Sirach chap. 4. of his booke Striue sayth he for the trueth vnto death and defend iustice for thy life and the Lord God shall fight for thee against thine enemies For why his delight is to defende his trueth and he taketh pleasure in maintayning the good cause of his children and chosen people These things being so Consider I beseech you deerely beloued the most comfortable examples of the holy Scripture written for this entent and purpose that wee being pressed in like case might haue hope to preuaile and ouercome in like maner Although the Lorde in great mercie hath sowne our land both with men and cattle he hath taught our handes to warre and our fingers to fight he hath not bene to vs as an heath or a drie vnfruitfull grounde but hath blessed vs plentifully with all things necessarie for our defence and the withstanding of our enemies Yet suppose that it were not so Let it be that wee were but fewe and our aduersaries many in number should that dismay vs which professe the trueth God forbid Did not Abraham with 318. men of his owne house and no more follow after and pursue foure wicked Kings with their whole retinue and came home againe from the slaughter of them with safetie Gene. 14. Did not Iosua with a small hoast in comparison subdue and vtterly destroy 31. Kings and all their people Iosua 12. Did not Barake hauing at his feete but tenne thousand men ouerthrowe Sisera his nine hundred Charets of yron and all his hoast with the edge of the sword Iudg. 4. Did not Dauid with foure hundred men alone set vpō the hoast of the Amalakites and smot them from the twilight euen vnto the euening of the next morowe so that there escaped not a man of them saue foure hundred yong men which rodde upon Camels and fied 1. Sam. 30.27 Did not Adino a counsailer to King Dauid stay himselfe eight hundred at one time Did not Eleazar the sonne of Dodo one of the three worthies of Dauid defie the Philistines his owne selfe did he not arise and finite the Philistines till his haud was wearie and claue vnto the sworde by whose meanes the Lord gaue so greate victorie that same day that the people returned after him not to fight but onely to spoyle Did not three of the Captaines of the same Dauid when he longed to drinke of the water of the well of Bethelem breake into the hoast of the Philistines that was there and drewe water out of the well and brought it to Dauid 2. Sam. 23. Let it bee that there were amongst vs neither speare nor shield nor any weapon of warre should wee therefore shrincke backe at the fight and assaulting of these our Popish aduersaries GOD forbid Did not Shamgar with no better weapon then an Oxe goad destroy 600. of the vncircumcised Philistines and so deliuer Israel Iudg. 3. Did not three hundred persans and no more vnder the conducting of Gedeon by blowing the Trompets which they held in one hand and breaking the flaming pitchers which they held in the other discomfite the hoast of the Midianites Iudg. 7. Did not the Lorde with the sounde of Rammes hornes and the showte of mens voyces ouerthrow the high and huge walles of Hiericho Iosua 6. Did not Ionathan with his armour bearer alone what time the people of Israel had neither sword nor speare among them to helpe withall set vppon the mightie hoast of the Philistines and ouerthrewe them 1. Sam. 14. Let vs not feare then a small companie of the house of faithfull Abraham will scrue to put foure Antichristian Kings to flight one Iosua will be enough to subdue 31. Princes of Canaan Euery Adino will kill his eight hundred One Eleazar will ouercome the whole hoast himselfe c. An Oxe goad were weapō enough in the hand of one faithfull Shamgar to kill 600. popish Philistines withall An Asse iaw will serue the Nazarite of the Lord to stay a thousand of them Neither thinke deerely beloved that these are such extraordinary examples as we may not hope in some measure to match thē in our selues For the promise of the Lord is generall to the godly and faithfull which warre in desence of his truth Fine of you saith he shall chase an hundred and an hundred of you shall put tenne thousand to flight Leuit. 26. Though wee faile in these outward things yet there is a notable palce in the second of Daniel seruing to the great comfort of Christian men and such as haue renounced the trust and confidence in man to followe Christ Jesu alone The Prophet expoūding the vision of Nebuchadnezar sheweth how by the foure formed Image were vnderstood soure Monartchies of the worlde as by the head of golde the Chaldean Empire by the breast and armes of siluer the Persian kingdome by the belly and thighes of brasse the Maccdonian Monarchie by the legges of yron with feete partly of yron and partly of clay the Empire of the Romaines which as yron breaketh in peeces and subdueth all things so should that ouercome and subdue all other Monarchies of the world and be the last of the soure After this saith Daniel where as a stone cut out of the mountaine without hands smot the Image vpon his feete and brake them to peeces and destroyed all the meaning is saith the Prophet that the kingdome of Christ shall subdue the last or Romaine Monarchie and in that all the rest as for the kingdome of Christ it shal endure and stand for euer by the kingdome of Christ not vnderstanding the person of Christ alone but referring that worde to the whole bodie of his Church also Brethren let vs meditate on this to our comfort wee make no question nor doubt but that wee are of the Church and kingdom of Christ after whose name wee desire to be called not Catholiques but Christians and wee assuredly trust that wee are so as many of vs as doe faithfully belecue the Gospell now truely preached among vs. What then remaineth deerely beloued but that we assure our selues how the kingdome of Christ whereof we are shall neuer bee destroyed but shall become a greate mountaine and fill the whole earth as Daniel faith We see brethren the most parte of this prophesie fulfilled the 4. Monarchies destroyed the gospell set vp and preuailing euery day more more the núber of true Christiās cuery where encreasing euen vnder the Crosse let vs not then doubt of the ende of these beginnings to wit that Christ shall preuaile more gloriously euery day by his Church till it hath brought the remnants of that last and Romaine Empire whereof our enemies that threaten vs are in a maner the summe to vtter and perpetuall desolation For Christ in his Church and kingdome that the Scripture may bee fulfilled must needes triumph ouer the Romaine Monarchie and the adherents thereof Some will say peraduenture why the Papistes also and our enemies say as much for themselues they boast how they
worlde Babilon that is the Romaine sea hath taken a great fall therby notwithstanding we see that they which now threaten vs with warre and trouble sticke stil to that whore of Babilon they still worshippe the beast and his Image the Popedome they delight to she we them selues and write themselues Papists they will not bee drawne from the breastes of that harlot which the rest of Christendome abhorreth as a most ◅thie strumpet and as the mother of all Idolatrie and spirituall fornication they delight still more in her painted falshood than in the true and glorious beautie of the spoase of Christ Iesu what remaineth therefore deerely beloued for these popish aduersaries of ours but that they shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God that is to say God will take bengeaunce on them in most terrible maner Yea but shall we be the instruments of the Lordes wrath against them shall they be destroyed by vs will some say Although it skilleth not whether they be destroyed by vs or for vs yet marke what is written Reuel 17. 16. 17. The Kings which first gaue their kingdome to the beast but after ward fell to hate the whore they shal make her desolate and naked They shall deprine her both of pourpe and power and shall leaue her succourlesse and friendlesse in comparison Haue not wee brethren sometimes committed fornication with that Romish harlot but doe wee not now hate her as much as euer we loued her it is then greatly to be hoped that if wee continue to hate her still withall her whorish tromperies and superstitions we shall be the meanes of the Lord to make her vtterly desolate by ouerthrowing these her onely defendants or by helping thereto This comfort and hope to preuasle wee haue by our enemies that threaten to assaile vs let vs see whether any comfort and courage be ministred by reason of those which are meanes to set them on and exhorte them to this assault We doe all of vs knowe deerely beloued how the Embassadours which prouoke and stirre vp these and other Prinres against vs are those rouing Jesuits which sent from the Pope of Rome creepe euery where into Kings courts exhorting both them and their Nobilitie against vs. Hath the Scripture then determined what euent their counsailes shall haue to what ende the Princes which are ruled by them shall come vnto Yea verely looke Reuel 16. and you shall find it set downe there Saint Iohn verse 12. of that chapter hauing vnder the figure of Euphrates dried vp by which meanes the olde Babilon was destroyed prophesied the destruction of the Romish Babilon he saith in the 13. verse that He sawe three vncleane spirites like frogges come out of the mouth of that drakon and out of the mouth of that beast out of the mouth of that false Prophet The office of these frogges be describeth to bee this to gather the Kings of the earth to the battell of that great day of God almightie Meaning that their purpose should be to stirre vp the Kings against the destroyers of their Babilonian tower and to bring them to build it againe if it might be but the Lord should otherwise dispose their labours and himselfe take the cause of his children in hand making battaile with them c. The whole difficultie of this place lyeth in knowing who are ment by these frogges Some vnderstand the Popish schoolemen but that cannot bee First because the Prophet noteth how these frogges should not come foorth till the decay and way made to the ouerthrowe of their Babilon as for the schoolemen they were in the flourishing state of the Romish Monarchie Secondly it was not the office of the Popish schoolemen to go from one countrie to an other from one Prince to an other and to stirre them vp against the people of the Lorde but these properties both of them agree to the Jesuites and to them only For after the decay of the Romish supremacie they were inuented for this entent that they might go from one King and Kingdome to an other stirring them to battaile against the decayers of their Babilon And wee see that they haue not bene sluggish nor negligent in doing this It is then out of all doubt and controversie that the Jesuits are ment by those frogges What then shal be the euent of the labours of these Jesuites They shall gather the Kings to battell against the Lord to aplace saith S. Iohn called in Debrew Har Mageddon the mountaine of Mageddo or Megiddo a place famous by reason of great slaughter there committed meaning that they shall gather them to their owne destruction as the whole text manifestly declareth This serueth greatly for our encouragement deerely beloued The Princes which threaten vs are gathered by these Jesuits not so much against vs as against the Lord himselfe whose word we truely professe therefore if our iniquities and lacke of following our profession doe not make separation betwixt vs and the helping hand of God the ende of those Jesuitish embassadours councell shall come vpon thē that is their gathering together shall bee to their owne destruction for the Lorde will fight against them I will adde but this one reason for the perticuler persons and I beseech you be are with me if I be the longer in it considering it poynteth out the verie time wherein we liue and containeth our aduersaries by name The place is written Reuel 20. where it is sayd that Gog and Magog shall gather themselues to battell and shall compasse the tents of the Saincts about and the beloued citie c. For the more plaine vnderstāding wher of I must needes declare the meaning of that which goeth before in that chapter and also of somewhat in the 12. which hath relation to the 20. In the 12 chapter of the Reuelation after that Christ was ascended verse the 5. and the woman which is the Church deliuered by flight from the Dragon the Dragon went and made warre with the remnant of her seede which keepe the commaundements of GOD and haue the testimonie of Jesus Christ whereby is signified that Sathan should raise persecution against the true Christians which was fulfilled in those tenne persecutions vnder the Romaine Empire which ended Anno domini 367. Here S. Iohn leaueth to speake of the dragon and speaketh no more of him all the 20. chapter where be beginneth at the time whereat he left before As if one should demaunde of S. Iohn what became of the drakon after those persecutions he aunswereth from the end of those persecutions to the terme of a thousand yeeres more the deuill shall be bound up meaning that be should not raise any such open persecution against the Church for the faith it might vee demaunded then what should become of such as were staine in those persecutions S. Iohn aunswereth verse 4. they shall line and raigne with Christ al that thousand yeeres Some might as ke againe what shall bee the state of
the people from that yeere 367. to the end of those thousand yeres S. Iohn aunswereth They shal be dead in sinnes and trespasses euery day more more through the ignorance of the trueth of Gods word but at the end of those thousand yerrs they shal reuiue againe With what resurrection shal they reuiue shal their bodies thē rise out of the graue No saith S. Iohn they shall liue againe by the first resurruction or rising of the man from sinne for at the ende of those thousand yeres 1. Anno domini 1367. the gospel shall breake forth againe and in doe de then VVickleiffe began to preach and men shall reuiue againe by the meanes of the true preaching of the worde that then shall be Some might further aske what shall Sathan then bée bound vp still after this time of one thousand yeeres expired that is after the yeere 1367 S. Iohn aunswereth no but he shall bee loosed againe and shall fall to persecuting of the truth then preached which persecution shal last for a little season verse 3. After all this to come now vnto our selues it might bee demaunded by whom Sathan should persecute the professors of the trueth that short time Saint Iohn aunswereth by Gog and Magog whome hee should at the last stirre vp to make warre against the Saincts Ye see now we are come deerely beloued vnto our owne time The Gospell which lay hidde as it were till the yeere 1367. than began to shine foorth againe by the preaching of Wickleife since that time which is but a shorte space in comparison the professors of the Gospell haue bene persecuted now Gog and Magog make warre against the true professors of Christianitie Who are meant will some say by Gog and Magog Concerning Gog looke Ezech. 38. and 39. and there you shall see that Gog is called the Prince of Mesech and Tuball by which Tuball are vnderstood the Italians and Spaniardes as the learned may see in Iohn Funcius his diuision of the world in his chronicle by Mesech the Turkes by Magog the Tartarians and wee doe all of vs knowe that these are they which at this time doe persecute Christianitie the Turkes in the Cast Church the Spaniards and Italians in the West and North partes of Christendome We see then who are God and Magog as also that our enemies which warre against vs that is to say the Italians and Spaniardes are a parte of them what comforte haue wee by this or how doth this put vs out of feare by shewing that the Lord will fight for vs that which followeth in the text will strengthen vs in the Lord. For the holie ghost telleth vs plainly that Gog Magog shall compasse the tentes of the Saincts about but fire sayth he came downe from GOD out of heauen and deuoured them verse 9. Whereby is meant either that God will plague punish and destroy them with most terrible indgements from heauen according to the phrase of the. Scripture Psal 18.12.13.14 Psal 11.6 Or els that the last iudgement shall come vpon them and take them in their wickednesse whilest they are warring against the Saincts and people of God both which are of force and sufficient to encourage vs. For if the Lorde will fight for vs with vengeance from heauen against our enemies against the Popish Italians and Spaniards by name which are a parte of Gog. what more auaileable to encourage vs against them Or els if the Lord will hasten his indgement and for the saluation and deliuetance of his people whom Gog and Magog hath compassed his Saincts about to destroy them wil oppresse them with that reuenging fire which shall accompanie that last iudgement of his what can bee a greater consolation then this that our brethren wheresoeuer and we shall not long fight and striue against these enemics of ours before the day of indgement shall come and vtterly destroy them O my brethren I beseech you in the name of Christ Iesu let vs not once faint nor be afraide ye see the times agree the enemies are named the trouble is begunne in some places a good while since let vs not doubt but the Lorde which neuer deceiueth will performe his promise in due time take vengeance on our enemics In y meane season let vs be couragious for our people for our true religion for the cities of our God let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes 2. Sam. 10.12 For the persons hetherto let vs now weigh the comfort and consolation which we haue by the causes for which they assayle vs and in confidence wherof we prepare and addresse our selues against them It appeareth deerely beloued by that which is written Iud. 20. how they which set vppon any to destroy them should haue a good cause otherwise they cannot hope and looke for the helpe and assistance of the almightie The rest of the Tribes when they make themselues readie to battaile against the Behiamites it is for want of reformation and punishing of men which had committed most shamefull and detestable filthinesse with a Leuites wife neither that alone but moreouer had murdered her by that meanes Haue our enemies any such cause of warring against vs Uerely no. Wherefore then are they gathered together wherefore doe they threaten Fire and Sworde There is no doubt whatsoeuer bee pretended the setting vp againe of their Romish religion the suppressing of the Gospell now preached among vs the satisfying of the bloodthirstie minde of their proude Pops is altogether entended by this warre of theirs This ought then to turne vnto our comforte and setting all feare a parte to cause vs vnder hope of the Lorde his helpe and assistance to goe with couragious heartes against them They assault to driue vs from the the Lorde wee defende that wee may not bee seperated from him they fight to bereaue vs of the true preathing of the worde the onely comforte of our soules wee striue to keepe continue and entrease it amongst vs they bende themselues to fulfill the minde of Antichrist wee withstande to accompish the minde of Christe They warre to bring Poperie the stucke of all sedition and vngodlinesse amongst vs wee resist to keepe it out and to retaine trueth the mother of peace and godlinesse still in the lande Thus they fight for an euill wee for a good cause Then let vs boldly fight this battaile of the Lorde For seeing they doe not come out against our Soueraigne and against our Countrie for any Euill that they haue founde in them but onely rise vp to persecute vs and to seeke our soules for professing the trueth and doing after that which is right and equall let vs not doubt but The soules of our Soueraigne and of her people are bounde vp in the bundle of life with the Lorde their God and that GOD will cast out the soules of our enemies as out of the middle of a Sling 1. Sam. 25. Remember that worthic exhortation of Jesus the sonne of
Were not the Spaniards in this Realme in the daies of Queene Mary partakers in the shedding of the blood of Gods children for might not their Catholike King haue wrought the preseruation of these Martirs was not his consent and theirs in the making and playing of that tragedie was not the Italian Nimrod the chiefe causer of that bloodshed What then may wee thinke deerely beloued concerning their entent of assaulting vs here in this lande Uerely if wee goe forward to feare the Lord there is great hope that the Lorde hath hardned their hearts and put in their mindes to come hether to the entent he might here requite them with blood again who were in this place partakers in the shedding of the blood of his saincts Thus I haue shortly my bretheren shewed you according as this portion of Scripture gaue occasion with what comforte and courage with what hope and expectation of victorie wee ought to prepare our selues against these enemies of the Lord abuse not I beseech you neither misconstrue mine exbortations You will aske peraduenture how that may bee done Uerely what I haue sayde whatsoeuer I haue brought for your encouragement as I haue done it in simplicitie and single meaning grounding on the word of our God so if any doe thinke that hue they well or ill seeke they to knowe God aright or abide they in ignorance they shall enioye the promises of the Scripture which I haue alledged let such knowe that these comfortes pertaine not to them For I haue sayd nothing but that which cōtaining promise of helpe to them that are the true Church both so farre appertaine to vs as by embracing that true interpretation and profession of Gods worde which our enemies are boyde of and without which none are the chosen people of God we declare our selues to be the true Church of Christ as out of all question our popish aduersaries are not To the entent therfore that we may not glory in our profession alone crying the Temple of the Lorde the Temple of the Lord is amongst vs and therfore to vs simply both al belong obserue that as our professiō doth minister hope unto vs so that we may be assured to preuaile 3. things necessarily to be performed of vs. 1 The first is that we trust not in our own valiantnes or furniture to the battel but onely in the Lord. In this confidence little Dauid did set vppon the great Giaunt Goliath and preuailed Thou commest to me sayth Dauid with speare shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hostes that is to say trusting in him are not in worldly weapons or defence My hart trusted in the Lord saith the same Dauid and I was holpen Psal 28.9 Likewise the Prophet Hanani 2. Chron. 16. teacheth vs the same lesson For speaking vnto Asa the King he saith on this forte Because thou hast rested on the king of Aram and not trusted in the Lord thy God therefore is the hoast of the king of Aram escaped out of thy hande The Aethiopians and the Lutims were they not a great hoast with charrets and horsemen yet because thou diddest trust in the Lord he deliuered them into thine hande By all which we may perceiue how the Lord is readie to helpe them which trust in him as for such as trust in the arme of flesh he giueth them ouer to the pray or disappoynteth them of the victorie which they hoped for least they might say how they preuailed by the strength of their owne hand Wherefore let vs so prepare our selues to the battell let vs so exercise the weapons of this earthly warfare that wee trust not in them but in the Lorde and no doubt our enemies shall fall before vs. 2 A second thing required of vs in this case is that we put away vngodlinesse farre from vs that wee repent vs of our sinnes and giue our selues to holinesse of life and a diligent following of the commaundements of God This rule the Lorde teacheth vs Deut. 32.9 When thou goest our with the hoast against thine enemies sayth the Lord keepe thee then from all wickednesse So Leuit. 26. he promiseth victorie to his people on this condition if they serue him Keepe my Sabbaths saith he reuerence my sanctuarie walke in mine ordinaunces keepe my commaundements then shall yee chase your enemies and they shall fall before you vpon the sworde A. game Deut. 11. If ye keepe diligently these cōmaundements no man shall stand against you Moreouer Deut. 28.7 If thou shalt obey diligently the voyce of the Lorde and doe all his commaundements the Lorde shall cause thine enemies that rise against thee to fall before thy face Consider this deerely beloued for this purpose and entent that ye which feare the Lorde may haue confidence in the day of battell and that such as being appoynted in the behalfe of our countrie to goe against our enemies knowing this may labour to reforme themselues in knowledge and behauiour before they set foote into the battell least there the vengeance of the Lord ouerthrowe them It is thought of some wicked persons that to haue a payre of Dice in the one hand and a whore in the other this is Souldierlike but wo vnto such for these are poynts of vngodlinesse which must by all of them be put away which will bee assured to prosper in battell against their enemies Wee reade in the seuenth of Iosua how Achan sinned against the Lord in the excommunicate thing for which cause three thousand men of the hoast of Israell though they were the onely true professors of the world at that time fled before the men of Ay and the men of Ay smote of them vpon a thirtie and sixe men beware therefore that ye purge your selues before the fight for the battell is the Lordes place of execution and the enemies are his axe which he holdeth in his hand therewith to destroy all those that with a stiffe necke and a rebellious heart goe on in breaking the commandements of the Lord. Some will say what is this a rule for Souldiers onely No verely but for all generally as well as for thē It standeth euery one of vs vppon to amende that which is amisse in vs. The oppressor of the Lordes Prophetes vnder what colour soeuer hee doth it must take heede that he leaue the blasphemer of Gods name must now begin to hallowe it the peruerters of iudgement must now giue vpright sentence the robbers of the church must now liue of their owne labors the proud must now be humble the liar must now speak truth the adulterer must now keepe his vessell in holinesse the contemner of the worde must now begin to embrace it the lukewarme Gospeller must now become zealous yea euery Magistrate in his place so farre as his authoritie will stretch in godlinesse must effectually looke to it that sinne be suppressed so shall we prosper against these aduersaries of ours 3 The last thing which is required of
vs in this case is that according to the present occasion ministred we resorte daily and diligently vnto the Lord in humble and hartie prayer desiring the assistance of his mightie hand in the tune of neede and necessitie This if we do brethren let us not thinke that the Lord will send us backe without comfort For why his promise is That if wee call vpon him in the time of trouble he will heare vs and deliuer vs. Psal 50.15 and herevnto the manifolde examples of Gods word giue testimonie When Iosua was gone out to fight against Amaleck Moses prayed earnestly vnto the Lord in the behalfe of his people and by this meanes the Lord gaue victorie to Israel so that Iosua discomfited Amaleck and his people with the edge of the sworde Exod. 17. When Iehoshaphat in battell at Ramoth Gilead against the Aramites was in daunger to be staine he cried in prayer to the Lord and the Lord caused the men of warre to departe from him 1 Reg. 22. 32. When Ietur and Naphish cried vuto God in battell he heard them because they trusted in him 1. Chron. 5.19 When Ierusalem was besieged of the hoast of Senacherib Ezekiah then King of Iudah and Isaiah the Prophet ioyned together in prayer vnto the Lord at whose petition the Lord sent an Angell which destroyed all the valiant men and the Princes Captaines of the hoast of the King of Ashur to the number of an hundred fourescore fiue thousand 2. Chron. 32. Among other that is a most comfortable place which wée finde written Luc. 18. where the wicked Iudge which neither feared God nor reuerented man though of long time he would not doe the poore widowe iustice against her aduersarie yet at the last because of her importunitie he did her right Whervpon our Sauiour concludeth saying And shall not God auenge his elect which crie vnto him day and night yea though he suffer long for them I tell you he will auenge them quickly You see deerely beloued how much the Lord regardeth the earnest prayers of his children crying for helpe vnto him against their wicked aduersaries Let vs therefore neuer cease let vs put before God euery day the humble supplication of our harts for the reuenging of the blood of our brethren which these popish Aramites haue staine here in Flanders or els where let vs be importunate with the poore widow and neuer giue ouer till we haue aunswer of comforte from the throne of the Lorde He is not an harde harted or vnkinde but a most mercifull father to them that lift vp pure harts and hands before him he will not laugh at the teares of his children but his compassion will be moued and the fire of his ielousie will burne and breake foorth against these our aduersaries who assault his spouse and Church in England to enforce her to commit fornication with them and to forsake that faithfull couenant which she made with the Lorde Thus ye see deerely beloued what comforts the Lorde hath layd vp for them that professe his trueth sincerely and that we also shall assuredly enioye them if as wé she we our selues by our profession to be of that kingdome of Christ which shal subdue all the kingdomes of the world of the number of those Saincts which God hath promised to deliuer from the hands of Gog and Magog so we trust not in our owne strength but in the Lorde only forsake our iniquities from the bottome of our hearts and pray earnestly to our heauenly father not in the name of Saincts as our aduersaries doe but in the name of Christ his only sonne our Sauiour to bee a tower of defence and a mercifull protectour vnto vs. God of his mercie graunt c. FINIS Laus soli deo
A SERMON PREACHED AT BROCKET HALL BEFORE the Right VVorshipfull Sir John Brocket and other Gentlemen there assembled for the trayning of Souldiers January 2 and 3. By Edmond Harris AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin for Iohn Daldern and William Haw 1588. To the right VVorshipfull Sir Iohn Brocket Knight IT was no parte of my meaning right Woorshipfull to haue communicated to any that which I spake by waie of exhortation and encouragement to the Souldiers that shewed themselues before you the 2. and 3. of Ianuary Notwithstanding I could not resist the daily importunitie of my friends desiring to bee partakers of such matter as the Lord of his mercie did at that sodaine minister vnto mee for the comfort of thé which heard Wherefore giuing my selfe to remember what I had spoken I deliuered them in writing so much as I could call to mind againe which they finding meanes I knowe not how to bring vnto the print and certifying me therof that duetie which for your goodneâ—â— to me warde I owe vnto your woorship caused me to present it vnto you and so much the rather because you were the onely man which when the Souldiers were readiero come before you admonished mee to employ my speache to such ende and purpose Wherefore I beseech your worship to accept of this my small present being a testimonie rather of my well meaning than a reward of your benefites The Lord encrease in you and yours his spiritual graces and preserue you by faith working through loue vnto the kingdome of his sonne Your worships to commaund in the Lord Edmond Harris Dread not neither bee a fraide of them The Lord your God which goeth before you he shall fight for you according to all that he did in Egipt before your eyes Deut. 1. IT was my purpose right woorshipfull to haue gone forward in the exposition of S. Peter wherewith I began but coÌ„sidering how the occasion of this daies meeting required other exhortations than the words which were next to be expounded would minister unto us I thought good to choose out an other portion of Scripture agreeable to the present matter especiallie considering how some euill disposed persons goe about to weaken the hearts and hands of our countrimen as though we were not able to encounter with our Popish Spanish aduersaries that now threaten us with encomberance of warre in our owne land The Scripture which I have selected and chosen for this purpose is found written in the first of Deuteronomie The wordes whereof are these Dread not c. which containe in them a propheticall exhortation wherewith Moses the conducter of Israel encouraged the people of the Lord what time they seemed to faint for feare of their enemies For hauing beard sate how they should encounter with the sonnes of Anake men of giantlike stature who did cate by the Inhabitants of the land and in comparison of whome the valiant men of Israel were but as Grashoppers to looke too they tooke so sodaine discomfiture at these ridings that they rather desired never to see the promised land than to ioyne battaile with so strong and mightie aduersaries This Moses perceiuing coÌ„forted them with these wordes faying Dread not c. In which speech we are to obserue these two braunches whereinto the Scripture deuideth it selfe First an exhortation Secondly the reasons of that exhortation The exhortation is this Dread not neither bee afraide of them The reasons are two in number The first taken from the sauing presence of God among his people The Lorde your God which goeth before you he shall fight for you The second taken from their former experience and triall of Gods mightie protection to themwarde in the land of Egipt According to all c. Concerning the exhortation let vs obserue who are exhorted not to feare and whom they are exhorted not to feare where the holy ghost saith Dread not neither bee afraide of them he speaketh to the people of God to them that were sanctified and set apart to bee a peculiar people vnto himselfe to such as were the true professors of Gods worde thereby teaching vs how Christians should not be faint harted in a good cause but couragious and bould as Lyons especially when they are to encounter with the enemies of true religion Neither doth Moses alone teach vs this but Christ himself also is of the same minde as may appeare Math. 24. 6. For speaking of those troubles which should come vpon the worlde in the latter age thereof he saith how They should heare of warres and rumours of warres but see that ye bee not troubled saith he to the faithfull and beleeuing as who should say that feare of the aduersarie were not comely in them that make profession of the true faith Marke this I beseech you brethren as many of you as feare the Lord Moses commaundeth such not dread neither to be afraide Christ commandeth such not to be troubled though they heare of warres c. Now therefore as men that professe the Lord to be your only stay and trust lift vp your hearts that it may bee knowne how you haue not professed in vaine and that you are the true Souldiers of Christ Jesu whom no force nor furniture of the enemie can feare no rumours of warre can dismay no hoastes of armed men can once abash or terrifie If your hearts bee weakened at any time with the reportes of our enemies preparation against vs knowe this for a suretie that whensoeuer you are dismayd therewith that day ye beginne to proclaime and shewe your selues men voyd of true faith For why such as are the true people of God by the iudgement both of Moses and also of Christ himsâ—â—â—â—â—ould not be afraide of these things Nay mar 〈…〉 one thing more Moses saith to his brethren 〈◊〉 Israelites Be not afraide of them Of whom doth he meane It is manifest by the former verse he vnderstandeth the Anakins that is to say the Giants which enhabited the lande of Canaan whom he chargeth the people of God not to feare though they were men greater and taller than themselues Might not the schollers of Moses feare Giants and shall the schollers of Christ feare Spaniardes Farre bee it of from the least of vs brethren euer to feare these enemies of the Lord. To the intent that we may be the more couragious let vs consider of the reasons which Moses adioyneth to his exhortation The first reason is taken from the sauing presence of God among his people or from his effectuall power and strong hande which he stretcheth ouer his Church to defend his enheritance and to destroye the enemies thereof The Lorde your God saith Moses he shall fight for you therfore be not afraide of them As if hee had sayd They are sure to ouerthrowe their enemies in battaile whose parte the Lorde taketh and for whom he fighteth The Lorde himselfe be fighteth for you my brethren the sonnes of Israel therefore feare not but ye shall haue the
victorie ouer them This is a notable reason deerely beloued and much vsed in the Scripture In the 14. of Nomb. there is a notable place pertayning to the same matter which is here spoken of For when the people seemed to take discomfiture by the tidings which the spies brought them concerning the inhabitants of Canaan the spirite of the Lorde came upon Iosua and he comforted them on this wise Feare not the people of the land sayth Iosua for they are but bread for vs. And he addeth the same reason which Moses vsed Their shield sayth he is departed from them and the Lorde is with vs therefore feare them not With the like wordes doth the good King Ezechia encourage the Captaines and Souldiers in his time which were readie to fight the Lordes battaile against the blasphemous boast of the proud Senacherib as wee may reade 2. Chron. 32. Be strong and couragious sayth Ezechia feare not neither bee afraide for the King of Ashur neither for the multitude that is with him Dis reason he adioyneth There be more saith he with vs thé are with thé with him is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God for to help vs to fight our battels Consider these things my brethren the Lord will fight for them that professe his trueth and whome he fighteth for they shall vndoubtedly preuaile and triumph ouer their enemies be they neuer so well prepared to the battaile Let vs then cleaue truely and vufainedly to the Lord our God so shall he fight for vs and our ene mies shall not be able to stand before vs. He that is a consuming fire shall goe forth on our behalfe and the stubble of Spayne shall bee consumed to ashes The whitle winde of his presence shal scatter them as chaffe and his vengeance shall followe after and pursue them till they be vtterly destroyed Ye will desire peraduenture more speciall reasons and proofes in this case such as may make vs see that the Lord will fight for his Church in England if it departe not from him against all it Popish and Spanish aduersaries Hearken then to the word of our God which is true and infallible The Lord himself threatneth to shed their blood which haue shed the blood of his Saints as appeareth Deut. 32.41.42 I will execute vengeaunce on myne enemies saith the Lord and will reward them that hate me I will make myne arrowes dronke with their blood and my sword shall eate their flesh for the blood of the slaine and of the captiue But he will bee mercifull saith Moses in the same place to his land and to his people Heere you see plainly declared vnto you my brethren how the Lord threatneth to destroy them which haue spilt the blood of his Christian people This is the word of the Lorde and therfore so sure and certaine that albeit heauen and earth doe passe yet no one iot of this shall passe till it be all accomplished and fulsilled Consiber then of our enemies which threaten vs at this time and for resistance of whom wee are assembled this day Are they such as haue spared the innocent and barmelesse members of Christ Jesu No verely For it is notably knowne how much innocet blood the Pope our chiefe aduersarie and his Lieutenant the Catholique King haue shed in Christendome The earth which greedilie drinketh in cuery such thing is wearie with drinking vy the blood of Christ his sheepe which the wooluish in quisitonrs of Spayne and bloodthirstie tormentors sent out of the Romaine sea haue spilt The histories are full of most lamētable tragedies declaring the sauage pea more thē beastly crueltie of these our aduersaries toward innumerable christian people which neuer lift vp weapon against them but were lead as sillie Lambes to the slaughter not once opening their mouthes against their bloodsuckers What then remaineth but that the Lorde now repay them againe according to all that they haue done to his Saincts and children and that the worde of the almightie be fulfilled on them which saith that he will make his arrowes dronke with their blood which kinde of speech beside other thinges would not bee lightly ouerpassed by vs considering the bowe and the arrowe are weapons of defence wherewith the Lorde hath armed our nation aboue the reft Let vs therefore bee assured if wee consecrate our selnes wholly to God and reioyce in this to continue the people of the Lorde he will per for me his promise in sauing this his lande and vs his people but destroying our enemies with most fearefull destruction causing the arrowes of vs English men to drinke the blood and our sword to deuoure the flesh of these persons who haue powred foorth the blood of his Saincts without cōpassion as water vpō the ground in great aboun dance This the Lord will doe if we go for ward to serue him though not for our sakes which are but miserable sinners yet for his promise-sake and for his Christes sake whose name is called vpon vs. This for their acts Let vs yet come neerer vnto these our enemies and see what the Lord in his worde hath determined against them If we looke vnto the profession of those which bend themselues against vs wee may finde great matter to encourage vs withall I stande not now to consider and shewe vnto you how the Lorde threatneth generally all Idolaters and such as prouoke him with straunge Gods as they doe that He will spende plagues vpon them that he will bestowe his arrowes vpon them the sword shal kill them with out and feare shall kill them in their chambers Deut. 32. Onely that I would haue you to note which is written by S. Iohn Reuel 14.8.9 The holy ghost hauing noted in the 6.7 8. verses the breaking foorth of the light of the gospel and there vpon the fall of Babilon or the Romish sea ensuing and following to declare how grieuously the Lord would bee offended with such as after the decay of that Babilonish sea by the gospell of Christ would not yeeld the inselues obedient to the truth but goe forward in cōmitting idolatrie or spirituall fornication with that whore of Babilon whose shame full abominations the Lorde had detected before their faces by the plaine preaching of the worde he vttereth this most fearefull iudgement against them If any man saith an Angeli from heauen worship the beast and his image and receiue the marke in his forehead or on his hand that is either openly shewe himselfe a maintainer of that Romish sea or secretly subscribe to the abominations therof The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the cup of his wrath he shall be tormented in fire brimstone before the holy Angels before the Lambe Weigh this aduisedly with your selues my brethren for to encourage you with all Ye know that the gospell hath now along time bene preached a fresh in the
are the Church of Christ and Popedome Christes kingdome wherefore nothing letteth but that this may serue their turnes as well as ours The aunswer is easie deerely beloued Papistes are not of Christes kingdome The reason is manifest Christes kingdome is appoynted to subdue as al other so the Romaine Monarchie and Empire whether the beast or image of the beast doe the Papistes fulfill this Nay cleane contrarie they with their Pope and Catholike King doe all that they can to restore it and to bring againe that Romaine supremacie which Christ by his Church hath ouerthrowne into euery corner of the world Will the kingdome of Christ labour to build vp that which the kingdome of Christ hath destroyed No verely but whatsoevuer they bee which goe about that as out Popish and Spanish aduersaries doe they are out of all question of the kingdome of Antichrist To conclude therefore and to make an ende of this reason the kingdome of Christ wherof are as many as professe and practise the substance of our religion truely and whereof no Papistes are shall bruse the Romaine Monarchie in peeces till it become like the chaffe of the sommer flowers and the winde carie it away that no place be found for it any more saith the Prophet Daniel whervpon it must needes followe that they and all the eudeuours of them which labour to restore and set vp againe that Romaine suprematic shall come to nought I reason not of the maner how these things shall be done it is enough for vs to know that God will set vp Christes kingdome and make that it shall triumph especially ouer the Romaine Monarchie and defenders thereof or any that labour to restore it as these our aduersaries doe Thus ye see deerely beloued how the Lorde will fight for his seruants and by them that he will fight against them that haue shed the blood of his children as these our enemies haue done that he will powre his vengeance vpon the adherents of the whore of Babilon by the hand of those which hate her as I trust all true English men do that he will fight against them that are gathered against his Church at the prouocation of those croking Jesuites that he will fight from heauen with fire and most terrible iudgements against Gog Magog whereof these our enemies are a part as I shewed you Wherefore all these things considered and thought vpon crie vnto vs feare them not because the Lord which goeth before vs he wil fight for vs especially so manifold causes wherein he hath promised to helpe his being added Some Papistes will obiect peraduenture Nay but the Lorde he goeth before your enemies and therefore ye cannot stande Let vs therefore see what that phrase employeth to the entent we may bee assured whether the Lorde goe before them or vs and so cousequently may bee farre of from fearing them as becommeth the true children of God When Mofes saith The Lorde goeth before them he meaneth that he was their guide by whō they were conducted their Captaine whom they followed and vnder whose banner they warred which therefore would faue and defende his faith full Souldiers Doth this agree to the religion of these our enemies No verely Why so Consider the reason deerely beloued and you will easely finde it 1 They which will in no wise be content vnlesse they may haue a mortall man goe before them in the person of Christ and as his pretended Uicar in their Church they shewe that the Lord himselfe goeth not before them for what absurditie were it to haue a Liuetenant or Uicar where the Prince himselfe is not onely in presence but moleouer supplieth the office of going before his people Pet this doe our aduersaries for albeit Christ continually goe before his Church and people in his owne person yet they will not bee content vnlesse they may haue an ydolatrous person vnder the name of his Uicar bee their guide and goe before them in their Church which declareth that the Lorde Jesu Christ himselfe goeth not before them For then what needed a Uicar exercising such authoritie if the Lord himselfe fulfill the office and goe before them in his owne person Adde hercuuto that they pray vnto Sainctes deûring them to pray vnto the Lorde for them which were both needlesse and foolish if it were so that the same Lorde which calleth all his saith full vnto himselfe and not to the Sainctes were present and went before their Church and enery member thereof as wee deleeue be doth his true Church and euery member of it For what a straunge matter were it to desire a Sainct which is farre of and whereof one hath no sureite that hee heares him to speake in his behalfe vnto the Lorde who standeth by him and goeth immediatly before him that praieth hearing his suite 2 Moreouer the Scripture is plaine which teacheth vs that there is no agreement betweene God and Beliall with Christ and an ydoll so that there is no doubt but he withdraweth his presence where the idoll is adummced and goeth not before them before whome the idoll goeth Consider than of out enemies deetely veloued doe not they carric before them the ydolatrous hoast or masse-cake yea as the Israelites sayde to their golden calfe These are thy Gods O Israell which brought thee vp out of the land of AEgypt do not they say in like manner to their breaden God This is our very Sauiour O ye Catholiques which died for vs and deliuered vs from hell and damnation forasmuch then as that filthie Idoll goeth before them it is apparant that Christ our Lord who can not agree nor will not ioyne with Idols goeth not before them that he conducteth them not and that they fight not vnder his banner As for vs brethren we knowe and feele the effectuall presence of Christ our Lorde to bee such to vs ward so mightie so auaileable that we neither desire a visible Uicar generall nor flie to inuisible Saincts wee abhorre and detest their idolatrous Passe withall the whorish attire thereof and therfore trust that our Lord he goeth before vs especially if we flie from all other things which may prounke him to forsake vs and that he will fight for vs in such forte that we shall not neede to feare our enemies Let vs come to the second reason of Moses erbortation which as I shewed you before is taken from their former tryall of Gods protection in the land and deliuerance out of the land of AEgipt or is grounded vpon the right vse of Gods benefites and deliuerances which his children afore time haue receiued for verely God therefore deliuered his people at one time that they hauing thereby erperience of his good will and power might by faith resort vnto him another time and trust to his helpe and assistance and receiuing helpe praise him therfore That I may not vee tedious vnto you in this poynt I will bring one example and proofe which for the cleere euidence thereof
may serue in steade of many In the 1. Sam. 17. there was a notable combate towarde betweene Dauid and Goliath the holie Ghost describeth both the champions that men seeing how great a Giant was vanquished by so weake a person might not trust in force of man but in the Lorde as for example Goliath was a man of great stature Dauid but a little one Goliath was grimme and rough Dauid ruddie and tender Goliath had armour and bootes of brasse Dauid could not beare any Goliath was armed with a mightie shield and a speare like a Weauers beame Dauid had nothing but a sling and a stone at the brooke in it When Saule same this vnequalnesse in the match he goeth about to withdrawe Dauid from the combate as one that in his indgement was sure to fall before his enemie Dauid with an inuincible courage aunsweteth againe in the presence of the King to prooue that the Lord would fight for him and giue him the victorie ours his aduersarie he prooueth it by the former triall which he had of Gods defence and protection to him warde on this wise Thy seruant O King saith Dauid kept his fathers sheepe and there came a Lyon and likewise a Beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke and I went out after him smot him tooke it out of his mouth and when he rose against me I caught him by the beard and smot him and slew him so thy seruant slewe both the Lyon the Beare what doth he conclude herevpon Uerely from this experience and triall he reasoneth in this sorte The Lord saith he which deliuered me frō the pawe of the Lyon and from the pawe of the Beare he sal deliuer me from the hand of this Philistin By the former protection of God against the Lyon and the Beare he assureth himselfe and prcoueth that be would also deliuer him from the vncircumrised Philistine So in like maner déerely beloued the triall which we haue had hertofore of Gods delinering of vs from these such like enemies ought to be so many assurances to all thē that feare God that the Lord will now also deliuer vs and vestroy them if wee humble ourselues vnder the mightie hand of the Lorde and ovey him Let vs therefore consider what the Lord of late hath done for vs. First when the Spaniard was here in the daies of Queene Mary and had both occasion giuen thē to worke vpon knowing that our gracious Soueraigne the enemie of their popish religion should succeede her sister and also had friends enough to further their purpose the most of the Realme at that time being Popishly enclined and giuen did not the Lorde euen then deliuer vs from these enemies of ours when they were in this Realme and had more friends and shall he not now deliuer vs when they are out of the Realme and haue lesse friends by hundred thousands amongst vs. Secondly in the 12. yere of her Maiesties raigne when the Guisians of France Spaniards together wrought a cōmotion here in our own land making therby a way to their deuilish purpose against this realm countrie of ours did not the Lord suppresse their endeuors disapoynt thē sauing vs frō their hands who thought to haue embrewed thē in our blood The Lord which saued vs frō these enemies at that time he shall likewise preserue vs now at all times hereafter frō the same so long as we returne not to the Romish heathnish abhommations but haue care to followe that truth which we professe Last of all when Campion his complices of late daies practised the bringing in of for rain power the destruction of our Prince countrie did not the Lord ouerthrow all their practises saue vs why should wee then distrust of our deliuerance at this time also if we continue and goe forward to walke with the Lord. Let vs therfore conclude The Lord which goeth before vs he will saue vs from these our enemies according to all that he hath done for vs against them heretofore of his mercie and goodnesse To these consolations there is somewhat that being cast in and muttered by Popish spitites or such like may seeme to haue some force and abilitie to discourage weakelings wherevnto for that purpose some aunswer is necessarie First they put in mens heads that our enemies are politique and therefore must needes preuayle I aunswere so was Ahitophell the counsailor of Dauid yea so politique that when one had asked councell of Ahitophell it was as if he had asked councell at the Dracle of God himselfe in such estimation was that man for his policie both with Dauid and all the people notwithstanding when he employed his policie to worke vngodlinesse and to set vp the ambitious and wicked Absalom and to put downe the godly Dauid the Lord turned his councell into foolishnesse 2. Sam. 17. So brethren let vs assure our selues that for as much as their whole policie tendeth to the aduancement of some wicked Absalom the deposing of our faithful Soueraigne and the working of wickednesse the Lord will turne it into foolishnesse and destroy it according to that which is saide Iob. 5.12.13.15 The Lorde scattereth the deuises of the craftie so that their hands cannot accomplish that which they doe enterprise He taketh the wise in their craftinesse and the councell of the wicked is made foolish But he saueth the poore from the sword from their mouth and from the hand of the violent man Moreouer for as much deerely beloued as they bend their whole policie to the ouerthrowing of our profession and religion let vs not bee any whit afraide of their politique heades For why to vse policie against the trueth is to vse it against the Lorde himselfe against whome no councell can prosper as it is saide Prouerb 21. There is no councell there is no wisedom there is no vnderstanding against the Lord. An other thing there is which somewhat mooueth those that put not their cōfidence in the Lord which is this because they see our enemies so forward to mischiefe that they addresse themselues to meete vs and come vnto vs in our owne countrie For aunswer herevnto it is a most notable historie and most fit in this case which wee finde written 2. Reg. 9. Declaring how the Lord is wont many times to render blood againe in that place where blood hath bene shed As for example Ahab and Iesebell his wife shed the blood of Naboth in the field of the same Naboth it was therefore the ordinance of the Lorde that there the blood of Iesebell and of Ahabs sonne should be shed againe This was Iehu appointed to execute who when he went about it Iehoram by the secret worke of God being at the first in another place met him in the field there was slaine consider then with your selues deerely beloued who are now sayd to come out against vs are they not men sent from the Pope and King of Spayne