Popish Bishops was so violent a fowler to furnish his Maisters dishes that himselfe in fiue yeares space tooke and rosted 300. seely Martyrs most of them in his owne walke and dioces Such were our Fauxes and Fawkners who made sure account of such a prey as was neuer before layd for namely for three whole Kingdomes at once which would haue filled all their nets For God and man concurred to punish the iniquity of this time said the Letter to L. Mounteagle for the obtaining whereof they despised all danger and all labour is thought little in digging halfe a yeare together through hard foundations they will bestow any cost whatsoeuer of their owne and other mens Digby promised 1500. pounds Tressam 2000. Percy all that he could get of the Earle of Northumberlands rents besides tenne galloping Horses And nothing troubled Faux but that he was disappointed II. The Scripture both here and else where compares their meanes and instruments to snares nets and ginnes which are set in the wayes of Gods Saints to take them And that for two causes 1. It notes the secrecie of the danger which makes it farre more dangerous and ineuitable for nets and snares vse to be layd in secret and out of sight In vaine were the net layd before the eyes of all that hath wings Prou. 1.17 As therfore the fowlers or fishers go about their matters craftily and subtilly they will stand priuily behinde a tree they dissemble all they will lay meate as though they intended to feed the seely bird which they meane to feed vpon they haue a Lure or Call as if they were friends and birds themselues but the end is to kill and destroy So doe the Fowlers of Gods Church Psal. 83.3 They haue taken crafty counsell against thy people and haue consulted against thy secret ones So euer haue done the Romish Antichristian Fowlers who haue beene taught by their great Nimâ—od leoninae pelli assuere vulpinam Alwayes to match together the Lyon and the Foxe Iulius the 2. can turne him either way to Peters keyes or Pauls sword What they cannot doe by open force they can doe by secret fraud wherein oftentimes there lyes more strength than in the former The Syrian Antiochus Epiphanes was a liuely type of the Romish Antiochus of whom it is sayd Dan. 8.24.25 His power shall be mighty but not in his strength he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practise and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people and by his policie shall cause craft to prosper in his hand A liuely description of the Romish Antiochus or Antichrist that beast arising out of the sea hauing as well the hornes of the Lambe as the speech of the Dragon He intrudes himselfe as the head and husband of the Church while he robs and wastes it He professeth himselfe a seruant of seruants while he sets himselfe aboue all Kings and Commanders as Boniface the 8. in the yeare of Christ 1300. before a great concourse in a solemne Iubilee one day shewed himselfe in his Priestly Pontificals with the crosse carried before him the next day in an Emperours roabes with a naked sword before him and this title proclaimed Ego sum Pontifex Imperator terrestre ac coeleste imperium habeo All this is mine and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it What is the whole religion of Rome but a mysterie of iniquity a bundle of policie which by secret conueyances and tâ—â—ines both brought and held all the Kingdomes and Countries in Europe within the snare and bondage of a silly Fryar by sembled sanctity lying myracles false donations forged writings and the like and thus hath ensnared mens bodies goods liues and consciences Neuer saw the world so cunning a fowler Are his emissaries and such as he sends out of better disposition than himselfe No witnesse Gregory the great As Christ sent out simple and seely plaine men to raise vp his Kingdome so shall Antichrist make choise of crafty and double and deceitfull persons for his businesse How subtilly did these two friars ClemeÌ„t and his Associate lay their snares when they flew the French King Henry the 3. pretending great good businesse for the Church and State When the Papists in France could not by open force oppresse the Prince of Condy and Casper Colignius the Admirall of France they could by fraude and cunning as by a lure pretending peace and nuptiall solemnity raise a sudden Massacre by which thirty thousand Protestants fell into their snare who most perfidiously were slaine against all laws of God nature and nations not much without the space of one moneth What Potentate euer layd the foundation of obedience in conscience or could ouercome his enimies without warre by a parchment Bull or maintaine himselfe and his pompe at all mens costs and deuotions or conquer opposite Princes by their owne subiects or stablâ—sh himselfe by dispensing with vnlawfull marriages and lawfull oaths or mainetaine so many Intelligences by Confession or pleasure all men in their humours by wealth pouertie austerity voluptousnesse What a notable combination of knaueries is there in that religion wherein all these things and many more are most eminent most vsuall To come to our owne Country what did those trayterous bandits and emissaries Allâ—n Harding Sanders Parsons Campion and others but by writing and speaking pretend singular loue Instruction and care ouer their Country-men whose religion they left yet indeed what intended they but destruction of Prince and State being trumpets to rebellion raising vp armes some out of Spaine some out of Ireland some desperate cut-throts at home to take away the life of that blessed Lady Elizabeth of eternall happy memory What a number haue they snared vnder the pretext of peace truce and friendship as Duke Alba in the Low Countries and as the King of Spaine in 88. while he was prouiding that invincible nauy against our Prince and Country he sent the Duke of Parma to intreat of peace as if it were honesty in Catholikes whome they cannot kill by warre to delude and spoile them vnder the name of peace not without villany and perâ—ury How secretly did our late foolish fowlers lay their nets and traines with what faire pretences It was meerely and only for religion sayd Faux and he was bound inconscience to do it because the King was an heriticke he was sent by the name of Iohn Ionson to Percy to conferre for releefe of the Catholike cause All of them tooke an oath for secrecy yea heard Masses and tooke the Sacrament neuer to reueale any thing Now to the laying of snares as deep as hell 36 barrels of gunpouder are prouided numbers of iron bars to blow vp with one deadly blow in time of peace in time of Parliamentâ—al England Scotland and Ireland in their King and posterity in their lawes and gouernments in their Church and Religion in their Common welths and Iustice in
should eate or drink with him or if any met him he should not bid him God-speede and if hee came to Church in diuine seruice hee must be thrust out â— After this excommunication hee was condemned and committed to the secular power to be burnt for an Heretick and so by the Sheriffes the poore dead man vvas the second time executed Now out of all this I conclude that the spirit of Nâ—buchadnezzâ—r is quickned or reuiued in these Romanists and that they are of the number of those whose mercies are cruell Certainly they are not led by the Spirit of God for the fruits of the Spirit are meekenesse gentlenesse peace neither by the spirit of Christ for he was meeke and lowly of spirit He and his Apostles put none to death Obiect You put Catholickes to death and not for any thing but for maintaining the ancient religion of their fathers Answer This is a cunning wile of Satan to put this imputation from his deare Antichrist vpon others for it cannot be shewed that euer any Romanist suffered death amongst vs for his religion but for rebellion and denying his allegiance there being no law in England to put a Papist to death for his conscience Yet yeeld that which can neuer be graunted without betraying our innocencie and compare which of our religions be more vnmercifull it must needes fall vpon their pate for M. Fox in the fiue yeares of Queene Mary hath reckoned vp towards three hundred and so the truth is as eye-witnesses will testifie whereas a Writer of theirs hath raked vp in fifty yeares vnder two hundred namely 193. Compare the oddes I hasten to things that remaine wherein I will be more briefe Note here how farre the Lord suffers the wicked to bring their purposes euen to the point of execution for here was the rage of the King vnplacable till the furnace was prepared and his seruants put in whom the Lord would not deliuer till they were in the furnace and not in some corner of it where the fire came not but in the midst of the flames This the Lord doth 1. In respect of the wicked to glorifie himselfe through them both in his long patience toward them forbearing them till there be no remedie as also in his iustice when they make all cock-sure and glory in their vngodly purposes then to confound them and dissipate their counsels recompencing his leaden feete with brazen hands 2. In respect of the godly either to try their patience and faith and loue of himselfe or else to declare his mighty power in their deliuery when all other meanes are hopelesse This may stirre vs vp to the greater thankfulnesse for the great mercie of this present day for the same was the Lords dealing in that vngodly and diuellish plot as here for the three children It was brought euen to the birth as the Scripture speakes Oftentimes the wicked conceiue wickednesse and trauell to bring forth iniquitie and here the mischiefe had beene conceiued the full moneths and they no doubt gloried in their hopefull birth but yet our watchfull and gracious God caused their Sunne to fall at noone-day and stretched out his owne right hand to saue when all meanes failed that all the glory and praise of it might returne to himselfe Let vs learne hereby euer to wayte for the Lords deliuerance though hee seeme to delay if it be not suddaine yet it shall be seasonable how glorious will it be if it be in the very flames euen the night before the danger as was Peters deliuerance Act. 12. and ours also the very night before the intended execution Note further how the prouidence of God guides all euents and ouer-rules all designements of all his creatures Nebuchadnezzar purposed to burne the bodies of the Saints but the Lord disposed that the wicked should be burnt in their stead He cannot burne whom he will He cannot saue whom he would He may command the furnace to be made and to be made seauen times hotter than ordinary yet can hee not commaund it to burne whom he would he cannot forbid it to consume whom he would not This ouer-ruling power of God makes fire and water which we say haue no pitie more mercifull and pittifull then tyrants wicked men as flames of fire here more fauourable than Nebuchadnezzar as the sea it selfe more calme than Pharaoh Nay more this prouidence makes the vngodly meditate a vaine thing especially in banding themselues against the Church Nay more yet their counsels are not onely turned vnto folly the Lord disappointing them but euen to a quite contrarie end for a mischiefe to themselues as here the same fire that they kindle against the children of God lickes vp themselues the same destruction that Pharaoh intended against Israel ouerthrew onely himselfe and all his hoast Hence Dauid obseruing this truth is bold to say that the wicked digges a pit for others but falls into it himselfe hee layeth snares for others but himselfe is taken he whetteth his sword against the innocent but it shall pierce his owne heart The wicked deuise of Haman against the Iewes was turned vpon his owne head both hee and his were hanged on the Gallowes which he had set vp for Mordecay And the enemies of Daniel are cast into the same den that they prepared for him The selfe same thing we see experience of in the Popes and Percies barbarous deuise against the Church they could make their furnace but could not kindle the fire nay some of the actors were marked with their powder but none against whom it was layd though they carried it a long time in their resolutions and plots yet did not they meditate a vaine thing yea did not the Artizans of death perish in their owne Art yes most iustly And so of D. Stories iron Cage which was turned into an hurdle and halter against himselfe Let vs all therefore to the praise of God acknowledge both what a bootlesse thing and dangerous it is to be an instrument of malice against the Church The Pope and holy league or rather impure faction haue a long time leagued themselues against the Churches reformed but hath not the Lord still dissolued their most furious practices and made the end shamefull vnto themselues Haue they not lost more by their cruell Inquisition at home then they haue gotten Hee that hath knowledge of the state of the Low Countries shall easily see it had beene good for them neuer to haue knowne it Haue not the same persons by horrible stratagems and blood-sheds sought vtterly to waste the Church but is not the blood of Martyrs the seede of the Church haue not we reaped the holy doctrine of Christ which was sowen in the blood and ashes of our Fathers Was not that most hellish massacre in France a meanes vtterly to haue abolisht the mention of religion for euer but haue wee not great hope that the Lord will giue them
Esau was red and therefore called Edom betokening his bloody disâ—osition And the Romish Edom is figured by a woman in skarlet and a purple whore whose garments are died in the blood of the Saints wherwith she also her self is drunken 〈◊〉 17.6 3. Esau was rough hairie as a beast which betokened his sauage truculent and cruell nature so a right owner of mount Seir. Besides he was a mightie hunter as hungrie as an hunter rauenous insatiable feed me saith he or let me swallow at once thy pottage so the word signifies as Camels are fed by casting gobbets into their mouthes The Romish Edom and kingdome of Antichrist is described Reuel 13.1 by an hideous and monstrous beast which was like a Leopard most cruell vntamed and most hurtfull to mankinde which as Basil reports will most furiously teare in peeces men yea a paper that hath but the image of a man This beast of Rome is likest vnto the diuel who prosecutes with most deadly hatred the image of God in man The feete of this beast are like Beares feete for roughnesse and crueltie and tearing and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion for rauening and deuouring of Christian men which the lamentation of the whole Christian world can better expresse than my words or all Rhetoricke in the world This was prophecied of Esau in his fathers blessing Gen. 27.40 Thou shalt liue by the sword so did the Idumeans a sauage and cruell people So do the Romish Idumeans only support themselues by fire and sword the surest arguments when all other meanes faile Intimated also by the ten hornes 4. Esau was a cauiller at Iacobs name and a liar in that he said he had taken away the blessing and birthright both which himselfe had passed away and a false perfidious person who though he sold the birthright and passed it away by an oath yet he made but a scoffe at it and had no purpose to performe it nay he contriued and hatched the death and murther of his brother if once the daies of his fathers mourning would come so to recouer his birthright againe The Romish Edom will not allow the true Church of Christ the name of Christ but calles the religion by which we worship the God of our fathers heresie He hath passed away his right to the blessing by being the head of Apostasie and complaines that we challenge it He is false and perfidious no way to be held to any promise by oaths or vowes but he hath euer a secret tricke or reseruation to play fast or loose at his pleasure Hence the beast is said to haue seuen hâ—ads that is fulnesse of fraud and subtiltie to ouer-reach and abuse the Church of Christ and to recouer his power againe will plot the death of so many Kings and Kingdoms as stand in his way Thus are they like in respect of their persons Secondly they are as like in respect of their sinnes that the Lord may say For three transgressions of the Romish Edom and for foure I will neuer returne to it in mercie but will send a fire and vtter desolation One transgression is prophanenesse as Esau preferring the present profits and pleasures of this world yea their belly before true religion and now all sinnes are set to sale any thing lawfull for mony they can pardon for mony that which God will neuer pardon yea and sinnes before they bee committed Another transgression of Romish Edom is idolatrie as base idolatrie as euer was in Edoms posteritie which hath quite cut them off from God who for their spirituall whoredome will neuer returne to them any more A third transgression for which God will neuer returne to it is vaine confidence in their owne merits which cuts them from Christ and quite casts them out of Gods fauour Gal. 5.4 The fourth and last transgression is deadly and endlesse crueltie against the people of God and the Church of Christ as the Lord would not returne to Edom especially for his extreme crueltie against his brother in word and deed neuer dated by sword and spoyle euermore Now that this is a sinne in these Romish Edomites for which God will neuer returne vnto them let vs see in our owne glasse and compare Edoms crueltie in the text with our owne Champions of Antichrist and Dukes of the Romish Edom and wee shall see the face fauour affection of the one in the other nay we shall see old Edom red but our late Edomites in skarlet of a farre deeper dye in blood than they They are like one another in that 1. Old Edom pursued his brother to whom all naturall bonds did binde him and to whom he owed homage New Edom pursued neerer brethren than they Iudea was but a neighbour to Idumea neere neighbours indeede but fortie miles from Ierusalem and so in all humanitie should haue been louing to them but these were neerer than neighbours vipers within our owne mothers bowels bound to our Common-wealth in all bonds of loyaltie and subiection as Edom should haue been an homager to Iudea being subdued by Dauid 1. Chron. 18.13 yet against all lawes of God naâ—uâ—e and nations they crie Downe with it c. 2. Edoms chiefe spight was not against any ignoble place or village but against Ierusalem the citie of God for pleasure a paradise for spatiousnesse sixe miles about for multitude of people fifteene hundred thousand inhabitants for beautie the eye of the world Adde hereunto the Temple the Sanctuarie Aarons Rod Vrim sacrifices praises and worship whereby it became Gods delight Yet old Edom cries Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground The same was the voyce and practice of our late Edomites against our Ierusalem the eye of the world against our Temple Church State and Land they strucke at the heart and sought to let out the life-blood 3. Old Edom when strangers cast lots vpon Ierusalem was as one of them Obad. 11. that is when Babel made sure of Ierusalem Edom being too weake of himselfe ioyned with Babel and when the Babylonians entred Edom was farre more cruell than they for whereas Babel would haue been contented with the citie and the spoyle the Edomites would not be contented but with blood for so saith the Prophet Thou shouldest not haue stood in the crosse waies to cut off them that should escape Our late Edomites when the Spanyards or any enemie should cast lots vpon England were as they and that nothing but blood would serue them appeared not only in the bloody terrible blow but also by standing in the crosse waies readie prepared to the slaughter when the blow should be giuen 4. Old Edom spared none he shewed no pitie to his brother but was altogether without naturall affection And these vnnaturall Edomites were pitilesse not onely to such as they made their enemies but euen to their friends allies kindred both in the flesh and in their faith
For one asking the question what should become of the Catholikes in the House c. Answer was made they would send them all to heauen in a fierie chariot and so prouide for their ease But will you see wherein old Edom was farre inferiour in crueltie to the late Edomites All Arts they say are growne to perfection of late daies and so is the art of Iesuitical rebellion and treason These Iesuites or Esauites goe beyond all their predecessors in their art As for example 1. Neuer was any wickednesse acted so cruell but a man by studie could giue it a fit name as the Spanish Inquisition the Massacre in France the butcherie of the Merindolians all by Papists But this was so matchlesse a crueltie as no name can fit it a chaos of confusion a masse of euill a sinke a roote of mischiefe a contempt of all laws diuine humane it was euery thing that hath any wickednes in it perfidiousnes robbery sacriledge homicide parricide fratricide regicide idolatrie paganisme the whole traine of iniquitie and diuellishnes it self in the Abstract a Catholike crueltie a crying a roring yea a thundring sinne of fire and brimstone as his Maiestie calles it in his speech 1605. 2. Edoms indeede was an vnnaturall crueltie but they were heathens without the true knowledge of God These late Edomites professe religion and such a religion as out-boasteth all in sanctitie and piety nay they were their religious men Obiect Why but they were but a few vnfortunate Gentlemen Answ. Happie wee they were so vnfortunate But these were but the lesse wheeles Catesby Faux Percy and their fellowes were but petty traytors nimble and actiue as mischiefe vseth to be but the Priests and Iesuites were the great wheeles which not seeming to moue moued them But what should moue these Answ. That ponderous and waighty plummet and Lead the Popes Breue For the primus mâ—tor of all these treasons is the Pope and Popery it selfe Faux in his confession said it was meerely and only for religion and for his conscience sake denying the King to be his Soueraigne as being an hereticke and for reliefe of the Catholique cause and hee had heard Masse and receiued the Sacrament for acting the matter and for secrecie 3. Edom exercised his cruelty by open warre wherein either warning to prepare or intreaty or truce or flight or deliuering the Citie vp might haue satisfied the enemie and saued their liues But these Edomites more cruell then euer any Scythian digged out of the depth a pit of mischiefe yea out of the bottome of hell no more league could be made with them than with hell it selfe or the graue which is inexorable Olde Edom ioyned with Babylonians men whose designes might haue beene preuented Late Edom ioyned himselfe with furies and hellish ghosts in the caues of darknesse digging a new hell of sulphurious fire with wide mouth to open it selfe and deuoure three Kingdomes at once Olde Edom cried of Ierusalem Downe with it downe with to the ground young Edom would raise it from vnder ground 4. Olde Edom although they shewed no pitie to their brethren yet they spared Zedekiah the King and the Prophet Ieremiah and many Nobles liues whom they carried into Babel Our young Edomites spared neither King who had neuer drawne blood of them for their religion nor Queene nor Prince nor Nobles nor Counsell nor Iudges nor Bishops nor Gentrie nor young nor olde no not their owne the stroke of the blow had beene like the blow of Duke Medina his sword of which he professed his sword knew no difference between Catholicks hereticks 5. Old Edom raised but the materiall walls of the Citie and Temple these digge to blow vp the foundation not onely of stately Palaces but of all Churches and of the whole Common-wealth especially that foundation layd in Syon of Gods pure worship And rather than this true religion shall stand on the foundation his Maiestie defending it his Nobles guarding it his Lawes strengthening it the Ministerie preaching it and his Subiects professing it all shall by one vnexpected and terrible blow be vtterly and pittilesly destroyed and when they had done this they would like honest men lay it all on the Puâ—itanes whose throats must be all cut for it This speaks for our religion that certainly it is Christs seeing Antichrist and his limmes doe so rage against it It was Gods Israel his sonne his Lot his hallowed thing which Edom was so cruell against Therefore wee say of Romish Edom as Tertullian said of Nero That religion must needes be good which Nero so persecuteth which the Pope so persecuteth To detect and detest so wicked and bloody a religion set vp by subtilty held vp by violence and cruelty for it is not from the bad constitution of their persons but of their doctrine and refined religion by the fiery wits of late Iesuites and Priests as I can cleare in an hundred seuerall positions of theirs if there were any doubt Christ would not haue his Disciples call for â—iâ—e from heauen against that Citie which receiued him not as Elias did Much lesse may they bring a sparke from hell to blow vp three Kingdomes at once To blesse our God for deliuering vs from that intended cruelty and neuer forget his wonderfull mercy Oh happie 5. of Nouember wherein our Sunne should haue been turned into blood wherein our name should haue beene châ—nged into Ichabod wherein had beene set vp againe the abhomination of desolation A day when the great Citie should haue beene a Beacon to all the land and all the 〈◊〉 to the whole world A day which should haue burnt 〈◊〉 an Ouen Mal. 4.1 What had a Bonfire of 200. in one day beene to this The Massacre of France in which thirtie thousand were murdered in one moneth had beene but a play vnto it Farnesius might now haue had his minde fulfilled and haue ridden his horse to the saddle in English blood But God for his owne Name sake turned it into an honourable and glorious day a day of ioy and gladnesse to all true-hearted English-men When Esau came with 400. men toward his brother Iacob minding no doubt to performe his long-intended malice God so ordered the matter that he was not able to giue him an ill word Why what was the reason Iacob had all night before wrasted with the Angell and preuailed and got a blessing from him which was Thou hast preuailed with God thou shalt also preuaile with men The cause why Romish Esau being appointed and all prepared could not hurt an haire of our heads was that some wrastled with God by prayer and left him not till he had giuen vs the blessed deliuerance The Catholiques were deuout and earnest to set it forward so many as they durst trust and the rest implicitè not knowing their meaning But their prayers are like their religion and their religion like that of the deuout women who
their tenures and records yea in their whole State and policy that he that could carry his heart into the suruey of the consequents might clerely see a fearefull doomesday of all these three goodly kingdomes And as before it was done it was cloked vnder the title of some famous exployt for the deliuerance of persecuted Catholikes So afterward to turne the odiousnesse of so foule a fact as might haue turned the sunne into darknes the moone into blood they had prepared their Proclamations to lay it vpon Puritans vnder which title they would haue reuenged it by the Massacre of all the godly in the Land within their reach Here be cunning Fauxes and Foxes indeed in whom we may see the true picture and pourtraiture of euery sound Catholike who by the principles of Popery are taught to be as true to their Soueraigne as Iudas to our Sauiour What great need haue we then to get vs into that secret which their secrets cannot come into namely vnder the secret of the Almighty vnder the shadow of his wing For the promise to such a one is Surely he will deliuer thee from the snare â—f the hunter The poore bird is safe no where abroad but in the nest and the Church is no where safe in earth but onely in heauen while it saith with the Prophet Dauid Thou art my secret place Psalme 32.7 So much for the secrecie of fowlers 2. Their instruments of mischiefe are compared to snares and nets in respect of the suddennesse of that destruction which they intend to Gods people A snare or a net windes in a bird suddenly thinking on no such thing Nay sometime while the poore bird is playing or singing as if it were without all danger the net or grin wraps it in on all sides So the enemies of the Church knowing that sudden and vnexpected euills can hardlyest be preuented and wound the deepest commonly effect most deadly stratagems when Gods people least expect them This is the guise of Antichristian enemies to the Church of God which while it is not suspicious but sometimes too charitable and credulous they lay their snares where no man can possible suspect Would any man think the Pope would instigate to kill Christian Princes at the very Masse yet by the counsell of Pope Sixtus the 4. the two Princes of Medices were hurt and slaine euen at Masse and the lifting vp of the hoast was made a signe of the murder by the Popes Legate as their owne Volateran writes Would a Prince thinke to be poysoned of purpose in receiuing the Sacrament by these charitable Catholikes yet one was by the powder of diamonds tempered with the wine of the Sacrament Would a Catholique King most deuoted to Romish religion and a champion for it expect to be slaine by Catholiques and men of peace before excommunication yet this was iust saith Reinolds and the charitable Pope Sixtus the 5. said A true Fryar had slaine a countefeit Fryar Could any man haue expected that suddaine terrible blow and an vniuersall destruction from vnder the Parliament house from which the honor iustice happinesse life and soule of our Country vnder God hath beene so long maintained and preserued This shewes vs that Papists are not to bee trusted though neuer so fawning neuer so flattering For indeed they are most cruell both in their positions and in their dispositions Their positions are these and such like 1. The Oath of Allegiance is against Catholique faith and the health of soules saith the Popes Breue 2. Princes excommunicate by the Pope may be deposed and killed by their subiects 3. No faith is to be kept with heretickes and all are hereticks that are not of their religion 4. All men are bound to resist hereticall Kings in the straitest bond of conscience 5. Euen a secret hereticke is ipso iure deposed and all his leaprous posterity saith Symancha 6. It is a iust and honourable warre for the Nobles to rise vp in Armes against Queene Elizabeth saith Cardinall Allan Such also are their dispositions and such are their practices We haue seene the Fowlers and their nets now let vs proceede III. The crafty laying of these snares is such as they haue compassed the bird and it seems impossible any way to escape For the danger was as if the Prophet had said We were on euery side included in the nets of the fowlers that what way so euer we could turne vs we were hemd in the danger met vs on euery hand and death euery way layd hold vpon vs. Thus Dauid Psal. 18.4.5 confesseth that the snares of death compassed him hee was euen as a man bound and piniond to execution so as hee saw nothing but death before him And the snares or cords of the graue beset him so hopelesse was his estate as if hee were laid forth already and wrapped in the bands and cloathes of death to the buriall both in his enemies conceit and his owne The same was our condition in that Gunpowder treason the enemies made sure of their prey they saw their expectation euen in their hands and brought their wicked conception to the very birth the Crowne and Kingdome was theirs they had disposed of the chiefe Offices the chiefe holds and reuenue of the Land onely one terrible blow was to be giuen and the hand of wickednes lifted vp on high reaching fire to the fewell which should haue turned three Kingdomes into one Bonfire Quest. Why doth the Lord suffer the enemies thus to ensnare his people that the Case seemes desperate the deliuerance impossible Answer 1. That wee may see our owne simplicity who cannot obserue or preuent their snares the crafty wiles of Satan and his instruments against the Church 2. That wee may take notice of Gods patience toward his enemies suffering them as long as he may and then his iustice in taking them at the height 3. That we may learne to depend on Gods power and wisedome for safety and defence who onely is able to match and ouermatch the enemies in both for there is no power or policie against the Lord. 4. That the greater the dangers be Gods goodnes may be the more manifest and that in most desperate euils we may acknowledge our deliuerance to be miraculous and so the praise of all may be referred to the Lord who is a very present refuge in the troubles of his Church as our selues found in this our danger Now we come to the second generall part of the Text namely the deliuerance of the Church Our soulâ— is escaped that is our liues were hunted our heads euen on the block the stroke a giuing and death fetching his blow but yet we are deliuered wee haue escaped with our liues Herein consider 1. the manner 2. the meanes of the deliuerance The manner as a bird escaped out of the net The meanes the net is broken For the manner 1. Beyond and aboue the expectation of the Church