A discovery of the rebels by J.V., prisoner.

A discovery of the rebels by J.V., prisoner.

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A DISCOVERY OF THE REBELS.

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Title page

THE GREAT ANTICHRIST.

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A DISCOVERY OF THE REBELS.

LUKE 19. from v. 12. to 28.

As for those mine enemies that would not that I should reigne over them, bring them and slay them before me.

By J. V. Prisoner.

Printed in the Yeare of our Lord, 1643.

A DISCOVERY OF THE REBELS.

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LUKE 19. from v. 12. to 28.

12 He said therefore, A certaine noble man went into a far countrey, to receive for himselfe a Kingdome, and to returne.

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Traffick till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to raign over us.

15 And it came to passe, that when he was returned, having received the Kingdome, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that hee might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant; because thou hast been faithfull in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five ponds.

19 And hee said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, Behold here is thy [Page] pound which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant: Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the banke, that at my comming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25 And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.

26 For I said unto you, That unto every one which hath, shall be given, and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But those mine enemies which would not that I should raign over them, bring hither and slay them before me.

Theologia symbolica non est argumentativa. PArabolicall Divinity, as the schoole saith, is not argumentative, yet from theAliquid. scope of the parable, and from collation of other places, are deduced A paribus, imparibus, similibus, &c. forcible arguments, and in an explicate similitude, there is a verity both in the [...]. proposition and reddition, though it be a fayned similitude, and because parables leave a greater impression, therefore our Saviour opens his mouth in parables, in Matth. 13. 1. &c. are seven parables touching the Kingdome of [Page] God, and this parable wherein my Text falls concernes a King and his Subjects, which is the great businesse now in hand; and therefore this Text is a word in season; for the understanding whereof, I shall consider, First his birth, he was of aSyr. [...] Arab. [...] noble Family, as a King should be, so saithChron. 10. Ecclesiastes, Blessed art thou O Land, when thy King is the Sonne of Nobles, by a lineall long succession, for he is a Father of the Countrey, and his Subjects are to him as Children: The mysticall sense is touching Christ, who is King of kings, who thought it no robbery to be equall to God, yet tooke upon him the forme of a Servant, even of the worst of servants, for he was sold as a slave, he [...], Philip. 2. emptied all the Noble bloud out of his veynes, to teach the Nobles humility, and that the same minde should be in us, 2 Phil. 6. 7. &c. as was in the Lord Jesus, that nothing be done out of vaine glory or contention, but in lowlinesse of minde, to esteeme others better then our selves. Secondly, the Voyage of this King into a farre Country: Kings have occasions urgent to withdraw them from their Royall Cities of residence, and so Christ; the King of Sion is gone to Heaven, from whence wee expect our Saviour Christ. Thirdly, the end of his Voyage,Syr. [...] Arab. to recover it. [...] to take to himselfe a Kingdome, and to returne; to turne about his Kingdome to himselfe, it seems his Subjects had rebelled, and he takes his journey to reduce his stragling sheepe to the fold, his Subjects to their due obedience, so ChristPsal. 110. 1. sits on Gods [Page] right hand, and he must reigne, till he have put down all his enemies, and by himProv. 8. 1 Cor. 15. Kings reigne; and as Christ is gone to lead captive thePsal. 68. rebellious, so it is warrantable for KingsDebellare superbos. to subdue the proud, and then to returne to the royall City againe; and so Christ the great Potentate, shall returne at the day of Judgment; the signes whereof in Heaven are,Matth. 24. the darkning of Sun, Moone and Starrs; and on Earth,Luk. 21. affliction by sword and famine; perplexity of the people, raging like the waves of the Sea; and desparation of men, their hearts [...]. failing them for feare of ensuing troubles: and are not these signes in our dayes to teach us to watch and pray, that wee may be counted worthy to escape, and to stand before the Son of man? Fourthly, the Kings royall bounty to his domestick servants and officers, he gives among them ten pounds, or tenMatth. 25. Talents, and 'tis the manner of Kings to recompence the service of his domestick Servants above others, witnesse Sejanus the favorite; and in Israel, divers Princes saw the Kings face, and found favour above others; so Christ our soveraigne lord, disperseth his gifts liberally; and these are the Talents to his servants: [...]. Let us then be wise and faithfull stewards of the manifold grace of God,Theophyl. especially his Ministers, to give [...], Luk. 12. the portion of food in due season to the houshold of God; Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing, he shall make him ruler of all his substance. Sixthly, [Page] the imployment of the Kings bounty, some of them were faithfull to their Lord and Master, and stedfast to him, to ingage their estates in the maintenance of his cause and one, that is, few of them were covetous and Neutralists, that hid his money in a napkin, laid it up in treasures, and would afford no helpe to His Majesty; so Christ hath many idle servants, that hide the gifts that he hath given them. Seventhly,Arab. [...] the rebellion of the Citizens of the Metropolitane City against the King; first, they hated him, there is the root; secondly, they sent Messages of contempt after he was gone from the City,Caetus urbis, a Common Councell. as Rebells usually doe; thirdly, they protested against him,Syr. Arab. [...] that they would not have this man reigne over them, and they say This man, or this fellow, in disgrace, as if he were no King of a long royall descent: The causes seeme to be three; first, the Kings absence, and farre distance from his royall City, whereby the Citizens were impoverished, by the decay of their Trades; secondly, envy, because of his bounty to his Courtiers and dayly Ministers; thirdly, jealousie, or distrust in the King, because he preferred not them, as well as others, lesse deserving in their opinion: so the City Jerusalem hated Christ without a cause, and would not have him reigne over them, out of envy and causlesse jealousies. Eighthly, an exaction of account of his domestick Servants and Officers, and as the manner of Kings is, rewards the faithfull [Page] and industrious in his service, and punisheth the disloyall; after the subduing of the Rebells, he makes one governor of tenSyr. [...] fortified Cities, another over five, who had no rule at all before, a great encouragement to his faithfull servants, (in what low degree soever) that feare God, and honour his sacred Majesty; so Christ the great King, at the great day, will call every man to give an account of theLuk, 16. 1. gifts bestowed on him, how they are improved. Ninthly, the legall processe against his dayly Servants and Citizens; and this is contained in my Text, wherein first, I shall speake of their persons, secondly their crimes, thirdly their doome, bring them and slay them before mee, amplified by modus patiendi, manner of suffering, before mee. 1. The Delinquents are of two sorts, Domestick Servants, or Great Officers, that deny to assist their Master against the Rebellion of the Citizens, but out of avarice, hide their money gotten in his service, these like the wicked and slothfull servants, lose their places and goods, which are given to more deserving men; If a King have but one of these evill Ministers, it were sufferable; but when many of these shall appeare and complayne, that the King is a hard master, an oppressour, and exact our, to reape where he had not sowen, and to take more then his due; what King can beare it? If they durst not appeare in the Kings cause, for feare of the rebellious Citizens, why did they not give his money[Page]toLuk. 19.the Exchangers? Why did they not give the Kings due to others for his advantage? Let such temporizing servants know, that the King in his returne, after he hath recovered and setled his Kingdome, will judge them out of their owne mouth; for if he were a hard master in the beginning of the Rebellion, much more will he be to them of his owne house, when he hath chastised the Rebells: the wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon; Be afraid then evill servant, and by seasonable submission seeke his grace and favour. David the King was more grieved with Achitophels Rebellion, then all the rest▪ insomuch as he cryes out,Psal. 55. 6. 7. &c. Fearefulnesse and trembling hath taken hold upon mee, and horrour hath covered mee; the horrour of sackcloth, instead of princely robes; He said, Oh that I had the [...] wing of a Dove to flye away; he had the quill of a Dove, wherewith heAbben Ezra in locum. wrote this book, and he wisheth but one wing: forIdem Ab. they that observe experiments, write, that a Dove wearyed, will flie with one wing: and he adds, I would remove farre away, Heb. [...]. wandring, not knowing whither; what is the cause of all this? the conspiracy of Achitophel, Chald. Paraph. [...] It was thou, O Achitophel, a man of my rank; he was a privy Councellour, the Kings Cousin, and so in the Kings In eorum numero nosmet reputantes, Justinian. rank, he was a guide to the King, and of the same Religion, forPsal. 55. they tooke sweet councell together, and went into the house of God with a pompous trayne. This was so heynous a crime, that [Page] the spirit of God, by the pen of David, pronounceth this fearfull imprecation against him, Let death seize upon him, and let him goe downe quick into Hell, for he hath prophaned his covenant, and oath of Allegiance to his sacred Majesty, not that any private man may use such direfull imprecations; yet it shews how worthy of such punishment, is a servant of the King that becomes a Traytor: so likewise in Psal. 41. David speakes against this Achitophel, who insulted over the King in his affliction, saying, [...] Heb. A thing of Beliall, that is, a devouring mischiefe cleaveth to him; and now that he is fallen from his honour, he shall never rise againe: The man of his peace, who did eate of his bread; for Achitophel was a Courtier, and had a table in Court, and yet lift up his heele against his master, to affront him to his face,Heb. [...] insidias struxit. and lay in wait for him to take and destroy him; But his sacred Majesty gives himselfe to prayer, saying, O Lord have mercy on me, raise me up, and I shall recompence him; for though a private person may not avenge himselfe, yet a King for the honour of God (whose anoynted he is, whose Vicegerent he is on earth, [...] Chrysost, in Genes. in regimine homo est Dei Imago. and his image representing the oneDivisum imperium cum love Caesar habet. celestiall Monarch) ought to be avenged on Rebells, especially his domestick servants and officers, that deale trecherously as Achitophel did, to apply it mystically to Christ our King, he had also one domestick servant, that was a Traytor and a Devil, who did eateSic antiqui hunc locum exponunt. of his [Page] bread, and lift up his heele against him, who was of the same rank and profession, and [...]. Iohn 12. the steward of his house, and this Traytor drew away many others of Christs Disciples after him, so that they were Iohn 6. scandalized, and walked no more with him; Let us beware of such trecherous Hypocrisie, considering the wofull end of Judas.

The second sort of delinquents are his Citizens, his enemies that would not have him to reigne over them: But who are these?

First, such as will not give him the honour of a King, to be supreame over all in all; for they say the King is an ordinance of man, and therefore may by man be removed, their Sermons, Pamphlets, and Speeches are full of such and worse invectives against supremacy. In 1 Pet. 2. 13. it is written, Be subject to every [...], so Rom. 8. [...], every creature. Grec. humane Creature, in the Syrian, be subject [...] Syr. to all the sonnes of men, and who are these sonnes of men? not all in generall, but in particular; The King as supreame: Therefore the King is the highest of men, and yet but a humane creature, as it is in the Greek, not a God, nor a creature Angelicall; Then he next commands to be subject to Judges that are sent by him, for the Senators of the Grand Sanhedrim are called by him to consultDe quibusdam arduis. of difficult matters, and the King as supreame, reserves to himselfeLe Roy S'auviserá. a further advise; so the Emperour, of whom Saint Peter speakes, was supreame above the Senate, and Moses (who wasDeut. 33. king in Jesurun) was above all the Captaines of thousands, of [Page] hundreds, of fiftyes, of tens; though theAbben Ezra in Exod. 18. Captaines had a thousand Ministers under him, as Abben Ezra expounds the place in Exod. 18. 25. and in all hard matters there was an appeale to Moses the King; and Saint Pauls appeale to Caesar was justified by Festus and Agrippa. Acts 25. And in Deut. 17. he saith, If the matter be too hard for thee, thou shalt go to the place which the Lord shall chuse, (where the high councell sate) and whosoever shall not hearken to the Priest, or Judge, shall dye, If they say, that Moses was a Prophet, and the Priest had an infallible Urim: I answer, The Judge is also named, who was no Prophet, but the King, for the Kings of Judah judged the people, as David and Solomon. And Hezekiah, who was no Prophet, but a King, not annoynted, but by succession, was above the Grand Councell of Elders, 2 Chron. 19. 6, 7. he set Iudges, he appointed the heads of the Fathers of the high Sanhedrin, wherein the high Priest was for the matters of God and the Church, and the ruler of the house of Iudah, the Lord Chancellour was the mouth of the King, touching the kings, and for the Law and Liberty of the Subject, the Judges and heads of the Fathers, Loe here the three Estates in the Grand Sanhedrin, The King, the Priests, the Elders which were the Heads and the Commons. And is there not a kind of Monarchy in housholds from the very beginning? was not Adam the greatest Monarch madeChrysost. [...] Genes. 1. in Gods Image to rule the whole [Page] World? Genes. 1. And therefore successively are called the sonnes of God, Genes. 6. 1. as ruling under God, and kings are calledExod. 22. Gods,

Indeed, Nimrod began to be a mighty hunter upon earth, that is, a Tyrant, to kill men like beasts, but Monarchy was from the beginning, and Lycurgus the Lawgiver of the Lacedaemonians saw this, therefore he set up a Monarchy; for about five hundred yeares, and touching that time Lacedaemon was the Queene of Greece, but after they forsooke his Government became a handmayd to all; and when one asked Lycurgus why he did not erect a Democracy or popular State, he answered, doe thou [...]. Plutarch. in Lycurgo. first set up a popular Government in thine owne house.

Before the Flood and after, in the purest times, was but one Ruler in a house, who was also for the most part a Prophet (not alwayes) asGen. 23. [...] Heb. [...] Abraham was a Prince of God; so that he who doth not honour the king as supreame over all, would have no king reigne over him; for Monarchy is of the law of nature: andInde Imperator unde & homo. Tertull. he that made him a man, made him a king.

Secondly, such as will not pay custome and tribute royall, would have no king, Rom. 13.Syr. [...] of [...]. statura. for this cause you pay tribute, for they are the ministers of God, that subsist by these very things, they are the royall revenue and livelyhood, how shall he live as a king, if he be robbed of his tribute? Wee reade the manner, orHeb. [...] Kimchi &c. right of the kingdome, 1 Sam. 8. 11. and this was written in a [Page] booke, that the people might read the kings rights, 1. Sam. 10. and it was in the kings power to make any man free from that tribute, &c. they were obliged, so Saul promised to make his R. David. Ralbag. Fathers house free in Israel, that should kill Goliah, 1 Sam. 17. and David and Solomon tooke that as their right, in 1. Sam. 8. 11. Absolom had fifty men to run before him, David made of Israel Captaines of thousands and of fifties, and Princes of his husbandry of his Vines, &c. 1 Chr. 27. 25. & 28. 1. [...] R. David. It is true, a king could not take away the body or ground of fields and vineyards, but, in flagranti bello, in time of sudden and violent Warre, for the food of his servants that went to battaile, he might take the fruits for that time; so he might in that extreame necessity take the Tenth of their fruits and cattell, not the Tenth of mens estates, when nothing is to be found, nor to maintaine a civill but forraigne War; for there is in most places neither earing nor harvest, during an intestine Warre, witnesse the desolations of Germany: Therefore they assume more then regall power that will exact the Tenth part, or halfe so much to maintaine an unnaturall Warre, and of those that have no profit by their Trades, nor increase of the Fields, so much as to maintaine their owne Families with food and rayment. Besides this Tenth part was according to the Lawes of the kingdome, and with the peoples consent, for the booke was written for them by Samuel, to [Page] which they consented when the first king was set over them, and said God save the King, so described to them; but what shall we say when inferiour to kings shall usurp above kings by force to take away the tenth part of their estates, is not this extortion and robbery?

Thirdly, such as will not yeeld obedience Active and Passive to a King would have no King; The Active is plainly enjoyned in the fift Commandment, Honour thy Father, but the King is the Father of the Country, as Augustus was stiled by the Senate: And for Passive obedience, we have the generall consent of scripture and all sound antiquity till Knox his dayes, who in resisting the regall power simbolizeth with the Iesuiticall faction, preces & lachrymae, prayers and tears saith Ambrose were the Christians weapons against the Barbarous Gothes, whereby many of them were converted. Chrysostome writes to Cyriacus, if the Empresse scourge, imprison, saw me in sunder, slay me with the sword, or drown me, I shall patiently suffer it. Ambrose Rom. 13. saith, Rulers are no terrour to good works; for good men suffer cheerfully. Tertullian saith, by humane fire the divine sect is not maintained: By suffering, Christ and his Apostles published the Gospell; not by force of Arms, as earthly Rulers Matth. 12. He shall make no proclamation in the streets to compell, the bruised reed shall he not break, so farre is he from force, and yet shall he bring victory to his truth. St. Peter saith, Servants be obedient to [Page]the perverse masters, yea to Idolaters, for this Passive obedience is thank-worthy, when for [...] Pet. 3. conscience to God, ye suffer, as Christ left you an example; if Servants, then Subjects much more ought to suffer and not resist Princes,Nazianzen, & Horat. Reges in ipsos, imperium est Iovis. though Tyrants and Idolaters; for the fury of Julian was repressed by the tears of Christians, therefore in Deut. 13. it is said, If thy brother, and sonne of thy mother, thy sonne or daughter, the wife of thy bosome, or thy friend whom thou lovest as thy own soul, shall secretly entise thee, saying, Come let us serve other gods, Thou shalt not pity him, Thou shalt stone him with stones; he speaks here of inferiours, not of superiours, much lesse of Kings, that warre should be levyed against them, if they be Idolaters.

Fourthly, They that warre or fight against the Lords Anointed, would have no King raigne over them, as Jeroboam 1 Kings 11. servant of Solomon, who lift up his hand against the King, pretending the liberty of the subject was infringed by the King, because he had built Millo, which was a publike place for the highKimch. Councell to convene therein, and the King had turned it to his own use, and had made up the breaches of the city of David, as if he meant to tyrannize, and imprison them therein; but for all his pretences, he was a Rebell, and Israel [...] rebelled with him, and all his successours were sonnes of Belial, in1 Kings 12. Ralbages judgement.2 Sam. 24. R. Levi. Exaltavit. Kimch. In Psal. 105. it is said, Touch not mine anointed, that is, my magnified, exalted servants, It is meant [Page] of Abraham, who was a mighty Prince, Gen. 23. and of Isaac, who was more mighty then King Abimelech, Gen. 26. It cannot be meant of a reall nation, which none of the Kings of the house of David hadR. David. but the first, (except in case of division.) Besides, Cyrus is called Gods annointed, and the King of Tyre is theEzech. 27. annointed Cherub, by reason of their exaltation, and no otherwise. But there are that fight against the King by words aswell as deeds, so Balal sonne of Zippor Joshua 24. sought with Israel by the hiring of Balaam to curse them, for otherwiseKimch. Iudg. 11. he fought not at all against them, as Jepthah saith: But let those blasphemous tongues know, A bird of the Aire shall tell the matter, and that which hath wings shall carry the voyce. Eccles 10. ult. O ye sonnes of men, how long will ye turn the glory of the King into shame!Psal. 4. Is it fit to say to Kings, Ye are wicked, or to Princes, ye are ungodly? Iob. 34. Et Cyrill. in Iohan. lib. 12.

Fifthly, Neutralists would have no King raign over them: first, because they that are not with Christ are against him, so they that are not with the King are against him, they thatRevel. 3. are neither hot nor cold, God will spew out of his mouth. Secondly, Neutralists are in Scripture termed sons of Belial, that is,à [...] & [...] unprofitable servants, that desert the cause of their King, 1 Sam. 10. There followed Saul (the first King, though a Tyrant) a Band of men of Heb. [...] valour, unity and wealth, whose heart God had Heb. [...] smitten and humbled to yeeld obedience, but the sonnes of Belial were Neuters, [Page] and despised him, saying, How shall this man save us? and brought him no present, to aid him in the stablishment of his Kingdom: What shall we then think of these that are so farre from giving him of their own, that they rob the King of his due, their conscience is feared with a hot iron, & harder then the rock which Moses smote, and rivers ran in dry places. Thirdly, All Israel and Judah with a perfect heart helped David to the Kingdome, there were no Neutralists, 1 Chron. 12. [...]. There came to David when hee was shut up for feare of Saul, twenty three men of valour, Commanders. Then of Gad eleven men, whose faces were as the faces of Lyons, and they were swifter then the Roes upon the mountaines, the least of them was captain of a hundred, and the greatest over a thousand, and in 1 Chron. 12. 20. Multitudes came dayly to the King, till it was a great host, as the host of God. 1. Of the Tribe of Judah, the Royall Tribe were Nobles, and Courtiers, 2. Of the Levits, Jehoiada was ruler of the Aronits, all the Aronits, the true seed of Aaron, were for the King, not the Ieroboamits, that is, the spurious Priests of the lowest of the people. Thirdly, Councellours of Warre and of State, of the Tribe of Issachar, that had understanding in the times, to know what Israel ought to doe. Fourthly, Merchant adventurers of the Tribe ofGen. 49. Rejoyce, O Zebulun, in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tents. Zebulon. Fifthly, Lesser Merchants of oyle and wine of the Tribe of Asher. Sixthly, Artificers and Husband-men of the Tribe of Kuben, &c. All these came to the King, [Page] not to betrary him, but to help him, these suffered in the maintenance of his Royall rights.

Fourthly, what shal I say more to draw all men from neutrality, I set before you this day cursing and blessing, Judg. 5. Curse yee Meroz, saith the Angell of the Lord, in cursing curse the inhabitants thereof, because they went not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord [...] Heb. with the mighty: first, the help of the Lord was the help of Barak and Deborah, who was the Iudge or supream Ruler in Israel; and, as theKimchi &c. Judg. 4. Hebrews write, Barak was husband of Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, or Barak, for Barak and Lappidoth are the same sense in the Hebrew: [...] gubernatores. Ierusalem was subdued long before by Ioshua, and by Iudah, Iudg. 1. Meroz is the Metropolis, the city Jerusalem, for none of Judah (who were neare) came to help the King in this battell. Now the Angell of the Lord, that is,R. Isay. Barak Gods messenger, or the Angell by the mouth of Deborah the prophetesse, three times curseth (in the originall) the inhabitants of Meroz for Neutrality, because they came not as voluntiers,Heb. [...] of themselves without invitation. Secondly, To help the Lord, that is, the Lords annointed, namely the Judge in those dayes, he doth not say the Grand Senate. Thirdly, [...] With the mighty, for the King had in his army mighty men of valour; therefore not out of fear, but misprision, they came not forth: Observe here a difference, he curseth Meroz, but not the other Tribes; he wonders at them: The chief city he curseth, but at the country he admireth, Out of Ephraim was the root of them, Joshua and the rich [Page] men of Ephraim opposed Amalek, Politicians of Benjamin were for the Judge, Law-givers or Judges came from Machir, andIudg. 5. from Zebulun they that handle the pen of the scribe, that is, Merchants or Secretaries, or Clarks in offices. The King himselfe went before his army on foot, But for the divisions of Ruben were great thoughts of heart, and great impressions and searchings of heart, wise men wondred why Ruben was absent, and did not help the Lord. Ruben was simple, Gen. 49. unstable as water, and so his posterity, and such as seek popular applause, or love the world, had rather with Ruben abide among sheepfolds, to heare the bleatings of the flocks, then the Alarum of warre. O Ruben, why hast thou divided thy selfe from thy brethren, and not assisted the King with the Royall Tribe,Patriae quis exul, se quoque sugit. Horat, Iudg. 5. the Levits, the Merchants, the Scribes, the Rich? are thy sheep more deare to thee then Christs flock, and the sheep of the great shepheard? Why did our brother Gilead abide over Iordan, parted by a River easily passable? and why did Dan fly away, and abide in ships of the sea to save himselfe from civill warre by land? Why did Asher abide on the sea shore, and fortifie himselfe against the King in his breaches? Blessed be Zebulun and Napthali, the people that jeoparded their lives for our Barak in the high places of the field, when theMotu, lumine, influxu. The River Kishon swelled by influence of the starres (as the Sea by the influence of the Moon) and swept them all away, when Israel passed therein as in the Red sea. Ralbag. starres in their courses fought against Sisera, and the Angells fought from heaven. Blessed above women shall Jael the wise of Heber the Kenite be. Blessed are all those [Page] who by word, or pen, or hand, have helped the King against the Rebels: Nobles that are clothed in white linnen, and ride on white asses, Iudg. 5. shall celebrate their praises, Judges that sit in judgment shall magnifie them, for among weapons of warre Lawes are silent. All travellers in the high paths shall speak, Glory to God on high, Iudg. 5. (for in civill warre, the high wayes ceased, and travellers passed through by paths, Villages cease, and warre is in the gates.) Lo the blessing of God and all good men, high and low are upon the helpers of God and the King, therefore ye sonnes of men, if ye would avoid the curse, and inherit the blessing, leave Neutrality, and shew your selves men for God and the King, especially you the inhabitants of the Metropolitan city Meroz. Thus I have finished the literall sense.

The mysticall sense concerneth the King of kings whom we must admit to raign over us, to whom we must pay Tribute, inMatth. 25. releiving his members, to give honour to the King of kings Christ Jesus as supreame, to yeild obedience to his Commandements, & to abhorre Neutrality, to be zealous, and repent of Lukewarmnesse, to shake off the yoke of sinne, and to receive upon us the yoke of Christ. And thus much of the crimes laid to the charge of these servants.

Now I come to their doome, Bring them, and slay them before me. The iust reward of a Traitor is death, as appeares in the examples of Ioab and Shimei, 1 King. 2. Thou knowest what Joab the son of [Page]Zerviah did to me. Some say, inMidras, Kimchi. revealing his letters about Uriah, or rather in threatning to turne the hearts of his people from him, saying, As the Lord liveth, not one shall stay with thee, yet for this David on his death-bed chargeth his sonne to bring his hoary head with sorrow to the Grave: So likewise Shimei, who cursed David with a bitter curse. If these were sons of death that threatned, and reviled the King; how much more such as plot mischief against him, and doe steale away, like Absolom, the hearts of the kings subjects from him, Bring them and Arab. [...] Sacrifice them, as a good and acceptable service to God. slay them, and the modus patiendi, Before me, for the greater shame, and example to others, that all Israel may heare and feare, and doe no more so wickedly: Let us feare the destruction from God and the king, and yeild such subjection as belongs unto them both, that we may flie from the wrath of the king here, and the wrath of Jesus Christ (by whom kings raign) hereafter: To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory for ever and ever. AMEN.

FINIS.

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THE GREAT ANTICHRIST.

2 TIM. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Know this, that in the last dayes shall come perillous times, &c.

By J. V. Prisoner.

Printed in the Yeare of our Lord, 1643.

THE GREAT ANTICHRIST.

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2 TIM. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

1. Know this, that in the last dayes shall come perillous times.

2. For men shall be lovers of their owne selves; covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankfull, unholy.

3. Without naturall affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.

4. Trayterous, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God.

5. Having a forme of godlinesse, but denying the power thereof: from such turne away.

IN the last dayes the Scripture foretells the coming & continuance of The Antichrist,ó [...], 1 Ioh. 2. 18. the great Antichrist, the man of sin, whose members were many petite Antichrists, that is, the forerunning hereticks, for in them the [...] 2 Thess. 2. 7. mystery of iniquity [Page] wrought in Saint Pauls time, who said, Ye know what withholdeth that he should he revaeled in his time, that is, the Roman [...] Chrysost. in 2 Thess. 2. 7. Ethnick Empire, which when it was removed, then came in that Antichrist. The Persians succeeded the Chaldeans, the Grecians subdued the Persians, the Romans followed the Grecians, and after the Roman Monarchy ceased in Augustulus, the Hesperian Caesar, Revel. 8. Nauclerus, the Starre Absynthites that fell from Heaven, about the yeare 666.Magdeburg. Centurists, Baronius, Annal. circa 666. An. Constans the Emperour gave the government of the City of Rome to the Pope. Then was Antichrist the bestia bicornis, the beast with two hornes, hisRevel. 13. Ecclesiasticall and Temporall power, whereas before he had onely the Spirituall power to bee Universalis Papa, supreame over all; so then Antichrist hath continued above a thousand yeares, by consent of the foresaid writers; Yet Andreas and Arethas upon theCap. 11. 7. Apocalyps, with other Fathers, seeme to hold that Antichrist shall continue but three yeares and a halfe, which is true in a sense, for his three last yeares shall be most grievous to the persecuted Saints, suchDan. 12. 1, 2. Revel. 11. 7, 8. tribulation as never was, in mockings scourging, bonds, imprisonments, warre, bloodshed, and he shall not suffer their bodies to be buryed. These are the perillous times spoken of in this Text, therefore have I made so large a preface to it, wherein observe; first, a precept to get knowledge, know this; secondly, the subject, this in generall, but in particular it is a prophecy of [Page] the perills of the last times; thirdly, the adjunct, in the last dayes; fourthly, the causes, 1. Opinions, 2ly. Vices of men here particularized.

1. For the first observe in generall, Knowledge is a precious thing,Eccles. 12. The preacher was wise, and still taught the people Knowledge; all men naturally desire to know, knowledge of the Ancients is commended in Scripture; David cites a Proverbe of the Ancients,1 Sam. 24. 13. As saith the Proverb of the Ancient, [...] David. Kimch. of the first that made it, Wickednesse shall go forth from the wicked; His sinne goeth forth from himKimchi in locum. R. Solomon, R. David. ibid. willingly, and his punishment goes after it, his ruine comes from himselfe. S: Paul thrice cites the Poets which wereSyrian in Acts 17. [...] Arab. [...] Prophets among the Heathen.

First, against Idolatry, Acts 17. [...] wise men. Wee are his off-spring, therefore the Godhead is not like the worke of mans hand that hath neither reason, sense, or life.

Secondly, against Atheisme denying the immorality of the Soule, 1 Cor. 15. Let us eate and drinke for tomorrow wee shall dye, be not deceived, evill communication corrupts good manners.

Thirdly, against Lying and Epicurisme, Titus 1. [...]. the Cretians are alwayes lyers, evill beasts, slow bellyes; Three mayne articles are confirmed by humane learning, but there are in those dayes ignorant sectaries that oppose all learning, pretending inspiration by the Holy Ghost, as the Gnostikes of old, yet it was the commendation [Page] of Timothy, Epiphan. that of a child he knew theArab. [...] the holy bookes. [...] 2 Tim. 3. 15. holy letters, But why should I trouble your eares with invectives against r these? I leave them to meditate on three Proverbs, [...]. 2 Pet. 2. A wise man contending with a foole, whether be rage, or laugh, he hath no rest: A foole is wiser in his owne conceit, then seven men that can render a reason: Bray a foole in a morter, and his foolishnesse will not depart from him.

2. I proceed to the subject, which is a prophecy of perillous times. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares, animus meminisse horret, My heart trembleth at this, and is removed out of his place, but you must know it, and therfore I must speake it, these are the perillous times or [...]. Syr. [...] Arab. [...] grievous times. difficult, all men are in such straits that they know not how to deliver themselves, as Israel betweene the red Sea and the Aegyptians; secondly, hard times, wherein men want food to eate, and rayment to put on, all men cry out, O tempora, O mores, oh hard times, and evill conditions of men! Wee have heard of Germany and Ireland, and would not believe, now wee see and feele; thirdly, cruell times, the Son dishonours his Father, the Father riseth up against his Sonne to put him to death, Brother robbs and kills his Brother. This Civill Warre in the judgment of theScelus fraternae necis. Remi in via Remoria Romae: Horat. Surs & ipsa Roma viribus ruit. Heathen is the punishment of rapine and fratricidy; fourthly, inexorable Te saepe vocanti duram, difficilis mane Horat. id est, inexorabilis. times, they are for Warre when wee petition for Peace: woe to me that I dwell with [Page] them that hate peace, and breath out slaughters, whose teeth are as speares and arrowes, and their tongue a sharpe sword, Lord deliver me from those foure generations of the last times, Prov. 30. 11. There is a generation that curseth his Father, and doth not blesse his Mother, do not the Martialists of these times thinke it zeale to kill Father and Mother in this cause? There is a generation pure in their owne eyes, and not purged from their filthinesse, Who are these but the impure Hypocrites in my Text, There is a generation, How lofty are their eyes, and their eye-lids are lifted up? are not these the proud Pharisees? There is a generation, their teeth are as swords that cry out, Warre, Warre, and no Peace, that devoure the poore and needy by rapine and imprisonment, against reason and common rights.

I come now to the causes of these evill time, which are two: First, the Opinions. Secondly, the Vices of men, here mentioned, not reduced to the head of prophanesse, but Hypocrisy? The Hypocrites reigne, and the people are insnared, Iob. 34. Antichrist is the great Hypocrite, Heretickes and Sectaries of these times are limbes of Antichrist, and make upRevel. 17. [...] est confusio, a [...] Genes. 11. 9. Babel the Great, which is the confusion of all sects.

First, for their opinions, it is said in my Text, They are lovers of themselves, of their owne wills andSyr. [...] Arab. [...] opinions, for the time shall come, saith the Apostle, 2 Tim. 4. 3. that men will not endure sound doctrine; enquire out of these two Epistles, [Page] and the Epistle to the Romans, and wee shall find what sound doctrine is. First, the doctrine of prayer for Kings, 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort first of all that prayers be made for Kings, but certaine Brownists of these times will not pray for the King, but revile him in their prayers. Secondly, the doctrine against1 Tim. 2. 12. Women Preachers, I suffer not a Woman to teach, nor to usurpe authority, but saith Isay, Isay 3. 12. Women rule over you. Thirdly, the doctrine of obedience to1 Tim. 6. 1. superiours; but now Servants run away from their Masters without their consent, and rise up against them in the publick cause; doe these induce sound doctrine?Rom 1. Fourthly, the doctrine of justification by faith, which Pelagians of old, and the Papists now deny. Fifthly, sanctification, Rom. 6. 1. which Gnostikes and Nicolaitans formerly, now Familists and Antinomians deny. Sixthly, the doctrine of predestination without foresight, Rom. 9. 1. which Papists and Arminians oppose. Seventhly, the doctrine of subjection to Kings, though they be Heathens and Tyrants, whichEpiphan. Gnostikes of old, and now Anabaptists and Brownists oppose, they can live without a King, though Saint Paul saith, Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule be subject, but these men thinke they have no soules, because they would have no King in Israel, that they may do that which is right in their owne eyes, Iudges 21. ult. The Christians of Rome paid tribute and custome to Nero and Trajan Tyrants, but these rob the King [Page] of his due, and yet they say pro Rege; they say Kings of old were anoynted, therefore the people was subject as to Gods ordinance, but now it is not so: To which I answerR. David. Kimchi. with the Jew, no King the sonne of a King was anoynted, except in case of division about the right, as Solomon when Adoniah would be King, but the Kingdome came by succession, as every mans inheritance descends from his fathers. Againe they say, The Kings of Jury made no such covenant as our Kings do; I answer with the same Jew, the contrary appears in the example of Ioash and Iehoiada, who made a covenant betweene the King and the people, and though Ioash were an Apostate and a Tyrant, yet the Traitours and murderers of the King were cut off by his sonne that reigned after him▪ the King and Kings sonne will never forget to punish Traytours, as appeares in the example of David 1 King. 2. 8. Kimchi, Ra [...]i Ralbag. on his death bed, who forgot not Shimeie's curse.

Moreover they say, a King is a humane creature, and therefore may be removed by man: I answer, He is an ordinance humane, that is, taken out of Men, not from Angells, yet by Gods appointment he is Supreame, [...], 1 Pet. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 13. and all inferiours are appointed by him; but the supreame powers, as Kings and Emperors areSyr. [...] appointed of God, Roman. 13. 1. The Jewes had a Grand Councell of seventy one Elders, Numb. 11. Gather to mee seventy men of the Elders, and Moses who was King was above them [Page]all, [...] Talmud Sanhed. Perek. 1. The lesser Sanhedrin was of two hundred and thirty sometimes: they go not forth to warre, nor gather the Councell of the Tribes, [...] but by the Grand Councell of seventy one. They judge not the King at all, [...] he goeth not forth of his Palace to mourne for the dead, &c. in Deut. 17. thou shalt set a King over thee, the King then is supreame; they ride not on his Horse, nor sit on his Throne to rule, yet the booke of the Law is with him when he goes to warre, or sits in judgment. There were three companies of Iudges in Jerusalem, at the doore of the mount of the House, in the Court, and in a paved Chamber, where the Grand Councell sate of seventy, and the King, from whence was no appeale, Deut. 17. Talmud Sanhed, Perek. 11. Lastly, the doctrine of indifferent things they cannot indure, no Ceremonies, but their owne inventions, yet the primitive Christians, though differing in Ceremonies of meats and dayes, lived in mutuall charity, Rom. 14. 1. 2. The use of this is already made by the blessed Apostle, Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren marke them that cause divisions and [...]. Arab. [...] that is, Divisions to separate from the Church, of [...] to breake off. scandalls (to make many stumble and fall) contrary to the sound doctrine yee have received, and avoyd them, for they serve not the Lord Iesus, (as they pretend) but their owne bellyes▪ what care they if they can eate and drinke, and fare deliciously every day, if flockes or heards of poore mens be driven away, and they undone forever? and by faire words, they deceive the hearts of [Page]the simple, not of the wise, who see plainly their hypocrisie, but like Absolom, they steale away the hearts of the Kings well-minded Subjects by lyes: But I would have you, saith Saint Paul, simple in evill, and wise in that which is good, to hold fast the poynts of sound doctrine forenamed, and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly; Chrys. Theod. who is Satan? but he that will not endure sound doctrine, as is plaine by the coherence, who is all for Warre and bloud? but the God of peace shall subdue these Satans, and bruise them to powder, and that shortly; this God of peace be with you that hold fast the doctrine yee have received, and follow not such as heap to themselves teachers like waves of the Sea, tossed with every wind of doctrine, and they heap up 2 Tim. 4. 3, 4. Sic Arab. [...] & Syr. Chrys. [...] Ralbag. in 2 Sam. 20. 25. to themselves, they have their peculiar teachers; one of Paul, another of Apollo, of Cephas, &c. a great presumption in these men; David had Ira the Jairite for his Priest, and Kings and Nobles have theirs, and now there must be a parity, all the Vulgar sort must have their teachers, according to their owne lusts, and private humours having itching and restlesse eares, weary of hearing the truth, and therefore they turne to fables, wherein they still itch after novelties. This is the first cause of these perillous times▪ The opinions of men. I come now to their vices.

4. Their selfwill in those wayes, they are lovers of their [...] à [...] 2 Kings 10. 15. st vobis placuerit. Idem. R. David owne wills, Gen. 49. 5. like Simeon and Levi, they are brethren in evill, instruments[Page]of cruelty are in their habitations, or their [...] à Graeco [...] R. Solomo. Heb. Swords are instruments of cruelty to shed bloud under the cloake of Religion, as Sectaries do; Into their secret councell my soule come thou not, if my body be forced and my goods, yet in [...] their association my heart be thou not united, for in their wrath they killed a man, one man of ten thousand, the Prince of the Land; and however this ONE be yet alive by miracle, yet many noble Lords & Gentlemen have perished, & bin taken, neither have these men rested here, but in their rage have digged down, (not a Wall) but Walls of Cities, and fortified Townes; and not onelyHeb. [...] Heb. [...] est murus & bos. R. David. R. Levi. R. Sol. houghed Oxen, but slaine them, and driven away Sheepe and Oxen, robbing and spoyling, and all this in their [...] selfwill; these two brethren were disswaded by the other ten, but they were selfwilled, and would slay without pity; so I am perswaded there are ten for two in this City and Kingdome for Peace, but when they speake thereof the two are for Warre, for they are selfwilled, and delight in bloud,à [...] and in their delight digge downe walls, and kill men and beasts, eradicate men, their wives and children, and turne them out of doores, because they are for peace, and these two▪ Simeon and Levi, will have no Accomodation. Cursed (saith the old Father) be their wrath, for it is fierce, and their fury bitter in the end, and in Judg. 21. 3. Israel wept aloud and bitterly, Alas! a Tribe is lost this day, and I am afrayd without a speedy peace, not one of ten, but all our twelve [Page] Tribes will be lost; I will (saith the old Patriarch) divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel, Simeon had no portion, but Cities scattered here and thereR. David, Abben Ezra, Ralbag. in Genes. 49. throughout the Tribe of Judah, and Levi had forty eight Cities out of the other Tribes, that so they might never associate any more to shed bloud; and what can be expected of a selfwilled association and warre, but dispersion; the part that prevailes will root out the other with a finallAs in Ireland. extermination of familyes, and whether will yee flye yee Simeonites? and as for Levi, alas! he is vanished already; thus much for Selfwill, which is the first of the vices that cause such perillous times.

Secondly Covetousnesse, which is as all the rest here mentioned, a bosome sin of the Hypocrites, when the Pharisees heard that Christ preached against the service ofSyr. ab [...] Confidit. Luk. 16. Mammon, and confidence in riches, they derided him, for they were covetous; This love of money is the root of all evill, of the evill of sin, as Apostacy; of the evill of punishment, as perdition, 1 Tim. 6. 10. Love of money makes children fight against parents, subjects against their Soveraigne; hope of money brings forth murders, rapine, and extortion, but thou, O man of God, [...] Oecum. Plutarch. in Curio. O Christian, flye these things; the Romane Curius refused the Samnites Gold, and was content with a dinner of herbes, an earthen dish, and a wooden stool,2 Tim. 6. If we have food and rayment, let us be therewith content.

The third vice is Pride, whose daughter is vainglorious [Page] boasting, for their pride I shall produc but one Parable against Luk. 18. 9, 10. those that trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and what pride is like this pride, to magnify themselves, and despise others? they thanke God they are not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, nor as the poore Publican, they boast as the Infidels, Jewes, and Pharisees; the Publican went home justified to his house rather then they: And Publicanes and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdome of God before them.

Fourthly, Disobedience to Parents, and Blasphemy, these two I joyne together; for reviling of superiours is blasphemy, whether you take Parents naturally, (for against such they unnaturally fight) or politickly for Masters, against whom Servants rise up at this time to kill them and Subjects against their Soveraigne, though like [...] pro & contra. Antichrist, they pretend to be for Christ when they are against him; Augustus Caesar was calledPater atque princeps Horat. Father and Prince, and therefore they that are disobedient to their Kings, are also to theirSyr. [...] Parents, or superiours, men set over them, Rom. 13. 1. forecited, Let every soule be subject to the higher powers, the supreame powers then were Emperours, not Consuls and Senators, (as the States of Venice, Luca, Holland which were then ceased, for there were seven heads of the Beast, orRevel. 17. 10, 11, 12. Arab. [...] seven Kings of the earth. Iulian. & August. lib. 5. de Civ. Dei. seven kinds of government, wherof the two last were Emperours and Popes; the five first were fallen, the sixth of Emperours was in [Page] Saint Johns time, and in Saint Pauls, and to this Saint Paul commands subjection, tribute, and custome, except they say that Saint Paul prophesies in this chapter of a new government to be erected,Chysost. in 2 Thess. 2. which is not yet, and how it shall then concerne the Romanes let them shew: [...]. Arab. [...] For the last and seventh head or King of the Romanes is the Papacy, to which I thinke they will professe no subjection at all, if they have any conscience of their oath; but it is objected, these Kings were Tyrants, therefore no duty belongs to them; the answer is in Nebuchadnezzar, whom likewise they hold to be a tyrant, yet Israel is commanded to serve him, Jerem. 27. 6. I have given all these Countries to Nebuchadnezzar, and they shall serve him. And Zedekias, because he broke his oath of subjection, was exoculated as a just recompence on his owne head.Ios. Antiq. lib. 18. The Galileans stood for liberty with Judas, Acts 5. and denyed tribute to Caesar, and therefore Pilate mingled their bloud with their sacrifice.

Fifthly, [...] Syr. sic Arab. [...] these Hypocrites are unthankfull, either they deny kindnesse which they have received, or will not acknowledge it, or not requite it, they are the worst of all men that have enjoyed the Gospell of peace and plenty above eighty yeares, as long as ever Israel enjoyed in Moses dayes,Judg. 3. 30. Ehuds, Davids, and Solomons, and yet are unthankfull, murmurers at their portion, complainers of the times, Oh foolish people, and Deut. 32. unwise, ask thy Fathers and they shall teach thee; thy [Page] Elders, and they shall declare unto thee the wonderfull Reformation in this Nation, the slavish Invasion by Water, the Hellish Gunpowdertreason by Fire, and how God hath brought thee through fire and water, (wherein thou couldest not live) into a moyst place, wherein thou hast lived so many yeares in plenty, but Jesurun hath waxed fat and kicked, and for ingratitude is justly with a Civill Warre consumed.

Sixthly, Unholy, or [...] Syr. à [...] vexare, 1 Sam. 14. & David Kimchi in Psal. 1. 1. unquiet, and restlesse are the Hypocrites, they are all for Warre, and accuse Petitioners for Peace of a Carilinarian conspiracy; it is God that [...] Syr. à [...] vexare, 1 Sam. 14. & David Kimchi in Psal. 1. 1. creates peace, man cannot do it; it is as hard a work as the Creation, OurIsay. 57. 3. & ult. Rudis indigestaque moies. Land is without forme and voyd, darknesse is on the face of the deepe, nothing is but confusion in our Church and State, it is the spirit of the Lord that moves on the face of these darke waters, saying, Let there be light, and there was light, this light that God creates is peace; secondly, this peace is a fruit, a fruit of the spirit, Love, Joy, Galath. 5. and Peace, but whence comesIam. 4. 1, 2. warre and fightings? from the spirit of malice and envy; thirdly, it is said a fruit of the lips of the messengers of peace. How beautifull on the mountains are the feet of those into whose lipps grace and peace is poured;Psal. 45. fourthly,Heb. [...] Isay 57. 19. Kimchi. Rasi Chaldey. God creates a double peace, Peace, peace nationall and personall, which cannot be without truth, but there are restlesse men, whose sinnes torment their conscience, and love no peace; the Text saith, They [Page] areCum He [...] indicativ [...] Kimchi. the wicked, emphatically remarkable wicked men, these Hypocrites revile others as wicked, when themselves are by the spirit of God styled the most wicked, that disturbe the Nationall peace, and trouble our Israel by killing and stealing; They are like the troubled Sea that cannot rest, Raging waves of the Sea, foming out their owne shame, whose waters rage continually, and cast up mire and dirt into the Royall face, both by word and writing. Woe to these Sectaries of Cain, who loved bloud and slew his brother, and was called [...], Basil. the first Disciple of the Devill; Abel was a Shepheard and a man of peace, and he slew him,Iohn 1. 3. because his works were righteous; These covetous hypocrites run greedily after the error of Balaam, who would have cursed & defied Israel for reward, & they shal perish in the gainsaying of Core, who rose up and rebelled against Moses theDeut. 33. King, and against Aharon, who was the Priest of the Lord, so these endure neither God, the King, or any Ministers, but of the lowest of the people. To conclude withIsay 57. ult. Isay, There is no peace saith my God with the wicked; these wicked will have no peace; for then all is lost, which they have spent in warre; their restlesse disposition appeares in all the ensuing particulars; they are Covenant-breakers, Falseaccusers, Traytors, heady, high minded, &c. of each word, and so an end.

Seventhly,Theoph. they are Covenant-breakers, they have made a covenant with the King, and taken [Page] the oath of Allegiance, but this oath they regard not, they have their Pope to dispense with it: Chald. [...] Achitophel made a Covenant with David, but broke his Covenant, and therefore is accursed in Psal. 55. 21. He hath prophaned his Covenant▪ Zedechias rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar the King, (who was a Tyrant also, as they say) when he had made him sweare by God, and hardned his neck, so that the wrath of God came upon them, and there was no healing, 2 Chron. 36. 12. King Solomon chargeth all Subjects to obey the Kings commandement, and that in respect of the oath of God, Eccles. 8. 2, 3. but these urge the Kings oath, legibus quas vulgus elegerit, but themselvs keep no oath. Besides, these men make Covenants with the Subjects of the King, and the same day like Fides non servanda haereticis. Jesuits break the same, their Jesuiticall faction, like Antichristians, dispenseth with the oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance, and their subscription was forced, and therefore they revolt: Deus bone! is there any Religion in these? no Heathen story is able to parallell their sophistication. In 2 Sam. 23. 1. there was a Famine three yeares for Saul and his bloudy house, because he slew the Gibeonites the reason was, because of the oath of the Rulers (thoughR. David. taken out of errour,)Jos. 9. 14. & 19. to avoydRa [...]oag. R. Isay. the scandall of the Nations, and the seeming, not reall prophanation of the name of God; but these Hypocrites are Truce-breakers, and hold it lawfull so to doe.

Eighthly, they are without naturall affection, [Page] witnesse their zeale in killing and spoyling of Fathers, Sons, Brethren, Sisters, Kindred, &c. but of this before.

Ninthly, they are false-accusers, in Greeke [...] Syr. Psal. 120. 1, 2. Devills, in Syrian Hypocriticall mockers at feasts, that like the Devill their father, tell lyes for morsells, [...] Psal. 35. 15. In my affliction they rejoyced, the abjects, viler then the earth, they rent me with their teeth, and ceased not, they print, preach, speake lyes against the Lords anoynted (as David was) every day. 2 Kings 10. 15, 16. & 28. 29. 30. Lord deliver him from lying lipps, and from a deceitfull tongue.

Tenthly,Chrys. Incontinent, what shall I say of their incontinency, both in the concupiscible and irascible, no penalty is now inflicted, and it is a shame to speake of the things done of them in secret.

Eleventhly, these Hypocrites are fierce: Let Jehu speak for them all, Come, see my zeale, saith he to Jonadab, he killed the King and Queene, and seventy sonnes of the royall Progeny, all his kindred, and Priests,Heb. [...] and destroyed Baal out of Israel; he would have no peace, What peace as long as the whordomes of thy mother Jezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many, his Zeale was all for truth, (as he said) so the Sectaryes and others are all for truth, and no peace while Jezebel lives, their driving is like the driving of Jehu the sonne of Nimshi, for they drivefuriously, or madly, but when by warre and bloud they have obtained peace,Austin. Ierom. I wish they set not up a worse Idoll, then they have put downe, as Iehu their father did, [Page] Baal was Mars the planet, Ralbag, or Iupiter Belus, which Iehu destroyed, and set up theThe Calf was Serapis the Aegyptian God, and there they learned Idolatry, Vitulus ex vacca fulmine icta, genitus, quae rursus non parit, [...], a god worthy of the Aegyptians saith Cambyses in Herodot. Calves, a farre worse Idoll, and made the common people Priests; so I wish that these set not up, as they begin, the meanest of the people, and drive out the sonnes of Levi as Iehu did.

Twelfthly, they are haters of good, that is, moderate men, who are not carryed with their turbulent zeale, by which many a good Ionadab is deceived, and their hatred is irreconciliable to eradication of their familyes, expulsion of their wives and children, and banishment from Countrey and friends, because they cannot endure to see them, or heare of them, and this to a politicall creature is worse then death, in Ioel 2. what have you to doe with mee, O Tyre and Sydon, who have taken my silver and gold, and brought them to your palaces, and the children of Judah yee have sold to the Grecians to remove them farre from their border: and doe not these haters of good men send their brethren farre away from their houses, lands, and friends, that they may seize on their inheritance; But thus saith the Lord to you Cains, behold I will raise them from the place whither you have sent them, and returne your recompence on your owne heads, and I will sell your sonnes and your daughters to the sonnes of Judah, and they shall send them to the Sabeans, to a nation afar off, for Jehovah hath spoken it.

Thirteenth, they are [...]. Traytours, fathers betraying children, and children betrayingProles lupi. Tigridisquesilvas petat, Feras & inter quaerat assinem sibi. fathers [Page] to the death, the off-spring of the Wolfe and Tiger, and the wild beasts their kindred, breaking the bonds of society betweene man and man, and delivering men up to Magistrates and Rulers, for a word, and that in secret, our Saviour prophesyed of these Traytors, Luk. 21. 16. Your fathers, and brethren, and kinsmen, and friends, shall betray you to death: do we not see this in these days of Civill warre, a father will not spare his child, a child will kill his father in battaile, and if he cannot so kill him, he will betray him to death, by discovering his secrets, or by false accusation, under pretence of justice; But the greatest Travtours are such as fight against the King, and they pretend all this is for the King,Principem occisum loqui malum fuisse, vel tyrannum dicere est. Tragicus. O dictu scelus summus dominio, major exemplo fuit. Pax descendit, assimilis Iovi Aurato in ulnas imbri. though his owne person have beene in imminent danger more then once: these are they that call darknesse light, and light darknesse, evill good, and good evill, the use of this is made by Isay the Prophet, say not a confederacy to whom this people shall say a confederacy, neither feare their feare, but feareIsay 8. [...] God, and meddle not with Traytors that curse their God and their King, and looke upward, for as it followes, they are proud and heady, and their councells shall be carryed headlong.

Fourteenth, these Hypocrites are hasty in all their consultations, without deliberation they pretended Reformation must be done in a day, not considering the divers gradations of a Reformation; Josiahs wonderfull Reformation was of [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] the continuance of three hundred yeares, the reignes of Asa, Iosaphat, Iehoiada, Iotham, Hezekiah, Manasseth, Iosiah, and then also wasFestina lente. but fainedly, and not with the whole heart, and for punishment of Delinquents they are too hasty; have they never read ofIer. 3. 10. Zephan. 1. David what he said of the sonnes of Zerviah, Ye are too hard for mee? he would, but could not punish these two great Delinquents, except he had involved his whole Kingdome in a Civill warre, as is now done; lastly, they are too hasty in their hostility; have they not read that IsraelIudges 20. Habak. 1. 16. lost forty thousand in two dayes in a Civill warre through too much hastinesse, and precipitancy, not consulting with the Lord? and surely in this respect, these men have cause rather of mourning then rejoycing.

Fifteenth, these are lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God; whence come these warres and fightings,Iames 4. 1. do they not from their lusts and pleasures that warre in their members? their pride, ambition, popularity, avarice, for hereby their portion (who were beggarly) is made fat, [...] Dan. 11. and their meate pleasant, they live by warre, therefore they barne incense to their net, and sacrifice to their dragge. They cry nothing but warre and bloud, digge they cannot, and to begge they are ashamed, therfore they resolve to kill, steale, rob, rifle, or doe any villany to satisfie their lusts, which they love more then God.

Sixteenth, They have a forme of godlinesse, but deny the power thereof, they have a [...]. portraiture, [Page] picture or delineation of godlinesse, but no life at all therein; Consider the particulars, they Matth. 6. 1. give almes, but it is to be seene of men, they make long prayers, but to be heard of men, they fast, but [...]. disgrace their faces, appearing as sad when they are not: what is this but a picture of godlinesse without life? it was never knowne from the beginning of the world, that a dead beast was offered in sacrifice to God, but the Hypocrites present dead sacrifices to God. Againe, in their Sabbaths is a shew of godlinesse, but no life, for they say,Amos 8. When will the Sabbaths be gone? and like the Pharisees their viperous progenitors, abuse the letter of the Sabbath against doing good; they sitIohn 9. &c. Matth. 12. 1. Luk. 13. Matth. 23. 1, 3. in Moses chaire to teach, and to judge others according to the Law, but doe the contrary, and breake all Lawes; they make long prayers to devoure Widowes houses, [...] Rasi. R. David. they enlarge their phylacteryes of the hand and head, there's the letter, but no power; their heads are full of mischievous devices, and their hands are full of bloud, They 2 Tim. 3. 7. are ever hearing and learning, there's the shadow, but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; there's no power, except it be over silly women, as the Apostle here saith, These Hypocrites2 Tim. 3. 6. intrude into houses, and lead captive silly women, laden with sinnes, and led about with divers lusts. This time is a plaine interpretation of this Prophesie. Another power they have got likewise, by the shew of godlinesse, [Page] it is against the King, like Janis and Jambres, the two Sorcerers of Egypt; that resisted Moses who wasDeut. 33. [...]. [...] Ralbag. Abben Ezra. King in Jesurun: These sorcerers were Hypocrites, for their miracles were but glisterings, and delusions of the eyes; The use of all this is,

First, our Saviour saith,Luk. 12. 1, 2. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisie. Hereby wee are most like the Devill, who transformes himselfe into an Angell of light, and hereby wee become limbes of Antichrist, the first borne of the Devill, who is the great Hypocrite,Revel. 13. That hath two hornes like a Lamb, but speakes like a Dragon.

The second use,2 Tim. 3. 5. From such Hypocrites turne away, so saith Saint Paul, avoid their society, for they are selfopinionated, selfwilled, greedy of money, proud, unnaturall, truce-breakers, fals-accusers, traytours, heady, fierce, unthankfull, Procus populi. popular, unquiet, haters of all moderate men, lovers of lusts and pleasures, and deceiving the world by a forme of godlinesse, so that they believe Rebellion to be Zeale, and Treason to be Religion; Depart from me, yee Hypocrites, yee bloudthirsty men. The Lord give us grace to depart from them here, lest wee haveMatth. 12. 51. our part with these Hypocrites hereafter in the lowest Dungeon of Gehenna, from which good Lord deliver us by Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father, and holy Spirit, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A discovery of the rebels by J.V., prisoner.

Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652.

Edition statement

1643

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2005-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A71208

ID [STC]

Wing V301

ID [STC]

ESTC R20945

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12178867

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12178867

ID [VID]

55569

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A71208)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 55569)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 243:E92, no 1)

Source

— A discovery of the rebels by J.V., prisoner., Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652., Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652. Great antichrist..

Extent

[2], 44 p.

s.n],. [London? :: 1643.. (Attributed to John Vicars. cf. NUC pre-1956.) ("The great antichrist", p. 21-44 has special t.p.) (Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.) (Entry for V310 cancelled in Wing (2nd ed.).)

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