IT is truly writ­ten of that learned and Sirach. 40 wyse Hebrewe Sirach. A great trauayle is crea­ted for all men, and an heuie yoke, vpon all the sonnes of Adam, from the daye that they goe cut of theyr Mothers wombe, tyll they be buried in the earth, the mother of all things: Which is an excellent sentence, and worthy to bee obserued, of all such as professe them selues the seruauntes of Christe. For whereas man was created in the be­ginning, to lyfe and immortalitie, and indued with the Image of God: where­by he diuerse and sundry waies, resem­bled his creator, but espetially in Righ­teousnesse and true holynesse: carnall Ephe 4. [Page] men haue with great care, and pensiue­nesse of minde, marueyled at and inqui­red, the cause of that horrible ruine, and destruction of Man, the chiefe and prin­cipall amongst all visible creatures. Whose noble and excellent nature, dai­lye fadeth awaye the Uyolette or Rose, and in tracte of tyme dyeth and corrupteth, much more lothsomelye Autor serm. ad fratres in eremo. and lamentablye, then an Oxe or Asse: for that (as learned men haue obserued) immediatlye after his death, fylthye Todes wyll bréede of his guttes, and venemous Serpents of his reynes and kydnes.

Othersome there are, so astonied, and as it were depriued of all sence, and fée­ling: that they neuer thinke howe they receyued lyfe, nor how they shall at the laste taste of death. And if peraduen­ture by meanes of greate callamities, the face and feare of death nowe & then oppresseth them: yet they neuer thinke vppon any remedies, whereby they myght bée somewhat eased, vnder so heauie and weightie a burden. The wyse man therefore, in this his sen­tence satisfyeth the carefull cogitation [Page] of the one, and healeth the senceles A­poplexie of the other: in rendring the causes and occasions of mannes myse­rie and callamitie. Which whyles wee beholde and consider, let vs also fyxe our eyes vppon the Redeemer and delyuerer of mankinde, Iesus Christe: and in regard of the greate imbecillity, and tyckle estate of mortall mens mat­ters, bow our mindes to humility, mo­destie and feare of God.

Wherevnto this graue wryter ex­horteth Iob. 14. 1. Cor. 15. all menne, in making mention of olde Adam, and of our mother, from whome we haue our origen and ofspring. And although none almost can bée ignoraunt of this propagation and discente: yet the Wyse man cal­leth them to the consideration of that, whiche conunonlye they forgette, or lyttle recorde: and admonisheth them of the malediction and curse pronoun­ced againste Adam and Eue in Para­dize, Gen. 3. for the transgression of Gods commaundemente.

This curse is the course of all our myserie. For as Gregorie sayeth, vvhat strength can hee haue that is borne in [Page] infirmitie? vvhat thing, can come of fleshe, but flesh? vvhat can descende of a miserable father and mother, but a my­serable creature. Which he enlargeth in laying downe before our eyes our painefull and perillous byrth, our com­bersome & vnquiet lyfe, our ineuitable, and terrible death. All which thinges wyll appeare, and more euidently shine in our eyes: if we open and vnfold these thinges somewhat more perticularly.

Fyrst if we consider the beginning of The gene­rasion of man vn­cleane. our byrth, whereby man is prepared to this lyfe, it is vncleane, and almoste lothsome to nature her selfe: for other Beastes doo openly engender, euen na­ture as it were mouing them therevn­to. The conceauing of man onely bea­reth shamefastnesse, desyring rather to be hydde, then opened: because of the staine of sinne, which driueth man to bashfulnesse, and causeth him to bee a­shamed of him selfe. Nature brin­geth forth brute Beastes, but sinne af­ter a sort, bringeth forth man, the Pro­phete wytnessing the same. Beholde, I was conceyued in iniquitie, and in sinne Psal. 50. my mother conceiued me. What should [Page] I speake of the tyme, betwéene his con­ception and byrth, which is full of sor­rowe and sicknesse: the mother being encombred with weaknesse of stomack, headache, swymming of the head, and many other infirmities: yea, oftētymes if she eyther snéese, or smell the snuffe of a Candle, shee trauayleth before her tyme.

If besydes these, you marke the time Mans birth. of delyueraunce, you shal hardly iudge, whether Nature be a more louing mo­ther, or an heauier stepdame to man. For Man is caste forth bare and naked vpon the earth, senceles, and is compel­led to kiuer him selfe, and hyde his pri­uie partes, by the reliefe of others: so that if we wyl signifie any notable mi­serie, wee neede no more but note the Byrth of man into this worlde. Wher­vpō the Thratians were wont to wéepe in their chyldebedde, and the Parentes with mourning to receyue their Chyl­dren new borne into the worlde: but at their death, to bury them with maruei­lous reioysing, & gladnesse: as though that he which is newe borne were ra­ther to be lamented, then he that decea­seth, [Page] and departeth the myserie of the worlde. Other Beastes entering into light, are cladde and couered, and by the verie motion of nature doo séeke after foode. The Lambe as soone as he is All liuing creatures haue their dēfences man only excepted. yeaned, is able to followe the damme: the Chicken as soone as it is out of the shell, wyll doo the like: and euerie one in their kindes haue couerings and defen­ces to reskew them selues from daun­ger. The Elephante his snowte, the Bucke his hornes, the Boore his tuske, the Woolfe his téeth, the Birdes theyr bylles and Tallants, and to euerie cre­ature accordingly. But naked man is cast into naked nature, crying & way­ling: and straight waye is wrapped in swadlyng cloathes, (as it were in ma­nacles and fetters cast vpon his handes and feete) beginning his lyfe with a kinde of imprisonment, so that we may right well saye with Plinie. O meere madnesse to thinke that vve are borne Plinius lib. 7 cap. 1. et. cap. 50. to pride, vpon such simple beginnings, how long is it before a man can speake, how long before he can go.

Nowe when man is brought vp, ma­ny Perils and daungers thousand lets, many daūgers, many [Page] kindes of intrapmentes: declare howe whereunto man is sub­iect. harde it is for him to passe the race of his lyfe, and to come to his fatall ende. Surely he is subiecte to all kinde of pe­rylles and daungers, in his minde, body and goodes: In daunger of water, of fyre, of ruyne of houses, of the sworde, and of diuerse kinde of maladies: wher­by he is cut of most commonly by death. before he come to olde age. Which things moued a certaine Wise man to saye, That Citties and Tounes, were no­thing else but places of humane sorrowes Solon. and miseries, wherein mourning, lamen­tation, and troublesome labours of mor­tall men are inclosed and contayned. Whereof Plinie also wryteth after this manner. The gyft of Nature is fyckle & vncertaine, yea, it is euyll and short to those that lōgest enjoy it. VVhat should I speake of one halfe of mans age, passing away in sleepe, and spent in darknes. For we may not accoumpt the time of infācy any part of lyfe, which almost wanteth sence [...] neither yet olde age, which is ful of so many sorrowes, cares, thoughtes, and feares, insomuch that olde men p [...]ay for nothing so often as for death: a [...] though [Page] nature could geue nothing so good vnto man, as a short lyfe. For in olde age the limmes waxe stiffe, the sight dimme, the hearing deaffe, and the teeth fall away.

Againe no lyuing creature, is in Man is mane soe and enemy. daunger of moo disseases, none standeth in more ha [...]arde of priuie Amboush­mentes then he doth, and that by man. Lyons for all theyr wyldnesse, yet doc not one encounter another, the Serpēt stingeth no Serpent: but Man is a Woolfe to Man, at whose hand he daily receaueth much harme. Furthermore, none is couetous but hee, none ambiti­ous, none vncontentable in desyre of thinges, but he onely: he is in continu­all paine wearyed with calamyties, of which euylles although thou arte per­swaded that thou hast discomfetted one or two, and so thinkest thy selfe in safe­tie: Yet thou must abyde a sore conflict, with Nature her selfe: séeing thou arte enforced to feare euen the lyghtning of the Element, the stenche of the earth, the Scorpions stroke, so many kindes of poyson and venime: which although they neuer chaunce vnto thée, yet fleshly flées, crablyce, and many other lyke ver­mins, [Page] shall annoy thée, and declare that man is in daunger of many thousande myseries.

But also the necessitie of death, is Painefull and fearful Death. not to be so much counted vpon, séeing it is common to all lyuing creatures: for whatsoeuer is horne must dye, and returne to duste, whence it had his be­gynning: were it not that another kind of death had fallen to man, which came through sinne, whereby we haue also founde another begynning of a myse­rable lyse. For there is no other lyuing Euerla­sting death. thing but it decayeth vniuersallye and totally, man alone excepted: whose on­lye body perisheth the soule, which is seuered from it cōtinuing euerlasting­lie: so that the good be receaued into a blessed life, whereas the badd [...] be thrust downe into euerlasting tormentes of hell: hauing in this poynt death lyke to brute Beastes, because they neyther thinke the soule immortall, neyther be­léeue that there is any resurrection, or any hell, that thereby the death of an [...]xe, and a Man séemeth lyke. Heape hyther so many meanes, whereby wée Eccless. 3. eyther hasten our owne death, or vpon [Page] very tryfling occasions, léese our lyfe: séeing moe dye by surseyt & wine, then by the sworde. Many whyies that con­trarye to their nature, they labour by helpe of cunning and arte, to lengthen their yeares, and onely séeke meanes to lyue, cast them selues away by vsing too much Phisicke.

Here I néede not to touche diuerse Sodayne deathes. kindes of soddaine deaths, wherby very many haue miscaried and decayde. So dyed Anacrien the Poet, chooked with a reysyn kyrnell. So dyed Fabius the Se­natour of an heayre, which he did drink in mylke. Cornelius Gallus, which som­time had bene Praetor: and Quintus He­terius a knight of Rome, dyed whyles they were in the very acte of generatiō. Sophocles and Dyonisius the tyraunt of Cycille, both deceassed for ioye, when they heard tydings of the vpperhand of a Tragedy. Of which sort of examples I could rehearse a number, wherby we be put in minde of our mortality, & that ere we weene, we dye soddainly. Sure we are to dye, but by what kinde of death, & in what momēt we know not. We must watch therefore whyles we [Page] lyue in this ciuile lyfe among men, lest the soddaine necessitie of death, finde vs vnprouided, & not awake, for we shalbe so much the lesse, be able to geue an ac­com [...]pt of our former life, the more we yéelde to wickednesse, and dispise the o­bedience of Gods commaundement.

Finally the daūgers of y ^t soule, (neg­lected [...]arnon se­curity or di [...]fydence. or slightly passed ouer by carnall men) are principally to be considered: such are the errors and ignoraunces of the minde: prophane opinions of God, carnall securitie, dystrust, cuyll concu­piscence, tormentes of the Conscience, and horrible terrors of death: where­withall Saule, Caine, Iudas, and suche like, being vexed and afflicted, fell into damnable dyspayre, and murdred them selues.

These myseries of man myght be The com­playntes of Phi­losophers touching mans stailnesse. séene by Reason, and felto by dayly ex­perience: if we were not too perciall, and euen wylfullye blinde in our owne causes. Whereof so many complaintes are, almost in euerie page, of prophane wryters: out of the which heape, a Selueccerus in prolegon ad Genesin. learned man of our tyme hath made thoyse, of three principall sentences. [Page] The first is out of Aristotle, who as­keth 1. Aristo. this question, vvhat is man? He is an example of weaknesse, a spoyle of time, a plaie of fortune, an Image of in­constancie, a ballaunce of enuie and cal­lamitie, and whatsoeuer is besides, is but fleame and Choler. The seconde saying is taken out of Euripides. There is no 2. Euripides in orest. et Cicero. Tuse. 4 myserie nor wofull mishappe, and mis­chiefe, vvhereunto mans nature is not subiecte. The thirde is of Pindarus: vve are men, but of one day, vvhat is some body? and what is no body? all 3. Pindari in pithijs. od. 8 men are no better then a dreame of a sha­dowe. And vnto these thrée sentences, we maye reduce all other complaintes, which eyther the Cthincke Poets, Hi­storians, or Philosophers haue vttered of the fraylnesse of mans lyfe.

All which sentences, Ludouicut Vines endeuored to comprehende briefly after this manner: Mans body is infirme, and De veritate fidei. lib. 1. cap. 16. subiect to all iniuries, euerie member hath his especiall malladie: And as for his minde it is exceeding sicke and vn­quiet, blinde and improuident, neither doth vvyll suffer it selfe to be lyghtned, being much lyke the taste of a sick man, [Page] desiring those thinges that be hurtfull, and lootheth those things that be whol­some, vnruely and intractable, towarde such as would cure him: all his affecti­ons are out of order, and whole man is a seruaunt of those thinges vvhich are needfull for him, vvherof he vvas some­time Lord and maister. Thus man lyeth in this sicknesse, as it vvere in his death bedde, vntill he giue vp the goast, vvhich is called Death: vvheras mannes byrth might more aptly be tearmed Death, as Manilius vvriteth.

Nascentes morimur, finis (que) ab origna pēdet, Such a continuall death is laide vppon Adams children, for a punishment of his transgression, being much more byt­ter, then if he had immediatly dyed. Thus we sée the estate of this our sor­rowfull and short lyfe, some part wher­of (a [...] Seneca wryteth) vve spende in do­ing euil, a greater part in doing nothing, Seneca Epist. 1 ad Lucil. and the greatest part of al, in doing those thinges that appertayne nothing vnto vs.

These thinges moued Theophrastus to vtter his lamētable complaint, That Nature is rather a stepdame to mankind, [Page] then a louing mother. For whereas she Theophra­com­plaint of Nature. Lucretius. lib. 5. plinius. lib. 7 Salust in praesat. Belli Ingu [...]th Lactant. de opificio. cap. 3. et. 4. Lud. viues de veritate. Fidei. lib. 1. cap. 12. Seneca de breuitate vitae. Cicero. Tusce. lib. 3. hath dealt with brute Beastes lyberally. and louingly, geuing vnto many of them a long lyfe, seruing to no purpose: She hath lent to man a verie short time, vnto whome moe yeares had bene conueni­ent, to the ende he might haue commen to perfite knowledge in wisdome, which is mannes chiefe felicitie. Besides these thinges, she hath expelled him, into this worlde, poore and weake, not able to do any thing: but with howling and crying, to foreshew his miserable estate and cō ­dition. Albeit I am not ignoraunt that Theophrastus saying hath beene reprehended both of humaine, and de­uine wryters: of these because he vsur­ped the woord Nature, (as they suppose) for God himselfe, & so charged the Crea­tour, with the faulte of she Creature.

And it can not be denyed, but that both Philosophers, and Diuines, haue Of the word Na­ture. tearmed God by the name of Nature. For so speake not onely Hippocrates & Seneca, but also Lactantius: although else where hee séemeth to mislyke that Seneca de benef. lib. 4 cap. 7. phrase. As for those wordes of Saint Augustine: Omnis quippe natura vel De­us [Page] est, qui nullum habet autorem: vel deus Gallenus de placitis hippocr. et plat. lib. 9 lactantius. lib. 2. cap. 9 De anima et eius ori­gine. lib. 2. cap. 3 Mathous Beroaldu [...] Cron. lib. 2. cap. 6. Caluniuc. lib. 1 institut. cap. 5. non est qui ipsum habet autorem, Are not to this purpose: for the worde Nature there, hath a farre other signification. And y ^• great Phylosopher of our tyme Mattheus Beroaldus, amongst many significations of the worde, alloweth that manner of spéeche: yet the wordes of his Maister Iohn Caluine, please me much better, writing hereof after this manner. I graunt that vve may godly vse this phrase (Nature is God) so it pro­ceede of a sincere minde: but because the speache is harde and vnproper, for that Nature is an order appointed by God: It seemeth vnto mee very daungerous, and hurtfull, in matters of so great mo­ment, and vvherein there ought to be a singular Religion, to vvrappe and con­founde the eternall God, vvith the infe­riour course of his handy vvorkes.

Of the same mynde was Lactantius, Lactant, lib. 3. cap. 28. wryting: That the subuersion of true Religion, brought forth the name of Nature. For they being eyther igno­raunt, by vvhome the vvorlde vvas made: eyther desirous to perswade that nothing vvas made by God: sayd, that [Page] Nature vvas the mother of all thinges, meaning that all things sprang of their owne accord, vvherin they opened their great vnskilfulnesse. For if prouidence and Gods povver be set apart, Nature is plainly nothing. And if they call God Nature: vvhat peruersenesse is it to tearme it Nature, rather then God, Na­ture verily is not God, but the vvorke of God.

But in my opinion, Theophraste who had that name geuen him, partlye for his diuine sentences of God, and his what Theophrast meant by the word Nature. prouidence, and partly for his swéete vaine in wryting, vsed not the woorde Nature in any such sence: but rather for vitious & corrupte qualities, which haue infected this diuine workeman­shippe. Hereof that common saying commeth, that the beginning of vertue is of Nature, to wyt of Perfect Nature: and that vices procéede of Nature, ve­rily of corrupt and poysoned Nature. And if any man thinke that I thus con­ūerre Theophrastes wordes, ledde with ioylfulnesse to discent from others, ra­ther then with a desyre to séeke oute Truth: let him vnderstand that I haue [Page] not sucked this out of my owne conceit, but haue receiued the same of that lear­ned father Saint Augustine: who al­leadging the very same sentence, cyted out of Theophraste by Cicera, pronoun­ceth thereof after this manner. The Augu cōtra. Iusianum lib. 4. ca. 12. repetit. ex lib. 3. Cic. de Repub. same Tullie in his third booke of a com­mon wealth, writeth that man is brought forth into this lyfe not of a Mother, but of a stepdam, in body both naked weake and infyrme: and in his minde perisiue in sorrowes, abiecte in feare, faint in la­bours, prone to lecherie: vvherein not­withstanding, there is couered certaine d [...]s [...] sparkes of vvitte, and vnderstan­ding. VVhat saye you to these things? he: saue the disease, but he was ignoraunt of the cause, Hitherto Augustine, who notwithstanding myslyketh this com­plaint, if it be applied to Nature sincerre and incorrupt.

But to the ende that this matter may The sygni­fycations of the worde Nature. bee more easily discussed, you shall vnderstande that the worde Nature, as we reason of it in this place, hath two significations, as Saint Augustine in sundry places hath obserued. The fyrst Aug. retrac. cap. 10. estate of man vvhich vvas sincere, and [Page] vvithout sinne, is properly called mans Nature: but by translation we vse it for this condition of man, vvherein [...]he is borne, and liueth. And in another place: That was the meaning of the Apostle, De trinitat. lib. 13. ca. 12 vvhen he sayde that he vvas by Nature, the childe of wrath, as other men: mea­ning as it is corrupt with sinne, not as it was right in the beginning. And againe: That vvhiche vvas a punishment to the In Psal. 38. first man, is turned into our nature, As the Apostle sayth. VVe vvere by nature Ephe. 2. the children of vvrath. Séeing then we sée the worde Nature, vsed not onely of the best expositors of the holye Scrip­tures, but in the worde of God it selfe, for the corrupt and sinful estate of mor­tall man: why shoulde any man repre­hende Theophraste, iustly lamenting our wofull, and mysarable condicion.

Saluste going about to confute. Theo­phraste, Sulucte reyrehen­beth Theo­phraste but yeldeth no reason. ioyneth not yssue in any peynt: but digresseth: into the commandation of Mannes nature, and exhorteth vs to the due consideration thereof: which is verie plausible to the children of Adam, who more willingly record such things as sound to their prayse and glory: then [Page] that reueale their myserable beggerie, and ignominie. Surely Saint Augustin De natura et gratia. cap. 1. accoumpteth this high commendation and excelling of nature, to bee ioyned with great perryl & daunger, and affyr­meth such men to haue a zeale, but not according to knowledge. VVho being Rom. 10. ignoraunt of the iustice of God, and de­sirous to place their owue, are not subiect to the iustice of God. And a lytle after he wryteth most excellentlie after this manner. The first nature of man was Ibidem. cap. 3. created without any sinne. But this na­ture vvherein vve descende from Adam, hath nowe ne. de of a Phisition. For al­beit 2. Cor. 5. Ephe. 2. vve are nowe in Christ a new crea­ture, yet vve vvere the childr [...] of vvrath euen as others. But God vvho is ritch in mercy, for that great loue vvherewith he hath loued vs, vvhen vve vvere dead in our sinnes, he hath quickned vs in Christ, by vvhose grace vve are saued.

The Ethnickes doth most commonly The disor­der of the Ethnickes propose to man his ende, that he might thereby vnderstande hir excellent digni­tie. But to what ende serue those Pom­peus words: That vve shoulde delyberate and enterprise thinges laudable, and ho­nest, [Page] and that vve shoulde contend after vertues. Séeing that by corruption of Nature, we haue neither perfite vnder­standing nor Power to followe vertue, so that such spéeches of the excellencie of Mannes nature, as it is nowe, do puffe him vp with a vaine conceyte of him selfe, and as it were in a maze, caryeth him headlong into destruction. We ought not I confesse to forget that first Lege Calu Iustit. lib. 2. cap. 1. Nobilitie, which God gaue vnto our father Adam, and the remembraunce of the same must néedes bréede in vs an ardent desire of Immortalitie: but we can not once thinke of that Dignitie, but there wyl on the other syde appeare a heauie spectacle of our shame and mi­serable ruine, whereof we our selues by Propagation and Imitation are guil­tye. Wherby we shall haue better cause to lyke of Theophrastes complaint, then vainly to extoll this our most ruinous, and corrupt Nature.

Seneca, whome Lactantius accoump­teth Seneca his iudge­ment of this matter Lact lib 1. cap 5. et lib. 2. ca. 9. the most wittie and subtyle Philo­sopher, of all the Stoikes, cyting Theo­phrastes sentence, doth not find any fault with it: but rather taketh iust occasion [Page] thereby, to exhorte men to spende that lyttle tyme which is geuen them, in ly­uing well and honestly: Whose words, because they are full of excellent, and di­uine lessons, and ther withall appertain to my purpose: I thought good to put downe, as I finde them, in the Aucthour him selfe, which are after this mannes. Most part of mortall men, friende Pau­lyne, do complaine of the crueltie of na­ture, Seneca de breuitate vitae. because she hath geuen vs so short a race, and course, Truely our time is not so short of it self, but we make it short [...]r: Our lyfe is long inough, if we spende it west. But vvhen vvee passe it ouer in ryotte and neclygence, it is bestowed in no good thing: so that in the ende of our lyfe, that tyme vvhich vve thought not to go, is euen runne away. Insomuch, that vve haue not receyued a short lyfe, but vve cutte it shorter, neither is that so vvating vnto vs, as vve are prodigal of it. Euen as ample & princely ryches, vvhen they come to a prodigal master are vva­sted in a moment: But if a meane stocke be committed to a thriftye, and frugall man, by vvise vsing it increaseth. VVhy continew vvee then our plaint against [Page] nature, seeing for her parte she hath she­wed her selfe benigne and lyberall vnto vs? our lyfe is long enough, if we coulde vse it. For example sake: One is posses­sed Our lyfe is long e­nough if we coulde vse it well. with greedie couetousnes, another geueth him selfe to vaine conclusions. This man delighteth in wine, that man passeth tyme in sleepie slouthfulnes. Heere is an ambicious man, that gapeth after popular fame: there is one that runneth, ouer all Seas and Landes, after Marchaundize: and finally, a man shall see such, as exercise them selues in no trade, but rubbe out the tyme: so that Exigua pars est qua viti­mus. we may well saye with the Poet. That parte wherein we lyue is verie lytle. All our race, is not a lyfe, but tyme onelie. VVe bestowe and employ our lyfe ex­ceeding coumbersomely and diuerslye: but vvhen vve come to the losse of time, vve are too prodigall, and therein is spa­ring couetousnes, onely commendable. VVherby it vvould come to passe, that albeit our lyfe shoulde come to a thou­sand yeares: yet vve our selues abbridge it, and consuming tyme doth eate it cut: and a lytle after inclining as it were to Theophrastes opinion, hée writeth thus.

If vve consider the estate and condi­tion Man hath great cau­ses to la­ment. of all mortall men [...] vve maye see great and manifolde occasions of mour­ning and lamentation, yea, vve shall ra­ther want teares, then matter of mour­ning. As for all these vvorldly goodes vvhich delyght vs vvich deceytfull plea­sures, as money, dignitie, power, & māny other such, vvherwithall the blind desire of man is more taken, and amazed: they are possessed with labor, sene with enuy, and oppresse now and then, rather then profit their masters and owners: they are vncertain and slippery, and a great part of quietnes is lost, in carefull keeping of them. Verely if you wyll credit me, and weigh more deeply with me the mater as it is, all mans life is meere vexation & af­fliction. VVe being cast out then, into this deepe and vnquiet Sea, flowing and ebbing: somtime hoyst vp, somtime plū ­ged downe: neuer continue in stabilitie: For vve are tossed too and froo, vve de­pend in the vvaues, vvind and vveather: sometime runne and bruse one another, and sometyme make shypwracke of all. So that in this tempestuous, and stor­mie Sea, there is no sure harborovve, [Page] nor quiet part, but death alone. Hyther­to Seneca complayning also of mannes portus naui­gantiū mors. myserable and rufull case. But I let Theophraste & his opinion passe at this tyme, and returning to my matter, wyl consider, what the spirite of God hath vttered, and pronounced of Mans estate and condition.

The worde of God therefore, being What the worde of God pro­nounceth of mans estat. the Lanterne, and perfite Lodesman, leading vs to euerlasting lyfe, is most plentifull in the discription of Mannes myserable, and corrupt nature. For to omytte many places, wherein he is ex­pressed in his nature and kinde: As all Gen. 6. et. 18. flesh had corrupted his way vpon earth, and I am but duste and ashes: I come to that Dialouge and communication be­twéene the vertuous Patriarche Iacob, and good Phorao, King of Egipt, that fastorer, and fauorer of Gods people: Iacob demaunded by the Prince of his Gen. 47. yeares, and age, aunswereth thus: The whole tyme of my Pylgrimage, is an hundred and thirty yeares: fewe and euyl haue the dayes of my life bene, and I haue not attained vnto the yeares of the lyfe of my Fathers, in the dayes of their [Page] Pylgrimages. Out of this aunswer, issue thuse two notable lamentatiōs of mans fragility, vttred by the two chiefe Pro­phets, Moises, and Dauid, Most worthie Deu. 34. Psa. 90. to bee considered and learned without booke of all Christians. But to returne to Jacobs aunswere: First I thinke it worthy the consideration, that hee cal­leth Mannes lyfe a Pylgrimage. Most true it is, that we haue not any certain Mans lyfe a peregri­nation. or continewall habitation here vppon earth: for we were created of God in the beginning, and againe restored by Christe to immortalitie, and eternall blessednesse in heauen. We are then Hebr. 11. Phili. 3 2. Co. 5. Pylgrimes here vppon earth, neyther haue we any abyding Cittie, but looke for another, and our conuersation, or common wealth is in Heauen, and our desyre is to be straungers from the bo­dye, and to be present with the Lorde. Let vs then earnestly recorde with our selues, alwayes that our lyfe on earth, is a perpetuall exyle, and Pylgrimage, to the true and heauenly Countrey, and the laste Harborowe or Inne in this viage is Death: from whence we shall passe immediatly into eternall lyfe.

Nowe as Trauellers & Pylgrimes, The dispo­sition of straungers. doo not delyte to tary long at any bayte, or lodging, nor staye not at euery Or­charde or Gardin: all theyr minde be­ing set vppon their Natiue Countrey, and proper family: euen so we running the race of this lyfe, ought not to haue our mindes fixed vpon rytches, pleasure and honour: but dayly to haue our eyes, fyred vpon the Gole or marke of eter­nall lyfe, whether wee ought to runne and contend, with all our might. More­ouer, as those that trauell by Sea, or by Lande: who eyther by the goodnesse of their Horses, or commodiousnesse of the winde, coming home to their countrey, doo thinke their fortune better, thē those that wanted lyke oportunitie: Euen so ought we to reioyce of the departure of our friends, in their florishing tyme, ar­riuing happily into the hauen of rest.

The other Epitheton, is that mans Mans dayes are euyll. dayes are euyll: for the yéeres of our Infancie are spent in déepe ignoraunce: Youthfull dayes vanishe awaye moore quickly then the Maie flower, & old age seapeth on our backes vnwares, which we are admonished to feare. For that she [Page] neuer commeth alone. Whervnto the Wise man consenteth, saying: All mans daies are sorowes, and his trauailes griefe: Ecclesia. 1. 2. et. 9. his hart also taketh not rest in the night, vvhich also is vanitie. Experience verily teacheth vs, that no kind of life is with­out great care, pensiuenesse and studie. The Craftesman is busie, vnquiet, and alwayes toyling in the exercise of his Arte: The Wise man is commonly seuere and sadde, and a straunger to all pleasure. The bookes of Ethnickes, are full of complaintes, concerning the cares, and labours, which the gouer­nours of the common wealths, sustaine in their Regiment: and there is some controuersie amongst them, whether the wisedome of Themistocles, Demo­stenes, Cic. de ni­uent. lib. 1. Cicero, Cato, and such lyke, haue more hurte, or holpen their Natiue coūtrey. But certaine it is, that in ma­ny Wisdome abused. of them it hath bene an occasion of ruine to themselues: for Solon that wyse Lawier, dyed in banishment: so dyd those famous Captaines, Themi­stocles amongste the Athenians, and Scipio amongste the Romaines.

Achitophell, who in the tyme of Dauid [Page] was accoumpted a verie Wyse man, when he perceyued his counsell to bée, contempned, hee tooke it so déepelye to harte, that he hanged himselfe. Some pleasaunt companion, wyll happelye choppe in and say: Let vs then contemne vvisdome, and follow folly. Not so, let vs rather highly estéeme vvisdome, as a singular good gifte of God: But let vs not repose any trust and confidence in it: for whatsoeuer appertayneth to perfite quietnesse, and true felycitie, is to bee had at Gods hande onelye, as the Prophete teacheth: Let not the vvise man sayeth he, glorie in his vvise­dome, Ierem. 9 &c. Therefore if any man wyll vse Wisedome well: he must ioyne it vnto God, and then it shalbe wholsome and take good successe.

But to returne to myserable man a­gaine. Mans daugerous condiciou set out in some symy­litudes. The holye scripture stayeth not with such discriptions, as not hauing there withall fully comprysed his cala­mytie: but vnto his fraylenesse, addeth his daylye daungers, by meanes of his dreadfull aduersaries, aswell bodily as ghostlie. Be sober and vvatche (sayeth Saint Peter,) For your aduersarye the 1. Pete. 5. [Page] deuyll, as a roaring Lion, vvalketh about seeking whome he may deuoure: whome resist stedfast in the faith. And that try­ed and approued olde souldior Iob. Is Iob. 7. Sic enim vertit Chal­deus Para­phrastes. not mannes lyfe a vvarrefare vppon the earth. (or as the, Septuaginta translate it) a schoole of temptations. Saint Paule also trayning vp his young souldiours the Ephesians in this warrefare: payn­teth out most liuely the assaulting ene­mie, and the surest waye of defence, af­ter this manner. Brethren be strong through the Lorde, and in the power Ephe. 6. of his mighte. Put on the vvhole ar­mour of God, that ye maye be able to stande against the assaultes of the deuill. For vve vvrestle not against flesh, and a­gainst blood: but against principallities, against powers, and against the vvorldly gouernours, the prince of the darknes of thir vvorlde, against spirituall vvicked­nes, vvhich are in the high places. For this cause take vnto you the vvhole ar­mour of God, that ye may be able to re­sist on the euyl daye, and hauing finished all things; stande fast, &c.

These holy men, in such symilytudes, endued to expresse Mannes miserie heere [Page] vpon earth. The feare and terror of a battaile is set out by the Prophete Na­hum in this sorte. O blooddie Cittie the noyse of a whippe, and the noyse of Nah. 3. the mouing, of the wheeles, and the bea­ting of the Horses, and the leaping of the Charrettes. The horsemen lyfteth vp both the brighte sworde, and the glyt­tering Speare, and a multytude is slaine, and the deadde boddies are many, there is no ende of the [...]r Corpses, &c.

As in warrefare al things are sorrow­full and terrible: so is Mannes life, sub­iect to a thousand peryls, by meanes of his mighty & malitious enemy Satan, who being Generall & chiefe Captaine, hath a huge hoast, and many Pety cap­taines, of such puissaunce: that euen one of them is able to vanquishe, and put to flight all mortall menne. But there is yet some difference betwéene the Spy­rituall, and that corporall warrefare.

For in those worldly conflictes and bat­taylles, albeit there be many fearefull aduentures, and present death, be ve­rie often before mennes eyes: yet the souldior is dymissed at the last with his passeport and wages, & returneth to his [Page] owne home, and there enioyeth desired rest and quietnesse. And so it fareth cō ­monly with all other sorts of men, that although theyr calling be full of trouble and calamitie, yet it contineweth not so alwayes with them, for ther taste of swéete and sower togeather: but in this battayl against sathan ther is no peace, no rest, no quietnes, but cōtinual Allar­mers, & daūgerous assaultes, geuen vn­to man, so long as he lyueth heere vpon earth. Now sith the case so standeth, it is no maruayle that so many reuolt frō true Christianitie: and it is more mar­ueylous, that we al doo not fall, & perish amongst so many perylles & daungers: but we should take occasion hereby to be more vigelaunt & carefull, more déepely to consider our selues, more dylligent to meete with the enemie, and more ear­nestly to call vpon God, Happy there­fore are wee, if wee fight manfully, for then wee shall be crowned. The Eth­nickes were wont to saye: Those that vvyll be blessed, must labour: for reue­rende knovvledge lyeth not in a softe bedde. On the other side, those bee vnhappie that suffer them selues to bee [Page] ouercome, that yeelde them selues cap­tiues, and preferre the myseries of this world, before the ioyes of Heauen, that resist not sinne, but followe pleasure, as their guide and soueraigne: and so defy­ing Heauen, make a couenaunt with death and hell, destroye and dampn [...] them selues.

Let vs learne then, that we are not Man is borne to la­bour. Iob. 5 borne to ease and rest, but to labor and trauell: as the holy man Iob sayth. Man is borne to labour, as the byrde is to flye: That we ought to trande in the fielde armed against our enemies, As the A­postle exhorteth: That vve shoulde fight 1. Tim. 1. a good fight, keeping our faith, and a good Conscience. Let vs learne that our lyfe is short, instable, and fléeting, Iob. 7. Esa. 3 S. Psa. 89. being an [...]ccasion to the wicked of eter­nall destrūcison: so that it had bene bet­ter for them neuer to haue bene borne, then to come to that wofull ende, as our sauiour Christ speaketh of Iudas. Let vs learne also, that if we labour & fight with the enemie: God wyll geue vs victorie, and a Crowne of eternall glorie: and though in this conflicte our outwarde man perishe, yet the inwarde 2. Tim. 4. [Page] man is renued daylye, for our lyght af­fliction, 2. Tim. 4. which is but for a moment, causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent, 2. Cor. 4. and an eternall weight of glorie, whyle wee looke not on the thinges which are séene, but vpon the thinges which are not séene: for the things which are séen, are temporall, but the things which are not séene, are eternall. The wilful obstinacy of the world.

But O good Lorde, fewe and small is that number (if at least there be any at all) that pondereth howe shorte and fleeting Mans lyfe is? howe full of my­series? how many and mightie enemies he hath? howe sorrowfull the last daye, shall be to the wicked, and howe ioyfull to the blessed. The promised rewardes in the lyfe to come and heauenly king­dome, doo not styrre vp men to vertue: neyther doeth the feare of endlesse for­mentes staye them from vices. Such an amazed sencelesnesse, hath euen pos­sessed almost all mennes mindes: that albeit they bee compassed and besieged with infinite daungers, and enemies, and haue death hanging euery moment ouer their heads: yet they neuer consi­der, the greatnesse of their daungers, [Page] nor yet thinke of any remedy, whereby this their heauie burden may be mity­gated and cased. But rather [...]yke the wicked Théefe, who hanging vpon the Luke. Crosse, mocked Christe: euen so moste part of men in this frayle lyfe, being in the myddle of death, doo with wicked securitie scoffe at godlinesse, & féeke af­ter filthy pleasure, as though all things were well, and they them selues out of all Conne shotte. They very much resemble those that are taken with the Phransye, who neyther vnderstande the gréeuouse daunger of their discease, neyther regarde the holsome counsayle of Phisicions: euen so blynde and care­lesse men, repute sermons and commu­nications of Gods wrath, of the daye of doome & of endles torments: to be but vaine bugges and no better then olde wiues fables. Hipocrates doeth ac­coumpte it an yll sygne in disceases, if the minde be sicke: and those soores are accoumpted of the Chirurgian moste daungerous, that can féele neyther knife nor Coraziue: euen so that misery and blyndnesse is the greatest: when mans harte is harder then anye flynt [Page] and so without all sence, that he consi­dereth not any perryll or daunger: Let vs then that haue any feare of God, be­fore our eyes, abandon this deathfull dullnesse, farre from vs: let vs vnfould and in partycularites set before our eyes the infinit, immensie, and Despe­rate daungers, wherevnto our lyfe is subiect by meanes of our mighty and most malycious enemy the deuyll and his Petycaptaynes and souldiers: and afterwarde let vs examyne and finde out if we can some heroyecall and no­ble Prince, who wyl be content to ioyn vs in leage and confederacy with him, and receaue vs into his Tutele and protection. Of the first I haue sayd somwhat: before, but (as I sayde) I meane to handle the same in his parts more specially.

EXperience plain­lye No man content with his estate. prooueth, and euery mannes conscience wyll wytnesse vnto him, that this lyfe is most myserable: hauing in it no rest, quietnesse, nor contentation, whyles euerie man is wearie of his condition, and wisheth an exchaunge with his neyghbour. The Prince and mightie man, oppressed with endlesse cares, and subiect to many daungerous downefalles: wisheth himselfe a poore countrey man, who hath commonly a quiet minde, and with healthfull exer­cise of his boddy, getteth his lyuing. They sée oftentymes the highe moun­taine stricken with lyghtnings, and thunderboltes, and the long Ashe tum­bled downe with the great winde: but the lowe valley and lyttle bushe, to re­maine [Page] vntouched. The rytche Mar­chaunt in many perylles vpon the Sea, by meanes of Pyrates, of rockes, flats, & sandes, and in great stormes, almoste sonken in the sourges, wisheth himselfe a poore Coteger vpon the Lande with a smokie house, & a few acres of grounde: and the poore Husbandman, who styll toyleth in the myre, to foster and che­rish his séely familye, is wearie of hus­bandrie: and wisheth for a house in the Cittie, full of costly wares and Mar­chaundise. The honourable Lawier stricken with daungerous sicknesse, ac­coumpteth the Physitions profession most excellent: Againe the Phisition al­wayes wrastling with disseases, and as it were with death it selfe, hauing sigh­ing, groning, and gasping as a common Tune, whether soeuer he is inuited ac­coumpteth the Lawiers lyfe more hap­pie. And to be shorte, euerie one thin­keth anothers condicion better then his owne, and wisheth an exchaunge with his neyghbour. But this vaine opi­nion is discouered by an earnest consi­deration, and collation of one estate with another: whereof one wryteth no [Page] lesse truely, then finely after this man­ner. I knowe right well, that if all men Herodo­tus. woulde laye downe puylikely their pri­uate misfortuoes, to the ende that one of them myghte commute with another: after a lyttle interuewe, of perticular e­states and condicions, euerie man woulde lappe vp his griefe, and recarie it to his house. There are many and great pe­rylles in euerie vocation, be it neuer so Many and great pe­ [...]ua in all vocations. base and poore, neither is there any man so happie that doeth net often wish his last daye at hande, and the holy Ghost by the mouthes of Moyses and Dauid, sayeth: That which is best in mannes Deut. 34. Psal. 90. lyfe, is sorrowe and labour: and Christe himselfe affyrmeth euerie daye, in eue­rie kinde of lyfe, to bring his Afflicti­ons. Math.

And to the ende that Mannes myse­rie and calamitie, maye more euidently shewe forth it selfe: let vs with some dyllygence consider, the thrée vocations or functions of mans lyfe, commonly called Oeconomicall, Cyuile, and Eccle­siasticall: for there is no lyberall man, but hee leadeth his lyfe in one of these thrée Condicions. Fyrst a mans whole [Page] familye is nowe and then neclygent, stubberne, and disobedient, which vn­quieteth the householder: and therevnto is added such a neclygent carelesnesse, and wylfull wasting of the maisters goods, that the householder commeth of­tentimes thereby vnto extréeme pouer­tie.

The Husbande him selfe is often­tymes Of Oeco­nomie, or house­keeping. geuen to prodigallitie, & casting away care of his Wyfe and chyldren, spendeth all the daye in bybbing and iaueling. And comming home very late with a dronken head, and an emptye purse: curseth and sweareth, and driueth his Wyfe & Children out of the doores: and the next morrowe, he happely re­turneth to his olde vomyt, and kéepeth this course vntyll all bee consumed.

The Wyfe séeing her selfe & lytle onss contemned and vnprouided for, begyu­neth to séeke out her gosseppes, and pas­seth the time merely with them, so long as any reliefe commeth: and at the last dryuen to extremeties, shée vyolateth the Mariage bedde, and prostituteth her selfe. The lyttle Chyldren then begge their breade at euery doore? sometyme [Page] fall to picking and stealing, and in the ende come to the gallowes, in the sight of their Parents.

It happeneth also very oftentymes y ^e The sor­rowes of parents. good Parentes, bringe foorth Chyldren verye vnlyke vnto them selues, as wee may sée in Noah and Chame: Dauid and Absolon, Salomon and Rebohame: Nowe what a deadly darte and wounde it is, in the harte of the good and godly Pa­rent, to haue a Chyld degenerate, & one that wylfully rūneth into ruine, before his face, cannot be sufficiently in words declared. Surely after the sence of Gods wrath, there is no greater sor­rowe, then that which Parentes con­ceyue of the dishonestie and destruction of theyr Children. In what agonie was our first parent Adam, when the mur­der Gen. 4. of his sonne Abell by Caine, came vnto his eares? And the Patriarche Iacob susteyned deathfull tormentes, Gen. 34. when hee hearde of the rauishment of his Daughter Dina, and of the blood­shedde done vppon Hamor, Sechonn, and all their Cittie against the leage and confederacie made betwéene them. The vexatiō of Dauid can not be expressed in [Page] the incest of his owne chyldren, Am­non 2. Sa. 13. and Tamar, and in the murder of Amnon by Absolon: fynally in Abso­lons vnnaturall and sauadge rebellyon, and most tragicall and lamentable de­struction. Dauid wéepeth in the death of his obstinate chylde, he resteth not in any place, but running vp and downe, repeateth one sentence twise, or thryse, saying: My sonne Absolon, my sonne Absolon: woulde to God I had dyed for thee, Absolon my sonne, my sonne.

There happen many horrible chaun­ces A lamen­table story. in Oeconomie. As that constant and true reporte of a murder done at Vien­na in Austria: where dwelt a certayne Baker, who had in his house his wyfe, his lyttle daughter, a man seruaunt, a maide seruaunt, and a boye. Nowe this man seruaunt séeing his master to haue some money and plate: was tempted by the deuyll to steale the same. He desired his maisters good wyll to depart: who was also vnwylling to retaine an vn­wylling seruaunt, and geueth him his good wyll to goe awaye. The fellowe within short space after in a darke eue­ning, returning priuely, créepeth into [Page] his maisters house: and knowing all corners perfectlie, hydeth him selfe: and at mydnight hee commeth out of his denne, and murdreth the husbande and wife, boye and maide, as they were fast a sléepe in their beddes: and afterwarde commeth to a Trouckle bedde, where the Bakers lytle daughter lay waking nigh vnto her Parents: who séeing him approche vnto her with his blooddye handes, sayde thus. Ah good Barthel­mew sley mee not, and I wyll geue thee all my babes and puppettes: But the Homecide spared her not: Who being afterward apprehended & put vpon the whéele. In all his tormentes confessed Georg. Maiot in postill. that nothing dyd so much afflycte him, as the lytle chyldes lamentation, which in the myddle of death dyd sounde in his eares most grieuously, pricking & styn­ging his harte and conscience.

Stories are plentifull, in recyting such pittyfull examples: but amongst al Grafton in parte. 6. polid. lib. 1. Ferrex. porrex. others there is none more lamentable then that of Forrex and Porrex sonnes of Gorbedug, wherof mencion is made in our owne Chronicles. For after the death of their Father, the yonger slewe [Page] the elder in the fielde: and Videna their Videna. Mother mourdered her sonne that sur­uiued, in the night season as he laye in his bedde, and with the helpe, of her women most cruelly without all Mo­therly pitty cutte his carkes in péeces: and lastly Videna (as sume suppose) was murdered of her owne people. Which story, is set out in a Tragedy The trage­dye Gorbedug. named Gorbedug, excelently pēned by two learned Gentlemen in our English toung: would to God the Morrall therof most méete for the present state of our Countrey, were wel marked and consi­dered in these days.

There are also many other myseries and calamityes which make this dom­sticall regement or housekeping more difficiall as the dayly and incurable dis­seaces that vexe the husbande, the wife, their chyldren and seruants dissention betwéene them: breath of faith and pol­lution of the mariage bedde, which is not the leaste crosse in Famelies and householdes. Wherevnto may be ad­ded daungers, by meanes of fyre and water, an vtter waste & spoyle of corne & pasture, the froward and ouerth wart [Page] nature of malitious neighbours, and wasting seruaunts, with other infinite such sorrowes, which euerie daye brin­geth vpon vs.

Nowe if we cast our eyes vpon the Petryls and mise­ris in ciuill regement. ciuile Magistrate, we shal sée that estate euen oppressed with infinite troubles & vexations. For what are Honours and Authorities, but heauie burdens? wher­vnto when many are aduaunced, they haue a desperate downefall. Whereby Demostenes was moued to name pub­lique Demoste­nes. Regiment, A madde Dogge: and constantly affirmed, That if there vvere two vvayes offered him, the one leading to great honour in the common wealth, the other directlie to death, he vvould: rather chuse the vvaye to death: because he had learned by long experience, the Cares and thoughtes, togeather vvith the enuie and malice, vvhich men in auctho­ritie can not auoyde, to be intollerable and inuitable. And Herodotus sayth: Herodotus. A kingdom is a perillous thing, and yet many desire it: there hath neuer bene yet any man, nor shalbe vnto vvhom heapes of euylles are not conioyned immediatly after his byrth: Yee the greatest estates [Page] are incombred vvith the greatest euyls. The estate of the Ma­gistrate more cum­betsome then that of the subiect. The meane subiect enioyeth more qui­etnesse & hartes ease, then their Lordes, and sléepe soundlye in their pleasaunt beddes: whyles their Lordes: passe the long nightes with open eyes in consu­ming cares and thoughts. Which mo­ued Xenophon to saye. Peace is an espe­ciall Xenophon in Hierone. blessing, but the least part thereof, redoundeth to Kinges: and vvarre is a great curse, vvhereof Kings are the grea­test partakers. And to the ende that sub­iectes maye lyue in quiet rest, the good Magistrate susteineth many long iour­neyes, daungerous conferences, and chargeable Ambassageons. Let vs therefore loue and blesse the Magistrat, with tongue & hart, vnto whose power and dignitie there are ioyned so many peryls and daungers.

We maye adde vnto the premisses greater inconueuiences which maye, and offer doo aryse by emulation & en­uie, amongst men in great aucthoritie: as happened betwéene Darius and Cy­rus, Sylla and Marius, Pompei and Cae­sar. It commeth to passe also nowe and then that among thyrtie or fortie [Page] Colleges in administration of y ^e cōmon wealth: there are scarce two, that are lynked together in perfite friendshyp, & respect the publique profit. And some­tyme those carie the chiefe swinge, that saye and do all things after their owne selfe wyll and luste, not admytting any mans counsayle: and if any of a good meaning dissent from them, they either banish them, or destroye them. Alex­ander the great when he was dronke, murdred Clitus, that had deserued verie well of the whole Empyre, because hee dealt with him plainely and faithfully. Caligula and Domitianus Nero execu­ted many noble and verteous counsay­lers: and so dyd Caracalla, and amongst others that famous & vpright Lawier Rapinianus, because he woulde not ex­cuse Parricyde.

Moreouer, we maye sée oftentimes, Children murder their pa­rents and Parents their chyl­dren for dominion. that which is more lamentable: howe many Parentes destroye theyr Chyl­dren, & many Children their Parentes, through ambicious desyre of a King­dome: and for the same cause the bro­ther to sley the brother. Adonius was wont to saye: That to obtaine a king­dome, [Page] be vvould burne his owne Cittie, his father and mother. Whereof Xeno­phon wryteth notably after, this man­ner. Xenophon in Hicrone. The amitie and friendshippe that is betweene the Parent and the Childe, the brother and brother, the husbande and vvife is most: constant and faithfull. And if vve vvyll consider the matter dylly­gently, vve shall finde the same fast and firme, betweene priuate persons, but wa­uering and vnconstaunt, amongst those that be in rule and aucthority: vvhyles many Princes haue murdred their natu­rall sonnes: and againe, many haue beene murdred of their sonnes, the brother to haue destroyed the brother, and the wife her husband. And finally many haue op­pressed theyr fellowes and companions vnto whom they shewed a friendly face and countenaunce.

Histories of all tymes doo testify these thinges with great store of examples: Solymāne the twelfth Turkish Empe­ror, Examples who besieged Vienna, An. Do. 1529. and gaue theyr 21. terryble assaultes: murdred his sonne Mustapha, suspected to aspyre vnto the Empyre. And Selym father to Solymanne poisoned his father [Page] and so obtained y ^e Empire. An. Do. 1512. The two Brethren Polynices and Eto­cles slewe one another, in that warre which themselues moued for dominion and rule. Antonius Bassianus Caracalla, murdred his Brother Geta, hanging a­bout his mother Iullo her necke crying. Helpe, helpe, mother for I dye the death. And the mother was not onely sprink­led with her sōnes blood, but also recea­ued a wounde in her hande. Domitian also poysoned his brother Titus Vespa­sianus, that notable & valiant Captaine. Iulius Caesar perished with the daggers of Cassius and Brutus, whome hee had aduaunced to great aucthoritie, and ac­coumpted his faythfull friends. Wher­by this Epitaph was afterward ingra­ued on his Toumbe. Haue I therefore Caesars Epitaph. preserued them, to destroy mee? And Moses the sixt Turkish Emperour slew Orcanes his brothers sonne, and so set the Crowne vpon his owne head.

And to come to our owne Realme, Examples of our own countrey. letting therein passe both Bryttons, Daines, and Saxons: we maye finde therein many myserable and Tragical examples. For Wylliam Rufus the se­conde [Page] King of Englande after the Con­quest, eyther by mallice or mysaduen­ture, was slaine in the new Forest, as he was hunting, by Walter Tyrrell, with the shotte of an Arrowe. Robert Duke of Normandie, eldest sonne to Wylliam Conqueror, depriued of his inheritaunce of Englande, by the sayde Wylliam Rufus his seconde Brother, and after by Henrie his youngest Bro­ther hauinge both his eyes put out, myserablye imprisonned in Cardlyffe Castell where he dyed. Lykewyse the most lamentable case of Wylliam, Ry­charde, and Marie, chyldren of the sayde Henrie drowned vpon the Sea. And king Richarde the first, slaine at a qua­rell in his chiefe prosperitie. Also king Iohn his brother, as some saye poyso­ned: besydes these the cruell murder of Edwarde, and Richarde, the sonnes of Edwarde the fourth, by their owne Unckle, Richarde Duke of Glocester: was most monstrous and vnnaturall, whereby we maye sée that no Nation, nor kingdom wanteth r [...]wfull and tra­gicall examples.

Last of all looke vpon the Ecclesiasti­call [Page] regiment, and state of the Church, & you shal finde therin also so many great The eccle­siasticall estate in­coumbred with flouds of troubles. and gréeuous inconueniences betwéene the shepheard & the shéepe: that you can­not tell which waye to turne you. And fyrst to speake of the Pastors: we see and heare of many; that ignorauntly or maliciously corrupt the doctrine of the essence and vvyll of the lyuing God, of sinne, of the lawe, of grace, of good wor­kes, Pastours paruerting Christs flocke. of repentaunce, of inuocation of the true vse of Sacraments, of Christiā lybertie, of mariage, of Magistrates, &c. Such Pastors and Shepheardes, haue bene alwayes since Cains tyme, euen to this our age. Such are called of Christ theeues and murderers, who with John. 10. their false doctrine, do not onely steale the hartes of the hearers, and drawe them from the lyuing God, with their subtyle practises, as Absolon dyd the 2. Sam. 15. people from his Father: but they mur­der also the soules of their hearers, and throwe them into euerlasting destru­ction. That monster Arius, who pow­red out his bowelles when he sate at the stole, reuiueth againe in Hungarie, and Polonie. And besides many theeues [Page] of the soule, which Italey bréedeth, be­ing as it were another. Africk in these kinde of monsters, the scholers of Mar­tion are most plentifull who with the Saduces deny the immortalyty of the soule, and the resurrection of the flesh. In Italye, Germany, Fraunce, Spayne, & west India, there are great swarmes and droues of a new and straunge kind of cattell vnknowen to our forefathers the Mounkyshe lesuites: or rather to tearme them truly the Esauits, who weery of the honorable name of Chri­stians tremble not to commyt blasphe­my, and spirituall robbery, in assuming that to them which is proper to Iesus, only to vvitte, to be a Sauiour. In this our countrey the Annabaptists and fel­lowshippe of loue begunne to graffe & plant: but Gods name be praysed ther­fore by the dylligence of the minysters and magistrates: they were suppressed euen in the greene hear be, and not suf­fered to take anye déepe roote. And­if there be any fantours eyther of Ser­uetus or of Arius as they are not of our countrey, so they doo not communicate with our Church.

Neue thelesse, there are founde a­mongit those that reioyce in the name of a Minister, who with Theons tooth, byte & gnawe their mother the Church most cruelly, & thinke it a glorious thing to be notable either in singular deuises, Ministers singuler in opinions. or in opposing them selues, eyther a­gainst honest personnes, or in carping decent and comely orders. There are othersome, who in their sermons seeke to satisfye mennes carnall affection, ey­ther for glorie or lucre, and depende vp­pon the lyking of the mutable people: these men respecte not Christes glory, but their owne, not the profite of the Church, but their owne priuate gaine: and speake pleasaunt things in the pul pitte, to feede them at whose handes they looke for preferment, and for their pleasures, inueigh against vertues and godly men: whereby they doo not onely deceyue them selues, but many others. For such kinde of men deceyue, and are deceyued, that rest vpon the fauour of the vulgar. Demostenes was wont to complaine of such kinde of Orators: Consider I pray you (sayeth he) how the whole cōmon wealth inclyneth to decay [Page] and ruine, by meanes of certaine Ora­tors, Demo­stenes. who frame their speach to the plea­sing of the people. And as Herodotus Herodotus. was wont to saye of his countreymen: That they were contemners of auncient good thinges, and altogether newfang­led.

Againe there are many ambicious Ambicious and proud myniuets. and arrogaunt, pufte vp in their owne conceyte, contentions: of whome that which Agamemnon vsed of the prophet Calcantes maye be vttered: That they are an ambicious sorte of Prophetes, in whome there raigneth as it were, a newe fangled nature, a curious head, who re­iect sounde and true phrases, and bring in their owne. These men blinded with selfloue of them selues, and thinking more then inough of their owne wise­dome & learning, aduaunce themselues, and dispise others. They sigh and grone and beate the Pulpytte, and boast their care and dylligence, in watching ouer Christes flocke, and their successe in wynning of the people. And yet they neither haue any great wytte, nor lear­ning, and if they laye aside their soleme and sage pace and countenaunce, they [Page] become as bare as a mans nayle. O­thersome againe, are bytter and seuere in all theyr doinges, mindfull of offen­ces: hauing no cromme of humanitie, and compassion: which Saint Paule re­quyreth in Teachers, by whose extreme dealinges, many are driuen from Ser­mons and Sacraments.

Besides these, there are others, ty­merous Tymerous and fearful pastours. and fearefull aboue measure, domme dogges, who for feare of migh­tie men, holde theyr peace, and wincke at many heynous offences. Of whome that verse of Homere, spoken by Achil­les in despyte of Agamemnon maye be pronounced. O good man laden with wine, hauing the eyes of a Dogge, and stomacke of a Harte. In the which verse three faultes are noated. The first is belly cheere or pleasure. The seconde is impudencie in boasting and prouocati­ons. The thyrde is cowardlynesse in defending and resisting. There are o­thers that are impatient of labour, that wyll take no paines at all for the profit of Christes Churche, that care not for the pasture of theyr sheepe, so that theyr owne panches be stuffed full. There are [Page] also some that are prophane, and vniust that impayre and discredite theyr cal­ling and profession, with their filthye lyfe and condicions: and make theyr Auditorie, thereby doubte of theyr doc­trine.

Finally amongst the wicked Pastors, those are not the least, that knowe lytle or nothing them selues, and lesse regar­ding the commodities that issew into common wealthes and families: do con­temne Ignorount pastours. ad hatets of learning scholes and Uniuersities, being the fountaines of all nurture & ciuility. They inueigh and speake against the knowledge of tongues, & artes: Wher­by the honour and estimation of good learning decreaseth, and rude and rusti­call Pastors dayly increase. The num­ber of such Pastors spoken of before, is much more, then of the sincere and god­ly sorte, who according to Hippocrates oath, doo keepe their calling chastly and holylie: Whereof I coulde cyte infinite examples, for dayly experience letteth vs see of the woorser race, moo then we would, to our great griefe and dyscom­fort.

I myght in a particuler rehersall of [Page] sundry heresies, she we that ignoraunce was their mother and nourse. But I Ignorance the mother of errour. onely desire the Christian reader to consider the o [...]easion of that great dark­nesse which obscured the Church shortly after Constantinus Magnus tyme: to haue béene, the Barbarus mallyce of Goats and Vandals, who in their con­quests destroyed al houses of learning, and consumed with fyre their Lybra­ries. Which things doone: those two monsters, the Turke, and Pope, be­gonne to shoote foorth their many heads of heresies. And as ignoraunce in the beginning bredde them, so hath it fedde them, from tyme to tyme. In so much that a man of greate name and tredyt amongst the Papists pronounced con­sidently in a moste honorable and noble assembly that Ignoraunce is the mother of deuocion, whiche position is a [...] ­coumpted of them a chéefe grounde and principalle of their religion euen vnto this daye. And the whole rable of Ana­baptists, whether they be of the Famely of their filthy loue, or of their deluding spirit (for they also are sundred into di­uerse opinions) & protedeth of ignorance [Page] and contempt of good learning.

And as vnlearned Pastours bréede these euylles in the Church, so are they the occasion of manifolde mischiefes in Ignorance the cause of much mi [...] ­cheefe in the com­mon welth. the common wealth. For where vnto can wee impute the sundrie rebellions within this our Region and countrey, in our owne memorie, but onely to the blinde and malicious ignoraunce, of po­pish Priestes. And if any man peruse our owne Chronicles, he shal finde, that in the dayes of king Richard the second: that dreadefull rebellyon in Kent and Esser, where one hundred thousande men at the least were gathered togea­ther, was chiefly by the meanes of an eloquent, but an ignoraunt Priest, na­med Iohn VVall, in the which commo­tion: diuerse outragies were committed by that rude company, against the lear­ned Clergie, Nobilitie, and Commo­naltie: and the King him selfe was con­strained to tollerate many dispytefull spéeches, of those two villaines, Watte Tyler, and Iacke Strawe: and with great diffycultie, escaped the violent hands of the barbarous multitude. And if any man lyst to haue an example of a [Page] manpleaser and flattering Prelate: let him reade the historie of Doctor Shaa, who to serue the huntor of King Ri­charde the thirde: abashed not in his The shamefull end: of flattering preachers. sermon at Paules Crosse, in the presence of that Tyraunt, to commende him for a verie noble Prince, and an espetiall paterne of knightly Prowesse: and on the other syde, defaced that noble king Edwarde the fowrth, & his two sonnes, with shamefull and cursed bastardie: Suche menpleasers and seruers of the tyme, are hurtfull, both to the common wealth, and church of God: but yet those barborus and ignoraunt enemyes of good learning, are much more daunge­rous Doctor. [...]. and pernicious: For the former sort annoy but a fewe, and that in the present time, and commonly their althy [...] Pynke. flattery espied, purchaseth nothing but shame and hatered in the worlde: [...] it is euidently by the examples of Doctor polidorus. lib. 25. et [...]raston. 9. in vita. Edvvard. quinti. Shaa, and Frear Pinke: For this man in his flatteryng sermon, lost his voyes and was fayne to [...]ume downe, in the myddle of his matter. And the other af­ter his sermon gatte him home and durst neuer after looke out for shame, [Page] but kept him out of sight us an Dwell: and his owne Conscience, did so vere him that within fewe dayes after, hée withered and consumed away. But the ministers that are both vnlearned them selues, & detest learning, are common­ly the onely or chéefe occasion of beastly barbarousnesse: Whereof there sprin­geth confussion of lawes in the common wealth, and in the Churche of God ig­noraunce of true relygion, with [...]ar­mes of straunge & hereticall opinions: which are hardly in many yeares after quenched and extinguished: with the great learning and labour of the godly Preacher and cyuile [...]agistrate.

Nows let vs come vnto the peruerse Corrupt and carnal hearers of the gospell. hearers, and learners of Gods worde, from whome there yssueth many myse­ries, and calamities into the Church of God: as dayly experience, and the Histo­ries of all tymes doo declare. But it is to be obserued that hearers are of two fortes, to wyt, the man of might, and the meane or simple man. These greate Corrupt hearers of two sorts. worldlinges can not awaye with long sermons, especially such as reprehende vice and manners: they woulde haue [Page] pleasant and straunge doctrine delyue­red onely: but if their faultes bée tould them, and they exhorted to amend their lyues, they fret and fume against the Preacher, yea and agaynst God him­selfe. And if power doo serue them to their wyll, they eyther banish such god­lie Preachers, or imprison them, or kyl them. Decius the Emperour, cruelly murdered those godlye Ministers and Bishoppes of Christes church: Fabianus of Rome, Alexander of Ierusalem, and Babilas of Antioche. Herode kylled Iohn Baptiste, reprehending his adul­terous incest out of Gods worde. So dealt Nero with Saint Paul. Apryes with Hieremy. Mannasses with Iesa: and so vpwarde vnto Caine, who slewe his owne brother Abel, because he was so dearely beloued of God.

Amongst this route there are many The faults of some men of might. Churchrobbers, who eyther by force or fraude, doo hale and pull vnto them the goodes of the Churche, vsing some colerable shew, and pretence of good in­tent and meaning. Which when they haue once seasoned vpon: they spende and waste in bellye chéere, in costly ap­parell, [Page] in sumptuous building: and in all ryotte and prodigallitie mayntaine, faukenners, horsekéepers, and dogge­dryuers, with the porcion due to lear­ned Pastors and Preachers: and con­tent them selues with simple syr Iohn, that will gladly kéepe their gardens for meate and drinke, and a blewe or redde cloake. These men are not carefull for the instruction of theyr people: But ty­rannically, doo drawe theyr Tenaunts chyldren from learning, & honest artes, vnto the which they are commonly wel bent and inclyned, to druggerie, and sla­uerie workes. For such men had rather haue roysters then Scholers, clownes then Coūsellors, kéepers of brute beasts then of reasonable men.

These peruerse and Godlesse man­ners of wicked worldlinges are imita­ted, and practised of wealthie men, in many Townes Corporate, where the whole fellowshippe of the corporation is mayntained with Ecclesiasticall ly­uings: for commonly no other receytes haue they. And if happily the lyuing be woorth yéerely two hūdred Marks, they alotte out for theyr Preacher twentie [Page] pounde, for their Curate tenne pounde, and for theyr Scolemaster ten pounde. The residue is bestowed by the discre­tion of maister Stewarde, or maister Receyuer vppon theyr Guylde hawsse, theyr counsell chamber, Counter, and in theyr Sergiaunts wages: Of the which great disorders, I writte something in my discourse of the Conscience, & pro­cured displeasure of those men, whose soores I endeuored to cure & heale. My faulte was blame worthy for y ^• I laun­ced not the impostume déepe enough: But if God graunt mée lyfe and health, I shall shortly amende that error, in my seconde parte of the Christian Manuell. Presentlye my purpose is onely to put all good men in minde of the great my­series and calamities, that arise by such polling and pylling of Ecclesiasticall ly­uings, whereby Borrowes and Corpo­rations are enriched, & the poore church of Christ dayly impouerished.

Many of the inferior or meaner sorte of hearers, not being able to take away the stypendes, and lyuings due to the Mynisters: doo yet many other wayes Peruerse hearers in the inferior sorte. molest and vnquiet their Pastors. For [Page] when they should repayre to the Tiple vppon the Sabboth dayes to heare ser­mons, and be partakers of sacraments: they walke abroade into the fieldes, or into some other place to prouide for tē ­porall and worldly thinges: or else doo conteine them selues at home, occu­pyed in ydle sportes and pastimes. For they wyll not stycke to saye, that they can sowe, and plowe their grounde, know their reuell daies, and lyue under lawes in the common wealth, without hearing any Preacher. And if for good order and confirmitie sake, it happen they come to the Churche, and make vp a number amongst the rest, and heare sermons: yet they applie them not to edification, they amende not their wic­ked manners, accusations, reprehentions, institutions and consolations.

Many also absent them selues, a yéere Contemp­nets of sa­cramentes and con­g [...]gatiōs. two or thrée, yea, sometimes whole ten yeares from the Lordes supper: they re­leeue not the Ministerie, nor helpe the poore. But commonlie if graue and whyteheadde Fathers, or seelie young children do begge but a morsel of bread, [Page] it is lamentable to heare with what reprochefull woordes they driue them awaye from their doores. Some there be amongst a great number, who loue Mynisters, but such as are good felowes and companions: espetially they are delighted with those that impudentlie inueigh againste men in aucthoritie, whome the inferiours commonlie hate and abhorre. And the Preaching or ra­ther rude rayling of these, the vulgar embrace, and receyue as Oracles: for men gladly heare such things as tyckle and delight their appetite and affection. But such Preachers as are neither po­puler in speache, nor delighted with roysting company, and iolly cheare, al­beit they deliuer soundly and conueni­entlie the Lawe and Gospell, vnto their flocke: yet they make no more accompt of them, then of a common shephearde: and amongst their Alepottes, they vtter all scoffes and by words against them.

Thus you maye beholde what a Sea A more particuler considera [...]ion of mannes miseries. of many mischiefes, doeth inuade, and as it were, ouerflow these three estates and callings in humaine societie. And yet if you wyll againe examine more [Page] perticularlie, euerie singular mans mi­serie and daūger: this yoake wyll seeme more intollerable. Wherof there and many testimonies in the holy scriptural. There are some that meeting a man, do she [...] him outwardlie a louingled unte­naunte, salute him, yea [...] imbrace him but in such lesture was [...] decey­ued, 2. Sam. 20. Luke. 22. and inurbred by [...] and Christ our Lorde & maister, was trayterouslie deliuered by Iudas into the handes of his enemies. Wee are desirous some­time to walke into the fieldes with our friendes: but godlie [...] hell was that waye also circumuented, & slains of his [...] and onelie brother C [...]ine. Some [...] Gene. 4. men are inuited to a delicate feath; and by that color Absolon [...] and 2. Sam. 3. killed his brother Ammon. What should I speake of the sayde: Amm [...]; who fained him selfe sicke, and euen inforced his naturall syster Tha [...], when shee taine to visite him. If a man settle himself 2. Sam. 13. to marie, he may happelie finde such a Father in law as Iacob did of Laban, or as Dauid of Saul: and such a Wife as Gen. 30. 1. Sam. 18. Potiphar of Egipt, or as blessed Ioh had: Againe, if single lyfe lyke a man better; [Page] he maye he assaulted as was Ioseph and [...] or with his nyce admiration of single lyfe: wall [...] in wandring luste, and at last breake out into dete­steble actes, with the heretique Martyonns who presinding chastitie abused a Dyacon, Imbr [...]se house he laye [...]p [...]s; Epipha­mus. and [...]āue awaye with hi [...] hostesse: Nowe [...]a man bee without chyldren, what comfort hath he, [...] must haue his goodes to straungeres if hee haue thyldr [...], heanaye [...]fe are the vera­tion & vnquiet lyfe of Noah, Iacob, Holy, Dauid. And to be shoote, whether a man be [...]itche or poore; publique or priuate, owe or young, master or man, and [...] affaires with other men, he shall finde that prouen he verie true. One man [...] to another. But happelie some man wyll sequester him selfe from all mennes company, and lyue an He [...]mite or Monkish lyfe, what then? euen such a one wanteth not infinite perylles. For if he inclosse him selfe within his house, one pinne loseth, and the maine postes flypping out of their ioynt, the whole buylding falleth vpon his head. Moreo­uer, a spyder falling out of his webbe, [Page] into the pottage, wherein his meate boyleth: or a lyttle vimolsome water, or finallie, one leafe of an hearbe, eyther poysonous of it selfe, or some vene­mous woorme, dod oftentimes bring destruction. If againe, it lyketh him to walke abroade, euerie lyttle stone, & euerie Tr̄ee threaten him death: in daū ­ger euerie where of falling, of Snakes, of Hornets, yea of lyttle [...]ees: which do molest him: and lastlie, alwayes suc­king the winde and ayre, which if they be corrupte, do [...] by and by kyll him.

But let him beē without daunger of all these, what shall wee saye of that lumpe of fleshe, whereof his body con­sisteth: which hauing many partes, hath so many singular disseases, ac­coumpted of the Phisitions to be three hundred. The eye is but a lyttle por­tion, and yet the Phisitions name twē ­tie and fowre sorts of Malladies, which vexe and encomber the same. Consider then the disseases which greater partes of the bodie are subiecte vnto. We may not forgette in the meane tyme, the in­ternall vexations of the minde: howe often and commonly without cause, we [Page] are vnquieted with feare, pensiuenesse, and such lyke peruerse affections, which doo euen weare awaye, and consume vs. Howe often ddeth our owne con­science, accuse and vnquiet vs: (as I haue largelie declared in the Treatye thereof) tormenting vs daye and nyght. And finallie, the subtyle and sinne­full suggestions of the deuyll, and wicked men, who lyke raging furies molest vs, not suf­fering vs to pause­or take any rest.

THe holie ghost in many places of the scripture, painteth out in collors, the breeder & author of these manifolde myseries and calamities: with many Metaphores, and similytudes, out of which plentiful storie: I wyll selecte three or fowre on­lie at this tyme, which if we consider dillygentlie as they deserue, the reste wyll offer them selues plainlie, & plea­sauntlie vnto vs. And first I accoumpt The diuyll resembled to a strong souldiour. it worthy to be obserued, that this Au­thor of all euyll, who is Sathan the de­uyll, the accuser and murderer of man­kinde from the beginning: is named by our sauiour Iesus Christe, A strong ar­med Souldiour, who neuer vnarmeth Luk. 11. himselfe, neither day nor night: patient [Page] of labour, aduenturous, cunning in feates of warre, most couragious in charges & assaults. Yea, he somtime dis­guiseth, & transformeth himselfe, into y ^e shape of a friende: and gestwise ioyneth himself vnto mens feasts and banquets, and especially of noble men & preachers, amongste whome for tryfling matters often times he casteth a bone, and as the prouerbe is, An apple of contencions, and styreth vp mortal warres, and dis­cention in Churches, Cōmon wealthes, and Familyes: he soweth debate, be­twéene those that shoulde liue in peace & vnitie: This practise he vsed, to breake the knotte of Christian charitie, be­tweene Paule and Barnabas: and his mallice tooke effecte in Tertullian and Aquila, for the one through the vncur­tesie of the Priestes at Rome: fell into the he resie of Montane: the other being earnestlie, and often requyred by the Primatiue Churche, to geue ouer su­persticious obseruations of Astrologie, and casting of figures, and for his con­tempt excommunicated: reueged the Christian fayth, and became a Iewish Epiphanius Proselyte. And suche enimitie was [Page] sowen betweene king Saule and Dauid. after the ouerthrowe of the Gyaunte Golyathe, when the people at their re­turne home, gaue out songs of prayses, & gratulation, saying: Saule hath slaio [...] his thousand, and Dauid his tenne thou­sande, and he sayd. They haue aseribed 1. Reg. 18. to Dauid tenne thousand, and time but a thousand: and what can he more haue, saue the kingdome? wherfore Saule had an eye to Dauid, from that day for war [...].

The lyke discention arose, betweene King Richarde the fyrst, and Leopolld Archduke of Austria, in their expiditi­on to warde the holie lande. For whe [...] one of the Dukes Knights, had aduan­ced The dyuell breaketh friendshipe betweene saythfull friendes. his maisters Banner first: in the scaling and taking, and that strong and famous Citie Acon, in Phaemicia, some time named Ptolomais: King Richarde caused it to be throwne downs, and in the same place set vp, his owne Aunci­ent. Afterwarde, when the king in his returne, was driuen by tempestu­ous weather vppon the coastes of Au­stria, he was there taken prysoner by the Duke, and was solde to the Empe­rour for thrée score thousande Markes. [Page] And whollysse maye in the examples of our owne age, sée the ruine almost of a whole state, by meanes of smaller occa­sions. For I haue hearde some of ho­nour, wisedome, and great godlynesse affirme: that arrogaunt and proude women, contending onely for the vp­perhande, bredde such enuie, betwéene their noble Husbandes, that the same coulde not bee appeased without the price of their owne bloods, and after­warde ensewed the death of a vertuous Prince, being a Phaenix of the worlde, and the vtter exyle, of sincere and true Religion.

This fearce and cruell souldiar be­siegeth The deuyll besiegeth the stron­gest fortes & valiaunt Captayns. the strongest fortes and castels: For hee dyd not shrinke to assault that fortresse, in the which our first Parents were placed in the beginning: and tooke the same not so much by sorte as fraud: which thing being done, he depryued them not onely of that blessed place, but of all their goods, and ledde them captiue out of that most pleasant Gar­den into the wide world, repleate with Gods curse and malediction: what should we say of that boulde and pre­sumptuous [Page] aduenture of his, in geuinge three desperate charges and onsets in the wyldernesse vpon his most mighty Lord and creatour euen Iesus Christ, the sonne of God our sauiour and re­déemer [...], where he tempted him with hunger, ambicion and manifest Id [...]la­latry. If he feared not such strong Cap­taynes so carefull and vigyle [...]: let vs vs be assured that he wyll not spare vs, so weake; carelesse, and neglygent in our vocation, and charge [...] and that hée wyll not awaye, vntyll he haue eyther by open might, or priuy vnde [...]uinyng blowne vs vp, with our fore and castel. Xenophon writeth that great Babilon, was taken on the holy daye when the [...] sac­king of Babilon. Cittizens wallowed in surfetting and drunkennesse: and euen so the deuyll dealeth most commonly with mankind and oppresseth them in their security. For when the wicked shall saye peace and quietnesse, Then shall a sudden de­struction 1. Thes. 5. fall vppon them.

And if he happen somtime to sustayn The deuyll counterfea­teth a re­tyre. a repulse and to counterfeyte a run­ning away: yet he eyther returneth in short space more fearcely then before: [Page] or else in his counterfeyte flyght, lay­eth subtell snares to catch & intrap his purseuer: much like the Parthians, who [...]lucarchus. fayning to retyre: doo euen in their fleyght, most annoy their enemy with their arrowes, so cunning and nym­ble they are on horsbacke, to shoote bac­warde at the face of their enemyes: E­uen so this crafty deuell dealeth. For hauing long and many wayes, assayde to make man yéelde vnto him, with the delectatins and pleasures of the flesh: and not able to preuayle that way: he maketh a shewe of rasing his séege, and running awaye: but euen then in his fayned flyght, he shooteth backe the ar­rowes [...]eruh. in psal. 9. of Selfeloue into Mannes breast: which Saint Barnarde aptlie nameth the Cockatrices eye: with the verie a­specte Selectloue a Cocka­trices eye. and sight whereof mans corupt nature hath bene wounded, and infected from the beginning. For no soner haue wee resisted vices, but straight waye wee are puffed vppe, with a vaine con­ceyte, and opinion of our owne holy­nesse, and with the proude Pharisée, condempne others, and iustisse our selues. What a fearefull ennemie is [Page] this then that so subtilly can make ver­tues, occasions of vices: so that one of the Fathers had good cause to say. That Ambrosius. all other vices haue place in euyll deedes: but onlie pride hath some power in good deedes.

Moreouer this souldior hauing a re­pulse, or two one waye, approueth ano­nother, The Diuill hath infinit polliced. and if the boweor byll wyll not serue: then fetcheth he out his other artyllerie, whereof he hath plentifull and great store: and for a shorte space withdraweth himselfe as wearie of the besiedge: But loe, He fetcheth seuen o­ther Luk. 11. spyrites worse then himselfe (and they making a breache) enter in there: and the ende of that man is worse then the beginning. That is to say, if auarice be ouerthe [...]tone, lecherie aryseth: if a man suppresse that, ambicion foloweth, if ambicion bee troden downe, anger vexeth, pride puffeth vp, wine allureth. So that the deuyll cōmeth againe with many fellowes: whome mans nature of it selfe can not possiblye withstande and resist. We sée no tyme then left for vs to spend in ydlenesse and filthy plea­sure: which thing whyles many haue [Page] wholly embraced, and followed the de­nyll, hath soddainly in their securitie, come in vpon them, & deuowred them, as daylye experience, and the fearefull example of Caine, Saule, and Ludas doo declare, whereof I shall speake more amply in their proper place.

Secondly the holy ghost calleth this The deuill ce [...]empled [...] hunter. Psal. 91. lere. 6. Ezech. 32. Author of so many Euells, a Hunter: who hath good skyll, and perfit know­ledge in all tongues: and hath not vsed the trade of huntyng, twenty or one hundred yeares: but euen from the be­gynning of the worlde, and his age is not in the declining estate, but yet fresh & gréene, he watcheth for his game both daye and night: he keepeth good dogges, and bloodhoundes, that wyll exactly fol­lowe the trace and foote of the game: If he finde out any great game, he fol­loweth such at an ynche, euen through the most hard and diffycult places: ney­ther wyl he rest, before hetyre and we­ry them and so he eyther kylleth them with his dogges, or snareth them in his nettes. And if any be so strong that they breake the netts he pursueth them with his Crossobome and Giume, and so [Page] one waye or other maketh an ende of them. He is not thought to be a good huntseman sayth Plato, which cannot plato in Liside. dessemble his purpose, or that putteth vp the game before all thinges be rea­dy. But this strong Hunter the Deuyll is very wary in his doinges, and com­passeth the whole woode about, before he cast of his hounds: Xenophon in his Booke of hunting, sheweth that there are diuerse wayes and meanes to catch great Beastes: whereof one in my o­pinion is especiallie to be obserued and noted. Hunters (sayth he) take Lyons, Pauthers, Beares, and other great beasts, with baites of poyson. You wyll aske howe verelie they mingle poyson, with that meate. wherewithall they knowe the Beast is delighted: and they laye the same eyther by the water syde, or else in some suche places, whether they knowe the Beastes vse to frequent and haunt. And sometyme the Hunter set­teth wine and venerie in such places, wherewithall the wylde Boore, yea and the Lyharde, who with her swyftnesse escapeth the chase of Dogges, is moste easilie taken. The lyke traines are vsed [Page] of the infernall hunter being an obso­lute craftesman in such sleyghtes.

[...] For with these practises, he intangled Examples and tooke for a tyme, the eyght prea­cher of righteousnesse Noha, with that good father other wise called Loth: And with lyke policie he snared that famous Captaine of the Thebans, Pausanias. who as it is thought was present at the battayle of Thermopylis: where a small bande of men, not aboue three thoussand Gretians (some accoumpt but three hun­dred) through commoditie of the places, withstoode the great and mightie army of Xerxes, and slewe twentie thousande in the place: albeit they also fell with the rest. Neyther doo we reade of the lyke conflyct, in any history, except that but of the Heluetians by Basil in y ^e time of the Counsayle there: when tyme the peucerus lib. 5. chro. Simlerus de repub helue uptum. Pope Eugenius perswaded the Doul­phin of Fraunce, with a great army of Gascones and Bryttons to dissolue the counsayle by forre. These men exer­cising all kinde of cruelty in that expe­dition were incountered by one thou­sande and sixe hundred Heluetians, who slewe twentie thousand of theyr aduer­saries, [Page] and albeit they also perished in that battayle: yet the residew of the Dolphins armie fledde: and the Coun­sull was delyuered from feare for that tyme. But to returne to my matter, Pansanias was praiseworthie in many of his doinges: and especiallye for his modestie in victorie. For when he was aduised to sette the noble mennes heads of Persia slaine in battayle, vppon long Poles: because the Petsians had so des­pitefullie dealt with Loonido the king of the Thebans: he aunswered that he woulde not vse any contumely toward deadde men: and besydes that, hauing taken a noble and ryght bowtyfull La­die prisoner, hee sent her home vntou­ched vnto her owne hushande. But in trate of tyme, he became eruell and prowde: and wher the Gretians wonne Bizantius, he viol ently tooke an honau­rable Cattizens Daughter: and being awaked soddainlye with some feare out of his vnquiet dreame, he murdred the séely woman, soūdly sléeping by tis side. And also after warde moued with Am­bicion, hee attempted a secréete league with the Persians. wherein it was con­cluded [Page] y ^e he shoulde take Xeixes daugh­ter to wyfe: that being [...]yded by the Persians, hee myght obtayne the king­dome of Greece, and vnite the same to the Monarchie of the Persians. Wherof when the Senate at T [...]ebes had intel­lygence, they called him home from Bi­zantium: and when as in the first exa­mination, he sawe all the matter dys­closed, he brake from them and fledde into the Temple as a sanctuarie. Wher he also confessed his faulte: and was ad­iudged to be shutte vp, there to perishe with famine and hunger. And his Mo­ther Al [...]ithea, brought the first stone to wall vp the gates of the Temple.

And in lyke manner, this Hunter caught Alexander the great, endewed with many excellent vertues: especially valiaunt in the fielde, and mercyfull in victorie. For he being inuincible in so many battayles, was at the last himself vanquished with women and veine: euen as the Prophete Daniell foretolde, that the Macedonian King shoulde bee lyke a Leoparde; whithe is not commonly taken with the snares and arrowes of hunters (for by meanes of his greate [Page] swiftnesse he escapeth them all) but only with wyne and venery. The miserable ende of such worthy wyghtes, is so much more pitt [...]full, because it sheweth the unbeeillitie of mannes nature: and that not onely good Fortune (as they call it) is vnstable, but also vertue it selfe, not to be dnrable in heroicall na­tures, but oftentymes soddainly, and in the myddle of their course forsaketh them. Let all men therefore that be in High estate tyckle and slippery. office and aucthoritie, beséeche God con­tinually to direct and gouerne their en­terprises: and let them alwaies thinke, that soddaine conuersions, and mutati­ons maye followe, according to that saying. Great estates sall in a moment, and God punisheth mischiefe and wic­kednesse.

Thirdlie this Author of so many e­uylles, and mischiefes, euen sathan the The deuyl resembled to a fowlet. deuyll, is named by a metaphor in the holy scripture, a Fowler. For when he séeth his sleightes in hunting, not to preuayle: he applyeth him selfe so to Psa. 124. Iere. 5. Amos. 3. fowling: Which although it be a labo­rious, and an ydle practise oftentymes: yet this fellowe contempneth all diffy­cultie, [Page] and approueth the matter. Hée prepareth him a fayre floure, and often­times: casteth corne there, that the birds may accustome themselues to the place. Hee forceth not much for the losse of some labour and charges. For accor­ding to the saying, He that wyll gayne Plautus. haue, may not seeke al cost to saue. The byrds happely flye away now and then with the corne, but if they once be ta­ken in the snare, they acquyte the Fow­lers charges. He vseth diuerse meanes and wayes to take the simple byrdes. For he eyther casteth corne vppon his floore, or layeth nettes, or setteth lyme­twygges, or else geeth a byrdebattyng. Besides these, he somtime setteth same birdes in cages, who with their sweete singing, allure the birdes in the bushes to approche nighe vnto them: whereby they are easily deceyued and taken. And sometyme the Fowler him selfe vseth an instrument, and whyslleth swéetely, expressing the noyse & chirping of birds, wherewith they are beguyled and in­tangled in the lyme twigges. In all these feates, the deuyll is verie skylfull, but his chiefe pollycie in fowling; is to [Page] take birds, with those that be tame and sing pleasauntly.

With the swéete singing of such a Examples. birde, mamed Berseba, this fowler tooke that bewtyfull birde Dauid, endewed with wisedome, fortitude, and many o­ther 2 Samu­ell. 11. excellent vertues: whose winges were so fastened in his lymetwigges, that he defyled another mannes wyfe, and procured her husbande to bee mur­dered. By that birde Pharaos daughter, and other straunge women: he tooke Sa­lomon the wyse, euen in his olde age, who was so entangled and wrapped in the lymetwigges, that vnto filthy plea­sures, he added the worshipping of I­dolles. And by the birde Dalila, he caught an Eagle, that sometyme dyd 1. Reg. 11. flye verie hyghe, and had often broken the fowlers netie: Sampson I meane, that strong and couragious wight. If Iud. 16. any man lust to see the lyke dealings of the deuyll with Kinges and Princes of our owne Countrey: let him peruse the Mirrour of Magistrates, which wyll yeelde plentie of examples in that be­halfe.

Since the Conquest, the deuyll hath [Page] preuailed mightily against the mighty Englyshe examples. that waye: and amongst the rest call to minde that bewtisull birde, King Ed­warde the fowrth, taken with three Concubines: who were lyuely and in their collours set out by the King him selfe: to wyt, one of them for her myrth, the other for her crafte, the thirde, for the holyest harlotte, within his Realm, as one whome no man coulde gette out of the Churche to any place, sauing to his bedde. Was it not lamentable, that the King was so cleare eyed to sée them, and so blinde to discerne him selfe, for if they were his whores, what coulde he be but a whoremonger: but this carnall iest, was turned into weeping, vppon his seelye Children, who tasted of the whyp sor their Fathers wickednesse. Howe much more laudablie dyd King The lau­dable facte of King Henry the fyfte. Henrie the fifte behaue him selfe, of whome it is written: that as soone as he came to his kingdome: he called his Counsaylers togeather: and commaun­ded the Clergie, sincerelie and truely to preache the worde of God, and to liue accordingly. The laye men, he wylled to serue God, and obey their Prince, and [Page] aboue all thinges to auoyde the breache of Matrimonie;: the vaine vse of swea­ring, and wylful periurie: for the which his vertuous inclination, God gaue him a happie and vyctorious raigne: whose blessings ought to moue al En­glish men in dignitie and aucthoritie to followe his vertues: as the plagues and curses, which fell vpon king Edwards dyscent, ought to diswade them, from expressing his vices.

Fowrthlie, this enemie of mankinde The Diuel resembled to a gleade or kyte. Sathan the deuyil, is called in the holie scripture a Gleade, or Kyte, who hath long clawes & tallauntes, wherewith­all seasoning vpon his praye: he so pres­seth Leuit. 11. Deut. 14. and peerceth it, that it dyeth in a moment. And with his long beake, and crooked byll, all to renteth the flesh, and Jesa. 34. [...]hopping the same vp: doeth by meanes of his hote stomacke, digest by and by e­uen the rawest morsell. Aristotle wry­teth, Aristot. lib. 9. cap 1. de na­tura anima­lium. that there is a naturall enimitie betweene the Kite and Rauen, and that the Kyte is both stronger and swyfter, and therefore commonlie spoyleth the Rauen of his praye: Euen so this in­fernall kyte, fyghteth oftentimes, with [Page] blacke Rauens, euen cruell Tiraunts, & taketh from them all that they haue. So he spoyled Pharao, Caligula, Nero, Sinnacherib, king Richarde the thirde, of all their force and power, wherein they hauinge affiauhoe, dyd commytte many things most vngodly.

And as the Kyte houereth too and fr [...] in the ayre, watching gréedely young chickens; and when he espyeth any pea­king farre from their dame: he straight way falleth downe, ceasoneth vpon the praye and caryeth it awaye: euen so the Infernall Gleade flyeth byther and thyther in y ^e ayre where he is a Prince, as the Apostle sayeth and is lyke an Ar­row Ephe. 6. Psa. 91. flying in the noone day as the Psal­mist noteth: and with his bryght eyes beholdeth men walking vpon the earth: and if he espye any of them, wander and erre from the foundament of fayth and from the society of Christs Churche: hée falleth sodenly vppon them, and all to renteth them.

The dyuills practises are terrible and fearful when he openly assaulteth man­kinde The deuils dealing most daungerous when he preten­deth friend shippe. & sheweth himself plainely in his coolers, euen as he is, that is to saye, a [Page] cruell Théefe and murderer: but his 1. Cor. 11. practyses are more daungerous, when hée dealeth couertly, and as the Apostle writeth, transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light. And example of this his practise is extant in the historie of the Origen, of the world. When hée tooke vppon him the shape of the Serpente, being the wysest of all the beastes of the earth, and comming to Eue, tooke occa­sion to talke of God, and faigned him­selfe, to lament his vncurtuous & harde dealing with Adam and Eue, in enuy­ing them perfite felicitie. And there­withall promised them equalitie with God, if they woulde obeye and followe his counsayle. And so he deceiued them being ouer credulous, and drewe them violently with all their posteritie, into those miseries, out of the which they coulde be deliuered by no meanes, but onelie with the price of Christes moste precious blood.

So he deceyued Achab, when he be­came a lying spyrite, in the mouth of Example 1. Reg. 22. his Prophetes, and in the name of the Lord promised him victorie against the Syrians. And after the same manner, he [Page] seduced all the Paynims, vnder the color of wisedome, and trueth: whereby they faygned infinit Gods, serued Idolles, & poluted them selues, with al filthy lust. Moreouer, in tempting of Christe, he Rom. 1. Math. 4. pretended him self carefull for his glo­rie and health, and couered the malice with sentences of scripture. And per­swading Gregorie the first, to offer The diuils apperitans for Purga­tory. prayers and sacrifices for the deadde, he shewed him selfe in reuelations, and apparitions in the forme of those that were sometime his familiar friendes. Wée our selues attending warely, shall finde his lyke practises with vs: he kée­peth styll his olde woonte. For if at any time he solicite vs to forsake God, to re­nege our faith, to geue our selues to su­perstitions and curious artes, to folow filthy & vnlawful pleasures, & to cōmpt all kinde of mischiefe: he doeth not shew himselfe openly, and in his very colors: for then his hornes and nayles (as they saye) woulde make vs lathe and deteste him. But he counterfeyteth the forme of a friende, faigneth him selfe carefull for our wealth: shadoweth false doctrine with a color of trueth, excuseth our de­nyall [Page] of God through necessity: and fy­nally extenuateth, yea and sometime commendeth, abhomynation and wit­kednesse, with the cloke of profitte and common example, of worldinges. We haue good cause therfore, to record these thinges oftentimes; to watch and pray, that we fall not into temptation. An­tigonus the king was wont to praye, that God woulde defend him from fay­ned friendes: for he thought himselfe a­ble with moane pollicy, to with stande Antigonus prayet a­gainst false friendes. his open enemyes: howe muche more ought Chrystians to praye agaynst the temptations of the deuyll: who of­ten commeth with subtyll suggestions vnto man, hauing according to the pro­uerbe, hony in his mouth, but [...]aull and poyson in his harte, which he desireth to conuey and powre into vs.

Fiftlie and finallie, this enemie of The deuyl resembled to a roring Iyon. mankinde, is resembled to a roaring Lyon, which image and picture is most terrible. For the strength of Lyens and gréedinesse in pursuing their praye, is well knowne. Euen so the deuyll in­flamed with mallice, against the sonne of God, and his scruaunts: grinteth his [Page] teeth against vs, egerlie coueting to swallowe vppe, and destroye both our bodies and soules. Peraduenture he de­sisteth from open assaultes, for a tyme and season: but this pollicie he vseth, that the Castell may be kept more ner­lygentlic. The lyke practise is vsed of prudent Captaines in their temporall warres: who when they see their ad­uersarie vnprouided, they then set vpon him, and easily spoyle him: as we our selues knowe by Callys, which taken by y ^• English hardly after the besiedge of thirteene monethes: being vnfurnished of [...]en, was easily wōne by the French almost within thirtene howres: such an especiall commeditie it is to vse occaū ­on and opportunity.

Euen so fareth our ghostly enemie with vs, in suirituall temptations and assaultes: for then doeth hee with his doubble [...] and great engyns of warre, batter our Forte and Castell, when it is weake & vnprouided: At the howre of death carnall man is weake in body, and faint in minde: for besides the paines of the disease, and the face of death, which of all terrible thinges, is [Page] most terrible: the weeping and way­ling of wife and chyldren; the care of our wyll and Testament, and the set­ting of our goodes in order, doeth excee­dingly withdraw our mindes front the contemplation of heauenly heauenly thinges: at what tyme the deuyll goeueth most ter­rible and sharpe assaultes. For he then especially, setteth before our eyes, & cal­leth to our remembraunce, our works, our wordes, & our thoughtes euen from our tender yeares. And whereas before tyme he couered sinne, & perswaded vs to accoun [...] it but a tryfle: he nowe ap­péereth and vnfoldeth the same, yea and amplyfieth the heynousnesse of the of­fence, and vseth all meanes to weaken and cutte of our fayth, and hope of for­geuenesse. And to the [...]nde he might carrie vs into the gulfe of dispayre, hee putteth vs in minde of the iudgemente seate of God, of the endlesse tormentes in hell, of Gods seueritie, of examples of his wrath and indignation. Whereof aryseth to seelye man in that afflycted case, an astonied minde, an vnquiet con­science, an vncertaine hope: and finally, (without Gods especiall grace and pro­tection) [Page] a shipwracke of faith, and a sin­king into the bottomlesse; pyt of hell.

There are many other pictures and The vse of this d [...] [...]tyne. Images of the deuyll, in the holy scrip­ture: As Math. 12. Luk. 22. Iob. 11. et. 3. E­phe. 6. All which tende to this ende, that we laying asyde all other cogitations: shoulde wholly bende our selues to re­syste, so mightie and malyeious an eni­mie. And for that we being both care­full and vigelaunt, are weake inough of our selues, to encounter him: much more vnable shal we be, if we entrappe our mindes in vnnecessary & most vaine cogitations of the world. Hereunto we may & ought to adde, that this our ad­uersary seeketh not our goodes & bodies only: but he; greedely gapeth as it were in one morsell, to swallowe vp both bo­dy and soule. The strife therefore be­tweene him and vs, is about a matter of great importaūce, euen for life & death, saluation & dampnation: wherefore as the Apostle sayth, it standeth us vppon, Ephe. 6. to take vnto vs the whole armour of God: that we may be able to resist in the euyll daye, and stande perfyt [...] in all thinges.

ALthoughe the The huge and migh­ty army of Sathan. Deuyll bee sufficient y­nough of him selfe, to su­slaine this warfare: yet for the better performance of the mat­ter, he lynketh vnto him such compani­ons as haue reuolted with him, moste trayterouslie and shamefullie from the heauenly captaine Christe. Betweene whome albeit nowe and then there fell some variaunce, as betwéene infernall spirites, that want the spirite of peace and concorde: yet they conioyne, and knitte them selues togeather most sted­fastlie, to ouerthrowe and destroy man­kinde. We reade in the Gospell, howe Luk. 8. a whole Legion of deuylles (which con­sisteth of 5300.) conspyred the ruine of [Page] one seelie man. Yet he contēteth not him se [...]fe with the power and ayde of his fe­lowe deuylles: but leuyeth an armie of all Nations and professions, which acrueth to suche greatnesse, that the whole worlde, is scarce able to conteyne the same.

It is writtan of Xerxes, that hee came into Greece, with an armie of ten hundred thousande men? which drunke vp the lyttle [...]yuers where they cam­ped. But this huge and mighte armic had no good Captaine. For Xerxes was Xerxes. bolde and couragious, in prodoking his enemies, but in daungers he was both fearefull and pensiue, the laste in the fielde, and first in slight. But the deuy [...] hath yet a greater armie, whereof himselfe [...]being alwayes the chiefe, seue­raigne, he is first and last in the fielde. He hath vnderneath him, sundrie great and mightie captaines: who haue tray­ned vp an innumcrable company, of pollitique souldiours, made expert and cunning, to de [...]eyue and destroye man­kinde. The druyll hath many capitains vnder him. But because the publique, and common aduersaries of [...]an: are ex­cellently well paynted foorth in that [Page] booke, intituled the VVarrefaire of the Christians: My purpose at this time is only to discrie those enemies that chief­ly oppose themselues against the church of Christ, and bend their power against his chosen and ele [...]e seruauntes.

There are foure sortes of men, espe­rially The prin­cipall ene­mies of Christes Churche. that yssewe out of the campe of Sathan, into the Church of Christ. A­gainst whome vnlesse wee bee defenced with spirituall Armour: we stande in great daunger, not onely in thinges ap­pertayning to this lyfe, but also in our soules, and of eternall lyfe and saluati­on. Who albe it they doo not assault the Church, after one sort, yet they all shoote at one marke: euen that oppresse the same, themselues might beare the chiefe [...]wai [...] and dominion, and that the king­dome of Sathan may be enlarged farre and neere. These graunde and Capitall enemies, are Tyrants, Sophisters, Hip­pocrites, and Epicures.

Tyrauntes (whese mindes are puft Tyrantes. vp with rytches, and good successe in the worlde,) doo eyther scornefullie obiect vnto the Churche, the ignominie of the Crosse: or with hostilytie, oppose them [Page] selues against it, delyghting to bathe theyr handes in the blood of his Saints.

Sophisters, and Sicophantes, with Sophisters vaine ostentation of worldlie learning, and knowledge, doo subtilly laye-snares and ginnes, to entrappe the seruauntes of Christe, and studie eyther to abolysh, or too depraue his Churche: whose lyfe is the written worde of God. These menne by deuyllish sleyght, endeuour with vndermyning, to subuerte the foundament, of Christes Church: some­tyme corrupting this article of y ^• faith, sometime that insomuch that the more pure the doctrine is: the more & migh­tyer Sophisters and Sicophantes, the de­uyll sendeth out to trouble, and molest the bryght fountaynes of Israell, and welles of lyfe.

Hippocrites put vpon them, the face, or rather the visor of friendes. These Hippo­crites. men would not be reputed for enemies, but for fauorours of the Gospell: wher­by they doo more hurte, to simple and vnexperienced persons, then open and notorious aduersaries. For that is a true saying: It is a safe and common practise, to deceyue vnder the pretence [Page] of friendshippe. Hippochrites sustayne the personage of a fr [...]nde, cloked with counte [...]fayte holynes and so rushing in to the they folde of Christ: doo lyke raue­ning wolues, scatter and all to ren [...]the same.

Epicures are of diuerse fortes. Albeit then all followe vayn [...] Pleasure: as if it were mans cheefe blessednesse and feli­citie. For there are [...] of them, that are notorious Athests, and irreligions persons, whose ioy is to be famous mal [...] and making no neckonia [...] at all of the speache of the worlde do wal­lowe and tumble in al kinde of wicked­nesse. There are othersome, that impart cruility and pietie: and these howe it the chiefe goodnesse, to haue a [...] name and same in the world. They [...] seeing to abhorre vngodlines; they heare Gods worde, they are partakers of the sacraments, and maked shewe of hone­sty in their lyues. But they hyde and co­ver vnder that mashe, three heynous offences. First they preserre their plea­sures before the wyll of God, secondlie then lyue securelye without his feal, [Page] thirdly, they willinglie, and with plea­sure, heere prophane and godlesse spée­ches of Religion, which do wonderfully vnquiet weake consciencēs, and often­times alienate them from Christ. Such blasphemous persons as these are, the deuyll traineth vp to be Captaines, and leaders of his armie.

The deuyll appointeth vnto his Ar­mie, experte Drators, and Trumpe­ters, Imbassa­dours Hattoldes and Troumpe­tors in the Deuplls armye. who with their subtill words, and warlike sounds, call their souldiours together, and incourage them to fight. The holye Ghost tearmeth such by the mouth of y ^• Prophet: Leopardes, Aspes, Cokatrices and Lions VVhelpes: by the names of these beastes he vnderstan­deth the poyson, that wicked and: super­sticious preachers, blowe (as it were) in to Captaines and Souldiours. These Trumpeters with obsecrations, exe­crations, and detestrations doo inflame the mindes of men to defende false doc­trine, and to suppresse true religion, whereby the Church of Christ, is often­times excéedingly assaulted and afflicted: Wee haue knowen a Cardynall in an Card. Poole. Dracion published by himselfe, to haue [Page] moued Charles the lifte to withdrawe his power from inuading the Turker & to conuert the same to the destruction of his natiue Countrey. Mounkes and Fryers haue with full pypes now these many yeares, blowne bloodie blasters, & incensed the mindes of Princes, to persecute pietie, and to defende Idolatry. One so raged in a sermon bifore Charles Gasparus Church. the fifte, and many of the Princes of Germanie: that hee shrunke not to tell them, that they could neuer please God perfectly, vntill they had bathed their handes vnto the elbowe, in the Luthe­ranes bloude. Manie schollers com­ming out of the Protestants Schooles, haue blown a warlike sound, and won­derfully troubled the church of God. Of this number were Staphilus, Harding, & such lyke: who were well knowen to the world, to haue bin of a factious and con­tētious nature, desirous to be accoump­ted singuler, and notable aboue others in gyfts and Iudgements: which be­cause they could not deserue and obteyn amongst the learned: the reuolted from Christianitie, and ledde with ambious mindes, apposed themselues against the [Page] [...] truth And nowe a dayes the Iesuites. lesuites (or rather Esuites) do like Aspes, [...] vppe and downe: Who with their swéete poyson, preuayle much against at those, that [...] no I that precious and perfith [...] al me, which is the worde of Got, con [...]prehonded in the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles. The deuyll hath also verie faithfull & trustie The De­uylls Es­pecialls. spyes, whome he sendeth alwaies before his armie, to divure commoditie of the place, and the multitude & strengthe of his aduersue [...] [...] These especials are of as cleare light as any Eagle, or Dra­gon: and [...] cast their eyes vppon all coastes and corners, and examine euery phrase, and fyllable of the Protestants: and if they [...]n by wresting things into a wrong sence, take any small aduaun­tage, they ly [...] Sycophants gnawe and byte the good meaninges of godlie men, and with great v [...]yueration, sclau [...]der and backbite the sauie. All these sortes of Souldiours, with many others, are bounde vnto the deuyll with an othe, faithfullye to serue and obiy him: and doo in deede bende all their power, and strength, to vanquithe and su [...]due the [Page] Church of Christ: and to settls and esta­blish, the kingdoms of Antichrist.

MOst part of men What re­medies carnall and ignoraunt men soeke for in their miseries. in their miseries and ca­lamities, doo flee vnto hu­maine helpes, and fence them selues, with the power & fauor of earthly friends: of whome if they be for­saken, they commonly become desperate & crye out with the Tyraunt. O wretche that I am, I being forsaken of my frinds, do perish. Others rūme to the deuill, and aske counsaile of him by Southsayers, & Coniurers: who to confirme me men in I­dolatrie, helpeth some in such euylles, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] whereof him selfe is the author: but whē God restraineth this power of his that hee can not nowe helpe any more: then miserable men doo frette and mur­mur against God, and with Saul, Iudas, and Nero, laying violent handes vppon them selues, hasten their owne ende, and destruction.

There haue haue bene some, that in Philoso­phical con­solations of no force. their miseries haue sought consolations out of Philosophie and monumentes of Heathen writers. But there they coulde finde no reliefe, as many lamentable ex­amples make manifest vnto vs. Marcus Cato, in that bitter sorrow of his, which hee conceyued by meanes of Pompeis ruine and ouerthrow: read ouer againe and againe, that notable booke of Plato, of the immortalitie of the soule, to miti­gate his sorrowe and griefe. But he coulde finde no rest in that vexation of minde: for ouercome with dolour, cast hee awaye the booke and murdred him selfe. Philosophers both sawe and la­mented all kinde of calamities, but they could finde no salues for their sores, nor medicines for their sicknesses. For their cōsolations are nothing else, but a vaine [Page] sounde without any matter: and bare wordes wanting efficacie in the mindes of miserable and afflicted persons.

The worde of God onelie teacheth the The word of God is the cleere fountaine of perfytte consolatiō. reliefe and remedie, in such cases, and deliudreth vnto man munitions and de­fences: whereby he maye eyther stoutlie contempne, or patientlie continue, in verations and troubles. Trueth is the best buckler and shielde. Whiche is the worde of God, contained in the wri­tinges of the Prophetes and Apostles, proceeding out of the mouth of the true God: whereby the holie ghost is effec­tuall in pensiue and afflicted mindes: who are preserued and comforted, be­yonde all mans iudgement and expecta­tion, that they faint not in tribulation, neyther murdre thē selues, nor yet rūne into eternall ruine & destruction. This word & truth of God is our Target, for so it is [...]med in many places of y ^e holy scripture. The worde of the Lorde (saith Salomon) is pure, and a buckler to them Pro. 30. et. 21. Heb. 5. that beleeue, Pro. 30. And the worde of the Lorde is liueliy, and more effectuall or peercing then any sworde. Heb. 5. And the woorde of the Lorde, is named a [Page] candle, [...] to men ne lyfe and [...]py­rite. Pro. 21.

Those that are couered and defenced with this sheelde, neede not to feare the fyrie dartes of the worlde and deuyll: for, they are compassed with such strāge munitions, that no cruell enimie is able to peirce the same. This worde of God doeth shew vnto vs a sure and cer­taine refuge: and counselleth vs to flye into the campe of the almightie Lorde: who wyll hyde vs vnder his wings, and defende vs with his holy Angellos: who hath promised to bee our captaine and defender: who neuer forsaketh the field, but is alwayes in the forefront of the battayle, and is neuer taken of the eni­mie. So [...]riteth Chrisostome: Our Cap­taine is alwayes readie to helpe, the eni­mie can neuer take him prisoner, he hath armour of proofe, for all his souldiours. This Captaine doth not onlie preserue his souldiours in the fyelde safe & sound, but he also gaueth them victorie, aduan­ceth them to great honours, satisfyeth them with a long lyfe, and letteth them see and feele his ayde and helpe.

There are many examples, which [...] Examples. [Page] approue and confirme the same, to the great [...], and comfort of the godlie. Hee was in the fierie furnace with the three yong men: with Laurence vpon the Gridiron: with Daniell amongst the Lyons: with Ieremie in Babilon: with Ioseph in prison, with the Israelites in Egipte, and in the Wyldernesse with Elisaeus the Prophete, when Samaria was besieged, where the famine was so great, that an Asses head was solde for fowrescore siluer pence, and the fowrth parte of a Cabbe of Dooues dunge, for fiue peeces of siluer. He was with Dauid 2. Reg. 6. in the Pestilence, when as in a shorte tracte of tyme, there dyed thrée score and 2. Sam. 24 tenne thousande. He was with Ezechias lying sicke in his bedde of the pestilence. Esa. 38. By the which examples, & many other of that sort, we maye most firmely con­clude: that this heauenly Captaine, is alwayes present at hande with his ser­uauntes, & is there sheelde and buckler, according to his manifolde promyses, by most earnest assuerations and othes, in his holy worde assured and confirmed vnto vs.

So that Christians are neuer desolate Christians [Page] and alone in their fight and battell, but neuer a­lone in their trou­ble. 2. Para. 15 haue allwaies their Captaine presently assisting them, according to that saying. The Lorde is with you whyles you bee with him. And againe feare not, because I haue redeemed thee, and called thee by thy name, thou art mine owne: If thou Esay. 43. passe through water, I wyll be with thee, and the flooddes shall not couer thee: If thou walke in the fire, thou shalt not bee burned, and the flame shal not hurt thee, for I am the Lorde thy God, thy holye one O Israell. Consider (good Reader) dillygentlie, the weyght and circum­staunce of this texte: fyrst marke who doeth promise, euen God the holy one of Israell. Then what hee doth promise, verelye protection and defence, in all daungers. Afterwarde to whome this promise is made, euen to all faythfull beleeuers, whome hee calleth by theyr proper name, which is a signe of kind­nesse, and entyre loue towarde them. Thus you see howe this trueth of Gods woorde, which is our buckler, doeth set out and describe in the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles, the infinite po­wer, goodnesse, & mercy of our heauenly [Page] Captaine, toward his faythful seraunts and souldiours.

Philosophie is mute and dumme, in The defect and lame­nes of phi­losophie in their mat­ters. these matters: and if at an aduenture, it happen to vtter some golden sentence of Gods mercy, & loue toward mākind, yet it kéepe not holde & handfast constantlie: but in the ende declineth to a dubitation or an vtter deniall of the same. Antilo­chus wylled menne to ascribe al thing to Gods prouidence: VVho oftentimes ad­uaunceth poore to their deserued degree of dignitie & honor: and throweth down the high and mightie. These & such lyke sentēces of Gods prouidēce are scattered in the writings of Ethnicks, which for a tyme delight mens mindes, but they are not built vpon any sure foundation. For they neuer knew God, as he hath reue­led him selfe in his sonne, by his worde: they doubte in their prayers, whether God heareth them, as Euripides in the person of Hecuba, cryeth out and sayth: Euripides in Trodi­bus. O you Gods, I call vppon impotent and slouthfull helpers.

But the worde of God conteyned in The con­stant faith of Christi­ans in their trou­ble the olde and newe testament: doth effec­tuallie and truly, describe vnto vs the [Page] liuing God, reueled in his onely sonne Iesus Christe who commaundeth vs to call vppon the heauenly Father in his name with boldnesse and trust without any trembling or doubting: for that through him, his heauenly Father is wel pleased with vs, we may then speak thus vnto him. Thou O God art the Creator and conseruor of heauen and earth, thou art also the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe, who was borne, suffered, dyed, and rose againe for the iustification of mankinde. Thou sendest thy holy ghost into our harts, who kind­leth in vs by the sounde of thy holye worde, true fayth, and spirituall moti­ons, agreeable to thy holy wyll: thou art my hope and strength, thou doest couer mee vnder thy winges: thou doest keepe mee with thy holy Angelles, thou dost heare mee and deliuer mee: thou art with mee in this my tribulation, out of the which in thy mercie thou wylt dely­uer mee, yea and glorifie mee: thou wylt aduaunce mee from aduersitie to prospe­ritie: thou wylt satisfie mee with long lyfe. If the same maye tender to the set­ting foorth of thy honour and glorie, and [Page] to the profite and furtheraunce of thy holy Church.

This confidence and liberty of spéech The occa­sion of Christian boldnesse. wee maye vse with our Captaine, but not in respect of our owne worthinesse: for this cheerefulnesse, and courage of minde, wee maye conceaue through our raunsome once satisfied: and through the continuall intercession of the Sonne of God, who dyed and rose againe for all penitent sinners. We our selues bring nothing, for fayth is also the gyfte of God, kyndeled in our hartes, by the holie ghoste, through the preaching of the gospell. Let vs then place and op­pose this promise of GOD, togeather with the death and intercession, of his sonne Christe, through fayth, and true repentaunce against all doubting, and vnworthinesse of our selues: and let vs flee awaye, and appeale from God being angrie with vs for our many and greeuous offences: vnto God most lo­uing and mercifull, turned and recon­cyled vnto vs, through the passion, re­surrection, and intercession of his deare and onely sonne Iesus. Hereof com­meth that stoute and valyaunt harte of [Page] Christians: that they feare not although the earth gape, and open her mouth, the Element doo fall vppon them, and the waues of the Sea, woulde seeme to ouerflowe them, according as Dauid wytnesseth. The sound of many waters, Psa. 93. and of the waues of the Sea, are strong and mighty: but the Lord aboue is stron­ger, and mightier.

Iulian the Reneger, was for a time of great power and strength, but hee Examples. being vanquished at a fielde foughten in Persia, was enforced to yéelde the ho­nour of the victorie to this Captayne, and with a lowde voyce sayde: Thou hast gotten the victorie of mee, O thou Galilaean. Apries, King of Egipt, who put the Prophete Ieremie to death, said: That no power, neyther of God, nor man, was able to take his kingdom from him, hee had so firmelie established his Scepter and Crowne: But our myghtie Captaine, who hath power, ouer all kingdomes of the worlde, spoyled him of his kingdome, and strangled him by the handes of Amasis his Courtyer. Neopto­limus his worthy Neoptelemus the player of Tragedies, being demaunded, what sentence hee [Page] had obserued as most notable, in Aes­chilus, obserua­tion. Sophocles, and Euripides: aun­swered, that he founde in them nothing woorthye so great admiration: But hee rather accoumpted it a thinge memo­rable: that hee sawe with his owne eyes, King Phillippe of Macedon, at the mariage of his daughter Cleopatra, Iustine. lib. 6. in the most noble assemble of the world, honoured as a great God: and the next day after, ryding in the Tylte or Thea­tre miserably murdred and contempned. And Herodus Agrippa, who stopped not the flattring mouthes, of such as named him a God, but fedde and delighted him selfe with the same, perished immediat­ly with corrosion of his Intralles, and lowsie sicknes. Surely all humaine power, is no better then glasse, whiche whē it is most bright and cleare, is then the soonest brokē: for rashnesse procureth speedy spoyle, & God alwaies resisteth y ^e prowde. Let vs not then feare mans power, which when it is at the highest and in his pride: then is God able, yea and often indeede, ouer turneth the same, with the leaste blast of winde.

THIS our Hea­uenly Our God, is the Lord God of Hostes. 2. Sam. 5. Psalm. 59. Esa. 6. Captaine hath ma­ny glorious names in the holye Scripture: but a­mongst other he is named the Lorde of Hostes: Which tytle albeit, it be com­mon to the thrée personnes in Trinitie: yet because the Sonne of God was sent to vanquishe and breake the power of the deuyll, and to redeeme mankinde, this honourable name is properlie, and for the most part geuen vnto him, as in that Psalme. VVho is this King of glo­rie? the Lorde God of Hostes is the king Psalm. 4. of glorie. In the which place without all doubte Christe the King of glorie, was signified, whereof the Arke of Co­uenaunt was a testimonie and witnesse. [Page] And the Prophete Esay sayth: That the Eesa. 59. Lorde God of hostes dwelleth in Syon, which sentence is to bee vnderstoode of our sauiour Christ. This most noble The Lord strong in battaile. tytle is geuen vnto him, because hee is the cheefe Emperour and Captaine in the Cittie of God, againste the Cittie of the Deuil. For he is the onely head, of all celestiall and terrestriall powers, the moste strong and mighty defendor, and is therefore named in the Psalme: A God that is strong and mighty in battale. Psa. 24. He is not ydle then, but fighteth va­lyantlie, hee is neuer ouercome, but but alwayes ouercommeth, he neuer flyeth but euer tryumpheth, and that not so muche for his owne cause, as for the Cittie and Church of God: and ther­fore the Prophet ascribeth vnto him the chéefe souerainty saying: Blessed be the name of his glorie for euer, and let the Psal. 72. whole earth be filled with his maiesty.

Nowe although this our Captaine Whereof the army of God con­sisteth. be Schaddai, that is to say omnisuffici­ente, and strong ynough of himselfe, and needeth not y ^e helpe of any creature: with whome (as the Angell saith) nothing is impossible. Yet for the greater comfort Luk. 1. [Page] of his Church, hee vseth the industrie of his souldiors, in this expidition against the deuyll: and leuieth a great & mightie armie, partlie consisting of pure & chaste Angelles, who are named in the holie scripture, flaming spirites, horses and charets of fire: who pitch their campe Psa. 104. round about the godlie, and are appoin­ted to bee ministring spirites, sent forth to minister for their sakes, vvho shalbe Hebr. 1. hcyres of saluation. Of whome the number is almost infynite, that mans infyrme nature is not able to compre­hend the same. Here vnto he adioyneth a great company of vertuous, and faith­full men and women, picked and chosen out of all callings & vocations. Which supplie hee vseth not to strengthen him selfe, as though he were eyther weake, or vnwarlyke: but such is his gratious wyll, & tender kindnesse toward his ser­uants, that he vouchsafeth in some sort, to communicate and impart his glorie, with his faythfull seruytors and soul­diors.

And fyrst concerning Angelles, they are all seruing spirites, For their sakes who shalbe heyres of saluation. For so Hebr. 1. [Page] long as this worlde shall endure. An­gelles Of the ser­uice of An­gells. serue and attende in the Church mylitaunt: which notwithstanding is not the ende of theyr nature, but an of­fice or function temporall: for after the generall Iudgement, when the Church of God shall obtaine perfit victorie, they shall triumphe with the electe euerla­stinglie. Touching theyr number, the Prophete Daniell speaketh after this manner. Thousande thousandes mini­stred Dan. 7. vnto him, and ten thousande thou­sandes stoode before him. Of the bat­tayle of the Lord of Hostes and his An­gelles, and of their victorie, wee maye reade more in the Reuelation. Michael and his Angels fought against the Dra­gon, Reuel. 12. and the Dragon fought and his An­gelles: but they preuailed not, neither was their place founde any more in hea­uen. And the great Dragon that olde serpent, called the deuyll and sathan, was caste out, which deceyueth the whole worlde: hee was euen cast into the earth, and his angelles were caste out with him. Then I heard a lowde voice, saying: Now is saluation in heauen, and strength, and the power of our God, & the kingdom of [Page] his Christ: for the the accuser of our bre­thren is cast downe, vvhich accused them before our God day and night. But they ouercame him by the blood of the Lābe, and the worde of their testimonie. This Michaell, whome the holie ghost in this place maketh the Captaine of the bat­tayle, is the sonne of God, euen our Lorde Iesus Christe: as we maye both by the Prophete Daniell, and by the ety­mologie of the worde, easily gather. For Dan. 10. Michaell is asmuche to saye, as vvho is lyke God? The Angelles therefore fo­lowing the ensigne, and Auncient of Mi­chaell, that is to saye, of the Lorde of Hostes, are celestiall powers and spy­rites.

The manner and order, of their ser­uice, is noted in manie places of Gods The man­ner and or­der of the seruice of Angells. Psa. 9. word. But in my iudgement, are most effectually collected, and set downe in one place by the Prophet Dauid. First he sayth, That they garde and keepe all the faythfull, That is, that they kéepe watche and warde in housholdes, com­monwealths, and Churche: who as they neuer sleepe themselues, so doo they a­wake those that sléepe when daungers [Page] are immynent and at hande: for so they raysed vppe Peter and brought him out of prison. These kéepers and watchmen Act. 12. neuer departe out of that roume wher­in God hath placed them vnlesse is be by his especiall commaundement. Some of them therefore, are alwaies in all present with vs: when we pray, when we sing Psalmes, when we either héere sermons publickly, or priuatly réede the holy scriptures when we eate, drinke and fleepe: they then fight for vs and de­fende vs from all firie dartes: which the worlde and deuill, with greate malice, caste and throwe against vs. Beholde the great loue of our Emprour & Cap­taine Emanuell towarde his Church: in that he vouchsafeth to appoynt some of his heauenlie souldiers to wayte vppon it: vnto whome he geueth a singular and an especiall charge, that they kéepe vs warely in all our wayes. We shall Men are watched with Gods owne gard the better perceyue this benefite, if we open it with asimilitude. There is no worldlie man, but hee would accoumpt it a greate signe of loue, and an argu­ment of safetie: if a worldlye Prince should appoint him a sufficient number [Page] of his Garde, to wayte & attende vpon him daye and night; that no misfortune might betide him. But there is no com­parison betweene this heauenlie Prince and earthly Princes: nor betweene their garde, consisting of weake men, and this of strong Angels: appointed to vs by our Captaine in Baptisme, to watch and wayte vppon vs both night & daye, in water and fyre, by sea and lande: in all our lyfe, and at the howre of death.

Secondlie, the Angels beare and cary godly men about in their armes. Be­holde herein the rage and furie of the deuyll: who in euery place layeth shares and stumbling blocks, for mennes féete, wherby many fall, and hurt themselues, euen vppon plaine grounde, breaking theyr armes and thighes, yea, and some tymes their neckes. The lyuing Lorde, and mercifull God, therefore minding to preuent these mischiefes: commaun­deth his holie Angelles, to beare vs in their armes, and to carrie vs from place to place, that we maye doo the workes of our voration: Beholde I saye, euen as the Mother, with an especiall delyght and pleasure, taketh her young chylde [Page] wrapped in swathlyng clothes, and ly­ing in the Cradle: and beareth it in her armes, with many kysses, vntyll the Chylde be wearie, and then shee layeth it downe againe in the Cradle. Euen so the Angelles euerie morning doo lyft vs out of our beddes, and beare vs about all daye long in their armes, that wee maye exercise our selues, in the worke of our vocation: and in the euening when we are wearie, they bring vs to our beddes: and refresh vs with many long dayes, and yeares, and in the ende carrie our soules in their armes, with incredible ioye, into Abrahams bosome, where wee shall beholde the cheerefull countenaunce of God eternally.

The thyrd kinde of seruice of Angels, expressed in that Psalme of Dauid, Is that they shall put and submytte euyll beastes, and venemous serpentes vnder godly mens feete without any harme: as Lyons, Leopardes, Lyons whelpes, Cokatrices, and Dragons: that is to saye, all sortes of Tyrauntes, and hery­tiques: vppon whome good Fathers in ther families, Schoolemaisters in their Schholes, Ministers in their Churches, [Page] and Princes in theyr Realmes do tread & subdue. So Iohn the Euangelist with his prayer and preaching, trode vpon Cerinthus that Leoparde. So was Ari­us Examples. that Cockatrice stamped downe with the seete of Alexander Bishoppe of Con­stantinople. So Polycarpus Iohn the E­uangelists scholler & Bishoppe of Smyr­neus trode vpon that Dragon Marcion. And finallye, so Constantine sur [...] the great, trode vpon, and with warlike sworde suppressed those sauadge & cruell Beastes: Maximiamis. Maxencius and Liciuius his Cosyn, when they begonne with fyre and sworde, to persecute and afflict the Christians.

There serue also vnder our heauenly The ser­uice of men in this war faire. Captaine in this armie, godly and [...]er­tuous men of euery vocation & calling. And amongst this number, Ministers & Preachers stande in the forefront of the battayle: and fight against the Dragon that is to say against the deuyll and his adherentes, who defende blasphemie, I­dolatrie, and all abhomination [...] were Moises, Elins: [...] togeather with all the Prophets Apostles [...] Pa­stors, in the Church of God, theology of [Page] all tymes and ages: whose armor are not earnall but spirituall, as the Apostle sayeth. For the vv [...]apons of 2. Cor. 10. our vvarfare are not carnall, but mightie through God to cast dovvne holdes. Ca­sting downe the imaginations, and eue­rye high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringteth into captiuitie, euerie thought to the obedi­ence of Christ. That is to saye, the ar­mor of godly Teachers, and Ministers in the Churche of God, are the worde of God, the holy ghost working effectually in the worde, and earnest prayer and in­uocations.

There folowe in this armie godly hearers of the word, who for the glorie of God, and their owne saluation, fighte againste the fleshe, sinne, world, and de­uil: whose fight and armour are at large described by the Apostle. My brethren be strong in the Lorde and in the power Ephe. 6. of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may bee able to stande a­gainst the assaultes of the deuill. For we vvrastle not aganste fleshe. and against blood but againste principali [...]ies against povvers and against the worldly gouer­nours, [Page] the princes of the darkenes, of this vvorlde, againste spirituall vvicloednes vvhich are in highe places. For this cause take vnto you the vvhole armor of God that you may be able to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all things, stand faste. Or if thou liste to haue a shorter lesson thus he sayeth in another place. Fight thou a good: hauing faith, and a 1. Tim. 1. good conscience, whiche some haue put avvay, & as concerning faith haue made shipvvracke.

Women and feely children who séeme, The seruice of women and chil­dren in this war­face. and are indeede moste vnfitte, for tem­porall warres: fight not moste faintly in this spirituall battell: but with their chaste and deuoute prayers, and faith­fulnesse in their vocation, giue the de­uil, and his complices a fowle foyle, and ouerthrow. There are many, examples, that confirme this matter, and amongst others that which happened of late in Germanie, both pleasauntlie and com­fortable serueth to this purpose. When Virus VVinshe­mius in obi [...]u Phi­lip. Melan­cth. the Emperour Charles the fifte, and the Pope of Rome, by Campegius his Le­gate, threatned the Protestauntes with fyre and sword, and terrifie [...] them with [Page] the multitude of Princes and peoples, that were ready to subdue them. The learned men of Saxonie, were comman­ded by theyr Prince to assemble at Tor­ga, to conferre what they thought con­uenient to yeelde vnto the Papistes, for the iniquitie of the tyme. By meanes wherof there mette many learned men: and amongste the rest, thyther came Martin Luther, and Phillippe Melanc­thon. These men came togeather euery day in y ^e Superintendents, or Preachers house of the sayde Cittie: and in this conference, peace was offered by the pa­pistes, but with such harde condicions, that a noble man sayde, the same were paysed in goldsmythes weyghts: so vn­iust and cruell they were, for it was ap­parent, and that they sought wayes and meanes to cyrcumuent & destroy fraw­dulently in tyme of peace: those meane whome they could hardly touch, intyme of warre.

This lyttle flocke therefore continued theyr conference with prayers and sup­plications: reposing theyr whole con­fidence in the lyuing God, who in the myddle of dystresse prepareth out a way [Page] for man better then him selfe can deuise or thinke. On a certaine daye after long delyberation. Phillippe Melancthon euen tyred with labor, and heauy with cares, rose vp verye sorrowfull & sadde: & went out to speake with a straunger, who at the gate, had knocked, and made inquysition for him: Nowe after he had geuen the straunger answere, and sent him awaye, hee hasteth to this assemble againe: and in his returne through a gallory, he heareth lyttle Chyldren pro­nounsing theyr Cathechisme, which mo­ued him to put open the Parlor doore, euen in his waye, to talke with those lyttle Babes, whose mouthes he hearde so sweetely vtter the prayfe of God: For amongst his recreations and pastimes, this was the chiefe: with pleasaunt and wyttie questions, to laugh with lyttle Chyldren: and towarde them he woulde shewe howelles of compassion, and the entrye affection of a naturall Parent. When he came into the Parlor, he foūd Ioach. Ca­merarnis de vita et obitu P. Melancth. there three Women with theyr lyttle Chyldren about them. These were the Preacher and the two Dyacons wiues of that place: who were dressing and fée­ding [Page] their yong Babes. But there was one thing, wherewith all hee was then especially delyghted: he sawe one of the Dyacons wiues geuing her young In­faunt sucke, and therewithall paring parsneppes for her Husbandes dynner, and thyrdly hearing another of her chil­dren recyting the Lordes Prayer, the ten commaundementes, and the articles of the Christian fayth.

Phillippe stoode styll, and with great admyration and pleasure, lystened vnto (as he was woont) the heauenly sounde of those swéete Chyldren, mindefull of that saying: Out of the mouthes of Psalm. 8. Babes and sucklings, hast thou ordained thy praise, that thou mightest styll the enimie, and the auenger: and therewith­all exclamed, O three vvorkes, so holie and acceptable vnto almightie God. So hee lefte them, and returned vnto his company exceeding merrye and cheere­full. Luther espying his gladsome coun­tenaunce, sayd thus vnto him. Phillippe howe commeth it to passe that you re­turne so ioyfull, that went out but euen nowe so sorrowfull? he answered. Let vs bee of good comfort: for I haue séene [Page] those that wyll fight for vs, and defende vs: Luther asked what where those stoute and valyant Captaines and soul­diers: Phillippe answered, the chaste wiues and vertuous Chyldren of godly men, whose earnest prayers I hearde right now, which God wyll accept with vigilaunt and carefull eares. For the lyuing and mercifull father of our Lord Iesus Christ, hath not hytherto dispised them: neither wyll he henceforth, as we trust stoppe his eares vnto them.

The holie scripture in many places maketh mencion of suche denoute wo­men and vertuous Children, as of My­riam the Prophetesse & syster of Aaron, Exod. 15. and all the women of Israell: who song prayses for theyr delyueraunce out of the lande of Egipte: And in lyke maner we reade of certaine good women, that serued at the doore of the Tabernacle, who gaue theyr glasses to make a La­uer of brasse for the Lorde. Such wo­men were Debora, and Iaell, by whome Exod. 38. the Tyraunt Sicera was ouerthrowne. And of lytle Children our sauiour saith: See that ye despise not these lytle ones: for I saye vnto you, that in heauen there Iudg 4. Math. 18. [Page] Angelles alwayes, behold the face of my Father who is in heauen. And of other Children aduaunsing and extolling his name before the Scribes and Pharisées and saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid. Math. 21 Which voyte being disdayned, by the obstinate Iewes: Our sauiour aunswe­red for them. Read ye neuer. By the Psal. 8. mouth of babes and sucklings, thou hast made perfite thy praise.

Finally we may right well accoumpt All the workes of God serue in this warfaire. the Sūne, Moone, & Starres, the Earth, Water, and Fyre, together with all the workes of Gods handes, Souldiers in this Armie and warfare: which doo not onely serue the needefull vse of man to his greate consolation: But also are readie at euerie becke and comman­dement of almightie God, to annoye and destroye the wycked and vngodlie. Those thinges therefore that I haue spoken of the Lorde GOD of Hostes, The vse of this doc­trine. and of his Armie haue two vses: Fyrst to confyrme and encorage the myndes of the godlye, in this warfare. Se­condarilie, to terrifie, caste downe and confounde the rebellyous and vngodly. [Page] Wherefore let vs ioyne and vnyte our selues in faith and obedience vnto this heauenlie Captaine Christe, and vnto his chaste and pure Angels: being assu­red that all those who serue in this ho­lye warfare with fayth and a good con­science: shall obtayne an euerlasting crowne, which our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus hath promised. For as the victo­rie is moste sure and certaine, through the blood of the Lambe, and the worde of his Testament: so all those who are sprynckled with this blood, (which thing is done when men beleeue in Christ. according to his worde) shall without all doubte recarie a glorious and tryum­phaunt victo­rie.

I Haue read, that The disci­pline of this warre and the armour. the fyrste lesson or rule, which a young souldiour is commaunded to ob­serue: is to prepare his shéelde or Tar­gette, and then his sworde: And in skir­mishes, not that mā sustained a rebuke, that let his sworde fall: but his buckler: and the reason is that menne ought to haue fyrste and chiefe care to defende themselues, and then, to strycke and o­uerthrowe their aduersaries. So that in temporall warres armour is of two sorts: the one to defend our selues the o­ther to defend the enemie. Euē so in this Two sorts of armour. spirituall warrefare the worde of God maketh often and large rehersal, of two sorte of armour of Artilarye, of a Chri­stain [Page] man. The Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Saint Paule séeme most dyli­gently and of purpose, to haue handled this matter: out of whom I wyl gather so much as shalbe appertayning vnto this matter. The Apostle therefore ac­coūpteth Ephe. 6. 1. Tessa. 5. fiue wherwith faythful mē de­fend themselues, verely a Girdle, a brest plate, Shooes, a sheelde, and an Helmet. The ar­mour ap­poynted by the Apo­stle.

The gyrdle was vsed in warfare not onely to tye and girde faste the gar­ments together, but also to defende the lower partes of mans body: for it was full of ringes, or studs of brasse. This girdle he calleth the Trueth, being the vnderstanding of true doctrine, whiche is the knowledge of the liuing God, and of our iustification in Iesus Christe. That we may therefore stande faste, a­gainste the assaultes of the deuill, wée must gird our selues with Truth, which is as it were an Armory of all the rest: The girdle of truth. whereof if men bee destitute, therefo­loweth ignoraunce of God, and dublica­tions of his prouidence, whereby in a moment they fal into ruine and distruc­tion. For we reade of Saule, that when he had loste this gyrdle of Trueth: hée [Page] fell into fearefull pauors, and murdred himselfe, and therefore Dauid prayeth Psa. 119. earnestly saying, Thy worde is a lan­terne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes. And this gyrdle serueth also to another ende verely, that no man should giue ouer much vnto his owne liberty, neither yéelde himself to the sweete in­tisements of Sathan, and so eyther laye snares for himselfe, or cherishe a deadly enimie at home. For hereof commeth the admonition of Christ. If thy righte Math. 5. eye cause thee to offende plucke it out, and caste it from thee: for better it is for thee to haue one of thy members perish, then that thy vvhole bodie shoulde bee east into hell. And in another place hee sayeth Let your loynes begyrte. The Luk. 12. Loynes in the bodie, are the couples of y ^e inferior & superior members: and therin the beginning of ryotusnesse is thought to be. To gyrde our Loynes therfore is to brydle lust, & al other vyces, to decline Psa. 29 from euyll, and to do that which is good.

The breast plate is the defence of the breast, which hee tearmeth the Breast The brest plate of Righteous­nesse. plate of righteousnes: that is to sa [...]e, reconciliation with God, and th [...] [Page] of a good Conscience: for both these are so coupled together, y ^e one cannot be with­out the other, as the Apostle excellentlie vniteth them: Eight a good fight, hauing 1. Tim. 1. faith, and a good conscience, vvhich some haue put awaye, and as concerning faith, haue made shipwracke. And again our reioysing is this, The testimony of a 2. Cor. 1. good Cōscience, that is in simplicity, and godly purenes. The matter goeth verie hardlie with vs, if our owne conscience fight against vs, & hope of reconciliation through Christ be wāting vnto vs. For then aryseth byting & vexation of mind, trembling & feare: wherof ensueth diffi­dence & distrust, & finally eternall death. Wherof Christ our sauiour doth admo­nish vs, That our loynes be gyrte about, and our lyghts burning, and that the same Luk. 12. shold so shine before men, that they may see our good workes, and glorifie our fa­ther Math. 5. which is in heauen.

The thyrde kinde of defending Ar­mour are Shooes, which signifie our profession: or rather they dyrect and go­uerne The shoes of Peace. our professiō, that we intermed [...] not with thinges that appertaine no­thing vnto vs. Neither is there any [Page] kinde of temptation more vsuall & dan­gerous: then when Sathan our capytall enimye, draweth vs from our professi­on to things impertynent, and vnneces­sarie. Which peruerse inclynation is almost naturally bredde with vs: wher­of the verie Panims séemed not to bee ignoraunt: whyles one of them sayde. That a great part of our tyme passeth a­way in doing nothing, a greater parte in Seneca Epist. 1. doing euyl, & the greatest part in doing those thinges that are besides our calling. A Christian souldiour may not therfore breake his araye and order, but doo the workes of his office & calling, and abide in that roome wherein God hath placed him. By mans féete y ^e scripture vnder­stādeth oftentymes his carnall affectiōs & desires. The meaning therefore of the Apostle is, that we should well defend & keepe them vnder: that they leade vs not captiues to terrene & earthly things, but that we may be prepared for the gospell of peace, which proclaimeth an vniuer­sall Rom. 5. et. 12. peace vnto both, betweene God and man, and also betwene man and man.

The fowrth kinde of Armour, is the The shielde of faith. shéelde, which is fayth, and hath there­fore [Page] that name, bicause it fyrmelie ap­prehendeth Gods promises in Christ, & beateth backe all the fierie dartes of the deuyll. For as the worldlie souldiour holdeth his shéelde, before his bodie, so the spirituall warrier proposeth Gods goodnesse and mercie: and concludeth ac­cording to his promise, that God careth for his faithfull seruantes, that he re­specteth them, and wyll defende them, as the Prophete sayth. The Lorde wyll Psa. 5. blesse the righteous, and with fauour wyll compas him as with a sheelde And vpon this grounde, hee comfortablie conclu­deth in another place. The workes of his handes are trueth and iudgement, and al Psa. 111. his commaundementes are faithfull con­firmed for euer. In the dayes of Ezechi­as, when Hierusalem was besieged, the minde of the good King was vexed, and assaulted with many fierie dartes of the deuyll: and he was enforced to heare the blasphemies of Rabsaces against the ly­uing God. But hee fledde to Gods Esa. 36. promises vttered vnto him by the holye Prophets: and so opposed a vndoubting faith, against all those mightie tempta­tions: assuring himselfe y ^e God knoweth [Page] his owne shéepe, and that no power shal Iohn. 10. Math. 1 be able to wring them out of his hande: and that hee wyll be present with them euen vnto the ende of the worlde.

Wee must also haue an Helmette The Hel­met of sal­uation. to defende our selues with all: for the e­nimie doth especiallie seeke to hytte and hurte our heade, and therefore we must put on a Helmette; euen the helmette of Saluation. This is also named the Hope 1. Tes. 5. of Saluation: for that as in this present lyfe, wee receyue Gods promises, and applie them vnto vs by faith: euen so is hope a stedfast wayting of delyueraunce out of these worldlie myseries. In this hope Saint Paule fought a good fyght. 2. Tim. 4. And hope of eternall lyfe is the ground of all consolations, and therefore it is aptlie called an Helmette. Those there­fore that come into the fielde with this Armour, gette the victorie: and such as are without this, eyther fight not at al, or else are easily and soone ouerthrowne: Hope doeth excéedinglie comfort vs, a­mongst Hope. the myseries, and troubles of this worlde, and commaundeth vs to be of good corage, in hope of the glorie in the lyfe to come. And as the Apostle [Page] sayeth: Suffereth vs not to be ashamed. With this Helmette Saint Stephen ar­med Rom. 5. his heade, when hee was stoned. And with the same were all holy Mar­tyrs armed, who susteyned with inuin­cible Act. 7. patience, the sharpe and bitter tor­ments, of cruell Tyrauntes, hoping for the euerlasting Crowne of glory, which God hath promised to all such as perse­uere faithfull vnto the ende.

The profite of this doctrine consisteth The vse & applica­tion of this doctrine. in a spiritual application. As the Sheeld therefore, doeth not onely defende the heade, but also other partes of the body: euen so true fayth, doeth not onelye strengthen the minde, but confirmeth all other Christian vertues. For fayth is ground of our Religion, and hath his place also throughout the whole buyl­ding: And whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne. It is the instrument whereby faythfull men repell all the fierie dartes of the deuyll: as the holie Apostle and Euangelist wryteth. This is your victo­rie. 1. Iohn. 5. vvhich ouercommeth the vvorlde, e­uen your faith. So that whyles fylthie lustes and vaine pleasures do inuade vs on the one syde: and carkes and cares on [Page] the other syde, or else when the spirite of error bloweth in our tyckle eares. All these thinges I saye, wee shall easilie auoyde & withstande: if we heare Gods worde often tymes, if we arme vs with fayth: And it is truelie sayde of an aun­cient Clement. alex. lib. 5. Father. That through faith in the daye of doome, vvee auoyde many sinnes.

And these are those kindes of Armour The ar­mour of defence. wherewithall, we couer and defend our selues: now the Apostle specyfieth, those wherewith we offende our enemyes. And as those sortes of armour spoken of alredie, are not of iron, and brasse, but spirituall, as Trueth, Iustice, Faith, and Hope, is euen so to vanquishe the ene­mie, our armour is not carnall but spi­rituall. And of that kinde hée nameth The sword of the spi­rit. fyrste the sworde of the spirite, because the holy ghoste is working through the worde. For the worde of God is effectu­all, Heb. 4. and more pearcing then any two eg­ged sworde. And againe the Gospell is Rom. 1. the powre of saluation to euery one that beleeueth. This word our sauior Christ vsed againste the Deuill, and ouercome Math. 4. him. Let vs then be armed after the ex­ample [Page] of Christe, not onely against spi­rituall temptations, but also againste heretickes as Maniches, Arrians and A­nabaptists: who are put to flight by the worde of God. This spirituall sworde must be sharpened with daylie medita­tions, hearing and learning of Gods worde, and must all wayes be redie and in our hande: which as an auncient Fa­ther saith, Deuideth that parte of the soule vvhich serueth affections, and mor­tyfieth Basili. Mag. the lustes of concupisence.

The other Armour wherewith wee encounter and vanquish the enimie, is Praier. dayly and ardent Prayer, whereby not onelie the power of sathan, but also the cruell malice of tyrauntes, is restrayned and brydled. This must therefore be ad­ded as the perfection of the rest: wherein we desyre of God that he woulde assyst vs in this conflyct, and geue vs courage and victorie: according to his owne pre­cept and promise. Call vpon me in the day of thy tribulation, I wyll heare thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. And againe: Psa. 50. Hee shall call vpon me, and I wyll heare him, and delyuer him, and wyll shewe Psal. 90. vnto him my saluation. So Christ in [Page] that his agonie, a lyttle before hee suffe­red his Passion, wherein hee had a ter­ribie conflicte with sinne, and Gods in­dignation, prayeth most earnestlie, and exhorteth his Apostles to watch & praie. Which kinde of worshippe and seruice, is so acceptable to God: that euen when Ioh. 18. we beginne our Prayer, it is by and by hearde. For so sayth the Angell: From the beginning of thy prayers the vvorde Dan. 9. vvent out, and I am come to shew it vnto thee. And, It shall come to passe that be­fore Esa. they call vpon mee, I vvyll heare them. Upon which sentence, two lear­ned men commencing, haue vttred two comfortable sentences. The one sayth thus: God is allvvaies more desirous to Taulerus. Hieron. giue then man to receyue the other. God giueth allvvaies more liberally then man desireth, as vve may see in the penitent theefe, vvhose prayer vvas that Christe Luke. vvould remember him vvhen he came in­to his kingdome, and receyueth a grati­ous aunsvvere, that he shoulde be with him that daye in Parradise. Let man therfore be ashamed of his sluggishnes: seeing God wyll giue more then man would receyue, and more pittieth his [Page] miserie, then himselfe calleth for his helpe and mercie. Hytherto haue you hearde howe the Apostle Saint Paule an experte souldiour, or rather a Cap­taine vnder Christe, woulde haue the Christian man, to be appointed and ar­med, in this spirituall warfare.

Nowe let vs consider also, howe the Howe Da­uid would haue his souldiour furnished. other Captaine Dauid trayneth vp his you [...] souldiour: and after what sort hee p [...]tcheth his Campe, and ordreth his batrayle. And we ought to be the more attentiue herein: for that of his owne experience he founde, and tryed his Ar­mour to be of proofe, and such as coulde not be pierced. Besides that he was not onlie a Prophete, but also a Prince, and King, inferior to none in temporall bat­tayles: For his Ancient once displayed in the fielde, he neuer turned his backe, or gaue grounde vnto the enimie: Hee forsawe daungers, had a present minde in perylles: hee was fierce in fight, and mercifull in victorie. And in all these thinges it was his chiefe prayse, that he fought Bella domini, The Lords warres. But as hee was notable that waye, so was he an Artificer (and as they say) his [Page] Craftsemaister, in spirituall warfare: wherein he susteyned so many tempta­tions and assaultes of sathan, and so of­ten caryed away victorie through Gods assistaunce: that next after Iob, I maye place him the seconde Captaine vnder Christes banner. And albeit there maye at the first sight, séeme to be some diuer­sitie betwéene the holy Apostle, and him touching their Armour and weapons: Yet wee must remember the occasion thereof, to bee the sundrie sleyghtes and The cause of some dissimili­tude, be­tweene Paule and Dauids Armour. craftie pollicies of sathan, rather then the dissenting mindes of these spirituall warriours. For the deuyll vseth not al­wayes one kind of weapon, & maner of warre: but hath his dayly deuises to in­uade the faithful: he must therfore be en­countred lykewise w ^e store of weapons, and varietie of armour, if we meane to gette the victorie. In olde time the black Byll, and Bowe, bare the price in bat­tayles: but nowe the Gonne and Pyke, are better lyked. These two Captaines therfore are no more blame worthie, in furnishing Christes seruitors with suf­ficiencie of Artyllarie: then a temporall Prince, who opening his Armorie, wyl­leth [Page] his souldiours to make their choyse of such weapons and armour, as maye séeme fyttest and commodious for theyr strength and abilitie. And if there bee any difference in theyr preceptes tou­ching this matter, it consisteth chiefly in this poynt. That the Apostle kindlesh mans industrie, the Prophete calleth to our remembraunces Gods prouidencie, the Apostle calleth for the labour & work of man, the Prophet encourageth the same in the power of God, the Apostle sheweth how the Lorde blesseth the tra­uailes of his Childrē in mercy, the Pro­phete openeth howe God tryumpheth ouer his enimies in his myghtye ma­iestie.

And although as I sayde before the temptations of Sathan the veration of Gods seruants, and his present aide, are dispersed lyke swéete spice throughout all the Psalmes: yet he séemeth of pur­pose, to haue handled this matter in one place, where he also numbreth two kinds of Armour the one defending our selues, the other offending the enemie. Of the firste sorte are those whiche the Psal. 91. Who so dwelleth. &c. holye ghoste nameth. The winges of [Page] God, the worde of the Lorde, and the knowledge of his holye name. For thus he sayth. 1. He will couer thee with his vvinges. 2. His trueth shalbe thy The ar­mour ap­pointed by the Pro­phet Dauid. shield and buckler. 3. I vvill defende him because he hath knovven my name: For about the Cittie of God, where sin­cere doctrine is deliuered, with fruit re­ceyued, and sacramentes rightlie admi­nistred: Gods Angels pitch their campe and builde such high walles that no Ti­rant is able to scale thē, or with gunnes to batter them. That Cyttie is couered and shadowed by almighty God: euen as an henne hideth her chickens vnder The Lord couereth his church. her winges according to that saying of the Prophēt. I vvill defende this Cittie. Almightie God therefore draweth the Esa. 37. Curtayne & casteth a cloke as it were o­uer that Citie, that no stormes, tempest nor rayne shall fall vpon it: or if it so doo, it shall turne to the profitte and be­nefit of the godly: and to the trouble and ruine of the vngodlie, as the historie of M. Aurelius Antonius, surnamed the Philosopher plainly declareth. This Examples. Emperour had warres againste the [Page] Marcomanes and Quades, which people are named at this day Morauians, & Sy­lecians: & in his armie there serued a Le­gion of Christians, who were of the Ile of Malta, where Saint Paule preached the gospell. This Legion dyd not onely serue with swoorde, but fought with prayer. For when many of the Horse­men and Horses peryshed for wante of water, this Legion tooke a publique fast vpon them with prayer: humblie cra­uing at Gods hande rayne, and a happie ende of the warre. And immediatlye there arose a myghtie storme and tem­pest: whereby God gaue both great store of raine to the Romane armie: and cast downe lyghtening and thunder­boltes vpon the Morauians and Quades. The Romane armie therfore was coue­red vnder Gods wings: & the other were terryblie ouerthrowne and destroied.

The other sorte of Armour whereby the violence & force of our enimies are broken and beaten backe, are named in this Psalme. 1. Desires of God. 2. And The de­sires and clamors of the op­pressed. the clamours or cryes of the oppressed. For he sayeth: Bicause he hath loued mee, or desired mee, therefore vvyll I de­lyuer [Page] him: there shall no euyll come vnto thee, neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle. These Armours proceede from a pure harte, and true faith, kindled by the holy ghost, through the sounde of his worde: which doo euen enforce, and after a sorte compell, our heauenly Captaine, to succour and de­fende vs. And when he commeth out of his Chamber: hee is not vnfurnished of Armour and Artyllarie: for he hath fa­mine, pestilence, thunderboltes, hayle­stones, vehement blasts of winde, mun­dations of waters, the sounde of Trum­pettes, and other infinite terrors. The Lorde dyd helpe Titus Vespasianus in T. Ʋes­patian. the besiege of Ierusalem, not onely with the sworde: but with famine and pesti­lence: insomuch that when Titus him selfe had taken the Cittie, and sawe the Munition, Bulwarkes, and Trenches made for their defence in the Cittie: hee eryed out with great admyration, say­ing. VVe haue foughten, God assisting vs and it was he that drewe the Ievves from their holdes and defences.

When Antiochus in his pride sayde Antiochus that he would make Ierusalem an heap [Page] of graues, & vtterlie destroye the Iewes that beléeued in God: he was sodainlie stricken with tormentes, and wringing of intestines: insomuch that lyfe increa­sed 2. Mac [...] 9. in his bodie, which by little and little rotted awaye, and annoyed the whole armie with a poysenous odour & stincke: and so God stryke the Philistians, with Emrodes and a flyxe, because they tooke the Arke of the Lorbe from the 1. Sam. 6 chyldren of Israell. The Marcomanes, and Quades, as I saide before, were de­stroyed The ele­men [...]s fight in Gods cause with lyghtning & thunderbolts. And so the Lorde rayned downe greate haylestones from heauen, vpon the fiue kinges of the Amorites, that a great deale moe perished that way: then with Iosu 10. the swoorde of the chyldren of Israell: Hereof commeth that sētence of Sirache: Fire, hayle, famine, death, al these are pre­pared for vengeaunce. And in another Sirac. 40. place. They fought from heauen against them, the starres fought against Sycera. Iud. 5. So Theodosius the Emperour fighting against Eugenius and Arbogastus, was Claudia­mus. holpen with vehement blasts of winde, which blewe mightily against the Infi­delles. The windes are also created to Sirac. 40. [Page] hurt and to reuenge. Pharao with his Exodus. Horsemen and Chariots were drowned in the red sea.

By the hands of those noble women, Examples. Debora, Iael, and Iudith, hee slewe those cruell Tyrants, Sycera and Holofernus. With Kinges, and bryddled those two bloodie men, Saule and Sennacherib, were drawne from pursuing, and besieging good Dauid and Ezechias. With the sounde of Trumpettes, and lyghtes of Lampes, God scattered the great armie Iud. 7. of the Madeanites: So that the saying of Sophocles is verie true. VVhen God The Lord somtime suffereth cowerdes to vanqishe the val­liant. punisheth, the cowarde vanquisheth the hardie souldiour. And all these sortes of armor wherwithal the wicked men are put to flight: are named by the Prophet Dauid, with one worde, The hande of the Lorde. For the Lorde destroyeth his enimies, eyther immediatlie by him These ar­mour are generally termed the hand of the Lorde. selfe: or immediatly by Angelles & men. So the Angell of the Lorde slewe in the Assirian Campe, one hundred, fow [...]e score, and fiue thousande. He ouerthrew Nero by goastes and fearefull sightes. By the handes of the Kinges of Persia, Esa. 37. hee tooke Valerianus the Emperour, a [Page] cruell persecutour of his Churche, and caused his skinne whyles he was a lyue to be stripped of. But Dauid being a man but of a meane proporcion, he kyl­led Goliath of a huge and monstrous stature.

All those therefore that wyll gette the Prayer and sworde are to be con­ioyned in battell. victorie in battayle, must fight with prayer and sworde. For to vse the sworde without prayer, what other thing is it but a poynt of arogant follie? Such a man was Aiax, who at his go­ing into warfare, was admonished god­lie by his Father, that hee shoulde fyght the Gods assysting him: who answered. O father the Gods helpe cowards and da­stardes, but I vvyll vanquish my enimies vvith my owne hande, vvithout the aide Examples. of the Gods: But there fell vengeance vpon him, for this hautines of stomack: for hee was strycken with a frenesie, wherein he murdred him selfe. The example therefore of Dauid is rather to be folowed, who encountring Goliath, sayde: I come vnto thee in the name of the lyuing God. And in another place: Psal. 144. Blessed be the Lord my God, vvho tea­cheth my handes to battaile, and my fin­gers [Page] to fight. Wherein he giueth vs to vnderstande, that valiauntnesse and co­rage in warre, and pollicie therein, is in the godlie, and heauenlie gyfte. Wee learne not onelie in holie scripture, but in prophane wryters: that good euent and victorie in battayle, dependeth vpon the pleasure of almightie God, and not in the multytude and strength of souldi­ours. For Demostenes repeateth verie often this sentence. That the euent of Zenoph. in paedia Cyri. vvarres are gouerned from aboue. And Cyrus was wont to say vnto his souldi­ours. You know that victory in warre is gotten, neither vvith multitude, nor with strength of men: but such as are assisted by the Gods, are not by any meanes to be resisted of the aduersarie.

Againe to fight with prayer without Armour not to be refused. the sworde, is the poynt of cowardes, and rashbraynes, who sitte ydle at home moumbling praiers onely and reicet or­denarie means appointed and comaun­ded by God. Many there be also that be­ing verie foole hardie obiect themselues, without defence into perrills: againste whome that saying of Saint Augustine August. is to be remembred. All thinges ought to [Page] be done which may godly, by wisdome be practised to auoide perilles: yea, euen when God is most assuredly on our sides. And againe: If thou doo not decline August. daungers, as much as lyeth in thy power: thou doest rather tempte, then trust in Howe men temp God rather then trust in him. God. Let these things I saye, admonish vs to auoyde snares and perylles, with good counsayle, consonaunt to Gods holy wyll: and let vs take good héede that we aduenture not our selues vnaduisedlye, to thraldome and miserie.

In tyme of warre therefore let vs vnytte and lyuke togeather prayer and Eternall meanes and instru­ments are by no meanes to be contem­ned. swoorde: In tyme of Pestilence, let vs call on God, and vse preseruatiues and curatiues: let vs not without vrgent oc­casion go into infected places: He that loueth daunger, shall perish therein. For although Gedeon had a commaundemēt of God: to pull downe the Alter of Baall, and to cutte downe the Groue nigh vn­to the same: Yet to auoyde daunger Iud. 6 which might aryse in the daye tyme vn­to him, being but one: hée tooke vnto him Examples. tenne of his seruauntes, and executed that commaundement in the night sea­son. And Daniell dyd not breake the Dan. 6. [Page] kinges commaundement mallapartlie, in the myddle of the stréete, but went into his Chamber and prayed. Tobias Tob. 1, buryed the dead bodyes, not in the daye, but in the night season. And so Ezechias albeit he receyued a cōfortable answere of his recouerie: yet notwithstanding, Esa. 28. the Prophete Esai commaundeth him to laye a Figge leafe vnto his soore.

Our Lorde and sauiour being able without any externall meane to cure all Mark. 7. disseases and defectes: Yet hee sighing and grooning, cast by his eyes towardes heauen, and touched the tongue of the domme. And in that great storme wher­in Saint Paul and his company in their voyage to Rome: when an Angell had assured him of his life, and all those that were with him: yet when the Marry­ners were about to flée out of the shippe, and in a lyttle boate to rowe vnto the shoare: Saint Paul cryeth out and sayth, Vnlesse these men abyde in the shippe, Act. 27. you can not be safe. These examples ought to be set before our eyes, whereby we may be moued in case of necessitie to conioyne prayer with lawfull meanes, that wee maye auoyde and withstande [Page] perylles and daungers. Let vs then gyrde our weapons about vs, but let vs praye to almightie. God to dyrecte our handes and fingers: let vs also flye vnto Psa. 144. those for succour, that can with theyr worde and déede vnder God reléeue vs: as many pressed with persecution vnder Licinius, fledde to Constantine for helpe. Let vs in the tyme of plague and pesti­lence, call vpon the sonne of God, the true and perfyte Phisition: and there­withall séeke the counsayle of the lear­ned, godlie, and honest Phisition: and yet notwithstanding, all our trust and confidence ought to be onely setled and reposed, in the lyuing God.

THe holy ghoste in the forenamed Psalme Isa. 91. affyrmeth that those men only may fréely and safe­ly, without feare or shame, haue accesse, vnto this heauenly Capitayne: VVho dwell in the secret of the moste high, and abide in the shadowe of the almightye: That is to saye that haue a roome or place in the house of y ^e Lord and Church of Christe. Out of which station and Who those be that ob­teyne vic­tory. place no man may without perril of his own life depart, or haue any conference with the enemy. But he must harken to the worde and commaundement of his Capitayne onely, hee muste knowe his name he must perfytly knowe the bad­ges [Page] and tokens giuen out by his Cap­taine, to discrie the enimie: He ought to haue recourse to this his master in all distresse: and in the name of his sonne Christe to craue remission and forgeue­nesse of sinnes, to haue constant faith, and fyrme hope in him alone, which suf­fereth not a man to be ashamed neither to come to confusion. To suche a man The Lord defendeth the faithful man an all that he hath. and to no other sayth the holy ghost that this victory and conquest apperteyneth: because hee is shaddowed vnder Gods winges, so that no euill can come nighe him neither touch his house, his famely, his cattell, nor his ground, as Moyses to mans great comforte writeth after this maner. And the haile smote throughout the Land of Egipt al that was in the feeld, Exod. 9. both man and beasts: also the haile smote all the herbes of feelde, and brake to pee­ces al the trees of the feelde. Onely in the Lande of Goshen, (where the children of Israell were) was no hayle: Where vn­to consenteth Dauid saying, The Lorde saueth both man and beast. Psa. 36.

Surely the Children of Israell and al that is theirs: that is to say the true and liuely members of Christ, with all their [Page] goods, are vnder the wings of the Lord, A spirituall application in the custody and Tutele of his Angels, in whose hands they are borne: whiles they walke in Gods wayes, and doo the workes of their vocation. Which ad­dition is especially to bee remembred: For there are manie in the shadowe of the Churche, that pollute themselues a­gainst their conscience with many grée­uous offences and busie themselues in other mens matters, and presumptu­ously obiect themselues againste great daungers, tempting almightie God. But these men kéepe not the heauenly We may not busie our selues in those matters which ap­perteyne not vnto vs. Examples. 2. Para. 16. discipline of this warrefare, albeit out­wardly they make a shewe that they be souldiers vnder this Capitayne. King Osias contrary to his vocatiō went into the Church to offer sacrifice, he was not couered vnder Gods wings, but striken with an incurable Leprosie. The sonnes of Aaron were not kept by the Angels, but in the sight of the Lord were killed, for laying straunge fyre vpon the Aul­ter, Num. 16. so Chore, Dathan and Abiron were swalowed vp quicke into the earth. Ab­solon walking in his owne wayes, was 2. Sa. 18. myserablie hanged by the hayre.

This victorie therefore properlie ap­pertayneth Euery man ought to keepe his place in this battell. vnto those who abide vnder Gods winges, walke in his wayes, doo the workes of their vocation in true re­pentaunce and fayth, are content with their estate, which they labour to adorne and bewtifie and auoyde sinnes of pre­sumption & against the conscience. Such men are not only partakers of this glo­rious victorie, but also sée oftentymes the fall of those Tyrauntes, that with The godly often times beholde the [...] of the [...]. sworde and fyre persecuted them for the profession of the gospell: So Noha sawe the wycked men in the firste age drow­ned with the floode: who had long moc­ked and laughed him to scorne. Loth sawe the fearfull destruction of Sodome. The children of Israel with their owne eyes, behelde the army of Pharao, drow­ned in the red sea. Dauid saw the distruction of Saul and of many other his eni­mies, so Mardocheus behelde Hamon, & Iohn the Euangliste Cernithus the here­ticke. Many godly Christians sawe the destruction of that bloodye Tyraunte Maxentius. Didimus Bishoppe of Alexādria, sawe in his dreame the death of Iulian the Reneger: Alexander Bis­shop [Page] of Cōstantinople, with many other faithfull men, saw howe Arius y ^e damp­ned heretique perished terribly, but worthily. And examples in all tymes and a­ges plainly verify that saying of Dauid. Doubltes with thy eies thou shalt behold Psa. 91. and see the reward of the wicked. This is verilye no small comfort that the ho­lie ghost, doeth succour and releeue, all such as are oppressed, for the profession of the gospell. And that we who are op­pressed of tyrauntes, shall see in this life theyr ruine and fall: or if that come not alwayes to passe in this worlde: yet without all doubte, wee shall see their eternall obiection and condempnation, which farre passeth all worldlye paine and punishment. For there can bee no conuenient proportion, or comparison betweene thinges finite, and infinite, temporall and eternall.

But heere aryseth a question, and a An obiecti­on, howe doth God presecue his chosen: seeing we see them dayly murdered. great scruple, in mennes mindes, howe this promise of the holy ghoste can bee true: That no euyll shall come nigh the godly, nor his familie: but that they shalbe shadowed, vnder Gods winges, and kept by his holy Angels. For both [Page] many examples in the holye scripture and dayly experience teacheth: that the most excellent lyghtes, and members of Christes church, are first and most com­monlie taken away with sworde, fyre, pestilence, and other plagues and mis­chiefes. Abell dwelling vnder the sha­dowe of the highest, beleeuing in Christ and walking in his wayes: was mur­dred of his wicked, and vnnaturall bro­ther Caine. Ioseph from his chyldhoode, Examples. fearing the Lorde, and doing the worke of his vocation, is solde by his brethren into Egipte, & was there without cause imprisoned. Esaias the Prophet in whome was many excellent gyftes, wherewithall he gouerned the Church, was cutte in two peeces by the tyraunt Manasses. Apries king of Egipt, cau­sed Ieremy to be stoned to death. Herode cutte of Iohn Baptist heade: then whom there was no greater amongst y ^e sonnes of women. Nero caused Saint Paule to be crucified. And the cruell tyrannie of Diocletian, Maximanus, and Maximi­nus, murdred in one moneth, seuenteene thousād Christians, bicause they would not offer sacrifice, to the Idolles of the [Page] Panims. Nowe when carnall reason considereth these, & such lyke examples, it begynneth to doubte of Gods proui­dence, & of his promises touching mans protection and defence: wherof I speake somewhat, in my Booke intytuled, The armour of proofe: But because it is ve­rie pertinent to this tractation, I wyll handle the matter more perticularlie, & largelie in this place.

If (say they) God doth protect and de­fend his seruauntes vnder his winges, and keepeth them by his holy Angelles: why then are there many thousandes, of those that serue God sincerely, and call vpon him earnestly, either murdred cruelly, or spoiled miserablie, or drawne into heauie bondage, vvhere they serue barbarous & godles people painefully. And heare I haue good occasion to speak generally, of the causes of persecutions, againste the Church of God: but I will kéepe my self within compas, & deduce my Reader to y ^e consideratiō of those things, which are most needful for these troublesom times. Aunswere to the ob­iection. I wyl first speake of y ^e sartenty of Gods promises whiche are in the obiection in­fyrmed and weakened. I say therefore [Page] that these promises of God made to his Churche are not therefore frustrate be­cause Howe Gods pro­mises are to be vn­derstoode. throughout all times, some mem­bers thereof perrishe. For the body of the Church is preserued and shall conti­newe vntyll the ende of the worlde all­though some bowghes and Braunches be cut of: and albeit some of the souldi­ers of this armye fall with sworde, (as oftentimes it cōmeth to passe that both the godly and vngodly perish together) yet other souldiers by and by succéede in their places who fight manfully for the lawe and for the congregations. This heauenly capitaine, the sonne of God, shall alwayes haue a strong army, all­though the number be somtime more sumtime lesse. No infernall power shal preuaile against this whole armie wherin if peraduenture there bee some, as fearfull as hayres, or hartes: yet the ca­pitaine hath the hart of a Lion, and is therefore called the Lion of the tribe of Iuda. And if he doo not saue his armie, by those meanes which humaine reason deuiseth and liketh, or at such tyme as we desire, or by those noble men, who wee suppose to be wise & strong ynough [Page] for such a matter. This therefore com­meth to passe that men may vnderstand, euen by vse & experience, that the church is not defended by mans strength, but by the liuing God, according to that sen­tence. Psal. 44. Leaste you should say our handes haue donne it.

Secondarely we ought to knowe, that Gods pro­mises of temporall [...]nges include a condition. vnto Gods promise, of temporall bles­sings, there is alwayes annixed a con­dition, or an exception, of temporall af­fliction: which is a companion, or way­tinḡ seruant vnto the milytant Church. For assuredly, there are thrée thinges, that are linked together, in a true Chri­stian, one Faith, Confession, and Perse­cution. He that will follow mée, let him take vppe his crosse, that is, let him per­seuer vnto the ende, in fayth hope and patience. The world and deuill do hate those most vehementlye, that folowe Christ: but in the myddle of theyr for­mentes, their fayth is so kindled, and their strength and patience confirmed, by the holie ghost: that the hotest flames of fire make them shrinke no more, then if they were beaten with a f [...]ther. Ma­ny of vs haue séene with our eyes, and [Page] those that haue not séene, maye reade in the booke of Martyrs: of the constancie and patience, of Christes seruantes, in the flames of fyre, so straunglye, and aboue all humane strength, that they wearied and appaled the cruell tormen­tors. For when some of them vntyed, stoode styll, whyles their handes bur­ned in the fyre: and othersome lynked faste in the chaine, and the fyre feeding and consuming theyr bodies, casting vppe their handes, and eyes towarde Heauen, and neuer struglyng: what doeth it shew? but eyther a sencelesnesse of payne, or an heauenlie gyfte of tol­lerancie, and patience. Peruse that notable storie of the mother and her se­uen Sonnes, suffering Martyrdome, and you shall see that Antiochus was 2. Mac 7. ouercome, ashamed and wearyed, with tormenting: whiles the seruaunts of GOD, ouercame, reioysed, and endu­red. The Hystorie as it is memo­rable, so is it confyrmed by experience in this our age, whyles many weake Women, with more then manlye sto­mackes, endured wyllinglie and cheere­fullie greate paynes, and tormentes, [Page] wherein that speach of our sauior Christ is verifyed: My power is made perfecte 2. Cor. 12. through weaknes.

This mightie operation, of the ho­lye An euident proofe of the certent of Christi­an Reli­gion. ghoste in the deathes, and sufferings of his Saintes: is one of the vndoub­ted testimonies, which the auncient Fa­thers haue vsed, as an euident demon­stration, to proue the certainty of Chri­stian Religion: in that the holy ghost is giuen into mennes hartes, to breede, and kyndle diuine flames of consola [...]i­on, which can not bee quenched with the myghtye flooddes of Persecution, whereof the Apostle speaketh: You haue receyued the spirite of adoption of Rom. 8. sonnes, vvhereby vve call Abba Father, this spyrite giueth testimony vnto our spirite, that vvee are the sonnes of God. These things we finde true indéede, in dolours and paines, when we heare the sounde of the gospell, wherein the sonne of God, sheweth vnto vs the will of his Father, confirmeth our assent and per­swasion, and also powreth the holy spi­rit into our hartes, whereby we féele and cast an heauenly ioye, rest in peace, flye not from God but lyke sonnes call [Page] vpon him in our distresse. Surely this stoutnessē of minde, in men, wherby they triumphe, euen in death, is an eui­dent testimonie, that they are the chil­dren of God.

Somtime also the Lorde sheweh his The Lord delyuereth his ser­uants som­tyme my­raculously. helping hande in the extréeme néede and distresse of his seruaunts. For moste myraculously he deliuered the three chil­dren in the fiery fornace, Daniell in the Lyons denne, and Peter out of Prison: Wee reade also of a Bisshoppe in the Cittie Nilopolis, named was one Che­remon: Phil. Me­lanct. in valerian. Eusebius. lib 6. cap. 34. Sirca an­num di­um. 260. who being dryuen into eryle, and banishment, with a great company of the Christians: was not able with his Wyfe to goe any farther, by reason of their olde age: and therefore in the sight of the multytude, hee and his wife were taken vp into Heauen. So that the honour and glorie of the Churche, then especiallie appeareth, and shyneth eyther when men with inuinsible cou­rage, doo without murmuring, and dis­payre, tollerate most painful forments, or are at the last myraculouslie delyue­red.

In these matters therefore we must Now God and deuill beholde the deathes of the god­ly but di­uerslye. [Page] open, not the eyes of Reason, but of Fayth, not the sence of the fleshe, but of Gods spyrite is to bee considered. I graunt that it is a ioyfull spectacle to the deuyll, to beholde A bell murdered, Iob afflycted, Daniell caste vnto the Ly­ons, and Stephen stoned. But I saye, the viewe thereof is more acceptable to God: VVho vvitnesseth that the death of his Sainctes is precious in his syght: But not in respect of the payne, but of the euent. Both God and deuyll be­holde the tormentes of the godlie, but with dyuerse affectes and counsayles. For God permy [...]eth his Saintes to be afflycted of his meere goodnesse, but the deuyll desyreth it in malyce: God to crowne them, the deuyll to confounde them: God as a Father, the deuyll as a tyraunt and hangman: God doeth it for the glorie of Saintes, the deuyll for theyr ignominie. Of these causes Augusti. Saint Augustine wryteth thus. Euery vvycked person hath vvyll to him of himselfe, but power by Gods dispen [...] on only: he is permitted to preuayle a­gainst some [...] punish them, against others to proue them, and against other [Page] some to crowne them. Straūgers were permytted to punishe the Chyldren of Israell, bicause they had offended a­gainst God. The dyuell was permyf­ted to proue and trye Iob, but him selfe was confounded. Persecutours afflic­ted holy Martyrs, but to their crowne and victorie. The holie wytnesses and Martyrs of God, therefore are more happie in their tormentes, then mygh­tye Princes in their pleasures, for as Saint Augustin beareth witnesse. Men of this worlde are happie vnhappilye: But Martyrs are vnhappy happelie: they were vnhappie temporallie, but happie eternally. This euent of Martyrs is paynted out in a sweete symilytude by the Psalmist. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioye. They went weeping, Psa. 126. and carryed precious feede: but they shall returne with ioye, and bring then sheaues. For the holie Martyrs cast not their eyes onelie vpon the tyme of sowing, and vpon the practise of sathan, who seeketh to ouerflowe the Churche, with streames and floodes of blood: but vpon the ioyfull tyme of Haruest, when as they shalbe confourmed, and made [Page] lyke the glorious bodie, of our sauiour Iesus Christ.

God would haue vs therefore, to bée constant in faith and hope, and to haue all our confidence reposed in the omni­potencie of the eternall maiesty: who is able in euery monument, to remouea­way his crosse from vs, whiche not with standing he doeth not commonly, vntyll we be sufficiently chastised, and turned vnto him by true repentaunce. For as the tryer of mettayles, taketh not his golde, out of the furnace, before it be perfectly purified and clensed: e­uen so God doeth not deliuer vs from temptation, before wee bee throughly tryed and confirmed: Wherefore let vs depende vpon almightie God, who can and wyll delyuer vs if not corpo­rally, yet spiritually, if not our body yet our soule. For it was the same God that deliuered the thrée children out of the fierie fornace: and suffered the Ma­chabeis Dan. 3. to bée consumed with fyre. They singe in the fyre and these dye, and yet 2. Mach. 7. hée was the same God of them both. He delyuered them to confound the Idolles of Babilon: and suffred y ^e other to perish [Page] in their bodies, that the paine and dam­nation Aug. in. Psal. 33. of their persecutours might bée the greater. It commeth to passe also sometyme, that the godly and vngodly suffer in this worlde together, but for diuerse respectes and endes. They in the distruction of their bodies doo in a momente and spéedely lay aside the vn­cleanenesse of their fleshe, and are so brought to euerlasting peace and reste: but the other doo then but beginne to feele fearfull and endles torments of bo­dy and minde. And that saying of Da­uid hath place herein. In the hande of Psal. 75. the Lorde, there is a cuppe, and the wine is redde in it: it is full myxt, and he pow­reth out of the same: As for the dregges thereof: all the vngodlye of the earth, shall drynke of them, and sucke them out.

When therfore we stande in some pe­rylles, lyke braunches to be cutte of the body of the trée, or lyke valiant souldi­ers, to fall in the forefront of this bat­tell: let vs comforte our selues, with the consideration of these things. Let vs be assured, that God can deliuer vs if he wyll: but if he wyll not it is for great [Page] and weighty causes, and the same ten­ding Dan. 3. Why God taketh away his seruants oftentimes with death. to our owne best profite. For hée eyther closeth our eyes with good King Iosias, that we should not behold the wo­full estate of our countrey and Church which shall ensue: or else he taketh vs awaye, in our best tyme, least malyce and wickednesse should alter our harts, and in the meane tyme hee maketh vs worthy vesselles, to testifie his honour and glorie, euen before most cruell ty­rauntes: and ryddeth vs shortlie out of temporall miserie, to the ende we maye spéedelie passe into endlesse felicitie.

And if we geue our lyues vnto death, Death not so terrible to the mor­tifyed man for these thinges, as the matter is most excellent and lawdable: so is it not so terryble and fearefull to the mortified and spirituall man, as fleshe and bloode woulde make vs beléeue. For if the Heathen souldiours, doo abyde a long and sharpe warfare, eyther to defende their owne countrey, or to enlarge their dominions: shall we shrinke to passe the pykes, to the ende wee maye keepe our Iust. lib. 2. faith, and possesse those dominions that are most excellent and endlesse. Codrus Codrus. king of Athens, vnderstoode by an O­racle, [Page] that if hee were preserued, his Countrey shoulde perishe, hee therefore purposely procured his owne death: and shall we sticke to giue our lyues for our heauenlie Ierusalem. That noble Ro­mane Marcus Curtius, cast him selfe headlong into a bothomles lake, for his 1. Curtius. Leuius. lib. 7. Cittie and Countrey: and shall we feare imprisonment, and daungers tempo­rall, that we maye possesse Pallaces and lyberties eternall. Shall Zopirus the Sopirus. Persian, cause his seruaunts to whippe him, to cutte off his noose, his eares, and lyppes, and that so comming to Babi­lon, Iust. lib. 1. he myght the more spéedily obtaine credite of them, to haue some authori­tie, whereby hee might betraye, and yéelde the Cittie, otherwyse inuinsible, vnto his Maister King Cyrus: and shall Christyans faynt with lyke tormentes, to purchase not for others, but to re­rayne and keepe that Cittie alreadye prouyded for them by Christe.

Surelie these thinges made Iob to ex­clame. Albet he kyll mee, yet wyll I trust Iob. 23. in him. And the Apostles departed from the counsayle reioysing, that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the [Page] name of Iesus. And Saint Paule cer­tyfied Act. 5. by Agabus the Prophet, of the ca­lamyties and miseries which he should suffer at Ierusalem, and his case much bewayled by the Brethren, aunswered: VVhat doo you weeping, and vexing my harte? for I am not onely ready to Act. 21. be bounde, but also to suffer death for the name of the Lorde Iesus. So spake Ignasius in [...]ke case. I am ready to abide the fire, beastes, sworde, and crosse: so that I may see Christ my sauiour, who Ignatius ad Tarsences. dyed for me. And againe: Let all paines and tormentes most exquisitly deuised, by the diuell himselfe: be executed vpon me alone, so that I may haue the fellow­ship of Iesus Christ.

Fynallie, the blessed and happye ex­chaunge of temporall paine, into euer­lasting The happy exchaunge which the godly make. ioye, which the godlie shall pos­sesse in the worlde to come, ought to make them, abide these short afflictions manfully, whereof wee haue an euident example in the ritche man, and La­zarus. Abraham sayde to the ritche man, Sonne remember that thou hast Luk. 16. receyued vveale in thy life, and Lazarus woe. But nowe he is in ioye, and th [...] [Page] art in tormentes. Our sauiour Christ also sayeth to his Apostles. You shall Iob. 16. vvepe and lament, but the vvorld shall reioyce. You shall be full of sorrow but your sorrowe shall be turned into love. VVhen a vvoman traueileth, shee hath paine, bicause hir howre is come: but vvhen she is deliuered, she remembreth not hir paine, bicause a man chylde is borne into the vvorlde. And you novv shall haue sorrovve: but I vvyll see you againe, and your hart shall reioyce, and your ioye shall no man take avvay from you. Although there are no greater paynes, then in Chyldeb [...]th, yet after delyueraunce, the Mother for ioye of hir Chylde, forgetteth all: Euen so the godlie in this worlde [...]de wonderfull tormentes, but after they haue passed this lyfe, they neuer thinke of worldlie sorrowes: by meanes of that vnspeake­able ioye of Heauen. Which as yet the eye hath not séene, the eare hath not hearde, neyther hath it entered into the harte of man. For our lyght affliction Esa. 65. vvhich is but for a time, causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent, and an eternall waight of glorie. Whereof he Apostle 2. Cor. 4. [Page] saint Peter wryteth thus: VVe are re­generate 1. Pet. 1. to an inheritaunce immortall, and vndefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserued in heauen for you. The man of God nameth the celestiall inheritance The re­ward of the godly moste ex­cellent and endles. immortall, bicause it neuer fleeteth nor vanish away, as the ioyes of this world doo. Whether they be honour or ryches, or power, or friendshippe, all these pe­rish and decaye: he calleth it vndefiled, bicause it is voyde of all sorrowe, hea­uinesse and sinne: it is pure, sincere, and permanent, he sayth also, that it fadeth not away, bicause there is no fulnesse nor wearinesse of it. These ioyes are in a vision expressed more largelye in the Reuelation. And after these. I be­held and loe, a great multitude vvhich no man could number, &c. stoode cloa­thed, vvith long vvhite robes and palmes in their handes. These are they which come out of great tribulation, and haue Reuel. 7. vvashed their long robes, and haue made their long robes vvhite in the blood of the Lambe: Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God, and serue him day and night in his Temple, and he that sitteth on the throne vvill [Page] dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more, neither shall the Sunne light on them, nor any heate. For the Lambe vvhich is in the middle of the throne, shall gouerne them, and shall leade them vnto the liuely fountaines of vvater, and God shall vvipe avvay all teares from their eyes. These thinges enforced saynt Paul to saye: I desire to be loosed, and Phil. 1. to be vvith Christ, and Christ is vnto me both in life, and death, an aduantage. This you sée for what causes God suf­fereth some perticuler souldiers in this spirituall warrefare to fall in the fore­frunt of the armie: and yet keepeth his mayne battaile without disorder or dis­comfeture: and there withall what cau­ses ought to moue & aminate these wit­nesses, and Martirs to perseuer and in­dure most valiantlie.

Nowe although God suffereth some of his seruants, to perishe and fall in Gods ar­my and mayne bat­tayle al­wayes con­tineweth. this conflict: yet his promises remayne sure and inuiolable towarde the whole Church, which abideth much lyke vnto the body of y ^e trée or mayne battel, firme and constante, although some branches [Page] and members be cutte of and decay. And yet those that fall and perish, doo procure great profit, and commodity to them that suruiue in this warrefare, and bat­tell, whereof Theodorete, writeth exce­lently Theodo [...] ­rete. as followeth. As Moyses sawe in times paste the bushe redde with fyre, and yet not consumed: euen so the crew­ell, torments, and executions of Chry­stians, by Tirantes did not consume them, but rather: as wee see it come to passe, when men cutte downe woode, moo twigges and braunches budde and spring from the roote, then were the boughes that were lopped downe: euen so when many were murdered for the profession of the gospell, moo came vnto the Church: for the bloode of those Saynctes dyd as it were water, the young and tender plants in the Church of God. It is truly therefore sayde of Saint Ambrose. A martyr doth not suffer for himselfe onely but for other. He suffereth for himselfe to obtayne a Crowne, to others for theyr example: for himselfe to purchase reste, for others to procure them comforte.

And that Christe assisteth, and deliue­reth [Page] his Church, in perrilles and daun­gers, Testimo­nies of scriptures. and wyll conserue the same, vn­tyll the ende of the worlde: wee are not onely taught by many promises in the scripture, but also assured and confyr­med by examples throughout all times and ages. Heare ve mee (sayth God, by the mouth of his Prophet) O house of Iaeob, and all that remaine of the house Esa. 46. of Israell: vvhich are borne of mee from the vvombe, and brought vp of me, from the byrth. Therefore vnto olde age, I the same, euen I vvill beare you, vntill the horie haires: I haue made you, I will also beare you, and I vvill carie you, and I vvill deliuer you. Christ him selfe doth not ouelie promise that he wyll be with Math. vs vntill the ende of the vvorlde: but also that he and his Father vvyll come and dwell vvith vs. And in another hee speaketh of his sheepe most comfor­tablie. Iob. 14 There shall none be able to pull them out of my hande. In the which Iob. 10. wordes hee signifieth, that hee wyll not be an ydle gaser, or looker vpon vs: for although worlde and deuyll bende their power to displace the Churche, and to dysturbe Common wealthes: that con­fustons [Page] and Athisme mighte followe: Yet the some of God holdeth as it were in his handes that little flocke whiche calleth vpon him: hee represseth the rage of Sathan, hee putteth him to flyght, and wyll at the last inclose him in the huge and horrible prison of hell eternall.

Examples also throughout the whole scripture doo ratifie as it were, and Examples. confirme with perpetuall testimonies: that God delyuereth his Churche out of all perilles and daungers. But especi­ally, that memorable Historie of the people of Israell, rydde from thraldome & bondage in the Lande of Egipt, lyue­lie painteth out the same: and is of all other Histories, from the beginning of the worlde, vnto the ende thereof most notable, the misterie of our redemption alwayes excepted. For it is an Image and liuelie pycture of all ages, full of The deli­ueraunce of the peo­ple of Is­raell, a per­petuall image of the church. straunge wonders: which wytnesse, and preache vnto all posterities, that God exerciseth his Churche with ma­ny calamities, and in the ende with­out mannes helpe, deliuereth the same. Howe horrible a thing is it in this com­pany [Page] of Israelites, bearing the name of the Church of God, and tasting sen­siblie his myghtie working in mercie with them: that many of the Princes & nobylitie are punished, and the whole multitude so often chastised, vntyll all those were almost consumed, that came out of the Lande of Egipt. Yet some small remnaunt of the people, were preserued, that reuerentlie remembred Gods woonders, and kepte his com­maundementes with all theyr hartes. They had Manna and Quales, giuen vnto them, and the stonie rocke stryken with the rodde of Moises, gaue out large streames of water. The whole armie was couered with a clowde in the daye tyme, and was guyded with a pyller of fyre in the night season: in these bat­tayles God shewed manifest signes of his presence. And to conclude, the glory of this people was more excellent, in the wyldernesse: then at any tyme after in the fruitfull Lande of Canaan. But it woulde bee too tedious a matter to pro­secute all syrcumstaunces particularly: I wyll therfore adde one onely example, wherein we maye cléerely beholde as it [Page] were in a glasse, Gods maruaylous re­gement, and reléefe of his Churche.

There is scarcelie to be founde, any A reuela­cion exibi­ted to Moyses touching the estate of Christs church. Exod. 33. more maruaylous Reuelation, then that which was exhibited to Moises. Exod. 33. Where he is called for to come and speake with God: and it is sayde in that place. That God communed vvith Moyses face to face, as one friende is vvoont to talke vvith another. In the which communication, Moyses first de­syreth of God, that hee woulde bee a go­uernour and Captaine ouer that people, vnto whome hee had giuen his worde and promise. For dayly experience had sufficientlie taught him, that it was to busie & harde a matter for him to guide, and dyrect so wylfull and stubborne a multytude: whome he sawe for their I­dolatrous inclynation, to sustaine from The carke and care of Moyses. tyme to tyme, greeuous punishmentes: and yet immediatlie, to inclyne to theyr former wickednesse againe. He sawe the intollerable daungers, hanging o­uer the Churche: and that in a moment pure doctrine, and sincere seruing of God, was depraued with mans carnall opinions. He therefore feared least in [Page] that company, the ryght reuerence of God woulde be forgotten: and that the Church woulde be subuerted, especiallie for that hee had hearde, Gods terrible threates against the people.

And thus musing with him selfe of Howe Moyses comforted, himselfe. the remnaunts of this Church: he could finde nothing wherwithall he might be stayed and comforted: but those promy­ses onelie giuen to the people of Israell concerning Christe the Messias and sa­uiour. And for that he perceyued well that no Regyment can be happie with­out God, Hee sayde: Vnlesse thou O Exod 33. Lord doo go before vs, bring vs not out of this place. And afterwarde desiring to The re­questes of Moyses and Gods aunswer. see Gods glorie, to this God answereth. Thou canst not see my face, for there shal no man see me an liue: but behold there is a place by me, where thou shalt stande vpon the rocke. And whyle my glory passeth by, I wyll put thee in a cleft of the rocke, and wyll couer thee with my hand vvhyles I passe by. After I vvyll take away mine hande, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seene.

This is a harde, and obscure history, The spiri­tuall inter­pretacion, of the hi­storie. [Page] which although I cannot open & handle according to the worthynesse thereof: and if I coulde, this place doeth not re­quyre it: yet I wyll briefely touch it, for it comprehendeth most graue, & comfor­table consolation, concerning the church of Christ, which this scripture testifieth to bee couered in this worlde, with the hand of God, and that it shalbe glorified here after. And herein I folow the plaine and vsuall exposition, which is. That Moises beseecheth God to open and re­ueale vnto him the ende of that people, which was then the Church of GOD. Wherevnto God answereth: That he vvill not haue his face seene [...], vvhich is that he vvill not haue his secreete coun­sailes knowne, before the ende of the Church consūmate and perfitted: But he sheweth his backe parts: VVhich is that in the ende, vve shall see his glorie. In the meane season, the people lyeth hydde, in the clefte of the rocke, that is in this pre­sent Church, which is often tymes pres­sed with persecution. But it standeth vpon the Rocke Christ, and is couered with the hande of God whiles he passed, that is, vntyll the Churche bee consum­mate [Page] and finished. Wherein God signi­fieth The pas­sage of God. that hee passeth by at all tymes in this worlde: in the which passage he ga­thereth his Church, wherein both him selfe is glorifyed, and the same by him also glorifyed in the life to come. And that this his Church, is gouerned not by mans counsaile, and pollycie, but by the voyce and sounde of his woorde giuen from Heauen: and that it is defended not with the strength of carnall man, but with the onelie hande of the lyuing God.

So this text doth propose vnto vs, a A picture of the cleere sight and know­ledge of God. pleasaunt pycture, of Christes Churche: besydes the consyderation of a greate poynt of doctrine, of the sight and per­fite knowledge of God, whereby Gods face is seene. As our sauiour answe­red Phillippe, desyring to haue the hea­uenlie Father shewed vnto him: Phil­lippe, he that seeth me, seeth the Father. Euen so Moises desiring a deeper, and clearer in sight of almightie GOD, is deduced to the worde, touching Messias, reuealed vnto the Churche: and it is also shewed, howe GOD woulde be knowne, vntyll the seconde comming [Page] of Christe, when it is sayde: Thou canst not see my face, but thou shalt stand in the cleft of the Rocke: That is, thou shalt stande vpon Christe and his gos­pell, vntyll I passe, and so thou shalt see my hynder partes. For the Churche doeth not perfitlie see God in this lyfe, neyther enioyeth the glorie promysed: but standeth yet vpon the Rock Christ, by fayth, and being in the cleft of the Rocke, subiect to persecution, looketh and awayteth for glorie, whyles God passeth, euen when the Church is con­sumate and finished. For after this The backe partes are Gods word. passage, there is eternall glorie, where­in wee shall beholde God perfitlie, and as hee is. Whereas nowe we onelie see his backe partes. But I omitte the deepe mysteries of this peece of scrip­ture. I onelie propose the storie to bee considered of my godly Reader: that he might obserue howe this sentence ser­ueth all times, of the Church to the ende he may reape such effectuall consolati­ons, that hell gates shall not preuayle against him. We ought to know ther­fore y ^t the Church shal cōtinue alwayes amongst the raginge stormes and tem­pests [Page] of the world, and that by the mar­uailous, and mighty protection of God, whyles God passeth by, euen vntyll the tyme of glorifycation.

Surelie the Church of God in these The face of the Church in these dayes. latter tymes, wandereth as it were in the wyldernesse, almost without any certaine seate, or defence: sauing it hath his Halcions dayes, presenteth in this Ilande. In the meane season, as a­mongst the people of Israell, a great multitude forsooke God, and so fell into Gods wrath and vengeaunce: euen so nowe a dayes, we maye beholde Kings and Princes, and a great multitude to contempne the gospell, and so to procure vnto them selues euerlasting maladicti­on and destruction. On the other syde that lyttle flocke, which professeth the gospell, to bee depriued of all humaine helpe, & to wraffle daylye with miseries and callamities. But let vs beholde the Image, proposed in the hystories of the Israelytes: and assure our selues, that although the Church, seeme nowe to bee as an exyle and banished person vpon earth: yet that it is couered, with Gods hande, and with a heauenlie pyller of [Page] fire, and that Christ her captaine, is pre­sent with her. Who wyll as the Psal­mist sayth: Appeare to be a God in Sion. Psa. 84. For albeit God appeareth & sheweth his presence throughout the rounde worlde Gods spe­ciall pre­sence and apperaunce in the Church. by his prouidence, regiment and conser­uation of all things: yet he manifest his presence in the Church by more peculy­ar and speciall meanes: Namelie by preseruing and maintayning the Mini­sterie and sacramentes, by his dwelling in the Saintes through fayth, by his in­ternall consolation in the holy Martyrs: and to conclude, in defending his con­gregation myraculouslie, against the raging furors of diuelles & worldlings. Whereof Moises speaketh thus. They haue heard that thou Lorde, art amongst Numb. 14. this people, and that thou art seene face to face. And Iosua: You shall knowe that the Lorde God is in the middle of Iosu. 3. you. And againe: That all the inhabi­taunts of the earth maye know that God 1. Reg. 17. is in Israell.

This presence and protection of God Two vse of this doctrine. ouer his Church, hath two endes: wher­of the one appertayneth to such as are without, and as yet prophane persons: [Page] the other, vnto those that be of the hou­sholde of fayth, and Cittie of God. And as touching the vngodlie, this is the ende of Gods presence in the Church: that they either conioyne them vnto the congregation of the faithfull, through Gods pre­sence a witnes and Iudge against the vngodly. true repentance, renouncing a [...] impie­tie and wickednesse: or else being obsti­nate, maye haue their owne conscien­ces, as wytnesses of their iust condemp­nation. For it shall come to passe, accor­ding to that sentence of the Psalme. All mine enimies shalbe confounded, and Psa. 6. sore vexed, they shalbe turned backe, and put to shame sodainlie. And againe: God shall destroy thee for euer, he shall take thee, and plucke thee out of thy ta­bernacle, and roote thee out of the lande of the liuing. The righteous also shall see it, and shall feare, and shall laugh at him saying: Behold the man that tooke not God for his strength, but trusted vn­to Psa. 52. the multitude of his ritches, and put his strength in his malice. &c. There can therefore be no greater plague then by sinne, to be separated from God, to bee turned from the fountaine of all good­nesse, vnto the bothomlesse lake of all [Page] euyll, from sweete lyfe, to bytter death, from true blessednesse, to euerlasting miserie.

On the other side as touching the elect A confir­mation and in­courage­ment of the godly. and faythfull, this is the effect and end, of Gods presence in his Church. To confyrme them in fayth, to moue them to be thankefull towarde him, vnder whose wings they are couered, to make them feare God, in whose fighte they walke: that they should also in tyme of trouble cal vpon him being present with them: that in patience they should looke for victorie agaynst worlde and diuell. Hereof spryng those sayings full of di­uine consolation. The Lorde is with vs feare not. And another: And nowe O Num. 14. Lorde our God, saue vs out of the hand of Sennacherib: that all kingdomes of Esa. 37. the earth may knowe, that thou only art God. Wherefore let vs plucke vp our hartes vnto vs, and be of good comfort for without all doubt, God wyl through all tymes, saue & preserue that Church, which kéepeth the doctrine, that hath bene delyuered by the Prophetes, A­postles, and by Christ himselfe, as that swéete promise in the Prophet testifieth: [Page] This is my couenaunt which I wyl make Esa. 59. with them sayth the Lorde. My spirite that is vpon thee, and my vvords vvhich I haue put in thy mouth, shall not de­part out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seede, nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede, saieth the Lord, euen from henceforth for euermore. E­uen so wee maye assure our selues that Christe wyll be present in our Church: sytting at the ryght hand of his Father, and rayning in the myddle of his eni­mies.

But wee must remember, that it is our partes to thinke vpon our due­tie, and calling, to retaine stedfastly, the confession of sincere Doctrine, to bewtifie Gods Churche with good ende­uoure, lyfe and manners. Then wyll hee not fayle vs, to pytche his Campe round about this Christian Castell, and faithfull Fortresse, that no euyll thing shal approch nigh vnto it: he wyl be the maister and leader of his Sheepe, that it shall not bee drowned with the floodes of persecutions. Hée wyll blesse this our Countrey, that it shall continew another Sarepta, and bee an harbour for [Page] his seruauntes. Hee wyll defende our gratious, and godlye Queene, with the custodie of his holye Angelles: hee wyll adorne her Nobilytie, with pru­dent counsayles and happie euentes. He wyll represse the sedicious enterpri­ses of diuelles, and wicked men: whose only bent and chiefe desire is, all to rent the vnitie and concorde of his Churche, and to dysturbe peace, and tranquilitie in Common weales. He wyll styrre vp dayly, learned and faithful Pastors, and Ministers that shall fight against Ido­latrie, and al erronious opinions: which Lurke and Pope mayntaine, with sa­uage immanitie, and crueltie, against the honour of Christ. And finally, he wyll abandon and remoue from vs, se­dicious warres, persecutions, famine, & contagious disseases: that wee hauing restfull & quiet mindes, may wholy giue our selues to prayer, and all other holye exercises, yeelding vnto him only praise and thankes for the myraculous pro­pagation, and conseruation of his Church.