and common way Ours by no information but inspiration by a Casual rather than a Grammatical interpretation of the dangers being past as soon as the Letter was burnt 3. Time The night before Haman intended to have beg'd Mordecai's life the King could not sleep calls for the Chronicles reads therein what faithful and eminent service Mordecai had done for him and enquiring and understanding that he had received no recompence he resolves to honour him Haman pronounceth how Mordecai should be honoured who was commanded to do what he proposed himself and as he thought for himself and according to the great grief of him he did perform the Kings Command and his own designed honour towards him Haman himself was by the King upon the Queens Complaint judged to be hanged which was done on the same day place gallows that he had designed for Mordecai 4. Issue Deliverance to both the net broke the Fowl escaped yea the Fowler himself taken Israel delivered Pharaoh drown'd Psal 124. Haman hang'd So was it with us and the Powder-Traytors they hoped that their designed puff and net should have divided and scattered our Noble Senators and ancient and glorious Structures and they themselves were deservedly hang'd and quarter'd and their heads and limbs set up on the tops of that house they designed to throw down So that what we read concerning the Jews may as fitly be applied unto us in the day that the enemies of the Jews of us Protestants Esth 9. 1. hoped to have power over them over us it was turned to the contrary that the Jews that our King had rule over them that hated them And oh let it still be marvellous in our eyes Let us be glad Ps 118. 24. and rejoyce in it And indeed Gods deliverances of England have been acts of Wonder Not to insist on the unexpected discovery of the present Popish Plot and let us pray for the full defeating of it the truth whereof I hope no good Subject or true consciencious Protestant dot\h any thing question being attested by such undeniable Evidences viz. his most Gracious Majesty whom God still preserve from it the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the whole House of Commons and which we have still cause to fear though several Artifices are used to smother and stifle it but let us remember that many times the less noise the more danger But to pass this as not so pertinent at present Our work is what the Psalmist was to consider the days of old and the years Psal 77 5 11 12. of ancient times to remember the works of the Lord even his wonders to meditate of all his works and to tell of all his doing Now these ancient mercies God hath made them that they Psal 111. 4. should be had in remembrance that we should declare them to our Children Moses spends the four first Chapters of Deuteronomy in recording of them and God himself made a Statute-Law to Israel which they observed for so we find them speaking I will utter dark Psal 78. 2 3 4 6. sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us We will not hide them from our children shewing to the Generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and the wonderful works that he hath done That the Generation to come might know them even the Children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their Children Now to mention no more There are two great deliverances ancient deliverances which God hath given to his Church and people in England from their inveterate and implacable enemies the Papiss From the Spanish Invasion in 88 From the Gunpowder Treason in 1605. Two such deliverances that our eyes have not seen nor our ears have heard nor could our Fathers tell us of the like One by Strand the other by Land One from a Fleet and as they call'd it an invincible Armado sent forth by the King of Spain's great and vast Charge long Preparation the Popes blessing furnished with his best and most zealous Soldiers all manner of Instruments of Cruelty Whips and Knives engraven in Spanish with words which in English are To cut the Throats of the English Hereticks The other from a Vault under ground charged with many Barrels of Gun-powder Billets and Faggots c. A Monks Invention that would had not God prevented with one blast destroyed both King and Kingdom the most sudden cruel and unmerciful instrument of Death Both of these gracious deliverances from the hands of our most implacable enemies the sworn Vassal of the Papal Throne that sought not only and they are still of the same humour our Land and Estates and Livelihoods but our Lives our Souls our Consciences even our utter Destruction to have brought us under the Tyranny of a Foreign Prince and the unutterable and unconceivable Cruelty of the Papal Usurpation and Inquisition Not from roaring Enemies but such as were Vipers that sting to Death without any hissing at all Such was this deliverance the thankful memorial whereof we now celebrate From Hamans Plot to some From Babylons power and dominion to the rest To those who would not comply with them and embrace their superstitious idolatrous Principles and Practises to them from Death To those that were Protestants in Masquerade or Atheistical indifferent to all Religions notwithstanding fancy to the contrary that deliverance was from servitude slavery and bondage Englishmens Land and Goods let the Owners be what they will will be always judged by Jesuited Foreiners heretical when they are victorious over us which God forbid Have we then not great reason that are and have been the redeemed of the Lord whom he hath delivered from the Egyptian darkness of Popery from the worse than Babylonish Cruelty and barbarous oppression of Popish enemies from the Devilish Treachery and Conspiracy of others by the Discovery of the late Plot Have we not great reason I say to sing aloud with the Psalmist and say We will praise the Lord with our whole heart in the Assembly of Psal 111. 1. the upright and in the Congregation The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have 2. pleasure therein His work is honourable and glorious and his righteousness endureth 3. for ever He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred the Lord is 4. gracious and full of Compassion He hath sent Redemption unto his people c. 9. In furtherance of this common piety and to refresh our Memories and quicken our Devotion I have made choice of the Scripture first read as pertinent to the occasion Text Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name of it Eben-Ezer saying hitherto hath God helped us In which we have considerable 1. Something supposed 2. Something exprest 1. Supposed 1. Their danger from their enemies who were the Philistines 2. The cause of it Their
fourteeenth to the twenty-first many particular Instances of his Acts of grace and goodness and greatness he concludes with declaring what was his own and what he desires should be of others My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord. And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever v. 21. Lo this is the Tenor of our blessing God and declaring our thankfulness to him when we recount to his Glory and Honour what he hath done for us Now this is a wide and comprehensive duty shall we pass over the imperate and only consider the elicite Acts of it such as flow from and constitute the very being of it All which we may find in this of Samuels expression of his and the Israelites for he was but their mouth thankfulness unto God Hitherto hath God helped us Now the elicite Acts of thankfulness are five 1. Observation 2. Remembrance 3. Confession 4. Valuation 5. Retribution 1. Observation For how can we be thankful for that we take no notice of This was Israels sin charged upon them that made them 〈◊〉 1. 1 2. worse than Ox or Ass The Kindness and the Circumstances of it must be observed by us Thus David Thou hast brought me hitherto what am I Thus Samuel Hitherto hath God helped 2. Confession with the tongue Thus Samuel he did not set a stone and say nothing but he called it Eben-Ezer saying hitherto hath God helped We must not stifle nor imprison the Apprehensions we have of Gods Goodness in our hearts but declare them to others Hence David Come my Children hearken unto me and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul And it is a Ps 92. 2. 3. good thing to sing praises unto thy name to show forth thy loving kindness in the Morning and thy faithfulness every night Hence he calls his tongue his Glory How is the mans tongue his Glory but as it is an instrument imployed in the glorifying Ps 16 9. of God wherein stands mans highest praise Acts 2 26. Meer speech is the glory of a man above brute Creatures Eloquent speech is the Glory of the learned above the untaught Gracious speech Language of Prayer and Praises is the Glory of a David a man after Gods own Heart 3. Remembrance Hence the Psalmist when he presseth his soul to praise God calls upon it not to forget any of his Ps 103 2. benefits Reflect we must on the mercies we enjoy or we shall never be thankful Hence God himself instituted Trophies Stones and Days and other Monuments to continue the memorial of them and we read it as a commendable and praise worthy deed of the City of Zurich who engraved the year of their deliâ—â—rance from the Romish Antichrist upon Pillars in Letters of Gold 4. Valuation A dâ—e estimate of the mercies we enjoy at Gods hands If once we think meanly of them we shall quickly be unthankful for them if we say as Hiran or the Cities which Solomon gave him What Cities are thâ—se we shall soon forget the kindness and brand with disgrace call them Cabul 1 King 9. 13. If once say with the Israelites Nothing but this Manna we should soon prove Murmurers against and not Praisers of God When Korah thought his being a Levite a small thing then he murmured Numb 16. 9. If Gods Consolation seems small our thanksgivings will be Job 15. 13. very slender 5. Retribution an essential part of thanksgiving hence the Psalmist quid retribuam what shall I render As Ahasucrosh askt What done for Mordecai so we should ask what done for God on his Command to his Glory Certainly all we are have can do suffer are less than the least of Gods mercies Yet an Obligation lieth upon us render we must give up our selves souls bodies all we are have yet all will fall short of what we owe to Gods Glory and we can give him but his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 1. Let us then own God in all we have and honour him by all we can do or suffer for him Own him in all our Mercies all our Deliverances this Deliverance our preservation And thus express our thankfulness as Samuel did by a due Observation Remembrance Acknowledgment Valuation and Retribution and by taking care as he did to transmit the memorial of it to Posterity which is the last that comes now to be considered 3. Samuels care for the continuance of the memorial in these words Then Samuel took a stone c. A practice that God himself had directed to continue the memorial of his great Acts and was practiced by Jacob and Josh 4. 5 6. here by Samuel which he named Eben-ezer the Stone of Gen. 28. 18. Help 31. 15. 35. 14. But because though stones be very durable and lasting Monuments yet time that is edax rerum may consume them or otherwise they may be removed therefore God was pleased to fix a memorial of his gracious Acts in time it self that so the renewing of that might perpetuate the Memorial of them To this end he had set apart fixt days as the Passover and the days of Purim The Trophies and Momuments of Stone or Brass though the materials may be and continue yet the Cause Author and Reason of their erecting may be utterly worn out As the Pyramids in Egypt and Stonehinge in Wiltshire no certainty why or by whom placed But when it 's fixt on days in time itself nothing can wear it out till time be swallowed in eternity There are three great National Deliverances mentioned in Scripture each of which had its memorial-day appointed 1. The Passover by Gods command Exod. 12. 2. Purim by Esther and Mordecai Esth 9. 3. Dedication of the Temple which Christ himself observed All these set apart as monuments of thankfulness for Israels Deliverance from Pharaoh's Bondage Hamans Plot and Babylons Captivity And should we parallel Englands old and late Deliverances with theirs we should find that they come short in nothing but are in some Circumstances more eminent and miraculous And therefore the Institution of the fifth of November for an high and holy day is a most justifiable Act and the observation of it a most necessary Duty on all true Englishmen good Subjects and sincere Protestants wherein we call to remembrance confer of and declare to others and stir up our own hearts to a thankful admiration of Gods wonderful works in our deliverance Let us say as Samuel Hitherto hath God helped us and with David O how great is thy goodness how terrible are thy works and consider with our selves what manner Ps 31. 15. 66. 3. of persons we ought to be in all holy and godly Conversation And with the Psalmist What shall we render And 2 Pet. 3. 11. what is more fitting Then since this is the Deliverance that God Ps 116. hath wrought let us do opus Dei in die suo Rejoyce and
he made to one Fulco a French Priest who had told him that he had three very had Daughters which he wished him to bestow in marriage or else Gods wrath would attend him When the King had replied he had not any Daughter yes quoth the Priest Thou hast theâ—â— Daughters Pride Couetousness and Letchery The King replied My Pride bequeath to the haughty Templers and Hospitallers Speed Hist p. 480. my Covetousness to the white Monks of the Câ—stâ—ary Order and my Letchery to the Priests and Prelates for therein they took their greatest felicities How profitable Guests they are and have been to those persons and states that 〈…〉 and submit to them I suppose their proslyted begoâ—â—â— the Laity find to their great cost And we are informed by Authentick History that the Popes Authority hath been very chargeable and burdensom to the Kingdom of England not only by terrifying or alluring dving persons to give their Estates from their own Children and lawful Heirs under a pretence of Devotion to the Church and Charity to Souls to free them from Purgatory a place of the Popes own maiâ—ing but by the owned and publick exactions many ways emptying and impoverishing the Realm which King Henry the third was very sensible of who when the Pope in person and that was a less mischief than the entertaining of his power desired to come into England he denied him it being then said and it is and would prove as true still That the Pope is as a Mouse in a Sachel or a Snake in ones bosome that did ill repay the Hosts for their entertainment Speed Hist p. 538. And their Exactions were so great in the days of that King that a Cardinal truly told the Pope That England was to the Pope as Baalams Ass which had been so often wronged spur galled and cudgelled it was no marvel that now at last she opened her mouth to complain and for themselves and the Roman Court they were like Ishmael every mans hand against them and theirs against every one How gentle and courteous kind and innocent they have been where they have had power all Histories record The destruction of the innocent Waldenses the treacherous Massacre at Paris the villanous and barbarous Murders of the Protestants in Ireland Piedmont and wherever they got power And though they may seem as mild innocent and harmless as Gregory the first when they have no strength they then do but hide their claws which are still sharp but when they have got power as fierce as Gregory the seventh that Brand of Hell Hildebrand who by poysoning seven of his Predecessors made way to the Papal Throne and when sate down in it managed it to the Ruin and Destruction of the German Emperor and Empire And what safety or security can any Prince have from them who not only teach it as lawful to kill or remove Kings but also as meritorious and have brought their accursed Doctrine into wicked practice in the murdering of two Kings of France successively one of them always of the Religion and the other turned to them viz Henry the third and fourth of France for the first of which stab'd by a treacherous Monk there was great rejoycing at Rome and a Panigerical Oration belch'd out of the Popes own mouth in the Conclave so that they not only think they may but applaud it as meritorious as appears by the writing of Mariana and others But this is not the Divinity of the old primitive Christians but of the new Jesuits who more properly may be called Jehusites driving furiously as he did to the Ruin and destruction of Kings by force and power of Arms if they can but if that fail if they want Vires they will try Virus when Sword and Gun cannot Poyson shall How often was that excellent Princess Queen Elizabeth never to be mentioned without Honour so assaulted and God preserve his most excellent Majesty that now is from it And if that fail they will try what Powder will do a Monks invention found out by the help of the Devil to the ruine and destruction of Mankind And had their wicked Plot took effect would have been the ruine of the whole Nation But blessed be God the snare was broken and we in our Progenitors were delivered and have a just occasion of rejoycing in this day which the Lord hath made Psal 118. 1. And thus you see the parallel of the Persons Philistines Papists 2. The cause of their Danger The receiving of the Ark the setting of it up reforming from Idolatry putting away Baalim and Ashteroth worshipping of God praying fasting meeting at Mizpeh Then the Lords of the Philistines set the battel in array against them v. 10. Was not our case parallel what makes the Pope and his Complices so maliciously set against the King and Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland was it not the bringing the Ark of true Religion which they despised and rejected and setting of it up and sanctifying those that should minister in it First begun by that Magnanimous and Heroick Prince King Henry the Eighth who like David being a man of Blood began Gods Temple but did not finish it but left it unto that most excellent and virtuous Prince Edward the Sixth the Josiah of his age that justly deserved the stile of Titus Delicium humani Generis who carried it forward notwithstanding the great opposition he met with from the Scottish Papists who at Muscleborough Field were worsted by a small handful of Englist Protestants notwithstanding their mighty Army which brought into the field with it their breaden-God-Altars Crucifixes and other Popish Trinkets had 24000. slain in the Encounter and of the English not above 100. And the same fate attended the Devonshire and Cornish Rebels that rose upon the same occasion And though it met with a sharp opposition and persecution by fire and faggot by the malice of those wretched Apostates from it Gardner and Bonner and the misguided zeal of Queen Mary yet then the tree of Religion though it withered in the leaf yet grew in the root being watered with the blood of many eminent Christians of all sorts learned and godly Divines and Bishops who in the former Kings reigns had helpt to introduce it and in hers confirmed the truth of it with their Deaths for it so that it quickly again flourish'd by the means of that most excellent Princess Queen Elizabeth of blessed Memory whom none except such as that foul-mouth Lyar and fugitive Jesuit Sanders will mention without Reverence much less speak ill of her By her means I say God establisht his Ark in our Israel his truth his Worship amongst us removed Baalim and Ashteroth the He-Saints and She-Saints that were set up and worshipped in Gods place Notwithstanding 1. All open opposition by force In Ireland by Stukely and Sanders in the North by No folk Northâ—â—â—elaâ—d and Westmoreland From Spains invasion in 1508. which had it in any measure succeeded
Eben-ezer A Thankful Memorial OF GOD'S MERCY In preserving ENGLAND from the GUNPOWDER-TREASON 1605. Being a SERMON on 1 Sam. 7. 12. Prepared for Novemb. 5th to be Preacht at the Cathedral but Preacht for the most part of it at the Parish-Church of Temple in the City of Bristol on the 6th of Novemb. being the Lords Day By John Chetwynd M. A. Prebend of the Cathedral and Vicar of Temple in the City of Bristol Psal 118. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Tho. Wall Bookseller at Bristol 1682. To the VVorshipful and his ever Honoured Friend and Kinsman John Harington of Kelston Esq one of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Somerset SIR I Have made bold to direct these Papers to you as a Testimony of my respect and as being assured that you are a true Protestant of the Church of England established by Law As for such as falsly and with a contradiction so term and call themselves Roman Catholicks I expect no such Readers As for Protestants in Masquerade whose worldly designs make them sit loose to all Religions they may see what may reform them if not convince them But as for your self and such as are Protestants out of conscience you and they who are peaceable Sons of the most Apostolical Church of England may read what may confirm them in their true faith and Worship and what may comfort and support them under any fears dangers hardships that may attend them in and for their so being and doing God being still the same yesterday to day and for ever He that hath delivered doth deliver will deliver To his blessing I commend these Papers To his protection and guidance your self and second-self with all your Family And subscribe my self Bristol Novemb. 16. 1681. Your most Resepctful Kinsman and humble Servant John Chetwynd A Memorial of God's most gracious preservations of England from the Spanish Invasion and Gunpower Treason Of an unknown Author Found by me among my Father's Papers thus directed To my Posterity GOD's ancient Church Two solemn Feasts did keep On Two set days by his own word directed When Pharoah's Host was drowned in the deep And when proud Haman's Treason was detected Two works of equal grace but greater wonder The Lord hath done sor us past all mens Reason When Papist did attempt to bring us under By Spanish Armado and by Piercy's Treason I and my house these great things will remember And in remembrance sanctifie two days In Augustone * 3. the other in November †5. Both made by God for us to give him praise Dear children charge the children after you Still to observe these Feasts as I do now Eben-ezer A Thankful Memorial of God's preserving England from the Gunpowder Treason 1605. 1 Sam. VII 12. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name of it Eben-ezer saying Hitherto hath God helped us TO regulate my discourse I have made choice of this Scripture as being in many particulars parallel to the occasion of the day and suitable to this great and solemn Assembly whose outward lustre and grandeur and other circumstances and expressions of rejoycing testifie our apprehensions of this day to be as it deserves to be with us a High Day a Holy day even a day which the Lord our God hath made marvellous in our eyes a Day to be had in everlasting remembrance never-to-be Ps 118 23 24. forgotten a Day of Gods making Some days may be said to be made by Gods flat Let it be made as all creatures besides man were But other days in which notable and memorable occurrences fall out may be said to be made with Gods faciamus Let us make as man was And such was this which God by saving preserving and delivering our King Church and State made marvellous in our eyes and calls for our rejoycing in it Such was the Jewish Passover such the day of our Saviour's Exod 12. Resurrection to which this Scripture is applied and such is this day The Memorial of the mercies on which exhibited we now celebrate Foelix fausta dies lux flava quinta Novembris And may it be for ever celebrated by us and our Posterity as long as the Sun and Moon endureth For this was the Lords doing and let it still be marvellous in our eyes So it was in David's day Thus it was in ours In David's a deliverance from great dangers all by Gods might all by Gods mercy and that not in small things as yet in them God is to be seen but usque Ps 118 12 15. ad miracula and that not only marvellous in it self for so all Zech. 9. 11. Gods works are which seem small because usual but wonderful in our eyes because rare In which we cannot but say Digitus Dei est hic And such was this our day In a most eminent manner Gods day both for the exceeding greatness of our danger and Gods gracious and wonderful deliverance when the Devils and the Jesuits and their bigotted Proselytes had laid their heads together to destroy our King and Church and State our Religion Liberty Lives when the Balak of Spain and the Balaam of Rome Thus far was the Preface to my Sermon prepared for the Cathedral on the 5th but our Reverend Diocesan preaching upon my desire in my turn I thought fit to preach it at Temple on the 6th being the Lords day in the afternoon omitting the foregoing Preface had conspired together our utter destruction We read Esther 9. 20 21. that Mordecai and Esther sent Letters with all Authority to all the Jews nigh and far that they should keep the 14th and 15th of the month Adar yearly as the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies and the month which was turned from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a good day that they should make them days of feasting and joy and of sending Portions one to another and of gifts to the poor because the Plot of Haman the enemy of all the Jews which he had devised against them was b◠Queen Esther's mediation to the King turn'd upon his own head and the Jews had ruled over them that hated them and Haman and his Ten sons were hanged Therefore the Jews ordained and took it upon themselves and upon their seed and upon all such as joyned to them so as it should not fail as it doth not to this day among them wherever dispersed though it be two thousand years since that they would keep these two days according to their writing and according to their apppointed time every year And that these days should be remembred and kept through every Generation every Family every Province Est 9. 27 28. and every City and that these days should not fail from among the Jews nor the memorial of them perish
from their seed Thus it was with the Jews And have not we as much cause to remember with thankful rejoycing the great deliverance vouchsafed our Fathers and in them of us Certainly we have and therefore God having by a Miracle of Mercy prevented the barbarous and inhumane Design of the Papists the implacable enemy of all Protestants especially of English Protestants it was then lookt upon as a principal part of their thankful resentment by King James of famous memory and the then sitting-Parliament To enact the observation of one day viz. the fifth of November yearly to be observed as a thankful memorial of that wonderful Mercy Now God having by his Providence so ordered that this present year his day the Lords day the day which he hath made for the Remembrance of Christs Resurrection and all the Blessings that accrue by him and all we enjoy whether spiritual or external temporal or eternal are all from him deliverance from Hell Death and Damnation of soul and body deliverance from slavery and bondage and all external pressures are all from him and it being the principal work of this day Gods Holy Rev 1 day the Lords Holy-day to celebrate the thankful memorial of his Mercies And this day of Gods appointing immediately succeeding the day of the Kings appointment I have not thought it unfit nor any way inproper to lay before you what was prepared for yesterdays Solemnity in another place That so though the outward Pomp a necessary circumstance in that day may be left Yet the reality of our thankfulness might be expressed in this more private Assembly and we all put in mind and be stirred up as the Jews by the two days of Purim so we of England and we now present by the Solemnity yesterday according to the Law of Man and by what shall be now spoken on this day the day of our Rest and Rejoycing according to the Law of God may be stirred up to rejoyceful thankfulness for Gods goodness vouchsafed to us And indeed the remembring declaring and rejoycing in Gods wonderful works of Creation and providence as well as of Redemption are to have a principal part in the due Sanctification of our Christian Sabbath For the helping you wherein I shall lay before you what the Text first read presents us with Having first shewn you That we of England have as much reason and as great cause to celebrate two days yearly in the memorial of our deliverance from the Powder Treason as the Jews have for their deliverance from Haman The design of Haman and prosecution of it against the Jews was not so dangerous and mischievous as this Conspiracy of the Papists was against the English and Protestant Religion as will appear by many particulars parallel Circumstances in their Purim and our Powder Treason And indeed ours may be called Purim from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies fire as that from the Hebrew word Pur that signifies a Lot 1. Theirs by the sword from whence some might have escaped Ours by a blast of fire that would have spared none 2 Theirs would have destroyed Queen Esther and her people ours King James Queen Prince Lords Commons the whole Flower of the English Nation met in Parlament 3. They had a set day which all knew ours uncertain secret known to none but themselves 4. Theirs was but an ordinary day ours a most magnificent day when the Kings Majesty and all the great States would have been in their Robes and greatest Glory 5. They poor captive Jews scattered and dispersed without power or policy living in subjection We a most flourishing Kingdom for wealthl power and policy under a most magnificent King Illustrious Nobles Reverend Prelates Honourable and worshipful and wealthy Knights Citizens and Burgesses even the Cream and Flower of the whole Nation 6. Consider the parties by whom their enemy was but one Haman a stranger by Nation a stranger in Religion an heathen Idolater ours no strangers by Nation all English men no strangers in Religion professing the same Christianity not Turks nor Pagans Infidels Moors or Indians though indeed much worse but Christians and such as would be thought true Catholicks yea the only Catholick Christians yea some of them which is among them more than Christians Jesuits Haman was wicked that is his title but these exceeded him in wickedness Haman was a declared enemy but these secret Vipers that eat through the bowels of their own Mother The malice of all men calling to it all the malice of the Devil did never invent the like in all ill Circumstances A degenerate Christian is the worst of men and the worst of men is the worst of Creatures and it 's grown into a Proverb amongst other Nations and these cruel treacherous Powder-Traytors gave too much ground for it An Englishman Italianate is a Devil incarnate 7. Consider we the colour and the cause of both Designs As all evil things usually have one thing for their colour and other for their cause In Haman the cause was Mordicai his not bowing The colour was they were of a different Law Hereticks They were not for the Kings profit In ours the Cause is not bowing to one viz. The Old Gentleman at Rome one prouder than Haman who have had Emperors to hold their Stirrups Kings to lead their Horses and kiss their feet The Colour pretended is zeal for Religion we were and still are in their accounts Hereticks and therefore must be kill'd blown up destroyed and they think they have St. Pauls Warrant for it for so it hath been urged Hereticum devita which we make but one word and that a Verb which we rightly translate avoid and they two words viz. a Noun and Preposition and so would have it signifie to kill De vita to take from life They consulted their Oracle the Provincial who answered them as Ahasuerus did Haman De populo fac quod libet Do with them as it seemeth good unto thee Esth 3. 11. 8. Consider we the event The Jews delivered Haman hang'd we preserved the Traytors suffered God was otherwise minded than Haman he would have destroyed a Nation but God preserved it Haman put the Lot into the lap but God drew it out And in this event consider 1. Means 2. Manner 3. Time 4. Issue 1. Means They to God by fasting and prayer to man by Queen Esthers Mediation to the King We used none nor could use any neither fasted or prayed suspected no evil and so could use no means to prevent it 2. Manner Though no means to God yet we had from God and so had they too but ours better both from and by a King Theirs from a King but from him came the Danger his Proclamation under hand and seal without which Haman could have done nothing Ours from a King but no danger from him He was as deep in the danger as we were Theirs by a King set right by Esthers Information in a regular