ground, where the cord stops them, and puts all their limbs out of joint besides which they anoint some of their feet with oil, and set them to a fire to scorch, and then lay them on their backs in a narrow trough, where a keen cross bar under their backs, doth hinder them from coming to the bottom, and there, covering their faces with a fine cloth, they open their mouths and pour water from on high till they drive the cloth into their throats, and then pluck it out again. Their thighs and legs they bind with small cords, and strain them till they sink into the flesh. And in all this, they will not permit the modest virgin, or gravest matron or lady, to have the least rag to hide her nakedness.

And all this is to force them to recant and confess others, even all that they have but talked with about matters of religion, that so they may have more of the same employment. And when all is done, they array them in a coat all over painted with devils and fire, and lead them forth before the people on a scaffold, with their tongues tied with their devices, and so to a fire, where they are burnt to death.

These are the generation that crept into our armies and cities, and country in England, and provoke the deluded people to call for liberty of conscience, that the papists may have liberty here, who deal thus mercifully with others, where they have full power.

By this time, I hope, it is no hard matter to discern what a friend Satan is to Christ and his kingdom, who will not by his good will let one godly Christian escape his rage, but pursues them in all ages, in all countries, with all sorts of torments and cruelties, by all sorts of enemies; and will not suffer so much as any propagation to be made of the Gospel, any discovery of saving truth, or opposition to darkness and wickedness, but he presently raiseth a war against it, and sendeth forth his bloodhounds to fall upon the instruments, and all that do befriend them.

Obj. Other men suffer in the world at the hands of others as well as at Christians.

Answ. I have said already that Satan is an enemy to all mankind; but as his malice is most against Christ and his kingdom; so by what hath been said it may appear, that he doth not so openly rage against any others. Though yet, while he seems to favour and befriend them, and use them as his servants, he doth indeed exercise more cruelty on them than he

doth on the faithful in their sharpest torments that he inflicteth on their bodies.

And, indeed, he is but preparing them for the everlasting torments, by making them here his slaughter-men, and drenching their souls in the guilt of blood; which also in this life doth sometimes overtake them, as was before noted of the Irish; who having murdered many hundred thousands of their peaceable neighbours, in a manner exceeding all former persecutions, I think, that ever were read of by pagans, Turks, or former papists, for hellish cruelty, were at last, by the revenging sword of war, by plague and famine, the most of them swept off from the face of the earth. Concerning which, and the Spanish Inquisition especially, and other things here recited, I again wish you to peruse Mr. Clarke's 'Martyrology,' which I think a very useful book, for common people who have not learning, time, or means, to read over those many large volumes in several languages which are there contracted; it being very necessary that they should be acquainted with the combat that hath been maintained between light and darkness, the war that Satan hath managed against Christ, from the beginning to this day; and who have been Satan's instruments, and what their exploits. And I believe that those who are tempted to popery, will find in such history a competent preservative.

Sect. X.

If all this afford not sufficient evidence, let this also be added, to clear the rest, that there is in the very hearts or natures of the servants of the devil, of what place, degree, or nation soever, throughout the world, an inbred hatred and enmity to the kingdom and true subjects of Jesus Christ.

This is apparent in the whole course of their lives, whereby it is manifest that it is not only the effects of misinformation and prejudice received from others, or of bare education, or difference of opinions, or the like, but the effect of those different masters whom they serve, and captains whom they fight under, and spirits which do actuate them, and principles and doctrines by which they are acted.

By these two ways is this enmity fully manifested.

1. By the hatred which they have to Christ's ways and

servants.

2. By their resistance and reluctancy against his persuasions, and the difficulty of drawing men over to his ways.

1. For the first, it is evident that it is not only the heathens, heretics, or papists, but every wicked man and servant of the devil that hath an enmity in his heart to Christ and his ways. Though they are born with us in the same country, of the same ancestors; though they profess to believe the same articles of faith, and be of the same religion, yea, though they will cry out against former persecutors, and honour the memory of the martyrs that have suffered for Christ, and keep holy days for them, yet have they a general hatred to the ways and servants of Christ themselves. Nor can any infidel say, that this is a quarrel among Christians themselves, and therefore no proof of Satan's enmity to Christ. For, 1. All know that multitudes will be of that religion which the prince is of, and take that side that saves themselves, and tendeth most to their worldly advantage. 2. And Christ taketh none for his servants indeed but those that are heartily so, and soundly believe his Gospel, and hope for salvation, and love him as their Redeemer, and God by him, and so live according to his laws. These, and these only, are Christians indeed. Those that are of Hobbs's religion, to be Christians, because the prince commandeth them so to be, as if Christ had no power to command them himself, nor the Father had laid any such command on men, and those that are seeming Christians they know not why, upon mere custom, and because it is in credit, professing to believe what they believe not indeed, and calling that God's word which they are resolved not to obey, Christ will not own those for his people. Whatever their title be, or whatever religion they thus customarily profess, it is certain that they are the servants of the devil, who obey him, whose hearts are devoted, and lives employed to his service. The name of Christ may be easily entertained for worldly advantages, but the christian doctrine, nature, and conversation, all these men do unanimously abhor; only while the common grace of Christ is preparing them, they may lie under convictions, and have some good wishes and purposes for him, and by the restraint of that common grace, they may be hindered from open rage and persecution, and so they may by the prosperity of the godly: but when they are loose, they show what they are.

For all this we need not go to history for our proof: we have had experience of it all our lives to this day: even here among us, where religion and piety is in as much credit, and hath as much countenance, as most ever it had in the world, yet there

is not a man that is discerned to fear God, and live after the laws of Christ, but he is the scorn and by-word of the ungodly about him so that in the best times, in one degree or other, the apostle's words are verified, that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Tim. iii. 12.) Mark that; he doth not say, 'All that will say they are Christians; but,' All that will live godly in Christ Jesus.' For these have the true christian nature, and obey him whom they do profess. Where is there a city, or village, or family, where the servants of Satan and Christ live together, but Christ's servants are hated? Yea, no relations or interests will reconcile them. If the children obey Christ, they are opposed by their own parents: husband and wife are at enmity on this account; masters hate their servants for serving that Christ whom they themselves do call their Lord. Though they never hurt them or do them any wrong, yet wicked neighbours do hate the godly. Yea, though they live in greater love, and patience, and meekness, and innocency, than any others, and though they are faithful to them, and do them all the good they can, yet are they hated by them.

And that this is the devil's quarrel, is yet more evident in that the worst of men that have most of the diabolical nature, and live after the will of the devil, are the greatest enemies to all true Christians. If there be any nation so unhappy as to have a sensual, wicked prince, he is presently a persecutor of all that live godly if he have Nero's wicked heart, he will likely have Nero's bloody hands. What covetous extortioner or oppressor, what whoremonger, drunkard, swearer, blasphemer, curser, railer, do you know almost, that is not a bitter enemy to godliness, and to the people that most diligently obey and worship Christ.

And it is not only their persons, but it is their doctrine and practices which they hate; that tenderness of conscience, and carefulness to please God, and avoid all known sin; that diligence in holy worship, reading Scriptures, praising God, praying to him, &c., which Christ commandeth: these are the things which their natures do abhor.

As the papists in Ireland, some of them stamped the English Bible under feet, and cursing it, said; This is it that hath bred all the quarrels ;' so even among those that profess the same faith with us at home, it is the Gospel, and the worship of God, and obedience to Christ, that is the occasion of all the quarrel. When the wars had let them loose in England, mul

titudes found this to their sorrow; when, if a man had but prayed or sung a psalm in his family, he was ready to be dragged out of his house as a roundhead and traitor. This is a known truth up and down England in garrisons and villages. And before that, when the vulgar spirit of malignity was but a little let loose, (by the bishops' persecutions of godly men,) upon occasion of the book of dancing and sports on the Lord's day, and of bowing to altars, and such like; it did so commonly rage, that it was, all over the land, a matter of common scorn and reproach for a man to pray in his family, or read God's word, or sing a psalm; nay, if he would not come out and dance as they did, or look on as one of them, or would not go with them to the alehouse, or would not swear in his common talk, he was the common by-word, as a precisian or puritan. So that if we had no other proof of Satan's hostility to Christ, this one would put the question out of doubt: when, through the whole christian world, the servants of Satan are haters of Christ's servants, how near to them soever they be, and are manifesting their malice on all occasions as far as they dare; when kingdoins, cities, towns, families, are all daily embroiled in this dissension, and the witnesses of this war between Satan and Christ, I know not how we should any longer doubt which side it is that Satan is on. If, after all this malice and bloodshed, men will yet think that he is on Christ's side, let them taste of his fury that believe it not when they see it.

2. Moreover, the enmity is apparent in the hearts of all Satan's servants unto Christ, by the resistance that they make before they will be recovered, and by their obstinacy against all means that should persuade them to turn to Christ. Though you show them the clearest reasons, and silence all their objections, and convince them that it is their own good and happiness that Christ would draw them to, yet will it not bring them over to his way. Though they profess to believe him to be the Son of God, and their Redeemer, and his Gospel to be true, and make it their religion to be his servants by profession, yet will they not be so indeed. How many sermons are lost upon them? How many plain instructions, exhortations, and earnest persuasions lost? How much patience, mercy, and other means in vain as to their recovery? What other religion in the world are men so backward to, till Christ overpower them, and change their hearts? What faithful minister hath not had experience of this? What godly Christian hath not proved it?