What competition isbetwixt God and Sunday inLent. the Deuil, andwherein itconffteth. Ser.18. tomake peacewith KingPirrhte,caufing himfelfetobe ledtotheSenat,forthat he wasblind. He no foonercame into the Senat-houfe, but he faid vnto them, MyLords, and yee the reft of the nobleSenatorsofRome, I am informed,that you are concluding a peacewith Pirrbus, that antient enemyofyour bloüd;and this renowmed commonwealth : I fhould take itfor agreat tauour fromthe Gods, thatas Iamblind,fo I weredeafe likewife, that my caresmight not heafe fogreat an infamie and reproach to Rome. TheMoores take a cowardly Spa- niard captiue, they carryhim toTetuan,from thence toMairuecos, from thence toTome pooreFanne, vfrnghimmore likea dogge thana man, hemakes peace with his Mafter,and turnes Moore : Iuft fodoth it fucceed betwixt Man and the Deuill ; HeIeads him from one finne intoanother, fromaleffer to agreater mi- ferie; His vfage is fuch, that hemakes hispeace with him, and intheend turnes Deuill. This is theSheepes making peacewith the Wolfe, the Chickins with the Kyte , the Moufewith theCat , and the Hare with the Grey-hound, &c. Notto complaineof this fogreat amifery , is tobee dumbe, and blind. osha- bent, 6.c. A mouth theyhaue andfeakenot, eyes andfeenes, neither doe theycrywith their throat. Caietan renders it,Kenmußitabunt , Theywill not fo much as mut- teratit. He that is not with me, isagainfi mee. As if hee (hound fay , if I (hall free this manout of the Deuilsclutches , the Deuill will nothelpe me in it. For this is . one of the greateft iniuriesand diftafts,which the Deuill can receiue, in regard of that great competition which the Devil! bath therein with God. And one of the greateft wrongs that God can receiue,is, That theDeuill fhould winnea Soulefrom his feruice , which hehath purchafedatfogreat aprice as hismolt preciousblood.And oneofthe things that thedeuil takesmolt offenceat,is,that GodMouldcaft him out of that foule, whichhee hath fo longpoffeffed byhis fubtiltieand his tyrannie. Some Doctors doe doubt :why God fhould punifh the Serpent, being he wasnot in the fault. And the anfwere thereunto is, That he deferued tobe punifhed, for becomming Sathans inftrument. Which may ferne forafearefull warning vnto Bawds, andthe likevnhoneft Solicitors, who woo other folkes affections to commit vnlawfullActions, as elfewhere wee hauedeliuered. He that is not withmee, isagainfï me. In fucha profeftware as this, none may be Neutralls. Many canplaywith both hands ; but here no daubing will ferue the tume.iillciateftileth fuchNeutrallsby thename ofBats,neithergoodMice nor good Birds. And oftentimes theyhaue the worft of it: foriftheother two -make peace, theyare hated onboth fides. Inthe warresofItaly, thofeofSoria floodà la tnira,at thegaze; taking partwith neitherpartie,but looking for their aduantage where the blow would light. But they that wagedwarre thus be- tweenethemfelues; ioyned afterwards together, thatthey might the better fet vponthem,and rake reuengeofthis their Neutralitie anddouble dealing. Solon madea Law,That wlíofoeuer,when the commonwealth fhould beat ciuilewars within it felfe, fhould (how himfelfeaNeutrall,fhouldloofe both life &goods. And the reafonthereof mightbe grounded vponthis, That one of theni muft needes bethe jufterfrde,and thenitwerea foulefault nottoadhere therunto. In Ifingdomesthat areat odds, there arewoont tobe double fpies,and thefe haue theirfignés and counter- fignes,which theyoftenchange& alter as occafion fer- ueth. Butinthisdifferencebetweene God.and theDeuill, it is not poflible to doe fo. Forthe Deuill hath for hisfigne, the Character of that beaftwhich is fpokenof in theApocalips; AndGod bath for his finne, SignumDei vial,The Cc figue Ob. Sot. IUmuft herid all neutrally betwixt God andSathan. gpoc.;.
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