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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04597	A spiritual chaine, and armour of choice, for Sion souldiers Which, whosoeuer weareth graciously, shall be sure of the best honour, comfort and safetie (whether he liue or die in the battell) that can come to a Christian souldier. Very necessary for these times.	Jones, Anthony, fl. 1622.	1622 (1622)	STC 14717.5; ESTC S114423	39,266	114

whosoeuer entreth into followeth anie path let him be sure to misse the King of Kings high way though he should plot with Ieroboam and out plot Achitophel which were hard for the best wit to doe Nay grant that he hit her plot of profit pleasure or honour yet shall he misse the path of heauen except he returne The waies of man may seeme straight green pleasant at first but if he consult not with the word of his God they wil proue crooked black and mirie at last But why go I about to praise the Sunne for light the fire for heate siluer seuen times tried for purenesse and that which passeth the honie and the honie-comb for sweetnesse They praise themselues yea and God himselfe praiseth them Onely this I will say more As no godlie Captaine or souldier will do anie thing how meane or how great soeuer except he haue Gods word to allow it so also no godly Captaine or souldier wil do anie doubtful thing be it euer so small how much lesse the weightier things of such a priuat wit or conceit in the word as to become his owne iudge what is the will of God therein but rather aduise with holie Seers Coloff 3.2 such as haue set their affections on things aboue and not on things below A mans own praier to God according to the word and his owne consultation with God by the word are not enough in these cases Rom. 12.3 This ouerweening wit presuming to vnderstand aboue that which is meet hurteth the most godly when they fall into it And as for the wicked who contually both worke and play with their fine refined wits Prou. 26.12 there is more hope of arrant fooles then of such Good men may faile in this by trusting too much vnto their owne iudgement and thereby meete with a temporall punishment for such slips But the wicked make a continual practise of relying on their owne policie quite neglecting yea and some of them contemning the the word Was not Achitophel a patterne of such fooles Doubtlesse he was And if you see an example of a holy man quite ouerturned by trusting to his owne counsell see it in gracious Iosiah when this good King this peerlesse King for in that respect so I may say of him tooke aduice by the word from the mouth of Hulda the Prophetesse 2. Chron. 34.21 he receiued a right comfortable answer from the Lord his God but afterwards for want of taking such aduice that most famous religious zealous King perished in the battell against Pharao Neco 2. Chron. 35.20 We do not find that he did then consult with his God by the help of his gracious Prophets Now if it be a thing so dangerous not to aske counsell of holy Ministers what is it to refuse their good counsell giuen what to enterprise things quite contrary to the word Surely a double and treble fault full of double and treble danger By obstinate refusing good counsell from the Lords true messengers Num. 14.45 you may see that the Israelites were ouerthrowne in fight against the Amalekites and Canaanites 1 King 22.17.28 And so also came Ahab to his desperate death he would go vp to Ramoth Gilead though the Prophet shewed him his fall most plainly Happie then are they who giue eare and obedience to the word of our God Mal ● truly opened by his faithfull Ministers The Priests lips should preserue knowledge For whom For all sorts both high and low rich and poore learned and vnlearned and they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of hoasts Yea and as he should counsell all sorts of warriers by the word so should he comfort and encourage them in the verie time of entrance into the battell When thou goest out to battell against thine enemies saith our God by his seruant Moses and seest horses and chariots Deut. 20.2.3.4 and a people more then thou be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee which brought thee out of the land of Egypt And it shall be when ye come nigh vnto the battell that the Priest shall approach and speake vnto the people and say vnto them Heare O Israel yee approach this day vnto battell against your enemies let not your hearts faint feare not and do not tremble neither be troubled because of them for the Lord your God is he that is with you to fight for you against your enemies to saue you Thus you see what great vse and neede there is of the Ministers priuate counsell and publick instruction euen in war These things so it alwaies behoueth both Captaines and souldiers to be frequent in consultation with their God touching all matters belonging to their places Consultation I say by often and feruent praiers and consultation by aduice of godly and learned Preachers This consultation must begin at the first houre and neuer end till a souldiers last houre be ended yea and Sion souldiers ought also to ioyne priuate reading and meditation in the word together with this consultation according to that in the first Psalme His delight is in the law of the Lord Psal 1.2 and in his law will he meditate day and night and agreeable also to that in Iohn Search the Scriptures Iohn 5.39 for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me And specially as our God cōmandeth Iosua which commandement extendeth to all souldiers Let not this booke of the Law depart from thy mouth Ios 18. but meditate therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe For this purpose if they reade Psal 3. Ps 27. Psa 57. and Psal 118. they may finde much comfort in these places And thus much for the eight worthie linke here ioyned with the rest as the last linke to make vp a heauenly Chaine for Sion souldiers Such as keepe these links together in a gracious order are fitly adorned to wait vpon the true God of battell that King of glorie and they to whom our God giueth these eight worthies for a spirituall chaine are fittest and likest to performe most valiant actions and worthy of great honour here with their Kings and Princes and shall be accounted worthy to reigne as kings with that King of Kings for euer Shall I now say that here touching these eight links which I said before concerning those seuen peeces of armour viz. suffer thy Pastor to ioyne these eight links together for thy good and to fit them to thee for thy defence I might say so but I will say thus Do not onely suffer but intreate thy Pastor also to ioyne and fit these seuen peeces of armour aboue named as heauenly and compleate armour of choice to defend thee and these eight links also as a heauenly

especially with continuance of that good word of our good God so powerfully preached and with your increase of loue and obedience thereunto together with all kinds of godly peace and with each good means to maintain them and all this in a most long quiet and blessed reigne of our gracious Soueraigne Lord King Iames. Amen To the worthie Captaines and to the whole Companies of the Artillerie in other Cities and Townes of our Nation who haue imitated this famous patterne of the Citie of the Kingdome and chiefly to Londons notable neighbours for imitation I meane them of the Artillerie at Westminster and to all other gracious helpers thereunto the selfe same peace in the selfe same sort that is to say all maner holy peace in the God of peace IT is one of the greatest honours that may be to follow the steps of good men in good actions The praise and benefit hereof you receiue to Gods glorie by imitating your renowned Mother-Citie of London in training vp your people for skill in warre The increase in this Skill is a meanes to strike a feare into inveterate foes who otherwise will watch opportunities to offer strokes Olde wilie foxes are venturous vpon lambes in places where they winde no foote nor baite nor grinne Olde kites will quickly spie where nets be prepared and where not Olde Rauens will soone smell both match and powder and olde robbers of houses will soone perceiue which houses are strong and which are weake Right so it is with old enemies to a nation Well you know by reason of many iourneys about your affaires that the verie sight of a sword makes a theefe stay his hand sometimes though not his heart yea and by Gods restraining power saues some throates from cutting Right so in peace a preparation for warre makes the enemies heart to faint and the hearts of good men to reioyce This holdeth in the spirituall warre also by preparing to haue that sword of the Spirit readie both in the greater and lesser Churches of our God yea and readie also in euerie heauenly hand of each new borne Christian considering the great subtiltie and strength of that old Serpent our irreconcileable aduersarie Imitate your honourable Mother in her so many holy prouisions and actions imitate her in the double by pietie I meane and by policie by prouiding both the heauenly and the earthly sword endeuour you also alwaies as she doth to vse all good meanes for defending your selues and your countrie amongst others practise effectually that laudable training prescribed by a prouident order Thus defend your selues yea and be you and let vs all be defenders euer offenders neuer Let not your vse in armes be out of your armes as a thing vnaccustomed Our prouerb is Vse legges and haue legges so I say Vse armes skilfully and haue skill in armes Be you then religious more and more and be you also valorous more and more continue to bring vp your youth in the trade of both these waies so shall they not depart from them both these be holy wayes to enter into and to walke in For your better treading in these peaceable yet preuenting defending paths and for your true vse of warre when you haue occasion which our good God keepe vs from if it be his blessed will I haue likewise sent you aforehand also my collections of those eight links and the chaine made of them together with a description of your Armour of choice and proofe No more at this time but the Lord our God so guide you still in holy actions as that you may do them cheerfully and constantly to your owne priuate and your countries publicke good and alwayes to his glorie in the first and highest place Amen A SPIRITVAL CHAINE AND ARMOVR OF CHOICE FOR SION SOVLDIERS HEaring of warres and of rumors of warres vnto which many souldiers of many countries in Christendome were like to be sent I haue written a plaine and short Treatise more and more to stirre vp so many of them now and others hereafter as by any meanes may haue vse of it vnto a gracious cariage in this high calling of theirs which so much concerneth not onely themselues but all Christian Churches and Common-wealths also yea and the glorie of God withall together with their owne particular safetie for the better setting forth of his glorie A short Treatise in comparison I write because I feare that if it were long there would be much want of fit time and much more of good will to reade it the multiplicitie of bookes considered A plaine Treatise I write because most souldiers are plaine men altogether vnlearned touching any skill in the Arts for whose sake it is that when I vse any illustration in Latin for more delight to the learned I omit not to translate it Now if there be a blessed peace in most places yea or in euery place before my booke cometh forth I shall much reioyce at it as he who wisheth that all Christian Kings and Princes would labour to make Halcyon neasts for breeding Sion birds and that none of them would nourish such Romish Rauens Hawkes and Harpies as delight in cruell preying vpon innocents Princes and all more then in true prayer to the true God Yet seeing warres are as like to continue in the world as diseases both being sent of our God as punishments for sinne my booke may stand in such stead as medicines printed long before for such and such maladies when people fall into them Weapons are prouided in peace against the time of warre and why not counsels Surely both these are necessary aforehand Now as the Apostle Paul said touching his brethren the Iewes My hearts desire and prayer for Israel Rom. 10.1 is that they may be saued so say I for Protestant souldiers my Christian brethren my hearts desire and prayer for them is that they may be holy and doe worthily like King Dauids Worthies 2. Sam. 23. yea so worthily as they that walk by the eye and word of their God this being the onely way to haue Gods Angels to protect them Num. 23.21 and the shout of a King amongst them yea and the King of Kings on their side Thus shall they shew themselues gracious souldiers and truly religious both by profession and practise No other sorts wil respect such Armour and such a Chaine as this whose linkes are found in the word and put together by the word These links this armour and this chaine I wish to all Sion souldiers By Sion souldiers I meane such as earnestly contend for the faith once giuen to the Saints Iude verse 3. shewing their good faith by good workes and vtterly abhorring that Whore of Babylon as well for her loose life as for her diuellish doctrine For this departures sake by beleeuing speaking and doing or at leastwise for the outward profession hereof I call them generally Sion souldiers If any of them doe not answer so worthy a departure and so

worthy names as are here giuen them for this departures sake so much the more they haue to answer hereafter because they abuse their honorable calling and name It is my dutie and not my offence to iudge in loue of such and to giue the best titles and termes I can to such whose Baptisme Profession Vowes Education Vocation and God do call them with a loud voice to be the selfe same in deed which I in words name them Sion souldiers sacred souldiers Gracious men wil not take so high titles in vaine but abandon vanities and follow the wayes of wisedome I desire that this little booke may do them good herein It cometh not hastily abroad no sooner penned but printed Lapwing-like They report that this bird is more forward both for foote and wing then other birds are insomuch as it will runne away with the shell on it head and quickly take flight also so do many Lapwing bookes now adayes For in our time this saying of Solomon is more and more verified There is no end of making many bookes and much studie is a wearinesse to the flesh and that also of the Poet Seribimus indecti doctique poemata passim Both learned and vnlearned men Each where apace we plie the pen. Had I therefore knowne of any in our dayes who had written purposely of this subiect I would haue kept silence and not ventured vpon the hazard of doing so needlesse a worke as that which already is done But finding none by sight or report who haue made it their labour in such sort as they who take it for their taske though some haue dealt graciously therein by the way and perceiuing it to be a thing worth the labour yea and a whole and long labour rather then it should be vnhandled I haue set a weake hand to it This matter offereth one iust occasion before I go any farther to write at large of the most worthy and ancient profession of a Souldier yet sith I doubt not but this truth is generally receiued I will onely handle it in briefe and so come to the maine point which I aime at that is The holy cariage of good souldiers whereby they ought to honour this high profession of theirs Touching the calling of a souldier to fight corporally that I may speake for better vnderstanding as the thing is indeed I say that the heauenly armour of a souldier was in truth and substance before the earthly howsoeuer for our weake capacitie the spirituall armour was afterwards made plaine to vs by the corporall so as according to a supernaturall sence the bodily armour may be said to take denomination of the armour of the spirit and the corporall combat denomination also of that spirituall combat which the children of God haue with Satan and his children For why the armour of armours belonging to this combate euen the armour of God was before any corporall combat could be vsed Adam presently after the promise no doubt did put it on I will put enmitie saith our God betweene thee and the woman Gen. 3.15 and betweene thy seed and her seed Hee shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Here is mention made of a spirituall warre to which belonged spirituall armour instantly and the grand Captaine of the war pointed vnto That promised seed Christ Iesus whose souldiers all godly people must be both Captaine and souldiers fighting against the euill one Now as this enmitie is manifest in the soule of good men carying a godly hatred against the diuell continually and against the qualities of the wicked whilest they remaine in the old birth so it is also declared by an open corporall combat hand to hand against Gods foes in battell when our God will haue them punished or brought in subiection or put to death Therefore though fields and campes could not be at first till multitudes were increased yet a disposition to warre both spirituall and corporall was at first and that as well in the bad to offend as in the good to defend This euill disposition was quickly seene in Cain Lamech and Esau And a kind of duell there appeared when as yet there were but a few men in the world namely betweene Cain and Habel Cain offending and Habel we may well thinke striuing as nature taught to defend himselfe but he was a stronger spirituall souldier then temporall God suffering his bloodie brothers strength to preuaile so far as to take away his mortall life in that corporall combat Here were both warres begun in two brethren Cain exercised a most vngracious fleshly warre as his wicked murder declared he fought for Satan Habel by his fathers example practised the gracious spirituall warre as his holy and well accepted sacrifice declared Gen. 14. he fought against Satan The father of the faithfull did know and practise this warre both wayes with faith he made warre against Satan and with weapons of warre against fiue wicked Kings Hereby it plainly appeareth that the calling and dignitie of them that warre on Gods side is very ancient and no lesse honorable then that calling whereof Christ Iesus being King of Kings and supreme Commander in the warres is Head and chiefe Leader If we looke to the temporall warre this he acknowledgeth himselfe to be euen a Captaine of the Lord of hoasts we may perceiue in the booke of Iosua Ios 5.13.14.15 at the besieging of Ierico And it came to passe when Iosua was by Ierico that he lift vp his eyes and looked and behold there stood a man ouer against him with his sword drawne in his hand and Iosua went vnto him and said vnto him Art thou for vs or for our aduersaries And he said Nay but a Captain of the hoast of the Lord am I now come And Iosua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped If wee looke to the spirituall warre there also he professeth himselfe to be our most powerfull Pr●nce and gouernour yea the author and finisher of our faith without whom we can do nothing a Captaine of Captaines therefore and we also most ioyfully confesse this esteeming it our greatest renoune to fight vnder his banner though with afflictions as his souldiers So saith Saint Paul to his sonne Timothy Thou therefore suffer affliction as a good souldier of Iesus Christ And of himselfe he saith I haue fought a good fight Abraham I say againe was such a souldier both spirituall and temporall Spiritually wee may see it vvhere our God saith I know him that hee will command his children and his houshold after him Gen. 18.19 and they shall keepe the way of the Lord to do iustice and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abrahā that which he hath spoken of him And corporally we may not doubt but that he taught his people what to do in battell against those cursed Kings And no maruell that so good a sonne and seruant as Abraham did imitate so good a father and master