Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n
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A13630
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The triall of truth Containing a plaine and short discovery of the chiefest pointes of the doctrine of the great Antichrist, and of his adherentes the false teachers and heretikes of these last times.
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Terry, John, 1555?-1625.
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1600
(1600)
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STC 23913; ESTC S101270
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292,240
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350
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of him as his most faithful loyal servants The which thing because the children of the church of Rome list not to performe therefore the Lord will not be their Lord not accept of them as of his servantes nor yet allow of any of their workes as good and as a part of his worship and service 4 All obedience is to be yeelded by vs to the will of god for that we haue received all froÌ„ him and therefore are most straitely bound to yeeld to him our whole service Neither ought we only to be respectiue to the Lords good wil pleasure in al our works for that he of right ought to raigne over vs â—s being our only spiritual Lord king for that he will protect defend vs impart vnto vs the commodities of his kingdome but much rather for that he hath bestowed vpoÌ„ vs already so many favors hath shewed vnto vs so great kindnes hath bound vs vnto himselfe with such a multitude of his inestimable invaluable blessings For giftes benefits testifying kindnes loue do oftentimes much prevaile even with the natural vnregenerate maÌ„ yea with the very beasts theÌ„selues that want the light of vnderstanding reason The oxâ— knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib as the law doth allow a grouÌ„d bird to the owner of the ground where the swan is permitted quietly to make her nest without disturbance to hatch and breede vp her young so doth meere kindnes cause the thankfull storke to performe the same without law without constraint But amoÌ„g all other beastes voide of reason strange and wonderfull thinges are reported of the kindnesses of dogges towardes their masters for their simple breeding and for the sorry mainetenaunce they haue received at their hands yea the setled malice of a most caÌ„kered enimy of a most spitefull sycophant who of all savage and fierce beastes is thought by the Philosopher to be the worst hath beene conquered by kindnesse and loue and the most violent pertuâ—bations of rage and sury haue beene turned into the most tender affections of pitty and mercy And therfore it is not without cause that the Apostle exhorteth saying If thine enemie Rom 12. 2â— hunger feede him if he thirst giue him drinkâ— for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head Be not evercome of evill but evercome evill with good For oftentimes the streames of kindnes loue do quench the flames of malice and hatred and kindle the coales of kindnesse and loue And therefore we ought not to suffer our selues to be taken prisoners of malice or to yeelde our selues captiues to her to execute herrage but couragiouslie to encounter her and to beate backe all her assaultes and to suffer her not to enter one foote much lesse to surprize the castle of our harts and not only so but also to pursue her manfully being entred into the heartes of our enemies and by the powerfull assistaunce of kindnesse and loue to beate her out of the plaine field and to dispossesse her of her owne castles and forteâ— vvherein shee hath beene before most strongly seated For so did Elizeus and 2. King 6. 23. David and the residue of the Lordes worthies who haue most couragiously fought these spirituall battles and haue most manfully vanquished both their owne of and the Lordes enemies When the bandes of the Aramites that were sent out to apprehend the Prophet Elizeus and to bring him to their king beeing brought into danger not only to be taken prisoners themselues but also to haue had their owne liues taken from them were not only rescued out of danger by meanes of Elizeus but also kindly friendly entertayned this kindnes so far prevailed with them that albe it there was opeÌ„ war between their nation Israel yet after their returne into their own laÌ„d they never returned to vex Israell But who was ever a more malicious enemy to any maÌ„ theÌ„ was wicked Saul to innoceÌ„t David yet astone as he perceived that himselfe beeing shut vp by the providence of God into Davids haÌ„ds he was spared by him his life preserved he was so throughly moved therewith that hee did not only presently withdrawâ— his forces from his pursuite but also most earnestly praied vnto 1. Sam. 24. 20. God and that he would giue him a reward for the same Yea wheÌ„ before having given a speciall charge to all his housholde to kill David lonathan had dehorted him from the same saying Let not the king sinne against his servant against David for he hath not sinned against thee but his workes towardâ—s thee haue beene very good for he did put his life in danger and slow the Philâ—stine the Lord wrought a greaâ— salvation for all Israell thou sâ—west it and thou reioicest Wherefore wilâ— thou then sinne against innocent bloode and slay David without a cause The only mention and recitall of the which matter did so alter Saules malitious hart that he did not only recal his former edict but also confirmed the revocation thereof with a solemne oath saying as the Lord loveth he shall not die Now if kindnes receaved 1. Sam. 19. 6 from our vnderlings and from such as we haue hated and sought their destruction doth even vpon a suddaine alter our affections and compell vs to vow their good to sweare their safety how much more any pleasure beeing done vnto vs by our superiours will glad and cheere vs at the very hart and cause vs to busie all our thoughts how we may in some measure recompence and requite the same What a credite do we thinke it to be vnto vs if the prince shall but take notice of vs and call vs by our name shew vs but some countenance and favour Or if a noble man or a man of state shall steede vs in a matter of some moment howe are we ready to cast our selues after a sort downe at his feete and to make most solemne protestation saying your honours to coÌ„mande yours according to bounden duty for ever your most obedient beadesman and servant as long as life lasteth Now the king of kings and state of states hath not only vouchsafed to haue takne notice of vs to haue provided for our vse service and comfort this so glorious and bountiful world furnished with such variety of all manner of earthly blessings but also hath prepared for vs treasures of farre greater price and value in the life to come how ought we then to be astonished amazed at such kindnes that proceedeth from so high and worthy a state how ought our hearts to be euen rapt and ravished beside themselues at the least apprehension of such invaluable favours Why even Publicanâ—s and sinners loue their lovers and shew kindnes to them of whoÌ„ they receiue kindnes yea the Devill himselfe will in some sort serue them that serue him and will be at the commandemeÌ„t
lay vp in the store-houses of your harts all manner of spiritual graine that when yee be called abroad to be the â—ords husbandmen yee may bee able to sow the Lordes fielde with plentifull store of all good seede Verely the harvest is great and the Matth. 9. 37 labourers are â—ewe and ye may well perceive by experience in your selues what a labour it is to bring into tillage the vntidy soile of one soule to cause it to yeelde but a meane harvest for vndoubtedly in this kind of husbandry especiallie is the proverbe best verified A great harvest and a little corne And therefore also my brethren while ye are so neere the Lords aâ—moâ—… â—ay fitte your selues with weapons of all sortes offensiue and defensiue furnish your selues nowe with all manner of munition against the time that yee are to be sent to any speciall kind of service by any of the Lordes chiefest captaines commanders Ye haue in place of your Honorable Founder the right reverend Father in God the Bishop of Winchester one that hath bin of your owne society a famous and renowned Coronell who hath most couragiously fought the Lordes battels and hath fitted for you many notable weapons whereby yee may be able not onely to encounter but also to subdue and vanquish the enimie who hath already called some of you and is readie to cal other of you also and to place you over no meane bandes O most reverend and renowned Bilson thou hast best deserved among al our companie to haue the prehemineÌ„ce for that thy sword hath hewen cleane a sunder manie of the stroÌ„gest greatest Pillars of the VVesterne Babilon O lift it vp stil against the common enemie and let it be as the bowe of Ionathan as the sword of Saule which never returned emptie 2. Sam. l. 22. from the blood of the slaine and from the fatte of the mightie And so as all the sheves of Iosephes brethren did stand about Iosephes sheife Gen. 37. 7. and did obeysance vnto it so shal al our swordes stoupe lowe to thy sword and shal be marshalled at thine appointment But to turne to you my brethren which are nowe as it were the Lordes trained souldiers and out of whose companie manie captaines are to be chosen for the guiding and leading of many severall bandes ye may behould and looke vpon the ensamples of your owne predecessors even of such as haue beene of your owne society And withal yee may somewhat respect your pay which no doubt may bee good here if that you endevour faithfully to performe your service but especially you may assure your selues that you shall receiue a large allowance when ye come to appeare before the great Lord of all hostes and the high generall of all armies Then if yee haue fought the good fight and kept the faith and finished your course there remaineth for you a crowne of righteousnes and if this be given to every good souldier what a large portion may every captaine expect But here by the way I would willingly put you in minde of this one thing which is that many famous captaines and couragious souldiers both in the bodelie and ghostlie fightes haue beene brought to vtter ruine and decay by leaving the pursuite of the vanquished enemie and by turning too hastelie greedelie after the pray Waâ— not Hanniball and his armie made weake and effeminate by the spoiles of Capua which could not bee daunted by all those hard labours that they patientlie endured in passing over the vnpassable Alpes And how els was the large and ample Empire of the city of Rome and of manie other great kingdoÌ„es and couÌ„tries overthrowne But to omitte these great commanders in bodilie Religio peperâ—t divitias filia devoravit matrem warres haue not the most famous captaines in spirituall services come to ruine by the same meanes What made the high Priestes Elders among the Iewes to destroy Christ and to treade vnder their feete his heavenlie doctrine but that they might retaine the favour of the Romane Emperour so might preserue their earthlie estate And did not the latter Bishops of Rome neglect the true gift of gifts given vnto their predecessors by Constantines Lord while they laide all their plottes howe they might most firmelie â—ease themselues and their successors of the preâ—ended donation of the Emperour Constantine And what made them giue over the carefull seeking of that glorious inheritance that St. Peter enioyeth in the highest heavens but their deepe devising how they might make the counterfeite and forged evidences of St. Peters patrimonie to goe for currant and good And whereof also did it proceede that they clouted and patched togither but with all manner of worldly pollecie and cunning such an earthly religion as they nowe professe but that they saw it to bee most fitte for the better maintenaÌ„ce of their earthly kingdome And was not all this most significantly shadowed drawen out vnto vs Apocal. 9. by a starre falling from heaven to earth who giuing over the care of heavenly matters and fastening his heart wholy vppon earthlie became the heade of the blacke and darke kingdome of Antichrist which can agree to none so fitly as to the Papacy wherof a Bishop is the cheife prince who is stil accouÌ„ted as a most principall starre aboue al other by many that thinke themselues to bee the onely Christians And not onelie this starre is fallen by this meanes but also Apocal. 12. the dragon is said with this his taile of ambition covetousnes to throw down eveÌ„ the third part of the stars of heaven to cast them to the earth Which he bringeth to passe when hee perswadeth them to vse all vnlawfull meanes to bring them to their earthly preferments commodities also wheÌ„ he causeth them to giue over all their former laboures in setting forth and promoting the kingdome of God that so they may haue more leasure to seeke their owne by neglecting the things that are Iesus Christs Wherfore worthy of most Mr. Foxe in his third consideration given to the professors of the Gospel honourable commendation commemoration is that sinceritie that was in Wickeleife others of those times who went about bare-foote and very meanely cladde preaching the ioyfull and glad tydings of the Gospel thinking it to be a sufficient reward to haue liberty freely to publish the same albeit it were without all earthly reward But here I pray you mistake me not for I thinke it no way to be vnlawful for the ministers of the Gospell to enioy temporall possessions honours seeing they are best worthie of them that know how to vse them best and are thereby made more careful to ameÌ„d their worke as they perceive their wages to be amended but these things are spoken to this end that al such as seeke after earthly vanities by al sinister meanes are moued therby to giue over their labours in preaching and publishing