enemies thereof §. 125. Of the seasonable succour afforded to oppressed Germany AMong other evidences of the divine Providence towards the reformed Churches the late seasonable succour afforded to the Churches in Germany is most remarkable Many yeares together hath Germany beene sore vexed with intestine and civill warre Who can without a melting heart thinke on the much bloud that hath beene spilt the ruines of many faire Cities Townes Castles Churches and other edifices that have beene made the distresses that many exiles of all sorts Princes and Subjects Noble and Meane Clergy and Laiety Male and Female Old and Young have beene brought unto the miserable bondage under which such as have remained in their owne territories and habitations have groaned the heavy and undue taxes that have beene laid on such as have not had their titles dignities inheritances callings and liberties by violence wrested from them who can without much compunction and compassion heare of or thinke on those and many other pressures and oppressions The Princes of the reformed Churches in Germany were forced to put up a joint complaint and remonstrance of their grievances and to consult about means at least of some ease for their burdens were intollerable if not of full redresse But their complaints proved like to the complaints of the Israelites put up to Pharaoh for easing their heavy burdens Their savour thereby came to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants They were in a worse case then before So proud was the enemy by reason of the great armies that he had gathered together and so flesht he was in the conquests that he had made as he regarded no complaints he feared no revenge He deemed his power to be invincible When thus the reformed Churches in Germany were brought to the lowest ebbe and so neare to the pits brink as they were upon tumbling downe to their utter ruine that mans extremity might appeare to be Gods opportunity in a most seasonable time the Lord raised up and sent unto them a Deliverer Gustavus of Sued in whose title is couched Augustus and Deus Gustavus importing by transposition of letters Augustus and Sued read backward Deus If the small army with which he came into Germany and the great things which he hath done since he came thither be duly weighed we shall see cause to acknowledge that the Lord of hosts was with him That which is by experience noted of the snow that by being tumbled up and downe of a little ball it comes to be a great heape that can hardly be stirred is likewise by experience found verified in his army We read of a dreame which a souldier of the huge host of the Midianites that for multitude was as the sand by the sea-side thus related to his fellow I dreamed a dreame and loe a cake of barley bread tumbled unto the host of Midian and came unto it and smote it that it fell and overturned it that the tent lay along The interpretation which in the event proved most true was this This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the sonne of Ioash a man of Israel for into his hand hath God delivered Midian and all the host A fit allusion thereunto which hath likewise in the event proved to be most true may be this The sword of the King of Sued a Defender of the true Religion hath smitten the armies of the enemies of the Gospell and into his hand hath the Lord delivered his Churches enemies This King proves to be as another Cyrus the Lords Annointed whose right hand the Lord hath holden to subdue nations before him He shall performe the Lords pleasure Cyrus the Persian Monarch though he were to admiration victorious yet did he not with such expedition gaine in and bring under his power so many Forts Castles Walled Townes and Cities every way well manned fenced and fortified no nor that hammer of the world great Alexander â—s this Annointed of the Lord hath done in so short a time The Enemy spent more yeares in subduing Cities and Townes in Germany then this Deliverer hath spent moneths in reducing them Conquering Caesar came even into this Country whereinto victorious Gustavus is come and with such celerity subdued one principality after another as the Orator is bold to say that he passed over places by victories more speedily then another could have done by paces This is indeed an hyperbolicall speech but yet thereby exceeding great celerity is set out which also is implied by another hyperbolicall phrase used by Caesar himselfe in a letter to his friend in these three words Veni Vidi Vici I came I saw I overcame meaning thereby that so soone as he came to a place and tooke a view of it he forthwith tooke it Yet in much shorter time hath Gustavus subdued and taken in more townes and cities then Caesar did and that after another manner then Caesar did Had Caesar when he came into Germany such an adversary as Tilly Were there raised such armies of men and horse against Caesar as against Gustavus Were there such garrisons such amunition such provision of all things requisite to repell an enemy in the places which Caesar subdued as in those which Gustavus tooke Never did Caesar at least for the time that he was in Germany meet with so strong opposition as Gustavus hath met withall Never was that Generall brought unto such hazards as this King hath beene brought unto In no part of Germany did Caesar ever meet with such a pitcht held or such a set battell as Gustavus did on Gods-Aker neare Liepsich Nor ever was a battell maintained with such prudence and providence with such courage and constancy against an enemy that was so strong and stout so seldome foiled so much prevailing against an army supposed invincible by reason of former successes and present preparations against all the advantages that an enemie could desire as the battell at Leipsich by valorous Gustavus And all this after a great if not the greater part of his owne army was put to rout and the Enemy thereupon made so confident as he cried Victory Victory Follow Follow but with such successe as the Benjamites had when in the beginning of the battell they had smitten the Israelites and thereupon cried They are smitten downe before us On the seventh day of September the Birth-day of victorious Queene ELIZABETH was this never to be forgotten victory obtained And on the seventeenth day of November the Coronation day of the said puissant Princesse was the high and mighty King of Sued entertained in the Imperiall city of Frank-ford on Main the city where the Germane Emperor useth to be elected Since the fore-named incomparable victory at Leipsich all things with very good successe have fallen cut §. 126. Of the causes of the Suedish Kings entring into Germany THe conquests made by the victorious King of Sued are in their kind very glorious but
massacres were made among them and the miserable effects of warre so depopulated their countrie and destroyed their persons as they were left destitute without all succour or hope of reliefe And since the last taking in of Rochel the King who was of a contrary religion to them became an absolute Master of them What now in mans eye could be looked for but that utterly they should be deprived of the liberty of their religion and by little and little be enforced to the idolatrous superstition of the Romish Church or at least be bred up in blindnesse and ignorance being left without the light of the Gospell to guide and comfort them in that their miserable condition Yet now in these happy daies of deliverances behold how in their greatest extremity when all humane meanes failed them the Lord of hosts hath beyond all hope afforded them much peace and quietnes and provided for them new Churches built with their Kings good leave yea and at his cost and charges because they had beene demolished by the fury of impious souldiers and by the out-rage of superstitious people Thorow that liberty which now they enjoy their Churches are diligently frequented and all Gods ordinances duly observed and their religion with lesse scorne and derision professed then formerly Their peace and security is now greater then when they had the fore-mentioned meanes to embolden them to stand upon their owne guard This is the Lords doing It is marvellous in our eyes They had no Moses no Ioshua to worke for them As they had no power within to defend them from the might and malice of their enemie so they could expect no aid from abroad to encourage them to stand out against their enemies All the aid that from abroad was afforded unto them proved altogether in vaine God is all in all to them He that said The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lie downe with the kid and the calfe and the lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weined child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den hath wrought this concord betwixt them and the adversaries of their religion The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth it whether soever he will To his Churches therefore hath the Lord turned the heart of that King for their good What the inward affection of the King to those of the reformed religion is is a secret Whether the peace that those Churches enjoy be occasioned by reason of that supreme power which now he hath obtained over them or by reason of his embroilements at home and undertakings abroad little skilleth for the matter in hand Sure it is that the Lord hath ordered all things that have fallen out in France for the good and peace of his Churches there Should not due notice be taken hereof §. 124. Of Gods late mercies to the Low-Countries FRom reformed Churches in France we will passe to the Low-Countries who are of the same profession In recounting Gods late mercies to them which is the taske that we have undertaken thereby to shew what great cause we now have to set out the praises of the Lord it would be too farre a digression to begin with those extraordinary deliverances which they had when first they recovered their liberty against the cruelty and tyranny of Duke D' Alva Later mercies are these that follow 1 A strong faction of Arminians being raised up and dispersed thorowout all their provinces whereby the truth and purity of religion was much corrupted and the tranquillity and security of their State put into great hazard a Nationall Synod not without the counsell and consent of our royall Defender of the Faith King IAMES was assembled at Dort whereunto most grave learned and judicious Divines out of all the reformed Churches in Christendome came who all with one unanimous consent determined sundry fundamentall points of our Christian Religion against the contrary errors of the Adversaries of Gods free grace A mercy not to be forgotten 2 The enemy having gathered such an army as made him master of the field whereby he so strongly besieged Breda a frontier town of great command every way round about as no succour could be afforded it but it was forced to yeeld at which time also Grave Maurice Prince of Orange their brave Generall died great feare there was of much mischiefe if not of utter ruine to befall that State But by Gods Providence their great enemy Spinola was called into another country and a supply made of the losse of their former Generall by substituting in his roome his owne brother whose prudence and prowesse successe hath crowned so as they are now better secured then they were before 3 Spaine provided an exceeding great treasure for the fore-said States which it never intended to them The whole fleet of gold silver and other rich merchandizes which the Spaniards by the helpe of the West-Indians had beene sundry yeares gathering together the Nether-landers tooke on a sudden whereby their enemies were much disfurnished and they themselves so plentifully furnished as they were the better enabled not onely to defend themselves but also to offend their enemies 4 The States being now well prepared they quickly become masters of the field and with much resolution attempt that which the enemy little feared they should attaine namely to take in the Bosche a very strong frontier towne well fenced well manned and every way well prepared and provided for But they so besiege it as no reliefe can be afforded to it they so assault it as there is no standing out against them They take it and keepe it 5 While they lay at this siege another booty falls into their hands Wesell the magazin of their enemie wherein all warlike provision was in great abundance stoared up sending out some of their garrisons abroad notice thereof comes to the armie of the States in siege at the Bosche They forthwith send some troupes to surprize Wesell on a sudden They come to it unexpected and quickly take it Thus are the States againe furnished with their enemies provision They take a strong towne of great consequence which is as an inlett for them into the Palatinate And by this meanes an enemy that with a great army was entred into their country and burnt and spoiled all before him was forced backe againe 6 This last yeare while the army of the States is quiet at home the enemy having plotted some mischievous designe against them unexpectedly sends an army by water into their territories which like a flocke of foolish birds flew into nets that were not laid for them and were taken What can we thinke but that the finger of God hath beene in the ordering of these successefull matters for the better security of them who professe and maintaine the true religion against the professed
much more glorious in the cause of undertaking them All confesse that it is not so much the punishment that maketh martyrdome glorious as the cause So is it in warre The cause rather then the event makes it warrantable and praise-worthy Good successe in just warre brings much glory to the undertakers thereof In this respect victorious Gustavus carieth away more glory then Sennacherib Nebuchadnezar Darius Cyrus Alexander Caesar or other the great Conquerers among the heathen Of those Conquerors who are commended by the Holy Ghost it is said that they subdued kingdomes and wrought righteousnesse Might and Right must goe together Right without might may be much wronged Might without right may do much wrong Take we therefore a briefe view of the causes of sundry other conquerours and we shall find might without right Take we a view of the causes which moved the conquering King of Sued to undertake his warres and we shall find might regulated by right The cause which moved conquering Monarchs in former times to enter into other mens dominions and to subdue nations was especially the pride of their heart and their ambition to have the supreme soveraignty over the whole world if possibly they could atchieve it It is said of Alexander the great that when he heard the Philosophers conclusion concerning the unity of the world he wept because there were no more worlds for him to overcome Behold the ambition of mens minds how boundlesse how unsatiable it is The fore-mentioned Caesar invaded Germany France England and other nations to enlarge the dominion of the Romane Empire So did other Romane Generals before and after Caesar True it is that God in his unsearchable wisdome stirred up many of them to be his instruments to punish peoples rebellions against God In which respect they are called the Rod of the Lord his staffe his sword Yea God is said to put his sword into their hands and because the Lord useth them as his instruments they are in that respect stiled The Lords Annointed his servants his Shepheards Yet notwithstanding this secret intent of the Lord which he by their Ministry brought to passe they were stirred up by pride and ambition to do what they did So saith the Lord of Ashur O Assyrian the rod of mine anger c. I will send him against an hypocriticall nation c. I will give him a charge to take the spoile c. Howbeit he meaneth not so c. For he saith by the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisdome c. And further to shew that they by their inward wicked disposition were set on worke it is said that when God gave people into their hands they shewed them no mercy and againe when the Lord was a little displeased they helped forward the affliction But the pious and righteous King of Sued hath made it manifest to all the world that no ambitious thoughts no desire of enlarging his owne Dominions by forcing away other mens rights from them hath embroiled him in these Germane-warres Great wrongs were done to him by the Enemy and feare given of greater if he looked not the better to himself So as he was forced to take up armes to secure his owne dominions and his neighbours bordering upon him It is noted of the Philistimes that they came up to seeke David Whereby is implied that they first provoked him to warre and his setting upon them and destroying them is thereby justified It is also recorded of the Syrians that they helped the Ammonites who had most despitefully used Davids Ambassadours Thereby Davids warring against the Ammonites and Syrians is justified Against the Ammonites for wrong done to David against the Syrians for aiding Davids enemies Such provocations had King Gustavus to enter upon these later warres He was first sought by the Enemy His Ambassadours were basely used This later Enemy sent armies under his owne Ensignes in aid of the Pole his former enemy with whom he was then in warre Besides these wrongs done to himselfe Complaints and invitations were made to him by sundry oppressed Princes and States and particularly of those to whom he was engaged by ancient allyances and confederacies By these also he was drawne into these warres wherein the divine providence hath given him so good successe and so great glory Abraham on such a ground as this later is was moved to take up armes against those that spoiled Sodom where his brother Lot was wherein the Lord gave him good successe Ioshua also on such a ground made warre against the five Kings of the Amorites who encamped against Gibcon The Gibconites were at that time in league with the Israelites Thereupon Gibeon being invaded by the Amorites sends unto Ioshua to the camp saying Slake not thy hand from thy servants come up to us quickly and save us and helpe us Thus Gustavus in affording succour to such as were oppressed and craved his aid they being also his confederates hath done that which such as were guided by Gods Spirit have done before him and that as well for securing his owne dominions as for relieving others For had that flood of warre which over flowed and in a manner ruinated the greater part of Germany beene suffered to swell and run longer and further it might have made an irrecoverable breach even unto the very Kingdome of Sued Where that floud of warre had a current it carried away the true Religion before it it bare away Princes out of their principalities other Governours out of their jurisdictions Ministers of Gods Word from their charges Owners from their possessions and others from their places and callings it deprived free cities of their immunities and priviledges and brought many mischiefes and inconveniences to many others Wherefore to preserve true Religion where it was in great hazard to be suppressed to re-establish it where it was removed to restore Princes other Governours Ministers Owners and others to their owne rights to recover to free people their priviledges to bring home the banished to take off the heavy yoke of bondage and intolerable burdens from their necks on whom they were unjustly laid and finally to prevent cruell massacres and persecutions for the Gospell sake hath this contrary streame of warre beene opposed so as violence by violence as necessity required hath beene resisted and a strong streame of sweet waters hath beaten backe a great flood of salt waters §. 127. Of the effects of the Suedish Kings warres THe blessed events that have followed upon the King of Sued his warres in Germany do give evident proofe to the truth of the ends and intents before mentioned For thereby true Religion is in many places re-established and a free liberty for exercise thereof procured to the professours of it Ancient immunities and priviledges are recovered Princes other Governours Ministers of the Gospell States Polities private Lords and Owners are restored to their dominions dignities charges callings inheritances and