to receive, yet it is not too ⟨p. 18⟩great for mee to give. Either it is of God that you are assembled, or else it is not; if it bee not, why sit you here, if it be, can any thing be too hard for God; Wherefore, let your faith laugh in the face of difficulties. For as unbeliefe will make a thing difficult though never so easie, so faith will make a thing easie though never so difficult.

But this work is not only exceeding hard and difficult,¹ but very dangerous. In great reformations, there must be some alterations, and alteration cannot be without danger and trouble.

But this worke is not onely exceeding hard and difficult,¹