extolling his name before the Scribes and Pharisées and saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Which voyte being disdayned by the obstinate Iewes Our sauiour aunswered for them Read ye neuer By the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast made perfite thy praise Finally we may right well accoumpt the SuÌ„ne Moone Starres the Earth Water and Fyre together with all the workes of Gods handes Souldiers in this Armie and warfare which doo not onely serue the needefull vse of man to his greate consolation But also are readie at euerie becke and commandement of almightie God to annoye and destroye the wycked and vngodlie Those thinges therefore that I haue spoken of the Lorde GOD of Hostes and of his Armie haue two vses Fyrst to confyrme and encorage the myndes of the godlye in this warfare Secondarilie to terrifie caste downe and confounde the rebellyous and vngodly Wherefore let vs ioyne and vnyte our selues in faith and obedience vnto this heauenlie Captaine Christe and vnto his chaste and pure Angels being assured that all those who serue in this holye warfare with fayth and a good conscience shall obtayne an euerlasting crowne which our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus hath promised For as the victorie is moste sure and certaine through the blood of the Lambe and the worde of his Testament so all those who are sprynckled with this blood which thing is done when men beleeue in Christ according to his worde shall without all doubte recarie a glorious and tryumphaunt victorie ¶ The seuenth Chapter wherein is declared what Armour the Souldiours of Christ vse in this vvarfare The. 7. Chap. I Haue read that the fyrste lesson or rule which a young souldiour is commaunded to obserue is to prepare his shéelde or Targette and then his sworde And in skirmishes not that maÌ„ sustained a rebuke that let his sworde fall but his buckler and the reason is that menne ought to haue fyrste and chiefe care to defende themselues and then to strycke and ouerthrowe their aduersaries So that in temporall warres armour is of two sorts the one to defend our selues the other to defend the enemie EueÌ„ so in this spirituall warrefare the worde of God maketh often and large rehersal of two sorte of armour of Artilarye of a Christain man The Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Saint Paule séeme most dyligently and of purpose to haue handled this matter out of whom I wyl gather so much as shal be appertayning vnto this matter The Apostle therefore accouÌ„pteth fiue wherwith faythful meÌ„ defend themselues verely a Girdle a brest plate Shooes a sheelde and an Helmet The gyrdle was vsed in warfare not onely to tye and girde faste the garments together but also to defende the lower partes of mans body for it was full of ringes or studs of brasse This girdle he calleth the Trueth being the vnderstanding of true doctrine whiche is the knowledge of the liuing God and of our iustification in Iesus Christe That we may therefore stande faste againste the assaultes of the deuill wée must gird our selues with Truth which is as it were an Armory of all the rest whereof if men bee destitute therefoloweth ignoraunce of God and dublications of his prouidence whereby in a moment they fal into ruine and distruction For we reade of Saule that when he had loste this gyrdle of Trueth hée fell into fearefull pauors and murdred himselfe and therefore Dauid prayeth earnestly saying Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And this gyrdle serueth also to another ende verely that no man should giue ouer much vnto his owne liberty neither yéelde himself to the sweete intisements of Sathan and so eyther laye snares for himselfe or cherishe a deadly enimie at home For hereof commeth the admonition of Christ If thy righte eye cause thee to offende plucke it out and caste it from thee for better it is for thee to haue one of thy members perish then that thy vvhole bodie shoulde bee east into hell And in another place hee sayeth Let your loynes begyrte The Loynes in the bodie are the couples of the inferior superior members and therin the beginning of ryotusnesse is thought to be To gyrde our Loynes therfore is to brydle lust al other vyces to decline from euyll and to do that which is good The breast plate is the defence of the breast which hee tearmeth the Breast plate of righteousnes that is to saâ—e reconciliation with God and thâ— of a good Conscience for both these are so coupled together the one cannot be without the other as the Apostle excellentlie vniteth them Eight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience vvhich some haue put awaye and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke And again our reioysing is this The testimony of a good CoÌ„science that is in simplicity and godly purenes The matter goeth verie hardlie with vs if our owne conscience fight against vs hope of reconciliation through Christ be waÌ„ting vnto vs For then aryseth byting vexation of mind trembling feare wherof ensueth diffidence distrust finally eternall death Wherof Christ our sauiour doth admonish vs That our loynes be gyrte about and our lyghts burning and that the same shold so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is in heauen The thyrde kinde of defending Armour are Shooes which signifie our profession or rather they dyrect and gouerne our professioÌ„ that we intermedâ—â— not with thinges that appertaine nothing vnto vs Neither is there any kinde of temptation more vsuall dangerous then when Sathan our capytall enimye draweth vs from our profession to things impertynent and vnnecessarie Which peruerse inclynation is almost naturally bredde with vs wherof the verie Panims séemed not to bee ignoraunt whyles one of them sayde That a great part of our tyme passeth away in doing nothing a greater parte in doing euyl the greatest part in doing those thinges that are besides our calling A Christian souldiour may not therfore breake his araye and order but doo the workes of his office calling and abide in that roome wherein God hath placed him By mans féete the scripture vnderstaÌ„deth oftentymes his carnall affectioÌ„s desires The meaning therefore of the Apostle is that we should well defend keepe them vnder that they leade vs not captiues to terrene earthly things but that we may be prepared for the gospell of peace which proclaimeth an vniuersall peace vnto both betweene God and man and also betwene man and man. The fowrth kinde of Armour is the shéelde which is fayth and hath therefore that name bicause it fyrmelie apprehendeth Gods promises in Christ beateth backe all the fierie dartes of the deuyll For as the worldlie souldiour holdeth his shéelde before his bodie so the spirituall warrier proposeth Gods goodnesse and mercie and
suppressed those sauadge cruell Beastes Maximiamis Maxencius and Liciuius his Cosyn when they begonne with fyre and sworde to persecute and afflict the Christians There serue also vnder our heauenly Captaine in this armie godly and â—ertuous men of euery vocation calling And amongst this number Ministers Preachers stande in the forefront of the battayle and fight against the Dragon that is to say against the deuyll and his adherentes who defende blasphemie Idolatrie and all abhomination 〈◊〉 were Moises Elins 〈◊〉 togeather with all the Prophets Apostles 〈◊〉 Pastors in the Church of God theology of all tymes and ages whose armor are not earnall but spirituall as the Apostle sayeth For the vvâ—apons of our vvarfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast dovvne holdes Casting downe the imaginations and euerye high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringteth into captiuitie euerie thought to the obedience of Christ That is to saye the armor of godly Teachers and Ministers in the Churche of God are the worde of God the holy ghost working effectually in the worde and earnest prayer and inuocations There folowe in this armie godly hearers of the word who for the glorie of God and their owne saluation fighte againste the fleshe sinne world and deuil whose fight and armour are at large described by the Apostle My brethren be strong in the Lorde and in the power of his might Put on the whole armor of God that ye may bee able to stande against the assaultes of the deuill For we vvrastle not aganste fleshe and against blood but againste principaliâ—ies against povvers and against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darkenes of this vvorlde againste spirituall vvicloednes vvhich are in highe places For this cause take vnto you the vvhole armor of God that you may be able to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all things stand faste Or if thou liste to haue a shorter lesson thus he sayeth in another place Fight thou a good hauing faith and a good conscience whiche some haue put avvay as concerning faith haue made shipvvracke Women and feely children who séeme and are indeede moste vnfitte for temporall warres fight not moste faintly in this spirituall battell but with their chaste and deuoute prayers and faithfulnesse in their vocation giue the deuil and his complices a fowle foyle and ouerthrow There are many examples that confirme this matter and amongst others that which happened of late in Germanie both pleasauntlie and comfortable serueth to this purpose When the Emperour Charles the fifte and the Pope of Rome by Campegius his Legate threatned the Protestauntes with fyre and sword and terrifieâ— them with the multitude of Princes and peoples that were ready to subdue them The learned men of Saxonie were commanded by theyr Prince to assemble at Torga to conferre what they thought conuenient to yeelde vnto the Papistes for the iniquitie of the tyme By meanes wherof there mette many learned men and amongste the rest thyther came Martin Luther and Phillippe Melancthon These men came togeather euery day in the Superintendents or Preachers house of the sayde Cittie and in this conference peace was offered by the papistes but with such harde condicions that a noble man sayde the same were paysed in goldsmythes weyghts so vniust and cruell they were for it was apparent and that they sought wayes and meanes to cyrcumuent destroy frawdulently in tyme of peace those meane whome they could hardly touch intyme of warre This lyttle flocke therefore continued theyr conference with prayers and supplications reposing theyr whole confidence in the lyuing God who in the myddle of dystresse prepareth out a way for man better then him selfe can deuise or thinke On a certaine daye after long delyberation Phillippe Melancthon euen tyred with labor and heauy with cares rose vp verye sorrowfull sadde went out to speake with a straunger who at the gate had knocked and made inquysition for him Nowe after he had geuen the straunger answere and sent him awaye hee hasteth to this assemble againe and in his returne through a gallory he heareth lyttle Chyldren pronounsing theyr Cathechisme which moued him to put open the Parlor doore euen in his waye to talke with those lyttle Babes whose mouthes he hearde so sweetely vtter the prayfe of God For amongst his recreations and pastimes this was the chiefe with pleasaunt and wyttie questions to laugh with lyttle Chyldren and towarde them he woulde shewe howelles of compassion and the entrye affection of a naturall Parent When he came into the Parlor he fouÌ„d there three Women with theyr lyttle Chyldren about them These were the Preacher and the two Dyacons wiues of that place who were dressing and féeding their yong Babes But there was one thing wherewith all hee was then especially delyghted he sawe one of the Dyacons wiues geuing her young Infaunt sucke and therewithall paring parsneppes for her Husbandes dynner and thyrdly hearing another of her children recyting the Lordes Prayer the ten commaundementes and the articles of the Christian fayth Phillippe stoode styll and with great admyration and pleasure lystened vnto as he was woont the heauenly sounde of those swéete Chyldren mindefull of that saying Out of the mouthes of Babes and sucklings hast thou ordained thy praise that thou mightest styll the enimie and the auenger and therewithall exclamed O three vvorkes so holie and acceptable vnto almightie God. So hee lefte them and returned vnto his company exceeding merrye and cheerefull Luther espying his gladsome countenaunce sayd thus vnto him Phillippe howe commeth it to passe that you returne so ioyfull that went out but euen nowe so sorrowfull he answered Let vs bee of good comfort for I haue séene those that wyll fight for vs and defende vs Luther asked what where those stoute and valyant Captaines and souldiers Phillippe answered the chaste wiues and vertuous Chyldren of godly men whose earnest prayers I hearde right now which God wyll accept with vigilaunt and carefull eares For the lyuing and mercifull father of our Lord Iesus Christ hath not hytherto dispised them neither wyll he henceforth as we trust stoppe his eares vnto them The holie scripture in many places maketh mencion of suche denoute women and vertuous Children as of Myriam the Prophetesse syster of Aaron and all the women of Israell who song prayses for theyr delyueraunce out of the lande of Egipte And in lyke maner we reade of certaine good women that serued at the doore of the Tabernacle who gaue theyr glasses to make a Lauer of brasse for the Lorde Such women were Debora and Iaell by whome the Tyraunt Sicera was ouerthrowne And of lytle Children our sauiour saith See that ye despise not these lytle ones for I saye vnto you that in heauen there Angelles alwayes behold the face of my Father who is in heauen And of other Children aduaunsing and
and liketh or at such tyme as we desire or by those noble men who wee suppose to be wise strong ynough for such a matter This therefore commeth to passe that men may vnderstand euen by vse experience that the church is not defended by mans strength but by the liuing God according to that sentence Leaste you should say our handes haue donne it Secondarely we ought to knowe that vnto Gods promise of temporall blessings there is alwayes annixed a condition or an exception of temporall affliction which is a companion or waytingÌ„ seruant vnto the milytant Church For assuredly there are thrée thinges that are linked together in a true Christian one Faith Confession and Persecution He that will follow mée let him take vppe his crosse that is let him perseuer vnto the ende in fayth hope and patience The world and deuill do hate those most vehementlye that folowe Christ but in the myddle of theyr formentes their fayth is so kindled and their strength and patience confirmed by the holie ghost that the hotest flames of fire make them shrinke no more then if they were beaten with a fâ—ther Many of vs haue séene with our eyes and those that haue not séene maye reade in the booke of Martyrs of the constancie and patience of Christes seruantes in the flames of fyre so straunglye and aboue all humane strength that they wearied and appaled the cruell tormentors For when some of them vntyed stoode styll whyles their handes burned in the fyre and othersome lynked faste in the chaine and the fyre feeding and consuming theyr bodies casting vppe their handes and eyes towarde Heauen and neuer struglyng what doeth it shew but eyther a sencelesnesse of payne or an heauenlie gyfte of tollerancie and patience Peruse that notable storie of the mother and her seuen Sonnes suffering Martyrdome and you shall see that Antiochus was ouercome ashamed and wearyed with tormenting whiles the seruaunts of GOD ouercame reioysed and endured The Hystorie as it is memorable so is it confyrmed by experience in this our age whyles many weake Women with more then manlye stomackes endured wyllinglie and cheerefullie greate paynes and tormentes wherein that speach of our sauior Christ is verifyed My power is made perfecte through weaknes This mightie operation of the holye ghoste in the deathes and sufferings of his Saintes is one of the vndoubted testimonies which the auncient Fathers haue vsed as an euident demonstration to proue the certainty of Christian Religion in that the holy ghost is giuen into mennes hartes to breede and kyndle diuine flames of consolaâ—ion which can not bee quenched with the myghtye flooddes of Persecution whereof the Apostle speaketh You haue receyued the spirite of adoption of sonnes vvhereby vve call Abba Father this spyrite giueth testimony vnto our spirite that vvee are the sonnes of God. These things we finde true indéede in dolours and paines when we heare the sounde of the gospell wherein the sonne of God sheweth vnto vs the will of his Father confirmeth our assent and perswasion and also powreth the holy spirit into our hartes whereby we féele and cast an heauenly ioye rest in peace flye not from God but lyke sonnes call vpon him in our distresse Surely this stoutnesseÌ„ of minde in men wherby they triumphe euen in death is an euident testimonie that they are the children of God. Somtime also the Lorde sheweh his helping hande in the extréeme néede and distresse of his seruaunts For moste myraculously he deliuered the three children in the fiery fornace Daniell in the Lyons denne and Peter out of Prison Wee reade also of a Bisshoppe in the Cittie Nilopolis named was one Cheremon who being dryuen into eryle and banishment with a great company of the Christians was not able with his Wyfe to goe any farther by reason of their olde age and therefore in the sight of the multytude hee and his wife were taken vp into Heauen So that the honour and glorie of the Churche then especiallie appeareth and shyneth eyther when men with inuinsible courage doo without murmuring and dispayre tollerate most painful forments or are at the last myraculouslie delyuered In these matters therefore we must open not the eyes of Reason but of Fayth not the sence of the fleshe but of Gods spyrite is to bee considered I graunt that it is a ioyfull spectacle to the deuyll to beholde A bell murdered Iob afflycted Daniell caste vnto the Lyons and Stephen stoned But I saye the viewe thereof is more acceptable to God VVho vvitnesseth that the death of his Sainctes is precious in his syght But not in respect of the payne but of the euent Both God and deuyll beholde the tormentes of the godlie but with dyuerse affectes and counsayles For God permyâ—â—eth his Saintes to be afflycted of his meere goodnesse but the deuyll desyreth it in malyce God to crowne them the deuyll to confounde them God as a Father the deuyll as a tyraunt and hangman God doeth it for the glorie of Saintes the deuyll for theyr ignominie Of these causes Saint Augustine wryteth thus Euery vvycked person hath vvyll to him of himselfe but power by Gods dispen 〈◊〉 on only he is permitted to preuayle against some 〈◊〉 punish them against others to proue them and against other some to crowne them StrauÌ„gers were permytted to punishe the Chyldren of Israell bicause they had offended against god The dyuell was permyfted to proue and trye Iob but him selfe was confounded Persecutours afflicted holy Martyrs but to their crowne and victorie The holie wytnesses and Martyrs of God therefore are more happie in their tormentes then myghtye Princes in their pleasures for as Saint Augustin beareth witnesse Men of this worlde are happie vnhappilye But Martyrs are vnhappy happelie they were vnhappie temporallie but happie eternally This euent of Martyrs is paynted out in a sweete symilytude by the Psalmist They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioye They went weeping and carryed precious feede but they shall returne with ioye and bring then sheaues For the holie Martyrs cast not their eyes onelie vpon the tyme of sowing and vpon the practise of sathan who seeketh to ouerflowe the Churche with streames and floodes of blood but vpon the ioyfull tyme of Haruest when as they shal be confourmed and made lyke the glorious bodie of our sauiour Iesus Christ God would haue vs therefore to bée constant in faith and hope and to haue all our confidence reposed in the omnipotencie of the eternall maiesty who is able in euery monument to remoueaway his crosse from vs whiche not with standing he doeth not commonly vntyll we be sufficiently chastised and turned vnto him by true repentaunce For as the tryer of mettayles taketh not his golde out of the furnace before it be perfectly purified and clensed euen so God doeth not deliuer vs from temptation before wee bee throughly tryed and confirmed Wherefore let vs depende vpon almightie God
mercy of our heauenly Captaine toward his faythful seraunts and souldiours Philosophie is mute and dumme in these matters and if at an aduenture it happen to vtter some golden sentence of Gods mercy loue toward mākind yet it kéepe not holde handfast constantlie but in the ende declineth to a dubitation or an vtter deniall of the same Antilochus wylled menne to ascribe al thing to Gods prouidence VVho oftentimes aduaunceth poore to their deserued degree of dignitie honor and throweth down the high and mightie These such lyke sentēces of Gods prouidēce are scattered in the writings of Ethnicks which for a tyme delight mens mindes but they are not built vpon any sure foundation For they neuer knew God as he hath reueled him selfe in his sonne by his worde they doubte in their prayers whether God heareth them as Euripides in the person of Hecuba cryeth out and sayth O you Gods I call vppon impotent and slouthfull helpers But the worde of God conteyned in the olde and newe testament doth effectuallie and truly describe vnto vs the liuing God reueled in his onely sonne Iesus Christe who commaundeth vs to call vppon the heauenly Father in his name with boldnesse and trust without any trembling or doubting for that through him his heauenly Father is wel pleased with vs we may then speak thus vnto him Thou O God art the Creator and conseruor of heauen and earth thou art also the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe who was borne suffered dyed and rose againe for the iustification of mankinde Thou sendest thy holy ghost into our harts who kindleth in vs by the sounde of thy holye worde true fayth and spirituall motions agreeable to thy holy wyll thou art my hope and strength thou doest couer mee vnder thy winges thou doest keepe mee with thy holy Angelles thou dost heare mee and deliuer mee thou art with mee in this my tribulation out of the which in thy mercie thou wylt delyuer mee yea and glorifie mee thou wylt aduaunce mee from aduersitie to prosperitie thou wylt satisfie mee with long lyfe If the same maye tender to the setting foorth of thy honour and glorie and to the profite and furtheraunce of thy holy Church This confidence and liberty of spéech wee maye vse with our Captaine but not in respect of our owne worthinesse for this cheerefulnesse and courage of minde wee maye conceaue through our raunsome once satisfied and through the continuall intercession of the Sonne of God who dyed and rose againe for all penitent sinners We our selues bring nothing for fayth is also the gyfte of God kyndeled in our hartes by the holie ghoste through the preaching of the gospell Let vs then place and oppose this promise of GOD togeather with the death and intercession of his sonne Christe through fayth and true repentaunce against all doubting and vnworthinesse of our selues and let vs flee awaye and appeale from God being angrie with vs for our many and greeuous offences vnto God most louing and mercifull turned and reconcyled vnto vs through the passion resurrection and intercession of his deare and onely sonne Iesus Hereof commeth that stoute and valyaunt harte of Christians that they feare not although the earth gape and open her mouth the Element doo fall vppon them and the waues of the Sea woulde seeme to ouerflowe them according as Dauid wytnesseth The sound of many waters and of the waues of the Sea are strong and mighty but the Lord aboue is stronger and mightier Iulian the Reneger was for a time of great power and strength but hee being vanquished at a fielde foughten in Persia was enforced to yéelde the honour of the victorie to this Captayne and with a lowde voyce sayde Thou hast gotten the victorie of mee O thou Galilaean Apries King of Egipt who put the Prophete Ieremie to death said That no power neyther of God nor man was able to take his kingdom from him hee had so firmelie established his Scepter and Crowne But our myghtie Captaine who hath power ouer all kingdomes of the worlde spoyled him of his kingdome and strangled him by the handes of Amasis his Courtyer Neoptelemus the player of Tragedies being demaunded what sentence hee had obserued as most notable in Aeschilus Sophocles and Euripides aunswered that he founde in them nothing woorthye so great admiration But hee rather accoumpted it a thinge memorable that hee sawe with his owne eyes King Phillippe of Macedon at the mariage of his daughter Cleopatra in the most noble assemble of the world honoured as a great God and the next day after ryding in the Tylte or Theatre miserably murdred and contempned And Herodus Agrippa who stopped not the flattring mouthes of such as named him a God but fedde and delighted him selfe with the same perished immediatly with corrosion of his Intralles and lowsie sicknes Surely all humaine power is no better then glasse whiche whē it is most bright and cleare is then the soonest brokē for rashnesse procureth speedy spoyle God alwaies resisteth the prowde Let vs not then feare mans power which when it is at the highest and in his pride then is God able yea and often indeede ouer turneth the same with the leaste blast of winde ⧠The sixt Chapter describeth the Armie and warlyke power of our heauenlie Captaine in this conflicte and battayle The. 6. Chap. THIS our Heauenly Captaine hath many glorious names in the holye Scripture but amongst other he is named the Lorde of Hostes Which tytle albeit it be common to the thrée personnes in Trinitie yet because the Sonne of God was sent to vanquishe and breake the power of the deuyll and to redeeme mankinde this honourable name is properlie and for the most part geuen vnto him as in that Psalme VVho is this King of glorie the Lorde God of Hostes is the king of glorie In the which place without all doubte Christe the King of glorie was signified whereof the Arke of Couenaunt was a testimonie and witnesse And the Prophete Esay sayth That the Lorde God of hostes dwelleth in Syon which sentence is to bee vnderstoode of our sauiour Christ This most noble tytle is geuen vnto him because hee is the cheefe Emperour and Captaine in the Cittie of God againste the Cittie of the Deuil For he is the onely head of all celestiall and terrestriall powers the moste strong and mighty defendor and is therefore named in the Psalme A God that is strong and mighty in battale He is not ydle then but fighteth valyantlie hee is neuer ouercome but but alwayes ouercommeth he neuer flyeth but euer tryumpheth and that not so muche for his owne cause as for the Cittie and Church of God and therfore the Prophet ascribeth vnto him the chéefe souerainty saying Blessed be the name of his glorie for euer and let the whole earth be filled with his maiesty Nowe although this our Captaine