great care and provident eye over his Church by whose almighty power this small flock of sheep is safe amongst a drove of wolves Lions and a whole foxest of foxes and dragons Take notice of the perpetuall condition of the Church and her dangerous estate that wee may not marvaile or take offence at the tumults and hostile forces raised against the Church at this day 1 Let not the might and power of the enemies gathereed against her dismay us nor their great and puissant armies and Captaines nor that royall and imperiall forces are raised against this poore Woman utterly to destroy her this is no new thing that mighty hornes and the highest of all humane power should lift up themselves against her she hath from the beginning beene acquainted with such tryals Nor let us startle at the multitudes of enemies Princes and armies that stand about her it is not the first time that ten hornes at once have assaulted and pushed her nay seldome shall yee see this Woman but in the midst of these ten hornes al ready to make a present spoile of her Neither let the fiercenesse and savage disposition of them against her be strange to us seeing they are the dragons hornes dragons are guided by no law but by their owne fierce and truculent nature flying upon their prey without all pity but no cruell and truculent beast or dragon is so fierce against men as wicked men are against the Woman no law of nature or nations no bond or tye no respect of sex or age stoppeth them but pitilesly without all mercy the dragons seize upon young and old male and female high and low nocents or innocents if they fall in their way whosoever professe the feare of God and true religion against them they are gathered See it in one example Haman because Mordecai will not bow to him because he was of another religion getteth to the King enformeth against all the Jewes as having a law and religion of their owne contrary to the Kings and it was not for the Kings profit to suffer thē presently without any course of law no man being heard nay no man complaining but Haman privatly slaundering the King delivereth the whole nation men women and children some 2. or 3. thousand persons to death and bloody buchery al in a day but that God prevented it a thiefe or guilty fellon shal have a due course of law shal not be condemned unheard sometimes pity spareth a seditious and rebellious multitude that have deserved death because they are many After warre and hot blood the most furious enemies will spare such as are overcome though they would have spoyled and not spared them in hot blood In sacking and taking cities the Conqueror often in humanity spareth women children when their lives are in their hands But in this cause of Religion these horned dragons put off all humanity cloath themselves with barbarous more then brutish cruelty no humanity nor humility no intreaty nor sex no age nor place can plead for one drop of pity As in plentifull examples both old and new might be proved namely the French Massacre 1572. and our owne powder Treason Quest. But what shall the Church be devoured by so many and potent horns how can a silly weak woman be safe among them Ans. No this Woman was never yet overcome by them nor shall be she may be tyred terrified pusht wounded by them but not overcome For 1 The dragons great power is but limited and restrained as Satan must not touch Iobs wise and Laban against his owne evill intention is commanded Gen. 31. 24. Take heed thou speake nought to Iacob save good So can they doe nothing against Iacob which is not good or shall not be turned to good Though their power be great yet there is a greater and over-ruling power which curbeth them both in the attempting proceeding and ending of their intentions Herod Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles can attempt nothing against Christ but what the hand and counsaile of God hath before determined to be done Act. 4. 27. In the executiō this over-ruling power can blunt their hornes at his pleasure If Esau be come forth with a band of men to revēge on Iacob this power can turne their hearts to favour his brother in the end they are over-ruled for wheras they would make no end of pushing and goaring he will have them go no further then he please And the rod of the wicked shall not alway lie on the lot of the godly 2 The hornes of the dragon have great power but being set all against God his Saints it cannot prosper Job 9. 4. Who was ever fierce against God and prospered their power shall never effect all their wils being so contrary to the will and counsaile of the Almighty their will is to destroy and roote out the Saints of the most High but his will and counsaile is onely to chasten them their will is not onely to destroy the person but the faith also fortitude but they can doe neither for though they may prevaile against the persons of some members yet never against the person of the Woman the whole Church and those that are overcome of them in respect of life are never in respect of faith the gates of hell cannot prevaile against that so as though they be slaine they are never overcome 3 Although mighty hornes are raised up against the Woman yet hath God raised up for her a more mighty horne of salvation Luk. ◠69. Even the horne of David stronger then they all the greatest enemie of the Church is but as Antiochus a little horne to him Ob. But here are ten hornes what is one horne to so many Answ. Christ our Lord and head wants not a sufficient number of hornes to encounter the dragons ten hornes Rev. 5. 6 the Lambe hath 7. hornes though the dragon seeme to exceed in number yet doth not for the number of 7 is a number of perfection and argueth in Christ perfection of power which is not in the number of ten whether it be taken definitly or indefinitly in the dragon and there is not one of these 7. but is stronger then all the dragons ten And besides whereas the dragons hornes are confined to his heads which they exalt and carry aloft our Lord Jesus hath many hornes comming out of his hands Hab. 3. 4. that is Omnipotent in all his works especially in his battailes against the dragons ten horns for he hath atchieved an admirable victorie over principalities and powers and made show of them openly as a triumphant Conqueror on the Chariot of his Crosse and at his ascension professed that all power in heaven and earth was given to him 4 Although the dragon hath his hornes and agents every where so as the Dove of Christ knoweth not where to set her foot to rest safe from them for there be 4. hornes which scatter
out of the Church into the earth and there among earthly and carnall men holdeth his power still Ephes. 2. 2. The Prince that ruleth in the aire worketh among the sonnes of disobedience 2 Thes. 2. 9. Sathan worketh in Antichrist by all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 4. The god of this world blindeth the mindes of infidels or unbeleevers And why 1. Sathans raigne is in the reigne of sin that is his scepter a wicked heart in which sinne raigneth is his chaire of estate But sinne raignes not in the elect that are under grace Rom. 6. 14. 2. Sathan being the Prince of darknesse rules in the kingdome of darknesse whence wicked spirits are called rulers of the darknesse of this world Ephes. 6. 12. The devill is the father of all spirituall darknesse of lies heresies false doctrines false worship and all workes of darknesse This is the world of darknesse in which hee ruleth as a king in his Kingdome But the godly are gotten out of this Egypt out of the reach of this hellish Pharaoh and are gotten into Goshen the Church where light is Ephes. 5. 8. Ye were once darknesse but now are light in the Lord. 3. Sathan is the father of sinne and sinne is the mother of death by which necessary connexion appeares who are his subjects over whom hee holdeth his full and absolute power to weet a world of dead men dead in trespasses and sinnes destitute of the life and Spirit of God and as dead men laid and buryed in the earth among these hee ruleth As the demoniake in our Saviours time lived among the graves and there tyrannized so doth Sathan being cast out into the earth which is as another Golgatha But the godly are quickned by Christ being formerly dead in trespasses and live now the life of the Sonne of God and have part in the first resurrection Gal. 2. 20. And so are exempted from the power of Sathan Which is a ground of comfort to all true hearted Christians that stand in the spirituall combate 1. Thou fightest against a conquered and bound enemy who is cast out of all thy Lords dominions 2. Hee is cast into the earth and keepeth state in the world as the god of the world but thou art called out of the world and brought from the earth Object If hee be cast out how comes it to passe that I am so afflicted with horrible hellish and violent temptations Answ. 1. The Dragon is not cast out of all power till hee bee cast into hell but hee is cast out of full power in the godly 2. There is a reserved wrigling power of the Dragon which may assault thee but hee shall never hurt thee that art one of Gods chosen neither by his temptation nor persecution For first though they may afflict and exercise thee yet all the gates of hell cannot overcome or extinguish thy faith Secondly though they may trouble thee and hinder thee in the way as the Moabites did Israel by their wiles yet can they not in the end of it which is life and glory Thirdly though they may hinder the sense and comfort and joy of thy salvation yet can they not the right nor assured hope of thy happinesse Object I finde these temptations prevaiâ—e in mee and if the devill raigne in sinne I feare he is not cast out of mee Answ. There is the least feare of that sinne that is most feared The feare of sinne keepes downe the raigne of it But for the strengthening of such as are in combate we must know that the best have sinne but sinne hath not them the best slip and fall but lye not in falls the best do the acts of sinne but not habitually they trade not nor walke in sinnes at least with delight as men in a pleasant way the best have flesh but walke not according to flesh And therefore although thou findest sinne present with thee yet if thou canst finde the power of it weakened if thou sometimes sinnest but art so farre from tumbling and trading in sinne as that thou hatest what thou doest all is safe the dragon is cast out for all that 2. Here is a rule of tryall to know our estate whether wee belong to heaven or are yet in the earth under the dominion of Sathan If Sathan uphold his power and state in sinne and unrighteousnesse within thy heart thou art apparently in the earth and of the earth Christ hath no part in thee nor thou in him Art thou an enemy to grace to the doctrine of grace Art thou a stubborne and obstinate sinner an enemy to the perswasions of the Word and Spirit a sonne of disobedience a rebell against all thou hearest Art thou a lover of thy sinnes an hater of them that hate and discover them Art thou of the Dragons trade and walkest in fraud lying accusing and envying Gods children Dost thou cast thy selfe out of the Church and wilfully excommunicate and separate thy selfe from God from his house and worship from his Saints and people Now this doctrine tells thee that for these accursed qualities the devill himselfe was cast out by Christs victory and so shalt thou as an enemy of Christ shall Christ cast him out and keepe thee in who resemblest him no confounded shall ye be together and eternally excommunicate from God and his Church 3. This is a ground of instruction if Sathan bee once cast out to keepe him out and let him enter no more When Christ cast out a devill he said Go out of him and enter into him no more So hee never recovereth his power against the Church againe being once cast into the earth Apostasie and revolt from the truth once received gives him a stronger and surer possession then before For he never comes againe but hee brings seaven worse spirits then himselfe And now seeing that Sathan is cast out of our Church into the earth let us not turne to worldly rudiments and that earthly religion and doctrine of Popery and Antichristian idolatry which is from earth set up and upheld by earthly power and policie thrusting it selfe on the world by serpentine craft lying pretenses of miracles martyrdome concord of doctors perpetuall succession from the Apostles c. But let the Dragon rage and dominere in the earth whither hee is cast and in that fleshly doctrine which carrieth away earthly and unstable men Let him make spoile in his owne dominion amongst Papists and Idolaters and hypocrites and atheists Let us keepe that pretious truth which is committed to us and hold fast that which Michael hath wonne for us shall wee runne after the dragon cast into the earth Consider hereunto 1. How can that be a religion of God that openeth a wide gate to all manner of hatefull and unnaturall sinnes by licenses pardons before and after sanctuaries c. that exempts subjects from lawes obedience oathes and allegiance to Princes that under pretence of Christ
strive with unreasonable men that are not guided by truth humility charity or Christianity but by fury railing pride pretences of law threatning and violence the dragon will shew not his hornes only but his crownes to See wee the wicked of the world giving up their crownes to the dragon and with all their strength and power and authority setting their crownes on the dragons head wee on the contrary must learne with all our power to set up and uphold the Crown and Scepter of Christ in our selves and others for as all the limbes of the dragon reioice to see him crowned and domineere to the ruine of the Church so let all the children of Sion reioyce in their King Psal 149. 2. Shall the Papists triumph and glory wheÌ„ the Antichristian forces prevaile against the reformed religion and shall not wee when the woman prevaileth against the dragon Quest. How may I uphold Christs Crowne and Scepter against the dragon Ans. 1. Cast down thy Crowne at the feet of the Lambe and worship him that sitteth on the Throne as the Seniors Rev. 4. 10. this is done by 2 practices 1. If thou deny thy selfe and diselaime whatsoever is in thy selfe as being void of all power and strength to attaine any thing that is good 2. If thou ascribest all power to God and Iesus Christ of creation and providence of preservation yea of finall victorie against all enemies whom hee will make his footstoole and set his feet upon their neckes and crownes as Ioshua did II. Alow thy heart for his throne and chaire of state that in it he may sit and command and beware of resisting his person or entrance or peaceable possession in thy soule Psal. 24. open thy gates that the King of glory may enter avoid whatsoever would hinder his peaceable entrance or coÌ„tinuance especially in foure things 1. Infidelity for Jesus Christ is no way received but by faith Iohn 1. 12. 2. Impenitency he dwelleth no where but in an humble and contrite soule 3. Raigaing sinneâ— which are as iron gates and percullices to keepe out Jesus Christ out of his kingdome and hold the sinner in rebellion against his Sove aigne and King where any sin raigneth there Christ cannot raigne and as no man can serve two contrary masters being enemies so no man can bee subject to two kings enacting contrary lawes 4. Idolatry what communion betweene Christ and Antichrist 2 Cor. 6. 15 16. III. Take the oath of allegeance to Jesus Christ to submit to his lawes willingly David tooke this oath Psal. 119. 10. I have sworne and will performe to keepe thy righteous judgements A seeming subject is most pernicious such as the Pope and Jesuites have catechized to refuse the oath of allegeance to our Soveraigne they are among us but not of us Such subjects to Christ are wicked men and hypocrites Christians onely in name and profession are counterfeit are in the Church but not of it 1 Joh. 2. they want all the notes of good subjects which are 1. To know and attend to the lawes and word of his King the word of the Law and the Gospell is the municipall lawes of this kingdome called the word of the kingdome a good Christian will attend to the word preached as a good subject to his Kings Proclamation 2. To obey his lawes yeelding obedience to the whole law in true indeauour so did David have respect to all the Commandements Psal. 119. 6. and also faith and repentance to the Gospell 3. Neither this by constraint but as a willing people Psal. 100 of unwilling made willing drawne by the Father as the sheepe of Christ to heare his voyce and follow him IIII. Resist the Dragons incroachments upon this Kings kingdome know the enemies the Devill world sinne Pagans Papists Heretiques Atheists they would pull thee from allegeance to former slavery furnish thy selfe with weapons against all the enemies of the kingdome which are the word faith hope love righteousnesse patience especially prayer against the kingdome of darknesse and the proceeding of the enemies of the Church Hester must stand up and intercede for her people let us not faile at this time Shal the Pope injoyne a fast for the prosperity of the warres against the Church and wee shamefully neglect it And his tayle drew downe the third part of the Stars Having spoken of the five properties by which we have heard the Dragon described wee come to the second part of the description which is by two effects The former against the Starres of heaven in this verse The latter against the woman in the next verse For the meaning every word is mysticall wee must stand a while in the interpretation in which are foure things to be considered First what is meant by the Starres of heaven Ans. Fondly doe the Papists understand here by the dragon Lucifer drawing downe with him in his fall many Angels which they say are meant by Stars of heaven not attending the scope of the place for I reade not in all the Scripture where Satan is called Lucifer Calvin cals it a grosse ignorance to father Satans name upon Isa. 14. 12. but it is called by this name Rev. â—2 10. 1. These Starres fell to earth after Iohns prophesie whereas they fell before mans sall 2 These starres fell in the Church when the battell was pitcht against the woman but Satan fell and his angels before there was any Church in the world or before there was any mention either of Christ or his Church 3. Those fell with the dragon these cast downe by the dragon 4. These starres were cast downe by the dragon to the earth from mysticall heaven to mysticall earth but those Angels were cast downe by GOD from heaven into hell where they are reserved in chaines of darknesse to the judgement of the great day and both taken in their proper acceptation But this place is an allusion to Dan. 8. â—0 where Antiochus Epiphanes a type of Antichrist is said to cast the starres unto earth and tread upon them where he calleth by the name of the Host of heaven those whoÌ„ our Euangelist calleth the starres of heaven that is the Ministers and Pastors of the Church called by this name as we have declared verse 1. 1. As they are set in their orbes by God and receive their light from the Sunne and move in their certaine order and station so are these set in their severall stations to keepe the watch of the Lord by a perpetuall decree so long as day and night succeed one another 2. As they shine in the darknesse of the night so doe these give light to the Church in the darke night of this world partly by doctrine and partly by holy example Matth 5. 14 Ye are the lights of the world and the light of the starres is not for themselves 3. As starres are eminent and in high place above the earth so the Pastors and Teachers are in eminency as
their pleasure hee calleth them all by their right names Object What need we care for them seeing God is so carefull Sol. Provoke not God to remove them 1. See the neede of starres for illumination warmth moisture refrigeration by them discerne seasons of grace guide thy course on the sea of this world starres were made not for ornament onely but for use heate influence 2. Make use of their light some hate the light as of commets portending evill to them and blesse themselves from them 3. Reioyce in their light constantly not as the Iewes did in Iohn that counted him a light for a season men receive Preachers as new Starres or Commets gaze a while but care not how soone they be wasted The second effect by which the dragon is described is by his mischievous attempt against the woman as the former was against the starres this effect is set downe 1. By his action he stood before the Woman 2. His intention to devoure the childe when it was brought forth I. In his action observe two things 1. What it is to stand before the woman 2. How he standeth before her 1. To stand before the woman is an allusion to the ancient Story both of the dragon standing before Eve the woman that is the mother of the world and of the Church to seduce her as also of Pharaoh called the dragon of Aegypt watching the destruction of the male children of the Church so soone as the mothers should bee delivered of them to which places out of doubt the text hath reference This standing before the woman implieth two things 1 His readinesse and nearnesse as one at hand narrowly watching observing to assault and destroy the blessed seed 2. His instance and diligence in the purpose hee departs not farre nor long but standeth and abideth proceedeth and persisteth in his mischievous purpose and intention against the Church and members he standeth still but not idle 2. How he standeth before her and that is two wayes 1. By fraud and secret trechery he layeth traines out of sight for her hurt and by flattery seeketh to bring and lure her into his snare 2. By open force and violence to subdue such as by secret traines he cannot allure II. His intention to devoure the childe hee seemeth to doe nothing lesse but the Spirit of God uncaseth him sheweth us the true end of all his couÌ„sels and indeavours Let the dragon dissemble never so much friendship as to Eve in eating his minde is murderous for hee standeth not afore us to abridge us of our liberty or goods or outward comfort onely but his direct aime is to compasse our death and destruction of soule and body Quest. But what had the child done or when should he devoure it Sol. He watcheth the destruction of it before it be borne if the woman miscary not in bringing forth some abortive birth then he bestirreth himselfe to destroy the young and tender birth so soone as it taketh breath in the Church Where in the dragon note three things 1. The groundednesse and setlednesse of malice in the nature of the dragon who out of his wickednesse unstirred and unprovoked carrieth deadly wrath against the children of the Church There is a naturall enmity and antipathy betweene the seed of the dragon and the seed of the woman for what can the childe doe against him before hee is borne 2. The policy of the dragon who will not suffer the womans children to grow up to strength and stature but will oppresse them even in the biâ—â—â— or as soone as they are borne while they are tender and least able to resist hee knoweth the fittest time to blast grace is in herba in the cradle in the beginnings 3. The implacablenesse of this savage dragon whose pittilesse disposition nothing can move not infancy not tendernesse not innocency not causelesnesse nothing can pleade or prevaile for a drop of compassion nay these rather cause and stirre up his wrath and kindle his rage and fury more against them and this is the enemy with whom we have to deale whom Gods spirit hath thus graphycally and punctually described that we might stand so much the more watchfully and preparedly against him So soone as any childe commeth to bee borne of the Church Satan watcheth by all means to destroy him 1 Pet. 5. 8. Satan as a roaring Lyon seeketh whom to devoure The principall businesse of Satan in the world hath ever been to take out of the way and to destroy vijs modis by secret fraud or open force all that should bee spiritually begotten of the Church especially such as should stand up to maintaine the religion of Christ. How Herod the dragon stood before the woman seeking to slay the childe Iesus so soone as he was borne appeareth Mat. 2. 16. hee could not hinder his holy conception his quickning birth but his hope is to devoure him being borne the same fury he sheweth to the members and to come to that our text aimeth at how the dragon by the heathen Roman Emperours and bloody Tyrants Nero Domitian Trajan and the rest did by most cruell Edicts torments and unheard of punishments and persecutions stand in the whole Empire with the greatest vigilancy that might bee to swallow up whatsoever Christian should be borne in the Church utterly to extirpate all Christians and extinguish the Christian faith is manifest in every leafe and line of that bloody Story But especially the dragon by those tyrants watched and observed most diligently lest any defender of the Christian faith either in Magistracy or Ministery should spring up in so much that if any President or Governour was more moderate or lesse rigorous against ChristiaÌ„s he was presently devoured by the dragon as a favourer or childe of the woman His incessant labour to hinder the glory of God for whereas the glory of a King is the multitude of his subjects he cannot abide that Gods glory should bee increased by the increase of the subjects of his Kingdome He is the Arch-tyrant and head of all tyrants in the world and setteth up and holdeth up his kingdome by tyranny and injustice and as Attaliah could never thinke her selfe stable in her usurped authority till she had slaine all the Kings seed 2 Kin. 11. 1. so this monster of tyrants and scourge of the world thinketh his kingdome can never bee sure and stable if he kill not all the Kings seed the sonnes of this woman the Church His extremâ— hatred of the true religion the true service of God amongst the Israelites was an abomination to the Aegyptians and therefore like dragons they oppressed them The dragon never ceaseth to hinder or corrupt the purity of Gods worship or to persecute whom he cannot hinder Let Israel but talk of going to worship in the wildernesse the hellish Pharaoh presently begins to rage to augment the burthens and never cease his unjust vexation till himselfe cease to
is a Catholique heresie against the whole foundation 2. There is but one way to eternall life by Jesus Christ stray out of this way and you runne most assuredly to perdition 3. Esteeme the truth above wealth peace or life it selfe because God hath magnified it above all things 4. Consider the force of errour as the secret working of poison and who they be that are given up to Antichristian lies and delusions 2. Thess. 2. 10. 5. Considering the danger of the times and the businesse of the limbes and agents of Antichrist beware of three things 1. Of false prophets who come in sheepes cloathing and call themselves Catholique Doctors Know them by their fruits their seditions warres treasons massacres stabbing of Princes powder-plots arming of subjects against their undoubted Soveraignes c. They are locusts spoiling invading and eating up kingdomes 2. Beware of the leven of popery of their impudent and lying bookes which they spred boldly and busily of curious and alluring pictures and all false arts to deceive us 3. Beware of conversing with such too much out of desire to please some Touch no pitch In a word Remember what yee have beene taught concerning the whore of Babylon how you have beene called out of her what destructions they have provided for us and what plagues God hath provided for them This of the first point 2. Note this that wheresoever Jesus Christ the great Michael commeth there the Dragon is throwne to the ground and cast from his state and power This seed of the woman breakes the serpents head This lyon of the tribe of Judah conquers and casts downe the roaring lyon both in himselfe and his members This Michael is hee that sits on a white horse and hath a bow in his hand Revel 6. 2. that is the word of the Law and Gospell whence hee shoots deadly arrows to wound his enemies Psal. 45. 6. And to him is given a triumphant crowne beeing the King of glory and he goeth out conquering that hee may overcome The proofe hereof appeares by considering the two wayes of Michaels comming Hee comes 1. In person 2. In Spirit 1. Michael in the dayes of his flesh and infirmity in his owne person encountred all the devils hand to hand subdued all the devills he met withall and healed all that were oppressed with the devill Yea if there were a legion in one man hee made them come running and couching and begging forbearance Hee imposed them silence by a word and by the same cast them out of their hold 2. Hee comes in spirit by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell by which Sathan was so bound up and cast out of his rule that the exorcists could no longer practise their devillish arts Act. 8. 8. when the Gospell was preached in Samaria the great power of Simon Magus which had madded the people vanished and came to nothing Act. 16. 16. The spirit of the Pythonisse was driven away at Philippi by the Gospell preached by Paul Act. 19. 18. After the Ephesians had received the Gospell they burnt their magicall bookes and had no more to do with those devillish arts That is famous which Suidas reporteth of the oracle of Apollo when Augustus Cesar under whom Christ was borne asked who should rule after him no answer was given but this The Hebrew child who is King over the gods commands mee to leave this Temple and get mee to hell now therefore go quietly from these our altars To which wee will adde that of Porphyrie a deadly enemy of Christ and a scoffer of Christian religion who as Eusebius cites him hath these words Nowadaies men marvell that our city is so many yeares together annoyed with the pestilence whereas Esculapius and the other gods are farre gone away from it For since this Iesus is worshipped we can get no benefit by the gods One reason of the point is taken from the end of Christs comming which was to dissolve the works of the devill 1. Ioh. 3. 8. to shake downe his kingdome and destroy his power All the worke and office of Christ is but to cast out the Dragon The strong man had bound all mankinde hand and foot 1. From doing good 2. Unto punishment for doing evill 3. From helping our selves Now a stronger then hee commeth and looseth the prisoners that were bound his office being partly to preach liberty to the captives by his doctrine and partly to open the prison doores by his merit and obedience Another reason is taken from the power of his person who is God and man as God he hath absolute power and soveraigne command over all creatures even the same joint power with the Father and the Holy Ghost infinite uncreated omnipotent As mediator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man hee is by his office exalted at the right hand of God above all names and principalities to whom the Father hath committed and by whom hee executeth all power in heaven and earth for the Father ruleth all by the Sonne Hence is his title Lord of Lords and King of Kings Revel 17. 14. The Angell said Hee shall be great Luke 1. 32. And so hee was for hee is the greatest in respect 1. Of his person 2. Of his office 3. Of his kingdome and command over all Hence must it follow that the power armory and skill of the dragon is but impotency folly and weaknesse compared to Michael and must be hopelesse to prevaile unlesse hee could bring also into the field divine power and eternall majesty The third reason is taken from the powerfull meanes with which Christ commeth armed and furnished against the Dragon and these are five 1. A powerfull death which is of more strength than the lives of all men and Angels Hebr. 2. 14. By death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devill Iohn 12. 31. Now is the Prince of the world cast out But how by Christs lifting up upon the Crosse for he saith If I be lifted up This Michael hath spoyled principalities and powers upon his Crosse That is the Charriot of triumph there hee tormented the devils while they tormented him there they crucified themselves more than him and as Haman there they reared a Gibbet for their owne execution 2. A powerfull resurrection wherein he mightily declared himselfe the Sonne of God Rom. 1. 4. a worke passing all created power either to doe or hinder from being done for whereas his powerfull death was properly the death of sinne wherein the dragon ruled so his powerfull resurrection overcomes the world hell the grave in all which the dragon before tyrannized for hereby hee applyeth that salvation which by his death he merited hee maintaineth that salvation which he had formerly procured and hereby raiseth up all his members to eternall life at the last and great day of his appearing 3. A powerfull Ministery for the conversion of persons and nations and casting the dragon out of
Aegypt that went before it the darknesse was most grievous and so is this no plague in the world before this was comparable to it 2. The Lord restrained from them not the light of the Sunne onely but of fire and Candle and withdrew his blessing and comfort from all his creatures so in this spirituall Aegypt and Antichristian Kingdome is a miserable palpable blindnesse they see nothing of Christ savingly nor of the Scriptures which witnesse of him nor of sound interpreters the Candles in the CHVRCH consuming themselves to give others light nor are guided or comforted by the Spirit who is as fire warming and inlightning beleevers God hath laid a curse on all their means of light that they get no sound or saving light from them no not their greatest schollers unlesse they bee enlightned to sinne against their consciences 3. Yet had the Israelites light mingled among the Aegyptians Even so the true Church hidden in Babylō hath light and knowledge and great blessing on weak means though the Aegyptian cannot discern or see it as among our selves a Recusants house hath nothing but darknesse and superstitious ignorance when a Protestants house perhaps next to it hath light of knowledge holinesse and saving grace 4. That darknesse was next to the death of their first-borne even so here the pale horse followes the blacke Revel 6. 8. and this darknesse fore-runnes everlasting darknesse in hell as that did death in the Aegyptians houses But with this difference that this is a more miserable darknesse 1. In the kinde because it is spirituall as it is called Aegypt spiritually a blinde body is miserable a blinde soule is damnable 2. That was a darknesse of the ayre but not of their eyes this is of both and the blackest darknesse is within them as theirs was without them 3. The Aegyptians by their darknesse knew the benefit of light the better and saw their plague and mourned under it but these Aegyptians are pleased with their darknesse and fight against the light the more and are not more fearefull or watchfull against any thing than that the light should peepe in amongst them Thirdly next as Antichristian Apostasie is blackest so is it most generall of all heresies even the Catholike heresie into which all other heresies of the New Testament runne as into a sinke One cals it an abridgement of all old heresies For it is not against any one Article of faith as other particular heresies are but First against the holy Scripture which is the Scepter of Christ infinitely disgracing it calling it a nose of waxe a sheathe for every sword insufficient obscure the booke that makes heretikes and The Scriptures have no authority but from thē no sense but from them they forbid the reading of them they preferre Apocryphals traditions Church-determinations above them c. Secondly against the whole Gospell which is a doctrine of free justification and salvation by the onely righteousnesse and merits of Christ imputed by faith but they teach to seeke salvation in our owne merits and satisfactions here or hereafter Thirdly against the whole person and offices of Christ They appoint infinite Priests to repeate his onely sacrifice a number of mediators against this one Mediatour that men may bee heard by their prayers and saved by their merits They appoint the Pope a King of Kings by whom all Kings raigne who hath all power in heaven and earth yea the Head and Husband of the Church which is proper to Christ. Fourthly against all the foundation of religion and Catechisme For although they hold in word and outward profession the Creed of the Apostles the Lords Prayer the words also of the ten Commandements yet indeed and by direct consequent they reverse and renounce every Commandement of the tenne every Article of the twelve if wee except that of the Trinity and every Petition of the sixe as sundry godly writers have cleared and my selfe have in a readinesse to prove Thus of Antichristianisme considered in it selfe II. Now consider the tyranny of it comparatively with the tyranny of temporall enemies and the wrath will bee infinitely greater and that in three respects 1. For secrecy of working 2. For transcendency of the danger 3. For hopelesnesse of recovery Of the first open mischiefe a man may avoid or prepare for but here is a more secret and undiscernable mischiefe a great adversary but slie and under a contrary profession of friendship the greatest wounder of Christian Faith under pretext of Christian Faith whether wee consider his person or his worke For his person hee is a sonne of perdition a sonne must resemble his father the dragon his father buildeth up his Kingdome rather by fraud than by force so doth his eldest sonne Antichrist Hence is this great Adversary compared to a Whore who hunteth the precious life of man not by open force but by secret and faire pretenses sugred speeches and alluring flatteries shee hath a cup in her hand full of abominations the draught is deadly poyson but shee hath put it in a golden cup Revel 13. 11. the second beast which is Antichrist speakes like the dragon that is breathes out devillish doctrines and thundereth hellish curses against the true Professors of Christian Faith but hath two hornes like the Lambe that is a counterfeit shew of humility and meeknesse For his worke it must bee a mysterie of iniquity Hee must sit in the Temple of God hee must not bee a Turke to destroy by fire and sword and open defiance of Christ the profession of Christianity but an Herodian who pretending to worship him intendeth to kill him Hee must denie Christ to bee come in the flesh but in a mysterie not openly and directly for then all Christians would abhorre him and renounce him but indirectly and by expresse consequence and saith the Father Whosoever denyeth Christ in his deeds the same is an Antichrist Of the second this tyranny of Antichrist is more inward spirituall than the furious persecutions of other tyrants and inward plagues are a thousand times more deadly than outward It is true that as the dragon is extremely tyrannous against the bodies of Saints so is Antichrist but yet the cruelty of both is more spirituall than temporall and aymeth more at the death of the soule than the body and it is most true that one saith Open tyrannies and outward oppressions are torments of sinfull men but these inward are the increasers of sinnes and vices Pharaohs hard heart was a more deadly stroke than all the ten plagues beside It was a more grievous plague to give up the Idolatrous Gentiles to their owne lusts and vile affections Rom. 1. then to give over the Idolatrous Samaritans to bee torne with Lyons 2 Kings 17. Let heathen tyrants come upon a Christian they can take but his externall lower and sensitive part but let this Ecclesiasticall tyrant come hee winneth the highest towers and faculties of man his minde judgement affections
and his Apostles as by the Scripture wee are ready to cleare in all points and therefore wee have true succession of persons whether wee can name them or not By which reason wee bring them backe to the matter and cause whence they are willing to slide by bringing us unto persons 2. I answer If wee were not so able as by Gods grace we are to answer them calling for names this were not to bee laid to the charge of our religion but of theirs seeing the craft and tyrannie of their Antichristian Synagogue hath made our search more laborious For they have chased the Church into the wildernesse and forced her to hide her selfe out of sight and then aske us for all those names that fled into the wildernesse and lived and dyed there many hundred yeares since They burne the persons and records and then call us to account to shew them their murders They oppressed their persons as heretikes and suppressed their workes as hereticall and used all cruelty and craft to extinguish their names and memories for ever and now shamelesly they call upon us to put life into all those asnes whose blood their cruell hands have spilt upon the face of the whole earth And whereas the names which they call for are to bee had out of history themselves by falsification of all Antiquity and story and by shamelesse purging of all bookes from all truth which might make against them have made this taske more difficult and themselves not more insolent than fraudulent 3. I answer that there was never any age since Christ wherein our religion in what it is substantially contrary to Popery was not taught and professed must needs bee more ancient than the now Roman faith yea the only true Catholike faith from which theirs is a Catholike Apostasie This assertion they have proved abundantly 1. By Doctor White in his Way to the Church Digress 52. where hee hath cleared that from the yeare 600. before which there was no substantiall or fundamentall innovation received into the Church though some corruptions were creeping in before till the present age there was no halfe age wherein hee nameth not sundry the Teachers and Professors of our religion and resisters of the Papacie while it was in the shell Mee thinkes the Jesuites should answer something to those names before they call for more 2. The same is further cleared by one of themselves whose witnesse is the stronger because it was the testimony of an enemy and Inquisitor as is judiciously noted by that learned and worthy Bishop Doctor Vsher in his booke de statu Ecclesiae cap. 6. pag. 151. There were saith Reinerius the Inquisitor many sects of heretikes in times past but none ever were more pernicious to the Church of God than that of the Waldenses or pooremen of Lions for three causes 1. Because of the continuance of it sor some say it was from Sylvesters time and some say it was from the Apostles themselves 2. Because it was more generall for there is almost no land wherein it doth not spread and creepe 3. Because all other by some foule blasphemy against God make men abhorre them but this hath a great shew of piety for they live justly before men and beleeve all well concerning God and all the Articles which are contained in the Creed onely they blaspheme and hate the Roman Church and the multitude is easily drawne to beleeve them This is the testimony of a Popish Inquisitor Whence I inferre thus If these men held the whole body of religion now maintained in the Reformed Churches and the same positions against the Roman religion which wee doe as is undeniable by their Confessions Catechismes and Commentaries upon the grounds of religion manifest as else where so especially in that late and worthy booke intituled Luthers fore-runners or The history of Waldenses strangely reserved by God for these times the same also is apparent in the Articles objected against them by the Inquisitors set downe by Papists themselves and for which these godly Martyrs lost their lives by hundreds and thousands If they were so ancient as from the Apostles or Sylvester a circumstance not to bee contemned If they were of such just life and sound beliefe as the enemy reports them to bee If they were so many in number and so dispersed into all Countries and so assisted as none durst stop them for the multitude of their favorites If Reinerius himselfe say true that himselfe being often in the Inquisition and present at their examination found forty Churches in his walke infected with that sect and in one Parish of Cammach were ten open schooles of them If at one time were observed eight hundred thousand persons that made profession of the faith of the Waldenses I would now aske a Jesuite whether his fellow hath not named him persons enough in all ages of such as ever since Christ held and maintained and sealed with their blood our faith and religion And whether any credit is henceforth to bee given to his fellowes who say that our religion was never heard of in the world till Luther and was but sixe yeares old when King Edward the sixt dyed but every thing is nourished by that whereof it is bred and their religion being a compact of lies must bee upheld by lying whereof it is framed 4. I answer There was never any age since Christ in which the Popes Headship the maine pillar of Popery hath not beene resisted as hereticall and contrary to Orthodoxe religion The Jesuites have names enough in that learned booke of Doctor Crakenthorpe entitled Of the Popes temporall Monachy who as if hee had intended to prevent the Papists unreasonable demaund of names hath cleared by many names in every Century since Christ that the Popes temporall authority was resisted and by whom and that the sandy foundation of it namely the pretended donation of Constantine is but a fiction and a trick of a false finger by which Popery hath beene through outfacing supported a long time I need hold no Candle to this Torch onely I wish the Jesuites to answer those names before they call for more or else they must goe shorter by the head 5. There was never any age since Christ in which the Pope was not detected and proclaimed to bee Antichrist before his appearing implicitè and after it explicitè and expresly This I have ready to prove by names in al ages since Christ in way of cōfutation of a Jesuites booke sent to mee to review who impudently affirmeth that Luther was the first that called the Pope absolutely Antichrist 1. The Church is ever safe as the Arke on a world of waters Christ is the Pilot. 2. None can take her out of his hands Iohn 10. he is stronger than all 3. He knowes who are his and where and how to deliver them 4 Quod inimici in perniciem machinantur deus convertit in adjutorium feare not the tumults of
of the Primitive Church under persecution were by Plinius Secundus an heathen Philosopher justified and discharged of all the foule things devised against them even to Trajan that persecuting Emperor as in these words of his letter The whole summe of that sect consists in this that they use at certaine times to convent before day and sing hymnes to Christ their God and confederate among themselves to absteine from all theft murder and adultery to keepe their faith and defraud no man which done then to depart for that time and after that to resort againe to take meat in companies both men and women and yet without any act of evill about the yeare of Christ 100. So did Aristides a Philosopher in Athens justifie the same poore Christians from those horrible slaunders in an oration before the Emperor Hadrian in the yeare 120. And many such examples the story affordeth But our text speaking of after times in the tyranny of Antichrist wee want not a number of instances amongst themselves falsifying their owne wicked slaunders against the Professors of true Religion We have heard Reynerius a great Inquisitor justifying the Waldenses that they lived justly before men and beleeved all well concerning God and all the articles which are conteined in the Creed To the same effect answered the Visitors of K. Lewis 12. of France and of Francis 1. which made one of them sweare that they were a better people then he or his people See many instances of many adversaries of the woman giving honourable reports of her enforced thereto by force of truth it selfe in hist. Waldens lib. 1. cap. 5. 3 The floods of cruell edicts and decrees cast out of the mouth of the dragon were often swallowed and hindred by earthly occasions and incumbrances which rise among the wicked and inhabitants of the earth themselves and the Lord ordinarily ordereth the counsells and quarrells of his enemies among themselves every one having his owne speciall ayme so as shal be good for the Churches escape As Paul got free by casting a bone betweene the Pharises and Sadduces So the Church escapeth often while bones of quarrells and contention are cast betweene wicked Princes In the yeare 1526. Charles 5 Emperour and Francis 1. King of France agreed to joyne all their power and forces and raise a flood wholly to carry away the woman and root out every where the mention of Lutheran Religion but the earth holpe the woman for the Pope himselfe intending their destruction as fiercely as they on other occasions brake the league and made the Emperour so much businesse in Italie that he professed by publique writing that the Pope was in the fault that he had not wholly suppressed the heresie of Lutherans Thus while the wicked plague the ungodly the Church hath some rest and breathing from their wicked decrees as in one other instance appeares anno 1530. For what a cruell edict did the Emperor Charles 5. thunder against the Professors of the Gospell that every one feared to be quite carryed away by that flood which rose out of the dragons mouth at the Dyet of Ausperg But see how God commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow this flood that it should not hurt but helpe the woman Instantly the Turke as if he had beene earryed by the haire of his head came into Austria invading the Empire and now it was no time to wish the Emperor to graunt peace to the Protestants against the former edict that he might obteine of them ayde against the Turke the common enemie of Christendome In the greatest dangers of the Church she shall alwaies have some helpe and though she be much pressed she shall not be oppressed Wee see many floods may rise up and swell as a spring-tide to carry her away but they cannot drowne her The same was typified in that horrible persecution of Antiochus who when he was most raging and made most havocke in the Church yet was the woman holpen with a little help Dan. 11. 34. God stirred up Mattathias and his sonnes who were but an handfull to Antiochus his army and so prospered their small helpe that the cruelty and tyranny of that monster was stayed for the time Even so in the highest floods of Antichrist of whom Antiochus was a most eminent type the poore woman hath ever had a little helpe 1 Because of the presence of God who sitteth on the floods whose presence with the Church makes her safe Esa. 43. 2. â—eare not Iacob thou art mine there is the ground of safety in the covenant of God when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the floods that they do not overflow thee c. If his promise faile not he must be with his in the hotest fires of persecution and in the most unpassable floods of calumnies and here sies 2 Gods wakefull providence and protection ever deviseth and affordeth some helpe Moses was cast on the waters but God provides him a basket to helpe him out Ionas was cast into the sea God provides a Whale to carry him out Noah was tossed on a world of floods but God became pylot and he that shut him in helped him out And as the great flood could not drowne the Arke but the earth at length swallowed and dryed it up much lesse can these lesser floods drowne the Arke of the Church on which Gods protection is no lesse 3 Christs headship ever affords some helpe A man cannot drowne so long as his head is aloft let him be in never such deepes Christ the head of the Church is ever aloft and cannot sinke If al the floods that ever were cast out of the mouth of the dragon could have carryed him away then had they more easily carried away his body the Church but they could not sinke or drowne him therefore is she safe 4 The Church can pray in faith and the prayer of faith is a strong cable and sure meanes of her safety and stayeth her till seasonable helpe come Psal. 32. 6. Therefore shall every godly man pray and then surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come neare him Ionah prayed in the floods of great waters and was safe being coÌ„passed with waves weeds rockes and mountaines chap. 2. 1. Thesefore is the Church unmooveable and shall so continue to the end of the world seeing no flood shall carry her away and God whose she is is never wanting never wearie in helping her He had saved her from the dragon by raysing up a man-child he saved her the second time by hiding her and now the third time he drawes her out of the floods which intended to drowne her so as earth and hell wearie themselves in vaine in devising to overthrow her The more impudent the Papists who say we teach that the Church fayled from off the earth all the time of Antichrist for the space of a thousand
1. By their paucity The remnant of her seed 2. By their property twofold 1. They keepe the Commandements of God 2. They have the testimony of Iesus Christ. First of the dragons wrath and warre then of the persons against whom In the former 1. What kinde of warre this is 2. With whom The kinde of warre will appeare if wee consider the Captaine and the weapons The Captaine of this warre under the dragon who is Generall of the field is described in Chap. 13. 1. and 7. The Beast whom the Euangelist so calleth rather than the Bishop of Rome or rather a succession of them because hee is a Prophet here not a Doctor these spake plainly they enigmatically especially in arguments dangerous and envious Besides if hee had plainly named him hee had not left it a mysterie so deepe This beast riseth out of the sea that is out of those very floods which the dragon cast out of his mouth after the woman namely of herefies superstitions traditions abominations and wicked constitutions and decrees against the truth and professors which enthroned Antichrist and set him in his Chaire He hath seven heads a monstrous Hydra sits on seven hils and hath gotten seven kindes of government into his hand and ten hornes hee hath the power of ten Kings to uphold him Hee hath on his heads the name of blasphemy not in open profession for hee will disclaime it in word but in deed and truth brings into the Church and maintaines under glorious titles of Headship blasphemous doctrines religion and idolatrous worship so it is expressed Verse 6. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God and his Tabernacle and those that dwell in heaven 1. He opposeth himselfe against all that is called God challengeth all that God can doe hee can create and that his Creator he cannot erre he can make something of nothing hee can make Gods Word of authority or no authority hee can make Kings and transferre kingdomes he shewes himselfe as if hee were God and suffers his flattering Canonists to stile him God Oh high blasphemy 2. Hee blasphemeth the Tabernacle of God that is the Church of God resembled by the Tabernacle challenging to bee the head the husband the Lord of it oppressing it with tyranny infecting it with heresie blaspheming and condemning for arch-heretikes all that yeeld not to his blasphemies And if by the Tabernacle of God wee meane the body of Christ as some doe what more horrible blasphemy against it then to undertake to create many thousands every day out of a few pieces of bread to sacrifice to eate and destroy it at their pleasure 3 He blasphemeth all that are in heaven that is the Saints in the heaven upon earth stiling them heretickes schismatickes rebells the most wicked of al men unworthy of common light aire or any society or sufferance in the earth In the 7. verse it is given to this beast the dragon seales his Commission to make warre with the Saints alluding to his type that little horne Antiochus Dan. 7. 21. an eminent figure of the Roman Antiochus that is said to make war with the Saints and prevaile against them So as this prophecy is meant of the warres of Antichrist against the Saints and is manifest by the time of 42. months the time that the woman was hid in the wildernesse This of the Captaine The weapons also are answerable to the warre which is twofold Ecclesiasticall and Civill in ordine ad spiritualia So the beast hath two swords One is spirituall by which he wounds the soules and consciences of men and that for their consciences This sword is his Canons Constitutions Councells deceitfully called Decretalls doctrines of devills heresies the Popes head-ship Jesuitisme the sharpest point of it sophisticate distinctions sleights of equivocations cursings anathemaes excommunications damnatory proscriptions damnable Bulls and Breves degradations condemnations Popish absolutions for murders of Parents and Princes canonization of Traitors and the like enamilings of his spirituall sword The other is the secular sword with which he layes about him to force the obedience and subjection to the former This is his tyrannicall inquisition Guisian massacres English powder-plots pistolls poniards poisons fire sword insurrections rebellions invasions Armadoes treasons slaughters butcheries of Princes and people Kings and kingdomes that yeild not themselves as slaves to his beastly authority And this of the kind of warre The persons with whom it is waged will further open it that is the remnant of her seed namely such of the faithfull who when al the publique assemblies were openly corrupted by Antichristian Idolatry yet retained the ancient faith and stept out sometimes to make profession of the same The beast could no sooner meet with them or finde them out but presently he brandished his sword againstthem whether they were 1 Kings that ruled not according to the Popes rules who were warred against as tyrants or 2 Pastors and Bishops who taught not according to the Popes decrees with whom the Pope warred as against heretickes or 3 Private persons called lay-men who lived not according to the Popes lawes these he warred against as out-laws and excommunicate persons In a word seeing the dragon could not now make warre against whole congregations as formerly he had done for now in the darke times of Antichrist they appeared no where he watched if he could find any of the remnant of the seed any scattered and dispersed Saints who privately as they could exercised the pure worship of God who kept themselves to the comaundement of God in freeing themselves from the abominations idolatries and superstitions of Popery and who had the testimony of Jesus sqâ—aring their consciences to the written word and would not receive the Popes Laws traditions and decretalls for Articles of Faith These were made meat for the sword of the Beast excited by the dragon to make warre with the remnant of the womans seed Of the wrath of the dragon wee have spoken before which admits no truce as also of the renewing of his assaults though he be never so foyled in them Only now in this wrath of the dragon which is continued against the woman hid in the wildernesse note that Wicked men hate and malice the godly whom they never knew nor saw as the dragon the woman now out of sight Hest 3. 6. Haman thought it a small thing to lay hands on Mordecai only but sought to destroy all the Jews yet he knew but few of them and only one of them Mordecai had offended him Pharaâ—h pursues al the Israelites though he knew but few and drownes all the males and Herod kills all the infants which he never saw and Balak calls Balaam to curse all the people of God 1 Because of the generall enmity put by God betweene the two seeds of the Woman and the serpent And hatred is of kinds not individualls only The wolfe hateth all lambes A man naturally hateth all serpents even those he
Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the testimony of any man Ioh. 5. 33. Answ. Christ is true God and his truth is the truth of God infallible more certaine and firme then al mens testimony And it were very unworthy that infinite should need finite or infallible should need fallible or that the author of truth should need authority from men In this sense Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the witnesse of any man as necessarie to himselfe or for his own part but that they might be saved partly for the weaknesse of men who cannot come to understand divine things without mens testimony or ministery and partly for their salvation which by men he promoteth He useth Iohns witnesse and calleth for the witnesse of the meanest beleever Now the reasons why every one of the remnant must give witnesse to Christ are these 1 Nothing that wee can do can more honor God and Iesus Christ then this Rom. 4. 21. Abraham was strong in faith and gave glory to God What or wherein can wee give greater glory to God then when our faith giveth him a witnesse of his great power truth and goodnesse even contrary to sense and reason as Abraham did 2 Nothing can more honour our selves then to be vouchsafed witnesses to God testifying his truth and the excellency of Gods holy religion both in word and conversation Were it not a great honour for a great Prince to call a meane subject to be a witnesse on his side for the opening of a truth that nearly in honour concernes him But this honor have all the Saints it being the office and function of the whole Church to be the ground and piller of truth the upholder and maintainer of that truth which upholdeth the honor of God himselfe What an honor was it that the Lord called in the whole Church of the Iewes to be witnesses on his side Esa. 43. 10. against all the heathens to testifie of his Omniscience in predictions of things to come which their gods could not do and of his Omnipotency in admirable workes done for them in the wildernesse in the sea in the land of his singular goodnesse and providence in innumerable mercies wherein they were advanced above all people of the earth Did the Lord need them to witnesse no but it was their honour to be vouchsafed such grace that whereas all the heathens witnessed to their idolls they of all people on the earth witnessed and celebrated the great and noble acts of God done among them 3 Nothing makes us liker to Christ our head that true and faithfull witnesse this was his speciall office to witnesse the truth as the redeemer of mankinde and the author of truth Ioh. 18. 37. For this cause was I borne and came into the world that I might testifie of the truth Even so every member of Christ is borne into the Church and commeth into the world of Beleevers to give witnesse unto the truth as being taught in the truth and as the redeemed of the Lord. 4 As nothing can make us liker to God so nothing is better pleasing unto God God the Father hath often and sundry wayes testified unto his Son First Sensibly and audibly in his baptisme and transfiguration also that he was the son of his love who had all his love cast upon him Secondly By the internall revelation of his Spirit in the hearts of beleevers as to Peter Mat. 16. 17 Flesh and blood hath not revealed this but my Father in heaven Thirdly and especially by the mission ministery of the Son himselfe Ioh. 3. 33. he that receiveth his testimony fealeth that God is true for he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God If wee desire to be like God or to please God we must herein imitate him as deare children Which serves for the reproofe of such as are afraid or ashamed of this testimony contrary to 2 Tim. 1. 8. Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Many will not testifie to Christ among poore men some because great men resist it some are afraid of the strictnesse of it some of the crosses some of the scornes of it and most because this witnesse would witnesse against their own contrary courses and men of little faith are dejected in small matters But such Christ wil be ashamed of in the day of his appearing and shall witnesse against them that he never knew them Such also are condemned as do contest against the witnessing of Christ. The world is full of false witnesses such as were suborned against Christ as First all false teachers that father that on Christ which he never spake as Papists or others that deny any article of faith and Christian Religion so the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. If the dead rise not againe we are false witnesses So to teach the doctrine of mans merit of free-will to good image-worship or the like is to be a false witnesse against Christ himselfe Secondly all unbeleevers that receive not this testimony whether such as scorne to heare the witnesses of Christ if they dislike the person they will none of the witnesse loth to drinke good wine because they like not the dish or such as heare sometime but beleeve not the witnesse this infidelity makes God a liar so farre as a wicked man can 1 Ioh. 5. 11. Thirdly such as contest against his witnesses to elevate their testimony for as in the dayes of his flesh there wanted not such as witnessed against himselfe in person that he was a drunkard a devill a friend to Publicans and sinners an enemie to Caesar a blasphemer so for the same end to weaken the authority of his witnesses there never wanted such as would witnesse against Iob that he was an hypocrite that Paul was a pestilent fellow a moover of sedition a preacher of false doctrin unworthy to live And can the devill devise so foule accusations or so slaunderous which his agents will not boldly urge against the witnesses of Christ to whose innocency godlinesse God himselfe witnesseth This also serveth to comfort 1 Poore Christians despised in the world God honors the poorest Beleever to be a witnesse to his truth and a poore mans testimony is as good even in mens Courts as a rich but much more before Gods tribunall 2 Such as suffer for this testimony losses reproaches and the contempt of the world Even wee lovingly respect such as suffer for their love to us in upholding our truth and innocency and much more doth the Lord see the promise for incouragement Mat. 19. 29. It is also a word of instruction that we frame and fit our selves to this witnesse Quest. How may that be Answ. To a good testimony is required a good witnesse and to a good witnesse must concurre these five things 1 Knowledge and certaine perswasion of the truth to which we are to testifie When Christ was to raise up witnesses to the truth of the Gospell he would have them his owne