A02436	----	The diuell of the vault. Or, The vnmasking of murther in a briefe declaration of the Cacolicke-complotted [sic] treason, lately discouerd: I.H. I. H., fl. 1616. 1606 Approx. 17 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 14 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A02436 STC 12568 ESTC S103574 99839325 99839325 3734 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A02436) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3734) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1175:04) The diuell of the vault. Or, The vnmasking of murther in a briefe declaration of the Cacolicke-complotted [sic] treason, lately discouerd: I.H. I. H., fl. 1616. Heath, John, Fellow of New College, Oxford, attributed name. [28] p. Printed by E. A[llde] for Nathnaiell [sic] Butter, and are to be solde at his shop neere Paules Churchyard, at Saint Austens Gate, London : 1616. Sometimes doubtfully attributed to John Heath. In verse. Inspired by the Gunpowder Plot. Printer's name from STC. Signatures: A-D⁴ (-A1, D4). Running title reads: The vnmasking of murther. Vertical chain lines. Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Catholic Church -- Controversial literature. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Early works to 1800. 2004-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-04 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-04 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE DIVELL of the Vault . OR , The vnmasking of Murther In a briefe declaration of the Cacolicke-complotted Treason , lately discouerd : Persius . Sat. 2. Ocuruae in terris animae , & caelestium inanes ! I. H. LONDON Printed by E. A. for Nathnaiell Butter , and are to be solde at his Shop neere Paules Churchyard , at Saint Austens Gate . 1606. To the Reader MVst I haue recourse in this apologeticall Proiect ; to intercept the snarling censure of calumniating Zoylus ; and intreate him to excuse mee for diuulging this monstrous Subiect in so naked a stile , and vnaccustomed straine : attribute it not altogether to the debility of my shallow capacitie : for I could haue inuested it with more polished roabes ( without ostentation ) had not the times breuitie prohibited my inuention , and other accidentall occurrences intercepted my intention : therefore vouchsafe aequi bonique consulere : seeing but some three houres limitation was exhibited vnto me ( vpon serious occasion ) for the composing of it , and because Non vacat exiguum tempus , to suprauise it , was so rough-hewne exposed to the Presse . ⸪ Farwell . I. H. The vnmasking of Murther : OR , A briefe declaration of the Cacolike-intended Treason , lately discouered . COME thou obdurate flintly heart , with mournings melt in twaine : To heare my weeping pen houle foorth , Melpomens Tragicke straine : So dreadfull , foule , Chymera-like , my Subiect must appeare : That heauen amaz'd , and hell disturb'd , the earth shall quake with feare . If murther , furies , fates and death , beclad with bloody weede : Would all concurre with Nights blacke houres , to plot some dismall deede : Let them but congregate themselues , and silent stand awhile : To draw deathes samplar from the sense , and sequel of my stile . Exstracted from the Stratagems , of Pope and Popish name : That euery letter in these lines , may Character his shame : Whose strict Religion grounded false , on proud rebellion stands ; Which dooth subborne his hel-bred troupe , with blood t' imbrue their hands . Whose faith 's but faction , though ore vail'd , with holy pure pretence : Suggesting men with doctrines damn'd , sell soules for Peter pence . These Tygrish blood-sworne Iesuites , Spanized Brittish slaues : Through errors darke poore Layicks leade , blindfold downe to their graues . Ambition boyling in their breastes , like Nylus raging floud : Bids them erect their cursed Church , on Prince and Peoples bloud . Which they in each precedent age , haue exercised so : As God and man , heauen , earth and all denounce against them , woe : Th' originall of putride Popes , from Murther first arose : For Phocas did Mauritius , by trecherous hand depose . And therin still perseuer'd haue , with Vultur-minded hate : Which would be to prolixious heere , to recapitulate . Glaunce but on stories pristinate , ( Murther in Myrrors see : ) And there perspicuously discerne what Romes religions be . No innouations , stratagems . Treachery gainst state or King , But Papists ranckt on Deaths black stage : as th' Actors still they bring . Yet Protestants they Tyrants tearme , who laugh to see men bleed : Pursuing them , their corps t'immure with Deaths cole pallide weed . But nere t' was read that Catholicke for Conscience lost his breath : But for Conspiracies gainst Kings , drag'd to immediate death . Nor euer heard ▪ that Protestant , his Princes bloud acquir'd : Nor by rebellious vproares rude , the Papists deaths conspir'd . For pregnant instance let 's suruay , those in-bred broyles of Fraunce : When they by barbarous butchery thought , their Papall Sect t' aduance . Where cursed Guize rang deaths alarmes , in deepe of silent Night : Protesting to the Protestants , for God and them to fight . But his intent farre dissonant , depriu'd them all of life : And massacred three thousand soules with Murthers slaughtring knife . There Papists tossed harmelese babes , vpon their speares sharpe point : Then did their wombes euiscerate , and teare them joynt from joynt . Dragging their wofull scritching mothers , through euery street by th' haire : Which to the neere adjacent Iles , did argue wondrous feare . Now let 's reuert and home retire , to view Queene Maries dayes : How Protestants by Popish plots , were murthered various wayes . Some rackt , expos'd to torments strange , some judg'd to stroke of sword : And many sacred Martirs burnt , for Christs soule-sauing word . Draw neerer to Elizaes Raigne , ( true Map of honor'd fame : ) Behold ▪ how Papists sought her death , to their nere ▪ sleeping shame . By Phylters , Poysons , and by sword , they stroue to worke her end : But gainst them all , heauens powerfull God , did still her life defend . Thus haue they left in by-past times such murdrous markes behind them : As we in these our moderne dayes , by strange experience finde them . Now let the deeds of th' vgly darke , stand as examinate With each immane prestigious plot , which were vnmaskt of late . A Trecherie so with bloud repleate , so Nero ▪ like deuis'd , As it through th'carths immensall Globe , nere can be equaliz'd . A fact ( for famous infamie , ) that Cyclops doth excell : By Papists shame on earth begun , neuer to end in hell . Let Rumor vent his flatuous cheekes , with Fames Pegatian speed : And through the spatious orbe diuulge their thrice accursed deed . From th'Articke , to th'Antarticke Pole , sound this through th' earths wide eares : Papists at once would haue consum'd Brittaines King , Prince , and Peeres . With mercy-wanting powder fir'd , to wound them with deaths blow : Yet whence their fatall doome was drawne , not any wight should know . At that selfe time when this complot should executed be : The like accurrence wondrous was displaied in Germanie . At Minden in Westphalia , ( as Fame diuulg'd of late ) Th'Electors seauen assemled were , to treate of publique state : They were no sooner congregate , into the Councell Hall , But straight a Sulphur-sauoring aire , their senses did appall . They with conjectures strange ytost , with feare disammate : Proroag'd their ponderous state-affaires , and rose from whence they sate . But ere these Dukes ( drown'd in suspence ) could to their Courts repaire ; Their Senate house with thundring noyse , was blowne vp in the ayre . Wherby th' adjacent strong-built Towers , were battred to the ground And men wrapt in Deaths pallide robes , with mangled corps were found . Thus ( as a prisoned Lyon staru'd runs roaring for his prey ▪ ) The Papists through large Europe ranged , the Protestants to sley . Arm'd with impetuous Toad-swolne hate , diffus'd from murthering hart : For France with vs and Germanie , had shar'd deathes bloudy part . Examplyfied by that complot , gain'st Burbon , the French King : Attempted by two Iesuites , as true report doth bring . Who lurking close on Paris bridge , like blacke incarnate Fiends ; Their glowing eyes bewraying still , their murther-plotting mindes . Attended there like fatall Owles , the Serjants of sterne death : As he with 's courtly traine should passe to stop his vitall breath . No sooner he approched was , in pompe and regall state ; But one of them with poysoned knife , strooke him with furious hate . Yet mans great Gouernor did so , infatuate his arme : That penetracting through his clothes , on 's body wrought no harme . But when this Deuill quite frustrate saw , his bloudy hopes successe : Resolu'd t' haue smooth'd his horride crime , with forged Frenzinesse . Thus deem'd these cursed Catilines , t' affirme their vowes with bloud : And turne large Europes siluer streames to purple lakes of bloud . But God his great'st omnipotence , in deepest danger showes : And metamorphiz'd their deseignes , to their owne ouerthrowes . Heauen 's graunt , that these perfidious plots , Popes Period may portend : And that Romes Hydra headed sect , may haue conclusiue end . The triuial Prouerbe then pronounc'd to murdering slaues ; is this : Thou art almoste so bloud-bestain'd , as a damn'd Papist is . Let Christian hearts hold them at gaze , as Nights Sun-shining Owles , Are wondred at by warbling Birds , and light-embracing Fowles . What dismall terror had it beene , to each teare-trickling eye : To view dismembred corps dispers'd , and dissipated lye . To see such royall and Noble shapes , blowne vp in th'whisking ayre , Heere armes , there legges , disseuered quite , lie mangled euery where . Some ston'd with feare , some raging runne , some volley foorth shrill cries : T' appall blacke hell , amaze the earth , and penetrate the skies . Some swift persue wars murmuring noise , be clad with clashing armes : Some fir'd with furie entertain'd , Rebellions fierce alarmes . Then many headed multitude , confused flocke together : As though Deuils , furies , grizly ghosts , were all assembled thither . To see the strengthlesse sucklings braines , bedasht gainst flinty stones : And pampred Palfreyes steele strong hoofes , strike fire on dead mens bones . Some wounded deadly , dead-aliue , liuing crie out for death : Some dying liue , some liuing dye , and gape for liuelesse breath . Some groueling wallow on the earth , in blood halfe suffocate : And euery streete be purplefied with goares coagulate . To see sterne Tyrants recking blades , bedide with Brittaines bloud : Hurling alongst the Channels , like a Scarlet coloured floud . To see mountaines of slaughtered men , whose crimson-tonged wounds : Gainst Papists , vengeance dread proclaime , with hideous dreadfull sounds . Confusion with hels horride howles , denounce grim deaths alarmes . While leane-fac'd Famine all ingirts , betwixt her icye armes . To view blacke Murther sans remorce , rush raging through each streete : Massacring with impartiall sword , the next he haps to meete . Then should each heau'n-affecting soule , by deepe destruction fall : The Preacher , Saint , religious man , merchant , mechanicke , all By Popish Sectaries , then should haue , beene drag'd to deathes darke Caues : Matrons defil'd , Virgins deflowr'd , by base vnhallowed slaues . One scud through strange Meandred paths , to some vast vaulted Caue : Another climbe some Rockie Mount , his desperate life to saue . Others more sterne , resolu'd t' indure , wars tyrannizing blowes : And all distract , enuiron'd with inexecrable woes . Then Britons Angel-garded gates , had opened to their hand : And entrance made for forraigne powers , to ruinate the land . Then had these sight-depriued Moales , ( who vndermin'd the ground : Peece-meale to riue the Parliament , with sense appalling sound ; ) Brought Gospellers and Protestants , to vndeserued shame : Diuulging by their forg'd declaimes , that they had wrought the same . Thereby t' incurre a generall grace , to steale the vulgars hearts : And by the blood of innnocence , to act deaths tragicke parts . O Catesby , Pierey , hels blacke fiends , these were your working frames ▪ So that each childe doth scritch with feare at mention of your names . These are the fatall accidents , that would from treason rise : Sought by the Papists damn'd designes and faithlesse fallacie . Thus would they gormandize mans bloud , with vnrelenting fell : Like Fiends rowz'd from the tenebrous deepes , of Sulphur-flaming hell . And fraught with vniuersall rage , gainst earth connex'd in one : Typhous-like hoisse Rocke on Rocke , Heau's great King to dis-throne . But he that from the Chaos darke , produc'd both life and light : Did explicate their plots compos'd , in th'adumbragious Night . And vrg'd them to reueale themselues , conceale they could not chuse : For murther still it selfe condemnes , fore truth stands out t' accuse . Remarke how God , with semblant plagues , their crimes recaliate : Who did with hels ambitious drugs , their soules inebriate . For they the death of Prince and Peere , by Powder did intend : So pittilesse powder did conspire , their neuer ending end . And those heads , which those engines fram'd , erected are on hic . Exploded from the sight of heauen , and loath'd of earthly eye . Therefore to Heauen 's Iehouah yeeld , all vniformall praise : Laudate sing with ioynt assent , his powerfull glory raise . Who hath preseru'd our liues , traduc'd , to direfull Harpies clawes : Exhal'd vs from the chaps of hell . and death's deuouring jawes . Thou great composer of earths frame , with Cherubs guard our King : And shroud him from conspiracies , with thy all-couering wing . Protect him from all forraine force , from home-bred broiles and jarres : And let the number of his daies , surmount the countlesse Stars . With courage simpathize his power , corroborate his armes : Prescribe the meanes t'infatuate Romes minacing alarmes . Inspire the hearts of Christian Kings , t'vnite their force in one : And drag that triple-crowned Beast , from out his monstrous rhrone . Europe can nere Heau'ns Requiem sing , with peacefull amitie : Till these bloud-bathed Romish Wolues , quite extirpated be . Then let each Christian subiugate , discute the papall yoke : And with a heau'n-bred high resolue , blinde haeresies reuoke . Vlisses-like t'heau'ns Mast adhere , when Popish Syrens sing : Confide not in Romes Crocadiles , who weeping , wound and sting . Let 's serue one God , one Gospell preach , one faith professe each one : That we may shine like glorious Stars , fore his maiesticke throane . That at the great and generall Doome , when Mortals rise from dust : We all may reape immortall Crownes , reserued for the iust . FINIS . 
A30424	----	A sermon preached at the Chappel of the Rolls on the fifth of November, 1684 being Gun-Powder-Treason day / by Gilbert Burnet. Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715. 1684 Approx. 26 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 15 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A30424 Wing B5880 ESTC R27240 09726092 ocm 09726092 44057 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A30424) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44057) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1351:14) A sermon preached at the Chappel of the Rolls on the fifth of November, 1684 being Gun-Powder-Treason day / by Gilbert Burnet. Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715. [2], 30 [i.e. 24] p. Printed for the author and are to be sold by R. Baldwin, London : 1684. Reproduction of original in the Cambridge University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Psalms XXII, 21 -- Sermons. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2003-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-10 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-12 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2003-12 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON Preached at the CHAPPEL OF THE ROLLS , On the Fifth of November , 1684. BEING GUN-POWDER-TREASON-DAY . By Gilbert Burnet , D. D. LONDON : Printed for the Author , and are to be Sold by R. Baldwin , in the Old-Baily Corner , upon Ludgate-Hill , 1684. THis Sermon as it was the shortest I ever preached , so was not at all intended for the Press ; but some Discourses that have been raised upon it , made me conclude , it was in some sort necessary to publish it for my own vindication . I have writ it out with all possible exactness and fidelity ; tho since I do not read my notes , nor repeat them word for word , I cannot answer that either in this or the other Sermons that I have printed , my pen has so governed , or followed my tongue , that there was no variation between them ; I am sure it is here printed as near the words I used , as I can remember them ; and in this I have not depended only on my own memory , but on several of my hearers , who hearkned to that Sermon with more than ordinary attention , and do think that it is very punctually set down here as I spake it . I am sure the last part of it , that presses Loyalty and Obedience , is not at all enlarged beyond what I not only preached in that Sermon , but on many other occasions , in which I appeal to all my Hearers . But I leave the Sermon to speak for it self , and me both ; and will refer it to every mans conscience that reads it , to judg whether or not I can be concluded from it to be a person disaffected to his Majesties Government . PSAL. XXII . 21. Save me from the Lyons mouth , for thou hast heard me from the horns of the Vnicorns . WE have no greater encouragement in our Addresses to God , than the remembrance of past deliverances ; and we never Worship him more decently , than when we mix our acknowledgments for what is past , with our Prayers for what is to come . So David here implores the Divine Protection in an extreme danger , which is poetically exprest , by the Lions mouth , the figure of a Lion importing the strength as well as the rage of his enemies ; and its mouth importing the nearness of the danger , which perhaps relates to the hazards he run of falling into the hands of Saul . And with this he gives the reason of his confidence in God , even in that Extremity ; because in some former dangers , which are expressed by the figure of being on the horns of the unicorn , or Rhinoceros , and so being ready to be tossed up , or torn by it , God had heard him . This perhaps relates to his deliverance from the Lion , and the Bear , or from Goliah . It is needless to enlarge more upon the words . Three things occur very naturally to our thoughts from them , with relation to this present occasion . The first is , the apprehension of danger from a formidable and cruel Enemy . The second is , a hope of preservation founded on former deliverances . And the third is , the mean that is here laid before us for our preservation ; it is prayer to God , that he may save us from the lions mouth , who has before heard us ( that is , in the Seripture-phrase delivered us ) from the horns of the unicorns . For the first Particular , I will use no Preambles , but plainly tell you , That it is the Church of Rome which I mean , that is both so strong and so cruel an Enemy ; and is as a Lion going about seeking how to devour all that differ from it . As for the Strength of this Enemy , it may be measured by the Empire which that Church has assumed , not onely over Mens Persons , but over their Consciences : This being indeed the Fundamental Doctrine of of that Church , of believing as the Church believes ; of delivering up Mens Reasons and Consciences to be led blind-fold into whatsoever Doctrines or Practices their Guides impose upon them ; and making them think , that to doubt of any of these is a Sin , and that therefore it must be opened to the Priest , and cannot be taken away , but by his leave , and Pardon given by him . The Mystery of Popery lies not so much in other Speculative Opinions , as in this main Point , That we ought not to trust neither our Reason nor our Senses in the examining such Articles as that Church proposes to us , but must take them all , and her Authority to boot , which determines all the rest , upon her own Word : So that the main thing in controversie between the Church of Rome and us , is , Whether we ought to inquire into the Will of God our selves , or must take it upon trust from our Guides ? A Church that has established such a Tyranny upon the tenderest Part of our Natures , our Reason , which is the most jealous of its Liberty , as well as the most desirous of it , no wonder if she takes it ill to see so sacred a Secret look'd into ; for , as it will not bear an Inquiry , so every Inquiry into it , is a Step towards the shaking it off . And therefore , as her Power is absolute over her own Votaries ; so she must bear an extreme Hatred to any that will be so impudent as to pretend , that their Understandings are exempted from her Yoke . Other things concur in that Church to confirm this Empire . The Belief of the Priests Power , both of Transubstantiating the Bread and the Wine , and of granting Absolution , makes it seem very reasonable to trust a Body of Men , that are so wonderfully qualified , with the Keeping and Conduct of other Mens Consciences . And after the most essential , as well as the most uneasily subdued Power of a Man was conquered , no wonder if the lesser Matters , such as Wealth and Dominion , should follow the other , as a sort of Perquisits . He that can forgive the Sins of the Living , and redeem the Souls of the Dead , will drive a sure Trade for himself ; for though it cannot be sure that what he does is ratified in Heaven ; yet the Belief of it , whether it gives Heaven to the Purchaser or not , is sure to bring the best part of this Earth to the Seller . Men do not return to tell that they were cheated in the Bargain , and to demand an Equity . On the contrary , in dark Ages nothing was more common than pretended Apparitions and Voices to confirm the Imposture ; which have vanished in an Age that is more apt to suspect and examine such things , as the Illusions of our Dreams fly from us whenever we are awake . But the Night was so long and so dark , that no wonder if so gainful a Trade was carried on with great success : And who would stand much upon the Case , after they had parted with the Jewel ? So Mens Reasons being once given up , no wonder if Wealth , and all other Secular Advantages , were thrown into the Bargain . A Church established upon such a Bottom , and supported with so much Wealth and Power , and defended by such Multitudes , who as they have all their Proportion of the Spoil , so are tied to it by Vows , as well as engaged in it by Interest ; and that has subdued so great a part of the World , and claims a more than ordinary Title to us , as having been once a very valuable Part of her Empire , is justly to be looked on as a great and formidable Enemy . But it is not the Greatness of an Enemy , that makes him so Formidable ; it is his Rage and Cruelty that gives the most mortal Apprehensions . The old Romans made the Nations that they subdued , Gainers by the Conquest they made of them : But the Modern Romans are more unrelenting Enemies . They first make all their Votaries look on such as are not of their Party , as Hereticks , that is , Men hated of God , and devoted to Damnation . Now it will be no hard thing to inspire Men with Cruelty , when they are once possessed with such inveterate Hatred and Aversion to a sort of Men who they believe are to burn in Hell for ever ; and so they think they but co-operate with the Justice of God , if they help this forward , and bring it on a little the sooner ; especially when such Fires purifie the Air , which would be otherwise corrupted with their Heresie . A Church that has substituted this Wild-fire of Rage and Cruelty , to these gentle Flames of Love and Charity ; and that , in stead of making us love one another , makes us destroy and burn one another , is the most opposite thing possible to a Society founded on the Gospel ; as if , in stead of the Union that ought to be among Christians , we ought onely to be bundling up Numbers of them in Faggots , to be burnt or blown up . All means possible are taken to impose this Cruelty on the World , which without some Practice and extraordinary Endeavours could not be wrought up to such a Pitch , as to lay down the Bowels of a Man , and take up the Rage of a Wolf or Lion. Bishops among them are made to swear at their Consecration , That they shall persecute Hereticks to the utmost of their Power . Decrees of General Councils have been made for the Extirpating Hereticks ; and Indulgence , with the Pardon of Sins , have been promised to such as should assist at it . And because there is somewhat Great and Generous in the Nature of most Princes , therefore they have decreed , That if they are remiss in this Affair , of Extirpating such as the Church condemns of Heresie , which is onely a soft Word for being the Churchmens Executioners , they shall be first Excommunicated ; and if they persist in their merciful Inclinations , they are next to be Deposed , their Subjects to be acquitted of their Oaths of Allegiance , and their Dominions to be disposed of to other more Zealous , that is , less Merciful Catholicks . Thus all possible Ways are taken to engage all sorts of People , both Clergy and Laity , both Princes and Subjects , into these Cruel Practices ; and therefore the Bloody things that have been done among them , are not so much the Excesses of Particular Persons , as the Natural Effects of the Established Doctrines and Rules of their Church , which seems to have forced them upon all within it , with so affected a Care , as if those who had managed it had been jealous that Good Nature and Common Humanity would have been too hard for them , if this Machin had not been set on by so many strong Springs , that nothing should withstand it . So in short , here is an Enemy that if it prevails it must either swallow up our Souls , or will be sure if that project fails , to succeed in that which it has in reserve , it will devour our Bodies . If any say , that these were effects of heat long ago , which are now disowned by that Church . To such this must be answered , That as Bellarmine says , the Church does not always put in practise her power of deposing Princes , because she is not always able to execute her Censures ; so this Doctrine of extirpation is either really hid from some good-natured Proselytes , whose hearts might perhaps turn against a Church that should authorize such barbarities ; or is cautiously and prudently enough disowned by those who know it , till they see a fair conjuncture and a fit opportunity : and those who do not now see it , may perhaps then feel it . But we are not to seek long for instances of this cruelty , when we have such a crying one in our eyes in the business of this day , which is the second thing I proposed to speak to . Where we have a Crime before us that far past all the invention of former Ages : for never was there any one single action , that would have produced such mischievous effects , as one spark of fire would have done here , if God had not heard and delivered us from the horns of the Vnicorns . None could suspect the nature of man of so black a design : and it was less to be apprehended from men of the same Countrey , if the becoming a Proselyte to Rome did not make a man both forget that he was a man , and an English-man . Nor was there any violent oppression in the case , which often makes even a wise man mad , for they were under so little pressure , that the Government was a little censured for its remisness : so that a Merciful Prince and a gentle Reign do not allay their fury . It had been long in consultation among them , as may appear by this one instance among many more that might be given , Delrio a Jesuite in a book Printed at Leuvain , but five years before this , puts a Case , Whether if a Confederate discover in Confession that he or some else have placed Gunpowder , or such like matter under such or such a house , and unless it be removed , the House will be blown up , the Prince destroyed , and as many as are in or going out of the City , will sustain great mischief , or run an extream hazard , the Priest ought to reveal it ? It is determined in the Negative , that he ought not to do it ; and for this he cites a Bull of Pope Clement the Eighths , against the taking any notice of things discovered in Confession , which though it related only to Superiours , and required them to take no notice in their Government of such things as they know in Confession , yet the Jesuite argues from thence , that the Pope approved the opinion , that Confessors ought to behave themselves in all respects , as if they had heard nothing at all in Confession . This being published so near England , and so near the time when this Train was laying , shews that it was then in their thoughts : for it is a case that had never before fallen out , and so was not likely to have fallen into a mans thoughts , if the thing had not been in consultation among them . In conclusion , when a sufficient number were cemented by so many Oaths and Sacraments in such a black design , then it was laid with so much artifice , that it was not probable it could have miscarried . Thus were our Fathers upon the horns of the Vnicorns , when by an unlookt for accident it appeared , that that eye to which those dark places lay naked , took pitie on us , and laid this open to the preservation of King , and Queen , and Prince , the Clergy and Nobility , the Commons and all others whom that great solemnity of the meeting of a Parliament commonly brings together ; besides the crouds round about the place , who would very probably have had a large share of so devouring an Earthquake , as so much Gunpowder must have produced . It is true , some humanity was left , but it was only to their own Party ; warning was given to so many , that there were not above Three worth Saving , in their account , in all that vast Assembly , who were not advertised to absent themselves , as Sir Everard Digby writ out of Prison to a Friend . One of these Advertisements being conveyed very odly to a Lord of that Religion , gave him the happy opportunity of being the instrument that brought out all this secret provision for so many deaths that was laid up in store . The bold Incendiary that undertook the thing , was taken , and all broke out : but then , though a great many of those who had not learnt the depths of Satan , were so far overcome by the Discovery , as to confess all , yet as one of these was prevailed with to retract that afterwards , but a few minutes before his death in prison , which prevented his suffering by the hand of Justice , so the Jesuites shewed on this occasion how they can steel their Consciences , both in undertaking the blackest Crimes ; and in throwing off that guilt with the most impudent denials . Garnet their Provincial did this to a degree of assurance , that astonished those who took his Examinations . Sir Everard Digby , one of the Conspirators in his Letters , of which I have seen the Originals , calls that Conspiracy , A Cause dearer to him than his Life ; and so powerfully had the poyson of that Religion corrupted his thoughts , that in all his Letters writ during his imprisonment , even in his last Advices to his Children , there is not the least hint of Repentance for his engagement in so vile a design , though in all other respects he appeared to be a man that was both Vertuously and Religiously inclined , such an influence has that Religion even on the best natures . If after all this , these had been only the execrable practices of some Assassinates , though it would have left some Imputation on a Church , for having such Members in her bosome , yet it might be well enough put by with this ; that there will be still cockle among the Wheat , and that there was a Traitor among the Twelve Apostles . But if these things were done pursuant to the Doctrines of that Church , that makes it lawful to Kill Hereticks , to Depose Princes , to dissolve the Bonds of Allegiance , and to give their Dominions to other ; then we may more justly charge the guilt of this day upon the Church it self . It gives very just grounds of suspicion that the Pope never made any Declaration of his detestation of that Crime , though , as I have been credibly informed , it was much desired : on the contrary , two Priests that had engaged in it , getting beyond-sea , were well received and provided for by the Pope even in Rome it self . And the Jesuites have made Prints and Pictures for Garnet as a Saint , and fables of straws that wrought miracles by virtue of some drops of Blood that fell on them , which afterwards were converted into little pictures , have been proposed to the World as evidences of his Saintship . In a word , it is plain that these who engaged in this Conspiracy , were carried into it by the Principles of their Religion , and that they were so far from being condemned for it , that they were supported and justified both living and dead for what they did in it . And that Learned King , though by the goodness of God he never felt the effects of the bloudy rage of that cruel Religion , yet he knew it well , and therefore upon a solemn occasion he protested to his Councellours , That he would never so much as grant a Toleration of that Religion , but would spend the last drop of bloud in his body before he would do it ; and pray'd that before any of his Issue should maintain any other Religion than what he truly professed and maintained , that God would take them out of the world . Since then , notwithstanding the close management as well as the secret contrivance of this cursed Plot , which was so near its execution , that the whole State both of this Church and Nation was in a danger , not unfitly expressed by their being on the horns of the Vnicorns ; God yet heard our Fathers and delivered them , who have handed down to us the remembrance of that great Salvation that he wrought for them on this blessed day ; then all the Royal Family descended from that King , all the Nobility and Gentry , whose Ancestours were markt for destruction , all the Clergy to whose burning that fire was the forerunner , unless they resolved to save themselves by Apostacy , and the whole English Nation that was then like to have seen so black a day , and have fallen under so dark a night , ought all to joyn together and say , O give thanks unto the Lord , for he is gracious , for his mercy endureth for ever , Amen and Amen . And because his mercy endureth for ever , therefore we ought still to pray to him to preserve us , and to say to him , Save me from the Lions mouth , which is the third thing in my Text. We believe there is a secret providence that governs the World , and that discriminates between the good and the bad , and therefore we ought to address our selves to that Providence , as well as to depend on it and submit to it ; and since the Religion that we profess is the Cause of God , and the dearest of all other things to him who delivered it to the world , who sealed it with his own Blood , and in whose hands the government of all things in Heaven and in Earth was put by his Father , we may well quiet our minds , amidst all the fears and apprehensions which melancholy thoughts may suggest to us . God will not abandon his own work , nor will Christ forget that which was the purchase of his own Blood. We may indeed make our selves unworthy of it , and the cry of our sins may go up so loud to Heaven , as to drown these softer whispers of our Prayers and Thanksgivings . It is our contempt of God and Religion ; our unreformed Lives amidst all the noise we make of the Reformation , our forgetting past Mercies , and our insensibility to all the Methods of Divine Providence , that ought to make us fear the Lion's Mouth , and every thing else that is dismal and frightful : and therefore if we would have our Prayers to be effectual , we must take care that our Lives may not defeat our cold and slender Devotions . But as we desire to have our Prayers to be heard , so we must take a particular care to join no Endeavours with them that may argue a distrust of God , or of our Religion : and while we have a zeal against Popery , as a bloody , a rebellious , and a cruel Religion ; we must do nothing to shew that we are acted by the Spirit of Popery , even while we seem to oppose it . All Malice to Mens Persons , all desire of Revenge , the thirst of Blood , fierce Zeal , and indecent Rage , are the Characters of the Persecuting Spirit that reigns there : We must not think ill of every particular Man among them , because of their Corruptions , which perhaps he does not know ; and if he did know them , would disown them . We must think as charitably of men as we can : for tho' there is very little Charity due to the complicated Body , and the governing Part of that Church ; yet we owe a great deal to many particular men in it , who are still in it , because they have not known the Depths of Satan ; and would very probably forsake it , if they saw so well as to discern them . But above all these , we must never forget the Station in which God has put us , as we are Subjects under a lawful Prince , to whom we are tied both by Divine and Humane Laws : and even the Lion's Mouth it self opening to devour us , can never excuse us from our Obligation to submit and suffer , if God had so ordered it by his Providence , that we had not the blessing of being born under a Prince that is the Defender of the Faith , but were born under one that would deliver us up to the LION . Much less ought Jealousies to be so blown into our minds by ill-disposed men , as to make us forget our Duty to God and the King. Suffer me here to speak this freely , that the late Rebellion , as it was managed with a Popish , that is , a Bloody Spirit , so many of the Arguments that were used to defend it , were taken from Popish Authors . When we go out of the way of Patience and Submission , of Obedience , and of bearing the Cross ; when we give scope to Passion and Rage , to Jealousy and Mistrust , and upon this Fermentation in our Minds we break out into Wars and Rebellion ; we forget that the God whom we serve is Almighty , and can save us either from a devouring Fire , or a Lion's Mouth ; and either will save us from these , or reward us infinitely for them : We forget that the Saviour whom we follow , was made perfect by Sufferings ; and that we become then truly his Disciples , when we bear his Cross , even tho' we should be crushed under it : We forget that our Religion ought to inspire us with a contempt of Life and the World , and with meekness and lowliness of Mind : We forget that we are the Followers of that glorious Cloud of Witnesses , who have by Faith and Patience inherited the Promises , and have gone to take possession of the Kingdom that was prepared for them , through Fire , and through Blood , but it was their own Blood. And to sum up all , we forget that our Reformation was the shaking off of Popery , that is , a bloody Conspiracy against the Souls and Bodies of men : against the Souls of the Weak , and against the Bodies of the Firm , but Innocent Professors of this Holy Religion . We are not to share with them in their Cruelty , nor imitate them in their Rebellion . But on the other hand ; If we will live so suitably to our Religion , that we may be thereby entitled to the blessing of enjoying it , and of being secure in it ; and if our melancholy apprehensions make us pray more earnestly to the Great Author of it , then we may lie down in quiet ; for God will either make us to dwell in safety , and deliver us from the Lion's Mouth ; or if he gives us up as a Prey , yet at least we shall even in Death overcome , and obtain the Crown of Life . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A30424-e230 Delrio Dis. Mag. lib. 6. c. 1. Crooks Reports Term. Trin. 2. Iac. 
A02487	----	A comparison betvveene the dayes of Purim and that of the Powder treason for the better continuance of the memory of it, and the stirring vp of mens affections to a more zealous observation thereof. Written by G.H. D.D. Hakewill, George, 1578-1649. 1626 Approx. 39 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A02487 STC 12615 ESTC S103633 99839382 99839382 3796 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A02487) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3796) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1069:23) A comparison betvveene the dayes of Purim and that of the Powder treason for the better continuance of the memory of it, and the stirring vp of mens affections to a more zealous observation thereof. Written by G.H. D.D. Hakewill, George, 1578-1649. 36 p. Printed by Iohn Lichfield & William Turner printers to the famous Vniuersity, Oxford : ann. Dom. 1626. G.H. = George Hakewill. Reproduction of the original in the Harvard University. Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Early works to 1800. Purim -- Early works to 1800. 2002-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-10 Chris Scherer Sampled and proofread 2002-10 Chris Scherer Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-12 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A COMPARISON BETVVEENE THE DAYES OF PVRIM and that of the Powder treason for the better Continuance of the memory of it , and the stirring vp of mens affections to a more Zealous observati . on there of . Written by G. H. D. D. OXFORD Printed by IOHN LICHFIELD & WILLIAM TVRNER Printers to the Famous Vniuersity Ann. Dom. 1626. I said , I would scatter them into Corners , I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men , were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemie , least their adversaries should behaue themselues strangely , and least they should say , our hand is high , and the Lord hath not done all this . For they are a nation voyd of Counsell , neither is there any vnderstanding in them . Deut. 32. 26. 27. 28. A COMPARISON BETWEENE THE DAIES OF PVRIM AND THAT OF THE POWDER TREASON &c. THese dayes of Purim or of Lots mētioned in the ninth chapter of the booke of Ester were the fourteenth and the fifteenth dayes of the moneth Adar answering in parte to our February inioyned to be kept Festiuall of the Iewes , first by Mordecayes letter , and then by Queene Esters decree in remēbrance of there wonderfull deliuerance from Hamans bloudy designe for their vtter extirpatiō at that time . These daies ( the like being scarcely to be found againe in holy Scripture ) I purpose to compare with our day of the Powder plott , together with the Authority , the Causes and Reasons of the institution of both , that from thence it may appeare that the mercy of God was more cleerely manifested in our Deliuerance then in theirs , and that consequently we haue greater cause religiously & with thankfull acknowledgement to obserue our day then they theires . In the opening whereof I will compare plott with plott , persons with persons , motiue with motiue , assurance With assurance , preuention with preuention , issue with issue , moneth with moneth , day with day . First then for Hamans plot vpon the Iewes , it was vndoubtedly a very cruel one , thinking it too little , too small a satisfaction to hishonor & reuenge , to lay hands vpon Mordecai , he purposed in one day to haue put them all to the sword ( as the Sicilians did the French in one night ) young and old , women and children , without distinction of age or sexe , throughout all the large dominions of Ahafhuerosh , reaching from India to Ethiopia , and comprising an hundred & 7 & twenty Prouinces ; yet putting to the sword is not so cruell as blowing vp with powder , in as much as in the former some hope is left by teares or prayers , or guifts to staie the executioners hand ; but in the latter none at all . For as men are presumed to haue more mercie then beasts , and beasts then insensible Creatures , Which are altogether inexorable : so among them all , the two elements of fire and water haue the least mercy , and of the two , fire ( specially if it be enraged with store of powder ) least of all . Againe Hamans project vpon the Iewes was not so suddainly to be acted but that they had leasure giuen them to appease the fury of their Aduersary , or to procure the Kings fauour , as afterwards they did ; they had oportunity to stand for their liues , or to saue themselues by flight , or if it came to the worst , they had respite to cast vp their accounts and make all things leuell betweene God and their owne Consciences : But this proiect of our conspiratours should haue beene acted in a moment , in the tourne of an hand , in the twinckling of an eye , the parties aimed at should neither haue had time to flie nor to fight , to intreat nor to threaten , to let fall a teare or castvp a sigh for their sinnes , or so much as to say or to thinke in manus tuas Domine . The cruelty of Haman then extended onely to mens bodies , but this of our Conspiratours to their soules , they held the maine body of that assembly to be hereticall , and that for an heretique so departing this life there is no possibility of salvation , and consequently they could not but make account to send all so affected quicke to hell . And for the bodyes of the Iewes though after the shedding of their bloud & the loosing of their liues they could not haue promised to themselues any decent kind of buriall , yet was their case better then to bee torne in a thousand peeces , and to haue the shiuers of their bones , the sprinkling of their bloud , and gobbets of their flesh ( if any such remained ) to be cast into far distant places , and exposed as a prey to dogs and rauens . Besides , the cruelty of Haman extended not to insensible creatures , as this did , to the vtter demolishing of that famous Senate house , in which the Ancestors of the Conspiratours themselues had often met to consult about the making of wholsome lawes for the suppressing of vice and the advancing of the honour of the English name . We count it but madnesse in a dog to snarle at a stone , and can we count it lesse in men to fight with stones and timber ? Surely if wee should haue held our peace , these verie beames & stones would haue cried for vengeance , and the rather being to haue bin stained with the bloud of so many right noble and worthy personages , which is the second point of Comparison . The Iewes though at that time the Church of God was in a manner impaled within their nation , yet liued they but as strangers ; nay as vassals & Captiues among the Persians , as at this day for the greatest part they doe , aswell among the Turkes as the Christians . It was true , though by Haman malitiously vrged , that their lawes were diuers from all people , neither did they obserue the Kings lawes . Haman himselfe the chiefe plotter against them was not onely an Infidel , but an Amalakite a mortall enemy to their religion , and moreouer being of great place and command , he had gotten both the King and the whole state to countenance his designe against them . But in this of our Conspiratours the case vvas contrary ; There , Pagans and Infidels , Persians & Amalakites conspired against the Israelites : heere natiue English & professed Christians , ( though in truth most vnvvorthy the name of either ) conspired against their ovvne Countreymen baptized , and reioycing in the glorious name of Jesus Christ , nay I make no doubt but that some of their ovvne neere kinsmen , and of their ovvne romish profession at leastvvise in heart and affection should for company haue perished by that blovve : There , superiours & those of Eminent note and ranke conspired against their inferiours and those of the lovvest and meanest degree in that state : Here inferiours against their superiours , subiects against their liege Lord and lawfull Soueraigne , seruants against their masters , for so was one of them at least , and that in honourable place , and as if it had beene too little to lay hands vpon the King alone , they all conspired against that venerable Court , the highest in the Land , consisting of their lawfull and competent Iudges , the murthering of the least of which in that place being legally called thither by his Maiesties writ , iudicially there to sitt , had beene treason , which is the highest offence the law takes notice of : What then could wee haue called that act , by which they should haue beene all murthered and mangled at one clap ? Surely as wee want an example to paralell it , so doe wee a name to expresse it . Touch not mine annointed saith God : but these intended to haue blowne vp at one blast the King & Queene , both annointed with sacred oile , together with their eldest sonne the Prince then liuing , and with them the great Officers of the kingdome , the prudent Counsellours of Estate , the Honorable Peeres of the Realme , the Reuerend Bishops , the Graue Iudges and Sages of the law , the choyce Knights and Burgesses being indeede the very flower of the land , all the Clarkes of the Crowne , Counsell , Signet , and Seales , the greatest part of the learned Lawyers , together With a number of the Kings and Queenes & Princes neerest and deerest seruants . I will doe a thing in Israel saith God , that whosoeuer shall heare , it shall make both his eares to tingle : but surely the very relation of this , had it taken effect , had beene enough not only to make a mans haire stand an end , & his eares to tingle , but his very heart to quake and tremble : and I am perswaded as no Historian euer wrote , or Poet faind , or Painter counterfeited , or Tragedian acted the like : so if all the damned Spirits of hell , and the damned Crew on the earth should ioyne in councell , and sett the vtmost of their wits aworke , they could neuer find out the like cursed divice againe . It was the vtmost point of all villanie , beyond which is Terra incognita , no man can diuise what should bee betweene hell and it , and looke by how much the more diuelish was the inuention , by so much more diuine , was the Preseruation . It were then worth the inquiring what should moue these men to so brutish and barbarous a plott which is my third point of Comparison . The Motiues . That which Haman pretended against the Iewes was that they were not subiect to the Kings Lawes , neither was it for the Kings honour or profit to suffer them in his dominions : but intruth that which stuck in his stomake was Mordecaies stiffenes , he would not creepe and crooch vnto him as others did , and as the King had commanded , they should , he would not prostrate himselfe before that Idoll of Court , and giue him diuine adoration , the thing as it seemes which Haman in the pride of his heart expected , and Mordecai denied , for I cannot beleeue that he denied ciuill reuerence ; and was not this the motiue of our Conspiratours that wee would not bow to their Idolls , their triple crowned Idoll of Rome and their breadden Idoll in the consecrated host , pretending that it was not for the profitt nor the honour of the Catholique Church any longer to suffer vs : but was this the meanes by which Christ founded and his Apostles reared vp , & their successours inlarged & repaired his Church ? no , no , they founded and built , and inlarged and repaired it with the powring out of their owne bloud not with the shedding of others . Tantaene animis caelestibus irae ? What is it possible that Catholiques the best Christians nay the onely Christians should conceaue such a sauage enterprise ? Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum ? Is it credible that matter of religion should induce men to so damnable an attempt ? It was the speech of Lucretius the Epicure touching Agamemnon induring and assisting at his daughters sacrifice ▪ but what if he had knowne the Massacre of France , or the powder plott of England ? Surely it would haue made him tentymes more Epicure & Atheist then hee was : There is not such a sinne against the person of the Holy Ghost , to take it litterally , as insteed of the likenesse of a doue , to bring him downe in the shape of a rauen or a vultur nor such a scandall against their Church as out of the barke of S Peter to sett forth a flagg of Pyrats & Assasines : euen those of Calicutt who adore the Diuell , neuer held it lawfull for quarrell of religion to enter into such mischieuous consultations ; and although particular men of all professions haue beene some theeues , some murtherers , some traytours , yet euer when they come to their end and iust punishment , they confessed their fault to be in their owne corrupt nature , and not in their profession , these Romish Catholiques onely excepted . But if this be religion then let hell be heauen , and let the depth of villanie be the height of piety , if this be holines let Nero who set Rome on fire to see how Troy burnt , and Caligula who wished all the men i●it had had but one necke that so hee might strike it off at one blow , let them I say be sett in the Callander of Saints , let murtherers be registred for martyrs , Cōspirators for confessours , & treason march in the ranke of Christian vertues , and be counted the fairest and shortest cutt to a crowne of immortality . Cursed be their wrath , for it was fierce , and their rage for it was cruell : & the more fierce no doubt because it tooke not hold of fancy but of conscience : the former being like a fire in straw which though it cause a great blaze at the first kindling , yet is it quickly spent , & onely the smoke remaines , but the latter like fire in steele quód tardè acquisiuit , diu retinet , though it be long before it conceaue fire , yet hauing once conceaued it , it retaines it long , and the markes of it are lasting monuments , specially if to conscience in religion be added confidence in execution which is my next point of Comparison , Assurance with assurance , Hamans assurance was great , he relied much vpon the strength of his owne witt & his wealth , two powerfull meanes for the effectuating of great attempts . His witt hee vsed in setting a faire pretence vpō the busines before the King ▪ his wealth in offering to pay to the Kings coffers ten thousand tallents of silver , he was so deepely rooted in the Kings fauour , that his offer was returned , and yet his request passed , his wisards were consulted with , the Lott by them was cast befor● him , and by it a luckie day found out for the acting of the Tragedie . Letters were written in the Kings name and sealed with the Kings ring , which kind of mandates were held as irreuocable as lawes , by the Medes and Persians . They were deliuered to the Posts or Curriers , and by them to the gouernours of the seuerall Prouince , and after this Haman was so familiar with the King , as they two were seene drinking hand to hand . Here were all things now so fast , so sure , as a man would haue thought there had beene no meanes possible left to vndoe them , there seemed to want nothing but the very execution of the plott . The like assurance , if not greater , was there in our Powder plotters , they relied too vpon their wit , and vpon the wealth and strength of their faction both at home and abroad . Some of them offering horses and armour , others to contribute money , to the summe of two thousand or three thousand pound a peece . Neere about the time when the deadly blow should haue beene giuen , were their prayers and processions made throw Christendome by these of that profession for the prospering of some great enterprise then a foot , for the good of the Catholique cause . Their side here at home was at the same time very daring & insolent , as looking out for the neere approach , of some suddaine and great change in the state , and I can neuer beleeue that they entred vpon such a businesse without the benediction of the Balaam of Rome . Once we are sure they had consulted with their Wisards the Iesuites , well practised in figure flinging too , if they be not belied . These by their skill had allotted out a day for the fortunate deliuery of that monsterous birth , by these were the actors born in hād , that the fact was not only lawfull but religious and meritorious : And as Haman gott the Kings letters for the destruction of the Iewes ▪ so had one of them gotten his holinesse Briefes , though at last , supposing they would come to an ill market , he made no vse of them , but sacrificed them to Vulcan . Besides these our Conspiratours had bound themselues with a strict and solemne oath by the sacred Trinity and the Sacrament ( to thē the strongest obligation ) not to disclose the proiect by word or Circumstance , directly or indirectly , nor to desist from the prosecution of it till they had effected it , or leaue were granted them from their Confederates . Lastly , they had Wrought the Mine , and when that would not serue the turne they had hired a sellar , the powder was laid in to the quantity of thirty sixe barrells , great barrs of iron and massy stones , and billets being layd on the topp of the barrells , thereby to make the noise more hideous , and the breachthe more dangerous , the day of execution was now come , the howre approched , the match was ready , so that nothing was wāting but the presence of that Venerable assembly , and the setting of fire to the powder . But then , euen then , that great God of heauen and earth , who commands all things therein & they obey , who setts boūds and barrs to the raging waues of the Sea , & saith vnto them ; hitherto shall yee goe and no farther stopped the course of these bloody proiectors , and stayed their hands , as he did the hand of Ahraham , when it was now lifted vp for the sacrificing of his son ; Which that it was his doeing , and his alone , will manifestly appeare in the discouery and preuention of the plott , which is my next point of Comparison . For Hamans plott , there needed no discouery , it was not carried so close , but that Mordecay had gotten a copy of the Kings letters , and sent them to Ester , which in truth was no hard matter to doe , considering the decree was publiquely made knowne by proclamation through the Provinces : but in the preuention of it , and the working of their peace by turning the Kings heart towards them and against Haman , therein the finger of God cleerely appeared . For howbeit in the effecting thereof much was to be ascribed to the watchfullnes and wisdome of Mordecai , and no lesse to the care and industry of Ester , yet if we deuly obserue the admirable concurrence of Causes ordained & falling in together for the composing of it we shall find , that vndoubtedly God was therein the principall agent . As first in Vashtaies remouall , and Esters succeeding in her roome , when shee poore wench of obscure parentage and a Iewish by nation had small reason to dreame of a Crowne : Then in Mordecaies discouery of a foule conspiracy against the person of the King : Then in the Kings calling for the Chronicles when he wanted sleepe and in falling vpon that place wherein Mordecaies discouery was recorded , and lastly in making Haman , who was then comming in to begg Mordecaies life , a chiefe instrument in his reward and advancement for that seruice ; & by this meanes were the Kings letters reuersed and contrary written , The same hand which had signed a decree in the opinion both of them that granted , and of them that procured it irrevocable , became the buckler of their preseruation , that no one haire of their heads might be touched . All which considered , might they not iustly cry out with Pharaohs magicicians , digitus Dei est hic , the finger of God is here ; yet surely was Gods speciall prouidence more apparantly manifested in the discouery and preuention of our powder plott . Curse not the King , saith Salòmon , no not in thy thought , for that which hath wings shall declare the matter . It was a quill , a peece of a wing that reuealed it , till when not a feather sprang to giue any suspition A quill sett a worke no doubt by one of those that had bound themselues to secrecy by the oath before mentioned , one , who had he presumed it would haue taken that effect , would rather haue bitten off those fingers that vsed it : but he was perswaded ( no doubt ) that either the letter should neuer come to light , or if it did , it was so darkly penned that the reader should gather nothing but confused generalities from it . And herein was the construction thereof made by his Maiesty not a little strange , as himselfe to the honour of God opēly confessed , that holding suspition to be the sicknesse of a tyrant , and being for the most so bent vpon the other extreame , as hee rather contemned all other advertisements and apprehentions of practises then any way entertained them , he at this time was so farr contrary to himselfe , as vpon the first view of the letter he did presently interpret some obscure phrases therein , contrary to the ordinary Grammar construction of them , to be meant of that horrible forme of blowing vp that sacred assembly with powder ; whereas had he construed those ambiguous words to any other danger , no earthly prouision could haue preuented their vtter destruction . Now lay all these together , and then tell me , whether wee haue not as great reason as those Iewes , to confesse and professe , digitus Dei est hic , the finger of God is here : And yet is there one very remarkable Circumstance behind , to note out Gods miraculous preuentiō of the mischiefe , and deliuerance of vs from the danger which hung ouer our heades aboue and beyond that of the Iewes . God vntwisted as it were the threed of mischiefe spunne against them when they were humbled by captiuity , and had also cast themselues downe by fasting and prayer , & sackcloth and ashes , as the Niniuites did at the preaching of Ionas : Queene Ester herselfe euen in the Kings pallace with her waiting ladies fasted and prayed three whole daies for the turning of the Kings heart vnto them , & the turning away of that imminent perill ( which was threatned ) from them . Their humiliation and teares God beheld and accepted , their prayers and supplications hee heard and granted : and yet herein it must be acknowledged that mercy was shewed them . But alas that mercy towards vs farr exceeded this , For the Lord wrought our deliuerance when we were so farr from sackcloth and ashes , as we dreamed not of any danger approching ; but were rather puffed in pride and wantonnesse , promising to our selues by the entrance of his maiesty and his royall issue a setled continuance of peace , plenty , and prosperity : Euen then when wee were lulled a sleepe in the depth of security , and yet our enormious sinnes were crying alowd in his eares for vengeance , and vrging his Iustice to poure downe the full viols of his wrath vpon vs , euen then did the eye of his speciall prouidence and mercy watch ouer vs , and for vs , and deliuered vs from the very brinke of the graue , from the iawes of death , which had opened her mouth wide to haue swallowed vs vp quicke . Herein God setteth out his loue towards vs , that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for vs , saith the Apostle ; & surely herein if euer God shewed the riches of his mercy towards vs , that when wee were in the hight of our sinnes he so wonderously deliuered vs when wee had no will to desire , much lesse meanes to deserue it : And for our enemies , their owne tongues , as the Psalmist speakes , or rather their owne penns made them fall : insomuch as who so considereth ●t shall laugh them to scorne , and all men that see it shall say , this hath God done ; for they shall 〈◊〉 that it is his worke : But yet much more if we consider the issue which is the next point of Cōparison ; the issue I meane as well in regard of the end of the Conspiratours , as the consequences of the Conspiracyes , had they taken effect . Touching the end of the Conspiratours , for Haman himselfe wee know he 〈◊〉 on the same gibbet that he prouided for Mordecai , as Catesby the first inuenter of the powder treason was scortcht and 〈◊〉 and likely to haue beene slaine by 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 about the time that they intended the acting of their plott ▪ Hamans sonnes went the same way that their Father did before thē , & Garnet the ghostly Father of these powder men went the same way his sonnes had gone before him : The end of them all being a like . Vpon the same day that the innocent bloud of the Iewes should haue beene poured out by their Enimies and the friends of Haman , the Iewes slew of them thorowout Assuerus his dominions , and in Susan the Imperiall Citty seuenty sixe thousand ; And I haue often wondred that the people of this land vpon the first discouery of this damnable Conspiracie , being knowne to be vndertaken wholly by Romish Catholiques , and for the advancement of the Catholique cause , had not violently run vpon the knowne professors of that religion . But that God restrained both their hearts & their hands that our mercy might remaine as an argument of the goodnesse of our religion , as their Cruelty shall to the Worlds end of the badnesse of theirs . It was a short but a sufficient answere returned by a Professor of ours to one of theires , demaunding what reason he had not to bee of their religion , why , quoth he , because you eate your God and kill your King , And as their cruelty is a sufficient reason to keepe vs from them : so me thinkes , it should worke somewhat , specially this most bloudy and barbarous conspiracy , to bring them to vs. Wee reade in the last verse of the eight chapter of this booke of Ester , that when the people of the land saw the vnexpected downefall of Haman and his adherents , and the wonderfull deliuerance of the Iewes , many of them became Iewes , that is , made themselues Proselites , conforming themselues to the Iewish religion . And I haue many times not a little marueiled that the manifest detection and knowledge of this foule Conspiracy had not turned the hearts of many Romish Catholiques to our profession : But againe when I call to minde that of our Apostle : Because they receaued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued , God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies : I cannot but therein acknowledge the iust iudgement of God in their Wilfull obstinacy . Now for the consequences of these conspiracies , had that of Haman taken effect , it would doubtlesse haue beene very grieuious to behold , but worse to feele ; the children should haue beene slaine in their Parents sight , & the poore infants haue beene drawn from their mothers breasts and dasht against the stones . It must needs haue giuen a great blow and a deepe wound to the Church of God ; yet not so deepe , but the body of the Iewish nation and the life of their religion , & the state of their gouernment would still haue beene preserued : there being at that tyme a great number of that people liuing in their owne countrey of Iudea . But if this of ours had taken effect , Lord , what a marueilous confusion must needes haue suddainely followed through out the whole kingdome , both in religion and ciuill gouernment , as well in Church as state affaires , what bitter outcries and lamentation , what sheeding of teares and wringing of hands in euery quarter of the land ? sonnes and daughters mourning for their slaughtered fathers ; fathers and mothers for their sonnes , brothers and sisters for their brothers , wiues for their husbands , and seruants for their masters : & that such masters , such husbands , such brothers , such sonnes , such fathers as were both for nobility in bloud , ability in estate , and sufficiency in wisdome the pict choice men of the land , of whom they could neither take their leaues aliue , nor interr their bodies being dead . It is precisely noted in the ●●ve . of the eighteenth and ninteenth chapters of the booke of Iudges , that in those daies there was no King in Israell , and thereupon follow those abominable outrages there after recorded . What then was our case like to haue beene when wee should haue had neither King , nor Queene , neither Prince ( for this present King they intended presently vpon the blow to haue made away ) nor great officer of the Kingdome , nor Counsellor of state , nor Bishop nor Iudge , what publique exercise of religion , what administration of Iustice could any where haue taken place ? what cutting of throats what rifling , what rauishing should wee haue seene in euery corner by rogues & ruffians without any check or controll ? Wee should neither haue lyen quietly in our beds , nor haue sate quietly at our tables , nor haue walked quietly in our streets , nor haue trauelled quietly in our waies , much lesse haue mett quietly in our temples but euery place would haue beene full of feare and danger and horror and bloud ; and surely I am perswaded that in such a generall confusion of all things , the Cōspirators themselues could not haue promised security to their owne goods and houses , to their owne sonnes and daughters , to their owne wiues and persons , and if this should haue beene our case in the countrey , what would haue beene the face of the Court and Citty wheras the blow should haue beene giuen ? How would they haue lookt , what could they haue said or done but stood amazed & at their wits ends . By the hideous thunder and roaring of the blow , by the trembling of the ayre & earth , by the flashing of the fire and the thicke clouds and smoake , by the fall of those ancient goodly buildings , by the sight of the dismembred , and the wofull cry of the brused & wounded , who by the casting of beames & iron and stones afarr of , must needes haue beene many : besides those infinite ▪ troupes who waiting there about the returne of that assembly would haue beene either torne or crusht in pieces : nay all the courts of Iustice the Church vsed for the Coronation of our Kings , the monuments of former Princes , the Crowne and scepter and other markes of Royalty , all the records as well of Parliament as of particular mens right with a great number of charters & such like should haue beene snatcht away in that stormy tempest that furious diluge of fire so as not onely we but the memory of vs and ours should haue beene thus extinguished in an instant , worse then if we had beene inuaded or vanquished by the Turke or Scithian . I remember that the heathen Emperor when he beheld the temple of Ierusalem on fire , he could not hold but let fall teares at the sight thereof : and truly I am of opinion that the Conspiratours themselues had they beheld this monstrous birth of their most vnnaturall deuise , if they were men and not incarnate Deuils or sauage beasts in the shape of men , they would haue sent foorth many a sigh and lett fall many a teare at that wofull ▪ spectacle , and for myne owne part I thinke that no true English heart can seriously think , or tongue speake , or hand write of it without some kind of horrour & astonishment , and least my thoughts should be swallowed vp in this dreadfull meditation I hasten to the last comparison , of the moneth and the day . Their moneth was Adar , answering in part to our February and in part to March ; It was a moneth famous among them for the finishing of the second temple and the discōfiting of Nicanor : but aboue all for this their admirable deliuerance from the Conspiracy of Haman : And is not this moneth of Nouember crowned with as many & great blessings in it brought vnto vs. In this moneth it was `that that renowned Lady , that heroicall Ester of incomparable vertue made her entranceto the Crowne and wore it as long with as much honour as euer Prince did . She brought with her the sunn shine of peace & prosperity , and aboue all of the Gospell after almost fiue years cōtinuall showers of teares and bloud during her sisters raigne . In this moneth his sacred maiesty now liuing and by Gods grace long to liue , the ioy of our hearts , the staffe of our hopes , made his entrance into the world , borne I hope in a happy houre for the good of Christendome , and from my heart I pray it may so proue . And lastly , in this moneth God Allmighty wrought for vs this wonderfull deliuerance from the most damnable conspiracy that euer the sunne saw , which I may the more boldly auerre for that it being a worke of darknes was wrought so neere hell as the eye of the sunne could not pierce through to discerne it . yet as S. Paul had the messenger of of Satan sent to buffet him , least he should be puft vp with abundance of reuelations : so is the sixt of this moneth as an yearely messenger sent vs to put vs in mind of that heauy losse which vpon that day for our sinnes we receaued , least wee should be puft vp with abundance of blessings . But from the moneth if wee descend a little lower to the comparison of the day , wee shall find that wee haue better reason to obserue ours thē they theirs though doubtlesse they obserued theirs much more solemly thē wee doe ours . Wee shall hardly find in holy scripture the like to these daies of Purim instituted by humane authority either Ecclesiasticall or ciuill , except it were that of the dedication inioyned in their moneth Caslew ( answering to our Nouember ) by Iudas Macchabeus in memory of the restoring of the publique exercise of their religion , after the freeing of the temple from the tyranny and pollution of Antiochus his garrison ; to which our Sauiour himselfe was not vnwilling to afford some credit & countenance by his personall appearing in the temple at that feast . That it is then both lawfull and commendable in some cases to sett such a day a part for publique thankes-giuing and commemoration either of some great benefit or deliuerance wrought , I intend not to proue , because I suppose no sober minded man makes a doubt of it The saying is Cura omnium , cura nullius , that office which is giuen in charge to all , no man takes charge of , and it is as true , that such as neglect the obseruation of this day vnder a pretence of being thankfull at all times , are for the most part thankfull at no time . Besides it is most kindly & seasonable to publish opus diei in Die suo , the worke of the day vpon the day it selfe : then a mans words if ever worke a deeper impression in the hearts of the hearers , then if euer are they like apples of gold with pictures of siluer , like nailes fastned by the masters of the assembly , the very robes & face of the day makes our children not capable of our prayers & preaching to enquire into the reason of our meeting ; & good reason haue wee to deliuer ouer the keeping of this day to our posterity , since in it the sonnes of Beliall thought to haue feathered vs such an arrow as should haue striken through the heart of the child yet vnborne . When your children aske you , what seruice is this you keepe , you shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lords Passouer , saith Moses Exodus 12. And when your children shall aske their fathers in time to come , what meane these stones , you shall shew your chil . dren and say Israel came ouer this Iordan on dry land saith Iosuah chapter 4 In like manner whē our children enquire what meaneth the obseruation of this day it will be a fitt occasion to informe them in the reason therèof , Areason neuer to be forgotten , but deepely to be ingrauen in the heart of all succeeding ages as it were in a pillar of Marble or brasse with a pen of yron or the point of a diamond . But I returne to the Comparison of our Powder day with those of Purim kept by the Iewes . Theirs had the name of Pu● , which in the Persian language signifieth a Lott , as in Greeke it signifies fire , a name not vnfitt for our day too , Theirs was appointed by the authority of Mordecai and Ester , the decree for the perpetuall keeping of it aswell in the country as in the citty was registred in their booke of ordinances , as ours is in our booke of statutes , made and ratified by our Soueraigne then being and the body of the three Estates assembled in Parliament ; whereas though Mordecai were a greate man in the Persiā state , & Ester were Queene , yet had neither of thē for ought we find Soueraigne authority ouer the Iewes which notwithstanding they duly and cheerefully obserued two whole daies as festiuall , there being but one part of a day , nor past two houres in a manner inioyned vs. They were to obserue theirs in a countrie where they could not but prouoke their enimies more powerfull then themselues by putting them in mind of the slaughter committed by the Iewes vpon their Countriemen and kindred vpon that day : whereas wee may ( God be thanked ) obserue ours not onely without feare and danger , but With much comfort & commendation : yea it is written by those who report the present estate of the Iewes , that this day is obserued among them wheresoeuer they liue : so that by computation they haue kept it aboue two thousand yeares , whereas wee haue not obserued ours aboue twenty , & yet I know not how it comes to passe , the keeping of it is already growne out of fashon , wearisome and teadious vnto vs , I know that the disciples of Rome howsoeuer they would haue highly applauded the plott , had it taken effect , yet now , it being of the nature of those designes , quae non laudantur nisi per acta , which are neuer commended till they are ended , in their hearts they wish of this day , as Job did of his birth day , that it might not be ioyned to the dayes of the yeare , nor come in to the account of the moneths : But the rather must we & truly may we say of it as was said of the night in which the Isralites went out of Egypt . It is a day to be kept holy to the Lord , it is that day of the Lord which all the children of England must keepe throw out their generations , as an eternall presedent of Gods watchfull eye in the preseruation of our Church and state , and an euerliuing testimony of the neuer dying cruelty of Iesuited Romish Catholiques . This shall be written for the generation to come : and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord. Psal. 102. 18. FINIS Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A02487-e150 Plot. Persons Motiues . Assurance . Preuention . End of the conspiratours . 2 Thes. 2. 10 11. The moneth Ezra . 6. 2 Macc. 15 The day . and hence wasit called ▪ Mordocheus day . 2 Mach. 15. 36 
A03115	----	Popish pietie, or The first part of the historie of that horrible and barbarous conspiracie, commonly called the powder-treason nefariously plotted against Iames King of great Britaine, Prince Henrie, and the whole state of that realme assembled in Parliament; and happily disc[ou]ered, disappointed, and frustrated by the powerfull and sole arme of the Almightie, the fifth of Nouember, anno 1605. Written first in Latin verse by F. H. [...] in physicke: and translated into [En]glish by A.P. Pietas pontificia. English Herring, Francis, d. 1628. 1610 Approx. 59 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 26 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A03115 STC 13246 ESTC S119034 99854241 99854241 19650 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A03115) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 19650) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1070:14) Popish pietie, or The first part of the historie of that horrible and barbarous conspiracie, commonly called the powder-treason nefariously plotted against Iames King of great Britaine, Prince Henrie, and the whole state of that realme assembled in Parliament; and happily disc[ou]ered, disappointed, and frustrated by the powerfull and sole arme of the Almightie, the fifth of Nouember, anno 1605. Written first in Latin verse by F. H. [...] in physicke: and translated into [En]glish by A.P. Pietas pontificia. English Herring, Francis, d. 1628. A. P., fl. 1610. [48] p. Printed [by R. Field] for William Ione[s], London : 1610. In verse. Printer's name from STC. Signatures: A-C. Imperfect; stained and torn with some loss of print. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Poetry. 2008-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-12 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2009-01 John Pas Sampled and proofread 2009-01 John Pas Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion POPISH PIETIE , OR The first part of the Historie of that horrible and barbarous conspiracie , commonly called the Powder-treason : Nefariously plotted against Iames King of great Britaine , Prince Henrie , and the whole state of that Realme assembled in Parliament ; and happily disc●●ered , disappointed , and frustrated , by the powerfull and sole arme of the Almightie , the fifth of Nouember , Anno 1605. Written first in Latin verse by F.H. 〈◊〉 in Physicke : and translated into ●●glish by ● . P. LONDON , Printed for William Ione 1610. TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS AND MOST VERTVOVS PRINCESSE , THE LADY Elizabeth , onely daughter of the Kings most excellent Maiestie . I Haue presumed to offer vnto your Grace ( most gracious Princesse ) an old Historie clad in a new English coate . But why do I call that old , which ought to be alwayes new , and fresh in euery true English heart , while the world lasteth ? We haue a vulgar saying , that fish and guests are stale in a few dayes . And who seeth not , that the greatest and strangest workes of God wrought amongst vs , are but wonders of nine dayes ? Our English nation is iustly taxed , as too Athenian-like , euer eagerly and curiously listening after nouelties , and ouer slightly and lightly passing by the most remarkable and memorable accidents and occurrents . This is a generall , and ( as I may terme it ) a nationall fault , which ought to be acknowledged and amended . Now howsoeuer many passages may without any great dishonour vnto God or detriment to the State , be buried in the darke pit of obliuion , yet the Powder-treason , that monstrous birth of the Romish harlot , cannot be forgotten without great impietie , and iniurie to our selues . The Israelites were commanded to celebrate yearely the memoriall of their deliuerance from Egypt , & often to inculcate vnto their childrē t● 〈…〉 workes which the Lord wrought f● 〈…〉 in drying the red sea , in deuiding t● 〈…〉 of Iordan , in subduing the Canaan 〈…〉 expelling them before their faces . T●…s in the time of Hester by a solemne 〈…〉 ●dained an annuall remembrance of 〈…〉 ●ance from the cruell designe of Haman 〈◊〉 Agagite . The like course hath bene honorably taken in the Powder-Conspiracie , by the great Counsell of our State , and 〈◊〉 on most iust and weightie considera● 〈◊〉 For this hellish plot , being as it were 〈◊〉 ●nt-essence of Sathans policie , the fur● 〈◊〉 ●th and straine of humane malice and 〈◊〉 not to be paralleld among the sauage Turks , the barbarous Indians , nor ( as I am perswaded ) among the more then brutish Cannibals ; & the deliuerance being wrought without any humane helpe , by the great watchman of Israel , who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth , so as our enemies must needs acknowledge with the Egyptian sorcerers , Certè hic Dei digitus est : we shall be guiltie of horrible ingratitude , the foulest of all vices , if we do not embrace all meanes of perpetuating the memory of so great , so gracious , and wonderfull a preseruation : Nunquam nimis inculcatur quod non satis discitur . Besides , we cannot forget this maruellous deliuerāce , without apparent danger vnto our selues and our posteritie . Improbe Neptunum accusat , qui bis naufragium fecerit . We haue had many faire warnings from these Romish Amalekites ; if we hereafter fall into their hands , we shall not be pitied , but laughed at , by a ●o●r neighbour nations . I hope therefore your Grace , who should haue acted a wofull and yet principall part in the catastrophé of this Tragedie , will vouchsafe the acceptance and perusing of this short Poeme , written by my selfe in Latine , and translated into English by a friend of mine : wherein you may be ●old as in a cristall glasse , the irefull faces of your greatest enemies , and the gracious and amiable countenance of the Almightie watching ouer the King your father , the Queene your mother , that Prince of admirable hope , your brother , and your selfe , for your deliuerance from those snares and nets which were so secretly and craftily laid , to haue entangled all your selues together , and to haue put out and quite extinguished the lights of Israel in one day . The same almightie Lord grant , that as he hath bene the sole author of your preseruation and reseruation ( as we all hope ) for some excellent worke which he hath to accomplish by your hands , so you may be worthy instruments in your places of the aduancement of his Gospell here in earth , to his glorie , and your owne eternall happinesse in the life to come . Your Graces to be commanded in all dutifull seruices , Fr. Hering . POPISH PIETY , OR The first part of the historie of that horrible and barbarous conspiracie , commonly called the Powder treason . 1 A Rise my Muse , to studies quite forlorne , And intermitted ouermuch , retire ; The wals with hang'd vp armes no more adorne , But snatch them thence , herein to shew desire ; If thou refuse , the posts and stones will scorne , Nature in them should silence still require : Each thing that 's void of sense ( if thou wilt not ) Will to the world resound this barbarous plot . 2 This barbarous plot , then which th'al-seeing Sunne , A more outragious fact did ne're behold , Not to be matcht since the first age begun , In marble records fit to be inrold : O thou whose dole of grace is neuer done , Vnworthy vs that doest aliue vphold : O grant vs life to celebrate thy praise , Almightie Father fauour our iust layes . 3 I sing a strange blacke monster , rude and fell , Late on that Whore which doth the world besot , In grosse thicke darknesse , vtmost caues of hell , In cursed coupling Lucifer begot A fearfull monster , all our world to quell : The purple strumpet soone againe he got , Sent backe to Lerney lake , where with close mirth She was deliuered of her monstrous birth . 4 Which she nurst vp with Romish milke a space : This Snake , the prodigie of humane kind , More dangerous then Hydra waxt apace : Whom when the damme did well perceiue in mind , To swell in deadly venime , and to outface In divellish guile all others , and did find Instructed fully in all hellish arts , Thus she bespake , and thus to him imparts . 5 There is a people that are Brittons hight , ( If elsewhere any ) they to me do beare No goodwill : thy great Father too they spight , And haue much damage done to Peters chaire , And Peters kingdome , once a Realme of might , ( Nor lesser yet ) they go about I feare . What rich rewards ? O how great reuenues This wealthy nation yearely once did vse 6 To pay the Sea Apostolicke ? how trim ? How gallantly it made our chimneys smoke ? ( For which our greatest zeale hath alwayes bin , The truth to thee , my sonne , I list not cloke , What ere we did pretend , their eyes to dim ) What swarmes of Friers linkt in holy yoke Did it maintaine ? what stately monastries ' What goodly Temples , menacing the skies , 7 Did that same nation build , and consecrate Vnto the Virgine , that diuinely bred ? And to some other heauenly ones , of late Whom we among the starres haue saintified ? There was no place as then ( behold our fate ) Where our colonies not inhabited , No place of wealth , of honor or renowne , Were it in citie , countrey , field or towne . 8 Through the whole Iland did mine honours ring , This wealthie Prouince England of it selfe ( Although but small ) by dayly suites did bring The Romane treasury more store of pelfe Then any else . France though a greater thing , Or Germanie though large , not like this elfe : Short tale to make , the profits got thereby , Did farre exceed the kings owne treasury . 9 Perhaps t is strange I speake , but t is most true : And doest thou thinke that I can patiently Endure so rich a prey by Luthers crew Should be bereft me ? I le not easily Pocket this wrong ; lo , I le reuenge pursue ; Reuenge that onely sweetens iniurie : After that Luther that vile run-agate , That Church-robber , that spoiler of our State : 10 Our battels and campes Catholicke forsooke , O with what troubles , with what sodaine stormes , The gorgeous triple mitred kingdome shooke ! Saint Peters holy body he deformes And rends ; for with himselfe away he tooke Germaines and Frenchmen many ; and reformes Almost all those that liue in Brittons Ile , English and Scots , now Brittains both in style . 11 I am a mightie Queene , I once did say , No alteration shall I euer find : No times shall see my Monarchie decay , My state shall haue no period assign'd , No age to come shall euer see the day , When desolation makes me come behind : But haste , with too long speech I weary thee , Now come I to the point , my sonne , quoth slie . 12 Our state declining dayly , doth compell Vs to aske counsell , and to hammer out On Platoes anvill some new wiles of hell , To weaue some plots with riddles wrapt about : Mine onely hope 's in thee , thou knowest well Thy fathers lore , and all my purpose stout : Go to faire England , luckily reduce That rebel kingdome to our Scepters vse . 13 He takes his iourney onward , and with speed He went about his cursed mothers will , And to the Brittons comes with equall heed , The Brittons who a second world do fill , Diuided from the other : by his weed A Catholicke : 't hath bene the custome still Of Satan , that being clad in truths attire , Closer he might deceiue , and play the lier . 14 Here he was called Fawkes or False , I find Elsewhere his names were Ionston , Foster , Browne , A second Proteus , that could easly wind And turne himselfe to all the shapes i' th towne : Fitting the place , he to himselfe assign'd New names , in each new coast the old laid downe : But still the selfe same wicked mind he keepes , His harmfull heart still wakes and neuer sleepes . 15 He euery where solicites many men , In loue to Rome too seruent and too bold , Who in their secret murmurings long agen For Egypts flesh pots , and the cups of gold , Of her that was a mightie Empresse then , When by her selfe she rul'd the world of old : Such male-contents she stirreth vp amaine , And sets their hopes on cockhorse , though in vaine . 16 And tels them how th' ineuitable time , And fatall dayes do now post on apace , Wherein the Caluinists no more shall clime , Nor those whom Beza brought to state of grace : And that the time 's at hand , and in full prime , When they may build Romes wals without disgrace , Punish their foes , and Catholicke faith restore To th' ancient splendor that it had before . 17 These men receiue with gaping greedinesse , The hony words that this false Sinon spake , And hid them in their minds with ioyfulnesse , And of their owne free will for Romes sweet sake , Promise themselues , and all the readinesse That they or theirs by any meanes can make : Yea they will pray , and that with feruencie , For iust euent to this his prophecie . 18 Thus being proud of this his good successe , He doth inuade the Princes royall place , Where ioyfully he walkes amid the presse Of Englands Peeres , and gentlemen of race ; Where Iames the mightie monarch , with no lesse Powerfull hand doth sway the Scepters mace . Iames who with one applause and full consent , Sits on that throne God his Ancestors lent . 19 Whos 's clemencie at his first entrance here , Did spread it selfe to all of euery kind : This noble Prince by such meanes thought it cleare , That he could supple their rebellious mind , And bow their stiffe neckes that hold Rome so deare ; But now farre otherwise he doth it find : For they abusing his most princely grace , Began herein t' aduance their combes apace . 20 And euery where to swell with such disdaine , As was outragious ; and to lay a plot For new garboiles , and then to spread amaine Amongst th'vnstable commons , who knew not The course of state , some odious speeches vaine , Tending to set Seditions barke on flote , And openly to take offensiue armes , Euermore thirsting after others harmes . 21 First Watson an old craftie Popish sage , Dared to trouble this our peacefull state : Fond Lancashire , I know not with what rage Blinded , did second him ; Wales after that : But better t is to come to that slie page , That subtill Sinon , whom we lest of late , Walking along the stately sumptuous court , Where all the gallants of the land resort . 22 Who hauing pondred in his plotting mind , The subtill stratagemes that there were fram'd , He meets with Percie , Percie most vnkind , Who by his style a Pensioner was nam'd , Yet a firme vassall to the Pope combin'd : To him he vtters all , and neuer sham'd , Euen all the businesse he had in charge , With hels commission thereunto at large . 23 Percie both man and message doth embrace , And with affection entertaines them both , Though he nor Percie had nor 〈◊〉 nor grace , Yet each to other gaue their 〈◊〉 troth , Not to disclose what spee●●●●at place Had past betweene the 〈◊〉 unto an oath Was added , and 〈◊〉 ●ng hand in hand , They sweare th● 〈◊〉 ●erate league for ay should stand . 24 Marke how you cherish in your laps ( great States ) Fell vipers , whilest the Papists ye admit , Though but within the entries of your gates : Vnder their faire shew doth a serpent sit : Infamous treason with her hellish mates , Damned rebellion , murders most vnfit Once to be nam'd , with poysonous dregs that smell , And sauour all of the deceits of hell . 25 These are the studies of the Romish traine , Publisht abroad for all the world to view ; And these the lasting monuments of fame , Erected by the Catholicke Sect and crew . These are their holy merites ; by these same They clime to heauen , and claime it as their due : Hereby they thinke they shall supply a roame In heauens Starre chamber , free from other do●●●e . 26 Eftsoones this shifter Faulkes hath chang'd his name , Commonly taken to be Percies man , And in that forme vnknowne , himselfe doth frame To belch out deadly venime all he can , Securely , void of feare , bereft of shame ; And by degrees he afterwards began To draw on many , who with full consent Consorted with him in his leud intent . 27 Beyond sea then he closely packes againe , And to his holy Mother doth relate , Both what , and how , and all in order plaine . She likes it well ; and straight , at any rate , Wils them go on , and spare nor cost , nor paine , To make the end , and issue fortunate . So well apaid , and well rewarded too , She sends him backe , with new charge what to do . 28 Hee 's quicke enough in speeding his retire , And bawkes not old acquaintance by the way , But visits Austria's court , where that graue Sire Is Lord and ruler , who , 't is hard to say , Whether he be a Priest of holy quire , Or souldier fierce in fight , his foes to fray : He straight assembles th' English vagrants there , Who wish for change , and harme to this land here . 29 Monsters of men , that take delight to fish In troubled waters and tempestuous seas , They see him forward , answering to their wish , They spurre and pricke him on ; and each of these Giues his aduice , though all not worth a rish . They lode him home ( such lode he thought an ease ) With new inuentions , trickes , and subtill wiles , And teach him knauery , cloakt by knauish guiles . 30 He backe returnes , serues his old master still , And tels him all that hapned ; and withall They must make hast , their purpose to fulfill ; For hee 's prepar'd , and ready at a call , With all the weapons that the wit and skill Of Italy for fraud renown'd of all , Or yet the kingdome of that fiend of hell Could yeeld , he knew them all exceeding well . 31 Now settle they to worke , and to begin , Among their wicked conforts counsell take , Each man in order giues his verdit in , Which way may most for their aduantage make . Go , kill the King ( saith one ) passe not a pin , To thrust him thorough for thy countries sake , Brasutus-like , let nothing hinder thee , Vntill thy purpose fully acted be . 32 Another thinkes it best , in subtill shew Of friendly entertainment of the King , To watch a time when he should weary grow By heate or hunting sport , and then to bring Him to the place where he to rest should go , And there then act this cruell cursed thing , When sweet sound sleepe possest him , as he lay To throttle him , and take his life away . 33 It strikes a horror to my very heart , To tell the storie of their diuellish plot , My tongue as loth herein to beare a part , Cleaues to my iawes , and willing opens not , And do these country-killers neuer start , Nor feare at all , that haue these things begot ? Nay act , at least intend ; these cursed deeds , Fit fruites to come from such accursed weeds . 34 A hotchpot they , and mingle mangle make Of things diuine and humane , all is one , They make no difference : yea , the oathes they take , And leagues of friendship , which not those alone , That Christians were , but heathens neuer brake , But alwayes kept inuiolate ; yet none Of these , these wicked monsters care to keepe , Though oathes and faith be sounded ne'er so deepe . 35 〈◊〉 heard each mans tale , and hearing all , You misse the marke ( said he , ) for all your skill ; To pettie matters , fits not vs to fall , But roote and branches at one blow to spill : Say that we kill the King , yet after shall His noble heire Prince Henry reigne , who will Sharply ( no doubt ) reuenge himselfe on those , By whom his fathers death vntimely growes . 36 We know he is a Prince of vertue great , Exceeding toward , of great forwardnesse : Therefore if he enioy his fathers seate , Our danger will be rather more then lesse : And therefore we must cast to worke a feate , To helpe our selues this matter to redresse : For if we suffer him to liue and grow , His life will worke our dismall ouerthrow . 37 So vse small seeds to rise to great increase , The litle Hart at first vnweaponed , Small sprigs at first sprouts out , and doth not cease Till he grow captaine , all the rest to leade His fellowes like himselfe horne-headed beasts : Small sparks of fire haue much endangered Whole cities by neglect of carefull heed , Suffering one fire another fire to feed . 38 This litle Henry makes me call to mind Henry the eight , that mightie potent King , Who first our holy Father ( as we find ) With deadly wounds , so mightily did sting : Henry that fatall name to all our kind , I do abhorre as an vnhappie thing : Thus stands my mind , this stocke hereticall Plucke vp at once , that all at once may fall . 39 This may be thus ; neare Percies lodging stands That ancient house , where Englands Nobles all , And all the chiefe estates of Brittaines lands Do sit in counsell , when the King doth call , That haue the kingdomes causes in their hands , And order all things that in question fall , And the first day of custome vsually The States meete there in great solemnitie . 40 The King , the Queene , the Prince , will all be there With mightie pompe , attended royally , All in their robes , all glittering , bright and cleare , Their garments all beset most sumptuously With gold and precious stones ; and farre and neare The people throng and flocke exceedingly , And fill the streets , to see the gallant show ; All these at once 't were braue to ouerthrow . 41 This may be easly done ; for t is not hard Vnder that ancient house of Parliament To place a fier , which with good regard Set for the purpose whereunto t is bent , Will send both them and th' house to heauenward , For fire to mercie will no whit relent : So while the King is speaking , Nobles still One blast of powder all at once shall kill : 42 And make them flie aloft into the skie . Here Catesby ends : the rest applauded well What he had said , and praisd it mightily , Of all their plots this plot did beare the bell : Then Faulkes thus seconds him , Surely ( quoth he ) . Thy counsel 's good , and doth the rest excell : So shall the house which wrought the Pope such woe , Be well rewarded with this worthy blow . 43 So shall we counted be in time to come , The men that did the Catholicke cause restore : So by our holy mother Church at home , As Saints we shall be canoniz'd therefore ; So shall they beare the iust reuenge and doome , Their sinnes deserue by making lawes so sort ▪ ( Vniustly too ) brewing their hands in bloud Of holy men , religious Saints , and good . 44 They by our wealth and spoiles are growne too gre●● And proud withall ; t is time they had a fall ; And neuer was inuented such a feate , To worke their vtter ouerthrow withall . Henceforth some choice yong men to worke are set , And sworne by oath , both ioynt and seuerall : Some dig and delue the earth and wals of stone , To vndermine at last the royall throne . 45 Some flie abroad , and get more companie To ioyne with them , and wish them at the day , That should amongst themselues appointed be To be all readie arm'd , that so they may Vpon a sodaine spoile their enemie , And vnawares may sweepe them all away , And rid the land cleane of this hatefull kind , That not so much as one be left behind . 46 In Percies house the diggers first begin , Which bordred neare the house of Parliament , And there they dig deepe hollow trenches in , Vntill by mining caues so farre they went , That they at last such ground thereby did win , That they vnbared ( to fit their leud intent ) The maine foundation of that sacred place , Which they so leudly labour'd to deface . 47 ●ercie meane while a celler doth espie , More fitting for their vse , because indeed Right ouer it , that ancient house did lie , With hope of spoile whereof themselues they feed : This for his mony he did hire or buy , And therein laid what should their purpose speed ; But made a shew that he the same did hire , To lay in beere , and wood , and coales for fire . 48 These things thus happening to their minds so fit , They make no doubt but all will well succeed ; The close of all to False they do commit , For hee 's the man that vndertakes the deed : Mans name's too good , for he deserues not it , But Diuell should I call this hellish weed , Night-walking goblin , master of his skill , Falshood and fearfull mischiefe working still . 49 Gun-powder store this fellow closely brought Into their hired celler ; and the same In powder barrels fully stuft and fraught , Some here , some there , he placed as it came . This did not serue his turne , but still he sought Which way he might some new-found mischiefe frame ; Two barrels more he brought , full fraught likewise , With cables , ropes , and such like merchandise . 50 These things he puts right vnderneath the throne , Whereas the King himselfe in state should sit ; Next , many barres of iron he layes thereon , And piles of wo●d againe layes ouer it : Of diuellish meanes be slips not any one , That might their diuellish cursed purpose fit ; But all things ●●e with like deuice and skill . He did contriue to worke their wicked will. 51 These things in their disorderd order done , This fellow thus possest with harmfull heart , Nouembers fift ( when Parliament begun ) . With longing lookes for , readie for his part To act such mischiefe as ne'er saw the Sun : The thought whereof would make a good man start : Old Romes bad member wicked Catiline , And Iewish Haman may to these resigne . 52 They neuer thought on such a villanie , Nay tosse and turne the monuments of old , All bookes that write of any crueltie , Yea looke to Barbarie , yet I le be bold Thus much to say , and to assure it thee , That all these histories will not vnfold So great , so horrible , so vile a fact , Nor such as odious , hatefull , cruell act . 53 The King , Queene , Prince , and royall progenie , The gallant Lords and Nobles of estate , The buds and branches of Nobilitie , Graue Fathers of the Law , that sit in seate Of iustice , and the reuerend Clergie , The flower of English gentrie , and that great And famous Senate-house , yea all the land Had perisht all with turning of a hand . 54 From Percies house , one cruell piercing blow Should spoile them all : euen as the silly Hare Securely sitting in her forme so low , One with his club doth kill her vnaware ; The name and nation of the Brittons , so This cruell Dragon sodainly prepares Quite to suppresse ; and English Christians all To swallow vp at once , both great and small . 55 Such huge wide swallowes , throates insatiate , Haue these Italian monsters : and admit They had at once both vs and all our State Brought to confusion , as they purposd it ; Who should haue told the storie , or relate That dayes destruction ? who could once befit Amid those ruffling ruffians , to bewray . The cities ruines , and the Realmes decay ? 56 Had I an hundreth tongues , they all would faile , And to my tongues an hundreth wits withall , All would not serue to tell the dolefull tale Of all the sorrowes that on vs should fall By this their enterprise ; that worke would quaile Homer himselfe the Prince of Poets all , If now he lift'd , his worke he much would feare To take in hand , as ouer-hard to beare . 57 For now me thinkes I once againe behold That famous Troy in flaming fier burne , And there where earst were pleasures manifold , All to tumultuous noise and horror turne , And gallant London gay and rich in gold , Me thinkes I see all sad , and set to mourne : London the Empires seate , and Europes mart , Of furious flames , me thinkes , doth feele the smart . 58 Me thinkes the wals are broke and battred sore , The streets with armed angry souldiers fild ; Dead corps disperst abroad , all rent and tore , Streames running full of bloud vntimely spild , Streets , Churches , houses ( neuer like before ) Such fierce laments , nor can , nor will be stild : No place me thinkes is free , but all resound Sighes , sobs , and teares , for losses lately found . 59 Poore wofull mothers , by their houses gay , Wonder , me thinks , embracing in their armes Their tender babes , with woe and well a day , Wailing their owne , and all the cities harmes ; Giuing their babes sweet kisses , but by th' way Salt teares among , as thicke as Bees in swarmes : The houses they in gentle sympathie , Suite womens moanes with mournfull melodie . 60 Me thinkes the fire consumes and burnes vp all The ancient seates of iudgement , where of old Graue reuerend Iudges sate ; Westminster hall , The tombes where former kings lie clad in mold , Those tombes me thinkes by fire to ruine fall ; And stately monuments bedeckt with gold , Which in that famous Church and Chappell be , And many yeares haue stood vntoucht and free . 61 Nay more , the funerall and buriall day Of countrey , citie , London , now the seate Of English Kings that Brittish Scepter sway , ( So politicke their plot , their gall so great ) They meant not one behind aliue should stay To celebrate the same , or mourne thereat : The King , the States , and court of Parliament , Once being gone , thus was their mischiefe bent . 62 Their purpose was the fault themselues had done , To turne the same vpon their enemie , And with the Puritanes to haue begun , To make them authors of the villanie ; And to proclaime that they were those had spun The wicked we●● or that vile treacherie ; And so to banish , kill , and roote them out , By fire and sword through all the Realme about . 63 These be the diuels arts and cunning sleight , No mans deuice , but forg'd in fire of hell , An odious fact that dare not bide the light ; To hide and couer with a fact more fell , To trouble and traduce the harmlesse wight , And him by what he may to ouerquell , Whole kingdomes to subuert , and glut his throate With guiltlesse bloud , by him vntimely sought . 64 Either blacke Plutoes darke affrighting cell , Is voide of ghosts , or this is Satans deed , Plotted by man , though sprung and nurst in hell , In humane forme and shape of Adams seed : But great Iehoua , who on 's throne doth dwell , Hath care of his , and from their foes hath freed ; His watchfull eye each corner doth vnfold , His neuer winking lampe the seas behold . 65 The blindest corner cannot him bereaue Of piercing sight , who doth the waues make still , To whom a guilefull heart , thoughts to deceiue , Are knowne , and eke disclosed by his will. To him are rebels hatefull , that do weaue We be to destroy poore infants free from ill ; But God approues of all things iust and right , And seeing our King now in a dangerous plight : 66 Our State in danger ; from his throne aloft , With such like words our perill did relate : See , see , how Satan with his guilefull craft , With hellish falshood , and vnheard of hate , Hath couertly prepar'd a deadly shaft , To ouerthrow faire Englands royall state , To place mute images and gods of corne , And marble pictures , as the Gospels scorne . 67 If these his plots should take a wisht successe , The triple crowned beast of Italie , Babel the Queene of riot and excesse , The worlds illuder , full of villanie , Would soone repaire her ruinous state doubtlesse , And so frustrate the sacred prophecie , Which hath diuin'd and told so long before , The certaine ruine of that Romish whore . 68 Let 's turne from England what their foes intend , To bring vpon them to their vtter fall , Destruction , thine , and a dismall end , With cruell slaughter to destroy them all : Wee see whereto their cruell plots they bend , At once to massacre both great and small : Let 's therefore now their plots withstand and stay , Which they so fiercely gainst the English lay . 69 Though their defaults haue merited this ill , Though they be worthy of much punishment , Because they haue abusde our fauours still , Abusde our benefites that we haue sent To them and theirs ; yet all at once to kill By their vnworthy hand we are not bent : Better it is these flames so fierce and fell , Now readie thus to burne , to quench and quell . 70 With that a swift wing'd messenger he cals , And bids him quickly tread on English ground , Warning the King by dreame , what cruell thrals Hang ore his head ; what vipers do abound , Nurst in his bosome ; vp and downe they crals ; And now of late these vipers we haue found To haue prepar'd a bloudie treacherous gin , To snare the King , and all his kingdome in . 71 And with aduice bid him beware the place , Wherein great Romane Iulius once did fall ; Then to the Lord Mounteagle hie apace , For hee 's forewarn'd to keepe him from the hall ▪ A friend concealing both his name and face , By letter sent , admonisht him of all , For why ? ( forsooth ) both God and men consent To giue this wicked age due punishment . 72 Into the countrie he was will'd retire , There to expect th' euent that should ensue , And told that once the paper cast i' th fire , No further perill could to him accrew ; Call to his mind , and so his heart inspire , What from the subiect , is the Princes due ; Warne him that now his loue he must not hide , Nor from his country , nor his countries guide . 73 Bid him reueale the writing to the King , Which was to him so secretly directed , Without a name , but yet a happie thing , That so the plot thereby might be detected . Swiftly the legate with his featherd wing , Makes hast to England , as he was directed ; And there perform'd , and acted faithfully . What was to him enioyn'd by God 〈◊〉 high . 74 He straight inspires in noble Morleys heart , A due regard of King and countries weale ; The King he lightens with a wondrous art , Obscure darke riddles easly to reueale , Like Oedipus to open euery part , And loose the knots , and tell it euery deale . One of the Priuie Councell Morley chose , To whom in order he did all disclose . 75 One whom he knew , Vlysses match to be For iudgement sound , and sharpe quickwittednesse : He tels the rest ; and then both they and he Go shew the king with great amazednesse . The letter 's brought ; and ( as in doubts we see ) Each seuerall man doth giue a seuerall gesse , Our prudent King in 's mind well pondring all , Brake forth at last , and let these speeches fall . 76 What points out perill may not be despised , I well remember how a litle smoke Doth shew huge flaming fires therein comprised , In straw foule t●ades do oft he hid and croke . I call to mind ( or I am misaduised ) Speeches of late haue euery where bene spoke Of busie Papists stirr'd by diuellish hate , Threatning so●e mischiefe to our Realme and State. 77 Preuenting care did neuer preiudice Monarchs , whose liues with foes are set about . Perhaps their purpose is some new deuice , Some Troian horse or some seditious rout ▪ Some Iacobite to make an orifice By stabbing me , to make my bloud gush out . Assure your selues they haue some plots in hand , Some monstrous mischiefe to subuert the land . 78 These are no rouings of a crazed braine , The writing sauours of some hainous plot ; Hee 's earnest with his friend , he should refraine , And keepe him absent out of dangers shot : Some great , some sodaine blow , some cruell baine , As fierce as lightning it doth seeme to note : Gun-powder sure he meanes so fierce and cruell , Hels damned ofspring , and destructions fuell . 79 Perhaps they meane this powder to abuse To our destruction : gladly would I know , Who dwell in houses neare , or cellers vse Vnder the hall , gainst which they bend this blow ▪ Of these things would I haue the certaine newes , Ere we to any other matter go : Make carefull search therefore and what you find , Returne with speed , to satisfie my mind . 80 He that did keepe the house of Parliament , Made search forthwith , and viewed all things well , Carefull of 's charge , in 's dutie diligent : And what he found , he to the King did tell , That Percie in the roomes next adiacent , Vnto that house did at that in slam dwell ; And that the cellers , vaults , and vnder holes , Were stuft and fraught with store of wood and coles . 81 Hence more and more suspitions did arise ; And so Nouembers fourth , a worthy Knight , An ancient Courtier , trustie , graue and wise , Kneuet by name , in mids of that same night Was sent to search each thing with good aduise , And euery corner , to bring all to light ; Feigning stolne garments of the Queenes he sought , Taking few with him , for suspecting ought . 82 First False he finds , the diuell of the vault , Alone , cloth'd , booted , standing at the doore : Fire-spitting Aetna he had lately fraught Fit for his purpose , with prouision store , Whereby with flashing sulphur flames , he sought To bring his country to destruction sore : Poore England now within some twelue houres after , Neare to a deadly wound and bloudy slaughter . 83 First him they fastned on , and by and by Entring the vault , the wood-piles ouerthrow ; Forthwith in great amazement one did crie , Some cruell treason , here be things do show , Here 's powder hid , one barrell found haue I , No doubt here 's more lies hidden here below , Vnder this wood ; let 's search it carefully , For sure there is some monstrous villanie . 84 Treason , ah treason great , they crie amaine , And plucke out powder barrels more and more ; In all they spied and disclosed plaine , Gunpowder pipes in number thirtie foure . Two barrels more the celler did containe , To furnish vp this diuellish wicked store ; All fild with hellish powder , darke and blacke , Prepar'd for Englands fatall spoile and wracke . 85 In searching Faux , about his necke they spie A crucifixe , which he had hanging there , His bodie cloth'd with sackcloth inwardly , And in his clothes match hidden did he beare , Whereby he might fire to this heape apply , To make it burne , and all before it teare , And so faire Brittains Empire , English nation , Euen in a moment bring to desolation . 86 The fault it selfe was plaine and manifest , He could not hide , nor colour , nor deny 't , Nor was this mind , but shamelesly confest , And voucht the fact , and said , that all the spite , And all the griefe his spitefull mind opprest , Was that the thing was disappointed quite ; He blusht not to affirme himselfe distracted , Onely because the thing remain'd vnacted . 87 All in an vprore straight exclaime and crie , O heauens , O earth , O monstrous wickednesse ! O new-found plot ! that sauage Barbarie , Or Turkie ( cruell be it ) nerethelesse They cannot this foule fact exemplifie ; The bloudie French massacre we confesse For bloudshed is the staine of this our age , Yet cannot march with this in equipage . 88 The rumor straight is blaz'd abroad , and spred Through citie , court , and euery countrey towne Both 〈◊〉 and wide , on wings of fame it fled Through all the land , each village vp and downe : And euery where , where it was published , This great deliuerance of so great renowne , Wrought wondrous ioy to them , to God great praise , With hands lift vp to him with holy layes . 89 O thou that sway'st and rul'st the heauens aboue , That rul'st the earth , and mak'st the thunder cracke , That keep'st thy couenant alwayes , and thy loue , That art to anger slow , to vengeance flacke : How shall we do ( as well doth vs behoue ) To sound thy praises , and keepe nothing backe : What vowes shall we poore soules repay to thee , That thus from direfull slaughter setst vs free ? 90 Thou didst preserue vs when we were appointed To bloudie sword , and fearfull flames of fire , To haue our bodies euery lim disiointed , By cruell slaughter and destruction dire ; Thou safely keepest Sion thine annointed , And wak'st for vs though we gainst thee conspire : Thou keep'st vs from the Beares deuouring iawes , From hellish harmes , and out of Satans clawes . 91 Thy hand O Lord , t was thy right hand alone Kept and preserued vs ( vnworthy we ; ) T was Lord thy loue , desert in vs was none , Whereby to challenge any good from thee : When we like rebels had against thee gone , Stiffe necked , vicious , leud as leud may be , Contemning still thy worship and thy name , Scorning the Prophets that declare the same . 92 To liue vpright we hold it a disgrace , And hee 's most blamed that doth no man wrong , As madmen vse , when as there comes in place A quiet , sober minded man among Such mad companions , him they will outface , And make of him their laughing stocke , their song ; They thinke him mad , because he is not mad ; So him that doth least harme , we thinke most bad . 93 Thy bounteous goodnesse Lord doth farre exceed , That carest for such a people so vnworthy , And that at such a time , a time of need , So carest for them that care so little for thee ; For thee or thine so small their care indeed , As rather might to wrath and vengeance stirre thee ; For , honour , pleasure , gaine , is all their aime , To get themselues a great and glorious name . 94 Lord let thy bountie soften at the last , And mollifie our hard and stonie heart , Dissolue vs all to teares for follies past , Rou●● v● our slouth with thy all-piercing dart , Shake off our drowzinesse hangs on so fast , So old , so strong , that we can hardly part : Lighten our eyes , our sinnes fore past to see ; Seene , to bewaile with teares ( O Lord ) to thee . 95 O Lord we know and must acknowledge it , Thy holy word to be the onely treasure , The whole worlds compasse cannot sample it With equall worth , or neare in any measure ; Lord let vs liue worthy the light of it , To make thy word our onely ioy and pleasure : Lord let not vs that Christ his name do beare , Liue heathen-like , voide of thy holy feare . 96 That yeare of late of great mortalitie , Did thousands of our brethren sweepe away , When that great Plague did rage so cruelly , And euery where vpon so many pray ; And now these hellish snares full narrowly We haue escaped in this happie day : The sword now readie to haue cut our throte , Thou hast pull'd backe , so that it hurt vs not . 97 These things ( O Lord ) crie out , and crie amaine , That thou for sinne art angry with our land ; Threatnest , although to strike thou doest ref●●●er Thou shewst the rod , and with a gentle hand Thou shak'st it ouer vs , and layst it downe againe : Euen as we may conceiue a mother stand With trembling hands , offring to beate her sonne , But yet relents before the deed be done . 98 And if words , warnings , threatnings f●●●erly , Will nought preuaile , nor do vs any good ; ( For all of these we haue had formerly , And nothing now remaines but ●●●pes and bloud ) We may expect thy great seueritie , That haue so long against thy patience stood : Now looke that thou to punish wilt begin And burne vs vp like stubble for our sin . 99 But Lord let vs ( so often warn'd by thee ) Learne now at last thy iudgements to beware , Learne to adore thy sacred Maiestie , Learne of thy word and Gospell greater care , To bring forth fruite in more sinceritie ; But after Babylon that Romish chaire , That seate of Antichrist , all goodmens foe , That sinke of sinne , Lord let vs neuer go . 100 Grant rather ( Lord ) those Prophecies of yore , May now by vs be fully complished , That we may burne that great , that purple Whore , That hath so long with bloud of Saints bene fed ; And race those Romaine towers , which heretofore Were built by bloud , and to that glory spred : Grant Lord this glory to our worthy King , Let him and his , Romes pompe to ruine bring . 101 Lord , as his life was precious in thy sight , So let thy glorie be to him most deare , Still to aduance thy glorious Gospels light , Throng hall his Realmes , and kingdoms farre and heare ; Know and auoide his foes , and by his might To punish those that hatefull minds do beare : To pitie those that faithfull are and true , And 〈◊〉 rebellious subiects to subdue . 102 Lord make his zeales of righteousnesse so great , That he may make it runne like water-streames , Through all the coasts of his Imperiall seate ; Each citie , countrey , corner of his Realmes , So let him rule , so gouerne and intreate His mightie people by his princely beames , That liuing , loued ; after death his name May euer liue in euerlasting fame . 103 Those Worthy Peeres and Nobles of the land , And that great Senate of the Parliament , For so great bountie from thy gracious hand , So great deliuerance to her countrey sent , Lord let them euer for thy glorie stand , That still so graciously to them art b●●t : There , let good lawes by them enacted be , For Church and kingdomes safe prosperitie . 104 Euen there I say , where they appointed 〈◊〉 like harmlesse sheepe to slaught 〈◊〉 to fire , There let their care and wisedom● 〈◊〉 appeals , To giue their foes their due deser●ed hire ; Those Cananites , that Rome such loue do beare , And nor aduancement do so much desire , Let them by law be rooted out from hence , That haue 〈◊〉 long bene cause of much es●●●ce . 105 These many yeares to vs and to our State , They haue bene pricks and thornes ; and now they meant This stratageme which they deuisde of late , Should to this land a fatall blow haue lent ; All at one blow ( as they had laid their baite ) To cut their countries throate was their intent , That so the acting of their tragedie , To Neroes wishes might compared be . 106 Such miscreants that breathe out nought but blood , Slaughter of innocents , murders of kings , Stealth , rapine , incest , nothing that is good ; Most filthy whoredomes are but trifling things With them that are of this accursed brood , Distast to them no sinne or mischiefe brings ; No , not those sins , whereof the very name , True Christians do abhorre , detest , and shame . 107 A filthy see , and yearely rent they take , Of common whores , and neuer blush withall : Of heauen and earth they do a mixture make , A viperous generall 〈◊〉 are they all , That in their countries bowels loue to rake , All full of poison , full of bitter gall . And shall we harbour in our bosomes then Such monsters , odious both to God and men ? 108 Which care not to deface , and quite blot out Euen natures lawes , ingrauen in our hearts From heauen aboue ; which daily go about To breake the sinewes and the strongest parts Of humane life ; a cruell sauage rout , Which still delight in shooting deadly darts ; Which act such things , as Turke or Africane , The Indian or Barbarian would disdaine . 109 Lord of this people and their wickednesse , Long triall , many warnings haue we had , Our selues against our selues are witnesses , If still we foster them so beastly bad , Worthy we are to fall ( remedilesse ) Into those pits that they for vs haue laid : And thou ( Lord ) counted iust in after ages , If thus thou leaue vs to their cruell rages . 110 Let 's rather Lord , with all our force and mights , The vigour of our spirits and our wits , Th● 〈◊〉 ●lots selfe and all her subtill sleights , 〈…〉 audid and shun , as well bests , 〈◊〉 ●●ll befits vs poore vnworthy wights , 〈…〉 by thee freed from their dangerous pits : 〈◊〉 ●ord let vs henceforth neuer entertaine 〈◊〉 ●●●endship or fellowship with them againe . 111 Thou mightie Father , our eternall God , Our portion , and the shield of our defence , Which still hast kept vs from our enemies rod , Vnder the wings of thy omnipotence . As hitherto thou hast out foes downe trod , So keepe them vnder still , still keepe them hence , Still scatter and disperse their Romish wiles , Their subtill sleights and Babylonish guiles . 112 That so they may be taught and learne thereby No more to fight gainst heauen and heauenly powers , No more to glut themselues so greedily With bloud of holy ones ; as this land of ours By wofull triall well may testifie , Hauing from them bid many stormie showers : Lord teach them by thy iudgements to surcease Their plots , so farre from pietie and peace . 113 ●o we thy power and mightie Maiestie , With thankfull minds shall euermore record , With chearfull ver●e and solemne melodie , Thy name , thine ●●nor , and thy praise O Lor● 〈◊〉 temple , house , ●●●et , towne , and coloure , Of English nation aye shall be ador'd : Thy worship there shall spring ; and neuer die , While glittering Sunne circles the starrie skie . FINIS 
A05281	----	Great Britaines, great deliuerance, from the great danger of Popish powder by way of meditation, vpon the late intended treason against the Kings most excellent Maiestie, the Queene, the Prince, and all their royall issue: with the high court of Parliament at Westminster, there to haue been blowne vp by the Popish faction, the fift of Nouember, 1605. If God of his great mercy had not preuented the mischiefe. Great Britaines, great deliverance, from the great danger of Popish powder. Leigh, William, 1550-1639. 1606 Approx. 55 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A05281 STC 15425 ESTC S103613 99839362 99839362 3771 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A05281) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3771) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 841:16) Great Britaines, great deliuerance, from the great danger of Popish powder by way of meditation, vpon the late intended treason against the Kings most excellent Maiestie, the Queene, the Prince, and all their royall issue: with the high court of Parliament at Westminster, there to haue been blowne vp by the Popish faction, the fift of Nouember, 1605. If God of his great mercy had not preuented the mischiefe. Great Britaines, great deliverance, from the great danger of Popish powder. Leigh, William, 1550-1639. [34] p. Printed [by T. Creede] for Arthur Johnson, at the signe of the white Horse, ouer against the great North doore of Paules, London : 1606. By William Leigh. Printer's name from STC. Signatures: A² B-D⁴ E³. Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sermons, English -- 17th century. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Early works to 1800. 2004-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-03 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-04 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2004-04 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion GREAT BRITAINES , Great Deliuerance , from the great danger of Popish Powder By way of Meditation , vpon the late intended Treason against the Kings most excellent Maiestie , the Queene , the Prince , and all their Royall issue : With the high Court of Parliament at Westminster , there to haue bene Blowne vp by the Popish Faction , the fift of Nouember , 1605. If God of his great mercy had not preuented the mischiefe . Psal. 5. vers . 11. Destroy thou them , O God , Let them perish through their owne imaginations : Cast them out in the multitude of their vngodlines , for they haue Rebelled against thee . LONDON Printed for Arthur Iohnson , at the Signe of the white Horse , ouer against the great North doore of Paules . 1606. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHtie Prince , Henry : by the grace of God , Prince of Wales , Duke of Cornewall , Earle of Chester : and Heire apparant of the Crowne and Diademe , of this Kingdome of Great Brittaine , France , and Ireland . PArdon me ( my gratious good Lord , and deare Prince ) if out of a loyall heart I present vnto your Princely viewe , what I conceiued vpon these late intended Treasons , in solace of my soule , after the Lord had made the land so glorious by deliuerance : I say Deliuerance out of the hands of cruell enemies , who strooke at our fairest tree , to haue cut it downe : both roote , bole , and branches , if the Lord had not beene propitious . And because your excellency is the highest straine in all expectance , and Heire apparant to that Crowne and dignitie , whose vndoubted right , they haue so wronged by sinister thought , word , and worke , as in former ages the like was neuer deuised in any Nation , nor ( by the grace of God ) euer shall . I haue made bold in these fewe leaues , and lines , to lay open the danger , with the deliuerance ; and the rather to your Highnesse : for that in feeling sort , you may iustly say , Quorum pars magna fui ; I haue had my part of both : for man hath endangered me , but God hath diliuered me . If in the deliuerie and proiect of this my speech , your Highnesse shall find lesse Method , then Matter , I hope your clemency will beare with my passionate heart , more affected to grieue for them , who deuised the mischiefe , & to ioy for our selues that missed it , then I can well expresse without a troubled stile . One saith well , Vt luctus sic laetia , loquntur leues , ingentes stupent . As are our sorrows , so is our-solace , in their mediocrities : they speake , but in their extremities they are silent , and say nothing . What maruell then : if this our rauishment of so great ioy for the deliuerie , and deepe griefe of horror because of the danger : either enioyne me silence , or if I speake , make me to vtter my thoughts with such passion as little passeth of the Method , so it meete with matter , to expresse the meaning of a melting heart , Nescit ordinem amor , Loue is lawlesse : and a loue thus boiling , how can it but shed ouer , & keep no current , other then in your Royal acceptance , euer seasoned with such heauenly sufferance , as is gracious both to God & man : Digna prorsus & rara virtus , humilitas honorata ; It is a rare vertue when humilitie is honoured , and honour is humbled : the blaze whereof I saw in your Princely countenance , when at your Highnesse Court at Saint Iames , it pleased your excellencie to licke ●p the dust of the Sanctuarie there , ( vpon the Lords day : ) and after the Sermon ended , to yeeld such grace in publicke to the Preacher , as that he might kisse your Princely hand : which euer sithence hath strucke so great an impression of exceeding loue , and loialtie in my poore heart , as by the grace of God , I shall neuer leaue to pray for your Highnesse , as I am most bounden : and also by all meanes , studie , how either my loue , or life , may expresse the seruice and dutie I owe for so gracious an aspect . Gold and siluer I haue none : such as I haue , I giue : in the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth , be you established . Yet if it please your good grace to receiue this simple New-yeares gift , with the least acceptance , and as the first fruit of my labours in your highnesse seruice : It may be I shall with Ianus , looke backward to the old yeare , & out of my smal store , offer a pearle of an higher price . Til when , and euer , I pray God safely to keepe your Royall person , to his glory , your owne comfort ▪ and Englands ioy . Your Graces Chaplaine , most humble at command : W. Leigh . Great Brittaines , Great Deliuerance , from the great danger of Popish Powder THe Papists of these our daies , falsly called Catholicks ( vnles it be in this , that they be vniuersally euil ) haue euer since the first yeare of Elizabeth , our late Queene of famous memory , euen to this day , endeuoured the subuersiō of their dear Country , to set vp their Babel of all confusion : And haue sought by all possible and potent meanes to make this Church & Country , ( the noblest of Nations ) an Akeldema , or field of blood . Witnesse all their Rebellions that haue bene raised since that time , either in England , Ireland , or Scotland , euer fed with the grosse Viands of Popish Bull , and Indulgence , fetched from Rome , by Saunders , Morton , Felton , Edmond Campion , and Robert Parsons , most or all factious Priests & Iesuites , and since spred and divulged by the poysoned breath of thousandes of their Seminaries , vermine of the Church , and bane of Christendome . These haue done much , and deuised more against the state then euer was thought vpon in elder times , and not so much by open hostilitie , as secret treasons , excommunications , & cōfiscations , against the liues , soules and goods , both of Prince & people , who were not pleasing to their deuotions . But of all that euer were , this last deuise of Gun-powder to blowe vp all , was most detestable , diuellish , & damnable , as wherin hel was shakē , with all it furies , to haue effected their thrice bloudy practise , with this firy resolution , of their angry Goddesse Iuno . Flectere si nequeo superos Acheronta mouebo . If God will not , the diuel shall . Wherevpon when I do thinke , it is with me , as it was with Elisha , when hee looked vpon Hazael his person , and sawe in his countenance his entended crueltie toward the Israel of God , he looked vpon him stedfastly , till Hazael was ashamed , and the man of God wept , & Hazael said ; Why weepeth my Lord ? Wherevnto the Prophet answered , Because I know the euil that thou shalt doe to the children of Israel : for their strong Cities shalt thou set on fire , and their young men shalt thou slaie with the sword , and shalt dash their Infants against the stones , and rent in peeces their women with childe . Then Hazael said ; What is thy seruant a dog , that I should do this great thing ? And Elisha answered ; The Lord hath shewed mee that thou shalt be King of Aram. We haue stedfastly looked vpon you , O ye Romish Aramites , more cruell then Hazael , and lesse compassionate then he , we haue wept ouer your tyrannie as Elisha did , and ye are not ashamed , as Hazael was , the prints of your former cruelties haue pierced our hearts , but this last impression hath euen wounded our soules , wherin we see nothing but traces of blood , and ( as it were ) the blacke face , and countenance of confused desolation . King , Queene , Prince , with all their Royall issue , the onely remaine of our religious hope , Councel , Peeres , and Prophets , the next support of our happie estate , graue Iudges , and learned at Lawes , with the Knights of the Parliament , and Commōs there assembled , a third pillar bearing vp the kingdome , all these our honors had gone in a day . Woe vnto vs that euer we sinned , to deserue the hazard of so great a iudgement . Which once accomplished to their full , then had we felt ( to our wofull experience ) how speedily , the mischief wold haue spred it self into the body & bowels of all the kingdō , wherin nothing should haue bene heard , but rumbling of shot , and chrashing of armor , outcries of mothers , and yelling of children : nothing seen but sacking of cities , burning of towns , racing of towers , & wasting of the land , with destruction of parts , and desolation of the whole : Quorum animus meminisse horret luctuque refugit . And yet as all this were nothing , or not enough , we should haue seene these miscreants , neuer sated with the bloud of the Saints , til they had changed our religiō for superstition , our knowledge for ignorance , our preaching for massiing , our subiects for Rebels , our Councellors for conspirators , and so haue brought vpō vs , and ours : A most wofull Sabaoth , whē both the lawes of God & man ( which are the sinewes of a sanctified state ) had bene dissolued , and silent . Now if any shall say as Hazael did , Am I a dog , that I shall do this great euil ? I answere with Elisha , though in differing tearmes , yet in equall sense , The Lord hath told me , & experiēce hath made it good , that where Romish Hazael is King , there is crueltie . Fraterno primi maduerunt sanguine muri . The first walles of Rome were laide in blood , and euer since they haue bene symonted with such morter , as is euident , by the ten cruel persecutions of Emperors , in the first 300. yeares after Christ , and by the crueltie of Popes euer sithence , wherein Emperors haue bene Dogges to bite , but Popes haue bene diuels to deuoure , and make hauocke of Gods Saints , nay worse then diuels , and more audatious , according to that , Non audet stigius Pluto tentare , quod audet effranis Monachus , plenaque fraudis Anus . Vnbrideled Monke dare vndergoe , what diuel himselfe hee dare not do . And here might I seasonably taxe the perpetuall hatred , and intollerable crueltie of that Roman Antichrist , toward the professors of Gods truth and Religion , of whom I may truly say , as the Prophet did of the Babilonians , that they are and euer haue bene a people vile in name , and sore in affliction . Graues are pregnant , and would bring foorth their dead to plead their iust cause against their cruelties , and Abels innocent blood crieth vengeance out of the earth against these cursed Canites , & from vnder the Altar , me think I heare the soules of them that are killed for the word of God , and for the testimony which they maintained , cry with a loude voice , saying ; How long Lord , which art holy and true , doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth . Of many , take these fewe for all , Et leonem ex vnguibus , Nor will I kallender any but moderne cruelties , and such as are yet fresh bleeding in the memories of men liuing , of this age and clymate . Mariana tempora , Anglicana stigmata . Maries times are English staines , and who gaue the dye , but that Romish red Dragon , bloudy beast , and whore of Babylon ? not sated with the blood of the Martyrs then liuing , but ransacked the bones of their dead , and burned them , to glut vp their crueltie . Witnesseth the buried bones of Paulus Fagius , and Martin Bucer . Andwarpe and Naples , can witnesse like crueltie vpon a mother Queene , and Prince of great hope , whose Funeralls as some say , were solemnized both in one moneth . At Naples with ioy , and at Andwarpe with griefe , done by that Sanguinary Inquisition of Spaine , Romish red Dragon , and bloody beast of Babylon , whose Horses mouthes fume nothing but fire , smoke , and brimstone . Paris and France , doe yer streame with the blood of the innocent , murthered and slaine in that cruell massacre on Bartholomew day , 1572. wherein the Shatilian was slaine , and diuers others , noble & excellent men , with all the flower of the Gentry , and Protestants in France , to the number as is thought of 100. thousand , all done & deuised by the two Cardinals of Lorraine , and Peluey , conntenanced by the Queene mother of France , aided with her Guisian faction , & executed by Mandolet , with such crueltie , that out of the Court of the Gaile called the Archbishoppes prison , the bloud was seene in the broade day-light , to the great abhorring and feare , of many that beheld it , runne warme , and smoking into the streets of the Towne , and so downe into the Riuer of Scene . So great a dishonor , and so great an infamie to that nation , as the most part of them are ashamed at this day of their owne Countrey , defiled with two most filthy spots of Popery , falshood , and crueltie , of the which , whether hath bene the greater in that religion , it is hard to say . I passe , to speake of the Butchery of Henry , late King of France , by two Iacobin Friars , with poisoned kniues in their handes , and Popish Bull in their bosomes , which Guignard the Iesuite was not ashamed to call an heroicall act , and a gift of the holy Ghost . I say nothing of Parry his stab of death , & Lopas his Pill of poyson , intended against Queene Eliza : of famous memory , by their owne confession , the best natured and quallified Queene , that euer liued in England : yet this may I say , that the dagger was sharpened , and the Pill was poysoned with the venome of Popery , else Benedetto Palmio , and Hanniball Codrotto , two factious Iesuites , had neuer bene traduced as bellowes to blowe the fire , and kindle the coales of so great a mischiefe , with this warrantie , to enflame their hellish hearts , that the fact was lawfull and meritorious . But if all these were clapt in one , they may not ballance with the waight & woe , of our late entented dismall day , if God of his great mercy and wonted clemency had not put by the deadly blow . For a day of death , like that of doome , in Ictu oculi , had put out the light of Englande , King , Queene , Prince , Peere , and people ; All had perished , and all at once . Seruants had ruled ouer vs : & none could haue deliuered vs , out of their hands : our inheritance had bene turned to the straungers , and our houses , to the Aliants : our Fathers had beene childlesse , and our children fatherlesse : In our English Rama , had bene a voice heard mourning & weeping , and great howling : Mothers weeping for their children , and children for their mothers ; and neither had bene comforted , because they were not . We should ere this , haue drunken our water by measure , and eaten our bread by waight , our skinne had bene blacke as an Ouen , because of the terrible famine , they had defiled our women in Sion , and our maides in the Cities of Iuda , our neckes ere this had bene vnder such persecution , as we should haue bene weary of our liues , & neuer haue had rest when our soules had bin put into the hands of so viperous a generatiō , who would haue shut vp our liues in the dungion , & cast a stone vp vs : I say so generall a iudgment , so speedie and so bloudie , had neuer bene in any kingdome . Nay more , that deadly blow at once , and in Ictu oculi , ere this , had takē the elder from the gate , & the yong men from their songs , it had silenced the Prophets , and dissolued the lawes , both of God and the Nation , I say still , as formerly I haue said , so general a iudgement , so speedie , and so bloudie , had neuer bene seene in any kingdome . The Royall Pallace of Westminster , Citie , and Sanctuary there , built by the Noble Kings of this Land , and now honoured with the presence of as mighty a Monarch as euer went before , with as wise a Councel as euer England had , with as full a Senate of Nobles as euer satte there , with Bishops for learning , gifts , and graces , equalling ( if not aboue ) the reach of former times , and with Knights and Commons of the lower House of Parliament , in all respects sutable , this Royall Place and Presence , with all the Honor , Puissance , & Pietie therof , to haue bin blowne vp at once , and in Ictu oculi , I say still , so generall a iudgement , so speedie & so bloudie , had neuer bene seene in any kingdome . O vnnaturall and degenerate Englishmen , how could you euer endure , to thirst after the destruction of so sacred a Senate , and sweete an assembly ? how could you finde in your hearts to seeke the destruction of so benigne a Prince , and so Royall an issue , with the vtter subuersion of so glorious a state● by bringing into the bowels thereof that Romish Apolion , mentioned in the Reuelation , who where he is victorious , staineth the earth with bloud , the aire with blasphemy , and the heauens with his abominable , and luxurious incontinences . The old worthy Romanes the two Decij , thought it the most heroicall thing that might bee , to vowe themselues to death for their Country , and euen to spend their liues in defence of their Altars , Temples , and Monuments , of their Elders , but you seeke to see your Countrey bathing in the bloud of your Prince , Peeres , and Prophets , in the bloud of your parents , kindred , and friends , to see the cities , graues , and temples , of your predecessors , consumed with fire : to see your Records burned , your Actuaries destroyed , your virgins deflowred , your women rauished , and finally , to bring the noblest of Nations to a perpetuall slauery , and seruitude , by as deadly and dolorous a blow , as euer was deuised , or done , in any kingdome , except in that kingdome of darknesse , where is nothing else but hell , horror , and all confusion . Surely , surely , for this your entended mischiefe , and your former murthers , the worme that neuer dieth , will gnaw your rebellious hearts , and the furies of hell which neuer giue rest , will haunt you in your habitations : where euer ye goe , they wil speak in the voice of those Kings , Queenes , and Princes , with whose bloud you haue embrewed your trayterous hearts , and hands , as it is said Caesars ghost did to Brutus and Cassius , whom in the Senate they murdered with such crueltie . O vnkinde Countrymen , and cruell Caitiffes , I haue bene your blesse , but you are now my bane : I haue bene your mirth , and you are now my moane : I haue bene your wealth and shadow in a florishing Empire , but you are now my want and woe : in a decaying estate , I haue preserued your wiues to your comfort , and your children to your great ioy , but ye haue made my wife husbandlesse , and my children fatherlesse , to their vnspeakable griefe , I cloathed you with scarlet , and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparell , spotted with the purest Armines , but you haue couered my dead corpes with a Carpet of greene grasse , diaperd with my dearest bloud . Finally , I haue kept your Daggers within your sheathes , and you haue sheathed them within my heart : Fie , fie : Flee , flee : And whither can you flee , but the Hagge will euer haunt you ? nor can you euer fare well , till the Fury , finde you faultlesse . Interim nos ad sepulchra vadimus . We sleepe in peace . The Lord deliuer our Church & Country from all such Brutish & Cassian cruelties , so as neuer they be able either to touch the Lords annointed , or do his Prophets any harme , and praised be the Lorde which hath not now giuē vs a praie vnto their teeth , for our soule is escaped , euē as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler , the snare is brokē , & we are deliuered . Let this suffice for the danger deuised by men , but vndone by God , and if any would know by what men , and of what Religion ) I answere , by Englishmen , and of the Popish Religion : Nor will I say that all of that faction were priuie to the practise , yet may I say , that none ( for ought I yet heare ) were of the conspiracie , but the popishly affected , & so branded , which when God hath the glorie , and the truth is knowne , then will it appeare how farre the humour hath spred it self into the bodie of all the kingdom , too much ( God wot ) decaied with that deadly maladie . Yet I hope well in time , if such be the fruits of popish Religion , that fewe will gather Apples of that blasted tree , a tree of Sodome ▪ faire in sight : but in truth , and touch , nothing but Cindars , and rottennesse , and of all the staines that euer Popery had , I am perswaded that this is of the deepest die . For in stead of blowing vp vs , they haue blowne vp themselues , & their Religion , with such a wound to their Cause , as will neuer be cured by any craft , being blotted with one of the horriblest Treasons , that euer was contriued , and such as God & Nature could neuer brooke to be amongst the cruellest Cannibals , Turkes , or Scithians , that euer were . No maruell then ▪ if Ciuil states abhorre it , Christian Nations detest it ; Religious Kings spit at it ; and the Cronicles of all times record it : for such an Antichristian stratagem , Romish Monster , and Popish prodigie , as neuer might endure the sight of any Sunne , but was strangeled in the birth , ere it could bee borne , and kild in the blade , ere it came to any growth . Strangled ( I say ) and killed , by no other hand then the hand of God , and euen then when the deuisers deemed it done , for the Vault was readie , the Powder was laide , the traines were made , the match was prepared ; Percy was busie , & Faukes was bloudie in resolution to giue the charge ▪ with a Crucifix about his necke , and haire about his loines , to tell you of what Tribe he was , yet euen then , and in the rage of all this fury , the Lord said , Staie thy bloudie hand , the sacrifice is not pleasing . For what hath England done , to deserue so heauie a iudgement ? I am their God , they are my people , and for my great name sake , I will be propitious , and make them glorious by deliuerance : The Sun-shine is theirs , and the gloomie day is yours : your designes are vpon your owne heads , your Daggers are turned vpon your selues , and sheathed in your owne bowels , ye haue bene fighters against God , ye will not be warned , that ye might be armed : Wherfore now Discite iustitiam mouiti non temere diuos . Your owne Letters shall discouer the treason , and the writing of your owne hands shall betray the mischiefe of your owne hearts , I will fight against you with your owne weapons , and I wil weary you in your owne waies . The old Florentines had a Bell , which they called their Martynella , and they rung it euer before the siedge of any Citie , to warne the besieged , either to yeeld , or die ; It was a mercy , to preuent a miserie . But your Martynella hath giuen no such warning to vs : and therein were you lesse mercifull then the Florentines ; How be it , so it is , that your Bell hath rung your passing Peale , and the Lord hath turned your owne writings , to be death to you , and life to vs , blessed be his name therefore . One saith well , Vbicun que fuerit prouidentia , frustrantur Vniuersa contraria , Where the Lord hath a prouidence , all other encounters are defeated ; If his prouidence be vpon the fire , it burneth not : If vpon the seas , they swell not : If vpon the winds , they blow not : If vpon the aire , it infecteth not : If vpon the Lions , they deuoure not : If vpon the Sun , it goeth not , but standeth stil in Gibeon , and the Moone in the valley of Agelon : If I say , his prouidence be vpon the graues , they detaine not , but yeeld to deliuer their dead , and Lazarus must come forth . How then should any creature stirre to the subuersion of so blessed a state , whilest the prouidence of God houered ouer it , like the wings of the Cherubims ouer the mercie seate : yea his prouidence it was , to preuent vs with mercy and louing kindnesse , and ere euer we praied to be propitious , to thinke vppon vs , ere wee thought vppon him , to deliuer vs from the blow , before we saw the danger . And to conclude , it was his mercifull prouidence to turne your praiers into our bosome , a crosse to that you ment it , ominous to you , but giorious to vs. I hope ( saith the Writer ) God will giue you the grace to make good vse of it , and what better vse could euer haue bene made , either to Gods glory , the good of his Church , the safetie of the King , Queene , and Prince , with all their Royall issue ( I say ) what better vse could euer the receiuer haue made to shewe his loyaltie to his Prince , and loue to his Country , then by dealing as he did ? for which he shall be honourable in this generation , well reported of in his time , and be of them that haue left their name behinde them , so as his praise shall be spoken of . I may conclude with Zachary , and make good the Lords prouidence ouer this English Nation , to the great comfort of all the godly , and the astonishment of the wicked elsewhere in the world : Cease your attempts against the Truth , for the handes of Zorobabel haue laide the foundation of this house , his hands shall also finish it : & who seeing the stone of Tinne in the hands of Zorobabel , shall despise the daie of the small thing ? The house is the church of God here in England , Zorobabel is our Christ here in England , he hath laid the foundation in England , hee will also finish it in England : And who seeing the line in his hand to ▪ build by , which is his word , in England , & the stone of Tinne to build vp , which is his people of Englād , dares euer despise the ●ay of the small things ? small to the ●e●ly and sensuall eye of flesh and bloud , despicable to the worldly monarchies , & of small beginnings , yet precious to God , and now made glorious by deliuerance . His prouidēce is ouer all : And as the Prophet saith , these seuen are the eyes of the Lord , that goe through the whole world , his graces still abound , and are a continuall current in his Church , like the two Oliue branches , emptying themselues through the golden pipes into the gold . Golden Prince , golden Peere , golden Prophet , golden people , fined from the drosse of sin , & superstition , to be pure mettall , and as it were spangles of gold in the holy Sanctuary of your God : Emptie , ô emptie your praises , pipe by pipe , from the highest Maiestie , euen to the lowest of the people , and giue God the glory . And thou virgin daughter London , write vpō thy walles Peniel , and say the face of God was towards me : Thou Princely Pallace Westminster , write vpō thy seates of Iustice , and high Court of Parliament , write vpon thy Vaults , Cells , and Sepulchers , write vpon thy doores , posts , and passages , Beer-lahai-roy● , and say , Thou God lookest on me , thou Emperiall seate of great Brittaine , fragrant for thy flowers , and for thy Coller of Mirtles twisted with the Roses of both houses , dignified with the Diadem of Rubies , wreathed with the Armes and supporters of both kingdomes , ( I say ) thou great Brittaine , famous as at the first for thy olde name , honourable now for thy new birth , and euer blessed for thy happie and so desired an vnion , whereby our former ruines are repaired , streames of bloud are stopped , old mallice is worne out , and deadly fude is forgotten : for all which abundant great mercy , as also for this thy late deliuerance , write Ruhamah , Ruhamah , Mercy , mercy . Write vpon thy Ports , Holds , & Castles , Mercy . Write vpon thy Towers , Townes , & Temples , Mercy . Write vpon thy fields , waies , & wastes , Mercy . Write vpon thy Corne , Coine , and Cattle . Mercy . Say the Lord hath had mercy vpon vs , he hath had pleasure in his people , and hath made the meeke glorious by deliuerance . For all which Mercies , say God is my King of old , the helpe that is done vpon the earth , he doth it himselfe . Say with Elephus Iob his friend , but Great Brittains Prophet , when others are cast down , then shalt thou say , I am lifted vp , and God shall saue the humble person , for the innocent shall deliuer the Iland , and it shall be preserued by the purenes of thine hands . Innocent King , innocent Queene , innocent Prince , Peere , Prophet , and people , If not for fiftie sake , yet for fortie : If not for fortie , yet for thirtie : If not for thirtie , yet for twentie : If not for twentie , yet for ten iust persons , the Lorde hath put by this terrible blowe of these wicked Shebaes : For should not the God of all the world do according to right ? Pleade thou our cause ( O Lord ) with them that striue with vs , and fight thou against them that fight against vs : Let them not say in their hearts , there , there , so would we haue it : Neither let them saie , We haue deuoured them . Which and if they had , then might we haue said with the Prophet , There is a crying in the streetes , all our ioy is darkened , the mirth of the world is gone away , in the Citie is left desolation , the gate is strucken with destruction . Then might we haue sung with Dauid , that mournfull Lamentation hee vttered of his King to his Country ; O noble Israel , hee is slaine vpon thy high places , how are thy mighty ouerthrowne , Saul and Ionathan , were louely in their liues , and at their deaths they were not diuided . Then might we haue said , that vpon the fift day of Nouember , wee should neuer haue kept merry feast , the day of the dissolution of so blessed an estate . We might haue said indeed , that this yeare 1605. had beene a yeare of Reuolution , and that Tuesday were our dismall day Criticall in Scotland , the fift of August , for Gowry his treason . And dismall in England , the fift of Nouember , for Faukes his designe , plotted by bloudie Papists , the bane of Christendome : and Dolmans dogges now warranted by a new doctrine , to barke at Kings , and bite the Lords annointed , if they be not pleasing to their deuotions . Thus endaungered , and yet thus deliuered ; endangered by men , but deliuered by God : Now let vs ioyntly giue him the glorie . Dread Soueraigne , deare Queene , sweet Prince and progeny , cast downe your Crownes at the feete of your Sauiour , and say , We haue bene saued by thee . Earles , Nobles , & Barons , laie by your Robes of state , with your ensignes of honor , praise him who hath preserued you , and say , We haue beene saued by thee . You Officers in Court , resigne vp your staues into the hands of God , and say , We haue bene supported by thee . Ye learned Bishops , and Fathers of the Church , slide from your Consistories , and say to the great Bishop of your soules , Wee haue bene kept by thee . Ye Knights , Squiers , and Gentry of the Land , vnarme your selues , and with your Crests lay your Lawrel in the lap of Christ , and say , Wee haue conquered through thee . Thou high Court of Parliament , dissolue for a time , and say , O Angell of the great Councell , We will consult with thee . And lastly , Thou Lord God of Gods , and preseruer of men , let there be silence in heauen , for the space of halfe an houre , till these Saints praises and praiers be offered vp . So shall we sing with a godly Ouation , and a grace in our hearts , Kings of the earth , & all people , Princes , and all Iudges of the world , yong men , & maids , old men , and babes , praise the name of the Lord , for his name onely is excellent , and his praise aboue heauen and earth : hee hath exalted the horne of his people , and his Saints shall praise him , euen the children of England , whom he loueth , and hath made so glorious by deliuerance . Praise the Lord , ô virgin daughter London , Praise thy God ô England , the Glorie of Kingdomes , and beautie of all Europes honor , for he hath made fast the barres of thy gates , and hath blessed thy children within thee , hee hath set peace in thy borders , and satisfied thee with the flower of wheat , Let the praise of God therefore be euer in thy mouth , and a sharpe two edged sword in thy hands , to be avenged of the heathenish Atheist , and to rebuke the bloudie Papist , such honor haue all Saints . And now to speake to you Authors , and Abetters , of these desperate Treasons , Cease your Rebellions , laie by your bloudie designes , recoūt which your selues ; your former , both faithlesse , and fruitlesse attempts , against the Lord , and against his annointed ; Recken with your selues your former losses , in the year 1588. whē the windes , the Seas , Rocks , & Shelues , fought for vs , whē the Riuer Kishon swept them away , from our English Coast , to Dingle Cush in Ireland , with a Beesome of such destructiō to their great Armado , & frighting to our English Fugitiues abroad , and of their fauorites at home , as by the grace of God hath brought them out of all heart , out of all abilitie , and possibilitie euer to attempt the like . Learne what it is to fight with God , VVe must encrease , you must decrease , for Babilon is fallen , so told you by the Angel , as a thing alreadie past and done , and doubled in speech like Phan●●s dreame , to tell you of the certaintie and expedition thereof . Cease , O cease to prouoke the Lord any longer , and end your mallice against his Saints , ere mallice end you , lest he say vnto you , as he did vnto Mount Seir , Because thou hast had a perpetuall hatred , and hast put the Israel of God to flight by the force of the sword in the time of their calamitie , when their iniquitie had an end : Therfore as I liue , saith the Lord God , I will prepare thee vnto bloud : and bloud shall pursue thee : except thou hate blood , euen bloud shall pursue thee . God is witnesse , before whom I stand in the sight of men and Angels , that I speake not this to seeke the bloud of any , their bloud be vpon themselues , and theirs , till they haue dried it vp by vnfained repentance : I wish the conuersion of all ( vijs & modis ) by all good meanes . I wish our Lawes may still bee written in milke , and that his Maiesties Royall heart , may continue a depth of rare mercy . I wish our preaching may sauour peace , and that the Magistrate may still strike with a trembling hand . Yet giue me leaue to pray withall , that the rage of the enemy neuer grow so sower as to turne our milke into bloud , mercy into iudgement , peace into warre , sythes into swords , and them to be hallowed in the bloud one of another , which I feare , both must and wil ensue , if they grow so great in the contempt of God , so greeuous to their Soueraigne , and so intollerable to the state : which if they doe , then be wise ô ye Kings , be learned , ye that be Iudges of the earth : Let mercy and truth meete together in you : Let righteousnes and peace kisse each other . Take the sword into your owne hands , and strike , ô ye Worthies of Israel , for Zeba and Zalmana will neuer be killed by the weake hands of Iethro : for as the man is , so is his strength : the Minister may speake , and the inferior Magistrate may strike : and both with a trembling heart and hand , like the child Iethro : but assure your selues , that Romish Zeba , and Popish Zalmana , will neuer die till you rise vp , and with your own hands fall vpon them , as Gedeon did : for as the man is , so is his strength . Sit in vobis materna pietas , & paterna seueritas : exhibite vos matres fouendo , patres corripiendo : extendite vbera , sed producite verbera . That is , Let there be in you a motherly pittie , and a fatherly seueritie ; shew your selues Mothers in cherishing , but Fathers in correcting : Laie out your brests , but withall draw forth your rods , and euer so , Vt nec vigor , sit rigor , nec mansuetudo dissoluta , as neither your force be rigorous , nor your forbearing retchlesse , but say with the Orator in the temper of both , Natur a me clementem fecit , Respub : seuerum postulat . sed neque natura , nequeresp : me crudelem , efficiet : Nature hath made mee mild , the commō-weale requires I should be seuere : yet neither Nature , nor the common-weale , shall euer make me cruell . And if any man shall scandilize thee of crueltie in thy iust seueritie , & say , ô where is loue ! I answer : Ne timeas cōtra charitatē esse , sivnius scandalū multorūpace cōpensaueris . Melius est vt pereat vnus , quam vnitas , Neuer feare the breach of Charitie , where with the scandall of one , yee may recompence the peace of many ; for better it is that one dye of many , then that the vnitie of all should be dissolued . He was wise that said it , and I hope the wisedome of this age will approue it , take the drosse from the siluer , and there shall proceed a vessell for the Finer : take away the wicked from the King , and his throne shall be established in righteousnesse : but beware of delaies , for they are dangerous : & in the executiō of iustice they are deadly dangerous : according to that ; Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do euill . Witnesseth Ely , his impunitie towards his children , which lost him the Priesthood with his life , and brought vpon him and all Israel so heauie a iudgement , as Phinchas wife dying , left the memory thereof for all succeeding ages , whē she bore a sonne , and called him Iuabod : that is , the glory is gone frō Israel . Happily Ely spared them , for that they were his children , and out of his loue and fatherly affection towardes them . He deemed it lesse sin to shew some indulgence , but one saith well ; Iustitia non nouit patrē , non nouit maetrem , non nouit seipsum , Responde mihi Iuditium dixit Nathan , & sic Dauid dedit inditium contra seipsum . Dauid gaue iudgement against himselfe in a Plea of faith , and fact : How then may Princes spare others , if they bee found guiltie in either of both . Hierome is more peremptorie in a case of like importance , When hee saith ; Licet paruulus excollo pendeat nepos , licet sparso crine , & scissis vestibus Vbera ( quibus tenutriuit ) mater ostendit , licet inlimine pater iaciat , percucatum perge patrem , & siuis oculis ad vexillum crucis euola , solum pietatis genus est in hacre esse crudelem , gladium tenet hostis , vt me perimat , & ego de matris lacrimis cogitabo ? propter Patrem : Christi militiam deseram ? cui etiam sepulturam christi cause non debeo , which I may English thus ; Although thy little Grandchild cling about thy necke , and say spare father ; Although the mother come forth , with spred haire , and torne raiment , and shewe thee the pappes : where once thou-sucked thy life , with her loue , and say ; spare sonne : Although the father cast himselfe downe vpon thy threshold to keepe them , tread vpon thy father , and with dry cheekes fly to the execution of thy profession . It is an onely point of godlines in this case to be cruel , and a soueraigne Pittie , to be pittilesse : Shall the enemie hold vp his hand to Wound the Church ? and shall I think vpon the teares of my mother ? shal I because of my father , cease to fight for my Christ ? to whom I owe no buriall , for the cause of my Christ , but am to leaue the dead , to burie the dead : whilest I followe him . Whereupon I may wel say , that mercy may haue it excesse , and pittie may be great crueltie : especially then , when it ouerflow ●●to the good mans danger : mistake mee not , I like of loue , but when it is tempred with feare , I like it better : I know it may do much with the better sort , but not with the greater : according to that of Augustine , Meliores sunt quos dirigit Amor , sed plures sunt quos corrigit timor . They be better whō loue directeth , but they be moe , whō feare correcteth : and therfore the temper of both is melodious in the eare of a sanctified & setled estate . And so to draw towards an end , and at last to conclude , out of that which hath bene spoken , both of former Popish cruelties , and out of our happie deliuerance from their last entended treasons , powdered with so many mischiefes : ( I say ) in caution of future peril by mē of that generation ; Take heed of Poperie , take heed of Papists , and tollerate neither their cause nor person : for if you tollerate the cause , it will infect the person : if you tollerate the person , it will credit the cause : therefore to tollerate neither of both , in a state so sanctified as ours is , I hold it safest . What then is to be done , will some say , away with both head , and taile : for Poperie kept vnder , will practise treason : if it get aloft , it will play the tyrant : therefore no way to haue it , is safest , and with least danger . Further my aduise is , that you trust them as little as you may , & neuer cōuerse with thē but for their cōuersiō , & if after once or twice admonitiō they grow refractary Deuita , knowing that he that is such is peruerted and sinneth , being damned of his owne selfe : I say trust them not , for they are faithlesse , and hold it for a doctrine , that fides non ●st seruanda-cum Hereticis , of which number , they reckon all the Protestants of this land to be . Againe , take heede of them , for they are busie bodies , and walke inordinately amongst you : they are impatient of our profession , great peace , and much plentie , they compasse Sea and land , to make one of their owne profession , and when he is made , he becomes two-fold more the child of hel , then he was before . These busie bodies take no rest , and to haue no rest day nor night , is proper to such as worship the beast and his Image , and to whomsoeuer receiueth the print of his name . Beware of their blind guides , Iesuits , Seminaries , and Seedsmen , who to betray the truth , sowe the tares of all treasons , at all times , and in all places ; they are the Frogs of Egypt , that leap into kings chambers , & busily possesse the Courts of Princes , & mightie men , either to poison their hearts with the enchaunted Cup of Romish superstition , or to bereaue them of their liues : if they fashion not to their deuotions , they leaue the Pulpits , they flye from the hornes of the Altar , they disclaime the Oratories , and they become men of estate , managing the Empire , and marshalling the common-weale of Princes : so as I may well say of these new Nouices , as was said of the Monks of old . Quicquid agit Mundus , Monachus vult esse secundus ; Where euer the world is one , the Romish Cleargie will be another . Lastly , beware of mixture , and shun the sinnes of Samaria , who were a mixed people , and of a confused Religion , tollerating both the persons and causes of Idolatry : As you may reade in the 2. of Kings . 17. vers . 24. for the persons . And vers . 23. for the cause . And the Iewes in the daies of Christ , thought it as greeuous an imputation as they could deuise , to laie vpon him , when they said , Say we not wel , that thou arta Samaritan , and hast a diuel ? And surely so it is , for to be of two religions , is to be of no religion : and to tollerate both , is to confound all , either in a kingdome , or in a conscience . It is memorable , and it may goe for a Caution to all Christian Kings and Princes , what is recorded in this case , of the vnconscionable offer , of great Chan , the Tartarian Prince , of whom Lipsius reporteth , that when Stephanus , that mightie King of Poland was dead ; he amongst others , sent his Legat to the assembly where the new Creatiō was , with these three motiues , to moue them to make him King. 1. First , that he was mightie , and could bring myriads of horsmen out of his owne lands , either for the defence or inlarging of their kingdome of Poland . 2 Secondly , that he was frugall , & could liue in time of famine , onely with horse flesh . 3. Thirdly , for the Religion , whereof he heard there was much dispute among them , that he was indifferent , saying ; Tuus pontefex meus pontefex esto : tuus Lutherus meus Lutherus esto . Your Pope , shall be my Pope : and your Luther , shall be my Luther : It was the Tartarians sinne , to be so indifferent , and so readily to offer a tollerance : and it was the Polonians sinne , so long to suffer a mixture of many or moe religiōs then one in a kingdome . And yet how euer , either feare or folly , moued the Polonians for the time to endure it , and to staine their kingdome and conscience , with so great a brand of wickednes , ( notwithstanding the Emperours large offers otherwise ) yet that of Religiō was thought so ydle , as they reiected it with laughter , saying ; Ecce hominem paratum , omnia sacra & deos deserere regnandi causa . But good Lord , how inestimably are we beholding to thee our good God , for so great a mercy , as to giue vs a King in thy loue , when we were a people not to be beloued : whose Princely relish sauoring true pietie : did so much distast either an alteratiō of the religiō we haue : or a tolleratiō of any other , as in publique he did cōtest against both , in these words . I doe protest before God and his Angels , that I am so constant for the maintenance of the Religion publikely professed in England , as that I would spend my deerest blood in defence thereof , Rather then the truth should bee ouer throwne : And if I had ten times as many moe Kingdomes as I haue , I would dispend them all , for the safetie and protection thereof : And likewise , if I had any children , that should yeelde either to the Popish faith or faction , I desire of God , that I may rather see them brought to their graues before me , that their shame may be buried in my life time , neuer to bee spoken of in future ages . By the Lawe of GOD , no man may weare a coate of Linsey-wolsey : If I may not weare a garment so woven vppon my backe , may I weare a Religion so twisted within my heart ? May Princes tollerate it in their Kingdomes ? May fathers in their families ? It were a grieuous imputation to either of both , and that which the aduersarie himselfe would neuer yeelde vs , they will neither tollerate vs nor ours , and why should wee endure either them or theirs ? If the euill will not yeelde to the good , why should the good yeeld to the euill ? Doe but mention a tolleration of Religion in Rome , and Rome will be ragious : doe but speake of such a thing in Spaine , and it will be thought prodigious . France is fearefull in deliuering it Edicts , and whole Italy is resolute neuer to yeelde either to our cause or persons . Why should wee then endure either them or theirs in their knowne Idolatrie ? Were the Law of God on foote , that Idolaters should die the death , soone would the controuersie be determined , and motions for tollerations in Christian common-wealthes , would seldome bee mentioned : but whilest we demurre vpon the point , and stand a disputing whether Papists be Idolaters , whether Rome bee Babilon , the Pope Antichrist , his Religiō antichristiā , & whether his louers & friends be enemies to the state , and dangerous to a Kingly rule , ( I say ) whilest we demurre vpon such doubts , and are a debating the Question , Poperie will encrease ; and presume to gaine , if not an alteration , yet a tolleration : If not a tolleration , yet a connivence : and if not that , yet such a personall respect , and fauour of some , as will endanger the state of all , if wee endure it any longer . By the lawe of God , the Idolater ( I say againe ) must die the death . Exod. 22. 20. And if an Israelite will goe in and dally with a Midianite before Moses , and in the sight of all the congregation : zealous Phinehas , with his speare in his hand , may enter the Tent , and thrust them through , that the plague may cease from Israel . Numbers . 25. 6. The Lord hath sworne that hee will warre with Amaleck , from generation to generation . Exod. 17. And amongst other ordinances laid down by God for his people , this was vrged againe to be remembred , thus . When the Lord hath giuen thee rest from all thine enemies , and the land for an Inheritance to possesse it , then shalt thou put out the remembrance of Amaleck from vnder heauen , forget it not . Deut. 25. 19. And 400. yeares after Saule was plagued for sparing Agag of the Amalekites , and not executing of that lawe . The Lord ( I can assure you ) requireth a through conuersion from sin : And why not a through subuersion of sinne ? The Tabernacle of God hath it Censer , Snuffers , & Beesome , to purge the Sanctuarie , & sweepe away the filth : & if you build , the rubbish must be remoued ere you lay the foundation , be the body neuer so healthfull , it will decay , without an euacuation : and vntill you take away the drosse from the siluer , ye can neuer make a vessel for the Finer . It was Ieremies moane at Anathoth , in the land of Beniamin , the bellowes are burned , the lead is consumed in the fire , the founder melteth in vaine , for the wicked are not taken away . As if he should say , All our labour is lost , and it is in vaine , that we haue wearied our selues , with our praier and Preaching ; if the wicked be not taken away . As it is apparant this day by the baser sort of these audatious Rebels , too much emboldened by his Maiesties most gracious and godly clemency , which they haue abused , and whom if they had requited with such an vnkinde kisse of killing crueltie ; yet might he haue said with the Orator , Non vitiū nostrū sed virtus nostra nos afflixit . Yea & to speak frō a more powerfull spirit , his Mastie and Senate , being then about a worke of so great consequence , both for the good of the Church and common-weale ; If that Court then had bene their coffin , and they had died so doing , yet might they haue said in the silence of their soules ; Happie is the seruant , whom when the maister commeth , he shall find so doing . The Lord direct all , as may be most for his glory , though neuer so much to our triall ; and keepe vs : O keepe vs Lord from this ill kind of men : Roote out Poperie from the hearts of this people , set vp thy truth ô Lord , & saue thine annointed : In Sionis gaudium , & Anglo papistarum luctum . Lord saue thine annointed , that he & his , may be still vnto vs and ours , as an hiding place from the wind , and as a refuge for the tempest : as riuers of water in a dry place , and as the shadow of a great-Rock in a wearie land . Then shall our-land take vp this prouerbe against the King of Locusts , and all his crawling Agents : It shall say as Israel and Iuda did of their Luciferian tyrant . How hath the oppressor ceased , & the gold-thirstie Babel rested ? the Lord hath broken the rod of the wicked , and the Scepter of the Rulers , which would haue smitten this Land in anger with a continuall plague , and ruled our Nation in their wrath : but thy pompe ô Lucifer is brought downe to the graue , & the sound of thy vialls : The worme is spred vnder thee , and the wormes couer thee , while England is at rest and quiet , ô sing for ioy , and sing to the praise of God in all your flockes and families , the Psalme . 124. Dauidica sentit , qui Dauidica patitur ; Sing it with Dauids passion , and it will be Mel in ore , in aure melos , in corde Iubiseus , honie to the mouth , musicke to the eare , and a ioy to the heart . And thou Lord God almightie , maker of heauen and earth , and preseruer of men , so blesse vs out of Sion , as wee may see still the beautie of our Church and Countrey , the Soueraigne safetie of our King , Queene , Prince , and Royall progenie , the honourable Bench of our worthy Councellors , Peeres , and reuerend Fathers , with the subuersion of Antichrist , and peace in this our Israel . Amen , Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A05281-e290 2. King. 8. 11. 12. &c. Reuel . 9. 17. See the Mutabilitie of France , for the nūber . Lamen . 5. 8. &c. Lamen . 5. 4. &c. Lamen . 3. 5. 3. Reu. 9. 11. Acts 5. 39. Iosua . 10. 12. &c. Eccle. 44. 8. &c. Zach. 4. 9. &c. Psal. 149. 4 Zach. 4. 10. 11. &c. Gen. 32. 3● . Gen. 1● . 14 Hose . 2. 1. Psal. 149. 4 Psal. 74. 13 Iob. 22. 29. 30. Gen. 18. 23. &c. Psal. 35. 1. 25. Esay 24. 11. 12. 2. Sam. 1. 19. &c. Reue. 8. 1 , &c. Psal. 148. 11. &c. Psal. 147. 12. &c. Psal. 149. 6 &c. Iudg. 5. 20. 21. Io. 3. 30. Reue. 18. 2. &c. Gene. 41. 32. Ezec. 35. 56. Psal. 2. 10. &c. Psal. 45. 10 Iudg. 8. 20. 21. Prou. 25. 4. Eccl. 8. 11. 1. Sam. 4. 21. 22. 2. Sam. 12. 5. &c. Mat. 23. 15. Reue. 14. 11. Ioel. 8. 48. Lipsij monita & Exemp . Polit. 3. lib. 20. 11. Deut. 22. 11. Deut. 13. 9. 1. Sam. 15. Ieremy . 6. 29. 30. Psal. 12. 7. Isaiah . 32. 2. &c. Isaiah . 14. 4. 
A30430	----	A sermon preached before the House of Peers in the Abbey of Westminster, on the 5th of November, 1689, being Gun-Powder Treason-Day, as likewise the day of His Majesties landing in England by the Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert Lord Bishop of Sarum. Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715. 1689 Approx. 40 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A30430 Wing B5889 ESTC R4055 13677419 ocm 13677419 101259 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A30430) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 101259) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 839:11) A sermon preached before the House of Peers in the Abbey of Westminster, on the 5th of November, 1689, being Gun-Powder Treason-Day, as likewise the day of His Majesties landing in England by the Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert Lord Bishop of Sarum. Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715. [4], 32 p. Printed for Ric. Chiswel ..., London : 1689. Half title: The Bishop of Salisbury's sermon before the Lords, November 5th, 1689. Advertisement on p. 32. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons. Great Britain -- History -- James I, 1603-1625 -- Sermons. 2003-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-10 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-12 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2003-12 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Die Mercurii 6. Novembris 1689. ORdered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled , That the Thanks of this House be given to the Lord Bishop of Salisbury , for his Sermon Preached yesterday before this House ; And his Lordship is hereby desired to Print and Publish the same . Jo. Browne Cleric . Parliament . A SERMON Preached before the House of Peers IN THE ABBEY of WESTMINSTER , On the 5th . of November 1689. BEING GUN-POWDER TREASON-DAY , As Likewise The Day of his Majesties Landing IN ENGLAND . By the Right Reverend Father in God GILBERT Lord Bishop of SARVM . LONDON , Printed for Ric. Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Pauls Church-yard . MDCLXXXIX . THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY'S Sermon before the Lords November 5th . 1689. A SERMON Preached before the HOUSE of PEERS , IN THE ABBEY of WESTMINSTER , On the Fifth of November , 1689. Micah VI. Verse 5. O my People , remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted , and what Balaam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal , that ye may know the Righteousness of the Lord. THERE is somewhat in Ease and Prosperity , that does so weaken the Minds of Men , who are apt enough , even without that softning , to forget all the Good they receive , and both the Author of it , and the Instruments made use of by him in it , that it is necessary to call upon them often to reflect on what is past ; and that not only on these visible Blessings of God to them , that fall under the observation of all the World , but on the secret methods , as well as the hidden designs of Providence . We are naturally apt to flatter our selves so much , that we do easily imagine , that the happy things which at any time befal us , are the effects of our Wisdom , or the rewards of our Vertues ; if a worse principle does not corrupt us , and make us ascribe them either to Fate or Chance . No Nation had ever such a wonderful series of Blessings , that did so distinguish them from all the World round about them , and gave them such signal Evidences of God's Power and greatness , of his Mercy and severity , of his hatred of Idolatry , as well as of the Authority of their Law and Religion , as the Iews had ; and yet never was there any Nation under Heaven that was so apt to forget all this , and to revolt from God into that very Idolatry , which they saw him punish so severely in others . Never was there a more amasing Scene than that which they had seen in Egypt , in the Red Sea , and on Mount Sinai ; the Miracles came so thick one after another , they were both so various and extraordinary , and they were so often and so long repeated , that to one who lays together all that they saw in a course of Forty years , it appears as astonishing a part of that History as any of all the Miracles recorded in it , that a People , which had such a wonderful Evidence given them for their Religion , should yet have been so bent to Idolatry , and so apt to forget God , and all that he had done for them . No Nation now in the World can be in this respect so guilty as they were , because none have seen such Miracles . But setting aside extraordinary things , it may be affirmed without any arrogant preferring our own Nation to others , or any partiality for our selves , in imagining that we are God's favourite People ; that within this last Age ( or , if we will carry up the matter to so blessed a Period as the Reformation , that ever since that time ) we have had as many of the distinguishing Characters of the Iewish Nation upon us , both in the Blessings that we have received from God on the one hand , and in our Ingratitude to him on the other , as any under Heaven . The wonderful conjuncture of Circumstances that concurred to give the Reformation its first footing among us ; The terrible but short lived shaking it had in Queen Mary's time , which served only to awaken , and to prepare the Nation to the long and glorious Reign of Queen Elizabeth ; The discovering and defeating all the Designs that were laid , both against her Person and Government ; The signal overthrow of the boasted Invincible Armada . The Uniting the Island afterwards under one Head ; by which we were delivered from the danger of War within our selves . The many Rebellions of the Irish , which gave occasion to so vast a Colony to be sent thither , which rendred that Island that had been an Incumbrance on the Government before , so useful to it . The encrease of our Trade , the many Colonies that we have sent into America . The preserving us during our Civil Wars , from being made a prey to our Neighbours , and from Strangers getting footing among us . The putting an end to Anarchy and Enthusiasm in so serene a manner in the Year 60. the long continued Peace and Happiness since that time , and the preserving us from our own Follies , and the restraining those Passions which had like to have been fatal to us , if the precipitated haste of our Enemies had not brought us to our Senses again before it was too late . But to come to the repeated Deliverances of this Auspicious Day , when one Train that was laid to blow up the Nation , in its Head and Representatives , that was so well managed , and brought so near the Critical Minute , was just then discovered and prevented ; and now again , when another that was laid to destroy both Church and State , not only in their Representatives but in Person , has been not indeed discovered , but happily prevented and brought to nothing . For our late Conspirators were not so cautious as to hide the Fuel that was prepared for our Destruction , since we saw them persecute in so many other places of Europe at the same time that they talked of Toleration here among us . When , I say , we have had such a Series of Deliverances , as perhaps cannot be matched in History , since that of the Israelites coming out of Egypt ; there is but one thing wanting to make the Parallel compleat ▪ and that is our Ingratitude . The Israelites were always murmuring both against God , and against the Instruments whom he had raised up for their Deliverance ; and after all that they had seen to render Idolatry detestable to them , yet they were always apt to relapse into it . But here the Parallel agrees too exactly ; for it is but too apparent , that upon every new Instance of Gods care of us , we have given also new Instances of our Rebellion and Ingratitude , of our not only forgetting his Mercies , but Repining at them , and of our hardning our selves in our Vices and ill Nature . God charged his Ancient People in the Words before my Text , O my People what have I done unto thee , and wherein have I weari●● thee ; testifie against me , for I brought , thee up out of the Land of Egypt , and redeemed thee out of the House of Servants ; and I sent before thee M●ses , Aaron , and Miriam . These Words may be applied to this Nation , in some respect , more literally than to the Jews , for they might have said that God had wearied them , by giving them a Religion that had so many troublesom and costly Rites in it ; though on the other hand these were nothing in Comparison of the Rites of Paganism round about them ; but what can we object to God's methods towards us ? He has given us a plain and simple Religion ; he has delivered us from all Bondage , both in our Spiritual and Temporal Concerns ; and he has sent us mighty Deliverers ; Aarons in the Church , and Moses and Miriams in the State , an Elizabeth and a MARY , as well as an Edward , a Charles , and a WILLIAM . But because a general View of too many things may tend to Evaporate our Thoughts , rather than to fix them . There is in the Words that I have read , one Particular set before the Israelites , which carries indeed a great variety of Instruction in it : They are called on to remember what Balak the King of Moab Consulted , and what Balaam the Son of Beor Answered . In order to the setting this in its true light , it will be necessary to take a short view of that Transaction . When the Israelites , after their long march through the Wilderness , were ●ome near the Border of the Land , which God ●ad given them , two Kings that were in their ●ay , Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the the King of Bashan , not only refused them passage through their Kingdoms , which they had desired in a Regular and Peaceable way ; but not satisfied with this , they carried the Matter further , and brought together their Forces to stop their march ; but they were defeated and their Kingdoms were conquered . Upon this Balak King of Moab apprehended that he might likewise become a Prey to them : so he fancying , according to the Idolatry of that time , that there were Peculiar Gods for every Nation and that the Successes of a Nation depended on the prevalency of the Deity that protected it , sent to Balaam , who was a Prophet held in Veneration in those Parts , hoping that if he could be got to curse them , then the Divinity which inspired him would espouse the Qua●rel . It were too long a Digression here to examine Balaams Prophecy , who seems to have acknowledged the true God , and to have ha● Divine Inspirations . He had a strange mixture in him , an Awe of God , and yet a love 〈◊〉 Money ; he was a Prophet of God , and ye● a Servant of the Devil ; he either could no● or would not falsifie the Divine Enthusiasm that were Imprest on his Mind , and yet 〈◊〉 could give the most effectual Council possible to Balak , for his first debauching the Israelites , and then destroying them . The most probable account of Balaam's Inspiration is this , that God continued for some Ages after the Flood , to raise up in several Nations Prophets by an immediate Commission to be his Witnesses against Idolatry , and against the Corruption of the Traditional Religion , which was handed down by the first and long-liv'd Patriarchs : But so imperfect was this Conveiance , though the long Lives of the Fathers gave it advantages , which it could never have since that time , that Men did very quickly corrupt both their Religion and their Morals ; and in Abraham's time Idolatry had got strange footing all the World over : Men in all Ages have had a strange biass to a sensible Religion , and to a visible Object of it . In many of these Nations it is highly probable , that God raised up both Prophets and Preachers of Righteousness , that so they might be without excuse : And as Noah warned the Old World , and Lot the Men of Sodom , before those Terrible Judgments of God which destroyed them fell upon them ; so Melchisedeck and Balaam seem to have been inspired Persons , in whom God made the last Essay upon these Nations . But with this difference , that the former was a Person that did in all things answer his Character ; whereas the other was only passive in his Inspirations ; but these had no effect upon himself ; so that while he Preached to others he himself was a Reprobate : For though God made such impressions on his Imagination , as gave him views of future Events , and furnished him in the expressing them with a due degree of Sublimity of Stile , yet these neither came from his Heart , nor could make any Impression upon it . He loved Balak's Presents , which are called the rewards of his Divination , so well , that he would gladly have done any thing to have deserved them at his hands ; yet he was so restrained by the Divine Prohibition , that he refused to go to him at first : But a second Message , carried by more Honourable Messengers , enforced with a Promise of Promoting him to great honour , and of doing whatsoever he should desire of him , was a Bait which he could not reject ; so his Heart being set on going , God so far gave way to it , that he suffered him to go , that from the Prophesies which he should be forced to Pronounce , there might be a further Declaration made of his Blessing the Israelites , not only in the Success and Prosperity that was then to attend upon them , but in that wonderful view that was given him of a Star , that at a great distance of time should shine , and that then a Scepter should rise out of Israel , to which all the Nations round about should submit ; for out of Iacob should he come that was to have Dominion . Balak according to his fond and Superstitious Notions , fancied that the offering many Sacrifices , and the giving Balaam a new Prospect of the Israelites in several Places , would have changed the Matter ; and so he gave him three different views of them , at every one of which there were Seven Altars built , and a Bullock and a Ram were offered on every one of these Altars ; but all the Preparation that Balak made , and all this shifting the Scene of often , had no other Effect , but that reitterated Blessings on the Israelites were Pronounced at every time : And when this provoked Balak so much , that he would have no more of Balaam's Prophesies , he then of himself gave forth the most express and positive one of them all , in favour of the Jewish Nation , of their Success , and of that vast Glory that should accrue to them , when that Prince , whose appearance should be accompanied with a Star , should come . But though Balaam , as he said himself , had no power to speak any thing but the words which God should put in his mouth ; in which it seems he was so intirely Passive , that he was not at all Master of himself , when he fell into those Trances ; yet after those Essays he had vainly made to Curse them , he offer●d an advice to Balak , that had a more certain Effect than all the Curses that were desired from him could have had ; which was this , he knew well that God's favour to that People was Conditional , and so could last no longer than they should continue observing their Part of the Covenant ; therefore he Counselled Balak to endeavour first to Corrupt their Morals , and then to Debauch them in their Religion ; or as it is expressed by the Spirit of God , Rev. 2. 4. He taught Balak to cast a Stumbling-block before the People of Israel , to eat things Sacrific'd to Idols , and to commit Fornication ; lewd Women were sent in among them , to intice them first to Vice , and then to the Idolatry of Baal-peor ; the Rites of which were so Indecent , that as the Scripture wraps them up in general words ; so it is better to pass them over , than to explain them . This had the desired effect ; the People did defile themselves in both ; They sate down to eat and drink , and rose up to play . But , though God was by this highly provoked , yet he would not deliver them up into the Hands of their Enemies , he sent a Plague among them , by which in one day there fell Four and twenty Thousand . This was done in Shittim , which is here mentioned in my Text ; but when the Wrath of God had broke out upon them , in so severe a manner , that besides the destruction made by the Plague , Moses was commanded by God to hang up all the Heads of the People against the Sun ; and he charged the Judges to stay every one of them his Men that were joined unto Baalpeor ; this struck the whole Congregation , so that they were weeping before the Door of the Tabernacle . But so impudent a thing is Vice , when strengthned by Idolatry , that Zunri , one of the Princes of Israel , brought in a Prostitute before them all , as if he had gloried in that which was his shame . This was an Object that must needs have given Horrour to all that saw it , and it raised such Indignation in Phinehas , that in a Transport of Zeal he killed them both ; upon which the Plague was staid , God was reconciled to his People , and in a Battel which they had soon after this , Balaam , that was the Author of this cursed Advice , was slain : This is that transaction which the Prophet calls upon them to remember , and in doing it , to consider of the Righteousness of the Lord. Righteousness in the strict notion of the Word , is Iustice ; and in that sence they might , in calling to mind the passages of that story , reflect on God's righteous Judgments in punishing their Fathers , when they had departed from him , in sending a Plague among them ; in stopping it upon their Repentance , and upon Phinehas's zealous deportment ; and in turning the course of his Wrath upon the wicked Instruments that had cast those Temptations in their way , and particularly on Balaam , the chief Author of the Counsel . But if Righteousness may be taken , as it often is , in a larger sence , for Goodness and Mercy , then these words import this , That in reflecting on that Story , they should observe God's Goodness to his People , in disappointing all the Designs of their Enemies ; in restraining a false Prophet , that would have willingly divined for hire , and prophesied whatsoever Balak should have dictated to him ; and afterwards , in not suffering that Corruption , which began to spread among the Israelites , to go long unpunished ; but by the early punishing of a few , staying the Progress of the Defection , and upon that zealous performance of Phinehas , staying the Plague likewise . Here are eminent Characters both of Justice and Mercy : And therefore , since the People were at this time so apt to fall into Idolatry , it was fit to put them in mind both of the Severity and of the Goodness of God , that in both they might see effectual Reasons to perswade them to serve God , as it is expressed in the following words , in doing Iustice , loving Mercy , and in walking humbly with their God. So far I have gone in explaining my Text , as it related to the People of Israel ; I come now to make it look towards this Nation , and the Blessings of this Happy day : I shall not stretch the Parallel so far , as to make every thing come within it , or to force any strained Allusions , but shall only consider such things as are both obvious and easie . It is well known , that when we had got out of the House of Bondage , the neighbouring Nations began to be afraid of us , they combined against us , to enslave and destroy us ; they had their false Prophet more entirely at their command , than Balaam was at Balak's , who was , of his own accord , ready enough to curse us : he needed no Hire to be perswaded to it , his own Interest was deep enough engaged in it . It is true , his Thunders were spent in angry and lofty words , without the designed effect : Wars were indeed raised within and without , and a mighty League was formed above an Age ago , which went on with great success for several years , till it had its Crisis in 88 , and then a Fleet , armed with all that either the Blessings or Curses of that See could add to it , came against us , while we seemed to be as Sheep numbred out to the Slaughter , or , at least , appointed to be Slaves ; but all this Storm went over , and in it we had many occasions , that invited us to reflect on the Righteousness of the Lord ; when all that Scene of Curses was spent and turned on them that had denounc'd them against us : Then the open Methods of Enmity proving so unsuccessful , secreter Practices were thought the safer : We were cursed , and devoted to endless Destruction , so that nothing was thought too bad for us ; and by a succession of many Conspiracies , the Life of that Great Princess , upon which our Safety then depended , was struck at ; most of those were well laid , many of them were almost quite ripe , when by unlook'd-for Accidents and Methods they were discovered : At last a Design was laid , in which there was a complicated Train of all the Mischief that could possibly be done us in one minute ; and even that was brought so near its conclusion , that had not the tenderness of a Sister prevailed over her zeal for her Religion , to the preserving her Brother , as is generally believed , the greatest and happiest Nation in Europe , had become , in a moment , the most miserable . How far this was concerted among the Balaks and Balaams of that time , we do not certainly know : But , a Case of this nature being put by one of their Writers some years before , in a printed Book , and determined in the Negative , That a Priest was bound not to reveal any such design , if discovered to him in Confession ; gives a shrewd indication , that it was then projected among a sort of Men , who have never seemed guilty of the least tenderness of Nature , when Heresie was in the case . But when their Curses proved harmless things , and their Designs were fatal only to themselves , and to their Friends ; then they fell on new Methods , which have indeed succeeded better with them . One has been the dividing us among our selves , and the engaging us into such mutual quarrellings , that their assistance might be alwaies some way or other necessary to the Party that was deprest . Thus , though they themselves were the most inconsiderable Party in the Nation , yet they have so managed the matter by shifting sides , as their Interests led them to it ; that they who could not have stood it out by their own strength , yet by joining themselves to those who needed such an accession , and were willing to support themselves by it , came not only to preserve themselves , but to make a much more considerable Figure among us , than without those their Practices and our own Follies , they could ever have pretended to . They had Art enough on the one hand to make one side maintain vigorously some indifferent things , while they could on the other hand engage the other to as obstinate an opposition to them : They knew well , that in this Dispute , which side soever lost , they must needs gain , both by the weakening that it gave us , and by the advantages that it furnished them : For , while we grew afraid only of one another , and angry only at one another ; they were no more lookt after ; and so they had opportunities to work so long under ground and unobserved , that they had almost quite undermined us before we were sensible of our danger : And when they could conceal it no longer , but that the Mask must fall off , they even then could so far work on our mutual Animosities as to make us Instruments for doing half their work : while some were so far deluded , as to be their Tools in the destroying our Civil Liberties , and others , who had complained of the former , had yet no sooner an opportunity offered them , than they struck in to overthrow all the Security that we had for our Religion , under the pretence of enjoying a Toleration , when the price of it was the owning a Dispensing Power , that must needs have devoured all in a little time . So that both sides have deserved by Turns this Reproach ; That our Enemies could manage their Passions so , as to graft their own Designs on them , and to make them grow out of them , only with this difference , That the last deceived are certainly the more inexcusable , since they had seen and censured other mens Errors , and yet fell into the same Follies themselves , when the Designs were become more barefac'd ; and , by consequence , Errors of that sort were the more Criminal . This we have all felt , so long , that it may be now reasonably expected , that the Experience of past-times , and the publick and solemn Promises that were made in the late Distress , should now bring us to a right temper , and , that we should now join all our Forces together , for we shall have occasion for our whole strength , while we struggle with such powerful and vigilant Enemies . 3. But the second Artifice , which comes nearer to that in my Text , has been no less succesful to Them , than fatal to Us ; and that is , The vitiating all our Notions of Religion , and the corrupting the Morals of the whole Nation . It is plain that they thought it was a good step to bring us over to their Religion , once to make us have none of our own . True Morality can never bear a Religion that dissolves all Duties , and dispences with all Obligations ; nor can a sense of Religion , once rightly awak'ned , bear the impositions of Tyranny , Superstition , and Infallibility : Therefore it was necessary for them to propagate Atheism among us , since men that had no Religion could easily be brought to profess that which is next to none , and that agreed best with their Interests . And this they carried on in one respect very avowedly ; for in their Books they studied plainly to prove , That men could have no Certainty for the Christian Religion , unless they took it on their word ; and so they set themselves to weaken the force of all those Arguments by which the Truth of the Christian Faith is proved , and to put the whole Authority of it upon the Testimony of the Church . This was no small comfort to the Atheists , who from the common Principles of Sense saw the unreasonableness of believing or submitting implicitly to the Authority of the Church , and so were glad to be told that this was all the Evidence that could be brought for Christianity it self . But the debauching our Morals , was that which seemed chiefly necessary for the compleating their Designs ; and in this their Agents had too much matter to work upon . The folly and hypocrisie of some , that in the late Times had given great Advantages against the profession of Religion , was a handle that they failed not to make use of , to render all secret Prayer , the reading the Scriptures , and the observation of the Lord's Day , together with all the shews of Piety , ridiculous ; Morality was thought the effect of a mean Education , and of a narrow Mind ; True Piety was despised as a Cant ; The strictness of Virtue , the fidelity to the Vow of Marriage , Chastity , and Sobriety , were put out of countenance , as signs of ill-breeding , or of a weak and superstitious temper . It look'd big and gallant to laugh at Religion , to despise the Worship of God , to affront those that Ministred in Holy Things , and to set up for the most avowed Disorders on that Day which is dedicated to the Worship of God. The open practice of the blackest Vices , was a good step to assure a man of their favour , and to make him pass for one on whom they could depend . Instruments of Vice were ready to carry on the Design : and , as if we had been to be drawn to their Idolatry by the same sort of persons that were sent in by Balak to corrupt the Israalites , their Balaks had likewise their Moabitish Women to send among us ; which was practised almost as barefacedly as when Zimri brought in Cosbi before the door of the Tabernacle in the face of the whole Congregation . This was a Train that being once laid , and having taken fire , could not but prove fatal to a Nation that is but too apt to be corrupted ; and the effects of it we feel to this day : For Vice having over-run us so entirely as once it did , we cannot be soon freed from so infectious a Disease ; which , wheresoever it once takes root , drives it so deep , that it cannot be easily extirpated . When a Nation is once given up to pleasure , and to a profuseness of living , to Falshood and Treachery , and to all the arts of dissembling and supplanting one another , it must be the work of an Age to bring men back to a decent Frugality and Sobriety , to an exactness of Truth , and a strictness of Virtue . Nature will be long of the side of Pleasure and Interest ; these things being soon learned , and foarce ever forgotten . Out of a due reflection on all these things , we must come at last to know the Righteousness of the Lord : God has disappointed the Councels of our Enemies , and made all their Diviners mad ; they have been taken in their own Craft , and in the Net which they laid for us was their own foot taken . In every step that they made , a Spirit of Giddiness and Infatuation seemed to have been poured out upon them . I need not repeat things that must still be fresh in all your memorie , and I hope will be so long ; for we must ever acknowledge , that we owe our Preservation and Deliverance much more to Their Folly , than to Our own Wisdom . When we were broken to pieces , they used Arts on design indeed to divide us further , but they helped to reconcile us : When we were guilty , even to madness , of believing every Promise that they made us , they took care to let us see how little regard they themselves had to any of them : When we could not believe that they would break any of our Laws , they broke through them all at once , and shewed us what feeble things either Promises or Laws are , when Heresie stands in their way . And thus God in his just and righteous Judgments suffered them so far to precipitate all matters , that they ruined their own designs by their over driving them . We must have acknowledged that God had been just and righteous , if he had delivered us over as a prey unto them . We had by our contempt of the Gospel , and by the ill use we had made of all his Mercies , and of all former Deliverances , provoked him to cast us off ; and when we consider the extreme Miseries into which he has cast other Churches , the long Oppression , and the hard struggle through which Scotland has pass'd , and the pangs in which Ireland continues still , being now a Scene of Blood and Misery , and like to be so yet for some time , if we do not more effectually interpose for bringing their Deliverance to a quicker Conclusion ; and if we compare with all this , the gentle Visitation that we have had , and that has pass'd over us in so easie and harmless a manner , that few broke their sleep , or interrupted their method of living for it : We must , in our reflections on these things , change the signification of the word Righteousness , and instead of using it in the sense that imports strict Iustice , we must take it in the other that imports Mercy and Goodness ; for who can reflect on these Two Fifths of November , without adoring the riches of God's Mercy and Goodness to us in them both ? The former was in it self a great Deliverance , but its Consequences were not so signal as might have been expected . If that cursed Train had wrought the designed Effect , it had been indeed the most fatal Blow that ever was given : but after all , the Nation , tho' cast by it into a most dreadful Convulsion , would probably have had strength enough to have recovered it self ; the Crime would have been revenged , and the Nation for ever purged from all such Instruments of Cruelty . The Circumstances of the Discovery , and the Judgments of God on the Conspirators , had particular Characters of his Righteousness in them , as the prevarications and denials of the Criminals had also their Characters of that cursed School in which they had learned the depths of Satan . The whole thing was such a Contexture of the Wickedness of Man on the One hand , and of the Mercy and Goodness of God on the Other , as is indeed without an Example in the Histories of former Times . But without derogating from the Blessing of such a Wonderful Preservation , it may be affirmed , That as the Danger which we lately run was greater , so by Consequence , the Deliverance which had its beginning this day , is not only the fresher Blessing , and so the more sensible to us ; but is likewise the more Important in it self of the two . The Gunpowder-Treason was a Personal thing , but the late Conspiracy was National : The former was levelled at the person of one King , and some of the Branches of the Royal Family , but the latter was against the Crown it self ; by which one half of that Authority that belongs to it , was to have been surrendred up to Rome , and the other half must have become tributary to France . Our Religion must indeed have suffered highly by the one ; but it was to have been quite extirpated by the other . A great many had perished in a quick and sudden fire by the one ; whereas the end of the other would have been , that we must all have languished in such slow fires as Inquisitors might have made for us , or under the studied Cruelties of Dragoons , according to the French Pattern , if we would not have consigned our selves over to Everlasting Burnings , by renouncing our Religion . Our Laws and Liberties might have suffered in the One , tho' Spain at that time was not in a condition to have made so great a Conquest : But all must have gone now , when they had so vast a Power so near them as France is , to have supported and compleated that Destruction of our Liberties which was so barefacedly begun , and that had already made so great a progress among us . And when I have named France , I have said all that is necessary to give you a Compleat Idea of the Blackest Tyranny over Mens Consciences , Persons , and Estates , that can possibly be imagined , where every Thing that the Subject possesses is at the Mercy of a boundless Power , and of a Severity that has no mixtures either of Truth or Goodness to govern or allay it ; and by which Subjects are treated with as much Cruelty , as Enemies are with Barbarity ; That has broke thro all that is Sacred among Men , and has bid Defiance both to Heaven and Earth . This is a short view of that from which we are now a second time delivered . I need not enlarge on the particular Characters of the Hand of God in our Deliverance . These were too visible not to have been observed by all Men , and they are yet too fresh in our Memories to be forgotten by any ; but that which few are apt either to reflect on , or to remember , is the Design of Heaven in all this , that so we may understand the loving Kindness , as well as the Righteousness of the Lord in it . We had by our Sins , and our Divisions , brought our selves very low , we had provoked God , and irritated one another , therefore he has made us to see and feel the Effects both of our Sins and Follies , that so we may be brought to repent of the one , and to correct the other . Let us then resolve to turn to God in good earnest , and not to provoke him any more , lest if we stir up his Wrath again against us , his Displeasure break out upon us in as terrible a manner as has been hitherto again and again designed by our Enemies , but still prevented by his watchful Providence . Let us grow ashamed of those Vices which have so dispirited and corrupted the Nation , that we were both fit for Destruction , and had made our selves an easy Prey to our Enemies , being so shamefully degenerated from the Vertues of our Ancestors . Let us compose our Minds to softer Thoughts of one another , that those Animosities which have arisen from some small Diversities in Opinions and Ceremonies , may be allayed , and that we may make such Observations on the Practices of our Enemies , as from these to form righter Judgments of Things , and so come to such temperate Resolutions , as to love one another ; at least , if we cannot be so wise , or so happy as to agree all our Differences . And let us in a more particular manner rejoice in the Goodness of God who now gives us the hopes of happy Days , under the Man whom he has made so strong for Himself , whom he made first the Instrument of saving the best Church and People upon Earth after our own , and who now again has been put on to preserve and rescue us , as if he were born to be the Deliverer and Darling of Mankind . God be blessed for it , we have now a King and Queen , whose Examples we hope shall have a great an Influence over us for making us truly Good , as their Government has for making us really Happy . Let us then study to be Peaceable and Obedient to them ; and thankful to God for them , and then we need not fear what either the Balaks or the Balaams , that are contriving our Destruction , and consulting the Methods of doing it , can project or set on foot against us . For if we are at peace with God , and united at Home , we may assure our selves , that the course of Blessings which has hitherto followed Him , whom God in his Providence has set over us , shall not be interrupted but by a glorious Progress of Triumphs it shall be carried on , till both the Balak that is now set on our Destruction , shall fall before him , and those Balaams that divine for her , and that prophesy falsly , be put to confusion : Which God of his great Mercy grant , for the glory of his great Name , through Jesus Christ. Amen . FINIS . Books lately printed for Ric. Chiswell . THE Doctrine of Non-Resistance , or Passive Obedience no way concerned in the Controversies now depending between the Willia●●● and the Iacobites . Jacobi Usserii Armachani Archiep. Historia dogmatica Controversiae inter Orthodoxos & Pontificios de Scripturis & Sacris Vernaculis , nunc primum 〈◊〉 Accesserunt Ejusdem dissertationes de Pseudo-Dionysii scriptis , & de Epistola ad Laodicenos ante hac inedite . Descripsit , digessit & notis atque Auctuario 〈◊〉 pletavit Henricus Wharton , A. M. R. Archiep. Cantuar. à Sacris Domest . 4º A Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a new Separation 〈◊〉 Account of the Oaths . With an Answer to The History of Passive Obedie●●● . A Discourse concerning the Ecclesiastical Commission opened in the Ierusalem-Chamber , Octob. 10. 1689. Fasciculus Rerum expetendarum & fugiendarum cum Appendice ( underta●● to be Printed upon Subscription , by Richard Chiswell ) is now finished , 〈◊〉 will be ready for delivery on the 25th day of this instant November , at 〈◊〉 Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard ; to which place all Subscrib●●● are desired to send in their second Paiment , and their Acquittances for 〈◊〉 First . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A30430-e300 Verse 3. Numb . 21. 21. Numb 22. 7. Verse 13. 15. Verse 20. Numb . 24. Verse 17. 19. Numb . 23. 24. Numb . 24. 10. 17. Numb . 22. 23. Numb . 25. v. 1. v. 4. 5. Ps. 106. Numb . 16. 31. v. 8. Ps. 112. 8 , .9 . Ps. 116. 5. Prov. 10. 2. Mar. 1. 19. 
A40432	----	A sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons, at St. Margaret's Westminster, on Wednesday the fifth of November, 1690 being the anniversary thanksgiving for the happy deliverance of King James the First, and three estates of the realm, from the Gunpowder-treason : and also for the happy arrival of His present Majesty on this day, for the deliverance of our church and nation from Popery and arbitrary power / by Sa. Freeman ... Freeman, Samuel, 1643-1700. 1690 Approx. 32 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A40432 Wing F2146 ESTC R2149 12369646 ocm 12369646 60535 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A40432) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60535) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 915:8) A sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons, at St. Margaret's Westminster, on Wednesday the fifth of November, 1690 being the anniversary thanksgiving for the happy deliverance of King James the First, and three estates of the realm, from the Gunpowder-treason : and also for the happy arrival of His present Majesty on this day, for the deliverance of our church and nation from Popery and arbitrary power / by Sa. Freeman ... Freeman, Samuel, 1643-1700. [4], 30, [1] p. Printed for Ric. Chiswell ..., London : 1690. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng James -- I, -- King of England, 1566-1625. Church of England -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. Gunpowder Plot, 1605. 2006-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-01 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-02 Robyn Anspach Sampled and proofread 2007-02 Robyn Anspach Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Dr. FREEMAN's SERMON BEFORE THE HOUSE of COMMONS . November 5. 1690. Jovis 6. Die Novemb. 1690. ORdered , That the Thanks of this House be given to Dr. Freeman , for the Sermon he Preached yesterday before this House at St. Margarets Westminster : And that he be desired to Print the same . And that Sir William Leveson Gower do acquaint him therewith . PAUL JODRELL . Cl. Dom. Com. A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of Commons , AT St. MARGARET'S Westminster , On Wednesday the Fifth of November , 1690. BEING THE Anniversary Thanksgiving for the Happy Deliverance of King JAMES the First , and the Three Estates of the Realm , from the GUNPOWDER-TREASON ; And also for the Happy Arrival of His present MAJESTY on this Day , for the Deliverance of our Church and Nation from Popery and Arbitrary Power . By S A. FREEMAN , D. D. Rector of St. Paul's Covent Garden , and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their MAJESTIES . LONDON : Printed for Ric. Chiswell , at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard . M DC XC . A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of Commons , NOVEMB . 5. 1690. PSALM LXXXIX . 21 , 22. I have found David my servant , with my holy oyl have I anointed him . My hand shall hold him fast , and my arm shall strengthen him . THE Words contain in them God's gracious Promise to King David , of his special and more than ordinary Presence with , and Protection of him in the Administration of the Government he had called him to ; And certainly , never had any person greater experience of it than David , both before and after his coming to the Crown : Witness , his Deliverance from the Paws of the Lion and the Bear , from the mighty Force of the uncircumcised Philistine , from the Persecutions of Saul , from the Rebellion of Absalom , from the secret Conspiracies of Domestick Foes , and the open Invasions of Foreign Enemies . Sometimes , indeed , it pleases God , for the Punishment of a wicked People ▪ to suffer a Righteous and a Religious Prince , to fall by the hands of Violence , as was the Case of the good King Josiah : yet this is but rarely so ; for the most part such Princes may promise themselves Safety and Success from the Providence of God ; that God's hand will hold them fast , and his arm strengthem them ; that the Enemy shall not be able to do them violence , nor the Son of Wickedness hurt them ; that God will smite down their Foes before their face , and plague them that hate them . Three things are here to be considered . I. The Person to whom the Promise is made , King David . II. The Promise it self ; viz. God's special Presence with him , and Protection of him . My hand shall hold him fast , and mine arm shall strengthen him . III. What are the proper Uses and Application of this Doctrine . I. The first thing to be considered , is , The Person to whom the Promise is made , King David , whom the Text considers under a two-fold Character : As a Religious King , David my servant ; And , As a Rightful King , With my holy oyl have Ianointed him . 1. As a Religious King , David my servant ; Saul by his Disobedience had shewed himself unworthy of the Government , and God's Favour ; He rejected the word of the Lord , says the Text , and thereupon God rejected him from being King , and resolv'd to translate the Crown to another Family : And amongst all the Tribes and Families in Israel , he pitch'd upon David the Son of Jesse , as the most fit , and best qualified Person for it : I have found David my servant ; concerning whom God gave this Testimony , That he was a man after his own heart , and that he had done that which was Right in his eyes ▪ A Good King is one ; who is no less the Image of the Love and Goodness , than of the Power and Majesty of God ; who no less represents the Affection and Tenderness of our Heavenly Father , than the Authority of the Universal Monarch ; whose Care it is , That Religion flourishes , and the True Worship of God be established ; That Justice be impartially administred ; That Vice be subdued , and Virtue encouraged ; That the One be sham'd by his Example , and punish'd by his Laws ; And that the Other Reigns and Triumphs under the Influence of both : One , who invades no Man's Property ; Whose Ox or Ass have I taken ? Whom have I defrauded ? Whom have I oppressed ? So Samuel , when Supreme Magistrate of Israel , justified his Integrity : Who uses not his Power to ruine his People , to undermine the True Religion , or to enslave their Persons ; but to defend Both , and to preserve them in their Rights and Liberties : Who is truly Pater Patriae , the Father of his Countrey ; having no distinct Interest from his People's , and making Their Welfare His highest Glory . 2. As a Rightful King ; With my holy oyl have I anointed him . No Man can call in question David's Title to the Crown , unless he will dispute God's Right to dispose of Crowns as he pleases ; for David was immediately Chosen by God , and Anointed by his Prophet . But this was peculiar to the Kings of Israel and Judah ; no other Princes can produce such a Patent for their Crowns . That which comes the nearest , is , When God by a signal and wonderful Providence , for some Great and Noble Ends , to Save a Nation , or to Defend his Truth , or to abate the Pride and Insults of His and His Churches Enemies , pulls down Kings , and sets up Kings . But this is no certain way of arguing ; Success does not always give a Title where it gives a Crown . The ordinary Means of conveying a Right to Govern , are , Either Conquest in a just Cause , The Election of the People , or Hereditary Succession : Ours is own'd to be an Hereditary Crown , viz. Always descending to the next Heir , unless it so happen , that he be naturally or morally uncapable , and that the Publick Good and Safety will be evidently endangered in his hands . Here it leaps over , not out of the Royal Line , but to the next , against whom there is no such Objection . The great End of Government is the Publick Good and Safety ; This for the most part is bound up in the Laws and Constitutions of the Community ; and as all the Powers and Prerogatives invested by Law in the Prince , or Head of this Polity , are the better to enable him to execute those Laws , and maintain the Common Safety ; so all the Oaths that are taken to him by the Subjects , are also in Subordination , and Subserviency to the Common Safety , to which they were antecedently oblig'd , and he as well as they sworn to preserve . And therefore the Lords and Commons of England , as is evident all along in the Course of our History , have always lookt upon that Prince , who went about by an Arbitrary Power , in Contradiction to their Laws and Rights , both Civil and Ecclesiastical , to Enslave and Oppress them , as one that had laid down the English Kingship or Monarchy ; and have made no Scruple on such a just Occasion , to withdraw their Allegiance from him , and to place another of the same Royal Line on the Throne of Majesty . So , that would Men lay aside their Prejudices and their Passions , their Piques and Revenges , their Peevish and Awkward , their Selfish and Narrow Spirits , they would soon perceive , that the Preservation of our Laws and Religion , wherein consists the Publick Good of this Realm , ( nay , which yet adds to it , the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and Interest all the World over ▪ whereon the Glory of God , and the Salvation of Men's Souls do so much depend ) have in a manner forced the Royal Diadem where it is : And this Consideration alone ( had it not been seconded with a just Cause , and a prevailing Power in a Sovereign Prince ) seems to me , to give an Undoubted Title . II. Here 's the Promise it self . In the following Verses , from the 25th to the 30th , God promises David greatly to enlarge his Empire , to exalt him to the highest pitch of Human Power and Glory ; to continue the Crown for ever in his Family , from which it should never be taken , as it had been from Saul's : But these may be thought peculiar to David , who was a Type of Christ as well as King of Israel ; especially the last , which did not receive its full accomplishment , but in the Kingdom of the Messiah , who was to come of the Race , and is said to sit on the Throne of David . What he promises him in the Text , is , His powerful Presence with him , to protect him in all Dangers , to direct and assist him in all his just Undertakings ; to strengthen him against all the Enemies , both Domestick and Foreign , of his Crown and Kingdom ; and this every Righteous and Religious Prince may ordinarily take Confidence in , and apply to themselves . And that , 1. As they are God's Representatives and Vicegerents in the World. They are call'd Gods ; and St. Paul stiles the Supreme Magistrate , The Minister of God ; Because we are not capable of an immediate Converse with Heaven , therefore does God govern us by Men like our selves , and so puts part of his Power into their Hands ; for as Prophets receive of the Spirit , so do Kings of the Power of God. Now , those who are employ'd by God to act for , and under him in the World , have reason to expect proportionable Assistance and Protection from him . 2. As they are entrusted by God with the Management of Publick Affairs , and so the welfare of the whole Community depending in a great measure upon their prudent Conduct and Safety . We have ten parts in the King , said the Ten Tribes ; Thou art worth Ten thousand of us . And again , Thou shalt not any more go out to Battel with us , lest thou quench the Light of Israel , said the Israelites to King David . What the Sun is to the World , that is a Wise and Gracious Prince to a Nation , its Happiness , and its Glory . Now , we may be sure , that that Providence , which , as the Scripture tells us , extends its Care over the least and most despicable things , over the Birds of the Air , and the Beasts of the Field , will much more concern it self for things of a more worthy Nature , for Men , for Communities of Men , for Princes , the Life and Soul of Communities . God is more concern'd in Many , than in single Persons ; and since a Kingdom is the general Concernment of a King , a King must be the special Concernment of God. Kings by the Ancients were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Men kept by God , He hides them under the Shadow of his Wings , he keeps them as the Apple of his Eye . He sets them as a Signet on his right hand . God hath this as his peculiar Title , The God that giveth Salvation unto Kings . 3. That I may put many things together and hasten : Good Kings may expect God's special Presence with them . In regard of the difficulty of their Office and Duty , being oft times to deliberate about the Fate of Kingdoms , to judge in Matters of a dubious and intricate Nature , and to engage in Enterprises of the greatest Hazard . In regard of the many Temptations , the Height of their Place and Power subjects them unto ; The uncontrollableness of their Power , the abundance of their Wealth , the multitude of their Cares and Business , the Crouds of Sycophants and Flatterers that always follow the Courts of Princes , are very dangerous Snares to their Virtue ; The Devil knows how much it would be for the advantage of his Kingdom in the World , to have the Governors of it on his side , that they cannot sin alone , but they must be follow'd by Troops , and therefore he 's always watching occasions , and craving permission from God to seduce and pervert them . In regard of the many Dangers they are expos'd to ; Princes have not only many Potent Enemies from abroad , but for the most part many envious ill-willers and discontented Male-contents at home , that are always beating how to supplant or overthrow them . In regard , lastly , of some momentous and important Work and Business a Prince may be call'd to by God ; Be it , for example , to put a stop to the spreading of Idolatry , or to give a check to the merciless Rage of Tyrants and Persecutors ; This is the Cause of God , and he must be wanting to himself , should he be wanting to those whom he hath raised up for the defence of it . The Worthies of the Old Testament , Moses and Joshuah , and Gideon , and Barak , and Jeptha , and David , and many others , were bright examples of this ; with whom God was peculiarly present , and sometimes after a miraculous manner . The Author to the Hebrews tells us what Heroical Atchievements they perform'd by faith in God. I must not stay to lead you far back in other History , yet I cannot forbear mentioning the many wonderful Deliverances and Successes wherewith it pleased God to crown the Great Constantine , and our own Renown'd and never to be forgotten Queen Elizabeth , whom God raised up , the one , for the Deliverance of his Church Universal from Heathen Rage ; the other , for the Deliverance of this Church from Popish Fury : But I must pass over these and innumerable others , that I may come to them which I am concern'd particularly to remember . What an admirable Providence was it , that discover'd the Gunpowder Treason , the black Conspiracy of this Day , by the Lines of a dead Letter sent to the Lord Monteagle ! What could it be but a Beam from Heaven that darted into the King's Mind a meaning quite contrary to the natural sense of the Words and all Grammatical construction ! The expression was , The Danger is past as soon as you have burnt the Letter , which King James interpreted , as quickly , making it signifie , the suddenness and quickness of the Blow intended . And no less visible was the Sword of the Lord , than the Sword of Gideon , in our late happy Happy and Glorious Revolution ; when we consider with what an invincible Spirit of Wisdom and Courage His Majesty undertook the Cause of our Country ; what general Desires and Inclinations were on the sudden kindled in Mens Hearts towards Him , their Laws , and their Religion ; What a burning Zeal and Vigour , what an universal Harmony of Affections , what a perfect agreement of Councils and Endeavours inflamed the Breasts of all Men ; What a strange Folly and Infatuation blinded the Counsels of our Enemies ; What guilty Fears and Cowardise seiz'd their Spirits ; How all was brought about by a dry Victory , without the expence of the Blood either of our Friends or Enemies ; We must conclude , That God was with him of a truth , and that it was he that made it to prosper . III. It remains now only , that we consider what are the proper Uses and Application of this Doctrine . I shall name at present but these four . And , 1. What a sincere regard and esteem ought we to have for those , for whom God is pleased to have so great and particular a concern ? The Scripture is very strict in injoyning Honour and Reverence to them , we are commanded to fear the King , to obey him , to pay tribute to him ; all just and legal Power and Authority is not to be resisted ; this is the Ordinance of God : and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation . Wise and gracious Princes are so great Blessings to their Kingdoms , that in the Heathen World their Subjects not only paid them the highest Honours during their lives , but worshipt them too after their deaths . They could not imagine , that those who either by the invention of useful Arts , or the institution of an excellent Government , or by many noble Exploits and Deliverances had in a high degree obliged their Countries , died like other Men , they reckon'd they became Divine , and were translated among the Gods , and so chang'd their Allegiance into Adoration . I mention this not for imitation , but as an infinite shame and reproach to too many Christians , who cannot find in their Hearts to make any other returns to their Princes for the innumerable Benefits and mighty Deliverances , they at the peril of their Lives and Blood have purchas'd for them , than Curses and opprobrious Language , than meditating Ruine and Destruction against them . What can we desire more , that is not by the blessing of God upon their Undertaking restor'd and confirm'd to us ? Our Laws have recover'd their just Vigour and Authority , our Rights and Properties are secur'd , our Holy Religion safe , our Lives , and our Souls too , if we are not wanting to our selves , out of danger . We feel indeed at present some Burdens and Taxes , but are they any other than what are absolutely necessary for our preservation , voluntarily impos'd upon us by our Representatives in Parliament , And what are tollerable and easie when compar'd with the Slavery and Oppression we are freed from , and the far greater Miseries we had just reason to fear were coming upon us ? We have nothing to complain of , unless it be that the Government is too mild and merciful to them who so little deserve it . Certainly they who so murmur and repine under this Golden Scepter , consider not what it would be to feel the Iron Rod of French Cruelty and Popish Revenge . 2. God's special Presence with and Protection of good Kings , shews how vain and foolish a thing it is , as well as sinful , to conspire against them . Never was there yet a Government or Governour that could give Content and Satisfaction to all its Subjects ; so long as there are Devils in Hell that delight in the Miseries and Confusions of Men , and so long as there is Pride , and Ambition , and Malice , and Revenge , and Covetousness lodg'd in the Breasts of Men , must Princes expect to meet with those who envying their Power and Greatness , will be always contriving how to snatch it from them , or make them uneasie under it ; some there are that affect a Change for Change sake , and therefore desire to be rid of their present Masters , onely that they might have new ones : Others are for troubling the Waters , hoping thereby for an opportunity to heal their lame Fortunes in them ; Others are against the Government , because the Government is against them ; It 's an Enemy to some Mens Debaucheries , and they had as live part with their Lives as their Vices and their Pleasures ; It s an Enemy to some Mens Profits and Honours , they have lost something they had , or they want something they cannot get , they have no share in the Administration , no Place of Trust , no Post of Advantage in it , and some Men can be true to nothing but their own Interests , and because a Government does not serve their turn , they are for another that will ; It s an Enemy to that which some Men call their Religion , I mean their Superstitious and Idolatrous way of Worship , and that State must not think to stand long , if the Devil and the Jesuit can help it , that does not fall down to their Dagon : But in vain are all the Attempts of Malice and Treason against those , who are compass'd about with God's Favour as with a Shield . Good Princes are the peculiar Charge and Favourites of God ; He in an especial manner interests himself in their Safety ; and unless their Enemies are of God's Privy Couucil , and can know before-hand that he 'll suffer it , they can no more be secure of Success in their Conspiracies , than they can be of being too hard for the Almighty . Give me leave therefore in this case to apply the beginning of the 2 d Psalm , that was literally spoken of David , as well as figuratively of Christ ; Why do the Papists rage , and the disaffected People imagine a vain thing ? He that sits in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn ; the Lord shall have them in Derision ; yet have I set my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion . 3. God's special Presence with and Protection of good Kings , calls upon us to pray for the continuance of it to those whom in his good Providence he hath set over us ; the Mercies God promises , he expects should be fetch'd down by Prayer . Now Kings being the main Instruments of Providence , whereby God conveyeth his Favours and dispenseth his Justice to a People , as we cannot expect to be happy and prosperous , but by their means ; so we cannot expect that they should be a means of it , unless by fervent and devout Prayer , we engage the continual powerful Presence of God with them : Not to invoke the Blessing of God upon Governours , is to disown God's Government of the World whose Ministers they are : And how can that People expect to be blessed by God , who disown his Government ? There are none but must be sensible how much the welfare of this Kingdom is bound up in the Preservation of this Government . In all likelihood our Religion , our Laws , and our Liberties will stand and fall with our Princes ; we are therefore highly oblig'd , if not for theirs , for our own Sakes , to lift up our Hearts and our Voices to Heaven for them . I hope we have not yet forgot the Day of our Distress , what passionate Prayers we then sent up to Heaven to take pity on us : And God was pleased to hear the Prayers of his People , He rais'd us up a Deliverer , and has thereby encourag'd us still to pray , Strengthen , O Lord , that which thou hast wrought for us : Clothe all his Enemies with Shame , but upon himself let his Crown flourish . 4. God's special Presence with and Protection of righteous and religious Princes , calls upon us to bless God for the two great Deliverances of this Day . An eminent Jesuit , Campian by name , long since declared in Print , that their Society had made a Holy League and solemn Oath , that as long as there were any of them alive , they would destroy heretical Princes by all means possible ; and as for the English Nation they would procure and for ever pursue its Ruine , and the utter Destruction of its Religion . And to do them right , hitherto they have made good their Oath ; how unwearied and restless have their Malice and Rage been against us ? The Royal Family of the Stuarts , to begin no higher , are indebted to them for many signal Kindnesses : What strong Endeavours were made to keep King James the First from the Crown ? Garnet a Jesuit brought two Breves from Pope Clement the 8 th to exclude him , commanding all Catholicks , both Clergy and Laity , not to suffer him , or any other that was not a Catholick , to succeed to the Crown . Parsons another Jesuit , under the Name of Doleman , wrote against his Title , and set up another , that of the Infanta of Spain against his ; after a most rude and insolent manner , blackning his Name , and loading his Actions with the most spiteful Calumnies ; But when after all their Attempts , they could not hinder him from coming in , they resolv'd by dreadful blow of Gunpowder to rid themselves at once both of him , and his whole Family : A Villany so black and odious , that the Papists themselves are ashamed to own it , and would fain have it pass for a State-trick , and a Plot of an Eminent Minister at that time against them : But this was an invention of their own , not thought of till long afterwards , not in the least mentioned nor pleaded by any of the Conspirators in their defence . But , on the contrary , 't was confess'd by the Traytors themselves , justified by some of them , own'd by Sir Everard Digby's Letters now made publick , taken care of before-hand not to be discovered in Confessions , The Success of it pray'd for under the name of a great Design in hand , for the good of the Catholick Cause , The disappointment of it sorely lamented ; but in all Probability , had it succeded , would have been welcom'd at Rome with as publick Festivals and Triumphs , as the great Thuanus , an Historian of their own , informs us , the Parisian-Massacre was , wherein 30000 Protestants were slain in one Night . But blessed be God who hath hitherto defeated the malicious Purposes of the inveterate Enemies of our Church and Nation , that brought to light that Work of Hell and Darkness , and hath preserved us in the Enjoyment of the Benefits of that great Deliverance to this Day . In the Reign of King Charles the First , they carried on the same Design ; They began with a Plot to murder the Archbishop , and to take away the King's Life , happily discovered by means of Andreas ab Habernfield . What salvage and inhumane Cruelties they committed in Ireland , I tremble to mention , wherein a 100000 Protestants were barbarously murdered in cold Blood : What hand they had in kindling and carrying on that cruel and unnatural War , and in the execrable murder of that incomparable Prince , how at their Consults they voted 't was for the Interest of Holy Church , and how active and instrumental they were to promote the Councils that did it , has been offer'd to be prov'd against them . In King Charles the Second's time ; Into what innumerable Sects and Factions did they break us ; what fiery Strifes , what implacable Animosities , ( which , God help us , are burning to this very day ) did they blow up amongst them ? How dextrously did they manage the contending Parties , encouraging now one and then the other , till they had almost beat out one anothers Brains ? And then at last by plotting to take away the Life of that Prince , ( who was now thought , it seems , to stand in their way ) and to give a Toleration to the Popish Party , how advantagiously did they prepare the way for a total Extirpation , as they call'd it , of the Northern Heresy , which they doubted not to effect under the Reign of a more resolute Prince , that should more heartily and vigorously espouse their Cause ? And you all know how near they were to the accomplishing of it . Good God! What a black and melancholy Prospect of things was then before us ? What a horrible Storm hung over our Heads , threatning Ruin to every thing that was dear to us , and to entail Slavery , Ignorance and monstrous Errors , even Transubstantiation it self , upon our Posterity ? How were we daily threatned with an Army of Forreigners , and those the most infamous for Blood and Cruelty , and some of them actually brought in upon us . But blessed be God who hath put an end to our Miseries , and almost to our very Fears ; who put it into the Heart of the King to come in to our Succour , and who made even the Winds and the Waves propitious to him and his glorious Enterprize . Blessed be God who hath preserved him hitherto , to settle and establish us in that Salvation , which under God he hath wrought for us ; who suffered not the fatal Bullet that came so near him , to do him Mischief ; nor the Swords of his Enemies that thirsted for his Blood , to touch him ; who preserved him safe in the Crowds of his Enemies , and in the midst of innumerable Dangers , and after a signal and glorious Victory , landed him safe again on our joyful Shoar . Blessed be God who hath given him the Hearts of his Parliament , and the Affections of his People . Blessed be God for his Heroick Spirit of Wisdom and Magnanimity , for his merciful Disposition , for the Justice and Equity of his Government , for his sincere Love to the Church , for his unshaken Constancy to the Protestant Religion and Interest , and for his Fatherly Care and Tenderness over all his Subjects . May his Life be long , and his Reign prosperous ; and may the English Nation , under his Auspicious Conduct and Victorious Banners , become a Terror to its Adversaries , Deliverance to the Oppressed , and as heretofore , so for ever , the Bulwark of the Protestant Religion . To the only wise God our Saviour , be all Praise and Glory , both now , and for evermore . Amen . FINIS . Advertisement . A Sermon Preach'd at the Assizes held at Northampton , August the 26 th , 1690. Before the Right Honourable Sir Henry Pollexfen , Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas . By Sa. Freeman , D. D. Rector of St. Paul's Covent-Garden , and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties . A Sermon Preached before the King and Queen , at Whitehall , on the 19 th Day of October , 1690 , being the Day of Thanksgiving , for his Majesties Preservation and Success in Ireland . By the Right Reverend Father in God , Gilbert Lord Bishop of Sarum . Both Sold by Richard Chiswell , at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A40432-e400 1 Sam. 15. 23. 1 Sam. 12 3. Vid. Tract of the Unreasonableness of the New Separation . Hag. 2. 23. Psal . 144. 10. Camp. Epist . 10. ad Conc. Reg. Angl. p. 22. Sir Edw. Cook 's Speech at Gar. Tryal . Pr●fat . mon. p. 146. Hist . Gun-Powder Tr. p. 232. Delr . disquis . mag . l. 6. c. 11. Pr●fat . mon. p. 8 , 9. See Dr. Pet. du Moulin . Vind. of Prot. Relig. ch . 2. p. 58. and his Reply to a Person of Honour , p. 4 , 5. 
A14381	----	Edom and Babylon against Jerusalem, or, meditations on Psal. 137. 7 Occasioned by the most happy deliverance of our church and state (on November 5. 1605.) from the most bloody designe of the papists-gunpowder-treason. Being the summe of divers sermons, delivered by Thomas Vicars B.D. Pastour of Cockfield in South-sex. ... Vicars, Thomas, d. 1638. 1633 Approx. 100 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 41 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A14381 STC 24699 ESTC S102674 99838445 99838445 2824 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A14381) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 2824) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1120:06) Edom and Babylon against Jerusalem, or, meditations on Psal. 137. 7 Occasioned by the most happy deliverance of our church and state (on November 5. 1605.) from the most bloody designe of the papists-gunpowder-treason. Being the summe of divers sermons, delivered by Thomas Vicars B.D. Pastour of Cockfield in South-sex. ... Vicars, Thomas, d. 1638. [8], 74 p. By E. P[urslowe] for Henry Seyle, dwelling in St. Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head, Printed at London : 1633. Printer's name from STC. Imperfect; lacking leaf D6. Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Early works to 1800. 2003-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-02 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-06 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2003-06 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-08 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion EDOM AND BABYLON Against IERVSALEM , OR , Meditations on Psal. 137. 7. Occasioned by the most happy Deliverance of our Church and State ( on November 5. 1605. ) from the most bloody Designe of the Papists-Gunpowder-Treason . Being the summe of divers Sermons , delivered by Thomas Uicars B. D. Pastour of Cockfield in South-Sex . This our Deliverance was such a marvellous worke of God , that it ought to be had in an everlasting remembrance ; and the rather for that the Papists in blinde corners , most shamelesly give out , and goe about to perswade simple people , that there was never any such thing intended by them , as the Gunpowder-treason , but that it is athing meerly put upon them to make their religion more odious . Printed at London by E. P. for Henry Seyle , dwelling in St. Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head . 1633. On the 5. of November . Prospera lux oritur ; linguis animisque favete : Nunc dicenda bonâ sunt bona verba die . Ex Ovid. Fast , lib. 1. Psal. 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints , for the Lord preserveth the Faithfull , and plentifully rewardeth the Proud-doer . Psal. 9. 16. Higgaion . Selah . i. e. Res meditanda summè . according to Iunius . This is a thing most worthy our serious consideration . A Summary , or , The most remarkeable points delivered in these Sermons . THe Gunpowder-treason-day is a Festivall appropriate to the Church of England , pag. 1 , 2 , 3. The divellish devise of the Gunpowder-plot exaggerated , pag. 6. The effects , likely to have ensued upon the treason , if the hand of God had not dash'd it , pag. 10. What wee are to thinke of those imprecations in Scripture used by the Saints against their enemies , p. 13 , 14 &c. Whether it be lawfull for us to curse our enemies in the name of the Lord , according to the example of the Saints , p. 17. The persecutors of the Church , and namely the Gunpowder-Traytors are the children of Edom by morall imitation , p. 21. The enemies of Gods Church , Worldlings in generall , and the Popish-faction in particular are a company of carnall fleshly minded men , p. 23. The enemies of Gods church , Worldlings in generall , and the Popish faction in particular are most cruell and bloody-minded men , like their father Edom , p. 29. The wicked are ready to joyn hand in hand to vexe the church , and to effect wicked matters , p. 50. Neither affinity nor neerenesse of kinne , nor any bond of love can quench that hatred which the enemies of the church beare unto it , p. 58. It is the property of wicked men to rejoyce in evill , p. 62. The Lords name ( who is the keeper of our Israel ) is to be blessed and praised for our most miraculous deliverance , p. 70. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS , LORD COVENTRY , Baron of Alesborough , Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England , and one of his Majesties most honourable privy Counsell . RIght Noble Lord , The fame of your Honours most religious and righteous proceedings in that high place of authority , wherin his sacred Majesty hath most worthily seated you , doth so spread it selfe far and neere , that he is very envious that doth not acknowledge it , very impious that doth not heartily thanke God for it . The assurance of your Honours sincere love and affection you shew to Gods cause & true religion , that continuall countenance and encouragement you give both to the professours and publishers of the Gospell , that facile eare you lend to all honest suppliants hath drawne mee on ( though I be the meanest of ten thousand ) to make so far bold as to present unto you these few leaves of paper , which I was desirous should come abroad under your name , both that I might thereby find shelter against the virulent tongues of that a viperous brood , the jesuited Papists , enemies of our Church and state , to whom I beleeve these Sermons will b not be very welcome ; and also that I might hereby shew my selfe thankefull in some poore measure to your Honour in the behalfe of my uncle , who by your good meanes next under God enjoyeth that meanes of living he hath , for which he is ever bound as your Honours c Bede-man to pray for your peace and prosperity even as long as he draweth breath . Go on , d right noble Lord , to be a pillar of piety and equity , a patron of the distressed and needy , a worthy Mecaenas to learned men , and a religious Obadiah to Gods Ministers . And I heartily pray God to thinke upon you in mercy and to remember all the good you have done to the house of God and the officers thereof . So prayeth Your Honours most devoted in all observance , Thom : à Vicars . EDOM AND BABYLON Against IERUSALEM . PSAL. 137. 7. Remember the Children of Edom ( O Lord ) in the day of Ierusalem , how they said , Downe with it , Downe with it , even to the ground . GIve me leave to begin the exercise of * this day with the words of S. Bernard , Serm. 5. de dedicat eccles . Hodierna die , fratres , solemnitatē agimus , eamque praeclaram ; Today , Beloved , we celebrate a Festivall and that a great one . For whether wee consider the great danger , wherewith wee were compassed , as upon this day , or that great deliverance which God hath wrought for us out of that danger , as upon this day ; Solennitate● agimus eamque praeclaram , it is a Festivall we celebrate & a great one too . Quae tanto nobis debet esse devotior , quanto est familiarior ; as the same Bernard hath it in his first Sermon ; which of all other Festivals is more solemnly and more devoutly to be observed by us , for that it is more proper and peculiar to our Nation than to any other . Nam caeteras quidem sanctorum solennitates ( as hee goes on there ) cum ecclesiis aliis habemus communes . The other Festivals and Holy dayes in memory of the Saints are common to us with many other Churches ; Haec verò sic nobis est propria , ut necesse sit vel à nobis eam vel à nemine celebrari , but the solemnity of this day is so appropriate to the Church and state of this Kingdome , that I know not any Country in the world that hath so great cause to keepe it Holy-day , as we of this Nation have . The Israelites , in memory of their deliverance out of Egypt , from the bondage of Pharoah King of Egypt , were to keepe a solemne Holy-day . And Moses gives them a memento to thinke on that day , Remember this day in the which yee came out of Egypt , Exod. 13 3. And the Iewes afterward , in memory of their delivery from the malice and wrath of wicked Haman , who had appointed them all to the slaughter , kept a Holy-day with feasting and much joy , yea , and they promised that the dayes of that anniversary solemnity , called the dayes of Purim , should bee remembred and kept throughout every generation . and every family , and every Province , and every City , even those dayes of Purim should not faile among the Iewes , and the memoriall of them should not perish from their seed , Hest. 9. 28. Beloved , this dayes deliverance , which Gods right hand hath wrought for this Land , is much like to the delivery of Israel out of Egypt ; for Rome is Egypt mystically , and so it is called in the Revelation , and we were delivered from the bondage of Rome this day , and wee were delivered from the tyranny of the Pope of Rome , which yoke some of our friends would have put upon our neckes this day , if they could have had their will ; and shall we not then remember this day , wherin we came out of Egypt ? This dayes deliverance is much like the deliverance of the Iewes from the wicked devise of Haman , the Iewes Adversary . For was there not powder prepared to blow us up ? was there not Fire and Faggot provided to burne us up ? were wee not all of us as sheep appointed to the slaughter ? and shall not then this day bee remembred ? shall we suffer the memoriall of it to perish from us or our seed for ever ? Oh no , The Lord hath so done his marvelous workes as upon this day , that they ought to be had in everlasting remembrance . This is the day which the Lord hath made , we will rejoyce and be glad in it , Psal. 118. This is a day of the Lords owne making ; not as though the Lord did not make all the other dayes as well as this . Yes , ( to speake with Cassiodore ) Fecit omnes , sed hanc singulariter , he hath made all the dayes in the yeere , and one day telleth to another the goodnesse of God their Maker ; but he hath made this after a singular manner , because this day makes report of a singular favour the Lord hath wrought for us upon it ; fecit totos , sed non tales , he hath made all the other dayes , but he hath not made them such as this : and therefore , seeing God hath set a marke upon this day , and given it a preheminence above it's fellowes , the 〈◊〉 of the daies of the weeke , I except alwaies the Sabbath as the Lords day , but I meane the rest of the dayes of the weeke ; seeing ( I say ) God hath set the print of his owne finger upon it above the night , there is reason that we should celebrate this day above the nights . To observe dayes and yeeres and new Moons , and to make every day a feast day , this is supra , it is above all heathenish superstition . To observe no dayes at all but the Sabbath onely , this is infra , it is below a Christian profession . I confesse time and place , both are quantities ; and 〈◊〉 nuila est vis , nulla efficacia , there is no vertue nor 〈◊〉 in quantities , so wee are taught in Philosophy ; notwithstanding ▪ yo● know we give respect to the place for the persons sake that sits in it ; and why then should wee not give respect to the time for the worke that is wrought in it ? Let no man thinke my speech superfluous , or account this Preface I have made as impertinent . For it serveth both to rouze up the 〈◊〉 and untowardlinesse of some , who have neither good conceit of this or any other 〈◊〉 ; and it serveth likewise to commend 〈◊〉 and readinesse to assemble your selves ( all other businesse set apart ) at this time in Gods : House , to keep this day holy unto the Lord , as the wisdome of our state hath decreed and the piety of our Church hath well ordered . There is none here present , I take it , that can bee ignorant of the businesse of this day , and for what we are met together at this time in the House of God. It is to give God thanks , and to continue a thankefull remembrance of his mercy in the deliverance of the whole Church and Kingdome of England , from the most barbarous and bloody intended massacre in the Gunpowder Treason . A Treason ! ( horresco referens ) which I can never thinke upon , but it makes my haire to stand on an end , not conceiving in the word● by what name to expresse it , whether I should call it the miracle , or rather the monster of all treachery , the marrow , or rather the quintessence of all villany . A Treason , so uncouth and unheard-of ; so matchlesse , and unpareleled ; so prodigious and divellish in each respect , that after-ages may peradventure be so amazed at the reading of it in our Chronicle , that they will have hardly any faith to beleeve i● for a true story , but take it onely for some 〈◊〉 Poeticum , a devise to expresse some matchlesse master-peece of treason ; it will scarce sinke into their heads , or settle in their hearts , that ever there should such a divellish plot have been attempted or acted by any that call themselves the sonnes of Adam . A treason , quam nec sol , qui omnia intuetur , aspicere which neither the Heaven , which beholdeth all things , could look upon without blushing ; nec terra , quae omnia sustinet , nisi eviscerata suscipere , nor the Earth which beareth up all things could admit of without violent digging into her bowels ; nec Nox , quae monstrorum mater est , tegere & occultare sustinuit , nor the Night which is the mother of monsters and mid-wife of wickednesse , could endure to cover or keepe close , but must needs vent shame and confusion to the Authors and Actors in it . Quid tale immanes unquam gessisse feruntur . Looke upon Turkes and Iewes , revolve the Annals , and search into the manners of the most fierce and furious Nations , and tell mee you that are conversant in History , if ever you met with such a bloody practice ? you that have spent some time abroad in forrein parts , tell mee if ever you heard of such a barbarous plot ? O mites Diomedis equi Busiridis arae . Clementes ! if they be compared to this prodigious tragicke Gunpowder stratageme , of which wee are now to speake . If the grape-gatherers come unto thee , would they not leave some grapes ? if theeves come by night , they will destroy till they have enough ; and but till they have enough , Ierem. 49. 9. But these mercilesse men , playing the parts of furies in the shapes of men , these Ignatian Pyrachmons will downe with all at one blow , they will bury in one common fire rem regem Regimen , Regionem , Religionem ; Root and Branch , Head and Taile , the Government of the Region , and the Substance of Religion , Patrem & Patriam , our Countrey and th● Father of our Countrey , the King and hi● Peeres , the Reverend Clergy , the Renowne● Nobility , the Sages of all Cities , and Flowe● of the whole Communalty , and only , I think , to see an image of Tophet and Hell in thi● World. I would gladly set forth the horriblenesse of that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that universally intended destruction and desolation of thi● Land , that seeing the greatnesse of the danger toward , wee may the better consider of the greatnesse of our Adversaries malice in ploting , and the greatnesse of Gods mercy in discovering the plot . But I am not able to depaint it out unto you in lively colours , according as my desire is , neither will the nature of the thing suffer it ; only , because wee are more sensible of such things by the event , give mee leave in a Sciagraphie to set before your eyes the events that were likely to have ensued upon this horrible treason , by which , the treason may be , if not fully deciphered , yet in some ●ort at lea●t shadowed and represented . Suppose the King and Queene with all the Nobles , Bishops and Iudges were assembled together in the house of Parliament to consult and deliberate touching the weighty affaires of this Kingdome , as indeed it was appointed . And suppose then under this house in a Vault there were laid thirty Barrels and foure Hogsheads of Gunpowder with Faggots and iron Barres upon them , as there were indeed . But now goe on , and imagine the traine to be laid the powder fired , the terrible blow given , and on a sudden imagine the whole building to cracke asunder , the plankes all on a flame , the beams and stones flying in the ayre , the joynts and members of all the worthies of our Land , rent and torne and scattered one from another the walls of the streete bedawbed with mens braines , the waies bedewed with mens blood , scarcely so much as one bone left of a great many for buriall . Then imagine you see the Church adjoyning as with an earthquake dejected , the Monuments of the dead defaced , the Hall of Iustice demolished , the Records and Charters of the Kingdome perished , the whole circuit thereabouts turned into smoake and rubbish . Then imagine you see the City in an uprore , the Country in perplexity , the Papists every where up in armes , the Spaniard with his forces landing upon your coasts ready to joyne with them , your houses rifled , your goods spoyled , your Maidens ravished , your Wives abused , your Children slaughtered ; Gods Temple profaned , the Kings authority debased , the Popes power advanced , the pure preaching of the Word abolished , the Idolatrous superstition of the Masse established . Truely all these consequents , and farre worse , if I were able to expresse them , would have followed upon that vile and transcendent treason , if it had taken effect . The face of all things would have been quite altered , and the whole Kingdome turn'd topsy turvy . Caligula wished that all the people of Rome had had but one necke , that hee might have smit it asunder at one blow . Truely in this Treason the necke of our whole State , both of Church and Common-wealth , the glory of this famous and flourishing Kingdome ( the hope of posterity ) was laid as it were upon the block . The instrument of death was lifted up by the damned instrumēts of the Pope of Rome , and was ready to give us all the mortall stroke , or , as they call'd it , the deadly blow ; had not the Angell of GOD stepped in in the very nicke ; had not our mercifull God by his most miraculous and immediate providence put to his helping hand and awarded the blow , and turned the edge of the Axe upon the necke of our Adversaries themselves . The net was spread , and the snare was laid , and the pit was digged , and the Hunters were gone out to drive us into their gins , and they had the game faire before them ; but the net was broken by the finger of God , and the snare was discovered by the eye of God , and the pit that they had digged for us , they fell into it themselves , and were taken with their owne mischiefe . If the Lord himselfe had not been on our side , now may Israel say , if the Lord himselfe had not beene on our side when men rose up against us , they had swallowed us up quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased with us ; the waters had drowned us , and the streames had gone over our soules , the deepe waters of the proud had gone even over our soule . But praised be God which hath not given us over as a prey unto their tee●h . Our soule is escaped even as the Bird out of the snare of the Fowler ; the snare is broken and our soule is delivered , and our helpe standeth in the Name of the LORD which made Heaven and earth , Psal. 124. a most sit Psalme to be sung at this solemnity . So now , having prepared your hearts and possessed your mindes with the proper businesse of this day , I will with your favour descend to the handling of this place of Scripture which I have read for my Text , sutable , as I take it , for the time . The summe whereof is nothing else but a prayer of the Church against her malicious and implacable enemies Remember the Children of Edom , ô Lord , &c. This Psalme is very patheticall , full of passions and affectionate passages . I may reduce them all not unfitly to these two ●eads in ●espect of their severall objects ; for either they respect the Church her selfe , for they respect the enemies of the Church . In the verses going before my Text you have laid downe those passions and passages which respect the Church , and that both in her misery which is deplored , and in her prosperity , which is desired ; but of these wee have not now to speake . In the seventh verse and the rest of the Psalme there are laid downe these passions and passages which respect the enemies of the Church . where yee have first an imprecation of evill : 2. An intermination of judgement . The imprecation in this , the interminatiō in the next . In the imprecation ( which wee have chosen for our theme ) wee are to consider these 2. things . 1. How the Psalmist in the person of Gods seruants devoves the enemies of the Church to destruction ; and 2. how he describes and most lively depaints out unto us their conditiō . Of these in order , 1. how they are devoved : 2. How they are described . For the first , hee prayes God to remember them . Remember the Children of Edom , O Lord. Remember them ? that is , when thou powrest out thy judgements upon sinners , let the vials of thy wrath fall full upon them ; remember them , that is , repay them as they have rewarded us , requite their extreme malice with extreame punishment , and for their spite against the Church , let them feel the weight of thy displeasure : this is meant by Remember them . Thus wee see the Psalmist prayeth in divers Psalmes , as Psal. 69. 22. Let their Table be a snare unto them , and let their prosperity bee their ruine . Let their eyes bee darke , and powre out them agen , &c. and so in the 54. Psal. 5. He shall reward evill unto mine enemies , destroy thou them in thy truth : and so , in many other Psalmes you have the like direfull imprecations . Whereupon there falleth in here a question to bee answered : What we are to thinke of these imprecations and execrations used by the Saints against their enemies , and whether it bee lawfull for us to imitate them in this ? The question hath two branches , I will answer to both distinctly . To the first , what are we to thinke of these imprecations which are frequent in the mouthes of Gods servants against their enemies ; they 〈◊〉 seeme to argue a very strange and not well . tempered affection , contrary to the moderation and patience of a Christian man , yea and contrary to Christs command , Mat. 5. 44. where he bids us , Love your enemies , blesse them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that persecute you . If we must pray for our enemies , why doe the Saints pray against them ? if wee must doe them good , why do the Saints wish them evil ? if wee must blesse them , why doe the Saints so eagerly curse them ? if wee must love them , why doe the Saints expresse such an extreame and deadly hatred against them ? I answer it is true , the imprecations used by the Saints in Scripture against wicked men are very grievous and fearefull , but wee are not to thinke notwithstanding , that either they transgressed herein against the rule of charity , or sinned against the precep● of Christ Iesus . For , first , in all these imprecations they doe not so much respect themselves and their owne preservation , as the glory of God and the conservation thereof ; the quarrel that they have with these men is not private but publike ; neither doe they curse them because they are their enemies , but because they are Gods enemies , and the enemies of GODS Church . Secondly , in all these imprecations the Saints of GOD are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such as take delight in other mens destruction , and rejoyce themselves in seeing evill befall other men ; for they doe not wish these judgements to befall upon their enemies out of any spite or spleene or thirsty desire of revenge , but because they understand by this meanes the glory of GODS Iustice is to be made manifest before the faces of the children of men . God will have his glory even of sinners ; either in their salvation , if they turne unto him ; or in their confusion , if they continue obstinate . In the salvation of sinners the mercy of GOD carries away the glory , 〈◊〉 the confusion of sinners the glory reflects upon Gods justice . It is true , GOD delighteth not in the death of any sinner ; neither will hee have any of his Saints to take delight in the destruction of any wicked man : but God desireth the glory of his justice to be manifest , and the Saints of God may desire that the glory of GODS justice may be made manifest , though it be by the death and destruction of wretched and unrepentant sinners . Thirdly , in all these imprecations wee are not to thinke that the Saints of God were carried away with the fire and fury of some preposterous zeale ; but led and directed by the discerning prudence of a propheticall spirit , did curse and devove not every enemy , but those whom they knew GOD had set a marke upon , as upon Caine , and utterly rejected from the society and company of his Elect Children . Lastly , wee must know , as Saint Augustine hath observed , that these imprecations are not onely prayers but prophecies , being indeed prophetical denuntiations of those fearefull judgements which should certainly overtake and overthrow all the enemies of God and his Church without repentance ; and therefore in all these imprecations , as the affection is not at all distempered , so neither is there any violation of patience , any branch of charity , any neglect of the precept of Christ. Now for the second branch of the question , what is lawfull for us to doe in this case , whether wee may imitate the Saints in this , I doubt not but that we may , if we admit these limitations , and take a few distinctions along with ush : 1. Wee must diligently distinguish betwixt the cause and the person that maintains the cause . As touching the cause , if it be an evill cause , wee may condemne it and lawfully pray against it , whatsoever the persons be that maintain it . It is cleere by the example of David , who prayed against the wicked counsell of Achitophel , 2. Sam. 15. 31. And by the example of the blessed Apostles , who prayed against the plots and practices of Herod , and Pilate and the Pharisees to stop the current of the Gospell , Acts 4. 29. As touching the persons of our enemies , wee are to note this distinction : Some are private enemies , some are publike . If they bee private enemies onely , we must distinguish betwixt their nature and their sinne : Their sinne we may pray against ; Yea , I will pray yet against their wickednesse ; but their nature , we must not wish evill unto it , wee may love the man and hate his sinne ; and howsoever it is a man a sinner that I hate and pray against , yet it is not qu● homo , as he is a man , but qua peccator , as he is a sinner . For here Saint Augustines rule is good , Omnis peccator , in quantum peccator , non es● diligendus ; no sinnefull person , as hee is sinnefull , is to be loved of us ; De Doctrin . Christian. lib. 1. cap. 27. The sinne even of our private enemy wee may hate and pray against , but for his nature , the man himselfe , we must be so farre from hating him , that we must love him , and we must be so farre from wishing him evill , that we must bee ready to doe him all the good we can , as our Saviour commanded in his Sermon upon the Mount , Mat. 5. 44. and the blessed Apostle injoyneth Rom. 12. 14. 20. These are our private enemies . But if our enemies be publike , that is , if they be not onely our enemies , but the enemies of God and his Church , the enemies of the truth of God , and of the Religion in the Church , then wee may curse them in the name of the Lord , and pray against them , according to the example of the Saints of God , but yet I pray you here take this Proviso . Those publike enemies of GOD and the Church are of two sorts , either they be incorrigible , and incurable : or they be curable , and such whereof ther● may be some good hope of amendment , where there is hope of repentance and amendment , we must not pray against such , but for such , wee must beg of God their conversion , as we see Christ prayed for his enemies upon the Crosse Father , forgive them , Luke 23. 34. and the Protomartyr Saint Stephen prayed for his enemies at the last gaspe , Lord , lay not this si● to their charge , Acts 7. 60. And so doth the Prophet David in divers Psalmes ; in one hee saith , Fill their faces with shame , O Lord , that they may seeke thy name , he prayes that God would let them come to a sight of their sinne , and be ashamed thereat , and so be driven to seeke unto God for mercy ; and in another 〈◊〉 he saith , Let their Iudges be everthrowne in stony places , that they may heare my words , for they are sweet ; hee prayes that God would send some fatherly chastisement and correction upon the chiefest of his enemies , that by the consideration of Gods Ro● displing of them , they may be made to hearken unto Gods Word obediently , and to relish it well in their palates . All this must be done , where there is any hope ; but where there is no hope left of amendment , when they are become obstinate and obdurate in sinne , desperate and incorrigible , when men are given up of God to a reprobate sense , as the Apostle saith , and to offend of meere malic●o●s wickednesse , as the Psalmist speaketh ; 〈◊〉 this case wee may pray against them , and be seech God to bring them to a speedy confusion and destruction , both for the ma●●festatio● of the Glory of his justice , and the deliveran● of his poore Church from their divellish ma● chinations . And such were these enemies spoken of in the Text , as shall appeare by the description , which is the second generall , and which wee are now by the helpe of GOD 〈◊〉 enter upon , Remember the Children of Edom , &c. There is in this Psalme mention made 〈◊〉 two sorts of enemies , the Children of Edom and the Daughter of Babylon . And I grant that the Text is principally meant of the Edomites and Babylonians which afflicted Ierusalem , or the Church of the Iewes then , in their sore captivity ; for to those dayes this Psalme hath reference : But yet , as I take it , it reacheth farther , and may very fitly be applyed even to all such as bandy themselves against the Church of God in any age , or at any time whatsoever . So that upon this reckoning , the Powder-Traytors , above twenty yeeres agoe , were these Edomites , and that scarlet Whore of Rome , was this Daughter of Babylon ; as both our Church signifies not obscurely in the first Collect of the Service for this day , having relation to this Psalme , and as I trust to make it plain unto you in my following discourse . For the better conceiving of this , take a distinction : There are three sorts of Children I meet withall in holy Writ . 1. Children by naturall generation . 2. Children by spirituall adoption . 3. Children by morall imitation . 1. By the naturall course of generation , so wee are the Children of our naturall parents which begat us . 2. By the grace of spirituall adoption , so the Elect and servants of GOD are called the Children of God. 3. By the likenesse of morall imitation , and that two wayes , either in good , or in evill ; in good , so the faithfull are said to be the Children of Abraham ; being followers of the faith of Abraham ; in evill , so the wicked miscreants of the world and enemies of the Church may be said to be the Children of Edom , being imitators of Edoms sinnes and wretched courses . Now there are two things in Edom , especially to be observed , wherein his posterity doe imitate him , and walke directly in his steps ; the first is carnality , the second is cruelty ; of both these in their order . For the first ; Edom which is Esau you know was a carnall man , a man al●gether addicted to his belly cheare , prefer●ing it to his Birth-right , for hee sould his Birth-right for a messe of Pottage ; and upon this the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes gives him the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a profane fellow , Heb. 12. 16. So these Children of Edom , they are a company of carnall men , little carefull of the maine , but altogether taken up with the profits and pleasures of this life . This is true whether wee understand it of Worldlings in generall , who are out of the Church , and so are enemies unto it , or of the Popish faction in particular , who , under the cloake and colour of the Church , doe persecute the Church and waste it extremely . As for Worldlings generally their carnality is too well knowne , they are just of the humour of the rich Glutton in the Gospell , to climbe to great wealth , and to be richly clad , and to fare deliciously every day , and to say to their soule , Soule , thou hast much goods laid up for many yeeres ; Ede , bibe , lud● , post mortem nulla voluptas , Eat , drinke , and take thy pastime . God fils their bellies with his hid treasure , and in these earthly things they hug themselves , little caring to enter into the heavenly Canaan , they plant themselves here , and set up their rest on this side the River , for they have their portion in this life ; whereas contrarily the Saints of God are Citizens of heaven , in this world they are but strangers and pilgrims . A●d this is the reason why the world hateth them , and why these carnall men of the wo●ld persecute them ; even because they are contrary unto them , because they are strangers to their sinfull courses . So saith our Saviour , If you were of the world , the world would love his own , but I have chosen you out of the world , therefore the world hateth you , Ioh. 15. 19. As touching the Popish faction , I meane those that addict themselves to the Pope and make it there onely study to hold up and inlarge the Sathanicall pompe and pride , the Sardanapalicall riot and luxury of that man of sinne and his rablement ; I say they are carnall and fleshly minded men . What other manner of persons I pray you were those , that had their hands ●oule in the gunpowder-treason ? I come not here to blazon their works , or to set ou● the story of their lives . This I am sure of , that the arch-Traytor Garnet , the Priest , was noted for an ambitious fellow , aiming at a Cardinals Hat , & such an one as did indulgere genio , love his belly too wel , & such an one as would oftē use to sacrifice to Bacchus , being very usually cup shotten ; yea , the very night before he was to be executed , ( mark the holines of this stramineous Saint ) the very night , I say , before his execution , hee was observed to be as drunke as a begger , and so sottish that hee could not speake a wise word , as the worthy Bishop of Salisbury relates it out of the mouth of faithfull witnesses in his Antilogia , written against Eudaemon Iohannes , the Grecian Bishop . The Religion of Popery , as it is most agreeable to the corrupt nature of man , so I verily thinke , there is not any religion in the world , except it be Mahometisme , the yonger sister to Papisme that gives more way to the flesh , and opens 2 greater gap to sensuality and carnality and all manner of licentiousnesse , than the Doctrine of Popery doth , as it is taught in these dayes . Witnesse first , their doctrine of dispensations , whereby they teach that the Pope hath power to dispence with the Word of God , and with every Co●mandement of the Law ; and not only with the Law , but with the Gospell too , and the Epistles of S. Paul. Now to what horrible loosenesse and lewdnesse of life doth this tend ! and what sinne is there , be it never so hainous , which a carnall man will not be encouraged to commit by this licentious doctrine ? incest , sodomy , adultery , perjury , rebellion , all these have bin dispensed with by the Popes holines ; there are such evident and apparent instancesto prove this , that it cannot be denied . Witnesse 2. their doctrine of Pardons and indulgences , which are impudent and shameles . Their taxa poenitentaria Apostolica , whereby impurity is granted to every sinner and pardon for every sin , be it never so grievous , so be that the party payeth according to the rate of absolution hee is taxed upon that score , shall stand as a sufficient witnesse against them in this point . Now is not this a doctrine of licentiousnesse ? when they make sinne but a money-matter , nay more , when for bowing the head , or saying over a short prayer , visiting a Church , creeping to a crosse , wearing a crucifixe , and the like , pardon may be purchased for sinnes without number , and that for yeeres without number . Witnesse thirdly , their doctrine of auricular confession , the practice whereof what a gap to uncleannesse it opened , Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople saw well , when he banished it out of his Church , as the Tripartite story sheweth , and Agrippa likewise testifieth , when hee cals it genus quoddam lenocinii , a Bawd to uncleannesse ; for that Priests and Friers , having hereby under pretence of Religion free accesse unto women , it falleth out many times that whose soules they should gaine to God , their bodies they do sacrifice to the divell . Witnesse fourthly , their doctrine of constrained chastity and prohibiting of marriage , which Saint Paul calls the doctrine of of Divels . Paphnutius a good Bishop saw well what cause of horrible impurity and 〈◊〉 it was like to be , and therefore hee very stoutly opposed the decree of constrained single life made in the Nicene Councell , and all the Fathers in that Councell , pondring his reasons , were willing to forgoe their owne and yeeld to his judgement , and so revoked the decree , as is plaine by the story . But Gregorius Magnus had a more full insight into this matter , when the heads of more than 6000. Infants were raked out of a pond before his face , which made him confesse his errour in tying Priests to a single life , and commend the Apostles advice , It is better to marry than to burne ; and hee added moreover , It is better to marry than to give occasion to such abominable murther . Witnesse fifthly , their doctrine of veniall sins , giving manifest occasion of liberty to the professors thereof . It is too plain it needs no proving . Witnesse sixthly , their doctrine of implicit faith and ignorance , which they call the mother of devotion , and debarring of the people from reading the holy Word of God. This cannot choose but bee occasion of great licentiousnesse ; for as Chrysostome ●aith well , Scripturarum ignoratio baereses peperit , vitam corruptam invexit , sursum & deorsum omnia miscuit , the ignorance of the Scriptures hath bred heresies , brought in corruption of life , and turned all things up side downe . What should I tell you of Rome it selfe , the holy mother of these holy doctrines ? In what place of the world is there more impiety , cruelty , atheisme , impurity , poysoning , treachery , and all manner of villany reigning , than in Rome under his Holinesse his nose ? Did not Mantuan one of their Poets say of old , Vrbs est jam tota lupanar ? Did not the smell of Romes filthinesse offend Saint Katharines nose , when she complained that in the Court of Rome , where should be a delicate paradise of vertues , shee found a stinke of hellish vices ? But you will say , this was in diebus illis , the times are now changed , and perhaps there is a change and reformation in Rome . No such matter , but rather worse ; did not D D. Redman , in the Booke of Martyrs , being demanded his judgement of Rome , say it was sentina malorum , the very sinke of all sinne ! The Trent Councell indeed did promise a reformation ; but after that was broke up , see how Claud. Espencaeus a Bishop of their own complaineth ; Al hope of reformation , saith hee , is taken away ; where under the Sun is greater licentiousnesse , cl●mour , impurity , I will not say madnesse and impudence , than in the City of Rome ? Such & so great , as none can beleeve , but hee which hath seen it , none can deny but he which hath not seen it . The Romanists quarrel with us , & complain much against the profanenes and uncleannesse of our Religion . But if the Whore of Babylon and her adherents had not brazen fore-heads , they would for shame cease to accuse us , and assume the aspersion upon themselves , being farre more guilty , and their Religion directly tending thereunto , as I trust I have sufficiently proved . And so from the carnality of these Edomites , I come to their cruelty , which is the second quality wherein they resemble their father . Of this ( God willing ) wee will speak two wayes : 1. generally . 2. in particular . In generall note but this : Edom , that is , Esa● was a cruell man , the Text saith , Hee tooke heart against his Brother Iacob and sought to kill him . As Edom dealt with Israel , so dealt the Edomites with the Israelites , we find they were alwaies bent against them , they bore thē a deadly grudge , and when they got an opportunity they would vent it . What cruell and bloody hearted men the whole race of the Edomites were , you may ghesse by that notorious butcher of Gods Priests Doeg the Edomit when hee had most malitiously accused the Priests for succouring David , and had brought them before Saul to be slaine , and Saul would have had his servants , his guard , to fall upon the Priests , and they refused to imbrue their hands in their innocent blood ; Doeg , like a dog , as hee was , turned and ranne upon the Priests , and slew the same day 85. persons that wore a linnen Ephod , and not content herewith , like a greedy dogge , that never could have enough , hee entred the City of the Priests , and smote it with the sword , and man and woman , and child , and suckling , and Oxe , and Asse , and Sheepe , hee spared none but put all to the Sword. Here was the right-tricke of an Edomite indeed . Note , saith Lyra , the exceeding great cruelty of this wretched fellow , in vastatione tot bonorum & in jugula●tione tot innocentium , which appeares in these two things , the spoyling of so much goods , and the slaughtering of so many innocents . But you will say , one particular proves not a generall . Was the whole Nation of the Idumaeans like this man ? were they of the same humour with him ? Iust of the very same humour , which you will most liberally grant , if you doe but read the prophecie of Obadiah ; when the Lord doth a-purpose reprove and threaten them for their blood-thirsty malice and malicious cruelty against his people , 〈◊〉 12. and so forth out . Now this is true not only of the Idumaeans , the sonnes of Edom in naturality , but it is true of all other Idumaeans , the enemies of Gods Church , which are the sonnes of Edom in morality ; whether they be meere Atheisticall worldlings , or wretched Antichristian Papists , they are a company of malicious , bloody , cruell hearted people against Gods servants . First , for the men of this world , how hard-hearted and cruelly fierce they have beene against the children of the Church , the stories of all ages doe most sufficiently witnesse ; but especially the holy Scriptures ; wherein by certaine resemblances of them to the most fierce and revengefull beaits and creatures that are , the holy Ghost would not obscurely lay open the malice and wrathfull cruelty of these men . Sometime they are called Bulls , Many young Buls are come about mee , fat Bulls of Basan close mee in ; sometime Lions , They came upon mee with open mouth , as it had beene a ramping and a roaring Lion ; sometime Dogges , Deliver my Darling from the power of the dogge ; sometime Bees , They came about mee like Bees ; sometime Scorpions , Now thy habitation is among Scorpions . All these are wrathfull , fierce , revengefull , cruell creatures . Such are the wicked of the world what should I tell you of the primitive time , and that firy tryall of Gods Saints under the most barbarous and bloody persecutions ? what rewards were proposed to them that could invent and devise the most uncouth and cruell torments ? and what tortures could either man or divell devise which were not put upon the faithfull Christians , who then in a manner dyed all most glorious witnesses of the truth , which they sealed with their blood . Some of them were racked , some were tryed by mockings and scourgings , by bond and imprisonment ; they were stoned , they were hewen a-sunder , they were slaine with the sword , &c. Heb. 11. 35. &c. There you have even a briefe map of these torments , which the miscreants of the world powred like haile-shot on the heads of Gods servants . Saint Gregory hath inlarged the bed-roll of these tortures , writing of the persecution under Nero , that wretched blood-hound , who as hee was fed with sops dipt in blood , being a child : so when hee became a man hee tooke a delight to wash his hands and imbrue his heart in the blood of GODS Saints . So cruell a wretch was hee , and so witty in cruelties , that it was the opinion of divers Christians then living , that Nero was that Antichrist , as Saint Augustine relates , lib. 20. de civitat . Dei , cap. 19. I cannot stand upon all particulars . Let it be enough that Tacitus writes of him , how that Quaesitissimis poenis affecit Christianos , hee did afflict the Christians with most exquisite and strangely-devised torments . That Author relates how that wretched Emperour would have Christians covered and sowed up in Beares skinnes , and the skins of other wilde beasts , and so expose them to be worried and eaten up of fierce and cruell Dogges . All the foure Elements are witnesses of his cruelty ; for the earth , hee made great deepe pits and holes in the earth , and would throw them downe head-long to perish there ; for the water , hee made divers be bound hands and feete and head altogether and cast into the Sea to be choaked there ; for the ayre , hee made diver be hung up a-loft in chaines to feede th● Birds of the ayre ; for the fire , hee made divers be tied to the stake , and tumbled others bound into the fire to burne to ashes ; not onely so , but hee was wont to take a great number of the bodies of Christians and make piles of them , and so set them on fire in u●um nocturni luminis , that they might serve as Beacons or Bone-fires to give light in the night time to common passengers . O savage cruelty ! I should but weary you quite to tell you of the cruelty of Domitian , whom Tertullian calls Neronis portionem , a limbe of Nero ; Eusebius , Neronis haeredem , Nero's heire in Savagenesse ; or of Maximinus who for his wonderfull cruelty some called another Cyciops , some Busiris , some Scyron , some Phalaris , some Tryphon or Gyges ; Neque enim erat ●rudelius animal in terris , saith Iulius Capitolinus ; or of Iulian the Apostata , Omnes qui praecesserunt impietate vincens , saith Chrysostome . NaZianZene cals him a mixture made up of Ieroboam , Ahab , Pharoah , and NabuchadneZZar , all famous for cruelty and impiety , or of the rest of that branne : men shall I call them ? I cannot , for they put off all humanity , but rather monsters of men and incarnate divels . I must referre you to the stories . But you may say these were Pagans , professed enemies to Christ and Christianity , and therefore no wonder , if they maligned Gods Children , and drave them from City to City , and hated them extremely , and persecuted them even unto death ; but wee hope there are none that call themselves Christians who are guilty of so great cruelty as you speak of : Yes , Beloved , I say it , and I will say it againe , that the Popish faction are as guilty of this cruelty against GODS Church , as the very Pagans were , and that Popish Rome is as thirsty of blood as ever Heat henish Rome was , and therefore in the Revelation shee is called that Scarlet whore which hath made her selfe drunke with the blood of GODS Saints . Because this matter will lye hard upon the Papists , among whom I verily think there are many honest men , that I may not doe them wrong , nor my speech wrongly interpreted , I pray you observe with me this distinction . There is great difference betwixt these two , the Church of Rome , and the Court of Rome , Those worthies and men of renowne , whom God stirred up to be reformers of the Church abused by Popelings , wee had them all from the Church of Rome , and I doubt not but that God , as in every age from Christs time hath had , so hee hath at this day like wise a true Church even in Rome it selfe , which groneth under the tyranny of the Man of sinne , and de●ireth a reformation , and seeketh it of GOD by prayer to make a purgation of his Church . Wee speake not of these , but wee speake of the Court of Rome , that is , the Hierarchie consisting of the Pope and his Cardinals and the rest of his shavelings , and professed votaries , which worship the Beast , and have taken the mark of the Beast in their foreheads . These I call the Popish faction , and these I can prove to be as deepely stained with the blood of the children of God , as ever heathenish Rome was . They call themselves indeed the Church , the onely Church , the Catholicke , the mother Church ; but I say they are not of the Church , nay , enemies to the Church , and that very Antichrist St. Paul speakes of was breeding in his time ; briefly , I say of them as our Church hath taught mee most pithily and truely , their faith is faction , their religion is rebellion , their practise is murthering both of soule & body . They murther the soules of those that depend upon them withtheir false & erroneous doctrin ; they murder the bodies of those that stand against them either by poyson , or by poynard , or by pistoll , or by powder , or by some other more cruell , t●echerous , and bloody practice : First , by poyson , witnesse Lopez , that stinking Iew , who was hired by the Popish faction to poyson Queene Elizabeth : but that tooke no effect , being discovered before it could be acted ; but the Monke that poysoned King Iohn in a wassayling Bowle at Swinsted Abby hit right upon it , and the Emperour that was poysoned in the Sacrament felt by woefull experience how cunning these men are in poyso●ing . Secondly , by poynards , witnesse the massacre in Paris , wherein the Protestants in most barbarous and beastly manner were stabbed , and in that abundance , that the very streets ranne with the blood that was shed on that dismall Bartholomewes Even ; and the two last Kings of France , that were stabbed both of them , the one by Clement , which deed was commended by the Pope for heroicke , and little in feriour to Christs incarnation , in a solemne panegyricke at Rome made in his praise ; the other by Ravilliacke , that forlorne wretch , can testifie unto the world how fruitfull their doctrine is in stabbing and killing , yea even of kings themselves . Thirdly , by pistoll , witnesse that pistoll that was provided to make Queene Elizabeth away , and though the traytor fail'd in the performance , yet the malice of the adversary was never the lesse ; witnesse that bloody Minerius , that set a yong man of Merindol against a tree , and made him be shot through with harquebushes . Witnesse that pistoll that was discharged in the brest of that worthy Admirall of France , of who it was said , BARTH O L O MEVS FLET Q VIA GALLICV S O CCVBAT AT LAS , the numerall letters of which verse make up the number of 1572. the yeere of the bloody massacre of Protestants in France . Lastly witnes●e , that late attempt at the court upon the Minister of Tichfield , a French man borne , and an able Scholar , who was shot at as hee was walking in his garden with a pistoll , but was preserved by GODS most mercifull and immediate providence . All these shew since the blacke Monke invented this deadly instrument , that they have beene very much delighted with his invention to worke their bloody feates . Fourthly , by powder , witnesse that barbarous and bloody intended massacre in the Gunpowder Treason , a Treason that cannot be named without horrour , nor thought upon without astonishment ; no age in the world affording a paralell and like example of such savage cruelty . Let some rotten-hearted runnagates from us score us up in their bookes for Schismaticke and puritanPreachers , for exaggerating and setting out the heinousnesse of that divellish Treason , yet wee will not leave to speake against it , yea to cry and thunder against it , being , as his sacred Majesty that last lived hath rightly observed , not onely a crying sinne of blood , but a roaring and a thundring sinne of fire and brimstone . And as wee will not cease to exaggerate their vill●ny , so neither will we cease to extoll Gods mercy , who is the keeper of our Israel , and never slumbers nor sleepes , but is alwaies ready at hand to shend and defend his people whom ●ee hath set his love upon , even for his owne mercy and goodnesse sake , howsoever wee by reason of our rebellions against him have des●rved the contrary . And therefore let us ever confesse and say , as our Church ●●th taught us ; From this unnat●rall conspiracy ( O Lord ) not our merit but thy mercy , not our foresight but thy providence hath delivered us , not our love to thee , but thy love to thine annointed servant and thy poore Church with whom thou hast promised to be present to the end of the world . And therefore not unto us , ô Lord , not unto us , but to thy name be ascribed all honour and glory in all the Churches of the Saints throug●out all generations . And ever loved and blessed be Gods mercifull patience and providence , that hath not given us over as a prey unto their teeth . Our soule is escaped , even as a Bird out of the sna●e of the Fowler , the snare is broken and wee are delivered . Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord , which made heaven and earth , from this time forth for evermore . Now that I have named the Powder-plot , the top of all treason and quinte●sence of all cruelty , mee thinkes I should need to say no more of the cruelty of these ●●umaeans ; but because I have promised to make you acquainted with other bloody , cruell , malicious , and violent practises of the Popish faction , I must be as good as my word ; and I thinke indeed I owe this service both to Christ and his Church , to discover , as much as in mee lyeth , the tyranny of Antichrist , and the malice of the malignant Church , which hath terribly ●aged in this Land , and doth yet fearefully reigne in divers quarters of the world . But here , where shall I begin ? abroad or at home ? with forreine or domesticke examples ? with the Pope or popelings ? the head or his members ? If you will with the Pope himselfe , because hee loves to have the preheminence , hee shall have it in pride and cruelty . To give you ● taste of the spirit that ruleth in this holy father : what shall wee say of him that made the noble Prince Dandalus to be tyed by the ●eck with a chain , and to lye flat under his ta●le there to gnaw bones like a dogge ? such a ●yrant was Pope Clement the sixth , as Sabel●icus writeth , inclemens Clemens ! in name gentle , in nature cruell , Clement by an anti●●rasis ; what shall wee say of him that ●roudly and contemptuously trode Frederick the Emperour under his feet , applying that ●erse of the Psalme to himselfe , Thou shalt go ●pon the Lion and the Dragon , the young Li●● and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy ●et ? such a tyrant was Alexander the third , what shall we say of him that armed and ani●ated the sonne against the father , causing him to be taken , and to be cruelly famished to death , contrary to the law of God and of nature too ? Such a tyrant was Pope Paschalis the second , what shall wee say of him that made Henry the emperour with his wife and child stand at his gates in the rough winter , bare foot , and bare legge , eating nothing from morning to night , and that for three dayes together ? Such a tyrant was Pope Hildebrand , that brand of hell , if wee shall so terme him as hee hath best deserved , what shall wee say of him , that having his enemy delivered into his hands , caused him first to be stripped starke naked , his beard to be shaven in disgrace , and to be hanged up by the haire of his head , then to be set upon an asse with his face backward to the tayle , to be carried round about the city in despite , to be miserably beaten with rods , and at last to be thrust and banished out of his country for ever ? Such a tyrant was Pope Iohn the foureteenth of that name . To come from the head of the faction to his members ; was not that a bloody practise of Minerius against the poore Merindolians about the beginning of the reformation , when hee made a number of their innocent infants to be mu●hered like another Herod , and cut off the paps or nipples of women that had sucking children , by that means to destroy both the women & the fruit of their wombe , as you shall read in the history of the Waldenses & the poore men of Lions . In which story I read likewise of another blood-hound , one Iohannes de Roma , a Monk ; whose cōmon and ordinary practise was to take the profe●sors of the Gospell , and fill bootes full of boyling grease , and put in the feet and leg● of Gods Saints in them , and binde them to a forme , and fet a soft fire under them , and so to examine them about their faith , sitting in most grievous torments , and afterwards cruelly to put them to death . What should I tell you of the barbarous cruelty of papists against the poore people of India ? Bartholomaeus à Casa , one of their owne side hath related the story and the manner of it , which shall remain as a blot upon them for ever . They say they have converted that people , I say , they have killed more than they have converted . I might likewise discourse and tell you of the Spanish Inquisition , the common blockehouse of popery ; it was set up first to take Iewes , now it is used to ensnare Christians ; and 〈◊〉 snare , it holds fast , there is no mercy in it , it will not let goe without blood , hee that is taken in it , twenty to one hee shall never escape , but pine and perish with lingring torments , that 's just the nature of it . But to leave forreine stories and instances , and come neerer home . I could tell you long stories of the mercilesse racking and torturing of mistris Anne Askew , the barbarous burning of the hand of Thomas Thomkins , the drawing of an arrow through the fingers of Cuthbert Simpson fast tyed together , so that the blood sprang out againe . the feeding of Edw. Freese and others with manchet made of saw-dust , the displing of Gods saints by bloody Bonner in his garden at Fulham in such pitteous manner , that his servant that assisted him was faine to turne away his eyes , shaming at his cruelty ; his bloody butchering of the servants of God meerely in the matter of religion . But I must not trouble you with long stories now , I referre you to the faithfull relation of M. Foxe in his Acts and Monuments , which shal stand as a monument of popish tyrannicall and barbarous cruelty to al generations . And although I know there are some of the Romishrout , that call them Foxe his saints , and that call his story a Legend of lyes , yet they that know the temper of those men , know also well enough frō what humour these words proceed , which being spoken out of spleene and spite , doe not impeach the truth of the story , but 〈◊〉 cover the malice of their hearts against a leaur c●and painefull scholar , who hath not only collected things together , but confirmed his collections with such sufficient proofes either of eye-witnesses , which saw the things done , or of publike records of courts wherein those matters were transacted , or of both ; that none of moderate and impartiall judgement can doubt of the truth of the stories or his faithfulnesse in relating of them . Now there you shall finde , I say , how that in those Marian dayes none were spared that opposed the pride and tyranny of the popish bishop , of what condition or age soever they were , but all went to the pot , learned and unlearned , men and women , old and young , boyes and girles , clergy and laity , bishops and arch-bishops . Some of the martyrs they scourged with rods , some they pulled their tongues out of their heads , nay their hearts out of their bodies , some they racked and tortured , some they hanged , some they beheaded , some they burned , and that with a soft and lingring fire to prolong their pain● ; nay , I will tell you one thing more , they tooke a yong infant springing out of the mothers belly as she was at the stake burning , they 〈◊〉 it I say and threw it into the fire to bu●orr●ith the mother ; was there ever such cruelty heard of as this ? Neither hath their cruelty stayed here to exercise it selfe upon them that were alive , but their bloody practises have proceeded further to wreake themselves upon the bodies of the d●ad Saints which lay in their graves in peace . These they have digged out of their graves where they lay in christian buriall , and buried them in dunghils , others they have digged out of their graves , being quite rotten and nothing remaining but bones and dust , and have cited them to appeare before judges , have set upon them judicially , condemned them of here●ie , and so cast them into the fire to be burned ; was there e●er such cruelty heard of even among the heathen tyrants and pagan persecutors ? I have stood the longer upon these cruell practises of Papists for these reasons : 1. Because I thought it was my duty and a service that I owe to the Church of Christ to lay open the damnable practises and plots of Antichrist , that hee hath to keepe himselfe up in the fellowes of his company in the colledge , being to travell abroad , Commendo vos dilectioni Dei & odio papatus , I commend you all to the love of God and the hatred of popery . And let us learne further as our church hath taught us , to pray against these blood-thirsty and divellish men , that God would be pleased to protect us from their rage , and to scatter these our cruell enemies that delight in blood , to infatuate their counsels , and confound their devices , and to root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect , which say of Ierusalem , Downe with it , Downe with it , even to the ground . And let every true-hearted Englishman say , Amen . This shall suffice to be spoken in generall of the cruelty of these Idumaeans . Now I come to speak of their cruelty more particularly . In which discourse divers things will reflect upon our selves by way of edefication , to teach us some profitable lessons , and many things will reflect upon papists by way of detestation and utter condemnation of their wretched courses . The particulars of the Edomites cruelty appeare in these three points : First , in conspiring with other enemies of the church in evill . Secondly , in egging and incouraging of their con●ederates in evill . 3. In rejoycing themselves and taking a delight in evill . Their conspiring appeares , in that they joyned themselves with the Babylonians ; their ●ncouraging of their confederates appeares in this , that they stand by the Babylonians in laying of Ierusalem waste , and , in hatred of the church , clapt them on the backe to goe thoroughly to worke ; their rej●y●ing in evill , appeares in their wretched and bloody cry , Downe with it , Downe with it , even to the ground . Of these particulars wee will now ( cum Deo ) speake distinctly , and make some application to the time , as occasion shall be offered : and first of their confederacy and conspiration . The Edomites bore alwaies a deadly hatred and spite against the true Israel of GOD. That is plaine by the whole tenour of the Scripture of the Old Testament ; but their might was not answerable to their malice , and therefore being not strong enough of themselves to wrong ●ods people , it was their usuall mannerto bandy themselves with the B●bylonians and other enemies of the Church , ●nd to joyne their forces together to infest ●ods children . Hence I gather this short note : The wicked are ready to joyne hand in hand to vexe the Church and to effect wicked matters : Herod and Pilate will be made friends together , if Christ be to be crucified . The text saith expressely , they were enemies before , but they will joyne in this , hand in hand they goe to the effecting of this cruell project . Looke into Psal. 83. 〈◊〉 3. & seq . and you shall finde a full proofe of this . They have taken crafty counsell against thy people , and consulted against thy secret ones , they have said , Come and let us cut them off , that they be no more a people , nor that the name of Israel be no more in remembrance ; they have consul●ed toge●her in heart , and have made a league against thee . Marke what agreement here is among wicked men , expressed by so many words of synonymall signification , they have taken ●raf●y counsell , they have consulted together , they have said come and let us cut them off , they have consulted in heart , they have made a league ; then comes in the whole rout and bed-roll of these e●●mies in the next verse , The Ta●erna●●●● of th● Ed●mites , and the 〈◊〉 ( and marke that the Ed●mites march in the first ranke ) the Moabites and the Hagarens ; Gebal and Ammon , &c. And was it not even thus with our Edomites , the Popish conspirators ? they bore a malignant and heavy grudge against our Church ; but God made the illwil'd cow to have short hornes , they knew their power was not answerable to their purpose ; and therefore they goe craftily to work and consult in heart against us , and make a league with our forreine adversaries , Geball and Ammon and Amalecke , to afford their helping hand to our overthrow . For did not Garnet write a letter to the Pope of Rome , to acquaint him with the treason , & to obtain his blessing ? and was not the leigier Iesuite in the low Countryes possessed with it , to provide as many horse & as much munition as those parts would gather ? and was not the Spaniard ready to helpe the English Catholikes at a call , and to joyne with them to have laid this land desolate , who protested hee loved the Papists of England as dea●ely as hee did his owne Castillians ? So that upon the point looke what aide either of men or munition , the Pope or Spaine could have made ; their so dearely loved catholikes , I had almost said , subjects here in England should not have wanted , to have disturbed the quiet of our Church , and to have ruinated our Common-wealth . The matter is plaine , all these were ready to assemble themselves together , like so many crowes , to picke out the eyes of GODS faithfull servants . If you desire any reasons of this conclusion why the wicked doe thus joyne together so unanimously in mischievous practices , you may take notice briefly , if you will , of these three : 1. Is because they are swayed with one head , that is , the divell ; and that makes them so joyntly conspire in evill . For as Gods spirit worketh unity and unanimity in good things in the children of the church , so there is the like contrary working by the divell in the children of disobedience . Their nature is the same all dre●cht in iniqu●ty ; and similitude of nature breeds similitude of affection . 3. They know well enough that if they should be divided they were not able to stand , and therefore in meere policie they cling like burres and sticke together . The use of this point is , first for confutation of our adversaries the Papists in a matter of doctrine about the Church ; for they make consent and unity forsooth a note of the true Church of CHRIST . To which I could say much , but for this time I will say but one thing with Saint Augustine , Vt est ecclesia Dei una , si● est Diaboli una Babylon , as there is unity in the Church of Christ , so there is unity in the church of Antichrist ; and therefore I say that unity barely and absolutely considered without the truth of doctrine cannot be a right distinctive note and infallible mark of the Church . For what greater agreement and consent is there than among theeves and robbers ? Come , say they , cast in thy lot among us , wee will all have but one purse , Pro. 1. 14. So likewise among the Turks & Mahometans there is great consent and agreement insomuch that their sect and profession is by thē far and neere propagated ; and yet it will not hereupon follow that Mahometisme is the true Church . No more will the Papists plea hold , that because there is great unity and consent among them ( although I am able to shew the contrary ) yet suppose it were so , I say , their plea will not hold that they are the true church because of their unity ; if I may call it properly unity and not rather a conspiracy . For ( as I remember ) that worthy learned Lady Ian● Gray , wrote exceeding truely and discreetly to the same purpose , Agreement among wicked men is not unity but conspiracie ; and thereupon alledgeth that excellent position of Cicero in his Booke of amity , Ami●itia non est nisi inter bonos , that there can be no true unity but among good men . The second use then of this is for exhortation unto us , beloved , to joyne hearts and ●ands together for the upholding of the truth ●nd the effecting of good things , that so wee may hold the unity of the spirit in the bond of 〈◊〉 , as the Apostle counselleth . If the ene●ies of the Church combine and conspire the 〈◊〉 of the Church , as David saith , Psal. 2. ●●venerunt adversus Dominum : let us then ●ho are the Children of the Church concord 〈◊〉 conjoyne our selves for the good of it ; if ●he children of this world agree so well in 〈◊〉 , it is a shame for us not to agree in good ●●ings . Truely there can be but small com●●rt and contentment in the life of Christians without concord and unity ; remember what David saith in the Psalmes , Ecce quam bo●●● , for brethren to dwell together in unity ; ●●d remember what Silurus said to his sonnes upon his death bed , Si ●rit is inseparabiles , eritis insuperabiles . The third and last use of this I will make is a word of instruction , as the enemies of the Church are ready to conjoyne themselves , so let us labour to disjoyne them . This is good policie , joyned with piety and godly prudencie , even to labour I say as much as wee can to dissever and dissipate their councels and forces , and to set the parties themselves at oddes , and by the eares together , if it be possible : Mistake mee not I would not have Christians to be sowers of dissention ; but i● it may stand with the glory of God and the good of the Church , it is lawfull to set the wicked at oddes one with another by lawful● meanes . I am sure this is a stratageme i● worldly warre , and I doubt not but it may be practised in christian warfare . This piece of policy Saint Paul used , as wee read A 〈◊〉 ●3 . For standing in the councell and perce●ving that the one part were Pharisees and th● other Sadduces , hee cryed out straight , M●● and brethren , I am a Pharisee , the sonne of ● Pharisee , &c. and by this meanes Paul w●● delivered at that time from the rage of his enemies , by setting the wicked together by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and Master Beza's note upon it is , that this may very well be done , if it breed no pre●udice to the truth of God. So of their conf●deracy . Now come to the ●●couraging of their confederates in evill , they joyne themselves with the Baby lonians , they clap them on the backe , they applaud them in ●their cruelty , they helpe what in them lyeth to ●idde sorrow to sorrow ●pon Ierusalem , to ●idde cruelty to cruelty in the Babylonians ; ●●en as when a dog is set upon a poore sheepe , ●●nd you should have some standing by to clap ●heir hands to make the dogge goe on more ●agerly ; even thus dealt these Idumaeans at ●●is time . The children of God were the poore ●heepe , the Babylonians were the dogges set 〈◊〉 worry them , the children of Edom in the ●eane time clap their hands to make them the ●ore eager and fierce in their cruell practises . ●ut alas ! what had these poore sheepe deser●ed that they should be thus untowardly used ●y the Edomites ? was not Edom Iacobs bro●her ? were not the Edomites neere a-kinne to ●he Israelites ? That they should suffer such ●●ings of the Babylonians , meere strangers ●nto them , it was no wonder ; but that they ●●ould suffer such indignity from their owne brethren and kindred , to be so vexed by them , of whom they should have been kindly used in all reason , this is a wonderfull thing , Yet wee see it is so ; the note therefore must be this Neither affinity nor neerenesse of kinne nor any bond of loue can quench that hatred which the enemies of the church beare unto it . Was not Caine Abels brother ? and yet hee rose up villanously and murdered his owne brother ; and why did hee murder him ? but because his owne workes were evill , and his brothers good . In the booke of Iudges wee finde the people of God lye open to the insults of many enemies . One time , Iudg. 6. 3. wee finde in confederacy to vexe Israel the Midianites , the Amalekites , and the children of 〈◊〉 East ; they came upon them , eve● they ; as our last translation reads it , with a● emphasis . What ? the Midianites , and the Amalakites , and the children of the East ? This is strange that they should set upon Israel for they were cousins and came all of 〈◊〉 stocke : for the Israel●tes they came of Abraham by his wife Sarah , and the Midianites came of the same Abraham by his wi●● Keturah , Gen. 25. 2. they were of the sam● blood then : further , they were linked by ma●riage , for Moses tooke a woman of Midian to wife : thus were the Midianites a kinne and allied to Israel , and so were the Amalekites too ; for the Israelites came of Iacob . and the Amalekites came of Esa● , Gen. 36. 12. they were brothers children ; and for the children of the East , it is cleare they were Abrahams sonnes begotten on his Concubines , to whom hee gave gifts and sent them into the East country , Gen. 25. 6. So then it is evident by these genealogies that these people all of them were a-kinne to Israel , and yet they vex and molest , persecute and purs●e with deadly hatred . What can be the reason of it , but the diversity , yea contrariety of their religions ? There is no hatred to that which is conceived against the true religion , it drives deepe , it is implacable ▪ no linke of love nor bond of friendship , nor neernesse of blood can quench it . That was our Doctrine . The use hereof shall be a word of monition to us , not to trust the enemies of religion , though they be never so neere linked unto us , for as the Prophet speaketh , Mic. 7. 4. The best of them is but as a bryer , the most ●pright sharper than a thorny hedge . Can Antichrist beare any love to Christ ? can the limbes of Antichrist affect the members of Christ ? nay they hate us with an inveterate and deadly hatred ; so that if wee should give our daughters to them , or take their daughters to us , yet wee have still reason to suspect and feare them ; for they would be the first , if they had opportunity , to leape upon us and cut our throates . Will you heare one of their owne Doctors speake his minde freely ? Fideles Anglicani excusandi s●nt , &c. The Papists of England are to be excused that they doe not raise up war against their King , to exempt themselves from the bondage of hereticall superiours , quoniam communiter non habent facult at em ad hec bella gerenda , because forsooth they have not meanes to maintaine this warre and to make their party good . And GOD be thanked for that , that their meanes is not an●werable to their minde ; but here wee see plainely what the King and wee all of us might looke for at their hands , if they had long hornes to push at us , if they were not curb'd and kept under by the conscience of their owne weakenesse , and the terrour of the law against rebels . This gentle man that wrote this excuse for the English Papists is Bannes , a schoole-Iesuite , in Thom. 2. 2. qu. 12. art . And to come neerer the point yet ; was it not thus in the Gunpowder-plot ? ( our happy deliverance from which wee celebrate this day ) For when there was some of the Traitors that made this scruple of conscience to Garnet the arch-traytor and the rest of his fellow-Iehusites , that in the Parliament house there would be many of their friends and kindred , yea divers of their owne profession , deepe Catholikes , and that they thought it a very hard thing to wrap them in the common overthrow and to blow up them with the rest , and thereupon began a little to shrinke backe ; it was resolved presently by those tender-hearted fathers , the Iesuites , that they were not to sticke at these things , but for the promoving of the catholike cause they might ●tterly destroy all , yea even their owne catholike friends and acquaintance without exception . These few words that I have spoken are sufficient unto you that are wise ; I pray you let mee round you in your eares that have any popish kindred , if there be any such here present , take mine advise , Rely not , trust not too much unto them : for let them be never so firme unto you , let there be never so many linkes and tyes betwixt you ; yet one Bull from the Pope or one little breath from a Iesui●●s mouth will snap all these bands asunder presently . The second use of this shall be an instruction to teach us to make much of our spirituall kindred , those I meane that are of the same religion with us . The old Saxons , our ancestours , called religion Yane-fastnesse , the o●ely fastnesse , the onely thing that maketh fast friends , and they that are firmely joyned unto us in the truth of Religion , they will not forsake us , wee may be sure of that , they will be our firmest friends in all our necessitie ; . So of the second particular of Edomites cruelty ; there remaines now onely the third behind , and that is their exultation and rejoycing in evill , which is expressed by their insulting noyse and cry , Downe with it , Downe with it , even to the ground . This was the day of Ierusalem , that is , the day of her captivity and calamity , wherein the Babylonians laid waste her dwellings and destroyed her walls even to the foundation ; the Edomites seeing her fall , they had that they looked for , they liked it well , they insulted over her and rejoyced in her ruine , the observation is shortly this . It is the property of wicked men to rejoyce in evill . This property is expressely set downe by the wise man in the description of the wicked man , Prov. 2. 14. Which rejoyce in doing evill : and in another place , hee saith , that he casteth abroad firebrands and deadly weapons , and saith , am I not in sport ? Loe , hee makes it but a sport and pastime to doe evill to others , Et si non aliquà nocuisset mortuus esset there is nothing more vexes and troubles him at the heart , than when hee cannot bring his wicked projects about to mischiefe others . The Prophet David had good experience of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his malicious adversaries ; for to say nothing of that , where hee complaines that the drunkards made ballads and songs upon him , making themselves merry with his misery , even as they were tipling and sitting over their cups , or of that where hee sayes that it pleased them exceedingly , if they did but heare of those hurts that had befaine him , crying out , So , so , there goes the game ; if you will but looke Psal. 35. there you have a full proofe of this , there you shall finde both their practises against him , and his prayers against them , and in both these a most ample description of this evill quality in wicked men wee now speake of ; their practises against him , first verse 15 , 16. In my adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves , &c. Then verse 21. They gaped upon mee , &c. his prayer against them first , verse 19. Let not them that are mine enemies rejoyce over mee , then verse 24 , 25 , 26. Let them not rejoyce over me , let them not say in their hearts , there there , so would wee have it , let them be confounded and put to shame together that rejoyce at my hurt . Thi● is plaine . I have read of Nero , that bloody and barbarous tyrant that hee commanded Rome to be set on fire , and while the smoke ascended , and the houses burned , hee gate him up to the top of his palace , to looke upon it and laugh at it , and taking a fiddle , minstrell as hee was , plaid upon it and sung all the while Rome was a burning the destruction of T●●y . Here was a lively type of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed . And because I have mentioned that story , give mee leave to proceede a little further in it , because it makes for our purpose . Assoone as Nero had made Rome thus to be burnt , the blame was presently laid upon the Christians , that they by trechery had fired the City ; even as the Powder-traytors had resolved , if the treason had taken effect , to lay all the blame on the Puritans , that they had by treachery blowne up the Parliament house ; but that by the way ; when Nero ● I say● had caused this 〈…〉 bee spread against the Christians , and this rumour was growne into a common opinion , and this opinion became an undoubted perswasion that it was just so as Nero had bruted it abroad , then imagine you , what deaths were devised , what tortures threatned , what cruelties practised upon the bodies of the poore innocent christians ; and this blood sucking tyrant and their mercilesse tormentors , not content to put them to death with all manner of cruelty that the divell could invent , they did mocke and flout them in their death , and made themselves merry with their destruction , for so much sound the words of Cornel. Tacitus ; Pereuntibus addita ludibria . But you will say Nero was a damned wretch a monster of men , and those his instruments you speake of were all pagans and infidels out of the Church , without God , and therfore no wonder if they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like their father the divell re●oycing in evill , but can the divellish affection once enter into the hearts of any that call themselves christians ? peradventure thereare none suchamong them . Are there none such ? I wish I could say so , but I cannot , I must tel you that there are such men , as delight in evill even among christians . First , let vs looke over into France , & there we shall finde under Charles 9. there were slaine 30000. protestants all at once , and that not in battell , but in treachery under pretence of friendship , shadowed by the marriage of the kings sister to aprotestant prince . And when Gregory 13. Pope heard of this ●amous exploit , he caused the like joy to be shewed in his City , the guns to be shot off frō his castle S. Angelo , the masse to be sung in honor of this noble deed in S. Lucies church , a French Saint . This was rejoy●ing in evill , was it not ? Let me now take you by the hand & lead you out of France into Ireland , there you shall find N. Sanders the 〈…〉 consecrated banner displayed in the field , stirring up rebellion , and animating the rebels in their trecherous and violent courses . Nay , there wee read that when Io. Desmond , a popish traytor , had murthered one Henry Davil an English gentleman most dastardly in his bed , as a taste of his faith and obedience to the Pope , and his forwardnesse in the Catholike cause , as he cal'd it ; howsoever there were some even of the rebels that condemned this desperate and bloody attempt , yet doctor Sanders cōmended the action , applauded the actor for a couragious Catholike , & told him that therin questionles he had off er●d up a sweet smelling sacrifice unto Almighty God. Good Lord ! what a wretched and abominable part was this ? when an ungracious bloody fellow shall kill a man in his bed most barbarously , and yet that Sanders , the Popes legat should pronounce this thi●g to be a sweet sacrifice to God , this pas●eth all imagination . Can any either practise these things or commend these practises of blood , but they must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ? But to lead you out of these forreine count●ies and to bring you over into our owne native soyle , can wee pronounceany other of the pop●sh faction in the Gunpowder-t●eason ? The Lord sayes of Edom that hee should not have looked upon the affliction of his brother in the day of his misery , Obad. verse 12. but they did looke upon it and laughed at it , and cryed to their confederates , Downe with it , downe with it , even to the ground . And were there not some of the popish faction set upon the hill betwixt Kingstone and London , where they might have a full prospect of West minster and the Parliament house , expecting for that dismall desolation intended , and longing to heare the terrible blow given , saying no doubt in their hearts not , Downe with it , Downe with it , even to the ground , but Blow them up , up with them even to the clouds . Nay , and when Guido Faux , the party appointed to give fire to the powder , was apprehended and examined , and asked if hee was not sorry and repented himselfe of his bloody , designe , answered with a bold heart and brazen face , that hee was sorry for nothing more in all his life , than for that the designe tooke so ill effect , and repented himselfe that hee had not set fire on the powder when hee was caught , that he might have done some mischiefe at least upon himselfe and his apprehenders . By all which it is more then plaine to be seene how the Popish faction jumpe directly with the children of Edom in all points of carnality and cruelty , and especially in this their rejoicing in evill . Here is onely the difference betwixt them . The Edomites saw the ruine and desolation of jerusalem and rejoyced over it ; but the Papists did not see the ruine and desolation of our Church but onely in hope and expectation , that they might have rejoiced over us . But their hopes were dasht , and their expectation frustrate , and their joy was turned into shame and confusion of face , as appeareth this day ; and all by the mercifull patience and providence of the Lord the keeper of our Israel , who never slumbers nor sleeps , but watcheth overus for our good to save our King , and defend our state , to direct his Church , and deliver his poore servants from all the divelish machination of our implacable enemies . And therefore not unto us , not unto us , but to his glorious name be ascribed the praise of our deliverance . And the Lord make us truly thankefull for this most miraculous deliverance , to remember it our selves , and to be whetting of it upon our posterity , that all true English hearted Christians may learne to praise the Lord God of Israel for ever . And pray wee once more , that God of his mercy , and not for our merits , for his owne goodnesse sake , and not for any goodnesse that is in us , he would be pleased to scatter our cruell enemies which delight in blood , to infatuate their counsells , and to root out that Babylonish and * Antichristian sect which say of Ierusalem , Downe with it , downe with it even to the ground . And beseech wee him of his mercifull goodnesse to protect and prosper our soveraigne Lord and King in all his godly intendments , to blesse the Church with the pure and incorrupt doctrine of his holy word and with faithfull Pastours after his owne heart , to maintaine the whole State and realme in peace and prosperity , that with our heart and mo●th wee may praise his holy name and sing joyfully , that his mercifull kindnesse is ever more and more towards us , and that the truth of the Lord endureth for ever , through j●sus Christ our only Saviour and rede●●er . Amen , and againe I say Amen . Hallelu_jah , Praise ●ee the Lord , and sing the 148. Psalme , or Psal. 7. beginning at the 15. verse . BEhold , though he in travell bee , of his divellish forecast , And of his mischiefe once conceiv'd , yet brings forth nought at last . Hee diggs a ditch and delves it deepe , in hope to hurt his brother ; But hee shall fall into the pit , that he dig'd up for other . Thus wrong returneth to the hurt of him in whom it bred ; And all the mischiefe , that he wrought shall fall upon his head . I will giue thankes to God therefore , that judgeth righteously ; And with my songs will praise the name of him that is most high . The 124. Psalme , paraphrastically applied to the Papists Powder-plot , fitted to one of the familiar tunes of Davids Psalmes for the 5. of November . IF great Iehovah had not stood propitious on our side , May England say most thankefully , and been our guard and guide : If heavens Almighty-Lord Himselfe , had not our cause maintain'd , When men , yea most blood-thirsty men our downefall had ordain'd . Then had their Antichristian rage and Hellish policy , Devoured us with greedy jawes and swallowed suddainely . Then , like huge overflowing floods with furious inundation , They , all our soules o'rewhelmed had , and drown'd in desolation . Our royall King and Queene and Prince , and princely Progeny , Our prudent Counsellors of State and prime Nobility : Our learned I●dges , Bishops grave , best commons of this Land , In Parliament , by powder fierce , had perish'd out of hand . Romes raging streames with roaring noise , and popish cruelty , Had all , at once , engulft our soules , in matchlesse misery : But , great Iehovah just and good , thy name we praise and blesse ; Who onely sav'dst us from the power of Romish wickednesse . For , as a Bird out of the snare , by furious Fowlers made , Doth safely scape : Even so our soules securely did evade ; Their net was broke , themselves were caught our God that ne're doth sleepe , In heaven did sit , and see , and smile , and us in safety keepe . This was the Lords most worthy worke , this was the Lords owne ●act ; And 't is most wondrous to behold this great and glorious Act. This is the j●yfull day indeed , Which God for us hath wrought , Let us be glad and joy therein , in Word , in Deed , in Thought . O let us never make a● end to magnifie Gods name , To blesse the Lord our Staffe and Stay to sound abroad his fame : To tell to all Posterity what wonders God hath wrought , To save us from the woes which Rome hath oft against vs sought . All glory ( then ) to God on high , let Men and Angels sing ; Let Heaven and Earth and all therein , give glory to heavens King : And sing and say with heart and voyce , all honour , laud , and praise , To God , who makes us , thus , rejoyce ; So be it , Lord , alwayes . I. V. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A14381-e440 a 〈…〉 b Veritas odium 〈◊〉 Terent. c Bede is an old Saxon word and signifies , praying so that , Bedeman in the language of our Ancestours is a Praying man , or a man addicted to prayer . d Nobilitas sola estatque vnica virtus . Notes for div A14381-e770 Novem. Praeloq●● D. D. 〈◊〉 D. D. C● D D. Co●k M. Dunster . Mr. Bolt● 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . Interpretatio . Quaestio . Subject●● . Fabritius Talibus n●minibus c●●venientissi mè sigura●tur verita● inimici . Id● m● ae ● quipp● interpreta●tur velsa●●uinei vel t●reni . A●● in Psal. 8 And agai● Interpretatur Edom sanguis ; 〈◊〉 & pumcè Edom dicitu● August . in Psal. 136. D D. Ab●o● D D. Bear II. 1. Sam. 2 18. tus homo Doecb , ●genus 〈◊〉 Doech . ●lugust . in ●al . 51. Homili●s . 〈…〉 ● D. Whi●ak . ●itio . ● D ●ak . preta● Observatio Mr. B. Probatio . Ratia . Appli● . Confutati● . Ad●ortati● . ●nstructio . Interpretat . Observatio . Mr. B. Probatio . Applic. Mo●itio . 〈◊〉 . 〈…〉 . DD. C●● ton late I shop of Chiches●● Concl● 〈◊〉 
A42060	----	The religious villain a sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sr. Robert Clayton, Kt., lord mayor of London, and the Court of Aldermen, upon the fifth day of November, 1679, being the anniversary day of thanksgiving for the deliverance of our church and nation from the hellish powder-treason, at St. Mary le Bow Church in London / by Francis Gregory ... Gregory, Francis, 1625?-1707. 1679 Approx. 59 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 22 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A42060 Wing G1903 ESTC R35710 15540080 ocm 15540080 103673 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A42060) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 103673) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1149:32) The religious villain a sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sr. Robert Clayton, Kt., lord mayor of London, and the Court of Aldermen, upon the fifth day of November, 1679, being the anniversary day of thanksgiving for the deliverance of our church and nation from the hellish powder-treason, at St. Mary le Bow Church in London / by Francis Gregory ... Gregory, Francis, 1625?-1707. [4], 39 p. Printed for Sam. Lee and Dan. Major ..., London : 1679. Imperfect: print show-through. Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library. Includes bibliographical references. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- N.T. -- John XVI, 2 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons. 2007-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-11 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2008-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE Religious Villain . A SERMON Preached before the Right Honourable S r. ROBERT CLAYTON , Kt. LORD MAYOR OF LONDON AND THE Court of Aldermen . Upon the Fifth day of November , 1679. being the Anniversary day of Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of our Church and Nation from the Hellish Powder-Treason , At St. Mary le Bow Church , in London . By FRANCIS GREGORY , D. D. And Rector of Hambleton in the County of Bucks , and late one of his Majesties Chaplaines in Ordinary . LONDON , Printed for Sam. Lee and Dan. Major , in Lumbard-street against the Post-House , and at the Hand and Scepter in Fleet-street ▪ 1679. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE S r. ROBERT CLAYTON Kt. And Lord Mayor of the City of London . My Lord , THis discourse , which was first designed for the only use of that little Village , wherein the Providence of God hath placed me , as Rector ; and your Lordship , as Patron ; hath lately had the Priviledge , through your Honours favour and Order , to be delivered in a City-Church , though with some disadvantageous Circumstances . For that Church being spacious , the occasion Solemn , and the Assembly not only very numerous , but much disturbed too , the inarticulate noise of many , through Catarrhes and Coughs , drowning the Voice of one ; the Preacher had the fate rather to be seen than heard ; and it so fell out , that the greater the Congregation was , the Auditory proved so much the less . Such , as had the luck to hear some part of this Sermon from the Pulpit , have importuned me to let them see the whole of it from the Press ; whose requests I should never have gratified , had I not some hopes , that a subject , so seasonable for this Iuncture of time , may do some good . And the more good will this Paper do , if your Lordship please to Shelter it under your Wing . For , such a signal , just , and deserved Veneration hath this whole Royal City for your Honour , that every man , who is wise and good , will easily entertain whatever shall be recommended to them by your Lordships Counsel , Example , or Approbation . And since , not only the Citizens of London , but the whole Nation is highly satisfied , that in the Government of this great Metropolis , your Lordship doth as little design , as need , the Advancement of your private Interest ; but , the security of our Religion , the Honour and safety of our Soveraign , the Establishment of our Church , the restitution of Peace and Unity , and the prevention of Popish superstitions and Tyranny , I can with the greater confidence recommended this discourse to your Lordships Patronage , as having in it a direct Tendency towards all those blessed Ends , which your Honour aimes at . May our good God so bless your Lordships Person with Health , and your Government with those happy events , which your Honour designes , that Vice and Errour may be suppressed , that Religion and Vertue may be advanced , that all our unhappy differences may be reconciled , that the Citizens of London may be preserved from Sword and Pestilence , and the City it self from future Flames ! That it may so be is the design of this discourse , and shall for ever be both the endeavor and dayly Petition of . Your Lordships most oblidged Friend and humble Servant . F. G. THE RELIGIOUS VILLAIN . A SERMON PREACHED Upon the 5 th . of November . Joh. 16. 2. They shall put you out of their Synagogues ; yea , the time comes , that whosoever kills you , will think that he doth God Service . THEY shall put you out of their Synagogues , That would be the work of the Jewes , both by there Niddui , and their Cheem , their lesser Excommunication and their greater ; even that whereby the offender was not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , excluded both from the Sacred and Civil assemblies of men , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solemnly devoted to the Wrath and Curse of God. But that 's not all ▪ such an Excommunication , as Tertullian styles , summum judicii futuri Praejudicium , the greatest Essay , Embleme , and representation of the last Judgement , was thought a punishment too gentle for the Primitive Saints ; for thus the Text goeth on , every one that kills you , this every one takes in the Gentiles too ; and why both Jew and Gentile would thus conspire against the Servants of Christ , their Lord gives them this account , They will think that they do God service , and that it so fell out indeed according to this Prediction , and what were the grounds of these gross misapprehensions about our Saviours innocent Servants , give me leave to shew you , by way of History , in these four distinct particulars . First , The Servants of Christ , though men of exemplary Piety , were yet accused and and thought guilty of the highest Irreligion and Atheism ; and upon that score , were judged worthy to die . The Jewes esteemed them Enemies to their Law , Temple , and Worship ; with this they charged St. Stephen . This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place , and the Law. This was St. Paul's Indictment too , This is the man , that teacheth all men every where against the People , the Law , and this Place . And as the Jews did count them Enemies to their Religion , so did the Gentiles think them to have either none or that which is worse then none . Some indeed accused them , as Minucius Felix tells us , qùod monstra colerent , that they worshipped Monsters , Onochel●n , saith Tertullian , a certain Mongrel with Ears like an Ass , so Caelius Rhodiginus . But as to those many Deities , which the Pagan World did then acknowledge and adore , the Heathens in Tertullian do charge the Christians thus , Deos non colitis , ye worship not our Gods ▪ So he in Minucius Felix , nullas aras habent Christiani , Templa nulla , These Christians have no Altars , no Temples . And as they had none of their own , so neither would they worship in any of theirs ; for the main thing , which Pliny wrote to Trajane against them , was this , obstinatio non Sacrificandi , their obstinate refusal to offer Sacrifice . But yet there were exhibited against them by other men far greater Complaints then this bare denial of Worship , Grassantur in Deos , so the Pagans in Minucius Felix ; these Christians do not only neglect our Gods , but they affront them too ; what they did , that Author tells us , Templa despiciunt , Sacrarident , they dispise our Temples ; they laugh at our Sacrifices , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith Socrates , they Scoffe at our holy Mysteries ; nay more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Sozomen ; they have demolished our Temples , and pulled down the Images of our Gods ; but what did they with them ? the Images of Brass , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so Socrates , They turned them into Pots and Kettles for common uses ; and such as were of Silver , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they melted and turned them into mony , as Sozomen doth inform us . And since the Christians did thus highly affront all those Deities , whom the Pagan World did own and worship , well might Arnobius say of himself and others , Athei nuncupamur , we are called Atheists ; and what then ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Pagans in Eusebius , away with these Atheists , for , it was no new thing even with Heathens to execute an Atheist ; for , Plato tells , that this was the Crime of Socrates , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he thinks , that there are no Gods , and for that he died . And upon the same supposition of Atheism , how false soever it was , did the Heathens think it a very pious work to kill the Christians too . Secondly , The Servants of Christ were thought to be publick Enemies to the civil Government of the World ; and , upon that score , were judged unfit to live any longer in it . S. Austine indeed might well demand , quid Christiani laeserant Regna terrena ? What were the Kingdoms of the World the worse for the Christian faith , that they should prove such enemies to it ? certainly , they fared much the better for it ; So Nazianzene observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as the Christian Religion thrived , so did the Roman Empire too . Sure we are the great Authour of this Reliligion did lay no claim to earthly Crowns , my Kingdome is not of this World. But , as he gave us his own Example of obedience unto other Magistrates , so hath he left us Rules and Precepts for it . What the practice of his ancient Servants was , Tertullian tells us , Oramus pro omnibus Imperatoribus , &c. We pray for all our Governours , and if at any time they oppress us , our only recourse is to our Prayers and Tears , not that we want all other weapons , or hands to use them , but that our Religion gives us no leave to do so . But notwithstanding all their peaceable deportment and submissive obedience to that Government , or rather Tyranny , under which they lived and groaned too . Tertullian thus complains , Mastajetis rei Convenimur , we poor Christians are convented and indicted as Traitors and Rebels ; but why so ? The Pagans pretences were these , pro Imperatoribus Sacrificia non impenditis , ye offer no Sacrifices for the Emperours prosperity ; again , non celebrando solennia Caesarum , ye do not observe Caesars birth day with such solemnities , as other Subjects do ; yet again , the Christians did refuse to swear , as other Romans commonly did Per Genios Caesarum , or as Polycarp was commanded by the Roman Proconsul in Eusebius , " 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , swear by the Fortune of Caesar , this the Christians would not do ; and Tertullian gives this reason for it , non dicam Imperatorem Deum , we dare not swear by Caesar because we dare not own him God. Now , their peremptory refusal to flatter the Roman Emperors , in matters of this kind was looked upon as an Argument of their disaffection and disloyalty , which , being improved by the malice of their accusers , and believed by their Judges , did expose them to the severest censures of the Imperial Laws , as if they had been really guilty of Rebellion and Treasons indeed . Thirdly , The Servants of Christ were accused and thought guilty of such vile Immoralities and foul debaucheries , as , being committed , would indeed render any man unfit to live . St. Austine tells us , that Porphyry , a great enemy to the Primitive Saints , pretended that he had received from an Oracle this Information ▪ Christum piissimum , Christianos pollutos that Christ himself was a most pious person , but that his pretended followers were polluted Villains . Thus Tertullian tells his Pagan , Hominem Christianum omnium Scelerum reum existimas , the man , that is a Christian , you think to be guilty of all wickednesses whatsoever . What particular Crimes were laid to the Charge of these innocent Christians , we learn from several Authours Dicimur Sceleratissimi de Sacramento Infanticidii , & Pabulo inde , &c. saith Tertullian ; we Christians are counted the vilest of men for Murdering our own Infants , yea , and like old Satan , for eating them too . To this Eusebius adds another Calumny , that was spread abroad , and believed amongst the Nations , and that was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. We Christians are charged with Incestuous copulations , with our own Sisters and Mothers too . That , which gave occasion to this foul , but undeserved reproach , was this ; in those days the Servants of Christ , being sorely persecuted in all places , could not meet to serve their God in publick , and by day , without manifest hazard of their lives , and so were constrained , as Pliny informed the Emperor , to hold Caetus Antelucanos , their holy Assemblies exceeding early , and in the dark . These obscure and private meetings , though held not of their own choice , but of mere necessity ; and though designed for no other end , but the safety of their persons , whilest they worshipped God , did expose them to the censure of their Enemies ; who , willing enough to believe all evil of them , did easily suspect them to be guilty of those horrid Crimes , which other wicked men , and perhaps they themselves , did often act in private and in the dark , And since the men of the Pagan World did , though very unjustly , believe the Primitive Christians to be guilty of Adultery , Incest and Murder , even that of their own little ones ; we cannot much wonder , that they should think their utmost Severity towards them to be an Act of Justice , yea , and Religion too ; because even amongst them , such enormous Crimes were commonly punished with Death , and do indeed deserve it by the known Laws both of God and Men. 4. The Servants of Christ were thought to be the Causes of all those Publick Calamities which befell the World , and so might well be judged unfit to live any longer in it . And doubtless had those former Charges been well proved against them , this last had been but a very rational Inference from them . For , whosoever is an Atheist in point of Religion , a Rebel in point of Government , and a Debauchee in point of Manners , doth contribute a great deal towards the Ruine of that place where he resides . That the Primitive Christians were , and did so , was a thing believed among the Heathens . St Austin saith of Rome , Mala quae Civitas illa pertulit , Christo imputant : Whatever Evils hapned to that City , they impuputed unto Christ . Nay , Postquam esse in mundo Gens Christiana coepit , terrarum Orbem periisse , &c. So the Pagans in Arnobius ; the whole World is almost ruin'd since Christianity came into it . What particular Calamities were imputed by the men of the Heathen World to the Servants of Christ , we learn from several Authors . Non pluit Deus , non seminamus ; so speak the Heathens in St. Austin ; there is no Rain , we cannot sow . What then ? Die ad Christianos : Go and thank the Christians for it . To this we may add that of Tertullian ; Si Tiberis ascendit ad Moenia , si Nilus non ascendit in arva , &c. If there happened either too much Rain , or too little ; if there were any Famines , Pestilences , or Earthquakes , what then ? Christianos ad Leones . Away with these Christians to the Lions . But why were they to blame ? the Pagans in Arnobius give this Reason , Christus ex Orbe Religiones expulit ; their Master had driven all Religions out of the World. So that the main Quarrel , which both Jew & Pagan had against Christ and his Servants , did arise from the different Interests of their Religions ; the Jew adhering to Moses , the Pagan standing up for his plurality of Gods , and the Christian opposing them both . Upon which account , Jew and Pagan thinking their own Religions right , and the Christians wrong , did vigorously pursue them , the one with Excommunications , and both with Death . And this was judged , as the Text stiles it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a Service done , by the Jew to his God , and by the Pagan to his Idols . But what 's all this to us , and the Occasion of this Day ? 1. Consider we of what Concern it is , that we be not mistaken in Points of Faith , and Matters of Religion , lest perhaps we do defend an Error , and oppose the Truths of God. Among those many kinds of Worship , which are in the World ; amongst those too numerous Sects which are in the Church , there is but One that 's right . And as this great Variety of Religions , each of which will pretend to be the true One , doth make it an easie matter to mistake ; so doth the Grand Import of the true Religion render such Mistakes very dangerous too . For whosoever he be that takes up with a False Religion , supposing it to be a True one , doth run the hazard , if God be not the more merciful to his Ignorance , not only of losing that Reward which he looks for ; but of committing those Crimes which may expose him to those Punishments which he little thinks of . The true Religion of God is that which every man is bound not only to adhere unto , but to be zealous for ; & accordingly we find with what affection the Devout Turk promotes the Doctrine of his Mahomet : we read with what vehemence the Religious Pagan hath contended for the service of his Idols ; we are not ignorant with what warmth of Zeal the pious Jew hath stickled for the Institutions of his Moses ; and we of the Christian Church do still lie under the Obligation of this Command , Contend earnestly for the Faith. We must do whatever lawfully we may , for the Establishment and Propagation of our Religion , even with our very utmost vigor . But if we shall be mistaken in the choice of our Religion , what horrible Actions will that Zeal of ours , which is required from us , put us upon ? St. Paul tells us , 'T is good to be zealously affected alway in a good thing . But Oh how mischievous is it to be zealous in a matter , especially a Religion that 's bad . We have great Instances of this in the Text : They shall put you out of the Synagogues ? What You doth our Saviour mean ? His Apostles , their immediate Successors , and other Primitive Saints , who proved his Martyrs and Confessors , and undoubtedly were the best of men ▪ And what an injurious Action must it needs be to pass that dreadful Sentence of Excommunication upon such Innocent and Holy Persons , as if they had been the very worst of Villains ? to treat the choicest Servants of God , as if they had been so many incorrigible Rogues , fit for nothing else but to be delivered up to the Devils power ? to turn those very persons out of the Church , who were the most eminent Members of it ; to shut them out of the Service of God who were the fittest to perform it ? Certainly , such Usage as this , being no way deserved , was bad enough ; but yet there is something worse that is still behind ; for 't is added , Every one that kills you ; To treat men of spotless Lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith Theophylact , as if they had been the most Pestilent Bigots , Varlets , and Incendiaries imaginable ! To send such Persons out of that World , which had none better , nor perhaps so good , within it ! Doubtless , there could be no Action more unjust then this ; but whence did it rise ? What was it , that did perswade both Jew and Pagan to use the very utmost extremity towards such Persons , as really were the Supporters of the true Church , and the Ornaments of the World ? The Text gives us this Account , Every one that kills you , will think that he doth God Service . Yea , behold here the dismal Consequences of a mistaken Religion . We have here the main Pillars of the Church excluded from it ; here are Murders Committed upon the Persons of such Men , of whom the World was not worthy , and all the Reason doth lie in this : Every one that kills you , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will think , that he doth God Service , when Truth shall be esteemed Error , when the soundest Doctrine shall be counted Heresie , when the neglect or contempt of an Idol shall be stiled Atheism , when the right Religion shall be thought a wrong one , O what unwarrantable actions will blind Zeal put men upon ! when the slaughter of Men , falsly supposed to be little better than Brutes , shall be judged an acceptable Sacrifice unto God , what religious Zealot will restrain his hands from Blood ? There is no Example of this in all our Bibles more eminent then that of our great St. Paul ; of whom the Text saith . He Breathed out Threatnings and Slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord , and so again . He made havock of the Church . We have his own Confession . I punished them oft in every Synagogue , and compelled them to Blaspheme . But how came this Man , who proved so great a Saint , so miserably to Persecute the Poor , Unarmed , and Innocent Servants of Christ ? He tells us , I did it ignorantly , he did all this mischief through a bare mistake ; he was yet of an opinion , that the Jewish Religion was right , and the Christian wrong ; and , upon that score , he Judged himself bound to defend the former , and oppose the later ; for , so he Testified ; I verily thought with my self , that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus . This eminent person being zealous for his then Religion , but yet mistaken in it , did oppose that Faith , which , upon better Informations , he did afterwards own , preach , and defend . Such warm Affections had he yet for the Antiquated Worship of the Jewish Church , that he now shed other Men's Blood for the sake of the same Religion , for which at length he as readily lost his own . And since we have such great and sad examples before us , let us take heed , lest we also do first take up any false Opinions , and then think our selves bound to promote them too . There are some amongst us , who , upon frivolous Pretences , quarelling with the Discipline and Service of our Church , have departed from it ; and as they have withdrawn themselves , so have they thought it their Obligation to seduce and take off others , even all they could : 't is the unhappiness of such Men , that a blind zeal , which is their own Sin , should likewise prove their Neighbours Ruine ; that they , who intend a kindness to other persons , should even by their mistaken Charity destroy them . For 't is very like , that many Promoters of Schism and Faction may intend well ; but we must not trust to the Goodness of our Meanings , but look to the Soundness of our Understandings . T is not hard to believe , that when the Jew and the Gentle Crucified the Son of God , and Murdered his Servants , they meant well in both ; nor can we doubt with any Charity , but when Zealous Papists and Religious Pagans burnt the Martyrs , they intended Good ; the Text saith , that it should be so . Every one that kills you , will think that he doth God Service . If so , then take we heed of all gross mistakes in the matters of our Religion ; let us beware , lest we be corrupted in our Judgments , either by the Papist on the one hand , or the Sectary on the other ; let us not satisfy our selves , that our Intentions are right ; but look we that our Informations be not wrong ; for , if they be , what we do , as Duty ▪ may prove our Crime ; and , upon that Supposition , the more of Zeal , the more of Sin. 2. Consider we what it is , that we must expect from those Men , were we in their Power , who pursue us upon the Interest of Religion , or at least pretend to do so . 'T is certain that they of the Roman Church have as great Reason , upon Religious accounts , and probably far greater , upon Wordly Considerations , to be as Zealous for their Doctrine and Worship , as ever the Jew or Pagan were for theirs . Nor is it to be disputed , but we of the Reformed Churches do differ from them of the Roman in some of the same Points , wherein the Primitive Christians did both differ from the Pagan and the Jew . 'T is not hard to demonstrate , that we of the Church of England now are , in all the Fundamental Points of our Religion , what the Apostles and their Followers ever were . Nor is it difficult to prove , that they of the Roman Communion now are , in several matters , what the Jews and Pagans were . For , the great respect which they bear to their written Traditions , equalling their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , their Law in the Mouth to that in the Book : Even this , together with the vast multitude of their Ceremonies , and such Ceremonies as do render the service of God rather vain than venerable , doth prove them somewhat like the Jews : onely whereas the Jewish Rites , being appointed by God , did adorn his Worship , and were Parts of it ; these mens follies , invented by themselves , do corrupt and spoil it . Again , their publick allowance of Fornication , and taking Money for it , as if it were no sin ; their adoration of Images , their invocation of Saints , their doctrine of Purgatory , which was the Invention of Plato : All this doth testifie , that both in their Religion , and in their Manners , they are too like the Pagans . The truth is , the present Religion of the Roman Church is a mere Miscellany , too like that of the Turkish Alcharon , as having in it something of the Pagan , something of the Jew , and something of the Christian too . And as our Adversaries do thus resemble both Jew and Pagan in some matters of their Religion , so do they match them both , in their zealous persecution of all such as do oppose them . What kind of usage the Primitive Christians found from Jews and Pagans , we learn from the Text ; and what kind of Treatments the Protestant Churches have found from the Roman , our own Chronicles do inform us ; and that men of the same Principles would fain be at the same sport again , we do not need a Spirit of Prophecy to assure us . Let 's view the Text once more , and see the Parallel . 1. The Text saith of the Jew , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , They will put you out of the Synagogues , they will turn you out of their Churches ; and that being done , they will count you , as Publicans and Heathens , even the worst of men . And thus have the Roman Jews dealt with us and our Progenitours ; they have morally driven us from them , by imposing upon us such Conditions of Vnion , as did oblige us to break either with God or Them. And when the Governours of our Church saw themselves necessitated to withdraw from their Communion , they have , by their Ecclesiastical Censures , condemned us for being Separatists , though they themselves have unavoidably made us so . 'T is well known , what Bulls and Interdicts they have sent us , what Anathema's and Curses they have written against us in their Councils , what solemn Excommunications they denounce against us yeer by yeer , they proclaim us Schismaticks , Hereticks , and vile Apostates from the Faith of Christ , and as such do they treat us ; and , by so doing , they fully teach the Example in the Text — They will put you out of the Synagogues . — This they have done over and over ; and 't is well for us of this Age and Nation , that they can yet do no more ; 't is well , that all this Thunder of so many Excommunications , which hath made such a mighty noise , doth yet want a killing Bolt . We are obliged to the good Providence of God , that they have not yet found , in our days , and in our Church , what they strangely long for , a fair opportunity to melt down their leaden Seals , and turn them into Bullets . 2. The Text saith of the Jew and Pagan both — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — Every one that kills you — The Jews excluded them out of their Synagogues , and both Jews and Pagans turned them out of the world too . And have not the Roman Jews and Pagans dealt thus with thousands of our Religion , and fain would deal so with us too ? Have they not seconded their Excommunications with the Sword , and their Anathema's with devouring Flames ? Is it not the constant Doctrine of their Church , that Hereticks must be burnt , and who those Hereticks are , they themselves must be the onely Judges ? If we shall but read over the Histories of England , Ireland , France , Germany , and other places , we shall finde that they have made such miserable slaughters in the reformed Churches , that it may be justly doubted , whether Rome-Pagan or Rome-Papal have shed the greater quantity of Christian - bloud . But why would they do it ? 3ly . The Text gives us this reason : Every one that kills you , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , will think that he doth God good service . It was from a religious mistake that all this Bloudshed did proceed . The Pagans had not right apprehensions of God , the Jew was deceived in his opinion of Christ ; so blinde was the Pagan , that he thought his false Gods to be true ones ; so prejudiced was the Jew , that he judged the true Messias to be a false one : which gross Mistake of theirs , did expose them to the commission of that horrid Crime , wherewith the Text doth charge them — Every one that kills you — To kill a man , that affronted his supposed God , the Pagan did not think it sin ; to kill a man , that opposed the legal Worship of their Church , the Jews did not think it Murther ; no , they judg'd it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a religious Work , and pleasing unto God. — So Theophylact . And such Apprehensions concerning us have they of the Roman Church , in which men bred up in the ignorance of our Religion , yea , and much of their own too , are taught to believe , that we of the Protestant Religion are mere Apostates from the Faith of Christ , that we are such Hereticks , as deny the great Doctrines of the Catholick Church : And yet sure we are , that they can never overthrow our Faith , nor defend their own , by more Arguments than one ; I mean , that one which hangeth by their sides ; that one which they fetch , not from the Library , but the Cutlers Shop : they can never confute us any other way , than that in the Text — Every one that kills you . — We have so much solid Reason on our sides , that they can never be too hard for us , till either we our selves shall lose our brains , or they dash them out . And that they may so do , O what Endeavours do they use ! what Plots do they lay ? what Expences are they at ? They can fetch Armadoes from Spain , false Witnesses from St. Omers , and a Powder-Treason even from Hell it self . What pains do they take to corrupt such great persons , as are either vitious or ignorant ? Nay , what hazards do they run ? for , as things yet stand , they cannot attempt our Lives , without some danger of their own , and yet they will venture ; but why all this ? The Text gives us the best account : They will think that they do God service , &c. Certainly , they who , through the just Judgment of God , are given up to such strong delusions , as to think that Murther is rather their Merit than their Crime , must needs be dangerous men . Of all Villains in the world , the Religious Villain is far the worst : for , whilst every common Villain 's Conscience , who knows what he doth to be sin , may justly check him ; the Religious Villain 's Conscience , who commits a sin , but thinks it duty , doth not onely invite him to it , but applauds and chears him in it . 'T is the great unhappiness of the Christian Church , that there should be any such mistaken Zelots in it , who think the killing of men to be a serving of God. But since the Divine Providence , for the correction of our Vices , or the tryal of our Graces , doth permit it so to be ; since we have such devout and pious Bloud-hounds amongst us , as count it a religious act to destroy our Persons , and ruine our Nation , which they know to be both the defence and glory of the Reformed Churches , We may do well to consider these three things . First , That we have very little Reason to Believe the present Religion of the Roman Church to be indeed the Religion of Christ . Never did our Blessed Saviour Teach his Servants to Propagate his Religion by Shedding Blood ; Never did his Apostles Teach their Successors , either by Doctrine or Example , to Promote the Gospel by any Sword , but that of the Spirit onely : I find indeed , that Christianity is called by some Antient Authours , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , The Prevailing Doctrine ; and the Promoters of it were accordingly stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Conquerours ; But by what Weapons did they overcome ? St. Paul Answers , The Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal . They did not Convert the Heathen World with Swords and Daggers ; They did not Enlighten the Understandings of Men with Fire and Faggots ; such Pagan Princes as would not turn to their Religion , they did not Assassinate , nor move their Subjects to Rebell . No , the Religion of Christ hath in it such Properties as forbids all this : St. James tells us , What it is , 't is first Pure , and then Peaceable . The Designs of Christianity is to make Men as more Holy towards their God , so more Gentle , Kind , and Tender-hearted towards their Neighbours , then all Man-kind besides : 'T is one great work of the Gospel so to Mollifie and Soften the Hearts of Men , that the Vulture may become a Dove , and the VVoolf a Lamb. But so far is the Roman Religion from doing this , that it makes Men more Merciless then it found them : For we cannot doubt , but they , who have the Great unhappiness to be Born within that Church , do bring with them into the World the same Natural Bowels with other Men : but such is their Education , that they Learn more Cruelty from a Corrupted Religion , then from a Corrupted Nature . Even so much Cruelty , that when once they Act like Zealous Papists , they do even cease to be Men. And if so that Religion can be no Kin to the Religion of Christ , which instead of makeing better , doth make him none . But Secondly , That we have abundant Reason to prepare our selves for the very worst of Sufferings . The Scriptures tells us , That the Servants of God must expect wrongs and Injuries , not from Prophane Persons onely , but , which is worse , even from Devout Ones too . VVicked Men may pursue us from a Principle of Irreligion ; And Devout Men may do as much from a Blind and Ill-grounded Zeal . Of this latter sort are they in the Text ; such Persons , as through Mistakes and Mis-informations , are of an Opinion , that it were a Pious work to Destroy us , and so thinks themselves Oblieged to do it . This being our Case , we should fit our selves to endure whatever God may permit Men of rash and Fiery Spirits , Enflamed with Zeal , and Edged with Religion , to inflict upon us . Now , that we may suffer , if need be , with that Christian Courage , that becomes us , besides our Begging the Assistances of that God , for whom we suffer : we are Concerned to do these Two Things more . First . 'T is our Concern to Acquaint our selves thoroughly with the Principles of that Religion which we Oppose : and of that we Adhere unto . 'T is a great thing to Suffer , so harsh to Flesh and Blood , that no VVise Man will do it , unless he see Good reason for it . And in our present Case , the onely reason must be , the Badness of the Religion which we Renounce , and the Goodness of that which we Defend . That the Roman Religion is stark Nought ; That the Reformed Religion is the onely Right one , we must not barely Believe by an Implicit Faith , but be able to prove by such sollid Reasons , as cannot fail us . 'T is St. Paul's rule , Prove all things . All Matters both of Faith and VVorship : but why ? and in Order to what must we Prove them ? The next VVords tells us : Hold fast that which is Good. 'T is an Intimation , that in times of Persecution , we shall never hold fast the best Religion in the VVorld , if we do not prove it first , but take it up meerly upon trust : So Treacherous is the Soul of Man , and so averse from Suffering any thing for God , that when we are brought into any Extremity , our own Hearts may be apt to Discourage us from induring it , by raising in us suspitions and Jealousies about the Truth of that Religion , which as yet we never strictly Examined , but Embraced and owned barely through Custom and Education . Search we then with the severest scrutiny into the Principles and Practices both of the Roman Religion and our Own : call we our selves to a strict Account , Why we are Protestants rather than Papists : Let us Impartially try both Religions by the Written Word of God , by the Judgement of the first and Best general Councels , by the Testimony of the most Early Fathers , and by the known Practises of the Primitive-Church . And when we shall find that all these are certainly on our side , we must be satisfied that we cannot do our GOD a greater service , then by Opposing the superstitious Innovations of the Roman Church , by a Resolute Defending of our own Religion , and if need be , a Cheerful suffering for it . Sure I am , the stricter scrutiny we make , the Better shall we understand the Excellency of our own Faith , and the Vanity of theirs , in all Points , wherein they differ from us . VVe shall find upon just enquiry , that there is a strange difference betwixt that Religion , which makes us sufferers , and that which deserves , that we should so be . As there is a vast Disproportion betwixt him , that doth basely Commit a Murder ; and him that doth Gloriously suffer Martyrdom , so is there an equal Distinction betwixt the Roman Religion , which bids them Kill ; and Ours , which bids us dye . And this is that which we must satisfie our selves about in order to our Couragious and Cheerful enduring those Sufferings , which Men , Conscientiously Cruel , are preparing for us . Secondly . 'T is our Great Concern to Live with that Innocence , Holiness , and Vertue , which well becomes the Servants of Christ and that Religion , which is both Ours and His. It will be a Difficult task for any of us to Dye for our Religion , except in the mean time we shall Live according to it ; for although the Excellency of our Faith may Invite us to suffer for it , yet the Guilt of a VVicked Life will Deterr us from it . Indeed , Aquinas tells us , that Martyrdom is a thing so Meritorious , that it procures a Pardon for all Crimes whatsoever ; and yet methinks it should be hard for any Man , even upon a Religious score , cheerfully to leave this world , so long as he knows himself Unfit for a Better . Upon which Consideration , let us Live like the Best of Men , that we may Dye like the best of Saints ; let us so order our whole Conversation , that the world may see , that our Enemies Malice is Levelled not against our Faults , but our Duties : not against our Evil Manners , but our Good Religion ; let our Virtuous Actions as much Condemn their Allowed Debaucheries , as the Purity of our Church doth Condemn the Gross Superstitions of theirs . This is the way to make our Sufferings easie ; For , would We but Frame our Manners , as our Church already hath done her VVorship , according to those Rules , which our Saviour hath left for Both ; if whilst our Adversaries do whatever they can to Destroy our Lives , we would make it Our work to reform and mend them ; as we do not fear the Strongest Arguments invented by their most Subtle Heads , so neither need we Dread the Keenest VVeapons managed by their Stoutest Hands ; For , should it be the pleasure of Divine Providence to give us up to the will of these Religious Butchers , they would do us no great Injury by sending us from this Bad world to a Better so much the sooner . Wherefore since we are designed for the slaughter , let us so prepare our selves , by an holy life , that we may die , not like Swine in the Shambles , but as Lambs before the Altar , that the pouring out of our blood , which will be murder on their sides , who shed it , may prove a Martyrdom on our part , who lose it ; let us so frame both our hearts , and our lives , that our persons may be offered up to God , as indeed the Choicest Sacrifices should and must be , unspotted without , and sound within . And when once we have secured our selves of this , we may say of our Enemies , what Socrates did of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they may turn us out of their Synagogues ; they may throw us into our graves , but they cannot hurt us . 3. Let us endeavour , as to prepare for those sufferings , which our Enemies would fain bring upon us , so to prevent them too . The way to do so , is to reconcile our selves , first to our God , by quitting our vices , and then to our selves , by quitting our Divisions . May we not say , For the Divisions of England t●●r● are great thoughts of heart ? For , next to those debaucheries , whereby we provoke that holy God , who would otherwise protect us ; there is nothing that can do us so much injury as those Differences in Matters of Religion , whereby we gratifie those wicked men , who would , but could not otherwise destroy us . Our mutual Animosities have a double tendency towards our Ruine , as being both our Crimes , which make us the more sinful ; and our Calamities , which make us the more impotent and weak . For , Were we one entire Body , we should be a burden too big for our Enemies to throw us into the flames ; and upon that score , their business is to untie us first , that they may undo us next . To accomplish this , they teach poor silly souls to quarrel with the Discipline of our Church , the use of our excellent Liturgy , and those other Rites , which , in their number , are but few , and in their nature innocent . But since , in order to our Eternal Salvation , we do agree in the substantials of our Faith : Why should we , in order to our Temporal destruction disagree about its Circumstances ? Tell me , shall we at such a time as this , stand and quarrel whether the Governour of our Church shall be called a Presbyter or a Bishop ? Whether the Communion-board shall be called a Table , or an Altar ? Shall we dispute about bare Names , when , by so doing , we may lose the most sacred things ? Shall we stand debating , even at the Daggers point , whether a Black Gown , or a White Surplice doth better become the Worship of God , when our Adversaries are endeavouring to change the colour of both into a Scarlet Red , and that with the blood of those that wear them ? Methinks we should never divide upon such slender grounds , when our Enemies , for dismal ends , do so closely unite against us . Do we not yet understand , that the Jesuits are the men , who , under the notion of Quakers and Anabaptists , have broken our Publick Congregations into Private Conventicles ? They are the men who would fain crumble us yet into smaller fractions , that so we might become the fitter morsels for their Teeth , and be devoured with the greater case . True it is , in all they do they pretend the services of God , by restoring that which they falsly call the Old Religion . This is in their Tongue , but something else is in their Eye : They well remember what rich Revenues they formerly had amongst us , and would fain recover yet once again . To make us once more their Prey , they separate us from one another : They act like the Huntsman , who severs from the Flock that fat Deer which he fain would kill : And since we are so pursued , let us consult our safety , as the wounded Deer doth his ; and that is by uniting our selves unto , and keeping close within the common herd ; I mean , our Publick Congregations . 'T is the great honour of this Royal City , that you have built so many , and so stately Temples . We that knew the Old Churches of London , may now justly look upon them as so many Ancienn , but worn and battered pieces of Plate , me●ted down indeed through the pe●mismission of Heaven , but by the Malice of Hell : But now by the care and piety of good men ' so Artificially made up again , and so curiously burnished , that through the flames they have lost nothing but the dross , and do only shine so much the brighter . But withall , to what end are these glorious Temples built and beautified , if our God may be worshipped with as much solemnity in a Country-Barn , or a Cuy Coffee-house , as in this and other Churches ; which are set apart from common uses , and for the service of that great God , for whom nothing can be too splendid and venerable . But since these sacred structures are not only restored , but bettered too , let us unanimously meet to serve our God within them : Let not the same men , who are justly suspected to have fired us out of our Old Churches , be ever able to tempt and flatter us from our New Ones . And as to matters of meer Decency and Order , which are a ground of our Divisions , it will become our Modesty to think our Governours wiser than our selves : 'T is easie to believe , that they who stand on the highest ground , should see the farthest : 'T is easie to think , that the discerning Eye , and the judicious Brain , should rather be found in them , who are the Heads of our Church , than in other men , who are as the Hand , the Foot , or some of those inferiour members , which God and Nature have designed for other uses . Sure I am , 't is our great Concern to put an end to our Divisions , remembring that we are but as Glass in the Casement , exposed to storms , and brittle at best ; but if once unsode●ed , the more easily shook and broken : Let remember that the same Peace and Amity , which the Commands of a good God have made our Duty , the designs of ill men have made our Interest too . We use to count it a great security to this Island , that the kind Seas do interpose themselves as a Bulwark between us and other Nations , who might otherwise more easily annoy us . But alas ! what safety will it be , that we are so happily divided from the whole world besides , if we are not as happily united within our selves ? But , were there once a blessed Closure ; were all names of Distinction forgot amongst us ; were the Dissenter as ready to own the Bishop for his Father , as we are to own the Presbyter for our Brother : Would but our Conventiclers once empty themselves into our Churches , and honestly restore what they have unadvisedly withdrawn ; would we as firmly unite in order to our preservation , as our Enemies do in order to our destruction ; then might we yet hope to see our Crown flourish , our Church setled , our Religion established , this great City prosper , our Persons , and our Concerns , secured from all the Attempts of those inhumane Villanies , who their Powder failing , they are still contriving New Engines to lay us in our Graves , our Cities in Ashes , and the whole Kingdom in Blood. Nor may we hope that they , whose very Religion doth make them wicked , will ever cease from these cursed Designs , so long as they are acted by the Commands and Counsels of that Roman Jugler , who , how vicious soever , being once seated in an honest man's Chair ; I mean , St. Peters , doth immediately pretend to an Infallibility , as if that Triple Crown , when it first adorns his Head , must needs Inspire it too . Upon which Considerations , give me leave to renew my request , which is only this — That we would joyn our Hearts & our Hands ; and let those Hearts be upright with God , and those Hands clean in the sight of men . For if our lives prove corrupt and vicious , when these Romish Blood-hounds do pursue us , we shall surely give them the greater advantage by leaving any Ill Scent behind us . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A42060-e1240 Tert. in Apol ▪ Act. 6. 1● . Act. 21. 28. Minuc . F. in Oct. p. 2● . Cael. Rh. l. 2● . cap. 24. Tert. in Apol. c. 10. Plin. in Ep. ad ▪ Trajanum . Socr. Hist . l. 1. c. 16. Arnob. l. 1. p. 8. Euseb . Hist . l. 4. cap. 15. Plato in Apol. Socr. Aug. in Psal . 118. Nazianz. Orat . 3. p. 64. Joh. 18. 36. Tert. in Apol. cap. 10. Euseb . Hist . l. 4. cap. 15. Aug. de Civ . dei l. 19. cap. 23. Tert. in Apol. c. 2. Terl . in Apol. c ▪ 7. Aug. de Civ . Dei , l. 1. c. 1. Arnob. l. 1. p. 4. Aug. in Psal . 80. Tert. in Apol . cap. 4. Arnob. l. 2. p. 20. Jude 3. Gal. 4. 18. Heb. 11. Act. 9. 1. Act. 8. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Act. 26. 9. 2 Cor. 10. 4. James 3. 17. 1 Thes . 5. 21. 
A45352	----	A sermon preach'd in the cathedral and metropolitical church of St. Peter in York on Friday the fifth of November, 1697 being the anniversary-day of thanksgiving for that great deliverance from the gunpowder-treason, and also the day of His Majesty's happy landing in England : with a postscript and two letters, which clearly discover the Roman designs against the English church and nation / by George Halley ... Halley, George, 1655 or 6-1708. 1698 Approx. 51 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 17 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45352 Wing H456 ESTC R40936 19537083 ocm 19537083 109046 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45352) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 109046) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1689:4) A sermon preach'd in the cathedral and metropolitical church of St. Peter in York on Friday the fifth of November, 1697 being the anniversary-day of thanksgiving for that great deliverance from the gunpowder-treason, and also the day of His Majesty's happy landing in England : with a postscript and two letters, which clearly discover the Roman designs against the English church and nation / by George Halley ... Halley, George, 1655 or 6-1708. [6], 26 p. Printed for, and sold by Tho. Baxter ..., London : 1698. Reproduction of original in the St. David's University College Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng William -- III, -- King of England, 1650-1702. Catholic Church -- Controversial literature. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2008-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-06 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-07 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2008-07 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON Preach'd in the Cathedral and Metropolitical CHURCH OF St. Peter , in York : On Friday , the Fifth of November , 1697. Being the ANNIVERSARY-DAY of THANKSGIVING for that Great Deliverance from the Gunpowder-Treason : And also the Day of His Majesty's Happy Landing in England . With a POSTSCRIPT and Two LETTERS , which clearly discover the Roman Designs against the English Church and Nation . By GEORGE HALLEY , A. M. and Prebendary of Ripon . London : Printed for , and Sold by Tho. Baxter , Bookseller , in Peter-Gate , York . 1698. TO THE Most Reverend Father in GOD , JOHN , By Divine Providence , Lord Archbishop of York , His GRACE , Primate of England and Metropolitan . MY LORD , WHEN I first compos'd this Discourse , I had not the least Thought of sending it abroad into the World : But partly thro' the Importunity of such as gave it a patient and favourable Audience , and partly thro' the Reflections of some , who , without cause , are Enemies to our Great and Triumphant Prince , and partly thro' the Incredulity of others , touching a Principal and Necessary Branch of true Repentance ; Restitution : as also thro' the Hopes of its proving , in some measure , a happy Instrument to bring back into the Fold such Sheep as are gone astray ; I have adventured its Publication . And now , My Lord , this humbly begs the Honour of Your Grace's Patronage , and implores the Favour not to interpret the prefixing of Your Great Name to so mean and defective a Piece , as great Boldness and Presumption , but to accept it as a Specimen of Gratitude and Sincere Affection for all Your Kindnesses unworthily conferr'd upon me . I am , My Lord , incapable of making Your Grace any other Return than this Publick Acknowledgement of them ; with Fervent Prayer to the Great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls , to protect You and Yours , and to continue so Great a Blessing , as Your Grace is , amongst us . I am sure all the Flock , committed to Your Pastoral Care , have the Highest Obligations to render unto Almighty God and His most Excellent Majesty , their hearty Thanks , as well as gratefully to commemorate the late most Pious and Incomparable Queen , for sending so burning a Light , so bright and shining a Luminary amongst them . In what an Ocean of Peace and Tranquility doth the Great Ship ( Your Large Diocess ) now Swim ? of which God and the King have constituted You the Supreme Commander : You not only Direct and Govern , but You pull at the Ropes and Sails with as much Vigour , as any Common Mariner that Sails therein : So Great is Your Lordship's Talent , so Indefatigable is Your Industry in Preaching , that Your Grace might justly , with the late Lord Archbishop of Armagh , make this the Motto of Your Archiepiscopal Seal ; Woe is unto me , if I Preach not the Gospel . That a Prelate , so singularly Eminent for Great Parts and Abilities , for Piety and Vertue , Care and Diligence , Meekness and Humility , for Love and Charity , may long Preside over and Adorn the Church of God , is the Affectionate Desire and Ardent Prayer of My LORD , Your Grace's most obliged , Dutiful , and Grateful Servant , GEORGE HALLEY . 2 COR. I. 10. Who delivered us from so great a Death , and doth deliver : in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us . THE Conjunction of Mercies , which the Almighty so eminently and peculiarly wrought on this Day for our Church and Nation , makes this Day an High Day , a very great and glorious Festival . A Day , which , upon a double Account , ought to be had in everlasting Remembrance : Not only for the Providential Discovery of the Snares of Death laid this Day for our Ancestors , but for the late happy and astonishing Deliverance of us , their Posterity , from the imminent Danger of Popery and Arbitrary Power . The impure Streams of Idolatry and Superstition had gone even over our Souls , the proud and insulting Waves , the Romanists had triumph'd over us ( for they began to rage horribly , and swell , they gnash'd upon us with their Teeth , when their small Stock of Arguments was spent ; and by this time of Day we should have found their Teeth Spears and Arrows , and their Tongue a sharp Sword ) the Romanists , I say , had triumph'd over us , had not God sent us , on this blessed Day , a Deliverer to rescue us from Popish Tyranny , when we were so near sinking under it . Great Reason therefore have we to say , with St. Paul , God deliver'd us from so great a Death , and doth deliver : in whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us . In which Words , consider we I. The great Death from which the Holy Apostle was delivered by God. II. I will endeavour to shew you , that God , in this as well as in the Apostolical Age , doth still deliver from Death . III. What Method we must of absolute Necessity take to indear the Lord our God , to oblige him still to protect and deliver us from Death . Who deliver'd us from so great a Death , and doth deliver : in whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us . But first . In the first Place consider we the great Death from which the Holy Apostle was delivered by God. By Death may be understood Troubles and Afflictions , extream or uttermost Dangers : Troubles and Afflictions in a Superlative , in the highest Degree : He was press'd out of Measure , above Strength ; insomuch , that he had almost black and desponding Thoughts , he despair'd even of Life : If he had not found more than ordinary Assistances of the good Spirit of God , he had certainly sunk under them . This is the doleful Account which he himself gives us at the Eighth Verse , with the place too , where those Troubles came upon him , namely , Asia . What the Troubles were which he met with in Asia , we are informed by St. Luke , in the 19th of the Acts , and the 23d Verse , where we read of a Riot , or unlawful Assembly , a great Stir raised by one Demetrius , a Silver-smith , and the Workmen of like Occupation , about the Doctrine of the Gospel ; because St. Paul had preach'd against the Images which they made and worshipp'd , as confounded be all they that worship carved Images , and that delight in vain Gods , worship him all ye Gods ; because he had persuaded much People , that they be no Gods which are made with Hands ; they came upon him in a furious and tumultuary Manner . Further ; In the first Epistle to the Corinthians , 15.32 . we read , if after the manner of men I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus , what advantageth it me , if the dead rise not ? Some interpret those Words of his Conflict with the same Demetrius and the Silver-Smiths , who were like Beasts in their Conditions and Manners : Others are of Opinion , that he really was exposed in the Theatre to furious Beasts ; tho' , peradventure , he was only so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the Purpose of Men ; the Magistrates had sentenced and condemned him to that Death , but Divine Providence interpos'd and rescued him from the Execution of the Sentence : Thus probably these Words of my Text relate to his Sufferings at Ephesus , when God delivered him from so great a Death . Further ; In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians , 11.23 . St. Paul tells us , That he suffered more than any of the very Twelve Apostles , in Labours more abundant , in Stripes above Measure , in Prisons more frequent , in Deaths oft , that is , in eminent Perils of Death ; it is an Hebraism , the Hebrews express great Dangers , Afflictions , Conflicts or Agonies by the Name of Death ; thus Psalm 18.4 , 5. the Royal Psalmist , when his Blood-Thirsty Enemies were ready , as a Torrent , to overwhelm him , complains , the Sorrows of Death compassed me , and the Floods of ungodly Men made me afraid , the Sorrows of Hell compassed me about , the Snares of Death prevented me . And thus in Deaths oft , that is , in Deadly Accidents and Dangers : And what they were , the Verses following sufficiently declare . Of the Jews , five times received I forty Stripes save one : thrice was I beaten with Rods : once was I stoned : thrice I suffered Shipwrack : a Night and a Day I have been in the Deep . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , There are some , who , according to Theophylact , assert this to have been the Name of a Well in which he hid himself after his great Danger at Lystra , Acts 14.19 . Or else it imports some deep , filthy , noisom , infamous Prison . A Night and a Day I have been in the Deep : in Journying often , in Perils of Waters , in Perils of Robbers , in Perils by my own Countrymen , in Perils by the Heathen , in Perils in the City , in Perils in the Wilderness , in Perils in the Sea , in Perils among false Brethren : in Weariness and Painfulness , in Watchings often , in Hunger and Thirst , in Fastings often , in Cold and Nakedness . And at the 32d , and 33d Verses , in Damascus , the Governour under Aretas , the King , kept the City with a Garison , desirous to apprehend me , and thro a Window in a Basket was I let down by the Wall and escaped his Hands . God delivered him from so great a Death . Such were the Sufferings of the Holy Apostle , St. Paul , thus God was pleased to try him , and many other his principal Favourites , in the Fiery Furnace of Affliction . God , for such wise Ends and Purposes as are best known to himself ; peradventure for an Exploration or Trial of his Faith and Constancy , or lest he should be exalted above Measure , lest he should be too much elevated with the high transcendent Revelations vouchsafed unto him , or for the more effectual Propagation of the Gospel , God permitted him to sail through a Sea of Blood , to be toss'd with Storms and Tempests of Trouble and Affliction . And oh ! how did he endure them with an undisturbed Patience , and an entire Resignation to the Divine Will ! How did he bear up against them with all Christian Courage , with a vigorous and undaunted Resolution ! How perfectly pleas'd with , how did he glory of his Infirmities , that is , his Sufferings ? He very well understood that the Sufferings of this present World are not worthy to be compar'd to the Glory that shall be revealed . Tho' the Floods of Sorrow arose , tho' the Winds of Persecution blew and vehemently beat upon him , yet he fell not ; he had in Prospect the beautiful and fair Haven of Eternity : His sole Trust and Confidence was in the Lord his God , whom the Winds and the Seas obey . Thus , tho' he was troubled on every side , yet not distressed , tho' perplexed , yet not in despair ; though he was persecuted , yet not forsaken ; tho' cast down , yet not destroy'd ; no! God delivered him from so great a Death , and doth deliver : in whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us . And this brings me to the Second thing , namely , That God , in this , as well as in the Apostolical Age , doth still deliver from Death . In the 13th Chapter of the Hebrews , Ver. 8. we read , Jesus Christ the same yesterday , and to day , and for ever : The Faith in him , the entire Religion of Jesus Christ is not only unchangeable , constantly the same throughout all measures of time , but also his Care and Love to his Mystical Body , and all the Members of it is immutable throughout all Times and Ages of the World ; with the Lord our God is no Variableness , neither Shadow of Turning . God never did leave , God never will forsake such , whose Lives are conformable to his Laws , as are Pure and Holy in all Manner of Conversation . God hath in all Ages , doth now , and ever will cover such as fear him with the Wings of his Divine Providence , will give them his immense Favour and Almighty Protection , so long as the Sun and the Moon shall endure . It is God who made , who governeth , preserveth and taketh Care of the World , he sees all the Springs of Motion , all Transactions here below , all Things are naked and opened to the Eyes of him with whom we have to do . Tho' his glorious Residence and Habitation be in the Mansions of Bliss above , yet he so far humbleth himself , as to behold the things done upon Earth ; and therefore tho' wicked Men encourage themselves in Mischief and commune of laying Snares secretly , and say , who shall see them ? tho' they imagine Wickedness and keep it secret among themselves , every Man in the Deep of his Heart , yet God shall suddenly shoot at them with a swift Arrow , that they shall be wounded ; yea , by his good Providence , their own Tongues shall make them fall , insomuch that whoso seeth them shall laugh them to Scorn : Thus , Prov. 19.21 . Solomon tells us , there are many Devices in a Man's Heart : nevertheless , the Counsel of the Lord , that shall stand . There are many Designs and Contrivances in the Minds of Men , which , they think , are so well laid , that they cannot miscarry ; but are all defeated by the over-ruling Counsel of the Lord. No! it is not the most refined Policy , it is not the most subtle Stratagem , it is not the most strong and invincible Contrivance of Man that can out-vie the Strength of Heaven ; nothing can stand in Competition with the Divine Favour and Protection . This , the Great Politicians , the Hellish Projectors of the Gunpowder-Treason , found to be infallibly true . The Arch-plotter , Garnet , who was at that time superior of the Jesuits here ; the Jesuits ! a wicked Generation or Men : how hath this Church and Nation of ours been and still is plagued by them ? They are under a Holy League and solemn Oath to pursue our Ruine and the Destruction of our excellent Religion , and to effect this , they have all along acted , and still do act under any Masque ; they turn themselves , Proteus like , into any Shape to enkindle Strife and Contention amongst us . Alas ! all our Schisms and unhappy Divisions flow from this bitter Fountain . Oh that we would become wise and suffer our selves no longer to be cajol'd and deluded by them ! Oh that we may see in time the Things which belong to our Peace ! Oh that we would strive to answer the illustrious Character of the Primitive Church , to be all of one Heart , of one Mind , and of one Soul , to meet together with one Accord , in one Place . But to return : I say , it is not the most refined Policy that can outvy the Strength of Heaven : This the Hellish Projecters of the Gun-Powder-Treason found to be infallibly true ; the Arch-Plotter Garnet , a perfect Achitophel , a Man that could give and hide his Counsel as deep as Hell , with whom his Friends would embark in any design tho' never so black and dangerous , yet how far infatuated was this cunning Politician ? Alas ! he consider'd not that some of the Conspirators , who were willing to work a publick Mischief for his Pleasure , might also have a Desire to secure their private Friends from Danger , by giving them some general or ambiguous Admonition : And , indeed , that one of them should hint in a Letter to his honourable Friend the instant Danger , was not extraordinary , save only in this , that so much Tenderness of Heart , so much good Nature could be left in his Breast , who had consented to his Country's Ruine . It is really , prodigiously strange , that such a Man should put on the Bowels of Compassion for a private Friend as had design'd his Country's perpetual Desolation : Where was then this Piety ? Where was then this Religious Affection ? Alas ! all Nature , all Humanity , all Respect of Laws both Divine and Humane were then quite abandoned , there was then no Conscience made to extirpate the whole Nation , and all for a pretended Zeal to the Catholick Religion . Can this be the Christian Religion ▪ No , the essential Mark , the proper Character of the Christian Religion is Love and Charity : This is a Religion which hath all of the Dove , and nothing of the Vulture in it , which is Wisdom from above , which is first pure and then peaceable , it is a charitable Religion , and none can justly pretend to it , whose Doctrines are Earthly , Sensual and Devilish ; who breathe nothing but Curses . and Slaughters , who hold it lawful to destroy all such as differ from them in Matters of Faith , to extirpate by Fire and Sword all such as worship God after the Way which they call Heresie ; and such are the bloody Principles of the Roman Religion : Principles diametrically opposite to the Doctrine and Practice of the Author of the Christian Religion , the ever Blessed Jesus . He came into the World to save and not to destroy the Lives of Men : But , alas ! the Papists are for sending Men out of the World in a fiery Chariot , for illuminating our Understandings with Fire and Faggot : The Marian Persecution is a Demonstration of their Cruelty , and the same dismal Tragedy would have been acted over again , had not God sent us a Deliverer , who deliver'd us from so great a Death . Thus , I say , there was then no Conscience made to extirpate a whole Nation , and all for a pretended Zeal to the Catholick Religion ; a horribly mistaken blind Zeal , a Zeal not at all according to Knowledge . Alas ! They know not what manner of Spirit they are of . But God deliver'd the King , the Queen , the tender Princes , the Nobles , the whole Kingdom from their design'd Destruction . God deliver'd them from so great a Death . Death ! How exorbitant was that Death in its Nature ? How transcendently wicked in its Design ? How barbarous and unnatural ? Such a prodigious Cruelty as is beyond the Example of former Ages , as is not to be parallell'd in all the voluminous Records of time from the Beginning of the World. The Plot was deeply laid , it was hatch'd and contriv'd in the dark , they kept it secret , every Man in the Deep of his Heart , and not without Ceremonies of Religion ; Ay , they swore by the Blessed Trinity , and by the Holy Sacrament never to disclose it directly , nor indirectly , by Word or Circumstance : But , by the good Providence of God , it was proclaim'd upon the House-tops . A most wonderful Proclamation , and never enough to be reflected upon with Praise and Thanksgiving ; such a Discovery as Bellarmin himself confesses to have been miraculous . Had it taken effect , as it was just ripe for Execution , my Blood chills , I tremble to think of the dismal Consequences of it : We had then been depriv'd of King , Queen , Princes , and all the Nobility : It would have been a most miserable Desolation : How would this poor Church and Nation have laid a bleeding ? Peace and Happiness would presently have taken the Wing and flown from this British Isle ; there would then have been nothing but intestine War , Bloodshed , and the greatest Confusion . Never did the Ear of Man hear of such a Conspiracy before . The highest Treason that could ever be imagin'd by any , who either made or writ of Laws , was Crimen laesae Majestatis the violating the Majesty of the Prince : But the Gunpowder-Treason wants a Name sufficient to express it ; it tended not only to the Hurt , but to the Death of the King ; and not to the Death of the King only , but of his whole Kingdom , to the Destruction of the beautiful Frame , the Dissolation of the Noble Fabrick of this Ancient , Famous , and Flourishing Monarchy , even the Deletion of our whole Name and Nation . No Mantle of Holiness can cover such a Treason , no Pretence of Religion can excuse it , God and Heaven condemn it , all Souls of a truly Christian Temper and Disposition must detest and abhor it . Six and Thirty Barrels of Powder , with Bars of Iron , Stones and Wood upon them ! What a great Breach , what a fiery Tempest , what a Motion and Commotion of Earth and Air would there have been ? But God deliver'd our Ancestors from so great a Death . But Secondly , God doth still deliver from Death . Ay , God hath lately deliver'd us , their Posterity , from Death and Destruction . It is not many Years ago since we had a sad and melancholy Prospect of Affairs ; it is not long since a thick and black Cloud hung over our Heads , which , in all probability , would have broke and pour'd down upon us a Deluge of Waters , if it had not been timely dispell'd by the comfortable Appearance of a Bright and Glorious Star in our Hemisphere , by the happy Arrival of King William upon this Day . I need not acquaint you how our Popish Enemies attempted to destroy both our Laws and Religion . It was an excellent Reply which an ancient and eminent Serjeant at Law gave the King , when he complemented him upon his Arrival : His Majesty told him he had out-liv'd most of his Profession ; and he truly answer'd , that if his Majesty had not come over , he should have out-liv'd the Law it self . We flatter'd our selves indeed with a Belief that it was impossible to have the Popish Religion ever introduced here , because a thing so absolutely against the English Constitution ; that let the Principles of the Prince be what they would , the Administration of the Laws must of necessity run in the same Channel he found them in : But we soon saw how the Course of the River was forc'd , and the Stream turn'd so as to run over our Soul ; we were quickly made sensible of our gross Mistake and Delusion , we presently understood that there is no Government too hard for a Jesuit to cut in sunder , no Constitution so strong as to wrestle with a dispensing Power . Thus our Religion , our Laws , our Liberties , all that is near and dear to us would have been destroy'd , had not God deliver'd them from so great a Death , by sending us the best of Princes , who this Day set his Foot on the British Shore : It was he alone whom God made the happy Instrument of our Preservation , it was he who stop'd our furious Enemies in their Career , who prevented their base Designs by a sudden and an unexpected Change of the Scene , by such an astonishing Revolution of Affairs , as no Age , peradventure , can parallel . A most happy Revolution , whatsoever our Male-contents think of it . Alass ! when once the Minds of Men are darkned with Ambition , Pride , Revenge , Hatred , Malice and Envy , let Acts of Providence be never so illustriously visible , they will not see them , such Darkness is thick to Admiration , how great is that Darkness ! It was , I say , a most happy Revolution : Tho' it is true indeed , the Consequence of it hath been a vast Expence of Blood and Treasure : but still we have the least Reason to murmur or complain : This Blood hath not been spil'd , this terrible War hath not rag'd in our own , but in a Foreign Land ; all the Havock which hath been made , all the Devastations by Fire and Sword were not here , but in other Countries . Taxes and Impositions indeed we have not been freed from , but what then ? our Yoke hath been easy , and our Burden light , and if Judgment may be form'd according to the Sumptuous way of living , according to the little Abatement there hath been , ever since the War commenc'd , either of Diet , splendid Attire , or other expensive Diversions , all the Charge we have been at is comparatively as nothing . It is a Question whether greater Injury hath been done to the Publick , whether the Nation in general hath suffer'd more by impairing the Coin , than by the War : the Prevention of which great Mischief for the future , is such a glorious Act as ought never to be forgotten : To have call'd in our base Money at a time when we slept upon the downy Bed of Peace , would have been a matter of far less Difficulty ; but to regulate the Coin , when we were engag'd in a bloody and expensive War , this Act no Age peradventure can parallel . It is a Question , I say , whether the Nation in general hath suffer'd more by impairing the Coin than by the War : I heartily wish that such as have thus been guilty of plunging the Nation into calamitous Circumstances , may be deeply touch'd and affected with the Consideration of it , that they may Repent of the great Wrong and universal Robbery which they have committed , and demonstrate the Sincerity of their Repentance by giving the Wealth they have gotten by Injury , Fraud , and Deceit , to Charitable Vses . If they do not , the time will come , when they will wish they had not enriched themselves by others Poverty ; that they had mov'd in a low Sphere , and been contented with a mean Condition , that they had cast themselves naked into the Arms of Divine Providence , and known nothing of Temporal Affluence and Prosperity . Oh! What is a Man advantaged , if he gain the whole World , and lose himself , or be a cast-away ? Luke 9.25 . Oh! what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul ? Mat. 16.26 . I am sure Thieves ( and such are the greatest Thieves , as either impair'd , or by furnishing were instrumental to the impairing of our Coin ) unless they repent of their Wickedness , and make Restitution , if there be a Capacity for it , can never enter into the Kingdom of God , 1. Cor. 6.10 . But , blessed be God , the Tables of the Money Changers are now overturn'd , this great and dangerous Distemper which the Nation hath long labour'd under , is now healed , this base Art , as well as the terrible War , hath had its happy Period and Conclusion ; and if we would but put away from us all Bitterness and Wrath , Anger and Clamour , Malice and Envy , and live in Christian Love and Charity , if we would but endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace , what could hinder us from being the happiest People upon the Face of the Earth ? What complaining could then be in our Streets ? Trade , which is the Life and Soul of this Nation , will now flourish , our Money hath recover'd its ancient Weight and Fineness , it hath now the greatest Beauty and Comliness ; and tho' we have been at a vast Expence of Blood and Treasure , yet the Happiness we have gotten thereby , will infinitely over-ballance and preponderate all our Harm and Loss ; we have purchased therewith a Jewel of a Transcendent value , of the greatest Price , an Honourable , and , I hope , a durable and lasting Peace . God hath made the War to cease , it is he who is the Author of all our Deliverances , it is he who maketh Wars to cease in all the World , who breaketh the Bow , and knappeth the Spear in sunder , and burneth the Chariots in the Fire : God , I say , hath made the War to cease , thro' the Noble Conduct and Heroick Valour of our Great King , God hath given unto us the Blessings of Peace . God Land him safe again on our joyful Shore , let him return with the greatest Glory and Triumph , with the loudest Shouts and Acclamations , God Almighty give him always the Hearts of his Parliament , and the Affections of his People ; O Young Men and Maidens , Old Men and Children , cry , God Save King William ; for he it is by whom God hath deliver'd us from Death , from innumerable Dangers , and doth deliver : In whom we trust , that he will yet also deliver us . And this brings me to the Third and the Last thing ; Namely , What Method we must of absolute necessity take to endear the Lord our God , to oblige him still to protect and deliver us from Death . And here , if ever , we hope to endear the God of Heaven to us , to oblige him to protect and deliver us from Death ; this is the Method which we must of absolute necessity take : We must lead an holy and exemplary Life , we must endeavour , as much as in us lies , to be Pure and Holy in all manner of Conversation . Do we pretend to trust in the Lord our God ? Alas ! without Holiness , we trust in vain ; unless we purify our selves , we can have no sure and certain Hope , no rational Assurance of the Divine Protection . No People under Heaven have more liberally tasted of the Favour and loving Kindness of the Lord , than we . No People in the World have stronger Obligations to Piety and Vertue than we . What is it that the Lord could have done for this our Nation , and he hath not done it ? God hath given us the best Religion , the best Government , the best Laws , and the best of Princes , and by him the best of Blessings , Peace . How many Deliverances from Death have we had ? The Time and your Patience would fail me to give you a particular Enumeration of them ; they are more in Number than I am now able to express . How often hath the Lord been pleas'd to deliver our Glorious Prince from Death ; and in him us ? for if this our Light , our Lamp had been quench'd in Battel , What a Day of Darkness and Gloominess , what a Day of Clouds and thick Darkness would there have been ? He may very justly be call'd the Light of our Israel , for , the Splendor and Greatness , the Beauty and Glory , the Conduct and Direction , the Comfort and Safety , the Welfare and Happiness of us his People flow from and depend upon him . How often , I say , hath the Lord been pleas'd to deliver him from Death ? From Perils in the Field , from Perils in the Sea , from Perils by his own Subjects , from a treacherous and bloody , an horrid and barbarous Assassination . And God will still deliver him and us , if we be but obedient and conformable to his Divine Laws . But if we will not be obedient , if these manifold Favours and Mercies of the Lord will not influence and persuade us to Purity of Life and Holiness of Conversation , how fatal will the Consequence be ? What can we look for but Ruine and Destruction ? Oh! We shall be consumed both we and our King. We may assure our selves , that all Engines are now at work to disturb our Repose , our Peace and Tranquility . Oh! that all such as move in sublime and honorary Orbs would have a vigilant Eye upon all the Enemies of our Constitution . Oh! that all Magistrates would unanimously resolve to watch and study to preserve the People committed to their respective Charges , in Peace and Godliness . We may assure our selves , there will be Hellish Plots and damnable Contrivances , so long as there is either a Devil or a Jesuit in the World. The Romanists will always bear us the same implacable Hatred , we shall find them of the same diabolical Temper and malicious Disposition . Now , who can confound their Devices ? Who can deliver us from their Machinations but God ? and nothing can challenge or oblige him to do so but Piety and Vertue . Alas ! if we do wickedly , if we do not leave off our Ingratitude and Impiety , our unreasonable Murmurings and Repinings , if we still provoke him by Sins and Transgressions , what terrible Effects will not these Things produce ? Oh! we shall be consumed both we and our King : For search the lively Oracles of God , the holy Scriptures , and you will find there , that God hath all along darted the Rays of Prosperity , hath showr'd down all imaginable Blessings upon such Nations as feared him and wrought Righteousness ; and on the contrary , God hath pour'd down the fiercest Instances of his Anger and heavy Displeasure upon such Kingdoms as trampled upon his Laws , as affronted him by Wickedness and Impiety ; this hath been the constant Course of Divine Providence , and in all probability will be so to the end of the World. That was good and wholesome Advice which Achior gave Holofernes concerning the Jews . Judith 5.21 , 22. My Lord and Governour , If there be any Error in this People , and they sin against their God , this shall be their Ruine ; but if there be no Iniquity in their Nation , let my Lord now pass by , lest their Lord defend them , and we become a Reproach before all the world : And this salutary Advice we find confirm'd by Judith her self in the 11th Chapter , and the 9th and 10th Verse , As concerning the Matter which Achior spoke in thy Councel , we have heard of it . O Lord , and Governour , reject not his Word , but lay it up in thine Heart , for it is true ; our Nation shall not be punish'd , neither can the Sword prevail against them , except they sin against their God. And , indeed , consider how God dealt with his own peculiar People , the Children of Israel . When they walk'd in his Statutes , and kept his Commandments , how transcendently great then was their Affluence and Prosperity ? the inestimable Blessing of Peace was then within their Walls , and Plenteousness within their Palaces ; Quietness and Ease , Unity and Love , all imaginable Happiness they enjoy'd at home , and the Almighty made them victorious and triumphant abroad ; they rejoyc'd under the Shadow of his Wings : But when they became corrupt and abominable in their Doings , when there was a general Declension from the Faith and Practice of True Religion , then they ceas'd to be a happy and a prosperous People ; they were then led into Captivity , their Enemies then oppressed them , and had them in Subjection , put upon their Necks the Chains of Bondage and intolerable Slavery . Now these things happen'd unto them for Ensamples ; these things are written for our Learning and Admonition . If we constantly walk before God in Holiness and Righteousness , we shall then enjoy Happiness and Tranquility , Peace and Plenteousness : But if we apostatize from God and Goodness , he will then have a Controversie with us , Fire and Famine , Sword and Pestilence , his Judgments will then rage amongst us : For if God spar'd not the natural Branches , how can we expect he will spare us ? If we continue not in his Goodness ; that is , if we stand not fast , if we persevere not in the Faith , in such a Faith as worketh by Love , as lives and acts by Charity , as is productive of all noble and vertuous Actions ; thus St. Paul argueth , Rom. 11.21 , 22. It is infallibly true , that Wickedness and Vice draws down God's Wrath and Vengeance upon any People , that Looseness of Life , and Corruption of Manners brings the most flourishing People to Ruine and Decay . Oh! then let the Consideration of this important Truth oblige and enforce us to live up to the Precepts and Institutions of our excellent Religion . God then will be our constant Friend and Benefactor , God then will stablish the wonderful Things He hath been graciously pleas'd to work for us ; God then will continue to deliver our Sovereign Lord the King , and us his People from Death , from all the impious Plots and Conspiracies of his and our Enemies , both at home and abroad ; God then will bless him and us with Temporal Peace and Happiness in this World , and with eternal Peace and Happiness in the World to come . Which God , of his infinite Mercy , grant for Jesus Christ his sake , to whom , with the Father and the Holy Ghost , be ascrib'd , as is most due , all Honour , Glory , Praise , Thanksgiving , Might , Majesty and Dominion , from henceforth and for evermore . Amen . THE POSTSCRIPT . IN part of the fore-going Discourse , I have slightly touch'd upon the unhappy Schisms , and much to be lamented Divisions , which now furiously rage amongst us ; and have shewed you the Spring from whence they flow , namely , the Jesuits , and other Emissaries of the Church of Rome . It is that Church which hath , ever since our Blessed Reformation , industriously sown the Seeds of Contention amongst us , and , it is much to be feared , She hath now more than ever , a pleasing Prospect of a plentiful Harvest . It was that Church which was the Source and Origin of all the late Troubles and Confusions ; and She still endeavours with the same implacable Malice to set us at Variance and Strife amongst our selves . This is the Engine which the Romanists have all along made use of , and still do , to effect our Ruine and Destruction . They very well understand , that Discord is the only Gate which can possibly give Popery an entrance into this Kingdom . That this hath been their constant Practice , I could produce infinite . Testimonies out of very Authentick Historians ; but now , I shall only recommend these Two following Letters to your serious Perusal and Consideration , which are not only of unquestionable Authority , but clearly evince , and sufficiently discover the Roman Contrivances and Designs . I pray God we may obviate them by our Vigilance and Circumspection , by our timely seeing the Things which belong unto our Peace , by a vigorous and inviolable Resolution , to be all of one Heart , and of one Mind , and to be henceforth no more Children , tossed to and fro , and carried about with every Wind of Doctrine , by the Sleight of Men , and cunning Craftiness , whereby they lie in wait to deceive . Amen . A LETTER from Sir William Boswell , to the most Reverend William Laud , late Archbishop of Canterbury , remaining with Sir Robert Cotton's choice Papers . Most Reverend , AS I am here employ'd by our Sovereign Lord the King , your Grace can testifie , that I have left no Stone unturn'd for his Majesty's Advancement ; neither can I omit ( whenever I meet with Treacheries or Conspiracies against the Church and State of England ) the sending your Grace an Account in general . I fear Matters will not answer your Expectations , if your Grace do but seriously weigh them with Deliberation : For be you assur'd , the Romish Clergy have gull'd the misled Party of our English Nation , and that under a Puritanical Dress ; for which the several Fraternities of that Church , have lately received Indulgencies from the See of Rome , and Council of Cardinals , for to educate several of the young Fry of the Church of Rome , who be Natives of his Majesty's Realms and Dominions , and instruct them in all manner of Principles and Tenents contrary to the Episcopacy of the Church of England . There be in the Town of Hague , to my certain Knowledge , two dangerous Impostors , of whom I have given notice to the Prince of Orange , who have large Indulgences granted them , and known to be of the Church of Rome , although they seem Puritans , and do converse with several of our English Factors . The one , James Murray , a Scotch Man , and the other , John Napper , a Yorkshire Blade . The main Drift of these Intensions , is , to pull down the English Episcopacy , as being the chief Support of the Imperial Crown of our Nation : for which , purpose above Sixty Romish Clergy-men are gone within these two Years out of the Monasteries of the French ●ing's Dominions , to preach up the Scotch Covenant , and Mr. Knox his Descriptions and Rules with in that Kirk , and to spread the same about the Northern Coasts of England . Let therefore his Majesty have an inkling of these Crotchets , that he may be persuaded , whenever Matters of the Church come before you , to refer them to your Grace , and the Episcopal Party of the Realm : For there be great Preparations making ready against the Liturgy and Ceremonies of the Church of England ; and all evil Contrivances here and in France , and in other Protestant Holdings , to make your Grace and the Episcopacy odious to all Reformed Protestants abroad . It has wrought so much on divers of the Foreign Ministers of the Protestants , that they esteem our Clergy little better than Papists . The main things , that they hit in our Teeth , are , our Bishops to be called Lords ; the Service of the Church ; the Cross in Baptism ; Confirmation ; Bowing at the Name of Jesus ; the Communion Tables placed Altar-ways ; our Manner of Consecrations : And several other Matters which be of late buzz'd into the Heads of the Foreign Clergy , to make your Grievances the less regarded in case of a Change , which is aimed at , if not speedily prevented . Your Grace's Letter is carefully delivered by my Gentleman 's own Hands unto the Prince . Thus craving your Grace's hearty Prayers for my Vndertakings abroad , as also for my safe Arrival , that I may have the Freedom to kiss your Grace's Hands , and to tell you more at large of these Things . I rest Hague , June 12. 1640. Your Grace's most humble Servant , W. B. A LETTER from the Right Reverend J. Bramhall , Bishop of Derry ( afterward Primate of Ireland ) to the most Reverend James Vsher , Archbishop of Armagh . Most Reverend , I Thank God I do take my Pilgrimage patiently , yet I cannot but condole the Change of the Church and State of England : And more in my Pilgrimage than ever , because I dare not witness and declare to that straying Flock of our Brethren in England , who have misled them , and who they are that feed them . But that your Lordship may he more sensible of the Church's Calamities , and of the Dangers she is in of being ruin'd , if God be not merciful unto her , I have sent you a Part of my Discoveries , and it from credible Hands , at this present having so sure a Messenger , and so fit an Opportunity . It plainly appears , that in the Year 1646 , by Order from Rome , above a Hundred of the Romish Clergy were sent into England , consisting of English , Scotch , and Irish , who had been educated in France , Italy , Germany , and Spain ; part of these within the several Schools there appointed for their Instructions ▪ In each of these Romish Nurseries , these Scholars were taught several Handicraft Trades and Callings , as their Ingenuities were most bending , besides their Orders or Functions of that Church . They have many yet at Paris a fitting up to be sent over , who twice in the Week oppose one the other ; one pretending Presbytery , the other Indepency ; some Anabaptism , and other contrary Tenents , dangerous and prejudicial to the Church of England , and to all the Reformed Churches here abroad . But they are wisely preparing to prevent these Designs , which I heartily wish were considered in England among the Wise there . When the Romish Orders do thus argue Pro and Con , there is appointed one of the Learned of those Convents to take Notes and to judge : and as he finds their Fancies , whether for Presbytery , Independency , Anabaptism , Atheism , or for any new Tenents , so accordingly they be to act , and to exercise their Wits : Vpon their Permission when they be sent abroad , they enter their Names in the Convent Registry , also their Licences : if a Fransciscan , if a Dominican , or Jesuit , or any other Order , having several Names there entered in their Licence ; in case of a Discovery in one Place , then to fly to another , and there to change their Names or Habit. For an Assurance of their Constancy to their several Orders , they are to give Monthly Intelligence to their Fraternities , of all Affairs wherever they be dispers'd : so that the English Abroad know News better than ye at home . When they return into England , they are taught their Lesson , to say , ( if any enquire from whence they come , ) that they were poor Christians formerly that fled beyond Sea for their Religion Sake , and are now returned , with glad News to enjoy their Liberty of Conscience . The Hundred Men that went over , 1646. were most of them Soldiers in the Parliaments Army , and were daily to correspond with those Romanists in our late King's Army , that were lately at Oxford , and pretended to fight for his Sacred Majesty : For at that time , there were some Roman-Catholicks who did not know the Design a contriving against our Church and State of England . But the Year following , 1647. many of those Romish Orders , who came over the Year before , were in Consultation together , knowing each other . And those of the King's Party asking some why they took with the Parliament's Side , and asking others . Whether they were bewitch'd to turn Puritans ? not knowing the Design : But at last , secret Bulls and Licences being produced by those of the Parliament's Side , it was declared between them , there was no better design to confound the Church of England , than by pretending Liberty of Conscience . It was argued then , That England would be a Second Holland , a Common-Wealth ; and if so , what would become of the King ? It was answered , Would to God it were come to that Point . It was again reply'd , Your selves have Preached so much against Rome , and his Holiness , that Rome and her Romanists will be little the better for that Change : But it was answered , You shall have Mass sufficient for 100000 in a short space , and the Governors never the Wiser . Then some of the mercifullest of the Romanists said , this cannot be done unless the King die : Vpon which Argument , the Romist Orders thus licenced , and in the Parliament Army , wrote unto their several Convents , but especially to the Sorbonists , whether it may be scrupled to make away our late Godly King , and his Majesty , his Son , our King and Master ; who , blessed be God , hath escaped their Romish Snares laid for him ? It was returned from the Sorbonists that it was lawful for Roman Catholicks to work Changes in Governments for the Mother-Churches Advancement , and chiefly in an Heritical Kingdom ; and so lawfully make away the King. Thus much , to my Knowledge , have I seen and heard since my leaving your Lordship , of which I thought it very requisite to inform your Grace ; for my self would hardly have credited these things , had not mine Eyes seen sure Evidence of the same . Let these things sleep within your gracious Lordship's Breast , and not awake but upon sure Grounds , for this Age can trust no Man , there being so great Fallacy amongst Men. So the Lord preserve your Lordship in Health , for the Nations Good , and the Benefit of your Friends ; which shall be the Prayers of Your Humble Servant , J. DERENSIS . FINIS 
A48852	----	A sermon preached before Their Majesties at Whitehall, on the fifth day of November, 1689 being the anniversary-day of thanksgiving for that great deliverance from the gunpowder-treason, and also the day of His Majesties happy landing in England / by the Bishop of St. Asaph, Lord Almoner to Their Majesties. Lloyd, William, 1627-1717. 1689 Approx. 42 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A48852 Wing L2713 ESTC R20308 12402603 ocm 12402603 61300 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A48852) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 61300) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 767:33) A sermon preached before Their Majesties at Whitehall, on the fifth day of November, 1689 being the anniversary-day of thanksgiving for that great deliverance from the gunpowder-treason, and also the day of His Majesties happy landing in England / by the Bishop of St. Asaph, Lord Almoner to Their Majesties. Lloyd, William, 1627-1717. [4], 32 p. Printed for Robert Clavell ..., London : 1689. Half title: The Bishop St. Asaph's sermon before Their Majesties, Nov. 5. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Psalms LVII, 6-7 -- Sermons. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Anniversaries, etc. Thanksgiving sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2003-11 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-12 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-11 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-11 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON Preached before Their Majesties At WHITEHALL , On the Fifth day of November , 1689. Being the Anniversary-Day of Thanksgiving For that Great DELIVERANCE From the GUNPOWDER-TREASON , And also the Day of His Majesties Happy LANDING in ENGLAND . By the Bishop of St. Asaph , Lord Almoner to Their Majesties . By Their Majesties Command . LONDON , Printed for Robert Clavell at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-yard . MDCLXXXIX . The Bishop of St. ASAPH's SERMON Before Their MAJESTIES , Nov. 5. PSALM 57. 6 , 7. They have prepared a net for my steps , my Soul is bowed down ; they have dig'd a Pit before me , into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves . My heart is fixed , Oh God , my heart is fixed : I will sing , and give praise . ON so great an Occasion as this , two such great Occasions as God has given us , for a perpetual Remembrance of this day ; Our Deliverance heretofore from the Gunpowder Treason , and now again from the imminent danger of Popery and Slavery : Such abundant , such overflowing matter of Thanksgiving to God , I confess I am Jealous of my self , may draw me forth into a trespass upon this great Audience ; there being so much to speak of , that one hardly knows what to leave out . And therefore I am the more pleased with that wholsom Order of the Church that confines us to a Text ; which Order being observed will keep us from running too far out of our bounds ; though if I should exceed but a little beyond my hour , I hope the good Affection which carries me forth , will be accepted so far , as to excuse me at least for any tolerable prolixity . My Text is part of a Psalm of David , whom I shall consider at this time , not as speaking for himself , but for the whole Church of God , as being the sweet Psalmist of Israel . And therefore passing by the occasion upon which this Psalm was Composed , ( which was a Deliverance that David had from Saul , as we read in the Title of the Psalm ) ( I say , passing by his particular Occasion , ) I shall consider the Words of my Text , as they may fit the Churches Case upon any such like Deliverance ; and especially on both those Deliverances which we are to remember this day . So abstracting from David's particular Case , and taking his Words as spoken in behalf of the Church ; not to be tedious in explaining them to you , I shall only give them a little enlargement by way of Paraphrase on my Text. ( Saith our Psalmist ) They had laid a net in my way , and my Soul ( i. e. ) I my self , in the Hebrew Phrase , was bowed down ; I was just stepping into it . But when I came near , I saw it was more than a Net , there was also a Pit which they had dug for me ; there was not only a Net to take me , but a Pit to kill me , or rather to bury me alive . But for all that , I am escaped out of danger , and they that dig'd the Pit are fallen into it . Surely this was God's work , of which therefore he ought to have the Glory ; and in him I ought to trust , I will trust in him for the future . This is the meaning of these words ; My heart is fixed , oh God , my heart is fixed ; I will sing and give praise . In the Text thus explain'd , all may be reduced to Two Heads : First God's mercy to his Church ; and Secondly the Churches acknowledgments to God. First God's Mercy to his Church , in delivering it from a great danger . The Danger is made much the greater by these three Circumstances of it . First , that it was Secret ; Secondly , that it was Near ; and Thirdly , like to have been Fatal . First , that it was Secret and Hidden : That is a terrible Circumstance indeed , especially of any great danger . Be it never so great , what one sees , he may find one way or other to avoid : He may so order things by good taking heed , that either it shall not come upon him ; or if it doth , it shall do him no hurt : He may break the force of it , he may at least so compound , that it shall do him as little hurt as is possible : But there is no compounding with he knows not what nor whom : There is no warding off a blow which one , cannot foresee ; it is upon him before he is aware of it : Such a danger comes over one like a Net ; and such was our Psalmist's , saith he , they had prepared a Net for my Steps . Secondly , he was near stepping into the Net : So I understand these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Soul ( i. e. ) I my self , was bowed down ; I was just dropping into it . That is another terrible Circumstance . It is terrible indeed , in case of any great danger , for the nearness of it lessens the hope of escaping . There is more hope of any danger , while it is yet afar off , that either it may not come at us , as things may happen ; or however , it will not come presently , it may be not till one is provided against it : But if the danger be so near , that it doth not give him time , then he cannot provide against it , he must take what comes , he cannot help it , he must suffer both that and all the Consequences of it . But Thirdly , then his hope is , that whatsoever he suffers it may not be his utter destruction . His hope is , that at least he may live after it ; and if so , what he loses now , he may recover at another time . So the Church said , Mic. 7. 8. Rejoyce not against me , oh my Enemy , though I fall , I shall rise : So one may hope to do , if he falls upon plain ground . But this was the worst of David's Case , that his Enemies had dug a Pit for him ; and he that falls into a Pit , is either kill'd or sore hurt , and so disabled that he cannot get out : especially when there is a Net to hold him there , then he is lost to all hope ; where he falls , there he lies without remedy . Now , for God's Mercy in his Deliverance , that follows ; and of this likewise there are three degrees . The first is not mentioned but supposed ; that through God's Mercy he escaped both the Net and the Pit. In any great Danger , if one escapes , and no more , that alone is a great Mercy of God. But , Secondly , Here was not only that Mercy in David's Case , but here was also an act of God's Justice upon his Enemies . What is more Just than this ? That every one should eat the Fruit of his own doings , that mischief should light on the Heads in which it was contrived , that they that dig Pits for others should fall into them themselves ? Thus David tells us it happen'd to his Enemies . And when it did so , If they had any sense in them , they could not but acknowledge there was a great deal of Justice in this . But , Thirdly , To make a Deliverance perfect , it must be such as David prays for , Psalm 141. 10. That his enemies may fall into their own nets , and that he may ever escape them . They that are so delivered from their Enemies , have reason to hope that they shall be troubled with them no more : their Enemies being so disabled with their fall , that they will not have strength to do them hurt ; or so dismay'd , that they will have no mind to it , for fear of worse another time . There is but one thing more to be wisht and prayed for , upon such a disappointment of our Enemies ; and that is , that it may be a means of their Conversion from Error and Sin. Of this we ought never to despair , tho' our hopes of it have failed us at other times . But the greatest hope we can have is from such a disappointment as this . If this would convince them of their sin , and of their folly in fighting against God , so it would be a means of their Conversion , and so it would be a happy fall to Them. Happy that fall by which Men rise to everlasting life ! Oh joyful sight ! to all good Men upon Earth , and to the blessed Angels in Heaven . But without this , where it cannot be had , a bare Deliverance , when God sees fit to grant no more , and especially if it be a perfect Deliverance from our Enemies , such as David here describes ; this is that which deserves a Thanksgiving to God , such as followeth in the next words . It is a Thanksgiving that begins in the right place . My Heart is fixed , oh God , my Heart is fixed . How it was so , he tells us elsewhere ; it was by trusting in God , Psalm 112. 7. The righteous man's heart is fixed , trusting in the Lord. And for this Trust , as we have a sufficient ground from what we know of God's Goodness to his Church , and much more from his Gracious Promise of Preservation ; so we are abundantly confirm'd by such an experience as this , of the truth of his Promise , and of his Goodness to us in particular . Secondly , Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks . What one is full of , he cannot but impart it to others : and every one will do it his own way . This was David's way in my Text , I will sing and give praise . The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used , signifies both to sing and to play upon an Instrument ; it joyns Vocal and Instrumental Musick together . So that David's words exactly rendered , would be these ; I will compose a Psalm , and I will sing it to Musick . He teaches us , upon such a Deliverance , to use all the expressions of Rejoicing and Thanksgiving together , that can be made forth by any outward Act : to stir up our selves to praise God for his Mercies , and to stir up others likewise to do it by our example . All these things which I have said in general , I am now to bring home to our present Case , in both the Deliverances that we are to remember this day . And first , as concerning the Gunpowder Treason ; I ought to say something of the Danger , before I speak of our Deliverance from it . But before both these , I ought to say something in answer to them that would perswade us that there was no Danger at all . They tell us it was a Plot of our side , into which some few of their Catholicks were drawn by the then Secretary of State ; and when he saw his time , he discovered it , as ( they say ) he might easily do , the whole thing being contrived by his wit , and carried on with his privity . In answer to this , I am first to do right to the Justice of the Nation , as well as to the Honour of that great Minister ; and to shew , that this was a Plot of the Conspirators against the State , and not of the State against the Conspirators . Having shewed that it was truly so , then I shall proceed to shew you the Danger of it , in those three degrees of Danger in my Text. First , the profound Secrecy of it . Secondly , the Nearness to execution . Thirdly , the mischief if it had taken ; I want a word great enough for it , It had been a Death's wound , a Fatal blow , both to Church and State , to our Religion and Laws , to every thing that is Sacred in this Nation . For the Conspiracy it self , it was so black , so Inhuman ; it so outdid the wickedness of the worst of Mankind , that one would think none but Devils could have devis'd , or would have had to do in it . But there are Principles that make Men like Devils . The Men of those Principles are called the Frogs that come out of the mouth of the Dragon , Rev. 16. 13. I doubt not that Prophetical description was intended of the Jesuits ; whom I mention , as being the Authors of this Devilish Conspiracy . The prime Architect in it , was Father Garnet , their Superior in this Kingdom : who took in as many more of his Order , and of their chosen Disciples as were thought fit to be trusted with the Secret of it . And let their Successors excuse it how they will , by saying , as they do at this distance of time , that it was Secretary Cecil that drew them into this Plot : That 's a thing that was never heard of in those days . The Parties themselves never charged him with it , they never laid it upon any other then themselves , they all own'd it , and some of them gloried in it , both Living and Dying . I appeal to their own Confessions for the truth of what I say , and to all the Writers of that Age for the truth of their Confession . But because in saying all the Writers , I may seem not to be particular enough , I shall therefore name Cardinal Bellarmine in particular . He writ against King James in the Name of Matthaeus Tortus : but he afterwards own'd that Book to be his , and writ the Vindication of it in his own name . Bellarmine was a Jesuit himself , and zealously concern'd for his Order ; he shews it sufficiently in his Book which he wrote at that time . He might very well have inform'd himself from Father Tesmund , who was in the Plot , and fled for it to Rome , where ( to shew how little they Abhor'd that wickedness ) he was preferred , He was then the Popes Penitentiary . And yet for all the Information he could give him , Bellarmine knew nothing of this . He never thought of this Shift to thro it upon Cecil . So far he is from that , that he owns that King James's Deliverance was not without a miracle of Providence : which he could not have said , without mocking God , as well as betraying his Cause , If he had Imagin'd that the Minister of State had bin Author , or so much as privy to that Conspiracy . But if any Papist would see and be convinced of the lateness of this Imagination , let him look into Morus the Jesuit's History of the English Mission of the Society . He writ this Book above fifty years after that time ; it was but a little before King Charles the Second's Restauration . There he gives an account of this Treason , and of the Fathers of the Society , that were in it , and that Suffered for it . But he has not a word of this excuse . He lays the matter wholly upon themselves , as an excess that they run into out of a Zeal for their Religion : and so he leaves it upon them of his own Order , which most certainly he would not have done , if he had had any knowledge , or any opinion of this Fiction . Much more I could say of this kind , if it were proper to load my discourse in this Presence with multitudes of Quotations . But thus much I thought might be needful , to shew , that we have not mocked God , all this while , and that we are not doing it at this time , by giving him thanks for that which was not His ; for that which was in truth but a Trick , and not a real Deliverance . How Real and how Great a Deliverance this was , I am next to shew , by setting before you the danger we escap'd , and that in all the Circumstances of my Text. First , for the Secrecy of it , that was wonderful ; Nay , it had bin wonderful in any other hands , but it was not so in theirs that had the management of this . There is no People in the World so provided as they are for Secrecy . First , by their Doctrine of satisfaction for Sin , and of Merit , by promoting their Catholick Cause . This passes generally with them of the Roman Church : and 't is that which so animates them with Zeal for their Religion . But particularly , among the Jesuits , their Doctrine of the lawfulness of Lying for the Cause ; they call it the Doctrine of Equivocation ; by which they can affirm any thing tho' it is never so false , they can deny any thing tho' it is never so true ; nay , they ought to do it ( as their Casuists say ) when it is needful for the Service of the Church . Add to this , their Clergy's power over the Laity ; which enables them to infuse what they will into their heads ; and they must believe it , ( as they commonly do , ) with an Implicit Faith , and they follow it with as blind an Obedience . Then on the other hand , If the Laity have any design , it is delivered under the Seal of Confession to the Clergy . So Garnet said , at first he came into this Secret , it was delivered to him by Catesby under the Seal of Confession : and being askt , why he had not discovered it then , for the preservation of the King and Kingdom ? He did not stick to say , That it were better all the Kings of the Earth should perish , than that he should discover what was said to him in Confession . But besides all these general things , which are of great use for the covering of any design ; there was that particular Secrecy in this , because not only their Lives depended upon it , but the Salvation of so many millions of Souls , as were by this means to be brought into the Catholick Church . These were most weighty Considerations , they are Charms that never miss their effect , wheresoever they are apply'd . We see what effect they had formerly , in that great Secrecy before the Missacre of Paris . I shall say nothing of it , but what I have from Capilupi , a Roman , that writ soon after the Massacre , and described it as a glorious thing , and carried on with admirable secrecy . He saith , it was carried on so for Four years time ; whereof , for twenty months together , it was known to no more but five besides the King ; he saith , for six Months after it was known only to Fourteen Persons ; but it was known to above Two hundred Persons for two days before the Execution ; and yet all this while , it was kept so close , by all that were privy to it , that , ( as that Author sufficiently proves ) the Hereticks were not aware of it : They were so far from that , that they had not the least supicion , till it broke out all on a sudden , at midnight , first at Paris , and from thence it ran in a Train all France over , till ( as Thuanus saith , who is of undoubted Credit ) there were murthered no fewer than Thirty thousand Persons , who were many of them the most considerable of all the Reformed in that Kingdom . We see yet stranger effects of these Charms of Secrecy : In Ireland , we saw a great instance of it in our Memory . The design of the Massacre , and of the Rebellion there , was carried on by numbers of Men throughout the whole Nation . They covered it so , that there was no suspicion of any evil Design : There was no ground for a Suspicion , unless it were their excessive civility , and kindness , and endearments to the Protestants , at that time more then any other . They were some of them so over kind , as to make themselves the Guests , and to lodge in the Houses , of those Protestants , whose Throats they were to cut the next day . But when once it had broken out , it was carryed on with all fury , to the slaughter of I know not how many Thousands . But I will tell you what I have read in a Book that was soon after printed at Lisbon ; it was writ by one of their Priests , that calls himself Constantinus Marullus ; he tells us , the Protestants say there were kill'd above a Hundred thousand ; it may be so , utinam omnes ! would we had kill'd them all ( saith he in his Catholick Charity . ) Now knowing these Instances of their Secrecy in such Matters , and knowing the Principles from which it proceeds ; we cannot wonder , that , in the hands of Men of the same Principles , this Gunpowder design was carried on with the same Secrecy . Tho it must needs be known to about Twenty Persons that had their particular Parts to Act in it ; and tho there was a general notice of it , that the Papists had throughout the Kingdom ; they knew that there was something extraordinary in hand , for the good of their Catholick Religion , and they had especial Prayers for that purpose ; yet none knew any thing of it but themselves . The Protestants had no suspicion of it , how could they ? when they had given them no provocation . No Provocation did I say ? they were so far from that , that they oblig'd them with Favours : I say this out of King James's Book . He tells us that during those three years that he had Reigned before the Gunpowder Treason , which Treason was a hatching all the while , yet all that while there was no Papist in England that suffered any thing upon the account of Religion : On the contrary , they were treated with favour , as if they had the Laws on their side : They were admitted to Court ; They were employ'd in Embassies ; They had Honours conferred upon them as well as others ; and they seemed to be in as good humour as they had reason to be in these Circumstances . But all this did not hinder them from going on with their design ; nay it rather encouraged them , it helpt them to carry it on . For being under no manner of Jealousie , they found themselves so secure , that at last they were even open in what they did . They had their meetings both in City and Country ; they workt in their Vault without fear ; They bought and laid in their Powder and other Materials ; They armed themselves at home ; They held Correspondence abroad : They left nothing unprovided for , that was necessary , either to finish their work , or to justifie it when it was done . This advantage they had by their Secrecy and profound Dissimulation , to make themselves unsuspected and trusted , and so to do that which they could not so well have done otherwise . And by this means they came so very near the effecting of their Design , which I noted as a Second degree of our danger . We were as near being catcht , as David was in the Case which he describes ; the Trap was laid for him , and he bowed down to it , he was just falling in , when he saw a Pit ready to receive him , even ready to swallow him up . This was the Case of our whole Church and Nation . The great Representative of These , the King , and his Parliament , were to have met in the usual Place , and there this Net was prepared , there was a Pit provided for them ; even there under the House where they were to sit , there was a Vault dug , a Magazine of Powder laid in , great Iron Bars were laid over , There was an Engineer at hand , the Match was ready laid , it was siz'd for an hour , a fatal hour , of this Morning , the Fifth of November ; in a minute of which , in a moment , all the Governing part of this Nation , and God knows how many more , all that came within the reach of it , were to have been blown up . Lord ! what a Thunder Clap had it been to this poor Church and Nation ? What an Earthquake would it have made through all Europe ? What a Fatal blow to the Protestant Religion , both here and all the World over ? It was a blow that would have been felt to all Posterity . How many of the greatest Persons now living would never have been born ? And how many more would have had Cause to wish themselves of the Number ? It would have made a strange alteration in the World ; and especially here in England : It would even turn ones head to think of all the Particulars . But some of the principal things I must consider now in the third place , to shew how Fatal a blow it would have been . And here I ought in duty to begin with the King and Royal Family . I shall do it the rather , to shew how little reason they have to brag of their Loyalty : They I mean of the Roman Catholick Religion , who not only excuse , but do little less than worship them that were the prime Authors of this . First I say , that if this Plot had taken , there had been an end of the Reigning Family . This King and Queen had never been born : No , nor any that descended from King Charles the First of blessed and glorious Memory . That Prince , though he was very young at that time , yet he must have taken his Lot among the rest : such was the Indulgence of his Father , that he would have both his Sons to be with him at his entring into that Parliament ; and so they were all to have been blown up together . For the Lady Elizabeth , ( who was afterwards Queen of Bohemia ) she was then in the Country ; and to seiz upon her , they had framed a hunting match , at which she was to have been taken , for what use I cannot say , probably to have been put into a Nunnery . But that none of that Family was to have Reigned , it was determin'd before by that Pope , in whose time all this business began . He was resolved upon the Exclusion of King James before his coming into England ; and had set out his two Breves for that purpose : which Act of the Popes , ( as Garnet himself said , ) was that which put them upon this Treason ; They thought it their Duty to throw out him whom the Pope had commanded them not to receive . Well! but the Crown must be placed somewhere , and which way would the Pope have disposed of it ? That appears in the Letters of Cardinal d Ossat , who was then at Rome , and inform'd the King of France of this Mystery . He tells him , that by Father Parson's contrivance , ( who at that time govern'd their Counsels for the English Affairs , ) the Pope would have found a way to have marryed his Nephew to the Lady Arabella , to give him at least some Colour of a Title to the Kingdom . We find in these Letters what means were then used to engage the Kings of France and Spain to put him in Possession . I do not remember the end of this matter : nor I am no farther concern'd in it , than to shew that the Pope was in very good earnest , in those Breves , to throw out the now Reigning Family . It is no great matter whom they would have set up in the stead . It must have been one that was throughly made for their purpose . One that would have gone through with them in their Design of Restoring their Catholick Religion ; and in order to that , in their methods of governing the Kingdom . And for the Government of the Kingdom , it appears what course they design'd . We have a large Account of it in Father Parsons's Model of the Reformation . I mention him again , as one that govern'd the Counsels of those Times . He proposed in the first place , to set up a Council of Reformation , that should have the Conduct of all things for five or six years . That Council should have been composed of Popish Bishops , and other Zealous Catholicks , ( to be sure such as would have been ruled by the Jesuits . ) They were to have granted some kind of Toleration at first , till they could settle things to their mind . Then they were to have a Parliament , of which all the Members were , not to take a Test , ( take heed of that by all means , ) but only to make a Profession of the Catholick Faith , and to bind themselves to it with an Oath , without which they were not to be admitted to be Members . Then this Parliament should have made it Treason for any Member to propose any change of Religion for the future . Having thus secured the Votes , they were next to have repeal'd all the Laws against Popery , and they were to have revived and put in full Authority ( these are his words ) all the Laws that ever were in ure here in England against Heresie . After that we may be competently sure , there should have bin no more Toleration . Then the Parliament should have restored all the Church Lands . They should have cleerly taken in all that Hereticks had in Possession ; but for those that were held by Catholicks , they should only have paid the old Rents , and so held them still as their Tenants . There were many other particulars , upon which I have not time to enlarge . But he comes to this at last , that when all things were settled their way , by Act of Parliament ; then there should be an Inquisition settled likewise . But because that is an Odious name , it should have bin called something else ; but it should be the very same thing which at Rome they call the holy Inquisition . And when they had settled that in this Kingdom , then England would have bin as Catholick as Spain or Italy . And so having secured this Kingdom to themselves , they had made a fair step towards the extirpating of the Northern Heresie . No doubt this was it that they drove at ; in which they could hardly have faild , if this Plot had taken ; it had bin Fatal , not only to us , but to all the Protestant Religion . From so Secret , so Near , and so Fatal a danger , it pleased God to deliver us , as on this day , which therefore we ought to celebrate with Thanksgivings . With perpetual Thanksgivings , If it were but for that single Deliverance . It had bin a great Deliverance , if there had bin nothing else in it but a bare disappointment of their present design . Many other Deliverances we have reason to believe God has given us , even from this sort of Adversaries , that we have never thankt him for , because they never came to our Knowledge . Some Mercies of this Kind we can name , of which we knew nothing at the time : but we have gathered it up afterwards from some of themselves that have bin privy to their Conspiracies . I am perswaded there have past very few years , in which they have not had some Design or other on foot , of which we have had no Information . You cannot but judge so , if you read Coleman's Letters , to say nothing of other Books of older Date . God has disappointed them , by such ways as he has not bin pleased to bring to our knowledge . He is a true friend , that doth things for us at that rate : that seeing us in danger or want , never stays to be askt , but helps us even without our knowledge . We owe him the more thanks for this , because he doth it unknown to us : and yet because we know it not , we cannot thank him with any particular acknowledgment . How much the more are we obliged to thank God for Mercies which we certainly know ? for what he doth for us in that Signal manner , that the Psalmist describes in this Text ? When he not only saves us from the Net which our Enemies have laid for us , but when he causes them to fall into the Pit which they have dig'd before us . This is the Second thing to be observ'd and acknowledg'd in our present Deliverance . It was observ'd and acknowledg'd by some of the Powder Traytors themselves . When they found their Treason was discovered , it was at Holbech-House , ( I think that was the name of it , ) when a quantity of Powder that they were drying , blew up , and hurt several of them , and much dismaied all the rest ; then they could not but see and confess , that God had taken them in their wickedness . Others saw afterwards that which was a more visible Token of his Judgment , when their heads met together on the top of that House which they would have blown up . But his Judgment was yet more visible upon Popery it self , on whose account that Devilish Conspiracy was made . The discovery of it was the greatest blow that Popery had ever received in this Kingdom since the Reformation . It was upon this happy discovery that the chief part of that provision was made that has secured us against it ever since . It was then that the Oath of Allegiance was framed , that has bin the chief distinction between Protestants and Papists : and then that most of those Laws were enacted , that have bin ever since a great Security and Fence to our Religion . It was such a Fence , as , if our Governors would have stood by , had certainly secur'd as well their Government as our Religion . Our Enemies could never have broke it down , nor climb'd over it , if it had been lookt to with ordinary care . But it was our unhappiness , they had always a Friend at Court ; some Friend or other to lend them a helping hand . And what came of it ? Under the neglected and trampled Fence bred those Adders that stung them to Death who should have kept it garded and repair'd . Afterwards , through the Just Judgment of God on our Sins , wo unto us ! Our Enemies , whom this Fence should have kept out , not only got over it , but got the Government on their side . We could not believe it a long while . We ought to be so tender of the Honour of our Princes , as not to believe any ill of them till we cannot help believing it . We canot help it , when they will let the thing be no longer concealed . But it was happy for us , that before this was declared , upon occasion of some breaches that were over-hastily made , this Fence was repaired , and made stronger by Additional Laws . Then our Fence was so strong , that our Enemies found it necessary to take away our Laws , that they might come at our Religion . Oh how fain would they have had the consent of a Parliament to do this ! A Church of England Parliament , to be a kind of Felo de se ! to take away that which secured , not the Spiritual indeed , but the Bodily life of our Church . How fain would they have blown us up with an opinion , that we must give up our Laws , forsooth in a complement of Loyalty ! as if to do otherwise , had bin to have distursted the King. So they made him believe , and so they would fain have perswaded You. Prodigious Impudence ! for Jesuits to do this ! Them that never endured a King of another Religion , one moment longer , than till they could come at his heart blood ; for Them to take upon them to teach You Loyalty ! You of the Church of England , that not only received a King of another Religion , but did every thing that he could ask , except the giving up of your Religion and Laws . For that indeed you humbly desired to be excused . You could not do like your Selves in giving up these . You hoped he would not take them from us . We knew he could not do it , without making this Another Kingdom . Blessed be God , for that steadiness of mind , which Generally shew'd its self upon this occasion ; not only in the Nobility , Gentry , and Clergy , but even among the Commonalty of this Kingdom . It was to a Miracle , even our Enemies being Judges ; such a steadiness as no Man could hope for , and such as God only could give . But when we would not be wheedled out of our Laws , then , they that could do what they would with the King , were for other ways , then they were for forcing them from us . And for this , what likelier way than by a standing Army ? That they thought at first to have raised here in England . They might perhaps think that Soldiers would not be much concern'd for Religion . But they found their mistake . In all England they could not raise an Army to bring in Popery . What then ? they must bring them over out of Ireland . There they had a Nation of Catholicks , for their turn ; and if those had not sufficed , there were French enough ready at Call , who at that time had nothing to hinder them from coming hither . In this State of things , they durst try what the Patience of the Nation would bear . And so having first broken over the Test-Laws , they next proceeded to Suspend the other Penal Laws . And the same pretence they had for that , would have reacht all our Laws : For they did it by a Dispensing Power , which they made the King believe was no more but his Lawful Prerogative . The Laws being thus trampled under foot , it was visible what we were next to expect ; there was no other prospect , but of Arbitrary Government , and of Popery ; both which , being settled here once , would not easily have been removed . We see how it is in France ; there was a Government by Laws , and there were two Millions of Protestants under the protection of those Laws . But where are they now ? There are no Laws but the King's Will : and it is his Will that there must be no Protestants : All his Subjects must be of his Religion : Those that are not , he sets his Dogs at them , he hunts them like wild Beasts , in his Country , and out of his Country . This he doth for his Glory , as being the most Christian King ; and if other Princes will follow him , no Protestant shall live in the World. He engag'd the Duke of Savoy to do the like in his Country : and lent him his Dogs , he even thrust them upon him . They hunted the Vaudois , till they had kill'd above half that poor People : Of the other half , part were starved in Prison , part were driven out of the Country , and the few that remain'd were forced to abjure their Religion . This was actually done there , within these three or four Years . And God knows how soon the like might have bin done in England . It might ? What should hinder ? When our Laws could not secure us . What should hinder ? but the want of hands to do the business effectually . But he that both gave the Example , and lent hands to the Duke of Savoy ; would have seen that hands should not have been wanting in England , when it had been time to have followed that Example . Sure we are , that the Guides of our King's Conscience did approve of the Example , and were mad to have him follow it . We are as sure that They were in strict Alliance with France , from whence , as they had their Counsels , so they could not doubt of Assistance . And tho it would have cost them nothing , that King knew how to pay himself for it , in Empire , of which he is greedy and insatiable . To gain this , he wanted nothing but to have England in dependance on him . He wanted nothing else to enable him , to oppress all the rest of his Neighbours , and to rob them of their Dominions . No doubt the other Princes of his Religion were sensible enough of their danger , by England's coming into a dependance on the French Monarchy . How much more were the Protestant Princes and States , that saw themselves by this means exposed to the utmost hazard , as well of their Spiritual , as of their Temporal Concernments ? They were all concern'd ; but knew not how to help themselves or us ; till God raised up One among them .... Blessed be God .... I cannot say what I would on this Subject , for I must not forget where , and before whom I speak . But I may speak of the Works of God , which he hath so done , as that they ought to be had in Remembrance ; and of these I shall observe these three things , and only give touches upon each , and so leave them to your Meditation . First , how extraordinarily God had prepared things for our Deliverer to do his work among us : Secondly , how his good Angels conducted and went along with him in it : and Thirdly , how God blessed him with Success above all human hopes and expectations . First , for the wonderful Concurrence of things abroad that made way for this Revolution ; they were such as no Politician could have contrived or brought about : Perphaps it is not so proper for me here to name the Particulars . The mean while , here at home the Preparation was made in Mens Hearts : In the hearts of the People , which being only in the hands of God , that was his Work most certainly . Then , when all things were ready for the work , God found a fit Juncture for it . All the French Power being engag'd in that most unjust War on the Empire . These things that I have named were great helps towards our Deliverance , and he is blind that does not see the hand of God in them . How much more in the Expedition it self ? which is the Second thing . In this , at the first setting forth , God seemed indeed to frown ; without any hurt , but only to shew , that the Winds are His and not ours . And this appeared wonderfully when his time was come , by his employing them so in favour of our Deliverance . It had been an extraordinary thing for the Winds to come at any ones Call ; as Claudian sung to Theodosious the Emperor , Oh nimium dilecte Deo — No Man knoweth that Poet , but he remembers the rest of the Verse . But God made them do more than that for our Deliverer . They directed him which way to sail . They chose him a landing place , the best perhaps that could have been found in this Kingdom . And when they had brought him hither , they set him down , and there left him , and turn'd back against his pursuers . What was all this ? but the work of God that makes his Angels Spirits , Psal. 104. 4. He makes the Winds his Angels . I think that 's a better Translation . I am sure God made the Winds his good Angels for our Deliverance . Then thirdly for his Landing , it was upon this Memorable day . Yesterday was the King's Birth-day , it was also Their Majesties Marriage-day ; on both Accounts , to be Celebrated with yearly Thanksgivings : But this day brought the fruit of both those Blessings to these Kingdoms . Shall I call this our Birth-day ? or rather the day of our Resurrection ? It is a Day that brought us new Life from the dead . It brought nothing but Life : There was no Man dyed for it . And then as his Landing was without Blood , so was all his March without Blood , and it ended in a Conquest without Blood. Such a Conquest as the Sun makes upon a Mist , that only disperses it , and clears the Air from it , and makes the People glad that it is gone . The thick Mist of Popery is gone , I trust in God , so as to return no more . That 's it that makes it a Perfect decisive Deliverance ; such as that of Israel was from the Egyptians , when Moses said , you shall see them no more for ever , Exod. 14. 13. In this Trust let every one that loves our Israel say , My heart is fixed , Oh God , my heart is fixed ; and for this Deliverance , as long as I have any Being , I will sing , and give praise . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A48852-e230 Cornelius Mac Mahon . Clement VIII . 
A65974	----	The tryal and execution of Father Henry Garnet, superior provincial of the Jesuits in England for the powder-treason collected by Roger Widdrington, a Roman Catholick, and by him addressed unto Pope Paul the Fifth, printed in Latin 1616 in his appendix to his Humble Supplication, p. 124, and thence translated. Now published to make it further evident, that it is no new thing for Jesuits to curse and ban, to justifie a lie. Humillima supplicatio. Appendix. English. Selections Preston, Thomas, 1563-1640. 1679 Approx. 26 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A65974 Wing W2087 ESTC R22947 12622773 ocm 12622773 64572 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65974) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 64572) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 969:18) The tryal and execution of Father Henry Garnet, superior provincial of the Jesuits in England for the powder-treason collected by Roger Widdrington, a Roman Catholick, and by him addressed unto Pope Paul the Fifth, printed in Latin 1616 in his appendix to his Humble Supplication, p. 124, and thence translated. Now published to make it further evident, that it is no new thing for Jesuits to curse and ban, to justifie a lie. Humillima supplicatio. Appendix. English. Selections Preston, Thomas, 1563-1640. 8 p. Printed for Johnathan Robinson ..., London : 1679. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Widdrington's real name is given by DNB as Thomas Preston. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Garnet, Henry, 1555-1606. East India Company. Jesuits -- England. Gunpowder Plot, 1605. 2006-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-01 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-05 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2006-05 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE TRYAL AND EXECUTION OF Father HENRY GARNET , Superior Provincial OF THE JESUITS IN ENGLAND FOR THE Powder-Treason . Collected By ROGER WIDDRINGTON a Roman Catholick ; And by him addressed unto Pope Paul the Fifth ; Printed in Latin 1616. in his Appendix to his Humble Supplication , p. 124 , and thence Translated . Now Published to make it further evident , that it is no new thing for Jesuits to curse and ban , to justifie a Lie. LONDON , Printed for Jonathan Robinson , at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard . 1679. To the Reader . HAving observed that in one of the late Trials , it did appear by one of the Witnesses , that the Jesuits old flam is still alive in some of their mouths , viz. that the Powder-Plot was but a trick of Cecil's ( as Ireland told Mr. Jennison ) to bring an Odium upon the Papists , I have thought good to give here an account of the Trial and Execution of Father Garnet , written by a Learned and Eminent Roman Catholick , the Truth of which he had confirmed to him by many others of the same profession , who were eye and ear witnesses of what he writes ; and which he addressed unto the Pope himself : and therefore I presume he may be accounted by Papists a more impartial Relater , then if he had been a person in other circumstances , or had not told it the Pope to his face to keep him from being fallible in Sainting a Traytour ; for the Author had said but a few lines before that Garnet had been lately inserted into the Catalogue of Holy Martyrs in the English Martyrology , made by one Wilson , sometimes Scribe to Father Parsons in the English Colledge at Rome . I confess I have sometimes wondred at the wit , as well as the im●udence of those men who think they have finely excused themselves by saying that Cecil trapan'd them into that Plot. ( for that they were in it over head and ears , the present Relation shews ) when as they might more truly have said that the Devil drew them into the Conspiracy , ( as they said he discovered it ) which would have been the better excuse of the two ; by how much the Devil is a more subtle Seducer , and so it will be the less imputation of reproach to have been out-witted by him ; but in laying the fault on Cecil , they do thereby but prove themselves as weak as wicked , and as much Fools as Knaves , and so renounce that Darling attribute of their Order . Upon this Narrative the Reader will ( I doubt not ) make many considerable Remarks ; as for instance , 1. That it 's no new thing for a Jesuit to curse and ban himself to justifie a lie ; and therefore less to be wondred that they should die with a lie in their mouths now . 2. That one Reason of their so doing is , because they think the contrary cannot be prov'd against them ; or , upon their Execrations of themselves , will not be believed to be true . 3. That they have a certain Doctrine of Equivocation among themselves , how far , and when it may be made use of , which unless others knew too , they cannot tell how far or when to trust them ; but if they did know , the trick would become useless and ridiculous . 4. That the Society is greatly improved since those times , especially in the Forehead vein ; for here poor Garnet is said to have blush'd , when found in a lie , and to have confest his fault ; but his Successors had so much of the White , that no red could be seen ; they are now got above such childish passions , as our late Trials and Executions have given us abundant Testimony . 5. That all Papists were not in the Plot Then , as 't is hop'd they are not Now ; but what they might have been after the blow given , we know not ; but as then 't was disown'd when it succeeded not , so now deni'd that it may go on ; but I shall leave the Reader to make his own further Observation . THE TRYAL AND EXECUTION Of Father HENRY GARNET , &c. FAther Henry Garnet , being at that time Superiour-provincial of the Jesuits in England , was in a Publick Court of Judicature held by many Peers of the Realm , and those Privy Counsellours to our Serene King ( many thousands of men , and among them many Roman Catholicks being present ) arraigned and condemned , and afterward executed for being a contriver of , or consenter to , or at least privy to that most horrible Powder-Treason . There were many proofs offer'd to the twelve Jury-men ( who by the English Custom are to pass their Verdict , whether the Prisoner at the Bar be guilty or not of the Crimes whereof he is accused , before the Judge may pass his Sentence ) by the King's Council and other Lord 's appointed by the King , who sate upon the Bench , which did prove the said Father Garnet guilty of contriving , or consenting to , or at least being privy to the aforementioned Treason . And because it would be too tedious to reckon up in particular all those proofs which were taken and objected against him , both out of letters written with his own hand , and produced by the King's Council , and also out of his own free Confession , which he had before his Trial made unto the Lord's Deligates who examin'd him , and sign'd with his own hand ; ( for , which is very considerable , he was not compelled to discover the truth by putting him to any kind of torture , which yet is usual in all other Nations , but they only took those things in writing , which he of his own accord would confess ) And lastly , out of the Testimonies of the Conspirators themselves ( and Mrs. Anne Vaux , one very intimate and familiar with him ) all which are apparently to be seen partly in the Publick Records , since printed by Authority , and partly in the Answer of the Bishop , then of Chichester , now of Ely to Matthew Tortus , who doth examine the matter with great accuracy : Therefore I shall content my self to relate only some few things of many , which I have heard confirmed to me by Roman Catholicks , who were present at his Trial , which he either was publickly convicted of , or confessed himself in open Court. And which may be abundantly sufficient , for your Holiness to make a clear Judgment from them , whether Father Garnet be to be accounted a true Martyr of Christ , and to have suffered for righteousness sake , or else a very Traytour , and to have suffered for his own demerits ; or else , being neither Martyr nor Traytor , he were condemned of that Powder Conspiracy unjustly only , and without sufficient Evidence . First of all therefore there were very many proofs offered to the Jury , which did seem to prove evidently , that Father Garnet was privy to the said Conspiracy , and therefore himself did in open Court before all present confess , 1. That he had had some notice of the Plot in the general , even out of Confession , from Catesby , who was the principal Conspirator ; when he came to Father Garnet to ask his advice , whether it were lawful in any case to destroy the innocent together with the guilty ; which ( said Father Garnet ) at first I thought to be but an idle question , though indeed afterwards I did suspect that he had some ill design in his mind ; and yet to this question he gave his Resolution , viz. That without doubt a man might lawfully destroy the innocent together with the nocent , if the doing of it might produce so much good as might countervail the death of some innocent persons . 2. He confessed also that he could have known the whole Plot in particulars from Catesby , who would have made to him a particular Narrative of his Design , which yet Garnet would not listen unto . But Father Garnet affirmed that he did desire Catesby once and again to acquaint the Pope with his undertaking . To which Catesby returned this Answer , that he would not learn the Pope's mind of him , which himself did not at all doubt of . 3. He confest that he had heard the whole Conspiracy in Particulars from the Jesuit Father Oswald Tresmond , alias Greenwel , whom he strictly injoyned , ( said Father Garnet ) both to desist from the Enterprize himself , and to use his utmost endeavour that the rest of the Conspirators should proceed no further . But to this his Answer the King's Attourney thus replied ; that this Confession was not true , but seigned and shifting , and only palliated under the pretext of Confession , seeing that about this Confession Father Garnet had nonoriously shuffled before the Lords Delegates : For being commanded to answer seriously whether or no he had really in Confession heard the whole matter in Particulars ; I answer ( saith Father Garnet ) that as we were walking , Tresmond alias Greenwel declared the whole matter under the greatest zeal ; which I understood of the zeal of Confession , though he perhaps might mean some other less zeal ; neither can I affirm it for certain that he did intend to declare what he did in way of Confession . Then the Earl of Salisbury said , that there was no credit to be given to his bare Affirmation or Negation , seing that Father Garnet had formerly before the Lords Delegates been convicted of manifest perjury to his own great blushing and confusion . For when after his secret discourse with Oldcorn the Jesuit ( alias Hall ) ( which yet was over-heard by some ) he was asked by the Lords Delegates , and desired to answer without Equivocation , whether or no he had had any conference with Father Oldcorn in the Prison ; Father Garnet did peremptorily deny it upon his Salvation , which he repeated with such horrid Imprecations ( said the Earl ) that he seemed to wound the ears of those that heard him . And yet so soon as Father Oldcorn confest that he had discoursed with him , Father Garnet blushed ask●● pardon of the Lords Delegates , and confessed himself to have sinned 〈◊〉 ●quivocation could relieve him . And afterward the same Earl asked Father Garnet that he would produce but so much as one Argument besides his own simple Negation , which might perswade a prudent man to believe that he was not consenting to the Conspiracy : to whom Father Garnet answered not a word . In the second place , That Father Garnet was not only privy , but also consenting to the Conspiracy , these among others were the proofs . 1. His Silence and concealing of it , having heard it in the general from Catesby , ( and might also have heard it in particular but refused ) yet did not reveal it . For he that conceals what he ought to discover , is said to consent to it ; and he which doth not hinder what he might , and ought to hinder , by revealing it , it is manifest that he is consenting to it . 2. The Father Tesmond's and Father Gerrard's ( both Jesuits ) and the rest of the Conspirators persisting in the Plot ; who did wholly depend upon the Authority of those Fathers , especially Garnet , in this wicked Enterprize ; as also the words of Father Oldcorn the Jesuit to Humphrey Littleton , when ( after the Conspiracy was discovered ) he told him that Catesby and others were miserably wounded by the suddain firing of Gun-powder , and that he was heartily sorry that the pains of so many days was now vanished into smoke , and was come to so lamentable an issue ; whom Father Oldcorn bad not to take it so much to heart , nor judge of the Equity of the Cause by the Event . For , the Eleven Tribes of Israel ( and those ) gathered together at God's command , did twice joyn battle with their Brethren of the Tribe of Benjamin , yet both times they lost the day . And Saint Lewis King of France raised a vast Army , and went to the Holy War against the Sarazens , though he had a good Cause , yet was he conquered , and his Army routed . The Christians also that so stoutly defended Rhodes against the Assaults of the Turks , yet were they constrained to resign the City to the Enemy . For , all these things do seem to make it sufficiently manifest , that Father Garnet did not truly and really detest that Conspiracy , nor cordially command Father Tesmond and Father Gerard to desist from it ; since it is not likely , unless they had well understood that Father Garnet did consent to that Conspiracy , that they durst have persisted in so horrid a wickedness ; which , if it were once discovered , would prove the Ruine of their whole Society here in England ; and this , contrary to the command of their Superior . Nor that Father Oldcorn should dare to commend it as a good Enterprize even after it was discovered . Thirdly , ( to conclude ) that Father Garnet was not only privy and consenting to that Treason , but also an Adviser of it , these among others were the Reasons brought to prove . First , The shewing to Catesby of two Apostolick Letters or Briefs of Pope Clement the Eighth ( which were sent to Father Garnet ) whereof one was directed to our Beloved Sons the Catholick Princes and Nobles ; the other , To our Beloved Son the Arch-Priest , and the rest of the Clergy of England . In which Letters the Pope exhorts the English Catholicks , that after the death of Queen Elizabeth they should not admit of any to the Crown of England , how near soever he were in blood , but only such an one as would not only Tolerate , but with all his might Promote the Catholick Faith , and , More Majorum , give his Oath that he would perform it . For , by these Letters was Catesby confirmed in his wickedness , thus arguing from them . Those who might then be kept out , may now be cast out again . It is as lawful now to hinder the King from enjoying , as it was then to hinder him from entering ; but then Clement would have us Catholicks to have hindred his obtaining , and therefore now it shall be my care to look to this matter . Secondly , The second was Father Garnet's Answer to the Question of Catesby , concerning the slaughter of the Innocent together with the Nocent . From these two did Catesby ground himself , and build all his Intentions upon them . The Third , was the persistence of Father Tesmond and Father Oldcorn in their wicked Enterprize , and Father Oldcorn's commending it as a good Act , though now discover'd and unsuccesful ; for it is not credible that they should dare to do so , unless they had ask'd the Advice , and known the mind of their Superiour , that is , Father Garnet , especially in a matter so weighty and so dangerous to their Society , as this might prove . At length Father Garnet being much moved by the Speeches of the Earl of Northampton , and the Earl of Salisbury , brake forth into these words : That he had done more than he could form any just excuse for ; And wish I had never known the Business of this Powder-Treason ; and at last he humbly besought God and the King , that the other Catholicks might not fare the worse for his sake . Out of these and many other Arguments ( which for brevity sake I mention not ) it seems to be plain , that the Jury , and the Lord Chief Justice ( to whom it belongs to pronounce Sentence of Life or Death ) might deservedly think , that Father Garnet having had notice of the Treason ( and that out of Confession ) and yet not revealed it , and seeing it was his own fault that he had not particular notice of it , that so he might have revealed it , and since that to make it appear that he had particular notice of it , in Confession only , there is nothing but his own simple Assertion ( to which in this matter credit ought not to be given ; especially seeing he was before convicted of perjury ) was , if not a Counsellor of and Consenter to , yet at least privy to that Treason which he did not reveal ; and therefore according to the Ancient Laws of England , Guilty of High-Treason . Wherefore , all the Arguments and Proofs of what had been said and done , together with Father Garnet's Answers , being heard and referred unto the Jury's Verdict , who brought him in Guilty of the Charge laid against him ; The Lord Chief Justice pronounced this Sentence against him , that he should be drawn , hanged and quartered . Then the Earl of Salisbury ask'd Father Garnet if he had any more to say : To which he Answered ; No my Lord , but I humbly beseech your Lordships to recommend my Life unto the King , at whose command I am most ready to die , or to live and do him service . And these things were transacted in the publick Tryal of Father Garnet at his Arraignment , which I have recited faithfully , though perhaps not all in the same Order wherein they were done . But of what passed at his Execution , this is the Sum which follows . Being brought to the Place of Execution , and having ascended the Scaffold which was set up on purpose ; Sir Henry Mountague Recorder of the City of London ( being commanded by the King to be there present ) asked Father Garnet if he had any thing to impart to the People that stood about him , telling him that it was no time now to dissemble , since his Crimes were manifest unto all ; and therefore if he pleased he might testifie to all , what he thought concerning his own Condition , and his Crimes ; for he should have free leave , if he had any thing to say . Father Garnet answered , that his voyce was so low , and his strength so spent , that , if he should speak to the People , he could not be heard . But to those that stood by him on the Scaffold , he said , that it was a wicked Plot , and the Design was so horrid , that if it had taken effect , he could not but have detested it from his very soul ; adding that he only knew of it in general from Catesby , and yet herein he had offended that he had concealed it , and neglected to prevent it ; but what he knew particularly of it , he said , he had heard it only under the Seal of Confession . But the Recorder admonished him that he would remember these four things the King had by him in writing , signed by Father Garnet's own hand , viz. 1. That Greenwel ( or Tesmond ) had signified the matter to him , not as a sin , but as that which he before was acquainted with , and to the intent that he might ask his advice about it . 2. That Catesby and Tesmond came to him that they might be confirmed in their wicked undertaking . 3. That Tesmond and he had a good while after , had a Conference in Essex concerning the Particulars of the Gun-Powder-Treason . 4. That Tesmond had asked Father Garnet , who was to be Protector of the Kingdom ? and Father Garnet answered him ; That was to be respited till the matter was done and ever . These things shew that these wickednesses were known to you otherwise than by Confession ; and these things are under your own hand . Father Garnet answered , whatsoever is under my hand is true ; and because he had not discovered to his Majesty what he knew , Sentence of death had justly been passed on him , and he begg'd pardon of his Majesty for it . Then said Father Garnet , I am come hither on this day which is the Feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross , to put an end to all the Crosses which I have suffered in my Life , You are not ignorant of the cause of my suffering ; I confess I have offended against the King , and am sorry for it , so far as I was guilty of the Plot , viz. in concealing it , and for this I humbly beseech his Majesty to forgive me . The Plot against the King and Kingdom was bloody , and such as if it had been Executed , I should have detested with all my heart and soul . And truly I am very much grieved and troubled that Catholicks should ever undertake so horrid and cruel a wickedness . Then turning from the People to them that stood about him , he made an Apology for the Lady Anne Vaux ; and as concerning the Pope's Briefs , and Edmund Bainhem's going beyond Sea ; and the Powder-Plot , he referred himself to his Arraignment and his Confessions , for whatsoever he had confest and given under his hand , was true . And then preparing himself for death , he kneeled down at the Ladder's foot , by which he was to ascend the Gallows , and asked if he might pray , and how long ? it was answered , that he might pray as long as he would , and that none should interrupt him . When he had risen up again ; The Recorder observing by his Gesture , that he was discomposed by earnest expectation of a Pardon , bid him not to deceive himself , and his own soul , for he was brought thither to die , and die he must ; withal requiring him that he would not Equivocate now with his last Breath , but if he knew any thing that might be prejudicial to the King or Kingdom , that he would declare it . Father Garnet answered , This is no time to Equivocate ; how far forth it 's lawful to Equivocate , and when , I have already declared my Opinion elsewhere : but now I do not Equivocate , and I know no more than I have confessed . Being now upon the Gallows , he used these words ; I recommend my self to all good Catholicks ; and I pray God to protect the King's Majesty , the Queen , the Royal Issue , and the Lords of the Privy Council ; whom I salute most officiously , and with whom I am sorry that I should dissemble . But I did not think they had had those Proofs against me which they had , until they produced them : For then I thought it a greater honour to confess , than before to have accused my self . As for my Brother Tesmond , I wish that the Truth may appear , for false rumours would fasten more upon him than he is guilty of : I had never accused him , had I not thought he had been got out of danger . I pray God the Catholicks may not fare the worse for my sake ; and I exhort them all , that they never have any hand in such Treasons and Rebellions against the King. Then signing himself with the sign of the Cross , and commending himself to the Holy Trinity , and the Blessed Virgin , the Ladder being turn'd , he ended his Life . And all this ( most blessed Father ) was transacted , not in secret hugger-mugger , but openly , and as it were upon the Stage , partly at his Publick Tryal in the Chamber of London , before five Illustrious Earls , who were commissioned to judge in the Case , and who had for their Assessers ( besides the Lord Mayor of London ) three Chief Judges of the Kingdom , and in the presence of an almost infinite number of men , among whom many were Roman Catholicks ; partly at his Execution in the midst of the City before the gate of St. Pauls , to which also there was a great conflux of People assembled ; So that your Holiness , if you should doubt of the truth of any thing here related , and will not give credit to so great a multitude of Protestants , ( who , it 's no way likely , should speak falsly in a thing so Publick , and concerning which they might easily be convinced of falshood ( if any were ) by so many Roman Catholicks who were present both at the Tryal and Execution ) yet by those Roman Catholicks themselves , who were not Conspirators ; but are much grieved that those Fathers should have an hand in so horrid a wickedness , because of the great detriment and scandals which from thence have befallen the Catholick Religion ; While they are yet alive , you may easily be informed of the very truth of the several Particulars which I have related , which I my self have heard from Catholicks themselves , who were present at the Transactions . FINIS . 
A59567	----	A sermon preached before the Lords spiritual and temporal in Parliament assembled, in the Abbey-church at Westminster on the fifth of November, 1691 / by the Archbishop of York. Sharp, John, 1645-1714. 1691 Approx. 40 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 15 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A59567 Wing S2995 ESTC R15085 12854524 ocm 12854524 94577 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A59567) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 94577) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 877:33) A sermon preached before the Lords spiritual and temporal in Parliament assembled, in the Abbey-church at Westminster on the fifth of November, 1691 / by the Archbishop of York. Sharp, John, 1645-1714. [2], 27 p. Printed for Walter Kettilby ..., London : 1691. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Advertisement: p. 27. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- N.T. -- Romans X, 2 -- Sermons. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2003-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-06 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-02 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2005-02 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Die Veneris 6. Novemb. 1691. IT is Ordered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled , That the Thanks of this HOUSE shall be , and are hereby given to his Grace the Lord Archbishop of York for his Sermon preached yesterday before this HOUSE in the Abbey-Church at Westminster . And he is hereby desired to Print and Publish the same . Matth. Iohnson , Cler. PARLIAMENTOR . A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE Lords Spiritual and Temporal IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED , IN THE ABBEY-Church at WESTMINSTER , On the Fifth of November , 1691. By the Archbishop of YORK . LONDON , Printed for Walter Kettilby , at the Bishops Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1691. Rom. x. 2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God , but not according to knowledge . THese are St. Paul's words , and he spoke them of the Jews , those unbelieving Jews that were so tenacious of the Traditions of their Fathers , and so utterly averse to any Reformation of Religion : That tho' it appear'd by undeniable evidence that Christ Jesus was by God sent into the World for that purpose , yet , did they to the last stand out in their opposition of him and his Gospel , even to the final rejection of their Nation . To these People doth St. Paul in this Chapter express a great compassion , heartily wishing and praying for their Conversion . Brethren ( saith he in the first verse ) my hearty desire and prayer to God for Israel is , that they may be saved . That is , that they may come to the knowledge of the Truth in Christ Jesus , and by that means obtain everlasting Salvation . And one reason why he was thus concerned for them , he gives in the words following , which are the words I have read unto you . For I bear them record ( saith he ) that they have a zeal of God , but not according to knowledge . It was a great motive to him to be concern'd for their happiness , that they were zealous , for Religion ; tho' he knew at the same time , that the Religion they were then so zealous of , was not the right Religion ; nor did the zeal they shewed for it , proceed from right Principles . According to the account I have now given of this Passage , Three things we may take notice of from it , viz. I. The Apostles approving and tacitly commending that Zeal which his Countreymen expressed for Religion . II. His meek and charitable behaviour towards them , even when their Zeal for Religion was very faulty and blameable . III. His discovery of the faultiness of their Zeal , which lay in this , that it was not according to knowledge . These Three things I shall take for the Heads of my following discourse upon this Text , and shall afterwards make such Application of it , as the Business of this Day calls for . I. First , I desire it may be observed , That Zeal of God in general , that is , a hearty and passionate concernment for Religion , The Apostle here finds no fault with : On the contrary , he approves it as a commendable thing . For you see he represents it , as a piece of virtue in his Country-men , and speaks it to their commendation , that they had a zeal of God. I bear them record ( saith he ) that they have a zeal of God. As much as to say , that he owned , they had that good quality , and they were to be commended for it ; and for that reason he both wisheth them well , and affectionately prayeth for them . That which I would from hence take occasion to put you in mind of is this : That Indifference and Vnconcernedness for Religion is not to have a place among any ones virtues and good qualities ; it is rather a very great fault ; howsoever it may some times pass for an instance of Wisdom and Prudence . If indeed Men had no Passions , or had so mortified their Passions , that they were rarely earnest or zealous about any thing ; their unconcernedness for Religion and the things of God might be the less reproveable . But when Zeal and Passion is more or less wrought into every Man's temper , and the calmest Men may be observed on sundry occasions not to be without it ; it is an inexcusable fault to have no passion , no zeal for God and his Cause . How can a Man answer it to his own Conscience , to be heartily angry when an affront in word or deed is done to himself ; and yet to be altogether insensible , when God is affronted in his Presence ? To make a mighty bustle , when his own Right and Property is at stake , though in never so small a matter ; and yet to shew no concernment for the Rights and the Honour of that God who made him , and by whose favour alone it is that he can call any thing his own that he hath . O! What a world of Good might we all do , if we had a true zeal of God. How many Occasions and Opportunities are there put into our hands every day ( in what condition or circumstances soever we are ) which if we were acted by this principle , would render us great Benefactors to Mankind , by discouraging Vice and Impiety , and promoting Virtue and Goodness in the World. But perhaps I have set this business of Zeal for God too high : because none are capable of being thus Zealous , but those that have attained to a great degree of Virtue and Piety , which we cannot suppose of all , nor the most . But however , it will be a shame to all of us , if we do not come up to that pitch of Zeal which the unbelieving Jews are here commended for . I bear them record , saith St. Paul , that they have a zeal of God. What was this Zeal of theirs ? why , as I told you , ( and as it plainly appears from the whole Chapter ) it was an earnest and passionate concernment for the Religion of their Country . Sure all Men among us both good and bad may come up to this degree of Zeal for God , and it is a reproach to us ●f we do not . Especially considering that their Religion at that time , was not God's Religion , but Ours is . Indeed the Publick profession of Religion in the right way , is as much every Man's Interest , and ought to be as much every Man's Care , as any the dearest thing he hath in this World. Nay to all Men that believe they have Souls to save , it is more valuable than any other Worldly privilege . It concerns us all therefore to be Zealous in that matter . The Duty we owe to God , to our Countrey , and to our Selves , doth require it . In vain it is to be busie about other things , and to neglect this . A Man will have but small comfort when he comes to die , to reflect that he has been Zealous of the Privileges and Property , and Rights of his Countrey-men ; but it was indifferent to him , how the Service of God and the affairs of Religion were managed . II. The Second thing we observe from this Passage , is , The Apostle's carriage to the Vnbelieving Israelites , who though they were zealous for God , yet were in a great mistake as to their notions of the true Religion . He doth not bitterly censure them . He is not fierce nor furious against them . He doth not excite any person to use force or violence to them . But he rather pities them . He makes their Zeal that they had of God , an Inducement the more heartily to pray for them , that God would direct them in the right way that leads to Salvation . Tho' he is far from approving their blind Zeal , in so obstinately opposing the Righteousness of God , that is , that method which God had prescribed , for the attaining of Righteousness by the faith of Jesus Christ ; and setting up a Righteousness of their own , which consisted chiefly in observing the Ceremonials of Moses his Law and the Traditions of their Fathers , as it follows in the next Verse after my Text : Yet he thinks them the more pitiable and the more excusable , in that this their Opposition proceeded from their Zeal of God , tho' it was a mis-informed irregular Zeal . This practice and carriage of the Apostle towards these Ignorant Zealots , ought to be a rule for us to walk by in the like Cases . If Men be of a different way from us , as to Religion ; if they hold other Opinions , or though they be of another Communion from us : and though too we are sure they are mistaken : nay and dangerously mistaken too ; yet , if they have a Zeal of God , if they be serious and sincere in their way ; if their errours in Religion be the pure results of a mis-informed Conscience : Let us , as the Apostle here did , take occasion from hence to pity them , and to put up hearty prayers to God for them ; and to endeavour all we can , by gentle methods , to reduce them to the right way : But by no means to express contempt or hatred of them , or to treat them with violence and outrage . So far as their Zeal is for God , let us so far shew tenderness and compassion to them ; and if their Zeal be in such instances , as are really commendable , let us in such instances not onely bear with them , but propose them for our examples . This , I say , was the Apostle's practice , and I think it is so agreeable to the Spirit and Temper of our great Lord and Master Christ , that it will become us in like cases to act accordingly . But then after I have said this , These two things are always to be remembred . First , That our Tenderness to mistaken Zealots , must always be so managed , as that the true Religion , or the Publick peace suffer no damage thereby . And therefore how kindly and compassionately soever , we , as private Christians , are to treat those that differ from us , and pursue a wrong way out of Conscience : Yet this doth not hinder , but that both wholsome Laws may be made for the restraining the exorbitances of mistaken Zeal ; and when those Laws are made , that they may be put in execution . The consideration of Law-givers and Magistrates , is different from that of private Christians . Their business is to see that Nequid detrimenti respublica capiat , to see that the Government be secured ; that the common peace be kept , that the Laws of God be observ'd , that God's Religion as it is delivered by Jesus Christ be preserved sincere and undefiled , and that the solemn Worship of God be purely and decently performed . And therefore there is no doubt , but that in all these matters the Government may make Fences and Securities against the Insults of intemperate Zealots , and when these Fences are made , it should be at their Peril if they transgressed them , supposing Magistrates did their duty . And all this we say is very consistent with that tenderness and charity that all Christians , and even Magistrates themselves in their private Capacity , do owe to misperswaded erroneous Consciences . And then Secondly , it is to be remembred that that Kindness and Tenderness to mistaken Zealots , which we are speaking of from the Text , is not to be expressed to all alike ; but to some more , to some less , to some perhaps in no degree at all ; according as the nature and quality of their Errors are , and according as the Men that are guilty of them , may more , or less , or not at all , be thought to have a real Zeal of God , and to act out of principles of Conscience . Thus for instance , In the First place , Those that set up for Patrons of Atheism or Epicurism ; that make it their business in their Conversation to expose all Religion , and to bring it into contempt ; that ridicule the Professors of it as a company of easie credulous Men ; that make no Conscience of blaspheming God and all things Sacred , as occasion is given them : Why , these Men may have Zeal enough for their Opinions , and we find that they often have a great deal too much ; But are such to be treated with that sort of Tenderness and Compassion that we are now speaking of ? No , by no means ; For they are quite out of the bounds of my Text , They have a Zeal indeed , but it is not a Zeal for God , but for the Devil and the Interests of his Kingdom . And if one were to measure the greatness of Crimes by the mischief they do to humane Society ; I should think that this sort of People were not to expect so much favour and respect from mankind , as some other Malefactors that yet by our Laws are to pay for their offences at no less a rate than their Lives . Again , Secondly , If there be any Men that under a pretence of Religion do teach or encourage or promote any sort of Vice or Immorality ; or whose Principles do necessarily lead to debauch Mens manners in the plain matters of Sobriety , Chastity , Truth or Justice , or the like ; such kind of People are by no means Objects of that Tenderness and Compassion that we are now speaking of : For the Laws of Nature as to moral Virtue and Vice are so plainly writ in every Mans heart , that he must be supposed to be an Ill Man that can easily entertain any Principle ( let it come never so much recommended under the name of Religion ) that contradicts them . And whatever allowance may in charity be made for a Man's mistakes , there is no reason that much should be made for his Wickedness . Again Thirdly , If there be any Men that whilest they express a great Zeal for the Purity of Religion , and exclaim against the Corruptions of it ( as they term them ) which are introduced into the Publick Establishment , and turn every stone to have all things setled in another method ; yet all this while God and their own Hearts know that all this concernment and Zeal of theirs for Religion , tho' it make a great shew , is only pretended ; and that there is another thing that lies at the bottom , that is to say Worldly Interest , and Dominion and Power , which they hope to compass by such a Regulation of Matters as they desire : I say , if there be any such Men , they are likewise no way concerned in that compassion my Text speaks of . For tho' they may be very Zealous , yet it is a Zeal for their own secular advantages that acts them , and not a Zeal of God. If such Men could be known ; instead of being kindly and charitably thought of for their Zeal in Religion ; the Virtuous part of mankind would look upon them as the worst of Hypocrites . But since God only knows the Hearts of Men ; all such pretenders to Zeal for Religion , must , till we know them also , be treated according to the merits of the cause they pretend to be zealous for . But then Fourthly and Lastly , All that I have now said is with respect to those that are out of the limits of my Text , such as have no Zeal of God , tho' some of them may pretend it : But then as for those that really act out of Principles of Conscience , and have a real Zeal of God , tho' in a wrong way ; These are true Objects of our Tenderness and Compassion , tho' yet in different degrees . For according as their Principles and Practices do more or less injure our common Christianity , or are more or less dangerous to our Government and Constitution ; in the same proportion , the greater or less Tenderness and Indulgence is to be expressed towards them . But most of what concerns this matter being already setled by Law , I will not be so bold as to meddle in it , and therefore I proceed to the Third Head of my Discourse . III. The Third thing I told you we might observe from this Text was this , The Apostle's tacit Reprehension of the Iewish Zeal upon this account , that it was not according to Knowledge , The Use I make of this is , that from hence we may be able to gather to our selves a true rule for the governing our Zeal in matters of Religion , and likewise for the judging in others , what Zeal is commendable , and what is not . For be our Zeal of God never so great , yet if it be not a Zeal according to knowledge , it is not the right Christian Zeal . And though we see others never so fervent and vehement in pursuing a Religious Cause , and that too , out of Conscience ; yet if this Zeal of theirs be not according to knowledge , it is a Zeal that justly deserves to be reproved . And though both we and they may for our sincerity in God's Cause , expect some Allowances , both from God and Man , yet neither they nor we can justify it , either to God or Man , that we are thus foolishly and ignorantly Zealous . I wish this mark of right Zeal , that it ought to be according to knowledge , were more considered . For it seems not often to be thought on by those that are most zealous in their way , of what perswasion soever they be . This same business of Knowledge , is a thing that is most commonly forgot to be taken in as an ingredient or Companion of Zeal , in most sort of Professors . For as the World goes , those Men are generally found to be the greatest Zealots , who are most notoriously Ignorant . Whereas true Zeal should not only proceed from true Knowledge , but should also be always accompanied with it , and governed by it . But what is it to have a Zeal according to Knowledge ? What doth this Character of justifiable right Zeal contain in it ? I answer , it must at least contain in it these five following things . First , To have a Zeal according to Knowledge , doth import , that we be not mistaken , as to the matter of our Zeal ; that it be a good Cause , that we are zealous about . And since it is Zeal for God that we are here speaking of , it must be something wherein our duty is concerned , that must be the object of our Zeal . So that a right Zeal of God implies , that we do so well inform our selves of the nature of our Religion , as not to pretend a Religious Zeal for any thing that is not a part of our Religion . If our Zeal for God be as it should be , it must certainly express it self in matters that are good ; about such objects as God hath made to be our duty . It is good ( saith St. Paul ) to be always zealously affected in a good matter . But if we mistake in our Cause , if we take that for good which is evil , or that for evil which is good , here our Zeal is not according to Knowledge . Secondly , As the object of our Zeal must be according to Knowledge , so also the Principle from whence our Zeal proceeds , must be according to knowledge also . That is to say , We must have solid and rational grounds to proceed upon in our concernment for any thing ; such as will not only satisfy our selves , but all others that are unbyassed : In a word , such as we can justify to all the World. If it be every Mans Duty ( as St. Peter tells us it is ) to be ready to give an answer to every one that asketh him a reason of the hope that is in him : Then I am sure , it is much more every Mans Duty , to be able to give a reason of the Zeal that is in him . Because this business of a Mans Zeal doth more affect the Publick , and is of greater Concernment to it , than what a Mans private Faith or Hope is . But yet how little is this considered by many zealous Men among us . Some are zealous for a point to serve an Interest or a Faction . But this is not to be owned as the ground and reason of their Zeal ; for indeed if it should , it would not be allowed of . Others are zealous for no other reason but because they find their Teachers , or those they most converse with , are so . They follow the common Cry , and examine no more of the matter . Others indeed have a Principle of Zeal beyond all this . For they are moved from within , to stand up for this or the other Cause ; they have Impulses upon their Minds which they cannot resist : But that in truth is no more a justifiable ground of any Mans Zeal , than either of the former . For if these Motions and Impulses that they speak of be from God ; there will certainly be conveyed along with them , such Reasons and Arguments for the thing that they are to be zealous about , as will , if they be declared , satisfy and convince all other reasonable Men , as well as themselves . For it is a ridiculous thing to imagine , that God at this day doth move or impel Men in any other way than what is agreeable to the Reason of Mankind , and the Rule of his holy Word . And if the Mans Zeal can be justified by either of these , there is no need of vouching Inspirations for it . Thirdly , As the Zeal which is according to knowledge hath a good matter for its object , and proceeds from a right Principle : So it is also regular as to the Measures of it . He that hath it is careful that it do not exceed its due Bounds , as the Ignorant Zeal often doth ; but he distinguisheth between the several objects he is zealous for , and allows every one of them , just so great a Concernment as the thing is worth , and no more . If the thing be but a small matter , he is but in a small measure concerned for it . If it be of greater moment , he believes he may be allowed to be the more earnest about it . But he looks upon it as a rash and foolish thing , and an effect of great ignorance or weakness , to be hot and eager for all things alike . We should account him not many degrees removed from a Child or an Ideot , that upon the cut of a Finger should as passionately complain and cry out for help , as if he had broken a Limb. Why just the same Folly and Childishness it is , to make a mighty bustle about small matters which are of no consequence , in which neither Religion , nor the publick Peace , are much concerned ; as if indeed our Lives and Souls were in danger . It therefore becomes all prudent and sober Men to take care , that their Zeal do not spend it self in little things ; that they be not too passionate and earnest , and vehement for things that are not worth much contending for . If we lay a greater weight upon a Cause than it will bear , and shew as much warmth and passion for small matters , as if the Fundamentals of our Faith were at stake , we are zealous indeed , but not according to Knowledge . Fourthly , The Zeal that is according to knowledge , is always attended with hearty Charity . It is not that bitter Zeal which the Apostle speaks of , which is accompanied with Hatred and Envy , and perverse Disputings : But it is kind , and sociable , and meek , even to Gainsayers . It is that Wisdom which is from above , that is first pure , then peaceable , gentle and easy to be intreated . It is a Zeal that loves God and his Truth heartily , and would do all that is possible to bring honour and advancement to them : But at the same time it loveth all Men. And therefore in all things where it expresses it self , it purely consults the Merits of the Cause before it , but lets the Persons of Men alone . It is a certain Argument of an Ignorant and ungovern'd Zeal , when a Man leaves his Cause and his concernment for Gods Glory , and turns his Heat upon those that he has to deal with , when he is peevish and angry with Men that differ from him : When he is not contented to oppose Arguments to Arguments , and to endeavour to gain his point by calm Reasoning ; but he flies out into Rage and Fury ; and when he is once transported herewith , he cares not what undecent bitter Reflections he makes upon all those that have the Fortune to be of a different side . But in these Cases Men would do well to remember , that the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God , as the Apostle expresseth it . All this kind of behaviour savours of the Wisdom of this World , which is earthly , and sensual , and devilish . Fifthly , and lastly , Another inseparable Property of Zeal according to Knowledge is , That it must pursue lawful ends by lawful means ; must never do an ill thing for the carrying the best Cause . This St. Paul hath laid down , as a Rule , to be eternally observed among Christians , when in the third of the Romans , he declares , that their damnation is just , who say , Let us do evil that good may come . Be therefore our Point never so good , or never so weighty , yet if we use any dishonest , unlawful Arts , for the gaining of it ; that is to say , If we do any thing which is either in it self evil , and appears to be so by the natural Notices of Mankind , or which the Laws of our holy Religion do forbid : I say in all such Instances we are Transgressors . And though our Cause be very good , and our Ends very allowable ; yet since the means by which we would accomplish those ends are unwarrantable , the whole Action , though proceeding from never so much Zeal for God , is very Bad. For true Zeal , as it always supposeth a right Information of Judgment , as to the matter of it , so likewise it supposeth , that a Man should act in honest ways , and endeavour to attain his ends by lawful means . And thus have I laid before you the Properties and Characters of that Zeal , which is according to knowledge , which was the third and last thing which I proposed upon this Text ; And I pray God we may always remember them whenever we have occasion to express a Zeal , for any thing , especially in matters of Religion . All that remains now , is to make some brief application of my Text , with reference to the business of the day . These words , as I told you , were spoke of the Jews . But the Character here given of them doth so well fit a sort of Men , whose fiery Zeal for God and their Religion , gave occasion to the Solemnity of this Day ; that it looks as if it were made for them . It is the Bigots of the Church of Rome that I mean ; to whom we must do the same right that St. Paul here did his Country-men , We must bear them Record , that they have a Zeal of God , but not according to Knowledge . Zealous they are sufficiently , as the Jews were , no body doubts of it . But as for their Zeals being according to Knowledge , there is great reason to doubt , they are as faulty in that point , as St. Paul's Countrymen were . Indeed if you were to draw the comparison between the Jewish and the Popish Zealots , as to all the several particulars that our Saviour and St. Paul take notice of as Instances of blind Zeal in the former : You would find in all those particulars both their Zeals to be much of a piece , not only as to the Fervour , but as to the Blindness of them . Was it an instance of Ignorant Zeal in the Jews that they set up their Traditions to the disparagement of the Law of God ? I pray , who are those that disparage the holy Scriptures , by setting their Traditions upon an equal foot with them ? Were the Jews to be blamed for that they were so zealous for their old Religion , as to oppose that Reformation of it , which our Lord Jesus endeavoured to introduce among them , because they thought it was an Innovation . I pray who are those , who upon that very ground oppose all Reformation at this Day , though yet the wisest and best Men among themselves are sufficiently sensible , that there are great Corruptions , both in their Doctrine and Worship ? Was it a fault in the Jewish Zeal that it placed Religion too much in Ceremonies and Formalities , in washing Cups and Platters , in tithing Mint and Cummin , and the like to the neglect of the weightier matters of the Law , Justice , and Mercy , and Faith ? I pray wherein is Image-worship , Invocation of Saints , Penances , Pilgrimages , the use of Reliques , Holy Water , &c. I say wherein are these things better than those ? And yet we know who they are that lay so great a stress upon these and such other things , that it may be truly said , a great part of their Religion is made up of them . It would not be difficult to run the parallel between the Zeals of the two Religions , through several more Instances ; But it is an unpleasant Argument , and therefore I will pursue it no farther . Only one instance more of the Jewish Zeal I must not pass by , because it comes up so fully to the business of this Day . So zealous were they for their Religion , that they did not care what sort of means they made use of for the promoting of it , were they never so wicked and unnatural . Our Saviour they hunted to Death with false Witnesses ; Stephen they stoned out of pure zeal in a popular tumult . Forty of them solemnly bound themselves under a Curse , that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed St. Paul. But all this , and a great deal more our Saviour had foretold they would do , when he told his Apostles , that the time would come , when whosoever killed them should think that he did God good service . A Blessed way of doing God service is this , to act such wicked inhumane things as these ! But such inhumane things as these doth a Blind Zeal for Religion sometimes put Men upon . And that it doth so , we cannot have a greater proof ( except what I have already mentioned ) than the practices of the zealous Men of the Church of Rome . How many unlawful Arts have they used to subject all the Christian World to their Lord and Master ? How many Forgeries for this purpose have they been the Authors of , and maintain'd them afterwards ? How many disturbances have they given to the Peace of Christendom , in the most unjust and unnatural ways , for the advancement of the Papal Cause ? It was Zeal for Gods Service and the Interest of holy Church , that so many Princes have been Excommunicated and Deposed ; that so many Tumults and Rebellions have been raised ; that so many Crusados , for the extirpating Hereticks , have been sent out . By which , and such like means , it may justly be computed , that as much Christian Blood has been shed for the establishing Popery , as it now stands , nay , and a great deal more , than ever was during all the times of the Heathen Persecutions for the supporting of Paganism . But if there were no other instance extant in the World to shew what is to be expected from a blind Zeal , especially a blind Popish Zeal for Religion , that instance which the deliverance of this Day doth give us occasion to mention , would be alone sufficient to inform us . When for no other end , but for the advancement of Popery , and the rooting out that Pestilent Heresy of the Reformation , which infested these Northern Climates , a Company of Popish Zealots enter'd upon the most barbarous and inhumane Project that ever was undertaken by Men ; even neither better nor worse , than the destroying the King and his Parliament at one blow ; and had put all things in such a readiness in order thereunto , that they certainly had effected it , as on this day , had not their Conspiracy been detected in a wonderful manner . But thanks be to God , their designs then , and ever since , have been defeated , and some of them even miraculously ; and we trust in the Mercies of God that they will ever be so . God hath been wonderfully Gracious to us , in the preservation of our Church and Religion from Popish attempts to destroy it , ever since it was setled among us . How many Plots and Conspiracies were laid in the time of the glorious Q. Elizabeth , to put an end to her Life , and with it , to our reformed Establishment ? What a dreadful one was this of the Gunpowder Treason , in the reign of her Successor ? How many dangers have threatned us since that time , from that quarter ? What a horrible storm but of late did we apprehend , and justly enough too , was impending over us ? And yet blessed be God ( who hath never failed to raise up Deliverers to his People in the day of their Distress ) that storm is blown over . And we are here not only in Peace and Quietness , in the full possession of our Native Rights and Liberties , and in the Enjoyment of the Free Exercise of our Religion ( which is one of the most desirable things in the World ) But such is the deliverance that God hath wrought for us , that we also seem to have a fair prospect of the Continuance of these Blessings among us ; and according to humane Estimate , to be in a good measure out of the danger of our old Inveterate Enemy , Popery I mean , which one would think had now made its last effort among us . Is not this now a great Blessing ? And must not all sincere Protestants ( of what perswasions soever they be in other respects ) necessarily believe so ? Certainly they must , if they think it a Blessing to be delivered out of the hands of our Enemies , and to be in a Condition to serve God without fear . Let us all therefore own it as such to God Almighty ; let us thankfully remember all his past Deliverances from Popery , and especially , let us never forget those of this day ; neither the former , nor this late one . We have reason to believe , that God hath a tender Care of his Church and Religion in these Kingdoms , not only because he hath so many times so signally and wonderfully appeared for the preservation of it : But more especially , because we know , and are convinced , that our Religion is according to his Mind and Will ; being no other than that which his Son Jesus Christ taught unto the World ; that is to say , no other than that which is in the Bible , which is our only Rule of Faith. It infinitely concerns us all therefore so to behave our selves , as to shew , that we are neither unthankful for Gods past Mercies , nor unqualified for his future Protection . And in order to that , I know no other way but this , that we all firmly adhere to the Principles of our Religion ; and that in our Practices we conform our selves to those Principles . That is to say , In the first place , That we sincerely love and fear God , and have a hearty sense of his Presence , and Goodness and Providence , continually abiding in our minds . That we trust in him , depend upon him , and acknowledge him in all our ways : That we be careful of his Worship and Service , paying him the constant Tribute of our Prayers , and Praises and Thanksgiving , both in publick and private . And then secondly , that we be pure and unblameable in our Lives ; avoiding the Pollutions that are in the World through Lust ; and exercising Chastity , and Modesty , Meekness and Humility , Temperance and Sobriety , amidst the sundry Temptations we have to conflict with . And thirdly , that we have always a fervent Charity to one another , that we love as Brethren ; endeavouring to do all the good we can , but doing harm to none . Using Truth and Justice , and a good Conscience in all our dealings with Mankind . Living peaceable , if it be possible , with all Men. And not only so , but in our several Places and Stations , promoting Peace , and Unity and Concord among Christians , and contributing what we can to the healing the sad Breaches and Divisions of our Nation . And then lastly , that we pay all Submission , and Duty and Obedience to the King and Queen whom God hath set over us ; endeavouring in all the ways that are in our Power , to render their Government both as easy to themselves , and as acceptable to their Subjects , and as formidable to their Enemies as is possible . If all of us that call our selves Protestants , would charge our selves with the Practice of these things , how assured might we rest that God would bless us ; that he would continue his Protection of our Nation , our Church , our Religion , against all Enemies whatsoever , and that we might see our Jerusalem still more and more to flourish , and Peace to be in all her Borders . May God Almighty pour upon us all the Spirit of his G●ace , and work all these great things in us , and for us : And in order hereunto , may he send down his Blessings upon the King and Queen , and so influence and direct all their Councils , both Publick and Private , that all their Subjects may be happy in their Government , and lead peaceable and quiet lives under them in all Godliness and Honesty . And after such a Happy and Peaceable Life here , may we all at last arrive to God's Eternal Kingdom and Glory , through the Merits of his dear Son , To whom , &c. FINIS . Advertisement . TEN Sermons Preached upon several Occasions : With two Discourses of Conscience : By the Most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of York . Printed for Walter Kettilby . 
A57190	----	Vituli labiorum. Or, A thanksgiving sermon, in commemoration of our great deliverance from the horrid Powder-Plot, 1605 And also of Gods merciful discovery of a bloody conspiracy against His Majesties Person, and the Protestant religion, 1678. Both intended by the papists. Preached at St. Peter's, Exon, Nov. 5. 1678. In prosecution whereof the Churches persecutions, foreign and domestick, by the hands of popish votaries, ever since the Reformation, are briefly recapitulated. Their charge of novelty on our church and religion is retorted. The absurdity of many of their doctrines and principles, and how destructive unto civil government, is detected. By John Reynolds, M.A. Reynolds, John, d. 1693? 1678 Approx. 59 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A57190 Wing R1318 ESTC R219030 99830566 99830566 35019 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A57190) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 35019) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2111:02) Vituli labiorum. Or, A thanksgiving sermon, in commemoration of our great deliverance from the horrid Powder-Plot, 1605 And also of Gods merciful discovery of a bloody conspiracy against His Majesties Person, and the Protestant religion, 1678. Both intended by the papists. Preached at St. Peter's, Exon, Nov. 5. 1678. In prosecution whereof the Churches persecutions, foreign and domestick, by the hands of popish votaries, ever since the Reformation, are briefly recapitulated. Their charge of novelty on our church and religion is retorted. The absurdity of many of their doctrines and principles, and how destructive unto civil government, is detected. By John Reynolds, M.A. Reynolds, John, d. 1693? [6], 29, [1] p. printed for Tho. Cockeril at the Three Leggs in the Poultry: and Walter Dight bookseller in Exceter, London : 1678. With marginal notes. Caption title on p. 1: A thanksgiving sermon in commemoration of our deliverance from the Powder-Plot, and of the discovery of the late bloody conspiracy of the papists. Reproduction of the original at the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons -- Early works to 1800. Popish Plot, 1678 -- Sermons -- Early works to 1800. Gunpowder plot -- Sermons -- Early works to 1800. Popish Plot -- Sermons -- Early works to 1800. 2003-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-01 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-02 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-02 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion VITVLI LABIORVM . OR , A THANKSGIVING SERMON , IN Commemoration of our Great Deliverance From the HORRID Powder-Plot , 1605. And also of Gods Merciful Discovery of a Bloody Conspiracy against His Majesties Person , and the Protestant Religion , 1678. Both intended by the Papists . Preached at St. Peter ' s , Exon , Nov. 5. 1678. In Prosecution whereof the Churches Persecutions , Foreign and Domestick , by the hands of Popish Votaries , ever since the Reformation , are briefly recapitulated . Their charge of Novelty on our Church and Religion is retorted . The absurdity of many of their Doctrines and Principles , and how destructive unto Civil Government , is detected . By IOHN REYNOLDS , M. A. London , Printed for Tho. Cockeril at the Three Leggs in the Poultry : And Walter Dight Bookseller in Exceter , 1678. To the Right Worshipful Sir THOMAS CAREW , Knight , Judg of the Sessions for the County of Devon , and Recorder of the City of Exceter . Honoured Sir , NO sooner could I make my thoughts to comply with the motion of publishing this Sermon , ( which I presume for its seasonableness unto the present juncture of affairs , more than from any intrinsick worth therein , some that heard it were pleased favourably to estimate ) but it presently became the matter of a deliberation with my self , what could discourage me from hoping but that your worthy Name might prove auspicious unto it , by lending it something of a credit to pass out into the world ? I foresaw nothing that could check my pleasing aims herein , but might arise either from the subject treated of in this Discourse ; or from the person whose it was , and doth now present it unto your candid acceptance ; or from the defectiveness of the management and handling of it . As to the first of these , I did the more easily perswade my self , that it could not offend you to see and read in this Sermon the deformities of a false Religion in any degree exposed , who have your self zealously espoused , and are so good a friend unto the true and best Religion in the world . A Religion never sufficiently to be praised and commended for the certainty of its Rule , which are those Books of Canonical Scripture , of whose authority there was never any doubt in the Church : for the compactedness of her Fundamentals , determined and summed up in the Apostles Creed , explained in those others which are called the Nicene and Athanasian : for the simplicity of her Sacraments , and all her Administrations managed , in a language , and performed with that decent plainness as may be understood by all that are concerned in them : for the gravity and soundness of her Ordination and Ministry ; for the peaceableness of her Tenets , in obedience to the Magistrate ; for her conformity to the Apostolick and Primitive pattern in all things , so far as the looseness of this Age will bear : for the undoubted assurance of finding Salvation by its Rules and Precepts , if we continue in them and do them . These and the like are the lineaments of our and your Religion , which cannot be displeasing unto you to assert , and therefore neither to oppugn the contrary . But neither , in the second place , could I suppose any disrespect unto the person , submitting those Papers unto your candor , that should be able to create unto you any ill resentment of the Sermon it self . In that what never had been , I could easily hope , must have a greater occasion than this to beget it . For indeed it is a pleasure to me to let the world to know , that under Him who is the giver of every good and perfect gift , next unto the memory of my exeellent and worthy Patron deceased , I owe most unto your care and providence , for the comfort and bene esse of my being and Ministry in the place where I am : whereby you have buoyed me up above the necessity of depending upon the precarious benevolence of a people ; which I wish no good or honest Minister were ever put to trust to . A good part of my Books deservedly bear your honoured name upon them for their Donor : The first and the most seasonable News-years gift I could possibly have received for the encouragement and assistance of my first studies in this your own Dwelling-parish . You never yet denied me any request ( which notwithstanding have been very many ) that in consistency with your Honour and Power I durst move unto you : nor ever spared to take any pains ( which yet have been very great ) whereof the success in prospect hath promised fairly on my behalf . So sure hath been my happy interest in your ever valued respects , that I never found it hitherto checked with the least change of countenance or carriage . So noble and generous , that whereas anothers kindnesses would have necessitated a man to the study of an Answerable Gratification ; you have always taken my Relation to you as your Minister for so sufficient a Supersedeas to such designs , that I have never apprehended any adventure more hazardous of yours , than only to attempt it . I cannot really admit any diminutive account of your goodness to my self , otherwise than by considering you in that larger sphere which God hath placed you in , as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a common good to your Country ; of which for me to say any thing , would be altogether unnecessary , forasmuch as there are every day so many mouths open to acknowledg it . There being therefore no room for the scruple of a personal prejudice : It remains in the third place , that only the defectiveness and blemishes of my speaking unto this subject , can render it unworthy of your acceptance : and as to this , I confess the charge ; and relye upon your known and experienced candor to excuse and lay your finger on the naevi of this Discourse . Indeed it is a small and a slight thing in it self , to have your Name prefixt unto ; but yet it is not unusual for Maps in single sheets to carry their Dedication on their forehead . And as for the failances in the manner of handling it ; forasmuch as it is a time for every one of us to shew his zeal for his Religion , the fear of smaller miscarriages that are frequently incident to zealous actings , will no more dispense with their total neglect , than it can warrantably prescind or supercede any other Moral or Religious duty , in that we cannot acquit our selves therein with an absolute perfection . Hoping therefore that upon the removal of those bars first supposed , my way of access unto your favourable reception of these few Pages is plain and open , I shall in gratitude for ( what I presume of ) your pleasing countenance reflecting on them , and all other signal pledges of your kindness , think my self now and ever obliged to pray , That the father of mercies would still make good the multiplied effects of his infinite love and goodness , for your temporal and eternal welfare . That the generation rising may by an hundred-fold recompence unto the hopeful branches of your Family , all the good that your self have been the instrument of unto the generation shining ; and that he who is now your humble Orator at the Throne of Grace , may never want the opportunity or power of approving himself to the last day of his life . St. Thomas Novemb. 13. 16●8 . Sir , Your most faithful and affectionate Servant IOHN REYNOLDS . A Thanksgiving Sermon in Commemoration of our Deliverance from the Powder-Plot , and of the discovery of the late Bloody Conspiracy of the Papists . Psal. CXXIX . 1 , 2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth , may Israel now say . 2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth , yet they have not prevailed against me . BAronius the great Annalist for the Church of Rome , hath indeed made a very proud and lofty claim on the Popes behalf , viz. That Christ after his Resurrection translated upon the Popes both Priesthood and Kingdom . But by what a thin and faint argument doth he grasp at so large a Jurisdiction ? namely , That this was signified , by that shadow of St. Peter , whereby the sick were healed ; that the Popes should always have the same power , which Christ himself had , though never so far different from him in good life and manners ; because they should ever at least retain the shadow . But I pray what consequence is there from the shadow of St. Peter , unto the shadow , and from thence unto the power of Christ ? and that power likewise that should not serve to heal the sick as did St. Peter's shadow , but to destroy Kings and Kingdoms ? for what other miraculous power have they made proof of this thousand years ? A cruel instance thereof we had in the Conspiracy plotted against us this day Seventy-three years ago , wherein the Pope and his Agents taking counsel with the Prince of Darkness , were agreed and sworn together , yea and approached within a few hours of accomplishing their Hellish design , To blow up the King and Royal Family , the Clergy , Nobles , Knights and Burgesses in Parliament ; the very confluence of all the Glory , Piety , Learning , Prudence and Authority in the Land , with one sulphureous blast . But because age and length of time generally brings with it the oblivion and forgetfulness of the most notable occurrences ; and that we experimentally find our irreligious age to be grown so remiss and negligent in the recognition and celebration of this once renowned Deliverance : God is pleased from time to time to awaken and rub us up by suffering this bloody brood of the Papacy to engage upon such like attempts afresh ; though ( to his only praise be it ascribed ) hitherto without accomplishing their wicked aims and purposes . Such was the traiterous design wherewith we have been alarm'd this last month ; the consequents whereof , had it taken effect , I dread to think ! In respect of both which , and manifold other repeated occasions , our merciful God having so often preserved and shielded our Princes and their Kingdoms , our Church and Religion , from their implacable rage and fury ; good reason have we to make our hearts and spirits thankfully to accord with this Psalm of praise , part of which you have heard read in the words of our Text. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth , may Israel now say ; many a time have they afflicted me from my youth , yet they have not prevailed against me . This is one of the fifteen Psalms that is intituled a Song of Degrees , a Song of Ascensions or of Heights , either to note the excellency of the Song ; and without doubt much more sweet and captivating would these Psalms appear unto us , if the nature and reason of the Hebrew Musick and Poesie were better known unto us than it is : Or a Song of degrees , with respect unto the stairs or steps which by degrees went up into the House of the Lord , whereon the Singers should stand ; or in reference to the several Stages of their coming from Babylon . The design of the Psalm is to recount the Churches past troubles and deliverances , occasioned by some good success of Affairs , in evading the hands of their enemies , then fresh in memory , Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth , may Israel now say . From my youth ] from the time of my being in Egypt , from whence I came forth , when I grew up to be a Church , or from my first Constitution . The words do afford us three principal heads of Discourse . First , Here are the Persecuting attempts of the Enemies of Religion against the Israel of God , or against Gods Church , which we have twice delivered , either by way of Poetical elegancy , or out of a zealous affection to the praise and glory of God in reciting it , or the better to express the malignity and spight of the Enemies themselves : Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth , &c. Secondly , Here is the frustration of those mischievous attempts against the Church : Yet they have not prevailed against me . Thirdly , Here is the Churches bounden and thankful reflection on her afflictions , and the happy issue of them , suggested by the Psalmist : May Israel now say ; which stands in the middle between the Churches Persecutions and Deliverances as respecting both ; the misery and the malice of the one excellently serving to enhanse the mercy and the value of the other . I. In the first of these Generals we have again three Branches . 1. Here is the Churches Affliction or Persecution by the hands of her Enemies : They have afflicted me . 2. Here is the frequency of the Enemies inflicting trouble and persecution on the Church : Many a time have they afflicted me . 3. Here is the earliness of the Enemies spight and malice against the Church of God , attempting to blast it in the bud : Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth . 1. The first branch of this Division shews us the ordinary case and state of the Church of God , to be a state of affliction ; being to grapple with enemies , and that at first seeming with very great odds and disparity ; for thus you find the enemies of the Church to be expressed in the Plural Number , they ; whereas the Church it self is simply spoken of in the singular Number , they have afflicted ME. The Iews while they inhabited Canaan , the land of Promise , how vastly were they out-numbred by their enemies that surrounded and compassed them on every side ? On the East they had the Moabites , Ammonites , Assyrians , and Chaldeans ; on the West the Philistines ; on the North the Syrians ; on the South the Arabians and Egyptians ; and these were all alike maliciously bent against them . Compare but the Popish and the Protestant interest in the world , how few are the Protestant Kingdoms and Territories in comparison of those large Dominions which do strike sail to the See of Rome ? and even amongst those who sculk under the name of Protestants , how few are there who would adventure any thing in a critical time upon that Profession , which in a calmer state of things they are ready to protest unto ? now from these their numerous enemies what can the Church of God expect but affliction and trouble ? Either , 1. By open force ; as Cain did furiously imbrue his hands in his brothers blood , and so Christened the Church with her first Martydom . Or as Pagans and Infidels in the Primitives times of Christianity , when they could not tell where else to lay the charge of their publick calamities ; that which was presently uppermost with them , was Christianos ad Leones , away with the Christians , let them be thrown to the Lions . And 't is hard to say in those first Ten Persecutions , which had less remorse or more barbarity with them , either the beasts themselves unto which the Christians were frequently condemned ; or their unjust Persecutors , who did sentence them unto such kind of violent torments . 'T is most probable that St. Paul's fighting with beasts at Ephesus is to be understood de hominibus ferinis , concerning those who had the nature of savage beasts in the shape of men . And we frequently find up and down the Scripture , such kind of unrelenting blood-thirty persons metaphorically called strong Bulls of Bashan , Leopards , Leviathans , and what not ? The Papists in their intended Powder-plot had conspired to act such a part , that would have convicted them to have been more unnatural than the very wild beasts of the desart . For to make this work of darkness sure , they were content to have blown up some of their own Friends , which they must have done to bring it to pass . Like cursed Herod , who is said to have murdered his own Son among the Infants of Bethlehem , because he would be sure not to miss of the new-born King of the Iews . 2. But if the Enemies of Gods Church cannot bring to pass their spightful purposes against it by open force , then they fall to work by subtile close undermining practises ; sometimes by their sophistical insinuations perverting the Church in point of sound Doctrine , or soiling the Churches purity ; and surely this is enmity destructive enough . Thus the first Council of Nice had an Arrius to find work for then ; the first Council of Constantinople had a Macedonius , if possible , to instill poyson into them . The Council of Calcedon had an Eutiches to go about to deprave them . Chrysostome had the Manichees , and St. Augustine had a Pelagius his * Cotemporary to deal with them . Sometimes the Enemies of Gods Church subtilly compact the loose pieces of some pernicious enterprize against her , by matching great relations and interests with those that are of principal note and renown in the Church ; Facile is exambit filiam qui matrem habet propitiam . Thus our Ecclesiastical History telleth us of Valens the Emperour , when he , first took upon him the Empire he was an Orthodox professor , a man well-furnished and accomplished with the Principles of Apostolical Doctrine ; but being once married to an Arrian Lady , she soon acted the part towards him , that Eve did unto Adam , insnaring and captivating him to the same heresie ; insomuch that he afterward became a most bloody Persecuter of the Orthodox Church of Christ. But besides this of making affinity with some of the Churches worthy Patriots , they can otherwise slily pretend themselves her friends for a time ; hanging out false colours till they see their own opportunity to change the Scene . After this manner came many of the Scribes and Pharisees , and Lawyers to our Saviour , like so many Devils in Samuel's mantle , silvering their viperous tongues with fair language ; but in the mean time the odious device of their hearts was how to entrap him in his words . Such there were who crept into the Church under the benign aspect of Constantine the Great , hypocritically putting on the Christian name , though they were nothing such . Another such race of these two-faced men we have Ezra 4. who delighted in the ruins of the Temple , and fretted with indignation of heart against Zerubabels endeavours to rebuild it ; and to the end that they might effectually hinder the work , they subdolously offer their service to promote it , Let us build with you , for we seek your God as ye do . Thus as in the building of Solomon's Temple , all things were before hand so framed and fitted in Mount Lebanon , that not so much as the sound of an Axe or Hammer was heard in Ierusalem , when it came to be erected : So on the other hand , those desperate destroyers of the Temples of the living God , have their hidden ways of executing their purposes , without being obstreperous to an open discovery till the blow be given . They work in the fire with Erostratus , but it is a fire like that of Hell , that yields no light before it blow up and consume . Neither is it to be wondered that our Popish Incendiaries are so expert this way , forasmuch as they dare wholly mancipate and sell themselves to the Devil , for the compassing of their horrid ends . Even of the Popes themselves some have reckoned up a Catalogue of twenty four , others more , who have been practitioners or Masters rather of the Black Art ; as if they had resolved upon this for their principle , that if God will not help , the Devil shall . How much of the Devil was in the Conspiracy of this Fifth of November ! as if from the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone , this Master of the damned crew had opened a running spring of fire and brimstone in the hearts of those Traytors . And as for the Jesuitical Conspiracy which is the matter of our present heart-aking , and which deservedly checks our rejoycings with trembling , what the just depth and extent thereof was , and might have proved , must be the business of many Months further search and discovery , if as yet through the great mercy of our God , it may be happily frustrated . The ground of all those troubles and afflictions under which the Church of God labours by the hands of her Enemies is the contrariety of temper and spirit between them , the antipathy sown in the natures of the seed of the Woman , and of the seed of the Serpent towards each other ; in respect of which they can no more be reconciled than light and darkness . And this is very much fomented and stirred up on the one hand by the Devil , in order to the enlargement of his Kingdom : and yet on the other hand doth God see fit to permit it as most congruously suiting with the Militant state of his Church here on Earth ; unalterably forewarning us to expect that through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God , Act. 14. 22. This hath been the common lot of the Church Militant from time to time , Elijah-like to be always ascending to God in its own flames ; taking up her Cross to follow Christ , and to become conformable to her head ; hereby also approving her integrity unto God and the world : for the real Saint would not be distinguishable from the false and rotten Hypocrite , at least unto the eye of the world , did not a tempest of Persecution sometimes arise and blow off the Hypocrites Mask . Besides , the Church of God never gains more assured proofs of Gods Power and Providence over her , than when the exigency and necessity of her condition drives her to lay hold on him . As the Stars shine brightest in the night , so in the blackest night of the Churches troubles and adversities kind Heaven opens so many the more eyes to watch over her and guard her . In respect of those Spiritual and blessed ends and advantage of the griefs and troubles of the Church we may well say with St. Augustine , Infaelix Ecclesiae faelicitas , the outward felicity and prosperity of the Church would be one of her greatest infelicities , as that which would rob her of much of her best interest . And yet this will not in the least excuse or extenuate the crying guilt of those who are the Instruments of the Churches Persecution and bloodshed . No , let them look to it , if the fire of Persecution be permitted to try the Gold , surely the fire of Hell it self shall burn up the dross . If the green tree that hath both his sap and fruit may sometimes be roughly shaken with a violent storm , what shall be done in the dry ? If the Saints must drink of the bitter cup of affliction , surely the unjust tormenters of the Saints may expect a cup of the Wine of astonishment , and that they should have the dregs thereof wrung out unto them : yea that this Cup should be compounded with so many the more bitter Ingredients of wrath , by how much the oftner they have afflicted Gods Israel . Which brings us to the second Branch . 2. And that is the frequency of the Enemies inflicting trouble and persecution on the Church : Many a time have they afflicted me . We are to look for afflictions and troubles as familiarly as for our bread : for as we are taught to pray for our daily bread , so we are taught to buckle to our daily Cross too , Luk. 9. 23. Had our Reformed Church of England no other Enemies in Hell , or upon Earth besides the Papacy , their incessant rage , like a fiery Aetna continually belching out new flames , and smothering exhalations out of its bowels against us , were enough to warrant our ingeminated moans and complaints unto God and man with a MANY , MANY a time have they afflicted me . Did they ever forbear to strike when they had their opportunity ? Not to trace their bloody footsteps in foreign Countries , in their Butcheries committed upon the poor Waldenses , whom they so hotly pursued for many years together with Fire and Sword , and all kinds of Hostility , as that they reduced them to their Master 's own forelorn case , not to have any corner or hole in the whole world granted them where to lay their heads . Not to mention how many thousands have been swallowed up in that gulf of cruelty , that Hell upon Earth , the INQUISITION . To say nothing of the outragious Inhumanity of the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands . Nor with what prodigious Massacres the Protestants have been surprized in Germany , Paris , Lyons , Piedmont , and many other places ; what criticisms of Cruelty have been invented and exercised , and all upon the quarrel of the Reformed Religion . I say , not to lead you any farther by the way of this Red Sea ; let us a little consider what Tragedies have been acted , and what Desolations threatened and endeavoured by the same sort of men nearer home in our own Israel . No sooner had King Henry the Eighth allowed the Bible to be read in English , and enjoined the Lords Prayer , the Decalogue , and the Articles of the Christian Faith to be Translated into English , and taught the People ; but as if those things had had the force and power of a Conjuration to raise evil spirits by , presently hereupon the Monks in Lincolnshire blow the Trumpet to Rebellion . Insurrections are made in divers other parts of the Nation , to the number of Twenty thousand , and Forty thousand in bodies ; no less than six or seven such swelling waves of the multitude fell in , one upon the neck of another , enough to have utterly ingulphed and swallowed up the little Ark of Gods Church amongst us , had not the Heavenly Pylot lent it his Steerage . In the Reign of King Edward the Sixth , the Religious Iosiah of our Israel , besides the Rebellion that brake out in several other Counties , instigated by Popish Priests and Friers , for the setting up of their fond Idol of the Mass again ; This very City hath a Reckoning with the Papists not yet fully satisfied for , for the long distress of Siege and Famine by Arundel and his Confederates , wherein besides the eating of Horse-flesh , the Inhabitants were forced to make bread of coarse Bran moulded in rags or clothes , because it would not otherwise knead together , as our Chronicles report . The Reign of Queen Mary was such a continued Bonefire , not of dead mens bones as were the Bonefires of old , but of living Saints and Protestants , that one would think the memory of her flames should still enkindle and heat our spirits with indignation against the name of Popery . For in her short reign ( the shortest of any since William the Conquerour , except that of Richard the Tyrant ) no less than two hundred seventy-seven , suffered Martyrdom upon the cause of Religion . In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth Pope Pius the Fifth Excommunicated the Queen , absolved her Subjects from their Allegiance , and Oath of Fidelity , and gave away her Kingdoms unto the Spaniard . In pursuance of which High-way title , that which they called the Invincible Armada was set out with the Popes Benediction to invade this poor Nation . At which time they boasted that they would carry away our Land in Turfs ; an arrogant flaunt ! Much like that of Benhadad , and followed with much alike success and event , who swore ( 1 King. 20. 10. ) that the dust of Samaria should not suffice for handfuls for all the people that were to follow him . Almost innumerable other were the Plots attempted against her state and person by Popish Votaries and Adherents . In King Iames his Reign the Conspiracy of the Gun-Powder Villany will be enough to brand the damned principles of this kind of men with everlasting odium and infamy , in the account of all true Gospellers . If Religion can produce or hallow such hideous projects , one may certainly expect Religion among Devils . In the Reign of King Charles the First , who but this miscreant brood contrived and acted the Massacre in Ireland , wherein about Three hundred thousand were starved , pined , and murthered . And without doubt although men of other Professions too shamefully imbrued their hands in the execrable murther of King Charles the First , yet the Iesuits and other Papists also needed more than a sprinkling to clear them from being partakers in that crying guilt . Neither do I question but that the unhappy Toleration was an Egg of their laying ; and that these Furies spit forth the sparks that fired the famous City of London ; and turned it into a kind of dismal Colepit . Although but one French Papist were at that time executed upon that tremendous occasion , yet perhaps more of them may be raked out of their dark Cells by the search that is and will be made after the Complotters of this new grand Treason and Massacre ; which is yet but in the dawn of a perfect and full discovery . And here we have matter of horror and astonishment unto every soul amongst us ! Who can tell what an universal sweeping calamity the forcing open of one principal Sluce would have let in upon us ? What , more murdering of Kings yet ! Nay then pray we with pious Mr. Herbert , GOD HELP POOR KINGS . We this day find new Argument to excite us to pray for the life of the King , as the Primitive Christians were wont in their ordinary Liturgy to pray pro morâ finis ; namely , that it would please God to defer the end or fall of the Roman Empire , thereby to put off the lamentable times of Antichrist from their days , very well apprehending the Apostles meaning in 2 Thess. 2. That that wicked one could not be revealed until the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that which withholdeth or letteth were taken out of the way : and what that was which letted , the Apostle durst not speak out , for fear of incurring the rage of the Romans on their new planted Churches ; but the thing that letted was the Roman Empire , the decay of which the Apostle foresaw , and that Antichrist would build up himself upon the ruins of it . Accordingly , when the Empire came to be broken into various Kingdoms , by the coming down of the Northern Nations , and by other intestine occasions ; then did the Pope with all his Creatures invade the vacant seat of the Empire . Now whether or no we have not a like parity of reason , earnestly to pray pro vitâ Regis , that they had to stir them up to pray pro morâ finis , I leave to your selves to judg . And thus having shewed you the frequency of Babylon's troubling or afflicting Zion ; I am sensible that I have herein somewhat anticipated my self in the third Branch . 3. Branch of this part of my Text , and that is the earliness of the Enemies spite and malice against the Church or Israel of God : Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth . Yea , this is their sagacity and wicked policy to take the first advantages , and if it were possible , not to suffer the Church to grow up to strength and stature , but to oppress and crush it betimes , while it is tender and least able to resist . This was the merciless policy of Pharoah and the Egyptians to drown the Hebrew Children as soon as the tender Midwifes hand had received them into the world : To doom them to die in Water as soon as they began to breath in Air. This was the bloody subtilty of Herod , to cut off him that was born King of the Iews ( if he could ) as soon as the very name of him began to be noised . And this was the vigilant policy of the grand Professor of all such destructive arts , Revel . 12. 4. The Dragon stood before the Woman which was ready to be delivered , for to devour her child as soon as it was born . Oh , how implacable is the malice of the Churches enemies ! that although the Church could not be supposed to do any thing to exasperate and provoke them in its early minority and youth , yet unprovoked they have afflicted me from my youth . What , could nothing of her youthful prettinesses and beauties charm their pitiless Adamantine hearts to spare the Church in this her so pleasant age ? no , not infancy or tenderness , not innocency or causelesness ; nor all her insinuating excellencies besides are able to make an Oratory perswasive enough unto the Enemies of the Church for one drop of compassion , but notwithstanding all this , have they many times afflicted me from my youth . What meekness so great that can forbear at least to chide with this kind of Ruffian Adversaries ? O Daughter of Babylon , happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us . Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones , Psal. 137. 8 , 9. Object . But what , shall we yield our Popish Enemies so great an advantage to acknowledg that our Church is so young and so late a thing ? that our Protestant Religion is but of yesterday ? our supposed Novelty is that which they do incessantly charge us with : Sarcastically demanding of us , Where was your Religion before Luther . Sol. No , no , with respect to our Adversaries of Rome , we say , Many a time have they afflicted us from our youth ; not meaning the youth of our Church , but only from the youth of our Reformation . And in answer to the Question , Where our Religion was before Luther ? we boldly affirm , where-ever the Christian Religion was imbraced , and the holy Scriptures were received , there was our Religion . And as it bears the Denomination of the Reformed Religion , although Luther were a very happy Instrument in the Reformation ( the meanness of the Person so much the more commending the power of God that accompanied the work ) yet there were clouds of Witnesses in all ages of the lapsed state of Rome that bare Testimony against that spreading canker of her corruptions , before Luther was in being . Our own King Edward the first , four hundred years ago in Session of Parliament , under the subscription of the Peers , utterly renounced the Popes supreme Authority . No less man than Lewis the Twelfth of France , in defiance of the Pope , coyned money with this Inscription , Perdam Babylonem , I will destroy Babylon ; several years before Luther began to stir . But suppose we date the beginning of the Reformation from the rise of Luther's name in the Christian World , which was in 1517 , may we not retort their question , Where was your Religion before Luther , with another more significant ? Where was your Popish Religion before the Council of Trent ? which commenced not till at least six or seven and twenty years after Luther entred upon the Reformation : until which Council there was never such a body of Popish Doctrines or Heresies intirely and professedly owned and received in the world , as now there is . For that Council of Trent decreeing many things to be Points of Faith which were not so accounted before , hath made no small distraction among the Papists themselves . Before this time we can calculate unto them out of the best Historians , when and how their several Heretical Innovations and Idolatrous abuses crept in . The Popes Usurped Supremacy took place in Boniface the third , which was above Six hundred years after Christ , though Gregory the next immediate Pope save one before him , earnestly declared against Iohn of Constantinople , that whosoever should claim to himself the title of Universal Bishop was the immediate forerunner of Antichrist : and urgeth this good argument against it , If there be one called Universal Bishop , then must the Universal Church go to the ground , if he which is Universal happen to fall . Before these times , instead of the Blasphemous titles of your Holiness in the abstract ; The most great and excellent God on earth ; The invincible Monarch of the Christian Commonwealth , &c. The Popes were then content with the sober stile of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Your Gravity . The setting up of unwritten Traditions in equality with the Sacred Oracles , as it were the bringing of another Trojan Horse into the place of our Palladium , the Word of God , came to be ratified in the Seventh Age. The use of Images in Churches grew up into an occasion of Idolatry about the same time ; although the first suggestion thereunto was only by a pictured table of some of the chief of the Fathers that assisted in the sixth General Council , hung up in the Porch of St. Sophia in Constantinople . Both the name and Doctrine of Transubstantiation was no earlier broached than in that Laterane Council that convened in the year 1215. And how well ( think you ) did Bernard the Dominican believe this Doctrine of Transubstantiation ( and the Popes Legate that instigated him thereunto ) who about the year 1309 poysoned the Emperour Henry the seventh with the consecrated Host ? or the sub-Deacon that poysoned Victor the third in the Chalice ? or Hildebrand , alias Gregory the seventh , that threw the Consecrated Host into the fire , because it answered not his demands ( as the Heathen gods did ) concerning his success against the Emperour ? I could further open this pack , and shew you much more of the same stuff : but these are instances enough without an induction of more particulars , to warrant our inference from thence , that the Popish charge of Novelty on us is justly to be recriminated upon themselves . And as for the Antiquity of our Religion , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , we appeal unto the holy Gospel , and the four first General Councils . But so much for the prejudice and the spite of Israels enemies against her , even from her youth . I must forthwith betake my self unto the second principal part of the Division of my Text : And that is , II. The frustration of the Churches Enemies in their mischievous attempts against her : yet they have not prevailed against me . Whatsoever probability of success may appear for a while on the Adversaries part , there shall be no final or total prevailing against the Church . Haman for a while seemed to be in a fair way to have prevailed against all the Iews , when he had the Letters of Execution sealed with the Broad-seal , and Posts sent forth ; whereas in the mean time he was but twining a Rope for his own neck . The Enemies confidences and insultings may grow high , but such kind of heights can serve for no other purpose , than like the silver and golden Precipices , which the Emperour Heliogabalus devised and would have prepared for himself , to make his ruin to be the more observed and taken notice of . Sennacherib may boast that with the sole of his feet he would dry up the rivers of the besieged places ; but God was able to make the hearts of his Soldiers as water to fill up the Channels . God disappointed the devices of the crafty , so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise . He taketh the wise in their own craftiness , and infatuates their counsels when they are carried headlong in a bad cause : he makes them to lose themselves in the Labyrinths of their own wily brains ; and their crafty policies so intricately woven , serve oftentimes but as a key of many Wards to open the Chambers of Death unto themselves : as is famous in his rendring this days Conspiracy fatal unto its own Authors . On the other hand , on the behalf of those whom God undertakes to protect and shield ; he hath infinitely more ways and methods in the course of his wise Providence to secure and preserve them , than their most deadly lurking enemies can find how to hurt and injure them . Gods Israel have the Captain of Salvation on their side , the Lord Jesus Christ who so leads on the army of Saints against their enemies , as that you may be sure he will bring them honourably off again . We have in him not only the vertue of his Death and Resurrection , but also the benefit of his Intercession , supplying us with invincible strength to overcome our enemies ; we have with him also legions of powerful Angels to fence and guard us , one of whom in one night smote in the Camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand . So that whatsoever enemies think effectually to prevail against the Israel or Church of God , must first make account to cancel all the Promises that are given for Israels security ; he must first overcome God himself , his Power , his Wisdom , and all his other Attributes concerned for his People ; he must subdue the Captain of our Salvation , storm Heaven , and put all the glorious Host of those Guardians of the Saints there to the rout , before he can perfectly and fully prevail against Gods Israel . Bravely therefore doth the Prophet in an Ironical Apostrophe upbraid the enemies of Ierusalem upon this very consideration , Isa. 8. 9 , 10. Associate your selves , O ye people , and ye shall be broken in pieces ; and give car all ye of far Countries , gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces . Gird your selves and you shall be broken in pieces . Take counsel together and it shall come to nought ; speak the word , and it shall not stand , for God is with us . Yet here I must caution you , That you do not imagine by what hath been said , that you have any absolute security given unto any particular Churches but that they may be prevailed against . This attestation of Gods Providence for Israels safety in the Text , and that other promise of our Saviour in Mat. 16. 18. Vpon this Rock I will build my Church , and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it ; are to be understood to speak of the Church universim , and not partitim , any farther than particular Churches do still stand firm upon the rock of sound Faith , and a good Christian life , on which Christ hath founded the whole . We know particular Churches have been broken off , as that of Ierusalem , Corinth , the Seven Churches of Asia , &c. and yet Christ hath still his Church in the World , and will have till time shall have an end . As for the Church of Rome it self , it was long since forewarned ( though she take but little notice of it ) that she should not be high-minded but fear , lest she her self were cut off after the severe Example of the Iews before her , Rom. 11. 20 , 21 , 22. Nay , the words sound like a clap of Thunder , Otherwise thou also shalt be cut off . Undoubtedly God might have cut off this Church of England with the cursed Powder-Plot , or with the dreadful stroke which was intended us in this new forged Conspiracy , and yet have been justified in so doing : especially considering how highly we have provoked him thereunto , by the prophane and customary neglect of most of the duties of Religion , and Divine Worship among the general sort of men ; by the uncharitable factions and divisions of others , by the loose Drunkenness and the loud Swearing ; by the gross Whoredoms and Uncleanness ; by the universal lukewarmness that is amongst us . But perhaps God foresaw that our ruin had been a mortal wound to the Protestant Religion throughout Christendom , or might have set the whole true Church of God in the world a-bleeding , in such an hopeless manner , as would not have been easily stanched again : and so considering his Church amongst us as so main a part of the true Catholick body , perhaps God hath spared and delivered us who were a part in faithfulness to the whole . III. And now let me obtain a little of your Patience for the third thing remarked in my Text , and that is the Churches thankful Reflexion on her afflictions and the happy issue of them , suggested by the Psalmist , Let Israel NOW say . Just the same triumphing Epenthesis in the midst of a sense , that we find Psal. 124. 1 , 2. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side , now may Israel say : If it had not been the Lord , who was on our side , when men rose up against us : Then they had swallowed us up quick , &c. Let Israel NOW especially say and glory hereof , in that the Lord hath been pleased to warm our hearts a-new , with the fresh sense of a discovery , perhaps of little less moment than that which this day commemorates unto us . Let Israel now say , yea and as our Psalmist descants upon it , Let us say it over again and again , MANY , MANY a time have they afflicted me , yet they have not prevailed against me . You come home to the very heart of God by a grateful acknowledgment of his mercies ; you set him up a new Pearl in his Crown ; for thus we sometimes find God himself , as it were , decking his name with new Titles , taken from the Mercies and Deliverances which he hath wrought for his People , I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt , out of the house of bondage ; and the Lord which brought up , and which led the seed of the house of Israel , out of the North-country , and the like . In Psal. 22. 3. he is elegantly said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inhabiting the praises of Israel , that is either dwelling in and among the Tribes of Israel who celebrated his praises , or inhabiting the place , the Tabernacle , the Ark , whither they brought and rendred his praises to him . But why inhabiting the Praises of Israel ? Were there not many other sorts of offerings which the Devotion of Israel prescribed him besides Praises ? yes , but praises carry the garland from them all , because he should not so soon be dislodged out of them , but should longer inhabit Praises than any legal services whatsoever : according to that saying amongst their Iewish Writers , that every Corban or Sacrifice should cease , but that the Sacrifice of Praise . Therefore with all the most signal Praises , let Israel now say , and say aloud too , that , if possible , the eccho of our rejoycings might carry terrour and trouble over all their Papal Monarchy , that although they have many times afflicted us , yet they have not prevailed against us . Can you do less in zeal for your Religion , than celebrate the praises of God for the preservation of it ? especially when the safety of your persons , your lives , and all that is near and dear unto you is concerned equally with your Religion ? But unto you that are in Authority above others , I humbly remonstrate , Doth not the blood of that Worthy Knight , and Justice of the Peace , Sir Edmundbury Godfrey , unto whose Title we may now superadd the Martyr ( a thousand times more deservedly than the Romish Party do Canonize for Martyrs , Garnet , Winter , Digby , and other instruments of the Powder-plot ) , I say , Doth not his blood cry loud enough , to rouse and awaken all your Zeal , Care , and Courage against those Catholick Murderers ? Are not his wounds so many mouths to bespeak you plain enough , that he hath but acted that part which you all must do , if you ever come to lye at their mercy ? I do believe indeed that this County of ▪ Devon is as clean and free of this sort of Locusts , as any one shire in England ; yet had this late Conspiracy taken effect , you would have found by this time such numberless swarms of them filling the City , and the whole Country about , as if the Marian Generation had risen out of the Earth again . And had this come to pass , then instead of an opportunity to celebrate our Deliverance from the Treason of this fifth of November , it would have been accounted on the other hand , a new fifth of November's Treason , only to dare call it such . We could not have adventured here to meet together , for the offering up our sacrifice of praise to God , without the danger of the Galileans fate to have our blood mingled with our sacrifices ; and for you in special that wear the badg of Magistracy on you , to have your scarlet-Gowns dipt afresh in your own gore . Now therefore to excite you to vigilancy , against the seeding of any of those evil tares amongst us , I shall only present you with two Considerations : 1. The Absurdity of their Doctrines ( I mean their Doctrines distinctive and characteristick of Papists , as such ) even to common sense and reason , and much more to become matters of Faith. For example , as to their Doctrine of Indulgences , which gave the first offence unto our Reformers , what more ridiculous than to believe what the Preachers of Pope Leo the Tenth , published out of their Pulpits ; that at the sound of the money , as it was cast into the Bason , those souls whom they intended to buy out of Purgatory , skipped and leaped for joy amidst the flames , and presently mounted out of Purgatory ? What greater violence to Reason than to believe their Doctrine of Infallibility ? Place it where you will , either in their Popes or in their Councils ; of both which , there have been manifold instances of their contradicting and nullifying the acts of each other , and yet both must be held infallible . Can you reconcile it unto any honest mind and understanding , that the common people should be able to serve God acceptably in a publick worship sealed up in an unknown tongue ? That Doctrine of Transubstantiation , what is it but an opium that stupefies all the senses of a man ? For a man must belye not only his own , but the senses of all the world besides , whereby we know bread to be bread , and wine to be wine , because we see it , and taste it , and feel it , before we can receive this gross Tenet . What an unreasonable thing is it to have their not-written Traditions imposed upon us for a rule of faith equally with the holy Scriptures , and yet none of them in the mean time vouchsafe to inform us how many these Traditions be ? or to be continually forging new Articles of Faith as indispensably necessary to Salvation , and yet never tell us when there will be an end of coyning any more ? Who that hath but well learnt his Primer , or can turn to the second Commandment there , can brook their worshipping of Images ? The publick scandal of which is more than any one thing besides , to prejudice both Iews and Turks against their imbracing of the Christian Religion ; neither of whom can indure the use of Images in their Oratories or places of Worship . As for the various measures of the Taxes of the Apostolical Chancery , as they call them , where you may have dispensations and absolutions of all kinds , and which are no less commonly used amongst the Popes brokers , then the books of Customs and Entries among Merchants . What strange traffick is that by which the absolution of Impoysonings , Sacriledg , Simony , Fornication , Adultery , Incest , nay Sodomy , Brutality , and other the most horrible and enormous crimes are rated at a less price , than the least Dispensation of eating of flesh on days forbidden by the Pope . Now if a man can utterly abdicate natural Reason , let him give himself up to believe such strange incongruous lies . 2. My second Consideration is the dangerousness of their Principles unto Civil Government , and unto the peace of States and Kingdoms ; such as are their dispensation with Oaths , their allowance of breaking faith with those whom they are pleased falsly and abusively to call Hereticks ; their Excommunication of Kings and Princes , and then despoiling them of their Kingdoms , and murdering their persons by any that can first come at them , if they refuse to own fealty to the Pope , or are not obsequious to all his placita . Tell them of giving unto Caesar the things that are Caesars , Pope Vrbane the sixth hath an excellent Evasion for that , viz. that those words of Christ , Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars , took place only till his Ascension , but after his Ascension they were of no moment , seeing that Christ himself saith , Ioh. 12. 32. If I be lifted up from the earth , I will draw all men unto me ; that is , all Kings and Kingdoms under the Empire of the Pope : whom he therefore concludeth to be King of Kings , and Lord of Lords : thus abusing the Sacred Word of God , as if it were no better than a meer Pasquil or Burlesque . But may it be ever hoped that this proud Apocalyptical Beast will yield himself to be cicurated and tamed ? Alas , his lofty claim of Infallibility renders him too stubborn and untractable for that . Yea , it hath long since been believed by many ; that so great is the pestilent infection of this Chair of Rome , that with the contagion thereof it instantly infected him , whosoever sat in it * . I conclude therefore unto you as Luther , when in a great sickness he made his Will , bequeathing his detestation of Popery to his Friends and Pastors . Or as the Reverend Dr. Holland for twenty years together Regius Professor of Divinity in Oxford , when he went any Journey , he is said to depart with this Valediction unto the Fellow of the Colledg ( which is all I have to say ) Commendo vos Dilectioni Dei & odio Popatus & superstitionis : I commend you to the love of God , and to the hatred of Popery and Superstition . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A57190-e150 Jam. 1. 17. Notes for div A57190-e370 Baron . Annal. Tom. 1. Ann. 34. Art. 275. Ann. 57. Art. 39. Act. 5. 15. 1 Cor. 15. 32. Psal. 22. 12. Dan. 7. 6. Rev. 13. 2. Isa. 27. 1. Psal. 74. 14. Baron . out of Philo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Clem. Alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * Dempsterus ex Walfilda refert eodem die quo ille in Angliâ natus , tenebras errorum toti mundo effudit , summum Ecclesiae lumen Augustinum in Africâ emicuisse . Theodor. Hist. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 12. Luk. 20. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Eus●o . de vitâ Constantini , lib. 4. cap. 54. Ezra 4. 2. Hoc consilio ut illis intermixti personas inter se committerent , & ita opus interverterent . Iun. in loc . Nehem. 4. 11. Prideaùx his Introduct . to Hist. in the fifth rank of Aegyptian Magicians . ●lectere si nequeo superos , &c. Gen. 3. 15. Act. 14. 22. Luk. 23. 31. Psal. 75. 8. 1 Pet. 4. 17. Luk. 9. 23. Mat. 8. 20. Sir Rich. Baker in K. Edward 6. K. Rich. 3. 1 King. 20. 10. In Poem stiled Church-Musick . Tertul. lib. Apolog. advers . Gentes . cap. 32. 2 Thes. 2. 6 , 7. Rev. 12. 4. Psal. 137. 9. Vid. Philip. Mornayi mysterium iniquitatis , in oppositionibus per totum lib. Spondani Epit. Baron . An. 606. Art. III. Ego fidenter dico , quisquis se universalem sacerdotem vocat , vel vocari desiderat , in elatione suâ Antichristum praecurrit , quia superbiendo caeteris se preponit . Greg. I. 6. Epist. 30. So Constantine saluted Miltiades Bishop of Rome , as also Chrestus Bishop of Syracuse . Euseb. l. 10. c. 5. De Progressu hujusce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , vid. Morney . p. 292 , 293. lat . Edit . Carranzae summa Concil . in Concil . primo Later . cap. 1. Nicaenum , Constantinopolitanum , Ephesinum , Chalcedonense . Esih. 7. 9 , 10. 2 King. 19. 24. Job 5. 12 , 13. Heb. 2. 10. Isa. 8. 9. 10. Mat. 6. 18. Grot. in loc . See also Dr. Hammond . Rom. 11. 20 , 21 , 22. Jer. 5. 7 , 8 , 9. Rev. 3. 16. Psal. 124. 1 , 2. Exod. 20. 2. Psal. 81. 10. Jerem. 23. 8. Psal. 22. 3. Buxtorf . Lexicon Rabbin , in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . An Advertisement to Magistrates . Rev. 9. 3. Luk. 13. 1. New Survey of the Turkish Empire : Tit. of their Oratories . In lib. Scripto per quendam Ioh. de Therano , sed jussu Urbani Pap. 6. Joh. 12. 32. * As it did Pius 2d , and Paul the 4th . who before they were made Popes were zealous Reformers , but afterward all was forgotten . Fuller in his life . 
A66398	----	The history of the gunpowder-treason collected from approved authors, as well popish as Protestant. Williams, John, 1636?-1709. 1678 Approx. 53 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A66398 Wing W2705 ESTC R1987 12497906 ocm 12497906 62576 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66398) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 62576) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 951:79) The history of the gunpowder-treason collected from approved authors, as well popish as Protestant. Williams, John, 1636?-1709. [2], 32 p. Printed for Richard Chiswel ..., London : 1678. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Attributed to John Williams. cf. NUC pre-1956. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605. 2005-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-01 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-02 Ben Griffin Sampled and proofread 2005-02 Ben Griffin Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Imprimatur , Guil. Jane . Nov. 4. 1678. THE HISTORY OF THE Gunpowder-Treason , Collected from Approved Authors , AS WELL POPISH as PROTESTANT . Saepè Divinitatis opera haec sunt , & furias in ipso jam successu securas subita ultio excipiat : nè vel unquam improbis timor , vel spes absit Calamitosae virtuti . Jo. Barclaii Conspiratio Anglicana . LONDON , Printed for Richard Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard , 1678. THE HISTORY OF THE GUNPOWDER TREASON . THere are no Conspiracies and Insurrections more dangerous to States and Governments , than those that the name of Religion is made to patronize ; for when that doth head and manage the Party , as it makes it look somewhat considerable in it self , so it doth inspire those that are concerned with a certain furious and intemper ate zeal , and an ungovernable violence ; they then rebel with authority , and kill with a safe conscience , and think they cannot do amis as long as it is to do God service . The Brother will then deliver up the Brother to death , and the Father the Child : and the Children will rise up against their Parents , and cause them to be put to death ; and the Laws of Nature , which are of themselves sacred and inviolable , shall in such a case be despised and lose their authority . This , this is it which in these latter Ages more especially hath disturbed Governments , disposed of the Crowns of Princes , and troubled the peace of the world : From hence spring all those mischiefs that threatned and perpetually allarm'd this Nation during the long and fortunate Reign of Queen Elizabeth : From hence proceeded that barbarous and bloody design of the Gunpowder Treason in the year 1605. Such a Design a the World before never heard of , and which Posterity will hardly believe for the horror of it , say the soberer of their own * Authors : such a design as even some of the Jesuits , after it miscarried , and they saw how ill it was resented by the rest of mankind , professed their detestation of * ; but how little to their own vindication , and the satisfaction of the World will easily appear to any one that doth impartially inquire into the History and the process of it . For this design was not taken up of a sudden , and what a small company of rash and hot-headed persons did without consideration attempt , but what proceeded from the same original , and was carried on by the same Counsels and Endeavours that were in being in the time of Queen Elizabeth ; the principals in which for their time were Garnet the Provincial of the Jesuits in England , Baldwin in Flanders , and Creswel in Spain ; these were the great Projectors and Encouragers of that which was called the Spanish Treason in the last year of Queen Elizabeth ; and which when defeated in by her death , and the Peace that issued upon it betwixt the Crowns of England and Spain , they were put upon new Counsels , and forced to take other Measures for the prosecution of it . It was in Decemb. in the year 1601 , that Tho. Winter was sent into Spain by the ioynt advice of Henry Garnet and Oswald Tesmond Jesuits , and of Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham , Gentlemen of good quality and reputation , to try what could be done for Their assistance that were ready to sacrifice their lives and fortunes for the Catholick Cause ; and to assure the King of Spain that could they but prevail with him to send over an Army , they would have in readiness 1500 or 2000 horses for the service . With Winter was sent over Oswald Tesmond , and by them a Letter to Creswel the Jesuit then residing there , By whose Mediation the motion was readily hearkned to , and Don Pedro Francesa , second Secretary of State , and the Duke of Lerma did assure them of the Kings furtherance and help ; and in the Conclusion the Count of Miranda particularly told them that his Master had resolved to bestow two hundred thousand Crowns to that use , half to be paid that year , and the rest the next following , and that at Spring he would without fail set footing in England . About the latter end of the year Thomas Winter returns with this joyful news , and they were now busie in preparing for it , and almost every day expecting the arrival of these Forces , when of a sudden all was dashed by the Death of Queen Elizabeth , which was March 24. 1602. Upon this one of the Wrights is immediately despatched into Spain , to give the King notice of it ; and about the same time was Guy Fawks sent with Letters and Commission from Sir William Stanly , Hugh Owen , and Baldwin the Jesuit ( who were then in Flanders , and ready to attend and to prosecute the same Design ) But That King told them that he was now otherwise resolved and it became him not to hearken to such proposals , after he had sent Embassadors to the new King of England to treat of a Peace . It was now therefore fit either to let their Design fall , or to betake themselves to some other course to Effect it ; but the Former their Temper and their Principles would not permit ; And therefore since they could not promise themselves success therein by force , they did contrive how without any noise or visible and open preparations it might be obtained . That a King or Queen who is an Heretick may be deposed or killed was current Doctrine amongst them , in the time of Queen Elizabeth , and what they had been taught from Father Creswel , or whoever was the Author of the Book called Philopater , and by Tresham in his Book de officio hominis Christiani , found with them about this time . And though the King was not formally declared and proceeded against as such , yet it was thought sufficient by them that the Pope on Maunday-Thursday did censure and Condemn all Hereticks in the general , as Guy Fawkes and others of them did confess . And therefore the Question was not so much about the lawfulness of it , as about the order that was to be observed , and the way that was fit to be taken in it . Catesby who was no Novice in these affairs , and that from his acquaintance with Parsons when in England and Garnet and the other Jesuits ( to whose order he and his Family , from Campian down to this time , were particularly devoted ) had learned great skill and Subtilty , quickly contrived this for them ; and when Percy who was of the house of Northumberland , and at that time one of the Kings Pensioners , according to the bluntness of his temper , did offer himself for the service , and that he would without any more adoe undertake to assassinate the King ; This wary Gentleman replyed that would be too dear a purchase , when his own life would be hazarded in it ; and it was unnecessary , when it might as well be accomplished without it ; And so acquaints him in part with what was intended . Before this was fit to be fully Communicated , he thought it necessary that there should be some care taken to obliege all to Secrecy ; for which purpose an Oath was devised that every one should take , and which was accordingly Administred to them by Gerard the Jesuit . The Oath was , You shall swear by the blessed Trinity , and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive , never to disclose Directly nor Indirectly , by word or circumstance , the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep Secret nor desist from the Execution thereof , until the rest shall give you leave . This was taken and the Sacrament upon it received by Catesby , Percy , Christopher Wright , Thomas Winter , and Faukes in May 1604. Upon which Catesby Communicated the whole , and told them that at the meeting of the Parliament which now drew on , they would have a fair Opportunity to consummate all their wishes , & without being observed or discovered by one fatal Blow to destroy the King , the Prince , the Duke , and the Parliament at once ; for as long as there were those breaches of the Royal Family remaining , to what purpose would it be to make away the King , and as long as there was a Parliament in being , what should they get if they could not as well Destroy the Branches as the Root . Therefore his Design was to extirpate at once all the seeds of Heresie , and by a train of Powder conveniently laid under the House in which at that time they should all be assembled to Blow them up , and their Cause together . This was what the Confederates very well approved of , and now the united Counsels and Endeavours to carry it on . The first thing to be Considered was the hiring of the House , and this Percy undertook , and having not without some difficulty perswaded the present Tenant Ferris to quit it , he became immediate Tenant to Whinyard , Keeper of the Wardrope , at whose disposal it was in the intervals of Parliament . The House was Committed to the care of Faukes , as being least known , who , the better to Conceal himself , changed his Name to Johnson , and gave himself out to be Perey's Servant . Whilst they were thus busie in Contriving and carrying on their Plot , the Parliament was prorogued till February the 7th , upon which they dispersed themselves into several Countreys ; but to lose no time , did think of taking in some other Persons whom they might Confide in , and expect some help from . Catesby was sensible that he had given Thomas Bates , a Servant of his that attended him , too great cause of Suspicion , and upon Examination found him to have observed somewhat from his Proceedings , and therefore invited him into the undertaking , but he somewhat surprized at the horror of it , began to Decline it , till his Master referd him for Advice to Tesmond , unto whom imparting it in Confession , the subtile Priest both invited him to it as a work of great merit , and obliged him to Secrecy and Fidelity therein . Then were Robert Keyes and the other Wright Gentlemen , and Ambrose Rockwood , and John Grant , and Robert Winter , Esquires admitted into the Number . In Michaelmas Term they met again , and then they thought fit to provide a Storehouse for the Timber which they should use in the Mine that they intended to make , and for the Powder and other Materials , from whence they might fetch it as Occasion served . And such a place they found and took at Lambeth . December 11th , they began to work , but what from the Difficulty of the work ( the Wall that they were to make their way through being 3 Ells thick ) what from their want of skill in it , and of being used to such kind of Labour , they found that their time would be too short for their Enterprize , and they began to Despair of success in it . But when under this Irresolution and Discouragement , their hopes were revived by two unexpected Accidents . For first the Parliament was Adjourned to the 5th of October following , by which means they should have time before them . And then they had an opportunity of hiring a Vault , much more for their turn than the Mine which they had so long Employed themselves in . This they came to knowledge of upon this Occasion ; As they were one day busie at their work , they were not a little frighted by an unusual noise on the other side of the Wall , which made them think that they were betrayed , and to betake themselves to their weapons with a resolution of dying upon the place . But Fauks who was sent out to make Discovery returns with Joy to tell them that it was only the removing of Coals that were laid in the adjoyning Vault or Cellar , which was now to be let . This they presently hire , thither they brought their stores . By this means they quined a double advantage , first that their business was brought into a less room , which was more for their ease and safety , and then that they were rid of their hard , and but upon such a cause , to them intolerable Labour ; for this was a Mine as it were , already and what was so well scituated by its being almost under the Royal Throne , that they could not have chose any thing more commodious . And now they are at leisure not so much to think of this Design ( for that was brought to its head , and what they reckoned themselves sure of ) as how to carry on the other part of it . The King and Prince Henry they did not doubt would fall in this common calamity ; but the Duke , being but four years old , they thought would be absent ; of him therefore Percy took the charge , and said , he would attend about the chamber till the Blow was given , and then in a trice conveigh him away , with the help of two or three that should be ready on horse-back ; which they might the more easily do , as many of the Court would be that day upon attendance and perish with the rest , and the others would by it be put into Confusion , and unprovided to make any opposition . As for the Lady Elizabeth , she might be reserved , and her Name made use of by them in stilling and composing the minds of the people , and for making good whatever they thought fit to use her Authority in ; And her they might the more easily gain into their hands , as she was now at the Lord Harringtons at Comb-Abby in Warwickshire , whereabouts they might securely be under the pretence of an Hunting-match , and with the first news there surprize her . In the mean time , was care taken to give notice to those abroad whom they might trust ; and in March 1605. is Fawks sent over to Sr. William Stanly , and Hugh Owen ; and with letters from Garnet to Baldwin the Legier Jesuit in Flanders . Sr. William was absent , but having first administred the Oath of Secrecy , to Owen , he acquaints him with the Plot , who promised to give his utmost assistance ; and to dispose Sir William to it ( whom he thought it not fit for the present to cummunicate it to , for fear he might be discovered and fail in a design , that he was then about in the Court of England . ) To the 20 Barrels of Powder laid in at first ; they added in July , 20 more with Barrs of Iron , and massie Stones , and at the last made up the Number Thirty Six ; over which they laid a Thousand Billets , and Five-hundred Faggots . And at a Meeting at the Bath , of Percy and Catesby , it was agreed that Catesby should take in whom he thought fit , who thereupon engaged Sir Everard Digby , that promised to advance 1500 l. towards it ; and Mr. Francis Tresham , that gave him assurance of 2000 l. All things thus being in a readiness , the Parliament was again Prorogued till the Fift of November ; upon which they retired , with a promise of meeting about Ten daies before . At which time Catesby , being informed by Winter at a House by Enfield Chase , that the Prince was not likely to be present with the King , there was another Plot laid to surprize him , if it should so happen . The time drew very near , and they that had past so long without discovery , seem'd now to be above the the fear of it . All things had so happily concurred to further their design , and they had all approved themselves to be so trusty in it , that they were more concerned how to manage the success than to fear it . But God that had a reserve of favour for us , and that doth delight in catching the wise in their own craftiness , suffered them to proceed thus far in it , that the detection and overthrow of it might appear to be more from his than Man's Providence . When Catesby first thought of this , the great difficulty with him was about the lawfulness of destroying the innocent with the guilty . For the blow would know no difference betwixt a Catholick and a Heretick , betwixt a Friend or F. O. When the Nobles and the Commons , those that were a part of that Assembly , and those that came to be Auditors and Spectators only ; those that were within , and those that were without the House ; when no less than Thirty thousand must perish at once by it ( as Barclay saith it was computed ) it must needs be that many whom they wished well to ; and that also ( if they knew it ) would wish well to their cause must be part of the Sacrifice . What an havock would Thirty-six Barrels , or Nine or Ten-thousand Pound of Powder make , loaded thus with Bars of Iron , massie Stones , and great pieces of Timber , how would it tear the Foundations of the strongest Buildings , throw down all the Tops of the neighbouring Houses , and bury all within the ruins of both ? What would become of their Friends and Allies , those that they had received much kindness from , and others who neither did nor knew how to do them an injury ? How many Families must they undo , by the loss of Relations , Estates , and Records which were there deposited ? This and much more was what they well foresaw , and what they could not foresee without some kind of horror , if they had but one spark of humanity left untouched by their unnatural Religion . What must therefore be done ; to whom should he resort for Counsel , but to his fast Friend Father Garnet , to him he opens the Case ( as far as it was fit and as far as the other was willing to know of it ) after this manner . Whether for the good and Promotion of the Catholick cause ( the necessity of time and occasion so requiring ) it be lawfull or not amongst many Nocents to destroy and take away some Innocents also ? To which the Jesuit replies , That if the advantage was greater on the side of the Catholicks by the destruction of the Innocent with the Nocent , than by the preservation of both , it was doubtless lawful ; further explaining himself by this comparison . That , if at the taking of a Town possessed by the Enemy , there happen to be seen Friends , they must undergo the Fortune of War , and the General and Common destruction of the Enemy . With this answer Catesby was satisfied , and with this he satisfied others , telling them that it was the resolution of the Case given by the Provincial . But , yet though this did thus compose their Minds , and what they were generally satisfied with , there wanted not one that having a kindness for the Lord Monteagle , eldest Son to the Lord Morley , sent this Note to him , by the hands of one of his Foot-boyes that was abroad in the Evening of the Saturday was Sennight before the appointed time for the meeting of the Parliament . My Lord , Out of the love I hear to some of your Friends , I have a care of your preservation . Therefore I would advise you , as you tender your life ▪ to devise some excuse to shift off your Attendance at this Parliament . For God and Man have Concurred to punish the wickedness of this time . And think not slightly of this Advertisment , but retire your self into your Contrey , where you may expect the Event in safety : For though there be no appearance of any stir ; yet I say , they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament , and yet they shall not see who hurt them . This Counsel is not to be contemned , because it may do you good , and can do you no harm : For the danger is past as soon as you shall have burned this Letter . And I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it . To whose Holy protection I commend you . The Letter was without Date or Subscription , and the hand in which it was write was hardly legible , and the contents of it so perplexed , that the Lord knew as little what to make of it , as whence it came . But yet however since it respected more than himself he thought not fit to conceal it , and presently repaired to White-hall , and put it into the hands of the Earl of Salisbury Principal Secretary of State. The Earl commended the Lord for his care and Fidelity ; and told him that though there seemed to be little in it , yet because of the reports that he had received from abroad , that the Papists this Session of Parliament would be very busie and insolent in their demands for Toleration upon some prospect they had of being in a condition to command it ; and also that because nothing that concerned the safety of his Majesty and Peace of his Government ought to be slighted , he would advise with others of his Majesties Council about it . Accordingly he shewed it to the Lord Chamberlain , ( to whom it particularly belonged to visit all places where his Majesty either lived or to which he did resort ) to the Lord High-Admiral , the Earls of Worcester and Northampton ; who all were of the same mind with the Secretary , and concluded it fit to deliver it to the King at his return from Royston , when he came from hunting , and from whence he was expected the Thursday following . On the next day after his Return , the Earl presented him with it , and told him how it came to his hands . After the reading of it , the King made a pause , and then reading it again , said , that there seemed somewhat in it extraordinary , and what was by no means to be neglected . The Earl replied , that it seemed to him to be written by a Fool , or a Mad-man ; for who else could be guilty of saying , The Danger is past as soon as you have burn'd the Letter ? for what Danger could there be in that , which the burning of the Letter would put an end to ? But the King considering the smartness of the Stile , and withal what was said before , That they should receive a terrible Blow , and yet should not see who hurt them , did conclude , as he was walking and musing in the Gallery , that the Danger must be sudden , and like the blowing up by Gunpowder ; for what else could the Parliament be in danger of ? or what Rebellion and Insurrection could there be , and yet there be no appearance of Stir therein ? or how could they be otherwise hurt , and not see who hurt them ? And as for the Phrase which the Secretary particularly offered at , he said , to him it seemed to be of a quite different signification , and that thereby was to be understood the Suddenness and Quickness of it , which should as soon or as quickly be done , as that Paper might be burnt . Doubtless this was the sence of it , and what he that wrote it did intend , who was no Fool , as appears by the other parts of the Letter ; and yet the Discovery of it was extraordinary , being against the common Construction , far from what any other did apprehend by it ; and therefore it is what even some of the adverse Party have looked upon as God's Inspiration . So John Barclay entitles his little Book that he wrote about it , Series patefacti divinitus Parricidii , &c. And Spondanus , Ann. 1605. § . 8. saith of the King , that divinitus evasit . The Secretary admired the King's great Sagacity ; and tho he seemed to differ from him whilst in his presence , yet presently conferred with the Lords about it , and on Saturday it was resolved , that the Houses and Rooms thereabouts should be searched . The Care of this was committed to the Lord Chamberlain , who was appointed on Munday to make the Search ; which he accordingly did that evening , being accompanied with the Lord Monteagle , that was very desirous of seeing the Event . Having view'd this House , they found in a Vault under Ground great Store of Billets , Faggots , and Coal , brought thither ( as Mr. Whinyard told them ) for the use of Mr. Percy , and spied Faux standing in a Corner of the Cellar , who said that he was Mr. Percy 's Servant , and left there by him for the keeping of his House . Upon the naming of Percy , the Lord Monteagle told the Chamberlain , that he now vehemently suspected Mr. Percy to be the Author of that Letter , both from his Inclination to the Romish Religion , and the Intimacy that had been betwixt them . How true that Lord's Conjecture was , I I know not , ( for Bishop Goodman in his Answer to Sir Anth. Weldon's Court of K. James , saith , That Tresham sent it ) . But that Circumstance , with what they had discovered , so much encreased the Suspicion , that when all was reported by the Lord Chamberlain to the King , in the presence of the Lord Admiral , Lord Treasurer , the Earls of Worcester , Northampton , and Salisbury , it was resolved , that further Search should be made , what was under that great Pile of Fewel , in such a House where Percy had so little occasion to reside . But what for avoiding the Report of too much Credulity , and Easiness to receive Informations of that kind ; what from the care of doing any thing that might redound to the blemish of the Earl of Northumberland , whose near Relation , and great Confident this Thomas Percy was ; it was resolved to do it under the pretence of making Inquisition for some of the Kings Hangings , that were stollen out of Whinyard's Custody . Sir Thomas Knevet , one of the King's Privy-Chamber , was employed in it , being a Person in publick Office , as a Justice of Peace , and of great Prudence . At midnight he repaired thither , and found Faux standing at the Door , booted and spurr'd , whom he presently apprehended . Then proceeding , he first lighted upon one of the smaller , and after discovered the rest of the Barrels . Upon which causing Faux to be searched , he found about him three Matches , a Tinderbox , and a dark Lanthorn . Being thus taken in the Fact , he both confessed and defended it , adding , That if he had happened to be within the House , as he was without , he would by putting Fire to the Train , have put an end to their Enquiry . Sir Thomas having had such happy Success , immediatly returns with joy to the Palace , and acquaints the Lord Chamberlain , and Earl of Salisbury with it , who went to the King's Bedchamber , and with as much hast as joy the Chamberlain told the King , that all was discovered , and the Traitor in safe Custody . This was about four of the Clock in the Morning . As soon as the Council met , ( who were immediatly sent for ) the Prisoner was taken into Examination , and to the amazement of all appeared no more dash'd by their presence , or the Questions put to him , or the Condition that he was in , than if he had been altogether innocent , declaring , That he was not at all sorry for what he had design'd , but only that he fail'd in the execution of it ; and that the Devil , and not God , was the Discoverer . So pertinacious and resolute was he , that he would not own any Accomplices , but that he alone was the Contriver , and should have been the sole Executer of it , and that he was induced to this for Conscience sake , as the King ( being an Heretick ) was not his lawful Sovereign , but an Usurper . Thus stout and resolute did he continue , till he was brought to the Tower , and shewed the Rack , upon the sight of which he began to relent , and after some days examination disclosed the whole . The News of this Discovery flew like Lightning , it was what rejoiced the Heart of every good Subject , and daunted that of the Rebels , and therefore those of them that were in Town no sooner heard of it , but they betook themselves to Flight . Catesby was gone the Night before towards the place appointed for their Rendezvous ; and Percy set forward at 4 of the Clock in the Morning , much about the time that the Discovery was made : But one of the Winters , and the two Wrights that staid behind , staid to hear of their Defeat and Disappointment , and so made all the haste they could to overtake and meet their Confederates ; that they might consult what was to be done in so great an Exigence . In the mean time , there was nothing wanting on their part , who were to contribute their endeavours in the Country . Sir Everard Digby came to Dunchurch according to appointment , and so confident were they of success above , that one Grant a Gentleman in those parts , on Monday Night , much about the time that Faux was apprehended with other of his Associates , broke open the Stables of one Benock , a Rider of great Horses , and took away all that he found , for their own Service , and with them they repaired to the rest . But all their hopes were soon blasted , by the sad News which they quickly received from those that had made their escape . Desperation begets Resolution ; and now they are lost as well as their Cause , if they do not speedily find out a Remedy ; and therefore with all the haste they can , they dispatched some to call in others to their Assistance , and to represent to them the greatness of the danger that they , and their Religion is in , unless they appear in its defence . This Tesmond ( aliàs Greenwel ) the Jesuit , did particularly concern himself in , exhorting all to take up Arms , and to unite their Forces , and for this purpose rode as far as Lancashire . This riding to an fro made a noise in the Countrey and awakened the People ; the loss of Benock's Horses came quickly to the Ears of some of those Gentlemen that had put them into his Hands to manage and fit them for their Service . And for one reason or another the Countrey was presently up in Arms , and upon pursuit of them . Some of them were taken Prisoners , and others of them pursued by Sir Richard Verney , Sheriff of Warwick-shire , to the borders of that County . But they kept on their course , till they came to Holbeach in Staffordshire , the House of Stephen Littleton ; thither Sir Richard Walsh , Sheriff of Worcester-shire followed them ; and by his Trumpeters commanded them in the King's Name to surrender , assuring them that upon their so doing he would intercede with the King for them , and doubted not to obtain their Pardon . But they that were conscious to themselves of more than he understood ( for the News had not yet spread so far , nor the King's Proclamations , though sent after them , had not yet overtaken them ) bid him Defiance , and sent him Word that he must have a greater Force , than what he had then the command of , to reduce them . But whilst the one was preparing for the Assault , and the other for their Defence , God himself seemed to decide the Quarrel : for by the same means which they contrived to destroy others , they themselves came to suffer ; for having laid some Powder to dry before the Fire , a Coal upon the mending of it flew into the Pan and set Fire to the rest , thereby not only blowing up part of the Roof , and a Bag of Powder of 17 or 18 pound , that they underset the Pan with , which was carried unfired into the Court , but so wounding Catesby , Percy , Rockwood , and several of the Conspirators , that they were unable to make any further Defence . By this time also Fire was set to the House , and their case grew so desperate , that they opened the Doors , and exposed themselves to the Weapons and Fury of the People . The three principal of them , viz. Catesby , Percy , and Winter , joined Back to Back , and the two former of them were mortally wounded with one Shot , Catesby dying upon the Spot , and Percy not out-living him above two or three Days . The two Wrights were slain at the same time , Digby , Rock-wood , Thomas Winter , Grant and Bates were taken Prisoners , and sent up to London , Robert Winter and Littleton endeavoured to conceal themselves in the Woods , but were afterward taken and committed to the Tower ; Tresham continued in London , and seemed ready to find out the Traitors , and by that means thought at first to remain undiscovered , but being suspected , he was afterwards searched for , and apprehended and sent to the same place . Thus suddenly was that Design discovered which had been so long concealed ; thus suddenly was it broken , which they had been some years in contriving , therein verifying that of the Psalmist , The ungodly are sink down into the Pit that they made : in the Net which they hid , is their own Foot taken . The Lord is known by the Judgment which he executetb , the wicked is snared in the work of his own Hands . These Persons thus apprehended were carefully examined , ( in the doing of which were spent 23 days ) and from their several Confessions was drawn sufficient matter not only for their own Condemnation , but also for detection of others . The most considerable of which was Garnet the Provincial of the Jesuits , Hall , Greenwel , Gerard and Hammond , Priest of the same Order . The respect that Garnet had to the reputation of their Society , and his own safety , had made him to act with so great caution , that he would willingly converse with none about this matter , but those that were of his own Order ; or Catesby his trusty Friend . And therefore much of the evidence against him fell with that Conspirator . But yet there appeared such presumptions by the acknowledgment of the rest that were taken , and Letters that were found , that there was a Proclamation issued out for the apprehension of him and his Brethren , declaring it Treason for any to harbour and conceal them . Garnet when the time drew near , and all things were ripe for their Design , took a Journey to Coulton in Warwick-shire , not far from the place of the general Rendezvous , where he preached a Sermon , and 〈◊〉 which he exhorted his Auditors to pray for the success of a great Action , to be undertaken in the behalf of the Catholicks , at the beginning of the Parliament , as is acknowledged by his Apologist , and was confessed by Hall , aliàs Oldcorn . Whilst at that place he received a Letter November 6 , from Catesby , to let him know that their Design had miscarried , and to desire him that he would use his interest in stirring up the Catholicks in Wales to Arm and Defend themselves . But the wary Jesuit provided for his own Safety , and sending Greenwel to them for their Assistance and Direction , he himself with Hall fled to Mr. Abington's House , at Henlip in Worcester-shire , where Hall had found a safe retreat for sixteen years together , as an Author of theirs informs us . There they lay concealed for some time , but at the last were discovered to be in that place by Littleton , one of the Conspirators , as the same Author relates , pag. 314. Who further saith , that though the help of Carpenters and Bricklayers were used , yet they were many days before they could find them out being in a Vault , the way to which was in an upper-room through the half-pace before the Hearth , whose Wooden border was made like a Trap-Door to pluck up and down , and then the Bricks were laid in their Courses and Order again , as we are told by an Author of our own . Hence they were brought to London , and committed to the Tower. On January 27 the other Prisoners were brought to their Tryal at Guild-hall . The Persons arraigned were Robert Winter Esq Thomas Winter , Gentleman , Guy Faux Gentleman , John Grant , Esq Ambrose Rockwood , Esq Robert Keyes , Gentleman , and Thomas Bates , Servant 〈◊〉 Catesby . By another Indictment was arraigned Sir Everard Digby . They generally acknowledged the Fact , and spake little in their own Vindication . Rookwood pleaded , That it was the entire Affection he had for Mr. Catesby which drew him in ; and he hoped , as it was his first Fact , some Mercy would be shewed him . Sir Everard said the same with respect to Catesby , and added , That he had undertaken it for the Zeal which he had to the Catholick Religion , which he was ready to sacrifice all for ; and to prevent those Calamities which he understood that the Parliament was prepared to bring upon them of his Perswasion . Keys said , That his Fortunes were sunk , and as good now as at another time , and for this Cause rather than another . They seem'd resolved to vindicate the Jesuits , or at least to say nothing against them ; whether it were that they were not allowed to discourse of the Plot with any but such and such particular Persons , or whether it were that they thought it to be highly meritorious , and this last seems to be not unlikely . When Tresham not above three hours before his Death , in the Tower , did declare upon his Salvation , that he had not seen Garnet in sixteen years before ; whereas it appeared , both by the Confession of Garnet , and Mrs. Anne Vaux , Garnet's Bosom-Friend , that they had been frequently together the two last years past . On the Thursday following , Sir Everard Digby , Robert Winter , John Grant , and Bates , were according to Judgment , drawn , hanged , and quartered , at the West end of St. Paul's Church . And on the Friday , the other four , viz. Thomas Winter , Keyes , Rockwood , and Faux , were executed in the Palace-Yard at Westminster . Now were Garnet and Hall had in Examination , and that several times from the first of February , to March the 26th . In all which Garnet shewed by the wiliness of his Answers , and the Confidence he maintained them with , that he deserved the place of Provincial of the Jesuits , being so well versed in all the Practices of his Society , that few could exceed him . The King from the first was resolved to forbear the severity of the Rack , much practised in other Countries , in the examination of notorious and perverse Criminals . We indeed are told by a late confident Author of their own , That Garnet was kept waking six Days and Nights together to bring him by that new kind of Torment ( as he calls it ) to a Confession of his Crime ; and that Hall was put to extreme Torture for fifteen hours space together in the Tower , for the same reason . But a greater than he , one of their own Perswasion , doth assure us , that the King to avoid Calumny , did purposely forbear any thing of that kind of Rigour , and Garnet himself did publickly own at his Trial , that he had been used whilst in Prison with great lenity . We know not what effect the Rack might have had upon him , for that was a way of Trial he had not been exercised in ; but that Course which they took , by frequent and cross Examinations , by Expostulations and Arguments , he was so much a Master of , that in all the twenty three Days spent in it , they would have gained but little Information , had they not had some greater advantage . Had he been alone , and could not have been confronted by others , he had been much more secure , and they more at a loss . And therefore to prevent any Mis-understanding betwixt him and others in custody ; that their Answers might not be inconsistent or repugnant , he writes both to Hall and Mrs. Vaux , to let them know after what manner he thought to excuse or defend himself , and what Replies to make to some particular Enquiries ; As if he should be charged with his Prayer for the good Success of a great Action , &c. he would say , It was for the prevention of those severe Laws , which those of their Church expected would be made against them by that Parliament . But it happened , that these Letters that were writ by him , came into other hands than those he intended them for , and did him a worse Injury than any Account that his sworn Friends could have likely given of the same Actions , though disagreeing with his . And indeed herein his Adversaries did outwit him , and worsted him at his own Weapons . For when they perceived that he obstinately persisted in the defence of his Innocency , they took another Course to find him out ; First , a Person was employed as a Keeper , that should profess himself to be a Roman Catholick , and that should take a great Liberty to complain of the Kings Severity , and of the Sufferings their Party were made to undergo . By these and the like crafty Insinuations he grew to be a Familiar of Garnet's , and at last was entrusted by him with a Letter to one , and to another . Which yet he did not so much venture upon , but that he wrote sparingly to one , and to the other nothing in appearance but what any one may see , filling up the void places with other more secret Matters , written indeed , but written with the Juice of a Lemmon . By this means they found out , that it was not so much his Innocency , as the want of Proof , that made him so confident . By this they came to understand , that Greenwel and he had conferred together about the Plot. There was also another Calamity that befell him by the same Contrivance ; For now thinking himself sure of his keeper , he let him know what a great desire he had of conferring with Hall. The Decoy told him , that he would endeavour to find out a way for it . This was done , and they had that freedom ; but at the same time there were placed within hearing two Persons of such known Credit that Garnet at his Trial had nothing to object against them , who took notice of what was said , and made it known to the Council . The next day Commissioners came to examine them , and in Discourse charged them severally with those things that passed betwixt them the day before . This Hall did acknowledg , being convinced by the Particulars that they produced , but Garnet did deny it upon the word of a Priest , and with reiterated Protestations . And when they told him that Hall had confessed , he said , Let him accuse himself falsly if he will , I will not be guilty of that folly . But at the last , when he perceived that the Evidence was not to be gainsaid , begg'd their Pardon with no little Confusion , and owned the Particulars they charged him with : and a little to save his Reputation , told them , That as he denied all , because he knew none but Greenwel could accuse him ; so he did deny what he knew to be true , by the help of Equivocation . Now they had gained good Evidence against him , his Letters first , then his Discourse with Hall ; and lastly , his own Confession , were a sufficient Ground for them to proceed and try him upon . And that they began to do two days after , viz. March 28. The great thing charged upon him was , That he was privy to this Conspiracy , that he held a Correspondence with Catesby , and by him and Greenwel with the rest . And the chief Part of his Defence was , That what he did know of it was in Confession , and what was told him in that way he was bound to conceal , notwithstanding any Mischief that might follow it ; he might disswade Persons from it , but whether they would be perswaded by him or not , he was obliged not to divulge it . After a long time spent in his Trial , there was but little taken by the Jury to give in their Verdict , which was , that he was guilty of the Treason ; and accordingly he received Sentence , and was executed the third of May following , at the West end of St. Paul's Church-Yard . This is the Man whom the Jesuits extoll to the Clouds , and that is put into the Catalogue of their Martyrs , as it is to be found at the end of Alegambe's Bibliotheca Scriptorum Socieatis Iesu. This Person , who was a perfect Master of the Art of Dissimulation , that could by Equivocation swear to what he knew to be false , is what one of them bestows this Character upon , That there was in him Morum Simplicitus , & Candor animi minimè suspicacis . This Man who had not the Heart to die , and who at the time of his Execution was so divided betwixt the hopes of a Pardon , and the fear of Death , that he could not attend to his own Devotions , but one while cast his Eyes this way and another that ; now at his Prayers , and anon breaking off from them to answer to that discourse which he overheard . This Man I say , is said by Alegambe to go to his Death interritus & exporectâ fronte obtestans , &c. without any fear , and protesting that he exceedingly rejoiced that he was now to suffer that Death which would be an entrance to an immortal Life . The Conclusion of all which is , that no Jesuit can be a Traitor , and none suffer for Treason but he must be a Martyr . The Case of Hall was much the same with that of Garnet ; he did confess , and it was also proved that they were both together at Caughton , and they were both found together afterwards . It appeared that he had afterward defended the Treason to Humphrey Littleton . The Excuses , the Discourse , the Confessions , were much one and the same , but only that Garnet was the more resolved , and the more obstinate of the two . Now because as this Treason was hatched , and to be executed in the main at London , so because part of it was also to be done in the Countrey , and the chief of the Conspirators were there taken , therefore six of them were sent to Worcester , and there executed , viz. Humphrey Littleton , John Winter , and this Hall , with three others . Thither , I say , he was carried with them for that reason , and not because his Adversaries were ashamed to have his Cause heard at London , as a bold Author of theirs would have it . It is no wonder to find these Men so concerned to clear themselves of it , when all the World is against them ; though this is no more to be done , than to prove that one that kills a King is a good Subject , and one that stirs up his Subjects in rebellion against him , is a Friend to him . These were the Persons that were taken and suffered for this bloody Treason . Others of them escaped beyond Sea ; of which one , when Dominicus● Vicus Governour of Calice , assured them of the King's Favour , and though they lost their own Country , they might be received there , replied , The loss of their Country was the least part of their grief ; but their sorrow was that they could not bring so brave a Design to perfection . At which the Governour could hardly forbear casting him into the Sea , as Thuanus relates from Vicus his one Mouth . Others there were whom the Government had a great suspicion of , as Henry Lord Mordant , and Edward Lord Sturton , who not appearing upon the Summons to the Parliament , were supposed to absent themselves from some intelligence that they received , were fined in the Star-Chamber , and to be imprisoned during the King's Pleasure . The like Sentence did Henry Earl of Northumberland undergo , for having admitted Thomas Percy his Kinsman to be a Gentleman Pensioner , without administring to him the Oath of Supremacy , when he knew him to be a Recusant . This was the end of that Plot , and of the Persons chiefly concerned in it . And it would be happy if they had left none of their Principles or Temper behind them , a Generation whom no Favour will oblige , nor Kindness retain : whom nothing but Supremacy will content , and the most absolute Authority can gratify . Whom nothing can secure against , but a sufficient Power , or great Industry , or constant Watchfulness , and scarcely all . And therefore its fit that not only as a branch of our Thankfulness to God , but also as a caution to our selves , that this Deliverance should be celebrated , and the Memory of it perpetuated . I shall end with what is said of a great Person of our own , some years since . Two great Deliverances in the memory of many of us hath God in his singular Mercy wrought for us of this Nation , such as I think , take both together , no Christian Age or Land can parallel . One formerly from a forreign Invasion ; another since that of an hellish Conspiracy at home . Both such as we would have all thought , when they were done , should never be forgotten . And yet , as if this Land were term'd oblivious , the Land where all things are forgotten , how doth the memory of them fade away , and they by little and little grow into forgetfulness . We have lived to see 88 almost forgotten , ( God be blessed who hath graciously prevented what we feared therein ) God grant that we nor ours ever live to see November the 5th forgotten , or the Solemnity of it silenced . FINIS . The Authors , from whence this Narrative hath been Collected , Are , Thuanus . Jo. Barclaii , Conspiratio Anglicana . Proceedings against the Traitors , printed 1606. Historia Messionis Anglicanae , Societatis Iesu Collectore . Henrico Moro , printed at St. Omers , 1660. Andreae Eudaemon̄-Joannis Apologia pro Garnetto . Rob. Abboti Antilogia adversus Apologiam Andreae Eudaemon-Joannis . Bibliothica Scriptorum Societatis Iesu. Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A66398-e170 * Thuanus Barclay . Rog. Widdrington in his Apolog . pro jure Principum . Pag. 1. * Mori historia missionis Anglicanae praefat . The Spanish Treason , The rise of the Gun-powder-Plot . Proceedings against the Traitors . The Oath of Secrecy . The Plot. The house made choice of . Others taken in to be Confederates . The Vault hired , and Stored . Their Intelligence abroad . The Parliament Prorogued . Catesby's Case of Conscience . A Letter sent to the Lord Monteagle . The Letter presented to the King. The House ordered to be searched . Fawks his Behaviour upon his Apprehension . The Flight of the Traitors . The Traitors pursued and taken . The Examination of the Prisoners . The Jesuits in the Conspiracy . Eudoem . Joannis Apologia pro Garneto . pag. 265. Hon. Mori Historiamissionis Anglicanae . pag. 333. Garnet taken . Fowlis Romish Treason . 〈◊〉 . pag. 698. The Arraignment of the Traitors . Their Execution . Garnet's Examination . Historia missionis Anglican . pag. 315. Pag. 334. Thuanus , An. 1606. Garnets Trial His Execution . Hist. Mission : Angl. p. 311. The Trial and Execution of Hall , &c. Eudoemon-Joannis Apologia pro Garnetto . pag. 272. Bp. Sandersons Sermons l. 1 ad . poulum . Serm. 5. pag. 242. 
A67556	----	The papists powder treason 1588, Deo trin-vni Britanniae bis ultori in memoriam classis invincibilis subversae submersae : proditionis nesandae detectae disiectae : To God, in memorye of his double deliverance from ye invincible navie and ye unmatcheable powder treason, 1605 / invented by Samuell Ward. Ward, Samuel, 1577-1640. 1680 Approx. 2 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A67556 Wing W810A ESTC R26305 09418440 ocm 09418440 43040 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67556) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 43040) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1319:15) The papists powder treason 1588, Deo trin-vni Britanniae bis ultori in memoriam classis invincibilis subversae submersae : proditionis nesandae detectae disiectae : To God, in memorye of his double deliverance from ye invincible navie and ye unmatcheable powder treason, 1605 / invented by Samuell Ward. Ward, Samuel, 1577-1640. 1 broadside : chiefly ill. Printed and sould by P. Stent, sould by Iohn Overton, [London] : [1680?] Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605. Armada, 1588. 2008-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-04 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-05 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2008-05 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The Papists Powder Treason 1588 DEO trin-vni Britanniae bis ultori In memoriam Classis invincibilis subversae submersae Proditionis nefandae detectae disiectae . 1605 To God , In memorye of his double deliveraunce from y e invincible Navie and y e unmatcheable powder Treason . Difflo Dissipo I blow and scatter Ick blaes en verstroy 88 Ventorum Ludibrium Straverat innumeris &c. destruction of Spanish Armada Tylbury Campe depiction of Tilbury Camp In perpetuam Papistarum infamiam In foveam quam fodern̄t papal council Opus tenebrarum A deed of darkenes Novembe● y e 5 〈…〉 depiction of Parliament יהוה VIDEO RIDEO I see and smile Ick sie en lach eye of God Faux Quantiss 〈…〉 abfuit Hoe nae How nye depiction of Guy Fawkes OCTOGESIMUS OCTAVUS , mirabilis Annus Clade Papistarum faustus vbique pijs Perditione prius nunc proditione petebant Perdita perditro est prodita proditio Fausta et festa dies lux aurea QVINTA NOVEMBRIS Anglis sulphureum prodidit illa nefas In EIGHTY EIGHT . Spayne armed with potent might Against our peacefull Land came on to fight The windes and waves , and fire in on conspire To helpe the ENGLISH frustrate SPAYNES desire To second that the POPE in Counsell sitts For some rare stratagem they strayne their witts NOVEMBERS 5 th by powder they decree GREAT BRYTANES STATE ruinate should bee But hee whose never slumbring EYE did view The dire intendments of this damned crew Did soone prevent what they did think most sure Thy mercyes LORD for evermore endure . Inuented by Samuell Ward preacher of Ipswich Printed and sould by P. Stent . Sould by Iohn Ouerton at the white house without Newgat n●●● the foun 〈…〉 〈◊〉 
A33346	----	A true and full narrative of those two never to be forgotten deliverances one from the Spanish Invasion in 88, the other from the hellish Powder Plot, November 5, 1605 : whereunto is added the like narrative of that signal judgment of God upon the papists, by the fall of the House in Black-Friers, London, upon their fifth of November, 1623 / collected for the information and benefit of each family, by Sam. Clark ... England's remembrancer Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682. 1671 Approx. 139 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 66 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A33346 Wing C4559 ESTC R15231 12950712 ocm 12950712 95887 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A33346) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 95887) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 733:52) A true and full narrative of those two never to be forgotten deliverances one from the Spanish Invasion in 88, the other from the hellish Powder Plot, November 5, 1605 : whereunto is added the like narrative of that signal judgment of God upon the papists, by the fall of the House in Black-Friers, London, upon their fifth of November, 1623 / collected for the information and benefit of each family, by Sam. Clark ... England's remembrancer Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682. Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682. Gun-powder treason. [8], 68, [8], 23, 14 p., 1 folded leaf of plates. Printed for J. Hancock ..., London : 1671. Added t.p. and separate paging ([8], 23 p.): The gun-powder treason. Added t.p. and separate paging (14 p.): A narrative of the visible hand of God upon the papists. Originally published in 1657 as England's remembrancer. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Armada, 1588. Gunpowder Plot, 1605. Catholics -- England. 2005-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-05 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2005-05 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A True and Full Narrative OF Those two never to be forgotten DELIVERANCES : One From The Spanish Invasion in 88. The other from The Hellish Powder Plot : November 5. 1605. Whereunto is added The like Narrative of that signal Judgment of God upon the Papists , by the Fall of the House in Black-Friers London , upon their fifth of November , 1623. Collected for the Information and Benefit of each Family , by Sam , Clark , formerly Pastor in Bennet Fink . Behold the wicked travelleth with iniquity , and hath conceived mischief , and brought forth falshood . He made a Pit , and digged it , and is fallen into the ditch which he made . His mischief shall return upon his own head , and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate . Psal. 7.14 , 15 , 16. London , Printed for J. Hancock , and are to be sold at the three Bibles , being the first Shop in Popes-Head Alley , next to Cornhill . 1671 TO THE HONOURABLE And His much Honoured Friends EDWARD RVSSEL , Esq Son to the Right Honourable FRANCIS Earl of BEDFORD . AND TO The Lady PENELOPE , His prudent and pious Consort . SIR , MADAM , I Take the boldness to present you with these Narratives , not for that they are new , or supposing your selves to be strangers to them : but as a Testimony of my Gratitude for these favours I have received from you : The high Heavens may be seen in the lowest valleys : So may a large heart in the least Gift . But truly though the Gift be worthless , yet so is not the matter contained in it , which sets forth such eminent and signal deliverances as no Church or people in these latter Ages of the world have received ; And there must be a recognition of Gods mercies , or else there will neither follow estimation , nor retribution : Hence Micah 6.5 . O my people ( saith God many hundreds of years after ) remember now what Balack King of Moah consulted , and what Balaam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal , that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. If there be not such a recognition of former deliverances , we that should be as Temples of his praise , shall be as graves of his benefits . Our souls indeed are too like filthy Ponds , wherein fish die soon , and frogs live long : Rotten stuff is remembred , memorable mercies are forgotten ; whereas the soul should be as an holy Ark ; the memory as the pot of Manna , preserving holy truths and special mercies ; as Aarons Rod , fresh and flourishing . Oh! let us imitate that man after Gods own heart ! If the Lord will be Davids shepherd , he will dwel in Gods house to all perpetuity , Psalm . 23.1 , 6. If God deal bountifully with him , he will sit down and bethink himself what to render for all his benefits , Psalm 116.7 , 12. A Christian counts all that he can do for God by way of retribution , but a little of that much he could beteem him ; and thinks nothing more unbeseeming him than to bury the mercies of God in oblivion . His two mites of Thankfulness and Obedience he dayly presents , and then cryes out as that poor Grecian did to the Emperour , If I had a better present thou shouldest be sure of it . What then may we judge of those persons in our daies , who labour to extenuate , yea annihilate these deliverances ? that would have no publick commemorations of them , that study how to invalidate them , and to blot out the remembrance of them ? To render good for evil is Divine : Good for good is Humane : Evil for evil is brutish : But evil for good is Devillish . Yet alas ! how ordinary an evil is this among us , to abuse our deliverances to Gods ' dishonour ? But Do ye thus requite the Lord , O foolish people , and unwise ? Is not he thy Father ? he hath bought thee , &c. Deut. 32.6 . Should we not remember that good turns aggravate unkindnesses , and our offences are not a little encreased by our obligations ? Ingrateful persons are like the Snake in the Fable , who said to the Country-man when he had shewed it kindness : Summum praemium pro summo beneficio est ingratitudo . Ingratitude is the greatest reward of the greatest benefit . How many such Snakes have we amongst us , that return evil for good , and unkindness for kindness ? Is not this to fight against God , with his own weapons ? as David did against Goliah : as Jehu did against Jehoram : and as Benhadad did against Ahab , with that life that he had lately given him ? for the preventing whereof ( if it may be ) are these things published , being almost worn out of remembrance more than the very names of them . Besides , though they may be found in larger volumes , yet are they not so fit for every Family : And as I have presumed ( honourable and beloved ) to publish them udder your protection , so I doubt not but they will find the better entertainment for the same . My earnest desire and prayer for you is that the God of Peace will fill you with all joy and peace by believing , multiplying his Blessings upon you and yours : And that you would afford me a room in your Albe among those that Sir , Madam , Love , honour and serve you . Sam. Clark. From my Study in Thridneedle Street , Octob. 22. 1657. THE SPANISH INVASION A Commemoration of that wonderful , and almost miraculous Deliverance afforded by God to this Nation from the Spanish Invation , Anno Christi , 1588. THe year one thousand five hundred eighty eight , was foretold by an Astronomer of K●n●ngsberg , above one hundred years before , that it should prove a wonderful year : and the German Chronologers presiged , that it would be the Climacterical year of the world , which was in some measure accomplished in that glorious and never to be forgotten Deliverance vouchsafed by God to us in England , and in that fatal overthrow of the Spanish Navy ; A true Narrative whereof followes . But that we may the better see what induced the Spaniard to make this hostile Invasion , we must be informed : both who were the inciters , and by what arguments , and artifices , they stirred him up thereunto . The Inciters were the Pope , and some traiterous English Fugitives who were entertained in Spain , and at Rome . The design was , The Conquest of England ; which had been hindred for the space of ten years by reason of the Spanish Wars in Portugal . The Arguments were , that seeing God had blessed the King of Spain with admirable Blessings and Successes ; had given him in Portugal , the East Indies , and very many rich Islands belonging to the same ; that he should therefore perform somewhat that might be acceptable to God ( the giver of so great and good things ) and most worthy the Power , and Majesty of the Catholick King : That the Church of God could not be more gloriously , nor meritoriously propagated , than by the conquest of England , extirpating Heresie , and planting the Catholick Roman Religion there . This War ( they said ) would be most just and necessary ; considering that the Queen of England was excommunicated , and persisted contumacious against the Church of Rome . That she supported the King of Spains Rebels in the Netherlands , annoyed the Spaniards with continual depredations ; surprised , and sacked his Towns in Spain , and America , and had very lately put the Queen of Scots to death , therein violating the Majesty of all Kings . Again , that this War would be no less profitable than just ; For hereby he might add to his Empire other flourishing Kingdoms , extinguish the Rebellion in the Low-Countries , hitherto fomented and supported from England ; secure his voyages from both the Indies , and abate his vast expences in convoying his Indian Fleets both forward and backward : For proof whereof ( they suggested ) that the English Navy was neither for number , nor greatness , nor strength comparable to that of Spain ; especially having the Portugal Fleet now annexed unto it . That England was not fortified , and it wanted Commanders : Souldiers , a Cavalry , and Ammunition ; was bare of Wealth , and Friends . That there were many in all parts of it addicted to the Romish Religion , and would upon the first opportunity joyn their forces with his . In brief , that so great was the strength of the Spaniard , and so unmatchable was their valour , that no man durst oppose against them , and therefore they might confidently assure themselves of victory . Moreover , that now an opportunity was afforded by God himself to the King of Spain to effectuate this great design , having no cause to fear any other enemies , by reason of a Truce lately concluded by him-with the Great Turk , and the French ( his old enemies ) being now embroiled in Civil Wars at home . They perswaded him likewise that England was an easier conquest than the Netherlands : For that he had a shorter cut to it by Sea , and that an open Sea : neither was it so fortified with Cities , Castles , &c. as the Netherlands were : and that England being once conquered , the Netherlands would soon follow of course , having lost their best supporter . These , and such like arguments prevailing with the King of Spain , in the next place they held a serious Consultation about the manner of Invading England . Don Avares Bassano , Marquiss of Sancta Cruce ; who was to command the Armado , advised that some Port-Town in Holland , or Zealand should suddenly be surprized by the Prince of Parma's Land Forces ( who was then Governor of the Netherlands under the King of Spain ) and by some Spanish Ships sent to assist him by Sea , that so the great Fleet might have an Harbour from whence to begin their Invasion : with whom agreed in opinion the Prince of Parma himself , who was very forward to promote this expedition . But others opposed this by reason of the difficulty , danger , expence of time , and vast charge that it would require . They held that with the same charge England might easier be won , and that the Conquest thereof would be assured , if a well-appointed Army out of Spain , and the Low-Counties might be landed at the Thames mouth , and London ( the Metropolis of England ) surprised by a sudden assault . And this opinion , as the more probable , prevailed . And then again it was advised by some , that War should first be denounced by an Herald , both to remove suspicion and jealousie from neighbour Princes , and to drive our Queen to call in forraign Forces to assist Her : hoping that according to the insolent manner of mercenaries , they would raise mutinies , and spoil the Country , which would make the Queens Subjects evil affected towards Her , so that all things would grow into confusion in England . But this motion was not hearkened to by men grown fierce , insolent , and confident of their own strength , only they desired the blessing of the Pope upon their Armado , and the prayers of the Catholicks to God and the Saints for good success . And to strike the greater terror into the hearts of the English , They set forth Books with printed Maps , wherein was expressed the greatness of their Preparations in each particular , which indeed was so great in Spain , Portugal , Italy , and Sicily , that the Spaniards themselves were amazed at it , and procured the Pope to Christen it by the name of the Invincible Armado . Now that the wonderful power and mercy of God to us in this poor Nation , in protecting us against the same , may the more gloriously appear , I shall in the next place set down what their preparations were for Ships , Mariners , Land-Souldiers , Ammunition , and other provisions for the carrying on of so great an undertaking . The Spanish Navy , being the best appointed for men , munition , and all manner of provision , that ever the Ocean saw , had been five years in preparing , consisted of one hundred and thirty Ships , whereof these were the principal . The Admiral Gallion of Saint Martins , of a thousand Tun burden , had in her one thousand seventy and seven Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , fifty Canon , &c. The Gallion of Saint Johns , of one thousand and seventy Tun , had in her one hundred and sixty Mariners , two hundred and thirty one Souldiers , fifty Canon , &c. The Gallion of Saint Mark of seven hundred and ninety two Tun , had in it one hundred and seventeen Mariners , two hundred and ninety two Souldiers , &c. The Gallion of Saint Phillip , of eight hundred Tun , had in it one hundred and seventeen Mariners , four hundred and fifteen Souldiers , forty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Lewis , of eight hundred and thirty Tun , had in it one hundred and sixteen Mariners , three hundred and seventy six Souldiers , forty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Matthew , of seven hundred and fifty Tun , had in it fifty Mariners , one hundred and seventy seven Souldiers , forty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint James , of five hundred and twenty Tun , had in it one hundred Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , fifty two Guns , &c. The Gallion of Florence , of nine hundred and sixty one Tun , had in it one hundred Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , fifty two Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Christopher , of three hundred fifty and two Tun , had in it ninety Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Bernard , of three hundred and fifty two Tun , had in it one hundred Mariners , two hundred and eighty Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. A Ship of Saint Angelo , of seven hundred sixty and eight Tun , had in it one hundred and fourteen Mariners , three hundred and twenty three Souldiers , thirty Canons , &c. The Gangrine , of one thousand one hundred and sixty Tun ; had in it one hundred and ten Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , thirty six Canons , &c. The Ship Saint James , of six hundred and sixty Tun , had in her one hundred and two Mariners , two hundred and fifty Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. The Manuel , of five hundred and twenty Tun , had in her fifty four Mariners , one hundred and thirty Souldiers , sixteen Guns , &c. The Saint Mary , of seven hundred and 7 Tun , had in her fifty Mariners , two hundred and twenty Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. But I need not reckon up the rest . They had in all one hundred and thirty Ships , containing Ffty seven thousand , eight hundred and eight Tun ; wherein were Eight hundred and forty five Mariners , Nineteen thousand two hundred and ninety five Souldiers , and two thousand and eighty eight Gally-slaves . And so confident were the Spaniards that England should pay the shot , that they spared no cost for furnishing it forth with all things necessary . For which end they provided of Bullets for great shot two hundred and twenty thousand . Of Powder four thousand and two hundred Kintals , every Kintal containing a hundred pound weight : of Lead for Bullets a thousand Kintals : of Match a thousand and two hundred Kintals : Musquets seven thousand : of Partisans and Halberts ten thousand : with store of Murthering pieces , double Canon , and Field pieces for the Camp : they had also store of Furniture for Carriages , Mules and Horses ; so that they were sufficiently provided both for Sea and Land. Bread and Bisket ready baked , and Wine laid aboard for six months provision . They had moreover six thousand and five hundred Kintals of Bacon ; three thousand of Cheese , besides other Flesh , Rise Beans , Pease , Oil , and Venegar , with twelve thousand Pipes of fresh water . They had also store of Torches , Lamps , and Lanthorns , Canvas , Hides , and Lead to stop Leaks : Whips and Butcherly Knives to murder and torment the poor English. In a word , the Army was thirty two thousand strong , and cost the King of Spain thirty two thousand Ducats every day . In this Army were five Regiments of old Spanish Souldiers of the Tertio's of Naples , Sicily , and the Tercera's , commanded by five Masters Del-Campo : The first was Don Diego de Piementel , a Knight of the Order of Saint John , and Brother to the Marquess of Taveras : The second Colonel was Don Francisco de Toledo , brother to the Earl of Orgas : The third Don Alonzo de Luzon : The fourth Don Nicholas de Illa : The fifth was Augustin Mexia ; each Colonel having in his Regiment thirty two Companies , Besides the Castilian , and Portugal Bands , each of them having their peculiar Commanders and weapons . The General of this mighty Army ( the Marquess of Sancta Cruce being now dead ) was Don Lodovicus Peres , the Duke of Medina Sidonia of the Order of the Golden Fleece . The Admiral was Don John Martinez de Richald : The Marshal Don Francisco Bovadille : Others were chief Counsellors for the War , and Don Martin Alarcon was Vicar General for the holy unholy Inquisition , in whose train were a hundred Monks and Jesuites : and Cardinal Allen was appointed the Superintendent of Ecclesiastical matters throughout England , who fearing to be unprovided , translated Pope Sex●us his Bull into English , that it might be the sooner published upon the arrival of the Spanish Fleet in this our Nation . Of voluntary Adventurers , there were a hundred and twenty four Noble men , and Gentlemen of all the greatest houses in Spain , hoping to be well paid with the Lands and Riches of England . The Prince of Parma also in the Netherlands , by the King of Spains Command ; built Ships , and very many flat bottomed Boats , each of them big enough to carry thirty Horse , with Bridges fitted to them to ship and unship the Horses : He hired Mariners from East-Germany , set many thousands on work to dig and deepen River ; from Antwerp to Gaunt , and to Bruges : lading three hundred small Boats with Munition and Victuals . Two hundred more flat-bottom'd Boats were made , though not so big as the former , which lay ready in the Haven of Newport , besides thirty seven Ships of War at Dunkirk : He prepared Piles sharpened at the nether ends , headed with iron , and hooked on the sides to pile up the mouths of Rivers : At Graveling he provided twenty thousand empty Casks with cords , and other furniture to make floating Bridges to stop up the Havens ▪ beside an infinite number of fagots : He shipped likewise a great abundance of Saddles , Bridles , with other furniture for Horse , and Horses also for Carriages , with Ordnance and other provisions for War. Neer unto Newport he had lying under the command of Camillo thirty Companies of Italians , two of Walloons , and eight of Burguignons every company containing a hundred men : At Dyxmew he mustered eighty companies of Netherlanders , sixty of Spaniards , sixty of High Dutch , among which were seven hundred fugitive English under the command of Sir William Stanley , who of all others were held in greatest contempt : neither was Stanley , nor the Earl of Westmoorland , not others which offered their service and counsel once heard , but for their treachery to their Country barred from all access , and as most unfortuate conductors , worthily with detestation rejected . At Conick also he quartered other four thousand , and at Watene nine hundred horse , commanded by the Marquess of Guast . And to this land-service came the Duke of Pastrana , supposed to be the King of Spains base son : the Marquess of Buorgon , one of the Duke Ferdinands sons : Don Vespasian Gonsaga of the house of Mantua , a great Souldier , who had been Viceroy of Spain : Don John de Medices , bastard of Florence : Don Amadeus , bastard of Savoy , with many others of the like quality . Neither was Sixtus Quintus , Pope of Rome , any ways backward to shew his diligence , and devotion to this intended invasion ; but sent abroad his Crusado ( as he used to do against the Turks and Infidels ▪ ) wherein out of the treasure of the Church he gave plenary Indulgences , and pardon of all their sins to every one that contributed his assistance hereunto : and for the furtherance of this enterprise , himself undertook to contribute a million of Gold , the one half presently down , the other half when any notable Haven in our land should be won : yet with this Proviso , that the Crown of England should be held as Feudatory to the See of Rome ; in earnest whereof he bestowed upon the King of Spain his Apostolical Benediction , and the Title of Defender of the Faith : He sent also Cardinal Allen into the Low-Countries , and renewed the Bulls of Pius the fifth and Gregory the thirteenth , whereby Queen Elizabeth was excommunicated , deposed from her Throne , and her Subjects absolved from all allegiance to her . Thus we see what preparations were made both at Sea and Land ; at Rome , in Spain , and the Netherlands , for the subduing of England , extirpating the Gospel , and subjugating us under the yoke of Spain : now let us see what provision and preparations our Queen made to dispel this black cloud that hung over our head : And truly the first thing that she did was most Christian ; For as when Jehosophat was threatned with the like danger . 2 Chro. 20.3 . He sought the Lord and proclaimed a fast ; so did She , requiring all her subjects to humble themselves by fasting and prayer , knowing that these are the best weapons of the Church , that they by them might seek unto the Lord , and say in the words of Jehosophat , O Lord God , art not thou God in Heaven ? and rulest not thou over all the Kingdoms of the Earth ? and in thine hand is there not power and might , so that none is able to withstand thee ? O our God , wilt thou not judge them ? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us , neither know we what to do , but our eyes are upon thee . But in the second place , knowing that Prayers without endeavours and means are like Rachel , beautiful but barren , that She might not be taken unprovided , She prepared with all diligence as strong a Fleet as She could , and all things necessary for War ; and She that in discerning mens parts and abilities was of a most sharp judgment , and ever most happy , having the free choice in her self , and not by the commendations of others , assigned to every office by name the best and fittest men . The charge of her Navy she committed to Charles Howard of Effingham , Lord Admiral of England , of whose skill she had had former experience , and whom she knew both by his Moderation and Nobility , to be wary in providence , valiant industrious , and of great authority among the Seamen , and well beloved of them : Her Vice-Admiral she made the famous Sir Francis Drake , and these she sent to the West parts of England ; and for the Guard of the narrow Seas , she appointed Henry Lord Seimore second son to the Duke of Somerset , whom she commanded also to lie upon the Coasts of the Low-Countries , with forty Ships , to watch that the Prince of Parma might not come forth with his forces : By Land She commanded the General forces of the Realm to be mustered , trained , and put in readiness in their special shires , for the defence of the whole , which accordingly was done , and whereof the Lord Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester was appointed Leeutenant ; twenty thousand whereof were disposed along our South Coast for the guard thereof : besides which , she had two Armies ; one of which consisting of a thousand Horse , and twenty two thousand Foot , was encamped at Tilbury neer the Thames mouth , whither the enemy fully intended to come : The other which was led by the Lord Hunsdon , consisted of thirty four thousand Foot , and two thousand Horse , which were to be the Guard of the Queens person : Her self in courage far surmounting her sex , as another Zenobia or rather Deborah , led forth the Lords Host against this great Sisera , and her Souldiers valiant and skilful , both for courage and quick dispatch , might well be compared to those Gadites that came to aid David , whose faces were like the faces of Lions , and were compared to the Roes in the Mountains for swiftness . Arthur Lord Grey , Sir Francis Knolles , Sir John Knorris , Sir Richard Bingham , and Sir Roger Williams , all gallant men , and brave Souldiers , were appointed to consult about managing the Land Service : These advised that all the commodious landing places for the enemy , as well from Spain , as from the Low-Countries should be manned and fortified , as Milford Haven , Falmouth , Plimmouth , Portland , the Isle of Wight , Portsmouth , the open coast of Kent , commonly called the Downs , the Thames mouth , Harwich , Yarmouth , Hull , &c. and that the Trained Bands throughout the Coast Shires , should meet upon a signal given to defend the said places , and do their best to prohibit the enemies landing . But in case he should land , that then they should leave all the Country round about wast , that so they might find nothing for food , but what from their Ships they should carry upon their shoulders , and that they should hold the enemies busied both night and day with continual Alarms , but not to hazard a Battel till more Commanders with their Companies were come together . Some suggested also to the Queen , that the Spaniards abroad were not so much to be feared as the Papists at home ; for that the Spaniards would not attempt the Invasion of England , but upon confidence of aid from them : She thereupon committed some of them to prison at Wisbeach in the Fenns ; by her Letters also she directed Sir William Fitz-Williams , Lord Deputy of Ireland what he should do . The King of Scots she put in mind to beware of the Papists and Spanish Factions : By her frequent Letters she wrote to the States of the Vnited Provinces not to be deficient in assisting her what they could . But amongst these preparations for War on both sides , Philip King of Spain , to cast a mist over her Majesties eyes , and to rock her into a sleep of security , importuned by all means the Realms unto peace , imploying the Prince of Parma to be his instrument therein , who dealt earnestly by Letters with the help of Sir James Crofts , a privy Counsellor , and a man much addicted to peace , as also by Andrew Van Loey , a Netherlander , that a treaty of Peace might be entred upon , affirming that he had Warrant thereunto from the King of Spain . Our Queen measuring other Princes by her own guileless heart , gave ear to this deceitful lullaby , little suspecting that a deadly snake could be hid in so fair a Garden ; yet resolved to treat of Peace with her Sword in her hand , neither was the Prince of Parma against her so doing . In the month therefore of Feb. Commissioners were sent into Flandeas , Henry Earl of Darby , William Brook , Lord Cobham , Sir Jamis Crofts , Valentine Dale , and John Rogers Doctors of the Law , who arriving there , were received in the Prince of Parma's name with all courtesy ; who thereupon sent away Dale presently to him to know where the place of meeting should be , and to see his Commission from the King of Spain : the place he appointed to be neer Ostend , the Town it self being then in the English hands ; and as for his Commission , he promised it should be produced at their meeting : Only he wished them to hasten the matter , lest any thing should happen in the interim to interrupt the treaty : and one Richardot , which stood by him , said more openly , That he knew not what in the mean time might be done against England . Which being reported to the Queen , She sent Rogers to the Prince to know whether there was any design for the Invading of England , as he , and Richardot by their words seemed to imply : The Prince answered that he had never any thought for the Invading England , when he wished the Treaty to be hastened , and was angry with Richardot , who denied that any such words had fallen from him . Commissioners for the King of Spain were Maximilian Earl of Aremberg , Governor of Antwerp , Richardot President of Artois , with some other Civilians . These stayed at Bruges , and for all their pretended haste , much time was cunningly spun out about the place of their meeting , which should have the Precedency , and what hostages should be given for security of the Commissioners : yet at length the Spaniards yielded to the English Precedency , both in going and sitting : and the place wars in Tents near unto Ostend . The demands for the Queen were , that there might be a surcease of Arms , with a present and undelayed Truce , she mistrusting the Spanish preparations at Sea : The sending away of forraign Souldiers out of the Low-Countries for Englands security : A restitution of such sums of mony as the Queen had lent to the States , and which the King had promised to restore : That the Netherlanders might enjoy their ancient liberties , and priviledges , nor be governed by a stranger , but by a Native Prince : That they might have liberty to serve God with Freedom of Conscience : And lastly , that the Articles of the Pacification of Gaunt , and other like treaties might be observed ; which things if they were granted , she would condescend upon reasonable conditions to deliver up the Towns in the Netherlands , which she then had in possession , that it might appear that she had not for her own advantage , but for the necessary defence of the Netherlands , and her self taken up arms . To these the Spaniards replyed , that touching their preparations at Sea , they did assure them that it nothing concerned England . That to send away the Souldiers , the King could not resolve till the Netherlanders had submitted themselves to him . Concerning their priviledges , that it appertained nothing to the Queen , neither should She prescribe to the King a Law. And so far was he from tolerating Religion , that he would not so much as hear thereof , otherwise then he had allowed to other Towns that had submitted to his obedience . And as for those Towns which had been taken from the King , and the mony expended about them , They said that the Spaniard might demand as many Myriades of Ducats to be repayed to him by the Queen , as he had expended upon the Low-Country War , from the time that She supported the revolting Netherlanders , and took them into her Protection . About this time went Dale by the Queens command to the Prince of Parma , and mildly expostulated with him about a Book lately published by Cardinal Allen , That English Renegado , wherein he exhorted the Nobility and People of England and Ireland to joyn with the Spanish Forces , under the conduct of the Prince of Parma , to execute the Popes sentence already published by his Bull against Queen Elizabeth ; wherein she was declared an Heretick , Illegitimate , cruel , for putting to death the Queen of Scots , &c. And her subjects absolved from their Oath of Allegiance , and commanded to aid the Prince of Purma against Her. ( And indeed there was a great number of these Bulls and Books printed at Antwerp , from thence to be dispersed all over England . ) The Prince denied that he had ever seen any such Book , or Bull , neither would he undertake any thing in the Popes name ; howbeit that he must obey his Prince . But for the Queen of England , he protested that he did so honour her for her Vertues , that next to the King his Master , he esteemed Her above all others , and would be ready to do Her service . For the manifestation whereof he said that he had perswaded the King to condescend to this treaty of peace , which would be more advantagious for the English than for the Spaniards : For ( said he ) if the Spaniards be overcome they will soon recover their loss ; but if You be overcome , your Kingdom , and all is lost : To which Dale made this reply : Our Queen is provided with strength sufficient to defend her Kingdom , and you your self in your wisdom may foresee that a Kingdom cannot be lost with the fortune of one Battel ; seeing the King of Spain after so long Wars , is not able to recover his ancient inheritance in the Netherlands . Be it so ( said the Prince ) These things are in the hands of the Almighty . After this the Commissioners contended with mutual debates , and replies , still twisting and untwisting the same thread . For when the English pressed that a Toleration of Religion might be granted for the Vnited Provinces , at least for two years ; It was answered , That as the Spaniard demanded not this for the English Catholicks ; so they hoped the Queen in her wisdom would require nothing of him which might be against the Honour , Oath , and Conscience of the Spaniard . When they demanded the mony due from the States of Brabant to our Queen ; They answered , that it was lent without the Kings Knowledge or Warrant ; and that the accounts being cast up , how much the said mony was , and how much the King had disbursed about the War , it would soon be known to whom the most ought to be repayed . With such answers as these they dallied with the English Commissioners , till the Spanish Fleet was come within the view of England , and the thundring of the Ordnance was heard from the Sea , which put the English Commissioners into some suspicion and fear , having no hostages for their safe return . But they received a safe conduct from the Prince of Parma ( who had in the mean time drawn down all his Forces to the Sea coast ) and so were conducted to the borders near Calice . Thus came this Treaty to nothing , undertaken by our Queen ( as was conceived ) to divert the coming of the Spanish Fleet : and continued by the Spaniard to surprize England unprovided , and at unawares So both sides put the Foxes skin upon the Lions head . And now we are come to speak of this Invincible Armado , which was the preparation of five whole years at least . It bare it self also upon Divine assistance , having received a special Blessing from the Pope , and was assigned as an Apostolical Mission for the reducement of this Kingdom to the obedience of the See of Rome : and in further token of this holy Warfare , there were amongst the rest of the Ships , twelve , called by the names of the twelve Apostles . The Gallions and Galliasses were of such a vast size , that they were like floating Towers and Castles , so that the swelling waves of the Sea could hardly be seen ; and the Flags , Streamers , and Ensigns so spread in the wind , that they seemed even to darken the Sun , and to threaten destruction which way soever they turned . On the nine and twentieth day of May this Fleet set sail out of the River ●ayo , bending its course towards the Groin in Galizia , the place appointed for the general Rendezvous , as being the nearest Haven unto England : But whilest they hoysed and spread abroad their proud sailes to the wind ; God , who is an enemy to such Nimrod-like undertakings , and hating such hostile actions , suddenly manifested his displeasure , and poured out revenge by a sudden and hideous tempest , which drave the Duke of Medina , the General , back again into the Groin ; eight other of the Ships being dispersed on the Seas , had their Masts broken , and blown over board ; besides three other Portugal Gallies which were driven upon the Coasts of Bayon in France , where , by the valour of one David Gwin , an English slave , and the help of other slaves , French , and Turks , they were delivered into the hands of the French , and they freed themselves by the slaughter of the Spaniards , amongst whom Don Diego de Mondrana was one . About the same time the English Admiral , and Vice-Admiral , who had in all about one hundred Ships , whereof fifteen were Victuallers , and nine Voluntaries of Devonshire Gentlemen , hearing for certainty that the Spanish Fleet was ready to hoise up their sails , resolved to put forth from Plymouth , and to meet , and fight them by the way ; but were so met with by the same wind , that they could not get past the Syllies , and thence also were forced by the Tempest to return into their former harbour , to refresh their Ships , and Companies ; only some of their Scouts at Sea descried some of the Spanish Ships , which likewise had been dispersed with the storm : but before the English could come near them , the wind vereing about , carryed them back to the Groine , where there rest of their Fleet lay in harbour . Intelligence being brought that the Saaniards were in want , their great Ships dispersed , and the rest sorely shaken with the storm , and their men dying by multitudes of the Pestilence ; the Lord Admiral Howard intended with the first Northerly wind to take advantage , which coming about upon the eighth of July , he lanched forth , and bore his sails almost within the sight of Spain , purposing to surprise their weather-beaten Ships , and to fight them upon their own Coast. But then the wind suddenly changing into the South , and he wisely foreseeing that the enemy might pass by without his discovery , that the Seas might be stormy , or his Fleet wind-bound , and that whilst he thus lay abroad , his service might be more necessary at home , and that his work was to defend the Coasts of England , he therefore presently returned and anchored his Fleet in the Haven at Plimouth , suffering his men to refresh themselves upon the Land. At the same time there came more confident advertisement ( though false ) not only to the Lord Admiral , but to the Court , that the Spanish Fleet could not possibly come forth again that year , upon which reports ( a dangerous matter in State affairs ) so confident was our Queen , that she sent for four of her biggest royal Ships to be brought back to Chattam : But the Lord Admiral suspecting the worst , by a mild and moderate answer retarded it , desiring that nothing might be lightly believed in so weighty a matter , and that he might retain them though at his own charge . Wherein indeed a special providence of God did appear , for just at that time news was brought to the Lord Admiral by one Captain Thomas Flemming , that the Spanish Fleet was entred into the British Seas , commonly called the Channel , and was seen near unto the Lizard point , which came thus to pass . The Spanish ships being new rigged , and their wants supplyed , their King still hot on his former resolutions , instantly urged and hastened his Commanders to put forth again to Sea , which accordingly they did upon the eleventh of July with the same South wind which ( as was said before ) brought back our Navy into Plimouth ; and so having a more favourable Gale , with brave shews , and full Sails , they entred our Channel , where casting Anchor , they dispatched certain smal Pinnaces to the Prince of Parma , to signifie their arrival and readiness , and to command him in the name of their King to forward his charge for that service . July the twentieth about noon , this terrible Fleet was descried by the English , coming forward amain with a South-west wind . It was a kind of surprise : For that ( as was said ) many of our men were gone to land , and our ships ready to depart : Nevertheless our undaunted Admiral towed forth such ships as he could get in readiness into the deep Sea , not without great difficulty , certainly with singular diligence , and admirable alacrity of our Mariners , cheered up with the Admirals own presence and assistance among them at their halserwork , the wind blowing strongly into the Haven . When they were forth they saw the Spanish ships with lofty Towers like Castles , in front like an half-moon , the horns whereof stretched forth in breadth about seven miles , sayling ( as it were ) with labour to the winds , the Ocean groaning under them ; so that though with full sails , yet they came but slowly forward . They seemed as it were to make for Plymouth ; but whether their Commission was otherwise , or because contrary to their expectation , they saw the English ships out of the Harbour , they steered by towards Calice , hoping to meet with the Prince of Parma : The English willingly suffered them to pass by , that they might the more commodiously chase them in the Reer with a fore-right wind . Iuly the twenty first , the Lord Admiral of England sent before him a Pinnace called the Defiance , to denounce war by discharging her Ordnance , himself following in the Ark-Royal , set upon the Admiral ( as he thought ) of the Spaniards but it proved to be Alonzo de Leva's ship , where fire , smoke , and loud thundring Cannons began the parley ; and rending Bullets most freely enterchanged betwixt them , were fiery messengers of each others minds . Soon after came up Drake , Hawkins and Forbusher , playing with their Ordnance upon the hindmost Squadron of the Enemies , which was commanded by Rechalde , who laboured all he could to stay his Men from flying for shelter to the Fleet , till his own ship being much battered with shot , and now grown unserviceable , was with much difficulty drawn into the main Fleet. At which time the Duke of Medina gathered together his whole Fleet , scattered here and there by the English , and hoising more sail , kept on his intended course toward Callice ; neither indeed could he do otherwise , the wind favouring the English , and himself finding the inconvenience of their great and high built ships , powerful to defend , but not to offend ; to stand , but not to move ; whereas on the contrary their enemies were nimble , and ready on all sides to annoy them , and as apt to escape harms themselves , being low built and so easily shot over . Hereupon he caused them to gather themselves up close in the form of an half-moon , and to slacken their sails that their whole Fleet might keep together . But our English Admiral having maintained an hot fight for the space of two hours , thought nor good to continue it any longer , thirty of his ships scarce coming to the work , the rest being as yet scarce gotten out of the Harbour . In this first days fight the Saint Katherine , a Spanish Ship , having been sorely battered and much torn , was taken into the middest of their Fleet to be repaired : And an huge Ship of Biscaie of Don Oquendoes , in which was a great part of the Kings treasure , began to be all in a Flame by force of Gunpowder , which was fired on purpose by a Flemish Gunner , for being misused by them : But the fire was soon quenched by the assistance of some other ships sent in to her help . All this while the Spaniards for want of courage ( which they called Commission ) did what they could to decline the fight , casting themselves continually into Roundels ( their strongest ships walling in the rest ) in which posture they made a flying march towards Callis : yet in the former medly a great Gallion , wherein was Don Pedro de Valdez , Vasques de Silva , Alenzo de Saias , with other Noble men , being sore battered with the English shot , in avoyding whereof she fell foul upon another ship , and ere she could be cleared had her fore-mast broken off , which so hundred her sailing , that she was unable to keep way with the rest of the Fleet , nor were their friends of courage to succour these distressed Lords , but left both ship and them in this sudden and unexpected danger . But the night coming on , our Lord Admiral supposing that they had left neither men nor Mariners aboard within her , and fearing to lose sight of the Spaniards , past by her , and followed the Lanthorn which he supposed to be carried by Sir Francis Drake , as it was appointed , but that brave Knight was eagerly pursuing five great Hulks which he took to be of the Spaniards , but when he came up , and haled them , they proved Easterlings and friends , and so were dismissed : yet by this mistake of his , the greatest part of our Fleet , wanting the direction of his light , was forced to lye still : so that he and the rest of the Fleet till towards night , the next day , could not recover sight of the Lord Admiral , who all the night before with two other ships , the Bear and the Mary-Rose followed the Spanish Lanthorn . July the twenty second ; Sir Francis Drake espied the aforementioned lagging Gallion , whereupon he sent forth a Pinnace to command them to yield , otherwise his bullets without any delay should force them to it : Valdes , to seem valorous , answered , that they were four hundred and fifty strong ; that himself was Don Pedro , and stood on his honour , and thereupon propounded certain conditions : But the Knight returned this reply , that he had no leisure to parley , if he would immediately yield , so ; otherwise be should soon prove that Drake was no dastard . Pedro hearing that it was the fiery Drake ( whose name was very terrible to the Spaniards ) that had him in chase , presently yielded , and with forty of his companions , came on board Sir Francis his Ship , where first giving him the Conge , he protested that he and all his were resolved to have dyed fighting , had they not fallen into his hands , whose valour and felicity was so great , that Mars and Neptune seemed to wait on him in all his attempts , and whose noble and generous mind towards the vanquished , had often been experienced even of his greatest foes . Sir Francis to requite his Spanish Complements with English Courtesie , placed him at his own table , and lodged him in his own Cabin : the residue of that company he sent to Plimouth , where they remained prisoners for the space of eighteen months , till by payment of their ransoms they obtained their liberty : But Drakes Souldiers had well paid themselves by the plunder of the ship , wherein they found 55000 Ducats of ●old , which they merrily shared amongst them . The same day Michael de Oquendo , Admiral of the Squadron Guypusco , and Vice-Admiral of the whole Fleet , suffered no less a disaster ; whose ship being one of the greatest Gallions , fell on fire , and all the upper part of the ship being burnt , most also of the persons therein were consumed : howbeit the Gunpowder in the hold not taking fire , the ship fell into the hands of the English , which , together with the scorched Spaniards therein , was brought into Plimouth , a joyful spectacle to the beholders . All this day , the Duke of Medina laboured securely to set his Fleet in order ; To Alphonso de Leva he gave in charge to joyne the first and last squadron together ; To every ship he assigned his quarter to ride in according to the form prescribed in Spain , commanding them upon pain of death not to desert their stations . Glitch , an Ensign-bearer , he sent to the Prince of Parma to acquaint him with his condition . July the twenty third , early in the morning the Spaniards taking the benefit of a Northerly wind , when they approached right against Portland , turned about against the English ; but the English , nimble , and foreseeing all advantages , soon turned aside to the VVestward , each striving to get the wind of the other , which at last the English got , and so they prepared themselves on each side to fight ; and the English continued all day from morning till night to batter those wooden Castles with great and small shot : The fight was very confused and variable , whilst on the one side the English bravely rescued the London ships that were hemmed in by the Spaniards , and on the other side the Spaniards as stoutly delivered Rechalde being in danger ▪ Never was there heard greater thundring of Ordnance on both sides , the chiefest fight being performed on this day ; yet notwithstanding the shot from the Spanish ships for the most part flew over the English without hurting them , only Cock an Englishman dyed with honour in the midst of his enemies in a little ship of his . The English ships being far the lesser , charged that Sea-Gyant with marvellous agility , and having given them their broad sides flew off again presently , and then coming up , levelled their shot directly without missing those heavy an unweildy ships of the Spaniards . But the Lord Admiral would not hazzard a fight by grappling with them , as some unadvised persons would have perswaded him : For he considered that the enemy had a strong Army in the Fleet , whereas he had none ; that their ships were more in number , of bigger burden , stronger , and huger built , so that they could not be boarded but with extreme disadvantage : He foresaw also that the overthrow would turn to a greater dammage than the victory would avail him : For being vanquished he should have brought England into extreme hazzard , and being conqueror he should only have gained a little glory to himself for overthrowing the Fleet , and beating the enemy . On this day the sorest fight was performed , wherein , besides other remarkable harms which the enemy sustained , a great Venetian ship with some other smaller were surprized , and taken by the English , and the Spaniards were forced for their further safety to gather themselves close into a Roundel , their best and greatest ships standing without , that they might secure those that were battered and less . July the twenty fourth , the fight was only between the four great Galliasses , and some of the English ships , the Spaniards having great advantage , theirs being rowed with oars , and ours ( by reason of the calm ) having no use of their sails , notwithstanding which they sorely galled the enemy with their great and chain shot ; wherewith they cut in sunder their tacklings , cables , and cordage to their no little prejudice . But wanting powder which they had spent so freely , and other provision to maintain the fight , the Lord Admiral sent some of his smaller ships to the next Ports of England to fetch supply ; which stirred up jealousies in the heads of many , that we should thus want upon our own Coasts . In which Interim a Council was called , wherein it was resolved that the English Fleet should be divided into four squadrons , and those committed to four brave Captains , and skilful Seamen , whereof the Lord Admiral in the Ark-Royal was chief : Sir Francis Drake in the Revenge led the second : Captain Hawkins the third : and Captain Forbusher the fourth . Other most valiant Captains there were in others of Her Majesties Ships , as the Lord Thomas Howard in the Lion , the Lord Sheffield in the Bear , Sir Robert Southwel in the Elizabeth , Captain Baker in the Victory , and Captain George Fenner in the Gallion-Leicester : It was also further appoined that out of every squadron certain small vessels should give you a charge from diverse parts in the dead time of the night , but the calm continuing , this designe could not be effected . July the twenty fifth , being Saint James day , the Spaniards were arrived against the Isle of Wight , where was a most terrible encounter , each shooting off their whole broad sides , and not above sixscore yards the one from the other : There the Saint Anne , a Gallion of Portugal , which could not hold course with the rest , was set upon by certain small English Vessels , to whose rescue came Leva and Don Diego Telles Enriques with three Galliasses : which the Lord Admiral himself and the Lord Thomas Howard in the Golden Lion , rowing their ships with their boats ( so great was the calm ) charged in such sort with their roaring Canons , that they had much ado , and that not without loss , to save the Gallion , from which time forward none of the Galliasses would undertake the fight . The Spaniards reported that the English the same day beat the Spanish Admiral in the utter squadron , rending her sore with their Great Ordnance , and having slain many of her men , shot down her main Mast , and would have much endanger'd her , but that Mexi● and Rechalde came in good time to her rescue . That the Spanish Admiral , assisted by Rechalde and others , set upon the English Admiral , which happily escaped by the sudden turning of the wind . That thereupon the Spaniards gave over the pursuit , and holding on their Course , dispatched again a Messenger to the Prince of Parma , to joyn his Fleet with all speed to the Kings Armado , and withal to send them a supply of great shot . But these things were unknown to the English , who wrote that from one of the Spanish ships they had shot down their Lanthorn , and from another the Beak-head , and that they had done much hurt to the third ; that the Non-parrella and the Mary Rose , had fought a while with the Spaniards ; and that other ships had rescued the Tryumph , which was in danger : The truth is , they had so sorely battered those huge wooden Castles , that once more they forced them for their further safety to gather themselves into a Roundel . July the twenty sixth , the Lord Admiral , to encourage and reward the Noble Attempts of his gallant Captains , bestowed the Order of Knighthood upon the Lords Howard and Sheffield , Roger Townsend , John Hawkings , Martin Forbusher , and others : And yet the vain glorious and boasting Spaniards caused a report to be spread in France , that England was wholly conquered by them . It was resolved by our men that from thenceforth they should assail the enemy no more till they came to the British Frith , or strait of Callis , where the Lord Henry Seimore and Sir William Winter , with the ships which they had for the guard of the narrow Seas , waited their coming ; and so with a fair gale from the South West and by South , the Spanish Fleet sailed forward , the English Fleet following it close at the heels . And so far was it from terrifying our English Coasts with the name of Invincible , or with its huge and terrible spectacle , that our brave English youth with an incredible alacrity , leaving parents , wives , children , kinsfolk , and friends out of their entire love to their native country , hired ships from all parts at their own proper charges , and joyned with the Fleet in great numbers , amongst whom were the Earls of Oxford , Northumberland and Cumberland : Thomas and Robert Cecil : Henry Brook : Charles Blunt : Walter Raleigh : William Hatton : Robert Carey : Ambrose Willoughby : Thomas Gerard : Arthur Gorges , and many others of great note . July the twenty seventh , the Spanish Fleet making forward , towards evening , came over against Dover , and anchored before Callis , intending for Dunkerk there to joyn with the Prince of Parma's forces , well perceiving that without their assistance they could do nothing : They were also warned by the Pilots , that if they proceeded any farther it was to be feared lest they should be driven by the force of the tide into the Northern Ocean . The English Fleet following up hard upon them , cast Anchor so neer that they lay within Culvering shot ; at which time the Lord Henry Seimore , and Winter joyned their ships to them , so that now the English Fleet consisted of one hundred and forty sail , all able ships to fight , sail , and turn about which way soever they pleased . Yet were they not above fifteen that sustained the greatest burden of the fight . From hence once more the Duke of Medina sent to the Prince of Parma to hasten forth his long expected , and much desired forces : with which messengers many of the Spanish Noble men went to land , having had enough of the Sea ; amongst whom was the Prince of Ascoli , the Kings base son , who returned to his ship no more ; and indeed well it was for him , for that his Gallion was afterwards cast away upon the Irish Coast , and never returned to salute Spain . These messengers earnestly prayed the Prince of Parma to put forth to Sea with his Army , which the Spanish Fleet should protect , as it were under her wings , till it was landed in England . And indeed the Prince of Parma , hearing the best , and not the worst of this voyage , made all things ready that lay in his charge , whose hopes were so fixed upon Englands Conquest , and the glittering Diadem upon Queen Elizabeths head did so dazel his ambitious eyes , being assured by Cardinal Allen that he was the man designed to be crowned therewith , that neglecting the Coronet of the Low-Country Government , he transferred the charge thereof upon Count Mansfield the Elder , and having made his vows to the Lady of Hall in Heinault , he was already in conceit no less than a King. But the date of his reign was soon expired , and his swelling tide fallen into a low shallow ebb : For the day following in his march to Dunkirk , he heard the thundring Ordnance ringing the passing peal of his hopes and title , and the same evening had news of the hard success of the Spaniards , the hoped advancers of his dreamed felicity ; and indeed do what he could , he could not be ready at the Spaniards call : His flat-bottomed boats for the shallow Channels leaked ; his provision of victuals proved unready , and his mariners ( having hitherto been detained against their wills ) had withdarwn themselves : there lay also watching before the Havens of Dunkirk and Newport , whence he was to put forth to Sea , the men of War of the Hollanders and Zelanders , so well provided with great Ordnance and Musketiers , that he could not put from the shore unless he would wilfully cast himself and his men upon eminent perils and dangers of destruction : and yet he being a skilful and experienced Commander , omitted no means , being inflamed with a desire to conquer England . But Queen Elizabeths foresight prevented both his diligence and the credulous hope of the Spaniards . For by Her command the next day after the Spaniards had cast Anchor , the Lord Admiral made ready eight of his worst ships , filled with wild-fire , pitch , rosin , brimstone , and other combustible matter : their Ordnance were charged with bullets , stones , chains , and such like things , fit instruments of death ; and all the men being taken out , upon the Sabbath day , July the twenty eighth , at two of the clock after midnight , were they let drive with wind and tide , under the guidance of Young and Prowse , amongst the Spanish Fleet. And so the Pilots returning , and their trains taking fire , such a sudden thunderclap was given by them , that the affrighted Spaniards , it being the dead time of the night , were amazed , and stricken with an horrible fear , lest all their ships should have been fired by them . And to avoid this present mischief , being in great perplexity , they had no other remedy to avoid these deadly engines , and murthering inventions , then by cutting their cables in sunder , the time being too short to weigh up their Anchors , and so hoising up their sails to drive at random into the Seas : in which hast and confusion the greatest of their Galliastes fell foul upon another ship , and lost her rudder : and so floted up and down , and the next day fearfully making towards Callis , ran aground upon the sands , where she was set upon by the English . This Galliass was of Naples : Her General was Hough de Moncado , who fought the more valiantly , because he expected present help from the Prince of Parma : But Sir Amias Preston gave such a fierce assault upon her , that Moncado was shot dead with a bullet , and the Galliass boarded , wherein many of the Spaniards were slain , and a great many others leaping into the Sea were drowned , only Don Antonio de Matiques , a principal Officer , had the good hap to escape , and was the first man that carried the unwelcome news into Spain , that their Invincible Navy proved vincible . This huge bottom manned with four hundred Souldiers , and three hundred slaves , that had in her fifty thousand Ducats of the Spanish Kings treasure , fell into the English mens hands ; a reward well befitting their valour , who sharing it merrily amongst them , and freeing the miserable slaves from their fetters , would have fired the empty vessel : but Monsieur Gourden , Governour of Callis , fearing that the fire might endanger the Town , would not permit them to do it , bending his Ordnance against those which attempted it . Had not this politick Stratagem of the fire-ships been found out , it would have been very difficult for the English to have dislodged them ; for those huge ships had their bulks so strengthened with thick planks , and massie beams , that our bullets might strike , and stick , and yet never pass through them : So that the greatest hurt which our English Canon did , was only by rending their Masts and tacklings . The Spaniards report that the Duke of Medina , when these burning ships approached , commanded the whole Fleet to weigh Anchor to avoid them yet so , as having shunned the danger , presently every ship to return to her former station , which accordingly he did himself , giving a signal to the rest to do the like , by discharging one of his great Guns ; but in this general consternation the warning was heard but of a few , the rest being scattered all about which for fear were driven some into the' wide Ocean , and other upon the shallows of Flanders . July the twenty ninth , after this miserable disaster , the Spaniards ranging themselves into the best order they could , approaching over against Graveling , where once again the English getting the wind of them , deprived them of the conveniency of Callis road , and kept them from supply out of Dunkirk , from whence rested their full hope of support . In the mean while Drake aad Fenner played incessantly with their great Ordnance upon the Spanish Fleet , and with them presently joyned Fenton , Southwel , Be●●●on , Cross , Riman , and lastly the Lord Admiral himself , with the Lords , Thomas Howard , and Sheffield : On the other hand , the Duke of Medina , Leva , Oquenda , Richalde , and others of them , with much ado got clear off the shallows , and sustained the charge as well as they could , yet were most of their ships pitifully torn and shot through , the fight continuing from morning till night , which indeed proved very dismal to the Spaniards ; for therein a great Gallion of Biscay perished , the Captains whereof to avoid ignominy ; or to be reputed valorous , desparately slew each other . ●n which distress also two other great ships presently sunk . The Gallion Saint Matthew under the command of Don Diego Piementelli , coming to rescue Don Francisco de Toledo who was in the Saint Philip , was , together with the other , miserably torn with shot , their tacklings spent , and their bulks rent , so that the water entred in on all sides , which sight was maintained against them by Seimore and Winter ; In which distress they were driven near Ostend , where again they were shot through and through by the Zelanders : Their desparate condition being known , the Duke of Medina sent his own skiff for Don Diego Piementelli , Camp-master , and Colonel over thirty two Bands : But he in a Spanish Bravado refused to leave his ship , and like a Souldier assayed every way to free himself : But being unable to do it , he forthwith made towards the coast of Flanders , where being again set upon by five Dutchmen of War , was required to yield , which finally he did unto Captain Peter Banderdness , who carried him into Zeland : and for a Trophy of his victory hung up his Banner in the Church of Leiden , whose length reached from the very roof to the ground : Another also of the Spanish ships coasting for Flanders , was cast away upon the sands . Francisco de Toledo also , being likewise a Colonel over thirty two Bands in the other Gallion , taking his course for the coast of Flanders , his ship proved so leak , that himself with some others of the chief betook themselves to their skiff , and arrived at Ostend , the ship with the residue being taken by the Flushingers . The Spaniards now finding their welcome into England far worse than they expected , were content to couch their Fleet as close together as they could , not seeking to offend their enemies , but only to defend themselves , and the wind coming to the South-west , in the same order they passed by Dunkirk , the English still following them at the heels . But left the Prince of Parma should take this advantage to put forth to Sea , the Lord Admiral dispatched the Lord Henry Seimore with his squaron of small ships to the Coast of Flanders , to joyn with those Hollanders , which there kept watch under Justin of Nassau , their Admiral : This Holland Fleet consisted of thirty five ships , furnished with most skilful Mariners , and twelve hundred Muskiteers , old experienced Souldiers , whom the States had culled out of several Garisons : Their charge was to stop up the Flemish Havens , and to prevent entercourse with Dunkirk , whither the Prince of Parma was come , and would fain have adventured forth , though his men were unwilling , hearing how their friends had been entertained at Sea : Only the English fugitives , being about seven hundred in number , under that treacherous Knight , Sir William Stanley , were very forward to be the first that should assault England . July the 31 betimes in the morning the North-west-wind blew hard , and the Spanish Fleet laboured by that advantage to return to the narrow strait , but were driven towards Zeland : whereupon the English gave off the chase , because they saw them carried almost to their utter ruine ; for they could not but run a ground upon the sands and shallows neer Zeland : but the wind turning presently into the South-west and by West , they sailed before the wind , by which means they were cleared of the shallowes , and so that evening they called a Council what to do , and by consent it was resolved to return into Spain by the Northern Ocean : for that they wanted many necessaries , especially great shot ; their ships also were pitifully torn , and there remained no hope that the Prince of Parma would or could bring forth his Fleet. The Armado having now gotten more Sea-room for their huge bodied bulks , spread their Main sails , and made away as fast as wind and water would give them leave : More fearing the small Fleet and forces of the English ( though far inferiour to them ) then standing upon terms of honour either for the credit of their Commanders , or their Invincible Navy : But surely if they had known the want of Powder ours sustain●d ( a fault inexcusable upon our own Coasts ) they no doubt would have stood better to their tacklings : But God in this , as in all the rest , infatuated them , and would have us to acknowledge that our deliverance was by his own gracious Providence and power , and not by any strength or policy of our own . The Spanish Fleet beeing now carried forth into the deep , they directed their course Northward , and our English Admiral followed them , lest they should attempt to put into Scotland , against whom they now and then turned head , but stood not to it : Yet most men thought they would return , whereupon our Queen with a manly courage took a view of her Army and Camp at Tilbury , and walking through the ranks of Armed men placed on both sides , with a Leaders Truncheon in her hand , sometimes in a martial pace , and other sometimes like a woman , incredible it is how much she strengthened and encouraged the hearts both of her Captains and Souldiers with her speech and presence . But contrary to expectation , the enemies with their sails spread , betook themselves to an absolute flight , and leaving Scotland on the West , they bended their Course towards Norway , being ill advised therein , ( but their necessity urged , and God had infatuated their Counsels ) thus to adventure to put their shaken and battered bottoms into those black and dangerous Seas : Neither was the Climate heathful for the crazed Bodies of the Spaniards , over-beaten , and tired with wants , they being now entred the fifty seventh degree of Northerly Latitude ; from whence our Lord Admiral returned , leaving only some Scouts to discover their success . When the Prince of Parma came to Dunkirk , the Spaniards entertained him with opprobrious speeches , as if in favour of Queen Elizabeth , he had neglected his opportunity , and willingly overthrown so hopeful a Design . The Prince to give them some satisfaction punished his Purveyors of Victuals , yet withal laughing in his sleeve at the insolency of the Spaniards , having heard them formerly to make their boasts that whithersoever they went they carried assured victory along with them , and that the English durst nor once abide to look them in the face . The Spaniards ( as was said even now ) being freed from the English that had haunted them like their Ghosts , consulted most seriously what was next to be done : they were very tender of the Popes Credit , who had prophesied , that this attempt would be fortunate and successful : The wrath of King Philip of Spain was to be feared , his vast Expences being thus lost , and his hopes frustrated : other Adventurers would be undone : the glory of the Spaniards would be laid in the dust : the Invincible Navy become a scorn , and England would still be England , not lorded over by the Spaniards , if without further attempt they should return into Spain . But on the other hand they considered that 5 thousand of the Souldiers were slain : a multitude of their Survivors lay sick or maimed upon their hands : Twelve of their greatest ships were sunk , lost , or taken : their Cables , Masts , and Sails were cut ; rent and broken with the English shot : Their Anchors left in the road of Callis : their victuals failed : Their fresh water was spent : and their enemies no less fierce , undaunted , and successful than at the first : The Prince of Parma though long in preparing , yet still unready , and kept in by the Dutch , Queen Elizabeths firm Allies : which circumstances wisely ballanced , the vote went currant for their hastning to Spain . But withal knowing that the King of Scots ( fast knit in affection and blood to our Queen ) would yield them no supplies ; and having as little hope that Norway would afford them any , they cast all their , Horses , and Mules overboard , for the sparing of their fresh water : and so framing their course to sail about Cathenes , and the Coasts of Ireland , they steered between the Orcades and the Isles of Farr unto the sixty first degree of Latitude : From whence the Duke of Medina , with his best stored ships , took Westward over the main Ocean towards Biscay , and at last arrived safely in Spain : where for his welcome , he was deposed from all his authority , forbidden to come at Court , and commanded to live private , neither could he give satisfaction by his bad excuses , albeit he imputed it to the treachery of his Mariners ; to their ignorance ; and small experience of those Northern Seas . The want of succours from the Prince of Parma ; the Tempests , Shipwracks and ill fortune : but not a word of the judgement of God , upon that Giant-like undertaking to enslave all England to the Spanish yoke . The residue of the Ships , being about forty in number , fell nearer with the coast of Ireland , intending to touch at Cape Clare , well hoping there to refresh themselves , and supply their wants : but the winds proving contrary and tempestuous upon those dangerous Seas , many of their ships perished upon the Irish shores , and amongst others a great Galliass , wherein Michael de Oquendo was Commander , and two other Venetian ships of great burden , besides thirty eight more , with most of the Spaniards contained in them Such as got clear off the danger , put forth to Sea : some of which by a strong West Wind were driven into the English Channel , where some of them were again set upon and taken by the English , others by men of Rochel in France ; and some arrived at New Haven in Normandy : So that of one hundred thirty four ships that set fail out of Lisboa , only fifty three returned into Spain : Of the four Galliasses of Naples but one : of the four Oallions of Portugal , but one : of the ninety one Callions , and great Hulks from divers Provinces , only thirty three returned , fifty eight being lost . In brief , they lost in this voyage eighty one vessels , thirteen thousand , five hundred and odd Souldiers . Prisoners taken in England , Ireland , and the Low-Countries were above two thousand : Amongst those in England , Don Pedro de Valdez , Don Vasques de Silva , and Don Alonzo de Saies , and others were kept for their ransome . In Ireland Don Alonzo de Luzon , Roderigo de Lasse , and others of great account : In Zeland was Don Diego Piementelli : To be brief , there was no famous , or noble family in all Spain , which in this expedition lost not a son , brother , or kinsman . And thus this Armado which had been so many years in preparing , and rigging with such vast expence , was in one month many times assaulted , and at length wholly defeated with the slaughter of so many of her men , not one hundred of the English being lacking , nor one small ship of theirs taken , or lost , save only that of Cocks : and having traversed round about all Britain , by Scotland , the Orcades and Ireland , most grievously tossed , and very much distressed , and wasted by stormes , wracks , and all kinds of misery , at length came lamely home , with perpetual dishonour : whereupon Medals were stamped in memory thereof : A Fleet flying with full sailes ; with this inscription , Venit , vidit , fugit , It came , it saw , it fled : Others in honour of our Queen , with flaming ships , and a Fleet in a great confusion , and this Motto , Dux faemina facti , A woman was conductor of the fact . In the aforementioned wracks above seven hundred Souldiers and Sailors were cast on land in Scotland , who ( upon the intercession of the Prince of Parma to the King of Scots , and by the permission of Queen Elizabeth ) were after a years time sent over into the Low-Countries : But more unmercifully were those miserable wretches dealt withal , whose hap was to be driven by tempest into Ireland : Some of them being slain by the wild Irish ( their old friends ) and others of them being put to death by the command of the Lord Deputy : For he fearing lest they might joyn with the Irish to disturb the peace of the Nation , commanded Bingham , Governour of Connaught to destroy them : but he , refusing to deal so rigorously with those that had yielded themselves , He sent Fowle , Deputy-Marshall , who drew them out of their lurking holes , and cut off the heads of above two hundred of them ; which fact the Queen from her heart condemned , and abhorred as a fact of too great cruelty . The remainder of them being terrified herewith , sick and starven as they were , committed themselves to Sea in their shattered vessels , and were many of them swallowed up by the waves . The Spaniards charged the whole fault of their overthrow upon the Prince of Parma , as if in favour to our Queen he had wilfully and artificially delayed his coming to them : But this was but an invention , and pretention given out by them , partly upon a Spanish envy against that Prince , he being an Italian , and his Son a Competitor to the Kingdom of Portugal : But chiefly to save the scorn and monstous disreputation which they and their Nation received by the success of that enterprise : Therefore their colours , and excuses ( forsooth ) were , That their General by Sea had a limited Commission , not to fight till the Land Forces were come in to them , and that the Prince of Parma had particular reaches and ends of his own to cross the designe . But it was both a strange Commission , and a strange Obedience to a Commission , for men in the midst of their own blood , and being so furiously assailed , to hold their hands , contrary to the Laws of Nature and necessity . And as for the Prince of Parma , he was reasonably well tempted to be true to that enterprise , by no less promise than to be made a Feudatory or Beneficiary King of England under the Seignory ( in chief ) of the Pope , and the protection of the King of Spain . Besides , it appeared that the Prince of Parma held his place long after of the Govenment of the Netherlands , in the favour and trust of the King of Spain , and by the great imployments and services that he performed in France . It is also manifest that this Prince did his best to come down , and put to Sea : The truth was , that the Spanish Navy , upon those proofs of Fight which they had with the English , finding how much hurt they received , and how little , hurt they did , by reason of the activity and low building of our ships , and skill of Sea-men ; and being also commanded by a General of small courage and experience , and having lost at first two of their bravest Commanders at Sea , Pedro de Valdez , and Michael de Oquenda , durst not put it to a Battel at Sea , but set up their rest wholly upon the Land enterprise . On the other side , the transportation of the Land Forces failed in the very foundation ; For , whereas the Council of Spain made full account that their Navy should be Master of the Sea , and therefore able to guard and protect the Vessels of Transportation : When it fell out to the contrary , that the great Navy was distressed , and had enough to do to save it self , and that their Land Forces were impounded by the Hollanders . Things ( I say ) being in this state , it came to pass that the Prince of Parma must have flown , if he would have come into England , for he could get neither Bark , nor Mariner to put to Sea. Yet certain it is that the Prince looked for the comming back of the Armado even at that time when they were wandring , and making their perambulation upon the Northern Seas . Thus we see the curse of God and his threatning in Scripture accomplished : They came out against us one way , and they fled seven wayes before us : making good ( even to the astonishment of all Posterity ) the wonderful Judgments of God poured out commonly upon such vast and proud aspirings . After this Glorious Deliverance of our Land by the Power of the Omnipotent , and the wild Boar repelled that sought to lay waste Englands fair and fruitful Vineyard , our Gracious and Godly Queen ( who ever held Ingratitude a Capital sin , especially towards her Almighty Protector ) as she had begun with Prayer , so she ended with Praise , commanding solemn Thanksgiving to be celebrated to the Lord of Hosts at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in her chief City of London , which accordingly was done upon Sabbath day the eighth of September : at which time eleven of the Spanish Ensignes ( the once badges of their bravery , but now of their vanity and ignominy ) were hung upon the lower battlements of that Church , as Palmes of Praise for Englands Deliverance : a shew no doubt more pleasing to God than when their spread colours did set out the pride of the Spaniards , threatning the blood of so many innocent and faithful Christians . Queen Elizabeth her self , to be an example unto others upon Sabbath the twenty fourth of September , came from her Palace of White-Hall in Westminster , through the streets of London ( which were hung with blew Cloth , the Companies of the City standing in their Liveries on both sides with their Banners in goodly order ) being carried in a Chariot drawn with two Horses to St. Pauls Church , where dismounting from her . Chariot at the West door , she humbled her self upon her knees and with great devotion , in an audible voice She praised God as her only Defender , who had delivered Her self and People from the bloody designes of so cruel an enemy . The Sermon then preached tended wholly wholly to give all the glory to God , as the Author of this wonderful deliverance : and when that was ended , Her Majesty Herself , with most Princely and Christian speeches exhorted all the people to a due performance of those religious services of thankfulness which the Lord expected and required of them . About the same time the Fair being kept in Southwark , the Spanish Flags were hung up at London Bridge to the great joy of the beholders , and eternal infamy of the Spaniards proud attempts , as irreligious as unsuccessful . But the solemn day appointed for Thanksgiving throughout the Land was the nineteenth of November being Tuesday , which accordingly was observed with great joy and praising of God ; and well it were if it had so continued still , being no less a Deliverance than was that of Purim amongst the Jews , which they instituted to be kept holy throughout their Generations . The Zelanders also to leave a memorial of their thnakfulness to God , and their faithfulness to our Queen , caused Medals of Silver to be stamped , having engraven on the one side the Armes of their Countrey ; with this inscription , Glory to God alone , and on the reverse , the pourtracture of great Ships , under written , the Spanish Fleet , and in the circumference , It came , It went , It was , Anno 1588. In other medals also were stamped ships floating , and sinking , and in the reverse , Supplicants upon their knees , with this Motto , man proposeth , God disposeth , 1588. The Hollanders also stamped some medals with Spanish ships and this Motto , Impius fugit nemine sequente : the wicked fly when none pursues . Our Queen , to shew her gratitude as well to the instruments as to the Author of this great Deliverance , assigned certain yearly Rents to the Lord Admiral for his gallant service , and many times commended him , and the other Captains of Her Ships , as men born for the Preservation of their Country . The rest she graciously saluted by name as oft as she saw them , as men of notable deserts , wherewith they held themselves well apaid , and those which were wounded , maimed , or poor , She rewarded with competent pensions . The Lord of Hosts having thus dispelled this storm , the Queen dissolved her Camp at Tilbury , and not long after the Earl of Leicester ended his dayes , having been a Peer of great estate and honour , but liable to the common destiny of Great ones , whom all men magnifie in their life time , but few speak well of after their death . THis Admirable Deliverance was congratulated by almost all other Nations , especially by all the reformed Churches , and many Learned Men celebrated the same in Verse , amongst which I shall onely mention two : The first was that Poem made by Reverend Mr. Beza ; Translated into all the chief Languages in Christendom , to be perpetuated to all ensuing Posterity . It was this . STraverat innumeris Hispanus classibus aequor , Regnis juncturus Sceptra Britana suis Tanti hujus rogitas quae motus causa ? superbos Impulit Ambitio , vexat avaritia . Quam bene te Ambitio mersit vanissima ventus ; Et tumidae tumidos Vos superastis aquae ! Quam bene Raptores Orbis totius Iberos Mersit inexhausti justa vorago Maris ! At tu , cui venti , cui totum militat Aequor , Regina , O mundi totius una decus : Sic regnare Deo perge , Ambitione remota , Prodiga sic opibus perge juvare pios ; Vt te Angli longum , longùm Anglis ipsa fruaris , Quam dilecta bonis , tam metuenda malis . SPaines King with Navies great the Seas bestrew'd , T' augment with English Crown his Spanish sway : Ask ye what caus'd this proud attempt ? 't was lewd Ambition drove , and Avarice led the way . It 's well ; Ambitions windy pufflies drown'd By winds , and swelling hearts by swelling waves : It 's well ; those Spaniards who the Worlds vast round Devour'd , devouring Sea most justly craves . But thou O Queen , for whom Winds , Seas do war , O thou the Glory of this Worlds wide Mass , So reign to God still , from Ambition far , So still with bounteous aids the Good imbrace : That Thou maist England long , long England Thee enjoy Thou terror of all Bad , Thou Good mens joy . The other is that , made by Mr : Samuel Ward of Ipswich . OCtogesimus Octavus , Mirabilis annus Clade Papistarum , Faustus ubique piis . IN Eighty eight Spain arm'd with potent might Against our peaceful Land came on to fight : The Winds , and Waves , and Fire in one conspire To help the English , frustrate Spains desire . FINIS . THE Gun-Powder Treason : Being A Remembrance to England , OF THAT Ancient Deliverance From that Horrid PLOT , Hatched by the Bloody PAPISTS , 1605. Tending to revive the Memory of the FIFTH OF NOVEMBER to every Family in this NATION : That all sorts may be stirred up to real Thankfulness , and transmit the same to their Posterities ; that their Children may know the reason why the Fifth of November is Celebrated ; that GOD may have Glory , and the PAPISTS perpetual Infamy . The LORD is known by the judgement that he executeh , but the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands . HIGGAION SELAH . Psal. 9.16 . By Sam. Clark , Pastor of Bennet Fink , London . London , Printed for J. Hancock , and are to be sold at the three Bibles , being the first Shop in Popes-Head Alley , next to Cornhill . 1671. TO THE READER . Christian Reader , LEast the Remembrance of so signal a Mercy , and Deliverance vouchsafed by God both to our Church and State should be buried in Oblivion , I have ( at the request of the Book-seller ) presented thee here with a true and faithful Narrative of that Grand Work of Darkness forged in Hell , and by Satan suggested to some Popish Instruments , who envying the peace and prosperity of our Church , and progress of the Gospel , had designed at one blow to overthrow both : And that nothing might be wanting to compleat that horrid wickedness , their purpose was to have charged it upon the Puritans , thereby hoping to free themselves , and their Religion from the imputation of so hainous a crime . Now that the memorial of a Mercy of such publick and general concernment should not be forgotten , we have the Word of the Eternal God to be our Guide therein , when the Lord had by his Angel destroyed the first born of Egypt , and spared Israel , He instituted the Feast of the Passover to continue the memorial thereof through their Generations , Exod. 12.11 , 12 , 14 , 26 , 27. saith Moses to them , when your Children shall say unto you , What mean you by this service ? Ye shall say , It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passover , who passed over the houses the Children of Israel , when He smote the Egyptians , and delivered our houses . And how careful good Mordecai was to continue the remembrance of that great Deliverance of the people of God from Destruction plotted , and contrived by that wicked Haman , appears Esther 9.20 . &c. where they did not only celebrate those present dayes of their Deliverance with Feasting and Gladness : but he , together with the rest of the Jewes ordained , and took upon them , and their Seed , and upon all such as joyned themselves unto them , so as it should not fail , that they would keep those days in their appointed time every year , and that those days should be remembred , and kept through their Generations , every Family , every Province , and every City , and that those days of Purim should not fail from amongst the Jews , nor the memorial of them perish from their Seed , &c. And truly the remembrance of this great Mercy hath the more need to be revived at this time , when some noted persons amongst us begin to lessen , and decry it , and wholly to lay aside the observation of that day , though enjoyned by Act of Parliament , and made Conscience of by most of the Godly People of the Nation . I have also been induced the rather to make this brief Collection of the Story , because , though it be published by others ; yet it is in larger Volumes , which are not every ones mony ; whereas for a small matter every family may get and keep this by them for the benefit , and satisfaction both of themselves and children , that so the Lord may not lose of his Glory , nor they ( for want of information ) fail of their duty . I shall conclude with that of the Psalmist , Psal. 107.8 . O that men would praise the Lord for his Goodness : and for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men : which is the hearty desire of Thine for thy spiritual Good , Sam. Clarke . Octob. 1657. THE DELIVERANCE OF OUR CHVRCH and STATE FROM THE Hellish Powder-Plot . 1605. THe Plot was to undermine the Parliament House , and with Powder to blow up the King , Prince , Clergy , Nobles , Knights , and Burgesses , the very confluence of all the flower of Glory , Piety , Learning , Prudence and Authority in the Land : Fathers , Sons , Brothers , Allies , Friends , Foes , Papists and Protestants , 〈…〉 blast . Their intent , when that irreligious atchievement had been performed , was , to surprize the remainder of the Kings Issue , to alter Religion and Government , and to bring in a forreign Power , Sir Edmond Baynam , an attainted person ( who stiled himself Prince of the damned Crew ) was sent unto the Pope as he was a temporal Prince to acquaint him with the Gunpowder Plot : and now to the Plot it self . The Sessions of Parliament being dissolved , July the 7th . Anno Christi , 1605. and prorogued to the seventh of February following ▪ Catesby being at Lambeth , sent for Th●mas Winter ; who before had been imployed into Spain , and acquainted him with the design of blowing up the Parliament House , who readily apprehending it , said , This indeed strikes at the root , only these helps were wanting ; a House for residence , and a skilful man to carry on the Mine : But the first , Catesby assured him was easie to be got ; and for the man , he commended Guy Fawkes , a sufficient Souldier , and a forward Catholick : Thus Robert Catesby , John Wright , Thomas Winter , and Guy Fawkes had many meetings , and conferences about this business , till at last Thomas Percy came puffing in to Catesby's Lodging at Lambeth , saying , What Gentlemen , shall we alwaies be talking , and never do any thing ? You cannot be ignorant how things proceed ? To whom Catesby answered , that something was resolved on , but first an Oath for secresie was to be administred : for which purpose they appointed to meet some three days after , behind Saint Clements Church beyond Temple-Bar ; where being met , Percy professed that for the Catholick cause himself would be the man to advance it , were it with the slaughter of the King , which he was there ready to undertake and and do . No Tom ( said Catesby ) thou shalt not adventure thy self to so small purpose ; if thou wilt be a Traytor , there is a Plot to greater advantage , and such an one as can never be discovered : Hereupon all of them took the Oath of Secresie , heard a Mass , and received the Sacrament , after which Catesby told them his Devillish Devise by mine and Gunpowder to blow up the Parliament House , and so by one stroke with the destruction of many to effect that at once which had been many years attempting : And for case of conscience to kill the innocent with the nocent , he told them that it was warrantable by the Authority of Garnet himself , the superiour of the English Jesuites , and of Garrard and Tresmond ( Jesuitical Priests likewise ) who by their Apostolical Power did commend the fact , and absolve the actors . The Oath was given them by the said Garrard in these words ; You shall swear by the blessed Trinity , and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive , never to disclose , directly nor indirectly , by word , or circumstance , the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret , nor desist from the execution thereof until the rest shall give you leave . The Project being thus far carried on , in the next place the first thing they sought after was an house wherein they might begin their work , for which purpose no place was held fitter than a certain edifice adjoyning to the wall of the Parliament House , which served for a withdrawing room to the Assembled Lords , and out of Parliament time was at the dispose of the Keeper of the place , and Wardrobe thereto belonging : these did Percy hire for his Lodgings , entertaining Guy Fawkes as his man , who changing his name into Johnson had the Keyes , and keeping of the Rooms . Besides this , they hired another house to lay in Provision of Powder , and to frame , and fit wood in for the carrying on the Mine , which Catesby provided at Lambeth , and sware Robert Ke●es into their Conspiracy , whom he made the Keeper of those Provisions , who by night conveyed the same unto Fawkes . The appointed day for the Parliament being the seventh day of February , It was thought fit to begin their work in October before : But Fawkes returning out of the Country , found Percys Rooms appointed for the Scottish Lords to meet in , who were to treat about the union of the two Kingdomes , whereupon they forbore to begin their work : But that Assembly being dissolved upon the eleventh of December , late in the night they entred upon the work of darkness beginning their Mine , having tools afore-hand prepared , and baked meats provided , the better to avoid suspition in case they should send abroad for them . They which first began the Mine were Robert Catesby Espuire , the Arch-Contriver and Traytor , and ruine of his name , Thomas Percy Esquire , akin to the Earl of Northumberland , Thomas Winter , John Wright , and Guy Fawks Gentlemen , and Thomas Bates , Catesby's man , all of them well grounded in the Romish School , and earnest labourers in this vault of Villany , so that by Christmas-eve they had brought the Mine under an entry adjoyning to the wall of the Parliament House , underpropping the earth as they went with their framed timber , nor till that day were they seen abroad of any man. During this undermining , much consultation was had how to order the rest of the business when the deed should be accomplished : the first was how to surprise the next heir to the Crown : for though they doubted not but that Prince Henry would accompany his Father , and perish with him , yet they suspected that Duke Charles , as too young to attend the Parliament , would escape the train , and perchance be so carefully guarded , and attended at Court that he would be gotten into their hands hardly , but Percy offered to be the remover of this rub , resolving with some other Gentlemen to enter the Dukes Chamber , which by reason of his acqaintance he might well do , and others of his like acquaintance should be placed at several doors of the Court , so that when the blow was given , and all men in a maze , then would he carry away the Duke , which he presumed would be easily done , the most of the Court being then absent , and for such as were present , they would be altogether unprovided for resistance . For the surprize of the Lady Elizabeth , it was held a matter of far less difficulty , She remaining at Comb Abby in Warwickshire with the Lord Harrington , and Ashbey , Catesby's house being not far from the same , whither under a pretence of hunting upon Dunsmore Heath , many Catholicks should be assembled , who knowing for what purpose they were met had the full liberty in that distracted time to provide Money , Horses , Armour and other necessaries for War , under pretence of strengthening , and guarding the heir apparent to the Crown . Then it was debated what Lords they should save from the Parliament , and it was agreed that they should keep as many as they could that were Catholicks or favourers of them : but that all others should feel the smart , and that the Treason should be charged upon the Puritans to make them more odious to the World. Next it was controverted what forreign Princes they should make privy to this Plot , seeing they could not enjoyn them to secresie , nor oblige them by Oath , and this much troubled them . For though Spain was held fittest to second their Plot , yet he was slow in his preparations , and France was too near and too dangerous to be dealt with , and how the Hollanders stood affected to England they knew very well . But while they were thus busying themselves , and tormenting their brains , the Parliament was adjourned to the fifth day of October ensuing , whereupon they brake off both discourse and work till Candlemass , and then they laid in powder , and other provisions , beginning their work again , and having in the mean time taken into their company Christopher Wright , and Robert Winter ; being first sworn , and receiving the Sacrament for secresie ; the Foundation Wall of the Parliament House being very hard , and nine Foot thick , with great difficulty they Wrought half through ; Fawkes being their Centinel to give warning when any came near , that the Noise in Digging might not be heard . The Labourers thus working into the Wall , were surprized with a great fear , and casting away their digging Tools , betook themselves to their Weapons , having sufficient shot , and powder in the house , and fully resolving rather to dye in the place than to yield or be taken . The cause of this their fear was a noise that they heard in a Room under the Parliament House , under which they meant to have Mined , which was directly under the Chair of State ; but now all on a sudden they were at a stand , and their countenances cast each upon other , as doubtful what would be the issue of this their Enterprize . Fawkes scouted out to see what he could discover abroad , and finding all safe and free from suspition , he returned and told them that the noise was only occasioned by the removal of Coals that were now upon Sale , and that the Cellar was to be let , which would be more commodious for their purpose , and also would save their labour for the Mine . Hereupon Thomas Porcy under pretence of stowage for his Winter Provision and Coals , went and hired the Cellar , which done they began a new conference , wherein Catesby found the weight of the whole work too heavy for himself alone to support : for besides the maintenance of so many persons , and the several houses for the several uses hired and paid for by him , the Gunpowder and other Provisions would rise to a very great sum , and indeed too much for one mans Purse . He desired therefore that himself , Percy , and one more might call in such persons as they thought fit to help to maintain the charge , alledging that they knew men of worth and wealth that would willingly assist , but were not willing that their names should be known to the rest . This request , as necessary , was approved , and therefore ceasing to dig any further in the Vault , knowing that the Cellar would be fitter for their purpose , they removed into it twenty Barrels of Gunpowder , which they covered with a Thousand Billets , and five hundred Faggots , so that now their Lodging Rooms were cleared of all suspicious Provision , and might be freely entered into without danger of discovery . But the Parliament being again prorogued to the Fifth of November following , these persons thought fit that for a while they should again disperse themselves ( all things being already in so good a forwardness , and that Guy Fawkes should go over to acquaint Sir William Stanley , and Master Hugh Owen with these their proceedings , ) yet so , as the Oath of Secresie should be first taken by them . For their design was to have Sir William Stanleys presence so soon as the fatal blow should be given , to be a leader to their intended Stratagems , whereof ( as they thought ) they should have great need , and that Owen should remain where he was , to hold correspondency with forreign Princes , to allay the odiousness of the fact , and to impute the Treason to the discontented Puritans . Fawkes coming into Flanders found Owen , unto whom , after the Oath , he declared the Plot , which he very well approved of ; but Sir William Stanley being now in Spain , Owen said that he would hardly be drawn into the business , having Suits at this time in the English Court : yet he promised to engage him all that he could , and to send into England with the first , so soon as their Plot had taken effect : Upon this , Fawkes to avoid further suspicion , kept still in Flanders till the beginning of September , and then returning , received the Keys of the Cellar , and laid in more Powder , Billets and Faggots , which done he retired into the Countrey , and there kept till the end of October . In the mean time Catesby and Percy , meeting at the Bath , it was there concluded that because th●ir number was but few , Catesby himself should have power to call in whom he would to assist their design , by which authority he took in Sir Everard Digby of Rutlandshire , and Francis Tresham Esquire of Northamptonshire , both of them of sufficient state and wealth : For Sir Everard offered fifteen hundred pounds to forward the Action , and Tresham two thousand . But Percy disdaining that any should out-run him in evil , promised four thousand pounds out of the Earl of Northumberlands Rents , and ten swift horses to be used when the blow was past . Against which time to provide Ammunition , Catesby also took in Ambrose Rookwood , and John Grant , two Recusant Gentlemen , and without doubt others were acquainted also with it , had these two grand Electors been aprehended alive , whose own tongues only could have given an account of it . The business being thus forwarded abroad by their complices , they at home were no less active : For Percy , Winter , and Fawkes had stored the Cellar with thirty six Barrels of Gunpowder , and instead of shot , had laid upon them barrs of Iron , logs of timber , massie stones , Iron Crowes , Pick-axes , and all their working tools : and to cover all , great store of Billets and Faggots , so that nothing was wanting against that great and terrible day . Neither were the Priests and Jesuits slack on their parts , who usually concluded their Masses with prayers for the good success of their expected hopes , about which Garnet made these Verses , Gentem aufert perfidam credentium de finibus : Vt Christo laudes debitas persolvamus alacriter . And others thus . Prosper Lord their pains that labour in thy cause day and night : Let Heresie vanish away like smoke : Let their memory perish with a crack like the ruine and fall of a broken house . Upon Thursday in the evening , ten days before the Parliament was to begin , a Letter directed to the Lord Monteagle , was delivered by an unknown person to his footman in the street , with a strait charge to give it into his Lords own hands , wh●ch accordingly he did : The Letter had neither date , nor subscription , and was somewhat unlegible , so that the Nobleman called for one of his servants to assist him in reading it ; the strange contents whereof much perplexed him , he not knowing whether it was writ as a Pasquil to scare him from attendance at the Parliament , or as a matter of consequence , and advice from some friend : Howsoever , though it were now supper-time , and the night very dark , yet to shew his loyalty to his Soveraign , he immediately repaired to White-Hall , and imparted the Letter to the Earl of Salisbury , then principal Secretary , and they both presently acquainted the Lord ●hamberlain therewith , who deemed the matter not a little to concern himself ; his Office requiring him to oversee all the places to which his Majesty was to repair : Hereupon these two Counsellors shewed the Letter to the Earls of Worcester and Northampton , and all concluded ( how slight soever the contents seemed to appear ) to acquaint the King himself with the same , which accordingly was done : and the Letwas as followeth : My Lord , OVt of the Love I bear to some of your friends , I have a care of your preservation : Therefore I would advise you as you tender your life , to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament : For God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time . And think not slightly of this Advertisement , but retire your self into your Country , where you may expect the event in safety . For though there be no appearance of any stir , yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament , and yet they shall not see who hurts them . This Counsel is not to be contemned , because it may do you good , and can do you no harm : For the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the Letter ; and I hope God will give you the grace to make a good use of it , to whose holy protection I commend you . His Majesty after reading this Letter , pausing a while , and then reading it again , delivered his judgment , that the stile of it was too quick and pithy to be a Libel , proceeding from the superfluities of an idle brain , and by these words , That they should receive a terrible blow at this Parliament , and yet not see who hurt them ; he presently apprehended , that a sudden danger by a blast of Gunpowder was intended by some base villain in a corner , though no Insurrection , Rebellion , or desperate attempt appeared : and therefore wished that the Rooms under the Parliament House should be throughly searched , before himself or Peers should sit therein : Hereupon it was concluded that the Lord Chamberlain ( according to his Office ) should view all the Rooms above and below : but yet to prevent idle rumours , and to let things ripen further , it was resolved that this search should be deferred till Munday , the day immediately before the Parliament , and that then it should be done with a seeming slight eye to avoid suspect . According to this conclusion , the Earl of Suffolk , Lord Chamberlain , upon Munday in the afternoon , accompanied with the Lord Monteagle , repaired into those under Romes , and finding the Cellar so fully stored with Wood and Coals , demanded of Fawkes , the counterfeit Johnson , who stood there attending as a servant of small repute , Who owed the place ? He answered that the Lodgings belonged to Master Thomas Percy , and the Cellar also to lay in his Winter Provision , himself being the Keeper of it , and Master : Percy 's servant : whereunto the Earl , as void of any suspicion , told him that his Master was well provided against Winter blasts : But when they were come forth , the Lord Monteagle told him that he did much suspect Percy to be the Inditer of the Letter , knowing his affection in Religion , and the friendship betwixt them professed , so that his heart gave him ( as he said ) when he heard Percy named , that his hand was in the Act. The Lord Chamberlain returning , related to the King and Council what he had seen , and the suspition that the Lord Monteagle had of Percy , and himself of Johnson his man , all which increased his Majesties jealousie , so that he insisted ( contrary to the opinion of some ) that a narrower search should be made , and the Billets and Coals turned up to the bottom : and accordingly the search was concluded to be made , but under colour of searching for certain Hangings belonging to the house , which were missing and conveyed away . Sir Thomas Knevet ) a Gentleman of His Majesties Privy Chamber ) was employed herein , who about midnight before the Parliament was to begin , went to the place with a small , but trusty number of persons : And at the door of the entrance to the Cellar , finding one ( who was Guy Fawkes ) at so unseasonable an hour cloked , and booted , he apprehended him , and ransacking the Billet , he found the Serpents nest stored with thirty six barrels of Powder , and then searching the Villain , he found about him a dark Lanthorn three Matches , and other instruments for blowing up the Powder : And being no whit daunted , he instantly confessed his guiltiness , and was so far from Repentance , as he vowed , that had he been within the house ( as indeed he was but immediately come forth from his work ) he would certainly have blown up the House with himself and them all : And being brought before the Council ; he lamented nothing so much as because the deed was not done , saying , that the Devil , and not God was the discoverer of it . As desperate were Catesby , Percy , and the rest , who seeing the Treason discover'd , posted all into Warwickshire , where Grant , and his associates had broken open the Stables belonging to Warwick Castle , and taken some gaeat horses out of the same , to forward their hoped for great day . At Dun-Church Sir Everard Digby had made a match for a great hunting , that under pretence thereof they might seize upon the Lady Elizabeth then at Comb Abby , but when by those which posted from London they were informed that they were discovered , and pursued , being struck with a great fear ; not knowing whither to sly , they desperately began an open Rebellion , pretending that they did it for the cause of Religion , all the Catholicks throats being intended to be cut , and so trooping together they wandred through Warwickshire , being pursued by Sir Richard Verney , the then High Sheriff , and from thence they went through Worcestershire into Staffordshire , their servants , and followers being about eighty men , who also stole away many of them from them . Thus ranging about , and finding no resistance , they rifled the Lord Windsors house of all the Armour , Shot , Powder , and all other Warlike Provisions : but the weather being rainy , and the Waters somewhat high , the Powder in carriage took wet , and so became unserviceable . For their last refuge they betook themselves to Holbach House in Staffordshire , belonging to Steven Littleton , whither they were pursued by the High Sheriff of Worcestershire , who not knowing of the Treason , and thinking it to be only some fray , or riot , sent his Trumpeter unto them , commanding them to render themselves to him His Majesties Minister : But their consciences witnessing what the Sheriff knew not , answered , that he had need of greater assistance than of those few that were with him , before he could be able to command or controul them : and so they prepared for resistance , and having laid two pounds of the said Powder into a Platter to dry in the chimney , one coming to mend the fire , threw in a Billet , whereby a spark flew into the Powder , whose sudden blast was so violent , that though so small a quantity , it blew up the roof of the house , scorching the bodies and faces of Catesby , Rookwood , and Grant , and some others , whose consciences now told tdem that God had puished them justly with Powder , who with Powder would have destroyed so many . Being dispirited with this accident , yet like desperate men , they resolved to die together , set open the Gates , and suffered the Sheriffs men to rush in upon them , and presently both the Wrights were shot down dead : Rookwood and Thomas Winter were very sorely wounded , Catesby and Percy desperately fighting back to back , were both shot thorow , and slain with one Musket bullet : the rest being taken , were carried prisoners to London , being all the way gazed at , reviled , and detested by the common people for their horrid , and horrible Treason : and so at last they received the just guerdon of their wickedness . Thus you have seen this work of darkness by the watchfulnes of Gods providence detected , and defeated , and the contrivers of mischief fallen into the pit that they digged for others : Now let us see also how cunningly they contrived the transferring the Odium of it upon the Puritans . There was one Mr. Pickering of Tichmarsh-Grove in Northamptonshire that was in great esteem with King James . This Mr. Pickering had a horse of special note for swiftness on which he used to hunt with the King. A little before the blow was given , Mr. Keies , on of the conspirators , and brother in Law to Mr. Pickering , borrowed this horse of him , and conveyed him to London upon a bloody design , which was thus contrived . Fawkes upon the day of the fatal blow was appointed to retire himself into St. Georges fields , where this horse was to attend him to further his escape ( as they made him believe ) so soon as the Parliament House should be blown up . It was likewise contrived , that Mr. Pickering who was noted for a Puritan , should that morning be murthered in his bed , and secretly conveyed away : As also that Fawkes so soon as he came into St. Georges fields to escape , should be there murthered , and so mangled that he could not be known : whereupon it was to be bruited abroad that the Puritans had blown up the Parliament House , and the better to make the World believe it , there was Mr. Pickering with his choice Horse ready to make an escape , but that stirred up some , who seeing the heinousness of the fact , and him ready to escape , in detestation of so horrible a deed , fell upon him , and hewed him in pieces , and to make it more clear , there was his horse , known to be of special speed , and swiftness , ready to carry him away , and upon this rumour a Massacre should havy gone through the whole Land upon the Puritans . When the contrivance of this Plot was thus discovered by some of the Conspirators , and Fawkes , who was now a Prisoner in the Tower made acquainted with it , whereas before he was made to believe by his companions that he should be bountifully rewarded for that his good service to the Catholick cause , now perceiving that on the contrary his death had been contrived by them , he thereupon freely confessed all that he knew concerning that horrid conspiracy , which before all the tortures of the rack could not force him unto . The truth of all this was attested by Mr. William Perkins , an eminent Christian and Citizen of London to Dr. Gouge , which Mr. Perkins had it from the mouth of Mr. Clement Cotton that made our English Concordance , who also had it from the Relation of Mr. Pickering himself . FINIS . A Narrative of the visible hand of God upon the Papists by the Downfall in Black-Friers London . Anno Christi , 1623. ON the Lords day , October the twenty sixth according to the English ▪ account : but November the fifth according to the Popish account ▪ a common report went far and near , that one Drurie , a Romish Priest ( a man of parts , and eminent gifts ) would preach that day in the afternoon in a fair house in Black-Friers London , whither all that would might freely come to hear him . Upon this report very many , Protestants as well as Papists , Scholars as well as others , assembled thither about three a clock in the afternoon ; That mansion house was now inhabited by the French Ambassador : and the Sermon was to be in a Garret , into which there were two passages : One out of the Ambassadorus with-drawing Room which was private , the other more common without the great Gate of the said Mansion House . Under this Garret was another large Chamber which one Redyate , another Romish Priest , had hired for himself : Unto whom Papists frequently repaired to hear Mass , and make confessions . Under this room was the aforesaid withdrawing chamber of the Ambassador : supported with strong Arches of stone being immediately over the entrance into the great House : And at the South end of the Garret and on the West side thereof , there were Bed-chambers and Closets which other Priests had hired for themselves : The Bed-chamber at the South end was severed from the Garret only by a partition of Wanscote which was taken down for the Sermon time : The length of the Garret from North to South was almost sorry foot , the breadth about sixteen foot : The two aforesaid passages met on one pair of stairs leading to the Garret which had only that one door leading into it . More came to this place then possibly it could hold , so that many for want of room returned back again ; Others went into the aforesaid Redyates Chamber , and tarried with him . The whole Garret , Rooms adjoyning , door , and top of the stairs were as full as they could hold . In the Garret were set chairs and stools for the better sort : most of the women sate on the floor , but most of the men stood thronged together : In all , about two hundred were there assembled . In the midst was a table and a chair for the Preacher . All things thus prepared , and the multitude assembled , about three of the clock the expected Preacher , having on a Surplice , girt about his middle with a linnen girdle , and a tippet of Scarlet on both his shoulders , came in , being attended by a man that brought after him his book and hour-glass . As soon as he came to the table , he kneeled down with shew of private devotion for a little while ; then rising up , and turning himself to the people , he crossed himself , took the book ( which was said to be a Rhemish Testament ) out of his mans hands , and the hour-glass being set on the table , he opened the book , read the Gospel appointed by the Remish Calendar for that day , being the twenty first Sunday after Pentecost : The Gospel was in Matthew 18 , 23 , &c. The Text being read , he sate down , put on a red cap over a white linnen one turned up about the brims : He made no audible Prayer , but having read his Text , which was the Parable of forgiving debts , he spake something of the occasion of it , and then propounded these three special points to be handled 1. The debt we owe to God. 2. The mercy of God in forgiving it . 3. Mans unmercifulness to his Brother . Having insisted some while of the misery of man by reason of the debt wherein he stands bound to God , he passed on to declare the rich mercy of God , and the means which God hath afforded to his Church , for partaking thereof : Amongst which he reckoned up the Sacaments , and especially pressed the Sacrament of Penance , as they call it . When he had discoursed on these points about half an hour , on a sudden the floor whereon the Preacher and the greatest part of his Auditory were , fell down with such violence , as therewith the floor of the Chamber under it , where Redyate and his company were , was broken down with it , so that both the floors , with the beams , girders , joyces , boords and feelings , with all the people on them , fell down together upon the third floor , which was the floor of the French Ambassadors withdrawing Chamber , supported with strong arches as aforesad . There being a partition on the South side of the middle Chamber which reached up to the floor of the Garret and supported it , that part of the Garret which was beyond the partition Southward , fell not , so as all the people thereon were safe , only they had no way to get forth : for there was but one entrance into the Garret , which was at the North-West corner . Hereupon some through amazement , would have leaped out at a window almost forty foot from the ground : but the people without , telling them of the certain danger if they leaped down , kept them from that desperate attempt : At length by breaking a wall on the West-side they discerned Chambers adjoyning thereto , and so by creeping through that hole into the Chambers , they were saved : So were all they that stood on the stair-head at the door leading into the Garret : For the stairs were without the Room , and nothing fell but the floors , neither walls nor roof . Also amongst those that fell , many escaped ; for some of the timber rested with one end on the walls , and with the other on the third floor that yielded not , and so both such as abode on those pieces , and such as were directly under them , were thereby preserved . Amongst the multidude that fell , there was a Minister who ( through Gods Providence ) fell so between two pieces of timber , as that the timber kept his upper parts from crushing , and holped him by his clasping about the timber to pull out his feet from amongst the dead corpses . Amongst others , the present preservation and future destruction of one Parker was very remarkable . This Pa●ker was a factor for the English Seminaries , and Nunnes beyond Sea , especially at Cambre ; and he had so dealt with two of his brothers here , that he had got from one of them a son , and from the other a daughter to send them to religious houses ( as they call them ) beyond Sea. This Parker at this time took his Nephew , a youth of about sixteen years old to the aforementioned fatal conventicle , where Drury preached : and both Parker and his Nephew fell with the rest : The youth there lost his life , but Parker himself escaped with a bruised body , being a corpulent man : yet so far was he from making a good use of his deliverance , that with much discontent he wished that he had dyed for his Nephew , saying , That God saw him not fit to dye amongst such Martyrs : Such are Romes Martyrs . But the preservation of the wicked , is but a reservation to future judgment : For about ten days after , as this Parker was shooting London-Bridge , with his aforesaid Neece , whom he was conveying beyond Sea , they were both cast away and drowned in the Thames . Judge by this ( O Parents ! ) whether God is well pleased with disposing your Children to Popish Education . Others there were that were pulled out alive , but so bruised , or so spent for want of breath , that some lived not many hours , others dyed not many days after . The floor of the Chamber immediately over this where the Corps lay , being fallen , there was no entrance into it but through the Ambassadours Bed-chamber , the door whereof was closed up with the Timber of the floors that fell down , and the walls of this room were of stone , only there was one window in it with extraordinary strong cross barrs of iron , so that though Smiths , and other workmen were immediately sent for , yet it was more than an hour before succour could be afforded to them that were faln down . Passage at length being made , I had access into the room ( saith Doctor Gouge the relater of this story ) and viewing the Bodies , observed some ( yet but few ) to be mortally wounded , or crushed by the timber : Others to be apparently stifled , partly with their thick lying one upon another , and partly with the dust that came from the cieling which fell down . On the Lords day at night when they fell they were numbered ninety one dead bodies ; but many of them were secretly conveyed away in the night , there being a pair of water-stairs , leading from the garden appertaining to the house , into the Thames . On the morrow the Coroner and his Inquest coming to view the bodies , found remaining but sixty three . Of those that were carried away , some were buried in a Burying place within the Spanish Ambassadours House in Holborn , amongst whom the Lady Web was one , the Lady Blackstones daughter another , and one Mistress Udal a third : Master Stoker , and Master Bartholomew Bavin were buried in St. Brides Parish . Robert Sutton , John Loccham , and Abigail Holford in St. Andrews Holborn . Captain Summers wife in the Vault under Black Friers Church , and her woman in the Church-yard . For the Corps remaining , two great pits were digged , one in the fore Court of the said French Ambassadors house , eighteen foot long , and twelve foot broad ; the other in the garden behind his house , twelve foot long , and eight foot broad . In the former pit were laid forty four Corps , whereof the bodies of the aforesaid Drury and Redyate were two : These two wound up in sheets , were first laid into the pit , with a partition of loose earth to fever them from the rest . Then were others brought , some in somewhat a decent manner wound up in sheets , but the most in a most lamentable plight , the shirts onely of the men tyed under the twists , and some linnen tyed about the middle of the women , the rest of their bodies naked , and one poor man or woman taking a Corps by the head , another by the feet tumbled them in , and so piled them up almost to the top of the pit . The rest were put into the other pit in the garden . Their manner of burial seemed almost as dismal , as the heap of them , when they lay upon the floor where they last fell . No obsequies of funeral Rites were used at their burial . Only the day after , a black Cross of wood was set upon each grave , but was soon by Authority commanded to be taken down . When they were thus interred , thorough search was made about the cause of the falling of the timber : The timber of each floor was laid together , and the measure of the Summers that brake was taken . The main Summer which crossed the Garret was ten inches square : Two girders were by tenents , and mortaises let into the middest of it , one just against another : the Summer was knotty where the mortaises were made , whereupon being over-burdened , it knapped suddenly asunder in the middest . The main Summer of the other floor that fell was much stronger , being thirteen inches square , strong and found every where , neither did the girders meet so just one against another ; yet that also failed , not in the middest as the uppermost , but within five foot of one end , and that more shiveringly , and with a longer rent in the timber then the other . For this Chamber was almost full with such persons as coming too late , went into Redyates Chamber : Besides , it did not only bear the weight which lay on the upper floor , but received it with a sudden knock , and so the massie timber shivered in two , and the people were irrecoverably before they could tear any such thing , beaten down into the third floor which was above twenty foot from the first . It 's true , we must not be rash in censuring , yet when we see judgements executed on sinners in the act of their sin , when they are impudent , and presumptuous therein , not to acknowledge such to be judged by the Lord , is to wink against clear light , Psal. 9. 16. God is known by the judgements which he executeth . Shall Nebuchadnezzar , while he is vaunting of his great Babylon , be berest of his wits ? Shall Herod , whilest he is priding himself in the flattering applanse of the people , be eaten of worms ? Shall Haman , whilest he practising to destroy all the people of God , be hanged on a Gallows fifty foot high , which he had prepared for Mordecai ? Shall the House where the Philistins met together to sport with Sampson , fall upon their heads ? Shall these and such like judgments overtake men in the very act of their sin , and yet be accounted no judgements , no evidences of Gods revenging Justice , or signes of his indignation ? Truly then we may deny all Providence , and attribute all to chance : But add hereto , that this fell out upon their fifth of November , and it will be as clear as if written with a Sun-beam , that the pit which they digged for others , they themselves fell into it . Doctor Gouge , who relates this Story in his Extent of Gods Providence , thus writeth . I do the more confidently publish this History , because I was an eye-witness of many of the things therein related , and heard from the mouths of such as were present at the Sermon , the rest . For upon the first hearing of the destruction of so many persons as by that Dowosal lost their lives , our Constables presently caused the Gates of our precinct ( it being surrounded with walls and Gates ) to be shut , and raised a strong Guard from amongst the inhabitants to keep the house where this accident fell out , and to prevent tumult about it . Thus through the favour of the Constables , and Watch , who were all my neighbours , I had the more free and quiet access to view the dead bodies , and to inform my self of all the material circumstances about that accident : which I did the rather , because the Bishop of London that then was , sent to me to inform my self throughly of all the business , and to send him a narration thereof under my hand ; whereupon I did not only view matters my self , but caused Carpenters to search the timber , to take the measures both of the timber and the rooms . I was also present with the Coroner and his Inquest at their examining of all circumstances about the business . And the Arch-Bishop of Camerbury sending to me to come to him , and to bring with me the best evidence I could , I got the foreman and others of the Jury , and four persons that were present at the Sermon , and fell down with the rest , but by Gods providence escaped death , and one that stood without the door , within hearing , but fell not , all these I got to go along with me to Lambeth , where I heard the witness which they gave to the Arch-Bishop about this matter . One that fell with the rest , and escaped death , was Master Gee a Preacher in Lancashire : two others were a son and servant to a Citizen in Pater noster Row : The rest were men of good understanding ; able to apprehend what they saw and heard , and to relate what they conceived . FINIS . 
A66416	----	A sermon preached upon the fifth of November, 1678. By a Protestant divine Williams, John, 1636?-1709. 1678 Approx. 53 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A66416 Wing W2723 ESTC R214125 99826339 99826339 30740 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66416) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 30740) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1801:13) A sermon preached upon the fifth of November, 1678. By a Protestant divine Williams, John, 1636?-1709. [2], 30, [4] p. printed for Dorman Newman, at the Kings-Arms in the Poultry, London : 1678. A Protestant Divine = John Williams. Reproduction of the original in the Trinity College library, Cambridge University. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Psalms LXXXIII, 3 -- Sermons -- Early works to 1800. Sermons, English -- 17th century. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons. 2007-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-07 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-03 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2008-03 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON PREACHED UPON THE Fifth of November , 1678. By a Protestant Divine . LONDON : Printed for Dorman Newman , at the Kings-Arms in the Poultry , 1678. PSAL. LXXXIII . 3 , 4. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people , and consulted against thy hidden ones : They have said , Come , and let us cut them off from being a Nation , that the name of Israel be no more in remembrance . THIS Psalm may either refer to some particular time , when the Land of Israel had War with , and was invaded by the Edomites , Ismaelites , and the other Nations spoken of here , ver . 6 , 7 , 8 ; as it was in the Reign of David , 2 Sam. 8. 1 , &c. and Jehosaphat , 2 Chron. 20. 1 , 10. Or else it may be applied to the condition of the Jews with respect to the several enemies which they had from time to time , to the Captivity . At which time especially we find the Amonites and Moabites , the Edomites and Philistins , in Ezek. 25 , with those of Tyre , chap. 26 , to have been sworn enemies to the welfare of Israel , and to have rejoiced in the destruction and captivity of that people . Upon which of these occasions this Psalm was penned , it is not so fit to determine , as it is to observe the lively representation that is here made of the enmity which the wicked do bear to the Church and people of God ; and of the need which the Church hath of , and of the protection it finds by the Divine Providence . The Jews were a typical people , an emblem of what the Church was like to be , and of what it was like to meet with in future ages . They were seldom or never without enemies , and those enemies never without mischievous designs , which they laid with great cunning , and prosecuted with all their might ; but they were also never without a defence , and with which they were always safe . The enemies might advise and conspire , confederate , assemble and joyn together ; they might proceed , and promise themselves success in their design ; but as long as Israel was the Church of God , it was safe : and as till it needed persecution , it should be preserved from it ; so till it deserved it , should never be forsaken . This is the account which the Psalmist gives of the state of that Church with respect to its enemies that sought to destroy it , and with respect to God , who took care to preserve it . In the Words we have , 1. An evil design laid and contrived , which was to destroy the people of God ; They have taken counsel against thy people , and consulted against thy hidden ones . 2. Their Confederacy in this design ; They have said , come , and let us cut them off . So again , vers . 5 , They have consulted together with one consent : they are confederate against thee . 3. The success which they promised themselves in it ; Come , and let us cut them off ; as if it was what they could as soon do as say ; what they could not be opposed or prevented in . Accordingly I shall shew , 1. That the wicked do bear an enmity to the Church of God , and seek the destruction of it . Where I shall consider whence that doth proceed . 2. In what ways they do shew this enmity , and what course they take to afflict and destroy the Church . 3. The confidence which they have of success . 4. By way of Supplement , I shall shew by what ways their designs may be prevented , and their enterprizes overthrown . First , I shall consider the enmity which the wicked bear to the Church of God , and from whence that doth proceed . When we consider what the Church of God is , and of what excellent persons its Family doth consist , and by what excellent Rules it is ordered , we may think it as safe from all outward violence , as from any inward distemper ; and that it should not find any enemies , since it doth not by any just invitations make them . From whence come wars and fightings among you ? Come they not hence , even of your lusts that war in your members ? Ye lust and have not : ye kill and desire to have . James 4. 1. ● . When men do greedily desire what another doth possess , and use violence to thrust him out of his right that they themselves may enjoy it : when they do envy the good of others , and do maliciously endeavour to supplant them in it : when they do seek to revenge themselves upon those that have done them a real injury , or that have prevented them from doing it to another ; they grow quarrelsom and contentious , and fill the World with divisions and strifes , hatred and variance , blood and slaughter . But now when men are meek and peaceable , when they are not forward to do any wrong to others , and backward to resent what they receive from them ; one would think that they are as secure from receiving , as they are above the design of doing any hurt ; as the Apostle saith , 1 Pet. 3. 13 , Who will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good ? This is indeed often the reward of meekness , and modesty , of integrity and faithfulness , of justice and honesty , of goodness and piety , that it gains the good will and the good word of others , and procures peace and safety to those that practice it . But yet it is no rare thing for the best of men , and the best Religion in the World to meet with fierce oppositions and sharp persecutions . An instance of which is the people of Israel , who were continually practised upon , invaded and assaulted by those that were their neighbours . We find that no tie or obligation could secure them against , or engage others to be for them , but that they watched and took all advantages to surprize , to spoil and to ruin them . Some of these nations spoken of in this Psalm , had more reason to be their Friends than their Enemies . The Ishmaelites descended directly from Abraham , and the Hagarens are supposed to be his posterity also by Keturah , whom some think to have been Hagar that he took again after Sarah's death . The Moabites and Ammonites were the off-spring of Lot. The Edomites sprung from Esau the brother of Jacob : And which three last , besides this relation by blood , had a particular reason to forbear all Acts of Hostility , as they were not disturbed by the Israelites when they passed by them into Canaan , Deut. 2. 5 , 9. The rest of them were such whom Israel did not disturb or invade , unless when invaded , contenting themselves with what was given them by the decree , and order , and appointment of God. But it is not always quietness and innocency that are a sufficient protection ; even that , when nothing else can be the foundation of a quarrel , shall serve to make it . So that the Church may be persecuted without fault , and may fare ill , not because it is worse , but better than those it receives injury from : and that will appear if we consider from whence this doth proceed . 1. This proceeds from the craft and policy , the malice and spite of the Devil , who being a competitor with God for dominion in the World , and whose whole design it is to defeat him in the good that he would do for mankind , doth perpetually labour to put a stop to whatever may be offered toward the delivering of the Souls of men out of his snare . How doth he triumph in being the god of this World , and in the success that he hath upon poor and miserable mortals ; most of whom he hath in all ages made his tributaries and vassals ; and by whom he was so generally served and obeyed , that it was but in a spot of the earth that God was truly worshipped , a Country not above 200 miles in length , and 80 in breadth . So Psal . 147. 19 , 20 , He sheweth his word unto Jacob : his statutes and his judgments unto Israel . He hath not dealt so with any nation , and as for his judgments they have not known them . Whatever good men might be scattered through the World , and however Religion might be preserved in some particular Families and Tribes of other nations , ( as it was in that of Job and his friends ) yet there was no intire nation that kept up the Religion of the only true God , besides that of the Jews . When mankind had basely degenerated , and the state of the World grew worse and worse , God chose out the people of Israel for his peculiar service ; and as for other ends , so to be an instrument of winning others over to the same practice . This people he separated from the rest of the World ; and by his dealings with them , in dividing the Seas , piercing the Rocks , destroying the nations for them , and preserving them when threatned with the greatest dangers , so that no violence could hurt them , nor power disposses them , nor any thing destroy them but their sins ; by these and the like ways he made them conspicuous to the Nations far and near , and pu● such upon enquiring whence all this should proceed ▪ and so at length they might be won to own the same God , and put themselves under his protection . So Deut. 4. 6 , Keep therefore and do them [ my statutes ] for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of all the nations , which shall hear all these statutes , and say , surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people . So Vers . 32. 33 , 34. and Chap. 26. 18 , 19. And when God had so visibly separated a people to himself from all the World , and that by such eminent tokens of his presence with them , he had made them and himself known to the World , it was no wonder that the Devil set himself with all his might to prevent this growing-danger that threatned his Kingdom , and to provide that his dominions which he had kept hitherto intire to himself , might not be invaded ; and what he had usurped might not be wrested out of his hands ; Nothing should in such a case be wanting on his part that either his wit could invent , or his power perform ; and so without doubt he did stir up enemies to assault , vex and destroy them . And he that did thus bestir himself in the first settlement of a National Church , cannot be thought to have forgot himself or to neglect his cause so far , as not to use an industry great and sufficient in proportion to the danger that was approaching ; when no less a design was set on foot than of bringing the whole world into the same condition , and making al● mankind to adore the King of kings , and Lord of lords in the same way . When this design was laid , and such a power appeared in its behalf , as threw him out of his Empire in a shameful way , and tore up the foundations of it ; we may suppose that he would bend all his forces that way , and that all his Crew would take up Arms to oppose whatever was like to procure the total overthrow of that Empire he had so long injoyed . Then the gates of Hell , all the power and policy of it , would combine against the Church which Christ established so much to the prejudice of the Devils dominion . It 's said Revel . 12. 12 , 13. Wo to the inhabiters of the earth , and of the Sea : for the Devil is come down unto you , having great wrath , because he knoweth that he hath but a short time . And when the Dragon saw that he was castout unto the earth , he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child . He that prided himself before in the extent of his dominions and numbers of his Subjects , being deprived of that Supremacy , breaks forth into the greatest rage against all the deserters of his government , and seeks to destroy those whom he could not retain and keep firm to him . And this is one cause why the Church of God meets with opposition and persecution , as the Devil is concerned in the quarrel , and doth instigate bad men to manage and to carry it on . Secondly , It proceeds from the restless tempe●… of wicked men , whose minds are set upon mischief and that do catch at all opportunities for it . It is said of such , Prov. 1. 16 , that their feet run to evil , and make haste to shed blood . And Chap. 4. 16 , 17. They sleep not except they have done mischief : and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall . For they eat the bread of wickedness , and drink the wine of violence . Wherefore they are fitly compared to the troubled Sea , when it cannot rest , whose waters cast up mire and dirt . Isaiah 57. 20. When sin hath erected its Empire , and come to be predominant , it then becomes an interest ; and the heart of man which of it self is perpetually in motion , will then , being made a party , move strongly in its desires and designs that way which by such a depraved temper it is directed to . It 's always then prepared for action ; and as it is habitually disposed , so being awakened by the least occasion , it presently is all on fire , and engages in the quarrel . It will then appear in the Cause of Sin , and fight its battels ; and whatever doth obstruct and oppose it , shall be looked upon and dealt with as an Enemy . This doth all sin more or less wherever it is . But there are some sinners that from their own natural temper , or their manner of life , are more unquiet than others , and whom it 's necessary for the peace and safety of the world , to find out some employment for ( as they say it is for a Spirit when it is raised by the power of charms and witchcraft ) and to watch over them , or else they will be perpetually hatching and doing of mischief . Such especially are they that ●ive in Cloysters and Frieries , that having no set and fixed employments to take up their minds , are listning to all news , greedy of understanding the state of affairs , prying into every ones concerns , busying themselves in finding out what others think , design , or do : and therefore it is that there is no part of their office which they are so diligent in , and expert at , as that of hearing confessions ; This they can abide by all the day , when they have thereby ▪ an opportunity of diving into the hearts , and drawing out the secrets of others ; of understanding the tempers of persons , the state of Families , Towns , and Kingdoms . These are very dangerous persons wherever they do reside . It 's such as these that will not suffer Princes or People to be quiet ( where they are admitted and indulged ) but are perpetually instigating them , and putting them forward upon dangerous enterprizes . These , that pretend to be under an Obligation not to divulge the secrets of Confession ( although a Prince , and Parliament , and thousands of People suffer by the concealment of it , as it had likely to have proved in the Gunpowder-Treason ) make their advantage of these to breed ill blood , to foster and promote jealousies and contentions betwixt Prince and people , betwixt Nation and Nation , that their Cause may be promoted by it , and by this means others may be made unable to hurt them , or defend themselves . It 's but fit therefore , since such have chosen the life of a Cloyster , that they should be confined to it , or else they are enough to set all the World on fire , and to draw men into perpetual quarrels and contentions . These are they that keep the Church from being quiet , and Christians from the practice of those duties that tend to the peace , the order , and the security of it . 3. It proceeds from the interest of wicked men , as it is Vers . 3. They have consulted against thy hidden ones , or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred Psalm 17. 14. Thy treasures . So Vers . 12. They say , let us take to our selves the houses [ or ornaments ] of God in possession . The riches of the Temple , amongst other things , did , it seems , invite their avarice . And this is frequently a reason of the enmity of such . The Church may either have somewhat which they want ; or else if it should prevail , deprive them of somewhat which they have , and so gives therefore sufficient ground of a quarrel . The Apostle tells us of some men , whose God is their belly , and that mind earthly things , Phil. 3. 19. and of others , whose gain is godliness , 1 Tim. 6. 5 , that are no further for Religion than Religion is for them , and make use of that Sacred Name to obtain or secure their secular interest ; and if this be opposed , Hell it self shall be moved , and all that power and policy can do , imployed to protect it . Religion it self shall be abandoned , and the Church of God harassed and persecuted , if they make against it . This is one great reason of the quarrel betwixt us and the Church of Rome , and of all those attemps made upon us by a Foreign Power . England is a fruitful Country , and the people , of their own temper , inclined to devotion ; and it was a plentiful harvest which some men reaped here in former times from Peter-pence , and first-Fruits , and Pensions , and Appeals , and Dispensations , and Indulgences , and Jubilees , and Pilgrimages ; they were goodly days when there were frequent returns in these kinds from hence to Rome : but now that there is a great Gulph fixed , by Laws and Statutes and Penalties , betwixt us and them , so that they which would pass from hence to them cannot ; neither can they pass to us , that would come from thence about such affairs without danger , whilst those Laws are in being , and are put in execution ; their bank is sunk , and they would fain be returning to their old quarter . There are Abbies , and Monastries , Frieries and Nunneries , with noble Mannors and large Demesnes ; there are Benefices and Colledges which they thirst after . These are the Souls that they so dearly prize and venture so hard to rescue out of the fire ; these are the Proselytes which they above all labour to gain : and because they are still kept out , what broils and stirs do they make ? what do they not threaten and endeavour ? And besides , there is danger , lest if they invade not us , that we should grow upon them , and other people begin to be wise as well as ours . Such also may come to see that Religion consists not in the visiting of a Church , or looking devoutly upon a Relique , or kissing a piece of wood , or bowing to an Image , or crossing the breast , or in singring of Beads , or saying Prayers by tale , or being clad with the Robe of St. Francis , or walking barefoot , or in being all night locked up in a Cloyster , or in fasting by eating of Fish , or in lighting up of Tapers , and making processions , and a thousand of the like apish and fantastical Ceremonies ; nay , they might come to understand , that the Pope is not Christs Vicar , nor his Holiness Infallible ; nor that he hath power to deliver Souls out of Purgatory ; and what is more , that there is no such place as Purgatory , and so no need of praying for the dead , nor of Money to purchase those prayers . This is a great reason why our Religion in the Church of England , which is a Reformation of those corrupt errors and practices that are crept into the Church of Rome , is so much disliked and inveighed against by the Popish faction . For what would Rome signify if it had no supremacy over other Churches ? what appeals would be made thither ? what directions , commands and grants would be expected thence , if each had as much authority within it self , as that now claims over all ? If the rest of the Apostles had authority equal with St. Peter ; if all their successours in the several parts of the World , were of the same degree , and none had superiority over the rest ; if the Church of Ephesus where St. John was , or that of Jerusalem where St. James did preside , had as much priviledge as that of Rome , then she might sit as a widow in respect of what for these last ages she hath been , and be bereaved of all that Pomp and Greatness , that Wealth and Magnificence that she hath abounded in . Again , if there be no infallibility amongst them , if their Popes have mistaken in point of faith , and their decrees have been erroneous ; if their Councils have miscarried in their determinations ; if Tradition hath failed in what they pretend to be conveighed down by it ; if their Church , that is , be no better than others ; and whatever it pretends to , can really claim no better infallibility ; Then what need will there be of being solicitous and inquisitive about what she shall require or determine ? what need any one take a long journey thither , when he may with greater ease and as much certainty have his case resolved at home ? Could that Church do no more than others , and had it no such thing as a treasure of Merits and Superarogaions , no publick and general stock from whence such may be relieved as having made little conscience of Religion whilst they lived , have no other claim to the priviledges of it when they come to dye ; where would be the profit that doth daily accrue to it by the issuing out of Indulgences ? Were there nothing in the Reliques that are shewed by them , and no more in that Blood of Christ which they expose to the view and veneration of the people , than that of a Duck ( as my Lord Herbert in his History of Henry the 8 th . saith it was found to be ) were there no more in the Stairs of Pilate which the people with great devotion do climb up at Rome , and expect great Indulgences for , than in those of an ordinary Church , who would make such tedious Pilgrimages thither ? If Purgatory be yet a place to be discovered ; and what there is not so much proof of , as for a World in the Moon ; if the proof of it depends upon Legends and Apparitions , &c. what will become of the Dirges and Prayers offered for the dead , and of the Priests whose incomes much depend upon it ? If their Priests can do no more than ours , and to the eye and experience of the world , make no more alteration upon the Bread and the Wine consecrated by them , than what is consecrated by us ; that after all their ceremony and a do about it , it is no other than what it was before , is of no other colour or tast , is of no more weight , and takes up no more room than before ; what will become of the veneration that the Priest obtains , and the profit that he makes by it ? If they can forgive sins upon no other terms than we , and repentance and amendment of life must be the condition of it , What becomes of all their Dispensations , Pardons , Penances and Indulgences ? If these and the like things fail , and that they are in the same condition with other Churches , a great part of their gain and dominion is lost . And it is no wonder that they exclaim against us , that are so bold as to question and deny what they would in these and the like particulars impose upon the Christian world . They do then with as great reason set themselves against us , as Demetrius and the Crafts-men did oppose St. Paul and his associates , Acts 19. 25 , Sirs , Ye know that by this craft we have our wealth . This , this is a case puts them hard to it , and therefore they are concerned , nearly concerned to see that this Heresie spreads no further , and to root it up wherever it hath already prevailed . 4. It may proceed from the excellency of a Church , when it doth outshine them in the best and truest Perfections , and that true goodness and substantial piety is there taught and practised . When it is not taken up with little things , with imageries and fantastical appearances , but that the Religion it owns is what tends to make men better , and that they are made by it not so much Proselytes to a particular way , as to Vertue and Christianity . Give me a Religion that works this way , that we may lay hold upon , that gives such rules and directions as will abide the examination , and last throughout ages , and are of good use to the world . There are some principles which run all into Air , and carry you away till you know not where you are ; that hoise a man above ground , and make him full of self-conceit ; and which he is so mighty fond of , that all that are not as fanciful as himself , shall be accounted Hereticks and what not . This is too true of some amongst our selves , and it is also as true of the Romish Church , that talk of infallibility , infallibility , and yet the Popes and their own Councils have as grosly mistaken , as those that never pretend to it ; that talk of Absolution and Indulgence , and yet mens sins are no otherwise forgiven than upon the terms of the Gospel , such as Faith , Repentance and new Obedience ( as the soberer of themselves acknowledge ) ; that tell of Christ's being bodily present at the Sacrament , flesh and blood as much as our selves , and yet he is no otherwise to be seen than by our plain way of Faith , unless they take fancy for another . These and the like notions are full of wind , and make their Religion look big and bulky , but it s either all art , and not nature ; or , what is worse , the distemper and not the constitution of it : It 's a Religion so far of their own making , and which is made to serve an interest . But now if a Church is plain in its Doctrine , grave in its Directions , substantial in its Principles , and what drive at present practice ( as these of ours do ) , it shall be struck at by these kind of Hectors ; and if they could , banished out of the world . 5. It may proceed from the disposal of Divine Providence , that for the punishing of the sins of a Church , doth not only suffer others to afflict her , but turn their displeasure that way . When the heart is of it self bent upon mischief , and full fraught with evil and pernicious inclinations and designs , God may make use of that temper for the serving of his own Providence , and may direct it as he pleaseth without being guilty of the sin of it . So Psal . 105. 25 , He turned their heart to hate his people , to deal subtilly with his servants . Their heart before was corrupt and mischievous , and he made use of it for the serving of his own design ; He doth not infuse this into such , or necessitate them by any absolute decree or act of his own to be ambitious , or proud , or covetous , or cruel , but it is what he finds ; and the direction of it to such objects , doth no more make him the Author of it , than that person that divides and directs the Stream , can be the maker of it . It is what he finds to his hands , and what he doth only order and dispose of . And thus much is intimated in the phrase used in Scripture of stirring up an adversary . God by his disposal ordering and directing the inclinations of men that were before in the heart , according as time and occasion requireth . This is plain in what is said , 1 Kings 11. 14 , The Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon , Hadad the Edomite , he was of the Kings seed in Edom. Hadad being beaten out of his Country by David , and forced to take shelter under the King of Egypt , did doubtless wait an opportunity of returning , and yet notwithstanding , we had nothing of any attempts made by him that way till the latter end of Solomon ( to whom God had promised a peaceable reign , as long as he continued to serve him ) when his wives had turned away his heart after other gods , vers . 4. and then Hadad is said to have desired Pharoah's leave to depart , vers . 21. God then making use of the setled inclinations of his mind , in punishment to Solomon for his Apostacy . So God is said to send the Assyrian , Isa . 1● . 5 , 6. His pride and vain glory , were what did engage him to invade the dominions of others , vers . 7. 8 , It is in his heart to destroy , and cut off nations not a few . For he saith , are not my Princes altogether Kings ? And God served himself of this temper of his , and turned him upon the people of Gods wrath , as the Children of Israel are there called . So he is said to bring Nebuchadnezzar against them , Jer. 25. 9. So that a Church and people may come thus to suffer through Gods wise and powerful ordination , as they by their sins have provoked him to anger ; and when it hath done this work , and served this end , and that by it they are brought to repentance , the same hand that brought it on will carry it off . 2. I shall proceed to the second general , which is to observe the ways in which they shew this enmity , or the course which they take for the destruction of the Church ; and that is , deep consultation and joynt endeavour , They take crafty counsel , and are confederate . And this is the most likely way to accomplish a design , when it is cunningly contrived , and closely prosecuted . For all the action in the world , without good consultation , may be baffled and disappointed ; and the shrewdest consultation without vigorous action will come to nothing ; but when both these do meet , it hath the fairest hopes of success . And this the Adversaries of the Church are not wanting in , who do too often surmount in both , those that have the best cause , and whose greatest interest it is to defend it . But there are particular ways which such do take . As , 1. Slandering their adversaries , and raising false reports of them . They are then dealt with as the primitive Christians were by their persecutors , who were dressed up in the skins of such Creatures as would the more exasperate and invite the wild beasts to which they were exposed , to tear and devour them ; they shall be represented as Hypocrites and Deceivers , as Hereticks and Infidels , as pernicious and dangerous . So it was with the Christians of old , who were said to be Atheists and contemners of all Religion , and guilty of the foulest crimes , as Sacriledge , Sedition , Incest and Murder ; and it is no wonder when thus represented , that some of the best of the Heathenish Emperers made Laws and Edicts against them , and followed them with severe persecutions , as Trajan , Adrian , and Antoninus , till they were made to understand better by their Apologists . And so it happens often in the World , that Religion for want of being understood , and the Religious for want of being truly known , are evil intreated by them that mean well . But as such by mistake and misreport may become Enemies to what is good , thinking it to be evil ; so bad men are willing to have it so , and do therefore take all occasions to asperse Religion , that they may expose that and those that are better than themselves to obloquy and reproach ; for by how much the more they can cast dirt upon them , by so much the more do they think themselves vindicated . And this is no small artifice of the Church of Rome , in the foul dealing which they shew to those that will not own its authority , and submit to its unlimited Jurisdiction ; they will take Hell it self for calumnies , and say any thing that will serve to disgrace them . They will dress them up as the poor people that are condemned for Heresie by the Inquisition , in Sanbenito's and Coats painted over with Owls and Devils , to make them ridiculous or worse , and to take the people off from condoling their misfortune ; they will describe their adversaries in Characters of blood and soot , and what not , to set the people on with fury , and render them implacable . Thus we find they did by Luther , whom they will needs have to dye , just when he had entertained his Friends with merry conceits , and had been entertained at a plentiful Supper , and that immediately his Soul was carried away by Devils ; when the truth is , that after he had been long troubled with a pain in his breast , and was brought by it under great weakness , he was in continual expectation of death ; ( though he ceased not to Preach as he had any intermission ) and the night that he died , though weak , yet set down with his Friends , discoursing about the state in Heaven , and whether we shall then know one another ; and then retiring , according to his custom , to private Prayer , he found that his pain increased ; and perceiving , after some hours , that his end drew near , he exhorted his Friends , and declared his perseverance in the Faith ; and praying with great fervency , concluded that and his life together , with , Father into thy hands I commit my spirit ; thou hast redeemed me , O God of truth . So they tell us that Calvin was given to gluttony and Epicurism , and was branded for Sodomy at Noviodunum , where he was born ; whereas he was a man of great abstinence , never eating any thing for Ten years before his death till evening ; and is cleared of the latter by Jacob le Vasseur Dean of Noviodunum , in his Book which he published of the Annals of that Church in 1633. Thus would they make our Religion and all that profess it , look miscreantly in the eyes of the world , that they might fall on us without mercy , and worry us with some reputation . 2. By dividing the Church , and setting one part of it against the other . It 's the policy of the Church of Rome , that though they have more and greater divisions amongst them , as about the seat of infallibility it self ( which is a fundamental principle with them ) than we , yet that there is a superiour power to crush them ; and though they cannot be reconciled and put to an end , yet that that puts them to silence , and so they are kept from doing mischief . But where persons have a free liberty , and few or no restraints laid upon them , they are tempted to break into parties , and those parties are apt to break one against the other , by which means they are often made a prey to the common Adversary . And I pray God this be not the event of this state with us . I am sure there hath not been wanting endeavour on their part to effect it ; endeavour I say , to make and aggravate and perpetuate differences , that so all might lie at their mercy . How do they sort with all persons , strike into all Societies , take upon themselves the guise of all parties , that they may bring each to war against other , and fight the battels of Rome whilst they fight one with the other , and all may fall a Sacrifice to its fury . 3. By downright force : that when other means do fail , or that they are weary of expecting what will be the issue of them , they do without more ado , run to their Arms , and bring the Cause to a decision in open Field . In open Field , say I , I wish that were all ; nay they will assassinate and massacre , blow up or burn , or do any thing that either treachery or cruelty can teach them . This is too true a Character of the Church of Rome , That ever since it first drew the sword in the time of Hildebrand , never knew what it was to sheath it again , but that hath prosecuted it's Cause by force of Arms to this day . It 's that which hath claimed a Jurisdiction over Princes , and a power to depose and dethrone them . It 's that which hath disposed of their Kingdoms , and given Subjects authority to rebel against them . It 's that which hath raised Armies , and animated Princes to head them against the Laws of Nations . It 's to that we are beholding for 88 , when with the Popes blessing , no less than a Fleet of 130 Ships , with 19290 Souldiers on board , besides Seamen , was sent to invade England , and despoil Queen Elizabeth of her Crown and Kingdom . But what is all this to their bloody Conspiracies ! An Army cannot move without giving an Alarm , it awakens others , and puts them upon their guard ; but when the malice walks like the pestilence in darkness , and is disguised either with the shews of friendship and peace , or else lies out of all discovery , it 's far more dangerous . This makes the Church or people against whom it is designed , more secure ; and the Enemy more confident of success . Which brings to the fourth general . 4. Here is the confidence that they have of success , and that may proceed from the review which they take of their own policy and strength , and from the observation which they make of the weakness of their adversaries ; weak perhaps of themselves , weaker perhaps with their divisions ; weak because they are secure , and not aware of an assault ; and weak because they have made no provision against it . Confident again they may be of success because the design lies out of sight , and what 's not easily discovered , though they are never so inquisitive ; when it lies under ground in Vaults or Cellars , as it was in the Gunpowder-Treason ; or what is so well banded together , that it cannot be well prevented , though never so watchful , as that in 88. Confident again they may be of success ; because it is masked and disguised , that it 's carried on whilst they pretend peace , friendship , and alliance . So was the Parisian Massacre , Anno 1572 , when under the pretence of great friendship , upon the marriage betwixt the King of Navar and Margaret sister to the King of France , the Protestants in great numbers were drawn into the City , and then above 30000 of them barbarously murdered . So it was in 88 , when a peace was propounded , and Commissioners on both sides sent to treat about it , with great and solemn protestations on the Prince of Parma's side that no invasion was intended , and yet within a few days after this , the Invincible ( as it was called ) Armado set forth from Spain . So again in 1605 , there were sent from the Pope orders to forbid Conspiracies against the Government , whilst at the same time the Gunpowder-Treason was not without his privity in agitation . Whilst these and the like arts are used , it is no wonder that they promise themselves good assurance of carrying the day , and that in good time they shall prevail over them that they have thus far blinded and infatuated . But let not him that girdeth on his harness , boast himself , as he that putteth it off ; nor talk too confidently of success , till he is sure of it . For in this case there is a promise of God that is surer than all the counsels and power of men , which is , That the gates of Hell shall never prevail against the Church ; and as God will always have a Church in the world , do men or Devils what they can ; so also a particular Church shall reap the benefit of that promise , if they take the course pointed to in this Psalm , which brings to the fourth General . 4. The course by which the Church and People of God may and shall be secured ; intimated here , vers . 1 , Keep not thou silence , O God , hold not thy peace , and be not still , O God ; Which is fervent prayer to God , and intire dependence upon him : in sum , the behaving themselves as those that are his servants ; for then God will be their Friend , and their Patron , and they will be as secure notwithstanding the power of the enemy , as if they had no enemy to encounter , or that enemy had no power to assault them . Then they shall find that verefied , which is said , Isa . 8. 9 , 10 , Associate your selves , O ye people , and ye shall be broken in pieces , and give ear all ye of far countreys : Gird your selves , and ye shall be broken in pieces : Gird your selves , and ye shall be broken in pieces : Take counsel together , and it shall come to naught : speak the word , and it shall not stand : for God is with us . Let us then betake our selves to this course , and engage the Divine Protection by our importunate prayers to God , and a due conformity to his commands , that we make good our profession by a suitable practice , and as much exceed our adversaries in the life and spirit of our Religion , as we do in the Purity and Principles of it ; and then we shall find , that though they may dig deep , their counsel shall be brought to light ; though they combine together , they shall be broken ; though they summon up all their force they shall be defeated , and we shall then be able to say with the Psalmist , Psal . 118. 6 , The Lord is on my side , I will not fear what man can do unto me . Thus our Ancestors were delivered . Our Fathers trusted in thee : they trusted , and thou didst deliver them : They cryed unto thee , and were delivered : they trusted in thee , and were not confounded . And to encourage you hereunto , I shall give you a brief account of Gods great mercy to them and this Church , in the deliverance which we are this day met to commemorate , and that I shall do in the order of the Text. Their design was to root out the Protestant Religion ; A Religion that hath the Scriptures , and the practice of the Primitive Church to defend it ; a Religion planted amongst us , with peace , and by Authority ; that made not its way by blood and slaughter , by rebellion and disobedience ; that was setled without any injury to the Prince , or prejudice to the people , and what did hugely tend to the security of both : A Religion that dealt candidly and fairly with those that were against it , and was never an enemy to them , till they became an enemy to it ; First , by receiving and owning the Bull of Pope Pius Quintus , that meant no less than to depose the Queen , and turn her out of her Throne , and then practising accordingly . A Religion , that when in its own defence it had Laws against such , yet rarely put them into execution ; and that notwithstanding which , many of them held Offices , and all their Estates , unless forfeired by some particular Treason . This Religion which hath so much to say for it self , and God hath so much honour , and we our comfort and salvation by ; nay , this Religion which they lived so safely under , did they seek to subvert . And that in a way so barbarous , that it wants both parallel and defence , and which the boldest of that Way cannot hear of without ▪ blushing ; and howsoever they would have been in the success of it , cannot find any thing to excuse . To Murder a King in their way , was no new case ; so fell Frederick the second , and Henry the seventh , Emperors ; so fell our King John , so fell also Henry the third and fourth of France . To Butcher a people ; and without respect to Order , Age , or Sex , to fall upon them , was what the Albigenses felt of old , and those of France in the Massacre at Merindol , Anno 1545. and at Paris before spoken of , had experience of . But when Prince , Parliament , and People were to be assembled , without any regard to what they were , to blow them up all at once with Gun-powder , and scatter the limbs of 30 or 40000 persons that must then have necessarily perished by that practice , was what we are yet to find a name for , and what Treason and Murder are too soft words to express . And this was not the Act of some rash and inconsiderate person , but what many confederated together in ; not a design all on a sudden thought of , and as suddenly embraced , but what had been considered and reviewed , and advised upon ; what Flanders and Rome had been consulted about , as the Transactions of Baldwin , Owen , and Baynham do sufficiently witness . It was what they had spent much time and many thoughts upon , and what they therefore did promise themselves success in . And success they found , for they quickly met with an house fit for their purpose , adjoyning to that of the Parliament ; there they attempted to make a Myne fit for the receiving the stowage which they had provided . But the time of the Parliament's sitting came on too fast , they wanted hands , and their own hands wanted exercise in such hard labour to bring this to perfection ; and here again success waited upon them , and fortune ( which they call'd providence ) seemed to be of their party ; for the Parliament was adjourned from February to November ; and they in the mean while also met with a Vault which they soon hired , and was more convenient for their purpose , as what was already sitted for them , and nearer to the place of the Parliaments convention . The time now grew near , and they are big with expectation ; the train was laid for their design in the Country as well as here , and in all parts they were ripe for action . But that which went on for so long a time as smoothly as their hearts could wish , was all on a sudden interrupted . For ten days before ( which was the same time that the Conspirators appointed to assemble ) one of them doubtless by the over-ruling Providence of God , more tender-hearted than the rest , wrote a Letter to the Lord Monteagle to disswade him from being present the first day of the Session . A Letter in the reasoning of it very obscure ; but what by the fortunate interpretation of the King was found to signifie much , and proved the happy discoverer of the whole . Then as success waited before upon them , so it doth as much in the further discovery , whilst Faux is taken without the House ( that if otherwise within , would have blown up , though not the King and Parliament , yet thousands with himself ) , and that the Conspirators are pursued , and taken in the Countrey , before they were known to be guilty of this horrid Treason . These and many other particulars might be observed in this Action ; but that I shall chuse to refer you for satisfaction to what hath formerly , and of late been published upon that subject , and to the Act of Parliament , appointed to be read upon this day , which follows . Anno Tertio Jacobi Regis . Yearly Prayers shall be made , for the delivery of the King , &c. From the Gunpowder-Treason . FOr as much as Almighty God , hath in all Ages shewed his power and mercy , in the miraculous and gracious deliverance of his Church ; and in the Protection of Religious Kings and States , and that no Nation of the Earth hath been blessed with greater benefits , than this Kingdom now enjoyeth , having the true and free profession of the Gospel under our Most Gracious Soveraign Lord King James ; the most Great , Learned , and Religious King that ever reigned therein , inriched with a most hopeful and plentiful Progeny , proceeding out of his Royal Loyns , promising continuance of this happiness and profession to all prosterity ; the which many malignant and devilish Papists , Jesuites , and Seminary Priests much envying and fearing , conspired most horribly , when the Kings most Excellent Majesty , the Queen , the Prince , and all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal , and Commons should have been Assembled in the Vpper-House of Parliament upon the fifth day of November , in the Year of our Lord , 1605 , Suddenly to have blown up the said whole House with Gunpowder : an invention so Inhumane , Barbarous and Cruel , as the like was never before heard of , and was , as some of the principal Conspirators thereof confess , purposely devised and concluded to be done in the said House . That where sundry necessary and Religious Laws for preservation of the Church and State were made ( which they falsly and slanderously term cruel Laws ) and enacted against them and their Religion ; both place and persons should be all destroyed and blown up at once , which would have turned to the utter ruin of this whole Kingdom , had it not pleased Almighty God by inspiring the Kings most Excellent Majesty with a Divine Spirit to interpret some dark phrases of a Letter shewed to His Majesty , above and beyond all ordinary constructions , thereby miraculously discovering this hidden Treason , not many hours before the appointed time for the execution thereof ; therefore the Kings most Excellent Majesty , the Lords Spiritual and Temporal , and all His Majesties faithful and loving Subjects , do most justly acknowledge this great and infinite blessing to have proceeded meerly from God , his great mercy , and to his most holy name do ascribe all honour , glory , and praise ; and to the end this unfeigned thankfulness may never be forgotten , but be had in a perpetual remembrance ; that all ages to come may yeild praises to his Divine Majesty for the same , and have in memory this joyful day of deliverance . Be it therefore Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty , the Lords Spiritual and Temporal , and the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled , and by the Authority of the same , that all and singular Ministers in every Cathedral , and Parish Church , or other usual place for Common-Prayer , within this Realm of England and the Dominions of the same , shall always upon the fifth day of November say morning prayer , and give unto Almighty God thanks for this most happy deliverance , and that all and every person and persons inhabiting within this Realm of England , and the Dominions of the same , shall always upon that day diligently and faithfully resort to the Parish Church , or Chappel accustomed , or to some usual Church or Chappel where the said morning Prayer , Preaching or other service of God shall be used , and then and there to abide orderly and soberly during the time of the said Prayers , or Preaching , or other service of God there to be used and Ministred . And because all and every person may be put in mind of his duty , and be then better prepared to the said holy service , be it enacted by Authority aforesaid , that every Minister shall give warning to his Parishioners publickly in the Church at Morning-Prayer the Sunday before every such fifth day of November , for the due observation of the said day , and that after morning Prayer , or Preaching upon the said fifth day of November , they read publickly , distinctly and plainly this present Act. FINIS . 
A33307	----	England's remembrancer a true and full narrative of those two never to be forgotten deliverances : one from the Spanish invasion in 88, the other from the hellish Powder Plot, November 5, 1605 : whereunto is added the like narrative of that signal judgment of God upon the papists by the fall of the house in Black-Fryers London upon their fifth of November, 1623 / collected for the information and benefit of each family by Sam. Clark. Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682. 1677 Approx. 161 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 68 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A33307 Wing C4512 ESTC R24835 08608524 ocm 08608524 41458 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A33307) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 41458) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1250:31) England's remembrancer a true and full narrative of those two never to be forgotten deliverances : one from the Spanish invasion in 88, the other from the hellish Powder Plot, November 5, 1605 : whereunto is added the like narrative of that signal judgment of God upon the papists by the fall of the house in Black-Fryers London upon their fifth of November, 1623 / collected for the information and benefit of each family by Sam. Clark. Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682. [6], 122, [4] p. Printed for J. Hancock, London : 1677. The "Powder Plot", p. [71]-109, has special t.p.: The gunpowder-treason / by Samuel Clark. Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Armada, 1588. Gunpowder Plot, 1605. Great Britain -- History -- Early Stuarts, 1603-1649. 2004-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-06 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-07 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-07 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion England's Remembrancer , A True and Full NARRATIVE OF Those two never to be forgotten DELIVERANCES : One From The Spanish Invasion in 88. The other from The Hellish Powder Plot , November 5. 1605. Whereunto is added The like Narrative of that signal Judgment of God upon the Papists , by the Fall of the House in Black-Fryers London , upon their fifth of November , 1623. Collected for the Information and Benefit of each Family , by Sam. Clark , formerly Pastor in Bennet Fink . Behold the wicked travelleth with iniquity , and hath conceived mischief , and brought forth falshood . He made a Pit , and digged it , and is fallen into the ditch which he made . His mischief shall return upon his own head , and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate . Psal. 7. 14 , 15 , 16. LONDON , Printed for J. Hancock , and are to be sold at the three Bibles , in Popes-Head Alley , next to Cornhill , 1677. TO THE HONOURABLE And his Much Honoured Friends EDWARD RVSSEL , Esq Son to the Right Honourable Francis Earl of BEDFORD . AND TO The Lady PENELOPE , His prudent and pious Consort . Sir , Madam , I Take the boldness to present you with these Narratives , not for that they are new , or supposing your selves to be strangers to them : but as a Testimony of my Gratitude for those favours I have received from you : The high Heavens may be seen in the lowest valleys : So may a large heart in the least Gift . But truly though the Gift be worthless , yet so is not the matter contained in it , which sets forth such eminent and signal deliverances as no Church or people in these latter Ages of the world have received ; And there must be a recognition of Gods mercies , or else there will neither follow estimation , nor retribution : Hence Micah 6. 5. O my people ( saith God many hundreds of years after ) remember now what Balack King of Moab consulted , and what Balaam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal , that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. If there be not such a recognition of former deliverances , we that should be as Temples of his praise , shall be as graves of his benefits . Our souls indeed are too like filthy Ponds , wherein fish die soon , and frogs live long : Rotten stuff is remembred , memorable mercies are forgotten ; whereas the soul should be as an holy Ark ; the memory as the pot of Manna , preserving holy truths and special mercies ; as Aarons Rod , fresh and flourishing . Oh! let us imitate that man after Gods own heart ! If the Lord will be Davids Shepherd , he will dwell in Gods house to all perpetuity , Psalm 23. 1 , 6. If God deal bountifully with him , he will sit down and bethink himself what to render for all his benefits , Psalm 116. 7 , 12. A Christian counts all that he can do for God by way of retribution , but a little of that much he could beteem him ; and thinks nothing more unbeseeming him than to bury the mercies of God in oblivion . His two mites of Thankfulness and Obedience he daily presents , and then cryes out as that poor Grecian did to the Emperour , If I had a better present thou shouldest be sure of it . What then may we judge of those persons in our daies , who labour to extenuate , yea annihilate these deliverances ? that would have no publick commemorations of them , that study how to invalidate them , and to blot out the remembrance of them ? To render good for evil is Divine : Good for good is Humane : Evil for evil is brutish : But evil for good is Devillish . Yet alas ! how ordinary an evil is this among us , to abuse our deliverances to Gods dishonour ? But Do ye thus requite the Lord , O foolish people , and unwise ? Is not he thy Father ? he hath bought thee , &c. Deut. 32. 6. Should we not remember that good-turns aggravate unkindnesses , and our offences are not a little encreased by our obligations ? Ingrateful persons are like the Snake in the Fable , who said to the Country-man when he had shewed it kindness : Summum praemium pro summo beneficio est ingratitudo . Ingratitude is the greatest reward of the greatest benefit . How many such Snakes have we amongst us , that return evil for good , and unkindness for kindness ? Is not this to fight against God , with his own weapons ? as David did against Goliah : as Jehu did against Jehoram : and as Benhadad did against Ahab , with that life that he had lately given him ? For the preventing whereof ( if it may be ) are these things published , being almost worn out of remembrance more than the very names of them . Besides , though they may be found in larger Volumes , yet are they not so fit for every Family : And as I have presumed ( honourable and beloved ) to publish them under your protection , so I doubt not but they will find the better entertainment for the same . My earnest desire and prayer for you is , that the God of Peace will fill you with all joy and peace by believeing , multiplying his Blessings upon you and yours : And that you would afford me a room in your Albe among those that Sir , Madam , From my Study in Thridneedle-Street , Octob. 22. 1657. Love , honour and serve you , Sam. Clark. THE Spanish Invasion . A Commemoration of that wonderful , and almost miraculous Deliverance afforded by God to this Nation from the Spanish Invasion , Anno Christi 1588. THE year one thousand five hundred eighty eight , was foretold by an Astronomer of Koningsberg , above one hundred years before , that it should prove a wonderful year : and the German Chronologers presaged , that it would be the Climacterical year of the World , which was in some measure accomplished in that glorious and never to be forgotten Deliverance vouchsafed by God to us in England , and in that fatal overthrow of the Spanish Navy ; A true Narrative whereof followes . But that we may the better see what induced the Spaniard to make this hostile Invasion , we must be informed ; both who were the inciters , and by what arguments , & artifices they stirred him up thereunto . The Inciters were the Pope , and some traiterous English Fugitives who were entertained in Spain , and at Rome . The design was , The Conquest of England ; which had been hindred for the space of ten years by reason of the Spanish Wars in Portugal . The Arguments were , that seeing God had blessed the King of Spain with admirable Blessings and Successes ; had given him in Portugal , the East-Indies , and very many rich Islands belonging to the same ; that he should therefore perform somewhat that might be acceptable to God ( the giver of so great and good things ) and most worthy the Power , and Majesty of the Catholick King : That the Church of God could not be more gloriously , nor meritoriously propagated , than by the Conquest of England , extirpating Heresie , and planting the Catholick Roman Religion there . This War ( they said ) would be most just and necessary ; considering that the Queen of England was excommunicated , and persisted contumacious against the Church of Rome . That she supported the King of Spains Rebels in the Netherlands , annoyed the Spaniards with continual depredations ; surprised , and sacked his Towns in Spain , and America , and had very lately put the Queen of Scots to death , therein violating the Majesty of all Kings . Again , that this War would be no less profitable than just ; For hereby he might add to his Empire other flourishing Kingdoms , extinguish the Rebellion in the Low-Countries , hitherto fomented and supported from England ; secure his Voyages from both the Indies , and abate his vast expences in Convoying his Indian Fleets both forward and backward : For proof whereof ( they suggested ) that the English Navy was neither for number , nor greatness , nor strength comparable to that of Spain ; especially having the Portugal Fleet now annexed unto it . That England was not fortified , and it wanted Commanders : Souldiers , a Cavalry , and Ammunition ; was bare of Wealth , and Friends . That there were many in all parts of it addicted to the Romish Religion , and would upon the first opportunity joyn their forces with his . In brief , that so great was the strength of the Spaniard , and so unmatchable was their valour , that no man durst oppose against them , and therefore they might confidently assure themselves of victory . Moreover , that now an opportunity was afforded by God himself to the King of Spain to effectuate this great design , having no cause to fear any other Enemies , by reason of a Truce lately concluded by him with the Great Turk , and the French ( his old Enemies ) being now embroiled in Civil Wars at home . They perswaded him likewise that England was an easier Conquest than the Netherlands : For that he had a shorter cut to it by Sea , and that an open Sea : neither was it so fortified with Cities , Castles , &c. as the Netherlands were : and that England being once Conquered , the Netherlands would soon follow of course , having lost their best Supporter . These , and such like arguments prevailing with the King of Spain , in the next place they held a serious Consultation about the manner of Invading England . Don Alvares Bassano , Marquiss of Sancta Cruce , who was to Command the Armado , advised that some Port-Town in Holland , or Zealand , should suddenly be surprized by the Prince of Parma's Land Forces ( who was then Governor of the Netherlands under the King of Spain ) and by some Spanish Ships sent to assist him by Sea , that so the great Fleet might have an Harbour from whence to begin their Invasion : with whom agreed in opinion the Prince of Parma himself , who was very forward to promote this expedition . But others opposed this by reason of the difficulty , danger , expence of time , and vast charge that it would require . They held that with the same charge England might easier be won , and that the Conquest thereof would be assured , if a well-appointed Army out of Spain , and the Low-Countries might be landed at the Thames mouth , and London ( the Metropolis of England ) surprised by a sudden Assault . And this opinion , as the more probable , prevailed . And then again it was advised by some , that War should first be denounced by an Herald , both to remove suspicion and jealousie from neighbour Princes , and to drive our Queen to call in Foreign Forces to assist Her : hoping that according to the insolent manner of mercenaries , they would raise mutinies , and spoil the Country , which would make the Queens Subjects evil affected towards Her ; so that all things would grow into confusion in England . But this motion was not hearkened to by men grown fierce , insolent , and confident of their own strength , only they desired the blessing of the Pope upon their Armado , and the Prayers of the Catholicks to God and the Saints for good success . And to strike the greater terror into the hearts of the English , They set forth Books with printed Maps , wherein was expressed the greatness of their Preparations in each particular , which indeed was so great in Spain , Portugal , Italy , and Sicily , that the Spaniards themselves were amazed at it , and procured the Pope to Christen it by the name of the Invincible Armado . Now that the wonderful power and mercy of God to us in this poor Nation , in protecting us against the same , may the more gloriously appear , I shall in the next place set down what their preparations were for Ships , Mariners , Land-Souldiers , Ammunition , and other provisions for the carrying on of so great an undertaking . The Spanish Navy , being the best appoin●ed for Men , Munition , and all manner of provision , that ever the Ocean saw , had been five years in preparing , consisted of one hundred and thirty Ships , whereof these were the principal . The Admiral Gallion of Saint Martins , of a thousand Tun burden , had in her one hundred seventy and seven Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , fifty Canon , &c. The Gallion of Saint Johns , of one thousand and seventy Tun , had in her one hundred and sixty Mariners , two hundred and thirty one Souldiers , fifty Canon , &c. The Gallion of Saint Mark of seven hundred and ninety two Tun , had in it one hundred and seventeen Mariners , two hundred and ninety two Souldiers , &c. The Gallion of Saint Phillip , of eight hundred Tun , had in it one hundred and seventeen Mariners , four hundred and fifteen Souldiers , forty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Lewis , of eight hundred and thirty Tun , had in it one hundred and sixteen Mariners , three hundred and seventy six Souldiers , forty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Matthew , of seven hundred and fifty Tun , had in it fifty Mariners , one hundred and seventy seven Souldiers , forty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint James , of five hundred and twenty Tun , had in it one hundred Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , fifty two Guns , &c. The Gallion of Florence , of nine hundred and sixty one Tun , had in it one hundred Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , fifty two Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Christopher , of three hundred fifty and two Tun , had in it ninety Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. The Gallion of Saint Bernard , of three hundred fifty two Tun , had in it one hundred Mariners , two hundred and eighty Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. A Ship of Saint Angelo , of seven hundred sixty and eight Tun , had in it one hundred and fourteen Mariners , three hundred and twenty three Souldiers , thirty Canons , &c. The Gangrine , of one thousand one hundred and sixty Tun ; had in it one hundred and ten Mariners , three hundred Souldiers , thirty six Canons , &c. The Ship Saint James , of six hundred and sixty Tun , had in her one hundred and two Mariners , two hundred and fifty Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. The Manuel , of five hundred and twenty Tun , had in her fifty four Mariners , one hundred and thirty Souldiers , sixteen Guns , &c. The Saint Mary , of seven hundred and 7 Tun , had in her fifty Mariners , two hundred and twenty Souldiers , thirty Guns , &c. But I need not reckon up the rest . They had in all one hundred and thirty Ships , containing Fifty seven thousand , eight hundred and eight Tun ; wherein were Eight hundred and forty five Mariners , Nineteen thousand two hundred and ninety five Souldiers , and two thousand and eighty eight Gally-slaves . And so confident were the Spaniards that England should pay the shot , that they spared no cost for furnishing it forth with all things necessary . For which end they provided of Bullets for great shot two hundred and twenty thousand . Of Powder four thousand and two hundred Kintals , every Kintal containing a hundred pound weight : of Lead for Bullets a thousand Kintals : of Match a thousand and two hundred Kintals : Musquets seven thousand : of Partisans and Halberts ten thousand : with store of Murthering pieces , double Canon , and Field pieces for the Camp : they had also store of Furniture for Carriages , Mules and Horses ; so that they were sufficiently provided both for Sea and Land. Bread and Bisket ready baked , and Wine laid aboard for six months provision . They had moreover six thousand & five hundred Kintals of Bacon ; three thousand of Cheese , besides other Flesh , Rise , Beans , Pease , Oil , and Vinegar , with twelve thousand Pipes of fresh Water . They had also store of Torches , Lamps , and Lanthorns , Canvas , Hides , and Lead to stop Leaks : Whips and Butcherly Knives to murder and torment the poor English. In a word , the Army was thirty two thousand strong , and cost the King of Spain thirty two thousand Ducats every day . In this Army were five Regiments of old Spanish Souldiers of the Tertio's of Naples , Sicily , and the Tercera's , Commanded by five Masters Del-Campo : The first was Don Diego de Piementel , a Knight of the Order of Saint John , and Brother to the Marquess of Taveras : The second Colonel was Don Francisco de Toledo , Brother to the Earl of Orgas : The third Don Alonzo de Luzon : The fourth Don Nicholas de Illa : The fifth was Augustin Mexia ; each Colonel having in his Regiment thirty two Companies , Besides the Castilian , and Portugal Bands , each of them having their peculiar Commanders and Weapons . The General of this mighty Army ( the Marquess of Sancta Cruce being now dead ) was Don Lodovicus Peres , the Duke of Med na Sidonia of the Order of the Golden Fleece . The Admiral was Don John Martinez de Richald : The Marshal Don Francisco Bovadille : Others were chief Counsellors for the War , and Don Martin Alarcon was Vicar General for the holy unholy Inquisition , in whose train were a hundred Monks and Jesuites : and Cardinal Allen was appointed the Superintendent of Ecclesiastical matters throughout England , who fearing to be unprovided , translated Pope Sixtus his Bull into English , that it might be the sooner published upon the arrival of the Spanish Fleet in this our Nation . Of voluntary Adventurers , there were a hundred and twenty four Noblemen , and Gentlemen of all the greatest Houses in Spain , hoping to be well paid with the Lands and Riches of England . The Prince of Parma also in the Netherlands , by the King of Spains Command , built Ships , and very many flat bottomed Boats , each of them big enough to carry thirty Horse , with Bridges fitted to them to Ship and unship the Horses : He hired Mariners from East-Germany , set many thousands on work to dig and deepen Rivers from Antwerp to Gaunt , and to Bruges : lading three hundred small Boats with Munition and Victuals . Two hundred more flat-bottom'd Boats were made , though not so big as the former , which lay ready in the Haven of Newport , besides thirty seven Ships of War at Dunkirk : He prepared Piles sharpened at the nether ends , headed with Iron , and hooked on the sides to pile up the mouths of Rivers : At Graveling he provided twenty thousand empty Casks with Cords , and other furniture to make floating Bridges to stop up the Heavens , beside an infinite number of Fagots : He shipped likewise a great abundance of Saddles , Bridles , with other furniture for Horse , and Horses also for Carriages , with Ordance and other provisions for War. Near unto Newport he had lying under the command of Camillo thirty Companies of Italians , two of Walloons , and eight of Burguignons , every Company containing a hundred men : At Dyxmew he mustered eight Companies of Netherlanders , sixty of Spaniards , sixty of High Dutch , among which were seven hundred Fugitive English under the Command of Sir William Stanley , who of all others were held in greatest contempt : neither was Stanley , nor the Earl of Westmoorland , nor others which offered their service and counsel once heard , but for their treachery to their Country barred from all access , and as most unfortunate conductors , worthily with detestation rejected . At Conick also he quartered other four thousand , and at Watene nine hundred Horse , Commanded by the Marquess of Guast . And to this Land-service came the Duke of Pastrana , supposed to be the King of Spains base Son : the Marquess of Buorgon , one of the Duke Ferdinands Sons : Don Vespasian Gonsago of the House of Mantua , a great Souldier , who had been Viceroy of Spain : Don John de Medices , Bastard of Florence : Don Amadeus , Bastard of Savoy , with many others of the like quality . Neither was Sixtus Quintus , Pope of Rome , any ways backward to shew his diligence , and devotion to this intended Invasion ; but sent abroad his Crusado ( as he used to do against the Turks and Infidels ) wherein out of the treasure of the Church he gave plenary Indulgences , and pardon of all their sins to every one that contributed his assistance hereunto : and for the furtherance of this enterprise , himself undertook to contribute a million of Gold , the one half presently down , the other half when any notable Haven in our land should be won : yet with this Proviso , that the Crown of England should be held as Feudatory to the See of Rome : in earnest whereof he bestowed upon the King of Spain his Apostolical postolical Benediction , and the Title of Defender of the Faith : He sent also Cardinal Allen into the Low-Countries , and renewed the Bulls of Pius the fifth and Gregory the thirteenth , whereby Queen Elizabeth was excommunicated , deposed from her Throne , and her Subjects absolved from all allegiance to her . Thus we see what preparations were made both at Sea and Land , at Rome , in Spain , and the Netherlands , for the subduing of England , extirpating the Gospel , and subjugating us under the yoke of Spain : now let us see what provision and preparations our Queen made to dispel this black Cloud that hung over our head : And truly the first thing that she did was most Christian ; For as when Jehosophat was threatned with the like danger , 2 Chro. 20. 3. He sought the Lord and proclaimed a Fast ; so did She , requiring all her Subjects to humble themselves by Fasting and Prayer , knowing that these are the best Weapons of the Church , that they by them might seek unto the Lord , and say in the words of Jehosophat , O Lord God , art not thus God in Heaven ? and rulest not thou over all the Kingdoms of the Earth ? and in thine hand is there not power and might , so that none is able to withstand thee ? O our God , wilt thou not judge them ? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us , neither know we what to do , but our eyes are upon thee . But in the second place , knowing that Prayers without endeavours and means are like Rachel , beautiful but barren , that She might not be taken unprovided , She prepared with all diligence as strong a Fleet as She could , and all things necessary for War ; and She that in discerning mens parts and abilities was of a most sharp judgment , and ever most happy , having the free choice in her self , and not by the commendations of others , assigned to every office by name the best and fittest men . The charge of her Navy She committed to Charles Howard of Effingham , Lord Admiral of England , of whose skill She had had former experience , and whom She knew both by his Moderation and Nobility , to be wary in providence , valiant , industrious , and of great authority among the Seamen , and well beloved of them : Her Vice-Admiral She made the famous Sir Francis Drake , and these She sent to the West parts of England ; and for the Guard of the narrow Seas , She appointed Henry Lord Seimore second Son to the Duke of Somerset , whom She commanded also to lie upon the Coasts of the Low-Countries , with forty Ships , to watch that the Prince of Parma might not come forth with his Forces : By Land She commanded the General Forces of the Realm to be mustered , trained , and put in readiness in their special Shires , for the defence of the whole , which accordingly was done , and whereof the Lord Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester was appointed Lieutenant ; twenty thousand whereof were disposed along our South-Coast for the guard thereof : besides which , She had two Armies ; one of which consisting of a thousand Horse , and twenty two thousand Foot , was encamped at Tilbury near the Thames mouth , whither the Enemy fully intended to come : The other which was led by the Lord Hunsdon , consisted of thirty four thousand Foot , and two thousand Horse , which were to be the Guard of the Queens person : Her self in courage far surmounting her Sex , as another Zenobia or rather Deborah , led forth the Lords Host against this great Sisera , and her Souldiers valiant and skilful , both for courage and quick dispatch , might well be compared to those Gadites that came to aid David , whose faces were like the faces of Lions , and were compared to the Roes in the Mountains for swiftness . Arthur Lord Grey , Sir Francis Knolles , Sir John Knorris , Sir Richard Bingham , and Sir Roger Williams , all gallant men , and brave Souldiers , were appointed to consult about managing the Land Service : These advised that all the commodious landing places for the Enemy , as well from Spain , as from the Low-Countries should be manned and fortified , as Milford Haven , Falmouth , Plimmouth , Portland , the Isle of Weight , Portsmouth , the open Coast of Kent , commonly called the Downs , the Thames mouth , Harwich , Yarmouth , Hull , &c. and that the Trained Bands throughout the Coast Shires , should meet upon a signal given to defend the said places , and do their best to prohibit the Enemies landing . But in case he should land , that then they should leave all the Country round about wast , that so they might find nothing for food , but what from their Ships they should carry upon their shoulders , and that they should hold the Enemies busied both night and day with continual Alarms , but not to hazard a Battel till more Commanders with their Companies were come together . Some suggested also to the Queen , that the Spaniards abroad were not so much to be feared as the Papists at home ; for that the Spaniards would not attempt the Invasion of England , but upon confidence of aid from them : She thereupon committed some of them to Prison at Wisbeach in the Fenns ; by her Letters also She directed Sir William Fitz-Williams , Lord Deputy of Ireland , what he should do . The King of Scots She put in mind to beware of the Papists and Spanish Factions : By her frequent Letters She wrote to the States of the Vnited Provinces not to be deficient in assisting her what they could . But amongst these preparations for War on both sides , Philip King of Spain , to cast a mist over her Majesties eyes , and to rock her into a sleep of security , importuned by all means the Realms unto peace , imploying the Prince of Parma to be his instrument therein , who dealt earnestly by Letters with the help of Sir James Crofts , a privy Counsellor , and a man much addicted to peace , as also by Andrew Van Loey , a Netherlander , that a Treaty of Peace might be entred upon , affirming that he had Warrant thereunto from the King of Spain . Our Queen measuring other Princes by her own guileless heart , gave ear to this deceitful lullaby , little suspecting that a deadly Snake could be hid in so fair a Garden ; yet resolved to treat of Peace with her Sword in her hand , neither was the Prince of Parma against her so doing . In the month therefore of February Commissioners were sent into Flanders , Henry Earl of Darby , William Brook , Lord Cobham , Sir James Crofts , Valentine Dale , and John Rogers Doctors of the Law , who arriving there , were received in the Prince of Parma's name with all courtesy ; who thereupon sent away Dale presently to him to know where the place of meeting should be , and to see his Commission from the King of Spain : the place he appointed to be near Ostend , the Town it self being then in the English hands ; and as for his Commission , he promised it should be produced at their meeting : Only he wished them to hasten the matter , lest any thing should happen in the interim to interrupt the Treaty : and one Richardot , which stood by him , said more openly , That he knew not what in the mean time might be done against England . Which being reported to the Queen , She sent Rogers to the Prince to know whether there was any design for the Invading of England , as he , and Richardot by their words seemed to imply : The Prince answered that he had never any thought for the Invading England , when he wished the Treaty to be hastened , and was angry with Richardot , who denied that any such words had fallen from him . Commissioners for the King of Spain were Maximilian Earl of Aremberg , Governor of Antwerp , Richardot President of Artois , with some other Civilians . These stayed at Bruges , and for all their pretended haste , much time was cunningly spun out about the place of their meeting , which should have the Precedency , and what hostages should be given for security of the Commissioners : yet at length the Spaniards yielded to the English Precedency , both in going and sitting : and the place was in Tents near unto Ostend . The demands for the Queen were , that there might be a surcease of Arms , with a present and undelayed Truce , She mitrusting the Spanish preparations at Sea : The sending away of foreign Souldiers out of the Low-Countries for Englands security : A restitution of such sums of money as the Queen had lent to the States , and which the King had promised to restore : That the Netherlanders might enjoy their ancient liberties , and priviledges , nor be governed by a stranger , but by a Native Prince : That they might have liberty to serve God with Freedom of Conscience : And lastly , that the Articles of the Pacification of Gaunt , and other like treaties might be observed ; which things if they were granted , She would condescend upon reasonable conditions to deliver up the Towns in the Netherlands , which She then had in possession , that it might appear that she had not for her own advantage , but for the necessary defence of the Netherlands , and her self taken up arms . To these the Spaniards replyed , that touching their preparations at Sea , they did assure them that it nothing concerned England . That to send away the Souldiers , the King could not resolve till the Netherlanders had submitted themselves to him . Concerning their priviledges , that it appertained nothing to the Queen , neither should She prescribe to the King a Law. And so far was he from tolerating Religion , that he would not so much as hear thereof , otherwise than he had allowed to other Towns that had submitted to his obedience : And as for those Towns which had been taken from the King , and the mony expended about them , They said that the Spaniard might demand as many Myriades of Ducats to be repayed to him by the Queen , as he had expended upon the Low-Country War , from the time that She supported the revolting Netherlanders , and took them into her Protection . About this time went Dale by the Queens command to the Prince of Parma , and mildly expostulated with him about a Book lately published by Cardinal Allen , that English Renegado , wherein he exhorted the Nobility and People of England and Ireland to joyn with the Spanish Forces , under the Conduct of the Prince of Parma , to execute the Popes sentence already published by his Bull against Queen Elizabeth ; wherein she was declared an Heretick , Illegitimate , cruel , for putting to death the Queen of Scots , &c. And her Subjects absolved from their Oath of Allegiance , and commanded to aid the Prince of Parma against Her. ( And indeed there was a great number of these Bulls and Books printed at Antwerp , from thence to be dispersed all over England . ) The Prince denied that he had ever seen any such Book , or Bull , neither would he undertake any thing in the Popes name ; howbeit that he must obey his Prince . But for the Queen of England , he protested that he did so honour her for her Vertues , that next to the King his Master , he esteemed Her above all others , and would be ready to do Her service . For the manifestation whereof he said that he had perswaded the King to condescend to this treaty of peace , which would be more advantagious for the English than for the Spaniard : For ( said he ) if the Spaniards be overcome they will soon recover their loss ; but if You be overcome , your Kingdom , and all is lost : To which Dale made this reply : Our Queen is provided with strength sufficient to defend her Kingdom , and you your self in your wisdom may foresee that a Kingdom cannot be lost with the fortune of one Battel ; seeing the King of Spain after so long Wars , is not able to recover his ancient inheritance in the Netherlánds . Be it so ( said the Prince ) These things are in the hands of the Almighty . After this the Commissioners contended with mutual debates , and replies , still twisting and untwisting the same thread . For when the English pressed that a Toleration of Religion might be granted for the Vnited Provinces , at least for two years ; It was answered , That as the Spaniard demanded not this for the English Catholicks ; so they hoped the Queen in her Wisdom would require nothing of him which might be against the Honour , Oath , and Conscience of the Spaniard . When they demanded the mony due from the States of Brabant to our Queen ; They answered , that it was lent without the Kings Knowledge or Warrant ; and that the accounts being cast up , how much the said mony was , and how much the King had disbursed about the War , it would soon be known to whom the most ought to be repayed . With such answers as these they dallied with the English Commissioners , till the Spanish Fleet was come within the view of England , and the thundring of the Ordnance was heard from the Sea , which put the English Commissioners into some suspicion and fear , having no hostages for their safe return . But they received a safe conduct from the Prince of Parma ( who had in the mean time drawn down all his Forces to the Sea-Coast ) and so were conducted to the borders near Calice . Thus came this Treaty to nothing , undertaken by our Queen ( as was conceived ) to divert the coming of the Spanish Fleet : and continued by the Spaniard to surprize England unprovided , and at unawares . So both sides put the Foxes skin upon the Lions head . And now we are come to speak of this Invincible Armado , which was the preparation of five whole years at least . It bare it self also upon Divine assistance , having received a special Blessing from the Pope , and was assigned as an Apostolical Mission for the reducement of this Kingdom to the obedience of the See of Rome : and in further token of this holy Warfare , there were amongst the rest of the Ships , twelve , called by the names of the twelve Apostles . The Gallions and Galliasses were of such a vast size , that they were like floating Towers and Castles , so that the swelling waves of the Sea could hardly be seen ; and the Flags , Streamers , and Ensigns so spread in the wind , that they seemed even to darken the Sun , and to threaten destruction which way soever they turned . On the nine and twentieth day of May this Fleet set Sail out of the River Tayo , bending its course towards the Groin in Galizia , the place appointed for the general Rendezvous , as being the nearest Haven unto England : But whilest they hoysed and spread abroad their proud Sailes to the wind ; God , who is an Enemy to such Nimrod-like undertakings , and hating such hostile actions , suddenly manifested his displeasure , and poured out revenge by a sudden and hideous tempest , which drave the Duke of Medina , the General , back again into the Groin ; eight other of the Ships being dispersed on the Seas , had their Masts broken , and blown over board ; besides three other Portugal Gallies which were driven upon the Coasts of Bayon in France , where , by the valour of one David Gwin , an English slave , and the help of other slaves , French , and Turks , they were delivered into the hands of the French , and they freed themselves by the slaughter of the Spaniards , amongst whom Don Diego de Mondrana was one . About the same time the English Admiral , and Vice-Admiral , who had in all about one hundred Ships , whereof fifteen were Victuallers , and nine Voluntaries of Devonshire Gentlemen , hearing for certainty that the Spanish Fleet was ready to hoise up their Sails , resolved to put forth from Plymouth , and to meet , and fight them by the way ; but were so met with by the same wind , that they could not get past the Syllies , and thence also were forced by the Tempest to return into their former Harbour , to refresh their Ships , and Companies ; only some of their Scouts at Sea descried some of the Spanish Ships , which likewise had been dispersed with the storm : but before the English could come near them , the wind veering about , carryed them back to the Groine , where the rest of their Fleet lay in Harbour . Intelligence being brought that the Spaniards were in want , their great Ships dispersed , and the rest sorely shaken with the storm , and their men dying by multitudes of the Pestilence ; the Lord Admiral Howard intended with the first Northerly wind to take advantage , which coming about upon the eighth of July , he lanched forth , and bore his Sails almost within the sight of Spain , purposing to surprise their weather-beaten Ships , and to fight them upon their own Coast. But then the wind suddenly changing into the South , and he wisely foreseeing that the Enemy might pass by without his discovery , that the Seas might be stormy , or his Fleet wind-bound , and that whilst he thus lay abroad , his service might be more necessary at home , and that his work was to defend the Coasts of England , he therefore presently returned and Anchored his Fleet in the Haven at Plimouth , suffering his men to refresh themselves upon the Land. At the same time there came more confident advertisement ( though false ) not only to the Lord Admiral , but to the Court , that the Spanish Fleet could not possibly come forth again that year , upon which reports ( a dangerous matter in State affairs ) so confident was our Queen , that She sent for four of her biggest Royal Ships to be brought back to Chattam : But the Lord Admiral suspecting the worst , by a mild and moderate answer retarded it , desiring that nothing might be lightly believed in so weighty a matter , and that he might retain them though at his own charge . Wherein indeed a special providence of God did appear , for just at that time news was brought to the Lord Admiral by one Captain Thomas Flemming , that the Spanish Fleet was entred into the British Seas , commonly called the Channel , and was seen near unto the Lizard-point , which came thus to pass . The Spanish Ships being new rigged , and their wants supplyed , their King still hot on his former resolutions , instantly urged and hastened his Commanders to put forth again to Sea , which accordingly they did upon the eleventh of July with the same South wind which ( as was said before ) brought back our Navy into Plimouth , and so having a more favourable Gale , with brave shews , and full Sails , they entred our Channel , where casting Anchor , they dispatched certain small Pinnaces to the Prince of Parma , to signifie their arrival and readiness , and to command him in the name of their King to forward his charge for that service . July the twentieth about noon , this terrible Fleet was descried by the English , coming forward amain with a South-west wind . It was a kind of surprise : For that ( as was said ) many of our men were gone to land , and our Ships ready to depart : Nevertheless our undaunted Admiral towed forth such Ships as he could get in readiness into the deep Sea , not without great difficulty , certainly with singular diligence , and admirable alacrity of our Mariners , cheered up with the Admirals own presence and assistance among them at their halserwork , the wind blowing strongly into the Haven . When they were forth they saw the Spanish Ships with lofty Towers like Castles , in front like an half-moon , the horns whereof stretched forth in breadth about seven miles , sayling ( as it were ) with labour to the winds , the Ocean groaning under them ; so that though with full sails , yet they came but slowly forward . They seemed as it were to make for Plymouth ; but whether their Commission was otherwise , or because contrary to their expectation , they saw the English Ships out of the Harbour , they steered by towards Calice , hoping to meet with the Prince of Parma : the English willingly suffered them to pass by , that they might the more commodiously chase them in the Reer with a fore-right wind . July the twenty first , the Lord Admiral of England sent before him a Pinnace called the Defiance , to denounce War by discharging her Ordnance , himself following in the Ark-Royal , set upon the Admiral ( as he thought ) of the Spaniards , but it proved to be Leva's Ship , where fire , smoke , and loud thundring Cannons began the parley ; and rending Bullets most freely enterchanged betwixt them , were fiery Messengers of each others minds . Soon after came up Drake , Hawkins , and Forbusher , playing with their Ordnance upon the hindmost Squadron of the Enemies , which was commanded by Rechalde , who laboured all he could to stay his Men from flying for shelter to the Fleet , till his own Ship being much battered with shot , and now grown unserviceable , was with much difficulty drawn into the main Fleet. At which time the Duke of Medina gathered together his whole Fleet , scattered here and there by the English , and hoising more Sail , kept on his intended course toward Callice ; neither indeed could he do otherwise , the wind favouring the English , and himself finding the inconvenience of their great and high built Ships , powerful to defend , but not to offend ; to stand , but not to move ; whereas on the contrary their enemies were nimble , and ready on all sides to annoy them , and as apt to escape harms themselves , being low built and so easily shot over . Hereupon he caused them to gather themselves up close in the form of an half-moon , and to slacken their Sails that their whole Fleet might keep together . But our English Admiral having maintained an hot fight for the space of two hours , thought not good to continue it any longer , thirty of his Ships scarce coming to the work , the rest being as yet scarce gotten out of the Harbour . In this first days fight the Saint Katherine , a Spanish Ship , having been sorely battered and much torn , was taken into the middest of their Fleet to be repaired : And an huge Ship of Biscaie of Don Oquendoes , in which was a great part of the Kings treasure , began to be all in a Flame by force of Gunpowder , which was fired on purpose by a Flemish Gunner , for being misused by them : But the fire was soon quenched by the assistance of some other Ships sent in to her help . All this while the Spaniards for want of Courage ( which they called Commission ) did what they could to decline the Fight , casting themselves continually into Roundels ( their strongest Ships walling in the rest ) in which posture they made a flying march towards Callice : yet in the former medly a great Gallion , wherein was Don Pedro de Valdez , Vasques de Silva , Alenzo de Saias , with other Noble men , being sore battered with the English shot , in avoyding whereof she fell foul upon another Ship , and ere she could be cleared had her Fore-mast broken off , which so hindred her Sailing , that she was unable to keep way with the rest of the Fleet , nor were their friends of courage to succour these distressed Lords , but left both Ship and them in this sudden and unexpected danger . But the night coming on , our Lord Admiral supposing that they had left neither men nor Mariners aboard within her , and fearing to lose sight of the Spaniards , past by her , and followed the Lanthorn which he supposed to be carried by Sir Francis Drake , as it was appointed , but that brave Knight was eagerly pursuing five great Hulks which he took to be of the Spaniards , but when he came up , and haled them , they proved Easterlings and friends , and so were dismissed : yet by this mistake of his , the greatest part of our Fleet , wanting the direction of his light , was forced to lye still : so that he and the rest of the Fleet till towards night , the next day , could not recover sight of the Lord Admiral , who all the night before with two other Ships , the Bear and the Mary-Rose followed the Spanish Lanthorn . July the twenty second ; Sir Francis Drake espied the aforementioned lagging Gallion , whereupon he sent forth a Pinnace to command them to yield , otherwise his bullets without any delay should force them to it : Valdes , to seem valorous , answered , that they were four hundred and fifty strong ; that himself was Don Pedro , and stood on his honour , and thereupon propounded certain conditions : But the Knight returned this reply , that he had no leisure to parley , if he would immediately yield , so ; otherwise he should soon prove that Drake was no Dastard . Pedro hearing that it was the fiery Drake ( whose name was very terrible to the Spaniards ) that had him in chase , presently yielded , and with forty of his Companions , came on board Sir Francis his Ship , where first giving him the Conge , he protested that he and all his were resolved to have dyed fighting , had they not fallen into his hands , whose valour and felicity was so great , that Mars and Neptune seemed to wait on him in all his attempts , and whose noble and generous mind towards the vanquished , had often been experienced even of his greatest Foes . Sir Francis to requite his Spanish Complements with English Courtesie , placed him at his own Table , and lodged him in his own Cabin : the residue of that Company he sent to Plimouth , where they remained Prisoners for the space of eighteen months , till by payment of their ransoms they obtained their liberty : But Drakes Souldiers had well paid themselves by the plunder of the Ship , wherein they found 55000 Ducats of Gold , which they merrily shared amongst them . The same day Michael de Oquendo , Admiral of the Squadron Guypusco , and Vice-Admiral of the whole Fleet , suffered no less a disaster ; whose Ship being one of the greatest Gallions , fell on fire , and all the upper part of the Ship being burnt , most also of the persons therein were consumed : howbeit the Gunpowder in the hold not taking fire , the Ship fell into the hands of the English , which , together with the scorched Spaniards therein , was brought into Plimouth , a joyful spectacle to the beholders . All this day , the Duke of Medina laboured securely to set his Fleet in order ; To Alphonso de Leva he gave in charge to joyne the first and last Squadron together ; To every Ship he assigned his quarter to ride in according to the form prescribed in Spain , commanding them upon pain of death not to desert their stations . Glitch , an Ensign-bearer , he sent to the Prince of Parma to acquaint him with his condition . July the twenty third , early in the morning the Spaniards taking the benefit of a Northerly wind , when they approached right against Portland , turned about against the English ; but the English , nimble , and foreseeing all advantages , soon turned aside to the Westward , each striving to get the wind of the other , which at last the English got , and so they prepared themselves on each side to Fight ; and the English continued all day from morning till night to batter those wooden Castles with great and small shot : The fight was very confused and variable , whilst on the one side the English bravely rescued the London Ships that were hemmed in by the Spaniards , and on the other side the Spaniards as stoutly delivered Rechalde being in danger : Never was there heard greater thundring of Ordnance on both sides , the chiefest fight being performed on this day ; yet notwithstanding the shot from the Spanish Ships for the most part flew over the English without hurting them , only Cock an English man dyed with honour in the midst of his Enemies in a little Ship of his . The English Ships being far the lesser , charged that Sea-Gyant with marvellous agility , and having given them their broad sides , flew off again presently , and then coming up , levelled their shot directly without missing those heavy and unweildy Ships of the Spaniards . But the Lord Admiral would not hazard a fight by grappling with them , as some unadvised persons would have perswaded him : For he considered that the Enemy had a strong Army in the Fleet , whereas he had none ; that their Ships were more in number , of bigger burden , stronger , and huger built , so that they could not be boarded but with extreme disadvantage : He foresaw also that the overthrow would turn to a greater dammage than the victory would avail him : For being vanquished he should have brought England into extreme hazzard , and being Conquerour he should only have gained a little glory to himself for overthrowing the Fleet , and beating the Enemy . On this day the sorest fight was performed , wherein , besides other remarkable harms which the Enemy sustained , a great Venetian Ship with some other smaller were surprized , and taken by the English , and the Spaniards were forced for their further safety to gather themselves close into a Roundel , their best and greatest Ships standing without , that they might secure those that were battered and less . July the twenty fourth , the Fight was only between the four great Galliasses , and some of the English Ships , the Spaniards having great advantage , theirs being rowed with Oars , and ours ( by reason of the calm ) having no use of their Sails , notwithstanding which they sorely galled the Enemy with their great and Chain shot ; wherewith they cut in sunder their tacklings , Cables , and Cordage , to their no little prejudice . But wanting Powder which they had spent so freely , and other provision to maintain the fight , the Lord Admiral sent some of his smaller Ships to the next Ports of England to fetch supply ; which stirred up jealousies in the heads of many , that we should thus want upon our own Coasts . In which Interim a Council was called , wherein it was resolved that the English Fleet should be divided into four Squadrons , and those committed to four brave Captains , and skilful Seamen , whereof the Lord Admiral in the Ark Royal was chief : Sir Francis Drake in the Revenge led the second : Captain Hawkins the third : and Captain Forbusher the fourth . Other most valiant Captains there were in others of Her Majesties Ships ; as the Lord Thomas Howard in the Lion ▪ the Lord Sheffield in the Bear , Sir Robert Southwel in the Elizabeth , Captain Baker in the Victory , and Captain George Fenner in the Gallion-Leicester : It was also further appointed , that out of every Squadron certain small Vessels should give you a charge from divers parts in the dead time of the night , but the calm continuing , this design could not be effected . July the twenty fifth , being Saint James day , the Spaniards were arrived against the Isle of Wight , where was a most terrible encounter , each shooting off their whole broad sides , and not above sixscore yards the one from the other : There the Saint Anne , a Gallion of Portugal , which could not hold course with the rest , was set upon by certain small English Vessels , to whose rescue came Leva and Don Diego Telles Enriques with three Galliasses : which the Lord Admiral himself and the Lord Thomas Howard in the Golden Lion , rowing their Ships with their Boats ( so great was the calm ) charged in such sort with their roaring Canons , that they had much ado , and that not without loss , to save the Gallion , from which time forward none of the Galliasses would undertake the fight . The Spaniards reported that the English the same day beat the Spanish Admiral in the utter Squadron , rending her sore with their Great Ordnance , and having slain many of her men , shot down her main Mast , and would have much endanger'd her , but that Mexia and Rechalde came in good time to her rescue . That the Spanish Admiral , assisted by Rechalde and others , set upon the English Admiral , which happily escaped by the sudden turning of the wind . That thereupon the Spaniards gave over the pursuit , and holding on their Course , dispatched again a Messenger to the Prince of Parma , to joyn his Fleet with all speed to the Kings Armado , and withal to send them a supply of great shot . But these things were unknown to the English , who wrote that from one of the Spanish Ships they had shot down their Lanthorn , and from another the Beak-head , and that they had done much hurt to the third ; that the Non-parrella and the Mary Rose , had fought a while with the Spaniards ; and that other Ships had rescued the Triumph , which was in danger : The truth is , they had so sorely battered those huge wooden Castles , that once more they forced them for their further safety to gather themselves into a Roundel . July the twenty sixth , the Lord Admiral , to encourage and reward the Noble Attempts of his gallant Captains , bestowed the Order of Knighthood upon the Lords Howard and Sheffield , Roger Townsend , John Hawkings , Martin Forbusher , and others : And yet the vain glorious and boasting Spaniards caused a report to be spread in France , that England was wholly conquered by them . It was resolved by our men that from thenceforth they should assail the Enemy no more till they came to the British Frith , or strait of Callis , where the Lord Henry Seimore and Sir William Winter , with the Ships which they had for the guard of the narrow Seas , waited their coming ; and so with a fair gale from the South-West and by South , the Spanish Fleet sailed forward , the English Fleet following it close at the heels . And so far was it from terrifying our English Coasts with the name of Invincible ; or with its huge and terrible spectacle , that our brave English youth with an incredible alacrity , leaveing Parents , Wives , Children , Kinsfolk , and Friends , out of their entire love to their native Country , hired Ships from all parts at their own proper charges , and joyned with the Fleet in great numbers , amongst whom were the Earl of Oxford , Northumberland and Cumberland : Thomas and Robert Cecil : Henry Brook : Charles Blunt : Walter Raleigh : William Hatton : Robert Carey : Ambrose Willoughby : Thomas Gerard : Arthur Gorges , and many others of great note . July the twenty seventh , the Spanish Fleet making forward , towards Evening , came over against Dover , and Anchored before Callis , intending for Dunkirk there to joyn with the Prince of Parma's Forces , wel perceiving that without their assistance they could do nothing : They were also warned by the Pilots , that if they proceeded any farther it was to be feared lest they should be driven by the force of the Tide into the Northern Ocean . The English Fleet following up hard upon them , cast Anchor so near that they lay within Culvering shot ; at which time the Lord Henry Seimore , and Winter joyned their Ships to them , so that now the English Fleet consisted of one hundred and forty Sail , all able Ships to fight , Sail , and turn about which way soever they pleased . Yet were they not above fifteen that sustained the greatest burden of the fight . From hence once more the Duke of Medina sent to the Prince of Parma to hasten forth his long expected , and much desired Forces : with which Messengers many of the Spanish Noblemen went to Land ; having had enough of the Sea ; amongst whom was the Prince of Ascoli , the Kings base Son , who returned to his Ship no more ; and indeed well it was for him , for that his Gallion was afterwards cast away upon the Irish Coast , and never returned to salute Spain . These Messengers earnestly prayed the Prince of Parma to put forth to Sea with his Army , which the Spanish Fleet should protect , as it were under her wings , till it was landed in England . And indeed the Prince of Parma , hearing the best , and not the worst of this Voyage , made all things ready that lay in his charge , whose hopes were so fixed upon Englands Conquest , and the glittering Diadem upon Queen Elizabeths head did so dazel his ambitious Eyes , being assured by Cardinal Allen that he was the man designed to be Crowned therewith , that neglecting the Coronet of the Low-Country Government , he transferred the charge thereof upon Count Mansfield the Elder , and having made his vows to the Lady of Hall in Heinault , he was already in conceit no less than a King. But the date of his Reign was soon expired , and his swelling tide fallen into a low shallow ebb : For the day following in his march to Dunkirk , he heard the thundring Ordnance ringing the passing Peal of his hopes and title , and the same Evening had news of the hard success of the Spaniards , the hoped advancers of his dreamed felicity ; and indeed do what he could , he could not be ready at the Spaniards call : His flat-bottomed Boats for the shallow Channels leaked ; his provision of Victuals proved unready , and his Mariners ( having hitherto been detained against their wills ) had withdrawn themselves : there lay also watching before the Havens of Dunkirk and Newport , whence he was to put forth to Sea , the men of War of the Hollanders and Zelanders , so well provided with great Ordnance and Musketiers , that he could not put from the shore unless he would wilfully cast himself and his men upon eminent perils and dangers of destruction : and yet he being a skilful and experienced Commander , omitted no means , being inflamed with a desire to Conquer England . But Queen Elizabeths foresight prevented both his diligence and the credulous hope of the Spaniards . For by Her command the next day after the Spaniards had cast Anchor , the Lord Admiral made ready eight of his worst Ships , filled with wild-fire , pitch , rosin , brimstone , and other combustible matter : their Ordnance were charged with Bullets , Stones , Chains , and such like things , fit instruments of death ; and all the men being taken out , upon the Sabbath day , July , the twenty eighth , at two of the clock after midnight , were they let drive with Wind and Tide , under the guidance of Young and Prowse , amongst the Spanish Fleet. And so the Pilots returning , and their trains taking fire , such a sudden thunderclap was given by them , that the affrighted Spaniards , it being the dead time of the night , were amazed , and stricken with an horrible fear , lest all their Ships should have been fired by them . And to avoid this present mischief , being in great perplexity , they had no other remedy to avoid these deadly Engines , and murthering inventions , than by cutting their Cables in sunder , the time being too short to weigh up their Anchors , and so hoising up their Sails to drive at random into the Seas : in which hast and confusion the greatest of their Galliasses fell foul upon another Ship , and lost her Rudder : and so floted up and down , and the next day fearfully making towards Callis , ran aground upon the sands , where she was set upon by the English . This Galliass was of Naples : Her General was Heugh de Moncado , who fought the more valiantly , because he expected present help from the Prince of Parma : But Sir Amias Preston gave such a fierce assault upon her , that Moncado was shot dead with a Bullet , and the Galliass boarded , wherein many of the Spaniards were slain , and a great many others leaping into the Sea were drowned , only Don Antonio de Matiques , a principal Officer , had the good hap to escape , and was the first man that carried the unwelcome news into Spain , that their Invincible Navy proved vincible . This huge bottom manned with four hundred Souldiers , and three hundred Slaves , that had in her fifty thousand Ducats of the Spanish Kings treasure , fell into the English mens hands ; a reward well befitting their valour , who sharing it merrily amongst them , and freeing the miserable Slaves from their Fetters , would have fired the empty Vessel : but Monsieur Gourden , Governour of Callis , fearing that the fire might endanger the Town , would not permit them to do it , bending his Ordnance against those which attempted it . Had not this politick Stratagem of the Fire-ships been found out , it would have been very difficult for the English to have dislodged them ; for those huge Ships had their bulks so strengthened with thick Planks , and massie Beams , that our Bullets might strike , and stick , and yet never pass through them : So that the greatest hurt which our English Canon did , was only by rending their Masts and Tacklings . The Spaniards report that the Duke of Medina , when these burning Ships approached , commanded the whole Fleet to weigh Anchor to avoid them , yet so , as having shunned the danger , presently every Ship to return to her former station , which accordingly he did himself , giving a signal to the rest to do the like , by discharging one of his great Guns ; but in this general consternation the warning was heard but of a few , the rest being scattered all about , which for fear were driven some into the wide Ocean , and other upon the shallows of Flanders . July the twenty ninth , after this miserable disaster , the Spaniards ranging themselves into the best order they could , approached over against Graveling , where once again the English getting the wind of them , deprived them of the conveniency of Callis road , and kept them from supply out of Dunkirk , from whence rested their full hope of support . In the mean while Drake and Fenner played incessantly with their great Ordnance upon the Spanish Fleet , and with them presently joined Fenton , Southwel , Beeston , Cross , Riman , and lastly the Lord Admiral himself , with the Lords , Thomas Howard , and Sheffield : On the other hand , the Duke of Medina , Leva , Oquenda , Richalde , and others of them , with much ado got clear off the shallows , and sustained the charge as well as they could , yet were most of their Ships pittifully torn and shot through , the fight continuing from morning till night , which indeed proved very dismal to the Spaniards ; for therein a great Gallion of Biscay perished , the Captains whereof to avoid ignominy , or to be reputed valorous , desperately slew each other . In which distress also two other great Ships presently sunk . The Gallion Saint Matthew under the command of Don Diego Piementelli , coming to rescue Don Francisco de Toledo , who was in the Saint Philip , was , together with the other , miserably torn with shot , their tacklings spent , and their bulks rent , so that the water entred in on all sides , which fight was maintained against them by Seimore and Winter ; In which distress they were driven near Ostend , where again they were shot through and through by the Zelanders : Their desperate condition being known , the Duke of Medina sent his own Skiff for Don Diego Piementelli , Camp-master , and Colonel over thirty two Bands : But he in a Spanish Bravado refused to leave his Ship , and like a Souldier assayed every way to free himself : But being unable to do it , he forthwith made towards the Coast of Flanders , where being again set upon by five Dutchmen of War , was required to yield , which finally he did unto Captain Peter Banderduess , who carried him into Zeland : aud for a Trophy of his Victory hung up his Banner in the Church of Leiden , whose length reached from the very roof to the ground : Another also of the Spanish Ships coasting for Flanders , was cast away upon the sands . Francisco de Toledo also , being likewise a Colonel over thirty two Bands in the other Gallion , taking his course for the Coast of Flanders , his Ship proved so leak , that himself with some others of the chief betook themselves to their Skiff , and arrived at Ostend , the Ship with the residue being taken by the Flushingers . The Spaniards now finding their welcome into England far worse than they expected , were content to couch their Fleet as close together as they could , not seeking to offend their Enemies , but only to defend themselves , and the wind coming to the South-west , in the same order they passed by Dunkirk , the English still following them at the heels . But lest the Prince of Parma should take this advantage to put forth to Sea , the Lord Admiral dispatched the Lord Henry Seimore with his Squadron of small Ships to the Coast of Flanders , to join with those Hollanders , which there kept watch under Justin of Nassau , their Admiral : This Holland Fleet consisted of thirty five Ships , furnished with most skilful Mariners , and twelve hundred Musqueteers , old experienced Souldiers , whom the States had culled out of several Garisons : Their charge was to stop up the Flemish Havens , and to prevent entercourse with Dunkirk , whither the Prince of Parma was come , and would fain have adventured forth , though his men were unwilling , hearing how their Friends had been entertained at Sea : Only the English Fugitives , being about seven hundred in number , under that treacherous Knight , Sir William Stanley ▪ were very forward to be the first that should assault England . July the 31. betimes in the morning the North-west-wind blew hard , and the Spanish Fleet laboured by that advantage to return to the narrow strait , but were driven towards Zeland : whereupon the English gave off the Chase , because they saw them carried almost of their utter ruine ; for they could not but run aground upon the sands and shallows near Zeland : but the wind turning presently into the South-west and by West , they sailed before the wind , by which means they were cleared of the shallowes , and so that Evening they called a Council what to do , and by consent it was resolved to return into Spain by the Northeru Ocean : for that they wanted many necessaries , especially great shot ; their Ships also were pittifully torn , and there remained no hope that the Prince of Parma would or could bring forth his Fleet. The Armado having now gotten more Sea-room for their huge-bodied bulks , spread their Main Sails , and made away as fast as wind and water would give them leave : More fearing the small Fleet and Forces of the English ( though far inferiour to them ) than standing upon terms of honour either for the credit of their Commanders , or their Invincible Navy : But surely if they had known the want of Powder ours sustained ( a fault inexcusable upon our own Coasts ) they no doubt would have stood better to their tacklings : But God in this , as in all the rest , infatuated them , and would have us to acknowledge that our deliverance was by his own gracious Providence and power , and not by any strength or policy of our own . The Spanish Fleet being now carried forth into the deep , they directed their course Northward , and our English Admiral followed them , lest they should attempt to put into Scotland , against whom they now and then turned head , but stood not to it : Yet most men thought they would return , whereupon our Queen with a manly courage took a view of her Army and Camp at Tilbury , and walking through the ranks of Armed men placed on both sides , with a Leaders Truncheon in her hand , sometimes in a Martial pace , and other sometimes like a Woman , incredible it is how much she strengthened and encouraged the hearts both of her Captains and Souldiers with her speech and presence . But contrary to expectation , the Enemies with their Sails spread , betook themselves to an absolute flight , and leaving Scotland on the West , they bended their Course towards Norway , being ill advised therein , ( but their necessity urged , and God had infatuated their Counsels ) thus to adventure to put their shaken and battered bottoms into those black and dangerous Seas : Neither was the Climate healthful for the crazed Bodies of the Spaniards , over-beaten , and tired with wants , they being now entred the fifty seventh degree of Northerly Latitude ; from whence our Lord Admiral returned , leaving only some Scouts to discover their success . When the Prince of Parma came to Dunkirk , the Spaniards entertained him with opprobrious speeches , as if in favour of Queen Elizabeth , he had neglected his opportunity , and willingly overthrown so hopeful a Design . The Prince to give them some satisfaction punished his Purveyors of Victuals , yet withal laughing in his sleeve at the insolency of the Spaniards , having heard them formerly to make their boasts that whithersoever they went they carried assured Victory along with them , and that the English durst not once abide to look them in the face . The Spaniards ( as was said even now ) being freed from the English that had haunted them like their Ghosts , consulted most seriously what was next to be done : they were very tender of the Popes Credit , who had prophesied , that this attempt would be fortunate and successful : The wrath of King Philip of Spain was to be feared , his vast Expences being thus lost , and his hopes frustrated : other Adventurers would be undone : the glory of the Spaniards would be laid in the dust : the Invincible Navy become a scorn , and England would still be England , not lorded over by the Spaniards , if without further attempt they should return into Spain . But on the other hand they considered that five thousand of the Souldiers were slain : a multitude of their Survivors lay sick or maimed upon their hands : Twelve of their greatest Ships were sunk , lost , or taken : their Cables , Masts , and Sails were cut , rent and broken with the English shot : Their Anchors left in the road of Callis : their Victuals failed : Their fresh water was spent : and their Enemies no less fierce , undaunted , and successful than at the first : The Prince of Parma though long in preparing , yet still unready , and kept in by the Dutch , Queen Elizabeths firm Allies : which circumstances wisely ballanced , the vote went currant for their hastning to Spain . But withal knowing that the King of Scots ( fast knit in affection and blood to our Queen ) would yield them no supplies ; and having as little hope that Norway would afford them any , they cast all their Horses , and Mules overboard , for the sparing of their fresh water : and so framing their course to sail about Cathenes , and the Coasts of Ireland , they steered between the Orcades and the Isles of Farr unto the sixty first degree of Latitude : From whence the Duke of Medina , with his best stored Ships , took Westward over the main Ocean towards Biscay , and at last arrived safely in Spain : where for his welcome , he was deposed from all his authority , forbidden to come at Court , and commanded to live private , neither could he give satisfaction by his bad excuses , albeit he imputed it to the treachery of his Mariners ; to their ignorance , and small experience of those Northern Seas ; the want of succours from the Prince of Parma ; the Tempests , Shipwracks and ill fortune : but not a word of the judgment of God , upon that Giantlike undertaking to enslave all England to the Spanish yoke . The residue of the Ships , being about forty in number , fell nearer with the Coast of Ireland , intending to touch at Cape Clare , well hoping there to refresh themselves , and supply their wants : but the winds proving contrary and tempestuous upon those dangerous Seas , many of their Ships perished upon the Irish shores , and amongst others a great Galliass , wherein Michael de Oquendo was Commander , and two other Venetian Ships of great burden , besides thirty eight more , with most of the Spaniards contained in them . Such as got clear off the danger , put forth to Sea : some of which by a strong West Wind were driven into the English Channel , where some of them were again set upon and taken by the English , others by men of Rochel in France , and some arrived at New Haven in Normandy : So that of one hundred thirty four Ships that set Sail out of Lisbon , only fifty three returned into Spain : Of the four Galliasses of Naples but one : of the four Gallions of Portugal , but one : of the ninety one Callions , and great Hulks from divers Provinces , only thirty three returned , fifty eight being lost . In brief , they lost in this Voyage eighty one Vessels , thirteen thousand , five hundred and odd Souldiers . Prisoners taken in England , Ireland , and the Low-Countries were above two thousand : Amongst those in England , Don Pedro de Valdez , Don Vasques de Silva , and Don Alonzo de Saies , and others were kept for their ransome . In Ireland Don Alonzo de Luzon , Roderigo de Lasse , and others of great account : In Zeland was Don Diego Piementelli : To be brief , there was no famous , or noble family in all Spain , which in this expedition lost not a Son , Brother , or Kinsman . And thus this Armado which had been so many years in preparing , and rigging with such vast expence , was in one month many times assaulted , and at length wholly defeated with the slaughter of so many of her men , not one hundred of the English being lacking , nor one small Ship of theirs taken , or lost , save only that of Cocks : and having traversed round about all Britain , by Scotland , the Orcades and Ireland , most grievously tossed , and very much distressed , and wasted by stormes , wracks , and all kinds of misery , at length came lamely home , with perpetual dishonour : whereupon Medals were stamped in memory thereof : A Fleet flying with full Sailes ; with this inscription , Venit , vidit , fugit , It came , it saw , it fled : Others in honour of our Queen , with flaming Ships , and a Fleet in a great confusion , and this Motto , Dux foemina facti , A Woman was Conductor of the fact . In the aforementioned wracks above seven hundred Souldiers and Sailors were cast on land in Scotland , who ( upon the intercession of the Prince of Parma to the King of Scots , and by the permission of Queen Elizabeth ) were after a years time sent over into the Low-Countries : But more unmercifully were those miserable wretches dealt withal , whose hap was to be driven by tempest into Ireland : Some of them being slain by the wild Irish ( their old friends ) and others of them being put to death by the command of the Lord Deputy : For he fearing lest they might join with the Irish to disturb the peace of the Nation , commanded Bingham , Governour of Connaught to destroy them : but he refusing to deal so rigorously with those that had yielded themselves , He sent Fowle , Deputy-Marshal , who drew them out of their lurking holes , and cut off the heads of above two hundred of them ; which fact the Queen from her heart condemned , and abhorred as a fact of too great cruelty . The remainder of them being terrified herewith , sick and starven as they were ▪ committed themselves to Sea in their shattered Vessels , and were many of them swallowed up by the Waves . The Spaniards charged the whole fault of their overthrow upon the Prince of Parma , as if in favour to our Queen he had wilfully and artificially delayed his coming to them : But this was but an invention , and pretention given out by them , partly upon a Spanish Envy against that Prince , he being an Italian , and his Son a Competitor to the Kingdom of Portugal : But chiefly to save the scorn and monstrous disreputation which they and their Nation received by the success of that enterprise : Therefore their colours , and excuses ( forsooth ) : were , That their General by Sea had a limited Commission , not to fight till the Land Forces were come in to them , and that the Prince of Parma had particular reaches and ends of his own to cross the designe . But it was both a strange Commission , and a strange Obedience to a Commission , for men in the midst of their own blood , and being so furiously assailed , to hold their hands , contrary to the Laws of Nature and necessity . And as for the Prince of Parma , he was reasonably well tempted to be true to that enterprise , by no less promise than to be made a Feudatory or Beneficiary King of England under the Seignory ( in chief ) of the Pope , and the protection of the King of Spain . Besides , it appeared that the Prince of Parma held his place long after of the Government of the Netherlands , in the favour and trust of the King of Spain , and by the great imployments and services that he performed in France . It is also manifest that this Prince did his best to come down , and put to Sea : The truth was , that the Spanish Navy , upon those proofs of Fight which they had with the English , finding how much hurt they received , and how little hurt they did , by reason of the activity and low building of our Ships , and skill of Seamen ; and being also commanded by a General of small courage and experience , and having lost at first two of their bravest Commanders at Sea , Pedro de Valdez , and Michael de Oquendo , durst not put it to a Battel at Sea , but set up their rest wholly upon the Land enterprise . On the other side , the transportation of the Land Forces failed in the very foundation ; For , whereas the Council of Spain made full account that their Navy should be Master of the Sea , and therefore able to guard and protect the Vessels of Transportation : When it fell out to the contrary , that the great Navy was distressed , and had enough to do to save it self , and that their Land Forces were impounded by the Hollanders : Things ( I say ) being in this state , it came to pass that the Prince of Parma must have flown , if he would have come into England , for he could get neither Bark , nor Mariner to put to Sea. Yet certain it is that the Prince looked for the coming back of the Armado even at that time when they were wandring , and making their perambulation upon the Northern Seas . Queen Elizabeth lying one night in her Army at Tilbury , the old Lord Treasurer Burleigh came thither and delivered to the Earl of Leicester the Examination of Don Pedro , who was taken and brought into England by Sir Francis Drake , which examination the Earl delivered unto me ( saith Dr Sharp , mine Author ) that I might publish it to the Army in my next Sermon . The sum of it was this : Don Pedro being asked by some of the Lords of the Privy Council , what was the intent of their coming ? stoutly answered the Lords , what ? but to subdue your Nation , and to root it out . Good ( said the Lords ) what then meant you to do with the Catholicks ? we meant ( said he ) to have sent them ( good men ) directly to Heaven , as all you that are Hereticks to Hell. Yea , but ( said the Lords ) what meant you to do with your whips of Cord and Wier , whereof you have such great store in your Ships ? what ? ( said he ) we meant to whip you Hereticks to Death that have assisted my Masters Rebels , and done such dishonour to our Catholick King and People . Yea , but what would you have done ( said they ) with their young Children ? They ( said he ) which were above seven years old should have gone the same way that their Fathers went : the rest should have lived , only we would have branded them in the Foreheads with the letter L. for Lutheran , and reserved them for perpetual bondage . This I take God to witness ( saith my Author ) I received of those great Lords , as upon examination taken by the Council , and by Commandment , published it to the Army . The next day ( saith he ) the Queen rode through her Army , attended by Noble-Footmen , Leicester , Essex , and Norris then Lord Marshall , and divers other great Lords , where she made an Excellent Oration to her Army , and withal commanded a publick Fast to be kept . Her Oration was this . MY loving people , we have been perswaded by some that are careful of our safety , to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes for fear of treachery : but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people . Let Tyrants fear : I have alwaies so behaved my self that ( under God ) I have alwaies placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my Subjects : and therefore I am come amongst you , as you see , at this time , not for my recreation and disport , but being resolved in the middest and heat of the battel to live or die amongst you all ; to lay down for my God , and for my Kingdom , and for my people , my Honour , and my Blood even in the dust . I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble Woman , but I have the Heart and Stomach of a King , and of a King of England too , and think foul scorn that Parma , or Spain , or any Prince of Europe should dare to invade the Borders of my Realm ; to which , rather than any dishonour shall grow by me , I my self will take up Arms , I my self will be your General , Judge , and Rewarder of every one of your vertues in the Field . I know that already for your forwardness you have deserved Rewards , and Crowns , and we do assure you in the word of a Prince , that shall be duly paid you . In the mean time my Lieutenant General ( Leicester ) shall be in my stead , than whom , never Prince commanded a more Noble or Worthy Subject ; not doubting but by your Obedience to my General , by your Concord in the Camp , and your valour in the Field , we shall shortly have a famous Victory over those Enemies of my God , of my Kingdoms , and my people . Thus we see the curse of God and his threatning in Scripture accomplished : They came out against us one way , and they fled seven wayes before us : making good ( even to the astonishment of all Posterity ) the wonderful Judgments of God poured out commonly upon such vast and proud aspirings . After this Glorious Deliverance of our Land by the Power of the Omnipotent , and the wild Boar repelled that sought to lay waste Englands fair and fruitful Vineyard , our Gracious and Godly Queen ( who ever held Ingratitude a Capital Sin , especially towards Her Almighty Protector ) as she had begun with Prayer , so she ended with Praise , commanding solemn Thanksgivings to be celebrated to the Lord of Hosts at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in her chief City of London , which accordingly was done upon Sabbath day the eighth of September : at which time eleven of the Spanish Ensignes ( the once badges of their bravery , but now of their vanity and ignominy ) were hung upon the lower Battlements of that Church , as Palmes of Praise for Englands Deliverance : a shew no doubt more pleasing to God than when their spread colours did set out the pride of the Spaniards , threatning the blood of so many innocent and faithful Christians . Queen Elizabeth her self , to be an example unto others upon Sabbath the twenty fourth of September , came from her Palace of White-Hall in Westminster , through the streets of London ( which were hung with blew Cloth , the Companies of the City standing in their Liveries on both sides with their Banners in goodly order ) being carried in a Chariot drawn with two Horses to St. Pauls Church , where dismounting from Her Chariot at the West door , she humbled Her self upon her Knees , and with great devotion , in an audible voice She praised God as her only Defender , who had delivered Her Self and People from the bloody designes of so cruel an Enemy . The Sermon then preached tended wholly to give all the glory to God , as the Author of this wonderful deliverance : and when that was ended , Her Majesty Her self , with most Princely and Christian Speeches exhorted all the people to a due performance of those religious services of thankfulness which the Lord expected and required of them . About the same time the Fair being kept in Southwark , the Spanish Flags were hung up at London-Bridge to the great joy of the beholders , and eternal infamy of the Spaniards proud attempts , as irreligious as unsuccessful . But the solemn day appointed for Thanksgiving throughout the Land was the nineteenth of November , being Tuesday , which accordingly was observed with great joy and praising of God ; and well it were if it had so continued still , being no less a Deliverance than was that of Purim amongst the Jews , which they instituted to be kept holy throughout their Generations . The Zelanders also to leave a memorial of their thankfulness to God , and their faithfulness to our Queen , caused Medals of Silver to be stamped , having engraven on the one side the Armes of their Country ; with this Inscription , Glory to God alone , and on the reverse , the Portraicture of great Ships , under written , the Spanish Fleet , and in the Circumference , It came , It went , It was , Anno 1588. In other Medals also were stamped Ships floating , and sinking , and in the reverse , Supplicants upon their Knees , with this Motto , Man proposeth , God disposeth , 1588. The Hollanders also stamped some Medals with Spanish Ships and this Motto , Impius fugit nemine sequente : the wicked fly when none pursues . Our Queen , to shew Her Gratitude as well to the Instruments as to the Author of this great Deliverance , assigned certain yearly Rents to the Lord Admiral for his gallant service , and many times commended him , and the other Captains of Her Ships , as men born for the Preservation of their Country . The rest She graciously saluted by name as oft as she saw them , as men of notable deserts , wherewith they held themselves well apaid , and those which were Wounded , Maimed , or Poor , She rewarded with competent Pensions . The Lord of Hosts having thus dispelled this Storm , the Queen dissolved Her Camp at Tilbury , and not long after the Earl of Leicester ended his dayes , having been a Peer of great Estate and Honour , but liable to the common destiny of Great Ones , whom all men magnifie in their life time , but few speak well of after their Death . This Admirable Deliverance was congratulated by almost all other Nations , especially by all the reformed Churches , and many Learned Men celebrated the same in Verse , amongst which I shall onely mention two : The first was that Poem made by Reverend Mr. Beza ; Translated into all the chief Languages in Christendom , to be perpetuated to all ensuing Posterity . It was this . STraverat innumeris Hispanus classibus aequor , Regnis juncturus Sceptra Britanna suis. Tanti hujus rogitas quae motus causa ? superbos Impulit Ambitio , vexat avaritia . Quam bene te Ambitio mersit vanissima ventus ; Et tumidae tumidos Vos superastis aquae ! Quam bene Raptores Orbis totius Iberos Mersit inexhausti justa vorago Maris ! At tu , cui venti , cui totum militat Aequor , Regina , O mundi totius una decus : Sic regnare Deo perge , Ambitione remota , Prodiga sic opibus perge jùvare pios ; Vt te Angli longum , longum Anglis ipsa fruaris , Quam dilecta bonis , tam metuenda malis . SPaines King with Navies great the Seas bestrew'd , T' augment with English Crown his Spanish sway : Ask ye what caus'd this proud attempt ? 't was lewd Ambition drove , and Avarice led the way . It 's well ; Ambitions windy puff lies drown'd By winds , and swelling hearts , by swelling waves : It 's well ; those Spaniards who the Worlds vast round Devour'd , devouring Sea most justly craves . But thou O Queen , for whom Winds , Seas do war , O thou the Glory of this Worlds wide Mass , So reign to God still , from Ambition far , So still with bounteous aids the Good imbrace : That Thou maist England long , long England Thee enjoy , Thou terror of all Bad , Thou Good Mens joy . The other is that , made by Mr Samuel Ward of Ipswich . OCtogesimus Octavus , Mirabilis annus Clade Papistarum , Faustus ubique piis . IN Eighty eight Spain arm'd with potent might Against our peaceful Land came on to fight : The Winds , and Waves , and Fire in one conspire To help the English , frustrate Spains desire . THE Gunpowder-Treason : Being A REMEMBRANCER TO ENGLAND , Of that ancient deliverance from that Horrid Plot , hatched by the Bloody PAPISTS , 1605. Tending to revive the Memory of the fifth of November , to every Family in this Nation . That all sorts may be stirred up to real thankfulness , and transmit the same to their Posterities , that their Children may know the reason why the fifth of November is celebrated : that God may have glory and PAPISTS perpetual Infamy . The Lord is known by the judgment that he executeth , and the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands . Higgaion Selah . Psal. 9. 16. By SAMVEL CLARK , formerly Pastor of Bennet Finck , London . LONDON , Printed for J. Hancock , at the three Bibles , in Popes-Head Alley , next to Cornhill , 1676. TO THE READER . Christian Reader , LEt the remembrance of so signal a mercy and deliverance vouchsafed by God both to Church and State should be buried in Oblivion , I have ( at the request of the Book seller ) presented thee here with a true and faithful Narrative of that grand work of darkness , forged in Hell , and by Satan suggested to some Popish Instruments , who envying the peace and prosperity of our Church , and progress of the Gospel , had designed at one blow to overthrow both : and that nothing might be wanting to complete that horried wickedness , their purpose was to have charged it upon the Puritans , thereby hoping to free themselves and their Religion from the imputation of so hainous a Crime . Now that the memorial of a mercy of such publick and general concernment should not be forgotten , we have the word of the eternal God to be our guide therein . When the Lord had by his Angel destroyed the first-born of Egypt , and spared Israel , he instituted the feast of the Passover to continue the memorial thereof through their Generations , Ex. 12. 11 , 12 , 14. and ver . 26 , 27. saith Moses to them , when your Children shall say unto you , What mean you by this service ? ye shall say , It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passover , who passed over the Houses of the Children of Israel when he smote the Egyptians , and delivered our Houses . And how careful good Mordecai was to continue the remembrance of that great deliverance of the people of God from destruction plotted and contrived by that wicked Haman , appears Esth. 9. 20 , &c. where they did not only celebrate those present dayes of their deliverance with feasting , and gladness : but he , together with the rest of the Jewes , or dained , and took upon them , and their seed , and upon all such as joined themselves unto them , so as it should not fail , that they would keep those daies in their appointed time every year , and that those daies should be remembred , and kept through their Generations , every Family , every Province , and every City , and that those daies of Purim should not fail from amongst the Jews , nor the memorial of them perish from their seed , &c. And truly the remembrance of this great mercy hath the more need to be revived at this time , when some noted persons amongst us begin to decry it , and wholly to lay aside the observation of that day , though enjoined by Act of Parliament , and made conscience of by most of the godly people of the Nation . I have also been induced the rather to make this brief Collection of the Story , because , though it be published by others , yet it is in larger Volumes , which are not every ones money ; whereas , for a small matter every family may get and keep this by them for the benefit , and satisfaction both of themselves and Children , that so the Lord may not lose of his glory , nor they ( for want of information ) fail of their duty . I shall conclude with that of the Psalmist , Psal. 107. 8. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness : and for his wonderful works to the Children of men ! which is the hearty desire of Thine for thy spiritual good , SAM . CLARK . THE DELIVERANCE OF OUR CHURCH and STATE FROM THE Hellish Powder-Plot , 1605. THE Plot was to undermine the Parliament-House , and with Powder to blow up the King , Prince , Clergy , Nobles , Knights , and Burgesses , the very confluence of all the flower of Glory , Piety , Learning , Prudence and Authority in the Land : Fathers , Sons , Brothers , Allies , Friends , Foes , Papists , and Protestants , all at one blast . Their intent , when that irreligious atchievement had been performed , was , to surprize the remainder of the Kings Issue , to alter Religion and Government , and to bring in a Foreign Power . Sir Edmond Baynam , an attainted person ( who stiled himself Prince of the damned Crew ) was sent unto the Pope as he was a temporal Prince to acquaint him with the Gun-Powder-Plot ; and now to the Plot in self . The Sessions of Parliament being dissolved July the 7th Anno Christi , 1604. and Prorogued to the seventh of February following : Catesby being at Lambeth , sent for Thomas Winter , who before had been imployed into Spain , and acquainted him with the design of blowing up the Parliament-House , who readily apprehending it , said , This indeed strikes at the root ; only these helps were wanting ; a House for residence , and a skilful man to carry on the Mine : But the first , Catesby assured him was easie to be got ; and for the man , he commended Guy Fawkes , a sufficient Souldier , and a forward Catholick : Thus Robert Catesby , John Wright , Thomas Winter , and Guy Fawkes , had many meetings , and Conferences about this business , till at last Thomas Percy came puffing in to Catesby's Lodging at Lambeth , saying , What Gentlemes , shall we alwaies be talking , and never do any thing ? You cannot be ignorant how things proceed ? To whom Catesby answered , that something was resolved on , but first an Oath for secresie was to be administred : for which purpose they appointed to meet some three days after , behind Clements Church beyond Temple-Bar ; where being met , Percy professed that for the Catholick cause , himself would be the man to advance it , were it with the slaughter of the King , which he was there ready to undertake and do . No Tom ( said Catesby ) thou shalt not adventure thy self to so small a purpose ; if thou wilt be a Traytor , there is a Plot to greater advantage , and such an one as can never be discovered : Hereupon all of them took the Oath of Secresie , heard a Mass , and received the Sacrament , after which Catesby told them his devilish device by Mine and Gunpowder to blow up the Parliament-House , and so by one stroke with the destruction of many to effect that at once which had been many years attempting : and for cause of Conscience to kill the innocent with the nocent , he told them that it was warrantable by the Authority of Garnet himself , the superiour of the English Jesuites , and of Garrard and Tresmond ( Jesuitical Priests likewise ) who by their Apostolical Power did commend the fact , and absolve the Actors . The Oath was given them by the said Garrard in these words ; You shall swear by the blessed Trinity , and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive , never to disclose directly , nor indirectly , by word , or circumstance , the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret , nor desist from the execution thereof until the rest shall give you leave . The Project being thus far carried on , in the next place the first thing they sought after , was an House wherein they might begin their work , for which purpose no place was held fitter than a certain Edifice adjoining to the Wall of the Parliament House , which served for a withdrawing room to the Assembled Lords , and out of Parliament time was at the dispose of Mr. Winyard the Keeper of the place , and Wardrobe thereto belonging : these did Percy hire for his Lodgings , entertaining Fawkes as his man , who changing his name into Johnson , had the Keyes , and keeping of the rooms commended to him ; Besides this , they hired another House to lay in provision of Powder , and to frame and fit Wood in for the carrying on the Mine , which Catesby provided at Lambeth , and sware Robert Keies into their Conspiracy , whom he made the Keeper of those provisions , who by night conveyed the same unto Fawkes . The appointed day for the Parliament being the seventh day of February , It was thought fit to begin their work in October before : but Fawkes returning out of the Country , found Percies rooms appointed for the Scottish Lords to meet in , who were to treat about the union of the two Kingdoms , whereupon they forbore for a while to begin their work : But that Assembly being soon dissolved , upon the eleventh of December late in the night they entred upon their work of darkness , beginning their Mine , having tools aforehand prepared , and baked meats provided , the better to avoid suspicion , in case they should send abroad for them . They which first began the Mine , were Robert Catesby Esquire , the Arch-Contriver and Traitor , and ruine of his name , Thomas Percy Esquire , a Kin to the Earl of Northumberland , Thomas Winter , John Wright , Guy Fawkes , Gentlemen , and Thomas Bates , Catesbies Man , all of them well grounded in the Romish School , and earnest labourers in this Vault of Villany , so that by Christmas-Eve they had brought the Mine under an Entry adjoining to the Wall of the Parliament-House , under-propping the Earth as they went with their framed Timber , nor till that day were they seen abroad of any man. During this undermining , much consultation was had , how to order the rest of the business , when the deed should be accomplished : the first was , how to surprise the next Heir to the Crown : for though they doubted not but that Prince Henry would Accompany his Father , and perish with him , yet they suspected that Duke Charles , as too young to attend the Parliament , would escape the train , and perchance be so carefully guarded , and attended at Court , that he would be gotten into their hands hardly ; But Percy offered to be the remover of this rub , resolving with some other Gentlemen to enter the Dukes Chamber , which by reason of his acquaintance he might well do , and others of his like acquaintance should be placed at several Doors of the Court , so that when the blow was given , and all men in a maze , then would he carry away the Duke , which he presumed would be easily done , the most of the Court being then absent , and for such as were present , they would be altogether unprovided for resistance . For the surprize of the Lady Elizabeth , it was held a matter of far less difficulty , she remaining at Comb Abbey in Warwickshire with the Lord Harrington , and Ashbey , Catesbies House being not far from the same , whither under a pretence of an hunting upon Dunsmore Heath , many Catholicks should be assembled , who knowing for what purpose they were met , had the full liberty in that distracted time to provide Money , Horses , Armor , and other necessaries for War , under pretence of strengthning and guarding the Heir Apparent to the Crown . Then it was debated what Lords they should save from the Parliament , and it was agreed that they should keep as many as they could that were Catholicks or Favourers of them ; but that all others should feel the smart , and that the treason should be charged upon the Puritans to make them more odious to the World. Next it was controverted what Foreign Princes they should make Privy to this Plot seeing they could not enjoin them secresie , nor oblige them by Oath , and this much troubled them . For though Spain was held fittest to second their Plot , yet he was slow in his preparations , and France was too near and too dangerous to be dealth with , and how the Hollanders stood affected to England they knew very well ▪ But while they were thus busying themselves , and tormenting their brains , the Parliament was again adjourned to the fifth day of October ensuing , whereupon they brake off both discourse , and work till Candlemas , and then they laid in Powder , and other Provisions , beginning their work again , and having in the mean time taken into their Company Christopher Wright , and Robert Winter , being first sworn , and receiving the Sacrament for secresie ; the foundation Wall of the Parliament-House , being very hard and nine foot thick , with great difficulty they wrought half through ; Fawkes being their Centinel to give warning when any came near , that the noise in digging might not be heard . The Labourers thus working into the Wall , were suddenly surprized with a great fear , and casting away their digging Tools , betook themselves to their Weapons , having sufficient shot and Powder in the House , and fully resolving rather to die in the place than to yield or be taken . The cause of this their fear was a noise that they heard in a room under the Parliament House , under which they meant to have Mined , which was directly under the Chair of State ; but now all on a sudden they were at a stand , and their Countenances cast each upon other , as doubtful what would be the Issue of their enterprize . Fawkes scouted out to see what he could discover abroad , and finding all safe , and free from suspicion , he returned , and told them that the noise was only occasioned by the removal of Coals that were now upon Sale , and that the Cellar was to be let , which would be more commodious for their purpose , and also would save their labour for the Mine . Hereupon Thomas Percy , under pretence of Stowage for his Winter provision and Coals , went and hired the Cellar ; which done they began a new Conference , wherein Catesby found the weight of the whole work too heavy for himself alone to support : for besides the maintenance of so many persons , and the several Houses for the several uses hired , and paid for by him , the Gunpowder and other Provisions would rise to a very great sum , and indeed too much for one mans Purse . He desired therefore that himself , Percy , and one more might call in such persons as they thought fit to help to maintain the charge , alledging that they knew men of worth and wealth that would willingly assist , but were not willing that their names should be known to the rest . This request , as necessary , was approved , and therefore ceasing to dig any further in the Vault , knowing that the Cellar would be fitter for their purpose , they removed into it twenty Barrels of Gunpowder , which they covered with a thousand Billets , and five hundred Faggots , so that now their lodging rooms were cleared of all suspicious provision , and might be freely entered into without danger of discovery . But the Parliament being again Prorogued to the fifth of November following , these persons thought sit that for a while they should again disperse themselves ( all things being already in so good a forwardness ) and that Guy Fawkes should go over to acquaint Sir William Stanley , and Master Hugh Owen with these their proceedings , yet so , as the Oath of secresie should be first taken by them . For their design was to have Sir Stanley's presence so soon as the fatal blow should be given , to be a Leader to their intended stratagems , whereof ( as they thought ) they should have great need , and that Owen should remain where he was , to hold correspondency with Foreign Princes , to allay the odiousness of the fact , and to impute the Treason to the discontented Puritanes . Fawkes coming into Flanders found Owen , unto whom , after the Oath , he declared the Plot , which he very well approved of , but Sir William Stanley being now in Spain , Owen said , that he would hardly be drawn into the business , having suits at this time in the English Court : yet he promised to ingage him all he could , and to send him into England with the first , so soon as their Plot had taken effect : Upon this , Fawkes to avoid further suspicion , kept still in Flanders all the beginning of September , and then returning , received the Keyes of the Cellar , and laid in more Powder , Billets and Faggots , which done he retired into the Country , and there kept till the end of October . In the mean time Catesby and Percy meeting at the Bath , it was there concluded that because their number was but few , Catesby himself should have power to call in whom he would to assist their design , by which Authority he took in S ir Everard Digby of Rutlandshire , and Francis Tresham Esquire of Northamptonshire , both of them of sufficient state and wealth ; For Sir Everard offered fifteen hundred pounds to forward the action , and Tresham two thousand . But Percy disdaining that any should out-run him in evil , promised four thousand pounds out of the Earl of Northumberlands Rents , and ten swift Horses to be used when the blow was past . Against which time to provide ammunition , Catesby also took in Ambrose Rookwood , and John Grant , two Recusant Gentlemen , and without doubt others were acquainted also with it , had these two grand Electors been apprehended alive , whose own tongues only could have given an account of it . The business being thus forwarded abroad by their complices , they at home were no less active : For Percy , Winter , and Fawkes had stored this Cellar with thirty six Barrels of Gunpowder , and instead of shot , had laid upon them Bars of Iron , logs of Timber , massie Stones , Iron Crowes , Pick-Axes , and all their working Tools , and to cover all , great store of Billets and Faggots , so that nothing was wanting against that great and terrible day . Neither were the Priests and Jesuits slack on their parts , who usually concluded their Masses with Prayers for the good success of their expected hopes , about which Garnet made these Verses , Gentem aufer perfidam credentium de finibus : Vt Christo laudes debitas persolvamus alacriter . And others thus . Prosper Lord their pains that labour in thy cause day and night : Let Heresie vanish away like smoke : Let their memory perish with a crack like the ruine and fall of a broken house . Upon Thursday in the Evening , ten days before the Parliament was to begin , a Letter directed to the Lord Monteagle , was delivered by an unknown person to his footman in the street , with a strait charge to give it into his Lords own hands , which accordingly he did : The Letter had neither date , nor subscription , and was somewhat unlegible , so that the Nobleman called for one of his servants to assist him in reading it ; the strange contents whereof much perplexed him , he not knowing whether it was writ as a Pasquil to scare him from attendance at the Parliament , or as matter of consequence , and advice from some friend : Howsoever , though it were now Supper-time , and the night very dark , yet to shew his loyalty to his Sovereign , he immediately repaired to Whitehall , and imparted the Letter to the Earl of Salisbury , then principal Secretary , who reading the Letter , and hearing how it came to the Lord Monteagles hands , highly commended his Prudence and Loyalty for discovering it , telling him plainly that whatsoever might be the event , yet it put him in mind of divers Advertisements , wherewithal he had acquainted both the King , and his Council , of some great business which the Papists were in hand with , both at home and abroad against this Parliament , pretending a Petition to the King and Parliament for a toleration of their Religion , but withal , giving out , that it should be delivered in such an order , and so well backed , that the King should be loth to refuse their request . Then did the Earl of Salisbury presently acquaint the Lord Chamberlain therewith , who deemed the matter not a little to concern himself ; his Office requiring him to oversee all the places to which his Majesty was to repair : Hereupon these two Counsellors shewed the Letter to the Earls of Worcester and Northampton , and all concluded ( how slight soever the contents seemed to appear ) to acquaint the King himself with the same , which accordingly was done by the Earl of Salisbury , who upon Friday in the Afternoon ( being All-Saints day ) taking the King into the Gallery at White-hall , communicated the Letter to him , which was as followeth , My Lord , OVT of the love I bear to some of your friends , I have a care of your preservation : Therefore I would advise you as you tender your life , to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament : For God and Man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time . And think not slightly of this advertisement , but retire your self into your Country , where you may expect the event in safety . For though there be no appearance of any stir , yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament , and yet they shall not see who hurts them . This counsel is not to be contemned , because it may do you good , and can do you no harm : For the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the Letter ; and I hope God will give you the Grace to make a good use of it , to whose holy protection I commend you . His Majesty after reading this Letter , pausing a while , and then reading it again , delivered his judgment , that the stile of it was too quick and pithy to be a Libel proceeding from the superfluities of an idle brain , and by these words , That they should receive a terrible blow at this Parliament , and yet not see who hurt them ; he presently apprehended , that a sudden danger by a blast of Gunpowder was intended by some base Villain in a Corner , though no insurrection , rebellion , or desperate attempt appeared : But the Earl of Salisbury , perceiving the King to apprehend it deeplier than he expected , told his Majesty that he judged by one sentence in it that it was written either by a Fool , or a Mad-man . For said he , If the danger be past as soon as you have burnt the Letter , then the warning is to little purpose , when the burning of the Letter may prevent the danger . But the King on the contrary , considering the former sentence , That they should receive a terrible blow at this Parliament , and yet should not see who hurt them , joining it with this other sentence , did thereupon conclude that the danger mentioned should be very sudden by some blast of Gun-Powder : interpreting as soon , for , as quickly ▪ and therefore wished that the rooms under the Parliament-House should be thoroughly searched , before Himself or Peers should sit therein : Hereupon it was concluded that the Lord Chamberlain ( according to his Office ) should view all the rooms above and below : but yet , to prevent idle rumors and to let things ripen further , it was resolved that this search should be deferred till Munday , the day immediately before the Parliament , and that then it should be done with a seeming slight eye to avoid suspect . According to this conclusion , the Earl of Suffolk , Lord Chamberlain , upon Munday in the Afternoon , accompanied with the Lord Monteagle , repaired into those under rooms , and finding the Cellar so fully stored with Wood and Coals , demanded of Fawkes , the counterfeit Johnson , who stood there attending as a servant of small repute , Who owed the place ? He answered that the Lodgings belonged to Mr Thomas Percy , and the Cellar also , to lay in his Winter-provision , himself being the Keeper of it and Mr Percies Servant ; whereunto the Earl , as void of any suspicion , told him that his Master was well provided against Winter blasts : But when they were come forth , the Lord Monteagle told him that he did much suspect Percy to be the Inditer of the Letter , knowing his affection in Religion , and the friendship betwixt them professed , so that his heart gave him ( as he said ) when he heard Percy named , that his hand was in the act . The Lord Chamberlain returning , related to the King and Council what he had seen , and the suspicion that the Lord Monteagle had of Percy , and himself of Johnson his man , all which increased his Majesties jealousie , so that he insisted that a narrower search should be made , and the Billets and Coals turned up to the bottom ; of the same mind also were all the Privy-Counsellors then present : but for the manner how the search was to be made , they agreed not among themselves . For on the one part they were very solicitous for the Kings safety , concluding that there could not be too much caution used for preventing his danger : and yet on the other part they were all extreme loth ( in case this Letter should prove nothing but the evaporation of some idle brain ) that a too curious search should be made , lest , if nothing were found , it should turn to the great scandal of the King and State , as being so suspicious upon every light and frivolous toy : Besides it would lay an ill-favoured imputation upon the Earl of Northumberland , one of his Majesties greatest Subjects , and Counsellors , This Thomas Percy being his Kinsman , and intimate Friend . Yet at last the search was concluded to be made , but under colour of searching for certain Hangings belonging to the House , which were missing and conveyed away . Sir Thomas Knevet ( a Gentleman of his Majesties Privy-Chamber , and a Justice of Peace in Westminster ) was imployed herein , who about midnight before the Parliament was to begin , went to the place with a small , but trusty number of persons : and at the door of the entrance to the Cellar , finding one ( who was Guy Fawkes ) at so unseasonable an hour , Cloked , and Booted , he apprehended him , and ransacking the Billets , he found the Serpents Nest stored with thirty six Barrels of Powder , and then searching the Villain , he found about him a dark Lanthorn , three Matches , and other instruments for blowing up the Powder : And Fawkes being no whit daunted , instantly confessed his guiltiness , and was so far from repentance , as he vowed , that had he been within the House ( as indeed he was but immediately come forth from his work ) he would certainly have blown up the House with himself and them all : and being brought before the Council , he lamented nothing so much as because the deed was not done , saying , that the Devil , and not God , was the discoverer of it . And indeed when this Prisoner was first brought into Whitehall , in respect of the strangeness of the thing , no man was restrained from seeing , and speaking with him , and not long after the Lords of the Council examined him : But he put on such a Romane resolution , that both to the Council , and to all others that spake to him that day , he seemed fixed , and settled in his resolution of concealing his complices ; and notwithstanding the horror of the fact , the guiltiness of his Conscience , his sudden surprize , the terror which should have been stricken into him , by coming into the presence of so noble and grave a Council , and the restless and confused questions that every man all that day did vex him with ; yet was his countenance so far from being dejected , that he often smiled in a scornful manner , answering quickly to every mans questions , scoffing at those that were impertinent , and jesting at such as he thought had no authority to examine him . Before the Council he refused to answer to such questions as he thought might discover the Plot : took all the blame upon himself , whereunto he said he was moved only for Religion , and Conscience sake : denying the King to be his lawful Sovereign , because he was an Heretick . As desperate were Catesby , Percy , and the rest , who seeing the treason discover'd , posted all into Warwickshire . About the same hour of the night wherein Fawkes was apprehended , one Grant a Gentleman , having associated to himself others of his opinion , all desperate Papists , broke open the Stables of Mr Bennock , a Rider of great Horses at Warwick Castle , and carried away eight of them , which belonged to divers Noblemen , and Gentlemen of that Country , who had put them into Mr Bennock's hand to fit them for their service , and so both they which had fled from London , and Grant and his Company met on that Tuesday night at Dun-Church , at Sir Everard Digbies Lodgings , who had made a match for a great Hunting , upon Dunsmore-heath , that under pretence thereof they might seize upon the Lady Elizabeth then at Comb-Abbey , with the Lord Harrington , but when by those which posted from London they were informed that they were discovered , and pursued , being struck with a great fear , not knowing whither to fly , they desperately began an open Rebellion , pretending that they did it for the cause of Religion , all the Catholicks throats being intended to be cut . But the violent taking away of those Horses in the night , seemed even in the eyes of the common-people to be so great a riot , though they knew nothing more , that it begat in their hearts a suspicion of some following Rebellion , so that all sorts both great and small began to arm themselves upon this unexpected accident . And old Sir Fulk Grevil of Beauchamps-Court , being Deputy-Lieutenant of Warwickshire , though aged and infirm , yet out of his zeal for the peace and welfare of his Country , presently took order to get into his hands the Ammunition and Arms of all such Gentlemen as were absent from their Houses , or Popishly affected , and sent such directions to the Towns about him , that thereupon when these Rebels came to Ilcester , a poor Smith stroke Winter , who had likewise been taken by the Townsmen but that he was rescued by his Companions . Yet sixteen of their followers were taken and sent to the Sheriff at Warwick , and from thence to London . In the mean time the rest wandred through Warwickshire , being pursued by Sir Richard Verney , the then High-Sheriff , and from thence they went through Worcestershire into the Borders of Staffordshire , their Servants and followers being about eighty men , who also stole away many of them from them . Thus ranging about , and finding no resistance , they rifled the Lord Windsors House of all the Armour , Shot , Powder , and all other Warlike provisions : but the weather being rainy , and the waters somewhat high , the Powder in Carriage took wet , and so became unserviceable . For their last refuge they betook themselves to Holbach House in Staffordshire , belonging to Steven Littleton , whither they were pursued by the High-Sheriff of Worcestershire , who not knowing of the treason , and thinking it to be only some fray , or riot , sent his Trumpeter unto them , commanding them to render themselves to him his Majesties Minister : But their Consciences witnessing what the Sheriff knew not , answered , that he had need of greater assistance than of those few that were with him , before he could be able to command or controul them : and so they prepared for resistance , and having laid two pounds of the said Powder into a Platter to dry in the Chimney , one coming to mend the fire threw in a Billet , whereby a spark flew into the Powder , whose sudden blast was so violent , that though so small a quantity , it blew up the roof of the House , scorching the Bodies and Faces of Catesby , Rookwood , and Grant , and some others , whose Consciences now told them that God had punished them justly with Powder , who with Powder would have destroyed so many . Being dispirited with this accident , yet like desperate men , they resolved to die together , set open the Gates , and suffered the Sheriffs men to rush in upon them , and presently both the Wrights were shot down dead : Rookwood and Thomas Winter were very sorely wounded , Catesby and Percy desperately fighting back to back , were both shot through , and slain with one Musket Bullet : the rest being taken , were carried Prisoners to London , being all the way gazed at , reviled and detested by the common people for their horrid , and horrible treason : and so at last they received the just guerdon of their wickedness . Thus you have seen this work of darkness by the watchfulness of Gods providence detected and defeated , and the contrivers of mischief faln into the Pit that they digged for others : Now let us see also how cunningly they contrived the transferring the Odium of it upon the Puritans . There was one Mr Pickering of Tichmarsh-Grove in Northamptonshire , that was in great esteem with King James . This Mr Pickering had a Horse of special note for swiftness , on which he used to hunt with the King. A little before the blow was given , Mr Keies , one of the Conspirators and Brother in Law to Mr Pickering , borrowed this Horse of him , and conveyed him to London upon a bloody design which was thus contrived . Fawks upon the day of the fatal blow was appointed to retire himself into St. Georges Fields , where this Horse was to attend him to further his escape ( as they made him believe ) so soon as the Parliament House should be blown up . It was likewise contrived , that Mr Pickering who was noted for a Puritan , should that Morning be murthered in his Bed , and secretly conveyed away : as also that Fawks so soon as he came into Georges Fields to escape , should be there murthered , and so mangled , that he could not be known : whereupon it was to be bruited abroad that the Puritans had blown up the Parliament-House , and the better to make the World believe it , there was Mr Pickering with his choice Horse ready to make an escape , but that stirred up some , who seeing the hainousness of the fact , and him ready to escape , in detestation of so horrible a deed , fell upon him and hewed him in pieces , and to make it more clear , there was his Horse , known to be of special speed and swiftness , ready to carry him away , and upon this rumor a Massacre should have gone through the whole land upon the Puritans . When the contrivance of this Plot was thus discovered by some of the Conspirators , and Faux , who was now a Prisoner in the Tower made acquainted with it , whereas before he was made to believe by his Companions that he should be bountifully rewarded for that his good service to the Catholick Cause , now perceiving that on the contrary his Death had been contrived by them , he thereupon freely confessed all that he knew concerning that horrid Conspiracy , which before all the tortures of the rack could not force him unto . The truth of all this was attested by Mr William Perkins , an eminent Christian and Citizen of London to Dr Gouge , which Mr Perkins had it from the mouth of Mr Clement Cotton , that made our English Concordance , who also had it from the Relation of Mr Pickering himself . The Names of those that were first in this Treason and laboured in the Mine , were Robert Catesby , Robert Winter , Esquires ; Thomas Percy , Thomas Winter , John Wright , Christopher Wright , Guy Fawkes , Gentlemen , and Bates , Catesbies man. Persons made acquainted with it , and Promoters of it , were Sir Everard Digby , Knight ; Ambrose Rookwood , Francis Tresham , Esquires ; John Grant , Gentleman ; Robert Keyes . This prodigious contrivance did not only stupifie the whole Kingdom with consternation and amazement , but Foreign Princes , at least , seemed to wonder at it also , and though ( for the propagation of the Catholick cause ) they might have Conscience enough to wish that it had taken effect , yet they had policy enough to congratulate the discoverers ; and some of them , to take off the asperity of the suspect , sweetned their expressions with many rich gifts to our King and Queen . The Parliament by reason of the hurry occasioned hereby , met not till the ninth of November : at which time Henry Lord Mordant , and Edward Lord Sturton not coming to the Parliament according to their Writ of Summons , were suspected as having knowledge of the Conspiracy ; and so was the Earl of Northumberland , from some presumptions , and all three were Committed to the Tower. The two Barons after a while were redeemed by fine in Starchamber , but the Earl continued a Prisoner there for many years after . How the Parliament was affected for this great deliverance of the whole Kingdom from ruine and destruction , will appear by the Act which they made to have the fifth of November for ever solemnized with Publick Thanksgiving : wherein they imputed the discovery of the Treason to the inspiring the King with a divine spirit to interpret some dark Phrases of the Letter , above , and beyond all ordinary construction : they attainted also the blood of those Traytors that were executed , as also of those that were slain at Holbach-House , or that died in Prison : and the King being not unmindful of the Lord Monteagle , the first discoverer of this Treason , gave him , and his Heirs for ever , two hundred pounds a year in Fee-Farm Rents , and 500l l a year besides , during his life , as a reward for his good service . But now to the Act it self . An Act for a Publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God every year on the fifth of November . FOrasmuch as Almighty God hath in all Ages shewed his Power , and Mercy in the miraculous , and gracious deliverance of his Church ; and in the protection of Religious Kings and States ; and that no Nation of the Earth hath been blessed with greater benefits than this Kingdom now enjoyeth , having the true and free profession of the Gospel under our most Sovereign Lord King James , the most Great , Learned , and Religious King that ever reigned therein , enriched with a most hopeful and plentiful Progeny , proceeding out of his Royal Loyns , promising the continuance of this happiness , and profession to all Posterity : the which many malignant and Devillish Papists , Jesuits , and Seminary Priests , much envying , and fearing , conspired most horribly , when the Kings most Excellent Majesty , the Queen , the Prince , and all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal , and Commons , should have been Assembled in the Vpper House of Parliament , upon the fifth day of November in the year of our Lord 1605. suddenly to have blown up the said House with Gunpowder ; an invention so inhumane , barbarous , and cruel , as the like was never before heard of ; and was ( as some of the principal Conspirators confess ) purposely devised , and concluded to be done in the said House , that , where sundry necessary and Religious Laws for preservation of the Church and State were made , which they falsly and slanderously term cruel Laws , enacted against them and their Religion ; both place and persons should be all destroyed and blown up at once , which would have turned to the utter ruine of this whole Kingdom , had it not pleased Almighty God , by inspiring the Kings most Excellent Majesty with a divine spirit , to interpret some dark phrases of a Letter shewed to his Majesty , above , and beyond all ordinary construction , thereby miraculously discovering this hidden Treason , not many hours before the appointed time for the Execution thereof . Therefore the Kings most Excellent Majesty , the Lords Spiritual and Temporal , and all his Majesties faithful and loving Subjects do most justly acknowledge this great and infinite blessing to have proceeded meerly from Gods great mercy , and to his most holy name do ascribe all Honour , Glory , and Praise . And to the end this unfeigned thankfulness may never be forgotten , but be had in a perpetual remembrance , that all Ages to come may yield praises to his Divine Majesty for the same , and have in memory this joyful day of deliverance . Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty , the Lords Spiritual and Temporal , and by the Commons in this present Parliament assembled , and by the Authority of the same : That all and singular Ministers in every Cathedral , and Parish Church , or other usual place for Common-Prayer , within this Realm of England , and the Dominions of the same , shall alwaies upon the fifth day of November say Morning Prayer , and give unto Almighty God thanks for this most happy deliverance ; and that all and every person and persons inhabiting within this Realm of England , and the Dominions of the same , shall alwaies upon that day diligently and faithfully resort to the Parish Church or Chappel accustomed , or to some usual Church or Chappel where the said Morning Prayer , Preaching , or other service of God shall be used , and then and there to abide orderly , and soberly , during the time of the said Prayer , Preaching , or other service of God , there to be used and ministred . And because all and every person may be put in mind of this duty , and be the better prepared to the said holy service . Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid , that every Minister shall give warning to his Parishioners publickly in the Church at Morning Prayer the Sunday before every such fifth of November , for the due observation of the said day . And that after Morning Prayer or Preaching on the said fifth day of November , they read distinctly and plainly this present Act. Upon the Powder-Plot . OH Murtherous Plot ! Posterity shall say , 'S Vnholyness o'reshoots Caligula . The Pope by this and such designs ( 't is plain ) Out-Babels Nimrod , and out-Butchers Cain . Monteagle's Letter was in dubious sence , And seem'd a piece of Stygian Eloquence : The Characters look'd just like conj'ring spells ; For this bout Hell here spoke in Parables . The Popes and Devil's Signet were set to 't , The Cloven Miter join'd to th' cloven foot . Thus were our Senates like to be betray'd , By a strange Egg in Peters Chair 't was laid : For had the Serpent hatcht it , the device Had prov'd to us a bainful Cockatrice . But Fawkes his bafled hopes only bequeath , Instead of Comforts , thoughts of sudden death . Like Hamans Fate he only must aspire To the just advance of fifty Cubits higher . But couldst thou think thou monstrous Beast of Rome , To Massacre at one sad blow by Doom , And cast them down whom Heaven decreed to stand ? Dark Lanthorns , whilst Truths Candlestick is here , Thy Purple Plots our Nation need not fear . The Beastly Whore may lay her Trump'ries by , Vntil our sins are of her purple-die . A Narrative of the visible hand of God upon the Papists by the downfal in Black-Friers , London , Anno Christi 1623. ON the Lords day , October the twenty sixth according to the English account , but November the fifth according to the Popish account , went far and near , that one Drury a Romist Priest ( a man of parts , and eminent gifts ) would preach that day in the afternoon in a fair house in Black-Friers , London , whither all that would might freely come and hear him . Upon this report very many , Protestants as well as Papists , Scholars as well as others , assembled thither about three a Clock in the Afternoon . That mansion house was now inhabited by the French Ambassador : and the Sermon was to be in a Garret , into which there were two passages : One out of the Ambassadors withdrawing room which was private , the other more common without the great gate of the said mansion house . Under this Garret was another large chamber which one Redyate , another Romish Priest , had hired for himself : Unto whom Papists frequently repaired to hear Mass , and make confessions . Under this room was the aforesaid withdrawing chamber of the Ambassadors : supported with strong Arches of stone , being immediately over the entrance into the great house : And at the South-end of the Garret , and on the West-side thereof , there were bed-chambers , and Closets which other Priests had hired for themselves : The bed-chamber at the South-end , was severed from the Garret only by a partition of Wainscote which was taken down for the Sermon-time : The length of the Garret from North to South was almost 40 foot , the breadth about 16 foot : The two aforesaid passages met on one pair of stairs leading to the Garret which had only that one door leading into it . More came to this place than possibly it could hold , so that many for want of room returned back again : others went into the aforesaid Redyates chamber , and tarried with him . The whole Garret , rooms adjoyning , door , and top of the stairs were as full as they could hold . In the Garret were set chairs and stools for the better sort : most of the women sate on the floor , but most of the men stood thronged together : Inall , about 200 were there assembled . In the midst was a table and a chair for the Preacher . All things thus prepared , and the multitude assembled , about three a clock the expected Preacher , having on a Surplice girt about his middle with a linnen girdle , and a tippet of Scarlet on both his shouldiers , came in , being attended by a man that brought after him his Book and Hour-glass . As soon as he came to the table , he kneeled down with shew of private devotion for a little while : then rising up , and turning himself to the people , he crossed himself , took the book ( which was said to be a Rhemish Testament ) out of his mans hands , and the hour-glass being set on the table , he opened the book , read the Gospel appointed by the Romish Calender for that day , being the twenty first Sunday after Pentecost : The Gospel was in Mat. 18. 23 , &c. The Text being read , he sate down , put on a red cap over a white linnen one turned up about the brims : He made no audible prayer , but having read his Text , which was the parable of forgiving debts , he spake something of the occasions of it , and then propounded these three special points to be handled . 1. The debt we owe to God. 2. The mercy of God in forgiving it . 3. Mans unmercifulness to his brother . Having insisted some while on the misery of man by reason of the debt wherein he stands bound to God , he passed on to declare the rich mercy of God , and the means which God hath afforded to his Church , for partaking thereof : Amongst which he reckoned up the Sacraments , and especially pressed the Sacrament of Penance , as they call it . When he had discoursed on these points about half an hour , on a sudden the floor whereon the preacher and the greatest part of his auditory were , fell down with such violence , as therewith the floor of the chamber under it where Redyate and his company were , was broken down with it , so that both the floors , with the beams , girders , joyces , boards , and feelings , with all the people on them , fell down together upon the third floor , which was the floor of the French Ambassadors withdrawing chamber , supported with strong arches as aforesaid . There being a partition on the South-side of the middle chamber which reached up to the floor of the Garret , which was at the Northwest corner . Hereupon some through amazement , would have leaped out at a window almost forty foot from the ground : but the people without , telling them of the certain danger if they leaped down , kept them from that desperate attempt : At length by breaking a wall on the West side they discerned chambers adjoyning thereto , and so by creeping through that hole into the chambers , they were saved : So were all they that stood on the stair-head at the door leading into the Garret : For the stairs were without the room , and nothing fell but the floors , neither walls nor roof . Also amongst those that fell , many escaped , for some of the timber rested with one end on the Walls , and with the other on the third floor that yielded not , and so both such as abode on those pieces , and such as were directly under them , were thereby preserved . Amongst the multitude that fell , there was a Minister who ( through Gods providence ) fell so between two pieces of timber , as that the timber kept his upper-parts from crushing : and holp him by his clasping about the timber to pull out his feet from among the dead corpses . Amongst others , the present preservation and future destruction of one Parker was very remarkable . This Parker was a factor for the English Seminaries , and Nuns beyond Sea , especially at Cambre ; and he had so dealt with two of his brothers here , that he had got from one of them a son , and from the other a daughter , to send them to religious houses ( as they falsly call them ) beyond sea . This Parker at this time took his Nephew , a youth of about sixteen years old to the aforementioned fatal Conventicle , where Drury preached : and both Parker and his Nephew fell with the rest : The youth there lost his life , but Parker himself escaped with a bruised body , being a corpulent man : yet so far was he from making a good use of his deliverance , that with much discontent he wished he had died for his Nephew , saying , that God saw him not fit to die amongst such Martyrs . Many such Martyrs have been made at Tyburn for treason : Such are Romes Martyrs . But the preservation of the wicked , is but a reservation to future judgments ; for about ten dayes after , as this Parker was shooting London-Bridge with his aforesaid Neece , whom he was conveying beyond Sea , they were both cast away , and drowned in the Thames . Judge by this ( O Parents ) whether God is well pleased with disposing your Children to Popish education . Others there were that were pulled out alive , but so bruised , or so spent for want of breath , that some lived not many hours , others died not many days after . The floor of the chamber immediately over this , where the Corps lay , being fallen , there was no entrance into it but through the Ambassadours Bed-Chamber , the door whereof was closed up with the Timber of the floors that fell down ; and the walls of this room were of stone , only there was one window in it with extraordinary strong cross barrs of Iron , so that though Smiths and other workmen were immediately sent for , yet it was more than an hour before succour could be afforded to them that were fallen down . Passage at length being made , I had access into the room ( saith Doctor Gouge , the relater of this story ) and viewing the bodies , observed some ( yet but few to be mortally wounded ) or crushed by the Timber . Others to be apparently stifled , partly with their thick lying one upon another , and partly with the dust that came from the feeling which fell down . On the Lords day at night when they fell they were numbred ninety one dead bodies : but many of them were secretly conveyed away in the night , there being a pair of water-stairs leading from the Garden appertaining to the House , into the Thames . On the morrow the Coroner and his Inquest coming to view the bodies found remaining but sixty three . Of those that were carried away some were buried in a burying place within the Spanish Ambassadors house in Holborn , amongst whom the Lady Web was one , the Lady Blackstones Daughter another , and one Mistris Vdal a third : Master Stoker , and Master Bartholmew Bavin were buried in Brides Parish . Robert Sutton , John Loccham , and Abigail Holford in Andrews Holborn . Captain Summers wife in the vault under Black-Friers Church , and her woman in the Church-yard . For the Corps remaining , two great Pits were digged , one in the fore Court of the said French Ambassadors House eighteen foot long , and twelve foot broad ; the other in the Garden behind his House , Twelve foot long , and eight foot broad . In the former Pit were laid forty four Corps , whereof the Bodies of the aforesaid Drury and Redyate were two . These two wound up in sheets , were first laid into the Pit , with a Partition of loose Earth to sever them from the rest . Then were others brought , some in somewhat a decent manner wound up in sheets , but the most in a most lamentable plight , the shirts only of the men tyed under the twists , and some linnen tyed about the middle of the Women , the rest of their Bodies naked , and one poor Man , or Woman taking a Corps by the Head , another by the Feet tumbled them in , and so piled them up almost to the top of the Pit. The rest were put into the other Pit in the Garden . Their manner of burial seemed almost as dismal , as the heap of them , when they lay upon the floor where they last fell ▪ No obsequies of funeral rites were used at their Burial . Only the day after , a black Cross of wood was set upon each Grave , but was soon by authority commanded to be taken down . When they were thus interred , thorough search was made about the cause of the falling of the Timber : The Timber of each floor was laid together , and the measure of the Summers that brake was taken . The main Summer which crossed the Garret was ten Inches square : Two Girders were by Tenents , and Mortaises let into the middest of it , one just against another : the Summer was knotty where the Mortaises were made , whereupon being over-burdened , it knapped suddenly asunder in the middest . The main Summer of the other floor that fell was much stronger , being thirteen Inches square , strong and sound every where , neither did the Girders meet so just one against another ; yet that also failed , not in the middest as the uppermost , but within five foot of one end , and that more shiveringly , and with a longer rent in the Timber than the other . For this Chamber was almost full with such persons as comeing too late , went into Redyates Chamber : Besides , it did not only bear the weight which lay on the upper floor , but received it with a sudden knock , and so the massie Timber shivered in two , and the people were irrecoverably , before they could fear any such thing , beaten down into the third floor , which was above twenty foot from the first . It 's true we must not be rash in censuring , yet when we see judgments executed on Sinners , in the act of their sin , when they are impudent and presumptuous therein , not to acknowledge such to be judged by the Lord , is to wink against clear light , Psal. 9. 16. God is known by the judgments which he executeth . Shall Nebuchadnezzar , while he is vaunting of his great Babylon , be bereft of his wits ? Shall Herod , whilst he is priding himself in the flattering applause of the people , be eaten with Worms ? Shall Haman , whilst he is practising to destroy all the people of God , be hanged on a Gallows fifty foot high which he had prepared for Mordecai ? Shall the House where the Philistins met together to sport with Sampson , fall upon their heads ? Shall these and such like judgments overtake men in the very act of their sin , and yet be accounted no judgments , no evidences of Gods revenging Justice , or signs of his indignation ? Truly then we may deny all providence , and attribute all to chance : But add hereto , that this fell out upon their fifth of November , and it will be as clear as if written with a Sunbeam , that the Pit which they digged for others , they themselves fell into it . Doctor Gouge , who relates this story in his Extent of Gods Providence , thus writeth . I do the more confidently publish this History , because I was an eye-witness of many of the things therein related ; and heard from the mouths of such as were present at the Sermon , the rest . For upon the first hearing of the destruction of so many persons as by that downfal lost their lives , our Constable presently caused the gates of our Precinct ( it being surrounded with walls and gates ) to be shut , and raised a strong guard from amongst the inhabitants , to keep the house where this accident fell out , and to prevent tumults about it . Thus through the favour of the Constables , and Watch , who were all my neighbours , I had the more free and quiet access to view the dead bodies , and to inform my self of all the material circumstances about that accident : which I did the rather because the Bishop of London that then was , sent to me to inform my self throughly of all the business , and to send him a narration thereof under my hand ; whereupon I did not only view matters my self , but caused Carpenters to search the Timber , to take the measures both of the Timber and rooms . I was also present with the Coroner and his Inquest at their examining of all circumstances about the business . And the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury sending to me to come to him , and to bring with me the best evidence I could , I got the foreman of the Jury , and four persons that were present at the Sermon , and fell down with the rest , but by God's providence escaped death , and one that stood without the door , within hearing , but fell not ; all these I got to go along with me to Lambeth , where I heard the witness which they gave to the Archbishop about this matter . One that fell with the rest , and escaped death , was Master Gee a Preacher in Lancashire ; two others were a son and servant to a Citizen in Pater-Noster-Row : The rest were men of good understanding , able to apprehend what they saw and heard , and to relate what they conceived . Books Printed for and are to be sold by John Hancock , at the Sign of the three Bibles in Popes-Head-Alley , in Cornhill . TWelve Books lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks , late Preacher of the Gospel at Margaret New-fishstreet . 1. Precious Remedies against Satans Devices ; or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores ; being a Companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ. 2. Heaven on Earth ; or , A serious discourse touching a well grounded assurance of mans everlasting happiness . 3. The unsearchable Riches of Christ , held forth in 22. Sermons . 4. Apples of Gold for Young Men and Women . 5. A string of Pearls ; or , The best things reserved till last . 6. The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod , with Soveraign Antidotes against the most miserable Exigents . 7. An Ark for all Gods Noahs in a stormy day . 8. The Crown and Glory of Christianity , in 48. Sermons , on Heb. 12. 14. 9. The Privy Key of Heaven : or , A Discourse of Closet Prayer . 10. An Heavenly Cordial , for such as have had ( or escaped ) the Plague . 11. A Cabinet of choice Jewels ; or , A Box of Precious Ointment . Containing special Maxims , Rules , and Directions , in order to the clearing up of a Mans Interest in Christ , and his title to all the Glory of another World. 12. Londons Lamentations touching the Fire . The Godly mans Ark , in several Sermons , to which is added Mr. Moors evidences for Heaven . By Edmund Calamy , B. D. at Aldermanbury . Christs Communion with his Church Militant , by Nicholas Lock yer . Sin the Plague of Plagues , by Mr. Ralph Venning . A True Narrative of those two never to be forgotten Deliverances , one from the Spanish Invasion in 88. the other from the Hellish Powder-Plot , November 5. 1605. by Mr. Samuel Clark. With Qu. Eliz. Speech . The Accurate Accomptant ; or , London Merchant . Being Instructions for keeping Merchants Accompts . By Tho. Brown Accomptant . Short-writing , the most Easie , Exact , Lineal , and Speedy Method that hath ever been obtained . By Theophilus Metcalfe . Also a Book called a Schoolmaster to it , Explaining all the Rules thereof . A Copy-Book of the newest and most useful hands . Bridges Remains : Being eight choice Sermons . By Mr. William Bridge of Yarmouth . Vennings Remains : Being the substance of many Sermons . By Mr. Ralph Venning . On 1 John 2. 12 , 13 , 14. A Disswasive from Conformity to the World , together with a farewel Sermon . By Henry Stubbs . Mr. Baxter's Poor Mans Family Book . Luther's 34. special and choice Sermons . Comae Berenices , or the Hairy Comet . The Young mans Conflict with , and Victory over the Devil , or the Experiences of Tho. Powell , begun in the fifteenth and continued till the seventeenth year of his Age. Gospel Love , Heart , Purity , and the flourishing of the Righteous : Being the last Sermons of Mr. Joseph Caryl . A Word of Advice to Saints ; or , A Choice drop of Honey from the Rock Christ. Mr. Mahews Legacy to his Children , being full of good Counsel . A brief Description of New York . FINIS . 
A66585	----	A sermon on the gunpowder treason, with reflections on the late plot by Thomas Wilson ... Wilson, Thomas, 17th cent. 1679 Approx. 49 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A66585 Wing W2936 ESTC R8248 12922494 ocm 12922494 95425 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66585) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 95425) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 991:35) A sermon on the gunpowder treason, with reflections on the late plot by Thomas Wilson ... Wilson, Thomas, 17th cent. [2], 35 p. Printed for Henry Brome ..., London : 1679. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Sermons. Popish Plot, 1678 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2002-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-03 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-04 TCP Staff (Michigan) Sampled and proofread 2002-04 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-05 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Imprimatur . Feb. 1. 1678. Guil. Jane , R. P. D. Hen. Episc. Lond. à sacris domesticis . A SERMON ON THE Gunpowder Treason , WITH REFLECTIONS ON THE LATE PLOT . BY THOMAS WILSON Rector of Arrow in Warwickshire . LONDON : Printed for Henry Brome , at the Gun in S. Paul's Church-yard . MDCLXXIX . A SERMON ON PSALM cxxiv . If it had not been the Lord who was on our side , now may Israel say , &c. to the end . NO notice is given what was the particular occasion of the penning of this Psalm ; but we see in general it was some eminent deliverance ; which the Psalmist commemorates , acknowledging God to be the Author of it , and exciting Israel to bless his holy name for it . The whole is sutable to our present business of celebrating our deliverance from Popish Conspiracy . The which I wish we may do with the devotion and hearty affection of this holy man , for this will be acceptable to God , who delights to hear his People speaking of his mercies , and shewing forth his power and wonderful acts , and singing of his righteousness cordially and reverently . And it will be obligatory to him to follow us still with his goodness , and to heap more benefits upon us : and pleasant will it be to our Souls , when in a sensible manner we remember how the God of Heaven owned and favoured us , and mightily wrought for our deliverance . And finally it will be profitable to us , our hearts upon the due consideration of his love and bounty , and power and marvelous doing , being excited both to serve and trust in him the more at all times , and to the end . In the Psalm there are these things to be observed , every one sutable to our present Solemnity , which therefore I shall accordingly apply : viz. I. A Danger . II. A Deliverance . III. A Thanksgiving . IV. A Confidence in God. I. The Danger . It is variously expressed , and with great emphasis : First , it is said , Men rose up against us . Which I judge rather means an open insurrection , than a secret combination : and herein indeed there is some difference betwixt Israels case and ours . But yet our danger was not the less for this , but rather the greater . For open enemies we may either hide our selves from , or else make preparation against : whereas there is no defence , neither escape ( unless heaven assist ) when men work under Ground , and lay in Barrels of Powder , which kindles in a moment , and as suddenly destroys . And there is something in the Psalm sutable to this . It is this expression ( which again shews the Danger : ) If the Lord had not been on our side , they had swallowed us up quick . Like as when the Earth opened and swallowed up Korah and his Company : or like as when Fire fell down from Heaven suddenly upon Sodom , and consumed the Inhabitants : or like as when an hungry Lion tears his prey , or rather when a Whale swallows a Man alive : or like as when a Deluge overflows , or a violent Torrent snatches us away , or the raging Waves of the Sea involve us . And so is it said , Then the waters had overwhelmed us , the stream had gone over our Soul : then the proud waves had gone over our Soul. And no more mercy in our Adversaries than in those Creatures , either the Lion or the Whale , or Fire , or Water , or the Earth when it cleaves asunder and sinks under our Feet : and I may add , no more mercy than in the Devil . For his Children they were , acted by his Spirit , and his work they undertook , which is to destroy : we have had experience of their bloody hands and cruel nature ; * who have slain thousands of those they call Hereticks , and have racked and tortured and mangled their bodies , burned them alive at the stake , bored out their eyes , ripped up their bellies , held their hands in the flames of candles and their feet in boyling oil , and in such cruel manner have tormented and killed , as only infernal furies could invent : and there is something in the Psalm that signifies this ( which we are further to take notice of , as that which expresses the Danger : ) for it is said , Their wrath were kindled against us . And truly not a little did our Enemies rage , but even like the fire of a furnace , or like the fire of hell it self : and they rage so still , for they have been long vexed that they have lost their precious things , and are spoiled of their glory ; that their wealth is departed from them , and masses and indulgences , and their trumpery of beads and girdles , candles and oil , and such like stuff is undervalued and will not sell at the old rate : and that which hath vexed them as much as any thing , is that light is broken forth which reproves their deeds of darkness and discovers their shame and nakedness , and that holiness is advanced , which troubles their sore and evil eyes . For Cain hated his Brother for no other reason but because * his own works were evil and his Brothers righteous . And the wicked ever since the beginning of the world have persecuted the just out of meer enmity of nature . And then as our Romish Adversaries have been long vexed , so have they as long hoped for a day of vengeance wherein they might satiate their fury . And no question it would be like hungry dogs , or like lions that have been long tied up without meat , by devouring ; as they have often made it manifest enough by shewing their teeth and barking , by houling and roaring , by their hellish conspiracies and bloody attempts . And remember we again ( as it is here said ) that if the Lord had not been on our side , we had been swallowed up . As we were near perishing , so we had perished , if he the Almighty and Gracious God had not stretched out his hand and saved : For as for us we knew not the matter , till he by his Providence discovered it ; and therefore could do nothing for our delivery . There is yet something more in the Psalm which expresses the Danger ; and that is the saying , Our Soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers . And as Israel was like a bird in the snare , so were we : the net was cast about us , and there wanted only the drawing of it ( which a small force could do ) and the fowlers were hastning to the slaughter : the train was laid and instruments of death prepared , and there remained nothing but putting the lighted match to the powder : so near were we unto death . And the expression , Our Soul is escaped , invites me to observe that our Souls as well as our Bodies were in this eminent danger . For their design was to introduce their abominable doctrines and idolatrous worship , which are as dangerous as poison it self , and of a worse consequence than their fire and fagots ; tending to kill eternally , the Soul in the other world , as their cruel hands kill the body in this : and let me tell you , when Government is altered , and a false Worship commanded and established , and upheld by supream Authority ; then alass poor Souls are easily seduced , and some through fear , some through flattery , some for worldly gain , some by example , and some through custom and education fall away , and multitudes by one means or other turn about presently , though to their own destruction . And therefore let me insert here my earnest request and exhortation in the Lord , that all Protestants pray for our Protestant Governors and Government . Now considering all this , the secrecy of the Plot , and the rage and malice , and power and bloodiness of our enemies , and their abominable doctrins and worship , and the near approach of the execution of their intended villany , we cannot but be sensible that our Danger was exceeding great . Reflecting upon what hath been said , I cannot but demand your judgment in one particular before I proceed ; and that is this , whether these men that are so conversant in plots and conspiracies ; that plot and conspire the death and ruin of others ; that plot and conspire against their Prince , and the supream Council of the land ; that plot and conspire after such a bloody and devilish manner ; that kill and destroy , and exercise such barbarous and inhuman cruelties ; and all this against peaceable and quiet people , and such as are more sound in the faith , and more holy in their lives than themselves : whether I say these men have the spirit of God and the power of holiness in their hearts ? whether they are Ministers of Iesus Christ , Priests of God , Priests of Righteousness ? whether their Head and Father the Pope that abets them in these practices and stirs them up to them , be the Successor of Saint Peter ? whether Christ's Holy Vicar ? It seems to me , and it is altogether true without contradiction , that they are like the Beast in the Apocalyps that kills those that will not receive his mark in their foreheads , nor worship his Image : And that they are like that Babylon ( if not the very same ) the great Whore , whom St. Iohn seeing things to follow afterward in the Church , saw drunken with the blood of the Saints , and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus . * For I see them not so cruel to any as to Saints , as to those that fear God and worship him purely according to his plain truth , as it is recorded in the Scriptures . I demand again , whether these men ( like good Christians ) do according to St. Paul's admonition , † Study to be quiet , and as much as lieth in you , live peaceably with all . And whether they observe his other like injunction , * Endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace . And whether they are like our Saviour that came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them : and that † rebuked his Disciples for desiring him that they might Command fire to come down from Heaven and consume the Samaritans , because they did not receive him . And in a word , whether Bloody Iesuits and merciful Iesus are alike . II. The Deliverance , which we have set down in these words , Our Soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers : the snare is broken , and we are escaped . Alass the strength of a bird is as nothing to the breaking of the fowlers net ; so that if she get out thence and fly away , it is a strange accident : And no more was our strength to the extricating of our selves out of the net and gin and trap , all the subtil devices and complicated intanglements and killing instruments of our enemies . That we escaped then was a wonder , and that the snare was broken whereby we did escape , was the work of Gods own hand : and is it not his doing , when ( according as it is said again ) proud waves did not swallow us up ; when waters and a stream coming upon us , did not overwhelm and drown us : when kindled wrath did not consume us : And in these words also we are shewed our Deliverance and whence it was , The Lord did not give us as a prey to their teeth . For he could have delivered us up into their hands , and he might have done so with justice enough , because of our sins : and therefore as it was his Power , so it was his Goodness that saved us . And seeing that the combination was secret and the plot carried on with all subtilty , we discern again that it was his Eye ( to which nothing is hid ) that discovered it . And add we , that the Deliverance was from death and murther , from war and confusion , from Popery , which is stuffed with all that is naught , with pride and avarice and luxury , with lies and feigned miracles , with wicked craft and treachery and dissimulation , with rebellion and horrid cruelty , with superstitions innumerable , and abominable Idolatry . And that the deliverance was of King and Parliament and a whole Realm , and of those that deserved no such thing at their hands as they intended . And finally that it was the deliverance of Gods own people , that have abandoned the corruption of his Religion , and that have embraced the truth as it was delivered to the World by his Servants the Prophets and Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ , and that desire to live in his fear , and to serve him acceptably with pure worship according to his own will , not mans , that their Souls may be saved . Considering all this , I say , the deliverance was wonderful , and a good work , and from God it came . So that upon the whole we may justly say with the Psalmist , If it had not been the Lord who was on our side , when men rose up against us : if it had not been the Lord who was on our side , they had swallowed us up quick . Our help was in the Name of the Lord , who made Heaven and Earth . And therefore unto him is due Praise and Blessing , and Glory and Thanksgiving : which is our next particular . But before I enter upon it , let me put in here one thing which is worthy of the Observation both of us and our adversaries : and that is , that as God hath delivered us , so he will deliver us still , if we still hold his Truth without corruption , and keep our selves in innocence ; renounce error and false worship , and live soberly , righteously , and godly . For he will maintain his own Doctrine , and defend them that profess it , and that withal fear his Name ; and he will punish his Enemies , and bring to nought their devices , and dissolve the attempts of deceivers and bloody-minded men . He is the Tower and strong Castle , and the Rock and Mount of Israel : he is their shield and defence . We have seen by long experience that God hath defended his Saints and true worshippers , every Age from the beginning of the world affording numerous instances hereof . And not only so , but we have his promise written down , and an hundred times repeated in his Book , that he will defend them . Read a little : Prov. xi . 3 . The integrity of the upright shall guide them : but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them , V. 6. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them : but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness . V. 20 , 21. They that are of a froward heart , are an abomination to the Lord : but such as are upright in their way , are his delight . Though hand join in hand , the wicked shall not be unpunished : but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered . And Chap. xii . 3 . A man shall not be established by wickedness : but the root of the righteous shall not be moved . V. 7. The wicked are overthrown and are not : but the house of the righteous shall stand . V. 13. The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips : but the just shall come out of trouble . And seeing that this is so , it is without cause that we fear what evil men can do , whilst we do not make our selves like unto them , turning aside from God into crooked paths , and provoking him by the like offences against our selves : and it is also but a vain thing , meer folly and madness , for our adversaries to attempt any thing against us , and to think to establish themselves by wicked enterprises , though carried on with the greatest subtilty and adjutant power . For do they think to kill , and so to flourish ? to rebel against the Lords Anointed , and the Higher Powers which he hath ordained , and so to prosper ? to drink the blood of Saints , and so to grow fat ? Blood hath a cry , and a loud cry , and it will be heard : and right dear to God is the blood of his Saints . And Iezebel , ( such an one that had little sense of holy things , and indeed little knowledge of Gods ways and works ) could ask the question , * Had Zimri peace who slew his Master ? As having observed this , that such slayers are slain themselves , are pursued with troubles , and commonly come to a fearful end : as there are many instances of this nature recorded in the History of the Iudges and Kings of Israel and Iudah . And this woman might have reflected upon her own action , and have said to her self in like manner , Shall Jezebel have peace who slew Naboth ? And the same indeed was verified in her : † for as soon almost as she had spoken the word , she was cast out of the window of her Chamber , and dashed upon the ground and trodden to pieces by Iehu's horses . Wherefore the only way for our Adversaries to prosper is to keep themselves in the ways of Righteousness : and let them do so as much as they please , and effect against us what they can : for we know that then they will not have the heart to hurt us , and not only will forbear to lay axes and fagots , and such tormenting things upon us , but will not so much as press us with an heavy hand . But as for Iniquity , they will never establish themselves by that ; and their unrighteous machinations and actions are but like making ropes of sand to pull down a Tower , and like the Thief 's twisting of Cords to hang himself . For David hath told us from his experience and observation , that * the wicked are snared in the works of their own hands . And not only so , but he hath delivered it unto us from the mouth of the Lord as an established truth , that so it shall be ; that † their mischief shall return upon their own heads , and their violent dealing shall come down upon their own pates ; and that their swords which they have drawn out to slay the upright , shall enter into their own hearts ; and their bows which they have bent against the poor , shall be broken . Only in this one thing may our adversaries be feared , namely in their enticing of us to sin ; as Balaam taught Balak to draw Israel to fornication and Idolatry , for which cause ( they yielding thereunto ) the wrath of God fell upon them , and they were destroyed by a Plague . * And therefore in this matter let us take good heed to our selves : for their temptation , and this kind of smooth and soft dealing is more to be feared than their plots and menaces , and murthering instruments : their Fornication and Idolatry , if we hearken to their charms , and betake our selves to these abominations , will do us more injury than their gun-powder and knives , and bills and swords . But yet though by this means they may bring down judgments from Heaven upon us , yet shall they not hereby establish themselves , but shall be punished with us for the same wickedness , and for their Temptation . And so it fell out both to the Midianites that tempted and defiled Israel , and to Balaam that gave the Counsel . For God said thus , Vex the Midianites and smite them : for they vex you with their wiles , wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor . Num. xxxv . 17.18 . And so it was done , as we read Chap xxxi . 7 . &c. They warred against the Midianites , as the Lord commanded Moses : and they slew all the males ; and they slew the Kings of Midian ; Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword . And the Children of Israel took all the women of Midian Captives , and their little ones . And Moses said unto them , have ye saved all the women alive ? Behold , these caused the Children of Israel through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor , and there was a Plague among the Congregation of the Lord. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones , and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him . So that by no wicked way , neither by temptation , nor by conspiracy , can our adversaries prosper . Flourish they may for a time ; but then they shall wither as the grass : and lay their hands and rods upon our backs they may ; but they shall not alwaies abide there , for the Lord will deliver his people out of the hand of the oppressor and the unrighteous man. And so speaks David , with whose eminent and comfortable words I conclude this matter : Psalm xxxvii . 24 . to the end , The good man though he fall , shall not utterly be cast down : for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand . The Lord loveth judgment , and forsaketh not his Saints ; they are preserved for ever : but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off . The wicked watcheth the righteous , and seeketh to slay him . The Lord will not leave him in his hand , nor condemn him when he is judged . I have seen the wicked in great power , and spreading himself , &c. III. The Thanksgiving . We have it in these words , Blessed be the Lord , who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth . And considering that if we had fallen into the power of Romanists , they would have used us as hungry and ravenous beasts do their prey , tearing it in pieces and devouring , we must acknowledge that the blessing which we render unto the Lord for our deliverance , must not be a faint breath , but all the affections of our Souls , the most hearty praise . And what is due to him that hath saved us from the fowler , from the lions teeth , from the stream and proud waves , from the wrath of enemies , and that wrath kindled of hell and boiling-hot ? for truly we cannot reasonably believe that the wrath of any enemies is hotter than that of ours , Papists , who have all along exercised the sharpest severities . Now a man looking back upon the dangers which he hath escaped , and remembring how he walked over a deep well slenderly covered , and did not fall into it ; and how he passed through a company of wolves and bears and lions , and was not devoured : Oh how will he rejoyce , how will he thank the Lord , and what a lively sense of the mercy will he carry in his heart all the days of his life ? And may the remembrance of this mercy which this day we received from the Lord , never be defaced so long as time shall endure ; nor the quick sense of it abate , neither in us , nor in our Children after us , till we shall be free from the cruelties and malice and conspiracies of Popish Enemies . Which will be when they shall be converted from their Errors , and changed from their savage nature , and the mystical Babylon shall be destroyed ; or when we shall be removed from Earth to Heaven . If we owe God praises for our life , health , and food , for preservation in time of war , famine , and pestilence , for recovery out of desperate sickness ; what greater praises do we owe him for the enjoyment of our Protestant Religion , and for our deliverance from slaughter , from confusion , from strange tortures , from cruel deaths , from Popery , which is a mass of evils ? for I put you in remembrance again , that not only evil to our Bodies was designed , but a worse mischief to our Souls . Blessed be God then , that our Religion , which is spiritual , substantial and lively , is not turned into idle and dead Ceremony , shews and gazings , crosses , beads and reliques : that the Holy Scriptures are not kept from our people , and that we have not Prayers in a language which they understand not , whereby the affection ( which alone makes the service acceptable to God ) is quite deadned and killed : that we are not taught to pray to Angels and dead Saints , and to ask of them protection , grace , pardon ; saying , * O Blessed Peter , to whom power is given to open and shut Heaven ; loose by thy word the bonds of our sins . † O ye Apostles , who shut and open Heaven , heal our sick minds , increase our vertues . * O Mother of God , establish us in peace , loose the bonds of the guilty , bring light to the blind , drive away our evils , procure for us all good things . Make us free from sins , and mild and chast . And blessed be God that we do not creep and kneel to an Image and say , * Tree on which Christ did hang. O Cross , † hail [ or , peace , or happiness to thee ] our only hope , increase the righteousness of the righteous , blot out [ or , abolish ] the sins of the guilty . O Cross which alone wast worthy to bear the talent [ or , price ] of the world : sweet wood , bearing the sweet nails , the sweet weights : save the present company gathered this day together to praise thee . And blessed be God that we are not taught nor incouraged , nor tempted to rely upon the penances and satisfactions , masses and sacrifices , absolutions , pardons and indulgences of others , as if they could hereby prevent our falling into Hell-torment , and being fallen into Purgatory-torment , could deliver us out of it . And blessed be God that we call not Sacramental Bread and Wine , our Lord and Saviour , falling down and adoring them with divine worship . And blessed be God that we see not his faithful servants imprisoned and tortured , and burned for refusing to submit to these abominations . All which evils we might have seen , if our Adversaries had prevailed : Blessed be God for our King and Parliament , our wholsom Laws , our peace and safety , and our lives . Blessed be God for our ministers , and for sound doctrin , and the pure truth of the Gospel . Blessed be God for the salvation of our Souls : all which we might have lost , some of which we should certainly have lost , if Romes design now and at many other times had succeeded . Blessed be God from our whole heart for his manifold mercy to us both now and evermore . IV. The Confidence in God , which these words describe , Our help in the name of the Lord , who made Heaven and Earth . That is , our help was , is , and shall be in the Lord of Heaven : They had found that God had saved them , and they were resolved to trust in him ever after . And well may we do so , who have had the same help and favour from him in like eminent danger : and as his goodness invites us to trust in him , so doth his power , he being the Almighty and only Supreme that made Heaven and Earth , and therefore can do what he pleaseth , dissolve the forces of the mighty and blow away the devices of the cunning , fetter all the Devils of Hell that rise up against us , and by his Command turn them back in their furious rage . And we are again to remember his Eye that seeth in the dark and secret places where wicked men plot mischief : and his Providence that is over all his works even to a small Sparrow : and his Promise , that he will defend his people , and oppose his enemies . And now as we trust in him , there remains nothing else for us to do , but to keep his Laws diligently and to walk before him with an upright heart : for then shall we surely find his help . They work wickedness ; and can they trust in him ? If they do , it will be in vain : the impudence indeed they have as to look up to Heaven when they are as deep as Hell in their wicked consultations , and to say masses and make prayers to the God of righteousness for the cutting of innocent mens throats , and for the accomplishing of such unrighteousness as the Devil only puts into the hearts of his slaves , and which only he and his children would rejoyce to see accomplished . But do they indeed trust in God ? It is rather in the Devil , in their invented visions and feigned miracles , in their plots and perverse deeds , in their dissimulation and treachery , in their rebellion and murthers : for I see that to these they betake themselves continually , as those that have no hope otherwise to prevail . And no wonder , for a false Religion must have indirect means to help it up , and a bloody Faith will make bloody work ; they devise a cunning device , and gather together the powers of the Earth ; and now say they we shall prevail ; we will fall upon them before they be aware and will destroy ; we will terrifie with torments , and we will take away their chief men by death , and as for the rest they will not dare to speak . But , alas , all this is as weak as a feather , and as vain as that which is most so , because he is against them that made Heaven and Earth . For the Lord hateth the workers of iniquity ( as the Psalmist speaks ) and abhorreth bloody and deceitful men . He loveth the faithful , and plentifully rewardeth proud doers . The righteous Lord loveth righteousness , and his countenance doth behold the upright . He will be a refuge for the oppressed , a refuge in time of trouble . And they that know his name will trust in him ; for he hath not forsaken them that seek him . For who is God save the Lord ? or who is a rock save our God ? Arise , O Lord , and let not man prevail ; let the heathenish people be judged in thy sight . Put them in fear , O Lord , that they may know themselves to be but men . Destroy thou them , O God ; let them fall by their own counsels : cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions , for they have rebelled against thee . But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce ; let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them : let them that love thy Name be joyful in thee . For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous , with favor wilt thou compass them as with a shield . Amen . But let me add a few words more because of the new attempts of our Adversaries , who like their Fathers have again consulted with the Devil and the grand wickedness of their hearts , to kill our King , subvert our Government , and change our Religion . But remember , Dear Brethren , that men cannot curse those whom God will bless , except it be with their tongues , which is only a brutum fulmen , a Popes Bull , a clap of Thunder without the bolt . And be ye sure that those God will bless that love and serve him , keeping themselves from sin and following peace and holiness with a pure heart : as Balaam ( after he had attempted several times to move God against Israel ; for this end building seven Altars and offering upon every one a bullock and a ram , and repeating this again and again ) confessed , saying , * God hath blessed , and I cannot reverse it . He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob , neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel . The Lord his God is with him , and the shout of a King is among them . Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob , neither is there any divination against Israel . And if the case be so , that God sees not iniquity among us ( not such as that he will curse us for it , perverseness , and rebellion ) then may we boldly say , Let the sons of Belial conspire and contrive what they can : let the covetous Priests build seven Altars and add seven more to them , and let them offer upon every one seventy times seven bullocks and as many rams , Masses , Reliques , Candles , Hosts , and what they please : let them lay their crafty heads together , and call up all the Devils of Hell to their consultation : let them prepare all sorts of deadly instruments , and fortify themselves according to their cunning , and gather together the Kings of the Earth against us : Tush , it is in vain , and the evil which they devise they are not able to bring to pass : * He that sitteth in the Heavens will laugh ; the Lord shall have them in derision : he shall speak unto them in his wrath , and vex them in his sore displeasure . We fear , I see , deceitful workers , ungodly plotters , serpentine Jesuits , bloody Papists ; and so we do Witches , Sorcerers and Conjurers . But much rather may we fear our wickednesses , than all the generation of this black rabble in Earth and Hell. And as the presence of some of these malicious and mischievous creatures strikes some into trembling ; so would to God we were all as much afraid of sin , and did not take this more dangerous enemy so near unto us and love its Company so dearly as to invite it to our house and put it into our bosom and let it lodge with us from day to day all the year about . But Sirs , what can you do ? you that put the Nation into fear with your evil machinations , you Sons of Rome ? You can smite , you 'l say ; you can torment , you can burn , kill and destroy us . Some of us you may , but all you shall not : and the Devil can do as much as this , and this is right well in his eyes . But can you pull the Sun out of Heaven , or toss about the Mountains ? Neither shall your Hell-gates prevail against the Church of Christ , to throw it down and lay it wast utterly , which is built upon the firmest Rock , and which that mighty Son of man , the Son of God , compasseth with his Arms. For God is stronger than the Devil , and will save his people from that evil Spirits rage and yours ; otherwise he were not what assuredly he is , a loving and watchful Father . You remember the voice from heaven , Saul , Saul , why persecutest thou me . And you may thence observe that the troublers of his Church contend not with frail man only , but with the Mighty Iesus , who can dash you into pieces in a moment : And you may conclude from the same words , that he will not always suffer himself to be bruised and beaten , persecuted and afflicted . And do you not think that we can pray to our Father in Heaven , who can send us more than twelve legions of Angels , which shall vanquish the Devil and his powers of darkness , your confederates in your wicked enterprises ? And what ? can we not kill you , as well as you kill us ? Our strength is as great as yours , but our will ( thanks be to God ) not so wicked . You cannot say in Conscience that you fear any such thing from us as we do from you , death , and burning , and tortures . And did you fear so much as loss of Goods or Imprisonment ? Were you not in quietness ? Lived you not in peace and safety ? Who troubled you ? Did you not enjoy as much liberty in the exercise of your Religion as you could in reason expect ? more I dare say you had than your Religion deserves : that is , than your Latin-Service , your Half-Communion , your denial of Marriage to Priests , your Masses , Indulgences , Purgatory , and Papal-Supremacy , your Image-worship , your Invocation of Saints and Angels , your Adoration of Sacramental Bread and Wine , and such like stuff deserves . All which is properly your Religion , that which we call Popery , wherein you differ from us and from the truth of the Gospel . I think you were blind and did not understand your own happiness ( as you esteem this Liberty to be so : ) or you were mad and foolish and would endeavor to deprive your selves of it by abusing your indulgent friends . But God now intends you a greater happiness ; and that is , to shame you out of your adherence to Rome , and to convert you from her corrupt Religion ( I wish you were so wise as to embrace the opportunity and good providence : ) when his providence namely discovers to your face your Popes and Priests , and other friends unrighteous doings , and raises up the spirits of all honest men against you for the same , and lays upon you some restraints and penalties to curb in your insolencies and exorbitant actions , and to secure us from your Swords and Daggers , your Poysons and Stabs , your Coleman's Confusions , your Fauks's Powder , your Irish Rebellion , your Spanish Inquisition and Invasion , your Paris Massacre , your Queen Mary's Faggots , and Bishop Bonner's butchers hands . You boast of your Loyalty to our present King and his Father . But what you have done like Loyal Subjects , did it proceed out of a Loyal Principle , or out of Necessity ? Was it Faith that acted you , or Fate ? What you have done well , was it not for want of opportunity to do worse , or for want of a Popes Bull , which tolerates and commands Rebellion ? If Loyalty to an Heretick Prince ( especially when he is declared Excommunicate ) be your Conscience and Faith and Principle , then abhor and renounce your Pope and Church which teach you another Lesson . For says your * Lateran Council under Pope Innocent the Third , thus : Si Dominus temporalis requisitus & monitus ab Ecclesia terram suam purgare neglexerit ab haeretica pravitate , per Metropolitanum & caeteros comprovinciales Episcopos Excommunicationi vinculo innodetur , & si satisfacere contempserit infra annum , significetur hoc summo pontifici , ut ex tunc ipse vasallos ab ejus fidelitate denuntiet absolutos , & terram exponat Catholicis occupandam , qui eam exterminatis haereticis sine ulla contradictione possideant . That is , If a Temporal Lord being admonished by the Church , neglects to purge his Dominion of Heresie , let him be Excommunicated by the Metropolitan and the other comprovincial Bishops , and if he refuseth to satisfie within a year , let this be signified to the Pope , that thence he may declare his Subjects free from Allegiance to him , and expose his Dominion to be possessed by the Catholicks , who expelling the Hereticks may justly possess it . And thus thundred Pope Paul the Third in his Bull against our King Henry the Eighth : * Because he hath cast off obedience to the Church , he is therefore deprived of his Kingdom , and his fautors of all their goods , honors and fortunes , his Subjects commanded not to obey him , Foreigners to have no Commerce with him , and all to take up Arms against him and his People , and to take unto them his Kingdom and Fortune for a Prey and Reward , and to keep his People in servitude , And thus says Pope Pius the Fifth , in his Bull against our Queen Elizabeth : Regnans in excelsis hunc unum super omnes gentes & omnia Regna Principem constituit , qui evellat , destruat , dissipet , disperdat , plantet & aedificet . Illius auctoritate suffulti , qui nos in hoc supremo Iustitiae Throno voluit collocare , de Apostolicae potestatis plenitudine , declaramus praedictam Elizabetham , haereticam & haereticorum fautricem , eique adhaerentes in praedictis , anathematis sententiam incurrisse : Quinetiam ipsam praetenso Regni praedicti jure , necnon omni & quocunque dominio , dignitate , privilegioque privatam : Et item proceres , subditos & populos dicti Regni , ac caeteros omnes , qui illi quomodocunque juraverunt , à juramento hujusmodi , ac omni prorsus dominii , fidelitatis , & obsequii debito , perpetuò absolutos , prout nos illos praesentium auctoritate absolvimus , & privamus eandem Elizabetham praetenso jure Regni , aliisque omnibus supradictis . Praecipimusque & interdicimus universis & singulis proceribus , subditis , populis , & aliis praedictis , ne illi ejusve monitis , mandatis , & legibus audeant obedire . Qui secus egerint , eos simili Anathematis sententiâ innodamus . That is , Christ hath wade Peter and his Successor , Prince over all Nations and Kingdoms , to pluck up , destroy , scatter , consume , plant and build . By his Authority , who hath placed us in this supreme Throne of Iustice , We out of the plenitude of our Apostolick power , declare Elizabeth , as being an Heretick and a favourer of Hereticks , and her Adherents , to have incurred the sentence of Excommunication , and moreover to be deprived of her pretended right to the Kingdom , and of all Dominion , Dignity and Priviledge whatsoever , and also the Nobility , Subjects and People of the Kingdom , and all others , who have sworn unto her in any sort , to be absolved for ever from the said Oath , and from all duty of Dominion , Allegiance and Obedience , and by these presents we do absolve them , and deprive Elizabeth of her pretended right to the Kingdom , and of all other things before named . And we command all the Nobles , Subjects and People , that they presume not to obey her , or her Orders , Mandates and Laws : And those that shall do the contrary we bind with the same Anathema . We swear in the Oath of Allegiance , to bear true Allegiance to our King , and to defend him against all Conspiracies and Attempts which shall be made against his Person and Crown to the uttermost of our Power , and to do our best endeavour to discover all treasons and traiterous Conspiracies which we shall know or hear of to be against him . And is this an unlawful Oath ? And may we break it ? And can any one absolve us from it ? Would you plot Treason , and attempt the Death of your present King and the ruin of his Crown ? And them that do so , will you not disclose , if you know them ? And we that have sworn to disclose such persons , if we can , ought we not in your judgment so to do ? You see what your Pope and Council teach you , and in Mr. Fowlis's History of Romish Treasons , you may see an hundred or two hundred more Popes and Doctors of your Church which teach the same traiterous and rebellious Doctrin : but I hope some of you are of a better mind . And I desire you to read again the former citations , and then with the words of St. Peter and St. Paul , that you may see how contrary to the Apostles your men teach you . For says the one Apostle thus : * Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake : whether it be to the King as Supreme , or unto Governours . For so is the will of God , that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men . Honour the King. And says the other Apostle , * Let every Soul be subject to the Higher powers . For there is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power , resisteth the Ordinance of God : and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation . Render tribute to whom tribute is due , custom to whom custom , fear to whom fear , honour to whom honour . And is this plucking up , destroying , scattering and consuming ? Is this absolving subjects from their Allegiance , and commanding them to take the Kingdom from their King ? Is this depriving Kings and Temporal Lords of their Dominions ? And remember that Nero , an heathen and monstrous wicked man , and a persecutor of the Christians , was at this time King of the Roman Empire . And yet says the Apostle Whosoever resisteth the power ( be he Peter then , be he Pope ) he shall receive to himself damnation . Forbear , Bold Actors , for it is not now night , that you should play your wicked pranks among us and not be discerned . Nor are our hearts so bad ( though bad enough ) as to love , or favour , or comply with your gross errors , idolatrous worship , and hellish practices . You and the Devil have too much corrupted us : but we are not yet corrupt enough to joyn society with you . You have not yet bored out our eyes , that we cannot look into the Bible , nor have you yet burned those Sacred Writings ( and I trust never shall do either . ) But if you should , yet can you not extinguish the light of our Souls , any more than you can take the Holy Spirit from us : and whilst that remains we shall abhor your ways . There are thousands in our Land that will not bow down to your Baal ; so clear is their knowledg , so great their courage , so strong is their faith , so mighty their zeal for God , so upright are their hearts , so good their consciences : though some timerous and more ignorant Souls you may deceive , and fright into a base compliance ; but yet neither these , by all that you can do , will love your Popery . Smite us ( if God please ) and we shall abhor your Church the more which delights in blood and cruelty ; and feeling the unrighteous plagues of your hands , we shall more sensibly know what manner of persons you are ; and we will unite together ( who are not yet so close and kind among our selves as we should be ) with one Soul and shoulder against you . Smite us , and we will kiss the Rod from our Heavenly Father's Hand , and will keep his Laws more perfectly . Smite us , and we shall be better . And resolved we are , do ye what you can , either tempt or kill , to serve the Lord , and to serve him better than we have done ; not after your manner , with shew and pageantry , trifles and empty shadows , blind minds and stupid devotion , in candles , images and agnus dei's , oil , chrism and water , beads and shaven crowns : but with heart and soul , purified and inlightned , in love , peace and patience , in sobriety , justice and mercy . And then I tell you ( what I know will sound strange in your ears ) that you are undone , and your Kingdom 's ruin'd . Go on in the imaginations of your hearts , and fill up the measure of your Fathers , and then fall and die . For as Basil taught the Christians to say to their Persecutors , * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , If you shall again prevail , you shall again be overcome . THE END . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A66585-e190 * Usser . de Eccles. succes . cap. 9. 10. Temple 's Irish Rebellion . Fox 's Acts. Clark 's Martyrol . * 1 Ioh. iii. 12 . * Rev. xi . 15 , 16 , 17 , & 17.6 . † 1 Thes. iv . 11 . Rom. xii . 18 . * Eph. iv . 3 . † Luke ix . 53 , 54 , 55 , 56. * 2 King. ix . 31 . † Vers. 32. &c. * Psal. ix . 16 . † Psal. vii . 16 . & xxxvii . 14 , 15. * Rev. ii . 14 . Num. xxv . 1 . &c. Num. xxxi . 16 . * Rom. Breviar . fest . Jan. Beate Pastor Petre , clemens accipe voces precantum , ●●iminumque vincula verbo : resolve , cui potestas tradita aperire terris Coelum , apertum claudere . † Ib. Commun . Apost . Apostolorum gloriam tellus & astra conci●●nt . Vos seculorum Iudices qui templa coeli clauditis sanate mentes languidas : auge●e nos vi●tu●ibus . * Ib. Offic. Mar. Dei mater alma , funda nos in pace . Solve vincia reis , profer lumen caecis , mala nostra pelle , bona cuncta posce . Nos culpis solutos , mites fac & castos . Vitam praesta puram , iter para tutum , ut videntes Iesum semper collaetemur . * Ib. Fest. Maij. Arbor , orna●a Regis purpura , electa digno stipite tam sancta membra tangere : cujas brachiis pretium pependit saeculi . O Crux ac● spes unica , piis ada●ge gratiam , reisque de●e crimina . O Crux , quae sola fuisti digna portare talentum mundi , dulce lignum , dulces clavos , dulcia ferens pondera : salva praesentem catervam in tuis hodie laudibus congreg●tam . † Ave. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk 1.28 . * Num. xxiii . 20 , 21 , 23. * Psalm ii . Acts ix . 4 . * Cap. iii. * Hist. Concil . Trident. p. 68. Camb. Annal. Elizab. p. 179. * 1 Pet. xi . 13 . * Rom. xiii . 1 . Mat. xxiii . xxxii . &c. * Isa. viii . 9 . 
A05280	----	The first step, towards heaven, or Anna the prophetesse sacred haunt, to the temple of God. Preached at Standish Church in the Countie of Lancaster. By VVilliam Leigh, Batchillor of Diuinity and paster there. With the second edition of great Brittaines deliuerance, newly corrected and enlarged by the author. Leigh, William, 1550-1639. 1609 Approx. 200 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 120 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A05280 STC 15424 ESTC S103610 99839359 99839359 3768 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A05280) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3768) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 841:15) The first step, towards heaven, or Anna the prophetesse sacred haunt, to the temple of God. Preached at Standish Church in the Countie of Lancaster. By VVilliam Leigh, Batchillor of Diuinity and paster there. With the second edition of great Brittaines deliuerance, newly corrected and enlarged by the author. Leigh, William, 1550-1639. Leigh, William, 1550-1639. Great Britaines, great deliverance, from the great danger of popish powder. [14], 240+ [i.e. 224+] p. Printed by Nicholas Okes, for Arthur Johnson, and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the white horse ouer against the great North doore of Paules, London : 1609. "Great Brittaines great deliverance, from the great danger of Popish powder", second edition has a separate title page; pagination and register are continuous. In the first edition of "Great Brittaines great deliverance", "Brittaines" is spelled with one 't'. Numerous mispaginations; pagination deduced from signature collation. Signatures: A (-A1) B-P. Imperfect; Pages 97-98 torn, affecting text; lacking all after page 228. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sermons, English -- 17th century. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Early works to 1800. 2004-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-04 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-06 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2004-06 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion ❧ TO THE Right worshipfull , Sir PETER LEIGH , Knight , grace be multiplied in this life , and happinesse in the world to come . AS Hanna dedicated her Samuel , a Nazarite , to her God at Shilo , so am I bold at your intreaty to separate this mine Anna , a Prophetesse to the Lord at Ierusalem : and do pray 〈◊〉 may passe vnder the shelter of your worshipfull protection . The Saint is but homely arrayed , and not for these curious daies wherein wee liue : and in which the Son , though clad with glory : yet cannot runne it course , but with censure either of too high a pitch , and then it burneth , or of too lowe a being , and so it heateth not . Atheists , Papists , and Libertynes , will censure my plainnesse both in matter of faith and fact , I looke for no other but to feele their piercing eye , and venomous tooth : yet if I escape in some measure the sorrow of my Sauiour sighing , and saying : Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends ; I make lesse reckoning of those that are without . Haply the Title of the booke may seeme strange , and from the subiect therein handled ; but if you thinke vpon the Ladder Iacob saw in the way to Padan-aram , whose first step was on earth , and last step in heauen , you will finde that none can attaine perfection aboue , but first his feete must stand in the Lords presence belowe . It was Anna her holy haunt , she frequented the Church here , that she might come to blessednesse there , we may not leap out of our mothers wombe into our fathers ioy : but wee must goe by staires from the Temple of grace , to the Tower of glory . In the meane time this is yours , and so am I in all duty and deuotion obliged , by many your respectiue fauours to me , and mine , from you and yours . Nor doe I hope you will conceiue the length , breadth , and depth of the loue I beare you , can euer bee contained within the circle of these fewe lines . Epistles , and papers may point at more loue then they can expresse : but the heart is the closet that keepeth all , how euer these papers speake . And so I leaue you , with my very good Lady your wife , and all yours to the mercifull protection of the Almightie . From London . this 14. of December . 1608. Your Worships euer in my loue , W. LEIGH . To my louing Countrymen , but especially to the Parishioners of Standish in Lancashire . MY deere brethren , beloued and longed for , these twenty yeares haue I wrastled with God , as Iacob did in Bethel , in teares and prayers , to gaine a blessing to my selfe in the saluation of your soules ; and with what fruit , he knoweth best , who knoweth all : as a father I haue trauailed in birth , againe and againe , that Christ might be formed , or at least confirmed in you . Many a Sabboth haue we sanctified with a double solemnity of prayer , praise , and prophesie : Many a moneth haue we celebrated the Lords Table with the blessed memory of his death and passion : Many a time as a Nurse haue I wiped and wrapped vp your stains : and many a careful night haue I told in mourning after your defectiōs : And for any wrong I euer did you , heere I am , beare record with me before the Lord , & before his anoynted , whose Oxe haue I taken , or whom haue I impleaded . God will witnesse with me before whom I stand , in the sight of men and Angels , that I neuer sought yours , but you , that you might be moulded for a better life , and that Christ might be formed in you . Yet may I say in some sort as it is in the Prophet : This day is a day of tribulation and rebuke : for the children are come to the birth , and there is no strength to bring forth . I speake not of all , for many of you hath the Lord chosen , and you are my hope , my ioy and reioycing , in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming ; but of many I may say , I feare left I haue bestowed vpon them labour in vaine . While some with Reuben abide among the sheepfolds to heare the bleatings of the flocke , they are couetous : Some with Gilead abide beyond ●orden in the greene fields , and medowes of their delights , and they are carelesse : Some with Dan remaine in ships , and are gone beyonde the seas ; they dote vpon their Romish Idols , and they are faithlesse : Some with Meroz sit at home in the cels of their superstition , and they are resolute recusants , who will not come to helpe the Lord , to helpe the Lord against the mightie . Well , I say no more but this : These diuisions of Tribes are great thoughts of heart , yet may we not bee heartlesse , but hold on our course with vnwearied diligence , hoping that if we sowe in teares , we shall reape in ioy , as did they of whom it is sayd by the Psalmist ; Ibant , flebant , mittentes sua semina : They went weeping , and carried precious seede , but they shall returne with ioy , and bring their sheaues . A glayning of which sheaffe formerly fallen into your eares , but now I feare forgotten , and gone out of your hearts , I haue thought good , againe to present vnto your carefull and christian viewe ; for it grieueth me not to rehearse the same things often ; and for you it is expedient . Asaphs song was melodious , though Israel sōg it oftē ; & the Arks marching about Iericho seuen times , was no shame in the siege & sacking of Iericho . As it is an office of the holy Ghost to leade vs into all truth , so is it to bring all things to our remembrance which haue been told vs : seldome told , often forgotten ; and who is sufficient for these things ? You are nailes of the Sanctuary and it is not one stroke can fasten you to your hold ; but you must be often riuited with the same heart , hand and hammer . I hope to see you in the high feast of Christ his Natiuity towards : yet for that I know not how the Lord may dispose of me , and of mine occasions abrode , I haue sent you this first step towards heauen , as an exercise for the time . It was Anna her holy haunt , looking and longing for Israels cōsolation ; I pray God you may trace it on earth , as she then did : so shall you be sure to treade it in heauen , as she now doth . My good & worshipfull friend required it , I may not deny it : your soules need it , I may not withdraw it : Take it then as a pledge of my deerest loue , euer in my praier with you , euer in my practise for you . And now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout , so as both in soule , spirit , and body , you may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ : faithfull is he which calleth you , which will also do it . Brethren pray for vs ▪ and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all . Amen . From London this 14. of December . 1608. Yours in the Lord assured , W. LEIGH . ANNA HER HOLY HAVNT . LVK. 2. 36 ANd there was a Prophetesse one Anna , the daughter of Phanuel , of the tribe of Asher , which was of a great age , after she had liued with an husband seuen yeares from her virginity . 37 And she was widow about fourescore and foure yeares , and went not out of the Temple , but serued God with fastings and prayers , night and day . 38 She then comming at the same instant vpon them , confessed likewise the Lord , and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Hierusalem . 39. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord , they returned into Galile to their owne city Nazareth . AMbrose saith well , Morale est vt qui fidem exigunt , fidem astruant : It standeth with all congruity that such should publish faith , as languish after faith ; of which number I hold this Anna to be , produced of the holy Ghost in this text , as a worthy witnesse of Christ his blessed birth and incarnation , and so to be preached in the high feast of this his solemnity . In whom I obserue three things of speciall note , for the practise and imitation of all such as loue the Lord Christ and his profession . First , the description of her person : full of modestie . Secondly , the practise of her life : full of pietie . And lastly , the profession and publishing of her Christ : full of verity . And with this threefold cable of modesty , pietie , and veritie , is she haled vp to heauen ; and hauing powred this pretious balme vpon the head of Christ on earth , why may not this Gospell be preached throughout all the world , as a memoriall of her , that she did it to bury him in her dearest thoughts ? And first for the person , ye see here a woman described in your sight , not wanton in her lookes , garish in her apparell , with painted face , curled haire , or naked brests , prepared for the Theater of men ; but graue in countenance , modest in behauiour , and garnished with all religious vertues within , fit for the temple of God. Such saints are seemely to speak to the praise of our Sauiour , to professe his name , to witnesse his truth , to swaddle the babe , and to sing his Lullaby , as this day , in solace of their saued soules , and full solemnity of his blessed birth and incarnation . And now that a woman doth witnesse see the mercifull prouidence , of our God , who would haue the comming of his Christ to be declared by all sorts of people , and sexe ; that all might be inexcuseable who did not beleeue him , and all might be cleared who did professe him . He took testimnoie frō the pure nature of Angels who sung to his praise , Glory be to God on hie , and in earth peace , &c. He took testimony frō the cleer nature of the heauens , which shined to his praise when he said , Vidimus stellam eius in oriente , We haue seene his starre in the East Simple shepheards witnessed this truth , when , as it is in the text , All that heard them , wondred at those things which were told them of the shepheards . Old Simeon lapped him in his armes , and layd him in his heart with this profession of his praise , Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace , according to thy word ; I haue seene enough , I haue my loue , I haue loued enough , I haue my life . Aged Anna here an holy widow confessed likewise the Lord , and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem . Yea Iohn in the wombe springing , and children in Rama crying , cōfessed Christ in their death , ere they could speake of him in their life . Finally Christ would be professed both of men , & women , virgins , wiues and widowes , of old men and babes , yong men and maids , of holy Patriarches , inspired Prophets , renowned kings , that all states and both sexes might exspect redemption by grace , from which they were fallen by transgression : Whereunto accorded Ambrose when hee sayd , Prophetauerat Symeon , prophetauerat copulata con●ugio , prophetauerat virgo , debuit etiam vidua prophetare , nequa aut professio deesset , aut sexus : Simeon prophecied , the maried wife prophecied , a virgin prophecied : yea and a widow must prophecie too , lest Christ might seeme wanting to either sexe , or to any profession . And it is further to be obserued for the credit of the cause in hand , that none must witnesse their Christ , or publish his praise , but such as liued to loue him , according to that , I haue beleeued , therefore I haue spoken . Abraham was glad to see my daye , saith Christ , and therefore he spake of him . Moses longed after him that should come , and therfore he sayd , Mitte quem missurus es . Dauid sighed after him , and therefore he said , I will not go into the tabernacle of mine house , nor into my bed , nor will I giue mine eyes sleepe , or rest to the temples of my head , vntill I find out the place that is appointed for my Lord , the tabernacle of the mighty God of ●acob . Now the mystery being reuealed vnto him , he said presently , Behold we haue heard it at Ephrata , which is Bethleem , and found it in the wood : and we will enter into his tabernacle , and worship before his footestoole . Esay ioyed at the birth , and therefore he spake of him , & said , A child is borne , and a sonne is giuen . Ieremy of Anathoth in the land of Beniamin was full of the newes , and therefore he spake and testified thus : Behold I will create a new thing vpon the earth , A virgin shall inuiron a man. So was Ezechiel by the riuer Kebar , and Daniel by the bankes of Vlay , both Captiues in Babylon , yet full of spirituall deliuerance by Christ ; and therefore they testified much of his blessed birth , death , and resurrection , with full deliuerance of all the faithfull in and through the Messias . What should I say more ? Simeon longed , Anna expected , Mary sighed , Elizabeth languished after Israels consolation ; all liued to loue their Christ , and for that were chosen to publish his praise , and witnesse the truth of his blessed Natiuity . The vse of the doctrine in respect of vs is this , that if men will be Prophets to professe Christ , and women with Anna wil be prophetesses to confesse the Lord , & to speake of him to all that looke for redemption in Israel ; they must both beleeue the Lord , loue the Lord , and liue in him . Else will the Lord say as he did to the wicked , Why takest thou my word in thy mouth , and thou thy selfe hatest to be reformed . Or else as he did to the damned diuell , when he called him the holy one of God , yet the Lord rebuked him , saying : Hold thy peace , and come out of him ; as and if he should say : Tush diuell though thou tell the truth , yet will I not be witnessed o● by thee . Like that of Paul to the Pythonesse , when he was grieued to heare Satan witnesse of God , his saints , & saluation . Where you see that each mouth is not for all meate , nor all apparell for euery backe ; each lambe is not for the sacrifice , nor all trees are for the fabricke of the temple : Christ will not be witnessed of any but of men of worth ; and if any wil shew forth his glory , let them take heed that they themselues be not ignominious . Cum canerem reges , & praelia , Cinthius aurem vellet , & admonuit , To sing of kings , and conquests , is too high a subiect for homely shepheards ; you may not exceed your straine , least Apollo plucke you backe . And againe he said well who euer he was that sayd : Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione querentes ? Verrem de furto ? Who can endure Gracchus to cōplaine against sedition , or Verres against theft ? the one being a base theefe , & the other a ranke rebell . Ye haue taken a profession vppon you this day ( my deere brethren ) to confesse with Anna the Lords Christ , to publish his praise and to solemnize the feast of his blessed birth and being ; it stands you vpon therefore to see vnto it , that by no leud conuersation you blemish his birth , but so to demeane your selues in all modesty , piety and godlines , as you may be worthy witnesses of his truth ; knowing with the blessed Apostle Paul , that the grace of God which ( as this day ) brought saluation vnto all men , hath appeared , and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlines , and worldly lusts , and that we should liue soberly , and righteously , & godlily in this present world . I dislike not of your feasting if Christ be your guest , and withall if you feede vpon his faith in the faire assembly of his saints . I dislike not of your houses trimmed vp with Holly , Bay , and Iuie , so your hearts be prepared for God , and Christ to be your garland : your garments are tollerable , if you wash your stoles in the bloud of the lambe , and be arrayed with his righteousnes . And for your musicke , mirth and minstrelsie , so ye strike out with Dauid a song of Sion , and sing vnto the Lord with a grace in your hearts , so ye dance as he did before the Arke of God , and sound out with the angels the babes lullaby thus : Glory be to God on high , and in earth peace , good will towards men ; ye may reioice , I say ye may reioyce : for such mirth & musicke is pleasant vnto the Lord , and sweet vnto his saints : yea it is as one saith , Mel in ore , in aure melos ; in corde Iubileus , Hony to the mouth , musicke to the eare , a Iubily to thy heart . But if you will keepe this feast with your dough sowred , and with the leauen of all corruption , being enemies to the crosse of Christ , making your belly your god , your glory your shame , for that you are wordly minded ; I say then , you blemish the birth of your Sauior , you grieue the spirit , and you are not worthy to witnesse his truth with Angels , Simeon , and Anna. I say for conclusion , let the Babes birth ( as this day ) bury all thy sin in this his solemnitie , and in the middest of thy pride looke vpon his pouerty . When thy house is full furnished with guests , thinke how there was no roome for him in the Inne . When thou art laid in thy bed of downe , thinke how the Babe was found in the cratch . When thou art lapt in thy warme clothes , thinke how the child was swaddled in clouts . When thy tenants are about thee , and thy friends fawne vpon thee , thinke how solitarily the child was found with Ioseph and Mary , all alone . When thou art in thy peace , thinke vpon his persecution , and flight into Egypt , I say thinke vppon the banished Babe . When thou art in thy mirth , thinke vpon his moane . When thou art in thy life ioyous , thinke vpon his death dolorous : And i● thou wilt with Anna truly professe him , be a prophe●esse : go not in the streets to haunt the Theaters , or see the shews of the Shechemits with Dina , but abide in the temple as she did , and serue God with fastings and prayers , night and day ▪ Watch and play ( I feare ) these 12. dayes will be the exercise of many , bu● watch and pray in the practise of few : It may be all that heare me this day , can say , This is the day which the Lord hath made ; but I feare me few can say , We will reioyce , and be glad in it . The Lord deliuer vs from Baltassars feasts , that we neuer take the golden and siluer vessels brought from the temple at Ierusalem ( I meane our sanctified soules , and holy bodies bought with a price ) thereout to drinke our wine , vent our sinne , praise the gods of gold , and siluer , of brasse , of iron , of wood and of stone . But to preuent both the sinne and the iudgement Baltassar saw , we will not cease , by the grace of God , whilest the dayes of your banqueting go about , we wil not cease ( I say ) with the holy and patient Iob , to sanctifie you with our prayers , and preaching , as he did his children . We wil rise vp early in the morning , and offer vp burnt offering● ▪ that is our broken hearts , with sighes and sobs to the number of you all : for Iob thought , and so do we , it may be that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts . The Lord giue vs grace to temper our mirth with moane , our solace , with sorrow , because of him whom we haue preached . Fill our hearts ( O Lord ) with the feare of thy iudgements , and feeling of thy mercies : and as we professe thy name this day , and acknowledge thy nature as this day to be made ours ; so graunt that our bodies and soules may be sanctified thereby , and sinne may be namelesse , and we blamelesse in all our dwellings . Amen . Amen . Secondly , in this testimony of Anna , I doe obserue paucity o● professors , and that they are few in the world who exercise the worke of faith to God , or charitie towards men . For of all the thousands in Ierusalē , & ten thousands in Israel , onely foure persons , to wit , Mary , Ioseph , Simeon and Anna attended the busines in cherishing the child Iesus : two at his birth in Bethlem receiued him into the world , and only two in the temple presēted him according to the law of the first borne ? Where were the Scribes ? where were the Pharisees , where were the Actuaries of the law ? They sayd nothing of their Christ , they did nothing for their Christ. There was no King to protect him , no Prophet to declare him , no Priest to present him in the Temple : he came , I say , Cum altum erat silentium & nullus Propheta erat reliquus , when all was hush , and neuer a Prophet left . Onely Marie was mother , midwife , nurse and all ; she fed him at her owne brests , she swaddled him with her owne hands ; onely Ioseph was his triumphant coach and attendant : he caried him in his armes from Bethleem to Nazareth , from Nazareth to Egypt , and from Egypt backe againe to Nazareth , and so to Galily : I say Ioseph and Mary , they were no more ; they bare the burthen without pompe of princes , or preasse of people to honour the babe : yea and heere in the Temple when he should be presented , who was there of all Ierusalem that stept out of their doores to do him any duty , seruice , or homage , but old Simeon and aged Anna , citizens of no great note , either for wealth , worship , or honour ? And being lost , onely two sought him , Pater & ego , &c. Thy father and I haue sought thee with very heauy harts . Al to iustifie that of the Prophet , both of their time and ours : Multiplicasti gentem , & non magnificasti laetitiam , Thou hast multiplied the nations , but hast not increased their ioy ; much people , litle piety , many countries , few conuerts : and whereof I may say as one did of the priests of his dayes : Multi sacerdotes , pauci sacerdotes , multi nomine , paucire , Many Christiās , few Christians , many in name , few in deed . It is , and hath beene euer the plaint of the Church , much to deplore the frailty of her faith , with the barrennes of her wombe , and to be like the little worme Iaacob , which was trod vpon with euery foote ; like little Zoar in respect of great Sodome ! Oh it is but a little one and my soule shal liue . A brand taken out of the fire , so are the faithfull of God , few and fined . A few berries after the vintage , a few tellies after the gleaning , a lodge in a garden of cucummers frequented of few : and as a lilly among the thornes , so is my loue among the daughters ; one Lilly but many thornes , and pricked because of it sweete perfume . I say , religion is not of this world , but of another . This world loueth her owne , if ye were of the world ( saith Christ ) it would loue you : but because yee are not of this world it will loath you . I pray not for the world ( saith Christ ) but for those few whom thou hast giuen me . Totus mundus in maligno positus , and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction , and many there be that treade it : But narrow is the way that leadeth to saluation , and few there be that hit it . All the Prophets runne vpon this string , and sound this dolefull musicke : who will beleeue our report ? Helpe Lord for there is not one godly man left : woe is me for I am like the sommer gatherings , &c. Our dayes are no better , nay surely worse . If a man be religious , he shall be censured ; if he be prophane , he may be pampered ; and who will beleeue our preaching ? is the mournefull complaint of all the Prophets of this time : few follow , many leaue vs : and of those few that followe , I feare in fine , if Christ support not we shall be constrained to say as he did to the disciples shrinking , Vultis & vos abire , Will you also be gone ? Surely , surely , from his birth to his buriall , the world was euer barren of faith . And if you please yet further to vrge it , you shall find that they were but few who did helpe this blessed Babe , either in his life , or at his death . The earth was barren of faith , when at his birth Angels from heauen must sing his Lullaby . So was it of entertainment , when there was no roome for him in the Inne , but the stable must be his chamber , and the cratch his cradle : beasts of the field had their holes , and fowles of the aire had their nests : but the Sonne of man had not whereon to lay his head . It was barren of preachers , when the shepheards that kept their sheepe vpon the downes of Bethlehem , must leaue their flockes and publish abroad the thing which was told them of that child . It was barren of protection by kings to be nurcing fathers , or queenes to be nurcing mothers , when Herode was vp , and all Ierusalem , seeking the life of the child to kill it . It was barren of Scripture when the Iewes had locked it vp , and the Gentiles must be guided by a starre to the place where the Babe was . Finally , it was barren of mourners at his buriall , when only Ioseph of Arimathaea , and Nicodemus with a few of the Maries followed the hearse , and gaue him the last duty of eternall obsequie . And so to conclude , and close with thy religious heart , neuer man spake like this man , and yet who did beleeue him ? neuer man did like this man : and yet who would obey him ? neuer man died like this man , and yet who pitied him ? Not he but Barabas was in the popular cry of all , and Hosanna in the highest , was turned to crucifie in the lowest . All I haue sayd , is for our instruction and comfort . Instruction to teach vs that multitude is no true note of the Church of God , but rather the cōtrary : for paucitie of professors , barrēnes of faith , & the narrow way , haue euer bin plaints of the true Church , and companions indiuisible , so signified by Christ , and to our comfort when he sayd , Feare not my little flocke , for it is your fathers mind to giue you a kingdome . I say , you my little flocke , and not the multitude of this wicked world ; for pietie is not for popularity . The comfort we gaine is this , that wee knowe wee are of God , though the whole world lie in wickednesse . Neuer should I deeme my selfe to be of the true Church , but for it paucitie . Neuer should I thinke of Christ to be the Sonne of God , but in his pouertie . The wreathed crown of thornes vpon the head of Christ , is more pretious then all the diadems of princes ; and the little flocke is of more esteem in the eies of Christ , then are all the heards of the reprobate . The Turkes and Sara●ens who persecute the cause of Christ and Christians , are numberles : and the East and West Indians , who know neither God , nor his Christ , are as a new world full peopled with all impietie . God grant they do not stand vp in iudgement against vs in that great day , to reproue vs of farre greater impietie , in that we haue neglected so great saluation in this our happie day of grace : wherein Christ , I much feare , hath not the gleanings of our parishes to professe him , of our wordes to praise him , of our workes to honour him , of our thoughts to ioy in him , so as if it euer might be said , now is the time with vs , Multiplicasti gentē non magnificasti laetitiā , thou hast multiplied our natiō with all temporall blessings , but thou hast not increased our ioy in heauenly comforts . Our soules are sad , our zeale is cold , our spirits are dumpish , our faith is fraile ; we are of no resolution , we haue no courage for the truth : we are a people of no bowels , either to pity the Babe in misery , or publish him in maiesty , What should I say more ? We are of no religion : for that we are of any religion , temporizing with al , resoluing vpon none . We neither loue nor liue the life of the Gospell : but many walke , as I haue told you often , and now tell you weeping ; who are enemies to the truth , whose belly is their god , and glory their shame , and they do but mind earthly things . The Lord deliuer vs from these sinnes , that we be not partakers of more heauy iudgements then euer yet we felt . What euer it is , I feare our future fall , for our present neglect of God and godlinesse . Now let vs proceed , it may be some wil obiect : How is it that women , as Anna and such , tooke vpon them the function and ministery of teaching in the Church ? sith Paul saith , women must be silent , and not speake in the congregation . I answer , although the office of teaching in the Church ordinarily be committed of God to men ; yet that the Lord may declare his freedome in teaching , and that he is a free agent in all his workes , and tieth himselfe to no particular : he hath sometimes endowed women with a propheticall spirit , to publish his praise , and such a one was this Anna , and of old , Miriam the sister of Moses . Also Hanna the wife of Elkanah , and Hulda the prophetes in the dayes of Iosia : And after al in the dayes of the Apostles , the foure daughters of Philip the Euangelist . Nay I know not how , but though in these dayes women be most wanting in filling of Churches following of Christ , and publishing his praise : yet of old , womē kept the doore of the tabernacle , and came out with their Timbrels , and praised the Lord , that Saule had killed his thousand , and Dauid his ten thousand ; and sure I am , about Christ women were most officious , to do him any seruice , either in life or death . Mary the blessed virgin and mother of Christ , no sooner receiued the message from heauen of the conception in her wombe , but her hart was full , and she dispatched her selfe into the mountaine country , to communicate the newes to her cosin Elizabeth . And Elizabeth no sooner heard the salutation , but the Babe sprang in her wombe for ioy , and she was filled with the holy Ghost , and being full , she could not but vent it with a crying loude voyce , to the praise of her Sauiour : Blessed art thou amongst women , because the fruite of thy wombe is blessed . Where note that Mary is blessed , not for her virginity , or any worth in her selfe , but for that the fruite of her wombe was blessed ; and yet may I say with Augustine , Motherly piety had done Mary no good , vnlesse she had caried Christ more faithfully in her heart then she did in her wombe , to iustifie that of Christ , when they told him : Thy Mother and brethren stay for thee . Who is my mother , or who is my sister or brother ( saith he ? ) euen he that heareth the word of God and doth it ; he is my mother , sister and brother . And this is the spirituall kindred we haue with Christ , more excellent then the carnal , by how much more the soule excelleth the body . What shal I say more ? Women they were that ministred vnto him in his life , at his death , and after his death . In his life , when they left their houses , country and delights , and followed him from Galily , ministring vnto him of all their substance . At his death , when all his acquaintance stood a farre off , the women that followed him from Galily , beheld these things . And women they were that ministred vnto him after his death , when they came early in the morning with spice , balme , and syndone to bury him ; to whom the Angell sayd , Go tell the Disciples that he is risen : where obserue that women Factae sunt Apostolorum apostolae . And how negligēt soeuer our women be in all duty to God and his Christ ; yet know they this to their sin and shame ( and I feare to their iudgement and confusion one day ) that though they wil not conceiue Christ , yet a woman did ; though they will not receiue Christ , yet ● woman did ; though they will not follow Christ , yet women did , and ministred vnto him of all their substance ; though they will not behold Christ in his passion , yet women did : And though they will bring no spice , balme or Syndon to bury Christ , yet women did : though they will neither come to the Church , nor abide in it : yet Anna wil , and there continue both night and day , fasting , praying , & praising the babe Christ. I tell you plaine , these women wil stand vp in iudgement against you one day , for that they haue followed the Lord , and ye are fallen from him : they haue lulled the Lord in mercy , and ye haue wakened him in iudgement : they haue found him in Bethel , and yee haue lost him in Bethauen . I say in this , that they haue bene officious to serue him in all duty , both in his life , at his death , and after death : and ye haue neglected him in all , serued your selues , and done him no deuotion . Martha , Martha , thou carest and art troubled about many things , one thing is needfull . Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her ; and that was , when she sate downe at the feete of Iesus to heare his preaching , thereby lodging Christ more truly in her heart , then Martha did in her house . Hauing thus made good vnto you the sufficiency of restees , manifesting Christ his blessed natiuity , all of speciall note , 1. For Pietie , 2. For Paucitie , 3. For Perspicuitie : It now remaineth that we come to the description of Anna her line , life , and doctrine of Christ ; euery circumstance whereof is sufficient to giue credite to the cause she hath in hand , and grace her person . And first for her name , it is worthy ●our consideration , that it is a name of worth : for Canna by interpretation , is gracious , Bonum nomen , bonum omen ; of which word , Iohn was called the Harbenge● 〈◊〉 Christ : And Anna the mother o● Samuel , a word proper to both sexes ; to giue vs to vnderstād , that neither is of worth with God , but by speciall grace preuenting , attending , perfecting : for by grace ye are saued , not of your selues ; it is the gift of God , not of workes , lest any man should boast . And here giue me leaue a little to taxe the pride of this world , who giue names rather sauoring of flesh and bloud , then of the spirit of God , and practise of the godly . Such were the cosins of Zachary and Elizabeth , who when she said her sonne should be called Iohn ; Tush , sayd they , there is none of the kindred that is called by that name ; which done , they left ●he mother and went to the father , and made signes how hee would haue him called : he wrote vpon the tables , His name is Iohn ; as and if he should haue sayd : Some build houses , & call them by their own names ; but God hath built me by my sonne , and he shall be called Iohn . To his further glory god hath made me gracious , in that I haue begotten the Harbenger of my Christ ; my wife is gratious in that she hath borne the Messenger of my Christ : and he is gracious in that he may but vntie the shoe latchet of his Christ. Cleipe him not Zachary , for the Prophets are ended ; but cleipe him Iohn , for grace is now begun , and will neuer be ended ; his name is Iohn . When God had made Adam , and brought him into paradise , he suffered him to giue names to all his creatures , and for two causes . The first that he might distinguish one from another : The second that he might haue a property in all ; and it is thought he gaue names according to the nature of the things . Wouldest thou distinguish child from child ? let their names be significant : so did the Iewes of old , and it were not farre amisse for Christians to practise the same now ; that as the Lord hath made them thine by nature , so thou should appropriate them his by grace , naming them of some great mercy or speciall grace flowing from him . That names should be significant , it may appeare by the practise of all the godly . Adam of red earth , so called by God himselfe . Eue is Isha , which is of man , for that she was framed of his rib . Cain of a possession , for that his father thought he had begotten the promised seed , as a repossession of that Paradise which he had formerly lost . But when he saw the crookednesse of Cain , he called his second sonne Habel , which is vanity , condemning his owne vanity in his thoughts . And it is of speciall note and obseruance , that after that , he tooke occasion by the names of his children , to vnfold the misery of man. Sheth , a child begotten after his owne image and likenesse , as well concerning his creation as corruption . Sheth called his sonne Enoch , which is desperation . Enoch called his sonne Kenan , which is dispossession . Kenan called his son Mahalaleel , which is perceiuing death Rahel yeelding vp the ghost in her painfull trauell , called her child Bennoni , which is , the sonne of my sorrow . Of such significant names of mans misery the Scripture is full ▪ one I cannot passe in silence , to wit of Phinehas wife , who whē she hard that the Arke of God was taken by the Philistines , and that religion was gone , she called the child Icabod ; which is , the glory is gone from Israell . The Lord grant that wee haue neuer cause so to say , so to christen our children , or so to sigh to the sorrowe of our sinfull soules , when as for our vnthankfulnesse , the glorie shall go from Englād . The vse of all is this : that as nere as we can , wee should cleipe our children with significant names , such as are no sooner heard , but they should make an impression in vs & them , either of the Lords mercie , or our owne miserie . But and if we will take in the pride of our harts , such names sauoring of flesh and bloud as Dauid did , when he called his sonne Absalon , which is the fathers peace : let vs take heede it fall not out with vs as it did with him ; for hee became his fathers bane . A good aduertisement to see to our names , that wee bee not better called , then qualified , as Absalon was , crossing a good name with a bad nature . As for prophane names taken from the Gentiles , and such as sauour of idolatry , away with them , as Iupiter , Mercurie , Venus &c. Names we may take of our ancestors , so wee follow their vertues , as Dauid , Abraham , Isaac , Iacob . It is written of one , that he was so obliuious , that he had forgotten his owne name . I feare there bee many such who little regard to follow the vertues of such as they would bee called after ; yea oftentimes wee heare the sound of our names , but we forget the signification . Thou shalt bee no more called Iacob but Israel , as preuailing with God , so said the angell ; and after Iacob had it , he neuer lost it , hee neuer forgot it : and it was with him as with Scipio Africanus , Qui nihil inde praeter cognomen accepisse dicitur , he had nothing frō Carthage but the bare name : so what had he or what haue we in this world , but a wrastling with God for a blessing ? The daughter of Phanuel . From her gracious name , now come wee to the faithfull family whereof she was descended , which is here said to be Phanuel . A gracious childe no doubt , of gratious parents , I meane , a flourishing branch of a fruitfull tree : for Phanuel is Peniel mentioned , Gene. 32.30 . which is the face of God , being the place where Iacob wrastled with the Angell , & said , I haue seene God face to face , and my life is preserued . In memorie whereof Phanuel learned 3. things , notable presidents for fathers of families to follow , in making holy their children and houshold . 1 The sight of God in his word , thus : I haue seene God face to face . 2 The wrastling with God for a blessing by powerfull prayer , and practise of all piety , thus : I will not let thee go , except thou blesse me . 3 The assurance of Gods mercie and blessing after such fight & contention , in these words : my life is preserued . Let this bee a modell to frame your families by : so shall ye bee blessed in all your habitations as was Abraham , Cornelius , Abed-Edō , Lazarus at Bethania , and Iosua , when he resolued & said , If it seem euill vnto you to serue the Lord , choose you this day whom you will serue : but I and my house wil serue the Lord. Godlines is great gaine , whereunto appertaineth not onely the things of this life , but of the life to come . Is it gaine you seeke for ? & would you aduance your houses ? and preferre your children ? Then liue godlily , & bring them vp in his feare : so shall ye not only honour them in this world , but in the world to come . I haue beene yong , saith Dauid , and now am old ; yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken , nor his seede begging his bread . The remembrance of the iust is with praise , but the name of the wicked is with rottennesse : Let the rule of the Apostle guide you in the bringing vp of your children and familie in nurture , & holy discipline . If there be any that prouideth not for his owne , and namely for them of his houshould , he denieth the faith , and is worse then an infidell . Which is true and may be verified , not so much of temporall trash , as of heauenly treasure ; euē of that which r●st cankereth not , moth consumeth not , nor theefe breaketh through , and stealeth . Men thinke it sufficient if they be godly themselues , though their children bee riotous . Let Ely his example answere that obiection , punished for his impunity : & let Iobes care of his children banqueting , increase thy diligēce in feare of their future fall . The Senate & people of Rome as Tullie recordeth , sent euery yeare six of their Princes children to the land of Hetruria , there to learne the art of diuination . To credit the profession of diuinity , then Princes children were sent to see into the entrals of beasts , & flight of birds ; our inspection now is deeper , and we soare higher , euen into the bloudy wounds of a sweete sauiour , bleeding on earth , pleading in heauen : and yet ( woe is me therefore ) both meane men , and mightie thinke diuinity too base for their profession . O that wee had the gleanings of our noble , gentle , and princely bloud , for the credit of our religiō , weaned , vowed , and dedicated ( as Anna did her Samuel ) Nazarites for the Lord , and in her owne words thus : I will bring him that he may appeare before the Lord , and there abide for euer . The Lord from Horeb inioyned this exercise to all fathers , that they should teach their children thus : when thy sonne shall aske rhe in time to come , What mean these testimonies , and ordinances and lawes ? then thou shalt say vnto thy sonne &c. Hezechiah rehearseth it as a benefit to all posterity , that godlinesse should flowe from faithfull fathers to faithfull children , The liuing : the liuing , hee shall confesse thee , as I doe this day , the father to the children shall declare thy truth . And Paule leaueth it for an instruction irreuocable : Ye fathers prouoke not your children to wrath , but bring them vp in instruction , & information of the Lord. Of the Tribe of Ashur . That Anna her testimony of Christ might bee of greater credit , shee is here commended for the tribe wherof she came , which was Ashur the eight son of Iacob : but before I come to speak of that tribe in particular , giue me leaue a little to tell you of the tribes in generall . And why the spirit of God hath beene so carefull to distinguish tribe frō tribe , in the course of all the scriptures ; which was I assure you for no other cause but to find out the promised seede , euē Christ the Messias and sauiour of all the world , his blessed line and linage . I say , to proue the incarnation , that sith it was his good pleasure to bowe the heauens and come downe to bee manifested in the flesh , it might appeare in what flesh . For as in the search of Achās stealth Iosua seuered tribe from tribe , and family from family , mā from man , till he came to Achan the sonne of Carmi , of the tribe of Iuda , and he was taken . So search the scripture , & you shall finde in the booke of generations , how carefull the Spirit hath been to seuer tribe frō tribe , house from house , man from man , till it came to Iesus Christ , the son of Dauid , the sonne of Abraham , the father of all the faithfull , and so of Isaac , Iacob , and Iudah . Now that Anna the prophetesse is of the tribe of Ashur , and neither of the tribe of Leui or Iudah , it is much to instruction and consolation , to see that neither the spirit of prophesie is tyed to Leui , nor saluation onely to the tribe of Iuda ; nor we must dispaire of the grace of God , sith the Lord hath giuen saluation apparantly to those that were of another tribe , yea to gētiles aliants from the common weale of Israel . For if you looke into the booke of God , yee shall find that Ashur was the sonne of Zilpa , handmaid to Lea. Gen. 30.12.13 . O Lord how wonderfull are thy mercies , and waies past finding out ! The lawful wife despised , the handmaid respected , & of her must come Ashur one of the tribes in Israel ; and of that tribe sealed vnto saluation , as many as of the tribe of Iuda , euen twelue thousand . Now in this particular tribe of Ashur whereof Anna came , I doe obserue a double blessing prophesied of ; one by Iacob , honorable , of much fruit and great aboundance , thus : Concerning Ashur , his bread shall be fat , and he shall giue pleasures for a king . By Moses , a religious , and as it were a pregnant prophesie of this Anna the daughter of Phanuel : for saith he , Ashur shal be blessed with children , and he shall be acceptable vnto his brethren , and shal dip his foote in oile . Thy shoes shall be iron and brasse , and thy strēgth shall continue as long as thou liuest . For the first , it may seeme that Ashur was an honourable Tribe , and for honour to be humbled to the obedience of Christ , and of his gospell , is a rare thing in this wicked world : for not many mightie , not many noble are called , but GOD hath chosen the foolish things of this world , to confound the wise , and God hath chosē the weake things of the world to confound the mightie things ; and vile things of the world , and things which are despised , hath god chosen , and things which are not , to bring to nought , the things that are , that no flesh should reioice in his presence . Nay , many in respect of this , that they are great , noble , princely , & haue dipt their foote in oile , as was said of Ashur , they take occasion thereby to wax proud , vaine , cruell against the poore , & grieuous ouer the Saints of God ; respecting religion with like reuerence as Rubē did his fathers bed , who defiled it , and so do they : & therefore I may say as he did , your dignitie is gone . Honour , noblenes , and gentility , stand not so much in your descēt as in your ascēt ; not how you are descended of men , but how you doe ascend to God ; it is not the greatnesse of your bloud , but the generosity of your spirit , soaring like Eagles where Christ is , feeding vpon him your selues , & bringing him downe for others repast , to iustifie that : Kings shall be thy nursing , fathers & Queenes shall be thy nurces , they shal worship thee Which and if you doe not , then take heede to your place & high callings : for Potētes potēter tormēta pat●ētur , the mighty shall be mightily tormēted . Topheth is prepared of old , euen for the mightie it is prepared Fulmen petit culmen . The higher the spire , the nearer to fire . But come we to Moses prophesie of Ashur , which seemes more proper to the present occasion , & as it were , a pregnant prophesy of Anna : Ashur shall bee blessed in his children , &c. Ashur in Phanuel , Phanuel in Anna , Anna in her Christ , of whō shee trauelled in expectation , till shee saw him in the flesh presented in the Temple . Ashur was blessed in his children , Anna in her Christ. Ad to the blessing of the faithfull children , a singular and rare constancy in the faith , by such obedience thereunto as appertaineth , mentioned in this : Thy shoes shall bee yron and brasse , and thy strength shall continue as long as thou liuest : or as it is in one translation according with the originall : Sicut dies iuuentutis tuae , ita et senectus tua . True in Anna , if euer in any of that tribe , whose shoes were yron and brasse ; she stedily stoode to the faith of Christ from the first day of her virginity , to the last day of her widdowhead : I say , so long as she liued , shee did continue a virgine , a wife , a widdow , and was found faithfull and constant in all estates . Sicut dies iuuentutis ita et senectutis : As was her youth , so was her age . A iust reproofe to the men and women of these our wretched dayes : wherein for the most part , all are shod with corke for shoes of brasse and yron : wee are not of Ashur , stidy in the truth , but wee are blowne away with euery blast of vaine doctrine , and there is not the least gale of prosperity , or storme of aduersity , but it maketh vs to goe back as in the day of Midian , or like the children of Ephraim , which being harnissed and carying bowes , turned themselues back in the day of battaile . Nay , the Lord is so careful we should no● turne back , that by his aduertisement wee may not so much as looke back , and therfore he said , remember Lots wife . Yea and Paule went yet a degree further , when hee said one thing I doe , I forget all behind , and hold hard to that which is before , &c. Where note , that not onely our foote and eie , but our very thoughts must go forward and not backward . You haue begunne well this good newe yeare , now what should let you to go forward ? Let a daughter of Phanuel , & a child of Ashur , gracious Anna teach the perseuerance in this Christian life , to end thy widdowhoode in his feare , as thou hast begunne thy virginity in his faith . And beware of relapse , both in the point of faith and fact : if thou fall from faith , see thy iudgement . Heb. 6.4.5.6 . If frō thine obedience , which is in matter of fact , then see thy iudgement . 2 Pet. ● . 20.21 . No man that taketh the plowe in his hand , and looketh back , is fit for the kingdome of God : obserue ( O Christian ) saith one , what Christ puts into thine hand , Non delicias , pecunias , et id genus reliqua , sed stiuā , the plow stilt , which is thy paines in piety , neuer to be left off , if thou looke to reape blessednes for thy painfulnes . It is said of the powers diuine , in the first of Ezechiel , Quod non reuertebantur , cum ambularēt , that they returned not whē they went. & Eze. 46.9 . churchgoers may not returne by the way of the gate , whereby they came in : but they must go forth ouer against it ; ye must gaine by your deuotions , & euer depart better instructed then when ye came . This is the day of circumcision , ye must be cut , not in the outward skinne , but in the inward heart and conscience : for thus saith the Lord , no stranger vncircumcised in heart , nor vncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuarie , neither yet the Leuits that are gone back from me when Israel went astray from me after their Idols , but they shall beare their iniquity . So then for conclusion , let Anna her constancy bee your rule , who first & last followed Christ with perseuerance , perseuerantia , cūseueritate : be kind to your godly motions , and cherish them , but be cruel to your bad affections , & kill them . Salomon saith well . Pro. 18 , 9. Hee that is slothfull in his worke , is euen the brother of him that is a great waster . The Angels vpon the ladder were not seene to rest , but either to ascend , or descend ; and Christ in the Canticles is described to haue legs of marble in sockets of gold : to teach vs that constancy in Christ , is constancy in gold , and more precious then the Carbuncle Topas , or Chrisolite , yea and more sweete thē all the trees of incense . In via vi●tutis non progredi , regredi est , & qui non proficit deficit : Not to go forward in the way of vertue , is to go backward , and he leeseth that gaineth no● . Which was of a great age , after shee had liued with an husband seuē years from her virginity , &c. In the description of Anna her person , I haue told you that she was by profession a Prophetesse , by name gracious , of a religious familie , and of an honourable Tribe . It now remaineth , we come to the maturity of her age , and threfold state of her life , which she passed in all godlines & honesty : all to make her witnesse of greater credit , to the honour of her Christ , whom she published For as the wise man saith , Age is a crowne of glory , when it is found in the way of righteousnes Pro. 16.31 . That is , when it is ioyned with religion ▪ or else the elder that the wicked are , the more they are to be abhorred . Her age argued her honesty , vertue , and godly life : for the sinner , wicked , and vnrighteous liue not halfe their daies : Pride , auarice , wine , & women are hatchets to cut downe the tree of thy life , ere it come to it full growth . Dalila in her wantonnesse , Baltassar in his bolles , Absalon in his pride , were all cut off in the middest of their daies ; sinne goeth before destruction , & it hasteneth on the iudgement . As one flood puts on another till they come to the great Ocean , and then they are swallowed vp : so one sinne puts on another , till we come to the graue , & then all are swallowed vp in iudgemēt . I say therefore , Obsta principijs , begin betimes , and let thine age & thine honesty grow together : for what an incongruity is it to bee gray in haires , and greene in affection ? thy yeares to go forward , and thy religion backward ? It is said of Anna , Quod haec processerat in diebus multis , because with the course of her yeares , ran the circle of her religion , vertue and honesty ; & as the daies of her youth passed , so the vanities of this world euer died in her . Erubescat senectus , quae se emendare non potest , that old age may bee ashamed and blush , that knoweth not how to begin to amend . I say amend , for that manie hauing passed their youth in sinne , shame , and ignorance , deeme it too late to amend when they are old ; as when they say , I am now too old to learne : to whom I answere ; Etiamsi senes magis decet docere , quam discere , magis tamen decet discere quam ignorare , August : in Epist . ad Heb. Although it be more seemely for old age to teach then to be taught , yet is it much more seemely to learne then to bee ignorant . The onely thing that letteth in old age to learne and to amend , is auarice : Cum cūcta vitia in sene consenescunt , sola auaritia iuuenesc●t : Whē all vices grow old in age , onely couetousnesse waxeth young . The vse of all is , that our old age should euer be a credit to our place and calling . As also that as our yeares do increase , sin should decrease ; and neede we had , by Anna her exāple to weane our affections in youth , that they do not ouerule vs in our age . Ex peruersa volūtate facta est cōsuetudo , et dū cōsuetudini non resistitur , facta est necessitas , of a froward wil is ingendred an euill custome , & while custome is not withstood , it growes to a necessity . Peccata senum praedicantur in quid , Old mens sins are essentiall . I do further obserue out of the text , that she passed the threfold state of her life , in all piety and godlinesse . A virgin , a wife , & a widow , she passed all without staine to any , a pure virgin , an honourable wife , a religious widow : so she liued , and so she died , and for that her name is memorable . Now of these three kindes of life , to wit , virginity , marriage and widdowhead , the Monkes make much adoe , and such a difference in the sight of men and God too , as doth no lesse argue thē of foule impietie , then of iust hypocrisie , preferring virginity and widdowhoode much before marriage , euen in the sight of God : for they attribute vnto virginity the fruite and merit of a hundred fold , vnto widdowhoode of sixtie fold , but vnto Matrimonie , as a state more vile and beggerly , only thirty fold . Yea and yet some more superstitious thē these , who left vnto mariage no place of fruit or blessing ; but that of an hundred fold they gaue vnto martyrdome , that of sixtie fold to virginity , and that of thirtie fold to widdowhoode ; reckoning mariage among those kindes of life , which are nothing pleasing vnto God , but onely of mercy suffred to bee , and are not farre from fornication , Whereupon this speech hath fallen from their filthy mouthes : Nuptiae teram replent , virginitas Caelum , The married replenish the earth , but virgins fill heauen ; as and if lawfull marriage had nought to doe with heauen . O how truly are the foule frogs taxed in the froth of their fornication , sin , & sodomie , by Bale in his Votaries , thus ? They frowne at marriage , who laugh at letchery . But leaue wee these hypocrites in their superstition , and let vs see what the Scripture saith of these three states of life . 1 First , the scripture saith , of a truth , I perceiue that God is no respecter of persons , but in euery nation he that feareth him , & worketh righteousnes , is accepted of him . Acts. 10.34 . 2 And Paule saith , Circumcision auaileth nothing , nor vncircumcision , but the keeping of the commandements of God. 3 And againe , Gal. 3.28 . There is neither Iewe nor Grecian , there is neither bond nor free , there is neither male nor female : for ye are all one in Christ Iesus : And if ye be Christs , then are ye Abrahams seede , and heires by promise . Out of all which I gather that God is no accepter of persons , nor respecteth any mā , place , state or condition of men , but as they respect him in true piety and godlinesse . He respecteth no person , place or state of life , but in the cause : blessed cause , blessed person , whether virgin , wife or widdowe : cursed cause , cursed person , whether widdowe , wife , or virgin . Giue me a religious virgin , and I will prefer her before an irreligious wife or widdowe ; giue me a religious wife or widdowe , and I will preferre her before an irreligious virgin . For if God respect not circūcision which was his owne ordinance , and vnder the lawe , nor reiecteth vncircumcisiō , which was abominable by the Law , but a new creature ; will he ( trow you ) regard virginity , which was neuer enioyned by law , but as a newe creature . I gather againe , that vpon the touch of Christ , all states are sanctified , and neuer till we haue dipped our stoles in the bloud of the Lamb : If then ye be Christs , yee are Abrahams seede , and heires by promise : not heires for that ye are Iewes rather then Grecians , not heires for that ye are men , rather then women , virgins rather then wiues , Kings rather thē peasants : but ye are heires because of the promise , euen of the promised seede ; which laid vp in your hearts by faith , vnfolds the inheritance vnto you , and maketh you heires of his heauenly kingdome . In which sense I may say with Augustine , Caelibatus Iohannis non praefertur coniugio Abrahae , the single life of Iohn hath no prerogatiue aboue the marriage of Abraham ; and so to conclude with the Apostle . 1. Cor. 7.20.21 . &c. Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called . Art thou called beeing a seruant ? care not for it . Art thou bound to a wife ? seeke not to bee loosed : art thou loosed from a wife ? seeke not to be bound But if thou takest a wife , thou sinnest not ; and if a virgin marry , she sinneth not : neuerthelesse such shall haue trouble in the flesh , I say in the flesh , not in the faith : for it is no touch of faith for virgens ro marrie . And therfore true it is , Molestiae coniugij , sunt paena peccati , non matrimonij : the troubles of marriage , are punishments of sin , not of matrimony : But leaue we the comparison , and come we to Anna , how commendably shee passed these three states of life , in all piety and godlinesse : for it is euident by the text , shee was a chaste virgine , a chaste wife , & a chaste widdowe . A rare thing in these vnchaste daies , wherin fewe , either virgins , wiues , or widdowes go vnspotted : she liued with one husband seauen yeares frō her virginity Ergo , she was a virgin vnspotted in the day of her espousals . She liued seauen yeares with an husband ; she liued with him , shee liued not from him ; she liued to loue him , she liued to obey him , him and no other : for that had bin a death and not a life . The text saith well , shee liued with him , which argued her patience as well as her chastity : for if she had not beene peaceable ▪ it had beene no life but a death they led , according to that of Siracides : an euill wife is a yoke of Oxen that draweth diuerse waies , hee that hath her is as though he held a Scorpion . Lastly , as the Lord guided her in her virginity , honoured her in marriage , so hee loued and protected her in her widdowhead , an estate of life much respected of God , as may appeare by the scriptures . Wherein the Lord enioyneth from Horeb , ( to which imperiall law all owe homage ) Ye shall not trouble any widdowe nor fatherlesse childe ; if thou vex or trouble such , and so he crie and call vpon me , I will surely heare his crie . And it was a sinne , with a vengeance laid vpon the rulers of Israel , that they iudged not the fatherlesse , neither did the widdows cause come before them . Whom to relieue , the Apostle maketh a part of pure religion , & vndefiled before God. But Anna her widdowhead was pairlelesse both for prouidence & pietie : she saw the Lord Iesus presented in the Temple , which she could not , either in her virginity , or when she was a wife ; to tell you that euē therin , widdowhead had the prerogatiue aboue virg●nity , by the Lords prouidence . And the chastity of her widdowhoode appeared in this , that she so cōtinued for the space of foure score and foure yeares . Chambering and wantonnesse rotteth the bones , and shorteneth the life ; but temperance euen in that , giueth length of daies . To liue fourescore and foure yeares was much , and so long to liue in chaste widdowhoode was more : but all that time to serue God in the Temple night and day with fasting and prayer , was most of all ; farre from the practise of our wanton widdowes , who ere they haue well finished the funerals of the first husband , are ready to solēnize the Nuptials of a second . Which though I dare not say , it is vnlawfull , yet may I say , it is not seemely , and charge them with this fault , that they haue soone forgotten their first loue . It was demanded of Valeria the Romane ( her husband being dead ) why she married not againe : she answered that of right she could not , for that her husband yet liued , though not in her house , yet in her heart ; and till he were there dead , shee doubted shee neither ought , nor could marry another . And Marcia wife to Cato , being likewise demanded why she married not againe , answered , shee could yet finde none that would marry her but for hers . But Amira her answer was full both of loue and wit , when she wonde out her selfe from second marriage , with this resolution . If I should marry againe ( saith she ) then it must needes fall out that my husband should proue either good or bad : if good , then should I euer liue in feare to loose him ; if bad , then in griefe to keepe him , and therefore none is best . I speak this to correct the lightnesse of our daies , wherein both Virgins , wiues , and widdowes are too wantonly giuen , neither regarding the vaile of their virginity , the honour of their marriage , nor the holinesse of their widdowhoode with gracious Anna. It may seeme in the Apostles time , that widdowes had their speciall place and praise in the church , as you may reade , 1. Tim. 5.3.6.11 . Nor do I see why euen yet they might not doe vnto God the like good and acceptable seruice , especially those of elder yeares : and for the yonger women , I say with the Apostle , I will that the yonger women marrie , and beare children , and gouerne their houses , and giue no occasion to the aduersarie to speake euill . Finally to preserue and keepe thy chastity without corruption in all three estates , six things are required , 1. sobriety . 2. labour , 3. plaine apparrell , 4. a restraint of thy senses , 5. little speach , and that poudered with honesty , 6. shūning of opportunities , as of persons , place & time . Cassiodore super Matthaeū . And went not out of the Temple , but serued God with fasting & prayers night and day . From the description of Anna her person , a mirrour of all modesty for virgins , wiues , & widdowes to behold ; it now remaines wee come to the practise of her life in all piety , and publishing of her Christ in all true faith and verity : her godly life appeared in this , that shee did altogether deuote her selfe to the seruice of her God , first amplified by circumstance of the place where , In the Temple ; secondly the manner how , with fasting and prayers : thirdly the time when , night and day . In that she went not out of the Temple , it argued that she was no gadder abroad , but liued all in priuate to God , and with his saincts in the great congregation ! whither she went no doubt , as the blessed virgine did to her cosin Elizabeth , Cum festinatione , * with all hast . Non gaudet diu videri in publico , she had no ioy to bee abroad : this blessed widdowe followed after faith , and not fashions . She had no solace but in the assembly of Saints , no ioy but in the fruit of her faith , no pleasure but in the Temple of her God. And therefore no doubt she said as Dauid did , blessed are they that dwell in thine house , they will be alway praysing thee . For one day in thy court is better then a thousand elsewhere : I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God , then to dwell in the tabernacle of the wicked . These dayes are Dinaes dayes ; for many of our virgins , wiues , and widdowes will not be kept within our dores . And others are so far from seruing of God in the Temple , with gracious Anna , night and day , that of all other places they loue it least , and seeke it last . Yea , they neuer come but when they are carried , in the day of their birth to baptisme , and in the day of their death to buriall . Dina went out of her fathers doores to see the shewes of the Shechemits : it cost bloud , and it lost honesty . Bersheba washed her selfe in publique , it killed her husband , it lost her honor , it endangered the king , and plagued Israel· Had Iephthe his daughter kept within the doores , it might haue saued her life , but she was too proude of her fathers praise , out shee must to gaze vpon his glory ; well well , she bought it deare , for her dance was to the graue , her tymbrels playde her passing peale , and the Damosells mourned her funerall . What should I say more ? Esau lost the blessing with being abroad , and Iacob got it with being at home . In cunctis quae foris sunt vae vae , Amos. 5.16 . And they shall say to all in the high wayes , alas , alasse· Dauid in one of his Psalms makes a good wife an ornament for a mans house , and here I may make a widdow an ornament for the Church of God : Not then an ornament for the Theater , playes , spectacles , fayres , markets , or doue-ales , there onely to see and to be seen ; No , no , she must be as a snayle to carry her house vpon her backe , her children at her brests , her hādmaids at her heels , with care in her heart , and cost in her hands , to buy balme , to bury Christ in her dearest thoughts . He was a Pagan that sayde of Sempronia , that she could saltare & canere , paulo elegantius quam decuit probae : that she could sing and dance more minion-like then became a modest matrone . Shall heathen see into such sinnes , and shall Christians be senselesse ? Of old , virgins were vailed , and the maried were couered , & for that were called nuptae ; but now all is garish , and the vaile of modesty is put away : bare head , bare necke , bare brests , with painted face , and oyled countenance ; so farre from all godly cariage and Christian couerture , as they are from virginall modesty , and nere the suspition of prostituted shame and honesty . Trowe you that God wil be so answered when fire shall fyne these fashions , flash in our faces , and yee shall meete him in the cloudes ? when to hide your selues it will be vnpossible , and so to appeare , it will be intollerable . See in the second place what she did in the Temple ; she came not to see others , and to be seene her selfe : she came not as a mony changer , to trade in the Temple , or to haunt the seats of them that solde doues , whipped out by Christ , Math. 21.12 . Nor did she come to serue the time , as those who now and then drop into the Church for feare of danger , & when that is past , they are gone , like Seamewes , who neuer stir but in a storme . But she came as you may here see , to serue God with fasting and praier , night and day . And this seruice of God it was her loue , it wvs her life , she loued it , and therefore she liued in it . And sooner might ye draw the Sunne from the firmament , then blessed Anna from her deuotiōs . Her eare hearkned , her eies watched , her feet were shodde to the seruice of her God 〈◊〉 serue him was the crowne 〈…〉 head , & diademe of her prai●e , she gloried in nothing more thē that she might lick vp the dust of the sanctuary . Nor did this seruice flow from a seruile feare , but from a filiall loue , according to that ; Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bōdage to feare againe , but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption , whereby we cry Abba father . She serued him purely and nothing with him , shee serued him onely and nothing beside him , she serued him truely , and nothing for him ; but woe is me to tell : we are so farre from seruing him , that we make our God to serue vs euen in our sinnes , according to that of Esay : Thou boughtest mee no sweet sauour with money , neither hast thou made mee drunke with the fat of thy sacrifice ; but thou hast made mee to serue with thy sinnes , and wearied me with thine iniquities . Now come we to the manner , how she serued God in the Temple , expressed in these words , with fasting and prayers . Not that she put any merit in the one or in the other , but vsed both as meanes to strengthen her faith in the Messias , whom after she did confesse and professe . And therefore it is said , she serued God with them , and not merited by them , or was iustified through them : beeing a seruice , it was no desert but a duetie ; wherein when shee had done all that euer shee could , yet was she vnprofitable , till she confessed the Lord , and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem . This therefore is the right vse of our prayer and fasting , to bee vnto vs as it were bellowes , by which our faith in Christ is refreshed and inflamed . And it is specially to be obserued , that fasting is put in the first place of her seruice to god , thereby to teach vs that we must be broken by abstinence , ere we cā be well prepared to any good deuotiō . For as if you put an eg or chesnut into the fire , & break it not , the heat no sooner cōmeth vnto it , but it bursteth & leapeth out : yet not so , if before you put it in , you break it neuer so little in the head . So may we say of mē , presuming to come before the maiesty of their God , who is a cōsuming fire ; if they come vnbrokē , fat , & full , and not hūbled with fasting , prayer & watching , they easily leap out of the fire of their deuotions , & fall away frō heauenly contēplation . Not so Pueri illi Babylonici , mētioned in Daniel , who refused the portion of the Kings meat , & choose rather to feed vpon pulse . They would bee broken with prayer , abstinence , & fasting , the rather to abide the fiery furnace , out of which they were deliuered . So Moses was with God vpon the holy mount , forty daies and forty nights without meate or drinke : he was broken like a chesnut with abstinēce , that he might the rather indure the fire of Gods maiesty . So this holy Anna would bee broken like a chesnut with prayer , fasting , & watching in the temple night and day , to mortify the flesh , that it might not abate the vigor of the spirit in the heat of her deuotions . It is therefore expedient ( my deare brethren ) that by your abstinence ye keepe vnder the flesh , especially in your deuotions and seruice of God , and so as you may say with the blessed Apostle , whether in the body or out , I cannot tell , God he knoweth : For the flesh is that Eue tempting vs to eate of the forbidden fruit . The flesh is Putiphars wife , prouoking chaste Ioseph to filthy lust . The flesh is , that Iael beguiling Sisera , with faigned loue to his destruction . The flesh is that Dalila who pleasantly tooke Sampson into her bosome , and betrayed him vnto the Philistins , cut his haire , put out his eies , and made him a scorne to all the people . The flesh is that dancing minion , whom nothing could please but the head of Iohn Baptist on a platter . Finally , the flesh is that dore-keeping damosell , Ad cuius vocem Christum negamus , at whose voice Peter abiured his Christ , and so doe we . In regard of all which , it stands vs vpon as we loue the saluation of our soules in the seruice of our God , that with blessed Anna here , and Paul elswhere , we beate down our bodies with prayer , fasting , & watching , to bring it in subiection to the spirit , lest by any meanes after wee haue preached to others , wee our selues should bee reproued . Night and day . Anna her deuotion is here exemplified by circumstance of the time she bestowed in the seruice of God , which was both night and day , as it is in the text , spoken by way of trope ; not that she euer dwelt in the Temple , for how could it be said then , that shee came at the same instant vppon them ? Or that her fastings were such , or prayers so many , as she had no leisure either to eat in the day , or rest in the night : for how could she euer then haue come to such maturity , and length of dayes ? But the speech is familiar , and meaning such , as doth imply from the spirit which spake it , that she was frequent in her deuotions , and a continual Church commer . As we say of him who is a painfull student , that he is neuer from his booke , nor from the presence of his Master : or of him , who praieth much , we say he is alwayes in prayer . Or of him who is a good hearer , why such a one is neuer from the Church , sermō , and sacraments . So may it be said of Anna the Prophetesse , that she was much in prayer , and fasting : hoc opus , hic labor , hoc artificium , hoc exercitium , it was her worke , it was he● labor , it was her art , it was her exercise . When euer any holy thing was performed in the Temple , were it in the morning or in the euening , Praesto aderat , she was euen at hand : nor did shee at any time neglect the publick seruice , but was still present . Holines ( saith the sweete Singer of Israell ) becommeth thine house for euer : holy saint , holy shrine , holy God , holy people , holy temple ; holy Anna did hallow it night and day , with her holy presence , prayer , and fastings . Here learne then by Anna her due deuotion , and daily practise of godlines , and piety , how to frame your selues for the Church & holy assembly ; handle not the holy things with vnwashen hands , but rather say with Dauid , I will wash mine hands in innocency , and so will I go to thine altar , Psalme . 26.6 . Learne with Anna to loue the Church : where a mans treasure is , there is his heart . Can there be greater treasure anie where then in the temple of God ? where hee hath promised that his eie , eare , & heart , shall be perpetually . Say with Dauid , Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house , and the place where thine honour dwelleth , Psal. 26.8 . Is his presence there ? is his honour there ? Why should we then denie to honour it with our presence ? Is his heart there to loue it ? & darest thou to loath it ? One thing ( saith the Prophet ) I desired of the Lord , that I will require , euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life , to behold the beautie of the Lord , and to visit his temple , Psal. 27. When Dauid desired this one thing , it may seeme he excluded all other things ; and when he desired it to require it , hee made full account to obtaine his desire . When hee required to dwell in the house of the Lord , he made it his habitation ; & when he would there dwell all the daies of his life , he made it no tabernacle for a time , but an abode for euer . Finally to sanctifie all with a sanctified end both of his abode , and biding there , he said , I seeke this solace in his sanctuary onely that I may behold the beautie of the Lord , and visit his Temple . And so to conclude a doctrine from Anna her practise in the continuall exercise of her piety in the Temple , as also from Dauids desire to rest himselfe with the sparrow ouer the Altar of his God , and euer to dwell in the habitation of his holinesse : I gather , that it is beseeming the saints of God , vncessantly to pray , duely to fast , and daily perseuere in the practise of all pietie and godlinesse . For he that perseuereth to the end shall be blessed ; and true it is , Frustra nititur , qui non innititur , the tree that is oftē planted , and often plucked vp , it neuer prospereth , it beareth no bowes , it brings no fruit . So is the planting in religion , vertue , and piety ; if thou leaue thy first loue , & be remoued frō the first groūd of good faith & obedience , thou art as a tree twice dead , & plucked vp by the rootes , and good for nothing but for the fire . O well said Syracides . Eccle. 27. Homo sensatus in sapientia manet sicut sol , stultus autem sicut luna mutatur , A man of vnderstanding is steddy as the sonne , but a foole is changeable like the moone . Iust and holy men are stable like Abraham , the father of all the faithfull , who , as the foules fell vpon the carkase of the sacrifice , still droue them away ; and so as one saith : Inceptum quod fecit , non reliquit infectum , what hee begun he neuer left vndone ; like vnto that of Caesars expedition : Nil factum credens , cum quid superesset agendum , instat atrox , who neuer thought thing well done , when any thing was left vndone . The vse is good , and Anna was happy in her holy haunt : for that she brake of no deuotion , her loue was full of labour ; in prayer often , in fastings often , in watchings often , night and day shee tooke no rest , but in the sweet repose of Israels consolation , whom she sought in the Temple till she found him , and then euer treasured vp in her deerest thoughts . Be it therefore farre from vs , that our diuinity should bee without deuotion , our profession without practise , our zeale without such sanctitie . May we sit at ease in Syon , and haue no courage for the truth ? may the minister or the magistrate sleepe ? may the people shift off so soueraigne a seruice to their God and Christ ? O then where is our first loue ? where is truth ? where is faith ? where is religion ? Wee had all in the daies of our tryall , when the fire fined it , the crosse grieued it , & our martirs sealed it with their dearest bloud : then was the word of God precious as in the daies of Samuel ; then at midnight , Paule and Silas prayed , sung psalmes vnto God , & prisons were shaken with true deuotion . And haue we now left it in the happy daies of our peace , & vnder the gouernemēt of so gracious a Soueraigne ? shall it grow vnder the crosse , & shall it grieue vnder the crowne ? shall it prosper in the daies of persecution ? and shall it wither in the daies of peace ? shall the Arke of God passe through the swellings of Iorden , and shall it make a stop in the sweete running waters of Shilo ? shall Moabs rest be Moabs ruine ? then woe vnto vs that euer we liued , to enioy so great blessednesse , with so little holinesse . But here is our wofull want , we are ignorant of our God , and wee know him not : we think any thing will please him , any religion , any obedience , any prayer , any preaching , any duety , any deuotiō ; like Themistius the Philosopher , that would perswade Valens the Emperour , Deo gratam esse sectarum varietatem , vt ita plur●bus modis colatur : That God was well pleased with varieties of sects , because by that meanes he may haue more sundry and diuerse wayes of his worship and seruice . Or we deale with our great God of heauen , full of Maiesty , full of might , full of feare , full of fire , as it is recorded the Mexicans did with Ferdinando Cortasio ; who being much astonished with his great exployts , and wondering whether he were a God or no , sent Ambassadors vnto him with these gifts and instuctions : Tria genera munerum ad te ferimus , primo quinque homines ; & si Deus quidem crudus es , & sanguine placādus , cape istos & vescere ; plures etiam dabimus . 2. sin bonus mitisque es Deus , en tibi herbas & p●umas ad supplicandum . 3. si porro homo es , cape has aues & fructus , quos damus in tuum & tuorum vsum . In English thus : We present here before thy Maiesty three manner of guests , first fiue liue men ; and if thou be a cruell God and pleased with nothing but bloud , take these and eate , we will prouide more : But if thou be a good and a mild God , behold here are herbs and fethers to supplicate with ; & if thou be but a mere man , take this fowle and fruit , which we giue for thee and thine to vse . Christiane quid rides , de te narratur fabula , Why smilest thou O Christian , the tale is true of thee . You Papists deeme cruelly of your God , and you thinke him pleased with nothing but bloud in your deuotions ; you haue diapred the earth with the bloud of his saints : and , as one of your owne Poets saith , you dayly separate the soule of Christ from his body , and yet drawe incruently Christs bloud out of his veines . We Protestants deem too basely of our God , and we thinke him pleased with any thing , euen flowers and fethers wil fit our deuotions ; but fy vpon such fealty . You Atheists of these our daies who dare say in your heartes , though not with your mout● ▪ There is no God : you thinke of him but as a mere man , fowle and fruite is for your deuotion : whilst you make your belly your God , your glory your shame , and mind nothing but these earthlie things . VVell , Anna her deuotion was another , night & day , she sought , she sued , she wrastled and praied and found God at Bethell : And for vs , seeing as the Apostle saith , we receiue a kingdom which can not be shaken , let vs with her haue grace , whereby we may so serue God , that we may please him with reuerence and feare , for euen our God is a consuming fire . She then comming at the same instant vpon them , confessed likewise the Lord , and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusa●●● . We are now come to the last part and shutting vp of all , which is Anna her profession of Christ in all verity ; without which , what formerly hath beene said , is nothing either to Anna her praise , or perfection in piety . For what is her gratious name ? what 's her godly family ? what 's her honorable tribe ? what 's the maturity of her age , her chaste cariage in her virginity , mariage & widowhood ? what 's the resting of her selfe in the temple , with the continuall seruice of her GOD there , with fasting and praiers both night and day ? I say what 's all this good , without the soueraigne good , euē Christ the stone of our building , the salt of our sacrifice , the wedding garment we must put on , the sweet perfume , balme , and incense that sauoreth and relisheth all our actions ? without which ( I say ) al our deuotion ( be it neuer so deare ) is dead , distasteth with our God , and endangereth our soules . And this is the reasō why we say , Quod opera infidelium sunt peccata , The works of Infidels are sin , be they neuer so iust , neuer so chast , neuer so patiēt , 〈…〉 that it 〈…〉 Now 〈…〉 Christ , I 〈…〉 when the 〈…〉 vpon 〈…〉 when 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 when the parents had brought in the babe Iesus , to doe for him after the custome of the lawe , then came Anna not by chance , or vpon the call of any , but by speciall motion of the holy Ghost ( no doubt ) and instinct of the Spirit ; which did suggest that euen now Shilo was come , Christ was born , a Sonne was giuen , euen the expectation of Israell , to all that longed for him . In which longing she looked , and saw sufficient for her saluation , nor had she euer seene with her eyes , had she not longed with her heart : for in her 〈…〉 in her 〈…〉 notable 〈…〉 still to 〈…〉 good , 〈…〉 vs in 〈…〉 the Lord was his guest . Daniel by the bankes of Hula , while he was speaking in prayer , and confessing the sinnes of the people , the man Gabriel appeared and informed him , Daniel . 9.21 . &c. While Zacharie attended the euening sacrifice , and the incense was a burning , the Angell sayde , feare not Zachary , for thy prayer is heard , Luk 1.42 . Isaac walked in the field praying , and sawe Rebecca comming . While the Ma●i followed the starre , they found the babe . And while Cleopas and the other talked of those things that had happened at Ierusalem , Christ drew neere and talked with them . And when did the holy Ghost fal vppon the assembly and fill the house where they late ? but when they were all with one accord in one place , looking and longing after the promise . Acts. 2.1 . I say for conclusion , watch , pray , and practise piety , long and looke after the day of your redemption : blessed is that seruant whom his master when he commeth shall find so doing . Matth. 24.46 . But woe , woe , and woe againe , to all such as neither watch , pray , long , nor looke , but lie in their sinnes , and are frozen in their dregges ; how will they answer the Lord at his fiery comming , who are so found ? If iudgement begin at the house of God , & the saints shall hardly be saued , where ? where shall the sinner stand ? when to hide themselues it will be impossible , and to appeare it will be intollerable . O that men were wise , then would they vnderstand this , then would they consider their latter end . Deuter. 32.29 . See againe , and weigh with me how the faithfull , good , and godly do mutually help one another in the seruice of God. Simeon was praising & preaching Christ in the Temple , & behold Anna was ayding with all diligence to further that blessed worke ; & superuenit , as it is in one translation , she was vpon him ere he was aware , and did communicate with him in that holy seruice . So was Aaron to Moses : for that he had a stammering tongue . Barnabas to Paul , though Demas did forsake him . The people to Dauid when they said , Come , we will go into the house of the Lord. So was hee who said well , We together are Gods labourers , ye are Gods husbandry , and Gods building . 1. Cor. 3.9 . And so ( for the vse of the doctrine ) are all ye to vs , when you helpe vs in our deuotions , ayding vs with your prayers , praises , and presence in the seruice of God ; flocking hither like doues to their nests , and comming vpon vs at vnwares , as Anna did vpon Simeon when he had the babe in his armes , with Ioseph and Marie assistants in that blessed worke . We are too solitary in the seruice of God , well it were if we were more ayding one another in the same . Birds of a wing flye together , beasts of a heard flocke together : we are too single in our deuotions , and the diuisions of Reuben are great thoughts of heart . Now at Anna her comming in , she shewed her religion in two things : first , she confessed him in heart , and secondly , published him to others , when she spake of him to al that looked for redemption in Ierusalem : iustifying that of the Apostle , Rom. 10.9 . If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus , and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raysed him vp from the dead , thou shalt be saued . Where note , that heart and tongue are tied together , nor can any man say he is religious , if he be silent ; thinke he neuer so well , if he doe not speake , hee is of a dumbe and dead religion ; For euen as at the approach & presēce of the Son , vertue flowing from it , trees wax greene , florish , and yeelde their fruite ; so Christ the sonne of righteousnesse shyning vpon his saints , what maruaile is it , if they breake out into prayses , and smell more sweet then all the trees of incense ? Againe in that it is said she did likewise confesse : See th● consent of faith and doctrine , that her beliefe and speech of Christ was all one with that of Symeon ; to wit , that he should be a light to the Gentiles , the glory of Israell , a rocke to the religious , a ruyne to the reprobate , and a sword to Maries heart , all inuring that Christ should be both our life and mortification Learne further , that if Christ being made man , and taking vnto him the shape of a seruant , as he lay in the cratch was sung of the Angels , and seene of the sheepheards ; if in the Temple he was preached by Symeon , and confessed by Anna , to the wonder of Ioseph and Marie : How much is it of greater wonder , that now neither seene nor felt , yet the godly should relish him in soules , and found out his praise to their endlesse saluation . O that we did know our own blessednesse in the certainty of our knowledge , by a more speciall meane and manner . For we goe not by sight but by hearing , nor do we admire Christ ex his quae foris apparent , for that which we see in him , but for that which we haue heard of him : for it is not only , Blessed are the eyes that see , but also , Blessed are the eares that heare the things that you heare . Nor is it , Blessed are the pappes that gaue thee sucke , but rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it . Ecclesiastes saith well , Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of GOD , and be more nere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles ; for they know not that they doe euill . The Maiesty and mercy of our God cannot be seene with mortall eye , but he is apprehended by faith , and hearing , without further processe , search , or scrutiny . Thomas may sound into his wound by feeling , but he cā neuer sound his will but by hearing . For euen as in aged Isaac when he blessed Iacob , all his senses failed him but hearing , and onely in that he was not deceiued : So in the knowledge of Christ our Sauiour , and in the certaintie of his trueth , all our senses are senselesse , but that of hearing : the voyce is Iacobs voyce , but the hands are the hands of Esau. The Paganes papizing , and our Papists paganizing are palpable in their religion , pleasing they are to all their senses , in all their deuotions , but onely to that of hearing , and that also if it be fed with pipe and Organ : but if you speake of preaching , and would fil it with heauenly harmony , they shut the dores , they stop their eares , and they will not heare , charme you neuer so wisely . Onely in this , Isaac said true , It is the voice of Iacob ; but when he said , They are the hands of Esau , he was deceiued . Iacobs voice will not deceiue , it is the word of God : but Esau his hands will still deceiue you , they are but the inuentions of men , and beggerly rudiments of this world : as , Touch not , tast not , handle not , which all perish with the vsing , and are after the commandements & doctrine of men . And spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem . When the heart is full , the mouth will vent , and as is the liquor within , so is the relish without . I haue beleeued , and therfore haue I spoken , saith one ; and of the aboundance of the heart , the mouth speaketh , saith another . Anna was full of her Christ , & therefore she could not but vent him ; she had treasured him vp in her dearest thoughts , and for that she could not but lay him out to her best aduantage . O wel said the kingly Prophet Dauid , I will giue thanks vnto the Lord among the people , I will sing praises vnto thee among the nations . To thanke GOD in priuate is much , to speak of him among the people is more ; but among the nations to sing his praises , is most of all . The doctrine is good , and this it is : the godly are neuer wanting in the practise of this piety , that as they are faithfull and true to God in beleeuing , so are they charitable towards men in publishing their Christ , pregnant they are , and they cannot but bring forth . Consider what she speakes of , she reades no destinies , nor tels no old wiues tales , she reports no newes like the Athenians , or speaks of belly-cheare , like the slow bellyed Cretians ; her speach is of no ryot , ribaldry , or wantonnesse : but she speakes of him , viz. of her Christ , to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem : According to that of Peter , If any man speake , let him speak as the words of God. Whereby we are admonished , that our speach should be chaste , godly and gracious , euer tending to edification , and the building vp of our brother in god lines and piety ; alwaies mindfull of our sauiours aduertisemēt , that For euery idle word , we must giue an account thereof at the day of iudgement . And surely this is true , sanctified and spirituall speeches do inflame the soule , according to that of the Psalmist : Ignitum eloquium tuum vehementer , & seruus tuus dilexit illud : Thy word is wonderfull fiery , and thy seruant loueth it . And whereunto accordeth Ieremy 30.9 . His word was in mine heart as fire , &c. And that of Cleopas , Did not our hearts melt within vs , when he talked with vs of these things ? But contrarily , vaine , idle , and prophane speeches doe quenche the fire of our loue towards God and man , according to that of the Apostle : Stay prophane & vaine bablings , for they shall increase vnto more vngodlinesse . And againe , Euill words corrupt good manners : and Sit omnis oratio tua in praeceptis altis simi : Let thy talke be with the wise , and all thy communication in the Lawe of the most high . It is here further to be obserued that this blessed Matron spake of God , not to all , but to such as looked for redemption in Ierusalem . To teach vs that wee must not cast our pearles before swine , or giue holy things to dogs : for such are not capable of heauenly doctrine , or diuine mysteries , witnesseth the Apostle : Carnalis homo nō percipit ea , quae sunt spiritus dei : The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God : as also Esay the Prophet . 28.9 . Whom shall hee teach knowledge ? and whom shall hee make to vnderstand the things that he heareth ? them that are weaned from the milke , and drawne from the brests . And Dauid Secreta domini timētibus eum , the secrets of the Lord are reuealed to thē that feare him , &c. Sapientiā loquimur inter perfectos . But woe is me to tell : fewe looke for redemption ( as it is in the text ) either of their sinnes , of their sauiour , or of their lost time ; of their sinnes wherein they liue : which they are so farre from breaking off by repentance , that rather they solace themselues in them , according to that : Laetantur cū malefecerunt , et exultant in rebus pessimis : The wicked are glad when they doe euill , and reioice in their wickednes : to preach to such , is to beate the aire . But rather our words will cary weight , pierce , and wound such as trauell and bee heauy laden , groane vnder the burthen of their sinnes , and looke for the day of their redemption . And as for the time lost , who doth redeeme it , though the daies be dangerous ? And so I conclude from all I haue said of Anna her vnfolding of the heauenly misteries to such as looke for redemption in Ierusalem : The misteries of God are treasures hid in the ground of our hearts , wherein the Lord would bee kept , as in a field of blessing : which if thou discouer to the Babilonians , that is , make knowne to the wicked and vnworthy , as Hezechia did to the messengers of Meradock-Baladan , King of Babel , when hee shewed them the house of the treasuries , the siluer and the gold , and the spice , and the precious ointments , and all the house of his armour ; I say , take heede of the like sinne , least thou fall into the like iudgement , which is to go captiue to Babilon , robbed of all thy riches , and the virgin Sion mourne to see her sonnes or Eunuches in the pallace of the King of Babell . If wee preach peace , and they will not receiue peace , wee may shake the dust of that place from our feete and bee gone ; that dust shall iudge dust in the great day . Into the citie of Samaria enter ye not , they looked for no redemption ; and therefore the secret therof might not be reueled vnto thē , according to that , Secreta domini timētibus eū , the secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him , If any shall say , beeing suncke in sinne , wee are no worse then dogs , and yet dogs may eate of the crums that fall from their masters table : I answere , true indeed if you rise out of sin , & be no such dogs as bite and barke at our deuotions , but come in all humility , and ( as the Chananite did ) sue and seeke in true faith , and feeling the crūmes of mercy that fal frō your masters table , then come and taste with Anna how sweete the Lord is , then come & speake of him with Anna to all that looke for redemption in Ierusalem . And when they had performed all these things according to the Law of the Lord , they returned into Galilie to their owne city Nazareth . Although this scripture say nothing of Anna whose story hitherto we haue followed , for the better manifesting of Christ in the flesh : yet it is necessary to be annexed further , to make plaine the history of Christ his incarnation by speciall growth in body , and strength in spirit , with al complements of wisedome , fauour , and grace both with God and man. Wherein I pray , you would obserue three things : all clearing the truth of the incarnation , and prouing our Christ to be perfect man against Ebion , Carpocr●s , Cerinthus , and such like ; who dire the deity in denying , some the humanity , some the diuinity ▪ I say this is cleared in this place by a threefold subiection , whereunto the Lord would yeeld himselfe as the Son of man , but neuer as the Son of God. The first is his subiection to the Law out of these words : when they had performed all things according to the Lawe . The second was his subiection to persecution , which I may terme a iudgement of the Lawe in these words : they returned into Galilie to their owne citty Nazareth . The third and last is his subiection to increase and growth in body , and strength in spirit , by little and little ; infallible proofes of his humanity , and no waye applyant to the diuinity , out of these words , And the child grew and waxed strong , &c. Christ was subiect and vnder the Lawe : 1. Morall . 2. Ceremoniall . 3. Iudiciall . According to that , When the fulnesse of time was come , God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman , and vnder the Law , that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe , that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes . He was subiect to the Lawe Moral , when he said , Math. 5.17 . Thinke not that I came to destroy the Lawe , or the Prophets , I am not come to destroy them , but to fulfill them . He was subiect to the Lawe Ceremonial , when he was circumcised and presented in the Temple , &c : all ended when the vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe to the bottome , which Temple after was ruinated body and all , Nepopulus rediret ad Iudaismum . He was subiect to the Lawe Iudicial , when he endured his painfull passion , and vpon the Crosse was cursed for vs all ; according to that Gal. 3.13 . Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Lawe , when he was accursed for vs , for it is written , cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree . He performed all , that he might make an end of all , so as no lawe might rise vp in iudgement against vs. When Christ was transfigured vpon the holy mount , it is sayde that Moses and Elias talked with him , and told of his departure which he should suffer at Ierusalem . Luk. 9.30.31 . To teache you no other then that ye are here taught , to wit , that Christ is the end and accomplishment both of the Lawe and Prophets , whereof Moses and Elias are chiefe ; for whereat points the Law , but at a bloudy sacrifice ? whereon stand the Prophets , but vpon the Messias sent and slaine ? and what is their communication with Christ , but of his departure which he should accomplish at Ierusalem ? So then the Lawe and the Prophets do accompany Christ , and Christ in person doth accomplish them : Christ , not Moses , not Elias , nor one of the Prophets ; and yet Christ with Moses , with Elias , and with all the Prophets ; they to find out his lyne , he to finish their course . And all this sprung from the endlesse fountaine of his loue which loue ( I may say with the blessed Apostle ) is the fulfilling of the Law , Rom. 13.10 . or end , if ye wil , for so saith the same Apostle : The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart , and of a good conscience , and of faith vn●aigned : which holy loue streamed with his bloud , when it issued from all his veines , to redeeme vs from this killing lawe . Where by double right and authority he hath conquered : First , as the sonne of God , & Lord of the law . Secondly , as the sonne of man in our person : which is as much as if wee had ouercome the lawe our selues : for his victory is ours . All the iurisdiction of the lawe was executed vpon Christ. First , it accused him as a blasphemer , and a seditious person . Secondly , it made him guilty before God , of the sinnes of the whole world . Thirdly , it so terrified and oppressed him with heauinesse and anguish of spirit , that his sweate was like drops of bloud , trickling downe to the ground . Luke 2● . 44 . And lastly , it condemned him to death , euen to the death of the crosse : a maruellous combate , where the law a creature giueth such an assault to his creator , and against all right practiseth his whole tyranny vpon the sonne of God , and he most innocent . But to proceed , it may seeme by the text , that the Euangelist doth more specially ayme at some performance of the law , done by Ioseph and Mary , in that it is sayd : When they had performed all those things . &c. True it is , & this their performāce may be a president to vs , whereon to looke in all our deuotions . First , that we leaue nothing vndone , which the Lord hath commanded by his law . Secondly , that wee performe nothing of our owne deuising ; but as it is enioyned vs by the eternall law of the eternall God. The Babe was crucified , Mary was purified , and the childe presented according to the law ; they performed al , & left out nothing : & they did it according to no deuice of their owne : but as the line and leuell of the same lawe ledde them . And here two sorts of people are sweetly taught , if not iustly taxed by the spirit of God , of intollerable impiety . First , such as thinke they please God if they serue him by halfes , performe some things , but not all according to the lawe of the Lord : Halfe prayer , halfe preaching , halfe Sacrament , halfe Saboath , will serue their turne in their demi-deuotion ; but Ioseph and Mary performed all . Secondly , such as do performe a seruice , but after their own fashion , vsing for doctrines of the Lord , mens traditions in a voluntary religion , and will worship , neuer taught from Horeb , neuer enioyned of the Lord : to whom I may say with the Prophet , Who required these things at your hands ? Moses was faithfull from the gold to the goats haire : our faithfulnesse is more in the haire then in the gold . The vse of al is this , by the example of Ioseph and Mary , to ayme at perfection in all our actions with God , who requireth thee to bee faithfull , and neuer to breake off thy course , till thou hast finished the race : for what will it profite thee to begin at the Font , and to breake off ere thou come to the Graue ? to begin in the spirit , and to end in the flesh ? to haue ingresse in Christ , and egresse in Anti-christ ? sacramentally to reteyne Christ by baptisme , really to forsake faith by breaking the vow ? I say : what wil it profit thee to shift from Sodome , vpon the Lords commaund , and to looke backe and lust after it ere thou come at Zoar ? Irridebunt te sane Daemones , Diuels will deride thee ( as one saith ) & say : hic homo coepit edificare , & non potuit consummare , He began to build , but he could not finish . Iobs constancy was no lesse , if not of greater perfectnesse in the feare & seruice of his God , whē he said , Chap. 27. vers . 36. So long as my breath is in mee , and the spirit of God within my nostrels , my lippes surely shall speake no wickednesse , and my tongue shall vtter no deceipt . God forbid that I should iustifie you ; vntill I dye , I will neuer take away mine innocency from my selfe . Paule , Paule , thy contentions were many for the truth ; yet was thy constancy aboue all thy contentions , when thou saydst with perfect faith and feeling , 2. Tim. 4.7 . I haue fought a good fight , I haue finished my course , I haue kept the faith . The second thing clearing the humanity and incarnation of Christ , is his persecution in this , that they Returned into Galily , to their owne city Nazareth : Implying thereby , that immediately after , he was presented in the Temple , and his mother was purified , according to the law : and hauing now recouered the strength shee had lost in her late labor , wherby she became more able to vndergo the iourney . Now must they to Aegypt , ere they might returne into Galily , to their owne City Nazareth . This their flight foreseene of the Lord , and foretold to Ioseph , is set down at large by Matthew in the second chapter of his Gospell ; but omitted by Luke in this place . To teach vs that it is vsual with the Euangelists , oftē , one to omit that which another hath : & some one to supply that which is wāting in the rest : so as all in one , and not any one for all , doe make perfect the circle of Christ , his line , life , death and doctrine . So is the body of all the Scriptures soulelesse and imperfect , if you stand vppon any one booke , without the supply of all ; but liuely , absolute , and perfect in their ioynt and iust proportion , like the vision of wings , wheeles & beasts , mentioned in Ezechiel , which neuer goe but as they are chained , linked , and locked together . The vse then is this : that if you wil vnderstand one Scripture , you must examine it by another , and if you will bee ignorant in none , you must giue your diligence to the reading of all , according to that of Christ , Search the scriptures , for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life , and they are they which testifie of me . Not Scripture , but Scriptures . Some are of opinion , to whom I assent not , that Ioseph and Mary , after they had performed the sacrifice of purgation , returned to Bethlem , that they might dwell there ; but it was not to be imagined that Ioseph had a dwelling place there , where hee was so vnknowne , that he could not finde a place to remain in as a guest . And therefore I doe easily graunt , that the iourney into Egypt was between these , that is , after the purification and presentation , and before their returne backe to Nazareth . So as that which Luke sayth , of their dwelling again in their own City Nazareth , was in order of time after their flight into Egypt : which Matthew reporteth . Chap. 2.19 . &c. Where if the story report aright , Christ with his parents remained in exile full seuen yeares : for so they calculate the time from Herode his slaughter of Innocents , to the daies of Archelaus his sonne , at what time Ioseph againe heard from the Angel of the Lord , Arise and take the Babe and his mother , and goe into the land of Israel : for they are dead which sought the Babes life . All to testifie that which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet : Out of Egypt haue I called my sonne . A wonderful worke and prouidence of God , that the Sauiour of Iudah should be cast out of Iuda , and Egypt should nourish him : Egypt , I say , euen Egypt , from whence neuer any thing came before , but euen that which was deadly to the Church of God. If the Princes of Iuda will persecute Ieremy , and cast him into the dungeon , the Lord wil raise vp Ebedmeleck the Nigro , to deliuer him out of that danger . And true it is , that the wise king saith : If a mans wayes do please the Lord , he will make his enemies at peace with him . And it may be the Prophet meant this or the like prouidence of God towards our Sauior here , and Saints else where , when he saith : The VVolfe shall dwell with the Lambe , and the Leopard shall lye with the Kid , and the Calfe and the Lyon , and the fat beasts together , and a little child shall leade them , and the sucking child shall play vpon the hole of the Aspe , and the weaned child shal put his hand vppon the Cockat●ice hole . The Lord can play with poyson , and tame the cruellest in his prouidence , when he pleaseth to preserue either Saint or Sauiour . If his prouidence be vpon the fire , it burneth not , if vppon the water , it drowneth not , if vppon the seas , they swell not , if vppon the windes , they blow not , if vppon the Lyons , they deuoure not , if vpon Egypt , it persecuteth not ; if vpon the sonne , it goeth not , if vpon the graues , they detaine not , but deliuer vp their dead , to the glory of their God ; according to that of Augustine , Vbicunque fuerit prouidentia , frustrātur vniuersa contraria , Where the Lord hath his prouidence , all crosse incounters are defeated . But the vse is this , though Egypt did preserue him , yet Iudah did persecute him , and soone it pricked that would be a thorne : for if you search with care , and sound with iudgement , you shall finde that from the first conception of Christ in the wombe , to the yeelding vp of his Ghost vppon the crosse , In articulo mortis , the Crosse was euer his companion , & his life none other then a painfull passion : it hath beene euer in the practise of Sathan to maligne the truth , and by all possible and potent meanes to bury the Babe in his birth . Gabriel no sooner came from heauen with that ioyfulll message , but straight waies hee raised a doubt in the heart of Mary , so as shee demurred vppon the point , and sayd , How may this be ? Being found with child of the holy ghost , Ioseph was iealous of his wife . What should I say more ? Herode was cruell , and Bethleem was vncourteous , when Christ found more humanity & kindnesse with the beastes in the cratch , then with men in their Courts . Sathan stirred vp the Galileans , from a high steep hill to cast him downe headlong . The Gadorens , to driue him out of their cost & coūtry . The Samaritans , to deny him lodging . His owne brethren , to circumuent him . Iewes and gentiles , to bandy at his death , and to conspire against the truth of his resurrection . So as I may well say , Inter flagella dat filium : He gaue his sonne to the tormentors . And the child grewe and waxed strong in spirit , and was filled with wisedome , and the grace of God was with him . Being now fallen into the dangerous daies of the world , wherein all the creatures of God are in a wofull declination , and there is nothing more geason amongst men , then growth in godlinesse : I am bold to moue your patience in your wonted piety , yet once more to beare with mine importunity , whilest I make the growth of Christ a president for your practise , and so returne againe to the honor of his Priesthood ; in whom I told you out of this text , three things were of speciall note , to proue him perfect man , incarnate of the blessed Virgin Mary . First , his subiection to the law . Secondly , his subiection to persecution , and flight into Egypt . Thirdly , his subiection to increase , in that he grew as a child in body , spirit , and grace , both with God and man. Of the two former I haue already spoken , now of the last , if God wil , wherin two things are respectiuely to be considered out of my text . That as the child grew in our flesh , to make him a perfect man , so wee must growe in his faith , to make vs perfect Christians : And that as our humanity was his , to make him the son of man , so his diuinity must be ours , to make vs by prerogatiue the sons of God. And as he through our humanity had feeling of our miseries , so we through his diuinity , must haue feeling of his mercy . If the child increase , men may not decrease , or degenerate , the bowe from the boale , the member from the body . This child is the boale , building and body ; we must grow vp with him till wee come to bee perfect men , euen vnto the age of the fulnesse of Christ : otherwise we are but blasted bowes , pible stones , rotten members , neither fit for boale , building , or body . In that he grew , it proued him a creature of God by generation , of a locall being , subiect to alteration , like vnto vs in all things , sin only excepted . In that he grew , it ouerthoweth a creation of Christ , which some vrge without generation ; like vnto that of Adam , who was made perfect at the first , as all other creatures were . In that he grew in body , and waxed strong in spirit , it ouerthroweth the Papists monster of transubstantiation , and all power of Priesthood , to make Christ of bread , or of any other matter or mettle ; for if he make him , he either maketh him a man or a child : if a man at the first , how then did he grow from a child ? if a child at the first , how then did he grow to a man ? If Christ so made , was a child by generation , then the priest was his father ; if by creation , then the priest was his God ; but he is neither of both , but their breaden Christ by vsurpation , sitting in the holy places . We say , Christ was made by the powerfull working of the holy ghost , by a perfect generation . They say , they make him by words of consecration without any generation . We say , the child was incarnate of the virgin , and so grew . They say , Christ is impanate by them , and needeth no growth . We say , body , bloud , and bone , grewe together in this Child . They tell vs nay : for the child they make and offer vp , is Incruentum sacrificium , an vnbloudy sacrifice . What should I say more ? the child we preach , is quadratus homo , ful of fauour , and fairer then the sonnes of men . The Sauiour they make hath no spirit , life , liking , or grace , ether with God ▪ or gracious men . The heauen of heauens is his habitation , whom we preach , and hee sitteth in glory , at the right hand of his father . A poore box must couer and cary your Gods , crouding one another till they moule together , and fall to rottennesse . But good Lord how long ? how long shall euil men thus deceiue ▪ and be deceaued ? how long shall the child Iesus be hindred in his growth , by such vnkind stepdams● Lurida terribiles miscent acconita nouercae ? How long shal these vnnaturall mothers make all Nations drunke with the poysoned cup of their popish fornicatiō ? But leaue we the controuersie , and come we to his misery and much mercy , which he would effect by weakest means to the consciences of your Christian hearts , who heare mee this day ; and now answere mee in soule , as in the sight of God. Ballance the iudgments of our God , with the inundation of our sins , and whilest we see a growth in both , let vs grieue vnder the burthē ; that sin hath increased , vertue hath decreased in vs , old mercies are wearing out , new iudgements are comming on . The hand of God goeth forward aboue in this vnseasonable weather , nor is it much weakened in his stroke of plague and pestilēce , God grant his hand may likewise go forward in the holy worke of our repentance , and that we may growe with the child Iesus , to the abating of these iudgements . Spes est , there is hope , for that the Lord vsually cōmeth to help , when our cause is most desperate , & when all other succours faile , then commeth the suckling child in weaknesse to worke our wonders : according to that of Esay , 8.4 : Before the child shall haue knowledge to cry my father & my mother , he shall take away the riches of Damascus , and the spoile of Samaria . We haue stood much vppon our owne strength , power , and puissance , and what is that , but as Damascus and Samaria ? All our good must bee wrought by the weakest meanes , and in the growth of a child , will be all our gaine . Lastly , Christ his humanity is cleared in this , that he did growe in strength , and increased in wisedome and fauour both with God and man ; But his diuine and godly nature did not increase or waxed in this world , but filled all , & yet was fined from all ; it knewe all things , and was ignorant of nothing . The idle Monks , from their dern Cels , haue much busied themselues about Christ , his miracles done in the daies of his infancy , when he was a Babe and a child . They haue filled the world with many a fable of his deedes and doings in Egypt , Bethlem , & Nazareth ; much like vnto that of S. Christopher the gyant , who shrunk vnder the burthen of this Babe ( as they say ) when he bare the world vpon his backe , like an Atlas ; but leaue we these idle drones , in their derne diuinity , and be we silent of that whereof the Scripture saith nothing but that of his persecution into Egypt : Of his growth in stature , with much increase of wisdome , grace , and fauour , both with God , and man. Moses buriall was vnknowne , lest the people should commit idolatry vppon his graue : and the Lord would shut vp in like silence what Mary said , and the child did , in the dayes of his infancy , lest the world might bee too curious of that in Christ , which little concerned their saluation . The aduertisement is good from the spirit of our God , The secret things belong to the Lorde our God , but the thinges reuealed , belong vnto vs , and to our children for euer , that we may do all the workes of this law . And now to shut vp all , with the shower of his mercy : Exinaniuit se , He humbled himselfe , that we might be exalted . He bowed the heauens , & took our flesh with our infirmities , that he might haue experience of our miseries : and though hee were a sonne , yet learned hee obedience by the things which he suffered . He suffered wearinesse that we might haue rest . He suffered hunger that we might bee filled . He suffered ignorance , that wee might haue knowledge . Hee suffered death , that wee might haue life . And he did endure a crowne of thorne , that we might be honoured with a Diademe of glory : his strange cryes , his salt teares , his deepe sighes , with many griefes , and groanings , shew to our solace , that wee haue not an high Priest which cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities , but was in all things tempted in like sort , yet without sinne . And it is heere foolishly obiected , that ignorance and these infirmities could not light vppon Christ , because they are the punishments of sin : the same may be sayd also of death . But rather the Scripture affirmeth , that he fulfilled the office of a mediator , because what punishment soeuer we had deserued , hee tooke from vs , and layde vppon himselfe ; yea euen hell it selfe , with all it horrour , though some say contrary : neither do we think that all ignorance is a punishmēt of sinne . For it cannot bee thought that Adā whē he was yet perfect , knew all things : neither doe the Angels beare the punishment of sin , when they are ignorant of anie thing . They know much , but not all : for then were they as God ; they are ignorant of the last day , so is Christ as the son of man , though not as the son of God. And therefore the speech of our Sauiour is indefinite : But of that day and houre knoweth no man , no not the angels which are in heauen , neither the son himselfe , saue the father . Where , as Ciril obserueth in his 9. booke of Treasures . Chap. 4. he saith , not , the holy Ghost is ignorant , but the Angels and the sonne : neither doth he say the sonne of God , but the sonne onely ; that it might not be grieuous to the Angels & men , to be ignorant of the last day : therefore he saith , the son also is ignorant : and this is no derogation to his God-head , as he was God , he knewe it well ; but as hee was man , hee was ignorant of it . The vse is good , that if Christ was not ashamed to confesse his ignorance as hee was man , wee should neuer so stand vpon our learning and skill , as to make our selues ignorant of nothing ; for to be ignorant of that which the Lord will not reueale is , Docta ignorantia , a learned and a deuoute ignorance . Christ grewe , we may not wither , Christ increased , wee may not stand at a stay ; woe is me to tell : all states either stand at a stay , or else are in a woefull declination ▪ The child waxed , we men waine , body & spirit did grow together in him ; wee pamper the flesh , we pine the soule , & we are of no growth for godlinesse . We might haue been , ere this , men of might , of ready resolution and of ripe iudgement , strong as Sampson : But Dalila hath cut our haires , whereby we are become as weake as water , and the Philistines haue put out our eies , wee see nothing . O tel it not in Gath , nor publish it in the streets of Ashkelon , lest the daughters of the Philistins reioice , lest the vncircūcised be glad . Popery practiseth much , and hath mightily preuailed to make at , if not to put ●ut the eyes of piety ; and our dalliance with the pleasures of this worlde , in the lap of her delights ( as with Dalila ) hath cut off our strength , & made vs carelesse of our God. O tell it not in Gath , &c. Caleb desired of Iosua that hee might possesse Hebron , there to fight with the sons of Anakim , for that they were mightie men and gyants . And he went with this resolution : I am this day 85. yeares old , & yet am I as strong as I was when Moses sent me ; as strong as I was then , so strong am I now , eyther for warre or for gouernment . As was his name , so was his nature , Caleb is steele , he grewe in strength , with the child Iesus : the number of his yeares abated not the vigor of his spirit : he chose Hebrō , that he might cut off Anakim , we flee Hebron for feare of Anakim , we haue no courage for the truth . Too too carefull we are of our selues , and of our children , that our bodies and theirs be faireful , & fashionable , and yet al that grace is but grasse ; but for their growth in godlinesse , piety , and knowledge of the Lord , for their strength in spirit , and aboundance of heauenly grace , we reckō little , and we regard or looke after no increase . If it please God in iudgment to cut downe our children , friends or family , in the blade and greeuenesse of their yeares ; good Lord how then we waile & weepe with Rachel , for that they are not ? But when we see them dead in transgressions , blasted with sinne , shame and ryot , we neuer shrinke or sorrow at it ; but rather solace our selues in the sight of their sinnes . Answere me , O answere me , thou carelesse Christian , why art thou so faithlesse in their funerals ? Quid corpus plangis , a quo recessit anima , & animā non plangis , a qua recessit Deus ? Why doest thou weepe ouer the body , whereout the soule is gone , and mournest not ouer the soule whereout God is gone ? Fruits of the flesh must decrease , but fruits of the Spirit must increase ; whereof reade the blessed Apostle . Gal. 5.19 . Rom. 12.1 . &c. Agiselaus in his common wealth , tooke an account or reckoning both of the youth and aged , how they liued , and how they profited in the knowledge and practise of Philosophy : we christiās are carelesse of both in diuinity . And Tully told his sonne Marke , that now hee must needes abound in the rules and precepts of Philosophy , for that he had heard ●ratippus a whole yeare , and that in Athens . Forty nine yeares we haue heard the Lord from the mountaine of his holinesse ; and yet I feare , we lesse abound in knowledge , faith , and feeling of true godlines , then we did at the first . We haue left our first loue , our tree is blasted , godlinesse is gone , the child increased , we decrease . The Lord euen then put into our hands talēts of gold , and bade vs occupy till he came . Woe is me to tell , we haue lapt thē in our napkins , and returned him his owne with no aduantage . The Israelites grew vnder the burthens of the Egyptians , like palme trees when they are pressed : our God hath deliuered vs from all both burthēs & bōdage of the Egyptian Pharaoh , & yet we wither . The grace of God is a continual currēt , as Zachary saith , euer emptying it selfe from pipe to pipe , til it come to the poorest of his people : we are as poore as euer the widdow was , mentioned in the 2. Kings , 4. and our Creditors are as cruell as euer hers were ; but how we feele our selues filled with the oile of Gods grace , to keepe our soules from bondage as she did her son , I leaue it to each good conscience to consider of . And so for conclusion , I say with the blessed Apostle , my deere brethren beloued , and longed for , Seeing yee know these things before , beware lest yee be also plucked away with the errour of the wicked , & fal frō your own stedfastnes ; but grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ : to him be glory both now and euermore . Amen Amen . GREAT BRITTAINES GREAT DELIVERANCE , from the great danger of Popish Powder . By way of meditation , vpon the late intended treason against the Kings most excellent Maiesty , the Queene , the Prince , and all their Royall Issue : VVith the high Court of Parliament at VVestminster , there to haue beene blowne vp by the Popish Faction , the fift of Nouember , 1605. If God of his great mercy had not preuented the mischiefe . The second Edition , corrected and enlarged by the Author . Psal. 5. vers . 11. Destroy thou them , O God , let them perish through their owne imaginations : Cast them out in the multitude of their vngodlinesse , for they haue rebelled against thee . Printed at London for Arthur Iohnson . 1609. TO THE HIGH AND Mightie Prince , Henry , by the grace of God , Prince of VVales , Duke of Cornewall , Earle of Chester , and Heire apparant of the Crowne and Diademe of this kingdome of great Brittaine , France , and Ireland . PArdon me ( my gratious good Lord , & deare Prince ) if out of a loyall heart I present vnto your Princelie viewe , what I conceiued vpon these late intended Treasons , in solace of my soule , after the Lord had made the land so glorious by deliuerance : I say , Deliuerance out of the hands of cruell enemies , who strook at our fairest tree , to haue cut it downe , both roote , bole , and branches , if the Lord had not beene propitious . And because your excellency is the highest straine in all expectance , and the Heire apparant to that crowne and dignitie , whose vndoubted right , they haue so wronged by sinister thought , word , and worke , as in former ages the like was neuer deuised in any Nation , nor ( by the grace of God ) euer shall : I haue made bold in these fewe leaues , and lines , to lay open the danger , with the deliuerance ; and the rather to your Highnesse : for that in feeling sort , you may iustly say , Quorum pars magna fui ; I haue had my part of both : for man hath endangered me , but God hath deliuered mee . If in the deliuerie and proiect of this my speech , your highnesse shall finde lesse Method then Matter , I hope your clemency will beare with my passionate heart , more affected to grieue for them who deuised the mischiefe , and to ioy for our selues that missed it , then I can well expresse , without a troubled stile . One saith wel , Vt luctus sic laetitiae loquūtur leues , ingentes stupent : As are our sorrowes , so is our solace : in their Mediocrities they speake , but in their extremities they are silent , and say nothing . What maruell then , if this our rauishment of so great ioy for the deliuery , and deepe griefe of horror because of the danger , either enioyne mee silence , or if I speake , make me to vtter my thoughts with such passion as little passeth of the Method , so it meete with matter , to expresse the meaning of a melting heart ? Nescit ordinem amor , Loue is lawlesse : and a loue thus boyling , how can it but shed ouer , and keepe no current , other then in your Royal acceptance , euer seasoned with such heauenly sufferance , as is gracious both to GOD and man. Digna prorsus & rara virtus humilitas honorata ; It is a rare vertue when humility is honoured , and honour is humbled : the blaze whereof I saw in your Princely countenance , when at your Highnesse Court at Saint Iames , it pleased your excellency to licke vp the dust of the Sanctuarie there , ( vpon the Lords day : ) and after the Sermon ended , to yeeld such grace in publike to the Preacher , as that he might kisse your Princely hand : which euer sithence hath strucke so great an impression of exceeding loue , and loyaltie in my poore heart , as by the grace of God , I shal neuer leaue to pray for your highnesse , as I am most bounden : and also by all meanes studie , how either my loue or life may expresse the seruice and duty I owe for so gracious an aspect . Gold and siluer I haue none : such as I haue , I giue : In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth , be you established . Yet if it please your good grace to receiue this simple New-yeares gift , with the least acceptance , and as the first fruit of my labours in your Highnesse seruice : It may be , I shall with Ianus , looke backward to the olde yeare , and out of my small store , offer a pearle of an higher price . Till when , and euer , I pray God safely to keepe your Royall person , to his glory , your owne comfort , and Englands ioy . Your Graces Chaplaine , most humble at command . W. Leigh . Great Brittaines great deliuerance , from the great danger of Popish Powder . THE Papists of these our dayes , falsly called Catholickes ( vnlesse it be in this , that they are vniuersally euill ) haue euer since the first yeare of Elizabeth , our late Queene of famous memory , euen to this day , endeuoured the subuersion of their deare country , to set vp their Babel of al cōfusion : And haue sought by all possible and potent meanes , to make this Church and Country ( the noblest of Nations ) an Akeldema , or fielde of bloud . Witnesse all their Rebellions that haue beene raised since that time , either in England , Ireland , or Scotland , euer fed with the grosse Viands of Popish Buls , and Indulgences , fetched from Rome , by Saūders , Morton , Felton , Edmond Campion , and Robert Parsons , most , or all factious Priests and Iesuits ; and since spred and divulged by the poysoned breath of thousands of their Sem●naries , vermine of the Church , and bane of Christendome . These haue done much , and deuised more against th●●tate then euer was thought vpon in elder times ; and not so much by open hostilitie , as secret treasons excommunications , and confi●ca●●ons , against the liues , soules , and goods , both of Prince and people , who were not pleasing to their deuotions . But of all that euer were , this last deuice of gunpowder to blow vp all , was most detestable , diuellish , and damnable ; as wherein hell was shaken , with all it furies , to haue effected their thrice bloudy practise , with this fiery resolution , of their angry Goddesse Iuno : Flectere si nequeo superos , Acheronta mouebo : If God will not , the diuel shall . Whereupon when I do thinke , it is with me , as it was with Elisha , when he looked vpon Hazael his person , and sawe in his countenance his intended crueltie , toward the Israel of God : hee looked vpon him stedfastly , till Hazael was ashamed , and the man of God wept , and Hazael sayd ; Why weepeth my Lord ? Whereunto the Prophet answered , Because I know the euill that thou shalt doe to the children of Israel : for their strong Cities shalt thou set on fire , and their yong men shalt thou slay with the sword , and shalt dash their Infants against the stones , and rent in pieces their women with child . Then Hazael said ; What is thy seruant a dog , that I should doe this great thing ? And Elisha answered ; The Lord hath shewed mee that thou shalt be King of Aram. Wee haue stedfastly looked vpon you , O yee Romish Aramites , more cruell then Hazael , and lesse compassionate then he ; wee haue wept ouer your tyrannie as Elisha did , and yee are not ashamed , as Hazael was : the prints of your former cruelties haue pierced our hearts , but this last impression hath euen wounded our soules ; wherein we see nothing but traces of bloud , and ( as it were ) the black face , and countenance of confused desolation . King , Queene , Prince , with all their Royall issue , the onely remaine of our religious hope ; Councell , Peeres , and Prophets , the next support of our happie estate ; graue Iudges , and learned at Lawes , with the Knights of the Parliament , and Commons there assembled , a third pillar bearing vp the kingdome ; all these our honors had gone in a day . Woe vnto vs that euer wee sinned , to deserue the hazard of so great a iudgment . Which once accomplished to their full , then had wee felt ( to our wofull experience ) how speedily , the mischiefe would haue spred it selfe into the body and bowels of al the kingdome ; wherein nothing should haue bene heard , but rumbling of shot , and crashing of armour , outcries of mothers , & yelling of children : nothing seene but sacking of citties , burning of townes , razing of Towers , and wasting of the land , with destruction of parts , and desolation of the whole : Quorum animus meminisse horret luctuque refugit . And yet as all this were nothing , or not enough , we should haue seene these miscreants neuer satisfied with the bloud of the Saints , till they had changed our religion for superstition , our knowledge for ignorance , our preaching for massing , our subiects for Rebels , our Councellors for conspirators : and so haue brought vpon vs and ours a most woefull Sabaoth , when both the lawes of God and man ( which are the sinewes of a sanctified State ) had beene dissolued , and silent . Now if any shall say , as Hazael did , Am I a dog , that I shall doe this great euill ? I answere with Elisha , though in differing termes , yet in equall sense : The Lord hath tolde me , and experience hath made it good , that where Romish Hazael is King , there is crueltie . Fraterno primi maduerunt sanguine muri . The first wals of Rome were laid in blood , and euer since they haue beene scemented with such morter , as is euident , by the ten cruell persecutions of Emperours , in the first 300. yeares after Christ , & by the cruelty of Popes euer sithence : wherein Emperors haue beene Dogges to bite , but Popes haue beene diuels to deuoure , and make hauocke of Gods Saints ; nay worse then diuels , and more audacious , according to that , Non audet Stygius Pluto tētare , quod audet effrenis Monachus , plenaque fraudis Anus . Vnbrideled Monke dares vndergoe , what diuell himselfe he dare not doe . And here might I seasonably taxe the perpetuall hatred , and intollerable cruelty of that Romane Antichrist , toward the professors of Gods truth and Religion : of whom I may truly say , as the Prophet did of the Babilonians , that they are , and euer haue beene a people vile in name , and sore in affliction . Graues are pregnant , and would bring foorth their dead to pleade their iust cause against their cruelties ; and Abels innocent blood crieth vengeance out of the earth against these cursed Cainites : and from vnder the Altar , me thinke I heare the soules of them that are killed for the worde of God , and for the testimonie which they maintained , cry with a loud voice , saying ; How long Lord , which art holy and true , doest not thou iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth ? Of many , take these fewe for all : Et leonem ex vnguibus . Nor will I kallender any but moderne cruelties , and such as are yet fresh bleeding in the memories of men liuing , of this age and climate . Mariana tempora , Anglicana stigmata ; Maries times , are English staines : and who gaue the dye , but that Romish & red Dragon , bloudy beast , and whore of Babilon ? not satisfied with the blood of Martyrs then liuing , but ransacked the bones of their dead , and burned them , to glut vp their crueltie . Witnesseth the buried bones of Paulus Fagius , and Martin Bucer . Andwarpe and Naples , can witnesse like crueltie vpon a mother Queene , & Prince of great hope ; whose Funerals as some say , were solemnized both in one moneth : at Naples with ioy , and at Andwarpe with griefe ; done by that Sanguinarie Inquisition of Spaine , Romish red Dragon , and bloody beast of Babilon , whose Horses mouthes fume nothing but fire , smoke , and brimstone . Paris and France , do yet streame with the blood of the innocent , murthered and slaine in that cruel massacre , on Bartholomew daye , 1572. wherein the Shatilian was slaine , and diuers others , noble and excellent men , with all the flower of the Gentry , and Protestants in France , to the number as is thought of 100. thousand ; all done and deuised by the two Cardinalls of Lorraine & Peluey , countenanced by the Queene mother of France , aided with her Guis●an faction , and executed by Mand●let , with such crueltie , that out of the Court of the Gaile , called the Archbishops prison , the bloud was seene in the broad day-light , to the great abhorring and feare of many that beheld it , runne warme , and smoking into the streets of the Towne , & so downe into the Riuer of Scene . So great a dishonor , and so great an infamie to that Nation , as the most part of them are ashamed at this day of their owne Countrey , defiled with two most filthy spots of Poperie , falshood , and crueltie ; of the which , whether hath beene the greater in that religion , it is hard to say . I passe to speake of the Butcherie of Henry , late King of France , by two Iacobin Friars , with poisoned kniues in their handes , and Popish Bulles in their bosomes ; which Guignard the Iesuite was not ashamed to call an heroicall act , and a gift of the holy Ghost . I say nothing of Parry his stab of death , and Lopas his Pill of poison , intended against Queene Eliza , of famous memory , by their owne confession , the best natured and qualified Queene , that euer liued in England : yet this may I say , that the dagger was sharpened , and the Pill was poysoned with the venome of Popery ; else Benedetto Palmio , and Hannibal Codrotto , two factious Iesuites , had neuer beene traduced as bellowes to blow the fire , and kindle the coales of so great a mischiefe , with this warrantie , to enflame their hellish hearts : that the fact was lawfull and meritorious . But if all these were clapt in one , they may not ballance with the waight and woe , of our late entended dismall day , if God of his great mercie and wonted clemencie , had not put by the deadly blow . For a day of death , like that of Doome , in ictu oculi , had put out the light of Englande , King , Queene , Prince , Peere , and people ; All had perished , and all at once . Seruants had ruled ouer vs , and none could haue deliuered vs , out of their hands : our inheritance had beene turned to the strangers , and our houses , to the Aliants : our fathers had beene childlesse , and our children fatherlesse : In our English Rama had beene a voice heard , mourning and weeping , & great howling : Mothers weeping for their children , and children for their mothers ; and neither had beene comforted , because they were not . Wee should ere this , haue drunken our water by measure , & eaten our bread by waight : our skinne had beene blacke as an Ouen , because of the terrible famine : they had defiled our women in Sion , and our maides in the Cities of Iuda : our neckes ere this had beene vnder such persecution , as wee should haue been weary of ourliues , and neuer haue had rest when our soules had bin put into the hands of so viperous a generation , who would haue shut vp our liues in the dungeon , and cast a stone vpon vs : I say , so generall a iudgement , so speedie and so bloudy , had neuer beene in any kingdome . Nay more , that deadly blow at once , and in Ictu oculi , ere this , had taken the elder from the gate , and the young men from their songs ; it had silenced the Prophets , and dissolued the lawes , both of God and the Nation : I say still , as formerly I haue said , so generall a iudgement , so speedie , and so bloudy , had neuer beene seene in any kingdome . The Royall Pallace of Westminster , Cittie , and Sanctuarie there , built by the Noble Kings of this Land , & now honoured with the presence of as mighty a Monarch as euer went before , with as wise a Councell as euer England had , with as full a Senate of Nobles as euer sate there , with Bishops for learning , gifts , and graces , equalling ( if not aboue ) the reach of former times , and with Knights and Commons of the lower House of Parliament , in all respects sutable ; this Royall Place and Presence , with all the Honor , Puissance , and Pietie thereof , to haue bin blowne vp at once , and in Ictu oculi : I say still , so generall a iudgement , so speedie and so bloudie , had neuer beene seene in any kingdome . O vnnaturall and degenerate Englishmen ! how could you euer endure , to thirst after the destruction of so sacred a Senate , and sweet an assembly ? how could you finde in your hearts to seeke the destruction of so benigne a prince and so Royall an issue , with the vtter subuersion of so glorious a state ? by bringing into the bowels therof that Romish Apollyon , mentioned in the Reuelation ; who where hee is victorious , staineth the earth with bloud , the ayre with blasphemie , and the heauens with his abominable and luxurious incontinencies . The old worthy Romanes the two Decii , thought it the most heroicall thing that might bee , to vow themselues to death for their Country , and euen to spend their liues in defence of their Altars , Temples ; and Monuments of their Elders , but you seeke to see your Countrey bathing in the bloud of your Prince , Peeres , and Prophets , in the bloud of your parents , kinred , and friends ; to see the cities , graues , and temples , of your predecessors , consumed with fire : to see your Records burned , your Actuaries destroyed , your virgins deflowred , your women rauished ; and finally , to bring the noblest of Nations into a perpetuall slauery and seruitude , by as deadly and dolorous a blow , as euer was deuised , or done , in any kingdome , except in that kingdome of darknesse , where is nothing else but hell , horror , and all confusion . Surely , surely , for this your entended mischiefe , and your former murthers , the worme that neuer dieth , will gnaw your rebellious hearts , and the furies of hel which neuer giue rest , will haunt you in your habitations : where euer ye goe , they will speake in the voice of those Kings , Queenes , and Princes , with whose bloude you haue embrewed your trayterous hearts , and hands ; as it is said Caesars ghost did to Brutus and Cassius , whom in the Senate they murdered with such crueltie . O vnkinde Countrymen , and cruell Caitiffes ; I haue beene your blisse , but you are now my bane : I haue beene your mirth , and you are now my moane : I haue beene your wealth and shadow in a florishing Empire , but you are now my want and woe : in a decaying estate , I haue preserued your wiues to your comfort , and your children to your great ioy ; but y● haue made my wife husbandlesse , and my children fatherlesse , to their vnspeakable griefe . I clothed you with scarlet , and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparell , spotted with the purest Armines ; but you haue couered my dead corps with a Carpet of greene grasse , diaperd with my dearest bloud . Finally , I haue kept your Daggers within your sheaths , and you haue sheathed them within my heart : Fie , fie ; Flee , flee : And whither can you flee , but the Hagge will euer haunt you ? nor can you euer fare well , till the Furie finde you faultlesse . Interim nos ad sepulehra vadimus : We sleepe in peace . The Lord deliuer our Church and Country from all such Brutish and Cassian cruelties , so as neuer they bee able either to touch the Lords annointed , or doe his Prophets any harme : and praised be the Lord which hath not now giuen vs a prey vnto their teeth , for our soule is escaped , euen as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler , the snare is broken , and wee are deliuered . Let this suffice for the danger deuised by men , but vndone by God ; and if any would know by what men , and of what Religion ; I answer , by Englishmen , and of the Popish Religion : Nor will I say that all of that faction were priuie to that practise , yet may I say , that none ( for ought I yet heare ) were of the conspiratie , but the popishly affected , and so branded : which when God hath the glorie , and the truth is knowne , then will it appeare how farre the humor hath spred it selfe into the body of al the kingdom , too much ( God wot ) decaied with that deadly maladie . Yet I hope well , in time , if such bee the fruits of Popish Religion , that fewe will gather Apples of that blasted tree , a tree of Sodome , faire in sight : but in truth , and touch , nothing but Cindars , and rottennesse ; and of all the staines that euer Poperie had , I am perswaded that this is of the deepest die . For in stead of blowing vp vs , they haue blowne vp themselues , and their Religion , with such a wound to their cause , as will neuer bee cured by any craft , being blotted with one of the horriblest Treasons , that euer was contriued , and such as God & Nature could neuer brooke to bee amongst the cruellest Cannibals , Turkes , or Scithians , that euer were . No maruell then , if Ciuill states abhorre it , Christian Nations detest it , Religious Kings spit at it ; & the Chronicles of all times record it , for such an Antichristian stratagem , Romish Monster , and Popish prodigie , as neuer might endure the sight of any Sunne , but was strangled in the birth , ere it could bee borne , and kild in the blade , ere it came to any growth . Strangled ( I say ) and killed , by no other hand then the hand of God , and euen then when the deuisers deemed it done : for the Vault was readie , the Powder was laid , the traines were made , the match was prepared ; Fercy was busie , and Faukes was bloudie in resolution to giue the charge , with a Crucifix about his neck , & haire about his loines , to tell you of what tribe he was ; yet euē then , and in the rage of all this furie , the Lord said : Stay thy bloudy hand the sacrifice is not pleasing . For what hath England done , to deserue so heauy a iudgement ? I am their God , they are my people , and for my great name sake , I will bee propitious , and make them glorious by deliuerance : The Sunneshine is theirs , and the gloomie day is yours : your designes are vpon your owne heads , your Daggers are turned vppon your selues , and sheathed in your owne bowels ; yee haue beene fighters against God , ●ee will not be warned , that ye might bee armed : Wherefore now Discite iusticiam moniti non temnere diuos . Your owne Letters shall discouer the Treason , and the writing of your owne hands shall betray the mischiefe of your own hearts ; I will fight against you with your owne weapons , and I will wearie you in your owne waies . The old Florentines had a Bell , which they called their Martynella , and they rung it euer before the siege of any Citie , to warne the besieeged , eyther to yeeld , or die . It was a mercie , to preuent a miserie . But your Martynella hath giuen no such warning to vs : and therein were you lesse mercifull then the Florentines ; How be it , so it is , that your Bell hath rung your passing Peale , and the Lord hath turned your owne writings , to be death to you , and life to vs : blessed be his name therefore . One saith well , Vbicunque fuerit prouidentia , frustrantur vniuersa cōtraria , Where the Lord hath a prouidence , all other encounters are defeated ; If his prouidence be vpon the fire , it burneth not : If vpon the seas , they swell not : If vpon the windes , they blow not : If vpon the aire , it infecteth not : If vpon the Lions , they deuoure not : If vpon the Sunne , it goeth not , but standeth still in Gibeon , and the Moone in the valley of A●alon : If , I say , his prouidence be vpon the graues , they detaine not , but yeelde to deliuer their dead , and Lazarus must come forth . How then should any creature stirre to the subuersion of so blessed a State , whilest the prouidence of God houered ouer it , like the wings of the Cherubims ouer the mercie seate : yea his prouidence it was , to preuent vs with mercie and louing kindnesse , and ere euer wee praied , to be propitious , to thinke vpon vs , ere wee thought vppon him , to deliuer vs from the blow , before wee saw the danger . And to conclude , it was his mercifull prouidence to turne your praiers into our bosome , a crosse to that you meant it , ominous to you , but glorious to vs. I hope ( saith the Writer ) God will giue you the grace to make good vse of it ; and what better vse could euer haue beene made , either to Gods glorie , the good of his Church , the safetie of the King , Queene , and Prince , with all their Royall issue ( I say ) what better vse could euer the receiuer haue made to shew his loyaltie to his Prince , and loue to his Country , then by dealing as hee did ? for which hee shall be honourable in this generation , wel reported of in his time , and be of them that haue left their name behind them , so as his praise shall be spoken of . I may conclude with Zacharie , and make good the Lords prouidence ouer this English Nation , to the great comfort of al the godly , and the astonishment of the wicked elsewhere in the worlde : Cease your attempts against the Truth , for the hands of Zorobabel haue laide the foundaiton of this house , his hands shall finish it : and who seeing the stone of Tinne in the hands of Zorobabell , shall despise the day of the small things ? The house is the Church of God here in England , Zorobabell is our Christ here in England , hee hath laid the foundation in England , hee will also finish it in England : And who seeing the line in his hand to build by , which is his worde , in England , and the stone of Tinne to build vp , which is his people of England , dares euer despise the day of the small thinges ? small to the siely and sensuall eye of flesh and bloud , despicable to the worldly Monarchies , and of small beginnings , yet precious to God , and now made glorious by deliuerance . His prouidence is ouer all : And as the Prophet saith , these seuen are the eyes of the Lord , that goe through the whole world ; his graces still abound , and are a continuall current in his Church , like the two Oliue branches , emptying thēselues through the golden pipes into the gold . Golden Prince , golden Peere , golden Prophet , golden people , fined from the drosse of sinne , and superstition , to bee pure mettall , and as it were spangles of gold in the holy Sanctuarie of your God : Emptie , O emptie your praises , pipe by pipe , from the highest Maiestie , euen to the lowest of the people , and giue God the glorie . And thou virgin daughter London , write vpon thy walles , Peniel , and say the face of God was towards me : Thou princely Pallace Westminster write vpon thy seats of Iustice , and high Court of Parliament , write vpon thy Vaults , Cells , and Sepulchers ; write vpon thy doores , posts , and passages , Beer-lahai-roi , and say ; Thou God lookest on mee , Thou Emperiall seate of great Brittaine , fragrant for thy flowers , and for thy Coller of Mirtles twisted with the Roses of both houses , dignified with the Diadem of Rubies , wreathed with the armes and supporters of both kingdome ; ( I say ) thou great Brittaine , famous as at the first for thy old name , honorable now for thy new birth , and euer blessed for thy happy and so desired an vnion , whereby our former ruines are repaired , streames of bloude are stopped , old malice is worne out , and deadly fude is forgotten : for all which abundant great mercies , as also for this thy late deliuerance , write Ruhamah , Ruhamah , Mercy , Mercy . Write vpon thy Ports , Holds , and Castles , Mercy . Write vpon thy Towers , Townes , and Temples , Mercy . Write vpon thy fields , waies , and wastes , Mercie . Write vppon thy Corne , Coine , and Cattle , Mercy . Say , the Lord hath had mercy vpon vs , hee hath had pleasure in his people , and hath made the meeke glorious by deliuerance . For all which Mercies say , God is my King of old , the helpe that is done vpon the earth , hee doth it himselfe . Say with Eliphas Iob his friend , but Great Brittains Prophet ; When others are cast downe , then shalt thou say , I am lifted vp , and God shall saue the humble person : for the innocent shall deliuer the Iland , and it shall be preserued by the purenesse of thine hands . Innocent King , innocēt Queene , innocent Prince , Peere , Prophet , and people ; if not for fiftie sa●e , yet for fortie : If not for fortie , yet for thirtie : If not for thirtie , yet for twentie : If not for twenty , yet for ten iust persons , the Lord hath put by this terrible blow of these wicked Shebaes : For should not the God of al the world do according to right ? Pleade thou our cause ( O Lord ) with them that striue with vs , and fight thou against them that fight against vs : Let them not say in their hearts , There , there , so would we haue it : neither let them say , We haue deuoured them . Which and if they had , then might wee haue said with the prophet ; There is a crying in the streetes , all our ioy is darkened , the mirth of the world is gone away , in the Cittie is left desolation , the gate is striken with destruction . Then might we haue sung with Dauid , the mournfull Lamentation hee vttered of his King to his Country ; O noble Israell , hee is slaine vpon thy high places , how are thy mighty ouerthrowne ! Saul and Ionathan , were louely in their liues , and at their deaths they were not diuided . Then might wee haue said , that vpon the fift day of Nouember , we should neuer haue kept merrie feast , the day of the dissolution of so blessed an estate . We might haue said indeede , that this yeere 1605. had beene a yeere of Reuolution , and that Tuesday were our dismall day , Criticall in Scotland , the fift of August , for Cowry his treason : and dismall in England , the fift of Nouember , for Faukes his designe , plotted by bloudy Papists , the bane of Christendome : and Dolmans dogges now warranted by a new doctrine to barke at Kings , and bite the Lords annointed , if they be not pleasing to their deuotions . And here a little pardon me in your patience , if in further detestation of Popish Impietie I let you see a strained Paradox , of that enormeous sect ; who to make good their foule fault of parricide ( for what are Kings but nursing fathers to the Church of GOD ) haue brought in a doctrine to maintaine , that the Pope may depose , & subiects may depriue their kings both of life and liuelihood , if they faile in faith , or obedience to the Apostolike Sea : as may appeare by Dolman , Cymanca , Rosseus and Feu-ardentius , belowes aduanced to blow the fire of distempered spirits , & pointing at nothing more then woefull desolation , if by distraction of parts , and dissolution of the whole , they might bring into Christian states confusion , the mother of ruine and all mischiefe . Surely if not to pray for a king be an vndoubted sinne , it is a greater sinne to thinke vpon the killing of a King ; to commit the murther , and doe the deede , is double to that : but to traduce and draw the lawfulnesse thereof into a doctrine , thereby to poyson the posterity , is a treble sinne , and wel deserueth a double death . But it is no wonder to see such workes flie abroad from Italienated spirits , who haue filled the world with the froth and furie of their owne madnesse : one is not ashamed to write a book in praise of Sodomy , another to put out proiects and pictures of shameful villany ; and why not Dolman with the rest of his ranke and rabble , Authoritate Apostolica , to write books in praise of Parricide ? and that not of meane men , but of Magistrates , yea euen of Kings , and of the Lords annointed . But good Lord how long ? and what will be the title of their next treatise ? surely some Popish Pamphlet or other , of mentall reseruation , to maintaine a moderne mischiefe , by a Popish paradox ; but we will leaue them to the lust of their extrauagant thoughts , and still follow the streame of the Lords many goodnesses and mercies towards vs : and as of the present , so with some memorie of precedent mercies ; whereof we may say , that if euer any people vnder heauen felt the royall presence , the particular prouidence , or stable promise of their GOD in familiar sort , it is , and hath beene , this English Nation . The time was when Tullie said of our pouerty to Trebatio : In Britannia nihil esse audio neque auri neque argēti : I heare there is nothing in great Brittaine , either of gold or siluer ; but were Tullie now aliue to see how the Lord hath enriched this Nation with his hidden treasures , and made it of more esteeme , then those hills of robbing Rome , he would cease to mocke at our pouerty , and admire our plenty , whose earth is an Eden , and Clowdes drop downe fatnesse . The time was when a Pagan Poet plaide vpon our barbaritie , ioyned vs with Scythians , put vs out of the world , and said : Britanni diuisi ab orbe ; but were he now aliue to see how God hath softned our hearts with the sweet rellish of his heauenly science : Quae Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros : he would cease to say , Orbis in vrbe , and thinke the whole world were within our continent . The time was when all our garments were tumbled in bloud and as in Troys destruction so in ours , bright burnings gaue vs light , when diuers conquests , sundry inuasions , the Barons warres , with the destruction of the houses of Yorke and Lancaster , and many a foughten field betweene the two Kingdomes rent our state , and wasted it with much fire , and wofull hostilitie : But now by the prouidence of almightie God , our Riuers runne milke , the houses with the Kingdome are both vnited in a peaceable Prince , and blessed Progenie , the only remaine of our religious hope . Nor hath the Lord yet failed vs in his prouidence , but his mercie towards vs is stretched out stil ; fortie foure yeares wee enioyed a peerelesse Prince , and a Maiden Queene , as was her name , so was her nature ordained of GOD to giue vs his peace ; for so is Elizabeth , euen Gods rest : But when her glasse was runne and done , she must to demurre with death . Then I say , euen then , if the Lord had failed vs in the right of succession , we might haue said as Be●seba did to Dauid , in the like extremitie : If thou Lord doe not appoint a successor , I and my sonne Solomon shall be reputed vile ; I say , if any Romish Adonias had succeeded Elizabeth , all the Protestants in the Land ere this had beene reputed vile , but thou Lord God of the spirits of all flesh , hast not failed vs : but appointed a man ouer the congregation , to lead vs out and in , that the congregation of the Lord , shoulde not bee as sheepe which haue no shepheard . And as Moses praied for Iosua , so doe we for thine annointed : O giue him of thy glorie , that all the congregation of the children of Israell may obey . And so to come and close with the rest I ayme at , hauing passed by the Lords prouidence so many Iordens of dangers , and hauing enioyed so many merciful refreshings , like the sweet running waters of Shiloas that goe softly by Sion ; hauing I say bene made blessed by so many deliuerances of old and now by this of new , the greatest of all : ( endangered by men , but deliuered by God ) now let vs ioyntly giue him the glory , who hath made vs so glorious by deliuerance . Dread Soueraigne , deare Queene , sweet Prince and progenie , cast downe your Crownes at the feete of your Sauiour , and say ; Wee haue beene saued by thee . Earles , Nobles , and Barons , lay by your Robes of estate , with your ensignes of honour , praise him who hath preserued you , and say ; We haue beene saued by thee . You officers in Court resigne vp your staues into the handes of God , and say , We haue beene supported by thee . Ye learned Bishops , and Fathers of the Church , slide from your Consistories , and say to the great Bishop of your soules , Wee haue beene kept by thee . Ye Knights , Squiers , and Gentry of the Land , vnarme your selues , and with your Crests lay your Lawrell in the lappe of Christ , and say , Wee haue conquered through thee . Thou high Court of Parliament , dissolue for a time , and say , O Angell of the great Counsell , we will consult with thee . And lastly , Thou Lord God of Gods , and preseruer of men , let there bee silence in heauen , for the space of halfe an houre , till these Saints praises and praiers be offered vp . So shall wee sing with a godly Ouation , and a grace in our hearts , Kings of the earth , and all people , Princes , & al Iudges of the world , yong men and maides , olde men , and babes , praise the name of the Lord ; for his name onely is excellent , and his praise aboue heauen and earth : hee hath exalted the horne of his people ; & his Saints shall praise him , euen the children of England , whom he loueth and hath made so glorious by deliuerance . Praise the Lord , O virgin daughter London , Praise thy God O England , the glorie of Kingdomes , and beauty of all Europes honor , for he hath made fast the barres of thy gates , and hath blessed thy children within thee , hee hath set peace in thy borders , and satisfied thee with the flower of wheat : Let the praise of God therefore bee euer in thy mouth , and a sharpe two edged sword in thy hands , to be auenged of the Heathenish Atheist , and to rebuke the bloudie Papist ; such honor haue al Saints . And now to speake to you Authors and Abettors of these desperate Treasons , Cease your Rebellions , lay by your bloudie designes , recount with your selues your former , both faithlesse , and fruitlesse attemptes , against the Lord , and against his annointed ; Reckon with your selues your former losses , in the yeere 1588. whē the windes , the Seas , Rocks , and Shelues fought for vs , when the Riuer Kishon swept them away , from our English Coast , to Dingie Cush in Ireland , with a Beesome of such destruction to their great Armadae ▪ and frighting to our English Fugitiues abroad , & of their fauorites at home , as by the grace of God hath brought them out of all heart , out of all abilitie , and possibilitie euer to attēpt the like . Learne what it is to fight with GOD , Wee must increase , you must decrease ; for Babilon is fallen , so told you by the Angel , as a thing already past and done , and doubled in speech like Pharaos dreame , to tell you of the certaintie , and expedition thereof . Cease , O cease to prouoke the Lord any longer , and ende your mallice against his Saints , ere malice end you ; lest hee say vnto you , as he did vnto Mount Seir : Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred , and hast put the Israell of God to flight by the force of the sword in the time of their calamitie , when their iniquitie had an end : Therefore as I liue , saith the Lord God , I will prepare thee vnto bloud : and bloud shall pursue thee : except thou hate bloud , euen bloud shall pursue thee . God is witnesse , before whom I stand in the sight of men & Angels , that I speake not this to seeke the bloud of any , their bloud bee vppon themselues , and theirs , till they haue dried it vp by vnfained repentance : I wish the conuersion of all ( viis & modis ) by all good meanes . I wish our Lawes may still be written in milke , and that his Maiesties Royall heart , may continue a depth of rare mercie . I wish our preaching may sauour peace , and that the Magistrate may still strike with a trembling hand . Yet giue me leaue to pray withall , that the rage of the enemy neuer grow so sower as to turne our milke into bloud , mercy into iudgement , peace into war , sythes into swords , and them to be hallowed in the bloud one of another ; which I feare , both must & will ensue , if they grow so great in the contempt of God , so grieuous to their Soueraigne , and so intollerable to the State : which if they doe , then be wise O ye Kings , be learned , ye that be iudges of the earth . Let mercy and truth meet together in you : Let righteousnes and peace kisse each orher . Take the sword into your owne hands , and strike , O ye Worthies of Israell , for Zeba , and Zalmana will neuer be killed by the weake hands of Iethro : for as the man is , so is his strength : The Minister may speake , & the inferior Magistrate may strike : and both with a trembling heart and hand , like the child Iethro : but assure your selues , that Romish Zeba , and Popish Zalmana , will neuer die till you rise vp , and with your owne hands fall vpon them , as Gedeon did : for as the man is , so is his strength . Sit in vobis materna pietas & paterna seueritas : exhibete vos matres fouendo , patres corripiendo : extendite vbera , sed pro●ucite verbera : that is , Let there bee in you a motherly pitty ▪ & a fatherly seueritie ; shew your selues Mothers in cherishing , but Fathers in correcting : Lay out your brests , but withall draw forth your rods ; and euer so Vt nec vigor sit rigor , nec mansuetudo dissoluta , as neither your force be rigorous , nor your forbearing re●chlesse : but say with the Orator in the temper of both : Natura me clementem fecit , Respub ▪ seuerum postulat : sed neque natura , neque resp . me crudelem efficiet : Nature hath made me mild , the Common weale requires I should be seuere : yet neither Nature nor the Common weale , shall euer make me cruell . And if any man shall scandalize thee of crueltie in thy iust seueritie , and say , O where is loue ! I answere : Ne timeas contra charitatem esse , si vnius scandalum multolum pace conpensaueris . Melius est vt pereat vnus , quam vnitas , Neuer feare the breach of charity , where with the scandall of one , ye may recompence the peace of many ; for better it is that one die of many , then that the vnity of all be dissolued . He was wise that sayd it , and I hope the wisedome of this age wil approue it ; Take the drosse from the siluer , and there shall proceed a vessell for the Finer : take away the wicked from the king , and his throne shall bee established in righteousnesse : but beware of delayes , for they are dangerous : and in the execution of iustice , they are deadly dangerous : according to that ; Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily , therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill . Witnesseth Ely his impunity towards his children , which lost him the Priesthood with his life , and brought vpon him and all Israel so heauy a iudgement as Phinehas wife dying , left the memory thereof for all succeeding ages , when she bore a sonne , and called him Ichabod : that is , the glory is gone from Israel . Haply Ely ●pared them , for that they were his children , and out of his loue and fatherly affection towards them . Hee deemed it lesse sinne to shew some indulgence ; but one saith well : Iustitia non nouit p●trem , non nouit matrem , non nouit seipsum : Responde mihi Iudicium , dixit Nathan , & sic Dauid dedit iudicium contra seipsum : Dauid gaue iudgement against himselfe in a Plea of faith , and fact . How then may Princes spare others , if they be found guiltie in either of both ? Hierome is more peremptorie in a case of like importance , When he saith ; Licet paruulus ex collo pendeat nepos , licet sparso crine , & scissis vestibus vbera ( quibus te nutriuit ) mater ostendit , licet in limine pater iaceat , percalcatum perge patrem , & sicc●s ●culis ad vexillum cruc●s euola ; solum pietatis genus est in h●cre esse crudelem Gladium tenet hostis , vt me perimat , & ego de matris lacrimis cogitabo ? Propter Patrem , Christi militiam deseram , cui etiam sepulturam Christi causa non debeo : which I may English thus ▪ Although thy little Grandchilde clinge about thy necke , and say spare father ; Although thy mother come forth , with spred haire , and torne raiment , and shew thee the pappes , where once thou sucked thy life , with her loue , & say ; spare sonne : Although thy father cast himselfe downe vppon thy threshold to keepe thee in ; treade vppon thy father , and with drie cheekes fly to the execution of thy profession . It is an onely point of godlinesse in this case to be cruel , and a soueraigne Pittie , to be pittilesse . Shall the enemie hold vp his hand to wound the Church ? and shall I thinke vpon the teares of my mother ? Shall I because of my father , cease to fight for my Christ ? to whom I owe no buriall , for the cause of my Christ , but am to leaue the dead , to bury the dead , whilest I follow him . Wherevpon I may well say , that mercie may haue it excesse , and pittie may bee great crueltie : especially then , when it ouerfloweth to the good mans danger : mistake me not , I like of loue , but when it is tempred with feare , I like it better . I know it may doe much with the better sort , but not with the greater : according to that of Augustine , Meliores sunt quos dirigit amor , sed plures sunt quos corrigit timor : They be better whom loue directeth , but they be moe , whom feare correcteth : and therefore the temper of both is melodious in the eare of a sanctified and setled State. And so to draw towards an end , and at last to conclude , out of that which hath beene spoken , both of former Popish cruelties , & out of our happy deliuerance from their last entended Treasons , powdered with so many mischiefes : ( I say ) in caution of future perill by men of that generation ; Take heede of Poperie , take heede of Papists , and tollerate neither their cause nor person : for if you tollerate the person , it will credit the cause : therefore to tollerate neither of both , in a state so sanctified as ours is , I hold it safest . What then is to be done , will some say ? Away with both head , and taile : for Poperie kept vnder , will practise treason : if it get aloft , it will play the tyrant : therefore no way to haue it , is safest , and with least danger . Further my aduice is , that you trust them as little as you may , and neuer conuerse with them but for their conuersion ; and if after once or twice admonition they grow refractarie , Deuita , knowing that hee that is such is peruerted , and sinneth , being damned of his own selfe : I say , trust them not , for they are faithlesse , and holde it for a doctrine , that fides non est seruanda cum Heriticis ; in which Ranke , they reckon all the Protestants of this land to be . Againe , take heede of them , for they are busie bodies , and walke inordinately amongst you : they are impatient of our profession , great peace , & much plenty ; they compasse Sea and Land , to make one of their profession , and when hee is made , he becomes two-fold more the child of hell , then he was before . These busie bodies take no rest ; and to haue no rest day nor night , is proper to such as worship the beast and his Image , and to whomsoeuer receiueth the print of his name . Beware of their blinde guides , Iesuites , Seminaries , and Seeds-men , who to betray the truth , sow the tares of all treasons , at all times , and in all places . They are the Frogs of Egypt , that leape into kings chambers , and busily possesse the Courts of Princes , and mighty men , either to poison their hearts with the enchanted Cup of Romish superstition , or to bereaue them of their liues , if they fashion not to their deuotions : they leaue the Pulpits , they fly from the hornes of the altar , they disclaime the Oratories , and they become men of State , managing the Empire , and marshalling the common-weale of Princes : so as I may well say of these new Nouices , as was said of the Monkes of old ; Quicquid agit Mundus , Monachus vult esse secundus ; Where euer the world is one , the Romish Cleargy will be another . Lastly , beware of mixture , and shun the sinnes of Samaria , who were a mixed people , and of a confused Religion , tollerating both the persons and causes of Idolatry : As you may reade in the 2. of Kings . 17. vers . 24. for the persons . And vers . 23. for the cause . And the Iewes in the daies of Christ , thought it as greeuous an imputation as they could deuise , to lay vpon him , when they said : Say we not well , that thou art a Samaritan , and hast a diuell ? And surely so it is ; for to be of two religions , is to be of no religion : and to tollerate both , is to confound all , either in a kingdome , or in a conscience . It is memorable , and it may go for a Caution to all Christian Kings and Princes , what is recorded in this case , of the vnconscionable offer of great Chan , the Tartarian Prince : of whom Lipsius reporteth , that when Stephanus , that mightie King of Poland was dead ; hee amongst others , sent his Legat to the assembly where the new Creation was , with these three motiues , to moue them to make him King. 1 First , that hee was mightie , and could bring myriads of horsemen out of his owne lands , either for the defence or inlarging of their kingdome of Poland . 2 Secondly , that he was frugall , and could liue in time of famine , onely with horse flesh . 3 Thirdly , for the Religion , ( wherof he heard there was much dispute among them ) that he was indifferent , saying ; Tuus pontifex meus pontifix esto : tuus Lutherus meus Lutherus esto : Your Pope , shall be my Pope : and your Luther , shal be my Luther . It was the Tartarians sinne , to be so indifferent , and so readily to offer a tollerance : and it was the Polonians sinne , so long to suffer a mix●ure of many or moe religions then one in one Kingdome . And yet how euer , either feare or folly , moued the Polonians for the time to endure it , and to staine both their kingdome and conscience with so great a brand of wickednesse , ( notwithstanding the Emperours large offers otherwise : ) yet that of Religion was thought so idle , as they reiected it with laughter , saying ; Ecce hominem paratum , omnia sacra & deos deserer eregnandi causa . But good Lord , how inestimably are wee beholding to thee our good God , for so great a mercy , as to giue vs a King in thy loue , when wee were a people not to be beloued ! whose Princely relish sauouring true pietie , did so much distast either an alteration of the religion wee haue : or a tolleration of any other , as in publique he did contest against both , in these wordes : I doe protest before God and his Angels , that I am so constant for the maintenance of the Religion publikely professed in England , as that I would spend my dearest blood in defence thereof , rather then the truth should bee ouerthrowne : And if I had ten times as many moe Kingdomes as I haue , I would dispend them all , for the safety and protection therof . And likewise , if I had any children , that should yeeld either to the Popish faith or faction , I desire of God , that I may rather see them brought to their graues before mee , that their shame may be buried in my life time , neuer to be spoken of in future ages , By the Law of God , no man may weare a coate of Linsey-wolsey : If I may not weare a garment so wouen vpon my backe , may I weare a Religion so twisted within my heart ? May Princes tollerate it in their Kingdomes ? may father 's in their families ? It were a greeuous imputation to either of both , and that which the aduersary himselfe would neuer yeelde vs : they will neither tollerate vs nor ours ; and why should we endure either them or theirs ? ●f the euil will not yeeld to the good , why should the good yeeld to the euill ? Doe but mention a tolleration of Religion in Rome , and Rome will be ragious : doe but speake of such a thing in Spaine , and it will be thought prodigious ▪ France is fearefull in deliuering it Edicts , and whole Italy is resolute neuer to yeelde either to our cause or persons . Why should we then endure either them or theirs in their knowne Idolatry ? Were the Law of GOD on foote , that Idolaters should die the death , soone would the controuersie be determined , and motions for tollerations in Christian common-wealthes , would seldome be mentioned : but whilest wee demurre vpon the point , and stand a disputing , whether Papists bee Idolaters , whether Rome bee Babylon , the Pope Antichrist , his Religion Antichristian , and whether his louers and friendes be enemies to the State , and dangerous to a Kingly rule : ( I say ) whilest we demurre vpon such doubts , and are a debating the Question , Poperie will increase , and presume to gaine , if not an alteration , yet a tolleration : if not a tolleration , yet a conniuence : and if not that , yet such a perpetual respect , and fauour of some , as wil endanger the state of all , if wee endure it any longer . By the lawe of God , the Idolater ( I say againe ) must die the death . Exod. 22.20 . And if an Israelite will goe in , and dally with a Midianite , before Moses , and in the sight of all the congregation : zealous Phinehas , with his speare in his hand , may enter the Tent , and thrust them through , that the plague may ceasse from Israell Numb . 25.6 . The Lord hath sworne that hee will warre with Amaleck , from generation to generation Exod. 17. And amongst other ordinances laide downe by God for his people , this was vrged againe to bee remembred , thus : When the Lord hath giuen thee rest from all thine enemies , and the land for an Inheritance to possesse it , then shalt thou put out the remembrance of Amaleck from vnder heauen ; forget it not . Deut. 25.19 . And 400. yeares after , Saul was plagued for sparing Agag of the Amalekites , and not executing of that lawe . The Lord ( I can assure you ) requireth a through conuersion from sin : and why not a through subuersion of sinne ? The Tabernacle of GOD hath it Censer , Snuffers , and Beesome , to purge the Sanctuarie , and sweepe away the filth : and if you build , the rubbish must be remoued ere you lay the foundation : be the bodie neuer so healthfull , it will decay , without an euacuation : and vntill you take away the drosse from the siluer , ye can neuer make a vessell for the Finer . It was Ieremies moane at Anathoth , in the land of Beniamin : The bellowes are burned , the leade is consumed in the fire , the founder melteth in vaine ; for the wicked are not taken away . As if hee should say , All our labour is lost , and it is in vaine , that wee haue wearied our selues , with our praier and Preaching ; if the wicked be not taken away . And it is apparant this day by the baser sort of these audacious Rebels , too much emboldened by his Maiesties most gracious & godly clemency , which they haue abused ; and whom if they had requited with such an vnkinde kisse of killing crueltie ; yet might he haue said with the Orator , Non vitium nostrum , sed virtus nostra nos afflixit . Yea and to speake from a more powerfull spirit , his maiesty and Senate , being then about a worke of so great consequence , both for the good of the Church and common-weale ; If that Court then had beene their coffin , and they had dyed so doing , yet might they haue sayd in the silence of their soules ; Happie is the seruant , whom when the master commeth he shall finde so doing . And now if any man shal say , to blot out the memory of this so memorable a mischiefe : O it is done , let it die , sith the danger is past , and the deliuerance is now old : let that man know , Conuenit laudē Dei esse perpetuā , Seemely it is that the praise of God should bee perpetual . And if by this deliuerance , England then , England now , England euer be made blessed , we had neede rather to write it in Marble , with the point of an Adamant , to continue , then with the clawe of a Crow in the dust of obliuion , to be forgotten . Whē the Lord turned againe the captiuity of Sion after 70. yeares bondage in Babylon , it is memorable Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A05280-e30 Zach. 13.6 Notes for div A05280-e200 Isay. 37.3 . Iudg. 5. Notes for div A05280-e530 De Abitu Mariae in Montana . cap. 3. Math. 26.13 . Luk. 2.13.14 . Mar. 2.2 . Luk. 2.18 . 2 Cor. 4.13 . Ioh. 8.56 . Exod. 4.13 . Esay 9.6 . Ier. 31.22 . Dan. 9.24 . Psal. 50.16.17 . Luk. 4.35 . Act. 16.16.17.18 . Tit. 2.12 . Reuel . 7.14 . Reuel . ●9 . 8 . Col. 3.16 . 2. Sam. 6. ●4 . 1. Cor. 5.8 Phil. 3.18.19 . Ephes. 4.30 Luke . 2.7 ▪ &c. Math. 2.14 . Gen. 34.1 &c. Psal. 118.23.24 . Dan. 5. 1 Cor. 6.19.20 . Iob. 1.5 . Zach. 12.10 . Ephes. 5.3 . &c. Exod. 13.2 . Luk. 2.48 . Luk. 2.48 . Esay 9.3 . Zach. 3 ▪ 2. Cant. ● . 2 . Isaiah . 53. Mich 7.1 . Ioh. 6.67 . Ier. 9.3 . Col. 3.12 . Heb. 2.2.3 1. Cor. 14.34 . Exod. 15.20 . 1. Sam. 2. 2. King. 22. Act. 21.9 . Exo. 38.8 . 2. Sam. 2. ●2 . 1 Sam. 18.6.7 . Luk. 8. ● . 3 . Math. 28.1 . Luk 1.39 . &c. Luk. 2. ●2 . &c. Mar. 3.31 . &c. Luk. 8.2.3 Luk. 23.49 Mar. 16.1 . &c. Luk. 10.41 42. Ephes. 2.8.9 . Luk. 1.60 61. &c. Psal. 49.11 . Luk. 1.63 . Gen. 2.19.20 . Gen. 2.23 . Gen. 4.1.2 Gen. 4.25 . Gen. 5.4 . &c. Gen. 35.18 1 Sam. 4.19 . &c. 2 Sam. 3.3 Massala Coruinus . Gen. 32.28 Hosea ▪ 12.3 4. Gen. 18.19 . Acts. 10.2 . ● Sam 6.11 . Io. 11.1 . &c. Iosua . 24.14.15 . 1. Tim. 4.8 Ephes. 6.4 Psal. 37.25 1. Tim. 5.8 . Math. 6.20 1. Sā . 2.27 . Iob. 1.5 . Rom. 8.34 . 1 Sam. 1.22 Deu. 6.20 . Esai . 38.19 Ephe. 6.4 . Gen. 30.13 Iosua . 7.16 . Mat. 1.1 . Luke . 3.23 Ephes. 2.12 Reuel . 7.6 Gen. 49.20 Deu. 33.24 ●5 . 1. Cor. 1.26 Gen. 49.4 . Esay . 49 23 Wisd. 6.6 . Esay . 30.33 Deut. 33.24.25 . &c. Ephes. 4.1 . Esay . ● . 4 . Psal. 78 . 9·10 . Luke . 17.32 Phil. 3.13 14. Luke . 9.62 . Ezec. 1.17 . Ezec. 44.9.10 . Gen. 28.12 Iohn . 1.51 Cant. 5.15 Psal. 55.23 Dani. 5.1 ● Sam. 18.9 1. Cor. 7.19 Reue. 7.14 . Gal. 3.29 . Ex. 22.22 Esay . 1.23 Iam. 1.27 1. Tim. 5.14 Luke . 1.39 . * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Psal. 84.4 . &c. Gen. 34.1 . &c. 2. Sam. 11.2 Iud 11.34 . Gen. 24.65 Rom. 8.15 . Esay . 43.24 Luk. 17.10 . Dan. 1.12 Exod 24.18.34.28 2. Cor. 12.2 Gen. 3.6 Gen. 39.7 Iud. 4.18 Iudg. 16.19 Math. 14.8 . Math. 26.69 . 1 Cor. 9. ●7 1. Thess. 5.17 . Psal. 93.6 Math. 6.21 1. King. 9.3 Mat. 24.13 Iude. 12. Heb. 12.28 . &c. Luk. 2.38 . Acts. 4.11 Leuit. 2.13 Mat. 2● . 11.12 . Eph. 5.2 . Gen. 49.10 Esay . 9.6 . Gen. 24.63 Math. 2.10 ●1 . Luke 24.14.15 . Zeph. 1.12 . 1. Pet. 4. ●7 . 18 . Exod. 4.16 Acts. 13.2 . 2. Tim. 4 10 Psal. 122.1 Esay . 60.8 . Iudges . 5.15.16 . Mala. 4 2. Luk. 2.32 . Philip. 2.7 . Math. 13.16.17 . Luke 11.27.28 . Gen. 27.22 Psal. 58.4 5 Gal. 4.9 . Coloss 2 21.22 . Text. Psa. 116.10 . Mat. 12.34 Psa. 108.3 . Acts. 17.21 Tit. 1.12 . 1 Pet. 4.11 . Eph. 4.26 . Mat. 12.36 Psal. 119.140 . Luk. 24.32 . 2. Tim. 2.16 1. Cor. 15.33 . Ecclus. 9. ●7 . Mat. 7.6 . 1 Cor. 12.14 . Psa. 25.14 ▪ 1 Cor. 2.6 . Mat. 11.28 ●say . 39.2 . Mat. 10.14 Math. 10.5 Psal. 25.14 Mat. 65.26 Gal. 4.4 . &c. Luke . 2.21 Mat. 27.51 1 Tim. 1. ● Mat. 26.65 Ioh. 11.50 . Col. 2.22.23 . Mat. 15.9 . Esay . 1.12 Heb. 3.5 . Gal. 3.3 1 Tim. 1.19 . Luk. ●4 . 30 Mat. 2 13. Ezec. 1.9 . Ioh. 5.39 . Hosea . 11.1 Ier. 38.12 . Prou. 16 . 7· Esay . 11.6 . Dan. 3.25 . Ionah . 1.17 Mark. 4.41 Dan. 6 . 22· Iosu. 10.12 Matth. 27.52.53 . Luk. 1.34 . Mat. 1.18 &c. Luk. 4.28.29 . Mark. 5.17 Luke . 9.53 Iohn . 7.3.4 Acts. 4.27 . 2 Pet. 3.18 Iohn . 1.12 . 2. Pet. 1.4 . Eph. 4.13 . Psa. 45.2 . 2 Tim. 3.13 Reu. 17.2.2 Eph. 4.10 . Deut. 34.6 Deu. 29.29 Phil. 2.7 . Heb. 5.8.9 Mar. 13.32 Heb. 4.15 Psal. 18.4 . Mark. 13.32 . Iudg. 16.19 2 Sam. 1.20 . Iosu. 14.11 . Ier. 9.3 . Reuel . 2.4 . Luk. 19.1 . Chap. 4.12 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Notes for div A05280-e12320 2. King. 8.11.12 . &c. Reuel . 9.17 . See the mutabilitie of France , for the ●●mber . Lamen . 5. ● . &c. Lamen . 5.4 . &c. Lamen . 3.5.3 . Reu. 9.11 . Acts 5.39 . Iosua . 19.12 . &c. Eccle. 44.8 . &c. Zach. 4.9 . &c. Psal. 149.4 . Zach. 4.10 11. &c. Gen. 32.30 Gen. 16 ▪ 14 Hose . 2.1 . Psal. 149.4 . Psal. 74.13 . Iob. 22.29.30 . Gen. 18.23 Psal. 35.1.25 . Esay 24.11.12 . 2. Sam. 19.19 . &c. 1. King. 1.20 ▪ 21. Num. 27.20 . Reue. 8.1 . &c. Psal. 148.1 ▪ &c. Psal. 147.2 . &c. Psal. 149.6 . &c. Iudg. 5.20.21 . Ioh. 3.30 . Reu. 18.2 . &c. Gen. 41.32 . Ezec ▪ 35.56 Psal. 2.10 . &c. Psa. 85.10 Iudg. 8.20.21 . Pro. 25.4.5 Eccle. 8.11 1 Sam. 4.21.22 . 2. Sam. 12.5 . &c. Ma● . 23.15 Reu. 14.11 ▪ 48. Lips●i mo●●a & Exemp . Pol●t . 3. lib. 20.11 . Deut. 22.11 . Deut. 13.9 . 1. Sam. 15. Ieremie 6.29.30 . 
A19281	----	A brand taken out of the fire. Or The Romish spider, with his webbe of treason. VVouen and broken together with the seuerall vses that the world and Church shall make thereof. By T. Cooper, preacher of Gods word. Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626. 1606 Approx. 278 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 57 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A19281 STC 5693.5 ESTC S108666 99844323 99844323 9124 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A19281) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 9124) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1512:08) A brand taken out of the fire. Or The Romish spider, with his webbe of treason. VVouen and broken together with the seuerall vses that the world and Church shall make thereof. By T. Cooper, preacher of Gods word. Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626. [8], 48, 56 p. Printed by G. Eld [and Thomas Purfoot] for Iohn Hodgets, and are to be sould at his shop in Paules Church-yeard, At London : 1606. "Purfoot pr[inted]. quires B-G"--STC. "The third part of the treatise" has separate pagination; register is continuous. Running title reads: The Romish spider. A variant has "Gathered out of the 64. Psalme." in place of the statement of responsibility. Identified as STC 5705 on UMI microfilm. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Catholic Church -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Early works to 1800. 2004-08 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-08 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-09 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-09 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Brand taken out of the Fire . Or The Romish Spider , with his Webbe of Treason . Wouen and Broken : together with The seuerall vses that the World and Church shall make thereof . Gathered out of the 64. Psalme . Psal. 112. vers . 18. This shall be written for the generations to come , and the people that are created shall praise the Lord. AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Iohn Hodgets , and are to be sould at his shop in Paules Church-yeard . 1606. To the High and excellent Princesse ELIZABETH , eldest Daughter to our Soueraigne Lord IAMES by the grace of God of Great Britaine , France and Ireland King , defendor of the faith . MOst gracious Princesse : vouchsafe ( I pray you ) the remembrance of that blessing , the enioying whereof ( I doubt not ) was exceedingly welcome vnto you . And let your fauourable acceptance , pardon the boldnes of the remembrancer , who hauing nothing of his owne , worthy to congratulate your Highnesse comming vnto our Cittie , hath beene glad to take the oportunitie of that gift , which the Lord hath bestowed vpon you , in this great deliuerance , and to present you with the remembrance of your owne renewed estate . For as in this deliuerance , whatsoeuer you are , or haue , is newly giuen vnto you : your most renowned Father , and Princely Mother , your louing brethren , and tender sister yourselfe & all : all new gifts , euen newly created ; by this great worke of God : so is this remēbrance , a renuing of this great deliuerance , as reuiuing the worke daily vnto you , & prouoking you thereby to answer it in newnes of life . Accept therefore I beseech you ( most excellent Lady ) the reuiuing of that worke , by which you are that which you are : that so it may further you to that which ( by Gods mercy ) you shal be . And to this end shall my vowes and praiers be renued vnto our God for you , And so I humbly commend your Grace to the grace of God. Your Graces most bounden , Thomas Cooper . To the right Honourable , the Lord Harington , and his most vertuous Ladie . RIGHT HONOVRABLE : seeing the Lord hath ioyned you both in the benefit of this great deliuerance : therefore haue I beene emboldened to ioyne your Honours also in this remembrance thereof . Though I doe not say with the Iewes , concerning the Centurion , that you are worthy of this blessing : yet I may safely say what Peter did of the other Centurion : that herein hath the Lord remembred your loue vnto the Gospell , and care vnto his Saints . My hearts desire is , that this deliuerance may encrease these blessings vnto you , that so you may grow vp from grace to grace , 'till you attaine vnto the full measure of the age of Iesus Christ : to whose blessed protection I commend your Honours , and your Princely Charge . And so I humblie take my leaue . Your Honours in all dutie . Thomas Cooper . To the Right Worshipfull my Christian friends and Auditors , maister Mayor of Couentrie , Maister Arch-deacon : the Iustices , Maister Steward , All those of the Councels , together with All that doe vnfainedly loue the Lord Iesus , and do long after his glorious appearance . RIght Worshipfull , two causes there are which haue moued me to put forth these plaine and vnpolished meditations : the one is the generall good which we haue all receiued from the hand of our gracious God in this late great deliuerance of Prince and people , Church and common-wealth , from that bloudie and hellish practise of our desperate aduersaries : the other is that particular good which I haue receiued from you , since my comming among you . Concerning the common good which we haue all beene partakers of : surely it hath beene such , and so great , as that if we should holde our peace , the very stones would speake . And therfore that they may not be a witnesse against me , I haue in your hearing spoken of this deliuerance . And because it is required that we should not onely declare the worke of God , but commend it also by writing vnto the generations to come : therfore haue I taken this further paines , to commit to writing such notes as I haue obserued concerning this great worke , that they may be trials of our present thankefulnesse , for the blessings receiued , and furtherances also to strengthen our faith , and establish our posteritie , that they may waite vpon the Lord in the affiance of the like mercies . And the rather haue I beene incouraged herevnto , by that particular good which from time to time , since my comming among you , I haue receiued from you , that so it might be some pledge of my thankefulnesse vnto you for the same . I may well say you haue comforted my body , and my soule : not onely my outward man , when I was a stranger to you , and by reason of the visitation of my familie , in some affliction . A kindnesse which by Gods mercy I shall not faile to leaue recorded to posteritie , when opportunitie shall serue : but specially my soule and inward man : in beholding your Order and loue vnto the Gospell . Which though it hath made you stincke in the Nostrels of the common aduersarie : yet hath this sauour of your oyntmens , caused the Saints to loue you : yea the hatred of your enemies hath the Lord recompenced with such extraordinary pledges of his fauour , As that you haue not onely your liues & liberties giuē you for a prey , but further also the Lord hath honoured your Cittie with the presence and protection of a gracious Princesse : not onely by making your Cittie an harbour for a season vnto that royall branch , but thereby in mercy opening a way ( if you shall accept it ) by so comfortable a protection , to the strengthening & continuance of your holy libertie in the waies of God , And surely if you shall not vse your libertie as an occasion , to the fl●sh : if the dead flies of hypocrisie , and luke-warmnesse shall not corrupt that pretious ointment : but you shall streng●hen that which is ready to die , and doe the first workes , and continue therein : you shall vndoubtedly be a sweete swelling sauour in the nostrils of the Lord , and so not onely haue your Cittie blessed with the dew of heauen , and fatnesse of the earth , but by the mercie of God , you shall be lead forth in your most holy faith , to receiue the ends therof euen the saluation of your soules : Which , as I do heartily sigh and long after , so haue I to this end thought fit to stirre vp your pure mindes by these meditations : that you might haue somewhat of mine with you , as a pledge of my thankefulnesse vnto you , for your loue towards me : and a Spurre to prouoke and continue our thankefulnesse vnto God , for his wonderfull mercies , renued and continued vnto vs , in this great deliuerance : and that herein I may free my selfe from imputation of vanity and negligence , which may happily arise from the strangenesse of the Title , and plainenesse of the matter , giue me leaue ( I pray you ) to yeeld you reasons of them both . Concerning the Title , my purpose is therein to discouer the nature of our aduérsaries , who would haue done vs so great euill . A very cursed generation , and full of deadly poyson , extreamly cruell where they can preuaile : and yet by the Iustice of God , breeding their owne bane , when their sinne is full , euen bursting a sunder with the poyson thereof , and iustly confounded with their owne malice . So is the Spider , Yea as the Spiders Webbe is cunningly Wouen , and quickly broken , so are and shal be the deuises of our aduersaries : they shall not be established by their iniquitie : but their owne cunning hath and shall be their confusion . And let this satisfie you concerning the Title . As for the plainenesse , and rudenesse of the matter , if you doe duly consider the rule of my direction . I trust you will acknowledge , that the power of the spirit is best seene in weaknes : and that plaine lines , doe best answer a straight and euen leuell : the euidence of the spirit , is best seene in plainenesse . You see I haue informed my selfe in these meditations , by the most perfect Paterne : a Psalme of that Princely Prophet Dauid , that man of afflictions : when his life was indangered by the subtiltie and violence of his close and trecherous enemies . To be deliuered from these , he flies vnto his God in prayer : and the rather to preuaile , he layes before the Lord the desperate practises of his enemies : thereby implying : that vnlesse the Lord stood vnto him , hee iustly feared that they would swallow him vp . This feare of his , is the rather confirmed : because he saw them soddaine and fearelesse in their mischieuous practises : And why they should be thus fearlesse , he discouers in the next words : because they did by many sorts of incouragements meet with this feare . And here begin our meditatiōs : deriued as you see frō this pure fountaine : and watered all along with the streames therof . If this heauenly treasure hath so shined in this earthen ves sell , that the excellencie of that power , may appeare to be of God , and not of vs : giue God the glory in the treasure , and be humbled in respect of the vessell . If the vessell hath receiued that honour from this beauenly treasure , as not to haue handled it craftily and deceitfully : but in declaration of the truth shal be approued , to euery mans conscience in the sight of God. Then if our Gospell be hid , it is hid to them th 〈…〉 〈…〉 ish . But I perswade myselfe better things of you , euen su 〈…〉 〈…〉 company saluation . And let this be your triall , that you are contented to heare the same things againe . So accepting these paines according to the entent thereof , you shall happily ease yourselues of the Mother and the Daughter , forgetfulnesse and vnthankfulnesse : and burthen me willingly with further paines , for the further building of you vp in Iesus Christ. To whose protection I commit you . I pray you to beare with the faults escaped in the printing , and correct the grosser of them as followeth . Pag. 19. lin . 11. for rest , read cost . ead . lin . 21. for that may , read that we may . ead . lin . 1. for we , read he . ead . lin . 29. for bloudie execution , read for the bloudie execution . pag. 22. lin . 30. for Rhamaes , read Pharaoes . pag. 23. lin . 5. for perpetuall , read externall . ead . lin . 8. for framing , read foaming . ead . lin . 30. for so Satan , read superstition . pag. 29. lin . 30. for thing , read change . pag. 34. lin . 28. for saue , read some . pag. 35. lin . 24. for life restored , read life are restored . pag. 43. lin . 28. for meane , read mayne . pag. 44. lin . 28. for the , read these . THE Romish Spider . THE FIRST PART . The weauing of the Webbe . Psal. 64. Vers. 5. They encourage themselues in a wicked purpose , they cōmune togeather to lay snares priuily , and say , who shall see them ? 6. They haue sought out iniquities , they haue accomplished that which they sought out , euen euery one in his secret thought , and the depth of his heart . THe holy Ghost , hauing in the latter end of the former verse , set out the desperate resolution of the wicked , in their attempts against the Lords Annointed , by two Circumstances ; The one , That they are suddain in execution , implying their desperatenesse ; The other , That they feare not , arguing their boldnesse and confidence in their proceedings , doth in the two next verses yeeld a reason , for this their desperate confidence , by discouering their diuelish policie in the maner of their practising , as also in the varietie and secrecie thereof . For whereas of all other sinnes , the sinne of treason hath cause most to affright the heart of man , not onely in regard of the maiestie of the Prince , who carries the Image of God , full of terror and astonishment to the wicked , but also in respect of the haynous punishment that attends the same , ( not to omit the racking of the conscience in the horrour of the sinne ) may it not therefore seeme strange , that wretches should not feare to commit so great a sinne , that Subiects should runne of boldly , and desperately to lay hands vppon the Lords annointed ? The Prophet Dauid was so affected , when hee had but cut off the lappe of Saules garment , a wicked and reprobate King , that his heart smote him with conscience of some great euill , in lifting vp his handagainst the Lords Annointed . And when the Amalekite brought newes vnto Dauid , that he had slaine his enemy Saule , hoping to receiue some great reward , the good King was so farre from delighting in the death of his enemie , as that rather remembring him to bee the Annointed of the Lord , hee not onely bewailes his death with a great lamentation , but further reprooues the Amalekite with this seuere checke : How wast thou not affraide to life vp thy hand against the Annointed of the Lord ? and rewards him with such wages , as so haynous a murther did require . To feare then in attempting against the li●e of a Prince , as there is great reason , in regard of the haynousnesse of the sinne , and the Maiestie of the person against whome it is committed , so there had neede be great policie vsed to banish this feare . What this policie was , the holy Ghost proceedes to relate vnto vs , in these two verses following : leading vs to the consideration of diuers notable points of policie , in the practises of these Traytours against their Soueraigne , to make them confident and secure therein , that so they may bee taken in the pit , which they haue digged for others . The first whereof , respecteth the manner of their plotting , and it is here set out vnto vs to be two-fold . First , ( saith the spirit ) They encourage themselues in a wicked purpose , they commune together , wherein the meaning of the holy Ghost is , to lead vs to a policie verie vsuall in great and desperate attempts , that they are vndertaken and prosecuted by combination of all sorts of strength , as so many helps to further the accomplishment thereof . Secondly , whereas close carriage & conueyance is an especiall helpe to further dangerous designes , therefore the holy Ghost addeth , that the speciall matter of their counsell was , how they might lay snares priuily , signifying therein , that they did not onely encourage themselues by mutuall aduise , laying of their heads and purses together , but that a speciall part of their aduise was this , so to carie their Treasons , that none might see them : hoping by this manner of plotting , to haue speedie , and suddaine execution , and discouering therein the ground and moouing cause of all these desperate practises , namely , they say in their hearts , who shall see them , that is , they say in effect , there is no God. Now , because malice is insatiable , and yet iealous too , doubtfull to be discried , and yet desirous to preuaile ; therfore behold , a second policie in these traiterous practises , both to delude secrecie , and more effectually to preuaile , they haue sought out iniquities ( saith the blessed spirit ) that is , they haue deuised store of snares , to entrap the life of the King , that so if one should faile , the other might take effect , if some be discouered , and so breed securitie , ( as vsually they doe ) the other , that lye hid might come more suddenly , and surprise more fearefully , without auoidance . The snares being thus cōtriued in such secrecie & varietie , that if the secrecie should faile in some , yet the rest might afterward preuaile . Here vppon doth vsually follow a double effect . The one in the wicked , whose property is , not onely to set a good face vppon a bad matter , but further also , in regard of such exquisite cūning , which they haue vsed therin to grow secure , and confident in the executiō of their intended attempts , vndoubtedly perswading them selues of such successe therein , as that they shall haue their full desire against the seruāts of god . This doth the holy Ghost further expresse vnto vs , whē he saith that they haue accomplished that , which they sought for , euen euery one in his secret thought , and in the depth of his hart , signifying vnto vs thereby , thus much ; that what plots were layed by the wicked against the life of the King , were contriued with such secrecie , and managed with such skill & variety , as that the Contriuers thereof , made full account that they should preuaile , though not in the profession of their mouths , lest they should be descried , yet in the depth and secret of their hart , wherein they flattered themselues . And herevppon followeth another effect in the Saints of God , who being wise to see the plague which is cōming vppon them , notwithstanding the secret and cunning conueyance thereof , finding their sinne iustly to haue deserued no lesse , and the malice of the wicked ready to inflict vppon them much more , doe herevpon grow to a distrust in them selues , that surely so far as they see , there is no meanes to escape ; and so in respect of their sinnes , submit them selues vnder the mightie hand of God , and manie times in their infirmity , do not sticke to complaine that they shall certainely be ensnared with the practises of the wicked . And so also the words may be referred as being spoken in the persons of Gods children assaulted with these troubles . Wherein we may behould the admirable wisdome of the lord , who hauing certainly determined to free his seruants from the rage of the wicked , in disappoynting their practices , & turning them vppon their owne pates : doth by these two effects , of the cōfidence of the wicked , and despaire of Gods seruants in them selues , prepare a notable way therevnto : For , concerning the distrust of Gods children in themselues , seeing no meanes frō flesh to auoid the danger , as this must needes cause them to renounce all confidence in the flesh , so doth it more confidently cast them vpon God , and prouoke them more earnestly to call for his assistance , the more they see them selues stripped of all helpe from man : Wherby it cōmeth to passe , that calling vpon the Lord in the day of trouble in this full affiance of helpe in him alone , they are deliuered by him , that so they may glorifie him , As for that securitie of the wicked , grounded vppon the secrecie and multitude of their mischiefes , what is this else but a messenger of their distruction ? and the more confident they are in the successe of their proiects , the nearer is their confidence to the confusion & subuersion of them ; yea herein will the Lord reiect their confidence , that a suddaine destruction shall come vpon them , and they shall not be able to auoyd it . For so it felloweth in the next words . But God shall shoot an arrow at them suddenly &c. Wherin marke I pray you the wonderfull power and wisdome of God , in meeting with their seuerall policies , by his most iust and answerable Iudgements . For are the wicked wise , and deliberate in plotting their enterprises ? are they long in weauing , & warie in cōtriuing ? behold , the Lord doth cōfound this their wisdom by coming vpon them suddenly , that they which had such store of wisdome to cōtriue mischeife against others , shall now be to seeke of any wisedome for the auoiding of such sudden arrowes of Gods vengeance as shall come vpon them . Behold here their wisedome turned into folly . Againe , are the wicked subtill in deuising many stratagems ? behold , the lord will with one blow cut them of at once . Affliction shall not rise vppon them the second time ; who had hoped many times to haue ensnared the Saints of God : Behold here the multitude of their wicked conspiracies confounded with one stroake of Gods righteous vengeance . Thirdly , were they so secret in the contriuing of their mischiefes , that they gaue it out confidently that none shall see : behold the spirit of God giues them the lie , and tels them playnely , that All men shall see it , yea , they who had thought so cunningly to haue caried their wickednes , as to haue gone clearely away with it , the spirit tells them they shal be discouered , and to confound them the more , in this discouery , he tells them plainely , that their owne tongues shall fall vppon them . They that say , their tongues are their owne , who is Lord ouer them ? shall now see , that the mighty God ouer-rules their tongues , and makes them the instruments of his glory , in the discouery of sinne , and the executioners of his vengeance , in the punishment of the sinner . Behold their secrecie , euen confounded from their owne mouthes . Lastly , do the wicked strengthen themselues in their mischeifes by confederacies and leagues ? Loe , the Lord will scatter their companies when he comes to Iudgment against them , so that whosoeuer doth see them shall flye away : Behold here the disvniting and breaking of their confederacies . The practices of the wicked thus wonderfully defeated , and they being iustly met with all in their mischeifes , by answerable iudgments , what now is to be done by those that are deliuered ? what must we repay vnto the Lord for all his wonderfull mercyes ? The holy Ghost proceedeth in the two next verses to informe vs in such duties as concerne vs in this case , All men shall see it ( saith the blessed spirit ) that is , the eyes of all men shal be fastened vpon it , to obserue and behold the wonderfull workes of God. And whosoeuer shall duely obserue these great workes of God , and shall giue him the reuerence that is due vnto his name , for the execution of so great iudgments , his mouth shal be opened to declare the worke of God , he cannot be silent in a day of so good tydings , nay , he shall not onely speake of what is done , but his vnderstanding shal be convinced , that it was not the arme of flesh but the Lords owne doing , nay , he shall further vnderstand the greatnesse of the deliuerance , he shall vnderstand ( sayth the holy Ghost ) what God hath done . And this vse shall euerie one make of great deliuerances . But the righteous , who onely hath true interest therein , when he hath apprehended in his iudgement the greatnesse of this mercie ; when hee hath attained in some measure to a large knowledge thereof ; then shall his heart bee enlarged to reioyce-therein , and finding it to be the Lords doing , which is maruailous in his eyes , this shall bee a meanes to make him trust in God , and thereby finding his heart vpright vnto the Lord his God , hee shall againe reioyce in the greatnesse of his mercie . Thus shall the righteous doe , whose hearts are vpright in the Lord. Thus shall a great deliuerance bee entertained by them . Now , that wee may approoue our selues to bee of the number of these , hauing thus briefly deliuered the sum of the Scripture , let vs turne backe againe , and consider the seuerall lessons therein contained , that so we may lay them vnto our hearts , as they lye in order , and make further applicatiō of them , to our building vp in Christ Iesus . And first , let vs consider the policies , whereby Rebels and desperat persons so animate themselues in their traiterous practises , that they are fearelesse , and exceeding presumptuous in the deuising , and prosecuting thereof . They encourage them selues &c. ( saith the holy Ghost ) in a wicked purpose : That is , they vse all outward and carnall meanes to strengthen , and confirme them selues therein , that so they may not be daunted , & driuen from their purposes . A policie very vsuall among the wicked in plotting of desperate attempts , and indeede uery necessary to the effecting thereof . For where the conscience of so great euill must needs disharten them , there all outward encouragements will proue litle ynough . And herein doth appeare the wisedome of the world , that what is wanting in the inward approbation , shall outwardly be supplied by carnall comforts . But aboue all the cunning of Satan , is heere most liuely discouered , who , purposing to bring thē to confusion by these desperate practises , doth therefore oppose these outward encouragements , to the inward checkes and discouragements of the conscience , that so the checks of the conscience might in some sort be counteruailed , and therby neglected : and the hart being by this meanes hardned , and so in the end made past feeling , the wicked may break out more desperately in their attempts , as being now possessed with a deadly securitie , whereby , hauing made vp the measure of their sin , when they shall say peace , and securitie , and feare no euill , then shall a suddaine destruction come vpon them , and they shall not be able to auoide it . Loe , heare the wisedome of the wicked in this encouraging of themselues ; and yet behold a further depth of their wisedome in the meanes , and manner of this encouragement , and yet all tending to their further confusion . These meanes I haue obserued to be of two sorts ; The first are carnall , seruing onely to satisfie the flesh ; but the second are spirituall , pretended to satisfie the minde in these lawlesse and monstrous actions , and so to giue colour of iustifying the same . The Carnall furtherances , to these desperate attempts are of diuers sorts . First , a combining and vniting of forces together , by leagues , and associations ; and that for diuers ends . First , to giue credite vnto their attempts in regard of the multitude ; secondly , to breed terrour of their purposes , as proceeding frō so many ; & lastly , that what cannot be don secretly , may by force openly be maintained . So did the nations of the earth , band thēselues against the Lord , and against his Annointed . So did the Tabernacles of Edom cōspire with the Israelites , Moab with the Ammonites , Gebal , Amelech , the Philistines , and the rest , when they sayd : Come & let vs cut them off frō being a nation , & let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance . So did the enemies of God , combine themselues in that vnholy League , euen in our age , for the rooting out of the poore Church of God. And so did that viperous brood , thus incourage it selfe by secret leagues and associations at home , and abroad , to ruinate , and destroy vtterly the most excellent estate of the blood Royall , the Church , and Common wealth . And shall the wicked be thus wise in their generation , to strengthen themselues in their mischiefes , against God , and his Church , by combining their forces together : and shall not wee which are the children of light , much more be knit together in the bond of peace , that wee may ioyntly bend our strength against the common enemie ? shall the the shadowes separate vs , when the substance is endangered ? It was a comfortable speech of Iudah vnto Simeon his brother ; Come vp with me into my lot , that wee may fight against the Canaanites , and I likewise will goe vp with thee vnto thy lot , ( so , saith the spirit ) Simeon went vp with him . So should brethren ioyne together ; Brethren against the common enemie , that his force may be weakned . Oh that Simeon and Iudah would thus ioine together for good ; as Simeon and Leui are brethren in euill . Onely let vs be carefull , that we be not yoaked vnequally , that so our cōiunction being in the Lord , it may be blessed of him . A second carnall meanes , whereby the wicked are encouraged in euill purposes , is a gift in the bosome , some present pay before hand : wherby , they are not onely blinded in the true iudgement of their sinne , but in regard thereof , they are also drawn on to aduenture such punishments as may befall the same . So was Balaam attempted to curse the people of God : So was Iudas hyred to betray his master : So was Lopas enduced to poyson his mistresse ; & so hath the forrain gold , deceiued many of our Italianated Diuels . Oh that we could be as bountifull to good purposes , as these are to bad , that wee could be as willing to employ our treasure for the good of the Church , as these are open handed for the spoyle thereof , that we could be as forward in aduenturing , for the sauing of soules , as these Pharisies are compassing Land and Sea , sparing no paines , neither thinking any cost too much , to make one of their profession ; though when hee is made , they make him two-fold more the child of hell , than they themselues . Certainly , if we be not ; the thirtie peeces of siluer , shall one day condemne vs , and the earings , & bracelets of the people , which they willingly imparted to Idolatrie , shall at the day of Iudgement giue sentence against vs. A third carnall means to encourage the wicked in their traiterous purposes , is the hope of such honors and preferments as may afterward befall them . Great is the abiectnesse which is incident into pride , and the slauerie which ambition is subiect vnto , is intollerable . What wickednesse is there which the hope of honour will not digest ? what danger is there , which it will not cause to aduenture ? Let our first Parents , be but tickled with this hope that they shall be like vnto God ; and they will not sticke to commit that , whereby they become subiect to the Diuell . Let Diotrephes haue this spurre , and hee will easily make shipwracke of a good conscience . Oh that our climing heads would consider this : that such pleasant baites , haue such deadly hooks ! And seing there is an eternall weight of glorie reserued for vs in the heauens , which onely may bee compassed by good and holy means ; Oh that the hope of a certain , and euer-during honour , might so far prouoke vs to well-doing , as the hope of this vaine , and transitorie shadow , preuaileth with the wicked to whet thē on to euill ! Well , let vs trie our selus hereby , least otherwise they condemne vs in the day of Christ. And so much of the Carnall meanes . Now it followeth , that we speake of the spirituall means . By spirituall meanes we vnderstand such , whereby the mind and conscience is in some sort resolued , and seemingly satisfied ; but indeed deceiued , in the doing of so great , and outragious mischiefes . For in vaine should Satan offer all these carnall meanes , to perswade the attempting of such monstrous , and horrible actions vnto those , that pretend conscience , and boast of exquisitie perfection in all their actions ; if now the conscience were vtterly vnresolued in the lawfulnes thereof . What policy then doth Satan vse to perswade the conscience . Surely , as he is the Lords executioner to blind the minds of such , who not obaying the truth are therefore iustly giuen ouer to be deceiued by strange delusions , so as God of this world , doth he blind the minds of Infidels , not only making thē to shut their eies against the truth , but further also infatuating their iudgments , that they shal call darkenesse light , and light darkenesse , and so their iudgements being peruerted , he worketh vpon their affections , not onely to mooue them to doe such things as are most inconuenient , but further so to flatter themselues in the doing thereof , that in so doing , they shall doe God good seruice . So hath that great deceauer bewitched his followers , not onely perswading the lawfulnes of that act of the murthering of Princes , although contrary to the word of God , and common law of nature and equitie , but further aduancing the fact to an high degree of merit , yea aduancing the authors ( if they will beleeue him ) to an extraordinarie measure of glorie , for this their abhominable act of the murther of Princes . And that nothing may be wanting to encourage them thereunto . Behold he hath his Buls to release them of their loyaltie , as if hee were able to loose that on earth , which is bound in heauen : and that their disobedience may not be discouered , here serue his dispensations to tolerate their obedience so long , till oportunitie shal serue to effect their mischiefe . And when the wickednesse is to be accomplished ; behold then he bindes them to the same euen by the straightest bonds of their religion . We read of the souldiers that lay in wait for Paul , that they bound themselues by an oath , that they would not eat , before they bad depriued him of his life . But this man of sinne , is not content only with an oath , but their vowes must further be in heauen ( as Parry acknowledgeth : ) yea , to make vp the measure of their wickednesse ; Behold , they must confirme themselues by the sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus , that so they may more desperatly shed the blood of the Lords Annointed . Oh that we were wise to consider these things ! That seing the verdict of the cōscience is the warrant of euery action , and yet the conscience may be so informed , as to giue ayme to such vile and abhominable practices : wee would therefore labour for the true information of the conscience , that so it maye giue in a right verdict . Certainly as there is no knowledge to the worde of God , so there is none to this , to informe the conscience . And seing that obedience to this blessed word of God , is the only meanes to haue this sauing knowledge continued vnto vs , labour wee in the feare of God to make conscience of this obedience , that so the conscience may not be giuen vp to such strong delusions ; And seeing that the knowledge of the Gospell is the doctrine of obedience , oh let vs not harken to that diuelish polycy , which sayth , that where the people are ignorant , there they may be best ruled , but where they are full of knowledge , there they grow busie , and will prooue seditious . But let vs endeauour , that the word of God may dwell plentifully among vs ; that therin performing obedience vnto God , we may also be blessed in our obedience vnto man : Let it no more be said , that ignorance is the mother of deuotion , but let it now appeare that ignorance is the mother of rebellion . And if this be a case of conscience to lay hands vpon the Lords annoynted . Oh let vs take ●●ede of the cloake of religion , which may be a broker to such vile practices . Let vs not feare the curses of such an accursed religion , whose vowes and sacraments imployed to the strengthening and encouraging of such damnable mischeifes , do necessarily draw downe a curse , & not a blessing therevpon . Yea detest we vtterly such an abhominable religion , whose foundation is treason , and whose practice is blood-sheding And in the name of God proceede wee couragiously to the rooting out thereof : that so , the more they curse , and rage against the Lords ordinance , the more the Lord may blesse , and prosper the same , the more they fome and breake out in the discouerie of their damnable enterprizes , the more may they rypen and make vp the measure of their sinne , that so the Lord may consume thē with the power of his cōming . Distrust we from hence forth all popish holines , which is to be approoued and gained by such impious practices . And seeing this is the fruite of all forraine subiection ; from the bottome of our hearts renounce we all such vsurped power , which thus exaltes it selfe aboue all that is called God , & thus controwling the woorde , and abusing the meanes of Gods worship to such horrible purposes , presumeth and iustifyeth the remoouall of the Lords annoynted . It followeth . They commune togeather to lay snares priuily , and say , who shall see them . Behold , here a second policie , whereby the wicked confirme them selues in their desperate practices against the Lords Annoynted , namely , the secret plotting , & conueyance thereof . And this very fitly , in regard of the sinne , and also very iustly in respect of the sinner . For as euery sin is a worke of darknes , as well in that it hates the light , and delights to be cōmitted in darkenes , as also , in that it is Satans power , to bring vs to vtter darkenes ; so , is also this sinne of treason , and rebellion aginst the Lords Annoynted . And , as other sinners desire to be hatcht in darkenes , both in regard of the shame , which otherwise the light would bring with it , and also in respect of the feare of punishment which attends the same : so also in these respects , this sin of treason , delights in secrecie , both , in that it is an odious and monstrous sinne , and therefore is ashamed to be knowen , but especially , because , how soeuer other sins may go scotfree in this life , yet this hath a seuere punishment iustly assigned therevnto , the feare whereof doth necessarily impose this secrecie : And herein especially doth Satans cunning appeare ; that , whereas he hath a purpose by this sin , to bring traytors to their vtter confusiō , therefore , doth he principally further this their secrecie heerevnto . For , whereas sinne being not iudged in this life , shall certainly be iudged in the life to come : therefore , by this secrecie , doth he flatteer these monsters , for the auoiding of temporall iudgments , that so , either auoyding thē here , they may be sure to meet with them in another life ; or if so be ( as likely it doth not misse , ) that they shal be met withall in this life , by the sword of the magistrate , yet their secret cariage of the mischeise , breeding securitie , and so excluding repencāce , though they shal be iudged of man : yet because they do not iudge themselues , they shall not escape the iudgment of the Lord. Herevpō it is , that the holy Ghost , entending to shew , how the wicked encouradgethemselues in an euill purpose , hauing declared in the former poynt , their policy in combining , and strengthening themselues , by carnall and spirituall meanes , to giue the better onset to so desperate a practise , doth now proceed to lay open the meanes , whereby they hope to goe clerely away with it , in regard of the suddainesse and vnexpectednesse of the same : and also that the contriuers thereof , hauing accomplished their wicked purposes . may yet notwithstanding auoid such punishments as are due vnto them . They commune together to lay snares priuily , and they say , who can see them ? That is , they consult together to doe their feat secretly , and in their vnknowne practises , they blesse their soules , and say , that none shall see them , They shall not know who hurt them . Loe here , a second policie of the wicked in laying their snares , that which they doe , shal be done secretly , that so it may clenly , and without danger be conuayed . And that wee may perceiue it is a matter of importance , the holy Ghost tels vs , that it is not don , without great aduise , They commune together in their best aduizements . Thus did the Iewes often consult together , against our Sauiour Christ , and the manner of their councell was , to surprise him priuily , and to remooue him secretly , ( as building on that false God , that if hee stood , their Kingdome must needs downe ) because both they feared the people , and therefore durst not openly at the first set vpon him , and indeed standing vpon the credite of their seeming holinesse , they would if so they might , haue auoyded the open shame , as to bee counted the murtherers of so holy a man. And so for the same cause those murtherers of Princes , howsoeuer it be a ruled case in the books of their diuelish policy , that all power , that spurnes at that vsurped Hierarchie , & will not bowe to their triple Crowne , must necessarily bee ▪ remooued ( as being conuinced in their conscience with that true ground , that the ordinance of God which is lawfull gouernement , will certainely ouerthrow their vsurped tyrannie : ) yet neither will they be seen ( if it may be , ) in so horrible a practise , neither will any of their wiser Patrons openly iustifie the doing thereof , but vpon the vnhappie successe of the same . And the reasons are ; first , least that they which ( in the greatest ) professe so great humility , ( as to be the seruant of seruants ) should openly discouer their vnsatiable ambition , that they will be exalted aboue all that is called God. And secondly , least they which professe so great holynesse , and teach such strictnesse of obedience vnto others , should apparantlie be conuinced of such monstrous impiety & disobedience . And as their religion is nought else but a mistery of iniquity , cloaking sinne from the eye of the world ; so in their seuerall policies for the managing of that Kingdom , and in those manifold weapons of their warfare , whereby they mantaine their Diadem , & resist all opposite powers , we shall find that secrecie hath been an espetiall poynt , which herein they haue aymed at , that they might not be seen in these their stratagems . It was the policie of the Iewes that they might not be seen in the fact , or else devolue the hatred & enuie vpon others , to execute their malice against our Sauiour Christ by others . So did they hyre Iudas to betray Christ vnto them : so brought they in Pylate to giue sentence vpon him . And surely such hath been the cunning of these Antichristian Locusts , if wee shall obserue the manner of their bloody inquisition . Accused we must be , and yet we shall not know by whome ; tormented wee shall be , and yet not see by whome . Yf any be seen herein , it shal be some of our owne house , either some weake Protestant , that hath yeilded for feare of torture , or some damnable Apostata , that hath been corrupted with bribes , that so our greife may be the more , and their enuie the lesse : they may be free from the imputation of cruelty , we loaded the more with the abuse of our profession . Thus as their practice hath been to lay their snares secretly , & to accomplish their malice by the deputation of others : so that their posterity might haue a president of such practices , and haue continuall warrant to the accomplishment of the like , behold their deuelish subtilty in incorporating of their cruell lawes , into the lawes of such nations , among whōe they haue erected their Kingdome , that so their bloodie and tyrannycall proceedings might be countenanced by such estates , whose ouerthrow by the same they principally entended . So that if at any time their proceedings should be called in question , they may haue this cloake to keepe of the raine , that it was not the high priests but Pilates doing , it was the law of the Land , and not of the Pope . And as this hath been an ordinary course of their policy , for the more clenly cōueyance of their mischeiuous practices , against the Saints of God : so , when I do consider the weapons of their warfare , wherewith especially they fight , for the vpholding of their Kingdome , me thinke I see secrecie especially aymed at therein . The weapons wherewith this man of sin hath vsually strouē , for the vpholding of his triple crowne ; I do finde especially to haue been these three . First , combining with Satan to destroy by charmes and sorceries ; Secondly , attempting of life by variety of poyson ; And thirdly , laying secret traynes of gunpowder to take away the same . In all which , as that purple strūpet hath been most fruitfull , & desperatly prodigious , so by the nature of these weapons , it may easily appeare , that as she principally laboured this , not to bee seen in her mischeifes : so , in not being seen , her glory might be the greater in that opinion of holines , which would redownd to her hereby , in that her enemies were so confoûded by such inuisible meanes , Thus as the weapons of her warfare imploy her secrecy : so shall this cūning yet further appear into vs , in the diuelish managing of these desperate weapons . To attempt the life by poyson may admit great secrecie , but if we consider the manner and ordering of this weapon , herein shall we see a depth of wickednesse , hardly to bee sounded by common wisedome . To take life away speedily by this desperate engine , this may breed suspition , and prooue dangerous vnto vs. And therefore this practise of the Monke of Swinstead , is now counted foolishnesse , and vnaduised malice in any to take such a course : because by tasting and such like meanes the snare may be discouered . How then shall we doe to lay this snare priuily , that it may take effect , and we be out of danger ? Here consider I pray you , the depth of Satan : the poyson shall be so tempered , as not to effect this operation vntill some time afterward , that so if we take part , yet by some present Antidote the infection may bee killed , and others not suspecting the danger , as not yet perceiuing the same , may so suffer the contagion to preuaile by degrees in the bodie , that though afterwards it be perceiued ; yet speedily seazing vpon some vitall part , it may not by any phisicke be corrected or cured . When I doe consider the poysoning of the saddle , and doe remember withall that policie of the poysoning of the host , that breaden God which the Papists worship : me thinkes I see therin yet a further depth of Satans cunning in vsing this weapon to the maintenance of his kingdome , and a further height of wickednesse , breaking out in this case . That ordinarie meat should be subiect to this infection , that apparell and such like , should be infected therewith , this , as it is a matter suspitious , so is it prouided for , by tasting , ayring , perfuming , and such like : but who wold euer suspect such abhominable impietie in so principall a part of their diuine worship ? what charitable or religious heart , would once dreame of any snare couched in so holy misteries ? their tasting is not vsed , because there is no suspition , there danger is not feared , where so great deuotion is pretended . Well learne wee hence , to what vse serues this great Idoll in Poperie , and consider we by this , what reckoning these Atheists make of their religion , what is the principall scope and end thereof , and take wee heede that at no hand , wee drinke of their cup , lest though we meet not with this poison to infect the body , yet we find a farre more dangerous , to destroy both bodie and soule . I must not heere forget that which I trust we shall alwaies remember , that other weapon of this least , wherewith it defendeth it Kingdome , a weapon inuented and framed euen in their owne forge : I meane Gunpowder , and such instruments as are employed therewith . That this is a weapon of the Popish Kingdome , and principally vsed , in regard of the secret mischiefe thereof , I hope we now haue had new comfortable experience , the Lord make vs wise to discerne these traines . And let vs neuer forget the secret conueyance of the snare , that some may not be secure in the greatest calmes ; and yet let vs not feare , though the trayne shall bee layde as deepe as hell , seeing our God raignes there , to discouer such mischiefes . As for the other weapon of secrecie and witchcraft , as this is a maine pillar of their Idolatrie and lying Miracles , so hath it been also a new desperate weapon to defend their kingdome , witnesse the manifold practises by this engine , against the life of Queene Elizabeth , and blessed be our God , who hath deliuered our gracious Soueraigne from the like snare . Is not this a vsuall arrow of the Popes quiuer ? Thus , as secrecie is the cloake to the accomplishment of their mischiefes , as heretofore hath beene declared by the former circumstances ; so for conclusion , let vs consider in a word , what policie is vsed in the cōcealing of these snares , that though they be discouered , and take effect , yet for all this they bee buried . Certainely , the sinne of Rebellion is most odious , and detestable ; yea , though it doe take effect , yet leaues behinde it a verie hatefull blot of perpetuall infamie , which would not willingly be vndergone , though I loue the treason , yet ( the rule is true ) I hate the Traitor , because we will doe the like vnto me , as he hath done vnto others , yea , there is a fearefull punishment following at the hecles of the same , which we would gladly auoid . Say then the Plot bee discouered , and the Treason knowne ; how shall I now preuent this blot of Infamie ? how yet shall we auoid apprehension thereby ? Behold here againe the depth of Satan , and marke well how would carrie his snares in secrecie . It is not treason , but religion thus to doe , here is a large cloake to hide this mischiefe . It is our glorie to deliuer the Church out of slauerie , yea , though it rest the best blood that shall withstand it : here 's a goodly pretence of deliuering the Church , when indeed our purpose is by remoouing gouernement , to doe euery man euen what hee listeth . And that wee may escape apprehension and punishment , obserue we yet further Satans subtiltie : To denie the fact impudently , to forsweare it damnably , these thus are ordinarie and vsuall in this case , to out-face the matter boldly ; yea , to threaten desperately , if we be not fauourably vsed : these things haue not been wanting to free our selues from torment . That may not be discouered , we will refuse an oath , that we may not discouer others , we will bind our selues by an oath , we will change our names , that so we may not change our sinne , and our kinde , and condition shall be dissembled by strange apparell , and all this to carrie in snares secretly ; yea , that we may doe mischiefe more desperately , and yet auoide the outward hatred thereof , wee will haue visors and anticke cloakes , bloodie execution of the Saints of God. And if all this will not serue the turne , then behold a further depth of Satans malice . Is there any in disgrace and vnder the burthen alreadie , behold our iniquitie shall bee posted ouer vnto them , and they shal beare the hatred and vnder-goe the punishment , of what we haue committed . Thus when Nero had set fire on the City of Rome , he laid all the blame vpon the Christians . Thus when any calamitie befell the Empire , presently the fault was layd vppon the Christians , they cried , to the rack to the fire , to the mynes with the Christians , this is longe of them . And thus had these deadly enemies purposed ( if their plot had taken effect ) which God forbid ; to haue fathered it vpon those , who endeauour to serue the Lord with a pure heart . But blessed be God , who is good vnto Israel , euen vnto those that are pure in heart . And blessed be the name of his Maiestie for euer , who hath preserued his Annointed , and his seede from these fatall engines , and hath iustified the innocencie of his seruants in the sight of their enemies . And let this now be the subiect of our ordinary meditations , great deliuerāces giueth he vnto Dauid his king , & to his seed for euer . As for these policies of our enemies , in laying their snares priuily , as this may teach vs to iudge them by their workes , and manner thereof , They hate the light , and therefore their workes are euill ; that wee may not be bewitched with their abhominations : so let vs learne not to be affraide of their snares , howsoeuer they be cunningly and secretly conueyed . Certainely , howsoeuer they may hide them from the eye of man , yet our God , who watcheth ouer vs for good , and them to disappoint them : he beholdeth their practises , and his secret is with the righteous to bring to nought the deuises of our enemies , and to hide his seruants in the secret place of his pauilion from the pride of men . He that would not hide from Abraham , what concerned the destruction of the wicked , that so his brother Lot might escape the danger ; hee will not hide from his children such dangers , as are comming towards them , but will open their eyes to see the plague , that so they may hide themselues vnder the shadow of his wings . Onely let vs not wilfully shut our eyes by presumption or securitie , lest hereby we betray our selues wilfully vnto the subtiltie of our enemies . Let not foolish pity , or policie bleare vs , in seeing these snares , or iudging slightly of them . Let not loosenesse in our selues , take away courage from vs , that so wee may not dare to take notice of the practises of the wicked , lest the conscience vpon this knowledge be amated , and deiected , and so possessed with a fearefull expectation of thē . Let vs not depriue our selues of that true light , which may informe the conscience herein , lest otherwise we bee giuen vp to be blinded by the enemies . Let vs not imitate the wicked heerein , either seeking for the darkenesse , to commit sinne more securely , or in vsing any carnal cloakes to hide the same : lest our secrecie in sinne giue power to their secrecie in plotting such punishments as are due to the same . Let vs not presume of impunitie , though wee haue committed sinne secretly , seeing what we haue done couertly the lord wil opēly discouer to our greater shame : and when man ceaseth to punish , then the Lord himselfe will awake to execute vengeance . If we may haue a cloake for sinne , to carrie it clenly : if authoritie may out-face , or money buy it out , if wit will defend it , or impudencie denie it ; if example may colour , or custome extenuate : Oh let vs not be deceiued by any of these cloakes , seeing there is nothing so hidden , which shall not be reuealed , and the more we haue cloaked our sinne , the more wee shall inherite shame and confusion , when it shall be discouered : yea , the very cloakes which we vsed to hide our sinne , shall one day be meanes to lay open the same , and the rust of that riches which we haue vsed wrongfully , shall at the day of iudgment giue in euidence against vs : and be a means to consume vs with fire . Oh consider this you that forget God and say in your hearts ; the Lord seeth not . Behold your owne iniquities shall finde you out , and such weapons of vnrighteousnesse , wherewith you haue fought against the Lord , they shall now prooue his weapons to be auenged of you . Remember that ●he Babilonians , with whom Israel plaide the harlot were the scourge of God appointed to strippe her naked , and fearefully to spoyle her , who while she was faithfull with her God , was a terrour to all our enemies . Oh let vs therefore take heede of daubing with our enemies , take wee heed in any case of buying our peace , by committing abhomination with them , lest it come to passe , that as we haue serued our selues of them , by taking part in their filthinesse , so they shall serue themselues of vs , by making a spoile of vs. And the Lord shal serue himselfe of vs both , & purging vs by them of such dregs as remaine , & hardning them by vs to their final confusion . Oh let vs therfore cleaue vnto our God , that he may stil keep the city , and preserue his Church among vs : & then vndoubtedly , though many snares be laid for vs , yet the lord wil awake to discouer thē vnto vs , yea , this blessing shal a faithfull king receiue at the hand of God , that his hand shal find out all his enemies , and his right hand shal find out thē that hate him , So it pleased his Maiestie to direct the heart of our Annointed to apprehend this mischiefe , and principally out of the Letter contrarie to all grāmaticall , or reasonable constructiō to scan the same , yea though the snares might happily take hold vpon vs , yet wil the Lord arise to deliuer him that is snared , the snare shall be broken , and we deliuered . As for our enemies that haue thus secretly layd these snares . Behold the Lord will raine snares vpon them , and so take them in the pit , which they haue digged for others , onely let vs trust in God and wait vpon him , so when the iniquitie of our enemies shal be discouered and disappointed , there shall our righteousnesse all come foorth as the light , and our wel doing as the noone day , that the Lord may bee glorified in the iustifying of his children , and wee comforted in the experience of his protection . It followeth . And they say , who shall see them ? That is , They say in effect , that none shall see them , and so they doe put out the eie of Gods prouidence , and thereupon conclude indeed , that there is no God. Such was the groūd of Rhamaes oppressiō , Who is the Lord , that I should heare his voice , and let Israel goe ? Such was the ground of the Idolatrie of the Iewes , they say , the Lord seeth vs not , the Lord hath forsaken the earth . Such was the ground of the persecution of the wicked , that he , not only thinketh alwayes , There is no God : but further also , he contemneth God , and saith : God hath forgotten , he hideth away his face , and will neuer see . And this doth the holy Ghost yeeld to be the reason , why the Gentiles were giuen vp into a reprobate minde , whereby they became full of vnrighteousnesse , euen because they regarded not to acknowledge God. And surely as the professiō of Poperie is a flat deniall of the power of God , as being a voluntarie and perpetuall worship , plausible to the sence , and agreeable to reason , so the practise thereof is nothing else , but a maine Sea of impietie , framing out iustly it owne shame , and confusion . Thus hath their spirituall fornication against God , and his ordinance , brought forth that fruitfull sinne of carnall Fornications , and vncleannesses of all sorts . And thus hath their desperate rebellion against the Lord , & against his Annointed , exalting themselues aboue all that is called God , brought forth that cursed Monster of treason , and rebellion against Gods Lieutenant vpon earth . It being a certaine consequent , that they do not loue God whome they haue not seene , who hate their brother whom they see dayly : It being a righteous thing with God , that their sinne of treason against his Maiestie should be knowne , & discouered by their treason against the Magistrate , that how the Magistrate may bee iustly prouoked to fight against the beast , both for the safetie of their estates , and for the glorie of God , vtterly to destroy the Kingdome of Antichrist . Who so is wise , let him consider this , and in this glasse of Rebellion , let him obserue an heart of Atheisme . And if this Atheisme be so easily to be discerned in her brood , as wee may not looke for grapes of thornes , or figges of thistles , any better fruit , from so cursed a tree ; so let vs in the name of God disclaime , that so Satan which in the root and fruit , fights against God and man. And discerne wee wisely the truth of that Religion , which ioyning God and man so graciously together , doth teach vs not to separate those , whome God hath ioyned , but to maintaine this holy Vnitie , euen with the losse of our deerest blood ; and in the feare of God cleaue we vnspeakably vnto that holy truth , which teacheth vs to giue vnto ( not to take from ) Caesar , the things that are Caesars , and vnto God , the things that are Gods , that so honouring Caesar aright in giuing him his due vnder God , wee may vnder Caesar , liue a quiet and peaceable life , in all godlynesse and honestie . And seing there is not a more effectual meanes to prouoke vs to obedience , than that the eye of God is continually vpon vs : As this was a spurre vnto our aduersaries for their treason against the Lords Annointed , that God should not see them , so let it bee a continuall motiue of our conscionable obedience vnto God and man ; namely , that the Lord our God looketh continually vpon vs. And that we may not want a liuely euidence for the same , let vs onely consider how the Lord watched ouer vs in this deliuerance , that if he had been on our side , and watched ouer vs , when these snares were priuily layd against vs ; surely , they had swallowed vs vp quick , when their wrath was kindled against vs. Yea , the waters had drowned vs , and the streame had gone ouer our soules . Oh that this deliueuerance may for euer stoppe the mouth of Athiesme , and roote out that cursed brood , which exalts it selfe against the Lord. Certainely , if the defeature of such mischiefes shall not now open our mouths to acknowledge the power , and mercie of God vnto his Church , the practise wherof hath opened the mouthes of the wicked , to say , there is no God : Let vs looke that as the Lord hath iustified himselfe against them , by deliuering vs out of their hands , so will he also iustifie himselfe against vs , in laying further punishments vpon vs , euen by exposing his people as a pray vnto their enemies , that they may learne to giue him the honour that is due vnto his name . If the feare of his rodde will not cause vs to depart from euill , we shall feele the smart of his holy indignation , and the shaking of the rodde shall not serue the turne , if by it we haue not returned vnto the Lord our God. Oh Lord , it is not in man to walke , and to direct his steps . Turne thou vs vnto thee , and then wee shall bee turned . For why should the wicked say , Where is now our God ? Why should thy Children complaine , that thou hast forsaken them . Oh Lord , thou art our God from euerlasting , and world without end : thou hast magnified thy selfe in the sight of our enemies , and put to confusion those that hate vs ; Oh , let vs therefore draw nere vnto the Lord our God ; let vs renew our couenant with thy Maiestie to the finall confusion of our enemies , and to the preuenting of all such further mischiefes , that they shall practise against vs. It followeth . They haue sought out iniquities . That is , they haue studied and inuented diuers sorts of mischiefes , to accomplish thereby more certainely their desires . Behold here a third policie of the wicked to supply that which may bee wanting in their former deuise of secrecy : that though one plot be discouered , another might take place , and still another might bee one foote , though a former were preuented . A verie desperate and most effectuall policie to bring their purposes to passe : not only in that this varietie of stratagems , tyres out policie , and carnall wisedome , and puts it to a Non plus in preuenting so many mischiefes ; but further also great terrour , and distraction ceaseth on the hearts of weake ones , in regard of such strange and manifold snares : yea , by this meanes , those whom God hath giuen vp to these snares , are heere appalled with wofull despaire , and so hereby lye open to the snares , as hauing giuen ouer all hope to auoide the same . We may finde some steps of this corruption , euen in the Saints of God. When Dauid saw , that there was no end of Sauls malice , but stil he was followed with new pursuits , the holy Ghost signifieth , that it wrought this effect in him , that he sayd in his feare , as des 〈…〉 airing of deliuerance : I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul , and thereupon be●ooke himselfe to a most desperate course euen to flye for succour vnto the enemies of God. For where feare doth possesse vs , that mal●ce is endlesse , and her mischiefes so many , that they cannot be auoided there care will faile vs , for the preuenting of them , as thinking our labout lost , against such vnauoydable snares . And so being carelesse in the danger , we lye open thereunto : and are either betrayed by desperate securitie in the end vnto the same , or else seeking to auoide them by vile and impious courses , we doe hereby exclude our selues from the protection of the Lord : and so cause the malice of our enemy to light more heauily vpon vs. It hath been no new thing with the enemies of God , thus to multiply their snares against the seruants of the Most High. Infinite was the malice of Saul against the Annointed of the Lord , and as was his malice , so were his snares accordingly . The first occasion to the snares was the euill spirit , as no maruaile if the Diuell be the beginner of all mischiefe . And behold the notable cunning of Satan , in laying a snare in the calling and profession of Dauid , that whereas hee was skilfull to play vppon the Harpe , and therefore was required of Saul to alay the furie of his torment ; comming into Sauls presence to ease him of his anguish , he might be exposed to the rage and malice of his enemie : and verie hardly did he many times auoide this snare . Secondly , his wife was intended a snare vnto him , and her dowrie also was layd as a snare , that the hand of the Philistines might bee against him . These secret snares being broken , then follow open practises : and here was malice as endlesse , as it was causelesse . How was the poore seruant of God hunted vp and downe , as a Partridge vpon the mountaines , being neuer in safetie of his life , till his enemie was depriued of his . Thus was Dauid followed with manifold snares , by his enemie Saul , and so was Dauids Lord , by Satan and his most malicious instruments . Marke ( I pray you ) how Satan sets vpon him . First , he layes a snare of distrust , perswading him to make bread of stones , as if God were not otherwise able to prouide for him in the wildernes . Whē that would not serue , he laies a contraria snare of presamption , wishing him , To cast himselfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple , that so hee might exclude himselfe out of Gods protection . When this would not preuaile , yet hee layes a third snare of worldly pompe and glorie , moouing him thereby to fall downe and worship him , that so hee might robbe God of the glorie , that was due vnto his name . And as was the father , so were also the children , euen the nation of the Iewes , whose saluation he laboured . Their malice did not cease against him , so long as hee was capable of it , and for the acting thereof , they wanted not store of mischiefes , when they could not preuaile by smiting him with the tongue , then they fell to stone him with stones , when they could not draw him within the compas of rebellion against the state , then they accused him of blasphemie against God , when themselues durst not openly bee seene for feare of the people , then they corrupted one of his owne house to bring him to his end : sometimes they made vproares against him , that he might be oppressed of the people : sometimes they accused him of compacting with Satan , that so they might make him odious and abhominable to the people : sometimes they propounded curious question to entrappe him in his words , other while they would wrest and peruert his gracious speeches . And when they had caught him , their malice was yet vnsatiable . Buffeting would not serue , but further , they must whippe him , and to greeue his righteous soule the more , he must be clothed in purple , to bee scorned and derided of them . This will not serue , but he must be crowned with thornes , that so his torment might bee yet encreased : yea , further yet to lengthen out their malice and his paines ; behold they deuised a lingting , and yet most shamefull torture , to bring him to his end . Nayled must he be on the crosse , to encrease his paine , and yet to lengthen out his life , and he must be hanged betweene two theeues , and accounted among euill doers , that so together with his bodie , his good name might be killed . Thus was our head Christ Iesus persecuted by his owne : And thus must all his members looke to be dealt withall Not to trouble you with rehears●ll of forraine stories , neither to seeke furth●r in our owne , than what is fresh in our memories ; how did the enemies of the Gospell multiplie their snares against vs , in this late practise for the restoring of their Kingdome . To take away the life of the King , this was but an entrance . Nay , we must cut off root and braunches too , if we shall make sure worke , was this all ? Nay , the esta●es of the Land , they must also be cut off , that so strength and councell being remooued , and the heads being cut off , the Conquest might be the easier , and the confusion the greater . Is this yet all ? Nay , the life of the Kingdome true Religion , must be extinguished , and all the Professors thereof , vtterly rooted out ; that so Idolatrie may take sure footing againe . And to make vp the measure of their mischiefe : the execution of all this practise must bee layd vpon true Religion : that herein their malice might reach to heauen , and in some measure insult and triumph ouer God himselfe . Behold heere the trauaile of the wicked , which is to bring forth mischiefe : behold the fruitfulnesse of malice , which can deuise store of snares : see the propertie of the wicked , they are restlesse in commiting euill , and neuer wearie of practising against the Saints of God. They cannot sleepe , except they haue done euill , and their sleepe departeth , except they cause some to fall : Nay , they will spare their sleepe , that they may imagine mischiefe on their beds , and when the morning is light , they practise it : Euen as the wilde Asse vsed to the wildernesse , that shuffeth vp the winde by occasion at her pleasure , who can turne her backe : So the wicked runne on without controwlement in the multitude of ther mischiefes , and it is their sport , and pastime to commit sinne with greedinesse . Let vs therefore trie our selues by this propertie of the wicked . To commit sinne , is an infirmitie incident to the most regenerate , but to make it our studie , and delight , to commit sinne with greedinesse and to continue therein ; this cannot stand with a sanctifyed nature . I delight in the Law of the Lord concerning the inward man saith that chosen Vessell Saint Paul : ) and therfore , if I doe that which I would not , it is no more I , but sinne that dwelleth in me . Ohlet vs , howsoeuer we cannot choose but sinne , yet notwithstanding delight in the law of the Lord , that so our sinne may not be imputed vnto vs. Once haue I spoken ( saith holy Iob ) but I will answere no more , yea twise , but I will proceede no further : If we haue once oftended , let vs doe so no more , lest otherwise a worse thing happen vnio vs. And if so be the wicked are so fruitfull in mischiefe , and vnwearied in euill to gaine hell therby ; oh let vs neuer bee wearie of well doing ; let vs bee plentifull in good workes , seeing if we faint not , wee shall certainely reape an euerlast●ng reward in heauen . Lastly , seeing the enemies of the Gospell are neuer wearie of mischiefe , but still are deuising and practising against the Iust. Oh let vs not be secure of them , nor hope to winne them by gentlenesse , seeing conniuencie at their wickednesse , is but a spurre to further mischiefe , as giuing them respite and oportunitie to commit the same . If we shall wisely stand vpon the guard , and keepe this enemie at the staues end , though happily his malice might hereby bee encreased , yet seeing his sinne is by this meanes ripened , & when the Haruest is ripe , the sickle shal be put in , his practises shal be so 〈◊〉 from preuailing against vs : as that the pit which hee hath digged , hee shall fall into himselfe : his owne s●ord shall enter into his owne heart , and his bowe shall bee broken : and in the s●are which hee priuily layes for vs , shall his owne foote bee taken . It followeth . And they haue accōplished that which they s●ught for &c. The meaning is that they are perswaded secretly in their soules that , what they haue deuised shall surely take effect . Noting vnto vs their presumpt●ous confidence , and building vpon these their plots & p●lices . A thing verie vsuall in the practices of the wicked , to pro●ise thē selues vndoubtedly good successe therein : not onely in regard of their naturall corruption ; whereby they are apt to conceaue highly of their owne deuises , especially caried in such stro●g , and yet secret manner : but principally the iustice of God is seen herein , who giuing them vp to this resolute cōfidence , doth thereby prepare the way to their more fearefull confusion . So did the enemie secure themselus against the Lords Annoynted , that they had already deuoured him , as hauing so hemd him in with their secret and manifold snares that he could not possible escape : yea for the further confirming themselues in this confidence , because his onely protection was from God ; therefore so farre did they proceed in this presumption : that measuring the fauour of God by outward prosperity , they concluded herevpon falsely vpon some light affliction that did befall him A mischeife is light vpon him & he that lieth shall no more rise : and their reason is . God hath forsaken him : wherevpon they encouradge themselues in most confident manner , come let vs pursue and take him , for their is none to deliuer him . Yea so blasphemously confident grow they herein , as building vpon the strength and effectuallnes of their snares , that they euen make a mocke at the counsell of the poore , because the Lord is his refuge , and as if so be god were not able to deliuer out of their hands , they deryde his confidence in the Lord his God , saying , he trusted in God let him deliuer him , let him saue him , seeing hee loueth him . Implying thereby most impiously , that they had him so sure , that his confidence in God should not deliuer him out of their hands . Thus did Senacharib open his mouth against heauen ; when he sent his messenger vnto Hezechiah saying , Let not thy God deceaue thee in whime thou trustest &c. Imploying that the Lord could not deliuer him out of his hands : Thus did the mother of Sisera flatter her selfe , when shee looked out of the window and sayd , why is his chariot so long a cōming , why tarie the wheeles of his chariot , expecting indoubtedly her sons returne with victorie : and thus did her wise Ladyes answeare her with owne wordes , haue they not gotten and they diuide the spoyle &c. shewing also their confidence in the good successe of the battaile . And surely if we shall consider the hopes of our enemies , concerning the good successe of their desperate attempts : as their micheifes haue not been short of any , so their confidence also hath been with the best , For was not the Nauie which was sent against vs in 88. entitled the Inuincible Armadoe , as if no force were able to scatter it . And did not their Friars tauntingly , and most blasphemously preach , that they had Pope ( and Diuell ) and all to fight for them , but the Hugnenots and Lutherans had none but God to stand on their fide , as if hee were no bodie , to withstand them ? had they not diuided the spoyle in conceit , before they sawe the shoare , which should haue been gayned ? had they not brought whips , and other instruments of torture to execute their crueltie vpon vs , as if they made account to be maisters of the field . And surely consider wee the practises at this time , and we shall see their confidence to haue been encreased , with their malice , and their mouths , euen desparately opened against heauen , for the confirming them more assuredly in their bloody expectation . If we shall remēber the exceeding insolency and pride of these enemyes , for some few moneths before the entended execution of their practices , ( a thing not neglected by carefull heads , ) what did it speake vnto vs , but their confidence in the successe thereof ? Was it not written to that honorable Lord , that it was decreed by God & men , to punish the iniquitie of the time , therein , both making the Lord a party in this their damnable enterprice , & also thereby building so certainly vpon the accomplishment theirof , as if it were the decree of God himselfe . What preparacions they had made for the aduancement of themselues , & execution of the faithfull , after the terrible blowe should be giuē : their sumptuous apparell , store of bloody weapons , proclamations and such like , all in a readynes , as if the thing were done : did it not most liuely d●scouer their confidence , that they had accomplisht that which they sought for . If we would know what might bee the reason of such presumption , and desperate confidence : let vs consider the resolution of their conscience , which though erronious , yet hereby the strōglier con●eited , & the more obstinatly presumptuous in the successe of it owne apprehension . Let vs remember their apprehension of the cause for which they take the quarrell in hand , which being in their deceiued iudgments so iust , yea meritorious ; must needs puffe thē vp with confident hope of good successe therein . Adde we herevnto the approbation of this fact not onely by the conscience at home , but by the Lord of their conscience abroad , whose oracles they esteme as the oracles of God , yea whome they worshipe aboue all that is called God : & therefore no maruaile if they match his decrees , with the decrees of the most high , and say it is decreed by God and men . And hauing so sure a warrant ( as they thinke ) for the attempting of their mischiefs ; is it any wonder , if they promise exceeding good successe vnto themselues therein ? Were it onely the policy which they haue vsed in the managing of their practices : their encouragmēts to strengthen , their secrery to entrapp , & their manifold snares to wearie out , surely these so notable policyes , concurring thus together , must needs giue spirit to their hopes , and confidence to their practices : That seing they are so strong , that none is able to match them , how can it bee , but they should preuaile : seeing so secret , that none can see them , how can it be , that any should auoyd them : seing they are neuer wearie in deuising of mischiefes : how should any at length not be ouer wearied by them . But aboue all the wisedome and power of God is here in most euident , who meaning to giue his enemies a terrible blow : not only to their bodyes but euen to their soules : & to make their fall such as they shall not be able to rise againe , doth therefore in his wisedome let them alone so farre in these their diuelish practices , that hauing brought them in a manner to ripenes , and perfection , as they could wish , they might herevpon be lifted vp with pride and confidence in the good successe thereof : that by the suddaine defaiture of these practices afterward , their confusion might be the greater both to body & soule : not onely to the body in such punishments which doe attend them , but especially into their soules and consciences either breeding in them an obstinate allowance of their diuelish practices , when they shall see their expectation so deceiued , & their wisedome confounded . Oh this will make Ahitophell euen to hang himselfe , this is it , that will strike dispaire in the harts of these rebells , and make them euen desperatly runne vpon their owne swords . Maruaile not we therefore , if we see the wicked puffed vp with confidence in their mischeifes : for it is the cheefest portion that they haue of al their iniquity , this is al the poore comfort they find theirin , namely to flatter them selues in the good successe thereof , yea this is the strōgest band wherby Satan doth hold them : Rather admire wee the wonderfull wisedome of the Lord , who prepares thē by this carnall confidence , to their greater confusion ; and makes the pride of their wisedome to be the break-neck thereof . And seeing it is no shame , to learne good euen of our enemyes ; seeing confidence in euill is a messenger of their distruction , let vs trie our standing in grace , by our feare in sinne . Certainly as the feare of offending God , is a meanes to preuent sin : so feare in the sence of our owne vnworthynes in regard of our sinnes , working repentance not to be repented of : is the meanes to restore vnto vs the ioy of Gods saluation , which before we had lost : than so we may either auoyde , or sanctifie such iudgments , as are due vnto our sinnes : And if the wicked are so confident in euill purposes . Oh let vs not cast away our confidence & couradge in well-doing , which hath so greatre compence of reward . Lastly seeing confidence in sinne is a note of ripenes , and when the measure is full , the vessels shall be emptied : Let vs not be cast downe , when we see the wicked insolent & that especially in the confidence of their wickednesse , neither let their presumtion in their mischiefs be any matter to hinder vs in the wayes of our callings : but rather let vs patiently waite vpon the Lord , and commit our selues into his hands in wel-doing , as into the hands of our faithfull Creator : vpon an vndoubted assurance , that the malice of the wicked , is hastening to an end , when wee shall see it swolne and puffed vp with pride of good successe . Though we may say in our infirmitie , vpon view of their power and malice , as Elishaes seruant did : Alas , how shall we doe , we are but dead men : yet let vs here see by faith , and not by sence : and then vndoutedly wee shall haue Elishaes eyes , to see more with vs , than those that are against vs , yea , if wee can bee still , and behold the saluation of the Lord , our enemies whome wee see this day , wee shall see them no more . And if wee would desire , that the Lord would shew vs some token for good , whereby we may see the confusion of our enemies neere at hand ; we cannot haue any more euident , than this ; that before destruction the minde is haughtie . Our enemies are secure and confident in the accomplishment of their practises . For so it followeth in the next words . THE SECOND PART . The Webbe broken . Psal. 64. Vers. 7. But God shall shoot an arrow at them suddenly , their stroakes shal be at once . 8. They shall cause their owne tongues to fall vpon them , and whosoeuer shall see them , shall fly away . WHere in , the holy Ghost vsing a borrowed speech from Archers , and their shooting , doth heereby signifie thus much vnto vs : that as the arrow flyes swiftly , wee knowe not from whome , and suddenly hits , we know not when ; so shall the Iudgements of God come vpon the wicked , when they are least looked for , and suddenly surprise them to their greater confusion . Wherein first , it is worthy our obseruation , that the holy Ghost ascribes this notable defeature , and ouerthrow of the enemie , to the proper office , and worke of God. God shall shoote . For what can be a greater terrour to Traytors and Rebels , than to know , that as they in resisting power resist God : so they shall haue God to fight against them , before whome they shall not be able to stand ; Against , whom no power nor wisedome , nor counsell , shal be able to preuaile : What greater comfort can there be vnto Princes than this , that whereas it is God , that exalteth them , and not they themselues , it is he also that will maintaine his owne calling , and institution , and rescue his seruants from the hurtfull sword . Certainely , though Magistrates are so exalted , that they are aboue all others ; yet by this they may learne , that the Lord is aboue them : that so they may be humbled in the sence of their greatnesse ; yea , though they are so high in regard of their callings , that all humane power is subiect vnto them : yet this herein may humble them much more : that they are placed in such mutable and slipperie places , that if the Lord withdraw his protection from them , they shall be subiect to the power of the meanest creatures . Oh , that Princes would learne hence to establish their thrones , by kissing the sonne , and aduauncing his kingdome : oh that they would learne to bound themselues within the compasse of Gods protection , by seruing the Lord in feare and reioycing before him in reuerence : So should the Lord establish their Kingdomes for euer , and their enemies should be cloathed with perpetuall shame : so should their earthly honour bee a pledge vnto them of euerlasting glorie : and this , that they gouerned faithfully ouer men , vnder God , should be a meanes to further them to raigne with God for euer . Onely , let them take heede that they tempt not the Lord , that because the Lord will finde out their enemies , and auenge their cause : therefore they shall bee secure and carelesse in obseruing their practises , and meeting with their wickednesse by lawfull authority , vpon pretence of leauing the matter vnto God , and to gaine an opinion of vnseasonable clemencie . For as it is presumption to be our owne caruers in vengeance , when our priuate callings will not warrant vs therein : so to keepe the sword in the scabberd , when it is put in our hands , and not drawe it forth for the cutting off of the wicked , as this is a betraying of that power which is committed vnto vs , so it is the meanes to exclude vs Gods protection , and thereby to expose vs to the malice of our enemies . And though on the other side we shal not be able to meet with all : ( as who is able to search the heart of man ; ) and indeede , when the leaders shall be cut off , it stands many times with policie , and agrees with clemencie , to let the rest escape : yet neither let the wicked hereby flatter themselues that the bitternesse of death is past ; neither let the Children of God distrust , but that all their enemies in time shall be confounded . For though Dauid may spare Shimei , when reuenge is not fit : yet the Lord will haue a time to meet with that rayling enemie ; and to snare him in the ginne , that his owne mouth hath layd . And though the aduersaries of the truth , may happily in some part for a time escape : ( as it is necessarie , sōe should still remaine , that the faithfull be tryed : ( yet let thē know that their destruction sleepeth not . Though Ioab may escape while the Sonnes of Zeruiah , are to stronge for the Kingdome , and his sinne not yet breake out to ripenesse and perfection : yet the time shall come , when Salomon shall be stronge ynough for him : and the guilt of his former bloodinesse , shall driue him forward , to receiue the wages of bloud , by causing him in the end , to breake out into apparant Rebellion . Oh consider this , you that embrew your hands in blood , and for the time goe vncontrolled , because power is in your hands . Behold the blood that you haue shedde doth crie for vengeance : and in the appointed time , the Lord will giue you vp to such a thirst of blood , as that none but the blood of the mightie will quench the same ; that so your sinne now meeting with a power able to match it , may receiue the wages due vnto the same . Certainly , whosoeuer makes not conscience , to spill the blood of those , who are deare in the sight of God , ouer whom he may haue power : he shall in the end make conscience of shedding no blood : that so at the length , hee may meete with his match , to shedde his owne blood . Would God our oppressors , and blood-suckers would consider this , and in the Booke of this prouidence , read their owne successe . And though happily there may bee a pardon for the first offence ; though the clemencie of the Prince may remit the first fact : ( as the heart of the King is in the hands of the Lord , & it is the glory of a man to passe by an offēce ) yet surely where there doth not follow a thorough reformation of life , there wil certainely bee a relapse into the same sinnes , that so at length vngeance may meet with them . Adomiah may escape once though hee prooue Traitor to his Lord : yet his sinne is restlesse , and at length will finde him out , and in the end hee shall bee caught in the bonds of his former iniquitie . Oh consider this you that abuse the patience of gouernement , to the hardning of your hearts , and multiplying of your iniquities , euen with greedinesse against your Soueraigne : certainely , the Lord which awaketh for the preseruation of his children , who preseueth his Annointed , and maintaineth his owne cause , he , euen he will giue you vp , to such desperatenesse of iniquitie in the end , that it shall pay you in due time , the shame it oweth you , to the glorie of God , and your iust confusion . Euen so ( oh Lord ) hasten the confusion of thine enemies , or conuert them speedily , for the accomplishment of the elect . It followeth . Shall shoot an arrow at them suddenly . Behold now the admirable wisedome and powers of God in this effectuall maner of defeating his enemies , by confounding their poliyes , in their seuerall practices , with his contrary iudgments answearable thervnto : And first consider wee , how deliberate consultation is here confounded with the suddennes of the vengeance : that they which tooke such time & laysure to bring their purposes to passe , they which so aduisedly consulted , to do mischeife vnto others , shall now haue no time or leasure to consult their owne deliuerance , because the hand of the Lord shall come suddenly vpon them , So doth the Lord threaten Babel that rod of his indignation , that he will come vpon her suddenly with many plagues . So doth the holy Ghost prophecie of that spirituall Babell that not onely in one daie but euen in one hower she shal be ouerthrowne : Yea her iudgment shall come vpon her as the casting of a great milstone into the middest of the Sea , so sudden & violent shal be her distruction . So do the seruants of God poynt out vnto vs the distruction of the wicked , that it shal be suddaine and fearfull which cannot be auoided . A most holy and righteous course of Gods proceeding against the wicked , whether wee consider the affection of the Lord in laying theise punishments vpon them , or the end which he aymeth at , in confounding them in this life : or lastly the vse that he entendeth in regard of others . Concerning the affection of the Lord in the punishments of the wicked , as the Lord chasteneth his children in loue and of verie faithfullnes causeth them to be afflicted : so on the contrary doth hee consume the wicked in his wrath and sore displeasure . And therefore as he giues warning vnto the one , to witnes his loue vnto them , that so they might be prepared to meet the Lord : so on the other side doth he ouer take the wicked , with his suddaine iudgments , that being vnprepared therevnto , they might be ouer-whelmed with the fury of his speedy indignation . And this also doth the end of their afflictions manyfestly declare , For whereas the Lord in these temporall plagues , entendes to giue them a tast of eternall vengeance : therfore doth he lay them suddenly vpon the wicked : that so confounding them by this suddenes , and driuing them to their wits endes , their harts might not onely bee hardned and so enraged against the Lord , but further also this confusion of their wisedome , driuing thē to dispayre , they shal be possed with the fearfull expection of the vengeance to come . And surely seeing God doth turne all things to the good of the elect , therfore also doth he make the punishmentes of the wicked profitable vnto them : and that especially by the consideration of the suddennes of them . For hereby the saints of God are forewarned of security , lest a sudden iudgment do ouertake them : hereby they are admonished to serue the Lord in feare , in that he deales so roundly and suddenly against the wicked : hereby also they gather comfort in all their crosses & troubles : that the Lord maketh a difference betweene them and the wicked , euen in that which seemeth to be alike vnto both . Oh that our carelesse impes would consider this : who spend their dayes in wealth , and put the euill day farre from them , that so they may more securely approach the sea of iniquity ; that they would remēber this suddaine reckoning , and lay vnto their harts this course of Gods iustice , euen to take sinne napping , and suddenly to surprise it . That they would remember how Ieroboam was smitten , euen when he stretched out his hand to smite , that they would remēber the suddaine hand-writing with sauced Belshazzers , sacriligious banquet : Surely though sudden vengeance did not meet with vs in this life , yet did we remember that for all theise things we must come to iudgment , and that our iudgmēt shall come suddenly in the hower that we know not : It would make vs be watchfull euen euery hower , that so though it be sudden , yet it may not be sudden vnto vs , as being ready & prepared in some measure therevnto . And seeing the suddenes of a iudgment breedes great distractiō & takes away time of councell or resolution , as this should teach vs not to be afraid of sudden death , If so be that we haue been by an holy life prepared therevnto : neither to censure others for dying suddenly : seeing wee haue sufficient testimony of their former liues : so it should be a very fayre warning vnto vs not to put of our repentance vnto the time of our deathes , least the horrour and suddenes of that messenger , distract vs in our reckoning , and so we be surprised , before we haue made euen with our God , And seing the suddēnes of a iudgment , is herein onely a note of Gods wrath , in that it findes the wicked vnprepared thervnto : as we are therefore not to pray further against suddaine iudgments , then that they may not finde vs vnprepared : so are we not to distrust of Gods mercie though we be suddenly met with all , if so be that our soules haue formely been prepared to temptations . Onely we may rather wish , ( if it so please the Lord ) to see the plague before it cometh : that so , fearing therod , we may depart from euill ; and therby either remooue or sanctifie the iudgment vnto vs. Certainly as confindence in sinne makes euery iudgment suddaine , so feare in the sence of our iniquities , preparing vs to the end , doth thereby effect , that no scourge shal be sudden vnto vs , As for the the wicked it is not so with them , their confidence in sinne makes them secure , and their security breedes a sudden iudgment . And thus doth the Lord confound their wisedome in consulting and deliberating , aduisedly of their mischiefs against the saints , by comming vpon thē with his sudden iudgments . But this is not all . For though the iudgment be sudden , and so take them vnprepared yet it may be slow and moderate and so giue thē time of preparation , euen while the scourge is vpon them . To preuent this , the holy Ghost addeth , that their stroake shall be at once . That is , their Iudgment shal be as speedie in executing , as it was sudden in surprising : that so not taking time before to prepare themselues , now the swiftnesse , and greeuousnesse of the Plague , may take away time of preparation afterward ; and so conuincing iustly their former abuse of the time past , doth thereby exclude them from all hope of mercie for the time to come : yea this speedinesse of the iudgement , implying also the sharpenesse and terrour of it , doth hereby make to their greater confusion , as being not able to vndergoe so extreame a scourge . Their stroakes shall be at once . Behold heere a second point of Gods wisedome and power in the punishments of the wicked : hee will bee a swife witnesse against them , to take them in their sinne : and take away from them oportunitie of repentance , that so his wrath may be powred out in full measure vpon them . Surely a most holy and righteous course , not onely hereby to confound their policie , in deuising many snares , as seeing them now all broken , as it were with one stroake , but further also to consume such fearefully , who thought all plagues too little against the Annointed of the Lord. So doth the Lord threatē the wicked , as with sudden , so with speedie Iudgements vpon the wicked ( saith the holy Ghost ) he shall raine snares , fire and brimstone , and stormie tempest , this is the portion of their cuppe : all which are both sudden and speedie plagues : making quicke riddance , where once they take hold . So hath the Lord executed from time to time , when once the date of his patience , hath been expired towards them . So was hee long before hee reckoned with the oldworld : an hundred and twentie yeares time gaue hee them to make vp their account , but when he came to Iudgement , in lesse than halfe a yeare did hee accomplish his fierce wrath : and swallowed vp in that short time ( excepting onely righteous Noah , and his children , together with the other vnreasonable creatures , that were reserued for future generation ) euen all the Nations and creatures of the earth . So did the Lord deale with Sod●me and Gomorrha : he rayned vpon them fire and brimstone , and so with one stroake made a full end of them : so that affliction did not arise the second time . And howsoeuer he deales not generally thus with all sorts of sinners ; yet because the sinne of Treason , is a monstrous and capitall offence , neerely touching his Maiestie , as challenging his power , and spurning at his gouernement : therefore hath he vsed to meet with this sin , aboue all others , in this fearefull and speedie manner : So did hee iustifie his seruant Moses , in that propheticall challenge , which hee made against these desperate Rebels , Corah , Dathan , and Abiram , putting it to this tryall , for the approbation of his calling : that if these men died the common death of all men , then the Lord had not spoken by him : the Lord ( I say ) iustified herein the authoritie of his seruant , and confounded their vnnaturall Rebellion , by a strange and woonderfull iudgement answerable thereunto . For as they were vnnaturall , and would not endure a superiour ouer them ; so the earth became vnnaturall , and would no longer endure their burthen ; but euen left her soliditie , to swallow vp such monsters : and so conueyed them iustly to the Dominion of hell , who would not endure that power which was from heauen . So did the Lord meete with that rebellious Absolon , by as strange and speedie a iudgement , answerable to his sinne : making the crowne of his pride , his long & beautifull haire : to be the halter to hang him vp , betwixt heauen & earth : suddenly was he caught vp , and speedily was he dispatcht by another , who in that murther happily made way for his owne ambition , and also for the like fault dranke after of the cup of vengeance . Oh , that the enemies of gouernement would consider this : that in the depth of their consultations , to lay many snares for others : they would remember that one stroake of Gods vengeance , would be too heauie for them . Surely , the consideration of this , that they are not able to endure the wrath of God : would bridle and qualifie their malice against the Lords Annointed : and mooue them contrarywise to heartie and cheerefull obedience vnto man , that so therby they might regaine the fauor of God. Certainely , if they say in their hearts , there is no God ; and therefore stand not vpon that fauour , which they doe not acknowledge : yet let them respect the power of man , which surely shall meete with their desperate attempts . And lest by their secret conueyance they might hope to escape ; let them know further , that their sinne shall finde them out , and rather than they shall escape vnpunished : Behold , ( saith the holy Ghost ) Their owne tongues shall fall vpon them , to betray their wickednesse : and become the executioners of Gods righteous iudgements vpon them . For so it followeth . He shall cause their owne tongues to fall vpon them . Loe heere a third degree of Gods iustice against the wicked : themselues shall be the instruments of their owne confusion : & the snares which they haue laid for the righteous shall confound themselues , that the Lord may yet be more apparantly iustified when he iudgeth : and the wicked more confounded by the cause of their discouerie . A verie vsuall , and righteous course of Gods proceeding against them , discouering both the admirable vprightnesse of Gods Iudgements vpon them , and also his profound wisedome in executing the same . It is a comfortable promise which the Lord makes vnto his children , That the righteous shall escape out of trouble , and the wicked shall come in their stead . By which phrase ( that the wicked shall come in their stead ) the meaning of the holy ghost is , that looke what troubles the wicked haue deuised against the Godly , what snares soeuer they haue layd to entrappe them , they shal be the pits wherevnto them selues shall fall , and their owne mischiefe shall light vpon their owne pates . So doth the spirit of God witnes that it hath befallen the wicked , he hath made a pit and diggedit , and is fallen into the pit that he hath made : and concludes the like course of Gods iustice for the time to come : that his mischiefe shall returne vpon his owne head , and his crueltie shall fall vpon his owne pate . So did cruell Haman erect a gallowes to make away the seruant of God , and yet at length was hanged thereon . So was the sword of Goliah the instrument of his own destructiō . And vpon the experience hereof , the spirit commends it as worthy the obseruation vnto all posteritie , & makes it a notable means to declare the iustice of God. The Lord is knowne by executing of iudgments , the wicked is snared in the workes of his owne hands , Higgaion Selah . Signifying , that this admirable course of meeting with the wicked , in their owne policies , and snaring them in their mischiefs , which they haue intended against the righteous , is a meanes to make euen the wicked acknowledge God , and to confesse his righteous iudgements , in thus taking them in their inuentions . So when the enemies of God , had entended by powder , to deuoure the Lords Annointed and his posteritie , and therby to bring an vnter confusion , both vpon the church and common-wealth , & it pleased the Lord to take some of them in their owne snares , and by the like engine , to seaze vpon them ; then did they acknowledge the righteous hand of God , and whereas before they stood vpon a desperate defence , now being amated and confounded with this admirable iustice of God , they were not onely compelled to giue testimonie thereunto , but further also to yeeld themselues , in a fearefull and desperate manner vnto the same , and were further iustly cut off , euen by the like vengeance . Behold here the righteous and woonderfull iustice of God against the wicked , in rendring treason with treason , that they which haue intended to betray others , shal now betray themselues , and so make way to the righteous iudgements of God. Oh , let all discontented and desperately malicious persons , learne hence this lesson , That they thinke no euill of the King , no not in their priuie chamber , that they neither speake nor practise any euill against the Lords Annointed . For behold , not onely the soules of the heauen , shall carrie the voice , and that which hath wings , shall declare the matter , but there is a bird in the bosome , that shall discouer the same , and shall giue the tongue no rest , though it be neuer so hemd in with his double guard : till it haue eased the conscience , and iustified the Lord. And seeing the Lord is knowne by this manner of executing his iudgements , that the wicked are taken in their own snares , there by causing euen his enemies to giue testimony vnto him : tremble then ye A●heists , which say in your harts , there is no God , when by his visible Iudgements , hee thus iustifies himselfe against you , and compels your mouthes to confesse his power . And seeing his righteous purpose , by this his admirable proceeding against you , is to confound you in the thing you most put confidence in , Oh , lye down in your confusion , and let shame couer your faces . in that you and your fathers haue sinned against the Lord your God. Say now with those true conuerts , That the hope of the hils is in vaine , that all your carnal wisedome , and confidence hath grosly deceiued you : And let this wonderfull wisdome of the Lord , thus finding you out in your secrecie , & confounding you in the same ; cause you to hate the darknes , that hath so deceiued you : And to giue your selues hereafter to be informed by the light , that so howsoeuer your sin may be met withall , by tēporall iudgments in this life , yet being a meanes to worke in you true repentance , your soules may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus . As for vs ( beloued ) who haue this experience of Gods mercie let vs not hereafter be afraid of the policies of the wicked ; let not their power , & secrecie , nor any subtiltie , that they shall be able to vse , cause vs to close with them in their policies , or to eat of such thinges as please them : that so we may hold them frends vnto vs therby , and free our selues from the snares , which they haue laid to entrap vs. If we resist the Diuell , he will fly from vs. And if we giue not our strength to these Witches children , and betray not our selues vnto them , by fearing their policies , & so daubing with them : Behold , the Lord watcheth ouer vs , to ouer-turne their mischiefs , and rather than faile their own tongues shall disclose them : that so they may fall into the pit which they haue digged for others . It followeth . And whosoeuer shall see them , shall fly away . The meaning whereof is , that the terrour of such iudgments , which the Lord hath layd vpon them , shall so distract and confound their wisedome in their leagues and confederacies , that they which banded them selues together , for the desolation of the church : seeing now the same deliuered , and them selues iustly met withall : shall not onely hereby be scattered and dispersed , by the seuerity of the vengeāce : but further also shall most fearfully disperse them selues , to auoid ( if it may be ) that reuenging hand . Yea not onely the Actors in this mischiefe shal be put to flight : but whosoeuer shall see this fearfull hand of God vpon them , shal be roused hereby out of his former security : and seeing his owne sinne in the glasse of their vengeance : shall feare the rod , which lights so heauily vpon them : and fly for his life to auoid the same . So do the iudgments of God scatter the deuises of the wicked : So do they also awake and terrifie others , that are subiect to like notorious sinnes . Thus when the Captain of the host of Israell , had executed the wrath of God vpon some part of those accursed Canaanites : the holy Ghost witnesseth , that the feare of him fell vpon all the nations round about , who being guilty of the same sins , did therefore expect the like iudgments , and so in a desperate manner exposed them selues therevnto . So when the Champion of the Philistines was cut of by the Lords warriour , the holy Ghost witnesseth that the Philistines fled and were dispersed . And this to haue been the effect of great iudgments , vpon the enemies of God , the holy Ghost witnesseth in their seuerall cōfusions . Yea thus haue the iudgments of God , from time inflicted vpon malefactors , been the meanes to awake others , and so to terrifie them , that haue been guilty of the same sinnes , that by some token or other : either by flying or blushing , by complaining or pytying , by iustifying or such like , they haue verie wonderfully betrayd them selues , and so haue exposed them selues to the like iudgments . So were the companies of these rebells scattered , when once the head of their treason was broken : so did they further each other to their iust confusion . A most wise & righteous course of Gods proceeding against the wicked : that they which wil not be ioined with God , but say , let vs breake his bandes , and cast away his cords from vs : should not haue any durable socyety among thēselues : that they which abuse society to fight against God and his church , might want the comfort of society when they haue most neede thereof , and be scattered from each other , for their more speedy apprehension , & confusion : who haue labored to dissolue the cōmunion of the saints . Euen so , oh Lord , let all the enemies be scattered , that such as belong to thee , being thus disapoynted in their carnall fellowship , may seeke to be members of that body of thy sonne , which no malice of Satan shall euer be able to seperate . Obserue wee here , first , the wonderfull power of God by confounding the strength of the wicked , in this banding and combining of them selues against the godly : and learne we that their is no councell nor confederacy against the Lord : Nay though the wicked shall make a league with death and be at an agreemont with hell it selfe : though Satan and all his legions should conspire with them against his little flocke , yet when the Lord shall lay iudgment to the rule & righteousnes , to the ballance their conuenient with death shal be dissolued , and their agreement with hell shall not stand . Let vs not therefore be seduced , to cast in our lot with the wicked , let it not encouradge vs to sinne , because many go the broade way : seeing as multitude of offenders doth increase the sin ; so doth it further the punishment due thervnto , as prouoking so many instruments to the executiō of vengeāce , as there are miserable partakers in the greeuousnes of the sinne . If we desire to haue comfort in societie , let vs haue fellowshipp with our God , by the obedience of faith , let our delight be in the saints that are on earth : So when the wicked fly & are scattered fearefully , we shall see the vengeance that hath iustly ouertaken thē , yea this righteous hand of God in dispersing the wicked , shall be the meanes , to confirme & knitt vs comfortably together , that we may go vp into the house of the Lord to sing prayses vnto his name : Thus when the Lord shal be beneficiall vnto me , then , saith the prophet , the righteous shall resort vnto my company , who before stood a farre of for feare of my plague : Yea when the Lord shall returne the captiuitie of Sion , this shall further be a means of the encrease of the church . Then saith the spirit , shall ten men take hold out of all languages , euen take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew , and say we will go with you , for wee haue heard that God is with you . Thus as the confounding of the practices of the wicked , shal be a meanes to scatter and disolue their confideracies , so the deliuerance of the church , shal be a furtherance to the gathering againe of the dispersed of Israell , that they may behold , and conferre of what the Lord hath done for them , and so be prouoked to ioyne together in due thankfullnes vnto his Maiesty for the same . For so it followeth . The third part of the Treatise , conteining the vse of these workes . 9 All men shall see it , and declare the worke of God , and they shall vnderstand what he hath wrought . 10 But the righteous shall be glad in the Lord , and trust in him : and all that are vpright of heart shall reioyce . WHich two verses , being the conclusion of the Psalme , doe a lead vs to diuers vses , which are to be made of such wonderfull Deliuerances , which the Lord performeth vnto his seruants : all tending to expresse true thankfulnesse vnto God for the same . The first whereof is . All men shall see it . That is : first , whereas the eyes of men were blinded in the knowledge of God ; now this wonderfull deliuerance , shall open the eies of all ; not onlie b the carnall eyes of the wicked , to see God in these workes , but further also the spirituall eye of his Saints , and deerest seruants : which being much dimned and d●rkened with such clouds of c afflictions , as haue lien heauily vpon them and growne hereby , euen to doubt of the eye of God , prouidence ouer them , as if he had forsaken , and vtterly reiected them : Now being deliuered , and pluckt out of the snare , the d eye of their faith is hereby cleared , & the eye of their iudgement more setled in the assurance e of Gods protectiō And as men rauished with the strangnesse of the deliuerance , their eyes are set and fastned thervpon , that so their faith may be more strongely rooted in God , yea they doe euen feed their eyes , with the contemplation thereof , that so their faith may be nourished thereby , yea they can neuer satisfie themselues in beholding so wonderfull a mercy , that so the minde being thoroughly possessed therewith , they may neuer satisfie themselues in thankefulnesse for the same , which as it is the end and vse of all Gods mercies , euen to take vp the cup of saluation , and to giue thanks unto the name of the Lord , for the same . So shal we find this beholding of Gods wonderfull mercies to be a most effectuall meanes to further the same , whether we consider those a temptations that doe hinder thankefulnesse vnto God , or such meanes as doe vsually further the accomplishment thereof . The temptations that doe hinder thankefulnesse are two : b want of vnderstanding how God hath done for vs , and c secondly misunderstanding and misconstering of the benefits of God : either in the d nature of thē , as if all were done of duetie , and merit , and not of free grace and mercy , or in e the measure of them , as if we knew best what was fit for vs then God himselfe . The former is a disuse generall vnto those that enioy great blessings : man being in honour , hath no vnderstanding , but may be compared to the beasts that perish ; the other is more g speciall vnto those , that thinke they haue best right , and make the best vse of thē ( as our meritmongers & wil-worshippers of al sorts ) By the one whereof wee shal be so blinded that we cannot see how God hath done for vs ; by the other , wee shal be peruerted , as not to knowe what wee againe are to do for God. Yf our mindes shal be so blinded , as not vnderstand what God hath done for vs : this disease wil be known by these symptomes and accidents , h First though God hath reuealed his loue towards vs , euen in all the blessings , which our hearts haue desired , yet will wee say impudently : wherein dost thou loue vs ? acknowledging nothing of what the Lord hath done vnto vs ; Secondly if in some sort wee shall apprehend the goodnesse of God , yet shall we be so blinded on the right way , with the loue of these earthly thinges as that though wee haue and may farther be pertakers of spirituall graces , yet shall wee account these as nothing , in respect of the comforts of this life , but with prophane Esau , resolue , what is this birthright vnto me seeing I die for hunger , as seeing onely with the left eye into the blessings of the left hand : still shall we crie out with those carnall beasts , who will shew vs any good , as if there were no good but the goods of this life , as if all spirituall comforts were nothing vnto vs , seeing wee wanted our bellies full of these hidden treasures . A verie dangerous temptation f incident to our carnall ghospellers , who measuring the Lord principally by the things of this life , are so affected and satisfied therewith that hauing these things , they take it as a sufficient pledge of Gods fauour towards them , but wanting the same , they by and by murmuer , and repine against the Lord , as if hee had at all shewed them no good . Yf therefore God giue them their desire as he did the Israelits concerning the body so farre as they see him , and yet send g leanenesse into their sou●es , not giuing them that which they see not , nor seeke after ; as surely as God is not vniust ; in giuing them herein more , then their hearts can desire , so they must needs be inexcusable , in that hauing asmuch , nay more then indeede they sought for , they would not seeke yet for more of that bountifull hand , which was not wanting to giue , but that they wanted faith to receaue . h A third token of not vnderstanding what God hath done for vs , is our forgetfulnesse of such benefits which are dayly bestowed , certaine it is that the mercies of the Lord are renewed euery morning , and yet who is there that makes vp his audite therof once in the weeke : nay may we not be iustly charged with th●s , that God is not so ready to giue , as we to forget , hee not so forward in bestowing , as we in burying his blessings in forgetfulnesse . And is not this to forget the goodnesse of God all one , as if wee did not vnderstand it ? nay surely ; we shall find it to lie more heauily vpon vs , in that this forgetfulnesse , both implies some apprehension of them , and therefore makes vs more i inexcuseable , then if wee had not vnderstood them at al and so exposing vs most desperately vnto all impietie , doth thereby hasten the wrath of God vpon vs. Thus may wee faile in the vnderstanding of the good , that God hath done for vs : and by meanes hereof , wee lye open to two dangerous euils : a the one whereof is , that not apprehending the good which we receiue , we shall not be able to make vse of any good , but as the Prophet Ieremie tels vs , we shal be like the heath in the wildernesse , neither being able to see when any good commeth , and so not able to make any profitable vse thereof : by which meanes proouing vnprofitable seruants , we shall be subiect to b a second iudgement , not onely to haue such tallents taken from vs , but in steed thereof , as the Prophet Esaiah threatneth , Seeing when mercie is shewed vnto the wicked , he will not learne righteousnesse , but in the land of quitie hee will doe wickedly , and doth not consider the greatnesse of Iehouah , therefore thus saith the holy Ghost : Seeing they will not see , oh Iehouah , when thy hand is exalted to their good , therefore they shall see and bee confounded with the zeale of thy people , and the fire of thine enemies shall deuoure them . Thus shall it befall those that will not behold the mercies of GOD , to bee stirred vp thereby to thankefull obedience for the same : if they shutte their eyes against Gods blessings , the Lord will open them with his iudgements , and they shall see in the day of Iudgement , GOD the A●enger , which will not acknowledge him , their great rewarde . Wouldest thou therefore auoide that sight of Gods vengeance , which shall spiritually blind thee , that so thou maiest be oppressed with the horror of it , and it shall necessarily open thine eyes , that thou maiest bee the more confounded with the sense of thine owne miserie ? Oh then c learne to beholde the good that is present with thee : First , if Gods hand bee exalted in fauour vpon thee , if the eye of his prouidence hath waited ouer thee for thy deliuerance , if hee haue not onely bestowed great blessings vpon thee , but renewed them daily vnto thee , by preuenting and remoouing the euills which might haue taken them away , oh cease not againe , & againe to renew those streames of Gods mercies which he hath powred out vnto thee , that they may lead thee to the fountaine ; & so quite thee therein : Certenly as the workes of God are worthy this dutie , that they should be regarded a so do they aboundantly herein requite the same : in that the inuisible things of God , namely his eternall power and godhead seene in the creation of the world , beeing considered in his works , b do shew the glory of his kingdome & speake of his power . If therfore thou shalt not slightly passeouer the mercies of thy God , but shalt take a full view of them , as their worth doth require , they shall be so manye teachers , to instruct thee in the knowledge of thy God : that so thou mayest acknowledge him the c giuer of them , yea they shal further lead thee to a knowledge of thy self , that so finding thy selfe d vnworthy of the least of Gods mercies , thou maist both be humbled in the gift , & so e giue glory to the giuer , and f aduanced also to greater blessings as hauing beene faithfull in the lesse . If thou shalt with a large eie , behold how great things the Lord hath done for thee , g thou shalt herein behold the greatnesse of the giuer , and so thy mouth shall confesse to saluation : Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised . And if thou shalt wisely behold what God hath done for thee , and so shalt giue him the h praise that is due vnto his name this shal be a meanes to sharpen thine eie of faith , that so thou maist be able to see a farre of . And then behold as our Sauiour told Nathaniel , Thou shalt see greater things then these , yea such which neuer eie saw , nor yet euer entred into the heart of man : thou shalt here see by faith and hereaftet see face to face . This benefit maist thou gaine by beholding the bles sings of God. But this is not all . For if thou shalt with a single eye looke further into such mercies as God hath bestowed vpon thee : thou shalt in the greatnesse of his goodnesse , behold thine owne i vilenesse , then nearer thou approachest vnto God in the apprehension of his mercie , the deeper shalt thou wade into the sense of thine owne miserie ; rottennesse shall enter into thy bones , and horror shall possesse thee : That is the apprehension of Gods power and great goodnesse shall abase thee in his presence , that so thou maist find rest in the day of trouble ; that so in the sense of thine owne vilenesse acknowledging thy selfe vnworthy of the least of those mercies thou hast aheady receiued , thou maist be partaker of further deliuerances . Thus shall the beholding of Gods blessing , causing thee aright to a know thy selfe by them , lead thee also to a right vnderstanding of them , namely that they are the free gifts of God and not due vnto vs , whereby thou shalt happily ouercome the second temptation . For now in the glasse of thine owne wretchednesse , thou shalt plainely see , that b whatsoeuer thou hast , it is of the c free mercie and bountie of thy God , thy selfe beeing so sarre from deseruing any good , as that indeed nothing is due vnto thee , but shame , & confusion of thy selfe for euer . By which as thou shalt bee humbled in the sense of thine owne vnworthynesse , and so be both contented with that thou hast , and imploy thy Talent in feare and trembling : so shalt thou hereby reape these benefits : not only that , that which thou hast be it neuer so little d shal serue thy turne , yea be farre better vnto thee then great riches of the vngodly . ( so long as thou hast the vessell of a thankful heart & faithful calling to entertaine and vse the blessings , but further also whatsoeuer thou hast being by these meanes e sanctified vnto thee , it shal be a Pledge vnto thee of that vnchangeable loue of GOD : who hauing bestowed these things vppon thee of his meere loue and mercye , therefore seeing whom hee loueth . f he loueth vnto the ende as he hath begunne the worke , so hee will perfect it in thee , g and will not cease following thee with his blessings , till he hath made thee perfect in his Sonne . Behold here the singular benefit of this dutie of beholding the workes of GOD , namely , that thereby wee Shal be prepared in some good measure to thank fulnesse . Which if wee shall not attaine vnto , as all haue not a faith ( to see this spiritually into them , ) yet behold the wonderfull wisedome , and power of God , in making the wicked heere inexcusable , in that they shall not choose , but behold the great and gratious workes of GOD : and howsoeuer they shall say in their hearts there is no GOD : yet with their eyes , in these his workes , they shall most plainely see him . A very notable and effectuall meanes to conuince the Atheisme of the world , and such as leaues all vtterly without excuse . For though many may pretend ignorance , b and simplicity , that they cannot comprehend GOD in his word : yet who can say , that hee hath not seene him in his workes ? what eye can bee shutte at so great a deliuerance ? what eare will such fearefull iudgements euen make to tingle , as do light vpon Traytors ? Tremble therefore , oh thou Atheist , at the prouidence of GOD , who hath a way to confound thee in thine owne wisedome , and very wonderfully to condemne thee , in thine owne policies . Didst thou say in the depth of thy heart when thou laydest snares against the righteous : That no eye should see , no not the eye of GOD himselfe , Flattering thy selfe in thine owne iniquity , That the Lord is hidde in the Clouds , and cannot see , neither will the GOD of Iacob regard it ? And didst thou hope hereby to escape scot-free , as deceiuing thine owne heart , That the Lord will neither doe good nor euill c Consider thou vnwise that the Lord will bring his iudgements to light , that euery eye may see them , and then , thou shalt see the eye of God was vpon thee : what thou hast Done secretly the Lord will then discouer openly , that all men may see it , and laugh at thee saying . This is the man , that tooke not God for his strength , but put his strength in his malice , and in his mischieuous policies ; yea thine owne eyes shall see now , what before thou wouldest not beleeue , That the Lord careth for the righteous , but as for the wicked , them doth his righteous soule abhor : that so though thou continue thy malice against the saints , yet now thou shalt not hereafter haue this comfort , that thou didest it ignorantly , because thou hast seene that a God taketh their part , and therefore against this reuealed light , conuincing thine owne conscience , thou shalt hereafter appeare desperately to fight against God. Now shalt thou say no more Let him make speed , let him hasten his worke that we may see it . For thou hast seene the wonderfull iustice and mercie of thy God : and if this sight will not appall thee ; but still thou wilt persecute : know then , that thou shalt one day b see him to thy confusion , whome c thou hast now pierced in his members , when thou shalt wish the mountaines to hid thee , that thou maist not see him , and yet shalt lie naked before the eye of his iustice , by which thou shalt be pierced with eternal sorrows . Oh that we would try our selues by these things : that , seeing the beholding of the workes of God ; shall condeme the Atheist , because he is not able to make a d further vse of them ; whether therfore the c Atheist may not condemne many of vs professors herein , who will not vouchsafe the worke of God that entertainment as he hath done ? If this wonderfull deliuerance of the state and Church of God , at this time , hath so farre preuailed euen with the profanest enemies , as that they haue stood at a gase in the view thereof , as somtimes did the people of Israel at the Corpes of Amasa . If the very aduersaries themselues haue wondred at the prouidence of GOD in the defeating of these practises , and bin compelled to acknowledge his power therein , if they haue abhorred & disclaimed the same outwardly with an vtter detestation : nay if God haue so opened some of their eies hereby , that in the glasse of this iniquity they haue seene the Mistery of Popery , and so either for Feare , as sometimes did the heathen vpon a like occasion : or for conscience haue seene the trueth and imbrace it : Certenly these shal one day rise vp in iudgement against vs , if we shall eyther bury in forgetfulnesse , or depraue in malice , or in enuie diminish , a if either we shall for feare conceale , or in policie suppresse this great power of God. Nay if wee shall not be confirmed in the trueth , by such wonderfull mercies of God , if these shall not be meanes to make 〈◊〉 detest popery and no longer to glose with it , which are thus able to turne the hearts of our enemies , let vs looke , b that they shal depriue vs of the benefit of this deliuerance , and reape the haru●st , which God hath sowed for vs , well , let thus teach vs not to come short of an Atheist , least otherwise he goe before vs in the kingdome of heauen . If the Lord exalt his wonderfull workes vpon vs , let vs be lifted vp in the name of God , to a due contemplation of them , that so beholding the mercie and Iustice of God in the same , our eies may be messengers vnto the the mouth , to speake of the wonderfull workes of GOD. Certenly , if the eye hath effectually conueyed the obiect to the heart to affect it : therewith the heart ( like a full vessell which cannot hold ) out of it aboundant apprehension will informe the mouth , to declare vnto others the wonderfull workes of God , and as Andrew when hee had seene his Sauiour , could not holde his peace , but hee must needes goe tell Simon that he had seene the Messiah , that he also might be partaker of him , so shall the thorough view of such mercies which the Lord hath bestowed vpon thee , open thy mouth to declare them vn to others that they also may come and see how gratious the Lord is , and together with thee , may bee partakers of his mercies . For so it followeth . And declare the worke of God. Behold heere a second effect of great deliuerances they shall open mens mouthes to speake thereof . And that for two endes c both that the righteous confessing and acknowledging the worke of God , might hereby performe some parte of thankefulnesse for the same , & the reprobate being thus compelled to acknowledg the greatnesse of Gods mercy vnto his Church , might the more be conuinced , in that they will not be reconciled to the same , ( so saith the holy Ghost ) concerning the poore man that is deliuered . They shall looke vppon him , and runne to him , and their faces shall not to ashamed , saying a This poore man cried and the Lord heard him , and saued him out of all his troubles , by the contemplation of Gods mercy vnto his seruant , they shall now bee encouraged to come vnto him , who before stood a farre of for feare of his plague , and now ioying with the redeemed of the Lord , they shall concurre with him , in acknowledging the mercies of the Lord , yea saith the spirit , b they shal not now be ashamed , and confounded , ( as if he had beene deuoured they might haue had cause ) but one the contrary , they shal be confirmed in their calling by the experience of this deliuery of his seruant , and be comforted by the same , euen in the like occasion of their owne , that they shal be partaker of the like mercies . So when the righteous shall see the vengaunce thus inflicted vpon the wicked , and shall see himselfe escaped thus out of the snare , and the wicked falne , thereunto he shall say , verily , their is a reward for the righteous , that is , not one , but d all , the righteous shal be recompensed c by the Lord , yea hee shall collect from the experience of this deliueraunce in hand , that their is a reward for the righteous yet in store , a full deliuerance out of all troubles . So with the Apostle Paul , in the like case , whē he had witnessed how the Lord had deliuered him , in the 17. ver . that he concludes in the 18. And the Lord shall deliuer mee from euery euil worke , and will preserue me vnto his heauenly kingdome . And as the righteous shall say thus for the comfort of his soule , so shall he further say , to the glory of his God , doubtlesse their is a God that Iudgeth the earth , out of question the iudge of all the world , will doe right , in deliuering the soules of his seruants , and clothing his enemies with perpetuall shame , and confusion . Thus shall the mercies of God open the mouthes of his children a to giue him the glory and to comfort themselues in the meditation thereof . And thus also shall the mouthes of b Atheists be opened by the same , that their mouthes may be for euer stopped , and confounded thereby at that great day , so witnesseth the spirit , concerning the deliueraunce of the Iewes out of the captiuity , that the verie Heathen spake thereof and said , the Lord had donne c great thinges for them , to their iust confusion , who yet refused to ioyne with them : so haue the Aduersaries beene compelled to confesse that the Lord hath Fought for vs , to their greater confusion , who yet afterward would fight against God. Nay behold here a further meanes to the confusion of the wicked . When the Lord had deliuered his seruant Daniell from the iawes of the Lyons , the sight of so wonderfull a worke did so affect that heathen Monarch , as that hee not onely proclaimes the power of God , but further also enioynes by a solemne edist , that the GOD of d Daniel shall be reuerenced , and acknowledged . and yet all this to his further condemnation , because Idolatry was yet continued , and maintayned . And so no doubt haue our aduersaries abroad , and enimies at home beene enforced to speake of Gods wonderfull mercies towards vs. And yet behold a further meanes herein , for the condemnation of the wicked . When Saul obserued the admirable prouidence of God , not onely in deliuering his seruant Dauid out of his hands , but in deliuering him to be a prey euen to him , that was persecuted , his mouth was further opened to his iust condemnation : loe he is inforced to iustifie the seruant of God and to condemne himselfe . Thus said hee vnto Dauid , thou e art more righteous then 〈◊〉 , for thou hast rendred me Good , & I haue rendred thee euil , oh what a cōfort is it here to the seruāts of God , that wisdome shall not onely be iustified of her children , but euen of her enemies , our very aduersaries shall giue testimony vnto the goodnesse of our cause , oh what a terror is this vnto the wicked , that they shall thus desperately fight against the light of their owne consciences , that when they see that the Lord doth maintaine his owne cause , and when they haue beene compelled to acknowledge , that our cause is Gods , yet they shall continue their malice against so good a cause , yet they shall thus desperately fight against heauen , and prouoke the holy one of Israel to their iust confusion . And yet behold the Lord will open their mouthes further to their fearefull condemnation , euen by the gratious deliuerances that he performeth vnto his children . It was much that Saul should iustifie the innocencie of Dauid , wonderfull was the Lord herein , to wring from a reprobate , the approbation of his seruant , and very holy herein was the Iustice of God , in discouering this wilfull obstinacy of a cast-away , that so hee might prepare him thereby to his further condemnation . But all this while , innocency though it were praised , yet it went a begging . Dauid might be promised a kingdome & yet was not sure of his life ; Nay for the safegard of it , he is driuē to a narrow shift ; euen in a sort to venture his innocency it selfe . So are Gods children to seeke of that which is theirs in hope , that God may haue the glory of what they do enioy , so doth the Lord prepare his , to the obtaining of a blessing , that comming vnto it at so hard a rate , they might more highly prize it , when they shall obtaine . But did not the Lord heere giue his seruant some token , that hee would recompence him according to his innocency ? yea surely : the Lord that opened the mouth of his enemy , to giue testimony vnto the one , hee also opened the same to be a Prophet of the other . Harkē ( my beloued ) & wōder at the prouidence of God , I know ( saith Saule ) that thou shalt be King , and that the kingdome of Israel shal be established in thy hand . Loe here Saule is amonge the Prophets to declare glad tidings to the Saints , & to speak feareful things against themselues . Harken howe the wife of Haman becomes a prophetesse vnto her husband , of the deliuerance of the Church , and a swift witnesse of the destruction of the enemies thereof . If Mordecay ( saith she ) be of the seede of the Iewes , before whom thou hast begunne to fall , thou shalt not preuaile against him , but shalt surely fall before him . Marke ( I pray you ) the ground of this prophecye , the wicked haue begunne to fall before the righteous nation , some vpper hand haue they had against their enemies , what doth this infidell collect herevpon ? surely the wicked shall fall more and more before the righteous , till at lenght the righteous shal haue dominion ouer them in the morning . Wouldst thou then haue a token that thine enemies shal be confounded ? consider then howe from time to time they haue fallen before thee : certēly if thou be of the seed of the Iewes , and of that royall generation , thou shalt one day haue all thine enemies thy footstoole . Wouldst thou haue a further euidence to confirme this vnto thee ? behold the Lord shall open the mouth of thine enemie to bewray their fainting spirits , that so thou maist be comforted as Gideons Souldiers were ) by this testimony of thine enemies that the Lord shal giue them vp into thy hands , and thou shalt make a ful end of them . Oh but ( thou wilt say ) how can these things stand together ? Saul tells Dauid he shall certenly be King , and yet hee continues persecuting him to take away his life from him : May not this be a policy to make him secure , that he may the more easily seaze vpon him ? I see indeed ( will the weake Christian say ) that God hath deliuered his church from time to time , & I heare euen the enemie giuing ouer for a time , as confessing with the Pharesie , Behold we preuaile nothing against him , for all the world runneth after him , and yet I see the aduersaries are in hope stil , I see they are stil practising , and plotting against the soules of the righteous what may I conceaue hereof ? may I not iustly feare with Dauid , that I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul , that at length these aduersaries shall obtaine their desire against the church , and therevpon resolue rather vpon some indirect course to corrupt my conscience , or abate of my sincerity , that so glosing with them , I might finde fauour in their sight . Oh stay here , whosoeuer thou art , that shalt be thus affected , giue mee the hearing a while to satisfie thee herein , Tell me I pray thee , why doth Sathan our maine aduersary so violently and incessantly persecute the Church of GOD ? doth not the spirit giue thee the reason , because his time is short , if thou therefore seest the instruments of Satan , still to rage more fiercely against the spouse of Christ , know thou for a certenty , that their time is but short , and that thou maist not want a prophesie to confirme thee herein , consider but what their desperate practises doe speake vnto thee . If they were not affraid to loose their kingdome , if they had not a presage in their conscience , that Christs Kingdome would one day preuaile , surely they would be still , and follow their flesh potts ; they would not so persecute , and plot as they doe : they would not thus spend their goods and venture their liues , and all against the poore Church of God. Alas it is not for Christs kingdome , ( what pretence soeuer they haue ) for they haue said plainelie . We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. But the trueth is to holde their own . Here is the matter , the Iewes had this Oracle from their Father the Deuill , that if they let Christ alone , the Romanes would come and take away their Kingdome , And therefore they resolue that Christ must bee persecuted , his death must be the life of their vsurped power : their conscience told them that they were but vsurpers ; the very life and holy conuersation of Christ , was a manifest conuiction and condemnation of them , so that their conscience told them that Christ Iesus was that holy one , whom they ought to haue obeyed , and yet their hypocrysie replyed , if wee giue him honour wee shall loose ours , and so their deuilish policy concluded to their owne confusion , better one perish then our whole Kingdome goe downe , faine would they haue done him homage , so he would haue serued their turne , to Daube vp their hypocrisie , and vnderproppe their to●tering Kingdome , but yet because they saw his course to bee cleane contrary a sharpe reprouer of their hipocrisie , and a mayne beaterdowne of their carnall pompe , and vanity , hereupon against their conscience , they followed their persuite against him : and doe you marke herein how their Father deceiued them ? their practises against the sonne of God made way to his Glory , and the redemption of mankind : and so proued the occasion of the ouerthrow of their kingdome . So doth the Lord Confound the wisdome of the wise , and turneth their malice vpon their owne pates . In like sort the aduersaries of the Church haue carried themselues . A kingdome they haue vsurped vpon by the power of Sathan , and through his Subtilty and violence , they haue seazed vpon the Lords inheritance , and exalted themselues in the temple of God , aboue all that is called God so that a man would thinke they neede feare no downefall as hauing with Tyrus built their n●sts so high Oh but al this honour is nothing vnto them , so long as Mordakie wil not bowe vnto them , there is a little flocke which is a great ●o●● in their eye , as being founded vpon that stone ●●wen out without hands , which as the Lord hath prophesied so their consciences are conuinced withall , That it shall breake in peeces whatsoeuer exalteth it selfe against God , If Mordakie would bowe to Hamon , and the Saints of God worship their God Mauzzim : if the corner stone would endure their hay and stubble and such like trumpery , then happily it should not bee pushed at . And yet ( by your leaue ) there is no trusting to them in this case , if eyther their be any Opposition against their ambition , or their hope of spoile and pillage therby , heere the goods of Papists are a like hereticall , as those of Hugunots and the most deuoted popelings soonest made their prey , so lit●le do they esteeme religion in respect of their lusts , so easily may we may perceiue the cause of all their quarrells . And yet that they may not want a visor to deceiue themselues and others religion must be the colour , & the crosse must be the standard , and the Church and Saints of God must goe downe , because they are not profitable & an aduantage vnto them . Thus because the spouse of Christ cannot indure the wages and habite of the harlot , because there is no halting betwixt two opinions , but wee must stand for God and him alone : seeing Dagon cannot stand before the Arke of God , and the Kingdome of Christ , will certenly confound the purple Strumpet : Therefore doeth shee band her selfe with the Kings of the earth , against the Lord , and against his annointed , & makes continual war with the Saints of God. But wil you see with what Issue ? Certenly to the exceeding good & profit of the church , which is continually Watred with the blood of the Martyrs , and by these daily afflictions prepared vnto her bridgrome : and to the hastening of their own most woeful and vnavoydable destruction . For as the blood of the Saints , on the one side , crying for vengeance hasteneth the wrath of god vpon thē , so the increase of their malice adding to the measure of their sinne doth at the length bring the same to ripenesse , that so the sickle of Gods vengeance might bee put in accordingly . Maruaile not therefore if the aduersary increaseth his rage against the Saints of GOD : for wot you what ? his kingdome hath receiued his deaths wound , and now the only hope is euen desperate wickednesse . And shall I now be cast downe , when I see them so desperate ? No saith our Sauiour , when you see these things , then lift vp your heads , for your redemption draweth neere . I need no truer a prophet of the destruction of Popery , then to obserue how it breaketh out into desperate and most barbarous courses for the maintenance thereof : neither neede I other weapons to vphold a righteous cause , then what the malice of mine enemie shall minister vnto me . Onely let vs bee wise to make this vse of these weapons , as Hezakiahs did of the letters of Rabshacks , let vs not answere these fooles according to their foolishnesse , let vs not feare their feare , nor fret against their mallice : but let vs in the name of God , commend the cause vnto God , let vs bee sure that for his sake wee suffer these reproches , that for him it is we are appointed , as sheepe for the slaughter ; let vs not cast a way our confidence which hath so greate hope of reward , but in patience possesse our soules , reseruing vengeance for the Lord , and committing our selues in well dying into the handes of our faithfull creator , and then let vs looke vndoubtedly , that hee that is comming will come in the needefull time , the snare shal be broken and wee deliuered , and our enemies shall full into the pit which they haue digged for vs. Let vs now in a word , examine our selues by this second effect of Gods wonderful mercies , namely that all men shal declare the worke of God. We haue heard , how they do open the mouthes of the wicked , not onely to acknowledge the greatnesse of the worke , but to giue testimony also vnto the power of the workeman , yea further to approue the innocency of the saints , and lastly , to prophecy of the deliuerance of the rightrous , and their owne confusion , wee haue also heard ; howe they doe open the mouthes of the saints , not onely to cheare vp one another in the worship of GOD , and to be confirmed in the sincerity thereof : but further to acknowledge the righteous power of God , and to prophecy vnto themselues , the continuance of Gods mercie , for the time to come . Uerily there is a reward for the righteous , that is the Lord hath stored vp a full recompence for them , in that great day . Let vs by this make triall howe our mouthes haue beene opened with this greate deliueraunce , which GOD hath bestowed vpon vs , that so hereby wee may haue matter to discerne our estate : surely this worke of God hath beene so wonderfull , that if wee should bould our peace , the very stones would speake , thereof ; and therefore it is to bee fea●ed , that the stones one day will rise vp in Iudgement against many , whose mouthes haue either beene shut vp , as being confounded therewith , or opened blasphemously to the dishonour of God : so did that bloudie monster open his mouth indeed , but it was to the high dishonour of the Almightie , when he said , that it was not God but the deuill , that disclosed so desperate a treason , as thinking that God would not hinder so good a worke . I pray God he haue not many fellowes thus desperately blinded : If any such Athiests , or Rebels , shall thus open their mouthes against heauen , for the discouery of this mischiefe , as if their God had deceiued them , and so now they will no longer stay vpon him , I wish if they belong not vnto the Lord , my heartie prayer is that they may bee so deceiued still , that , that God whom they will not honor in their obedience to his substitute , may be honoured in their iust confusion , from his presence for euer . If any common discourses shall be put into new matter , hereby to fill vp the newes at a Table , or else where , to get himselfe credit , and giue others contentment : I enuie him not , neither doe I forbid him , whether it be of enuie or strife , vaine glory , or vanitie , whether of pretence , sincerely that this worke be spoken of , therein I ioy , and therein I will ioy , as knowing it shall redound to Gods glory , and the good of such whom it doth concerne . And I doe wish that all men may speake of this wonderfull worke of God , that so God may haue the glory in that all g●ue testimonie therevnto , and his children may haue the comfort in the meditations thereof . I will not heare vndertake to scanne the policie in this case , I know secrecie is an excellent meanes to search the bottome of a mischiefe , that so in the end it may more be discouered , and I pray GOD sanctifie it more and more , to such an end ; onely my hearts desire is , that the deepenesse of Sathan may be discouered , and the inmost secret of the iniquitie of his instruments may be throughly laide open , and truely searcht , from that bitter roote of will-worship , which is the ground thereof : and then I doubt not but all mens mouthes will bee opened in detestation of that monster of superstition , whose foundation is selfe loue , and whose practise is nothinels but an ●mp●●g , and abasing , of all others , to fill and exalt it selfe : and when our mouthes shal be thus iustly opened in detestation of this ambition , then shall they bee opened also to giue GOD the glory for the discouery of this beast , and to iustifie the Saints , for not worshipping the same , that so approuing of the holy ones , wee may desire to bee like vnto them , and GOD may giue vs according to our desire . And when wee haue felt our selues how good the Lord is : as the Samaritanes professed that they beleeued not because the woman told them , but in that they haere and knowe him themselues : so now wee our selues shal be able to speake of this deliuerance , not vpon the heare say o● apprehension of o●hers , but vpon our owne sownd knowledge and apprehension thereof : and that this is the effect of effectuall declaring the workes of God , the holy ghost is our witnesse in that he addeth . And they shall vnderstand what he hath wrought . It is a good effect of great workes when they shall open our eyes , to behold the same as being a good furtherance to see GOD in them , that so wee may reach the fountaine of these blessinges , but if we onely see them , and proceede no further , this good , will onely redownd to the Glory of GOD , who being acknowledged onely of vs , thus farre as in the sight of his worke : shal be heerein bee Gloryfied in our iust condemnation , that hauing such a light to lead vs to him , as that therein wee must needes acknowledge him : wee would not seeke him in a further light , wherein seeing him in the face of his sonne Christ Iesus , hee might acknowledge vs also to bee his Children . And therefore the holy Ghost not content to tell vs that all men shall see 〈◊〉 , to acknowledge a GOD , addeth further in the second place , that they shall declare what God hath donne , signifying thereby , that the workes of God shall further preuaile in them to a more particular knowledge of God in the same , so that they shall declare the worke of God : that is , they shall say , this is the Lords doing : & yet if onely our mouthes shall be opened to see that God hath done this , and shall no further apprehend what God hath done , that so we may further say , is maruailous in our eyes , neither shall we in the worke apprehend the power of the workeman , and so come short herein of the knowledge of the Heathen , neither shal we be euer able to measure true thankfulnes accordingly : if we cānot cōprehend the greatnes of the workē : herevpō is it that the holy Ghost hauing lead vs from the sight of the worke , to a particular apprehension and acknowledgement of the workeman , doth now also in the third place , in the knowledge of the workeman , teach vs to looke downe againe into the greatnesse of the worke , when he saith . And shall vnderstand what he hath wrought , signifying thereby , that when the workes of God shall open our eyes to see God in them , then also by the knowledge of God shall we attaine to the true nature and greatnesse of the worke , that so wee may returne againe vnto God , a proportionable measure of thankes giuing for the same . Behold here a third effect of Gods wonderfull workes , as being a necessarie meanes to the dutie of thankfulnesse . For neither can the affections be thoroughly inflamed with the goodnesse of a blessing , vnlesse the vnderstanding comprehend the greatnesse of it , and if we shall not comprehend how good the Lord is vnto vs , we shall neuer resolue to returne him good againe . And seeing that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne , and it is not a generall and confused knowledge , but a distinct and perticular apprehension of the goodnesse of God , which is the meanes to be get faith , therefore that what we doe , may be acceptable vnto God , very requisite it is , that we comprehend what is the length and the breadth , the high and the depth of Gods mercies towards vs , that so we may performe the obedience of faith vnto our God , accordingly for the same . Which comprehension , as the holy Ghost desireth in the faithfull , concerning the principal worke of Gods loue towards them , namely their redemption by Iesus Christ , that so we may be filled with all fulnesse of God , so seeing all other workes of mercie , are deriued from that fountaine , therefore are we to labour the like apprehensiō , of all such blessings as the Lord from time to time bestoweth vpon vs ( so farre as their compasse doth require ) that so our mouthes may be filled with due praises vnto our God for the same And surely the mercy of God is herein exceeding vnto vs , in helping our infirmities to this profitable vnderstanding , by the wisedome of the Spirit reuealed in the word . For if we shall be thoroughly acquainted with the good word of God , as it was inspired of God to make the man of God perfit : so shall we finde it exceeding plentifull to informe our vnderstandings in the true apprehension of such blessings as are bestowed vpō vs : that so we may measure out our thāksgiuing accordingly . To instaunce onely in that a benefit of a deliuerance , the present subiect of our meditations . Marke I pray you , how the holy Ghost helpeth our vnderstanding , to comprehend the greatnesse thereof . As euery deliuerance implieth two things . First a danger lying vpon vs , secondly , a recouery of vs out of the same : so hath the spirit exceedingly helped our vnderstandings to the particular apprehension of both these , in expressing vnto vs most liuely the greatnesse of the danger , and also inlarging most effectually the strangenesse of the recouery . The greatnesse of a danger may appeare by these three circumstances , first by the greatnesse of the power that threatens the same● Secondly , by the weakenesse of the meanes in our selues to auoide the per●ll : & lastly by that impossibilitie which appeares in any helpe elsewhere . If our enemies be mightie , the danger must needs be great , but yet there may be hope , if there be a powre to match the same . If the power be wanting in our selues , the danger is greater , especially if our owne hearts may herein faile vs and yet for all this , though our 〈…〉 sh do faile vs , and our hearts also , there may be hope from without to supply our wants , if not from man , who is deceitfull , yet from our God who neuer failes . But when the light of Gods countenance shal be taken away from vs , when we shall looke on our right hand , and there is none to helpe vs : when we shall turne to the left and see no issue , when wee shall say in our haste , that our God hath forsaken vs , and when we shall heare our enemies say , they haue deuoured vs , This danger may seeme past recouery : And yet behold the spirit witnesseth that such hath beene the daunger of the Church , and Saints of God from time to time , yea she hath found an issue vsually in such Straights , our soule is escaped saith the Church euen as a bird out of the snare of the Fouler , the snare is broken , and wee are deliuered . Marke I pray you the greatnesse of the danger , how vnable is the Bird to auoid the snare of the Fouler , how effectuall is the snare to take this silly Foule , what hope is there of deliuerance when the bird is caught therein , and yet behold our soule is deliuered , euen as a Bird , out of the snare of the fowler , so desperate is our danger , and so wonderfull is our recouery , what hope is there of a Brand taken out of the fire , surely such hath beene the state of the Saints of God , Is not this man taken as a brand out of the free fire . Nay what hope is there of dead bones scattered in the open fields , hauing beene ther so long , that they are dryed and withered can these bones liue , saith the spirit of God : yea saith the Lord , behold I wil cause breath to enter into you , & you shal liue , Loe heere the desperate estate of the Church of GOD , euen as a Dead Man and quite out of mind , nay , as rotten and consumed to the very bones , by the continuance of the trouble , and extremity thereof , so that wee may not onely tell all her boanes : but indeed there is nothing but dead and drye bones left of her . Yet saith the Lord these boanes shall liue , yet shall the desolate Church become an exceeding great Armie : yea terrible with banners , to the confusion of her enemies , , vnderstand therefore the greatnesse of thy deliuerance , by the greatnesse of the daunger , and sound the depth of thy daungers these points accordingly , call to mind I pray thee the deadly plot that was prepared for thee in the practise of thine enemies , which the Lord hath disappointed , and by the depth of the danger , which was ready to swallowe thee vp , labour to measure the greatnesse of thy deliuerance , great was thy daunger in that thou wast Appointed as a Sheepe to the slaughter : And yet herein was it greater that the Daunger was not knowne . By this meanes was not onely all hope taken from thee ●o auoide it . Whereby this present State , was vtterly desperate , but beeing sudden vnto thee in that it was vnknowne hereby taking thee vnprepared by repentance to meete thy GOD. Consider howe this might haue indaungered Thy Estate for the life to come . And if the Lord hath preuented that Blowe , because thou wast not prepared , Oh take heede to Tempt this GOD by security hereafter , least the like suddaine vengeance may speedily ouertake thee : Certenly if the malice of thine enemy bee as Hell that can neuer be satisfied , thinke that the increase of thy sinne , will adde more fuell to it . And though the Lord may spare for a time because some stand in the gappe . Yet when they shal be taken from the iudgements to come and thy sinnes shal be ripened by continuance therein : Knowe then for a certenty that thy Danger is now greater , in that thorough the hardenesse of thyne heart , which cannot repent , thou dost heap vp wrath , against thy selfe , against the day of wrath , and thy Maister will come in an howre when thou knowest not , and giue thee thy portion with the Hypocrytes , there shall bee great weeping and gnashing of teeth . It was a notable testimony of the Apostles loue vnto his countrimen , that he wished euen to redeeme their reiection with his owne euerlasting perdition , ( if so it might haue stood with the good pleasure of God , ) whereby the seruant of God did imply , that the preuenting of a generall danger , was to be preferred before a perticular , and that the losse of a priuate state , ought to redeeme a publike . Had it beene so then that either thine owne priuate state had beene aymed at , or though the generall life of Church and common wealth was shot at , yet if it might haue beene redeemed with thy priuate losse , the daunger had beene the lesse , and thy comfort the more . But behold here the insatiable malice of thine enemie , and therein consider yet further the greatnes of the danger . It was not the life of a priuate person , would quench their vnmeasurable mallice : for then yet the body might haue continued , though an inferiour member had bin cut off , Nay , yet inlarge thine vnderstanding , and conceiue yet further . It was not one principall member that would satiate their ambitious thirst , no not the head it selfe , and roote of the Kingdome ; for the weaker wisedome could resolue them so farre , that if the roote were cut off , yet the branches might florish , and so their malice discouered , and yet not further their ambition . What then was the plot ? and how grieuous was the danger ? surely euen to cut off head and tayle , roote and branches , vtterly with one blow ; euen to ruinate , head and members , church and common wealth ; and in one moment to haue brought full confusion vpon all estates . Behold here a further measure of the danger , wherein thou wast : And blessed be God , that wee haue leasure to meditate these things , yea euermore blessed be our gratious Father , who howsoeuer the whole head and body might bee sicke , yet because he is our Phisition to heale vs , and doth not delight in our destruction , but knowes what is to bee hoped for of his patient , thought this Phisicke too desperate and too preposterous , as intended to destroy and not to sinne ; and therefore in his mercie hath kept it from vs , and in his Iustice made our enemies to drinke of the cup they had prepared for vs. Well by this thou maiest apprehend in some measure the greatnesse of the danger wherein thou wast ; & yet behold I will shew thee greater perils then these intended against thee . There is hope ( saith holy Iob ) of a tree , if it bee cut downe , there will yet sprout , and the branches thereof wil not perish , though the roote thereof waxe old in the earth , and the stockethereof be dead in the groūd , yet by the descent of waters it wil bud & bring forth boughes like a plant . But as for man he is sick and dieth , & mā perisheth , and where is hee ? signifying thereby that there is no hope of him . And surely had we only hope in this life , wee were not onely liuing of all men most miserable , but dying also our hope must needes perish with vs But here is the hope of the Saints , that not onely their sufferings shall giue further life to the Church in this world , but shall prepare them to a blessed life in the world to come . So that now though hee kill vs , yet wee will trust in God , not onely in that though wee die , yet wee shall liue in the posteritie of the Church , whiles shee is militant , but our light afflictions which are but for a moment , they doe cause vnto vs a farre more excellent weight of Glory , that wee may triumph for euer , with the Saints in heauen . Meruailous is our gracious God vnto his children , for the confirming of them in the hope of the life to come , and that by two especiall meanes , both by the inward testimonie of his Spirit , approuing so our innocencie that by the power thereof it breaking forth as the light , and shining at the no one day , though wee die , yet by it wee might liue with the saints in grace , and further also by the gouernment of the same Spirit soreuiuing his Church , and renuing the same , in her greatest decayes , as that she hath , and shall continue her militarie life , till the heauēs bee no more , and euen then liuing and remayning shall bee caught vp in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre , and so for euer to bee with the Lord. So did the Lord prouide for his seruaint Iob , that when hee was wearie of his life , yet hee was not wearie of his innocencie , and hee yeeldes an excellent reason of it in the 8. verse . For what hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped vp riches , if God take away his soule . Implying thereby that if hee were an hipocrite , and had no sound testimonie of his sincerity , then indeed , if GOD should kill him , he could not trust in him , then he had no hope , if his soule should be taken away . But seeing he knew that the liuing Lord had taken away his iudgement , because the Almighty had put his soule in bitternesse , and the ground of this his sauing knowledge , was the testimonie of his innocencie , proceeding from the vndoubted worke and euidence of the Spirit : Therefore doeth hee cleaue to the testimonie of his good conscience , as whe● by hee was assured , not onely to come out of these troubles , but further also was bould to professe that Hee knew that his redeemer liued , and that hee should see GOD in the flesh . Behould the meanes whereby wee liue though wee die , and whereby wee are assured that wee shall liue for euer : euen the testimonie of our innocencie and vprightnesse of heart . And yet behold a further testimonie for the confirmacion of the same . Doest thou see the Spirit of GOD ruling in the Church , and gouerning so comfortably the troubles of the same : that though she die dayly , yet shee liues continually Not onely in that though the outward man perish , yet the inward man is renued dayly , but especially heerein is the continuate life of the Church wonderfull , that the bloud of the Martirs becomes the seede of the Church : Doest thou heare the wicked say , Come let vs vtterly roote them out ? Do the Godly complaine , they haue destroyed all , there is no hope : and yet doeth the Lord say still concerning the desolations of his Church : The roote of the righteous shal not bee remoued . Yet therein will I leaue a tenth , which shall continewe , and shall bee eaten vp as an Elme : or an Oake , which haue a substance in them when they cast their leaues : so the holy seede shal be the substance thereof . Though I vtterly destroy all the nations : where I haue scattered thee , yet I will not vtterly destroy thee , but I will correct thee by iudgement , and not vtterly cut thee off . Are these the promises of thy GOD concerning his spouse that shee shall continue vnto the worlds ende ? hath the performance of them beene answerable from time to time therevnto , that so by the experience of her former preseruation , thou maist collect that the Lord will deliuer her to the end : and by her wonderfull continuance in this life , thou maist further gather her abode for euer in eternall happinesse ? What canst thou desire more for the confirmation of thine hope , then according to thy inward and outward troubles , to haue this double Testimony of the spirit , both in the protection of the Church without , and the inward witnesse vnto thy spirit renued , and sanctified : to lead thee along with cheerefulnesse in the vndoubted expectation of the reward to come , that so thou maiest run with ioy the race that is set before thee , and hauing finished thy course obtaine the Crowne of euerlasting happinesse ? And what can better recompence al thy priuate losses then that thou art weake that the Church of GOD , may bee strong , that thou art abased that the church may be exalted ? Yea though it should so fall out , that the Church were to bee fetcht againe with thy dearest blood . If now thou shalt not set light by any troubles , that in this respect may befall thee : If nowe thy life shall not be vile vnto the , That thou maist fulfill thy course with ioy , If this shall not be thy testimonie that thou hast euen beene ready , not onely to distribute the Gospell of God vnto thy people for the after groeth of the Church ; but euen thine owne soule : surely neuer looke to approue thy selfe a good sheepheard vnto thy people , Neither looke to giue vp thy account with ioy , and to shine as a starre in the Firmament for euer . Behold how the hope of the Saints concerning the life to come , and consider the meanes that giues them life in death , euen the testimonie of their innocencie , which shall endure for euer , and the seede of the Church continuing vnto the end . And tell me , if there were euer malice like vnto that , which would at one blow haue cut off all this hope , not onely to depriue the Saints of their righteousnesse , whereby they might haue liued in the hearts of the faithfull , but so farre as lay in them , euen to cut off vtterly the seed of the Church , that so there might not be hereafter any succession thereof . The Liues of the Saints would not serue their malice , but they will haue a deuise to robbe them of their innocencie , by laying that on their poore sheepe , which the Wolues would haue done . It was not the life of the Prince and state , which could satisfie their rage . No , they had vowed vtterly to roote out the name of religion ; and therefore their proiect was to destroy all Seed , that might giue hope to posteritie thereof ; not onely the royall seede , for the after nurserie of the Church ; but further also the immortall seede of the word ; yea moreouer to abolish vtterly the seed of the righteous , that all hope of posteritie in the Church might finally be extinguished , as hauing neither Nurse , nor Milke , nor Babe remaining . Oh consider the depth of this diuellish malice , and magnifie the depth of Gods mercie in thy wonderfull deliuerance . Remember if euer any danger was like vnto this , which the Lord thy gracious God hath pluckt thee out off , that so thy heart may bee inlarged to giue him due praises for the same . And yet that thy heart may bee further inlarged herevnto ; as thou hast hetherto vnderstood the greatnesse of the danger , in auoyding so many euils : So consider in the second place , in thy wonderfull recouerie , what plentie of blessings the Lord hath conferred vpon thee . And that thou mayest not mistake the nature of a deliuera●nce , behould the Spirite leades thee to a true discerning thereof for , speaking of the deliuerance , which the Lord would performe vnto his Church , that the memorie thereof might for euer bee continued hee saith . This shal be written for the generations to come , that this faithfull record might preuent forgetfulnesse . And further , that wee might learne to iudge rightly of a deliueraunce , hee addeth : And the people which shal be created , shall praise the Lord , meaning that a deliueraunce from so great a danger , was to bee accounted no lesse , then a new creation , that is of nothing , euen raysing vp a creature , and a new giuing of such blessinges as hee is furnished withall . Wouldest thou therefore vnderstand aright , what God hath done for thee in this great deliueraunce ? Surely , if thou doest not accompt as nothing , whatsoeuer thou wast , or hadest heretofore ; if thou doest not esteeme thy selfe , and whatsoeuer thou art to bee a new gest euen newly created , and restored of nothing : thou doest yet conceiue nothing to the trueth , and worth of this blessing , and shalt in no sort bee able to make good vse thereof . But , if so bee that thou shalt acknowledge , that all thinges are become new : that whatsoeuer thou art , or hast , thou must not reckon it from thy birth , but from this wonderful deliuerance : consider what singular profite shall arise vnto thee hereby . There is not any thing , thou enioyest but shall remember this deliuerance vnto thee , that so thou maiest bee prouoked to magnifie the deliuerer . Nay , this renuing vnto thee of whatsoeuer thou hast , shall prouoke thee to concecrate the same anew vnto thy God , that so thy deliuerance , working that holy thinge in thee , whe● by thou shalt be renued in the Sp●rit of thy minde , and bee cloathed with some good measure of holinesse and righteousnesse , thou maiest sing the new song of praise vnto thy GOD , which becometh the righteous onely to performe , for so it followeth . But the righteous shall reioyce in the Lord. Behold here a further dutie in the intertainment of this great deliuerance , and that limited vnto the righteous : namely , that they shall reioyce in the Lord for the same . Not that they shall not behold , declare , or vnderstand , as well as others , what God hath done for them : ( for these are good furtherances to the dutie of thankfulnesse : ) but that though they doe these things , yet they shall not stay heere , ( as the wicked doe , ) but shall proceed further to reioyce in the Lord for the same , by celebrating the praises of the Lord according to his benefits . A dutie verie fitly appropriated to the righteous . For they onely haue right in this ioy , and therefore if the Lord haue done great things for them , they may safelie reioyce therein ; and they onely know how to vse this ioy aright , and therefore may with greater libertie enlarge themselues therein ; they onely haue true cause of ioy , euen the testimonie of their consciences ; they onely by this ioy , doe sanctifie the blessing vnto them , and so procure the continuance of it ; And they onely shall haue no end of theirioy , and therefore may not feare the ouerthrow thereof . And indeede , what greater outward pledge can wee haue of the fauour of GOD , then that hee doth not suffer our enemyes to triumphe ouer vs ? And what greater cause of ioy can wee haue then this , that the fauour of GOD shineth vpon vs ? And if the experience of Gods former deliuerances bee warrants vnto vs of his future mercies : If because the Lorde hath deliuered vs from the Lyon and the Beare , therefore wee can safely say , that Goliah shall bee as one of these : And because the Lorde hath deliuered vs , and doth deliuer vs , therefore wee can say further , that hee will deliuer vs , finally out of all our trouble : this must needs enlarge our hearts with vnspeakable ioy , as beeing a part of that earnest of ioy , whereof one day wee shall bee full . Surely , as it is a righteous thing with GOD , to recompence sorrowe vnto these , who haue reioyced in the afflictions of the Saints : So it is appointed of GOD , that they which haue sowen in teares and manifolde afflictions , should in due time , Reape in ioye , the fruite of all their troubles in the wayes of God. And seeing there is a time for all things , and an appointed time to reioyce , as there is to mourne . Therefore , howsoeuer in the day of affliction wee must consider , and enter into the house of moorning , yet in the day of mirth and deliuerance , wee must bee of good comfort , and to expresse our ioy , wee must sing prayses vnto our God. So hath the Lord himselfe appointed this time . I will deliuer thee , and thou shalt glorifie mee ; So haue the Saints imployed this time . So reioyced Moses and Miriam , with their seuerall companies for their delirance out of Egypt : So did Debora and Barak exercise the people for their deliuerance from the Cananites : So did Dauid imploy himselfe for his deliuerances from time to time from his enemies : So did the Church reioyce for her deliuerance from that cruell conspiracie of Haman . And as when a iudgement hath beene eyther threatned or inflicted vpon the seruants of God : they haue set a part dayes of humiliation , the better to fitte themselues to meete the Lord by true repentance : as did the Niniuites , Iehosophat , and diuers others in the like case : So when the Lord hath remooued the iudgement from them , and hath giuen them a gratious and happy deliuerance , that they might neuer forget such mercies and be fully inlarged in thankfulnes for the same : they haue also seperated certaine dayes to be imployed principally in the expressing their ioy , by such meanes as may fitte and further the same . Such were those dayes of feasting and thanksgiuing instituted from time to time , by the godly Magistrates to remember the blessings that the Lord had bestowed vpon them , and to giue him speciall prayses on such dayes for the same . So did Mordochie and Hester institute the dayes of Purim for that wonderful deliuerance from Hamons intended massaker : which were so called from the occasion , because Hamon by Lot was incouraged to that deuillish interprize of destroying the Iewes , and therefore to magnifie the power of God in the confusion of his wisedome , and to make the memory of an enemy to stinke to posterity : they called these dayes the dayes of Purim . So did Iudas Machabeus institute the feast of the dedication in remembrance of the purging of the Temple from the prophanations of Antiochus , a feast which our Sauiour Christ himselfe seemed to approue by his owne presence in the 10. of Iohn ; So did our Gratious Soueraigne set apart the 5. of August in remembrance of his wonderfull deliuerance from the conspiracies of the Gowries : And so for euer may the 5. of Nouember be separated and recorded amongst vs , as by the wōderfull prouidence of God in discouering the horrible treasons of the Papists , beeing turned vnto vs from sorrow to ioy , and from murning into a ioyfull day to be kept with feasting and ioy and to all posterities ; so long as the name of Great Britaine shal be had in remembrance . Thus hath the Lord appointed dayes of ioy , and thus hath man vpon iust consideration celebrated and confirmed such daies to posterity , not inuenting therein any other worship then God hath appointed , but vpon such extraordinary occasions giuing more liberty thereby vnto the publicke worship of God , as beeing vnder God the determiner of order and decency , according to the general rules of equity prescribed in Gods blessed word . And thus may euen priuate persons set apart some howre , nay , some day in the weeke vpon the like occasions to a more intire and immediate worship of God then in their ordinarie callings , as not beeing otherwise tied to bodily labour on the sixe dayes , then that they might be better fitted to the spirituall workes on the seuenth ; and not beeing excluded otherwise from this extraordinary worship on these dayes of labour , then for the prouision of their families , and obedience to authority , and that without presumption of Gods prouidence , and opinion of necessity or merit . Other institution then this of such festiuall dayes I can finde none lawfull . Neither indeed do I account euen this institution , anie otherwise lawfull , then it is kept vndefiled from abuse and superstition , Considering what the holy Ghost addeth to trie our ioy by that it must bee in the Lord. And being thus bounded , the spirit giues vs free liberty , Reioyce in the Lord alwaies , and againe , I say reioyce . And surely verie necessary it is that our ioy should be thus bounded , least our liberty being an occasion to the flesh , sowing thus to the flesh , wee of the flesh reape corruption , and so our ioy shal be turned into sorrow . But howe shall I approue my ioy to be in the Lord ? surely there are these markes to try it by . Hath the Lord done great things for thee , whereof thou maiest reioyce ? surely thou maiest reioyce freely , if thou keepe a right order and measure therein : both which must be according to the diuersity of the things wherein thou doest reioyce . That we may keepe a right order in our ioy for the blessings of God , the holy Ghost giues vs an excellent rule , setting downe the true subordination of the blessings themselues . Who spared not his owne sonne , but gaue him to die for vs , how shall he not with him giue vs all things else . Signifying therein thus much vnto vs , that , in that the Lord hath giuen vnto vs the Fountaine , hee will not denye vs the streames , and thereby teaching vs this order in reioycing for Gods benefits , as to deriue our ioy from the Fountaine to the Streames : not to rest our ioye in the streams but to returne it to the fountaine , that the giuer of all good blessings , may be first and last in our ioy : First he must be in our ioy , that thereby as we haue these blessings and fauour of him , so we may bee assured also that wee haue them in him , and thereby haue a testimony that they are sanctified vnto vs , that so now we may haue a right vnto , and comfort in the vse of them : and last also must our God be in this affection of ioy . It must at no hand rest in the blessing , for so it wil be a meanes to drawe vs from the fountaine , and our resolution then must bee so farre from reioycing in the streames , as that we must count them all as dung in respect of the fountaine Iesus Christ. But , seeing God is the Giuer , and receiuer too , Seeing he is the ending , as well as the beginning : therefore must our ioy be determined in nothing , but in him , that so hereby giuing him the Glory of the good wee haue receiued , this may bee a meanes to receiue that further good which shall perfect vs vnto glory . And as this is generally to be obserued in the ordering of our ioy , that the Fountaine must be first and last therein , so also in proportion , seeing such Streames as are neerer to the fountaine , are more pure , so ought they to haue their place accordingly in the ordering of our ioy . The Blessings that God hath renued vnto vs in this great deliuerance are very manie , and yet some come neere vnto the fountaine then others . Some that haue beene giuen vs ( as we say ) with the right hand . As whatsoeuer principally concerne the life to come : Namely the Nursery of the Church , consisting of the Nurses both temporall and spirituall . 1. Thessal . 2. of the Milke of the Gospell , and communion of Saints to be nourished thereby : Together with the manifold pledges and fruites thereof , as Peace of conscience , our ioye in the Spirit , and growth in Christ , and such like . Others haue beene the blessings of the left hand , as our Goods , Country , Friends : &c. Examine wee now our selues , whither our ioy hath beene ordered aright or no , if it hath beene first the blessings of the right hand , rather then for the other . Nay , if wee could haue beene contented to haue redeemed the blessings of the right hand , with the losse of the blessings of the left , nay , if nowe wee can bee contented to abate our ioy in the one , that wee may take our fill in the other , these are good tokens that our ioy is ordered aright . So was the affection of Mephibosheth ordered aright , when the King would make him some part of a mendes by diuidyng the Lands bewixt him and Ziba , his ioy was so inflamed with the enioying of the greater blessings , that his Lord the King was come home in peace , that hee euen resolued : let him take all the lands : as beeing not willing that the lesser blessinge should haue any part in his ioy . Oh that wee had this testimonie of our true ioy for this deliuerance , that wee did nowe more reioyce in the reuiuyng of the Gospell , and the meanes thereof , the publique blessing of happie gouernment , then in any priuate blessing whatsoeuer , prefering Ierusalem to all our mirth . Oh that many may not iustly be charged with this disordered ioy , that they could haue beene contented to haue lost the bessings of the right hand , and haue thought it enough , that the things of this life restored vnto them . Wel let vs bee wise in the examining of our own hearts heereby , certainely whatsoeuer wee ioy in , aboue the Lord , it shall be the meanes to bring a curse vpon that blessing , and so bee the occasion that in the end it shall be taken from vs , that wee which would not reioyce aright in GOD , shall now haue nothing wherein truely to reioyce . But if so bee that wee haue so reioyced in the principall blessings , that in steed of them , the other haue beene vile vnto vs , certainely this will teach vs to ioy in them : though these bee taken from vs , and beeing wise with the blessed Salomon to preferre the greater blessings , we shall haue the lesse also cast ouer and aboue into the rekoning vnto vs , that so our ioy may be full wanting nothing : and so vsing the lesse , that wee do not set our hearts vpon them , but are able to extend our ioy vnto the giuer of them , wee shall by this meanes beeing found faithfull in a little , bee made stewardes of greater blessings , that so returning all vnto our God in that small measure which we enioy in this life , he may be all in all vnto vs in an heaped vp measure in the life to come . And thus ordering our ioy shall wee find it to bee in the Lord , and so shall wee also find it by the right measure thereof , proportioned both according to the things wee doe inioy , as they doe exceede each other in worth and excellencie , and also to the right vse and imployment thereof . So doeth our Sauiour giue his disciples the rule , when he had giuen them that excellent gift of subduing all aduerse power . But reioyce not in this that the Spirits are subdued vnto you ; but reioyce rather that your names are written in heauen : therein not forbidding them to reioyce at all in these excellent gifts , ( for they were great blessings of GOD , and therefore they might lawfully reioyce in them , ) but teaching them therein a true measure of their ioy , that they should more reioyce in the more excellent blessings . The best apprehension of this right measure , shall bee gained by the discouerie of two extreames , either of reioycing too much , when the cause doth not require , or of reioycing too little , if the matter be of moment : Wouldst thou know in this deliuerance , howe thou maiest reioyce too much ? If it hath not bettered thee in the way to heauen : If thou hast not answered the end of a deliuerance , euen to serue thy God more conscionably in newnesse of life : If thou art so set vpon thy lyes , and bound in the seate of the scorners , that thou hatest to bee reformed , for all these mercies : though all things are renewed vnto thee , yet thou remaynest in thine olde sinnes . If it bee not more ioy vnto thee to doe righteously , then to receiue good at the hands of GOD ; Why takest thou the name of GOD in thy mouth , seeing thou hatest to bee reformed ? wretch that thou art , what hast thou to doe with ioy , that still reioycest in thy sinne ? Thou maiest well say vnto laughter thou art madde , and vnto ioy depart farre from mee . Surely any ioy in this case is too much vnto thee . Wouldest thou haue a president to direct thee heerein ? when the Lord had deliuered the Iewes from the handes of the Ethiopians , it is recorded by the holy Ghost , that Asa their King beeing incouraged by the prophets of the Lord , the First worke that hee did , was to purge the land of all it abhominations . And so performed true thankefulnesse vnto his GOD in deedes and not in wordes . Afterwardes hee gathered togither all the remainder of the people to Ierusalem , to offer sacrifice vnto the Lord , and to make a couenant with him , of most faithfull seruice . Which , when they had performed in most solemne , and effectuall manner , and bound themselues , further to the same by an oath , yea further by a most grieuous penaltie of death for default therein . The Spirit witnesseth that , all Iudah reioyced at the oath , and therevpon followed a most comfortable blessing , that the Lord gaue them rest round about . Marke I pray you in this example the true vse and intertainment of a deliuerance . Heere is sinne first remoued , which was the cause of the former danger , that so the like might not after befall them . Then heere is a course taken to preuent sinne to come , by most euident signes of true conuersion vnto GOD , that so they might inioy both temporall , and spirituall happienesse . And then , when the Lord was first made glad with the conuersion of his seruants , and when the Angells had cause of ioy for the repentance of sinners , then came ioy in a right order from heauen vnto earth , and the vessells beeing thus fitted to receaue this heauenly influence , the holy Ghost recordeth , that the people reioyced , and showted euen vp to heauen , as making a sweete consent therein with God and the Angels . Oh neuer let vs looke to reioyce aright in earth , if by our vnfained sorrow for sinne , we haue not caused ioy in heauen . And if so be wee haue reioyced before the couenant bee made , know wee that our ioy is vnseasonable , and too much , if any . The very ioy of the Dragons shall be better accepted of God , then the reioycing of such sinners , that proceedes not from repentance . Oh let vs haue respect at least vnto our Seede and posteritie . Doe wee know what we doe , by this entertainement of a deliuerance , as to reioyce therein without reformation of our liues ? Surely wee prouoke the Lord to hate our feast dayes , hee hath protested hee will not smell in our solemne assemblies ; But doe they prouoke mee ( sayeth the Lord ) and not rather themselues , to the confusion of their faces ? Yes surely , as our Sauiour would doe no more workes in his owne countrey , because of their vnbeleefe : so let vs not looke hereafter for the like wonderfull worke of GOD , if this bee the best fruite , the multiplying of our sinnes : and then consider what wrong wee shall doe vnto posteritie , from whome wee shall bee the occasion to take such great mercies , and so expose them vnto such fearefull desolations as follow therevpon . To leade thee a little further in the examining of thy selfe , concerning thy exceeding in this measure of ioy ; art thou deliuered , and therefore thou mayest reioyce ? Oh but remember that Ioseph is in affliction , and therefore thou must sorrow too . If therefore thou canst not bee more sorrowfull in the sorrow of the afflicted , then ioyfull in respect of thine owne priuate good , surely thy reioyfing is not good . Thou takest too much ioye vnto thy selfe , and giuest too little sorrow vnto the cause of thy brother . To lead thee yet a step further , in the examining of thine excesse . Is the Church of God deliuered , and therefore thou mayest reioyce ? Oh but remember the Apostles rule , in a case not vnlike . As hee would not haue other men eased , that wee should bee grieued , but the matter so disposed , that there may be an equalitie : so in this case of reioycing , wee must not so inlarge our selues , that our brethren may be grieued thereby : but wee must now so temper our ioy , that there may be an equalitie , that all the Saints of God may reioyce with vs , that haue beene partaker of the same benefite with vs , as their conditions , and meanes doe require . Indeed if the wicked shall see Gods mercie vpon vs , and bee angrie ; If he shall gnash his teeth , and consume away ; If the male-contents and runnegates , that gaped for the spoile , being now disappointed thereof , hang downe their heads , and eate their hearts with sorrow for the same , as it is the righteous iudgement of GOD vpon them ; so ought we euen to inlarge our ioy , that they may be the rather grieued and vexed thereby : Yea wee are to make it the matter of our ioy , to see the vengeance that is light vpon them : so that our ioy bee spirituall euen in the Lord , that they may take no aduantage against vs : so that wee adde vnto their affliction , not as they are ours , but enemies vnto God. But here is the point ; doest thou reioyce in this happy deliuerance , and wouldest thou learne the true measure therein ? Surely this is it ; So reioyce that all may reioyce with thee ; Grieue not thy GOD , and his Saints , by the prophanesse of thy ioy : Remember how Moses and Miriam carried the matter . That their ioy might not be subiect to prophanesse and sensualitie : Moses and the men reioyced by themselues : Miriam and the women reioyced by themselues , Such dancing is allowable , if the cause be spirituall . Grieue not the poore , by taking too much libertie in the meanes of thy ioy : deuouring that in thine excesse , which is the blood of the poore . Remember the care that the Iewes had in this case : They sent not onely presents to their neighbours that could requite them againe , but they gaue gifts to the poore , that their hearts might bee cheered also . Notable was the care of good Nehemiah , to this purpose . When the Church was deliuered out of captiuitie , and Ierusalem was building vp againe : and it fell out by reason of the inequalitie betweene the rich and the poore , that the rich , insteed of reioycing , the poore with their aboūdance and superfluitie , became very grieuous burdens vnto them , by bringing them into slauerie and cruell oppression ; The good gouernour Nehemiah pleades the cause of the poore , and by his courage and example so prouideth , that in this generall cause of ioy , none might bee exempted . Thus doth hee plead for the poore against the mightie . We according to our habilitie haue redeemed our brethren the Iewes , which were solde vnto the Heathen , that they also might reioyce with vs : And will you sell them againe , or shall they be sold vnto vs , that they may be grieued , and we reioyce ? So saith the Spirit , he stopped their mouthes , they held their peace , and could not answer . Oh that our oppressors and inclosers , were thus put to silence , that they were not able to answere their selling and thrusting out of the poore : Well , when he hath thus put them to silence , though hee might haue commanded ( as he was their gouernour , ) yet he falles to intreate them for a restitution in this case , that so the blessing of the poore might be vpon them , and they might cause the hearts of the widowes to reioyce . And what followed herevpon ? The rich are perswaded , and the poore are eased , and so the mouthes of all are opened to praise the Lord. But is this all ? doth Nehemiah play the Pharise , that would lay a burthen vpon others , which he would not beare himselfe ? No surely , marke ( I pray you ) his tender compassion and charitie herein . Though he was no oppressour , and therefore could restore nothing , yet see how willing he is to part with his owne , yea euen with that which serued for the maintenance of his estate . For twelue yeares space ( he professeth ) that he had not eaten the bread of the gouernour . And whereas the former gouernours had beene chargeable to the people , by taking of their bread and wine , and he did not so : And he giues the reason , because he feared God. Not that simplie it is not lawfull for a religious Gouernour , to bee maintained by the common-wealth ; for indeed it is most righteous and necessarie to be done . But the meaning is to confirme vs this rule , concerning equalitie of ioy , that in a case of extremitie , when others are in want ; and wee by taking our vtmost due , may adde vnto their affliction , if it shall please God to make vs equall in the generall blessing , wherein all are to reioyce : we are so to dispose of our right in inferiour blessings , that they may be meanes to further vs in the right entertainment of the greater , yeelding somewhat of our state and outward maintenance vnto others ( so as we may notwithstanding , leaue a competencie to our selues , to maintaine a reasonable port ) that so they may ioyne with vs in this dutie of thanks-giuing , as they are ioyned with vs in the blessing of the deliuerance : Otherwise wee shall not onely signifie that wee could haue beene well ridde of them , that we had not cared , so the iudgement had swept them away , seeing we are escaped , as counting them burdens vnto the land , and eye-sores vnto vs ; but further also giuing them occasion of griefe , when we should all reioyce . This must needs follow herevpon , that they crying vnto the Lord for vengeance against vs , while we are reioycing in the Lord , for his mercies towards vs : The Lord will heare their crye , and confound our ioy , by deliuering them out of trouble , and casting vs in their stead . Oh that wee were wise to consider these things , that by this we would trye our ioy , whether it exceed or no : if it be the occasion of griefe vnto others ? Farre be it from vs , that seeing the Lord hath preuented this mischiefe , and so hath lengthned the date of our Stewardships , therefore we shall fall to beating of our fellow seruants vpon presumption , that our maister will now deferre his comming , because he hath so lately knocked at our doores , and so insteed of furthering the generall ioy , by the renuing of our liues , we shall yet send the poore into the house of mourning , and thereby make vp the measure of our sinne . ( Surely saith our Sauiour ) that seruants Maister will come in a day , when hee looketh not for him , and in an houre that he is not aware of , and will cut him off , and giue him his portion with hypocrites , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . Lastly wouldst thou know , how thou maiest exceed in this ioy ; Surely if thou doest so ioy now , that thou maiest not reioyce hereafter , either by exceeding in the outward meanes , whereby thy estate shall vnnecessarily be impaired , or else by giuing the bridle vnto thy carnall affections ; thou art hereby hindered in the wayes of godlinesse , and art decayed in thy zeale and courage for the truth . So that howsoeuer the Lord hath giuen thee thy desire , in deliuering thee from the hands of thine enemies yet he hath sent leannesse into thy soule , and that little which thou seemest to haue had , is taken away from thee , thou hast reioyced too much , and hast wilfully ryoted thy stock , which might haue serued thee all thy life long . Certainely , if wee shall but once learne how to reioyce aright , it will be a bountifull stock to maintaine vs all our liues , not onely when God doth giue , ( wherein vsually the wicked doe reioyce ) but euen when God doth take away , which is the most excellent triall of an holy and constant ioy . Examine therefore thy selfe on the other side , by the other extreame , how thou mayest reioyce too little , in this deliuerance and so for want of vessels the oyle may cease . Surely if thou doest so onely reioyce in this deliuerance , cōferred vpō thee as that thou art not of Moses mind , that all the Lords people may be partakers thereof : That thou doest not wish withall , a generall and finall deliuerie of the Church of God out of all her troubles , Nay , doest not labour in thy calling , the conuersion of thy brother , that he may be deliuered from the bondage of Sathan : thy reioycing is too short , as wanting both faith in the promises of God , yea and loue also , in not prouoking others to be partakers thereof ? nay if thou art not so glad of the blessing which thou hast receiued , as that , though it doe not euery way answer thine expectation , yet thou canst submit thy selfe , vnto the measure that God hath allotted thee , & vsing the present good vnto the glory of thy God , thou shalt waite with patience the increase thereof , not grudging at that little which thou hast in respect of others , but wisely considering how little thou hast deserued , yet also doest thou reioyce too little , because thou doest not reioyce in God , submitting thy selfe to his will : nay further , yet to sound thy conscience , if thou doest so onely reioyce in the blessing thou hast receiued , as that thou art not prepared in thy heart to vndergoe the contrarie , if thy God haue a purpose to trie thee by the same : surely yet thy reioycing is too short , as not proceeding from true contentation , aswell to want , as to abound . Againe , if thou shalt so reioyce in the good thou hast receiued , as not to be emptied in thy selfe , wholy in the conceit of thine owne worthinesse , and to acknowledge that thou art so farre frō deseruing this blessing , as that nothing is due vnto thee , but shame and confusion of thy face : that thou hadst had thy desert if the enemy had preuailed , and God might haue beene glorified in thy iust confusion , because thou hast continually rebelled against him . Surely yet also thy reioycing is too short , as being not seasoned with true humility , for want whereof it shal be taken frō thee . Lastly , if thou canst so onely reioyce in the blessing thou hast receiued , as not to see further by the same , into the blessings of the life to come , that so thy ioy in this deliuerance , may bee a pledge vnto thee of that full cup of ioy which shall tunne ouer in thy finall deliuerance , out of all thy troubles , so that the sight of that ioy ( though it be a far off ) shall yet so rauish thy heart with the feeling thereof , as that it shall vtterly drowne , and swallow vp all sense of present ioy , for any present blessing whatsoeuer , euen yet also thy ioy is too short , as being a blind and fading ioy , which cannot see a farre off , and indeed the portion which God hath giuen thee in this life , that so thou mayest not share with the godly in the life to come . Oh consider this , wee that haue beene partakers of his great deliuerance , whether it hath wrought in our hearts such ioy which shall neuer be taken away from vs. Certenly if we shall thus reioyce , we shall reioyce in the Lord , and then it followeth that we shall also trust in him , our ioy shall be the meanes to confirme our fayth , and our faith , shall be the meanes to confirme our ioy , that no man shal be able to take it away from vs. It followeth . And shall trust in him . Lohere the sauing effect of all Gods mercies in his children , they shall cause vs to trust and waite vpon our God , as beeing the onely testimonie of our right in these blessings , beeing the most excellent try all of our true ioy in thē , Being a liuely euidence , that they are sanctified to vs , & by experience of Gods mercy confirming our faith for the time to come : for neither haue we any right in Gods mercies , vnlesse wee receiue by faith , neither can we truely reioyce in them , vnlesse by faith we giue the glory vnto God for them neither though we haue right vnto them , shall they yet be sanctified vnto vs , vnlesse they be matter for the confirmation of our faith . As therefore we haue beene taught how to temper our ioy that it may bee matter how to increase our faith : so let vs learne in a worde how to irye our faith , that so it may bee meanes of the increase of our ioy , that the end of our faith , may be the accomplishment of our ioy in the full saluation of our soules for euer . There are the notes to trye our faith by . Is thy heart fixed and setled on God ? then surely , there is no euill which thou shalt not vndercome , there is no good thing which thou shalt not be maister of . The euils that do vsually assault our faith are of two sorts , the first are such as are simply euil , and these are such temptations and sinnes that hang so fast vpon vs. The second are such things as beeing not euill in themselues are yet notwithstanding either by opinion or vse made euill vnto vs , those which are good in themselues , and yet euill by opinion , are such punishments and afflictions as from time to time , are inflicted vppon vs. These which being good in themselues are made euill by abuse , are the temporal blessings of this life , as riches , honour , and such like : And to these in some sort may be referred the things that are called indifferent . Wouldst thou nowe try thy selfe whether thou bee in the faith or no ? Examine first thy selfe by thy conquest , or sinne . If thou sayest , thou hast no sinne , thou deceiuest thy selfe . Trie therefore thy selfe by thy victories ouer sinne . Doth sinne assault thee & Satan intice , behold here is the victory of thy faith , that thou consentest not to that wicked one . Doest thou consent vnto sinne and art deceiued by it ? yet heere is the victory of thy faith , that thou runnest not willingly with thy full consent , but art drawne violently against the law of thy mind . Hast thou committed the sinne , and doest lie for a time in it ? yet here is the victory of thy faith , thou shalt be roused out of it . Not so much by the touch of thy conscience ( for that is common to the wicked ) as by the power of the spirit which wil raise thee vp againe . Doest thou fall againe into the same sinnes ? yet behold herein is the victory of thy faith , they are not thy sinnes ( because it is not thou , but sinne that dwelleth in thee ) Nay , they are not the same sinnes , neither the same in quality , as hauing lost much of their former force . Neither the same in operations , working lesse hurt . Doest thou desire to bee freed from all sinne ? Doest thou grone vnder the burthen , and cry out ? O wretched man that thou art , who shall deliuer thee from this body of sinne ? Behold heere is a meane victory of thy faith . Be it vnto thee according as thou beleeuest , Corruption in due time , shal be cloathed with Corruption . Thus maiest thou trye thy faith by thy sinnes , and in the seuerall victories thereof , confirme thy selfe therein , not by each of them seuerally , but by all of them in degrees : As the Lord , shall lead thee along in the experience of these conquests . As for those euils which are so conceiued in the world , namely the euills of afflictions , which are iustly lead vpon thee . Examine the victory of thy faith ouer these , euen by these rules . Art thou a christian , and is affliction thy portion ? Let this be the first triall of thy faith , to prepare thy soule vnto them : Put it in thy reckoning , if thou wilt liue godly in Christ Iesus , that thou must necessarily suffer great afflictions . Art thou entred into the combate , and wouldst thou haue a triall of a conquest ? First submit thy selfe willingly vnder the mighty hand of GOD , that thou maiest witnesse thy submission , be are paciently what thy Lord hath laid vpon thee that thy patience may bee exercised , Lay voluntary afflictions vpon thy selfe , follow thy calling euen in thy greatest troubles . Giue not thy bodie to fretting at the prosperity of others , but fall to examining thy selfe , why it is thus with thee . Hauing found out the cause eyther Sinne , or Tryall ; If sinne bee the cause by repentance remoue it : If Tryall bee the cause , to make experience of Gods graces in thee , examine thy selfe , againe how thou hast vsed the blessings of GOD , see whether some rust of negligence or corruption , hath not fastned vpon thee : If thou shalt find it so , yeeld thy selfe willingly to the tryall , follow thy GOD in purging out thy drosse , so at length thy righteousnesse shall breake out as the light , and thy wel doing as the noone day . And thus shall thy faith triumph in all these troubles , Though thou art afflicted , yet shalt thou not bee in distresse ; persecuted thou maiest bee ; but thou shalt not be forsaken , cast downe thou shalt bee , and yet thou shalt not perish , die thou doest continually , and yet behold thou liuest ; neuer free from sorrow , and yet alwaies reioycing , beeing poore thy selfe , and yet making manie rich , hauing nothing , and yet possessing all things , though the outward man perish , yet thy inward man is renewed dayly , and these light afflictions which are but for a moment causeth vnto thee a farre more excellent and eternall weight of glory . Thus shalt thou not onely in affliction , be more then a Conquerour , through the Supporting hand of GOD giuing testimony vnto thyne innocencie , euen in the face of thine enemies But further also by trusting in GOD thou shalt be deliuered out of them all , not onely from such snares as are layde to intrappe thee in this life , but through faith thou shalt in the ende , haue a full conquest ouer them all : GOD shall wipe away all teares from thine eies , there shal be no more death , nor sorrowe , nor crying . For GOD shall tread Sathan , and all thine enemies vnder thy feete . Lo heere the victory of thy faith ouer all thy troubles , by which thou mayest try thy selfe whether thou art in the faith or no. As thy faith , ( if it be found ) will vphold thee in all thy troubles , that thou sincke not vnder them , and deliuer thee also , so farre out of them , in this life , as shall stand with Gods glory and thine , especial aduantage , so will it not leaue thee , till it haue freed thee from all thy troubles , and offered thee vp in marriage for euer vnto thy bridgrome Christ Iesus . Thus shall thy faith inable thee to triumphe ouer all afflictions , and so shall it teach thee the right vse of these outward things that so they may not bee snares and euills vnto thee . It shall teach thee first to rate them at their iust and true value , neither so to ouerprize them , as to thinke none like vnto them , as Esau did , that so wee may loose the better blessings : Neither so to vnderrate them as not to account them the good blessings of GOD , for which wee must not giue accoumpt at the daye of the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Our faith hauing taught vs to giue them their true worth , will heereby also direct vs , for the holy obtaining of them , both in respect of the right order ( which is to be obserued therein ) as also in the meanes , that must further vs to the same , and also in the measure of our seeking these blessings : concerning the order , it hath this rule out of the word . First seeke the kingdom of heauen & the righteousnesse therof , and all other things shall be cast thereunto . Whereby wee are taught , as to seeke , first the best things that so wee may haue a right in these : so not to neglect these things altogither , though now they shal be cast vpon vs , vpon presumption of Gods prouidence , if wee follow the better : but to remember we haue a calling to be imployed in , and supplied also by these things , which if we neglect , we are worse then infidells , which we must follow that we may be humbled thereby . So hath GOD disposed the obtaining of these things , and so is faith guided in the right order , of procuring of thē . The triall is that . 1. our seeking of these things do not hinder our enioying of the better . 2 that though God hath allotted vs ( as we may foolishly imagine ) six dayes for these things , & but one for the other , yet we imploy more time in seeking the things of the soule , thē the things of the body ; yea indeede in the seeking of these outward things which concerne this life , we may haue this testimonie , as that we shal in these seeke onely greater things . And herein our faith doeth helpe vs exceedingly , as both assuring vs that wee seeke these thinges not for themselues ; no not so much for our owne vse as for Gods glory ( whose good blessings they are ) and therefore , that wee may yeeld obedience to his commandements : and not despise his blessings . Therfore , wee accompt them worth the seeking , and also in the seeking of them , thus resoluing our consciences that we seeke them not for themselues to rest in them , but that they may bee stepps vnto vs for greater blessings , euen such as do concerne the saluation of our soules . Thus doeth our faith teach vs to seeke them in a right order : and so enableth vs to ouercome hereby many dangerous euills , that in our prepoststerous seeking of these things doe vsually ouertake vs , and thereby makes these good blessings euill vnto vs. For hereby as idlenesse and negligence is condemned , euen in those that thinke they haue a priuiledge hereunto , in regard of a more excellent calling , whereby they either faile in the obtaining of these things , or els haue them cast vpon them as a curse , and not a blessing : so the false ground hereof ( euen presumption in Gods prouidence ) is also wisely reiected , hereby faithlesse and greedie hunting after these things , is also conuinced , whereby innocent●and ●and so the bloud of the poore b●ing in our houses , bring a curse both vpon them and the owners thereof : yea , further also , this euill followeth herevpon ; that ouer hastie getting , shall be punished with two slow spending : wee , which were so distrustfull in getting , shal be as faithlesse in keeping : both for loue of that , which wee haue got , and for loue also vnto our selues , whereby fearing want , ( where there is such fulnesse ) wee therefore depriue our selues of the present comfort : either vpon a malicious ioy , that we shall haue it when others do want , or vpon a desperate feare , that wee may heereafter want our selues . All which euills , as verie happilie , doeth our faith ouercome in guiding vs in the right order of seeking these blessings ( as heretofore hath beene showen ) so doeth it further also guide vs , in the true meanes , for the obtaining of them , and so ouercometh such euills as are incident heereunto . To this end it hath his rule from the giuer of all blessings , who teacheth vs to pray , Giue vs this day our daylie bread , thereby implying that as they are not ours but the free gift of God , so wee must seeke them as gifts , not in the confidence of our worthinesse , but in the affiance of Gods mercie . And in that we must pray for the obtayning of them , the Spirit signifieth , that as to the obtayning of them , wee must not onely vse bodyly labour , but Spirituall too ( as being the right and effectuall meanes to preuaile with our God for them ) and a testimonie also of our right and interest in them : so when wee haue obtained them ( as many are borne to great possessions , and therefore , because they haue them without bodily labour , therfore they care not for the other meanes to estate them truely in them ) yet also must we further intitle , and secure our estate in them , by spirituall meanes , as by prayer , and the word , being onely sanctified and so secured vnto vs. Whereby it shall come to passe , that seeking them by these true and holy meanes , either wee shall obtaine what wee seeke , or what is answerable vnto it , to the glory of God , and our greater aduantage : by which we shall learne , if we haue not these things , not to condemne God , but our selues , as hauing not vsed the right meanes in obtaining them : and if wee haue them , seeing they are kept by the same meanes that they are gotten ; therefore we shall also learne to preserue them by prayer , and such spirituall meanes : whereby wee may both be blessed in the true vse of them , and also assured of the continuance of them , so farre as they shall make for our good , and the glorie of God. Thus doth thy faith enable thee to preuent these euils : and thus doth it also guide thee , in the true measure of seeking these things : that liuing by faith & not by sence , & thereby finding , that life consisteth not in aboundance , but in the blessing of God , we shall so seeke these things in their true qualitie , as they are fitte and agreeable vnto our natures and callings : and wee shall also seeke them in their true measure , such as may stand with our callings , necessities , and present occasions ; yet subordinated to an holy care of our posteritie , and the speciall prouidence of God , watching so alwayes ouer vs , that if he haue giuen vs his sonne , he will also together with him , giue vs all these things : and contenting our selues , with that right wee haue in them , that though all are not fitte for vs , yet all are ours , to bee in such measure supplyed vnto vs , as may iustifie aboundantly our right in them , and make them pledges vnto vs of greater blessings . Thus doth our faith direct vs in the right seeking of these blessings , concerning the qualitie and measure thereof , and so teacheth vs to ouercome many euils , which for want of this true proportion wee fall into , and so make these blessings euill vnto vs : not onely that euill desire of money , ( which is the roote of all euill , and makes thy riches a pitte to drowne thee in ) but further also , the cause of this euill , namely the ignorance of thy selfe , and what is fit for thee , yea further also , the fruite of this euill , euen selfe-loue of thy selfe , as conceiuing thy selfe worthy of the best , and therefore thou wilt seeke with the best , why shouldst not thou haue as much as hee : wherevpon follow two other euills , Enuie against thy neighbour , ( whose portion is fatter then thine , ) and murmuring against GOD , that in thy opinion deales not so bountifully with his childe , as with prophane Esau. All these temptations , thy faith maketh thee to ouercome ; and yet further directeth thee to vse the blessing ; It teacheth thee to vse it , not to bury it in the ground , because it was giuen thee to that end : In respect of thy selfe , it teacheth thee to vse it soberly , euen so to vse it as though thou vsed it not , making it thy seruant for thy better occasions , and not thy maister , eyther by too sparing , or ryotous abuse of it : In respect of others , it teacheth thee to cast thy bread vpon the waters , plentifully to distribute , and yet not without hope of requitall , though not from man ( for this were to liue by sense ) yet from a bountifull GOD , whereby wee approue our selues truely to liue the life of faith . And that wee may vndoubtedly binde the Lord vnto vs , beholde here a further power of faith , teaching vs as to bee contented with what wee haue , so to returne the glorie thereof in thankefulnesse vnto our GOD. By which wee shall not onely auoide distrustfull care in the keeping , and feare for the losse of these earthly and transitorie things , ( Two euills that doe make our possession theft , and which turnes our enioying into sorrow ) but further also , wee shall not feare to giue vp our account for them , as hauing laid vp in store a good foundation for our selues by them , against the time to come , whereby we may obtaine eternall life . And that nothing may be wanting for our full comfort herein : as by faith , we are taught to vse these blessings aright , so by scattering thus the blessings that the Lord hath bestowed vpon vs , on our selues soberly , on others plentifully , on our God thankfully , the holy Ghost witnesseth , that wee shall haue plentie , and aboundance ; the oyle in the cruse , and the meale in the battell shall not be wasted , vntill the Lord bring thee to that plentie , where there shall bee no more neede of these things Thus shall thou fight , the good fight of faith , against all the difficulties that may assault thee , in these outward things , and so ouercoming such euilles as by abuse they are incident vnto , that little which thou hast , shall be better then great riches of the vngodly , as being a furtherance vnto thee , of that durable riches , and neuer fading honour which remaines with , thee for euer in the kingdome of heauen . And now enlarge thy heart , and consider yet further the wonderfull conquests of thy faith : What good thing is there , which heauen and earth doeth afford , which is not ours by the power of a liuely faith ? What should I tell you of the creatures of GOD ? the Creator himselfe is ouercome by faith . Howe doeth the prayer of the faithfull preuaile , if it be feruent ? are the heauens opened and shut by faith ? Yea , hell it selfe , and all the powers thereof are subiect thereunto . Is this the victorie of our faith , that it ouercometh the world ? Nay , herein behold the glorious conquest thereof that it ouercometh him , that made the world . Let me alone ( saith God vn●o Moses ) where he p●aied vnto him for the people : So strongly had Moses tied the Lord vnto him by his faithfull prayer . What can wee desire more ? Behold heere the victorie of faith , and learne to try thy selfe by these things , whether this deliuerance hath confirmed thy faith in God , whether thou bee in the , faith , or no ? And for our further triall and conclusion of these meditations consider wee , what the holy Ghost addeth . And all that are vpright in heart shall reioyce . Therein ( as I take it ) giuing vs a notable touchstone to discerne that true righteousnesse which is of faith , namely by the soundnes and vprightnesse of the heart . So doth the spirit describe those that are truel● righteous & so may true righteousnesse best be iudged , euen frō the soūdnes & sincerity of the heart , for as the heart is that which principally God requires as knowing that if it be giuen vp vnto him , the rest will follow . So is it that , which first he fittes , that it may be yeelded vp vnto him , as an acceptable sacrifice vnto his Maiestie , by purifiing the same by faith , through the Ministerie of the word . And seeing the heart is the fountaine , and originall of all our actions , therefore the fountaine being purged , the streames must needes be pure , and though happily ( through imperfection ) they may in part be polluted , yet seeing the fountaine is purged , therefore certenly shall the streames one day bee clensed also , and in the meane time wee shall bee accepted , not according to the streame of our outward actions , but answerable to the fountaine , euen the purpose of our hearts . And surely seeing we haue heerein onely boldnesse before GOD , ene●y the testimonie of our conscience , that it doeth not condemne vs : and this , not so much in regard of the present puritie thereof ( which is imperfect ) as in that by faith wee still lay hold vpon Iesus Christ , in whome onely we haue boldnesse to approach the throne of grace , and by whome we are assured of full perfection . And seeing , wee can haue no comfort in what wee doe , nor incouragement to goe forward , vnlesse wee haue the approbation of our conscience for the same , if now our righteousnesse should only bee measured by the outward action , and not by the inward purpose of the heart , what boldnesse could wee haué before GOD ? seeing our best righteousnesse so measured is as a menstrous cloath . What comfort could wee haue in our outward well doing , seeing , our vines bring forth so small grapes ? Besides this , howe should I cleare my self from the note of hypocrisie , if I had not an euidence frō my heart , to iustifie my sinceritie , seeing the hypocrite may for a time make a fairer shew then possiblely the sound Christian ? Nay howe shall I bee established against such slanders and reproches , as are fastned vpon me ? how possibly shall I not sinke vnder the burden of these imputations , if my righteousnesse were onely measured by my good name , ( which is procured by my outward actions , ) and not by the sincerity of my heart in the sight of God ? Oh this is it that makes the children of God not to esteeme to bee iudged of men , because their hearts are cleare , they know nothing by themselues : this makes them to disclame the verdict of men , in the court of the world , and to flie to the approbation of the Lord in the court of their consciences . By which as deceiuers in the opinion of men , yet they are true in the sight of God , their conscience bearing them witnesse of the sinceritie of their outward action , though it bee mingled with much corruption , and performed with much weakenesse . So the sinceritie of their heart , doeth not onely approue them , in the sight of God , but doeth also imbolden them , euen against the forces of men , that so they may not be discouraged in their greatest weakenesse , but the power of their sound conscience approuing what is done , doeth thereby prouoke them to a further measure of well doing , that so hauing finished their course with ioy , they may in the end attaine that crowne of glory which is laid vp for them , which Iesus Christ the iust shall giue them at that day . Behold here the euidence of this truth , concerning the triall of our righteousnesse , namely , the foundnesse and sinceritie of our hearts . If now hauing proued a soūd heart , to be the touchstone of true righteousnesse , a further triall shall bee required howe this sound heartmay bee knowne : surely , seeing the heart of man is deceitfull aboue al things , who can know it , and the searching thereof , doeth onely belong to God , therefore as we dare not vndertake herein any certen determination concerning the hearts of others , yet because the Lord doth vouchsafe vs the assurance of our saluation in this life , the test mony whereof especially proceedeth from the spirit of God , witnessing vnto our spirits that we are his children : as by this we are sure of the soundnesse of our owne hearts , so do we not want many excellent markes of this inward sincerity . Wouldst thou therfore know whether thy heart be sincere or no ? Consider first the meanes whereby it is purged , namely by faith , applying vnto vs the blood of Christ Iesus , and ●eeing that faith comes by hearing , and hearing by the word of God : Therefore if thou wouldst haue a testimony of the ground worke of sincerity in thy heart , thou must be sure to fetch it from the power of the word . Nowe that thou maiest haue a testimony that thy heart is purged by this meanes , obserue herein the operation of the word vpon thee : hath the word broken thy heart , and sent thee out of thy selfe , causing thee to hunger after Iesus Christ ? Behold he that inuites the broken heart to come vnto him , and promiseth our release of that heauy burden , is now ready to entertaine thee , and will reioyce thy heart by his gratious presence : Nowe shalt thou bee at peace with God , and reioyce in the spirit , and this ioy shall no man take away . Art thou in Christ Iesus rooted , & grounded in him now shalt thou grow vp in newnesse of life , If thy heart beleeue to righteousnesse , thy mouth shall also confesse to saluation , and thy whole life shal be a sacrifice of obedience vnto GOD. Thou shalt be zealous for thy GOD , without guile in thy calling , humble in thy carriage , patient in thy troubles , tender hearted vnto thy brethren : charitable vnto thine enemies : Constant shalt thou be , in thy profession , and yet fearefull of thy standing : Thou shalt reioyce in the Saints , and be grieued at the wicked : obedient shalt thou be vnto authority , & yet preferre God before men : desirous of death in respect of thy sin , and yet willing to liue in respect of others , not standing at a stay in these things , but still growing in grace , not wedded to the world , but stil waining thy selfe from it , that so in the end thou maiest be deliuered out of the same . Thus shalt thou be able to try the soundnesse of thy heart by the meanes and seuerall fruits thereof , and thus if thy heart bee right , shalt thou reioyce in Gods mercies as being very gratious recōpences of thy syncerity in this life , and very vndoubted pledges vnto thee of euerlasting happines , in the life to come . Euen so Lord , may all that are true in heart , re●oyce in thy mercies , which thou hast shewen vnto vs in this great deliuerance , as in an vndoubted euidence , that thou art yet good vnto Israel , so also a certaine assurance that thou wilt neuer faile vs nor forsake vs , but will deliuer thy Church out of all her troubles . That the assurance hereof quieting our hearts in thee , wee may not bee troubled with any euill tidings , but continuing constant in our holy profession , euen in the greatest rage of all thine and our aduersaries , we may cheerefully runne the race that is set before vs , that hauing fought the good fight of faith , & ha uing finished our course , we may in thy good time , reape the fruit of our labours , and being taken away from the euils to come , may for euer be ioyned with our head Christ Iesus , To whom with thine owne maiesty , and God the the blessed spirit , be rendred and ascribed of vs , and of thy whole Church , all honour , praise , dominion , power , and maiestie , with all humble and hearty thanksgiuing now and for euermore . Amen . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A19281-e940 VVicked , suddaine , and and fearelesse in treasons . Because they vse many policies thereunto . In that this sin beeedeth feare . 1. Sam. 24. 2. Sam. 1. 15. Foure Policies of the wicked to giue them encouragement in their mifchiefes . 1. Leagues and Confederacies . 2. Secrecie . 3. Varietie of Plots . 4. Confidence and presumption of good successe . The godly on the contrarie , feare the worst . These contrary effects make away to the manifestation of Gods mercy and iustice . Psa. 50. 15. 1. Thes. 5. 3. VVhich is most wonderfully discouered in cōfounding these seuerall policies of the wicked . 1. Their deliberat plotting is confounded by sudden defeature . 2. Their manifold snares with one terrible blow . Psa. 12. 4. 4. Their Confederacies scattered . Here followeth the vse that is made thereof . 1. Generall , All men shall see it . 2. Shall declare it . 3. Vnderstand it to be Gods doing . 2. Particular to the saints . 1. To reioyce . 2. To trust in God. 1. Obseruation The wicked strengthen and encourage thēselues in their wickednesse , and why ? 4. Ephes. 19. 1. Thess. 5. 3. Two sorts of meanes , wherby the wicked doe encourage themselues . Carnall , and they are two . Leagues and Confederacies . Psa. 2. 2. Psa. 83. 3. So let vs strengthen our selues against thē . Iudg. 1. 3 2. Carnall meanes are gifts and rewardes . Leut. 16. 19. Num. 22. 18. Mat. 26. This teacheth libe ality to good purposes . Mat. 23. Least the wicked condemn vs. Math. 26. Exod. 32. A third carnall meanes , is hope of Honor & prefermēt . Genes . 3. 45. 3. Ioh. 9. Use. 1. 2. Teaching vs to seeke heauē as carefully in wel-doing , as these hunt sha dowes with sinne . 2. Cor. 14. 17. Least otherwise they be our Iudges . Spirituall encouragements to resolue the conscience . Being indeed but strong delusions of Satan . 2. Cor. 4. 1. Thess. 3. Esay . 5. 1 , Rom. 28. Ioh. 16. 2. And Antichrist . 1 That it is lawfull . 2. Nay meritorious . 3. Of extraordinarie glorie to murther Princes . 1. Iustified by Buls . 2. Dispensations . And bound thereto . 1. By Oathes . 2. Vowes . 3. Sacrament . Learne hence to haue the conscience rightly informed . Rom. 14. 1 By the word . 2. Thess. 3. 2 And obedi● therevnto . 2. Thess. 2. Take wee heed of such cloakes and feare wee not such curses . Psa. 910. 28. But detest wee the religion and power of Roome . A second poli cy of secrecit . Rom. 13. 12. Ioh. 3. 20. That which sinne delights in . Mat. 25. To auoyd shame . Ioh. 24. And punishment . That which Satan espe●ia●● labours , either That notheing punished here , may receiue it wages in bell . Treshams Letter to the Lord Mounteagle . As did the Iewes . And so doe our aduersaries carrie their mischiefs secretly . 1. Least they which professe humilitie should openly be taxed with pride and ambition . 2. Least they which professe holinesse , should be openly charged with such horrible impietie . That they delight in secrecie , appeareth in their weapons . In the manner of their inquisition . Their incorporating of their Canon law into the lawes of nations . To cloake their wickednes by lawes of the state . Their secrecie● further is discouered in their weapōns VVhich are 3. 1 Sorcerie . 2. Poysoning . 3. Gunpowder . Prooued by their weapon of poysoning . In the tempering thereof , that it may not kill speedilie . Infecting holy things therewith , that so not s 〈…〉 specting danger , wee might be the sooner and yet more secretly deceiued . Learne here by the way what account and to what vse se●ue their holy things . Proued se 〈…〉 ōdly by their weapons of Gunpowder . And thirdly by thei 〈…〉 weapons of secrecy and en●hauntments . So haue they labour ed secretlie when the fact is done , to auoyd the hatred & punishment . 1 Here the cloakes are pretences of religion . 2 Impudent denying and forswearing . 3 Threatning . 4. Refusing of oathes . 5. changing of our names . 6. apparell . 7. Putting on of Visors . 8. Laying the fault on the weakest , and accusing true religion so the fact of supers●●tion . Psa. 75. 1. Psa. 18. 52. 1 Learne here , not to iudge by the shew , but the substance . 2 Nor to feare their secrecie . Psa. 27. 5. 3 So that wee do not wilfully shut our eyes , or blindfold Gods workes . 4 Nor Imitate this policy in our secret cariage of our owne sinne . VVhatsoeuer cloaks we may haue for the same . Seeing they will deceiue vs. Luk. 8. 17. Ia. 5. 2. Ezech. 8. 12. As did the Babilonians the Iewes Ezech. 23. Rather let vs make God our hiding place by true repentance . Psa. 127. Psa. 21. So shall he either discouer , or deliuer vs out of the secret snares of our enemies . Psal. 11. Exod. 5. Ezech. 8. 12. Psa. 10. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Tim. 2. Psal. 124. 2. 3. A third policie of multiplying snares . And that very dangerous . 1. Sam. 27. This is ro●e● polic●e , b●t vsed of ola by the wi●ked against the godly . As by Saul against Dauid . 1. Sam. 16. 14 23. 1. Sam. 18. 11 , 17. 1. Sam. 24. 24 By Satan and his instrumēts against Dauids Lord. Math. 4. 5. Math. 6. 15. Ioh. 10. 31. Math. 22. 17. Math. 27. Math. 26. Math. 12. Math. 22. Luk. 22. Math. 27. Ioh. 19. And by our adversaries against vs in this conspiracie . Esay . 9. VVhat doth this teach vs. 1. The nature of the wicked frui●full and restlesse in sin . Prou. 4. 16. Mich. 2. 1. Ierem. 2. 2. To trie our selues whither this nature be changed in vs. 1. Ioh. 1. 8. Psa. 103. 3. 4. Eph. 19. Rom 7. 22. 20. vers . Iob. 39. 38. 3. To be plentifull in good workes , not to bee wearie of well doing . Psa. 37. 15. Psa. 9. 15. The fourth policie of the wi●ked namely 〈◊〉 confidence and p●esum●t on of good s●ccesse . and why ? So did Dauids enemies . Psal. 35. Psal. 41. Psal. 71. Psal. 14. 6. Ps. 22. 8. So did Senacharib . Esay . 36. So did the mother of Sisera . Iudges . 5. So haue our aduersaries been confident as by The like Practizes in 1588. A●d their practizes at this time appeareth . The●r insolencie before the day . Preparations as if the●r mischiefe r●e●e a●complished . The reasons of this the●r confidence . Resolution of conscien●e . 2 Apprehensiō of the cause . 3 Approbatiō of it , from their holy Father . 4 The notable contriuing of their mischeifes in such strength , secrecie , and variety . 5 Aboue all iustice of God iu giuing them vp to this confidence to their more fearefull confusion . 2. Sam. 17. 2● And therefore let vs not be amated at this confidence of the wicked . But admire the power and wisedome of God herein . And learne we hereby , to trie our standine in grace . To be confi . dent in wel-doing . Heb. 10. 32. Ioel. 3. 13. To looke for the confusion of the wicked , when we see them thus confident . 2. King. 6. 17. Exod. 14. As being a certaine token offered vnto vs by the Lord to discerne the confusion of our enemies . Prou. 16 , 8. Notes for div A19281-e8170 This is the second part of the Scripture , describing vnto vs the defeature of their practises and confounding of the enemies . First , from the Author hereof almightie God. Rom. 13. 4. Prou. 21. 30. Hence haue Kings a notable comfort , that God will maintaine his owne calling . Psa 30. 1. Psa. 75. 7. Psal. 144. And are hereby taught that they are vnder God. And being excluded his protection are subiect to the malice of the meanest . And therefore should learne to kisse the sonne , to keepe themwithin Gods protection . And to vse their authoritie , vnder God to the punishmen of sinne . And then shall they be sure , vnder shadow of his wings . And their enemies shall in due time be met withall . VVhen their finne is ripe , 1. Kin. 2. 34. in the time of vengeance . Let Oppressors , and all blood suckers , read their successe , in the Booke of this prouidenee . Prou. 21. 1. Let all male-contents , and presumptuous opposites , take heed how they abuse the patience and clemencie of gouernement . The second circumstance in the defeature of the eenemie , leading vs to the wisedome and power of God , in the manner of defeature . As first by sounding their warie , and long hatched treasons , with his sunaeden geance . As he hath done of old . And why ? Heb. 12. 8. 1. To shew that he punisheth the wicked in anger . Psa. 2. 5. 2. To pledge vnto the wicked in temporal Plagues , eternall punishments . Heb. 10. 27. 3. For the good of the elect . Rom. 8. 29. In whome securitie is preuented , and comfort , giuen in their troubles by this difference , betwixt the godly & the wicked herein . 1 Here 's a lesson for careles and presumtuous sin●●rs to feare asuddain surprizall . To remember suddaine coming of Christ. 2 Here we may learne . 1 Not to feare suddaine iudgments if we be prepared . 2 Not to put of our repen tance till death . 3 To wish that we may see the plague before it cometh . Confidence in sinne makes euerie Iudgement sudden , and feare of sinne makes no Iudgement suddaine . 1. Thes. 3. 5. A second circumstance , describing the maner of Gods wisedome , in the defeature of the enemie . Namely , meting with their manifold practises with one blow or stroake of his vengeance . 1. To confound their policie herem . 2. And to destroy them more fearfully . So hath the Lord threatned . And so hath he executed . 1 Nah. 12. And so especially hath he met with this sin of treason . In Cora , Dathan , and Abiram . Num. 16 , 29. Ver. 32. Absalon . 2 Sam. 18. 19. 14. 1 King. 2. 27. Let Traytors thinke hereaf in the pride of their manifold practices . Psa. 14. That so they may regaine Gods fauour in their obedience to his ordinance . Lest the Lord confound thē in the things they most trust in . A third degree of Gods iustice , against the wicked , confounding their secrecie from their owne mouths . Prou. 11. 8. Pro. 11. 8. So doth the Lord threatē . ●sa . 7. And so hath he executed . Hesth . 7. Sam. 1. 17. And thus shall the Lord make away to his further acknowledgment . Psa. 9. 16. And the wickeds further confusion . So dealt he against the late conspi●ators . Confess . VVinte● . Lo here the equity of Gods iustice . Eccle. 10. 13. Let malecontents take heed of the secret thoughts or practices against the King , seing their owne tongues shall discouer them . Let Athiests learne , that there tongues are not their owne but that their is a God that o●er●rules them . Ier. 3. vers . 25. vers . 23. Let Papists hate the darknes that hath th●s deceiued them . As for the Sa●nts of God , let them not fearethe secret policies of the wicked . Nor close with them . But resist them And then they shall fall , euen with their owne waight . A fourth meanes of the wisedome of God , in confounding the leagues and confederacies of the wicked , by scattering and dispersing them . Not onely the Actors in the mischiefe , but the spectators also . So hath it been in former time . Iosu. 5. 1. 1. Sam. 15. 51 So hath the holy Ghost witnessed of Egypt , Rome , Ashur , &c. Ezek. 31. Reuel . 18. Esay . 13. 14. And that iustly , because they labour the dissoluing of the Communion of Saints . Learne wee hence , that no confederacie can preuaile against God. Pro. 1. But to delight in the Lord & in his saints . Psa. 142. 7. Psa. 38. 11. Notes for div A19281-e10950 a Here beginneth the vse that is to he made of great Deliueran●es . b First they shall open the eyes of all men . c Euen of Carnallmen . d And of the Sa●nts much more , whose eye of f●●th , dimmed by afflictions : e is now cleared by this Deliuerance . a As remouing such temptations as do hinder it wh●ch are . Psal. 106. 7. b I want of vnderstanding what God hath done for vs , misunderstanding in the c nature or d measure of the blessing Psal. 49. 20. e VVe may be discouered not to vnderstand what God hath done for vs by these symptomes 1. by saying wherein . 1. Mal. 4. 2. By seing only with the lest eye . Gen. 25. 30. Psa. 4. 6. f This a common disease of Carnal Ghospellers . g And a fearefull iudgement . Psa. 73. 6. h 3. Token of no● vnderstanding is forgotfulnes . Psa. 78. 11. Lame , 3. 23. i The daunger thereof . a Two-fold . 1. VVe shall not be able to make any good vse of the blessings we obtaine . Ierm 17. 6. b Math. 25. 28. 2. VVe shal haue them taken away from vs , & insteed of them , shal be recompenced with Gods righteous Vengeance Esa. 26. 10. Pal. 94 1. Gen. 15. 2. c To preuent these euills , wee must not cease beholding of what the Lord hath done for vs. a and therather . Because this beholding . Psal. 11 1. 4 b VVill requite our paines aboundantly , as . c 1. Teaching vs to know God. Rom. 〈◊〉 . 19. Psal. 145. 8. d 2. To acknowledge him the giuer of them . e 3. To acknowledge our selues vnworthy receauers . f 4 That wee may giue him the glory in ●●asing our selues . g 5. And so aduaunce our selues to further blessings . Psal. 4. 1. h 6 Yea t●see by faith the greatest blessings 2. Pet. 1. 8. 1. Ion. 50. 1. Cor. 2. 1● . 1. Cor. 15. i And thus we shal in the greatnes of Gods mercies so apprehēd our vnworthynes as . Aba . 3. Y. a Thus acknowledging our selues vnworthy of the Least blessings we . Luk. 76. b Shal ouercome the second euill of misunderstanding the works of God. c 〈◊〉 . that they are not ours by merit but of srce mercie . Dan. 9. 7. e 2. That the measure which thou hast is fitest for thee as that which God hath allotted vnto thee . Psa. 37. f By this the things thou hast being sanctified . g 1. Shalbe continued 2. and be Pledges of further blessings . Ioh. 13. 1. Phi 6. a As for the wicked which haue their eyes opened to behold these blessings . b Their ignorance and Atheisme shal be conuinced hereby . c Yea their secrecie in continuing of their plots shall further be confoūdea in that their wickednes shall be apparant vnto all men . Fzech . 8. 12. psa . 84. Iob. 22. 1. Zeph. 1● . 3. Zeph. 5. 2. Sam. 12 , Psa. 14. 1. Tim. 1. 18. a And so they shal be without excuse . Esay 5. b And yet if they continue practising against the iust . Reue. 1 c Let them besure of vēgeance in due time . Math. 24. d As for vs that haue ben partakers of this great deliuerance , let vs take heede that the Atheist do not condemne vs. 2. Sam. 20. 12. Hesh . 8. 17. a 1. If wee labour not our vtmost that this worke may be s●ene . b 2 If we be not confirmed in the truth of religion and 1. Ioh. 41. d A second effect of great deliuerances . c If throughly wee shall behold this admirable work it will prouoke vs to speake thereof . 〈◊〉 vayleable to thankefulnes in the Godly & to make the wicked without excuse Psal. 116. 12. b So doth the spirit prophesie Psa. 34. 6. So haue the Saints martyrd Psal. 58. Psal 34. d And thereby confirmed themselues for the time to come . c So haue the saints practiced . Psa. 58. 9. 10. 2. Tim. 4. a And giuen glory to God. b Yea the mouthes of the wicked shal be opened also . Psa. 126. 4. c To acknowledg the greatnes of the worke . d 2. To cōsesse God therein and prescribe worship vnto him . Dan. 6. 1. Sam , 24. 18. e 3. To iustifie the Innocency of his seruants . 4. To prophecie & foretell in some sort the deliuerance of gods Children and their owne confusion . 1. Sam. 27. 2. 〈◊〉 . Sam. 24. 19. VVhich they do hasten by persecuting the Saints . Ioh. 12. 19. And therefore though we may be troubled and distracted by this encrease of the wickeds rage . 1 Sam 27. 1. Yet is it a certaine taken vnto vs that their time is but short . 12. Reu. 12. And their d●sperate do practises prophecy vnto vs that they feare the losse of their kingdome . Iho. 11. 47. 48. As appeareth by the like in the Iewes . VVho dealt thus against our sauio●r Christ. To the hastening of his glory and their owne confusion . Act. 2. 22. So doth GOD confound the wisdome of the wise . Our aduersaries in like sort deale against the flock of Christ. Because it threatens the ouerthrow of their carnall , and ambitious kingdom . Dan. 2. VVhich in deed is the true cause of al their quareles how soeuer they may pretend conscience and religion . As appeareth by their spoyling of Papists as wel as Protestants . But with as good successe as the Iewes . And therefore let vs not marvayle that the wickèd take this Course for the maintenance of their kingdom● . Math. 24. Neither let their desperate rage cast vs downe , but rather be meanes iustly to comfort vs ●n that it is a certen token of their imminent destruction . Esa. 37. 14 , Esay . 37. 14. Only let vs commend the cause to God and not doubet with these enemies . Andin due time the Lord will accomplish his worke . Hebr. 10. 37. 38 Psa. 58. 10. Trie wee our selues how this present deliuerance hath opened our mouths . Some mens mouthes haue bene shut vp . Some opened hereby to blaspheme God. If they belong vnto the liuing God that it m●y be an occasion to make them renounce their Idolatry . Some opened in vanitie to spend time in discoursing hereof . A●d yet all shall turne to Gods glory . Only labour wee to sound the depth of this practise . Math. 24. 1. That all mens mouthes may be open●d in destation thereof 2. To giue glory vnto God. 3. To iustitie the saints and so to ioyne with them . Ioh. 4. 42. 4. that now we may speake out of our owne experience & soatatine the true vnder standing thereof . VVithout which neither to behold them . Nor to declare them shall further vs. Psal. 118. 23. To true thankfullnes . But by vnderstanding the work we shal be able to measure our thankefulnes according . As hereby apprehending the goodnes of a blessing . By Particular knowledge . of the same . Rom. 14. 3. Eph. 18. And to this end the word hepeth excedingly . 2. Tim. 3. 16. 17. To vnderstand the greatnes of a deliuerance . VVhich implyeth 1. some greate daunger . 2. a recouerie out of it . The danger seen 〈◊〉 the weaknes of the meanes to resist . 2. in the power of the meanes that threatens . 3. in the impossi●ilitie of any meanes to deliuer . ●sal . 38. Psa. 142. Psa. 35. Such hath bene the state of the Church . As a birde in the snare . Psa. 124 6. Zach. 3. 3. A pray in the teeth . Abran pluckt out of the fire . As dead and dry ●onse . Ezec. 37. 4. 5. 6. And such was our daunger in the late entended conspiracy As appoynted as she pe to the slaughter . ●sal . 44. And suddne●lie to be s●a●std vpon . VVhich made our present state desperate . And might haue endangered our future estate And yet shal , if we make not vse of so great a deliuerance . Rom. 2. 4. Consider yet further the greatnes of the daunger . It was not the life of a priuate person . No not of the head alone . But head and tayle , roote and branches , all were shot at in the practise . Esay . 9. 44. Esay , 15. Iob. 4. 6. Consider yet further the greatnes of thy danger , In that thy enemie laboured to depriue the● of that whereby though thou hadst bene killed yet thou mightest haue liued still . 1. Cor. 15. 19. Iob. 13. 15. 20. 1 The testimony of thine innocencie . 2. The succession continuall of the Church . So was Iobs innocencie vnto him . Iob 27. 6. And 2. vers . Iob. 19. 17. So doeth God comfort his Church with the hope of continuall successiod . VVhich as it may aboundantly satisfie vs in our greatest dāgers and recompence our greatest troubles whatsoeuer : that we shal bee meanes of the reuiuing and continuing of the Church : So this is our triall whether wee be faithfull vnto our God , if for the good of the Church wee shall thus hazard our selues : to leaue it glorious to posterity . And herein appeared the diuellish malice of our aduersaries . VVhich with on blow would haue cut of both these comforts . 1. our Innocency 2. hope of posteritie . Both the royall seed the se ed of the word & the seed of the righteous . By this maiest thou comprehend the greatnes of the danger . Hearken now thou maiest vnderstand the greatnes of the deliuerance . By apprehending the true nature of a deliuerance which is as a creation . VVhereby all thinges together with thy selfe are newly restored . So shal each thing thou hast being newly giuen thee put thee in mind of the blessing . And further thy in ward renewing : That so thou maist be fit to reioyce in thy God for the blessing . And doth onely belong to the righteous , and why . Psa. 126. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 12. Ioh. 16. Psa. 41. 11. Psa. 4. 6. 1. Sam. 17. 2. Cor. 1. 10. Obad. 11. Psa. 126. 6. Eccl. 3. 1. Eccl. 7. 16. So hath God appointed . Psa. 50. 15. So haue the saints practised . Exod. 15. 1. 20. Iudg. 5. 1. Psal. 18. Hest. 8. 9. So hath man for the time to come institude dayes ioy and thanksgiuing Ion. 3. 2. Chor. 28. Hest. 9. 17. Ioh. 10. Extraordinary occasions may take some liberty herein keeping themselues with in their bounds . 1. Cor. 7. Because our ioy must be in the Lord. 4 Phil. 4. Gal. 5. 11. Gal. 6. 5. This shall be knowne if we keepe a right order and measure therein . Rom. 8. 32. A good order is keept by 1. deriuing our ioye from the fountaine to the streame and 2. returning it from the streame vnto the fountaine againe . That God may be first and last in our ioy . Phil. 3. 7. Reu. 1. 8. 2. By reioycing principally in such blessings as are neerest to the fountaine . Such are the blessings of the right hand , all spirituall graces and the meanes thereof . 2. Sam. 19. 24. Vers 30 Thus must we try our selues by this deliuerance . Psa. 137. 6. Least preferring Carnall things before spirituall blessings . VVe make the curses vnto vs. And procure that they shal be taken away . 1. King. 5. 6. Math. 6. 33. Math. 6. 33. Math. 25. And make vs such friends euen of these out ward things , as that they shall further vs to euerlasting habitations . 1. Cor. 15. Luk. 6. 38. VVhich shal be furthered by knowing the right measure . Luke . 10. 20. VVhich is best tried by the descouery of two extreames . 1 of reioycing to much which shal be discerned in this deliuerance If it haue not bettered vs to heauen Luk. 1. 74. 75. If we be not renued with the blessings . If we reioyce not more in well-doing then in the blessing . Pro 21. 15. Psa 50. 18. Eccles. 2. 2. Thus did the saints approue their ioy . 2. Chro. 15. 8. 10. They reioyced for the deliuerance when they had made a couenant with God for a better life . And so must we trie the measure of our ioy , if it hath proceeded from our reconciliation with God , otherwise it is vnseasonable . Amos 5. 18. 19. Amos. 5. 21. Ier. 7. 19. And shall be the occasion to depriue vs : Math. 13. 58. And our posteritie of the like mercies . 2. Triall of our ioy exceeding . Amos. 6. 3. VVhen wee so reioyce for our own good as that we do not sorrow with al for the afflictions of others . 3 Triall that we reioyce too much . 2. Cor. 8. 13. If we take such libertie therein which may be occasion to grieue others . 1. Not the enemies of God , for these we may grieue . Psa 112. 9. 10. Yea reioyce in the vengeance that is inflicted vpon them . Psa. 58. 9. Exod. 15. Moyses and Miriam were carefull herein . Here was the Iewes care excellent . And so was Nehemiahs , that in the generall cause of ioy all might reioyce . Nehem. 5. To this end he perswades the rich to leaue their oppression . 8. verse . A good lesson for our oppressors . And himselfe enlargeth his compassion to the furtherance of this generall ioy . In abating of his necessary allowance . 14. verse . Though otherwise lawfull . But yet in such a case of extremity to remit of our right is an extraordinary note of the feare of God. A good president for our Nehemiahs . VVhich if they do not obserue they shall signifie they could haue beene willing the poore had beene swept away so they had escaped . And further prouoke to cry for vengeaunce while they are reioycing , so shall the Lord heare their cry and confound the others ioy . Let vs not therefore , now God hath lengthned out our stewardships , beat our fellow seruants . Least our maister take vs in our cruelty and giue vs measure accordingly . 4. triall that we reioice too much , if we so re●oyce now , that we may not reioyce hereafter . VVhich shall fall out if this deliuerance be the cause of our decay in Zeale . Math. 25. Iob. 1. 2. Generall triall of reioycing too little . Num. 11. 29. Luk. 22. 32. Phil. 4. 12. 3. Triall of our reioycing too ittle . 4. Triall of our reioycing too little . Psal. 14. This is a fift effect of great deliuerances as being indeed the true seasoning of all the rest : and that wherein the saints do quiet their harts namelie trust & confidence in God. Rom. 14. 23. Psa. 33. 21. 1. Pet. 1. 9. The trial therof . 1. In ouercomming all euill . 2. In obtayning euery good . Euills are either 1. simply euill as finne 2. Euill by 1. Opinion , as 2. Afflictions , abuse , outward blessings . Triall of faith in ouer comming of finne , because . All are sinners . 1. Ioh. 1. 8. 1. Not to cons●nt 2 Not fully , but with resistance . Rom 7. 23. 3. Not to limit sinne . 4. To weaken the power of sinne . Rom 7. ●0 . 5. Euen by our relapses . 6. Desire of death , to be deliuered from sin . Rom. 7. 24. 1. Cor. 15. Preparing vs to them before they come . 2. Tim. 3. 13. 1. Pet. 5. 7. Submitting vs to them when they come . Psa. 37. 7. 1. By following our cal●ings therein . Psa. 37. 4. 2. and examining ourselues dayly to find out the cause . Psa. 37. 1. Psa. 34. So shalt thou become conquerer on them all . 2. Cor. 4. 9. 2. Cor. 6. 7. 8. 9. 2. Cor. 4. 16. 17 Rom. 8 37. Reu. 12. 5. In this life so far as shall make for thy good . And finally by death out of them all . This shall it also further them , the ouer comming of such euills as are incident to outward blessings . Teaching thee to set a true rate vpon them . 1. To procure them by holy order 2. by true meanes and 3. in a right measure . A rule for the order . Math. 6. 36. To seeke them in the second place , and : 2. VVith condicion submitting thy will , to the wil of God. 1. Tim. 5. 8. Triall of this right and orderly seeking . 1 If they doe hinder vs in the better things but that our spirituall gaine exceed our carnall . 2. If wee spend more time in seeking the other , thē these things , we may imagine otherwise . Faiths assistance herein . 1. Idlenes . 2. Greediecouetousnes which is the cause of many evills . 1. Mingling blood with our riches . 2. Faithlesse keeping . 3. Feareful loosing . Faiths rule against these euils VVhich is praier Luk. 11. 3. Tea euen they that haue them left vnto them . 1. Tim. 4. 5. So shal we either haue what we aske , or what is answereable to it . So shall we learne to keepe them . And to vse them aright . 2. Cor. 5. 7. Math. 6. So wee haue a care of posterity , subordinated to the speciall prud●nce of God. VVhich shal be perceiued by true contentationin what wee haue . 1. Tim. 6. 10. 1. The euil desire of mony and the cause thereof . 2. The ignorance of our selues , and the cause therof 3. Selfe loue . Math. 25. 1. Cor. 7. 31. Eccle. 11. 1. 1. Cor. 10. 32. 1. Thes. 5. 22. 1. Tim. 6. 19. Pro. 11. 24. And hereby also furthering vs. By these things to la● a good fou●dation against the day of Christ. Psa 37 16. Psa. 8. 18. Not onely the streames . Iames 5. 16. Exod. 32. But the fountaine A●mightie god who by faith is bound vnto vs. Psa. 73. 1. Math. 5. 8. The soundnes of the heart is the tryall of true righteousnes . Pro. 23. 26. Psa. 51. 12. 1 Because the heart is that which as God requires first so he fits it that it may beworthilie giuen vnto him . 2. The heart is the roote and fountaine . And if the roote be holy the braunches are holy too . 2. Cor. 8. 12. 1. Ioh. 3. 21. 3. Our boldnes before God proceeds from the euidence of the heart . 4. VVithout which wee haue no comfort in any outward action . Heb. 10. 21. 22. 4. By this triall of our righteousnes we are freed from hipocrisie . 5. And comforted against all reproches and slanders whatsoeuer . 1. Cor 4. 4. 2. Cor. 6. 8. 2. Tim. 4. 7. 8. And so at length hauing finished our course , obtaine the crowne . Now may this sincerity of heart be tryee . Iere. 17. Rom. 8. 19. Act. 15. 9. Rom. 10. 17. 1. It broke the heart . 2. Send vs out of our selues . 3. Settle vs in Christ. 4. In whome we become new creatures . 5. And so shall bring forth fruit accordingly . In thankfulnes to GOD. To make sure our election . To stoppe the mouthes of the wicked . To gaine & hold the weake brethren . Conclusion . 
A38409	----	Novembris monstrum, or, Rome brovght to bed in England with the whores miscarying / made long since for the anniversary solemnity on the fift[h] day of November, in a private colledge in Cambridge, by A.B.C.D.E. ; and now by conquering importunity made publique, for a small memoriall of England's great deliverance from the powder-treason, by E.M.A.D.O.C. A. B. C. D. E. 1641 Approx. 185 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 91 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A38409 Wing E3 ESTC R36130 15609177 ocm 15609177 104101 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A38409) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 104101) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1590:36) Novembris monstrum, or, Rome brovght to bed in England with the whores miscarying / made long since for the anniversary solemnity on the fift[h] day of November, in a private colledge in Cambridge, by A.B.C.D.E. ; and now by conquering importunity made publique, for a small memoriall of England's great deliverance from the powder-treason, by E.M.A.D.O.C. A. B. C. D. E. E. M. A. D. O. C. [10], 136 p. : ill. Printed by F.L. for Iohn Burroughes ..., London : 1641. In verse. Added t.p.: Made long since, for the anniversary solemnity on the fift[h] day of November in a private colledge at Cambridge. Part 2 (p. [55]-136) has separate t.p.: Novembris monstruvm, or, The historical narration of the damnable pouder-treason. Imperfect: p. 17-18, 41-44, torn. Photostatic copy of p. 17-18 inserted after t.p.; p. 30-59 from defective Harvard University Library copy spliced at end. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Poetry. 2006-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-10 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-05 Robyn Anspach Sampled and proofread 2007-05 Robyn Anspach Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Novemberis Monstrum . OR ROME BROVGHT TO BED IN ENGLAND . with The Whores Miscarying . Made long since for the Anniversary Solemnity on the fift day of November , In a private Colledge at Cambridge . By A. B. C. D. E. And now by conquering importunity made publique . For a small memoriall of England's great deliverance from the Powder-Treason . By E. M. A. D. O. C. Monstrum , Horrendum , Informe , Ingens , cui lumen ademptum . London , Printed by F. L. for Iohn Burroughes , at the signe of the Golden Dragon in Fleetstreet . 1641. Frontispeece Discovered . THe DEVILL plots , the POPE will owen The JESVITE must act or none . One God doth SEE and SMILE , and BLAST , What Hell , and Rome , and all forecast . 'T is not the blacknesse of the Pit Can cloud this EYE from seeing it . 'T is not the deepenesse of the Pit , Can straine this ARME from reaching it . T is not the terrour of the Pit Can scare this SMILE from daring it . 〈◊〉 eye can chase the thickest mist , ●eav'ns Arme can conquer , when it list , One looke , one touch , one Smile can quell The Pride and Pollicy of Hell ; And l●t them yet more forces call , ●e God will be too hard for all . I See He ●last y● I Smile Prodigye Tragidye I plott t●e actye I owne Made long since . FOR THE ANNIVERSARY SOLEMNITY on the fift day of November In a private Colledge at Cambridge . By A. B. C. D. E. And now By conquering import 〈…〉 made publique . For a small memoriall of Engla●●● great deliveranc from the Powder-Treason . By E. M. A. D. O. C. Monstrum , Horrendum , Informe , Ingens , cui lumen ademptum . London , Printed by F. L. for T. Slater , at the signe of the Swanne in Duck-lane . 1641 THE DEDICATORY . GOe litle Booke , ( my unlick't Poetry ) And be a Patron to thy selfe and mee , Shift it among the crowd , and never stay To dresse thy selfe , like other trim and gay , ●ith borrow'd Titles , pluckt from great Ones , who Are honoured by the Honour that they doe , ●eare thy owne cloathes , and thinke it more to be Knowne by thy face , then by a livery . ●e're trust unto fond ficklenesse , that may Afford a smile at first , and then betray , That hisse and kill , that by embraces smother , With one hand take , and throw away with th' other , That ow'n a Booke , because the 〈◊〉 ownes them , Or else they 'd never ow'n the Booke agen , Let those that can warpe Conscience in a straine And count it but a Poets Spencer veine To fawne and flatter , and have learnt to call ; One Good , because he 's Great , though worst of all ; Let those who can weigh vertue by the pound , Where it is scarce by Drammes and Ounces foun● Who make it then chiefe Masterpiece of wit , To Banckrupt Honour by out-rayling it Who can say I , or No , sweat , freeze , as hee Is hot or could , who is their Deity . Let such Idolatours of Greatnesse shew , They dare not walke abroad unlesse they goe Vnder some Hee or Shee-Protection : My Muse shall venture in another fashion Make thine owne licence ( little one ) and bee Protection to thy selfe , a Passe to mee . And let such scratching Patron-mongers know Thou 'lt not on stilts , nor yet on Crutches goe , On thy own feet thou'lt either runne or crawle And if thou ● anst not stand on them , thou 'lt fall , Weigh neither smile nor froune , but when you see Best usage say , this shall my Patronbee : And as for others that disdaine , say thou My Master ownes me not , and why should you ? Vade ( nec Invideo ) sine me Liber Ibis ▪ To the Reader . REader , goe on ; but first pray wash your eyes Fom Criticisine curiosityes . Then thou mayest see the clearer , judge the better : ●pend a licentious verdict on each letter , ●e peremptorie to condemne or praise , ●ubscribe to this with boldnesse , and that race With a judicious pen , and make it fit For naught but Drugsters shops wast-paper it And spare not ( Reader ) if thy courtesie ●id them peruse that , which it made thee by There are but two I feare , and they shall make My feare more carelesse for their empty sake As for the the nicer , squeasy , wanton tast That 's alwaies picking , but still loves to wast , ● weigh not his court phancy : let it be Spent on his wanton Thais-poety . And for that carping rout that love to be Still following Momus in his livery , That thinkes their judgements never shine , untill They finde some blots dropt from anothers quill Let them still grin , and snarle , I 'le sayno more Then th' Spart●n Prince to an Amhassador , Who being found by him sporting away The tedious howers of a Summer-day ; Amongst his little children did request The Ambassadour to let his censure rest , Till he had children of his owne , just so Till thou hast something of thine owne to show : Leave off , or if thou wilt still snarling be , Let me see thine , I le doe as much for Thee . The Introduction . 1. WHere are those cristall floods , which from our eyes Should make a second Sea ? Those briny streames , Which from the swelling veines of griefe should rise And flow like surgy Neptune , when he teames His daily incomes to inrich his Bride , And still with new revenewes swelles his tyde 2. Where are those gales of sighes , a windy gale To drive my paper Pinnace that it may Mounted upon a briny ocean saile , And through a See of teares finde out the way Vnto the sea of Rome , and there descry Hells masterpiece of hell-hatcht villany ? 3 There rides the whore in state , that purple whore , Mounted on high upon a scarlet beast ; That man of sinne , quite surfetted with goare , Gorg'd with the flesh of Saints at Plutos feast . Bathed in Nectar blood , pancht with mans flesh , As if it were high Ioves Ambrosia dish . 4 Foure Cardinalls coupled beares him up in state , Lending their shoulders to support his pride , No lesse then Kings and Emperours must waite To hold his stirrop when he meanes to ride ; And for their paines perchance shal kisse his To● Whether his highnesse doe weare socks or no. 5 He beares his coate from truest Heraldry , A Lyon-Rampant in a sanguine field , Bulls the supporters , fit for crueltie , A Drago in the crest , which flames doth yeeld Belsht from sulphurious lungs into a flood ; The word , or motto is , Nothing but blood . 6 His pastimes little else but crueltie , To murther Princes is a recreation , Spurning downe throanes is sporting jollitie , Nay to doe all of these is true religion , Gives marrow to their meritts , wins the prize , And rids them soon to heaven with easy thighes 7 To curse to Purgatori's but the fashion , And therefore 't is a sinne it should goe downe , To finde out tortur's but to wrack invention , Worthy a Card'nalls cap , or Fryers Crowne . An inquisition is a mercy seate Pitty , compared to their venome heate . 8 No fire burnes so cleare , or warmes so well , As that , that 's kindled at a stake to burne Whole legions of Heretiques to hell , Who stubborne in the truth denie to turne . The common bonfyre of a whole nation , Is but a festivalls right celebration . 9 To strangle infant Majestie before The cradle suffers it to weare the crowne , And dye it's mantle in a purple goare , That it may never know a scarlet gowne Is but true doctrine at a Councellread , And therefore must by them be practised . 10 They 'l fire whole solemnities , and burne ●he sacrificers to a sacrifice , Thus make the Temple but a common urn● To hold a quier of Martyre Saints , who dy● Before they dye , seeing their destinie March towards them before it commeth nigh . 11. To make of Church and people but one fire , ( Surprizing them within that sacred wall , ) Is nothing but to kindle their desire , Warming their zeale least it should faltring fall Into a colder chilnesse , and so spoyle The blaze of their good workes for want of oy● 12. They whet the knife of cruelty and cut The tongues from living men , that they may try To tempt downe heaven from heaven it selfe , & ● The Gods unto a miracle , if they Expect the prayses due to Deity , Well warbled from a tun'd fidelity . 13. They dig the infant from its living grave ( That fearelesse innocency , which doth lye Prison'd i th' parent wombe untill it have Queene natures mandat for its liberty . ) And then they dandle it on a pike till it Fall to its first and last sleepe at their feet . 14. Have not you seene a fetter'd prisoner loose The burden of his shackled teathering , And scape his uncouth dungeon-repose , Only that he may be conveyd agin Into some closer goale , where he shall lye , Till death his yron cables doth untye ? 15. ● else till with the hands of justice knit ● faster twist ( made for his destiny ) ●eades him from th' prison to that place , where it ●is soule and body must at once untie . Iust thus the infant from its prison wombe Is freed to be imprison'd in a tombe . 16. ●ut yet we 're hardly halfe the way , put on ●de faster in the roade of cruelty , ●u'l see perhaps a sucking babe anon , ●hich smiling to the mothers lullaby , Hangs on her melting breast , and whilst it takes The hony flowing from those milkie lakes , 17. ●me fist , that 's brawnd with frequent cruelly , ●ite spoyles the draught , snatching it frō her breast , ●nd to compleate determin'd villany ●reeth the Parent for to doe the rest . Making her turne Medea , rend and scatter The tender softnesse of that infant matter . 18. ● yet , oretake but Tiger - Neroes traines , ●ose ten that nursed persecution , ●st with the blood that sprang frō Martyrs veines ●u● after gave it flesh to feede upon , Till it out-liv'd foure ages , and did turn● Three hundred yeares into an ash-heapt urne . 19 Could I but speake his butcher-crueltye ? T would make my mouth spit blood at every word Blacker then incke , and force my penne to dye Each line into a scarlet thred : his sword Learnt murther from him , whom it would not sl● But first must trie her skill another way . 20 When Nero knew not how to live or die , ( For dye he would not though he knew the way ) His venome 's such , that when he doth but try To slay himselfe , he must another slay . Then to his servant slay thy selfe sayd He That I may learne to kill my selfe by Thee . 21 This Nero , grandsire of grand-crueltie Begot that brat of persecution , And seeming pious in impietie , Left it to a succeeding guerdion . Domitian , Hadryan , and Antonius verus Trajanus , Maximinus , and Severus . 22. Those Brother-Emperors of Hydra-Rome , Who rise like ten heads from that dragon-beast , And out of their enflamed mouthes did foame A venom'd froath upon the Christian breast . Hydra indeed ! No sooner once was dead , But in the roome sprang up another head . 23 Next flames out Decius , who did commit A sacraligious rape on chastitie , And in a ruder flame at once unknit The chaster zoanes of pure virginitie . Commanding 40 vestalls for to turn True virgin-Martyrs in one common urn . 24 What shall I speake of t' other viper-brood Galerius and Peternus , which did leade The brat by both the hands , till it withstood That stoutest Martyre champion , who did bleed I' th' face of persecution , Laurence , he That taught the Gridiron to sing Poetrie . 25 Next sprange Aurelian from that Tyrant race , Who first did season his unnaturall hand For after murthers , in that infant place Where his owne blood did run , cutting the band That ty'd his sister unto him more neere Had but he priz'd her , as his sister , deare . 26 But heaven fate Iudge , aud censur'd ; saw , that H● ●n this first act had spent snch blood , as might Have fed ten persecutions , and be ●ull tyranny ; Heaven therefore stops him quite , And will not suffer him to quench his thirst , That made himself quite drunk with blood at first 27. Iove summons up his Cyclops , and commands The thunder to proclaime an open way , Breaking in sunder the clouds faster bands , That th' lightning may her brighter face display : Thus frightned with the flashings of that eye ▪ Which glanc'd on him , He leaves his crueltie . 28. Next raging as a whirlewind riseth he , That swept before him like the wanton dust Whole Christendomes of Saints , and made them be Like atom'd crummes under his foot-stoole thrust . Stay not to aske his name , Reader , goe on , You 'l finde him nothing but Ambition . 29. T was He , that crouded for the Imperiall throne Soaring on Eagles wings Ambition gave him , Till he at length reacht it , to rule alone , By doing that his concubine would have him . Druas commands , A wild boare must be slaine , He thrusts at Aper , and begins to reigne . 30. 'T was He , that dawbd Ambition ore with pride , Being once an Emperour , he must be God ; Hee s Phoebus brother , brother to his Bride , Hee 'l sway both earth and Heavens imperiall rod. Whenonce Ambition doth begin to fly , Like Icarus , 't will either mount , or dye . 31. ●d now He poasteth out a swift decree ●led with waxe , that cannot melt away ) ●t hee 'l be worshipped for dietie ●people kisse his feet , those stumps of clay , And take him for a God ; he 'l be no man : ●iddle his name ; 't was Dioclesian . 32. ● who but Dioclesian could doe that , ●h Pride commanded , with a prouder hand , ●low a furnace up , that might outdate 〈◊〉 yeares ; and hotter then Ten could command ●efore him with their bloodyest decrees : ●e was the bottom , and so gave the lees . 33. 〈◊〉 Rome , looke backe and blush upon the guilt ●ose that markt thee on th● forhead so , 〈◊〉 cruelty they suckt , t was thy breasts spilt , 〈◊〉 then they spend it on their forreigne foe . ●hese , these were thy Decemviri , that made , ●n persecutions a ten-age trade . 34. ●act the quintessence of villanie , ●sie the horridst deeds , that ere were don ; 〈◊〉 to the depth of Phlegeton and see ●t cruelties the furies thinke upon . All is but sucking malice to that they ●oe execute on those , on whom they prey . 35 Cruelty's turnd an Art , 't hath gott to be Among the liberall sciences , most fitt For him , that would be rich in pollicie , He 's the best Scholler , that 's best skild in it . The top of honour is to vale her throane , Be without this you must let that alone . 36 ▪ The Iesuit that climbs by step degrees From his shorne crowne unto a Card nalls cap , And thence upon Ambitions pineon flees To Peters Chayre that he may take a nap , Winnes all by forging out some skulking trea● Not by his judgement but inventi on . 37 Charity dwells not now in Hospitalls , ' Thath left her Country house , and 's come to to● Wintring her selfe within the frozen walls Of some cold dungeon upon Tellus downe . Merits swarme thicker from a Lollards Towe Then from the maint'nance of a beeds-man bow 38 Hee 'l sooner passe for heaven , that dying leaves A legacie to build an inquisition ; Or else his scrapt up silverlings bequeathes To nurture up some tart invention . Which may delve out new waies for villany , And teeme forth ' tother bastard-cruelty . 39 To flie to forraigne nations on the wind , And crosse the seas that they may crosse the land , So get more worlds , if more were left behind , And with a paper bull them all command , Is the Ambition burnes within their breast , And keepes their busie soules from taking rest . 40 To puffe up States and Kingdomes at a blast , To plucke downe Crownes and Septers at one fall , To swallow Realmes to breake a mornings fast , And yet scarce satisfied there with all ; Is but course fare at a Lent ordinary , Such is there raving-craving cruelty . 41 But soft a while , take fresher breath ( my muse ) Leave off to lash her former whoredomes still , She hath bin scourg'd enough for old abuse , And yet her fornication-cup doth fill With new-brew'd poyson ; spare thy whip that it May take new strength , & not the latter quit . 42. Had every persecution bin ten , Aud each had burned longer then them all Maintained with fresh fury , till all them That were but Christned Protestants had fall , ' Thad made but a straw bonfier compar'd With that hell-fuell they of late prepar'd 43. Fuel in oyle , which had but Plato seen Heapt up , He , staggerd at the sight , would sweare Envy's Idea had existent bin , And on the stage ne're durst before appeare . Fuell stor'd up to feede revenge , and be A plot to puzzle all Hyperbole . 44. Had but Pythagoras diviner soule By ●ransmigration dwelt in other men , And so out liv'd his owne age , and then stole ●nto another , and at length had bin One of our owne ; He , seeing this alone , Might well out-vie all ages with this one . 45. Call up Chronology , and bid her bring Her bunch of keyes to open Historie ; Ransack that cabinet , and view each thing , That she hath lockt up from her infancy . Call aged Time , and bid him search his file That he this cruelty may parallell . 46 ▪ Arrest the Sunne , and stay his Coach for thee , That thou mayst parly with him ; aske him then If riding all his circuit He could see Such treachery , as in this age hath bin . Chronology must tye up Historie , Time hang his file , and Phoebus silent be . 47 ●en summon up the Furies from their cell ; ●ock at the doores of darkenesse , and there see , 〈◊〉 thou canst speake with Pluto , King of Hell , 〈◊〉 to Proserpina admitted be . Sue for a Synod , and then try if they Can match themseles agin , or match the day . 48 ●ll stands amaz'd . Pluto is mad that he ●ould be outvi'd on earth : The Furies sweare ●ey went beyond commission ; and decree ●ll shall afford no more , if they come there . Megera loaths her service , and decrees To dwell on earth to learne new cruelties . 49 ●berus howles for madnesse , and opes wide 〈◊〉 triple throate , from which a whirlewind came , ●●ich made the rivers rage into a tyde , ●●d roar'd , as if they threatned all hells frame . That Pluto thought therabble had come downe Missing their plot on earth , to get his crowne . 50 ●ld but the gelid feare , that freezeth mee , ●d cloysters up my blood in coldest veines , ●ease my speech , and set my tongue but free , ●●uld unfold a treachery , containes The Elixar of the bitterest druggs , that are 〈◊〉 Mong all th' Apothecary Pluto's ware . 51 Then cease thy Styx-dy'd mantle ( tragedy ) And buckle soone thy bloody busking on Dipt ten graines deeper in their goary dye , Doe thou attend us , while we treate upon Seven headed Hydra , hatcht long since in Ro● And what conceptions teeme within her wombe ▪ 52 But where's the quill that can drop lines of blo● But where 's the tragick pensell that can paint Such hideous cruelty scarce understood ? Or fathom'd with the thoughts of man or Saint . But wher 's the fiery muse that can discribe , The treachery of that infernall tribe . 53 Nor thoughts , nor words are ready to unfold That hideous tragedy , whose plot was found And first contriv'd in hell , but never could With prologue once salute the English ground , Although the stage was built , the sceane was m On which that Tragick act was to be playd 54 That tragick act , the thought whereof doth ma My quivering muse affraid , my ague-quill Shakes in desiphering it , my hands doe quake ; My teare-drownd eyes a fresh supply d●still And yet at length grow dry ; my haires t' untw And stand an end like quills o' th' Porcupin● 55 But soone my Muse recovered , and my quill Obeyd the hand that guided it ; mine eyes Clear'd up , and would no farther showers distill , Then soone I set upon the enterprize . Turne o're the page , draw but the curtaine , there You 'l see the Monster-Tragedy appeare . Argumentum . AFfrica multa dedit , vix vix dedit Affrica tanta Quant a uno peperit Roma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 monstro . Nec miranda cano : Romae Lupa namque Noverca , ●lla dedit monstrum , cur non dabit Illaque monstrum Sic canibus eatuli similes , Lupa Sicque Lupillo . Primulus en monstri conceptus ; Adultera matrix : Tartareo spurcamspargit dum semine matrem Roma ferox , caetae generatur Filia noctis . Monstri fama fugit , tantae quoque Nuncius aurae Pegaseis volitat pennis : mox qualia monstra Roma dabit , dubio meditatur pectore quisque . Cujus ope proles latebrosis parta tenebris Prodeat in lucem , Obstetrix è Tartare surgit . Expectata dies celebranda est ; Romaque gestit Conceptu partus , sed mox prorepit abortus . 1 Proditionis conceptus . 1 Upon the first plotting of the Treason . 2 Matrix , in quâ pubescit embryon . 2 Upon the vault in which this Treason was hatcht 1 Upon the buying of it . 2 Upon the digging of it . 3 Tempus quo generatur monstrum . 3 Upon their working in the night . 4 Ipse generandi actus . 4 Upon the bringing of the Pouder from Lambeth and laying it in the Cellar . 5 Concepti fama . 5 Upon the Letter sent to my Lord Mounteagle . 6 Famae mercurius 6 1 Upon the quill that writ the Letter . 2 Upon the sending of it to the King. 7 Partus determinatio 7 The Kings discovering of the plott . 8 Praeelecta Obstetrix 8 Upon Faux , the Man-Midwife ready to deliver it 9 Natalis expectata celebratio 9 The Match of hunting appointed to surprize the Lady Elizabeth . 10 Abortivum monstrum 10 The miscarying of the birth ▪ 11 Parturientis periculum . 11 Romes Downefall in Black-Fryers upon their fift day of No vember . PRODITIONIS CONCEPTVS . Vpon the first plotting of the Treason . ANd see ; the Pope hath travail'd once againe With a new Affrick Monster , worse then came From their she-popedome , when a woman prov'd The Churches head , & all the body mov'd . ( Poore headlesse she-church , where was thy head then When Ione did loose her maiden-head with men ? Oh she tooke care for that , least Rome should need Succeeding Popes , she would her self popes breed ) But whither roves my muse ? come backe againe , And see another of that breeding traine Goe big with envie , labouring with a birth , Swell'd with a plot , nay brought to bedith ' earth . Ready to teeme forth from a monstrous thigh A strange delivery , the birth was nigh . T was comming forth , but had not the strength to give So big a monster , as it did conceive . Fye Rome ! thou wantst a midwife , or a Ione That can without an helpe bring forth alone . II. Matrix , in quâ pubescit embrion . Vpon the vault , in which the treason was hatcht . 1. Vpon the buying of the vault . Downe with price of blood , if you would faine As you have sold out soules , buy in againe . The purchase you have got by emptying Your purgatorie may well fiil't againe . Looke on this arched vault , how will it make An high way passage to the Stygian Lake ? The price you had the last soules you did sell , Will buie the Catholiques this way to hell . Where 's He that beares the bag , your Iudas tro That feeketh to betray his Mother so ? 〈…〉 the vault is sold 〈…〉 oney told . 〈…〉 ny you hee 'l sweare 〈…〉 ne relique are . 〈…〉 , and we 〈…〉 as he 〈…〉 ; And be it so , 2 Vpon the digging of the vault . 1 ●nd what are you that Tribe , who doe denye Your black guard thus , the honour of a bed ? ●ho make it death once with a bride to lye , T is Symony to buy a maiden head . 2 ●nd yet forsooth you 'l dare to ravish all At once your common mother , force a birth ●hether she will or no a monster shall , Teeme from her wombe out of the groaning earth 3 You 'l rent her matrix else , which nature taught By closing such an incest to deny : As if she had foreseene , that Rome had thought To grapple with her mothers secrecy . 4 What steepes your frolik spleenes in choller so ? What mooves your touchy blood to such a tide . How came your pampred carkasses to doe Such ravisht rapes unto your mothers side ? 5 And must you needs with pickaxe , and with spade , Threaten unlesse she grant your villany ? Have you no milder Rhetorique to perswade , And woe a yeeld to such a curtesie ? 6. What made you strike so deepe ? was your inte●● To fathom Styx , or sound blacke Acheron ? To cast a causy to Don Vulcans tent , Thus fetch provision he had wrought upon 7. No no ; you dreamt perchance that you shou● find Some yron veine , which nature minted there Of purpose to helpe forward such a mind , And runne Art out of breath in a prepare . 8. To such a stratagem ; dreame on , take out A rib of yron from Dame natures side , Fall in your dreame again , then cast about To make your rib the hottest brunt abide . 9 Dig deeper yet , perchance at length you 'l finde That nature hath dung'd their Salt-peter too And left her wooden legs and stilts behinde , To nourish up the flames , all these for you ▪ 10 But hold your hands , sweat no more marrow now Spend the earths ball no farther , nor your strength I feare the proverbe will prove true , below , You dig'd so deepe , there came a damp at length III. Tempus , quo generatur monstrum . Vpon their working in the night . 1 Sleep Phoebus sleepe ; What makes thee peepe ? ●oe not so soone thy sable curtaines draw , Lie downe againe in Thetis lap , ●was late before thou wentst to bed we saw , O pry thee take another nap . ●f thou beginst to rise , these night owles then ●ust leave their work , when others do begin , Then Phoebus stay , You will but make an Holy day . 2 What made thee wake ? Couldst thou not take Thy rest to night , thou heardst such knocking Let not thy fiery steedes yet sup Their mornings draught , nor run their full careere here ? Why dost thou call Aurora up ? They plotted not against thy Deity . Then Phoebus stay , You will but beg another play . 3 Goe drowsie droanes , Make , make your moanes , To your dead-living Saints ; sigh prayers that th May intercede for you and get , The Sunne to stand i th' heavens , and so delay The dawning of the morning , yet Cry lowder , let another beade yet fall ; Make up your prayers compleate , or you 'l marr● For want of sleepe , Your prayers awake you cannot keepe . 4 See see , the day Makes no delay . Then Phaeton doe thou mount up the coach , Let loose the horses carelesse raines , That they may run away the days approach . On faster wheeles , with easie paines Whip on thy foaming fteeds , that we may feare The ratling of thy coach like thunder heere . Come draw away , That night shee sooner hasten may . 5 T is here , the night Hath scar'd the light . ●he day hath new undrest her self , I saw But now her under-peticoat . ●y thought 't was dyed in a red more raw Then any flesh of sheepe or goat ; ●ut as she stript her selfe of that , she drew ● modest Curtaine , thicke as night , to shew , She Vail'd her head , As Vesper sent her downe to bed . 6 Now all the light Is claspt in night . ●orpheus hath woed all things to rest you see , The'r 's no dog moves unlesse it barke ●or madnesse at the Moone , least she descry Their deedes of darkenesse in the darke . ●ut never feare : bid Phoebus kisse his Bride ●hat she may blush to see her evening tide . Worke while you may , Then let him come to wake the day . 7. Up Phaeton , Up , up , be gone . Goe guide thy Father to his mate , that he May court her with his rosie lips ; Then in conjunction goe with her , till she Embraced be to an ecclips . Thus vaile her face that she may never be Privie to such a monstrous villany . Away , Away Phoebus is rise to call the day . IV. Ipse generandi actus . Vpon the bringing of the Gunpowd from Lambeth over the Thames , and laying it in the Cellar . 1 Where is thy Legate ( Rome ? ) Let him provid His sparkling Spanish jennet straight , Coapt in his trappings made of gold When th' golden fleece came from your fold His feet well shod with Indy plate : His crisping maine to twisted lockes divide , Fit for the riders pride . 2 See how the horses prauncing doth foretell How he expects his rider , see In what a language he doth pray His master for to come away , And deck him with his company . Heare how hee neighes , his neighing doe but spell It hastens his farewell . 3 ●uicken thy legate then ; doe , bid him seale His fiery steed , and winged poast With thy Embassage unto hell ; There once arived let him tell Don Pluto Primate of that hoast , ●at Charons footy keele must hoise his saile Waiting a trusty gale . 4 ●nd to thy tackling then ( Styx-Ferry-guide ) The winde hath sight a softer gale . Lanch out , glide o're the Stygian lake A fairer harbour yo umust take . Doe but your beaten pinnece hale ●o our Thamefis , there it shall pride It selfe in Neptunes tide . 5 Those silver streames shall wash hell from thy boate And turne that dye , Styx left it last Into a Cignets purer white , By their reflection made more bright . Who when they first thy ferry past , Dabling in that thy keele there set a float , Got there so black a foot . 6 But faster Charon ; sweat a little more , What maketh Aeolus thus blow ? Me thinkes he seemeth out of breath , Or else his wind is pent beneath , That he becomes shortwinded so , On Charon , worke the harder ; you are sore Expected long before . 7 See how the swelling barrells , stuft with fire , Are big with expectation : They long untill they see thy boat , In which they must be set a float , To take another station . Srange contract , see the water slakes her ire and entertaines the fire . 8 ●t stay , what meanes those well growne vessels there ? What ? have you poudred up your plot In barrels , least it should not keep , Or be discovered when you sleepe ? Sure then some vent your treason got ●hat 't would not keep so long , untill you were To set abroach November's beere . V Concepti fama . ●●on the letter sent to my Lord Mounteagle . 〈◊〉 mystery enwrapt in misteries , ●mment farre obscurer then the text , ●fit that thou should meet an Eagles eyes ●h might peirce through the vaile , & tell what 's next Never mount Eagle : gaze not on the Sun Glance downe-wards to the depth of Phlegeton . ●loisterd up in darkenesse , hid in hell , ●tled with night , prison'd in Acharon , 〈◊〉 barrel'd up in natures misty cell . ●e but the letter , and the danger 's gone . ●trange plot ! doe burn 't : the blaze will let thee see How to discover this darke mysterie . The letter burnt , the danger 's past , and all The mysterie must then be over too , And yet this burning makes it mysticall , How can I spell it when 't is burned so ? However burnt it , in it burnt you 'l see , That which you reade not , when you read it ● Darke letter ! folded up in flames indeede , And therefore needs no wax to seale it fast , Let who will reade , at most he can but reade , And whn h' hath done , must burne it too at la● Fyer must tell thee what it meanes alone And when the fyer ▪ s out , the dangers gone . VI. Famae Mercurius . 1 Vpon the quill that writt the letter ▪ What molting Seraphim did spill That speaking , silent muttering quill ? That spake yet spake not , speaking parables ▪ Which kept and told the truth in miracles . That two toung'd Oratour that spake Still twise at once , and still did make ●ystery unknowne by clearing it , ●d knowne by making it obscurer yet . A quill , that could not speake th' intent Of him that writt , to whom 't was sent . ●d yet could blab the secraest meaning too 〈◊〉 him , for whom 't was maskt , and muffled so . A pen that by discovering cover'd , And yet by covering was discovered . ●anus face , that smiled one way now , ●d frown'd the other with a furrow'd brow . A pen snatcht from Apollo's hand ; That spake pure Delphos language , and ●●uld vent nought else but pure Amphibolies ●king this that , and that this , this and this ; A danger great by lening it , And none by making it so great . ●ckt from an Eagles wing , 't was such an He , ●at brought it to our Sovereighng's Diety . Or from that tatling goose which pratled The foes approaches , when shee cackled . 〈◊〉 from some Sphynx his standish it did fall , ●at it unriddl'd in a riddle all . 2 ●●on the sending of the letter to the King. A letter to the King is sent , To riddle what the meaning meant ; A letter writ indeede from Babylon , Speaking confus'on , in confus'on . T is true , one language , onely came , And yet that language languages transpos'd A Letter in a Letter was enclos'd So that the same seem'd not the same . How well may Rome true Babell be , That speakes thus in a mysterye ? A masked tongue kept Babell from her height ▪ And Rom's confused language spoyles hir quite Plaine English speake , when you write nex Your letter meant , nought lesse then what it me● Therefore 't was sent , to whom it was not sent , Pray henceforth comment on your text . 'T is brought unto the King we see , That he may dive the mysterie . Why ? what 's the matter ! Are our Island 's eye Growne dimme with age , The Vniversities ? Why had not they the letter read ? They would at first strike deepe ; 't is true , but s● That they looke through their Soveraigne , y● kn The eyes are alwaies in the Head. VII . Partus determinatio . Vpon the Kings discovering of the plot . ●hat Kings are sometimes Prophets too we see , What made our Iames else prophecie ? ●rue vertue oftenn crownes Nobilitie . ●ow true was he the King of Schollers fam'd , That Rome with her owne sword hath tam'd ? ●ell Schollers King , well King of Schollers nam'd , ●he paper bids him burne the paper , so The danger would be over to . ●e saves himselfe and paper with a No. ●ow so ? we reade the danger is not o're unlesse the Letter burnt before . ●hen burne it , and the danger is no more . ●ut reade againe , and then perhaps you 'l see , How bravely you are danger free , ●t be so soone o're-past , how soone wil't be ? ●his made our Iames more nimble then the fire , This thought did make his thoughts retyre ●o search out what was tangled in that bryer . He dived therefore somewhat lower yet ; And truely such a dive was fitt , To sound the intralls of so deepe a pitt . His Nobles now as well as He must move , And presently his verdict prove , Searching out that below , he saw above . They seeke , but see not : Did you never heare Too nigh an object is too neare ? I can see better farther off then here . The King sees yet : He bids them search agin : They goe , then bring the message in . Nothing before , is now the very thing . ( Thus have I seene a beagle soone o'rerunn , The new-borne sent but now begunn , Then counterhunt it when it is halfe donn . ) They , that made nothing of it , found it somethi● Reade backwards , if you meane the King , Who making something of it , made it nothing . VIII . Praeelecta obstetrix . Vpon Faux ready to deliver it . ●ut Monster-Tiger , a fell vipers brood , ●hat would'st such with thy milk , thy mother's blood ●awn'd with a Richards tush , not toothles borne , ●rawing the fountaine-breast , thou wouldst have torne 〈◊〉 passage to hir heart , gnawd that for food , ●nd like Prometheus Vultur suckt on blood . ●ou'lt suck , but so that thou mayst open too ●conduit-veine whence blood with milke may flow ●onder that thy mother wean'd Thee not ●om hir , whence thou this Viper-nature got . ●hy step-nurse , Rome I meane , that purple whore ●hose breasts milkt venome from a putrid soare . ●t see , Rome nurst Thee , therefore thou wilt be ● hir brought up unto this villany . ●me once a Nero had to kill a mother , ●ast Rome should want one now , thou prov'st another . ●d hath not she hir Jesuits , that thou ●ust prove a Mid-wife to hir treason now ? ●hat would you have the whore when all is done ●y at our doore hir new borne bastard sonne ? ●ant grosse excrement : know thus much , that ●ngland doth scorne to Father such a brat . Vpon the same . Vp night-owle , and breake o'pe thy sealed eyes , Venter to looke upon the mantled skyes . Sol hath remov'd his court , the glorious day And all his followers have packt away . Night is full mounted in her seate of jet , And lies wrapt in her cloudy cabanet . Feare not , Apollo's gone ; his prying eye Can neither see nor blab thy villanie . Envie hath gone her time , and doth begin To be in travell with her full-growne sin . Vp then , and see that all things ready be 'T is thou must hasten her delivery , Pluto hath sent his Pursivant away To summon thy appeareance , make no stay : Goe , take thy charge , that thou maist licenc't be , And show a pattent for thy viilany . Fetch thy darke-lanthorne , that true Gyges ring , Which , thou unseene , makes Thee see ev'ry thin Take that turn'd-Hypocrite , whose outward sho Is night , but inward like the day doth glow . Foule as a mist without , all fayre within , Vice would seeme vice sometimes to cloake a si● Thy darke companion will still be true , And by denying light , will lighten you . Then downe with hast to that infernall cell , Where fur ous envy , and hid treason dwell . ●ell them Hell's suffrage hath elected you ●roome of that chamber , where death lyes below ●nd you must call it up as soone as day ●e christned , as the Sunne whips night away . ●ooke then unto your charge , and see that he ●eepe not beyond his time , but stirring be ; ●se all his breakefast may be spoyl'd , and He ●ill misse his morning's draft of Majestie . ●or you ( proud factors for the Netherlands , ●gent for hell ) must suffer Morpheus bands ● tye your eye-lids up : what if the birth ●iscarry , e're the night expires her breath . ● stead of being Sainted , you shall be ●rol'd for purgatory , and there made free . Then girt thy selfe for Rome , and charge thine eyes ●at they like watchfull Argus keepe the prize . ● thou an Heirogliphick to the hare , ●eepe waking with thine eyes unclos'd , and bare . ●d when the day begins to ope her eyes ●ke Nilus with the rising Sunne arise . ●hat though thou saile through the Aegaean sea , ●st up and downe with fear's perplexity ? ●inke every one thou seest is come to bring ●ee tydings of a kingdome to a King. ●ou seek'st a throne : who would not think it ● swim-unto it through a sea of blood ? ●ut heaven looks on , & Love is comming down good ●s milkie pavement with a furrow'd frowne Iustice sits in his eye ( and yet 't is blinde : It sees but sees not ; smiles that it should finde Such secreasie in Treason ) vengeance lyes Wrapt in the wrinckles round about his eyes . Next , down the Regent walke , Astraea came Following high Iove to Iudge the world againe . Iustice tooke wing before , and left the earth , But seeing crueltie recover breath , And grow to such a Gyant-stature , shee Returnes bedeckt with greater Majestie . The Cyclops arm'd with thunder round about , Attends them both to drive those Traitors out . Then tremble treachery ; treason unmaske Thy muffl'd face ; make bare thy knees , and ask● A pardon of the Gods : hold up thy hand , Guilt doth indite Thee , and for guilty stand . Iustice is come to visite once againe , Tenders hir hand to kisse , if you 'l reclaime . Or else ( by that impartiall soule , that guides Hir hand ) the sword your soule and clay divides No no : ( Grand Enginere of crueltie ) Ne're startle at the newes : what 's this to thee ? Thou hast an Heliotrophian-stone , which will Put out the eyes of Iustice , blinde hir still . Send for Don Pluto's sheild , that thou maist see Approaching justice , and she not see Thee . Stare in the face of vengeance , and outdate Those executioners , that comes to skare Thee from thy charge : Laugh at their thunder-peal● And let them heare the Eccho oft from hell . ●hy ? thou' rt prepar'd for this ; can this be newse , ●hen thou such prodigies thy selfe dost use ? ●rden thy cruell heart , untill it grow ●nd like a Sea-calfe to withstand the blow ●hotter vengeance : crowne thy head with bayes , ● scare the Cyclops from thy hidden wayes . ●ll scarse doe : with thine owne plot begin , ●w them from earth up into heaven agin . ●ou know'st thy charg ; what Rome expects from Thee ; ●w she hath cram'd thee for this crueltie ? ●rite after hir , and when the coppy's writt ; ●t all that reade , see thou' rt hir counterfeit . ●like hir , but more cruell in thy wit , ●rite by the coppie , but still better it . ●mulus suck'd a wolfe , and was as shee , ●ou suckst of Rome , then thou like Rome must bee . ●hat Romulus did suck , to Rome he gave , ●hat Rome from Romulus , that thou must have . ●tvie them all , Rome , Romulus , and Hir ●at nurst thy cruell grand progenitor . IX Natalis expectata celebratio . Vpon the match of hunting appointed o● the birth day , where they intended to surprize th Lady Elizabeth , but in the meane time they themselves were surpriz'd . Actaeon's gone to hunt , the day we see Appointed is , and where the game shall be . Actaeon as he hunted glanc'd a side , And there Diana in a thicket spy'd . Diana ? No , it was a fairer she , Her Nymphs it may be might Diana's be . And yet me thinkes Diana it should be Rather Diana's true Divinity . For as Actaeon spies that beauty there , Actaeon's turn'd Actaeon like a Deere . He that came forth to hunt is hunted straight , They lye in waite for him , that lay in waite . The yelping Ecchoes of the hound's are done , The Hue and Cry after the Hunter's gone : I see that Poets now can prophesie , And in a parable tell what shall be . I see that fables are not alwaies lyes , Time often doth a fable moralize . X Abortivum Monstrum . Vpon the miscarrying of the birth . Oft have I knowne a child prove Parracide , Dividing soule and clay as 't did divide ●e Parent 's gasping wombe , through which her soule ●ent with the body of the child for tole ● pay the infant's passage , and repreive it ●om th' falling prison , if not quite releive it . ●mtimes a child the Parent 's name doth smother , ●lling the mother 'fore it had a mother , ●t have I heard a woman travail'd so ●at in the sigh her sonle did come and goe . ●ange travell ! when her soule is faine to take ● farre a journey for her infants sake . ●hen thus the Parent mother must begin ● leave the world to bring her infant in ; ●ust dye , to teach hir child how first to live , ●d being dead in it learne to revive ▪ ● if Pythagoras had taught her soule ●s transmigration , And it knew no Pole : ●o Paradise , but presently did passe , ●d in the infant clay informant was . ●hat ? did you never see a wombe deny ●e burthen , but unload it presently . ●me proves it selfe an Hierogliphick well ● speake what I have spoke , and yet shall spell ●e truth once over to you more ; if yet ●our cloak't-capaciti's are hid from it . ●deede their fruitfull shee-Pope tarry'd not , ●t brought forth soone , as if she had forgot ●ce to bespeake a midwife , or else thought ● brew as well as she had bak't for nought . And yet see , how shee 's brought to bed in State How many thousands hir congratulate Being at hir labour met . I wonder she Was brought to bed alone in companie . But now ther 's no such matter ; Rome would faine Once travaile with a second birth againe . And see , the Pope grows big indeede : How now What , hath not Rome had breeding Popes enough How did your Card'nalls misse the chayre , that they Have let another she-Pope slip away ? Oh 't is no matter , they 'l take care that she Be not deliver'd now too openly . The heav'n no more shall prove a Canopie The Market place no more a chamber be . When this shall be deliver'd Rome will bye A privie-chamber for this secrecie . ( Had not Pope Ione bin brought to bed so patt , She would have found a vault too for hir Bratt . But see , the birth day 's come ; Conduct your who● Vnto hir privie-chamber , where ther 's store Of Pluto's Pothecarie drugs that be Provided for her safe delivirie . What ? Is she yet in labour ? hath she got Hir Predicessors faculty or not ? Had she an harder travaile then your Ione ? What hath God sent hir tro ? what two or one I feare she was so overbig , that shee With Bratt miscarri'd in deliverie . ●hat was the matter Rome ? did not 〈◊〉 ●oe full the time she reckon'd on before ? ●as this hir first conceived bratt , that shee ●efore hir time met hir deliverie ? ●hat ? Is the child still borne ? T is so I see ●he birth 's abortive , though the mother be . Thus have I seene an hasty apple drop ●bortive from the tree before the crop . ●ut then 't was rotten , blasted , withered ●lthough the mother-tree was no way dead . ) ●he still-borne batt hath thus miscarried , ●was not deliver'd though delivered . The womb that casts before the time doth still Threaten the Infant , if not alwaies kill . ●her's now the Infant which new borne had slaine ●t once both England & her soverainge ? ●hich had spitt living coales as he begann ●o live , and dy'd as they had dyed than . ●hat meanes November's fift day and the store ●rovided for the birth so long before ? ●he purple whore this day expected shee ●ould have beene blest with her deliverie . ●his day once come , the birth was nigh indeed ; ●t th' Bratt was still borne , we delivered . The child , which dyes before it lives , doth still Threaten the Mother Parent , if not kill . XI . Parturientis periculum . Vpon the whores downefall in Blackfrye● on their fift day of November . What makes us then sigh prayers for Babel's fall As if that Babylon ne're fell at all ? Wher 's Rome's Armado Spaine so stood upon , No Navie but a wand'ring Babylon ? Is not that fallen ? True ; how could it stand ? It was a Babel , but 't was built o' th' sand . The wind 's they whisl'd to the wav's a charge , The wav's brake out , and roaring speake at large Their message to the Sands : the sands obey After the cap'ring waves they dance away . When th' wind thus blew , when thus the water co● There Babel built upon the sands , prov'd lame . What makes us then sigh prayers for Babels fa●● As if that Babylon ne're fell at all ? But on , what meanes November's Holy-day ? Her fift dayes chiefest royalty , which may Be calculated with the reddest letter , To speake their bloody Stratagem the better ▪ Rome then began to build a Babel too , She dig'd for a foundation so low ; And then had thought to plucke downe Out of her ruines to repaire their owne . But as they built they were surpriz'd , that they Th● Were faine to leave their Babel halfe the way . Thus not to rise is nothing but to fall , who 'l say that Babylon ne're fell at all ? But once more reade , and then perhaps you 'l see Babel a third time fall a third degree . Water did once o'retop Rom's Babel's so , That though 't were Babel it did Rome o're throw Babell first fell by water , next by fire , Not that it burnt , but that it slack't it's ire . Fire and water , though they disagree Become now sister Elements we see And joyne their forces to enact heav'ns will , Th' one by fighting , th' other standing still . What fire and water doth , that earth will doe , For earth did swallow falling Babell too . November twice saw Babel fall on day , This makes her fift day twice an holy day . And Eighty Eight told Babell by her fall , That , that was then her Climacteticall . And yet is Babell still ? where doth she stand ? She fell by water , and she fell by land . Thrice Babylon we see hath got a fall , But oh that she were fallen once for all ! Babel's so high it is no wonder she , Is so long falling to her last degree . 〈…〉 t is well that she three stories fell ; 〈◊〉 but the fourth , 't will bring her downe to hell ▪ Me thinkes I see those knotted rafters there Like carv'd-out Atlases , which well might beare A burthen greater then the Spheares could lend An Aetna if it once began to bend . Enough to keepe up mountaines , and support From nodding even Babel's stoutest fort . And yet when Babel's Bratt loaded with sinne , Comes on the Stage to act her part therein ; It makes the oake to yeeld , the Cedar bend And roots up the foundation from their end . That which before did make the prouder walls Sprout up to heav'n , tript up by heav'n , it falls Downe levell with the earth , and that which knew No crookednes , bends like a twig of ewe Sin makes the creatures groane , & bowing downe Lye in the dust for that , man won't bemoane . Fye purblind Rome ! what-made your bald-pate crew Outface the face of heav'n in such an hew ? Did heav'n your fift days treachery betray That you might turne it to an Holy-day ? Went on your plot so well , that you must call A day a part for a set Festivall ? What ignorance hath brawn'd your fottish soules That when the arme of strength stretcht out controules With a proclaim'd defiance what you did , Poynting out that from heav'n , which lay so hid ? ●ou nod at the finger in a triumph straight , And shout the conquest being lead captivate ? What made you sound the Trumpet so and call Such a rifie-raffle to your Stygian hall ? Was it that you might beltch out a defie In open . Court upon the Gods , ' cause they Opening the casements of the spangl'd spheare Lookt downe from heaven , and so discov'rd there That mantled project , which you thought to keep From them ; no , no , The gods are not a sleep . Or was it ▪ cause that Albion baukt your ire You 'd curse us to a Purgatories fire ? Rather purchance you felt an hell within Still glowing in each conscience , which the sin Had newly kindled ; and dispaire had blowd , Till it to a consuming fire glowd . And therefore you must thither poast to take The refuge of your holy water-lake ; Sprinking your selfe with it , that you might tame The fury of your selfe consuming flame . Or wash your hands in it , and so might be As innocent as Eden puritie . Fondnesse ! as if that niter could cleanse sinne , Which may show faire without , when foule within . Or else to blesse your selves from after losses , Crossing your selves to keep your selves from crosses Nor this nor that : you thought that rable crue ( Which in a Catholique bravado threw There carelesse lives a way , that they might get More Kingdomes to your Triple Coronet ) Were hang'd to Saints , & that their unjust doome Was nothing but to suffer Martyrdome . And therefore you 'd be sure the fift day too Should be as well an Holy-day to you . Thus winged with a fault'ring zeale thy flye Vnto their consecrated Friery T' adore those new-made Saints , and gratulate Their safe arrivall at the Eliz'an state . And now to them , wh ' alive were dead in feares , Being dead , they pray to rid them of their cares . Then by a gen'rall councell they agree To celebrate their yearely memory , Thus rob the yeare of dayes , that so they may Give to each Saint his sev'rall Holy-day . Or ' cause they jointly suff'red as one member They give an All-Saints-day unto November . Fond zelots ! you had better turne the page , Convert your feasts into a pilgrimage . Walke with repentant feete to forreigne Isles Their sigh your selves to sadder syllables : And ev'ry desert , that you softly tread With naked pennance feete , let fall a Beade . That so all passengers in after age May count the paces of your pilgrimage . ●ut downe your Saints , that by their merits found ● new way up to heaven , above the ground . ●hose ropes will serve for cords to gird about ●our hairie loynes to doe your pennance out ? ●r else preserve them , till you steale away ●he Poles , on which their head 's march in array , ●hen send them o're , I 'le warrant you they 'l be ● choicer Relique for posteritie . ●ut whisper softly ( muse ) a while , you 'le drive ●hose empty droanes out of their borrow'd hive . You 'l coole their hot divotion , put them out Before their Ceremony's brought about . You 'l turne the Priest besides the cushion straight , Make him scratch mem'ry from his balder pate . Before h' hath found it , he will loose the text , And scarce the first word out , forget the next . You 'le make the other from his palsie fist Drop downe his wafer God-Emmanualist . And then some sawcy dog will snatch it there , And transubstantiate it , I know not where . The third disturb'd , will sprinckle unawares The Holy-water on the sacred sta'res . Stand backe a while , keepe off , vengeance will come And summon them to silence e're they 've done . Looke what that right hand speakes unto the wall , See there imprinted fairely Babels fall . The hand from heav'n hath charg'd the walls , th● th● Withdraw their shoulders , and the walls obey . Nay there stands Sampson , him whom they bega With sulphur'd lungs to spitt their venome on , And like the wanton Philistimes to play Some pranks upon him on their holy-day . But he the truer - Sampson verifi'd What Typically t'other Sampson did . He toucht the posts with a command , they fall Striking all dead into one funerall . Perchance they thought He was as blind as He , But henceforth see , the eye of heaven can see . A Video rideo smil'd on you before , He saw you then how durst you tempt him more But when the Asse , that falles into the pit Will not take heede , Hee 'l fall agin it it . Who bolder then blind Bayard , who more blin● Then such a sottish , stockish , rabble kind Where ignorance doth murther zeale , a brat As blind as their carv'd God , as cold as that ? But now by this I hope they 've learnt to see They strike at heaven , that aime at Majestie . Proud Gygantaean race , leave off to move In Martiall fight the unconquerd Gods above . What ? will you get ' gainst Iove your seiges lay ? And still before the walls of heaven display Hells blacker banners , raise the siege at length , Retrait , ne're stay to trye out strength with strength You felt the weight of his immed'tate hand , Who beck'ning only just at his command : Destruct'on posted plum'd with Fury's wing And stay'd not for a solemne summoning By Gods owne pursevants which commonly Doe use to be destruct'on's Mercury . Fire or water , stormes , or darts of thunder , These use to be his messengers of wonder . Sometimes he post's to batle in array , Wrapt in a whirlewind , fur'ous of delay . Sometimes he rides upon a prouder wave And thence he doth his stoutest foes outbrave . Sometimes againe he marcheth through a cloud Girt with a scarfe of light'ning , and aloud ●end's forth his watchword to the Cyclop's there Who rank's the squadron's out , & keeps the reere ) Bidding them with as loud a voyce discharge A volly of thunder , which may rend at large The duskish mantle of the skyes , and make ● . passage through the clouds , that wrath may take ● freer Aime to shoote her vengeance right ●nd execute what he decree'd hath quite . Now this , and this , now that 's his messenger , ●et alwaies God hath not a harbinger . ●ometimes his hand doth smite without a sword , ●ometimes without an hand , he sends his word , Whereof the softest accent is enough ●o rend the world if once sent out in wrath . Then see ( proud Rome ) thy seeded villany , That Majestie it selfe must deale with Thee . Creatures those Proxie-searjants of the King , Hee 'le hardly trust at thy grand suffering . To rid a way thy execution , Hee 'l be in presence there to see it done . He might have rent the bowells of the earth , That roaring Bor'as with his blust'ring breath , And whirle wind-nostrills might rush forth , & cast The Fabrick levell at one rendring blast . He might have op't the treasury's of the ayre , And sling'd his hayle downe , to untop it bare . Thus made a way for thicker stormes to fall And fling downe death on each in ev'ry ball . He might have bidden Neptune call a way His white plum'd hills to march in set aray . And with his Trident-mace command each wave To swell unto a tide , and thus out-brave The proudest top that peirc't above the rest , And swept thy building too a way at last . He might have caus'd a showre of brimston fall And rain'd downe flames of Gunpowder withall Not to blow up it , but to burne downe all . But neither fire did fall , nor water rise Nor wind , nor storme joyn'd in this enterpize . The word , that with a word did make all these Without them , can doe when , and what he please When he intends to make his glory ride Tryumphant , shining with a sacred pride : He lay's a side the meanes with his left hand , And with his right doth , what he please , command ; Then tremble Babylon to see thy fall , T was God himselfe was in the reeling wall . He set himselfe to do 't : that all might see T was his right arme that gate the victory . His presence made the trembling stones to shake 〈◊〉 a quivering ague , and the rafters quake , Till all their unknit joynts were loos'd , the wal● Before his sacred presence downe did fall . He charg'd the finewes of the house to shrinke ▪ And bid the pinns unty , that all might sincke . They heare his voyce , and at his voyce obey , Thus thus the crumbling fabrick pines away . What makes us then sigh prayers for Babels fal● As if that Babylon ne're fell at all ? 〈◊〉 fell , and sure the fall was great ; it fell ●s if it had prepar'd away to hell ; ●aking a passage with it's weight , to send ●hat rable rout unto their Styg'an end . ● fell , and in the fall below'd so loud , ●s if two rocks , falling at once , did crowd , ●ushing each others side , and strove which shall ●ccho the neighbouring hills the louder call . 〈◊〉 fell , and struck so , it could not more harme ●ad it beene hurled from a Cyclop's arme . It fell but holloo'd out , so loud i' th' fall , As if it would the dead , it kil'd , recall . It fell ; stop there ! Lett 's heare a while what Fome yeare Can say unto this second Martyrdome . Should they but pilfer out more dayes from th' To cannonize for those that suffer'd there They must create new Alma nacks , and make Their next yeare longer for their Martyr's sake . Or else joyne two Saints to make up one day A sunkin , and a gimkin Holy-day . Now plodding Rome , what have your pie-ball trick● Gendred in plotting ' gainst the Heretic kes . Goe , goe , divide the spoyle that is come in , Wee 'le cast up ours , and let them laugh that wi● You thought to make us rise , by rising fall ; You fell at once , but never rise at all . If we had fell , by falling we had rise Hell's sometimes the high-way-roade to blisse . Had you then rise , yet rising you had fell , Heaven is sometimes the broadest way to hell . You fell , we stand , heaven downward striks we s● And hell aimes upwards ; what 's the mistery ? Is Rome's America plac'd in the Ayre , Their new found Purgatory founded there ? That Pluto plot 's such stratagems to guard The English Catholiques up thither-ward . 'T is so I see ; their Purgatory's there ; I thought it was a Castle in the ayre . The Corollary . STrange birth ! the Pope he is the Holy Father , The Earth the Mother is , the Master rather . Pluto the Grandsire , and the Deputyes Not two or foure , but all the infernall fryes Of Monk's , and Iesuit's , Priests , Masse Priests too Intended are as witnesses unto This Affrick birth ; would you the midwife yet ? Faux was appointed to deliver it , It was begot in Hell , conceiv'd in Rome , And should have beene deliver'd here at home . But England would not lend that life , which fell To be a Mongrell betwixt Rome and and Hell. NOVEMBRIS . MONSTRVM . OR The Historicall narration of the damnable Pouder-Treason . WITH The dayes Is for England's Miraculous deliverance . PARS IIa . London , Printed by Frances Leach . 1641. To the Iuditious Reader . NOt biting Satyr , nor an hony stile Dropt only from a Parasite I will. A bitter sweet is good , wormewood in wine Is to a Poet the best Hypocreene . Thou art the Man uuto the man of Sinne Is the Musit'ans hitting the right string . Her 's nothing whipt and stript but Babels Bratt , Which long agoe hath beene condemn'd to that . Thence all not bitter sweet , nor sweetnesse bitter If you finde both , you will finde both together , And so both mingled , both together shall , Prove to bad stomackes a good Cordiall . Be but judicious in thy censure then , And if thou rellish gall dropt from the pen , Conclude it is not hony , nor should be : Or that thou bringest a sick taste with Thee . NOVEMBRJS MONSTRVM . THus have I seene Ambition's Min'on soare To teach the towring Mount of cobwed-fame , Counting it Piety , t' imbrace in goare His blood-renc't hands , so He may get a name . Though He like Tantalus both live and dye : Catch at the Apple , that doth most Him flye . 2 Thus that proud Impe , that thought to ware his glory ▪ Before the fire of Diana's shrine , And make his name blaze forth in his own story ▪ Brighter then did the glowing Temple shine , Must needs attempt that sacriledge to have His name & Him joynt-tenants of one grave . 3 Thus have I knowne a Monke and Fryers pride Iustle for th' wall of cruelty , and see Which of them should prove better Regicide , That they for Saints may canonized be . Whil'st he that thinkes to blazon forth their glory , Blots out their names in setting out their story 4 He that doth looke , from honour's hands to hav● The Lawrell wreath , to crowne his works withal● Must with the hands of virtue it receive Virtue gives scutch'ons to a funerall . Else he , that would be heire of Fame , shall be Excecutor of nought , but Infamie . 5 If Icarus doe strive with borrow'd wings To reach the Sun , and graple with his bride , You 'le see how soone his false Ambition flyngs Him downe , and drownes his honour in the tyde He that makes wings to flye to fame , shall see Fame will be ready to take wing and flee . 6 What did proud Phaeton's ambitious minde ( In coveting his Father's reines to guide ) Provide him for a Trophye , did he finde That was the rode , where Fame and glory ride ? No , Fame will ne're Ambition's yoake-mate b● Hell must lend fire to light his infamie . 7 Then thinke no more ( Proud Rome ) of building stayres That those may seale to heav'n , and Sainted be , Who were chiefe agents for thy hell-affaires , In plotting treason , and hid Tyranny . Thou can'st not raise a Babell halfe so high : Ne're think to top those walls , or come so nigh 8 But if thou will needs have thy factors ride Full mounted on the Pegasus of Fame , Wee 'le helpe them up , a Pegasus provide , But wing'd with infamy , and plum'd with shame . Blacke deedes are Cronocled that they may be Enrol'd for hatred , not for memory . 9 Then Historie fetch thy brazen penne , and send For incke from blacker Acharon , that I May ( guided by thy hand ) in brasse commend Rom's Monster-Bratt to all posterity . That sager Time , may point out Rome to see , And make her blush , at her owne progeny . 10 * That dreaming Emperour , whose phancy prov'd Truer then Phocas did , that did succeed , Thought in his sleepe he slept , & death was mov'd By th' murd'rous hands of Phocas to proceed . Deames prove not alwaies night-mayres , counterfie Murderes awake , when we least dreame of it . 11 This Phocas dranke ambition's Mercury , Which kindled such a fire within his breast , Nothing would quench his thirst , but Dignity , Mauricius must die , and * all the rest . Thus waded through his blood unto his throne This pro●'d a dreame to him : the other none . 12 Once mounted to the high imperiall seate Brim-full of Honour , honour must runne o're , Let but th' Imposture Pope his consc'ence cheat● With a full pardon , and quit murder's score Phocas will ope a sluce , from which shall flee Supremacy to swell the Bishops See. 13 'T was he , was Rom's grand Patron , and fir● The Triple Crowne to th' Papall dignity , And that Rome might as horrid treasons have gav He left his murthers for a legacy . A cruell Monster must that honour be , That 's got of murder , and full Tyranie . 14 Rome proves his wil , and then makes hast to tak● A full possession , next he seekes to find Some cruell skulking Iesuite to make Him treasurer of what was left behind : Where warres doe nought , there treason mu● begin 15 So have I seen a scattered army lye ( The conqu'rer's strength soon conquered by slight And yet the next day rise with victory , Getting by forging , what they lost by flight . Our foe may teach us how to winne the prize By falling often times wee learne to rise . 16 The Iesuite makes much of what h' hath got , Phocas his lcgacy shall not be spent , And yet he will be prodigall ; but not Spend on the Principle , ▪ t is his intent To trade with Hell , and put it out to use , That , which the Feinds return , shall feed abuse . 17 And well he hath improv'd what Phocas left : For envy , Mallice full inveterate ; For murther , Murthers , mixt with skulking theft : For Regicide , both King and kingdom's Fate : To kill a king is petty treason , fit For lay-murder , not a Iesuite . 18 Those poled Pates have quite impov'rish't hell , And mate the Duke of darkenesse morgage all His hidden plots to them , treason shall dwell No more within Don Pluto's Stygian Hall , All 's fell to them , they 'l turne the Feinds out quite , And Hell shall be their owne before the night . 19 With jaws as wide , as the vast arch of heav'n They gape for Kingdomes , royall blood 's their draft With treason's blacker feet they 'r headlong driven Murther is counted but on handy craft . See all in this one plot , which though but one Hath all in it , the other all are none . 1 WHen blest Eliza swai'd proud England ▪ s rod And ballanc't in her hands the golden ball : Peace sat by hir , laid downe her head to nod Within her Princely lap , and there did fall . Into a slumbring sweet-security . Peace flyes not Scepters , but dread Tyranny 2 This quiet Empresse hardly could enjoy The sweetnesse of that royall maiden bed . But something would her present rest annoy , And with a surly joy , divorce her Head. Or treason's rage at home , or warr 's abroad , Kings must not alwaies look for peace aboad 3 But alwayes as Queene-Peace ●awak't , she turn'd Lending a glance to blest Eliza still , And smiling on her Angell-face , shee burn'd , And blusht , as if she long'd to speake her will. But pluckt an Olive branch to give her still , And so laid downe her head to sleepe her fil● 4 Then , then it was , that time look't young agin , Wiping his hoary foretop from his eyes He lookt , and thought the golden age had bin , And deeming of himselfe in paradice , Began to count his age , and scarce beleiv'd ( Seeing Eliza ) he so long had liv'd . 5 The earth was watred with a milder dew , Which peace did sprinkle from her fruitfull hand , That Tellus in her sparkling coate did show , As if sh 'had on , that couler'd swadling band , Which wrapt her infancy with var'ous wreaths Like those which lovely May , for Phyllis weaves 6 The plough-men earlyer then the morne , did rise Whistling Apollo's steeds to watering , Whil'st with their chearefull notes , they did devise How to divide the day with quavering , Thus play themselves to worke , & then divide The earth to furrowes , as the plough did glide . 7 They put Dame nature to the sword , and made Her open wide her wombe , to lodge the graine , The plow ne're knew the share , the earth no spade But Mars did make away for Ceres traine . New plow'd with swords , they beat their armor out For horseshoes , or to plate their wheeles about 8 Neglected helmets then were cast away , The spideres tooke them for their shops to weave Their thinner-softer , Taffety , where they Kept a continuall working-day with leave , And made them monuments , that they mightly There , softly wrapt in their owne destiny . 9 The hoarser throates of Cannons bellow'd forth Not for Bellona's sake to summon warre , But when soe're they thund'red , 't was the worth Of some great triumph to be blowed farre : And that about the world , did give the fire , Or celebrate Eliza's crown'd desire . 10 The Taratant'ring sound was never heard , Which when the horses e're once soopeth up , It makes them mad for battaile , and unscar'd He runnes at push of Pike , the flame doth fup Into his fiery nostrills , till it come Out of his mouth like to a seathing foame . 11 The drumme unbrac't lay speechlesse al the while The flute had got a cold i' th' rusty throate : Insteed of these we heard the Philomele Sing to the Musick of the Lute her note . Peace lay a sleepe under hir Olive tree , Charm'd with the winged Quier's Lullaby . 12 Devotion in her whiter robe , more white Then th' unborne Snow within her region , Go's to the Altar with a soule more bright Then th' spotlesse spotted Bride of heav'n , the moon And there with holy-hands , and washed eyes Offers her undisturbed sacrifice . 13 ●straea keepe her state ; both eyes doe see ●nd yet they both are blind : her eares both deafe ●nd yet both open too : she keeps a Key ●o lock out bribes , and open for reliefe 'T was shee that lasht Erynnis out and then Came peace & calm'd the troubled earth again 14 ●ut night doth close the eyes of dying day ; ● storme doth alwayes follow fairest weather 〈◊〉 never saw Proud Cynthia's aray ●imselfe in glory for a Month together , But sometimes mourne , weepe in his Southern weeds And glister sometimes in his Easterne beades . 15 ●s constant is a Kingdom 's fading state : ●ow Peace doth shine on it from open Spheare : ●nd then a Counter-warre doth change his fate ●rawing on it a gloomy cloud of Feare . Fortune's Queene regent of all things below : And Kingdoms , like the Moon , do ebb , & flow ▪ 16 ●once Eliza shine so bright that she ●n Earth is like the Sunne in his owne spheare , ●arting forth Glory from her Majesty , ●nough to make the lesser Princes bleere ; The world will gather clouds to blind her too , Least earth in glory should the heav'n outgrow . 17 Envy , which can't endure aequality Ne're lookes at parallels , she aimeth higher . An Eagle scornes to make her game a flye : Let th' bramble take acquaintance with the bry 'T is the tall Ivie , that growes above the rest , Is shaken with the wind , and most opprest , 18 Mallice still layes her seige against that tower , Where vertue keepes the doore , honour the ho● One of them is not worth her mustred power . A Cat doth scorne to play with a dead mouse . 'T is cowardize to sticke one on the grou● Who falls to earth , can be no lower found ▪ 19 Spayne , envy's mother , Mallice nurserie , Squinting with both those eyes at her , that m● This stripling I le in strength the world outvie , Building a walking wall , and fence to shade . This little vine from forraigne foemen's stren● Summons her forces , and invades at length . 20 Have not you seene the wood's greene God de● Like a stout Amazon begirt with bays , Marshalling all her troopes of Trees t' withstan● sta● The insurrect'on of the wind , that playes With them , & makes them seeme to march wi● Whil'st others seeme to rise , and others fall . 21 ●he placeth in the front the lofty Pine , ●he sturdy Cedar , with the Pine doth goe , ●nd then she calles the oake in his ball crine : ●hese march a breast t' withstand the strongest And keepe out Aeolus from darting feare At th' young Artillery , which march i' th' reare . blow 22 ●st thus Spain's Coronell did march away ●efore that wandring wood , which danc't o' th ●s if that Orpheus had bin there to play , ●nd leade them , with his musick , captive slaves . waves , The little ships about the great , did dance , As maids of May , about the May-pole prance . 23 ●ollicy joynes , with virtue , hands to helpe , ●he greater vessell rides before the lesse , ●hey set the Lyon for to guard the whelpe , ●hat's couchant , whilst the other rampant is ▪ But all together seem'd so vaft , we thought Neptune had in his fist , an Iland caught . 24 ●he Captaine of each ship , Ambition : ●he Master , Pride : Envie , the Gunner was ▪ ●he Pilot , Ignorance her blinder sonne : ●he Sailers , prest from Charon's keele , did passe , Over his ferry , and arriv'd at Spaine , The Feinds were glad such pay to entertaine . 25 Their sailes did swell in hope of victory , That made them bring so much of ware-house roo● As if they meant the Iland should not lye ; But they would ship it over into Rome . They rid so proudly all , as if they all Were of the narrow Seas , joynt Admi rall . 26 They look't , when Neptune would give up his ma And make them primate-lords of albion's court They make no friends unto Bellona's pace For warre munition , but to Pluto's host , They send for scorpion-whips , as if they mea To whip us from our Iland Tenement . 27 But mountaines do oft times bring forth a mou● High towers weakely built the sooner dy● : A Castle in the aire is not an house , Conquest in Arras is no victoy . Bold confidence will ne're prove armour stro● Who stands upon his own leggs , stands not lo● 28 Heav'n from the ships discry'd each towring m● And fear'd they went Ioves Pallace to invade : For as the sailers climb'd the ropes with hast , They seem ▪ d to saile heav'n's cristall wals , & ma● A passage through the clouds to enter there , And of her fpark'ling Diadems rob the sphear 29 ●nd now the Gods began to count the warre ●heir owne , and joyn'd their forces with us too ▪ ●eav'n shootes a warning pen to end the jarre , ●r else to tell them theire a common foe . Then muster'd up the sea ▪ s , and prest the wind To joyne in battell ; heav'n and earth combind . 30 Aeolus with a gast break 's ope his denne , ●nd ragiug sailly'd forth to graspe each wave , ●hen with his wider throat call'd Neptune's men ●rom calme security , and made them rave . The winds o're take winged ambition's flight , Their I ride , a Prouder wave did swallow quit . 31 ●ome hang on Neptune , fawning on his ceck , ●oping to bribe wit'h prayers their enimy , He straight receives them with a foaming check , Yet with his full embraces makes them dye . Some drown'ed in drinking seas ne're see the land Some feele the land , but sinck in drunken sands 32 Others before they 're drown'd are drown'd in And therefore flye to harder rocks for pitty , The rocks do borrow brine to drop downe teares fears That they may mourne for them , but lends no pitty . Those , that enjoy'd the mercies of the seas , Are cast away upon the rocky lays . 33 Some flye , and ferry o're the newes to Spaine , Some yeeld , as glad to veiw our conquering Isl● Though they dye Captives here in living paine ● Some sharke away by some preventing wile , But all being conquer'd all together yeeld To wind or warr , to rocks or England's sheil 34 Have you not seene how in th' Olympick game , After the Conquerer hath wonne the prize ; The people raise the dust , to choake up fame : Vnlesse she tell the world his enterprize . One plucks from Daphnes head a lock of bay Another tunes his victory in lays . 35 So lov'd Eliza came from Tillbury Attended with her conquering loyall traine , Led by the Gods , who did discend the skie To leade her forth , and bring her back againe ; That tongue be silenced , which cannot keep Her memory from an Endineion's sleepe . 36 Glad peace reviv'd , and decked with the spoyle , That came from Spain's Armado , she did stand At London's prouder gates , and with a smile Welcom'd Eliza home , then kist her hand , Who greiv'd , that peace had hurt her waiting eye● Sate down , that she might rest upon her thighe● 37 ●e slept , and for her former watchings tooke ●e licence of a longer graunted sleepe ; ●iza reckning her , would often looke ●on her face , and still for joy did weepe . ●rinces love peace , & should their combates measure ●o keepe their own , not get a forraigne treasure 38 ●ace slept , but as she slept did often start , ●s if some dreame mudded her phancy still , ●nd in hir sleepe , she tooke Eliza's part , ●s if she had foreseene approaching ill March towards her , & then within hersleeep Shee 'd prate Eliza's name , and closer creepe . 39 ●t slept she , 'till amazement made her rise , ●hen in her sleepe she wak't , till Morpheus tooke ●r heavie shackles from her leaden eyes , ●rst op't her sluce of teares , and then awoke . Eliza melting ask't what feinds opprest Her start ▪ ing phancy , scar'd her from her rest . 40 ●his Empresse with a milder voyce ●om Philomele , when she did prostrate lye , then came ●efore the bryer ravisht with the same ) ●eplyed thus : ( Heroick Royaltie ) I dreamt , and thought I saw Rom's Synod sett In a close celler , full as darke as jett . 41 There sate sad envy with thin-chapt despaire , Dull Ignorance , with superstition , And nexr Erynnis with disheav'led haire Like to uncombed Snakes : Devotion The incestuous brood of blinder zeale , wa● ther● Which turn'd the Synod like the wandring 42 Me thought I hear'd their councell deep as Hell spheare They did decree to act on hidden sage , Where treason Prolouge was , and sceane as wel● And thus make England's Throne goe equipage . With lower earth , and yet no eye should kno● The hand that struck , nor yet the hidden blow 43 I saw the Feind , that drew the Tragick plot With buried eyes , Lent-cheeks , in Less'us plight I knew not what he was , a man or not , But by his ball-pate seem'd a Iesuite . Hell gave a Plaudit to the Tragaedy , Which clapt mee from my sleepe security . 44 But Innocency straight came swing'd from Iove , And bid Eliza shake off drooping feare : The Gods of late did in their armour move Fighting for her , and will they now forbeare : No , no , the Dove shall fly with carelesse wing And never feare the Co●hawkes to wreing . 45 Then Poast from heav'n Iov's cheifest Herald came Mounted on Plumes pluckt from a Cherubin : His coate was azure , spangled with the traine Of Vesper's glittering-crue : which late was seene About Orion , for he snatcht it thence , As he came downe from Lov 's high excellence . 46 Passing through Heav'ns rich wardrobe in his flight , Where starres enamel'd round with blew appeare He tooke a longer robe more bright then light , But as he past the purer fierie Spheare , Dipt in the Element his robe , did seeme Like flaming Phabus yellow Saphton beame . 47 As he came downeward in his journey lower He overtooke the gloomy hoast , that shrouds Heav'ns face in darkenesse : Phaebus sent before His beames to mixe a Rainebow in those clouds , That he might take it for a scarfe , and tye About his arme , in signe of Victorie . 48 Next as he cut the lower Region , His wings struck Musick in the airy Spheare , ●hen all the feather'd Queristers began ●nd strove , to raise a consort with him there , Thus plaid heav'ns herald w th their musiek down Directing him the way to Albion's Crowne . 49 Arriv'd at length with loyall feet , he goes ( Faith and good ●speede are wings for Mercury ) Vnto Eliza's Court , there to disclose His whole Ambassage from Iov's Majestie . Eliza dranke the newes : appoynts a day To heare , what Iav's Ambassadour shall say . 50 And now her busie soule is full possest , Wrapt in the deepest robes of richest glory , Shee ' dornes her selfe , against Iove prooves a gues That with a reall acted fuller story Of brighter Majestie , she might receive Old Atlas Nephew , and more luster give . 51 Thus have I seene the lovely Nymphs trip 'ore The Mountaines from Pactolus sand , Laden with all the treasure they there store , All following Hymen at his first command . Then round about the lovely bride they g● To crowne hor , with a wedding Coronet : 52 One doth unfold her richer lap , a shop , Where Corall , Christall , Amber , Rubye shine , Another takes them from her Indy-lap , And doth them into cunning bracelets Coine , Placing them with such art to such a twist That evry one lends glory to the rest . 53 One curles her tresses with rich Diadems , Another sends a pendent to her eares , Hir neck , one bindeth with a lace of Gemmes , A fourth to deck her robes the glittering Spheares But on Diana's carefull breast there be An Onyx , friend to purer Chastity . 54 Thus Amphetrite met her bride-groome going Deckt with those Diadems fond Neptune sent As tokens to her ; when He went a woing : Thus girt with luster , Goddesse Iuno went , When first she came in all her wedding state With open lap high Iove to recreate . 55 But brave Eliza's glory did not shine ●om her owne Spheare alone , she round about ●as circled with a luster more divine , ●hen that of Sols , which doth the Starres put out . Thus Cynthia have I seene Queene-Regent ride Whil'st all her court of stars shine by his side . 56 ●●e sister Graces were her virgin-maides ● honour , clad with full variety , ●ee did for them with chast Diana trade ●ho spunne a thread of flaxen purity . Then wove it into roules more white then white ▪ And broyder'd them , about with various light . 〈…〉 89 Thinks earth , I feare her troopes by land ▪ or sea Thinks Heav'n tho Cyclops battaile I doe feare ? My forces are as strong as both can be , I care not for those claps , that mock the ayre . Iov's thunder will but drown our bellowing noi● His flashings will bnt light our dark'ned joye● 90 You , you are our beloved ; we repose Great confidence in Rome : and with full joy Wee 'l lay our Scepters at your fee● , depose And pawne our Kingdomes for you to annoy Those that disturbe your peace : T is you defen● Our right , and we will ours to you intend . 91 Thus said ( Deare Empresse , dearer to the Gods Then Rome to bell ) theire Legate sallyed forth , And riding with the wind , did get the ods , He poasted on so fast to tell the worth Of his Ambassage to his Lord from hell , And greet his Highnesse from th' infernall c● 92 Gladnesse now plumps their veines , their bones are fraugh With marrow 's fatnesse : Bacchus runnes so free He with his staggering feet light Venus caugh The stews keept open house : and patents flee With a new licence from the Pop's broad-sea To admit all , to that she common-weale . 93 Have you not heard how proud Darius steed , With open neighings did his Lord proclame King regent , just as if he meant indeed To show in his new kind of laughing straine How glad he was that day to celebrate Which chose him Iennet for his riders state . 94 ●hen at the horses suffrage all the rest With shouting give their voyces to the King , As if they would joyne triumph with the beast To guil'd the day with making up the thing One throwes into the aire his frolick cap , That it may dally in her wanton lap . 95 Another from his purse dilated wide As his free heart , let 's flye a mint of gold ●hat the poore commons there , may see him ride ●ull mounted on his horse in printed mold . Whil'st every cottage brings it's fagget mite To eake the day with a lent bonfiers light . 96 ●ust thus the Romane crew ●ere prickt up with the Message Hell return'd after their eares ●rom their God Pluto's darker-clouded spheares ) ●ith joy begun to rage with envy burn'd . Their hearts runne o're their hogs head found a vent , ●ith brimfil'd hearts , and full cups not content . 97 Now their exchange is tost with no discourse , Bur who shall be installed Monarch here , Who Prince of Wales , and who in royall cour● Shall orderly succeed each royall Peere ? What Iesuite or Bellarmine shall be In Canterburies Arch-ship , or Yorke See. 98 With what a couching plott , and hidden bate They'd catch the Realme : nay England is their own● To their Infernall King it 's confiscate They'd only come to take possession , Not ●or to fight or conquer ) and they 'l bring Nothing but Peter's Keys to make them King 99 But is Iove deafe , because he hath no care , Or blind because no eye to see withall . The waking eye , to which all things appeare ; The open eare , in which each thing doth fall , Saw what he heard , and heard what he did s● The eye , and eare in God's his Diery . 100 Seeing what envy had conceiv'd in Rome , Hearing what treason whispered in the dark , The God into their councels-chamber come Zealous to fence this swimming Iland barke , Opening the booke of life , they cast up th● Eliza's vertues Chronocl'd in heaven . 101 ●nd thus Conclude : what shall Eliza be ●o loyall to the Gods , so true to men , ●aith's sheild in making Faith her sheild , shall we ●rowne her to stand and fight for truth , and then Suffer Rebellion from our common foes To Snatch both Crowne from her , and truth depose ? 102 ●o , no , Eliza is to us more deare : ●ur truth 's as deare to her : we will defend ●he Faith's defender from all forraigne feare ●et us to her a love-ambassage send . Goe Mercury , said they , to Albion's Throne Vnfold Heaven's secrets unto her alone . 103 ●nd now ( dread Queene ) know thus much , all was true ●hat fell from heaven in that prophetiek dreame , ●hich grace unfolded in his sleepe to you , ●he boyling fury of your foes did steeme Into a fog , and all the heaven 's or'e spread , But by Ioves brighter shine 't is scattered . 104 ●he Gods have lent you as their choicest gemme ●om heavens rich cabanet to England ▪ s front , ●hat you might shine within that Diadem , ●nd quite blinde Envy as shee looks apon't . Spain Sees , & covers , fame would steale it thence That England's faith might loose her reverence . 105 But at Ioves councell-table 't is decreed , The world no longer shall this gemme retaine , 'T was onely taken from the richer breed To show the world and put it up againe . Iewells of richer prize are not long worne ; Virtues unto more crownes then one is borne 106 Kings have their change of robes : Eliza shall Have change of crownes , and royall Scepters to If earth won't suffer her to shine at all In her unborrowed brightnesse here below , The Gods will place her as a fixed starre Shooting forth glory from a richer spheare . 107 No ( blest Eliza ) Rome shan't circumvent With buried treason or coucht pollicie Thy Majesty or state at Parliament ; The Gods decree Eliza first shall dye They all are set in Parliament above , Unto the upper honse thou must remove . 108 At their late Synod thou wert chose to be With the ioynt sufrage of that royall house One of Ioves privy-councellers , that he His royall secrets might to . The disclose , Heav'n hath prepar'd a crowne , that thou ma● reign Among the Gods to judge both Rome & Spa●● 109 ●his measur'd out the length of heaven's decree ; ●his was Ioves A●iassye in full gommission . ● humble pride 〈◊〉 the Queene as shee ●eceiv'd the news 〈◊〉 renew'd condition , And straight shee ▪ s sick of love , sick to enjoy Her chang , her crown , her all , then dye for ioy . 110 ●ut first before death did divorce her soule . ●r heav'n espouse it to another bridegroome . ●s peace did by the love-sick bed condole ●er dying Patron in the fainting Roome ; ● Eliza turning but her eye ( her eye Through which death looked out with maiesty . ) 111 ●id there espy her ancient servant peace , ●bout to dye for griefe , as if she 'd faine ●oe with Eliza to the grave , de●case ●liza dead , and with her still remaine . Shee saw her , and then said I must leave thee Unto my kingdome as a legacy ▪ 112 ●ake from my fainting head this fading Crowne That I may lay mine honour in the dust ) ●hen from thy facred hand present renowne ●nto our dearest Iames , whilst you intrust His honor'd temples with our Diadem , And with thy presence still attend on him . 113 With this Eliza ended : For her soule ( As if it meant to goe along with peace ) Departed flying to the highesti Pole Translated to a crowne of ●liffe , and case Death opened wide a gate of life to her That she through Death might scape both dea● & fear 114 Have not you seene a palsie feare possesse The guilty Traitor , as he dying stands In expectation of a Death that guesse Made over to him from the Iudges hands , Feare making suite to death , that standeth by Death bring a Pardon , that he may not die . 115 Iust thus when Rome and Spaine rid circvitejud Of lise and Death on Englands Soveraigne , Both brib'd to falsehood by a festred grudge Shee sentenc'd was to dye , but all in vaine Iove sends his privy seale the death , and he Brings her a parden , that shee may not dye . 116 Shee dyes ; yet dyes not , dying doth escape Thy tyranny , which hov'ring o're did move Vpon death's borrowed wings , to make a rape With fastned tallys on this virgin dove . Iove takes Her from his Crowne , that so her Crow● May not be tooke from her , e're she go down 117 ●nd now Eliza's dead ; who did bequeath ●ir virtues as a royall shrine to Crowne ●uceeding Iames with a true noble wreath , ●ommending peace to him as Guardion . All shined in him with so full a blisse , As if her soule had beene espous'd to his 118 ●nd these had bin her portion : Can you tell What was full Regent in her royall breast , Which was not in our Solomon as well Say what in her , and that in him was best , As if that nature kept her mol'd to fash Him after her in each proportion . 119 ●nd so this Peere did reigne , that had not shee ●rst swayd the Scepter with so full a grace Thad bin a sin to thinke that sex could be ●o Masculine to keepe him equall p●ce But Iove did disinherit all their Kin To make this woman , and this Masculine . 112 ●haebus can doe no more then call the day , ●nd Phebe lesse , shee can but guild the night , ●or he can lend the night an helping ray , ●or Shee put out to use a minut's light . Night gives to day , and day to night the way But these maintained still a constant day . 121 As soone as blest Eliza did goe downe . Iames rise with glory on our Hemi-spheare . Thus Scepters yeeld to Scepters , crowne to crow● In constancy is always constant here Kingdomes like Ianus have a double face ; They look on both sides with an equall grac 122 Have you not seene the ray enous Lyon run With roaring stomack for to seek a prey , Snuffling the until'd forrest once begun With hunger-biting nose to finde the way Rending the aire now , with a thundring throa● Then bounding o're the Hills , bequeath's a no● 123 Of terror to the trembling vallie by , Where innocency shroud's it selfe for feare Among the little lambs , that there doe lye And frightned often doe their food forbeare , Then when in hot pur suite sh' hath lost the da Shee follows night more eager for a prey . 124 Thus , thus the Lyon of the infernall tribe Out run Eliza's dayes in hot careere , Thinking his ya wning stomack thus to bribe By making her a prey ; and faine would tare Her selfe and throane in sunder , till they be Made Morsells for his whelpish pedegree . 125 ●nd then once loosing his desired prey , ●is cheated stomack barks with hotter rage : ●ow nothing will goe downe , but Majesty ●e rounds the Iland to renew his age With some well married prey , at length he saw Another game provided for his paw . 126 ●he buṙied Embers of that ash-heapt treason , Which lay like quenched coales in sawdust hid , ●ome rakes up with the hand of blinded reason ●nd blows them with false zeale , untill they breed With hatching heate a treason , which may be A plot-forme unto all cōnspiracy . 127 What though proud England lately lost her head The crowne hath luster still : the right hand 's gone , But where 's the Scepter though ? Eliza's dead , But Iames is from her Phaenix-ashes sprung Starrs rise & fall ; the clouds are low and high Princes decease , but kingdomes never dye , 128 The crowne is placed on a sager Head Shining in golden Fleece : From thence will spring More rays of wisdom : deep fetcht councel's breed And nimble pollicy where reignes a King. A stronger arme the Scepter now doth sway , A woman 's but a warrier for a day 129 Yet stout Eliza like a Gyant rose And with an heart hoopt in , with valour stoo● At Tillburie our forces to appose And scattered like the wind th' Armade wood But now we meet both strength & wisedom● doo● Pollicy may , but both must overcome . 130 If once their Queene was such a whip to Spain tam Their King will be a Scorpion : was shee Rom's feare ? hee 'l make Hell shake and Pluto Strength must not guide the sterne , but Pollicy Close wrapt in treasons must sit there , if w● Or hope to get , or get the victory . 131 And now that treason , which did seeme to sleep And slept , Eliza sleeping ; they awake . The Goaler-Iesuite , which her did keepe Close Prisoner in his dungeon , now must take The fetters from her , let her loose , that shee May range about , and sit on Majesty . 132 Thus have I seen foul guilt , and sad despaire Making the Malefactor guilty cry , And after they condemned Him to feare Forced the Iudge to sentence him to dye , And yet at length hath sue'd his pardon too , Which graunted , he more villanous doth gro● 133 What though the treason slept , the Traitors still ●ept scouting eyes , & watchfull heads from fleep : ●asting so long from villany , they will ●reake up their Lent , a cruell Easter keepe . And murther innocency , that they may Really cellebrate that Holy-day , 134 When slight and strength doe in a Duell fight , ●rength seemes the conquerer , flight feares that day ●o takes her heeles , & with a Parthian flight , ●ee kills her foe by running thus away ; So have I seen a Ram retreate , that he With stronger hornes may butt his enemie , 135 ●he aged hoary Winter now had seen ●ummer thrice wrapped in her winding sheetes , ●hree races Phaebus with his steedes did winne ●ut running the fierce Lion at three sweats , That he was faine to get the crab to pace His horses back , as he came from the race . 136 ●nd all this while hid treason buried lay , ●nd never knew a resurrection ; ●t length Rome thinkes to call a judgement day ●nd summon Iames to know his censur'd doome . A Spanish twigg shall strike the Poppys head . The royall seed be sowen in Romish bed . 137 The Heroick top-bow of that noble stemme Shall wither at the root , the branches fall . The twiggs stript off , shall grafted be on them That grow in Rome , till fruit sprout forth like g● Fed from the sop that fats the Iesl●ite Forgetting all the former nurture quite . 138 They 'l reigne o're them that reigne or not at a● They 'l have more crown's then one or els have no● Le ts tripling trees for them or rise or fall ; They 'l aime at Cedars or let all alone They weigh not London's mace , that pretty staff They 'l write at once all Englands Epitaph . 139 At length the Gates of Darknesse open wide Through which Hell's Ministers doe sally out Though night-shades , sainted Devills , very pri● Those putrid poasts with false zeale gilt about , With them their arch-ringleeder Iesuite , Who vows allegeance to the Prince of migh ●40 He like his predicessor Iudas well Comes compas't round with his riffe-raf●e rout , The excrement of earth , the scumme of Hell ; Who er'e hath brawny hands , hearts steel'd abo● For rapes , for murthers , and new cruelty Are his assistants in this villany . 1●1 ●n Euglish seed , which with rebellious lungs ●pit venome in their mothers face , and then ●un o're to Rome , & their bound heart & tongues ●o serve Aprentiship , sent o're againe : At home they toyle in journey worke for Spaine , ●'entrap both mother , and her Soveraigne . 142 ●his done , He calls them round about t' unclose His sealed heart : But first he makes them sweare That none shall prove a comment to their foes On this obscurer text : That all should feare Th' unmanlike forfet of fidelity If they intend to feed on Majestie . 143 Before he doth unlock his mind , hee 'l first ●ast bolt it too , aud barre it with an oath : ●reason's companions are guilt , Feare , mistrust : ● telling it to tell it he is loath : And yet hee 'l tell it blabbing guilt alone ●irst feares himselfe , then her companion 144 ●e brings the booke of life that they may seale ●eaths warrant with it : they straight with a kisse ●o close both heart and lipps , that neither tell ●he secreacy , that now deliver'd is Thus making Heav'n subscribe to Hell in sinne , And seale the bond that they are all bound in 145 After wi●h sacrilegious hands he steels The Priests blood wine , and gives the Laitye ; They kisse the cup , and with a kisse each seales His closest heart to keep this secrecy Thus life to Death just transubstantiating Whil'st they in one cup life and death suck i● 146 And now they stand prest vassells at the nod Of Pluto to exact what e're he will , He must serve Hell , that will not serve his God ; One servant cannot have two masters still Their Captaine Iesuite conducts the way , They lead by that false fire goe astray . 147 Thus , thus those Hell combined Feinds doe mee To satisfie blood thirsty appetite . They march like threatning Comets through ● Which once appearing to th' amazed fight Presage some bloody deluge or the Fate Of Majestie or overthrow of state 148. At length their greedy feet o'retake the place ( Revenge doth seldome creep , but poasts awa That place where treason stood to end the race ▪ And did for them in expectation stay . With death presaging engines that did show Their foes had not a guard for such a blo● 149 ●th ▪ English Troy-novant they pitcht the treason ; That royall seate , which beares the mother name , England's Pernassus , where diviner reason Hath built her Throne , and honour rais'd her fame The City , which this day hath Europe set Above her sisters in full glory dight . 150 ●hat , which commands the Indys , France , & Spain ●tripping them all of all their choicest treasures ●f wine and Spices , of the golden chaine , ●nd yet to all the world her bounty measures . Feeding the hungry with a belly full : The naked cloathing with her nappy woo● 151 ●l countrys worship Her , strive , and which shall ●esent her with the richest offering ; ●rabia comes with her perfumed ball ●nd gives it her as to the fairest Queene : Hydaspes flatters her with Odours too Striving Arabia's sweetnesse to outgoe 152 ●aine drinks to her , and then send o're the cup ●at she may pledge her in the selfe same grape ; ●e Parthians richer Diadems put up , ●d come to her , with a rich laden lap . Virgeinia sends Her that diviner weed , Which had Iove tasted , he would begge the seede 153 Her streets no stree●s but pleasant gardens are Where little Hyacinth that lovely boy Sports up and downe with young Narcissus faire Tell me what is not there for Palate joy ? First fruits are duely paid to her , as if Shee were Queene mother , of all Cities chief 154 There you shall see the bloodbright cherry gro With blushing ripenesse , e're Dame nature can Couler her sister's paler-cheekes , which grow In other places , with a faintish wan The unprest wine full bottel'd you may se● In forward bunches , tempting of yonr eye 155 Their various flowers dresse the rising spring , As she hath new got up , and make her show So glorious with her frequent varying , That Iuno's bird being by would seeme a crow Nay forward Hiblas top may well confesse ; To that , shee 's but a wild spread wildernesse 156 Tell me ( Brave Citizen ) if e're the day Got up , Arabia did not call on thee : If whil'st on tender downe each member lay Thy bed seem'd not a Phoenix-nest to thee : Thence from that gather'd garden did aris● Such odours for thy morning sacrifice . 157 There planted is within her fruitfull wall The tree of life , which spreads faire branches o're Her confines , and with fatnesse feeds them all ; Their sprouts the tree of knowledg more & more , No worme , nor canker in the apple is : 'T is not a garden , but a paradise . 158 Close by Her swelling Thamasis doth glide Fencing it with a snakelike twinning wall : Neptune doth every day come downe the tyde And brings his Bride to see those stately halls who veiwing them amaz'd such state to see Sincks downe into an ebb , and back doth flee . 159 ●ust on her smelling breast a Towne doth floate , The arched bridge 〈◊〉 thickset double row Of houses hedge it , through it boates doe shoote As swift as arrows from the Parthian bow . With whose vast weight the river 's prest so soare 'T is forc't with louder murmurings to roare 160 Beyond it you may see along her side That monument of grace antiquity , Londons chiefe fort , the towning towers Pride : Where Mars , and his munition prisoners lye : Till peace disturbed by her foes put in Sufficient bale to fetch them out againe . 161 Next neighbour to it stands o th sandy mold That house , which with her dayly customes fils Th' excheqnor with refined fleece of gold Richer then Iason brought from Causa's hills , Thither the Indian ships their riches bring Vnloading yearely tribute to their King. 162 Where Thamisis is broader set below Running in deeper waves with lesser noise , There you may see a navy proudly goe Whilst full mouth'd Zephjrus their sailes doth hoise Thamis is London wall : the ships are all The watchmen , London sets to keepe the wall 163 Some lye returned from their two yeares race And bring the prize with them which they did By tilting with their Masts , running apace At th' golden line to cut the Ecliptique string . winne Some overcharg'd with wine begin to recle ▪ But some discorging it they save the keele 164 Some after they the fowler feas do scower Licking his slimy filth on either side , Rerurne with crazy ribs , beat with the power Of thunder tempests , and a raging tyde And there all furr'd with grasse in harbour lye ▪ That they may cure their green-fick mala dye ▪ 165 Whilst others round about them sporting play Not troubled with that lazy sloath defease ) ●amaskt about their decks with glittering ray ●atched with beauty like Ioves cristall lays , Sounding the trump to welcome Thetis down Whil'st she conveys the Eccho to the towne . 166 ●ut on , and see that wooden Gyant rise ●ith such a Monster crest , and threatning front ●ou'd thinke hee 'd wage new warrs against the skyes ●nd like the Gyant race soone set upon 't A ship so vast as if ten woods had beene Cut downe to build it , when they did begin . 167 〈◊〉 ship , enough even of it selfe to make 〈◊〉 navy , and hold stoutly out in play ●ith an Armado : had it bin o th' lake ●ith it , alone 't had frighted them away . When once it plowes the feas , ● ▪ le boldly say Neptune will dive that he may give it way . 168 〈◊〉 pallace fit for Majesty where he ●ay keepe his court , and did he deeme it meet ●ight ride a progresse in it : should it be ●sieged , with an hoast , till all their mea●e Provided were devoured , they might plant Plough , sowe within it to supply their want . 169 Bnt yet come back againe , and with the tide Recover London bridge , that you may passe ( Whilst on a smoother wave you thorough glide With safety on the equall tract of glasse , Then feast your eyes on each side by the way , Veiwing those frames , that cast so bright aray 170 Leading to that , from whence Apollo spake In Englands Oracle , renowned Iames ; Where once that Prelate Monarch Woolsie took His Primate dignities , those swelling names , Which flow'd , and ebb'd at last like th' Emble● That rise , and fell so oft by 's pallace side . 171 White-Hall , where he once sate upon a Throne Without a Crowne , and kept a Court , as if His king were Prelate , and he King alone Swaying both King and Scepter ; till his life Proclaim'd him Traitor , and his Pride prov'd s● Not lifting him so high , as 't left him low . 172 On either side faire Fabricks beautified With Dedall cunning border it about : On this the Minster mounts her facred head , Where Britaines Kings in Christned pomp go o● Being then first crown'd with the Diadem After dead Caesar yeeldeth up his stemme 173 There lyes the royall dust , and quiet bones Of all our Henries , the Marble their Weeps o're our famous Edwards and bemoanes Eliza's urne , paying a tribute teare To her dead Soveraigne ; till all the store Quite spent , it drys to stone , and weeps no more 174 On that side stands a Frame whos 's prouder spires ( Guilt on there crests with a deep Saphron beame ) Doe court the clouds , and kisse Ioves taper fires Goe equipage with Heaven . and often seeme To lend themselves to Atlas , while they beare ( To ease Him ) on their tops the moving spheare 175 A goodly Hall , which dares vye statelinesse With all the patterns of our former dayes , Brazen Colossus , tall Pyramides , The Ephesian temple shrin'd about with bays . That high-fam'd structure , & that polisht frame Founded , and finished by th' Assyrian dame 176 A well knit unity this house divide ●nto an upper , and a lower region , ●o planets in their severall spheares abide ●et keepe a constant and united motion The King like Titan from his flaming crest Sparkles his mutuall glory to the rest . 177 With him , the Pawne of England's hopes , those twiggs That sprouted from the aged royal Sire , Shrin'k , as if Phaebus lent them pery wiggs ; Budding forth glory , which was blowen there To fuller bightnesse , sitting next the King , Like Venus next Sol more light borrowing . 178 With him , those two tops of Pernassus Hill , Those tapers , which upon our altars stand The two Arch Prelates , who with luster fill The senate ; luster , which poore oile maintain'd Sincerer wisedome shin'd in them so bright , Like th' greater put-out honours lesser light . 179 With him , the rest of Brittain's noble traine Those scarlet troopes , that shine in royall blood Array'd in spotted Furres , richer then can Be dapple dyed in Assyrian flood . Glittering in brisker gemms then e're was set On best of Parthian King or Coronet . 180 With him , the Iudges all in cloath of goare To Embleme that they sit on guilty blood ; Vnbrib'd Astraea beares the sword before , They must not strike till justice thinke it good , And draw the sword : She guides both blade and hand Iudges condemne , but 't is at her command . 181 ●ll these with full united glory meet ●ike tapers mingled lights , which stronger shine● ●he trumpets Eccho triumphs to the street ●s they ride on with majesty divine . The thronged commons twist their votes 'i th reare Teaching the birds to sing an Ave there . 182 ●hey're ready now to mount that judgement hall ●here Iustice sword stands bare , her ballance even ●ce shink ▪ her head , & Impudence looks pale ●aring Astraea is come downe from Heaven ●here stands Romes whipping post ; the Iefuite ●lucks in his horns , & thinkes of couching slight . 183 ●ow prayers Elysinm seale with winged flight , ●natius cannot rest within his grave ●ey howle such votes to that grand Iesuite , ●ith prayers both whipt and stript his aide they crave At length the Devill doth a plot infuse And they sing Hymnes unto Ig●●atius . 184 ●nder that stately house sly cellars creepe ●o adders under fairer flowe ●s sh●ou'd ) ●ere Bacchus doth in drov●sie hogsheads sleep , ●enus there his bottel-nose doth crow'd Night spreads her sable wings in dismall fort Over the vault , and keeps continuall court . 183 Pluto that treason-Patron from deepe Hell Seing the Caverne with convenience set So nigh his confines ; and so apt a cell To further their designe , he doth them greet With larger summes from his owne treasury To Stock the treason , and the cellar buy . 184 Then summons all ▪ pon paine of Hel's displea su● To midnight silence , whilst with equall dole He doth his royall charge to each deliver , Which did from him like louder thunder role . They shiver all in cold amazement , while They heare the thing , and yet they do it toyle . 185 T is thus ( Heroick soules , our royall breed , Borne for no meane disignes ) let crackling bays Whize out their slender fame , who onely bleed In an Armado , that 's not worth our praise Wee 'l build our Trophys on a Kingdom 's rui● Or wee 'l have none : The iron 's hot , be doin● 186 T is red for striking ▪ Opportunity Iust now hangs out her bush , catch hold on tha Or else occasion 's gone , sh'ath wings to flye : If once the Synod rise , Time shows his pate , Then fasten on his lock , and make him stay To see and Chronicle November's day , 187 Iust when that furnish't fabrick shall begin To swell with Pride , because in her the flower Of drest nobility is compast in , When Majestie sits under her spread bower , Shining like Phebe in the azur plaine Amids bespangled Uesper's glittering traine . 188 When every state is plact , beginne your play , Strait draw the curtaine from the Tragick s●eane , Let hell appeare in her owne shape that day ; And let destruction sally forth unseene When th' King with sugred speech is charming al● Send him a plaud it from th' infernall Hall. 189 Then bullet up from that munition'd cell Thy splintred barres , & broken rocks to teare The prouder walles in sunder , let all feele What sands the bankes of Acharon doe beare . Blow up the bottoms of their towers to heav'n Levell their prouder top with Tellus even . 190 Each haves his charge , all like the baite so well , They chew upon it with a full delight : Thrice watery stomachs long , untill they fill Themselves with Majestie , they long for might . Hope claps them on the back , & cheeres them so They feare not , care not what they undergoe . 191 Have not you seene how aged summer casts His shedding haire by handfulls from her head ; Her leaves tost up and downe by Autumn's blasts Fall in full shoales till earth be covered : Iust so in swarmes Hell's Harbingers doe fly Sent to take up this shop of cruelty . 192 And now as soone as night gave day the fall They creepe into that caverne vaulted deepe , But yet , not nigh enough to Pluto's Hall , Where they they their engines & munition keepe They must delve deeper yet , 't is their intent To borrow Vulcan's forging tenement . 193 With spades , and mattock forces they goe down Like Hannabal they 'l finde or make away ; They then besiege earth's closed dungeon And carve out trenches in the mangled clay . Break through resisting rocks , teare up the ground The rivers trembling back at th' noyse resound . 194 With beamy-yron-rowes they sticke the heart Of Mother earth , that neigbouring Thamis grew Sill to have shaking fits as day did part , The earth so quak't with a quotidian ague . They dig'd so farre Pluto was faine to ●●nd , ( Fearing an undermine ) to bid them end , 197 ●nd now they are within Hell's liberties ●rrived close at black Cocytus layes ●hey heare strong neighings , which do mock the skys , ●hundring from steeds , that on Cocytus gaze . They like the Omen , and petitiones make That they that harnest teeme from Hell may take 196 ●ell grants commission , that they may unteather ●he Stygian brood , and knock their fetters off , ●he coale-blacke double brace come up together ●urvetting over Aetna's hilly roofe . All hooft with thunder , prancing as they came They make each flint with lightning flashes flame 197 Aethon throwes mist into the thickned ayre ●om furnace-lungs breathing forth Sulphure fogs ●icteus with bushy taile doth sweepe it cleare , ●ill it all lyes on earth in scummy bogges . Orphaeus staring eyes with fire glow . And in the ayre like kindled Meteors show . 198 ●lastor like swift Pegasus doth flee , ●is wings deepe dipped in the Stygian booke ●oe drop downe clouds of darkenesse , which doe ●he I le in sable black , & makes her looke , As if sh 'ad bought her mourning , which she went dye To hang on England's funerall monument . 199 Treason 's wide warehouse now prepar'd , they yoa● This blackbread broode unto Hells midnight ●a● Whose axletree well loaded 'gins to croake Like death's Ambassadour , as Ravens jarre In untun'd harmony , and croaking tole A passing bell for some departing soule ▪ 100 Full stuff't out barrells presse the groaning wain Whose rising wombs , and empty nerves are fill ' With black blue Peter , that ●nkindled gaine , Which is through Stygian salted sand distill'd . A little seede scattered on Erebus , And there to dryer mould , was parched thu● 201 The fiery horses draw this loade of sinne , With staring maines , and racked joynts so long Till foaming sweat doth dapple their black skin And quite weare out the carmans whipping thon● At length th'unload the wain , that they may loa● Bacchus , whil's they with these his barrels crou● 202 Thus adding fire to that tinder-fuell , They strive to lick up with this dryer dust That oylie liquor : faine would make a duell , Whilst these , at those wel marshall'd barrels thru● But straight conclude their private quarrell so That they joyne forces ' ganst a common ●oe . 200 ●nd now the Horses draw with easer thighes , Wantoning back to hell with frisking limbs ●pitting forth boyling foame abroad , which flyes ●rom their unruly chaps in hizzing hymnes . Quench in the colder ayre like cinders bright Which in the water hizzing , quench their light . 201 ●hey feed on provinder of Stygian graines , While Sterops and Pyracmon are at jarrs ●nd sweat in blood of yellow S●ythians , ●triving who shall beate forth more Iron barrs . Great store of sturdy Thracian Iron 's sent To forge at Vulcan's furnace-tenement . 202 With this large minerall the second time ●hey loade the cart , and weigh so ponderous ●t made hells baited horses blow againe : ●ike slow Bootes now from Erebus They creepe along ; their fiery mettall dyes Yet night bring 's all into their treasuryes . 203 ●here in that cavern's deepe abysse , they heape ●n Iron Pyramis , the Basis layd ●pon the barrells , but the top shall creepe Forc't up wards ) to the heavens , and Iove invade Had you but seene that monster you 'd have thought Peryllis there his brazen bull had brought . 204 They stay not , but with Pegasean speede ( Treason's suspitious alwaies of a vent ) They lash their horses backe with twining reed Who swift as thawing winter's current went ; Then cut downe woods to billets , batter down Their rotten woodden Gods to bring to town● 205 Cast down their images , all gnawne within To putred worme-holes , but dawb'd o're with pain● That emblem , nay there God head , trunke divine ▪ These they build o're for fuell coverment . You would have sworne had you that pile but seene The wooden horse had entred Troy agin . 206 With pickaxes as sharpe as those that breake The tougher yee of glazed Tanais , They next into some craggy paved creeke ( Where angry seas ' gainst foaming rocks do rise ) Launch forth , that they may cutt Don Neptunes warts Hew downe I meane those raving rockes in parts . 207 Digging whole quarryes from his monstrous side Then dashing them to lesser thunderbolts , Next downe the bankes of Phlegeton they glide , And there take Captives all the damned doubts : Make the day labourers to gleane the land , Gathering the stones lye on th' unpav'd sand . 208 ●hilst others with rude mattocks dig up all ●els regent-walke , and levell it alone ●ith cinder dust , which from their forge doth fall ; ●ay they 'l not leave for Sysaphus a stone : All joyne to build a fort for envy's hall And hedge in treason with a rampant wall . 209 ●d now 't is built : they first dig deepe to lay ● strong foundation , with a mixed rout ●f barrels stu●t with wine , and pouder-clay ●ake up , they build upon that bottom stout Vpon the fire they heape on fuell wood , Vpon the fuell barrs of Iron stood . 210 ●pon the Iron , stones their forces send ●ixing a quarrye with a Minerall : ●ast with a faintish flame the fire send ●t coldly upward Iron keepes downe all : And , least the Iron with a falling ●it Sinck downe , to blow it up the fier's set . 211 ●us strength resisted growes the stronger still , ●us contradicted passion rageth more : ● Cammamell trod downe grow upward will , ● bended bowes fly up , and strike more soare , They hide the treason ; darts foreseene will Not hurt so much , forewarn'd forearmed still . 212 Now match the patterne : Let me see who dar● Discover his ranck blood , and say that he Is of that kindred , envie will not share With them , or take in more affinity . These have ingrost the saile of blood ; no fees Can bribe up hell to grant more Patentees . 213 Now treafon's ready drest to goe abroad , And Faux hath borrow'd Plutos livery To manne her : Hee 's the Pimp to helpe her trad● She never stirrs but in the night , and he Is faine to snatch a fire-brand from Hell , Which his dark-lanthorne-lights to guide h● sti 214 ●aux , whose black blood stood in his face , & the● Emblem'd the couler of his filthy heart Sooted with blacker vice , and swarthy feare , Yet blood-red pampar'd with raw flesh : his pa● At every meale was wovsh milke , which ●ame From those two soare breasts , festred Rome an Spain● 215 With too officious duty he prepares To lay his mistris cloaths against she rise ; Marshalls the barrels , rancks the Iron barrs , Then primes the powder , traines it till it lyes Close by the barrells mouth , ready to broach The Treason : lights , & blowes the kindled matc 217 ●nd now he calls on ●lowpac't aged Time ●hinking his waxen wings are melted quite , ●ach minute seemes a day , each day as nine , ●he houre-glasse is stop● , or runnes not right . He sweares the clocks doe lye , and Sextons fee's Greasing their fists , that they the wheeles may grease 217 ●hen sends to Time that oylie ju●e , the Moone ●pon her Heifers sprinkles ; bids him noint ●is stiffened limbs with that , which Phaeton ●upples his steeds ; and chafe each sleeping joynt . And yet Times crazy-staffe doth softly goe , And yet his tyred leggs as lazy show . 218 At length he offers dayly mattins to him ●ropping as many beades as words do fall : He knitts both prayers and promises to woe him , Come ( Nimble Time ) come to our Stygian hall I l'e let Thee in to see a Tragedy Where the Spectators act ; The standers by 219 Shall neither see nor heare ; nor act , nor sceane Doe measure it ; no sugred words collouge With peevish eares to begge a plaudit in : The proloug here , shall be the Epiloug And clap it selfe : a Tragaedy just donne As soone as it is but in thought begunne . 220 Wee 'l hang no false lights out to entertaine The actors that their luster may more shine : The candles here shall be the Tragick flame Not lighted ' force the Tragedy begin . A thought both light them shall , and put the● ou So quick an exit brings the Sceane about . 221 No musick here shall call the Prologue in , But thunder-claps , & shreeking cryes ( which com From tortur'd Princes to those Ecchoing , This ceac't the play beginnes not , but 't is done . Nay , whilst the Sceane is acting you shall see The stage pluckt downe : My sterious Tragedy 222 Chiefe actors are but three , and they all drest Iust in the whores attyre like puppet Rome : Dull Ignorance comes out before the rest ; Hir maides are Errour , Superstition . These follow ignorance still but on this stage They all goe hand in hand just equipage . 223 The stage is rudely built as low as Hell , Hang'd round about with darker clouds & mists The walls thicke mud , caru'd out of Natur 's cell The roofe for Majesty faire bowers twists . Set up in England , but the Actors come Out of th' attyring house of puppets Rome . 224 Ignorance enters first , a wizled Dame Wrapt in the seamelesse coate her Saviour wore : So old , she 's in her dotage ; blind , and lame Led by the Church , on crutches of the whore In one hand there 's a Bible clasped fast , In th' other a dimme light , which can not last 225 Next Errour staggers in , drunk with the wine Of Fornication , reeling up and downe ; Tost with the wind of Church-faith varying Walking with naked feete all scurfy growen With dirty pennance : In one hand 's a pardon , Th' other a purse to pay for his salvation . 226 After her gaudy superstition In chang of costly cloaths still varying : Her maid is counterfit Devotion , Who carrys after her some holy shrine Stole from the Virgin Ladies sacred brows , To which with supple knees she humbly bows . 227 Shee proudly walkes with tinckling feet , & shines shrines , In that same purple robe Christ once put on Hung round about with beads , & crown'd with Wearing the God sh ' adores with such renowne . In one hand ther'e 's a candle ne're goes out , A bell in th' other cursing all about . 228 Sometimes shee 's loofely drest in Hermite leaves , Girt with that cord about her hairy loyne , With which , Christ whipt those buying selling Out of the ●emple , who did there conjoyne ( theeve● Both God and Beliall in one house together , Thus girt for pilgrimage , she wanders thither . 228 Where all the sacred reliques treasur'dlye To see the Angell Gabriel's plumes , who brought The first newes of her Lords Nativity , The thirty peeces which her Saviour bought , The crosse , the nayles , the tombe , the spunge , reed , The very vinegar , which he drank , is there ( speare 229 These three leade forth an old , blacke , meagar wight With fatted eyes , blown cheeks , & brothel crown , Wrapt close in weeds of darkenes life grim night , With necke into his shoulders shrouded downe , With fleering chaps , his gag-teeth threatning all . His very image was Hereticall . 203 Ignatius eldest sonne , an Epicene , Proteus in doctrine ; a iust courtier Priest ; A wolfe in wooll ; a glow-worme that doth shine Most in the darke : a Sainted feind at best : Rome in a Surplice , ranck hypocrisie , Rotten , but painted o're divinitie . 130 A Iesuite ; that monster pharifie That fasts with sweet means , keeps a box forth ' poore , But Iudas like them fils his treasury . What not ? A just darke Lanthorne and no more . Whose tongue is nothing but equivocations , His heart made up of mentall reservations . 231 He brings a map upon the stage wherein Crownes pictur'd are , and Scepters cast aray : But close by swordes are draw'n by coulering , A cup of poyson's placed in the way . Dasht braines , rent limbs , blood spiltly's pictur'd by Thus Crownes they win , aud weare by cruelty . 232 With that , he soone descends a loathly cell ▪ And sets him downe just like Diogenes In 's hogshead , where full barrels round Him well And there upon a plot he shewing is , Thinking to compasse more in 's tub alone , Then Alexander can upon his throne . 232 At length he calls those Three , that set him on Vpon that hideous task● to doe this deed , Ignorance , Error , superstition ; They ' plaud the deepenesse of his reaching head , Promise to raise assistance , who shall cry Out of his plot to make a Tragedye 133 One error bribes , another Ignorance , But Superstition with her conjuring charm's Commands them all , straight after her they dance ▪ Hypocrifie religion soone takes arms The chiefe were those three furys sent from Hell To stand for treason , and keepe sentinell 134 Faux , Percy , Catsbey , Romes Trium-viri Those Parri-regick people-regnicides ; Spirits incarnate , abstract blasphemy , Who thrust at Iove through kings and Princes sides White gun-powder , who kill without a noyse : True lime who seeming quencht , then most a nnoyse . 135 A trebble twisted courd of relatives Bound Percy over both to king and state ; And yet with masked zeale he falsly strives Guarding the King , the King to captivate : A fence hath thorns , and he chose Pensioner ( Honor'd , with lending Majesty such honour ) 236 Made his strict homage a back doore , where He Might let in treason and rebellion : Over much zeale's a blast of pollicy To blow up parisite presumption . Thus an ungratefull snake doth often string The breast , that warm'd it , once recovering . 137 Faux strives to cloath his couching villany In Percys livery , goes for his man , Waites on him in the roade of Tyranny , But rides before him , striving to out ●u●ne His master , and his mate ; they softly came , Whilst he in hot careere pursues the game . 238 A traitor to himselfe , that would betray ( Posing the aire , that breathed Him a soule ) The Patron of his life , before his day Hastening to Pluto's file , and their enrole Himself for darknesse , and present his King , His Countrey too for a burnt offering 139 These are the true borne of that Father Feind , A Cadmus brood sprung from the scattered seed Of that true serpent's teeth , and now they bend Their forces that they may dissentions breed . The purer blood of long liv'd unity , Which ranne in Englands veines , they 'l now let flye . 240 So are they taught by theit Trivertick Father , Such doctrine howles forth triple Cerberus ; Mad wisdome ! puddle knowledge ; mudded ove● Like flimy streames of filthy Erebus : Religion in the Lees ! divotions mire ! A cold , false , foggy , wandring , fatuate fire 241 Oh 't is the cause , that is so Catholique , Rome's almost ready for her matyrdome ▪ Our miters have beene shak't , if England strike The second time , down comes our Triple Crown . Religion cals , whilst her cause wee cry , T is virtue for to Sin , a price to dye 242 Aleaprous Church , a Church from scars as free As it is full of wounds ; one onely soare : Festred corruption springs and runs from thee , So full of spots , uncapable of more What horrid Tyranny dare show it's head , That hath not first at Rome , beene licenced . 243 These , these , that joyn'd to beare that common yoake Fettred together with her sacrament : Was by her sacrilegious hyre bespoke To call up Tyranny , and they consent . Let 's on : the danger 's sweet ▪ a Bull shall be , Our pardon ; merrit , our security . 244 Wee I goe no common road , away with that Prefumption , which is obvious , what e're Hath once beene heard shall never in our plot Iugredient be : Presumption shall despaire When she first heares of it ; nay death shall be Amaz'd to hearc of such a prodigy , 246 Wee 'l take up hearts of steele , and triple brasse Shall hoope them in : Then dastard Tyranny To follow us to Hell ; and there wee 'l passe With confidence toth ' Stygian diety ; So learne new magick that we may extract Sulphurian sands from Styx his Cataract . 247 Some scattered Atom's dust wee 'l gather thence , Which with impetuous rage , shall blow up all ; An Omnicidian blast to recompence The fury of that thronged Capitall . Nor sheild , nor bullwarke , nor that Iron coate Which fenceth thunder , shall this blow keepe out . 248 Nor strength , nor care , nor both , nor all shall be A Remora to stop the full careere Of instant ruine ; which well arm'd shall flee With close revenge , and bring a weapon with her , Will all the acts of murther soone o'recome , Put an whole Kingdome to a martyrdome 249 That burning hill that keeps continuall sire Casting live coales into Calabrias breast , Doth but an hatching milder heate expire , And rageth with a fury quite supprest Compar'd to this ; a furnace , had it beene But kindled , Hell had had lesse fireing . 250 Nay Phoebus sealding beames ( though he or'etake The fiery Lyon at his raging denne ) In scorching Libya could never make So hot a Solstice , burne as this had then Wept or'e the flame they had not quenched this Had with their running sives the Bel●ides 251 A fruitfull age ; barren in all but some , Fruitsull in sending forth a forward spring Of ripe impiety . What gulfe within The deepe Abysse of Tartarus can bring Bring forth such monsters with a direfull hand Against anointed holinesse to band . 252 Nor cholerick Seytha , nor yet Concanus , He that was pampred up with horses blood , Nor he of Dacia servile Davns-Dacus Such Tyrant Mysteries e're understood : Nay the Sicambri that red pated-race Poison'd with slaughters at this vale their face : 253 The affrighted aire with cold amazement shooke Fearing the thumping blows it should receive , The starrs doe quench their flames i th' misty brooke Of Acharon , as if they would bereave The Snblunary orbe of all it 's light Loathing so black a deed so strang a sight . 251 Phoebe began her palsie head to shroud , And seared at the sight pluckt in her horns ▪ Apollo's steeds did start into a cloud And each with strange reluctancy suborns The guider , that he would let loose the raine That they might draw the day quite back again 252 Phoebus invests himselfe in sable black Mourning to think upon so foule a birth . The Axle-tree of heaven begins to crack Fearing some new forg'ed thunder-bolts from earth The heaven's begin to weep , & with their teares , Would make a deluge for to drowne their fears 253 The unwreath'd snakes of the Eumenides Stood bolt upright upon the Fury's heads : The hundred-headed beast at th' news of this Hangs down his eares , his taile like twinig reeds He twists betwixt his leggs , runns howling out , The Ghosts in strange disorder range about 254 The heaven stands still , the Earth seems now to round In her diurnall circuit : the whole frame Of nature seem'd unpin'd : disorder found Her order now came in , and tooke the same The world amaz'd , thought Iove had suffred Or that the world now at an end had been then , 255 The sands of Bosphorus begun to groane , They heard of it and murmure of the newes . The Libyck Syrtes faine their heads would drowne In Affrick sea , but Neptune doth refuse The Arminian waves doe roare , and carry thus The news to Taurus , and to Caucasus . 256 The Hyperborean mountaines , which retaine An equall portion of the day and night , Halfe yeare in day , and halfe in night remaine Scar'd from their course keep a continuall night The Oakes on Gargon on their tops look farre As if for madnesse they had toare their haire . 257 The aged Alpes dissolve their frozen snow Filling up Rhodanus with their melting teares , And Rhodanus doth her rising bancks o'reslow Blabbing to France and Italy our feares . Acturus will goe downe , Aericthon rise , That they may leave tempestuous seas and skyes . 258 And yet , and yet , that hell-hatcht crew controles Both heaven and earth , goe equall with the stars , With proudest heads confront the highest poles Promise to warm with flames heav'ns coldest cars Heark , hearken , Hell applauds us then they cry And so applaud themselves in villany . 259. And now the day 's their owne , that glad-sad da● That deare , that raising , that foule-faire weather , Which must both raise a tombe , and Trophy lay For England , and yet not for England neither ▪ Britain 's sad Epitaph hangs o're her hearre , And Romes false Iubile is turn'd in verse . 260 And now some pen that 's Iesuiticall Must forme a letter of equivocations , Indited by a head politicall To keepe the truth in mentall reservations , 'T is sent unto some cull'd Nobility : Goe one , and riddle me the mysterie . 261 My Lord that Catholike affinity , Which knitts relation betwixt me , and those , Which are so nigh to you , makes me untye What sacrament to you , which should keepe close The dearest secreat of my breast , but see How neare I prize your safe securitie . 262 Then as you love that soule , which is espous'd In such a fellowship , so neare your breast , Let it not be divor●t : you are expos'd Vnto a common danger with the rest : Take up some forg'd excuse ontrust , which may Sue at your absence on the Senate day . 963 The God's decree is past , and man consent Both have conspir'd , and seal'd their minds , that they Will muster up revenge to punishments , This yron rusted age shall battered be . A blow with sudden terror there shall be : And yet the hurt , who hurts them , shall not see 264 No motions these commotions shall betray ; Vshering the sequell with a prolog●e in , No trumpe shall sound initialls to the fray To tell the foeman when he shall begin . A thunder-clap shall fall with such a blow The left hand here , shall not the right hand 265 Nor slight you now this warning peice , you may know . Escape the ruine horrours o're your head , With-draw your selfe , take wing , and fly away , Or else your life 's already buried . You may outlive the Fates ; know , 't is no more But burne the letter , and the danger 's or'e . 266 Heaven warn's you , be sore-arm'd : I hope that she That guided hath the hand , and penne to write , Will ope'you eyes to reade the mysterie : He that doth read , and understands not it Is ready to neglect ; neglect will make An Index to 't , let care keepe what you take . 267 The Aenigma's tyed in a Gordian knot , The letter writ and sent , but who can spell The meaning drawne in Ony'on juce , that 's not Reveal d at all unlesse the fire tell . Burne but the letter , then perchance you 'l see And yet that burnt , tell me the mystery 268 Who with the nimble strength of Daedall wit Can loose these tangled lines ? what Lynceus eye Can sift the bottom of so darke a pit , And there those hidden mineralls descry ? Who can this Labyrinth finde out , and trace That Minotoure in this Meander maze ? 269 None but that eye , that sees without an eye , None but that sun , that shines in midnight darke . Could either see or reade this mysterie , Or quench this fire in it's ember spark . None but that Oracle , which never spake By Oracles could this transparent make , 270 God speakes by men , the Devill speakes , but by His wodden carkasses , God speakes the truth , The Lyer teacheth stockes , and stones to lye , And yet a miracle doth breath from both . The Devil's raines hangs loose sometimes , but so That there 's a curb commands him , too & fro . 271 Let hell begin to open wide his jawes Thinking to swallow heaven with yawning thro● Hell shall prepare his stomack , but for those Of his owne Tribe , that beare her branded note . A pit is often digg'd for other men , But he that diggs , shall sometimes first fall in 272 If Diomedes traynes his horses up With living men in stead of fodder food , An Hercules shall rise , and fill the cup To drench an horse with Diomed●s blood . Peryllus may prepare a Bull , but he Shall first in his owne Bull tormented be . 273 Let hell send forth her paler Pegasus That treason may ride poast on it to bring The newes of winged ruine unto us , Yet Iove can hang a plummet on the wing , And force the fates to hover till he hit Vnder there wings , and make them fall it 'h pit 274. Iove calls his bird , that royall Eagle forth Makes him his winged Mercury ; goe fly To Albions court , that Synod of true worth , And there this mantled monster-brat discry . Give Iames the Clue , that he may finde the way Like Theseus , and that he Minotaure betray . 275 This Lord soares on the wings of loyalty And faithfully conveys that riddle spell To Caeasars councell , where true royalty ●ate Iudge on it , and censur'd , each doth tell His severall verdictt , but the meaning still Was tyed fast within the knotty spell . 276 Till heaven sent downe a light , and did infuse The truer spirit of an Oracle Into our Monarch's soule , to tell the newes Where dire Reveng doth , with hid treason , dwell . He reads the letter , and the language knowes That confus'd Ideome of his Babel foes . 277. And now the miners soone are undermin'd , Vulcan's discovered in his loathly cell Sitting with other Gods , who there combind To summon ruine from the depth of hell . Vulcan sits next to Bachus caskye throne , And Pan is mounted on a rocke of stone . 278 The wooden God is first pluckt downe , and then Vulcan and Bachus are descried there Calling toth ' rockes to cover them from heaven , Shrouding their Hogsheads under stones for feare The fuell's snatched from th' unkindled fire The fowle es●●ps , the fowler's hang'd i th' bryer . 279 What candle was it , that could guide the eye To spell the meaning of so darke a spell ? What hand could catch at treason , and fast tye That captive , to remove him from his cell ? A light not lighted did those lines unfold An hand , without an arme , the foe controld . 280 That hand , which once did write without an arme Printing full terrour upon Babels wall , Guided this hand to write that hidden charme , Which proved their's , as that did Babels fall . This did Vriah in his letter beare The sentence of his death , ere , death came neere 281 That hand , which guided both , pluck me a quill , From the choice pineon of a Seraphin Dipt in diviner inck , that 't may distill Full characters of prayse , in charoling The wonders of that arme , which could command And loose fast treason from so dark a band . 282 Infuse fresh Anthems in my duller muse , That so it may outrunne a Poets straine Lending the world new wonders to perufe . My Muse wrapt up beyond Apollo's veine . Then in one Halelu-Ile sing a consort Shall drowne a quier of Angells full report . 283 Where lodgeth now that true authenticke soule , Which was ne're out of tune iu David's breast , But kept continuall harmony , the pole Still heard him in the quier above the rest . Wher 's that sweet singers glory , who did make Each string of his owne glory to pertake . 214 Warbling his makers praise ? where are those toungs , Which run division out of breath , while they Strove who should first outsing themselves in And with a Cignets chame call death a way All striving thus one consort for to make Breaking the consort , each a consort take . 285 Were but that old Philosophy in season , Which makes the soule remove her lodging still , Tuning in this , and then in th' other mantion , By transmigration lending the same will And power to enact , there were some hope , I might have Davids soule for Davids scope . 286 A way fond hopes ! Blinde nature is no guide Elisha can't Elija's soule inhearit , Then looke not where the Prophets soule doth hide , Without his soule thou mayst have Davids spirit ▪ The wind blows where it lists , Olet me finde In the right corner of my heart the wind . 287. Thus'winged with the wind my soule shall rife To tune her Maker's prayse , farre , farre before The early Larke doth charme the dawning skyes My glory shall get up and ope the doore . That from my enlarged breast a quire may goe ▪ And learne the Spheares to play Novembers 10. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A38409-e19020 * Mauricius , * His wife and his Daughters . 
A66435	----	A vindication of the history of the gunpowder-treason and of the proceedings and matters relating thereunto, from the exceptions which have been made against it, and more especially of late years by the author of the Catholick apologie, and others : to which is added, A parallel betwixt that and the present popish plot. Williams, John, 1636?-1709. 1681 Approx. 215 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 51 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A66435 Wing W2741 ESTC R214885 12927227 ocm 12927227 95553 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A66435) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 95553) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 991:30) A vindication of the history of the gunpowder-treason and of the proceedings and matters relating thereunto, from the exceptions which have been made against it, and more especially of late years by the author of the Catholick apologie, and others : to which is added, A parallel betwixt that and the present popish plot. Williams, John, 1636?-1709. [4], 95, [1] p. Printed by J.D. for Richard Chiswell ..., London : 1681. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Attributed to John Williams. cf. NUC pre-1956. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Williams, John, 1636?-1709. -- History of the gunpowder-treason. Gunpowder Plot, 1605. Popish Plot, 1678. 2005-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-05 Simon Charles Sampled and proofread 2005-05 Simon Charles Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A VINDICATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE Gunpowder Treason . And of the Proceedings and Matters relating thereunto , from the Exceptions which have been made against it , And more especially of late years by the Author of the Catholick Apologie , and Others . To which is added , A PARALLEL betwixt That and the Present Popish Plot. LONDON , Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswell , at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard , 1681. Errata's in the History of the Gunpowder-Treason . PAge 8.1 . ult . for 20 read 16. After p. 20 , false paged . P. 28. l. 23. r. Catesby . P. 30. l. 19. f. Everard , r. Gerard ; f. when , r. where . P. 31. l. 12. expunge that . In the Vindication . Page 17. lin . 4. read reserve . P. 32. Marg. l. 2. r. 9. P. 36. Marg. l. 14. r. 313. P. 40. Marg. f. ibid. r. Antilog . p. 146. P. 47. Marg. dele l. ult . P. 48. Marg. dele l. 9. P. 54. l. 1. r. Wykes . P. 55. l. 18. r. Conjurationis . P. 57. l. ult . f. yet r. that . Marg. dele Paper 418. P. 60. Marg. f. ibid. r. Proceeds . P. 61. Marg. l. 8. r. 248 , P. 63. l. 20. r. 338. To the Reader . IN compiling the History of the Gunpowder-Treason , published two Years since , I had a particular respect to Brevity and Truth , that I might neither burthen nor abuse the Reader . How far I attained the former , the Book it self doth shew ; and that I might not mistake in the latter , I did with good heed and diligence consult not only the Histories foreign and domestick , but also all other Books which I could meet with , written pro and con upon that subject . But all this while I had neither seen nor heard of the large Reply in Vindication of the Catholick Apology , written by a Person of as great Wit as Honour ; in which I afterwards found there was a particular Discourse upon this Argument . I must confess that the Honourable Author hath as well acquitted himself as could be expected in a Case of this nature , and by the reviving and skilful disposing of what hath bin said by others , and starting many things not taken notice of , that I know of , before , hath put a pretty Varnish upon the Cause , and made it passable with inconsiderate Persons . But if what is there said be warily view'd , I do not question , but it will appear to be founded rather upon conjecture , than solid History , and to have more of fancy than truth in it . But whether this be so or not , or whether what I have here said will make it evident or no , I must now leave to the Judicious and such as will be concerned impartially to inquire into the merits of the Cause . If it should be expected that I should have taken notice of some other late Books of our Adversaries that touch upon this Subject , I have only this to say , that I have not willingly overlooked any ; and as for those that I have seen , I find little or nothing which is not the same with what is said in the foresaid Reply , and that hath not for the most part bin borrowed from it . THE HISTORY OF THE Gunpowder-Treason VINDICATED . THE Conspiracy of the Gunpowder-Treason , carried in its front , so much of unnatural cruelty , that with all their Art the Party could put no colour upon it : and therefore there hath been nothing wanting amongst them to vindicate themselves and their Religion from being concerned in it . Sometimes they will slander Authority , and make the Judges and Council to Conspire against them . Sometimes the whole was the contrivance of a Minister of State. Sometimes the Traitors were but very few , and they such as were young and rash , quick to resent a provocation , and easily inclined to revenge it . Sometimes it was in those discontent , & not Religion . And if any or all of these will serve to stop the mouths of their Adversaries and protect themselves , they will boldly stand up in their own vindication ; And that they have reason to say all this , is what they do maintain . I shall therefore consider their several pleas , and do think that I shall take in all that they say , and shew it to be very weak and insufficient , if I make good , 1. That this was a Plot of their own , and not contrived to their hands by their Adversaries , 2. That more were concerned in it , than were at that time publickly known and accused . 3. That those that fled and suffered for it were really guilty . 4. That this Conspiracy was purely upon the account of Religion . 5. I shall add , that they never yet gave to the world any real and good satisfaction of their abhorrency of it . Of what great use it will be , if they could prove the whole to be anothers device , I cannot well understand . For if it could be made as clear as the day that a Minister of State drew the Conspirators into the nooze , and had such as from time to time did give him intelligence how their affair stood , will it serve to clear their innocency , and make the Plot on their part to be none ? was there all the while no evil inclination of their own to work upon , and no mischief intended by them ? were they drawn in without their consent ? or were they not drawn in at all , but the whole accusation a Fiction , and it no better than a seeming Plot , as one suggests ? If not , why is this so vigorously urged , and so much enlarged upon by our late Apologists ? But yet how little shadow of proof there is for this , will appear if we consider how inconstantly these speak as to this matter . For if we will hearken to the man of 70 years when he died ( who is for that reason presumed to be a person of some credit in the case by the honourable Author above said ) he saith , Fuit non levis suspitio , &c. that there was no light suspicion of a certain Peer's being acquainted with the Conspiracy long before its discovery , who cunningly pretended ignorance that the more might be involved in it . It was in his time ( it seems ) a suspicion , and a suspicion that that Noble-man knew of the Conspiracy , i.e. by the intelligence he kept with some of them . But in the current of ten or twelve years , from a suspicion it comes to a certainty ; from his being privy to it , it comes to be his proper Invention . For now it s said to be set a work by the discoverers ; to be a trick invented by the States-man , and to be a seeming Plot ; and that they were drawn into it by the dexterity of a Protestant . It was in More 's time some Noble man thus was suspected , but now upon the sole credit of Mr. Osborn , it must be the Treasurer ( meaning I believe Cecil , tho at the time of this Treason he was Secretary only ) and he for his good service was made an Earl , as our Author saith ; altho as luck would have it , he was so created on the Saturday after St. George's day , Ann. 1605 , which was above six months before this Treason broke out . So inconsistent are Persons with themselves , when they have not truth on their side ; and so apt are they to catch at any little thing , when they serve a Cause or a Party . For is it not an easie thing to raise such a report , and have we not reason to believe such will do it , whose interest it is to discharge themselves of it , and who as they would deny it if they could , so would to be sure extenuat it when it is not to be denied ? Can we think that they who contrived to cast the whole upon the Puritans , if it had succeeded , were not as able and willing when it miscarried to place the name of Cecil in their Register , as the Master-workman ( as the above said Author saith that Sanderson doth acknowledg ) and to make him the deviser of it ? Furthermore is it not usual for such as would be accounted Men of Wit ( which the Apol. saith Mr. Osborn was noted for ) to allow little of that in others ; , and for such as pretend to be Inquisitive & Politicoes ( as the Apol. saith Tacitus did ) to have every thing a Mystery ? can we think that he that slubbers over what K. James did well , and continually exposeth him in what he thinks he did ill ; that will hardly allow him to have any sense of Honour and Religion ; would not be shy also of allowing him one dram of sagacity above other men to find out a Riddle , or any greater title to divine Providence to help him to unfold it ? Can we think that he , that was a frequenter of company , and inquisitive , ( as this Author saith Osborn was ) could be ignorant of such rumours as were scattered at that time abroad by the party concerned ( if such there were ) ; or that he that had a spite at the Court , would not maliciously improve them ? And is there any reason to believe the one or the other upon their bare affirmation ? I do not think that the credit of such will pass at this time abroad without better Certificates , and therefore since this honourable Person is he alone that hath urged some Arguments for it , as he affirms ; I shall consider what he hath said . And , in the first place , I think what he hath said concerning the Letter sent to the Lord Monteagle to be very remarkable , upon which he observes , That it 's pleasant to see in most of the Relations and Accounts of this Business , how the Letter appeared Nonsence forsooth to Cecil , and with what a particular adulation he seemed all along to admire the King's Comment and Exposition ; for though his Majesty had as much Wit as any man living , yet the Affair was so plain , that one of a far less capacity could not miscarry in it . Herein I must confess he is very singular , and I am of his mind when he saith , perchance I have bin the first that urged the present Arguments . For to this day all the World hath bin of another opinion ; and without doubt whoever had seen the Letter before the event did unriddle it , must have no more thought of such a design then those that read the Case , that Del Rio put , of powder being placed so , that the Prince and all that are in the City would be thereby destroyed , could think of the respect which that had to England . Will we hearken to their stout Apologist , he acknowledgeth that Rex & ingenio per se acer , & periculo factus acrior , &c. the King naturally of a sharp wit , and by his danger made more quick , when he could conceive no other way by which the Parliament should be destroyed , suspected , as it was , that it must be by some Mine , and so caused the place to be searched . If Barclay be to be heeded , the King was Divinely inspired . Nay , if Bellarmine * be to be credited , it was not discovered without a Miracle of Divine Providence . And after all these it will be of some Authority with Protestants , not only that King James in his Speech on that occasion saith it was miraculous ; and that when a general obscure Advertisement was given of some dangerous blow at this time , I did ( saith he ) upon the instant interpret and apprehend some dark Phrases therein , contrary to the ordinary Grammar construction of them ( and in another sort than I am sure any Divine , or Lawyer in any Vniversity would have taken them ) to be meant by this horrible form of blowing us all up by Powder . But also the Lords and Commons in Parliament declared , that the Plot would have turned to the utter ruin of this whole Kingdom , had it not pleased Almighty God , by inspiring the King 's most excellent Majesty with a Divine Spirit to interpret some dark phrases of a Letter shewed to his Maiesty , above and beyond all ordinary construction , thereby miraculously discovering this hidden Treason . After all which , whether I shall , with the aforesaid Author , say that the words of that Letter are obvious ( and which he by way of scorn calls the Miraculous Letter ) or , with Sir Edward Cook in his Speech , say upon the Authority aforesaid , that the King was divinely inspired by Almighty God , the only Ruler of Princes , like an Angel of God , to direct and point out as it were to the very place , to cause a search to be made , out of those dark words of the Letter , concerning [ a terrible Blow ] I leave the world to judg . But he will not only have the Letter plain for the matter of it , but also undertakes to find out the Authour , which he will needs have to be the States-man ; and thinks to come off with a pretty Query or two . Is it possible ( saith he ) to imagin that any Man could be so mad , after he and his Partizans had brought their Plot to that perfection , had so solemnly swore by the Trinity and Sacrament never to disclose it directly or indirectly , by word or circumstance ; and had resolved to blow up all the Catholick Lords , and the rest of their Friends , &c. To fancy that a man should write a Letter , that had more in it of a Plot against the State , than the bare saving of a Friend . Again , Suppose this , yet what need was there to write , that God and Man would punish the Parliament , &c. and a hundred other circumstances not only suspicious , but to no manner of purpose , unless intended for the detection of the whole Intrigue ? Besides , no man really engaged in the Treason ( had he bin never so great a Fool ) would have given warning ten days before the Plot was to be executed . And so he goes on to shew how this warning was quite opposite to the designs of a Conspirator , &c. but beneficial to a Machiavilian . From all which we may observe how much may be said by a man of Wit , to baffle any Cause that he undertakes to overthrow ; since this that he hath said , is in the ground of it false ( as hath elsewhere bin shewed● ) and what if I had no proof of it , yet what this Honourable Person saith , is far from proving what he designs . For he discourseth as if no one ever had bin false to the Oath of secrecy which he had taken in any Conspiracy ; or as if there were no persons in the World had ever done this with allowance . He discourseth as if no Person that had a Design to destroy multitudes without compassion , could not be over-ruled to spare one alone from a particular affection . He supposeth that no one in writing a Letter to that purpose could unwittingly let fall such things as might beget suspicion , and be a means of discovering the Design . He supposeth again that no one in so doing can be over-ruled by the Providence of God to go beyond what he did intend , and to betray what he resolved to keep secret . Now if any , or all of these things be true , the Letter might have bin written by one that was privy to the Plot , by Percy or any of the rest , without the help of his Machiavilian , notwithstanding what ever he hath bin pleased to say to the contrary . But if it was writ by him , why was it put into my Lord Monteagle's hand , who was a Roman-Catholick , and who must have bin a Confident of Cecils , and privy to the whole affair ? or else it might have miscarried through the hands of the Person that carried it , or the hands of him that received it ( it being a kind of a Note , and delivered in the evening ) or that Lord might have contemn'd the Admonition , as coming from an idle Fellow in the street , as this Authour saith , and throw it aside ; or he might have concealed and disowned it . Or if it had come safe , and that Lord did , as he did , discover and deliver it , yet the King himself might have happened not to have had the sharpness of our Authours wit , and bin alike dull as others ; and then the whole intention of the Letter had bin lost , which was as he saith , to have the thing discovered ; And so the Secretary had lost the opportunity of making his vigilance appear , and missed of the reward of being made an Earl for his Service ; which are the reasons the above said Author gives of the whole . And now I should have dismissed this long Discourse of the Letter , but that he spends above a page in shewing the folly of giving ten days warning , if all had not bin by the design of the aforesaid Statesman . Why it was delay'd on the Secretary's part , Thuanus and others do give the reason , viz. That the King being then at Royston , they kept the Letter till his return , which was Friday Novemb. 1. when it was shewed him , and it was the next day brought into the Council , where it was ordered that search should be made , which was deferrd till Monday evening , that they might give no occasion to Rumour or Jealousie . And why it was sent so long before ( if I may guess for once as well as our Author hath often ) I conceive it might be that the Lord Monteagle might have time to find out some pretence for his absence , or because the Person that wrote it had a sure hand to send it by . Having thus fixed upon one for a Contriver of the Conspiracy , and withal made him to be the Author of the aforesaid mysterious Letter , this ingenious Person did perceive that he had still said nothing , unless he was able to point to one that should be a constant spy upon the Conspirators , and an useful intelligence to the projecting States-man ; and in so doing he spares not to charge one who may be well supposed as little liable to a temptation to be thus made use of , as any of the Fraternity , and that is Mr. Tresham . For what should induce him to so great perfidiousness ? Could it be a vile education that should thus debase his mind to decoy his dear Relation ( for I am told by a certain Author , that he and Catesby were Sisters Children ) and intimate Friends into such a Design , and having thus decoy'd them to leave them to the rigor of the Law ? This might perhaps lie against a Bates , who was but a menial Servant ; but Tresham was a Gentle-man of an ancient Family , and had an education suitable to his extraction . Could it be necessity , and this a course made use of to patch up his broken Fortunes ? This might have bin a reason for a Keyes , whose Fortunes were sunk ( as he acknowledged upon the Trial ) but Tresham had a plentiful Estate and promised to contribute 2000 l. towards the Design . Could it be a coldness in their Religion , or that he really was of none ? The contrary to that is evident , in that rather than put Garnet into danger , or not clear him of what he had before confessed against him , he chose to die with an apparent Lye in his mouth , and did pawn his Salvation to verify it . Could it lastly be from a doubtfulness of the issue , and a resolution to provide for his own safety ? That we find not a title of ; but that he might have done and provided for theirs too by obliging them to desist from their Design for fear of discovery ; that he might have done and never discover'd them , or taken such a base course to procure . So that if we consider the thing in it self , it might have bin as well Catesby or Percy ( whom an Author of theirs would also fasten a suspicion in that kind upon ) or any , as Tresham . But there are some Reasons offered from this suspicion ; for Tresham was suspected by themselves saith the Apol. But what was he suspected of , not of being a Spy or a Setter , but of having sent the Letter to the Lord Monteagle ; So saith Tho. Winter in his confession ; When Catesby , Tresham , and I met at Barnet , we questioned how this Letter should be sent to my Lord Monteagle , but could not conceive ; for Mr. Tresham forsware it , whom we only suspected ; and this he might write , and be no such Person ; nay it 's certain if he had writ this Letter , he could be no Decoy , since there would then have bin no need to give his Lordship any such warning ; when he , being privy to the whole Transaction , was sure that the Design would be discovered , and prevented , and so neither the Lord nor any else , but the Conspirators , be in danger . Well , but Tresham hanckered about the Court when all his fellow Conspirators fled , And so it 's likely he did , that he might not by his flight give any suspicion ; but when he was suspected , he shifted his Lodgings , saith Thuanus , and so for a time escaped . And surely this was more wisely done than to fly with the rest into the Country , where they could not but be discovered , and when nothing but plain force could secure them when discovered ; and that they could have little hopes of , as long as King and Parliament and London were safe . But if he had bin a Decoy , what need he have hanckered about the Court , or sculked afterwards for fear of discovery ; if he was Cecils instrument , and had access to him at midnight ( as one , that is ready to swear to the certainty of whatever the foresaid honourable Author doth with greater modesty only suspect and conjecture at , doth say ) he knew where to be safe , and by whom to be received . But a Setter may be hanged , that his Patron 's Art might not be suspected — and if his Creature will not be satisfied with words , and is like to be dangerous and unruly , 't is then only saying he died of a Strangury , or some sudden Distemper in Prison , as it happened here to Tresham , who , lest he should discover it , was never brought to a publick Trial , but was with another [ nameless Person ] sent to the Tower , and they were never seen afterwards , lest they should tell tales , as an excellent Romancer tells us . Surely Tresham was in the deepest Dungeon , where none but the sowr Keeper could come to speak with him . Surely he never spoke word , but all on the sudden by the power of some poisonous Potion was made to sleep his last , and being found dead , it was given out he died of the Strangury . But now what if this Man did indeed die of the Strangury ? what if he did die while his Wife and Servant were with him ? What if he did not die so suddenly , but that his Wife dealt with him to recant what ever he had said against Garnet , and to subscribe a Paper to that purpose ? Why then it 's to be feared that they must seek for another to bear the part of a Spy , and let Mr. Tresham die as the rest of the knot did , true so far to one another , tho never so false to their King and Country . And this I shall prove beyond any question ; For if Cecil was the Contriver of this Plot ( as they give out ) then Tresham could not be his Agent ; since the whole was communicated to Winter in the latter end of the Year 1603 : but Tresham was not acquainted with it , nor taken in to the number till about August 1605 , as appears from Winters Confession . So that either the Plot must not be Cecils , or Cecil must carry it on for a year and a half without such a Factor , or else he must have another that he did thus employ than Tresham . But if there was such a Satesman to contrive , and such an intelligence to carry it on ; how came the Conspirators , who had some suspition it seems of Tresham , not to make use of such a Plea to excuse themselves , or mitigate their Crime , either upon their Examination and Trial , or at their Execution ? Whence again was it that those , that in those days writ Apologies for them , never offered at this , altho they were such as were furnished with Intelligence enough to have found it out , and Sagacity enough to have made use of it , if it had bin true ? To the latter of these the answer is ready : The first Apologists ( saith our Author ) were strangers , as Bellarmine , Eudaemon , Johannes , &c. who perchanceeither knew not the grounds of our suspicion , or if they did , would not in print accuse a great Noble-man of a Crime , while , though true , could not yet be made good , and sufficiently proved by them , for time and patience can only bring such deeds of darkness to light . It must be confessed that the Persons he speaks of were strangers , but whether strangers to our affairs or not , is hardly to be questioned : There being so constant , settled , and exact a Correspondence maintained betwixt the Superiours and Inferiours of the Order of the Jesuits ( of which Order these Apologists were ) that hardly any be greater . For the Rectors and Superiours of any College must every day write down the Transactions of their House , and every week write to the Provincial , if in Europe , and with such exactness , ut omnia tanquam praesentia Provincialis cernat , that the Provincial may understand all things by that means as if he was present . The Missionaries , who are employed abroad , are obliged to write also to the Provincial every week concerning such Affairs as they are concerned in , and such matters as they observe . The Provincials are under the same obligation of writing to their General at Rome once every month ; and in that manner also , ut omnium rerum , omniumque personarum ac Provinciarum statum , quoad ejus fieri possit , ante oculos habeat : So that the General may as it were have before his eyes , as much as can be , the state of all Things , Persons , and Provinces : But if this monthly and weekly writing be not sufficient ; in extraordinary cases , it is to be as often as there is a necessity for it : provided that in matters of Secrecy it be in such Cyphers as the General shall appoint , and none but him shall have a Key to . Now who can apprehend , that any thing in a case fit to be observed should not be known as well at Rome as London ; and that those who are so punctual in lesser matters should not be as precise in understanding and making their observations upon a case , which the reputation of their Religion and Society were infinitely concerned in . And as for Eudaemon-Johannes ; besides he saith Neque verò mirum , &c. let not any one wonder , that I write freely , not only of the manners and customs of England ; but also sometimes of secret affairs , when from my youth up I have bin very conversant with them . So that his converse with them , and the intelligence of his order furnished him with all things necessary for an Apologist , and withall he further pretends that etiamnum versatur Romae , &c. there are those now at Rome , who took not only the words but the Syllables Garnet spoke before his execution . So punctual do they desire and would be thought to be in things of this nature , But further the Apologist saith , that those persons would not in print accuse a Noble-man of a Crime , &c. as if they were very backward to speak ill of any ; though it be in their own vindication . But what then shall be said to the above said Author , who calls Sr. Edward Coke an impudent man , and the greatest forger of Lyes and Calumnies . And saith of him , that he looks upon it as dishonorable to himself , to let any thing pass from him without a lie to back it ; and yet this person whom he thus reviles was at the time of his writing Lord Chief Justice , as he owns . What shall we say to Bellarmine in his reply to King James under the name of Tortus , who treats his Majesty in such terms , as neither became a Church-man to give , nor a Prince to take ( saith Dr. Hakewel ) giving me nine times the lye in express terms , and seven times charging me with falsehood , which Phrase is equivalent to a lye ; as King James himself saith . And besides other things of that kind there enumerated , compares him with Julian the Apostate , and saith Jacobus non est Christianus ; that James ( not vouchsafing to call him King ) was no Christian. Whence it appears they are not over thrifty of reproaches where there is occasion , and the greatness of the person shall not protect him from them , where they have a mind to bestow them . But what can we expect from such as will tell us in the face of the World that Tresham was a Decoy , that there were but four Gentlemen in the powder-Treason , that these four were necessitous or loose persons ; and that if any of these were Papists , or so died , they were not so long before ; Things altogether as true , as that Percy and Catesby had no weapons but their Swords ; and that there was little intimacy betwixt the Lord Monteagle and Percy . And yet all these falshoods are to be met with in a few pages of an Advocate of theirs . Such as will dare thus to contradict , not only our , but their own Books in such evident particulars ( as those above mentioned , and which any one may be satisfied about in the Books referred to in the Margent ) when it may serve their turn ; Such as will not spare their own party in such a case , may be presumed to sacrifice the Reputation of others without difficulty for the same end ; and if they can perswade us to believe these , we may be brought to believe in time there was no such Plot at all , and ( to make use of the words of a learned person ) if they go on in this way , without the least shadow of proof , to lay the contrivance of this Plot on a professed Protestant : for all that I know , by the next age they may hope to perswade men , that it was a Plot of the Protestants to blow up a Popish King and Parliament . So that for all that hath been said to the contrary , we have reason to believe King James , who hath published to the World , that the Gunpowder-Treason was only plotted by Papists . Now if we reflect upon all that hath bin said , and what pains hath bin taken to make Cecil the deviser of all this mischief ; one would think that there was nothing else could be charged upon them ; and that they had never bin before concerned in any Design of this nature . Who would have thought that either the Pope had issued out Breves to keep any Protestant Prince ( such as K. James was ) out of the Throne : or that ever any means had bin used by this sort of men to prevent it ! And yet Pope Clement 8. sent two Breves , one to the Laity , and another to the Clergy , to this purpose , in which it was required , that quandocunque contingeret miseram illam faeminam ex hac vita excedere ; whensoever it shall happen that that miserable Woman [ Q. Elizabeth ] should depart this life ; whosoever should lay claim or title to the Crown of England , quantumcunque propinquitate sanguinis niterentur , &c. tho never so directly interessed therein , unless they were such as would not only tolerate the Catholick [ Romish ] Religion , but swear with all their endeavours to promote it , they should not admit them to be King of England . But these Breves , saith an Author of theirs , were so far from being a prejudice to King James , that it was intended for his advantage ; for there was a Letter sent to the said Clement ( some two or three years before our Queens death ) under the King 's own Hand and Seal , by the hand ( as they said ) of the Scots Secretary of State ; and therein his Majesty gave his Holiness assurance of his being a Catholick , or to that purpose ; therefore the Breves could not be intended to put him by , whom the Pope had already such confidence in : but their drift it seems was against several English pretenders , as my Lord of Hertford , &c. Thus far that Honourable Person . But if the Pope was so much a Friend to King James as to assert his title against all his opposers , whence was it that such care was otherwise taken to set up another , and that such Books were written as Doleman , for that purpose ? And whence was it that money was sent over to maintain it , as Garnet himself did confess ? Whence came all these Prophecies of the confusion and misery that this Nation should be involved in upon the death of Queen Elizabeth ? And why then did the Jesuits tamper with Catholicks , as well to diswade them from the acceptance of King James at his first coming , saying , that they ought rather to die , than to admit of any Heretick to the Crown ; and that they might not under pain of Excommunication accept of any but a Catholick for their Sovereign ; as also to diswade Catholicks from their Loyalty , after the State was setteled ? as Watson and Clark two Seminary Priests did confess upon their apprehension . What ever is pleaded now , I am sure King James thought otherwise , who saith , it may be the like excuse [ viz. the rashness of the Pope upon wrong Information ] shall hereafter he made for the two Breves , which Clement 8th sent to England immediately before her death [ Queen Elizabeth ] for debarring me of the Crown , or any other that either would profess , or any ways tolerate the Professors of our Religion , &c. Catesby also was of another opinion : for when Garnet seem'd to desire that the Pope's consent might be obtained to the Powder-Treason : Catesby answered , that he took that as granted by the Pope in the two Bulls or Breves before ; For if it were lawful not to receive or repel him [ K. James ] ( as the said Bulls do import ) then it is lawful also to expel and cast him out . Garnet also himself had no such thoughts , for instead of alledging that the King was not concerned in them , he only pleads that altho he received them from the Pope , yet he shewed them to very few Catholicks in the Queens time ; and when he had understood the Pope had changed his mind , then he burnt the Bulls . By which he owns that they were directed against the King , or else it were no Plea for him to make , that the Pope had changed his mind , and no excuse for himself , that he had burnt them . So King James himself argues against one that made use of the same shift with our Author , If the Breves did not exclude me from the Kingdom , but rather did include me , why did Garnet burn them ? why would he not receive them that I might have seen them , that so he might have obtained more favour for him and his Catholicks ? So little was it then thought either by Friends or Foes that these Bulls were sent over on that Prince's behalf . But it seems the Pope had some broad intimation given him of King James's affection both to his Holiness and his Religion ; our Author calls it , an assurance of his being a Catholick under his own Hand and Seal . And truly if it had been so , I know no better Certificate could be given at that distance ; but this Honourable Person did with caution add , [ to the Kings Hand and Seal ] that it was obtained by the fraud ( as they said ) of the Scotish Secretary of State. For indeed thereby hangs a tale , and tho the Intrigue of this matter hath been sufficiently discovered and made evident to the World by several learned Persons ; yet because this Story hath bin revived not only by this Author , but also by a spightful Pen amongst our selves , * ( whom I shall not be so severe upon , because he lately upon his Death-bed recanted that mischievous Book ) I shall insert a brief account of it . In the year 1598 , the Lord Balmerinoch Secretary of State in Scotland , at the instance of his Cousin Sir Edward Drummond , a professed Papist , did solicit the King to write a Letter to Clement the VIII in the behalf of the Bishop of Vaison , their kinsman , for a Cardinalship : suggesting withal that it would be a means to secure the succession of the Crown to his Majesty . But the King obstinatly refusing , they did contrive to shuffle in a Letter , to that purpose , amongst others ( omitting the Titles given to the Pope and leaving room for their insertion afterwards ) and to wait when the King was ready to go on hunting to procure his hand to that with the rest . This Letter so obtained , Drummond carried to Rome ; but within a while this being discovered to Queen Elizabeth , she in the year 1599 sent to the King about it . He thereupon questions Balmerinoch , who absolutely denied it , and to give the King satisfaction sent for Drummond , who abjured it . Thus it continued , till in the year 1608 , when Cardinal Bellarmine undertaking to reply to the King's Apology for the Oath of Allegiance , charged him with inconstancy upon the account of this Letter . Balmerinoch happen'd then to come into England about other matters ; the first thing put to him at Royston ( where the King at that time was ) was the business of this Letter , which he then confessed . upon this he was remitted to Scotland , and there Arraign'd , and Condemn'd ; all the while acknowledging , as he wished God to have mercy upon his Soul , that his Majesty was wrongfully charged with the writing that Letter . And that he was so , ( and so it could not be an argument for the Popes kindness to the King in those Breves ) will be evident , if it be considered , ( 1. ) That in the year 1599 ( as above said ) the thing was known , and the whole denied and abjured by the persons concerned , which the Pope could not be ignorant of . For Drummond was not only sent for over by Balmerinoch to forswear it , but was notwithstanding upon suspicion imprisoned , and after he had obtained his Liberty , going to Rome , did , upon the importunity of Balmerinoch , by some art procure that Letter , and sent it back to the Secretary , as he confessed . ( 2. ) While the Pope had this Letter , he did shew it to all Scotsmen that came to him , enquiring if they knew the hand , and suffering some to take transcripts of it ; which if he had not suspected , he would certainly have kept to himself , or communicated only to such as he could trust such a necessary secret , as that was , with . ( 3. ) The Pope never did return an answer to his Majesty , nor did at all concern himself to do what he did desire of him ; whereas if he had believed the Letter to be the Act of that King , he would not have so far neglected the interest of the Church , as to have slighted it . ( 4. ) When not many years afterwards he , did upon his own accord write an obliging Letter to the King , he did not only omit the Title of Son , &c. which he doth give to all Princes of their Communion ; but also did not take any notice of that Letter pretended to be written ; which would have been a very good ground to have fastened a desired correspondence upon . ( 5. ) This was the sense of the Priests upon the point ; for after this Parsons the Jesuit did declare that the King was an obstinate Heretick , and that there was no possibility of his Conversion . And Garnet , when in the last days of Queen Elizabeth he was solicited by a Gentleman of his own Religion to favour the King's Title , answered , he would have nothing to do in it , for the King was so obdurate in his Religion , that there was no hopes of his Conversion . Now , ( as the Earl of Northampton then said in his Speech ) every one may guess that it was no sleight or ordinary degree of despair that made them renounce their portion in the Son and Heir of the renowned Mary Q. of Scots , a member of the Roman Church . From which it appears that this Letter was the Letter of Balmerinoch , and not of King James ; and that the Pope had no more a respect to it in those Breves , then there was in them intended a kindness to that King. And from all that hath been said will also appear , how little reason there is to make any other a Contriver of this Treason than the Conspirators , and their own Party . SECT . II. More were concerned in this Conspiracy , than were at that time publickly known and accused . THe Author of the Catholick Apology , saith that the Traitors were but thirteen Laymen , viz , Catesby , Piercy , the two Wrights , Tresham , Faux , Keys , Bates , Grant , Rookwood , the two Winters and Digby , as all Writers have it , nor can any thing be more clear than that there were no more Conspirators : and he is so confident as to say , that no body was privy to it [ except Owen ] but these few there mentioned . Where , as he would clear the Jesuits of it , so he is forgetful of the five Laymen , besides Hall the Jesuit which suffered upon the same account at Worcester ; and of those that fled , mentioned by Thuanus . However that few were taken and convicted upon it , is what , with our Historians , I freely acknowledg . I shall further yield to this Noble Author , that the Commons , Lords and Privy Council were so vigilant , that they left no stone unturned to find out the depth of the Plot : but that no more were concerned than were discovered , or that no more were discovered , was because no more were really concerned , is what none , but such as are blinded by prejudice , or biassed by being of a party , can imagine . This will appear if we consider , the Design it it self , which was not only to blow up the Parliment-House , the place , as Catesby said , where they had done us the mischief , or the persons that did there contrive it ; but also to strike at the root , and breed a confusion fit to beget new alterations ; as Winter did then observe to him , it was to blow up the established Religion to make thereby room for their own , and to disturb the Government in order to it ; and this was not to be done by fourteen Lay-men , tho we cast in the four Jesuits also to their assistance . Whilst the Plot lay under ground , and was to be carried on by Mining , there needed only a few heads to contrive , and a few hands to execute : and that part of it which required only the Match and the Tinder , a Faux alone was sufficient for ; these might manage the more secret Negotiation . But if that had succeeded , there must many more have appeared upon the Stage to quiet or curb the multitude ; to keep things safe at home , and maintain a fair Correspondence abroad . And can it be thought that such persons , as were found to have been imployed herein , did not understand as much , or when they understood could neglect it ? Can it be thought that such persons as ventured all they had in the World ; the Gentlemen their Estates and Honours ; the Jesuits their own , and the Reputation of their Society ; and all of them the honour of their Religion , and their own Lives , would put all this into jeopardy , without weighing the case , and all circumstances relating thereunto ? Can it be thought that Catesby , who was a cautious man ( as Thuanus saith ) and one not more eminent by birth than the endowments of his mind , as another saith ; or Garnet , who was one of a sharp Wit , solid Judgment and of long Experience , as another saith , ( being several years Provincial of his Order ) and the rest , could lay the whole stress of such an important Design upon so few as twenty Persons ? Can we think again such should be guilty of this omission who had been engaged in Plots from time to time ; and that they who could assure the King of Spain in the Spanish Treason , that upon his Invasion the Catholicks of England would have in readiness for his use and Service 1500 or 2000 Horses , could forget the like provision now , or that they could think of Horses and provide no Riders for them ? It was without doubt upon a better Army than that of a few Servants and Horse-Boys ( as the Author of the Apology reckons them up ) that Sir Everard Digby was assured , that if the Design had taken place there would have bin no doubt of other success ; and that there would have bin a League answerable to that in France . The Persons concerned herein were not such Novices as to undertake so much upon no prospect of good and sufficient assistance . This they well foresaw , and did in the beginning advise about , as Winter confessed ; Whilst we were together , we began to fashion our business , and discoursed what we should do after this Deed was done . The first question was , how we might surprize the next Heir , &c. and what we should do for Money and Horses , which ( saith he ) if we could provide in any reasonable measure , having the Heir Apparent , and the first knowledg of four or five days , was odds sufficient . This we find them consulting how to do without suspicion ; for Garnet did hereupon write to Baldwin the Legier Jesuit in the Low-Countries , in the behalf of Catesby , that one should move the Marquess for a Regiment of Horse for Catesby ; not with any intent , as it was agreed , that Catesby should undertake the Charge , but that under colour of it , Horses and other necessaries might be provided without suspicion to furnish the Traitors . This we find further that they had done ; for Watson and Clark , Priests , at their apprehension , did affirm that there was some Treason intended by the Jesuits , and then in hand ; as for other Reasons , so for that they had collected and gathered together great sums of Money to Levy an Army therewith when time should serve : and had both bought up store of great Horses about the Country , and conveyed Powder and Shot , and Artillery secretly to their Friends , wishing them not to stir , but to keep themselves quiet , until they heard from them . And it seems that they had met with good success in it , for there was in June 1605 a Conference and Consultation betwixt Garnet , Catesby , and Tresham concerning the strength of the Catholicks in England , to the end that Garnet might by Letters send direct Advertisement thereof to the Pope , for that his Holiness would not be brought to shew his inclination concerning any such Commotion , until such time as he should be certainly informed , that they had sufficient and able Force to prevail . By which they must suppose not only that the Catholick Party was strong in it self , but also that that strength should be in readiness upon this occasion , or else their message to the Pope had been to little or no purpose . This Sir Everard Digby in his Papers often glances at . For he saith , I shall not need to clear any living body either private or publick , for , I never named any body , but reported that those that are dead did promise , that all Forces in those Parts round about Mr. Talbot would assist us , but this can hurt nothing , for they openly spoke it . So again , we all thought if we could procure Mr. Talbot to rise , that — and we had in our Company his Son in Law , who gave us some hope of , and did not much doubt it . ( This I conceive to be Mr. Talbot of Peper Hill , from what I find of him in a Manuscript in my possession . ) Let us hear Sir Everard further as to this matter , The greatest of our business ( saith he ) stood in the possessing the Lady Elizabeth , who lying within eight miles of Dunchurch , we would have easily surprized , &c. If she had been in Rutland , then Stoaks was near , and in either place we had taken sufficient order to have been possessed of her . In either place , we see was sufficient order , but that could not have been without a Party in Rutland , that we read nothing of . Nay , we find Sir. Everard after his Imprisonment to be not without hopes of good Seconds , and of making his terms by the fear which the Court might be in of them . For thus he saith , I have some guess that it worketh , but the Lieutenant maketh all shew to me of the contrary ; for , saith he , the Catholicks are so few in number , that they are not to be feared on any terms , for on his knowledg there were not above 4000 in all England . Besides , he said they were easily pacified ; I would not at all argue the matter with him , but if the number should be objected to me , &c. Whereby we may perceive what his opinion was in the case , who could not but understand in some measure what the condition and strength of his Party was , and what expectation they might reasonably have from it . The Catholicks were in his Judgment many , and to be feared , and he did apprehend they would not be wanting to their Cause or them in that juncture . Which agrees with what we find observ'd by the Secretary , that by diverse Advertisements from beyond the Seas , he understood that the Papists were making preparations for some Combination amongst them against this Parliament time , for enabling them to deliver at that time to the King , some Petition for Toleration of Religion : which should be delivered in some such order , and so well back'd , as the King should be loth to refuse their requests . It 's likely that it was given out amongst , and by themselves that there was such a Petition preparing , and if they could but possess their own Party by that means , so as to be in expectation of it , it might serve to satisfie them about any report of an Insurrection ; and keep them from enquiring into that which they endeavoured to keep within the breasts of a few . And this will serve to give light to what I have before said at the beginning of this Section , viz. That more were concerned in this Conspiracy than were at that time publickly known , that is , more than we read of did know of the very manner of a Plot , for the destruction of the King , &c. ( as those that were to surprize the next Heir ; ) and many more of a Plot to bring in and set up their Religion by force of Arms. To this purpose it was that care was taken at the first for assistance from abroad ; and that a continual Negotiation was maintained with Spain by the Jesuits , as Watson and Clark did depose ; which they said they were sure tended to nothing , but a preparation for a Forraign Commotion . It 's true that King James speaks favourably in this case of Forraign Princes , and their Ministers ; but if we may believe Osborn , he saith , that the King of Spain had an Army then in Flanders to land , in the huge mist so black a Cloud must needs have caused over the Nation ; and that when the people heard that his Catholick Majesty sent an Agent on purpose to Congratulate King James ' s preservation , he could not tell it the Cardinal d'Ossat without laughing in his face at so palpable a piece of flattery , as he conceived it to be . To this purpose was it that Prayers were appointed to be used by those that were Romishly affected throughout the whole Nation , as not only Osburn relates , but also as it hath been this last year confirmed from Sancta Clara's , &c. own mouth by Mr. S. in his Depositions before the Council ; and is yet to be seen in a Book of theirs wrote in the beginning of King James's Reign , where are many passages relating hereunto ; in a consolatory Psalm ( as it 's there called ) its said , Confirm your hearts in hope , for your Redemption draweth nigh . The year of Visitation draweth to an end , and Jubilation is at hand . England shall be called a happy Realm , a blessed Country , a Religious People . Those which knew the former glory of Religion , shall lift up their hands for joy to see it — returned again . Righteousness shall prosper , and Infidelity shall be plucked up by the roots ! Again , false Error shall vanish like smoke : and they which saw it shall say , where is it become ? The Daughters of Babylon shall be cast down , and in the dust lament their ruin . Proud Heresie shall strike her Sail ; and groan as a Beast crushed under a Cart Wheel . — The memory of Novelties shall perish with a crack , as a ruinous House falling to the ground . Repent ye Seducers with speed , and prevent the dreadfull Wrath of the most Powerable . — He will come as a flame that burneth out beyond the Furnace , his fury shall fly forth as Thunder , and pitch upon their tops which maligne him . So in the fifth Psalm of his composure — They [ Enemies ] shall perish in thy Fury : and melt like wax before the fire . I have repeated the more from this Book , because it was made about that season , and also because it 's very hard to be got . From which we may observe ( 1. ) That the Jubilee they expected was very near . ( 2. ) That this was to be by the destruction of their Enemies . ( 3. ) That it should be such a destruction as would render the Enemies uncapable of resistance or recovery . ( 4. ) The manner is as much pointed out as a thing of that nature ( that was a Secret , and charily to be kept as such ) could be ; Heresie shall vanish like smoak ; the memory of Novelties shall perish with a crack ; he will come as a flame that burneth out beyond a Furnace , &c. As the time drew on , so they were more secure of success , and more confident and open in their expectations of it . Thus it was abroad ; for Henry Flood a Jesuit caused the Jesuits at Lisbon to spend a great deal of Money on Powder , upon a Festival day , a little before the Gunpowder-Treason in England , to make experiment of the force of it ; and perswaded one John How ( a Merchant whom he had perverted ) and diverse other Catholicks to go over into England , and to expect their Redemption there ( as he called it ) a while ; as we have the relation of it . Thus it was also at home , for a few days before the appointed time , Garnet meets the other Traitors at Coughton in Warwick-shire , which was the place of Rendezvouz , whither they resorted out of all Countreys . And upon the first of November Garnet openly prayeth for the good success of the great Action concerning the Catholick Cause in the beginning of the Parliament ; adding these Verses of an Hymn in the end of his Prayer , — Gentem auferte perfidam Credentium de finibus , Vt Christo laudes debitas Persolvamus alacriter . This Garnet never denied , but pleaded that he went thither with a purpose to disswade Mr. Catesby , when he should have come down — An Answer most absurd ( as the Earl of Salisbury replied to him ) seeing he knew Catesby would not come down till the 6 th of November , which was the day after the Blow should have been given ; and Garnet went into the Country ten days before . If this had been his Errand , it would rather have kept him in London , where Catesby was , than carried him from it . As to the Prayer he used , he had prepared this Answer ( as he told Hall in their secret Conference together ) It is true ( saith he ) that I prayed for the good Success of that great Action , but I will tell them , that I meant it in respect of some sharper Laws , which I feared they would then make against the Catholicks : And that answer shall serve well enough . In which ( 1. ) he plainly grants that he had another end in reciting that verse , than he would own to them that should examine him upon it . ( 2. ) It appears that the end which he did it for , was what he was very much afraid to have discovered . As is evident from his own Letters , in one of which he saith , I know not how I shall satisfie them about my Journey to Coughton ; and in another , there is a rumour of a Sermon preached by me at Hall ; I am afraid it 's that which I made at Coughton . And he further said to Hall , If I can clear my self of this ( which I hope to do ) I care not what otherwise they have to object against me , &c. And can we then think that it was by chance that he recited those Verses ( being used in the Octaves of All-Saints day ) as his Apologist saith ; or that the Prayers then used were only for Toleration , as the English Apologist would have it . If this had been true , what need he be so careful about it , what need he take such care for an answer to it ? If it had been by chance , the thing would have spoke for it self . Or if it had been for Favour and Toleration , it was not what they needed to be afraid to own : for how could it be more dangerous to pray to God for success in it than it would have been to frame a Petition and present it to their Prince for it ? It sounds somewhat better , which one of the above said Authors doth frame upon further consideration ; that when Garnet despair'd of hindring the Conspirators , the good man having tried all humane wayes in vain , adds the publick prayers to his own , ut Deus , vel pestem eam averteret , vel si ita expedire videret , felicem certè funesto facinori exitum daret ; That God would either divert it , or grant an happy conclusion to this Villanous Enterprize ; and that what ever happens it might turn to the good of the Church , as he again expounds himself . By which we see how much they are put to it that would give a colour to an ill action ; how they say and unsay , ( as this Author doth ) one while its by chance , another while by choice ; and how they contradict one another . Unhappy Man ! that could not light upon these answers that are since made for him ; and very fortunate are they that can frame Apologies for Actions which those that were intimately concerned in them never thought upon . But as long as this Prayer was then used , and no better account can be given of it by him or those that speak for him ; we have all the reason in the world to believe it to have a respect to the Action that he , and the rest , were condemned for ; and that this was a part of those Forms of Prayer , that were sent down and used for the success of that great Errand , as King James saith . It is granted then that there was an intimation given out of some great Design on foot against the Session of Parliament ; but whether it did respect a Petition against , some sharper Laws at that time feared to be made against Catholicks ( as Garnet said ) or whether a Toleration ( as another ) or whether the Powder-Treason and an Insurrection upon it , I hope what hath been already said will help in good measure to resolve ; although we cannot so particularly point to Time and Place , Persons , and Counsels herein concerned , & what are indeed impossible , in our Circumstances , fully to discover . The Author of the Catholick Apology saith , that Winter , in his printed Confession descends to all particulars ; which , if true , would have afforded an excellent light to us . But that is far otherwise , for that Confession was taken the 23 of November 1605 , not long after his apprehension ; and it was immediately published to give some satisfaction to the World ; but being imperfect , he was afterwards taken into further Examination , and many other things were confessed by him upon it . In his printed Confession , we have an account of the Beginning and Progress of the Gunpowder-Treason , ( strictly so called ) , there we have an account of what was debated and projected by them in the Vault , and what Provisions they were further to make for the accomplishing the Design : but all the while there is not a word of what was done in order to it . All this could not be done without Men , and Arms , Horses and Mony ; but we read nothing then of the Levies that were made , of the Horses that were in readiness , nor of the Treasure that was provided ( except what was subscribed by Tresham and Digby ) and yet we are as sure that such a Design was not to be carried on without these , as we are that there was such a Design . Therefore it will be fit to enquire from whence it is that we have no fuller account as to these matters . And we shall be helped in this , if we consider , ( 1. ) That in the beginning of such a Design as this was , there was no need of many Assistants , ( as I have before shewed ) and so they took into it no more then they had present occasion for , either in working in the Mine , &c. or bearing the Charge . Whatever Accomplices they had abroad , had nothing else to do , but to lye quiet , and wait till the hour did approach and the Signal was given . So Watson the Priest confessed , that they had brought up store of great Horses , and conveyed Powder , &c. secretly to their Friends , wishing them not to stir , but keep themselves quiet until they heard from them . From hence it was that either none were discovered but the head Contrivers of it ; or those , that upon presumption of the success above , got too early into arms , as Grant &c. or such as being sure , if any , to be discovered got into a body , and endeavoured for that reason to provoke others to joyn with them , as Catesby , &c. but the rest that were to lie still , and to keep themselves quiet till the Blow was given , thought it best in prudence , when it had miscarried , to continue so . ( 2. ) The encreasing of Assistants , and the communicating of their Counsels to many at the first , was so far from being needful , that it would have been dangerous . It would have endangered the whole , for by that means the Design might have got Air , and been defeated . It would have endangered their Friends ( if it had been discovered ) and needlesly exposed them . This was the reason that Owen gave , why Sir William Stanley would not be acquainted with any Plot ( though a hearty Well-wisher to it ) as having business a-foot in the Court of England , ( for fear , i. e. if the Plot should be discovered , and he discoverd to be privy to it , he should then lose his Interest there ) and not that he would not trust him with such a secret , as the Author of the Cath. Apol. would have it . ( 3. ) When they did communicate their Design to any , and take them into their Counsel and Assistance , it was with all the Caution imaginable . For they took an Oath of Secrecy , and the Sacrament upon it ; the sum of the Oath was ; You shall swear by the blessed Trinity , and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive , never to disclose , directly or indirectly , by word or circumstance , the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret ; nor desist from the Execution thereof , until the rest shall give you leave . The like care was taken with respect to Owen , Bates , and Digby . And Garnet himself confesseth , that by word and writing , he had often protested that he would never betray them . So that it seems they had obliged even Him after some solemn manner to Secrecy . ( 4. ) Their Caution was further remarkable , that , neither the manner of the thing was known to many , nor the Persons frequently to each other . It was enough to prepare their Party by some general Intimation ; but the How , or the What , or the Where , was what the principal Cabal and Consult kept for the most part secret to themselves . So much is acknowledged by Sir Everard Digby ; As I did not know it directly , that it was approved by such ( referring to some Persons of great authority either in point of Dignity , Wisdom , or Conscience ) so did I hold it in my conscience the best , not to know any more if I might . So again , This answer [ of Garnet's ] with Mr. Catesby ' s proceedings with him and me , gave me absolute belief that the matter in general was approved , though every particular was not known . He that was privy to the main , and a principal Undertaker in one great part of the Design , which was to seize upon the Princess , and head the party that was thereabouts , was ignorant in some other things relating to it . And what he did not desire to know if he might , others its likely might not know , if they desired it . Those that knew their own work , and were assigned to some particular Office , might know no more what They did , or were to do , who were above , than every little Officer in a Reigment , is acquainted with the Debates and Resolves of a secret Council of War : and they that were ready to obey , and whose work it was to observe the motions of the Commander in their eye , might think no more of killing the King , or of blowing up the Parliament , than that they should be blown up themselves . The good of the Catholick Cause , and an Insurrection for promoting it , is what perhaps such might be trusted with the knowledg of ; but the Destruction of the Royal Family ( excepting one whose name they were to make use of ) and setting up a Protector , might be as little known to them , as their Commanders are to us . They might have an Intimation of a great Alteration coming on , and of the happy days that were approaching ; and half a sentence might serve to break the business to them ( whom they would prepare for it ) and a nod to supply what was farther to be revealed , but that should be left till time and success should interpret it . Thus speaks Henry Morgan , who being asked by Hammond the Jesuit ( unto whom he amongst the rest made confession ) what led him to joyn with Winter , &c. answered , I did not , saith he , well understand it , but they told me that Religion and Life was at stake , and so it was matter of Conscience induced me to it . When therefore the case is thus , we can have no better information , or understand more from such , then they were permitted to understand . For the same reason was it , that , as it was in the Invasion 1588 , the Conspirators were not generally known to one another , unless those who were of the Cabinet Council . Every one knew his immediate fellow or partner , and perhaps his Commander ; but the number and strength , or persons otherwise he could in such a case at best but suspect ; so we find that neither Littleton , nor Rookwood knew Greenwell . And that they did practise according to this Principle is evident from Winter's Confession , where we read that Catesby desired Leave , that he with Mr. Percy , and a third , whom they should call , might acquaint whom they thought fit and willing to the business : for many , said he , may be content that I should know , who would not therefore that all the Company should be acquainted with their names . So Sir Everard Digby , I knew , saith he , that Faux could reveal me , for I must make choice of two besides Mr. Catesby , which I did of him and Mr. Winter . He had a part which he would not have every one acquainted with . But above all Garnet was most cautious herein , who was wont for a good while to converse only with Catesby , and those of his own order about this business ; insomuch as Sir Everard Digby saith , in the place before quoted , I did not know it directly that it was approved by such ; which he principally understands of Garnet ; for he saith further , Before that I knew any thing of this Plot , I did ask Mr. Farmer [ i. e. Garnet , for that was one of the six names he was called by ] what the meaning of the Pope's Brief was ; he told me that they were not ( meaning Priests ) to undertake or procure any stirs , &c. and this answer , with Mr. Catesby's proceedings with him and me , gave me absolute belief that the matter in general was approved , &c. So that he understood Garnet's meaning indirectly only by the answer given to that question , and by the account which Catesby also gave him of the Provincial's opinion in the case . Catesby being his mouth to the Company , and giving them assurance that it was Garnet's Judgment as well as his own . This Garnet doth acknowledge , in a Letter of his , what should I do ? saith he , first of all the other Conspirators did accuse me ; and again , Catesby always made use of my Authority with them , by which means he perswaded almost every body to think well of the matter . Thus carefully did this subtile Man proceed , that he might preserve his own Honour and Life , and that which seemed to be as dear to him as both , the honour of his Order and Society . From all which we see , that though the party hung together , yet it was by such strings that few could perceive among themselves , the clue being in the hands of the Chief of the Conspiracy : and that consequently we cannot expect that full and clear Evidence , as we might have had , had such of them as Catesby and Piercy lived to make discovery ; or had such of them as lived to be examined and tryed , been inclined to it . But that we find otherwise . For , 5. When they were discovered , and apprehended , they did with great obstinacy deny every thing that either was not forced from , or could not be directly proved against them . Thus Faux laid all the blame upon himself , and would confess none of his complices , till he was carried to the Tower and shewed the Rack . Thus resolved , we find Sir Everard Digby , who saith , more reasons I had to perswade me to this belief , than I dare utter , which I will never to the suspicion of any , though I should to the Rack for it . So again , I will do as much as my Partner wisheth , and it will then appear , that I shall not hurt or accuse one man : and however I might in general possess them with fear , in hope to do the Cause good ; yet my care was ever to lose my own Life , rather than hurt the unworthiest Member of the Catholick Church . Tell her I have ever loved her and her House , &c. and I will not live to manifest the contrary . Where we find that they were much afraid of him , who was able to do them a great deal of mischief from the knowledge that he had of the Party and the Design ; and who perhaps they thought might be induced to it from the desire of life , being but about 24 years old , and one of a plentiful estate ; but he shews himself to be true to his Principles and Engagements . Of the like temper and resolution do we find Mr. Habington , for saith he , My Lord Chief Justice fell in the end to two points . The one , If Mr. Tesmond ever moved me to joyn with Sir Everard Digby , Mr. Catesby , Mr. Winter and others in Rebellion against the King , but that they could not prove ; the other If I knew of Mr. Garnet ' s being in my house . I too confident they would not confess any thing against me , denied them both . He doth not deny but that the whole was true ; only the one wanted proof , and he did believe the other would never be confessed . And he had good reason for it ; for he tells us , that it was mutually resolved by Garnet , Hall and himself , that if those two were at any time taken in his House , we should , saith he , absolutely renounce all knowledg and acquaintance one with another . Of this we have also another instance in one Owen , who was Garnet's man , that rather then be tortured ( which he was in fear of ) and any thing should be wrested from him to the damage of his Party , ript up his own Belly , and so died ; by the Wound , I say , which he gave himself , and not by having his Bowels forced out by Torture , as Garnet's lying Apologist would perswade the World. But amongst all their Accomplices they were most of all bent to conceal their Priests , and by no means to own any of them to be in the Confederacy . There was nothing Sir Everard Digby seem'd to be more concern'd to clear himself of the suspicion of offending in ; As yet , saith he , they have not got of me the affirming that I know any Priest particularly , nor shall ever do to the hurt of any , but my self . And I have before all the Lords cleared all the Priests in it for any thing I know . And this he was so resolved in , that he would not utter any thing to the suspicion of any such , though , saith he , I should to the Rack for it . And to testifie his affection further that way , he was resolved to clear them at the Bar , for thus saith he ; Sure I am that I never did yet confess to know him [ one that he calls Brother , who is a Priest , and , by his being said to give the Sacrament to five at one time , I conceive is meant Gerard , who did administer it to Catesby and four others of the Conspirators at the beginning of the Plot ] nor any of the three . I do it not in regard of my self , as it shall appear at the Bar : for whatsoever I could do for him or any of his [ i. e. his Order ] I would do it though it cost me never so much sufferance : but I have been sparing in that , because I may do more in publick , which will I think be best ; as you wish , I will do , &c. This also he did , seeking by Protestations to clear all Jesuites of those practices which they themselves confessed , ex ore proprio ; as the Earl of Salisbury said . In order to which they though it allowable , nay , praise-worthy , to lye , and perjure themselves . As to the former we have too many instances in Sir Everard's Papers , for he denies that ever he took the Sacrament to keep secret the Plot ; because , saith he , I would avoid the question ; at whose hands it were . He denied that Father Wally [ i. e. Garnet , for that is another of his names ] was at Coughton with him ; though Garnet confessed it afterwards himself . He affirmed that he did not know Darcy [ who was also so called ] to be the same with Garnet , and that he did not take him to be a Priest ; though he was very well acquainted with him . And if we will put their Principles to it , we may see how far they will go in Tresham ; who when he had before let fall some words tending to make Garnet guilty of the Spanish Treason ; rather than he would be guilty ( as he and his Wife thought ) of so great impiety , as to bring a Priest into danger by a true accusation , chose to perjure himself , and as he was a dying man ( for within three hours after he died ) and hoped for Salvation , did acquit him of it , saying , that he had not seen the Provincial in sixteen years before ; whereas by Garnet's own confession they had had frequent Conversation with each other for the three years last past . But if these Gentlemen ( who usually stand upon the honour of their word ) would go about to excuse all Jesuits how foul soever , out of an opinion that it is meritorious so to do , at such time as they had no hope of themselves , as the Earl of Salisbury observed : Then what may not be expected from the Jesuits themselves , who had so powerfully instilled these Principles into persons otherwise generous , and when their own life and honour , and the honour of their Religion and Society came deeply to beconcerned . We may then expect obstinacy and subtilty should meet together , and all that Art and Nature can do shall be made use of to clear them of the scandal and danger that would otherwise befall them . And we shall not fail of an example herein , if we do but peruse the Examinations , and Trial , the Answers , and Confessions of Garnet , who at this time was the Provincial of that Order in England . We shall find his great care was not so much to speak Truth , as to serve his Cause , and excuse himself ; and if he could but dress up a Story , and make what he calls Formalis Fabula ( in one of his Letters that was intercepted ) , he would not want Confidence , and the most powerful Asseverations to confirm it . I shall not trouble the Reader with the petty ways he had of saying and unsaying as might serve his turn ; As when before the Lords Commissioners he truly and freely confessed his Treasons , being ( as himself under his own hand confessed ) overwhelmed , Tanta nube Testium , yet , ad faciendum populum , to delude the People and preserve his own Reputation ; in his Letters which he wrote abroad , he cleareth himself of the Powder-Treason , as Sir Edward Coke relates . These are Tricks not to be taken notice of in comparison of the boldness which he at other times did take to excuse and clear himself . Is he charged with having writ Letters to Greenwell , and when he had denied it , required to give his answer upon the word of a Priest ? he again denies it obstinately ; and yet the Commissioners had then the Letters in possession ▪ upon which , he contented himself to say , that he denied it , because he thought they had them not . Is he demanded whether Hall and He had conference together , and desired not to equivocate ? how stifly did he deny it upon his Soul , reiterating it with so many detestable Execrations , as the Earl of Salisbury said , it wounded their Hearts to hear him ; and yet when it was proved to his face , confessed the thing ; as not only the Proceedings , but his own Letters do declare ; coming off with this Salvo , That when any one is charged before a Magistrate , he is not bound to answer before Witnesses are produced ; quia nemo tenetur prodere seipsum , because no one is bound to betray himself . This is a new way of arguing , but it 's not the only singular thing befel him in that kind ; For whereas all Mankind do practise Sincerity at their death ; yet even then he could not forget to prevaricate ; for he said upon the scaffold immediately before his Execution , , that he only had a general knowledg of the Fact by Mr. Catesby , &c. and what he knew in particulars was in Confession : when yet the King had under his own Hand-writing to the contrary ( as the Recorder wished him to remember ) as shall be shewed in the next Section . So that upon the whole he abundantly made good what the Earl of Northampton said to him at his tryal , I confess that never any man in your state gave less hold or advantage to Examiners , than you have done in the whole course of Proceeding , to us that were in Commission : sometime by forswearing , as upon the Confession of Hall your fellow : sometime by dissembling , as about the places of your Rendezvous , which was the Lapwings Nest : sometime by artificial Equivocation : sometime by sophisticating true Substances : sometime by adding false qualities : yet sat superest , as may appear , to the defeat of your Inventions , and the defence of the Kings Majesty ; quia magna est veritas , & praevalet . Now if we lay all these things together , and consider , how few the design , ( as far as it went ) , needed to have actually concerned in it , how cautious they were in choosing persons for their turn , and in obliging them to secrecy when they were chosen ; how cunning they were to shew the Plot by parts , and in disposing of Persons ; so that few amongst them did know , and so should not betray each other , ( if through fickleness or fear they might be so disposed ) ; how firm and resolute they were upon discovery and apprehension ; it is so far from being an objection against the History of this Plot , which makes it popish , that so few were discovered ; that it's matter of wonder there is so much reason as there is to prove it to be so . Now it may be worth our while a little to consider how they came by so much evidence as they had in the Case . As , ( 1. ) Some things were evident of themselves , and not to be denied , they being taken in the fact ; as it was with Faux , and those of them that were openly in Arms. ( 2. ) Other things were confessed , for fear of the Rack , or the little tast they had of it ; as it was with Faux in his first Confession . ( 3. ) So much Intelligence being obtained ; the Commissioners shewed this to the others , and so drew them on to confess more . This is one of the reasons Garnet gives to excuse himself for confessing so much as he did , in one of his Letters that was intercepted . This is the account he also gave of himself as to that matter at his death . Being upon the Gibbet he said — to whom [ the Lords of the Privy-Council ] I remember my humble duty , and I am sorry that — I did dissemble with them ; but I did not think that they had such proof against me , till it was shewed me : but when that was proved , I held it more honour for me at that time to confess , than before to have accused . ( 4. ) Sometimes it was by several Examinations , at some distance of time ; this put Garnet to it ; as he acknowledgeth in his Letter to Mrs Ann ; Let any one think , saith he , after 23 several Examinations by the wisest men of the Nation , besides particular Discourses with the Lieutenant of the Tower , what could be done . It s nothing but truth can in such a case make a Man constant to himself , and he therefore that had nothing but , what he calls formalis fabula , a forged story to save himself , must needs be often at a loss . As it happened to him ; for sometime he would say Greenwel told him the business in Confession , sometimes it was by way of Consultation : one while upon the word of a Priest he burnt the Popes Breves as soon as King James was Proclaimed ; another time he burnt them at Coughton . ( 5. ) Sometimes they did discover themselves through want of understanding one another . As it was with Garnet , who knowing Catesby was dead , and thinking Greenwell had made his escape , concluded he might then safely say any thing , and so would own no other knowledg of the Plot but what he had in confession : but afterwards understanding ( through Misinformation ) that he was taken , least Greenwell should confess and prevent him in it , he then acknowledged that he had it out of Confession . ( 6. ) Sometimes a Confession was extorted by confronting of Evidence . So when Garnet declared that he had no design of writing in behalf of Baynham , but to prefer him to a Command ; being opposed herein by the Testimony of Faux , who said that he was sent to Rome on purpose to implore the Pope's aid for their Assistance upon the success of their Design ; he did then confess it . So it was betwixt Hall and him ; as it follows . ( 7. ) Sometimes a discovery was made by the intercepting of their Letters or discourse ; and both these befel Garnet . For undertaking to write a Letter to one Rookwood a Priest , at that time in the Gate-house ; and another to Mrs. Ann Vaux ; and a third to the Fathers and Brethren , &c. they were all taken , and much discovered by them . Again , having a mind to discourse with Hall the Jesuit , then also a Prisoner in the Tower ; and prevailed with the Keeper to find out a way for it . The Keeper did so , but withal discovered it ; and two Gentlemen of unquestionable Reputation being placed secretly within the hearing of it , gained considerable particulars against him , which he was forced by that means to confess . By these and the like means was their obstinacy and subtilty conquer'd , and the Intelligence drawn from them which we have as to this matter . But where these reasons were not , we are little beholden to them . For what is said of Garnet in a more especial manner ; that there was no Truth gained from him , which he did not find himself constrained to confess by Witnesses and Testimonies of undoubted Credit ; is also in proportion true of all the rest , forasmuch as I can perceive by the most diligent Enquiry . The Author of the Cath. Apol. saith , that there were no more Conspirators , because no Gentleman was discovered , [ besides those that were killed , and taken , and Owen ] which could not happen out of design to save their Friends . This he offers two reasons for : ( 1. ) Because several particulars ( which might have been easily kept secret ) were revealed , as may be found in their printed Confessions . ( 2. ) The Malefactors did accuse their Confessors , and therefore certainly they would never have spared others , had there been any guilty . This cannot be supposed , saith another , that they had not Tenderness enough to leave any other undiscovered ; whose Conscience compelled them , to expose their own Confessors to their deserved Penalty . To which the last Author adds , ( 3. ) That not one Nobleman , or any other of the Catholick Gentry did know or approve of that wicked conspiracy ; because the Catholick Lords [ all of them , saith the Cath. Apol. ] were to have undergone the same barbarous Fate with the rest . But I cannot conceive the force of the first Argument ; for what if there were several particulars revealed by them , which might easily have been kept secret ? Might not that be so , and yet there be nothing of Sincerity and Conscience in the case ? Might it not be done for the connexion of one thing to another ? ( which often times makes Circumstances to be necessary , as it is there . ) Might it not be done to impose upon the Examiners , and to let them think that when they are so exact in the less , they will not let slip the greater ? And have we not just cause to think this to be the reason , rather than what the Apologist doth offer for it ? If indeed these printed Confessions had been so exact ( as he will needs suppose ) then there had been some colour for what he says ; but when the contrary is manifest , his Argument falls of it self . And that this is so , appears from what I have before observed , for Faux and Winter upon second Examination confessed more ; and what they did afterward confess was so material , as could not be forgotten by them before , had they not been willing to have concealed it , if they well could . But again , where is the consequence ( setting aside the conscience in it ) that because they did sometimes let fall some things of little importance , therefore they must needs also reveal things of an higher nature ; therefore they must betray those Friends , who had not by any overt Acts discovered themselves ? So that before this Argument must be granted , we must grant that Faux and Winter were privy to the whole Plot ; and that part in which they were not personally concerned , as well as what they were . We must grant , that they made conscience of not concealing any part or particular of it , ( as far as they knew ) ; and we must further grant that all these particulars are contained in their printed Confessions . Or else we may safely conclude , that notwithstanding there are several Particulars revealed in their printed Confessions ( which might have been easily kept secret ) they might have a design to save their Friends ; and there might be more Persons in the Plot than are recorded in their Confessions ; and ( which is pity ) a pretty Argument is thereby lost ; and which is worse than that , it might be a Popish and general Plot notwithstanding . But however , will they say , if they were sincere in those Confessions , then a part of it still remains good ; and what greater Argument can there be for that they were sincere , than that they did accuse their own Confessors ( which is a thing , that nothing but the power of truth can force them to ) and if they did not spare them , they would certainly not spare others . In answer to which I shall consider , 1. Whether they did thus accuse their Confessors ? 2. Whether if they did , their Conscience ( as is pleaded ) compelled them to it ? As to the first , 1. It is notorious , that there were several of them did not at all accuse their Confessors ; this is certain as to Sir Everard Digby , that he ( against his own knowledg ) did all he could upon his Trial to vindicate them : And if we peruse the printed Confessions , we shall not find a word to that purpose . If Faux and Winter did afterwards accuse any , it was what they were , if not very backward and cold , yet very imperfect in . For the Earl of Salisbury tells Garnet ; Let it not be forgotten that this interlocution of yours with Hall , overheard by others , appears to be digitus Dei : for thereby had the Lords some light and proof of matter against you , which might have been discovered otherwise by violence and coercion . Implying , as Morus observes , that they had not matter before sufficient to charge him with . The great thing charged upon him seems to be , that some of the others confessed , that his name was used to them by Catesby to justifie the lawfulness of the Act , as Garnet in one of his Letters doth say ; but what he there adds , that All did so confess , is manifestly false . Since , besides what is abovesaid of Sir Everard , Morus doth declare , that nothing was confessed against the Jesuits , but what Bates said of Greenwel [ or Greenway ] viz. that he was in the company of the Conspirators ; and which Sir Everard said , he heard he should confess of Wally ( or Garnet . ) So that when these late Apologists say the Traitors did all accuse and expose their Confessors , it s more than was true , and more than the Jesuits will thank them for . For all of them that hitherto pleaded the cause of the Jesuits do say the contrary ; More shall speak for the rest ; who saith , for ought I can perceive , the accusation of the Jesuits hath no other foundation than the Confession of Bates , who is said to have accused Greenway , &c. and he would perswade us also , that Persons of good credit reported that while in Prison he confessed that he had accused him falsly . How true this is I shall afterward consider ; but I produce this to shew what contrary things these men will say if it may serve their Cause ; when in the last age it was pleaded none did accuse the Jesuits , and when in ours they would have it that they were accused by all . But ( 2. ) Supposing they did accuse their Confessors , yet it was not because their Conscience did compel them to it ; This More will have them so far from , that he saith , Bates did accuse them in hope of life , and afterward recanted . But whether Bates did so or no ; yet in point of reason it is evident that it was not from any such motive : for then they that thus accused them would have repented of the Eact it self , and look'd upon it as an Evil , & fit to be repented of . For what could move them in point of Conscience thus to expose them , if it was not that the Fact was evil , which their Confessors together with them had been complicated in ? But this we find them far from acknowledging : For Sir Everard Digby ( though for a little while after his imprisonment he doubted of the warrantableness of it , yet being confirmed in it by the Letters of Gerard , whom he calls Brother ) was so well satisfied , that he calls it the best Cause . Of the like mind were Robert Winter and Faux ; for having found an opportunity for Conference in the Tower from the nearness of their Lodgings , Robert Winter said to Faux , that he and Catesby had Sons , and that Boys would be Men , and that he hoped they would revenge the Cause : Nay that God would raise up Children to Abraham out of stones . And they added , that they were sorry , that no body did set forth a Defence or Apologie of their Action ; but yet they would maintain the Cause at their deaths . And so it 's likely they did , for King James saith , that some of them continued so obstinate , that even at their death , they would not acknowledg their fault ; but in their last words , immediately before the expiring of their Breath , refused to condemn themselves , and crave pardon for their deed , except the Romish Church should first condemn it . Of this we have a particular example in Grant , when being admonished just before his death by a learned and reverend Person to ask pardon of God for his offence ; he confidently and readily replied ; That he was so well satisfied that there was no sin in the case , that on the contrary , he thought that he deserved so well for that generous and brave Attempt , that it would abundantly suffice for a satisfaction for all the sins of his whole life . So little did they generally repent of the Fact , and so little reason have we to think that what they confessed proceeded from compulsion of Conscience ; but rather that it was from some other reason ; as fear of the Rack , or surprize , or because others had confessed , or that they themselves had given occasion from what they had before confessed for a further enquiry , &c. So it happened with Faux and Th. Winter who at the first accused none of the Jesuits ; but having confessed that they received the Sacrament , that led the way to a further Examination about the Priests , whom they at last confessed also . This Sir Everard foresaw , and therefore he took another course , ( as is before observed ) and denied that he had received the Sacrament at all upon this occasion . Now that what I have before said is true , will appear from the behaviour of Stephen Littleton , who though he had confessed that he sent to Hall ( after their defeat ) for advice whither to retire ; and had , with others , acknowledged that he and the rest had confessed to Hammond ( a little before ) yet he absolutely refused to answer whether he received Absolution from him for the Fact , or had his Conscience satisfied by him about it ; and added , that he would rather dye than reveal the secrets of that matter . And Robert Winter , who had at first confessed that all the Jesuits named , were privy to and engaged with them in the Conspiracy ; yet , as is before observed , did maintain their Cause , and resolve to defend it at his death . Truly I find none of them that had any touch of Remorse but Rookwood and Tho. Winter ; and for the latter it is observable that when he said , I shall set down mine own Accusation , &c. which I shall the faithfuller do , since I see such courses are not pleasing to Almighty God ; Yet was so far from doing so , that he speaks there not one word of Gerard ( whom upon a further Examination he discovered ) or any other Jesuit ; so that his Confession at that time seems rather to be owing to his second reason that he there gives , than his first , and that is , because the most material parts had bin already confessed . To conclude this , when the Traitors did accuse their Confessors , either they did this sincerely , and because compelled by their Conscience , or not ; if not ( as I have shewed ) then what doth the Argument signify ; that if the tenderness of their Conscience did compel them to expose their own Confessors , then they would not have spared others . But if they did thus confess them sincerely and out of Conscience , then their Confessors were guilty of what these charged them with . And then let them take their choice . I shall now proceed to the consideration of the last Argument , by which they would endeavour to prove that it was not a Popish Plot , and , that not any besides the abovesaid Conspirators were concerned in this Treason , viz. that all the Catholick Lords were to have undergone the same barbarous Fate with the rest . Supposing this was true ( as it is not ) yet is not the Pope's Interest to be promoted and the cause of the Jesuits maintained , though the Nobility of their own way be destroyed ? Was there not a time when in an intended Invasion to be carried on by force from abroad , and a secret Conspiracy at home , that it was not the Persons they regarded , but Interest ? It was to make room , place and space for my Master , said the Duke of Medina . And might not this be the case in 1605 , as well as it was in 88 ? And so their Religion be thereby settled , and place and space made for the Master of Rome , as well as Spain , and Authority and Power gain'd to the Society ; it is no matter though the Innocent perish with the Nocent , and Friends as well as Foes fall by the same Stroak . This was foreseen in the present Conspiracy , ▪ and when it was made a case of Conscience by Catesby , it was resolved in the affirmative by Garnet , that for the good and promoting of the Catholick Cause against Hereticks ( the necessity of time and occasion so requiring ) it was lawful among many Nocents to destroy and take away some Innocents also . So that it might be a popish Plot , though the Catholick Lords , and all the Catholick Lords were to perish with the other . But notwithstanding what these Writers do say , that the Catholick Lords , and all the Catholick Lords , were to be thus barbarously dealt with : yet we shall find that this is a great mistake in matter of Fact also . The Confession of Thomas Winter ( if they had read it ) would have informed them otherwise ; for , whilst we were in the Vault , we discoursed , saith he , what Lords we should save from the Parliament ; which was first agreed in general ; as many as we could that were Catholicks , or so disposed : but after we descended to particulars . And Sir Everard Digby doth give a clear account of this matter ; I dare not , saith he , take that course I could , to make it appear less odious ; for divers were to have been brought out of the danger , which now would rather hurt them than otherwise . I do not think there would have been three worth saving that should have been lost . To this purpose one of them that was privy to it took the way of writing to the Lord Monteagle . Other Lords , as the hour drew on , might be admonished of it , or called off ( as an Author of theirs saith they were to be ) ; or perhaps such a kind of Letter might have been thought of also , as the Author of the Catholick Apology hath drawn up to serve upon such an occasion ; and which he thinks would certainly have kept the Person , to whom it was written , at home . By one , or the other , or the like waies , we see that care was taken to secure all those that would be true , or whom they could presume would be assisting to them . And when this was done , if the Author of the Catholick Apology , that tells us that the Catholick Noblemen then were not only considerable , but the considerablest of the Nation ; the first Marquis ( there being at that time no Duke but the late King ) the first Earl , and the first Baron being of that Profession ; If after these , and the four other Lords he there names , he had filled up the Catalogue of all those that were professedly of his Religion ( besides what were so disposed ) we might by deducting of three ( according to Sir Everard's calculation ) have told him the number and quality of the Noblemen that were to be saved ; and by doing so , have shewed him that it was so far from being true , that all the Catholick Lords were to have been destroyed , as he saith , that scarcely one of them would have undergone that Fate ; and so it might be a Popish Plot , and an universal Popish Plot , without a contradiction or a riddle , notwithstanding what that Author hath said thereupon . As for what he there saith , that a Plot is looked upon as general , when a good number of the chief of a Party are intrigued in the Design . I grant that such a Plot is general ( if with them men of other states and degrees generally joyn with them in it ) but yet it may be a general Plot of a Party , and the Nobility not be intrigued in it ; and they may be intrigued , and yet it not be known . For what more common then to send a Forlorn-Hope before , that are willing to venture their Lives and Fortunes , and who if they perish , perish alone ? What more common than for persons to have such intimations given them of a Plot as are sufficient to prepare them ; and again to give such intimations of their consent and approbation , as shall be sufficient to assure the undertakers of their assistance ; such as shall secure the one , if it should happen to be discovered ; and warrant the other to go on with the greater resolution ? What more common than to have a general notice of this , and to be willingly ignorant of the particulars ( as hath been already observed ? ) And so the Lords might know of a Design in general ; but that this was to be begun by blowing up the Parliament-House , it was not necessary they should know ; because they were to be kept out of that danger ; nor fit to know that they might not , if it miscarried , be brought into another . What more ordinary than to raise and joyn Contributions , and covertly to convey it , so that it shall serve the Cause without hurting themselves ? And though this was not then publickly known , yet afterward their Relations and Descendents found that it must be by some such secret ways that their Estates were broken and impaired ; and I am assured that some of them ( as Captain Dingly told a relation of his , whom he believed for that reason , and others to be concerned in it ) did smell of Gunpowder some years after , if not to this day . And if this may be ( as often it is ) then a good number of the chief of the Party might be intrigued in the Design , and little knowledg of it come abroad then , or down to us now . The Parliament then was to receive a terrible blow , and yet they should not see who hurt them ; for there was no appearance of any stir ; as the person that wrote the Letter to the Lord Monteagle saith . There were indeed store of great Horses bought up , and Powder , &c. conveyed secretly to their Friends ; but at the same time they were wished not to stir , untill they heard further ; as I have shewed from Watsons Information . It was somewhat strange , that when the Roman-Catholicks were prepared for Tumult , and hardly to be restrained by the Jesuits themselves , as Garnet in his Letters complains ; and were neither then wanting in Courage or Force , as another saith ; that yet they should be so profoundly quiet about that time ; and that the Broils that were in Wales in the May before , should be so easily and suddenly hush'd , as not to be observed by the Government . But this shewed the diligence and dexterity of those that were concerned , and we have the reason of it : For Garnet wrote to the Pope that a strict Order might come for the staying all Commotions of the Catholicks here in England , intending to set their whole rest of the Romish Cause on the Powder Plot , as Faux confessed , and lull us asleep in security in respect of their dissembling quietness and conformity , as Sir Edward Coke saith . The Jesuits by the management of Gerard , had been the means of bringing Watson's Treason to light , , and him to the Gallows ( as More doth own ) thereby at once revenging themselves upon him for all the stories that he had told of them in Print ; and also securing to themselves some respect and reputation from the Government for their seeming fidelity : And to this they added all their endeavours to keep things quiet , and themselves by that means free from suspicion . But now that all this was but a piece of Art , appears ; ( 1. ) Because all the while , even for twenty months space , Garnet kept Catesby's practices secret ; which , by his own confession , he did assuredly believe to be of very destructive consequence . ( 2. ) Because by the Pope's Letters to him it appears , tho care was taken as to general Commotions , yet as to particulars it was then said , there needed no prohibition , because what was said about generals would suffice . The meaning of which , will appear from what Sir E. Digby saith , Paper 9. ( 3. ) It appears that the Commotions in Wales were rather hush'd than disheartned , and rather put off than brought to an end . For we find , after the discovery of the Powder Plot , and the defeating that part of the Design , the Traitors had an expectation of assistance from Wales ; and therefore Digby and Catesby , &c. did write to Garnet that he would go along with them thither , where they might expect help ; and use his interest with theirs to make an Insurrection , and to put that fire , which was before cautiously raked up , into an open flame . If we now reflect upon what hath been said in this Section , and consider the Design it self , which , in the beginning might be managed by few , yet , in the process of it , did require the help of many to take it up , to back and carry it on . If we further consider the persons at first engaged in it ; who were not only Men of experience , but also experienced in the same way , and would not venture upon such a Design without a sufficient Force . If we lastly consider the Provisions that were made for such a Design ; together with the other Circumstances relating to it , it will appear that what the Author of the Catholick Apology saith , viz. that it is impossible that the Catholick Party should be engaged in it , is so far from being true ; that it may with much greater assurance be affirmed , to be impossible that the Catholick Party should not have been involved in it . SECT . III. Those that fled and suffered for it , were really guilty . THe flight of Persons upon a Charge and Accusation , though it is not always a certain sign of Guilt , yet is so generally presumed to be so , upon the supposition that he that flies is conscious to himself of being criminal ; that it 's a Question always asked upon Trial , Whether the Person fled for it ? But because this is only a general and not an universal mark of Guilt , I shall not take the advantage of it , but leave that for another and more certain Evidence , which is , Good and sufficient Testimony . Thuanus relates that many were banished or fled upon this account ; and that when some of them were courteously received by Dominick Wilkes , then Governour of Calice , and were pittied by him as they were thus forced to an Exile ; one of them smartly replied , that is the least part of our grief ; but that which doth afflict us indeed , is that we could not accomplish so brave and good a Design . These were so daring as to own and glory in it ; but , on the contrary , the Jesuits , Gerard and Greenwel , when it miscarried , and brought the ill opinion of the world upon them and their Society , did disown it , and would neither be said to encourage it or know it , however they might have been pleased with it , if it had succeeded . And therefore it will be necessary to shew that they were really as guilty , though they fled from the persuit of Justice , as the others that were taken and suffered by it : But because much of this story will fall in with Garnet's , I shall chuse rather to begin with his . That any of the Lay-men that suffered upon this account were not really guilty , I think no body undertakes to prove . Only More doth offer somewhat to lessen the Guilt of Sir Everard Digby , making him to say at his Trial , that he was guilty only of concealing the Plot , but otherwise he had done and conspired nothing . But this Account is partly imperfect , and partly false . Sir Everard indeed upon his Apprehension , did deny , with solemn Protestations and Execrations , that he was privy to the Plot of Powder ; but being herein confronted by the Testimony of Faux , who confessed that Sir Everard told him when he was at his House , that he was afraid the Powder was dank , &c. he at last did acknowledge it , and upon his Trial confessed the Indictment ; which none of the rest did . By which instance , we may conceive what kind of dealing we are to expect when we come to the case of the Persons of their own Order , when the Jesuits write after this rate about the case of those that are not . For of them also we shall find several concerned ; as Father Creswell Legier Jesuit in Spain , Father Baldwin Legier in Flanders , Parsons at Rome , Garnet Provincial in England , Gerrard , Tesmond [ alias Greenway , ] Hammond , Hall and others , who are known to have dealt and passed through the whole Action , as Sir Edward Coke saith . But amongst those , Garnet , Gerard , Tesmond , Hammond and Hall were more immediately concerned ; and Garnet and Hall were taken and Executed for it . But , notwithstanding , their Trial was in the face of the World ; and Garnet's at Guild-Hall in the open Court , before five Earls , three of the chief Judges , and the Lord Mayor of London ; Notwithstanding all the proofs produced , and a fair Hearing of whatever the Prisoners could say for themselves ; Notwithstanding they were tried and cast by a Jury of impartial Persons , and such as they , nor any else , could have any exception against ; yet they shall be said to suffer as Martyrs , and pulverariae conjuraritionis obtentu , upon the pretence of the Powder-Treason , as one saith : To be accused through envy and malice , and condemned by a very unjust Judgment , as saith another . But with how little Truth or pretence all this is said , will be evident , if we consider , ( 1. ) That they knew of this Plot in Confession at least . This Garnet more particularly pleaded for himself , and this is the chief Plea insisted upon by his Apologists . And to make this Plea the more effectual , they speak much of the sacredness and inviolableness of that Seal and Sacrament ( as they call it ) which ought not to be broken , or the secrets of it betraid for the avoiding of any mischief how great soever , as one saith ; or , the saving Christianity from ruine , as saith Cath. Apol. This ( saith the former ) is of divine Right , and if God had not thus secured it , he would be Carnifex , & fidem falleret ; he would be a Murderer , and breaker of his Faith. This Garnet did offer in his own behalf , that he was bound to keep the secrets of Confessions , &c. and when asked by the Earl of Nottingham , if one confessed this day to him , that to morrow morning he meant to kill the King with a Dagger , if he must conceal it ? answered , that he must conceal it . Now , if this be true , what a case is the World in , that when a Design is laid to destroy the Royal Family , the flower of the Nobility and Gentry , and thousands of persons besides ; a Priest shall be obliged more to secrecy upon Confession , than to a discovery , notwithstanding all the mischief that shall thereby ensue . A principle so much contrary to the peace of the World and the welfare of mankind , that I am confident if it was turned against themselves they would be the first that should condemn it ; and that if such a Plot had been undertaken and carried on against the Pope and the whole Colledge of Cardinals , ( as Widdrington hath the Case ) to send them out of the World by the like means , ( as this was ) : neither his Holiness would have condemnd the Confessor if he had discovered it ; or have commended him , if he had concealed it upon this reason , and thought himself obliged to him for his fidelity that way . Without doubt they would all say , as Garnet at last did — I must needs confess , said he , that the Laws made against such concealing are very good and just , for it is not fit the safety of a Prince should depend upon any other man's Conscience . And if the Laws are good that make them guilty of Treason , who do ( though upon account of Confession ) conceal it , then those that thus do conceal it are far from being innocent , or fit to be inrolled amongst the number of Martyrs . But supposing it was only in Confession that they had any knowledg of it , yet there are several cases excepted and which it is lawful for them to divulge it in . Such a case is Heresie ; according to that known verse amongst the Casuists , Haeresis est crimen , quod nec confessio celat . Thus Dominicus Soto determines , ( who is rigidior custodia Sigilli , as Bishop Andrews saith of him ) Such crimes are not to be concealed , but immediatly to be disclosed , quod plurimùm timendum est in crimine Haeresis , because there is very much danger in case of Heresie . Such again is any crime that tends to the damage of a Community . Such again are all those crimes which are of pernicious consequence in themselves , and that are only in intention , but not committed by the Penitent . Such again are those where the Confession is not by way of Contrition , but Advice . In these and the like Cases the Casuists of their own Church have accounted it lawful and necessary to disclose them ; and accordingly these secrets of Confession have often been divulged ; as hath been shewn by Bishop Andrews upon this occasion . So far is the Author of the Catholick Apology from speaking truth , when he saith that this Sacrament [ of Confession ] is of such reverence among us ( unless he mean the Jesuits and some late Writters ) that we cannot lawfully disclose a secret known by it , though 't were to save Christianity from ruin . And so far is Dr. Stillingfleet from having nothing but Confidence , Malice , &c. to drive him on , when he saith , their Casuists acknowledg , that Heresie told in Confession may be revealed . But ; further supposing this was told in Confession , yet the Confessor is to disswade the Penitent from it ; ( as the Catholick Apology at least seems to own , ) and it is to be supposed , that if he is not to be disswaded ; yet , then to divert the mischief , the Confessor may and ought to discover , ( for else he leaves the Case as he finds it , with respect to the Person or Persons concerned ) provided , say their Casuists , that whilst he discovers the Crime , he doth conceal the Criminal . Now if all this be true , that a Secret may be communicated in Confession , and the Confessor not sin in revealing it ; then what will it signifie that the Gunpowder-Treason was discovered in Confession , if the matter confessed was of that kind as would make it lawful , fit , and necessary to be revealed ? And certainly , next to the saving Christianity from ruin , there can scarcely be a greater reason for breaking the Seal of that Sacrament ( as they call it ) than that a Royal Family , the Nobility ( in great part ) and Gentry , &c. of a Nation would have bin by one blow destroyed . And yet this was patiently heard , and the Penitent not so much as really disswaded . For all that Garnet could say was , that he did oblige Greenwel to desist , and that he hoped that he had so done : and that he went unto Warwick-shire with a purpose to disswade Mr. Catesby ; though he knew Catesby would not come thither till the day after the Blow was given ; as hath been before observed . ( 2. ) But all this while this is far otherwise , it being very notorious that this Plot was discovered out of Confession to Garnet and Greenwell , &c. as will appear from the account which Garnet himself gives of it , ( as far as he was concerned . ) In which he delivers his mind very uncertainly . Sometimes he saith , it was in Confession . Sometimes , he saith it was out of Confession , but it was with relation unto Confession ; Sometimes it was by way of advice . Again , Let him be asked , what he thought of Greenwell's intention in it ? he saith , that perhaps Greenwell had no thoughts of Confession , but might discover it to him under a lesser Seal and Obligation of Secrecy . Now what can a person more discover himself by , than that in so solemn a thing as Confession , and such an extraordinary case as was then revealed unto him , he yet knew not , if we may believe him , what the person confessing did intend , or in what way he himself received it ; whether it was communicated to him as a Friend for advice , or as to a Confessor for the disburthing of the Conscience . But if we further enquire how this was discovered to him , we are still further to seek ; It was first walking in the Field , and afterward what they had frequent Conference about ; as about the way of doing it , the progress in it , and the course they were to take after the first blow was given . This plainly proves it to be matter of Consultation rather than Confession ; and that it was rather what he was pleased with , than what he sought to hinder . So that the whole story about Greenwel's Confession to Garnet , and Catesby's Confession to Greenwel , seems to be no other than fabula formalis , a story of Garnet's own invention , as he in his private Letters doth acknowledge . Lastly , If we would understand the Case , let us follow him to his death ; and yet there we are at a loss , where he saith , what he knew in particulars , was in Confession ; and yet when minded by the Recorder , that the King had it under his own hand , that Greenway [ or Greenwell ] told him of this not as a fault , but by way of Consultation , &c. he answered , whatsoever was under his hand was true . To which he added , that inasmuch as he disclosed not the things he knew , he confessed himself justly condemned , &c. From which it appears , that either he thought it was lawful upon good Reasons to divulge what he heard in Confession , or else what was discovered to him was not in Confession . ( 3. ) But this was so far from being discovered to the Jesuits in Confession , that it was by them that the Consciences of the scrupulous were satisfied : As that of Catesby by Garnet ; that of Bates by Greenwell ; that of Littleton by Hall ; and all of them at Holbeach , as far as Absolution for the Fact could do it , by Hammond . That Catesby was herein guided by the resolution and opinion of Garnet ; both the Case he put to him , and the satisfaction that he ( upon the Provincial's answer to him ) gave to the rest , of the lawfulness of it , will sufficiently prove . The Catholick Apology doth say , that nothing is more false than that Garnet should determine that the Innocent and Guilty might lawfully in this Plot be destroyed together , if it were for the greater good ; and takes it upon the word of Father More and the other Apologists , that Catesby pretending to go a Souldier into the Low-Countries , did propose only what might be done in a just War , when in blowing up a Mine the Innocent would suffer as well as the Nocent ? It is well he shifts it off to them , since this Person of Honour knows better , and cannot but be sensible that the Records of a Nation , and the proceedings of a Court of Justice in England , are much more to be heeded than a company of partial Apologists . But as it is plainly affirm'd all along in the Proceedings ; so it is otherwise very evident , that this Case was not put by Catesby to Garnet , nor understood by Garnet himself , with respect to any War , or Employment , that Catesby pretended to have in it , in the Netherlands . For ( 1. ) if it had been so , Garnet would most certainly have pleaded after that manner , and not as he did ; I thought , said Garnet , it had been an idle question , though afterwards I did verily think , he intended something that was not good ; Here is not a word of a War , or of the Low-Countries , or of his going thither . Nay , Garnet saith expresly , only Mr. Catesby asked him in general the question . But ( 2. ) if this had been the case , and that it was so propounded by Catesby , as they would have it , yet what needed so great a privacy , that he should come to Garnet by way of secret Confession ? Since the Case , as they now dress it up , is what might be put in any place or company . ( 3. ) If the Case was such what needed Catesby to be so solicitous in it ; and after the first resolution of it by Garnet to come again upon the same business ? ( 4. ) Especially considering that Garnet knew very well , if Catesby had put it after that manner , that he was not in earnest ; for there was another reason for his pretence of obtaining a Regiment , and going to Flanders , as hath been before observed . ( 5. ) It s a sign that the Case was not so put by Catesby ; since it is acknowledged by Garnet , that he did verily think , that he in that queston intended something that was not good . Now how could he well discern so much from thence , if Catesby had pretended only scruple of Conscience about what he might lawfully do , now he was going to serve in the Wars . The question if put after that manner hath in it nothing but what is fair , and gives no reason to suspect any thing that is not good ; and therefore its likely , to avoid the objection that might be made against this way of framing the Case , it is that More adds , that Garnet discovered that Catesby had some great Design by frequent converse with him . And that indeed is also true , and it is as true that the Case was never so put under the disguise of a War. For lastly , Garnet himself doth acknowledg , that Catesby in his name and by his authority did satisfie the rest of the lawfulness of the Fact. Now it cannot be supposed that Catesby did not understand Garnet , from whose side he never was , as they say ; or that he should abuse his friend that trusted him above all the rest , from the knowledg and experience he had of him . It 's certain that when Rookwood made it a matter of Conscience to take away so much blood , Catesby replied , that he was resolved and that by good Authority ( as coming from the Superior of the Jesuits ) that in Conscience it might be done , yea though it were with the destruction of many Innocents , rather than that the Action should quail . In like manner was Keys satisfied . So Sir Everard Digby doth say ; For my keeping it secret , it was caused by certain belief that those which were best able to judge of the lawfulness of it , had been acquainted with it , and given way unto it . And of this we have a clear proof from him . For whereas there was a Breve obtained from the Pope by Garnet , for quieting some broils amongst the Papists in Wales , in May. 1605. ( or rather upon the pretence of such broils , as Eudaemon would have it ) which some now would make us believe were to forbid all Insurrections and Conspiracies whatsoever , and which it seems some did then so understand ; we are told the meaning of it , in Sir Everard's Papers , who writes thus : Before I knew any thing of this Plot , I did ask Mr. Farmer [ i.e. Garnet ] what the meaning of the Pope's Brief was ; he told me that they were not ( meaning the Priests ) to undertake or procure Stirs : but yet they would not hinder any , neither was it the Pope's mind they should , that should be undertaken for Catholick Good. And he presently adds , This answer with Mr. Catesby's proceedings with him and me , gave me absolute beliefe that the matter in general was approved , though every particular was not known : By which means he came to so great satisfaction in it , that he saith , I could give unanswerable reasons for the good this would have done the Catholick Cause . But Garnet was not alone ( though his Opinion and Judgment in the case was of greatest Authority ) for others also did follow him in the same practice ; So Greenwel , ( whose true name was Tesmond , (a) but who abroad went under the name of Beaumont ) (b) did satisfie Bates ( Mr. Catesby's Servant ) when he feard the unlawfulness of the Action , assuring him that it was no offence to conceal it , nor sin to do it for a good Cause . (c) They tell us (d) that Bates recanted of this Information ( for it was he that accused Greenwel . ) But ( 1. ) that is no credit to them ; for in that Letter , which he is said to have written to his Confessor , he recants also that he had seen Greenwel and Garnet , which he doth there declare to be true in it self (e) . ( 2. ) This report was spread of him , at the first , when all could bear witness of the falsness of it ; he not recanting to , nor at his death (f) So Gerard did absolve and give the Sacrament to the five first of the Conspirators . The Author of the Catholick Apology (g) doth say that he did deny both by a publick writing in which he called God to witness , that he knew not of the Plot , no not so much as in Confession ; and also upon Oath at Rome when examined by the General of his Order . He did also saith another appeal to his familiar Friend Sir Everard Digby . But in confutation of this , we have the Confession of Faux and Thomas Winter , the only survivers of the five that did thus receive the Sacrament of Gerard , and were absolved by him : whom though they did deny at the first to name , yet did afterward accuse him of it ; and that he was thus charged by some , Sir Everard saith , he was told . As for his Appeal to Sir Everard , he knew that he might do it with safety and confidence , since that Gentleman had again and again satisfied them , that he would not confess his knowledg of any Priest , nor of Him above any . And if he could work thus upon another person to protest and deny , even to the death , it may well be supposed that he himself was not without those principles which be had furnished another with ; nor would be wanting in the use of them , when his own life and reputation , and the honour of his Religion was concerned to have it remain a Secret. And this also is no new thing ; for we find Fitz-Herbert taking the same course for his own vindication , in a charge of the like Nature . Hammond the Jesuit is another , whom we find concerned in this capacity , who did absolve the Conspirators at the house of Rob. Winter , when they were in actual Rebellion : And for which the Apologist hath nothing else to say , but who can tell whether Hammond did not oblige them to lay down their Arms before he did absolve them ; or whether they did not bring such Arguments for continuing in them , as might render it probable , and then he was bound to absolve them ? But as to the former , it is certainly otherwise ; for they not only continued in the same posture of Rebellion after absolution , which they were in before ; But also Hammond advised Henry Morgan to defend the Cause to the utmost before he absolved him . Which is further confirmed by what Stephen Littleton did say ; who when asked whether he was absolv'd for the Fact , or had his Conscience satisfied by any about it , viz. at that time ; answered , that he would rather dye than reveal the secrets of that matter . Which doth imply that he had bin thus absolved , and was confirmed . As to the latter , viz. the Doctrine of a probable opinion , it serves rather to condemn than excuse them ; for if the opinion of a Doctor , or their own ( and the good of the Cause shall serve to procure both ) may make an Opinion probable , then Jac. Clemen s , and Ravilliac , and all the Regicides in the World , may be defended , and defend themselves . But yet , even this will not salve the reputation of Hammond ; for Rookwood believed his concealment of this Treason to be a Sin , and confessed it so to him : but he absolved him from all his Sins notwithstanding , without taking notice of this particular . Rookwood thought it to be unlawful , and yet Hammond absolved him , as if he never had so thought . Another of the Jesuits is Hall , or Oldcorn , who was privy to it , and did satisfie Humphry Littleton , that did begin to suspect the lawfulness of the Plot , and to think God was not pleased with it from the disaster Catesby , &c. met with ; But Hall told him that we must not judg the cause by the event , and gave him several instances to confirm it . This Humphry Littelton did confess . But saith the Apologist , he did at his Execution beg pardon of Hall for it . But if he did , he must ask his pardon for what was true ; for Hall himself in the substance of it did confess what Littelton accused him of . But how could that be , that he should beg pardon of him at the place of execution ; when , though they suffered the same day at Worcester , yet not at the same time , and Littelton was dead before Hall came thither . 4. The Jesuits did not only satisfie the Consciences of others and absolve them ; but also were parties in the Treason themselves . I shall not here insist upon what Smith , the Bishop of Chalcedon said of Gerard , that he boasted that he had largely sweat with working in the Mine ; because I find it not upon Record . But there are several things laid to their charge that will sufficiently prove , that they were actually concerned in it . As , ( 1. ) We find that at the first beginning they were present at their most private Consultations ; and so intimate in that juncture was Gerard with Catesby , that he lodged with him in Percy 's house , as Faux confessed . ( 2 ) We find that some of them administred the Oath of Secrecy to the Conspirators ; So Gerard to Catesby , &c. and Greenwel to Bates . ( 3. ) They were also busie in buying up store of Horses and Arms ; and Gerard was more particularly imployed herein , as he had skill , and pretended to teach the riding of the great Horse . ( 4. ) That they had frequent consultations about it ; as Garnet with Catesby and Tresham about the strength of the Catholicks : Greenwel with Garnet about a Protector . And Garnet , Gerard and Greenwel with Sir Everard Digby , &c. for they seem to be the Three whom Sir Everard is so careful to conceal ; and whom he therefore is so careful to conceal , because of some particular charge that might be brought against them , for what was said or done when together with him ; as may be collected from his Papers , ( 5. ) When the Conspirators were in Arms , Greenwel came to them from Garnet , and so had Garnet come likewise , but for fear his order might irreparably suffer by his appearance . Greenwel went from them to raise a Party and make an Insurrection . And Hammond continued with them . Now if to satisfie the scrupulous and absolve the guilty , and to oblige to Secrecy ; if Consulting , Advising , Assisting , and accompanying with the Traitors will bring the Priests into the number ; then they will be guilty . And it s not all their own Declarations , or Apologies written by others on their behalf , will make them innocent , as long as such a Charge remains upon Record against them . It is no wonder then , that Garnet after all his confidence , should profess that he would give all the world to clear his Innocency ; and that he that hoped at the first to escape for Want of proof ; should have nothing to say for himself , when he was overwhelmed , as he said , with so great a Cloud of Witnesses . From which evidence , as he did at last confess , what they could from other proof charge upon him ; so from his own confession given under his hand , he was , when he would have stray'd from the path of Truth at his death , forced into it again by the admonition of the Recorder then present . For a little to palliate his case and clear himself , he said , that what he knew in particulars was in Confession , which was contrary to what he before had confessed in four points ; as the Recorder then shewed ; and how he could thus equivocate or worse , and yet behave himself like a faithful Servant of Jesus Christ at his death , as the Author of the Catholick Apology saith , all mankind , but themselves , cannot , I believe , understand . SECT . IV. This Conspiracy was purely upon the account of Religion . AS our Adversaries before have done what they could to cast off the odium of this Conspiracy from the Party in general , and from the Jesuits in particular , by making a few Gentlemen only and their dependents concerned in it : So they use as much Art to clear their Religion from the guilt of it ; being sensible that if this be found faulty , the others are not to be defended , but the whole Party must fall under censure . Therefore they labour might and main to acquit themselves well herein , and tell us that as these persons were few in number , so they did proceed upon discontent , and not upon the score of Religion . Sometimes they plead , the King did before his coming into England give them good hopes of the exercise of their Religion , which when deceived in , they were exasperated . Sometimes their Persecutions were so great , that they almost hated life it self for their sake . Or as the Author of the Catholick Apology words it ; That which drove these Gentlemen into this wickedness , was the want of Christian patience , or a despair of any ease by this King from Queen Elizabeth's cruel and horrid Laws , &c. Now supposing ( 1. ) that thus it was , that the King had before promised favour to them , and instead of that had permitted the horrid and cruel Laws , as he calls them , to have their course ; is this sufficient to excuse their cursed Design , or to prove that Religion was not concerned in it ? Was it upon any other account ( if we grant this ) than Religion , when they hoped for Toleration ; and was it not Religion that put them upon Rebellion , because they had not that Toleration ? But ( 2. ) indeed there was no such reason for their Conspiracy ; for they had no such assurances from the King. Such a report was spread abroad by themselves , as Watson doth acknowledge ; but with what truth will appear not only from Watson's Confession , who two days before his death protested upon his Soul to the Earl of Northampton , that he could never draw the smallest comfort from him in those degrees ; but also from Watson's Treason , who would never have attempted that , if he had been satisfied of the King 's good intentions towards those of his Religion . It is not unlikely but that the King , who after his coming in did receive them freely and favourably , might before treat them after the same manner ; but how far it was from any promise , Watson further declares , I could never draw more from the King , saith he , than that he would have the Catholicks apprehend , that as he was a stranger to this state , so till he under stood in all points how those matters stood , he would not promise favour any way But how far the King was from affording them any such favours , as they pretend , is further declared in a Memorandum in the Star-Chamber ; For some of the Puritans having spread a rumour , that the King intended to grant a Toleration to Papists , the Lords severally declared , how the King was discontented with the said false rumour , and had made but the day before a Protestation to them , that he never intended it , and that he would spend the last drop of blood in his body before he would do it , and prayed that before any of his Issue should maintain any other Religion than what he truly professed and maintained , that God would take them out of the World. As false also , and less ground is there for that of their Persecution . For he was so far from it that he gave honour at his first coming to many of them , and did admit all without distinction to his presence upon just occasion of access , as the Earl of Northampton shews ; and took away the Mulcts that were laid upon them . And in his first Speech in Parliament Mar. 19. 1603 the King did make a proposal of clearing the Laws of such interpretations as might tend to the hurt of the innocent as well as the guilty , as he saith ; which Speech was made after the Treason of Watson was discovered ; that not provoking the King to change his behaviour toward any other of them than those that were Confederates in it . So that if we truly enquire into the case , unless Lenity and Favour is Persecution , we shall hardly find what may be so called , And so much indeed doth Suarez say ; that King James's kindnesses ( inasmuch as they proceeded from political reasons ) may be well esteemed part of their Persecution . But ( 3. ) There could be no such reason for this Conspiracy ; for they had laid the foundation of it , and were carrying it on before the King was settled in his Throne . This Watson confess'd ; and it s also manifest ; for Christopher Wright was dispatched into Spain to engage that Kings assistance immediatly upon Queen Elizabeths death , and the Powder Treason it self was formed in the first year of King James's Reign . We see then they had no such provocation given them as is pretended , and that if they had , it doth not at all infer that they engaged upon this Design not upon the account of Religion . But if we should grant that they had such a provocation , and that the provocation and Religion did not go together in it : Yet we have other reasons to shew , that it was upon a religious account that this was undertaken , and that I shall make evident , ( 1. ) From the Principles which they went upon . ( 2. ) From their own Declaration . From their Principles . As , ( 1. ) They held that an Heretical Prince might and ought to be deposed ; So Faux said he was moved to this ; because the King was not his lawful Sovereign , or the Anointed of God , in respect he was an Heretick . ( 2. ) That the Pope had sufficient power , by vertue of his Supremacy , to depose such ; This was Catesbye's reason , for saith he , if the Popes Breves were of force to keep him [ King James ] out , they are also of no less Authority to thrust him out . ( 3. ) That it was lawful for the good of the Church , and the furtherance of the Catholick Cause to kill and to destroy ; This was the reason upon which Catesby and all the rest were satisfied ; and from whence Sir Everard did with a great confidence affirm , I could give unanswerable reasons for the good that this would have done for the Catholick Cause . Which it seems he was furnished with from a Latin Book that he met with , perhaps Delrio . If these and the like be not principles of their Religion , then we are to seek for them ; and if these are the Principlss upon which they were satisfied , then it was the Cause of Religion that they fought in . ( 2. ) But if this will not do , let us attend to their own Declarations . I was moved hereunto , said Faux , only for Religion and Conscience sake , the King not being my lawful Soveraign , &c. So Sir Everard Digby , no other cause drew me to hazard my Fortune and Life , but Zeal to Gods Religion . From all which we have reason to say with King James , that it cannot be denied , that it was the only blind Superstition of their errors in Religion , that led them to this desperate device . And must think the Author of the Catholick Apology let fall a great Truth , though against his own mind , that when Dr. Stillingfleet had asserted , that the Plotters motives were from their Religion : doth reply , ' T is as true that the Plot had its rise from Clem. 8. Breves . For so it had in a great measure , as I have before shewed . SECT . V. THey never gave to the World any real and good satisfaction of their abhorrency of this bloody Design . The Catholick Apology doth tell us , that Cardinal Bellarmin doth express the Treason , not only by the name of Horrid , but also adds , I excuse not the Fact , I abominate King-killing , I detest Conspiracies . And presently adds of his own , Did ever Writer , whether Priest or Lay-man , English-man or Stranger , own the real Plotters not to be Villains ? But the Question is , First , who are those he calls real Plotters ? not the Jesuits , or hardly Catesby , whom they do so much applaud , not only for his Parts but his Piety . Again , what doth he mean by owning the real Plotters to be Villains ? Is it by calling them by hard names ? is it that they do abominate the thing in words of the highest detestation ? All this may be , and hath been done by more than Bellarmin or this Author , and yet it is not good satisfaction . Is it by writing Apologies and Supplications ? that was done in 1603 and 1604 , just whilst the Powder-Treason was in its agitation . How shall we give credit to them ? when the Principles these Persons went upon were never disowned to the World , upon any sufficient Authority ; and the Persons that escaped from publick Justice , were cherished , and those that suffered by it to this day , honoured . They can hardly forbear extolling even the chief of the Conspirators [ Catesby ] to the Heavens , as a Man very eminent for great endowments of mind , and an incredible sweetness of temper . Nay , the whole pack of them , setting aside this business , were Persons of very pious minds and consciences . But when they come to the Jesuites , they spare no words nor Rhetorick to describe their Merits , and not contented with proclaiming their Innocency , they will canonize them for Saints , and enrol them in their Catalogue of Martyrs . Thus we find they did quickly by Garnet , who in their College at Rome had his Picture set up with verus Christi Martyr , and his Name is still with Oldcorn ( i. e. Hall ) to be seen in their Catalogues of Martyrs ; which may be done , and is , without that great Formality of the Church , which the Catholick Apology doth speak of , and thinks to controul Widdrington's Information by . But this is not enough , for at their Death are several Miracles pretended to be wrought , as they would have us believe : For Oldcorn's Bowels , saith the Legend , burnt sixteen days togegether , which answered the number of years that he laboured in propagating their Religion in England . And Garnet was no sooner dead , but presently his Face must be pictured to the very life by a drop of blood that fell upon a Straw . Though those that did then see it ( which was about 19 weeks after Garnets Execution ) could not see much in it like the Face of a Man without a great power of Fancy , and much less any thing like the Face of Garnet more than that of another . The Cath. Apology indeed doth tell us , that it fell in the form of a Face so exactly alike , that all men knew it that had ever seen him . But we are to receive that upon the same Credit as what he further saith , that he was quartered for an Article of Faith. But there was a further wonder in it ; for this Straw which had before but a little touch of a Beard , and that had Eyes and Features hardly to be discerned , by that time it was presented to the Spanish Embassadour , 〈…〉 it grew to greater perfection ; and from a bare Head , in some time after , it had its Head encircled with a glorious Crown ; as it is described by themselves . It is no wonder then , that this Straw which could work so great a change in it self , should also propagate its kind ; for within a while many others were to be seen . What shall we say more , if the Grass where Garnet and Oldcorn last set their feet in Mr. Abington's House , grew up into the exact shape of an Imperial Crown , and remain'd so as not to be trod●● down by the feet of those that came thither , or eat up by the Cattle , as an Author of theirs saith ? What if there was a spring of Oyl broke forth suddenly in the place where Garnet was executed ? as Father David at Ypres did affirm . What if Gerard did escape by Garnets merits , as he himself did declare . After all this who but an Heretick , can believe otherwise than that he was Innocent , and died a Martyr , and is now a Saint ? that it was a meritorious Act to get a Straw or a splinter of his Bones , and keep them for Reliques ? and that its lawful to pray , as it s said they of Lovain did , Sancte Henrice ora pro nobis . But now what if after all this adoe , Garnet should confess that he sinned , What if he should say ( as he didin his this Letter to Mrs. Vaux ) that he died for Treason and not for Religion ? Then he was not Innocent , not a Martyr , and whether a Saint or no , another World must tell us . Then also we may admit the story of the Straw and others explication of it ; who said , That it was no wonder to find his Face in Blood , who was a Man that did thirst after it . This is what Thuanus , as well as Widdrington , report , and I shall end with a remarque that the former hath upon it ; So perilous a thing is it in these times to say such things for the honour of another , as do exceed belief and the common course of Nature ; for they may presently be retorted to his disparagement . This is the honour that they have done to the dead , and they were not without shewing Favour to the living and those that made their escape , who were never called to account for it by the Pope , much less punished for so scandalous and enormous business , as King James saith . Two of these Greenwel and Gerard lived in Rome ; the one Greenwel , [ i. e. Tesmond ] the Popes Paenitentiary ; and the other Gerard , a Confessor at Saint Peters in Rome , as Widdrington reports . But here the Author of the Catholick Apology thinks he hath the advantage of Dr. Stillingfleet , from what he relates of these two persons from Widdrington ; for he saith the Pope's Paenitentiary and Confessor at St. Peter's are but different names for the same thing . But if it was a mistake it is to err with one of their own Church ; viz. Widdrington ( otherwise called Preston ) who was not only of their Communion , but also a Priest , as I have heard from such as knew him in the Clinck ; and I find in a MS , now in my possession , that he was one of the thirty Priests that were in Prison here in England , An. 1632. But what if after that stir made in this matter , they prove to be different Offices , then Greenwel might be The Pope's Penitentiary , and Gerard a Confessor some while in St. Peter's ; and the Doctor not be ignorant , notwithstanding all that honourable person hath said . For how meanly soever he describes or indeed may think of it , I find the Pope's Penitentiary is an Office of respect , and is called by that name , because it s called the Court of Penitents , but properly is the Court of Conscience where he officiates ; This Office is usually deputed to a Cardinal , who is Major Paenitentiarius , under whom are many subordinate . This is a stated Office , and what such a person ( as Greenwel ) might be employed in , as subordinate , at least . But Gerard's Office was occasional , and what , tho he lived in the English Colledg at Rome , he might very well perform . For Widdrington saith , that many had seen him publickly hearing Confessions at St. Peter's . It is not that these are high and mighty preferments , which those Persons were advanced to , that made the Doctor revive this story , ( though they are honourable enough amongst them ) but that from thence we may see how little they did discourage such proceedings , as those Jesuits were here in England concerned in , when such as were equally engaged with those that suffered , should live quietly and respectfully within Rome it self , and under the very Eye of his Holiness . From all which we may well say with King James , what a large liberty is by this Doctrine left to Church-men , to hatch or foster any treasonable attempts against Princes , I leave it to your [ speaking to Monarchs , &c. ] consideration , since do what they will , they are accountable to none of us : nay all their treasonable practices must be works of Piety , and they being justly punished for the same , must be presently inrolled in the List of Martyrs and Saints , &c. If this be their practice , that Traitors are thus excused and protected ; and the Principles upon which they acted not recalled or censured ; We have little reason to think the World secured against practices of the like kind , when time shall serve and the necessity of things , in their estimation , so requires . And we shall not then need to vindicate the History of the Powder-Treason ( as we now are forced to do ) since we shall then see they will repeat it ( mutatis mutandis ) and we can never hope to be freed from attempts of that kind , till they quit their Principles , and the Romish Church come to be reformed ; which will more please us than the destruction of it , and what is by all good Protestants heartily prayed for . I should now have concluded , but that I find there are some that do make use of the case and circumstances of the Gunpowder-Treason to overthrow the belief that is given to the present Plot , and by comparing one with another , One doth not question , as he saith , but to convince all those whose hearts are not of Pharaoh's Temper , and whom the violence of passion has not totally deprived of all exercise of Reason , that there is no Truth in the thing , nor reason to believe any of the Evidence we have for it . Now because of the relation which , this way that they have taken , hath to the Design that I have pursued in this Treatise ; I shall add somewhat by way of answer to it , and in doing so , 1. I shall consider the case as laid down by them . 2. I shall shew that there is not so much difference betwixt Plot and Plot , betwixt the Criminals then and Conspirators now , as there is an agreement ; which I shall do by my making a parallel betwixt the one and the other . 3. I shall shew the ground of that difference which is betwixt them ; and how that what hath been said in their way of comparison , to invalidate the discovery made of the present Plot , serves little to the purpose it was produced for . There are four things , which the foresaid Author doth collect from the History of the Powder Treason . 1. There was then visible the overt act of Barrels of Powder laid in the place . 2. There was a flight of some of the Conspirators , and their resistance at their taking . 3. Those that were Executed , did all confess the fact at the time of Execution . 4. All persons indifferently , both Papists and Protestants , Forreigners and Natives believed the thing , &c. And from this he doth proceed to shew , that all things in the present Conspiracy run counter to every particular in that . When he begins to discourse upon the first , he saith , This hainous Plot is built upon the bare testimony of the Swearers , and that there is not any matter of Fact visible and apparent , that has any proper tendency , or relation to a Conspiracy for destroying the King , and levying of War. Indeed he cannot deny , but that there are two things , which if they could be proved to be done by them , as well as it is manifest that such things were , would be just matter of accusation ; and they are the death of Sir Edmonbury Godfry , and the Consult : but he can put off these ( he thinks ) with a wet finger ; and if this be done , leaves all the world to challenge them further with any thing of that nature . Let not the death of Sir Edmond be urged , saith he , as matter of Fact , because the unfortunate end of that Gentleman , as to the true manner of it , is a Mystery yet unreveal'd , and is laid at the Papists door , just as Antichrist is charged upon the Pope . But is the death of that Gentleman so easily to be put up ? Or is it indeed a mystery yet unrevealed ? Was it not plainly made out that this Gentleman was murdered , and that he could not both strangle and thrust himself through ? And was it not so revealed that Bedlow , that was to have been one of the Assasinates , and did see his body when dead , did of his own accord confess it ? and Prance that had an hand in his death did upon his apprehension also acknowledg it ? And was it not so reveal'd that some fled for it , and others that were taken , after an open Trial according to course at Law , were Executed for it ? And shall it be still a Mystery unrevealed ? But saith he , there are few unbiassed and discerning men , that are convinced , that these poor Creatures , that suffered upon that account , were truly guilty . What in the mean while doth he make of the Judges and the Jury , were they neither unbiassed nor discerning ? or shall they be neither , who do believe them to have been guilty upon the same Evidence which the Court was then satisfied with ? But what should hinder unbiassed and discerning men from being convinced ? was there reason to think the matter of the Evidence not to be sufficient , or the Persons giving it not to be of sufficient Credit ? Let us consider the case , and that will best inform us . The persons were such as were either actually engaged , or invited so to be ; that either helped to do it , or did see it when done : Both , though not known to one another , concurring , as far as they were concerned , in the same circumstances , as to the Person murdered , the posture of his Body , the place where it was , and the way in which it was to be disposed of , &c. And as they did not vary from one another , so not from themselves , in above one point , that the Adversaries ( as I remember ) can after all their diligent search find them out in , ( if that be true too ) and all this fortified by several Collateral and concurring Testimonies . Whilst in the mean time , the Prisoners were manifestly convinced of the contrary ; saying and unsaying , affirming and denying the same things : Sometimes Berry did know Prance as he passed up and down the house only ; at another time he knew him so , as often to drink with him . Sometimes he never had such an order , as he had the 13 th and 14 th of October , to suffer no Strangers , nor any Persons of Quality to come into Somerset-House ; at another time he had received such orders before . Sometimes Hill knew not Kelly , at another time he owned that he knew him , ( for 't is Kelly and not Girald that he speaks of more expresly , notwithstanding what an Advocate of their saith . ) Sometimes , he left the Lodgings before Sir Edmonds death ; at another time it was a week or fortnight after , &c. But the above said Author , saith Prance , did once disclaim his Evidence before King and Council : This 't is true he did , but was so little resolute in it , that as soon as he came to Newgate he most earnestly begged of Captain Richardson to go back and assure his Majesty , that all he had that day said at Council was false ; and that he retracted before for fear of his life , having not a pardon ; or if he had , knowing that he should never enjoy it , because of the attempts he might expect to be made upon him ; or if both , that however he should lose his Trade & Livelihood : These , together with his perswasion that it was lawful to say or swear any thing in his way of Religion , did induce him to it . But however he is not rationally to be believed , saith the Author , until he shall in the same circumstance of dying , declare their guilt , in which they so solemnly declared their Innocency . By which way of arguing no man can ever dy with a Lye in his mouth ; nor is any person or company of men to be believed , in whatever they affirm against such an one , or upon what grounds soever they affirm it , unless they are , or till they come to be in the same circumstances with him , that did thus deny it ; which is very absurd to say . But to put it so far out of question , we are not without this kind of evidence also ; for Prance himself , when his Life was despair'd of , continued to affirm the truth of whatever he at first deposed , and as soon as he was recovered , did own it afresh before the King and Council . And Bedlow upon his Death-bed did declare upon the Faith of a dying man , and as he hoped for Salvation , that he had wronged no man by his Testimony , and what ever he had testified concerning the Plot , was true . Here is then the affirmation of Persons , not concerned to take away the Life of those men , against their denial , who were concerned to save their own Lives ; and the evidence of persons declaring their guilt in the same circumstance of dying , in which the others did so solemnly declare their Innocence . And lastly , here is the affirmation of such Persons , who had no Principles of Religion to lead them thus to affirm , against them , whose Principles did encourage them thus to deny . But , saith the above cited Authour , Berry at the same time [ of his death ] declared himself both innocent and a Protestant . That Persons may declare themselves Protestants whilst they are Papists , is not what we are at this time a day ignorant of ; and of which we have store of Instances : And that professed Protestants may deny at their death those crimes which they are justly charged with and condemned for , is what we need not the help of an Author of theirs to shew us Precedents in ; for 't is what we freely confess . But that our Religion should be the worse for it , or that the Protestant Doctrine is guilty of it , as he would have it , needs more than his bare affirmation to gain credit and belief ; when we have no such thing as a Dispensation before-hand or Absolution after it , without detestation , &c , to befriend us . Now whether Berry did declare himself a Protestant , and deny the Fact upon their Principles ; or whether he did deny the Fact upon no Principles , is one in effect as to the present case : But that he did deny what he knew to be true , besides the Evidence otherwise against him , we have no little reason to think from his silence at his death , when he said not any thing , either in asserting his innocence as to the murder of Sir Edmund , neither as to the Religion he died in ; As one that was present , and not a little concerned to observe , doth affirm . It looks very odd that he should profess so much remorse for his dissimulation in his Religion , and so much innocency in the point he was condemned for ; and yet at his Execution , should not clear himself , but pass by both as if he had not bin concerned . This is so irreconcileable either to his sincerity in the one , or innocency in the other , that it was foreseen ; and therefore as a Speech was prepared for Hill , before his death , so another is made for Berry after it . He then declared himself both innocent and a Protestant , saith one : He absolutely denied at the very Gallows , the Fact : Nay , as the Cart was drawing away , he lifted up his hands , and said , as I am innocent , so receive my Soul , O Jesus ; as another telleth us . And yet he spoke not one word to either . Now what reason have we to believe his silence beyond others protestations at their death ? and yet some Mens Protestations of that kind are no more to be believed by this Author , ( as that of the Lord Castlehaven's , which he mentions ) than we believe those of Hill and Green. So far then we are not without Reason to convince us , that these persons were some of Sir Edmund's true Murderers . But then if we shall add to this , the strange circumstances of Prance's apprehension , and the description Bedlow gave of such a person before it . If we consider what Sir Edmond himself did foretell about his being the first Martyr ; and the notice that Dugdale gave of his death , two days before it was known at London what became of him , and many other circumstances which might easily be collected ; We have good marks to find out the Murtherers by , and the door , at which his death is to be laid . The second thing owned by the abovesaid Author for an overt Act , is the Consult in April 24 ( not the 14th as he mistakes ) But that he would have to be only a Triennial meeting in course . But then what needed so great secresie as to time and place , and such care to be taken not to hasten to London long before the time , nor to appear much about the Town till the meeting be over , lest occasion should be given to suspect the Design , which the Letter doth speak of ? Then , how came it to pass , that there were other Consults , and that Mr. Ireland should take such a Journey , as from Stafford-shire to London , by Post in August , to be present at it ; as besides the then proof , Mr. Jennison doth affirm , and his own hand hath made evident ? or if the Register spoken of , was only about Consults for that purpose , why was not that Book produced , as desired , for their Vindication ? What other overt Acts there were , as Coleman's Letters , Seals for Commissions ( upon which Whitebread only answered , the taking them out of his Chamber was more than they had power to do ) and the like , I shall not further search after , but leave it to what is , and will be further made publick by Authority . But what hath been said already is sufficient to shew , how little truth there is in what the abovesaid Author doth fantastically affirm , viz. that the charge of the Plot is only supported by the breath of the Witnesses coined into Oaths . 2. He saith that in the Powder-Treason there was the flight of some of the Conspirators , and the resistance at their taking . But not one Person in this pretended Conspiracy did either fly , or abscond ( except only the Priests , who were obnoxious to the Law for their Priesthood ) nay the greatest part of them , upon the first rumour of their accusation , came in and render'd themselves . But I deny , ( 1 ) that its an undoubted mark of a person's Innocency , that he did not fly when a Treason was discovered , and he had an opportunity of making his escape . For the case may be , that he may not be charged with it , and then if he flys he brings it upon himself . So Tresham in the Powder-Treason still continued about the Court , that he might thereby seem wholly free and innocent ; as an Author above quoted observes . ( 2. ) He may stay and yet be guilty , upon a presumption that the Charge may not be made good , and he may escape for want of proof , as Garnet hoped . ( 3. ) He may stay and yet be guilty , as presuming , that though the Charge be made good ; yet he hath persons of power and interest great enough to interpose betwixt him and danger . And therefore rather than be declared guilty by flight , or betray and discredit his Cause , or distrust his Friends , he may choose to stay , though he be no more innocent than those that fly . But after all , is it not possible that not one should be found , whose guilt , or fear did prevail upon him to fly and secure himself , &c. as he saith it is not ? He grants the Priests did fly ; but it was because they were obnoxious to the Law for their Priesthood . If that was the reason , then there had been no Priest but what would have fled ; those that were not charged with this Treason , as well as those that were : for , setting aside this new charge , all as Priests are alike obnoxious ; and yet we find all did not alike fly . But were there none but Priests that fled , then where are those Laymen that were concerned in the charge of Sir Edmund's murther , and that are so often mentioned in the Tryals ? What are become of many persons whom it is not for me to name , but are known to have resided beyond Seas , ever since the Examination into this business ? Now if what one of themselves saith be true , that flight is a sign of guilt , then these are self-condemned , that put it upon this issue , and say that the stoutest man , had he been guilty , would have fled upon such warning : but the most timerous of Nature did not fly , because he was innocent . 3. He saith , those that were executed for the Powder-Treason , did all confess the Fact at the time of Execution : Whereas those that have been executed for this Plot have at their Death 's denied the Fact , and resisted all temptations of Pardon , and Reward , &c. That the Traytors in the Powder-Treason did confess the Fact , we readily own ; if they mean thereby the Treason , as it was at first hatched : But that they did thus confess , and not persist in the protestation of their Innocency to the Death , was not because their Consciences would not dispense with it , or their Religion not permit them to be obstinate and for swear themselves , ( as a late Author of theirs would have us believe ) but for other reasons ; as I have shewed at large before * . For I question , not but that as Faux did lay the blame at first wholly upon himself : so he would have sworn to it also , if it had not been the Torture that he stood more in awe of , than his Conscience . It was upon this score and not his Religion , as the Author of the Compendium doth suppose , that the Lords laught at his Huffing and Bravadoes , since otherwise they would rather have put him to his Oath , than to the Rack , to have extorted a Confession from him ; and therefore to make use of his case amongst others , as the abovesaid Author doth , to oppose to the case of the Persons that were lately executed , and that denied the Fact at their Execution , is nothing to the purpose . Before Their case then will be of use to the vindication of These , now , they must prove that the whole Plot was at that time confessed by the Conspirators , that they never denied any thing which they were upon Oath charged with , and that they had no Principles to warrant them if they did . But the contrary to these is manifest , as hath been already shewed , and so can do them little service . Without doubt had the Traytors then had as much Power to conceal the whole , as they did the greatest part of it , and could as well have kept to themselves what they did confess , as well as what they did not , we had been little the wiser . They then were of the same Religion , & acted upon the same Principles as the others now ; and therefore that they then did confess , and these did not , was because their Circumstances were different , and not because They were guilty , and These were innocent . For if the other had been in these Mens condition , I do not doubt but they would as obstinately have denied ; and if These had been in their condition , I as little doubt but that they would have confessed according as they did then . The others denied , as long as Denial would do them good , and till they saw it could not be denied , having clear proof against them : And these did deny and obstinately persist so to do , for want of other proof than the Oaths of others ; and so their denial being opposed to the others affirming , their forswearing it to the other Oaths , their dying words to the others that were to live , they did not question but the World would believe they had Truth on their side . And when the Principles and Honour of their Religion , their own Credit , and safety of their Friends , and the fear of Damnation to boot ( which often prevails with Men more then the hopes of a present Reward ) do engage them ; it 's not impossible that they should deny , and dye in the denial of what is true . 4. The abovesaid Author adds , that all persons indifferently , both Papists and Protestants , &c. believed the thing [ the Powder-Treason ] and no soul living did deny it . Deny it ; how could they , since there was Powder , and Match discovered , and Faux was apprehended upon the Place ? Deny it how could they , since some of the Traytors were actually killed , or taken in an Insurrection ; and those that were taken did confess it more or less ? But what the Conspirators would have done themselves , and what others also of the same perswasion would have said , if there had been nothing , but the Oaths of Witnesses against them , we must go to their Principles and Practice to conjecture . But though they could not deny the matter of Fact , yet they have done what they could towards it ; For some tell us , as hath been shewed , that Cecil ( to ruin the Party ) drew those fiery men in by his subtile tricks and artifice . Others , that this desperate Attempt seemed rather of a private kindred or acquaintance , than of any Religion . Nay they have the Confidence to say , That the true Priests and Catholicks of England knew them [ the Traytors ] not to be Papists &c. and they were never Frequenters of Catholick Sacraments with any Priest , &c. If men will dare to say these things , when their own Writings are against them , and when we read there of the great endearedness 'twixt Catesby's family and the Jesuits , 'twixt Catesby and Garnet , twixt Sir Everard and Gerard , &c. they may as well deny the whole , and we may thereby know what they would do if they had not matter of Fact , and overt Acts too visibly and apparently in their way . If they will say things so notoriously and evidently false , what may we not expect when a Plot is made out purely by the dint of swearing ? ( as one doth phrase it ) : Though in our present case there is more then the Credulity of people to corroborate that Testimony , notwithstanding whatever he is there pleased to say . From what hath been said , we may see how little foundation there is for the opposing the Plot of the Powder-Treason to the late one amongst our selves ; and how little the Proceedings and Confessions of the Conspirators in the former , will serve to clear the Innocency of those that suffered in the later . But because they have thus opposed the one to the other , I shall on the otherside , before I conclude , consider how they do agree ; and that we may observe , 1. As the Plots were in prosecution , & before discovery . 2. In the way by which they were discovered . 3. In the event , and what happened upon and after Discovery . In the first of these , I have the way in part traced out by Sir Samuel Baldwyn , one of his Majesties Serjeants at Law , in Mr. Ireland's Trial , who doth there mention two or three Particulars , in which this Plot doth resemble that of the Powder-Treason . And that it doth , in the matter of it , the principal Agents concerned in it , the Principles which they proceeded upon , and the way in which it was managed , &c. ( 1. ) There is an agreement in the matter , so saith that worthy person , that horrid Design [ of the Powder-Treason ] was to take away the life of the then King , to subvert the Government , to introduce the Popish Religion , and to destroy the established Protestant Religion in England ; and so we think our proofs will make it out , that in each of these particulars this Design is the same that that was . Thus far he . That it was so in that former Plot is universally acknowledged ; and that it was so here is what the Evidence doth concur in . How far it was to introduce the Popish Religion , Mr Colemans Letter doth shew , who saith , we have here a mighty work upon our hands , no less than the Conversion of three Kingdoms , and by that means the utter subduing of a pestilent Heresie which has domineer'd over a great part of this Northern World a long time ; there was never such hopes of success since the death of our Queen Mary , as now in our days . And how all this could be done without subverting the Government , or how both the one and the other could be done without taking away the Life of his Majesty , is not easie to be understood . ( 2. ) There is an agreement in the principal Agents concerned in it . The great Actors in the Powder Treason , saith Sir Samuel , were Priests and Jesuits , &c. and so are they in this . That chiefly guided and managed by Henry Garnet , Provincial of the Jesuits in England ; and the great Actor in this design is Mr. Whitebread , Provincial of the same Order . ( 3. ) There is an agreement in the Principles which they proceeded upon . As first in General , that any thing is lawful which may serve the Cause , and in particular that an Heretick Prince may be deposed and killed ; That an Heretick People may be destroyed ; and that a Forreign Force , to serve those ends , may be invited over , and introduced . That these were the Principles which they in the Powder-Treason went upon , is evident from the History it self , and what hath been said before * : and they were the same considerations which gave birth and encouragement to the present Design , as we may see throughout the Trials . This was the ground of Staley's displeasure against the King , that he was an Heretick ; this was the ground of the other practices against him not only here , but also in Ireland . And the subduing the pestilent Heresie which domineer'd here , was the great reason of Mr. Colemans correspondence with the French King's Confessor , and of soliciting Aid and Assistance from thence . ( 4. ) There is an agreement in the management of both ' ( 1. ) In point of secresy , obliging one another by Oaths and the Sacrament . I have shewed that so it was in the Powder-Treason . * And that it was so here , all the Witnesses do maintain . ( 2. ) In the secret Preparations that were made . So it was in the other , as I have shewed * And the like information we have here of Moneys , (a) Forces , and (b) Commissions , &c. ( 5. ) They agree in the State they were in , and the little provocation that was given them to begin and form such a Design . So it was in the Powder-Treason , when they had not so much as a pretended cause of grief , as K. James in his Speech said , but were obliged by him , as I have shewed † . And so it had been here : For whereas by the Statute of 25 Eliz. the Priests might be tried as such , and ought to die for it , yet they at this time have been so mercifully dealt with , as they have been suffered to live amongst us under the danger of the Statute , as Sir Creswel Levins observed : and the Laity hath been little disturbed by the enforcements of the Laws made against them . Thus it was in England ; As the Parliament in their late Address to his Majesty , hath abundantly shewed ; and how it was in Ireland , a Gentleman of that Nation gives us an Account . ( 6. ) There is an agreement in the Prophecies ( as they would have them accounted ) of the great Change that would happen in a short time . So it was before the Powder Treason , as I have shewed * . And so it was now ; what Cardinal Barbarin should say of this nature , hath bin deposed before the Lord's , and Reports of the same kind have been very common at home and abroad , as hundreds can testifie . 2. As there was an agreement in the state of things before it was discovered ; so there is no little resemblance in the way by which they were discovered . For , was there a Letter writ ? so were here Papers found of Coleman's , and Harcourt's . Did there some confess then ? so some did here . Did some of them fly and abscond for it then ? so they have done here also ; as I have shewed before . 3. There is great resemblance in the Event , and what happened and was done upon and after the discovery . As , ( 1. ) More was left undiscovered than was discovered . What kind of help the design of the Powder-Treason required in it self , and what Intelligence the State had then of Forces , Arms , Horses and Moneys , I have before shewed * . And yet little of any of these was found out ; insomuch as an Apologist of theirs doth venture to plead , as to one Branch , Where was that great sum of Money , talk'd of , found ? or , how much of it was confiscated and brought into the Kings Exchequer ? And so it happened now ; for tho the Design could not be carried on without , and Information accordingly hath been given of Provisions made in that kind ; yet what from the pretences those Forces and Moneys were raised under ( as we have the Account * ) what from the distribution of Arms into several hands , without keeping Stores and Magazines ; what from the timely notice they had to dispose of them ; not so much hath been discovered , but that also an Advocate of theirs , doth plead after the like manner as before , There has not been found any ill Letter , any Commission , any Bill of Exchange , any Mony , any Arms , any Horses , or any thing else suspitious . With how much tr●●● this is said in all respects , Coleman's Letters , and Arm in some quantities taken , and other particulars , do prove . But yet it must be acknowledged that though much is proved against them , yet more is still undiscovered than discovered . ( 2. ) There is a great resemblance in the ways taken to fling off what hath been discovered , and to conceal what hath not . As , 1. By charging it upon others . Thus we find them practising in the business of the Powder-Treason . If it had succeeded , the whole was to have been laid to the charge of the Puritans ; and when it did not succeed , they tell us it was the trick of a Minister of State , and that the Conspirators were not Papists , as hath been before declared . And that same method hath been observed now . For if the present Design had taken , and the King had been killed ; they had settled some , whom they should pitch the Action upon , and intended to lay it upon the Presbyterians , as hath been deposed . But since it s now broke forth , and hath not hitherto succeeded , they have taken care to charge as much of it as they can otherwhere . First , There is a sham-Plot started , and a Design laid to make the Presbyterians , or whomsoever they pleased so to call , to be the only Conspirators . And because the death of Sir Edmund-bury , if found upon them , would lend us a great light toward the revealing the Plot , and be no little inducement to mankind to believe it , they had thoughts of charging it upon debauched persons , of whom he was a prosecutor . When that was not likely to take , they did endeavour to make the Earl of Danby the Contriver of it . And because that was soon disproved , then , it s said , that his own Party did murder him , and laid it upon the Papists to make them odious . 2. There is the like method taken to avoid the Charge , by calumniating of Authority . So they did in the Powder-Treason : Then the Judges were Lyars ; the Privy-Councellors cruel , for ordering Garnet , and Hall , &c. to be tortured ; ( as they published , but publish'd falsly to the World , as hath been shewed before * . ) And the publick Writings , and what was justified to be true by Authority , were said to be forged . In like manner have they now proceeded , for they tell us that those that suffered by the Sentence of the Court were innocent in the judgment of unbiassed and discerning men . That Prance was threatned by the Lords that went to examine him , and was tortured to make him accuse others . 3. To avoid or weaken the Charge , false reports are raised upon those that amongst themselves do confess . So in the Powder-Treason we are told that Bates and Littleton recanted , and that what ever Bates accused the rest of was through the hopes of life , as hath been shewed before . * So they have proceeded at this time mnch after the like manner . Not to repeat all the stories that they have made , or made use of to impair the Credit of the Witnesses ; nor to undertake to distinguish betwixt what 's true and what 's false in this matter , I shall only instance in that which is made publick to the World. Of this kind was the Design which was laid to charge Oates with Sodomy , and him and Bedlow with a Conspiracy against the Lord Treasurer . And , which is somewhat a kin to this , the tampering with Bedlow , to recall what he had said , or to make him easie in what he should say against the great Conspirators ; that so they might either make him theirs , or render him less able to hurt them , when they could accuse him of listning to such Proposals . 4. They did endeavour to disguise and conceal it , by being obstinate when apprehended . This hath been before discoursed of with respect to the Gunpowder-Treason * when they denied whatever could be denied , and equivocated in what was not to be denied , even to the death . And thus it was in this present Plot. Without doubt had Coleman's Letters not been taken , all the Correspondence that was maintained in that way betwixt him and the French King's Confessor , would as obstinatly be denied , as it was by him , that any such was continued after 1675 , which was the year the last of those Letters was dated in . Or had not the Letter been found amongst Harcourt's Papers , which mentions the Consult April 24th , they would sooner have denied the thing , than have rack'd their Wit to have put it upon the score of a Triennial meeting . Things that were not to be denied , 't is no wonder if they do confess ; but things that depend upon yea and no , 't is no wonder that they do deny . This Hall and Garnet did practise , and the same liberty that they took , 't is likely the persons of late amongst us also did use , when they have the same Principles , to allow it . From what hath been said we see , that the Powder-Treason and this present Plot do agree in far more Circumstances than they differ , and those that they differ in are not so great but they are capable of an easie accommodation . And this leads me to the 3. General . To shew the ground of that difference which is betwixt Plot and Plot , Criminals and Criminals . And the great instance is , the Confession of the one , and Denial of the other . This an Author of theirs doth triumph in ; I challenge , saith he , all mankind to assign a Cause of this difference with the least colour of Reason and Humanity . But , as I have before said * , He must first prove that the Conspirators then did confess ingenuously , candidly and freely . For if they confess'd what they could not deny ; if they again would have denied what they had confessed ; if , further , they did often equivocate when they did pretend to confess ; if , lastly , they did deny and conceal more of what they knew , then they did confess and discover , as I have made it evident they did * : Then Garnets Confession is equal to Whitebread's Denial ; and Whitebread's Denial differs not materially from Garnet's Confession . Both these may be , and yet there be no new Creed , nor new Faith since those days amongst them ; as the aforesaid Author would infer there must , upon this different event , if we allow not both to be innocent . Denying and confessing are indeed in themselves incompatible , and had it bin true which the above-cited Authors do say , that all of the Conspirators in the Powder-Treason did acknowledge their Treasons , and asked God and the King pardon ( which I have shewed to be otherwise * ) and impartially confessed all that they knew of that matter ; then their Confession might be well opposed to these men's Denial : but when the Confession was so restrained and qualified ( as I have above shewed ) it 's a plain sign , that had there bin nothing but Conscience and Principles in their way ( as these pretend ) they would have taken another course ; and the Scaevola Faux , that had the Courage to say , and without doubt to do what he said , that if he had happened to be within the House , as he was without , when they took him , he would not have failed to have blown up Himself , Them , House and all : and he that also laid all the blame upon himself , and would own no Complices , would have died with the same Roman resolution , had not the Rack brought him to better manners * . This Sir Everard Digby did believe of him , I knew , saith he , that he [ Faux ] had been imployed in great matters , and till Torture , sure he carried it very well . There is a time that it is either not possible , or to no purpose to deny , and then there can be no trial of a Man's Principles . Thus it was with Watson and Clark in King James's time , who knew that they were betrayed by the Jesuits , and so were thereby disabled to prevent the danger and scandal likely to befal their Party by their Confession , had they been willing to swear they were innocent , and to take it upon their death . There was not an opportunity for them to make that Experiment upon themselves , nor to give us an Evidence how far their Consciences would have dispensed with so doing . And so it was no fit case for the above said Authour to oppose to this at present for that reason as well as another , viz. that they were not Jesuits , nor of their Party . They must make the circumstances the same , and shew that what was then confessed , was sincere & free , full and particular ; that they never did deny when asked upon Oath , nor equivocate in what they did confess , nor ever unsay what they had said ; before we can believe they did confess meerly because their Consciences could not dispence with so horrid a thing ( as that Author calls it ) as swearing they were innocent , and taking it upon their death . But if they cannot prove this , and the case is apparently otherwise , as I have before shewed ; then for all this discourse and bustle of theirs , in comparing the Powder-Treason with this Plot , and the Passages and Comportments of the Criminals upon that occasion , with these of our modern pretended ( as they say ) Conspirators , we are still where we were , and have good reason to believe that both Those then , and These now did act by like Principles and Measures ; and that they did confess or deny with the like sincerity that our Author gave a Book that he writ in defence of the Papists and Popish Traitors , the Title of the new Plot of the Papists , to transform Traitors into Martyrs ; and call'd that a New Plot , which we in England know to be as ancient as the days of Thomas a Becket . FINIS . CONTENTS of the Vindication . Sect. 1. p. 2. THe Conspiracy of the Powder Treason was not the Contrivance of a Minister of State. An Account of the Letter wrote to the Lord Monteagle , that it was not written by a Decoy , and that Tresham was no such . A Character of the Apologists that wrote upon this subject . The Correspondence that is maintained betwixt the Jesuits . Their Calumnies . An account of the Breves of Clement the 8th ; and of the Lord Balmerinoch's Letter . Sect. 2. p. 20. That more were concerned in the Powder-Treason than were publickly known . The Design it self considered . The Character of the persons chiefly concerned in it . The Provisions made for it . The Prayers which were then used . An account of the Evidence then given . The Confession of the Traitors imperfect . That what they confessed was not from Conscience . Their Obstinacy , especially in concealing the Priests . Sect. 3. p. 53. Those that fled and suffered for the Powder Treason were really guilty . What Jesuits were in it . The Tryal of Garnet . That something related in Confession may and ought to be discovered . Garnet had the knowledg of the Plot out of Confession . That He and the other Jesuits did satisfie the Consciences of the Scrupulous . Sect. 4. p. 67. That the Powder-Treason was undertaken upon the account of Religion . That King James gave them no assurance of Favour . Sect. 5. p. 71. That the Church of Rome never gave any real and good satisfaction of the abhorrency of that Treason . The Commendations which they give of the Traitors . The Saintship which they give to Garnet and Hall. The favour which those that fled for it found at Rome . Sect. 6. p. 76. The Powder-Treason and the present Popish Plot compared . That they agree in more things than they differ ; and what they differ in , are not so material as what they do agree in . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A66435-e450 Catholick-Apology with reply . p 404. p. 412. Mori ●ist , prov . p. 310. Apol. p. 403 , 404. p. 538. Apol. p. 411. Baker's Chr. An. 1605. Wilson great Brit. p. 32. p. 412. Apol. p. 414. P. 236 P. 413. P. 410. P. 413. P. 413. V. Discourse of the original of the Powder-Plot . p. 4. &c. Apol. pro. Garneto . p. 266. * Tortus p. 83. edit Colon. Act of Parliament for 5. Nov. P. 408. P. 405. Proceedings P. 118. P. 405. P. 406. P. 407. P. 409. P. 410. History of the Gunpowder-Treason , p. 19. P. 410. P. 411. Advocate for Liberty p. 226. Proceedings p. 56. Proceedings p. 177. Advocate of liberty . p. 225. Apol. p. 416. Proceedings p. 58. Apol. ibid. Advocate for Liberty . p. 225. Apol. p. 415 , 416. Advocate for Liberty . p 225. Proceedings p. 176. Proceedings p. 47 , 56. Apol. p. 411. Regulae societatis Iesu authoritate Congregat . Generalis auctor . cap. Formula scribendi . Reg. 2 , 3 , 4. Reg. 5. Reg. 7 , & 11. Reg. 9. Reg. 18. Apol. pro. Garneto P. 3. Apol. Pro. Garneto c. 12. p. 332. Apol. pro. Garneto p. 13.212 . P. 227. P. 1. & 22● . Answer to Carrier . p. 235. Premonition in his Works p. 294. V. Tortur . Tort. p. 101 , 102. Advocate for Liberty of Conscience p. 218 , 219 , 226. p. 225. p. 224. Apol. pro Garnet . p. 4. K. James p. 229. Dr. Stillingfleets Serm. Nov. 5. 1673. Premonition to all Monarchs in his works . p. 291. Proceedings p. 160 , 161. Cath. Apol p. 364. Watson's Quodlibets . p. 107 , 241 ▪ &c. Proceedings p. 186 , 187. Weston , de triplici hom . Offic. Proceedings p. 123. Apology for the Oath of Allegiance in K. James his Works . p. 257. Proceedings p. 167. Proceedings p. 195 , 196. Tortus's lies confuted in K. James's Works . p. 341. Bp. Andrews Tort. Torti p. 190. &c. Spotswood's Hist. Scotl. p. 508. * Dr. Moulin advances of the Church of En. towards Popery . Spotswood's Hist. p. 510. Respons . ad Tort. p. 194. Id. 195. Id. 196. Watsons Quodlibets . p. 218. Printed 1602. Resp. ad Tortum . p. 197. Proceedings p. 136. Catholick-Apology p. 401. P. 528. Apol. p. 401. Winter's Confes. in Proceedings p. 48. Eudaemon . Apol. pro. Garneto p. 4. Mori Hist. miss p. 311 ▪ Proceedings p 92. Cath. Apol. p. 402. Paper . 9. Proceedings p. 53. Proceedings p. 170. Proceedings p. 123 , 124. Proceedings p. 169. Digby's Paper . 1. Paper . 9. Paper . 9. Pap. 4. Proceedings p. 27. Proceedings P. 123. Speech in Parliament . Proceedings p. 11. Osborn King James S. 14. from D'ossat's Letter . v. proceed . p. 167 & Abb. Antilog . p. 173. b ibid. S. 10. Seven sparks of the enkindled Soul , &c. p. 25.26 , P. 29 , 30. Pag. 28. P. 31. P. 32. P. 33. Robinson's Anatomy of the English Nunnery at Lisbon . Proceedings p. 170. Proceedings p. 216 , 217. Proceedings p. 189. Abbot to Antilogia , p. 144 b. 145 b. Apolog. pro Garneto . p. 201. Cath. Apol. p. 436. Apolog. pro Garneto , p. 265 , & 320. Ibi● pp 320. Premonition to Monarchs in K. James's Works . p. 291. Cath. Apol. p. 528. Proceed . p. 46. Abbati Antilogia p. 113. a p. 162. b Proceed . p. 124. Proceed . p. 56. Cath. Apol. p. 528. Proceed . p. 41. p. 51. Proceed . p. 166. Ibid. p. 56. 104. & 241. Tort. Torti . p. 286. Paper 1. Paper 9. Abboti . Antilog . p. 154. b. Cambden . Eliz. Abbot . Antilog . p. 164. b. Winter's Confession , in Proceed . p. 55. Paper 9. Casauboni Epist. ad Ducaeum p. 94. Pap. 1. Paper 9. Proceeds p. 144. Tort. Torti . p. 286. Proceed . p. 38. Paper 1. Paper 9. Preface to his papers . Mss. H. Thuanus Abboti Antil . p. 114. Apol. pro Garneto . Paper 1. Ibid. & pap . 7. Proceed . p. 166. Morus in Hist. saith Gerard p. 314. was very familiar with Digby . Paper 5. Proceedings p. 220. Paper Paper 3. Paper 7. Proceed . p. 220.1 . Abboti Antil . p. 137. a 146. b. Proceed . p. 174. Abboti . Antil . p. 136. b. Proceed . p. 195. Abboti . Antil . p. 146. a. Casaub. Epist. ad Ducaeum , p. 117 , 118. Proceedings p. 225 Proceedings P. 201. Proceedings p. 227. Ibid. Tortura Torti . p. 285. Abboti Antil . p. 137. Tortura Torti . p. 285. Abboti Anti p. 141. a Proceedings p. 173 , 200. These are quoted often in Abboti Antilog . and Tortura Torti , &c. Proceed . p. 189 , & 199. Casa●uboni Epist ad Ducaeum p. 116. Abboti Antil . p. 136. b. Cath. Apol. p. 401. Rom. Chur. vindicated p. 65. Cath. Apol. p. 406. Proceedings p. 194. Mori Hist. p. 315. Antilog . p. 146. b. Mori Hist. p. 314. Digby's Paper . 3. Mori Hist. p. 313. Ibid. p. 314. V. Preface to his papers . & Paper . 1. Pap. 4. Proceedings p. 125 & 126. K. James's Premonition , in his Works . p. 291. Casaub. Epist. ad Ducaeum p. 91. Abboti Anlog . p. 159. b Ibid. 152. Ibid. 155. Ibid. p. 154. b. Ibid. p. 154. a. Proceedings p. 46. Ibid. 154. b Rom. Ch. vindicated p. 64.65 . Watson's Quodlibets p. 177. Proceed . p. 156. & p. 249. Proceed . p. 165. Proceedings . p. 54. Paper 9. Eudaem . Apol p. 240. Cath. Apol. p. 408. Cath. Apol. p. 400. Proceedings p. 29. Ibid. p. 124. Abboti Antil . p. 149. a and 165. b Eudaem . Apol. Proceed . p. 168. Antilog . p. 138. b. Antilog . p. 138. b Proceed . p. 168. Mori . Hest. p. 325 Antilog . p. 160. b Ibid. P. 137. b & 138. Ibid 139. b Antilog . p. 149. a & 163. b Cath. Apol. p. 402. Hist. 1605 ▪ Mori Hist. p. 312. Antilog . p. 110. a. Proceedings P. 140. Ibid. p. 127. Proceeds p. 96. Widdrington Append. p. 141. Tort. Torti . p. 291. Antil . p. 9. Alegambe Biblioth . Index Martyr . An. 1606. Mori Hist. p. p. 312 , & 334. Eudaem . Apol . p. 337. Ibid. 336. Proceedings p. 215. Casaub. Epist. ad Ducaeum p. 137. Widdringtoni Appen . p. 149. Proceed . p. 186. Tort. Torti . p. 295. Soto de rat . deteg . Secret. mem . 3. Q. 4. Cons. 2. Tort. Torti . p. 291 , 292. Cath. Apol. Paper 418. p. 426. Cath. Apol. p. 418. Proceedings p. 216. Antilog . p. 143 b. Tortura Torti . p. 285. Ibid. p. 296. Antilog . p. 140. b. Widdrington App. p. 137. Procee p. 226. Cath. Apol. p. 422. Ibid. p. 188. Tort. Torti , p. 282. Antilog . p. 137. b. Proceed . p. 170. Eudaem . Apol p. 284. Mori Hist. p. 325. Casaub. Epist ad Ducaeum . p. 99. Tort. Torti . p. 282. Proceed . p. 105. Proceed . p. 167. Paper . 1. Proceedings p. 168. Eudaem . Apol p. 255. Paper 9. Paper 1. (a) Tort. Torti . p. 281. (b) Mori Hist. p. 336. (c) Proceed . p. 105. (d) Mori Hist. p. 314. (e) Ibid p. 315. (f) Proceed . p. 221. Antilog . p. 4. b & 162. Proceed . p. 166. (g) Cath. Apol. p. 423. Mori . Hist. p. 282. Antilog . p. 159. b Paper 5. Ibid. Antilog . p. 123. a. Proceedings P. 123. Eudaem . Apol. p. 273. &c. Antilog . p. 154. b Ibid. p. 155. Proceedings p. 172. Antilog . p. 150. b Eudaem . Apol p. 270. Antilog . p. 150. b Ibid. p. 151. b. Antilog . p. 160. a Proceedings p. 113. Proceedings p. 113. Ibid. p. 124. Antilog . p. 160. b Proceed . p. 167 & 169. Ibid. p. 125. Antilog . p. 160. a Pap. 5. Compared with pap . 3. Proceedings . p. 216 , 218. Casaub. ad Ducaeum . Proceedings p. 173. Proceedings p. 196 , & 174. Proceedings p. 225. P. 420. Proceed . p. 127. Eudaem . Apol . p. 233. Ibid. p. 290. Cath. Apol. p. 416. Antilog . p. 137. b Proceedings p. 137. Ibid. Crook's Reports . An. 2d Jac. Proceed . p. 132. Casaub. ad Ducaeum p. 75. K. James's Works . p. 491. Tortura Torti . p. 85. Suar. Def. l. 6. c. 10 de Persec . Angl. Tortur . Torti . p. 83. Proceed . p. 38. Paper . 4. Paper 8. Paper 1. K. James's Speech . Proceed . p. 10. Cath. Apol. p. 427. K. James's Works p. 463. Eudaem . Apol. p. 4. Ibid. p. 275. K. James's Works p. 333. Widdringtoni Appendix p. 123. Alegambe Biblioth . Cath. Apol. p. 421. Mori Hist. p. 335. Antilog . p. 199. a. Widdrington Appendix p. 145. Antilog . p. 200. Cath. Apol. p. 422. Mori Hist. p. 319. Eudaem . Apol . init . Mori Hist. p. 335. Bishop Hall Serm. before K. J. Sept. 19. 1624. Mori Hist. p. 339. Widdring . App. p. 150. Fowlis l. 10. c. 10. Antil . p. 3. a Widdringt . App. p. 145. K. James's Appol . in Works p. 274. Widdringt . Apol. p. 151. Cath. Apol. p. ●●● . MS. Cui Tit. Summar . de rebus relig . in Anglia . An. 1632. Crashaw's Mittimus , in Advertisement to the Reader . Catho . Apo. Ibid. King James Premonition , in his Works . p. 333. Compendium of the late Tryals , &c. New Plot of the Papists . New Plot. p. 13. New Plot. Ibid. Tryals of Green , &c. p. 24. p. 49. p. 41. & 48 , Compared . Compendium p. 18. Tryals p. 57. New Plot p. p. 14. Tryal's of Green , &c : p. 26 , & 70. Prance's Narative . p. 23. &c. New Plot. Prances's Narrative . p. 24 , 25. Bedlows Examination in his last sickness . p. 10. New Plot. Ibid. V. Abboti Antilog . p. 34. a Compendium . p. 75. Smith's account of the 14 Malefactors , &c. p. 18. New Plot. Ibid. Compendium . p. 20. Tryal of Whitebread , &c. p. 26. The Trial of Ireland p. 53 p. 40 P. 47. P. 54. New-Plot . p. 15. Ibid. Compendium . p. 74. Tryal of Green , &c. p. 21 , 43. &c. Ibid. p. 67. New Plot. Ibid. New Plot p. 13 , 15. Compendium . p. 75. Compend . p. 73. * V. Pag. 35 , 40 , & 46. Compend . p. 73. Vid. pag. 35. &c. Compend . p. 74. Advocate of Conscience p. 226. Ibid. & A Plea for Engl. Priests printed 1621. p. 55 , & 58. New-Plot . p. 12. Tryals of Ireland , &c. p. 12. Coleman's 2 d Letter in his Tryal . p. 69. * p. 25 , 46 , 48 , 56 , &c. Stayley's Tryal p. 5. Fitz Geralds Nar. p. 7. * Vid. p. 31. Ireland's Trial , pag. 10-28 . Dugdale's further Informat . p. 16 * Vid. p. 31. Ireland's Trial , pag. 10-28 . Dugdale's further Informat . p. 16 (a) Colemans Trial. p. 26. (b) Fitz-Geralds Nar. p. 4 , &c. † Trials of Whitebread , &c. p. 10 , 11. Address , Novemb . 29. Fitz Geralds Narrative . p. 30. * p. 16 , & 25. Smith's Narrative p. 27. * p. 20 , &c. Eudaemon Apol. p. 278. * Fitz. Gerald's informat . p. 11. Smith's Narrat . p. 30. Compend . p. 85. Bedlow's last Examinat . p. 5. Dugdale's Informat . p. 5. Dangerfield's Nar. Dugdale's Informat . p. 8. Reflections on the E. of Danby . * Hist. p. 26. Vindicat. p. 13. & 36. Eudaem . parallel Torti , &c. p. 261. Compendium . p. 16. & 67. Malice defeated . p. 3. * P. 63 , & 65 V. The printed Narat . Mr. Reading's Trial. * P. 34 , &c. p. 63 , & 84. New Plot p. 16. * p. 85. * p. 37 , &c. New Plot. Ibid. * p. 46. Proceed . p. 37. * As I before observed p. 84. Paper 9. Compend . P. 73. 
A86261	----	November the 5. 1605. The quintessence of cruelty, or, master-peice of treachery, the Popish pouder-plot, invented by hellish-malice, prevented by heavenly-mercy. / Truly related, and from the Latine of the learned, religious, and reverend Dr. Herring, translated and very much dilated. By John Vicars. Pietas pontificia. English. Herring, Francis, d. 1628. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A86261 of text R203901 in the English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E1100_1). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 247 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 70 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A86261 Wing H1602 Thomason E1100_1 ESTC R203901 99863685 99863685 115896 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A86261) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 115896) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 163:E1100[1]) November the 5. 1605. The quintessence of cruelty, or, master-peice of treachery, the Popish pouder-plot, invented by hellish-malice, prevented by heavenly-mercy. / Truly related, and from the Latine of the learned, religious, and reverend Dr. Herring, translated and very much dilated. By John Vicars. Pietas pontificia. English. Herring, Francis, d. 1628. Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652. [26], 46, [2] 47-103, [9] p. : ill. (woodcuts) Printed by G.M. for R. Harford at the signe of the guilt Bible in Queens-head-ally in Pater-noster-row, London : 1641. A translation of: Pietas pontificia. In verse. The leaf after E2 is an insert bearing a woodcut and text. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. An epigram to Iesuites, the principall disturbers of peace and unity -- An enigmatical riddle to Romes Iesuiticall black-crows, who pretend themselves to be religions white swans -- A paraphrasticall psalm of thanksgiving for Englands most happy deliverance from the most horrible intended gun-pouder treason. eng Catholics -- England -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800. A86261 R203901 (Thomason E1100_1). civilwar no November the 5. 1605. The quintessence of cruelty,: or, master-peice of treachery, the Popish pouder-plot, invented by hellish-malice, prev Herring, Francis 1641 35855 43 5 0 0 0 0 13 C The rate of 13 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-04 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-05 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2007-05 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion November the 5 1605. THE QVINTESSENCE OF CRVELTY , OR , MASTER-PEICE OF TREACHERY , THE POPISH POUDER-PLOT , Invented by Hellish-Malice , Prevented by Heavenly-mercy . Truly related , and from the Latine of the Learned , Religious , and Reverend Dr. HERRING , translated and very much dilated . By JOHN VICARS . Sonne of man , write the name of the day , even of this same day , wherin the King of Babylon set himselfe against Jerusalem ; This same Day . EZEK. 24. 2. LONDON , Printed by G. M for R. Harford at the signe of the guilt Bible in Queens-head-ally in Pater-noster-row . 1641. SEe , here , the Popish Pouder-plots fair thriving ; Fauks and his Father-Satan fit contriving The fatall-Instruments , to puffe and blow Hell out of Earth , a State to over-throw , At Once , for All : But , here , behold likewise , Heavens All-seeing-Eye , which deepest-pits espies : This desperate Worke of Darknesse sees most clear , And , timely , makes the mischiefe All appeare : To Israels blessed Shepheards endlesse glory , As is full-shown in this succeeding Story . To all loyall-hearted English Protestants which sincerely relish the power and purity of CHRISTS GOSPELL , and zealously detest the damnable doctrines of Antichrist ; J. V. wisheth the blessings of GODS right hand , and of his left ▪ the blessings of this life and of the life to come . THe richest rarest mercies , daily sent ( Right Christian brethren ) to us of this land , From Gods ore-flowing grace , al-filling hand May be compar'd to th'Sun in firmament . Whose glorious rayes all creatures hearts revive , Whose light enlightens all the world throughout , Whose heat doth cherish plants that spring and sprout , Whose shine to want doth us of ioy deprive . Yet since , so daily , man doth it enjoy , Who is 't ( almost ) that valews it aright ? Who yeelds due praise to heaven for heavens sweet light ? O few or none . Abundance does us cloy . From whence , we ( therefore ) iustly may conclude , That Gods rich mercies , which we oft possesse , Wherwith he daily , hourly doth us blesse , We all receive with great ingratitude . I need not stand t' exemplifie the same , It is a fault too frequent , too rank grown , And yet to God , more odious , ther 's not one , And which to Christians brings more smart and shame . Of spirituall-blessings , our thrice blest Salvation Wrought by our Saviour , bought with 's precious-blood , Was most divine , gave man his chiefest good , Was more admir'd than was the worlds Creation . But , of all temp'rall-blessings we enioy'd Since God did form the Earth and heavenly frame To our deliverance , never greater came , When Rome by pouder , would have us destroy'd . How thankfull for the first , to God we are I 'll tax nones conscience , but examine mine : But for the second , how we doe decline From giving thanks to God , I may not spare , To tell you all ( my Christian brethren deare ) That , which if I should silence , sencelesse stones , ( T is to be fe●r'd ) would sound with mournfull groans ; Englands ingratitude is too-too cleare . For why ? not only Popish Jebusites , Already do begin ( as plain appeares ) To buze , with brazen browes , into the ears And mindes of their seduced proselytes . Yea and perswade too-many Protestants That there was never any pouder-plot , But , that ( we falsly ) stain them with that spot The Cath'likes to disgrace with c●uslesse taunts . For this cause , therfore ▪ I have ta'ne in hand , Again to sing ( to Gods due praise and glory In this revived and most faithfull Story ) How powerfully God to our Church did stand . Which , now , at last ( though , with much strugling ) I , ( By Gods aid , in our pious Parliament ) Have brought to publike view , thus to prevent Our times dough - * Bakers base malignity : Who , heated had their Oven , extremely ▪ hot , To burn-up in Oblivions smoakey-flame , The memory ( to our eternall shame ) Of this nefarious Popish Pouder-Plot . And 'gainst which , though some temporizing-minde May scoffe and scorn , in this my good intention , Though from Romes favorites , nought but reprehension And taunting termes I shall ( uniustly ) finde , Though Rome doth curse me with bell , book and candle And like a gal'd-backt-iade doth kick and winch ; Yet I their sores have laboured so to pinch , As in their nature , iustly , them to handle . But , if to you ( my brethren deare ) I may For my poore labour kindly be respected , And from calumniators fangs protected I shall acknowledge this a rich repay . If I ( hereby ) may move and stimulate , Your Christian hearts to zealous detestation Of Romes most impious foule abhomination , And heavens rich mercies oft to ruminate , Chiefly , the great miraculous defence From this nefarious pouder-plot of Rome , Wherin our King and Kingdomes they did doome To dire destruction , fatall violence . Then , happy I ( maugre Romes worst despight ) That God , hereby , may have due thanks and praise , That this occasion may mens hearts incite This fact , with fame to memorize alwayes ; Read then ( kinde Reader ) what 's amisse amend , And kindly take the good-will of thy friend , JOHN VICARS . To his very good Cousin M. JOHN VICARS , on his decasyllables a Decastich . THree mercies great proper to this our State My tongue , with praise to God shall still relate ; a Salvation from Romes tyranny and band , b Safeguard from Spaniards proud insulting hand , c Saf'ty from Popish-pouder-plots and trains : O! this deserves ( if any ) heavenly strains . Such strains are thine , thus streaming from thy quill , Which fain applaud I would , but want the skill . But what I want in skill to praise thy parts Shall be suppli'd by all true English hearts . THOMAS VICARS , olim Reginensis Oxon. The same hand ( upon second thoughts ) writeth his symphony , with the pious Author of this perpetuall monument of Gods mercy in our manifold and miraculous Deliverances from Popish machinations . To the READERS . VVhat mischiefs to this Church & state The Pope and Popelings wrought , In former times and later dayes , Our men to light have brought , How GOD defeated all their plots And counsels vain detected , Here in this lasting-Monument Of praise to GOD erected You have to th'life , in briefe , set-down , The just and true relation , And then to lay it to our hearts , Some morall observation . What feares within , what foes without , What death , what danger fell Did ever vexus , but it came By Rome and Spain from Hell ? Rome , thou art drunke with blood , in vaine , Thou Serpent-like dost rage Against the holy-Seed , which stand Most firme in every age . Thy water-forces , in the Fleet , Thy pouder-plot in fire , Wherby thou ment'st , in pride , on us To teem-out all thine ire : The Lord from Heaven scatter'd to smoake And did thy deeds deride , And made the actours mocking stocks , Throughout the world so wide . Thus we through fire and water went , For GOD was with us still , He fought our battles , sav'd our lives , And did our hopes fullfill . The Lord of Hoasts of Israel , For ever more doth raign ; From time to time , from tide to tide , His praise shall aye remain . Sic concinit T. V. S. T. B. A Friend at a stand at his Friends Worke . VVHo reads this work , aread my wonder ; tell What skill to verse a fact so ill , so well . Aliàs . The placet of his friends Essay . OThers , thy Zeale and Vowes , I praise thy skill ; So well to lay the plot , Rome laid so ill : Another . Arts pyramides , from Treasons Pouder-fire . VVhat al fire hath , hath thine , black smoke , bright flame , The flame , thy Verse ; the smoke , the Traitors name . Who can , decide ; in which most time to spend ; Or damn their smoke , or thy bright flame commend . Himself not yet determined . T. S. S. T. B. To my good friend M. JOHN VICARS . THy love to Truth I love , thy hate of errours , Thine honesty , thine industry , thy Zeale For God , the king , the Church and common-weal , Against the rage of Romes intended terrours . I like thy loathing of those Treason-stirrers , That for Apollyon , in these plots do deale With ghastly , ghostly fathers that conceale , Or rather counsail , so inhumane horrours . I praise thine Authours and thine owne desire To have recorded unto all posterity , Th' Ignatian-furies ignominious fire Flaming from hell against Christs heavenly verity . In Fauks , Grants , Garnets , Winters , Catesbies , Percies , Let others praise thy Vowes , I praise thy Verses . JOSUAH SYLVESTER . In Viri , mihi fratris vice , JOHANNIS VICARSI dignissimos labores , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . MIttor Apollineos ego parvulus inter alumnos Vt tibi pro libro laurea serta feram . Ne metuas Romae * larvas , lemuresve sequaces , Nec criticos , criticâ qui gravitate valent . Est liber ille tuus scelerato nomine liber , Perge igitur , libro praela subire tuo . Idem ad eundem . THou carping Momus , poyson of good wits , I call not thee to give the Authour praise ; Silence , I tell thee , better thee befits , Because , detraction is thy common-phrase : Thou canst not come and mend , yet must commend This worke so neatly , by the Authour pen'd . THOMAS BRACKLEY , M. A. To his most affectionate kinde Friend M. JOHN VICARS . THy Muse Romes hellish traitors so displaies , That they deserve the halter , she the bayes . View her , all English hearts , with care ; and than , Love Romes faith ( blacke high-Treason ) if you can . WILLIAM PRINNE . Gent. To my loving friend Mr. John Vicars , in praise of his praise-worthy worke ; encouraging him to discourage our enemies . I Saw thy worke , should not I land the same , With Traitor thou maist iustly brand my name . I saw thy worke , and from my soule I vow , I thinke none honest will it disallow . I saw 't , or Who els sees't , without commend , He is a Traitor or a Traitors friend . I saw and praise thy worke , in spight of Rome , Hell and the Pope ; I say t is sweetly done . I saw thy worke , though thee I do not know , But , figs ( I knew ) on thistles could not grow . Courage ( brave Spirit ) thou hast done so well , Thou needst not feare Romes candle , booke or bell . Thou hast a Master , in all our hopes , That will protect thee 'gainst a thousand Popes . Shew it thy Master , then his censure past , Let others blow , regard not thou their blast ▪ But , tell them , yea , and tell them to their face , That they are Traitors , which do treason grace . Your Friend unknowne NATHANIEL CHAMBER of Grayes-Inne Gent. In Authorem . LEt Rome with bell , booke , candle , curse thy name , Thy hand , thy pen , the broachers of her shame ; Passe not if good accept , though bad refuse , Religious hearts bid welcome to thy muse . It may be , some condemn thee ; what 's the reason ? They hate thy worke , because they lov'd the Treason . W. C. M. A. The names of the chiefe Traitours that plotted and endeavoured this Pouder-Treason . Jesuite Priests . Henry Garnet John Gerrard Osw . Tesmond Edward Hall . Hammon Wm. Baldwin . S Evera . Digby Rob. Winter . Tho. Winter . Guido Fauks . John Grant . Amb. Rookwood . Robert Keyes . Thomas Bates . Henry Morgan . Tho. Abington . S. Edm. Bainham . S. Wm. Stanley . Hugh Owen . Catesby , Thom ▪ Percy , John Wright and Christo . Wright were slain in rebellious fight ; the former two with a gun , the other two with Halberts . Francis Tresham murthered himself in prison . To Momus or the carping-Catholike . LEt Zoylus bark and Momus carp , Let Masse-Priests mumble and mutter , Let Romish-Jesuites raile and rage And all their venome utter : Yea , though they should with envy swell , And toad-like burst in sunder , Yet truth will shine and errour pine , To Babels wo and wonder . J. V. An Advertisement to the READER . Courteous READER , LEt me intreate thee to take notice , that wheras in this History thou shalt meete with a most materiall passage , which intimates the Papists most hellish purpose to have translated this plot from themselves on those whom the world impiously and injuriously termes Puritans ; It hath pleased the Lord to give me this notable testimony of the truth therof from two of my most loving Christian Friends , who , on my certaine knowledge , were both so truely pious , as that they feared ( as it is , Revel. 22. ) to tell a lye , much more , to make a lye ; the one being departed this life , the other yet surviving , both of them eminent Christians and Citizens of London . And this it is . TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Richard Gurney , Lord Major of London , the right Worshipfull S. Christopher Clethrow Knight , President of Christs Hospitall , Sr. William Acton Knight and Baronet , Sr. Paul Pindar Knight , Alderman Goare , Alderman Atkins , Alderman Pennington , Alderman Wollaston , Alderman Adams , Alderman Warner , and the right worshipfull Alderman Garret one of the Shrieves of London ; All of them most worthy Governours of Christs-Hospitall ▪ as also the worshipfull Mr. John Babington Treasurer of the said Hospitall , Mr. Roger Drake . Sub-Treasu●er , M. Richard Aldworth ; and to the rest of the most worthy Governours therof : Iohn Vicars wisheth the kingdome of Grace here , and the Kingdome of Glory hereafter . Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull , YOur constant Favours which I alwayes find , Do me in all my best endeavours bind , Upon all fair occasions , to expresse My due and deeply bounden thankfullnesse , Aswell for past as present sweet-Supplies , Which from your blessed-House of Charities Poore Orphant-cheering-brests , my-Self have found , With Thousands-more , whom ( else ) distresse had drown'd In over flowing floods of Poverty , Our Parents poor being forc't from us to fly , And leave us hopelesse Imps , in helplesse age To all Earths woes , fully , on us to rage . These , these ( I say ) indissoluble Tyes Of ancient and of modern Courtesies , Which to Heavens glory , here , memorate , Doe me ( blest Patrons ) stirre and stimulate , To dedicate and consecrate to You What ere I am or can , as Tribute , due To your full-Sea , from my small-Rivolet , Thus to repay some part of my great debt : And since I owe more then I know to pay , My humble-All rests to my dying-day Your Honours and Worships Sincerely to be commanded , JOHN VICARS . A Table of the Heads of the most materiall passages in this Historie . A ABsolution given to the Traitors in rebellion by Haman a Jesuite , pag. 63. Achabs sicknesse for Naboths vineyard alluded to , 77. Allusion to the plot intended now in our daies , which hath beene discovered by this Parliament , 1641. 80. Aggravations of this plot , 42 , 43 , 44. An Angell to Lord Morley , 37. Apprehension of Faux at the cellar , 41. Armado in 88. 87. The Attempt of Grant a Traitor , 63. B BArons warres , 87. Bloody-builders of a bloudy Church , 11. C CAtesby and others sit to plot a Treason , 10. Catesby the inventer of this pouder Plot , 12. Catesbies project approved by all , 14. Catesby adviseth with Garnet , 16. Catesby and Percy bring news to the other Traitors of the plots discovery , 58. Catesby , Percy and Winter fight all 3 together , 72. Catesbies and Percies heads set on the Parliament house 74. A Cellar hyred . 23. City of Coventry , 65. Consultation about the Kings Children , 24. A Country-man suspects the Traitours in their hunting , 55. Coventry comforts the young Lady Elizabeth , 66. Court-traitors most dangerous , 81. D DEes five , 98. Description of the plots effects had it taken , 26 Discovery of the pouder , 41. The Divels speech to the Traitors in Hell , 80. Description of the Hunt , 54. Divers treasons projected , 12. Dun-church-Heath , 53. E ENcouragements to Papists to the Treason , 11. Sr. Everard Digbies bounty towards the work of this Treason , 23. Sr. Everard Digby a chief hunter , 57. Empedocles described and alluded to , 77. England the Land-mark of Gods mercies , 86. England like Canaan , 88. Equivocation , 100. Exhortation to give all praise to God alone , 92. F FAmine , 88. Faux the chief actor of this Treason , 5. Faux sent to the Pope , 21. Faux returns home , 22. Faux is imprisoned , 46. Faux sent to the Tower , 47. Faux frighted with the rack , 47. A Fore-running judgement , 69. A Fight pell-mell , 71. Sr. Fulk Grevill , 64. G GArnet and Gerard two Priests , 14. Garnets answer to Catesby , 18. Garnets simile , 19. Garnets Doctrine compared with Christs , 20. Garnets opinion confirmes the plot , 21. Garnets opinion of themselves , 60. God speaks to his Angell , 31. Greenwell the Priests resolution , 60. Gun-pouder , 13. H HAll a Jesuite startled , 60. Halls divellish change and judgement on the fact . 62. Lord Harrington , 65. A holy Hunt , 54. I IEsuites impudency , 61. Impossibility to escape the blow , 45. Impudency of Faux , 42. Impudency of Faux at the Court being examined , 46. Ingratitude of England , 90. Introduction to the plots discovery , 31. Justice , 89. K KIng James succeeds Qu. Elizabeth in peace , 9. King James interprets the Letters oenigma , 38 , 39 Sr. Thomas Knevet sent to search , 39. The Kings-evill , 101. L LOndons misery , 30. The Letter , 34. Littletons house the Traitors refuge , 67. A Lie , 61. M MArtyres of Rome , 63. Manna , 89. Motives foure to plot a treason , 10. Lord Mounteagle , 33. Mounteagle goes to Court with the Letter , 37. Mounteagles serving-man , 34. N NEroes wish , 29. Nocents and Innocents , 17. November the 5t . 25. O OAth for secrecy and constancy in the plot , 15. Oration of Percy to his fellow Traitors , 59. Observation remarkable , 78. P PArliament-House , 13. Parliament-House undermined , 22. Parliament-House , 33. Percy and Catesby staied about Westminster to heare the event of things , 53. Percy and Catesby slain , 72. Perillus the Engineer , 71. Pestilence , 1628. 88. Pope and Divell Treasons Parents , 5. Provision of pouder and fatall instruments , 25. Prayer for the King and State , 84. Puritans falsly to be accused as the traitors , 50 , 51 , 52 Q QVeene ELIZABETHS death , 8. R REbellion attempted by the traitors , 60. Recapitulation of Romes abhominations , 85. Report of the treason is spread abroad , 46. Return of thanks to God our sole deliverer , 82. Remorse seeming in the traitors , 70. Rookwood and Winter are shot , 71. S SAcrament taken by the conspirators , 15. Search made , 39. Simile , 28. Simile , 72. Simile , 83. Spanish king plotted withall in this Treason , 9. Spanish king refuseth to ayd the traitors , 9. A Stone-wall hinders the traitors worke , 22. Supposition of the deed done , 30. Suspition of the Hunters by a friend , 56. A Smith smites Winter the Traitor , 64. The Steed being stoln shut the stable-doore , 63. T TReason was the Popes first-born Son , 2. Tressams perjury , 49. The Traitors hunt Religion , 57. The Traitors amazed to heare the Plot was discovered , 58. A Tray of pouder fired among the Traitors , 69. The Traitors grow desperate , 71 The Traitors apprehended , 73. The Traitors convayed to London , 73. The Traitors arraigned , 73. Treason against Queene Elizabeth , 87. V Sr. Rich: Verney high-Shrieve , 64. W Sir ▪ Rich : Walsh besiegeth the traitors , 68. Winter sent into Spain to plot treason against Qu. Elizabeth , 7. Winter and Faux talk in the Tower , 48. Winters dream , 69 Wrights both are slain , 71. Winter wounded in the belly , 73. FINIS . To my worthy Friend Mr. IOHN VICARS . SIR , I Have here sent you a true relation most faithfully delivered as I received it from our deare deceased friend M. Clement Cotton , the Authour and Composer of the Concordance of the Bible , which is this . Lewis Pickering Esquier of Tits-marsh-grove in the County of North-hampton , a Gentleman of an ancient and most noble Family , as being alied to Queene ELIZABETH by her mothers side , and was the secondman , that brought newes to King JAMES into Scotland of Queene ELIZABETHS death , and was afterward sworne his Servant . This Gentleman had a Sister that was married to Keyes one of the Popish Conspiratours , whereby there could not choose , but be much familiarity betweene them ; By which Keyes most divellish contrivement , that hellish plot ( had it taken effect ) should have beene translated from the Papists to the Puritans ( as I had the Relation from the mouth of M. Clement Cotton , who also received it from the said M. Pickering himselfe in his life time ) after this manner . This worthy religious Gentleman M. Pickering , being in great esteeme with King JAMES , with whom he oft times rod a hunting , and as they rode , had frequent private conference , and informed the King above sixe months before that treason brake out , that the Papists had some notable villany in hand , but what it was he could by no meanes learne . Now this said M. Pickering had a horse of speciall note , and well known among the Courtiers , on which he used to hunt with the King , a little before the blow was to be given , which his brother M. Keyes desired to borrow of him for some present speciall use , which he said he had for him , and it was somewhat probable to be for their pretended hunting on Dunsmow-heath , where many of the conspiratours contrived a hunting match for divers dayes together a little before the blow was to be given , that so they might be neare to come where the Lady ELIZABETH lay : But what ever Keyes pretence was , the horse so borrowed was conveyed to London , and there kept for another purpose , which thus was plotted . Faux on the day of the fatall Blow was appointed to retire himselfe into St. Georges feild , where this said horse was to attend him , to make his escape so soone as the Parliament House was blowne up : It was likewise contrived that the said M. Pickering was that very morning to be murthered in his bed , and secretly conveyed away ; as also that Faux himselfe should have bin murthered in St. Georges field , and there so mangled and cut in peeces as that it might not be discovered who he was ; wherupon it was to be bruited abroad , that the Puritans had blowne up the Parliament-House , and the better to make the world beleeve so , there was M. Pickering with his horse ready to make an escape , but that God stirred up some , seeing the hainousnesse of the fact , and he ready to escape by flight , in detestation of so horrible a deed fell upon him and killed him , and so had hackt him in peeces . And yet to make it more apparent to be so indeed , there was his horse found also , which was of speciall speed and swiftnesse to convay him away ; and upon this rumour , a massacre should have gone through the whole kingdome upon the Puritans . But when this Plot thus contrived was confest by some of the conspiratours ; and Fauxs in the Tower was made acquainted with it , who had beene born in hand to be bountifully rewarded for that his Service in the Catholick cause , when hee saw how his ruine was contrived , he also therupon confest freely all that he knew touching that horrid and hideous conspiracy , which ( before ) all the torture of the racke could not force him to , &c. Thus I kindely rest , Your loving Friend W. PERKINS . The Cloud of Ignorance and Errour . Curses and Excomunications The Armado in 88. Daggors Doggs Poison kill all . Blasphemies and Lies . Envy and malice . Recusancy and Rebellion . Opposing the Thruth . Falsification of Scriptures FRVSTRA . ENclos'd with Clouds of Ignorance and Errour , Rome , Hell and Spain do threaten Englands terrour ; The Card'nall Legate , Jesuite , impious Fryers , Home-bred Recusant , Brittanes bane desires : Each puffs and snuffs with Envy ( All in Vain ) At Christs pure Gospell , which shall still remain . THE QVINTESSENCE OF CRVELTY . AND MASTER-PEECE OF TREACHERY . THE POPISH POUDER-PLOT . PRoud Pluto , King of darknes , Prince of th' ayre , Became enamoured of Romes Strumpet faire ; His lustfull pleasure on her to effect , From Hell to Rome , he forthwith doth direct A speedy Post , to bring her out of hand , Or'e Styxes flood , where his black-court did stand ; And Charon , hels fierce ferry-man●●d charge To row her o're Avernus in his bar●e . To hell Shee ( thus ) had quick and kinde accesse , Where mutuall-love their liking did expresse . Strait , they enjoy'd infernall copulation , Whose foule effects had present procreation . A base-borne brat , Romes whore , soon bred brought out ▪ An impious imp , most monstrous , proud and stout , A more than Centaure strange , strong , fierce & fell , A most mis-shapen cursed feind of hell , A brazen-fac't , a marble-hearted frame , A divellish genius , Treason cal'd by name . To Lerna's poole this purple-Strumpets doom , Was to return ; where with the milke of Rome , Infectious milk , I say , of doctrines base , It fearfully was nurs'd , grew strong a pace . There , there , I say , did this fierce Hydra live , There , to this Monster , she did vigour give . No sooner was this Off-spring of the Divell Fraught with Thessalian-spels , pride , mischief , evil , With Serpentine-deceit prompt to beguile , Yea , every-way an impious viper vile ; But that his damned * Dam observes it well , What a sweet son she had begot from hell , How full of wit and Acherontine-art , Of unheard impudence to act the part Of any most transcendent treachery ▪ Of any most nefarious villany ; Him , therfore strait , she does most kindly greet , With oft and soft imbraces , kisses sweet , And hony-words , calling him by his name , Her mischief-thirsting thoughts she doth proclaim ; Wrath boyls within , revenge and furies fire , And , thus to him unfolds her foule desire . Fair first-born-Son , whom art and heart have made The basis , bulwark , whence our hopes are staid , Are firmliest founded and erected high , Without whose skill and will , we faint and die ; Long have we in our sacred Cath'like chair , Even we thy holy-Mother , full of care , Sat mourning and bewailing ( but in vain ) The matchlesse losse wch Rome doth ( still ) sustain , And long , yea , too-too-long hath felt and found , And therwith ta'ne a desperate , deadly wound : I mean by Englands foule Apostacy , From Peters chair to Luthers heresie ; For , since that time , no land in Europe fair , Hath labour'd , more , our welfare to impaire , Hath born more open and intestine hate To our Apostolike , imperiall-State , Than those damn'd hereticks of Britans nation , Endeavouring daily our dire extirpation . Alas ( dear Son ) t is wofull to declare , Yea , the meer thought does me even kil with care , To think how many mischiefs , by their fall , Like corrasives , our heart do grinde and gal ; Yea , how they daily strive to work our wo , Hoping t' effect our finall over-throw . Their Scripture-goads our sides so deeply gore , Their textuall-tortures wound our heart so sore , That if we , timely , do them not prevent , Romes last , least-drop of hearts-blood wil be spent ▪ Ay me , I grieve to think on our great losse , What Sums we did into our coffers tosse . Whiles they were ours , what rents we did possesse , What Zeal they did to Peters chair expresse , What gain , by them , we found , strange to be spoke , How bounteously they made our chimnies smoke ! What swarms of Friers and Nuns , even numberlesse By them were fost'red , love to us t' expresse , What stately Monastries with turrets high , What Temples fair , whose steepls toucht the sky ! Did they then spare most sumptuously to build , With reliques richly garnished and fil'd , For holy Votaries and Virgins chast , Whom we with Saints and Angels blest have plac'd . Whose deepe devotion was ( sweet Son ) so great , As it had bin our second-Sons , Spains Seat . By them our holy-Masse , great Pluto's lore , Was gorgeously bedeckt , him to adore . In every city each fair wealthy seat , Hath bin possessed by our champions great ; In every country , each most fertile soyle , On them conferred without cost or coyl . I tell thee ( Son ) this only Albions-Isle Through daily discord , variance , fraud and guile , Which , twixt them rais'd , for bribes , we quickly ceast , Hath Romes revenues mightily increast . Not specious France , nor spacious Germany Came neer to this , for our utility . And thinkst thou , than , I can with patience brook , So rich a prey to be , thus , from me took ? And only by damn'd Luthers haeresie , That turn-coat caiti●s matchles villany ? Shall I put-up these heavy losses so , And ope a gate to greater over-throw ? No , no , irrevocable is my doom , I 'll be reveng'd , not cease , til they consume , But , least too-long , with tedious ambages , I tire thine ears , thy thoughts too-long disease , It now behooves us forth-with to be wise , And how to crosse and curb them to devise . Yea , now , I see that our declining hope Bids us not linger , nor give longer scope : Bids us advised be and counsell take , Intricate snares , with unheard craft to make , On Pluto's anvil strange wiles , now to frame , And subtil Stratagems , to work their shame , All practises to prove , no shifts to shun , Wherby our glorious welfare may be wonne . Wherfore ( sweet Nursling ) ease us of this moane , For all our hopes consist in thee alone . In thee alone ( I say ) our great intent Expects to finde a fortunate event . So expert art thou Treason to contrive , So apt whole Kingdoms vitals to deprive , So exactly practis'd in thy * Fathers skill , So well acquainted with thy * Mothers will . Nimble thou art without or stop or study To plot a mischief be it ere so bloody , Horrid or hatefull ; yea a King or Nation To ruinate with matchlesse devastation ; To swear , forswear , couzen and equivocate , By mine instructions rarely literate . Then , hast with speed ( Alecto be thy guide ) To Britane , big with insolence and pride ; Be it just or unjust , leave no means unwrought , That to our ancient yoak they may be brought . Then Romes officious , most pernicious son , Replies but this ; deare Mother count it done . Then , like swift Tyber , without least delay , With vultures appetite he takes his way , To England , where to fit his enterprise , A Priest-like habit shapes his best disguise , A gown all garded with religious lace , The Cath'like-cause is vizard for his face . And marvell not , for , thus the Divell doth use , Like Angel-bright Gods children to abuse . And thus , within * Guy Fauks his faithlesse brest , He harbour finds , and is a welcome guest ; A man to mischief prompt , incarnate Divell , Swift to shed blood , active to any evill . With envy stuft and puft , sly , malecontent , Dissembling Sinon , double-diligent : Whose name he ever changed with his place Of residence , like Proteus various face , Foster , sometimes , Johnson and Brown , he 'll be , To passe unknown , suspicion ( thus ) to flee ; His name , not nature ; habit , not his heart ; He takes , forsakes , as best befits his part . Here ( now ) Romes base-born brat makes no delay , But , farther flings , works others to his bay ; Whose hearts already hankered very sore , ( Like muttering Israel ) after Babels whore , For Egypts flesh-pots , and with factious thirst , To quaffe Romes poyson , till their bellies burst . These doth he stir with spur of innovation , And charms them ( thus ) with hellish incantation , With high-built hopes ( thus ) labours to perswade thē , And with these sly delusions doth invade thē . The day so long desir'd , your foes to foyle , To plunge them deep in matchlesse , helples toyl , Is , now , comn-on , wherin base Calvins rout , And Luthers vassals you may clean root-out Romes wals to rear and ruins to repair , To make her splendour shine , her beauty fair , Her enemies triumphantly to bane , Romes rare Religion strongly to maintain . Straight , they , to Sinons sugred words do vow , Theirs and themselvs unto his becke and bow . This good successe adds fuell to the fire , To Court he ( therfore ) comes with foul desire , His Doctours hellish Documents to broach , And into favour , hopes , there to encroach . There this bilingued-Sinon ramps about , Most sedulous and serious to finde-out The man he long'd to see ; whom straight he found , A wisht companion , Traitour most profound . Percy , infected , yea of treason confected , And even by nature therunto addicted . A gracelesse guardian to his gracious King , A fiery forge to frame each traiterous thing ; A most bold bond-slave to his holy Pope , A strong supporter of Romes hellish hope . To whom Fauks openeth each materiall thing , Assures good-luck , the work to passe to bring : Who , man and message , presently , imbraceth , And , in his love , much confidence , soon placeth . Then , each to other , they themselvs fast ty , What , neither had , faith and fidelity , They mutually do promise to fullfill , Like Pilate and proud Herod , Christ to kill . Then , as their pledges , each gave hand to others , And here , were made treasons chief sworn-brothers . Perfidious Percy , and false Fauks made one , Fauks must ( forsooth ) be Percies servant known , His name being chang●d ; thus , Mr , and the man Their projects , throughly , do discusse and scan . And thus , disguis'd , in this sly unknown hew , Securely they their rancorous poyson spew , And now with Fauks and Percy , Catesby met , An ancient Traitour soon on mischief set ; Whose heads , hearts , hands and all , plod and contrive Some horrid treason how to make to thrive ; Some strange , domestick-deluge to ordain , Since ( now ) their hopes were frustrated in Spain . For why , long since , in sweet Eliza's daies , That Paragon of time ; times peerlesse praise ; They had sent * Winter to the King of Spain , To crave his aid their mischiefs to maintain , Our Kingdome to invade and to possesse , Romes power ( here ) to re-plant , their wrongs redresse ; Assuring him that in his puissant ayd The English-Cath'liks would be parties made ; The King ( that time ) promis'd with them to joyn And that he 'd furnish them with store of Coyn , An hundred thousand crowns he would bestow , And being Victor , them all favour show . And , this desir'd ; that if the Queen did dye , He might have knowledge of it instantly , For , therupon , he would his power advance , And speedily prevent sinister chance . This was on both-sides promis'd and concluded , But , Heaven , in mercy , all their hopes deluded . Then , then ( I say ) did Spain intend our doom , Together with the proud high-Priest of Rome , When as , That miserable-Woman dy'd , For , thus , the Pope had term'd her in his pride ; But , O nefarious lyer , how could She Unhappy or so miserable be ? Whom , neither th'arrow , which by day did fly , Nor Pestilence , by night , to wit , Romes sly And secret practis'd treasons , ere , could quail , Nor yet th'Armado , mighty Spanish-sayl . Who in her self and subjects was most blest , Whose kingdom , while she liv'd , enjoy'd sweet rest , Full peace and plenty , princely-royalty With peoples love and cordial-loyalty . Thus Rome and Spain lay gaping , but in vain , To see fair Englands lustre in the wain . But , now , behold , a wonder you shall hear , That glorious - * Sun did set in this our sphere , And yet although our Sun did so go-down , No night ensu'd , no cloud did on us frown , No losse appear'd , only a change we had , Which many ( then ) neer-dying-hearts made glad . For why , in our horizon did arise Another * Jubar-bright to cheer our eyes , King James succeeded as a glorious-Sun , In whom his subjects joy , a fresh begun ; Their happy dayes , again , did sprout and flourish , And , with the milk of peace their hearts did nourish . But , malecontent , malignant Catesbies heart , Together with his mates hereat did smart , With galling-grief , to see their hopes so thwarted . These accidents they ( therfore ) soon imparted Unto the King of Spain , as was agreed , Requesting ( now ) his promis'd ayd with speed , Protesting that their hearts were all on fire Firmly t' effect both his and their desire , To serve him in this great negotiation , If he would second them with supportation . For why , they said , they ( now ) began to doubt That things were like aversly to break-out , And that the English-Cath'liks cause was worse , Because king James held-on the late Queens course . But , Spain , grown ( now ) more politick than so , And well perceiving how the cards would go , ( A cunning-gamester ) bent himself for peace , With England , wishing them their suit to cease . Whose unexpected answer did them trouble , Yet did their malice and their rancour double , With most Infernall rage their hearts did burn , What course to take , which way themselvs to turn . And when they saw al forrain hopes forsook them Unto this powder-treason they betook them . And now that furious fierce triplicity , Those impious brethren in iniquity , Catesby and Percy , Fauks , together met , Their hellish hearts for mischief ( now ) to whet . Then Catesby , speciall Authour of this ill , Their thoughts with traiterous poison ( thus ) did fill ▪ Right trusty friends , since now we private are , My minde to you I freely will declare . My swelling-tympany of hate is such , My discontent and grief of heart so much , To see our Holy Father so neglected , And how small hope to have him ere respected , Within this Kingdom ( for I plainly see The late Queens courses will maintained be . I see ( I say ) and to our grief we finde King James is like to prove to us unkind . ) That therfore t is high time to take advice , ( And herein we must not be fondly nice , Nor with faint-hearted fear must we proceed ) To pluck-up and supplant this growing weed , For when a wound is grown much putrifi'd , The sharper med'cines must therto be pli'd . Four strong inducements hereunto have we , In whose firm truth we all instructed be . First , that the King , and all his Subjects , are Vile Heretikes , fit ( therfore ) for the snare . Next , hence , we know our great High-Priest of Rome Them excommunicate , accurs'd doth doom . A third motive , which does our fact maintain , Is , that no Heretick ought , king to raign . And lastly , that it is a work most glorious , Yea , a most holy act and meritorious , To extirpate , destroy and quite root-out This King and his hereticall base rout . O then , dear friends , why stand we to demur ? Let this , to us , be a sharp goad and spur , Why fear we ? faint we ? Doubt we to go-on ? Let this incite our resolution , Namely , that we in Romes rare rubricks shall Our name eternize and our fame enstall ; That Rome ( I say ) will ever us account , The Wings , wheron , her glory did re-mount ; Re-edifiers of Saint Peters rites , This hope , this hap , our valiant hearts incites ; To be such Fosterers and such fautours strong , Thus to redeem our selvs , our Saints from wrong . See , here ( good Reader ) see what course they take , The Pope , their Romish-Idoll , great to make ; To set-up irreligious adoration , To work truths shipwrack and dire extirpation . O must our bloud be spilt , our King be slain ? And many death-door-knocking Souls complain ? O divellish-doctrin , whence such fruits do flow ! O miserable souls seduced so ! David a good man to Gods own heart made , To God to build a Temple was gain-said , And all because his hands were full of blood , Yea , though his battles were both just and good : And yet must Romes base bond-slaves under-take With blood , yea must they their oblations make With blood of Gods annoynted Saints elect , Not Gods , but Belials Temple to erect ? Romes faithlesse Synagogue to re-advance , Full stuft with pride , errour and ignorance ? Then cursed Cain might also think it good , To please the Lord with Abels guiltlesse blood . And Jeroboam might have hope to please , And with his Idols Gods wrath to appease . But far be this from each true Christians thought , For wo be to the work which blood hath wrought . Wo unto those which Sions ground-work lay With crying blood ; thus doth king David say . But yet , these Romish — Absaloms , past grace , Would seem than God more wise , like Atheists base , Or els , with Davids foole , do say in heart , There is no God to pay them their desert . For , instantly , at Catesbies curs'd oration , They vow revenge with ardent protestation . And therupon , being fild with hellish craft , They counsell take , each shoots his deadly shaft . Some , this way would their will effect ; some , that , But dire destruction each-one aimed at . Ones vile opinion was , with sword or knife , The guiltlesse king to rob of his sweet life . Another would perfidiously him slay With powerfull poyson . Then a third did say When he by hunting , tyr'd , to sleep did lay-him , Pretending friendly-harbour , he would slay-him . Medusas * son sate silent , all this while , His heart being hatching a transcendent wile ; Hears their opinions , counts them all but shallow . He had a gulf found out a Realm to swallow . I mean that caitiff Catesby , who at last , From 's poisonous stomack ( thus ) this vomit cast . True zealous Cath'liks , Romes approved friends , My heart your fervour worthily commends , Your love you show , but yet , believe me this , Me thinks , you all do point the way amisse . For that which you advise doth doubtlesse bend And more to our than their destruction tend . So small attempts bring danger , we 'l contrive To leave nor boughes , nor branch , nor root alive . For , what though we the King-alone destroy , Leaves he not after him , a Prince t' enjoy His Crown ▪ and Scepter ? a most hopefell heir , To take revenge , as we may justly fear ; A Prince , I say , of pregnant , sprouting hope : Then , let us not give vengeance so great scope , Great flames have grown & burnt-down cities fair , Even by small sparks , left kindling without care . This young Prince Henry to my minde doth call Revolting Henry th' eighth , that chief of all Did work our holy-Fathers downfall first , A deed most heynous , hatefull and accurst . Whose odious name may ere be execrable , And t'all good Catholiks abhominable . Wherfore , this is my mind and constant doom , To extirpate and utterly consume This Seed hereticall , which bears such hate To royall Romes imperiall fair estate . Now , that this stratagem may prosperous be , With patience tend and lend your ears to me . An ancient house there is near situate To Percies house , whither in princely state , To parle about the Kingdoms great affairs , Englands chief Peers and counsell grave repairs , The Nobles , Bishops , Knights and Burgesses , In Parliament to give their suffrages ; Thither also ( as custome doth maintain ) The King , Queen , Prince & all their princely train , The first day of the Parliament do go , Most sumptuously , making a glorious show , In scarlet robes , glistering with pearl ▪ and gold , Great multitudes assemble it to behold . Under this house we closely may prepare An undermined vault , and fill that snare With plenteous store of gun-pouder most fierce , Which , like a mighty whirl-wind , quick may pierce And pull in peeces and blow-up to th'skies The cursed corps of those our enemies , Of King and Counsellours of Prince and Peer ; Your liking and consent ( now ) let me heare . With joynt consent and great content they all , Laud and applaud this Diabolicall , This horrid , hatefull , hideous , foule invention ; Yea traiterous Fauks with nimble apprehension , Finding the drift therof . O thus ( sayes he ) The House which Rome hath spoild , shall spoiled be ▪ Thus we ( says he ) for our dear Cath'like truth , Shall fill our foes with horrour , wo and ruth . Thus we shall canonized be and much renown'd ▪ Whiles we our foes supplant and quite confound ; Thus , those ( I say ) which 'gainst us made sharp laws , Shall griped be within fierce vengeance paws ; Thus , those which quondam us'd to prosecute And Romes pure-Priests and Saints did persecute ▪ These , these ( I say ) made proud by our rich spoyls ▪ Shall tumble head-long in our nets and toyls . Now heerupon , more Copesmates they invite , Amongst the rest Gerrard a Jesuite ; Chiefly to Garnet they this plot impart , An expert Doctour in the Jesuites art . Gray-headed , but green-hearted traitour right , Superiour of the Priests , whose very sight , Was a strong warrant to confirm and prove This enterprize : so did they prize his love ! Whom , as a Demi-god , they all respected , Without whose counsell , nothing was effected ; And , whose advice confirmed all they did , Did what he would ; left , what he should forbid . O most satanicall , nefarious Doctours ! Anti-christs chaplains , Lucifers arch-proctours ! Can ye for shame , assume the sacred name Of Jesus Christ , and yet his grace disclaim ? Can ye with titles , seem so holy , pure , And yet your lives so stain and so inure Your selvs and followers how to kill and slay All such as do your Jesabell gain-say ? Can they ( said I ? ) yes that they can . Nay , more , They 'll brag and boast therin , yea aid implore Of God above from whom none ill proceeds , To prop and patronage accursed deeds . These , even these holy Fathers of that Sect , Confirm the plot , advise , instruct , direct . From sacrilegious Gerrards hand they took , For Secrecy , this-Oath , upon a book . The Oath . YOu shall sweare by the blessed-Trinity , and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive ; never to disclose directly or indirectly , by word or circumstance , the matter , which shall be proposed to you to keep secret , nor desist from the execution therof , untill the rest shall give you leave . This Oath did Catesby , Percie , Thomas Wright , And Kit Wright take , at once , to th'Jesuite . Bates , Catesbies-man , and all the rest beside , From Greenwell , Priest , took it , another-tyde . Then , for a yet more firm ratification , ( Right Judas-like ) they took their own domnation . For , every-one , to knit the faster band , Receiv'd the Sacrament from those Priests hand . O Heavens ! ô Earth ! ô impious age and times ! Were ever known like blasphemous foule crimes ? O gracelesse , godlesse , more than divellish fact ! So damnably t' abuse that sacred act ! Of mans terrestriall comfort , confirmation Of faith , of grace , and of mans blest salvation ! Nay , will you ( yet ) heare more impiety , Equall ( almost ) to deepest villany ? Inhumane Catesby , each-way to prevent ( As fondly he suppos'd ) all discontent , Which might in his or any's heart arise , About full-warrant of this enterprize ; To give the action , yet , more strong protection , Casts in his thoughts to answer each objection . For why , he now considered in his mind , That he could not a way contrive or find , But that in this great slaughter they should make , Their friends must equally with foes partake . The lawfullnesse heerof since some might doubt , And so perchance stagger or els stand-out : Therfore he hasts to his Achitophel , That out-side Angell , in-side Divell of hell , Grand-Jesuite Garnet , his advice to have , To whom in all doubts , they most credit gave ; Whose answer , if it to his mind did hit , He knew all was cock-sure and firmly fit . Then , in this sort , to Garnet he began , O holy Sir , whose discreet counsell can Resolve all doubts , dissolve heart-daunting fears By wisdom , learning , gravity and years , In whom Romes sanctimonious oracles Are powerfull in effecting miracles . Vice-Vicar to our Deified Father , High-Priest of England , thither sent , to gather , To re-unite and to Romes fould reduce The wandring flock with-held ( thence ) by abuse Of cursed Calvins , Beza's , Luthers sect , Whose damned Doctrines do their souls infect ; O thou , I say , vice-gerent to our Pope , Whose holy-counsell in an anxious hope , I much desire , gladly would impetrate , In a great action , which to perpetrate , Many of Vs devoted Catholicks Have joyn'd and sworn our selvs 'gainst hereticks . Romes sacred Zeal hath so enflam'd our hearts , To vulnerate with penetrating darts , The souls of those who heretofore have long Done unto Rome intolerable wrong . Which we considering , seriously in mind , And that t is like , we worse and worse shall find , We vow to work our freedom from this wo , To give our foes one fatall , finall blow ; Wherwith their souls and bodies shall be sent , By sulphure fierce , to Pluto's regiment . But heerin , holy-Sir , the doubt remains , That time and place this action , so constrains , That all at once must perish in one fire : Heerin ( therfore ) your counsell we desire , To clear this doubt , which heerin doth arise , Whither our friends may dye with enemies ? Whither : with nocents , innocents may die , ( For , in that place are both promiscuously ) We cannot possibly cast or contrive The one from th'other how to save alive ; Yet on this facts effecting doth depend , Of Romes great wrongs , the happy , hopefull end . This Pseud-Apostle full of Romes affection , Travelling with iniquities conception , Brought forth the imp of mischief ; thus doth heal Base Catesbies sore , with diabolike zeal . Heare , ô ye heavens , hearken both God and man , How holily this Baals-Priest began . First , with accurst-salutes , they oft imbrace , And then with poysonous heart and brazen-face , ( Hyena with the crafty Crocodile ) He utters words most impious , false and vile ; With green-device , not gracious grave advice , Thus spake this hell-hound , Romish Cockatrice . O thou dear darling to the Church of Rome , Which so high honour dost to thee assume , As by a fact , so meritorious , rare , To be protectour of Saint Peters-chair ! Thou Atlas of our ( now ) succeeding joyes , Herculean-chaser of our sharp annoyes ! Matchlesse Mecaenas of Romes doctrines rare , Perillus , the engineer cannot compare With cunning Catesby , arts-master of treason , For stratagems past humane reach and reason . I cannot chuse but like and love thee dearly , And yet much marvell thou couldst not see clearly Of so rare enterprize , so blest intents , ( O apt proficient in Romes documents ) The strong inducements to perseverance , Not to desist for some ill-petty-chance . I see thou art not ( yet ) so inly seen Into the Jesuites doctrines : raw and green Thy knowledge is ; not regulated right , That mak'st a monster of a little mite . That in smooth-bulrushes dost seek a knot , Like questionists who ask they know not what . The case is most apparent , clear and plain , That , since occasion , time and place constrain , Such expedition to so high-desire , And such advantage Rome shall ( thence ) acquire , You may most justly by the rules of Rome , Some innocents with nocents vile consume . And , heerin thee more strongly to instruct , That , none 'gainst this assertion may reluct , And to repell all objects in this kinde , That in thy Creed it may more credit finde ; Mark this comparison which thou shalt heare , Wherby this truth will clear as Sun appeare . As in a town , beseiged by fierce foes Which doth some friends ( inhabitants ) inclose , To whom , the Generall , in love was bound ; Yet , how to help them no means could be found , Delayes would danger breed inevitable , And so the town might prove unconquerable . Should he not ( then ) from due discretion swerve ? Whiles in fond pitty , few friends to preserve , He a whole towne ( to him most turbulent ) Should , thus , let-go , some few friends to content . Would not his foes within , him , dastard deem ? Yea , all , them sots , not souldiers stout esteem ? If ( then ) heerby , our Church much good may gain , Some friends with foes may fearlesly be slain . And as for me , the best that I can do , Which is my prayers and Orisons for you , And your so high designe ; I most devout , Will duly , truly , to the heavens poure-out , And all our Saints and meritorious Martyres Implore , to ayd you and your zealous partners . O most pernicious Priest ! O Scythian sect ! Do you with blood your followers , thus infect ? Is this the charity you all professe ? Your false conceived wrongs ( thus ) to redresse ? Now how this Jesuites judgement doth agree With Jesus doctrine , you shall briefly see . When God with sinfull-man vouchsaf'd to talk , Told he not Abraham , that if ten just folk In Sodom could be found ; his wrath he 'd stay , And would not all , in his just vengeance , slay : But , for those righteous sakes would mercy show . But ghostly Garnet was more wise than so . Did not the heavenly husband-man declare His sacred minde , touching the wheat and tare ? Since , both grew-up , to let them both alone : But of this husbandry , Garnet will none . Doth not St. Paul , doth not all Scripture show , No evill ought be done that good may grow ? Was it not Mercies majesty and joy , That none of his he brought unto annoy ? Not one was lost : saying he came to save , Not to destroy , whom God unto him gave . But yet , Loiola's Priests more wise do grow , They hold it lawfull to kill friend or foe . Though Peter may not strike in Christs defence , Yet Popish-Priests may use all violence . Catesby was heerwith ( now ) full satisfi'd ; And glad that all things to his thoughts compli'd , For , now he judgd himself most strongly able To settle his man Bates his minde unstable . For Catesby noted , how he , jealously Observ'd each-passage , with anxiety ; And saw how Rookwood was amaz'd in minde , And toucht in conscience that he had combinde To ta●e away and let-out so much blood ; And that they-both , much wavering , theron stood ; He therfore told them that most certainly , He was resolv'd by good authority , No lesse than Garnets , their chief Jesuite , That with good-conscience , voyd of least affright , They might destroy nocents and innocents , Rather than leave-off their so high intents . With which assurance they were satisfi'de , And so resolv'd all hazards to abide . Now , then to Rome is Fauks sent , privily , Vnto the Pope , their plot to signifie , To make-known to his holinesse with speed , From first to last , how all things did proceed . His holinesse his traiterous Son commended , Perswades to persevere till all were ended ; Assures successe and fortunate conclusion ; And so dismist this Master of Confusion , With benediction and a bounteous gift . Then , rapid Tibris-like , he flyes full swift , Visits his ancient friends and old acquaintance , I' th' Duke of Austria's Court , with welcome entrance : Wheras he meets with many fugitives , Questioning how each thing in England thrives . And banisht Shavelings of our English nation , Greedy to heare of change and alteration ; With sanguinary Nero , who desire Their countries grace extinct with sword & fire . Monsters of men , like those who love to angle In troubled-waters , discord , strife and wrangle . These , these ( I say ) prickt forward him that ran , And contribute to help what he began , Furnishing him with counsell as with coyn ; Brothers in mischief , heads and hearts do joyn : His head they fill with cunning , craft and guile , His heart , to hatch , his tongue to ly , they file ; They teach him , how , with Demonologie , To hide the plat-form of this ●reachery . Like furious hagg , he home returns most bold , And to his master Percy doth unfold His good successe , and prayes they might proceed With expedition to this hellish deed ; For he was stuft with all the arts and arms That Rome could yeeld , or Acherontine charms . They , having ( now ) with blasphemous intent , ( As is fore-shown ) receiv'd the Sacrament , And , bound themselves by oath , to act their parts , To heare Plutonick-Masse , their murtherous hearts They , them prepare ; which done , they all desire , Now , to proceed to build this furious fire . And hereupon , some choice-men they select , Whose charge should be , with diligent respect , The Parliament to dig and undermine , Who furnisht were with bakd-meats , beer & wine , That so they might not ( oft ) go in or out , Fauks , at the door stood Sentinell or scout , Who still discover'd all that passed by , And markt occurrents with a watchfull-eye ; And warning gave , as he occasions spide , Sometimes to work , sometimes to lay aside . Thus , to the work , themselvs they closely gave , And by their sides , their peeces charg'd they have : Resolving there to dye , if so it hapt , That by discovery they should be intrapt . These pioners through Percies chamber brought Th' exhausted Earth , to digg a hollow-vault , Conveying-out great baskets full of clay , And of the house , the ground-worke took away . But lo , at last , an obstacle they found , A thick stone-wall they met-with in the ground , Full 3 yards thick , which with much industry Though with great doubt and deep anxiety , They having half-wrought-through , they eas'ly heard A rushing noyse of Charcoal , which them feard , That they discovered were ; strait Fauks was sent To see what all that noise and rushing ment , Who finding that the coals were selling-out And that the cellar might ( past fear and doubt ) Be hired by them , as a place most fit For their design : He Percy told of it , Who , seeing its most pat-conveniency , And under th'upper-house , immediately He hir'd the Cellar for a yearly rent , And with a traiterous heart and foule intent Feined to fil 't with charcoal , wood and beer , From all suspect themselves to cloake and cleer . Here now they did consider Catesby charge , Upon whom ( hitherto ) with love too-large , The cost of all this coyle had chiefly ly'n , Wherfore , to forward this their deep design , Sr. Everard Digbies bounty did abound , Who to it , promis'd fifteen hundred pound . Then traiterous Tressam his great zeale t' expresse , Two-thousand pounds would have in readinesse , To be employd in each necessity , To prop this work of Popish-piety . Percy to pierce the eye of Church and State , Did also promise he 'd associate And beare a part in this so rare collection ; Four thousand pounds at least , with pure affection , He from Northumberlands great rents would get , And all things orderly dispose and set . Others , both horse and armour would provide , Others procure an Army gainst the tide ; Wherwith they might destroy and quite deprive , With fury great , the rest that did survive , Of life and liberty and their best treasure , Even Christs pure-Gospell , their souls precious pleasure . Such was the hatred of this holy-brood , Such the effects of their nefarious mood ! Among them ( then ) was this objection made That since the Prince ( as could not be gain-said ) Would be in Parliament : How best might be , The next-heire to surprize ? But , Percy , he Soon freed them of this care , and under-took With his bold mates to ceaze upon the Duke . For , this they had resolv'd , with firm decree , That the Kings issue-male destroy'd should be . Next how to get into their custody , ( O hellish guardians of such royalty ! ) The precious Princesse , fair Elizabeth , Then , with Lord Harrington by Dunchurch-heath ; Together with the Princesse Mary fair , And having got this royall female-pair , Elizabeth they would their Queen proclaime , And on her person sequell projects frame . At Dunchurch ( therfore ) they 'd a hunt pretend , And friends ( there ) meeting , might that businesse end . Lastly , they all consult and take advice , What forrein Prince , they heerto might intice ? What English Lords and Noble-men to save , Who of this Kingdome , should possession have ? Of these , and all these circumstances , they Firmly resolv'd against the pointed-day . Each thing , thus , hapning to them , passing-well ; To Fauks ( whom , we , not man , but hagg of hell May justly term , a title best befitted ) The finall , fatall-blow was ( then ) committed , This gastly , ghostlike-monster , night by night , To th' Cellar went , all things to order right . Which Cellar ( now ) they filled had , complete , With firkins , barrels and with hoggs-heads great . Thirty and six with gun-pouder all stuft , Which should earths intrals to the skies have puft . Lord , what a puffe , what a combustious flame , What motion , what commotion by the same , Had from the Earth , into the ayre bin rais'd , Hels stoutest furies to have made amaz'd ? And yet to make the blow more strangely fierce , More desp'rately the corps to pash and pierce ; Upon the barrels they had laid also , Great crowes of iron to increase the blow , And massie-stones and logs had plac't theron , Right underneath the Kings and Princes throne . And to prevent the danger of suspect , That none those Stygian engines might detect , These traiterous hell-hounds with Medaea's guile , Great store of billets therupon did pile , And fagots ; so the gun-pouder to hide , That it could not without great search be spide . Thus having fram'd this Chaos of confusion , This seven-fold heated fornace : For conclusion Of Englands fatall-doome , they ( now expect The long-wisht day , their purpose to effect ; The happy , hoped-day , Novembers-fift , To drive all head-long with a horrid drift . Thus Fauks that ravening-Wolf with hungry-jaws Greedily gap'd to gripe us in his pawes . Thus , thus , he stood prepar'd to perpetrate With more than barbarous , most inhumane hate ) A treason passing Catelines compact , Against old Rome with hot Cethegus backt . Ambitious Hamans arrogant proud thought , Against the Jewes could no such ruth have wrought . Inferiour farre to this transcendent treason Was Paris massacre with most just reason . And that Sicilian wofull Even-song Came farre behinde this proiect . And among The best Chronographers thou canst not finde A fact so foule , so cruell and unkinde , Not barbarous Scythia , nor Tartaria wild Did ever heare or see a plot so vilde , Much lesse ere dreame the like to enterprize ; Than which , a worse , Pluto could not devise , Nor such a palpable Aegyptian-fogg Have rais'd to rear Romes faithlesse Synagogue . Wherin they hopt a kingdome to devoure , At once , with one blow , in lesse than one houre , Like unresistible , remorslesse waves , To make the open-ayre the tombes and graves Of our dread King , the Queen , the Prince our joy , Of Englands peerlesse Peers , with dire annoy , Of all our choice and chief Nobility , Of Levies-Sons , props of the Prelacy , Lycurgus-Sons , our Justices and Judges , To whom their Romish foes bare secret grudges , The flower of gentry , creame of Common-weale , Her skilfull Surgeons , countries sores to heale . Her most accomplisht Knights , the bravest part And prudent Burgesses had felt that smart ; Most of the soundest Lawyers of the Land Had altogether perisht out of hand . All These ( I say ) thus marked-out to die , ( Had not heavens fore-sight given their wrath the lie Smother'd in smoake and dust , to th'Ayr blown-up , Had drunke full-drafts of deaths most direfull cup . Their bodies batterd , shatterd , torne and rent , Arms , heads and legs , flying i th' firmament , Dismembred bodies all besmeard with gore ; A sight , which very Scythians might deplore , Yea roare to see , and seeing , curse the hearts Of all such barbarous Actors of such parts . Thus , thus , I say , those pious Patriots had Been All ingulft in death and dolour sad , By this most woefull , fearfull Stygean Act , Likest it-selfe , paralel'd by no fact . O mischief , murther , massacre most strange ! New snare , base ware brought forth from hels exchange . O Popish cruell-crue , inhumane quite ! Monsters in Gods , monsters in all mens sight . O wretched work , to which all woes are due , Great wrack , more great than may beheld for true , Who , present , saw All , noted All he saw , To trust All seen , his Own-eyes scarce could draw . With such fierce flames of quick Sulphurious scath , Doth Rome promove , approve her Cath'lick Faith ▪ Nay , not these reasonable-souls , alone , Had in that roaring-thunder up bin blown . Without distinction or least difference , Of mean or mighty , people or of Prince , Of Majesty or honour , sex or age , ( Such was the horrour of Romes wrath & rage ) But many senslesse-creatures they had ment , To make partakers of that hideous rent . Both those most ancient famous houses fair Of Parliament , the springs of laws most rare , Westminster-hall , fair Englands judgement-seat , Yea doubtlesse , White-hall had to dust bin beat ; The Church , wherin Kings had their coronation , All turn'd to ashes , by that conflagration . That Church , I say , wherin the tombes most rare Of former famous Kings and Princes are , With precious , curious cost and care erected , From age to age most gorgeously protected , As endlesse trophies of triumphant raign , All these had faln , dasht into dust again . Yea all the marks of Britanes royall-Grace , The Crown of England , Scepter , Sword and Mace , Records and Charters , which appropriate To all , their portion , honour , right and state . O wofull , ruthfull ! these had bin Romes prey In this sulphurious-furious dark doomes-day . So horrid and exorbitant a plot , So foul a stain , so black an ugly-spot , Doubtlesse mans tongue ( before ) did never tell , His eyes behold , or in his heart could dwell . Nay , all the furies of th'infernall-pit Could never ( surely ) such foule poyson spit . So rare a King , so rare a Queen to kill , So rare a Prince , so rare a Race to ill , So rare a State to stab with cruelty , So rare a Realm to bring to misery ! Whom , all the world admir'd , belov'd of all , Whom , none but Pope and Papists wisht to fall . If , a mean-man to slay be detestable , Then , how much more had this bin execrable ? If , to shed-bloud , be cal'd a crying-sin , How much more monstrous had this murther bin ? This mo●● than crying , yea , this roaring-crime , Unparalell'd , unpattern'd , by all time . For , these destroy'd , what were a Realm , but dead ? A most dismembred corps without a head . And as a silly Hare ( feare laid aside ) Securely thinks within his form to 'bide , Whom , when the Country-man asleep doth finde , With his plow-staffe , he kils with eager minde : Even so Romes cruell bloody-dragon had Obliterated Englands fame , and clad Her glorious beauty , glist'ring name and nation In sable mourning , wo and lamentation . So huge a throat had this wilde wolf of Rome , Christs stocke ( at once ) to swollow and consume . Who , thus , at one , indeed deep Cath'like blow , ( Had not , heaven-only , therunto said no ) Had Nero's most inhumane wish effected , Namely , all Englands heads to be erected , And plac't upon one-body , with one-stroke , To smite them off ; not needing to invoke A yeers , months , weeks or days-space , but one-hour , To strike-off all those heads , with Romish powre . Yea , as it were , with one loud thunder-clap , As with a pettard , instantly , to snap And break our peacefull Janus-gate wide-ope , Of all our halcyon-dayes to quench the hope . With more than Canibals blood-thirsty mood , Deeming , than Mans-flesh , nothing sweeter food . O , who is able to articulate , Or , who can liv●ly paint and personate The severall sorrows of that dismall-day , Those vile Nerorians , vaunting in their prey ? Triumphing in the trophies , pitteous spoyl , Of their destroyed Kingdome , native-soyle ? No , though I had an hundreth tongues and hearts , Both hearts & toungs would fail to do their parts , T' indite and write th'extent of their intention ; In sense and science of so strange invention . Yea , learned Homer , doubtlesse would refuse A task so great , so grievous for to choose . Yet , that I may but give a short survey , A glimmering-view of that intended-day , We 'll here suppose ( and blest be heavens great name , That we can therof but conjecture frame ) We 'll ( here ) suppose ( I say ) the fact effected , The traitours bloody-banners ( now ) erected ; By Hercules his foote , the Lyons paw , The wise may see the widenesse of Romes maw . For heer ( me thinks ) had ( then ) a fresh bin shown London , great-Britanes fairest princely throne , Like conquered Troy in furious flames a burning , Spoyl'd & abus'd , replete with moan & mourning ; The happiest City Europe ere enjoy'd , With Aetnaean-fire and smoke , confum'd , destroy'd . Her wals with Canon-ruptures rent and torn , Her stately turrets batter'd-down , forlorn . Rubbish-heaps made of her Pyramides , Her streets with souldiers fild ; none them t' appease . Then Mars usurping milde Astraea's room , Their swords , not words , must give the fatall-doom . In streets , great streams of blood like rivers run , Loud screeks and cryes , help , help , we are undone ; But none to help , except to help them die , Or add more griefe to groaning misery , In houses and in sanctified places Women with blubbering tears bedrensh their faces , Wringing their hands and running up and down , Fearfully frighted with foes rage and frown ; Children in Parents arms trembling and quaking , Mothers into their lapps their infants taking With gushing tears , kissing their tender-cheeks , Chambers even ring with Damsels wofull fcreeks : Aged-men murthered , Young-men butchered , Wives widows made , chaste Virgins ravished . This corollary let me also adde , Which would have made the mischief farre more bad , It was confest to be their hellish drift ( The King & State confounded ) they would shift The blame & shame on those whom most they hate , Their own foul guilt ( therby ) to paliate ; A villain , falsly , should proclaim as truth , That Puritans were Authours of this ruth . So that in every country , town , and city All that were godly-given , without all pitty , ( O most unsampled , ô most wicked wile , ) Had beene destroy'd , as malefactours vile . But how this hellish plot contriv'd should be , In its more proper place , you , plain shall see . Now then return we whence we have digrest ; Hels Romish-agents , thus , most ready prest , As was fore-shown , each thing in readinesse , To bring their country into deep distresse . Our great Jehovah , God omnipotent , Who sits in Heaven , above the firmament , His Israels carefull keeper , shepheard great , Who mans affairs views from his mercy-seat , And knows the closest and most secret deed , Whose sight doth fained Lynxes farr exceed , He , he , I say , in mercy did behold The miseries and mischiefs manifold , Wherwith those Romish-bears , their King did threat , Wherby they gapt to make Saints-flesh their meat . Thus to his glorious Angell with sweet voyce , His will unfolds , which they to do rejoyce . You , saith Jehovah , now shall understand , How Satan that sly-hunter takes in hand With Cholcos spels and spight by agents proud , Great Britanes soyle to spoyle : yea and hath vow'd To root-out of the Earth the English-nation , Who to our name perform pure adoration . Which if they should accordingly atchieve , * Babell would her dead hopes again revive ; The monstrous * Beast would salve her deadly sore And re-erect a Stews for her great Whore . Then Rome , the mistresse of enormity Would bask her selfe in sins deformity ; Then also would the Prophesies of old , Seem ( and that justly ) all in vain fore-told ; All those praedictions clean annihilated , Which said the Beast should ( sure ) be captivated , That Babylon should fall and ruin'd be , And that the Kings on Earth her fall should see . All these ( I say ) might ( hereby ) frustrate seem . And thus my people , Me forgetfull deem . Wherfore I purpose with all expedition , To interrupt and thwart this their ambition , This hasty , hatefull enterprize to stop , Of this rank-rising-weed the flowers to crop . And , although Englands sins my wrath deserve , Yet , for my names-sake , I will them preserve , Although ( I say ) Englands ingratitude Justly deserves judgements amaritude , Because it doth my mercies much abuse , Yet will I not permit this Beast to use Mysword of power , nor give those * Imps my right , But , speedily in wrath their sins I 'll smite . This God of mercy , just-mans consolation , With most ineffable commiseration , To shew to us his love and bounty large , A heavenly Angell forthwith gives in charge To Albions kingdome with swift course to fly , And in his sleep the king to certifie , How many dangers he was wrapt into , Which him and 's peacefull kingdom would undo ; How many stinging-Snakes in Court did lurke , For him and his , strange snares and gins to work . Wish him be circumspect , the * place refrain Where Julius Caesar treacherously was slain : Their impious plotted Protasis doth frown , Like Sampsons-house , intending to pull-down His kingdome all at once about his ears , And their Epitasis portends great fears ; But both of these , he joyfully shall see Transacted to a blest Catastrophe . Then , to the Lord MOUNTEAGLE hast with speed , To whom the traitors closely have decreed To send a Letter , this harme to prevent , That from the Senate he himself absent . For why ? say they , both God and man decree , By a fierce blast Romes foes down-cast to see , And that he should into the country fly , And there in saf'ty and security A wofull sodain spectacle expect ; And that this Caution might breed no suspect , They wisht him ( having read ) the Letter burn , That so no danger might upon him turn . Him thou shalt warn his duty to perform , And of this perill , his dread Prince t' enform , The Kingdoms and his Countries weal to further , And so prevent this direfull dreadfull murther , Which that same Letter mystically ment , Without a name , but not a blest event . Then from great Jove doth wing'd Minerva fly , And ere bright Titan from the spangled-sky Had banisht Cynthia , dancing on Spains flood , This blessed Messenger with message good Ariv'd upon the coasts of Britane fair , His charge to discharge duly doth prepare . Who noble Morley's heart doth first inspire With honest care and diligent desire Of his deare King and Countries happy state ; And then the Kings brest doth illuminate With iudgement most profound the knot t' unty ( Like Oedipus ) of that oenigma high . For , thus , the Lord , in his all-guiding grace , Ordain'd , that one of that most traiterous race Did meet the Lord Mounteagles serving-man , Ten dayes before the Parliament began ; Who , about seven a clock at night was sent Upon some errand : And as thus he went , Crossing the street , a fellow to him came , A man to him unknown , by face or name , Of personage tall , making a sodain stand , Strait put the Letter in the Servants hand , Earnestly pray'd him , with all speciall heed , To give it into his Lords hands with speed . The foot-man home unto his Lord did hie , And gave the Letter to him , instantly , And told him how it was unto him brought ; Which , soon , he opened , found the hand but naught No name therto subscrib'd , without a date ; To read it , therfore he did properate , But , hardly could , wherfore , a gentleman He cald to help him read , which ( thus ) began . THE LETTER . MY Lord , out of the love I beare to some of your Friends , I have care of your preservation . Therefore I would advise you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift-off your attendance at this Parliament . For , God and man have concurred to punish the wickednesse of this time ; and thinke not sleightly of this advertisement , but retire your self into your country , where you may expect the event in safety . For , though there be no appearance of any stir , yet , I say , they shall receive a terrible blow , this Parliament , and yet they shall not see who hurts them . This counsell is not to be contemned , because it may doe you good , and can doe you no harme ; for the danger is past , so soon as you have burnt the LETTER . And I hope GOD will give you the grace to make use of it ; to whose holy Protection I leave you . These strange contents his mind did discontent , In 's heart a thousand thoughts both came and went ; What fact , what friend , what this oenigma told , What mystick-danger these words might infold ? Or whither 't were some addle , idle-brain , That this had writ to cause him thence refrain ? If it should prove a fond fantastick-thing , To stir therin , disgrace to him would bring : But if it should include some dire event , Unto his Person or the Parliament ; To keep it close , might make him prove disloyall : He 's loath and yet desires to ma●e a tryall , Wherfore , at last , as was fore-specifi'de , Gods sacred Angell to him swiftly hi'de , And in his anxious thoughts infus'd sweet grace , Willing him this occasion to imbrace ; And kindled in his heart a zealous flame , Not to conceale , but to reveale the same . THe gallant EAGLE soaring-up on high , Beares in his beake Treasons discovery : MOUNT noble EAGLE , with thy happy Prey , And thy rich Prize unto thy Prince convey . THrice noble Morley ( saies this Angell bright ) Who art so honour'd in thy makers sight , That thou must be the man shall first disclose The Kings and countries bitter threatned woes , By that usurping whorish Beast of Rome , Who Albions I stand hopes ( now ) to consume ; O stand not doubting , pond'ring in thy thought , Whither this be a truth or thing of nought ; A truth , a happy-truth it does import , Of woe and wrack to Country and to Court . If thou it hide a world of woes ensue , If thou reveale it honour be thy due . And though this Letter seemeth most obscure Like a darke-riddle , yet will I procure A Josephs or a Daniels ingeny , T' untwine the twist of its obscurity . Since in thy hands ( then ) lies both weale and wo , Haste , haste with speed , in Court thy Letter show . This happy motion makes all doubt depart From this right noble Lord Mounteagles heart , Who ( now ) resolves the businesse to display , To search the truth , to Court to haste away ; And , though it were both dirty , dark and late , Yet , he the time will not procrastinate . But , like a noble-Eagle with a prey , A princely prey ( indeed ) he sears away , He is not quiet with this prize ( thus ) catcht , Untill he have his high-affairs dispatcht . Heavens ayd imploring for a blissefull end , To this most anxious act he did intend : And , thus , with loyall-heart away he goes To Court , this waighty busines to disclose , Resolv'd therto , what ever should betide , And , to the Earle of Salisbury's lodging hi'de , To this Vlisses , he the LETTER shows , He th'other counsell ; hence thick doubting grows Among them all , they in most doubtfull wise Possesse the King therwith , and so advise : Each-one propounds his judgement severally As in a case of great anxiety , One thinks it was some idle vain conceit , Others do judge it did some danger threat ; Another is quite of another-mind , None could the right-way of this Lab'rinth finde . Not one of them could dive into its ground , None could this mystick-riddle right expound . At last our prudent-King , Apollo's sonne , Fair Englands Joseph , thus to them begun ; ( Weighing each circumstance with deep discretion ) Well , sirs , our iudgements must take more impression , This is no triviall work or fantasie . But must be sifted with great scrutiny , I well remember , and you all do know , That little-smoke being ( at first ) kept low , Doth mighty flames ( though hid ) most fiercely work : And in this grasse some Serpent foule doth lurk , Or else I am deceiv'd ; for to my mind Now comes that * old-rule touching Romists blind , Whose genius guided by Erynnis vile , Never pull-down the Flag of wrath and guile , But , what with threats , poisons , deceit , contentions , They practise still t' effect their foule inventions , Plodding and plotting as a most just thing , By Jesuites-principles to kill their King . No doubt but heer 's some danger fabricated , Some second Troian-horse is machinated , Some bloody Jesuite , with some traiterous train , Who would his hands in our dear heart-blood stain , Some monstrous machination ( credit me ) Is in this LETTER couched privily . T is not the froth of any brittle-brain , But , doubtlesse , does some treachery contain ; In that his friend he counsels to forbear From comming thither , so to voyd the feare : Yea , farther , he great danger menaceth , A sodain , terrible , fierce stroake of death . Which with great wonder like a thunder-clap , Should , on their foes , precipitately hap ; Unlesse by Gun-pouder this thing must be , Nought els , so likely therto , I can see . And it may be that they 'll abuse that-art , To our great ruine and ensuing-smart . Therfore most loyall Sirs , I much desire That speedy course be taken to enquire What neighbours and what houses neer do stand To our great Capitoll , what Cellars , and What arched-vaults there are under the ground ; Let secret search be made , the truth out-found . Then strait , Lord Chamberlain , with others moe , Made carefull inquisition for to know What houses who them held , and of each thing , In all particulars informe the King ; Percy ( saith he ) dwels there and hath a vault , With wood and charcoale plentifully fraught . Hence , instantly , greater suspect did rise , And therupon S. THOMAS KNEVET wise Was ordered to search-out what he might ; Who on the 4th-day of Novembers-night , Perlustrated each doubted part and place , And did each thing uncover and uncase . And least suspition might their search betray , They feign'd to seek the Queens-roabs stoln away . INfernall Fauks with Daemoniack heart , Being ready , now , to act his hellish part ; Booted and spur'd with Lanthorne in his hand , And match in 's Pocket at the doore doth stand : But wise Lord KNEVET by Divine Direction , Him apprehends and findes the Plots detection . ANd first , S. Thomas , Guido Fauks did find , ( Divel of that den ) ord'ring things to his mind , Booted and spur'd , then standing at the doore , Having dispatch his taske , but late before . Having ( then ) set ( I say ) in order fit , His all-disordering fuming Aetna's-pit , Which should have made his country quite forlorn , And all her stately towres have rent and torn . He apprehends him , grasps and clasps his hands With hempen-cords ; and then no longer stands , But quickly enters that infernall-cell , Where , entred , he observes and views all well . And trustily puls-down the piles of wood , And as his servants tumbling all things , stood , A sodain fright this knight and them amaz'd , Which , 'mong them all an exclamation rais'd ; See , see ( say they ) this wood doth pouder hide , For , we two barrels full have heer espi'de , Let us search farther , we shall more descry Hid ( doubtlesse ) mongst these billets privily . O treason , treason , heer we more do finde , O treason , past the reach of mortall mind ! Then more and more , they instantly found-out , And therby , clear'd the truth of former doubt . Full thirty barrels more with pouder fraught , Two hogs-heads great they foūd as thus they sought . All which did Fauks his heart with rancor woūd , Whō straight they searcht & soon about him found A crucifix , which from his neck they snatch , A shirt of hair he wore his skin to scratch . From forth his pocket ( then ) that match they took ( Maugre his traiterous rage and hellish-look ) Wch should have brought Vulcan from hels black station To work in Aetna dolefull desolation . Wherwith he vow'd to burn-up and destroy Albions illustrious lustre fame and joy , The peace and plenty , strength and valour stout Of England , famous all the world throughout . This glorious Realm in twinckling of an eye He would have rob'd of all her royalty . Yea , with such unheard cruelty and guile They woven had this webb most foule and vile , And every thred so slily did contrive , That but poor twelve-hours England should survive Heaven having ( thus ) hels foule intentions stopt , The project crost , their flower of hope ( thus ) cropt ; The traitor straight the fact confest , but said He grieved most to see his purpose staid , And that , but this , nought should have held his hand From turning all into a smoky-brand . The standers-by in wonder , thus , burst out , Heare ô ye heavens , tremble all earth through-out Was ever heard or seen so bold a foe , A heart so hard , prodigious ? Nay , we know That scarce the heart of Turky , Barbary , Like plotted-mischiefe ever did descry . To which the bloody-butchery in France Is unequivalent , gives but a glance , ( Respecting this ) of Romes rebellious stock , In these vile Edomites , on us Christs flock . Whose memory much dims each former slaughter , Disgrace of this , and of all ages after . The unheard horrour wherof may appeare In these six circumstances following here . First , if they had adjudged us , by hand Of reasonable-creatures , to deaths band , If men by men should have bin deaths fierce fuell , The fact had bin more humane , farre lesse cruell ; For then , there had bin hope by force or fence ; By tears or treats to swage their violence . As to Heavens glory our blest King did find In Gowries treason , cruell and unkind . Or if by other brutish-animals , Inexorable at our wofull cals , And being , than most-men , more pittilesse , Would us confound , with beast-like greedinesse ; This kind of death ( indeed ) had bin more fierce , Yet heer were hope deaths sentence to reverse : For why ? by force or pleasurable-cause , Some men have scaped Lyons fangs and claws , Daniel i' th Den , the Roman in the Cave , David , King Richard , o're them , conquest have . Again , which is most cruell of the three , By things-insensible destroy'd to be , To which , all groanes , all moanes must needs bee vain Being senslesse of themselves , most of our pain ; By these , I say , to perish and decay , No hope , no help , nought can their fury stay . Besides , observe , of any senseles-thing , These elements , Water and Fire do bring Most dammage , most devouring fierce confusion , By restlesse , by redreslesse strong intrusion ; Whose inundations , all-confounding flames Orewhelms whol realms , makes dust of rarest frames . Add , yet , this fifth materiall observation , Which , to this purpose brings great aggravation ; Of these two all-devouring elements , By fire we have most grievous detriments . For , though the waters hugely over-flow , Drown man and beast , bring all to deadly woe , Yet , when into their bounds they have recourse , All things remain , in substance , little worse : But when or whersoever fires fierce rage , Burns Shepheards-cottage or rich-heritage , Takes hold on houses , pallaces or places , Of gold or treasure , all it quite out-races , Cattle and corn are altogether thrust , Are all consum'd , nought left but drosse and dust . Therfore that we should be consum'd with fire , And of all fires , that of most furious ire , By puffing Gun-pouder , the most out-ragious , A death most desperate , cruell and contagious ; O speak ( alas ) what hope was of relief , From this so mortall , mischievous great grief ? No strength , no power was able to assail , No tears , no treats could , here , a jot prevaile . For why ? O woe , no time for tears was given , With such strange violence had all bin driven ! No mortall-might might stay this mortall-blow , No power protect us from that deadly woe . No means ( I say ) lesse than a miracle , Such as is mention'd in the Oracle Of sacred Scriptures , when Heaven did command ( Even as it were by his immediate hand ) That Babylonian fiery-fornace powre , That it could not once touch , much lesse devoure That rare pair-royall of true piety , True worshippers of Heavens great Deity , Sweet Shadrack , Mesheck and Abednego , In whom the Lord did such a wonder show . And , certainly such was to us Gods grace , And we well-nigh , in as like dangerous case . But , blessed , ô thrice-blessed trine-one Lord , Thine endlesse-praise , we ( ever ) shall record , Our powerfull and most pittifull protectour , O our most holy , glorious , just directour ! The gratious smiles of thy preventing pitty Made blest Ho sanna be our joyfull Ditty , Here we may not omit this observation , Th' impossibility of preservation , Or hope , this treason ( ever ) to discry , By all the reach of humane policy ; And therfore , that God-only did us save , And heerunto five reasons more we have . First to keep secret and performe the fact , They bound themselvs by Oath and firm compact . Then heerupon , receiv'd the Sacrament , To tye themselvs with stronger ligament . Thirdly , were tutour'd by their Jesuits To use all couzening-tricks , deluding sleights , Namely , to answer by equivocation , To any Magistrates examination ; Their senses thus to circumvent and flout , That none the truth might from them ( ere ) get-out . Moreover , though , that Letter we confesse , Was the first-instrument the plot t' expresse ; Yet , certainly , for all that mystick-Letter , Our case had still bin very little-better , If God had not another-way wrought peace , Necessitating them that worke to cease Of undermining that great Capitoll , By reason of the thick and stony-wall , Which so did crosse what they did first desi●● As that they must the pouder-cellar hire , Wherinto they their hellish-stuff did lay , Our King and State by flames to make away ; Which , had it bin of those things voyd and free , Where might it have bin thought , that stuff to be ? How could the vault in time , have bin detected , Which all the while was never ( once ) suspected ? Nor , till the Traitours-selves confest , was sought , For , no man , therof ever dream'd or thought . The last , not least note , in this horrid act , Is , that God mov'd the King still to protract And to rejourn the time of Parliament , Which , fitted ( still ) the Traitors ill-intent , But , chiefly , unto us it fell-out best , As by those notes before hath bin exprest . The Treason ( thus ) most happily display'd , The Traitour Fauks to prison was convay'd . Then , through both Court and Country speedily , Through all the Kingdome did the rumour fly , Through Town and City , street and every place , Of this deliverance , Gods preventing-grace ; Annoy is turn'd to joy and sweet content , Mens hands and hearts and knees to praises bent : Making great bonfires , feasting , ringing bels , Each-one h●s neighbour this Gods goodnesse tells . And , now , return we , where we new-now left Incarcerate Fauks , whose heart was clean bereft Of piety and grace , incarnate Divell , Most strangely hard'ned with infernall evill . For , being brought before the Councell grave , He did himselfe so sturdily behave , And put-on such a Romish Resolution , A vouching his intended-execution , Wit●●uch a setled and immarbled face , As that a Mutius Scaevola most base , He lively represented to them all , Full of remorslesse rancour , rage and gall . For why ? he durst most shamelesly proclame This hatefull fact , a deed of holy fame , And that the Zeal of Romish Faith indeed , Enflam'd his heart so boldly to proceed ; And , that he griev'd for nothing more then this , That , of the works-conclusion he did misse . Adding , more-over , with a heart of stone , That , if he had but of their comming known , And if he had bin in the Cellar ta'ne , He would have set on fire the pouder-train , And , both himself and those that had him catcht Would ( there ) have blown-up and of life dispatcht . Yea , when before the King and Councell grave , That night , he question'd was , he did behave Himself with right-Ravilack scorn and pride , And oftentimes would seem even to deride What was demanded ; so small grace he had , So hard a heart , his conscience was so bad . And the next day being in safe custody , And by some Lords question'd , most seriously , Touching his complices in this designe , He stubbornly , would such demands decline , And all that while , nought could be from him got , Which he conceived might disclose the plot ; But on himself-alone laid all the blame , Protesting that he undertook the same Meerly for conscience and religions sake , Avouching , that the King he did not take To be his lawfull Soveraign , Gods annoynted , But , as an Haeretick , from Rome disjoynted ▪ But , the next morn , being to the Tower sent , And , there , some two or three dayes being spent , In strict examination , twice or thrice , And , he rejecting all their grave advice ; The Councell ( theron ) profering him the rack , The sight therof did all his courage crack ; And all his former Romish valour stout , Unmask , and made his guilt of heart break-out . So that he ( then ) began for to confesse The truth of all th'intended-wickednesse . Then there they left him in his divellish heart , To bide the Sentence of his just desert ; To taste the bitter cup to traitors due , Which yet did nothing cause his soule to rue , But desperately his heart more hard than stone , With divellish impudence was overgrown . For in the time of his imprisonment , Some other traitors to the Towre being sent , There were , that did avouch that they did heare Vile Robert Winter , Winter voyd of fear ; In whom ( also ) was graces Autumn shown , And fruitlesse-Winter of all goodnesse known , Who being in the Towre , a time did finde To speak to Fauks , and ( thus ) to break his minde . Thou knowst ( friend ) Fauks , my old & trusty mate ) That boyes may , once , grow-up to mans estate , And Catesby and my selfe have children left , Then are we not of comfort , quite , bereft . For why ? I hope they will revenge Romes wrong , And , for our sakes , her foes ( once ) lay along . Yea , though we had no children of our own , Yet God is able from the sterile-stone To Abraham of Rome , children to raise ; And I much marvell , no man in our praise For this our Cath'lick constant zeal doth write , And Panegyricks unto us indite . How-ever , yet , let us vow and protest To maintain our just-cause and manifest , Our ardent zeal for Romes supremacy , When we before the people are to die . Content ( quoth Fauks ) for , surely , I suppose The Divell not God , did this our sact disclose , O monstrous men , ô hard hearts , brazen faces ! To offer God and man these foule disgraces , Past grace , past goodnesse , voyd of fear or shame , Our good Heavens God , thus falsly to defame , Farre worse than Julian , that Apostata , Or Ecebolius , worse than these , I say , For Julian did ( at last ) confesse and cry , Thou Galilaean hast the victory . And th'other with remorse confest his fault , Crying-out , O tread on me unsavoury-salt . But this remorslesse , gracelesse , godlesse brood , Of ramish-Romists , with most impious mood , Are not asham'd ( like most unsavoury-salt ) Not only , not to grieve for this great fault , But most impenitent , avouch and joy , Their hellish-plot , their country to destroy . To this unpattern'd impudence , I may The traitor Tressams perjury display ; As most apparent marks to testifie This Beast of Babell and her blasphemy . And let no Romish-Rabsheca be mov'd , And say t is false ; for both were justly prov'd . This Tressam to the Councell had confest , That he and Garnet had their minds exprest , And often-times had serious conference About this treason and intelligence Of that invasion by the King of Spain , Which greedily they gapd-for , but in vain . This also , being prov'd to Garnets face , Yet Tressam , ere he dy'd ( quite voyd of grace ) Did on his souls-salvation take his oath , Vilely recant , falsly forswear them-both ; And said , that sixteen yeers , at least were past , Since he did see or talk-with Garnet last . O what a wretched-state live these men in , Who hold it but a triviall , veniall-sin , To wrest and jest with oaths and Sacraments , And have indulgence for such damn'd attempts ! But , desperate Judas-like Tressam did dye , Murthering himselfe in prison wickedly . O who , so Stoick-like , so senslesse Stock Cannot be mov'd to see these wretches mock , And gull their souls with Romish incantation ! Nay , who are so bewitch ( past admiration ) With the bedawb'd face of that rotten-Whore I' th' Revelations spoken of long before . But , to omit digression and proceed , And briefly to relate each scelerous deed Which did and should succeed that fatall-houre , Let 's here leave Fauks fast lockt in Londons towr , ( A lodging fit for such a traiterous guest ) Where now he might take time , without molest , His corrupt-conscience seriously to sift , To cry for grace , to Christ his thoughts to lift . Untill the day , of execution due To him , and those of his accursed crue , Was brought about in its appointed time To pay the wages of his cursed crime . In which discourse each godly-wise shall see By truth and reason all confirm'd to be . First , here behold there more than marble faces T' invert the odium , and the foule disgraces Of this black-deed , had it so ta'ne effect , On Innocents , who did it least suspect . There liv'd at that time in Northampton-shier , A worthy Gentleman , allyed neare To Robert Keyes , whose Sister Keyes did wed , Wherby acquaintance was between them bred , This pious Gentleman well known at Court , And in his Country of most rare report , For Grace and Goodnesse and true Piety , Had a swift running-Nag , and Keyes must be The man must borrow it for some choice use , A staulking-horse , indeed , to this abuse . This Horse thus borrowed ( as the plot was laid ) Must unto London forthwith be convay'd , And there to stay till Fauks had given the blow , Which should have wrought his coūtries bleeding wo . Which given , the horse was ordered to attend Fauks in St. Georges-field away to wend , And make escape by speedy flight from thence . They likewise had , with hellish impudence , Contriv'd about that time t'have murthered This pious Gentleman at night in his bed , And 's murthered Corps to have convey'd away To London , whereabout his horse did stay . And in this interim , even Fauks himself That furious fire-brand , Alecto's elf , Should also have by Villains murthered been , And be so hackt that it should not be seen Or known what one he was ; thus , t was dec●reed , To pay him home with his deserved meed . He hopd for honour they would pay 't with horror , His dignity should be his death and dolour , He gap't for gold , they would it turn to gall , Now when he hop't to rise he down should fall . Thus Fauks so mangled , as not to be known , A rumour sodainly must forth be blown , That Puritans were authours of the fact , And more to cleare their project and compact , And make the world beleeve 't was so indeed There Mr. Pickering lay in Fauks his stead , Who was the kindler of that furious flame , And as prime Authour must beare all the blame . ( The traitor Fauks his corps being sodainly Convayd away that none could him descry . ) There also M. Pickerings horse did stay , Ready with speed to hasten him away ; But heavens all-seeing-eye , revengefull hand , His hop'd escape did timely countermand , And stir'd up some in odious detestation Of that so foule sulphureous perpetration , To fall upon him , and with wrath most due Him in that manner there to hack and hew , To cleare all which , hard by him smeard in blood , His wel-known horse bridled and sadled stood . On which suspition , strengthened in that sort Straight must break forth ( I say ) that false report That Puritans were authours of this ill , And therupon a Massacre must fill The kingdome with the blood of righteous men , All that were pious known , and godly , then , By Romish rash and wrongfull accusations Must have bin forc't to bloody devastations . Hence , hence , I say , had rufully bin rais'd Clamours of men , out-cryes of hearts amaz'd , Death threatning tortures in all parts to reare , On all that godly , gracious Christians were . And was not this a craft rak'd out of Hell By divellish furies ? falsly to repell From guilty on the guiltlesse , all their blame , And then like Divels incarnate voyd of shame , With perjur'd stony-hearts and brazen faces Upon Gods Saints to dash their own disgraces . He that the nimble drops can number all , Which from the Pleiades and moyst Orion fall , Or Bees of thousand swarms wch suck May-flowers , Might ( then ) have told poor Britans brinish shewers , Might , thē , have nūbred Englāds heart-fetcht-groās Might , then , have counted all her matchles moans . O English Protestants , why stand you still , As if affraid to curbe Romes cursed will ? Why seem ye ( yet ) to hault twixt two opinions , Pretending truth , fostring these Romish Minions ? O cast out these accursed Canaanites , These subtill foxes , bloody Jesuites , Which lye but lurking for a watched prey , Whom nought can satiate but your dire decay ! Impunity does nought but cause them ' bide Sharp thorns t' our eyes and goads unto our side . But now to passe to that which doth remain , Farther to view this traiterous hatefull train , Here , then what Satans pseud-Apostles did , Shall be declar'd after all was unhid . And , heer you must observe and notice take That Percy , Catesby , all things sure to make , 'Bout Westminster and Lambeth staied still , The issue to observe or good or ill , Sure news therof unto their mates to carry , Who , for their coming did 'bout Dunchurch tarry . This impious Dog-couple of traitours base ; These bold co-partners in shames deep disgrace , Perceiving that by Heavens most blest decree , Their treason was made known , make haste to flee , Their prey ( now ) lost , they both like Bears , in chace Finding themselvs ( now ) in a desp'rate case , Their hearts began to ake and quake with fear , Like Dogs , indeed , they grin , rage , sweat and swear To horse they haste and swiftly poste away To Dunchurch , where ( I say ) their mates did stay . Which place they had their rendevous assign'd , Their after-game to play ( there ) to their mind . There , falsly , did Sr. Everard Digby fain His holy-hunt , a fat-buck to be slain . A hunt , indeed , like that of Nimrod proud , Their farther mischiefs cunningly to shroud , A holy-hunt for hell-hounds only fit , To hunt Christs lambs into Romes wolvish-pit . And , as in word , so to avoid suspition , Of all things , for a hunt , they made provision . Their toils and nets they place , with joyfull cheer , Their hounds with yelping noise to chace the deer , The sturdy stag , the tripping , skipping hare , Their horns they blow , which pierce the ecchoing ayr , Making their choice of a large champion-ground , A fitter for their turne could not be found , With shrubs and bushes set commodiously , And here and there , oaks planted , broad and high , Convenient places horse-carriers to see , And nothing wanting that desir'd could be ; Yea , 't was a plain so spacious , that they might , An army place in battle-ray to fight . In this great heath proud Digby and his train With traiterous Tressam rod about a main , And after them a mighty thrust and throng Of Catholikes and others past along , Inhabiting the villages about , Admiring much the cause of that huge rout . Then forthwith , all the gallants and best choice Of Gentlemen and Youth , with hollowing-voice , Do ride and run , and to this sport allure All that were fit that pleasing sport t' endure ; And most of all the villages , therby , Do thither flock , together hastily . The woods about with snares and hayes they fill , Some blow their bugle-horns both loud and shrill , Some , with their swords cut boughs , some , nets do lay , Yea , all prepare them to their sport and play , And from their hounds the collers do unty , Who to their game do run most eagerly . At whose loud opening and huge yelping-noise , The Deer , now , sodainly , to all their joyes , Out of the thickets , mongst them nimbly rushes , Which , fearfully , lay hid among the bushes , And from them all doth swiftly run and scud , Whom Men and Dogs pursue , as they were wood . But in the midst of this their hasty pace , At heels of one of that most traiterous race , An honest-Country-man , by chance did keep , And , as he leaped ore a ditch most deep , A clattring armour perfectly did heare , Which under 's cloaths that traitor , then , did wear ; And that which in him more suspition bred , The winde , as then , blew much and blustered , And , up and down his coate ( oft ) hovered , so , That , he an harnesse , clear , might see and know . The sight wherof amaz'd him , wondrously , And , thus , he whisp'red to one standing by . Good neighbour tell me what you thinke of this , I know not , but me thinks t is much amisse , That in these parts , so great a company , Are thus assembled and yet unknown , why . God grant that all be well . This hunt , I feare , Is not 'gainst Foxes ( only ) Hares and Deer ; No , no , I fear , they gape for greater things , These subtill Serpents ( doubtlesse ) hide their stings . Themselvs being fiercest wolvs , though sheep-like clad , This hunt , I fear , is not for bruit-beasts had , Worse mischief ( surely ) in their bosome lyes , Not Beasts to kill , but mens lives to surprize . Lord keep the King and royall Progeny From being caught and trapt in treachery By these audacious subtill-hunters snare , Who , to these ends , no cost nor labour spare . My mind presageth some great villany , But , heaven , I pray , my fear may falsifie . Yet , otherwise , why should they armour weare ? Under their cloathes ? Besides all of them are Vassals to th' Pope of Rome , who ( oft ) did spit With rancour sore , fetcht from th'infernall-pit ) His envious poyson 'gainst ELIZABETH , Whose fame , as in her life , lives after death . They are ( I say ) the friends and fautours all Of the great Beast , that strumpets champions tall , Who sends her bellowing-bulswith bāning stings , Realms to dispose , to depose lawfull Kings , Which , she composeth of false couched treason , Beyond the bounds of piety and reason . Doubtlesse , this most seditious generation , Disloyall brood , thirsting for innovation . Both ever was , and so continue still , The cunning craft-masters of fraud and ill , The foes to our felicity and peace ; But heer 's more need of swords than words . I 'll cease , I 'll for my self provide the best I may ; And from this dangerous crue will haste away ; And with these words his staff on 's neck he threw , And without answer , thence , himself with-drew . By chance , also , as they , thus hunting were , A friend of traiterous Winter , this did feare , And therfore he thus unto Winter said , I prethee tell me ( Winter ) what hath made This great assembly ? what may be the reason Of all this-concourse , at this unfit season ? What winde hath blown our Catholiks together , I prethee tell me wherfore come they hither ? To whom , thus , Winter , in his eare repli'de , Deer Sr. the truth from you I will not hide , This hunt of beasts is but a thing pretended , We have a holy-hunt forthwith intended . We hope to hunt the wolves hereticall From our too-long enjoy'd possessions all . And in these few hours this will be effected , Then let not these my speeches be rejected , But take advice , remember what say , Hold on our side , it is the wisest way . But , now the night draws-on , our sport must end , And with those words he parted from his friend . The hunts-men , then , their horns aloud did blow , Both hounds and hunters to their homes do go , Making their retrograde , home they repair , And by the way their passed sports declare . When , being hous'd , their hoste had set on board , Such viands as the time would best affoord . Great fires were made themselvs to warm & heat , Their tables spread with linnen cloths most neat , A Parlour fair , to sup in ready drest , And gold and silver goblets of the best . Then Digby , who was chiefest of them all , Puts-off his arms , and for his gown doth call , Wherin he walks and staulks with princely gate , Amidst his cursed-consorts , in great state , Prescribes them statutes , asks , replies again , His brest no triviall-trifles doth contain . His heart and head negotiate great affairs , He unto each his place of honour shares . So insolent and confident is he , That all things shall , to them , most prosperous be , That he even loades his mates with dignity , This done , to supper they go instantly , Where was no want of mirth and dainty cheer , As in their quaft-carouses did appeare , In drinking healths and wishing good successe , To their companions whom with eagernesse From London they expected , where they staid , Thinking each houre was ten , till they were made Partakers of their tydings . But , mean-while , With mirth and musick , they , the time beguile . But , as they sate , as 't were ore-whelm'd in pleasure , Glutting themselvs with dainties in deep measure , In jesting-scoffs and flouts taking delight , Gainst those whom they terme pure in scorne and spight , On whom they breaking jests in high disdain , Would hoote and hollow , laughing-out amain . As , thus , I say , they jeering , jesting , sat , Drown'd in delight , glutted with merry-chat , News was brought in that Percy and Catesby Were at the door ; to whom most earnestly , They , starting-up , made haste to meet , salute , Hoping the message to their minde did sute . Whom Digby , first , with speedy pace did meet , And 'bout their middle does them kindely greet , Often demanding , what good news , they brought , Who with dejected face , abjected thought , As briefe , as full of griefe , did thus reply , All is stark-nought . Which dampt them instantly . Strange alteration , like to Ghosts they stand , As if not able to stir foot or hand , Such numbnesse , dumbnesse seem'd in them to be , A chilling-cold all-ore them you might see , Their bodies quake , their bones began to tremble , Their face could not their foule disgrace dissemble , Their countenance cast-down , they stare and gaze , Their fainting-hearts half-dead at that amaze . And thus , ô thus , the Lord converts the joy Of unjust men , into most sharp annoy , Their pleasure into pain and penury ; All ( thus ) quite dasht , in twinckling of an eye : A while they flourish like a pleasant-bay , But sodainly , they fade , like withered-hay . Percy , at length , all feare doth from him cast , And seeing how his friends stood all agast , Thus , dissolutely , resolute , began To utter words befitting such a man . Take courage ( friends ) do not all hope neglect , The first-attempts do seldome take effect , Had it bin ( thus ) with Caesar in the field , Pompey had victour bin , made Caesar yeeld , ( When they at Thessalie the battle fought ) And Caesar had bin slain , past feare or doubt , And with his life , his Empire he had lost , Each enterprize ( at first ) great pains doth cost . Yea , commonly great obstacles with-stand The noblest actions that we take in hand . Life is resembled to a chance at Dice , Where ( oft ) more 's wone at once , than lost at thrice . Though for the time , the gamester suffers losse ; At last much coyn , into his purse he 'll tosse . Beleeve me ( noble Sirs ) Vertue best shines In troublesome and intricate designes ; The time requires bold-spirits ; plaisters strong Must cure the sore which cowardize did wrong . Fortune 's a friend to the couragious wight , Dastardly feare declares a pesant right . What ? are we not all of us Catholicks ? Does not our High-Priest curse those Hereticks , And pray for us ? is not our cause most right , Religious , just ? valiantly , then , let 's fight . This Pluto's Orator scarce made an end , When all to arms themselvs do fiercely bend ; Then forthwith , Catesby and his traiterous mates Consult together . Catesby sendeth Bates To Garnet with a letter , which should show What ill-successe did on their projects flow . Garnet at Coughton was in Warwick-shire , And all Recusants rendevous was there ; And in that letter Catesby him desir'd ( For so their ominous-estate requir'd ) With all convenient expedition , To stir-up Wales into rebellion , And els-where , as he could all Papists stout To stimulate and move to fight it out . Now Garnet ( who with Greenwell was that time ) Seeing , they Jesuites were deep in the crime , And fully certifi'd that all was known , Began their ill-successe much to bemoan , And seem'd to prophesie their Sects decay ; O that we ( once ) could see that happy day ! But hot-spur'd Greenwell , being more resolute , More firy-spirited and dissolute , Boldly resolved ( thence ) away to poste , To raise rebellion all about that coast ; And instigates Recusants unto arms , With all his utmost Jesuitick-charms . Then at the house of Abbington , he meets With Hall a Jesuite , and him kindly greets . And after greetings , doth him then advise To work as many as he could to rise . But Hall ( as in a dump ) a while did stay , Much doubting what therin to do or say . To whom so doubting Greenwell , thus , began , Why how now ( brother Hall ) what frights thee man ? The difference , twixt a flegmatick faint heart , I plainly understand ( such as thou art ) And me , who am more cholerick and hot , Why ▪ man it moves not ; fears not me a jot . And wilt thou ( now ) a milk-sop dastard be ? And hide thy head , when ther 's most need of thee ? Fie , fie for shame , take heart , be not affraid , And help me stir-up friends our foes t' invade , With martiall-might these hereticks to slay , Nor must we now , to pause , the time delay . And , thus , away he flies , like northern-winde , And , as he past , he publisht with false minde , A monstrous-lye through every town and city , That Catholicks that night without all pitty , By Protestants should all have murthered bin , Hoping hereby rebellion to begin ; Wishing them all take heed not to prolong To save themselvs , but make resistance strong , If they desir'd in saf'ty to abide , And for their wives and children to provide , And if they would their lives and lands possesse , And free themselvs from imminent distresse . Then Hall the Jesuite , meeting ( after this ) With Littleton , who finding all amisse , Did urge the Priest therwith exceeding much , Told him it did his conscience neerly touch , And that he thought the Lord was much offended With such a course as so much blood intended . But Hall , as whiteliver'd , as late , he seem'd , As harmlesse holy-lambes as th' are esteeem'd , As simple Doves as Jesuites would appeare , Now , doffs the mask which he ( before ) did weare . The violent and virulent hearts-gall , He , now , declares even of the Jesuites all . For why ? instead of meek acknowledgement Of true contrition , heart right-penitent , Of late dissembled grief for this foule fault , When Greenwell him to stir-up rebels wrought . He divellishly began to justifie Their most atrocious , vicious villany . And thus to Littletons great doubt repli'de , Good Sir , you shoot your censure very wide . And much transgresse 'gainst charities right laws , If by the ill-successe you judge a cause . For why ? th'eleven tribes , which two battles bent 'gainst Benjamin , at Gods commandement , In both the conflicts those tribes had the worst , Shall we ( therfore ) account their cause accurst ? So , when as Lewis , King of France did fight Against the Turks , was by them put to flight , And , he himself ( then ) of the plague did dye . The Christians , eke , defending valiantly Their town of Rhods , 'gainst Pagans , lost the same ; Must we the cause ( then ) by th' event ( here ) blame ? No , good Sir , no ; our cause was just and right , How ere the event hath prov'd amisse in sight . What better , greater cause to spend our bloods , Than for Religion to spend life and goods ? Thus , thus , this bloody Jehuite did perswade That Papist , who was heerwith well apaid . Doubtlesse , great Lucifer could never find , More expert instruments to please his mind , Among his hellish-hags , more flinty-hearts , To act his most infernall tragick-parts ; Than these inhumane Jesuites , Satans sect , These most pernicious props , which Rome protect . To Robert Winters house the rebels came , Where , that rank Jesuite of no little fame , Old faithlesse father Haman did reside , Whose heart with Romish zeal being fir'd & fry'd , When he , together did the traitours see , He gave them all his absolution free ; Even , then , when they were in rebellion hot , And after the discovery of the plot . This holy father of that hell-spawn'd Sect , Told them their High-Priest highly did respect Their zeal & would them Saints & Martyrs make , Therfore he bad them all bold courage take . These pious words Ignatians-imp did utter , And , shewd them the Popes * pardon seald with butter . Hell being , thus , broke-loose , though but a while , Sēds-forth more hell-hoūds , blood-hoūds fierce & vile . Grant , whose foule hopes , Heaven also foolifi'd , To whom , none ( yet ) had these things certifi'd , ( For why ? he kept his house and stir'd not out , Till he suppos'd all ( now ) past fear or doubt , But thinking now the plot was fully ended , And that good-hap their hopes had well befriended ) Now like a Tygre-fierce abroad doth fling , Armed all-over with foul-mischiefs sting . But , He which makes his reckoning and his prize , Without his hoste , must make his reckoning twice . And as the 40. Jews with divellish will , Swore , in an ambush , they St. Paul would kill : So Grant what he had sworn-to , long before , Now , hopes to execute , with rancour sore . And with his rabble of Recusants stout , Perfidious Papists , now , he issueth-out . And thus , by night , to Warwick-castle came , Where divers Nobles of great note and name , In time of peace , warrs danger to prevent Fed and bred-up great horses for content . Those Grant did steale and to his camp convay , Their owners to confront ; assault and slay . This most audacious fact , this strange ambition , This robbery-bold , quickly , bred much suspition , In Sr. Fulk Grevill , th'elder , who was then , Lieutenant of that Shire : And bands of men Caused him like a faithfull worthy Knight To muster-up in readinesse for fight ; And with all speed , to fortifie those parts , And unto his assistance , wins the hearts Of all the chiefest Gentlemen there dwelling , Fearing ( as 't was indeed ) some strange-rebelling ; And wise directions he sent up and down , Into each village , place and neighbouring-town . So that as up and down the traitors went , A Smith to Winter such a sound-blow lent , As had not he bin rescu'd , by the rout , He then had bin laid-hold-on , past all doubt . But , at that time , the townsmen sixteen took , The rest , in haste their captiv'd mates forsook . Now , as they fled ( I mean , Grant and his mates ) At length , he there himself associates With Catesby , Percy , and with all the rest , To whom then Catesby their estate exprest , Told Grant their enterprise was all descri'd , And that they must all hazards now abide . Thus as they altogether troop'd in haste , Sr. Richard Verney from his confines chac'd These roaming-rebels , who to Worster-shire , Betook themselvs , as full of guilt as feare ; Yet hoping ( still ) their numbers to augment , But , our good God their hopes did still prevent . Mean-while that they thus roam'd tumultuously , The honoured Lord Harrington therby , Who to his fame and praise , in princely state , With loyalty and love did educate The eldest Daughter of our Soveraign King , The Lady Elizabeth that princely thing . Whose feare and fright him greatly pittied , Hearing how things were much disordered . He ( therfore ) carefull of his royall-gemm , This princely-branch , sprung from a Regall-stemm , Whom he more neerly , dearly tendered , Than his own-life ; to him assembled And call'd about him all his faithfull friends , Whom all his gates to lock he forthwith sends , And with a double-watch he strongly pent ( All traiterous intentions to prevent ) And fortifi'd his house 'gainst ingruent feare : And yet his heart doubted her safety there , For in his private-house he thought not good Her long to keep , and thus in doubt he stood . But taking counsell , he most prudently , Resolved with all true fidelity To Coventry , the Princesse to convay , Which from his house was distant no great way . Whose dutious Citizens good government Had made that city famous , eminent , Being also fenc't with wals and bulwarks strong , Thither this Peere the Princesse led along . Whose Citizens with joy assembled are With joynt consent themselvs all to prepare , This princely-Lady , there to entertain , In glist'ring armes her safety to maintain . The City Major and all his brethren grave , Decking themselvs in gowns and garments brave , With kindest salutations did her meet , And with most cordiall wellcomes did her greet , And finding feare opprest her tender mind , All grief they banisht , with these words most kind ; Be comforted ( sweet Princesse ) we you pray , Let all sad thoughts and fears be cast away . For we with all our Citizens are prest , In your defence to shew and manifest Our love and loyalty , to do you good , To spend our strength , our state , yea dearest blood , Our gold , our goods , our love and labours all , Yea , whatsoere is ours , you yours may call ; We nought wil spare ( sweet Princesse ) you to pleasure , Even to the utmost of our lives and treasure . These words the tender Ladies heart rejoyce , Whom , to the City they , with cheerfull voyce , Conduct unto a fair house well prepar'd , Befitting her estate and high regard , Most sumptuously set-out and richly dight , Where a strong guard was kept both day & night , And watch and ward the City round about , And carefull search who-ere went in or out . Now , all this while that band of bandogs rage , Sweating , intreating ayd and equipage , For their affairs , but nothing did take place , As they did rove and rave , like Bears in chace ; All was in vain , for none how bad soever , Would with them joyn , but from them part and sever , Nay , scarce , in one of all their own profession , Could all their plaints procure the least impression . Such was the hatred of their hellish deed , Such love of quietnesse sweet peace did breed ! And when they had got all they could perswade , Some fourescore-persons their most number made . Yea , when they had don all they could ; threat , pray , Even their own-servants gladly shrunk away , Fearfull of ill-successe and conscience-prick , Knowing 'gainst thorns it was in vain to kick . But these out-ragious Romists did conceit And fondly dreame , in this their furious heat , That they were of small snow-bals nature , right , Which rowled to and fro , grow to great hight , And hugely are increast ; these traitors , so , Thought rebels would like rivers to them flow ; And sure suppos'd that what they had begun , In this one-part of England would be done By all the Catholickes in other parts , And spur them on , with like rebellious hearts , To symbolize with them and arms to take , To joyn their might & power , strong head to make , Which , also , though their lying-Jesuites sought , Yet , heaven , their helish hopes did bring to nought . Wherfore , like vagrants , stragling to and fro , Through all those parts they hopelesly did go , Of comfort , ayd or counsell , quite bereft , And , as they past , the people never left To prosecute with bitter execrations , The divellish agents of such conjurations . These miserable miscreants ( then ) did enter Into a mighty wood ; and thence did venture To Holbeach , where , with desperate mood they came Into the house of Littleton by name . A spacious-house and able to contain These Romish rebels and their traiterous train . Here , then they pitcht their most nefarious tent , Drown'd in despair , drencht in disparagement . Wch whiles they were here lodg'd , as in their cāp , Strook to their hearts much madnes , wrath & damp . Like angry Bears who when their whelps are slain , Run up and down , ramp , rage and roar amain . The gates and doors , some lock-up and fast barre , Some whet their swords and fit themselvs for warr . Some do their Peeces charge with pouder & shot , Others their armour scoure from stain or spot , Their vain and hair-braind-labour was but lost , And must them all their dearest heart-blood cost . For now Sr. Richard Walsh the high-Shrive came , Besieg'd the house with souldiers , did proclaime Favour to those that yeilded , stood not out , But utmost wrath to th'obstinate and stout , Fairly intreats them , then , not to resist , But peaceably from farther harm desist , To yeild unto the mercy of their Prince , Or els he must their stubborn hearts evince . The Sumner in his masters name , thus , said . But they like madd-men , him this answer made , Go tell thy Master we do scorne his threats , And hold as empty-ayre his wea● intreats . If he by dint of sword will force us yeeld , He must bring greater forces to the field . Wish him ( therfore ) break-off his female-fight , With silly-syllables our hearts to fright , That he must not contend with us in words ; We 'll fight it out and trust unto our swords . Thus when this valiant Gentleman did see Him and his counsell scorn'd , to arms flies he . Whiles things , thus , past , a most strange accident , A sore fore-runner of due punishment , A tang and touch to meet their treason right Happ'ned within ; which did the traitors fright . Namely , that by a fire of wood did lye A bagg of Gun-pouder to be made dry , Not farre from which , nearer the fire of wood A tray of pouder ( there ) uncovered stood : Into which tray a crackling sparke did glide , And , instantly , the tray and bagg beside It fired , insomuch that furiously , It with fierce flames and smoake flew up on high , And with resistlesse rage ( to amaze and wonder ) The houses roofe it reft and cleft asunder , And on the face of traiterous Catesby came , To his and all those Traitors stinging shame . Grants face it scorcht , and Rookwoods face also , Did not in this great judgement untoucht go , But like the foule stigmatick-slaves most base Of Dionysius branded in their face , They marked were , their hearts and sense seem'd dead , Their souls seem'd in their bodies buried , All stood astonisht , pale-fac'd , faint , affright , Their hair did stare with horrour , bolt up right . Yea , Robert Winter , but the day before , This fearfull chance ( to make his horrour more ) Dreamt , that he Churches saw , and as it were , Steeples to stand awry , and with much fear , That in those Churches he strange faces saw ; This sad event , these to his thoughts did draw , And caus'd him , that , his dreame to mind to call , And therof , thus , made him resolve withall , That sure those faces which did there appeare , Were right like these that now before him were ; And did unto him rightly shew the frame , And shapes of these whom thus the pouder-flame Had scorcht and burnt . This him amazed much , And did his traiterous heart most deeply touch . And , then , with guilty-consciences they eye , Their Epidemick purpos'd treachery , Confessing Christ to be th'avenger just , Who turns the glory of the proud to dust . Then , they , their Countries causlesse wo do minde , The fires they should have kindled most unkinde . Yea , then they seem to see the blood-shed great , Which to their harmlesse brethren they did threat . Which on the ground like rivers should have run , And on their bended-knees , they ( now ) begun , To wring their hāds with tears their faults cōfessing Beating their brests , their groans , their griefs expressing , And now , too-late they do lament their folly , Acknowledging the Lord to be most holy , And this great judgement on them to be just , Cursing the time they did such counsell trust . Read , ô ye Atheists , read and mark this well , Who are perswaded ther 's no heaven nor hell ; Yea , read , ô ye blind Romish Jebusites , Who think the Lord sees not your jugling-slights , Who think God marks not nor regards your deeds , Or els , who count hels horrour , crackling reeds . Saying , with Davids-fool , God sees us not , Th'almighty slumbers or hath us forgot . O , if ye have not browes more hard than brasse , Or if one spark of grace may from you passe , Then , thinke , nay be assur'd the Lord doth fight For his afflicted flock , their wrongs to right . Yea , know that Gods invincible strong arm , The righteous and religious saves from harm . And that he ( sure ) can catch at unawares , Malicious proud men in their nets and snares . And pouder-plotters burn in such like flame , As they for others impiously did frame . And like Perillus , that rare engin-maker , Of others perill they are prime-partaker . O let this ( therfore ) tell all traitors hearts , That heaven will ( surely ) pay them their deserts . But , to proceed . The hooded hypocrite , A while may couzen & cog and cheat mens sight , But long it shall not last , heaven will detrude Their impious vizards , wherwith they delude The eyes of mortall men , and this abuse The Lord will to their sorrow ( soon ) reduce . For presently , their temporizing tears Were dryed up , no shame in them appears . All former seeming sorrows quite forsaken , And their new virtue proves old-vice mistaken . A sodain madnesse did all grace push-out , Op'ning the gates they armed all rush-out , And like mad-dogs or Gaderens divellish hogs , Despairing with their conscience heavy-clogs , They head-long run among their enemies , Smiting on all-sides in most desperate wise . Vowing and swearing , since , such was their fate , To sell their hatefull blood at a dear rate . The valiant high-Shrieve , seeing 't was in vain , ( As was declar'd ) by love them to constrain , To due submission ; with true martiall heat , Resolves them therunto with blowes to beat . Stoutly they fight on both sides ; these for fame , The others fight with desperate fear and shame , Then Thomas Winter vaunting in the Court , And traiterous Rookwood one of this consort , Th' one shot in 's shoulder , lost the use of 's arm , Tother with shot had also no small harm . Then , both the Wrights with halberts ( there ) were slain , Which , much discourag'd their perfidious train . With cursed Catesby , Percy pestilent Doth joyn himself , and to them Winter went . And , thus , this knot of knaves fought back to back , And Winter at their sides doth hold them tack , Placing themselves in manner like a wedge , And , thus , they boldly fought with eager edge . The traitors smite about with furious blows , These to defend , those to offend their foes . And like the fight of Buls ( as Stories say ) By sturdy Dogs assaulted on the way , And sorely set upon ; they , tail to tail , With their strong horns the furious dogs assail : But , as Alcides , though most stout and strong , Or Theseus brave could not continue long 'gainst many foes , maugre their courage bold , No more could these their enemies long hold . For at them , presently , a peece was shot , Whose bullet both those traitours deadly smot . Through Percies & through Catesbies cursed heart The bullet pierced to their deadly smart ; When with a deep life-yeelding hollow groan , Unable to subsist , they both fell prone Upon the Earth , strugling with pangs of death , And quickly gasp'd their last accursed breath . And like two mighty Oaks whose branches high Did seem ( just now ) to touch the lofty-sky , But by a rapid whirl-wind in the ayr Are blown and over-thrown ; whose branches are Laid low upon the ground , the boughs made meat For cattell in the field to brouse and eat . Thus , to those gracelesse Champions of the Pope ( Who had already ) swallowed up in hope , Englands fair Realm and seat-Imperiall , It did directly happen , justly fall . Who thus , I say , in hellish fond conceit Had clim'd the top of high promotions seat , But see ( I say ) their huge Pyramides Of hatefull pride ( for so it heaven did please ) With shame was shattered into peeces smal , Their flesh made food for birds & worms that crawl . But , Rookwood , Winter , Grant , alive were taken , And all the rest of comfort ( soon ) forsaken . Here Robert Winter having stoutly fought , But , now , unable , longer to hold-out , His Cateline and hot Cethegus slain , By his fierce foes , alive , was quickly ta'ne . But with a Pike in 's belly ( first ) receiv'd A dangerous wound , yet , not of life bereav'd . Now , all the rest being taken and disarm'd , ( By prick of conscience , than deaths fear more harmd ) Were thus subjected unto justice stroke , Their fainting hearts confounded , wounded , broke . And as the custome is , with hempen bands They were fast bound , behinde their backes their hands . And so to London , fast on hors-back tyde , They were convayd : whom people as they ' spide , Did all the way they went , still flock to meet , And them with execrable curses greet . And so to London being brought , at last , In pris'n with fetters they were locked fast . And not long after was the 'pointed day For their arraignment . When in grave array , Nobles and Judges , as the cause requir'd , Unto their Judgement came ; where with admir'd And learned eloquence , deliberately , The Kings Atturney ( then ) did signifie And recapitulate from first to last Each most materiall action which had past . And found them guilty of that damn'd intention , Crost ( thus ) in th' act , by heavens , alone , prevention . The Judges ( then pronounc'd their sentence due ; And , on the traitors all in open view , Was execution done in divers places , To the most just confusion of their faces . On th'upper-house of Parliament , most high , ( A just reward of horrid treachery ) Catesbies and Percies heads were fixed fast , ( To use the Prophets words ) like a ship-mast , That passers-by might to each other tell , The just deserved issue that befell Unto those roving , robbing Pirates vile , Who hop'd to rife by treason , theft and guile ; Who by ambitious and pernicious wayes , The golden-fleece did hope to them to raise , Not by stout Jasons valour and brave grace , But by Medaea's sorceries most base , They gap'd ( I say ) a golden-fleece to gain , A glorious-realm to swallow ; but in vain . Wasps ( thus ) we see , make combs as well as Bees , But , for sweet hony , work-out pouder-lees . Their hearts contain'd nought but sulphurious wind , And foul effects of a most treacherous mind . PErfidious Fauks , whose hopes were lately high By Treason to be rais'd to Dignity ; By Justice , findes Treason retaliated , His Head upon a Pole high elevated : That All may see Gods vengeance prosecuting , The proudest Traitors , treason executing . The wanderfull deliuerance — 1605 OUr great Jehovah having brought to light This deep-Designe full fraught with Romish-spight ; The fame therof through all the Realm being blaz'd , The Peoples hands and hearts to Heaven are rais'd : They pray'rs and praises send to Israels King , They bounteous-Bonfires make , their Bels they ring : Tryumphing in their Streets with fire-works rare , Rockets , Fire-wheeles , Fire-drakes flying in the Ayre , Fierce-mounting Fire-bals blazing in the Skies , Quick cracking Squibs to please beholders eyes : And , All heart-cheering signes of Joy expresse , Being , thus , redeem'd from Death and dire distresse . THen see you pole-shorn Papists what 's the end Which al your traiterous projects doth attend . See you Achitophels , you Jesuites all , What prize doth to your Absolons befall . Bad counsell , still , to Authours fals-out worst , An impious-project gains an end-accurst . For , these , who , like great Consuls would have raign'd , As false conspirators were , now , arraign'd . And like as fond Empedocles did cast Himself int' Aetna's fire , hoping t' have past Unspide of any in the furious flame , And so beheld a god with endlesse fame : But , when the flame his slippers did retort , His hair-braind-folly was the peoples sport : So , these , which hop'd , which fondly hop'd t' have got Saints names ( at least ) by this their Aetnean plot , God ( who in mercy did their mischiefe see , And such strange folly in their hearts to be ) The slippers of discovery did cause To foolifie their deifide applause . And by this blest Catastrophe , to call ( Instead of that usurped name they all Hop'd-for , to wit , Romes meritorious-Martyrs ) And justly term them , most notorious traitors . And curs'd be they which call such evill good , Accurs'd Romes doctrins grounded ( thus ) on blood . Most deadly-sicke was Catesby and his train , Of Achabs sicknesse , none could ease his pain , His stomach was with Naboths ground so cloy'd ; Till bloody Jesabell her skill imploy'd To give him physick with poor Naboths blood . But these , vile Achabs case far worser stood , For ; why ? although their greedy appetite Old Achabs did exceed , with gaping spight , And that this upstart Jesabell of Rome Did us to death with greater mischief doom ; Yet , since they could not kill nor yet possesse , They were in farre more desp'rate wretchednesse , In silence , here , I cannot pretermit , How that these traitours past all grace or wit , In conscience touch't did at their death professe , That , what they did , was for Romes holinesse ; That , for advancement of the Cath'lick-cause , They , thus , had plung'd themselvs into hels jaws . And that they had for their more firm direction , The precepts of Romes faith and full protection , The Zeale wherof did strongly them incite To execute what-ere , with all their might : Which precepts are , by force , fraud or deceit , To cog , collogue , to threat , intreat and cheat , By just or unjust means , by buls or bans Hugonets , Calvinists and Lutherans , To prosecute , to cut-off , and to kill All that oppose their holy Popes great will . For all 's most true , they teach , which Rome doth say ? Or charge her children ; for she cannot stray . Hence we may note that Romes rebellious feed , All other malefactours farre exceed ; For , though it cannot be gain-said , withstood , But some in all professions are not good ; But do offend by treason , murther , theft , For which , they justly are of life bereft , Yet when they are to dye , they nere accuse The Doctrine or Religion which they use , To be the cause that they did so transgresse , Or stain themselvs with such soul-guiltines . But that their naturall bad inclination , And want of grace brought them to desolation ; But these besotted eat-gods , voyd of shame , Do not their nature , but religion blame ; These foule-birds , thus , their own nests do beray , And , if in ought , heerin , the truth they say . But , ô , ô misery , beyond compare , That with such basenesse they contented are ! O , if the understandings-eye be blind , How hard it is truths perfect paths to finde ! If once the Lord unto our selvs us leave , How hard , the truth from errour to perceive . O wo to those which lock-up heavens blest gates Both from themselves and their seduced mates . O strong delusions , as St. Paul doth call them , How can it choose but danger must befall them ! O poysonous-cup of Romish fornication , To be bewitcht by such strange incantation ! O , if the blind do lead the blind , both stumble ! Nay , both do headlong into mischiefe tumble . O , what true Christian , Protestant , is he That does not from truths-fountain clearly see That God in vengeance , and in judgement just , Such Doctours and such Doctrins , sure , will thrust To hells deep-pit ( at last ) whence first they rose , Which do Christs wholsome-doctrins so oppose . For , what sayes Christ , the spring of verity , To all his Saints , for all posterity ? My deare Disciples go and teach each Nation , Baptizing all men to regeneration . Clean contrary , this base-childe of perdition , The Pope of Rome , with hellish admonition , His blinde-disciples , thus , most blindly teacheth , To his proud-Proselites this Doctrine preacheth . Go extirpate , kill and confound each nation , Which doth refuse our yoake and usurpation . O are not these foule broods of vipers vile , And Pluto's Locusts full of fraud and guile ? Yea , are they not the very spawn of Hell , The furies of Avernus fierce and fell ? Satan their fathers foot-steps imitating , By sword and fire fair vertue ruinating , From whose most damned counsell and consent , They , spider-like this Stygian-poyson vent , Which treacherous Faux , that vessell full of vice , To us , to minister , they did intice . Doubtlesse the Divell was not a little glad , That he that Popish-prey and purchase had ; For , to those Romish friends might Pluto say , As they , with him , in Tartars flashings lay , You see brave friends th' effect of our intentions , Hels secrets , hidden counsels , strange inventions , Wch , though they have not wrought as we intended , Yet are they not , with this plot wholly ended . Indeed I must confesse we did expect A greater harvest , and more full effect Of our designes : But this shall now suffice , ●ntill we can procure a * richer prize . For yet , we hope fortune , hereafter , may Grant us a time more mischief to display , And to the full our counsels to contrive , To make our stratagems more fairly thrive , Nor shall this fact our counsels quite deny Our future hopes . Hell is not , yet , drawn-dry , Our coffers are not empty ( yet , indeed , This last did all our others , farre exceed ) Which , after-times may taste-of to their pain , As fast as we can grace and favour gain , With our choice * friends in Court Romes champions bold , For , these are they wch all our hopes uphold . This said , fly Satan , those his agents all , Leaves to themselves in sense of endlesse thrall . The customary practise of the Divell , Who , when he hath suggested men to evill , First , makes them sin , and when they are to die , Comfortlesse leaves them in their misery , Voyd of all help , full of disconsolation , Headlong to tumble into dire damnation . Mark this , ô ye , whose hearts with deep devotion , Are so bewitch'd with Circes poysonous potion , With love of Romes great whore , recall , recall , Your understanding from her divellish thrall ; Abjure that Doctrine , cease to call them blest , In whom such maps of mischief are exprest , Learn with relenting tears , repenting heart , From Romes false jugling Jebusites to part . Those subtill Syrens from you to repell , Those impious Amorites , Magogs of hell . O take unto you Christs collyrium sweet , And you shall see how they from truth do fleet , Yea , you shall , then , perspicuously perceive , How , they sound faith do hate and wholly leave : How they true saving knowledge paths pervert , How they Gods Saints with malice do begirt , Assaulting them with mischief and despight ; Yet shall the just prevail and stand upright . For why ? both Christ and all the heavenly hoast Do fight for them wherof they well may boast . Yea from the stars , according to their kind , They day & night , do sweet protection find O , why doth man , then , Christs true Church disturb , Since heaven resists him and his wrath doth curb ? O thou great guider of the heavens high , Who by thy thunder dost All terrifie , Almighty ruler of the earth below , In promise just , to anger very slow ! O , how can we sufficiently recount Thy condign-praise , which doth the heavens surmount , Thou didst us save from slaughtring sword and fire , From those which 'gainst thy laws our lives conspire . From miserable massacre and death , Thou only Sions-Saviour gav'st us breath . And as from teeth of greedy savage Bears Did'st us recover and redeem from fears . Thou , only-thou , by power of thy right hand , Didst for us most unworthy wretches stand , And our poor silly sinfull souls preserve , Even , then , when we from thee , by sin did swerve , We though thy foes , yet did thy mercy finde , Thou wast most courteous , when we were unkind . Though we , alas , daily delight in sin , Endangering heavens losse , our lusts to win , Quenching thy Spirit in us , fostring the flesh , Like dogs to vomit , sinning still a fresh , Contemning thy behests and holy name , Using thy Saints with scornfull scoffs and shame . Choosing the wrong , forsaking the right way , Blindly persisting , when we go astray ; Lab'ring to please our selvs , though displease thee , Thinking to live as Saints , yet goodnesse flee , Neglecting thee and thine , preferring more Our profit , pleasure , thy sweet grace before . O let thy grace our gracelesse hearts revive , O let us not still live , as dead alive ; Sleeping in sin , fearlesse of sins great feares ; O turn our eyes into a spring of tears , O give us grace the old-man to forsake , And with true-faith , fast-hold on Christ to take . Illuminate the blindnesse of our heart , And grant ( dear father ) though not for desert , That we may see the ill that we have done , With tears , it seen , we may desire to shun . And with incessant sighes and groaning grief , Give grace to wail our wants and find relief . Yea , feed us , Lord , with heavenly manna sweet , Thy sacred word , ô guide our wandring feet To tread the paths which lead to lasting pleasure , To which , all other best terrestriall treasure Is but dry mosse and drosse , foule dirt and clay , Vain butter-flies for fooles or childrens play . O lift our souls , our heaven-born souls more high , To seek their riches in Heavens-treasury . That as Christs name with tongue we do professe , So by our works we may our faith expresse . The year preceding this was fatall found , When a great-plagne infectiously did wound , Full many a thousand of our brethren deare , And next this pouder-plot we scap'd most neer . For , thy strong-hand , ô Lord , the slaughtering blade Did back retort , and those our foes dismaid . These things , good God , do plainly testifie That we have much provok'd thy clemency . That our great sins have highly thee displeas'd , And yet how quickly is thy wrath appeas'd . Thou shew'st thy rod , and mildly dost it shake , That we might see thy grace and sin forsake . And as a mother chastizing her childe , Deals with it in affection sweet and milde , Lothly lifts up her hand , soone lets it fall , And presently her anger doth recall : Even so , ô Lord , most like a Parent kind , Do we thy love and tender mercies find . But if nor words nor warnings will reclaim us , Thy punishment , great God , will justly tame us . And , doubtlesse , though the Lord to wrath be slow , Yet , if , too-far provok'd , he down will throw The viols of his wrath , his ire will burn , Against the wicked which will not return , From vanity ; like stubble in the field , They shall consume and to his judgements yeeld , Then , let us , ô let us with speciall care , Learn both to love and feare God and declare The Gospels fruits in our lives reformation , And by the Lords so frequent exhortation , T'abhominate proud Babell , just mens foe , That Seat of Antichrist , where sin doth flow , The very basis of impiety , The cage of unclean-birds of villany . Of which , I may affirm and justly hold That though thou hadst Alcides courage bold , Thou couldst not cleanse Romes sin-polluted-hals More foule , by farr , than foule Augea's stalls . That so , that ancient Prophets true prediction , Of Babels bane , of Roms proud Whores conviction , This age ( in Gods due time ) to passe may bring ; This conquest great , Lord , grant unto our King , Whose life , as 't is most precious in thy sight , So let thy glory shine in his great might , To propagate and farther to extend The Gospels glorious Sun-shine , and to bend His utmost wisedome to discern and hate The fly and secret foes of Church and State , To love the good , the haughty to suppresse , To maintain vertue , beat-down wickednesse . That Justice like a river with swift source May flow with streams of uncorrupted course , Through all the kingdome , that in peace he may This noble Realme with grace and glory sway . That all the Nobles and right noble-Peers , Whose hearts this thy great love and mercy cheers , The most illustrious Senate of this Land May feare thy name and Gospels foes withstand . And , for so great , so good deserts , so free , So blest deliverance , life and liberty , Grant from that sacred-house , such laws divine May be establisht and perform'd , in fine , As may redoun'd to th' honour , joy and health Of King & subjects , Church & Common-wealth , That these most cruell cursed Canaanites , These sons of Edom , Churches Ismaelites , The props and pillars of that shamelesse-whore Who even as sheep to die , had mark'd us o're , May be cut-off from mongst us , which so long Have wrought & sought our peace to break & wrong . Which like inhumane barbarous Paracides , Like cursed Canibals , vile homicides , Would cut their Parents throat , their Country dear , With one-fierce blow , to make their passage clear . Who plot and practise guiltlesse-blood to spill , Teaching as most true doctrine , Kings to kill , Delighting most in rapine , theft and lyes , Forbidding marriage , not adulteries ; Yea incest and such other sins of shame , They sleight esteem , which Christians should not name . Whose Pope and holy Priest-hood , for their gain , Their odious Stews in publick do maintain , Most impudently counting it no shame A yearly tribute for such cause to claim . Whose practise is to couzen and dissemble , Whose blasphemies do make the godly tremble . Who do by grounds of their Religion hold ( That which nor Turks , nor Jews , nor Pagans bold , Nor any other Hereticks what-ere , Nor those of Calycut , which serve and feare The Divell ) to kill their King ( ô most notorious ) For conscience-sake , and say t is meritorious ; Who mingle with Gods word , yea , do prefer Their own traditions , causing men to erre ; Using , abusing Scripture as they lust , And do esteem the same a thing most just , Teaching for truths the dreams of filthy Fryers , Slandring Gods word like most nefarious lyers . Who , both the laws of God and man abuse , ( The Turks , I say , more vilenes , scarce , can use ) Breaking the bands of blest humanity , Of serious vows and hospitality . Savage Assyria , surely , never saw Th' impieties which Rome maintains by law . O why , then , favour we these poysonous snakes , With whom what Realm or people long partakes , In which Romes furious fangs are not discride , Who are not curb'd and crusht by Romish-pride ? O , if we will persist them ( still ) to spare , Let 's blame our-selves , if we fall in their snare . Thee , thee ( ô England ) I may happy call Thou little-isle , whom father Neptunes wall , And mighty arms embrace ; I past all doubt , May term thee happiest , all the world throughout ; If thou didst truly know thy blest estate , Or heavens rich mercies would'st commemorate . If in the tables of a thankfull heart , Thou wouldst imprint Gods love ; to all impart By registers of never-ending dayes The endlesse , matchlesse , due deserved praise Of thy ay-living , all-good-giving King , Who still doth fill thy heart with each good thing . O , say , how oft and from what great assaults Wch were brought on thee for thy grievous faults , Hath heavens free-grace , most safely thee protected ; God in his mercy having thee respected . And when thou wast in dangers almost drown'd , Thy proud prefumptuous foes he did confound . Witnesse that grand-assault in eighty-eight , When faithlesse Spain with impious pride and hate Insulting and consulting , vaunting loud , Thy fearfull , finall , fatall woe had vow'd . And his great madnes to that passe had brought , That English-seas with Spanish-ships were fraught . But how did God ( maugre their might and spight ) Make windes and Seas and all for thee to fight . Wracking their Ships , chaining their Princes great , Swallowing the rest in Seas for fishes meat ? How hath the Lord other great mercies shown , Calming uncivill-civill discords grown In this thy Realm , in former dayes of old , Which oft were raised by thy Barons bold ? How did the Lord in blest Eliza's dayes , To his eternall glory and just praise , ( Beside that eighty-eights great victory ) Redeem thy crown and state from jeopardy Of many private Popish-treacheries , Which by their agents Rome did still devise , Against the Person of that Peerlesse-Queen , Whose equall , hardly , all the world hath seen , How did thy God watch over her for good , And nip those traitors hopes , even in the bud ? Lopping their sprigs , cropping them in the floure , That they could nere take root nor raging-power . How often hath the Lord from thee with-held , His all-devouring plagues wch would have quel'd And quencht the glory of abused-peace , When God had fild thy heart with joyes encrease ? And though thy sins and grosse ingratitude Did make thee taste the sharp amaritude Of a late furious raging pestilence , Which , with most deplorable vehemence Devoured rich and poore , made desolate , Thy houses , Churches , streets , in wofull state , Without respect of simple or of sage , Of Cottage or of Palace , sex or age : Yet , ô yet with what wondrous admiration Did thy great Lord , on thy humiliation , Most strangely and most sodainly command His Angell to with-draw his wounding-hand , And in a moment ( as it were ) to cease Thy weekly thousands to a cleare decrease . How oft , I say , hath thy Almighty God With-held the fangs of famines pinching-rod , By parching drought , or by immoderate rain , To break thy staff of bread in corn and grain ? Instead wherof , how doth thy land , still , flow , With milk and honey ? How fair doth it show , With peace and plenties blessed harmony , With every mercies sweet variety ? Like fertile Canaan , no land ere did find Dame Natures bounty in like copious kind . Thus , thou ô England justly seem'st to be A pleasant Paradise , wherin's the Tree Of knowledge , wherwith thou art most indu'd ; Another world , all things ( a fresh ) renew'd . A Land ( I say ) which doth all nations passe , As farre as christall does thick-spotted-glasse . And yet to make thy glory more compleat , The Lord hath given thee Manna , angels meat , The glorious Sun-shine of his word divine , Thy blisse and blessednesse more cleare to shine ; The everlasting Gospell , spring of grace , The precious pearl which wisdom doth purchase . Thus is thy Land the Land of Goshen right , Both for the Gospels power and purenesse bright . Do but compare this thy felicity With other Nations foggy misery , Who stifled are , as t were , in piteous case With cloudy ignorance and errour base : Living , alas , in beast-like wretchednesse , As in the shade of death most comfortlesse . Without the knowledge of or Christ or God , Without whose knowledge , al 's a dirty-clod . Worshipping for the glorious Lord most high , ( Vnto their souls eternall misery ) Dumb-idols , rotten-timber , mettals vile , Farre fitter under-foot to tread and spoyle . Again , to make thee yet and yet more blest , To make thy lustre shine past all the rest , Hath not the Lord in thee most richly placed The light of justice , wherwith thou art graced . Wherby thy peoples houses , Castles are , Themselvs , their states freed from offensive care , Of wrong or robb'ry : Thus thy beauty shines , Whiles all-men sit in peace under their vines . But of all temp'rall blessings under heaven , Which ever were to any Nation given , The power and praise of God most to advance , All come most short of this Deliverance . This monstrous , matchlesse , Popish pouder-treason Beyond the power of former reach or reason , This Quintessence of barbarous treachery Transcendeth all of past antiquity . And cannot these sweet mercies manifold Thy heart with cords of gratitude with-hold From sinning 'gainst thy God , him to provoke To smite thee deeplier with some heavier stroke ? Yea , canst thou ( England ) canst thou possibly Be so orewhelmed in stupidity ? So sottish , senslesse , impiously ingrate , As to forget , or to obliterate Out of thy thankefull-heart , the odious smell Of this projected pouder-smoake of hell , So long as ever thou a Kingdome art ? O do it not , least heaven doth make thee smart , By some as strange a plague ( if it may be ) When he such grosse ingratitude shall see . But rather , all thy power and parts imploy , To evidence thy hearts triumphing joy , To blesse thy God for this thy new-Salvation , To keep That-day with endlesse recordation , Christ freed thy soul from hell-fire ; and this fire Than any other flame to hels came nigher . That-day , which they Britans black-day would see , Novembers 5. Britans bright-day shall be . The day was Tewsday , but by Popish-spight Papists Ashwednesday , it had bin more right . For ever , then , fell Popelings , howle , lament , Your Romish Pouder-pieties intent , For all the Oceans-floods will nere make clean , ( Perfidious Rome ) thy knavish-sincke obscene , Englands Transalpinated Papistry Hath ( often ) wrought blood-smearing cruelty , Bred our Transmarine-Travellers light mind , Then let them be ( by law ) t' our homes confin'd . For , as was said , This detestable fact Was counsel'd , courag'd by the Popes compact . For He that bids doe , what 's so ill-done , He Must stay the worke , or els Its authour be . Had he not cast Paternall-care from 's heart , He 'd nere have plaid such a Step-fathers part . Who from his Bubble-bellowing Buls belcht-out All 's Caco-curses , hellish-broyles about . Saying , thus , let one-day all great Britane make One-grave , whose name in future daies shall slake , Vices Vice-roy , or vice it selfe is He , Who Peters-chaire soyls with such villany . Forget not ( then , I say ) but ever hate Romes Pope and Papists , foes to Church and State : Who in their calmest-case do but couch-low To watch advantage for a deadlier blow . Hugg not such vipers in your bosomes then ; Foster not festring Snakes in shapes of men , Within your houses , much lesse in your hearts By loving , liking , pleading on their parts . Least , thus , you more than seem most gracelesse sots , Hankering after Aegypts foule flesh-pots , By temporizing tricks , backsliding wayes , Till Gods fierce wrath you thus against us raise . Let us take heed we surfet not in store , And turning grace to wantonnesse grow poor , Poor in our souls , barren in piety , And so be made the maps of misery . Be not more blind than Earth-devouring Moles , Who love to grovell under-ground in holes : Or so unthankfull as the sottish Swine , Who eat up Acorns , but ne're cast their ey'ne , Up to the Oake from whence they to him fell , Who thus their Swinish-nature plainly tell : So do not thou thy brutish-heart declare , Receive not blessings , but with gratefull care To retribute unto thy God above , According to his great redundant love . Shake-off , shake-off , and shun such brutishnesse , With thankfull heart acknowledge and confesse The most admired , least deserved favour Of thy so gracious God , so sweet a Saviour . Who plenteously replenisheth and fils Thy soul with blessings , Nectar-drops distils Of favours of his left and his right-hand On soule and body , and doth guardian stand , Still to refell , repell the dangers great , Wch thy worst foes could menace , work or threat . Snatching the prey out of their hungry jaws , Recovering it from their most bloudy claws . Thrusting them headlong into their own pit , Breaking their teeth , wherwith they would have bit , Nay utterly have swallowed at one meale , Our Kingdom , King , Peers , Prophets , Common-weal . Wch thee with amiable-peace hath blest , Such as our Predecessours nere possest , And such ( I fear ) as our Posterity Are never like to see and taste and try . Yea , God alone hath given us this great rest , His liberall-love these mercies hath exprest , That God ( I say ) whose majesty and might , Whose greatnesse , goodnesse , justice , most upright , The heavens , the earth , deep seas & works of wōder , Rain , hail , frost , snow , loud winds , lightning & thunder , Do mightily shew-forth , tell and declare ; What Heathen-god with thy God can compare ? He is thy Saviour , Sun and Shield most strong To whom doth all true praise and laud belong , Both for thy being and thy best-estate , Whose tender mercies most compassionate , Whose patience , power and pitty infinite , All people shall to future times recite . O let us ( then ) ô let us never cease On trumpets loud to make his praise increase ; In heart and voyce his mercies to record , By Hymns and Psalms to laud the living Lord . To sound his fame unto the Indian-coasts , To those whose clime continuall-Sommer rosts . Let Phoebus first leave-off his annuall race , Let Phoebe want her monthly-borrowed grace ; Let Neptune stop the Oceans billowing source , Let nature want ( in all things ) wonted course ; Yea , Lord , then , let us cease to be , I pray , When in oblivion we this mercy lay . But doubtlesse , if this duty we neglect , The Lord most justly will this sin correct , And on our heads his heavy hand will fall , And turn our hony into bitterest gall . Nothing the Lord can worse endure or hate , Than thanklesse persons and a mind ingrate . The husbandman that sows most plenteously , The greater Harvest hopes in equity . The land wch nought but thorns & thistles yeelds Though well manur'd , no man regards such fields . Since God hath given , he looketh to receive , O let 's take heed how we our duty leave . Did God with grievous punishments afflict His holy-off-spring , when they did addict And give themselves to vanity and lust , And him that fed them , so forget , distrust . Abusing his most gracious clemency , His patience , love and longanimity ; If he did his peculiar-people ' stroy , Who , first , his laws and worship did enjoy , If , thus , for their ingratitude it far'd , If they were smitten and might not be spar'd , Alas , what madnesse should us Gentiles move , To thinke that God of us will more approve ? And since he hath cut-down his choisest-vine , Because it would not to his word incline , Thinkst thou the fruitlesse wilde-Olive shall stand , Unprofitably comb'ring his good land ? O , no ; he 'll make it wither ( soon ) and dye , Like to our Saviours barren Fig-tree dry . And thou whom God hath , thus , with mercies blest , If thanklesse , shalt with dangers be distrest . Yea multitudes of mischiefs will thee follow , And thee in treasons greedy-jawes will swollow . Yea , troupes of traitors ( then ) shall daily strive , Of life and liberty thee to deprive . Wherfore that thou , ô England , still maist have Gods friendly favour , thee from foes to save , Preach and proclame with heart and hearty cheer , With thanks & praise , each hour & month & yeer . This matchlesse-mercy of thy loving Lord , And it on marble-pillars , aye , record . Yea , teach thy childrens children to rejoyce , To sing Gods-prayses with shrill-sounding voyce . And every way his name and fame to reare For this so great Deliverance . And to beare A zealous hatred , deadly detestation To Romes false doctrines , base abhomination . Thou , then , the God of our inheritance , Thy Sions Saviour , strong deliverance , Our part , our portion , buckler , staffe and stay , Under thy wings , preserve us ( still ) we pray . Make void and frustrate Romes most hatefull pride . The cause is thine ( ô Lord ) stand on our side . Resist their rage ; for 'gainst thy Church they rave , And let thy people thy protection have . Revenge the blood of thy distressed Saints , And when they grieve , relieve their sad complaints . O Lord , we pray thee blesse and dresse thy Vine , Thy Love , thy Dove , this little-flock of thine . Yea , Lord at all times , in extremest straits , Thy sacred arms upon our armies waits , Thy help is present and thy presence sweet , To foyle our foes and cast them at our feet . Thou , Lord , dost cause the fell Monocerate , To beare on 's brow a soveraign-Antidote . Wherfore , this wond'rous work of thine , ô Lord , Our voyce , our verse , for ever , shall record . Our hearts we will incline thy praise to sing , Even thy great name ; ô our celestiall King . In every house , Shire , City , Street and Temple , And teach our children this by our ensample . Throughout the Kingdom , we thy fame will raise , While vitall-breath from death prolongs our days . And tell this thy great work to every Nation , While Sun and Moon shine in their cloudy-station . Our singers shall sing Psalms to thee on high , O blessed , blessed , blessed-Trinity . FINIS . An Epigram to Iesuites , the Principall Disturbers of Peace and Unity ; the Authours and Firebrands of Sedition and Treachery throughout the Christian-world . OR , The ROMISH WHITE-DIVELL . Qui cum Iesu itis , non itis cum Iesuitis . THe Fatall-Sisters , Latine-Poets call Parcae ; though , parcunt nulli ; they kill all . And Latinists , the thick-wood , Lucus , write ▪ Ceu nunquàm lucens ; wherin comes no light . And by the same Antiphrasis of late , The Jesuites to themselvs appropriate The sacred name of Jesus , though their works Declare their lives to be farr worse than Turks . Heavens lightnes , brightnesse differs not so great From ponderous , drossie Earth : Nor Southern heat To Northern chilling , killing frosts so far Differ : Nor th'Artick from th'Antartick star Is more remote ; than this rank of makes-shifts ( Whose hatefull lives , crafts , couzenage , subtill drifts To all good-men apparent ) are unlike To Christ or Jesus Doctrine , if you strike Their name out ( only ) and their works behold , Their best-part ( then ) will prove but drosse to gold . Do thorns bear grapes ? do figs on thistles grow ? Or the tall-palme , yeeld pleasant fruite ? ô no . The tree by 's fruit may manifested be ; On good-trees , good ; on ill , bad fruit we see . The Jesuites-Doctrine who to know doth list , It doth of 5. dees , Five dees . properly , consist : In Daunting subjects ; in Dissimulation ; To Depose , Dispose , Kings , Realms , Devastation . Whither the Jesuites come more near to those Which beare the armes of Christ or Mars , with blows , It is a question ▪ but , with ease decided . As thus . Christs souldiers , ever , are provided Of these blest weapons ; tears , prayers , patience ; These foyl and spoyl their foes with heavenly fence ; But daggers , dags , keen-swords , poysons , deceit , Close-fawning treasons , wiles to couzen and cheat ; These are the Jesuites-arms , and with these arts , Their Pope to deifie , they play their parts , Nor faith , nor piety their followers have ; For , divellishly , 'gainst truth , they rage and rave . How fit those armes Loiola's-brats beseem , Britane can witnesse , and the whole-world deem . I 'll passe-by other-slights , all , in this one , In this foule pouder-plot , they all are shown . Blush , blush ( ô Jesuites ) England knows too well , Your counsell furthered , most , this worke of Hell . Yea , impious Garnet for the traitors pray'd , Prick't & pusht-forward those he might have staid , Being accessary to this damn'd intent , Which , with one-word this Jesuite might prevent . Such barbarous traitours and strange treachery To hide and silence is grosse villany : Gentem auferte perfidam &c. But , ô , with orisons God to implore , To grant successe , ô speak , was ere , before , In all the world like wickednesse ere known , In any age , such monsters seen or shown ? Which , with religious shows , shelter foule-crimes With vertues cloake hiding them , oft , oft-times . And , then , ô then , I tremble to declare , Calling the Lord of Heaven with them to share In this foule-fact ; nor yet heerwith content To offer heaven this high disparagement , But that they 'll act more grosse impiety , If any can be worse t'heavens Deity . These sacrilegious traitors falsly think , No surer bands themselves to tie and link , To secrecy and resolution strong , Than , therunto blasphemously to wrong Our Saviours glorious body and blood also , To their eternall and infernall woe . And who so impious , so audacious bold ? In 's wretched hands the Eucharist to hold ? Who was so godlesse , who so gracelesse , trow ? So rich a pearle unto such swines to throw ? Who but a Priest of this Society ; Wouldst know his name ? t was Gerrard certainly . Perswade your selves , ye holy fathers all , This is a truth , which you a lye will call ; For nought is said against you , but most right ; Then blush for shame & hide your selvs from sight . O heavens ! ô earth ! ô treachers times and season ! Degenerous minds and hard-hearts void of reason ! Truly t is doubtfull , difficult to tell , Whether of these two mischiefs did excell ; At one-blow , bloodily , so , to confound A King and Queen , three Kingdomes , so renownd , Nobles and Senate , thus , to strike and stroy , By pouder them to spoyle with great annoy ; Or that Christs glorious , sacred body and blood , His holy , yea most holy Supper shou'd By such damn'd unbidden guests be ' taminated So base a band to be conglutinated , And link't , thereby , with such vile vehemence , To perpetrate that Stygian foule offence . The Pristine Poets us'd in verse to sing , The noble Gests of every Prince and King ; But , now , t is needfull , in this weedfull age , Wherin impiety and vice do rage , Yea and all too-too little to declare The hatefull times and crimes which most rife are ; Whose monstrousnes to paint to publike sight , The true relation would passe credit , quite . For to these stains , worthy eternall shame , Add this , a peece of these sweet fathers frame ; I mean Equivocation , Equivocation . which they use , Mens understanding , neatly , to abuse . T is , doubtlesse , Gyges-ring , for , hereby , they Though captivated , can themselvs convay ; And with a tricke , which Jesuites use to try , They can delude and few can them descry . They 'll smooth and sooth , and one thing to you say , And yet their heart goes clean another way . This ambiguity was Apollo's art , Vnder whose name the Divell play'd his part . Even Tully may these Priests well reprehend , By whom , such lamb-skind wolvs are oft condemnd Who , if he ( now ) liv'd , ô how 's eloquence Would thunder-out Loiola's impudence ! Satan , that subtill Serpent did them teach , This lying-art ; they n'ere heard Christ so preach . Are not these , thē , Roms white-divels ? fie for shame . Nought , but bare outsides ; their best-part , their name ? Beleeve me , for , Christs sacred-writ most true , ( If , truth it be , as t is . ) This truth doth shew ; Their practise smelleth of a fugitive , Or Divell ; or ( surely ) I am not alive . What was the Divell ? a lyer , homicide ; What 's he ? a sly-dissembler , regicide And with just reason , The kings Evill . may this Jesuite-divell , Most properly be called the Kings-evill . If , then , affinity of manners vile , If just proportion of like fraud and guile , If deeds so consonant and disposition , To practise ' greeable , may with permission , Availe to prove a truth , then , Magog , know , These do a great part of thy warrfare show , And palpably declare to th' truly-wise , This off-spring did from thee , their Father , rise . Avaunt you locusts ; hence you spawn of hell , From whose black-smoake , you are descended wel . If still you will the name of Jesus take , Let all men know you do it only make A cloake to hide your knavery ; for , you are But gray-wolves , bearing in your front a star . And since you plead ●ntiquity , with flights , We 'll justly call you jugling Gibeonites . Instead of Jesus , Gibeonites . take you Judas name , Your hatefull-lives will best befit the same . For by your works we perfectly do find , No part , with Christ , is unto you assign'd . FINIS . An oenigmaticall-Riddle to Romes Iesuiticall black-Crows , who pretend themselves to be religions white-Swans . A Bird of late , When birds could prate , Said , black 's the Crow . The Crow repli'de , Told him he ly'd , And 't was not so . Mine eyes , quoth he Shall witnesse be That I am fair ; The Swan so white , And Snow most bright , Foule to me are . The bird again , Laughing amain , Said , strange t is not , For ones own-eye Cannot espy The stain or spot , Which its-own face Doth much disgrace , And vilifie . This matter , straight , To arbitrate , The Eagle high , Their King , they move ; Who ( soon ) doth prove This folly great . A mirrour fair Bids them prepare Both large and neat . The Crow it took , Therin to look , Wheron he gaz'd On 's shape most true And proper-hew Which he so prais'd . Then with great shame He much did blame His own blear-eyes ; And all there by , Did laugh full high , And 's pride despise . FINIS . A Paraphrasticall Psalm of thanksgiving for Englands most happy-deliverance from the most horrible intended Gun-pouder Treason , practised by the Synagogue of Satan , the Romish Babylonians ; and fitted to one of the familiar Tunes of Davids Psalmes , to be sung November the 5th . Psalm 124. King DAVID against the Philistims . King JAMES against the Antichristians . IF great JEHOVAH had not stood assistant on our side , May England say , most thankfully & bin our guard & guide : If heavens Almighty Lord himself had not our cause maintain'd When men , yea , most blood-thirsty men our downfall had ordain'd . Then had their Antichristian rage and hellish policy Devoured us with greedy-jaws , and swallowed sodainly : Then like huge over-flowing floods , which proudly swel & roar , They all our souls orewhelmed had and spoyl'd in flames and gore . Our royall King , the Queen and Prince , and princely Progeny , Our prudent Counsellors of State , and prime Nobility : Our learned Judges , Prelates all , best Commons of the Land , In Parliament by pouder fierce had perisht out of hand . Romes raging streams with roaring noise and Popish cruelty Had all at once ingulft our souls in matchlesse misery . They dig'd a mine & delved deep , in hope to hurt their brother , But they did fall into the pit that they had made for other . For , as a bird out of a snare by furious Fowlers made , Doth safely scape ; even so our souls securely did evade . Their net was broke , themselvs were caught , our God that nere doth sleep In heaven did sit & see & smile , & us in saf'ty keep . This was the Lords most worthy work , this was the Lords own fact And 't is most wonderous to behold this great and glorious act . This is the joyfull day indeed , which God for us hath wrought , Let us be glad and joy therin , in word , in deed , in thought . O let us never make an end to magnifie Gods name , To blesse the Lord our staffe and stay , to sound abroad his fame : To tell to all posterity , what wonders God hath wrought , To save us from the woes which Rome and Spain against us sought . All glory ( then ) to God on high , let men and Angels sing , Let heaven and earth and all therin give glory to heavens king : And sing and say with heart & voice all honour , laud & praise , To God who makes us thus rejoyce . So be it , Lord , alwaies . Omnis gloria solius est Domini . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A86261e-490 * Hos. 7. 4 , 6 , 7. D. Baker a late most impudent Apostate , who would not license this my Historie , because , as he said , we were not so angrie with the Papists now a dayes ( though wee never had greater cause than in these our daies ) as they were 20. or 30. yeers agoe , and one Mr. Crosfield a Senior fellow of Queenes Colledge in Oxford , could not ( as he endeavoured ) get it licensed for the Presse there . Nor could Mr. Daniell ▪ Cambridge Printer ( who would have printed it there ) get it licensed at Cambridge , Dr. Brumrick being then Vicechan . O tempora ! O mores ! Notes for div A86261e-1700 a In the time of King Hen. 8th . b In the time of Q. Elizabeth . c In the time of K. Iames . * Iesuitas Notes for div A86261e-8570 * The Pope . The Whore of Rome makes her complaint to her first born Son Treason . * The Divell . * The Pope . * Fauks is not heere first mentioned , as the prime Authour ; but because hee was so inhumane as to be the fatall actor of this intended Tragedy , for Catesby ( as is afterward showne ) was the first authour of this Pouder-treason . * Thomas Winter was sent into Spaine in Qu. Eliz. dayes by Catesby an arch-traitor . Q. Elizabeth . * Sol occubuit , nox nulla secuta est . * K. Iames They send againe to the King of Spain . The King of Spaine refuseth to aid them . The traitors sit in counsell to plot a treason . Catesby begins . 4 Motives to the plot Encouragements to treason . Coacta fides vix vera fides . Bloudy builders of a bloudy Church Psa. 83. Diverse treasons projected * Catesby . Catesby strikes the stroake . The Parliament-House . Gun-pouder . Catesbies opinion approved by them all . Fauks . Garnet & Gerrard , Priests . They sweare secrecy and constancy in the businesse . They receive the Sacrament for more full assurance . Catesby to Garnet . Nocents and innocents . Garnet to Catesby . Garnets simile . Garnets doctrine compared with Christs doctrine . Garnets opinion confirms all . Fauks is sent to the Pope . Fauks returnes home . They begin to undermine the Parliament . They find a thicke stone-wal A Cellar hired . S. Everard Digby . A consultation among the Traitours touching the Kings children . The provision of Gun-pouder & instruments of destruction . The 5th of November A briefe description of the most lamentable effects of the plot had it taken effect . Simile . Nero's wish . Suppose the deed done . Londons misery . An introduction to the discovery of the plot . GOD speaks to his Angel . * Rome . * The Pope . * Traitors * The Parliament house . Lord Mounteagle A Letter . The Lord Mounteagles serving-man . The Angell to Lo. Morley . The Lord Mounteagle goes to Court with the Letter . The Lords K. Iames . * Magna licet nunquam nocuit cautela monarchi● . The letter expounded by the King . A search . Sr Thomas Knevet sent to search . Fauks is apprehended at the Cellar doore . The pouder is discovered . Fauks his impudency . Six observations or aggravations . 1. Men . 2. Beasts . 3. Insensible things . 4. Fire and water . 5. Fire . 6. Gun-pouder . The three children in the fiery fornace . Another observation of the impossibility to escape the blow . Fauks is imprisoned . The report of the treason spread abroad . Fauks his most impudent behaviour at the Court . Fauks sent to the Tower . Frighted with the rack . Conference in the Towr twixt Winter & Fauks . Tressams perjury . Percy and Catesby staid about Westminster to see the issue . Dunchurch heath . Venatio Catholica A holy Hunt. A description of their pretended hunt . A prettie note by the way of a Country-mans suspition of these hunters . Another suspition . Venamur religionem Sr. Ever . Digby . Catesby & Percy came to the traitors with the newes of the discovery of their treason . The traitors are amazed . Percies oration . They put themselvs into open rebellion . Garnets opinion . Greenwels resolution Hall a Iesuite . Horrible impudence in holy Iesuites . A monstrous lye . Hall the Priest his divellish change & judgment on the fact Hamon the Jesuite gives the traitors absolutiō . Romish Martyrs . * When the Steed is stolne , shut the Stable doore . Grants attempt . Sr. Fulke Grevill . A Smith smites Winter . S Richard Verney . The Lord Harringtō . The city of Coventry . The Citizens comfort the Lady . Littletons house is their Sconce . Sir Rich. Walsh besiegeth them . A fore-running judgment . A tray of pouder set on fire . In quo peccavimus , in eodem plectimur . Winters dream . Seeming remorse in the traitors . Perillus. The traitors grow desperate . They now fight pell mell Rookwood and Winter are shot , and both the Wrights are slain . Catesby , Percy and Winter fight all three together . Simile . Percy and Catesby are slain . Simile . The traitors apprehended . Winter wounded in the belly . The traitors are conveyed to London . Their arraignment . Catesbies and Percies heads are set on the Parliament house . Malum confilium consultori pessimum . Empedocles . Achabs . Note this remarkable observation . Note this . The Divell to the traitors in hell . Mark this . * This hath bin most fully confirmed by Satan and his Agents , our Church & State projectors , in this lately discovered plot , by our blessed Parliament , 1641. which would have far transcended this of the Pouder-plot had it taken effect . O the desperate invētiōs of mans more than divelish heart ! * Hos ô rex magne caveto . A grateful returne to the Lord our sole deliverer . Simile . A prayer for the King and State . A recapitulation of Romes abominations . England the Land-marke of all Gods mercies . The Armado in 88. The Barons wars . Treasons against Q. Elizabeth . The pestilence in Ao . 1628. Feare of famine . England like unto Canaan . Manna . Justice . The Popish pouder-plot . England too justly taxed with ingratitude Deus nobis haec otia fecit . An exhortation to give al the praise to God alone 
A01472	----	Great Brittans little calendar: or, Triple diarie, in remembrance of three daies Diuided into three treatises. 1. Britanniæ vota: or God saue the King: for the 24. day of March, the day of his Maiesties happy proclamation. 2. Cæsaris hostes: or, the tragedy of traytors: for the fift of August: the day of the bloudy Gowries treason, and of his Highnes blessed preseruation. 3. Amphitheatrum scelerum: or, the transcendent of treason: the day of a most admirable deliuerance of our King ... from that most horrible and hellish proiect of the Gun-Powder Treason Nouemb. 5. Whereunto is annexed a short disswasiue from poperie. By Samuel Garey, preacher of Gods Word at Wynfarthing in Norff. Garey, Samuel, 1582 or 3-1646. 1618 Approx. 758 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 149 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A01472 STC 11597 ESTC S102859 99838621 99838621 3006 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A01472) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3006) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 958:03) Great Brittans little calendar: or, Triple diarie, in remembrance of three daies Diuided into three treatises. 1. Britanniæ vota: or God saue the King: for the 24. day of March, the day of his Maiesties happy proclamation. 2. Cæsaris hostes: or, the tragedy of traytors: for the fift of August: the day of the bloudy Gowries treason, and of his Highnes blessed preseruation. 3. Amphitheatrum scelerum: or, the transcendent of treason: the day of a most admirable deliuerance of our King ... from that most horrible and hellish proiect of the Gun-Powder Treason Nouemb. 5. Whereunto is annexed a short disswasiue from poperie. By Samuel Garey, preacher of Gods Word at Wynfarthing in Norff. Garey, Samuel, 1582 or 3-1646. [8], 239, [7], 241-279, [3] p. Printed by Iohn Beale for Henry Fetherstone, and Iohn Parker, London : 1618. "Cæsaris hostes", "Amphitheatrum scelerum", and "A short dissvvasiue from poperie" eavh have separate dated title page; pagination and register are continuous. The last leaf is blank. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Gunpowder Plot, 1605 -- Early works to 1800. Gowrie Conspiracy, 1600 -- Early works to 1800. 2007-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-01 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-04 John Latta Sampled and proofread 2007-04 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Great Brittans little Calendar : OR , TRIPLE DIARIE , In remembrance of three daies . Diuided into three Treatises . 1. Britanniae vota : or God saue the King : for the 24. day of March , the day of his Maiesties happy proclamation . 2. Caesaris Hostes : or , The Tragedy of Traytors : for the fift of August : the day of the bloudy Gowries Treason , and of his Highnes blessed preseruation . 3. Amphitheatram Scelerum : or , The Transcendent of Treason : the day of a most admirable deliuerance of our King , Queene , Prince , Royall Progeny , the Spirituall and Temporall Peeres and Pillars of the Church and State , together with the Honorable Assembly of the representatiue Body of the Kingdom in generall , from that most horrible and hellish proiect of the Gun Powder Treason . Nouemb. 5. Whereunto is annexed a short disswasiue from Poperie . By SAMVEL GAREY , Preacher of Gods Word at Wynfarthing in Norff. LONDON , Printed by Iohn Beale for Henry Fetherstone , and Iohn Parker . 1618. NOBILISSIMO , ET Honoratissimo Domino , GEORGIO Marchioni Buckingamiensi , Baroni de Whaddon , Regio Hipparcho , praenobilis Equestris Orcinis periscelidis Sodali , à Secretioribus Regijs Consiliario &c. Pietate , & virtute clarissimo , Bonarum Artium admiratori , & Patrono , Domino mihi vnicê colendo . INter praeclaros Dominos quos Anglia plaudit , praecipuum retines ordine , honore locum . Nobilis es animo , virtute notabilis omni , dotibus excellens ingenij , & genij . Omnibus heroûm Splendescis laudibus , omnes admirantur , amant , magnificant que , colunt . Inter praecones , quorum sacra buccina cantat laudes condignas , infimus ipse sono . Primus at in votis , sipossim , posse sed imus , in votis primus , voce sed imus ego , Primus an imus ero ? placidâ cape mente laborum primitias , humili dat mea musa manu . Honori Tuo addictissimus , obseruantissimusque ; Samuel Garey . TO THE RIGHT Honorable , George Lord Marquesse of Buckingham , Maister of his Maiesties Horse , Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter , &c. LYeurgus enioyned the people to offer little Sacrifices vnto their Gods , for ( saith hee ) they respect more the inward affection , then the outward Action : So in a Dedicatory imitation , I presume to present this little sacrifice of my future seruice , ( oh were it worthy of your Honors acceptance ) vnto your Honorable selfe , hoping your Honor will more regard the inward deuotion , then the outward Oblation : and happy is this little labour , if it may merit the portion of your Noble protection , much more of your Approbation , that so being graced with the mild aspect of so propitious , and Noble a starre of Honor , it may be the more welcome to the world ; and others inuited to read it for your Honors sake , though not for the worke sake . And vnder whose Honorable shadow may this Treatise , Britanniae vota , or , God saue the King , more surely , and safely shelter , then vnder yours , who night and day deuoutly say , and pray , God saue the King : whose approoued fidelity in Kings-seruice hath mooued God and the King to promote you to great dignity , which you grace with such Christian , yet Courtly humility , that both in Church , Court , and Country , you are highly and worthily honored : Heerein your Honor followes those Noble patternos Celarinus , and Aurelius of whom S. Cyprian writes , * In quantum gloria sublimes , in tantum vereoundia humiles , dum nihil in honore sublimius , nibil in humilitate submissius . Proceede ( most Honorable ) with such pious Graces , and Christian vertues to adorne your eternall minde . Emeliore luto finxit praecordia Titan. Your excellent eminency in the endowments of Nature and Grace , in whom vertue , valour , beauty and bounty , Armes and Arts are conioyned , hath made all men ioyfully congratulate the amplification of your deserued Honor , whose merits march with your pursuits : So that not onely genus , but genius , makes you Nobilem , & Notabilem . Vndemagis , magtsque viri nunc gloria claret . The world bestowes vpon you that worthy , not vndeserued , Character of vertue , free from the aspersion of Court staines , that I may borrow the Poets verse to put you on in your vertuous progresse : Quô tuate virtus ducit , ipedefausto , Grandia laturus meritorum praemia . — Accept into your Honorable Patronage according to your accustomed gentlenesse , this weake Worke of your deuoted seruant , who craues pardon for this ambition , in desiring to obtaine your Noble fauour and protection , imitating Aeschines to Socrates hauing ; no meete thing to gratifie your Honor withall , I am willing to giue that I haue , euen my selfe : who will alwayes desire to be at your Honors seruice , — Donec haurietomnes Xanthi Phoebus aquas . And euer will pray to God , to giue you happy increase of fauour with God and men , and that your Noble name and same , may long flourish on earth , and be eternally blessed in heauen . Stet Domus hac , donec fluctus formica marinos Ebibat & totum Testudo perambulet orbem . For which multiplication of grace in this life , and consummation of glory in the other , my humble prayers are , and euer shall be powred forth to God for your good Honors great happinesse in either World. At your Honors seruice , and commandement I rest euer in all duty , Samuel Garey , TRI — VNI DEO Votiua Britannica Tria . QVod varijs Triplicem Regem ( Deus alme ) perîclis incolumem liberes in columen patriae : Caelesti vt Regitriplices tria munera Reges * * Aurum , Thus , Myrrham , Symbola sacra ferunt : Sic ( ter-Magne Deus ) tua magna Britannia sacrat officio summo Trina sacrificia : Aurum , firma fides ; Thus , est tibi victima laudis ; optima Myrrha tibi , flere , dolere mala . Aurum , Thus , Myrrham : Credendo , precando , dolendo : Turba Britanna sonat , credo , precor , doleo : Credo , precorque Deum gentis peccata dolenda condonare ? fides , laus , dolor : ista Deo. Samuel Garey . 24 Martius , 5 Augustus , notusque 5 Nouember in annos , omnibus Angligenis candida festa bonis : Martius , Augustus , quintusque Nouembris ab Anglis sint semper precibus festa sacrata pijs . S. G. To the Christian Reader , sauing Grace . READER , accept this imperfect worke with as thankefull an hand , as it is offered with afaithfull hart : if any thing in it please thee , giue God the praise ; let none of his glory cleaue to vs earthen Instruments . Si quid in hoc ( Lector ) placet , assignare memento * Id Domino , quicquid displicet , hocce mihi . I cannot expect , or hope for in this criticall Age , but that this Booke will fall into the hands of Carpus , as Paul left his Cloake , Bookes , and Parchments with him at Troas : 2 Tim. 4. 13. Yet against the scourge of maleuolent tongues , I am armed with patience , and doe put on the resolution of Epictetus , Si recte facis , quid eos vereris qui non recte reprehendunt , If thou doest well , what needest thou feare them who say ill ? and as Martiall said to Laelius ; Carpere vel noli nostra , vel ede tua . And there are many enuious drones , who neither like to labour themselues , or loue that others should bring any hony to Hiue : but , Vindico me ab illis Solo contemptu : Among the Popish Sectaries this worke will find an harsh incounter ; yet God is my Record , I haue not ( to my knowledge ) wronged them , their owne writings , Axioms , and Actions , haue ( as it were with a line ) chalked mee out the way , wherein I haue walked . The Romish Iesuites I know will raile , and rage at it , whose censure I regard , not as Cicero censured of a Gentlewomans dancing ; The better the worse : but of their censure I say , The worse , the better : Malis displicere , laudari est saith Seneca , * to displease ill men , finds praise with good men . Onely I craue a fauourable and friendly acceptance of the iudicious , sober , and indifferent Reader , acknowledging this labour required more maturity , retired , and second thoughts , then my publick and priuate paines in my ministery could affoord me : so that , Festinans canis caecos parit catulos ; This worke is not ( as it were ) Elephantis partus Long in conceiuing , breeding , and bringing forth . It is rather vrsi partus , An vnformed Embrio , some bred , and brought to light . Whatsoeuer it is , reade it ouer , before you iudge ; and then say with the sonne of Syracke , * Behold , I haue not laboured for my selfe onely , but for all them that seeke wisdome . If men lacke this labour , it shall not much hurt me ; if praise it , their praises are but Apocriphal : * for I passe not for mans iudgement ; if the Lord praise it , it will be then praise-worthy . Bonum est laudari , sed praestantius est esse laudabilem , saith * Seneca ; It is good to be praised , but it is better to be praise-worthy . Farewel , and helpe me with thy mutuall prayers , and follow it with thy practise ; and so I commit it to thy Christian Conscience , and thy Conscience to God. Thine euer in the Lord , SAMVEL GAREY . Ad Authorem . CAelica vota Deo pro Rege inserta Libello , Omnibus insculpat mentibus illa Deus . Summa Salus Regis , Regni sacra vota Britanni , Vt longê Laehesis regia fila trahat . Fundunt vota Patres , proceres , plebs , vine Iacobe , Dulce Decus populi praesidium patriae : Hoc diadema diutene as cum prole perenni , Nati & natorum Sceptra Britanna regant . Prodiat hic labor , & si liuor mordeat illum , Liuoris dentes frauget & iste labor . Prodiat hic Liber , & si liuor perdere tentet , Ipsum liuorem destruet iste Liber . S. W. Sacrae Theol. Doct. Britanniae Vota , OR God saue the King. For the Kings day , the 24. day of March. This is the day of our King. Hosea 7. 5. This day is a day of good tidings , and wee hold our peace . 2 Kings 7. 9. CHAP. I. IOASH the sonne of Ahaziah , being hidde by Iehosheba the daughter of King Ioram , sixe a yeares in the house of the Lord ; because bloudy Athaliah , the mother of Ahaziah , whom b Iehu killed , had destroyed all the Kings seede of the house of Iuda , excepting onely Ioash , whom Iehosheba the wife of Iehoiadah the Priest had preserued : In the c seauenth yeare Iehoiadah the Priest seeing Athaliah to vsurpe the Crowne , calls forth the Captaines , and gathers the Leuites out of all the Cities of Iudah , and the chiefe Fathers of Israel to d Ierusalem : and hauing first bound them with an e oath of Allegiance , then presents vnto them the sacred spectacle of their Regall Soueraigne ; Ecce filius f regis regnabit , Behold , the Kings sonne must reigne . He sets a g watch , and guard to secure and safe-guard him . Lo how dangerous is the chaire of State : all like officious Subiects stand to withstand the treachery of Traitors ; then in a regall Solemnitie they bring forth the Kings Son ( the ioy & Iubilie of al their harts ) the wished & welcome progeny of Iehoshaphat , descended longo de stemmate regum , of an ancient line of Princedome : they put the Crowne vpon his head , they giue him the testimony , they h make him King , i Iehoiada and his sonnes annoint him , they all clapt their hands for ioy , and with their hands their hearts , and with their hearts their tongues , till their many , yet vnited voices euen reuerberate the aire with this heauenpiercing eccho , this eucharistique gratulation ; God saue the King. So when the daies of that admired * Queene ( O quam te memorem virgo ? ) were on earth concluded , our late deceased Soueraigne Queene k Elizabeth ( of most famous and blessed memorie ) then the Foxes of Babilon , who had lyen in ho●es XLIIII yeares , began to threaten , as Esau did his brother , l The daies of mourning for my father will come shortly , then will I stay my brother Iacob : the day of her death the dawning of their desire : for then they thought , like Bustards in a fallow field , to raise vp themselues vi turbinis ; the Papists hoped then to haue raised their religion by a whirle-wind of rebellion , but our pacator orbis , which was Constantines praise and title , frustrated their bloudy hopes : and as Paterculus saith of the Romane Empire after Augustus death , that there was great expectation of much troubles , but , tanta fuit vnius viri maiestas , vt nec bonis , neque contra malos opus foret armis ; there was so great a Maiestie in one man , that there was no vse of Armes for good men , or against bad men ; So the great Maiesty of our succeeding Soueraigne King Iames , as learned , vertuous , and religious a Prince as any vnder m the roofe of Heauen , calmed all the stormes , and imaginary tempests which were feared and expected ; so that the world did see , Sol occubuit , nox nulla secuta est : Our Sunne did set , and yet no night did follow : the enemies of England saw it then to their griefe , who hoped that when the Sunne went downe , some erraticall starre should shine ; but still the Planet keepes his course , Phoenix-like a new , and yet the same renewed : So that Pythagoras transmutation herein holds , eadem anima in nouo corpore , an alteration in sexe , yet of the same condition : both peerelesse Paragons , and princely patternes for the perfection of Princes . To leaue the one , who now liues a glorious Queene in Heauen , behold our dread Soueraigne , the Augustus of this latter world ; — praeteritis melior , venientibus author : a King not onely virorum , but sacrorum , a defender of men , and Defender of the Faith , Rex idem hominum , Christique sacerdos . Now to our great ioy , and comfort of great Britannye , his Maiesties happie and auspicious day of that most welcomed & applauded proclamation ( God saue King Iames ) hath annually xv times rowsed , and reuiued — toto diuisos orbe Britannos . The n remembrance of the blessings it hath brought by Gods great mercy with it , both spirituall and temporall , should mooue all that liue vnder the wings of his peaceable dominions , to lift vp harts and hands to the King of Kings , to multiply his daies as the daies of Heauen , to saue him from all conspiracies , treasons and rebellions , to pray for him , as the Christians prayed in old time for their Kings yet heathens , wishing them vitam prolixam , imperium securum , domum tutam , exercitus fortes , senatum fidelem , as Tertullian writes , o A long life , a quiet Empire , a safe Court , strong Armies , a faithfull Counsell ; yea with Dauid p , that God would clothe all his enemies with shame , but vpon him his Crowne to flourish . Let the vnited voices of his Maiesties populous Kingdomes send vp to Heauen their cordiall and continuall acclamations , God saue the King ; let the eccho resound in Heauen as seruently , as the noyse of the Romanes did in applause of Flaminius , generally calling him , Sauiour , Sauiour ; the noyse whereof was so violent and vehement , that ( as Plutarch q writes ) it made the fowles of the ayre fall downe dead : or as the r people of Israel did to Salomon , when he was created King in Gihon , and anointed there by Zadock with an horne of oyle taken out of the Sanctuary , the s people piped with pipes , and reioyced with great ioy , so that the earth rang with the sound of it , t blowing their trumpets and saying , God saue King Salomon . So let all the people within his Highnes Dominions lift vp their hearts and hands , blow their trumpets , ring their bels , frequent their Churches , saying and praying , God saue the King Corporally , Spiritually , Politically . CHAP. II. AND surely we are fallen vpon the times , wherein by some , rebellion is counted a spice of deuotion ; Traytors encalendred for Saints or Martyrs : — vis proditoria nomine vocatur nou● , Romana virtus . In the Iesuites Schoole nothing is so rife as the theoricke and practicke of Princes Murther . Mariana u prescribes to Traytors rules and cautions for poysoning Kings , and highly commends King-killers , praeclare cum * rebus humanis ageretur si multi It were a merry world if there were many of that kinde : so Six●us Quintus makes a long oration to praise that Frier who killed Henry the third the French King , stiling it rarum , inanditum , memorabile facinus . Dolman , Cymanea , Rosseus , Fewardentius , Bellar. Becanus , Suares and others hold the like traiterous assertions , Subditos posse depriuare reges à Papa excommunicatos , vita & regno : Subiects may depriue Kings of their liues and kingdomes ; thinking of Kings royall bloud , as Maximinus x said of Christians bloud , Christianorum sanguinem dijs victimam esse omnium gratissimam ; the Christians bloud is the most acceptable sacrifice to God : as Seneca falsly thought , that there is no sacrifice more acceptable to God then a Tyrant offered in sacrifice ; and most wickedly Guignard called the murder of Henry the French King by poysoned kniues , committed by two Iacobin Friers , heroicumfactum , & donum spiritus sancti , A most heroycall Act , and the gift of the holy Ghost . So that the vpstart Champions of the Church of Rome , hauing contemned Gods precept , Nolite tangere &c. y Touch not my annointed , and both by pen and practise labouring to be the Deuils empericks to let out the bloud of Kings ; it is the duty of all good Subiects duely and daily to pray vnto God , to reueale and reuenge all the mischiefes and machinations of the sonnes and seruants of the purple whore z which is drunken with the bloud of Saints , and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Christ Iesus ; a Purpurati pontificij omnium matuum authores sunt , &c. The purple Romanists haue bin the prime instruments of most pernicious actions . And therefore let all the people of great Britanie ioyne as their loyall obedience bindes them to their necessary seruice ) both in hearts and voyces to almighty God , ( the protector of Kings ) to b find out all his enemies and make them like a fiery ouen in the time of his anger , to confound all their conspiracies , making them like the grasse c on the house tops , which withereth before it come forth ; saying and praying ; God saue the King. CHAP. III. THE causes and motiues to induce all good subiects to this Christian seruice and loyall duty ( to pray continually for the preseruation of the King ) be many and manifold ; I will but touch some of them , and leaue the rest to Christian rememberance : for Breuitas sermone tenexda . The first is the Apostle a Pauls precept , ante omnia , before all , that Supplications , Prayers and Intercessions , and giuing of thankes bee made for Kings &c , and renders a powerfull motiue to perswade all , consisting of three benefits b arising from it : 1. a quiet and peaceable life : 2. in all godlinesse and honesty : 3. this is good and acceptable in the sight of God ; The Kings preseruation is our preseruation , his welfare is the weale of our Common-wealth ; reip . foelicit as non potest esse absque Principis foelicitate , saith Plinie , c A Country is vnhappy vnder an vnhappie King ; so that if people desire to liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty , let them like dutifull members pray for the prosperity of the supreame head , for if he fall vpon the rockes , they are like to come to ruine : Vt ratis in scopulos errat peritura latentes , Nullus vbi celsa puppe magister adest : As a shippe whose Pilot perisheth , is driuen vpon the rocks , and so is cast away ; euen so , how can the shippe of State sayle with a prosperous winde , whose regall Pilot suffers ship wracke ? Regall aduersity is the harbenger of popular calamity , wherefore if Subiects desire to be happy themselues , let them continually pray for the happinesse of their Soueraign , whose prosperity is the Axis or Cardo , the very foundation of their temporall felicity . 2 Motiue is the great difficultie in the right managing of the regall office , and therefore had need to be assisted with the frequent and feruent prayers of the people , imploring diuine wisedome , to direct the heart of their Soueraigne , for it is Ars artium , the Art of Arts , rightly to rule and gouerne common-wealths ; this many-headed multitude so diuided in Faction and action , scarce two , quibus vna vox , aut votum , of one minde or mould ; Peace pleaseth Cato , Warre Pompey : the Souldier cries Arma virumque cano ; The Merchant , da pacem Domine : Brutus desires a Common-wealth , Caesar a Monarchy , Ciceroes counsell is , seruiendum tempori , but Lentulus thinkes that the voice of a flatterer ; in the d popular sort , as many heads as hearts , Scinditur incertum Studia in contrariavulgus : So that to reconcile , and to reclaime to vnitie and vnanimity this Babell of men , had need of e Iethroes head ; Be wise O yee Kings , and learned yee that are Iudges of the earth , f saith Dauid : they had need of great wisedome who are rulers of such popular flocks ; and therefore Salomon shewed himselfe wise , who in the entrance into his regall throne g craued of God wisedome , and knowledge to iudge the great people ; that I may say with the son of wisedome , h If your delight be then in Thrones and Scepters , O Kings of the people , honor wisedome , that you may reigne for euer . Dauids prayer should be the supplication of all Kings ; difficilis est gubernatio mea , ne me deseras domine senem . The office of a King as it is glorious , so it is i laborious ; Caesar sleepes not all the night but makes a Tripartite diuision of it ; one part to rest , the second part to studie , the third part to military matters ; Agesilaus had no leisure to be sicke ( as hee said ) such was his regall imployments ; The regall Diademe is subiect to sundry cares , which moued Tigranes King of Armenia , to say that if the perils and perplexities which accompany it , were duelie weighed , Nemo coronaem humi iacentem tolleret : None would lift vp the Crowne to the crowne of his head . Indeed the Crowne brings content , commaund , pleasure , profit : Iuvenal : Quicquid conspicuū est pulerumque ex aequore toto resfisciest , vbicunque natat : What delicates soeuer the world affords , the Crowne commands , but withall , many perils and cares wait vpon the Crowne , night and day troubled with publique affaires , to preuent foes abroad , and foes at home ; wee of the inferiour ranke take our rest , when as they that sit at the sterne of State haue broken sleepes . And therefore as the k Apostle desires the Ephesians , to pray alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit , and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication , for all Saints , and for himselfe , that vtterance may bee giuen vnto him , to open his mouth boldly , to publish the secret of the Gospell ; so ought all good subiects to pray alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit , that God would enlarge with heauenly wisedome , the heart of our Soueraigne ( and the Kings l heart is in the hand of the Lord ) and furnish him with all blessed gifts , sutable to performe his royall Taske , making him as wise as m Salomon , as religious as n Dauid , and as zealous as the good King o Iosias ; defending him from all forraine , or domesticall conspiracies ; saying and praying , God saue the King. CHAP. IIII. AND truely there be fiue things ( to name no more ) which all good Subiects owe vnto their Soueraigne : 1. is Prayer . 2. Obedience . 3. Honor. 4. Seruice . 5. Tribute . And if any subiect denie any one of these , the King may take him by the throat and say a Solue quod debes , Pay that thou owest . 1. First is Prayer ; to pray for the Kings preseruation on earth , and saluation in Heauen . The heathen Chaldeans may learne Christians this lesson , who cryed to their King b Nebuchadnezar , O King liue for euer . As King c Salomon prayed for his people , so ought his people pray for him , saying of their Lord the King , as King Dauid speaks of the Lord of Israel , Blessed d be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer ; and let all the people say Amen : saying to the King as Amasa and his company said to Dauid . e Thine are we O Dauid , and with thee O son of Ishai ; peace , peace be vnto thee , and peace be vnto thy helpers , for thy God helpeth thee . That tongue that will not pray for the peace , prosperity , and preseruation of their annointed Soueraigne , is such a tongue as the Apostle Iames f speakes of , fire , & a world of wickednesse , and is set on fire of hell : for , Iustus nunquam desinit orare , nisi desinit iustus esse , saith Austin , the iust man neuer ceases to pray , vnles he cease to be iust : much lesse should hee cease to poure forth feruent and faithfull supplications for the King , that vnder him wee may leade a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty . Such vngodly and vndutifull subiects as will not vnloose the strings of their tongues to pray for the safety and felicity of the King , wee wish that they were like the men at the riuer Ganges , who ( if wee credit the report of Strabo ) haue no tongues : g better it is to enter into the kingdome of Heauen losing a member , then hauing such an vngodly member to be cast into hel fire . But herein many times the tongue is more officious then the heart ; with tongue they cry Hosanna h , but in heart , like Iewes wish crucifige ; with a verball seruice many abound crying and cringing , Aue Rex ; but withall Aue Maria , and that will neuer make a good prayer . A King had need call to his subiects , as God to his seruants , i da mihi cor , giue me thy heart ; the world is full of faire tongues , but false hearts : none but the great searcher of the heart , hath a window in the heart to see who honour with lippes , and their hearts farre from him . So that Kings had need examine their Subiects as k Christ did Peter thrice , diligis me ? dost thou loue me ? The world hath bredde so many professors of the Popish doctrine of diuellish equiuocation , and so many Parasites profound in the Art of dissimulation , that many men are like Goodwin Sands , in dubiopelagi terraue , doubtfull whether belong to sea or land ; temporizers or neuters , like the l Church of Laodicea neyther hot nor cold , eyther Prince or Pope please them , they will heare a Masse next their heart for their morning sacrifice , and our Churches Sermon or Seruice for their euening Incense , like the Camelion — tetigit quoscunque colores : Assume any shape fashionable to the time : to whom God will one day say , Because thou art m luke-warme , neyther cold nor hot , I shall spue thee out of my mouth . I haue read n how a certaine King of Tartaria , writ to the Polonians then wanting a King , that if they would choose him their King , he would accept it vpon these termes , Vester pontifex , meus pontifex esto , vester Lutherus meus Lutherus esto ; but the Polonians reiected the request of this Luke-warme King ( and yet in Poland arc sundry religions , so that if a man haue lost his religion , he may finde it there ) with this wise and worthy answere , Ecce hominum paratum omnia sacra , & Deos deserere regnandi causa ; behold a man ready to forsake both God and Grace to get a Kingdome . Such as these study Machiauell more then the Gospell , o temporis liberalitate fruendum esse , fashion themselues to the fauourable fortune of the time , and thinke themselues happy ( as he p counts those Princes happie , illum felicem principem existimo , cuius in administrando consilia temporum conditioni respondent , whose counsels are successiuely correspondent to the condition of the times . ) The prayers of such temporizers ( whose tongues may flame , but their hearts are as cold a a stone ) are abhominable in the sight of God : Esto religiosus in Deum , qui vis illum Imperatori esse propitium , saith Tertullian q . The Lord is farre off from the wicked , but he heareth the prayers of the righteous , sayth r Salomon ; God will not heare the prayers of these Church-neuters , no more then the Idolatrous Iewes , s Though they cry in my eares with a loud voice , yet will I not heare them . And therefore that we may performe our first bounden duety vnto the King , acceptable vnto the King of Kings , in making harty and humble praiers for the protection and preseruation of his Maiestie , let all the people in his Realme from high to low , from great to small , doe this comfortable and Christian seruice fe●uently , feelingly and faithfully vnto the Lord night and day crying and crauing , God saue the King. The Lord hath commaunded this duety to pray not onely for good Kings , but euen for badde Kings . When Paul gaue that Apostolicall counsell , 1 Timothie , z. 1. 2. to pray for Kings , Caligula , Claudius , or Nero , most bloudy Pagan Emperours then raigned . t Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezar King of Babilon , and for the life of Balthasar his sonne , that their daies might be on earth as the daies of heauen ; So the u Lord commanded the Iewes to pray for the peace of the City of Babilon , where Nebuchadnezar raigned . If then the Lord charge and command to pray for such Gouernors as were Pagans , Persecutors , Idolaters , Infidels ; how deuoutly & deepely are all loyall subiects bound to pray and to praise God for the blessed gouernment of Zealous & Christian Kings , and to beseech God with prostrate soules to defend their Soueraignes from all the trecherous traynes and rebellious plots of forraine foes , or homeborne parricides , corner-creeping Iesuites and Iudasses , and to implore the hand of Heauen to sentinell ouer them ; and to endue them from aboue , with the gifts of knowledge , prudence , iustice , temperance , fortitude , clemency , with feruent zeale of Gods glory , loue to the Gospell , and neuer-ceasing care for the generall well-fare of their publike charge ? Let vs spend our spirits day and night in these prayers , that a gracious blessing may be euermore vpon our Soueraigne and his Seed , to prolong his daies with health and honour on earth , and with immortall happinesse in Heauen . Amen . CHAP. V. THE second generall duety of all subiects , is Obedience , and that before God a is better then sacrifice b The enemy opposite to Obedience is rebellion , compared by c Samuel to the sin of Witchcraft , the very Chaos of confusion , containing nothing else but mischiefe and murder , discord and desolation , — congestaque eodem Non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum : Ouid. As rebellion is most odious and detestable , so is obedience commendable and acceptable , and this is of three sorts : 1. Obedire Deo per hominem , 2. Obedire Deo , & homini , 3. Obedire Deo , potius quam homini . First obey God by man. 2. Obey God and man. 3 Obey God rather then man. Wee need not write how God is to be obeyed before all , and aboue all ; nullius prohibitio diuinis valet obuiare praeceptis , nullius iussio praeiudicare prohabitis : Gods Precepts may not be coūtermanded by mans prohibitions , nor Gods prohibitions , preiudiced by mans precepts : God is to be obeyed in euery thing , simpliciter ; man is to be obeied , secundum quid , respectiuely , so far as his commands be consonant to Gods Lawes . St Austin giues al a good rule for obedience ; bonis in malo scienter nō obedias , nec malis in bono cōtradicas , willingly & wittingly obey not good men in the performance of ill , nor disobey ill men commanding things good ; but God himselfe commands obedience to his e breathing Images , whom hee himselfe stileth f Gods ; the mortall pictures of immortall God ; Dexteri digiti diuinae manus , quae regit orbem , the right fingers of that heauenly hand which ruleth all : Reges sunt homines ante deum , g dei ante homines , saith Lactantius , Kings are men before God , and Gods before men . Astra Deo nihil maius habent , nil Caesare terra , Great is the glory of that God , who makes these Gods h . Quantus Deus est , qui Deos facit ? Austen . Imperator omnibus maior est , dum Deo solo minor est , saith * Tertullian . The Emperor is greater in dignity then all mortall men , onely inferiour to the immortall God ; and as h Cyrillus writes to Theodosius the younger , vestrae Serenitati nullus status est aequalis , No mortall state equall to your Excellence ; or as i Agapetus to the Emperour Iustinian , Se non habere quenquam in terris altiorem , None on the earth higher then himselfe : for as k Opiatus , Super imperatorem non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit imperatorem , Aboue the Emperor is none , but onely God that made the Emperour : or as St Chrysostome l speaking of the Emperour Theodosius ; Non habet parem vllum super terram summitas & caput omnium super terram hominum , He hath no equall vpon earth , the supreame head ouer all men on earth . Lo , now you Popes of Rome , where were your triple Crownes ? your Miters , if you had any , then stooped to the Scepters : then m Pauls precept was in date with you , Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers , which since you haue reiected , or neglected as Apocryphall : then n Gregories allegorie had beene a fond hyperbole , Ad firmamentam coeli , &c. in the firmament of heauen , that is , in the vniuersall Church , God made two great lights , that is , two great dignities , Pontificall and Regall ; that which rules the day , that is , spirituall things , is greater then that which rules the night , that is , carnall or temporall things : as great a difference as is twixt the Sun and the Moone , so great is there twixt Pope and Kings , saith Gregory . Indeed of latter times the Popes haue claimed a triple Crowne , Celestiall , Terrestriall , Infernall , intruding into the regall Chayre : forgetting o Bernards counsell to Pope Eugenius , Your authority stretcheth vnto crimes , not vnto possessions , wherefore doe you thrust your sickle into anothers haruest , or incroach vpon others limits ? now they vsurpe and arrogate a place of preheminence aboue Kings and Emperors : Diuisum imperium cum Ioue Papa tenet . Forgetting S. p Peters rule , though boasting of Peters right , Submit your selues vnto all manner of ordinance of man , for the Lords sake , whether it be vnto the King , as vnto the superiour &c. subijci domino temporali , propter dominum aeternum , as excellently Austen , q To submit themselues vnto Temporall Lords , for the eternall Lords sake . But leauing the fauourites and followers of that r great whore which sits vpon many waters , with whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth , and which hath shaken off the yoke of obedience from the Kings of the earth ; Let vs looke vpon that place of S. Peter , s exhorting all to obedience , Submit your selues &c. propounding certaine arguments or reasons to enforce it : t 1. propter dominum : for the Lords sake , Vt honoremus Deum , qui hanc obedientiam nobis praecipit ; that so we may honour God who hath commanded this obedience . 2. vt euitemus poenas violatae iustitiae ciuilis , that we may auoid the punishments of disobedience to the Magistrate , sent ad vltionem maleficorum , for the punishment of ill doers , v. 14. 3. vt adipiscamur laudem ac protectionem contra iniustos , that we may get praise and protection against the wicked by our obedience ; ad laudem recte agentium , v. 14. to the praise of them u that do well . So the Apostle Paul in that excellent Lecture of obedience , foreseeing that Citie would be the mother of rebellion , and that her Gouernour like the Prince of the Ayre should beare rule in the children of disobedience , layes downe a generall and substantiall foundation for obedience , Let euery soule &c. No * exception or exemption of Pope or Priest , * omnis anima &c. etiamsi Apostolus , Euangelista , Propheta , saith Saint Chrysostome vpon that place ; though an Apostle , an Euangelist or a Prophet , yet let him be subiect to the higher powers , which Augustine , Chrysostome , and the best Ancients confesse and affirme to be potestates saeculares , the secular powers , and so acknowledged by the Iesuite x Pererius , to be temporall powers : and the Apostle enforceth all to this obedience by three reasons . 1. Drawne , à causa procreante , the efficient or procreant cause of gouernment , For there is no power but of God , and the powers that bee , are ordained of God , vers . 1. 2. Drawne , ab effectu pernicioso , from the pernicious effect of disobedience , Whosoeuer resisteth power , resisteth the ordinance of God , and they that resist shall receiue to themselues condemnation , or iudgement , v. 2. 3. Taken A beneficio , or ab effectu vtili , from the benefit or profitable effect of obedience , For hee is the Minister of God for thy wealth , v. 4. Concluding that obedience is necessary , Non solum propter timorem sed propter conscientiam , v. 5. Not onely for feare , but for Conscience sake . So againe the Apostle y Paul layes downe his Apostolicall lesson to his sonne Titus . Put them in remembrance , or admonish them , that they be subiect to Princes or Principalities and powers , and that they be obedient &c. Nay indeed it is , naturae thesis , z natures theame to obey Princes , and of this theame Grace is the Hypothesis . Looke vpon the silly Bees , the best emblemes of obedient Creatures , painefull in their labour , dutifull in their life , their king being safe , they are all at vnity , Rege incolumi , mens omnibus vna ; Amisso , rupere fidem , constructaque mella destruere . — So long as their King is well , they follow their worke ; but being lost , they leaue and loath their Hony-combes , and when their king waxes olde and cannot flie , fert ipsum turba apum , they carry him on their wings , Et si moritur , a moriuntur & ipsae : And if hee die they die with him , as some write . Behold how nature hath stamped obedience by instinct to Bees , to bee subiect to a superiour in their kinde ; how much more should nature , reason , and grace , stampe obedience in the hearts of Christians , knowing that without a kingly gouernment , Kingdomes are thraldomes , remota iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia , saith b Austen , Take away Iustice , and what are kingdomes but dens of theeues ? Take away obedience to gouernment , and that were miscere terris Tartara , make earth and hell all one , but only in name . There is not wanting diuine precepts , or diuine patternes , to allure loyall obedience : take two in stead of many ; the first and best of all , our Sauiour Christ , c in whom God is well pleased : and the second , Dauid , d a man after Gods owne heart : Our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ ( yet God and man ) in the daies of his flesh disdained not to obey such as were in authority , e commanding to giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars , and paying f tribute to Caesar for himselfe and Peter , by the hands of Peter , though Peters supposed successors will pay none . And though our Sauiour Christ receiued manifold iniuries and indignities from vniust and faithlesse Gouernours , yet he neuer moued rebellion or resistance , but digested all with patience and obedience , knowing that the powers that be are ordained of God : telling Pilate that vniust Iudge , that his power was g Datadesuper , giuen him from aboue ; for the h rule is giuen of the Lord , and power of the most high : Deo obediendum est propter se , tanquam summo domino , magistratui propter deum tanquam illius ministro ; saith one , i God is to bee obeyed for himselfe , being chiefe Lord , the Magistrate is to bee obeyed for God , as being Gods Minister or deputie . So that the patterne of Christs obedience to temporall powers , must be our platforme of instruction in the duty of obedience . 2. Dauids obedience to King Saul is very commendable and remarkeable : Saul was a k Tyrant , & sought without cause or colour to kill Dauid ; yet Dauid often hazarded his life and limmes against Sauls enemies the Philistines , euermore testifying his prompt obedience and seruice to his Soueraigne ; and when this King Saul ( like that other l Saul ) breathing out threatnings and slaughter against Dauid , following him to the wildernesse of Engedi ( where Dauid vsed pia fallacia , hid himselfe in a m Caue ) and had opportunity to cut off Sauls head , as well as the lappe n of his garment ; or if hee were timorous to dip his hand in bloud , as once a Gregory o willed Sabinian to tell the Emperor , exciting him against the Lombards , Timeo Deum , & metuo habere manum in sanguine alicuius , I feare God , and am afraid to haue any hand in bloud : ( oh that Popes had now hearts like Gregory , fearefull to p shedde bloud ) if I say Dauid had such a qualme of feare come ouer his heart , lo , the q hands of his seruants ready to haue done it , and scarce could be kept from it , onely Dauid doth terrifie them from doing it : r The Lord keepe mee from doing that thing vnto my Master the Lords Anointed , to lay my hands vpon him , for he is the Lords Annointed . Dum timuit oleum seruauit inimicum , as excellently s Optatus , in fearing the annointing , he preserued his enemie . But after this obedient fidelity performed by Dauid to King Saul , behold the sicknesse of that Tyrant , suspition moues Saul still to persecute Dauid , the Ziphims t tell Saul , Dauid hides himselfe in the hill of Hachilah . In a worde , Dauid might haue killed Saul sleeping , or if hee would not himselfe do it , u Abishai offred his seruice , I pray thee let me smite him once with a speare to the earth , and I will smite him no more ; but stil see how obedience holds his hands and moues his tongue , Destroy * him not , for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annointed , and be guilt lesse ? And afterward Saul being slaine , and a certaine Amalckite hoping to haue beene a happy Post in telling x Dauid , Saul is dead , and shewing Dauid that hee hasted y Sauls death , ( though z Saul himselfe had acted the Prologue of his owne death , this made the Epilogue of his life ) and brought the Crowne in his hand , ( a tempting bait to gette praise or pardon ) yet all in vaine : how wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord ? saith a Dauid ; and commands his seruant to giue him legem talionis : to kill this King-killer , though by consent and intreaty . Sic pereant , & qui moliri talia pergunt . So let them perish , who such deeds doe cherish . What doe all these particulars summed vp together , but inferre this Ecce , b Behold a true Israelite in whom is no guile ; Behold a good Subiect in whom is no treason ? Dauid was not sicke of the Kings euill , Treason : he was not like the Popish Iesuites , who dispute against Kings altogether in Ferio ; labouring to verifie Iuuenals verse , Ad generum Cereris sine caede , & sanguine pauci — descendunt reges . — All their arguments and actions like Dracos lawes , bloody : but Dauid was not matriculated in the Schoole of Traytors ; euer obedient and loyall to his Soueraigne , faithfull in his obedience , aduenturing his body & blood for the seruice of Saul , in defence against his enemies , and might truly say with Scaliger in his warfare , for King Sauls welfare : Pugnaui pedes , eques , adolescens , iuuenis , miles , praefectus , certamine singulari , in obsidionibus , in campo ciuili , in excursionibus , in exercitibus saepius vici : aliquando victus sum , corpore , non animo , non virtute , sed facto , &c. As vertuous and valorous Scaliger writes of himselfe : so Dauid oftentimes fought against Sauls professed enemies , Goliah the Philistine , the Amalekites , &c : as from the seauenteenth Chapter of the first of Samuel , almost to the end of that Booke , is the very muster Booke of Dauids warres for Sauls welfare : so that I may say with c Toxaris , who seeing his Countryman Anacbarses in Athens , told him , that he would shew him all the wonders of Greece at once , viso Solone , vidisti omnia : so I may say , viso Dauide , vidisti satis . The obedience of Dauid to King Saul is sufficient to instruct a Subiect . Lucanus — Quid satis est ? si Romaparum ? If this be not sufficient , nothing will suffice ; but the enemies of Caesars will peraduenture reply and say ; God saue good Kings , but for bad Kings ( say they ) we pray God , or good men send them to their graues : and this doctrine de depositione regis , dispositione regni , aut depriuatione vitae , to depose a King , or dispose of his Kingdome , or depriue him of his life , if he be not ( as they count ) Catholicke , the resolute generation of martiall Ignatius Loyola d , ( their first Founder ) moderne Iesuites , doe with all might and maine labour to maintaine , & quod nequeant calamis , aut calumniis , veneficijs & parricidijs tentant : Where their Pens faile , their Pikes and Poysons follow ; we will but touch it now , for we shall handle it more at large hereafter . It is an easie taske to shew , that loyall obedience is to be performed to wicked Kings , as our former instances of the best note , Christs obedience , and Dauids obedience to Saul , make it manifest ; it is due to them , omni iure naturali , ciuili , morali , municipali , diuino ; by the law of nature , ciuill , morall , municipall , diuine : we will onely proue it due by the last , by diuine law ; if that proue it , who dare denie it ? The Apostle Rom. 13. 1 , makes the matter plaine . Let euery soule be subiect to the higher Powers , for there is no power but of God , &c : from which place I argue thus . All Powers that are ordained of God , must be obeyed : The higher Powers ( be they good or bad ) are ordained of God. Ergo — to be obeyed . VVe may corroborate these two propositions by manifold places , as Prouerbs 8. 15 : By me Kings raigne , &c. Reges in solio collocat in perpe●… , Iob 36. 7 : he placeth them as Kings in their thrones for euer . Sometimes God suffers the hypocrite to raigne , Iob 34. 30. I gaue thee a King in my anger , and tooke him away in my wrath , saith the Lord to Israel , Hosea 13. 1● : Thou couldest haue no power except it were giuen thee from aboue , said Christ to Pilate , Iohn 19. 11 : Giue eare all you that rule the People , all your power is giuen of the most High : Wisd . 6. 3. Touch not mine annointed , 1 Chron. 16. 22 : be they good , be they bad , touch them not ; e vengeance is the Lords , not mans . Man must not meddle in Gods matters , Who f can lay his hands on the Lords Annointed , and be guiltlesse ? Though they grow defectiue in their high office , yet still remaine Kings , because enthroned by God. Cuius iussu nascuntur homines , eius iussu constituuntur g principes , saith Iraeneus : Inde illis potestas , vnde spiritus , saith i Tertullian ; the Kings Commission is sealed by the hand of God , and though it run , Durante diuino beneplacito , yet man cannot , nay must not cancell it , for that were Bellare cum dijs , VVarre with God : — Princeps , seu bonus seu malus , a Ioue ; ornes , si bonus , sin malus est , feras : Saith the wise Heathen . The power of good Kings k is by the speciall ordinance of God , of euill by his permission ; the first are insignia miserecordiae , badges and pledges of his mercy ; the second are flagella vindicta , the scourges of his fury . So l God called Ashur the rod of his wrath , and Attyla called himselfe flagellum Dei , the scourge of God : and Tamberlayne in his time termed Ira dei , terror orbis ; the reuenge of God , and terror of the VVorld . Saul was a tyrant King , yet Dauid m trembled to touch the skirts of his garments : what greater tyrant then King Pharao ? yet Moses neither had , nor gaue any commission to the Isralites to rebell ; he makes no law , or Booke , De iusta abdicatione , either to dispose or depose him from his Kingdome . Nabuchadnezar a wicked and idolatrous King , yet God n cals him his seruant , and though he commands the three children to be put into the fiery o Ouen , they offer no violence or resistance , Dant Deo animam , corpus regi : Commend their soules to God , and committing their bodies to the King. Horat : Tollere tentat illustres animas impune & vindice nullo : Saint p Peter who wrot his first Epistle in the time of the raigne of that wicked Emperour Claudius , as Baronius coniectured , exhorts all people to feare God , and to honour the King , 1 Pet. 2. 17 : and that for the Lords sake , v. 13. Yet this Claudius was a most wicked Emperour , maintaining many Ethnicke superstitions and worship of Idols , he was ( as Suetonius q writes of him ) Natura saeuus , sanguinarius , & libidinosus , r by nature cruell , bloody , and libidinous ; yet to this Emperour a Tyrant and an Infidell , Saint Peter exhorts the faithfull Iewes to obedience : Saint Paul who liued vnder the same Emperour ( as s some doe thinke ) writes to the Romans the Emperors Subiects , exhorts all to submit themselues , not in any colourable or dissembled obedience , but propter Conscientiam , v. 4 : for conscience sake . Let vs heare a voyce or two of the ancient Fathers that liued in old time : Tertullian ( who as t Ierome saith ) flourished vnder the raigne of Seuerus the Emperor , who was a great Tyrant , an Infidell , and an enemy to Christianity , who in the fift persecution after Nero , troubled the Christian VVorld , Saeuissima persecutione , with most cruell persecution ( as u some write ) , yet teacheth that all Subiects should both Bene velle , bene dicere , & bene facere , wish well , speake well , and doe well for the Emperor , the which three-fold Bene comprehends all loyall duties : The first Ad Cor. 2. Ad Linguam : 3. Ad opus ; as the * Iesuite rightly teacheth , in thought , word , and deed , to be obedient . So Iustin x Martyr , in the name of all Christians speakes to the Emperor Antoninus , an infidell and a persecutor y , in these words ; Nos solum deum adoramus , & vobis in rebus alijs laeti inseruimus : VVe worship onely God , and in other matters are ioyfull to serue you . So Saint z Ambrose would not wish the people of Millan to disobey the Emperour Valentinian , yet a fauourer and follower of the Arrian Heresie : If the Emperor ( saith he ) abuse his imperial authority to tyrannize thereby , here am I ready to suffer death ; we as humble suppliants , flie to supplication : if my Patrimony be your marke , enter vpon it ; if my body , I will meet my torments : shall I bee dragged to prison or death ? I will take delight in both ; Oh Theologicall voice , Oh Episcopall obedience . These were the voices of the holy Fathers in the ancient times : I but , will some Popish Aduersary to the regall supremacy reply , the times must be considered , the people wanted power to resist . No , no , that was not the matter : when Iulian did dominere , who was an Apostate and an Idolater , as a Austin ; yet his Souldiers , who were for the most part Christians , did obey him without resistance in all military matters and publike seruices , yet they then had power to haue resisted him ; for most of Iulians Army did consist of Christians , as their voices to Iouinian his Successor declare , Omnes vna voce confessi sunt se esse Christianos , as b Ruffinus records it ; with a generall voice they all confessed themselues Christians : So Constantius and Valens wicked Emperors , and fauourers of the Arrian Heresie , yet we doe not reade of any of the Orthodoxe Christianity , that disobeyed them by rebellion or resistance . Then Bellarmines c doctrine was not in date , Non est legitimum , &c : It is not lawfull for Christians to tollerate an hereticall King : his reasons I take to be ( as d he writes ) because Reges coronas & sceptra ab hominibus recipiunt , & adeorū placita tenent , Kings doe receiue their Crownes and Scepters from men , and hold them at their pleasures . Strange stuffe : for Kings receiue their Crownes from God , as Ps . 20. 3 , and are enthroned by God , By me Kings raigne , Pro. 8. 15 : They receiue their throne from God , as Queene e Sheba tels Salomon ; Diadema regis in manu dei , Esay 62. 3 : Sedebat Salomon in thron● dei , 1 Chro. 29. 23 : Reges in solio collocat in perpetuum , Iob 36. 7 ; the anointing is Gods , With my holy oyle haue I annointed him , Psa . 89. 20. The Crowne , the Scepter , the Throne , their annointing , all from God ; stiled by God , Vncti dei , Gods Annointed ; Where is the Popes or Peoples claime ? what interest haue any ( except God ) in Kings Crownes ? who can remoue whom God appoints ? who can depriue whom God approues ? yet these absurd f errors ( formenta romanae Cathedrae , the corrupt leauen of Romes Pharises and Popes Parasites ) are moulded out by the mouthes of Cardinals , that I may say with the Poet Iuuenal ; Adscelus atque nefas , quodcunque est . purpura ducit : Sat. 13. The purple seruants or scarlet sinners of that purple woman , are become as Trumpeters to the World , to sound forth false alarums of disobedience to encourage peoples rebellion . Tantum relligio potuit suadere malorum ? Quaepeperit , scelerosa atque impia facta . But to leaue these proud Cardinals ( enemies to Caesars ) who thinke their red Hat equall to a Regall Crowne who yet of late from a small beginning g ( Origine parochi tantum sunt , manipulus Curatorum ) or raysed specially by two Popes , Innocentius the fourth , and Paulus the second , to such an height , that now , Capita inter sidera condunt . They will write with Cardinal Wolsie , Ego & Rex , I and the King ; and are too busie about Kings , eyther to animate Traytors , or alienate Subiects from obedience vnto Kings : Let vs I say , leaue them a while , and listen to Salomon ( who was wiser then all of them , ) My sonne ( h saith he ) feare the Lord and the King ; and meddle not with them that are seditious ; for their destruction shall rise suddenly , and who knoweth the ruine of them both ? Let vs learne this lesson from our i Sauiour , to giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars : to giue loyall obedience , for it is Caesars royall due . So our Sauiour k againe commands the multitude that they should obey the Scribes and Pharises , who did sit in Moses chaire , to obserue and doe what they did command . In all things ( not repugnant to Gods Lawes ) we must and ought to l obey Kings ; yet if they command contrary to Gods commands , then wee must follow the m Apostles rule and practise , rather to obey God then man ; and to remember S. n Austins counsell , Si Deus aliud iubeat , aliud Imperator ? quid iudicas ? maior potestas Deo , da veniam ô Imperator , tu carcerem , ille gebennam minatur : If God command one thing , and the Emperor another thing ; what iudgest thou to be done ? Gods power is greater , giue leaue ô Emperor , thou dost threaten prison , but God hell . God that made these gods ought to be obeyed before them , and duty bindes , that God who is the King of Kings , the maker and master of al Kings ( omnes Reges eius pedibus subiecti , all Kings subiect , & subiects of that great King , ) should be obeyed by them all , and before them all . Yet for all this we must not rebell against a King , if he command contrary to Gods Lawes , but imitate the three children : m obey in body , and resist in spirit ; Regi qui potestatem habet super corpora nostra , corporaliter subiaceamus , siue sit Rex siue Tyrannus , nihil enim hoc nobis nocet , vt spiritualiter bene placeamus Deo spiritu , saith n Theophylact : wee must prostrate our selues to the King , who hath power ouer our bodies , be he a King or a Tyrant , for this nothing hinders vs spiritually to please the God of our soules . Indeed it may happen that Potens , the Ruler , is not of God , as the o Lord complaines ; They haue set vp a King , but not by me , they haue made Princes and I knew them not , As also the manner of getting Kingdomes is not alwaies of God , as Aquinas vpon the 13. of the Romanes rightly determines it , or as p Aretius ; multa a Deo sunt , quae tamen non confirmat , sed quodammodo obiter ingrediuntur , Deo tamen sic disponente , at tamen non ordinat , hoc est , non approbat , Many things are by God which he doth not confirme , falling in as it were by the way vpon the world by Gods permission , yet God disposing so , but not ordaining , that is , not approuing them . For example , q Alexander the sixt obtained the Popedome by giuing himselfe to the Diuell ; r Phocas by sedition got his Empire ; Richard the third came to the Crown of England ( as s some write ) by killing his Nephewes and other of the royall bloud ; and so of many others that haue aspired to thrones , viribus & fraudibus , by force and fraud : such are Rulers , rather Vsurpers , yet not of God ; for God effects nothing but he effects it by good meanes , so that there is a difference twixt Potens and Potentia , twixt Rulers and Powers : bad Rulers are by the permission of God , not by the ordination of God , as the Apostle saith , Rom. 13. 1. And there is no power but of God ; if they be godly powers , then I may say with Austin , t Quod iubent Imperatores , iubet Christus , quia cum bonum iubent , per illos quis iubet nisi Christus ? What Emperors command , Christ commāds , for whē they command good , Christ commands by them : and the contempt offered to such good Rulers is a contempt of God , as the Lord said ●o Samuel , They haue not cast thee away , but me , ne regnem super illos , 1 Sam. 8. 7. lest I should reigne ouer them : Contemptus magistratuum redundat in contemptum Dei : The contempt of Magistrates is a contempt of God , saith . u Aretius : and so the Apostle , Whosoeuer resisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of God , qui vnum laedit , alterum laesit . To conclude , this second duty of Obedience and Allegiance to Kings , is by all true subiects faithfully and loyally euer to be performed , being a duty necessary for two respects : 1. Necessitate praecepti : 2. Necessitate finis : First God by manifold precepts commanded obedience to be giuen to Rulers and Kings . Secondly , by the benefits gouernment affords , without which all Common-wealths were mothers of common woes , and would become the very shambles and slaughter-houses of Christian bloud , if that obedience were not giuen to Rulers that beare the sword . The kingdome of hell ( which is the kingdome of confusion ) could not stand , * being diuided , ( wanting Belzebub their Prince ) but should presently , as one day it shal most certainely , come to desolation . Seeing therefore obedience to Kings is a duety so necessary for all subiects , acceptable vnto God , profitable to our selues , without which Kings nor Kingdomes cannot stand , Church nor Common-weale cannot long continue ; Pura conscientia praestemus , quae propter conscientiam praestanda sunt : Let vs performe and practise this duty of obedience with a pure conscience , which for conscience sake must be performed , euermore honouring and obeying our dread Soueraigne , ( the golden head of great Britaine ) beseeching God to prosper him in his glory , and to pierce with sharpe arrowes , the hearts of his enemies , as the Psalmist of Salomon , Psal . 45. 5. euermore obeying and praying , God saue the King. CHAP. VI. THE third duty of Subiects to be performed to the King , is Honor ; S. a Peter commands all Subiects , Feare God , honour the King. S. b Paul exhorting all to submitte themselues to the higher powers , concludeth , Giue honour to whom ye owe honour : so the Lord himselfe in the fifth Commandement chargeth all to honor Father and Mother ; in which precept as most old and new writers well obserue , Kings and Magistrates are vnderstood , beeing politicall Fathers , Patres patriae , Fathers of the Common-wealth , Nutricij patres , c Nursing Fathers of Gods Church and people . And this duety ( to honor the King ) obligeth all by a three-fold bond , Ex Praecepto By Commandement , Ex Maledicto By Punishment , Ex Praxi : By Practise . First by Precept , God in his Law hath commanded it . Secondly by Punishment ; for God hath put a sword in their hands to cut off such as dishonour them . Thirdly by Practise , our Lord and Sauiour with his Disciples did preach and practise obedience , honor , and reuerence , euermore to be giuen to Kings and Potentates . And this word honor , signifieth al that duty whereby the renowne , dignity , reuerence , and high estimation of the King may be preserued and vnblemished , and it reacheth vnto our thoughts , wordes and workes : 1 to honour him in our hearts and thoughts : Curse not the King , no not in thy thought , for the foules of the heauen shall carry thy voyce , and that which hath wings shall carry the matter , saith d Salomon . 2 Honor him in thy wordes , seeke not by bad and wicked speeches to disesteeme the dignitie of their sacred persons , for they are Gods deputies , and he that despiseth the deputy , despiseth him that appointed the deputie : wherefore God made an expresse precept ; e Thou shalt not speake euill of the Ruler of thy people . And St. f Iude hath marked those for filthy dreamers , Qui dominationem spernunt , Maiestatem blasphemant , Who despise gouernment , and speake ill of them that be in authority . Beware of vnseemely , vnreuerent , or contemptible speech ; which might diminish or distaine the excellency of Gods Lieutenants ; much lesse reuile , mocke , scoffe , or curse them ; abuses most disloyall , dishonourable , and worthie of g death . It was a wise and worthy answere of Count Charles h to one at dinner , disparaging our late Queene ( of famous memory ) saying , his Table neuer gaue priuiledge to any to speake vnreuerently of Princes ; Male de me loquuntur homines , quia bene loqui nesciunt , faciunt non quod mereor , sed quod solent , saith Seneca , Epist . 77. 3. Honor the King in all thy actions , to be ready to defend the honour and renowne of our gracious Soueraigne , both by word and sword . In his presence vse all lowly reuerence , ( bowing thy selfe as Abraham to the three Angels ) downe to the ground . It was a rare act and royall speech of Don Iohn King of Arragon , Father vnto Don Ferdinando King of Castile , both meeting at an assembly in Victoria ; the Father King would not suffer his sonne to giue him the vpper hand , saying : Sonne you are the chiefe and Lord of Castile , whereof we are descended , so that our duetie towards you as our King and superiour , is farre aboue that duety of the Sonne vnto the Father : — Regem — semper honorandum sic dij voluistis habere . And indeed all good people did euer honor their anointed Soueraignes ; Dauid , Salomon , with the rest of the Kings of Israel , how honourable and glorious euer accounted in the eyes of their Subiects . Vbi honor non est , ibi contemptus est , saith Ierome , where honor is absent ; there contempt is present , and to contemne these regall children k of the most High , is to contemne the most High himselfe . And truely the most dishonourable contemners of Regall Diadems are the flattering Pseudoli , the parasiticall magnificoes of the Papall Miter : for to extoll the one , they extenuate the other ; they honor , yea rather dishonor their Pope with blasphemous titles , * Dominus noster Deus Papae , Our Lord God the Pope ; or l Papa participat vtramque naturam cum Christo ; or vice-deus , supreame head of the Church . Which title one of the Gregories , named the first , called Titulum stultum , superbum , peruersum , scelestum , prophanum ; and stiled Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople , who affected this pontificall sublimity , Lucifer , supra astra caeli exaltabo solium ; and of all flattering Sycophants ( the trencher-wormes and platter-friends to Popes of Rome ) were some of the clawbacke Canonists , who by hypocriticall and hyperbolicall praises , were the first dreamers of Popes supremacie ; and since them many Friers and Iesuites haue beate their braines to make the Regall Scepter stoope to the Popes Miter , stiling their Popes superiours to all Emperours , supreame vice-gods , Gods on earth , Kings triple crowned , Iudges of all the earth , heads of the faith , the high Bishops , Monarchs of the whole world : so that m Bellarmine saith , it is hard to describe what the Pope is , such is his greatnesse ; Yea sacrilegium est disputare de potestate Papae , saith n Victoria , It is a kinde of sacriledge to dispute or argue about the power of the Pope : Potestas spiritualis , & temporalis in vno eodemque summo pontifice est vtraque in summo , saith o Syluester , Spirituall and Temporall power in our high Pope , is in the highest point and degree . Nay it was not only the base flattery of mercenarie vassals , and priuate Proctors and Promoters of the Chayre of Rome , but also practised by councels giuing the Pope , the sublimity of the true Antichrist : as the last Councell of Lateran p giues to Pope Leo the tenth , Omnem potestatem in coelo & in terra , &c. verifying S Pauls description q of Antichrist , exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God , and fitting as God in the Temple of God , shewing himselfe that hee is God. It was strange impudencie of that Imposter and crouching Parasite Gabriel to adde a fifth Euangelist to the foure , and to offer this title ( Quintus Euangelista ) to Clemens the eight ; and it was as great arrogancie in Clemens not to reiect it . r Baronius acknowledges it , and puts it into his Annals . It would make a man wonder to reade the immodest and immoderate follie and flatterie of Popes parasites ; saying , That though the Pope should carry many soules to Hell , yet , Nemo poterat dicere Papae , cur ita facis ? Dist. 40. c. si papa . And againe , s Papa volens nolens errare non potest , Though he would he cannot erre ; or as Canus saith , Priuilegium infallibilitatis habet , He hath the priuiledg of not erring , which yet is incident to t humanity : in the Popes brest is erected the Monopolie of the infallible spirit of our Sauiour . Or againe , Papa potest conficere nouum symbolum , & multiplicare articulos fidei , & in omnibus articulis multa addere , saith u Austinus de Ancona , The Pope can make a new Creed , and adde more articles to our beleefe . Thus , thus , these paltry and palpable parasites would haue their Pope like the * sonne of pride , which cast lottes vpon the Nations , saying , I will ascend into heauen , and exalt my throne aboue beside the starres of God : I will ascend aboue the highest of the clouds , and I will be like the most Highest . So they goe about to make him as proud as Typhoeus the Giant , who would haue an higher firmament vnder which hee might walke , and bigger starres to giue bigger light , otherwise he would pull them downe and fight with Iupiter . So that he is growne to that height of pride , as Constantius the Emperour once said of the Pope , Quod ego volo , pro canone sit , What I will , shall stand for a commanding Canon ; veryfying a Tyrants voyce , like a Nero , or a Nimrod , Sic volo sic iubeo , stat pro ratione volunt as . And indeed the Popes of Rome are so proud , that they would haue Kings kisse their feet , or hold their styrrop , or crowne Emperours with one foote , and y strike it off with the other : tread z vpon their neckes , abusing that place of a Scripture , Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion and Aspe , the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy feet . Henry the fourth walked three daies at the Popes gate in frst and snow bare footed : Abbas Vrsp . Platin , in vit . Gregor . 7. Dishonouring Gods high Lieutenants , debasing that dignity which is the highest vpon earth , seeking to haue the superiority aboue them , to depose them from their Kingdomes , and depriue them of their liues ; witnesse the Bull of Pius Quintus against Queene Elizabeth of happie memorie , wherein as Gabutius a popish writer saith , b Cogitabat Pius reginam è medio tollere , Pius did think to haue made Queene Elizabeth away ; or as c Catena another Papist , Pius omni studio faciendum curauit , vt incolarū animos ad Elizabethae destructionem facta rebellione commoueret , Pius tooke care and study to bring to passe , to moue by rebellion the mindes of the inhabitants of England to the destruction of Queene Elizabeth . So as wee may say of Popes , as the people of Pilate , d You are not Caesars friend ; loth that they should weare a Crowne of gold , and therefore would giue them a Crown of thornes , and crucifie to death Vnctos Domini , the Annointed of the Lord , at the Iewes did Vnctum Dominum , the Annointed Lord. The times were , you gaue Emperours and Kings more honour , more obedience , when as you acknowledged your selues their vassals , and reuerenced and obeyed them for your Lords ; as for a long time the Popes did to the first Christian Emperors : yea the Election of the Pope was a long time in the Emperours hands , who had the right of chusing the Pope confirmed by a Synod of the Popes to Charles the great : e Leo the first with many of his Bishops , vsed their knees , intreated the Emperor and his VVife for a Synod . And then no doubt but you gaue them honor and homage too , and you also were forced to pay then money to the Emperor for confirmation , and this lasted 700 yeares after Christ , as Historians f write ; nay not onely elected by Emperors , but also reiected and deposed from your Popedomes ( if the Emperor found any good cause for it , ) as the g Emperor Otho deposed Pope Iohn the twelfth . h Henry the third , Emperor , deposed 3. Popes , as Benedict the ninth , Syluester the third , and Gregory the sixt , and other Emperors haue done the like . Then the Spirituall and Temporall sword was not in the power of the Pope , ( as since Gregory i the eight said : ) the Emperors had it in their owne hand , and then you feared them , if not honoured them as you ought . But after that Gregory the seauenth , otherwise called Heldebrand , began bacchari in Caesarem & Caesareos , to play his hellish part , to seeke to depriue of his Empire Henry the fourth : for this Heldebrand was the first that euer attempted such a Luciferian preheminence , if the k Historian doe write true : Lego , & relogo , saith he ; Romanorum regum , & imperatorum gesta , & nusquam inuenio quenquam eorum ante hunc à Romane Pontifice excommunicatum , vel regno priuatum , I reade ouer and ouer the Acts of Kings and Emperors , and I find no where any of them before this , excommunicated of the Pope , or depriued of their Kingdome : but this Popes enterprise had a sutable successe ; for by the Councell of Brixia hee was deiected out of the Popedome for it , and being in extreamity , calles one of his best beloued Cardinals to him , and confessed to God , Saint Peter , and the whole Church , that he had greatly offended in his Pastorall charge ; Et suadente Diabolo contra humanum genus iram & odium concitasse , By the Diuels perswasion he had raised vp wrath and hatred vpon Mankind . Well , this Heldebrand ( whose Orator was the Diuell ) was the first that attempted to depose Emperors ; and since , that Prince of the Ayre , who beares rule in the childrē of disobedience , hath moued Peters false friends , and Kings foes , to follow the hellish steppes of proud Heldebrand , seeking to depose Kings , to dispose of their Crownes , and depriue them of their liues , to excommunicate them , to free subiects from their allegiances , to excite Armes against them , to make Martyres of King-killers , euery way labouring to disparage their sacred Persons , diminish their Regall rights , encroch vpon their Prerogatiues , altogether contemning Peters Precepts , yet arrogating Peters Place ; Honour the King. How dishonourably and contemptibly ( that Milo who bare the Pope on his shoulders ) Cardinall Bellarmine writes of Kings ; That they are rather slaues then Lords : De Laicis , c. 7. Not onely subiects to Popes , to Bishops , to Priests , but to Deacons : Depontifice , lib. 1. c. 7. That Kings haue not their authority immediatly from God , nor his law , but onely from the law of Nations ; De cleric : c. 28. That Churchmen are as farre aboue Kings , as the soule aboue the body , De Laicis . c. 18. That Kings may be deposed by their people for diuers respects ; De pontific . lib. 5. c. 8 : That obedience due to Kings , is onely for certaine respects of order , and pollicy ; De clericis . cap. 28 : His workes are full of such foule and false assertions ; base , bald , and blockish Paradoxes , repugnant to al Scripture , right , and reason : that he may say with the Poet ; Hoc equidem studeo bullatis vt mihi nugis , Pagina turgescat . — Many of his propositions so dishonourable , and iniurious to Kings , that to confute them , Non opus est verbis , sed fustibus : Armes , not Arts should beat and breake in peeces such pernicious Paradoxes . But to leaue these Machiauelismes of the Conclaue , ( dethroning Kings to enthrone Popes ) let vs learne of God , with what honourable titles , and high prerogatiues in the Booke of God they stand possessed : There they are called l Gods , and Children of the most High : The m Lords Annointed , The n Angels of God , o The Light of Israel p Sitting in Gods Throne , q The Higher Powers , the Ministers of God , r The Kings of Nations that beare rule ; euery where with variety of such high and stately Titles , great Prerogatiues , commanding euery s soule to be subiect to them , that he who should goe about to empaire their honour , must first infringe the Booke of God. Vnworthy is that Creature to breathe the Ayre , which denies honour to the breathing Image of God , his annointed Soueraign , or with vnreuerent action , or elocution , enterprise to debase their sacred Soueraignety ; such tongues are worthy with Diues to be tormented , or with Progne to be cut out , or with Nicanors to be diuided in crummes for Birds , that will not honour with tongues , and honour with hearts their annointed and appointed Kings , the earthly pictures of the King of Kings . And not to trauel so farre as forraine Climates , to teach them ( to honour Kings ) let our speech bee bounded within the circumference of his Highnesse Countries , People ( aboue all other Nations ) bound to honour and obey our gracious Soueraigne . We blessed with a King of incomparable wisdome , Rex natus & ad Regna natus , descended of blood royall : t A blessednes to a Kingdome , when a King is the Son of Nobles , and much more of noble vertues , prudent in a peaceable gouernement , compleate in the perfection of Learning ; eares may ouercome eyes , to hear the wisdome of our Salomon : and which is most of all , and best of all to be extolled , sincerely , and soundly religious , labouring to make his Kingdomes , by aduancing Euangelium Christi , Regnum Euangelij : A trusty defender of the true Faith , Tam Marti quā Mercurio , both by Pen and Pike ready to defend Religion against superstition ; often hath he entred into Theologicall disputes , and foyled Romes most illustrious u Cardinals : Yea , his Maiesties dinners like Salomons Table , making Auditors say with * Salomon ; A diuine sentence shall be in the lips of the King ; or with wisdome her selfe , x Heare : for I wil speak of excellent things , and the opening of my lippes shall teach things that are right . A Patron of the Church , and a Promoter of the Gospell ; as y Hortensius raised vp eloquence to Heauen , that he might goe vp with her , so our dread Soueraigne aduances the Gospel , the Iacobs ladder to climbe to Heauen by it . Macte virtute : sicitur ad astra . I am vnable and vnfit to make the Map of our Kings perfections , De ipso ipsiloquuntur Antipodes ; not any Zone habitable wherein his glory hath not habitation : and they say , We must praise a King as we honour God , Sentiendo copiosius quam loquendo ; and herein such plenty of praise is offered , that — Inopem me copia fecit . Xenophon might see that in our vertuous King Iames , which he wished in his King Cyrus : O fortunatos Anglos bona si sua norint ; Oh happy wee , if wee be thankefull for our happinesse : Nihil his bonis accedere potest , nisi vt perpetua sint , Nothing can augment our earthly ioyes , but to make these lasting : and thanks be to God , our Soueraigne hath , I thinke , already out-lasted the Regency of a dozen Popes . Hominum breuis , regum breuior , pontificum vita brenissima , saith Petrarcha ; Of all men the Popes haue shortest liues , but God grant our Soueraigne Nestors dayes , wishing for him as Martial did for Traian , Lib. 10. Epig. 34. Dij tibi dent quicquid ( Princeps Auguste ) mereris , Et rata perpetuò quae tribuêre , velint . Long may this glorious Candle of Israel last , who as vpon this day was proclaimed with infinite ioy , receiued with peaceable entry , enthroned with glorious inuestiture , and hath hitherto gouerned with admired wisdome , comfort and content of all good Subiects ; so still to continue in all Princely prosperity , and to hold the Scepter of great Britanny with a tripled addition of yeeres to come for the yeeres past ; wishing in desire , though it cannot be indeed His egonecmetas rerum , nec temporapono , Imperium sine fine dedi : — Adde to his dayes of the dayes of Heauen , that he and his posterity may here sit vpon the regall Throne , so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth . — Haec regnd tenere , Et natos natorum & qui nascentur ab illis : That all his Subiects may euer pray for him , obey him , and honor him ; aswel in deeds as words , hea●ts as tongues , saying and praying ; God saue the King. CHAP. VII . THE fourth duty of Subiects , to be duly rendred and tendered to their annointed Soueraignes , is loyall and faithfull seruice , thinking themselues ( as Tiberius said of his People ) Homines ad seruitutem nati , Men borne to doe them seruice : And therefore it was a commendable order ( as a Melancthon records it ) that euery Citizen did sweare , taking a corporall Oath , Pugnabo pro sacris pro legibus , pro aris , & focis , & solus , & simul cum alijs ; & ne patriam meam deteriorem qua accepi , posteris tradam , omnibus viribus enitar , I will fight for Religion , for our lawes , &c : alone & with others , and I will with all my might rather endeauour to better , then to make worse my Countrey to posterity ; acknowledging themselues seruants to their Countrey , and vowing their best endeauours to doe her faithfull seruice . So all true subiects are bound by the Lawes of God and men , to be faithfull seruants to their Soueraignes : and if they neglect or reiect this duty , I may say to them as b Dauid did to Abner , Ye be worthy to die , because ye haue not kept your Master the Lords Annointed , because you haue not been faithfull seruants to your anointed Soueraignes . If any c Bighthan or Teresh seek to lay hands on our gracious Soueraigne , with faithfull Mordecai and Ester speedily preuent it by reuealing it : If any d King of Aram takes counsell with his seruants against the King of Israel , with faithfull Elisha reueale it to your Caesar , euen the words he speakes in his Priuy Chamber ; nay , not onely reueale it , but reuenge it ; In reos Maiestatis & publicos Hostes omnis homo miles est ( saith e Tertullian ) against Traytors and publike enemies euery man is a Souldier ; yea , in this kind and sence , we may and must in fortitudine nostra sumere cornua , with f Zedekiah make hornes of iron , to push these treachercus Aramites vntill wee haue consumed them , giue couragious resistance to treacherous violence , vntill they may receiue deserued doome by Iustice . And for the performance of this loyall seruice to their appointed Soueraignes , no condition of men vnder the Sunne can pleade immunity , neither Popes , Priests , nor People ; the Pope cannot pleade priuiledge , if he will stand to his owne and old title , Seruus seruorum , A seruant of Seruants : but he carries himselfe now adayes as if his Prentiship were out , and would change his stile to be Dominus Dominorum , A Lord ouer his Lord ; as the old g Poet tels vs , Roma tibi quondam fuerant Domini Dominorum , Seruorum serui nunc tibisunt Domini . For he disclaimes in action his old appellation , the seruant of seruants , & neuer vses it but by way of equiuocation . But to let him goe : for Senex psittacus non capit ferulam , He is too old to learne , and happy are those Kings , that haue least part of his seruice ; but if it please the Pope to be like the High Priests , ( and I thinke that title is high enough for him ) they were content to call themselues seruants vnto Kings , as Abimilech accounted himselfe Sauls seruant ; h Let not the King impute any thing vnto his seruant , &c. And Zadocke i the High Priest , called by Dauid his seruant : So k Aaron to Moses , Ne indignetur Dominus meus , Let not the wrath of my Lord waxe fierce . In a word , Summi sacerdotes regibus subdebantur , saith their l Iesuite , Their chiefe Priests were subiects and seruants to Kings in the Law : and the chiefe Apostle euen Saint Peter , from whom they would fetch their Pedegree of Primacy , enioynes all in the Gospell to submit themselues for the Lords sake , whether it be vnto the King , as vnto the superior . So that their freedome from seruice to the Princes of the Earth , hath no warrant , except from the Prince of the Ayre , to whom Rome dedicates her scepter and seruice . And this loyall seruice of the members vnto the royall and Princely Head , ought to be dutifull , faithfull , and perpetuall : that is the happy seruice , which comes from an hearty obedience ; many things may seeme so in apparance , which are not so in eslence : It is the practise and very prayers of the wicked to cry thus : Hor. 1. Epist . 16. Da mihi fallere , da iustum , sanctumque videri , Noctem peccatis , & fraudibus obijce nubem . If they seeme trusty in shew though treasonable in heart , they care not , like bad seruants , not in singlenesse of heart , but with seruice to the eye , as men-pleasers , obey they their regall Masters . This Age is full of such treacherous hearts , as deceiptfull as m Ioab to Amasa , who tooke him aside to speake with him peaceably , and smote him vnder the fift rib that he died ; or like n Dalilah to Sampson , with faire words , and weeping to betray him to the Philistines : No treason but in trust , Decipimur specie recti ; The fained voice of Fowlers catcheth the Partridges , & Plouers : The Mother of Error puts on her maske , to bee taken for the Daughter of Time , truth : The Wolfe in sheeps cloathing , scarce knowne from the sheapheards dogge . o Ptolomie the sonne of Abusus , vnder a faire vizard of loue and kindnes feasting Simeon and his two sonnes , killes them in his banquetting house : p Herod when he would play the wolfe , he counterfetted a Foxe : q Goe and search diligently for the Babe , and when ye haue found him , bring me word , that I may worship him ; his meaning was to worrie him : So r Iudas comes with his Aue Rabbi , Haile Master , betraying him with a kisse : Do'i non sunt doli , nisi astu celas . Plautus . So many a perfidious Traytor will cry , Aue Caesar , God saue the King : but it is with such an affectiō as Antoninus Caracalla said of his brother Geta , Sit diuus modo non viuus , Let him be a Saint or a King in Heauen , so he be not a King on Earth . Beware of dissemblers , parasites , and equiuocators ; His nomina mille — mille nocendi artes : Such are full of fraud , full of villany ; beleeue them as the people of Rome belieued Carbon , swearing neuer to credit him . They are like to Polypus , haue s various shapes , changing themselues into Angels of light ; but Malus vbi se bonum simulat , tunc est pessimus , A bad man when he counterfetteth to be good , is worst ; Simulata t sanctitas est duplex iniquitas , A counterset holinesse is a two fold wickednesse . Let vs performe according to our place , faithfull , hearty ▪ and trusty seruice to our dread Soueraigne ; and though the wicked labour to darken with a cloud of slaunder our faire and faithfull seruice , yet at last that eclips of enuy will vanish of it selfe , and our owne innocency and fidelity will animate vs like that Romaine Marius , who being accused by the Senate of Treason , in a passion teares his garments , and in sight of them all shewes them his wounds receiued in the seruice and defence of his Countrey , saying ; Quid opus est verbis , vbi vulnera clamant , What need of words , our wounds declare , our blood was shed for your welfare ? Faithfull seruice is laudable before men , and acceptable before God ; it may be by the wicked sometimes blamed , but it cannot be shamed : though it be not alwayes rewarded on earth , it shall be sure to find rewards in Heauen , as they u once complained , Penes caeteros imperij praemia , penes ipsos seruitij necessitas , that others found the sweet preferment , and they had horse and heauy burthen for their seruice ; yet vertue is a reward to it selfe : bonorum laborum gloriosus fructus , the seruice of the * righteous is accepted , and the remembrance thereof shall neuer be forgotten : Ipsa quidem virtus sibimet pulc herrima merces . And this seruice due to our King and Country ( if neede require ) must reach vsque ad aras , prodigall of labor , limbe , or life , to defend both ; the safetie of both , eyther King or Country is so inseparable , that the seruice done to eyther is alwaies commendable and honourable . VVee haue famous presidents in this kinde to presse vs to performe the vtmost of our seruice in loue to our Country , in duety to our King : the 3 Decij . Zophirus , Cn : Scipio , ●uluius Nassus &c. all offered to sacrifice their liues in loue for their Countrie : * Dulce & decorum est pro patria mori : The * story is most famous of Quintus Curtius a noble Romane , who hearing by the Oracle , that the safety of the city of Rome consisted onely in the sacrifice of one of her best affected children , valiantly and voluntarily leaped into that deuouring gulfe , and so preserued the Citie . Hor. ad Flor. Hoc opus , hoc studium , parui properemus & ampli , Si patriae volumus , si nobis viuere chari . A spectacle of loue and loyalty , a sacrifice of high obedience , that is presented vpon the wings of death ; I will not ●…y worthy of imitation : because like vnto selfe sacrifiing of Cleombrotus , they were Martyrs stultae Philosophiae , Martyrs of their fond Philosophy , yet notwithstanding worthy to stirre vp great affection for Subiects to loue as truely their King and country ; and the King and Country to loue such Subiects , that for them aduenture their liues . Naturally euery one loues his Country , Nemo patriam diligit quia magna est , sed quia sua est , saith y Seneca : No man loues his Country because it is great , but because it is his owne : Ouid : Nescio quâ natale solum dulcedine cunctos ducit , & immemores non sinit esse sui : The Persians did beare such loue to their Country , that they must sweare by the Sunne rising , neuer to become Iewes , Grecians , Romans , Egyptians , but euer to remain Persians : They counted no fault more foule , then to be a foe to his owne Country . It was an excellent saying of Aulus Fuluius , who finding his sonne in the conspiracy of Catiline , tells him , Ego non te Catilinae genui , sed Patriae , I did beget thee not for Catiline , but for thy Country . They that are Traytors to their King and Country , may fitly be compared to Vipers : The Vipers are conceiued ( as z Pliny writes ) by biting off the Males head , and borne by eating through their Mothers belly ; So they would Decapitare Caput , destroy the King their head , and lacerare matrem , teare the bowels of their mother , their natiue Countrey . Our English Fugitiues are the spawnes of these Vipers , Parsons , Saunders , &c. who because they could not eate through her bowels and belly with their teeth , in reuenge raile at her with their tongues ; to whom I cannot giue a fitter answer then that which the a Spanish Verdugo gaue to Sir William Stanley , railing against this his natiue Country ; saying , Though you haue offended your Countrey , yet your Countrie neuer offended you . These Iesuited fugitiues , who at Rhemes or Rome doe now — b Caluo seruire Neroni , vnnaturally forsake their King , Country , Kindred , and deuote their liues & labours to giue all homage to the chayre of Rome ; and though they colour their treasonable plots and proiects of confusion vnder pretence of conuersion , yet bloudy is that faith , that Cain-like will kill their natiue brothers , and Nero-like rip vp their dearest Mother ; Conuersio animae praetenditur , subuersio regis , reip . & Ecclesiae intenditur , They pretend religion , but they intend rebellion and desolation . But to leaue these Vipers , of whom I may say as the Souldiers at the death of the sonne of Maximus , Non debet seruari vnus Catulus , Not any of their young ones worthy to be kept vp for store ; let vs in an example or two , behold the deepe affection of Kings loues vnto their Subiects . The story is common of King Codrus the Athenians King , who being assaulted and assailed by enemies , receiued this Oracle , That his army should preuaile if he would suffer himselfe to be slaine of his enemies ; which newes when it came to the eares of his aduersaries , they made an edict , Nemo tangat Codrum , None might touch Codrus : Codrus then changed his habit : see the fire of loue ; he went to his enemies thus disguised : marke the flame , there was he slaine : looke vpon the ashes , the vrne of Codrus , what doe they say , but ▪ Hor. Quo nos cunque feret melior fortuna , parentes ibimus ô socij , comitesque — So King Leonides sacrificeth his dearest bloud at Thermopilas , fighting valiantly in defence of his Country and kingdome : Cic. 1 Tusc . Dic hospes Spartae nos te hic vidisse iacentes , dum sanctis patriae legibus obsequimur . In a worde , I neuer read of any King ( vnlesse such as c Nero and Caligula ) that did not wish well to his owne Country and kingdome : For , Principis est consulere omnibus , prospicere saluti patriae , saith * Cicero , It is the office of a King to take care and counsell for the welfare of his people : Princeps suorum subditorū velut sui ipsius corporis membrorum curam gerit , saith Agapetus , A Prince takes care of all his Subiects , euen as the members of his owne bodie . And so Alfonsus a King had his symboll ; ( a Type of his true loue ) a Pellican with her bill pricking her brest , feeding her young with her bloud , with this inscription , pro lege & pro grege ; declaring Emblematically , That Kings with continuall cares wast their liues to prouide for their peoples welfares : For good Kings will say with Hadrianus Caesar , Sic se gesturum principatum , vt sciant rem populi esse , non suam ; They will so gouerne that all men may see they aime more at the publicke good , then any priuate gaine . It is their office to protect their people , prouide for the welfare of the common-wealth , maintaine good Lawes , execute Iustice , defend the Faith , and promote the Church . So we e read that when the Emperor is crowned , the Archbishop of Colen propounds seuerall demands , An Ecclesiam defensurus ? Iustitiam administraturus ? Imperium conseruaturus ? viduas , orphanosque protecturus &c. Whether hee will defend the Church ? Administer Iustice ? Preserue the Empire ? and protect the widdowes , fatherlesse , and friendlesse ? The f Kings of Sparta at their Coronation did sweare to raigne according to Lycurgus Lawes : and I thinke it is the order of most Christian Kings at their Coronation to sweare to rule according to Iustice , and to maintaine the lawes and liberties of their kingdomes ; for farre be it from Kings thoughts to say with Thrasymachus , Principum vtilitate & libidine omne ius definiri , All Law to be defined by their pleasures and profit : for that is to say with the Mother of Antoninus Caracalla , to him quodlibet licere , any thing to be lawfull for him ; or with Caracalla himselfe , Imperatores leges dare , non accipere , Emperors giue Lawes , but doe not liue by them . The foundation of well-gouerned Kingdomes hath two supporters ( saith ▪ g Machiauell ▪ bonas Leges , bona Arma , good Lawes , and good Armes : And that famous Emperor h Iustinian saith , Imperatoriam Maiestatem non solum armis decoratam , verùm legibus oportet esse armatam , Imperiall Maiesty not onely to be adorned by Armes , but also armed by Lawes ; and then the Lawes will be best obeyed , when the Law-makers obey themselues . It was a woe our Sauiour denounced against the i Interpreters of the Law , because they did lode men with burdens greeuous to be borne , and they themselues touched not the burdens with one of their fingers : Promulgers and publishers of Lawes ought to be practisers of the same . It was a royal speech of the Emperor Traian , when he deliuered the sword , praefecto praetorij ; saying to him , Si bene imperauero , prome ; sin contrà aduersus me stringito ; If I rule well , draw out that sword for me ; if otherwise , against me : and happy is that Kingdome whose supreame head giues good Lawes to others , and liues by them himselfe , it animateth all to obey . Ad te oculos , auresque trahis , tua facta notamus , nec vox missa potest Principis ore tegi . Principis vita est censura ciuium , saith k Plinie , The life of King , the life of imitation , his good life as powerfull to draw people to goodnesse , as good Lawes : Claud : — non sic inflectere sensus Humanos edicta valent , quam vita regentis : The Rulers godly life , like a good Glosse vpon a Text , makes a perfect commentary vpon the Law to moue vulgar obedience . O then let vertue and piety flame in the breasts of Princes , cherish these ( O sacred Potentates ) at your high Altars , and then your excellent actions will produce exemplar imitations . Persius . Regibus hic mos est centum sibi poscere voces , Centum ora , centum linguas — Many millions of men are your spectators , nay the world is your stage wherein your actions are euen axioms to draw that many-headed beast , the multitude , eyther to vertue or vice . What a glorious and most applauded of all the Saints of Heauen , is your well-acted taske and office , if you render vp your Crownes to him that is the King of Crownes and Scepters , with a commended plandite ? then indeed you shall worthily Pers . Sat 1. Os populi meruisse , & Cedro digna locutum linquere — Leaue happie monuments on earth , of your immortall same , and at your farewell from your earthly thrones , leaue a lamenting and bewailing world , but attended vnto heauen with the praiers of your people , with an army of Angels to welcome your arriuall , And heerein how are the people of great Britaine bound to render perpetuall praises to Almighty God ? who hath blessed them with such a godlie and gracious King , who with his life , lawes , and labours , by his publicke example in the true seruice of God , by the integritie of his life , industry in sacred studies , clemencie in gouernment , delight and diligence in hearing Church-exercises , making his Court , as it was said of l Constantines , Ecclesiae instar , like a Church , their publicke Seruice and Sermons deuoutly performed , and religiously accepted and embraced , labouring Regis ad exemplum totum componere regnum : by a Kingly patterne of deuotion to excite all to an holie imitation : So that wee ought to giue God more thanks then Plato did , who yet thanked God for three things : 1. pro ratione : 2. pro natione : 3. pro eruditione : for his reason , nation , and learning : 1. for his reason , being made a man , not a beast : 2. for his nation , a Grecian , not a Barbarian : 3. for his liuing , in the daies of learned Socrates , of whom hee reaped great knowledge . Wee ought also to thanke God for these and other blessings , beeing not meerely men , but Christian men , liuing vnder the reigne of a most Christian King , a Defender of the Faith , and cherisher of the Gospell ; a louer of Peace : that wee may truely say , as the people did at the death of Pertinax the Emperour , Dum illeregnabat tranquille viuebamus , & neminem metuebamus , While hee reigned , wee liued quiet , and feared no enemies , So now euery man may sit in peace vnder his Vine and Figtree , & beare a part in the song of those heauenly Souldiers , m praising God and saying , Glory be to God in the high heauens for our peace on earth . VVe enioy that blessing promised to Salomon , I n will send peace and quietnesse vpon Israel in his daies , A blessing worthie of thankesgiuing : So that wee may in a Christian peace serue the God of peace , and praise him for our peace , and pray to him for the preseruation of the happy instrument of this our peace : for peace is a nurse of Religion , but bloudie warre the mother of misery , mischiefe , and abhomination ; for , Nulla fides pietasque viris qui castra sequuntur . In time of Warre the God of peace neglected , True faith and Pitty is then reiected . Let all from head to foote , from our Salomon in the Throne , to the poorest member in the kingdom , prostrate their humble soules to the throne of God , ( the giuer of all blessings ) and in all faithfull obedience , tender him their dutifull seruice , o seruing the Lord in feare and reioycing in trembling ; ascribing all praise and thanks to God , saying , p Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord , and his blessing is vpon the people ; Gratias q agere Deo possumus , referre non possumus ; giuing God all possible thankes for his blessings , the least whereof is more worth then all our thanks ; yet , Ascensus gratiarum descensus gratiae , the ascending of our thankes doe bring descending graces . And with our best and faithfull seruice to our good God , the King of Kings : let our loyall and dutifull seruice be neuer wanting to his vertuous vicegerent , his annointed deputy on earth , our high and dread Soueraigne , r Qui tangit eum tangit pupillam oculi ipsius , as the Lord speakes of Sion ; Hee that toucheth you , toucheth the apple of his eye : beseeching God to be Protector Saluationum Vncti , the defender and deliuerer of his Anointed , to giue him prosperity , peace , and plenty of all things : yea , plenty of it , which Lewes the eleuenth the French King complained hee onely wanted in his Court ; and being demanded what it was , hee said ●ruth , a Diamond faire and fit to adorne a Diadem , commendable to God , acceptable to Kings , profitable to Common wealths ; Hee is the Kings and Countries best seruant , that brings in his mouth a message of Trueth . I haue s read how a certaine poore man comming to see Constantine ( an Emperor renowned through the world by Fame and Fortune ) and that poore man fixing his eies vpon him , said thus , Putabam Constantinum aliquid praeclarius & mirabilius fuisse , sed iam video eum nihil aliudesse praeter hominem , I had thought Constantine had beene some rarer and more admirable Creature , but I see he is but a man ; to whom Constantine gaue many thanks , ( being both plaine and true ) saying , Tu solus es , qui in me oculos apertos habuisti Thou art onely the man that hast looked vpon mee with open eies ; others did flatter him , making him beleeue that hee was not , but this man honestly and truelie told him what hee was . Like t Macedonius the Eremite , who said to the officers of Theodosius , Dicite Imperatori non es Imperator solummodo sedetiam homo : Tell the Emperor he is not onely an Emperour , but also a man : For though in Scripture they be called Gods , it is in sensu modificato , a qualified sence , Gods by deputation , earthly Gods , not by nature , but by regiment : they shall dwell in the Lords Tabernacle ( and are worthy to be in Kings Courts ) s who walke vprightly , worke righteously , and speake the trueth from their hearts : Qui verit atem occultat , & qui prodit mendacium , vterque reus est ; ille quia prodesse non vult , iste quia nocere desiderat , saith r Austen , He that hides the truth , & he that tels a lye , both be guilty : He because he would not profit , this because hee would haue hurt . The Lord and louer of Trueth euermore blesse his Maiesty with trusty t Nathaniels , in whom is no guile : Such are the best seruants and secretaries to King and Country , who like one of those three seruants to King Darius , the keepers of his body , come with this sentence , laying it vnder the Kings pillow , u Trueth ouer commeth all things : But keepe from him ( O King of Kings ) all flattering Doegs , crafty conspiring Achitophels , rebellious Shebas , treacherous Zimries , vnfaithfull Zibas , false Ioabs , and Romish Iudasses , who honour him with their lips , but their hearts be far from him . And let all true subiects to his gracious Highnesse , faithfully performe all loyall seruice to this our * Iosias , who restores the booke of the Law and holy Scripture ; who like x Dauid , fetcheth home the Arke of God and his sacred Gospell ; who like y Asa puts downe Idolls , and commands all to seeke the Lord God ; who like z Iehu , not kills , but * banishes Baals Priests , the Romish rout of Seminaries and Iesuites , waiters and worshippers of the Papall Moloch ( an a Idol hauing hands alwaies to receiue gifts . ) Our Soueraigne loathes these locusts , and labours — has terris & templis auertere pestes : To free the Church and Country of these plagues ; so that it makes our hearts leape for ioy , and cry aloud , b O Lord how fauourable hast thou beene vnto our land in placing religion , learning , vertue , and honour in one seate , Quam bene conueniunt cùm vna sede locantur , Maiestas , & virtus — An admirable spectacle to behold vertue and honour , in the royall Throne : What fires of zeale , loue , and seruice should it kindle in the hearts of subiects , in thankefulnes to God , to serue the Lord in feare , and come before his presence with a song of thankesgiuing falling downe before the Lord our Maker , in soule , in body , all within , and all without ? He giues all , & must be praysed of all , prayed to of all , for he is all in all . He c hath not dealt so with euery Nation ; and therefore let vs with the d Psalmist say and sing , O my God , and King , I will extoll thee , and praise thy name for euer and euer . Let e Israel reioyce in their King : and to conclude with the words of Musculus , f Acceptus , foelix , & gratiosus sit iste , quem Dominus nobis regem dedit ; Welcome , wished , and most worthy is he , whom God hath set vp to raigne ouer vs , who happily succeeded a Virgin Queene . & proclaimed a day before the Festiual of the Queene of Virgins , ( a faire Prologue of much ioy ) who now with great felicity , and tranquility , hath raigned 15 yeeres in this great and flourishing Kingdome ; many more yeeres we continually pray to be multiplied , Addat é nostris annos in annos Deus ; Make him full of dayes and full of Trophees of honour , and grant him loyall Subiects , faithfull in obedience , and dutifull in all seruice , saying in tongue ioyfully , in heart truly ; God saue the King. CHAP. VIII . THE fifth duty of Subiects to be duly and truly payed and performed to their sacred and dread Soueraignes , is Tribute , which is ( as Vipian saith ) Neruus reip . The strong s●ew of the Common-wealth , without which , King , nor Kingdome cannot stand : And therefore our Sauiour first by g president paid Tribute , and also by precept , resoluing the Disciples of the Pharises , demanding , whether it was lawfull to giue Tribute vnto Caesar , or no ? told them peremptorily , h That they must giue vnto Caesar that which was Caesars : Reddendum est tributum , honor & obedientia in omnibus , quae non pugnant cum verbo Dei , saith Piscator , vpon that place ; Tribute Honour , and Obedience , is to be giuen vnto the Magistrate in all things , not repugnant to the word of God : for this cause ( saith i Saint Paul ) ye pay Tribute , because the King is the Minister of God for thy wealth , applying themselues for the same thing : Custodit te Princeps ( saith k Theophylact ) ab Hostibus , debes itaquè ei tributum : The Prince keeps thee safe from enemies , thou doest owe him therefore Tribute ; and as he speakes still in that place , Nummum ipsum quem habes ab ipso habes , The money which thou hast , thou hast from him , and therfore , Non date , sed reddite , Not giue , but pay ; not a gift , but a debt , which all Subiects owe to him . Non damus sed reddimus , quiequid ex officio cuiquam damus , saith Beucer ; We doe not giue , but pay that which of duty we owe : Tributes , Subsidies , and Taskes , &c : are not gifts , but debts , which of necessity they must and ought to pay . Hoc Scripturae approbant , hoc leges ciuiles communi gentium omnium consensu recipiunt ( saith l Hiperius ) : This doe the Scriptures allow of , ( writing there of the payment of Tributes ) this doe the Ciuill Lawes , with the common consent of all Natious accept , and approue : Ius pendendi vectigalia apud omnes gentes fuit semper receptissimum ( saith the same m Hiperius ) The Law and right of paying Tribute , among all Nations hath euer beene accustomed : for how could Kings maintaine their States , defend their Countries , reward their faithfull seruants , vndergoe so manifold expences , which belong to a regall reckoning , vnlesse their Subiects with Tributes , Taxes , and Subsidies , helpe to sustaine the common charge ? And therefore n Caluin writes well , that Tributes and Taxes are the lawfull reuenewes of Princes ; which serue to maintaine their royalty , and the Common-wealths tranquility : Tributa necessaria sunt reip : sine eis , nec quies , nec arma , haberi possunt , ( saith Tacitus ) o Tributes are so necessary for the Common-wealth , that neither peace , nor warre , nor weapons , can be without them : for warre cannot be maintained without men , nor men without money , which is Neruus belli , The sinew of warre ; Tributis & vectigalibus nulla resp : aut imperium nedum magnum carere potest , ( saith the same p Tacitus ) No Countrey , or Kingdome , be it neuer so great , can lacke the payment of Tributes , &c. In regnis bene constitutis certum constitutum est , Tributum ( saith Herodotus q ) In wel gouerned Kingdomes , there is certaine Tribute to be paid . r Augustus Caesar taxed all the World , that is , all the Regions and Prouinces then subiect to the Romaines , ( as the learned interpret it ) ; and this was as Caluin notes , Annuum Tributum , sed non quotannis fiebat descriptio ; A yeerly Tribute , though not euery yeere put in wrighting : And the Iewes ( though at first ) they did aegre ferre mentionem discriptionis , Hardly away with this yeerely taxing , Non tamen reluctatos esse pertinaciter , as s Iosephus writes , They did not obstinately resist it , but by the perswasion of their High Priest , they suffered themselues to be taxed . Salomon could not haue beene so rich if his people had not payed him Tribute ; but the weight of gold t they brought to Salomon , in one yeere was sixe hundreth threescore and sixe Talents of Gold. This duty of paying Tribute , Subsidies , and Taxes , &c : by the subiects to the Soueraigne , is by the law of God , and lawes of men , and common customes of most Nations commanded and approued , and that for foure principall causes . First to maintaine that royall estate which God hath giuen to Kings : the glorious patternes of Kings magnificence , may be fully seene in royall Salomon : Looke but vpon his Throne , 2 Chro. 9. 17 , and you may iudge of all the rest of his royalty . Secondly , To defend the Common-wealth , both in peace and in warre , which requires a great Treasury . A great Bird had need of a great neast : That High Head which cares for all the politicke body , and night and day studies to preserue their welfare , must participate of their wealth , without which the publike peace and security cannot be effected : for it is , Status insolidus qui earet solidis . Thirdly To contestate and acknowledge their homage and subiection to their Soueraigne : for Tributum dare , est imperatori subiici , & signum seruitutis , say the Canonists , nonists , u , to pay Tribute is to be subiect to the Emperour , and a signe of seruitude , confessing all duty and loyalty to be due , to their annointed Soueraigne , who hath power to command them , their * goods , * lands , & liues , for the seruice of the Kings and Countries preseruation . Looke vpon the Israelites ( when King Saul was dead ) comming to elect and annoynt Dauid in Hebron , to be King ouer Israel , * Behold we are thy bones and thy flesh , meaning ( as I take it ) that their liues and all , were at his seruice and commandement : for Tribute is not onely of money , but Sudor & sanguis populi , The sweat and blood of the people , if such need require to defend their King and Countrey , is a Tribute due from them , willing and ready to aduenture their liues and limbes , to giue repulse and resistance to forraine or domesticall violence . Fourthly , To testifie their gratefull affections to their gracious Princes , in thankefulnesse for the great benefits by their prudent , prouident , and politicke gouernement , reaped and receiued . So Dauid in lamenting Sauls death , remembers the benefits his subiects receiued by him in his life time , x Ye Daughters of Israel weepe for Saul , which cloathed you in scarlet with pleasures , and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparell : So y Ieremy of the good King Iosiah , lamenting his death , The breath of our nostrels , the Annoynted of the Lord , was taken in their nets , of whom we said , Vnder his shadow we shall be preserued among the Heathen . A good King , brings many blessings & benefits vnto his people ; and therefore when such as are in authority , be righteous , the people reioyce , saith z Salomon . a A King by iudgement maintaines the countrey , By a man of vnderstanding and knowledge , a Realme endureth long , saith the same b Salomon ; yea , ( as wise Plato well said ) Beatas fore resp : cum aut Philosophentur reges ; aut regnent Philosophi : When as Kings were Philosophers , or Philosophers Kings , then such Common-wealths should be happy . And indeed all earthly happinesse which is deriued to the members , proceeds from the Head , ( next vnder God , the primary Author of all good things ) by whose direction , discretion , circumspection , care , counsell , and continuall vigilancy , they are preserued in peace , and prosper in plenty : for there are sixe externall earthly helpes , necessary for the temporall prosperity of any Kingdome . 1. A King to rule . 2. A Law to iudge , 3. Pollicy to guide , 4. People to inhabite , 5. Power to defend , 6 : Riches to maintaine it , and which is the Alpha and Omega of all , and aboue all , and before all , the Lord and King of all , to prosper and preserue all , without whose protection these must come to ruine all . c Except the Lord keepe the City , the keeper watcheth but in vaine ; Except the Lord gouerne and guide the shippe of State , it runnes vpon the rocke : Therefore Prince and people ought duly to say with the d Psalmist ; Thou art our King , O God , send helpe vnto Iacob , Through thee haue wee thrust backe our enemies , through thee haue wee trodden downe them that rose vp against vs , &c. Rise vp for our succour , and redeeme vs for thy mercies sake . Well , Tributes , Subsidies , Taxes , &c : are a good meanes to help to support the state of Kingdomes ; and as they bee the publike Tribute of the Common-wealths , so should they bee imployed about the publike tranquility . Let no Theudas herein deceiue you , or any Iudas of Galile ( who in the dayes of the Tribute , drew away much people , as e Gamaliel speakes ) delude you ; for he perished , and all that obeyed him : Si quis putat non esse vectigal soluendum , aut tributum aut honorem exhibendum , in magno errore labitur , saith f Austen ; If any one thinke Imposts , Tribute , and honour , ought not to be paid to them , he falles into a great errour : Iure debemus , & nisi facimus , peccamus in iustitiae regulam , saith g Aretius ; We owe them by right , if wee doe not pay them , wee offend against the rule of Iustice : Nay to pay them is so necessary for all , ( as the same Aretius there ) Nisivelint fortunis , & bonis , adeoque ipsa salute spoliari , Vnlesse they would be depriued of their fortunes , wealth , and welfare : Therefore pay it truly , and doe it heartily , as to the Lord , and not vnto men ; not grudgingly , as if compelled by necessity , but cheerefully and voluntarily in humble testimony of your hearty fidelity , loue , and loyalty . But herein may arise a question ; The Laity ought to pay Tribute to their Soueraigne Kings , but whether the Clergy ? And the chiefe pillars of Popery haue already passed their verdict , that they ought not to pay Tribute ; and he that was then foreman of the grand Iury , I meane Boniface the 8 , came not forth with an Ignoramus , but with a Definitiue Decreuimus Decreeing , that no Clergy man should pay tribute : And since a late Iury of Popish Doctors , that haue beene empannelled vpon that case , haue passed their verdicts , that Clergy men are exempted , not onely from Tributes , but also from all trials , or punishments , to be inflicted by secular Courts . So h Baronius in his Paraenesis to the Venetians writes , Senatum venetum contra sacerdotes vel enormissime delinquentes , nullam habere iurisdictionem , quia scriptum est , Tu quis es qui indic as alienum seruum ? &c. The Senate of Venice hath no iurisdiction against Priests , neuer so fouly offending , because it is written , What art thou that iudgest another mans seruant ? he stands to his Master , or fals ; and the Venetians doing contrary , he compares to be Instar monstri , & portenti Luciferi , Like that monstrous portent of pride , Lucifer . Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels ? So Baronius ; So i Bellarmine , sing the same song , that Church-men that are borne , and inhabite in soueraigne Princes Countries , are notwithstanding not their Subiects , and cannot be iudged by them , although they may iudge them : And againe , that the obedience , which Churchmen giue to Princes , euen in the meanest and meere temporall things , is not by any necessary subiection , but onely out of discretion , and for obseruation of good order and custome : These two Cardinals , like Sampson , sweate in the Philistians mill , to grinde to powder the power of Princes ouer the Clergy ; thereby the more to aduance the , vsurped might of the Papall Miter . What should I record the paltry verdicts of others , who liue vpon Bellarmines & Baronius scraps and fragments , as the Poets did vpon Homers Bason ? and will wright and fight , yea — Iurare in verba Magistri , Sweare to defend the foulest errors of their false Oracles : — Quos penes arbitrium est , & ius , & norma loquendi . If Bellarmine and Baronius , the one in controuersies , the other in Histories ( men indeed deep , and famous in knowledge , if it were sanctified ) if they haue once beate their braines about any point , then the Ignatian brood , ( a society like to k Hannibals Army , gathered Ex colluuie omnium gentium , Of the drosse , and dregs of euery Nation , will tooth and nayle defend it ; as if Chrysippus had bred them , who vsed to boast , l That if once he had the opinion , he neuer wanted arguments to defend it . Reade but Mariana de rege & regis instit . lib. 1 c. 10 : pag. 88 : or Francis . Bozius de temp . Eccl : Monar . lib. 2 , c. 1 , pag. 264 , & 265 : or to be briefe , Catechis : Iesuit , lib. 2 , c. 26 , pag. 235 : you shall find how they concurre and conspire like Simeon and Leui , to draw the Clergy out of the yoke of obedience from secular Powers , to inthrall them to a base bondage to the Pope ; & indeed it was a pollicy vsed long ago among the Popes , the better to raise the pontificall Hierarchy by degrees , to decree Clericall Immunities from secular Authorities , as we m reade in diuers places ; Nullus iudicum saecularium Presbyterum , Diaconum , aut Clericum vllum sine permissu pontificis condemnare praesumat , &c. Let no Iudge Secular , presume to condemne Priest , Deacon , or Clerke , without leaue of the Bishop ; if he doe , let him be sequestred from the Church : Donec reatum emendet ; Till he hath mended his fault . n And againe , Episcopi , Diaconi , & quilibet Clerici , siue in criminali siue in ciuili negotio , seculare iudicium non possunt subire : Bishops , Deacons , or any Clerkes , may not vndergoe iudgement ; either in any criminall , or ciuill businesse , or proceeding : And so o againe , Ecclesiasticis mandatur sub depositionis poena , vt laicis imperatoribus , regibus , principibus , comitibus , &c. Talias , collectas , nec sub adiutorij ; mutui , aut subsidij , vel doni nomine , licet promissas soluant : It is commanded Ecclesiasticall men , vnder paine of deposition , or depriuation , that they shall not pay to Lay Emperors , Kings , Princes , or Rulers , Taxes , or Tenths , vnder the name of helpes , lendings , subsidies , or gratuities , although promised . What a cautelous decree is this , as if it were like sacriledge to pay tribute to Kings , as Christ did ; or to giue them any thing by way of gratuities , which all may doe without controule ? Eugenius I , was one of the first that did Potestatem gladij ciuilis rapere , Snatch into his hands the power of the ciuill Sword , for he decreed , that Episcopi haberent carcerem ad plectenda delicta clericorum ; Bishoppes should haue a prison to punish the faults of Clerkes And so Hadrian the first , Ne clerici extra suum forum in iudicium traherentur ; That Clerkes should not be drawne out of their owne Courts . And so * Syluester , Laicis clericum in ius vocare interdixit , He interdicted Laycks to call Clerkes into their Courts : So Fabian decreed , Sacerdotes causam dicere & mulctari in sacro , non prophano foro debere , That Priests ought to pleade their cause , and to be punished in the sacred , not prophane Courts . So Iulius the first , decreed , Ne sacerdos alibi , quam apudiudicem Ecclesiasticum dicat ; That no Priest should pleade his cause , but before an Ecclesiasticall Iudge . And so many other Popes , Anacletus , Alexander the first , and second ; Eusebius , Gregory 7 , called Heldebrand , and since him , all haue rightly Heldebrandized , arrogating the spirituall and temporall Sword , as Boniface did , who when p Albert the first , sent to him to confirme his election , hee refused , saying ; that he was both Emperor and Pope : and so in that present Iubile , did shew himselfe , the first day in his Pontificall robes , and the next day in the habite of an Emperour , saying ; Behold , here are two swords : and euer since they haue vsed all their skill , plots , and pollicies , to claime a supremacy ouer Emperors , Kings , and Princes , not onely in spirituall , but also in temporall matters : Reade but q Bozius Booke De temporali Monarch : who there labours to defend , that the supreme temporall iurisdiction belongs to the Pope ; so that hee is the vniuersall Monarch of all the World : and that the Emperour holds his Empire of the Church of Rome , and may be called the Popes Vicar , or Officiall , as r Iacobatius Writes : Agreeable to the doctrine and propositions of Bellarmine , q that Kings are subiects to Popes ; s and haue degraded Emperors , and thereupon they challenge both swords , and striue to free themselues , and t Dragon-like with their taile would draw the third part of the starres from all obedience and allegiance , from the Kings of the earth , denying all suites and seruice , tributes , trials , or secular punishments to be inflicted vpon them , exempting all their Cleargy from temporall subiection : Contrary to the Precepts and practise of the Priests and Prophets of the Law , and Christ and his Apostles in the Gospell : yea contrary to the practise of the purer times , euen in the Church of Rome , when as their Bishops acknowleged their seruice and fealty to Caesars , and paied them tribute . Episcopi dederunt , tributa potestatiregiae non resistentes , &c. saith u Eusebius , The Bishops paid their Tributes , not resisting regall power : yea let their * Pope Vrban speake , tribute was found in the mouth of a fish , Peter fishing , Ecclesia tributum reddidit , then the Church paid Tribute : yea x Tributarium nummum debetis dare , quo vos indicatis obedientiam vestram , You ought to pay tribute mony , by which you ought to declare your obedience . But peraduenture they will alledge King y Artaxerxes commission giuen to Esdras , in which it pleased the King to command , that no Tribute or taxe of the Priests , Leuites , holy Singers , Porters , Ministers of the Temple , or workemen of the Temple should be taken , or any had power to taxe them in any thing ; the answere is easie . First , this immunity proceeded , ex mera gratia & beneplacito , from the meere fauour and pleasure of the King , the better to incourage them in their worke at Ierusalem . Secondly , they possessed no lands , but liued by oblations and sacrifices ; being herein like the Druides among the Frenchmen ( who payed no Tribute ) as Caesar writes ; the reason was , because they had nothing , and where nothing is , the King loses his right . Thirdly , a particular fauour or example makes not a generall law : Indeed z Iustinian the Emperor hath granted to the Cleargy speciall priuiledges , and freed them from military or martiall imployments , personall officers , and from many exactions ; but all this proceeds ex beneplacito , out of an Emperiall fauour , and royall grace , which all vertuous Kings beare vnto Gods Ministers , non ex praecepto , or praxi ; for practise a Christ himselfe payed Tribute for himselfe and Peter ; and by b precept , Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars : telling his Disciples , c The Lords of the Gentils had dominion ouer them : And S. d Paul commands euery soule to be subiect to the higher Powers , to pay Tribute , and to giue Tribute to whom they owe Tribute . To them therefore that challenge immunity from the performance of these publicke debts of tributarie duties to their Liege Lords and Kings , I may say to them as Dioclesian to the Philosopher ; Thy profession differs from thy petition , thy profession teaches thee to giue Caesar his due , and not to rob him of his right . Bishop Latimer calls such theeues that rob the King of his due debt , Subsidies , Tributes , or Taxes . Rather imitate that e Ambrose the famous Bishop of Millan , who teacheth thee a better lesson : Si tributum petit Imperator , non negamus , agri Ecclesiae soluant tributum ; si agros desiderat Imperator , potestatem habet vendicandorum , tollat eos si libitum est ; Imperatori non dono , sed non nego ; If the Emperor demand Tribute , we doe not denie it , your fields of our Church shall pay tribute ; If the Emperor demand the fields , he hath power to challenge them , let him take them , I neither giue them nor denie them in no case , arguing obedience in ordinary , or extraordinary exactions : agreeing fully with Luther , f If thy substance , bodie , or life should be taken from thee by the Magistrate , thou maist say thus , I doe willingly yeeld them vnto you , and acknowledge you for ruler ouer me , I will obey you , but whether you vse your power and authority well or ill , see you to that : For Kings must one day giue account of all their workes , to the King of Kings ; and if they haue abused their power by Tyrannie , crueltie , or any bad gouernment , an hard iudgement g shall such haue that beare such rule , for then abides the sorer triall , as the Sonne of wisedome speakes ; The power is from God , the abuse of it from themselues , and they will finde it , when God and it cals them to reckon . The chaine of gould is not made the worse because an harlot weares it about her necke : it is h Luthers comparison in this case ; so still Kings must be obeyed , for conscience sake , if not commanding contrary to Gods commandements . Let vs in these follow the steppes of faithfull Fabricius , of whose fidelity Pyrrhus boldly speakes , Difficilius Fabricius a legalitate quam sol a suo cursu vertipossit ; Let the Sunne first turne from her course , then we from the course of loyall obedience , and allegiance : alwaies remembring that Christian saying of the Martyr i Ignatius , No man euer liued vnpunished , which lifted vp himselfe against his betters , superiours , his Princes ; disobedience brings infamie , disgrace , death , yea hatred after death , that the sorrowfull Sonne may say of his treacherous sire , k Ye haue troubled me , and made me stinke among the inhabitants of the land , as Iacob said of Simeon and Leui. Let vs alwaies from the bottome of our hearts● , pray for the Kings safety , corporally ; for his saluation spiritually , and preseruation politically . Let vs obey him because hee is the Lords annointed , appointed by God to be his vicegerent , representing the person on earth , of the King of Kings in heauen : Let vs honor him not with lips onely , but with hearts truelie , because he is the Father of our Countrie , the constant Defender of the Faith , and so worthy of double honour : Let vs be ready to performe at his command our best seruice , being his natiue and naturall Subiects , born and bound by Allegiance to all Christian dueties of subiection : Let vs be willing to pay Tribute , a publike purse must helpe the publicke peace , Multorum manibus grande leuatur onus . Yet let vs pay him his duty : Tribute to him , for we owe him Tribute ; Custome to him , for we owe him Custome ; Feare , Honor , Obedience Seruice and all other loyall seruices and performances of duties belonging to good subiects in their seuerall degrees and places ; humbly to tender them , and render them vnto our gracious and high Soueragine Lord the King , whose Sword , Crowne , Scepter , Throne and Person iustly requires all these duties : the Sword exacts obedience , Crowne commands honor , Scepter seruice , Throne tribute , and Person prayer ; alwaies powring forth to God this prayer and petition , God saue the King : Corporally . Spiritually . Politically . CHAP. IX . First Corporally . AND if euer Praiers needfull in this kinde , now is the time ; Nolite tangere , abhorred of Heathens , is now applauded and defended of false Christians . Religion and superstition now comes forth with her knife , ready to cut Kings throats , it beeing the generall rule of them , Occide haereticum , Kill an hereticke , make away with him , giue him an Italian posset , poyson him though it be in the Sacrament , a as Henry the seuenth , Emperour , poysoned in Sacramentall bread ; Victor the third , Pope , in the Sacramentall cup ; and yet they say that Christs bloud is really in the wine , how then comes that poyson of death mixed with that sacred substance of life ? The Patrons and Proctors to plead for King-killers , I meane the Iesuites with their adherents , make this for a conclusion ; That any priuate man may be an executioner of a King excommunicated and deposed by the Pope : and b Caesar Baronius alledges & commends out of Iuo a breue of Pope Vrban the second , wherein it is pronounced , that they are no homicides who kill such as are excommunicate ; for wee doe not iudge them to bee murtherers , who burning with the zeale of their Catholike mother , against such as are excommunicate , happen to haue killed any of them . And so c Suarez the Iesuite in his last booke against our King writes , After sentence condemnatory is giuen of the King , &c. then hee that hath pronounced the sentence , or he to whom it is committed , may depriue the King of his kingdome , euen by killing him if hee cannot doe it otherwise ; and the very Cannibals are not more thirsty of bloud then these false Catholickes , commending & commanding murther , the murther of Gods Anointed Kings , ( which any heart , not stupified with Atheisme , or reprobate sence , would tremble at it ) and appropriate the doing of that deed onely to Papists ; for so d Suarez saith , If his lawfull successor be a Catholike , and so that hee be a Catholike that succeedes in the right , challenging the right of committing so execrable villany , to appertaine to none but onely to Romish Catholikes ; disdaining that any should haue an hand in so horrible and hellish mischiefes against the King , but onely a friend and follower of the Popes religion ; true-borne children of their bloudy Mother the whore of Babilon , the mother of murder , e drunken with the bloud of Saints , and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Christ Iesus . If the Pope cries against any King , with the f Citizens in that parable , Nolumus hunc regnare , Wee will not haue this man to reigne ; presently pollicie , villany , mischiefe , and murder , fraud and deceit , all shall conspire to accomplish the Popes desire : If poyson and policie faile , power shall ●reuaile : like to him when intreaty could not moue , laid his hand on his sword g saying , At hic faciet , but this shall doe it ; if Mercurie be too weake , Mars shall second him , then leaue Apolloes harpe , and take Hercules club ; both pens and pikes , heads , hearts , and hands are too nimble to hurt Kings : Sanguiuolenta est mens , Sanguinolenta manus : A bloudy heart must haue a bloudy hand . How many Princes of Christendome hath that Sea of Rome swallowed and deuoured ? A Sea indeede , nay a red Sea of bloud , or Mare mortuum , wherein that Leuiathan makes his Sea , ( as the Lord tells Iob ) like a potte of oyntment : Sed mors in illa ella , Death is in the pot . Out of this Sea creepe those Crocodiles , I meane Iesuites , Seminaries , and men vsually troubled with the Kings euill , Treason : These Romish rats creepe into regall Pallaces , at last take and taske their owne bane , like the spirits of Deuils ( of whom S. Iohn ) i worke myracles to goe vnto the Kings of the earth , and those whom they cannot draw by their collusion , they would deuoure by effusion . I may say of them as Polymnestor speakes in the Tragedie of Hecuba , Hastifera , armata , equestris , Marti obnoxiagens , They are well weaponed people , dagges and daggers , charmes , poysons , powder , all tragicall and traiterous engines and instruments they haue to touch Gods Anointed , the Kings of the earth corporally . In olde time scarce any treason without a Priest , in our time scarce any without a Iesuite : As Iudas was the antesignanus of traytors ( chiefe Captain of the cursed crue ) so since him the false stiled Iesuits , but the true Iudaites , are the cheefe Shibas , to blow aloud the trumpet of rebellion . And there was a wicked man named Sheba , the sonne of Bicri , a man of Iemini and hee blew the Trumpet and said , We haue no part in Dauid , nor inheritance in the sonne of Ishai . Euery man to his tents O Israel , 2 Sam. 20. 1. And there are many of Israel that follow these Shebas , but k the men of Iudah claue fast vnto their King , from Iordan euen to Ierusalem . All good subiects will cleaue with the men of Iudah faithfully to their King , and will goe with Ioab to pursue these Shebas , vntill their heads be cut off and throwne to them ouer the wall . These Shebas make Kings the markes of their murther ; saying with treacherous l Achitophel , I will smite the King onely : or with the King of Aram , m Fight neyther against small or great , saue onely against the King of Israel . Feriunt summos fulmina montes . The highest mountaines most exposed to Thunders : And to perpetrate such crying and capitall murders , they will hazard the perill of their liues , and losse of their soules : and ( but n that the Lord hath giuen his Angels a charge ouer his Anointed to keepe them in all his waies ) the attempts of such desperate miscreants were deadly dangerous : for as Seneca , Vitae tuae dominus est , quisquis suam contempsit , He is Master of thy life , who contemnes his owne . Cato when hee had got a sword , ( though therewith to kill himselfe ) cried out , Now am I my owne man. So these desperate villaines who runne with desire to their owne deaths , are their owne men to act murder : but God doth bring to nought their desires and deuices , and raiseth vp for his seruants in extraordinary dangers , extraordinary deliuerances . The imminent danger of King Croesus , yet a Heathen King , opened the mouth of his dumbe sonne to tell it . * Bessus his parricide discouered by the chattering of Swallowes ; verifying Salomons p wordes , The fowles of the ayre carrie that voice ; God can cause euery fowle of heauen , and euery creature on earth to finde a tongue to tell treason , to deliuer his Anointed . Our gracious King is a speaking mappe of many wonderfull deliuerances in extraordinary dangers ; still we cry and craue with Dauid , q Domine saluum fae Regem , Lord saue the King , cloath r all his enemies with shame , and breake them in peeces like a Potters vessell : Let thy hands O Lord , finde out all that hate him ; make them like a fiery ouen in the time of thine anger , and destroy them in thy wrath : Deliuer his soule from the sword , and saue him from the Lions mouthes : confound all Shebas that would stirre vp Israel against Dauid , and all Adoniahs that gape to take the kingdome from our Salomon ; all like them , let them perish like them . Then will all loyall subiects reioyce when they see the vengeance , they shall wash their feet in the bloud of the wicked . Let our feruent prayers be daily powred forth vnto God , to defend him from all Traytors , to reueale their plots and reuenge their purposes , that they — qui volunt occidere regem , posse nolunt : That they who would kill a King , may neuer haue power to performe it : that no danger may assault him , no treachery may endanger him , giue thine Angels charge O Lord to sentinell ouer him : make his chamber like the tower of s Dauid , built for defence ; a thousand shields hang therein , and all the targets of the strong men ; and his bed t like Salomons , threescore strong men round about it of the valiant men of Israel , they all handle the sword , and are expert in warre ; euery one hath his sword vpon his thigh , for the feare by night , that so no enemy may oppresse him , nor the wicked approach to hurt him ; to destroy his foes before his face , and plague them that hate him ; his seed long to endure , and his daies as the daies of heauen . So shall the Lord be gracious to his Seruant , and mercifull to vs his people who continually pray , God saue the King , Corporally . CHAP. X. 2. Spiritually . GOD Saue the King Spiritually , God euer keep him constant and couragious to maintaine the true profession of the Gospell , and to labour to purge Gods Church of all superstition , and to plant in it Gods true religion . This is the first duety of Kingly seruice vnto God , to cleanse his Church of all idolatry and superstition . The good Kings Ezechias and Iosias , were carefull in this behalfe : Ezechiah when hee came to the Crowne of Iudah , a he tooke away the high places , brake the Images , and cut downe the groues , and brake in peeces the brazen serpent , &c. that is , rooted and raced out all Idolatry . So b Iosiah puts downe all Idols , and Idolatrous Priests , who defiled the Temple . So c Asa tooke the wicked Sodomites out of the land , and deposed Maacha his Mother , because shee had made an Idoll in a groue . So d Salomon installed in his kingdome , built a Temple for seruice and worship of the Lord. It is the office of a King specially to take care to prouide , that God may be religiouslie worshipped , that his e people may feare the Lord , & serue him in the trueth : for the happinesse of King and Kingdome consists in the trueth of their religion ; For that nation and kingdome which will not serue the Lord shall perish and be vtterly destroyed , saith the Prophet f Esay . Est boni Principis religionem ante omnia constituere ; saith g Liuie , It is the part of a good King , first to establish true religion ; for that is the very fountaine and foundation of all felicity . h Beneficentia quae fit in cultum Dei maxima gratia . That loue and care which is declared towards the true worship of God , is most commendable : for true religion is Cardo or Axis , the very Pillar of all prosperity , the soule of Tranquility , the totall summe of true felicity : Propter Ecclesiam in mundo , durat mundus , saith Luther , Christs Church on earth is the cause of the continuance of this earthly world : without the light of the Gospel , Kings & people liue in thraldome , in the Egypt of wofull blindnesse : it is but painted happinesse , a vaine flourish , nay a dangerous ship of state , where God sits not at the sterne . As all kingdomes stand luteis pedibus , vpon clay feet : so that Kingdome cannot stand at all , which wants the foundation , true religion . It is the speech of an i Heathen , but may be the lesson of a Christian , Religio vera est firmamentum reip . &c. True religion the foundation of a Common wealth , and the chiefe care ought to be , to plant the same . So k Dauid reioyces in nothing so much as in the Arke of God , desirous rather to be a dore-keeper in Gods house , then to rule in the tents of the vngodly . Like to that good Emperor , who gloried more to be membrum Ecclesiae , then caput Imperij , a member of Gods Church , then an head of a great Empire . Salomon l begins well , first in building an house for God , knowing nothing can prosper without God : Except the m Lord keep the City , the watchman watcheth but in vaine . In vaine doe the Kings of the earth stand vp , if they assemble against the Lord , for then hee laughes them to scorne , and shall haue them in derision . Be wise now therefore O ye Kings , serue the Lord in feare , be wise in Diuine matters , serue the Lord in feare ; for his feare is the beginning of wisedome , to direct you to rule your selues and people in the seruice and worship of his holy name . We read it recorded of n Constantinus the Emperor , that when he died , he did much lament for three things which had happened in his reigne . First , the murther of Gallus his kinsman : Secondly , the liberty of Iulian the Apostate : Thirdly , the change and alteration of religion . And surely there cannot be a greater cause of lamentation , then an innouation or alteration of religion : yea then a tolleration of a contrary religion . It had beene a hard matter to haue had obtained a tolleration of such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money . A godly Prince may not suffer any religion but the true religion in his Dominions , and this we may proue by diuers reasons . First the exercise of a false religion is directly against the honour and glory of God. Ergo. Secondly , consent in true religion is vinculum Ecclesiae , the chayne and bond of Gods Church ; for o there is but one faith : therefore a difference and dissention in religion , is a dissolution in Gods Church ; but no Prince ought to haue his hand in dissoluing Gods Church , for Kings are p nursing Fathers of the Church . Thirdly , it is the Princes duty to prouide for the safety of the bodies , much more for the safety of the soules of his Subiects . Now true religion is the foode , but false the bane of soules ; and you know , Qui non seruat periturum , cum potest , occidit , He that doth not helpe one ready to perish , being able to helpe , kills him . Fourthly , the q Angell of the Church of Pergamus is reprooued for hauing such in Pergamus as maintained the doctrine of Balaam , and the doctrine of the Nicholaitans ; and the Church of r Thiatyra reproued for suffering Iezabel to teach and deceiue . Fiftly , the Lords s Altar and Baals Altar must not stand together : Quae concordia Dei & Belial ? No agreement twixt God and Belial . Indeed the Papists haue beene very earnest to supplicate for a Tolleration for their corrupt religion , and yet themselues neuer allow it . The Pope neuer afforded such fauour to Protestants , witnesse their Inquisition : Nay t Bellarmine doth confesse , that the Papists would not suffer any among them , Qui ostendunt vllo signo etiam externo se fauere Lutheranis , Who doe declare by any signe externall that they fauour the Lutherans ; but they doe mittere illos mature in locum suum , send such quickly to their last home . Read but Lencaeus the Louayne professor in his booke Devnica religione , or Pamelius in his book De diuersis religionibus non admittendis , Who both with might and maine dispute against Tollerations . It was a great commendation in the Emperour Constantino , who would not suffer Idolatry in any part of his Dominions , as u Eusebius writes of him . And it was commendable in Amphilochius * a Bishop , who reproued Theodosius the Emperor , that he so long winked at Arrius , and suffered him to spread his pestilent heresie ouer the body of the Church ; and it was commended in the Emperor , who was not angry with the words of iust reproofe , but forthwith banished Arrius , & gaue him some part of his iust deserts . But heerein we neede not seeke out forraine histories , wee haue examples at home , who neuer would yeeld to tollerate corrupt religion . Edward the sixth , a Prince most famous and vertuous , was sollicited by Carolus the Emperour , and his owne Counsellors , to permit the Lady Mary to haue Masse in her owne house ; his resolution negatiue , saying , he would spend his life , and all that he had rather then to agree and grant to that hee knew certainely to be against the truth . The late Queene Elizabeth ( of blessed memory ) could neuer be perswaded to tollerate Popish Religion , who after innumerable dangers and manifold persecutions , with vnspeakeable courage , notwithstanding many difficulties at home , of Princes abroad , and of the Diuell euerwhere , professed to maintaine the truth of the Gospell , and to deface Idolatry and superstition , which with singular constancy shee continued all the dayes of her life . And now this our great & gracious Soueraigne followes the steps of those religious Princes , not all the World can change his constant resolution in Christian Religion , his eares and hearts abhorre their charmes , who are Petitioners in this kind ; for the granting of such a request , might much disquiet the Christian Church , State , and Gospell . God euer keepe and blesse the King , in this his holy and spirituall perseuerance in the truth of the Gospell ; make his heart like Mount Sion , neuer to be remoued : A King so constant in profession of the Gospell , and so learned and profound in all spirituall knowledge , that he is able to confute , and conuince with sound arguments the enemies , of the Gospell : and thereupon it was ( as I take it ) that Suarez the Iesuit said ; That Learning did disparage the royall dignity , because the Champions of Rome see that they are not able to incounter with his Highnes matchlesse knowledge . And surely if learning grace any man , it must be more gracious in a Monarch , a Man of Men. What made Salomon so famous and so renowned , but specially his wisdome and knowledge ? Iulius Caesar , Constantine , and Charles the Great , Iustinian , Leo , Palaeologus , Cantacuzaenus , the Alphonsi , and many more ? a Sigismund the Emperor , commended for playing the Deacon at the Councell of Constance . Henry the eight writing for the seauen Sacraments , whose Booke subscribed with his owne hands , the Popish Priests glory to haue it in their Vatican . The Cardinall of Millan thinkes it the highest commendation he could giue the late King of Spaine , In eius regia dignitate , vt verbo complectar , sacerdotalem animum licet aspicere : In his regall dignity , to comprize all in a word , wee may see his sacerdotall heart : Iuuenal . Haec opera , atque hae sunt generosi Principis artes . And in the sacred studies of diuine Learning , our dread Soueraigne may carry the Palme , and weare the royall Crowne , who hath deliuered to the World better Principles of Theologicall knowledge out of his Chaire of State , then the Mitered Pope did euer é Cathedra ; for a King to descend to the Preacher , is a worke of piety , as b Salomon did , I the Preacher haue beene King in Ierusalem ; but for the Priest to climbe into the Kings throne , is to play the Popes part , the part of Antichrist . Our royall Soueraigne hath made it his last delight , to delight in the Law of the Lord , and in his Law doth hee meditate c day and night : In which spiritual labour , hee hath so profited himselfe and others , that hee hath taken Princely paines to publish the truth of Christ ; and to proclaime to the Potentates of the world the errors of Antichrist : So that all people haue cause to pray , God saue the King spiritually . That a d diuine sentence may be in the lips of the King , and his mouth shall not transgresse in iudgement , who like the good Emperour Constantine , labours to decide matters of Religion , by the true rule of Gods word : for so e Constantine commanded the Bishops to order all points by the Booke of God , which Booke he placed for the same purpose in the middest of them : And euen so speaks our dread Soueraign , f whatsoeuer I find agree with the Scriptures , I will gladly imbrace ; what is otherwise , I wil with their reuerēce reiect ; godly & golden words . The Lord euermore blesse his body and soule spiritually , and enlarge the great Talent of his Princely wisdome , giuing him as great a measure of knowledge , as was giuen to Salomon g ; yea , such riches , treasures , and honours , as none had before him , or after him ; and as his Maiesty hath taken manifold paines to reduce the Popish Sectaries , out of their spirituall blindnesse , that they who will not bee wakened out of their slumbers of ignorance , by the voice of so royall and religious a sheapheard , may be compelled by the Sword of Magistracy to depart out of Babylon , or out of his Dominion : But herein it becomes not me to giue counsell ; rather fall to prayer , that the Lord , whose cause it is , would take the cause into his owne hand , and stirre vp the hearts and hands of all Christian Kings , to compell all people , who will not be moued by the word of Gods Ministery to come out of Babylon , might be forced by the sword of Magistracy h to depart from her , least they receiue of her plagues . Qui phreneticum ligat , & lethargicum excitat , ambobus molestus , ambos amat , saith i Austen : He that bindeth a franticke man , and awakes him that hath the lethargy , loueth both , though he be greeuous to both : And as the same Father k in another place , Quod autem vobis videtur , inuitos ad veritatem non esse cogendos , &c. Whereas you thinke , that men are not to bee compelled to the truth against their wils , ye erre , not knowing the Scriptures , nor the Power of God , which maketh those willing , though they be compelled against their wils : Goe into the high wayes , and compell them to come in , saith l our Sauiour Christ : whereupon Saint m Austen saith ; Qui compellitur , quô non vult , cogitur , sed cum intrauerit , iam volons pascitur , He that is compelled , is compelled against his will to enter ; but when he is entred , he is fed willingly . The Lord for his mercy sake by the power of his word , draw all Christs flocke to vnity in Religion , and giue to all Kings faithfull hearts , to fauour and follow the same ; and specially , O Lord , blesse from Heauen , thy deare seruant , our dread Soueraigne : giue him all graces and gifts sutable for his Princely calling , knit his heart vnto thee , that he may euer feare thy name ; and let all them that loue the Gospell of Iesus Christ , night and day pray ; God saue the King , Spiritually . CHAP. XI . Thirdly , God saue the King Politically . AND to induce all loyall subiects to this acceptable and dutifull seruice , many causes concurre both diuine and ciuill , ( whersoeuer we turne our thoughts ) which may englad our hearts , and moue them to burne in affectionate flames , in the oblation of this deuotion . For vnder him we leade a peaceable and a quiet life , free from forraine feares , or domesticall troubles ; that we may say by his gracious gouernement , in our Lard ; Mercy and Truth haue met together , Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other : And againe with the n Psalmist , The Scepter of thy Kingdome is a Scepter of righteousnesse ; thou louest righteousnesse , and hatest iniquitie ; wherefore God , euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes . We haue and heare peaceably and plentifully the welcome tidings of the Gospell , ( the voyce of the Turtle is heard in our Land ) enioying a setled peace among our selues , and with other Nations , hauing trafficke and commerce with them ; a soueraigne benefit to inrich these Realms . The admirable peace , plenty , and prosperity , by a Christian , and politicall gouernement his Highnesse People doe enioy , hath made other Nations enuie our felicity : The French haue sworn , that this Land ( in respect of peace and plenty long continued ) was the Land of Promise , and their Kings hitherto haue had Moses punishment , to stand vpon their Towers , ( as o he vpon Mount Nebo ) to see the clifts of this Canaan , but not permitted to enter ; that we see that verified , which Salomon long agoe deliuered , p A King by iudgement , maintaines the Country : or with wisdome q her selfe ; A wise King is the stay of the People : or to speake of our Soueraigne in the words of the Princely r Prophet , The Lord chose Dauid his seruant , &c : to feed his People in Iacob , and his inheritance in Israel ; so hee fed them according to the simplicity of his heart , and guided them by the discretion of his hands . So that wee find the saying of s Cominaeus true , Foelix resp : in qua qui imperat , timet Deum ; That is an happy Common-wealth , in the which the King feares God ; or with t Salomon : Blessed art thou O Land , when thy King is the sonne of Nobles , and much more of noble vertues . How happy was the Throne of Gouernement , how successefully Religion propagated , when vertue honouring Constantine was inthroned . The like in other Christian Emperours : then Iustice was exalted , vertue rewarded , piety inlarged , vice punished , superstition discouraged . Of all temporall blessings , none more incomparable , then to be blest with a good and godly King. Woe to thee O Land , when thy King is a Child , saith u Salomon , vnable and vnapt for that high function , the Art of Arts , and Office of God ; farre more intricate and difficult then any other kind of ministration on Earth : But thankes be giuen vnto God , who hath giuen vnto vs a pious , prudent , and peaceable King , experienced in the regall Art , yea , learned in all good Arts , indowed with iudgement , prowesse , wisdome , bounty , iustice , temperance , clemency , and compassion , who may truly say with the Orator ; Natura me clementem fecit , resp : seuerum postulat , sed nec natura , nec resp . crudelem efficiet , Nature frames him merciful , the Common-wealth requires seuere , yet neither nature or Common-wealth can make him cruell , that I may apply that to his praise which the Poet appropriated to Caesar . Ouid : de pont . Eleg. 3. Est piger ad poenas , Princeps ad praemia velox , Quique dolet , quoties cogitur esse ferox : A Prince to punish slow , yet swift to giue ; And when he must be cruell , much doth grieue . Yet he keepes a golden meane in the mixture of Mercy and Iustice , that his Tribunall is not like to Cassius Tribunall , Reorum Scopulus ; Neither a Rocke , or refuge to the guilty Malefactors , but spares some in mercy , and for example cuts off others in Iustice — Truncatur & artus , vt liceat reliquis securé viuere membris . And which is great praise in a Prince , and powerfull to doe much good in the politicke body , is the edification of his Maiesties examplar life , acknowledged by his owne enemies the * Papists , and forcible to moue his subiects to imitation ; for the people , like Labans sheepe , conceiue by the eye , and are obseruant of Princes vertues or vices , and as x Claudian to the Emperour Honorius ; Vt te totius medio telluris in orbe Viuere cognoscas , cunctis tua gentibus esse fact a palam : — They act their Princely part vpon the open Theater of the world ; and oftentimes taxed by the secret censures of malapert and malignant spirits , when they are free from any faulty reprehension ; as Cymon y at Athens taxed that he dranke wine ; Romans find fault with Scipio for his sleepe , with Pompey for scratching of his head : And indeed deminitiue faults in Princes are counted superlatiue , because of the publike example ; for sinne is made worse three wayes : 1. Ratione loci , 2. Ratione Temporis : 3. Ratione personae : In respect of place , time , and person , which commits it . In sayling ( saith Agapetus ) the error of an old ordinary shipman causeth little detriment , but the error of the Steers-man or Pylot hazards the whole voyage : So the euill examples of great persons draw multitudes , and their errours cause terrours , and troubles to the Common-wealth : Quic quid delirant reges , plectuntur Achiui . Yet euer was there such a flattery of the Regall Scepter , that sometimes vices passed for vertues , and few there be that dare with that bold z Pirate , tell Alexander , because I doe it in a Fly-boate , I am called a Pirate ; thou doest the like in a great Nauy , and called an Emperour . But herein , ( let our enemies be iudges ) that our Soueraigne may truly say with Leonidas ; Nisi te fuissem melior , non essem Rex , As farre aboue all in vertue , as he is aboue them in place : for though Popes vsually are praised for their goodnes , when they surpasse not the wickednesse of other men , as the Historian tels vs ; yet our gracious King may in the integrity of his vpright life , boldly and truly say with good and iust Samuel , a Behold here I am , beare record of me before the Lord , and before his Annointed , whose Oxe haue I taken ? or whose Asse haue I taken ? or whom haue I done wrong to ? or whom haue I hurt ? &c. And all the People of Britanny must answere with the people of Israel there ; Thou hast done vs no wrong , nor hurt vs , nor taken ought of any mans hand ; the Lord is witnesse . His Highnesse speciall care and gracious desire is , to haue Gods Religion sincerely imbraced , Iustice executed , Vertue promoted , Vice punished , Gods Lawes , and the good Lawes of the Land generally maintained , and obserued : so that the Church finds him a true Defender of the Faith , the Common-wealth a Father , the proud a powerfull Prince , the meeke and humble , a mercifull Gouernour : All find him a most religious and vertuous King , carefull of the good of Church and Common-wealth , that all the politicke members of this Princely Head , may b leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty . These Princely properties and sacred graces , will procure his Maiesty an eternall Crowne of glory in Heauen , as God hath promoted him to a soueraignety and supremacy here on Earth ; and may truely moue all sound members of this politicke body , whereof his sacred Highnesse is supreame Head , to pray with the c Psalmist ; Giue thy Iudgements to the King , O Lord , and thy righteousnesse vnto the Kings sonne ; then shall he iudge the people with righteousnesse , and thy poore with equity : In his dayes shall the righteous flourish , and abundance of peace shall be so long as the Moone endureth ; yea , to pray like the Isralites d for the life of our King , and the life of his royall Queene , his Princely Sonne , the County Palatine of Rhene , with the Princesse Elizabeth , and their Progeny , that all their dayes may be vpon the Earth as the dayes of Heauen , and that God would giue vs strength , and lighten our eyes , that we may liue vnder their shadow , and may long doe them seruice , and find fauor in their sight : That God would confound all their enemies , and put them to a perpetuall shame : That the Lord of Hosts may be euer with them , and the God of Iacob may be their Refuge , to protect and direct them , to e hide them from the conspiracy of the wicked , and from the rage of the workers of iniquity ; that God may euer blesse them , and preserue their going out and comming in , from henceforth and for euermore . So we thy people , and sheep of thy Pasture ( the louing and loyall subiects and seruants of the Lords Annointed , ) will praise thee for euer , and pray vnto thee from generation to generation ; God saue our King Corporally , Spiritually , Politically . Peroratio . I will draw these lines to the maine Center of all , making our conclusion short and gratulatory : First to your Grace ( sacred Soueraigne ) the mighty Monarch of these flourishing Kingdomes ; shall I that am f but dust and ashes prefume to speake vnto my Lord and King ? Let not my Lord be angry though I speake once : and how happy shall this poore Embrio be , if euer it be graced with the milde aspect of your Princely eyes , and once but touched with your Regall hands , which holds the Iacob . staffe , to measure the height of all learning . Giue patient leaue and licence to your vnworthy and vnable vassall , prostrated in all submissiue obedience at your Highnesse feete , to celebrate and congratulate the happy day of your Maiesties entrance into this kingdome : A g day of good tidings , and who can hold his peace ? A day which was the beginning to multiply and aduance our chiefest ioyes on earth , making vs sing with the h Psalmist , This is the day which the Lord hath made , let vs be glad and reioyce in it . O Lord I pray thee saue now , Lord preserue him whom thou hast giuen : giue him ( O King of Kings ) good successe , peace & prosperity , multiply these good daies , grant him many of these happy yeares , Annos vt annis addat è nostris Deus . Eusebius the Bishop of Caesarea thought himselfe much honoured , that he was appointed to preach at the inauguration of Constantinus the Emperour : so I take it as my great ioy , that I ( the most weake of all our tribe ) am one of the first in this kinde to write the aniuersary of Englands happinesse by your Maiesties entrance , to put them in a perpetuall remembrance , to reioyce with thankefulnesse . And if I should remember in your presence the innumerable benefits and blessings your subiects of great Brittaine enioy by your Princely comming to this Crowne , I might be iudged a flatterer ( a creature most odious in your Graces eyes , ) modesty compels me to be silent . I will onely say that which I haue read the Painter Zeuxes did , who being to make the portraiture of Iuno , chose out certaine amiable Virgins , & put the seuerall beauty of them all into that picture : so indeed the wise Creator of all , hath made you such a King , the liuing picture of all earthly perfections ; and as it was an old saying , That in one Austen there was many Doctors , in one Iulius Caesar many Captaines ; so in one and our King Iames , many Kings , the very perfection of most Kings . But I will turne our praises into prayers ; remembring Antaloides saying to a certaine Orator making a long oration of Hercules praises , cut him off thus , Quis eum vnquam sanus vituperauerit ? VVho euer in his right wits discommended him ? So , who dare , nay who can , ( except the seed of the serpent ) dispraise your Highnesse , whose vertues finde fauour with God and men ? euery tongue pronounces your name with ioy , and euery heart affects your Maiesty with content and comfort . As God hath giuen you power in hand , so haue you pittie in heart , Clementia Regis est quasi imber serotinus , saith i Salomon , The pitty or fauour of a King is like the latter raine ; and your princely delight is not in sono catenarum , in the noyse of chaines , but like the good Emperor , k rather desirous to call the dead to lise , then put the liuing to death . So that I may say to your Grace as Mecaenas saide of Octauius Caesar , Omnes te tanquam parentem & seruatorem suum intuentur , te moderatum , vita inculpata , & pacificum amant , &c. All people fixe their dutifull eyes vpon you , as vpon the publike Father of the Common-wealth , loyally louing you , being milde and mercifull , holy in life , and peaceable in gouernment . So that though at last , there must be a translation to an incorruptible Crowne in Heauen , yet all your Subiects pray the time of that transmigration may bee long dedeferred . Horac : Serus in coelum redeas , diuque , Laetus intersis populo Britanno . I need not heere play the part of King Philips Page to cry at your Princely chamber dore , Memento te esse mortalem , Remember you are mortall : or with the Artificers of the Emperors tombes , at the day of the Emperors Coronation , offer a lap full of stones , with these verses : Elige ab his Saxis , ex quo ( Augustissime Caesar ) ipse tibi tumulum , me fabricare velis . Of these same stones ( most mighty Caesar ) take , Of which I may thy tombe begin to make . Your Highnes needs not these aduertisements , the memorie whereof presage our lamentations ; though it shall bring you in present possession of perpetual glorification , who liue , and labour to passe off this worlds Kingly Theater with that approbation , k bene , fidelis serue , Well done , faithfull seruant , enter into thy Masters ioy . Our hearty and humble prayers shall euer be powred foorth to the King of Kings , from the bottome of our soules , that your Highnesse may still reigne many happie yeares on earth , in prosperous health , Kingly honour , and all happinesse , and may oft renew and reuiue our hearts with these annuall ioyes ; and when the last period comes , that God may make you as glorious a Saint in Heauen , as you are a great , gracious , high , and happy King on earth : and leaue behinde you the succession of your loynes , to sit vpon the Throne to the worlds end ; and all your faithfull seruants and subiects will ioyne with mee in this prayer , and say Amen , Amen . Next to your Honors ( most graue and wise Senators . ) the politicke Statists of the land , who represent Romanos rerum dominos gentemque Togatam ; The most honourable Counsell to the royall head , whom for fidelity I may compare to the heart of England : to you by right of office , place , and charge , this faithfull seruice principally appertaines to procure and pray for the Kings safety , who is ( as it was said of l Iudith ) the exaltation of Ierusalem , the great glory of Israel , the great reioycing of our Nation : That hee may enioy many Alcion daies , and reigne many golden yeares in safety and securitie : Virg : Aurea securi quis nescit saecula regis ? It is your noble taske carefully to consult in the preuention of publicke mischiefes : and though wee may now say with Agamemnon , m Victor timere quid potest ? What need the Conqueror feare ? yet Cassandra will tell vs , Quod non timet , feare that you doe not feare : feare procures precaution , precaution preuention ; feare the plots and proiects of the n sonnes of Anak , the Popes Giants , traiterous Iesuites , of whom I may say as Ammianus o Marcellinus writes of the Saracens : Nec amici nobis vnquam , nec hostes optandi : si amici , perfidi , si hostes , foedifragi ; VVee need not to wish them to be our friends , or foes : if friends , they will proue treacherous , if foes , perfidious . Circumspect precaution is the life of pollicy : for stultum est , cum sit is fauces tenet , puteū fodere ; for that is like the Phrygians , sero sapere , to be wise too late . But why doe I like an vnexpert Phormio , dispute of warres in Hannibals presence ? you are the Nestors of this kingdome , wise as p Serpents , but innocent as Doues ; be careful to take the q Foxes which would destroy our Vine . Faber cadit cum ferias fullonem , neyther state nor statute free , till the Realme be freed of them ; being like Nouatus , whom S. r Cyprian describes in these colours , Saepe blandus , vt fallat , aliquādo saevus , vt terreat ; semper curiosus , vt prodat , nunquam fidelis vt diligat , Alwaies flattering , to deceiue ; sometimes cruell to terrifie ; alwaies curious and cunning to betray , neuer faithfull to loue . But your Honours know best how to preuent the mischiefes of such miscreants who desire the ruine of King and Country , for you can best tell how to doe it : Propert : lib. 2. Nauita de ventis , de tauris narret arator , enumeret miles vulnera , pastor oues . I will not meddle with your high affaires ; rather follow mine owne duety , fall to prayers for you , that God may euer be present and president at your Counsels , giuing you the spirit of counsell , and of courage , wisely to foresee , and happily to preuent all misfortunes and miseries intended against our King and Country , and that our s Iudah and Israel may dwell without feare , euery man vnder his vine and figtree , from Dan euen to Beersheba al the daies of our Salomon : That God would still multiply these happy yeares , and grant that our high and princely Cedar , with all the faire & goodly branches may long flourish in this land ; and that all his subiects high and low , may safelie shelter vnder the shadow of his gracious gouernment ; blessing your Honors , the very supporters of the state , the pillars of the land , with grace and wisedome from aboue : to prosper your Counsels , and euer direct you to consult for the glory of God , the good of the King , the comfort and welfare of Church and Common-weale . To you also the bright stars of Court , blest with the dailie beames and influences of the Regall Sunne , who like orient Pearles , serue to adorue the golden Diadem ; to you I may fitly tender these present meditations , who no doubt dailie doe meditate vpon this Theame , to say and pray , God saue the King. You faire flowers of honor , who flourish in the courtly Canaan , a place which flowes with plenty and pleasure , the very garden of delight , ( where the Bee gathers hony , and the spider poyson ) where you may reape all earthly pleasures , which are like Ionas Gourd , content a while , but not continue ; your eies behold the subiect of our prayers , the ornament of our land . Nay I may say with the Poet , Hor. lib. 4. od . 14. & od . 2. O quâ Sol habitabiles Illustrat oras , maxime Principum , Quo nil maius , meliusue terris Fata denavere , bonique diui Nec dabunt , quamuis redeant in aurum Tempora priscum : Vpon no shoares the Sunne doth shine , Blest with a King more diuine . The fire of your feruent prayers for the welfare of the King should perpetually flame at the high Altar of deepe deuotion , being graced with all kingly fauours , and aduanced with honour and rewards ; if you should proue disloyall or vndutifull to the King , hee might rightly vse the Prouerbe , Mercedes locat in pertusum sacculum , Put his rewards in a broken bagge , and might iustly frowne on you ( and his a wrath like the roaring of a Lion ) and euen strike you dead with a Quos ego ? If you desire the Kings fauour , which is the way to honor , be faithfull and loyall : This raised Mordecai b to ride on the Kings horse in royall apparell , a Crowne of gold on his head , &c. and to be eternized with the eternall Crowne of truth . It raised c Ioseph to ride in the second Chariot of Egypt : d Daniel to be clothed in purple , and a chaine of gold about his necke . Look vpon e King Dauids gratuitie for Barzillays loyalty , who commanded Salomon on his death bed to let the sons of Barzillai to eate at his table : This is the onely way to winne the Kings fauour , which if you lose , you are but falling starres , your Fame obscured , your Names contemned . Macro salutes * Seianus no longer then he is in Tiberius fauour : Actum est , ilicet , peristi . But your faithfull seruice to your Soueraigne will be commendable to God and men , seruing in soule the King of heauen , and seruing loyally the King on earth , not to prefer earth before heauen , to say with some , Mart. lib. 9. Seeke others for to feast with Iupiter aboue , I heere on earth my Iupiter will loue . But f first seeke the kingdome of God , and his righteousnesse and this wil teach you to serue your King with faithfulnesse , and to pray for his preseruation in all humble and harty diligence and obedience , saying , God saue the King. Also to your Honors ( right noble Peeres ) this taske belongeth , alwaies to pray , God saue the King : being noble by birth or place , this will ennoble your persons more , if you say faithfully as Iudith did to Bagoas concerning Holofernes feignedly , g Who am I that I should gaine say my Lord ? surely whatsoeuer pleaseth him I will doe speedily , and it shall be my ioy vnto the day of my death ; then your names and fames shall euer stand registred in the Chronicle of honor , free from the blacke Characters of disloyall infamie . And though Fortunes image be made of glasse , brittle and mutable , yet your honourable * memoriall shall neuer perish ; Death , which is the true Herald of Armes , blazoning mans pedegree to be but genus lutulentum , a picture of dust , be he a Prince in his pallace , or a begger vnder a bush , yet * corruption is their Father , and the wormes their mother and sister . Their good workes h following them , but their i pompe left behinde them ; onely their sanctitie to God , and seruice to their King and Countrie shal make them glorious in heauen , and famous on earth : Posteritie will hold them worthy of honor , and desire to reserue a Catalogue of their names , and will say , These were the Noble men that loued their God , their King , and Countrie , k Many haue done vertuously , but these surmounted them all . Archidamus told King Philip after his victory at Cheron , that if he should measure his shadow , he should not find it an haires breadth bigger , or longer then before ; so let no vaine-glory fill you with empty wind , it cannot make your shadowes bigger or longer : glory more in your owne vertuous actions , then in your renowned Ancestors , for though some doe boast to be , A loue tertius Aiax , yet , — Quae non fecimus ipsi , Vix ea nostra voca : Ouid. It is the honour of a noble man , when he doth excell in vertue his forepassed Ancestors , when he is religious , to feare God , and to honour the King ; saying of his Soueraigne , as l Isaac said to Iacob ; Cursed be he that curseth thee , and blessed be hee that blesseth thee ; and wishing with the m Apostle , would to God they were cut off which doe disquiet him : alwayes loyall to his Soueraigne , and louing to his Countrey , willing to aduenture in their seruice his limbes , or life , euer wishing and praying ; God saue the King , and Countrey . Likewise to your Fatherhoods ( most right and reuerend Fathers ) the Heads and louing Brethren of the Tribe of Leui , ) whose place and office bind you in all duty to be loyall to the royall Tribe of Iudah ; to you I may without offence proffer this poore present , who spend your spirits at Gods Altar , to offer a morning and an euening incense of seruent prayers , for the preseruation of Gods Annointed , exhorting with n Paul , that first of all supplications , prayers , intercessions , and giuing of thankes , be made for Kings , and for all that be in authority . And indeed , before all , and aboue all , we of the Church , ( the vitall spirits of the politicke body ) haue manifold motiues to pray for our Soueraigne , who vnto vs , against the tempest of these times , is a refuge , an hiding place from the wind , and as the shadow of a great rocke , as it was said of King o Ezechiah ; His Maiesty is a Defender of the Church , as he is a Defender of the Faith ; and against the p Atheists and Alexanders of these dayes , that would doe vs much wrong , he stands to pleade our cause , to grace our calling , that we may say with the Poet ; ●unen . Sat. 6. Et spes , & ratio , studiorum in Caesare tantum , Solus enim tristes hac tēpestate camaen as — respexit : Though the Church be made blacke , blacke by customary contempt , and continuall oppression and persecution , yet the King kisseth her with the kisses of his mouth , and his loue is better then wine ; we will reioyce , and be glad in thee , we will remember thy loue more then wine , the righteous doe loue thee . And herein ( if we may boast in any thing , ) we may boast in this , That our Church was neuer the Author of Treason : ( The Mother of Soules should not be the murderer of Kings ) members inclined to rebellion , were neuer well possessed of Religion ; As we haue hitherto beene faithfull , obedient , and loyall , so still euer be : from the Church Sit procul omne nefas . Let the mother of blood and treason , still dwell vnder the roofe of Romish Babylon , the q mother of whoredomes and of these abhominations , drunken with the blood of Saints , and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus Christ ; which cloake these murders and massacres , vnder the mantle of Religion ; like the Rulers of Ephesus , distressed with a terrible battery in that Seige her Gouernours tied with ropes the wals and gates to Dianas Temple , that so being consecrated to the Goddesse , that enemy should assault them at his perill : Euen so the Popish pollicy is , to tie euery thing to the Temple , Conspiracies , Murders , Treasons , all tied to the Church , cloaked vnder a colour of Religion , that I may say with their owne r Leo , Ecclesiae nomine armantur , & contra ecclesiam dimieant , They arme themselues with the name of the Church , to fight against the Church , and to destroy the pillars of the Church : Hi Christum simulant , sed Sathanalia vivunt . Well , let our preaching and praying tend to this end , to giue Caesar obedience , to feare God , and to honour the King ; knowing that all must submit to the Higher Powers , for s conscience sake , and for the t Lords sake : and they that will not doe it , they are none of Gods Clergy , none of the Heritage of the Lord : They haue neither conscience nor calling ; like to certaine Bishops in u Ambrose dayes , of whom he writes , Quod dedit cum episcopus ordinaretur , aurum fuit , quod perdidit , anima fuit , cum alium ordinaret , pecunia fuit , quod dedit , lepra fuit : That which he gaue when he was made a Bishop , was gold ; what he lost , was his soule ; when he made another , it was for money ; what he gaue , was a leprosie . But these Bishops liue beyond the Alpes , I hope there is none in Albion . It is our comfort and our Crowne , that our calling and conscience is such , which burnes in zeale and duty to God , and loyall obedience to our graciour Soueraigne ; Morning and euening , at noone and at night , at bed and boord , praying ; God saue the Church , God saue the King : To you the wise and worthy Iudges of the Land , who are the eyes and eares of this politicke Body , who well know Scita patrum , leges , & iura , fidemque , deosque : To you I may dedicate and appropriate these our labours , whose places and paines serue to this purpose , to serue the King and Countrey , and to helpe to preserue the welfare of the King and Kingdome : Your publike paines and priuate prayers speake to the World these words ; God saue the King. You are sworne to this seruice , and sweat in it ; neuer more Malefactors in this kind , and as Paul tels * Timothy , In the last dayes shall come perillous times , for men shall be Traytors , heady , high-minded , &c. You know the Nilus , where these Crocodils are bred and fed ; vse all good diligence to catch them , spread your nets , not Vulpina retia , Foxes nets ; but Regni retia , The Lawes of the Land : if you can take them , you shall doe God , and the King good seruices . Spare none of this kind , who dare lift vp their hand against the Lords Annointed , for they are worthy to die ; Bonis nocet , qui malis parcit , He hurts the good , which spares the bad ; yea , in all your loyall and legall seruice , let neither feare , or fauour , flattery , or bribery , blind your eyes , or deafe your eares , remembring that you exercise not the x iudgement of man , but of God ; and thinke vpon this verse in your Iudgement seate , Hic locus odit , amat , punit , conseruat , honorat ; Nequitiam , pacem , crimina , iura , bonos . Farre bee that leprosie from the Iudges of our Land , which so corrupted them in y Ciceros dayes , that he could say ; His iudicijs quae nunc sunt , pecuniosum hominem non posse damnari : In these iudgements which are now , a monied man cannot be condemned . But bribery foules not your hands , who to corrupting Simons say with z Symon Peter , Thy money perish with thee . Neither let any of Agesilaus letters moue you , who writ to a Iudge for his fauourite in this stile , Si causa bona , pro iustitia , sin mala , pro amicitia absolue ; If his cause be good , dismisse him for Iustice sake ; if bad , for friendship sake . Let Iustice be vnpartially executed , yet tempered with lawfull pitty ; thinke vpon that Christian caueat , Duo sunt nomina , peccator , & homo , quod peccator , corripe , quod homo , miserere : These are two names , an offender , & a man ; as an offender , punish him , as a man pitty him ; be not too seuere with Draco , Ne superet medicina modum , Least the medicine exceed the malady : nor too remisse with lenity ; for that is a kind of cruelty , Tam omnibus ignoscere crudelitas , quam nulli , saith a Seneca , To pardon all is cruelty , as well as to pardon none . But , Sus mineruam , You know best to keepe the meane , and — Medium tenuere beati : So shall you performe laudable seruice to God , King , and Countrey , if you execute Iustice , punish disobedience , which is the falling sicknesse of a corrupt Common-wealth ; Command all to giue * Caesar his due , represse all his enemies by force of lawes , and cut them off with the b sword of Iustice , that their exemplary punishments may terrifie all others from such attempts , and bee like monitors and remembrancers to all people , crying ; Discite iustitiam moniti , & non temnere diuos : Virg. Let others harmes admonish thee , and learn not to despise these supreame powers , for which offence , so many Traytors dies . Seauenthly , to the Common-wealth . Last of all to you , the inferior , yet sound members of the supreame Head , the natiue and nationall children of our common Mother , whom I may fitly compare to the hands and legges of this politicke body , to fight and stand strongly for the defence and welfare of our King and Kingdome : To you I hope this little Booke will be welcome , and therefore say to you , as the c Angell said to Iohn ; Take this little Booke and eate it ; and if you be good Subiects , it will be sweet in your mouthes , and not bitter in your bellies : for you cannot be true Christians , vnlesse you be true Caesarians , there is no true Religion in that heart , which entertaines a motion to rebellion ; it is a rotten member that will not be obedient to the regall Maiestie . And consider with your selues the happy blessings you enioy by the mercifull prouidence of God , in giuing to this Realme so godly and gracious a Soueraigne to reigne ouer you ; and it will make you cry forth with the d Psalmist , Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord , and his blessing is vpon the people : O Lord , how fauourable hast thou beene vnto our Land , in placing ouer vs so religious and renowned a King , so absolute and compleate a Prince in wisdome , learning , and religion ! and it will stirre vp all thankefull hearts to say with the e Psalmist ; Let the people praise thee O God , yea , let all the people praise thee : f Sing prayses to God , sing prayses , sing prayses vnto our King ; for hee hath chosen our inheritance for vs , euen the glory of Iacob , whom he loued . If we be not truly thankefull for so great benefits , it may be truly verified of vs , which was said of g Canaan , Bona terra , sed gens mala , A good Land , but in it there be bad people . O vnthankefull and vngratefull Britaines , if euer you forget so great blessings , Vae vobis propter ingratitudinem , Woe be vnto you for your ingratitude : Ingrata patria , Vngratefull Countrey , it is an infamous name , odious to nature and Nations . Gratiarum actio , est ad plus dandum inuitatio , Giuing of God thankes for fauours receiued , is a kind of supplication and inuitation to obtaine more . The Anatomists tell vs that euery creature hath foure muscles about the eyes , but a man fiue ; foure serue to turne about the eyes , the fifth serues to lift vp the eye , and looke vpward to Heauen . Man should not with other brutish creatures looke altogether vpon the earth , but lift vp his eyes , hands , and heart , to Heauen , to giue God due and true thankes for his daily and fatherly fauours and mercies bestowed vpon him The h Oxe knowes his Owner , and the Asse his Masters Crib ; yea , the Riuers are tributary to the Sea , from whence ( some say ) they first come , and againe returne : All Creatures seeme in their kind to be gratefull debtors to their curteous Benefactors , except the Swine , whose mast makes him forget the tree from whence the Acornes fall ; or the Moon which being at the full , ( by interposition of the earth ) darkens the Sunne , from whence yet shee borrowes all her light . It was Israels sinne , vnthankefulnesse , I pray God it be not Englands sicknesse , * vngratefulnesse to God : Woe vnto vs , if we scant God of our fruits , who hath not scanted vs of his fauours . i Bring presents to the King of glory , giue vnto the Lord glory due vnto his Name , worship the Lord in his glorious sanctuary . k Not vnto vs , O Lord , not vnto vs , but vnto thy Name giue the glory , for thy louing mercy , and for thy truths sake . Be euer thankefull to God , and then he will euer be mindfull of you , to blesse you ; the Lord will increase his graces towards you , euen toward you , and your children ; therefore praise the Lord from henceforth and for euermore : for he hath not dealt so with euery Nation ; and if our deseruing were put into the lottery of other people , wee should bee rewarded with a blanke . Gods loue and gracious fauour to vs , is l ignis accendens , fire to set vs on fire : Let our thankefulnesse to God be , ignis accensus , a fire flaming to God in all zeale , loue , duety , thankes , seruice , and deuotion . God hath set England as it were vpon an hill , a spectacle to all Nations , strengthened by sea and land , ad miraculum vsque , to the admiration of all people , blessed it with an extraordinarie peace & prosperity of long continuance ; we are the worlds enuie , let vs not become their declamation . Nothing but our * vnthankefulnesse to God , our licentiousnesse in life , our disobedience to his Word , our securitie in sin , our contempt of good meanes and mercies offered , can worke our ouerthrow : and these ( if we doe not drowne them quickly in the riuers of repentance ) so one may breed and bring our wofull downefall . The Lord hath blessed this land with great and gracious blessings : in it the golden bels of Aaron are powerfully rung , the word by faithfull teachers mouingly deliuered . Oh let our perpetuall * prayers , praises , and thanks ascend to heauen , because Gods graces and mercies plentifully descend to earth . Et si desint gratiae , quia nos ingrati , If any grace be wanting , it is because we want grace to be thankefull for this our happy gouernment , hauing a prosperous peace , and that which is the procurer of peace with God and men , that blessed passage of the Gospell . Si totum me debeo , pro me facto , quid debeo , pro me refecto ? saith a Father , If wee owe God our selues , for our creation , what doe we owe vnto him for our regeneration , preseruation , and saluation ? We therefore that haue tasted of the great cup of Gods mercy , let vs with Dauid take the cup of saluation , & giue thanks , and praise the name of the Lord ; let vs praise God for these aboundant mercies , and euer pray vnto him to preserue the happy instrument of manifold benefits and blessings to vs , our most dread and deare Soueraigne : duty bindeth vs to this taske , our owne welfare mooues vs to this duety ; for his prosperity is our tranquillity , his safety is our felicity , the blessing redounds to vs ; and if he should miscarry , ( which God forbid ) we should be partakers of his misfortunes . Therefore be alwaies obedient and diligent to serue our royall Head , ( golden in all vertues and princely perfections ) in all loyall and Christian dueties , louing his Highnesse in our hearts , which is the best earthly defence for a King , Inexpugnabile munimentum est amor ciuium , saith Seneca , The loue of the people is an inuincible munition : and as that great Rabbi of pollicie m Machiauel hath set it downe for a sure rule , Contra regem , quem omnes magnifaciunt , difficilis coniuratio , oppugnatio & irruptio , Against that King whom all highly esteem and reuerence , conspiracy or treachery is very difficult , or if attempted , seldome succeedes . Let vs bee in pace Lepores , but in praelio Leones , in peace like Hares , timerous to offend his Grace in any way of disobedience ; but like Lions fight for him against all his enemies with an vnwearied courage , vndanted magnanimity , ioyning with our fighting hands our feruent prayers to God , like faithfull Israelites , against all rebelling Amalekites : Oratio coelos penetrat , & hostes in terravincit , saith Origen , Prayers pierce heauen , and ouercome enemies on earth , plus precando quam praeliando , more by praying then by fighting . n Dauids encountring with Goliah in the name of the Lord , was more powerfull then his fling , and fiue stones . Let vs make it one part of our daily praiers to God to keepe o our King as the apple of his eye , and hide him vnder the shadow of his wings , to saue him from all enemies bodily or ghostly ; p to consume them in his wrath , consume them that they bee no more , & let them know that God ruleth in Iacob euen vnto the ends of the world : beseeching God of his great mercie euer to prosper this most peaceable and puissant Monarchie of great Brittaine : q Arise vnto it , as vnto thy resting place : Turne not away thy face from thine Anointed , who hath now happily to our immeasurable ioy , worne the imperiall Diadem of great Brittaine these 15. * yeares . Many more happie and prosperous yeares wee pray to be continued , prolong his daies , O Lord , as the daies of heauen , and grant that his Highnesse and his Princely posterity may in these kingdomes reigne so long as the world endureth : Enlarge and enrich his royall heart with all Regall gifts , and Diuine graces , sutable for his high calling : Saue and defend him from the tyranny or treachery of all forraine and Antichristian power , and from the plots and proiects of domestical aduersaries ; Let them r couer themselues with their confusion , as with a cloake . Blesse his most gracious spouse and bedfellow , Queene Anne , let thy Angels O Lord encampe about her to guide & guard her in a safe protection : and euer continue thy most heauenly hand of benediction vpon the high & mighty Prince Charles , the famous Prince of Wales , the second ioy of great Britaine : Lord looke vpon him from heauen , s Giue thy iudgements vnto the King , and thy righteousnesse vnto the Kings Sonne . Teach him O Lord in his tender yeares like a good Iosias to learne , and loue thy true religion , the way to winne the eternall Crowne of life . Be gracious O Lord to the County Palatine of Rhene , Fredericke , Prince Elector , and to his most vertuous and gracious wife , Princesse Elizabeth , with their Princely progenie . O Lord preserue them with thy mightie and out-stretched arme , giue them a most happy peace and prosperity in a Princely honor & felicity all the daies of their liues . O Lord t scatter the deuices of the crafty that their hands may not accomplish any wicked thing they do enterprise . Confound all them that haue ill will at Sion , that repine at the peace of the Church , the welfare of great Britaine , the prosperity of his Maiesty & his royall progenie ; that howsoeuer they haue shift of faces , and maske vnknowne , yet let vs pray that that u stone which is cut without hands may breake the Images of such Traitors in peeces , giuing him victory ouer all his enemies : * Cloath them all with shame , but vpon him let his Crowne flourish , and grant him an happy multiplication of many prosperous yeares , to renew with many returnes , these our cordiall and annuall Ioyes , long to sit vpon his Throne , and make his foes his footstoole . And let high and low , rich and poore , young and old , yea let Heauen and earth , with the Monarchie of greate Britaine , and all good Christians , professors of the Gospell , be deuoted Suppliants to the King of Kings , with ioyfull tongues , and zealous hearts , to pray and say , God saue our King , God saue King IAMES . Viuat valeat , vincat . God saue the King : Corporally . Amen . Spiritually . Amen . Politically . Amen . Τέλος . Gloria Tri-vni Deo in secula . Caesaris Hostes : OR , THE TRAGEDY OF TRAITORS : For the fift day of August : The day of the bloudy GOWRIES Treason , and of our Kings blessed preseruation . I will sing a new song vnto thee , O God , and sing vnto thee vpon a Viole , and an Instrument of ten strings : for it is hee that giueth deliuerance vnto Kings , and rescueth Dauid his seruant from the hurtfull sword . PSALM . 144. 9. 10. Dum iniusti saeuiunt , iusti saluantur , & vtilitati bonorum militat potest as prauorum . Gregor in Moral . By SAMVEL GAREY , Preacher of Gods Word . LONDON , Printed by IOHN BEALE , for HENRY FETHERSTONE , and IOHN PARKER . 1618. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE , S ir FRANCIS BACON Knight , Lord Chancellor of England . ( Right Honourable Lord : ) IT was the saying of St Hierome to Celantia , Summa apud Deum nobilitas est , clarum esse virtutibus . Yea the wise Moralist , vnchristened Seneca could say , Nobilitas animi , generositas est sensus , nobilitas hominis est generosus animus : The which true Nobility of the minde is your inherent , and hereditary honor , famoused for Piety , Iustice , Learning , and Liberality , so that the world sees you write not your desires in the dust . We blesse God , and wonder to behold in you so admirable a patterne of true Nobility , & moues vs to say with K. Lemuel , * Many haue done vertuously , but you surmount them all , in your great perfection of Arts , and happy progresse in Grace , the world can number but few such . Vereor ne violem frontem tuā , sedem honoris , testem verecundiae : I know the sound of the trumpet of your praises is no musick to your eares , neyther doe I loue such straines : the land in generall ecchoes your renowned applause , and God who hath so blessed you , and by the Kings Maiesty promoted you to so honourable a Place , continue you an happy instrument of much good to Church and Common-wealth , and prosper your noble proceedings according to the promise of your admired entrance . And now ( most honorable Lord ) I humblie craue your pardon , in presuming to present so simple a Present , vnto the view of so approued a iudgement , who haue Mercurium in lingua , & Mineruā pectore : yet although not the manner ( being meane and homely ) yet the matter handled may iustly merit your noble acceptance , being a description of the hainous sin of Treason , the fall and Tragedy of Traitors ( plagues which the Arch-traitor to mankinde hath added to the world ; ) and also a seasonable subiect for the Time , August the fift , against which day it was , and is prepared as an annuall obiect . And I know there is none within the compasse of Great Brittaine poures forth more hearty prayers to God with a more feruent and faithfull soule , then your Honor doth , for the preseruation of our most deare and dread Soueraigne , and for the detection and destruction of all pestilent and truculent Traitors . Wherefore in a hopefull affiance of your honorable acceptance , I humbly offer this little labor , ( a Testimony of my great obseruance ) with my selfe perpetually to your seruice , not after a ceremoniall submission , but from a serious agnizing and feeling of mine owne imbecillity , euery way so obscure and weake , that ingenuouslie I confesse , — Et scripfisse pudet , quia plurima cerno , me quoque qui feci iudice , digna lini . And of all others I know your Honors censure and iudgement is most substantiall , yet my weakenesse thus farre encourages me , that your Honor will like my willing mind , commend the matter , though not the manner ; and I hope will fauourablie accept this Mite , and put it into your richer Treasurie , and countenance it with your worthy protection , which will be like Aiax buckler to shield it safe against detraction . Ringanter , rumpantur , liueant , improbent maledici ; si Honori tuo arriserit , instar mille , Platonis calculus : I would not bee a monster to please all but some , and say with the Poet Lucilius , Me paucis malle à sapientibus esse probatū . So giuing my farewell to this feeble Infant , saying as Iakob did when he parted with his beloued Beniamin , * Goe , and the Lord shew thee fauour in his sight : and sovpon the bended knees of my prostrated heart to God , I shall euer incessantly pray to the Lord Keeper of Heauen and Earth , to make your paths euery way prosperous , blessing your Honour with happy preseruation , and a longioyfull life on earth , and grant you an eternall Patent ( sealed by the euerlasting Decree of the sacred Trinitie ) of immortall possession of a glorified life in Heauen . Your good Honors euer to be commanded in all duety and seruice , SAMVEL GAREY . Caesaris Hostes , OR The Tragedie of TRAYTORS . Now these are examples to vs. 1 Cor. 10. 6. If thou hast any enemy , or Traytor , send him hither , and thou shalt receiue him well scourged . 2 Macch. 3. 38. CHAP. I. THE memory of Gods great and glorious workes , either of iudgement vpon his enemies , or mercy towards the Church , ought to be preserued with a thankefull remembrance . So the a Iewes being preserued by the meanes of Queene Ester , and godly Mordecai , from the intended plot by Haman , kept the foureteenth day of the moneth Adar , yeerely with feasting and ioy . So when God had deliuered his people of Israel from the tyranny of Tryphon , by the meanes of Simon their Captaine , he b ordayned that the same day of their deliuerance , should be kept euery yeere with gladnesse . So when the c people of Israel were deliuered from the captiuity of Babylon , and restored to Gods true Religion , they kept a Feast seauen dayes together to the Lord with reioycing and thanksgiuing . The Feasts d of the Passeouer , Pentecost , Tabernacles , were commanded by Moses to be kept holy , in remembrance of great benefits receiued at Gods hands . Hence it was , that in times past , the Patriarks , Prophets , and people of God , would not forget any memorable act of Gods prouidence , without setting some remarkeable Memonto vpon it , that so it might remaine fresh to succeeding generations ; that e the children vnborne might tell it to their children . That f valley wherein Iehoshaphats aduersaries were ouerthrowne , was called Beracah , a valley of blessing , that so the Name might present to their minds to praise God for their maruellous victory . g Iacob did call the place where God appeared to him , Bethel , The House of God , which before was called Luz : and h Dauid the place where Vzza was smitten , Perez . vzza , i. the diuision of Vzzah ; and i Abraham the place where Isaac was deliuered from the bloody knife , Iehouah-ijreh , i. The Lord seeth , or prouideth ; and the Iewes k called those holy-dayes which they solemnized for their deliuerance from Hamans deuice against them , Purim , by the name of Pur , i. Lot , or lots , in casting lots for their destruction . * So Samuel pitched a stone ( the Philistines being ouercome ) and called it Eben-ezer , Lapis adiutorij ; Hitherto hath the Lord holpen vs. These and many other examples ( whereof the Scripture is plentifull ) are sufficient to stirre vp Gods people to remember with humble thankefulnesse the great workes of Gods most mercifull deliuerance And herein as becommeth faithfull seruants to God , and loyall Subiects to his Annointed , let the People of Great Britanny holily celebrate with deuout prayers , and prayses to Almighty God , that solemne Anniuersary day , The fift of August , the day of our gracious and religious Kings preseruation from that bloody intended destruction of the wicked and wretched Traytors , Gouries of Scotland . In which deliuerance , Gods might and mercy did so wonderfully appeare , that we may cry with l Moses , Stand still , and behold the saluation of the Lord , which he shewed this day : Saying with the m Psalmist ; It is hee which giueth deliuerance vnto Kings , and rescueth Dauid from the hurtfull Sword ; and moues our High Soueraigne to say with that Kingly Prophet , n If the Lord had not holpen me , my soule had beene put to silence : and therefore his Maiesty in a thankefull acknowledgement of Gods mercy doth religiously obserue in hearing prayers , and preaching of Gods word , euery Tuesday in the yeere ( it was Dies Martis , almost Mortis . ) Two most admirable deliueries vpon that day from two abhorred Treasons , in both which I may cry with o Iererie ; It was the Lords mercies that we were not consumed : and may say with p Augustine , Hee that seeth not Gods mercy in this , is blind ; he that seeth it , and prayses it not , is thankelesse ; he that hindreth him that praises it , is mad . And therefore to adde a little fewell to the fire of our generall deuotion to God , for this his mercifull and maruellous preseruation of our dread Soueraigne , worthy to be written with eternall Characters in the hearts of all good People , perpetually to praise God for the same ; I haue enterprized to write this little Treatise , hoping that others , who haue greater Talents , will labour to eternize the memory of this renowned worke of God to all posterities . In handling of which Subiect , I shall not write the History of it , it is already * published to the World : I shal only discourse of Traytors in generall , with some application in particular , declaring the wofull & Tragicall ends of Traytors , with such occurrences , Vt quorum exitus per horrescunt , eorum facta non imitentur , That as their wofull deaths , so their wicked deeds all men should abhorre : and as St q Ambrose closes vp the Story of Achabs and Iezabels fearfull end thus ; Fugies huiusmodi exitum , si fugies huiusmodi flagitium , Escape their sinne , and thou shalt escape their end . So hate Treason , and neuer feare a Traytors end , whose wayes is the gallowes , death , or hell . In the description of the punishment of Traytors , and their ends , their infamy in the World , the greatnesse of their sinne , being hatefull to God and Man , dangerous to Kingdomes , dreadfull to Kings , and damnable to themselues , ( the diuel and his adherents ▪ the onely Agents in such enterprizes ) if the Tragedy of them past may worke so well vpon the hearts of all , present , or future , as to detest Treason both in action and affection , because it brings wounds to their consciences , ruine to their Families plagues to their Countries , and punishments to their carkases ; how happily shall this little labour be bestowed , if hereafter in great Britanny no Traytor may be found to his King or Countrey ? Then shall the Lord r blesse the workes of our hands , O Lord blesse thou our handy worke . CHAP. II. AS the highest mountaines are most subiect to thunder and tempests , so the greatest Potentates exposed to dangers . Enuie and Treason , neuer aime at misery , but flies an higher pitch , and like vnto the s Spider , liues in Kings Palaces , and lookes with blood-fallen eyes vpon the royall hands of him that holds the Scepter to bring him downe to his Sepulcher . This hath befallen to many Kings , both good and bad , Christian and Heathen in all ages . Not to recite a long catalogue of this cursed crew of Trayterous miscreants , whose memorial is perished with them , who haue attempted Treason against the Lords Annointed : Dauid a man after Gods owne heart , yet loc t Sheba , the sonne of Bichri blowes his Trumpet , saying ; We haue no part in Dauid , neither haue we any inheritance in the sonne of Ishai ; nay , not onely strangers , but his owne sonne u Absolom proues a Traytor , and seekes his Kingdome . So , many others of the Kings of Israel , found Traytors to indanger them ; yea , our Sauiour himselfe had a Iudas to betray him : King Assuerus had his Bigthan , and Teresh , Traytors : Ester 2. Ezech●as had his Shebna : Esay 22. 15. Looke vpon the reignes of Heathen Kings , and you shall find Histories full fraught with many examples . * Augustus a famous Emperour , ten times assaulted by treacherous villains . Iulius Caesar found a Brutus and Cassius to kill him . Vespasian made totus ex clementia , All of mercy , as the Historian tels vs , yet for all that , x Machinationes nefariorum assiduas expertus est , Hee found daily Treacheries attempted against him ; and his Princely sonne Titus , graced in those dayes with Amor , & deliciae generis humani , the loue and delight of all mankind , yet had y a Trayterous Cecinna to assault him . Antoninus had Traytors to trouble him , Cassius , Titianus , and Priscianus : Berengarius the Emperour found Flambertus a Traytor , whom yet he highly aduanced , and vsed in the secrecies of State , and familiarity ; Sed eô magis aestuaret innocentē tollere regem , So much the more he was set on fire to destroy the innocent King , saith z Cuspinian . What should I rehearse the troope of Traytors , which in former Ages haue lift vp their hands and hearts against their royall Masters ? This last Age , prophesied by * Saint Paul , to be perillous times , wherein men shall be Traytors , hath fulfilled that prediction . These last dayes haue swarmed with such desperate and diuellish wretches , who by all meanes of mischiefe haue laboured in these attempts , not to play the part of a Notary or Recorder in forraign Nations , in publishing the names of Traytors , who haue infested their Kings or Countries ; wee haue had too many in our natiue Countrey ( whose names are registred in the Popes Kalender of Martyrs , or the Hangmans Booke ) who haue assaulted in late times , our late dread Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth , of blessed memory ; and our most gracious and vertuous King : two as famous Princes as euer here reigned , and both admired of all the Monarkes vnder the Sunne . How many Traytors swarmed in Queen Elizabeths daies , how frequent were conspiracies of vngodly persons , Parries , Lopusses , Babingtons , Campians , & c ? and the roaring a Buls came from Rome with thunderbolts of excommunication , depriuation ; and all this was but Sonitus spinarum ardentium sub ●lla , Like the noise of thornes burning vnder the Pot , as Salomon , Eccle. 7. 8. And therefore these fulminations were againe confirmed by Pius Quintus his successour , Gregory the 13. Yet all these plots instar vaporis euanuerunt , vanished away like smoake proceeding out of that smoaky Kingdome of Antichrist : and her Crowne , and person by the fauour of the Almighty , vnder whose shadow shee was protected , safely defended , and reigned forty and foure yeeres , foure moneths , and eight dayes , a Virgin Queene , and died in peace , in a full and glorious age ; so beloued , so honoured , and so esteemed of her subiects at home , and Princes abroad , as neuer any Queene more : so that it was verified of her truly , which the b Psalmist of Christ typically ; Why did the Heathen rage together , and the People imagine a vaine thing ? The Kings of the Earth stand vp , and the Princes assembled together against the Lord , and against his Annointed : but he that dwelled in the Heauens did laugh them to scorne , the Lord had them in derision : for there c is no wisdome , neither vnderstanding , nor counsell against the Lord. And this our deare and dread Soueraigne , ( whom the Lord of mercy still preserue ) hath beene subiect to sundry dangers by wicked Traitors , as his Maiesty doth d witnesse it himselfe , not onely since his birth , but before his birth , euen in his Mothers belly ; but especially to two most horrible Treasons , this in Scotland attempted by the bloudy Gowries , the fift of August , and the other in England , the fift of Nouember , the Gun-powder Treason , from both which barbarous and monstrous proiects , ( the latter no age can parallel the like ) the great King of all Kings in his great mercy graciously protected him ; that both King & subiects may say with Zachary , e Being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies , we may serue him without feare , in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our liues . So that our King may vse the f Psalmists words ; When the wicked , euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon me to eat my flesh , they stumbled and fell . The Lord did g reward them according to their deeds , and according to the wickednesse of their inuentions . Therefore giue i vnto the Lord O ye sonnes of the mighty , giue vnto the Lord all the glory for your deliuerance . CHAP. III. TREASON hath beene alwaies accounted an heynous sinne , and by k Iustinian ranked next to Sacriledge , Crimen laesae Maiestatis proximū Sacrilegio , &c. Treason is next to Sacriledge , the one a robbery of God , this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fighting with God : so odious that the sole intention , without action or execution , is death : for Voluntas reputatur pro facto in causa proditionis , The will is accounted for the deede in Treason . Principis in rehus & voluisse sat est . And therefore there was a statute made in the reigne of Edward the third , That whosoeuer shal imagine the Kings death , are guilty of rebellion , and high treason . This statute toucheth all Iesuites , who are perduellionum signiferi , the ring-leaders of Rebels to animate them to rebellion , vnder a colour of religion . If the meere intention of Treason be so capitall , what then is the Action ? Clamitat im coelum vox sanguinis : The * voyce of blood cryes to heauen for reuenge . VVhat doth the voyce of royall bloud spilt by the hands of execrable Parricides , destroying Gods owne image , the Lords Annointed ? May I not call such , as Polycarpe called Marcion , l Daemonis filiolos , the Deuils children ? and say as our Sauiour did to the Iewes , Ye m are of your Father the Deuill , he hath beene a murtherer from the beginning . Nay , the very Heathens ( void of Gods word ) did greatly abhorre Traitors , and seuerely punish them . Traitors among the Greekes were brought to Delphos , and they did offer them a quicke sacrifice to Apollo . The Persians did bury such quicke : and the Romanes brought such to the publicke Theaters , where they were hewed in peeces per gladiatores , by the sword-players . Cn : Pompeius the Great , made a Law ( as n Pomponius relates it ) to punish Parricides , destroyers of Fathers or Mothers in this kinde , To put them into a great vessell or tun , or such like instrument , inclosing with them in it a Dogge , a Viper , a Cocke , and an Ape , and to cast them into the Sea. VVhat then shall be done to the publicke Parricides , destroyers of Kings and Countries ? Our Lawes of o England hath prouided for them a fit punishment , which is this : A Traytor conuicted , hath his punishment to be drawne from his prison to the place of execution , as being vnworthy any more to tread vpon the Mother earth , and that backward , his head downe-ward , as hauing beene retrograde to the naturall course of obedience , after hanged vp by the necke twixt heauen and earth , as deemed vnworthy of both : his priuy parts cut off , as vnfit to leaue any generation behinde him : his bowels and entrailes burned , which in wardly conceiued and concealed Treason : his head cut off which imagined such mischiefe : and last of all , his body quartered , as a prey for the birds of the aire : and as it was said of a traiterous Iesuite : Sic bene pascit aues , qui malè pauit oues : In life he had no care the sheepe to feede , And now his carkasse serues the fowles in neede . The Apostle p Paul saith , That they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement . The greeuousnesse of iudgement should be proportionable to the heynousnesse of the crime ; for if the law q requireth an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth , life for life ; what death sufficient for a r Traytor that kills a King , a murderer of many , who is worth ten thousand of vs , so that hee cannot be sufficiently punished of man , but God also will punish him who is a reuenger of such sins . Neuer did I reade of any Traytor that did euer escape both the hand of man , & hand of God. Looke vpon Absalom a double Traytor , to his Father , and his King , his end sutable : First , his chiefe Counseller and plotter s Achitophel hanged himselfe : t twenty thousand of his adherents were slaine in battell : Last of all , Absalom u by the hand of Heauen was hanged vp by the hayre of his head , in stead of an halter , vpon an Oake tree in stead of a gallowes or gybbet . Sheba * that traiterous Rebell lost his head for his treason against Dauid . King x Ammon , the sonne of King Manasses , an euill King , was slaine by his seruants , who conspired against him , & slew him in his owne house : but this bloudy fact of King-killing was so odious to the people of the land , that they slew them al that had conspired against King Ammon . Treacherous y Zimri slue his King , but the people hearing of it , made Omri King , to take Zimri ; who fired the Kings house , and died in the fire . Bigthan z and Teresh , who sought to lay hand on King Assuerus , were both hanged on a tree . The Scripture is plentifull in such examples . In profane histories there is a cloude of witnesses to verifie the punishments of Traytors . Brutus and Cassius , who killed Caesar , neuer enioyed good , till bloud was requited with bloud . VVe reade of * Eugenius that rebelled against the Emperor Theodosius , whose rebellious army the Lord dismaid , so that Eugenius was forced to fall downe at the feete of Theodosius , and had his rebellious head cut off from his shoulders . So of a Procopius , who rebelled against the Emperour Valens , who being taken , had for reward his two legges tyed to two young trees growing neare together , bowed downe by strength ; which being suddenly let rise , rent the body of Procopius , who would haue rent the body of the kingdome . So of b Magnensius , who rebelled against Constans the Emperor , who neuer enioyed good day after , till hee was destroyed by Constantius the Emperors brother . Annibal c Bentiuolus , chiefe Ruler of the Bononians , was killed by Cannensis , who conspired against him ; but presently the multitude were stirred vp with the sight of that bloudy fact , and destroyed with death all that stocke and family . The same d Author tells vs of the bloudy and treacherous murder of that butcherly Monster Oliuerot , who sending letters to Iohn Foglianus , that he might be honourably receiued at Firmanis , and beeing nobly entertained , treacherously pretends a great Feast , inuiting Foglianns , and the chiefe men of the City ; after the banquet , by his Souldiers appointed in secret places , kils them all that were present : a most barbarous and diuellish stratagem : but afterwards he payd the price of bloud , for * his throat was cut and so hee died : Miserè pereunt , qui malè perdunt , Bloud calls for bloud . Caines Conscience so prickt for murder , that he thought e euery man that met him would haue killed him : if they escape ( which yet is rare ) the hand of man , neuer the hand of Diuine Iustice . Herod no parricide , or Regicida , but Puericida , a murderer of children f from two yeeres olde and vnder , by his greatnesse scapes mortall reuenge , but not Diuine Iustice on earth ; for hee died most miserably , and I will set it downe in g Theophylacts words , Amara morte perijt Herod , febri , dysenteria , & scabie , & podagra , & putredine verendorum , generatione vermium , spirandi difficultate , & tremore , & contractione membrorum malam absoluit animam . Alike was the end of that bloudy Tyrant Antiochus , whom h the Lord punished with the paine of the bowels that was remedilesse , and sore torments in the inner parts , and all his members bruised with a great fall ; so that wormes came out of the body of this wicked man in aboundance , and his flesh fell off for paine , and all his army grieued at the smell , so that no man could beare him because of his stink , no not his owne selfe : Thus that murderer suffered most grieuously , and as he had intreated other men , so he died a miserable death : for with what i measure men mete , it shall be measured to them againe . This is so cleare a Truth , that murder neuer goes vnpunished on earth , by God or Man , as that diuine & humane histories , & common experience affords pregnant proofes and examples : then how much more will the Lord reuenge the murder of his owne Vicegerents , whom hee hath giuen a generall precept , not k to touch them , no l not to curse them in thought , much lesse to hurt them in deed , as Traytors doe , or desire ? Hor : epod . 7. Quô , quô scelestiruitis , aut cur dexteris Aptantur enses conditi ? What meane you ( ô ye monsters of men , ) are you m not afraid to put forth your hands to destroy the Anointed of the Lord ? Can you lay your hands vpon them and be guiltlesse ? Remember n Ignatius godly counsell , No man euer remained vnpunished which lifted vp himselfe against his Prince . Though they want power to accomplish their bloudy actions , yet are they odious Traytors in the eyes of God and man. Looke vpon the tragedy of those Traytors whom Heldebrand the Pope stirred vp against * Henry the fourth the Emperor . First he stirred vp Rodulphus , then Hermannus , and afterward Ecbertus , all seruants and subiects to their Lord and Master the Emperor . And when these failed , his successour Pope Vrbane * raised vp Conradus , and Henricus , the Sonnes against the Father ; all laboured to their power in this proiect of rebellion , marke the issue and end . First their Author & ghostly Father in this Treason the Romane Achitophel , Gregory the seuenth , alias Heldebrand , not like Achitophel hanged himselfe , but for his bloudy & bestiall life was forsaken of his people , eiected out of his Popedome , and died in sorrow , misery , and infamy . Secōdly , Rodulph had his right hand cut off in a skirmish , & fetching deepe sighes , ready to giue vp the ghost , said to certaine Bishops , Behold this is the right hand wherewith I swore fealty to Henry , and lo now I leaue his kingdome and my life . Thirdly , Hermannus had his treacherous head by a great stone cast downe by a woman , deadly broken , so that his braines dasht in peeces , running about his eares : which did affright his army , and scattered them with feare . Fourthly , Ecbertus did flie out of his Throne into a sinkehole , and hoping to saue his life , lost it . Fiftly , Conradus the elder sonne , rightly dis-inherited , did end his daies miserably . Sixtly , Henry the younger sonne by periurie and cruell treachery against his Father , gate the Crowne , but with little comfort . And since many of the Popes of Rome haue Heldebrandized , raising vp Subiects to rebell against their Soueraignes ; whose successe hath bin sutable to their attempts . The Chronicles of euery Nation haue too many examples of Dukes , Earles , Lords , Knights , Gentlemen , and others of inferiour sort , prouing Traytors to their annointed Gouernours , whose treacherous acts haue found tragicall ends . Traytors are odious euen to their Abettors and Maisters , who first moued them to that villany : and , as it was said of Antoninus , Odit Tyrannum , non tyrannidem , They may like the treason , but they loath the Traytor . Alexander the Great ( as Iustin saith ) at his Fathers obsequies , commanded publike iustice to be done vpon those , whom he had before secretly imployed to kill him . And Nero the monster of men , as o Tacitus saith , disauowed his Commissiō giuen to asouldier to kil Agrippa . Such agents are abhorred of their Adiutors , and if possibly they can , they will be their executioners , for feare they should disclose their conspiracy : for both are * Traytors , & both worthy of death . Some desperate wretches , who for loue of the trencher , or for hope of reward , or for some other respects , will be wagered and hired to enterprise hellish and horrible designes ; who being debosht vassals , bankrout of grace and goodnes , to purchase loue or liuing ( as they hope ) of them of whom they haue dependance , whose hearts are died in a deepe tincture of disobedience , will hazard life , lands , yea hell it selfe , to atchieue the proiects of their animating superiours . So said Restalrig , that is , a perfect Traytor or Gowrie , for they two in this conspiracy had but one heart ; My Lord , I am resolued ( saith he ) to perill life , lands , honor , goods , yea and the hazard of hell shall not fray mee , though the scaffold were alreadie set vp . A miserable resolution with a miserable confusion . But hee had his demerits though not in so high a kinde as hee deserued : and bloudy Gowrie strooken stone dead in the place where he intended , and striued to act his Treason : p Cognatum , imo innatum omni sceleri sceleris supplicium : The fruits of Treason , shame and death : That it may be said of wicked Gowries and their adherents , in the words of the q Psalmist ; O enemy , destructions are come to a perpetuall end , their memoriall is perished with them . The heathen are sunke downe in the pit that they made , in the net that they hid is their foote taken . CHAP. IIII. BVt not to insist thus in generall in the declaration of Traytors punishments , I will specifie some part in particular ; which though they be commonly knowne , yet may be propounded to good purpose , as precautiōs to posterity , to feare to follow their bad examples , lest they find their woful punishments . The punishment of disobedience and treason is of two kindes . 1 Punishments by God. 2 Punishments by man. Punishments by God are threefold ; externall , internall , eternall . I will not take vpon me to be a Iudge in the heauenly Assises , I will be as a Clarke to reade their punishments registred in Gods booke : First externall , and they are of two sorts ; eyther ordinary , or extraordinary . Ordinary as Ieremy denounces them . The r Nation and kingdome which will not serue Nebuchadnezzar King of Babell , and will not put their neckes vnder the yoake of the King of Babell , the same Nation will I visite ( saith the Lord ) with the sword , with famine , with pestilence , vntill I haue wholly giuen them into his hands . Extraordinary , as s Miriam for her murmuring against Moses was made leprous : the murmuring t Israelites punished with fire . u Core , Dathan , and Abiram were swallowed vp of the earth , Absalom * with his owne mule drawen vnder an Oake , where hee was hanged vp by the hayre of his head . 2 Internall , and that specially tormented with the worme of a guilty Conscience : for it is a fearefull thing when malice is condemned by her owne testimony , and a Conscience that is touched doth euer forecast cruell things , saith * Wisedome her selfe : this inbred monitor , and notary of the soule , signes euery bill of Inditement , with Teste meipso ; which is in stead of a thousand witnesses . A guilty Conscience who can beare ? It makes the wicked cry with Tiberius , Dij me perdunt : God and their owne conscience begin to confound them , remembring with Iudas , how they haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud . — Quos diri conscia facti , Mens habet attonitos , & surdoverbere caedit , Occultam quatienti animo tortore flagellum : The conscience of foule ●acts their soules affright , And scourge with restlesse torments day & night . Eternall : But those I leaue to the Iudge of all , who holds in his hands the Keyes of Heauen , and Hell ; for no sinne , neuer so dangerous ▪ and damnable in it selfe , ( except the sinne against the Holy Ghost ) but vpon true contrition grounded in a true Faith , may receiue remission . 2. Punishment of Traytors by the Lawes of Men ; and that foure wayes : 1. By bodily death : 2. By want of burial : 3. In blood and posterity : 4. In losse of liuing . 1. By a violent death ; the manner of it I described in the Chapter before , how wofull to runne such a wicked race , as that body and soule must be diuorced before their time : life ended , before the line of life naturally finished : and that by a shamefull death , hanged vpon a Tree , or the head cut off , which conspired against the supreame Head : all men reioycing at their deaths , and point at them with their fingers ; — Ille crucem sceleris pretium tulit : All Men saying that truly , which they did of Christ most falsely ; z He is worthy to die . 2. In buriall ; yea , rather in defect of buriall , their bodies dismembered , and their quartered parts fixed vpon gates and walles of Cities , spectacles exposed to all beholders , and reserued for remembrance to all Subiects , to learne by their mangled and vnburied limbes , to leade more dutifull and obedient liues . It was a great punishment to Ieholakim , that he should be buried as an Asse is buried , none to mourne for his death ; saying , Ah Lord , or ah his glory , but to be drawne , and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem : But a Traytors buriall is worse then the buriall of an Asse ; for the dogges , or beasts of the field soone deuoure them , & so are forgotten : but these liue in shame in the relickes of their dead carkasses , as monuments or mappes of their misery , and mischiefe . These want the sweet perfumes and balmes , the honour of Funerals , the * faire Tombes of their Ancestors , they lie inglorious ; and on their graues ( if they haue any ) it may be engraued as it was written vpon Pope Alexanders Tombe , Iacet hic & scelus , & vitium : Whereas others , if they haue beene loyall , they goe to their graues in peace , resting in their naturall lodging to the last day ; and if they haue beene of honourable Race and Rancke , they vsually are graced with some sumptuous Monument , to witnesse to the World their singular vertues to their succeeding generations . Aen. 6. Nampius Aeneas ingentimole sepulchrum Imposuit , suaque arma viri , remumque , tubamque , Monte sub aerio , qui nunc Mysenus abillo Dicitur , aeternumque tenet per saecula nomen . Whereas Traytors are vsed , as I haue read how the Souldiers vsed Zisca , the Commander of the Hussites , who being dead , they did flea him , and tooke his skinne , giuing his body to the wilde beasts ; and of his skinne did make a military drumme , that his enemies who feared his sight aliue , might feare the sound of his skin being dead : so these infamously are dismembred , their heads set vpon poles , or high places , to terrifie all men from trayterous attempts . 3. In Blood and posterity : Their names and honour attained , as a Salomon ; The name of the wicked shall rot . The names of Traytors and Rebells giue an ill sent and sauour in the Land , stayning and dishonouring all their Progeny ; leauing behind them an vnhappy and disgracefull memory : so that the liuing issue of so leud a Progenitor may say , as Iacob said of Simeon and Leui ; b Ye haue troubled me , and made me stinke among the Inhabitants of the Land. What more odious names to all true Britains then the mention or memory of Kett , Cade , Straw , Lopus , Parrye , Gowry , Fawx , with those Agents in the Powder-plot ; their names branded with contempt ? The portion of the wicked ( saith c Iob ) shall be cursed in the Earth , and they themselues are gone , and brought low , they are destroyed and cut off as the top of an eare of corne : for deceitfull and bloody men doe not liue out halfe their dayes ; they hasten death vpon themselues , and shame to their posterities . And as their names be disgraced , so their posterity depriued of the honour and pedigree , where before their fall they were interessed and lineally inuested : for although Traytors in England , are not vsed as they were in Persia , that euery one of the Family should be put to death ; or as in Macedonia , fiue of the Traytors nearest Kins-folke suffer with him ; yet are they punished here in name and posterity , depriued of their lands , liuings , goods , offices , blood , and honour ; which is the fourth greefe that might ( if it were possible ) euen vexe a Traytor in his graue , to behold himselfe to be naked and destitute of all the goods of nature , Fame and Fortune , and by his fall to haue deplumed all his Progeny , not onely of Pedigree , but of Patrimony , left them to the mercy of the Prince , and the mifery of Time ? What Parent , though like Romulus nursed vp with a Shee-wol●e , or as stony-hearted as a Myrmidon — Aut duri miles vlyssi ? Yet must be moued with immeasurable mourning , ( though sencelesse of his owne sorrowes , which are great and grieuous , as losse of liberty , liuing , life , goods , and good name ) and when paine on earth is past , yet still to be punished in his Issue and Posterity : Maiorum culpas luere nepotes , His children bred of his owne loynes , by his leud life disinherited of their liuelihood ; and can challenge no more for their owne : — Nisi pontus & aer , VVho cannot but be moued with the loue of his owne children , and especially when they are ruinated hy his owne fact and folly . Quis si non genitus duris è cautibus horrens Caucasus ? vt stirpis modice moueatur amore : VVho , if not bred vpon a stony Rocke ? But fancy moues to loue his filiall stocke . To behold his wife and children ( Pignora chara amoris ) exposed to all stormes of time and contempt , depriued of all riches and respects ; who though he be regardlesse of his owne fall , yet in this case must needs d weep for himselfe , and for his children : or if he haue neither of these to weepe for , yet may he iustly weepe for hauing an hand , or heart in so foule a sinne as Treason is ; for which hee must suffer an ignominious death , and haue his capitall offence recorded , Ad perpetuam eius infamiam , To his eternall infamy : or if he regard not Fame , or Name , yet ought he to regard his Conscience , which must needs accuse him for such a sinne ; and beholding the eternall e Iudge stand before the doore , able to cast body and soule into hell fire , and there f Vnusquisque quantum exigit culpa , tantum illic sentiet poenam : according to the greatnes of his sinne shall there find the grieuousnesse of his punishment . And therefore to conclude this with Saint Cyprian , Si quam turpem cogitationem in mentem tuam venire animad●●rtis , suscipe sta●im iudicij extremi salutarem commemorationem , If thou once perceiuest any filthy thoughts to enter into thy mind , straight to call to mind the day of doome , and last iudgement . So let all men daily thinke of the manifold iudgements and punishments which Rebels and Traytors on earth haue suffered , and receiued , and without deepe repentance , and diuine mercy must needs suffer at their final doome , when Christ shall say ; g Depart from me , all ye workers of iniquity . CHAP. 5. THus hauing in part set downe the fall , and punishment of Traytors ; next let vs obserue the corrupt causes which produce these cursed effects : for though in Treason the Diuell is alwayes primus motor , being an Arch-Traytor to God and Man , and reignes in the Children of disobedience , and h puts into the heart of Iudas to betray Christ ; yet are there also procreant causes in themselues to allure and procure the wicked to such wretched and wofull motions . And the Mother of these mischiefs vsually is Ambition , whose Daughter is superbia , Pride ; which Saint Austen cals Cathedram pestilentiae , The Chaire of Pestilence . Ambition is a dangerous malady , and as Saint i Ambrose speakes of it , Quos nullapotuit mouere luxuria , nulla auaritia subruere , facit ambitio criminosos , habet enim for ensem gratiam , & domesticum periculum ; & vt dominetur , alijs prius seruit , dum vult esse sublimior , fit remissior ; Though Luxury , or couetousnesse could not moue them , yet Ambition makes them sinfull , hunting for popular applause , and hauing domesticall danger ; and that they might rule , they will first serue , and to be high , they will seeme humble . Saint Bernard paints k out Ambition in perfect colours , Ambitio secretum virus , pestis occulta , doli artifex , mater hypocrisis , liuoris parens , vitiorum origo , tinea sanctitatis , excaecatrix cordium , exremedijs morbos creans , ex medicina languorem generans , Ambition is a secret poyson , an inward plague , the contriuer of deceit , the mother of hypocrisie the parent of enuie , the originall of vice ; the moth of sanctity , the blinder of hearts , creating sicknesses of salues , and of medicines maladies . The World is now much infected with this plague , and we may see , and say with Bernard ; l Limina Apostolorum amplius ambitio quàm deuotio terit , & vocibus eius tota die resultat palatiū , Ambition rather then Deuotion possesseth many in euery State , gaping for promotion ; Honores ambiunt , qui onera non sentiunt , Though their desarts small , their desires great , and are neuer content with their present estate : so that we may say with m Salomon ; There be three things that will not be satisfied , yea , foure that say not , It is enough : The graue , the barren wombe , the earth , and fire ; and among many more , I will adde two more , an ambitious man , and a couetous Lawyer , the one with honour , the other with mony , will neuer say ; It is enough . Ambition liues in euery Climate , and loued of euery Tribe : In the state politicall , the poore man would be a yeoman ; the yeoman after the death of his wife , or dearth of corne , would be a gentleman , and will giue armes , if the Herald will accept of Angels : the Squire would bee a Knight ; the Knight a Baron , the Baron an Earle , the Earle a Duke , the Duke a King the King Caesar , and is the worlds Emperour still ambitious ? The Poet tels vs , Iuuenal : Vnus Pellaeo iuueni non sufficit orbis , Aestuat infaelix angusto limine mundi : One world is not enough for Alexander , and therefore he weepes , and is discontent ; as if he wanted sufficient n elbow roome . In the State Ecclesiasticall , Ambition finds fauourites ; The Mendicant Frier , would be the Master Prior : The Prior the Abbot the Abbot a Bishop , the Bishop an Archbishop , the Metropolitane a Cardinall , the Cardinall Pope , the Pope God ; nay , that is too little , aboue all that is called God : 2 Thess , 2. 4. o Ambitio ambientium crux , quomodo omnes torques ? & omnibus places , saith Bernard ; O Ambition , how painefull is thy pleasure , which hath beene the ouerthrow of the Angels in Heauen , and our Parents in Paradice , and many men on Earth ? Potestatis ambitio Angelum faelicitate angelica priuauit , &c : & Euam promissi honoris ambitio illecebrosa decepit , An ambition of power , depriued the Angell of Angelicall happinesse , and the inticing ambition of the promised honour ( to be like p God , knowing good and ill ) deceiued Eue , and shee Adam : and euer since all the sonnes of Adam haue beene deceiued by her , hoping of a rise , haue found a fall . Excellently Seneca , Ambitio non patitur quenquam in ca mensura beatorum conquiescere , qua quendam fuit eius votum : nemo agit de Tribunatu gratias , sed conqueritur , quod non est ad Praeturam vsque perductus : si Consulatus , nec etiam sufficit , sivnus est , vltra : cupiditas non vndevenerit , respicit , sed quô tendit : Ambition will not suffer any man to rest in that measure of state , which once he wished : none wil giue thanks for a Tribuneship , but complaines because not raised to be a Praetor ; or if a Consull , yet that suffices not ; if alone supreme , yet would rise higher : for this insatiable ambition , lookes not from whence they came , but whither they would , still repining at others higher aduancement : Heu melior quanto ▪ sors tua sorte mea est ? The Poets did very well , and wittily figure the fall , and folly of Ambition , by Phaetons chariot , Icarus wings , and Ixions wheele , who as they had a great desire to rise , so they found a grieuous descent and fall : Iuuen. Sat. 10 Haec Crassos , haec Pompeios euertit , & illum Ad sua qui domitos deduxit flagra Quirites : Ambitious q Crassus , Pompey , and Caesar , accorded to the ouerthrow of all the rest ; and Crassus dying , Pompey could not endure an equall , nor Caesar a Superior : Lucan . — Nec fert Caesar ve priorem , Pompeiusve parem : But their Ambition brought both to a bloody fall . r Lepidus , Antony , and Octauius , reared vp to kill their enemies a Triumuiratus , till at last they fell out for the chiefe place . s Richard the third an vsurper , and the ambitious Duke of Buchingham , conspired against King Edwards children and friends , till they fell out in the end to their owne subuersion . All Histories and Chronicles affoord many presidents , how ambitious men hungry of supremacy , haue brought themselues to misery . Yet such a Siren Ambition is , that it tempts many to hazard their fall , in hope of their rise ; liquorous to rule , and had rather be King of a Mole-hill , then Lord of a Mountaine . These hungry t Vultures , which follow the Army , watching for the prey before it fall , and doe praesagire caedem , Foretell a slaughter , that like u Pharoes seauen leane Kine , they might deuoure the fat : so these ambitious vultures vse all pollicy , stratagems , deuises , mischiefes , and Machauelismes , waiting for * Moab ad praedam , Moab to the spoile ; these State-anglers fishing with deadly hookes in such troubled waters , desirous of change of Rulers , that so they might chance to rule , seruing all times , and turnes ; Treacherous Timists , vnworthy to be trusted , varying into all formes , and fashions ; Regnandi causa , To get superiority . They are like x Leontius Bishop of Antioch , who being in heart an Arrian , couered his Religion by dissimulation , and ioyned with the Councell of Nice , in the outward profession of the Truth : His soule was led by the diuell , and his body by the world , and so are they , tempted with the Diuell , and temporizing with the world : Iniquitas pulsat animum , ambitio continet manum , colludunt ad inuicem mater & filia , iniquitas & ambitio , haec vendicat sibi publicum , illa secretum , saith y Innocentius , Iniquity knocks at the heart , Ambition containes the hand for a time , the Mother and the Daughter dally together , Iniquity and Ambition ; the one would seeme in publike good , the other in secret is most wicked . The ambitious would seem vertuous , yet is vitious , humilitatem simulat , honestatē mentitur ; affabilitatem exhibet , benignitatē ostendit , subsequitur & obsequitur , cūctos honorat , vniuersis inclinat , frequentat curias , visitat optimates , assurgit , & amplexatur , applaudit & adulatur , Counterfeits humility , seemes honest , shewes himselfe affable and courteous , crouching and creeping , honouring all , tractable to all , frequenting Courts , visiting great men , rising vp , and reuerencing , applauding and flattering all degrees , labouring to be popular ; which yet is an imperfection in a Politician , according to * Machiauels rule , qui populari in●…tur aura , domum in luto extruit , Hee that relies vpon popular affection raises his house vpon a muddy foundation . So Absalom ( that double Traytor ) seeking to aspire to his Fathers Throne , how plausible hee is , a putting forth his hand , and taking them , and kissing them , his lippes drop hony-combes , Oh that I were made a Iudge in the land , &c. that I might doe Iustice : stealing b away the hearts of the men of Israel , hoping they would adhere to him , when hee had made an head : And as Tacitus , Leaud men , misdoubting the present , and expecting change , prepare aforehand friends . O ambition , how many Traitors hast thou bred , and shortned the daies of many Emperors and rulers ! The Chronicles of euery particular Nation furnished with frequent examples . What caused Henry the fift the Emperor by force to depriue his Father from his Empire , and to keepe him in prison till he died there , but abhominable ambition ? What mooued Mawfroy the Prince of Tarentum to strangle his owne Father Fredericke the Emperour , but trayterous ambition ? Ambition caused Antoninus sonne to the Emperour Seuerus , to stabbe his brother Geta with a dagger : and tempted Solyman King of the Turkes to strangle his owne son Sultan Mustapha . Octauius Caesar by the treason of his wicked wife Liuia , impatient to tarry the inthronizing of her sonne , ( as is the nature of Ambition , the nearer the goale , the faster it runnes ) tooke away his life at Nola : Tiberius Caesar poysoned by his ambitious Nephew Caius : Claudius poysoned by his ambitious and incestuous wife Agrippina , that her sonne Nero might raigne : Galba killed by ambtious Otho : Titus brought to his graue , not without a vehement suspition of his bloudy brother and successor . Yea most of the Caesars killed by the treachery of their ambitious Competitors , or procurements : The Italian figges of ambitious Cardinals , hoping of the Popedome at the next vacancy , haue poysoned many a proud Pope . This traiterous ambition hath robbed many a King of his Crowne and life , and sometimes hath raysed ignoble and obscure men , like Agathocles , who ex figulo factus Rex : or like c Adramit tenus , who beeing borne of poore Parents , yet Regali Sceptro honoratus , was honoured with a Regall Scepter , when the right heyre by miserable fate factus faber , was faine to be a Smith , as Dyonisius was faine to be a Schoolemaster . VVhen once proud ambition hath inchanted them with this charme , aut Caesar , aut n●llus , either a King or no body ; then though their royall Master and Soueraigne should say to them as Pharaoh d to Ioseph , Thou shalt be ouer my house and at thy word shall all my people be armed , onely in the Kings throne will I be aboue thee ; yet that will not content them : yea though they should be raised so high , that as Seneca , Nihil foelicitati eorum deest , nisi moderatio eius , Nothing is wanting to their happinesse but moderation , and discretion to vse it ; yet still ambition eggs them with Dulce regnare , O what a sweet thing it is to rule , to be second to none , to command all ; and therefore to obtaine this affected Soueraignety , vse all desperate and diabolicall policies , yea many giuing ouer themselues to Necromancy , and to contract with the Deuill to haue his helpe to come to regall authority , and at last like Lucifer are brought low , Thy e pompe is brought downe to the graue , the worme is spred vnder thee , and the wormes couer thee : Quem vidit veniens dies superbum , Hunc vidit fugiens Dies iacentem : To day f all knees bow and reuerence Haman , and loe shortly g Haman was hanged on the gallowes that he prepared for Mordecai : — neque enim lex iustior vlla est , Quàm necis artifices arte perire sua : A iuster Law there cannot be , Then punish blood in like degree . These ambitious climers seldome escape without a fall , and then ( as well h a Father ) Non est tanti gaudij excelsa tenere , quanti moeroris est de excelsis corruere , It is not so great a ioye to be exalted , as to be againe deiected , and especially by their owne action and ambition . And therefore ( O ye noble and promoted Peeres ) beware of this bewitching Circe , a false and vnfortunate Syren , Ambition , which would euer tempt and temper with you to aspire higher : which infirmity is incident to greatnes , & as i Tully , Est in hoc genere hoc molestum , quod in magnanimis & munificis saepius incidit potentiae cupiditas , In this kinde this is most troublesome , that in great men , valiant and liberall , this desire of power & rule is incident : which aspiring fancy hath ouerthrowne many a noble family , when as others content with their lot , be it prope , or procul a Ioue , haue beene procul a fulmine : accepting with thanks their roome and ranke allotted to them , haue finished their race on earth in a comfortable peace with God and men , And surely if men had eyes in the hinder part of their head , as they haue before , to obserue how many inferiours they haue , who would be glad to be blessed with the tithe of their fortunes , they would not be ambitious , or haue enuious eyes to repine to haue a few superiours ; but would thankefully say with the Psalmist , My lot is fallen vnto me in a good land , I haue a goodly heritage ; and would neuer beat their braines , or flatter their soules with ambitious dreames , and charmes of pride , like him who said , k I will exalt my throne aboue beside the starres of God , I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds , I will be like the most High : or crooke in their nayles to keepe them sharpe for a day , hoping by some commotion to come to promotion , or enterprize to vndermine King and State by treachery , hoping by some strange stratagem to intrude into Caesars chaire , and though they should possesse it but an howre , yet would aduenture all , to sit one howre in a regall throne . O caecas hominum mentes , ô pectoracaeca . But the shame of such treacherous and vaine glorious spirits haue euer exceeded their glory , and their punishment greater then their aduancement . In a word ; if you affect true honour , enter the gate of humility , and passe the gate of vertue , and that is the right way to honor : aspire by honourable and commendable meanes , and let your merits make you exalted , & be not ambitious with proud Icarus to mount too neere the Sunne , lest your wings bee scorched : for l pride goes before destruction , and an high minde before the fall : therefore , let him that m standeth , take heed lest hee fall . CHAP. VI. I Might in the next place propound Pride ( as chiefe mouer of Treason ) which as n Hugo writes , rides in a Coach drawen with foure horses , Ambition , Vaine-glory , Contempt , and Disobedience ; all ready to run the race of Treachery , if the reynes be loose : Or I might mention Enuy , Discontentment of minde vpon some inward corruption , or outward vexation , or desire of reuenge , misliking the punishment or disgrace of their most affected friends , or some other sinister causes which some traitors may harbour in their hearts ; and if I had Momus wished window to looke into their breasts , I might the better discouer and discourse of them . But to pretermit these and many others which might be alleadged , I will onely insist vpon one ( because I will be the larger in it ) the very radicall and efficient cause of cursed treachery in these latter dayes , namely the seditious doctrine , or rather * heresie , of Iesuiticall and moderne popery , teaching that the Pope may depose Kings , absolue subiects from Allegiance ; or to vse the words of their owne o Carerius , Papa habet potestatem remouendi , reuocandi , corrigendi , & puniendireges , &c : Et hoc tenendum vera fide , tanquam naturalis , moralis , & diuina lex Dei , The Pope hath power to remoue , reuoake , correct , and punish Kings ; and this is to be holden with a true beleefe , as the very Naturall , Morall , and Diuine Law of God : and therefore the Iesuites haue made it an p Article , Doe you beleeue that the Pope can put the Queene from her authority ? Ans . I doe beleeue it . From the seed of this serpentine doctrine , the Doctrine of Deuils it is , That the Pope can excommunicate Kings , depose them from their Thrones , free q Subiects from obedience ; and if they doe excidere , fall from them , the next is occidere , to kill them , for deponere a throno , is exponere periculo , to depose them from their throne , is to expose them to deadly perill ; capitis diminutio , to depriue them of their kingdome , is as much as capitis obtruncatio , to cut their throats . Si Paparegem deponat , ab illis tantum poterit expelli , vel interfici quibus ipse id commiserit , saith the Iesuite r Suarez , If the Pope depose a King , of them onely hee is to be expelled or killed , to whom the Pope shall commit that businesse : and addes after , That if the Pope shall declare a King to be an heretike , and fallen from his kingdome , without further declaration touching the execution , then the lawfull successor beeing a Catholicke , hath power to doe the feate , or if he refuse it , it appertaineth to the body of the kingdome . The cruell Cannibals may become prentises to these Iesuites , the Masters to teach rules to murther Kings , the ring ; leaders of rebellion , and trumpeters of treason , telling and teaching the people , That Subiects are released from the oath of Allegiance giuen to Princes , if the Pope denounce them excommunicate , and may driue cut hereticall Kings from their kingdomes , as Wolfes , saith * Bellarmine ; or if they be not apparent , but secret hereticks , saith Symancha : yea not them onely , but their sonne , and followers are to be rooted out , as Creswell agrees with Symancha , by any meanes whatsoeuer , saith Saunders , eyther by open force , as Iezabel by Iehu , or by craft as Holophernes by Iudith , say Raynoldus and Bourchier ; or by knife and dagger , whereby * Henry the third & Henry the fourth were murthered for fauouring them , whom they terme hereticks . Yea before any sētence denounced against them : or by dagges and poyson , as Queene Elizabeth assaulted , as Walpoole and Comensus perswaded : or by Gunpowder , as lately appeared , ratified by Iesuites and popish Priests , Garnet , Gerard , Oldcorne , Greenewell , &c. So that I may rightly say , Iesuiticall Papisme is the Catechisme of Treason , teaching Subiects , that their Emperor or King may be depriued by the Pope , and the right of their kingdome conueyed ouer to others : and if they will not acknowledge it , they must be constrained by Armes , eyther of their owne Subiects , or other Catholike Princes , if the Pope will haue it so , yea euen to part with their kingdome and life also , saith Francis Bozius , lib. 2. c. 14. Yea that the Pope is directly Lord of things temporal , the Ruler and Monarke of the world , saith s the same Bozius , and so consequently to haue power to depose Kings , and dispose of kingdomes ; so that I may truely affirme that which once one of the kings of America said to a Spaniard , telling him of the diuision and disposition of Pope Alexander the sixt , concerning the new-found part of the world , the King answered , That the Pope was not the Vicar of a good God , but of a Deuill , who would giue that to others which did not belong vnto him : and surely in nothing doth the Pope more liuely shew himselfe to be Sathans Vicar , then in medling with the kingdomes of the world , and the glory of them , and arrogating the Deuils title , All t these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me ; yet Christ would not be a u King , or a diuider , for his * Kingdome was not of this world : nor Peter would not cast Nero out of his throne by the Thunderbolt of excommunication , or deposition ; nor any of the Apostles take from Caesar his Scepter , or Subiects , or Kingdome , or life : yet he that brags he succeedes Simon Peter , ( Simon , I grant , but not Peter ) will by his excommunication binde Kings that they may not reigne , and Subiects that they may not obey , which is ( to vse Vrspergensis wordes ) a diuellish Art , which hath brought in treachery vnder the cloake of religion , dangerous to Kings , and damnable to Subiects . But it hath beene the Popes policie a long time , to make discord among Kings , and rebellion among Subiects : for it is well obserued , that foure things specially haue raised the Pope . 1 The diuision of the Empire . 2 The departure of the Emperor out of Italy . 3 The dissention of Kings . 4 The rebellions and treasons of people . And the speciall motiue of this fourth Monster , Rebellion , hath beene the diab olicall doctrine of seditious and bloudy Romanists , not Masse , but Mars-Priests , teaching and tempering with the people , that all the dominion of the world , both diuine and humane , was in Christ as man , and so now it is in the Pope the vicar of Christ , as x Carerius writes : That Christ committed to Peter ( the key-keeper of eternall life ) the right of earthly and heauenly gouernment , and that in his place the Pope is vniuersall Iudge , the King of Kings , and Lord of Lords , as an y other writes : & by vertue of this pretended claime of Peters successor , and Peters primacy , that they may doe any thing ; and as Platina writes in the life of Gregory , that he accustomed to vse these words , Nos , nos , imperia , regna , & principatus , & quicquid mortales habere possunt , auferre posse &c. We are able to take away Empires , Kingdomes , Principalities , or whasoeuer mortall men can haue : for the Pope cries like Plintes frogge , — Mihi terra , lacusque : Both earth and Sea belong to his See : nay Purgatory is part of his patrimonie . And all this Pope like Maiesty is deriued from Peter , ( yet he loaths his mantle , and puts on Aarons miter ) Peter ( saith he ) was a Primate of all , I succeede Peter , therfore may excommunicate Kings , and then depose them , free Subiects from obedience vnto them , and by vertue of the words in S. z Peters vision , Arise Peter , kill and eat , that is , as * Baronius doth fondly glosse it , Goe Pope , kill and confound the Venetians : or as the same a Cardinall , to prouoke Paul the fifth against the Venetians , saith ; Mee thinkes I see sitting in Peters chaire Gregory the seauenth , and Alexander the third , both issuing out of the City of Senes , whence your Holines takes your beginning : whereof the one did bring vnder Henry that obstinate Emperor , the other Fredericke &c : You must take in hand the same quarrell . Thus make they their Lord of the seauen hilled City , a bloudy Bishop , a b striker , and a fighter , contrary to Pauls Canon , a man of bloud and a warrier ; and all this must be cloaked vnder the colour of Peters chaire , ( this holy-water sweetens the Harlots cuppe ) as if religion and rebellion sprung out of one blade , as if faith had a knife to kill , and to teach grace to destroy nature . Thus these impostors , not Pastors raise rebels , and preach the murther of Gods Annointed , inuenting opinions ' of excommunication of Kings deposition , absolution of subiects from obedience ; which questions are all like spirits , sooner raised then put downe , beeing patronized by the deuoted Champions of the Popes chaire , Bellarmine , Allen , Carerius , Perron , Symancha , Suarez , Philopater , Saunders , Creswell , Reynolds , Parsons , Becanus , &c. laborious vassals to ambitious Popes , whose publishing of these pernicious errors , hath ouerthrowne many popish Families , brought a torture to their Consciences , punishment to their karcasses , infamy to their progeny , scandall to their religion , for attempting treason vnder pretence of their Romish profession . But let vs consider ( though by way of digression ) how and by what meanes this ambitious Antichrist hath aspired to this arrogant altitude , to set his chaire aboue Kings thrones , and to challenge a power to depriue Kings , and to make , or vnmake temporall Monarkes , a matter which requires a large volume , if we should fully describe their policy in rising , and ruling ; but I will but epitomize it , contracting it into a short Compendium , it being by many learned Diuines in their seuerall workes more amply discouered . CHAP. 7. THE exaltation of Popes aboue Emperors and Kings , did first especially begin in Pope Boniface the third , who obtained of Phocas , that murdered his Master and Emperour Mauritius , to be created the vniuersall Bishop . So that the Pope is indebted to a King-killer for the glory of his kingdome , and euer since he hath made much of King-killers . Thus he obtained to be Head-Bishop , and together with the Lombards began to rule the City of Rome : after that the Lombards challenging the City of Rome againe , Pope Zachary stirres vp Pipinus , deposing Childericus King of France ; and his sonne Carolus magnus , to put down Aistulphus King of the Lombards , translated the Empire to France , and diuided the spoyle between them ; France to haue that which belonged to the Empire , and the Pope possession of Rome , with such donations as they now call S. Peters patrimony , and ascribe the grant to Constantine the great . After in tract of time , their liberall benefactors being dead , Pipinus , Carolus , and Lodouicus , and the Kings of France affections being somewhat cold to assist the Pope against the Princes of Italy , * Pope Gregory the fift practised with the Germans to reduce the Empire thither , referring the election to seauen Princes Electors of Germany , reseruing to himselfe the negatiue voyce , the first of which Emperors was Otho . But in processe of time the Germane Emperors began to resist the Popes of Rome , and therefore some they accursed , some they deposed , some they destroyed . The chiefe author , actor , and patrone of all pride , presumption , and tyranny , was Pope Gregory the seuenth , alias Hildebrand , who laboured to make all temporall regiment subiect to his spirituall iurisdiction . It were a long story to rehearse the diuellish practises of this proud Pope against Henry the fourth , Emperor , excommunicating him , deposing him , making him with his wife and childe , barefoot , and barelegged in a frosty winter to wait three daies and three nights at the gates of Canusium to crane his absolution : the said Emperor could neuer be quiet from the tragicall vexations of that Pope , till the Councell of Brixia deposed that Pope for a Sorcerer , Necromancer , and abhominable life . And afterward Pope Alexander the third doth the like against Fredericke the first called Barbarossa : so that it is obserued , * that Henry the fourth and this Fredericke did fight aboue threescore battels in defence of their right against Popes and enemies of the Empire stirred vp by Popes ; yet this Pope at last makes this Emperor submit , and treads vpon his necke in the Church of Venice . And after him Henry the fifth his sonne , with his Empresse Constantia , are content to be crowned by Pope Celestine the third , receiuing the Crown from the Popes feete , and being set vpon the Emperors head , presently with his foot strooke it off againe , declaring he had power to depose him , if hee deserued . So againe Philippus brother to this Henry , by Popes accursed ; and Otho Duke of Saxony placed in his seate , and the same Otho not long after by Popes againe dispossessed . Fredericke the second , the sonne of Fredericus Barbarossa the Emperor , was much persecuted by three Popes , Honorius the third , Gregory the ninth , and Innocent the fourth , and by them accursed and deposed : and by this Innocents the fourth diuellish circumuention , was poysoned returning into Apulia , whereof when hee seemed to be recouered , he was choaked in his bed with a pillow by Maufred his bastard sonne . Conradus sonne to this Fredericke , by the Bishops of Rome , raysing vp the Lantgraue of Thuring against him , driue him to Naples and there died . Conradinus sonne to Conradus Prince of Swevia , and King , of Naples , by the Bishops of Rome , raising vp Charles the French Kings brother against him , was taken with Fredericke Duke of Austria , and by the Popes procurement both beheaded . I neede not recite the proud practises of Popes against this Realme : The tyranny and iniury of Pope * Alexander the third against King Henry the second , and of Pope Innocent the third against King Iohn his sonne , giuing away his kingdome to Lodovicus the French King , is commonly knowen : Nay what King till Henry the eight but were subiect to the vsurped domination of these Luciferian Popes , insomuch as some ( as Math. Pariens . writeth by King Henry the third ) were faine to stoope and kisse their Legates knee ? Thus we haue a little touched the practises of these Romish Prelates , in exalting themselues aboue Emperours , and Kings , and seeking by all meanes to aduance their Papall Hierarchy aboue imperiall and regall dignity , that we may now stile the Pope by another name , * Papa-Caesar , or Pompifex , non Pontifex , as Berengarius : for he is honoris h●lluo , a greedy gaper for vaine-glory , and to exalt himselfe in the Temple of God aboue all that is called God , 2 Thessal . 2. 4. Wee haue touched his practises , next obserue his pollicy in arrogating a pontificall Primacie . CHAP. VIII . DIuers waies haue the Popes of Rome laboured to exalt themselues aboue all mortall men , and to deifie themselues , teaching their flattering birds ( the Popes parasites ) like Psapho to cry , a Psapho est magnus Deus , Psapho is a great God. Their Decrees , Decretals , Extrauagants , Pontificials , Clementinee , Buls , &c. with their clawbacke Canonists , Monkes , Friers , and late Iesuites extolling to the skies the Papall Monarchy , haue been the Cages whereout these notes are sung , Papa est Deus , The Pope is a God ; herein following the pollicy of Mahomet , who to establish his Alca on , feignes this fable : That three Angels tooke him into a mountaine , the first ript his brest , and washt his bowels in snow ; the second opened his heart and tooke out a blacke graine , which was the Deuils portion : the third closed him vp again and made him perfect : then they weighed him in a ballance , and ten men being not able to counter-poise him the Angell bad , Let goe , for no number of men should bee able to weigh against him . So they tell the world that no man must reproue the Pope , though hee should b carry innumerable soules by heapes to hell , yet no man must be so bold or presumptuous to reproue him , or to say to him , c Domine cur ita facis ? Sir , why doe you so ? Strange folly and flattery , yea stupidity ; teaching the world , That it standeth vpon d necessity of saluation for euery humane creature to be subiect to the Pope of Rome . And to make men beleeue it the better , they fetch their dignity and domination a farre off , from e Aaron and his sonnes , which ( say they ) prefigured the Pope and his sonnes , all other Bishops to be vnder him , and that the Church of Rome hath not obtained the primacy , as preferred f by any generall Councell , but only by the voyce of the Gospell , and the mouth of the Sauiour . This g Church is the holy and Apostolicke Mother Church of all other Churches of Christ , from whose rules it is not h meete that any persons should decline , but like as the Sonne of God came to doe the will of his Father , so must you doe the will of your Mother the Church of Rome , the head whereof is the Pope . Whosoeuer vnderstandeth not the prerogatiue of i Our Priesthood , let him look vp to the firmament , where hee may see two great lights , the Sunne and the Moone , one ruling ouer the day , the other ouer the night : So in the firmament of the vniuersall Church , God hath set two great dignities , the authority of the Pope , and Emperor , of the which two this our dignity is so much the weightier , as that we must giue account to God for the Kings of the earth , and for the Lawes of men . Wherefore know ye Emperors , that ye depend vpon the iudgement of vs , and we must not be reduced to your will ; for k looke what difference there is betweene the Sunne and the Moone , so great is the power of the Pope ruling ouer the day , that is , ouer the spiritualty , aboue Emperors and Kings ruling ouer the night , that is , ouer the Laity . Now seeing then the l Earth is seauen times bigger then the Moone , and the Sunne eight times greater then the earth , it followes that the Popes dignity many degrees doth surmount the estate of Emperors . And although Constantine : the great writing to a Pope alleadged the words of Peter , 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selues to euery humane creature , as to Kings , &c. Yet in their Decretals they expound the minde of Peter , to exhort all subiects , and not his successors to be subiect , proouing the Priesthood to be aboue Kings , by the wordes of * Ieremy , Behold , I haue set thee ouer Kings and Nations , &c. Neyther must Kings and Princes thinke it much to submit themselues to my iudgement , for so did Valentinianus the Emperour , and also Carolus : For my power is not of man , but of God , who by his celestiall prouidence hath set me Master and gouernour ouer his vniuersall Church , whereby all criminall causes , as well of Kings as all other , to be subiect to my censure . For my m Church of Rome is Prince and head of all nations , the Mother of the Faith , the foundation cardinall , whereupon all Churches doe depend , as the doore doth vpon the hinges . The n first of all other seates , without spot or blemish . Lady mistresse & instructer of all Churches : a o glasse and spectacle to all men to be followed in all , whatsoeuer she obserues . Against p which Church of Rome whosoeuer speakes any euill , is forthwith an hereticke : yea a very q Pagan , a witch , an Idolater , and Infidell : hauing fulnesse of power onely in her owne hands in ruling , deciding , absoluing , condemning , casting out or receiuing in . To which r Church of Rome it is lawfull to appeale for remedy from all other Churches ; & although it was decreed otherwise in the Councell of Carthage , that no man should appeale ouer the Sea vnder paine of excommunication , yet Gratians glosse can helpe that with a limitation , Nisi forte Romanam sedem appellauerint , Vnlesse they appeale to the Sea of Rome . Of the which Church of Rome the s Pope is Head , the Vicar of St. Peter , yea not the Vicar of St. Peter properly , but the Vicar of Christ , and successor of Peter : Rector of the vniuersall Church , and directer of the Lords vniuersall flocke , chiefe Magistrate of the whole world , Lex animata in terris , A liuing Law in the earth , hauing all Lawes in the chest of my breast : Yea , t Nec Deus , nec homo , quasi neuter inter vtrūque , Being neyther God , nor man , but the admiration of the world , and a middle thing twixt both . The u Pope hath both swords in his power , both of Temporall and spirituall iurisdiction , able by his owne * power alone without a Councell to depose the Emperor , to transferre his kingdome , and to giue a new election , as hee did to Fredericke and diuers others ; to whom x Emperors and Kings bee more inferior then lead is to gold : for doe you not see the y neckes of Kings and Princes bend vnder our knees , yea and think themselues happy and well defenced if they may kisse our hands ? What doe wee talke of Kings ? The Pope is aboue Angels , as his Clarke z Antoninus writes , That hee is greater then Angels in foure things . 1 In iurisdiction . 2 In administration of Sacraments . 3 In knowledge . 4 In reward . And so in Bulla Clementis , the Pope commands the Angels of Paradise to absolue the soule of man out of purgatory , and to bring it into the glory of Paradise . Who is able to comprehend the greatnes of my power and seate ? For by me onely * generall Councels take their force and confirmation ; and the a interpretation of the said Councels , and of all other causes doubtfull must stand to my determination ; yea my Letters and Epistles Decretall are equiualent to Generall Councels : and b whereas God hath ordained all causes of men , to be iudged by men , he hath only reserued me , that is , the Pope of Rome , without all question of men , vnto his owne iudgement : and whereas c all other Creatures be vnder a Iudge , onely I which am Iudge of all , can be iudged of none ; neyther of Emperor , nor the whole Cleargy , nor of Kings , nor yet of people : For d who hath power to iudge vpon his Iudge ? so that I differ in power and maiority , and honor reuerentiall from all degrees of men . For the better declaration of it , the e Canonists make three kindes of powers in earth . 1. Immediata , which is mine , immediately from God. 2. Deriuata , which belongeth to other inferiour Prelates from mee . 3. f Ministralis , belonging to Emperors and Princes to minister for me : for the which cause the anointing of Princes , and my consecration differ , for they are annoynted in the arme , or shoulders , and I in the head . This order of g Priests , Bishops , Archbishops , Patriarkes and Cardinals , the Church of Rome hath instituted , following the example of the Angelicall Army in heauen , and the Apostles on earth : For h among them there was a distinction of power and authority , albeit they were all Apostles , yet it was granted to Peter ( they all agreeing to it ) that hee should haue superiority ouer them all , and therefore had his name giuen him Cephas , that is , say they , head or beginning of the Apostles ; whereupon the order i of Priesthood first in the new Testament began in Peter , to whom it was said , Thou art Peter , and vpon thee will I build my Church : Math. 16. 18. And I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen , Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth , &c. v. 19. Seeing then such power is giuen to Peter , and to the Pope in Peter , as his successor ; who is then in all the k world , that ought not to be subiect to my Decrees , which haue such power in heauen , in hell , in earth , with the quicke , & also the dead ? whereupon Pope Clement in his Bull of lead sent to Vienna , granted to all such as died in their peregrination to Rome , that the paine of hell should not touch them : And all such as tooke the holy Crosse vpon them , should euery one at his request not onely be deliuered , but also deliuer 3. or 4. soules out of Purgatory . And againe , Christ said to Peter : I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shall not faile ; hauing l such a promise and assurance , who then will not beleeue my doctrine ? So that all they that m beleeue not my doctrine , or stand against the priuiledge of my Church of Rome , I pronounce them heretickes ; for n he goeth against the Faith , which goeth against her who is the mother of the Faith. And moreouer to shew the strange vertue of the Popes keyes , his Schoole Doctors haue a twofold distinction : o 1. Clauis ordinis , the key of order , hauing authority to binde and loose , but not ouer the persons whom they binde & loose : which authority they take not immediately from Christ , but from the Pope the Vicar of Christ . 2. Key is Clauis Iurisdictionis , the key of Iurisdiction , which the Pope hath from Christ immediately , as being his Vicar , hauing not onely power to binde and loose , but also dominion ouer them on whom this key is exercised . By the iurisdiction of which key all are subiect to the Pope , the p Emperours ought to subdue their executions to him . Onely the Pope is subiect to no creature , no not to himselfe , q except hee list , in foro poenitentiae , to his ghostly father , submitting himselfe as a sinner , but not as a Pope , the papall maiesty euer remaining vnminished . No r man must iudge or accuse the Pope of any crime , as murder , adultery , simony , &c. but as the s Iewes were commanded to obey the High Priest of the Leuiticall Order , so are all Christians bound to obey the Pope , Christs Lieutenant in earth . Concerning whose obedience or disobedience , reade Deutron . 17. 12. where their ordinary Glosse payes it home saying , That he who denieth to the Priest obedientiam , obedience , lyeth vnder the sentence of condemnation , as much as he that denieth to God his omnipotentiam , his omnipotence . The greatnesse of the Popes priesthood began in Melchisedech , solemnized in Aaron , continued in his children , perfectionated in Christ , represented in Peter , exalted in the vniuersall iurisdiction , and manifested in Syluester ; &c. So that in regard of this priestly preheminence , it may be verified of the Pope which the Psalmist writes , Psalm . 8. 6. 7. &c. Thou hast put all things vnder his feete , all sheepe and oxen , the beasts of the field , the fowles of the aire , and the fish of the Sea , &c. which place his owne t Antoninus hath applied to the Pope , and with a clearkely Paraphrase hath expounded , thus , By Oxen are signified the Iewes and heretickes : by the Cattell of the fielde , Pagans : by Sheepe all Christian men , Princes , Prelates , and people : by the Birds , Angels and powers of Heauen : by the Fishes of the Sea , the soules departed in paine or purgatory , as Gregory by his prayer deliuered the soule of Traiane out of hell : By them which passe through the paths of the Sea , are signified such as are in Purgatory , and stand in need of others helpe , and yet be in their iourney , Viatores , & de foro Papa , passengers , and belong to the Court of the Pope , and may be relieued out of the storehouse of the Church by the participation of Indulgence . And though it be truely doubted that pardons haue no power to extend to the departed , yet Romes Doctors can helpe that ; for though it was said to Peter , Whatsoeuer thou shalt loosevpon earth , and so being not on earth , they cannot be loosed , yet they will dissolue that doubt by a distinction u vpon , super terram , vpon the earth , that may be taken two waies , eyther to the looser , and so a Pope being dead cannot loose ; or to the loosed , which must be vpon the earth , or about the earth . But what do I talke of the Popes power in such points , the whole Quire of the Popes Cleargy in their books , tractations , distinctions , glosses , summaries , &c. sing altogether such notes . The Pope ( say they ) being the Vicar of Iesus Christ , throughout the whole World , in the stead of the liuing Lord , hath that dominion on earth which Christ would not haue , ( yet had it in habitu , and gaue it to Peter in Actu ) that is , the vniuersall iurisdiction , both spirituall , and also temporall , which double iurisdiction is intimated by the two swords in the Gospell ; and by the wisemens offering of Incense and Gold to Christ , to signifie that the dominion spirituall and temporall belong to Christ , and his Vicar . And as Christ saith ; All power is giuen to him both in Heauen and Earth , so it is holden inclusiue , that the vicar of Christ hath power on things cclestiall , terrestriall , and infernall , which he tooke immediatly of Christ , and all other take it mediatly by Peter and the Pope . And they that say ; The Pope hath onely dominion in spirituall things , may be compared to the Counsellors of the King of Aram , 1 Kin. 20. 23. Their Gods are Gods of Mountaines , and therefore they ouercame vs ; but let vs fight against them in the plaine or vallies , and doubtlesse we shall ouercome them : So Counsellors flatter Kings , saying , Popes and Prelats be Gods of Mountaines , that is , of spirituall things ▪ but not of vallies , that is , of temporall things : Therefore let vs fight against them in the vallies , in the power of temporall possessions , and so we shall preuaile ouer them . But what saith God ? v. 28. Because the Aramites haue said ; that the Lord is the God of mountaines and not God of the vallies , therefore will I deliuer all this great multitude into thine hands , and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Which place ( though very impertinent in this point ) they vrge with great importunity , to proue the Popes power ouer all mountaines and vallies , that is , say they ; ouer spirituall and temporal matters : and so very vnthankfully they regard Constantines gift of their patrimony to Syluester , saying ; It was not so much a Donation , as a Restitution . Yea ( they say ) the Pope is superior to Emperors , yea , superior to Lawes , and free from all Constitutions . Who is able of himselfe , and by his interpretation , to preferre equity being not written , before the Law written . The Faith , Supremacy , Chaire of Peter ; Keyes of Heauen , power to bind and loose ; all these be inseparable to the Church of Rome , being presumed that God prouiding , and Saint Peter assisting the Diocesse of Rome that it shall neuer fall from the Faith : and though the Pope be not alwayes good , yet the merites of Saint Peter be sufficient for him , who bequeathed a dowry of merites , with inheritance of innocency to his posterity . And if the Pope be an Homicide or an Adulterer , he cannot be accused , but rather excused by the murders of Sampson , the thefts of the Hebrewes , the adultery of Dauid ; or if any of his Clergy be found imbracing of a woman , it must be presupposed , that he doth it to blesse her . To be briefe : All the Earth is the Popes Diocesse , and he the Ordinary of all men , hauing the authority of the King of Kings vpon Subiects : yea , God and his vicar haue but one Consistory , and can almost doe all that God can doe , Clane non errante : Hauing an heauenly arbiterment , able to change the nature of things , Substantialia vnius rei applicando alteri & de nihilo potest aliquid facere , Applying the substantiall parts of one thing to another , and of nothing make something . His Doctors according with his decrees , and boasting with Pope Nicolaus , that Constantine the Emperour sitting in the generall Councell of Nice , called the Prelates of the Church , all Gods. If Prelates by Constantines voice bee Gods , what is the Pope , the Prince and primate of all prelates , aboue all Gods ? So that his vsurped exaltation hath verified Saint Pauls prediction , Boasting himselfe aboue all that is called God ; dispensing with Gods precepts , making it no murder to kill them that bee excommunicate ; dispensing with Matrimony in prohibited degrees , and such like Antichristian power in papall dispensation , which cases and causes may be found in his darling Hostiensis , de effi● . Legit. So that by the immodest and immoderate extolling of himselfe , seconded by his Canonicall Parasites of old time , glosing vpon the Popes decrees , and corrupt constitutione , enacted in the ignorance of times , and arrogance of Popes , to magnifie the man of sinne , the pragmaticall and dogmaticall Antichrist , the succession of Popes : making Emperors to hold their bridles and stirrups , and Kings going before them , and to surrender their Crownes vnto them , crowning them with their feet , and to kisse their toes , and to kisse their Legates knees , and to waite vpon them at their Pallace gates bare footed ; to excommunicate Kings , to depriue them of their Soueraignty , and to absolue their Subiects from Allegiance , with such like Pope-like pollicy , haue beene the stratagems to exalt the papall Chayre aboue the Imperiall Throne ; and at first vnder the femblance of humility , haue ascended to this sublimity , temporizing with the world , being darkened with the mist of ignorance , yet affected to a blind deuotion , and charmed to this Chayre of superstition , haue made this Serum Seruorum , A Seruant of Seruants , to bee Dominus Dominorum , a Lord of Lords ; making Kings his vassayles , and doe him homage , debasing the Lords Annointed , deposing them at his pleasure , and disposing of their Kingdomes , freeing their Subiects from all obedience , and exciting them to violence and villany in rebelling , which hath been the cheefe procurer of the shedding of much royall blood , the massacres of men and mischiefs , and miseries of most Times ; which wee shall elsewhere more plainely demonstrate : I will in the next place touch a little , ( which yet hath beene handled by elaborate and accurate pensels ) this point of Popes deposition of Kings , the very fountaine of Treason , founder of Rebellion , and confounder of Religion , where it is practised or beleeued . I will very briefly wright of it , least I should seeme to make Iliads after Homer . CHAP. IX . THE Romane Church , or rather Court of Rome , wholly degenerated , and arrogating a temporall Monarchy , swelling with a forged puffe of pride and primacy appropriated to the Papall Chaire , challenge an exorbitant and vsurped power of deposition of Kings , and of absolution of Subiects from alleagiance to them ; which two-fold power is termed the principall warders of Saint Peters Keyes , without which the Church could not haue beene well shut , or opened . This power of excommunicating , deposing , and depriuing Kings , and of absoluing Subiects from obedience to them , they principally assume from a pretended primacy belonging to the Pope , ouer all spirituall and temporall men or matters , deriued to them ( as they pleade ) from a supremacy in Peter , ( whose Successorship hath intitled them to such a power and priority ) two points oft alleadged , yet neuer proued ; yet this primacy of Popes ( as their Bellarmine saith ) is the chiefe point of Catholike Faith , and the foundation of all Religion . For which power the Champions of Rome stoutly stand , and among the rest , the statizing Cardinall , Romes-Rabbi , Bellarmine , the most expert Gamester at the Popes Primero , in * seuerall workes , yet specially in his fift Booke De Romano Pontifice : The whole summe of it , containing arguments , and examples to proue , that the Pope may by his Imperiall power , ( though indirectly , and in order to the Spirituals , ) depose Princes from their States and Thrones . And as the same Bellarmine , personating Tortus , saith ; Conuenit inter omnes , posse Pontificem maximum iure deponere , It is agreed vpon among all , that the Pope of Rome may by right and law depose Princes : which speech was too generall ; for many popish a Doctors doubt of it , and denie the papall intrusion into Caesars Chaire ; and some that did hold it , haue recanted it , as Tanquerellus commanded so by the Court of Paris , Florentinus Iacobus , and Thomas Blanztus , the two last , holding this for a proposition , Pontificem in omnes habere temporalem potestatem , That the Pope hath a temporall power ouer all , but they came to recantation ; nay , Hart ( an hearty louer of the Pope ) yet his opinion different from Bellarmines , Whosoeuer make the Pope aboue Kings , as a temporall Lord , Nihil habere rationis , aut probabilitatis , to haue neither shew of reason , or probability , saith he . Yet I confesse , the generall voice of moderne Papists , and among the rest , the Iesuites , who dispositiuè , naturally are inclined to disobedience , and pragmatically , and dogmatically , declare the same : These are the chiefe Instruments , but Treason , consummatiue , comes from the Pope , first deposing , then commanding , and warranting disloyalty , and conspiracy against them . b Augustinus Triumphus saith , The Emperor of Heauen may depose the Emperor of the Earth , in as much as there is no power but of him : but the Pope is inuested with the authority of the Emperor of Heauen , hee may therefore depose the Emperor of the Earth , and as the same saith ; c The Emperor is subiect to the Pope two wayes , 1. By a filiall subiection in all spirituall things , 2. By a ministeriall subiection in his administration of temporall things : for the Emperor is the Popes Minister , by whom he administers temporall things : so he . In like sort saith d Aluarus Pelagius , that the Pope hath vniuersall Iurisdiction ouer the whole world , not onely in spirituall things , but in temporall things ; albeit he exercise the execution of the temporall sword and iurisdiction , by his sonne the Emperor , as by his aduocate , and by other Kings and Princes of the world . The Pope may depriue Kings of their kingdomes , and the Emperor of his Empire . So he . e Capistranus agrees with him , The Emperor , if hee be incorrigible , for any mortall sinne , may bee deposed and depriued : the sentence of the Pope alone without a Councell , is sufficient against the Emperour or any other . It is manifest therefore how much the Popes authority is aboue the Imperial celsitude , which it translates , examines , confirmes , or infringes , approoues , or reiects : if hee offends , he punishes , deposes , and depriues him . So he , f Thomas of Aquine in this is also very popish . Any man sinning by infidelity , may be adiudged to lose the right of Dominion as also sometimes for other faults : and againe , So soon as any one for apostacy from the Faith , by iudgement is denounced excommunicate , ipso facto , his Subiects . be absolued from his gouernment , and from the oath of Allegiance . And the Cardinall g Tolets Glosse vpon his wordes , Note , that albeit Thomas named onely an Apostata , yet the reason is all one in the Princes case that is excommunicated ; for so soone as one is denounced , or declared as excommunicate , all his subiects be discharged of their obedience : which exposition his brother Cardinall Allen applaude in these words , Thus doth this notable Schooleman write , neyther doe we know any Catholicke Diuine in any age say the contrary . h Simone Pacensis ioynes forces with these fellowes , saying , If Kings or other Christian Princes become heretickes , forthwith their Subiects and vassals are freed from their gouernement . i If any Prince bee vnprofitable , or make vniust Lawes against religion , or against good mannera● , or doe any such thing to the detriment of spirituall things , the Pope obseruing due circumstances may apply a fit remedy , euen by depriuing such a King of his gouernment and iurisdiction , if the cause require it . k Gregory of Valence is harping vpon the like notes : If the crime of heresie , or apostacy from the Faith , be notorious that it cannot be couered , then , euen before the sentence of the Iudge , the aforesaid punishment ( meaning depriuation from his dominion ) is in part incurred , so far that the subiects may lawfully deny obedience to such an hereticall Lord. Where note by the way , that now many of them doe hold , that all hereticall Kings , ( and such they account all protestant Rulers ) are depriued of their dominion , before their Pope in his de●…itiue sentence hath so denounced . Indeed their owne Cai●tane in this was not Catholike , denying Subiects to be absolued before sentence publickely denounced : and therefore Allen contradicts him , saying , i●se facte , Kings be depriued so soone as they doe appeare hereticall : followed also by Philopater , saying , it is an opinion of the Faith ; agreeable to Apostolicall doctrine , that euery Christian Prince , if hee fall from the Catholike religion , falls presently from all his power and dignity , by the force of Gods Law and 〈…〉 and that before sentence of the supreame Pastor denounced . And the fiery Fo●e Gu● Reynold● , approues the murder of Henry the third the French King , because bee fauoured Heretickes , before any excommunication published : his reason is , Publicke griefes doe not attend for legall formes . Simancha goes further , That a secret hereticke not onely is to be excommunicated , but his sonne also : his reason is , Heresie is a leprosie , and leprous sonnes begotten of leprous parents : and therefore seemes to inferre not onely a depriuation , but also a depriuation of all succession : Atque patrem , & prolem inre priuare suo . I need not recite the generall verdict of popish vassals according with these to maintaine the Popes infolency in attempting the deposition of Kings repugnant to his lawes and liking . Who knowes not , that haue reade the workes of these , Saunders visib . Monar . Suarez def . fid . catho . adv . Angl. sect . err . lib. 6. Francisc . Victor . relect . Depotestate ecolesiae : Becanus , Rossaeus , Bellarmine , Allen , Ferron , Parsons , Creswell , with many dozens of prostituted hirelings ? who being fed fatte at the Popes high Altar , and gaping for , or gaining the purple Hat , haue studied to extoll the papacy ; which they could not doe more pleasingly to the Pope , or profitably to themselues , then by ascribing to the Pope a power ouer Kings , to depriue them if they breake their good behauiour to him , and to free subiects from allegiance to them being blasted with the fulminations of excommunication ; making their master Pope , an absolute Lord of the Temporals , turning the Crosier staffe into a Scepter , yea a commaunder of Scepters , making their Church an humane body politicke , to ouer-rule all , yet vnder a painted pretence of Peters primacy to ouerthrow all Princes supremacy . Egregiam verò laudem , & spolia ampla tulistis . Thus this spurious spawne of the olde Serpent , by this serpentine policy erecting the papall primacy of Popes aboue Kings the Diana of Romes religion , haue raised the Pope to this pontificiall domination . But the chiefe pillar whereof they boast , & would build this point of the power of Popes deposition of Kings , if they be not Catholike Kings of the Romane size , is the Decree of the Laterane Councell , held about three hundred yeares since , consisting , as they say , of seuenty Patriarkes & Archbishops , and foure hundred and twelue Bishops , and eight hundred other eminent Prelates , who did decree that the Pope had this power ouer Kings . To which wee answere , Thar the Decrees of men ought not to take from Kings that power which God hath giuen them : But the Lateran Councell was a Conuenticle of Mercenary men , and vassals to the Pope , who to please Innocent the third , their Lord and great Master , were willing to gratifie his Holinesse with vnholy Decrees : yet we may doubt of that too , if Platina be credited , who faith , That in that Councell many things were offred to consultation , yet nothing determined , because the Pope suddenly departed , to pacifie a sedition then raised , and died in his iourny ▪ Yet grant it were a lawfull Councell , and this matter so there decreed , what of that ? shall a few proud Prelates assembled to flatter the Pope , infringe the Lawes of God , commanding obedience and subiection to Kings ? shall Gods commands be countermanded by Councels ? which so oft haue erred , nay haue confirmed heresies ; as the Councell of Arimium held with the Arrians ; yea Ephesus Seleucia , and Remino concluded with them ; which made Saint a Hierome complaine ▪ The whole world groaned and wondered to see it selfe Arrian . The error of the Councell of Carthage in rebaptizing is well knowne . The Councell of Chalcedon fowlly erred , giuing to Leo then Bishop of Rome , the title of the ▪ * Vniuersall Bishop , which name he reiected , though others embrace it . In a worde , the late Councell of Trent brought foorth to light a world of errors , that I may say with b Nazianzene , hee neuer saw any Councell haue a good end . Yea as their owne c writers say , Councels haue erred , and may erre , which in these latter times must needes be so : when as the Pope is both party and Iudge , which matter of the erring of Councels hath so oft and so soundly beene by our * Diuines manifested , that I need not insist vpon it . But how vaine it is to obtrude for vndoubted proofe , the erroneous decrees , and nouell opinions of clawbacke Papalines & parasites to the Pope , to infringe the power of Kings giuen them in Gods word , commanding d euery soule to be subiect to these higher powers , which place of Saint Paul , the Champions of the Popes power to depose Kings , ( as their Cardinall of Perron pleades for them ) doe expound to be a prouisionall precept , or caution accommodated to the times . A strange error of stout Champions : and as the royal pen of our c sacred Soueraigne , taxing the Cardinall for robbing the Scripture of authority , by making Gods precepts temporary prouisoes , laies downe an infallible rule , That Apostolicall instructions , which informe maners , are not changeable , but giue a standing and perpetuall rule , permanent for all people , and not fashionable to the quality of Times : But the Romane Church which teach disloyalty and disobedience against Kings , deposing Kings from their thrones , and then authorizing subiects to take Armes against them , had need accommodate Text to time , whose obedience to Princes is temporary , that is , till they haue a fit season and place , ( as a vault vnder a Parliament house ) and then as Aeneas Syluius said of the Monkes , Non audet stygius Pluto tentare quod audet Effraenis Monachus — Then they are without humanity , vnnaturall , impious , cruell murderers , as f Lucifer Calaritanus to the Arrians , and I may say to Iesuited Priests , beeing bloudy minded and deceitfull men ; and therefore many of them doe not liue out halfe their daies , dying bloudy deaths for acting , or affecting bloudy deeds . Let vs in the next place obserue how before these latter times ( I meane before Popery was Heldebrandized , and Iesuited ) whether this point of Papall power to depose Emperors or Kings , was eyther broached or belieued in the Church . CHAP. X. IT should seeme not to be belieued , or broached , by their owne writers ; for g Otho Frisingensis saith , Rego & relego , &c. I haue read ouer and ouer the Acts of Romane Kings and Emperors , and I can finde none before Henry the fourth Emperor excommunicated by the Bishop of Rome , or deposed , which was first assayed by Gregory the seauenth , called Heldebrand , Anno Dom. 1066. And h Vrspergensis saith , That the Bishops that had taken armes with the said Gregory against the Emperor , were cast out of their Bishoprickes by the Synode of Mentz , where the Popes Legates were present . And i Sigebert saith , This nouelty , that I may not say heresie , did not as yet appeare in the world , that Priests should teach the people , that they ought to shew no obedience to wicked Kings ; and though they haue taken an oath of Allegiance , yet owe no f●alty , neyther are to be called periured , if they haue such mindes against Kings . And k Vincantius Lirinensis agrees with him in the same words . Yea many eminent Romane Catholickes did vtterly dislike Gregories deposition of Henry the fourth , and denied the authority of the Apostolike See to depose him , or to absolue his subiects from their oath of obedience : yea the l Bishop of Mentz , Gregories friend and fauourer , writ to the said Pope to furnish him with those reasons wherewith hee was moued to depose the Emperor , to prouide him with answers against all gaine sayers . Yea the Bishops of Rome themselues in the purer times acknowledged all obedience to Emperors and Kings , challenging no such prerogatiue to meddle with their Crownes or persons and for 300. yeares , vntill Siluester , they performed passiue obedience to Heathen Emperors , and so before and after Boniface for 500. yeares they performed actiue obedience to Christian Emperors , submitting themselues vnto them in all loyall subiection , and acknowledging them ( as their owne Bishop Meltiades did to Constantine the Great ) to be supreame Head not onely in Temporall , but also in Spirituall things , as Eusebius records it , lib. 1. c. 5. But peraduenture some Papist may reply and say , that I doe not reckon aright , in making Gregory the seauenth , the first Pope that deposed an Emperor , which yet is affirmed by their owne writers : for Leo the third Emperor was excommunicated by Gregory the second , and depriued of all his Temporalities hee held in Italy ; and the Greeke Emperors were remoued from the Empire by Leo the third , Bishop of Rome , and so of some others . Which obiection is so frequently answered by our Diuines , who haue written about this point of the Popes power in this kinde , that for breuity I will passe it ouer in a worde , That Gregory the second did not depriue Leo the third Emperor of his temporalities , but onely was an agent , or as the head of rebellion in the reuolt of the Italians from the Emperor , not by his vniuersall authority now claimed , but by a popular sedition then raised . And to the second , That the Greeke Empire was translated by * Leo the third to the Germanes , is much doubted : for m some historians write , it was translated by a Decree of the people of Rome , not by the Popes keyes ; yet probably he might haue his head , hand , and heart in it : for as Pope Adrian the sixt said , All mischiefe came from the chiefe Bishop of Rome into the whole Church , and by his Legate Cleregatus promised reformation to the Germanes . The Popes of Rome haue a long time laboured to rise to this primacy of pride by degrees : first aboue Bishops , as in Boniface the third : after aboue Kings and Emperors , specially in Gregory the seauenth and his successors : yet those aspiring wings clipt by Councels , Wormes , Papia , Brixis , Mentz ; till at last , two of the worst Councels , the Laterane and Tridentine , did lift vp the Pope to the top of the pinnacle , not onely aboue Kings and Councels , but aboue Gods counsels the sacred Scriptures : Tantae molis erat Romanum surgere papam . But let vs a little look vpon this question ( which yet is like a Spirit , sooner raised then put downe , ) of the papall power of Kings deposition . A spiritual power in the Pope of primacy I know none , temporall much lesse , but this same pretended * priuatiue power least of al : for it is not in any place to be found , that God hath giuen to the Pope , yea to any man , power to make or vnmake temporall King 〈◊〉 for hee that can depose a King , must bee aboue a King ; but regall power is the highest power on earth , post Deum secundus est , & solo Deo minor , as Tertullian of Kings , next after God , and inferiour to none but God : Super quem non est nisi solus Deus , as Optatus Mileuitanus , aboue whom there is none but God alone . So King n Dauid , Tibi soli peccaui , against thee onely haue I finned . So that I may say with o Iohn of Paris , In the Emperour is inuested a power to depose the Pope , ( as formerly many haue beene ) if he abuse his power , because he is his superiour ; but not in the Pope , for he is , and ought to be his inferiour : and with this Iohn Maior agree many other , Almaine and Occam , as p Almaine alleadges Occams opinion , and makes it his owne conclusion , That the Pope hath no power eyther by excommunication , or by any other meanes to depose a Prince ftom his royall dignity ; and further q affirmes with Occam , saying , The Emperour is not bound to sweare allegiance to the Pope , but the Pope if he hold any temporal possessions , is bound to sweare allegiance to the Emperor , and to pay him tribute . But the Champions of the Popes power in this kinde , alleadge some presidents of the Priests in the olde law , who ( as they say ) by vertue of their Priesthood haue deposed and depriued Kings from their seates , which power they labour to deriue and appropriate to the Popes office : I will name but two of them in two examples . 1 Cardinall r Allen alleadgeth Azarias the high Priest , who with ●o other Priests put downe Ozias , smitten with leprosie , by force out of the Temple , and depriued him of his regall authority : Ergo ( say they ) it is lawfull for the high Priest , that is , the Pope , to driue hereticall Kings , that is , spirituall Leapers , out of the Temple of Gods ▪ Church , and Territories of their kingdome , by excommunication , which is a separation ; and then by deposition , which is a finall depriuation of them , and deputation of some other Regent , as Azarias committed the kingdome to be then gouerned by Iotham his sonne . Wee answere ( as some of our Church haue answered ) That Azarias did not depriue Ozias of his regall power , for he held it to his dying day ; onely his sonne Iotham as a kinde of Viceroye was surrogated , because the immediate hand of God had smitten him with leprosie : for his leprosie he was punished to liue apart , a priuate life , not to be depriued of his inheritance . Ambition , couetousnesse , yea all sinne is a leprosie ( hath not the Pope such a contagion ? ) why then he may as well be depriued of his Miter , being a grand sinner , and so a great leaper , as any other . Indeed Ozias , or Vzziah greatly sinned in presuming to vsurpe the Priests office , transgressing against the Lord , in going into the Temple to burne incense vpon the Altar of incense ; and Azariah with the other Priests withstood Vzziah the King , telling him , it pertained not to him to burne incense , but to the Priests , the sonnes of Aaron consecrated to offer it : and was smitten of the Lord for it with leprosie , and so liued apart according to the Law , yet still was King in esse , though not in execution . 2 Cardinall Bellarmine alleadgeth Iehoiada the High Priest , who commanded Athalia the Queene to bee slaine , and Ioash to succeed ; implying an inference , that so it is lawfull for Popes to doe the like . We answer , that Athalia an vsurper and murderer , killing all the royall seed , excepting only the secretly preserued Ioash the vndoubted heyre of the Crowne , beeing proclaimed and annointed King with a generall consent of all ; Iehoiada by the authority of the King , and not as High Priest , but rather tanquam regis patruus , & Protector , as his Kinsman and Protector , the King being in his minority seauen yeares olde , and Iehoiada being his Allye , hauing married the Kings An● , and so bound by the Law of Nature and Nations to defend the Kings right , and to reuenge the tyranny of a bloudy Queen against the Kings killed progeny : and Iehoiadaes commandement was confirmed by the Kings authority , and with the common consent and Counsell of the land , not as being High Priest , but as chiefe of his Tribe , to reuenge the crying bloud of the royall offspring murthered by vsurping Athalia , to depriue her of her vsurped regiment and life : what is this to depose a lawfull King by the authority of the Pope ? Kings shall anguste sedere , as Tully said to Caesar , haue quaking Scepters , vnquiet seates , and narrow limits , if the Pope haue power to depriue them of their power & state . But to passe ouer other the like examples alleadged by Romanists in this kinde , I will touch those foure things which they obiect , and say , doe dissolue regall right , and make Kings who are culpable of such faults , to forfeit their Crownes . 1. Tyranny . 2. Infidelity . 3. Heresie . 4. Apostacy . The Popish assertions heerein runne in the affirmatiue , that all , or any one is sufficient to depriue a King of his Crown . The opinions of Protestants run in the negatiue , that none of these are sufficient to make a King forfeit his dignity and Diademe . To begin with the first : Tyranny doth not cut off a King from his soueraignty . Who a greater Tyrant then King Saul , who a hunted after Dauids soule to take it : yet who was so b faithfull among all his seruants as Dauid ? confessed by Sauls owne mouth , To be more righteous then he , for thou hast rendred mee good , and I haue rendred thee euill : yea this c Saul such a tyrant , that he commanded Doeg to d fall vpon the Lords Priests , and Doeg at his commandement flew sounescore and fiue persons , that did weare a linnen Ephod , and did smite Nob the Priests City , with the edge of the sword , both man and woman , childe and suckling , oxe and asse , and sheepe with the sword . Yet Dauid , no priuate , or plebe●an subiect , but a man by Gods commandement designed for the Kingdome , cheefe Captaine and Coronel of Sauls Army , and heire apparent to the Crowne ; and hauing opportunity to depriue Saul of his life , and importunity of his followers to doe the deed , yet heare his voice , The e Lord keepe me from doing that thing vnto my Master the Lords Annointed , to lay my hand vpon him , for he is the Lords Annointed : and the same Dauid to Abishai Destroy f him not , for who can lay his hand vpon the Lords Annointed , and be guiltlesse ? O heauenly voice of holy Dauid , how different are Popelings from Dauids resolution ! Occasionem victoria Dauid habebat in manibus , incantum & securum aduersarium sine labore poterat iugulare , advictoriam opportunitas hortabatur : sed obstabat Diuinorum memoria mandatorum : non mittam manum in vnctum Domini , repressit cum gladio manum , & dum timuit oleum , seruauit inimicum , As most elegantly , and excellently writes g Optatus , Dauid had a present occasion of security of victory , and might without any difficulty , or danger haue killed his vnkind and vnconsiderate enemy ; opportunity might haue pressed him to it , but the remembrance of Gods commandements stay his hand , Touch not my Annointed : This keepes backe the hand and sword , and fearing the regall oyle , fauours a dismall enemy . Now Tyranny may be of two kinds , either of vsurped regiment and dominion , without any ciuill title and interest hauing no titular foundation , but violent vsurpation ; and herein subiection is not necessary , Quoad obedientiam , if Quoad Sust●…ntiam : Herein patience more requisite then obedience . 2 Kind is , when ordinary and lawfull power degenerates into tyranny and cruelty by abuse ; and herein h Papists giue liberty , Tyrannum occidere licet , It is lawfull to kill a Tyrant , contrary to Dauid ; God forbid that I should lay mine hand vpon the Lords Annointed ; 1 Sam. 26. 11. Meaning Saul , a Tyrant by abuse , but not by vsurpation : but we haue handled this before , and therefore l leaue it . 2. Infidelity doth not depriue a King of his regiment : Oh but replies the Papist , All title to Dominion , hath foundation in the grace of Iustice , Charity , and Piety ; so that by impiety or infldelity , they make forfeiture of their authority . Answer : It is prouidence , not grace , that disposeth ciuill titles ; grace , not prouidence , that makes them comfortable : In a spirituall sense , impious and vnfaithfull men , are vsurpers , I meane by a spirituall right ; ( for k godlinesse hath the promises of this life ) yet haue they a ciuill and sure title among men , by birthright , succession , election , or other acquisition , by which titles such rights are deuolued to them , that we say with Saint l Austen ; Qui dedit Mario , ipse & Caesari , He that gaue dominion to Marius , the same gaue it to Caesar ; he that to Augustus , the same to Nero ; he that to gentle Vespasian , the same to bloody Domitian ; he that to Constantine the Christian , the same to the Apostate Iulian : for the m Kingdome is the Lords , and hee ruleth among Nations , the most High hath power ouer the Kingdome of Men , and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will , and appointeth ouer it the most abiect among men , saith n Daniel ; and suffereth for the sinnes of the people , a Kingdome o to be translated from one people to another , yea , an hypocrite , or infidell to reigne ouer them ; neither must man seeke to displace or dispossesse an Infidell King , but say with p Dauid ; Either the Lord shall smite him , or his day shall come to die , or hee shall descend into battell , and perish : knowing the saying of the sonne of Syrack to be true , q Tyranny is of small indurance , and he that is to day a King , to morrow is dead . 3. Heresie is not sufficient to depriue a King of his temporall Inheritance . Popish Diuinity is herein knowne , let r Bellarmine be the mouth of all the rest : Christians are not bound , nor may , with the euident danger of Religion , tollerate an vnbeleeuing King : when Kings and Princes become heretickes , they may be iudged of the Church , and bee deposed from the gouernement , neither is there any wrong done them , if they be deposed . If any Prince of a sheepe become a wolfe , that is to say , of a Christian become an Hereticke , the Pastor of the Church , by excommunication may driue him away , and withall command the people that they follow him not , and so depriue him of his dominion ouer his Subiects : so * farre goes the Cardinall . Now who are Heretickes ? All those Kings which decline from the Papacy , and denie his Supremacy . The Cardinall thinkes as much : Regnante Constantino florebat fides Christiana , &c. While Constantine reigned , the Christian Faith flourished ; when Constantius ruled , Arrianisme , when Iulian , Ethnicisme ; when Henry the eighth and Edward the sixth , Luthenarisme , when Elizabeth , Caluinisme prospered : All Protestant Princes by the verdict of the Pope and his Parasites , be Hereticks , and so consequently to be deposed , if this their heresie ( which yet is the Catholicke verity , and sincere and sound profession of the Gospell ) be accompanied with the Popes excommunication : and yet it is a great question , and neuer yet proued by the Scripture , that Kings are subiect to this censure of excommunication ; it is disputed much both wayes ; and let it be yeelded for argument sake , Ex abundante , That Saint s Ambrose did iustly with Theodosius in that abstention ; for I doubt whether it was a complete excommunication : for a King is subiect to the presbyteriall Cure , not Court ; to be informed in his conscience in the Pulpet , not to be corrected in the Consistory by punishment ; to be directed , not iudged , or remoued from the company of his faithfull Subiects , much lesse to be deposed , or depriued of his regiment ouer them ; yet let it bee granted for argument sake , that Princes may be subiect to the censure of excommunication , which yet is sparingly to be vsed against Princes , as t Austen counselleth : yet though the sentence of excommunication be direfull , making them for a time as Ethnicks , Sit tibisicut Ethnicus , saith our u Sauiour , Let him be vnto thee as an Heathen Man or Publicane : It is tanquam , nonplusquam , as an Heathen man , not worse then an Heathen Man. Loyalty and obedience to Ethnicke Kings is to be performed , as the precepts and presidents of Christ , and his Apostles plainly teach all : The spirituall sword onely depriues of spirituall rights , to depriue him of the Sacrament , not of the Scepter : shuts out of the Kingdome of Heauen , not meddles with the Kingdome of Earth . Excommunication is not an extirpation , it serues not to take away any mans temporall goods of body , or life , or Kingdome on Earth ; it hath power ouer sinnes , not ouer possessions , as * Bernard to Pope Eugenius : It serues to tame the soule , not to terrifie or destroy the body ; it cannot bind Kings that they should not reigne , or absolue Subiects that they should not obey , or depose Kings from their regall authority , by which pretence of diuellish pollicy , in challenging a spirituall power of Kings excommunication , the Pope hath plagued the World with many temporall rebellions . 4. Apostacy takes not away Soueraignty . Iulian an apparent Apostate , and wicked Idolater , as Saint x Austen cals him , yet as the same Father speakes of it , Milites Christiani seruierunt huic Imperatori infideli : & quando dicebat , producite aciem , i●…ra illam gentem , statim obtemperabant : The Christian Souldiers serued this Infidel Emperor , and when he called to produce the Army , or to goe against any Nation , they presently obeyed ; not because they wanted power to resist : for his whole Army for the most part were Christians , as their voices to Iouinian Iulians Successor testifie , y Omnes vna voce confessi sunt se esse Christianos , They all confessed with one accord , that they were Christians ; but their obedience grounded vpon Saint z Austens reference , Subiectes fuisse , propter Dominum aternum , Domino temporali , Subiect to their temporall Lord , for the eternall Lords sake . And though some of the great Diuines of Rome , say ; that the Apostles were subiect to Infidell or apostate Princes , and many Martyrs obedient , because they wanted power to resist ; and that they might haue lawfully resisted , if they had had strength : when rather I may say with * Tertullian , that they had power , but might not lawfully resist . The Apostles were no Temporizers , to command to pray for Nero , if the time , and not the truth , had not moued them to doe it for conscience sake : Shall Subiects , for Heathen or wicked Kings be a enioyned to poure forth prayers & supplications , and withall be willing ( if they haue power ) to poure out their Soueraignes blood ? The Prophet Ieremy exhorted the exiled Iewes to offer vp their prayers for the life of the King of Babylon : hee would not haue willed them to haue prayed for their persecutor , if it had beene a duty contrary to Christian profession , or for lacke of power , to fall to supplication . VVhen King b Assuerus had made a decree to kill and destory all the Iewes , both yong and old , children and women in one day , what doe they ? rebell , or rise vp in armes to resist with violence ? No , no , sorrow , c and fasting , weeping , and mourning , sackecloth , and ashes , are their weapons . When Iulian the Apostate , threatned the Christian World ; Lachrimae vnicum medicamentum aduersus eum , saith d Nazianzene : Teares the onely medicine against his mischeefe , teares were their Speares , Orizons their weapons ; They knew that they e that resisted power , resisted the ordinance of God , and they that resist , shall receiue to themselues damnation . These had not beene catechized in the Popes Schoole , teaching Subiects that the Pope hath power to depriue Kings , if they be defectiue in their regiment , or not pliable to his commandement ; but were obedient , as the Apostle f exhorts , Propter conscientiam , for conscience sake . Oh but will Master g Parsons reply , We hold this point , that a Prince is to be obeyed Propter conscientiam , for conscience sake ; but not Contrae conscientiam , Against his conscience : And he is so stiffe in this assertion , that he saith , If one authority , example , or testimony out of Scripture , Fathers , or Councels , contradict it , we then speake to purpose . VVe answer ; Against Conscience rightly instructed , and warranted by the word , It is true : but there is Asinina , lupina , or leprosa conscientia , A foolish , woluish , or leprous conscience , which vicious or erroneous conscience is not rightly called conscience , but error , and peruersenesse , and therein it failes . If a King command things expressely contrary to Gods word , the * Apostles rule then is plaine , VVe must obey God rather then men ; yet not fall to violence , or outward resistance in body , but in spirit ; submitting our bodies to suffer with patience what shall bee inflicted , like the three h Children to Nabuchadnezar ; but in our soules to shew our selues more then Conquerors for our Conscience sake . Thus doe we see , that the foure forenamed crimes , Tyranny , Infidelity , Heresie , Apostacy , ( yet great , and greeuous sinnes ) are not sufficient to depriue a King of his regall Inheritance , or to free his Subiects from their obedience . CHAP. XI . I VVil in the next place briefly consider the goodly Harmony of the holy Doctors of Rome , in the managing and maintaining of this new Doctrine of deposition of Kings by making their * Pope an absolute Lord of all Temporalties , and of the Spiritualties ; by vertue of which vaste omnipotency of power , as being the Supreme spirituall , and temporall Prince of all , and ouer all , they ascribe vnto his Holinesse this plenitude of power , to haue the iurisdiction of both swords ; and so may passe against Kings ( if they bee faulty by tyranny , infidelity , heresie or apostacy ; or not Roman Catholickes ) Sentences of Excommunication , Breues of Interdiction , Depriuation , Buls of Absolution of Subiects from Alleagiance ; yea , giue Licence , and Indulgences of pardon to misereants to * murder them : and yet this is not to be counted King-killing , for a King excommunicated , or deposed , is no King in Popery : Let vs see the consent of these Doctors , or rather heare the confusion of their tongues in building of this Babell . Some of the cheefe pillars of Popery defend the direct , ordinary , and inherent authority of the Pope ; whereby as Lord of the whole VVorld , in all temporall matters hee may at his pleasure depose Emperors , and Princes : The cheefe of these is Cardinall i Baronius , and to alleadge his reasons I omit , his Bookes are common , and extant in the world . And this opinion , that the Pope is Lord of all the Temporalties , and that the supreame Iurisdiction both in temporall and spirituall matters , belong to Peters Successors , ( which was the brainelesse assertion of old blockish Canonists , and exploded of all sober Papists , ) is now renewed , and passeth for Catholick Doctrine . Your k Francis Bozius defends it , that the Pope is directly Lord of things temporall , and is the Ruler and Monarke of the whole world . So Rodericus l Sancius , a Bishop of theirs goes further ; It is to be holden , according to the naturall , morall , and diuine Law , wth the right Faith , that the Lordship of the Roman Bishop is the true , and onely immediate Lordship of all the world , not as concerning spirituall things onely , but also as concerning temporall things ; and that the imperiall Lordship of Kings dependeth vpon it , and oweth seruice and attendance thereunto , as a meanes , minister , and instrument ; and that by him it receiueth institution and ordination , and at the commandement of the papall Lordship , it may be remoued , reuoked , corrected , and punished : In the gouernement of the world , the secular Lordship is not necessary either of pure , or meere , or expedient necessity ; but when the Church cannot . Resoluing this Article therefore , we say ; That in all the world there is but one Lordship , and therefore there must be but one Vniuersall and Supreame Prince , and Monarke ; who is Christs Vicar , according to that of Daniel , m He gaue him dominion , and honour , and kingdome , and all people , and languages shall serue him : In him therefore is the Fountaine and originall of all Lordship , and from him the other Powers flow : so farre goes this Popish Bishop . And diuers others agree with him ; It is iudged that no Christian Monarke hath his Crowne wholly giuen him from Heauen , vnlesse it receiue firmenesse and strength also from Christs Vicar the Pope , so n Possevine . Christ committed to Peter the Key-keeper of eternall life , the right of earthly and heauenly gouernement ; and that in his place the Pope is the vniuersall Iudge , the King of Kings , the Lord of Lords ; saith o another : yea , the holy Writer in the old law made the Priesthood an adiectiue to the Kingdome , but Saint Peter made the Kingdome an adiectiue to the Priesthood , faith the same p writer . Carerius a Doctor of Padua , in his Booke De potestate Romani Pontificis , which he made specially to confute Bellarmine , who denied the ordinary and direct power of the Pope in the Temporalties , doth in many places and pages maintaine , that all dominion as well in spirituall things , as in temporall , is fetcht by Christ , and the same is committed to Saint Peter and his Successors : that Christ was Lord of all these inferior things , not onely as he was God , but also as he was Man , hauing at that time dominion in the Earth : and therefore , as the dominion of the world , both diuine , and humane , was then in Christ , as man ; so now it is in the Pope the vicar of Christ . That Christ is directly the Lord of the world in temporall things , and therefore the Pope Christs vicar , is the like ; and this power giuen to Peter , is set out , by the sole comming of Peter to Christ vpon the water , for vniuersall gouernement is signified by the Sea. As God is the Supreme Monarke of the world , productiuely , and gubernatiuely , although of himselfe he be neither of the world , nor temporall : so the Pope , although originally , and from himselfe he haue dominion ouer all things temporall , yet he hath it not by any immediate execution , and committeth that to the Emperor by an vniuersall iurisdiction . It would weary a man to reade ouer this worke of Carerius , wherein he sweates and toyles himselfe , striuing with arguments , and laying a curse vpon his aduersaries , that shal gainsay him , or denie the ordinary & direct power of the Pope in the temporalties : which he writes , as his Preface speakes , against the Politicians , and heretickes of the Time ; and indeed specially against a greater Clerke then himselfe , Bellarmine , both temporizers to flatter Popes with power in temporalties . To omit all the rest of this ranke , who inclineto this opinion , That the Pope hath a direct , ordinary , and inherent power in Temporalties : let vs on the other side , behold these Madianites , or Cadmeyes Brethren , warring and wrangling with an opinionate opposition and contradiction . The principall , and Coriphaeus of all the rest , is the Cardinall Bellarmine , who ouerthrowes that ordinary , direct , and inherent gouernement of the Pope in temporalties , as left by Christ , with scripturall arguments very soundly , and sufficiently ; yet to gratifie the Pope like a good seruant , he restraines it to limitations , and distinctions : Although ( saith he ) the Pope be not Lord of all Temporalties directly , neither hath inherent and ordinary authority as he is Pope , to disthronize temporall Princes , yet he is Lord of the Temporalties indirectly , in order to the Spirituals ( Bellarmines vsuall phrase ) and hath an extraordinary and a borrowed authority , as he is cheefe spirituall Prince , to alter Kingdomes , to take them from one , and to giue them to another , if it bee necessary to the saluation of soules , i. in order to the Spiritualties . Wherein obserue how politicke these papall Parasites be , disputing about a power of Popes , in disposing Temporals or Regals , one fort deriuing this power directly , and ordinarily from Christ , and Saint Peter ; the other side indirectly , and onely in order to the Spirituals , when as their Pope neuer had any direct , or indirect power in that kind from God , and from Saint Peter . But marke how the sonnes ' of this Kingdome be diuided : The Pope hath either ordinary and direct power to depose Kings , as he is Pope ; or he hath no authority at all , faith Carerius : But he hath no direct , and ordinary , as he is Pope , by Bellarmines opinion , Ergo , He hath none at all . Thus their diuision hath made a true conclusion , that their Pope hath neither ordinary , or indirect power in disposition of Temporals : but least Bellarmine should proue an Hereticke in this point , and be vngratefull to his great Master the Pope , of whom he is graced with the purple hat ; hee comes with his qualification , and modification , That the Pope is Lord of the Temporalties indirectly , in order to the Spirituals ; which strange distinction hath no foundation : for Peter could * transferre no power but ordinary , and the Pope is no otherwise cheefe spiritual Prince , but as he is Pope ; so that if he cannot depose Princes ordinarily from their Temporalties as Pope , he cannot depose them extraordinarily , and indirectly as cheefe spirituall Prince : which Carerius enforces , Either ( saith he ) hee is not the vicar of Christ , or else he deposeth inferior powers as Pope ; but he deposeth them not as Pope , saith Bellarmine : he is not therefore the vicar of Christ by Carerius conclusion . Thus Bellarmine hath depriued his Pope of the Temporalties , and his opposite Carerius hath not left him Lord of the Spiritualties : The one denies him a deposing Pope , the other inferres vpon it , no Deputy or vicar of Christ ; both assertions very true , though they deliuer them by way of altercation . Thus these wrangling spirits haue brought their Popes imaginary power in great hazard to be lost . The one making their Pope * Sathans Asse , loading him with a boundlesse burthen of power , too heauy for any to beare , to haue the direct dominion of all the Temporalties in the world absolutely , and ordinarily : Onus Aetna granius , A burthen heauier then the weight of the Mountain Aetna . Iethro said , that Moses his task was too heauy for him ; and Iob , Curuantur qui portant orbem , They that support the world , are crooked : yet these Ingrossers of greatnesse , would lay vpon their Popes shoulders the vnsupportable weight of the dominion of the world , to be Lord of all the Temporalties directly , and ordinarily . The other giues him not so much weight of authority , yet giues him too much ; To depose Kings if need require , taking a middle course , denying the infinite power of Inherent and ordinary gouernement ; yet reseruing an indirect and borrowed authority belonging to the Pope , yet not as Pope , but as the cheefe spirituall Prince , conditionally , if Kings become tyrannicall , hereticall , or apostaticall , then the Pope is to coniure them into the circle of religion , by counsell and admonition ; and after if they proue refractary , to confine them out of their dominionby depriuation and deposition : and all this is pretended to be done by power of a spirituall right indirectly to the temporalties , yet to a spirituall end , and in order to the spiritualties . The first to all mens eyes appeare most grosse and egregious parasites , besotted with palpable folly and flattery : but Bellarmine more smooth and cunning , long acquainted with dissimulation , ( the very Genius of Romes Court-Cardinals ) bedawbes his workes with oyly morter , with holy hony , ( if it bee for the saluation of soules , in order to the spirituals , tending to * spirituall good , ) then Si meruere ( Pater ) tunc dira tonitruamitte , Percutient summos reges , nec fulmina cessent . If they deserue , let Papall thunder cleaue These Regall Cedars , and of Crownes bereaue . These are Boanerges , sonnes of thunder , yet would seeme Barnabasses , sonnes of comfort , tempering and qualifying their fiery thunderbolts of depriuation with a pretence of spirituall good , tending to soules saluation . But there is a third sort of Papists on the other side , men of more humble mindes , disliking this statizing Iesuitisme , and papall intrusion into Caesars chaire , confessing that the Pope hath no temporall power ouer Kings directly : as Gul. Barclayus de authoritate Papae , against whose opinion herein Bellarmine writes a Treatise , De potestate summi pontificis contra Gul. Barclayum : b Watson in his Quodlibeticall Booke , Sheldon in his generall reasons , Roger Widdringtons humble supplication to Paul the fift Pope , which worke a late c Decree of Romes Cardinalls prohibited , repining to see Popes temporall incroachments by Romanists contradicted , good reason therefore to clap their hand vpon his mouth , and to commit him to the dungeon of suppression : Stephen Gardiners booke , Bishop of VVinchester , De vera obedientia , with a preface of Bishop Bonners adioyned to it , De summo & absoluto Regis imperio , published by M. Bekinsaw , Devera differentia regiae potestatis , & Ecclesiae : Bishop Tonstals Sermon , Bishop Longlands Sermon , Tonstals letter to Cardinall Poole , and many others in Latine and English in this kinde of Romane Catholickes , all ouerthrowing this point of moderne Popery . Thus as many Papists openly deny ; and I presume many of the other doe inwardly beleeue , ( being acquainted with their equiuocations , and mentall reseruations ) so it may make all men maruell , who are not prepossessed with preiudicate opinions , or preposterous affections , vpon what sufficient , yea probable inducements , and motiues they might build this Pontifician power , eyther of spirituall , much lesse of temporall authority ouer Kings , eyther directly or indirectly , by way of deposition of Kings , or disposition of their kingdomes . The Basis or pillar of this power , yea pride , they fetch from a primacy ( as they say ) of Peter , which is diuolued to the See of Rome by right of succession : in both of which points they haue beene lamentably soyled , and it were folly in me to rub ouer the incureable wounds they haue receiued in this conflict . I will stand but as a spectator or relator of this skirmish : first in Peters primacy . First , wee request them to choose out a place for the foundation of it . And the Cardinall d Contarenus answereth , That in his iudgement it was chiefly giuen in the 16. of Mathew , when the keyes were giuen him . But his Brother e Bellarmine , & the f Rhemists deny this , and say , The koyes were not then giuen , but onely promised , and with the keyes the supremacy ; the Gift was in the 21. of Iohn , where Christ said , Feede my sheepe . But 〈◊〉 Contra●… replies againe , Let not the subtilty of some more ye that say thus , for they speake more subtilly then truely : thus in the very ●ore from they begin to stagger , and vary among themselues . But because the place of Math. 16. commonly alleadged to prooue Peters supremacy , is their most euident h place , there we insist , and obiect , that heerein Peter had no more giuen him then the other Apostles , and all made equall with him : for Peter had no more but to be the rocke , and to receiue the keyes ; but this is common to the other , ergo , &c. For all the power of the rocke and keyes is included in binding and loosing , retaining and remitting sinnes , as i themselues teach : but this power was giuen to all the Apostles , Math. 18. 18. Iohn 20. 21. Therefore all the power of the Rocke and Keyes common to the other . To reconcile this point and dissolue this knot , they skirmish among themselues : k Some denying , that the keyes containe more then binding and loosing : Others , that Christ in the 18. of Matthew , gaue not the Apostles the whole power of the keyes , making a threefold sort of keyes , of Primacie , of Order , of Iurisdiction : But l Bellarmine condemnes that , saying ; It was neuer heard that there were more keyes in the Church then two , of Order , and of Iurisdiction : by which assertion , in giuing the other Apostles the same keyes of Order and Iurisdiction , hee confirmes our conclusion . The highest authority that can be assigned , is contained in the keyes say m they , and the keyes were giuen the other Apostles , Math. 18. Iohn 20. 23. as well as Peter ; therefore Peter hath no supremacy by the Text , or by their expositions . The common answer of them is , That albeit the Apostles had the same keyes and power that Peter had , yet with a difference , that Peter had it before them , and as their Ordinary , but they after him , as his Legates and subiects : which is vntrue ; for in the 20. of Iohn , 21. they all had their power and commission from Christs own mouth , not from Peter : And n Christ said to all , Goe ye and preach the Gospell to euery creature ; so that seeing they had all their Commission immediatly from Christs mouth , it doth imply a contradiction to say , they had it vnder and from Peter : herein they implicate themselues in diuers turnings : some o say , they receiued all their authority from Christ immediately , but this was because it pleased Christ by speciall priuiledge to exempt them : wherein marke how they contradict themselues : first saying , they had their authority from and vnder Peter , and presently , they should haue had it , but that by speciall grace they were exempted . 2 Sort say , the Apostles had two offices : first , of Apostleship : secondly , of Bishoply dignity : the former they had from Christ ; but the latter by & through Peter : p Victoria , saying . They receiued all the power they had immediately from Christ , in that he made them all Apostles , for to the Apostleship belong three things : first , authority to gouerne the beleeuers : secondly , faculty of teaching : thirdly , power of miracles : inferring that all the Apostles had the authority of Order & Iurisdiction immediately from Christ . And r Henriquez saith , There is no likelihood in their opinion , that say the Apostles receiued their Iurisdiction of Peter : s other determine the doubt thus , That the difference of Peters power from the rest was , that hee alone might vse the keyes , but the rest might not without him : and t Saunders saith , The other Disciples had the same keyes , but after Peter , to teach them that Peter had them by ordinary right as Prince of all , but they by Christs speciall delegation extraordinarily . u Gregory of Valence otherwise , that Peter had the keyes from Christ , and ouer all the Church for euer to continue in his successors , which the other Apostles had not . * Victoria decides this power into foure parts . 1. That Peters power was ordinary , the rest extraordinary . 2. That it was to continue in the Church , the others not . 3. His power was cuer them , their 's neyther ouer him , nor ouer one another . 4. Their power was subordinate to his , so that hee might ouer rule it . x Cai●tan cuts it into fiue points : 1. In the manner , Peter receiued the power ordinarily , they of speciall grace . 2. In the office , Peter Christs Vicar , they but delegates . 3. In the obiect , hauing power ouer all , they not ouer one another . 4. In continuance , Peters perpetuall ; theirs determined with their life . 5. In the essence , Peters preceptiue to command , their 's executiue to doe what hee commanded y Senensis deuides it into three parts : 1. of Order . 2. of Apostleship . 3. of Monarchy . What a weake and doubtfull foundation is heere to build vp Peters Primacy , which they make an Article of their Faith , so inuolued with nice distinctions , and perplexed with difficulties , and mutuall contradictions ? But perchance some Papist may reply and say , the chiefe place to proue Peters primacy , is Iohn 20. 16. where Christ said thrice to Peter , Feede my Sheepe ; why doth hee examine Peter of his loue more then the rest , but that hee intended him more authority ? No such matter : Peter had thrice denied Christ , which none of the other had done ; and therefore he had a threefold confirmation , and made a threefold confession for his former abnegation . Oh but some of them haue againe argued , Feeding is ruling with fulnesse of power , but the other Apostles were part of Christs sheepe , therefore he must feede them . Ans● Feeding is to edifie by the word and example , so Peter z fedde the Apostles , and the * Apostles fedde Peter , as Paul fedde him at Antioch by reproofe . So all Christs Ministers are commanded to feed the slock of Christ ( which is as large as feed my sheepe ) but the Pope doth not thus feede the sheepe , but rather * feede vpon the sheepe : Non pascit oues , sed pastus ouibus : in this point , Peter and the Pope are no more alike , then an Englishman is to a blackeamoore : they agree better in fishing then in feeding : * Peter with his Angle caught a fish that had mony in the mouth ; so the Pope fishes more for money then for men , and cannot abide to be like Peter , or to succeed Peter , when hee a saith , Siluer and gold haue I none : Platos Common wealth , Tullies Orator , Moores Vtopia , and Peters supremacy are alike . The gouernement of Christs Church is rather Aristocraticall , with many vnder one Christ , then Monarchicall vnder one visible Head : no Primacy of power , or Iurisdiction among the Apostles ; if of order ? Petrus primus , non primas ; for there was a parity of power among the Apostles : yea as their * Leo , Electio pares , labor similes , finis facit aquales , Their election makes them alike , the labour alike , the end equall ; or * as Cyprian , Pari consertie praediti , & honotis & potestatis : Like fellow ship , honor , and power . But let vs suppose ; ( for impossibilities may bee supposed ) that Peter had a supremancy ouer the Apostles , or more , that Peter was Pope of Rome , how comes this speciall priuiledge to the Pope ? They will answer , by way of succession . To which we reply , that true succession standeth in holding the same true faith ; but the Pope departs from Peters doctrine , b Submit your selues vnto all manner of ordinance for the Lords sake , whether it be vnto the King as vnto the Superiour &c. Not onely Precept , but President of Peter is disliked in paying tribute for Christ and himselfe : But what if Peter was chiefe of the Apostles , must hee therefore be aboue Kings ? and must his imagined successor be aboue Emperors ? But let vs fee how the Papists proue Papall succession of Peter in this imagined supremacy : Canus doth c confesse , That it is not written in the Scriptures , that the Pope succedeth Peter in the supremacy : and d Bellarmine acknowledges it in these words , Licet Romanos Episcopos Petro succedere in sacris lobris non habeatur , &c. Although it be not written in the holy Scripture that the Romane Bishops succeed Peter , yet wee haue it by Tradition from Peter . The Rhemists and many other would yet prooue it by Scripture , when as their chiefe Champion confesses it to be an vnwritten tradition . But f Caietane proues it another way : The Pope succeedeth Peter in as much as he is Bishop of Rome , and there Peter made his feate , and died at Rome . To proue this ; they alledge a sew humane stories subiect to error , as themselues are : and I thinke it being a matter of so great moment as they make it , that all are damned vnlesse they obey their Pope as Saint Peters successor , and by vertue of this succession beleeue his authority in matters concerning soule and conscience , this life present and the future ; it had need to be proued by pregnant places out of Scripture , * and not by any fallible or doubtfull history . But I would faine be resolued of this point by a schoole Papist , If the Pope succeeded Peter immediately after Peters death , who it was that succeeded him ? whether Linus or Cletus , or Anacletus , or Clemens ? it shall be in their choise to name the man. Clemens Romanus an old new Father , whom some say , was the Popes owne childe , writes in his g Apostolicall Constitutions , That Linus was the first Bishop of Rome made by S. Paul , and that Clemens after the death of Linus was the second ordained by Peter ; If this relation be true , the Pope sits not in the chaire of Peter , but in the seate of Paul , who appointed the first Pope . h Franciscus Turrianus in his Apologeticall annotations vpon the text of Clemens answereth , that Linus was not Bishop of Rome , but Suffragan , or vicar generall , executing it in S. Peters non-residencye : So i Marianus S●otus in the life of Peter saith of Cletus : contradicting the Romane Martyrology , which makes Linus and Cletus both absolute Bishops of Rome ; and Baromius in his Annotations vpon their Martyrdomes and Ecclesiasticall k Annals , reckons thus , Linus the first , Cletus the second , & Clemens the l bird Bishop of Rome after S. Peter : the sameꝰ Baronius thinkes Cletus and Anacletus were all one : but m Bellarmine doth gainesay him : others hold that Clemens was the fourth Pope after St. Peter : some write hee was first , some second , some third , some the fourth ; make the musicke in this mystery . But n Bellarmine labours to reduce these iarring fractions to a better harmony : Indeed ( saith he ) Clemens by right was the first Pope , but he suffered out of his humility Linus and Cletus to execute his office so long as they liued : yet o Damasus , and Sophronius , and Si●eon Metaph●●stes affirme , that Linus died before Peter : heere the Cardinall contemnes these writers , which p elsewhere hee commends for learned and Catholike Authors . In a worde , let it be granted that Clemens suffered these his competitors to liue , yet if three Popes were aliue at once , who was the true successor of Peter , whether Lord Cletus , Lord Linus , or Lord Clemens ? I would faine be resolued of this question by them who so eagerly maintaine the Pope to haue from S. Peter his succession : surely they cannot assoile this demand , who so vary among themselues , and so stammer in their owne talke , vncertain who was the first , second , third , or fourth Pope of Rome : that the Lord q hath done to them which hee threatned to the Egyptians ; I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians , so euery one shall fight against his brother , and euery one against his neighbour , city against city , and kingdom against kingdome , one against another , and God and the truth against them all . Thus I haue a little diuerted into this point of Peters pretended supremacy , and the imagined succession of Popes after him , whereupon this vsurped power ouer all , the Pope principally challenges . I know this matter hath bin largely handled by the choice Diuines of our Church , and the Papists haue beene put to desperate and wofull shifts : I did not purpose to be large in it , onely but to touch it , because our Lay-Papists haue a great fancy to it , and doe beloeue any thing , because they know little or nothing ; and according to r Nazianzene , the rude vulgar wonder at that they doe not vnderstand , and thinke their learned Guides prooue this very authentically , when as there is no point more weakely proued , and wherein they themselues are more distracted . And but that their popish tutors presume vpon their simplicity and ignorance , they would be ashamed to argue thus to proue it : as first , Christ said , Thou art Peter , and vpon this rocke will I build my Church , Ergo the Church is built vpon Peter and the Pope : or againe , The gates of Hell shall not preuaile against the Church , Ergo , Peter and the Pope are the Church , against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile ; or , I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not ; Ergo , the Pope cannot erre : or , Feede my sheepe ; Ergo , Peter was the supreame head of the Apostles . What a silly and simple kinde of arguing is this , voide of Diuinity and Logick , which the learned hisse at ? which yet goes for currant arguments among ignorant Papists , who in the Infancy of their knowledge haue no skill and iudgement to discerne these things ; yet are so ouercarried , yea , infatuated with a doting fancy to beleeue any thing , which is cloaked with a pretence of Catholike Truth , or Doctrine of the Church of Rome ; that with great applause they will accept of these , or the like , vnlearned follies : being like vnto that Frenchman in Geneua , of whom s Zanchius speakes , that he protested , If Saint Paul and Caluin should preach at the same houre , that he would leaue Paul and goe to Caluin . So these will euen deny Scripture , to beleeue , and cleaue to their Doctors ; and they know how to seduce them well enough , making them firmely beleeue , that Peter was the Primate , and Prince of all the Apostles , and that the Pope succeeds him in all his prerogatiues , and sits in Peters Chaire . So that we may say with t Simeones ; Who when he saw Arsacius an vnlearned and vnworthy man , placed in Chrysostomes roome , cried out in these words , Prohpudor ? quis , cui ? Oh shame ; who , and whom ? So wee may censure the Popes sitting in Peters Chaire , Oh shame , who , and whom ? Peter was carefull to teach & preach ; but for the Popes , many of them cannot , and all will not , preach the Gospell . Their Bennet that was Pope , when he was not ten yeeres old , and Iohn not aboue sixteene , as their deare u Baronius sayes ; oh then how worthily was Peters place supplied , how able they were to feed the vniuersall flocke , and to be the Supreame Heads of the Christian World ? And many of their Popes haue beene condemned , and conuicted hereticks by themselues , as * Marcellinus for idolatry , worshipping Pagan Gods , x Liberius for Arrianisme . Honorius the first , was a Monothelite hereticke condemned for it in three generall Councels : Gregory y the 12 , and Bennet the 13 , deposed for notorious heretickes , and schismatickes , and many others ; oh then how was Peters Chayre adorned , his place supplied , the vniuersall flocke gouerned , the Supremacy managed , the Church edified ? Pro●pudor ? quis , cui ? How is Peters Chayre disparaged by a pretence of such vile Successors : yea , how opposite is the Pope to Peter , or if you wil , this Sir Peter , or Pope-Peter to Saint Peter ? light and darkenesse are not more dislike . Preaching Peter commanded all , z Feare God , Honor the King , Submit your selues &c. Not onely to the good and curteous ; but to the froward ; for this is thanke worthy , if a man for conscience sake toward God endure greefe , suffering wrongfully : But princely Pope-peter vnlooses men at his pleasure from their alleagiance and obedience to good , and gracious Princes ( if they will not bow their Scepters to his Miter , ) and will depriue them of their Crownes , and if he can , of their liues too , being blasted by excommunication ; then proceed to deposition , and to make it take better effect , hee will authorize murder and rebellion : yet all this , vnder a faire vizard of spirituall good , and for the saluation of soules : but Quic quid id est , timeo Danaos , & dona ferentes . Beware of these same Pope-pilles , sugred ouer , yet full of deadly poyson . Peter his precepts and patterne compared with the Popes practise , argue a plaine separation or secession , no succession . Peter commanded and performed obedience to Princes , excommunicated none , deposed none , depriued none , freed no Subiects from alleagiance , or excited them to any resistance , but suffred ( if we may credit their a Register , to proue his being at Rome ) as a Martyr : yet these Princes were no Catholickes , yea Heathens . Was it because hee wanted power , ( as some haue dreamed ? ) why , he had the power of Miracles , hee could doe that which neuer any Pope did , or shall doe ; Surge , & ambula : Acts 3. 6 : Arise , and walke ; which had power to heale a creeple from his Mothers wombe . b He raised the dead to life , yea , sont the liuing c to death , could with his d shadow heale the ●icke : Wanted he power ? no , rather he wanted this pride and impiety , wherewith the Pope swels and abounds : he knew , that his Kingdome promised by e Christ , was not of this World ; here the Kings of the Gentiles should reigne ouer him , and his fellow Disciples : but hereafter in the heauenly Kingdome , they f should sit vpon seates , and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel . But this Pope-Peter , or prince-like Pope , fearing his Kingdome is not of that world , would faine erect vp his Monarchy in this world , and would sit vpon his seate or chayre , to iudge all the Tribes of the world ; and would faine be a Iudge ouer the Tribe of Iudah , to make Kings be subiect to his Ferula , and Rod of correction ; and so then surfet them with his cup of corruption : and if they will not submit themselues to his domination , hee will by censure , and sentence of excommunication seeke to dethrone them and depose them , free their subiects from the yoake of obedience and oath of alleagiance to them , and arme and animate them to take vp armes against them ; and all this pestilent power he would deriue from Peters Chaire , making it a Chaire of pestilence , to arrogate such a pernicious supremacy , by which meanes hee hath beene the primus motor , the cheefe agent of all the mischeefes , murders , and massacres , treasons , and rebellions , in these latter times . So that I may conclude , that papall excommunication of Kings , and Doctrine of deposition of them , haue beene the cheefe nurseries of most treasons and rebellions . And this hath moued me to take a little suruey of it , diuerting out of the intended Roade of my discourse ; for which former prolixity , I will requite my Reader with following breuity . CHAP. XII . I Haue thus farre discoursed in generall , now I will make our conclusion a connexion , with some particular relation of the vnnaturall and bloody conspiracy of these Trayterous Gouries , attempted against the Kings Maiesty , August the fift , Anno Dom. 1600 : with the manner of his deliuery , and happy preseruation ; as also the end and Tragedy of these Traytors , receiuing in part a due doome for their Treason . His Maiesty lying at Falkland , and going out in the morning to recreate himselfe with his pleasure of Buck-hunting ; before he was on Horsebacke , Alexander Ruthwen , second brother to the late Earle of Gowry , hasted to meet his Highnesse , who after a low curtesie , bowing his head vnder his Maiesties knee , ( Beware of such Creepers ) drawing his Maiesty apart , ( as a Ioab tooke Abner aside in the gate to speake with him peaceably ) doth begin a strange discourse to the King : Virg. lib. 2. Aen. Dixerat ille dolis instructus , & arte Pelasga . How he chanced in the euening before , walking alone without the Towne of Saint Iohnstoun , where his brother dwelt , recountred a suspicious fellow , who vpon some conference became amazed , and his tongue faultred ; and vncasing him , wrapt vp in a cloake , and finds a great wide pot vnder his arme , full of coyned gold in great peeces : whereupon he brought the fellow backe , and priuately , without the knowledge of any man , bound him in a priuy house , and locked many doores vpon him , and his pot with him ; and so hasted by foure of the clocke in the morning , to aduertise his Maiesty according to his duty , and desirous that the King in his person priuately would bee pleased to behold this spectacle . To this perfidious Sinon the King giues a Princely audience , Ignarus scelerum tantorum , artisque Pelasga : Virg. Returning to him at first this answere ; That hee would send backe with the said Alexander a seruant of his owne , with a warrant to the Prouost , and Bayliffes of Saint Iohnstoun , to receiue the alledged fellow ( a man in the Moone ) and the money supposed , till his further pleasure was knowne . To be briefe : his Highnesse importuned by the in sinuations of this faire-spoken , yet false Iudas , resolues ( the chace being ended , and not dreaming that his Princely person should haue beene hunted , by such a fawning , yet bloody hound ) to goe to Saint Iohnstoun , to see with his Princely eyes the newes which this meale-mouthed Traytor had related to his Graces eares ; and so rides thither with a very little Trayne , and they followed after , among which was the Duke of Lennox , and the Earle of Marre . The King comming to Saint Iohnstoun , he was met by the late Earle of Gowry , a Iudas , with an Aue Rex , and some three or fourescore men accompanying him ; the Kings Trayne not aboue fifteene persons , and all vnarmed ; yet his Maiesty by the way vpon occurrences of discourse , and stupide behauiour of Alexander , requesting the King to stay the Duke and Earle from following him , beganne to suspect some treasonable deuice . Well , the King hauing beene there partaker of a bad dinner , and the said Earle standing pensiue , and with a deiected countenance ; Oh quam difficile est , crimen non prodere vultu : And not welcomming his Maiesty , or shewing any harty forme of entertainement ; and the Noblemen , and Gentlemen of the Court , being now set at dinner , Alexander rounding in his Maiesties eares , and said ; Now is the time to goe : This is your b very houre , and the power of darkenesse . The King accompanied onely with the said Alexander , goes vp a Turne-pecke through three or foure chambers , Alexander locked behind him euery doore he passed , ( a brother to c Alexander the Coppersmith , which had done Paul much euill ) vntill at last , his Maiesty passing through three or foure sundry houses , and all doores locked behind him by this Cerberus , his Maiesty entred into a little study , where hee saw standing with a very abased countenance , not a bond man , but a free man , with a dagger at his girdle : Now mee thinkes I here that desperate voice , Virg . Heu quae nunc tellus , inquit , quae me aequora possunt Accipere ? aut quid iam misero mihi denique restat ? Or as d Dauid said to God ; I am in a wonderfull straite : fallen into the hands of bloody men , O God , e hast thee to deliuer me , make hast to helpe me O Lord : O my f God , deliuer me from mine enemies , defend mee from them that rise vp against me : deliuer mee from the wicked doers , and saue mee from the bloody men : for loe , they haue laid waite for my soule , &c. Thus this vile Alexander hauing brought the King into this close Closet of his intended death , Rectè coll●cat aretia expectant praedam : Now this Traytor changes his countenance , puts his hat on his head , and drawes the dagger from the girdle of the other fellow , holds the point to the Kings breast ; Horresco referens . Whither bendest thou thy sword ( thou monster of mankind ? ) as Clytemuestra said to her wicked sonne Orestes : A Monster , and no Man , to desire to murder a Monarke of Men. Viscera sunt vobis crudelia , pectora ferro Durantur , silicesque rigent praecordia circum , Qui tantum sceleris potuistis , velle patrare : Nam patrasse , supergreditur genus omne loquendi . Behold this cursed , and Copper-Alexander , facing the King with a brazen impudence , saith ; Now it did behoue the King to be in his will , and vses him as he list ; swearing bloody oathes , That if the King cried out , or did open a window to looke out , that dagger should presently goe to his heart . Surely some Nero with heeles forward borne , Sire to this slaue so bloody , and forlorne . The g Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord , and he will preserue it against the hands of such diuellish Traytors . This bloody villaine opens his blacke mouth , and tels the King ; That now he knew his conscience was troubled for murthering his Father : Loe , this Caine talkes of conscience , yet makes no conscience to attempt to kill a most innocent King. His Highnesse wondring at so sudden an alteration , and standing naked , as an innocent Lambe before a rauenous wolfe , like the h woman standing before the red Dragon , beginnes pathetically ; and powerfully to dilate to Alexander , telling him how horrible a thing it was to meddle with his Maiesties innocent blood , a drop whereof could not bee shed without reuenge from Heauen , and Earth : for the i voice of blood cries for vengeance to Heapen , and God had on Earth giuen his Highnesse children , and good Subiects , which would reuenge it ; yea God would raise vp stockes and stones to punish so vile a deed : protesting before God , that his conscience was not troubled for the execution of his Father ; he being then a Minor of age , and then guided by a Faction which ouerruled his Maiesty & the rest of the Country , and what was done to his Father , was done by the common course of Law & Iustice : Appealing to the said Alexanders owne conscience ( a sinfull and seared conscience ) how well his Grace had at all times since deserued at the hands of all his race , restoring them to their lands and dignities , freely and voluntarily of his regall clemency , bringing vp two or three ofhis sisters , as it were in his owne bosome , by a continuall attendance vpon his dearest bedfellow in her priuy Chamber : and if all these had beene too little , he would haue giuen him , as it was said to Dauid , such , and such things : but here in them verified , which k Seneca deliuered , Quidam , quô plus debent , magis oderunt , &c. Certaine men being bound to loue for some benefits , rather the more beginne to hate : Quid autem miserius , ( saith the same wise man ) cui beneficia dantur , gratias agere iniurijs ; What more wretched thing , then hauing receiued benefits , to reward the giuer with iniuries ? These are Esops Snakes . His Maiesty promised him on the word of a Prince , that if he would spare his life , ( a Soueraigne a suppliant to a subiect an abiect , begges mercy of this miscreant , to spare his life ) hee would neuer reucale it to any flesh liuing , what was betwixt them at that time , nor neuer suffer him to incurre any harme , or punishment for the same : A speech able to make a Cannibals heart to relent , being vttered with such feeling as accompanies such feares . This his Maiesties perswasiue language some what amazed and calmed this terrible and truculent Traytor , so that hee swore the Kings life should bee safe , if hee would behaue himselfe quietly , without noyse , or crying ; and that hee would goe downe , and bring in his brother the Earle to speake with his Maiesty ; And so goes downe , and lockes the doore after him , leauing his Maiesty with that man was there before , whom this Alexander appointed the Kings Keeper till his returne . Then his Maiestie demanded of that man , who was a seruant to the late Earle of Gowrie , & his name Andrew Henderson , whether he was appointed to be the murderer of him , and how far he was vpon the counsell of that conspiracy ; who with a trembling , and astonished voice , and behauiour , answered with solemne and deepe protestations , that he was neuer acquainted with that purpose , being put in there perforce , and the doore locked vpon him : and indeede all the time of Alexanders menacing the King , this Henderson trembled , and requested him for Gods sake , not to doe the King any harme . The King commands him to open the window on his right hand , which hee did : for Alexander had made the King sweare not to cry out , nor open any window . Wherein behold the miraculous prouidence of almighty God , that he who was put in there to vse violence on the King , should be an Instrument for the Kings safety , & vppon the sight of the King , as Belshazzar did , when he saw the hand writing on the wall , trembling and quaking , rather like one condemned , then an executioner of such an enterprize . VVhile the King was all this while like m Daniel in a Lyons den , and by the n Lord so assisted & strengthened , that afterward hee was deliuered like Paul out of the mouth of the Lyon ; his Maiesties Trayne rising from dinner , the Earle of Gowry with them , one of the Earle of Gowries seruants comes hastily , saying ; His Maiesty is horsed , and away through the Inshe ; which the Earle reporting to the Noblemen , and the rest , all rush forth in great haste ; and enquiring of the Porter which way his Maiesty went , the Porter affirmed , the King was not yet gone : whereupon this Gowry reuiles the Porter , and turning to the Duke , and Earle of Marre , said ; He would presently get certaine word , whether the King was gone , or no ? and so ranne through a close , and vp the staires ; hauing a purpose to speake with his Brother . Presently the Earle returnes , and runnes to the Noblemen , telling them the King was gone out at the backe gate , to which place all of them repaired . This inhumane wretch Alexander hauing had a little pawse and parly with his bloudy brother , comes backe againe to the King ; Ingrediturque domum , luctus comitatur euntem , Et pauor & terror , trepidoque insania vultu : Casting his hands abroad in a desperate manner , said , he could not mend it , his Maiesty behoued to die . Traytors haue bloudy hearts and hands , they will not abstaine , o a sanguine , & suffocate , from bloud , and strangled ; not one word falls from his foule mouth but dismall : hee had promised before to preserue the King safe , but they who haue made a league with hell , will neuer keepe league or promise with any on earth : neyther great gifts , or good turnes can turne their mindes to mercy ; oportet mori , is the foote of the fatall song : the death of Patroclus , saith Achilles , the death of my Father , saith Alexander , will not suffer me to thinke of mercy . Therefore this treacherous Philistine comes with a garter to binde our Soueraigne ( as the p Philistines bound Sampson ) swearing , hee behoued to be bound . Accursed caitife , to threaten the King , descended from as royal predecessors as any Prince liuing , with an inglorious death : he must not dye by the hand of a woman , which q Abimelech held dishonourable , and therefore willed his Page to runne him through with his sword : he must not die fighting cominus & eminus , hand to hand ; but hee would haue him die as a condemned Malefactor , or as a r foole goeth to the stockes , bound hand and foote , though hee ruled with glory , yet goe to his graue with ignominy . It behoueth you to be bound , saith this abhorred wretch ; but died s Abner as a foole dieth ? Thy hands were not bound , nor thy feet tied in fetters of brasse , but as a man falleth before wicked men , so didst thou fall . His Maiesty hearing this villaine talke of binding , said he was borne a free King , and should die a free King. Beholde the worke of the Lord , animating our King Iames as the Lord did t Ioshua , Be strong and of good courage , feare not , nor be discouraged , for I the Lord thy God will be with thee , &c. He u can make fiue to chase an hundred , and an hundred to put ten thousand to flight : little Dauid to kill Goliah ; our Salomon void of weapon to ouercome anned Gowrie ; and indeed how can he fall in fight , whom heauen & earth assists ? God and his Angels beheld this fray , and heard the secret petition of our Soueraignes soule , * Saue mee from him that persecutes me , and deliuer mee ; lest hee deuoure my soule like a Lion , and teare it in peeces while there is none to helpe . The Lord did x heare him in the day of his trouble , the name of the God of Iacob did defend him ; deliuering his y soule from the sword , his desolate soule from the power of the dogge . This Alexander , degenerating in nature from the signification of his name , which signifies ( as Ierome ) auxiliator virilis , an helper of men ; he rather to be tearmed with his Masters Title , z Abaddon , or Apollyon , destroying ; and comes to his Maiesty , griping him by the wrist of the hand to haue bound him : his Maiesty relieued himselfe suddenly of his gripes ; whereupon as he put his right hand to his sword , his Maiesty with his right hand seazed vpon both hand and sword , and with his left hand clasped him by the throat , like as he with his left hand claspt the King by the throat , with two or three of his fingers in his Maiesties mouth , to haue stayed him from crying out . In this strugling the King perforce drew him to the window which Henderson before opened , and vnder the which passed ( O rare & most singular prouidence of God ) the Kings traine , and the Earle of Gowrie with them : The King holding out the right side of his head , and right elbowe , cryed , They were murdering him : Virg . Aeucid . lib. 2. — Quaev●n vt vo●it ad●●re● Obstupuere animi , gelidus● perima 〈◊〉 Ossa Trem●● — The Kings voyce instantly heard , and knowe● to the Duke of Le●no● , Earle of Marre , and the other Court-traine ; no winged Pegasus could poast more speedily , to doe their best seruice for their Soueraignes safety : all of them then like Asahel , * as light on foote as wilde Roes ; but Gowrie the vnworthy and wretched Earle euer asking what it meant , taking no notice of any voyce heard . The Duke of Lennox , and Earle of Marre runne to goe by the passage his Maiesty went in at : but Gowrie better acquainted with his owne denne , made with his seruants for another way vp a quiet turne-pecke , which was euer condemned before , and onely then left open ( as it appeared ) for that purpose . In the meane time , his Maiesty with striuing and strugling with this base Traytor — impar congressus Achilli ; had brought him perforce out of the study , the dore being open , and got Alexanders head vnder his arme , and himselfe on his knees , his Maiesty driuing him backe perforce hard to the doore of the same turne-pecke : and as his Maiesty was throwing his sword out of his hand , thinking to haue stricken him therewith , and shot him ouer the staire , the other fellow Henderson , standing behinde the Kings backe , and doing nothing but trembling all the time ; that euer-honoured man Sir Iohn Ramsey , now meritoriously graced with more noble titles , finds the turne-pecke dore open , followes it vp to the head , the first that did enter into the chamber to helpe the King. Virg Primus ibi ante omnes , summa decurrit ab arce , As the Poet of Laocoon ; it was his happy fortune to haue that glory , and the King his first helpe : they are very happy subiects that are a meanes to preserue Kings from traitors ; for therein they stand in stead of Gods Angels . This valiant and noble Lord instantly tooke his dagger , & strikes Alexander twice or thrice , his Maiesty stil keeping his hold on this traytor : and immediately this Alexander by the shoulder taken , and shot downe the staire ; who no sooner was shot out of the doore , but hee was met by Sir Thomas Erskinne , who ended this vile wretch , and traytor there : a iust punishment for so bloudy a miscreant , who attempted to kill the Lords Annointed . This Arch traytor may well bee placed in the blacke Calendar of bloudy traitors in the first ranke , whose name is odious and infamous to the whole world . Thus the King being thus happily preserued from the assault of this butcherly Assasinate , and Sir Hugh Hereis , Sir Thomas Erskins , and one Wilson , being got into the Chamber where the King was ; instantly before they could get the doore shut , comes the insolent and bloudy-minded Earle Gowry , hauing a drawen sword in each hand , and a steele bonnet on his head , accompanied with 7. of his seruants , hauing each a drawen sword ; the Earle at his sirstentry cryed out with a great oath , They should all dye as Traytors . The King seeing the Earle come in with swords in his hands , sought for Alexanders sword , hauing no sort of weapons of his owne , But the loyall loue , and immortall fidelity of his true Subiects there , rather desirous to hazard their liues in the fortune of that fight , then any more to endanger the King , gat him backe into the little study , and the doore shut vpon him , and so put him in safety , re-encountred the Traytor Earle and his seruants , where after many blowes on all hands , it pleased God in his great power and pitty , to giue his Maiesties seruants the victory ; Sir Iohn Ransey did strike dead with a thrust through the heart the Traytor Earle , the shame of Nobility , and scandall to Christianity : who as hee liued wretched , addicted to Necromancers , and after his death had in his pocket found Magicall Characters and words of enchantment : so at his last gaspe neuer named God ; vix bene moritur , quimale vixit , as a Austen : much more in this case , he cannot die well who liued so ill , who did so ill , and died so ill ; yet I may not touch his eternall doome , onely say with Cicero , b Mors terribilis esti●s , quorum cum vita omnia extinguuntur , Death is terrible vnto them , with whose life al things be extinguished : for all temporal things lost with him , his heyres by Act of Parliament depriued for euer of his estate , name , same , and fortunes goods with him from his for euer vanished . The rest of the confederates in this fray were dung ouer the staires with many hurts ; as also Sir Iohn Ramsey , Sir Thomas Erskin , Sir Hugh Hereis , ( a true Triumviri of right Noble , Valiant , and spirited Knights , famous for euer for this seruice ) were sore wounded in this chamber-conflict : yet they grudged not their bloud , had it beene spent to the last droppe in so good a cause , for the defence of the King being in so perillous extremity . But all the time of this fight , the Duke of Lennox , and Earle of Marre , and the rest of the Court were striking with great hammers at the vtter doore , where his Maiesty passed vp to the Chamber , and beeing a double doore could not bee broken open the space of halfe an houre and more ; so that though their faithfull hearts and feruent prayers poured out to God for the King , which were effectuall to helpe in this perill , yet their hands could not , as they all desired , be present in this seruice . But hauing at last made a way , and finding his Maiesty ( beyond their expectation ) deliuered from so imminent a death , and the chiefe conspirators slaine , infinitely reioyced . And his Maiesty immediately kneeling downe on his knees in the middest of them , did most heartily praise the Lord for his deliuery , assuring himselfe that God had preserued him from so despaired a perill , for the perfecting of some greater worke , for the glory of God , and good of his subiects committed to his charge . Thus I haue set downe the chiefe substance of the story of this conspiracy , and the manner of the Kings deliuery , with the two chiefe Traitors death and tragedy . Vnnecessary it is for mee to recite the end of Bour and Logane , &c. conspirators dead and deuoured of wormes , whose memoriall is perished with them : onely behold the power and prouidence of God in opening the mouth of Sprott , haling him to the Ministers of Iustice , and causing him to bee his owne accuser eight yeares after , when no mortall creature could detect him ( all the confederates dead ) except the guilty conscience of his owne breast . And as c Seneca grauely , Nullum conscium peceatorum tuorum magis timueris , quàm temetipsum , altum enim potes effugere , ●e autem nunquam , nequitia enimipsa est suipoena : Thou maist not feare any who are priuy to thy sinnes , more then thy owne selfe ; for thou may flye from an other , yet neuer from thy selfe , sinne is a punishment to it selfe ; and d Blessed is the man who is not condemned in his owne conscience ; for a e good conscience is a continuall feast ; but it is a fearefull thing when f malice is condemned by her owne testimony , and a conscience that is touched doth euer forecast cruell things . g Conscientia mala , bona sperare non potest . What the vltimate end was which Gowrie aymed at , it is not knowne certainely ; yet sure he looked for more then the life of an innocent King , & proiected more then the bare reuenge of his Fathers death ; his trauelling into Italy , into those parts where they would giue sundry folkes Breues , as his follower Rinde confessed ; his intimate conference with Iesuites , men dangerous to Kings and States , his plausibility with the people ( an harbinger of ambitious thoughts ; ) These with other practises hee vsed , as being addicted to Magiche , are like the bleating of h sheepe in Samuels eares , and may all say , What meane these things ? wee may coniecture something , yet determine nothing : for this Traytor was a Politician who held this Maxime ; * That he was not a wiseman , who hauing intended the execution of an high and dangerous purpose ; did communicate the same to any but himselfe . Thus we see how the Lord verifies Dauids words ; i Hee forsaketh not his Saints , they shall be preserued for euermore , but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off . k Great deliuer ances giueth he vnto his King , and sheweth mercy vnto his Annointed . And if all antiquity should awake , it could not relate a more Diuine deliuery in so dangerous and deadly extremity . And it doth minister immortall and immatchable motiues of perpetuall praises , and thankes giuing to God : to sing with l Dauid , Great is the Lord , and most worthy to be praised , and his greatnesse is incomprehensible : Generation shall praise thy workes vnto generation , and declare thy power . The Lord preserueth all them that loue him , but he will destroy the wicked . This day , the fift of August , the commemoration day of this Conspiracy and Deliuery , commanded by regall authority to be religiously obserued , wherein wee should doe that which the Lord spake to Moses after Israels victory ouer Amalek , m Write this for a remembrance in the booke , and rehearse it to Ioshua , for I will vtterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from vnder Heauen . And Moses built an Altar , and called the name of it , Iehoua-Nissi , that is , the Lord my Bauner . So the great King of Kings hauing giuen the King of our English Israel an happy victory ouer Amal●k , put out the remembrance of them from vnder heauen . All , from the King in his Throne , to the poorest member and Subiect of great Britanny , should write in the tables of thankefull hearts ( the best booke of remembrance ) this most happy and heauenly deliuerance , and goe to the publike Altar , the house of prayer , and offer vp a seruice and sacrifice of humble and hearty prayers and praises , as sweet Incense vnto the Lord , singing and saying , Iehoua-Nissi , the Lord is my Banner : n The Lord is our strength and praise , and is become our saluation . o Thy right hand O Lord , hath bruised the enemie ; p Therefore will I praise thee , O Lord , among the Nations , and will sing vnto thy name : Hee is the Tower of saluation for his King , and sheweth mercy to his Appointed , euen to Dauid , and to his seed for euer . All glory , honour , thankes and praise bee giuen to God alone , The Father , Sonne , and Holy ghost , three seuerally in one . Laus Deo. Amphitheatrum Scelerum : OR THE TRANSCENDENT OF TREASON : For the fift of Nouember , THE DAY OF A MOST Admirable Deliuerance of our King , Queene , Prince , Royall Progeny , the Spirituall and Temporall Peeres and Pillars of the Church and State , together with the Honourable Assembly of the representatiue Body of the Kingdom in generall , from that most horrible and hellish proiect of the Gun-powder Treason . PSAL. 11. 22. Forloe , the wicked bend their bowe , and make ready their arrowes vpon the string , that they may secretly shoote at them which are vpright in heart . For the foundations shall be cast downe , and what hath the righteous done ? By SAMVEL GAREY , Preacher of Gods Word . LONDON , Printed by IOHN BEALE , for HENRY FETHERSTONE , and IOHN PARKER . 1618. TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS and Right Honourable Lords , Spirituall and Temporall , the renowned Peeres , Prelates , and Counsellors to the High and famous Court of Parliament ; SAMVEL GAREY an vnworthy Minister of IESVS CHRIST , with his most deuoted obseruance , humbly offereth this short Treatise , in a perpetuall remembrance of all dutifull thankfulnesse to Almighty God , for your Graces and Honours happy deliuerance from the intended Gun-powder Treason , Nouember the fifth , Anno Domini , 1605. ( Most Reuerend , Honorable , and right Noble Lords ) MAy it please your Graces and Honors to behold the wofull picture , and lamentable protect of your earthly Downefall intended , ( the contemplation and cogitation whereof can neuer cause you to bury it in obliuion ) wherein the professed enemies to God , King , and Country , endeauoured and attempted with one blow and blast to make your Mittimus , and send you all to another world . But Gods most admirable mercy disappointed their most abhominable mischiefe , and doth moue your Graces and Honors to say thankfully with the Psalmist , * Thou hast saued vs from our aduersaries , and hast put them to confusion that hate vs : Therefore will we praise God continually , and will confesse thy name for euer . In which prodigious practise , and mercilesse Massacre , your Graces and Honors may behold your selues , how you should haue Purgatory-Vulcans could bring one sparke to enkindle it : still the Regall Sunne and Moone shines with a bright and beautifull lustre in the Royall firmament , who by these foule monsters , and fiery Meteors should haue beene finally eclipsed : Charles-wayne is still in our Horizon , and God grant it may be said of our King Iames , as Iacob said of his Iuda , Sceptrum non auferetur à Iuda , Gen. 49. 10. Your Graces and Honors the fixed starres of Church and State , still keepe your station , and retaine your powerfull influences , who by these Miscreants should haue bene sent from the stately Parliament to the starry firmament , and though not then your mortall limbes , yet your immortall soules should haue flowen higher . But loe , * The Lord was with you , while you were with him , and preserued you in safely as reserued instruments for his further seruice and glory , to the vnspeakeable comfort of his Church , and happy welfare of great Britanny . Which incomparable worke of Gods infinite mercy in this most gracious and generall deliuerance , as it can neuer beforgotten , so it cannot be too ofr reuined : which poore oblation ( a commemoration of your Graces and Honours preseruation ) as it is very seasonable for the time , Nouember the 5. against which day it was and is prepared as a yearely present , and poore Tribute of true thankefulnesse , so I heartily wish it weresatable to merit your most honourable acceptance : Yet Cum desint vires , tamen est laudanda voluntas : Your renowned worthinesse will , I hope , accept my willingnesse , and protect this Treatise ( the Transcendent of Treason ) vnder the fauourable countenance of your most honourable patronages ; so shall it be safe from all backbiting vermine , and vipers of our Church and Country . And as some say , The Sea-Vrchin armes himselfe with some stones against a tempest , so I against all the windy tempests of ill tongued Iesuites , and railing Popelings , who take things with the left hand which are offered with the right , as Ariston once said , will I suppose contemne and condemne this worke , wherein their treasonable practises and precepts are in part discouered : yet being armed with your Graces and Honors defence , as with precious stones built vpon the chiefe corner-stone & Rocke , Christ Iesus ; though flouds from the Sea of Rome should come , or the windes of wicked Iesuites blow vpon this booke with their infecting breath , and would beate it downe with a storme of words , yet . * Non cadet , quia fundatur super petram . I feare to be tedious , and therefore in all dutifull and submissiue reuerence , I cease my hand : yet my heart , till death , shall neuer cease to pray for all your prosperous happinesse and heauenly successe in your holy and high affaires for the Church , King and Country ; for which Diuine blessing shall be duely and daily powred forth the poore deuotions of your Graces and Honours most humble seruant , Samuel Garey . Ad Gloriam Dei , Sionis gaudium , & malorum luctum , MAgnae Britanniae immortales Gratiae Pro salute Britanniae , quinto Nouembris , Ab horrenda proditione Anglo-Papistarum , Qui pul vere bombardico Parliamenti domum Euertere sunt machinati , Hoc Aniuersario commemorantur . In libre diligenter exara illud , & erit in die nouissime in testimonium vsque in aeternum . Esa . 30. 8. Amphitheatrum Scelerum , OR , The Transcendent OF TREASON : For the 5. day of Nouember . Sonne of Man , write thee the name of the day , euen of this same day , for the King of Babel set himselfe against Ierusalem this same day . Ezech. 24. 2. CHAP. I. AS a Moses did speake in another kinde to the people of Israel , Enquire now of the dayes that are past , which were before thee , since the day that God created man vpon the earth , and aske from the one end of Heauen vnto the other , if there came to passe such a great thing as this , or whether any such like thing hath beene heard : So I may say , Enquire of the Times past , and search the Records of all Antiquities , and you cannot finde such a damnable and diuellish proiect ( the very modell of all mischiefes , and Miscellan of all massacres ) the intended Powder-plot , the Quintessence of all impiety , and confection of all villany : the like neuer de ficto , much lesse de facto ; in which these prodigious and barbarous monsters , not men , but loathsome lumpes of mire and bloud , ( in whose proditorious brests the spirits of all expired traytors by a kinde of Pythagoricall transmigration were inclosed ) intended to haue destroyed the obiects of Englands earthly glory , the glory of succession , yea succession it selfe , to extinguish the whole light and life of the land , vno actu , tactu , ictu : by one blow and blast of powder , — Tollere Rem , Regem , Regimen , Regionem , Religionem . Furious Phaetons , in one day , yea howre ; with a dismall fire-worke to burne all to ashes ; of a glorious Monarchy to make an Anarchy ; to offer our most gracious King , royall Queene , vertuous Prince , and hopefull Progeny , with right Noble personages of honourable place and birth , the reuerend Cleargy , with all the rest of that wise and flourishing assembly ; to offer them all as a quicke and liuing sacrifice ( not powdered with salt , or salted with fire , as our b Sauiour , but ) salted with powder , to make such an Holocaust or burnt offering as should be the general martyrdome of the Kingdome , to bereaue vs of our c Eliat , and Horsemen of Israel , and take them away in a whirle-winde and chariot of fire . Quot mortes in vna morte ? How many deaths in such a death ? to cut off d caput & caudam , head and tayle , branch and rush , Prince , Priest and people from our Israel in one day : Quomodo inaudito potuit manus impianisu Tam dirum fabric are nef as ? Respublica in vno Funere tollenda est , vno tumulanda sepulchro ? With such an hellish deed for to desire To bury King and Kingdome in a fire ? How ought the heauenly and happy deliuery from such an horrible and hidcous Tragedy , excite all continually to thanke , and magnifie our most mercifull God , for such a miraculous preseruation : And though the crying sinnes of the Land had deserued such a Doomesday of fire , yet the Lord in mercy hath deliuered it from that desolation , and secured by his outstretched arme of power and pitty the Royall Head , and loyall members of great Britanny from his and our enemies , who e tooke crafty counsell against thy people , and consulted against thy secret ones . They said ; Come , let vs cut them off from being a Nation , and let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance : but they perished at Endor , and were dung for the Earth . Shall f such wondrous workes as these be knowne in the darke , and thy righteousnesse in the Land where all things are forgotten ? Can such a deliuerance from such a dismall danger , so villainous in the Agents , so dolorous for the patients , so craftily contriued , so eagerly pursued , so neerely effected , the watch of a night , and turning of an hand betweene vs , and so deadly desolations ; can such a gracious worke be euer buried in obliuion ? Indeed it was * Israels error , whose prayers and praises ended , so soone as they had passed the Red Sea : and shall we that haue escaped , not that Red Sea of water , but a Red Sea of fire , shall wee end our prayers and praises to God , because that danger is past ? Oh how vnworthy shall we be of future fauours , if so vnthankefull for past blessings ? And truly herein the Land is faulty , in forgetting these benefits , in a cold , and not continuall acknowledgement of their humble thankefulnesse to God for these , and other vnspeakable benefits . And at the first all peoples hearts did burne within them ( like those two g Disciples ) when they did but talke of the Powder Treason , admiring and acknowledging the infinite mercies of God , in the preuenting this most abhorred massacre and with heart and voice magnified the Lord with h Dauids Psalme : If the Lord had not beene on our side , may Israel now say ; If the Lord had not beene on our side , when men rose vp against vs , they had then swallowed vs vp quicke , when their wrath was kindled against vs. Praised be the Lord , which hath not giuen vs as a prey vnto their teeths but a few yeeres being past , they beginne to slacken this duty and are cold in praysing God for so blessed a deliuerance . Perchance pondering Parsans words , Will you neuer giue ouer ( saith he ) your clamors and exaggerations . The Powder Treason , the Powder Treason ? No , we should neuer giue it ouer , to poure foorth our perpetuall praises to God , for protecting vs from so prodigious a plot , and practise . Our Eucharisticall deuotion to God for the preuention of the downefall of the Land , should not be so momentary , and like a morning dew , as if the renued remembrance of so great deliuerance should become wearisomenesse vnto our spirits , or the wonderment of the Lords mighty worke being past , our gratulation to God should be out of dare , vnseasonable , and more then halfe forgotten : No , the deliuery from this flagitious , and most bloody designement , ( as it were a resurrection of this Kingdome from the dead ) claimes not a vanishing , but a continuall and constant ioy ; which ioyfull thankefulnesse to God if we forbeare or forget , because the time of that danger is past , we shall be like them , who seeing i Iohn to be a shining and a burning light , reioiced for a season in him ; or like the k Pharise , Thanke God in tongue and countenance onely . And I feare there are many in this publike ioy and thankesgiuing , assume the face , and fashion of reioicers , like Ruf●… , who came to Vitellius after his victory , carrying ( as l Tacitus writes , Latitiam & gratulat ionem vultu ferens , sed animo anxius , &c. ) Ioyfulnes in tongue and heauinesse in heart : These if any such , may witnesse against themselues . That m the Lord hath done great things for vs , wherefore we reioice . The better to awaken our flumbering affections to this perpetuall seruice of thankefull reioicing , and to prouoke vs to imprint an eternall Momento in the Kalender of our hearts foreuer , of the maruellous mercy of God in keeping vs from that intended destruction , I haue enterprized to ●ouze vp and reuiue the languishing spirits of the Land , with the renued remembrance of so ioyfull a worke , and with a fresh supply to refresh this fainting and expiring Lampe , which though it hath beene cherished with the oyle of many helping hands , yet begins to faile in light , and had need that both Pulpet and Presse should preach and publish a continuall Hallelu-Iah , for so great and gracious a mercy of deliuery . For earthly men are hardly moued to this duty of praysing and thanking God ; of ten n Lepers but one returnes to giue thanks . Pharao being plagued , can send for Moses and Aaron , and say ; o Pray ye vnto the Lord for me ; but being eased , neuer say , Praise the Lord with me : wherin ( if the latenesse of our gratulation to God ) shall find a cold entertainement with the vnthankefull Children of Men ; as if this worke were out of date , I say with the Psalmist ; p This shall be written for the generation to come , and the people which shall be created , shall praise the Lord. In handling of which Subiect , I will discourse principally of foure generall things : 1. Of the plot and proiect it selfe : 2. Of the Persons : 3. Of the Causes , or motiues : 4. Of the ends . By these foure markes I will guide my selfe in the description of this Chaos of confusion . CHAP. II. 1. Of the Plot. IN the declaration of this direfull , and detestable Powder-plot , I may beginne with the words of Aeneas , relating to Queene Dido of the fall of Troy , yet with a little Inuersion : Anglorum vt opes , & lamentabile regnum Eruerent Danai — Quanquam animus 〈…〉 horret , luctuque refugit , Incipiam — My heart doth shake with trembling feare amazt , How famous England , a rich flourishing Land , By Papists Powder-plot had beene defac't , And Troynouant , like Troy , in q fiery ruines stand , Had not the Lord put forth his sauing hand . As Treason is a worke of darkenesse ; so these working Traytors wrought in darkenesse , their plot of hellish pollicy and impiety concealed in a place of darkenesse , Subterraneum foramen , A place vnder the Earth , they wrought vnder the ground , beginning their Mine the eleauenth of December 1604 , neare to the wall of the Parliament house . — Itum est in viscera terrae . Atque oculis captifodere cubilia talpae : Ouid. These blinded Pyoners to the Prince of hell . Labor in darkenesse , and in darkenesse dwell . Deepe politicians to vndermine a State : what depth in deuising , cunning in contriuing , cost in preparing , sweat in labouring , closenesse in conueying . Ingeniosa crudelitas ad poenas ; Men of cruel wits to crucifie their Countrey : but the Lords potent wisdome eluded the profound policies of these monstrous , and mischieuous Earthwormes . In which damnable * plot , two points considerable : 1. Their secrecy : 2. Their cruelty in it : Secrecy both in the Act , and Agents : 1. Vnder the Earth , the bosome of all secrets : 2. In the Agents , who sweare , and take the Sacrament for secrecy . Strange impiety : to take the Sacrament , the Seale of Grace , to commit not a crying sinne of blood , but a roaring , and thundering sinne of fire , and brimstone : This is Popish practise , vsually to tie themselues for performance of their desperate deeds , by taking the Sacrament , in which they hold Christs body and blood really present ; and thereupon make a bargaine to shed reall , yea royall blood . — Nullus s●mel are receptus Sang●… f●nces . I may say of them , as Iacob of Simeon and Leui ; Brethren in euill , the Instruments of cruelty are their habitations : into their secret let not my soule come . These Gun-powder-Traytors , first in their mine consulting with the Prince of Darknesse , ( the president of their plot and counsell ; ) and the combining and conspiring with themselues in the deepest secrecy for the perpetrating this inhumane villany : and hauing from the eleauenth of December , 1604 , vnto Candlemasse next , s laboured vnder the ground , and brought their wicked worke through halfe the wall of the Parliament House , vpon a new opportunity leaue their vndermining worke , Daemonum opus , The Diuels worke ; and hire the Vault or Cellar , vnder the Parliament house . And as before these Diuels Iourney-men laboured vnder the Earth , so now framing , and machinating sub Senatu , vnder the Parliament House , to make a finall dissolution there , which is the famous place of publike reformation : and therefore secretly doe conuey great store of powder thither , about 36 barrels of powder , couered ouer with store of wood and billet ; and to vse t Dauids words ; Lo , the wicked bend their Bowe , and make ready their Arrowes vpon the string , that they may secretly shoote at them which are vpright in heart : for the foundations shall be cast downe , and what hath the righteous done ? And as the same u Prophet , They incourage themselues in a wicked purpose , they commune together to lay snares priuily , and say ; Who shall see them ? but the * Lord did breake the counsell of the Heathen , and brought to : nought the deuises of such people . Blessed be his holy name for euer . 2 Is the cruelty of the plot , which appears specially in two respects : 1. In the generall extent : 2. In the greeuous deuice . The extent large , plotted for the generall destruction of the King and Kingdome . Cum subit illius dirissima mortis image , Vltima quae Regi , regnoque , bonisque fuisset , Horribilis quatit essa tremor : — . A dismall day , in which they did intend Of King , and Kingdome for to make an end . These Powder-papists then dreamed to haue had a Romane Regiment , that Tuesday at night here ; like Hamilcars dreame , the Generall of the Carthaginiani , laying siege to Syracusa , an Image appeared to him in his dreame , and told Hamilear , hee should sup the next night in Syracusa ; and so he did , yet not as a Captaine , but Captiue : or like Iulius Caesaers dreame , who the night before he was slaine in the Senate house , dreamed that he sate hard by Iupiters seate : So these alreamed of high matters , and imagined wicked things ; but the Lord x did laugh them to scorne , the Lord had them in derision , and caused them to be crushed with a Scepter of Iron , and broke them in peeces like a Potters vessell . I cannot apprehend the hundreth part of the misery of that y mischiefe , in attempting not onely to make our Kingdome headlesse , but memberlesse ; and may cry Quis cladem illius facti , quis funera faudo Explicet ? For they intended with one thunderclap of powder to haue cut off our Princely and politicke Head , our Annointed King , gracious Queene , hopefull Prince , with the blessed branches of the Regall Race ; the most reuerend Clergy , Right Honourable Nobility , faithfull Counsellors , graue ludges , the greatest part of our worthy Knights and Gentry , wise Burgesses ; the learned Clerkes of the Crowne , Counsell , Signet , Seales , and of euery principall Iudgement seate : the choice Lawyers , with an infinite number of the common people . Nay , this patternelesse proiect had not onely extinguished the best of Christians , but had demolished all the cheefe ornaments , and monuments of the Land , the House of Parliament , the Hall of Iustice , the Tombes of all former Princes , the Crowne , with other markes of royalty , the Records of the Kingdome , the ancient Charters , Presidents , and Euidences of preserued Antiquities . In a word : The Head and Body of the State in generall , with the cheefe ornaments of all our Land , had beene comprehended vnder that fearefull and finall Chaos , and may them vs to borrow the Poets verse , In Chaos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . But the Lord in mercy deliuered all from this barbarous butchery , this Babels confusion , the most Tragicall example of damnable Treachery , praysed bee his Maiesty and mercy for euer . 2. Cruelty is in the deuise , by a pile of fire and fagots , iron-barrs , timber peeces , and huge stones , with thirty sixe barrells of Gunpowder , at one volley to haue blowen them vp ; and not onely with powder to burne them , but lest ( Salamander like ) they should liue in that fire , with wood , stones and Iron to beate them to powder . That I may say with z Iacob , Cursed be their wrath , for it was fierce , and their rage , for it was cruell : A most cursed and cruell forme of practise : for as by three meanes mankind may be put to death , first , by man , the most milde and mercifull way : secondly , by vnreasonable creatures , more vnnatural , yet some resistance may be made , or pity found , and as * Daniel in the lions denne , parcere prostratis scit nobilis ira leonis . Thirdly , by insensible , and inanimate things ▪ and among all the most cruell , the two elements of water and fire , and of those two , the fire most mercilesse and miferable . And in this intended corporall death they desire to dispatch all , not sensim , to prepare them by little and little to call to God to keepe them from the second death , ( worse then a thousand bodily deaths : ) But sine sensu , at vnawarns , vnprepared , to send them away , with one blast to blow vp all : they make no distinction of sexe , exemption of person , young , old , great , small , man or woman , high low , rich or poore . Omnibus est eadem lethivia : They must al passe the fiery trial , be they their frinds or followers & welwillers ( wherin no doubt but they had some of good place , ) yet all of them must be blowen vp together . Wherin they shewed themselues worse then the wild beastes ; who are kind to their owne kinde , a quality euen naturalized in a brutish breast : but these to satisfie and satiate their bloodie mindes , will exceede the bestiall ferocity , and following the bloody steps of that Butcher Herod , who in the Bethlemiticall murder , to make all sure , did not spare his owne sonne , as some write : which moued Augustus to say ; Praestat esse Herodis percum quam prolem , It was better to be Herods swine thē son ; to this practise of Papists may make vs say , It is better to be the Popes beast then Barne , dogge , then Darling . And indeed these kind of people ( as this Plot with others is a fit demonstration ) many of them be of very cruell and bloodie dispositions , Powder , Poyson , and Ponyard , the Typicall markes of their profession ; nay their malice so inueterate and immortal , that it ceaseth not with death , but the bones , and ashes of their martred enimies , must be disturbed in their graues , as a Wicliffe , Bucer , and Phag●●s , are famous witnesses . And as it was an old prouerbe , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , meaning Cappadocians , Cilicians & Cretians , to which we add Romes Catholicks , Crudeles , er Cruciferos , cruel crucifying Catholicks ; in their plots of cruelty they wil carry the picture of a crucifix , or an Agnus dei in any foule fact ; like the Iacobites , or b Iamnites , who had vnder their coates their golden gods whē they went to battle : Pictura Dei in opere diaboli , The picture of God in the work of the diuel . Yet to dig vp dead mens graues is a point of cruelty , for — molliter essa quieseant . And as Iosias said to his people cōcerning a Prophet buried in a scpulcher , let c him alone , let none remoue his bones . But if this were all , alas the crueltie were but small , Parua queror : These are poore reuenges of malice to martyr the bones , when they haue murdered the bodies : No no , their cruelty shall not onely descend to the Sepulcher , but ascend to the Scepter : kill a King , poyson a Prince , blow vp a Senate : fire vp a Parliament , Spoile a Nation ; Inven. Sat. 1. Aude aliquid breuibus gyaris , et Carcere dignum , Si vis esse aliquis , &c. As Catesby to his companion said , Wilt thou be a Traytor Tom ? venture not thy selfe to small purpose ; if thou wilt be a Traytor , there is a plot to a greater aduantage , & such an one as cā neuer be discouered : what a fiery spirit is here not like d Iames or Iohn , to command fire from heauen to consume them , but to fetch fire from hell ( or purgatory fire out of the vault ) to consume all . Such a bloody minded man was their Cardinall Farnesus , of whom it is e writtē , that he said he would make his horse swim vp to the belly in the blood of Protestants : we know not what Spirits they are of : for as there be three kind of Spirits , Holy. Humane . Hellish . So these possessed with the last , an hellish spirit , in an hellish worke , to destroy our generall Father , and common Mother , King , and Countrey , with a f terrible blow ; which cruelty may make vs more astonisht , then the witchcrafts of Isis and Osyris amazed Apuleius . — Bella , horrida bella , Et Tamisin multo spumantem sanguine cerno : The warres and woes ( if this their worke had stood ) Had made the Thames & Temples swim with blood . Oh let this monstrous Monument of superlatiue impiety stand like g Lots wiues pillar of salt , to season all posterity with detestation of such inhumane cruelty . Triste exemplum , sed in posterum salubre , as h Liuy in another kind : A fearefull * example , worthy to make vs more thankefull to God , more dutifull in our liues , more carefull of Gods Lawes , who out of his infinite loue and mercy preserued vs from this generall and diabolicall massacre . And as I haue read , how the Romanes in detestation of the name of proud Tarquinius , who tyrannized ouer them , banished a good Citizen , onely because he had that name ; so let the name of the Powder Treason , worke such detestation in the hearts of all Papists , that they may neuer hereafter thinke of any treasonable plots against King or Country , but banish for euer all such intentions or inuentions out of their hearts , which I pray God giue them grace to doe . And let all from high to low , fall downe vpon the knees of humble and thankfull hearts , and cry with Dauid ; i Praise the Lord of Lords , for his mercy endureth for euer : let Israel now k say ; that his mercy endureth for euer : who deliuered his people , when like Izaacke , almost the knife at l their throats ; and when they had prepared their fire , wood , powder , to offer vp Prince , Peeres , and People , like m Isaacke as a burnt offering ; when they purposed o to persecute their soules , and take them , to tread our liues downe vpon the earth , and to lay our honour in the dust : then p did the Lord arise in his wrath , and lift vp himselfe against the rage of our enemies : so that they who q made a pit , and digged it , fell into it themselues ; their mischiefe returned vpon their owne heads , and their cruelty fell vpon their owne pates . The r wicked are snared in the worke of their owne hands , and may moue all to cry aloud ; s Come , and behold the workes of the Lord : he ruleth the World with his power , his eyes behold the Nations , the rebellious shall not exalt themselues . Praise our God ye people , and make the voice of his praise to be heard : t Praise him in his mighty Acts , praise him according to his excellent greatnesse : let euery one that hath breath ; praise the Lord , for this great and gracious mercy , in the meanes of our maruellous and mercifull deliuery . CHAP. III. The discouery of the Plot : IN the discouery of this Archtrayterous plot , I may truly repeate Liuies words , who in a great case of ioy saith ; Maius gaudium suit , quàm quod vniuersum homines caperent , It was a greater ioy then men are able to comprehend , by an vnusual discouery to haue a generall deliuery from so dismall a Tragedy . For when they had thought and writ , that God and Man had concurred to punish the wickednesse of the time , God , and Man consented to reueale the wickednesse of their treason , and makes vs hope well of that Prophecy we do reade in Telesphorus , * Antichristus non poterit subiugare Venetias , nec Parisios , nec Ciuitatem regalem Anglia , Antichrist shall not be able to sub due Venice , nor Paris , nor the Kingly City of England , London . The principall instrument , and humane meanes of the discouery of this diuellish treachery , was a letter ( like x Dauids letter to Ioab , which Vriah carried for his owne death ) sent some ten dayes before the Parliament should haue begunne , priuily and cunningly conueyed by an vnknowne man to one of the Footemen of that Right Honourable Lord , ( worthy of perpetuall honour for his fidelity ) the Lord Mount-Eagle , charging him to put that Letter into his Lord and Masters hands ; which Letter that thrice-honoured Lord receiuing , wondring at the strange contents thereof , and perplexed what construction to make of it , like a most dutifull Subiect and diuine Eagle , concluded not to conceale it ; but for all the latenesse and darkenesse of the night , repaires presently to his Maiesties Pallace at White-Hall , and there deliuered the same to the late deceased Earle of Salisbury , Sir Robert Cecil , a very vigilant Counsellour , and wise Statesman , then his Maiesties principall Secretary : which said Letter being afterward vpon the Kings returne to White-Hall presented to his Maiesty , ( euer * fortunate in his Princely iudgement in clearing obscurities , and doubtfull mysteries ) did vpon the instant interprete , and apprehend by the darke phrases , ( yet contrary to Drammaticall construction ) that it must be done by blowing vp the House of Parliament by Gunpowder ; commanding a search to be made , by which the matter discouered , and Agents were apprehended . Whereas if his Maiesty had not accommodated his interpretation to this kind of danger , no worldly prouision , or preuention , could haue put backe this lamentable destruction . So that is here verified , which y Salomon deliuered , Diuination in labijs Regis , A diuine sentence shall be in the lippes of the King : The z glory of God is to conceale a thing secret , but the Kings honour is to search it out . In this Gunpowder Treason , our King was Regi● 〈◊〉 , Kingly Prophet , inspired by God in deciphering and declaring the darke meaning of their ambiguous , and mysticall Letters : It was the Lords mercy to put into the Kings mind the darke meaning of this dangerous mischiefe : for , * Ibi incipit diuinum auxilium , vbi deficit humanum , When humane helpes are ready to faile , God will come in the very point and article of time , to deliuer his seruants ; and will raise vp some meanes either ordinary or extraordinary , to discouer and defeate the deuices of the wicked . As indeed did diuinely appeare in this deliuerie ; first that a Letter should be writ ; secondly a glosse or commentary made vpon it by the King , contrary to common construction , yet that was the second meanes ( vnder * God , whose might and mercy was aboue all ) of our preseruation . Telenus prophecied to Cyclops , his eye should be put out , but he was incredulous to beleeue it , contemned this aduertisement : Risit , & o vatum stolidissime , falleris , inquit . So some might haue thought this letter to haue beene the euaporation of an idle braine ; but our Teltroth Cassandra , sacred Soueraigne , presently presaged the truth , knowing Traytors to be like * Sampsons Foxes , to haue fired tayles , and to be firebrands of fury , presupposed it to be a plot of fire : for Traytors are Flagellarci● . Flabella seditionis , scourges of Common-wealths , Bellowes of sedition , to inkindle fireworkes of destruction : they are like cruell Surgeons , that alwayes launce and seare , and vse the cutting knife and fire , no gentle a Remedies : as their heads , like the head of b Nilus vnsearchable ; so their hearts in cruelty insatiable , and hands in execution infatigable , as their bloody heads , hearts , and hands appeare in this bloody businesse . These gunpowder Traitors , plotting so abhorred a Particide , though God frustrated their inhumane attempts , and brought the wheele vpon themselues , yet were they most accursed murtherers in the sight of God. Saul a murtherer in mentall affection , in hunting after c Dauids life , though he failed in manuall action and execution : So d Hamax in plotting the death . of innocent Mordecai , was a murderer in heart , and had a murderers reward . Neuer drop of innocent blood-shed , but it cries for vengeance , therefore e Ioh , O earth , couer not thou my blood . A murtherer is the very Image and picture of the Deuill , who was a murtherer from the beginning , as our Sauiour f saith ; and they that practise , or doe purpose to murder men , poyson Princes , destroy Countries , blow vp Cities , fire vp Parliaments , are of their Father the Deuill , and led by his Spirit . And truly this practise , as it was of extraordinary ascendencie , so it had a rare discouery , by a letter of their owne , darke , doubtfull , and Sphinxian , deliuered strangely ; and when accepted , it might haue beene thought to haue beene an idle gull , or pasquill , and neuer further haue come to light , or being further examined , they might haue missed the marke in the interpretation of the mischiefe ; but God so ordered , that this foolish letter ( as it might haue bin iudged ) was the meanes to discouer their treachery , and confound their villanie . And further though a Treason suspected , yet nothing detected , till the very night before the day of their intended slaughter : they had almost brought it to this passe , g Paulominus in inferno habitasset anima nostra , Our soule had almost dwelt in silence : yea they h had almost consumed vs vpon the earth : we were in articulo mortis , not onely as men appointed to dye , but at the point to dye ; but God who is i adiutor in opportunitatibus , a refuge in due time of trouble , did k breake the snare , and we were deliuered . It pleased God to permit the Deuill to feede these his true seruants with false hopes , let them go on freely without rub , till they had fully wouen their Spiders web , and come to the very point of execution , and deliuery of that deuillish monster whereof they had so long trauailed , and might say with those mourning messengers of King Ezechiah sent to Esay , l the children are come to the birth , and there is no strength to bring forth : when we were albicantes ad messem , m white for the haruest , and ready to be cut downe , and wanted nothing but thrusting in of Falx , their sickle to cut vs downe : or Fax , the fire to burne vs vp : or Faux , euen Guido Faux , or Faux Erebi , hellish Faux to swallow vs vp : when we might say with n Dauid , there is but a step betwixt vs , and death : being at the mouth of the pit , then the o Lord takes vs as brands out of the fire : or as p Amos , like firebrands pluckt out of the burning . When our enemies thought they had the prey in their hands , and all had beene sure , when the danger was most deadly , and deliuery desperate , then the Lord did fight against them in our cause : Now q will I arise , saith the Lord , now will I be exalted now will I lift vp my selfe : Yee shall conceiue chaffe , and bring forth stubble : the fire of your breath shall deuoure you : as you haue r sowen iniquity , so shall you reape affliction : ye haue s sowen the winde yee shall reape the whirle-winde . Then did the Lord dash their deuices in peeces , and made their Sun set at noone , as Amos 8. 9. or rather caused their sinne to be discouered at midnight . All the former part of the night their hellish factor Faux was about his worke of darkenesse , in preparing all his Engines and snares of death ready for the morning ; and yet before the morning watch , I say , before the morning * watch , they were disappointed and discouered , and their chiefe Agent ▪ t Faux apprehended . Sorrow might endure a night , but ioy comes in the morning . — Redeunt spectacul● man● . VVhen these Romish Idumeans ( enemies to our Israelites ) had said like them in their hearts , Who shall bring vs downe to the ground ? then did the watchman of Israel who * neyther stumbers no● sleeps bring the deuices of the wicked to light , manifesting their mischiefe , detecting their conspiracy , saying to these sinners as to the seas , x Thus farre shall ye go● and no further : y E●… Deus , & 〈…〉 , When God arose , his enemies were soone scattered , they also that hate him , shall flye before him to make all to say with Esay , z Heare ye that are a far off , what I haue done , and ye that are ne●e know my power ; when the wicked had said in their hearts , Let vs destroy , them alltogether , 〈…〉 a Lord awake as one out of sleepe ; and as a Giant refreshed with wine , and smote his enemies in the hinder parts , and put them to a perpetuall shame ; praised be his blessed name for euer . And that no heart of man should presume to detract or defalke any part of the glory from Gods entire and plenary praise in the work of this deliuerance ; or sing like them , b Saul hath slaine his thousand , and Dauid his ten thousand : Consider the gracious and wonderfull prouidence of God , that the malefactor and Powder-Monster Faux , was taken when hee was new come out of the vault from working his fire-worke , hauing three matches , and all other instruments ready in his pocket ; whereas if this Sinon had beene taken while hee was enclosed in his c Troian Horse , hee confessed hee would not haue failed to haue blowen vp the house , * himselfe , and his takers all together : for as the Poet well writes of such — Nihil est audacius illis Depraensis , iram , ac animos à crimine sumunt : Such wretches taken , and their deeds once seene , Harden theis hearts , and doe increase their spleene . Yet such was the ouer-ruling power and d prouidence of God herein , without any secondary causes , that the party assigned for the deed should be then without , who if hee had beene within , had done the deed in part , and in stead of touching the parties had ouerturned the place . To moue all , King and Subiects , not to e sacrifice to their owne nets , as if any worldly policy could haue preuented this wretched impiety , but that alone the sacred goodnes and prouidence of our most deare and blessed God might triumph in this deliuerance . f Not vnto vs , O Lord , not vnto vs , but vnto thy name giue the glory . Thou g art worthy , O Lord , to receiue all the glory , honor , and power ; and let all the Creatures in Heauen , and Christians on earth fay , h Praise and honor , and glory , and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne , and to the Lambe for euermore ; who hath deliuered vs from this ocean of misery , this odious Massacre . And should mooue all , Head and members , to cry with i Ezra , Seeing that thou our God hast stayed vs from being beneath , and hast giuen vs such a deliuerance , should we return to breake thy commandements , and ioyne in affinity with the people of such abhominations ? Seeing the Lord in this extraordinary worke hath declared such liuely markes , and expresse Characters of his diuine maiesty , might and mercy towards vs , shall we not magnifie the Lords mercy with Miriams melody , k Sing ye vnto the Lord , for he hath triumphed gloriously , the horse and his rider hath he ouerthrown in the Sea : He hath confounded the barbarous immanity , and inhumanity of these bloud-thirsty Traytors euen emancipated to cruelty , by a noble and notable deliuery ; and shall we not render vnto him a cordiall and continuall thankesgiuing of our lips , ioyned with a reall thankesgiuing of our liues ? or shall we praise him with our mouthes and prouoke him with our sinnes ? Lip-labor is lost labour , except with an internall thankefulnesse , there goes an entire obedience . Consider Christs caueat , l Sinne no more , lest a worse thing come vnto thee . Let our newnes of life expresse the greatnesse of our thankefulnesse . God will not accept the sacrifice of mouth-praisers proceeding from vnsanctified liuers . Let this our commemoration and recognition of Gods mercies past , prouoke vs to all obedience in the reformation of our liues to come . So shall wee make an holy vse of so happy a deliuery : Singula illius mala erunt nobis singula bona , Their * banefire of powder , our bonefire of praises . And withall to make vs more * vigilant to vn-earth these foxes , who will creepe into holes vnder the ground to worke our ouerthrow : foresight is the wise mans Beacon , Melius est praecauere , quam pauere : m Take vs the foxes , the little foxes which destroyes the vines ; for they are a part of that generation of whom speakes Salomon , n Whose teeth are as swords , & their iawes as kniues , they o will not spare in the day of vengeance , and like the whorish woman p will hunt for the pretious life of man. Remember therefore the counsell of the sonne of Syrach , q Who will trust a thiefe that is alwaies ready ? And let this our true thankefulnesse to God be a durable seruice , not like r a morning dew , and cloud that goeth away , or a Widdowes ioy , oritur & moritur , gotten , and forgotten in an houre , a suddainefit , or momenta●y passion , or entertained like an annuall guest , as if the force and fruite of our thankefull ioy should be confined to one day , or like a common retainer should haue but a yeerely acceptance : no , I s haue appointed thee a day for a yeere , euen a day for a yeere , saith God to his Prophet : but this of ours , est Dies pro omnibus annis , a day to thanke God all the yeeres of our life : alwayes to say and sing with Deborah , t praise yee the Lord for the auenging of Israel : yea euen the starres in their course fought against Sisera : So let thine enemies perish O Lord. And thou ( O Lord ) which didst keepe u vs from the conspiracy of the wicked , and from the rage of the workers of iniquity , by discouering their villanie , to thee ( most mighty , and mercifull God ) we offer vp our bodies and soules as a liuing sacrifice , desirous to doe thee all prostrate seruice , in body and soule , which thou hast preserued in peace , appointed by the wicked to haue perished in powder ; we will neuer forget this mercy , or forbeare our humble thankes to thee for our deliuery , but so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth , wee with our posterities , ( till time shal be no more ) will cherish the remembrance of it with an immortall thankfulnesse , saying to thee with holy Melchi-sedecke after Abrahams victory , * Blessed be the most high God , which hath deliuered our enemies into our hands ; to which King x euerlasting , immortall , inuisible , vnto God onely wise , be all the honor , and glory for euer , and euer : Amen . CHAP. IIII. A description of the Persons . THe Romish professors , who teach the people to eate their God , and kill their King , were the chiefe instruments in the Powder-treason : all the Actors , and adherents were great Recusants . Lay Recusants , Catesby , Percy , Winter , Tresham , Wright , &c. deuised the plot , and then the lesuits fell in with them : allowed , and ratified by Garnet , Gerard , O●●corne , Greenewell , &c. Iesuits , and Popish Priests . Garnet imparted the Popes Breues to Catesby , a right Catiline , whereby he was stirred vp to deuise some way to worke a generall ouerthrowe . This Catesby was the inuentor of this Villanie : Accipe nunc Danaúm insidias , & crimine ab vno disce omnes . Learne by this Traytors odious fault , and fall , Yee Papists to abhorre Treason in generall : This * Canniball , or Roman-catholicke Catesby , hauing bethought him of the powder-plot for the blowing vp of the Parliament house , in generall rearmes breakes the case to Garnet : What if in some case the innocent should be destroyed with the guilty ? He answers , they might , so that it were for a good able to recompence the lo●se of the innocent . And afterward the plot plainly propounded to him , not by way of confession , as his Procters pleade for him , but in conference about it : as he voluntarily confessed before his death , that Greenewell with this Catesby was heard of him , not confessing , but consulting : yet if it had beene by way of confession ( for his owne confession prooues the contrary ) he should haue reuealed the plot , if not the parties , yea the parties also , if hee would follow the example of his fellow-confessors . Bodin a doth relate an example heerein , how a Norman had a purpose to kill King Francis , yet afterward changed his minde , ( these farre from such thoughts ) and opens this sinne in his confession to a Minorite Frier , of his former , yet forsaken purpose : the Frier doth enioine him penance , and grants absplution : yet declares all to the King , and the Iudges of the Court of Paris cause him to be executed . But these who before had turned them from the true religion , and tutored them in the Schoole of rebellion , were so far from reuealing , as that their heads and hearts were with them to 〈◊〉 well of the accomplishing : Gerard gaue the Traytors the Sacrament to kind them to secrecy : Hammond in 〈◊〉 house absolued the Traytors , the Treason reuealed : Oldcorne , alias Hall defends the plot being discouered , and willes the Catholickes not to be discouraged . Tesmond plotted with Garnet , and goes vp and downe to raise vp Armes . The publicke writings of our state and records heerein , with some of their owne confessions , examinations , and subscriptions , are inuincible witnesses against all the cauels of deprauing Papists , who labour to cleere these their polyprogmaticke Priests , from hauing an hand in so hellish a plot , by desperate , and notorious vntruths . But it is manifest by the mouth of Time , & Truth , that these Priests were priuie to the Powder plot , against all Popish calumniations suggested to the contrary : and these Lay Recusants hauing first suckt the pestilent poyson of this vnheard Treachery out of the ill humors of Popish doctrine , infused into them by the treasonable Tribe of Iesuits , who teach Treason , and cause Traytors to be canonized in Romes Calender : Proh Superi , quantum mortalia pectoracaecae Noctis habent : ipso sceleris molimine Tereus Creditur essepius , laudemque á crimine sumit . O Lord , what hearts possessed with the night Of deepest ignorance , depriu'd of sauing light , Can grace with praise such deedes of darknesse right . These politicke Priests , knowing these their Lay-disciples to be of turbulent , and treasonable Spirits , imitated Gracchus striplings , stirring vp such as be offended already , making them their Captaines and Standard bearers , while they might with security expect the hoped issue of this fearefull Treachery . So that these Priests , next to the Prince of the Aire , ( who caused these children of disobedience to worke vnder the earth ) may challenge the chiefe place , and precedencie in the Plot : and may say , da locum , giue vs the place , you were the Actors , we Authors , commanding you to do all seruice for the Catholicke cause , to aduenture your lifes & blood for replanting our religion , to spare neither head , or mebers , but to strike at the Root , to make such a confusion as might beget a new alteration ; to labor with Esop : frogs for a Cico●ia , an Italian Storke , and stranger to rule heere , so to suster no Protestant ruler , nolumus hunc regnare , we will haue none such rule ouer vs , and for the effecting of it , you know our Doctrine , and practise . Flectere sinequeo superos , Acheronta mouebo : If we cannot preuaile with God aboue , As low as hell shall our inuentions mooue . And because some may thinke I doe them wrong , in giuing such badges , and aspersions to the Iesuited * flocke , in making them the Trumpetors of treason , and procurers , and practisers of King-killing , ( an Art highly commended in their Schoole ) I will take vpon me briefely to declare , how welcome Traytors be to that Tribe , and how highly by them they are commended , who of all the world beside are loathed , and abhorred . CHAP. V. Popish applause of Traytors . IT is commonly knowen , that Iacobus Clemens a Frier vowed to kill Henry the third , the French King ; this his treason he imparts to Father Comelett , and other Iesuits : addunt calcaria , they spurre him on to this villanie , by promising Abbacies , Bishoprickes , &c. Aut sidefecerit , aut non successerit , if faile in deede , which he did follow in desire , then to be graced with the glory of Martirdome , and Papall Canonization , and to haue a place aboue the Apostles in heauen . The Traytor proceeds in his hellish proiect , and killes the King , and * Sextus Quintui ( the head of Rome ) spoiles his braine , and spend his tongue to commend it , rarum , inauditum , memor abile facinus , &c. A rare , vnheard , memorable exploit : a rare , vnheard Panegyricke to commend a murtherer for shedding ▪ Royall blood . Cacillus that great vndertaken for Verres would be ashamed to * patronize such parties : but Popes are past shame , and haue no blood in their cheekes , who will commend the shedding of blood : We d read , that when Chastell that wounded the French King , was examined , by whose teaching , and perswasion he had done it ; answered , that he heard many say , that the murder was lawfull , because they called him a Tyrant : and being demanded , whether the Iesuits vsed to say so , he sayd , he had heard many of them say , that fact was lawfull , because hee was out of the Church , and excommunicated . And one of them hath written a booke namely Fran. de . Veron . Constant . calling it , an Apology for Iohn Chastell , maintaining e Chastells deede : In which worke , ( he sayth ) if Harmodius , and Aristogiton , Scaeuola , and Brutus onely for loue of their Country , hauing no other lights to goe before them , cast themselues into such danger by murdering Tyrants ; what thinke you ought a Christian , and a Frenchman , and one that burnes with the zeale of Phinees , Ehud , and Elias , to doe for the Catholicke Church , for which Christ died , and in which we are sure of saluation ? And agreeably with him writes f Bonarscius , otherwise called Carolus Scribonius , hath the Pope ( saith he ) no power against the French King ? shall Dionysius , Machanidas Aristotimus , Tyrants , Monsters of the world oppresse Fraunce , and shall no Pope encourage vp a Dion , a Timoleon to dispatch them ? shall many monsters hold the Common-wealth in bonds , and shall no Thrasibulus mooue his hand ? shall no man play the Souldier vpon this beast , meaning the French King ? So the Iesuite g Mariana highly commends King killers , Praeclare cumrebus humanis ageretur , si multi , &c. It were excellent , if many such , meaning King killers could be found : and commends such greatly , and prescribesto them also rules , and caueats in the poisoning of Kings , not to poyson them by meate , or drinke , least the King taking it with his owne hand be guilty of selfe fellonie ; but rather to be poysoned by his chaire , apparell , robes , after the example of the Mauritanian Kings , to be poysoned by sent , or contact : O hell hound , sprung from cursed , and cruell Caine , art thou a tutor of Parricide ? how comes it that the Pope hath nor called in this worke of that wicked wretch , and yet hath called in some others of his bookes ? it argues King killers please him well , and he makes great vse of them . To passe ouer forraine Stories of famous Kings , destroyed by them ( which in the next Chapter shall be touched ) how was D. Parry encouraged , and animated ( the appointed slaughterman of Queene Elizabeth ) by letters to prosecute his intended mischiefe , and that from no meane , triuiall , or forlorne fellow , but euen from one of the Popes Cardinals ? The tenor of which letter fellowes : Sir , the holinesse of our Lord the Pope , hath seene your Letter with credit enclosed , and cannot but praise your good disposition , and resolution , which you writ , holdeth to the seruice , and benefit publicke . Wherein his Holinesse exhorteth you to continue , and to bring to passe your promise : and that you may be the better ayded by that good Spirit , which hath induced you to this , his Blessednesse grants you full pardon , and forgiuenesse of your sinnes , and his Holinesse will further make himselfe a debtor to you , to acknowledge your deseruings in the best maner he may : put in act your holy , and honorable thoughts , and looke to your safety : and I wish you all good , and happy successe : from Rome . 30. of Ianuarie . 1584. Yours to dispose , N. Cardinall of Come . By which letter we may see their liking of such workes , and workers , euen their Pope praising such for their good disposition and resolution , which all godly Christians call abomination , and rebellion . Non sie mor det ouis , non sunt hac facta columbae , Sedlup a dilauiat , maretrix ●mat improbe caedes : No lambe so bit as , no such deedes likes the Doue , But wolfe ▪ will worry , barlot bloodshed loue . It is well sayd of n Primasius Nemo per●… , peccat , quam qui peccat , none sin more dangerously , then they which defend their sinne : how deadly then sinne they , who not onely defend it , but commend that crying sinne of blood , promising pardon of sinnes , for perpetrating most horrible sinnes : So that it puts me in minde of the saying of the painter to the Duke of Vrbine , who being hired by a Cardinall to paint the picture of Paul and Peter , painted them with an high colour : the Cardinall thinking they were too high coloured , the painter answered , that indeede Paul and Peter while they liued , were dead coloured , and pale with preaching , but since they were dead , they were high coloured , blushing at the wickednesse of their supposed ( and but supposed ) successors , ashamed of the Doctrine , and practises of your Church of Rome , and that this shame had altered their colour . And sure all Gods seruants , who haue the feare of God before their eyes , are ashamed , and abhorre such abominable practises . The cause ( as Bodin saith ) which mooued Tacitus to exclaime against Christians was , quia Christiani affectarunt crimina , quae Ethniti abhorruerunt , Because Christians affect those sinne , with the Ethnickes doe abhorre : if Tacitus were now aliue , how would he exclaime against the Church of Rome , for animating people to commit such villanies , which all Ethnickes , ( except sauages or Cannibals ) abhorre , and condemne ? Behold how k Rome is degenerated from her primitiue State ; time was , she loathed such deedes , either to commend , or canonize Trators . Facta haec Roma olim , nec sancta , nec Ethnica , nouit . Such workes in ancient times this Rome did hate , In her first Christian , yea in Ethnicke State. But now , Quod natura nefas odit , doctrina capescit : Which nature most detest , Doctrine defend . Yea , haue not some of them laboured to extenuate the deuillish deuise of these superlatiue Powder-traytors with these words , Alas it was the attempt of some few , and vnfortunate Gentlemen : vnfortunate as they count , because they failed in performance : or as others of them , These Catholickes held the King , no King , or not their King ; and expectanda erat diuturna persecutio , a perpetuall persecution was to be expected : and Eudemen a Iesuite hath write to defend Garnets Treason , and rightly played the Daemon : and haue not some others excused the fact of Rauilliacke ( one of Marianas Schollers ) who stabbed Henry the fourth , the late famous French King , ( whose death neuer sufficiently to be lamented , and neuer of Kings sufficiently reuenged ) with these pretences , Fuit stolidit as regis ob susceptum haereticorum patrocinium , It was the folly of the King for patronising these heretickes , meaning Protestants ? So that I may define these Iesuits to be , * as one did define a Frier to be , cadauer mortuum è sepulchro veniens , missum à daemone inter homines , a dead Carrion comming out of his graue , sent of the deuill among men : and truly such are rather monsters then men , who will commend , or command murther , applaud murtherers , and Traytors , who are portenta virorum , viri portentorum , monsters of men , or men monsters , viri sanguinum , men of blood , viri occisionis , slaughter men : and though in all professions some are bad , A Cham will be in the Arke , Saul among the Prophets , and * Iudas among the Apostoles , some may fall into murther , or Treason &c. Yet when such come to their end and punishment , they vsually confesse their faulte to be in their nature , not in their religion , excepting onely Roman Catholickes , who seeke to fetch poyson from heauen , and to prooue murther by the Scripture : Dogmatis atque Scholae sunt haec , non crimina morum . So that these cannot say with Cassiodorus , follow my doctrine , but not my maners , for both precepts , and practise treasonble . And that I may giue a little tast , or touch of their practises in this kind ( least I should seeme to condemne them without cause ) I will in the next Chapter demonstrate , how that many Popes of Rome , ( who are the heads of Popery , which is the k mystery of iniquity ) haue caused , and procured many Emperors , Kings , Princes , and worthy men to be greatly persecuted , and grieuously killed . So that we may say to them as our Sauiour to the l Pharisees , I will send them Prophets and Apostles , and of them they shall slay and persecute , that the bloud of all the Prophets ( with many Kings , Princes , and learned men ) may be required of this generation . CHAP. VI. A short Catalogue , or rehearsall of certaine Emperors , Kings , and famous men , who haue beene persecuted by the Antichrist of Rome . I Cannot nor will not enterprise to declare all the particular persecutions of the Church of Rome against seuerall Kings , and Potentates , who distasted , and in some sort opposed themselues against their corruptions ; for that would require a long * Tractate to discouer the miserable mischiefes of the whore of Babilon , m drunken with the bloud of Saints , and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Christ : for that were an endlesse worke , and the Spirit of truth might say to me , as to Ezechiel , n Turne thee againe , and thou shalt see greater abhominations then these ; I will confine my selfe to a few examples . The Emperour Philippicus Bardanius , because hee commanded all Images to be remoued out of the Churches , by the counsell and consent of Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople , was denounced an Hereticke , publiquely excommunicated by Pope Constantine , and commanded no gold nor siluer to be stamped with his Image , nor any mention made of him in their common prayers . Lodouicus Pius the Emperor , eight hundred yeares after Christ , was thrust out of his Kingdome by the French Cleargie and the o Pope . Philip the Emperor by the procurement of the Pope Innocent the third , who said , p Eyther he would haue Philips Crowne , or Philip his Miter ; continually opposed himselfe against him , and stirred vp q Count Otho against him , who miserably did slay him at Bamberge in his priuy chamber . Henry the seuenth oppressed by the r Pope and his Cardinals . s stirring vp enemies against him , was at last poysoned by t a Monke in the Sacrament . I omit to speake of the other u Henries , tragically vexed by tyrannicall Popes , the extreamities and indignities whereunto they brought them , haue replenished the world with plentifull histories : The Emperor Fredericke the seauenth truely complaining , * That the happines of Emperors was alwaies opposed by the Popes enuy . Neyther haue the Kings of the earth found better vse , some of them by Popes deposed from their Kingdomes , as x Childericke the French King by the Pope deposed , vnder pretence of stupidity , and thrust into a Monastery : Philip the first for matrimoniall causes . Philip called the faire for collating of benefices : Rachis King of the Lombards by Pope Zachary put into a Monastery , with many others which might be named . Nay not onely by Popes deposed , but of their liues depriued . Manfred the King of Naples and Sicily , had the Duke of Anien y armed against him by Pope Vrbane the fourth , by whom hee was slaine . So Conradinus King of Naples and Sicilye , being taken prisoner by Charles , brother to the French King , z was miserably put to death by the Popes Counsell . King Iohn of England * was vilely vexed , and depriued of his Kingdome by the Pope and his Bishops , and the French King set vp against him , and at last was a poysoned by a Monke . Ioane the Queene of Naples was b depriued of her Kingdome by Pope Vrbane , who consented to c her murther . Gemin Otto the brother of the great Turke , being prisoner , was poysoned by the d Pope , hired thereunto by a e promise of two hundred thousand Crownes , and the seamelesse coate of Christ : This Pope was Pope Alexander the sixth , of which thing reade Cuspinian in Baiazet the 2. Henry the second of England was by the Popes f appointment whipt of the Monkes . Iulian and Lawrence the Dukes of Florence , by the Popes g practise were assaulted in the Church at the time of the eleuation of the host , and the one greeuously wounded , the other murdered . Henry the third of France , after many treasons of the Sorbonists against him , h was at last murdered by a Dominican Frier , which murder the Pope in a solemne oration extolled to the skies . Henry the fourth his successor , first wounded by Chastell , a Disciple of the Iesuites , for which they were then banished the Realme : and afterward treacherously murdered by a popish miscreant Rauilliacke . This Henry assaulted by sixe Popes , Gregory the thirteenth , Sixtus the fift , Vrbane the seuenth , Gregory the fourteenth , Innocentius the ninth , Clement the eight , the last hauing brought the King to be reconciled to the Church of Rome , i triumphed ouer him ; and yet this King thus their owne , because hee seemed to fauor the Protestants , must die a bloudy death . The Prince of Orenge lamentably murdered k by a Papist , who for the said Parricide is highly commended by the Friar l Surius , his name was Balthazar Gerardus . Our late famous Queene Elizabeth ( of happy memory ) since the tenth yeare of her raigne , ( about which time Pius Quintus excommunicated her , ) till her dying day was not free from the treasons of Papists , Parries , Campians , &c. the Popes with their adherents raising vp inuasions , and so farre as they were able laboured to haue wrought her destruction . Our high Soueraigne that now is , hath had experience in Scotland of Popish treason , and in England this Powder-plot makes it perspicuous . I need not produce other examples which in all nations abound , of high personages and Peeres destroyed by popish hands . The Viceroy of Rauenna vnder Leo the third Emperor , with his sonne slaine by the Popes faction . The Prince of Condie poysoned . William Prince of Aurance slaine by a Popish villaine . Charles the King of Spaines sonne , because he was thought to fauor Protestants , made an end of by their inquisitors . In a word ; let the * Massacre in Paris , in which were destroyed in a night and few daies , many noble and religious Protestants , among the which Noble Caspar Colignius slaine . Let the fires and faggots in England in Queene Maries reigne , in which were cruelly burned many zealous and deuout Christians , who for the Gospels sake sacrificed their bloud in fiery flames , and wonne the glory and Crowne of Martyrdome . Let this Power-Treason inuented by Popish people , ratified by popish Priests , in which they intended to haue made a generall martyrdome . Let the Spanish Inquisition which hath put to death with exquisite torments many thousand people . Let these foure speake for all , and surely they will speak that , or more ▪ then that which Eberhardus the Archbishop of Saltsburge , a good old man , once spake , who when he had knowen ten Romane Bishops , and had diligently marked their practises , vnder Fredericke the first , Henry the sixt his sonne , and Fredericke the second his nephew for fifty yeares together , deciphered or described the Pope for a rauenous * wolfe vnder a Shepheards weed , compounded wholly of Auarice , Luxury , Contention , Warres , Discord , and desire of Rule , with such like attributes : whose oration at large is extant in m Auentine a Roman Catholike writer . Or will speake that which the Poet Massaeus writes of Pope Iulius the second , as great a bloud sucker as euer reigned in Rome , by n whose meanes in seauen yeares 200000 Christians were destroyed of this Pope the Poet hath this Epitaph ; Genua euipatrem , gen●tricem , Graecia , partum Pontus & vnda dedit , num bunus esse potest ? Fallaces Ligures , & mendax Graecia , pont● Nulla fides , in te singulasolm habes . Thy Father Genoan , Mother Grecian borne , In Ocean Sea , can goodnesse thèe adorne ? Genoans are full of fraud , Greece lyes maintaine , In Sea no trust , all these in thee one raigne . So that I will end this point with this obseruation , that Mahomet , Phocas , and Boniface the third , who first had the stile of vniuersall Bishop , liued all about the o same time : So that Mahometisme , Popery , and murthering of Christian Kings began all at once , and now conioyned in one . And all the people of Great Britanny haue cause to thanke God that they are free from this Head , the Head of these mischiefes , and I would the land were free from all his members ; yet they are among vs , as Labans Idols p in Iacobs tent vpon Record , not by allowance : and many wish that such a voice might eccho in our Soueraignes eares ( who is a mercifull King ) as once came from q the Smiths forge to the hearing of the Landgrave of Hesse , a mild Prince , the Smith striking his iron saide , Duresce inquam , duresce , vtinam & Langrauius durescat , waxe hard , waxe hard , would to God the Landgraue would waxe hard : So it might bee wished that the * sword of Iustice were sharper against seducing Iesuites , that their haunts and harbors were stopt , places of entertainment scoured , and the femall Hierarchy , which breedes many , were put downe : for these serpents will first tempt Eue , the weaker vessell ; and women soone induced , hardly reclaimed . So should God be serued with more holy deuotion in true religion , and our King and Country be freed from treason and rebellion . CHAP. VII . I Haue a little touched the persons , as well Authors as Actors , shewing that originally and ordinarily this sinne of Treason flowes from the sinke or sea of Rome , because Cardinall r Bellarmine would outface the world with , It was neuer heard of from the Churches infancie , that any Prince , though an heretike or persecutor , was murdered by the * Popes command or allowance : when it is shewed that not only allowance or recognizance , but consent , content , yea head , heart , and all haue ioyned together in the destruction of Princes : so that I may say to him , Tute-lepus es , &c. He hath deliuered many treasonable positions , of deposing , degrading , exciting Armes , &c. and can a traytor be vnwelcome to him ? it may be so , for ; Proditores etiam ijs , qui mercede cond●cunt , inuisi sunt , Traytors are hated of them who hire them , but they like the treason , if effected , and many times the * traitors too , and euen canonize them for good members , whose pedigree in the hangmans heraldry is knowne to be base murderers , and abhorred traytors ; it Is very strange , Si fur displiceat Verri ? homicida Miloni ? I had rather say with the Prophet s Osee , As theeues wait for a man , so the company of Priests murther in the way by consent , for they worke mischiefe : and may say of their Priests as an olde Poet speakes of their Pope . Qui fore debuit gratia datinus , Factus est ecclesia ablat●●us : Of Grace who should be the Datiue case , Is now become the Ablatiue of grace . A Bishop or Priest should be no t striker or fighter , no warrior , no man of bloud , no tutor to Traytors , no teacher of rebellion , to publish doctrine of King-killing : Oh but will some Iesuite reply , It is abhominable to kill a King : marke their euasion , or u equiuocation : but a King excommunicated , or at least deposed by the Pope , is no King , no King in popery : then if he command , take * him by the throat , presently In hunc Tarba 〈◊〉 ●…sa — They will haue some desperate Rauilliacke , Chastell , or Gerard , to touch the Lords Annointed . Iesuites will compasse Sea and land , Sollicitando , pollicendo , as Simo chargeth Crito in the Comedie , solliciting , promising , and perswading , no obedience is to be giuen to Kings excommunicated or deposed , as Parsons and Campian did after the Bull of Pius the fift , and what followes ? Rebellion in the North. Haec Cornua quibus ventilabis Israel , These are the hornes which proceed from Papall Bulles , rebellion , treason ; which if at any time it succeeds according to their expectation , they triumph in it , and say , Hic digitus Dei est , It was the Lords worke : and as * Salomon of the wicked , They reioyce in doing euill , imitating Dyonisius , who after the robbing of a Temple , finding the winde and weather fauourable to his shippes , burst foorth into this hellish voice , Ecce dij approbant sacrilegium , Behold the gods approue of our sacriledge : but let them know , that at last , though perchance too late , they shall finde and confesse , Nec surdum , nec Tiresiam quenquam esse deorum . God is not deafe , or blinde , he sees all sin , Abhors all sinners , who delight therein . And therefore ( you of the Church of Rome ) who are , or should be guides for the blinde , x iustructers of them who lacke discretion , teachers of the vnlearned , hate and abhorre your former doctrine , the doctrine of Deuils , in teaching disobedience to Gods Annointed , or to be your selues actors , authors or fautors of so abhominable practises , as King-killing : for know this , Religion with bloud builded , will be in bloud buried : and that voice from heauen concerning this Babilon shall bee verified . y Reward her euen as she hath rewarded you , and in the cup that she hath filled to you , fill her the double : For the Lord will condemne this great whore , which corrupts the earth with her fornication , and auenge the bloud of his seruants shedby her hand . And you who style your selues Lay-Romane-Catholikes , behold the persons , plotters of this treason , brought to a miserable confusion . Consider , ortum scelerum obitum sceleratorum , the birth of their treason , the death of these traytors , God confounding both scelera ; & sceleratos , the actors and their actions ; Gods eyes are pure and abhorre such practises , and likes not such who walke in the counsell of the vngodly : for both the workes and the z way of the wicked shall perish . As for the final and eternall doom of the Iudge of quicke and dead , vpon these dead Malefactors , it belongs not to vs to search after it ; and say with * Gregorie , Diuina iudicia nesciuntur , non audacisermone discutienda sunt , sed formidoloso silentio veneranda , Gods iudgements are vnknowne to vs , and are not rashly to be spoken of , but with fearefull silence to be reuerenced : he a will haue mercy vpon whom hee will haue mercy . They that were apprehended , satisfied Iustice on earth , ( yet mixed with mercy ) so that for the persons I haue no more to say , but end this in the Apostles wordes , b Now these are examples to vs , to the intent wee should not lust after euill things , as they lusted ; and are written to admonish vs , to beware of sinne , and aboue all , such capitall and crying sins as these . Sequitur Rebelles vltor à tergo Deus , Gods plagues and punishments hang ouer Rebels heads , c Ex vitio alterius sapiens emendat suum , and therefore let others harmes make all beware to flie from this sinne of treason , as from a serpent . CHAP. VIII . 3. The Causes . THE motiues or inducements which prouoked these Practisers and Conspirators to inuent this Tragedy , was onely , and meerely * religion : they were no bankerupt persons , or discontented vpon occasion of any disgraces done vnto them ; for then it might haue seemed a worke of reuenge : but it was onely ( as they confessed ) the cause of religion , which moued them to this Treason . A deplored and desperate religion which must stand for a stawking-horse to practise rebellion . This colour of religion , like the Fowlers glasse and feather , serues to draw some within the reach and net of treason , to lay snares to catch the children of God , and bring them to destruction . Grace vses no sword , Faith no knife , the Church no bloudy tooles , Non mactando homines , Christumque fidemque docere : Ecclesia arma ara , non laniena macelli , The Church by force the faith did neuer plant , Her Altar-prayers her Armes , she shambles want . But the * Church of Rome vses these tooles , when their prayers can doe no good they fall to weapons , and would seeme to doe the Lords worke , in the destroying of the Lords people : farre better were it for them to follow the counsel of d Elias , to try themselues whether they be Baals Prophets or no ? to call vpon the name of their God , to prepare a sacrifice , and see if the Lord will send a fire from heauen , as hee did for e Elias to manifest the trueth of their cause and religion : but their prayers are so bad , inuocating dead Saints , and adoring dumbe Images , that though they cry like Baals Priests from f morning vntill noone , not a voice or word can they get from their woodden gods , no fire from heauen ; then they will fetch fire from hell , the hope of the plantation of their Romish religion shall be the ruine of an whole nation : for , Non stetisset nostra Troia , si cecidisset noster Priamus , for our Land could not haue stood happy , if our Priamus , Prince , Peeres and Parliament had beene destroyed , as they intended . And indeed a long time these Pope-Catholike men haue vsed a pretence of religion , by which goodly vizard they haue practised most horrible butchery , cruelty , and abhomination . It is lamentable which is of late g reported of Ferdinandus Mendoza a Spanish Catholike , who with his cruell company in Westphalia , spared neyther sexe nor age , no not them which submitted themselues : ripping vp womens bellies , taking out their infants , and hung them about their Mothers neckes , compelled the men with long famine to eat their owne children , with such brutish butchery as is abhominable . And so the Pope when he sent his secular armes the Spaniards among the Indians , vnder a faire errand to winne them to religion , they vsed them in an heathenish , yea hellish cruelty ; rosted them with fire , worried them with dogs , &c. so that in forty yeares space they destroyed ( as h some write ) fifteene millions of men , that is , 150 hundred thousand , wasted and vnpeopled fiue times as much ground as all Spaine containeth : But woe to them that build vp Sion with bloud , and Ierusalem with iniquity , saith i Micah , Whose k hands are defiled with bloud ; the Lord will prepare them vnto bloud , and bloud shall pursue them ; except thou hate bloud , euen bloud shall pursue thee , saith the Lord by the mouth of l Ezekiel . But these imitate Iulius Caesar , ( the first Emperour of Rome ) who held a sword in one hand , and a booke in the other , with this Motto ; Ex vtreque Caesar : So these Romanists will hold a sword in one hand , and a Bible in the other , changing the word , the sword of the spirit , into a materiall sword to murder mens bodies : but Caesar who shed much blood abroad , had his owne blood m shed at home . Yet Caesar was farre of a more mercifull mind ; for as n Austen speakes of him , Hee gloried in nothing so much , as in pardoning his enemies , and gratifying his friends . Or they follow blood-thirsty Cyrus , who at last was slaine by Queene Tomyris , and his head cut off , and put into a vessell of blood , with these words ; Sanguinem sitijstit , nunc sanguine saturatus esta , Thou hast thirsted for blood , now drinke thy fill : so these thirst for blood , Quem babit hic auide , quàm bibit ante merum : As greedily he drinkes mens blood , As men doe wine , and thinkes as good . But Dauid , because he was a man of blood , might not build God a materiall Temple , and will you build Gods spirituall Temple with bloody hands ? God abhorres blood-thirsty and deceitfull men : Deus non est autor eius , cuius est vltor , God is a reuenger of such villanies , and what he affects , he will effect by good meanes . And therefore though Papists colour this treason vnder the cloke of Religion , and for the good of the Catholicke cause , the Lord o will say to them ; I know ye not , Depart from me , ye workers of iniquity . Then p shall they couer themselues with confusion , as with a cloake . And truly these fiery and furious Iesuited Roman Catholickes , maske and shroud their faction and treason vnder the cloake of Religion , as the Dominicans lurke vnder our Ladies frock ; crying out , The Catholicke Cause , and for the good of the Church ; so that we may say , as once wittily Erasmus demanded , VVhat is Charity ? answered , It is a Monkes cloake , for it couers a multitude of sinnes : So what is Popery ? It is a cloake to couer a multitude of sinnes ; and ( as they say ) Puritan sohismes are sowen together with Sisters-threed , so Popish schismes are patched together out of the cloake of Rebellion , yet vnder the mantle of Religion : yet so farre are these people from being ashamed of these things , or reclaimed from such practises , much lesse to repent for them , as that being apprehended for them , or hauing accomplished their deuices , they are still insensible of sorrow , contrary to all other Malefactors ; for as the Poet , — quid fas , Atque nefas , tandem incipiunt sentire peractis Criminibus : — How good , or bad , their deeds were , they then see ; When once their mischiefes accomplisht be . But these would with Nero laugh , and leape to see our Cities on fire : and as Guido Faux , the foreman of this fiery stratageme , being demanded , what hee would haue done , when as he had put fire to the powder , said ; Goe see the sport in the field : A voice fit for a villaine , or a cruell Vitellius , who said , as q Tacitus records it ; Sepauisse oculos , spectata in imici morte , nempe Blaesi● He did feed his eyes with the dead spectacle of his aduersary Blesus . But Caesar wept when the head of Pompey his enemy was presented to him , saying ; r Ego Pompeij casum deploro , & meam fortunā metuo I lament Pompeys fall , and feare mine owne fortune : but the enemies of Sion , as they haue Crocodile eyes to weepe and laugh at murthered obiects , so they haue deuouring mouthes , and teeth to water after such preyes . I will not iudge all of them to be of so bloody a disposition : for I presume some Iesuites , and Priests , and Monkes , are like Aristippus , looke for nothing but meat for their belly , and a maide for their bed ; little busie their braines with other matterrs : or some may follow their study , which yet is not vsuall , especially among the secular Priests , whom the s Iesuites call ; Ebrios , stultos , illiteratos , Ecclesia excrementa , Drunkards , Dolts , Dunces , the excrements of the Church : and the same secular t Priests brand the Iesuites with infamous markes , Statistas , Atheistas , Machiauelistas , quot Iesuitae , totidem Iudae , Statists , Atheists , Machiauclists , So many Iesuites , so many Iudasses . But indeed the least medlers in these matters are the Monkes , and therein to be commended ; who if they were as carefull to feede their braines , as their bellies , I should thinke them the best of the bunch : but herein they are faulty , being onely as the Poet , Epicuri de grege porcos : Horat. Most of them sordide and stupide fellowes , without any industry in labour , or generosity in life . And as long ago it was written of them , Liber Pater praeponitur libro patrum ; Calicibus epotandis , non codicibus emendandis , Indulget bodie studium Monachorum , Cantus ludentis , non planctus lugentis , Officium efficitur Monachale . Greges , & vellera , fruges & Horrea , Porri , & olera potus & patera , Lectiones sunt hodie , & studia Monachorum : In a word , thus : One Bacchus more they loue , then Muses nine ; They fat their bellies , while their braines do pine . But to leaue these , whom the Pope least loues ; for the Iesuites are his Pulli , & puppi , His Minions and Darlings , he knowes them by their hands , as the Eagle knowes his young ones by the eyes ; a pen in one hand , and a ponyard in the other , to write for him , and to fight for him . We will accuse no more , but the parties in view , whereof Faux should haue beene the Executioner ; and as they say , An hangman must haue a cruell heart : so this appointed wretch had a cruell heart , to count such a sight as this should haue beene a sport : and when he was apprehended , he discouered no fignes of sorrow or repentance , except onely that he repented for not being able to performe it . Nil Christus Domini , nil illi proxima Coniux , Nil Princeps Carolus charus , spes altera Regni , Vtraque nobilitas pietate insignis , & armis ; Maiestasque loci , veterum tot Curia regum , Nil haec crudeli potuere obstare furori ? Our royall King with his illustrious Spouse , That * Phoenix gone vnto a better place ; And next succeeding hope , Prince Charles his Grace , The noble Peeres , the Prelates of Gods House ; And other Monuments , which might well rouse More feare , then fury : yet this vile Consort To blow vp all with powder , counts it sport . The vertues ( indeed vices ) which were in Tigellinus , Neros Secretary , were , as Tacitus names them , Cruelty and Luxury : so these abounded with the first , if not with the second . And yet they had no cause to moue them to such cruelty : One of the specials of them , Percy , a Pensioner in an honourable place ; the others with worship & wealth in the Common-wealth , no penall Lawes vrged vpon them , with many other prouocations to peace , and amity . — Quorum si singula duram Flectere non poterant , potuissent omnia , mentem : If some of these could not , yet all conioind ; Might well haue turnd to loue , a Lyons mind . But all could not : for howsoeuer they made a shew of obedience , it was counterfeit ; Ore tenus , Honouring with lippes , not hearts . They surely had receiued the Present of their Pope , long agoe sent to his deare Children here , namely , the fiue wounds of Christ with this poesie ; Fili da mihi car tuum , & sufficit : My sonne giue me thy heart , and it sufficeth . Rome had their heart , England their hate ; and wee might of them haue complained ( had not the Lord helped ) with the Prophet Dauid ; u Thou hast made the Land to tremble , and hast made it to gape , heale the breaches thereof , for it is shaken : Thou hast made vs to drinke the wine of giddinesse . Yet these could flatter with Iudas , Auc Rabbi , Haile Master , or , * Master is it I ? Yet for all Syren-songs , let vs looke to our selues ; for Vi● fidus affectus , quorum diuersa fides , saith Chrysostome : VVhose faith is different , their fidelity is doubtfull : Their words sweeter then hony , yet Vnlpina cauda semper prominet , rictus , & rugitus Leonem prodit ; The Foxe may be knowne by his taile , the Lyon by his iawes , clawes , and roaring : x By their fruits ye shall know them . Trust not their iugred speeches , for they haue learned the language of the Low-Countries , I meane of hell ; their art of equiuocation , to speake one thing , and meane another : and you know by equiuocation , Iudas and Iesuits , may be taken for honest men . And how can their fidelity be good ? ( I meane them of their Clergy ) for as euery popish Bishop is sworne obedience to the Pope , and Sea of Rome , and to defend to death Rogalia Sancti Petri ; The Regalities of Saint Peter : so in the English y Colledge of Rome it is a Statute-Law , or papall constitution , that whosoeuer doe enter into it , hee is bound to sweare , after certaine yeeres ( being perfectly Iesuited ) to returne into England for the defence of the Catholicke Faith , and there publikely or priuately to preach the same . Now their Faith , which they call Catholicke , granteth to their Roman Church , power to free subiects from all duty of obedience , as doth appeare in the foureteene section , and seuenth Chapter of their late Councell of Trent , from which fountaine flowes : T●… : So that they will not submit themselues to any Protestant King in any loyall and faithfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as did in somelately appeare in refusing the Oath of Alleagiance ; wherein his Maiesty specially aimed , Separare pretiosum à v●… , As the Lord by z Ieremy , to separate the precious from the vile , to discerne and distinguish the Pseudocatholickes of this Climate , from others of his sound and faithfull subiects : And how I pray you was this oath impugned , by the Popes Briefes , by Bellarmine , and others , accounting it vnlawfull , prohibiting all Popish Sectaries to accept it ? which oath yet specially touched their alleagiance to the King against the Popes primacy pretended in temporall things , and but little the supremacy in spirituall things : so that they who are thus rooted , and vnmoueably grounded in all the mysteries of the Church of Rome , beleeuing the Pope , the supreme Head of all , hauing power to excommunicate Kings , to depriue them , to absolue subiects from alleagiance , to giue authority to kill Kings , and accounting such deeds done meritorious , are Clancularij proditores , Clancular Traytors , Schoole-Traytors ; who though they liue Vespertilionum instar , Like the night-birds in obscurity , and neuer reduce their Theoricke into Practick , yet are they Traytors in Esse , though not in Actu . But to leaue these , and to returne againe to our Powder-men , Traytors both in fore , and fieri ; Claneular at first , their Chamber was a Mine vnder the Earth , but being discouered , then they shewed themselues , Damonesmeridiani , Noone day Diuels , and were * Sagittae volantes in die ; Arrowes that flie by day : for perceiuing their purpose discouered , and treachery preuented , and disappointed of their priuate blow and blast , which should haue beene acted in * secret ; now they resolue to runne a desperate race , and practise a publicke rebellion : And so gathering their Catholicke Company , and pretending the quarrell of Religion ( which they thought had had the vertue of a snow ball , to encrease their number by tumbling vp and downe ) and hauing gotten such prouision of Armor , Horses and Powder as time would permit ; they ranged about , as open , and auowed Rebels : The story whereof I omit to rehearse , because it is vulgarly knowne , and in a a Booke at large rehearsed . Well , the Catholicke cause moued these to this cursed Treason , in which impiety behold their policy ; for if their villany had succceded , ( which God in his mercy preuented ) they had deuised to haue laid all the blame vpon the Puritans . The poore Puritans must haue the shame of Papists impurities and impieties : Here in they shewed themselues to be Neroes brats , who when he had set fire on the City , laied the fault vpon the Christians , as Tacitus writes of him ; or as in old time , in the dayes of the ten persecutions of the Primitiue Church , if any thing had befallen the world , euen by Gods hand , as plague , or famine , &c. all reproaches were put vpon the Christians , and crying out ; Christianos ad Leones , Cast the Christians to the lions : A shamefull and shamelesse shift , to translate the infamy of so odious a fact vpon the innocent : but it verifies the Prouerbe , Hoc calciamentum consuit Hystiam , Aristagoras induit , Hystaus hath sowen the shooe , and Aristagoras puts it on : but thankes be to God , Inciderunt in foueam quam fecerunt , The fact and fault , was knowne to be their owne , and brought these delinquents to a shamefull fall . Another policy they had pretended , appointing an hunting match against the time of this treacherous designe , thinking with Esau to haue brought dainty Venison to their Father , not Isaacke , but Antichrist , and to haue surprized the person of the Lady Elizabeth ( now the Princely wife to the County Palatine of Rheine ) : Thus they shewed themselues right Nimrods , c who was a mighty hunter , and in name also Nimrod-like , ( who is by interpretation a * Rebell ) rebellious hunters , or rather Fowlers to lay such snares , but yet all may say with the Psalmist ; d The Lord hath deliuered vs from the snare of the hunter , praised be his goodnesse for euer . But to passe ouer their policy in this worke of impiety , painted ouer vnder a pretence of restauration of religion : Is murder and massacres the seed of Rome , from which these seedes-men would fetch Religion ? will the darnell of death produce the seed of life ? For the publike good Gods seruants haue wished themselues to be anathematized , but neuer others . Can Gods Church be wonne , or woed with swords , and armes ? Indeed e Phillip of Macedon led an Army against Bizantium , and said ; that hearing of the beauty of the City , he was come to make loue to her : but the Otator tels him , It was not the manner of Louers to wooe with instruments of warre , but musicke . The City of Gods Church will be wonne with no warlike Engines , the weapons of our warfare are not carnall , f saith Paul ; The Church of Christ was neuer planted by blood , except passiuely ; and so * Semen Ecclesiae fuit sanguis Martyrum , The blood of Martyrs , the seed of the Church : But these parties would build vp their Church with blood actiuely , as if lately they had passed from g Mount Gerizim , to Mount Eball , to curse , and consume all . It is a weighty and worthy worke to plant the Gospell , the glad tidings of peace , and no better way to doe it , then by prayers and peace : but in this worke the Papists euer vsed the wrong toole , labouring to make men Haeredes vineae , exhaeredes vitae : Dispossesse them of life here , howsoeuer hereafter . If their arts faile , their armes follow : fit souldiers for Bacchus , who is described with Buls hornes , Semper paratus ad feriendum , Alwayes prepared to strike , and fight ; but it is a pretty saying of one ; Nemo ita tenetur inter duo vitia , quin ei exitus patet absque tertio , No man is so included betwixt two vices , but he may get out without making a third . If these men were so confident of the truth of their Religion ( and none more confident then the ignorant ) why did they not follow the Counsell of truth it selfe , h if they persecute you in this City , flie into another : yet they had no cause to say so truly ; why did they not forsake all , and flie to Rome ? there were their hearts , what did their bodies here ? or if with him , they would first kisse their Father and Mother , before they would follow Christ , had a naturall affection to the things on earth ; yet why were they not willing with the Apostles to submit themselues to the higher Powers in bodily obedience , but in spirituall seruice , to say with i Peter and Iohn ; Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you , rather then God , iudge ye . But how comes it to passe , that such Lay-Papists of small knowledge , and lesse grace , should take vpon them to be reformers of Religion ? Were they extraordinarily called to this worke , as k Ehud was to be a Sauiour to Israel , in destroying King Eglon ; or as l Iehu in killing Ioram , and the stocke of Achab ? had the Lord said vnto them , as to Ioshua , m Arise , goe ouer this Iordan , feare not , nor be discouraged ; for I the Lord thy God wil be with thee , &c. They write indeed , that God and man had concurred , rather the diuell and his Angels had consented , Iudas heart , Esawes hand , and Achitophels head had all conspired . Concurrêre homines , sed quales ? quippe profani , Impuri , infames , scelerati , sanguinolenti , Horribiles medici , funesti , seditioss , Tales demissi coelo censores ? A crue combind , but who ? prophane , impure , Infamous , wicked , such as all would cure With blood , and fire , Phisitians that with powder Would blow vp all diseases : cry yet lowder , Heralds from heauen these sent the Church to plant , If God sent such , then God good men doth want : If such be good , in hell ill men are scant . But the Lord gaue such no Commission , for , such wicked , and n him that loues iniquity doth his soule hate : the Lord o will iustifie no wicked men : nor imploy them in any wicked action . But these had their Commission from the deuill , and were at his command set to this worke , and might say with Chrysalus p in Plautus . Insanum , magnum molior neg otium , Ver●… possim rocte vt emolier . A mad peece of worke I goe about , And feare I shall not doe it as Iought . And because they failed in the performance of it , therefore manus manum fricat , one Traytor bem●nes an other , alas vnfortunate Gentlemen , grieuing that it was their ill fortune to haue their hopes frustrated : for it is very true which q 〈◊〉 obscrues , conspiracies discouered , will not be credited , or will be impayred by report , 〈◊〉 occisi● principibus , vnlesse the Princes ( the obiects of their mischiefe ) be slaine : which if at any time it * come to passe , and the conspirator escape , how highly he is magnified , imitating a people of whom I haue read , who worship Iudas for a God , because he did betray Christ to the Iewes to be crucified , by whose death comes saluation . Thus this Catholicke cause should haue produced a Catholicke curse vpon our Common wealth , but when they cursed vs , God blessed vs , defeated the deuises of the wicked , dispersed these fogges , and mistes of Sathans spirits , and made it manifest to all the world , that both their cause , and course was bad . Causa mala est , fructus edidit illa malos . For a r corrupt tree bringeth forth euill fruit , and therefore were they cut downe with the axe of Iustice , and were not Gods mercy aboue all his workes , cast into fire . CHAP. IX . Fourthly the Ends. WE are come to the last act of this intended Tragedy , the ends of it , which is almost without end . In their expectation , ( though frustrated in the execution ) they had set vp Hercules Pillars , Nil vltra , no humane malice or mischiefe could reach any further : Hoc Scelus Abyssus , & ex Abyssu natum , A boundlesse prodigy sprung from the bottomlesse pit : I will not , nay cannot fully finish this taske , onely touch it . Magnum opus hoc moueo : maior reliquis datur ordo Perficere in captum . — This point I onely touch , and leaue the rest To them , who are with greater gifts possest . And so many learned men by Preaching , and Printing haue laboured in this worke , and still out of the store of matter this Subiect affords , will annually spend their breath in the declaration of this deuillish mischiefe , and deliuery by Diuine mercy , that I may forbeare any large discourse . And truly if all of vs , were as ( some say ) the seauenty Interpreters appointed by Ptoloms , were put , in diuersas cellulas , ●aman sio diuisi , eadem scriptitarunt , into seuerall Roomes , yet all separated , they writ the same things : which s S. Ierome thinkes a fabulous figment : So if all of vs were put apart , heerein we should agree , and sing t with Ananias , Azarias , and Misael , Blesse yee the Lord , praise him , and exalt him aboue all things for euer : for he hath deliuered vs from the hell , and saued vs from the hand of death , and deliuered vs from the furnace , and burning flame ( of powder ) euen from that fire hath he deliuered vs. Therfore , cōfesse vnto the Lord that he is gracious , and his mercy endureth for euer : wherein for better order sake to touch the Tragicall ends , and dismall effects of this confused Babell , a monstrous , and multiplying Hydra of horrible desolation ; ( had not Gods power and pitty preuented this their intention and inuention ) we will part it into three Heads : all directly tending to ouerthrow : 1. The Temporall estate : 2. The Politicall estate : 3. The Spirituall estate of our flourishing Church , famous King , and fortunate Kingdome . O 〈◊〉 in terris anima , & caelestium inanes . Oh crooked mindes , voyd of celestiall grace , Who with such ruine would our land deface . I will beginne with the two first ; It would haue subuerted the Temporall and Politicall estate of the Kingdome . The effects of this Powder treason would haue exceeded those mischiefes , which Caesar reckons to be the fruits of Catilins conspiracie , Rapiuntur virgines , &c. Virgins deflowred , Matrons made the obiects of the victors lust , children killed in their parents bosome , houses burned , men murthered , all places full of weapons , carcases , blood , and lamentation : So who can tell , what mischiefe , what murther , what rebellion , what inuasion , what rapine , destruction , and desolation would haue beene the fruits and effects of this barbarous Treason ? it would haue prooued carnificinaregni , the very death , and downfall of the Kingdome , and therefore may be called officina scelerum , the shop of all mischiefe , the vault of all villanie . Quid Rex , quid Regina comes , quid regia proles , Quid proceres , Sanctique patres , populusque fidelis , Quid tantum meruere mali ? committere tantum In vos quod potuere Scelus ? potuistis in vnam Funera tot cumulare struem ? tot corporalaetho Congerere , & tantum moliri caedis aceruum ? What hath our King , his Queene , and Princely sonne , Our Peeres and Prelats , and the people done To merite such a mischiefe ? what offence Against them iustly can you now commence , Which might prouoke your malice to deuise To murther them , as you did enterprize . No age can produce a proiect , proportionable to this immanity : Tyrannorum carbones , eculei , rotae , funes , fustes , cruces , gladij &c. nihil si ad haec comparentur : The exquisite torments of Tyrants not comparable with the fury of this truculent Tragedy . The destruction of Troy was lamentable , by fire and sword in the night : Virg. In●adunt vrbem somno , vinoque sepultam . They inuade the Citty buried in sleepe , and wine , and at vnawares set vpon them by a perfidious Treachery : yet there they might fight for their liues , and make resistance to reuenge themselues . Idem . Aut versare dolos , aut certae occumbere morti . But heerein these Trayterous Architects had so contriued their worke , and world of woes , that with one blast , or blow , all to be consumed , and yet u not to see who hurts them : with a floude of fire to deuoure the choisest flowres of the world , the x Rose of the field , and Lillies of the vallies , the royall Rose with the rest of the regall stemme : the noble Lillies of the land . Flos delibatus populi , Suadaeque medulla . The flourishing Nobilitie , most reuerend Cleargie , prudent and politicke Gentry , all to passe the fiery region of corporall combustion , when as this fire should come out of the y bramble to consume the Cedars of Lebanon . So terrible a blow or blast it would haue beene to the Temporall welfare of the state of this Kingdome in generall , to be z depriued of the father , chariots , and horsemen of Israel , ( rapt vp in a whirlewind of fire ) that it could leaue nothing but lamentations to posterity , & wish with weeping * Ieremie for an head full of water , and eyes fountaine of teares to weepe day and night for the slaine of them : and none but monsters of men , habituated in villany , and radicated in cruelty , would haue an hand in so heauy a calamity : Then we all might alwayes meditate of mournefull Elegies and make large Commentaries vpon Ieremies Lamentations , and cry with him , 2 How doth the Citty remaine solitary that was full of people ? she is a widowe : she that was great among the nations , & Princesse among the Prouinces , is made tributary : she weepeth continually : she dwelleth among the heathen , and finds no rest ; her persecutors tooke her in the Straits . The waies of Sion lament , because no man commeth to the solemne feasts : all her gates are desolate ; the Priests sigh , her Virgines are discomfited , and she is in heauinesse , and might ingeminate a dolefull ecce ; Behold , and see if there be any sorrow , like vnto my sorrow , which is done vnto me . I cannot apprehend the hundred part of the miseries of this intended mischiefe : for it would haue made our land in face , though not in fashion , like the land Iob speakes of , b Terram ten●brosam , & opertam mortis caligine , terram miseria , & tenebranum , vbi v●bra mortis , & nullus ordo : A land of darkenesse , and shadow of death : a land of miscry , where is no order , but horror : That day intended had beene to our land , c a day of darkenesse , and of blacknesse , a day of clouds and obscurity , none like it from our beginning , neither shall be any more ( as we hope ) vnto the yeares of any generations . Our land had then beene like a ship forlorne , her Pilot , Maister , and Mariners gone ; Her Top-gallant taken away , and they who sate at the Sterne to guide , drowned in the Ocean ; and then a tempest beating vpon the ship , the wind , and weather driuen her to the Rockes , in what perill and perplexity are all her mournefull passengers ? and might particularly cry . In medijs lacera puppe relinquor aquis . We are left in a torne and tottering ship , couered with waues of woe , no earthly comfort comes , only we pray to Christ , d Maister saue vs , we perish . This day intended would haue prooued a blacke , and bloody day to the Common-wealth of England , when as her principall pillars had beene perished . The e strong man and the man of warre , the Iudge , and the Prophet , the Prudent , and the aged : they had layed their f Axe to the roote of the Trees , to hew downe and cast into their fire , the chiefe Cedars , to stretch ouer vs g the line of Samaria , and the plummet of the house of Ahab , wiping England , as the Lord doth threaten Ierusalem there , as a man wipeth a dish , which he wipeth , and turneth vpside downe : and so they would haue wiped , or washed with blood our Ierusalem , turning it vpside downe , that there should haue beene a generall ruine of our flourishing Kingdome , Neque rex , nequelex , neque religio , resp . Salua . King , Nobility , Church , Gouernement , Commonwealth , all perishing in this prodigious powder confusion : First our King , the h breath of our nostrils , the annointed of the Lord , should haue beene taken in their nets , of whom we sayd , vnder his shadow we shall be preserued aliue among the heathen : and then his most Princely Queene , posterity-male , the hopefull blessing of perpetuall peace , the famous Peeres , and Counsellors of state , with all other most noble Lords , Spirituall , and Temporall , the wife and worthy Iudges , Knights , Burgesses , and whole body of the Parliament house , ( the head heart , eyes , braines , and vitall spirits of the politicke body of the Kingdome ) all cut off at one blow , the kingdome left headlesse , heartlesse , hopelesse , depriued of her directing Iethroes : Dij , quibus imperium hoc steterat . Virg. The pillars , and supporters of this Christian Monarchy , and changed it to a confused Anarchy , then preuailing as Garnet the Arch-Priest , and Archtraytor praied , Auferte gentem istam perfidam de finibus credentium , Take away this perfidious nation , meaning vs Protestants , from the borders of true belieuers , vnderstanding Romanists : vt laudes Deo debitas alacriter persoluamus , that we may praise God for the same ioyfully . But such prayers of the i wicked is an abhomination vnto the Lord ; and though k they make many prayers , the Lord will not heare them , because their hands are full of blood : the enemies to our King and Kingdome , l opened their mouthes against vs , saying ; Let vs deuoure them : Certainely this is the day that we looked for ; yea , which they longed for : wherein they hoped to haue m swallowed vs vp quicke , when their wrath was kindled against vs , to haue ouerthrowne the temporall and politicke estate of our Kingdome , by the ruine of the royall Head , and the most noble members of the same ; but the Lords eyes were n vpon the faithfull of the Land , to shield them vnder the shadow of his wings , when as the o proud had laid a snare for them , and spread a net with cords in their way , and set grins for them ; then did the Lord deliuer them from those euill men , and preserued them from those cruell men , and p recompenced them their wickednes , and destroied them in their owne malice : to moue all Gods people in great Britanny to say with Zachary ; q That being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies , we should serue him without feare , in holinesse and righteousnesse before him , all the dayes of our liues . Yea , this pernicious proiect had not onely procured a fatall disturbance , and destruction of the temporall and politicall welfare of the Kingdome ; but also aimed to alter the State of our Religion , and to set vp the abhomination of desolation in the holy place , to establish the corrupt profession of popish superstition : this was the Helena for which these Greekes contended . Then all of vs might with the children of Israel led captiue to Babilon , cry like them , By r the riuers of Babilon we sate downe and wept , when wee remembred thee O Sion : for then wee should haue liued in captiuity to the Romish Babilon , and haue sung the songs of Sion in a strange land and strange tongue . Then England should haue beene againe , ( as once s one called it ) the Popes Asse , to beare his burthens in a miserable bondage . Those debosht and banished Popelings , Iesuites , Seminaries , and Masse-Priests , who can cry to their Images like Baals Priests , t O Baal heare vs : lo , then u Hagar and Ismael , not long since cast out with bagge and baggage , reen tring againe , insolently insulting ouer honourable Dame Sara , and would driue her and Isaak out of the familie . VVhat heart zealous of the glory of God , and religious to the pure Gospell of Christ , that would not with Dauid * euery night water his couch with his teares , to behold the Candlestickes of our Church , who hold the light of the word , broken in peeces , I meane , the spirituall labourers in the worde , to be thrust out of the vineyard of the Church , and the loyterers of Rome , ( haruest-men for Antichrist ) to take the howses of God in possession ? So that with Dauid we might cry , * O God , thine enemies are come into thine inheritance , thy holy Temple they haue defiled , &c. Romes * wolues in sheepes cloathing worrying the Lambes of Christ ; Sathans Foxes running vpon the mountaines of Sion , and stealing away the soules of the simple , making them drunke with the dregs of the Romish grape enchanted with their Circes cup , in which is the y wine of infection , spirituall fornication , and abhomination . The people then should haue beene depriued of the pure riuer of the water of life , and for lacke of the bread of life compelled to complaine in the famine of their soules , like the distressed Iewes in the famine of their bodies . z Where is bread , and drinke ? where is the Manna which once was tasted ? the worde of grace wherewith wee once were feasted ? where are the painefull Pastors of our soules who once refreshed vs ? fedde our hearts with bread from heauen , and filled our cares with comfortable tidings of peace ; who prayed for our soules with zealous spirits , and spent themselues like vnwearied messengers in the worke of the Gospell : Oh the Priests lippes * which preserued knowledge , they are silenced and sent to their graues , expelled the Church , or put in prison , or turned to ashes in Popish flames ; their a persecutors are swifter then the Eagles of heauen , who pursue them vpon the mountaines , and lay wait for them in the wildernesse ; they hunt their steppes that they cannot goe in the streetes , their end is neere ; for their daies are fulfilled , their end is come . Oh this is come vpon vs for our cold loue , and churlish entertainement of the Gospell , when we had free liberty to call one another ; b Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord , to the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs his waies , and we will walke in his paths ; but then wee stopped our eares c like deafe Adders , against the voice of those charmes most expert in charming ; they d piped vnto vs but we would not dance , we then regarded not those songs of Sion and now both harpes and harpers are e hung vpon the willow trees : our soules are starued with Latine Masses , wee haue no English Bibles , wodden blockes are called the Lay-mens bookes , we cannot see the way we should walke in , but must like blinde men be guided by the spectacles of purblinde guides : we must beleeue as they beleeue , and yet doe not know what they beleeue : all ready to repeat that wishing voice of Iob , f Oh that wee were as in times past , when God preserued vs ; when his light shined vpon our heads , and when by his light we walked through darkenesse : all saying with Valerius , ( though not in the same case ) who when Caligula that monster was killed , and it could not be found out who had done it , Noble Valerius rose vp , and said , vtinam ego , would to God I had killed that monster : So will they cry , vtinam ego , would to God wee had killed that monster ( which whisome wee indulgently cherished in our bosomes ) Ingratitude and Contempt of the Gospell , then while we had the same in plenty , and purity without commixtion of drosse and darnell , trash and tares , we began with the Israelites to loath this Manna , g We can see nothing but this Manna , our soule loatheth this light bread : and now , Verbum amissum quaerimus inuidi . Wee h wander from Sea to Sea , and from the North to the East , to seeke the worde of the Lord , and cannot finde it . Now the Lords complaint is verified vpon vs , i My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge : the seeds-men of the worde sent from the blessed k sower , who broke vp our stony hearts , and made them flexible , and did labour to l turne many to righteousnesse ; they are taken from vs , and now Impius haec tam culta novalia miles habebit , Barbarus has segetes — Not Masse , but Mars-Priests in the Churches field , Possesse the fruits which others labours tilld : These and more pittifull mones would haue beene fresh , and frequent in this land , crying with Ieremy , m The ioy of our heart is gone , our dance is turned to mourning , the Crowne of our head is fallen , woe vnto vs that wee haue sinned ; our necks are vnder persecution , wee are weary , and haue no rest . Our King , a n Nursing Father to the Church and Common-wealth : Our o Noble men of Sion comparable to fine Gold : Our reuerend Prelates and Pastors , the p salt of the earth , and light of the land : the chiefe Iudges , and choice Gentry of the Kingdom , who were as q eyes to the blinde , and feete to the lame . All the pillars of Church and Common-wealth , maintainers of the Law and Gospell , had perished in this intended Massacre : So that the r shepheard being smitten , the sheepe will be scattered ; yea , sheepe not hauing a shepheard will fall into the hands of wolfes , who will deuoure their flesh and their fleeces . And looke still further , and behold these powder-traitors ( men nourished with Tygers milke ) who enterprised not onely to procure a temporall , politicall , and spirituall ouerthrow of Church and Common-wealth , but also so farre as in their power they could , seeked to procure the eternall death of body and soule , vnawares s by force of fire to part vnprepared soules , and blow vp with a fiery Dimittis bodies and soules before they could haue time to say feelingly , Inmanus tuas Domine , O Lord into thy hands we commend our soules : heerein shewing themselues desirous to be bloudy murtherers , to murder the body with death temporall , and also to make away the soule with death eternall , which second death worse then millions of corporall deaths , Continet Myriades mortis : Prima mors animam dolentempellit de corpore , secunda mors animā nolentem tenet in corpore , as t Austen : The first death driues the pained soule out of the body , the second death keepes the vnwilling soule in the body ; for then men shall seeke u death , and shall not finde it : for in life there is some ease , in death an end , but in the second death neyther ease , nor end : Mors sine morte , finis sine fine . So that to draw all to a conclusion ( which should haue beene the conclusion , yea confusion of vs all ) I may supply my defects in the description of this immatchable treason , with the Poets excuse , Non mihi si centum linguae sint , oraque centum , Ferreavox , omnes scelerum cōprendere formas , Omnia poenarum peccurrere nomina possem : No tongue can tell , no pen descry This Map of mischiefe , the Powder-Tragedy . The Lord of Hosts , who * neither slumbers nor sleepes , who in pitty and prouidence prouides for the safety of his Church and Children , beheld our English Israel and Popish Amaleck , the members of the Church militant , and malignant , the one secretly plotting to blow vp the other ; but the Lord , against x whom no wisdome nor vnderstanding , nor counsell can preuaile , became an impenetrable shield , suffered not one of his seruants haires to be burnt with fire , but besotted these Traytors to communicate their counsels , though darkly to others ; by which meanes they were discouered . And we are perswaded and confirmed of the all-sauing protection of our good God towards his deare Seruant , and our dread Soueraigne ; with the rest of the religious assembly congregated for the glory of his name , and good of his Church , in that Honourable House of Parliament : that if the Lord had suffred them to haue made a further progresse to the instant of that disastrous and dismall action , that hee would haue disabled the party , who with his vnhappy hand should haue kindled that fatall fire , as he did the hand of infamous y Ieroboam , in the very act of stretching it against the Prophet , it withered : or like the hand of z Valens the Emperor , when hee tooke his pen to confirme the sentence of Basils banishment , strucken of God , shooke , and shrunke , not able to hold the pen : So surely the Lord would haue benummed that accursed hand , which sought to ouerthrow Christs Church among vs : for it is as easie to pull Christ from Heauen , as to put his Church out of the Earth : Christ cannot be a bodilesse Head , nor the Church an headlesse body ; and though outward meanes of deliuerance to vs may seeme defectiue , yet stand comforted and couragious , for the * gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church . It is a lame and halting confidence , which cannot goe to God without the stilts and crutches of externall meanes : for a the Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly , and in the very point and article of time , will be a present helpe in trouble . God came to b Adam with a promise in the time of despaire , to Abraham with c supply in the time of sacrifice , to Isaacke d with reliefe in the time of famine and danger , to Ioseph e with honour in the time of exile , to f Elias with comfort in the time of persecution , to g Gideon with helpe in the time of battle , to h Daniel with safety in the Lyons denne , to i Ionas with release in the Whales belly , to k Susanna with life condemned to death , to l the three Children with a protecting Angell in the fiery Furnace : yea , to this Kingdome of England with a most mercifull preseruation , neere the time of the appointed Powder-destruction , to make all our English Israel alwayes in all distresses and dangers , say with Moses ; m Feare not , stand still , behold the deliuerance of the Lord ; which he shewed vnto you this day : — — Dies Ista Salutis erat , candore notabilis ipso . The Lord would not haue this Powder-proiect to haue power to burne one n haire of his seruants head , or any smell of fire come vpon them ; yet caused some of these vault-pyoners to be wounded , and disfigured with powder ; In quo peccarunt , in eodem plectuntur , Wherewith o they sinned , by the same they were also punished . So that all these extraordinary mercies of Almighty God summed vp together , should haue more then a Magneticall attraction , to draw all Christian hearts euer to praise his infinite goodnesse , and continually inuite and induce all to a serious consideration and conseruation of this admirable deliuery from this intended miserable calamity : agnizing God , the sole and supreme cause in preuenting of it , and therefore ascribing all the glory to him ; who hath preserued still his Church in tranquility , our King in glory , the State in safety , the Realme in prosperity . Iutuere rupem , & erige ratem . The snares of death and destruction prepared by the wicked , were by the wisedome of our gratious God escaped , and the wicked p were snared in the worke of their owne hands : A deliuery deseruing eternall Trophies of Triumphs : to glorifie God with our prayers and praises , with our lips and liues ; and neuer follow them , of whom the Apostle , who q glorified not God , neyther were they thankefull : but may continually call vp our hearts to this duty , and cry with the Psalmist , r Come and hearken all yee that feare God , and I will tell you what hee hath done to my soule : for he hath s deliuered our soules from death , and our feet from falling , that we should walke before God in the land of the liuing . Therefore , t praise our God yee people , and make the voice of his praise bee heard ; and say with the children of Reuben , Gad , and Manasses , u God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord , and turne this day away from the Lord , &c. And as the children of Israel after their returne from the captiuity in Babilon , and hearing * Ezra reade the Law ( the ioy of their soules ) Ezra x praised the Lord the great God , and all the people answered , Amen , Amen , lifting vp their hands and bowing themselues , worshipping the Lord with their faces towards the ground : and Nehemiah with Ezra and the Leuites tels the people , y This day is holy vnto the Lord your God : so let our English Israel deliuered from the intended bondage of Babilon , hearken to their Ezraes in the z Pulpit , made for the preaching of Gods Law ( wherof they should haue beene depriued ) and with their Priests praise the Lord , our great and good God , answering Amen , Amen , bowing themselues in all humility at the footestoole of Gods Maiesty , annually celebrating the fift day of Nouember , with praises of thankesgiuing , and saying , This day is holy vnto the Lord our God. This * day shall be vnto vs a remembrance , and wee will keep it an holy feast vnto the Lord throughout our generations : we will keep it holy by an ordinance for euer ; to remember this maruellous worke of Englands deliuerance from the plotted powder-destruction , to a praise Gods holy name , and glory in his praise , singing and saying cheerefully with our tongues , and deuoutly with our hearts , Blessed b be the Lord God of Israel for euer audeuer , and let all the people say , Amen , Amen . To the ternall and eternall glorious Godhead , Father , Sonne , and holy Ghost , one and the same God in nature , and number indiuisible , inuisible , inuincible , our sole and soueraigne protector , and preseruer , God ouer all , blessed for euer , be all praise , power , faith , feare , glory , and maiesty yeelded by vs , by ours , and by all his redeemed , for all his mercies in generall , and for this speciall deliuerance in particular , humbly , heartily , holily for euer and euer : Amen . Glory be to God in the high Heauens and peace on earth , Luke 2. 14. FINIS . A SHORT DISSVVASIVE FROM POPERY : To all Lay-Papists , who desire to be true seruants to their Sauiour , or good Subiects to their Soueraigne . 1. Kings 18. 21. How long halt yee betweene two opinions ? If the Lord be God , follow him : but if Baal be he , then goe after him . Tert. de resurr . carn . Aufer haereticis quae cum Ethnieis sapiunt , vt de Scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant , & stare non poterunt . Hugo de Claustro anim . lib. 1. Superstitio dicitur verae religioni superaddita falsa religiō . Melancthon . Ex malo dogmate , & malis moribus , dignoscuntur lupi . By SAMVEL GAREY , a Preacher of Gods Word and a perpetuall petitioner to God for your happy conuersion to Gods holy Truth . LONDON , Printed by Iohn Beale for Henry Fether stone , and Iohn Parker . 1618. To the Right VVorshipfull Sir Philip Kni●et Baronet , and his worthy Lady , The Spirit of Grace , Truth , and Wisedome be multiplied . Right VVorshipfull , I Am bold , vpon experienced acquaintance with your generous qualities , and gentle fauours towards me , to send this vnworthy Treatise to your worthy viewe . I know whose iudgement it must passe , yet am fearelesse : not in a grosse stupidity of mine owne weakenesse , but in an hopefull presumption of your vsuall Gentlenesse : a disposition euen naturalized in your courteous breasts , whereof I acknowledge with gratefulnesse the acceptable fruites of your long , and large loue towards me , and for which I euer rest your thankefull friend , and ingaged debtor : in part of requitall whereof , I haue presumed to offer to you this Handfull of my duty , and hearty loue towards you , and vnder your worthy name to send it to the world , that they who are bettered by it , may thanke you for it . A short Disswasiue from Popery , necessary for these Times , wherein you may behold in part some points of the corrupt Doctrine of the Romish Church , which is the common Mother of corruption & superstition : For that Church must needes be a Chappell of errors , which enlarge the sacred Canon with a Apochryphalls , diminish b the authority of the Scripture with Traditions , ouerthrow the Originall with Translations , & peruert the Text with Glosses : as the Romish Church doth . Yea to maintaine her errors , she conceales the light of Truth , the Scripture , from Lay people vnder the curtaine of the Latin language ; and euen in the Schooles among the learned she is put to poore shifts , often forced to conclude arguments out of meere Allegories , lame Similitudes , fained miracles , naked names of Fathers , hired Testimonies of Schoolemen , and other deboshed vassailes and proctors of the Romane Court , who with all artificiall pollicy labour to adorne the Romane Harlot with painted trimmings , whereby the vnwary young age of many ( more credulous , then iudicious ) is deceiued , and deluded . The whole subiect of our former worke , well perused , and indifferently weighed , doth giue good light ( looking vpon her corrupt precepts , and cursed practises ) to discouer that smooky Kingdome of Antichrist : but perchance you may say to me with Seneca , c Quidme torques , & lacer as in quaest●…bus ? Subtilius est contempsisse , quam 〈◊〉 , Why doe you trouble me with such questions ? it is more subtilty to contemne them , then to confute them . Worthy Sir , it shall not be , I hope , labour lost , if to your priuate contemplations you shall adioyne these short , and sacred speculations , specially penned for your seruice , and published for the be●…e of all who are willing to open their eyes to walke in Truth . I giue all but a small kind of taste in these points of Popish fragments ; if any mans appetite long for it , I dare promise him heereafter more full dishes . The Lord giue vnto you a Christian care in the profession of the Truth , which with a sincere heart I haue preached vnto you ; and perfit your first Progresse in the grace of God , to the holy Sanctification , and happy Saluation of your bodies and soules for euer . For which mercy and grace , to be bestowed on you , I shall euer vnfainedly pray to God , and rest , Your Worshipes poore Orator in Christ . Samuel Garey . A SHORT DISSVVAsiue to all Lay-papists , who desire to be true seruants to their Sauiour , or good subiects to their Souereigne . I Hauing finished , yet in great weakenesse , our former worke , wherein I doe humbly craue of all sorts a friendly and fauourable construction and acceptation : and there still remaining a few pages vnwritten , I thought it not labout lost , if I did annexe some common , yet courteous direction to the Lay-papists of the land to disswade them from the corrupt Doctrine of the Church of Rome , vnto the which they are induced by the inchaunting allurements of Popish Priests ; men whose learning and wits are tempting baites , yea bawdes , a Thamar-like prostitute themselues , so that they may haue children , they will deceiue their owne father Iudah ; as also by the ignorance of these Lay-disciples , whose right eyes of knowledge they thrust out , as b Nahash the Ammonite would haue done to the men of Iabesh Gilead ; depriuing them of the word of knowledge , the Scripture , and saying , It c was the Deuills inuention to permit the people to reade the Bible , as one of their fide writes : and therfore the d Church of Rome forbiddeth the reading of it among the people : By which meanes , oh wofull meanes , and to cry with their owne e Doctor to their Cleargy for it , ( woe to our Parish Priests , woe to our Bishops , woe to our Prelates ) they haue brought in such a floud of prodigious ignorance , as that many of them are as ignorant , as that Knight was ; of whom Claudius f Esp●ncaem tells of , who being demanded his beliefe touching the holy Ghost , answered , he knew not whether there was an holy Ghost , or no. So that their followers being so blind , not able to iudge of colours , & wanting the word of Truth , the Scripture , x in the tongue they vnderstand ; which is the lapis Lydius , the touchstone to try the truth from error , diuina statera , as g Augustin calles it , the diuine ballance to weigh truth from falsehood ; it is easie to winde such into selfe-losing labyrinthes , and to driue them with their painted clothes like woodcockes into their nets , and to goe with them with Domitius Chalderinus ( yet hee learned ) who when he should goe to the Masse , accustomed to say , Eamus ad communem errorem , Let vs goe to the common error : So these are content to goe to Masse , the common or Catholicke mother of all Bastard errors . The attractiue motiues which draw many to fancy and follow the religion of the Church of Rome , may be reduced to three Heads . 1. The Antiquitie : 2. The Vniuersality : 3. The Vnity of that Church : which three ( if they could be found there ) were of powerfull consequence to mooue reuerence ; but neither of these can be found there : for the moderne Romane Church , which coines so often new h Creedes , and Articles of faith , and is reuolted from herselfe in substance of doctrine , is no more like herselfe in her primitiue State , then Lais the Curtizan is an honest woman . I could demonstrate this I say without controulement , if I were purposed to write a common-place-booke of Controuersies in this point ; but it hath beene handled so largely , and learnedly by other Diuines of our Church , that I may at this time forbeare any long discourse . I will but touch it : and instance this I write , how the moderne Church of Rome is swarued from herselfe , not onely from the Truth , which primitiue Rome embraced , but also varied from herselfe , declining into heresie , innouating those Articles , and dogmaticall points of faith ( as they count them ) which in the processe of her fall she professed : it might be specified in most of the points of Doctrine she maintaines at this present time , but I will rest with these few , for I write but an Epitome . 1 Example shall be in the Sacrament . At i the first the people receiued the cup , as well as the bread , for the space of a thousand yeeres : yea , afterward , the Romance Church commanded the wine to be consecrated , that the lay-people might fully communicate , saith k Micrologus : most and the best Papists liked this well , that the people should communicate in both kinds ; but afterward , the Councell of l Constance forbad it , and after that , the Councell of m Basil released the decree of Constance to some ; and after that , the Councell of Trent , the mint of errors , confirmed it againe , and depriued the Laity of the Cup : Sect. 21. c. 2. So that this point of Doctrine , now maintained in the Church of Rome , can pleade no antiquity , being now so oft renewed , put vp , and put downe ; and their most ancient Liturgies shew , how the people receiued the wine , as well as the bread : and this custome ( saith n Caietan ) endured long in the Church , and as o one of their Church say ; It were better if this custome were renewed againe . 2 Example in Transubstantiation . Transubstantiation lately brought into the Church , and made a matter of faith by a silly Pope Innocent the third , in the Lateran Councell , within these 400 yeeres : and the p Papists themselues say , this opinion is very new , and lately brought into the Church , and beleeued onely vpon the authority of the Lateran Councell ; and speake so vncertainely , and inconstantly in this point , and doe so stagger , & enterfere in their opinion herein , q confessing that there is no Scripture to conuince it , vnlesse ye bring the Church of Romes exposition ; so that hitherto we can see no great antiquity , nor good vniuersality in their doctrine . 3 Example in Popes supremacy . The Councell of r Constance , and s Basil decreed . That a generall Councell was of greater authority then the Pope : but long after that , the Councels t of Lateran and Trent decreed contrary . The Councels of u Chalcedon and x Constantinople , make the Bishop of Constantinople equall with the Bishop of Rome : yet now he arrogates a supremacy aboue Bishops , aboue Councels , aboue Kings aboue all ; his title no lesse then vniuersall Bishop : yet y Gregory who was Pope of Rome , saith ; I hat he dare confidently say , He is the forerunner of Antichrist in his pride , whosoeuer he be that calleth himselfe vniuersall Bishop : but this smoaky pompe of pride the Pope now likes well enough , and makes it an z Article of Faith to swea●e obedience to his primacy ; and he that denies this , denies Fidem Catholicam , The Catholicke Faith , faith Bellarmine . I might here produce other examples of Popish Doctrine , crept in by degrees ; as their abhominable Image-worship brought in by the second * Councell of Nice : the first restraint of Priests marriage by Pope Siritius , the doctrine of the merit of workes lately by the Schoolemen , as a Waldensis writes : Their prayers to the dead , Popes pardons , Purgatory , ( a Platonicall , or poeticall fiction ) Auricular confession , with other like triuiall trash , which if they haue any colour of antiquity , yet they haue no colour of verity . And what is antiquity without verity ? Saint b Cyprian tels vs ; Consuetudo sine veritate , est vestustas erroris , Continuance without truth is the antiquity of error : And c againe , Non hom ines consuei ●dinem sequi ●porter , sed Dei veritatem , Wee may not follow the custome of men , but the truth of God : for as d Tertullian , Quodcunque contra veritatem sapit , hoc erit haeresit , etiam consuetudo , Whatsoeuer is contrary to truth , is heresie , euen custome and antiquity . e Ignatius writes , that he heard some say ; Nisi Euangelium in ●nt quis inuenero , non credam Vnlesse I find the Gospel among the Ancients , I will not beleeue it : P●gani ( saith f Austen ) Antiquitatis causa , se verum tenere contendunt ; The Pagans for the cause of antiquity , contend they hold the truth : If antiquity might carry it , the Iewes g might carry it from the Christians . The Church of Antioch from the Church of Rome : for so saith h Bellarmine ; Petrus Antiochiae Cathedram suam aliquandiu tenebat , priusquam ad Romam eam transtulisset , Peter did set his Chaire at Antioch , before he translated it to Rome . Indeed the woman of i Samaria pleades antiquity to Christ , our Fathers worshipped in this mountaine , and ye say ; that in Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship : so say our Lay-Papists , Our Fathers worshipped God with Images , with the Masse &c. But Christ will say to them , as to that k woman ; ye worship that which ye know not : Away with your wicked and wil-worship , I will be worshipped according to my word . The great hinderance ( saith the Iesuite l Acosta ) to the plantation of the Roman Faith among the Indians , Ex inueterata consuetudine proficiscitur , proceeds from their ancient custome , wherein before they were inured , and from it hardly reclaimed : and as the Iesuite m Xauerius saith ; Indi , ne Christiani fierent , hanc causam afferebant , so à maioribus suis semper cultores extitisse , &c. The Indians , that they should not be made Christians , alleadged this cause , that they had alwayes beene worshippers according to their Forefathers . The same is the answere of many Papists . We serue God as our Fathers did , and yet the Lord saith to all , n walke not in the ordinances of your Forefathers , neither obserue their manners , nor defile your selues with their Idols : I am the Lord your God , walke in my Statutes , &c. Men should not doe , as the most doe , but as they must doe : God doth not say , walke as others doe ; but , o Haec est via , ambulate in ea , This is the way , walke ye in it Truth is not to be tried by antiquity , or vniuersality , but by the Scripture : Nabuchadnezars idolatry graced with p vniuersality , onely three doe gainesay it . In a word with Cyprian , Multitude errantium non parit errori patrocinium , An erring multitude doth not patronize error . It hath beene a long time the calumny and reproaches of Popish Priests ( men who haue an infirmity to void excrements at their mouth ) to defame our Church with an vpstart nouelty : where was your Church before Martin Luthers time ? We doe not fetch our Religion from Martin Luther ( a worthy man ) but from the Scripture , from Christ and his Apostles : we want no antiquity , hauing the Scripture ; your q Iesuite will tell you so much , Sanctarum Scropturarum summa est antiquitas , &c. The Holy Scripture is of the greatest antiquity , and that Church , whose doctrine agrees with it , is most ancient . Yet Martin Luther is more ancient , then your Tridentine Fathers , and brood of Iesuites , the Atlasses to support your falling Church . But many hundred yeeres before Luthers dayes , there wanted not famous and zealous men , who resisted the corrupt doctrine of the Church of Rome , the persons , and the points , the time when , in all Ages are compendiously recited , by a iudicious and very learned r Diuine of our Church , to whose Booke for breuity sake , I referre my Reader . The nakednesse of the Roman Diana was discouered long agoe , for which dscouery many good men haue beene Acteon-like hunted by bloody hounds to death . Corruptions spread by degrees , Et tanquam cancer serpit , as Espencaeus ; creepes stealing like a Canker , infects one part , then another . Such hath beene the malady of the Church of Rome , their creeping corruptions canker-like , first one part , then another point , that it is hard to set downe the precise time , when these corruptions ingendered . The Greekes debated long on this probleme : The ship Argos , wherin Iason sayled for the golden Flecce , after the voyage ended , was laied vp in the roade for a Monument : where decaying by degrees , it was repaired by peeces anew ; in the end , the whole substance of the vessell extinct , and nothing left , but onely the reparations successiuely made . Now the question was , whether-this ship ( suppose it Peters ) were the same that he sayled in when he liued , or an other renewed ? and whether can any man tell , when such a peece was added , such a part supplied ? And if this cannot be so precisely shewed , doth it follow infallibly , that it was the very Argosie : wherein Iason sayled ? So in this case , their ship , their Church , so often peeced , so many new points added , euery Pope almost changing his Predecessors decrees , abrogating this point , and augmenting it with another , that it is indeed a new ship , and can iustly pleade no great antiquity . And for vniuersality , and vnity in Doctrine , no Church so much diuided . VVe doe reade , how Popes vsually haue condemned that , which other Popes haue confirmed : Councels contradicted that which others haue concluded . Their outcries in Schooles , Pulpets , Consistories , one against another , makes their diuision and difcord audible : That we may say of them , which f Lucian of the old Phlosophers ; With the noise of their disputations , they haue so filled the eares of Iupiter , and made him deafe , that he cannot heare their prayers . How irreconciliable are the iars and contentions of Scotus , Aquinas , Egidius Romanus , and others ? that they imitate the wranglings of the old Academicks , Stoicks , and Peripatetickes . Haue they not Families of the Schoolemen , wherein euery one professeth his particular Sect-Master ? Thomas , Scotus , Occham Durandus , both Masters and Scholers , haue spent their lines and liues in opposition . The Dominican and Franciscan Friers , many ages quarrelling about the conception of the Virgin Mary . Their writers sharping their pens one against another , Armachanus against the Friers , the Iesuites , and secular Priests one against another : Catharinus against Caietan , Catharinus and Soto one against another : Pighius , Gropper , B●rus , Peresius , Cassander , Hosius , Almayne , &c great pillars of Popery , some fourescore yeeres agoe , are now by late Iesuites contemned and confuted : who knoweth not ( saith t Bellarmine that Pighius in many points was miserably seduced by reading Caluins Bookes ? and of Gropper , and other Diuines of Collen he u saith ; Their Bookes haue need of the Churches censure . Yea , are not the writers of the last stampe , euen Bellarmine , Gregory of Valence , Stapleton , Suarez , Vasquez , Molina , Baronius , &c : vp to the eares in contention and faction among themselues ? Bellarmine confuted by Bar●layus , Suarez , Carerius , Marsilius ; yea , Bellarmine hath often confuted himselfe by contradictions . Suarez confuted by Vasques , Baronius by Mariana , &c. Yea , this Kingdome is so diuided among it selfe , that we presume , and this presage , it shall not long stand . They that would further behold this Campe of the * Midianites , sheathing their swords in their neighbours sides ; let them reade the worke of that learned and reuerend Doctor , D. Hall , in his Booke called the Peace of Rome . And yet the Papists with might and maine exclaime at factions in the Church of England , to whom we may say with our Sauiour ; Hypocrita , eijce primùm Trabem de oculo tuo , x Hypocrite , first cast the beame out of thine owne eye , sweepe cleane before your owne threshold , before you blame spots in others . They tell the World what an implacable discord and dissention is betwixt the Protestants and the Puritanes , ( a name we scarce know , and is proper to none , but onely vnto Iesuites , who thinke themselues so pure , that they will arrogate to be of the society of Iesus : ) But we may truly say , that which they shall neuer say ; That in the Church of England there is vniuersality and vnity in substance of doctrine and religion , and in circumstance we haue , or hope for a generall vniformity . But they want these , and yet of late they haue a new policy , to purge and raze many of their owne dead Doctors , to speake that in their graues , they neuer thought on in their studies ; putting out that which they printed ; and putting in that which the Authors neuer purposed : Thus haue they serued Caictan , Gratians Glosse , Ferus , Polydore , Lodonic●…Vines , &c. And to this end serue their Indices Expurgatorij , To purge away their best blood , and leaue them nothing but skinne and bones : And thus haue they serued Andreas Mazius Comments , and Iansenius Harmony vpon the Gospell ; yea , whom not , if hee hath touched neuer so tenderly the sores of Rome , this is the medicine to helpe the malady . But I would this punishment had beene onely inflicted vpon their owne Doctors , and that they had neuer laied their correcting hands in corrupting the Fathers , of whom they haue a long time boasted , ( the Fathers , the Fathers , are all of our side ) : but these are but wind and words and as he said of the Nightingale , Vox est praeterea nihil , A meere voice , and nothing else , for these will vse the Fathers , as Solo● his Friends or as Merchants vse figures in Accounts for hundreds , if they please them for Cyphers , if they crosse them and truly the ancient Fathers of the best esteeme spea●e little or nothing on their side in any fundamentall points , and difference twixt them and vs except they haue dieted and giuen them vomits and purgations ; except they haue so done to them , as Clement the eighth did to his Predecessor Sixtus Quintus , corrupting that his correction of the Bible by a new Translation , which one called a new Transgression ; and they haue herein so falsified many of the Fathers , and foisted in other counterfet Fathers , that it puts me in mind of a Popes Iester , Pogghius speakes of ▪ who when he told the Pope tales to make him sport , did it standing behind a cloath , for being outfaced : So the Fathers , who speake for them , must stand behind a skreene , mantled or mangled by their correction . So that taking away these desperate shifts , which the Church of Rome vseth , there will be found no great antiquity vniuersality , or vnity in the Doctrine of the Church of Rome . But to leaue these and other motiues ( allectiues to many to loue the Church of Rome ) for I did not intend to muster vp all their motiues , wherewith they fight against vs ; for so I should send out a Ship , and not a Pinnesse ; I will rather mention a few markes and apparent tokens , whereby these children may iustly misdoubt their mother to be an harlot and in part palpably perceiue her corruption : Her first whorish marke is , her blasphemy against the Scripture , being that woman in Saint Iohns vision . a sitting vpon a scarlet coloured beast , full of the names of blasphemy : and that in foure respects ; first her blasphemy and contempt of the Scripture appeares , because the Church of Rome maintaines , that all things necessary to saluation are not contained in the Holy Scripture ; and that the best part of true religion is knowne by vnwritten traditions , and that these traditions are to bee receiued with the same reuerence and affection , wherewith wee receiue the Scripture , as the b Councell of Trent decreed . Many things belong to Christian Faith , which are not contained in the Scripture openly , nor obscurely , saith c Canus . The greatest part of the Gospell is come to vs by tradition , very little of it is committed to writing , d saith Hosius : The e Canon Law , set out newly by Pope Gregory the 13. saith , that men doe so reuerence the Apostolicall seate of Rome , that they rather desire to know the auncient institution of Christian religion from the Popes mouth , then from the holy Scripture . Their workes are full of such words , by which all may see their blasphemy , comparing traditions of men with the infallible worde of God. 2. Their mouthes are full of bitter and irreuerent speeches against the Scripture , calling it f a nose of waxe , to be writhed this way , or that way ; a dumbe Iudge , as Pighius termes it , dead g inke , as another : yea Bellarmine h their great Doctor saith , the Scripture is not simply necessary : or as i Eckius , we must liue more according to the authority of the Church , then after the Scripture : or the Scriptures without the k authority of the Church are no better then Aesops fables . And often they will deny the Scripture it selfe , as Catharinus accuseth Caietan their great Cardinall , ( called by l them an incomparable Diuine , and the most learned of all his age ) who doth charge him m for denying the last chapter of Markes Gospell , some parcell of S. Luke , the Epistle to the Hebrewes , the Epistle of Iames , the second Epistle of Peter , the second and third of Iohn , the Epistle of Iude , all which are Canonicall : they wil denie the scripture if it make not for them , & say with n Eckius , Scriptura sine ecclesia authoritate non est authentica , The Scripture without the authority of the Church , that is the Pope ( for so Gregory of o Valence saith , by the Church we meane her Head , that is , the Roman Bishop ) is not authenticall . 3. They make their Pope Iudge ouer the Scripture ; whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Bishop of Rome , as the infallible rule of God , from whom the holy Scripture takes her strength and authority , hee is an heretike , p saith one of her side . The Pope q may change the holy Gospell , and may giue to the Gospell , according to time and place , another sense . We are bound to stand to the Popes iudgement alone ; rather then to the iudgement of al the world besides , saith r Aluarus Pelagius . The Popes s rescripts and decretall Epistles are Canonicall Scripture . If any man haue the interpretation of the Romane Church , ( that is , the Pope ) concerning any place of Scripture , although he neyther know nor vnderstand , whether and how it agreeth with the words of Scripture , yet notwithstanding he hath ipsissimumverbum Dei , the very word of God , saith t Hosius : voices most odious to all the Fathers whom they boast of , to name but one , S. Chrysostome * saith , Scripturis sacris potius credendum , quam omnibus hominibus in mundo , VVe must beleeue the Scripture before all the men of the world : and not to cleaue to the Popes exposition , for as the same x Father , Sacra Scriptura seipsam exponit , & auditorem errare non sinit , the holy scripture expounds it selfe , and will not suffer the hearer to erre . Their Cardinall Cusanus hath written a booke , which he entitleth , De Authoritate Ecclesia & Concilij , supra , & contra Scripturam , of the authory of the Church , and of a Councell , aboue and against the Scripture ; with many others who haue vomited out blasphemous speeches , and would infringe the authority of the worde of God , robbing it sacrilegiously of her all-sufficiency , and bestow it vpon their Pope , the Master of the mystery of iniquity and herefie . 4 They prohibit the people to read the Scripture , and odiously exclaime against vs , as y Bellarmine , & the z Rhemists , because our translated Bibles be in the hands of euery husbandman , artificer , prentise , boy , girle , mistresse , maide , man : and for the maintaining of their practise to depriue the people of the worde , they would colour it with certaine paradoxes . 1 The Scripture makes heretickes . 2 Ignorance is the mother of deuotion . 3 Images are the Lay-mens Bookes . 4 They must belieue as the Church belieues implicitly . Christ * commands all , Search the Scriptures : but they say , The Scripture makes heretickes . Paul saith , Let the worde of Christ dwell in you plenteously , but they say , Ignorance is the mother of deuotion : b Iohn saith , Babes keepe your selues fram images , but they say , They are the Lay-mens bookes : c Abakuk saith , The iust shall liue by his faith , but they say , You shal liue by another mans faith : beleeue as the Church beleeues , and doe not know what the Church beleeues . Their doctrine to the Scripture is as opposite as heauen is to hell , and therfore would not haue the people acquainted with the Scripture . It is lamentable to reade how impiously they write in this kind , their great Cardinall and president in the Trent Councell , d Hosius saith , It was fitter for women to meddle with their distaffe then with Gods word . So e Durae●● God hath left them , not the bookes of the Scriptures , but Pastors and Doctors . They take away from the Christian Souldier his weapon , scriptum est , and in stead thereof giue him traditum est , a wooden dagger , pictures , legends , and fables , f forsaking the fountaines of liuing waters , and digge them broken pits that can hold no water . They imitate the malicious g Philistims , who stopped the wells of Abraham and filled them vp with earth , to put their memoriall out of minde , so that they might challenge the ground : so these stop the veines of life found in the Scripture , with the earthly drosse of traditions , legends , Sathans songs , to make a merchandize of ignorant soules , and to starue them with a famine of Gods worde , as if the contents in the Scripture , were like the mysteries of the goddesse Ceres , which might not be reuealed ; making the bread of life like the shew-bread , whereof it was lawfull for none to eat of it but the Priests onely . To colour this Gorgon with a cleanly vizard they say , Ignorance is mother of deuotion ; Pessima mater est ( saith Austen ) itidem pessimae duae filiae ; falsitas , & dubietas , illa miserior , ista miserabilior , illa perniciosior , ista molestior , Ignorance is the worst mother , and her two daughters worst , falshood , and doubtfulnes ; that very wretched , this more miserable , that more pernicious , this more troublesome : but they make much of this mother , for she is the vpholder of the Popes chaire . Pythagoras said well , Aboue all take care to keepe thy body from diseases , the city from sedition , and thy soule from ignorance : But we may say to these popish Interpreters of the Law , as our Sauiour did to the Pharasaicall , h ye haue taken away the key of knowledge , yee enter not in your selues , and them that came ye forbad . I haue the longer insisted vpon this marke ( a red lattise to shew the house of the great i whore , which sits vpon many waters ) by which signe I may say , Pulchrum est digito monstrari , & dicier , haec est : The second meretrician marke , is her outward face , pontificall pompe and gouernment . How vnlike is her Pope to Peter ? Peter arrogated no primacy , no Episcopall vniuersality : painefull to k preach the worde , neuer medling with the temporall sword : To feed Christs l sheep was all his ioy : he neuer had Emperor hold his stirrop , or kisse his toe : neuer deposed King from his Crown : neuer freed subiect from obedience : hee gaue himselfe no other title , but an m Apostle of Iesus Christ . He neuer gloried in these smoaky titles , n Vicarius Christi , sponsusecclesiae , the Vicar of Christ , the husband of the Church : o Vniuersalis Episcopus , & caput Ecclesia , Vniuersall Bishop , Head of the Church : or as others stile him , lumen orbis , the light of the world , or vice-deus , in the roome of God , not a meere man , but mixt ; with other Luciferian titles , which by me are elsewhere touched : his vsurped prerogatiues and power they may that will finde in Bellarmines bookes de Romano pontifice : yea as ( some say ) the Goates of Candie haue al their eyes fixed vpon the canicular star when it ariseth in the Horizon : so all popish eyes fixed vpon this star of Rome , homagers to his chaire , all their tongues saluting with Gallinae fillus albae . Peter and the Apostles were no fishers of Gold , as it may be said of these Popes , praedam quaerunt , non animas , they fish for siluer , not for soules : Innocent the third , a Pope of Rome told Aquinas , being in his Gallery among his gold , that Peter could not shew so much gold when he said , p siluer and gold haue I none : to whom Aquinas gaue a good answere and saide , your Holinesse cannot doe that which Peter said , and did to the cripple , surge & ambula , arise and walke . How vnlike are Romes Cardinalls to Christs Apostles ? State , pride , ambition and policy are their foure cardinall vertues : Their stile , ego & Rex , I and the King , their purple hat and scarlet habit will scarce giue way to regall robes . The pride , ambition , and vaine-glory of the Romane prelacy hath beene taxed in most histories : yea their owne side hath condemned them for these sinnes , and are branded with these markes by Cusanus , Zarabella , Marsilius , Occham , Duareaus &c. Their selling of Pardons , & symoniacal corruption hath made it a common by-word , — omnia venalia Romae , Templa , sacerdetes , altaria , sacra , coronae , Ignis , thura , preces , coelum est venale , deusque : At Rome all sacred things are to be sold , Temple , priests , prayers , heauen and God for gold . Yea many of their great Popes symoniacall , hereticall , boyes , yea the feminine Pope Ioane was no honest Pope : yea their owne q Baronius saith , that a notable strumpet to Adelbert Marquesse of Tuscia , prostituting her daughters to the Popes , did create Popes at the pleasure of the strumpets : and he cries r out : How filthy was the face of the Romane Church then , when most powerfull , and withall most sordide whores bare all the sway at Rome , and their louers were thrust into Peters seate ? At this day ( as wee reade ) the Pope hath a pension from the stewes at Rome ; Were he like Peter , he would abhorre to foule his hands with such stinking gaine , or enrich his coffers with an harlots hire : rather s with S. Peter say , Thymony perish with thee : or with our Sauiour to the women taken in adultery , t Goe away and sinne no more ; and not to giue them a toleration or dispensation for fornication . To leaue this point , as the Poet left Rome , with this verse : Roma vale , vidi , satis est vidisse , reuertar , Cum leno , meretrix , scarra , cinaedus ero . Oh Rome farewell , I haue seene , and seene too much , Returne I will , when turne , baud , whore , or such . The third marke may be this , That there is no point of our faith , but many learned in the Church of Rome approue the same ; and no point of Papistry by vs confuted , but some of the chiefe of their Church haue disliked , as well as we ; that we may say to them as our Sauiour did to that bad seruant , u Ex ore tuo te iudico , of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee . Thus the diuision of the tongues and people of Babilon are a meanes of the plantation and edification of Gods Ierusalem . This point hath beene demonstrated in the chiefe questions betwixt them and vs , by many learned Diuines of our Church , and excellently verified and declared by Doctor Morton , a singular ornament of our Church , in many of his workes , but especially in his first and second part of his Catholicke Apology , wherein he hath ouerthrown the points of Popery of the chiefest difference by the affirmations and assertions of the best learned Papists , to whose labour in this point I refer the iudicious Reader . The fourth marke is this : That many maine points in popery are absurd , and euen against common sense , and the light of nature . What man endewed with mother-wit , can perswade himselfe , that the Pope is Iudge and Lord ouer the Scripture , Church , Councels , and all the world : and that in his breast there is an infallibility of not erring , when as common and continuall experience speakes the contrary ? What likelihood is there in the doctrine of transubstantiation , that the Priest should pull caelum in caenam , Christs body with all his dimensions put in a little boxe , and the same body be in seuerall places and parts at one time ? What colour of trueth can there be in the doctrine of workes of Superogation , that a man can merit more then is needfull for him , and that this his ouer-plus of obedience , by the Churches dispensation , is beneficiall to other , who want this plenitude ? when as our * Sauiour saith , VVhen ye haue done al those things which are commanded you , say , we are vnprofitable seruants . To pretermit their ridiculous ceremonies which Kemnitius well termes Sarcasmi Diaboli , as christning of Bels , sprinkling of holy water , Exorcismes , Annealing , spitting in the baptizeds mouth , creeping to the Crosse , praying vpon beades , &c. or their doctrine of praying to the dead , who can neyther heare nor helpe ; or their many * mediators and intercessors , when as Paul saith , There is but one mediator betweene God and man , which is Iesus Christ , 1 Tim. 2. 5. If any man sinne , wee haue an aduocate with the Father , Iesus Christ the righteous , &c. 1 Iohn 2. 1. or their * auricular confession and absolution of their sinnes , yet the very Pharifies could fay , Who can forgiue sinnes but God onely ? Luke 5. 21. or that saying of Masse , or singing Dirges for the dead , could benefit the dead ? as well writes S. x Ambrose herein , qui hic non aocipit renaissionē peccatorū , illac non ha●… , he that doth not receiue remission of his sinnes in this life , shall not find it in the life to come : and as S. y Cyprian , H●e vita 〈…〉 , ●…t tenetur , &c. Here life is to be lost or got , after death , neyther Masses , Dyrges , or Auc-Maries are auaileable . How repugnant to a good mans reason is their popish equiuocation , to dissemble the truth with a mentall reseruation . How doe they follow the counsell of z Peter ( of whom they boast ) who commands them to lay aside al dissimulation : or as S. * Paul , cast off lying , and speake trueth euery man to his neighbour ? but the Father of lies will not haue his children to speake truth : this doctrine none but Atheists , Machiauelists or Iesuites can commend . Not to touch all the fringes or fragments belonging to this whore , wherewith she is apparelled , I will but handle foure of her relickes , foure points of popery , which in my weake apprehension are dislonant to common reason , much more to Christian religion . 1. Her Latin seruice : 2. implicit faith . 3. worshipping of Images . 4. Popes pardons : a touch and away , not tast of her cup , for it is full of poyson , no not primis labris degustare , onely looke vpon it , and see how vgly it seemes to common sense ( excepting eyes , and eares , for therein popery is a bewitching Lady , faire images for the eyes , and sweet musicke for the eares ) like the booke giuen to a Iohn , sweete in the mouth ( sweete to carnall and naturall men ) but bitter in the belly , very sowre to the soule , which is sanctified and shall be saued . 1. Popish Latin seruice . What possibility is there that Seruice or Praiers said in a tongue which the people vnderstand not should be profitable to them ? As the b Apostle , If I pray in a strange tongue , my vnderstanding is without fruit : and the same Apostle , I had rather in the Church to speake fiue wordes with my vnderstanding , then tenne thousand wordes in a strange tongue : and againe , Except ye vtter words that haue signification , how shall it be vnderstood what is spoken ? for ye shall speake in the aire , and the Apostle seemes vpon purpose in the whole chapter to condemne this point , which chapter , 1 Cor. 14. I commend to all lay Papists to read it , yet in their mother Tongue , except they vnderstand the Latin. To pray in an vnknowne tongue , is not to pray , but to prate like a Parrot : and yet the Tridentine d Councell decreed , Non expedire vt diuinum officium vulgari passim lingua celebretur , not expedient that Diuine Seruice should be celebrated in the vulgar tongue , and they call it an intollerable error of the Lutherans who thinke the contrary : And this doctrine of Luther , who requires a knowne tongue in Diuine prayers , Diaboli calliditatem sapit , saith their c Catharinus , sauors of the Deuill ; rather this speech sauors of the Deuill . And truely these Foxes in this chase haue beene so hunted out of all their blinde holes of ignorance , and vnable to vphold this Babell of Barbarisme , that they are at last brought to a very desperate defence , to produce but two of their Champions , who haue drawen out their weapons for the defence of this cause . Their Iesuite Salmeron , and Cardinall Bellarmine : f Salmeron saith , Finis proprius diuinorum officiorum non est populi instructio , & adificatio , sed potius cultus Deo debitus , The proper end of Diuine duties is not the instruction and edification of the people , but rather a worship due to God : I will not vouchsafe an argument , but say with that reuerend g Deane , Hoc est causae perditissimae vltimum refugium , desperationis plenissimum , omnis authoritatis , & rationis praesidijs destitutum , This is the last refuge of a most wretched cause , full of desperation , and void of all authority and reason . h Bellarmine saith almost the same words , vsus precum praecipuus non est aedificatio , aut consolatio populi , sed cultus Deo ab ecclesia debitus , the chiefe vse of prayers is not the edification or consolation of the people , but a worship due to God from the Church , and so that God doe vnderstand the tongue , no matter whether men doe or no : a strange argument : God knowes our wants before we pray , why then should we pray at all ? or make our petitions to him , and yet know not the tenor of our petitions ? Neuer did any Church teach the people to pray for that which they do not vnderstand , but the Church of Rome . Yet they themselues confesse it , were better if the seruice were in the vulgar tongue , yet will not suffer it : as i Bellarmine , Est melius ad consolationem orantis , It were better for the consolation of him that prayes : melius ad instructionem vt preces intelligantur , say the k Rhemists , better for instruction , that the prayers should be vnderstood and l Caietan , better for the edification of the Church ; ad fructum deuotionis conducibilius , saith m Aquine , more conuenient for the fruit of deuotion : and so their Cardinall n Contarenus saith , The prayers that men vnderstand not , want the fruit which they should reape , if they vnderstood them . Yea themselues o confesse , That in the time of the Primitiue Church the people in the vulgar tongue did celebrate their diuine seruice : In primitiue ecclesia benedictiones , & caetera communia fiebant invulgari , saith Lyranus in the Primitiue Church benedictions , and other common duties done in the vulgar tongue : nay p Bellarmine goes further , Longo tempore post , tempore Chrysostomi , ac Cypriani , ac Ieronymi , ea consuetudo valuit , long after that , in the time of Chrysostome , Cyprian , and Ierome , this custome , to celebrate sacred things in the vulgar tongue , preuailed . The cause which the Trent q Councell alleadgeth , why all diuine seruice should bee in the Latin tongue , is this , mos generalis ecclesiae habet , vt tantum tribus linguis , hebraica , Graeca , & latina celebretur , The generall custome of the Church hath beene , that in these three tongues , Hebrue , Greeke , and Latin , it should bee celebrated : In the Primitiue Church and long after , no such custome , by their owne confession : and if any tongue , rather the Hebrue , the most ancient ; but the Hebrue and Greeke originals of the Scripture are by them little regarded , and the vulgar Latin translation of the Scripture is by the Councell of r Trent canonized , charging all to vse it , as the authenticall text in all their readings , disputations , sermons , and expositions , and that they doe not reiect it vpon any pretence whatsoeuer . Yea the s Bishop of Toledo putting forth the Bible in diuers languages , printed the Latin betweene the Hebrue and Greeke , saying , hee had placed them as the two theeues on eyther side , but the Romane , or Latin put in the midst betweene them , as Iesus Christ : and yet I thinke neuer did the sunne see any thing more defectiue and maimed then the vulgar Latin thus by them extolled . I could with my finger point at grosse corruptions therein , but I may spare that labor , their own tongues shall tell it . Their owne Bishop t Lindan saith , it hath monstrous corruptions of all sorts , scarce one coppy hath one booke of Scripture vndefiled : many points translated improperly , abusiuely : with many other learned Papists , who might be named , complaining of seuerall additions , detractions , falsifications , deprauations , and barbarismes of the vulgar Latine , now by them preferred aboue the Hebrue and Greeke coppies . Well , if the Lay people may haue this Latin Bible read vnto them , yet vnderstand neuer a worde of it , and other Church prayers , they thinke this seruice is sufficient which is but a little better then vox porcorum , or mugitus boum , then crying of hogges , or the bellowing of buls : for it is the comparison of u Isidorus , Quid potest strepitus labiorum vbi cor est mutum ? oratio sine deuotione , est quasi mugitus boum , what is the sound of the lips , the heart silent ? Prayer without deuotion is like the roring of oxen : what deuotion or feeling is in that minde which is senselesse of the wordes of his mouth ? a senselesse petitioner , who vnderstands not the sense of his petition . If a wauering minded man shall receiue nothing of the Lord , as * Iames , what shall a filly sot obtaine , who is both inconstant and ignorant how to pray , and what to pray for ? his Pater noster &c , or Credo indeum will stand him in small flead : Sathan in all his shop of fraud hath not a craftier guile to erect his kingdome of iniquity , then this accursed pollicy : Therefore let all men who feare God and desire his fauour to heare their prayers , follow S. Pauls rule , x Pray with the spirit , and vnderstanding also . 2 Implicite saith . The Church of Rome which rockes her children in the cradle of ignorance , tells them implicite faith is sufficient for them which is the faith of Asses , as images are fit bookes for Idiots . The description of implicit faith I will fetch from themselues who know best the true image of this their false Idoll : Implicita fides est credere , secundum quod credit Ecclesia , vnde non omnis Christianus tenetur illos articulos fidei scire explicite , sed tantum clerici , saith their y owne writer , Implicite or infold faith is to belieue as the Church beleeues , so that it is not necessary for euery Christian to know those Articles of faith explicitely , but onely Priests : a strange faith , onely deuised to suppresse knowledge , and to countenance ignorance : so z Bellarmine , fides melins per ignorantiam , quam per notitiam definitur , Faith is better defined by ignorance , then by knowledge . In their Church a Lay-man may belieue by a proctor , or by a Priest explicitly , but he that thus belieues by a deputy , shall goe to heauen by an Attourney . * Staphilus relates at large a Colliars faith , which Colliar at the point of death , and tempted of the Deuill , to know his Beliefe , sayd , I belieue , and die in the faith of Christs Church : vrged againe , what the faith of Christs Church was ? answered . That faith that I belieue in . Thus the Deuill receiuing no other answer was vanquished . This implicite faith , rather fancy , is that folly which they would haue their laity to loue , excluding knowledge from the nature of faith , and make a naked Assent sufficient for saluation . Thus these Soule-thiefes doe not onely put out the Candle of knowledge , the Scripture , and put it vnder a Bushell , least it should descry them , but would extinguish all light of grace , their Creede , which doth condemne them : To belieue as others belieue , or as the Church belieues , and yet know not the beliefe of the Church : a purblind faith to saue the blind . They teach the people not to trouble themselues with searching into the misteries of Christian religion , or points of faith , but say , ( as their a Rhemists tutor them ) that they will liue , and dye in that faith which the Catholicke Church teaches , and this Church can giue a reason of the things belieued : a very quicke way , if it were a good way : but God requires a distinct knowledge of the points of our faith , to be able , and b ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh a reason of our hope , and faith : not to haue the particular knowledge of our faith locked vp in the Church-chest , but in our owne breast : not to send to Rome , or the Pope for an answere , to ground their faith on , for they may be dead , before their message be deliuered , or an answere returned . This implicite faith was in no request in c Iustines time , who writes , that such as could no letter on the booke , vnderstood all the mysteries of faith : and indeede it is most necessary for all Christians to know , and learne the fundamentall points of faith , which in the Church of Rome by the vnlearned cannot be attained : for how should any know that which is propounded to him in an vnknowne tounge ? how should he vnderstand his Creed , that knowes not a word in English of his Credo . It is expounded to them , may some say : Worthily I doe warrant you : when as many of their Priests , and some of their Popes could not be Latin expounders . Their expositions like their Legends ( commonly-read by them in the Church to the people ) full of monstrous lyes : d as , the Virgine Mary came downe from heauen to visite sicke S. Fulbert , and gaue him her breasts to sucke ; and e that Saint Francis vsed to preach to Birds , and instruct them , who did heare him with great deuotion , &c. Good : stuste , to be read in the Church , yet this read in the mother tounge , that they might learne this apace ; but the booke of truth , the Scrpture , read in an vnknowen tounge , to belieue that implicitly : still they labour to imprison the people in the dungeon of ignorance , and superstition : It is heresie for a Lay-man to dispute in a point of faith , sayth f Nauarre : Neither g will they suffer the people to reade any bookes , which examine their religion . If any write honestly against their errors , their congregation of Cardinalls serues on them a Prohibition , commit them to the prison of suppression : If Lara speakes of Iupiters lust , her tounge must be cut out : the people may not looke vpon their enemies in the open face ; nay their these Bishops , and learned Priests , who should know light from darkenesse , are not permitted this priuiledge , without a h special Licence therein obtained : and their Authors must be of the Romane stampe , or first purged , before they may peruse them . Whereas our Church giues free liberty to all to reade priuatly their bookes : Veritas non quaerit angulos , truth seekes no corners : and were they not conscious of the guilt of their owne cause , they would neuer take this course : to depriue the people of the word , and reade it in an vnknowen tounge , or tell the people an implicite faith is sufficient . Thrirdly , worshipping of Images . I am come to the third monster of this i Beast , and I am loath to touch it , for the very Iewes abhorre it , Their worshipping of Images : the booke of God euery where cries k woe to them that worship any carued Images . Cursed are all such : and to shew the vanity , and iniquity of Image-worship , I first recommend to euery Lay-papist to reade soberly , and diligently the Chapter of Esay , namely the 44. And wheras these Papists commonly excuse themselues with this answere , we worship no Images , but onely they serue vs to put vs in remembrance of God. First let them know , that if they will follow the Doctrine of their Tutors , and I feare they follow them too much , they must worship them with a diuine worship : the old schoolemen ( saith the Iesuite l Vasquez ) doe say , Imagines Christi esse colendas adoratione latriae : The Images of Christ are to be worshipped with the highest adoration : their Iesuite m Azorius sayth , Constans est Theologorum sententia , imaginem codem honore , & cultu coli , quo colitur id , cuius est imago , It is the constant opinion of Diuines , that the Image is to be worshipped with the same honor and worship , wherewith that is worshipped , whose Image it is . Is not this I pray plaine idolatry ? Bellarmines n proposition heerein is this : Imagines Christi , & Sanctorum venerandae sunt , non solum peraccidens , vel improprie , verum etiam proprie : The Images of Christ , and Saints are to be worshipped , not accidentally , or improperly , but also properly : yea the second o Councell of Nice decreed that Images are to be worshipped . Their late p Councell of Trent sayth , and commands all to doe it with Diuine honor : So that we truly say , that whosoeuer is a true Papist , is a true idolater : yea their owne writers who write sparingly therein , testifie as much : Dici non potest , quanta Idolatria apud rudem populum alatur per Imagines , Saith q Agrippa and * Cassander , it cannot be expressed , what great idolatry is nourished among the rude people by Images : Yea as r an other , Sunt bene multiqui Imagines colunt , non vt figuras , sed perinde quasi ipsae aliquem sensum habeant , magisque ijs credunt , quam Christo , There are very many , who worship images , not as shapes , but euen as aliue , and more trust their Images , then Christ : Manifestidus est hoc , quam vt verbo explicaripossit , Saith s Cassander , This is more manifest , then can be expressed in a word : Dum imaginibus exhibent latriae cultum , Saith t Gerson , while they offer to images the worship of Latria . Let not u Bellarmine outface men with , Quis Catholicorum diuinum honorem imaginibus vnquam detulit ? Who of the Catholickes euer offered diuine honor to Images ? no true Catholickes euer did it , but Papists doe it : and he , with many others teach it : Councells , which they account generall , haue decreed it : indeede the Synod of Frankford condemned the Nicene Councell for it , ( yet Papists faine would shift that ) but it is manifest against them : for all the learned know , that Charles the Emperor did assemble a Councell at Franckford to condemne the second Councell of Nice , which had brought in the worshipping of Images : as the booke x of Charles the Great speakes . There was brought forth the question touching the late Synode , concerning the adoring of Images , wherein it was written , that they should be cursed , which did not giue the same seruice and adoration to the Images of Saints , which is giuen to the diuine Trinity ▪ This the fathers of Franckford iustly despised . This is acknowledged to be true by Hincmarus , Ado , Vrspergensis , Rhegino , Aimon , Auentine , &c. their welwilling writers . The late y Councell of Trent commands the same . Their schoolemen , and Diuines teach the same : as Tho. 3. p. qu. 25. art . 3. & 4. Siluest . v. Latria . n. 2. Turrecremata . 3. p. de Consecr . Crucis . n. 2. and Waldensis , Caietan , Gregory of Valence , Bellarmine , Turrian , Andradius , Posseuina , Saunders , &c. — Magna comitante caterua : All worthy Writers for woodden worship . But how odious are such idolatrizing Maisters and schollers to God and good men ? Irenaeus z places this among the heresies of Carpocrates , and the Gnostickes , quod haberent , & coronarent Imagines , that they had , and crowned Images : much rather to Papists , who haue , and craue , and crowtch to Images : and * Epiphanius taught that such were Heretickes , Qui Imaginem B. Virginis circumferunt , Who did beare and carry about the Image of the blessed Virgine : And this a Epiphanius fayth , It was against the authority of the Scripture , that any Image should be in the Church : And b Vrigen sayth of his time , we worship no Images : the c Christians in the primitiue Church had no Images : In republica Iudaeorum , Imaginum factor , & statuarum fabricator longe abiectus est , &c. Saith Origen , in the Common-wealth of the Iewes , a maker of Images or of Pictures is farre from them remooued , least it should minister any occasion to Idolatry : they that make them d are like vnto them , and so are all they that put their trust in them . Thou e shalt make thee no grauen Image , neither the likenesse of any thing : thou shalt not bow downe to them , neither serue thē , saith the Lord : how guilty of the breach of this precept , are these Image-mongers , who not onely bow downe to them , but also worship them ? The f Apostle was rebuked for offering to fall downe , and to worship dead and dumbe stockes & blockes , which haue g eyes and see not , mouthes and speake not , eares and heare not , noses , and smell not : Bowing to a Crucifixe , or such a like piece of wood , and worshipping , saying , h Deliuer me , for thou art my God. I know they well reply , They worship no blockes , stockes , or stones : why , if they will ioyne Issue , we will try the case : Confesse they must , their Crosse , or their Crucifix , &c. is a dead , and dumbe thing , as a stocke or stone , and hath nothing in it worthy of veneration : yet their Iesuits doe teach them , that this Crosse , or Crucifix is to be worshipped , not accidentally , improperly , or by way of representation , but properly . I will produce but three of their side ( for in ore duorum , aut trium stet omne verbum ) three of their chiefe Iesuits , and these are counted honest & sufficient witnesses among themselues : 1. i Costerus sayth , All the honor , that is due to the samplar , is giuen to the Image : is not this to worship the Image ? 2. k Bellarmine explaines it further , This honor is so giuen , that the Image stayeth , and limiteth it in it selfe , as it is an Image , and not onely as it representeth the samplar . 3 Is l Gr̄ogory of Valence , who saith , Images themselues after their maner , are to be worshipped , in respect of the samplar , & thus the Images ▪ of Christ must be adored with diuine honor per aliud . This is the moderne Doctrine of Rome , yet it sauors so ill in their owne smell , that m Bellarmine confesseth , it is not wholesome for the Pulpet . Their Masse-booke hath a prayer , All haile O Crosse , our onely hope , &c. Thou onely art worthy to beare the ransome of the world , O faithfull Crosse , onely thou art the Noble tree among all &c. Is not this prayer directed onely to the Crosse , which hath so many ( onely ) words to tye it fast to the Tree ? so that the Paynims of old did that which Papists now doe , their Idolles were the Images of the true God , and so worshipped by them , respectiuely , and with relation to God : for the n Altar at Athens dedicated to the same God , whom Paul preached : few or none among them ( saith o Peresius ) thought the matter of their Idolles so grauen , to be Gods , and they had many Idolles , whereby they represented the true God : nay some of the Iesuits are not ashamed to write , that not an Image onely or an holy thing , may be worshipped with the same adoration that is giuen to God , but euen any other thing in the world , whether liuing , or without life : either Angell , man , Sunne , Moone , Starres , Earth , or lignum , lapides , de modulo straminis , &c. ( saith Vasquez p their Iesuite ) wood , stones , or a litle strawe : this is as much as they are charged by vs , to worship stockes , and blockes . And moreouer these Roman-pseudo-catholickes maintaine an other idolatrous superstition , the * adoration of the Sacrament , an inuention brought in among them by q Honorius the third , like the idolatry of the Gentiles in oblation , and the ●sacrifices of Bread , and Wine to Mitbra : no other for substance , then that which the Gentiles offered : for the naturall substance of bread , and wine remaineth after the consecration , yet we belieue that to the faithfull receiuer , the body of Christ is infallibly conioyned with the bread , by a sacramentall relation . Yet no way to be worshipped , for we deny the Reall presence corporally , as they affirme : and it is very strange , that they should adore that , who teach , that s a man hauing receiued his maker , may vomit him vp againe : or as t Thomas , that a brute beast , as a dogge , may eate the Body of Christ . Though we doe not adore the bread and wine , yet we giue more reuerence to it , and teach , that the wicked may take panem Domini , the Bread of the Lord , not panem Dominum , the Lord as Bread , sauingly participate this sacred mystery of the Redemption by the body and blood of lesus Christ . So that to conclude this point , If it be vnlawfull pingere imaginem Dei in forma hominis , to draw the Image of God in the likenesse of man for which their u Bellarmine taxeth Caluin , yet confesseth that their Albul . Durandus , Peresius hold the same opinion : for the Image visible of the inuisible God , is the Lena , the baud of the heresie * of the Anthropomorphites , who held , Deum ex humanis membris consistere , God did consist of humane members : then how abominable is it to worship God vnder the shape of an Image , and ascribe the same honor to the Image , as they doe to the samplar , ( God as they say ) by it represented● So that to such , God will say , as the x Prophet speakes , Confounded be all they that serue grauen images , or that glory in Idolles : and as y Esay . I am the Lord , this is my name , and my glory will I not giue to an other , neither my praise to grauen Images . And I wonder that any should be so bewitched as to delight in Images ( historicall vsel deny not , but all spirituall vse is fornication , and abomination : ) but more to creepe , and croutch to them , the visible obiects of dust , or dirt , to z bowe to the stocke of a Tree , as the Prophet speakes , this is the basest thing that almost the Sunne euer sawe , vnworthy of man , whose knee should bow to his Maker , and not to the stocke that he hath made himselfe : how odious is the seruice , and sacrifice of such creeping and croutching Idoll-suppliants in the Lords sight ? he will * cast the dung vpon their owne faces , euen the dung of their solemne feasts , such fordide seruice , such prophane , and heathenish sacrifice , which stinckes in his nostrills , and say , I neuer required this woodden worship at your hands , I neuer commanded you to buy these Bookes , which you say , shall put you in remembrance of me ; but you that cannot remember me without the sight of an Image on earth , I will forget you , and shall neuer haue a sight of my Image in heauen . Thus hauing spoken a little , yet enough , to satisfie a temperate and ingenuous Reader , to behold the corruptions of Popery in the forepassed points , I will come to our next promised part , Popes pardons , wherein I wil be more briefe , because they are called by them . * Bullae , Bulls , or Indulgences , rather bubbles , something in appearance , empty in the substance of proofe , or profit . Fourthly , Popes pardons . Their Cardinall Allen in his defence of Popes pardons , saith , that to impugne the power of pardons , is to ouerthrow the greatest matters which life and Faith doe stand vpon ; and saith that Luther ; except one Witclife condemned in the Councell of Constance , was the first that contradicted them , from which point did begin the toyle and tragedy of these times : wherein the Cardinall speakes not 〈◊〉 Cathedra , for the Waldenses long before Witclife , and Bohemians before Luther , did contemne and condemne this vsurped power of popish pardons , wherein the pith of popery is inclosed . Indeede when it pleased the Lord to open Luthers eyes to see the truth , he began first to finde fault with the base inundation of picke-purse pardons , though ( as hee saith ) then he did but fight in the darke : for when Pope Leo the tenth had sent abroad his pardons which were preached by Terelius a Dominicke Frier ' , Luther admonished the people of the abuses and deceits of the pardons and pardoners , which long before his time had beene reproued in the Councels of Lateran and Vienna : and complained to the Archbishop of Mentz , to the Bishop of Brandenburg , to the Prouinciall of the Augustine Friers , and to the Pope himselfe : and Surius the Papist confesses that he did iustly complaine ; and afterward compelled by intollerable iniuries , and neglect of manifest truth and reformation , cast off the seruile yoake and vassalage of Antichristian captiuity . These Pardons haue no ground in holy Scripture or Primitiue Church , or Fathers of the Church , for a thousand yeares after Christ , but are indeede the impostures of this last age , delusions of Sathan , and the temptations to Epicurisme and all vice , when as such pardons for all kinde of sinnes are proffered and prostrated to all such as can prouide money for them . For the b Court of Rome hath an order containing the price to be paid for all kinde of sins , as murther , incest , parricide , sodomy , sacriledge , &c. and they that would see the particular summes of money for all kinde of sinnes and offences , and what their pardon will cost in the Court of Rome for all capitall and horrible faults let them read Musculus common places in the title of the Ministers of the worde of God towards the end . Some of their c writers confesse , De Indulgentijs nihil habemus , nec in Scripturis , nec ex dictis antiquarum doctorum , we haue nothing of pardons , neyther in the Scriptures , nor in the ancient Doctors : & their d Gregory of Valence saith , that Gratian & Lombard , who liued not aboue 400. yeares agoe , Nihil de indulgentis ●…nisse , haue recorded nothing of Indulgences : And the same e Iesuite saith , Erant Catholici quidam ante Lutherum , quorum opinionem Thomas ▪ f refent , qui indulgentias pias fraudes esse duxerunt , There were certaine Catholickes before Luther , whose opinion Thomas recites , who accounted these indulgences holy fraud : rather lenocinia diaboli , the enticing impiety of the Deuil and the whore , to be so indulgent to their sons , as rather to cocker , then correct them for their sinnes . So g Pope Boniface the 8 , the first inuenter of Iubily pardons , grants , Non solumplenam , & largiorem , immo plenissimam omni●m suorum veniam peccatorum , Not onely a full and large pardon , but a most full pardon of all their sinnes ; and to giue pardon for many hundred yeares to come , and that for doing a very small seruice ; as Pope Gregory who made a prayer about the length of a Creede , which whosoeuer shall say deuoutly , shall receiue fiue hundred yeares of pardon ; quicke worke : yet prouided that at the end of euery verse he say a Pater noster , and an Aue. Sometimes pardons for dayes , as Pope Innocent the sixt , to them who say a short prayer about the scantling of an Aue , hee shall obtaine pardon for twenty thousand daies . Pope Iohn the two and twentieth , giues to them who say a short , h prayer , three thousand daies of pardon of mortall sinnes , and twenty thousand daies of venials ; and if that prayer too long , or pardon too short , let him say fiue Pater nosters ▪ before the Vernacle , and hee shall haue ten thousand daies pardon by that Pope . Gregorie the third giues a pardon to them that shall say a prayer as long as three Aues , and kneele before a Crucifice , for sixe thousand , sixe hundred , threescore and sixe daies ; iust so many daies as Christ had wounds on his body : as some say : saue that our Lord appeared to S. Briget at Rome , and told her that his wounds were but fiue thousand , foure hundred and fourescore : or as others i tell it , fiue thousand foure hundred fourescore and ten , excepting the prickes of his crowne , which k were threescore and twelue . But some other Popes haue beene more liberall in the grant of these pardons : Pope Sixtus the fourth graunted to them , who say a prayer of his making , which hath not aboue fiue and forty words , forty thousand yeares of pardon . Read a Bull of Confirmation granted by Pope Leo the tenth , Anno 1513. sept . id . Martij , pontificis anno primo , the which Bull was granted , Hospitali sancti spiritus in Saxia almae vrbis : in which is an approbation of all former pardons obtained to the saide Hospitall , and the members thereof , as Innocent the third grants to all that visit the saide Hospitall two thousand and eight hundred yeares of pardon . Pope Alexander the fourth grants foure thousand yeares , & eight hundred Lents of pardon . Pope Celestine the fifth grants also to the saide Hospitall and the members , an hundred thousand yeares of pardon . Pope Clement the fift grants also two thousand and eight hundred yeares of pardon . Pope Boniface the eight , 2500. yeares of pardons . Pope Clement the sixt , 8000 yeares and 8000 Lents , & full remission of al their sins . Pope Innocent the sixt , 2000 years , and 2000 Lents of pardons . Pope Benedict the 12 , 3000 years , & as many Lents of pardons . All which grants of pardons by the Popes confirmed to the said Hospitall and the members : if this were as good ware as they make some beleiue , who would not goe visit this Hospitall ? yea be a member of it ? Can any Papist goe to the Deuill who may haue a * pardon for a little money , and l saying ouer a prayer or two ? which prayers haue such power , that when S. Bernard said one before a Rood , it so pleased the said Rood , that it bowed it selfe , and embraced him in the armes : Like the Rood of Naples which m spake so kindely to Thomas Aquinas : Or like the n Crucifixe which nodded the head to the Monke Gualbertus . Indeed if Popes prayers be like Amphions harpe to mooue stones , Saxa moueresono testudinis , & prece bland● Ducerè quò vellet — The famous Amphion with his harpe could play To moue the stones : so popish harpers pray . If Popes can giue so large pardons for sinnes , and haue so good prayers , I muse they cannot cure the Papists of bodily sicknesse : for sicknesse is the punishment of sinne . rather Popes doe encrease their sicknesse by procuring Gods plagues and punishments to be inflicted vpon them for affecting such practises to haue their sinnes pardoned of Popes , when as it appertaineth onely to God. They who are Gods dearest Ministers ( I feare the Pope is none ) haue no other power heerein , then to declare in Gods name forgiuenesse of sinne , ( not to make them a pardon for money ) if they truely beleeue in Christ , and repent , and so release the band of discipline in open offenders , where the fruites of repentance appeare : and so the meanest minister of Christ by vertue of his spirituall office may declare absolution of sinnes to the truely penitent ; but to forgiue sinnes , none can or may doe it , but God alone . I , o euen I , am hee that putteth away thy iniquities for mine owne sake , and will not remember thy sinnes : p Come vnto me all ye that are weary , and laden , and I will ease you ; with a thousand places of Scripture , exhorting all to come vnto Christ , and apply his bloud vnto their soules for the remission of their sinnes . * There is no other way by which wee can be saued , or our sinnes pardoned : ad impetrandam nostris sceleribus veniam non pecunias impendere , sed hoc facere &c. saith q Chrysostome , To get a pardon for sinne , money will not doe it , but to beleeue in Christ . And indeed the Pardon-Procters are so dazeled in the defence of them , like the sodomites smitten with blindenesse at Lots doore , that they cannot tell how to finde any ground for them , but are compelled abruptly to say with r Bellarmine , Sufficit ad Indulgentias , & Bullas defendendas Ecelesia authorit as , The authority of the Church , alleadged , not proued , is sufficient to defend Bulles and Indulgences : a weake argument to defend wicked pardons . But their Glosse vpon that great Bull of Boniface the 8 , saith , Foure things concurre as principall , to make a pardon effectuall . 1 Authority in the granter . 2 Capacity in the receiuer . 3 Piety in the end . 4 vtility in the worke : But authority heerein the Pope hath none : idoneity , or capacity in the receiuer , namely that he be a true member of Christ , and purged from his fault , the Pope cannot tell : Piety in the end is none , for it opens a wide way to all impiety ; vtility to the party none , for hee is robbed of his money , and deluded in his soule ; the onely vtility comes to the Pope , to enrich his coffers ; for by this deuice a world of wealth is raised : for men who doe beleeue these pardon-mongers , to be released out of the paines of Purgatory , telling them what a grieuous punishment it is to lye in Purgatory fire , which is indeed ignis fatuus , or the fire of the Popes kitchin , to warme his backe and belly ; they will willingly giue their money to goe to Heauen by a pardon . Thus it is written of s Boniface the ninth , who sent into diuers kingdomes his Treasurers with pardons , who extorted great summes of money from simple people , that in some one Prouince they would get together aboue an hundred thousand florens , omnia peccata relaxantes , releasing all offences whatsoeuer . t Christ , said to his Apostles , freely you haue receiued , freely giue : But heere no penny , no pardon , no pater noster : so that wee may say of these Popes as u one doth of Gregory the ninth , O auarum cor , vbi Petri paupert as quamiactatis ? O couetous hart , where is Peters pouerty whom yee boast of ? that to play impostors to the world , will sell such ware as you fetch from the Deuils shop ; to cozen the simple of their money , & bring them into a fooles Paradise , to hope of pardon of their sinne by buying your mercenary indulgences , and Buls , the basest trash that can be inuented ; to sell for siluer remission of sinnes , and euen saluation of soules , as Iudas did for thirty peeces his Sauiour . But heerein let Gods children say to the Pope as * Daniel did to Balshazzer , keepe thy rewards to thy selfe , and giue thy gifts to another : keepe your paltry pardons to your selues , saying as Dauid did to the Prophet Gad , x Let vs fall into the hands of the Lord , for his mercies are great , and not into the hands of men , ( the Pope or his Priests ) for the very y mercies of the wicked are cruell . The inuention of Popes pardons was to maintaine their pride , the power vnlawfull , the causes vngodly , the vse abhominable , and the end deceiueable , neyther by the Scriptures , or practise of the Primitiue Church warrantable . I hasten to put this Piunace into harbour , weary with being on the Sea of Rome ; therefore to bee briefe , let all that desire to be faithfull seruants to their Lord and Sauiour , who as yet halt betwixt God and Baal , being as one cals them , Lunae vituli , Moone-Calfes , once a moneth come to the Temple , hoping to walke to heauen with statute-legges : or others who are more setled vpon their lees , whose mindes as z yet the God of this world hath blinded , that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ , which is the image of God should not shine vnto them : let them all know that these voices sound from heauen vnto them , to their conuersion and consolation , if they accept them ; or condemnation and confusion if they reiect them . * Come out from among them , & separate your selues , saith the Lord , and touch no vncleane thing , and I will receiue you , and I will be a Father vnto you , and you shall be my sonnes and daughters , saith the Lord. This voice is not the voice of man , but of God , a Come out of her my people , that ye be not partakers in her sinnes , and that ye receiue not of her plagues : for her sinnes are come vp into heauen , and God hath remembred her iniquities , as it is there prophecied of the fall of mysticall Babylon , which is Rome . Therefore let my exhortation bee that vnto you which a reuerend and learned Doctor gaue as a farewell to his friends , Commendo vos dilectioni Dei , & odio papatus , I exhort you to loue God , and leaue the corrupt doctrine of Popery , which is a forme of Religion , yet , Non secundum Iesum Christum , nec verbum , nec tenet cap●t , Not according to Iesus Christ or his Gospell , nor doth it rightly hold the head , making the Church a monster with two heads , the Pope a visible Head on earth , and Christ in heauen the inuisible Head. We beseech you in the tender bowels of Christ to haue pitty vpon your owne soules , open your eyes without partiality , or preiudice to behold the truth and embrace it ; and to moue your hearts with Peters wordes , b as newborne babes desire the sincere milke of the word , that ye may grow thereby : so shall you , and we haue infinite cause to reioyce , and our Church say with Peter , yee were as sheepe going astray , but are now returned vnto the chiefe shepheard and Bishop of your soules : With which sauing Grace the God of all grace and goodnesse , Iesus Christ , enrich your soules withall , e to grow in Grace , and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ , to him bee glory , both now and for euer . Thus hauing declared in part the corruptions of popish Doctrine , which must be reiected of all who desire to be faithfull seruants to our Sauiour , or performe seruice acceptable vnto him ; for what concord hath f Christ with Belial ? what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols ? Take heede of the Leauen of Rome , as our Sauiour g warnes his Disciples of the leauen of the Pharisees and Sadduces , their pernicious doctrine full of errors , repugnant and decrogatory to Christ and his Gospell . It remaines and followes in the next place to touch , That if you beleeue and embrace al the points of moderne Popery , now broached and maintained in the Church of Rome , you cannot bee dutifull and obedient Subiects to our and your Soueraigne : and since I haue in my former Tractates , obiter , by the way , promiscuously touched lesuiticall precepts , and practise in this kinde , papall depositions of Kings from their Regiment , and absolutions of subiects from loyall obedience , applauding traytors by canonization & commendation for treasonable attempts : I will not be large and liberall heerein , onely propound a few positions , and propositions to your consideration to iudge of them , whether they be not opposite to all loyall obedience ; which are maintained and divulged to the world by your great Doctors and Pillars of the Romane Church . And first you are not ignorant , that very lately , Anno 1606. Pope Paul the fifth prohibited all the Romane Catholickes ( so tearmed ) by his Breue , that they should not take the oath of Allegiance , vnto which they were enioyned by the Kings Maiesty ; which argues hee would haue them refractary , in matters which onely , concerne ciuill obedience : for the scope of that oath tended to professe and practise a dutifull allegiance to the King in all loyall submission . The like also did Pius quintus Pope , to the late Queene Elizabeth , commanding her Subiects to rebell , and discharging them from allegiance . But omitting these things as vulgarly knowne , I will goe to the Iesuites schoole , and heare how they teach you . If a Christian King become an * Hereticke , immediatly his people are freed from his command and their subiection , saith , h Symancha : But all Christian Kings are esteemed Heretickes , who are not Catholikes of the Romane size , Ergo. The Iesuite Creswel vnder the name of Andreas Philopator , against the Decree of the Queene of England , sect . 2. ●u . 157. deliuers this proposition : Principem , qui a Catholica religione deflexit , excidere statim omnipotestate : a Prince who declines from their Catholike religion ( rather superstition ) falls presently from his Regall power : But all Protestant Princes decline from that religion : Ergo no King , or no power . The same Iesuite , num . 160. saith , Omnium Catholicorum esse sententiam , obligatos esse subditos ad principes haereticos depellendos , qui sidei Catholicae inuriosi sunt , si modo vires ad hoc habeant idoneas : It is the sentence of all Catholikes , that the subiects are bound to driue away hereticall Princes , who are iniurious to the Catholike Faith , if they haue forces fit for this purpose . And againe , num . 162. Sub●●ti ●…di Principes suos non tantum legitime possunt 〈◊〉 , sedetiam ad hoc praecepts divine , & conscientiae arctissimo vincul● , ac extremo animarum suarum periculo tenentur . Subiects may not onely lawfully trouble such Princes , but are bound to doe it by Diuine precept , and most strict band of conscience , and extreame perill of their owne soules : And the same Iesuite againe , Si Imperator , vel Rex haereticū fauore prosequatur , ipso facto regnum amittet : If an Emperor or King fauour an heretike , he shall lose his kingdome , ipso facto . Now Protestants in their Calendar are branded for heretickes . Ergo. And to these accord and publish the like doctrine many others of their writers . Ribadeneira de principe , lib. 1. cap. 18. pa. 177. &c. 26. pag. 172. &c. Paulus Chirlandus de haeret . q. 3. nu 2. Conradus Brunus de haeret . lib 3. cap. vltimo . Io. Paulus Windeck de extirp . haer . Antidoto 10. pag. 404. & Antidot . 11. pag. 408. Stapleton in oratione contra politicos Duaci habita . Baronius Card. in Epistola contra Venetos . Bellarmine the Cardinall full of such stuffe : Hee affirmes , that Kings are subiect to Popes , Bishops , Priests , Deacons , and would prooue this inferiority by Scriptures and Fathers : De laicis lib. 3. He holds many other propositions , disgracefull to Kings , vndutifull for subiects , and contradictory to all Scripture : Secular principality is ordained by men , and hath his being by the law of Nations : de Rom. Pontif. lib. 1. c. 7. § . praeterea : a grosse Assertion for so great a Doctor . In causes onely Temporall Cleargimen are bound to obey Princes : and no longer obey , then the Pope will : de clericis . lib. 1. cap. Per totum caput : So ridiculous positions , as the very naming of them , is a confutation . Simancha , and Creswell haue concluded , that no hereticke , ( that is , a Protestant ) is capable of a Crowne , and though a lawfull heire , yet no iust possessor , hauing obtainedit . And to this effect Pope Clements Bull was , After the death of the late Queene , whether by course of nature , or otherwise , whosoeuer should lay claime or Title to the Crowne of England , though neuer so directly or neerely interessed therein by descent and Blood royall ; yet vnlesse he were such an one , as would not onely tollerate the Catholicke Romane religion , but by all endeuours , and force promote it , they should admit , or receiue none to the Crowne of England . And Samancha Tit. 64. Sect. 75. faith , The father may be deposed for an hereticke , and his sonne and heire also excluded from claime of succession , vnlesse he be a Romane Catholicke . Thus they seeke to dispossesse Kings , who are enthroned by God , and haue their Scepters from the King of Kings : yea they ●ind Kings to their good behauiour , if they doe displease the Pope , then depose them , and so no Kings . Molina saith , The King can vse his Temporall sword but at the Popes becke : Tract . 2. de Institut . Di. 29. Thus debasing Kings , the highest powers on earth , to be subiects to the Pope , who yet in a counterfeit style cals himselfe , Seruus seruorum , a seruant of seruants : Sonat humilit as in voce sed superbia in actione , Saith Gregory , Iacobs voice ; and Esawes hands : Hypocriticall humility , is worse then manifest pride . And truly if the Pope had a sparke of the spirit of humility , he would condemne his Parasites a voices , Papa est , per que●reges regnant , The Pope is he , by whom Kings reigne : Saith Bozius : or b Papa data est omnis potest as in caelo , & in terra , Dominatur amarivsque admare , à flumine vsque adtermin os orbis : To the Pope is giuen all power in heauen and earth , and reignes from one Sea to an other , from the stood to the end of the world : or , c Papa potest omnia facere , quae Deus potest , The Pope can doe all that God can doe : horrible impiety , and intollerable flattery . And these tell the world , he can make and vnmake Kings , and the Popes like it well enough , excommunicating Kings , deposing them , and disposing of their Kingdomes to others . So that it mooued Art 〈◊〉 King of Peru to say ( as Benzo , and Lopez tell it ) Insigniter fatuum esse opertere papam , qui quae non haberet , alijs liberaliter largitur , vel carte impedentem nebulonem , qui eiectis veris possessoribus , alienas terras peregrinis addiceret , & in mutuas cades mortale genus armaret : That either the Pope was an egregious Sot , who would liberally giue things which he had not , or a very impudent companion , who expulsing the true possessors , giues it to strangers , arming the world to mutuall , yea mortall slaughters . I will not trouble my selfe to behold the nakednesse , rather wickednesse of these drunken d Noes , vncouered in the midst of their Tents , vomiting out vile positions , full of sedition , and disobedience against the Kings of the earth : it require rather teares to bewaile it , then a pen to report it : and the learned heerein know more then I write , and for the ignorant , it is good for them in this case to be ignorant still : yet I confesse I aimed most in this labour to informe the ignorant , hauing no minde to meddle with seducing * Priests ( I cannot charme such deafe Adders : ) if this litle handfull of my loue and labour presented vnto you may be profitable to win any of you , I will say , and end with the e Apostle Iames , Brethren , if any of you haue erred from the Truth , and some man hath conuerted him , let him know that hee which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way , shall saue a soule from death , and shall hide a multitude of sinnes . The Lord , who is a God of Truth , for his mercy sake , and for Christs merits sake , open all your eies to behold the Truth , and your hearts to embrace it , that we may all hold one Head in vnity , and haue one heart in verity , that all with one minde , and mouth may praise , and pray vnto the Lord in the militant Church on earth , and be thrice happy members of the Triumphant Church in heauen . Amen . Candido lectori : Humanum est errare , errata hic corrige ( lector ) quae penna , aut praelo lapsa fuisse vides . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A01472-e430 * Epist . 34. Notes for div A01472-e820 * Baron : annal . tom . 1 ▪ ad an . 1. fol. 53. * Math. 2. 11. Notes for div A01472-e1060 * Walafri● : Strabo lib. de rebus Eccles . * Epist . 77 , * Ecclu● . 24. 39. * 1 Cor. 4. 3. * Le moribus . Notes for div A01472-e1570 a 2 Kings 11 : 3. b 2 Chr. 22. 9. 10. 11. c 2 King. 11. 4 , d 2 Chr. 23. 2. e 2 , Kin. 11. 4. f 2 Ch. 23. 3. g 2 King. 11. 6. 11. h 2 Chr. 23. 11. i 2 Kin. 11. 12. * A queene ouer men , a queene ouer her selfe for a maiden queen . k Mundi totius vna decus : Beza Epigram : in class : hisp : Anno 1588. l Gen. 27. 41. Ad certum tempus sunt Christiani , postea peribunt , & redibunt Idola : verum tum cum expectas miserinfidelis vt transeant Christiani , transis ipse sine Christianis , Aug. in P s . 70 m Quo nil praestātius orbe ; nobiliusque nihil nostro sol aspicit aeuo . Mortua regina & quasi non est mortua , quia reliquit similem , plus quam fimilis hic . n Quem beneficia accepta memorem non reddūt , is grauius suppliciū meretur . Chrysost , de Sacerd. lib. 4. o Tertul. in Ap●log . c. 30. p Psal 132. 18. q Plut. in vita Flaminij . r 1 Kin. 1. s 1 King. 1. 40. t 39. Proditor est martyr , coeli certissimꝰ hares . u Mariana de reg . lib. 1. c 7. * Maria. p 60. Vid : orat : sixt : Qt habit : in consistoria , & Saunders : Fra : de Verone : Azorius : Philopater : Allen , & aly : x Tertul : in Apol. Spolia opima Joui : Sen. Prosperum scelus vocatur virtus . y 1 Chr. 16. 22. z Reu. 17. 46. a Machau : Princ. c. 11. b Psal . 21. 8. 9. c Psal . 129. 6. a 1 Tim. 2. b Tribus argumētis ostendit orandū esse proregibꝰ , quorum duo sumpta sunt ab effectu vtili : Pisc : in locū . c Plin : 2 Panegy . ad Traianum . Rex sapiens est stabilimentum populi . Wisd . 6. 24. Rex si bonus est , nutritor est tuus , si malus , tentator tuus est : Aug. ser . 6. de verb. dom . secund : Math. Bellua multorum capitum : homine nullum morosius animal nec maiori arte tractandum : Sene. d Quot capita tot sententiae , quot homines tothumores , quot humores tot mores : Lipsius . e Exod. 18. 19. f Psalm . 2. 10. g 2 Chr. 1. 10. h Wisd . 6. 21. i Magna seruitu● est magna fortuna , nam ipsi Caesari cui omnia licent , propter hoc ipsu multa non licent . Seneca consolat . ad Polybium . Reges vigilant , cum Subditi dormiunt : &c Plut co , ad principem indoctum . D●adema spinaru , & gemmarum . Miseros esse principes si intelligent sua mala , miseriores si nō intelligūt : Erasmus . k Eph. 6. 18. 19. Preces sunt arma caelestia quae stare faciunt , & teldiuina omnes hostes vincere . Cypr. lib. 1 epist . 1. l Prou. 21. 2. m 2 Chr. 1. 21. n Psal . 27. 4. o 2 King. 22. 19. a Math. 18. 28. b Dan. 3. 9. c 1 Kin. 8. 34. 36. d Psal . 106. 48. e 1 Chr. 12. 18. f Iam. 3. 6. g Math. 5 29. h Matth. 21. 9. i Prou. 23. 26. Quod cor non facit , non fit . k Iohn ▪ 21. 15. l Reu : 3. 15. m Reu : 3. 16 : n Lipsius Politic. 3. c. 20. o Machiau : princ . c. 3. p Mach : prin : c. 25. q Tert. Apol. c. 34. r Prou. 15. 29. s Ezech. 8. 18. Orate pro regibus etiam ijs qui gentititer vixerunt . Optatus Mileuitan : lib : 3. t Baruc. 1. 11. u Ier. 29 ▪ 7. So Abraham praied for King Abimeleck . Gē . 20. 27. So Jacob blessed King Pharao . Gen. 47. 10. Pro se orare neoessitas cogit , pro alijs charitas , pro regibꝰ fidelitas : Chrsyost . a 1 Sam. 15. 22. b Obedientia victimis praeponitur , quia per victimam aliena caro , per obedientiā volūtas nostra mactatur . Greg. lib. 35. mor. c 1 Sam. 15. 23. e Rex est animata Imago Dei. f Psal . 82. 1. 6. g Kings haue a three fold image of God in them . I in their birth of freedome : 2 in their baptisme of Christianity : 3 in their place of Soueraigntie . h Kings are Gods 1 by Analogie . 2 by Deputation . 3 by Participatiō A King differeth from his people in vse , not in stuffe . Basil : Doron lib. 2. * Tert : lib : ad Scapulam . h Epist : ad Theod : prefixa lib : aduers : Iulian. i Paraenet . num : 21. k Lib : 3. contra Parmen . l Hom : 3. ad pop : Antioch . m Rom. 13. 1. n Greg : 9. lib 1. decret : tit . 33. c. 6. Papa à Deo constitutꝰ est super gentes & regna , vt euellat , & dissipet , aedificet & plātet , & quanta est inter solem & Lunā differentia , tanta est inter pontifices & reges . Innocent in c : sollicitae : 6. de maior : & obed . Vide Bonif : 8. extrauag : concil : tit : de maior . & obedi . o Ber : de consid : lib. 1. c. 6. p 1 Pet 2. 13. q Aug : in Ps . 124. r Reu. 17. 1. 2. s 1 Pet. 2. 13. t Vide Piscat : anal , in locum . u Rom. 13. 3. The Romane city first taking her originall from a traitor to his country , afterward founded with murder , hath spilt more bloud , then spent morter , &c. Lanquet Chron : fol 35. Euery soul without exception , reseruation , or equiuocation . * Si quis tentat excipere , conatur decipere , Ber : epist . 42. ad Archiep. Sen. * Omnis anima subiecta essee debet potestatibus super eminentibus , ergo Papa debet esse subiectꝰ Caesari , &c Pisc : anal . super locum . x Disp : 10 in Rom. 13. v. 1. rationes ductae ab honesto , vitili , iucundo . Vti Gorran : in locum . y Tit. 3. 1. z The beasts obey the Lion , the birds the Eagle , the fishes the Whale , &c. Rex vnus est apibꝰ & dux vnus in gregibus . Cyprian de vanit . Idol : The Cranes haue their Captaine , quem ordine literato sequuntur . Hieron . epist , ad Rusticum . a Pet : Chry. in Policrat . lib. 7. b Aug. de ciuit . des lib. 4. c. 4. c Math. 3. 17. d 1 Sam. 13. 14. e Math. 22. 21. f Math. 17. 27. g Iohn . 19. 11. h Wisd . 6. 3. i Piscat . anal . in Matth. 22. 21. Omnis Christi actio est nostra instructio . k A Tyrant by abuse of power , not by vsurpatiō . l Acts. 9. 1. m 1 Sam. 24. 4. n 5 o Greg : lib. 7. epist . 1. p Pope Iulius the second by his means in 7 years destroied 200000 Christiās . Geneb . q 1 Sam. 24. 8. r 7 s Lib. 2. aduers : Parmenianum . t 1 Sam. 26. 1. u 8 * 9 Principem occidere piaculum est . x 2 Sam. 14. y 10 z 1 Sam. 31. 4. a 2 Sam. 1. 14. 15. b Iohn 1. 47 c Lucianus in Scytha . d Hassenmull : lib. de ord . Iesu . Pope . Paul. 3. established the order , An. 1540. Ignatius Loyola the first named in the Bul. Pet. Maffe . vit . Loyol . lib. 2. c. 12. Potestates quae sunt , à Deo ordinatae sunt : hic est vt gentilem in potestate positum honorificemus , licet ▪ ipse indignus sit , qui Dei ordinem tenens , gratias agit Diabolo . Potestas enim exigit , quia meretur bonorem , August . quaest . ex vet . test . c. 35. Malus magistratus , est dei vicarius : Aret . Comment : in 13. Rom. Deus regnat per se , reges per Deum . Deus coeli & terrae vere proprietarius , reges coloni & Emphyteutae Iunius Brutus quaest : 3 , vind . contra Tyrannos . e Rom ▪ 12. 19. f 1 Sam. 26. 9 ▪ g Iraen . lib. 5 con . haeres . i Tertul. Apologet. c. 30 Omnes sub rege , & ipse sub nullo , nisi tantum sub Deo. k Bracton : siue iubente siue sinente deo : Aug : cont : Faust . Manich. lib. 22 , c. 7 l Esay 10. 5 Or as one of the Fredericks , malleus orbis , or Otto , Pallida mors . m 1 Sam. 24 6 n Ierem : 25. 9 o Dan. 3 : 21 Aliud est seruitus animae , aliud corporis &c. vid. Aug. de vera relig , c. vl . timo . p Baro : Tom. 11 An. 45 q Sueton. c. 34 r 33. s Rhemist . in tab : Paul. t In Catalog : scriptor : Eccles . u Baron , An. Christi 205. * Iansen . c. 40 : Concord . x Apolo 2 : Ad Anton : Imperat. y Bellar : in Chronol : z Ambros . Epist . lib. 5. Epist . 33 Iulianus Imp : Apostata habebat sub se Christianos milites , quibus cum diceret producite aciem & obediebant ei● cum autem dicit , producite arma in Christianos , tunc cognoscebant imperatorem caeli : Ambros : 11 quaest : 3 : Can. Iulianus . a August : in Ps . 12● . Socrat. lib. 3. ca. 22 b Ruff. lib. 2. histor . c. 1 Regi ethnico fidem non praestare nefas . c Bellar : lib. 5 de Rom. Pon : c 7 d De Rom : Pontif. lib. 5 , c. 7 Ego vnxi te in regem super Israel . 2 Sam. 12. 7 e 2 Chro. 9. 8 Patriarchae vel alij . Reges vnctia Deo , ante vnctionē materialem : Aug : in Ps 140. Deus est Rex omnis terrae : Ps . 46. 7 & Dominatur in Regno hominum , & cuicunque volucrit , dat illud , Dan. 4. 22 f Non tenentur nec debent Christiani , tolerare regem infidelem , quia de iure humano est , quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem Bellar . de Rom. Pont. lib : 5. g Resp : Epi : Eliens . ad M. Tort. in initio : Molineus in Senatuscons : Eran : num . 58. h Pro. 24. 21. 22. i Math. 22. 21. k Math. 23. 2. 3. l Pietatis interest , vt pij debitam magistratibus obedientiam deferant : Aret. in Rom : 13. m Acts 4. 19. n Aug : 11. quaest : 3. Ca : qui resistit . Hîc contemne potestatem , timendo potestatem . Aug. ser . 6. de verb. dom . Secund. Math. Immensa est iurisdictio Dei ; regum dimensa , illa est infinita , haec praefinita , Jun : Brutus . m Daniel . 3. Regis voluntas fiat aut a nobis , aut de nobis . n Theophy : in Lucam c. 20. Agents , if good Princes , Patients , if bad . o Osee 8. 4. p Aretij comment . in 13. Rom. q Balaeus in vi● . Alex. 6. vide Mach. princ . de hoc Alexandro c. 18. & Guicciardine hist . lib. 2. r Tileman in 13. Rom. s Polyd. virg . hist : Anglic. lib. 25. Potentia a Deo , abusus a Diabolo : Musculus . Difference twixt Persons & Powers , Persons may be intruders , but Powers haue God for their author . Theoph. in Rom. 13. t Aug. epist . 166. Caesari vices , & imaginem Dei in terris gerenti nos vero corde subijcere : Chrytreus enarr . in Mat. 210 u Aret. com in 13. Rom. Necesse est subijci necessitate institutionis diuina & necessitate naturae , quae ordinauit vt sa ieates stultis praesint : Aret : com . in 13. Rom. * Marke 3. 22. 26. Diaboli regnū admittit principatū sine quo non constaret . Corrumpitur & dissoluitur imperantis officium , si quis id quod facere iussus est , non obsequio debito perficit . Gell : lib. 1. Ps . 45. Psalmus Propbeticus continens Prophetiā de Christo , cuius figura Salomon . Pisc , Ibidem . Regum cibus est ●enos : Alphonsus . a Pet. 2. 17. b Rom. 13. 7. Nomine parentum intelligūtur omnes superiores aut quicunque nobis praesūt . Vrsin : Catech. in quinto praecepto . c Esay 49. 23. Math. 22. 21. Qui de corde non venit honor , nō honor sed adulatio est : Ber. in Cant : d Ecc e. 10. 20. e Exed . 22. 28. f Iude 8. g Such were Parsons , ●ozius , Reynolds , Gifford &c. slāderous Rebels of Queene and state . h Estate of Engl. fugit . * Tacitus said to rayling Metellus , Tu dedicisti maledicere , ego maledicta contemnere . St. Austin wrote these verses ouer his table : Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam , hanc mensā vetitā nouerit esse sibi : Possidon in vit : August : Gen. 18. 2. Next God , wee must honor those who are in the place of God : Herman : explicat : Decalog . k Psalme 81. 6. * Gratian : can . 17. l Aluar. Pelag. de planctu Ecclesiae : lib. 1. c. 37. Vid : Greg. lib. 6. ep . 30. & lib. 4. epist : 34. & 38. 39. & 36 Papa dicitur caeleste habere arbitriū , & ideo etiā naturam rerū immutat substnatias vniꝰ rei applicando alteri , & ideo de nihilo potest aliquïd facere gloss . libri decret , Tit. 7. c 3. Extra ius , contra ius , & supra ius omnia posse . Deciꝰ . m Bellar : in resp . ad Gersó cōsid . 11. n Victor relect . 4. de pot : Papae : & concil : propos : 16. o Sylu : de Papa par . 2 : Non de potestate Papae inquirendū , cum primae causae nulla sit causa : Baldus in cap : Ecclesia . p In 9 & 10. sess . q 2 Thes . 2. 4. Vid . lib. sanct ceremon lib. 1. sect . 7. c. 6. To the Pope as to Christ , let euery knee bow : Capiststra : de author . pap . & concil . pag. 94. r Tom. 6. in append . The Pope hath an heauenly iudgement , and maketh that to be the meaning which is none : for his will is a Law ; De transtat : episc c. quanto in glossa . Omnes principes orbis terrarū pontificem honorant & colunt vt summum deum . Blondꝰ lib 3. Rom. instaur . s Benedict : a benedict : praefat : ad antithes . t Humanum est errare . u Sum : De excel . pont . q 59. art 2. * Esay 14. 12. 13. 14. The Pope hath the same power that Christ had to rule ouer all nations & kingdomes . D. Marta . part . 1. pag. 45. de iurisdict Athanes epist : ad solit . v●ti agentes . y Polychronicō . lib. 7. Frederick , Barbarossa , Henry 4. & Rich. 1. basely vsed . z Naucl : pag. 8●6 . a Psalm 91 13. Gregory the 7. sets downe these among the Popes priuiledges , that Princes must kisse Popes feet , &c. Baro. Anno 1078. n ▪ 32 , Greg. 7. epist . l. 2 , ep , 55. b In vita Pij 5. de Angl. c Catena : pag. 113 d Iohn . 19. 12 Waltram : Theod : Aniem : de priuil : Imperij . e Liberat. breuiar . f Sigeb : in Chro : ad ann . 683 & Luitprand : in vit . Agathon & Anast , in vit . eiusd : Agath : & Herm : Conrad : ad ann 678. g Luitpr . hist . lib. 6. c. 10. 11. h Marian Scot. Sigeb . abbas Vrsp . ad ann . 1046. & Platin . in vit . Grego 6. i In C vnā Sanct. extr . de maior . & obedien . k Otho . Frisingens . lib. 6 : cap. 35 Concilium Brixiense : 1083. Abbas vspergensis : Sigeber . An. 1084. Antoninus . Sigeb . ad Ann. 1085. Vsperg . in Anno , 1089. Suadente Diabolo , vt supra . vid. card . Benno : in the life of Gregory 7. l Ps . 82 6 m Chr. 4. 18 n 2 Sam. 14. 20 o 2 Sam. 21. 17 p 2 Sam. 3. 1 q Rom. 13. 1. 4 r Luke 22. 25 s Rom. 13. 1 t Eccles . 10. 17 Calamo & cuspide . u Car. Bellar. Card. Perron . * Pro. 16. 10 x Pro. 8. 6 y Cic. in Hortens . Da spatium vitae , multos da Iupiter Annos Iuuen. Sat. 10 Et caeptis non decrit fas●hus hares . a Praef : Com. in Epist : ad Rom. Quireip . hostis est ; is ciuis esse nullo modo potest . Cic. in Cat. 4 b 1 Sam. 26. 15. 16 c Ester 2. 21. 22 d 2 Kin. 6. 12 e Ter. Apol. c. 2 f 1 Kin. 22. 11 Humilitas in voce , superbia in actione , Greg. Seruus seruorum , Tyrannus Tyrannorum . g Illyric : Poem de corrup . stat . Ecclesiae . Ita aequivoci , vt vniuoci raro . h 1 Chro 29. 22 : 7 1 Sam. 22. 15 i 1 Kin. 1. 33 k Exod. 32. 22 l Salmerō in tract . 63 , de potest : Eccle. & secular . 1 Peter 213 Nulla est pestis capitalior quam eorum , qui tunc cum maxime fallunt , id agunt , vt boni viri videantur : Cic. lib. 〈◊〉 , offic . Ephes . 6. 5 , 6 m 2 Sam. 3 27 n Iudges 16. 18 Malum sub speci boni celatum , dum non cognoscitur , non cauetur Chrys . super Math. 7 Veritas est temporis Filia , o 1 Macchab 16. p Herodes deuotionem promittit , sed gladium acuit : Chry. sup . Mat. 2 q Math. 2. 8 r Math. 26. 49 Nunquam te fallant animi sub vulpe latentes : impia sub dulci melle venena latent . Foris Cato , intus Nero ; totus ambiguus . s Et Leo pars prima est , draco media , ipsa Chymera . t Aug in Ps . 63 Virtutis comes invidia : Cic. 4 : ad Here. Inuidiam ferre aut fortis , aut foelix potest : Seneca . u Tacit : Hist . lib. 2 * Ecclus . 35. 7 : Sillius Italicus . Anchurus filiꝰ regis Midae , pro Salute patriae in profundissimum chasma sese praecipitem dedit . * Hor 3. car : od . 2. * Val : Max : l. 5. c. 6 Ardua per praeceps gloria vadit iter : Ouid. y Sen : de remed . fort : Dulce solum patriae est : Virg : z Nat. hist : lib. 10. cap. 62. a Estate of English fugitiues . b Juuen : sat 3. Val : Max : lib : 5. c Vnam populo ceruicem optant quam vno ictu amputare possunt . * Epist . ad Q. Fratrem lib. 1. Alijs micans meipsum consumo , alios alens meipsu perdo : aliud est esse in lege aliud sublege : qui est in lege secundum legem agit qui sub lege secundum legem agitur , ille liber est , iste seruꝰ : Aug in Psa . e Sleyd . lib. 1 & 2. f Xenophon de reb . Lacaed . Solon being demanded what was the chiefe safety of a Common-wealth : answered , if the Citizens obey the Magistrate , & the Magistrate the Lawes . Publicanimirum res tum sibi cōstat , & aequū imperiū , cum Rex quod iubet , ipse facit . Actiꝰ epig. lib. 1. g Mach : prin . c. 12. h Praefat. Iustiniā . instit : in initio : Ciuitas subsistere nequit , quae legibus non est firmata ; Arist . lib. 〈◊〉 . politic . i Luke 11. 46. Digna vox est Maiestate regnantis , legibus alligatū se principē profiteri . &c. Imperat : Theod . & Valent , Caes . Regis ad exemplū totus componitur orbis : Claudian . k Plin. 2. Panegy . ad Traian . Longūiter per praecepta , breue per exempla : Jeron : Plebeia ingenia magis exemplis quā ratione capiuntur . Macrob : lib. 7. Satur . cap. 4. Augustus filled the world with Schollers , Tyberius with Parasites , Constantine with Christians , Julian with heretickes . Imperio maximus , exemplo maior : Paterculus : lib. 2. In vulgus manant exempla regentum : Cypr. Pietas est verus Imperatoris ornatus . Euagr : hist : Praefat : ad Theod : l Euseb ▪ de vit : Constant . lib. 4. Faelix resp : in qua qui imperat timet deum . Cominaeus : Iustin . m Luke 2. 13. 14. n 1 Chron. 22 9. Tale bonum est bonum pacis , vt in rebus creatis nil gratiosius soleat audiri , nil delectabilius concupisci , & nil vtilius possideri : Aug. Lucan : o Psalm . 2. 11. p Psalm . 3. 8. q August : in Ps . 47. Optima beneficiorum custos , perpetua est cōfessio gratiarum : Chrys : Super Math. hom . 25. r Zechar. 2. 8. Psal 28. 8. Augustus lamented for Varus death , being asked why ; he said , now , now I haue none in my Court to tell me the truth . Sen. lib. 6. de benef . c. 30. s Gregor . Dialog . t Nazian . trip . hist c. 32. Mors sceptra 〈◊〉 nibus aequat . s Psalm . 15. 2. r Lib. de Agone Christi . t Iohn 1. 47. Veritas minime peruia regum auvibꝰ Alex. Seuer . dictum . u Esdras 3. 12. * 2 Kings 23. 2. x 2 Sam. 6. 15. y 2 Chr. 14. 3. 4. z 2 Kings 10. * Non vitā adimēs sed nidos destruens a Paul Fagius paraph . Chald. in Leuit. 18 : 21. b Psalm . 85. 1. 〈◊〉 c Psal . 147. 20 d Psal 145. 1 e Psal . 149. 2 f M●in Psal . 118 , 26 Anuntiation of B. Virg. Mary . g Christ paid Tribute to Tyberius Caesar . Mat. 17. 27 Si censum filius dei soluit , tu quis tantus es , qui non putas esse soluendum ? Ambrosius . h Math. 22. 21 Reddenda esse Caesari , quae sua sunt , illa solum dici , non debita , quae pietati ac religioni nihil officiunt : Chrysán c. 22 Mat. Hom. 71 i Rom. 13. 4. 6 k In Lucam : c. 20 Verbo reddendi , Significat debitum quod inexcusabile subditis impositum est : Theophyl , in 13 Rom. v. 7 l Hip. in Rom. 13 m In Rom. 13. 6 n Calu. in instit . lib. 4. c. 20 o Tacit. lib. 4 Hist . p Tac. lib. 13 : Annal . q Herod . lib 3 Histor . r Luke 2. 1 Piscator in locum : Caluin : Harm . in locum . s Ioseph : antiq . Iudaic : lib. 18. c. 1. Suasu pontificis Ioazari censeri se passos esse . Josephus . t 2 Chro 9. 13. 24 Dauid ouer the Tribute set Adoram . 2 Sam : 20. 24 Salomon ouer the Tribute placed Adoniram : 1 K 4. 6 There was not the like made in any Kingdome : Imperij finis est populi vtilitas , & tranquillitas u Extra : de exact : & cens . c. 5 , & quaest . 8. can . Tributum . * Parte reges , partem patria vendicant . * Nehem. 9. 37 * 1 Chro. 11. 1 Tuitione non fruitione . Tributum vocant Turcae populi sanguinem : Postel . li. 5 de reb . Turci . x 2 Sam. 1. 14 y Lament . 4. 20 z Prou. 29. 2 a 4. b Pro. 28. 2 c Psa . 127. 1 d Psal . 44. 4 , 5 26. e Acts 5. 37 f Aug. in lib. ad Rom. proposit . 72 g B : Aretij Comm. in 13. Rom. v. 7 Moses found Subiects ready in this kinde , for when a voluntary contribution required , they brought so much as they cried , Sufficient , it is enough : Exod. 36. Cyrus Subiects in their voluntary gifts at one Subsidy did exceede the long heaped treasure of rich Croesus . Fiscus Dei Caesaris Fisco nihil adimit . h Bar. in paraenesi : ad Venetos : pag. 47 i De clerici : c. 28 Ibidem . k Liuie . l Diog. Laert : in Chrysipp . Princeps nominem ex sacrato ordine , supplicio quamuis merito , afficiat &c. Maria : ibidem . m Nullus Iudicum : 2 De foro : compet . n C. si diligenti , 12 : Eod. tit . o c. 1 , &c. Clericos 3. de immunit : Eccl : in 6. Volater : Chro. Chron. Chron. * Platina . Sabellicus . Platine . p Krantz . Sano : pag. 225. Platin. in Bonifac . 8. q Page 52. Vid. Sand : de visib : Monar . li. 2 c. 4. r Tract . de consil : in sin . vlt c. pag. 778. q Bel : de pont : lib. 1. c. 7● s Lib. 3. c. 16 : t Reuel . 12. 4. u Euseb : hist . ecclesiast . tripart . lib. 7. c. 9. * Vrban . pa. 23. Quaest : 8. can . Tributum . x Extra de exact : & Cens . c. 2. y 1 Esdras 8. 23. z Cod. tit . de Clericis : & in alys tit : legis . a Math , 17. 27. b Math , 22. 21. c Math , 20. 25. d Rom , 13 : 6. 7. e Ambros . contra Auxen : 11. quaest : 1 , Can : si tributum . f Luth : in Math : 22 , 21. g Wisd . 6. 5. 8. h Luth : in Math. 22. 21. i Ignat. epist . 2. ad Magnesianos . k Gen. 34. 30. 1 Prayer . 2 Obedience . 3 Honor. 4 Seruice . 5 Tribute . Non solum iure , sed cū laude & gloria perimi possunt , &c Marian. de Instit : reg pag. 61. Quid interest ferro , an veneno perimas ? Venenoquod fit , minori periculo , & maiori spe impunitatis . Marian : p. 65. 67. a Stella fasicul . tempor : Naucler . Genebrand . vid : Westō lib. 3. de Tri : hom : offic . b Anno 1089. n. 12 c Defens . fid : Cath : adu : Angl : sect . erro : lib. 6. c. 4. n. 18. d Suarez vbi supr : e Reu. 17. 6. f Luke 19. 14. Armata impietas : arte pellere , vt marte tollere . g Conn : Julian ex hist . hisp . Diffidens clauo Petri , arripit clauā Herculis . Iob 41. 22. i Reu. 16. 14. Hoc discunt nostri ante Alpha & Beta , Papistae . k 2 Sam. 20. 2. 13. 22. l 2 Sam. 17. 2. m 1 Kings 22. 31. n Psal . 91. 11. Herodotas . * Plutarch . p Eccl. 10. 20. q Psal . 20. 9. r Psal . 132. 18. Psal . 2. 9. Psalm 21. 9. Psalm 22. 20. 21. s Cant. 4. 4. t Cant. 3. 7 , 8. Psal . 89. 22. 23. Our Kings owne saying , viz. It is the chiefe duty of King to settle first Gods seruice and Church affaires before their own . a 2 Kings 18. 4. b 2 Kings 23. c 1 Kin. 15. 12. 13. d 1 Kings 6. 2. e 1 Sam , 12. 24. f Esay 60. 12. g Liut : decad . 1. l. 1. h Plutarch . de ciu : administr . i Plato lib. 4. de legibus . k 1 Chr. 15. l 2 Ch. 2. 1. m Psalm . 127. 1. Psalme 2. 4. 10 11 n Gregor : Naziāz : orat . funebr ; in laudem Athanasij . o Eph. 45. p Esay . 49. Oportet Principem esse ante omnia Deicolam . q Reuel . 2. 14. 15. r Reuel . 2. 20. s Iudg. 6. 25. 26. t De laicis , lib. 3. c. 19. &c. 21. c. 21. §. 2. u Euseb . lib. 4. de vit : Const . * Trip : hist : l. 5. c 25 Vid. Theod : lib : 5. c. 16. Sozom. lib. 7. c : 12. Mr. Foxe in Acts & Monuments . Dr. Abbot in his answer to the reason vi . of Dr. Hill in the latter end . O faelicia antiquorum tempora , in quibus ipsi imperatores mundum regentes , seipsos philosophiae dederunt , vt de Alexandro , de Julio Caesare , de Ptolomaeo rege &c : Hug. in dicasc lib. 2. a Naucler . Posseuin . concil . Mediol . 1. sub . Borrhom : b Eccles . 1. 12. c Psa . 1. 2. d Pro. 16. 10 e Theod : Hist lib 1 c. 7. f In his Apology for the Oath of Alleagiance , pa. 36 , line 13. g 2 Chr. 1. 12 h Reu. 18. 4 i Aug. Epist . 48 k Aug contra 2. Gaudentij Epist : lib. 2 , c. 17 Ad caenam tanti patris familias si sponte non vultis intrare , compellimus : Aug contra 2 : Gaudentij Epist . lib. 2 , c. 28 l Luke 1. 4 23 m Epist : 204. n Psal . 43. 6 , 7 Caesariae domus totum relege & reuolue progressum , & inuenies quod breui perijt memo●●a corum , quoniam a se scientiam Domini repulerunt , & ipsi repulsi sunt . Chryso . o Deut. 34. 1 p Pro. 29. 4 q Wis . 6. 24 r Psa . 79. 70. 72 s In 2 part , c. 49 , In fine : de victo : Carolo. t Eccles . 10. 17 u Eccles . 18. 16 Rex reip : gerendae gnarus artifex . Remissius imperanti melius paretur : Seneca . Benigni Principis est , ad clementiae commodum transilire terminos aequitatum , cum sola est miserecordia , cui omnes virtutes , honorabiliter cedere non recusent : Cass . Meliores quos dirigit amor , plures quos corripit timor ; Claudian . * In a supplication for a tolleration in the beginning . x In consul . 4 , Hono : Panegy . y Plutar. in praecept . reip : gerend . Tanto conspectius in se crimen habet , quanto maior qui peccat , habetur : Iuuenal Satyr 8. Vt in corporibus , sic in imperio grauissimus est morbus , qui à capite diffunditur . Seneca . z Aug. de ciuit : Dei , cap. 4 , lib. 4 Pueri , Rex eris , aiunt si recte facias , &c. Hora & Guicciard : lib. 16 a 1 Sam. 12. 3 4 Summum in regibios bonum est iustitiam colere , ac sua vnicuique iura seruare . Gregor . Talis Rex , qualis esse deberet . b 1 Tim 2. 2 c Psa . 72. 1 2 7 d Baruck . 1. 11. 12 e Psa . 64. 2 Psa . 79. 13 1 To the Kings Maiesty . f Gen. 18. 27 32. Si libet exiguis rebus adesse Ioui ? g 2 Kings 7. 9. h Psal . 118. 24. 25. i Prou. 15. 16. Regis Clementia virtus , claudian . k Theodosius : malū est delectari in sono catenarum : Seneca . Pallida mors aequo pede pulsat pauperum tabernas regumque turres . Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat , nilme potentum sceptra minacium possunt verendo flectere : Crinitus . k Luke 19. 17. 2. To the most honorable Lords of the priuie Counsell . Plutark . in epist . ad Traianum . l Iudith 15. 9. m Seneca in Agamem . Act. 4. Malum dum non videtur , non timetur : n Numb ▪ 13. 34. o Histor . lib. 14. p Math. 10. 16. q Cant. 2. 15. r Cypr : epist : 8. l. 2. s 1 King. 4. 25. 3 To the Court. Mundꝰ iste blandꝰ periculosior est , quam molestus , & magis cauendus , cū se illicit diligi quā cum admonet , cogitque cōtemni : saith Austin , pointing at the Court. epist . 144. a Prou. 19. 12. b Ester . 6. 8. 11. Ester . 10. 2. 3. c Gen. 41. 43. d Dan. 5. 29. e 1 Kings 2. 7. * Vide hist . Dion . lib. 58. & Xiphilin . in vita Tiberij . Caelopraefertur Adonis . f Math 6. 33. 4. To the Nobility of the Land. g Iudith 12. 14. * Fama post fata superstes . * Iob. 17. 14. h Apoc. 14. 13. i Psalm 49. 17. k Prou. 31. 29. Rhodig . lib. 8. cap. 26. Virtute decet , non Sanguine niti . Claud. Ego meis maioribus virtute praeluxi . Cicero . l Gen. 27. 29. m Gal. 5. 12. 5 To the Clergy . n 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. Ad eius vexillum Ecclesia conuolat . o Esay 32. 2. p 2 Tim. 4. 14. Cant. 1. 4. Cant. 〈◊〉 . 1. 3 q Reu. 17. 5. 6. Oh ignominia , si esset domus Domini ! Poliaen . In nomine domini incipit omne malum . r Leo. Epist . 8. 9. Aut pareas , Aut pereas . s Rom. 13. 5. t 1 Pet. 2. 13. u Ambros . lib. de pastore . 6 To the graue & reuerend Iudges . * 2 Tim. 3. 1. 4. Nulla maior causa mali , quam licentia mali . x 2 Chro. 19. 6. y Cic. in Verr. 1. Act. Non terminantur negotia , donec euacuata sunt marsupia . Innoc. de vita huma : conditi . z Acts 8. 20. Si Niceas non sit reus , dimitte hominem , si reus , mihi dimitte . Cambyses Sysamnem iniqū Iudicem excoriari fecit , in terrorem aliorum . Gratior Deo est nimia miserecordiae , quam nimia seueritas . Dum parcebatur lupo , mactabatur grex Christi . a Sen. de clem . lib. 1. c. 2. Quosdam necare clementia , & quosdam seruare , crudelitas est . b Ense recidendum est , ne pars sincera trabatur . Ouid. Paena ad vnum , est terror ad omnes : malefici non pereunt , vt pereant , Sed vt pereundo , alios deterreant . Seneca . c Reu. 10. 9. d Psa . 3. 8. e Psa . 67. 3. f Psal . 47. 6. 4 g Numb . 13. Vae aetati nostrae propter ingratitudinem , &c. Ber. Pronaque cū spectant animalia caetera terram , Os homini sublime dedit , coelumque videre . Ouid. h Esay 1. 3. Danti rependi quicquam gratius ab accipiente non potest , quam si gratum habuerit , quod gratis accipit : nam spiritui gratiae contumeliam facit , qui beneficium dantis grata mente non suscipit . Ber. * Nihil est quod indignationem Altissimi prouocet , sicut ingratitudo ; est malorum prouocatio , & meritorum exterminatio . Petr . Raw. i Psa . 29. 2. k Psa . 115. 1. 14 18. l Ber. Epist . 11. Insuperabiles , nisi separabiles . * Gratiarum cessat decursus vbi recursus non fuerit , &c. Ber. serm . 35. * Gratiarum actio est pro gratia suscepti muneris , munerantis laudati● . Tullius . Religio remp . pacatam , & regiae potentiae morigeram reddit : Mach. princ . c. 5. Propugnaculum quovis alio firmiꝰ est , multitudinis odio carere . Mach. prin . c. 20. m Mach. prin . c. 19. n 1 Sam. 17. 45. o Psalm 17. 8. p Psalm 59. 13. q Psal . 132. 9. 10. 15 yeares currāt . Vota nostra , Vita longa . r Psal . 109. 29. Amen . Amen . s Psalm 72. 1. Amen . Amen . t Iob 5. 12. u Dan. 2. 34. * Psalm . 132. 18. Notes for div A01472-e24570 Epist . 37. * Pro. 3. 29. Gen. 43. 13 Notes for div A01472-e24950 a Ester 9. 17 22 b 1 Macch. 13. 52 c Nehem. 8. 9. 18. d Deut. 16. 1. e Psa . 78. 6. f 2 Chr. 20. 26. g Gen. 28. 19. h 1 Chr. 13. 11. i Gen. 22. 14. k Ester 9. 26. * 1 Sam. 7. 12. l Exod. 14. 13. m Psa . 14● . 10. n Psa . 94. 1● ▪ o Ier. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p Aug. de●… c. 6. * Gouries conspiracy : yet the chiefe substance is related in the end of this subiect . q Ambros . de Naboth Je●… . r Psa . 90. 17. Feriunt summos fulmina mentes . Sola miseria caret inuidia : s Pro. 30. 28. t 2 Sam. 20. 1. u 2 Sam. 15. King Benhadad his Hazael to strang●e him . 2 K. 8. 15. King Antiochus his Tryphon to kill him . 1 Mach. 13. 21. * Sueton. c. 19. x Sueton. c. 25. y Sueton. c. 16 z Cuspinian in ●…reng . * 2 Tim. 3. 1 4 a Pius Q. An. Do. 1570. In qua declarauit reginam hereticam , & regni iure prtuatam , & subditos omni dominij fidelitatis , & obsequij debito perpetuò absolutos , &c. b Psa . 2. 1. 2. 4. c Pro. 21. 30. d His speech the Parliament after the Gun-powder treason . Pag. 2. e Luk. 1. 74. 75 f Psalm . 27. 2. g 28. 4. i Psalme 29. 1. k F : Tit. ad legem Iulian. Ma. l. 1. Et patitur paenas peccandi sola voluntas : Hor. * Gen. 4. 10. l Iraeneus lib. 3. c. 3 m Iohn 8. 44. n De Roma . legib ' . o Stanford pleas of the Crowne . lib. 3. c. 19. In cruce pascere corues . p Rom. 13. 2. q Exod. 21. 23. 24. r 2 Sam. 18. 3. Sequitur hos à tergo vltor Deus , vel homo : s 2 Sam. 17. 23. t 2 Sam. 18. 7. u 2 Sam. 18. 9. * 2 Sam. 20. 22. x 2. Chron. 33 : 24. 25. y 1 King. 16. 18. z Ester . 2. 21. 22. So that Amalekite that hasted Sauls death , yet wishing and willing it , was put to death by Dauid . 2 Sam. 1. 15. * Trip. histo . lib. 9. c. 45. a Trip. hist . lib. 7. c. 15. b Lib. eccl . 10. c. 15. c Mach. prin . c. 19 ▪ d Mach. prin . c. 8. * Fracta gula interijt vbi supra . e Gen. 4 ▪ 14. Clytus Ghoast terrifies great Alexander : and Agrippinas Nero. f Math. 2. 16. g Theoph. enar . iu 2 Math. h 2 Macch. 9. 5. 7. 9. 10 12 28 i Math. 7. 2 , k 1 Chr. 16. 21. l Eccl. 10. 2● , m 2 Sam. 1. 14. n Ignat. epist . 2 , ad Magnesianos . * T' is Emperor vexed by ; Popes H●ld●brand , Vr●… & T●…balis . * Ipsias V●…ni auyhoritate regnis aduersus patrem i● Lombar●…●…pit : Sigon . reg . 〈◊〉 . p. 384. Sigeber . Anno 1084. Vspergen . in Anno 1080. Sigon . pag. 387. Nau●●er . pag. 801. Vit. Hen. pag. 49. Tormenta malorū s●nt exempla multorum . Proditores etiam 1 , quos anteponūt muisi sunt . o Tacit. 1. Annal. * Nihil interest , an faueas sceleri , an illud facias ? Sene. Nulla est excusatio ●ccati , si amici ausa 〈◊〉 : 〈◊〉 in L●…o . Exam : of George Sprot : pag. 〈◊〉 . Si timor Dei non tenet , teneat timor Iudicis , m●tus gebennae , laque● mortis , dolores inferni , &c. Hugo . lib. 3. de Anima . p Lipsi●es de Const . lib. 2. c. 13. q Psal . 9. 6. 15. r Ier. 27. 8. s Numb . 12. 10. t Numb . 11. 1. u Numb . 16. 32. * 2 Sam. 18. 9. Nulla grauior Paena conscientiae Paenâ . Isidor . lib. 2. soliloquior . * Wisd . 17. 10. Nullū consciū peccatorum tuorū magis timueris , quam temet ipsum ; alium enim potes effugere , te nunquam : Seneca . lib. de moribus . Nunquam securus est reus animus , mens enim mala conscientiae proprijs agitatur stimulis : Isidor . Iuuenal . Sat. 13. Tantae pietatis est dominus Iesus , vt ipsi Iudae donaret veniam , si Christi expectasset misericordiam . Ambros . In body . In Body . Reade Aeneas Syla●us hist . de Europa , cap. 4. 6. of the murther of Iames the first of Scotland , and the punishmēt of those Traytors , whereof he was an eye witnesse . z Mat. 26. 66. Except the Princes mercy forbeare this punishment . * Ier. 22. 19. * Sepulchrum quasi seorsum pulcbrū . a Pro. 10. 7. b Gen. 34. 30. c Iob 24. 18. 24 Natis sepulchrum ipse est parens . 1 Seneca . d Luke 23. 28 : Duo necessaria tibi , fama & conscientia . e Iam. 5. 9. f Greg. lib. 4. Dialog . g Luke 13. 27 , h Iohn 13. 2. 1 Cause of Treason is Ambition . i Ambros super Luc. lib 3. k Ber. in ser . quadrages . Quid ambitio est , vide ; cum scieris , fuge . l Ber. de consider , ad Eugen. lib 5. m Pro. 30 15. 16 ▪ D. Boys . n Valerius Max. lib. 8. c. 15. Maiora eupimus , quo maiora ●…rint 〈◊〉 . Seneca . de Benefi● . o Bern. de consid , lib. 3. Bern. p Gen. 3. 5. Fortunes Motto , Fauere videor , nocere sentior . Relinque ambitionem , timidares est , vana , ventosa , nullum habet terminum . Sen. Ep. 88. Ambition is like a Centaure begottē of a cloude . q Appian . lib. 2. de bello ciuili : Nec regna socium ferre , nec taedae sciunt . r Diod lib. 46. 47. s Hall. Hollingsheed , & Stew , in Richard 3. Caesar wished rather to be first of a Village , then second at Rome . t Aristot . l. 5. de animal . u Gen. 41. 3. * 2 Ki. 3. 23. x Theod. lib. 2. c. 24. Prope omnium criminum fonte●… c tria monstrantur esse genera vitiorum , gula , iactantia , & Ambitio . Ambros . super ●…cam . lib. 3. y Innocent . de vilit . condit . hum . Innocentius ●…bi supra . * Math. prin . c. 8 Hoc●…ro●●rbium , locum habet in ciui , &c. a 2 Sam. 15. 5. b 6. Ambitio , & inuidia fons cladium . Cypr. ser , de liuore , & zelo . c Am. Marcell . lib. 14. in fine . d Gen. 41. 40. Ferrum mortemque timere , ambitionis amor nescit . e Esay 14. 11. Cito ignominia fit superbi gloria : Seneca in Prouerb . f Ester . 3. 2. g Ester . 7. 10. Calippus would haue stabbed his friend Dion , but the same dagger stabbed him . h Ambr. in suo pasto : quanto altior ascensus , tanto grauior casus : The late fall of the great Marquesse d' Ancre in France is a fit example for ambitious Courtiers . i Tully in Offic. Inuidia est odium alienae felicitatis , respectu superiorū , quia eis non aequātur ; respectu inferiorum ne sibi aequentur , respectu parium , quia sibi aequatur : August . k Esay 14. 13. 14. Discordiarum cās procurare sapientis est ducis : nulla natio , quamuis sit minima , potest perdeleri , nisi proprjis simultatibus seipsam consumpserit . Vegetius de re militari . lib. 3. cap. 19. Lucretius : Gloriam , & honorem bonus & ignavus aequam sibi ex optat , bonus vera via nititur , sed ignauus , quia bonae artes desunt , dolis atque fallaciis contendit . Salust . l Prou. 16. 18. m 1 Cor. 10. 12. n Hugo victorinus lib. 1. de anima . * Pace bonorū virorum dictum sit , nouitas ista , ne dicam haeresis &c. Auentin . p 470. & Sigeber . chrono in An. 1088. p. 129. o Carerius potest . Rom. pontif . lib. 2 , c. 9. p. 131. p Art. 55. Ab omni debito obedientiae &c. q Concil . Trident. sess . 14. c. 7. r Ies . Suarez lib. 6 , cap. 4. * Bel. de pont . lib. 5. cap 7. Be a King neuer so vertuous , if he refuse to stcope vnder the Popes primacy , presently hee is an hereticke , liable to be deposed , depriued , dethroned , and decapitated . Vide Saunders lib. de Monarch . visib . * Vide Guliel . Reynoldum de iusta abdicat . Hen. 3. Gal. reg . s Boz . de temp . eccl . Monar . lib ▪ 1. cap. 3. fol. 98. Non vicariii boni Dei , sed diaboli &c t Math. 4. 9. u Iohn 6. 15. * Iohn 18. 36. Simonem Romae nemo fuisse negat , Owen . Epigr. x Carer . de potestat . Rom. pontif . p. 111. y Isid . Mose . de maiestat . p. 27. z Acts 10. 13. * In paraen . ad remp . venet . a In sentent . sua contravenetos . b 1 Tim. 3. 3. Vide Franc. Duar. de Sacr. Benef. lib. 1. c , 10. * Oras some say by Leo the 3. and others say , the Empire was not translated to the Germans by the Popes Decree , but by the people of Rome . Platina . Benno . Nauclerus . Abbas vspergensis . Concilium Brixiense . 1083. * Baptista Egnati● . Cuspin . in Freder . 2 * Vide Polydor Virgil histor . ●ornalens . de rebus Anglo . * Flaccus Illiric . prefat . Cent. 10. Coster . de praefat . de morib . haeret . a Max. Tyr. Serm. Or like Jupiters Priests to Alexander , flatter with à Ioue late . Cuius ad effigiem non tantum meiere fas est . Iuuen. sat . 1. b Bonifac. dist 40. ca. si papa . c Glos . extrauag . de sede vacant . ad Apostolat . d Bonifac. 8. extrauag de Maior . & obed . c. vnam . e Distinct . 21. ca. decretis Aaron . f Pap. Pelagius . distinct . 21. c. quamuis . g Pap. Lucius . 24. q. 1. cap à recta . h Pap. Calixtus . dist . 12. cap. non decet . i Papa Gelasius , dist . 96. cap. Duo Greg. 9. lib. 1. decret . tit . 33. cap. 6. Ibidem . k Innocent . de Maior . & obedi . c. Solitae . l Glossa ibidem . Innocent . Gloss . ibidem . * Ier. 1. 10. Iddem Innocent . 3 de Judicijs cap. Nouit . Ibidem . m P. Nicolaus dist . 22. c. omnes . n P. Anacletus disti . 22. c. Sacrosanctae . o P. Steph. dist . 19. enimvero . p P. Nicolaus . dist . 22. omnes . q P. Gregor . dist . 81. c. siquis . r Pa. Juliꝰ . caus . 2. q. 9. Arguta . item . c. ad Romanam . s P. Pascalis . dist . 63. c. ego . * Pop. Bonifac. proem . Sext. Lecretal . ib. sacrosancta . t Proem . Clem. gloss . Papa stupor . mundi . u P. Bonifac. extrav . de Maior . & obed , cap. vnam . * Sext. decret : de sentent : & re . c. ad Apostolica . Item in gloss . Ibid. x Pop. Gelasiꝰ dist . 96. c. duo . y Idem ibidem . z Anten . in tertia part . Summae Maioris . * P. Marcellꝰ dist . 17. ca. Synodum . a Dist . 20. Decretales ibidem . b Symmach . 9. q 4 , aliorum . c P. Innocent . 6. q. 3. ca. nemo . d Ibidem . e Ex. 3. part . summ . Maior . B. Antonini f P. Innocent . 〈◊〉 . de Sacra vnctione qui venisset . g P. Nicolaus . dist . 22. cap. omnes . h P. Anacletus . dist . 22. c. Sacrosancta . Ibidem . Petrus non à Petra sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ducitur . i Dist . 21. cap. in nouo . k P Nicolaus in tantum , dist . 22. In Bulla Viennae in Scrinijs priuilegiorum . l Dist . 21. cap. decretis . m P Nicolaus . dist . 22. cap. omnes . n Ibidem . o Gabriel . Biol . lib. 4 dist . 19. Petrus de Palude . p Dist . 96. cap. Imperator . q Gabr. Diel . lib. 4. dist . 19. r Dist . 40. cap. si papa . s Aug. de Ancho Antoninus . t Summae maioris 3. part . disti . 22. Antoninꝰ . August : de Ancho . u Thomas part . 4. The Romish quire to flatter Antichrist . Baptista de Salis. Bonauentura . Campensis . Coclaeus Durandus in speculo . Driedo de Eccles . Scripturis , & digmat . Edw. Pouelus contra Lutherum Ecchius in Enchirid. Franciscus Fulgo . Gabriel Biel. Gaspar . Gratianus in decretis . Gerson de Eccl. po ▪ testate . Hugo Cardinalis in postilla . Hostiensis . Holkott . Hosius . Io. Andrae . Innocentius . Joan. de Turrecre : de Ecclesia . Lanfrancus contra Wiclef . Constantinus Syluestro reddidit iniustè detentum : 10. Gerson de potest . Ecc. Concl. 12. part : 3. Magister Sentent . Raymundus in Summa de Casibus . Rabanus super Math. cap. 16. Vide Ioan. Driedo de dogmatibus variis . lib. 4. Hugo . in Glossa . dist . 40. c. non nos . Glas . in caus . 11. q. 3. absit . Glos . in c. 11. q. 3. si inimicus . Hostiensis in cap. quanto : de transl . praebe Glos lib. 1. decret . tit 7 cap. 3. Dist 96. c. satis , & Caus 11. q. 1. cap. Sacerdotibus . P. Vrban . 2. caus . 23 q. 5. C. excommunicatorum . Et apud Fratrem Astesanum Doct. in Summa Confessionis . Lib. 1. Sacraram Ceremoniarum . * The Pope vndertakes to deale States and Kingdomes , as Gods Legacies , and yet God neuer made him his Executor or Administrator . Bulla Pij Quinti . * Tract . de potest . Sum. pont . Contra Gul. Barel . pag 97. a Watson , quodlib . 8. art . 7. 8 Barclayus , de authorit . Papae . c. 2. & Rog. Widdrington . Apol. pro iure Principū . Sl eldonirationes generales , &c. b Sum. de eccl . potest . q. 40. art . 1. c Art. 3. d De planct . eccl . lib. 1. c. 13. p. 3. e De pap . & conc . author . p. 65. f 22. q. 12. art . 2. g Cited by Allen answere to the booke of Engli . Iust . p. 68. h De Cath. inst . tit . 23 n. 11. pa. 98 i Tit. 45. nu . 25. p. 209 ▪ k Tom. 3. pag. 444. De iusta ●●di● . Hen. 3. r●… 〈◊〉 . Lib. 23. sect . 11. Institut . Vide Fra : B●zi●… de tempo . eccl . Monar . Carerius de potest . Ro. pontif . Mosco . de maiest . mil●t . eccl . 3. Canon of the 2. Lateran Councell . a Dialog . aduers . Lucifer . & Vincent . Cyrin . c. 6. * Gregory the first said , To consent to this wicked name , what is it else but to lose the faith ? lib. 4. cp . 39. b Ep. ad Procap . pag. 346. c Turrecrem . sum . de eccl . lib. 3. c. 60. Panorm . de elect . & elect . pot . Significa . * Dr Willet Synop. Cen. 1. err . 33. Dr White in his Way to the Church . lib. 2. c. 47. d Rom. 13. 1. c In defence of Kings , and independency of their Crownes . f Pro Athan. lib. 1. pag. 65. g Lib. 3. cap 35. h In Anno 1085. Chron. i In Anno 1088. p. 129. Auent . p. 4. 70. k In spec . hist lib. 1● . cap. 84. l Gregor ▪ 7. epist . 21. lib. 8● apud Souer . ad Conc. * Or as some write , by Gregory the fift . m Vrsperg . in anno 718. Sigebert . in Anno 731. * Ecclesia Romana est priuatiua , non primitiua . A King is not bound to giue an account to Popes or people , but God. n Psalm . 51. 4. o De potest . regia , & papali . c. 10. Otho deposed John 22. Pope . &c. p Quae. 2. de potest . eccl . & Laic . c. 12. q c. 9. 10. 11. The Scripture recites 19. Kings of Israel , and 14. of Iudah , who brake the couenant made with the Lord , yet none deposed by Priest or Prophet for that cause . r Defens . Angl. Catho . c. 5. 2 Chron. 26. 2 Chro. 26. 20. Visa lepra Sacerdotes regem leprosum ad festine egrediendum monent . Caietan . in 2. Paral. 26. V. 16. Sacerdotis est tantum arguere , non mouere arma . &c. Chrysost . 18 Leuitic . 13. 2 Kings 11. a 1 Sam. 24. 12. b 1 Sam. 22. 14. c 1 Sam. 24. 18. d 1 Sam. 22. 18. 19. e 1 Sam. 24. 7. f 1 Sam. 26. 9. g Lib. 2. cōtra Parmenianum . Volebam hostem vincere , sed prius est diuina praecepta seruare , &c. Ibidem Optatus . Their vnction makes them sacred , so that their fatall touch , makes the Subiect sacrilegious . h Reade Tollett , de occidendo Tyranno lib. 5. c. 6. Mariana . Fra de Veron &c. l In the former Booke c. 5. of Britan . Vota . Vid . Quaest . Armenic lib. 10. c. 4. k 1 Tim. 4. 8. l De ciuit dei . lib. 5. c. 11. m Psal . 22. 28. n Dan. 4. 14. o Ecclesiasticus 10. 8. p 1 Sam. 26. 10. q Ecclesiasticus 10. 10. 11. r De Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 7. Heretickes are depriued of all right of rule , either naturall , oeco●…cal , or ciuill . Fr. Ouand . 4. d. 13. p. 347. * Subiects are freed from all obedience , and allegiance to them . Turrecr . Sum. de eccl . lib. 2. c. 11. 4. s Theod. histor . Eccles . lib. 5. c. 18. t Contra. Epist . Parmen . lib. 3. c. 2. u Math. 18. 17. * De Consid . ad Eugen . lib. 2. x Aug. in Psal . 124. y Ruff. lib. 2. hist . cap. 1. z Aust . vb , supra . * Ala. contra execut . Angl. iust . pa. 167. Bellar. de rom . pontif . lib. 5. cap. 7. * Tertul. in Apologet . a 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. b Ester 3. 13. c Ester 4. 3. d Orat. 1. in Iulianum . e Rom. 13 ▪ 2. f Rom. 13. 5. g In his censure vpon the Apology . * Acts 3. 19. h Dan. 3. 21. * Quem penes arbitrium , & ius & norma regendi . * Such Kings may bee killed when it please the Pope . Baron . Ann. 1089. 〈◊〉 . 11. i Baron . Annal. Tom. 1. An. 57. pa. 423 & 433. k De temp . Eccl. Monarch . li. 1. 1. 3. fol 98. l Episc . Zamo : alleadged by Carerius . De potest . Ro. pontif . pag. 131. m Dan. 7. 14. Which place is proper onely to Christ , the Bishop expounds of the Pope . n Posseuir . bib● . othec . select 〈◊〉 . 17. o Isid . Mos . de Maiest . milit . Eccl. pag. 27. p Isid . Mos . pag. 22. de Maiest . milit . Eccl. Pag. 9. Pag. 111. Pag. 112. Pag. 151. Pag. 145. Vide Saund. visib . Monarch , & de claue Dauid . Melina . tract . 2. de Institut . Becanus , &c. De rom . pontif . lib. 5. c. 6. Non potest papa , vt papa , ordinariè temporales Principes deponere , etiam iusta de causa , tanquam Iudex ordinarius , nec ordinariè iudicare de temporalibus . * Extraordinaria potestas non transit i● Successorem . * Am not I thine Asse , which thou hast ridden vpon since thy first time vnto this day ? Numb . 22. 30. Exod. 18. 18. ●…anto oneri ceruix 〈◊〉 sufficit vlla . ●…apa sed non vt ●…pa , habet aliquo ●…odo , sed modo indirecto , potestatem quandam , tempo●alem , sed non me●è , nec absolutam , ●…d ad aliquid rela●… , nec perpetu●… , sed casualem , 〈◊〉 Eliens . to●●tus ●●tus , pag. 27. De pont . lib. 5. c. 6. * In ordine quidē ad bonum spirituale &c. Vide Ioh. Maior . Doctor . parisi . dist . 24. quaest . idem , Comment . in l. 4. sent . dist . 24. fol. 214. b 8. Arti. 7. 8. c Condemned in that Decree which was chiefly intended against the Archb of Spalato . The Vniuersity of Paris , and the Sorbone Schoole acknowledge the Popes nullity of power in temporall authority ouer Kings . Vide Tract . inscript . le Franc. discours . An. 1000. The nullity of Papall power in the Temporalties and Regalities of Kings will fully appeare in the 6. Volume of the Archb. of Spalatos Book , de rep . ecclesiastica . Marsilius and Occbam did write against this Popes pretneded supremacy . d De sacram . Chr. leg . l. 3. p. 103. e D. Pontific . lib. 1. c. 12. f Rhem. Annotat. Job . 21. 17. Jansen . Concord . c. 14● . 〈◊〉 Vbi supra . p. 104. h Locus valde illustris , vbi Christus cam authoritatem verbis amplissimis D. Petro promisit . Greg. Valent. tom . 3. pag 185. i Bell. de rom . pontif . li. 1. c. 12. §. verum haec . Iansen . harm . c. 66. k Caiet . Tract . de instit . pontif . c. 5. Sad primum . Greg. de Valent. tom . 3. p 109. l Vbi supra . m Per claues supremam potestatē gubernandi ecclesiam Christi , &c. Iansen . concor . cap. 66. Eman . Sa. Annot. Math. 16. 19. Rhem. annot . Mat. 16. 19. If that were true , the Apostles should haue boūd and loosed in Peters name . n Mark. 16. 15. o Caiet . de autho . pap . & concil . c 3. Oportet mendaces esse memores . p Staplet . Prin. doctr . lib. 6. c. 7. p. 215. Dom Iacobat . de concil . lib. 10. art . 7. r Sum. mora : p. 403 Dom. Ban. in 22. Tho. p 234. s Bosius de sign . eccl . lib. 18. c. 1. t Visib . Monar . lib. 6. c 2. pag 153. u Tom. 3. p. 191. * Relect. 2. de potest . eccl . nu . 11. pag. 87. x De autho . pap . & concil . c. 3. y Bibl sanct . 1. 6. Annot. 269. Cum Petro dicitur , ad omnes dicitut , amas me ? passe oues meas . Aug. de agon . Christi . c. 30. z Gal. 2. 11. * Deus doeuit Petrum per posteriorem Paulum . Aug. cp . 28. * Baron . tels Pope Paul that there is a two fold ministery in Peter , Feed my sheepe , and kill and eat . * Math. ●7 . 27. a Acts 3. 6. Paulus honore par Petro , ne di c● amplius . Chrysost . in epist . ad Galath , 〈◊〉 Prior , non superior . Si Petrus primus , Paulus praecipuus . Euseb . emissen . hom de natiu . Petr. & Pauli . * Ser. 2. in , natiu . Petr. & Pauli . * Cyprian de vnitate Ecclesiae . b 1 Pet. 2. 13. Math. 17. 27. c Locor . Theol. lib. 6. cap. 8. d Controu . 4. q 5. de pontif . finitae An. 1578. Staplet . in 16. of Math. 18. f De Diuin . institut . pontif . c. 13. * De successione pōtificum nihil fere iure diuino cautū inuenitur . Simanc . institit . 45. n. 18. g Lib. 7. cap. 47. h Antuerp . Anno. 1578. i Ex epist decret . Leo. 2. k Tom. 1. l Ibidem . m De Rom. Pontif. lib. 2. c. 5. n De Pontif. Rom. lib. 2 ▪ cap. 5. §. caeterum Petr. mortuo ▪ & sequenti . o Bel. ibidem . §. neque multū me mouet . p In Catalog . Theolog . annex . Tom. 24 controu . q Esay 19. 2. r Hieren . ad Nepot . s Epist . ante Miscellan . t Nicephorus . lib. 13. cap. 28. u Ann. 1033. Nu. 6 Bar. 955. Nu 1. 2. Their Archbishop of Rhemes at fiue yeeres old . Bar. An. 925. Nu. 9 Vide Speculum Romanorum pontificum : per Stephanum Szegedinum . Pag. 91. to 111. Carranz . in Marcellin . x Athan. Ep. ad solita . Fascicu . Tem. An. 353. y Theod. Niemens . de scism . lib. 3. cap. 44. p. 91. Scriptum de Bonifacio octauo , intrauit vt vulpes , regnauit vt Leo , mortuus est vt canis . Successio in Petri culpa , non Cathedra . Non vnus pilus Petri est in pontifice . z 1 Pet. 2. 17 18 19 Adrianus dixit . Ro. pontifices succedede Romulo in parricidijs , non Petro in pascendis ouibus . Antonin . tit . 17. 6. 9. Petrus aliter iussit ; aliter gessit . a Linus de passione Petri , & Pauli , in biblio . ss . Patr. tom . 2. b Acts 9. 40. c Acts 5. 5. d 15. e Luc. 22. 29. f 30. Hic motor scelerum primus , fraudumque cheragus . a 2 Sam. 3. 27. Freu●● nulla fides . b Luk. 22. 53. c 2 Tim. 4. 14. d 2 Sam. 24. 14. e Psa . 70. 1. f Psa . 59. 1 2●… 3 g Prou. 21. 1. h Reuel . 12. 4. i Gen. 4. 10. k Sen. Epist . 48. Dan. 5. 6. m Dan. 6. 16. n 2 Tim. 4. 17. o Leuit 3. 17. p Iudg. 16. 21. Bis mori est , alteri●… arbritrio mori . Seneca . q Iudg. 9. 54. r Prou. 7. 22. s 2 Sam. 3. 33. 34. t Ioshua 1. 9. u Leuit. 26. 8. * Psal . 7. 1. 2. x Psal . 20. 1. y Psal . 22. 20. z Reuel . 9. 11. * 2 Sam 2. 18. a De Doctr. Christiana . b Cicero in Paradex . c Lib. de moribus . d Ecclus. 14. 2. e Pro. 15. 15. f Wisd . 17. 10. g Aug. in Ps . 31. h 1 Sam. 15. 14. * Rinde doth relate it in his re-examination . i Psal . 37. 28. k Psal . 18. 50. l 145. 3. 4. 20 m Exod. 17. 14. Occidit illa dom ' , sed enim dom ' illa perire digna fuit . n Exod. 15. 2. o 6. p 2 Sam. 22 50. 51 Notes for div A01472-e45290 * Psal . 44. 7. 8. Primae impressionis Flagitium . 2 Chron. 15. 2. * Math. 7. 25. Notes for div A01472-e45780 a Deut. 4. 32. Ethnicismus tale facinus ignorat . Quodque attentatū , vix aetas postera credet . An. Dom. 1605. Grex cū rege , Arae cum focis , lares cū penatibus perijsset . b Mark. 9. 49. c 2 King. 2. 11. d Esay 9. 14. e Psa . 83. 3. 4. 10. f Psal . 88. 12. * The Israelites danced after the drowning of Pharoh , yet within three dayes after murmured at the waters of Marah . Exod. 15. 22. 23. Beneficia dei omnibus horis consideranda sunt &c. Chrysost . in Gen. Hom. c. g Luk. 24. 32. h Psa . 1 24. 1. 2. 3. 6. Beneficij memoria est breuissima . i Ioh. 5. 35. k Luc. 〈…〉 . l Histor . lib. 2. m Psal . 146. 〈◊〉 . Lampes laudis Dei. n Luk. 17. 15. o Exod. 9. 28. p Psa . 102. 13. Quorum Sceleri non inuenit aetas nomen &c. Iuv. Sat. 13. Aenead . lib. 2. q Haec facics Troiae , cum caperetur , erat . Ouid. * Malorum Ierna ▪ Rem tam secretam esse , vt necesse sit . eam prius peragi , quam discerni , as some say their Garnet did write to the Pope . 〈◊〉 Gen. 49. 7. 6. s Labor improbus . t Psa . 11. 2. 3. u Psa . 64. 5. * Psa . 33. 10. Cruelty in the extent . x Psal . 2. 4. 9. y Iliada malorum . Heu cadit in quenquam tantum Scelus ? 2 Cruelty in the deuise . z Gen. 49. 7. * Dan. 6. Vt iugulent homines , surgunt de nocte latrones . Horat. Parcit cognatis maculis similis fera Iuuen. Leonum feritas inter se non dimicat . Serpentū morsus non petit Serpentes , ne maris belluae . ac pisces , nisi in diuersa genera saeuiunt . Plin. Hist . 7. Philo apud Centuriast . cent . 1. lib. 1. c. 3● Macrob. Saturna . 20. Habemus ēsinu ▪ Testes : not onely thiust liuing men out of the Church , but also the dead out of the Churchyard . D. Boys . a Fox . in Martyrolog . b 2 Macch. 12. 40 Vrsinon saeuiunt in cadauera . c 2 Kin. 23. 18. It was Vitellius cruelty , Olere hostem mortuum . Arist . lib. 5. politic . c. 11. & Sueton. in vita . Like Herostratus , who burned Dianas Temple , to be infamously famous . d Luk. 9. 54. e Apud . Sleyd . li. 7. f Mentioned in that letter the means of the discouery . g Gen. 19. 26. h Liu lib 8. * In Sionis gaudium , & papistarum luctum . i Psa . 136. 3. k Psal . 118. 2. l Gen. 22. 10. m 2 : o Psal . 7. 5. p 6. q 15. 16. r Psal . 9. 16. s Psal . 66. 5. 7. 8. t 150. 2. 9. a In their Letter . * Lib. de Tribulatione . p. 31. x 2 Sam. 11. 15. * Wise as an Angell of God. 2 Sam. 14. 20. y Prouerb . 16. 10. z Prou. 25. 1. * Philo. * Tutelaris Deus . Scintilla neglecta magnum excitat incendium . * Iudg. 15. 4. a Remedium morbo deterius . b Occuluitque caput , quod adhuc latet : Ouid. Non interest quis occidat si innocentem aliquis occidendum esse desiderat . Cassio . sup . psal . 62. c 1. Sam. 19. 1. d Ester 5. 14. e Iob 16. 18. f Ioh. 8. 44. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise , &c. 1. Cor. 1 27. g Psal . 94. 17. h Psal . 119. 87. i Psal . 9. 9. k Psal . 124. 7. l 2. King. 19. 3. m Iohn 4. 35. n 1. Sam. 20. 3. o Zechar. 3. 2. p Amos 4. 12. q Esay 33. 10. 11. r Prou 22. 8. s Hosea 8. 7. Qui operantur iniquitatem , & semirant dolores , metūt eos . Iob. 4. 8. * Psalm . 130. 6. t By that noble & trusty Knight Sir Thomas Kneuet imployed in that search & seruice . Obad. 3. * Psal . 121. 4. Yet they say , the Lord shalnot see , neyther will the God of Jacob regard it . Psal . 94. 7 x Iob 38. 11. y Psal . 68. 1. z Esay 33. 13. Psal ▪ 83. 8. a Psal . 78. 65. 66. b 1 Sam. 18. 7. c Equo ne credite Teucri . Virg. * Like Nero , Me mortuo ruat mundus . Iuvenal . Sat. 6. d Vbicunque fuerit prouidentia frustrantur vniuersa contraria . Aug. e Hab. 1. 16. f Psal . 115. 1. g Reuel . 4. 11. h Reuel . 5. 13. i Ezra 9. 13. 14. k Exod. 15. 21. l Iohn 5. 14 : * Ignis deuorationis excitaret ignem deuotionis . * Finis vnius mali est gradus futuri . m Cantic . 2. 15. n Prou. 30. 14. o Prou. 6. 34. p Prou 6. 26. q Ecclus. 36. 26. r H●se . 6. 4. s Ezech. 4. 6. t Iudg. 15. 2. 20. 31. u Psal . 64. 2. Nulla Dies rerum tantarum obliuiaducat . * Gen. 14. 20. x 1. Tim. 1. 17. They that with their teeth will teare their breaden God , would eate vp Gods people as bread . psal . 14. 4. Virg : * Si hi Sancti , qui Scythae ? Si hi sunt Catholici , qui Cannibales ? a Libro 2. de ●epub . c. 5. Ex Actis public is Henrici Garnetti Londini editis . Vide edictum regium promulgatum 15. lanua . Anno. 1606. vbi expressum Iesuitas esse Auctores , & inuentores illius proditoriae Machinationis . Ouid. Meta . lib. Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione querentes ? * Aequiuocans animal , penitusque Sinonià proles : doctum mancipium , tuba , fax , & Machina Martis . 〈…〉 Sext. Q. panegyr . in Consist . An. 1589. O pulchum , & Sanctum facinus Scholatota sonâ bit . * Et calo donare scelus , superisque beare . * Causa patrocinio non bona peior ●●rit . d Rod. Botter . comment . pag. 109. & 106. Apol. pro. Io. Chastell . e Pag. 133. Et pag. 40. read Card. Allens apology for Stanlies Treason . f Amphithea . pag. 101. g Derege . n In Rom. 2. Defensio peccati duplicat peccatum : vitia quia amant defendunt , & malunt potius excusare , quam excutere . Sen. epist . 116. Quaesiui Romam in Roma , & non , inueni Romam . Facta est iam Roma lupandi : or Roma Radix omnium malorum . Orci vicaria Roma . k Roma nocens nocet , atque viam docet ipsa nocendi : iamque dol●nt cecidisse minus faeliciter ausa . * Wiclef . Tria log . p. 14. 3. * Cum Iesu Iudas , cum Simone fur Ananias , in Templo Christi semper sunt quatuor isti . Illyricus . * Onely I make a difference betwixt a Macheuillian Iesuite , and an ignorant Papist , who though he be not a sound member of the Church , may be a faithfull Subiect to Caesar , per possibile . k 2. Thessa . 2. 7. l Luke 11. 49. 50. * Vide the tragedy of Traytors . cap. 7. m Reu. 17. 6. n Ezech. 8. 15 : 1. Emperors . Vrspergens . o Sollicitato in patrem Gregorio pōtifice Romano : Papir . Masson . annal . pag. 104. p Vrspergens . p. 319 q Idem . p. 324. r Naucler . p. 990. s Auentin . p. 597. t Idem . p. 598. u Henry the 1. Henry the 4. Henry the 5. &c. Emperors . * Pet de Vin . lib. 1. cp . 31. 2 Kings . x Papir ▪ Masson . annal . in Child . pag. 83. Bel. de Rom. pontif . lib. 5. y Naucl. p ▪ 946. z Paral. ●sperg . p. 11. * Math. Par. p. 223 a See Acts & Monum . prope finem . b Paud. Collē . p. 221 c Naucler . p. 1024 d Guicciard . hist . pag , 66. e P. Joui . hist . lib. 1. pag. 25. f Mat. Par. p. 125. g Conscio , & adnuente pontifice . Volater . pag. 51. h Meter . Belg. hist pag. 494. 490. i Liber qui inscribitur , de victoria Clemen . 8. de Henrico 4. gloriose triumphantis . k Dinoth . de Bel. ciu . belg . p. 398. l Comment . rerum . in orb gest . p. 1122. 3. Princes and Subiects . Fredericke the 2. Emperor by poison , or by a pillow , destroyed by Manfredus , by the meanes of the Pope . who daily deuised to destroy him . ●usp . in Freder . 2. and there writes that not long before 4. Conspirators apprehēded , who should haue made away the Emperor , cōfessing that the Pope did set them on worke . * Supra 30000. homines trucidati . Jacob. Aug. in hihistor . Anni 1572. * Their spirituall Father fatted both with the milke and bloud of the flocke . m Annal. lib. 7. fol. 683. n Genebra . Guicciardine saith of Pope Alexander the 6. hee neuer did what he●said , and his son Borgia neuer said what hee 〈◊〉 to doe . o Magdeburgens . Cent. 7. col . 21. Anno. 607. p Gen. 31. q Oth. meland . * Oramus gladium Domini , & Gideonis nostri . The Harlot Theodote checkt Socrates , saying , her power was greater then his , for she allured many of his Schollers , he none of her louers . so this popery is a Theodote or Dalila . r In his letter to Blackwell . * Sixte iaces tandē nostri discordia sacli . * St. Becket , St. Saunders , both Traytors . Baron . Martyrolog . 〈◊〉 . s Hosc . 6. 9. Illyric . vet . Poemat . t 1 Tim. 3. 3. u Aeq●iuocatio simulatio 〈…〉 . * Potentiores , cum rogant , iubent . Cuiuis potest accidere , quod cuiquā potest . * Prou. 2. 14. Prosperum scelus vocatur virtus . Faux his speech , It was not God , but the Deuill that hindered the worke . Inven : sat . 13. x Rom. 2. 20. y Reuel . 18. 6. Reu. 19. 2. Nemo impune malus . z Psal . 1. 6. * Greg. lib. 32. moral . Pope Innocent the 4. herd this voice a day before his death , Veni miser in iudicium Dei. So these . a Rom. 9. 18. b 1. Cor. 10. 6. 11. c Sen. Prou. ruina praecedentium docet posteros . * Nequitiae classes candida vela ferunt . Ecclesid non propagatur armis , sed propugnatur . Bloud-red murther , and blacke conspiracy in white robes of religion . Preces , & patiētia olim Christicolis artes , haec arma fuere . * They make their Church Acheldama a field of bloud . d 1 King. 18. 24. e 38. f 1. Kings 18. 26. A cruell and carnall religion sauouring of a reuengefull , spirit . g Polanus : Non est humano sanguine cretus , illum sed genuit praeduris cautibus horrens Caucasꝰ , hyrcanaeque admorunt Vbera Tygres . Virg. Aenead . Read Dr : White way to the Church . 1. part . pag. 360. h Polanus ex Bartholo . Casa . Span. Colo. pag 2. 13. &c i Micah . 3. 10. k Esay 59. 3. l Ezech. 35. 6. m By Brutus and Cassius in the Senate house of Rome . n Austen . ep . 5. o Luk. 13. 27. p Psa . 109. 29. Iuv. Bloodthirsty men do hate the righteous . Pro. 29. 10. q Tacit. Hist . lib. 3. r Plutar. in Caesar : id em dixit , non mihi placet vindicta , sed victoria . s Quodlibet 1. Art 2. t Import . Consider . pag. 3. Natos homines abdomini . Rich. Dunelm . Philobibl . c. 5. Faux speech , that the Diuell , and not God was the discouerer of it . * Prince Henry then liuing . Decus olim , nunc dolor orbis , as Huntindon . Hist . lib. 7. said of Henry the first of England . Improbus à nullo flectitur obsequio . Some being about wicked purposes , doe bow downe their heads , and their inward parts burne with deceit . Ecclus. 19. 25. u Psal . 60. 2. 3 ▪ * Mat. 26. 25. Adulatio fallax crudelis est . Aug. lib. 2. contra . lit . Petil. x Math. 7. 20. A Equiuocationem esse vtilem autem , & bonam prudentiam , & idea Martinus Nauarrus Azpilcueta tract●tum de aequiu●catione , in gratiam Jesuitarum scripsit . y Nauarr. q Consil . lib. 3. de Regular . cons . 1. z Ier. 15. 19. Occasioned to exact this lawfull oath vpon this Powder Treason . Clerkes haue nothing to doe with Crownes : Religion turned into Statisme , will proue Atheisme . B. Lincolne . * Psal . 91. 5. * Dolus Apochryphus . a Called A discourse of this late intended Treason . Quicquid delirant reges plectūtur Ach●… . Adagium in eos , qui callide sua malefacta in alios , reijciunt . Erasm . c Gen. 10. 9. * Ierome . d Psal . 91. 3. Escaped out of the snare of the Fowlers , the snare is broken , and we are deliuered . Psa . 124. 7. e Phil ostratus . f 2 Cor. 10. 4. * Tertullian . Quo magis sanguinis effusum , e● magis effloruit Ecclesia . Cyprian . g Deut. 11. 29. Theologi Romani argumenta ferrea , & ignea Spirant , nō Scripta atramento , sed Sanguine . h Math. 10. 23. Luk. 9. 59. 61. Valedicere jis qui domi sunt i Acts 4. 19. k Iudg. 3. 15. 21. l 2. King. 9. & 10. m Iosh . 1. 2. 9. n Psal . 11. 5. o Exod. 23. 7. p Plautus in Bacch . Must mutuose scabunt . q Sueton. in vit . Domit. * Then ready to cry with Liuie in another kind , Dij , hominesque illi affuere pugnae . lib. 7. r Matth. 7. 17. 19. Nec recitare , nec reticere possum . s Praefat. Hier. in Pentateuch . Moysi . & Authorē allegat Aristaeum , & Josephum , qui dicunt , eos in vna Basilica congregatos , &c. t Song of the three children . Verse 88. Verse . 89. Salust , Qua data porta , ruunt caedes , Scelus , vndique Sanguis . Facinus aeterna flamma vindicandum . Nulla ●…s vidit , audiuit , cogitauit . Fraus quâm vis odiosior . Cicero . u Treshams letter . Ictu oculi omnes , & omnia cuerti . x Cant. 2. 1. y Iudg. 9. 15. z 2. King. 2. 12. * Ier 9. 1. 2 Lament . 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 12. Vmbratilem eius speciem depingere nequeo . b Iob 10. 21. 22. c Ioel. 2. 2. Thetraytors with Titus Vespasian cried , amici , dicus perdidi : vti refert S●… in ●ius vita . d Matth. 8. ●5 . e Esay . 3. 2. f Matth. 3. 10. g 2. King. 21. 13. h Lament . 4. 20. Non pacem petimus , superi , date gentibus iras . Oratio Garn. i Pro 15. 8. k Esay 1. 15. l Lament . 2. 16. m Psal . 124. 3. n Psal . 101. 6. o 140. 5. p Psal . 4. 23. q Luke 1. 74. 3. Spirituall estate . r Psal . 137. 1. s Math. Paris . t 1 Kin. 18. 26. u Gen. 21. 14. * Psal . 6. 6. Psal . 79. 1. * Hic dolus est magnus , lupus est qui creditur agnus . y Reuel . 17. 4. z Lam. 2. 12. * Mal. 2. 7. a Lam. 4. 19. 18. b Esa . 2. 3. c Psal . 58. 5. d Matth. 11. 17. e Psalm . 137. 2. f Iob 29. 2. 3. g Num. 11. 6. & 21. 5. h Amos 8. 12. i Hosee . 4. 6. k Math. 13. 3. l Dan. 12. 3. Virg. Fclog . m Lam. 5. 15. 16. 5. n Esay 49. 23. o Lamen . 4. 2. p Math. 5. 13. 14. q Iob. 29. 15. Custodes vtriusque tabula perijssent . r Math. 26. 31. s Vide Luther postill . maior . in Mat. 13. 24. t De ciuit . Dei. lib. 21. cap. 3. u Reu. 9. 6. Virgil. * Psal . 120. 4. x Pro. 21. 30. y 1 Kin. 13. 4. z Sext. Aurel. * Math 16. 18. a 2 Pet. 2. 9. b Gen. 3. 15. c Gen. 22. 15. d Gen. 26. e Gen. 41. f 1 Kin. 19 5. g Iudg. 7. 2● . h Dan. 6. 22 i Ionas 2. 10. k Histor . of Susanna , v. 45. l Dan. 3. m Exod. 14. 13 n Dan. 3. 27 : o Wis . 11. 13. Calix mortis multis praeparatus , perpetuus esset calix Benedictionis . p Psal . 9. 10. Non est speciosa laus in ore peccatoris . q Rom. 11 21. r Psalm . 56. 13. s Psalm . 56. 13. t Psalm . 66. 8. u Ioshua 22. 29. * Nehem. 8. 3. x 6 y 9 z 4. * Exod. 11. 14. a Psal . 106. 47. b Psal . 106. 48. Notes for div A01472-e60480 a Adferunt haeretici Apocryphorum Librorum multitudinem , vt stupefaciant amentes , &c. Iraen . lib. 1. c. 17. b Cum ex Scripturis arguuntur , in accusationem conuertuntur Scripturarum &c. ●raen . lib. 3. c. 2. Popery is a witchcraft of religion , teaching her people to eate their God , kill their King , subuert the Scriptures , adore Idols , Deifie the dead , equalize their Pope with God , &c. c Ep. 49. Notes for div A01472-e60660 a Gen. 38. 14 , &c. b 1 Sam. 11. 2. c Mart. peres . de Trad. pag. 44. d Index lib. prohib . Reg 4. e ●mman . Sa. Aphor : verbo parochus . pag. 298. Com. f In 2 Tim. pa. 118. x Scripturarum authoritate res cum re , causa cum causa , ratio cum ratione concertet . Aug. contra Man. lib. 3. c. 14. g De Baptis . contra Donatist . Henry the second of England , said to the Popes Legate , hauing killed a Stagge in hunting , Looke Lord Legate , how fat the Stag is , and yet did neuer heare a Masse . h Bulla Pij 4. Super forma iuramenti professionis fidei . The Church of Rome is ancient , not her errors : neither doe wee differ from it , wherein it is not departed from it selfe . i Geo : Cassand . defen : lib. de offic : Pij viri . k Lib. de Eccle. obseruat . c. 19. pag. 388. l Sess . 13. §. item ipsa . m Bohemis concessit eam facultatem : teste Aen. Syl. in hist . Bohe. c. 52. Pope Gelasius calles the taking away the Cup from the Laity , Sacrilegam mutilationem , A sacrilegious mangling of the Sacrament . n 3 Part. Thom. qu. 80. Art. 12. q. 3. o Ouand . 4. p. 221. p Soto . 4. d. 9. q. 2. Art. & 4. Suar. tom . 3. d. 5. §. 1. q Scot. 4. d. 11. q. Bell. Eucher . lib. 3. c. 23. r Sess . 4 & 5. s Sess . 2 & 18. t Con. Later . sub Leon. Sess . 11. u Act 16. x Sext Synod . in Trull . can . 36. y L. 6. Ep. 30. * A papa ad concilium non appellan dum : Iacobatius de Concil : lib. 1. Art. 1. Nu 36. z Rulla Pij 4 ▪ super forma iuramenti professio fidei : in fi●e . * Act. Zonar . Tom. 3. pag 9. a Sacrament : tit . 1. ca. 7. p. 30. b Cyprian : Ep. 74. c syp . lib. 2. contra gentes . d Lib. de veland Virg . e Epist . ad , Philadelphias . f Aug. nou . & vet . test . qu. 114. g Bellar. de Eccle. milit . lib. 4. c. 5. §. in omni : ex Judaeis coepit Christiana religio . h Lib. 2. de rom . pontif . i Iohn 4. 20. k 22. l De salute Indorum : lib. 2. cap. 18. m Lib. 4. epist . 1. Rochardus King of Frizeland by Wolfranius perswaded to be baptized , hauing one foote in the Font , asked , whither went most of his Predecessors ? To Hell , said Wolfranius , then he Rectius est plures , quā pauciores sequi : The very answer of many Papists . Fulg. lib. 3. n Ezech. 20. 18 19 o Esay 30. 21. p Dan. 3. Where was our Church before Luther lay with Bora ? cry these Catholicke calumniators : Our Religion a ragge torne from their coate . q Greg. Valent. Analys . lib. 1. c. 16. r Doct. White : first part of the way to the Church . Digress , 52. See D. Willet : Com. vpon 11 Chapter of Daniel . pa. 449. Plutarke . f Lucian in Timon . Vide Rhenanum Papistam : Schol. in Luc : Senec. de morte Claud. §. facilius inter Philosophos . Corpore de Christi lis est , de sanguine lis est , Deque modo lis est , non habitura modum . t De gra . lib. 1 c. 3. u De Iustif . lib. 3●… cap 3 , Egyptians set against Egyptians , euery one against his brother , &c. Esay 19. 2. Suis & ipsa Roma viribus ruit : Hor. * Iudges 7. 22. x Math. 7. 5. Cum Iesu Iudas , &c. Many Popish Bookes are made right Anatomies Indices Expurgatorij of all sorts . ●●elgi : Hispan . Lo●… , &c. 1 Marke . a Reu. 17. 3●… Diabolicum est , extra diuinarum Scripturarum authoritatem aliquid diuinum putare : Theophilus lib. 2. Paschal . b Sess . 4 decret . 1. c Loc. lib. 3. c. 3. pag. 151. d Confes . Petric . c. 92. pag. 383. idem Iac. Simanch . Instit tit . 24. n. 36. & 37. e D. 40 : si papa . in Annot. Margin . f Censur . Colon. p. 112. Pigh . cont . 3. g Peres . de Tradit . praefat . h Bel. de verb. dei lib. 4. ca. 4. i Eck. enchir . c. 1. prop. 4. k Chem. exa . part . 1. pag. 47. l Sixt. Sen. bibl . l. 4. in Tho. vius . m Cathar . aduers . nova dogmat . Caiet . pag. 1. & inde . n Eck. de ecclesia . o Disp . theol . tom . 3. 1. pag 24. p Syluest . Prier . contra Lutherum . q Henr. doct . magist . sacr . palatij Romae . ad legat . Bohem. sub Faelice Papa . r De planct . eccl . 〈◊〉 lib. 〈◊〉 . art . 6. s Dist . 19. in Canonic . & gloss . ibidē . The Councell of Trent forbids all other interpretation of the Scripture , then that which agree with the Romish Church . Sess . 4. t De expresso verbo Dei. * Concio . 4. de Lazaro . x Chrys . in cap. gen . 2. homil . 13. y Bel. de verbo dei , lib. 〈◊〉 c. 15. z Rhemists prefac . * Iohn 5. 39. 〈◊〉 C●… . 3. 16. b 1 Iohn 5. 21. c Habac. 2. 4. d De expresso verbo dei . p. 91. e Confut. resp . Whitak . rat . 5. p. 148. They take away the word , & giue them drosse , Infoelix lolium , & steriles dominantur auenae . f Ier 2. 13. g Gen. 26. 15. If the light of the Scripture might freely shine , then Popery would soone vanish . Spanish prouerb . Potos sotos deuotos . Ignorance is the Grandame of all error . Con. Tolet . 4. Can. 24. h Luk. 11. 52. i Reuel 17. 1. 2 Marke . k Acts 2 14. 3. 12. l Iohn 21. 16. m 1 Pet. 〈◊〉 . 1. n Bel. l. 2. de Ro. pont . cap. 31. o Idem ibidem . § Primo quia . p Acts 3 , 6. Platina saith in the life of Damasus the second , that onely ambitious fellows did inuade S. Peters seat , & hee saith in the life of Siluester the third a Pope , that hee who preuailed not in learning and holy life , but in bribery & ambition , euen hee alone did obtain the Popedome . Vide Dr. White 1. part . Way , digress . 53. p. 419. q Ba●…an . 908. n. 6 r An. 912. n. 8. s Acts 8. 20. t Iohn 8. 11. 3 Marke . u Luk. 19. 22. The Papists find this ttue , & therfore haue purged the elder Papists books , & corrected those points , or wholly razed them out . Vide Indic . libr. prohibit . p. 25. §. 3. 4 Marke . Corpus Christi , nec in quantum corpus , nec in quantū vnitum diuinitati hoc habet , vt sit in pluribꝰ locis simul . Aquinas dist . 27. qu. 1. Vis excidere gratia ? acta tua merita . Aug. in Ps . 31. * Luk. 17. 10. Beggars crauing an almes shew their wounds , & wants , but Papists their works to chalenge heauen as a debt . Idem est fingere multos deos , & sanctos mortuos inuocare Melancthō . * Non opus est patronis apud deum . Chrysost . hom . de profect . Euangel . * Their soules they seeme to gaine to God , & sacrifice their bodies to the Deuil . shrift is turned to bawdry . Cor. Agrip. de vanit . c. 64. x Lib. de bono mortis . ca. 2. y Contra Demetrianum tract 1. z 1 Pet. 2. 1. * Eph. 4. 25. I will a littlelook vpon , scarce touch the poysonous pommell of the chaire of pestilence . a Reuel . 10. 9. b 1 Cor. 14. 14. 19. Cap. 9. Ezra the Priest did read the Law to men and women to heare it , and vnderstand it , Nehem. 8. 2. d Sess . 22. c. 8. Intolerabilis Lutheranorum error , &c. Azor. Ies . instit . Moral . lib. 8. c. 26. c Senen . bibl . lib , 6 ann . 263. f In 1. Cor. 14. disp . 3● . § 4. obijcitur . g D. Morton . 2. part . Catho . Apolo . lib. 1. c. 24. h Bel. de verbo dei . c. 16. §. obiectio 4. & § 2. obiectio . Illam orationem Deus non exaudit , cui bo●● , quando psallit , non attenlit . Gregor . i Bell. supra . k Rhemist . in nouum Testam . l Caiet . in 1. Cor. 14 m Aquin. lect . 3. in 1. Cor. 14. n Christ . instruct . p. 212. & Tho. lect . 3. in 1 Cor. 14. o Hard. art . 3. sect . 28. p Bel. lib. 2. de verb. Dei. c. 16. § Idem etiam . q Sess . 22. c. 1. r Sess . 4. s F. Simen . bibl . Complut . in prolog . t De opt . gent interpret li. 3. c. 1. 2. 4. 6. We acknowledge that there be many faults in our Latin edition of the bible , &c. Sixt Senen . bibl . sanct . lib. 8. p. 365. u De summo bono , lib 3. c. 8. * Iam. 1. 7. Let euery man make his prayer to God in his natiue tongue . Origen . contra Celsum , lib. 8. x 1 Cor. 14. 15. y Iacob . de Graff . decis . lib. 2. ca. 8. nu . 16. z Bell. de Justif . lib. 〈◊〉 . c. 7. §. Iudicium autem . * Apolog. translat . by stap . par . pag. 53. This is implicite faith to belieue in generall , all that our holy mother the Church belieues . Dionys . de 25. qu. vnic . p. 215. & Altisiodorensis , sum . li. 3. tract . 3. c. 1. q. 5. This is Card. Allens rule for the vnlearned , to keepe themselues in the faith of the Catholicke Church , though they know not that faith . Defense of pardons . In princip . a Rhem. annot . Luke ●2 . 11. b 1. Pet. 3. 15. c Dial. cum Tryph. d Bar. an . 1028. n● . 5. e Gold legend . f Naua●● . manual . cap. 11. 〈◊〉 . 26. g Magi● . Geograp . pag. 104. h Concedi ijs lecti onem , qui ab ordinario facultatem obtinuerunt . Bell. de verb. dei . c. 16. §. respondeo inprimis . i Reue. 13. 1. k Deut. 27. 15. Religio nulla est , vbi simulachrum est : Lactant. lib 2. de origen . Erroris . ca. 19. l Vasq . lib. 2. de adorat . disp . 1. cap. 3. & ca. 8. m Azor. Instit . lib. 9. ca. 6. §. Tota haec . n Lib. 2. de . trium . Eccles . c. 2. in princip . thesis stultitiae plena . o Con. Nic. 2. Act 7. p Con ▪ Trid. Sess . 25. q Cor. Agrippa . lib. de vanit . ca. 57. * Lib. consult . art . 21. r Polyd. Virg lib. de inuent . cap. 13. Magis fidentes diuis , quam deo . Episc . Espens . i● 2. Tim. 3. s Cassand . vbi supr . t Ioh. Gers quaest . de negligen . praelat . num . 7. u Praefat. lib. de Beatit . Sancto . x Praefat. circa Med. Amplector Sanctas & venerabiles Imagines secundum seruitium adorationis , quod consubstantiali Trinitati Emitto , & qui sic non sentiunt anathemati submitto : lib. Carol . pag. 382. Anno. 1549. y Sess . 25. z Lib. 1. ca. 24 ▪ * Haeres . 79. a Ep. ad Ioan. b Contra Celsum . lib. 7. c Clem. Alexand. hort . ad gent. p. 14. d Psal . 115. 8. e Exod. 20. 4. 5. f Reue. 19. 10. g Psal . 115. 6. h Esay 44. 17. Read Bezas Epigram of the painter , and Baker , Pictor pingat , Pistor pinsat , Pastor iubet esse Deos , &c. i Coster . Enchir. k Bell. de Imag. lib. 2. c. 21. Imagines sunt proprie , & per se colendae , nulla ratione habita ad exemplar . l Tom. 4. 345. m Bell. vbi supra . , ca. 22. n Acts 17. 23. o Peres . Tradit . part . 3. pag. 225. p Vasque . Adorat . lib. 3. disp . 1. c. 2. & 3. * Artolatria est Idolatria . q C. Sanct. Missarum . Iul. firmic . de errore profan . relig . Iustin . Mart. Apol. 2. s Cautelae missae . t Tho. 3. q. 80. art . 3. ad 3. Suar. Tom. 3. d. 62. s . 2. u De Eccl. Trium . c. 8. § haec opinio . * Alph. de Castre . lib. 5. de heraesi●tit . Deus . x Psal . 97. 7. y Esay 42. 8. z Esay 44. 19. * Malaeh : 2 : 3 : * Bullae tantum revalent , quantum ●●mine 〈◊〉 . In Suppl . Nau. In principio nascētis ecclesiae nullus fuit Indulgentiarū vsus . Epis . Roffens . art . 18 ▪ contra Luther . b Tax : Cancell . Apostolic . Purgatory can haue no rich mē in it , but fooles , and friendlesse . c Antoninus 4. part . summae c. 7. d Lib. de indulg . cap. 2. e Lib. 5. de Indulg . f Part. 3. qu. 25. art . 5. g Bonifac. 8. primꝰ qui concessit plenarias indulgentias , & Jubileum Romam visitantibus Tollet . Jes . lib. 6. Instruct . Sacerd. cap. 24. Iubilei nouitas nobilis : & Agrippa . de vanit . Scient . cap. 61. h Salith : primer called Har● B. Marie . i Ludolf . vit . Christi part . 2. c. 58. Eck. Ser. de passione . k Suare . Tom. 2. pag : 347. * Tesserae veniale● vaenales . Budaeus . lib : 1 : de asse . l Vide Nicol : Salicet . Antidot Animae . m Anton : Chro. part . 3. tit : 23 ▪ p. 206. n Sibi oranti crucifixi imaginem inclinare caput a●…pexit . Bar. Anno 1051. ●u : 1. Hor. o Esay 43. 25. p Math. 11. 28. Luke 5. 21. * Acts 4. 12. q In epist . ad Philem . hom . 1. r Lib : 2. de Indulg . & Iubil . c. 10. indulgentiarum pro●ane nouitas . 〈◊〉 Oportet quod capax indulgentiae sit purgatus à culpa , quod sit in contritione paenitons , & etiam confessus : glossa vt supra . The Pope by his ▪ power of Iurisdiction may spoile all purgatory . Aug : de Ancona de potest . eccles●quaest : 32. s Theod : à Niem . de scism . lib. 1. c. 68. pag. 20. t Math. 10. 8. u Bartholomaeus vuesthemerus . * Dan. 5. ●7 . x 2 Sam. 24. 14. y Pro. 12. 10. z 2 Cor. 4. 4. * 2 Cor. 6. 17. 18. a Reu. 18. 4. 5. Doctor Holland . b 1 Pet , 2. 2. cap. 2. 25. e 2 Pet. 3. 18. f 2 Cor. 6. 15. 16. g Math. 16. 6. * All Christian Kings counted Heretickes , who are not Romane Catholickes . h Lib : Instit : Cath : Sect. 11. c. 23. Creswell loco praedicto ait potestatē regiam esse iuris ciuilis , ergo in arbitrio populs esse , rex quis fit , an non . pag 145. a Fra. Bozius Eug. de temp . eccl . monar . lib. 1. c. 3. &c. 11. b Lib ▪ 1. cere . rocur . Sect. 7. pag. 85. c C. sollicitae . 6. de maior . & obedien . d Gen. 9 21. * Professed pandars to the Romish Curtezan , inuiolably fixed to her folly and fornication . e Iames 5. 19. 20.