The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.

SECT. I.

Wee know the Malignant Church by their envy at the Peo∣ple: the true Church, because, they are the But against whom Malice bends her Bow, and yet is not able to over-throw them. They are delivered still after that sort, &c.

¶ 1.

THis will helpe us to decide a gre••t controversie. There are two parties, both say, They are the Church, not in name, but in de••d whom may we believe? Enquir••, and vve shall have full satisfaction. What party have a Malignancy in them? both you will say; that's true enough; but I meane, a professed enmity against God and goodnesse. If vve can resolve our selves in this point, Who these are? We may take full satisfaction to that question. It is said, There are no Malignant persons in our Church, none that have a professed Malignancy in them. No! Is there no Malignancy in that monstrous Head? nor in it's app••••rtenancies and adherents? None in that Tayle, those lying Prophets? Is there no Malignancy in their ungodly deeds, and hard speeches? None in those words, which corrupt and eat, as doth a Canker k 1.1. None in all this? Perhaps it

will not be granted, that there is a Malignancy in the Divell, who is their King, and hath the keyes of the bottomlesse pit. But in courtesie I demand, and let them answer me as Men; actions we say, make the fullest discovery what spirit we are of: was not that a fruit of utter enmi∣ty, of desperate Malignancy & madnes, to hurry th•• Church, to drag her to the very brow of the Hill, there shocking her againe and again, that she might (3 Kingdoms at one shock) fall down head-long from that preci∣pice, or pinnacle? Certainly this must be granted to be a fruite of Can∣kered Malice: Surely then by the fruits you shall know them to be no Church, but in name so, and that name is, a Malignant Church. Wic∣kednesse * 1.2 proceedeth from the Wicked, as saith the Proverb, and that's the first Conclusion, clearely evidencing Who is That Church, and Who is the Church indeed And now I proceed to make further Dis∣covery at this point, Who is the True Church?

¶ 2.

We must enquire, Against whom doth Malice bend her bow with full strength, and shootes her Arrowes? Against whom doe these Malignants bend their hand (Ʋ••godly Deeds) and their Tongues (hard words) and their hearts (destructive intentions?) Who is the Butt, The white, the Marke? Who are they, against whom (in the pu••suance of their most Destructive Designes) these Malignants do carry all their ungodly Words, and hard Deeds levell unto? Looke which way is the Malignants aime, and that will point your eye di∣rectly to the Righteous Man. Whom do they hurry and drag unto the Brow of the Hill? The righteous evermore, and because they do the thing that is right: therfore doth that Head, that monstrous Head and Tayle, that Serpentine generation, and those multitudes, with the King over them, bend all their councells, policies and strength against theese people, because they see the thing that good is. So it hath beene from the beginning, so it will be to the end of the world. And so vve conclude from the sacred Writ, and from the present times, where are cleare and manifest proofes, That the Church must be tryed, as Silver and Gold is tryed: That Legions of Adversaries doe seeke and vvait her destruction; that whole Ar∣mies of troubles, afflictions and sorrowes doe abide her; but Her God vvill deliver her, from and out of all, that's her comfort, The Gates of Hell are against her, but shall not prevaile, that is her con∣clusion We proceed on to give hints of things, that vve may mag∣nifie the arme of the Lord, and raise our spirits in the high praises of the Churches God.

¶ 3.

When vve have made full enqu••ry into these present and last Times, let us search the Records of all times, and enquite there, Who it is over vvhom the fire hath no power? Who it is that God doth rescue out of the Mouth of the Lyon? Whom doth He suffer to be carried to the brow of the Hill, and then makes way for escape? Whom doth

He bring to the mountaine of streights, and there is gloriously seene in their Salvations? For vvhom doth He divide the Sea, and makes paths in the great vvaters? For His enemies you wil•• say. Yes, that they may pursue, then fall and sinke like a stone, and rise no more. But for whom doth He open a way, that they may goe o∣ver? It must be answered, He doth this, for His Church, His Is∣rael, His ransomed ones. The redeemed of the Lord vvill say so; He delivers them so, such Salvations He vvorketh for them and them onely: He delivers them after THIS SORT l 1.3. What sort? None delivered as are these, after such a strange, vvonderfull and miraculous way, after THIS SORT. The fire had no power over them. But for their enemies, the flame of the fire slew them, and for those enemies, that are suffered to goe on in their furious March, He takes off their Charet-wheeles, makes them drive heavi∣ly then: When? When they are upon the very heele of the righ∣teous; then the vvaters over-whelme them, and they are made as still as a stone m 1.4. The Conclusion is, the Lord never made His Arme bare of flesh, He never appeared in the Mount of straits; but for His Church, and against His Adversaries; but so He hath appea∣red this day.

¶ 4.

Who are they vvhom we see guarded, fenced, hedged about ^•; what more? There needs no more, and yet to assure their security, and that there is not a chinke open, whereat danger shall enter to doe them hurt, there is more added, and on every side n 1.5. See their secu∣rity! Whose security? the Churches, the Righteous mans security e∣ver-more. They are hedged about, and on every side, not a cranny hole left open, whereat danger can come-in to doe them hurt. No? no.

Object. This carries not the face of Truth, you will say. See we not these sort of men hurried, and spoyled, and peeled, exposed to all danger from the tongues and hands of violent and bloody men? Are they then hedged about, and on every side, when dangers come in upon them at every turne? and they are made now Magor∣missabib o 1.6, beleaguered-about, and terrour on every side.

Answ Yes, and yet notwithstanding all this, they are so hed∣ged, as was said, and nothing shall come unto them for their hurt.

They may be hurried, and peeled, and spoyled, and killed too, and yet all for their good. Reader, this will not seeme strange unto thee, if thou readest and considerest with all thy heart, that seventy yeares Captivity was for their good p 1.7. Therefore we must set a marke upon these words; No cranny is left open, whereat danger can enter to doe this people hurt. They are a protected peo∣ple still; hedged about still, and on every side. God keepes their

persons from troubles; or He delivers them by troubles; or sup∣ports them in troubles (as He did Iob, a miracle of patience; ne∣ver any man so tryed as he, never any man so supported, as he) or o∣pens a dore and passage through dangers, so bringing His Servants to the place where they vvould be. The Divell spake good Divini∣ty, the Servants of the Lord will say so; Thou hast made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side This then is the conclusion; Surely there is no inchantment against J••cob, neither is there any divination against Israel: accor∣ding to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, what hath God wrought q 1.8▪

Notes

• k 1.1

  2 Tim. 2. 17.
• * 1.2

  •• 1 Sam. 24. 13.
• l 1.3

  Dan. 3. 29.
• m 1.4

  Exod. 15. 16.
• n 1.5

  Iob 1. 10.
• o 1.6

  Ier. 20. 3.
• p 1.7

  Ier. 24. 5.
• q 1.8

  Numb. 13. 2••.