it rather yelding to suffer then to receiue the marke of the Beast as chap. 14. c chap. 14.12 Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keepe the commandements of God and the faith of Iesus But if ye ô Princes and States in whose power it is to helpe theese afflicted ones be true Protestants and Seruants of Christ thinke the Lord doth as it were aske you whether they that thus afflict Gods Seruants be of Christs armie or noe ye will answer they are not but rather of Antichrists armie haueing the marke of the Beast in theire right hand and bearing armes against Christ then by consequence they who sincerly resist if they be not subiects to the Tirants but free are of Christs armie and Christ is with them and without doubt all men of ripe yeares if it be in theire power to be of either are of one of theese armies there is no meane betweene for Christ saith He that is not with me is against me And that will such finde in the day of the Lord when he d Reu. 22. shall come to giue euery man as his worke shall be In the meane while whether or no caÌ„ wee say that wee loue our Christian Brethren yea or God himselfe yet wee say e 1. Ioh. 4.19 wee loue him because he first loued vs. But S. Iohn saith f chap. 3.16 Hereby perceiue wee the loue of God because he laide downe his life for vs and wee ought to lay downe our liues for the brethren See what Abraham did g Gen. 14.14 when he heard that his brother was taken captiue he armed his trained Seruants brought again his brother Lot and his goods the women also and the people h Gal. 3.29 And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seede i Ioh. 8.38 If ye were Abrahams children ye would doe the workes of Abraham Iehoshaphat likewise k 2. King 3.7 helped Israel against the Moabits Religion the professours thereof were in danger wherefore he saide vnto Iehoram l 2. Chro. 16.9 I will goe vp I am as thou art my people as thy people my horses as thy horses He trusted in God and he prospered therin For the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe stronge in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfit towards him They that cease to trust in him and rather rely on the helpe and alliance of his enemies them he forsakes as wee see in Asa who relyed on the Kinge of Syria But Iehoshaphat helped his brethren as Abraham did He thought it not enough to say I am a Prince of peace if I may haue peace with the enemies why should I hazard my owne to helpe others it stands not with pollecie For if such excuses would haue serued m Iudg. 5.23 the inhabitants of Meroz could haue saide much for themselues as that they loued peace abhorred the sheeding of blood and sought theire owne safety But if the enemy knowing they will not fight be therefore the more emboldened to destroy theire brethren first that they may afterwards destroy them then this wilfull peace is rather merciles crueltie to theire brethren and to themselues then true charitie to any For enemies haue most desire to fight with them whome they perceiue to be faint hearted as assured that they shall thereby preuaile Therefore such polecie is rather extreame folly than true vvisdom because God loues not but forsakes them vvho forsake him or theire brethren n vers 9. My heart is towards the Gouernours of Israel that offered theÌ„selues willingly amonge the people o vers 18. Zebulun and Nephtali were a people that ieoparded theire liues vnto the death in the high places of the field viz. to helpe the Lord and theire brethren and were therefore blessed Meroz did not soe and was therefore p vers 23. Cursed as guiltie of blood that might haue beene spilt and as one not regarding the crie of the afflicted But God q psa 9.12 when he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them he forgetteth not the crie of the afflicted Will not he then finde such as neglect them guiltie for as a famous Diuine saith r B. Hall Contemp. the Rescue of Gibeon Euen permission in those things wee may remedy makes vs no lesse actors then consent some men kill as much by looking on as others by smiting wee are guiltie of all the euill wee might haue hindred And indeede the holy Ghost saith Å¿ pro. 24.10.11.12 If thou faint in the day of aduersity thy strength is small If thou forbeare to deliuer them that are drawen vnto death and those that are readie to be slaine If thou saiest behold wee knew it not doth not he that pondereth in the heart consider it and he that keepeth thy soule doth he not know it and shall not he render vnto euery man according to his worke It therefore behooueth him to stirre who either regardeth his owne saluation or Gods protection Let them therefore who may giue helpe take heede while there is time espetially seeing the cause is common to all and not God and ciuill pollecie only but euen common sense teacheth this with the Poët Ecquid Ad te post paulò ventura pericula sentis Nam tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet Which saying is the more to be regarded because he that will may know that the Spanish Kinge who is called Catholick aimeth at the Catholick gouernment Howsoeuer what will he and they not doe for the Catholicke cause as they call it who are gouerned by the Pope Rome and the Iesuits and Preists or who haue the marke of the Beast and consequently are led by the deuill and his Agents Reu. 16. theese frogs and locusts are Spirits of deuils Are they not then as much to be trusted in any thinge they pretend as of old Antiochus Epiphanes the Syrian Kinge who came in peaceablie to the Subiects of another Kingdom and with gifts and flatteries wrought them t Dan. 11.26 to betray it namely Egypt of whome therefore it was saide * chap. 8.25 By peace he shall destroy many u chap. 11.23.24 After the leauge made with him he shall worke deceitefully for he shall come vp and shall become stronge with a small people He shall enter peaceablie and scatter amonge theÌ„ the pray and riches and he shall forecast his deuises against the stronge holds for a time viz. till he had corrupted the Egyptians raised factions amonge them and so prepared them to betray the Kingdom to the greate armie he intended to bringe and which he after * vers 25. brought also touching his craft to obtaine Iudea and ouerthrow religion there * ver 30. â—â— He shall haue intelligence with them that forsake the holy couenant And such as doe wickedly against the couenant shall he corrupt by flatteries Wherein he and
they were liuely types of Antichrist and his instruments and of his secret freinds that are false brethren in other Churches and States Now therefore if any man thinke that Papists are more sincere in theire pretences to ProtestaÌ„ts let him remember what doctrine the Councell of Constance left them fidem Haereticis non seruandam yea let him reade Nauar. in Manual cap. 12. num 18. cap. 21. Sam. Aphor. tit de testibus and then tell me whether they thinke it lawfull to equiuocate and delude Hereticks with subtelties at least for the Catholick cause and how longe they are to be trusted I would he would iudge whome it most concerneth and espetially seeing God hath seemed to haue lately warned vs of such dangers I doe not meane so much by signes prodegies as by that which they haue donne to our brethren in other Kingdoms and prouinces Howsoeuer wee know that the Pope and his thinke and affirme * Symancha instit cathol cap. 45. num 13. Allan against the execution of Iustice c. 5. that warre vndertaken for the cause of religion is without controuersie lawdable and good x Thuan. hist lib. 42. ad ann 1585. lib. 62. and lib. 63. ad ann 1577. Symanch instit Cathol cap. 45. num 15. Platin in vita Greg 7. that peace is not te be made nor kept with Hereticks yea they say that the Pope hath right Imperia regna principatus quicquid habere mortales possunt auferre dare and that to whome he will as he saith and blasphemously he for this thinge abuseth that place Ier. 5.10 as Hadrian in an Epistle to the Archbishops of Treueire Mentz and Colen whence had the Emperour the Empire but from vs Behold the Empire is in our power to giue is to whome wee will For therefore are wee of God set ouer nations and Kingdoms to destroie to plucke vp to build and to plant What he and his beeing of the same body and opinion haue donne in theese times and daily goe aboute there is no neede to tell the matter it selfe declareth and that in many countries Such is theire industrie who as wee may well thinke will by theire tounges subtelties gifts hands and feete doe all things that they can for theire religion brethreÌ„ whome also wee know without commandement from God to endeauour with all possible labour night and day to venture theire verrie liues to proffit the Pope Church of Rome and to roote out the ProtestaÌ„ts although in all theese things they to theire euerlasting damnation profoundlie take the marke of the Beast in theire forheads and in theire hands And shall not wee then be content to goe forth for Christ and vnder Christ to doe as much as they while wee may both benefit the Church of Christ and secure our selues the voice saith of the whore sitting on many waters y Reu. 18. reward her as she hath rewarded you Behold then what they doe indeauour and then if thou beest a sincere Christian thou wilt say shall they doe theese things vnpunished theese things are all donne vndertaken not only out of coueteousnes or in a desire of rule but also for the Pope and Church of Romes sake yea for the Clergies sake and indeede by theire vncessant instigations but when the cause why they doe theese things shall be taken away theese will cease peace will ensue and Christ shall raigne alone in spirituall matters Wee knovv also that all things vvhich the Pope and his doe against vs for religion sake are verrie much against Christ as the Scriptures declare Wee may know also if vvee vvill how greate authority Christ hath giuen vnto his espetiallie vnto Kings and States to take from Rome and the Beast theire vvealth and not only to eate her flesh but also the flesh of her freinds Reuel 19.17 and that verrie iustly because many of our Brethren haue beene by them led captiue and slaine for as the Lord vvould haue the deedes of Ameleck remembred and recompensed Exod. 17.14 and 1. Sam. 15. so he saith concerning theese men Reu. 13.9.10 If any man haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword And therefore though they haue no auctoritie to take from the follovvers of Christ yet they vvhich are Christs ought to doe his commandements against those his enemies and vvhether theese things can be donne vvithout losse to any saue Rome only as also vvhether they that haue power should feare to doe his commandements and what it is to haue communion vvith so greate enemies the props of the Whore and Antichrist as 2. Corinth 6.14 Deuter. 7. vvhat it is to stand afarre off and not to fight vnder Christs Standart let any true Christian iudge seeing as a greate Prelate saide in a like case a Epise Winton Tortura Tort. in Epis Dedica This cause is of that kinde wherein when a man gathereth not with Christ he scatereth with Christs aduersarie where vnlesse one deliuer the faith neither shall he deliuer his Soule Also Now when the common cause is brought into danger let noe man be a spectatour but euerie one an actour and where the cause of all men is handled there with all power and labour with all studdie and indeauour to skirmish stoutly for it And herein in what low state soeuer a man be yet let him be a Christian. The cause of religion is in danger and if they that professe the same religion helpe not what religion the while is there in them The name Religion commeth of a word that signifieth to binde and it is a spirituall bond whereby the men of each profession are bound one vnto another and knit fast together in faith and loue as one body In the true religion they are knit together vnder Christ and are both bound vnto him theire head and also vnto one another as true members of the same body Is any member then of Christs body in danger and will not all the rest helpe He that will not helpe is he a member doth he not cut himselfe off from the body if he stand like a newter when Iabesh Gilead was in danger and the enemie sought b 1. Sam. 11.2.7 to lay it for a reproch vpon all Israell the feare of the Lord fell on the people and they came out as one man as one body euery man shewed himselfe a true member there vvas true Religion As therefore Christ counted himselfe touched vvhen his members vvere touched Act. 9.4 so ought it to be amonge the members of his body vvho vvhen one is in danger should all make it theire ovvne case and helpe vvhat they can c Iam. 1.27 Pure religion and vndefiled before God is this to helpe the distressed in theire affliction True Protestants are novv the Isâ—aell of God the diuers Nations are but as the seuerall tribes they should be all knit
379. he writeth an Epistle to the Bishops of the East wherein he intimates vnto them the condemnatory sentence pronounced against Apollinaris and his Disciple Timotheus which Epistle is indited with the swelling pride of a loftic minde breathing soueraignty and preheminence aboue all other Churches as if the Roman Church were that only Apostolike chaire whereunto all other Churches ought homage and reuerence Basil Epist 20. ad Euseb Samosat Soe that S. Basil Bishop of Cesarea complaines of the pride of the West because they cared only for theire owne preheminence but not for the state of theire persecuted Brethren in the East vnder the Arrian Emperour Valens Yea he saith that he purposed oft times to haue written to the cheife of them that is to Damasus that he should not count the * Splendor superbiae splendour of pride true dignity and honour Aboute the yeare 380. a generall Councell was assembled at Constantinople Whence the Fathers of the Councell wrote vnto Damasus as to a Brother and ranke him with other Bishops of the West then assembled in Rome as theire Letters shew Theod. lib. 5. c. 9. vvhich are recited by Theodoret To our Brothers and Colleagues Damasus Ambrose Britto Valerian and other holy Bishops assembled in the greate City of Rome c. He then vvith other Bishops of the West in a Synod at Rome beeing desired as Brethren to approue the Councell of Constantinople did it and Baronius vvould perswade vs that he confirmed it as a Superiour and made it of force And indeede though Damasus durst not openly professe so much yet it seemes he was willing to take theire Letters in that sense and that it should after be thought so for he resaluteth them as Sonnes and saith that indeede they had yelded all due reuerence to the See Apostolike as if he saide desiring to haue youre acts ordered or confirmed and made good by it Which howsoeuer it was neuer so intented by the Councell yet it gaue the Popes power to doe as they were disposed then and euer after to take it and make vse of it For therevpon Innocent also vsed the same sleight when the Mileuitan Councell Anno 402. and another of Carthage Anno 413. had * See Plesses Myst Iniqui Progr 9. without consulting with him ordered matters and then in like manner acquainted him with theire acts and desired that he would adde his authority he ansvvers that they had had due regard of the Apostolicke honour I say of him which had the care and charge of all other Churches thus he assumed a power ouer Councels so power to doe as a head But some man will say it seemes that as yet he had not this power because the Popes of these times were opposed and the power ouer Councels was not yet conferred on him I ansvver Antichrist was to be opposed by some in all ages and so hath the Pope beene by perticular men and in many Councels and euen of late in the Councels of Constance and Basil which declared that a Councell was aboue the Pope yet he tooke it before and had it as the Beast vvas to haue it by his ovvne ambitious vsurpation and the flatterie of his follovvers But as far as I can finde not before the time of Damasus aboute the yeare 380. And then indeede he had also begunne to take it vpon him in the case of appeales espetially in that Epistle vvhich he vvrote to Stephanus Archbishop of Mauritania Poâ—â— Council vvherein he pretendeth that all the greater sort of causes ought to be referred to his hearing and that they could not be descided but by his authority as also that the prouision of Bishops belonged to him vvherein also he qualifieth the Church of Rome vvith the title of the Pirmament of all Bishops and top of all other Churches emboldened noe doubt therevnto by Letters sent before that time vnto him from the saide Stephanies vvho complained that certaine Bishops had beene deposed in in Afrike adding that this vvas donne though they all knew well enough That Censures of Bishops all other causes of moment ought to be reserued to the audience of the Bishop of Rome whom he termeth the Father of Fathers and thereby giueth him power to doe himselfe beeing of that broode of Schismatiks of whome S. Cyprian complained in his dayes that beeing censured would presently crosse the Seas to Rome And indeede it is the more likely that there had beene such pride or vsurpation in Damasus and flaterie in his followers I. Because the Councell of Constantinople did not only limit euery Patriarch Theod. lib. 5. cap. 9. and gaue equall priuileidges to Constantinople but euen declared that there was an auncient law and decision of the Nicene Councell that the Bishops of euery Prouince with those which dwelt neere vnto them should ordaine theire owne Ministers Concil Const Can. 5. 7. Can. Graec. 3. diuiding the prouinces for the auoidance of confusion And ordaining that if in any prouince a matter of difference hapened to arise it should be decided by the Synod of the same prouince II. Because Syricius aboute the yeare 386. emboldened as it seemes by the power which Damasus had taken the flateries of such as followed him feared not to say to Himerius B. of Aragon Siricius Epi. 1. ad Himer That it is not lawfull for any Preist of the Lord to be ignorant of the decrees and statutes of the Sea Apostolike and therefore requesteth him to make knowne such ordinances decrees as he should send vnto him not only to those of his owne Diocesse but also to those of Carthagena Andalusia Portugall Galeace and others that is in effect to all the Prouinces of Spaine which could not saith he but be glorious vnto him who was a Preist of so longe continuance Purposing to vse the ambitious humour of this Prelate to extend his authority law and traditions through Spaine And in his 4. Epistle to the Bishops of Afrike That without the priuitie of the Sea Apostolike that is to say of the Primate none might presume to ordaine a Bishop All which makes it most cleare that he had the power to doe which the Beast was to haue in the beginning of his raigne His ambition was so apparaÌ„t and men in those times so prone to flatter him with titles that in remedy thereof the third Councell of Carthage anno 397. Siricius then sitting Pope decreed That the Bishop of the first See should not be called the Prince or Cheife of Priests or high Priest or by any other such name but only the Bishop of the first See As for the name of vniuersall Bishop that the Bishop of Rome it selfe should not be called by that name Which shewes that theese titles had beene giuen him by some flatterers in those dayes or why else should the Councell make this Canon this Siricius to shew the Beast was risen had power to doe stablished the forbiddance
of Preists marriages though by generall consent it had beene reiected in the Councell of Nice and was not receiued in the West of 600. yeares after doe his Successors what they could After him came Innocent Innocent Epist 2. ad Victric anno 401. He in his 2. Epistle to Victricius B. of Roanâ— published this generall decree That the greater causes after that they had beene censured by the Bishop should be referred to the See of Rome as the Synod saith he hath ordained and the laudable vse and custome of the Church requireth He and his Successors Zozimus Boniface and Celestine would haue men thinke that the councell of Nice had soe ordained which that councell did not as the 6. councell of Carthago proued against them aboute the yeare 420. and soe did the generall councels of Constantinople and Chacedon It was indeede the councell of Sardica aboute the yeare 350. that gaue this power to Iulius but that canon neuer put in practise by him was reuoked in expresse termes in the councell of ConstaÌ„tinople can 3. which councell had now beene approued by Damasus therefore they would not name it to be a canon of Sardica but pretend it to be a canon of Nice Which forgerie many perceiued not and therefore gaue him power to doe But if any man will yet obiect and say It seemes he had not yet this power because the councels of Constantinople the 6. councell of Carthage and the councell of Chalcedon opposed it I answer here as before Antechrist was to be opposed by some in all ages and so hath the Pope and euen of late in the Councels of Constance and Basile but yet he had power as the Beast was to haue it by his owne arogant vsurpation the flaterie of his followers and that I thinke aboute the yeare 380. in the time of Damasus or soone after and not before and so as I saide his time may expire aboute the yeare 1640. or within few yeares after that is if his terme of doeing began not till the time of Siricius Others perhaps will say he had it much sooner Here I must tell the Papists that it is to noe purpose for them to bringe for a ground of appeales or the antiqâ—â—â—â—â— of them the acts of any perticular Heretike Schismatike or Superstitious Doter before the Nicene Councell because the mysterie did worke in the Apostâ—es time and if it were graunted that Marâ—ian and Valentinia Hereticks had recourse to the Bishop of Rome as Basiâ—des and 〈◊〉 had who were deposed for sacrificing to idols and likewise diuers Scismatiks of Afrike in the time of Cyprian yet this proues not that they might appeale or he receiue for if the Pope had had any such right then would not Cyprian haue complained of them for appealing nor of him for receiuing neither would the Councell of Nice haue limited his power and giuen as much to Alexandria But howsoeuer the question is here of power that was giuen to the Beast after his rising which could not be before the Nicene Councell because he that hindred was not then taken out of the way the Emperour not fully departed to Constantinâ—ple Neither could the burning mountaine signified vnder the second trumpet Reu. 8.8 be cast into the sea before the Nicene Councell which will appeare to be the sea as they abused it to rise out of it But indeede this burning mountaine was either cast into the sea in the time of the Councell when the Pope by his deputies might ambitiously craue of the Emperour or of the Councell that his might be the first see and haue some preeminence in power or else as I rather thinke soâ—ne after before the fall of Constantius into Arianisme signified vnder the third trumpet Reu. 8.10 when the Pope alleaged the Nicene Councell for his authority as Iulius did and thenceforth the beast might indeede begin to rise and doe yet I thinke he had not this power to doe before the time of Damasus nor longe before the yeare 380. or perhaps not till the time of Syricius aboute the yeare 386. or soone after For though wee finde in Socrates and Sosomene that before that Iulius tooke vpon him by absolute authority * Socrat. lib. 2 c. 11. Edit lat Sozom. lib. 3. c. 7. to restore sundrie Bishops of the Easterne Churches deposed for diuers causes by theire Synods because saith he the care of all Churches belonged to him by reason of his see therefore he wrote to the Bishops of the East telling them that they had donne verrie ill to determin and conclude any thinge against those Bishops without his priuitie yet as Socrates and Sosom shew they tooke his reproofes in scorne and calling a Synod at Antioch by common aduise consent retourne his imputations backe vpon himselfe with all bitternesse telling him that he was no more to controll theÌ„ if they thought fit to depriue any man in theire Churches than they intermedled at what time Nouatus was cast out of the Church of Rome Sosomene addeth That theire answer was full of scoffes and threats c. Thus as yet they gaue him noe power to doe And it seemeth that this answer wrought vpon him for in his next letter he coÌ„plained only that they called him not to theire Synod whereas before he pretended that they might not call a Councell without his authority he doth not alleadge for himselfe that either by virtue of his succession to S. Peter or of the Nicene Councell they ought to appeale to Rome his words are only theese The Fathers of Nice ordained and that not without the counsell of God that the acts of one Councell should be examined in another whereby appeares noe greater power giuen to the B. of Rome ouer Alexandria than to the B. of Alexandria ouer Rome As for the greiuance whereof he complaineth it is only this that contrary to the custome they had not written first of all vnto him concerning the differences amongst theÌ„ to haue his aduice for composing of them as beeing Bishop of the first see as also that many Synods had beene held in the East concerning points of faith and doctrine without giueing him notice thereof contrary to the Rule and canon of the Church wherein is coÌ„tained that none might impose any law vpon the Churches without the aduice of the Bishop of Rome This canon gaue him indeede that he should either be called and haue a voice in euery Councell that imposed lawes or at least that his aduise consent should be asked if he should be farre away as fell out at the generall Councell of Constantinople where Damasus was neither in Person nor by his deputies and in noe other sense did Iulius now alleadge it he complaineth not that they assembled without his leaue but that they neither called him nor vsed his aduise he doth not say that this giues him that he should be as a head or Soueraigne to confirme or abrogate at his pleasure much lesse that
on hard conditions bringe the protestant cause into a much worse state this beeing brought aboute thē appeares what was indeede the drift of theire designes They that are lukewarme and seeke theire owne not that which is Christs theese are willing to conniue they will not contradict the former but serue the times what euer they be others haue a desire to speake but there is no place for them amonge Princes others haue both place and will but they are affraide to such a one the holy Ghost saith n Hest 4.14 If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliuerance arise to the people of God from another place but thou and they Fathers howse shall be destroied How greate is the coldnes but why doe wee wonder when as it seemeth in the time of greatest danger the coldnesse should be so greate that the Angell standing in the Sunne should haue neede to crie with a loude voice as if men feared whether they might for Christs cause hurt his enemies peraduenture not allowing the cause of Religion to be a sufficient cause of warre although the aduersaries neither haue beene nor are so scrupulous and God hath saide of the Whore serue her as she hath serued you peraduenture pretending also that if this vvere granted the aduersaries vvould also openly say the same things for themselues the Diuell the Pope Papists vvill desire and indeauour that vvee may alvvayes be of that minde that in the meane time they who are otherwise affected may preuaile ouer vs all but in the meane while theese men who professe themselues Protestants are vnwilling to see that warre vndertaken as matters stand at this day both with our brethren with the faith it selfe yea with our selues also might rather be called defensiue * S. Francis Bacon Lo. Verulam his Consideratiōs Touching a warre with Spaine and preuentiue then offensiue the zeale and Iesuited Spirits of the aduersaries giueing all protestant Princes States soe iust cause of feare and preuenting care Neuerthelesse when our seeming protestāts to maske palliate theire owne trecherie in religion or at least to couer theire owne lukewarmenes and cowardise call this warre ignominious and the perswasion thereunto a Iesuiticall doctrine they doe not or will not see that this is to condemne those noble Kings and theire acts who shall make the whore desolate and naked and burne her with fire Is not that a warre vndertaken for religion sake and for Christs cause Let them therefore remember that there is greate difference betweene those who are of the true religion and those who only affirme or thinke themselues to be such betweene those who know that they shall fight against the enemies of Christ and those who only pretend or imagin this thinge betweene those vvho are moued to vvarre for the Popes and Church of Romes sake and those vvho are moued thereto for Christs and theire owne safeties sake betweene those who receiue the marke of the Beast haue his name for it seemes in theire meaning theire Armies are called Catholick Armies and themselues Catholicks that is vniuersals of theire ruler the Pope who is called the Catholick or Vniuersall Bishop Isa 63.19 in many things Christ beareth no rule ouer them therefore they are not called by his name at least not rightly yea betweene them that murther the Seruants of Christ and those who beare the marke of the liueing God follow and obey him by rooting out his enemies to the glorie of God and the libertie of the Church lastly betweene them who are hereto allured by the Beast and false Prophet and gathered together by the spirits of Deuils working myracles and those who are commanded of God concerning the whore sitting on many waters Reward her as she hath rewarded you double vnto her double c. And if this be as Deut. 7. yet Christ who is theire leader doth p Reu. 19.11.14 in righteousnes iudge and make warre they are no better to him then cananites and his Seruants follow him vpon white horses clothed in fine linnen white and cleane The blood therefore of theese his enemies doth not defile them Neither can any ouercome him who ouercommeth the Kings because he is q chap. 17. the Lord of Lords and Kinge of Kings and they that are with him are called chosen and faithfull There is therefore no danger or cause why theese Seruants of Christ should feare to fight least they should be vanquished in warre seeing vnto them the Lord hath r Reu. 16.10 chap. 17.14 chap. 18.10 chap. 19.18 assured victorie and to theire aduersaries destruction He that hath promised this thinge is theire Leader and ſ vers 11. he is called Faithfull and true He will surely do it Wee haue his word for this thinge And t 2. Tim. 2.13 if wee beleeue not yet he abideth faithfull he can not denie himselfe Those greate Searchers therefore that weigh the power of the aduersaries by the strength of theire humane forces and polecies wherein indeede they seeme to exceede vs are like the tenne that searched Canaan who dishartened the people with a relation of the enemies strength so farre are they from Calebs faith and courage who saw as much and yet saide u Num. 13.28 let vs goe vp at once and posesse it For though as Moses often saide they were seauen nations greater and mightier then Israel yet he knew that God had assured destruction to them and victorie to his people Such men therefore may doe well to remēber what Christ saith w Reu. 21.8 the fearefull and vnbeleeuing shall haue theire part in the lake They consider not that God doth commonly for his greater glorie ouercome the greatest enemies by a power weaker in all humane reason then themselues x Ioel 3.10 Beate therefore youre plow shares into swords youre pruning hookes into speares let the weake say I am stronge as the Prophet willeth and let no man withhold them from this warre fearing lest they should be defiled with blood or thinking the issue will be doubtfull and that therefore it would be better to perswade to peace which yet when he most would he shall hardly longe obtaine from them that are gouerned by the Pope Howsoeuer as Polibius saith * Polib Hist lib. 4. p. 300 If peace be iust and honest it is a worthy possession and most proffitable but if it be dishonourable and base it is of all things most shamefull pernitious Now if wee consider how the case hath stood and yet doth with our brethren the followers of Truth yea and with the Truth it selfe wee will then graunt what one proueth B. Hall Contemp on Dauid and Achish viz. that the true Servants of God are in theire places when they are in opposition to his enemies Profession of hostility becomes them better then leauges of amity And indeede while Protestants seeke or take peace of the Souldiers of
Antichrist they both make them thinke it is feare of theire strength and also so puffe them vp with conceite thereof that as time serues they will be the more desirous of warre and all occasions thereof Yea it causeth that while such a peace lasteth they will not cease to encroach demaund and obtaine either by flatteries or threats till they may by peace get more to themselues and theire religion then they could haue donne by warre Nor is it likely that such will longer hold it then theire aduantage increaseth therein Neither is it alwaies sufficient before God to say wee desire peace espetiallie where it is quarrell enough against thē that they haue the marke of the Beast are the Souldiers of Antichrist and members of the greate whore whose destruction is commanded For as a famous Diuine saith B. Hall Contemp on the Gibeonites He that calls himselfe the God of peace proclaims himselfe the God of hosts and not to fight where he hath commanded is to breake the peace with God whiles wee nourish it with men And who euer got by angring him to please others or by loosing his fauour to get the momentarie and vncertaine freindship of others vncertaine I call it because God that hath iniurie thereby may therefore suffer it to be turned into deceite hatred and greater damage That which men doe vniustly to preuent an euill though it seeme greate polecie is by Gods iust iudgement often turned into a cause that bringes the same euill vpon them as appeareth Gen. 11.4 Isa 30.1.2.3 Ioh. 11.48 I know that in many places causes times that place may verrie well be alleadged If it be possible as much as in you lieth Rom. 12.8 liue peaceably with all men But when God would that the whore should be burned and that the seauen Angels haue begunne to powre out theire vials full of the wrath of God yea when theese things are alreadie in theire progresse who is there who if he be a true Protestant and Seruant of Christ will say that this or the like place is congruently alleadged betweene free Princes of so contrarie Religions to hearken is at that time better then sacrifice and Christ to be heard Mat. 16.24.25.26 Ioh. 12. If any man serue me Ioh. 12.25.26 let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Seruant be If in warre then with him if in peace then with him When diuers Kingdomes forsooke the Beast and whore to follow the Word it was saide The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Reu. 11. Since that time Christ and they that follow him haue continually skirmished against Antichrist and his followers and should continue so doeing till Rome and Antichrist should be destroyed as is shewed Reuel 14. chap. 15. chap. 16. c. And will Princes and States then that are his Leiftenants suffer the Beast and his to recouer or spoile any of theese Kingdoms either by force or fraude surely if they doe those Princes will condemne them who with all theire might defend and extend the dominion of Antichrist and so will they also who at the Popes becke led greate Armies to recouer Palestina and that though God in Scripture require no such thinge but rather shewes that it shall lie vnder the curse till the restauration of the Iewes Reu. 11.15 whereas he saith the contrarie of theese Kingdoms And yet the Iesuits Preists and other Papists goe aboute with the firebrands of errour and sedition that like Sampsons foxes they may at least spoile theese vines garnaries which are Gods and not as his foxes did the enemies Now they that are in authority may know if they will that Christ our d Can. 8.11 Salomon had a vineard he let it out vnto keepers and that therefore they should thinke of that e chap. 2.15 Take vs the foxes the litle foxes that spoile the vines Espetially seeing theire cunning Preists are such as the wonderworking dreamer and false Prophet of whome God saith f Deut. 13.8.9 and chap. 17.7 Thou shalt not consent vnto him nor hearken vnto him neither shall thine eye pitie him neither shalt thou conceale him But thou shalt surely kill him g Num. 25.16 Vexe the Madianites and smite them for they trouble you with theire wiles h Gal. 5.12 I would they were cut off that trouble you For theese indeede are the riuers and fountaines through which the waters of errour which come from the Romish Sea are conueied into euery corner of the Land to the destruction of Soules Theese fountaines and riuers are also as it were the dougs by which that Sea is nourished as they by it And indeede theese are they that venture to conuey floods of those waters of errour and treason into those Lands where Poperie is thrust out hopeing thereby to bringe people backe from the obedience of theire Princes and indeede of Christ himselfe vnto the obedience of the Pope theire Maister For which they haue beene iustly punished with death as is signified Reu. 16. The third Angel powred out his viall vpon the riuers and fountaines of waters and they became blood Which viall was indeede powred out aboute the yeare 1581. when in England it was ordained by publick authoritie that all they that should indeauour by any meanes to draw the mindes of the subiects from theire obedience toward theire lawfull and naturall Prince to the Pope or for that purpose should draw them to theire religion should be put to death as traitors the good example of which Edict was in some measure followed against the Iesuits in other Kingdoms And questionlesse this is that which is signified by that viall For indeede herein the Lord gaue them blood to drinke because they that brought theese waters of Rome brought them with the danger of theire liues and therefore they were not only turned to blood to those that sent them nor only to blood in themselues beeing apprehended but also if they escaped a while to conuey them they were also turned into blood to those that receiued them as Dauid saide of the water of Bethlehem which the three mightie men fetched him through the host of the Philistines 2. Sam. 23.17 is not this the blood of the men that went in Ieopardie of theire liues Thus the righteous God gaue the Preists and Iesuits blood to drinke who as wee know haue caused many good Christians to be killed by the Inquisition and by animating Popish Princes to make warre against Protestants This is that therefore vvhich the Angell of the waters saith there Thou art righteous ô LORD which art and wast and shall be because thou hast iudged thus for they haue shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke for they are worthy If Gods Word say they be worthy vvhat Christian vvill pleade for them that such lavves should not be executed on them Will they doe