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. IV.

The PROTESTATION, how wonderfully the Lord brought it about. Though Yee shall doe ex∣ploits, yet nothing to be wondered at now; The reason. But one head or charge is handled here, and that is RELIGION, a great Binder. The Method in gi∣ving-out this abstract.

¶ 7.

THe Church blesseth Gods wonderfull worke in you, and by you and for you; That you have protested to take the Lord for your God; So you have provided for the Churches security, what ever times may come: for you have brought her into COVENANT with her God. I know that is a thing the Church doth mind every Month, I may say, every Day, and can doe it without you; but not in such a way, as you have done it, in a Nationall way, which you, and none but you, can doe. You could make a Covenant betweene GOD and betweene all the People, that they should bee the LORDS PEO∣PLE a.

The Church will put a Question to you now, not to pose you, for you are wise, and she knowes the Answer before hand, and would have you know it, yet better. She would know, How you brought this worke about.

Your answer is, Not by your strength, nor by your wisdome, but by the good hand of God upon you, so you brought it about; and so you shewed mercy to your soules, and to the whole Nation.

And thereby the Lord would make you know, That He intended, by you, to doe the Nation good assuredly, with His whole heart, and with His whole soule. The Church hath heard and understands well all the exploits you have done ever since; such as seeme marvellous workes and wonders in the eyes and eares of the multitude; yet to her, they seem (great mercies indeed) but no strange matters, no wonders at all No? no;

1. The Church knowes you had a liberty granted to continue your Session, as long as you will, that is, till you have done Gods will, for Hee procured that grant unto you; this Grant, though shee counts it an exceeding mercy: Yet she doth not count it a won∣der.

2. The Church knowes that you marched valiantly, and trod down

strength: You rent a Lyon without hands, as easie as a man, with both his hands, can rent a kid; and yet this the Church accounts no strange thing neither.

3. The Adversary and enemy had made a breach great like the Sea b; We asked, Who can make it up? Who can heale it? You could, and you did it, and y••u shall be called the Repayrers of the breaches: You stood in that Gappe, and you made it up; the grea∣test worke that ever was done by M••n, since that Breach was made up betwixt God and Man; since that PACIFICATION made by the MAN CHRIST IESVS; And yet this worke doth not seem strange to the Church Nay, should any one of you tell the Church, That since the Day you entred into the Protestation, the Adversary made great breaches upon your soule, and the Lord made them all up: Temptations came-in upon you like a flood; The Spirit of the Lord set-up a Standard against them c, they could doe you no hurt, but good a great deale: should you tell the Church so, she would not thinke it strange Should your thoughts stray a little from out this yeare, vvhere vve suppose we are, unto the next, when some say (but they are much mistaken, or see and will not see) that God did no∣thing for you, but against you, and then should you tell the Church, what she knowes well;

That your Soule was amongst Lyons, and yet not devoured; That you did lye amongst those that were set on fire, and yet not consu∣med; none of all this could the Church call wonderfull, or thinke strange. Nay, to expresse it as fully as I am able; Were all the wild∣fire in England (the Church heares the Land is well st••red with it now, and ••he expects it shall be hurled in her face, and throwne into her bosome, she is the But and White, against which the Malignants levell all this, this she knowes, but she is fearelesse) were all this, I say, gathered up and rowled together into one Ball, and then with 500. hands, nay with the whole Arme of flesh, hurled into your Court, and the Church should be told, that the fire tooke not, not one sparke kindled there; not one haire of any head there vvas touched; the Church could not count this vvonderfull neither, no such strange mat∣ter. Why? Because you have protested to take God for your God. You are a pe••ple in Covenant vvith Him; you are sworne Servants to Him; He must protect His sworne Servants; when you are brought to the brinke of destruction, to a precipice (so we must understand it, some ex••gence, some knotty businesse, that all the fingers in the world cannot undoe) such a strait as this: when at one shocke, three king∣domes must be cast downe, if God helpes not : I say, in such an ex∣igence, God must helpe. He stands bound to it; You have protested to take Him for your God: He hath protested to take you for his peo∣ple. You have sworne, and by the good hand of God upon you, you vvill stand to the Oath; and He hath sworne: by what? By Himself (by all that is in Himselfe, and He is all;) You vvill stand to your

Oath, that's supposed; He vvill stand to His Oath, that must not be doubted. You rejoyced at the Oath; He vvill rejoyce over you to do you good: It must be so, ye have strucke hands together. Ye may say, The Lord must remember me. How? with the favour He heareth unto His people d. He must visit me now with His Salvations, that is with a great Salvation. When I am at the pits brinke, one shocke throwes me downe, then, vvith reverence be it spoken, He must de∣liver me. He must come-in at the fourth-watch: when there is no helpe from Earth, then the Arme of the Lord must be revealed from Heaven. I am His and He my God, a God in Covenant. The OATH of GOD is betwixt us; by His good hand upon me, I will stand to it, and then He must stand by me. I am thine •• save me. It vv••s Davids argument, and prevailed still, SAVE me, for I TRƲST in THEE. The Church saith, it had beene a vvonder if God had not done for you even so, for you are His sworne Ser∣vants.

The Church commands me now to proceed on in declaring this won∣derfull worke, vvhich the Lord so strangely, and as graciously (by your meanes) brought about, To bring your selves and the Nation into Covenant with Himselfe. I shall not meddle vvith the severall heads or charges in the same, vvhich vvould take up more roomth, then her•• can be allowed. Religion is the chiefe head (there are the spirits) and a great binder it is, it bindes a people to their God; and God to the people. I proceed herein in this order, first;

• 1. What this PROTESTATION is to you, and all that stand to it.
• 2. What a discovering note it is to your Adversaries.
• 3. The Church will put-up a short prayer to her God.
• 4. Then a Supplication to you.

In all this, you shall have but an Abstract, out of a large Vo∣lume or Theame, rather nothing taken thence, but an addition there∣unto.

¶ 1.

A Rocke of DEFENCE to the Righteous.

THis PROTESTATION is to you, and all that have taken it, and will stand to it b, a SELA-HAMMAHLEKOTH c, a Rocke of Separation betwixt you and your Adversaries; nothing shall be able to reach you, to doe you hurt. Should the Lord fill all the Inhabitants of the Land, even the Kings and the Priests and the Prophets with drunkennesse (so He hath done for the sinnes of a Nation, as He threatneth d) Should He dash them one against a∣nother, even the Fathers and the sonnes together e, for so He threa∣tens also in the same place; Why yet, you should be safe, none of all these shall come neare you to hurt you. Why so? Because you are a

people in covenant with your God, and He with you. Looke you to it, how ye stand to it, for this followes; TROVBLED ye may be on every side f, (no doubt of that) and so you may say; you shall say withall, yet not DISTRESSED: PERPLEXED ye may be (not knowing what way to take, or what to doe) but not in DESPAIRE: PERSECƲTED yee shall bee, but not FORSAKEN: CAST-DOWN ye may be, but not DE∣STROYED: ye may be set as on fire round about, ye shall not be consumed▪ Why so? The same answer, and it answers all Arguments, even the Jesuites their fire and sword, the hardest words and most vi∣olent deeds, ye are in covenant with your God, nothing shall come unto you to doe you HƲRT. No Plague shall come to your dwel∣ling, as a plague. Though great Letters are written upon your door, yet the Plague is not there for all that. God is with you, even YOƲR GOD, He will save you even from that Destroyer; it shall but reach your body at the furthest.

The time will come, when you will say, your head akes, and your heart too; nay, it fainteth; and yet heare what the Lord saith, The Inha∣bitant shall not say, I am SICKE g. Why so? The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity h: Looke ye there, My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever ^•. That stils and quiets all, God at peace with me and all is peace: God in Covenant with me; in Christ reconciled to me; if so, I am not SICKE, my sinnes are forgiven, all is well with me, for God is with me, and HE is ALL, health, strength, ri∣ches, All. See how efficacious this Covenant is (if we STAND to it) nothing shall stand against us, nothing shall come unto us to do us HƲRT; that is first.

¶ 2.

As Sibboleth to the Wicked; It discoveres the Priests and their Peo∣ple; It hampers the Malignant, though, like possessed Men; No Cords will hold the Papists; Their obstinacy in Gods house: how to judge of the Legality of an Oath.

THis PROTESTATION or sacred covenant is a Destingui∣shing character; Thereby you shall know, who is a true English-man; Who, a Treacherous Priest Papist, or Malignant person. Give it to a right English-man, a True Israelite in whom is no guile, He goes cleare and smooth away with it; He takes it with all his heart, and stands to it, rejoyceth at the Oath k, that is, he pronounceth it right. Give it to the Priests, they will refuse it, or fumble at it, they cannot frame to pronounce it right ^•: Present it to the Papist, you shall see vvhat he will doe anon. This is to the Priests (the two Armies of them) to the Papists also, as SIBBOLETH to the Ephraimites l: Now you shall know whose eyes are evill against you,

because your eye is good, and you are resolved to doe the thing that good is. Now yee shall see, who they are, that puffe at you, deride you (blow their nose at you b) Because you vvould have them protest to take God for their God; (and not their bellies;) to bind them∣selves in covenant with Him, as the very word (Religion) imports. But see how their mind and affection stands! They protest to take God for their God! no not they, Their belly, ease, profits, pleasures are their gods; these and other Lords have ruled over them, and they shall rule by their meanes. So now you know them; their madnesse is manifest; this very Protestation hath discovered them; it is a SIBBOLETH unto them; bid them take it; They vvill refuse; or, if they doe take it, they fumble at it, they cannot frame to pronounce it right;

Nor the Papists neither; Yes but they can you will say, for they can frame their mouthes to pronounce any thing, to sweare and lye both: What care they vvhat covenant they enter into, what Oath they take, when they are resolved to breake it, and are resolved upon the Question, that they may break it, for it is their Doctrine c. They are as the man possessed with the Divell, no coards, no bands can hold them, they breake all, Words, Oathes and all, as you can flaxe, that is burnt with fire d. An Oath is a great binder, (it cannot bind them) the strongest cord, the greatest security, the only chaine on earth (as one saith e) besides love, to tye the conscience of a man and humane Society together, yet the Papists can turne it over as a Gipsies knot, fast or loose at their pleasure. We heare and see that they take the Oath of Supremacy now, &c. What then? Then they are good Subjects. No, the most treacherous and mischievous men in the world, and the truest enemies to the Lords annoynted, none like them. Now beware of these men, for now they will act villany, they will kill, stabbe, poyson, murther, massacre, they will act any thing, which the Divell can suggest. Why so? Because they doe not awe, they doe not reverence the Oath of God: they count it a Gipsies knot fast, or loose as the Malignant Church will. No Oath will serve them but the Bishops Oath, with their &c. which fits the mouth very well, though it be an open Sepulcher. But for all their sleight in turning over Oathes, vve may see them hampered anon, after vvee have laid open their cunning a little more, first,

Oaths will not hold them, the Church shall for an houre: Thi∣ther some of them goe, never more frequently then now. There is some hope then, you will say, They will prove honest men and good Subjects. Yes, or the contrary, and the latter most likely. The Church (as it is commonly called) is as the poole of Bethesda; if I goe rejoycing thither, and have the same desire the poore man had to be made whole, it is the likeliest place in the world to find cure there. But if I goe thither to cloake my wickednesse, &c. then I doe aggravate my sinne, I make it as the sinne of witch-craft:

The Papists goe to Church, that hath been the manner, but observe still, they commonly goe thither, where a Dogge, that cannot barke, keepes the House That adds something to their sinne; but this makes it above measure sinfull: There they sit, and there they meet with their Adversary every houre, that is certaine: A••d this is as certaine, they ••re fully resolved bef••r•• hand not to AGREE with him. The WORD saith This is my Lords will: They ••ay, they wi••l d••e their owne vvill The word is flat against them, and they as contrary to it, Thou shalt not make, saith the WORD: They will make Images and bow before them; so they say and doe. They goe to Church ••nd have concluded, are setled and resolved upon it, not to conclude their soules under the power of Gods Word: Here they prevaricate fe••refully, and, as with Oaths, so they play fast and loose in Gods House too: Let them alone traversing their way in their Moneth a, they sh••ll be found crying out like a travelling woman, for that is the time vvhen they must cast forth their sorrowes. In the m••an time, ye must look to th••se men now more narrowly, and with a more vvakefull eye, now that they stand before the Lord in His house out-facing H••m there Now surely they vvill be more abominable then ever, They will murder and commit Adultery, and sweare false∣ly and burne incense unto Baal, and walke after other gods. All this they will doe the more boldly now, now that the House of the Lord is a DEN of ROBBERS in their eyes. But see how the LORD takes all this, and how His Servants should lay it unto heart; BEHOLD I HAVE SEENE IT, saith the Lord. And vve must behold also how ye have hampered them as a Bull in a Net. Blessed be ye of the Lord, Who hath instructed you to discretion, and hath made you to be quicke o•• understanding. Never vvas there any engine invented like this Protestation, to batter their strong holds, and to confound them in their cursed craft

Ai, but you vvill say, the Papists will not come vvithin a mile of it; no matter, that vvill come to them, and plucke off their vizard, vve shall know them, now their madnesse vvill bee made manifest. But it is ILLEG••LL you say; say so still, and say the Bi∣shops Oath i•• LEGALL but let my soule goe out vvith that, vvhich the Divell and his Kingdom are most against b. That vvhich pinch••th and galleth there, my soule upon it, that is Truth , that vvhich ought to be, and vve stand bound unto. Marke it ever-more, That which cuts the vvicked to the heart, vvhich makes them gnash on you with their Teeth▪ that's GOOD, very GOOD, good Law and good Reason, and good Conscience for it too, there is no doubt of it; every wise m•••• will give as much credit to that signe, as to the word of the greatest Gamaliel ••n the world.

Lastly, It may be said, Have not the Papists a sleight to turne this ov••r the Thumbs too, as the other two O••thes?

Truly I thinke not, This vvill hamper them sure; for it seemes

to me, this PROTESTATION hath bound up Satan. No you will say, he rageth, never more. A good signe that he is in chains, ne∣ver closer pent up then now, and his servants with him; and that they have but a short time, because they have so much wrath. They are met vvith now, and held-in short, and pinched very sore, for though they dare doe much, even to the putting out of the Light of Nature, and the casting the conscience into a deepe sleepe, yet I must suppose that this little remaining light is so prevailing vvith them, as that, though they could dispence vvith the taking of it, yet that light vvould so flash in their face, that their tongues vvould but fumble at it, they could not frame to pronounce it right. Now the Church puts up a prayer to her God.

¶ 3.

The Churches Prayer; An Object••on against her Prayer, answe∣red. Her weapons ••••••yer and Teares; In what cases the Sword is her Weapon.

THe Lord shake out every man from His House, and from His la∣bour, that hath not a will and a heart to performe according to the PROTESTATION, even the Lord shake him out and emp∣tie him c.

The Lord grant thes•• Malignants, th••se sonnes or B••liall, these troublers of Israel, vvho will be bound by no other cord, but by the cords of their owne sinnes, may be cut off, even all cut-off that trouble the Church, those that love peace and pursue it.

These sonnes of Beliall cannot frame to pronounce an holy, just and good Commandment; ô that they vvere dealt vvith now, as those persons vvere vve reade of in the Text; Then they tooke him and sl••w him at the passages of Jordan d The Church knowes, that there vvould be a greater slaughter then was that vve reade of, and there fell at that time of the Ephramites fourty and two thousand. Heere comes in a doubt, and it will bee easily resolved. The Obj••cti∣on ••s.

Ob. The Church is a peaceable Mother in Israel; her Father is the God of peace, her Lord, the Prince of peace; her servants, the chil∣dren of peace; then sure the Church doth not know vvhat spirit shee is of, that prayes for Fire and Sword to come downe from Heaven.

Answ. Yes, the Church knows she hath the Spirit of God dwelling in her, and by that Spirit she can and doth pray as afore-said (••nd will fight anon) and be a peaceable vvoman for all this, and a true Mother in Israel, and follow the Lambe here also; for in some cases (and none riseth higher then this) He, even the Lambe hath wrath, and that must be executed by her Sword. Nay more, as she prayeth for this thing, so she can rejoyce to see this vengeance, and to wash her

feet c in the bloud of the wicked, and the whole City with her, yea and to shout for joy d. These are wicked persons, professed ene∣mies to God and His Christ; Without naturall affection, truce brea∣kers, false accusers, inconti••c••t, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, not having so much as a forme of Godlinesse e. Pit∣ty these vvicked Malignant persons, and you destroy the Good; shew mercy here, you are cruell to the Church; spare such, and they will make havocke of Gods Servants, as you see they doe, and have done in all ages. Wicked persons they, and desperately bold and daring; They would turne the Songs of the Temple into howlings f. She can rejoyce to see the vengeance, yea and to wash her feet in the blood of these slaine. And till this be done, she never looks to have peace on the Earth, for these are they who have taken peace from her. Therefore she is resolved upon it now, she vvill not onely pray, but use her WEAPONS too. Yes, you will say. PRAYERS and TEARES. True, for these are the Chur∣ches weapons, and very prevailing, nay, commanding they are. (Prayers command God, He is pleased to say so much, and to yeeld g so farre:) but the Church said, she will fight too in a case, wherein her Prince, His State, Crowne and Dignity is concerned, for in all this the Church is concerned, her Lawes, Liberties, Re∣ligion, Life. In such cases, He vvill fight. Let it goe; it is good construction to apply a Masculine vvord to so Heroicke a spirit: as I reade Queen Elizabeth did not well digest that Grammaticall nicety, to be prayed for by the Title of DEFENDRESSE of the Faith, DEFENDER vvas better concord in her Eares: And indeed never any man Answered the Title better. I was saying the Church hath another weapon, which vvee call the Sword, and she will make it drunke in the bloud of these Adversaries, and yet doe no more then what she hath done in all Ages, from the Primitive time downe-ward. For though Prayers and Teares and these onely are her Sonnes and Daughters vveapons, as they are private persons: Yet, as they are publike persons (That alters the case) and exalted in the Earth, the Sword belongs unto them as their proper right; and they stand bound to use it, though then also They STƲDIE TO BE QƲIET h, and know themselves CALLED ƲNTO PEACE, so they may have TRƲTH too i. The Church hath her Ioshaah's; and, they must not lye upon the face , wishing those even cut-off that trou∣ble us. k. He must rise and cut-off those TROƲBLERS; it is his office so to doe. The Church hath her Nehemiah's, they may build with one hand and hold the Sword in another. Shee hath her Davids, the truest Subjects in the world (as then hee was) and yet their H••ast may be as his was, as the HOAST OF GOD ^l, and all for their owne safety, and to maintaine (as

David did) their Masters peace The Church hath her Princes and her Nobles, and her Worthies (blessed be God for them all) to whom the Sword belongs, and they are charged to use it, for the cutting off those, that trouble her; and are enemies to her Lords Crowne and Dignity: They are charged to be of good courage, and to play the men for their King and His people, and the Cities of their God, and the Lord doe that which seemeth Him good d: Then in the last place;

¶ 4.

Private Persons must make Supplications.

THe Church makes her Supplication to you; That you would rise up and be doing; that you would avenge her of these Adversaries, who have done what they can to take peace from the Earth. All is contained in your Covenant, every whit. Remember that and you remember all; and the Lord remember His Covenant with you, for the darke places of the Earth are full of cruelty e. Doubt∣lesse the Lord, Who keepeth Covenant and mercy for ever, will not breake with you now. Remember f WELL, what the Lord your God hath done for you; That will give you assured confidence for the time to come. Onely deale couragiously g; stand to what you have said, and what in you lyeth, cause the Covenant to passe through the Land, and doe as the good King did; vvhat you can to make the people stand to it h, and the Lord shall be with the good i. (Amen) for they will make their prayer to Him, which cannot be in vain k, being one of the most prevailing things in Heaven or Earth: but it is reserved for the time, when ye as Esther l commanded Prayer, then it will appeare how prayer commanded for you.

Notes

• a

  2 Chro. 23. ••••
• b

  Lam 2. 23.
• c

  Esa. 54 19
• Nodus vindice dignus. When the Gib∣bet is up & Mor∣decai designed to it the next day, then it's Gods t••me to work••: it is ••or His Glory t•• deferre ••o long; and for the ••lory of His faithful∣nesse to de••er no longer 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Chrys Tom. 4. Epist. 1.
• d

  Ps. 106. 4.
• Ps 7. 1.
• b

  2 Chron. 34. 32.
• c

  1 Sam. 23. 28.
• d

  Ier. 13. 13.
• e

  ver. 14.
• f

  2 Cor, 4 8.
• g

  Esa 33 24:
• h

  I beare any thing now my sins are pardoned. M•••• ad in vita Lu∣theri, p. 168. ••. •• Ps 73. 2••.
• k

  2 Chro. 15. 15.
• l

  Iud. 12. ••.
• b

  Luk 16. 14. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• c

  Dogmatiza•• mendaciae.
• d

  Iud. 15. 14.
• e

  Dan. Hen. 3. ••. 167.
• a

  Ier. 2••
• Ier. 7.
• b

  Gaudeo sic Sata∣nā indignari & blasphemare quo∣••••es •• m•• tangitur. Luther •• Epist. ad Am
• Q••od signum maioris ••••••riae est omnes haeretici de∣••estantur. Hier.
• c

  Neh. 5. 1••▪
• d

  Iud. 12. 6.
• c

  Ps. ••8. 10.
• d

  Prov. 11. 10.
• e

  2 Tim. 3. 3, 4, 5.
• f

  Amos 8. 3.
• g

  Esa. 45. 11.
• h

  1 Thes. 4. 11.
• i

  1 Cor. 7. 15.
• Iosh. 7. 10.
• k

  Gal. 5. 12.
• •• Chr••. 12. ••2.
• d

  2 Sam. 10. 12.
• e

  Ps. 74.
• f

  Deut. 7. 18.
• g

  2 Chron. 19. 11.
• h

  2 Chron. 34. 32.
• i

  2 Chron. 19. 11.
• k

  Esa. 45. 19.
• l

  Est. 4 16.