THe first was in the yeare of our Lord Christ 1588. When the Pope & the King of Spaine with his in vinsible Navie (so called by them) consisting of 160. great shipps of Warre, with Men and Ammunition for 40000. land Souldiers, did attempt to invade this Land: with whom our Navie consisting of but 50. English shipps and 30 Dutch under conduct of Charles Earle of Noting­ham, Sir Francis Drake, and sir Martine Furbisher, did meete (not farre from the Coast of Plymouth) & fought with them valiantly (although they were much inferiour in Number and strength unto them) for the space of two dayes and more, untill they came over against Callis, where the Spani­ard expected to meet an other fleet with 30000. more land forces from the Duke of Parma the Generall for the King of Spaine in the Low-Countries, where at Callis the Spanish Fleet remained at Ancor, untill it pleased God to put into the minde of Sir Frances Drake to set 3 old ships or Hoyes stuffed with combustible matter, and set them on Sea in the Tide way, and they drave with the tyde upon the Spa­nish Navie being at Ancor in forme of a halfe Moone, upon the suddaine view whereof, every Spanish ship did thinke himselfe in danger, and every one cut their Cables to give roome to the burning shippes, whereat the English ships [Page]taking advantage of the Southerly windes, did joyne most corragiously, and followed them Northwards two dayes, when and where the LORD OF HOSTS by a stormie winde sent them beyond & among the Isles Orcades, where they perished to their great confusion, in so much as scarce 20. of 160. returned home to Spaine: And thus by the mighty hand of the Lord England was delivered under the conduct of the aforesaid Commanders, and assistance of the Noble Sea-men of England and Holland, such as is the Honorable Lord Sesscild Earle of Moltgrave, William Lord Harvie, and poore Mathew Dale now one of Suttons Hospi­tall being yet living eye witnesses of that great deliverance of God, to whom be everlasting praise.

The second was in the yeare of our Lord 1597. being the yeare after Cales voyage: at what time Robert Earle of Essex, Thomas Lord Howard, and Sir Walter Raghly had the command of 100. Shipps English and D [...]tch, with all the valiant active Gentrie of England, being put to Sea, for some great designe against the professed enemie of Spaine, in the Bay of Portugall meeting with a crosse winde were driven backe to Plymouth (as it were sent to secure Home) where being repaired of the Sea losses, they put to sea a­gaine; and casting by the land of Portugall, taking some Orange Carvills were advertised by them that there was an Hundred saile of great shippes of warre Spanish and Easter­lings prepared at the Groynd, and lay close moored up un­der the Castle thereof, which the English Gentrie hearing, they conceived that it was for feare of them, but it proved otherwise, for when the English were departed from the Coast of Spaine westward to the Isle of Terceres, to waite for the West Indie fleete. Then did the King of Spaine intend with the helpe of the Popish faction to invade and conquer England, and even at the tyme when the English Fleet was returning homeward, God Almightie sent a verie great [Page]storme at Sea, which kept the English fleet backe with a most tempestuous crosse winde for 3 dayes, that they could not (though they had Sea Roome) get one mile home­wards, which winde & storme was by God appoynted to be a deliverance to the Realme of England, for even then were the 100. sayle of Shipps (that lay mored in the Harbour of the Groyne) readie to land in Enland, and were entred into the narrow Sea called the Sleeve when the tempest did be­gin, and some of them were entred so farre into the Sleeve, as they could not play backe againe, but three of them were met by the Lord Thomas Howard and his squadron, and were taken prisoners, and were brought into England, a­mong whom was taken the feild Marshalls Concubine and put into Bridewell London, where many resorted to see her, that bee yet living, and were in the voyage and remember well that this was the mercifull deliverance of God by the blast of his nostrils to scatter the enemies of his people of England, for which also let us praise the Lord our God for ever. At that time were the noble Souldiers Sir Nicolus Parker and sir Fardinando Gorges made governours of Ply­mouth and Famouth Castles. We pray God as good men bee in them now.

The third was Anno Dom. 1605. and in the second yeare of King Iames, when that most execrable massacree of King, Nobles and Commons in Parliament, and the roy­all issue, (even his Majestie that now is, whom God pre­serve) should have beene at one blow, blowne up into the Aaire, if God had not beene our deliverer by the discove­rie of a Letter sent unto the Lord Mounteagle, though dark­ly expressed, yet found out by the wise genius of that ever blessed peace lover King Iames, whose fame never dye, whose race never faile, nor praise never cease to bee given to God therefore. This cursed and hellish powder Treason, let it ever be abhord in heart, but never depart out of the [Page]mouth and memory of them that love the Lord and his people, that God may have his due praise for ever.

The fourth delivery was in the yeare 1639. When Noble Van Trump met with the Spanish Navie, consisting of 66. Huge Ships, besides a great many of Carvills, and small Ships going to Dunkirke, at which time our Gracious King was incensed against the Scotish nation, and through false & deceaveable incenduaries, was provoked to prepare an armie royall able to distract and teare in peeces, if not to destroy that ancient and noble Nation, one of the beau­tifull flowers of his Diadem, at this time was prepared a great and impenitrable Navie, if it had met with the Na­vie of Dunkirke impenitrable, because many of their great Ships were made free from the shoot of the cannon bullet; but God derided their strength therein, and found meanes by the valiant Dutch Nation to dissipate them, and sincke many of them by fire workes, setting them on fire from a­bove the water to burne downewards, to their confusion and the lasting memorie of the Hollanders, and the memo­rable praise of their valiant Commanded Van Trumpe a­gainst the Spaniard and Dunkerkers, whose intentions both by Sea and Land was by this fleete to effect a double feate. First if they had landed at Dunkirke being ioyned both fleets together, to have left those novice Souldiers that were aboard the Fleet at the fight with Van Trumpe in the Low Countries, and thereto have stuffed both their fleets with old Souldiers, and brought them over to England, to have ioyned with the power of the Papists in the South, when our army was in the North ready to encounter with the Scotish Nation, and so to have infested us with a double warre, which being done this fleete was to depart to the Baltick Sea, to have made themselves Masters of that Sea; and to have commanded the Straight of Elsenver, which if they had effected by this meanes, they had kept both the Swedes in Germany from releife out of their own [Page]Country, and set such a combustion in England and Scot­land, as would not have beene soone nor easily quenched, and thereto Ireland would not have beene idle, as this pre­sent revolt doth manifest, how dangerous a designe would this have been, if the Almighty had not been our deliverer and Protector both by Sea and Land; by Sea, by the help of that blessed Nation the Hollanders; and by Land God him­selfe inclyned the heart of our Gracious King to forbeare armes or blood in his owne inheritance, to entertaine a truce, and now to conclude a blessed peace with that our brother Nation, which the God of Heaven continue fore­ver, and let both Nations yeild continuall thankes for this never to be forgotten mercy, and cursed be the wit of that Architophell which shall counsell, goe about, or effect the division of these two Nations at any time hereafter.

The fift & last, but not the least deliverance from blood­shead and slaughter of the Kings owne Sacred person, a­mongst his dearely beloved and most loving Subjects the house of Commons in Parliament assembled, was upon the 4 ^th day of Iannuary 1641. When the King was incensed by Sinister Practises of Sycophanting and detracting Eare­wiggs to provoke him to goe in person to the House of Commons, where never King was before him, to doe that which never King did before, to require in his owne per­son in a formidable manner ad terrorem Populi, the delivery of certaine worthy members of the House of Commons, even against the Priviledge of the House, as witnesseth the whole house of Parliament (since in a declaration of theirs) which if this had taken the intended purpose, and if any the parties required, had beene there found, what direfull ef­fect might this have wrought, what lamentable issue would have followed, God alone knoweth. For put the case the House of Commons had refused to give up their fellow Members to Prison, or worse; which might be expected from them, and at that time have stood upon their Privi­ledge, [Page]as at this time they do, what then had bin the sequell but contention, Coertion, and slaughter, which if it had come to that, how should the sacred person of his Majesty have escaped violence, what slaughter of the House of Commons, who would have warranted the Nobles and Peeres, and how farre this slaughter would have spread, or was intended secretly, God hath not yet revealed. But sure­ly this may be presumed that whosoever advised his Maje­sty to put his person into such a hazard, would prove no better then Traytors, if they were put upon the tryall of their Peeres: but God of his wonted mercy hath dealt bet­ter with us then our merrits deserve, for he stirred up the hearts of some well willing Subiects to run in hast before his comming, to advertise them thereof, and God moved againe the friends of the Gentlemen pursued, to perswade them that were there, to depart before the Kings com­ming; which falling out so, that the King found none of them there, his gentle Nature and unwilling disposition to that businesse did easily let fall this enterprise, and so retur­ned in peace, for which, & also for the former deliverances, let us render everlasting thanksgiving, to that most great and good God which hath done all this for us, and also up­on all our solemne fasts & feast days, let us in a speciall man­ner make it our busines to put on another in mind how gra­cious God hath beene to this Nation in our dayes, that we may love God for his goodnesse, and love one another tru­ly for Gods sake, that we all being united in the love of God, may be so strengthned thereby, that all the malice en­vie rage and conspi [...]acies of the Devill and devillish people may not prevaile against us, for the time to come, to the Glory of God throughout all the world, and through all ages, for evermore, Amen.