Then he was demanded if the Pope should send an Armie into England against the Queene whether he would take the Popes part or the Queenes To this he protested openly that he would take the Popes part and confirmed it by his hand-writing he was put to death and some others for the same cause When as yet from the time of the rebellion there was but fiue put to death in this cause The Queene thinking that mens consciences should not be forced did often complaâ—ne that she was necessarily driven to these courses vnlâ—s she would suffer a mischiefe to fall vpon her selfe and her subiects by them that sought to colour their treasons vnder a pretence of consciencâ— and Catholike Religion And yet she thought that some of the poore Priests that were sent were not acquainted with the secret plots of treason but found that their superiors vsed these as instruments of their wicked intentions and they yeelded the whole disposing of themselues to the iudgement of their superiors for they that were then and afterward apprehended being demanded whether by the authoritie of the Bull of Pius V. the subiects were so absolved from their oath and alleagance that they might take Armes against the Prince Whether they held her for a lawfull Queene Whether they yeelded their coÌ„sent to the opinioÌ„s of Sanders Bristow concerning the authoritie of that Bull Whether if the Pope should warre against the Queene they would take his part or hers To these things they answered some so ambiguously some so fiercely some by preuarication or by silence shifting that diverse other Papists who were not acquainted with the secrets of their villanies began to suspect that surely they nourished some secret mischiefe and Iohn Bishop otherwise much addicted to their Religion wrote and soundly proued that the constitution obâ—ruded in the name of the Councell of Lateran from which they founded all their authoritie to absolue subiects from their alleagance and to depose Princes was indeed nothing but a decree of Innocentius III. nor was ever admitted in England Yea that Councell was no Councell and that nothing was decreed there by the Fathers Suspitions were still increased by reason of the number of Priests daily comming into England and creeping in corners who secretly sought out the minds of men and taught that Princes excommunicated were to be throwne out of their Kingdomes that Princes that professed not the Roman Religion were fallen from the title and Kingly authoritie that they who had taken orders were by the libertie of the Church freed from all iurisdiction of Princes neither were bound to their lawes or bound to reverence their Maiestie that the Magistrates of England were not lawfull and therefore not to be accounted as Magistrates Yea and moreover that what things soever had bin established by the Queenes authoritie after the publishing of the Bull of Pius V. were voyd altogether by Gods law and mans law and to be respected as things of no account Neither did they dissemble their purpose that they were come into England for this end that this Bull might be effected and that they might in private confessions reconcile men and so absolue them from all faith and alleagance toward the Queene This thing seemed to be more easily effected when men were absolved from all mortall sinne as the Priests perswaded them and this way was the safest because the most secret and vnder the seale of Confession These practiâ—es extorted of the Parliament held then â—n â—anuary An 1582 new lawes and more severe against these Popish practises By which lawes it was made treason to disswade any subiect from their alleagance to their Prince and from the Religion which was then established in England or to reconcile any to the Romish Church the same punishment was to be inflicted vpon them which were so perswaded or reconciled To say Masse was punished with two hundreth markes and a yeares imprisonment and to be farther punished vntill they had payed To be present at Masse willingly was punished with an hundreth marke fine and a yeares imprisonment They that refused to come to their Parish Churches were to pay twentie pound a moneth This manner of punishing refractary men that in matters touching the Church were troublesome and seditious was taken from an ancient manner of punishing such men in the time of St Augusâ—in for he speaketh diverse times of the Pecuniary mulct of the Emperours which was inflicted vpon the Donaâ—ists And because the seminary Priests and Iesuites who haue bin punished not for Religion but for Treasons in the execution of civill Iustice for offending against the lawes of the Land haue given out that they haue bin perfecuted for Religion and some of them haue beene made Martyrs these be a new kinde of Martyrs not for Christs cause but for the Popes cause against Christ and against his Word and Commandement It shall not be amisse to obserue the State of the Church in S. Augustines time and the iudgement of the Church then which in diverse resemblances doth answer to our times for then the Emperour had that power and authoritie which we now giue to our Kings The Pope had no more authoritie then then we would yeeld him now if he would maintaine the doctrine that the Popes then did The Pope was then vnder the Emperour the Emperour punished both Pope and others if they offended his lawes Parmenianus a Donatist complained they were punished by the Emperour and persecuted and called their persecution Martyrdome as did the Papists that were punished S. Augustin answering the Donatists saith Si quis quis ab Imperatore c. If every man that is punished by the Emperour or by the Iudges which he sendeth must presently be accompted a Martyr then shall we haue all Prisons full of Martâ—rs c. And after he sayth Therefore not every one that in some question of Religion is punished by the Emperour must presently be accompted a Martyr for he is iustly punished for superstition which he thought to be religion No man verily that in any respect is a Christian dare avouch this for such men proceeding like blind men see not that they who thus thinke proceed so farre as to proue that the very devils may thus chalenge to themselues the glory of Martyrs because they suffer this persecution by the Christian Emperours for as much as their temples are destroyed over all the world in a manner their ldols are broken in peeces their sacrifices are forbidden they who honor them are punished if they be found Which if it be madnesse to mâ—intaine then it followeth that righteousnesse is not proued by suffering but by righteousnesse suffering is made glorious therefore the Lord said not blessea are they that suffer persecution but he addeth that which maketh the difference betweene pietie and sacriledge blessed are they which suffer persecution for righâ—â—ousnesse c. And after he sayth If these men being convicted of their wicked practises shall
King when armies were sent to them intertaining the armies in all obedience opening their gates shewing all loue and friendship to the Spanish armies were of a suddaine surprised and brought to vtter ruine The Spaniards killing and massackring all taking their goods abusing their wiues and daughters as the manner of such barbarous men is in a new conquest exâ—rcising more cruelties against their professed friends then they could doe to their enemies Such barbarous cruelties were practised against the Townes of Machlin Maestrich Zutphen Naerden Antwerp and others who were their friends agreeing in the same religion with them holding as then their obedience firme to the King yet were they spoyled killed ransacked and overthrowne like enemies Which strange cruelty declared that it was not religion that moved this cruelty but that which the Duke D'Alva did openly professe that the King must hold all the Low-Countries by a new conquest that so he might change the governement and impose what lawes he would It may seeme a strange vse of the Popes Authority which King Philip made when from the Pope he got a dispensation of that oath which he had taken at his entrance into the Low-Countries This is an vse of a Pope fit indeede for them that would doe whatsoever they list without conscience or the feare of Gods lawes or mans If such an vse may be made of the Popes power then Popish Princes must needes in the sight of the world seeme to haue a great advantage over others But if they may so dispense at their pleasure with oathes and promises then may all those of their religion see plainely that there are neither humane nor divine bands or securitie that can binde Papists for when they please the Pope will free them from all bands of conscience from the lawes of God of man of nature of nations But God will not be thus served And therefore by Gods iust iudgements they that rely vpon such vngodly practises loose more in the ende then they gaine by such profane dealings This was the cause of their troubles in the Low Countries That state being then so troâ—bled could yeelde no helpe to Queene Elizabeth yet did shee yeelde helpe to them The King of Denmarke and the Protestants in Fraunce were not able to helpe her nor to helpe themselues without her meanes This must needes be acknowledged an extraordinary blessing of God to make her able to withstand the greatest enemies and to helpe all that were distressed for Religion This famous Queene though troubled by forraine states in the beginning of her Raigne yet had great peace and quietnes at home This was the fruit of true religion her Subiects lived in peace and tranquilitie no motions then attempted Only in the fourth yeare of her Raign Arthur Poole and his brethren comming of the race of George Duke of Clarence who was brother to Edward the fourth and Antony Fortiskue who married their sister with some other of that conspiracie were brought to their tryall for that they had conspired to flie to the Gâ—ise into France and thence to come with an Armie into Wales and there to declare the Scottish Queene to be Queene of England and Arthur Poole Duke of Clarence All which they freely confessed at their tryall yet protesting that it was not their purpose to execute this designe as long as Queene Elizabeth lived who as they supposed should dye within a yeare for so some cosening Astrologians had told them Whereupon they were condemned yet their liues were spared in respect of their blood Wherein wee may acknowledge the goodnes of God in discovering such a plot before it tooke strength and the noble nature of the Queene that dealt so nobly with her owne blood Thus the Land within rested in great quietnes for some yeares The Church was established and increased learning flourished godlines and true pietie prevailed Popish ignorance was driven into corners The Papists that then were were content to keepe themselues quiet Either they kept their Religion private to themselues or els they came to our Churches as most of them did But the enemy of all goodnesse envying this peaceable state of England stirred vp the Pope to giue occasion to new troubles and to wrap the Kingdome into dangers Whereby as the Church hath beene more troubled then it was before so the Papists haue got nothing by the bargain but lost much by stirring vp the peaceable inclinatioÌ„ of the Prince against them and by provoking the State to make severe lawes to curbâ— them Who might haue liued quietly if they had not procured their owne trouble Paulus IIII. was Pope when Queene Elizabeth began to Raigne this Pope was not troublesome against her His successor was Pius IIII. who seemed to be a moderate man For he was moved by the Count of Feria who served the King of Spaine to excommunicate Queene Elizabeth but he thought it not good to proceed to such extremities For seeing the Popes authority is a thing consisting rather in the conceits of some men then in any truth and substance If it should once appeare that this thunderbolt of excommunicate whereby he hath so much terrified the world should proue idle ineffectuall without all poâ—er then might this great authoritie fall into contempt and so be made ridiculous Whether for this cause or what other he would not be perswaded to vse this extremitie against the Queene but sent Letters shewing some loue and kindnesse by an Abbot Parpalia by whom also he sent certaine secret Mandates Which what they were was not openly knowne But some acquainted well with State affayres then reported that the Pope offred to recall and disanull the sentence as vniust which was given against her Mothers marriage and to confirme the English Liturgie by his authoritie granting also the vse of the Sacrament vnder both kindes so that she would ioyne her selfe to the Romane Church acknowledge the Popes supremacy And for the effecting hereof a great sum of gold was promised to some that should be vsed as instruments for this purpose But Queene Elizabeth remaining SEMPER EADEM ever like her selfe vtterly denied to haue any thing to do with the Pope But the next Pope Pius V. that succeeded tooke another course whether a better or worse let the event declare For in the yeare 1569. he sent out an excommunication against her and all adhering to her wherein her subiects were absolved from the Oath of their Alleagance and from all other offices and duties and that all that should obey her were accursed Which thing brought more trouble vpon the Papists then vpon the Queene or any of her obedient subiects And hath openly declared to all the world that the Popes curse is a thing proceeding from private splene and malice and now nothing feared but contemned when all men may see that the Popes curse is turned by the favour of God into an extraordinary blessing and that the Pope is not Christs Vâ—car in these ministeries
vrge the Spaniard to helpe the conspiratours and to the end he might the more vehemently stirre him vp he promised if need were himselfe would goe for to helpe them and would ingage all the goods of the Sea Apostolike Chalices Crosses and holy Vestments Declaring that there was no difficultie in it if he would send Chapinus Vitellius with an Army into England from the Low-Countries Which thing the King of Spaine commanded to be done with great alacritie And the Pope provided money in the Netherlands These things were not pleasing to the Duke Dalva both because he enuied Vitellius this glory wherein he rather wished his owne sonne to be imployed and because he feared some hostile invasion out of France and proposed it to be considered whether England being overcome would fall to the Spaniard whether the French would not resist that proiect and whether the Pope were able to bring helpe enough to effect so great a matter Notwithstanding the Spanish King expressely commanded him to set vpon England Ridolf was sent backe with money to the Netherlands But see how God would haue it All the matter was opened to Elizabeth by a stranger without the Kingdome The Duke of Norfolke was apprehended and put to death Which thing the Pope tooke heavily the Spaniard condoled who before the Cardinall of Alexandria the Popes Nephew sayd that never any conspiracy was more advisedly begun nor concealed with more constancy and consent of minds which in all that time was not opened by any of the conspiratours that an Army might easily be sent out of the Low-Countries in the space of 24. houres which might suddenly haue taken the Queene and the Citie of London vnprovided restored Religion and set the Scots Queene in the Throne Especially when as Stukley an English fugitiue had vndertaken at the same time with the helpe of 3000. Spaniards to reduce all Ireland vnto the obedience of the King of Spaine and with one or two shippes to burne all the English Navy Thus farre Catena writeth of these things opening some things that before were not knowne to the English The Booke was Printed at Rome An Dom 1588. by the priviledge of Pope Pius V. This is the Narration of a Papist published at Rome by the authoritie of the Pope It may seeme strange to men that haue any feeling of the feare of God that a Pope should so boldly publish his owne shame to all the world The Pope doth practise treason against States sets his instruments to raise rebellions stirreth vp Princes against Princes one Kingdome against another and when he doth this he will not vnderstand that he is in this doing the instrument and servant of the Devill to disorder the world If any would excuse this as being done against an Heretike that excuse will not serue here for I speake not of excommunicating supposed Heretikes but of raising rebellions against Princes to set the subiects to murther the Prince or to stirre vp one Prince to murther another these things be wicked and vngracious practises but the Papists are growne to such an oâ—duration in these sinnes that they iudge these no sinnes to murther or secretly to poyson or by any horrible mischiefe to compasse their owne endes The things that are by the Lawes of God of Nature of Nations wicked and abominable against the ordinances which God hath set in the world must forsooth change their nature if the Pope command them nay if any of their superiours command such things their doctrine of blind obedience sets them vpon any mischiefe and so they doe not onely teach for doctrines mens traditions but make doctrines for mens destructions If the Popes presume that they haue such a priviledge that the things which are horrible sinnes in other men are no sinnes in them this were in effect as much as for the Pope to proclaime himselfe the Man of sinne that runneth into all sinfull courses with greedinesse with an open profession of the same For what can any man of sin doe more then to command sinne to warrant sin to commit sin to glory in sin If all this be done by the Pope who can iustly deny him this title of the Man of sinne But blessed be the name of God that alwayes delivered his Church here from such wicked practises and hath brought the mischiefe that these wicked men haue deuised vpon their owne head Now let all vnderstanding men iudge where God is where godlinesse is where Religion and the feare oâ— God is Whether with them that by bloudy vniust vnlawfull practises seeke their owne endes or with them that are persecuted by this bloudy Nation and in patience suffer all their mischievous and cruell practises committing the matter to God the revenger of bloud and trufting in God reioyce vnder his holy protection being kept in safety by him that commandeth all the world For what power could be able to keepe his Church from being swallowed vp by such cruell adversaries but onely the hand and holy protection of our God Must not we then glorifiâ— his name that hath done so great things for vs And for our adversaries they haue their power limited and they haue their time limited and set forth vnto them beyond which they cannot passe But the soules of them that rest vnder the Altar whose bloud hath beene shed on euery side by this bloudy generation for the testimony of Christ these cry out with a lowd voyce Vsquequo Domine How long Lord holy and true Doest thou not iudge and revenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Yet so blind are these bloud-suckers that they labour still to increase this cry but GOD will giue patience to his Saints and in his time cut off this wicked Nation Be not merciful O Lord to them that sin of malicious wickednesse Thus then this rebellion that was so â—â—rongly plotted so secretly carried was by the hand of God disappointed and broken into peices We haue cause to blesse the name of God therefore Praysed be the Lord that hath not given vs as a prey to their teeth Thus can we comfort our selues in God but can our adversaries comfort themselues in their owne mischeifes The issue was the Pope and the Spanyard were disappointed the World wondered how this State was so soone quieted The Earles Northumberland and Westmerland seduced by a Priest that the Pope had sent one Nicolas Morton came to Durham where they had the Masse set vp From thence they marched to Clifford Moore not far from Wetherbie where hearing that the Scots Queene for whose deliverance they tooke armes was carried from Tâ—tbery to Coventry vnder the custodie of the Earles of Shewsbury and Huntingdon and that the Earle of Sussex on the one side had gathered a strong army against them that Sir George Bowes was behind them having fortefied Bernard Castle that the Lord Scroop and the Earle of Cumberland had fortified Carliell gathered an armie there in readines that
Their answer was that of them some were sent from the most holy Father the Pope of Rome some from the Catholike King of Spaine to whom the Pope had given Ireland for as much as Queene Elizabeth had lost her right in Ireland by reason of heresie And therefore that which they had taken they would hold and get more if they could When the Lord Deputy and Winter had consulted of the maner of the siege they brought some Culverings out of the Shippes in the darke of the night and digging through the banke they drew them the nearest way placed them The souldiers also mounted their great Oâ—dnaÌ„ce against the wall and did beat vpon the Fort continually foure dayes together The Spanyard once or twice made Sallyes out but still to their losse Of the English none was killed saving onely Iohn Cheke a goodly yong man and valâ—ant the sonne of that learned Knight Sir Iohn Châ—ke San-Iosephus who was governour within the Fort a weake man and terrified with the daily shot began quickly to thinke of yeelding And when as Hercules Pisanus and other Captaines disswaded him earnestly from that as a thing vnworthy of military men vrging that all should prepare for a defence least by their negligence they might withdraw the courage of the Irish which were comming to helpe them But he being a man of singular cowardise assayed the mindes of the souldiers and wrought so that the souldiers sediâ—â—ously offred force to the other Captaines that at last they consented to yeeld Wherevpon the fift day when they saw no hope of helpe neither from Spaine nor Desmond they put out a white flagge and demaunded parley Which thing was denied them because they had ioyned themselues with the rebells with whom it was not lawfull to haue any parley Then they demanded that with bag baggage they might depart but neither was this granted Then they intreatâ—d that this favour might be granted at least to the governour and some few besides but that though they much besought it could not be granted But the Lord Deputy inveighing against the Pope commanded that without any condition they should simply yeeld themselues And when they could obtaine no more they put out their white flagge againe and cryed misericordia misericordia And so submitted themselues simply to the Lord Deputy his mercy Who presently fell into consultatioÌ„ what were best to do The adversaries were in number as many as the English and danger was feared of the Irish rebells who were moe then 1500 at hand The English wanted vittails and apparell so that they were ready to make a tumult vâ—lesse they might be relieued by the spoiles of the enemies out of the fort and shippes were wanting to carry away the enemies At last they came to this conclusion the Lord Deputy being much vnwilling weeping that the Captaines should be preserued the rest should all be slaine promiscuously in terror of others that might attempt so hereafter The Irish should be hanged which was presently executed The Queene was not pleased at the maner of this execution and wished it had beene vndone hating crueltie though necessary against such as haue once yeelded and was hardly after drawne to admit any excuse of the slaughter committed This was done An 1580. Some three yeares after the Earle of Desmond of a noble house but of a barbarous nature who barbarously had sworne that He would rather forsake God then forsake his men wandring from place to place was at last found of a commoÌ„ souldier in a poore cottage The Earle was in a poore estate vnknowne till the souldier had almost struck off his arme Then he descryed himselfe and was killed Nicholas Sanders that had drawne the Earle into this rebellion was at the same time spent with famine and forsaken of all succour and being impatiently grieued at the evill successe of this rebellion proceeding so much against his desires seeing neither the Popes blessing nor the consecrated Banner nor the authoritie by the Pope committed to him could do him any helpe he lost himselfe and ran starke mad wandring vp and downe in the mountaines and woods and finding no comfort died miserably When he was dead there were found in his scrip some Orations and Epistles written to confirme the rebells filled with great promises of the Pope and Spanyard Thus Gods justice met with a restles and wretched man and that foule mouth was stopped vp with famine that was ever open to stirre vp rebellions against the State that had vttered so many blasphemies against God and his holy truth and inuented so many strange lyes against men This man first of all men devised a notorious lye against the birth of the Queenes mother which none of her enemies ever heard or knew she being in the hatred of so many Papists that would not haue spared to haue spoken evill yet was it never heard or knowne for forty yeares after And the accompt of the time doth proue it false himselfe like a forgetfull lyer doth plainly refute himselfe This Pageant of the Pope and his Legat Sanders we may not let passe without some observations Seeing there is no way to exsatiate their crueltie we pray that it may please God to remoue their coecâ—â—ie and obduration if it be his good pleasure that they may once truely see themselues and their vngracious actions whereof the sight is now taken from them by reason of their blindnesse For we hold this to proceed rather from their blindnesse then from a wilfull and obstinate striuing against the knowne truth but this we warne them to labour to know the truth and to set their hearts to seeke it least they be wrapped farther and farther into that great iudgement wherein as yet they are vnder his power which worketh with all power and signes and lying wonders in all deceivablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiue not the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therfore God shall send them strong illusions that they should beleeue lyes that all they might be damned which beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Two things are here conteined in these words which iump with these Priests and Seminaries which the Pope sendeth forth the doctrine which they teach and the actions which they practise Their doctrines which they teach are lyes the Apostle warned vs they should beleeue lyes this is a iust judgement vpon such as loue not the truth Their vsuall practise is vnrighteousnesse What greater lyes can be invented then to say that Whatsoever the Pope will allow for a tradition of his Church that is the Word of God A lye with a witnes and withall a blasphemy against the most High What greater vnrightâ—ousnesse then to giue away other mens possessions to strangers that haue no right to them to aispossesse Kings to giue Kingdomes which is none of yours to giue to kill to murther to massacre to aoe any act of
then euer in the memory of any stories hath beene formerly knowne After all this Tyrone a man not framed for a peaceable course but onely for trouble fell into his last pageant in this manner Montgomery was made Lord Bishop of Derry who was after Lord Bishop of Meath and because the reuenues of that of Derry and some other Bishoprickes neare adioyning were so much impaired that they were no way able to make a reasonable maintenance the Bishop sought by lawfull meanes to get some Lands taken without right or law from his Bishopricke and to recouer things desperately lost if hee could This thing could not be effected without the offence of Tyrone who had gotten into his hands the greatest part of the Bishoprick lands In so much that Tyrone vnderstanding the Bishop sought to recouer the Lands of the Bishopricke told the Bishop thus much My Lord you haue two or three Bishoprickes and yet you are not content with them you seeke the Lands of my Earledome My Lord quoth the Bishop your Earledome is swolne so bigg with the Lands of the Church that it will burst if it be not vented The Bishop intending in a lawfull course to recouer the Lands lost found that there was no man could giue him better light and knowledge of those things then O Cane who had beene great with Tyrone and to make vse of him was a matter of difficulty yet some meanes being vsed to him he came of his owne accord to the Bishop and tould him that he could helpe him to the knowledge of that which he sought but he was afraid of Tyrone nay said the Bishop I will not trust you for I know that one bottle of Aqua vitae will draw you from me to Tyrone Whereupon hee tooke a Booke and laid it on his head saying ter liuro ter liuro which as my Lord of Meath said who tould me this story is one of the greatest kinde of affirming a truth which the Irish haue and after this ceremony performed they keepe their promise O Cane vsing this ceremony promised to reuâ—ale all that hee knew in that matter if hee would on the other side promise him to saue him from the violence of Tyrone and not to deliuer him into England which he promised to doe Whereupon the Bishop resolued to bring him to the Councell of Ireland there to take his confession as they came along by Dungannon Tyrones Sonne came forth with sixteene horsemen but finding the Bishop well appointed and guarded with men tould him that he came forth onely to attend his Lordship some part of the way and so after he rode with him a reasonable way tooke his leaue and returned The Bishop feared that hee came to take O Cane from him and thought that he meant to doe it if the Bishop had not beene better prouided then he was Thus they comming peaceably to the Councell the confession of O Cane was taken After this Processe were sent to Tyrone to warne him to come at an appointed time to answere to the suit of the Lord Bishop of Derry There was no other intention then but in a peaceable manner to bring the suit to a triall But behold the burthen of an euill conscience Tyrone had entred into a new conspiracie to raise another rebellion of this conspiracy was O Cane This thing was secret the Councell knew nothing of it Tyrone being serued with Processe to answere the suit began to suspect that this was but a plot to draw him in that surely all the treason was reuealed by O Cane whom he knew to be of the conspiracy that the pretence was a Processe and a triall in law but the intent was to haue his head Vpon this bare suspition Tyrone resolued with such other as was in the conspiracy to flye therupon fled out of Ireland with his confederates lost al those lands in the North of Ireland which by his Mies autority the diligence of his Mies subiects which haue been vndertakers are now planted with a more ciuill people then before This story of Tyrone being compared with that of Stucley other Irish commotions may proue the implacable mind of the Pope and the fauour of God in deliuering vs. Stucley by the prouidence of God was turned another way came not into Ireland as he purposed they who came were euer destroyed But no enemy did euer more hurt there then Tyrone But when the accompt is cast vp what haue all the aduersaries of England got in the end They haue like secret serpents nibled at the heel And indeed this hath bin the practise of the ould Serpent in troubling the Church And we haue both warning of his malice a promise of deliuerance in the end to tread on his head that now biteth at our heels The womans seed shal break the serpents head but the serpent shal bruise his heel The promise is fulfilled in Christ Iesus our head and yet by the Apostle extended to the Church Rom. 16. 20. The God of peace shall tread Satan vnder your feet shortly It is true that this is done in a spirituall battell wherin Satan sin shall be ouerthrown yet to comfort his Church and to teach vs to stay with patience the finall fulfilling of his promises he doth in the meane time send many deliuerances to his Church and many times beateth down Satan Satans instruments vnder the feet of his Church For is not this a treading down of Satans head when we see al the instruments that Satan hath stirred vp to our destruction to be by the hand of God beaten trodden to dust Verely vnto vs it is a signe of comfort that from the Lord but to our aduersaries a sign of seare The true Church of God hath a priuiledge aboue others in this world though persecuted in by this euill world yet there appeareth alwaies an eminent priuiledge of the Church WheÌ„ the Iewes were Gods Church this appeared among them what was their priuiledge They were called by God from before al other nations not because they were stronger or greater or wiser but because God would fulfill his promise to their Fathers And to them were committed the Oracles of God as the Apostle doth inlarge the same thing to them pertained the adoption theglory the couenants and the giuing of the law the seruice of God and the promises In all which may appeare what God did for them and what he doth for his Church alwaies but what are they to doe to God onely to worship him according to these oracles this law these couenants these promises which God hath giuen them By these things then may the Church be knowne we may add another thing to these whereby we finde that God would alwaies be knowne to be the God of his people of his Church that is a miraculous protection of his Church and strange deliuerance out of dangers This miraculous protection and deliuerance