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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54948	A sermon preach'd to the Artillery Company, at St. Mary le Bow, Septemb. 11, 1677, and at their earnest desire published by Thomas Pittis ...	Pittis, Thomas, 1636-1687.	1677 (1677)	Wing P2317; ESTC R10835	15,095	39

A SERMON Preach'd to the Artillery Company AT St. MARY le BOW Septemb. 11. 1677. And at their earnest desire PUBLISHED By THOMAS PITTIS D. D. One of his Majesties Chaplains in Ordinary Mart. lib. 1. Epig. 3. I fuge sed pateras tutior esse domi LONDON Printed by J. D. for John Baker at the three Pigeons in St. Paul's Church-yard 1677. Imprimatur G. Jane R. P. D. Episc Lond. a Sacris Domest Septemb. 18. 1678. To the Honourable Sir John Robinson Knight and Baronet Lieutenant of his Majesties Tower of London Alderman and President of the Artillery Company Sir Joseph Sheldon Knight and Alderman Vice-President Colonel John Mews Treasurer As also to The Right Honourable Francis Lord Viscount Newport Baron of Erral Treasurer of his Majesties Houshold and one of the Kings most Honourable Privy Council Sir Joseph Williamson Kt. one of his Majesties Principal Secretaries of State Stewards Sir Francis Chaplain Kt. and Alderman now Lord Major Elect. Knights late Sheriffs of London Sir John Peak Sir Thomas Stamp Samuel Pepys Esq Richard Beckford Esq Capt. Daniel Causton AND To the whole Court of Assistants Field-Officers Captains and Gentlemen Professing and Exercising Arms in that Renowned and Honourable Society Right Honourable c. YOU that are advanced by your most Illustrious Leader whom his Royal Highness vouchsafes to command and condescends to be your Captain General whose early Prowess astonish'd the World and continued Victories have made the Earth and the Sea shake when his Friends were amazed at his Heroical Attempts which at once awed and confounded his Enemies to whom Courage and Conduct both at Sea and Land seem as natural as they have been familiar His Name only is too august and awful to be mention'd in such a Dedication as this to which common Custom has entitled many may safely lay your Commands on me who being always train'd to strict Obedience cannot reject the Orders of my Superiors without offering violence to my self Though my Judgment therefore in relation to my Discourse had before you does not altogether correspond with yours especially as to the Publication yet I am resolved to submit my Will because it seems neither discreet nor safe for me to disoblige so Honourable a Society in which every Commander has the skill of a General and he that marches in the lowest place of Dignity among you De Coronâ cap. 11. De Idolola cap. 19. understands Discipline sufficiently to Command Though Tertullian therefore questions the Practice of Christians warring against others not dreaming that they would Arm against themselves And Arnobius vindicates our Saviours Innocence Adver Gent. lib. 2. whilst at the same time he evinces his Power because he did not propagate his Doctrine by the Sword did not beat out the Brains of Men that he might put his Precepts into their Heads Challeng'd not any Temporal Authority nor spread his Legions over the World to dissolve the Peace of Humane Societies as if like Draco he would write his Laws with Blood And even to propagate our own Religion we confess our Weapons must not be Carnal Yet that Christians notwithstanding upon other Accounts did not conclude Wars unlawful when by assaulting others they defended themselves under the Command and Conduct of their Prince appears by that Lightning Legion mentioned by Eusebius who being in Arms Euseb Hist Eccles lib. 5. cap. 5. and before the Enemy by their devout Prayers obtained Rain to refresh themselves and Lightning from Heaven to discomfit their Adversaries when the whole Host might otherwise have perish'd And Tertul. Apo. cap. 37. Eucher Episcop Lugdun besides others interspers'd in the Army and Garisons we know there was a Thebean Legion as well as the former Melitin all Christians who became as Glorious and Renowned Martyrs as they were Valiant and Victorious Souldiers never before equall'd by any nor probably will ever be again considering their Cause Number and the Place to which they innocently retired every one of which readily suffered a tame death from the hands of the Executioner rather than either to Sacrifice to an Idol or Rebel against their Lawful Sovereign This following Discourse does therefore justifie Defensive Wars when our own Prince calls us to our Arms in which as he is Judg of the Cause so he becomes only responsible for it to him who is above the Highest and we that are Subjects escape Guilt if we behave our selves with Faithfulness and Courage Those that are mercenary under another have their Case different with which my Discourse not medling I shall have nothing to do in the Dedication The Sermon perhaps might make a rattle from the Pulpit when assisted by the help of a good Sounding-Board a swift Delivery and your Commendations But I fear for all t' will appear to be charg'd with white Powder only when coming from the Press and not carry a good Report far However since your Commands are that it must be printed it becomes your own and you are bound to defend it for you having so dearly paid for it I can no longer call it mine Justice therefore presents it to you from him who is Right Honourable c. Your most Humble and most Obedient Servant THO. PITTIS Luke 3.14 former part And the Souldiers likewise demanded of him saying And what shall we do WHen the Watchman like Ezekiel is set upon the Tower Ezek. 33. if he blow not Trumpet when he discerns the Sword coming though the People die in their Iniquity their Blood will be required at the Watchman's hand But if he warn them to prepare for Battel and they securely slight the Alarm he delivers his own Soul from guilt though they all perish by their careless inadvertency Having for this end therefore received our Orders if we discharge our Duty with faithfulness and alacrity we have a reward given us far above the merit of our Action a Glorious Crown outweighing all intervening Difficulties But if we either desert our Station before we are reliev'd Desertores Sediti●sos Fugitives aut si loco statime vel praesidio ce●●●ssent tergave de● ssent aut è castris effugissent tanquam p ssmo sa●m●e adstrictos capitali poena plect●re selebant Alex. ab Ale and Cenial Di●● lib. 2. cap. 13. our Superior Officer finds us sleeping or the Enemy chance to make his Approaches before we have given sufficient warning we die then without mercy as those that have been unfaithful to their Trust and betrayed our Fellow Souldiers to the Adversary Now because the Race is not to the swift nor the Battel to the Strong nor Favour always to Men of skill Eccles 9.11 as the wise Man informs us It was a pious use among some Philosophers to begin their Lectures as well as end with Prayer and it was a custom among the Heathens Mos ergo Romanus erat instructo ●a● atoque exercitu quum congredi acie parant Deos primum consulere Alex. ab Alex. Gen.

Dan. 5.3 if Belshazzar has once the possession of them nor is any Estate so desirable as Glebe-Lands to the Furious or Prophane the tenth Sheaf shall then make the fairest Bread and the best Barn to lodg it in shall be a Temple desecrated by such a bold prophanation The Christian Souldier must take his Directions therefore from his Officers and duly observe his Rank and Order not invade the Station of his Superior nor desert his own For where there is not this distinction it is not Order but Confusion the Pulpit will there be made a Drum and this turn'd into a Pulpit He therefore that does not observe his Place is not capable of Military Conduct for an Army must be under exact Discipline and the first thing a Souldier must be taught is how to obey And when you have thoroughly learn'd this you must be used to frequent Exercise that you may know how to handle your Arms be more expert in receiving and obeying all words words of Command and encounter your Enemies in any Figure you shall be cast into For Habits are acquired by frequent Acts which once obtained become easie and pleasant to you But above all John 15.17 John 17.11 Phil. 2.1 2. Ephes 4.2 3 c. you must be at unity among your selves and there is nothing in all Christian Religion to which Men are more frequently and pathetically exhorted This Cements the Church of God 1 Cor. 10.17 which the Lord's Supper both represents and increases If an Army once break their Ranks they make a Gap to receive the Enemy who soon spies such an Advantage to break and rout the main Body And if Christians by differences among themselves refuse to stand by and assist each other leave their Station 1 Cor. 12. ch and invade each others Rights and Office Satan being the Prince of the Air presently plays upon them from on High and having cantoniz'd those that were before united crumbles them into Faction and Divisions Gal. 5.15 and makes the Church fight against it self that joyning his Forces with one Party he may increase the Schism till he has destroyed another and weakned all And if those that remain yet undivided do not make good their Front against him by filling up the Places of the Dead His Name is Legion Mark 5.9 and he will pour down his Troops upon us 'till we are put into an eternal Confusion and routed beyond the possibility of a Rally For what countenance can we expect from him that is Defender of the Faith if we raise Disturbances by our Divisions Nay what Protection from God himself when instead of opposing the Common Adversary we run upon each other and destroy our selves and fly the Methods of Divine Providence Prov. 19.3 And our Religion is now so interwoven with the Concernments of the State that we can hardly disjoynt the one without endangering if not ruining the other and God and the King become either our joint Enemies or Friends To make Christianity then tilt against it self and by this to raise Intestine Divisions is to run our selves on the Points of Swords antedate all the Misery we fear provoke and dare the Violence of others and draw Blood from our Persecutors Heads upon our own Whilst we pretend to light our Matches at the Stars if we thus make Thrones uneasie we do it at the Flames of Hell that we may discharge Fire and Brimstone into the World Instead of this therefore let us incourage one another to Love and to good Works Heb. 10.24 and fight the good Fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 that prostrates our Enemies and lays them at our Feet 1 John 5.4 mortifie all our reigning Sins Col. 3.5 and persevere in all the Duties of Religion Col. 1.23 that we may lay hold of Eternal Life and Rom. 8.37 through Jesus Christ be more than Conquerors For inward Guilt will make our Musquets recoil upon our selves our Swords turn their Points upon our Bosoms and when we are called to Fight the Battels of our Sovereign we shall sheath them with such trembling Hands in the Bowels of our Adversaries that we shall give them time to make a Pass at our own Let us therefore whilst we engage our Enemies first make Friends with our selves and then contend with Faithfulness and Courage that no Fear may cause us to give back nor any Hypocrisie make us Treacherous We otherwise bussle and fight for Satan in the Name of God and instead of Kindling our Sacrifice with Coals from the Altar we burn it in the Flames of Hell Finally that you may know how to use as well as gain a Victory you must not swell and be puffed up with your Successes Luke 18.11 14. for this is so far from being an Argument that you grow in Grace that you have drunk Poison and are even blown up by the Devil The Christian Souldier must be the more humble and modest by how much the more he is Victorious This is the way to possess your Conquests and your selves too and whilst ye thus demean your selves you still go on to compleat your Tryumphs You can never be secure in this World but your whole Lives are a continued Warfare the Enemy will Assault where he cannot Conquer Ephes 6.12 and will trouble those whom he cannot overcome He will rise again after he is slain and endeavour to get Dominion over us even when we have him under our Feet and is always like a Roaring Lion 1 Pet. 5.8 Mark 13.37 seeking whom he may devour Be watchful therefore and always upon your Guard 1 Cor. 10.12 and let him that standeth take heed lest he fall that when he has over-power'd one Temptation another may not overcome him Val. Max. lib. 9. cap. 1. Sen. Epist 51. ad Lucil. Cyprian passim de Lapsis in Epist Hannibal was vanquished by the Delicacies of Capua after he had conquer'd the Roman Army and some were found amongst the Lapsi after they had confess'd Christ in a Prison And if we too having begun in the Spirit end in the Flesh our sensual Pleasures having bauk'd our Progress and weakned our Resolutions Ezek. 18.24 stain all the Christians former Victories Though he has contended earnestly for the Faith and kept it safe amongst Earthquakes and Storms yet if after all like the Ancient Romans in times of Peace he grow luxurious and lies down playing in the Sun he will not only discolour his Beauty but stain the Glory of former Actions whilst every little Vermin will assault him Judg. 15.15 Sampson who slew a thousand Men with that uncouth and Enthusiastick Weapon the Jaw Bone of an Afs was yet weakned by the Embraces of a Woman and though he brake all the Bands of the Philistins was so hampered in the Locks of his Mistress that he lost his own Judg. 16.19 and with these his Strength departed from him till he became a Vassal and Scorn to his Enemies being first a Slave to his own Prisoners when his Reason yielded to his Affections Take heed therefore least after God has brought you out of the Land of Egypt you tempt him in the Wilderness Heb. 3.12 and as the Apostle applys it that there be not in you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God but exhort one another daily whilst the state of your Tryal lasts lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin that having subdued your Enemies in the World you may at last triumph over Death too through him who died and rose again Jesus Christ the Righteous To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God be all Glory Power and Adoration now and for ever Amen FINIS