might preach on that text on every Christs nativitie day because the Angels have given us that text from heaven saying Behold I bring you tidings of great joy that unto you is borne this day in the Citie of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Therefore sing and make melody in your hearts to the Lord Glory be to God on high peace on earth and good will towards men They which doe this in faith that they are in him that is true in that his Sonne Jesus Christ which is very God and eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 20. by Baptisme into him shall finde more peace with God in conscience and finde good will with men that are the children of God I speake not this that I would have a carnall Christmas kept in prophanenesse as it hath been much abused but a spirituall day in duties of piety and charitie to the poore to shew our selves Christians by honouring Christ in his birth day Thine in the Lord Jesus Christ J. E. The Contents of the Doctrines Reasons and Uses handled in this insuing Treatise GOod Newes for Souldiers or the way to overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lamb Rev. 12. 11. The Exposition from the 7. verse to the 12. to make entrance 1. Doctrine That all faithfull Souldiers that love not their lives to the death shall overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lambe and the proofes Three things requisite for to make a man able to overcome the Devill and all his enemies 1. He must have the golden faith of his Baptisme for his Regeneration 2. He must have a lively faith in the white raiment of Christs Righteousnesse And 3. Eye-salve of the Spirit of Christ Six Reasons 1. Reason When Satan tempts to sinne or despaire shew him the bloud of the Lambe 2. Reason When he shews to Conscience the curse of the Law shew him the bloud of Christ 3. Reason When he fights against Conscience with the feare of death say O death where is thy sting here is the bloud of the Lambe 4. Reason When he fights against Conscience with the feare of hell shew him the bloud of the Lambe saying O Hell where is thy victory 5. Reason For by the bloud of the Lambe wee are Conquerours already 6. Reason For by the bloud of the Lambe wee are more then Conquerours And that in foure Respects Uses how to disarme Satan Objection I am not afraid of the Devill but I am afraid of the Papists and Rebels of Ireland to cut my throat Answer If thou hast prevailed over the God of this world thou shalt prevaile with men Object They are wonderfull strong They have great Iron and Brasse Ordnance Ans. So had the Canaanites Chariots of Iron 2. Doctrine That all that fight against the Devill with the shield of Faith of the bloud of the Lambe and the word of their testimony shall surely overcome him for they by it quench all his fiery darts 1. Reason First Because by the word of our testimony wee give God the glory of his holinesse 2. Reason Because by it wee give him the glory of his wisdome 3. Reason We give him the glory of his truth 4. Reason We give him the glory of his power 5. Reason We give him the glory of his mercy 6. Reason We give unto God the glory of his Justice in three points of Justice Foure sleights of Satan to take this shield of faith out of thine hand 1. Use If Souldiers will give God the glory of his holines then they must beware of whoredome and keepe their bodies chaste and pure Temples for the Holy Ghost 2. Use If you give God the glory of his wisedome then aske counsell of the Lord for every battell as David did and you shall prevaile as he did 3. Use If you give glory to the truth of God then Souldiers must speake and practise truth accuse none falsly and then plunder them 4. Use If you give glory to the power of God sprinkle the bloud of the Lambe well and you shall be shot-free howsoever Devill-free 5. Use If you give glory to the mercy of God you must be mercifull as your Father is mercifull not cruell and to whom Justice 6. Use If you give God the glory of his Justice you must practise Justice towards men in three poynts Against the Anabaptists which would not have the Law Preached These things may doe good to many Christian Souldiers Let none stop them from the Presse Written by J. E. GOOD NEVVES FOR ALL CHRISTIAN SOULDIERS DEare Christians in stead of complementing Eloquence I shall endeavour to shew you that love not your lives unto the death how to overcome the Devill by the bloud of the Lambe and by that word of your testimony Revel. 12. 11. In the 7th verse wee heare there was a battell in Heaven i. in the Church saith Brightman and so there is now Michael and his Angels fought Michael which is by interpretation Quis sicut Deus he was sent to destroy his enemies that rose up against his Church when it lay in the Wildernesse for the wrath of the Dragon as it doth now lie in warre by the wrath of the Dragon the Devill and the Beast and false Prophet Michael the Lord Jesus Christ then whom none is stronger in heaven or earth For who is like our God as Meyer noteth in heaven i. in the justified Church which is rightly called heaven as Gal. 4. 26. Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all is the holy Catholick Church saith Luther out of which Satan was cast which led the people to dumb Idolls Eph. 2. 2. And so he shall in this battell for Michael and his Angels will fight for you which is called the great Prince for the people of God Dan. 10. 21. i. Christ Jesus whose Angels are as Bullenger noteth those blessed ministring Spirits and all faithfull Christians which serve the Lord Jesus to fight against Antichrist and his instruments And the Dragon and his Angels fought i. all evill spirits and all evill men as the wise and rich of this world that fight against the Gospel and against a reformation whose power and subtiltie are their armour to fight against the Church against whom you must fight with spirituall armour Eph. 6. 13. For you have Michael your Prince that will give you the crowne of victory Rev. 2. 10. Marlorat A great battell first in respect of the Souldiers all beleevers on the one part and all unbeleevers on the other part Secondly In respect of the time the Enmitie between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent is the cause of it and therefore as the seed of the bond-woman persecuted the seed of the free-woman so it is now Gal. 4. 29. that now reached to you and will be to posteritie Thirdly The manner of the Battell all beleevers fight by the bloud of the Lambe and by the word of their testimonie which are invincible But the adversaries
people for they dote about questions now whether the 25 th day of December ought to be kept for Christmass day as an holy day in remembrance that Christ was born on that day for how know you say many that Christ was born on that day more then another the Papists keep it ten dayes before us and other Churches not on our day and they say it was the shortest day of the yeere and therefore seeing it is so uncertain let it be abolished wee will keep none Answer I answer How did the Jewes know which was the right Sabbath but by the Manna the day before And how did they know by the rods which was chosen to be Priest but because one budded and blossomed and brought forth ripe Almonds So I know that England doe keep the right day that Christ was borne on above all the Nations in Christendome because we have a miracle hath often been seene in England upon that day for we have a tree in England called the Holy thorne by Glassenbury Abby nigh the Bathe which on the 25. day of December which is our Christmasse day hath constantly blossomed which the people of that place have received from antiquitie that it was that kinde of thorne wherewith Christ was crowned Which I have received from credible men that have seene the thorne that have inquired and tooke the testimony of the substantialst-men in that Countrey which did affirme that if you come to that tree over-night there appeares nothing but a bare thorne but come on Christmasse day and it is blossomed Many people have come and seene it so that they would cut off a piece with their knives that it is much whitled and some nigh that place have graffed some of that thorne upon others which doe also blossome on that day You may reade of this Miracle in many Authors and especially in Cambdens Britannia a Chronicler to be credited for that matter because there are so many eye-witnesses of knowne credit that have seene and testified of the same Wherefore so long as that Thorne shall blossome in England on Christs Nativitie day or can be proved that it hath blossomed on that day England shall keepe that day of praising God for the birth of Christ Because the Angels sung an hymne on that day Glory be to God on high peace on earth and good will towards men never more need for us to pray and sing so for peace is taken from the earth and there is ill will towards men I am perswaded that the Jewes shall receive their Christs Nativitie day from England and from our blossoming Thorne rather then from any other Church in Christendome I wish if there be any Jewes in England that are incredulous in this point that they might be sent to that place to prove the truth of it for what doe we know but that some of the Jewes may be convinced by it to be sorry that they crowned Christ with Thornes and desired his bloud to be upon them and their children by whose bloud we must overcome the Devill Brethren we say that Omni nulli credere utrumque nefas for to beleeve all the false miracles of Papists as of the coming of soules out of Purgatory which is but the delusion of the Devill were evill and for me not to beleeve this of the Thorne were also naught Because for these Reasons I am bound to beleeve it 1. Because my Father which dedicated me to the Ministry before I was borne to be for the Lord And the world should see I was dedicated to the Lord if they would let my Books come out He having seene the tree told me the discourse of it and the blossoming on that day I pondered it in my heart with Mary After that my brother went to the Bathe and saw the tree and tooke the Testimony of honest and substantiall men in the Countrey which told him of the constant coming of people to see it and how that some have graffed of it upon other thornes which also doe blossome on Christmas day and how it was whitled caused me further to ponder it and then hearing it confirmed by many that came from the Bathe and by the testimony of credible Chroniclers Cambden and others that writ so of it being a thing that hath been seene of five hundred Brethren Now for me not to beleeve my Father and brother and so many honest Witnesses and Historiographers that write so of it were to account them all lyers which in me were a sinne Well you see my reasons why I am bound to beleeve it I will also shew some reasons why such a perpetuall miracle shal remaine in the world All will grant thus much that Christ was crowned with thornes for the Scripture is cleare Mat. 27. 29. and that thornes and thistles were the curse of the earth for Adams sinne is plaine Gen. 3. 18. Now it is certaine that Christ being crowned with thornes tooke the curse upon him for as God the Father hath throwne upon him the iniquities of us all Isa. 53. 6. and so he threw on him the curses of us all and set the curse of the earth upon his head in that he was crowned with thornes by the Souldiers it was the determinate counsell of God that Christ should be made a curse for us for cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree and that he should beare the curse of the earth also which was imposed as the fruit of mans sinne and therefore he did not onely beare our sinnes in his owne body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. but also the curse of the earth which was thornes which came for mans sinne Now when sinne was throwne upon everlasting Righteousnesse sinne must needs be overcome saith Luther for Righteousnesse was infinite and could not be overcome and therefore must needs conquer sinne So the curse of thornes being set upon Christs head which was everlasting holinesse Christ hath turned away the curse of that Thorne and in token that it was set upon the head of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} God-man that he hath taken away the curse of the earth to beleevers Gal. 3. 13. That Thorne by a perpetuall miracle shall blossome on Christmas day morning to the end of the world for the convincing of unbeleeving Jewes and Gentiles That Christ did come on that day and for the confirmation of the faith of beleevers not onely by the world of God Gal. 3. 13. but by that miracle also that Christ was made a curse for us and hath taken away the curse of thornes of the earth to all beleevers and being everlasting blessednesse hath made the cursed thorne to become a blessed thorne and therefore called an Holy thorne to this day and that as the Angels sung on that day so should wee sing with them that sung on that day Glory be to God on high peace on earth and good will towards men And I wish that all faithfull Preachers of England
fight with infidelitie and armed with lies the justified must fight by faith in the bloud of the Lamb that he hath loved you and washed you from your sinnes in his own bloud to make you without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5. 26. and made you Kings and Priests to God his Father and prove it by the Word Rev. 1. 5. Col. 1. 22. That he hath throwne upon Christ the iniquities of us all i. e. guilt and punishment The other fight by infidelitie which doe not beleeve this but by hatred lies and sword persecute them that beleeve so for the Devill was a lyer from the beginning and a murtherer as his children are Ver. 8. But they prevailed not Here is comfort for all you faithfull Souldiers they shall not prevaile against you for the gates of bell shall not prevaile against the faith of your free justification by Christ Mat. 16. His place was no more found in heaven i. The Devill was cast out of heaven that accused the Saints before God day and night by the victory of Christ upon the Crosse saith Elton And the Heathen Emperour a Dragon was cast out of the heaven of the Church by Constantine saith Brightman and the Beast and the false Prophet must be cast out of the heaven of the Church by our Michael i. Christ and his Souldiers which all you are that are faithfull For by our Michael he is cast out of the hearts of the Elect as the Apostles saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven Luk. 10. 18. as Meyer For now is the Judgement of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out so now shall Antichrist be cast out of the Church of England not so much for the sword as by the Word preached For where the death of Christ is preached and by faith received that he bare all our sinnes in his body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. That we being dead to sinne should live in righteousnesse by whose stripes yee were healed the Devill must needs be cast out saith Marlorat So that here is the cause why Satan dwells in the hearts of the wicked they beleeve not that the bloud of the Lamb hath purged their hearts from all sinne therefore Satan an uncleane spirit will dwell in that heart that is not washed by faith in the bloud of the Lambe But where the heart is washed by faith in that bloud Christ dwells there as Eph. 3. 17. For where Christ is received into the heart for Idolatry and superstition true Religion and piety comes in for carnall reason the Spirit of God comes in which illuminates the minde and changeth the will to God from uncleannesse to sanctitie as Marlorat Ver. 9. And the great Dragon the old Serpent c. The Devill is called the old Serpent saith Pignetius because he hath alwayes deadly poyson prepared to infect men Secondly He is the same that labours by all meanes to hinder you from Paradise as he caused our first parents to be cast out and therefore so much the rather to be taken heed of in his practise to bring thee to sinne for if he did thus to our first parents when they were pure from all spot of inherent sinnes what will he doe against thee that art inherently uncleane by sinne if thou hast not the bloud of the Lambe Which is called the Devill {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. Calumniator a Caviller or an Accuser so that you see that cavillers against the faithfull and accusers of the Brethren for the true faith in Christs bloud and righteousnesse change names with the Devill called Satanas i. adversarius an adversary i. because he is such an enemie as his children are and adversary to the professors of free Justification that by the bloud of Christ and his righteousnesse men should be saved and be made without spot before the Throne of God Rev. 14. 5. Satan cannot abide that doctrine Which deceiveth all the world Because he perswadeth men contrary to the Word of God as Bullenger and Musculus i. the Reprobate by his fallacies and lies as Paul saith to feare lest as Satan seduced Eve so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicitie that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 3. He was cast downe to the Earth even to be troden under foote of men as Psal. 91. 13. Thou shalt goe upon the Lion and the Aspe the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet as Luk. 10. 19. He is cast downe to the earth i. to hurt earthly minded men onely for woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea because the Devill is come down amongst you that hath great wrath because his time is but short So you shall finde that these warres shall be wofull to the Inhabitants of the earth and Sea by the Devils meanes but it shall not hurt the true Church For Satan departing from them that are faithfull and overcoming him by the bloud of the Lambe he shall hurt onely earthly-minded men that preferre earthly things before heavenly and contemne the truth as Erasmus And they are cast into the earth in respect of any power to doe hurt to you the children of God but shall hurt earthly men by Sea and Land Ver. 10. Then I heard a loud voyce in heaven For the faithfull cannot but praise God for the confusion of Satan their deadly enemy saith Pignetius Hic ergo {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a song of triumph of the Church triumphing over the Devill that is overcome which shews the cause why many men doe not praise the Lord with a loud voyce they beleeve not the Devill is overcome therefore they are afraid of him In Heaven i. In the Church which dwels in the large heaven of remission of sinnes and in the kingdome of heaven which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost as Luther And hath her conversation in heaven Phil. 3. 2â— Now is salvation For where sinne reigned there perdition had a place but where the Gospel reignes i. the glad tydings that Christ hath purged your sinnes in his own person and is set downe at the right hand of God Heb. 1. 3. there is life and salvation And strength Not of men but of God for the right hand of the Lord hath the preheminence and therefore he will give his Church the victory And the Kingdome of our God wherein the Devill reigned saith Musculus by Idolatry And the power of his Christ for his power appeares especially in converting men to his righteousnesse For the accuser of the Brethren is cast down for this is the property of the Devill and his Instruments and if he can to lay open to damnation those that he suspects shall be heirs of heaven and ascend to that place from which hee fell which he doth most commonly by Scripture as to Christ wherefore I have laboured in these fourteen differences to disarm Satan against the