baptisme May we not iustly ranke them with those luke-warme Revel 3. 15. 16. Laodiceans that were neither hot nor cold fish nor flesh And may not they certainely looke for the euent which our Lord Iesus threatneth that he will spue them out of his mouth It is high time therefore for all men 1. Reg. 18. 21. to resolue themselues whether they will follow God or Baal Christ or Antichrist and not to continue halting betwixt two opinions I cannot reasonably conceiue whence this want of resolution should proceed in them that are not desperately carelesse or profainely politicke but onely from ignorance of the necessity of being separated from the church of Rome The clouds of this ignorance I desire and purpose to scatter by the light of truth that all men which will not shut their eyes against the beames thereof may see both the way wherein they are and the place it leades them too Now to the end I may the bettor vnderstand my selfe and be vnderstood by them that seeke for resolution if they doubt or confirmation if they be resolued I will labour to speak as plaine as the matter will giue me leaue to doe desiring to haue that I deliuer rather iudged of thèn wondered at And because we are accused by the Church of Rome sometimes of heresie sometimes of schisme I will apply my disputation and discourse to the iustifying of our forefathers in separating from the popish religion and our selues in continuing that separation Wherefore that we may proceed orderly and plainely I propound the matter to be disputed in these termes Euery man is bound vpon paine of damnation to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome This proposition or sentence hath two things in it to be proued That 1. The faith of the Church of Rome is to be refused That 2. It is to be refused vpon paine of damnation These two I will handle seuerally First by shewing the necessitie of that refusall Secondly by setting out the penaltie if that faith be not refused And that nothing may be wanting which may helpe the simplest to conceiue and iudge aright of that which shall be spoken before I come to debate the point I will declare the meaning of the termes in which I haue deliuered it as shortly as I can with plainenesse By the faith of the Church of Rome I meane the Doctrine of the said Church deliuered by it in certaine Articles propositions or sentences to be beleeued by all men that desire to be saued as matters reuealed by God to that end This their faith I consider as one individuall or singular thing For although it may indeed be devided into many seuerall Articles of which it consists and is as it were compacted or framed yet it is conceiued by themselues as one intire body because they are all knit together by the same bond namely by being assented to or beleeued vpon one and the same ground or reason which is the spirit of that body and are all to be receiued a like vnder paine of the same Auathema or curse if they be not receiued and this is especially to be obserued as the maine point in this iuquir That the faith of the Church of Rome is so to be conceiued of it appeareth manifestly by Mr. Fisher the Iesuites Mr. Fisher Trealise of saith vnder the name of AD. treatise of Faith vnder the name of A. D. wherein the whole fourth chapter is spent to shew that Faith must be intire Faith saith he must be intire whole and sound in all points and it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points mis-beleeuing or not beleeuing obstinately other some or any one The reason thereof followes a little after where he saith that Not to beleeue any one point whatsoeuer which God by reualing it doth testisie to bo true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to beleeue must needs be damnable as being a not able iniury to Gods verity and a great disobedience to his will To the same purpose writes the titular Archbishop of Spalato that All Articles of faith determined by Spalato Consil 〈◊〉 pag 20. the Church are fundamentall and that none of them may be denied without heresie By this it comes to passe that whosoeuer is a true member of the Church of Rome must as stedfastly and resolutely beleeue the least point of reliques and Images deliuered by the Councell of Trent as the greatest mysteries of the God-head the Trinitie the Redomption of the world by the Lord Iesus and that if he denie any of the former he is no lesse an hereticke then if he did refuse to beleeue any of the latter yea though he beleeue all they propound to be beleeued saue some one small matter he is for want of beleeuing that one if he know the Church propounds it to be beleeued a miscreant and mis-beleeuer the reason of this is that if the Church may erre in one thing it may erre in an other and so can be no sure foundation of faith But what is it to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome surely nothing else but not to acknowledge the doctrine deliuered by the Church of Rome to be true but to abhoire it as false I speake not of euery particuler point but of all ioyntly together according to my former exposition For I doe freely and willingly confesse that the Papists hold many great misteries of diuinitie truely and soundly wherein also we agree with them but yet I say we may not at any hand receiue their faith for true as it is deliuered by them for one intire bodie of diuinitie reuealed by God to be acknowledged by all men that will be saued So then to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome is not to beleeue that it is true or to beleeue tht it is false and this I say is required of euery man vpon paine of damnation The exposition of the second point vpon paine of damnation I referre to the place where it is to be handled after I haue dispatched that which is first to be debated CHAP. III. Of the Authors that haue formerly hold the proposition handled in this Treatise THere are not a few that looke more after the man then after the matter and inquire rather who is the writer then what is written Therefore least the meannesse of my condition and abilities should bring some preiudice to the truth I search for giue me leaue I pray you in the first place to shew that the point I intend by Gods gracious assistance to proue is no new conceit or deuise of mine but a matter aduisedly resolued of and set down by more then one of the worthies of our church and nation Amongst whom the first in time and authoritie was that rare and pretious Iewel Bishop of Salisburie They B. Iewel des apol paro ◠cap 22. divis 1. haue no cause saith he of the Papists to complaine of our departing and to call
cause of this Separation lyeth in the Church of Rome namely the cup of abomination in the whores hand which is their haereticall and schismaticall religion Vpon this foundation of these learned men I set this frame of disputation Euery erroneous faith is to be refused The faith of the Church of Rome is an erroneous faith Therefore the faith of the Church of Rome is to be refused Can there be any question made of the first part or proposition of this reason when the holy Apostle Saint Iude exhorts all men without exception of person time or matter to striue for the faith delivered to the Saints Iudev 3. But how striue we for that faith which is the reuealed truth of God if we can be content to beleeue errours which are against the truth Yea what doe we else by holding errours for truth but adde to the diuine reuelation giuen by the Lord God himselfe contrary to his charge Deut. 4. 2. You shall put nothing to the word that I command you The second part which we call the assumption or minor Deutr. 4. 2. is that wherein all the doubt lieth for what is the Church of Rome the worse for granting that an erroneous faith is to be refused vnles their faith can be proued erroneous And whereas I say in my question and disputation erroneous rather then hereticall I doe it od of purpose because I would shunne all needlesse wrangling about the word for it seemes to many somewhat doubtfull what is properly to be called heresy For my part I can not see that any false proposition deliuered for an Article of faith can be lesse then heresie I doubt not but a man may thinke somthing to be true which is false be no heriticke buâ— he thâ— shall obstinately hold such a point for an Article of faith necessarily to be beleeued by all men vpon paine of damnation cannot for ought I see be freed from heresie As for the errours of the Papists Dr. Reynolds Dr. Whitakers and Mr. Perkins as we haue seene make no doubt to call them heresies Now that we may the better vnderstand whether the faith of the Church of Rome be erroneous or no we must enquire how the truth and falsenesse of faith is to be discerned which we cannot doe either better or otherwise then by considering how the Article of faith or proposition enioyned to be beleeued agreeth with the diuine testimonie concerning that point or Article for the diuine testimonie is the thing or rule to which the Article must be applied and by which it must be squared so that if it agree wholy with it it is true if in any part it differ from that testimonie it is false and erroneous This Sess 14. caâ— Decret de necessitate satiffaction is Decâ—ct de sacram paenitentiae can 6. description of errour and falsehood in matters of faith is warranted by the Councell of Trent where they make falsehood consist in differing from the word of God and That which differs from the institution of Christ is called an humane tradition and therefore is erroneous According to this declaration of a false and erroneous faith I proceed now to shew that the faith of the Church of Rome is false and erroneous That faith which hath a false and ertoneous foundation is false and erroneous Wherein first I take it for granted that Faith must haue an extrinsecall foundation out of the shings themfelues which are to be beleeved This outward and extrinsecall foundation is the credit and authority of him that delivereth those things for true and requires assent or agrement to them Secondly I hold it for certaine and agrred vpon by all that faith is true or false according to the foundation whereon it stands as the diuine restimonie begets a diuine faith an humane testimonie breeds an humane which may thus appeare What makes the faith of the ancient heathen and the now heathenish Turks and all sorts of Infidels who beleeue that there is but one God to be humane false and erroneous and the faith of Christians concerning the same point to be diuine and true but the diuerse foundations of these faiths the former depending vpon the coniectures and testimonies of men the other arising out of the witnesse of God himselfe To come nearer home why doe the Papists denie that wee are of their faith although they confesse wee hold the very same Articles of the Creed that they professe and aagree with them in most points of religion but for that we haue not the same foundation of our faith which they haue of theirs It is then the goodnesse or badnesse of the foundation that make the faith good or bad so that where the foundation is false the faith whatsoeuer it be cannot be true The proposition thus prooued I will adde the assumptition to it The foundation of the faith of the Church of Rome is false and erroneous For the foundation of their faith is the authority of the Pastors of their Church as it Sect. 4. Decret de edit scriptur sect praeterea is manifest by the Councell of Trent It is the office of the Church saith the Councel to giue sentence of the true meaning and sense of the Scriptures Now by the Church they meane the Pastours of the Church as their continuall practise declareth no man being suffered to giue a voice in any Councell but their Bishops whom onely they hold to be the Pastours of the Church By true sense and meaning they vnderstand the doctrine of faith which is nothing else but the Word of God truly vnderstood By the Scriptures they meane euery particular place of Scripture for if they should meane some places onely there could be no certainty in this their decree vnlesse they had determined what particular places they are whereof the Church may giue sentence These things thus declared I dispute thus They that haue the office to determine which is the true faith their authority is the foundation of Faith But the Church hath the office to determine which is the true faith as it appeares by the words of the Councell ere-while recited Therfore the authority of the Church is the foundation of their faith That the Church of Rome claimes this authority it may further appeare by those titles whcih it vsurpeth in the said Councell that The Bishop of Rome is Gods Vicar on Sess 6. de reformat cap. 1. Sess 14. de poenitentia cap. 7. Sess 7. de Baptism Can. 3. Sess 22. de sacrificio missae cap. 8 De verbo dei lib. 3. cap. 3. Sâ—ct Tota igitur Cap. 5. Sect. Ex his earth The Church of Rome is the mother and mistris of all Churches Yea euerie man may plainly see that Bellarmine teacheth the same things of the church of Rome The Church is the iudge of the true sense of the Scripture and all controuersies By Church hee vnderstands the Pope with a Councell and this he saith is expresly
shewed that they are weake and vaine so that the point is still as questionable as it was before Therfore Bellarmine is also guilty of a second begging of the question because his proofes are by-matters as doubtfull or more doubtfull then that is which he would proue by them And of this manner of begging the question speaketh the forenamed Aristole Begging of the question is when the proofe is from things lesse Prio. Analyt l. 2. Cap. 16. knowne or equally vnknowne And this is not saith Aristotle to demonstrate the question But what if we graunt Bellarmine that which he cannot proue that there was such an office yet may wee neuerthelesse deny his assumption and say that The Episcopall authority ouer the whole Church perished at Peters death Will he tell vs that it was ordained for the good of the Church What then It will not follow thereupon that it must be perpetuall vnlesse he can shew that our Lord appointed it should continue for euer by succession For the whole course of publishing the Gospell and bringing men to true faith in Christ dependeth wholly vpon the ordinance of God who being able to make any meanes effectuall to his purpose is not tyed to vse any but what please him Therefore if Bellarmine cannot shew that it was the ordinance of God that such an Episcopall function as he imagineth Peter had should be continued alwaies in the Church it is no inconuenience to hold that it perished with Peters death And of this first argument enough His second Argument is in the said twelâ—th Chapter Sect. secundo and it is thus to be disposed If in the time of the Apostles there was one supreame Gouernour of the church then there ought to be so now because the forme of the Church may not be changed seeing it is one and the same at all times But in the time of the Apostles there was one supreame Gouernour and head of the Church Therefore there ought to be so now The assumption or second part of this Syllogisme is as doubtfull as the conclusion inferred vpon it and therefore it is a begging of the question not a proofe of the former Syllogisme But were it neuer so true he were neuer the nearer for the consequence of the proposition is naught because there is no necessity that the Church should alwaies haue that office which at any time it hath had For this necessity if there were any such must spring out of the nature either of God himselfe or of the Church or depend vpon the decree of Gods will To say there is any necessity in the nature of God or of the Church which may enforce the continuall being of that which once was were absurd It remaineth then that there must be some act of Gods will by which it is decreed that whatsoeuer office hath once been in the Church shall be in it for euer as I answered numb 5. Wherefore Bellarmine must shew vs some ordinance of God for the continuance of such gouernment supposing there was once such an one or giue vs leaue to reiect it He would make good the consequence of the proposition and the proofe of it against our exception by this argument If the Church be one and the same at all times then the forme of it may not be changed But the Church is one and the same at all times Therefore the forme of it may not be changed In the antecedent part of the proposition and in the assumption by One Bellarmine meaneth essentially one by forme in the consequent part he vnderstandeth forme of gouernment According to this sense wee say the consequence of the proposition is naught for the forme of the gouernment of the church is not of the essence of the church as Bellarmine here vainly supposeth and falsly affirmes in his * Dâ— Eccles lib. 3. cap 2 Sect. Nostra autem definition of the church The assumption rightly vnderstood is true The Church indeed is alwaies one with Christ the head because of one and the same spirit in him and euery particular member of it It is also one in faith because the true faith is one But Bellarmine meaneth that the church is one and the same in respect of the gouernment and officers thereof This we deny and looke for better proofe of it from him then his bare affirmation in a matter of faith to bee beleeued vpon paine of damnation There followeth a third proofe in the some twelfth chapter Sect. tertio after this sort If the Sheepe-fould endure to the end of the world then successors to Peter in that his chiefe pastorall office must endure to the end of the world For the office of the Pastors in the nature of the thing must endure as long as the Sheepe-fould continueth because it is an ordinary and perpetuall office But the Sheepe-fold endureth to the end of the world Therefore successours to Peter in that chiefe Pastorall office must endure to the end of the world Bellarmine kepeth his custome to beg the question For here againe he taketh it for granted that Peter was Pastor of the whole church But say it were so what getteth he by it For the consequence of his proposition is naught neither can the proofe hee bringeth make it good The Sheepe-fold may endure to the end of the world and yet that pastorall Office not continue Because they doe not goe together in their nature for if they did then the one must be of the essence or being of the other as a reasonable soule and man are or arise out of the principles of the nature of the other as speech doth from the reâ—sonâ—ble soule which no man will say Neither is there any ordinance of God for the ioynt continuance of them together Bellarm. seemeth to tell vs that there is some ordinance of God for the knitting of them together For he saith in proofe of his consequence that That pastorall Office is an ordinary perpetual office as no office can be in the church but by the diuine ordination If he had shewed vs withall where we may finde that ordinance he had said somewhat to purpose Since neither he hath nor we can finde any such in the word of God he must giue vs leaue to take it for no article of faith Touching his assumption I answer that If by Sheepefold he meane a company of people separated from the world by the profession of Christian Religion and vnited together in obedience to the diuine reuelation Wee graunt that there is and shall alwaies be such a Sheepe-fold But if he dreame of any other Sheepe-fold he must proue his assumption ore we can beleeue it Yet Bellarmine hath not done but setteth vpon vs with a fresh charge in the same twelfth chapter Sect quinto which is thus in due forme Either some must succeed Peter in his Pastorall office ouer the whole church or the church must bee without an head at Peters death and after But the Church must
Church a man doth encrease in the iustice which he receiued by the grace of Christ and is more iustified cap. 10. 12 The iust in some actions doe not sin venially cap. 11. 13 By euery mortall sinne a man falleth away from the grace of iustification which he had receiued cap. 14 15. and can 23. 14 By the Sacrament of poenance the grace of iustification which was lost is recouered cap. 14. 15 The good workes of a man that is iustified are his merits can 32. 16 The iust truely deserue euerlasting life by works wrought in God cap. 16. and can 32. 17 vnlesse a man faithfully and firmely beleeue the Catholick doctrine of the Council of Trent touching iustification he cannot be saued cap. 16. Sect. Post hanc 18 Some that are not predestinate receiue the grace of iustification can 17. 19 The Sacraments of the new Testament are neither more nor fewer then 7 to wit 1 Baptisme 2 Confirmation 3 The Lords Supper 4 Poenance 5 Extreame Vnction 6 Ordination 7 Matrimony and euery one of these is truely and properly a sacrament sess 7. de sacram in genere can 1. 20 Baptisme Confirmation and Ordination imprint in the soule a character that cannot be blotted out can 9. 21 The sacraments of the new Testament containe the thing they signifie and bestow it vpon them that hinder it not can 6. And vpon all as much as is required on Gods part can 7. And that by the worke wrought can 8. 22 After the consecration of the bread and wine in the Lords Supper our Lord Iesus Christ true God and man is contained truely really and substantially vnder the shewes of those sensible things sess 13. de sacram Eucharist cap. 1. 23 The holy Eucharist is to be reserued in the Chancell and caried honorably to the sicke cap. 6. 24 The tenth Commandement Thou shalt not couet is rent in sunder and made two by the Council of Trent sess 14. de poenitentia cap. 5. and can 7. 25 The time of Lent is holy and most acceptable sess 14. de poenitentia cap. 5. 26 No man that knowes himselfe to be guilty of mortall sinne how contrite soeuer he seeme to himselfe to be may come to the holy Eucharist without sacrament all confession going before d. sess 13. cap. 7. and can 11. that is Vntill hee haue confessed all and euery one of his mortall sinnes and also those circumstances which change the kind of the sinne sess 14. de sacram poenitentia c. 5. And that to a Priest in secret can 6. 7. 27 Power or authority was giuen to the Apostles and their lawfull successors to remit and retaine sinnes for the reconciling of such of the faithfull as fall after Baptisme sess 14. de sacram ent poenitentiae cap. 1. 28 It is vtterly false and differing from the word of God to say that the Lord God neuer remitteth the fault but with all he pardoneth the whole punishment d. sess 14. de poeâ—it cap. 8. can 12. sess 6. de iustif cap. 14. can 30. 29 Neither the Layâ—y nor any Clergy man that doth not consecrate is bound by any Commandement of God to receiue vnder both kinds sess 21. de sacram sub utraque specie cap. 1. 30 The Church hath decreed it for law that all the Laity and the Clergy that doe not consecrate should receiue vnder one kind onely d. sess cap. 5. 31 We may make satisfaction to God through Iesus Christ by temporall afflictions layed on vs by God and borne patiently by vs. sess 14 de sacram poenitent cap. 9. can 13. 32 The Priesthood was not to bee abolished by the death of Christ sess 22. de sacrif missae cap. 1. 33 Our Sauiour Christ by these words This doe in remembrance of me charged his Apostles and their successours to offer his body and blood vnder the signes of bread and wine d. cap. 1. 34 Water is to be mingled with wine in the Chalice that is to be offered d. sess cap. 7. 35 The names of Subdeacons Acolytes Exorcists Lectors and Doore-keepers and the proper office of euery one of these hath beene euer since the beginning of the Church sess 23. de sacram oâ—dinis cap. 2. and de reformat cap. 28. 36 Matrimony contracted not consummated is dissolued by the solemne profession of religion by either party sess 24. de sacram Matrimon can 6. 37 There is a Purgatory sess 25. decret de purgat 38 The soules which raigne with Christ do offer vp their praiers to God for men sess 25. decret de innocatione sanctorum 39 It is good profitable humbly to call vpon the saints forenamed and to fly to their prayer helpe and furtherance for the obtaining of benefits or blessings from God by his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. d. decret de inuocat 40 Veneration and honor are due to the reliques of the Saints Sess 25. decret de inuocat venerat reliq sanctorum 41 The Images of Saints and other sacred monuments are not honored without profit c. The memories or monuments of the Saints are not frequented in vaine for the obtaining of their helpe d decret de venerat 42 The Images of Christ and the Virgin Mary and other Saints are to be had and retained especially in Churches and due honor and veneration is to be giuen them d. sess 25. de sacris Imaginum 43 The power of granting indulgences was committed by Christ to the Church and the vse of them is helpfull to Christian people d. sess 25. decret de indulgent CHAP. XII That many Articles of the faith of the Church of Rome are false and erroneous VPon the 43 propositions set downe out of the Councill of Trent in the former chapter I thus argue to proue the faith of the Church of Rome erroneous The aforesaid Articles or propositions are false and erroneous The aforesaid Articles or propositions are articles of the faith of the Church of Rome Therefore some of the Articles or propositions of the faith of the Church of Rome are false and erroneous Touching these propositions that they are articles of the saith of the Church of Rome it is euident because we finde them in the Council of Trent propounded to be beleeued of all Christians Are these all will some man say wherein we dissent from them and which we reiect as erroneous No there are many other and some of them of no small moment But I hold these onely needfull to be debated because the other so depend vpon these that if these bee false none of them can be true For example It is said article 36. that there is a purgatory if this cannot be proued then it is false that the Saints in Purgatery are holpen by the suffrages of the faithfull or sacrifice of the altar which yet is deliuered as an article of faith in that decree Againe it is affirmed article 32. that Christ appointed his Apostles and their successors to offer his body and blood
what is true what false in matters of faith is as like to be led into errour that shall damne him as to be taught truth that shall saue him If then there be any desire in vs to obey the commandement of God if any feare of erring to damnation if any care of beleeuing aright to saluation let vs labour to vnderstand the misterie of iniquitie in the Romish faith that knowing it we may abhorre it and may auoide auoiding it we may embrace the loue of the truth and be saued What is it that leadeth thee out of the way to destruction doth the glorious outward shew of the Popish Churches blinde or dazle thine eyes It may perhaps admit some excuse in children that they haue beene deceiued by such toyes and gewgawes But it is ridiculous and vntollerable for men to runne after sights and shadowes Surely if thou hadst liued in our Sauiour Christs dayes or his Apostles times thou wouldest haue chosen the Temple and the beauty thereof with the Priests Scribes and Pharises rather then the barren mountaines or wildernesse with our Lord and his Disciples But what is it that maketh thee a papist discontent that thou art not honoured or inriched as thou desirest to be Perhaps thou ouerualuest thine owne worth and thinkest there is more due to thee then indeed there is but say thou hast not thy due doest thou not know that these things are ordered by the prouidence of God shalt thou haue no cause of discontent if thou become a papist are all papists râ—spected and rewarded I could name two great Earles the experience of whose miserie aboundantly refuteth this conceite Well say thou attaine to all thou hopest for the reckoning is behind What shall it profit a man though he winne the whole world if he loose his owne soule Antigone Math. 8. 36. in Sophocles was so wise that when her sister Ismente demanded of her how she durst bury her brother Polinices body against Creons commandement she answered her resolutely like a noble Lady that she knew it was a duty acceptable to the gods with whome she was to liue longer then vpon the earth with men and therefore had more care to please them Shall not this Lady this heathen condemne many men many Christians that choose rather to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season then to raigne eternally in the glory of the Lord Iesus in his heauenly Kingdome Doth antiquitie vniuersalitie visibilitie consent like a looâ—stone draw thee after them Antiquitie is then onely a rule of truth when the pedegree of it can be fetched from the beginning For if euery opinion be truer as it is ancienter why should not the Scribes and Pharises traditions be of more account then our Sauiour Christs instructions certainely they had beene receiued and vsed in the Church of the Iewes many yeares before he was borne yea they had vniuersally the approbation and allowance of the whole Church and continued in good liking except with a few that followed our Lord for all his preaching to the end of his life what greater consent could there be all the Iewish Clergie Priests Leuites Scribes and Pharises agreed as one man to maintaine their owne superstitions and keepe downe the religion of our Lord Iesus These men the people depending vpon them were and had beene time out of minde the visible Church Oh that they had been as wise and learned as our papists now are to haue called to our Sauiour for a Catalogue of their names that had from time to time professed the Religion which he sought to bring in contrary to that they held doubtlesse he must haue beene faine vnlesse he had vsed his diuine knowledge to confesse that at the least for the last 300 yeares there was no such beadroll of names to be found I confessest Saint Luke in the geneallogy of our Sauiour rehearseth the names of his ancestours who were questionlesse holy and religious worshippers of God and trusted in the Messiah to come But I suppose it could hardly haue beene made plaine by any record of the Iewes and yet they were more diligent and carefull in such matters then Christians haue beene that the points wherein our Lord dissented from the Scribes and Pharises were distinctly knowne and publikely professed by them one after another But of this matter so much as concerneth the difference betwixt vs and the Church of Rome I said enough in the former Chapters and will not repeate it needlessely This one remaineth for conclusion that I humbly intreate all men which haue any true care of their own saluation that they would not be carried away with words but indeuour to enable themselues to iudge how those plausible fancies with which they are seduced may be applied to proue that which is vndertaken thereby To this end I haue employed my selfe in this course they that are desirous to see the truth may find direction therein for the iudging of it and thereby arme themselues against tho assaults and vndermining of furious souldiers and craftie pioners by obseruing their approches and discouering their works to the defeating of all their enterprises The greatest matter of all is that you would embrace the loue of the truth and resolue with your selues as those glorious martyrs I spake of did rather to indure torments and death then to forsake the religion of the Lord Iesus or to ioyne in profession with the Church of Rome This resolution will bring safetie in peace in war victorie that no ill tidings shall affright you no losses discourage you no discontent turne you out of the right way The Lord Iesus himselfe like the Angell in Iosua will march on the head of your troupes and be as a cloud to refresh you in the heate of Summer and as a fire to warme you in the cold of winter your swords shall eate the flesh of your enemies your pikes and bullets shall be drunke with their blood one of you shall chase a thousand and an hundred of you put ten thousand to flight Babylon shall be cast like Math a milstone into the sea and be found no more you shall reward the scarlet-coloured strumpet as she hath rewarded you and giue her double according to her vvorkes and in the cup that she hath filled to you fill her the double to the glory of God that hath appointed her this punishment the increase of religion the safety of the State and your honour in this life and euerlasting saluatioÌ„ in the life to come through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit one God in three Persons be all glory praise obedience and thanksgiuing now and for euer Amen FINIS