but also would not suffer the Ammonites and Moabites to come into Gods Temple but enforced them to banishment out of Ierusalem For as you read how Iacob after his returne from Laban cleansed his house of the idols so did Nehemiah in despight of Eliashib the Priest who had allied himselfe to Tobiah a stranger and idolater put him from his lodging and cast out all the stuffe out of his chamber which in the text is likewise called cleansing and thus thankes be to God our great Nehemiah dealt with the Papists hee hath not onely thought them as prickes and thornes in the sides of good Christians but now found them as noysome and infectious weedes in the Common-wealth to choake and eate vp the sweeter Flowers and springing grasse and thus hath the Church of God example enough in Scripture to be an enemy to Gods enemies and fall to reformation with courage and magnamity Shall such a man as I flye sayth Nehemiah shall such a King as I sayth King Iames that haue been trayned vp from my infancy to deny Popery and for my Kingdome of Scotland a very nursery of zealous professors and mirrour of purity and piety suffer England to be defiled and contaminated with the poyson of superstition now I haue recollected my selfe shall I giue way to rotten and filthy policy to eate vpon the heart of true Religion or suffer priuate ends to thicken themselues like some obscure and dangerous cloud to stand as an interposition betweene the Sunny splendor of Gods word and the faire progresse of gouerment No No I will now be my selfe and therefore if either the Pope or Spaine deride me with Michol for dancing before the Arke and bringing it in into Gods house I will answere with Dauid I will yet bee more vilde and zealous for the Lord and as he told his wife that therefore God had taken the Kingdome from her father and inuested him with the Diadem so may King Iames answere Spaine that therefore God will make him mighty in his Prouinces in despight of malignant opposition and England shall not be only able to stand firme like an impregnable rocke in all honor riches and prosperity but of sufficiency to protect distressed neighbours and recouer vnfortunate and surrepted Prouinces Therefore away yee Priests and Iesuites packe hence for your liues and let me not heare any further of your daring impostures and you that will remaine Papists and with the Adder stoppe your eares that charme the Charmer neuer so cunningly hee shall not preuaile ro remoue you take heede and bee warned that you liue modestly in your wilfulnesse neither daring to breake our statutes against those Locusts of Rome nor to insult your selues or be offensiue to any ciuill conuersasion by the wrong defence and supportation of Romes corrupted Doctrine For I protest vnto you by the faith of a Religious King I take a pleasure in hearing what God sayd to Abraham For I know him that he will command his children Genesis 18.19 and his houshold after him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord to doe iustice and iudgment that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that which hee hath spoken vnto him And therefore as I am Gods substitute in the supreame royalty so will I be his instrument in the practise of this reformation neither suffring any Papist whatsoeuer to haue the vse of Idolatrous masses nor to bring vp their owne Children in the eimerian darknesse of ignorance and diuelish deuotion For the Apostle tells vs plainely Colos 2. that the tormenting the body worshipping of Angells obseruing of Dayes and many foolish humiliations likewise denying of lawfull marriage and forbidding of meates and cellebrating of superstitious times are all the doctrines of the Diuell and is not this joy to England and how are our hearts cheered as you read of the Israelites that in the time of Salomon reioyced with one another and made merry eating and drinking vnder ther owne Vines Thus shall wee see the backes of our aduersaries and by Gods speciall fauour and grace the banishment of Priests and Iesuits But yee Maiestrates of the Common-wealth let them not immitate the Israelites in this Exod 40. to rob the Egyptians in their departure out of Egypt Let them not exporte our treasures nor enrich other Countries with our spoyles Let not your Ladies bestow their iewels and ornaments vpon them For though they could be contented to loue them with gratuities and presents yet must the Common-wealth reserue some secrets of State not to be impouerished by the lauish gifts of those that vnderstand not the Mistery of carying wealth out of the Land or consuming our siluer in trifles let none of their houses bee furnished with those remnants of gew-gawes wherein the ancient idolaters excelled them in be decking their idols I meane their meduies crucifixes relickes of saints the wood of the Crosse the milke of our Lady and a thousand such like trumperies fit for nothing but toyes to play with all as Apes do with Nut-shells For as you read how the children of Israel were tainted with the grosse superstition of Egypt so must needes the tender hearts of your women be captiuated with the reseruation of these things Let your Purseuants and Officers a Gods name be the researchers of suspected places that the very children which as yet know no harme may be sent to the Schooles of the children of the Prophets and by that meanes learne to liue in the feare of God and dye in his fauour Let the potent men be disarmed a Gods name not to giue them cause to thinke the better of themselues as if they were to be feared or reputed dangerous and polliticke but as you take kniues and other hurtfull things from madde men to preuent mischiefe that they neither endanger others nor themselues In a word let all good orders be obserued and a fashionable body of a religious Common-Wealth erected that his Maiesties person may bee secured the Prince and his Sister protected and pleased the honest neighbours subtenated with care and dilligence out owne Country flourishing with prosperity and confidence the poore releeued the trades restored the City repayred the Merchant countenanced the souldiers esteemed the Clergy-man beloued the well deserued reuerenced the weake supported the obstinate sinner punished the offender through frailty remitted and all iustifiable actions practised to the glory of God and comfort of our own soules Then if there be cause of warre Exodus 15.1 and so successe fallen Moses and Israel shall sing a song of Triumph to the Lord and Miriam the Prophetesse shall take a Timbrell in her hand and all the women goe after her with Timbrels and Dances Then if there be the flourishes of peace and that Salomon hath finished the Temple of God and his owne house he will present himselfe before the Lord 1 Kings 8.22.9 and kneele to his prayers spredding foorth his hands toward Heauen And then to conclude
ENGLANDS IOY FOR SVPPRESSING the Papists and banishing the Priests and Iesuites 1 KING 18.21 How long hault yee betweene two opinions If the Lord be God then follow him if Ball then follow him 2 KING 17.24 25. And the King of Assyria brought men from Babylon and sâ—ow Cuthah and from Aua and from Haâ—â—â— and from Sepharuaim and placed them in the Cities of Samaria in stead of the children of Israel and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the Cities thereof And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there that they feared not the Lord Therefore the Lord sent Lyons among them which slew some of them Printed M.DC.XXIV ENGLANDS IOY FOR SVPPRESSING of Papistry and banishing the Priests and Iesuites I Confesse that prayer is so forcible that it openeth the gates of heauen and as you read how the holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles in the forme of fiery tongues so through the enforcement of Prayer all blessings spirituall and temporall are let downe amongst the children of God like Peters sheete Who would not then aske to obtaine seeke to finde knocke to haue it opened and importune the father of mercy to haue no deniall considering the Parable tells vs That the wicked Iudge who neither feared God nor man granted the widowes Petition to be deliuered from her clamors and ouer troublesome attendancy and thus are wee beholding to our God But now to make God beholding vnto vs were a secret out of the Treasure-house of heauen indeed wherein I will be bould to tell you how you may be proficient and inuite you to wisdomes schoole to learne a cunning which the heart of the naturall man is vncapable of and this is to retribute thankes to God to giue his glorious name the praise to bee gratefull vnto him and to reioyce in hymnes and spirituall Songs when a benefit is imparted and our soules are comforted What a story is the story of the Iewes being deliuered from Hamans cruelty and persecution for the purpose in hand Hester 9.17 18 The Text saith That they rested the same day and made it a day of feasting and gladnesse a good day and sent portions and presents one to another but wherefore was all this For sauing their liues and preuailing against their enemies But oh thou God of heauen that ridest vpon the wings of the winde and holdest the reynes of the kingdomes of the world in thy hand to let loose or restraine at thy pleasure Thou knowest that we haue more causes to reioyce and bee glad then the Iewes in their Parim For if wee may compare the lesse with the greater they had but the preseruation of their bodies and a slight tryumph against their corporall enemies we are in the way to saue our soules and put our spirituall aduersaries to flight the Flesh the World and the Diuell What Papistrie to be suppressed The Priests and Iesuites to be banished And the Gospell of Iesus Christ to flourish Psalme 45. My soule leapes for joy and my heart is enditing a good matter I speake of the things which I haue made touching the King my tongue is the pen of a ready writer Oh blessed be God for this alteration Doth not Ieremy tell vs that In Ramah there was a voyce heard Ieremy 31. Math. 2. lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachell weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Did not al England wring their hands for sorrow and begin to mourne and be affrighted when they saw the Papists so arrogantly mischieuous to insult in euery towne and shire and mocke vs to our faces as if Sandolet and Tobiah were to scoffe and deride the Iewes when Nehemiah came to re-edifie the Temple And hath not God put into the Kings heart to dam vp this inundation and to keepe the raging Sea within limitation that it doe not ouerflow the lower and fruitfull grounds Marke but the progression of businesse tell it to your Children and write it in the Philacteries of your garments Did not we determin to match with Spaine And did not Spaine resolue to ouermatch vs in the contract Did he not resemble an vnmannerly and impudent Guest who inuited to some neighbourly meeting would not onely come himselfe but brought a whole rablement of Cormorants with him so Spaine must not only condition for a daughter but the Papists through the Kingdome haue liberty of Conscience Masse in their houses Priests within their doores penalties remitted and the Purseuants and Officers restrained from their priuy searches whereby the Spanish Ambassadour presumed on his meritorious seruice and some Papists triumphed as if the wiser sort knew they were in the right And was not this a fearefull beginning and who knowes with what strength the strong man would haue encreased in keeping his possession But was this all No no the seuerall shiers of England worse then the Iewes that poysoned the springs of sweet water in these daies had malitious instruments to corrupt the youth of the Countrey and the Priests Iesuites and Friers ranne from house to house and made them all amazed with crying out Great is Diana of the Ephesians But now Papistry shall be suppressed and the Priests and Iesuites banished Oh blessed alteration oh blessed King oh blessed Parliament The Ambassadors houses were so many hiues to which the drones resorted who not onely fed vpon the hony of the Bees but presumed to kill and beat them away which preserued them Thus these vnconstant people not onely despised the Pastors of their own Congregations and vnder protection of the Prerogatiue of Kings rayled on the Lord and his annointed The Streets swarmed with ruffianly apparitions Priests in disguised apparell and Iesuites in Courtly vestments And what did they Not only watch the outward behauiour of men and gouernment of the City but tooke aduantage of the weak carnall Gospeller and set vpon them with the outward glory of a vissible Church The Cathedrall of Paules had her walkes mingled with a number of peremptory and audatious Romanists who not onely brandeth vs for lukewarmness and vniustifiable actions but boasted both of and in their disputations that they had put the true and learned seruants of God to silence as if Zedchiah should strike Michaiah on the face and peremptorily aske him when the Spirit of God departed from him to bee infused into such an vnderling The Court hath not onely euery corner but publicke walkes filled with Papists and Hispaniolized temporisers And what did they appeare in seuerall disguised formes and their corrupt hearts taught their tongues to vent forth blasphemy and notori-abuses For as you read how Ieremy was taken by his enemies and brought before the Princes and Priests for weakning the hands of the men of warre and daunted their hearts that wished well to the peace of Zion So played these imposturing spirits charming all men with such subtilties What the house Austria to be checked and the Emperour of Germany to
be affronted with petty rebels beleeue it not it is impossible take heed how you aduenture in such a businesse you see how hee preuailes and no forces can resist him What the Arch-Dutches to be mated with such inferiors traytors rebells and mechanicke vpstarts Neuer speake it for shame For at this instant they are no lesse then foure mighty armies 60000 men ready to deuoure these one night Mushrumps and setting vpon their territories in foure places at once make a fatall ruine of all their fortunes and hopes in a moment What Spaine to be threatned with warre and intrusions of hostillity Who is able to couer the Viena as Xerxes once did the Hellespont with a numberlesse and inuincible Armado to set vpon the Iland of Brittany as a Conqueror to trouble Ireland with an army of 20000 to infest Scotland and ouerrun it at pleasure and to make England to tremble with the multitude of his forces and yet dare you talke of warre and assisting the Low-Countries But now God be thanked Papistry shall be suppressed the Priests and Iesuits banished and these mighty Buls of Bassan either haue their hornes sawed off or their chaps mufled and what an alteration is heere Oh let vs then giue thankes vnto God and confesse his mercy is beyond our apprehension and his benefits are an Ocean in comparison of our duty standing poole of deseruing And seeing the King is so gracious to looke vpon vs like a faire mouing Planet in a conspicuous Orbe from whose influence can proceede nothing but sweet presages Seeing our Parliament is so religiously Honorable to sound the foord of Spaines proiects and their funtries hassard by collusion and halting betweene two opinions with the plummets of true Wisedome and Zeale to the Gospell of Iesus Christ Seeing our Clergy are so indulgent ouer Gods Church that they will not suffer either the wild Bore of the Forrest to trample downe the hedges or little Foxes to destroy the Grapes but are willing that Iehoydas filthy garments may be taken away and a crowne of pure Gold set vpon his head seeing the people are prepared to call and hasten one another to go vp to the Temple of the Lord and rather then Ruben shall rayse a heape of stones like an Alter to put the people in feare of Idolatry they are ready to arme with their brethren and examine how the matter stands let euery man exhillerat himselfe and cry out Why art thou cast downe ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him he is the health of my countenance and my God So then if Papistry shall be suppressed the Priests and Iesuites banished and our enemies both Forraine and Domesticke ouer-reached let God haue the glory the Prince the honor the Parliament the commendation the people the comfort the Country the benefit and euery true hearted Christian sing Iopaean and Epithalamians to Iehouah Marke the difference betweene flourishing Kingdomes through the blessing of reformation and aduise of good gouernours and the fearefull distraction of Common-wealths where irreligion and indirect courses ouer-maister While the ambition of Athalia was predominant ouer her affection and driue her head-long to al voscenity and tyranny she committed idolatry she neglected the house of God she defiled the Alter she destroyed the seed-royal she vsurped the Diadem and disturbed the peace of Iuda and Israel But when Iehoas was miraculously preserued and instructed by Iehoiada Athalia is slaine Iehoash doth that which is right in sight of God the Priests repaire the Temple the Alters are cleansed the Common-wealth reformed and the whole Country resetled in order and was not this a great alteration In the story of Manasses and Ammon his sonne you shall finde these imputations of wickednesse cast vpon them by the Holy Ghost Hee did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord hee liued after the abhominations of the Heathen hee reared vp Alters for Baal he offred incense to the Host of Heauen he made his sonne passe through the fire he vsed enchauntments obserueâ— times and dealt with familiar spirits and wrought much wickednes before the Lord But when Iosiah came to raine and was instructed how he feared God and liued vprightly he cleansed and repayred the Temple he commanded the booke of God to be read hee rent his cloathes as strucken with compunction of soule he made a couenant with God to obserue his testimonies hee put downe all the offices of Baal and the groues dedicated vnto him Hee slew his Priests he solemnized the Passeouer and he performed the words of the Law which were written in the Booke and was not this a great alteration Thus is it betweene the gouernment of Spaine and England especially the contrariety of Religion and diuersity of seruing God betweene Papists and Protestants the Papists both in Spaine and in England commit blasphemous idolatry are poluted with incests and fornication derogate from the Honor of God to attribute adoration to creatures passifieth himself in the Laborynth of aequiuocation Dissemble with God their owne soules and all that deale with them care not by what meanes or treachery they compasse their owne ends deny Christs presence in Heauen a maine article of Faith extenuate the power of the God-head by allowing a dyety to Creatures and an inuocation to Diuells First they haue made many Saints that are passed downe to Hell Allow of murther and monstrous impiety and in a word are poysoned with the dregs of abhomination wherewith the whore of Babilon hath filled her cup. The true Protestant and zealous Christian alloweth God the preheminence of all adoration will by â—o meanes blaspheme with idolatrous exorcismes detesteth whoredome and all incestuous Leprosie defieth the participation of Gods glory to murther simply and plainly contriueth his affaires and keepeth his word though it be to his owne hinderance intermeddles not with matters of state except hee be called to place of eminency is with Anna praying in the Temple and continually reioyceth in the conuersation of Gods seruants and maketh the Church the sanctuary of his soule in a word is ruled by the directory of Gods word and neither dare abuse the Maiesty of Princes by inter-iecting a iealousie and suspition betweene the Prince and the subiect nor runne away with the deceit of his owne heart in presuming to be more holy then his brethren or preiudging others either maliciously or foolishly And is not this a great alteration And is not this cause enough to compell vs to thanke God and acknowledge his mercy and kindnesse that our King and Parliament would goe and buy eye-salue without money perspicuously to looke into the enormities of the Church and Common-wealth and not onely with Nehemiah abridged the extreamity of vsury compelled a relaxation of debts and oppression kept and sanctified the Sabbaoth Nehemiah 13. droue the Merchants and sellers of meate out of the City and at last put away their idolatrous wiues
both in war and peace shall England confesse to the Lord. What is man that thou shouldest thinke vpon him or the sonne of man that thou wilt remember him and so prayse the Lord in his Sanctuary and in the firmament of his power prayse him in his mighty acts and according to the excellency of his greatnesse prayse him for thinking vpon vs euen in this particular of suppressing Papistry and banishing the Priests and Iesuites I will meddle with no matter of State nor aduenture traducing for selfe loue or aduising others more wiser then my selfe but keepe close to the shore of this one speciall obseruation Let the aduersaries of religion say what they can to accuse a Protestant of one murther whereas God and the World knowes that not onely the turbulencies of Europe haue beene blowne vp with popish breath and sufflation of Consistorian Cardinals but the fearefull slaughters of Princes haue beene audaciously prosecuted eyther by Friers and Priests or such instruments whom the pestilent Iesuites haue seduced what state then in the world especially our reformed Churches if there were no other cause then this affrighting would endure then in the gouernment and therefore now this must needes be a happinesse to England that at this instant such a mercy floweth toward vs as a Proclamation against them How Geneua hath continued and groaned vnder the pressure of many difficulties yea endured diuers assaults of whole armies and volleies of shot from the mounted Cannons against her and yet was neuer any attempt made vpon the Duke of Sauoy and her aduersaries by her procurement or suggestion is well knowne to the world In all those bloody massacres of France and terrors of the ciuell warre what one mischiefe was euer conceiued against the persons of their Kings and who durst lay hands on the Lords Annoynted In that fiery triall in the dayes of Queene Mary when the rages of Papists made them more furious then a Beare robbed of her Whelpe What one Protestant slipped out of the circle of obedience to put her in suspition of her life yea it is well knowne that the Protestants of Suffolke aduanced her to the Crowne though they were the first that felt the effect of her ingratitude In all the troubles of Germany and exactions vpon the free Cities how securely did the Emperors goe on concerning their owne persons and when did you read of a Pope slaine but as they poysoned one another I will name but one thing in the Low-Countries and that is the pride and cruelty of the Duke of Alua so that if euer an excuse might haue beene made for taking away a Tyrants life it might here in some action or other haue receiued a iustifiable forme and yet Alua liued without touch and practised all manner of wickednesse without controule whereas on the contrary side in these Countries formerly mentioned there hath bin a 1000 seuerall murthers committed vpon the bodies of publicke and priuate persons or at least prosecuted with resolution to be actuated vpon aduantage by popish Priests Iesuites and their Officiall and Ministers Is it not high time then to banish them our Common-wealth or doe as we haue done and so it shall be no new matter or deuise of punishment euen hang them vp at Tyborne or detrude them into the house of slaughter where Iustice is predominant Marke for Gods sake marke the secrets of good husbandry he that meanes to till and manure a woddy ground must leaue no stumps within touch least he breake his plow in the labour and see fresh sciences and sprigs to sprout vp to choake the corne the best way then is to stocke vp roote and tinde and follow the picke-axe with a spade that the ground may bee throughly searched indeede and so must England doe with this brood of Vipers eyther pull out their stings or chap them in peeces For so were the Priests of Baal serued at seuerall times and in seuerall places by Gedeon Iohn Elias Iosias and other godly Priests and Princes but seeing this good beginning of our gracious and iudicious King in the quenching the smoake of these fire-brands which in time would eyther haue blinded our eyes or put them cleane out hath cheered our hearts and powred the balme of Gilead into our wounds let him haue the glory of his owne handy-worke and England the joy and so both he England and euery true Christian retribute all possible thankes to the ancient of dayes whose haires are as white as wooll and eyes as a flame of fire and to the voyce that commandeth vs out of Babylon least we be destroyed in her abhominations For Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all the nations drinke of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication FINIS