iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued me What should 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 ofteÌ„tymes if she eyther snéese or smell the snuffe of a Candle shee trauayleth before her tyme. If besydes these you marke the time 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 WhervpoÌ„ 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 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 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 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 thousand lets many dauÌ„gers many kindes of intrapmentes declare howe 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 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 loÌ„gest 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 infaÌ„cy any part of lyfe which almost wanteth senceâ— neither yet olde age which is ful of so many sorrowes cares thoughtes and feares insomuch that olde men pâ—ay for nothing so often as for death aâ— though 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 daunger of moo disseases none standeth in more haâ—arde of priuie Amboushmentes then he doth and that by man Lyons for all theyr wyldnesse yet doc not one encounter another the SerpeÌ„t 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 shall annoy thée and declare that man is in daunger of many thousande myseries But also the necessitie of death is 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 thing but it decayeth vniuersallye and totally man alone excepted whose onlye body perisheth the soule which is seuered from it coÌ„tinuing euerlastinglie so that the good be receaued into a blessed life whereas the baddâ— 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 â—xe and a Man séemeth lyke Heape hyther so many meanes whereby wée eyther hasten our owne death or vpon 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 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 generatioÌ„ 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 momeÌ„t we know not We must watch therefore whyles we lyue in this ciuile lyfe among men lest the soddaine necessitie of death finde vs vnprouided not awake for we shal be so much the lesse be able to geue an accomâ—pt of our former life the more we yéelde to wickednesse and dispise the obedience of Gods commaundement Finally the dauÌ„gers of that soule neglected 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
the Sainctes Yet wee ought to know that both fatall ruins and mutations hange ouer their heades and also that the sonne of GOD who hath intituled hymselfe the Emperour and Captayne of hys armye wyll bridle their headdy and varbarous rage and giue a ioyfull rest and gloryous peace to his Church Yea hee wyll also defende and conserue honest polycies and Common weales so longe as they suffer Christes shippe to ryde quietlye in their strandes giue harbour vnto his guie harbour vnto his Churche mayrtayne Schooles and Uniuersities being the fountayne of humanytie and Christianitie Euen as the sonne of God in the vniuersall floud saued the Arke and in the same Noah and his family who were Gueedâ—ne and keepers of the diuine promyses concerning Mcssias Iesus Christe Whereof litle England hath had good proofe who amonge the raging furors of Sathan the mortall hatred of the worlde and daungerous conspiracies as well of domesticall as forren enimies retayninge with sure handfalt Christes Gospell and intertaynig his Church hath binne blessed by almightie God with the Halcyons daies in their polycie and common wealth that they might learne both to knowe and serue hâ—n in this lyfe and hereafter to prayse him throughout all eternyties Of this argumente I haue written somewhat largely in the Treatesse following and haue applyed the same to the estate of these perilous times tragical daies which I humbly present vnto you honor The reading wherof may happely renew in your minde the cruell practises and dealinges of wicked men which with greate dolour and perryl you were constranâ—ed to be holde in that Massacre where amongst an innumerable companye that penished as it were with the Machabies yet almighty GOD in his mercy saued many euen in the fyerie furnace and denne of Lyons and vsed your honour as mother Obadia to hide and preserue many of Christes seruantes from the ege of the sworde whereof some of them haue giuen open testimonye to the worlde in their writinges and haue made gratefull remembraunce of your wysdome honour vertue and great charges plentifully powred vpon Christes members in their myserye for the whiche you cannot bee vnrewarded at that great daye That time made you fytte for this your present estate and the often remembraunce of the same wyll not suffer you to bee vnprouided for lyke euents for those that feare God will not be rechlesse by meanes of prosperytie knowing that there is a chaunge of al things and nothing vnder the Sunne fyrme and stable Morcouer bicause mans wisdome and regyment is neither happy in time of warre nor peace without the direction of the worde of God this matter deriued out of the same cannot be impertinent to your calling Lastly if your honour whom God hath indued with excellent wisdom vertue and learninge will fauourably accept this lyttle woorke it shall the rather escape the checks of the malycious and procure credit of the honest and godly The father of al mercy giue you many good dayes and yeares and direct you with the spirite of wisdome and counsell that you may continew long a comfort and ornament vnto the Church of Christ and this common wealth increase you presentlye with temporall honours and in the ende crowne you with those that bee eternall From Exetor the last day of May. 1â—77 Your honours humble Iohn VVolton ⧠Of the temptations and assaultes of Sathan against mankinde vniuersallie Chap 1. IT is truly written of that learned and 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
man nor shal be vnto vvhom heapes of euylles are not conioyned immediatly after his byrth Yee the greatest estates are incombred vvith the greatest euyls 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 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 Colleges in administration of the coÌ„mon 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 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 be vvould burne his owne Cittie his father and mother Whereof Xenophon wryteth notably after this manner 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 SolymaÌ„ne the twelfth Turkish Emperor 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 and so obtained the 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 soÌ„nes 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 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 letting therein passe both Bryttons Daines and Saxons we maye finde therein many myserable and Tragical examples For Wylliam Rufus the seconde 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 râ—wfull and tragicall examples Last of all looke vpon the Ecclesiasticall regiment and state of the Church you shal finde therin also so many great 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 of repentaunce of inuocation of the true vse of Sacraments of ChristiaÌ„ 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 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 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 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
mercy of our heauenly Captaine toward his faythful seraunts and souldiours Philosophie is mute and dumme in 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 O you Gods I call vppon impotent and slouthfull helpers But the worde of God conteyned in the olde and newe testament doth effectuallie and truly describe vnto vs the 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 to the profite and furtheraunce of thy holy Church This confidence and liberty of spéech 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 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 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 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 Neoptelemus the player of Tragedies being demaunded what sentence hee had obserued as most notable in Aeschilus 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 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 the 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 ⧠The sixt Chapter describeth the Armie and warlyke power of our heauenlie Captaine in this conflicte and battayle The. 6. Chap. THIS our Heauenly 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 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 And the Prophete Esay sayth That the Lorde God of hostes dwelleth in Syon which sentence is to bee vnderstoode of our sauiour Christ This most noble 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 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 whole earth be filled with his maiesty Nowe although this our Captaine