The Truth of the Times Vindicated, Title page – Dedication
THE TRUTH OF THE TIMES VINDICATED:
WHEREBY The lawfulneſſe of Parliamentary procedings in taking up of Arms, is juſtified, Doctor Fernes Reply anſwered, and the Caſe in queſtion more fully reſolved.
By WILLIAM BRIDGE Preacher of Gods word at great Yarmoth.
PSAL. 127. 1.
Except the Lord keep the Citie, the Watchman waketh but in vain.
Quaeſo lector, ut memor tribunalis Domini & de judicio tuo te intelligens judicandum, nec mihi nec adverſario meo foveas, neve perſonas loquentium, ſed cauſam conſideres.
Hierom.
Printed according to Order.
LONDON, Printed by T. P. and M. S. for Ben: Allen, and are to be ſold at his Shop in Popes-head Alley. 1643.
Errata.
IN the Frontiſpice for ſoveas read faveas In the Epiſtle, for being asked, read having asked. P. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. for Truths of the time, r. Truth of the times▪ p 4 for there r. they p 5. for Altha…ius r. Altha…ius, for Henomus, &c. r. Henonius. Henning and Amiſaus. p▪ 7. for yet r. yea. p. 8. for foreign p 10. for duct a naturar. d…cta naturae. p. 13. for Rainervus r. Rainerius. p. 13. for affect r. effect▪ p. 14. for under r. into. p 15. for oppoſe r. expoſe. p. 15. for governed r. governing. p. 26. for Junius, Joſephus, Brutus, read Junius, Brutus, Joſephus p. 29. for ropoſ. r. propoſ. p. 35▪ & 36. for dwell r. dwelt. p. 37. for thats read its. p 39. for Wiſd. 22. r. Rev. 2. p. 39. for but paſſive r. not paſſive, p 40. for if lawfull r. lawfull. p. 41. for take of, r. take heed of. pag. 45. for to which, r. which. p. 45. for ſee will▪ read ſo will. p. 46. for Committe r. community. p. 47. for that Prince r. the Prince. p. 47. for being read bring: for that that r. that it. There are many faults eſcaped in the marginall Latine, yet becauſe the Latine is turned into Engliſh, and the Authors cited, I do not note thoſe Errata.
TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL, The Knights and Gentlemen Deputie-Lieutenants of the County of NORFOLK.
Honoured Sirs:
GIve me leave to joyn you together in one Epiſtle whom God and your Countrey hath joyned together in one ſervice; It is not in my purpoſe to blazen your worth before the world, your own actions ſpeak you in the gate, and wiſe men had rather do worthily then heare of it; onelyonly obſerving your unwearied labour of love for God and your Countrey. I count it my duty to come forth and meet you with this pen-ſervice in teſtimonie of my thankfull reſpects to you. You read Numb. 25. when the wrath of God brake out againſt Iſrael, that Phineas ſtood up and executed judgement, and the wrath was not onelyonly diverted but himſelf bleſſed, yea the bleſſing was a bleſſing of peace though wrought out by the ſword: your like action in this time of wrath will carrie the like bleſſing on your ſelves and houſes, yet your work is rather to bring men to juſtice then to execute it. Many bleſſed comforts w…it on your ſervice.
Firſt, we read in Scripture but of one man ſo potent in heaven that he could command the Sun to ſtand ſtill, and he was a Souldier, Joſhua; but of one man of whom it was ſaid, that he had an heart after Gods own heart, and he was a great Souldier, David: but of one man of whom Chriſt gave that great teſtimonie, I have not found ſo great faith no not in Iſrael. And he was a Souldier too the Centurion, thus ha…h God honoured your calling.
Secondly, your work is good, for you are the Miniſters of Reformation. I read of a King of Meth, ſometimes in Ireland, that being asked how certain noyſome birds that came flying into that countrey and bred there might be deſtroyed: Was anſwered thus, Nidos eorum ubique deſtruendos: The way to be rid of them was to deſtroy their neſts. Now for a long ſeaſon many noyſome birds have been flying over into this Kingdom, and have bred here; the work of theſe times, is to deſtroy thoſe neſts of Jeſuites and Jeſuited perſons, and it is that work which now you are upon. Foelix neceſſitas quae ad mel…ora ducit.Though it coſt ſome paines its worth your labour, happie is that neceſſitie which leads to better things.
Thirdly, your cauſe is juſt alſo, agreeable to the Law of Nature; for, Conſervatio ſui ipſius est opus naturaliſſimum, to the Law of God: for David though not the repreſentative body y…t lawfully took up armes for his own defence; to the Law of the Kingdom, for what more legall then that the Houſes of Parliament ſhould bring in Delinquents to triall, and how can that be without Armes when the Delinquents betake themſelves to their Armes?Vetuſtatem ſi ſpectes eſt antiquiſſima, ſi dignttat… meſt honoratiſſima, ſi juriſdictionem …ſt copioſiſſima. The Schoolmen ſay three things concurre to a juſt warre. Firſt, Juriſdictio indicentis, and for that you have the Authoritie of Parliament, which, as one writes, if you reſpect Antiquitie, is of all Courts the moſt ancient; if dignitie, is of all Courts the moſt hononorable; if authoritie and juriſdiction, is of all Courts the moſt copious. Secondly, Offenſio patientis, and for that you have matter too much, and your enemies too little, the great cauſe of their armes is but ſome peece of prerogative (if they pretend truly) a cauſe infinitely beneath ſo unkind & bloodie a war as this is. Thirdly, Intentïo boni convenientis, and for that I dare ſay you are bellando pacifici, your war being to prevent warre, and your preſent bleeding to prevent ſome great ſickneſſe which this State would ſink under.
Fourthly, your Forces live and march under as many prayers as ever Engliſh Armies did, you have preces arma…as; and though Joſhua fought valiantly, Exod. 17. yet the prayers of Moſes (who was not in the fight) got the field.
Fifthly, If you do overcome, you ſhall not make your ſelves ſlaves by your own victories; we may truly ſay of ſome, Dum vincunt victi ſunt: when they have overcome others, they are ſlaves themſelves; your Religion, Laws, and Liberties ſtand all readie to reward your prowes.
And ſixthly, If you be overcome and die, you die for God and your Countrey; who can bring his life into a better market? bleſſed are thoſe that dye for the Lord, ſo that word … is rather to be read, Rev. 14. 13. Wherefore as heretofore ſo now much more labour to hold forth the vertues of him that hath called you to this great imployment. As Souldiers are more honoured then others, ſo they ſhould be more vertuous; he had need carry much grace in his heart that doth daily carrie his life in his hand; and your Souldiers ſhould as well overcome the Countreys with their good examples, as the Enemies with their ſwords. When Joſhua went out to battell againſt the Amalakites his men were all choſen or choice men, Exod. 17. 9. And ſaith the Lord Deut. 23. 9 when the hoſte goeth forth againſt thine enemie then keep thee from every wicked thing. It is ordinarily obſerved, that when the jews marched out of Egypt into Canaan, they carried in their colours ſome ſignificative ſigne, Judah carried a Lyon in his Standard, Ephraim an Ox, Reuben, the picture of a man, Nepthali an Hinde; a Lyon noting their courage, a Man noting their skill and underſtanding, an Hinde noting their ſwiftn…ſſe and readineſſe for execution; and an Ox for patience, ſtrength and obedience. Such colours ſhould thoſe weare in their lives that are Souldiers for God. The enemies of the Churches had their Colours alſo; the Beare, the Leopard,Quo modo fidem praeſtabunt autboritat… qu… Deo ſunt perſidi. Conſ. ſa…ff. pa. 56. &c. Dan. 7. cruell in humane practiſes, being more fit to be worne in their lives then ours. How can men be faithfull to you that are unfaithfull to God? Dr. Ferne, your Adverſary and mine, writes thus of the Parliaments Forces; If a liſt of the Army againſt his Majeſtie were examined, there would be found if not a conſiderable number of Papiſts, yet of ſuch as they that employ them would have cauſe to be aſhamed of, &c. It may be ſome of your Souldiers would ſay as Davids did, Let me go over I pray thee and take off his head. But let your anſwer rather be▪ Let him alone, and let him reproach, it may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his reproaching this day. And as formerly ſo now yet more and more let your endeavour be to wipe off ſuch aſperſions by ſending and employing ſuch Souldiers as may not ſtain your good cauſe with their ill practiſe, let your Motto be, Militia fine malitia. And as for your ſucceſſe either it will be good or bad; if bad, meaſure not the goodneſſe of your cauſe thereby. Eventus est ſtultorum argumentum, It is Gods courſe to give by denying, Non habendo habemus. Wicked Benjamin who took part with the delinquents of G…beah, muſt firſt prevaile againſt not repreſentative, but all Iſrael, who took up armes to do juſtice, that Iſrael might be the more provoked againſt them. Judg. 20. And if your ſucceſſe be good, let your men carry it humbly: humilitie after merciemercy makes men fit for more merciemercy. And he that boaſts in his own bodie,Qui gloriatur in viribus corports gloriatur in viribus carcer…. boaſts in his own priſon: Rejoyce not, ſaith Solomon, when thine enemie falleth. Pro. 24. 17.
Your Souldiers may rejoyce in Gods providence, but not in their enemies blood. Zonarus writes that this was the manner amongſt the Romanes when any triumphed, that an Officer ſtood behind him, ſaying, foreign, look what is behind, and there he ſaw a bell and a whip; a whip noting that for all his greatneſſe he might come under the laſh of miſery, which bell-like would ſound very loud.
Nos autem rerum magis quam verborum amatores ſumus …tilia potius quam plauſibilia ſectamur, & in his ſcrip is non lenocinia eſſe volumus, led remedia. Salv. Epiſt. ad Solon. To the end that the Abbat might have an happy beginning of this work from ſome luckie manner of preſage, he ſolemnly appointed the day of St. Perpetua and of St. Felicitie, in which he would lay the firſt foundation Cambd. Britan▪ Lincolnſhire.Thus have I taken the boldneſſe to preſent you with my rude thoughts and this ſmall Treatiſe, concerning which I ſay as Salvian, I have not ſought ſmooth but profitable words. And in which becauſe it hath pleaſed God to lay the foundation of your proceedings in your good ſucceſſe at Crowland, by the hand and Command of that worthie Gentleman Sir Miles Hobert, I wiſh you that bleſſing which the Abbat of Crowland when he began to build the Abbey would have made the foundation thereof, Perpetuam foelicitatem.
Your humble Servant in the Goſpel of Chriſt Jeſus. W. BRIDGE.