EXOD. 8. 19. DIGITVS DEI. ESAY 59. 1. The Lords Hand is not shortned 2 TIM 3. 8 9. Now as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith But they shall proceed no farther for their folly shall be manifest vnto all men as theirs also was To the Reader MY heart is inditing of a good matter I Ps 45. speake of the things which I haue made touching the King my tongue is the pen of a readie writer God shall wound the heart of his enemies Ps 68. and the hayrie scalpe of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses Loe they that are farre from thee shall perish thou hast Ps 73. destroyed all them that goe a whoring from thee But it is good for me to draw neere to God I haue put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy workes Confounded be all they that serue grauen Images that Ps 97. boast themselues of Idols It is time for thee Lord to worke for they haue made Ps 126. void thy Law Thou hast giuen a banner for them that feare thee that Ps 60. it may be displayed because of thy truth The righteous shall see it and reioyce and all iniquitie Ps 107. shall stop her mouth So that a man shall say verely there is a reward for the Ps 58. righteous verely he is a God that iudgeth in the earth All men shall feare and shall declare the worke of God Ps 64. for they shall wisely consider of his doing The workes of the Lord are great sought out of all them Ps 111. that haue pleasure therein Who so is wise and will obserue these things euen they P. 107. shall vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord. Many O Lord my God are thy wonderfull workes which Ps 40. thou hast done thy thoughts which are to vs ward they cannot be reckoned vp in order vnto thee when I would declare them they are more then can be numbred I haue preached righteousnesse in the great Congregation loe I haue not refrained my lips O Lord thou knowest I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart I haue declared thy faithfulnesse and thy saluation I haue not concealed thy louing kindnesse and thy truth from the great Congregation I will speake of thy testimonies also before kings and will Ps 119. not be ashamed Helpe me O Lord my God O saue me according to thy Ps 109. mercie That they may know that this is thy hand that thou Lord hast done it Let them curse but blesse thou when they arise let them be ashamed but let thy Seruant reioice Let my aduersaries be clothed with shame and let them couer themselues with their owne confusion as with a mantle As we haue heard so haue we seene in the Citie of the Ps 48. Lord of Hoasts in the Citie of our God God will establish it for euer The Lord is knowne by the iudgement which he executeth Ps 9. the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands This shall be written for the generation to come and the Ps 102. people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. DIGITVS DEI. Luke 13. 1 2 3 4 5. There were present at that time some that told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their Sacrifices And lesus answering said vnto them Suppose ye that those Galileans were greater sinners aboue all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell ye nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Or those eighteene vpon whom the towre in Siloe fell and slew them thinke ye that they were greater sinners aboue al men that dwelt in Hierusalem I tell ye nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish IN the nine and fortieth Verse of the former Chapter our Lord saith that He is come to send fire on the earth And in the one and fiftieth Verse denies that he is come to giue Peace on the earth but rather diuision betwixt Father and Sonne Mother and daughter one friend and another This fire is his Word Is not my Word like a fire saith Ier. 23. 29. the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the Rocke in peeces the preaching whereof hath battered and shiuered asunder the Rocke of Rome and hath occasioned great diuisions in the world in euerie age filling it at this present with warres of all kinds reall and verball For this cause the Romish Catholikes a politique people haue taken order to stop the free passage thereof lest men should burne their fingers with it c. Or indeed lest thereby their Babylon should be set on fire as doubtlesse Rem Test Preface it must be so consumed 2 Thes 2. 8. And surely they haue seene a faire effect of this their policie For from this silence of the Scripture proceeds that vniuersall Peace amongst them whereof they so much boast and whereupon others so resolutely build In the beginning and infancie of the world the Serpent Ier. 8. 11 12. by Satans procurement found a meanes to betray our Parents by teaching them to seeke a prohibited and curious knowledge saying Ye shall not dye for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eies shall be opened Gen. 3. 4 5. and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and euill But now in the dotage of the world Antichrist by Satans inspiration hath found a way to betray the Church by closing our eyes against commanded and necessarie knowledge saying Ye shall not dye for God doth know that in the day ye fast from the Scriptures ye shall be as Innocents knowing neither good nor euill The greatest part of the world especially of the Feminine gender beleeue this new-found Paradox of Antichrist and the rather because it neuer troubles their consciences nor straines their wits nor takes them off from their Canonicall howres deuoted to Poeticall fictions which Legendarie stuffe is the Diuinitie whereupon at this day the Faith of the Cloister Catechist is principally founded But the word of our Sauiour though it be the Gospel of peace is yet a Fire that inflames a Sword that deuides It aimes at another peace then worldlings and fleshlings dreame of they cast their eyes vpon peace with men this teacheth a peace with God they seeke temporall peace though therein they sinne against God and their consciences and doe obstinately pursue and often obtaine it though it lasts no longer then vntill the stronger hath gotten aduantage by it for whose purpose and benefit it was onely concluded this other aimes to reconcile God and man togither and to breed peace of conscience the earnest and initiation of an eternall peace hereafter The Apostle saith If it be possible as much as lyeth in Rom. 12 18. you haue peace with all men So farre as is possible Sana conscientia
with a safe conscience seeke to haue it but Quod fidaei vestri conuenit Sed quando de pietate aut de virtute quaestio est tunc nulla pax impijs seeke it not by wounding the conscience or proclaiming warre with God For that though it be possible to nature is impossible to grace thou canst not reconcile Light and Darkenesse Hell and Heauen God and Mammon Christ and Antichrist nor canst thou by humane policie bring these togither by causing both sides to abate and meet in the midst through thy wisedome There is a worldly peace which men vnhappely hunt after whilst they neglect the peace of conscience and ioy in the Holy Ghost which peace and ioy the Saints of God whose hearts are inflamed with that Fire which Christ brought into the world feele euen in the midst of Iohn 14. 27. tumults warres pouertie persecution tortures fire death The worlds peace and Gods peace are diuerse their fire diuerse their sectators diuerse euen as Heauen and Earth is diuerse or rather opposite We may be farre mistaken then secking for peace and behold it is warre peace with men may proue warre with God Beware In the fiue and fortieth Verse our Sauiour proceedes to taxe the folly and hypocrisie of man who can iudge of times and seasons by signes and tokens but know not the tokens of their owne visitation when after their internall Ps 74. 10 vocation by Grace stormes of persecution and triall folfowes as Sun-shine and Clouds and Wind and Raine and Frost and Snow haue their seuerall turnes Ier. 8. 7 8 9. Thus we all are wise and perfect polititians in State periods and reuolutions of the world but for discerning the incrochments made by Antichrist and his assotiates either like Fooles we obserue them not or like Hypocrites dissemble what we see as men wishing well to his silent and close inuasion to his seacret and darke vnderminings The Lord saith by Ieremie That he is against those Prophets Ier. 23. 30. that steale away his word euerie one from his neighbour And doubtlesse then he is against vs who sit still in the meane time and will not ioine with him and take his part against these politique Theeues who steale away the Word from vs and our neighbours saying in the meane time that Truth commands vs neither to say nor doe any thing to the contrarie but only to winke and shew our Es 55. 10 11. Ps 50. 18 consent to their Sacriledge by silence like blind and dumbe dogges as the Psalmist saith When thou sawest a Thiefe then thou consentedst to him and hast beene partaker with Adulterers And thus being once rob'd of the Scripture that part of the wisedome of God which is necessarie for vs to know what wisedome can be in vs more â—er 8. 9. then in naturall Fooles more then in beasts that perish Man being thus in honour hath no vnderstanding but Ps 49. 20. may be compared to the beasts that perish The greater man the greater beast In the eight and fiftieth Verse our Sauiour giues vs aduice to seeke reconcilement with God betimes whilst we are in the way whilst it is called to day before we be arrested and haled violently by death before the Iudge for then there is no remedie We seeke after worldly peace and clap hands with Antichrist and his confederates to procure spirituall trading in his Kingdome and temporall trading in theirs but we neglect God and Christ and make them our aduersaries nor haue we any care to be reconciled to them and to make peace with them though we know they haue powre to kill both Bodie and Soule also Herein we doe foolishly Whilst our Sauiour was thus teaching his Disciples and the multitude there were present certaine persons who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their Sacrifices And this they did perhaps as supposing the Historie pertinent for that point of Doctrine which our Sauiour taught that is To perswade vs to make our peace with our aduersarie betimes in the way because no man is sure either of the time place or manner of his death death comming to man so many wayes and therefore it were good to be reconciled and prepared lest we be brought before the Iudge sodainly by force or accident whilst we expect to haue faire warning giuen vs long before by age infirmitie and sicknesse Now though there be no Historie of those times extant that tells of the cause and manner of this massacre punctually yet there is light enough giuen whereby we may probably coniecture some of the principall parts and passages thereof most necessarie for our purpose Iosephus tells of one Iudas the Gaulanite borne in the Antiq. Iud. Li. 18. c. 1. Towne of Gamala whom a little after he calls Iudas of Galilee that ioyning in confederacie with one Sadoc a Pharisee became Author of a new Sect diuersified from the Pharisees onely in one singular point consisting in an obstinate pursuit of all courses for recouerie of libertie from the Romane yoke and freeing themselues from the Imperiall taxe then imposed And it is verie probable that Iudas and Sadoc vnder the colour of sacrificing as the Prophets had wont assembled the people to mooue â— Sam. 10 17. them to pursue this proiect of which Pilate hearing being then Gouernour of Iudea for Caesar he sent armed Troopes and cut them asunder before they could gather head euen whilst they were sacrificing To make this more cleere Gamaliel the great Doctour of the Law brings in the example of this Iudas in his speech before the Councell and there mentioneth his cause course and end briefly Act. 5. 37. This newes being thus tould our Sauiour by such as it seemes thought him vnprouided of examples to second and backe his arguments and supposing it suited the purpose verie well to perswade men to reconcilement in the way lest they should be suddainly cut off as these Galileans were our Sauiour takes occasion from hence to inlarge the point and to inforce it farther euen vpon the consciences of such as produced it saying Suppose ye that those Galileans were sinners aboue all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell ye nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Thus our Sauiour makes application of this Storie to all his Auditorie and causeth it to reflect vpon the consciences of the reporters as well as vpon all the rest of his hearers The Galileans were not hereby wholly excused a toto as the Schoolemen say but a tanto and secundum quid after a sort nor was their act of sacrificing wheresoeuer whisoeuer or howsoeuer done iustified hereby but our Sauiour condemnes the rash iudgement of such as make our sufferings from men infallible markes of our sinnes before God Wicked men may prosper in euill courses good men may fall and suffer in holy vndertakings The Galileans might be sinners in seeking disorderly to free
God did not know of it Which speech of his proceeded out of Ignorance then it was pittifull or out of Atheisme and then it was damnable If God did not know of it they might after be in Hell also without his notice from whence there is no redemption Their Saints and tutelar Angels therefore were verie negligent in their cures and charges not to giue information sooner And therefore an old wife one of their companie being deliuered from the danger protested she would neuer pray to Saint or Angel more nor before a Crucifixe or other Image but only to her Sauiour and Redeemer who was able alone to heare and helpe of himselfe Ps â—5 1 2. Es 63. 16. notice a motion which proceeds without the assistance of the First mouer an action which is produced by a Secundarie cause without a Primarie or by a cause caused without a cause causing neither of all which can be conceiued by any man that conceiues and grants that there is a God and that that God rules all the affaires of the World by an ouer-mastering power and by his wisedome and prouidence guides and orders all actions and passions euen the death of a Sparrow the losse of a haire from our heads as our Sauiour saith Math. 10. 30. 31. that is minutissima maxima the least and greatest passages to his glorie There are others who speake of Accident right and properly which is onely so in regard of vs. So the Philopher saith Casus est inopinatae rej euentus Chance or accident is the sodaine euent of a thing vnlooked for Arist Lib. 2. Phys And therefore the same man saith in his Metaphys Lib. 1. Imperitia casum fecit Want of knowledge hath made Chance S. Hierome saith in his Commentarie vpon the Prophet Hieremie Cap 12. Ver. 4. Quicquid in mundo vel bonorum accidit vel malorum non absque prouidentia fortuito casu sed iudicio Dej Whatsoeuer good or euill fals out in the world doth not happen by chance or fortune but by the prouidence and iudgement of God Lament Ierem. 3. 37. Who is he then that saith and it commeth to passe and the Lord commandeth it not Quia Deus voluit eos contingenter euenire contingentes causas ad eos praeparauit Th. Acquin S. 1. Q. 19 Ar. 8. In the first example then Man was vsed as an Instrument of punishment in the second senselesse Stones Gods hand of Iustice as our Sauiour saith whilst he threatens the like to all except they repent was in both and both fulfilled Gods worke alike The last namely the Stones and materialls of the Wall not knowing what they did The first namely Pilate and his Souldiers intending no more then the Stones the performance of Gods will or any such thing as the Lord effected but pursuing blindly their owne plots and politike pretences Act. 3. 17 18. Act. 4. 27 28. of Iustice did so effect Gods seacret will for the punishing of a thanklesse headstrong and rebellious generation who began to forget what the Lord had formerly done for them in many deliuerances from Aegypt and the Red Sea euen as we haue forgot Eightie eight the Massacre in France and the Powder-Plot To bring this then to applycation We see what lately hath befalne the Sinogogue of Satan the Temple of The dolful Euen-song in the Black-Fryars Baal the Image of Dagon the Sonnes of Antichrist the Children of Babylon who sought to bring all the Roman Idolatries and Whorish Superstitions into the Land how the Lord ouerwhelmed them and brought vpon them sodaine destruction as he had long before threatned in his Word Which Iudgement I relate not as a man that tooke delight in blood or in the miserable and lamentable losse of my own deare Countrimen or as one that hated the persons of any that then dyed or now so beleeue and liue to dye worse except they repent nay rather I pittie and bemone their losse and that obstinate blindnesse which led them into that Pitfall yea though I cannot absolutely with the Apostle desire to be wholly cut off for my brethrens Rom. 9. sake yet I could wish my body so brused euen to the losse of this life for the saluation of their Soules that suruiue As for those that are dead I iudge them not I excuse them not they stood or fell to their owne Master their sentence is sealed vp in seacret from vs till the generall Iudgement when all things shall be opened nor dare I breake ope the Seale to passe my sentence with them or against them till that time come when the day 1 Cor. 3. shall declare it But what I write is for the benefit of the liuing and to celebrate the Iudgements of God which none ought to conceale nor for any respect whatsoeuer to cloke couer extenuate or hide from the eyes of men since that is a notorious Sacriledge to steale the honour of the euerliuing God for dead Idols and dead men of which he is iealous and for which theft he will hold no man guiltlesse I would therefore aduise in Christian dutie loue and charitie all Magistrates supreame and subordinate and all people whether interested in the cause and losse or otherwise to giue glorie to God by a free and open publication of this great worke of his Iustice lest Prince Priest and People pay for the concealement by some seuere and strickt Inquisition For my owne part these few things that I heare for truthes confirmed againe and againe by eye witnessesse I shall reueale to Gods glorie and the Churches edification togither with such simple obseruations as I am directed to make vpon them for the vse of all men For I beleeue this Iudgement is the more remarkeable being done vpon them who stand vpon Miracles for the confirmation of their falsehoods and make euerie thing such that may be wrested by wit for their aduantage either touching our disasters or their owne felicities And I hope euen the most serious on both sides who might otherwise iudge my obseruations rash and triuiall sadly thinking vpon this point and withall considering and well weighing that this befalls them at such time as they vainely hoped presumed proudly boasted of restautation when they might rather expect a Miracle from Antichrist as an Omen of good lucke and would rather haue fained one had not this crosse come in their way then wanted such a meanes to seduce the people and reestablish them in the common mans conceit will not condemne me altogither to be a trifler in my obseruations but that some or all of them may profitably passe vnder the verdict of their seuere censures In assurance whereof I proceed to propound them with such exhortations as our necessitie and this occasion giue me life and courage to make to my Superiours and Equals vpon our side and theirs First Obserue that the Romane Catholikes who are cunning in all their courses procured this House and fitted it
Cakes rise alone from vnder the ruines or I shall neuer beleeue your Transubstantiation nor can you perswade any to retaine your erronious opinion any longer or receiue it farther except such as you with the Cup of Abhominations haue transubstantiated or transformed Spiritually as Medea and Circes did their Guests Corporally into such Don Quixshots or Gorgantuahs as would eat vp their God Almightie at a mouthfull or in their melancholly mood imagine themselues to be such Monsters as could doe it The Lord complaines against his People that they rob'd him of Tythes and Offerings But you haue rob'd Mal. 3. 8. our Sauiour of Head Heart Hands Feet of a true Body of his Humanitie Fifthly Obserue how after the Fact either those that were reserued or their obstinate friends clouded the worke of God and out of malice cast the aspertion vpon man to their owne disaduantage as if God who would not suffer them to blow vs vp in Parliament would yet fuffer vs to pull their Baalitish Temple ouer their eares in time of their deuotions So in the Powder-Treason it was their plot and purpose after the strocke to lay the fault if Gods mercie had not preuented their malice vpon the Puritans as now they haue gotten a tricke for their aduantage to nickname euen good Protestants accordingly they had drawne a Proclamation to that effect ready for the Presse Wherein they charged the Puritans meaning hereby all honest men that are not like them with that odious and execrable fact and with this draught they were found and taken in the manner beyond retracting or shadowing O what honest man can be safe among these Slanderers The poyson of Aspes is vnder their lips If they entend mischiefe the Innocent man must suffer for it if they suffer from God himselfe his Seruants shall be blamed for it But they speake truer then they are aware as Caiphas prophecied It is true it is true O Antichristians those poore Christians vnpind and sawed asunder the beame which vpheld the flore whereon you stood from whence you fell But they did it onely with Hands lifted vp to Heauen which will vnpin the principals of Babylon also and with Sampson plucke the House ouer the Phelistines in the midst of their mirth whilst they are reioycing and triumphing before their Idols Sixthly Obserue the silence of all men at that time and in that action prouokes God to speake and to doe Peter himselfe had here need of Paule to reproue him to his face for he was worthy to be blamed yea some of those that ought to haue honoured their profession with Martyrdome before they had giuen silent way to the encrochments of Antichrist shew their readinesse to hold their peace if they should be requested and say it is their Ps 39. dutie to doe so Holy Dauid a man after Gods owne heart made once a promise to doe the like but for all that when it came to the point he would not he could not hold his word against God and his Truth but we see his zealous heart was moued to heat and he spake with his tongue Silence in Gods cause was an iniunction layd vpon Peter and Iohn by the Councell who answered Act. 4. 19 20. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more then vnto God iudge ye For we cannot but speake the things which we haue seene and heard It was Saint Paules case whose heart was so stird when he came to Athens and saw that learned Citie deuoted to Idolatry as he could not hold his peace though his person was thereby in perill That Historie betwixt Theodosius the Emperour and Ambrose Bishop of Millan makes more for the vertue of the Emperour then for the valour of the Bishop It is no great matter to say what the Bishop did since he for so doing may be censured to be satis audax but what the Emperour did and said of the Bishop when his anger was ouer is to the purpose For as Sozomen records Soz. l. 5. c. 18. Theodosius dixit se solum Ambrosium dignum Episcopi nomine nosse Theodosius said he knew one Ambrose onely worthy the name of a Bishop And this was for speaking truth and discharging his conscience though herein he plainly condemned an action of the Emperors and doubtlesse crost his present desires Let no man cloake his luke-warmnesse or personall cowardice vnder the pretence of modestie patience discretion moderation prudence or temperance He that hath a Soule hoping to be saued will speake for his Sauiour Shall there be so many offer themselues to plead for Baal because he cannot plead for himselfe whilst few or Iudh. 6. 31. none pleads for Christ who pleads continually for vs all No no Let all men assure themselues if they will not speake because they will not be counted factious furious and hot-headed fellowes but discreet moderate and prudent persons fit for preferment and imployment that yet God can raise vp Stones to doe that which they should but will not or dare not neither shall they escape the Hand of God but he will find them out and punish their falshood and faintnesse in his cause Proceed to expresse your Christian courages therefore O Princes Nobles Priests People Behold God goes before you Who will not follow Remember what Nehemiah said to that false Prophet that hireling who sought to discourage him that his example might discourage all the rest Should such a man as I am feare Surely Neh. 6. 11. it doth not become his Place his Profession What could a Slaue a Coward a Traytour doe more O let it neuer be recorded of you to your perpetuall dishonours as it was of the ignoble Nobles amongst the Tekoites Next Neh. 3. 5 vnto them the Tekoites repaired but their Nobles put not their necks to the worke of the Lord. And what I speake to Ephraim I likewise speake to Manasses England and Scotland should be vnited in this They both looke for examples from each other both should be examples to each other England as the richer in regard of the world Scotland as being no lesse rich in Spirituall treasure England as the stronger Scotland as the freer England as being more engaged for the Royall Presence Scotland as being more enterested in the Royall birth and education England as being neerest the danger Scotland as being too neere to auoid it O all ye Peeres Priests and People ioyne with your Royall Head and remember what he hath often said written and vowed and caused you to say write and vow whilst he hath proued by his learned Labours that the Pope is Antichrist The truth is too strong to be repulced or retorted since Bellarmine that Romish Goliah with all his assistants could not wrest the Staffe and Sling out of his hand with Arguments Nor is our Dauid growne so 2 Sam. 21 faint now with age that he must goe no more to battell for feare of quenching the
Light of Israel You that haue fought Gods battells with him against the red Dragon the seuen headed Beast and her whorish rider with all their armie can tell how brauely he hath borne himselfe and what blowes he hath dealt with his tongue and with his pen. It was Saule and not Dauid that fell vpon his owne Sword If the Pope be not Antichrist why hath he written so It is Gods Word and his Ier. 20. 7 Pen that hath deceiued vs. If the Pope be Antichrist then to make a Couenant with him or to trade with him in Spirituall Merchandize is to make a Couenant with Es 28. 15 Death Satan and Hell against God his Sonne and his Church To be a Mahumetane is to be an open profest enemie which is in comparison honourable but to be an Antichristian is to be a Traytour For Christ in shew against him in deed which is superlatiuely detestable To be a Iudas though one of Christs Apostles is worse then to be a Pilate though a condemner of Christ Antichrist of all the enemies of the Church is the most perillous and most pernitious But what need all this What cause haue we to feare the reentrance of Antichrist What shall euerie shadow afright vs I answer We doubt not the sodaine reentrance of Antichrist but his slye insinuation and their wiles who pretend to worke reconcilement and say that humour is too much stird vpon both sides We would not haue conference with the Serpent nor cast an eye vpon the forbidden Fruit though neuer so beautifull Is it not a little Gen. 19. 20. one made way for a great offence We are will'd to come out of Mysticall Babylon as out of Spirituall Sodome not to looke behind vs as if we long'd to turne Apol. 18 4. 11. 8. backe nor to touch any vncleane thing but to flee the garment polluted with the flesh This puritie becomes Virgines and Angels who will not mixe with Spirituall Fornicators Such Soule chast Spirits shall onely see the face of the Bridegroome in glorie We feare to looke of a Moabitish woman lest she proue a snare and a stumbling Num. 25 blocke to the Princes and People or to take a fauor from Antichrist lest it proue to our Church and State as Achans wedge to the Hoast of Israel Iudg. 7. What hope of reconcilement is there where the erring side holds it to be a fundamentall veritie that they cannot erre To abate is to denie their grounds they know it they haue set downe their rest vpon it and this alone forceth them to maintaine shamelesse errours with an obstinate and womanish will hauing nothing to defend their nakednesse but these arguments that they are old and belong to an infallible Chaire For if they should confesse in one all Babylon were ouerthrowne The experience of Charles the Fifth and Ferdinand his successour mightie Emperours armed with all aduantages which man can thinke vpon to procure reformation and reconcilement and studiously and constantly employing their power and policie to that end with great zeale and affection to the cause and faire probabilities to effect it may notwithstanding in their bootelesse endeauours resolue the World how vaine a worke it is to vndertake or attempt such an enterprize which God hath reserued to himselfe to accomplish It is an easie worke to draw vs to them by corruption but it is too hard a worke for man to draw them to vs by reformation which is a kind of regeneration The passages of the Councell of Trent may instruct vs sufficiently what to hope of their reformation except we long to be deluded and for vs to come on vpon their side and take vpon vs the least marke of the Beast which we haue cast off therby to buy our peace and to endeare our entertainment is to wound our owne Consciences and to sinne with a high Hand against the Light of Knowledge And hauing thus swallowed one abomination which God forbid a reprobate sense will make roome for all and men by the iust Iudgement of God giuen ouer will begin to beleeue those lyes in good earnest which at first they heard and repeated in ieast Leaue that great worke therefore to the Reconciler of Heauen and Earth to the Moderatour and Mediatour betwixt God and Man who will consume the Man of Sin 2 Thes 2 by degrees not altogether with the Breath or Spirit of his Mouth by the powrefull preaching of the Word and effectuall working of the Spirit and will abolish and destroy him with the brightnesse of his comming till when we shall haue Antichrist though impotent old and in a consumption Thus let vs guard our owne for it is probable God will no more vse the temporall power or policie of Princes in the totall and finall supplantation and eradication of Antichrist then he did vse them in the first planting of the Gospell of Christ They are to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers not generating and naturall Parents to the Church that Christ may be all in all Consider this well ye moderate minded men and shew vs a way how we may be such politique Christians as to please God and the Diuel Christ and Antichrist togither 1 Kin. 18 21. Or let vs leaue haulting and declare our selues plainly for Christ by open action as well as profession Therefore leauing that which is improbable and perhaps impossible Let vs follow after charitie and pursue 1 Cor. 14 1. that which is both possible and probable that is The vniting of the Reformed Churches within themselues And to this end consider what things they are that keepe vs deuided Whether they be points of Doctrine or points of Discipline Whether matters substantiall and fundamentall or ceremonious and circumstantiall Whether of necessitie and vnalterable veritie or of indifferencie and variable conueniencie If of the first sort then consider whether they may be reconciled by clearing or remouing some termes diuersly vsed and vnderstood or by silencing some peremptorie expressions and absolute definitions setting a modest bound to the inquisition of curiositie and singularitie in matters vnsearchable Whether we may be accorded in the generall heads and the branches and consequences left free for the exercise of euerie mans seuerall gifts so they depart not from common vnitie and giue not publique scandall by obstinate opposition Whether this or some other way may be found of reconcilement If the questions be of the second sort then whether the formes diuersities of gouernment may be left free to euery Nation and Church without the breach of brotherly loue and charitie and of the vnion and communion of Saints Whether although we iudge it fit to hold those formes amongst our selues in Great Brittaine and to continue them being setled without alteration yea to perswade them what we can vpon others for vniformities sake If it be charitable to suffer other Christian Churches without holding the same faith with vs to be embroyled and exposed