shall ascend to his high exaltation of power and dignitie out of the same place from whence the Seauen headed Beast was raysed or to speak plainly it shall be exalted to the highest by the divell who gaue to the first Beast his power For this cannot be meant of his first rising because it is expressely sayd in the text that this beast was before And so it seemeth that all the difficulties may be cleared touching this seuenth Head which as it is evident in the Text is sometimes called the Beast And now for a breathing I desire to know whether any person monarchie or kingdome can be found in the world or whether any can be imagined to come hereafter to whom all these Prophesies can be so fitly applyed I come to the next remarkeable circumstance which is the ten crowned hornes That the Roman Empire as well in the time of their Consuls as of their Cesars had many kings at their commaund is evident by their Histories and I haue partly proved before But in this Revelation Probl. â— and specially in the 17 chap. there are divers singularities to be observed in the description of these hornes whereof in Daniell there is no mention First because it is said that at the time of this Revelation they had not received a a kingdome 2 But they shall receaue power at one hour with the beast 3. They are crowned 4. They haue one minde to giue their power and authoritie to the Beast 5. They shall fight against Christ 6. They shall be overcome by him 7. And then they shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire Not one of these things can be truly applyed to the kings that were under the ancient Roman Empire which are indeede spoken of by Daniel For they had receaved their kingdoms before and were not to expect it in time to come 2. They are not sayd to be crowned because perhaps they held their crowns but as tenants at sufferance 3. They did not giue their power to the Romans but were conquered and subdued We do not read that they did professedly fight against Christ although they were Pagans or that they were overcome by him neither can it be said that they did hate the whore or burne her with fire Massinissa Prusias and Ptolomee gaue their kingdoms to Rome but they had receaved them long before S. Iohns time and did never hate the whore nor make her desolate or burne her with fire The Goths Vandales did burn Rome but they never gaue their power authoritie to the Romans The like differences may be shewed of all other kings that were in the time of the Roman Empire or before These ten hornes therefore spoken of in the 17 chap. of the Revelation cannot be understood of those ten which were spoken of by Daniel although they may haue somewhat in common with them But where now shall we finde these kings Look over all the world and see where they may be found When shall they receaue their kingdome and how long shall we looke for them The impediment of the Roman Empire is long since removed by the testimonies See Probl. 7. as well of Divines as Chronologers If the beast or these kings be not yet come when will they come Out of Rome I say again as it is said or the Roman Empire Vide Abb. demonst Antic c. 4. there note the words of the Synod cited out of Aventin ann 7 it is in vain to seeke And if these kings which shall giue their power and Authoritie to Rome haue not yet receaved their kingdome nor given it to the beast when shall they receaue it or giue it to him or when shall we see the accomplishment of this Prophecie shall we looke for it as the Iewes looke for their Messias But it is the opinion of the best soundest Interpreters Our most excellent learned Soverain king Iames holdeth this opinion in Ep. Admonit So Napier in Apo. Rensuer in Isag c. that these ten hornes do signifie the ten chief Provinces subject to the Roman Empire which at one time with the beast namely upon removing the power of the Empire receaved their power and by degrees grew up into kingdoms about the same time when also the Pope began to take upon him the title of Pontifex Max. namely about the yeare of our Lord 700 or within an hundred yeares after As it may be these Graecia Germania Gallia Brittania Asturia or Leon. Whereunto now is joyned Spaine Pannonia or Hungaria Polonia Suetia Dania and Norvegia Greece you may say was before True as a Roman Province but upon the translation of the state it became a Monarchie in it self which was not absolute as long as the chief title was giuen to Rome Now if this be so when shall we see this performed if it be not alreadie When we see that all these great Princes of Christendome heretofore did yeeld their authoritie power to the Roman Pontifex And now many of them haue forsaken him as England Scotland Denmark Sweden and others of Germanie A great parte of the Dutch Swisses and divers other which are fallen away from Rome France and Venice wavering is it to be imagined that they will againe giue their power authoritie to Rome or ever come againe to giue their power and authoritie to any other Therefore I say that this prophecie is now fulfilled or never to be expected For if we consider well the times forepast we may see that all the great kingdoms of Europe which were before subject to the Roman Empire did arise and begin to take upon them absolute soveranitie and power of the sword upon the remoue and decay of the Roman Empire which was the time foreshewed for the revealing of Antichrist And did all giue their power and authoritie to the Roman Pontifex they did all fight against Christ Iesus in persecuting the professors of his word and Scriptures by the incitement and instigation of the Pope And all those which are fallen from the Pope haue been overcome by the scripture word of God which is called the sword of Christ Iesus If these things be so then why should we looke for any other accomplishment of these Prophecies or how should we understand that they can be fulfilled if not alreadie Can it be denied but all Christian kings gaue their power and authoritie and some gaue their lands and territories also to Rome Constantine they say gaue to the Pope his diadem with the pallace of Lateran and imperiall seat Arithpertus otherwise called Herebertus the Lombard gaue the Cottia Alpes wherein standeth Genua Pipin and Charles of France gaue the principallitie of Ravenna with the Duchie of Beneventum and Spoletium Henry the IIII Emperour of Germanie and Iohn king of England gaue up their crownes to whom but to the Pope of Rome Can it be denied All the Christian kings of that part
as easie to be intreated now in heauen as he was upon earth when he did not reject Marie Magdalen that had seauen divels the woman of Canaan whom he rebuked by the name of a dog nor the man possessed with a legion Secondly how do they acknowledg him to be full of truth when they say that his H. word doth not contain all truth but it must be pieced out with the traditions Canons and expositions of their Church 3. How do they acknowledg him to be our wisdome Scriptura seipsam exponit Chris Aug 2 Tim. 3. when they will not haue his word to be sufficient to interpret it self and to instruct us make us perfect in all good works but we must resort to the Church and receiue her judgment from the mouth of their Pope 4 How do they acknowledge our Saviour Christ by himself to haue purged all our sinnes when they say that we must satisfie by good works in our life and after our death we must go to Purgatorie 5 How do they acknowledg him to be our justification when they say that we are justified before God by our good works and not onely by faith in his death and passion although it be written if thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and belieue in thy heart Rom. 10. Hebr. 10. that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt be saved 6 How do they confesse him to be our sanctification or that by one sacrifice he hath consecrated for ever them that are sanctified when as they teach that there must be offered up dayly sacrifices for us in the Masse And lastly how do they accept him for their Redeemer which affirm that our poenarie works Concil Trid. ses 14. Bellarm. de paenitent l. 4. truly properly do satisfie God for the guilt of our punishment which after the fault forgiuen remaineth to be expiated But these points with many others which may be produced to proue that the Pope and his Church if not expresly yet by consequence which is equivalent doth deny the fulnes of all graces to be in our Saviour Christ I leaue to our learned Divines of whom some haue urged these things alreadie and others I doubt not will prosecute them more at large hereafter The summe of all this may be reduced to this Problem Whether any may more properly be called Antichrist or may be called an adversarie to Christ then he that thus denieth the graces of our Saviour Let us come to that which is not onely easie to our understanding but evident to our senses which may be seen with our eyes and felt with our hands For if we take the name of Christ here as he is in the sacrament who hath been a greater enimie to Christ theÌ„ the Popes one of them poysoning it another casting it into the fire all changing adding or diminishing it But take the name as it is communicated to Kings Priests and Prophets and so Antichrist to be an enimie to them I demand who hath in secret as Antichrist must be deceiueable been a greater enimie to all christian kings and Princes then the Popes sometimes incensing them to fight with Pagans and Saracens abroad as de did Godfry of Bulleyn many Princes with him in the meane space neglecting their Christian subjects at home our king Richard the first and the Emperor Frederike sometimes stirring up seditions and rebellions at home as he did against the Emperor Henry the IIII. Henry the IIII. king of France and Queen Elizabeth sometimes ministring occasions to make wars betwixt themselues as Pope Iohn did by crowning another Emperor while the first was living sometimes by giving away their kingdomes as Navarre and England sometimes leaving them destitute of succour and open to the universall professed enimie of all Christians the Turke as they did the Grecian Emperors sometimes setting secret Traitors to murder them and sometimes procuring open enimies to invade them ever excommunicating cursing and interdicting one or other of them Let the histories of late times be perused and see whether their ende and drift hath not been continually for these 900 yeeres and upwards to maintaine and advance their own power riches jurisdiction and preeminence by holding christian princes alwaies obnoxious to them and to make them obnoxious and to keepe them under awe by such meanes as aforesaid So likewise for Priests and Prophets is he not an adversarie to all that will not submit themselues unto him as namely to the Greek Church and all the bishops and learned pastors of the same to the godly Valdenses Albigenses Wicklevites and others Lastly if we take the name of Christ here for his mysticall body which is the Church this is also a speciall note of Antichrist For so it is plainly said that the woman was drunke with the bloud of Saints and Martyrs And who hath shed more bloud of godly men professing the word of Christ Iesus then the Popes haue done for these last nine hundred yeares I referre my self to the histories and Chronicles of those times See Abbâ—t demonst antich In that one warr which they caused Christian Princes to undertake for Ierusalem under Godfry of Bollen it is recorded that there were slayn two thousand millions of Christians In Merindall Cabriers and other places held by the poore Valdois they murdered all men women and sucking children In the Massacre of France Anno 1572 within eight daies were murdered a hundred thousand beside many other at other times in England and else where So that howsoever we take the name of Antichrist either as Vicar to Christ or as adversarie eyther denying his graces or suppressing his Liuetenants and ministers or persecuting his members I finde this name most agreeable to Rome and I demand Whether it can be so well applied unto any other But here will be demanded of me a question how this name Ho Antichristos that Antichrist as they expound the Greeke Article which they would perswade is to be understood of one man can be applied to a succession of men especially seeing some of the Fathers seeme to speake of him but as one man For the Fathers to clear that first it must be confessed that quaestionibus non dum motis Pâ—â—k in Prob. they spake sometimes impropriè incautius as Bellarm. confesseth or securius as S. August sometimes Rhetoricè as S. Ierom. sometimes populariter as others do affirm This question concerning Antichrist was not appointed for them but for us upon whom it must needs be confessed that the uttermost ends of the world are fallen neither did they much labour in it And yet we see not all of them runne in one straine Hilarie seemeth to speak more largely He that refuseth the judgment of the Scriptures Antichristus est Chrysoft in opere imperfecto doth not restraine himself to one man but we sayth he videmus abominationem desolationis jam stantem in loco sancto id est populum Antichristi in
Divines Fox and Paraeus So also Dux Cleri by the godly Walter Brute a scholer of Wicleue our Country-man Vicarius Dei generalis in terris in Latin taking onely the numerall letters Ecclesia Italica in Greek letters And what shall we say to the names of divers Popes conteyning the same letters in effect sound which are used to expresse the said number of 666 in the Apocalyps In the name of Calixtus is there not the perfect sound of all those Greeke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And may not the same be easily conceited in the name of Sixtus And was not Calixtus whom they call the second but indeed the first of that name that was called Summus Pontifex he that forbad mariage to Priests which S. Paul calleth the Doctrine of Divels The ancient verse may serue for a sufficient testimonie O bone Calixte nunc totus Clerus odit te O lim Presbyteri poterant uxoribus uti Hoc destruxisti postquam tu Papa fuisti And was not Calixtus the second of that name that was called Pont. Max. he that made such a terrible and solemn vow to persecute the Turkes by war curses c. and by colour thereof levied a tenth of the Clergie put all into his purse And when as afterwards the noble Vaivod of Hungarie Hunniades had obteyned a glorious victorie against that publike enemie at Belgrade was it Calixtus that ever helped to advance the Christian cause or to prosecute such a good beginning Or did he not rather set his minde upon his own profit by drawing to himself not onely the chiefe Bishopriks but the whole kingdome of Naples after the death of Alfonsus and so labour to disinherit his sonne Frederike if the incomparable Prince Scanderbeg had not assisted him And what shall we say of Sixtus Do not the Latin letters X. T. being joyned together yeeld the same sound as all the said three numerall letters would do if they were put in the same place And was not Sixtus who by them is called the fourth but indeed the first that was called Pont. Max. for those before him were called Xisti had no greater title then bishop of Rome was not that he that raised so many wars in Italie to advance his kinred and in stead of a church or Hospitall built the famous Lupanar the bitcherie house at Rome Vtrique Veneri for which cause Agrippa called him the great bawde Was it not he that upon a Petition exhibited unto him for the use of Sodomie Homicus Agrippa subscribed Fiat ut petitur Let be as is desired and raised the rents of the Stewes to so high a Rate that it is now accounted for a principall revennue of their church O excellent Father and chast Vicar of Christ The Primitiue Christians were half perswaded that Nero was to come againe and be Antichrist And haue not we reason to belieue that this is he of whom also it is written for his Elogium Gaude Prisce Nero vincit te crimine Sixtus Paedico insignis praedo fucosus Adulter Qui moriens nullos credidit esse Deos. And was not Sixtus the 2. who is by them called the 5. he that sent out his blasphemous Bulles against the late King of France Henrie the third who was shortly after most villanously murdered by one of their breeding And was not he the same Sixtus who most highly commended that wicked Parracide in a solemne Panegyrick before his Cardinals Was not he the same that excommunicated the noble Henry the fourth of France when he was but King of Navarre who was afterwards also murdered by one of their Sectaries Was not he the same who animated the Spaniards to invade this kingdome of England in the year 1588 In setting forth of which action it is worth the Observation Cicarell in vita Sixti how carefull the Parasite is to perswade us that the English and the Spaniards never came ad justam pagnam to a just fight as if the English did affirm any such matter No Cicarella Farre be it from us to challenge the glorie of that victorie to our selues That God who gaue us the grace upon the newes of the approch of that navie to humble our selues before him with fasting and prayer a thing howsoever neglected or forgotten by some of our Historians yet most true and registred by others and remembred by many yet living witnesses That God who detected and defeated the Treasons and Rebellions of Sanders Parrie Ballard Lopas the Powderplot and many others was he that fought for us as he did sometimes against Sisera and for Theodosius and Sic conjurati venere ad classica venti Witnesse our most excellent Soveraine a witnesse aboue all exception in his Sonnet worthie to be remembred The Nations banded gainst the Lord of might Prepar'd a force and set them in the way Mars drest himself in such an awfull plight The like whereof was never seen they say They forward came in such a strange array Both sea and land beset us everie where Their brags did threat our ruine and decay What came thereof the issue did declare The windes began to tosse them here and there The sea began in foaming waues to swell The number that escapt it fell them faire The rest were swallowed up in gulfes of hell But how were all these things so strangely done God lookt on them from out his heauenly Throne This Sonnet publisht with the consent and applause of all the ancient Brittain Nation inhabitants of this kingdome truly euen of verie ancient time Polydore both by a king and a Saint intituled the kingdome of God shall be an everlasting testimonie for us that we never challenged the glorie of that action to our selues The same also will be confirmed by the ordinarie remembrances and thanksgivings which our Preachers usually make thereof in their prayers and Sermons The same also is proved by the Paper lately set forth so well accepted and bought up by all sorts of people amongst us wherein the defeating of that invincible Armada and the Powderplot is represented expressed Behold then you Iesuites Romanists against whom you fight and who it is that fights for us It was God who then pleaded the cause of Religion against superstition of Pietie against Idolatrie of Christ against Antichrist It was he onely for he onely searcheth ruleth and moveth the Hearts who then put it into the heart of our Zenobia and of her servants to send out those Peti-fierbotes that made the grear Sea-castles to cut their cables loose their Anchors and flye away It was he that stirred up the courage of our seamen and inflamed the hearts of our nation with incredible loue and zeale to defend their Countrie religion Now also our drummes and trumpets sound nothing else against you but God and Christ Iesus our Martiall cryes are nothing else but Christ Iesus our gunnes thunder out nothing but Christ Iesus against you For him we fight in
holy inquisition to finde out that sweete sinne and to pardon it which might be most profitable to the Church as having command over the purse of the partie peccant Thus it grew in time to be rightly called the Sacrament of pennance indeede for if it had not contrition at the first yet it ever ended in repentance though ever a little too late and therefore to small purpose for the pennilesse penitent The Cleargie having by these artes and infinite others as Idolatrie is full of invention for he that can once make his Creator can make all other things ingrost almost all into their owne hands they made divisions of Kingdomes and cutte them out into Bishopricks as all Countries especially Germanie can well witnesse Where the Emperor was shackled with Ecclesiasticall Officers of the Sea of Rome as with fetters of gold till the necessitie of the papacie about the rising up of Luther forced the Pope to permit the house of Austria to grow a little too great to the lessening of Antichrists immediate authoritie In so much as now the Papacie is made a servant to the House of Austria under a Catholike title as the Papacie before made both that House and all others servants to increase and support the excessiue greatnesse of that Sea under the like Catholike title and pretence But this was then and is now a violent motion and therefore not perpetuall then permitted and practised to prevent the losse of all which was justly feared upon probable grounds and now to hold what that Sea still possesseth but feareth to loose and to regaine if it be possible what she hath lost alreadie Which if ever she could regaine by this meanes she could then be content to burne the rodde of her wrath or to weare it out in her worke with whipping others In the meane time she is content to make the Spanish kingdome the Catholique sword so that the Roman Church may still be the Catholique scabberd to that sword and draw it or sheath it at the Popes pleasure But I beleeue that as by these arts that Antichristian Sea hath ascended up to that superlatiue height wherein it now sitts so it shall loose all by the same or the like meanes For whensoever the world shall be so happie as to haue an understanding Emperour who knowes his owne and is able to discover and recover Antichristian usurpations that such a man taking Henry the VIII of England for a patterne shall and may easily doe that in Germanie and so consequently in other places which that Resolute King by the advice of the Lord Cromwell and the example of Cardinall Wolsey did in his owne dominions viz. That King intending to dissolue all Monasteries made a division of part to the Nobles and Commons from whence it first came and so mette no opposition The patterne was the Popes owne who made Church-men Princes and changed the title and name of those Lands which were often by them acquired and possessed by ill arts as if he could haue changed the nature thereof and made them what he called them spirituall The King therefore did but reduce things backe to their right and former order Here onely was the error of that worke that the King did not restore the Tenths to the constant maintenance of the ministerie which portion whether it now belong to the Church or no jure divino I intend not to dispute pro or con But I dare say Gods owne order hath manifested it to be both competent and convenient for that purpose beyond all old exceptions or new inventions and so proues it to agree with the law of nature if not to flow immediately from thence deserving therefore to liue after the honourable buriall of the ceremoniall Law as it breathed long before it Had these things been better ordered and some Bishopricks broken into lesser pieces so that they might haue been sitte for honorable burthens but not too greate for the portage of one person who laden with too much temporall honour and revenue as men overgrowne with flesh and fatte become unwealdie and dishonourable burthens themselues to the Church then the undertaking had been absolute For whether it be fitt that one who will not preach the Gospell should haue power to silence such as would that one should haue power to silence a whole Diocesse of learned ministers and a whole Diocesse of these should not haue power to open the mouth of one That one should haue double honour for the single worke Nay for his wilfull idlenes and obstinate hindering the conscionable worke of others and others no honour but conzumelie and scorne for doing the double worke diligently That one should haue the provender belonging to manie labouring oxen for lying in the manger and hindering the poore asses from meate whilest divers oxen that would tread out the corne want come to eate or corne to treade out or are muzzeled whilest they treade That one should rule a place manie miles from his person as if he had both an infallible and infinite spirit and manie should not be able to rule a pettie parish or to catechise a household without helpe whether this thing be according to the patterne of the Apostolicall Hierarchie are problemes which some thinke fitt to be published amongst those of Antichrist because it may be doubted that he who would doe thus would not perhaps startle at a Cardinals cappe or the triple Crowne it they were profered or could be compassed easily and therefore such a man is no fitte instrument to be used against Antichrist in the pulling downe of Babylon or to sit for Christ and rule Obiect upon the top of Sion Object But kinges and Princes governe by substitutes farre off Answ True But it shall not be so amongst you Ans Mat 20 26. Matth. 20 25 26. Take these words of Christ as a Precept to shewe Bishops what they should doe or as a prophesie to shew all men the estate of the true Church what it shall be it is all one And doubtlesse such Princes as shall hereafter reforme will learne to mend what is amisse by the sight of other mens errors and so whensoever God shall blesse Germanie with an able and religious Emperour and shall put it in his heart to reforme the Church it is but changing those greate Bishopricks of Mentz Tryers Collen Munster and the rest into absolute Principallities and making them Hereditarie where now they are Electiue and the worke is at an end they will joyne to uphold their owne interestes and soone exclude the Papacie and mince the Prelacie somewhat finer A speedie and certaine preparation for this is the discoverie of Antichrist and it is the duetie of all men therefore that can to doe their best according to their talents in this subject and amongst others this learned Author hath done much and deserues much in this respect of the Church The Course he takes by Problemes to handle this controversie is not as if he
but Adam and Evah learned it of the old serpent and having therewith lost Paradise left it then with the wide world to boote as a Legacie for all their posteritie I would faine therefore finde that simple Christian Policie which lookes directly forward to the price of the high calling Phi. 3 13 14 and contents it selfe with that respect which followes the worke Rom. 2 29. whose praise is of God and not of men If the worldes wages comes with it I shall take it as the faithfull performance of his gracious promise who hath wild us first to seeke the kingdome of God Matth. 6.32 and his righteousnes and all needfull things for this life shall be added unto us This is my resolution and I am resolved besides that he who upon those earthly respects before mentioned or any the like humane grounds and motiues opposeth this booke or the like doeth therein sufficiently declare himselfe to be Antichristian and shall neede no further eviction or confutation then the evidence of his owne actions Kings and Princes therefore must cast an eye upon such and they shall soone see all their Councell is to uphold their owne earthly commaunds for personall respects a watchword sufficient for him that is wise to beware of such for they are wolues in sheeps cloathing And now to conclude how much are we to magnifie the Lord for our King Nobles Cleargie and Commons mette together lately in the high Court of Parliament and there so well according for matter of Religion that the Subiect no sooner shewed his grievance with complaint but the Soveraigne applied the remedie with compassion Such a Head shewes it selfe sensible of the suffering of the feete and such members will never forget as they haue protested thankfulnesse to such a Head Thus they are happie in knowing each other So that the king having any attempt against Antichrist neede not doubt the bodie And the people fearing the incroachments of Antichrist neede not doubt to acquaint the Head with their feares How happie a thing is it to heare that ecclesiasticall corruptions had no backs in eyther house nor no sonne of Belial there to pleade for Baal It is the bellie and not the conscience that speakes in such cases Whether they be greater frieÌ„ds to schollers and learning who provide for a few covetous and ambitious persons or they that provide for the generall number of carefull and conâ—cionable persons blinde men may see and judge what portion had Fulke Fox Whitaker Reynolds Perkins with many others in the Church Or were not these men learned Or who was more learned painfull and profitable to the Church of Christ then these He that thinkes me an enimie to the Bishops for this is deceived Nay rather I wish that where there is but one Bishop now there were twentie so farre am I from schisme or from being Antiepiscopall and howsoever of old such penny-wise Fathers haue been applauded as the onely pillars of the Church and friends forsooth to schollers yet now the world knowes better that as a man cannot fill his mouth and speake both at one time so they who are most greedie and unsatiable in seeking after offices haue least leasure and desire to performe the Dueties of them And that both the Parliament that desired and his Majestie who graunted and the Cleargie who never opposed the reimployment of silenced Ministers who were not turbulent did well understand For these men will be contented with litle and yet withall will labour to giue much contentment in the workes of their vocation so that if they may haue free and peaceable passage we shall see Superstition and Idolatrie haue a greater blowe in a few yeares by their labours then in manie yeares before by the unfruitfull unprofitable warre stird up against them as betwixt Fathers and their children which gaue way to the contrarie humour to increase And were some of these men well provided for and protected in Ireland I doubt not to say we should soone see the happie effect thereof and that an Armie of Priests would do more perhaps then an armie of secular souldiers and so settle that kingdome in obedience to Christ that we should not fear any invasion or inward motion by Antichrist or his instruments in those parts He that doubts this may looke into Scotland a place sixtâ—e yeares since as obstinately averse from the fayth as Ireland is now where in a few yeares Poperie was wholly rooted up and scarce a man to be found that would professe himselfe to be a Papist till these late dayes when the unhappie division betwixt the Cleargie gaue them oportunitie and incouragement to increase and multiplie It is our charge to conquer the Irish soules to Christ as well as the Irish lands and bodies to our selues and I am perswaded God hath not prospered our worke for our parte because we haue had no greater care to compasse his parte If they were Christs they would be ours too in spite of Rome and Spaine but being Antichrists in affection their able bodies are imployed as instruments against us in all places and their Countrie used now by Spaine as Scotland of old by France to divert and distract our warlike attempts and to hold us busied at home Their conversion would haue beene the glorie of our church government shewing that our Cleargie did not seeke themselues but Christ as now it is our shame that whilest the Romish Cleargie haue conquered many Countries for Antichrist in the East and West Indies we should neglect a neighbour countrie long in our possession suffering them still to liue in spirituall captivitie under the hands of ignorance Idolatrie darknesse and death But now we haue better hope seeing the reconcilement of the Fathers to their brethren and doubt not but that will be effected there which hath been performed in England and Scotland heretofore by the conscionable plaine painfull and powerfull preaching of the Gospell whilest men are not distracted nor their hearts alienated from each other by domestick controversies For these Church quarrels about Ceremonies besides the distraction do by the scandall hinder the progresse of Religion causing the enemie to insult in their unitie against our truth because they see us divided and in our divisions pursuing each other more bitterly for those things which we professe to be circumstanciall and indifferent then we doe them in fundamentall controversies And so they say truely we shew little charitie and therefore can haue no true fayth The Lord therefore joyne the hearts of our King Peeres Clergie and Commons in one to finish this good worke which they haue begun to the overthrow of Antichrist and blesse this worke to his full discoverie that Kings Princes Priests and People may learne to leaue him And so craving pardon for that capitall crime of plaine-speaking which I haue herein used I ende with the Authors owne Epistle or Preface to the Reader Quod à suis olim Lectoribus petiit