MORE SULPHURE FOR BASING OR God will fearfully annoy and make quick riddance of his implacable Enemies surely sorely suddenly Shewed in a Sermon at the Siege of BASING On the last Lords day Sept. 21. 1645. Together with a word of advice full of love and affection to the Club-men of Hampshire By William Beech Minister of the Army there elect Min of O. in the County of Suffolke Imprimatur Ja. Cranford Sept. 26. 1645. REV. 14.11 And the smoke of their torment shall ascend evermore and they shall have no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his image London printed for Iohn Wright at the Kings Head in the old Bayley 1645. TO THE WORSHIPFULL Mr. NICHOLAS LOVE A Member of the Committe of Parliament for Hampshire SIR IT doth not a little rejoyce me that I see you have beene so firme and resolute for the Country of your Birth Birth-right Worthily therefore hath the State of the Land entrusted you amongst other singular Worthies with the Affaires of that County You were pleased to call me from another invitation and halfe-engagement to this service and I did the more readily imbrace it not onely because I saw personages of such honour and worth in jeopardy but also for that intire and yerning affection I beare to my Countrey-men many of whom I heard were lost as well as others in the general fog of Ignorance and Popish dilusions Sir were I able to do much this way it must be yours and Hampshier's yours by right of inheritance as you are your Fathers Heire and the Countrey 's for the first motion of life I had in that sweet aire I doe and shall ever acknowledge the little All I have such as it is the Foundation thereof was freely laid by your reverend Father in Winton Colledge Doctor Love the Learned and most Orthodox Warden that it hath received no better growth and thrives no more all this while you may remember the Stock whereon my hopes had beene grafted five yeeres died before Autumne I have two words more to say the one is touching that County that it will be famous and sounding unto posterity for two things viz. for Honourable Burgesses and Renouned Champions that stood all together save one strange one that was lost to defend it and secondly for two faithlesse Garrisons and unworthy Catalines that laboured as much to destroy it The other is concerning my selfe Malice hath dogged me these two yeeres the Lord knowes causelesly by sea and land and hath bespattered me exceedingly and many are taken up and affected with Halifax Law Sir I pray be you an indulgent father to this weakling and Patron too to bestride it from too many injuries I see Envy already grinning at it it will bite too and teare and invenome and corrupt if you be not watchfull If you vouchsafe the Office of a Patron and foster it you may live to see it grow stronger and abler to doe you and the Countrey service The porch is large I need no more Let Charity or Ingenuity but turne the leafe and your eyes will see streames of my purest affections gliding through the Army there through the Country through your owne grounds through the whole Land Be pleased but to reflect on your servants and my mean but honest parentage and you will remember be able to confirm others that I did derive draw such principles if possible from the brests of a deare mother deceased But I crave pardon I am Sir From my Quarters at Basing Sept. 22. 1645 Your humble Servant William Beech A Sermon Preached at the Siege of BASING PSAL. 83.9 Doe unto them as to the Midianites as to Sisera as to Jabin at the â—rooke of Kison THe words are an amplification of Davids prayer vers 1. wherein he humbly desires God not to be still while the Enemies are so busie that he would not keepe silence while the Adversaries roare and make a tumult that he would not hold his peace and lye downe while these vant themselves so proudly and lift up the head He strengthens his humble requests with very strong and prevailing Arguments The first he drawes from God himselfe and his glory which must needs suffer if the Enemie might prevaile and therefore he doth wisely interest him in the cause and quarrell in hand Lo Thine Enemes O Lord and they that hate thee Joshua useth this kind of Argument chap. 7.9 And what wilt thou doe for thy great name and so Moses A second he drawes from Gods people They are thy people O Lord thy hidden ones The third he insinuates is from a due apprehension of the Enemie and in them Their 1. Pride Their 2. Hatred Their 3. Crueltie Their 4. Cunning. Their 5. Multitude First Their Pride they have lift up the head Secondly Their hatred and conspiracie against God They hate thee they are confederate against thee thine Enemies those are the expressions Thirdly Their Crueltie against the people of God Gods darling Israel malicious purposes bloodie resolves They have said come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance Fourthly Their cunning and craft They have taken craftie counsell together Cogitaâ—â—runt unanimiter they have made a league entred into vow and covenant as sometimes Pauls conspirators Acts 23.12 Fifthly Their multitude They and They and Thine Enemies and the tabernacles of Edom the Ismaelites the Moabites and the Hagarens c. By all which enerveticall Arguments he labours to endeare God unto his Church and people that he would so arise that they with all their purposes machinations and conspiracies may be scattered that he would so roare and utter his voice that all those cruell beasts of the forrest might tremble and be dismaid that 's meant by vers 1. Keepe not still silence or let not silence be to thee hold not thy peace be not still That is Arise O Lord and shew thy selfe in thy peoples behalfe manifest thy power thy wisedome and thy goodnesse thy power in sustaining and upholding thy weake people and in over-mastring thine and their Enemies thy wisedome in counter-plotting and over-reaching them in their devices they are digging pits O Lord but doe thou dig below them doe thou undermine them thy goodnesse in protecting them from the intended destruction and depopulation of thine inheritance that they may not be cut off and cease to be a Nation let it not be Lord that the memorie and posteritie of Israel be rooted out So then if you take the words simply and literally as an imprecation without any respect had to the spirit of prophesie by which David here speakes they are an amplification as I said of his first suit and doe reflect upon those motives by which he had enforced his humble petition ver 2.3.4.5 as if he had said O Lord we have heard of thee in times of old how graciously thou hast dealt with our fathers even in their greatest
Deut. 32.41 42. J will saith God Render vengeance to mine enemies and will reward them that hate mee I will make mine arrowes drunken with bloud Cruell judgements So Psa 11.6 upon the wicked hee shall raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. 2. It shall come suddainly and unexpectedly Deut. 32.35 To me saith the Lord belongeth vengeance and recompence their foot shall slide in due time that is their fall shall be suddaine as the fall of a man when his foote slideth and downe he comes at once the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that come upon them make hast and so Psal 64.7 It is said of them that bend their bow and aime at Gods perfect ones that the Lord shall shoot at them with a swift arrow suddenly suddenly shall their stroake be And the Prophet Esay tells us that the multitude of the terrible ones shall be â—â— the chasse which passeth away and it that is there scattering shall be at an instant and because they are a rebellious people and will not heare the Law of the Lord Esay 30.9 but despise the preaching of the word and trust in oppression v. 12. therefore v. 15. Their fall and breach shall be suddenly as the swelling in a high wall the breaking whereof commeth suddenly at an instant 3. It will be a totall ruine every one of all sorts shall perish these here all perished there was not a man left how long will yee imagine mischiefe against a man yee shall be slaine all the sort of you as a bowing wall shall yee be and as a tottering fence Psal 62.3 Their Pastors are become brutish saith Jeremy therefore they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered behold the noise of the bruit is come and a great commâ—tion out of the North Country to make the Cities of Juda desolate and 〈◊〉 Den of Dragons Will yee have examples they 'l affright you 2 Pet. 2.6 And turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow c. and made them an example to them that afterwards should live ungodly c. When God is moved and incensed against a people he commands an uttter extirpation of them Thus wee have a precept that when the children of Beliall had drawn any Towne or City or people to Idolatry the people were commanded utterly to destroy that City that people Deut. 13.15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that City with the edge of the sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the cattell thereof with the edge of the sword here 's a totall destruction commanded Will you see one or two executions You shall finde plundering Achan the troubler of Israel and his whole family executed Is 7.24 Corah and all the malignants with him in the same conspiracy were swallowed up Num. 16. and of all Ahabs family and persecuting house there was not a man left to make water against the wall All Bails Priests fared alike were all cut off and of all the wicked court faction that conspired against Ieremy the Lord saith cast them out of my sight let them go forth such as are for death to death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to famine and those for captivity to captivity and though Moses and Samuel stood before me saith God my mind should not be towards them Jer. 15.1 2. 3. If it be so that the enemies of God shall surely perish Vse here is then matter of exceeding great comfort to the people of God in times of trouble that yet a little while and there shall be no more speech of a pillaging Cavalier they shall be all dispersed and destroyed This David teacheth they that hate mount Zion shall be ashamed and turned backward Psal 129.5 And God will arise and his enemies shall be scattered they that hate him shall flie before him Psal 68.1 This cordiall is to be applied to England in respect of the continuall working of her restlesse adversaries the Papists They brag in their talke saith David and swords are in their lips Psal 29.7 They imagine deceitfull words against the quiet in the Land Psa 35.20 They encourage themselves in a wicked purpose and commune together how they may lay snares privily but the word of God shall be true when they are liers they shall all speed as did the Midianites as Sisera and Iabin they may conceive mischiefe but they shall bring forth a lie 'T is true God hath suffered our enemies lately to take their pastime like the Leviathan in a Sea of Protestant blood here and in Ireland and hath let them loose to woory this secure Nation for their basenesse and beastlinesse for their oppression and neglect of Gods word and hath given up many of our besotted brethren to be led away with strong dilusions to believe lies because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved But shall they escape for their wickednesse do they think no God shall finde them out saith David The bloud they have drunk so greedily they shall be made to spue out againe But I heare an objection Object You preach of comfort that the people of God shall enjoy and of great victories over their enemies but where are these comforts those victories Is it not the fortune of the war to get here and lose there to supresse the flames at this end of the Kingdoms when they breack out as fierce in other Counties and Kingdom And besides have it not alwayes bin that the wicked have enjoyed many merry dayes while the Saints have bin under hatches even now do they not prosper thrive grow fat plunder and enrich themselves by others ruine Ans T is true they fare well and are well clad and many have bin their Halcion dayes This very businesse so pusled Ieremy that he expostulates with God about the matter but yet in very humble and submissive way Jer. 12.1.2 Righteous art thou O Lord saith he when I plead with thee yet let me talke with thee of thy judgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper and why are they blessed that deale teacherously thou hast planted them they have taken Boot they grow and bring forth fruit thou art neare in their mouth but far from their Reines The Prophet Habacuck useth greater boldnesse Hab. 1.2 3. O Lord how long shall I cry unto thee and thou doest not heare Even cry out of violence and thou doest not save why doest thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grieveance for spoyling and violence are before me and there are that raise up strife and contention therefore the law is slacked and Iudgement doth never go forth for the wicked doth encompasse about the Righteous Those in Malachy were more stout and peremptory did even mutiny with God that they had no better pay Mal.
Church is pestred with at this day and the Land is even darke and overspread with them as Egypt was of Grashoppers Exod. 10.15 These cannot endure the yoke of the Gospell will not abide to be ruled by the Word and Discipline of Jesus Christ David complaines of some Psal 2. Let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Now Christ accounts those his enemies not onely such as are in tearmes of defiance against him as he that said vicisti Galilaee but such also as will not suffer him to reigne over them Luke 19.27 But those mine enemies which would not suffer me to reigne over them bring them hither and slay them They againe are Gods enemies that hinder the passage and preaching of the Word and such as seeke like Elimâ—â— to turne away others from the faith All seeming worldly wise men are Gods enemies for the wisdome of this world is enmity against God And so are covetous wretches Gods enemies for the amity of the world is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 So are Epicures and such as mind their bellies too much Gods enemies Phil. 3.18 19. They are enemies to the crosse of Christ And so are obâ—tinate perverse sinners who will not be reclaimed but not withstanding all admonition goe on still in a course of ungodlinesse they are Gods enemies too Psal 68.21 God will surely wound his enemies and the hairy Scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his ungodlinesse These and all these are Gods enemies and without repentance come within the list of this prophesied destruction but yet they are not the enemies here chiefly intended for albeit my Text includes one as well as another yet it is to be collected from this president or patterne by which the Prophet humbly beseeches God to punish the enemies of his Church that the closer enemies are here principally aymed at The cause why Moses was commanded to vex the Midianites was because they had drawne Israel to idolatry and whoredome Now although the open enemies to Christianity the Turke and Jew uncalled shall assuredly perish yet they have not drawne so many from the true Religion nor yet corrupted Gods worship so much as our closer enemies have done It may be here and there a renagadoe hath beene corrupted with Mahumetanisme or Judaisme but millions in our Land have been leavened with popish doctrine and heresies from time to time and thousands daily are by their creeping Seminaries insinuated into infected with idolatry and therefore Doe unto them as unto the Midianites as unto Sisera c. The next thing for the opening of the point is this we must make an enquiry who thesâ— Midianites were what was Sisera and what was Jabin what and where was this brooke of Kison this I say must necâ—ssarily be unfolded because the ruine of these is made a patttrne for the destruction of Gods enemies Midianites these were of the posterity of Abraham by his concubine Keturah 1 Chron. 1.32 who being turned Idolaters drew Israel to sinne in the Wildernesse for which Moses revenged the Israelites of them by the slaughter of all their males and their five Kings and a wonderfull great spoyle But after recovering gaine and oppressing Israel in their owne Land were by Gideon and 300 men vanquished when they lay in the valley like Grashoppers for multitude Judg. 6.1 Sisera was Captaine Generall of Jabins host King of Canaan he had 900 Chariots of Iron and vexed Israel sore but by Deborah a Prophetesse and Barak a Captaine of Nepthali the Lord destroyed him and all his Host and Chariots there was not a man left and Sisera flying was killed by Jael Hebers wife who drave a naile into the temples of his head Judg. 4.2 3 4 21. Jabin was King of Canaan as is said who upon the death of his Generall Sisera was subdued and destroyed vers 23. of the said chapter Brooke of Kison Brooke or in the Bourne i. e. the vally of Kison the originall as my authour tels me signifies a valley and a river running in it which our English cals a Bourne Kison was a river at mount Carmels foot by it Sisera and the King of Canaan fought with Israel and were vanquished as I said and the Bourne Kison swept them away For the better illustration of the point in the discovery of the condition and fall of these people you shall doe well to note these particulars and the point will be cleare In the Midianites then observe 1. They did intrench upon the rights and priviledges of the Israelites they did invade their Land and sought to drive them out of that inheritance which God the great Lord of the earth had given unto them 2. They did vex poor Israel exceedingly saith the Text destroyed their Corn and other provision Iudg. 6.4 and they encamped against them and destroyed the encrease of the earth and left no sustenance for Israel neither Sheepe nor Oxe nor Asse And the children of Israel were greatly impoverished because of the Midianites 3. The time of their destruction is noted to be when they were in their greatest height they were as the Grashoppers for number they were most confident and secure 4. The meanes of their defeate is noted to have been weake and improbable Gideon and 300 men against so great a multitude and that the blowing of a Trumpet and the breaking and clashing together of fraile earthen Pitchers should so affright and annoy such a terrible host of men 5. The manner of the foyle given is not to be forgotten it was an irrecoverable destruction they were utterly routed there were of them taken prisoners and slaine Zebah and Zalmana Princes Oreb and Zeb Princes nay in fine all Midian was subdued so that they lift up the head no more Judg. 8.18 Againe in Sisera and Jabin observe three passages 1. These were in their jollity too very presumptuous they were and confident of the day They had 900 Chariots of Iron and they made no doubt of the conquest upon Israel 2. The means also of their discomfiture and most dishonourable overthrow the brave Sisera was sold into the hands of a silly woman and the King Jabin lost his life by an inconsiderable party who had likewise but a woman to be their Commander in chiefe Judg. 4.9 3. The manner of their overthrow it was a fatall and irrecoverable blow they received All the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the Sword there was not a man left Sisera himselfe sanke down at Jaels feet and lay dead and Israel prevailed against Jabin King of Canaan It will be easie to prove the truth of this Doctrine by Scripture 1. That the enemies of God shall perish as these did namely first in the height of their security and in the top of their jollity so much David notes Psalm 37.35 36. I have seen the wicked strong in great power and spreading himselfe like a green Bay-tree yet he passed by and to be was gone I
sought him but his place could no where be found So Psal 92.7 When the wicked spring as the grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever And that of Paul is most consonant to the truth of this 1 Thes 5.3 For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with child so sure it shall come 2. By weake meanes in comparison T is a generall rule with the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.27 God saith he hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound those that are mighty and things which are not to bring to nought things that are Though all the creatures be at Gods becke and the most noble creatures must obey when he commands yet he can and doth oft make use of the baser and most contemptible creature to destroy and bring downe the pride of his enemies Thus he had an Army of wormes to destroy proud Herod to eate him up Acts 12.13 And wee reade of another army Joel 2.25 The Locust the Cankerworme the Catterpiller the Palmer worme my great Army saith God that I sent among you 3. The overthrow shall be irrecoverable like the breaking of a Potters Pot as it is Esay 30.14 And hee shall breake it like the breaking of a Potters Pot that is broken to peeces hee shall not spare so that there shal not be found in the bursting thereof asheard to take fire from the hearth or to take water out of the pit Hence it is that the ruine of Antichrist is compared to casting of a Milstone into the Sea with such violence saith the holy Ghost shall the great City Babilon be cast and shall be found no more Re. 18.21 It is so Vse that the enemies of God shall surely perish as these did in their confidence in their blood thirstinesse by weake meanes irrecoverably O then how should our soules be filled with thankes and how full ought our mouthes to be of prayse Psal 136. O give thanks to God saith David for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever O give thankes to the Lord of all Lords for his mercy endureth for ever This is almost all his Language expressed and implied in this and many other Psalmes What 's the matter David who remembred us when wee were in our low estate Vers 23.24 for his mercy endureth for c. Who redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever And may not the Prophets in England compose such another Psalme in the behalfe of England as this holy singer doth in the behalfe of his dearest Jsrael O give thanks c. For his mercy endureth for ever who remembred us when wee were in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever Who Redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy c. Which remembred us at Knasby for his mercy c. Which remembred them of Pembrook shire for his mercy endureth for ever Which remembred us at Leicester for c. Which remembred us at Tanuton for c. Which redeemed them of Bristoll for c. O give thanks unto the God of all Gods for his mercy endureth for ever Annos jam revolvitur Platonicus what will you say if the Midianites be alive againe Indeed t is true their carkases are rotten The Edomites the Moabites and the Amonite are long since dead and destroyed I but yet their cruelty and oppression doth yet survive their pride and bloodthirstinesse remaine to this day the same Tragedy is still acted the Theater removed into another climat it is but Vetus fabula per novos Histriones And therefore to quicken you to this duty note these paralells 1. The old Midianites did first invade Israel intrenched upon their Rights and the Proprieties of Israel sought to drive them out of the inheritance which God gave them Did vex them thus many yeares together spoyled the fruit of their ground and did utterly impoverish them and I pray have not our new Midianites Assirians call them what you will that 's heathenish and cruell taking since to their assistance the French Philistims Welsh Egiptians Cornish Hangarims The degenerate Ismalites of the Renegado English have not these I say or most of them wrested away our lives our liberties our houses our all and have they not shed our blood like water on every side of Ireland and England too Nay have not the bloody miscreants of Ireland since assisted by the enchanted English who have since own'd the massacre and made it theirs by cessations and pardons have not these I say followed over Sea those poore exiles having left them nothing but their lives for a prey and have they not since cut more throats by authority And have they not bin rewarded with immunities and the name of Subjects And is it not therefore because they should contribute their assistance to butcher more O Brethren how have all these vermine amongst them spoiled a fruitfull Land and made the Land dark with them have not their swords touched with the magnetique stone of inhumanity to draw blood made many a wife a Widdow many a poore child fatherlesse many a woman childlesse Nay in conclusion have they not utterly ruin'd families Cities Towns Houses Have not their confederacy burnt spoild wasted Cities Villages Houses and do you not think the late baptizing of the Irish into the name of catholique Subjects was not accompanied with a crosse to England will not all these Acts of grace Cessations pardons immunities priviledges c. produce one ten thousand more Well wee grant these Midianites are very strong and numerous and inferiour to no monsters in their desires after blood 2. The old Midianites vexed Israel 20 yeares And how many yeares suppose yee hath this fatall spirit of Division beene working how long hath this intoxicating drinke of dissention and civill war beene brewing How busy have the Jesuits and Seminaries been for these many yeares to bring us to this passe And now at last unhappy day to charme the Prince from his people and these from one another miserably How truly may poore England take up that of the Psalmist Psal 129.1.2 3. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up may England now say yea many a time have they afflicted mee but they have not prevailed against me the Plowers plowed upon my back they made long their furrowes but the Righteous Lord will cut their snares asunder 3. The Midianites were very strong and numerous lying in the valley like Grashoppers for multitude secure enough nay asleepe in security for one of them dreamed And have not poore England enemies nay who hath shee to friend but God that made the Island Oh the numberlesse number of enemies all about us none but Midianites Cananites Egyptians Philistims enemies within us without us How truly may wee say of our
murthered souls crying under the Altar How long Lord how long holy and true wilt thou not judge and be revenged of our blood c. Art thou in a dead sleep that thou hearest not the screeches of man woman child massacred and murthered the pitifull crying out of gasping Ireland O mother England help brother Juda why brother Levi brother Zebulon brother Nepthali all or some pity us c. Brethren how can you heare the name of Ireland and not be filled with indignation of England and not be moved to compassion I but 't is pity there should be any more blood shed Object there hath been too much already T is true indeed too much innocent blood Ans but speake in good earnest wilt thou agree unto it that these shall escape away with our blood shall it digest with these Canibals wilt thou have Gods Law of none effect wilt thou have the Statute repealed Whosoever sheds mans blood by man shall his blood be shed or wilt thou have this prophesie frustrate or if man should prove accessary to his owne ruine will God put it up thinkest thou And ah poore Hampshire deceived people deluded Countreymen for whom my spirit is in bitternesse and my bowels yerne for that first breathing of ayre I had amongst you and once happy Hampshire Bona si sua norint Agricolae if they knew their happinesse and how canst thou endure a snake in thy bowels a limbe of that cruell beast of Rome and be silent and sleepe nay two Garrisons of Countrey-destroyers and not resolve against them and not contribute your clubs towards the rooting of them out But you will say Object Alasse poore men they serpents surely we see no such venemous quality in them no such hurt by them besides are they not some of them of our kindred of our Countrey nay of our Religon Answ True indeed there are some of our owne there unhappy wretches for whom my soule shall mourne in secret And is this your spite O ye Tygers of Rome first to blind them then to butcher them first to destroy their soules then their bodies monstrous cruelty And because you could not undoe us by your Spanish Armado's nor your Powder-plots nor yet presently root us out by your Irish rebellions thus to divide us then to destroy us so to enchant a poore people that they should direct their Swords against their owne breasts to further your bloody designes to make way for your tyranny and another Mary-martyrdome Well God knowes what may be the upshot yet this we are certaine of that when God hath sufficiently scourged this Nation by your serpentine rod as he did of old his owne Israel by the Assyrians he will cast away that rod in indignation and burne it and receive his people graciously This is a Riddle to you and when we have drunke the top of this bitter cup the lees and dregs shall be for your share and we shall be all made friends for your utter ruine and destruction How truely may England say of this your conveyance and hidden treachery as Jacob did sometimes of the fact of Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.7 Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell Cursed be this device of all inventions cursed be this cruelty of all butcheries How much cause have this Island out of bitternesse of soule to take up the speech of those Jewes that were held long in Babylonish captivity Psal 137.9 Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children and dasheth them against the stones No Nation hath more cause to performe this duty then this and I would have it inferiour to no Nation in acts of mercy But I was almost swallowed up between compassion and indignation I returne againe to the Objection They have no sting they do no harm are of our own people Why what a besotted generation have we Is it not true the nearer the worse What said David in the like case Had it been an open enemy that had done me this dishonour peradventure I might have hid my self from him but it was thou my companion and my guide we tooke sweet councell together and walked to the house of God as friends Church-Papists Church-Friends are the deadliest Enemies when Enemies their wounds are secret and sure did not Judas betray his Master with a kisse And what course took Joab with Amasa Estnè pax mi frater and then murders him And are not these two Garrisons Members of Rome Is not Basing a limb of Babylon And have they not to friend the Monsters of cruelty I need not name them They are the Roman Catholike Subjects in Ireland May it not be truly said of them they have Jacobs voice but Esau's hands The words of Saints but the works of Satan And are we so senslesse to expect Grapes of thornes or figs of thistles The simple credulity and foolish pity of that Countrey-man in the Fables comes to mind and falls pat to our purpose This well-meaning poore man seeing an Adder in the field Frigore prope enecatum almost dead with cold as ours with fear alas poor creature quoth he and brings it home in his bosome applies it to the fire fosters it with the warmth thereof The subtill creature no sooner recollects his spirits againe but with all his venemous activity annoyes the whole house affrights the family and so unpeoples the place De te narratur fabula England Hampshire Thou hast a long time fostered a serpentine Generation in thy bosome thou hast given thy daughters to them and hast taken theirs to thee And all this while they have been visibly quiet though every moment since the last plot visibly under-ground-workers because they have been frozen with some feares The Lawes made against Papists had somewhat abated the open activity of their spirits especially in this land but you shoud have seene what a few more warming victories would have done did you not observe to what height they were ascended Did not a few long wasted Protestants in the Oxford Junto make it a mungrell Parliament Yes it did for all the Apologie and so it was kindly accepted at France Doe ye not thinke these tame harmlesse friends of ours would not for your warming contributions have lovingly contributed each man his number of faggots to make Smithfield hisse againe with the flesh of those who would not be so base as to prostitute their pure Religion to be defiled nor yet subjugate their free-born necks to slaverie Object I but it seemes the streames of learning run that way the Doctors and great Schollers are of another opinion And for our parts say others we are not Booke-learned And by whom should we be taught if not by these I hope they be understanding men c. Answ Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures Observe the current of Scripture and you shall finde that Christ was little beholding to the high Priests and read the Chronicles of England and you will see how
little Reformation hath beene furthered by the fatter sort of the Clergie There are enough to harpe upon this string I forbeare I will only mind you of Davids saying Had it been an open Enemy c. but it was thou my guide I pray God forgive these guides and for further satisfaction I shall referre you to a Doctrine and two Reasons The Doctrine is raised by Hosea Chap. 4. Vers 5. speaking there of false Prophets and people mis-led by them The point is Wicked men shall all fall the people by day and the Prophets by night The Reasons are twofold and rendred by the Apostle Paul The first out of 2 Thes 2.11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong dilusions that they should believe lies that all they might be damned which believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse That 's the first reason because they would not receive the truth The second reason is Because they would not make knowne the truth Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who hold the truth in unrighteousnesse They did hold it that is they did not communicate it to the simple for so some interpret the words or at least glosse them 2 Ans Or secondly I might answer and speake modestly that learning is not confined within the walls of Oxford blessed be God there are such lights this day in London and elswhere in obedience to the Parliament not to be compared with in the whole Christian world besides Object Can you give us any soule-satisfying grounds why we should use our clubs against our owne Countrey-men and not come within the guilt of blood Ans You may ground the equity of such an undertaking by the practice of the Israelites against their own Countrey-men and neare friends nay their brethren the Benjamites because they rescued and kept from justice the sons of Belial that had ravished the Levites wife Judges 20. Here Religion was not so much the matter in question as Common Justice which the Benjamites peremptorily denied to the Israelites hence the difference Israel takes up armes and encamps against Gibeah of Benjamin and albeit the Israelites were foyled at the first and shamefully too to the losse of forty thousand because they sought not the Lord as they ought to do yet as soon as they took the right course Phinehas the son of Eleazâ—r moves the question whether they might go against their brethren the Benjamites or no vers 28. Shall I go out to battell against the children of Benjamin my brother or shall I cease and the Lord said go up for to morrow I will deliver them up into thy hands Where we see the Lord doth both owne and blesse the enterprize even against Benjamin their brother But the quarrell wee have in hand deare Country-men is of a different nature here Religion and Lawes and Liberties and the verie being of our English Nation lie at stake and our posteritie yet unborne lie a bleeding and I speak it from a sad heart if wee do not now quit our selves like free-borne English men for our Kingdome and for our Religion within lesse than a few ages the name of an English man will sound as bad here in England as the name of a Iew in Christendome or of a Christian in Barbarie I make no question unlesse you have stopt your eares as they say with wooll or corrupted reason with will you have heard of their motto's in the North Now or never Now if ever You may ken their meaning they cannot they must not speake plainer Object O but the King is engaged in the quarrell and shall wee fight against the King shall wee touch the Lords Anoynted I hope he is none of Gods enemies Answ The Lord be judge between him and us and the Lord judge where the fault lyes in respect of dutie There is a reciprocall answer of dutie betweene Prince and People as the people by the lawes of God and Nature are bound to render lawfull obedience to their Prince so ought the Prince reciprocally to be not only the Defender of the Faith but a Protectour of his Subjects everie Schoole-boy hath learned so much of State matters and of his Princes dutie that it is Parcere subjectis debellare superbos to be indulgent to his owne people and to suppresse proud Rebels we feele the contrarie Homer cals him the Shepherd of his people wee know the dutie of a Shepherd is to keep off the wolfe and other vermin from his flock and not to set them on and not to make way for the destruction of his sheep I 'le say nothing of the sending for the Irish vermine c. A good Prince is called Pater patriae a Father of his Countrey and Kingdome A father will love his children better than strangers will protect his children and provide for the future well-being of them sure hee will not murder them nor reward them that do so Have his children been undutifull No Was ever Parliament of England treacherous to the Crowne of England No Were ever children more observant and dutifull to their parents than they have been to their Prince No Have they not besought have they not humbly petitioned have they not wept have they not fasted and prayed to have him againe could more be done have they not undergone many brunts escaped many treacheries received many unspeakable discouragements and yet do they not still long for his returne do they not yet contend with God by prayer for him Brethren may not despised and cast-off England say of him Est mihi namque Romae Pater est injusta noverca Rome hath captivated his naturall affections and turned the streame from hence thitherward have wee not a cruell step-mother who hath taken him off from us and cals us Rebels and endeared him to her children Ireland France c. in aeternum eternally Nay have not all the Confederacie these many years kept Englands womb barren And no sooner was there a man child the heire the renowned Parliament borne but they sought to kill it that the inheritance might be theirs How truly may England say of Rome as it is in the Comedy Meretrix meum herum miserum intulit in pauperiem spoliavit bonis c. The Whore Rome hath robbed me of my Husband my Father widdowed my sisters Ireland and Germany murdered my children and have laid all the ignominious loads of treason and disloyalty upon me Well then let not that trouble thee We honour our King we fight for him we are resolved by Gods blessing it shall cost us our lives but we will have his love his presence againe We have covenanted with God to preserve him with his lawfull Rights and to rescue him if possible from their bloudy hands who have the dexterity to murder Protestant Princes and to make way for the happinesse of him and his
posterity that he may be not Rex Asinorum a King of slaves but Rex Hominum a happy King of a happy people Let us therefore bravely and stoutly take Joabs counsell in the like case 2 Sam. 10.12 For our Religion and our Lawes Let us be of good courage and let us play the men for our people and the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good Have you any thing else to satisfie us and we are ready We must have better ground before we do any thing before we fight Will Scripture satisfie you then note you have 1 A Precept God commands Moses Moses again the Israelites to execute vengeance upon the Midianites because they drew the people of God to fin and allured them to whoredome and enticed them to Idolatry this Idolatry drew down the judgments of God upon the Israelites whereby thousands were destroyed therefore God commands Israel to vex the Midianites Numb 25.17 Vex the Midianites and smite them for they vex you with their wiles wherewith they have be guiled you in the matter of Peor So then we have a command to vex those that seek to draw us to whoredome and Idolatry The like precept they had touching Amalek the first of Nations that fought against Israel after they came out of the Land of Egypt they fought with Israel in Riphidim God notes the very place and therefore saith Moses to Ioshua his Commander in chief Choose us out men and go fight with Amalek Exod. 17.9 2 We have a Patterne to warrant us God himselfe is said to have warre with a Nation and to fight with them and he is therefore called a Man of Warre The Lord is a Man of Warre saith Moses His name is Iehova Exod. 15.3 This is the condition that Saul made with David when he promised to give him his eldest daughter 1 Sam. 18. Onely be a valiant son unto me and fight the Lords battells And so 1 Chron. 5.22 it is said that many of the enemies of God and his people fell down wounded because the warre was of God So then if God be called a Man of Warre and the battell be the Lords battell and the warre be of God we have a pattern to follow we are on a safe ground 3 We have a promise of good successe too in our just and honest quarrells When Ioshua was to go up against Jericho which was shut up and closed because of the Children of Israel the Lord said Behold I have given into thine hand Iericho and the King thereof and the strong men of war And afterwards when sundry Kings gathered themselves together against the Gibeonites that had subjected themselves to the Israelites the Lord said unto Ioshua Ios 10.8 Feare them not for I have delivered them into thine hands none of them shall stand against thee We have a promise too to warrant us 4 We have an answer of prayers to incourage us Sun stand thou still saith Ioshua and thou Moone in the valley of Ajalon Josh 10.12 And there was no day like that day before it nor after it that the Lord heard the voice of a man for the Lord fought for Israel When the Philistines were assembled against Israel the Children of Israel said to Samuel 1 Sam. 7.8 9 10. Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us that he may save us out of the hands of the Philistines Samuel cried unto the Lord who heard him and thundered with a great thunder that day and scattered the Philistines so they were slain before Israel So then if God heare us when we go about such matters surely the action is very warrantable The blind man could say Ioh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners but if a man be a worshipper of God him he heareth And surely England hath just cause to say God hath heard her prayers hath granted her requests hath given her deliverances If God heare and grant surely the Petition is warrantable 5 The Spirit of God sets down the duty of such as mannage matters of the field as of the Captaine and common Souldier which it would never do if the course were not good hence it is that God instructs Ioshua that he should be strong and of a good courage that he would be with him and never leave him nor forsake him So when the common Souldiers come to Iohn for instructions what they should do he tels them briefly what they ought to do Master and wâ—â—â— shall we do Do violence to no man said John And what els Accuse none falsly said he what more Do not mutinie Be content with your pay Our men may do well to observe these Orders it would bring a good report upon themselves and those that imploy them But to give you more particular satisfaction that saying is true Causa non poena facit martyrem A lawfull cause makes the action lawfull and warrantable 1 It is lawfull for us to defend true Religion against the oppugners thereof that this is a matter of equity may be gathered from the words of Ahijah to Jeroboam and all Israel 2 Chron. 13.8 And now ye thinke to withstand the Kingdome of the Lord in the hands of the Son of David and ye be a great multitude and there be with you golden Calves have ye not cast out the Priests of the Lord but as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and behold God himself is with us for our Captaine O ye children of Israel Fight not against the Lord God of your Fathers for ye shall not prosper This very businesse of corrupting the worship of God and making Calves was the ground of this godly Kings quarrell more then any thing els 2 Such as are oppressed for true Religion may seek this way to be freed as we see in the history of the Judges who alwaies raised wars to defend the people of God out of the hands of cruell oppressors 3 A third cause that carrieth equity with it is when men fight for the necessary defence of the Common-wealth we may beat off wrongs and injuries offered to us as appeares by that charge of the Ammonites against Israel and Jephthahs Apologie Jud. 11.13 The Ammonites alledge that to be the cause of their quarrell with Israel Because saith he the Israelites took away my land when they came out of Egypt now therefore saith he restore those lands peaceably now Jephthahs answer necessarily implies the equity of taking up armes for the defence of such a propriety and so cleers the matter to them Ver. 14 15. He shewes them how Israel did Ammon no wrong at all but that those lands fell to them by Ammons attainder And so we may rescue and recover things lost whether they be our wives our sons our daughters our goods our lands our cities our possessions Gen. 14.16 You shall find when Abraham heard that his brothers son was taken prisoner by the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah
c. that he armed the Trained Bands of his own houshold rescues his nephew and recovers all the rich plunder they had gotten and so procured inlargement for the women and other people that were captivated And thus you shall find that we have good Commission to lay siege to any house citie towne or hold that is possessed by enemies and rebells and to take them too 1 Chron. 18.1 David took Gath and her townes out of the hands of the Philistines who then held them to the annoyance of the Children of Israel If then the causes of our quarrell be just surely the action must be just too we may lawfully oppose the opposers of our Religion and the enemies of our Nation and we may then seek reliefe by armes when we are oppressed by violence If the Common-wealth faile farewell Religion and if Religion be corrupted cursed is the Common-wealth Experience tells us that the decay or flourishing estate of the Church depends upon the well or ill being of a Common-wealth the Church and State like Hippocrates Twins live and dye together And therefore if the Heathen could say Pro patria mori pulchrum To dye for the Republike were honourable shall they herein go beyond us Have wee greater light and ampler right God and Reason beyond their reach and shall wee do lesse have we a word of promise nay a certaine word of Prophesie that the enemies of God shall be destroyed And shall not we that are called by Gods name help forward their ruine Must Babylon downe and shall any of us seek to keep her up Must Basing a limb of Babylon be demolished and will you not now as well contribute your axes and other instruments to raze it down as you did your shovels to make up her fortifications Shall England be made a desolation a place for the wild beasts wild Irish and can we look upon her flames without an outcry of help help Saevis inter se convenit ursis Shall Beares and Woolves agree together to preserve their kind And is there an agreement in Hell to propagate and enlarge the Kingdome of Satan and shall not we strive to keep up England from sinking Shall everie creature strive to preserve its issue from hurt and shall wee basely betray our wretched posteritie to perpetuall slaverie What will they then yet unborn say of us will they not out of bitternesse of their spirits cry out against us Who were our Ancestours and what kind of shape did they beare were they men or beasts If men were they Turks or Iewes If beasts were they Wolves or Tygres that could find in their hearts to let our liberties and our happinesse dye before them And could they bequeath no better legacie unto us than shame and obloquie And for their King Idolatrie give away our happinesse our all but miserie and thus to expose us to be a by-word and a proverb of reproach Will they not say Cursed be their memorie and cursed be their covetousnesse cursed be their negligence cursed be their unnaturalnesse that might and would not save us that had clubs and would not use them to preserve us Countrey-men give me leave to speak Have yee chosen the Worthies of your Countrey and by free vote have yee elected them to speak your wrongs to plead your liberties proprieties safeties and to be a means by the blessing of God to remove your grievances and to convey a blessing upon your posteritie And now they have already laboured for you these foure years and being at present about a principall branch of that work do yee leave them do yee not know them have yee not heard where they are about what they go have they hazarded their persons estates have they undergone many losses to save you from dammage and do you requite them thus have they toyled for you the whole night and ought nothing the night of fears the night of treacheries and discomforts the night of many discomfitures And now the day is come a day of comfort a day of many victories and deliverances and are you not yet stirring Arise arise in the name of God let cursed neutralitie go to Hell if Hell will receive it let it not staine your generation but be yee resolute for God and your Countrey Redeeme as others your estates and credits together and before we part too take along with you Joabs counsell to Israel against the Aramites and the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10.11 12. Be strong and let us be valiant for our people and foâ— the cities of our God and the Lord do that which is good in his eyes Brethren and Countrey-men I speak this not that I apprehend you can be so wanting to your selve as to sleight the service but to perswade you rather to heartie alacritie and a speedy resolution in easing of your selves and the Kingdom too of the oppression of the two Garrisons I beleeve their over-awing power formerly hath somwhat made your freeborne spirits retire into some secret cell of your brest and me thinks that saying of David may fitly be taken up by you I held my tongue and spake nothing but it was paine and griefe to me at last the fire kindled and I spake with my tongue Psal 39.3 And that other saying of his may as aptly be used to this verie purpose Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy selfe but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes I hope I need no more for motives I doubt not but your zeale to God and your Countrey will move you your loyaltie nay pitie to the person and posteritie of your Prince will prevaile with you your pietie to the flourishing estate of the Gospell will perswade you your hatred to the massacres of those horrible Monsters of bloud and rebellion will animate you All things all upon you to help forwards the ruine of Gods enemies and to suppresse those inhumanities murders burnings spoylings to quench those flames to stanch those wounds God cals man cals mercie cals judgment cals the Church cals the Common-wealth cals the wife cals the child cals this and future ages and generations all call upon you presently to set about the work Take these Breviaries for I post to a conclusion by way of militarie instruction Do not wink I meane with both eyes be not timorous get Christian courage This was Hezekiahs principall charge when Sennacherib came with a bloudie purpose to fight against him saith he to his Captaines and Souldiers 2 Chron. 32.7 Be strong and of a good courage feare not nor be afraid of the King of Assur neither for all the multitude that is with him for there is more with us then with him with him is an arme of flesh but with us is the Lord our God for to help us and fight our battells There must be three ingredients in this courage to make it usefull and serviceable for a Christian