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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	love_n	love_v	4,041	5	6.5654	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08280	A mirror for the multitude, or Glasse Wherein maie be seene, the violence, the error, the weaknesse, and rash consent, of the multitude, and the daungerous resolution of such, as without regard of the truth, endeaour to sinne and ioyne themselues with the multitude: with a necessary conclusion, that it is not the name, or title of a protestant, christian, or catholicke, but the true imitation of Christ, that maketh a Christian. By I.N.	Norden, John, 1548-1625?	1586 (1586)	STC 18613; ESTC S120153	80,770	136

the death not onely outwardlye in wordes but euen to the faces of our aduersaries in inwarde zeale vnto the death framing our affections our heartes our mindes and all the powers of our bodies to bring foorth the fruites of that profession which we seeme to holde and as we haue the names of protestantes so if we protest before men in our workes and before God in our consciences the truth of his word then let the serpent seeke what shiftes he can let sathan do his worst and the red dragon the bishop of Rome and all the rabble of his adherents waite till they be weary and their multitudes make what glorious shews of threats for our ouerthrow they can yea let all the kings of the earth and great princes of the world that haue taken vp the swoord against Christ and his spouse the church frame all their forces and yet shall his little flocke be safe vnder the shadow of his winges The mighty power of the Lorde hath from the beginning defended maintained and alwayes preserued the true doctrine of his worde and the true professours thereof and let vs not feare but he will to the end defend maintaine and preserue the same hee hath promised it that will surely performe it Whatsoeuer is written was written for our learninge that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope namely constantly for the loue of the kingdome of God to stande in the day of triall For as the worde of God is pure simple and without anye kinde of spot or wrinckle So it requireth those that be professors therof to be pure simple and constant without deceit without dissimulation or hipocrisie For the world the multitude loue shiftes starting holes meanes to deceiue God and good men And therfore brag the enimies of God and say they haue the whol world on their side the greatest part of people And the reason is because their deuises and traditions are of the world For saith Christ vnto his disciples if you were of the worlde the worlde woulde loue you but I haue chosen you out of the world and therfore doth the world hate you We see then that the way to become true christians is not to ioyne with the multitude to tread the steps of the greatest part of the world for so shall we shake hands with the Elders and rulers with the whole troupe of the Iewes with Pilate with Herode and the Emperours power to rise vp againste Christe and his truth as now the greatest part of the world do which God forbid many are called but few are chosen Then are not the greatest part of the world that heare the word of God the seruants of God The truth is not tyed to the multitude nor to the outwarde shew of coloured christian conuersation but hee that feareth the Lorde which is in the heart and worketh righteousnesse which is also in the outwarde conuersation is accepted with him The multitude then make not any thing at all for vs or against vs the truth shall no doubt triumph mightely preuaile when we shall see Pharaoh of Rome and all the huge host of his confederacie ouer throwne in the red sea of their owne inuentions For he that brought Israell out of Aegypt he that dryed vp the red sea he that brought water out of the hard rocke and he that hath done so many wonderfull thinges for our fathers of olde which we maye applye for our comfort hee which hath brought foorth and reuealed so manye treacheries and treasons againste our moste gratious Queene and common-weale of late daies practized he euen he shall deliuer vs from the Romishe tyrannie he shall drye vp the sea of their blouddy conspiracies that they shall not touch vs or hinder vs but shall tourne them euen vppon their owne pates he shal bring the water of perfect knowledge out of the rocke of his worde whereof all the faithfull of the world shall drincke Therefore with a louing consent let vs make the sweet harmonye of thankes giuing for his moste gratious deliueraunce for which our mouthes maye rightlye bee filled with laughter at the foolishe deuises of these wicked men and our heartes bee replenished with ioye of the mercifull protection of the Lorde who hath as we see done great thinges for vs alreadye for which euerye true Christian hath great cause to reioyce The righteous loue to speake of this they loue to consider it and likewise to praise the the mighty power of the God of heauen for the performance of it If the children of Israell were much bound vnto the goodnes of God for their deliuerye from the bondage of their bodies in Aegypt how far greater cause haue we to thinke our selues bound vnto the mighty hand of God and his aboundaunt mercies that hath brought vs out of the bondage of soule and bodye from the Romish Babylon chaunging our spirituall captiuitie into spirituall liberty blacke idolatry into the true seruice of God in knowledge and true seruice of whome standeth oure saluation our assured helpe and infallible defence againste the multitude of all the aduersaries of Gods truth Let vs therefore reioyce and singe that most acceptable song which most pleaseth the Lorde namely the vnfeyned reformation of liues and conforming them after a more dutiful sort to God and Christ that our conuersations before men maye witnes our perfect Christianity and our certaine being the children of God let vs beautifie the chambers of our hearts with the flourishinge braunches of a godlye life let vs morti●ie and kill all those euil and peruerse affections which break forth and darken the bright beames of that profession which euery true christian ought to hold Let vs beare the sayles of our conuersations euen with the wind of the worde of God And let the holye Ghost rule the sterne and guide the rowder of our desires leaste that we cracke the barke of our religion againste the rockes of slaunderous toonges So shall our aduersaries be ashamed to mutter against vs for liuing contrarye to that which we professe and God who is our onely defence shall be pleased with vs in his son Christ and continue his wonted protection towards vs in this life so that we his little flocke shall not be dismaied at anye rumors of warres and other like threats of Gods enimies but shall though not of anye deserts of ours worthy in the end through the merites of Christ be partakers of the kingdom of heauen which God for his Christes sake graunt vs. Amen A Psalme of praise wherein the mercie the loue the prouidence strength and wisdome of God is remembred his mindfulnes of the afflictions and daungerous estate of his seruants in the time of their greatest need and the deserued confusion of the aduersaries of his truth briefly declared Oh Ioua Domine noster quàm nobile est tuum nomen in toto terrarum orbe I Will praise the Lord with all

my heart and shew forth all his marueilous workes 2 I will be ioyfull and reioyce in thee oh Lorde I will sing praises vnto thee oh thou most highest 3 For thou hast turned backe mine enimies thou hast throwne downe those that deuised mischiefe against me yea thou hast reproued the wicked and turned their vaine hope to naught their counterfeyt glory into open ignominy and reproch 4 Thou hast taken my cause in hand maynteyned my right and preserued me thou sitting in the seat of iudgement hast showen thy self an vpright Iudge 5 Thou hast rebuked the multitude of those vngodly ones that haue sought the dishonor of thy name the spoyle of thy sanctuarie bloud of thine annointed 6 In so much as I may to my comfort say vnto them and to the chiefe Captaines of their multitudes Oh enimye the destructions that thou didest threaten wherin thou vainly vauntedst to destroy Cities to subuert Kingdoms to extinguish the memory of the godly from of the earth behold thou thy selfe consumest the breath of the Lords mouth shaketh thee thy triumphing before the victory soundeth forth thy perpetual shame and deserued confusion 7 The Lorde whose true seruice thou seekest to violate and whose seruaunts thou seekest to supplant hath an euerlasting dominion and he sitteth in iudgement to giue vnto euery man his due right 8 It is he that only ruleth and gouerneth the whole world with righteousnesse and with the ballance of his truth and equity discideth euery mans cause 9 It is he that is the strong a defensible Tower to such as are oppressed an assured refuge to the afflicted and an vndoubted reuenger of such as seeke to lay violent handes vpon his annoynted 10 And therfore as many as know thy name Oh Lord thy mercy and strength wil put their confidence in thee for thou neuer forsakest but duely relieuest and protectest those that truely seeke thee 11 Oh sing praises sing praises therefore vnto the Lord that hath his dwelling on high and yet so beholdeth all such as are true of heart let vs declare vnto al people the worthy acts which he hath done for vs already wherof great cause we haue to reioyce in him 12 He seeketh and findeth out such as are desirous to shed bloud thirste after the destruction of his annoynted shewing himselfe moste mindfull of those that loue him and forgetteth not to deliuer such as are in daunger and winketh not at the wicked 13 Haue mercy Lord vpon me oh thou that hast miraculouslye defended me from deathes doore Consider how mine enimies yet cease not to imagine mischiefe against me and to lay violent handes vppon my guiltles person thou my strength and aid consider it and deliuer me 14 That I may with ioy sing foorth thy worthy praises and entring into Syon maye reioysingly declare that thou art he that sauest me by whom I stande and by whome my enimies are throwne downe on euery side of me 15 A huge multitude of enimies haue risen vp against mee but thou hast brought it so to passe that they are ouerwhelmed with the sloud they deuised to bring in vpō me they are fallen into the pit they digged for mee and they are strangled in the snare they layd priuelie for me This oh Lord is thy doing and it is comfortable euen vnto my soule 16 Oh Lord thy wisedome is vnsearcheable thy loue incomprehensible and thy mercyes wonderfull and thy iudgement knowne by executing iustice vppon such as vse crafty wylenes against the innocent 17 Rise vp rise vp oh lord in the behalf of thy seruant let not thy hādmayd be alwaies forgotten let not her hope which she hath alwaies in thy defence be frustrate let not the wicked preuaile in the craftie conspiracies which they imagined Cast them down oh Lord and let the effect of their deuises shew their folly themselues to be but mortall men Esai 35. 3. 4. Confirmate manus languidas labantia corroborate genua Dicite animifestinis este fortes impauidi en Deus vester vltor veniet praemiator Deus ipse veniet seru●tum vos Non vi sed veritate FINIS The multitude expectethnoueltie● The greatest wonder lasteth but nine daies The late earth-quak a great vvonder The earth-quak a caueat The stranged nevves soone forgotten The summe of this trauel The fruits an a●g●m●nt of the professiō What the multitude most desire Gods children are the least number Gods trueth contrary to the mindes of the multitud A flight of sathan A daungerous thing to follow the multitude The way to true religion bodely dangerous The flesh is weake and vnable to abide mortification Ro. 8. 36. Psal. 44. 22. The godly are for gods sake killed continuallye The comfort of Christians in their crosses Mat. 5. 10. 1. Pet. 4. 15. Wee muste regarde the cause of our sufferings The misconceit of euill doers Romish dispensations cause of many euils The canonization of Iudas The vain hope of traytors Their assured revvard that seeke the ouerthrowe of the godly Wee muste take heed of the causes of sufferings The causes of the sufferings of the wicked The zeale of the godly Our duties remembred Hovv vve ought to suffer How the righteous desire to bee canonised Life or death in the last day eternall A good admonition God is our staffe and strength hee vvill defend vs. Psal. 2. 2. The kings of the earth not to be feared it they go about to resist the truth Psal. 3. 1. The end of the wicked Sathan hath sounded vp his trumpets of alarum to inuade christians in the behalf of Antichrist Christ is a carefull vvatchman The benefit of Gods protection The snare is broken and we deliuered The raske vovve of the king of spaine The permittance of the spanish inquisition most vvicked A good remedy for the clensing of a man from self mortification The booke of martyrs ● glasse of romish cruelty The cause why the pope and his disciples now storme A christian resolution VVe muste bewarre of starting backe The ende of the godly The end of the wicked persecutors The conclusion The wicked are tyed within the limits of gods povver God vvil not suffer the vvicked to go vnauenged Our dutiesto God 1. Tim. 2. 1. The sterne of our common vveale Euery man must execut his dutie 2. Tim. 3. 1. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Persecution is there most sharp where the worde of God is follovved moste sincerely Queene Eli●abeth an instrument vnder whome God hath reched vs his truth VVee muste follow Christ in accepting his crosse The seruante is not aboue his maister The children of God must not look for a pleasant life in this vvorlde 2. Tim. 3. 1● They that professe the truth are busseted of Sathan Sathan the archenemy of the church of Christ. Sathan seeketh to preuent the saluation of mā Zachary 3. 1 Sathan stood at the elbovv of Iosua vvhen he prayed Saul persecuted Dauid Iesabell Mat. 8. 26. The churche of God is compared to a

Saints when the scripture the very worde of truth condēneth as very reprobate Iudas killed not Christ although he were the mean to encourage the Iewes to lay handes vpon him yet such was the guilt of his conscience that after the fact he ranne desperate hung himself here was the canonizing of a man as holy as these that now cōspire the death of her Maiestie her Counsaile and Magistrates the spoyle of the lande the vtter exterpation of the glory of God merites of his Christ some of whom as we see in a guilty conscience haue canonized thē selues after the maner of Iudas the most proudest of thē yea hee that carrieth the most resolute minde had they their desire which God forbid would runne with Iudas Cayn desperate for so rashly betraying the innocent bloud And howsoeuer these foolish and more then mad ministers of the Romish confederacy flatter themselues who haue vowed the ouerthrow of the true religiō of Christ by taking away the chiefest props thereof in hope for their rewarde some to sit at the right some at the left hande of Christ in his kingdome as the false father of all the faithlesse the proude Pope hath flatteringly perswaded thē let thē assure thēselues that if the word of God be true then shall not such as suffer for euill dooing nor such as haue their consciences feared with the hot iron of consent vnto such like conspiracies enter into the kingdom of heauen nor haue their portion in the presence of Christ neither sit at his right or left hand in his kingdome no they shal not haue the priueledge of enioying the light of his coūtenance the bright beams of his glory shal not extend towardes them to their comfort in the laste day but meere horror anguish torment and the worme which is the testimonie of their guilty cōsciences shalbe their portion to drink for euermore and the great deceyuer himselfe whō Sathan hath deceyued shall haue his hire with them in vtter darkenes where shalbe weeping gnashing of teeth And therfore good Reader take heed that the sufferings of these mē deceiue thee not for marke the cause of their sufferinges whether it be for the testimony of a good cōscience or no. Thou hast heard that he that suffereth for euill doing as for murther such like can challenge no benefit of the promise made to such as suffer for righteousnesse sake Thou art not ignoraunt of their practises thou art no doubt resolued of their profession to be accompanied with treasons rebellions tumults cōspiracies practises of farrain inuasions for the ouerthrow of thee all true Christians for which they suffer as they deserue and the cloake of good intent can not hide their heartes fraught with manifest desire of the bloud of Christians from the throne of him to whom the innocent handes of many Christians are lifted vppe for a testimonie of their sounde profession and to showe themselues not onely guyltlesse of such wickednesse but zealous of the reformation or confusion of such blodthirstie men Iust vp thy handes with a cleare conscience therefore with the truely godly and craue the assistaunce of him that neuer fayleth the faithful that he will continue the defence of our Soueraigne the stay and guyde of our Magistrates the protection of our lande and a seuere Iudge of those that seeke by these wicked deuises to confounde him if it were possible in his members that for his sake are killed all the day long And if thou suffer suffer as a Christian namely as a faithfull member of Christe taking the narrowe waye to life with such as neuer desired other canonization then the merites of their master and heade Christ Iesus whom whosoeuer desireth to imitate and be pertaker of the ioyes prouided for his very Saintes must bee likewise pertaker of his crosse for his sake in this life for farre better it is by labour to obtaine rest by tribulation to winne ioy and by death to procure life then by rest to come to labour by ioy to purchase tribulation and by a pleasaunt and lou●e life to procure death and eternall destruction for this is certaine and nothing more certain that what commeth last bee it life or death it is eternall and for euer to endure Shall therefore persecution and threates of bloudie tyrantes keepe vs backe or dismaye vs from that profession which leadeth vs vnto life or shall the daungerous deuises of the ministers of Sathan draw vs agayne into the palpable darkenesse that leadeth vnto death God forbid What should then mooue vs to feare the force of the manie and mightie fauourers of the stronge deceyuing whore of Babylon Shall the infirmitie weakenes of our flesh and bloud accompanied with so many sharp bickeringes of temptations and such vneasinesse of the narrowe way that we must walke in we being fewe and so vnlike to withstande the encounter of our manie enemies No surely for God by whome we liue and in whom we trust hath promised to stande by vs to helpe vs and to sende his spirite to strengthen vs who being alwayes neere vnto his will ayde vs being omnipotent will assist vs and not suffer his vaunting proude aduersaries that imagine such mischiefe against his people to take effect in their deuises Although the Kinges of the earth stande vp and the Princes assemble themselues together against the Lord and against his annoynted although they increase mightily that ●eeke to violate the sanctuarie of the Lord and great multitudes rise vp against his word vtterly to supplant it and roote it out let God deale with them according to his diuine wisedome and in the end we shall see those that nowe take these wicked counsailes laying their heades together imagining howe and by what meanes they may banish the godly of from the earth to melt away as wax at the fire yea they shall consume in the imaginations of their owne heartes and perish in their owne wilinesse he hath spoken it that for euer hath and will confirme it hee hath sayde it that will for euermore performe it And therfore although Sathan haue sounded his trumpets and beaten vp his drumbes of Alarum rounde about vs to allure forraine inuasions preparations to ciuill tumultes vprores practises of secrete conspiracies among our selues that the red dragon of Rome may the more freely reestablish his kingdome of darkenesse we see and to our vndoubted comfort we may note the diligent eye and carefull diligence of our watchman Christ who hath brought all their deuises to light So that we may say had not the Lorde garded her Maiestie defended our Nobles watched our Cities and protected our whole Realme she had beene deuoured her Magistrates massacred our Cities ransacked and our Realme and common quiet come to vtter ruyne subuertion and the Lordes honour laide in the dust Thus may we little Israell of Englande laye

be with the Diuell and his Angels in perpetuall torment of the conscience the worme whereof shall neuer die And yet for all this cease they not to crye out and say away with these newe fellowes these hererikes these Lutherans Zwinglians Caluinists and such like they reproue our darkenesse they bewray our wickednes they reueale our deceitfull dealing and drawe the heartes of many from vs. Wherefore let vs take counsaile against them let vs crucifie them let vs burne them breake their bones in sunder carrie them vnto the inquisition giue them Herods law for our vowes sake Let vs practise their destruction for our holy father the Pope hath spoken it he hath cōmanded it he hath willed it and we will worke it ipse dixit he hath saide doe it whose will and authoritie is sufficient for our safetie come therfore and let vs mooue false accusations against them they haue spoken blasphemye against his holinesse and therefore are woorthy to die and therefore goe on Iudas with thy kisse and we will follow with swordes and staues nay go on Parry and thy fellowes dissemble with Iudas kisse keep thy selfe close in thine owne heart dissemble the matter with crooching and kneeling and all dissimulation and when thou hast giuen the token wee will bee at hande with our swordes and staues nay with our mightie forces of shippinges of multitudes of men of warre from forraine Countries who shall ayde thee and assist thee Oh sooles fooles can you not yet see howe all your deuises are drowned by the waye They passe not the seas without the mercifull reuelations of God to his children whose bloud yee seeke Perceaue ye not the peeuishnesse of your practises to be presently preuented the eye of our good GOD pearceth your hearts and seeth your wicked thoughts his eares are open and heareth your cankered consultations his mouth is readie to open nay the birds of the ayre nay the verye grasse of the fielde doe reueale your treacheries his will readie to bee reuenged of your bloud-thirstinesse and his hande both mightie and out stretched to defende his owne Wherefore leaue off yee that deale thus wickedly Are not yee the men that see and will not perceiue that heare and wil not vnderstande and haue great experience of your follie and will not consider it Learne learne to be wise forsake euil cleaue vnto goodnesse flie these pernicious practises and leane not to the hope of ayde of the multitude or of preferment or anie sure rewarde for your comfort from that deceyner I wish to God that it might please him to conuert you so that you might returne and truely seeke after the lyuing GOD whome onely to serue is life and whom thus manifestly to denie is death which if you will not doe it is my parte euen in Christian charitie and zeale to praye him to confounde you and your deuises Take heede therefore be warned let not custome or the multitude make you faine to followe their follie God will not be mocked with all hee hath torne the visarde of your faces founde you out and shewed vs what ye are namely hypocrites dyssemblers deceitefull and such as vnder your muffull and mussell of holinesse carrie diuelish deuises vnder the outwarde habite of Christians the inwarde heart of Iudas vnder the title of Catholiques Caynes crueltie Wherefore nowe conuert or else will not God holde you guiltlesse not only you that haue vowed the attempt of the action but as manye as desire in heart the execution thereof shall stande in like spott of conscience before his tribunall seate you I saye that by your coldenesse in the trueth stande as men indifferent beware come out from among them flie flie that huge whore of Babylon bee none of her trayne who with her poysoned positions hath enchaunted the greatest part of the worlde and hath so bewitched the multitude that what by dispensations absolutions sinne increaseth and what by falsely awarding heauen and hell to such as hee list by terror of the one and presumption of the other it appeareth manifestly that hee hath wonne the most part of the worlde to commit spiritual fornication with him and to run after his will hither and thyther to commit all kinde of villany with greedinesse heaping together such a huge number of many sorts of men Papists Athistes Newters and such like to performe that which God preuenteth who is euen forst to say I will come downe and be reuenged vpon these men Wherefore let vs beware that we run not with the multitude for we shalbe then infected with their fornications wee shalbe defiled with the pitch of their deceitfull doctrine deuises But let vs vtterly detest and carefully eschewe the familiaritie the loue the league the friendship societie of those men that congregate thēselues together against the Lord against his annointed Let vs exclude our selues out of their acquaintāce that hold of superstitious vanities yea although the most part of the worlde do allow yea if all the worlde should imbrace that which the worde of God condemneth we may constantly affirme and boldly pronounce to be spirituall whoredome wherein we seeme to consent to strang gods or to strang deuises to serue the true God to forsake the most sweete and wholsome direction of the worde of God and yeeld our consentes vnto straunge doctrine to forsake Christ and cleaue vnto fantasies as manie of our forefathers haue done and too manie in these dayes doe onely to walke the broade way with the multitude without further defence or warraunt for the obstinate and wilfull starting from the trueth But suche as holde of the trueth suche as imbrace the Gospell and seeke their saluation in Christ will duely auoide this daungerous immitation and not bee dismayde at the name and mightie threates of the multitude Therefore as it hath pleased our good God to bring vs from our auncient captiuitie and longe bondage vnder tyrannous Pharaoh of Rome into the lande that floweth with the milke and honie of the free profession and exercise of the trueth Let vs bee vnfeynedly thankefull and repose our confidence in his mightie protection to be deliuered from his tyrannie and from the force of his mightie and stronge multitudes who as hee hath doone these great thinges alreadie whereof wee haue such great cause to reioyce So assuredly if wee holde faste by his power in faith and thankefulnesse of heart hee will foreuer preserue vs and not suffer vs to hurt our foote against the stumbling blockes of their inuentions Let vs not therefore be dismaide though the grand captaine of the enimies of gods truth he that possesseth the seate of Sathan haue drawne such a huge multitude after him although hee seeme to binde euen kinges with the bandes of his enchauntements and enioyne them to rayse their powers in his behalfe against those that professe the name of Christ although they haue

bent their bowes and made readie their quiuers ful of sharpe arrows although they haue whetted their swordes prepared powder peeces and shot let vs not I say be any whit at all dismayd at these their hautie attemptes For beholde God who is iealous of his owne cause will not suffer his honour to be throwen in the dust his Church to be ouerthrowen his trueth troden downe nor mans owne inuentions grounded vppon the weake foundation of good intent and not vppon the rocke the worde of God to goe awaye with the glorie For surely great is the truth and it shall preuaile let Herode rage let Iudas dissemble let Pilate Iudge let all the crue of Antichristian potentates conspire consulte condemne controule coniure afflicte persecute and seeke by all meanes to suppresse the trueth It shall in dispighte of them and all their forces breake foorth appeare and shew it selfe most triumphantly to the vnspeakeable comforte of the little flocke of Christ and to as great terror of these men mightie multitudes as the renting of the temple shaking of the earth and the other strange euentes at the crucifying of Christ were vnto that huge multitude of the aduersaries of the truth in those dayes yea farre greater forasmuch as it is nowe plentifullie preached manifest and auncient then newe and straunge and not reuealed to all Wee are nowe voyde of all excuse and although Christe himselfe prayed his Father not to laye the cryme of his death vppon them or to their charge in respect of their ignorance it shalbe farre otherwise with those that in these daies so obstinately seeke to crucifie him againe But to imagine or thinke that eyther the trueth is tyed to the multitude or to bee ouercome by the wisedome the pollicie the force or multitude of men or that the rage of Tyrauntes can extinguishe that ardent and godlie zeale that by the instinction of the holie Ghost is imprinted in the heartes and consciences of the faithfull members of the assured heade and vnmooueable rocke Christe Iesus were meere incredulitie nay a meere denyall of Christe and of his power and vertue Wherefore be it farre from vs to yeelde anie prerogatiue at all vnto the multitude further then may stande with the woorde of God And for our instruction and farther comfortes sake let vs with pure heartes and innocent intentes looke backe consider what our good God hath doone for our Fathers of olde that did professe his name aright whereby wee shall haue due proofe that it is not the multitude that imbrace his trueth nor that can resist suppresse or preuayle against the same although from the beginning the church of God hath bin farre the least part of the worlde the least part of euerie countrey and kingdome the least part of euerie Citie yea the least part of euerie congregation Yet such hath beene the care and louing affection of God towardes his fewe and small number that he hath not suffered them at anie time to take the foyle at the handes of his aduersaries beeing neuer so manie and mightie But doubtles this their argument of the force and soundnesse of the multitude doth not a little harme with the weaker sort of people whose heartes are not grounded vppon the sure foundation of Gods mightie protection And by reason thereof is the verie sounde of the multitude terrible only for that they knowe not nor consider the mightie workes of the Lord whose hand bringeth mightie thinges to passe they are ignorant of the truth and therefore can not conceyue the goodnesse of the Lord but desperately break out into this dangerous resolutiō namely to take part with the multitude be it with or against the truth They consider not how that god hath said that he hath chosen the weake thinges of the earth to confound the mightie the foolish such as in the world are accounted foolish to confound the wise in their own conceits the vile and base ones and such as are not regarded but despised in the world he hath raised vp and appointed to bring those things to nought which in the iudgment of man are of great estimation and account and the cause is that none should too much glorie in his owne strength wisdome or power No flesh should glorie in the presence of God Is not this sufficient to mooue the heartes of all those that couet to be accounted Christians to stande in the truth although they be therefore despised in the worlde threatned of the worlde and are as strangers and outcastes to the world rather then to accompanie the multitude and become glorious in the world and hated of god strong in the worlde and weake in the truth familier with the world at discord with Christ conuersant in the worlde and straungers in the Church of God Seeing that it is not the number of the persones the power or glorious showe of the persons but the inwarde godlye zeale of the heart the vnfeyned affection of the heart which bringeth foorth perseueraunce in the truth vnto the ende whome God regardeth to whom he giueth aide to stand and victorie wherein truely to boast and say the mightie hande of the Lorde hath done this thing and in so doing he will not suffer his little contemned children to be confounded of the high and hautie minded multitudes but will confound them in their own imaginations And therfore saith he feare not my little flocke be not discōforted or discouraged I wil fight for you wil scatter your enemies before your faces I wil throwe downe and confounde these wicked people that delight and long for warre that thirst after bloud and hunger after the destructiō of the Saints of God But we see that our heauenly father comforteth vs he louingly willeth vs counsaileth vs gladly to leaue the bondage of Aegypt speedely to flye from the filthines of Sodome and with Noah to enter into the arke of our safety euen to the amiable courtes of the Lord to hold our selues by the piller of the trueth euen the Gospell of his Christ and to visit his temple So will he be our God and we shall be his children he will be our father and we shall be his sonnes and daughters whome hee will mightelye protect and defende from the force and erronious course of the multitude And whatsoeuer Sathan Antichrist and their adherets doe deuise or imagine against vs howsoeuer they seeme to feare vs and dismay vs with their multitudes let vs be patient wayting the Lordes leasure for our deliuery Let vs be both carefull and constant in our callinges and euery one from the highst to the lowest the heade and members euery one according to his office and function frame our selues diligentlye to haue cleare heartes and readye handes in the feare and due reuerence of him that hath promised vs ayde to stand not only vpon our own garde but as one body compact of many members stand