Duke stabbed Is not Strafford beheaded Is not Finch fled Is not Fanlkland dead is not the Archb and plotter as we conceived immured and for all this are our miseries or feares ended Hath not this Parliament of all that ever sate at Westminster or else-where skill enough to discerne the truth power and authoritie enough to command us as some man to rise up and defend the truth pardon the homelinesse of the expression for mens carriages seeme to speake their hearts herein are these the onely knaves or fooles that ever had the sword put into their hands are these the onely men that want heads or hearts to weild and manage the trust committed to them for its proper ends Gods glory and the Kingdomes safety and good Canst thou in strictnesse of speech looke upon deserters of and run-awayes from Parliament in these times under any other notion then a company of desperate ungodly perjured and forsworne wretches But I have done with my Queries and so passe from the first thing promised lets or impediments in the way of dutie and come to the second motives The certain ruine of the Kingdome under the non-expiation of publique guilt We lie under the guilt which the Babylonians formerly and of late have brought upon us we had before these dayes a guilt of Idolatrous superstitious Altar-worship of grosse and horrible profanenesse of strange and almost invincible ignorance of contempt and opposition of the power of godlinesse with many other crying and notorious transgressions and now we have a new guilt of murders rapines robberies rebellions blasphemies of the highest nature and bloud of the deepest die and cry Iesus Christ excepted for t is the bloud of the most sincere Christians and will it not move and melt our hearts that this ancient and most flourishing Kingdome should now sinke and be pressed downe into oblivion and reproach through our neglect and forbearance to act against her subverters If thou art true borne and lovest the life of thy Countrey at this time bestirre thy selfe downe with Babylonians and establish ENGLAND in its glory to the Ages of many generations We doe but heighten the enemies rage and malignitie under our forbearing to bring upon them the desert of their sinne we spare them but they doe not pitie us the lesse we appeare in Gods cause against them the more doe they take heart and encourage themselves in their mischievous ungodlinesse how shall we dare to take rest to our bodies when the restlesse Babylonians are desperately bent to ruine all and to make us slaves either for bodies or soules or both The present danger of losing the Christian Religion throughout al the Churches of the world if we now be carelesse and let slip the opportunitie put into our hands The Lord hath set up this as a prize but we must run for it this is proposed as a crowne to the Saints but they must fight for it it is a jewel very worthy to be ventured for though in a field of bloud Let us invert the Babylonians word there is good use of it to Christians Now or never Now and ever Let us learne wisdome though of serpents The abundance of reall joyes that we shall reape if once we see the daies of feare and bloud past and over our harvest will recompence all the care labour and cost of the seed-time we may fight as well as plough in hope he that hath said A cup of cold water given unto a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall not goe unrewariled will surely make it manifest that he is not unfaithfull to forget our labour love and to suffer us lose a recompence of every drop of warme bloud that hath beene offered to or shed for a righteous God in his owne righteous cause and for the safetie of his Ordinances and people God spared not his owne sonne but gave him to die for us that the might overcome our enemies let not us then thinke it much to hazard our lives that we may overcome his adversaries The impossibilitie of ending the quarrell betweene Sion and Babylon any other way but by the sword For hitherto all other meanes have proved ineffectuall and let us now beat the bush and goe round about to worke and we shall ever have Antichristians to tugge withall for t is a Statute Law of Heavens Court He that leadeth into captivitie must goe into captivitie he that killeth with the sword must be killed by the sword Revel. 13. 10. We may be instrumentall to entaile Gospel mercies and glory to posteritie and it is a most horrible shame if we should take all the care for our childrens bodies and have no thoughts what shall be come of no endevours for the good of their soules in this nick and opportunitie of time I grant all this But I may die in the warre and that is it which greatly troubles me Thou dost not certainly know that thou shalt die there and thou maiest die in thy couch as soone as in the Campe Others as good and as great as thou have already sacrificed their lives in this Cause witnesse our Brooke our Hamden and others Thy blood shed thus shall be precious in the sight of the Lord yea it is well spent if it prove the price and purchase of the Gospel if God will self England the Gospel for thy bloud stick not to pay it in for this bargaine Heathens themselves have not stuck at spilling their lives for their Countries good and shall we thinke much to spend ours for the Gospel We may possibly kill Gods enemies and it is a mercy to the righteous wash their feet in the bloud of the wicked Psal. 58. 10. 68. 23. It is better for us to die abroad with honour like men then be murdered at home with our hands bound like fooles Let all those who are in Authoritie hence learne to doe justice and execute vengeance upon those Babylonians which God hath put into their hands doe it speedily doe it throughly the doing of justice upon the wicked is the way to safegard the righteous Without question the hand of God is upon us and we lose many in the field because we are too mercifull to those in the sold Let us doe Gods will upon his enemies and if we can but live by faith we shall see that he will either secure our friends or if the enemies have power and heart to send them hence he stands ready to receive them into heaven and what losse is it to them to be translated from eathly prisons to heavenly enlargements Amen FINIS a Gal. 5. 12. b Rom. 16. 17. c Psal. â—0 13. d Cant. 2. 15 Quest Answ The summe of the Text in one generall doctrine The first proofe of the point in a discovery of command from Jer. 50. 8 14 15. The second proofe of the point in a discovery of promise Icel 3. 7 8. The third proofe of the point in a discovery of blessednesse Psal. 137. 8 9. 1. Reason to confirme the point from Gods devoting of her to ruine 2. Reason from Gods precedency or going before us in the work 3. Reason from the end of escaping Romish pollutions 4. Reason form the prayers of Gods people 5. Reason from the engagements that lye upon the people of God to this service 1. Engagement 2. Engagement 3. Engagement Great raine at the time of the rising in Kent 4. Engagement 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse Obiect Answ Obiect Answ 5. Vse 6. Vse Quest Answ 2. Hindrance 3. Hindrance 4. Hindrance 5. Hindrance 6. Hindrance 7. Hindrance 8. Hindrance 9. Hindrance 10. Hindrance 11. Hinderance 12. Hinderance 1. Querie 2. Querie 3. Querie 4. Querie 5. Querie 6. Querie 7. Querie 8. Querie 9. Querie 10. Querie 11. Querie 12. Querie 13. Querie 14. Querie 15. Querie 1. Motive 2. Motive 3. Motive 4. Motive 5. Motive 6. Motive 7. Motive Obiect Answ 1. 4. 5. Last Vse
of the like nature any other then so many callings out of the godly and well-affected to take up their Armes draw and use their swords in the Lambs cause against the Babylonian beasts and beastly Babylonians Not that I would encourage any man to Duell it in his owne avengement or for his private honour for that argues basenesse of spirit and begets a blot with all truely noble and generous ones I would hese have every Christian to stand upon his reputation and after and amidst so many and so proud challengings not to discover pusillanimous and ignoble spirits What hath Antichrist done for them they dare be so bold and what hath not Christ done for us that we should now in these dayes of darings be dastardly hen-hearted and effeminate But enough for confirmation the poynt would be applied and may first informe us who and what manner of men they are whom we must looke upon and expect to be most active and instrumentall against the Antichristian partie viz. Those that either have not drunke of or else have vomited up the wine of Romes fornications whether we respect her Cup of first Idolatrie or secondly Libertie for this hath ever beene the policie of that strumpet to hamper men in the bonds of Idolatrous and superstitious worship and to enlarge them in the way of licentious profanenesse it is enough if Satan can make men zealous according to his principles of religion and devotion although they be most remisse and carelesse in the things of Gods commandements these men are so ensnared and fettered as that it is their very death to part with their bands the gyves are so fastened upon their hearts and hands that there is no expecting any thing in way of Sious enlargement from them Wonder not to see men of this world slow to a warre against Antichrist For this were to act against first their owne interest for here they have their portion Psal. 17. 14. the creature is the totall stay and support of their hearts it is not possible that these shall doe any thing in a warre against Antichrist but thoughts presently arise of the givings out and emptyings of their God their good is in the enjoyment of earthly supports let these be called for and taken away and their heart is down they give up all as lost because their goods are called for they instantly conclude their God is gone they know no other and therefore they can doe no better Secondly if these should act it were to move against their owne ends the purposes and determinations of their hearts are to eate drinke and take their ease they are devoted servants of the flesh and therefore may not act against those waies and things that give them full leave and libertie to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of the same If they act against Babylon they can neither grow great nor enjoy pleasures in their sense And hence it is they pity her rather then act against her as in their owne language we read Revel. 18. 19. Alas alas that great Citie wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costlinesse for in one houre she is made desolate Let it not trouble us that great Doctors and profane Proctors with c. doe not act against but for Antichrist their interest engageth them and they must be all true and faithfull to their base and carnall ends Their ships are forth in a voyage for lust and lucre and they would not for a world they should misse of their fraight or perish in their adventure for trading and commerce with Babylon the truth is selfe-seekers are no fit men to act against Babylonians Hence we have a discoverie of the reason why the Antichristian state stands so long and strong in the world And that is because the people of God generally and for the most part have done but one halfe of their dutie if so much against Babylon We should have used the sword and the speare as well as the pen and the pulpit in seeking her demolishment and fall we should have had battels fought as well as bookes written she should have beene disheartened as well as discovered we should have dashed in pieces her carnall as well as her spirituall props We should have overthrowne her towers as well as her tenets We ought to have discharged our cānons as well as our consciences against her We should have used our armes as much nay more then our arguments against her For these would have overcome when those could not perswade We should have dispatched and not disputed her out of the world we have not done all our worke and why should we expect all our wages in the fall of Babylon But is not this a piece of strange and harsh if not false doctrine may some men say Shall we from the pulpit perswade men to use their armes and that to the utter destruction and ruine of others I know it will be thus objected but what of that I matter not the murmurings or mutterings of men so long as I have a warrant from the word to back me and beare me out And therefore here Fourthly the people of God have a commission not onely for a defensive but an offensive Militia and posture of Warre I know many have taken great paines and to good purpose to prove it lawfull in the present cause of God the kingdome and Parliament to take up and make use of Armes in the defence of Religion the Church and the truths of God therein but by the light of my Text and Doctrine I shall make bold to goe one step further and not onely to preach but presse the Saints to put on keepe on and use manfully weapons of offence against the brats of Babylon And I shall hence and here boldly affirme that he who now startles and staggereth delayeth and refuseth with the Parliament and their partie to beare and use Armes against the Prelates Papists and Atheists with all the frie of Antichristian factors and panders is no other then a rebell and traytour against God For let these men cry up as much as they can and with as wide and loud a mouth as they are able the Protestant I am sure they have never knowne or beene acquainted with the Christian Religion For to forbeare or be mercifull to these Babylonians is both injustice and cruelty to the Church our selves and posteritie To the Church of Christ For these are her open enemies who have endevoured and are still a plotting how to withdraw her from her stedfastnesse in the faith that they might estrange her heart from her husband Christ to doate upon and to paramoure it with that grand Idoll of Rome and to make her of the Temple of God the Synagogue of Satan And how such as these should be used read Deut. 13. per totum But you will say we are referred to the doctrine of Moses and the Old
AN ALARME BEAT VP IN SION TO VVAR AGAINST BABYLON OR THE SVMME OF A Sermon upon Revelation 18. and the 6. Preached at Knowle before the Honourable the Committee of the County of Kent on the 13. of Iune Anno 1644. and by the said Honourable Committee required to be published By Ioseph Boden Minister of Gods word and Pastor of the Church at Ashford in KENT Judges 20. Vers 8. And all the people arose as one man saying we will not any of us goe to his tent neither will any of us turne into his house Vers 9. But now this shall be the thing which we will doe to Gibeah we will goe up by lot against it Vers 10. And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel and an hundred of a thousand and a thousand out of tenne thousand to fetch victuall for the people that they may doe when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel Vers 11. So all the men of Israel were gathered together against the citie knit together as one man LONDON Printed by I. L. for Christopher Meredith at the sign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1644. TO THE HONOVRABLE THE Committee of the Countie of Kent Ioseph Boden wisheth wisdome from above to discerne the frauds and Christian resolution to resist the undertakings of the Babylonish brood together with a full recompence of all your labours for the truth both with an encrease of grace and peace in this world and eternall glory in the world to come Honourable and Beloved AS this Sermon came from you into the world so now it returnes from the world to you again your approbation and request which is command enough encouraged me to and in the publication and your Patronage shall be all the shelter I will seeke in case of detraction I know the matter will displease many because here the Church of God is put upon acting against the Antichristian Synagogue and partie but I matter not these mens displeasure for I professedly seeke and presse a disappointment of their designe and a dissipation of them so farre as they drive it on wittingly and willingly against the Lord and his Christ There is a generation of men who pretend daily to pray as they are taught Thy kingdome come and yet their plots and endeavours are against nothing more then the coming of Christ his kingdome ihe enlightning of these mens eyes or the binding of their hands is chiefly aimed at in the ensuing Discourse for the present therefore I am resolved not to waigh what they censure because I looke upon them either as blinded or wrong byased and so neither a considerable partie nor indifferent Iudges If the plainnesse of the style be either questioned or blamed my answer is ready it was chosen on purpose that if any good do issue upon either the preaching or publishing of this peece the praise may be of and to God not the weake and unworthy Instrument These notions found acceptance with you in the delivery and therefore though now they may want that life and vigour which then they seemed to have yet I hope for Gods not mans sake they will finde a proportionable acceptation with your eyes to that of your eares some enlargements of particulars which you heard in the Pulpit are here possibly omitted for memory may faile me to gather up these fragments All the materials are faithfully laid together only one use in the close as proper to the point and necessary for these times is briefly added If singularitie in point of offensive Armes be laid to my charge I reply that now men generally call for and enquire after newes and though this may seeme to suit these wanton wits in the publication yet the Text cleares it to be an old truth novell onely in case of discovery And the truth is this best suits my genius for I wholly desire to be the disciple of old truths and have no heart to tamper or be taken with them who affect to be masters of new heresies as there are too many who through faire shews but without doubt for base ends doe trouble the Church with their fond fancies and new fangle toyes in these turbulent times but I leave them to their justly deserved censure with the Apostles wish a would to God they were even cut off that trouble us and to the Church of God with the same Apostle I write thus b Now I beseech you Brethren marke them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have received and avoyd them Oh! that whilest we hunt the c Boares which out of the wood do waste the Lords vineyard we would also have an eye to endeavour the catching of those d Foxes those little Foxes that spoyle the vines For though they come to us in sheeps cloathing yet inwardly they are ravening wolves Shortly thus I see not but malignants of the new garbe in the Church may do as much hurt as those of the old one in the State Let me not for this be thought an enemy to the endeavoured Reformation it is the desire of my soule to see it up in its full beautie and strength onely I would have old Babylon broken down and all new Babels kept down that whiles we have voted and vowed out by-past superstition we may not be obstructed or burthened in the worke of the Lord with new Iesuitic all plots of faction and schisme lest whiles men plead for libertie they turne Libertines and after we have covenanted sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God to endeavour that the Lord may be one and his name one in three kingdomes we be not found by every mans seeking and setting up himself to neglect the keeping of the union of the spirit in the bond of peace and instead of advancing the Lord Iesus to be the beginners and fomentors of confusion in all the Churches of Christ But from this occasionall digression Ireturne And if the needlesnesse or tardinesse of my paines in this subject be laid in the way of that profit which might otherwise be reaped hereby I would remove this obstacle thus although this be but to write Iliads after Homer yet all men either have not seene or will not make use of or cannot understand the Labours of the more Learned these therefore may be usefull to some and I have my aime if either for condiction or confirmation I can benefit any though they be the meanest of the people for parts or place And I might have been sooner in print if I durst have thought any thing the Lord had imparted unto me worth publique view or any wayes able to stand up against a generall censure but since you worthy Patriots may not be non-suited by him who is unexpressibly engaged to your and the Countries service and that I must out and abroad among the croud of other scriblers these Lines
proposition That as the unbeleeving Iews through ignorance and unbeliefe did performe Gods determinate counsell and will in putting to death the Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of life and glory so it behoves the beleeving Gentiles through faith and knowledge to performe Gods determinate counsell and will in the utter overthrowing of Antichrist that man of sinne and sonne of perdition with all his glory and pompe that they may descend with shame and sorrow into everlasting infamie and oblivion Secondly we have not onely Gods vote but his worke to argue from in this case for he goes before us and begins to his people in this businesse of Babylons fall and ruine so that it is no shame for us to follow nay it is a sinne if we doe not when we have such a leader Now the Lord professeth of himselfe with a note of observation and remembrance Behold I am against thee oh thou most proud saith the Lord of hosts for the day is come and the time that I will visit thee Ier. 50. 31. And what will be the conclusion or upshot of this visitation A very bitter and intolerable end to Babylon for so it follows vers. 32. And the most proud shall stumble and fall and none shall raise him up and I will kindle a fire in his cities and it shall devoure all round about him The Lord will make an end of all he will leave her neither name nor srup Yea the Lord is yet more full and cleare in this particular for if the Church in remembrance of the wrong Babylon hath done her complaine to God and tell him Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon hath devoured me he hath crushed me he hath made me an emptie vessell he hath swallowed me up like a Dragon he hath filled his belly with my delicates he hath cast me out The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the Inhabitant of Sion say and my blood upon the Inhabitants of Chaldea shall Ierusalem say The answer then of the Lord is this for the comfort and refreshment of his people Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will plead thy cause and take vengeance for thee and I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry non of her defences shall be a securitie for her when the Lord on Sions behalfe comes against her And Babylon shall become heaps a dwelling place for Dragons an astonishment and an hissing without an inhabitant Here is the Lord doing and doing to purpose in way of avenging Sion upon Babylon good reason therefore it is that Sion should be up and acting seeing the Lord is not onely with her but before her in the worke even to the making of Babylons fall compleat and full For as we have heard before Ier. 51. 34 35 36 37. So the Lord goes on further to note what he will doe vers. 57. I will make drunke her princes and wise men her captaines and her rulers and her mightie men and they shall sleep a perpetuall sleep and not wake saith the King whose name is the Lord of hosts It is no good signe of a good souldier to shrinke back and take to his heeles when his captain is valiant in the battell It were a most reproachfull thing to the people of God if they should faint be cowardly and give out in acting for Babylons compleat fall and ruine when they have a King to lead them a king who wants neither counsell strength or means to defeat and conquer his enemies For his name is the Lord of hosts But thirdly this is the end why the people of God are fetched out of and delivered from corruptions that there may be some meetly qualified disposed and fitted to worke her fall and ruine we cannot thinke that God hath caused light to arise out of obscuritie that there should be no acting against the children of the night and darknesse If he have discovered unto us the filthinesse of the whore it is that we may hate her and burne her flesh with fire and give her blood to drinke It is no wonder that our forefathers hands were bound and that they did little or nothing against the Beast and the Babylonians for their eyes were blinded they were in the darke and could not see to worke much lesse to fight But that we having cleare visions and full discoveries made of the Beast and her abominations should sit still be carelesse and suffer her for ever to play her beastly prancks it is a most notorious shame and staine unto us true fire hath its heat as well as its light and true grace doth not onely enlighten but also ennoble our spirits it doth not onely make us to know but to doe the will of God It puts us upon action it cannot be otherwise but that where the love and life of God is there will be working and endeavouring to ruine and bring under all the enemies and opposers thereof as well those open and in the view of the world as those more secret and shut up in the heart of a Christian We have the true and saving knowledge of Christ that we may be the more quickned and encouraged to act against and to bring down Antichrist It is a shame not to do Gods work that he hath designed us unto especially when he affords us day-light to accomplish it in Our light is lent us that the king and kingdome of darknesse may be troden down not onely amongst our selves but where ever he hath subjected the souls of men to Babylonish thraldome and slavery For though we cannot give others light yet we may we must endeavour their libertie But fourthly I shall presse the point by an argument taken from the prayers of Gods people It is the dutie of all them who have escaped Romish pollution to be instrumentall for Babylons compleat fall and ruine that so as farre as in them lies they may speed and hasten an answer to their own prayers concerning her fall and ruine when their spirits are stirred up to act towards the accomplishment of their own desires and requests The men of Israel are beaten before the Inhabitants of Ai the cursed Canaanites can both repulse and kill Israelites the reason is though not then known because there is an accursed thing in the camp Ioshua betakes himself to the old and sure way the souldiers fall before their enemies in battell the Commander fals down before his God in prayer Ioshua 7. 5 6. he enquires after the cause and reasons out the case with his God and this is good so farre but this is not enough there must be some what more then prayers to set all right againe Ioshua must up and act he must finde out and put out of the Camp the accursed Achan the troubler of Israel So we and our forefathers have prayed and doe pray againe and againe for the ruine of Rome have not we like those souls under the Altar flaine for the word
Testament for proofe in this case and that concerns not our times and the state of the Church under the Gospel But first I am glad that it is acknowledged for a piece of Scripture and then I am sure that Whatsoever was written aforetime was written for our learning And It hath no more nor lesse in it concerning the severe and strict punishing of seducers of old then my Text hath against them now in the Gospel times Heretiques now are of as dangerous consequence as heretofore As an husband now will not endure the corruption of his wife by an adulterer any more then a Iew under the Law so will not the Lord suffer the wrong of alienating the heart of his Evangelicall Spouse any more then of his Legall one if I may so speake The carriage of all Heretiques and Idolaters in all Ages in their prevailings hath beene too cruell to the Church and the Church on the contrary hath beene too favourable and mercifull unto them as experience teacheth both to our sorrow and sufferings Lenitie and mercy moves not they are not one jot the better but much more hardened in their sinne and mischiefe by all the lenitic and favour shewed them they will still labour to seduce and subdue the Church and people of God Let us hence learne and labour to subdue them By sparing these men are most cruell to themselves for he who can now pitie the bodies of Babylonians will one day find if they prevaile that they will neither pitie bodies estates or soules so farre as lieth in their power to corrupt or spoyle If we like Ahab spare Benhadad under notions of brotherhood the reward shall be that our lives shall goe for those we spare and their charge in the day of advantage shall be like the Assyrian Kings Fight neither with small nor great but with the King of Israel With none but the godly partie that now scruples and boggles at the destroying of those that cannot shall not avoid determined indignation And as for posteritie they may have cause to sit downe and curse the day when we neglected the opportunitie put into our hands of breaking the Babylonian yoake totally and universally from off our necks that so it may never be put upon theirs either in poperie or slaverie which in all probabilitie must needs be entailed by us to after Ages if now in this nicke of time we sit still and doe nothing or not to purpose if we looke upon and dash not in pieces the bones of Babylons brats thus boldly and bloudily contrary to law and reason risen up amongst us and against us and Gods true Religion professed by us Brethren it is a shame to finne against opportunities God hath now put into our hands a possibilitie of ruining and casting off more Babylonians in way of warre within the compasse of a day then our forefathers have had abilitie to subdue in this Age of reformation But must we put men to death for their religion onely because they are Papists The objection in these times is most frivolous For thou art not hereby put upon killing them for what they professe but for what they practise not for their opinions but for their persecutions not for what they thinke but for that they act for so saith the Text reward her as she hath rewarded you and truly my sentence is that God armes them with courage strength and weapons against his people because heretofore and now also they have and doe find too much favour at our hands For if we will not doe Gods will upon his enemies he can give them strength and heart to execute his will upon us and ours for this our present enmitie For we are no other then Gods enemies whiles by a base neutralitie and parcimonie we declare our selves Malignants friends Hence we may learne how little good to expect from treaties of peace accommodations and overtures for pacification with the enemies of our Church and State the Babylonish brood that now is gone forth in battell against the godly party throughout these Kingdomes Surely nothing that is worth calling good nothing that we can rightly name a child of desires and delight I speake not this to be wise above measure or to preoccupate the results of their counsels who sit at the Sterne and know best which way to steare the Ship yet if I were in another Auditory as one that I hope hath obtained mercy to be faithfull I should in this case be very large onely for the present I give these reasons why the people of God must looke for no good this way This is quite crosse to Gods command concerning Babylon I need not be large in that a second time it was the first proofe of my Doctrine It is crosse to Gods maine end and aime concerning Babylon in these commotions and gatherings together against the Church if Scripture may enlighten this their gathering together against the Church is that they may full for her sake Isa. 54. 15. Behold they shall surely gather together but not by me Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake Certainely God hath not suffered them thus to combine into a beesome to sweepe and purge the Church that afterwards they may make conditions of peace and sit downe safely to enjoy the good of that land they have thus barbarously robd and spoiled It is crosse to their deserts they have merited a Cup of bloud and why should they not have their due in point of justice they must have their earned wages the workman is worthy of his hire and why should they not have bloud to drinke for they are worthy Revel. 16. 6. they have not merited peace to themselves that have broken out in a time of peace into warre against the Lord and his Christs Pacifications are crosse to our duties for I pray God it be not the sinne and punishment of the reformed and reforming Churches that we thrust down Antichrist and Antichristians so slowly doth it not argue our want of faith in God that we set up carnall reason as an onely engine to undermine and overtop the tottering Babel of Antichristianitie and is it not just with God to befoole us in this worke and lay obstruction upon obstruction in our way because we will not take them at their own word and weapons and cudgell them into a peace It is no small discourtesie to after ages to neglect the occasion presently given and to leave them to lugge it out with Antichrist who otherwise were not we in fault might freely and comfortably follow the Lambe whither soever he calles and goes Make peace with them now and they will soone make warre with us and ours when time and advantages serve their turnes It is true that there is no peace with as well as to the wicked For so faith the Prophet Psal. 120. 7. I am for peace but when I speake they are for warre Their Treaties are not for