Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	law_n	subject_n	4,732	5	6.6515	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09442	Lectures vpon the three first chapters of the Reuelation: preached in Cambridge anno Dom. 1595. by Master William Perkins, and now published for the benefite of this Church, by Robert Hill Bachelor in Diuinitie. To which is added an excellent sermon, penned at the request of that noble and wise councellor, Ambrose, Earle of Warwicke: in which is proued that Rome is Babylon, and that Babylon is fallen	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Hill, Robert, d. 1623.	1604 (1604)	STC 19731; ESTC S114472	318,460	389

the second sense here where he cals Christ a Prince of the kings of the earth in regard as he is God and man or God incarnate the Mediator Now Christ being a King he must needes haue a kingdome which cannot stand in the might and pollicie of man as earthly kingdomes do but it is spirituall it stands in the heart and consciences of men his lawes they bind the soule and conscience to obedience And this is his priuiledge which can be giuen to no creature man or Angell to rule and raigne spiritually in the heart and conscience This spirituall kingdome of Christ is exercised in the consciences and soules of men by the word of Christ not by dint of sword or force of armes but he is a King which carieth his sword in his mouth euen his word by which he rules and raigns in our hearts he rules with the rod of his mouth Esa. 11. that is by his word by which he speaketh to mens consciences Prince of the Kings of the earth So is Christ in two respects First because he and he alone can and is able to giue lawes to bind the consciences of men yea of the greatest Monarch in the world none so high which is not subiect to his lawes Secondly he is called King of the Princes of the earth because he hath soueraigne power ouer all Kings and Potentates to saue and to destroy for not onely hath he power to make a law to bind their consciences but also if they keepe it to saue them if they breake his law he hath power to destroy them be they what they may be He hath the key of heauen to open and to shut none can controle him Reuel 3. 7. He can if he will leade them to life and saue them or else leaue them to their owne mind and so destroy them Seeing our Sauior Christ is a Prince of the greatest monarks of the world and is farre aboue them we must then with all feare trembling reuerence his high Maiestie We reuerence Kings on earth shewing great dutifulnesse to them then what reuerence ow we to him which is Prince and Lord of all the kings of the earth We cannot conceiue what reuerence we owe vnto him which is placed in the throne of all maiestie we must shew our reuerence to this Prince by hearing his word with trembling and beleeuing hearts reuerently and with conscience we must not dare to take his high name into our mouthes without great reuerence the very Kings must shew reuerence vnto this King of kings But the common practise of men doth shew what litle reuerence we haue of Christ for we haue his name in our mouthes at euery word to prophane the same to talke of it in iesting and without all reuerence we tosse it in our mouthes like a tenice ball Seeing he is King of Kings we must giue him absolute obedience Princes must be obeyed so farre as they obey him but he must be obeyed without exception absolutely and not onely absolutely but willingly must he be obeyed and without compulsion freely yea personally perpetually and in all his commaundements Men they will say they beleeue in Christ as he is their Sauiour but that is not enough we must beleeue in him as he is the King of Princes That we therefore may beleeue in him as he is King of Kings we must do him absolute obedience do his will in all things and vnlesse we beleeue in him so we cannot beleeue in him no not as he is a Sauior for these two go together Now this duty and obedience we owe to him must be done to him as we learne out of his word read and preached in the Church Seeing he is King of kings al princes kings poteÌ„tates must do him seruice for they be all inferiour and subiect to him Psal. 2. the three last verses Be wise now O ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Kisse the son c. that is inwardly reuerence and outwardly obey him This their subiection must be shewed to Christ their King in the gouernement of their kingdomes for they must make and frame their lawes after the lawes of Christ Iesus they must make lawes exercise iudgement keepe Courts Assises begin and end and continue warre by his commaundements And seeing all Kings are in subiection to Christ as their subiects be to them they must therefore be guided and directed in all the matters of their kingdomes by the counsell of Christ so Dauid saith Thy lawes O Lord are my counsellers Psal. 119. 24. If Christ be soueraigne King and aboue all other Kings then all other must plant and set vp in their kingdomes the religion of Christ else how can they shew they be Christs subiects then it followes that they may not be of what religion they list And this is shewed in the parable of the mariage for when the supper was ready he sent his seruants to compell them to his supper which may be vnderstood of the magistrate whose duty is to compell men to the true Religion and profession of the Gospell of Christ. Seeing Christ is King of Kings and no man hath this priuiledge but he hence we learne that Kings on earth they in their dominions are soueraigne kings ouer all persons causes because as he is King of Kings absolutely so they are vnder him kings and haue supremacy in their kingdomes Then we see the presumption and arrogancy of the Pope and sea of Rome who would be supreame head of the whole earth and King of all Kings to put Christ out of his office and sit in his roome ouer al at his pleasure Seeing Christ is King of all Kings we must not be discouraged when we be called to suffer any affliction or crosse seeing that though the tyrants and Kings of the earth rage and bend their force to hurt vs yet we haue a King aboue them all who can stay and bridle them and if he please confound and bruise them in peeces they cannot do any thing but that which he permits them to do for he rules and raignes in the midst of all these where they are the thickest and would do most malice and can do to them as pleaseth him Now followes the second part of Christs description by his execution of his offices which consist in foure workes the first contained in these words Vnto him which loued vs the second in these Which washed vs in his bloud the other two in the two last verses which follow Which loued vs. That is the Churches of Asia and by proportion all other Churches being parts of the true Church The loue of Christ hath three degrees the first is called a generall loue whereby he loues all his creatures as they be his creatures and this loue is common to all his creatures The second degree is the loue of mankind in that he was content to become a redeemer for mankind not for any other

c. Here we must remember that Ministers are either certaine or vncertaine of mens repentance being certaine they must remit sinnes certainely and simply but being vncertaine they must do it with condition and so they must simply or with condition remit and retaine sinnes Then in the publike handling of the word men must pronounce with conditioÌ„ seeing they be vncertaine who are penitent who not Their auditors are a mixt companie some beleeue and some do not beleeue Lydiaes heart is opened Simon Magus is hardened The second power of the keyes is spirituall iurisdiction it is called spirituall to distinguish it from mens and ciuill iurisdiction of the Magistrate It is set downe and confirmed by Christ Mat. 18. 16 17 18. and after the promise is added vers 19. 20. This spirituall iurisdiction is a power wherby the Church pronounceth sentence vpon an obstinate sinner and putteth the same sentence in execution It hath two parts Excommunication and absolution Excommunication is an action of the church in the name of Christ excluding an obstinate offender froÌ„ the outward priuiledges of the church and the kingdome of heauen That so much is in true excommunication we see 1. Cor. 5. the incestuous person must be excluded from the church and be thrust out into the kingdome and regiment of Satan and his body some way afflicted Math. 18. 17. if the offender will not repent being excommunicate he must be as a prophane man euen one which hath no title to the kingdome of heauen But some may say Christ onely can thrust them out of the kingdome of heauen It is true indeed so he doth properly yet the church pronounceth who be receiued and who refused as that an obstinate sinner is shut out of the church and withall shut from the kingdome of heauen she can debarre him of the outward priuiledges of the church 1. Cor. 6. the drunkard which liueth in drunkennesse shall not come to heauen vpon which ground the church shuts him out by her sentence eueÌ„ out of the kingdom of God Christ. Ob. If this be so theÌ„ the true child of God may be shut out seeing he may fall to such sins Ans. He may in part and for a time not wholly and for euer because he may be ouertaken often but yet as a free citizen is known to be a free-man though he be in prison for a time and so hath no vse of his freedome so the child of God though in part for a time he be shut out hauing no vse of the kingdome of heauen yet wholly and for euer he is not but so soone as he begins to repent he shal be receiued againe Excommunication being so weightie a matter it must be vsed with great aduice and due preparation as we would when we cut off a leg or an arme not rashly for then we sin against the third commaundement seeing it is one of Gods speciall ordinances which we abuse wheÌ„ it is executed for each smal offence This excoÌ„munication hath one especial degree as 1. Cor. 16. 22. he which loueth not Christ let him be anathema that is accursed and wholly shut from the kingdome of heauen And this is onely pronounced vpon one which sinneth against the holy Ghost and then the church vpon sufficient ground may pronounce it But it is very hard to discerne this sin being more in the heart then any where else for it is a set malice against the person of Christ and that vpon knowledge Now contrary to excommunication is absolution when an offender vpon his sufficient repentance is approoued to be a member of the church and of Christ first Christ must receiue him then the church vpon his repentance pronounceth and declareth him to be receiued Further to know the power of the keyes we must know foure abuses crept in the vse of the power of them the first abuse was in former ages in that they gaue them onely to Peters person barred al other Pastors from them wheras they belong to al Pastors in their places as well as Peter Ob. Mat. 16. 19. Christ saith I will giue to thee Peter Ans. But before he spake to all the Disciples and Peter he being more bold and indued with aptnes answered in steed of all not that the rest did not answer but to auoid confusion he spake for them all ergo Christ speakes to him in stead of them al. Secondly Iohn 20. 23. he giues it to them al not to Peter alone And Ministers haue that power conueyed from the Apostles by vertue of Christs promise Mat. 28. he will be with them not onely in their persons but in them which followed to the end of the world to them I say which should preach and baptise as they did The second abuse is that the church of Rome hath turned the power of the keyes into the supremacie of the church for they make it a supremacie ouer al Princes and churches whereby they put vp and pul downe Kings and make lawes to bind all mens consciences For it is a seruice and no supremacy The third abuse is that they will haue onely the Clergie and not the Prince to deale in matters of religion but we reade the contrary in Gods word Iosias 2. Chron. 35. 32. he intends to banish idolatrie and to set vp the true worship of God and therefore causeth the people of Beniamin and Iudah to stand to his couenant his subiects to obey his intent and this is commended in him But they say that Princes haue not the chiefest power to gouerne because Pastors haue the power of the keyes Answ. Spirituall power is giuen to the Pastors to rule the church spiritually yet Princes haue power to rule the church ciuilly to cause their subiects to embrace true religion and to forsake idolatrie but then say some they should be vnder the Pastors Answ. If we consider the Pastors person and goods they be vnder the Princes but as they beare the key of Christ and his word the King must honour them for they stand in the stead of Christ but to make the Pastor aboue the Prince is a ready way to get all into his hand and a great abuse in the church of God The fourth abuse is that the Romish church hath turned the power of the keys into the hands of their Priests in the sacrameÌ„t of penance for euery Popish priest sits as iudge and euery man cometh to him kneeleth to him confesseth all his sinnes he can remember against euery commandement he inioyneth him to bewaile them and after some signes of repentance he forgiueth the fault and that properly as God doth yet after pardon he must vndergo some temporall punishment for he forgiueth the fault only not the punishment In which abuse note these errors First there is confession of all sinnes which hath no warrant in the word secondly he giuing absolution properly as God doth robbeth Christ of his honor for eueÌ„ the Pharises confessed that God alone forgiueth sinnes

kept my name Though thou dwellest in a place where the diuel hath erected his throne yet thou maintainest my name and holdest it fast so that neither fraud nor force of enemies can take it from thee My name that is my doctrine of the Gospell Rom. 9. Thou doest constantly hold and maintaine it and my religion thou beleeuest the doctrine of saluation which my seruants haue deliuered to thee So that in these words Christ commends the church of Pergamus for constancie in maintaining the doctrine of saluation We see it is not enough for vs to hold beleeue and maintaine religion but we must do it constantly so the word signifiâ—s we must hold the same fast against all aduersaries not easily turned with any blast of mens doctrine but so to hold religion that no enemy by force or fraud draw it from vs. When Math. 13. the man found the pearle he sold all to buy the field And if a man amongst vs should find in our field by his cunning and skil a golden mine he would not tel it to any but go and sel all he had buy the grouÌ„d that so he might inrich himself So we if we know the doctrine of saluation we must labor to make it ours to haue it made sure to vs to sell all we haue to loose life it selfe rather then to forgo that precious pearle 1. Tim. 3. 9. Faith is compared to a precious iewell which must be laid vp in the treasury of a good conscience which cannot be broken into but must be strong in which store-house and treasury we must haue true religion and faith locked that nothing get it from vs but loose all we haue euen our life before we part with it for if that be sure all is well but if faith and religion be lost all is gone saluation is lost thy soule is perished Now for her further commendation Christ sets out her constancie by two arguments first that she held religion without deniall secondly that she held it in the time of bloudy persecution 1. The Church of Pergamus neuer denied Religion or reuolted from faith in Christ she did not as many men who hold beleeue and maintaine religion yet in time of triall they will reuolt In this we must imitate her else we know not whether the Lord will giue vs grace to repent if he should not we perish Esaw sold his birth-right for a small thing a few red pottage but after he sought it with repentance and teares could not get it We must then hold religion and not in time of affliction and persecution reuolt and deny it lest the Lord giue vs no grace to repent which we know not whether he will or not And hast not denied my faith that is mine owne doctrine of the Gospell and true Religion Religion is called Christs first because Christ with the Father and holy Ghost is author of it all Religion which is good being from aboue secondly because he reuealed it from the bosome of his Father thirdly because Christ is the matter of al religion Christ is the whole subiect of religion in the old and new Testament the end of the law and the scope of the Gospell The second argument whereby Christ sets out her constancie is that she held religion in the time of bloudy persecution when she was thus persecuted she was constant When Antiphas was put to death Who this Antiphas was it is not certainly knowne by any history yet it is thought he was Pastor and Minister of the Church of Pergamus who opposed himself and oppugned the doctrine and idolatry of the heathen in that citie In these words are two points first he commends this martyr Antiphas when he saith That my seruant my faithfull seruant Antiphas he extols him to the Church of Pergamus By this we see that it is lawfull to honour and commend Martyrs which dy for Christs cause and that in two things first in giuing them their due deserued honour and commendation as Christ did to Antiphas secondly by careful imitation of their constancie and vertues and conuersation of life for this cause Christ commends this good Martyr that the people of Pergamus might imitate him in his constancie not to honour him as the Papists do with diuine honour and inuocation Againe he saith That my faithfull Martyr not commending him for his death that he died but for the cause for not the death but the cause makes a Martyr for a man may die for heresie and erronious opinion and yet he is no Martyr But Antiphas he was a true Martyr ergo Christ saith that my seruant nay that my faithfull seruant Antiphas In the end of this verse he setteth downe the authors of this death of Antiphas Some among you some of Pergamus were the cause of his Martyrdome they were such in whom the diuell ruled and raigned and this he repeates to shew that they which haue contemned Christs religion though they pretend good things yet they be the slaues of the diuell he rules and raignes in them they be his holds and castels Obiect But why did the diuell dwell in the citie of Pergamus more then in any other Answ. Because many in this citie were Gentiles they hated and conteÌ„ned the Gospel so became the holds of the diuel we must then take heed we neuer conteÌ„ne the fame For in a family where they liue in ignorance in iniustice fraud and wickednes there the diuell ruleth he hath his throne that is a stable for him to dwell in Then masters of families and parents which gouern families must see they loue and embrace religion and teach it to their family else their houses be but the stables of Satan his place to dwell in Ob. But whether might not Antiphas being Minister and Pastor of that Church haue fled Answ. Persecution is double either directed against the person of the Minister principally or to the whole Church equally if it be against his person he may flie safely if he get oportunitie to preserue his life and haue libertie of the Church to flie but if it respect the whole Church then vnlesse he haue libertie graunted by them he must stay and take part with them in their persecution Now of this sort was Antiphas persecution seeing he was so called of God to suffer But I haue a few things against thee He commended her before but here he rebukes her and this reproofe is first generally propounded then in more particular in generall he tels them that they wanted zeale Thou bearest with them which c. But I haue These words he spake to the church of Ephesus before and here repeates them againe teaching the true members of the Church to enter into their owne hearts to search what is in them that Christ may haue against them to cal themselues to a strait reckoning to consider all the things they haue done from their beginning to their end and al their life narrowly to examine themselues

they must be annointed so must we be annointed Psal. 45. Christ was annointed aboue his fellowes but yet his members they are also annointed he in greater measure his members in lesse measure yet by the same oyle with him which is the vnction of the holy Ghost We haue receiued the annointing of Christ. 1. Iohn 2. 7. And the Lord he bids the wicked not to touch his annointed meaning not onely his seruants Abraham Isaac and the Patriarkes but his true members We haue the same spirit Christ had in his manhood though not in the same measure And the Lord he giues vs these gifts of the spirit signified by this oyle to this end that we may be fit kings priests So that first he giues vs right to a kingdome and then he giues vs gifts to discharge our dutie 4. To whom hath he made vs kings and priests to God and the Father euen his Father Now men might haue said If all his members be kings then all may liue as they list But he addeth they be kings but to God shewing that the interest they haue giuen to them to the kingdome of heauen it is giuen theÌ„ that they may be kings and priests to Gods glorie to his worship and seruice and to shew that all the interest belongs to God absolutely to vs by him in Christ. Lastly he addeth God and his Father which expounds the former word God for it is not taken for his nature absolutely but for the first Person God euen his Father Which sheweth that they must not liue as they list for they be made kings to the honour and seruice of God the Father who is here named alone not because he is aboue the Sonne and holy Ghost for they be equall but because he is the first person in order and the fountaine of the Deitie from it it is deriued to the Son and holy Ghost Now after the meaning of the words followe the vses First whereas all the true members of Christ be kings and priests in this life we are taught how we must carie our selues namely as enemies to them which be of the kingdome of Satan sinne the world and the flesh we must be deadly and sworne enemies to them we must haue no concord nor amitie with them For if we be kings of the kingdome of grace then we must be enemies to them which belong to the kingdome of darknesse there must be no fellowship between light and darknesse Now that we may so carie our selues as enemies we must first haue care to keepe guard to defend our selues as kings against all our enemies sinne Satan our owne flesh and the inticements of the world As Kings protect their kingdomes so must we stand on our guard defend our soules and bodies and euery facultie and part of them our wils affections thoughts and inclinations 1. Ioh. 5. 18. He which is borne of God keepeth himselfe as with watch and ward that sinne or Satan touch him not 2 We must make war and enter combat against Satan sinne our owne flesh all our spirituall enemies the corruptions of our nature and all the inticements of the world We must make no truce with them because they will neuer be reconciled so long as we haue interest into the kingdome of heauen 3 We must labour to kill and destroy these our enemies as much as possibly we can by that power we haue from Christ our head we must kill and crucifie the corruption of our owne hearts that is our owne sinnes We must like a valiant king seeke to haue the bloud of these enemies and seeke to conquer and vanquish Satan his power and might the world and our owne corruption 4 If we be kings in this life we must become Lords and rule ouer our selues our soules and bodies must be brought into subiection and order for in this that we be kings of our selues we shew especially that we be kings in this life We must not haue rule of the whole world but be ruling and maistering our owne corruptions and affections bringing them into subiection and order herein stands our kingdome in this world If a man were Prince ouer the whole earth and yet could not rule himselfe he were but a poore Prince nay he were no Prince indeed but though a man had not so much as a foote of ground in this world and could rule and maister himselfe his thoughts and affections this man were a valiant king Seeing we be kings we must do the duty of Iudges for kings they be as absolute Iudges and they must execute iudgement In the day of iudgement we shall be iudges but we must be iudges in this world and we must not iudge other men but we must be our owne iudges Wherefore as iudges summon arraigne condemne c. so must we summon and arraigne yea iudge and examine our selues call our selues to account and as guilty persons condemne our selues acknowledging we be worthy to be cast into eternal damnation with the Diuell and his Angels and withall pleade for pardon approch to the throne of grace and forgiuenesse and in these we shew our selues vpright iudges and and by this meanes we shall be freed from the iudgement to come If we be kings by Christ we must cary our selues as kings couragiously constantly in the afflictions and miseries which we shall suffer for Christs sake for herein stands the royalty of a king that he beares couragiously and constantly all the troubles which befall him so must we in the afflictions and troubles of this life which we suffer for Christ shew our selues in suffering them to be kings and conquerors Seeing we be spirituall kings we must aboue all things labor and seek to haue that our right and heritance to be possessors of our kingdome Must we so then we must not haue our hearts glued and fast tied to the things of this world but we must so vse this world as though we vsed it not If a King should lay downe his crowne and go and become a shepheard or of some manuall trade all men would maruell at it so when we fasten our selues to these worldly things we do as it were cast aside our kingly crowne and abase our selues But we must euer haue one foote fixed in heauen striuing to come to our inheritance there Seeing all the true members of Christ be kings and priests this should be an inducement to all backward persons to moue them and stirre them forward to christian religion and not to account of it as precisenesse seeing that by it we come to haue right and interest to the kingdome of heauen to be Lords of all creatures For why should we not esteeme of the Gospell as a most precious iewell seeing that we which are vassalles of Satan and fire-brands of hell as all men are by nature become the members of Christ yea Kings and Priests to God And seeing this is effected by the ministery of the Gospel this

surely there is cause why if one looke and view the bodie of our people as Osea saith there is no knowledge of God in the land euery man seeketh to follow his owne waies none cleaueth to the Lord seeketh to know and obey him Besides they are altogether carnall fleshly dead and drowned with the cares of this life none affecting things belonging to eternall life but all mens hearts are possessed with pleasures profits and preferments of this world Nay all men in generall lye in a dead sleep there is no sense or feeling in them a spirituall slumber hath wrapped all mens hearts in securitie and ignorance neuer thinking or considering of the iudgement to come neuer dreaming of the euill day though God preach daily by his iudgement to them Againe the contempt of the word and Gospell the prophanation of the Sabbath want of mercie and loue the cruelty which aboundeth in all men oppression whoredomes fornications these be the sinnes of the people now in our daies rife in euery place these are common sinnes calling for vengeance which will come vndoubtedly vnlesse we repent so that Christ cannot speake to vs as to this Church but in a contrarie voice But though this be the common estate of most men yet Christ he hath a remnant who lament and mourne for the sins of the land who are grieued with the abhominations of the world and these need not feare but they must take to them Christian fortitude courage lay aside al feare of danger of al that man can do and boldly vndergo all crosses and afflictions euen to death to maintaine faith and a good conscience to the end That they may do this let them first consider that they which feare distrustfully must haue a miserable portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reu. 21. 8. therefore for feare of this reward let vs go on fearing nothing 2 They must consider Gods presence he is by them readie to protect and defend them his Angels pitch their tents about them Psalm 34. 12. 2. King 6. Elishahs seruant seeing in Dothan an huge armie which beset him and his maister he saith Be not affraid for they which be with vs be more then these against vs. He was fully perswaded of Gods presence and protection and that Gods Angels would defend and guard him so should al men in danger they must beleeue and perswade themselues God is present he hath his Angels pitching their tents to defend and protect his children 3 Gods children must consider in perill that it is an honorable thing to suffer for Christs sake and it is a happie thing to suffer for the Gospell of Christ. Paul he accounted it his chiefe honour nay he reioyced in nothing so much as in his sufferings for Christs sake Then if suffering the crosse for Christs sake be such an honourable thing we must lay aside all feare and by Gods grace arme our selues with Christian fortitude and courage to vndergo all crosses afflictions whatsoeuer But those which are not touched with the present day of miserie nor haue not this perfect fortitude they must lament and howle lest the euill day take them vnprouided The next part of Christs counsell is a prediction or prophecie of the afflictions which this Church must suffer But before he propoundeth the afflictions he setteth a word of attention Behold By which he teacheth them and in them vs that it is our dutie often to thinke and consider of the time of affliction before hand to meditate of Gods iudgements and corrections before they come lest we perish in them For Christ Luk. 19. he came to Ierusalem and wept ouer it and foretold the iudgements to come and the cause was because she knew not the day of her visitation because she would not think of her iudgement and affliction to come therefore Christ forotels and shewes her final destruction Let vs take heed lest it fall out with vs as it did with them It shall come to passe By this Christ shewes he is true God For he which can foretell all future things in particular though they be contingent he is God for that is proper to God but Christ foretels their particular affliction to come ergo he is God Ob. But the Phisitian can foretell the death of his patient the Astronomer the eclipse of the Moone to come Answ. They do so but by meanes the Phisitian foretels by the causes and signes he seeth in the partie by which death is in â—ort present so the Astronomer by the naturall course of the heauens can foretel an eclipse by the courses and signes of it in which the eclipse is present but without these signes and causes they cannot simply but Christ without any signe or cause simply foretels this affliction in particular to come to the Church of Smyrna Christ describes the affliction first by the cause namely the diuel secondly the persons some of you thirdly the kind imprisonment fourthly the end to trie you fifthly the time ten dayes For the first the cause it is the diuel Ob. But how can he afflict them seeing he is a spirit and dealeth not with the bodies of men Ans. He is indeed a spirit and ruleth in the aire he is the god of this world he ruleth in the hearts of wicked men he ruleth guideth and gouerneth in them directs their thoughts wils affections so as he stirres them vp moues and caries them to persecute the children of God to cast them in prison Now in that the diuell is the author of persecution we see of what spirit those be which persecute the Church namely men inspired by the diuel moued and ruled by him notorious wicked wretches which haue Satan for their king and ruler For this cause Paul saith he was the chiefe of sinners seeing he was caried by him to persecute the church of God Let then all men take heed of this for he which persecutes the Church for religion in word or action he in that action is the vassall of Satan led and ruled by the diuell and the diuell in that action vseth him as his instrument Satan is the chiefe and principall agent he is his slaue to do his will and is as a souldier vnder his band Againe learne we to take pitie on all such persons seeing they be possessed by the diuell led and moued by him yea euen to pray for our persecutors Furthermore the weapons we must haue to defend our selues in persecution are not temporall but spirituall seeing our enemy is a spirit we must vse inuocation and praier fasting and humbling our selues by which we shew our faith repentance and obedience to God By this weapon of prayer Elias is called the chariot and horsemen of Israel this is a most excellent weapon And if the Lord should send a forreine enemy among vs then is indeed the souldier to be vsed but our principall weapon must be prayer that must be our chariot and horsemen the

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