They deal as the magicians of Egypt. When Moses came to do wonders, they imitated him in all the rest, except in one. So they strengthen them- selves much in imitating the Protestants. We labour to build the walls of Jerusalem, they imitate us in building the walls of Jericho. We preach to shake off drowsiness, and they fall a preaching. We print, and they print. We publish books of devotion ; they go beyond us. We set out books of martyrology (i), to shew the cruelty of them, and they have lost much by that. Hereupon they do so too, and aggravate things, and add their own lies. So by imitating our proceedings, wherein we have gained upon them, they, like the Egyptian magicians, do the like, and God hardens their hearts, as he did Pharaoh's, by the magicians.
Again, by labouring to make divisions bet\Aeen kings and their subjects, what they can in those places where their religion hath not obtained ground. That they may get a party they cherish division like the devil ; they divide and rule.
It was Julian's pohcy to provide that no Christian should bear any office in the wars, to be captain, &c. So if the Jesuits and papists may have their will, no man that is opposite to them shall have any place. Those that shall have the place to manage offices, and such like, shall be those that incline to them. This they bring to pass if they can, and so for captains in the wars, &c. As Juhan the apostate, he cared not for Judaism, but did what he did out of spite to the Christians ; so in the most of their plots thus they work one way or other. I say there is no end of their plots, only it is good to know them ; for so we may the better prevent them.
Quest. How shall the building up of Jericho be stopped, seeing they go about it so ? And indeed they have built much of late years, and have raised up their walls very high, and labour what they can to stop the building of Jerusalem !
Alls. 1. The way to stop this Jericho, that it never go up again, is the -judicious Icnowledge of iwpery ; that it is a religion contrary to the blessed truth of God. God hath left us his testament, his will, wherein he hath bequeathed us all the good that we can challenge from him. Now this religion is contrary to our Father's will, and they know it well enough, and therefore they build their courses upon men's devices, and not upon divine truth. They know if people come to know the Testament, that they should lose, and therefore they labour to suppress knowledge, and extinguish it ; we should labour to know|the controversial truths between us and them,''and to have the knowledge of the Scriptures ; for knowledge is a notable means to strengthen us ; there are none that know popery that will be deceived by it.
2. And then, together with the knowledge of their tenets, to know their courses, and practices, and policy. In 2 Tim. iii. 9, ' They shall prevail
* That is, ' Expurgatorius ' = Index of Prohibited Books. Cf. Mendhan.— G.
THE UNPROSPEROUS BUILDER. 27
no longer,' saith Saint Paul, * for their madness shall be made manifest.' Why shall they not prevail any longer ? Their madness shall be manifest. So that the manifesting of the madness of men is the cause why they shall prevail no longer. It were good to know all their undermining tricks, and all the policy of the Jesuits and papists, that lay their trains afar ofi*, that they may be the less seen. As the spider gets into a corner, that she appear not, so themselves will not appear, but they draw women, and other licentious persons, and they have greater than them too. So they lay their trains afar off, that they may have their will. It is good to know their devilish practices, that so their diabolical madness may be manifest, that so they may prevail no longer ; for undoubtedly, if their courses were laid open, there is no man that loves his own safety, and the safety of the kingdom, but would hate them.
3. Another way to stop the building of Jericho is to have young ones instructed. I would parents would have more care of catechising, and others in their places would have more care of grounding young ones in the grounds of religion. Popery labours to overthrow that. For the worshipping of images it is directly against the second commandment, and they are so guilty of it that they take it away in some of their books. The younger sort, that are the hope of the succeeding church, should be well grounded in religion. That that is right will discover that that is crooked. It would make them impregnable against all popish solicitations.
The neglect of this is the cause why many gentlemen, and of the nobility [apostatize]. The neglect of their education by those that should overlook them hath made them fit for Jesuits and priests to work on, having ripe wits otherwise. And all because of the atheism of those that have neglected their breeding, and filled their heads with other vanities ; it hath been the ruin of many families in this kingdom. Therefore it is good to season younger years with the knowledge of the grounds of religion.