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Sion in distress

or, the groans of the Protestant chruch [by Benjamin Keach]

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The Sentence.

Rome Thou hast been Indicted by the Name of Mystery, Babylon, Mother of Harlots, Scarlet-coloured Whore, and False Church, or pretended Spouse of Jesus Christ. And found guilty of all these horrid and prodigious Crimes, following:

Thou didst first fall from the Holy Religion of God and his Son, which were established and professed in the Apostles time. Thou didst set up the vile Monster the POPE, the Man of Sin, that foul, Blasphemous Beast. Thou didst most sacrilegiously give those Attributes and Titles to him, that belong to Jehovah and the Great Emanuel. Thou mad'st his Decrees in Wicked Counsels, above the Laws of God, (the Universal Sovereign). Thou hast made void the Laws and Constitutions of the Gospel, forming whole Nations into Churches, though the greatest part do shew themselves the worst of Men. Thou hast made Nurseries of Priests and vile Men, and impowered them to take Confessions for Money, and forgive Sins. Thou hast hypocritically abused all sorts of People, by perswading them that thou hast power to heal their souls here, and help them hereafter, by which cursed frauds thou hast drawn a great part of the Riches of Europe into thine unhallowed hands. Thou hast laid Close Siege to the Courts of Princes, and drawn them into the highest strains of Wickedness,


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to commit fornication, promote Idolatry, and take away the lives of Innocents. Thou hast layn in wait (where they would not fulfil thy bloudy and barbarous Lusts) to contrive Treasons, Sedition and Rebellion against them, to Depose and Murder them by Excommunications, Poysons and Powder-Plots. Thou hast corrupted all Countrys and Kingdoms (where thy power extended) by such downright and abominable Ieolatrys, that Heathens themselves were never guilty of worse. Thou hast not only countenanced Stews and Brothel-Houses, where abominable Sodomy and Adulteries are practiced, but even thy very Nunneries are become Habitations of Whoredom and Filthiness, the bottoms of whose Motes and Ponds, have shewed the Murders of New born Babes. Thou hast killd the best Men; thou hast not spared delicate Women and sucking Children. Thou hast made away many Millions both of Christians and poor Heathens. And after so Hellish a sort, that the best learned Heart and Tongues want Rhetorick to set it forth; Thou hast cut them to peices in Cool Bloud, thou hast chained to Stakes and burnt them. Thou hast ripped up Women with Child, and Ravisht Women and Maids—and then hast barbarously slain them—Thou hast been guilty of burying alive, Roasting upon Spits, scalding with burning Oyl and boyling Lead—Blowing their Heads in pieces with Gun-Powder; thou hast made Women Widdows, Children Fatherless; Houses and Villages, Towns and Cities without Inhabitants. Thou hast

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destroyed by Fire and Sword and all manner of Hostilities and Outrages. Thou hast fomented Wars betwixt Kingdoms and Nations. Thou hast done thy endeavour to make all men slaves, but thy own accursed Tribe of Cardinals, Arch-Bishops, Bishops, &c. Thou hast Murder'd multitudes of Souls, as well as destroy'd multitudes of Bodys. In short, thou hast filled the Earth with Corruption, and loaded it with Oppression, and standest in the way of its promised Deliverance and Restitution. And for all this Apostacy, Oppressions, Adulteries, Fornications, Rebellions, Treasons and Blasphemies, with the guilt of a mighty Mass of Innocent Bloud, which hath been proved against thee, and from which they canst not defend thy self, and for which, both by the Law of God, Nature and Nations, thou oughtest to suffer, thy Sentence therefore is—

Thou shalt continue in safe Custody till the 1260 Years be expired, (which is now very near) and then thou shalt be taken from off the Beast, where thou art imperiously Mounted, thy Golden Cup (with which thou hast deceived the Nations) shall be taken out of thy hand, and by the Hand of God, the Horns of the Nations, and Swords of Good Men, thou shalt have these Judgements come upon thee in one day, Death, Mourning and Famine, and thou shalt be utterly burnt with Fire, like a Woman that hath broken Wedlock, and slain her Sovereign; At which all the Host of Saints and Angels, shall say Amen,—Hallelujah.