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
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
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