BEloved Sisters, and my well infected Brethren, at­tend this Text, as you shall find it written in the first Chapter of Bell and the Dragon, the third Verse, as it followeth,

Now the Babylonians had an Idoll they called Bell, and there were spent upon him every day, 12 gress measures of fine flow­er, and 40 sheepe, and 6 vessels of wine.

I will first of all make a Division in the former part of my Text, I will leave the latter to the Last, and ex­pound that as I shall VVax to an End.

Now the Babilonians had an Idoll they called Bell.

This sentence I shall divide into 4 parts, because your understandings my Beloved Brethren, consisteth chiefly in the Knowledge of Divisions, the particles are these.

1. The Time. 2. The Nation. 3. The Crime. 4. The Denomination.

The Time. Now. The Nation, The Babylonians. The Crime, had an Idoll. The Denomination, called Bell.

Now the Babylonians had an Idoll called Bell.

First I will begin with the time, you must not con­ceive that it was 1, 10. 100. 1000 yeares agoe, but Now, at this present, Now the Babylonians, &c. Beloved there is much evill and abomination to be picked out of these three letters Now, according to the explication of a deare deceased Brother of ours which you cald Anthony Now, Now, and cald he was from us too soone, yet the worst the wicked can say of him is, that hee dyed a dutifull death, and hee did but Come when he was called, [Page 2] but leaving our Brother as he hath left us, I will proceed with this word Now, Now the Babylonians, Now doth, plainely and significantly expound it self in these words, at this time, this present, this instant, and never were peo­ple more strangely misled by fals teaching and preaching then Now: you shall heare how many sentences or questi­ons this word Now will answer me: When were golden Crosses, Images & pictures suffered to stand in defiance of the Brethren, nay even in the open streetes? my Text doth answer Now: When were lying, fcurrilous pam­phlets, which abuse the Brethren in prose and Verse, by the Name of Round-head, more in Fashion then Now. There was one who writ a Booke, intituled, A Medicine for the times, where assuredly he doth vindicate that pillar of Golden superstition, Cheap side Crosse, calling us thieves, who bare away the lead, because those limbes should not be agen set up by Idolatrous people, & when was this booke generally sold to draw the hearts of the people from us, but according as it is in my text, Now: but were he in our Conventicle that writ it, and he that printed it, I thinke it were convenient that all of us with one a-cord shold endeavour to hang them to death, and were they here, no fitter time then Now: but si­thence they are not present, we will defer their execution till wee can confidently say we have them Now: but be­cause I will not trespasse upon your patience much long­er then my limited time, 6 houres, I will Now conclude this part of my Text, and proceed to the next, which is the Nation.

This Nation were Babylonians, for so my Text telleth me,

Now the Babylonians.

Beloved, these Babylonians are a Nation that inhabi­ted [Page 3] Babylon, and derive their names from Nimrods Tow­er, Babel, a Tower, which according to my Authors description, was 4 hundred thousand times higher then the Tower of London, bearing twice as many hundred thou­sand piece of Ordnance, for it was the intention of that proud Nimrod, to shoot downe heaven: amongst this Nation lived that grand enemy to our sect, The Whore of Babylon, a most fathomlesse Harlot, and corrupted every man that had any Part in Babel (the more fooles they) this Nimrod was the first that ever taught Idolatry, for (as I have bin told) you know I cannot read my selfe, before ever the Art of carving or painting was, hee taught the people to adore the fire, which expressed his hot zeale in Idolatry, it was onely their ignorance in arts, that kept them from setting up such a Crosse, as is in Cheap-side: not long after Nimrod succeeded King Astiages: after his decease, Cyrus of Persia received his Kingdome, as you shall read in the first Verse of this Chapter, and accor­ding to my Text is living at this present, for,

Now the Babylonians had an Idoll, Called Bell.

And thus much shall suffice to have bin spoken for the second part of my Text, which is the Nation, Babilonians, now the Babilonians, I will now proceed unto the third, which is their crime, their Idolatry, their Image worship the Divell by this time had instructed them in the Art of making Idols, for so my Text saith,

Now the Babylonians had an Idoll.

This Idol was made of Brasse without and clay with­in, a brazen face, and an earthen heart, fil'd with corrup­tion [Page 4] and fraught with abhomination. This word Idoll properly derives it selfe from Idle, which in significati­on, my attentive Brethren, is sloth, Iazinesse, they wold imploy their times in nothing but making Images. Ile warrant you in those dayes a Journeyman Image-Maker might get his halfe crowne a day, doe you but censure then, my deare Assembly, how they flourished in their wickednesse, but, since they had nothing else to doe but to set up Idols, it shall become us to make it the busines of our whole lives to pull them downe: but take this caution with you, when you next attempt the holy destruction of that nest of Idols, Cheap-side Crosse, be not too violent, least you suffer as our Brother did, yet had hee past the Pikes, he had bin living to this day. This Idoll in my Text, was Brasse without, and earth within, a cheape Idoll to those in Cheap-side, for they are Gold without, and lead within. Beloved, Lead was not made to forme Idols with, but for the good of mankind, which is to make Bullets, and Tyle Houses; your onely way to confound this aforesaid Cheap-side Crosse, is to pull downe to the ground, that old Idoll Charin, and beat downe this with the stones, that wee may have no more cause to say,

Now the Babylonians had an I doll called Bell.

I am now come to the Denomination of this Idoll, they cald him Bell, for so saith the Text.

Now the Babilonians had an Idol.

This notorious Babe of Idolatry, who hath to name, Bell, hath his Name derived from that generall enemy to mankind Belze-bub, one whom we all know to bee the [Page 5] Devill; this Bell was made of brasse, & that is the only reason (my beloved) that our Bels be held so much in contempt amongst the Brethren. This Bell according to the text had spent upon him every 10 great Mea­sures of fine Flower, 40 Sheepe, and 6 Vessels of wine: now who devoured this Flower? Bell, who consumed the 40 Sheepe, but Bell, who dranke the wine, so that there was a generall exaction laid upon each Pint and Quart, but Bell, or A-bell.

I have observed that there was never any good in that word where Bell had a share in't what was Adam Bell, but a hunter, so was Nimrod, who built that ambitious Tower Babel; I have heard with mine owne eares, those blads which call themselvs Cavaleroes call a Crosse Bard sword Troy Bel. what is a Bel-man but a night walker (as I apprehend him) nay doe not your superstitious papists curse the Bretheren with Bell Booke and Candell; was not that Cardinall an arch Heretick who had to name Bell Armine; doe not those persecuting papists in Ireland Re­Bel, yes double and Tre-Bel; and I hope there will be such an Equall uniformity amongst us who are the se­lect Brethren that no particular man may be sayd to bare the Bel: nor shall any man hereafter be counted a man the sounder for being Bel-Metle, for Bel was Brasse with­out and Clay within.

Now the Babilonians had an Idol called Bell, and there was spent upon him every day 12 measures of fine flower, and 40 sheepe and 6 Vessels of wine, beloved had I been to serve Bell with this banquet I would have made Bels eares ring noone ere he should have had it; now who doe you conceive should worship this Bell? noe worse man then Cyrus the King, as you shall find it in the fourth verse;

[Page 6] And Syrus worshipped it and went daily to adore it.

And it is thought (by some Authors) that this Syrus first made this Bel, if hee did, hee was but a Bel founder; or at least the first that ever was a Bel-founder. I shall love a Bel-founder the worse for it all dayes of my life; I could proceed further and would but for feare of the law, who if I should be too zealous, would censure this Lecture to be a Libell, therefore, this shall suffice at this time, next meeting shall perfect the worke begun: repaire to your houses and consider of these sayings, Farewell.