A Seasonable QUESTION, IN A SERMON On Joshua 5.13.— Art thou for us, or for our Adversaries? Preached on the 18th of June at Kingsnoth, being the Public Fast: And on the 27th of July at St. Peter's Cornhill, London. By Timothy Wilson, M. A. and Rector of Kingsnoth in Kent. LONDON, Printed by T.S. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns, at the lower end of Cheapside, near Mercer's Chapel. 1690. TO THE READER. I Was importuned by some Friends and Relations, to publish this plain Sermon, which was heard with general satisfaction in the Country: but then I could not be prevailed with to transcribe a Copy for the Press. However since a good Providence (as I hope) and business of importance hath called me to London, I, not loving to be wholly idle, resolved to Preach this Country Fast Sermon, hoping that it might be very seasonable, and meet with as much acceptance here, as it did in my Neighbourhood. But some Auditors I had full of prejudice, and the discourse was variously received. This was the lot of our Blessed Saviour. Some said, he was a good man: others said, nay, but he deceiveth the People. I can say with St. Paul, Men and Brethren, I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day, Act. 23.1. I never believed the Divine Right of any one Form of Government antecedent to agreement, but I always thought the obligation of Conscience was consequent to it. And accordingly I have Justified Self-defence and Self-preservation, against Illegal and Universal Oppression in discourses published some months ago. So that I am most zealous for the present Government of King William and Queen Mary. And I make it my business to convince and confirm all my fellow Subjects, as I have opportunity. But this Sermon is practical, and in all things fitted to the meanest capacity. And I never intended that it should see the light but because it is thought that it may do some good, I have consented to publish it. I live a retired life, and my Nighbours are well contented, living peacably, Worshipping God in one place, and Honouring King William and Queen Mary. But when I come abroad in the World, I find great Animosities and Prejudices: whereas I think, that though we cannot be all of one Opinion in smaller matters, yet true Protestants should hearty unite against Popery and Slavery. Good Christian Reader, if thou hast any scruples, I make no Question but that thou mayst receive satisfaction, if thou wilt calmly dispute the case, I am at thy service in this work, Tim. Wilson. JOSH. 5.13. These words of the Verse, Art thou for us, or for our Adversaries? AFTER the Death of Moses the Servant of the Lord, Joshua was made Captain of God's Israel. He was a Devout Man, and a good Soldier; full of Faith, and full of Courage. And God magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life, chap. 4. ver. 14. He led God's people Israel over Jordan, as Moses did over the Red Sea; and he brought them to the Borders of Canaan, their promised Inheritance and Possession. This made the Kings of the Amorites, and the Kings of the Canaanites tremble. Their Hearts melted, neither was there Spirit in them any more, ver. 1. of this Chapter of our Text. In his Travels, Joshua had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saw a Vision or Apparition; And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lift up his Eyes, and looked, and behold there stood a Man over against him, with his Sword drawn in his Hand; and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our Adversaries? Joshua saw one Man, or Angel, and he asked him this question. And if I were a Preacher to all England this day, I would ask them the same question, Art thou for us, or for our Adversaries? The words are a question proposed by Joshua to the Angel, or Person that appeared to him. For the Illustration and Exemplification whereof, I shall consider these things. 1. Who the Us are. 2. Who our Adversaries are. 3. I shall give you the Reasons, why all good Men should be for us. 4. Why all good Men should be against our Adversaries. And so proceed to a short Parallel and Application to ourselves. 1. I shall consider who the Us are. They were Joshua, and the Children of Israel, and by parity of Reason, all such as Joshua and the Children of Israel were. And I shall give you their Character in these five Particulars. 1. They were Jews, God's People, and in Covenant with him. 2. They maintained Gods true Religion. 3. They were oppressed wicked Men. 4. They defended themselves against their Oppressors. 5. They had Gods Promise for Deliverance, and believed in him. 1. They were Jews, God's people, and in Covenant with him. They were the Seed of Abraham, the Friend of God, and only Visible Church of God upon Earth. And God was the God of their Fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, Exod. 3.6. and Deut. 28. and 9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the Commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his Ways; and all people of the Earth shall see, that thou art called by the Name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee, etc. There is an Holy Covenant between God and his People. That is the first Character. 2. They maintained Gods true Religion. Art thou for us, who are the true Worshippers of God? God's Glory and his Name was celebrated among the Israelites, and they served the Lord; Ye shall serve the Lord your God, (saith Moses, Exod 23.25.) and he shall bless thy Bread and thy Water and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. They Worshipped neither the Idols which the corrupt World had before the Flood, nor those Idols which other Nations Worshipped since the Flood; but they Worshipped the God of Israel only, and made no Covenant with the Heathen. See Exod. 34.14. That is the second Character. 3. They were oppressed by wicked men. After the Death of Joseph, there arose a King who hated God's people, and resolved to ruin them, or keep them under, and make them Slaves, Exod. 1.8, etc. He feared their Numbers and Strength, and he consulted with his Favourites to deal subtly with them. At first he commanded all their Male-childrens to be slain as soon as they were Born; a most Barbarous and Cruel Edict! And he set over them Taskmasters, to afflict them with their Burdens; and they made the Children of Israel to serve with rigour, and they made their Lives bitter with hard Bondage; and many Devices they had to keep under and enslave the poor Israelites. But God saw the Affliction of his people, and heard their cry, by reason of their Taskmasters, and knew their sorrows; and he saw the Oppression, wherewith the Egyptians oppressed them; and, Exod. 3.8. He came down and delivered them out of the Hand of the Egyptians, and resolved to bring them up out of that Land, unto a good Land, and a large, unto a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, unto the place of the Canaanites, etc. That is the third Character. 4. They defended themselves against their Oppressors. The Israelites War was plainly defensive against Pharaoh King of Egypt, though he pleaded that they had been his Subjects, with the prescription of above four hundred years. As soon as God's time for Deliverance came, Moses and the Elders of Israel went to the King of Egypt, Exod. 3.18. and demanded leave to sacrifice to the God of Israel. They would have Freedom of Religion, and Liberty to serve God, and live no longer under the oppression of Pharaoh. This provoked Pharaoh to wrath, and made him Blaspheme the God of Israel; Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go, Exod. 5.2. And instead of easing their Grievances, he imposed more heavy Burdens, requiring Brick, and not allowing Straw, and punished them for not performing what was impossible to be done. They make their complaint, as of a thing unreasonable, and against the Law of Nature, but they could have no redress; for Pharaoh was resolved to oppress and suppress them, if he could. He calls all their pretences but idleness, and to Sacrifice to the Lord was but the effect of their laziness. Thus are wicked Oppressors, whom God hath determined to destroy, deaf to all complaints, though never so just and reasonable That is the fourth Character. 5. They had God's promise for deliverance, and believed in him. Gods Promise they had, Exod. 6.3, etc. where you may see a full and plain Promise of God to deliver Israel, to bless them, and to settle them in Canaan the Promised Land. It is true, many of the Children of Israel had not Faith to believe this, they harkened not to Moses for anguish of Spirit, and for cruel Bondage, v. 9 But no doubt most of the Israelites adhered to Moses in this cause, and had Faith to believe that God would perform his Promise; and the most unbelieving, when they saw God's mighty Works, were forced to confess, that the God of Israel was most powerful. That is the fifth and last Character. 2. I shall consider who our Adversaries are. The Adversaries of Joshua and the Israelites, were divers people of Canann, all Heathens and Idolaters; a corrupt Generation, whose iniquities were full; wicked and profane, and God had decreed to destroy them. 1. They were Idolaters. 2. They were guilty of heinous Sins. 3. They were appointed by God to utter Ruin and Destruction for their Sins. 1. The Adversaries were Idolaters; they forsook the true God, Creator and Possessor of Heaven and Earth, and Worshipped Idols, the Work of their own Hands: They changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man, and changed the Truth of God into a Lie, and Worshipped and Served the Creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever, Amen, as St. Paul speaks, Rom 1.23, 25. Hence God forbids his people Israel making Images, Levit. 26.1. and nothing provoked the Lord to anger more, than when his people Israel revolted to Idolatry, either that of the Egyptians, or that of the Moabites. As for that of the Egyptians, we read Exod. 32. that God was incensed by the Worshippers of the Golden Calf, the Egyptian Idol; and threatened to consume them, had not Moses interceded and prayed earnestly. As for that of the Moabites, we read Numb. 25. that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, because they Sacrificed and Bowed down to their Gods. God sent a Plague among them, in which died four and twenty thousand, because they joined themselves to Baal Peor, which some say was the Beastly Heathenish God Priapus; a most lewd and abominable Idol, abhorred by the very Heathens, who had any sense of Goodness, or sparks of Virtue and Morality left. 2. They were guilty of heinous Sins. Besides their Idolatry, Profaneness, Superstition, false Worship, blasphemy, and the like Sins, directly against God, and the Duties of the first Table of the Decalogue, they abounded with notorious Vices forbidden in the second Table, and directly against their Neighbour. They stand accused of all Unrighteousness, Malice, Drunkenness, Murder, and especially of Whoredom, and all manner of Uncleanness, even Sodomy itself not excepted. They were sinful, yea a people laden with iniquity, and a Seed of evil doers, who sinned against Natural Light and Knowledge. But I shall not descant on particulars at this time. 3. The Adversaries were appointed by God to utter Ruin and Destruction, for their sins. Their iniquities were full, and God had fully resolved to root them out. Thus we read, Levit. 18.25. The Land is defiled (i.e. by lewdness and wickedness) therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the Land itself vomits out her Inhabitants. Heinous sins defile a Land, and, as it is at the 28 th' verse, make a Land spew out the Inhabitants; so Levit. 20.22. the same phrase is used; and ver. 23. God says that he abhors them for their most grievous wickedness. Great Sins bring great Plagues, and Temporal as well as Eternal Judgements on a Nation. It is true, God promised Abraham to make a Nation of him, that Kings should come out of him, Gen. 17.6. and to establish his Covenant with him, and his Seed after him in their Generations; and to give them all the Land of Canaan for an Everlasting Possession; but they were to be Pilgrims, and go down into Egypt for four hundred and thirty years, till the iniquities of the Amorites were full: For God's Promises and his Judgements are all conditional, God destroys not innocent Creatures. If the Canaanites had not done evil in his sight, and lived in all manner of profaneness and wickedness, they should not have been destroyed If England reforms their evil ways, they shall be saved: For God decrees misery only to the Impenitent. I shall give you the Reasons why all good Men should be for us, which is the third particular in the Method propounded. The Reasons may be taken, 1. From ourselves. 2. From the Cause itself. 3. From God himself. 4. From the Examples of the most wise and devout Protestants whom we follow. 1. From ourselves. We desire to live in all good Conscience towards God and Men We desire nothing but what Laws and Liberties our Forefathers left us. We invaded no Man's right, but studied to live quietly, and do our own business. Our Actions were good and lawful; but our Enemies triumphed, and without Law or Reason sought our ruin. Our present Sufferings were great, and we were threatened with greater, and all this without our desert or offence. We were enslaved by Jesuits, evil councillors and Unreasonable Men. Our Liberties, or Religion, our Estates were almost gone; we scarce knew what was our own. We had a standing Army in time of peace, without consent and against the Petition of Parliament, to over-awe us. Our Bishops were some Suspended, and some Imprisoned, and our most Learned Doctors, and most Zealous Preachers against Popish Innovations and Arbitrary Power, were censured and discountenanced. We had an Illegal Declaration to be read in Churches, imposed on the whole Clergy. Our Nobility and Gentry were closeted and threatened, and almost all our Corporations new modelled and changed, in order to gain a Parliament that should promote the ruin of us and our Religion. Every Man that departed from evil made himself a prey. Superstition, Oppression, Cruelty, prevailed throughout the Land; The whole Kingdom was filled with Complaints, and Sighs, and Groans, by reason of their cruel Bondage; the Vilest Men were exalted; and Men of Fidelity to God and their Country, and Loyalty to the King and Kingdom, and Religion by Law Established, Spirits of Honesty, Spirits of Courage, were cast out as filth; yea Dissenters, and the poor deluded Sectaries were bribed with a pretended Liberty of Conscience, to help to ruin us first and themselves afterwards. Now when we knew no means of help, but lay down under our Burden, and were as a Kingdom devoted to misery; then did the Lord appear in a glorious manner, and beyond all our expectations sent the Prince of Orange, now our Gracious Sovereign, our Deliverer from Popish Tyranny; wherefore I say, that we are most ungrateful, if we do not stand by him with our Lives and Fortunes. There was a great and long plotted design, whereby Popery should have been re-advanced, Gods saving Truth been suppressed, his Worship substantially corrupted and utterly destroyed; and it was a work of a large Extent, as that which concerns all other Reformed Churches, whose happiness or misery will be involved in ours. Yea Ages to come will have Reason, either to bless or curse this Generation, as we shall follow or neglect this present opportunity; so than if we be asked a Reason of our joining with K. William in this Resolution, here are Reasons, clear Reasons, easy to the weakest understandings, yea open to every Man's sense. Who among us hath not felt these Reasons? To use the words of a grave Divine in the like case. And as these Reasons are so plain, that the most illiterate and vulgar understanding may conceive them, so they are so weighty and cogent, that the most subtle and sublime understanding cannot but be subdued to them; unless because they are such Masters of Reason, they have resolved to obey none. And yet where Conscience is yet indeed unsatisfied, we should rather pity than impose and labour to persuade rather than violently to obtrude. But as for others, as St. Paul says, O foolish Galatians! who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth? Gal. 3.1. so I may say, O foolish Englishmen! who hath bewitched you, that, when you may have your Religion, your Laws and your Liberties secured; you Plot and Conspire, or at least wish well to the French Enemy? 2. From the Cause itself. We stand up for our Religion, the true Worship and Service of God, which is Established by Law, and is our Birthright and greatest Happiness. We stand up for our Laws, Liberties and Properties, which have all been dispensed with by Covetous and Ambitious Spirits, and Men not fearing God, nor loving the welfare of their Native Country. And we were in danger to be ruined, and our Posterity after us, by corrupt Judges, who loved Bribes more than Judgement, and the wages of Unrighteousness more than Truth. 3. From God himself. We trust that it is God's Cause, and that God is on our side; And if God be for us, who can be against us? It was a notable Speech, as I have read, that Josephus reports Herod made to his Soldiers; it came from the Mouth of a Herod, but it well beseems the Mouth of a most godly Christian Captain. Some may say, saith he, our Cause is just, but we are few and weak; but where Truth and Justice is, there is God; and where God is, there wants neither multitude nor fortitude. I hope all good Men will have their Eyes opened, and hearty join with us. God was with Joshua and his Hosts, and I trust that he will continue to be with our Protestant King and his Armies. The Angel, or Christ himself (as some Expositors think it was) tells Joshua, As Captain or Prince of the Host of the Lord am I now come, ver. 14. Moses says, Deut. 20.3. that the Priests ought to encourage the people; and ver. 4. he saith, The Lord your God is he that goes with you, to Fight for you against your Enemies, to save you. And in God more especially, let us consider these three things; 1. His Wisdom. 2. His Power. 3. His Promise. 1. His Wisdom, whereby God foresees what is best. He hath many ways to help his Servants, in their fears, of which they are ignorant. The Lord is Great in Counsel, and Mighty in Working, saith the Prophet, Jer. 32.19. He can turn the Enemy's Counsel into Foolishness, and defeat them, as he did Achitophel's. He can Counter plot their Plots, and make their Devices of none effect. When Pharaoh dealt subtly, God was above him. 2. His Power, whereby he is able to effect what is best. All things are possible to him. His Eyes are ever towards the Righteous, and he shows himself strong in the behalf of them that fear him. He can weaken their Power, abate their Pride, defeat their Policies, and turn their Prosperity into Misery. He had power to drown the old wicked World, when the Earth was corrupt and full of violence. He Reigned down Fire and Brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, to refine those impure places, and rescued Righteous Lot from that overthrow. He drowned Pharaoh and his Host in the Red Sea. 3. His Promise. If we obey his voice, he will be an Enemy to our Enemies, and an Adversary to our Adversaries, Exod. 23.22. and Levit. 26.3, etc. If you walk in my Statutes, and keep my Commandments, and do them; among other Blessings this is promised, I will give peace in the Land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and ye shall Chase your Enemies, and they shall fall before you by the Sword; and I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my People. God promised Abraham, and consequently all that do the works of Abraham; I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, Gen. 12.3. God's Eye is on his Israel, the false Prophet Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, and would have cursed Israel, to gain the promotions of the King of Moab, was forced to acknowledge this Truth; God had blessed them, and he could not reverse it, Numb. 23.20. and ver. 23. Surely there is no Enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any Divination against Israel. Here is enough to change all men's Hearts to join with God and his Servants. 4. From the Example of the most wise and devout Protestants, whom we follow. We imitate the Glorious Company of the Saints and Martyrs ever since the Reformation. They all Zealously contended, and some even unto death, for the same Truth and Cause that we now contend, against the Innovations, Tyranny and Usurpations of the Pope and all his detestable Adherents. Luther, Melancthon, Bucer, Calvin, Zuinglius, and thousands of our Brethren beyond the Seas, in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, etc. And in England, the Right Reverend Bishops Cranmer, Ridley, Hooper, and other Ministers of Christ, as Mr. Rogers, Mr. Bradford, Mr. Philpot, and many more laid down their Lives for this Truth, and were Burnt at the Stake. Are you for these Men, or are you for their Adversaries? Let no Man or true Protestant delude himself; for they who Burnt our Forefathers at the Stake as Heretics, will do so to us likewise, if they had as much power. It is not want of will, but want of power. I hope all sound Protestants will be wise in this their day, and know the things that belong to their Peace, before they be hid from their Eyes. And blessed be God, the most wise Men in Church and State foresee this. I am not Zealous about Opinions, for the most Learned and Holy Men will differ as long as the World remains; but the Truths that I speak of are such as have been Sealed with the Blood of Martyrs, have been justified by the most Learned Pens, and Disputes of all the Worthies of this Kingdom, without interruption, for above an hundred and twenty years; but of late, by a Cunning, Ambitious and Corrupt Party, we had almost been Cheated of them, even of those Truths which ought to be dearer than our Lives. Blessed be God, who hath given a turn (as one speaks) and made a stop of their proceed, who were gone as far as Rome Gates in a declining way. These were the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of England in its first Reformation. 4. I shall consider why all good Men should be against our Adversaries. 1. Because they are against the Truth. 2. Because they are Oppressors. 3. Because they are Enemies to God's Glory. 4. Because they are cruel to God's people and his Saints. 1. Because they are against the Truth. The Adversaries of Joshua and the Children of Israel were Heathenish Idolaters, as I have showed; they hated the true Worshippers of God; yea they were so Barbarous, as to suffer their Children to pass through the Fire to Moloch, Levit. 18.21. and to profane the Name of God. Moloch was the chief and greatest Idol, the God of the Ammonites. Some say it was the Heathen Saturn, to whom only almost, among the Gods, they Sacrificed Humane Victims, as I find in the Author of the Synopsis. Others conjecture otherwise, that it was Jupiter, or Priapus, or Mercurius, or Mars; whatever it was, it is no great matter, it was Devil-worship, and made the Heathens abhorred and punished by God. 2. Because they are Oppressors. God saw the Oppression of Israel, wherewith the Egyptians oppressed them, Exod. 3.9. and he delivered them. In all their Affliction he was Afflicted, and the Angel of his presence saved them. God bats Oppression, and will punish all that oppress his People, Jer. 30.20. He reproves them that oppress the poor, and crush the needy, Amos 4.1. He denounces woes against them that covet Fields, and take them by Violence, and Houses, and take them away: So they oppress a Man and his House, even a Man and his Heritage, saith the Prophet, Mic. 2.2. and God hath promised that he will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble, Psal. 9.9. This is enough to make all oppressors tremble. 3. Because they are Enemies to God's Glory. And God will not give his Glory to another, nor his Praise to Graven Images, Isa. 42.8. 4. Because they are cruel to God's People and the Saints. Idolaters hate the true Worshippers of God, and would root them out of the Earth. Their Enemies conspired that the name of Israel might be no more remembered upon Earth: first the Egyptians, than the Canaanites, than the Babylonians would have utterly destroyed them; Yea the Children of Edom said of Jerusalem, Raze it, raze it, even to the Foundation thereof, Psal. 137.7. or, Down with it, down with it, even to the Ground, as one translation reads. See the desolation of Jerusalem, and the cruelty of their Enemies, Psal. 79.1, etc. Thus I have finished the several things proposed, for the illustration and exemplification of the Text. Let us conclude with Application. The Lesson shall be of Exhortation. My Brethren, let us be exhorted to take part with God and his true Church, against the Synagogue of Satan and his Followers. The Text supposes that you must be for us, or for our, Adversaries. Ye must be for Protestants, or for Papists; for the Ark, or for Dagon; for God, or for Baal; for Israelites, or for Canaanites; for the English, or for the Irish and French. Therefore do like Wise Men and Good Christians; Make a Parallel, and compare us and our Adversaries, the Protestants and the Papists, and choose that side which agrees best with Reason and Scripture the Word of God. The Papists teach us to deny our senses, and tell us that Bread is turned into a God, tho' we see it and taste it to be Bread; after the Priest hath said the words, This is my Body, they Worship it, and then Eat it; A piece of service that the very Heathens abhorred, to Eat the God whom they Worship. They teach us to Worship Images, and pray to Saints deceased, and a multitude of Fopperies, of which I make no question, you have often heard. On the other side, the Protestants own all these, Sense, Reason, Revelation, to have evidence in their own Sphere; not renouncing their Senses, nor their Reason, tho' they have Faith in God, and believe all Divine Revelations. Solon, (as I have read) would have all Neuters in a Commonwealth branded with perpetual Infamy; and the reason is, Neutrality neither helps a Friend, nor hinders an Enemy: And it was an heinous Crime in the Church of Laodicea, to be neither Hot nor Cold, but Luke warm; for which God threatens to Spew them out of his Mouth, Rev. 3.16. In short, either the Protestant Religion, which we profess against the Papists, is the Truth, or not; If it be the Truth, than the Scripture says, Buy the Truth and sell it not, Prov. 23.23. We cannot give too dear for these Truths. The Holy Ghost complains, none pleadeth for the Truth, Isa. 59.4. The Scriptures command us to love the Truth and Peace, Zech. 8.19. In order Truth is first. And Saint Judas, v. 3. exhorts us earnestly to contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints. But especially we abhor, 1. The Popish Idolatry. 2. Their breach of Promise. 3. Their Persecution and Cruelty. As for their Idolatry in Worshipping their Consecrated Host, Images, etc. I have already discoursed of these. Therefore, 2. We abhor their breach of Promise. It is too common with them to say that Faith is not to be kept with Heretics: And hence no considerate and wise Man will trust them. And we have had experience of their acting according to this principle. The famous, learned and devout Protestant John Huss was ruined by them, when he had a Protection and safe conduct granted by the Emperor; and upon it went to the Council of Constance; But (saith the famous Historian Sleidan) in three week's time he was made a Prisoner, and with Jerom of Prague, Burnt at a Stake: And the Council gave the Emperor this reason, No Promise was to be kept with Heretics. Q. Marry promised that none of her Subjects should be forced in Conscience, that she would in particular preserve to the Suffolk and Norfolk Gospelers, as they were called in those days (who had been so great Instruments in her advancement to the Throne) that Reformation begun in her Brother King Edward's days, for which they were zealous: And she promised never to make any Innovation or Change of the then established Reformed Religion, but would content herself with the private exercise of her own Religion, as an ingenious man speaks: But she broke her Faith; with those Suffolk Heretics. And we found it thus in our days with our English Papists. As they imagined their Power increased (tho' God be thanked it was only imagination, for their Party was weak) all their Promises were as soon broken as made, and the weakest judgement plainly discerned their dissimulation. 3. We abhor their Persecution and Cruelty. They are of a most Persecuting Spirit, and cruel Principles. They think they do God good service, like the Jews who killed the Apostles of Christ, when they burn Protestants at a Stake. I will not say that the Pope is the Antichrist mentioned in Scripture, nor the Whore of Babylon spoken of particularly in the 17 chap. of the Revelations, (tho' some learned Protestants of our own Church are of this opinion) because I am of opinion that the Antichrist is already come and passed, and that Heathen Rome, full of Idols and Abominations, is literally meant by the Holy Ghost; But Apostatised Christian Rome acts the same part, or worse over again; and may well be called the Scarlet Whore, or Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth, ver. 5. because she hath been Drunk with the Blood of the Saints, and with the Blood of the martyrs of Jesus, v. 6. And the Pope and his adherents, his Cardinals, and Priests, and Jesuits, make War with the Lamb (i.e. Christ, and his true and living Members;) and the Lamb (i.e. true and sound Protestants shall be Instruments under Christ, and) shall overcome them: for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful, v. 14. The Papists have subtlety enough to promise fair, till they have power; But when they know or think themselves strong enough, no Professors of any Religion can be more Cruel and Barbarous than they are. Luther (as I have read) warmed Melancthons' Spirit, by a Letter about the Common Cause, then molested by Pontifical Rage and Caesar's Fury. I have a quiet mind says he, about the public cause, being assured that it is just, true, and unappaled; I fear not the fierce and cruel Papists; If we be overthrown, Christ shall be overthrown with us; and come what can, I had rather fall with Christ, than stand with Caesar, We have Fasted, we have Prayed, we have consulted with the God of Heaven, (I wish I could say the whole Nation had Reform their lives) and I doubt not but he will answer us in due time with good and comfortable words, as the phrase is Zech. 1.13. So then I hope that all Protestants are for us. And if ye are for us, I will briefly mention the manner how ye shall be for us, that God may prosper and bless us all. 1. With your hearts. For if we have not your Hearts, you will deceive us, and upon the least Temptation turn to our Adversaries, or stand Neuter. 2. With your Tongues. You ought to speak well of the Kings and Nations present cause, and stop the Mouths of adversaries. 3. With your Hands. You ought to be active according to your strength, and in your several Spheres, to promote the common good. 4. With your Purses, as need may be: And indeed, Blessed be God, the whole Nation hath willingly contributed to this great work: And I believe so great Taxes were never paid with more cheerfulness. And surely God will accept this labour of love. Lastly with your Prayers. This all may do, and all that fear God I hope will do. Moses hand lift up in Prayer, and Joshua's stretched forth in Battle, make a Victorious Army. Preces nostrae, Bombardae nostrae, says Luther, our Prayers are our Guns. Wherefore let us be encouraged to pray. Let us strive with God in Prayer, while our Brethren are striving with the Enemy in Battle. They venture their precious Lives for us, and endure great hardship; Shall not we pray? He is an unworthy Member of the Church or Commonwealth, who hath not a Heart to pray now. The Poor indeed may say with Saint Peter, Silver and Gold have I none; But yet they may give such as they have, even Prayers and Hearty Wishes, that God would be gracious and favourable to Zion, that he would preserve our true Religion, that he would resettle our distressed Protestant Irish Brethren, and that he would prosper his Anointed Servant in this great Undertaking, for the Honour of his Name, the Propagation of his Gospel, and the lasting Happiness of this Church and Kingdom, Amen. FINIS.