Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	bless_a	father_n	lord_n	2,130	5	3.4885	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66360	Ho Antichristos the great antichrist revealed, before this time never discovered, and proved to be neither pope, nor Turk, nor any single person, nor the succession of any one monarch or tyrant in any policies, but a collected pack, or multitude of hypocritical, heretical, blasphemous, and most scandalous wicked men that have fulfilled all the prophesies of the Scriptures ... and especially have united ... together by a solemn league and covenant to slay the two witnesses of God, Moses and Aaron ... that is, the supreme magistrate of the Commonwealth, and the chief pastors and governours of the Church of Christ, and the Christian world is requested to judge whether the Assembly of Presbyterians consulting at Westminster, together with the independents, Anabaptists, and lay-preachers be not the false prophet ... and whether the prevalent faction of the long Parliament ... that killed the two witnesses of Jesus Christ, 1. Charles the First ... 2. William Laud ... be not the grosse and visible body of the same antichrist / by Gr. Williams.	Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672.	1660 (1660)	Wing W2662; ESTC R25201	504,825	313

just rights again As for their enemies cloath them with shame confusion And for those that trouble them wrong them open their eys that they may see their own most odious most abominable sins touch their hearts with the finger of thy holy Spirit that they may be truly penitent and sorrowful for all their wicked ways and that they may turn unto thee with weeping fasting and prayer And though we be a sinful nation a nation laden with iniquity corrupt children and the seed of evill doers yet do not thou cast us off from being thine inheritance Let not thy wrath burn like fire and let not thine anger continue from Generation to Generation but be thou pleased and reconciled with us in the death passion of Jesus Christ and for his sake be thou merciful unto us and forgive us all our sins and give us thy grace that ever hereafter we may serve thee in holinesse and righteousesse all the dayes of our life make us more and more thankful unto thee for all those favours and mercies and loving kindnesses that thou hast continually so graciously and so mercifully bestowed upon us increase our faith more and more stirre up our hope and kindle our charity both towards thee and our neighbours for thy sake give us true repentance for our former sins and a constant resolution ever hereafter to lead a holy and an upright life Grant us that meanes and maintenance whereby we may be inabled to serve thee not too much lest we be too proud and so forget thee nor too little lest we should want and so despaire of thy mercy but of thy goodnesse grant us that competencie and sufficiencie whereby we may be inabled to serve thee and not be chargeable but rather helpfull unto others Blesse O Lord my family my wife and children and all that belong unto me Blesse the two Universities of Cambridge and Oxford And blesse likewise the Tribe of Levi the Ministers of the Gospel that do continually wait at thine Altar and especially those reverend Bishops that are yet alive in these dominions and thou that art the Judge of all the world be a just and a righteous Judge betwixt us and them that have taken away the reward of our labours and have hindred us to discharge our duties and caused us that have sate in scarlet to imbrace dunghils we do acknowledge and confesse that we have most worthily deserved all the miseries that are come upon us and much more if thou shouldest deal with us according to our deserts and punish us according to the multitude of our sinnes But we know Lord that thou desirest not the death of a sinner thou takest no pleasure in the destruction of the living but rather that they should turn from their wicked ways and live and if thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it when as the best of us all is not able to answer Thee one of a thousand and therefore we do most humbly and most earnestly beseech thee not to deal with us according to our deserts nor to punish us according to the multitude of our sins but according to the multitude of thy mercies to do away our offences and to give us thy grace that ever hereafter we may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Make an end of this wasting division that is amongst us free us from these dangers and deliver us from these troubles O let not our enemies still prevail to triumph over us and to trample us under feet as mire and clay in the streets but let the light of thy countenance shine on us let thine ears hear our prayers let our cry come unto thee and let thine eyes behold our miseries and our troubles which we suffer at the hands of them that hate us And as thou didst deliver the Israelites thy people from the oppressions of the Egyptians so deliver us O Lord our God out of all our troubles and afflictions and let not our sins hinder thy mercics towards us but be thou gracious and merciful unto us to pardon and to forgive all our sins and to make speed to save us to make haste to help us because we have none in heaven nor in earth to make our complaint unto but only unto thee O God and therefore we do most humbly and most earnestly beseech thee to be our good God gracious and mercifull unto us to pardon and to forgive us all our sins to deliver us out of all our troubles and to restore every man to his full and perfect right again So shall we praise and glorify thee O Lord we shall honour and magnify thee in the great congregation through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father and thee O blessed Spirit three persons and one immortal invisible indivisible and onely one wise God be given and ascribed from the botof our hearts as is most due unto thee all possible thanks praise power might majesty dominion and glory both now and evermore world without end Amen O eternall God Son of God Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world I pray thee take away my sins and call them not to remembrance to lay the punishment thereof either upon me or upon any other for my sake but be thou gracious and merciful unto me to pardon and forgive me all my sins and to give me thy grace that I may lead all my life according to thy most holy and blessed will And now Lord I do most humbly and earnestly beseech thee to accept this morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which I offer unto thy divine majesty from the bottom of my heart for all those mercies favours and loving kindnesse both spiritual and temporal which thou hast shewed unto me from the hour of my birth to this very day and aspecially for these favours that thou hast delivered me from all dangers both by Sea and Land and hast brought me hither safe to give thanks and praise unto thy holy name thou hast also freed me from the fiery purgatory from the Laborinth of Law-suits and thou hast finished my businesse according to my desire and far better then I could expect thou hast helped and assisted me to preach thy word unto thy people and hast granted me their love and favour for the same O Lord my God I do thank thee with all my heart and praise thee with all my soule for these as for all other thy mercies that thou hast shewed unto me and if it be thy blessed will to grant me that favour which I desire of thee that I may not offend thee I shall thank thee while I live and praise thee while I breath but let thy will be done and not mine for mine is fraile and thou knowest what is best which I do not and therefore I humbly beseech tee to give me thy grace that whatsoever thou doest I may

wholly submit my self to thy blessed will and praise thee for the same while I live And for mine endeavours to explain those mysteries which thou hast revealed unto thy servant John I do most humbly and most earnestly entreat thee to inspire me with thy blessed Spirit and enlighten me with thy grace that I may truly understand them rightly explain them unto thy people and if thou seest it for thy glory and the benefit of thy Church I pray thee help and assist me strengthen and enable me to finish the same and to publish them unto the world or if thou seest it not for thy glory and the benefit of thy Church I beseech thee let them be like the unntmely fruit of a woman that perisheth before it seeth the Sun because I desire nothing hereby neither praise nor profit but onely to discharge my duty to the uttermost of mine ability for the setting forth of thy praise and glory and the benefit of thy Church and people by reducing those that are in errour unto the true faith and the right service of thee O God and confirming those that are in the right to continue constant therein unto the end And to this end I beseech thee to restore our King and Governour and all the exiled persons that are with him unto their places and dignities again that they may be the instruments whereby thy service may be rectified thy people truly instructed and thy name religiously glorified by the acknowledgement of thy justice in our punishment for our transgressions thy great mercy and goodnesse in relieving and helping us in our necessities and thine infinite power wisdome and goodnesse in suppressing our enemies and delivering us out of their hands that we might serve thee without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Hear us O Lord our God and grant these our requests unto us and whatsoever else thou knowest to be requisite and necessary for us for Jesus Christ his sake and dispose of me to do all things according to thy most holy and blessed will so shall I praise and glorifie thee for ever and ever Amen TO THE KINGS Most Excellent MAJESTY May it please your Majesty MY present mean condition bids me to lay my hand upon my mouth to stop my speech to so high a Majesty but my place and calling chargeth me to tell you what you have best reason to know how the long Parliament have put your most religious and renowned Father of ever blessed memory to death the first and chiefest of the two witnesses of Jesus Christ which as the Angel saith the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit should kill And now according to his promise God hath raised this first witnesse in your Majesty to stretch forth your royall hand to the other witness and as Christ said unto S. Peter Tu conversus confirma fratres so your Majesty being risen it is our undoubted hope you will put life into the other slain witnesse of Jesus Christ and like another good Josias purge the Church from all false Priests and restore the Episcopal government to its pristine lustre for the building of Gods Church And the good will of him that dwelt in the bush and walked with your Majesty in all your travels will dwell with you and blesse you and preserve you from all dangers for he tells us plainly that he will honour them that honour him and they that honour not him shall be lightly regarded And therefore I could wish that all the Monarchs of the world would consider Davids entrance into his kingdom and Jeroboams entrance into his kingdom how like one another almost they were in all things for 1. 1 Sam. 16. David is said to be the son of Jesse none as I conceive of the prime Princes of Israel 1 Reg 11.26 and Jeroboam is said to be the son of Nebat and to be a mighty man of valour and of an eminent place in King Solomons Court 2. 1 Sam. 16.13 The Prophet Samuel told David that he should be King 2 Reg. 11.31 and the Prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam that God would make him King 3. 1 Chron. 17.23 The Lord told David that he would build him an house and settle the throne on his seed 2 Reg. 11.38 and the Lord told Jeroboam that if he would walk in his wayes he would build him a sure house and would be with him and would give Israel unto him 4. 1 Sam. 13.14 The kingdom was transferred unto David for the disobedience of Saul 1 Reg. 11.12 and the kingdome was conferred upon Jeroboam for the sin of Solomon 5. 2 Sam. 4.7 David took away the kingdom from Ishbosheth the son of Saul and Jeroboam took away his kingdom from Rehoboam the son of Solomon 2 Reg. 12.20 6. David was elected and chosen to be their King by all the tribes of Israel in Hebron 2 Sam. 5.1 1 Chron. 11.1 and Jeroboam was elected and chosen to be their King by all the ten tribes of Israel and the Prophet forbad Rehoboam and all Juda to war against Jeroboam for their revolt 1 Reg 21.20 v. ●4 because this thing was from the Lord. 7. 2 Sam. 17.8 David was a mighty man of war and so was Jeroboam a mighty man of valour 1 Reg. 11.28 But you may observe this difference betwixt David and Jeroboam that David had many wives and concubines which we do not read that Jeroboam had and David committed more personal and particular sins as his adultry and the murdering of Urias and the numbring of Israel and his rash judgement against honest Mephibosheth then we find in all the 22. years reign of Jeroboam And yet David hath this Elogie and commendation to be a man according to Gods own heart and God hath setled and established his kingdom and his throne to him and his seed for ever but Jeroboam is said to have made Israel to sin and the Prophet told his wife that the Lord would bring evill upon the house of Jeroboam and would take away the remnant of his house as a man taketh away the dung till it be all gone 1 Reg. 14.10 And what is the reason of all this that David who seemed to be more vitious and tainted with more sins then Jeroboam was should notwithstanding be so perpetually blessed and the other so severely and so suddenly punished It may be answered that although David had as well as other men many humane frailties wherein it cannot be said he was according to Gods own heart yet his principal care was and his heart was wholly set to see the true God rightly honoured and his service to be duly and truly performed as you may find how zealous he was to bring the Ark of God and to set it in his place in the midst of his Tabernacle that he had pitched for it and to offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord and how

active and do corrupt others and speak of wicked blasphemy 2. Active Offenders as the Psalmist speaketh and to the first we should be more indulgent but on the Second we should inflict the severer punishment 3. Some do erre and revolt of infirmity 3. Offenders through infirmity for fear of imprisonment or loss of their meanes and livelihood as St. Peter denied his Master for fear of what the High Priests might do unto him many honest men now do many things that otherwise they would not do for fear of the present Power and should these be presently punished or cut off for their slips and slidings God forbid I remember Epiphanius writeth that in the reign of Dioclesian and Maxim which was a time of great persecution divers Christians were imprisoned of whom some were martyred some revolted and some were still detained in durance and these that still were imprisoned disputed amongst themselves whether those that had revolted through the violence of the Persecution should be received into the Church again or not when God eased them of that Persecution and Peter Bishop of Alexandria misericordia motus moved with pity saith Epiphanius said he would refuse none immediatly upon the confession of their repentance but Meletius Bishop of Thebais said Epiphan l. 2. to 2. p. 321. he would receive none except that by a long Trial and a manifest proof of their amendment they shewed the fruits of their true repentance Where you see they dispute of the receiving of them that fall through fear but not of their sudden cutting off from all favour because of their amendment there is so great hope and Peter in my judgment had the better end of the staffe for those that fell through Infirmity and fear But 4. There be some that revolt and start aside for novelty and of wantonness 4. Offenders through malice obstinacy and wantonness and it may be of malice and are obstinate in their errors and herein Meletius was in the right that they should not be so easily pardoned nor so gently dealt withal that thus erre relapse and forsake the true Service of their God For if we punish a woman that through wantonness adulterates and breaks faith with her Husband shall we not severely punish them that do thus start aside from God Yes surely such men must be severely censured and punished and not pardoned until as Meletius saith they do fully shew the fruits of their repentance And so you see this point how far we may compel men to the Faith discussed and how the Weapons of Gods Church are spiritual and that the City of God doth never exercise any cruelty upon any one nor any temporal punishment for spiritual points save only in some particular cases of meer necessity and of great moment as I shewed before and that also on those that were her children and not on strangers that never were within the Pale of the Church But the Church of Rome compelleth all men to submit to her The outward civil and teniporal persecution of the Roman Church more with the outward sword of the Magistrate than with Aarons Rod and the spiritual censure of the Word of God and that likewise without any respect of Persons and without all shew of Clemency as witnesseth their cruelties against the poor Indians their Massacres in France their Inquisition in Spain and those unmerciful persecutions here in Ingland in the daies of Queen Mary and their new-devised plot of the Gunpowder Treason And therefore though we had none other Argument yet this their usual cruelty against their Brethren and good Christians might serve for a sufficient testimony to prove the Church of Rome to be none of the best Saints of God but the Citizens of Babylon For it is an infallible truth that Heresie apostasie and cruelty are ever joyned and combined together and whereas mercy and clemency do compass about the true Servants of Christ severity and cruelty do fill the hearts of the Hereticks Schismaticks and Apostata's And so we read that the cruelty of the Arians against the orthodox was more than barbarous The usual cruclties of hereticks and apostata's nam damnis gravissimis efficiebant Ecclesiam armati diversis telis they infested and afflicted the Church with most grievous damages being armed with several weapons saith Eusebius And Novatus exceeded all the rest for he would neither give bread unto his Father when he was ready to be starved nor burial unto his Corps when he was dead but to shew the heighth of his impiety and cruelty he spurned his own Wife out of doors when she was great with child and so killed his own child in her belly And Possidonius relates the like cruelties in the Circumcelliones Socrat. l. 2. c. 21 30. Cypr. l. 2. epist 8. Chrys operis impert ho. 19. which were a most savage Sect in the time of S. Augustine and therefore could not be any good Members of the Church of Christ nam quem videris sanguine gandentem Lupus est saith S. Chrysostom For whomsoever thou seest rejoycing and taking his delight in blood is a Wolf and no sheep quia caedi Christianorum proprium est caedere autem Christianos Pilati Caiphae officia sunt because it is proper and a common thing for Christians to be beaten but to beat Christians is the property and the office of Pilate and Caiphas saith Athanasius ad solitariam vitam agentes And yet touching the Church of Rome lest that in seeking to reform your judgement I should wrong your Charity you must distinguish betwixt the Church of God in Rome and the Church of Rome For as Satan hath his Synagogue in the midst of Gods Church so God hath his Church and his Elect in medio inimicorum in the midst of their enemies as a righteous Lot among the wicked Sodomites Israel in Egypt and Daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzars Court and many Thousands in Israel that bowed not their knees to Baal when notwithstanding the rest of the Israelites ran a whoring after their own inventions So we assure our selves there may be and there are many thousands in Rome and of the Romish Church that retaining the Foundation of their Faith according to their knowledge do adhere to the Roman Church as many did in Israel follow Absolon with a simple heart and good meaning 2 Chron. 15.17 And so as the Lord said of King Asa that although he had not taken away the High Places out of Israel yet his heart was perfect all his daies It may be that although they cannot through their Ignorance or dare not through Fear or be not able through their mean estate and poor condition excutere phaleras and to cast off the Romish Garments as blind Bartymaeus did his Cloak yet may their hearts be sound and perfect towards Christ and his Church and to reject these from the Communion of Saints were no better than a proud cruelty

tree that hath many boughes and branches or rather like a long Ladder that hath many staves before you can come to the top of it and the highest degree of this mischief the uppermost staffe in this Ladder and the worst kind of all the many many kinds of murders and man-killing is the proper and peculiar sin of the Antichrist which since the death of Christ never any man nor any degree of men committed but the Antichrist And therefore that we may more perfectly see and the more plainly understand the sin of the Antichrist we must untwist the Cable and unfold the multiplicity of this many-headed Monster Two kinds of hom cide or man killing 1. Lawful the murdering and slaughtering of a man And First of all we must remember that this man-killing or shedding of humane blood is distributed into two several species 1. The one lawful and required by God himself to be done as of those that maliciously kill any man or those that prove Traytors Idolaters or any such high transgressors of the Law of God or of the Kingdom or Commonwealth that enjoyn such penalties upon such obstinate and great Offenders as will not submit themselves to observe the Law And this kind of man-killing comes not within the sphear and compass of my discourse neither is it the sin of the Antichrist nor any waies if rightly done distastful but most acceptable in the sight of God 2. The other kind of man-killing 2. Unlawful three waies is that which is altogether unlawful and most odious in the sight of God and all good men And this kind of man-killing may be done three manner of waies that is 1. With the Heart and this is very bad 2. With the Tongue and this is far worse 3. With the Hand and this is the worst of all 1. We may kill our neighbour 1. With the heart in our heart and with our heart four special waies 1. By Desire 2. By Anger 3. By Envy 4. By Hatred For 1. Psal 5.6 The Prophet saith the Lord abhorreth the blood-thirsty and deceitful man that is the Lord hateth him that desireth and longeth after a mans death as he that is thirsty desireth drink and I fear that too too many are guilty in this kind the Lord rectifie our desires 2. Our Saviour saith Mat. 5.22 Whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause he shall be in danger of the judgment and therefore we should study to suporess our anger which is furor brevis and doth rest in the bosom of fooles saith the wise man 3. The Apostle speaking of the wickedness of the Gentiles saith They were full of envy Rom. 1.29 Sap. 14.4 murder debate And the wise man saith alius alium per invidiam occidit one man slayeth another through envy as Cain through envy slew his own Brother Abel and the Jews through envy crucified our Saviour Christ and therefore periere quia maluerunt invidere quam credere Cyprian in sermone de livore 1 John 3.15 they perished saith St. Cyprian because they chose rather to ervy him than to believe in him 4. St. John saith that whosoever hateth his brother is a manslayer and the Lord saith thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart For as he that looketh on a woman to Iust after her hath committed adultery in his heart so he that hateth his brother hath killed him in his heart 2. The Tongue killeth many men and killeth them many waies yea 2. With the Tongue Jam. 3.6 7. plures lingua quam gladio periere the Tongue hath slain more than the Sword for as S. James saith the tongue is a fire and a world of wickedness it is an unruly evill full of deadly poyson and the Son of Syrach saith It hath destroyed many that were at peace And the Tongue besides those that it killeth by bearing false witness against them Eccles 28.13 as the men of Belial did against Naboth and the Jews against Christ killeth men two special waies 1. By Flattery 2. By Detraction And 1. S. Augustine saith that Plus nocet lingua adulatoris quam gladius persecutoris the Tongue of the Flatterer doth more mischief than the Sword of the persecuter and Antisthenes was wont to say It was better for a man to fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among Ravens than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among Flatterers that do fasten men in their faults 2. The Prophet saith Viri detractores fuerunt in te ad effundendum sanguinem Ezek. 22.9 In thee are men that carry tales to shed bloud and Job saying to his friends that slandered his integrity Why do you persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh Doth intimate thereby that Detractors and Slanderers are like cruel Canibals that eat mens flesh and drink their bloud Nam qui aliena detractione pascitur procul dubio alienis carnibus saturatur for without doubt saith S. Gregory whosoever delighteth himself with detraction and the slandering of his neighbours doth feed and satisfie himself with mans flesh And these murders and killing of men with the heart and with the tongue are but steps stairs and progresses to the murder of the hand For first we begin to distaste and to dislike the man then we grow angry with him for some thing that displeaseth us and if he hath any vertue or good part in him or any honourable place or preferment or any love and good opinion from the people then presently we envy him and then hate him and so hate him more and more The steps progress and ascent of this sin of man-killing and now the Tongue will begin to play his part and though in his presence it will flatter him whom the heart detesteth yet in his absence it will lay loads of scandalous imputations upon his person and upon his actions even as Absolon did upon the government of his own father King David and Maion against the Government of William the King of Sicily and abundance of such varlets as I could name have done the like against the Government of some other Kings and most excellent men And when those bloud-thirsty men have proceeded thus far to envy his happiness and to hate his person as Cain hated Abel and the way is thus made by scandalous aspersions and false imputations to make him odious and distasted among the people 3. With the hand there wanteth nothing but the stroke of the hand to effect the tragical murder and killing of that man whom they desire to destroy be he King Priest or Prophet for so Zimri killed his King and his Master Ela So Phocas slew his Master Diodorus Siculus lib. 11. the Emperour Mauritius So the Servants of King Amon slew their King and their Master So Artabanus Captain of his Guard killed his own King and his Master Xerxes after he had retired out of Greece So Brutus and Cassius with their Associates killed Julius

that feareth not his King cannot be truly said to fear God Prov. 24.21 So the Parliament said We will have no more Kings but we will be as our Neighbour Nation is a Free State and a Commonwealth But for all this their saying That they will have no King it is demanded If these men proved not apt Schollars of those dissembling Jews and imitate those their good Masters to a hair for as those Jews said We will have no King that is no Kingdom Gods appointment or no lawful King that hath a just right and title unto his Kingdom yet if you look but two Chapters before you shall find how God complaineth they had set up Kings Hos 8.4 but not by him and this was first in their intention before they rejected their lawfull King that God had set over them but last in the execution because the Old King must be first ejected before any new Kings can be established So have nor the Parliament when they beheaded their Old King of Gods appointment and their lawful King without question made themselves new kings over Gods people I do not say Usurping Kings that had no right nor tyrannical Kings that did no right unto the people but as the Prophet saith of the Jews so it is questioned if the Parliament have not set up Princes yea such Princes as were but Bankrupts Shooe-makers and Taylers Drapers and Tinkers Carters and Coblers and the like Scum of men of no learning Job 30.1 of no breeding of no bloud and of no worth but such as Job describeth whom the ancient Gentry and Nobility of this Land would have disdained to have set with the dogs of their flocks and made these or such as these to be Rulers in all Lands the Justices of the peace that as the Prophet saith the Jewish Rulers would sell the poor for a pair of shooes so would these younger brethren that are to make their Fortunes for a Print of Butter or a groars-worth of eggs sell Justice and betray the right of their poor Neighbours Such Rulers and such Princes as no people in any Country would have endured the like to Lord it over them but those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Silly souls and poor spirited men whose hearts and courages the Lord hath taken from them and given up their best nobility and Gentry to be quite befooled besotted and bafled by such Baffoons when he intendeth to plague that Nation and utterly to lay all their glory and honour in the dust even as the Poet elegantly sheweth Hoc placet O superi Lucan Pharsal l. 1. cum vobis vertere cuncta Propositum nostris erroribus addere crimen Thus it pleaseth God when for their sins he intends to plague and to end the glory of any people to blind them so that they commit error upon error adding thirst unto drunkenness basenese unto their beastliness and Pharaoh-like harden their hearts in their follies that they cannot do what is honourable and what they ought untill they be destroyed and made Subjects to those that were their Servants But God tels the Jews that those new Kings of their own election were no Kings of his setting up nor any Princes of his making but of their own establishment Hos 8.4 Usurping Kings no Kings of Gods making and so meer Usurpers through the pride of their hearts and the violence of their hands such as Athalia was among that people and some others of our former Kings That I could name of this Land and therefore the Author of the Treatise of Usurpation saith That the people of any Nation do owe unto such Usurpers such Kings of their own setting up neither reverence nor obedience nor can any Officer with a safe conscience act under them Though I say not this which is true to deny that obedience to any Usurpers or to the unworthiest of our Rulers which may stand with Gods Word and may be yielded unto them without sin because I w●●ld have no weak people stirred up to make an insurrection against their powerful Governours but when God that casteth down one and raiseth up another takes away the right of our former Princes and Rulers and suffereth others how mean or how base soever they be to step into their places and to sit upon the thrones of Majesty and the seats of Justice howsoever this be come to pass Deo permittente my advice is to all private men to rest themselves contented for the present and as the Apostle saith to study to be quiet and for peace and quietness sake to think it far better to obey than to rebel and to leave all things to Gods disposing Dan. 2.21 Rom. 8.28 2. The Antichrist will exalt himself above the Bishops qui disponit omnia suaviter and will set all things right in his good time and as S. Paul saith Worketh all things together for the best to them that love him 2. The Apostle tells us That as the Antichrist will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and exalter of himself above every one that is called God and that is principally as I shewed to you above his King because that in the first place the King is chiefly termed God so he will likewise be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lifter up of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is supra numen as Tremellius reads it or adversus numen as Beza renders it above all that is worshipped saith our last and the Geneva Translation and the meaning is in few words that the Antichrist will exalt himself above the Bishops and the Ecclesiastical Governours of the Church as well as above the King wich is the civil Governour of the Commonwealth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word which the Apostle useth coming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is read in prophane Authors as Pasor saith and signifieth colere that is religiously to worship or the thing that we worship for Religion sake from whence a Proselite or a religious man is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pious and religious person and all sacred and holy things that are dedicated and consecrated for Divine Service are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religious things or things that appertain to Religion which made Beza and Tremellius to translate it Numen which appertaineth to God doth sufficiently make it plain and manifest that the Apostle meaneth here not the Emperour nor any other King or civil Magistrate which had formerly exprest under the name of God as some Interpreters without reason would have it because that it is said Act. 27.1 that S. Paul was delivered to Julius that was a Centurion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Augustus Band saith our Translation whereas it should have been translated of the Band of Augusta That by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle meaneth the spiritual Governors of the Church or Augusta's band which was the wife of Casar and was stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

time of the persecuting Emperours but now after the death of Valens when Theodosius had freed the Empire from the Northern blasts and delivered the Church from those grievous troubles and molestations of the Arian persecution not much if any thing inferior to the Pagan persecution that the Gothes the Huns the Alans and the other cruel enemies under Gensericus Attalus Alaricus and others had continually brought as well upon the Church as upon the Empire the Church was neere her time that she should peaceably bring forth Children very plentifully unto God and that is to beget Christ by our Regeneration and to bring him forth by faith in the heart of many Sonnes and Daughters At what time the Church like a woman with Child was near the time of her Child-birth which is the Child that is now spiritually to be born in every true member of the Church in every Christian soul and in that respect as the throwes and pangs of the Church are the thicker and come the oftner by reason of the plenty of Children that she now brings forth so her pain and cry is the greater and therefore I say that this her travell was not in the time of Constantine that was born about 284 when the Church comparatively brought forth but very few Children unto God but in the dayes of Theodosius about 382. when those great lights aforenamed encompassed and cloathed the Church round about with the heavenly truth as with the glorious light of the Sun the Church did then most plentifully bring forth very many Children unto God and so her pangs were the more and her cry the greater Reason 3 3. Because that although Constantine subdued Licinius Maxentius and the rest of his and the Church his enemies and attained to the imperiall dignity to protect the Church of Christ as he did within his Dominions from all those Tyrants that formerly vexed and molested her yet it cannot be said that he should be able to feed or rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Nations but this power must be left to that Child whose Government is upon his shoulders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 2. Esay 9.6 the strongest part of his body to support it and is therefore able to rule them with a Rod of Iron even while he is a Child as being by reason of the hypostaticall union of the Godhead to and with the manhood of perfect power and ability to rule or feed the Nations Luk. 2.46 47. as he was of perfect knowledge and understanding to pose and to confute the Doctors which Constantine whose Government was in his hand by the strength of his Sword was not able to do for to this holy Child Jesus as St. Peter calls him God had given the Heathen for his Inheritance Act. 4.27 30. and the uttermost parts of the Earth for his possession which he gave neither to Constantine nor to the Pope nor Turk nor to any man else and therefore he onely and no man else but he hath right as well as power to rule them with a Rod of Iron and therefore when Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel which two species comprehended all Nations of the World were gathered together in a confederacy against this holy Child Jesus and did to him what God before determined to be done Act. 4.27.30 yet did the Apostles then many signes and wonders by the name of the holy Child Jesus as Saint Peter freely telleth all his enemies Reason 4 4. Because that if Constantine should be meant by this Child that is here spoken of then many men might conceive that Helen his Mother must be understood by the woman that was cloathed with the Sunne and cryed to be delivered and being delivered fled into the Wilderness where she was fed 1200 and 60 dayes By this man-child is understood Jesus Christ spiritually conceived and brought forth in every Christian man Gal. 4.19 So Mr. Mede takes this man-child to be Jesus Christ p. 37. which is most absurd to imagin and therefore the other is as absurd to conceive And therefore I understand that by this Child is meant not Constantine but Jesus Christ not as he was born in Bethlehem of his Mother the blessed Virgin Mary which was past long before this time but of his spirituall birth by faith in the heart and soul of every true member of the Church that is here signified by this woman which cried to be delivered and to bring forth Christ into her member even as St. Paul plainly sheweth unto the Galathians saying My little Children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you as the Child is formed in his Mothers womb where the Apostle useth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to travel in birth as the Holy Ghost doth in this place for so doth the Church labour and travel as the Mother of a Child doth to beget and to bring forth Jesus Christ in every one of her members and as the Devill carried Christ himself as soon as ever he was baptized into the Wilderness where he sought by many temptations to overthrowe him so doth the same red Dragon the Devill watch and labour to destroy every Sonne of the Church as soon as ever Christ is begotten in them and to extinguish and devoure the spirit of Christ that is all the graces of Gods spirit as soon as ever they be regenerated and made the Children of the Church Christ is no sooner brought forth by them that is the grace of Christ doth no sooner appear to be in them but the Devill is presently ready to eat up all the graces the faith the hope the love and all the other fruits and gifts of Christ and to take them quite away from them But the love of God towards all sincere Christians is such and so great that he takes up every truly regenerated Child of the Church unto himself and to his own protection How God preserveth every faithfull Child of the Church and placeth them in his own Throne even the Throne of Majesty by advancing them to regall dignity and making them Kings and Priests to sit and to remain where himself resteth and delighteth to reside and that is among his chosen Children which is the Church of God where every faithfull Child of the Church shall be as safe from the malice of the Dragon as Noahs Children were in the Ark from the waters of the deluge Satan being not able to pluck them from thence out of Gods hands Object But against this you will say that this Child of the woman is to rule all the Heathen with a rod of Iron and to break them that are stubborn and refractory in pieces like a Potters Vessel and this every Christian Child that the Church bringeth forth cannot do Sol. I answer that we do not say the Christian child which is regenerated and brought forth unto God by the Church is the

the generation of them that seek the Lord and refuse to serve the beast because both of them shall continue and neither of them shall passe away the members of the Antichrist and the false Prophet shall not be quite destroyed nor the members of Christ rooted out by the Antichrist do what he can untill all these things that Christ speaks of be fulfilled and Christ come to judgement to defend the one sort and to destroy the other And this I believe if there were nothing else doth sufficiently confute the charitable yet groundlesse fancie of all those that dream of a generall and glorious restauration of the twelve tribes of Israel and a reformation of the Gentile Churches after the destruction and quite abolition of the Antichrist before the coming of Christ to judgement for if it be a general received opinion that the Jewes general conversion to the Gospel shall not be untill the Antichrist be quite destroyed E. H. De Antiocho c. 12. pag. 130. as E. H. confesseth and the Antichrist shall not be quite destroyed till the day of judgement when both he and the false Prophet shall be cast alive into the burning lake then is it manifest that the discourse and expectation of their general conversion and especially their replantation in Palestina is but like a sick mans dream that seems to enjoy many glorious things but when he awakes he find just nothing But this that I have proved videlicet that the beast which is the Antichrist must not be taken for one single person as the Papists and some of our Protestants do conceive The limbs of the beast remaining undestroyed may teach the servants of Christ three things nor for the Pope or succession of Popes nor Turk nor the seventh head of the Roman Empire nor for any other Tyrant in any polity but for a pack or knot and confederacie of most wicked Covenanters hypocrites and prophaners of Gods service and persecutors of the true servants of Christ and that this knot and collected multitude and assembly in their progenie and successive offspring in wickednesse and impiety shall not be quite rooted out and destroyed till Christ shall come to the last judgement may teach the servants of Christ these three specaill Lessons Lesson 1 1. Not to look for a glorious world and Halcion days of pleasure and prosperity while they live among such Antichristian Canaanites in this vale of misery under the frozen zone of hatred malice and all uncharitablenesse especially considering that the Antichrist though dissolved and scattered like an Army that is routed yet shall not be quite extinguished but shall still live to recruit and continue in most of his chief members still to rage afflict and persecute the Saints of God Lesson 2 2. To prepare themselves for afflications and to pray to God for patience that they may through many tribulations arrive at last to a happy Port and attain unto the Kingdom of heaven Lesson 3 3. To fear that yet the times may grow worse and worse and troubles arise more and more because that Satan being let loose and the hypocritical members of the beast mad with fury that they should be dismembred and the loose lives of the worldlings wholly neglecting Gods service as the Antichristian crew does abuse and prophane his service they shall provoke the wrath of God against his people more and more and move him at last to send his seven Angells spoken of in this book that have the seven last plagues in seven golden vials that are full of the wrath of God to powre out the same upon the earth For as God when he began to plague Pharaoh and saw that nothing would prevaile to work repentance in him and to mollifie his heart to let Israel go to serve the Lord never left to send trouble upon trouble God will not be our enemy by our wickednesse and to adde plague upon plague untill he had utterly destroyed him so will he do with the beast and the false Prophet that is the Antichrist and all their adherents when as neither their dismembring and scattering of them nor any other scourge nor plague nor token of his wrath falling upon many of them can work repentance in the remainder and cause them to return from their evil wayes and permit the witnesses of Christ to arise and the true servants of God to worship him in the right way then will he arise as a Gyant out of sleep he will whet his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold of vengeance Gyant and he will raise up his witnesses in despight of the beast that hath killed them and he will little them in their thrones maugre all the malice of the Antichrist and all the strength of his adherents and as the Holy Ghost saith their enemies shall behold them and shall not be able to binder them but a great and a terrible fear shall fall upon them because now they shall begin to find that the Almighty God will not suffer himself to be overcome by wretched man nor forget the deep sighing of his Saints and suffer the patient abiding of the meek to perish for ever but seeing they have despised his patience and his long suff●●●●● 〈◊〉 and abused his lenity and his great goodnesse he will send those sev●●●●gels with these seven vials of his wrath that our Evangelist spake of and they will powre them out one after another upon the remaining members of the beast and the false Prophet and their adherents that oppose him and his witnesses and do abuse his name and his service untill they be all emptied And when all those plagues shall be powred out The method how the seven plagues shall be powred out The first upon the formal professors The second upon the great Cities The third upon the Villages The fourth upon the fruits of the earth in that method which the Evangelist setteth down that is The first upon the earth which fignifieth the worldly men and the carnal and the formal professors of his service The second upon the seu which signifieth the great Cities where the most multitudes of people are that are compared unto the sea The third upon the rivers and fountains of waters which betokeneth the country towns and villages that have but few inhabitants within them The fourth upon the Sun to scorch and burn both men and beasts and to drie up the fruits of the earth thereby to bring sicknesses and famine amongst men The fifth upon the seat of the beast The fift upon the rule of the beast which may signifie either the city or kingdom where the beast and false Prophet did arise and were upheld or upon the rule and government the strength and domineering power that the remaining scattered members of the Antichrist shall exercise over those people that they tyrannize upon and keep under them because a Seat signifieth the place whereupon we rest and the power that upholdeth us in