Babylon is not only a Woman, and a City, a City of Confusion, but she is a Whore, which is a strange Word to be applied to a great and famous People; a Word that carries in it one of the highest Impeachments, but no other than was given to Israel, 1Judah, and Jerusalem, in the Days of old, upon a very good Reason; for they being joined in Covenant with God, to serve him in Obedience and Subjection, did, like to an adulterous Woman, break Wedlock, and set up other Lovers or Idols in his stead,2 and continued so a long time, till a Bill of Divorce was given, and God proclaimed them not married to him as his Wife, but a Whore, and divorced; yet it is observable, that they used his Name, tho they worshipped Idols, and cried, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are we. |
IV. Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, is not only a Woman, and a City, a City of Confusion, but according to Scripture-History, and notorious Matter of Fact, she is a Whore also, and may be justly so called; for in the Apostles Time she joined her self to the Lord, by firm Ties of a Gospel-Govenant and Profession, and was the renowned Spouse of the Son of God, owned and professed him in the Time of Heathenism, received the Apostles and Servants of God amongst them, withstood the Fury of the Emperors, suffered Persecution, had their Faith spoken of throughout the whole World; and yet after all this, like Israel of old, she left God, and his holy Laws, made Idols to her self of Saints, Angels, Relics, and Images, upon which she doted, and forsook the Son of God, upon the working and appearance of the Man of Sin, who exalted himself into the place of Christ, and became her Head, by which means she is so far degenerated from what she once was, that she retains nothing, holds fast nothing of what really appertains to true Godliness, but the bare Names of God and Jesus Christ, having corrupted the true Worship of the Son of God, her first Husband, and notoriously ⟨p. 309⟩abandoned Obedience to him, taking this vile Person to be her Head, and chief Guide, and setting him in the Place of, and Dignity above her first Head, and true Guide of her Youth; and yet (like Israel of old) still cries, The true Church, the Catholic Church, the Mother-Church are we; having on her Forehead a strange Mystery written, i. e. God, Christ, Truth, Verity, Infallibility;
Babylon is not only a Woman, and a City, a City of Confusion, but she is a Whore, which is a strange Word to be applied to a great and famous People; a Word that carries in it one of the highest Impeachments, but no other than was given to Israel, 1Judah, and Jerusalem, in the Days of old, upon a very good Reason; for they being joined in Covenant with God, to serve him in Obedience and Subjection, did, like to an adulterous Woman, break Wedlock, and set up other Lovers or Idols in his stead,2 and continued so a long time, till a Bill of Divorce was given, and God proclaimed them not married to him as his Wife, but a Whore, and divorced; yet it is observable, that they used his Name, tho they worshipped Idols, and cried, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are we. |
IV. Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, is not only a Woman, and a City, a City of Confusion, but according to Scripture-History, and notorious Matter of Fact, she is a Whore also, and may be justly so called; for in the Apostles Time she joined her self to the Lord, by firm Ties of a Gospel-Govenant and Profession, and was the renowned Spouse of the Son of God, owned and profess'd him in the Time of Heathenism, received the Apostles and Servants of God amongst them, withstood the Fury of the Emperors, suffered Persecution, had their Faith spoken of throughout the whole World; and yet after all this, like Israel of old, she left God, and his holy Laws, made Idols to her self of Saints, Angels, Reliques, and Images, upon which she doted, and forsook the Son of God, upon the working and appearance of the Man of Sin, who exalted himself into the place of Christ, and became her Head, by which means she is so far degenerated from what she once was, that she retains nothing, holds fast nothing of what really appertains to true Godliness, but the bare Names of God and Jesus Christ, having corrupted the true Worship of the Son of God, her first Husband, and notoriously ⟨p. 309⟩abandoned Obedience to him, taking this vile Person to be her Head, and chief Guide, and setting him in the Place of, and Dignity above her first Head, and true Guide of her Youth; and yet (like Israel of old) still cries, The true Church, the Catholick Church, the Mother-Church are we; having on her Forehead a strange Mystery written, i. e. God, Christ, Truth, Verity, Infallibility;
- 1Isa. 57.3. & 16.17. Hos 4. & 5.3.
- 2Ezek. 16.38. Hos. 1.9. & 2.2, 5.
