righteousnesse that their persons as bright lampes of godlinesse and vertue may going in and out before their people giue light to all their steps Remember also that by the right knowledge and feare of God which is the beginning of Wisedome Prou 9.10 as Salomon saith ye shall know all the things necessarie for the discharge of your duetie both as a Christian and as a King seeing in him as in a mirrour the course of all earthly things whereof hee is the spring and onely moouer Now the onely way to bring you to this knowledge The meanes to know God is diligently to reade his word and earnestly to pray for the right vnderstanding thereof Search the Scriptures sayth Christ for they beare testimonie of me and Iohn 5.39 the whole Scripture saith Paul is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach 2. Tim. 3.16.17 to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfite vnto all good workes And most properly of any other belongeth the reading thereof vnto Kings Deut. 17. since in that part of Scripture where the godly Kings are first made mention of that were ordained to rule ouer the people of God there is an expresse and most notable exhortation and commandement giuen them to reade and meditate in the Law of God I ioyne to this the carefull hearing of the doctrine with attendance and reuerence for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 sayth the same Apostle But aboue all beware ye wrest not the word to your owne appetite as ouer many doe making it like a bell to sound as ye please to interprete but by the contrary frame all your affections to follow precisely the rule there set downe The whole Scripture chiefly containeth two things a command Wherein chiefely the whole Scripture consisteth and a prohibition to doe such things and to abstaine from the contrary Obey in both neither thinke it enough to abstaine from euill and do no good nor thinke not that if yee doe many good things it may serue you for a cloake to mixe euill turnes therewith And as in these two points the whole Scripture principally consisteth Two degrees of the seruice of God so in two degrees standeth the whole seruice of God by man interiour or vpward exteriour or downward the first by prayer in faith towards God the next by workes flowing therefra before the world which is nothing else but the exercise of Religion towards God and of equitie towards your neighbour As for the particular points of Religion I need not to dilate them I am no hypocrite follow my footsteps A regardable paterne and your owne present education therein I thanke God I was neuer ashamed to giue account of my profession howsoeuer the malicious lying tongues of some haue traduced me and if my conscience had not resolued me that all my Religion presently professed by me and my kingdome was grounded vpon the plaine wordes of the Scripture without the which all points of Religion are superfluous as any thing contrary to the same is abomination I had neuer outwardly auowed it for pleasure or awe of any flesh And as for the points of equitie towards your neigbour because that will fall in properly vpon the second part concerning a Kings office I leaue it to the owne roume For the first part then of mans seruice to his God Religion which is Religion that is the worship of God according to his reuealed will it is wholly grounded vpon the Scripture as I haue alreadie said quickened by faith and conserued by conscience For the Scripture I haue now spoken of it in generall but that yee may the more readily make choice of any part thereof for your instruction or comfort remember shortly this methode The whole Scripture is dyted by Gods Spirit The methode of Scripture thereby as by his liuely word to instruct and rule the whole Church militant to the end of the word It is composed of two parts the Olde and New Testament The ground of the former is the Lawe which sheweth our sinne and containeth iustice the ground of the other is Christ who pardoning sinne containeth grace The summe of the Law is the tenne Commandements more largely delated in the bookes of Moses Of the Law interpreted and applied by the Prophets and by the histories are the examples shewed of obedience or disobedience thereto and what praemium or poena was accordingly giuen by God But because no man was able to keepe the Law nor any part thereof it pleased God of his infinite wisedome and goodnesse to incarnate his only Sonne in our nature for satisfaction of his iustice in his suffering for vs that since we could not be saued by doing we might at least bee saued by beleeuing The ground therefore of the word of grace Of Grace is contained in the foure histories of the birth life death resurrection and ascention of Christ The larger interpretation and vse thereof is contained in the Epistles of the Apostles and the practise in the faithfull or vnfaithfull with the historie of the infancie and first progresse of the Church is contained in their Actes Would ye then know your sinne by the Lawe Vse of the Law reade the bookes of Moses containing it Would ye haue a commentarie thereupon Reade the Prophets and likewise the bookes of the Prouerbes and Ecclesiastes written by that great patterne of wisedome Salomon which will not only serue you for instruction how to walke in the obedience of the Lawe of God but is also so full of golden sentences and morall precepts in all things that can concerne your conuersation in the world as among all the prophane Philosophers and Poets ye shall not finde so rich a storehouse of precepts of naturall wisedome agreeing with the will and diuine wisedome of God Would ye see how good men are rewarded and wicked punished looke the historicall parts of these same bookes of Moses together with the histories of Ioshua the Iudges Ezra Nehemiah Esther and Iob but especially the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles wherewith ye ought to bee familiarly acquainted for there shall yee see your selfe as in a myrrour in the catalogue either of the good or the euill Kings Would yee know the doctrine life and death of our Sauiour Christ Vse of the Gospel reade the Euangelists Would ye bee more particularly trained vp in his Schoole meditate vpon the Epistles of the Apostles And would ye be acquainted with the practises of that doctrine in the persons of the primitiue Church Cast vp the Apostles Actes And as to the Apocryphe bookes I omit them because I am no Papist as I said before and indeed some of them are no wayes like the dytement of the Spirit of God But when ye reade the Scripture How to reade the Scripture reade it with a sanctified and chaste heart admire reuerently
and their deliuerance promised Their blessed estate in the meane time in the fift The day of Iudgement and the terriblenesse thereof in the sixt AFter this I looked to see when the Lambe opened the first Seale and loe I heard one of the foure beasts for they were appointed to assist me in the time of these Visions as the most excellent creatures of God and his voice was like a thunder making me awake with terrour to take heede to these great and terrible Prophesies which God was to declare vnto me and hee said Come and see 2 Then I looked and did see a white horse and he that sate on him had a bow in his hand Zach. 1.8 Zach. 6.2 3. and a Crowne giuen vnto him and hee came foorth a Victour to winne and ouercome This man comming on the white horse was the comming and incarnation of our Bright and Innocent Sauiour armed with a bow for euer since his comming till now and a space hereafter the dart and arrow of God to wit the holy Spirit by the preaching of the Gospel doeth subdue and bring the world vnder his subiection and taketh vengeance of his enemies His crowne is giuen to him by his Father in token of his victory ouer the second death and as King of the Catholike Church to crowne the faithfull Conuersion of the Gentiles and so he commeth foorth a Victour ouer Satan and to ouercome by once conuerting a great part of the world to the trew knowledge of God This mysterie is already begunne but is not yet accomplished 3 And when he opened the second Seale 4 Loe there came forth a red horse and there was power giuen to him that sate on him to take away peace from the earth that euery one might slay one another and there was giuen him for that purpose a great sword for with the spreading of the Euangel and rooting of the trueth in the hearts of the nations Persecution of the body by the Ciuill sword in the second Seale Continuation of trew pastors after the Martyres shall a bloody persecution of Tyrants by the ciuil sword be ioyned which is meant by the rider on the red horse but notwithstanding the Euangel shall spread and flourish for such is the power of God resisting the pride of man that vnder the Crosse the puritie of the trueth most flourisheth in the Church 5 And when he opened the third Seale the third Beast said vnto me Come and see and loe I did see a blacke horse and hee that sate vpon him had balances in his hand 6 And I heard a voice from among the foure Beasts saying A measure of Wheat for one peny and three measures of Barley for one peny but wine and oyle harme thou not for after that this first mysterie shall be accomplished not onely dearth and famine shall ensue the contempt of the trueth but God shall permit Satan to tempt and vexe his Church with a cloud of diuers and dangerous heresies which may be meant by the rider on the blacke horse for the blackenesse and darkenesse of them Heresies ment in the third Seale shall obscure the light of the Gospel but yet God to assure vs that hee will neuer forget his owne speakes from his Throne comforting vs thereby that although as the balances and measure signifies good men shall bescant who are the fine wheat and barley of his haruest Luke 3. yet some shall there be that shall not bow their knee to Baal no not in straighter times that shall come after and alwayes giues vs assurance that the word and trueth of God which is an eternall Oyle and comfortable Vine shall neuer be destroyed nor any wayes corrupted in spight of all the malice of Satan in his instruments 7 And when hee opened the fourth Seale the fourth Beast said vnto me Come and see 8 Then I beheld and loe I did see a pale horse and the name of him that sate vpon him was Death This is the greatest and heauiest plague for after that the persecutions and heresies shall take an ende and that infirmitie and coldnesse haue cropen into the Church The Popedom is meant by the pale horse in the fourth Seale of heresie and ciuil tyranny then shall God redouble his former plagues by permitting Satan to erect a tyrannie composed of both these former plagues for it shall be full of heresie like the one and full of ciuill and temporall tyrannie like the other and therefore because it brings with it al maner of death both of body and soule the rider is iustly called Death as the fountaine of all the sorts of the same and the palenesse of the horse is correspondent in all points to the qualitie of the rider for as the rider is called Death so the colour of palenesse represents the same and as the riders qualities are composed of heresies and tyrannie so the colour of pale is composed chiefly of blacke and red And hell followed after him to the vtter damnation of him and his followers And power was giuen him ouer the fourth part of the earth to wit the rest who are not ouercome by the other three riders for all they who were not marked by the white horse nor killed in body by the red nor killed in soule by the blacke are killed both in body and soule by this last And as he hath power of destroying thus giuen him ouer the fourth part of the earth so by foure plagues specially doeth he execute the same to wit by Sword Hunger Death and the Beasts of the earth These plagues allude to the plagues mentioned in the Canticle of Moses for this tyrannie shall begin with persecution Scarcitie of trew Pastors and worshipping The cruelty of the Popes tyranny this persecution shall cause a hunger and great scarcitie of the true worship of God this hunger shall breed a second and eternall death and this tyranny shall then end with a crueller and bloodier persecution of the bodies then euer was before which shall be so barbarous that it is compared in this Vision to the execution vsed by wilde beasts vpon offenders and shall spare no degree sexe nor aage no more then beasts doe 9 But when he opened the fift Seale I did see vnder the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God and for his Testimonie which they maintained 10 And they cryed with a lowd voice saying How long wilt thou delay O Lord since thou art holy and trew to reuenge iudge our blood vpon them that dwel on the earth for this last persecution did enter so fiercely into the world and did make so great a number of Martyrs that their soules lying vnder the Altar to wit in the safegard of IESVS CHRIST who is the only Altar Hose 14.3 whereupon and by whom it is onely lawfull to vs Hebr. 13.15 to offer the sacrifice of our hearts and lips to wit our humble prayers to God
creatures in the sea was slaine and the third part of the ships therein did perish for after that this former plague shall haue an end and yet the world not turne themselues from their iniquities then the second shall follow which is the corporall plague of persecution signified by the red horse in the second Seale more amply dilated heere This great heape of fiery persecution like a mountaine of fire shall make the third part or a certaine number of people and nations which is signified by the seas or many waters to ouerflow in blood for as it is said of the same in the second Scale they shall slay one another for euen among themselues to wit among the wicked shal be great bloodshed and warres for the third or a certaine number of all sorts of liuing things shall die to wit no sort of men shall be exempted from this trouble But especially a number and not the greatest part of the faithfull shal be persecuted which is signified by the ships for euen as ships on a stormie Sea seeke a hauen so the faithfull among the wicked of the world tossed here and there resisting euery waue striue in despight of many contrarious windes to attaine to that hauen where at last casting their Anchor they are freed from all worldly tempests and dwell there eternally in a perpetuall calmenesse 10 Then the third Angel blew and there fell from heauen a great Starre burning like a torch and it fell vpon the third part of riuers and fountaines of waters and the name of the starre was Wormewood and the third part of the riuers and fountaines were turned into wormewood and many men died for the bitternesse of the waters This is that same plague which is signified by the blacke horse and his rider to wit a cloud of defections and Apostatical heresies here signified by a great starre burning like a torch for it shall haue a great light but like the light of a torch for as the torch and candle-light is false to the eye and makes the colours to appeare otherwise then they are and is made dimme by the brightnes of the Sunne so shall this light of false doctrine maske iniquitie for a space and make it seeme to be the trueth vnto the time the trew light of God obfuscat and blinde it These heresies shall be stronger in deceit then those before for they shall seduce the very pastours and spirituall Magistrates which is signified by the Starres falling in a part of the fountaines of waters for these men are the worldly fountaines whereout the rest of the faithfull by the buckets of their eares draw that spring of heauenly liquor 11 This starre is called Wormewood for as wormewood is a bitter hearbe what greater bitternesse can be to the soule of man then to procure the wrath of the Almightie through such an horrible fall and as it turned a part of the pastours and made them to become of bitter qualitie like it selfe so their bitternesse did slay with the second death a great number of men to wit their disciples and followers 12 Then the fourth Angel blew and the third part of the Sunne the third part of the Moone and third part of the Starres was stricken so that the third part of them to wit of their light was obscured and the third part of the day and the third part of the night was obscured to wit the third part of their light was darkened For after that one part of the pastours shall make horrible defection it shall fall out that the whole Church visible shal be blinded with some errours but not yet make a full defection which is signified by the obscuring of a part of the light of the Sunne Moone and starres to wit of all degrees of spirituall Magistrates so that by their generall weaknesse in some points a part of the meaning of the Gospel shal be falsly interpreted which is meant by the light of the day and of the night for as the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did guide the people of Israel through the desart to the land of Promise so will this light shining both day and night in our soules conduct vs out through the wildernesse of this world to that spirituall land of promise where we with our God shall gloriously reigne in all Eternitie This fourth blast is also a part of the third Seale 13 And I saw and heard an other Angel flying through the middest of heauen and saying with a lowd voice Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth for the harme that shal be done vnto them by the last three blasts of the Angels Trumpets for the last three plagues shall be exceeding great which that I might the better note and take greater heed vnto God wakens me vp and makes me see an Angel flying through the middest of heauen with celeritie aswell to forewarne the holy Angels and Saints of these three plagues so farre in greatnesse aboue the rest as to signifie by his swift flying that they are hastily and within short space to be put in execution And the number of Woes to wit which he cries are answerable to the number of plagues which are hereafter to be declared CHAP. IX ARGVMENT In the fift Trumpet the heresies cause a great blindnesse and ignorance whereof commeth the Ecclesiasticall Papisticall orders signified by the grashoppers breeding out of the smoake and their power and qualities Their King and head the Pope and his style In the next Trumpet the beginning of his decay signified by the loosing of the foure Angels at Euphrates The remedy he vseth for the same by hounding out the Iesuits signified by the horse in the Vision Their qualities signified by their breast-plates The Popes and Turkes his gathering to destroy the Church signified by a great armie of horse The Pope is the plague for breaking of the first Table and the Turke for breaking of the second THen the fift Angel blew and I saw the starre that fell out of heauen vpon earth for it is to be noted that all these plagues did fall out of heauen vpon the earth to teach vs Quòd nullum malum est in ciuitate quod non faciat Dominus by his Iustice permitting Amos 3.6 Esay 45.7 directing ordering and restrayning it I did see it get the key of the bottomlesse pit which was giuen vnto it for this cloud of heresies spoken of in the third Trumpet and third Seale by processe of time did breed this bastard tyrannie whereof I spoke in the fourth Seale and so it brought from hell by the opening of the bottomlesse pit whereof it gate the keyes to wit by the assistance and deuice of Satan it bred such plagues as follow 2 First by opening of the pit came foorth a great smoke like the smoke of a furnace to wit it did breed such a darkenesse and ignorance in the minds of men as the Sunne and the Aire were obscured to
comming to wit instructed and inspired by Satan to bee his embassadour and to teach his false doctrine to the counterfeit church as well as the true Pastours are the Embassadours of God to the true Church He is called Abaddon or Apollyon because as hee is both a spirituall and ciuill Monarch so he destroyes and killes both body and soule as I tolde you in the fourth seale where hee is called Death for the same cause that hee is called heere Destroyer 12 One woe is past and loe two come after for this which by the fift Trumpet is declared is the first of the three last and greatest plagues whereunto I wished you to take speciall heed and therefore take good heed to the other two blasts of the trumpets that follow 13 Then the sixt Angel blewe and I heard a voice comming from among the foure hornes of the golden Altar that stands euer before the eyes of God saying these words to the next Angel that had a Trumpet Loose these foure Angels bound at the great water Euphrates 14 Now the summons and warning being giuen by the sixt blast of the trumpet of the sixt and fearefull plague that was to come this command of Christ which is the voice here mentioned comes to the sixt Angel commanding him to doe as ye now haue heard For although the trumpet was alreadie blowen yet the execution followes not while Christ command and permit it for these foure Angels mentioned here are the same who were standing before vpon the foure airths of the earth ready to destroy the same who were then as you heard stayed by Christ while first he had sealed his owne who now being all sealed because this is the last plague that is to come vpon the world except that of the consummation Christ therefore commands them to be loosed for they were before stayed as it were bound to the effect they might now put in execution these things which they were ready to doe When they were stayed it is said they were bound at the great riuer Euphrates alluding hereby to the history of Balthasar in Daniel for as Euphrates diuided Babylon from the Persians and the Assyrians which they crossed when they slew Balthasar so this command of stay giuen to these Angels by Christ was that great riuer Euphrates beyond the which they were bound for they had no power to crosse it and to plague the world while first all his chosen were sealed and that hee had loosed and permitted them as by this command here is done 15 And so these foure Angels were loosed who were readie at the houre the day the moneth and the yeere to slay the third part of men to wit they were ready at the very moment prescribed to them by God to destroy all men except such as were sealed ouer whom they had no power and such as were reserued to the destruction of the last plague to wit the consummation and so the third part was left to them to destroy Now followes the plague of the sixt trumpet 16 And first I saw an armie of horsemen the number whereof were two hundred thousand thousand for I heard the number reckoned this double great number signifies that there shall be raised vp at one time two great Monarchies and seats of Tyrants one ruling in the East and another in the West who shal cruelly persecute the Church 17 And in this vision likewise I saw horses whose riders had brestplates of fire of Hyacinth and brimstone and the heads of the horses were like the heads of Lions and from their mouthes came fire smoke and brimstone noting that with fiery rage smokie pride and pretences and loathsome and wicked courses these two Monarches the one secular the other Ecclesiasticall shall conquer and possesse the greatest part of the world These horses are a part yet not the least part of the forces of one of these Monarches in whose description it is most insisted because he is the Destroyer of whom it is spoken in the fift Trumpet where hee is named Abaddon These horses and their riders are the last order and sect of his Ecclesiasticall swarme Their brestplates to wit their worldly defence is composed of fire that is persecution of the body for they shall haue greater credit at the hands of Princes then all these grashoppers spoken of in the fift Seale and so shall vse their forces to defend themselues therewith They are composed of the Hyacinth for as this herbe is darke and of a smoking colour and bitter to the taste so shall they be defended and maintained by the craft of their darke and bitter heresies which in the third Trumpet are called Wormewood as here they are called Hyacynth and they are composed of brimstone which signifieth the loathsomnesse and stench of sinne and the flame and force of hell fire to wit Satan the authour of the one and ruler of the other shall by all maner of craft defend them as his speciall instruments and the last vermine bred and come vp from the smoke of the bottomlesse pit And they shall not onely haue power to defend themselues by these three meanes but they shall also pursue and persecute the faithfull which is meant by their horses heads like to the heads of Lions that is able to deuoure The meanes whereby they deuoure are the same whereby they defend themselues to wit by the power of Princes to persecute the bodies by false and hereticall bragges and sleights which are here called Smoake and by the drifts and frauds of Satan in diuers fashions to deceiue and inflame the soule which craft of Satan is here resembled to brimstone 18 By these three plagues are slaine the third part of men to wit by fire smoake and brimstone which came out of their mouthes to wit their malice and strength shall be so great as they shall vse all meanes wherewith the third part of men shal be destroyed although these meanes shall not be vsed by them onely to worke this great destruction with 19 For their strength is not in their mouthes onely as ye haue presently heard but it is also in their tailes for their tailes are like the tailes of serpents hauing stings whereby they doe harme In this they shall be like vnto the grashoppers 20 But not the lesse the wicked shall be so hard hearted as the rest of them who were not destroyed by the plagues of this trumpet shall not repent nor desist from the workmanship of their hands to wit from Idolatry and adoring of deuils and of images of golde of siluer of brasse of stone and of wood who neither can see heare nor goe whereof this hereticall Monarch is the punishment 21 Nor yet will they repent them nor desist from breaking the second Table by slaughters sorceries fornications thefts whereof that other Monarch who onely persecutes the body is the reuenge scourge and plague CHAP. X. ARGVMENT Iohn heares the explication of these mysteries which was written
by this that the persecution of this Destroyer shall last the halfe to wit it shall reigne about the midst of the last aage of this whole weeke which begins at his incarnation and first comming and ends at his last comming againe which because it is the last period it is here compared to a weeke 3 But I shall giue that holy towne to two witnesses of mine who clothed with sackecloth shall prophesie the space of one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes for these my successours he shall raise vp as witnesses to wit a sufficient number of them for out of the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word is confirmed to witnesse that their doctrine is false who persecute the Church which he shal giue vnto them for he shall make them their patrons to defend and feed them by the power of the true word and they shall preach repentance to that counterfeit Church and therefore they are said to be clothed in sackecloth And to assure vs to our great comfort that in all the time of blindnesse God shall euer be raising vp some of these two witnesses against the hypocriticall Destroyer and to comfort and confirme his true Church it is said They shall prophesie the number of dayes that yee haue heard which is correspondent iustly to the moneths before mentioned to wit they shall not leaue off to witnesse all the time of the Antichristian kingdome 4 These witnesnesses are two greene Oliues who anoint the Elect with that holy oyle and two Candlestickes as Christ said to enlighten the world with their brightnesse who are set downe and doe their office in the presence of him who is Lord and ruler of the earth 5 And if any shal presse to harme them fire shall come out of their mouthes and deuoure their enemies for whosoeuer will doe them any hurt himselfe must be slaine so to wit the holy Spirit who is the fire in their mouth shall accuse and cause to be destroyed with the second death all them that either persecute them or will not heare or obey their doctrine 6 These witnesses haue power to shut heauen that it raine not in the dayes of their prophesie and they haue power ouer the waters to turne them into blood and to strike the earth with euery kinde of plague so often as they please for hee shall authorize them and their message with as sure testimonies as the shutting of the heauen and stay of the raine was vnto Elias so long as he forespake it should be so and as vnto Moyses the turning of the waters into blood and the striking of the earth of the land of Egypt with diuers and sundry plagues 7 But these shall be witnesses by their death as well as by their life For how soone any of them shall haue runne that course in the earth which God hath appointed them they shall be persecuted ouercome and slaine by that beast the Angel of that bottomlesse pit and king of the locusts and that great towne seat of the Monarchy shal publikely put them down as malefactours 8 So as their dead bodies or carkeises shall lie in the streets thereof And this towne is spiritually called Sodom because of the spirituall adultery to wit Idolatrie that it shall commit and maintaine and spiritually Egypt because it shall oppresse and intollerably burthen the soules of the chosen euen as Egypt captiuated the bodies and burthened the backes of the people of Israel and in that towne also was our Lord crucified for where Christs members are put to death for their Masters cause as this towne and Kings therof shal do there is Christ himselfe crucified in effect and his crucifying shal be as wel imputed to them as to Iudas who betrayed him 9 And men of all tribes peoples tongues and nations shall see their carkeises the space of three dayes and a halfe and they shall not be suffered to be buried in sepulchres 10 And the inhabitants of the earth shall be glad and reioyce for their slaughters and shall send gifts one to another in token of ioy because they are made quit of these two prophets who tormented the indwellers of the earth for the whole world who are not in Sancto Sanctorum shall not onely suffer but allow that these witnesses be not onely slaine but also be so cruelly vsed an contemned as not to be suffered to be buried amongst others And the whole earth shall reioyce at their death because that euen as Achab blamed Elias for troubling of Israel so shall the world thinke these witnesses troublesome vnto them because they discouer vnto them their shamefulnesse and call them to the repentance thereof 11 And thus shall they be contemned for the space of three dayes and a halfe to wit of three yeeres and a halfe which signifies that during the space of the Antichrists reigne they shall be thus vsed but after the space of three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life comming from God shall enter into them and they shall be set vpon their feete and a great feare shall fall vpon them that did see them before 12 And they heard a great voice from the heauen saying vnto them Come vp bither then they ascended vp into heauen and their enemies saw them doe so for although that during the flourishing of this hereticall and bypocriticall Monarchie the trew Pastours no sooner appeared then they were put to death yet at the last this Monarchie shall begin to decay when the three yeeres or the three dayes and an halfe thereof shall be expired and then shall the Spirit of life from God to wit the holy Spirit sent from God worke mightier in the latter Pastours of these dayes so as in them shall the by-past Martyrs be reuiued and their doctrine shall take roote in the hearts of many and their reasons shal be so pithie as the Antichristian sect and the rest of the world shall know as perfectly that they shall preuaile as if they heard God call them to heauen to reward them there for their victory Neither shall they haue power of their liues for God shall mooue the hearts of many to defend them in such glory and safetie as if they were mounting vp to heauen in a cloud and they not able to hinder them 13 And then at that time shall be a great earthquake to wit great tumults among nations and the tenth part of the citie shall fall This citie is diuided in tenne parts to shew it is the same Monarchie that shall afterwards be described by a beast with ten heads And by the falling of the tenth part thereof is meant that diuers nations shall shake off the yoke of that Monarchie and so a part of the strength of that citie shall decay and there was slaine in that earthquake seuen thousand men to wit a great number of men shal be slaine in these tumults and the rest were afraid and gaue glory vnto the God of Heauen for these tumults
and iudgements of God shall by their terrours reduce some to the knowledge of the trewth 14 The second woe is past for these are the plagues of the sixt Trumpet and loe the third woe comes soone for next followes the declaration of these dayes wherein the consummation shall be first of that Antichristian kingdome and next of the whole earth take therefore good heede vnto the third woe for it is the last 15 Then the seuenth Angel blew and there were great voices in heauen saying The kingdomes of the world are made the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ who shall reigne for euer and euer This ioyfull cry was in heauen because the dayes were come wherein the day of Iudgement should be and so the power was to be taken from the kings of the earth who were enemies to the Saints and Christ was hereafter to be the great sole and immediate King ouer all 16 Then the foure and twentie Elders who sate vpon seats in the sight and presence of God for ioy that the saluation of their brethren was at hand did fall vpon their faces and adored God saying 17 We thanke thee Lord God Almightie who is and who was and who art presently to come againe because now thou art to make thy great power manifest and art to begin thy glorious Kingdome 18 And the Gentiles waxed wrathfull for all the wicked now perceiue that neither their force nor craft can auaile for thy wrath is now come which none may resist and the time of the dead is come for now all the dead are to be iudged and thou art to reward thy seruants the Prophets and all the Saints and all that feare thy Name small or great and thou art to destroy them that destroy the earth by the persecuting of thy Saints and defiling it with euery sort of vice 19 Then the Temple of God was open in heauen that the Arke of his couenant might be seene which was within it God now did shew the Arke of his couenant to assure all the Saints that he would now haue mind of his promise and according thereto would presently send downe Christ to Iudge the earth as was done then in all terrour which is signified by lightning voices thunder and earthquakes which then were made and a great haile which signifies the destruction of the earth as showres of haile of all others are the most harmefull and destroying CHAP. XII ARGVMENT A new vision The deuils malice against Christ and his Church The Church by Gods prouidence escapes his furie Shee is secret and lies hid for a space The deuill raiseth vp heresies and persecutions to destroy her but all that cannot preuaile whereupon he goeth to raise vp her great enemie the Pope NOw as this seuenth Seale wherein these seuen Trumpets were which ye haue presently heard declared was no other thing but the more ample dilating of the sixe former Seales as I did shew before so this vision which I am next to declare vnto you is nothing else but a cleerer setting forth and fore-warning of these times which are most perillous for the Church of all them which are to come after especially of the three last woes 1 And there was a great signe and a woonderfull vision seene in heauen to wit a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone was vnder her feete and she had a crowne of twelue starres vpon her head 2 And she was great with childe and shee was so neere her childbirth as she was alreadie crying and was sore pained with the trauell to be deliuered of her childe 3 And there was also another signe and woonder seene in heauen A great red dragon hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and vpon his head seuen diamonds 4 And his taile drew the third part of the starres of heauen with him and did cast them downe to the earth This dragon stood before the woman awaiting to deuoure her birth so soone as shee was deliuered of it 5 But she brought forth a man-childe who was to rule all nations with a rod of yron and her sonne was caught vp to God and his Throne 6 But the woman fled into the wildernesse where she hath a place prepared by God that she might be fedde there the space of one thousand two hundred threescore dayes 7 And there was a great battell stroken in heauen for Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon and his angels 8 And the dragon and his angels could not obtaine the victorie but by the contrary their place was no more found in heauen 9 And so that great dragon to wit that olde serpent who is called the deuill and Satan who seduceth the whole face of the earth was cast downe to the earth and all his angels were cast downe with him 10 And I heard a voice in heauen saying Now is wrought the health the vertue and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast downe who day and night accused them in the sight of our God 11 For they that fought with him haue ouercome him for the loue they beare vnto the Lambe and his blood and to the word of his Testimonie and haue prodigally giuen their liues euen vnto death for that cause 12 Therefore reioyce ye heauens and yee that dwell therein but woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea for the deuill is come downe to you and he is full of great wrath because he hath but a short space to reigne 13 And when the dragon saw himselfe cast down vpō the earth he pursued the woman who had borne the manchild 14 But there was giuen to the woman two great Eagle wings that shee might flee from the sight of the serpent into the wildernes to the place that was there appointed for her to be nourished for a time times and halfe a time 15 Then the serpent did cast out of his mouth after the woman to ouertake her a water like a great flood to carry her away perforce 16 But the earth helped the woman and opened her mouth and swallowed vp by the way the great flood which the dragon had cast out of his mouth This part of the Vision was to declare vnto me that howsoeuer the Church which is signified here by a woman for she is the spouse of CHRIST who is her head her husband and her glory obeying him with a reuerent loue and yet weake and infirme like to a woman how soone I say the Church shining in all brightnesse and innocencie which is represented by her garment of the Sunne and treading vnder feete and contemning the world and the vanities thereof here signified by the Moone being vnder her feet a Planet that hath no proper but a borrowed light and subiect to all mutabilitie like the world and being crowned with the shining glory of the twelue Patriarches and Prophets and the twelue holy Apostles succeeding them in the vnitie of
in the head as ye heard already and legged like a beare because in the Beares legges consists his greatest strength and durablenesse this proportion signifies that this Monarchie is farre greater then all the rest and all their powers are reuiued in it as I said before 3 And I perceiued that one of the heads of the beast had bene deadly wounded but the wound thereof was healed and the whole earth followed this beast with a great wondering this was to signifie vnto me that it was not of this beast that I was ordained to forewarne you for the worst of this beast is almost past already and this Monarchie shall be within short space destroyed but this beast or Monarchie is shewen vnto me because out of the ruines thereof shall rise in that same Seate where it was that hereticall Monarchie whereof I am to forewarne you which is signified by the deadly wound it gat on the head which was healed againe for as the Phaenix reuiues of her owne ashes as prophane stories make mention so out of the ashes of this Empire shall rise and be reuiued an other which shall grow so mighty that the whole earth that is without Sanctum Sanctorum shall with amasement reuerence obey and follow it as ye heard presently declared 4 And they adored the Dragon who gaue power to the Beast for they shall giue themselues ouer to the workes of darkenes which is to serue and adore the diuel who raised vp this beast to make warre against the seed of the woman Chap. 12. as ye heard before And they also adored the diuel in his instrument by reuerencing that Beast and Monarchie erected by him and they said Who is like vnto the Beast or who may fight with him for this Monarchie shall be so strong in worldly power as the world shall thinke it so farre in strength aboue all other powers that it is impossible to ouercome it especially that the little stone which was cut without hands out of the mountaine mentioned by Daniel Daniel 2. shall euer destroy it which notwithstanding at the last shall bruise it in pieces 5 And there was a mouth giuen vnto it to speake great things and blasphemies It is said in Daniel Daniel 7.11 that his mouth shall speake in magnificencie and vtter words against the Soueraigne to wit this Monarchie and King thereof shall extoll himselfe farre aboue all liuing creatures and shal vsurpe farre higher Styles then euer were heard of before by the which and by his false doctrine together he shall so derogate from the honour of GOD and vsurpe so all power onely proper vnto him as it shall bee great wordes against him and blasphemie of his Name And there was power giuen him to doe to wit GOD shall permit his Tyrannie to encrease and persecute the Saints the space of two and fourtie moneths This space was mentioned vnto me to let me know thereby that this Monarchie risen out of the ruines of the other Chap. 11. is the same which is meant by that Citie whereof ye heard alreadie in the sixt Trumpet which persecuted the two Witnesses for the same space is assigned to her there and consequently it is that same seate and Monarchie which is meant by the angel of the bottomlesse pit Chap. 9. called Apollyon in the fift Trumpet by the Rider on the pale horse Chap. 6. called Death in the fourth Seale and also obscurely meant in the sixt Trumpet by the halfe of that great hoste of horsemen Chap. 9. of the which halfe the armed horse which I saw in the vision was a part of the power whose head and Monarchie was the plague for idolatry as ye heard which Monarchie together with the other of whom yee also heard obscurely in that place as the plague of the sinnes against the second Table to wit this great beast here mentioned and the other reuealed a vowed and open enemie of Christs Church shall both gather their forces to fight against it in that battell of the great day of the Lord Chap. 16. whereof ye shal heare in the owne place Then this beast according to the power which was giuen him opened his mouth in blasphemies against God and spake iniurious words against his Name his Tabernacle to wit his Sanctum Sanctorum which is the Church militant and them that dwell in heauen for his reigne shall be so great that hee shall not onely blaspheme the Name of God in such sort as ye heard alreadie and persecute the members of Christ that shall be on the earth in his dayes but likewise vpbraid with calumnies the soules of the Saints departed 7 And for that effect he was permitted by God to make warre against the Saints and hee gaue him power to ouercome them corporally and to rule ouer all tribes tongues and nations so great shall his Monarchie and power be 8 And so all the in-dwellers of the earth shal adore him to wit a great part of them shall reuerence him whose names are not writen in the booke of life which is the Lambes that was slaine which booke was written before the foundation of the world was laide for these are alwayes excepted from bowing their knees to Baal who were predestinate by Christ to saluation before all beginnings 9 He who hath an eare let him heare and take heede vnto this sentence that followeth to wit 10 If any man leade in captiuitie in captiuitie shall he be led againe if any man slay with the sword with the sword shall hee be slaine againe then since ye are assured that God in his good time shall iustly mete to their tyrannie the same measure that they shall mete to his Church let not your hearts in your affliction through despaire of Gods reuenge because of his long suffering swarue from the bold and plaine professing of his trueth for in this shall the patience and constant faith of the Saints or the chosen be tried 11 And then I saw another beast rise vp vpon the earth and it had two hornes like vnto the Lambe but it spake like the dragon for lest this Monarchie should be taken to be a ruler onely ouer the body and that I might vnderstand the contrary to wit that he was specially a spirituall tyrant ouer the soules and consciences of men this other beast was shewen vnto me which representeth the hereticall kingdome of the grashoppers whereof Apollyon was made King in the fift Trumpet Chap. 9. and it vseth the coloured authoritie of Christ by pretending two swords or two keyes as receiued from Christ which is signified by the two hornes like the Lambes but the end whereof it vseth that authoritie is to get obedience to that false doctrine which it teacheth signified by speaking like the dragon or deuil 12 It is this false and hypocriticall Church then which doeth exercise all the power of the former beast to wit teacheth the Kings of this Monarchy and seat by what
word of God as I did shew you in the beginning of my Euangel 14 And the hostes of Angels and Saints in heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed in white and pure linnen whereof yee heard alreadie 15 And from his mouth came foorth a sharpe sword as ye heard in the beginning of this Epistle that he might strike the Gentiles therewith for hee shall rule them with a rod of yron as Dauid sayth and he treadeth to wit giueth command and power to tread the lake or sea of the vine of the fury and wrath of God Almightie as ye heard in the seuenth Trumpet 16 And he hath vpon his garment and vpon his thigh as the strongest part of his body this name written The King of kings and Lord of lords 17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sunne that there he might be seene publikely of all and that the Whole world might take heed to that which he was to proclaime and he cried with a loude voice to all the fowles flying through the middest of heauen Come and gather your selues to the supper of the Lord 18 To eate the flesh of Kings of Tribunes of mightie men of horses and of their riders in short come eate the flesh of all free-men and slaues great and small This was to declare that the day of Iudgement was come wherein should that destruction ensue signified by fowles eating their flesh because fowles vse to eate the flesh of dead men vnburied which should ouerwhelme all sorts of men excepting alwayes these that were marked who were sundry times excepted before as ye heard 19 Then I saw that beast to wit Babylon together with the kings of the earth who tooke her part and their armies gathered together to make warre with him that sate vpon the white horse and with his armie 20 But the Beast was taken together with the false prophet or false Church which by her false miracles seduced the nations that did beare the Character of the Beast and adored his image as ye heard before and they were both cast quicke in the lake of fire burning with brimstone 21 And the rest were slaine by the sword which came out of his mouth that sate vpon the horse and the fowles were filled with their flesh for how soone Christ shall come to Iudgement then shall all the enemies of God be destroyed and so full victory obtained of this battell whereof yee heard in the sixt Trumpet and sixt phiale and shall heare farther hereafter And chiefly Babylon and the false Church shall be cast into hell because they merit double punishment for the abusing of men although they shall not also want their damnation that followeth them as is signified by their slaughter with the sword of his mouth whereof yee heard in the beginning of this Epistle and by the fowles eating their flesh as ye presently perceiue CHAP. XX. ARGVMENT The summe and recapitulation of all the former visions to wit the first estate of the Church in all puritie after Christ The heresies and specially the Popedome that followed The destruction thereof in their greatestrage The latter day The saluation of the Elect and condemnation of all others THe Spirit of God hauing now shewen vnto me the estate of the Church militant with the speciall temptations and troubles of the same from the death of Christ to the consummation of the world and their ioyfull deliuerance and victory at that time by the first sixe Seales and next more amply by the seuenth Seale wherin were the seuen trumpets and thirdly her greatest temptations and troubles more cleerely and at large by the vision of the woman persecuted by the Dragon and lastly the cleere and ample description and damnation of Babylon that great persecuter the sorrow of the earth and ioy of heauen therefore This vision now that ye shall presently heare was next shewen vnto me to serue for a summe as it were and a short recapitulation of the whole Prophecie so often reiterated before which is here diuided in three parts First the happy estate of Christes Church though not in the eyes of the world from his first comming to a long time after as was declared by the first Seale Next the grieuous troubles and temptations vnto the which shee shall be subiect thereafter as was declared by the third and fourth Seale and by the third fourth fift and sixt blastes of the Trumpets And thirdly the destruction of all her enemies her ioyfull deliuerance and the consummation as was declared by the sixt Seale the seuenth Trumpet the seuenth phiale and the comming downe of the white horse which in my last words before these yee heard described But specially in this vision is declared the punishment at the latter day of the deuill himselfe before the destruction onely of his instruments being mentioned as ye formerly heard The vision then was this 1 I saw an Angel come downe from heauen and he had the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand 2 And hee tooke the dragon to wit the ancient serpent who is the deuill and Satan to wit the Tempter and bound him for the space of a thousand yeres 3 And did cast him in the bottomlesse pit and closed him in there that it should not be opened that he might come foorth and seduce the nations till the space of a thousand yeeres were completed and past for thereafter he must be loosed for a short space 4 Then I saw seats and persons sitting vpon them and iudgment or power of iudging was giuen vnto them And I also saw the soules of them who were beheaded or otherwise put to death for the testimonie of Christ and the word of God and adored not the Beast nor tooke his image neither his character on their foreheads nor on their hands These shal liue and reigne with Christ the space of the thousand yeres ye heard 5 But the rest of the dead shal not reuiue till the space of these yeres be complete This is the first resurrectiō 6 Blessed and holy is he that is partaker of the first resurrection for ouer such the second death shal haue no power but they shal be Priests of God and Christ shal reigne with him for euer This is the first part of the diuision wherof I presently told you to wit Christ by his passion did bind the deuill who before was raging in the world and closed him in hell by the remouing of the vaile of blindnes from the whole earth which remained so the space of a thousand yeres to wit a long space all that time the deuil remained bound and casten into hell by Christ who only hath power of it so as in all that space the nations were not seduced for the efficacie of heresies was not yet cropen in and the Saints and Church visible shal so increase albeit in the midst of persecution all this time and so retaine the purity of the trewth as by the glory of
the faithfull who though they be otherwise in enmitie among themselues yet agree in this respect in odium tertij as did Herod and Pilate Sixtly the compassing of the Saints and besieging of the beloued City The false Church euer persecuteth declareth vnto vs a certaine note of a false Church to be persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are those that are sought The wicked are the besiegers the faithfull the besieged Seuenthly Scripture by Scripture should be expounded 2. King 1.10 11. in the forme of language and phrase or maner of speaking of fire comming downe from heauen here vsed and taken out of the Booke of the Kings where at Elias his prayers with fire from heauen were destroyed Achazias his souldiers as the greatest part of all the words verses and sentences of this booke are taken and borrowed of other parts of the Scripture we are taught to vse onely Scripture for interpretation of Scripture if we would be sure and neuer swarue from the analogie of faith in expounding seeing it repeateth so oft the owne phrases and thereby expoundeth them Eightly of the last part of the confusion of the wicked euen at the top of their height and wheele we haue two things to note One that God although he suffereth the wicked to run on while their cup be full yet in the end he striketh them first in this world and next in the world to come to the deliuerance of his Church in this world and the perpetuall glory of the same in the world to come The other note is that after the great persecution and the destruction of the pursuers shall the day of Iudgement follow For so declareth the 11. verse of this same Chapter but in how short space it shall follow that is onely knowne vnto God Onely this farre are we certaine that in the last estate without any moe generall mutations the world shall remaine till the consummation and end of the same To conclude then with exhortation It is al our duties in this Isle at this time to do two things One to consider our estate And other to conforme our actions according thereunto Our estate is we are threefold besieged First spiritually by the heresies of the antichrist Secondly corporally generally as members of that Church the which in the whole they persecute Thirdly All men should be lawfully armed spiritually and bodily to fight against the Antichrist and his vpholders corporally and particularly by this present armie Our actions then conformed to our estate are these First to call for helpe at God his hands Next to assure vs of the same seeing we haue a sufficient warrant his constant promise expressed in his word Thirdly since with good conscience we may being in the tents of the Saints beloued City stand in our defence encourage one another to vse lawfull resistance and concurre or ioyne one with another as warriors in one Campe and citizens of one beloued City for maintenance of the good cause God hath clad vs with and in defence of our liberties natiue countrey and liues For since we see God hath promised not only in the world to come but also in this world to giue vs victory ouer them let vs in assurance hereof strongly trust in our God cease to mistrust his promise and fall through incredulitie or vnbeliefe For then are we worthy of double punishment For the stronger they waxe and the neerer they come to their light the faster approcheth their wracke and the day of our deliuery For kind and louing true and constant carefull and watchfull mighty and reuenging is he that promiseth it To whom be praise and glory for euer AMEN A MEDITATION VPON THE xxv xxvj xxvij xxviij and xxix verses of the xv Chap. of the first Booke of the Chronicles of the Kings Written by the most Christian King and sincere Professour of the trewth IAMES by the grace of God King of England France Scotland and Ireland Defender of the Faith THE TEXT 25 So Dauid and the Elders of Israel and the Captaines of thousands went to bring vp the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with ioy 26 And because that God helped the Leuites that bare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord they offered seuen Bullockes and seuen Rammes 27 And Dauid had on him a linnen garment as all the Leuites that bare the Arke and the singers and Chenaniah that had the chiefe charge of the singers and vpon Dauid was a linnen Ephod 28 Thus all Israel brought vp the Arke of the Lords Couenant with shouting and sound of Cornet and with Trumpets and with Cymbales making asound with Violes and with harpes 29 And when the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord came into the Citie of Dauid Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at a window and saw King Dauid dauncing and playing and shee despised him in her heart THE MEDITATION AS of late when greatest appearance of perill was by that forreine and godlesse fleete I tooke occasion by a Text selected for the purpose to exhort you to remaine constant resting assured of a happy deliuerance So now by the great mercies of God my speeches hauing taken an euident effect I could doe no lesse of my carefull duety then out of this place cited teach you what resteth on your part to be done not of any opinion I haue of my abilitie to instruct you but that these meditations of mine may after my death remaine to the posteritie as a certaine testimony of my vpright and honest meaning in this so great and weightie a cause Now I come to the matter Dauid that godly King you see hath no sooner obtained victory ouer Gods and his enemies the Philistines but his first action which followes is with concurrence of his whole estates to translate the Arke of the Lords couenant to his house in great triumph and gladnesse accompanied with the sound of musicall instruments And being so brought to the Kings house he himselfe dances and reioyces before it which thing Michal the daughter of Saul and his wife perceiuing she contemned and laughed at her husband in her minde This is the summe THE METHOD FOr better vnderstanding whereof these heades are to be opened vp in order and applied And first what causes mooued Dauid to doe this worke Secondly what persons concurred with Dauid in doing of this worke Thirdly what was the action it selfe and forme of doing vsed in the same Fourthly the person of Michal And fiftly her action THE FIRST PART AS to the first part Zeale in Dauid and experiēce of Gods kindnesse towards him moued Dauid to honour God The causes moouing Dauid passing all others I note two One internall the other external the internall was a feruent and zealous mind in Dauid fully disposed to extoll the glorie of God that had called him to be King as he saith himselfe The zeale of thy house it eats
such obscure places as ye vnderstand not blaming onely your owne capacitie read with delight the plaine places and studie carefully to vnderstand those that are somewhat difficile preasse to bee a good textuarie for the Scripture is euer the best interpreter of it selfe but preasse not curiously to seeke out farther then is contained therein for that were ouer vnmannerly a presumption to striue to bee further vpon Gods secrets then he hath will ye be for what hee thought needfull for vs to know that hath he reuealed there And delyte most in reading such parts of the Scripture as may best serue for your instruction in your calling reiecting foolish curiosities vpon genealogies and contentions Tit. 3.9 which are but vaine and profite not as Paul saith Now as to Faith which is the nourisher and quickner of Religion Faith the nourisher of Religion as I haue alreadie said It is a sure perswasion and apprehension of the promises of God applying them to your soule and therefore may it iustly be called the golden chaine that linketh the faithfull soule to Christ And because it groweth not in our garden but is the free gift of God Philip. 1.29 as the same Apostle saith it must be nourished by prayer Which is nothing else but a friendly talking with God As for teaching you the forme of your prayers Prayer and whence to learne the best forme thereof the Psalmes of Dauid are the meetest schoole-master that ye can be acquainted with next the prayer of our Sauiour which is the onely rule of prayer whereout of as of most rich and pure fountaines ye may learne all forme of prayer necessarie for your comfort at all occasions And so much the fitter are they for you then for the common sort in respect the composer thereof was a King and therefore best behoued to know a Kings wants and what things were meetest to be required by a King at Gods hand for remedie thereof Vse often to pray when ye are quietest Seuerall exercise of prayer especially forget it not in your bed how oft soeuer ye doe it at other times for publike prayer serueth as much for example as for any particular comfort to the supplicant In your prayer bee neither ouer strange with God What rule or regard to be vsed in prayer like the ignorant common sort that prayeth nothing but out of bookes nor yet ouer homely with him like some of the vaine Pharisaicall puritanes that thinke they rule him vpon their fingers The former way will breede an vncouth coldnesse in you towards him the other will breede in you a contempt of him But in your prayer to God speake with all reuerence for if a subiect will not speake but reuerently to a King much lesse should any flesh presume to talke with God as with his companion Craue in your prayer not onely things spirituall but also things temporall What to craue of God sometimes of greater and sometimes of lesse consequence that yee may lay vp in store his grant of these things for confirmation of your faith and to be an arles-peny vnto you of his loue Pray as yee finde your heart moueth you pro re nata but see that yee sute no vnlawfull things as reuenge Rom. 14.23 lust or such like for that prayer can not come of faith and whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne as the Apostle saith When ye obtaine your prayer How to interpret the issue of prayer thanke him ioyfully therefore if otherwaies beare patiently preassing to winne him with importunitie as the widow did the vnrighteous Iudge and if notwithstanding thereof yee be not heard assure your selfe God foreseeth that which yee aske is not for your weale and learne in time so to interprete all the aduersities that God shall send vnto you so shall yee in the middest of them not onely be armed with patience but ioyfully lift vp your eyes from the present trouble to the happie end that God will turne it to And when ye finde it once so fall out by proofe arme your selfe with the experience thereof against the next trouble assuring your selfe though yee cannot in time of the showre see through the cloude yet in the end shall ye find God sent it for your weale as ye found in the former And as for conscience Conscience the conseruer of Religion which I called the conseruer of Religion It is nothing else but the light of knowledge that God hath planted in man which euer watching ouer all his actions as it beareth him a ioyfull testimonie when he does right so choppeth it him with a feeling that hee hath done wrong when euer he committeth any sinne And surely although this conscience be a great torture to the wicked yet is it as great a comfort to the godly if we will consider it rightly For haue wee not a great aduantage that haue within our selues while wee liue here a Count-booke and Inuentarie of all the crimes that wee shall bee accused of The inuentarie of our life either at the houre of our death or at the Great day of Iudgement which when wee please yea though we forget will chop and remember vs to looke vpon it that while we haue leasure and are here we may remember to amend and so at the day of our triall compeare with new and white garments washed in the blood of the Lambe Reu 7.14 as S. Iohn saith Aboue all then my Sonne labour to keepe sound this conscience which many prattle of but ouer few feele especially be carefull to keepe it free from two diseases wherewith it vseth oft to be infected The diseases of conscience to wit Leaprosie and Superstition the former is the mother of Atheisme the other of Heresies By a leaprouse conscience I meane a cauterized conscience 1. Tim. 4.2 as Paul calleth it being become senselesse of sinne through sleeping in a carelesse securitie as King Dauids was after his murther and adulterie euer til he was wakened by the Prophet Nathans similitude And by superstition I meane when one restraines himselfe to any other rule in the seruice of God then is warranted by the word the onely trew square of Gods serucie As for a preseruatiue against this Leaprosie Preseruatiue against leprosie of conscience remember euer once in the foure and twentie houres either in the night or when yee are at greatest quiet to call your selfe to account of all your last dayes actions either wherein ye haue committed things yee should not or omitted the things ye should doe either in your Christian or Kingly calling and in that account let not your selfe be smoothed ouer with that flattering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ouerkindly a sicknesse to all mankind but censure your selfe as sharply as if ye were your owne enemie For if ye iudge your selfe ye shall not be iudged 1. Cor. 11.31 as the Apostle saith and then according to your censure reforme
factious seruants Tacit. eod 1. An. Teach obedience to your seruants and not to thinke themselues ouer-wise and as when any of them deserueth it ye must not spare to put them away so without a seene cause change none of them The ground-stone of good gouernment At. 5. polit Tacit. in Ag. Dion li. 52. Xent in Ages Isoc in Sym. et ad Ph. Id. de permutat Cic. ad Q. frat Pay them as all others your subiects with praemium or poena as they deserue which is the very ground-stone of good gouernement Employ euery man as ye thinke him qualified but vse not one in all things lest he waxe proude and be enuied of his fellowes Loue them best that are plainnest with you and disguise not the trewth for all their kinne suffer none to be euill tongued nor backbiters of them they hate command a hartly and brotherly loue among all them that serue you And shortly maintaine peace in your Court bannish enuie cherish modestie bannish deboshed insolence foster humilitie and represse pride setting downe such a comely and honourable order in all the points of your seruice that when strangers shall visite your Court 1. King 10. they may with the Queene of Sheba admire your wisedome in the glorie of your house and comely order among your seruants But the principall blessing that yee can get of good companie Of Mariage will stand in your marrying of a godly and vertuous wife for shee must bee nearer vnto you Gen. 2.23 then any other companie being Flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone as Adam saide of Heuah And because I know not but God may call mee before ye be readie for Mariage I will shortly set downe to you heere my aduice therein First of all consider that Mariage is the greatest earthly felicitie or miserie that can come to a man according as it pleaseth God to blesse or curse the same Since then without the blessing of GOD yee cannot looke for a happie successe in Mariage yee must bee carefull both in your preparation for it Preparation to mariage and in the choice and vsage of your wife to procure the same By your preparation I meane that yee must keepe your bodie cleane and vnpolluted till yee giue it to your wife whom-to onely it belongeth For how can ye iustly craue to bee ioyned with a pure virgine if your bodie be polluted why should the one halfe bee cleane and the other defiled And although I know fornication is thought but a light and a veniall sinne by the most part of the world yet remember well what I said to you in my first Booke anent conscience and count euery sinne and breach of Gods law not according as the vaine world esteemeth of it but as God the Iudge and maker of the lawe accounteth of the same Heare God commanding by the mouth of Paul to abstaine from fornication 1. Cor. 6.10 declaring that the fornicator shall not inherite the Kingdome of heauen and by the mouth of Iohn reckoning out fornication amongst other grieuous sinnes that debarre the committers amongst dogs and swine Reuel 22.25 from entry in that spirituall and heauenly Ierusalem And consider if a man shall once take vpon him to count that light which God calleth heauie and veniall that which God calleth grieuous The dangerous effects of lust beginning first to measure any one sinne by the rule of his lust and appetites and not of his conscience what shall let him to doe so with the next that his affections shall stirre him to the like reason seruing for all and so to goe forward till he place his whole corrupted affections in Gods roome And then what shall come of him but as a man giuen ouer to his owne filthy affections shall perish into them And because wee are all of that nature that sibbest examples touch vs neerest consider the difference of successe that God granted in the Mariages of the King my grand-father and me your owne father A domesticke example the reward of his incontinencie proceeding from his euill education being the suddaine death at one time of two pleasant yong Princes and a daughter onely borne to succeed to him whom hee had neuer the hap so much as once to see or blesse before his death leauing a double curse behinde him to the land both a Woman of sexe and a new borne babe of aage to raigne ouer them And as for the blessing God hath bestowed on mee in granting me both a greater continencie and the fruits following there-upon your selfe and sib folkes to you are praise be to God sufficient witnesses which I hope the same God of his infinite mercie shall continue and increase without repentance to me and my posteritie Be not ashamed then to keepe cleane your body which is the Temple of the holy Spirit 1. Cor. 6.19 notwithstanding all vaine allurements to the contrary discerning trewly and wisely of euery vertue and vice according to the trew qualities therof and not according to the vaine conceits of men As for your choise in Mariage respect chiefly the three causes wherefore Mariage was first ordeined by God and then ioyne three accessories so farre as they may be obtained not derogating to the principalles The three causes it was ordeined for are for staying of lust Mariage ordained for three causes Arist 7. pol. for procreation of children and that man should by his Wife get a helper like himselfe Deferre not then to Marie till your aage for it is ordeined for quenching the lust of your youth Especially a King must tymouslie Marie for the weale of his people Neither Marie yee Id. cod for any accessory cause or worldly respects a woman vnable either through aage nature or accident for procreation of children for in a King that were a double fault aswell against his owne weale as against the weale of his people Neither also Marie one of knowne euill conditions or vicious education for the woman is ordeined to be a helper and not a hinderer to man Accessory causes of mariage AEg Ro. 2. de reg pr. The three accessories which as I haue said ought also to be respected without derogating to the principall causes are beautie riches and friendship by alliance which are all blessings of God For beautie increaseth your loue to your Wife contenting you the better with her without caring for others and riches and great alliance doe both make her the abler to be a helper vnto you But if ouer great respect being had to these accessories the principall causes bee ouer-seene which is ouer oft practised in the world as of themselues they are a blessing being well vsed so the abuse of them will turne them in a curse For what can all these worldly respects auaile when a man shall finde himselfe coupled with a diuel to be one flesh with him and the halfe marrow in his bed Then though too
whereof neuer Christian King is or was afraid Was neuer Christian Emperour or King afraid of the Popes How then were these miserable Emperours tost and turmoiled and in the end vtterly ruined by the Popes for proofe whereof I haue already cited Bellarmines owne bookes Was not the 13 Henry 4. Emperour afraid who 14 Abbas Vâ—spergen Lamb Scaff Anno 1077. Plat. in vit Greg. 7. waited barefooted in the frost and snow three dayes at the Popes gate before he could get entrie Was not the 15 Frederick Barbarosia Emperour also afraid 16 Naucler gener 40. Iacob Bergom in Supplem chron Alfons Clacon in vit Alex. 3. who was driuen to lie agroofe on his belly and suffer another Pope to tread vpon his necke And was not another 17 Henry 6. Emperour afraid 18 R. Houeden in Rich 1 Ranulph in Polycronico lib. 7. who was constrained in like maner to endure a third Pope to beat off from his head the Imperiall Crowne with his foot Was not 19 Abbas Vrsper ad Ann. 1191. Nanc gen 40. Cuspin in Philippo Philip afraid being made Emperour against Pope Innocentius the thirds good liking when he brake out into these words Either the Pope shall take the Crowne from Philip or Philip shall take the Miter from the Pope whereupon the Pope stirred vp Ottho against him who caused him to be slaine and presently went to Rome and was crowned Emperour by the Pope though afterward the Pope 1 Abbas Vrsper deposed him too Was not the Emperour 2 Math. Paris in Henr. 3. Petr de Vineis Epist li. 1. 2. Cuspin in Freder 2. Fredericke afraid when Innocentius the fourth excommunicated him depriued him of his crowne absolued Princes of their Oath of fidelitie to him and in Apulia corrupted one to giue him poison whereof the Emperour recouering hee hired his bastard sonne Manfredus to poison him whereof he died What did 3 Vita Frederici Germanicè conscripta Alexander the third write to the Soldan That if he would liue quietly hee should by some slight murther the 4 Fredericke Barbarossa Emperour and to that end sent him the Emperours picture And did not 5 Paul Iouius Hist lib. 2. Cuspinian in Baiazet 11. Guiccâ—ard lib 2. Alexander the sixt take of the Turke Baiazetes two hundred thousand crownes to kill his brother Gemen or as some call him Sisimus whom he helde captiue at Rome Did hee not accept of the conditions to poyson the man and had his pay Was not our 6 Houeden pag. 308. Matth. Paris in Henric 2. Walsinga in Hypodig Neustriae Ioan. Capgraue Henry the second afraid after the slaughter of Thomas Becket that besides his going bare-footed in Pilgrimage was whipped vp and down the Chapter-house like a schoole-boy and glad to escape so to Had not this French King his great grandfather King Iohn reason to be afraid when the 7 Gomecius de rebus gest Fran. Ximenij Archiepis Tolet. lib. 5. Pope gaue away his kingdome of Nauarre to the King of Spaine whereof he yet possesseth the best halfe Had not this King his Successour reason to be afraid when he was forced to begge so submissiuely the relaxation of his Excommunication as he was content likewise to suffer his Ambassadour to be whipped at Rome for penance And had not the late Queene reason to looke to her selfe when she was excommunicated by Pius Quintus her Subiects loosed from their fidelitie and Allegiance toward her her Kingdome of Ireland giuen to the King of Spaine and that famous fugitiue diuine honoured with the like degree of a redde Hat as Bellarmine is was not ashamed to publish in Printan 8 Card. Allens Answere to Stan. letter Anno 1587. Apologie for Stanleys treason maintaining that by reason of her excommunication and heresie it was not onely lawfull for any of her Subiects but euen they were bound in conscience to depriue her of any strength which lay in their power to doe And whether it were armies townes or fortresses of hers which they had in their hands they were obliged to put them in the King of Spaine her enemies hands shee no more being the right owner of anything But albeit it be trew that wise men are mooued by the examples of others dangers to vse prouidence and caution according to the olde Prouerbe Tumtuares agitur paries cùm proximus ardet yet was I much neerlier summoned to vse this caution by the practise of it in mine owne person First by the sending foorth of these Bulles whereof I made mention already for debarring me from entrie vnto this Crowne and Kingdome And next after my entrie and full possession thereof by the horrible Powder-treason which should haue bereft both me and mine both of crowne and life And howsoeuer the Pope will seeme to cleare himselfe of any allowance of the said Powder-treason yet can it not be denied that his principall ministers here and his chiefe Mancipia the Iesuites were the plaine practisers thereof for which the principall of them hath died confessing it and other haue fled the Countrey for the crime yea some of them gone into Italy and yet neither these that fled out of this Countrey for it nor yet Baldwine who though he then remained in the Low-countreys was of counsell in it were euer called to account for it by the Pope much lesse punished for medling in so scandalous and enormous businesse And now what needs so great wonder and exclamation that the only King of England feareth And what other Christian King doeth or euer did feare but hee As if by the force of his rhetoricke he could make me and my good Subiects to mistrust our senses deny the Sunne to shine at midday and not with the serpent to stop our cares to his charming but to the plaine and visible veritie it selfe And yet for all this wonder he can neuer prooue mee to be troubled with such a Panicke terrour Haue I euer importuned the Pope with any request for my securitie Or haue I either troubled other Christian Princes my friends and allies to intreat for me at the Popes hand Or yet haue I begged from them any aide or assistance for my farther securitie No. All this wondred-at feare of mine stretcheth no further then wisely to make distinction betweene the sheepe and goats in my owne pasture For since what euer the Popes part hath beene in the Powder-treason yet certaine it is that all these caitife monsters did to their death maintaine that onely zeale of Religion mooued them to that horrible attempt yea some of them at their death would not craue pardon at God or King for their offence exhorting other of their followers to the like constancie Had not wee then and our Parliament great reason by this Oath to set a marke of distinction betweene good Subiects and bad Yea betweene Papists though peraduenture zealous in their religion yet otherwise ciuilly honest and
conclusion of all his examples The Cardinals paire of Martyrs weighed he reckoneth his two English Martyrs Moore and Roffensis who died for that one most weightie head of doctrine as he alledgeth refusing the Oath of Supremacie I must tell him that he hath not been well informed in some materiall points which doe very neerely concerne his two said Martyrs For it is cleare and apparantly to be prooued by diuers Records that they were both of them committed to the Tower about a yeere before either of them was called in question vpon their liues for the Popes Supremacie And that partly for their backwardnesse in the point of the establishment of the Kings succession whereunto the whole Realme had subscribed and partly for that one of them to wit Fisher had had his hand in the matter of the holy 8 Called Elizabeth Barton See the Act of Parliament maide of Kent hee being for his concealement of that false prophets abuse found guiltie of misprision of Treason And as these were the principall causes of their imprisonment the King resting secure of his Supremacie as the Realme stood then affected but especially troubled for setling the Crowne vpon the issue of his second mariage so was it easily to be conceiued that being thereupon discontented their humors were thereby made apt to draw them by degrees to further opposition against the King and his authoritie as indeede it fell out For in the time of their being in prison the Kings lawfull authoritie in cases Ecclesiasticall being published and promulged as well by a generall decree of the Clergie in their Synode as by an Acte of Parliament made thereupon they behaued themselues so peeuishly therein as the olde coales of the Kings anger being thereby raked vp of new they were againe brought in question as well for this one most weighty head of doctrine of the Pope his supremacy as for the matter of the Kings mariage and succession as by the confession of one of themselues euen Thomas Moore is euident For being condemned he vsed these words at the barre before the Lords Non ignoro cur me morti adiudicaueritis videlicet ob id Histor aliquet Martyrum nostri seculi Anno 1550. quòd nunquam voluerim assentiri in negotio matrimonij Regis That is I am not ignorant why you haue adiudged mee to death to wit for that I would neuer consent in the businesse of the new mariage of the King By which his owne confession it is plaine that this great martyr himselfe tooke the cause of his owne death to be onely for his being refractary to the King in this said matter of Marriage and Succession which is but a very fleshly cause of Martyrdome as I conceiue And as for Roffensis his fellow Martyr who could haue bene content to haue taken the Oath of the Kings Supremacie with a certaine modification which Moore refused as his imprisonment was neither onely nor principally for the cause of Supremacie so died hee but a halting and a singular Martyr or witnesse for that most weighty head of doctrine the whole Church of England going at that time in one current and streame as it were against him in that Argument diuers of them being of farre greater reputation for learning and sound iudgement then euer he was So as in this point we may well arme our selues with the Cardinals owne reason where he giueth amongst other notes of the trew Church Vniuersalitie for one wee hauing the generall and Catholique conclusion of the whole Church of England on our side in this case as appeareth by their booke set out by the whole Conuocation of England called The Institution of a Christian man the same matter being likewise very learnedly handled by diuers particular learned men of our Church as by Steuen Gardiner in his booke De vera obedientia with a Preface of Bishop Boners adioyning to it De summo absoluto Regis Imperio published by M. Bekinsaw De vera differentia Regiae Potestatis Ecclesiasticae Bishop Tonstals Sermon Bishop Longlands Sermon the letter of Tonstall to Cardinall Poole and diuers other both in English and Latine And if the bitternesse of Fishers discontentment had not bene fed with his dayly ambitious expectation of the Cardinals hat which came so neere as Calis before he lost his head to fill it with I haue great reason to doubt if he would haue constantly perseuered in induring his Martyrdome for that one most waighty head of doctrine And surely these two Captaines and ringleaders to Martyrdome were but ill followed by the rest of their countreymen for I can neuer reade of any after them being of any great accompt and that not many that euer sealed that weighty head of doctrine with their blood in England So as the trew causes of their first falling in trouble whereof I haue already made mention being rightly considered vpon the one part and vpon the other the scant number of witnesses that with their blood sealed it a point so greatly accompted of by our Cardinal there can but smal glory redound thereby to our English nation these onely two Enoch and Elias seruing for witnesses against our Antichristian doctrine And I am sure the Supremacie of Kings may The Supremacy of Kings sufficiently warranted by the Scriptures wil euer be better maintained by the word of God which must euer be the trew rule to discerne all waighty heads of doctrine by to be the trew and proper office of Christian Kings in their owne dominions then he will be euer able to maintaine his annihilating Kings and their authorities together with his base and vnreuerend speaches of them wherewith both his former great Volumes and his late Bookes against Venice are filled In the old Testament Kings were directly 1 2. Chron. 19.4 Gouernours ouer the Church within their Dominions 2 2. Sam. 5.6 purged their corruptions reformed their abuses brought the 3 1. Chron. 13.12 Arke to her resting place the King 4 2. Sam. 6.16 dancing before it 5 1. Chron. 28.6 built the Temple 6 2. Chron. 6. dedicated the same assisting in their owne persons to the sanctification thereof 7 2. King 22.11 made the Booke of the Law new-found to bee read to the people 8 Nehe. 9.38 Dauid Salomon renewed the Couenant betweene God and his people 9 2. King 18.4 bruised the brasen serpent in pieces which was set vp by the expresse commandement of God and was a figure of Christ destroyed 10 1. King 15.12 2. king 13.4 all Idoles and false gods made 11 2. Chron. 17.8 a publike reformation by a Commission of Secular men and Priests mixed for that purpose deposed 12 1. King 2.27 the high Priest and set vp another in his place and generally ordered euery thing belonging to the Church-gouernment their Titles and Prerogatiues giuen them by God agreeing to these their actions They are called the 13 2.
my owne deed And therefore that ye may the better vnderstand the nature of the cause I will begin at the first ground thereof The neuer enough wondered at and abhorred POVVDER-TREASON though the repetition thereof grieueth I know the gentle hearted Iesuite Parsons this Treason I say being not onely intended a gainst mee and my Posteritie but euen against the whole house of Parliament plotted onely by Papists and they onely led thereto by a preposterous zeale for the aduancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that euen at their death they would not acknowledge their fault but in their last words immediatly before the expiring of their breath refused to condemne themselues and craue pardon for their deed except the Romish Church should first condemne it And soone after it being discouered that a great number of my Popish Subiects of all rankes and sexes both men and women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused notion and an obscure knowledge that some great thing was to bee done in that Parliament for the weale of the Church although for secrecies cause they were not acquainted with the particulars certaine formes of prayer hauing likewise beene set downe and vsed for the good successe of that great errand adding heereunto that diuers times and from diuers Priestes the Archtraitours themselues receiued the Sacrament for confirmation of their heart and obseruation of secrecie Some of the principall Iesuites likewise being found guiltie of the foreknowledge of the Treason it selfe of which number some fled from their triall others were apprehended as holy Garnet himselfe and Owldcorne were and iustly executed vpon their owne plaine confession of their guilt If this Treason now clad with these circumstances did not minister a iust occasion to that Parliament house whome they thought to haue destroyed courageously and zealously at their next sitting downe to vse all meanes of triall whether any more of that minde were yet left in the Countrey I leaue it to you to iudge whom God hath appointed his highest Depute Iudges vpon earth And amongst other things for this purpose This Oath of Allegiance so vniustly impugned was then deuised and enacted And in case any sharper Lawes were then made against the Papists that were not obedient to the former Lawes of the Countrey if ye will consider the Time Place and Persons it will be thought no wonder seeing that occasion did so iustly exasperate them to make seuerer Lawes then otherwise they would haue done The Time I say being the very next sitting downe of the Parliament after the discouerie of that abominable Treason the Place being the same where they should all haue bene blowne vp and so bringing it freshly to their memorie againe the Persons being the very Parliament men whom they thought to haue destroyed And yet so farre hath both my heart and gouernment bene from any bitternes as almost neuer one of those sharpe additions to the former Lawes haue euer yet bene put in execution And that ye may yet know further for the more conuincing these Libellers of wilfull malice who impudently affirme That this Oath of Allegiance was deuised for deceiuing and intrapping of Papists in points of Conscience The trewth is that the Lower house of Parliament at the first framing of this Oath made it to containe That the Pope had no power to excommunicate me which I caused them to reforme onely making it to conclude That no excommunication of the Popes can warrant my Subiects to practise against my Person or State denying the deposition of Kings to be in the Popes lawfull power as indeed I take any such temporall violence to be farre without the limits of such a Spirituall censure as Excommunication is So carefull was I that nothing should be contained in this Oath except the profession of natural Allegiance and ciuil and temporall obedience with a promise to resist to all contrary vnciuill violence This Oath now grounded vpon so great and iust an occasion set forth in so reasonable termes and ordained onely for making of a trew distinction betweene Papists of quiet disposition and in all other things good subiects and such other Papists as in their hearts maintained the like violent bloody Maximes that the Powder-Traitours did This Oath I say being published and put in practise bred such euill blood in the Popes head and his Cleargie as Breue after Breue commeth forth vt vndam vnda sequitur prohibiting all Catholikes from taking the same as a thing cleane contrary to the Catholike faith and that the taking thereof cannot stand with the saluation of their soules There commeth likewise a letter of Cardinall Bellarmines to Blackwell to the same purpose but discoursing more at length vpon the said Oath Whereupon after I had entred in consideration of their vniust impugning that so iust and lawfull an Oath and fearing that by their vntrew calumnies and Sophistrie the hearts of a number of the most simple and ignorant of my people should bee misse-led vnder that faire and deceitfull cloake of Conscience I thought good to set foorth an Apologie for the said Oath wherein I prooued that as this Oath contained nothing but matter of ciuill and temporall Obedience due by Subiects to their Soueraigne Prince so this quarrelling therewith was nothing but a late vsurpation of Popes against the warrant of all Scriptures ancient Councels and Fathers vpon the Temporall power of Kings wherewith onely my Apologie doeth meddle But the publishing of this Booke of mine hath brought such two Answerers or rather Railers vpon mee as all the world may wonder at For my Booke being first written in English an English Oath being the subiect thereof and the vse of it properly belonging to my Subiects of England and immediatly thereafter being translated into Latine vpon a desire that some had of further publishing it abroad it commeth home to mee now answered in both the Languages And I thinke if it had bene set foorth in all the tongues that were at the confusion of Babel it would haue bene returned answered in them all againe Thus may a man see how busie a Bishop the Diuell is and how hee omitteth no diligence for venting of his poysoned wares But herein their malice doeth clearely appeare that they pay mee so quickly with a double answere and yet haue neuer answered their owne Arch-priest who hath written a booke for the maintenance of the same Oath and of the temporall authoritie of Kings alledging a cloud of their owne Scholemen against them As for the English Answerer my vnnaturall and fugitiue Subiect I will neither defile my pen nor your sacred eyes or eares with the describing of him who ashames nay abhorres not to raile nay to rage and spew foorth blasphemies against the late Queene of famous memory A Subiect to raile against his naturall Soueraigne by birth A man to raile against a Lady by sexe A holy man in outward profession to insult vpon the dead nay to
number of men as I haue already said whose Seat that great Citie must be like as in the same Chapter The seuen heads of the Beast are two wayes expounded First they are called seuen Hils which is plaine and next they are called seuen Kings which cannot bee meant by the Kings that shall giue their power to the Beast Verse 13. and bee subiect vnto her which is immediatly after expressed by the tenne hornes Verse 12. But rather appeareth to be those seuen formes of gouernment of that Seat fiue of which had already beene and fallen As Kings Consuls Dictators Decemuiri and Tribuni militum The sixt was in the time of S. Iohn his writing of this booke which was the Gouernement of the Emperour The seuenth which was not yet come and was to last but for a short space was the 1 From the time of Constantine the Great his remouing of the Empire from Rome to Cōstantinople till the time of Bonifacius the third to wit about 276. veeres Ecclesiasticall gouernment by Bishops which was not come vpon the translation of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople though their gouernment was in a manner substitute to the Emperours For though that forme of Gouernement lasted about the space of 276. yeeres yet was it but short in comparison of the long time of the reigne of the Antichrist not yet expired which succeeded immediatly thereunto And the eight which is the Beast that was and is not and is to goe to perdition is the ANTICHRIST the eight forme of Gouernment indeed by his absolutenesse and yet the Verse 11. and yet the seuenth because hee seemeth but to succeed to the Bishop in an Ecclesiasticall forme of Gouernement though by his greatnesse hee shall make Babylons Empire in glory like to that magnificence wherein that great Citie triumphed when it most flourished which in Saint Iohns time was much decayed by the factions of the great men the mutinies of the armies and the vnworthines of the Emperours And so that flourishing state of that great Citie or Beast which it was in before S. Iohns time and being much 2 Not in respect of the extent and limites of the Empire but in regard of the gouernement thereof and glory of the Citre Reuel 18. Ver. 9. 11. Ver 10.16 19. Vers 9. decayed was but in a maner in his time should be restored vnto it againe by Antichrist who as he ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit so must he goe to Destruction And likewise by that great lamentation that is made for the destruction of Babylon in the eighteenth Chapter both by the Kings and by the Merchants of the earth where it is thrice repeated for aggrauating the pitie of her desolation that That great Citie fell in an houre By that great lamentation I say it well appeareth That the raigne of Antichrist must continue longer then three yeeres and a halfe or any one mans time For the Kings that had committed fornication with her in delicijs vixerant behoued to haue had a longer time for contracting of that great acquaintance Vers 12. And the Merchants of the earth set her forth and describe her at great length as the very staple of all their riches which could not be so soone gathered as in one mans time And to conclude now this description of the Antichrist I will set downe vnto you all that is spoken of him in the Apocalyps in a short methode for the further explaining of these three points that I haue already handled The Antichrist is foure times in my opinion described by Iohn in the Apocalyps in foure sundry visions and a short Compendium of him repeated againe in the xx Chapter 1 Description of Antichrist Reuel cap. 6. Verse 2. He is first described by a pale Horse in the vision of the Seales in the sixt Chapter For after that CHRIST had triumphed vpon a white Horse in the first Seale by the propagation of the Gospel and that the red Horse in the second Seale is as busie in persecution Verse 4. as CHRIST is in ouercomming by the constancie of his Martyrs and that famine and other plagues signified by the blacke Horse in the third Seale Verse 5. Verse 8. haue succeeded to these former persecutions Then commeth forth the Antichrist vpon a pale horse in the 4. Seale hauing Death for his rider and Hell for his conuoy which rider fitted well his colour of palenesse and be had power giuen 1 Or them after other Translations whereby is ioyntly vnderstood the said pale horse together with his rider and conuoy Death and Hell him ouer the fourth part of the earth which is Europe to kill with the sword and vse great persecution as Ethnick Rome did figured by the red horse and to kill with spirituall hunger or famine of the trew word of God as the black horse did by corporal famine with death whereby spiritual death is meant For the Antichrist signified by this pale horse shal afflict the Church both by persecution and temporal death as also by alluring the Nations to idolatry and so to spirituall death and by the beast of the earth shall he procure their spiritual death for he shall send out the Locusts ouer whom he is King mentioned in the 9. Chap. of this booke and the 3. frogs mentioned in the 16. of the same for intising of al Kings and nations to drinke of the cup of her abominations Verse 9. That that description now of Antichrist endeth there it is more then plaine for at the opening of the first Seale the soules and blood of the murthered Saints cry for vengeance and hasting of iudgment Verse 10. Verse 12. which in the sixt Seale is granted vnto them by CHRISTS comming at the Latter day signified by heauens departing away like a scroll when it is rolled with a number of other sentences to the same purpose But because this might seeme a short and obscure description of the Antichrist The second description he describeth him much more largely and specifikely especially in the vision of the Trumpets in the 9. Reu. Chap. 9. Verse 1. Chapter For there he saith at the blowing of the sift Trumpet Heresies being first spread abroad in three of the foure former blasts to wit in the first third and fourth blast for I take temporall persecution to be onely signified by the second blast he then saw a starre fall from Heauen Verse 2. to whom was giuen the key of the bottomles pit which being opened by him Verse 3. with the smoke thereof came foorth a number of Locusts whom hee largely describeth both by their craft their strength and then telleth the name of this their king who brought them out of the bottomles pit which is Verse 11. Destroyer By this starre fallen from heauen being signified as I take it some person of great dignitie in the Church whose duetie being to
Germanic c. 32. TORTVS Pag. 88. 5 Adde heereunto that Cuspinian in relating the history of the Turkes brother who was poysoned by Alexander 6. hath not the consent of other writers to witnesse the trewth of this History CONFVTATION The same History which is reported by Cuspinian is recorded also by sundry other famous Historians See Francis Guicciardin lib. 2. Histor Ital. Paulus Iouius lib. 2. Hist. sui temporis Sabellic Ennead 10. lib. 9. Continuator Palmerij at the yeere 1494. THE NOVEL DOCTRINES WITH A BRIEFE DECLARATION of their Noueltie NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 9. 1 IT is agreed vpon amongst all that the Pope may lawfully depose Hereticall Princes and free their Subiects from yeelding obedience vnto them CONFVTATION Nay all are so farre from consenting in this point that it may much more trewly be auouched that none entertained that conceit before Hildebrand since he was the first brocher of this new doctrine neuer before heard of as many learned men of that aage and the aage next following to omit others of succeeding aages haue expresly testified See for this point the Epistle of the whole Clergie of Liege to Pope Paschal the second See the iudgement of many Bishops of those times recorded by Auentine in his historie lib. 5. fol. 579. Also the speech vttered by Conrade bishop of Vtretcht in the said fifth booke of Auentine fol. 582. And another by Eberhardus Archbishop of Saltzburge Ibid. lib. 7. p. 684. Also the iudgement of the Archbishop of Triers in constitut Imperialib à M. Haimensfeldio editis pag. 47. The Epistle of Walthram Bishop of Megburgh which is extant in Dodechine his Appendix to the Chronicle of Marianus Scotus at the yeere 1090. Benno in the life of Hildebrand The author of the booke De vnitate Ecclesiae or the Apologie for Henry the fourth Sigebert in his Chronicle at the yeere 1088. Godfrey of Viterbio in his History entituled Pantheon part 17. Ottho Frisingensis lib. 6. c. 35. praefat in lib. 7. Frederick Barbarossa lib. 6. Gunther Ligurin de gestis Frederici and lib. 1. c. 10. of Raduicus de gestis eiusdem Frederici Vincentius in speculo historiali lib. 15. c. 84. with sundry others NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 51. 2 In our supernaturall birth in Baptisme wee are to conceiue of a secret and implied oath which we take at our new birth to yeeld obedience to the spirituall Prince which is Christes Vicar CONFVTATION It is to bee wondred at whence this fellow had this strange new Diuinitie which surely was first framed in his owne fantasticall braine Else let him make vs a Catalogue of his Authors that hold and teach that all Christians whether infants or of aage are by vertue of an oath taken in their Baptisme bound to yeeld absolute obedience to CHRISTS Vicar the Pope or baptized in any but in CHRIST NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 94. 3 But since that Catholike doctrine doth not permit for the auoidance of any mischiefe whatsoeuer to discouer the secret of Sacramentall confession he Garnet rather chose to suffer most bitter death then to violate the seale of so great a Sacrament CONFVTATION That the secret of Sacramentall confession is by no meanes to bee disclosed no not indirectly or in generall so the person confessing bee concealed for auoydance and preuention of no mischiefe how great soeuer Besides that it is a position most dangerous to all Princes and Common-wealths as I shew in my Praemonition pag. 333 334. It is also a Nouell Assertion not heard of till of late dayes in the Christian world Since the common opinion euen of the Schoolemen and Canonists both old and new is vnto the contrary witnesse these Authors following Alexander Hales part 4. qu. 78. mem 2. art 2. Thom. 4. dist 21. qu. 3. art 1. ad 1. Scotus in 4. dist 21. qu. 2. Hadrian 6. in 4. dist vbi de Sacramen Confes edit Paris 1530. pag. 289. Dominic Sot in 4. dist 18. q. 4. art 5. Francis de victor summ de Sacram. n. 189. Nauar. in Enchirid. c. 8. Ioseph Angles in Florib part 1. pag. 247. edit Antuerp Petrus Soto lect 11. de confess The Iesuites also accord hereunto Suarez Tom. 4. disp in 3. part Thom. disp 33. § 3. Gregor de Valentia Tom. 4. disp 7. q. 13. punct 3. who saith the common opinion of the Schoolemen is so NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 102. 4 I dare boldly auow that the Catholikes haue better reason to refuse the Oath of Allegeance then Eleazar had to refuse the eating of Swines flesh CONFVTATION This assertion implieth a strange doctrine indeede that the Popes Breues are to be preferred before Moses Law And that Papists are more bound to obey the Popes decree then the Iewes were to obey the Law of God pronounced by Moses NOVEL DOCTRINE Pag. 135. 5 Churchmen are exempted from the Iurisdiction of secular Princes and therefore are no subiects to Kings yet ought they to obserue their Lawes concerning matters temporall not by vertue of any Law but by enforcement of reason that is to say not for that they are their Subiects but because reason will giue it that such Lawes are to be kept for the publike good and the quiet of the Common-wealth CONFVTATION How trew friends the Cardinall and his Chaplen are to Kings that would haue so many Subiects exempted from their power See my Praemonition Pag. 296 297. Also Pag 330. 331. c. But as for this and the like new Aphorismes I would haue these cunning Merchants to cease to vent such stuffe for ancient and Catholike wares in the Christian world till they haue disprooued their owne Venetians who charge them with Noueltie and forgerie in this point A DECLARATION CONCERNING THE PROCEEDINGS WITH THE STATES GENERALL OF THE VNITED PROVINCES OF THE LOW COVNTREYS Jn the cause of D. CONRADVS VORSTIVS TO THE HONOVR OF OVR LORD AND SAVIOVR JESVS CHRIST THE ETERNALL SONNE OF THE ETERNALL FATHER THE ONELY ΘΕΑÎΘΡΩΠΟΣ MEDIATOVR AND RECONCILER OF MANKIND IN SIGNE OF THANKFVLNES HIS MOST HVMBLE AND MOST OBLIGED SERVANT IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND Defender of the FAITH Doeth DEDICATE and CONSECRATE this his DECLARATION THat it is one of the principall parts of that duetie which appertaines vnto a Christian King to protect the trew Church within his owne Dominions and to extirpate heresies is a Maxime without all controuersie in which respect those honourable Titles of Custos Vindex vtriusque Tabulae Keeper and Auenger of both the Tables of the Law and Nutritius Ecclesiae Nursing Father of the Church do rightly belong vnto euery Emperour King and Christian Monarch But what interest a Christian King may iustly pretend to meddle in alienâ Repub. within another State or Common wealth in matters of this nature where Strangers are not allowed to be too curious is the point in question and whereof we meane at this time to treate For our zeale to the glory of God being the onely motiue that induced
the soule is immortall Or thus with certaine seduced Christians The Pope hath ordained the word of God to be authenticall ergo all credit must be giuen to diuine Scripture Vpon the spurkies or hookes of such ridiculous arguments and friuolous reasons the L. Cardinall hangs the life and safetie of Kings With like artificiall deuises hee pretendeth to haue the infamous murders and apposted cutting of Kings throats in extreame detestation and yet by deposing them from their Princely dignities by degrading them from their supreame and Soueraigne authorities hee brings their sacred heads to the butchers blocke For a King deposed by the Pope let no man doubt will not leaue any stone vnremooued nor any meanes and wayes vnattempted nor any forces or powers of men vnleuied or vnhired to defend himselfe and his Regall dignitie to represse and bring vnder his rebellious people by the Pope discharged of their alleagiance In this perplexitie of the publike affaires in these tempestuous perturbations of the State with what perils is the King not besieged and assaulted His head is exposed to the chances of warre his life a faire marke to the insidious practises of a thousand traitours his Royall person obuious to the dreadfull storme of angry fortune to the deadly malice to the fatall and mortall weapons of his enemies The reason He is presupposed to be lawfully and orderly stripped of his Kingdome Wil he yet hold the sterne of his Royall estate Then is he necessarily taken for a Tyrant reputed an vsurper and his life is exposed to the spoile For the publike lawes make it lawful and free for any priuate person to enterprise against an vsurper of the Kingdome Euery man saith Tertullian is a souldier In reos Maiestatis 〈◊〉 publâ—cos hostes omnis hom omiles est Tertul. apol cap. 2. to beare armes against all traitors and publike enemies Take from a King the title of lawfull King you take from him the warrant of his life and the weapons whereby he is maintained in greater securitie then by his Royall Guard armed with swords and halberds through whose wards and ranks a desperate villaine will make himselfe an easie passage being master of another mans life because he is prodigall and carelesse of his owne Such therefore as pretend so much pity towards Kings to abhorre the bloody opening of their liuer-veine and yet withall to approoue their hoysting out of the Royall dignity are iust in the veine and humour of those that say Let vs not kill the King but let vs disarme the King that he may die a violent death let vs not depriue him of life but of the meanes to defend his life let vs not strangle the King and stop his vitall breath so long as he remaineth King O that were impious O that were horrible and abominable but let him be deposed and then whosoeuer shall runne him through the body with a weapon vp to the very hilts shall not beare the guilt of a King-killer All this must be vnderstood to be spoken of Kings who after they are despoiled of Regalitie by sentence of deposition giuen by the Pope are able to arme themselues and by valiant armes doe defend their Soueraigne rights But in case the King blasted with Romane lightning and stricken with Papall thunder shall actually and speedily bee smitten downe from his high Throne of Regality with present losse of his Kingdome I beleeue it is almost impossible for him to warrant his owne life who was not able to warrant his owne Kingdome Let a cat be throwen from a high roofe to the bottome of a cellour or vault she lighteth on her feet and runneth away without taking any harme A King is not like a cat howsoeuer a cat may looke vpon a King he cannot fall from the loftie pinacle of Royalty to light on his feet vpon the hard pauement of a priuate state without crushing all his bones in pieces It hath bene the lot of very few Emperors and Kings to outliue their Empire For men ascend to the loftie Throne of Kings with a soft and easie pace by certaine steps and degrees there be no stately staires to come downe they tumble head and heeles together when they fall He that hath once griped anothers Kingdome thinks himselfe in little safetie so long as he shall of his courtesie suffer his disseised predecessour to draw his breath And say that some Princes after their fall from their Thrones haue escaped both point and edge of the Tyrants weapon yet haue they wandred like miserable fugitiues in forreine countreys or else haue bene condemned like captiues to perpetuall imprisonment at home a thousand-fold worse and more lamentable then death it selfe Dionysius the Tyrant of Syracusa from a great King in Sicilie tur'nd Schoolemaster in Corinth It was the onely calling and kind of life that as he thought bearing some resemblance of rule and gouernment might recreate his mind as an image or picture of his former Soueraigntie ouer men This Dionysius was the onely man to my knowledge that had a humour to laugh after the losse of a Kingdome and in the state of a Pedant or gouernour of children merily to ieast and to scorne his former state and condition of a King In this my Kingdome of England sundry Kings haue seene the walls as it were of their Princely fortresse dismantled razed and beaten downe By name Edward and Richard both II. and Henrie the VI. all which Kings were most cruelly murdered in prison In the reigne of Edward III. by Acte of Parliament Whosoeuer shall imagine that is the very word of the Statute or machinate the Kings death are declared guiltie of Rebellion and high Treason The learned Iudges of the Land grounding vpon this Law of Edward the third haue euer since reputed and iudged them traitors according to Law that haue dared onely to whisper or talke softly betweene the teeth of deposing the King For they count it a cleare case that no Crowne can be taken from a Kings head without losse of Head and Crowne together sooner or later The L. Cardinal therefore in this most weightie and serious point doth meerely dally and flowt after a sort Page 95. when hee tells vs The Church doeth not intermeddle with releasing of subiects and knocking off their yrons of obedience but onely before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seat and that besides this double censure of absolution to subiects and excommunication to the Prince the Church imposeth none other penaltie Vnder pretence of which two censures so farre is the Church as the L. Cardinall pretendeth from consenting that any man so censured should bee touched for his life that she vtterly abborreth all murder whatsoeuer but especially all sudden and vnprepenced murders for feare of casting away both body and soule which often in sudden murders goe both one way It hath bene made manifest before that all such proscription and setting forth of Kings to port-sale hath alwaies for the traine thereof either some
from the very brinke of death from the point of the dagger and so to purge me by my thankefull acknowledgement of so great a benefite But in this which did so lately fall out and which was a destruction prepared not for me alone but for you all that are here present and wherein no ranke aage nor sexe should haue bene spared This was not a crying sinne of blood as the former but it may well bee called a roaring nay a thundring sinne of fire and brimstone from the which GOD hath so miraculously deliuered vs all What I can speake of this I know not Nay rather what can I not speake of it And therefore I must for horror say with the Poet Vox faucibus haeret In this great and horrible attempt Three miraculous euents be to be obserued in the Attempt whereof the like was neuer either heard or read I obserue three wonderfull or rather miraculous euents FIrst in the crueltie of the Plot it selfe 1 The crucltie of the Plot. wherein cannot be enough admired the horrible and fearefull crueltie of their deuice which was not onely for the destruction of my Person nor of my Wife and posteritie onely but of the whole body of the State in generall wherein should neither haue bene spared or distinction made of yong nor of old of great nor of small of man nor of woman The whole Nobilitie the whole reuerend Clergie Bishops and most part of the good Preachers the most part of the Knights and Gentrie yea and if that any in this Societie were fauourers of their profession they should all haue gone one way The whole Iudges of the land with the most of the Lawyers and the whole Clerkes And as the wretch himselfe which is in the Tower doeth confesse it was purposely deuised by them and concluded to be done in this house That where the cruell Lawes as they say were made against their Religion both place and persons should all be destroyed and blowne vp at once Three wayes how mankind may come to death And then consider therewithall the cruel fourme of that practise for by three different sorts in generall may mankinde be put to death The first by other men and reasonable creatures which is least cruell 1 By Man for then both defence of men against men may be expected and likewise who knoweth what pitie God may stirre vp in the hearts of the Actors at the very instant besides the many wayes and meanes whereby men may escape in such a present furie And the second way more cruell then that 2 By vnreasonable creatures is by Animal and vnreasonable creatures for as they haue lesse pitie then men so is it a greater horror and more vnnaturall for men to deale with them But yet with them both resistance may auaile and also some pitie may be had as was in the Lions in whose denne Daniel was throwne or that thankefull Lion that had the Romane in his mercie But the third which is most cruel and vnmercifull of all 3 By insensible things is the destruction by insensible and inanimate things and amongst them all the most cruell are the two Elements of Water and Fire and of those two the fire mostraging and mercilesse SEcondly 2 The small ground the Conspirators had to moue them how wonderfull it is when you shall thinke vpon the small or rather no ground whereupon the practisers were entised to inuent this Tragedie For if these Conspirators had onely bene bankrupt persons or discontented vpon occasion of any disgraces done vnto them this might haue seemed to haue bene but a worke of reuenge But for my owne part as Iscarcely euer knew any of them so cannot they alledge so much as a pretended cause of griefe And the wretch himselfe in hands doeth confesse That there was no cause moouing him or them but meerely and only Religion And specially that christian men at least so called Englishmen borne within the Countrey and one of the specials of them my sworne Seruant in an Honourable place should practise the destruction of their King his Posterity their Countrey and all Wherein their following obstinacie is so ioyned to their former malice as the fellow himselfe that is in hand cannot be moued to discouer any signes or notes of repentance except onely that he doeth not yet stand to auow that he repents for not being able to performe his intent THirdly 3 Miraculous euent the discouerie the discouery hereof is not a little wonderfull which would bee thought the more miraculous by you all if you were aswell acquainted with my naturall disposition as those are who be neere about me For as I euer did hold Suspition to be the sicknes of a Tyrant so was I so farre vpon the other extremity as I rather contemned all aduertisements or apprehensions of practises And yet now at this time was I so farre contrary to my selfe as when the Letter was shewed to me by my Secretary wherein a generall obscure aduertisement was giuen of some dangerous blow at this time I did vpon the instant interpret and apprehend some darke phrases therein contrary to the ordinary Grammer construction of them and in an other sort then I am sure any Diuine or Lawyer in any Vniuersitie would haue taken them to be meant by this horrible forme of blowing vs vp all by Powder And thereupon ordered that search to be made whereby the matter was discouered and the man apprehended whereas if I had apprehended or interpreted it to any other sort of danger no worldly prouision or preuention could haue made vs escape our vtter destruction And in that also was there a wonderfull prouidence of God that when the party himselfe was taken he was but new come out of his house from working hauing his Fireworke for kindling ready in his pocket wherewith as he confesseth if he had bene taken but immediatly before when he was in the House he was resolued to haue blowen vp himselfe with his Takers One thing for mine owne part haue I cause to thanke GOD in That if GOD for our sinnes had suffered their wicked intents to haue preuailed it should neuer haue bene spoken nor written in aages succeeding that I had died ingloriously in an Ale-house a Stews or such vile place but mine end should haue bene with the most Honourable and best company and in that most Honourable and fittest place for a King to be in for doing the turnes most proper to his Office And the more haue We all cause to thanke and magnifie GOD for this his mercifull Deliuery And specially I for my part that he hath giuen me yet once leaue whatsoeuer should come of me hereafter to assemble you in this Honourable place And here in this place where our generall destruction should haue bene to magnifie and praise him for Our generall deliuery That I may iustly now say of mine Enemies and yours as Dauid doeth often say in the