A Complete and Compendious Church History, Preface
THE PREFACE.
TIS a moſt Sacred and undenyable Truth, that The Wicked Plotteth againſt the Righteous. [Zomem Raſhang letſadik.] The Mouth of the Lord (the God of Truth) hath Spoken it, Pſal. 37. 12. This is the Churches Malady in all the Ages of the World; it hath been ſo in times paſt, (both before the Flood, and after it, under the Law, and under the Goſpel.) It is ſo in time preſent, and it will be ſo for time to come, until time ſhall be no more. And 'tis as Sacred and certain a Truth, That the Lord laughs all thoſe Plots to nothing, ver. 13. This is the Churches Remedy. Deus Videt Ridet, God looks and laughs, he laughs them to ſcorn; when he looks, that their Day is comming, even their diſmal Day, wherein they ſhall be Slain with their own Sword, v. 14, 15, 17. and Fall by their own Counſel (though no Hand be upon them.) Pſal. 5. 9, 10. Now while God laughs at the Plots of the Wicked, (both to diſgrace the Plotters, and to degrade their Plots,) God's People have little cauſe to cry; eſpecially conſidering, that their God is loath to laugh alone, and therefore he tells them of a time, wherein they ſhall laugh (with him) at their over-witted, and over-power'd Adverſaries, Pſal. 52. 6. The Cauſe of the Wickeds Plotting againſt the Righteous in all Ages, is Twofold; The 1ſt. is [Cauſa foreign or) The Inward Cauſe; to wit, The Old Enmity which the Fall of Man brought (Judicially) betwixt the Two Seeds: Gen. 3. 15. Ever ſince, there hath been a boiſterous and bloody Diſpoſition (running all along in the Black Line of a carnal Generation,) in all the Seed of the Serpent againſt the Seed of the Woman: This Enmity had there its beginning; but it ſhall never have an ending until the World endeth; Yea, it may be call'd an Eternal Enmity: [a parte poſt] though not [a parte ante,] for as the Angels and the Souls of Men had a beginning, but ſhall never have an end: So this Curſed Enmity (which had its beginning at the Fall) will continue beyond this World, even in the World to come. As long as evil Angels and damned Souls continue in Hell, (which ſhall be for ever,) ſo long will this Enmity continue in them againſt the Glorious Angels and Glorify'd Saints; Thus 'tis a Bottomleſs, boundleſs, and endleſs Enmity. The 2d. Cauſe is [Cauſa foreign] or, The Outward Cauſe why the Wicked Plot, &c. is, the Malignant Adverſary of Mankind, the Devil, ſo called Quaſi, [Do Evil.] 1ſt. He is their Father, and they are his Children, and the Luſts of their Father they will (and muſt) do, Joh. 8. 44. 2dly. He is their Lord, and they are his Vaſſals, and they will (and muſt) run his Errands. Yea, 3dly. He is their God, 2 Cor. 4. 4. and they are his Creatures. And as God (at the Creation of the World) did but Speak the Word, and it was done: So if the Devil (in the Converſation of the wicked) do but ſpeak the word, hold up his ſinger, his will is done; He leads them Captive at his will, 2 Tim. 2. 26. He leads them like a Dog in a ſtring, whether he pleaſes, yet hangs them up at laſt (like Dogs) upon everlaſting Gibbits in Hell, where they hang and howl as Dogs, yet never dye; to which if Tertullian's Character [Seſſorem habent Diabolum.] be added, Then (4ly.) He is the Rider, and they are his Aſſes, which he Rides upon, whipping and ſpurring them (as Balaam did his Aſs,) as if Riding Poſt to meet their own Deſtruction: And (as ſaith the Proverb) They muſt needs go (yea, gallop,) whom the Devil drives; eſpecially ſuch as (with the Man in the Goſpel) have a whole legion of Devils in them; ſuch wicked ones (with the Gadaren's Hoggs) do Run Violently down moſt ſteep places, and moſt deſperate praecipices, until (at laſt) They be choaked in the deep Pit of Hell, Matth. 8. 32. Now as long as there be the ſame Original Corruption in wicked Men (while this preſent evil World laſts) to be drawn forth; and the ſame Devil (who, whoſoever become Converts, can never become one) to draw forth that depraved Diſpoſition, ſo long, there will be a wicked Plotting and practiſing againſt the Church of God in the World. Solomon ſaith, There is no new thing under the Sun, the thing that hath been, it is that which ſhall be, Eccleſ. 1. 9, 10. And the Apoſtle telleth us, As it was then, he that was Born after the Fleſh, perſecuted him that was Born after the Spirit, (as Iſhmael did Iſaac) even ſo it is now, Gal. 4. 29. Paul ſaith, It is ſo, now in my days; And we may ſay, It is even ſo now in our days: It was ſo then, it is ſo now, and it will be ſo for ever; ſo long as there be any wicked in the World, and the old Man-ſlayer to ſet them on, who is that Evil Spirit which worketh (as the Artificer doth in his Shop) in the Children of Diſobedience, Ephe. 2. 3. We Read of the Dragons War (but as a ſad Cordolium) with the Woman (the Church) and her Seed; Rev. 12. And if this War were in Heaven, v. 7. how much more on Earth? v. 17. This War is manag'd and maintain'd with great Wrath, v. 12. having the Aſſiſtance of an Inveterate, Implacable, and Everlaſting Enmity in all incarnate Devils (his Auxiliaries) all acted and agitated by the Devil, who lends them his Seven Heads to Plot with, and his Ten Horns to puſh with againſt the Church. And we Read of the Lambs War with this Dragon, (as a ſweet and Soveraign Cordial) even our Bleſſed Michael and his Angels in the behalf of the Woman and her Seed, Rev. 12. 7, 8. And though the Beaſt (to whom the Dragon gave his power, Rev. 13. 2.) make War with the Saints, and overcome them, (during his Leaſe of 1260 y. allotted him) Rev. 13. 7. yet the Lamb ſhall overcome the Dragon and all his Auxiliaries, Rev. 17. 14. and 19. 19, 20. and 20. 10. And in the mean time, though the Beaſt ſeem to overcome the Saints, (ſo it ſeemed, but ſo it was not) Rev. 13. 7. For the Saints overcome the Beaſt (by the Blood of the Lamb) when they ſeem to be moſt overcome by him, to the ſhedding of their own Blood, Rev. 12. 11. This Lamb Laughs all the Plots of the Beaſt to nothing, and all as Vain Things, whereof no good Reaſon can be given, nor any good Iſſue can be expected. Chriſt ſits in Heaven, ſeeth and Smileth, is no more concern'd, ſave only to ask the Many and the Mighty (that Club their Craft and Cruelty againſt Chriſt) if they be all Mad, to Attempt that which ſhall aſſuredly come to nothing, Pſal. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4. The little Stone daſhes all in pieces, Dan. 2. 34. So that it may be ſaid of the Church, (as it was ſaid of the old Romans) She hath loſt (now and then) a Battel, but never a War. And as 'tis ſaid of Gad, A Troop may overcome Gad, but Gad overcomes at laſt, Gen. 49. 19. So the Church [Concutitur, non Excutitur] may ſometimes be Shaken, but never Shiver'd into Nothing; She always gets and gains by her Loſſes, and though ſhe may be trampled under Foot all the Night of her Aſfliction, yet is ſhe ſure to have Dominion in the Morning, Pſal. 49. 14. And that Morning uſhers in the Diſmal Dooms-Day of all her Enemies.
Niteris Incaſsum Chriſti Submergere Navem
Fluctuat, at nunquam Mergitur illa Ratis.
Dipt may the Churches Ship be, but not Drown'd,
Chriſt will not fail her Enemies to Confound.
No Weapon that is formed againſt her ſhall proſper, Iſa. 54. 17. Nor ever did proſper; That Precious Promiſe hath blunted the Point, and turned the Edge of many Thouſand Weapons that have been formed againſt her; The Gates of Hell (though in a Combination of all its power and pollicy) ſhall not prevail againſt it, Matth. 16. 18. All the Plots both of the Wicked One, and of all Wicked Men, (from Adam to our Day) have been [Velut Unda Supervenit Undae] as the waves of the Sea ſucceeding one another, yet all have daſhed themſelves to pieces upon this Rock of Ages, whereon the Lord hath founded Sion, Iſai. 14. 32. and 26. 1, 4. and 54. 10. The Church is Invincible, and can never be Demoliſhed either by Angry Men or Enraged Devils.
Magna eſt Veritas & Valebit,
Truth is great, and will prevail,