Vfurpation the firft ori. ginalipf Kingdomes. SondayinLent. Ser.i8. 299 tobe nogood confequence ; being thata fuperiourDeuill, may caftout an infe- riour. I anfwere,That ourSauiour Chrift Both not deniethis : nay,manyofthe Sinagogue,by coniurations,andvnlawfullexorcifines,beeing the Deuillsmini- ffers,did caft foorth other Deuills. But if this were eueryfooteput in praâife, and that many fuperiourDeuill,or theirminifters, should infeft and hinder one another ; offorce theremutt grow diffention among them,diuifionmuff needs follow vponit ; andvpon this diuifion,the diffolution oftheir Kingdome , as Atbanafsua, bathnotedit. Butour SauiourChrift did caft out innumerableDe- uills, to their great griefeand torment, Cryingand faying,Whyart thoucome to tor- ment vsbefore ourtime ? WhereSaint Lukefayth, In dig to Dei eÿciodamonia Tn thefinger of GodI raft out Deuils. Saint Außen reads it,Si inBelzeebubie&c.If I calf out Deuills by thepower of Belzeebu6, then is his Empire diuided , and cannot ffand. But hisKingdomenot being tobe atanend, till that God commeth into the World,as ismade apparant bymanyprophecies,Peruenit in vos regnnmDei, The Kingdomeof GodBothcome untoyou. Whenapangmanarmed, keepeth hitpallace,the things that hepoßrßêth are inpeace. Seneca extends this nameof Tyrant toa King that lawfully potfeffeth a King- domc,but isnow in hishands,who byforce orf ubtiltie, vfurpeth that which is none ofhis own; or inhis, whogouemsthat which is his own,but with tyran- nieand cruelty. Saint Austen looking narrowly into thofe theprimarie begin- ningsof the KingdomesandEmpires of theWorld,cals them,Magna latrocinia, Great and famous robberies.WhenRomewas QueenoftheWorld,7ituc Liuius fayth, That all thefpoiles ofothernations , were there depofited . Alexander reprehendinga Pyrat , for robbingatSea with twopoore (hips ; Heetoldhim, Thourobbeft the wholeworld ; and dooftthou find fault with meefor thofe petty thefts that I commit r Andeuen thus doe things paffe atthis day,inyour great commonwealths. Theywhip a young theefè for ffealingbut tenRoyals, andlet agreaterfcape fcot-free. What thinke you (if they were well exami- ned ) of a Treafurer, of a lodge, of anAdmirall,and the likegreat officers ofa State, arenot thefe great Theeues t Andyet for greatneffe fake,weadore them. Your miceare prettie littleTheeues , who in a Larder lyenibbling ataPaffie ; Thou putteft in a Cat to kill them,or to feare themaway ; the cat falls vpon the Pye, and at times Bates it all vp. Which Iprayyou is the greater Theefe of the two Thegreat&Tyrant and Theefe that euer was inthe World , is theDeuill. Notonely for hauingmade himfelfe fo much Lord and Malter ofthe World, whereuntohce hadno right,by ftilinghimfelfe PrinceandLordthereof; but alto for hisexercifing therein fuch ftrange and tyrannous cruelties, as beedayly dooth. Our Sauiour Chrift called himTheefe. He that comesnot inat the right chore,is aTheefe andaRobber. Efayrearmeshim a Tyrant. But I cannot let it paffe without admiration, that our Sauiour fhould fay , That hee (houldpoffefl'eall thefe things peaceably ; being that noTheefe,nor Tyrant,can long inioy that which heholdeth by violence. Pirff of all, Greatis the fearewhichhe muffhue in,whetherit beout ofhis owne guiltie confcience (that continuall tormenter of the Soule) or in regard Ofthole perilsand dangers wherinhialifeRands. Helyes in waiteforother men: lines,& there are thoufands that lye inwaite totake away his.Itisanantient Pro= uerbeamongtvs, aelosryranos, nuncadegauamaviejos, That Tyrants neuer hued tobe oldmen. Phalaris was one of the greateft that euer the Worldhad, whofayd, That Manwould neuerhaue beeneborne, Ifhe hadbut knownbe- fore No Theefe nor Tyrant te the Deuitl. Tyrantdare euer theirown torturesr.
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