mercy of our heauenly Captaine toward his faythful seraunts and souldiours Philosophie is mute and dumme in these matters and if at an aduenture it happen to vtter some golden sentence of Gods mercy loue toward mākind yet it kéepe not holde handfast constantlie but in the ende declineth to a dubitation or an vtter deniall of the same Antilochus wylled menne to ascribe al thing to Gods prouidence VVho oftentimes aduaunceth poore to their deserued degree of dignitie honor and throweth down the high and mightie These such lyke sentēces of Gods prouidēce are scattered in the writings of Ethnicks which for a tyme delight mens mindes but they are not built vpon any sure foundation For they neuer knew God as he hath reueled him selfe in his sonne by his worde they doubte in their prayers whether God heareth them as Euripides in the person of Hecuba cryeth out and sayth O you Gods I call vppon impotent and slouthfull helpers But the worde of God conteyned in the olde and newe testament doth effectuallie and truly describe vnto vs the liuing God reueled in his onely sonne Iesus Christe who commaundeth vs to call vppon the heauenly Father in his name with boldnesse and trust without any trembling or doubting for that through him his heauenly Father is wel pleased with vs we may then speak thus vnto him Thou O God art the Creator and conseruor of heauen and earth thou art also the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe who was borne suffered dyed and rose againe for the iustification of mankinde Thou sendest thy holy ghost into our harts who kindleth in vs by the sounde of thy holye worde true fayth and spirituall motions agreeable to thy holy wyll thou art my hope and strength thou doest couer mee vnder thy winges thou doest keepe mee with thy holy Angelles thou dost heare mee and deliuer mee thou art with mee in this my tribulation out of the which in thy mercie thou wylt delyuer mee yea and glorifie mee thou wylt aduaunce mee from aduersitie to prosperitie thou wylt satisfie mee with long lyfe If the same maye tender to the setting foorth of thy honour and glorie and to the profite and furtheraunce of thy holy Church This confidence and liberty of spéech wee maye vse with our Captaine but not in respect of our owne worthinesse for this cheerefulnesse and courage of minde wee maye conceaue through our raunsome once satisfied and through the continuall intercession of the Sonne of God who dyed and rose againe for all penitent sinners We our selues bring nothing for fayth is also the gyfte of God kyndeled in our hartes by the holie ghoste through the preaching of the gospell Let vs then place and oppose this promise of GOD togeather with the death and intercession of his sonne Christe through fayth and true repentaunce against all doubting and vnworthinesse of our selues and let vs flee awaye and appeale from God being angrie with vs for our many and greeuous offences vnto God most louing and mercifull turned and reconcyled vnto vs through the passion resurrection and intercession of his deare and onely sonne Iesus Hereof commeth that stoute and valyaunt harte of Christians that they feare not although the earth gape and open her mouth the Element doo fall vppon them and the waues of the Sea woulde seeme to ouerflowe them according as Dauid wytnesseth The sound of many waters and of the waues of the Sea are strong and mighty but the Lord aboue is stronger and mightier Iulian the Reneger was for a time of great power and strength but hee being vanquished at a fielde foughten in Persia was enforced to yéelde the honour of the victorie to this Captayne and with a lowde voyce sayde Thou hast gotten the victorie of mee O thou Galilaean Apries King of Egipt who put the Prophete Ieremie to death said That no power neyther of God nor man was able to take his kingdom from him hee had so firmelie established his Scepter and Crowne But our myghtie Captaine who hath power ouer all kingdomes of the worlde spoyled him of his kingdome and strangled him by the handes of Amasis his Courtyer Neoptelemus the player of Tragedies being demaunded what sentence hee had obserued as most notable in Aeschilus Sophocles and Euripides aunswered that he founde in them nothing woorthye so great admiration But hee rather accoumpted it a thinge memorable that hee sawe with his owne eyes King Phillippe of Macedon at the mariage of his daughter Cleopatra in the most noble assemble of the world honoured as a great God and the next day after ryding in the Tylte or Theatre miserably murdred and contempned And Herodus Agrippa who stopped not the flattring mouthes of such as named him a God but fedde and delighted him selfe with the same perished immediatly with corrosion of his Intralles and lowsie sicknes Surely all humaine power is no better then glasse whiche whē it is most bright and cleare is then the soonest brokē for rashnesse procureth speedy spoyle God alwaies resisteth the prowde Let vs not then feare mans power which when it is at the highest and in his pride then is God able yea and often indeede ouer turneth the same with the leaste blast of winde ⧠The sixt Chapter describeth the Armie and warlyke power of our heauenlie Captaine in this conflicte and battayle The. 6. Chap. THIS our Heauenly Captaine hath many glorious names in the holye Scripture but amongst other he is named the Lorde of Hostes Which tytle albeit it be common to the thrée personnes in Trinitie yet because the Sonne of God was sent to vanquishe and breake the power of the deuyll and to redeeme mankinde this honourable name is properlie and for the most part geuen vnto him as in that Psalme VVho is this King of glorie the Lorde God of Hostes is the king of glorie In the which place without all doubte Christe the King of glorie was signified whereof the Arke of Couenaunt was a testimonie and witnesse And the Prophete Esay sayth That the Lorde God of hostes dwelleth in Syon which sentence is to bee vnderstoode of our sauiour Christ This most noble tytle is geuen vnto him because hee is the cheefe Emperour and Captaine in the Cittie of God againste the Cittie of the Deuil For he is the onely head of all celestiall and terrestriall powers the moste strong and mighty defendor and is therefore named in the Psalme A God that is strong and mighty in battale He is not ydle then but fighteth valyantlie hee is neuer ouercome but but alwayes ouercommeth he neuer flyeth but euer tryumpheth and that not so muche for his owne cause as for the Cittie and Church of God and therfore the Prophet ascribeth vnto him the chéefe souerainty saying Blessed be the name of his glorie for euer and let the whole earth be filled with his maiesty Nowe although this our Captaine
poyson preuayle much against at those that 〈◊〉 no I that precious and perfith 〈◊〉 al me which is the worde of Got conâ—prehonded in the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles The deuyll hath also verie faithfull trustie spyes whome he sendeth alwaies before his armie to divure commoditie of the place and the multitude strengthe of his aduersueâ—…â—â—â— These especials are of as cleare light as any Eagle or Dragon and 〈◊〉 cast their eyes vppon all coastes and corners and examine euery phrase and fyllable of the Protestants and if they â—â—n by wresting things into a wrong sence take any small aduauntage they lyâ—â—â— Sycophants gnawe and byte the good meaninges of godlie men and with great vâ—â—yueration sclauâ—â—der and backbite the sauie All these sortes of Souldiours with many others are bounde vnto the deuyll with an othe faithfullye to serue and obiy him and doo in deede bende all their power and strength to vanquithe and suâ—due the Church of Christ and to settls and establish the kingdoms of Antichrist ⧠The fift Chapter declaring-Mannes onelie succour and re fuge in their great temptations and assaultes of Sathan The. 5. Chap. MOst part of men in their miseries and calamities doo flee vnto humaine helpes and fence them selues with the power fauor of earthly friends of whome if they be forsaken they commonly become desperate crye out with the Tyraunt O wretche that I am I being forsaken of my frinds do perish Others ruÌ„me to the deuill and aske counsaile of him by Southsayers Coniurers who to confirme me men in Idolatrie helpeth some in such euylles whereof him selfe is the author but wheÌ„ God restraineth this power of his that hee can not nowe helpe any more then miserable men doo frette and murmur against God and with Saul Iudas and Nero laying violent handes vppon them selues hasten their owne ende and destruction There haue haue bene some that in their miseries haue sought consolations out of Philosophie and monumentes of Heathen writers But there they coulde finde no reliefe as many lamentable examples make manifest vnto vs Marcus Cato in that bitter sorrow of his which hee conceyued by meanes of Pompeis ruine and ouerthrow read ouer againe and againe that notable booke of Plato of the immortalitie of the soule to mitigate his sorrowe and griefe But he coulde finde no rest in that vexation of minde for ouercome with dolour cast hee awaye the booke and murdred him selfe Philosophers both sawe and lamented all kinde of calamities but they could finde no salues for their sores nor medicines for their sicknesses For their coÌ„solations are nothing else but a vaine sounde without any matter and bare wordes wanting efficacie in the mindes of miserable and afflicted persons The worde of God onelie teacheth the reliefe and remedie in such cases and deliudreth vnto man munitions and defences whereby he maye eyther stoutlie contempne or patientlie continue in verations and troubles Trueth is the best buckler and shielde Whiche is the worde of God contained in the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles proceeding out of the mouth of the true God whereby the holie ghost is effectuall in pensiue and afflicted mindes who are preserued and comforted beyonde all mans iudgement and expectation that they faint not in tribulation neyther murdre theÌ„ selues nor yet ruÌ„ne into eternall ruine destruction This word truth of God is our Target for so it is â—med in many places of the holy scripture The worde of the Lorde saith Salomon is pure and a buckler to them that beleeue Pro. 30. And the worde of the Lorde is liueliy and more effectuall or peercing then any sworde Heb. 5. And the woorde of the Lorde is named a candle 〈◊〉 to men ne lyfe and â—pyrite Pro. 21. Those that are couered and defenced with this sheelde neede not to feare the fyrie dartes of the worlde and deuyll for they are compassed with such straÌ„ge munitions that no cruell enimie is able to peirce the same This worde of God doeth shew vnto vs a sure and certaine refuge and counselleth vs to flye into the campe of the almightie Lorde who wyll hyde vs vnder his wings and defende vs with his holy Angellos who hath promised to bee our captaine and defender who neuer forsaketh the field but is alwayes in the forefront of the battayle and is neuer taken of the enimie So â—riteth Chrisostome Our Captaine is alwayes readie to helpe the enimie can neuer take him prisoner he hath armour of proofe for all his souldiours This Captaine doth not onlie preserue his souldiours in the fyelde safe sound but he also gaueth them victorie aduanceth them to great honours satisfyeth them with a long lyfe and letteth them see and feele his ayde and helpe There are many examples which 〈◊〉 approue and confirme the same to the great 〈◊〉 and comfort of the godlie Hee was in the fierie furnace with the three yong men with Laurence vpon the Gridiron with Daniell amongst the Lyons with Ieremie in Babilon with Ioseph in prison with the Israelites in Egipte and in the Wyldernesse with Elisaeus the Prophete when Samaria was besieged where the famine was so great that an Asses head was solde for fowrescore siluer pence and the fowrth parte of a Cabbe of Dooues dunge for fiue peeces of siluer He was with Dauid in the Pestilence when as in a shorte tracte of tyme there dyed thrée score and tenne thousande He was with Ezechias lying sicke in his bedde of the pestilence By the which examples many other of that sort we maye most firmely conclude that this heauenly Captaine is alwayes present at hande with his seruauntes is there sheelde and buckler according to his manifolde promyses by most earnest assuerations and othes in his holy worde assured and confirmed vnto vs. So that Christians are neuer desolate and alone in their fight and battell but haue allwaies their Captaine presently assisting them according to that saying The Lorde is with you whyles you bee with him And againe feare not because I haue redeemed thee and called thee by thy name thou art mine owne If thou passe through water I wyll be with thee and the flooddes shall not couer thee If thou walke in the fire thou shalt not bee burned and the flame shal not hurt thee for I am the Lorde thy God thy holye one O Israell Consider good Reader dillygentlie the weyght and circumstaunce of this texte fyrst marke who doeth promise euen God the holy one of Israell Then what hee doth promise verelye protection and defence in all daungers Afterwarde to whome this promise is made euen to all faythfull beleeuers whome hee calleth by theyr proper name which is a signe of kindnesse and entyre loue towarde them Thus you see howe this trueth of Gods woorde which is our buckler doeth set out and describe in the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles the infinite power goodnesse
extolling his name before the Scribes and Pharisées and saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Which voyte being disdayned by the obstinate Iewes Our sauiour aunswered for them Read ye neuer By the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast made perfite thy praise Finally we may right well accoumpt the SuÌ„ne Moone Starres the Earth Water and Fyre together with all the workes of Gods handes Souldiers in this Armie and warfare which doo not onely serue the needefull vse of man to his greate consolation But also are readie at euerie becke and commandement of almightie God to annoye and destroye the wycked and vngodlie Those thinges therefore that I haue spoken of the Lorde GOD of Hostes and of his Armie haue two vses Fyrst to confyrme and encorage the myndes of the godlye in this warfare Secondarilie to terrifie caste downe and confounde the rebellyous and vngodly Wherefore let vs ioyne and vnyte our selues in faith and obedience vnto this heauenlie Captaine Christe and vnto his chaste and pure Angels being assured that all those who serue in this holye warfare with fayth and a good conscience shall obtayne an euerlasting crowne which our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus hath promised For as the victorie is moste sure and certaine through the blood of the Lambe and the worde of his Testament so all those who are sprynckled with this blood which thing is done when men beleeue in Christ according to his worde shall without all doubte recarie a glorious and tryumphaunt victorie ¶ The seuenth Chapter wherein is declared what Armour the Souldiours of Christ vse in this vvarfare The. 7. Chap. I Haue read that the fyrste lesson or rule which a young souldiour is commaunded to obserue is to prepare his shéelde or Targette and then his sworde And in skirmishes not that maÌ„ sustained a rebuke that let his sworde fall but his buckler and the reason is that menne ought to haue fyrste and chiefe care to defende themselues and then to strycke and ouerthrowe their aduersaries So that in temporall warres armour is of two sorts the one to defend our selues the other to defend the enemie EueÌ„ so in this spirituall warrefare the worde of God maketh often and large rehersal of two sorte of armour of Artilarye of a Christain man The Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Saint Paule séeme most dyligently and of purpose to haue handled this matter out of whom I wyl gather so much as shal be appertayning vnto this matter The Apostle therefore accouÌ„pteth fiue wherwith faythful meÌ„ defend themselues verely a Girdle a brest plate Shooes a sheelde and an Helmet The gyrdle was vsed in warfare not onely to tye and girde faste the garments together but also to defende the lower partes of mans body for it was full of ringes or studs of brasse This girdle he calleth the Trueth being the vnderstanding of true doctrine whiche is the knowledge of the liuing God and of our iustification in Iesus Christe That we may therefore stande faste againste the assaultes of the deuill wée must gird our selues with Truth which is as it were an Armory of all the rest whereof if men bee destitute therefoloweth ignoraunce of God and dublications of his prouidence whereby in a moment they fal into ruine and distruction For we reade of Saule that when he had loste this gyrdle of Trueth hée fell into fearefull pauors and murdred himselfe and therefore Dauid prayeth earnestly saying Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And this gyrdle serueth also to another ende verely that no man should giue ouer much vnto his owne liberty neither yéelde himself to the sweete intisements of Sathan and so eyther laye snares for himselfe or cherishe a deadly enimie at home For hereof commeth the admonition of Christ If thy righte eye cause thee to offende plucke it out and caste it from thee for better it is for thee to haue one of thy members perish then that thy vvhole bodie shoulde bee east into hell And in another place hee sayeth Let your loynes begyrte The Loynes in the bodie are the couples of the inferior superior members and therin the beginning of ryotusnesse is thought to be To gyrde our Loynes therfore is to brydle lust al other vyces to decline from euyll and to do that which is good The breast plate is the defence of the breast which hee tearmeth the Breast plate of righteousnes that is to saâ—e reconciliation with God and thâ— of a good Conscience for both these are so coupled together the one cannot be without the other as the Apostle excellentlie vniteth them Eight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience vvhich some haue put awaye and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke And again our reioysing is this The testimony of a good CoÌ„science that is in simplicity and godly purenes The matter goeth verie hardlie with vs if our owne conscience fight against vs hope of reconciliation through Christ be waÌ„ting vnto vs For then aryseth byting vexation of mind trembling feare wherof ensueth diffidence distrust finally eternall death Wherof Christ our sauiour doth admonish vs That our loynes be gyrte about and our lyghts burning and that the same shold so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is in heauen The thyrde kinde of defending Armour are Shooes which signifie our profession or rather they dyrect and gouerne our professioÌ„ that we intermedâ—â— not with thinges that appertaine nothing vnto vs Neither is there any kinde of temptation more vsuall dangerous then when Sathan our capytall enimye draweth vs from our profession to things impertynent and vnnecessarie Which peruerse inclynation is almost naturally bredde with vs wherof the verie Panims séemed not to bee ignoraunt whyles one of them sayde That a great part of our tyme passeth away in doing nothing a greater parte in doing euyl the greatest part in doing those thinges that are besides our calling A Christian souldiour may not therfore breake his araye and order but doo the workes of his office calling and abide in that roome wherein God hath placed him By mans féete the scripture vnderstaÌ„deth oftentymes his carnall affectioÌ„s desires The meaning therefore of the Apostle is that we should well defend keepe them vnder that they leade vs not captiues to terrene earthly things but that we may be prepared for the gospell of peace which proclaimeth an vniuersall peace vnto both betweene God and man and also betwene man and man. The fowrth kinde of Armour is the shéelde which is fayth and hath therefore that name bicause it fyrmelie apprehendeth Gods promises in Christ beateth backe all the fierie dartes of the deuyll For as the worldlie souldiour holdeth his shéelde before his bodie so the spirituall warrier proposeth Gods goodnesse and mercie and
King inferior to none in temporall battayles For his Ancient once displayed in the fielde he neuer turned his backe or gaue grounde vnto the enimie Hee forsawe daungers had a present minde in perylles hee was fierce in fight and mercifull in victorie And in all these thinges it was his chiefe prayse that he fought Bella domini The Lords warres But as hee was notable that waye so was he an Artificer and as they say his Craftsemaister in spirituall warfare wherein he susteyned so many temptations and assaultes of sathan and so often caryed away victorie through Gods assistaunce that next after Iob I maye place him the seconde Captaine vnder Christes banner And albeit there maye at the first sight séeme to be some diuersitie betwéene the holy Apostle and him touching their Armour and weapons Yet wee must remember the occasion thereof to bee the sundrie sleyghtes and craftie pollicies of sathan rather then the dissenting mindes of these spirituall warriours For the deuyll vseth not alwayes one kind of weapon maner of warre but hath his dayly deuises to inuade the faithful he must therfore be encountred lykewise w store of weapons and varietie of armour if we meane to gette the victorie In olde time the black Byll and Bowe bare the price in battayles but nowe the Gonne and Pyke are better lyked These two Captaines therfore are no more blame worthie in furnishing Christes seruitors with sufficiencie of Artyllarie then a temporall Prince who opening his Armorie wylleth his souldiours to make their choyse of such weapons and armour as maye séeme fyttest and commodious for theyr strength and abilitie And if there bee any difference in theyr preceptes touching this matter it consisteth chiefly in this poynt That the Apostle kindlesh mans industrie the Prophete calleth to our remembraunces Gods prouidencie the Apostle calleth for the labour work of man the Prophet encourageth the same in the power of God the Apostle sheweth how the Lorde blesseth the trauailes of his Childrē in mercy the Prophete openeth howe God tryumpheth ouer his enimies in his myghtye maiestie And although as I sayde before the temptations of Sathan the veration of Gods seruants and his present aide are dispersed lyke swéete spice throughout all the Psalmes yet he séemeth of purpose to haue handled this matter in one place where he also numbreth two kinds of Armour the one defending our selues the other offending the enemie Of the firste sorte are those whiche the holye ghoste nameth The winges of God the worde of the Lorde and the knowledge of his holye name For thus he sayth 1. He will couer thee with his vvinges 2. His trueth shal be thy shield and buckler 3. I vvill defende him because he hath knovven my name For about the Cittie of God where sincere doctrine is deliuered with fruit receyued and sacramentes rightlie administred Gods Angels pitch their campe and builde such high walles that no Tirant is able to scale thē or with gunnes to batter them That Cyttie is couered and shadowed by almighty God euen as an henne hideth her chickens vnder her winges according to that saying of the Prophēt I vvill defende this Cittie Almightie God therefore draweth the Curtayne casteth a cloke as it were ouer that Citie that no stormes tempest nor rayne shall fall vpon it or if it so doo it shall turne to the profitte and benefit of the godly and to the trouble and ruine of the vngodlie as the historie of M. Aurelius Antonius surnamed the Philosopher plainly declareth This Emperour had warres againste the Marcomanes and Quades which people are named at this day Morauians Sylecians in his armie there serued a Legion of Christians who were of the I le of Malta where Saint Paule preached the gospell This Legion dyd not onely serue with swoorde but fought with prayer For when many of the Horsemen and Horses peryshed for wante of water this Legion tooke a publique fast vpon them with prayer humblie crauing at Gods hande rayne and a happie ende of the warre And immediatlye there arose a myghtie storme and tempest whereby God gaue both great store of raine to the Romane armie and cast downe lyghtening and thunderboltes vpon the Morauians and Quades The Romane armie therfore was couered vnder Gods wings the other were terryblie ouerthrowne and destroied The other sorte of Armour whereby the violence force of our enimies are broken and beaten backe are named in this Psalme 1. Desires of God. 2. And the clamours or cryes of the oppressed For he sayeth Bicause he hath loued mee or desired mee therefore vvyll I delyuer him there shall no euyll come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle These Armours proceede from a pure harte and true faith kindled by the holy ghost through the sounde of his worde which doo euen enforce and after a sorte compell our heauenly Captaine to succour and defende vs And when he commeth out of his Chamber hee is not vnfurnished of Armour and Artyllarie for he hath famine pestilence thunderboltes haylestones vehement blasts of winde mundations of waters the sounde of Trumpettes and other infinite terrors The Lorde dyd helpe Titus Vespasianus in the besiege of Ierusalem not onely with the sworde but with famine and pestilence insomuch that when Titus him selfe had taken the Cittie and sawe the Munition Bulwarkes and Trenches made for their defence in the Cittie hee eryed out with great admyration saying VVe haue foughten God assisting vs and it was he that drewe the Ievves from their holdes and defences When Antiochus in his pride sayde that he would make Ierusalem an heap of graues vtterlie destroye the Iewes that beléeued in God he was sodainlie stricken with tormentes and wringing of intestines insomuch that lyfe increased in his bodie which by little and little rotted awaye and annoyed the whole armie with a poysenous odour stincke and so God stryke the Philistians with Emrodes and a flyxe because they tooke the Arke of the Lorbe from the chyldren of Israell The Marcomanes and Quades as I saide before were destroyed with lyghtning thunderbolts And so the Lorde rayned downe greate haylestones from heauen vpon the fiue kinges of the Amorites that a great deale moe perished that way then with the swoorde of the chyldren of Israell Hereof commeth that sētence of Sirache Fire hayle famine death al these are prepared for vengeaunce And in another place They fought from heauen against them the starres fought against Sycera So Theodosius the Emperour fighting against Eugenius and Arbogastus was holpen with vehement blasts of winde which blewe mightily against the Infidelles The windes are also created to hurt and to reuenge Pharao with his Horsemen and Chariots were drowned in the red sea By the hands of those noble women Debora Iael and Iudith hee slewe those cruell Tyrants Sycera and Holofernus With Kinges