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That
the
holy
Scriptures
n
-ere
ixdited
by
6odsßß
rit.
335
diuell and
wicked
men
rage
againa
the word
of
God,
the
more
by the
almightie
power
ofGod
fupporting
it,the glory
thcreofappeareth
and fpreadeth it
(elfe
ouer
the
face
of
the
earth
;
the more
they labour
to
kecpe
it
downe,the
more
it
florilheth. And
as
they who goe about to
flop
the current
of
a
!nightie riuer,doe but
make
it to
Ewell
the
higher
and
ouer-
flow
all
the countrie,whereas before
it
was
contained
within
the
compaffe
ofhis
ovine
bankes:fo when
Satan
and
his
wic-
fled impes,do
feek
to
flay
this heauenly flreatne which flow
-
eth
from
Gods
San6luarie, and
labour might
and
mairie
to
hinder
the
pottage and
propagation
of
Gods truth
;
the more
it
fpreaderh
it
felfe,maugre
their málice,and ouerfloweth the
whole earth. Andwhence
can
the defeating
and
fruflrating
of
this
powerfull violence
proceede,but
from
a
greater
pow-
er,
euen
the power
ofGod
?
for
though
all
mon
fhould corn-
bine
themfelues
together,
they
were vuable to
refill Satans
rage,or protect
the
word
ofGod
from
vtter
ruine
:
onely the
Lord
whole power
is
omnipotent
could thus
vphold
it,
and
make
itpreuaile
againfl
all
the power
ofhell.
And
as
the
Lord by
preferuing and defending the Scrip-
tures,from the beginning vnto
this
day,doth
euidently fhew
that
they
are his
ovvne
word
and reuealed will
:
fo alfo
by pu
nifhing,euen
in
this
with
vtterruine
and deflru6lion, all
thofe
who haue trion violently and
malitiouflie oppofed
thetnfeluesagainflit,
and
perfecuted
the
Saints
of
God for
the
profeffion hereof;as may appeare
notably
in
the
examples
of
A4ntiochut,
Epiphanes,
Herod,Nero, D
oraitian,
Droclean,
tea_
lian
the apoflata and many
others; who
by
their
fhamefull
and
horrible
deaths teflified
and prooued the
Scriptures
to
be
the
truth
of
God,which they
had oppugned
and perfecu-
ted
the
whole
courte
of
their wicked hues..
Sixtly,the
Lord hath
approoued the
Scriptures
to bee
his §.Seal.
7
truth
by
wonderfull miracles,
which
Satan
hir felfe
cannot
The
fixt
realms,
fo
much
as
imitate;
as
by giuing the blind their fight, railing
taken from
Pi.
the
dead
to
life,
turning backe the
courfe
of
the
Stinne
in
the
racles.
firmament,diuiding
the
fea
in
two
parts,and
fuch
like;
which
miracles
were
wrought
by
the
almightie power
ofGod;
to
this
ende,
that the
faithful!
might
bee
confirmed in the
affil=
rance