379. he writeth an Epistle to the Bishops of the East wherein he intimates vnto them the condemnatory sentence pronounced against Apollinaris and his Disciple Timotheus which Epistle is indited with the swelling pride of a loftic minde breathing soueraignty and preheminence aboue all other Churches as if the Roman Church were that only Apostolike chaire whereunto all other Churches ought homage and reuerence Basil Epist 20. ad Euseb Samosat Soe that S. Basil Bishop of Cesarea complaines of the pride of the West because they cared only for theire owne preheminence but not for the state of theire persecuted Brethren in the East vnder the Arrian Emperour Valens Yea he saith that he purposed oft times to haue written to the cheife of them that is to Damasus that he should not count the * Splendor superbiae splendour of pride true dignity and honour Aboute the yeare 380. a generall Councell was assembled at Constantinople Whence the Fathers of the Councell wrote vnto Damasus as to a Brother and ranke him with other Bishops of the West then assembled in Rome as theire Letters shew Theod. lib. 5. c. 9. vvhich are recited by Theodoret To our Brothers and Colleagues Damasus Ambrose Britto Valerian and other holy Bishops assembled in the greate City of Rome c. He then vvith other Bishops of the West in a Synod at Rome beeing desired as Brethren to approue the Councell of Constantinople did it and Baronius vvould perswade vs that he confirmed it as a Superiour and made it of force And indeede though Damasus durst not openly professe so much yet it seemes he was willing to take theire Letters in that sense and that it should after be thought so for he resaluteth them as Sonnes and saith that indeede they had yelded all due reuerence to the See Apostolike as if he saide desiring to haue youre acts ordered or confirmed and made good by it Which howsoeuer it was neuer so intented by the Councell yet it gaue the Popes power to doe as they were disposed then and euer after to take it and make vse of it For therevpon Innocent also vsed the same sleight when the Mileuitan Councell Anno 402. and another of Carthage Anno 413. had * See Plesses Myst Iniqui Progr 9. without consulting with him ordered matters and then in like manner acquainted him with theire acts and desired that he would adde his authority he ansvvers that they had had due regard of the Apostolicke honour I say of him which had the care and charge of all other Churches thus he assumed a power ouer Councels so power to doe as a head But some man will say it seemes that as yet he had not this power because the Popes of these times were opposed and the power ouer Councels was not yet conferred on him I ansvver Antichrist was to be opposed by some in all ages and so hath the Pope beene by perticular men and in many Councels and euen of late in the Councels of Constance and Basil which declared that a Councell was aboue the Pope yet he tooke it before and had it as the Beast vvas to haue it by his ovvne ambitious vsurpation and the flatterie of his follovvers But as far as I can finde not before the time of Damasus aboute the yeare 380. And then indeede he had also begunne to take it vpon him in the case of appeales espetially in that Epistle vvhich he vvrote to Stephanus Archbishop of Mauritania Poâ—â— Council vvherein he pretendeth that all the greater sort of causes ought to be referred to his hearing and that they could not be descided but by his authority as also that the prouision of Bishops belonged to him vvherein also he qualifieth the Church of Rome vvith the title of the Pirmament of all Bishops and top of all other Churches emboldened noe doubt therevnto by Letters sent before that time vnto him from the saide Stephanies vvho complained that certaine Bishops had beene deposed in in Afrike adding that this vvas donne though they all knew well enough That Censures of Bishops all other causes of moment ought to be reserued to the audience of the Bishop of Rome whom he termeth the Father of Fathers and thereby giueth him power to doe himselfe beeing of that broode of Schismatiks of whome S. Cyprian complained in his dayes that beeing censured would presently crosse the Seas to Rome And indeede it is the more likely that there had beene such pride or vsurpation in Damasus and flaterie in his followers I. Because the Councell of Constantinople did not only limit euery Patriarch Theod. lib. 5. cap. 9. and gaue equall priuileidges to Constantinople but euen declared that there was an auncient law and decision of the Nicene Councell that the Bishops of euery Prouince with those which dwelt neere vnto them should ordaine theire owne Ministers Concil Const Can. 5. 7. Can. Graec. 3. diuiding the prouinces for the auoidance of confusion And ordaining that if in any prouince a matter of difference hapened to arise it should be decided by the Synod of the same prouince II. Because Syricius aboute the yeare 386. emboldened as it seemes by the power which Damasus had taken the flateries of such as followed him feared not to say to Himerius B. of Aragon Siricius Epi. 1. ad Himer That it is not lawfull for any Preist of the Lord to be ignorant of the decrees and statutes of the Sea Apostolike and therefore requesteth him to make knowne such ordinances decrees as he should send vnto him not only to those of his owne Diocesse but also to those of Carthagena Andalusia Portugall Galeace and others that is in effect to all the Prouinces of Spaine which could not saith he but be glorious vnto him who was a Preist of so longe continuance Purposing to vse the ambitious humour of this Prelate to extend his authority law and traditions through Spaine And in his 4. Epistle to the Bishops of Afrike That without the priuitie of the Sea Apostolike that is to say of the Primate none might presume to ordaine a Bishop All which makes it most cleare that he had the power to doe which the Beast was to haue in the beginning of his raigne His ambition was so apparaÌ„t and men in those times so prone to flatter him with titles that in remedy thereof the third Councell of Carthage anno 397. Siricius then sitting Pope decreed That the Bishop of the first See should not be called the Prince or Cheife of Priests or high Priest or by any other such name but only the Bishop of the first See As for the name of vniuersall Bishop that the Bishop of Rome it selfe should not be called by that name Which shewes that theese titles had beene giuen him by some flatterers in those dayes or why else should the Councell make this Canon this Siricius to shew the Beast was risen had power to doe stablished the forbiddance
came now to make him vnderstand what should befall the Iewes chap. 11.2 and to tell him the truth of the visions would so sodainly and at once make such a large step as is from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes to Antichrist or the Turke and that without telling Daniel that now he would shew him another Kinge and Kingdom which seeing he did not here as he had donne concerning all the former * See vers 2.3.4.5.6.7.10 Kings and Kingdoms both here and also chap. 8.20 it is plaine that he speakes of the same Kinge and Kingdom and so indeede whereas he had spoken before of the Kings of the North and South vers 6.7 c. viz. Syria and Egypt in theire seuerall successions and came at last to Antiochus Epiphanes Kinge of the North and his acts both against the Kinge of the South and also against the Iewes he there without intermission or variation continueth speaking of them vnder the same titles vers 40. which is an infallible argument that he continueth speaking of the same Kinge Kingdoms and times III. The sequell of the Storie answereth to the Prophesie for Antiochus did all this as * See D. Willet on Daniel many haue proued out of the Maccabes and other Histories Neither let any man thinke that Antichrist can not be destroied till Christ come to iudgement and that therefore it will be in vaine to beare armes against him and his Supporters in theese times For if it could be so that he should stand till then yet noe man can be sure that the day is farre off or at hand But it is manifest by the Scriptures that those words of Saint Paul 2. Thes 2. Whome the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnes of his comming Reu. 19.14.15.17 c. vers 20.21 chap. 2.16 must needes be meant of that comming when the armies follow him Reuel 19. For then Antichrist is destroyed and then also Christ fighteth with the Spirit or sword of his mouth So he saide of Pergamos and the false Teachers in her Repent or else I will come vnto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth Isa 59.19.20 Rom. 11.26 And so the deliuerer shall come to Sion as Isaiah shewes It is most manifest therefore I say that Saint Paul meaneth such a bright comming against Antichrist both with the Word and with the swords of Princes and that he shall be wholly destroyed as also that after his destruction the Nations Gog and Magog shall fight with the Saints Reu. 20.9 and that before the day of iudgement For the day of iudgement shall come as a theife in the night and noe man can know before when it shall be Reu. 19.17 but when the Angell standing in the Sunne hath called many to the certaine destruction of Antichrist and his Supporters euen to eate the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines c. and at the same time Antichrist hath also called many to fight in his defence Antichrist is taken and destroyed but if the World should then haue an ende then all who are called to this Battaile at least all that come against him might know the day of iudgement for they are called to the certaine destruction of him and his to cate the flesh of Kings c. but the whole World can not haue so sure and vissible a signe of the ending of the World seeing the Scriptures are contrarie herevnto and shew that after this another battaile is fought with Gog and Magog and therefore the World can not then ende The like might also be saide when afterwards the Nations Gog Magog are gathered together in battaile against the Saints Reu. 20.7 if the world were to ende with that battaile the Saints that meete there might know it before But this they doe not know therefore the world is not to ende at that time Yet how soone after that it shall ende God only knoweth It seemes that as the Isralites soone forgate his wonders in Egypt so will those that suruiue theese two battailes and then they beeing in security the day will take them or theire posteritie as a theife in the night Soe that theese obiections doe not hinder but that all theese things may shortly be fulfilled espetially Romes Ruin Gen. 6.3 Wee must not thinke that Gods Spirit will alwaies striue with that Church noe more then he did with the old world to whome he gaue 120. yeares time of repentance when once the longe suffering of God waited while the Arke was preparing in the dayes of Noah 1. Pet. 3. a preacher of righteousnes and so indeede God hath now giuē Rome well neere the like time since the preaching of Luther an 1517. wherein God by him and others would haue cured Babel but she would not Therefore when his longe suffering hath a like time waited and they repent not to giue him glorie her Ruin must needes approach and follow And indeede the warres and other troubles that are already begun amonge many nations shew that theese things are at hand and namely that ere longe Rome the greatest cause of them shall be destroied The blood of the Saints shed in theese warres cries to heauen for speedie vengeance on Pope Turke but espetially and first of all on Rome as the cause of all For she deuided the Empire into East west and so made way for the Turke to enter by that diuision and was therein the cause of all the slaughters which since haue beene made by Turkes vpon Christians It would aske to much time to reckō vp all the warres that she hath caused and the blood that she hath otherwise shed in former times To say nothing of the execrable practises of the bloodie inquisition if wee only looke on the warres of Christendom in theese times wee may finde that she hath beene the increaser if not the prouoker and so beginner of them all Call to minde vvhat her instruments the Iesuits and Preists made the Emperour doe against the Bohemians to make them reuolt and soe to breede all those vvarres there in the Palatinate to the cruell martyrdom of many thousands of Protestants all still by the animation encouragemēt of the Pope and Romish Clergie See what troubles and slaughters they haue raised in Garmanie France and the Low countries and how easie will it be to finde her guiltie of all the blood that hath of late beene shed in all theese places and that therefore she is like to be as dangerous to all that suruiue if to preuent it she be not the sooner destroyed as it is written Reu. 17.6 The Woman was drunken with the blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs of Iesus * chap. 18.24 In her was found the blood of the Saints and of all that were slaine vpon earth And indeede they are still so fierce in persuite of
he should impose what law he list He knew well enough that it made him noe more then a Patriarch that other Patriarchs and Archbishops were his brethren and that euery Bishop had neuerthelesse a free voice as well as he Neither did he now expound it that this canon gaue him this priueleidge as to a Superiour to whome such homage was due therefore Iulius bad not this power to doe Damasus as I shewed seemeth to haue beene the first that tooke it in that proud sense and yet not verrie plainely but somwhat tacitely in words of doubtfull signification as ye saw After him Siricius and Innocent were more plaine as I shewed And soe indeede he rose out of that Sea of Nice by forging one canon and wresting another a weake foundation for so mightie a building yet such and noe other was the foundation of this Kingdom And thus indeede one Canon of Nice gaue him power to doe yet not as the Councell meant it but as he in time tooke it And so he had it but not before the time of Damasus or Syricius For Iulius as ye see had not so much power giuen him and Liberius his next Successour must needes haue lesse Baron Vol. 4. Anno 365. art 1.2.3.4.5 c. seeing he was conuicted of Arianisme as after all excuses Baronius is forced to confesse beholding many proofes thereof And if saith he there were noe other proofe his owne Letters are sufficient to put it out of question And indeede he wrote to the Bishops of the East on this manner Epist Liberij ad Oriental apud Hilar. in Fragment I cast of Athanasius from our communion not daining so much as to receiue his Letters I maintaine peace with you embracing the confession of the Sirmian Councell Which was all one as if he had in expresse words renounced the Councell of Nice and therefore He could haue noe power by it nor indeede by that of Sardica which had giuen more to Iulius because that had confirmed the Nicene faith to which this of Sirmium was opposit Yet heere by the way wee may see what greate inconuenience would follow if either of those Councels of Nice or Sardica must needes be in that point of force vnto all ages for while Liberius ratifieth the sentence against Athanasius and confirmeth the Councell of Sirmium if the Councels of Nice and Sardica giue the Pope this absolute power of confirming or abrogating Councels then they make this act of Liberius lawfull and thereby vtterly ouerthrow themselues and theire owne faith and confession which was contrarie but the Papists will confesse that the Councels of Nice and Sardica doe not make this act of Liberius lawfull vvhich to confesse is as much as if they acknowledged that those Councels did not giue absolute power to the Pope to confirme or abrogate the Decrees of Councels Howsoeuer ye see Liberius could not well haue this power to doe But then after him came Damasus and he indeede was a man of more respect learned and of such good parts as couered his ambition so that some could not see it and others were perhaps content to winke at it he therefore after a while might the better chalenge some Priueleidge from that Canon of Nice And noe doubt but that the words of Hosius vttered not longe before his time in the Councell of Sardica vvhereof they so much boast did now further him in his desired power The words of the Canon are theese Hosius the Bishop saide if any Bishop be condemned in any cause if the partie condemned thinke he haue iust cause not to stand to the sentence if it please you let vs yeeld this honour to S. Peter Let the matter be signified by Letter to Iulius Bishop of Rome to the ende that he with other Bishops of the Dioces may enter againe into the knowledge of the cause Now obserue here 1. That it was Hosius that proposed it and he proposed it as a new antidote against a poysen considering that the Bishops of the East were for the greater part at that time infected with Arianisme restraining it to the person of Iulius and would noe doubt haue donne otherwise in the person of Liberius Successor vnto Iulius and a professed Arrian notvvithstanding the pretended Chaire of Saint Peter 2. Note theese words If it please you let vs honour the memorie of S. Peter for had this beene an auncient right should he not rather haue saide Let vs obserue the commandement of the Lord or the auncient order of the Church or the Canon of Nice vvhereby it is ordained that men might appeale to Rome 3. Is it reason that a Canon of a Nationall Councell should conclude and binde the Church in generall 4. This Canon so made and neuer practised was in expresse termes reuoked in the generall Councell of Constantinople Can. 3. and in that of Chalcedon Can. 8. This was the first that seemed to giue him any greate power but this as ye see vvas not absolute yet hence he tooke such occasion of rising that some haue thought that he did rise out of it But that vvee may finde the truth hereof obserue Doctrines are in holy Scriptures called waters vvhereof some vvaters are cleane Ezech. 47.1 Ioel 3.18 Zach. 14.8 Reu. 15.2 some corrupted Reu. 8.10.11 chap. 16.3.4 some not corrupt of themselues but partly made so by reason of somwhat cast into them so was it vvith that Sea into vvhich the burning mountaine was cast Reuel 8.8 and the third part of the Sea became blood and out of that Sea the Beast arose Reuel 13. Now that vvce may know vvhat that Sea is obserue The Sea is the place vvhere waters are gathered and meete together Riuers and Fountaines runne into the Sea and emptie themselues there Novv Riuers and Fountaines doe signifie the Doctors and Teachers from vvhome the doctrines that is the waters flovv Reu. 8.10 So vvhen the third Angell sounded a greate starre fell from Heauen and it fell vpon the third part of the Riuers and Fountaines of waters this greate Starre vvas Constantius the Emperour vvho fell into the Arrian Heresie and he fell vpon part of the Riuers and Fountaines viz. Bishops and Teachers vvho vvere corrupted by him some by persvvasion and smoth deuices but most by force and persecution By vvhich meanes many vvere corrupted amonge others Pope Liberius himselfe The third viall is povvred on such corrupt riuers Fountaines as are defiled vvith the filth of Babylon Reu. 16.4 and come from the mouth of the Beast and false Prophet Novv the place vvhere such riuers and Fountaines meere and empty themselues must needes be a Sea this is in Councels vvhose doctrines and canons are therefore called the Sea Vers 3. Therefore vvhen the second Angel poured out his vial on the Sea this vvas on an assembly or Councell of Antichristian doctors and on theire vvaters or doctrines vvhich he manifesteth to be corrupt and perintious this was on the Councell of
Trent which was performed by Chemnitius Examen Concil Tridē Or at least by him and others that also writ against that Councell But the Sea out of which the Beast arose was not so corrupt in it selfe but only became soe in some part thereof into which the burning mountaine was cast which corrupted it Now if one should aske me whether the Sea out of which the Beast arose were the Councill of Nice or that of Sardica I thinke that if not out of both confounded and put together by thē then rather out of that of Nice I. Because that was a generall Councell and therefore more apt for his purpose and authority as the other was not which only restrained to the person of Iulius a priueleidge soone after reuoked 2. Because that of Nice gaue him prioritie of place and this priueleidge that a law should not be imposed on the Church without his aduise out of which as he tooke it he as ye saw made greate aduantage and indeede rose out of it this beeing the originall and ground of all the power he after got 3. Because he alwaies alleadged it for his authority which it seemes he the rather did because it was generall and the more auncient more reuerenced and indeede because that Canon of Sardica was soone reuoked yea he so much desired to rise out of the Nicene Councell that in alleadging as he pretended a Canon of Nice he vseth the very words of this Canon of Sardica See Mysterie of Iniquitie written by M. du Plesses only leaueing out the name Iulius and was therefore conuicted of forgerie by the sixt Councell of Carthage 4. Because the burning mountaine signified vnder the second trumpet must needes be cast into the Sea before the fall of Constantius vpon the riuers signified vnder the third and therefore in all likelihood before the Councell of Sardica which yet gaue him power or increased it as he tooke it But by reason that Liberius who presently succeeded was an Arrian and therefore could neither chalenge power by it nor by the Nicene Councell this power as I shewed was not excercised till the time of Damasus But indeede ye haue seene that from the time of Damasus or Siricius the Pope as he vsed the matter had power to doe in things that belonged to other mens iurisdictiōs yea as an ouerseer and confirmer of Councells as he tooke the matter and what more as a kinde of head and lawgiuer as ye saw in the Epistle of Siricius to Himerius Bishop of Aragon and the Beast must needes be then risen and in action because soone after he began to receiue wounds and at last his deadly wound by the incursions of the Gothes and Vandals Thus power was giuen him to doe and thus he had it but not so soone as some haue thought So that they who reckon his time of doeing from the time that Constantine came to the Empire or when the heathen Emperour was cast out or from the time of the Nicene Councell or from the time that Constantine left Rome or from the time of Pope Iulius may beginne to soone And if not then it must needes be vnderstood as others haue obserued power was giuen him to doe fourtie and two monethes but in the time of the wound by the Gothes and Vandals or at least while it was sore and deadly he had noe power to doe therefore those yeares of the vvound vvherein he could doe nothing must not be reckoned vnlesse you allovv others for them Which yet may be fevver by many than some haue thought because the Gothes and Vandals did not raigne so longe in Rome as they say and so the time of the vvound beeing lesse then they giue vvill bringe it to the same reckoning vvee make or very neere it But indeede there is noe cause to expound it so because it is cleare enough that the Beast vvas not risen or at least had not power to doe so soone as they thinke and withall that frō the time that the Gothes first tooke Rome to theire expulsion the Pope had for the most part power enough to doe which is verrie behoofull to manifest because men may thereby see that there is noe allowance to be giuen him for the time of the wound or if any yet but litle For Rome was more than once saued and rescued and though it were taken againe yet the Popes of those times had as much power to doe as euer theire predecessors had if not more Besides the Gothes became Christians many of them were indeede but Arrians yet Baronius sheweth that they gaue the Pope much power to doe and questionles theire Kingdom did rather further the mysterie of iniquitie then hinder it as wee shall see by and by Therefore out of doubt they are much mistaken who giue 140. yeares for the time of the Gothes Kingdom begining is when Alaricus first tooke Rome which they say was aboute the yeare 415. and ending it when Narses vanquished Totilas Whereas others better skilled in historie shew that theire Kingdom lasted but 72. yeares begining the time after the first comming of Theodoricus into Italie and ending it as the former when Totilas was vanquished And yet before that extirpation of Totilas Belisares the Emperours Leiftenant had entred Rome taken Vitiges Kinge of the Gothes and carried him captiue to Constantinople and after that when the Gothes haueing chosen Totilas for theire Kinge tooke Rome againe Belisares recouered it the second time But in his absence they got strength wonne it againe then Narses wholly expelled them out of Italie Now see theire errour who begin theire Kingdom so soone and reckon the time of the wound to be 140. yeares Begining them in that time of Honorius wherein Rome was first taken For themselues confesse that during the raigne of Honorius Rome was twise taken Alaricus and Ataulphus beeing the captaines and yet the Beast had not the deadly wound in the head seeing it was rather a shamefull then a harmefull ouerthrow as Pomponius Laetus sheweth in the life of Honorius that when Honorius began to rouse vp himselfe Sabell En. 8. lib. 1. the Gothes were expelled out of Italie and Attalus theire Kinge led in triumph to Rome and after his right hand was cut off he was carried captiue to Lipara that so longe as Honorius and Valentinian liued the Maiestie of the Empire was defended by theire Leiftenants Constantius and Aëtius though theire Maisters were slacke and lasie Yet Valentinian raigned many yeares after Honorius The truth is that before that Alaricus had taken Rome but he gaue life to such as fled to Christian Churches and then led his armie from Rome with purpose to saile into Afrike and setle his abode there but eare longe he died After his desease Ataulphus his Kinsman returned to Rome with the Gothes resoluing to ouerthrow all there to build another citie to change the name of it call it Gothia but his wife Placidia the sister of Honorius
on hard conditions bringe the protestant cause into a much worse state this beeing brought aboute thē appeares what was indeede the drift of theire designes They that are lukewarme and seeke theire owne not that which is Christs theese are willing to conniue they will not contradict the former but serue the times what euer they be others haue a desire to speake but there is no place for them amonge Princes others haue both place and will but they are affraide to such a one the holy Ghost saith n Hest 4.14 If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliuerance arise to the people of God from another place but thou and they Fathers howse shall be destroied How greate is the coldnes but why doe wee wonder when as it seemeth in the time of greatest danger the coldnesse should be so greate that the Angell standing in the Sunne should haue neede to crie with a loude voice as if men feared whether they might for Christs cause hurt his enemies peraduenture not allowing the cause of Religion to be a sufficient cause of warre although the aduersaries neither haue beene nor are so scrupulous and God hath saide of the Whore serue her as she hath serued you peraduenture pretending also that if this vvere granted the aduersaries vvould also openly say the same things for themselues the Diuell the Pope Papists vvill desire and indeauour that vvee may alvvayes be of that minde that in the meane time they who are otherwise affected may preuaile ouer vs all but in the meane while theese men who professe themselues Protestants are vnwilling to see that warre vndertaken as matters stand at this day both with our brethren with the faith it selfe yea with our selues also might rather be called defensiue * S. Francis Bacon Lo. Verulam his Consideratiōs Touching a warre with Spaine and preuentiue then offensiue the zeale and Iesuited Spirits of the aduersaries giueing all protestant Princes States soe iust cause of feare and preuenting care Neuerthelesse when our seeming protestāts to maske palliate theire owne trecherie in religion or at least to couer theire owne lukewarmenes and cowardise call this warre ignominious and the perswasion thereunto a Iesuiticall doctrine they doe not or will not see that this is to condemne those noble Kings and theire acts who shall make the whore desolate and naked and burne her with fire Is not that a warre vndertaken for religion sake and for Christs cause Let them therefore remember that there is greate difference betweene those who are of the true religion and those who only affirme or thinke themselues to be such betweene those who know that they shall fight against the enemies of Christ and those who only pretend or imagin this thinge betweene those vvho are moued to vvarre for the Popes and Church of Romes sake and those vvho are moued thereto for Christs and theire owne safeties sake betweene those who receiue the marke of the Beast haue his name for it seemes in theire meaning theire Armies are called Catholick Armies and themselues Catholicks that is vniuersals of theire ruler the Pope who is called the Catholick or Vniuersall Bishop Isa 63.19 in many things Christ beareth no rule ouer them therefore they are not called by his name at least not rightly yea betweene them that murther the Seruants of Christ and those who beare the marke of the liueing God follow and obey him by rooting out his enemies to the glorie of God and the libertie of the Church lastly betweene them who are hereto allured by the Beast and false Prophet and gathered together by the spirits of Deuils working myracles and those who are commanded of God concerning the whore sitting on many waters Reward her as she hath rewarded you double vnto her double c. And if this be as Deut. 7. yet Christ who is theire leader doth p Reu. 19.11.14 in righteousnes iudge and make warre they are no better to him then cananites and his Seruants follow him vpon white horses clothed in fine linnen white and cleane The blood therefore of theese his enemies doth not defile them Neither can any ouercome him who ouercommeth the Kings because he is q chap. 17. the Lord of Lords and Kinge of Kings and they that are with him are called chosen and faithfull There is therefore no danger or cause why theese Seruants of Christ should feare to fight least they should be vanquished in warre seeing vnto them the Lord hath r Reu. 16.10 chap. 17.14 chap. 18.10 chap. 19.18 assured victorie and to theire aduersaries destruction He that hath promised this thinge is theire Leader and ſ vers 11. he is called Faithfull and true He will surely do it Wee haue his word for this thinge And t 2. Tim. 2.13 if wee beleeue not yet he abideth faithfull he can not denie himselfe Those greate Searchers therefore that weigh the power of the aduersaries by the strength of theire humane forces and polecies wherein indeede they seeme to exceede vs are like the tenne that searched Canaan who dishartened the people with a relation of the enemies strength so farre are they from Calebs faith and courage who saw as much and yet saide u Num. 13.28 let vs goe vp at once and posesse it For though as Moses often saide they were seauen nations greater and mightier then Israel yet he knew that God had assured destruction to them and victorie to his people Such men therefore may doe well to remēber what Christ saith w Reu. 21.8 the fearefull and vnbeleeuing shall haue theire part in the lake They consider not that God doth commonly for his greater glorie ouercome the greatest enemies by a power weaker in all humane reason then themselues x Ioel 3.10 Beate therefore youre plow shares into swords youre pruning hookes into speares let the weake say I am stronge as the Prophet willeth and let no man withhold them from this warre fearing lest they should be defiled with blood or thinking the issue will be doubtfull and that therefore it would be better to perswade to peace which yet when he most would he shall hardly longe obtaine from them that are gouerned by the Pope Howsoeuer as Polibius saith * Polib Hist lib. 4. p. 300 If peace be iust and honest it is a worthy possession and most proffitable but if it be dishonourable and base it is of all things most shamefull pernitious Now if wee consider how the case hath stood and yet doth with our brethren the followers of Truth yea and with the Truth it selfe wee will then graunt what one proueth B. Hall Contemp on Dauid and Achish viz. that the true Servants of God are in theire places when they are in opposition to his enemies Profession of hostility becomes them better then leauges of amity And indeede while Protestants seeke or take peace of the Souldiers of
Antichrist they both make them thinke it is feare of theire strength and also so puffe them vp with conceite thereof that as time serues they will be the more desirous of warre and all occasions thereof Yea it causeth that while such a peace lasteth they will not cease to encroach demaund and obtaine either by flatteries or threats till they may by peace get more to themselues and theire religion then they could haue donne by warre Nor is it likely that such will longer hold it then theire aduantage increaseth therein Neither is it alwaies sufficient before God to say wee desire peace espetiallie where it is quarrell enough against thē that they haue the marke of the Beast are the Souldiers of Antichrist and members of the greate whore whose destruction is commanded For as a famous Diuine saith B. Hall Contemp on the Gibeonites He that calls himselfe the God of peace proclaims himselfe the God of hosts and not to fight where he hath commanded is to breake the peace with God whiles wee nourish it with men And who euer got by angring him to please others or by loosing his fauour to get the momentarie and vncertaine freindship of others vncertaine I call it because God that hath iniurie thereby may therefore suffer it to be turned into deceite hatred and greater damage That which men doe vniustly to preuent an euill though it seeme greate polecie is by Gods iust iudgement often turned into a cause that bringes the same euill vpon them as appeareth Gen. 11.4 Isa 30.1.2.3 Ioh. 11.48 I know that in many places causes times that place may verrie well be alleadged If it be possible as much as in you lieth Rom. 12.8 liue peaceably with all men But when God would that the whore should be burned and that the seauen Angels haue begunne to powre out theire vials full of the wrath of God yea when theese things are alreadie in theire progresse who is there who if he be a true Protestant and Seruant of Christ will say that this or the like place is congruently alleadged betweene free Princes of so contrarie Religions to hearken is at that time better then sacrifice and Christ to be heard Mat. 16.24.25.26 Ioh. 12. If any man serue me Ioh. 12.25.26 let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Seruant be If in warre then with him if in peace then with him When diuers Kingdomes forsooke the Beast and whore to follow the Word it was saide The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Reu. 11. Since that time Christ and they that follow him haue continually skirmished against Antichrist and his followers and should continue so doeing till Rome and Antichrist should be destroyed as is shewed Reuel 14. chap. 15. chap. 16. c. And will Princes and States then that are his Leiftenants suffer the Beast and his to recouer or spoile any of theese Kingdoms either by force or fraude surely if they doe those Princes will condemne them who with all theire might defend and extend the dominion of Antichrist and so will they also who at the Popes becke led greate Armies to recouer Palestina and that though God in Scripture require no such thinge but rather shewes that it shall lie vnder the curse till the restauration of the Iewes Reu. 11.15 whereas he saith the contrarie of theese Kingdoms And yet the Iesuits Preists and other Papists goe aboute with the firebrands of errour and sedition that like Sampsons foxes they may at least spoile theese vines garnaries which are Gods and not as his foxes did the enemies Now they that are in authority may know if they will that Christ our d Can. 8.11 Salomon had a vineard he let it out vnto keepers and that therefore they should thinke of that e chap. 2.15 Take vs the foxes the litle foxes that spoile the vines Espetially seeing theire cunning Preists are such as the wonderworking dreamer and false Prophet of whome God saith f Deut. 13.8.9 and chap. 17.7 Thou shalt not consent vnto him nor hearken vnto him neither shall thine eye pitie him neither shalt thou conceale him But thou shalt surely kill him g Num. 25.16 Vexe the Madianites and smite them for they trouble you with theire wiles h Gal. 5.12 I would they were cut off that trouble you For theese indeede are the riuers and fountaines through which the waters of errour which come from the Romish Sea are conueied into euery corner of the Land to the destruction of Soules Theese fountaines and riuers are also as it were the dougs by which that Sea is nourished as they by it And indeede theese are they that venture to conuey floods of those waters of errour and treason into those Lands where Poperie is thrust out hopeing thereby to bringe people backe from the obedience of theire Princes and indeede of Christ himselfe vnto the obedience of the Pope theire Maister For which they haue beene iustly punished with death as is signified Reu. 16. The third Angel powred out his viall vpon the riuers and fountaines of waters and they became blood Which viall was indeede powred out aboute the yeare 1581. when in England it was ordained by publick authoritie that all they that should indeauour by any meanes to draw the mindes of the subiects from theire obedience toward theire lawfull and naturall Prince to the Pope or for that purpose should draw them to theire religion should be put to death as traitors the good example of which Edict was in some measure followed against the Iesuits in other Kingdoms And questionlesse this is that which is signified by that viall For indeede herein the Lord gaue them blood to drinke because they that brought theese waters of Rome brought them with the danger of theire liues and therefore they were not only turned to blood to those that sent them nor only to blood in themselues beeing apprehended but also if they escaped a while to conuey them they were also turned into blood to those that receiued them as Dauid saide of the water of Bethlehem which the three mightie men fetched him through the host of the Philistines 2. Sam. 23.17 is not this the blood of the men that went in Ieopardie of theire liues Thus the righteous God gaue the Preists and Iesuits blood to drinke who as wee know haue caused many good Christians to be killed by the Inquisition and by animating Popish Princes to make warre against Protestants This is that therefore vvhich the Angell of the waters saith there Thou art righteous ô LORD which art and wast and shall be because thou hast iudged thus for they haue shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke for they are worthy If Gods Word say they be worthy vvhat Christian vvill pleade for them that such lavves should not be executed on them Will they doe