Moses shall fight for vs therefore let vs not be afraide of them that in so high a malice haue lifted vp their thoughts and prepared their weapons not only against vs but against Christ himselfe let vs take courage by the euidence of things before done for VVhatsoeuer is written before time is written for our vnderstanding And for our better encouragement wee may examine some particular examples out of the sacred scriptures imploying them to assure vs of Gods loue towardes his and of his power to confound his enemies by vs if wee yeeld our hearts to follow him as our guide No doubt but this spanish hoobub may something dismay the weake in regarde that it soundeth with so open an exclamation as if the breath of their mouthes could ouerthrow our Churches and their little fingers great mountaines But let vs thinke and we know them to bee but men and men of no such stature as were the Anakimes whom the little Israelites did master at their willes as long as they feared God although at the first they were afraid of them because the spies returned such newes of their terrible strength and fiercenes But the newes dismayd not their captaine Iosua who by the spirite of the Lord gaue them such encouragement as qualified their feare when hee sayde Feare not the people of the land for they are but bread for vs. If such an inuincible courage came vpon them that they feared not mightie Giants and to enter into the territories of such strong men because they were assured by Iosua that the Lord would fight for them being assured that whose part the Lord God of hoast took that side should haue the victorie It were more then weakenes in vs for whom the Lord most assuredly will fight to feare these men of farrelesse puissance then these Philistines who also come to inuade vs who are more apt to resist them then they to oppresse vs they must land wee are on shoare they must pause and refreshe themselues wearied wee are readie suddenly to receiue them they are of number fewer then we and therefore for any matter in themselues or of themselues we need not to feare them And the lesse for that as Iosua sayth Their shield is departed from them they haue forsaken the Lords truth and they are led by a blind zeale on the one side and by ambition on the other they are conducted by falshoode and pride and the Lord no doubt is with vs his promise assureth vs that he will be with them that feare him Although by the way it is fit to consider that warre offered by inuasion neuer commeth without absolute prouision of military necessaries He that will inuade commeth in all points resolute resolute to enter resolute to fight resolute to die and resolute not to retire but to the last to hope for victorie This resolution appeared in VVilliam the last Conqueror when hee fyred his ships to take from his followers all hope of flying and it may be said that this resolution is in al that endeuour a conquest Al which being grāted let vs enter into our own thoughts whether the theefe that commeth resolutely to rob can bee so freely resolute to fight as the true man although no doubt he be desperate yet is he fearefull but in the other it is otherwise who in true magnanimitie is truly resolute to keepe his owne So fareth it with vs and them that make this proude alarnm to take away our good liues and liberties they come no doubt as men desperate but wisedome and trueth beare away the victorie And were there in vs but ordinary hardines which resteth in Paynims and Moores Turkes and Barbarians we should thinke our selues more able to keepe our owne then to bee dispoyled by force But wee haue the Lord himselfe on our side who notwithstanding manie of our imperfections who are but flesh and blood will not though not for our sakes yet for his gospels sake which wee holde inuiolate in it selfe and haue the true seales of our obedience vnto his maiestie in our proceedings suffer this Antichristian power in their owne opinion inuincible and therein most weake to preuaile against him in ouercomming vs. And to assure vs further herein let vs looke into the time of king Hezekia in whose daies the blasphemous hoast of the proud Senacherth made inuasiō vpon the inheritāce of Gods childrē in Iuda hauing like right as the spanish Senacherib to England but only to enlarge his dominions therfore did good Hezekia by helpe of his counsell call together his captaines and souldiers preparing them against this mightie king and huge armie who were not to come by sea as this king Catholique must but he was come as it were to the walles of Ierusalem alreadie to besiege it But bee strong saith Hezekia vnto his people Be strong couragious feare not neither be afraid for the king of Ashur neither for al the multitude that is with him for there be moe with vs then is with him with him is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God So doth our good Hezekia Queene Elizabeth by the aduise of her discreet Counsell prepare against this threatning hoast of Spayne and in her we are al encouraged to withstand the same who in person goeth foorth with her armies and consulteth not onely with her Counsell and expert martiall men but with the almightie of whose power mercie and prouidence she hath deepe experience both before she tooke on her the Diademe of gouernment as also since and therefore she saith also Feare not the Spanyards my English subjects whose strength is flesh the Lord is with vs that will fight for vs. But loe Hezekia prayed against this mightie multitude and the Lord out of heauen fought for him who by his Angell slew all the valiant men of Ashur the princes captaines souldiers to the number of 185000. men and in like manner as we haue had experience shall he doe with this inuincible nauie and mightie hoast for hee is that consuming fire that shall deuour our aduersaries as dry straw and by the breath of his mouth confound them that stand against his word to peruert his trueth And therefore Queene Elizabeth no doubt humbleth her self in prayer as Hezekia did an argument of like victorie Let vs all ioyne with her Maiestie therein and then assuredly shall that God that sought against Ashur for Israel fight against Spayne for England Yet some amongst our selues our vnnaturall contrimen I know seeke to put feare in the hearts of our people saying most blasphemously that wee are heretikes and that God cannot prosper vs wee are sinners and God cannot blesse vs. These are English Antichristians Spanish hirelings and deceiued and deceiuing papists who lurke amongst vs as snakes in a corne field no more deseruing the libertie of English lawes her Maiesties protection or benefits of our peace then did the
masters holynesse despise mee his grand chiefetaine or the least Captaine of his vnder mee who are to pursue heretiques that haue robbed him of his honour and glorie of his power and authoritie holynes and credit whereby hee is become of lesse estimation among the kingdomes of the world The supposed slanders which England hath wrongfully laide vpon him the dishonour and demerites which his locusts haue condignly receiued in England of latter times for their treasons conspiracies and murderous practises are pretended to bee so high a blemish vnto that painted beast that by no meanes the quarell is to bee qualified but by open force and forcible inuasion that can take no better successe by deuillish deuises It is not vnknowen to all how many secret practisers euen of our owne vnnaturall countrymen and others hee hath sent to subuert the quiet of our state pretending openly the winning of men to the church of Rome wherein and not else where as they saie is saluation but couertly haue stirred vp rebellious thoughts and deeds in many which otherwise myght haue shewed themselues loyall subiectes And this generall practise hath appeared to be a deuice to steale awaie the harts of the subiects from their due obedience to our most gracious Queen wherby we might grow into ciuill rebellions within our selues and so giue him the more ease to make spoile of all And sith these secrete workers haue not nor can take no effect in their treasons but condigne reward deserued iustice wherby many haue bene rid most happilie out of our common weale and their dispatch no doubt to vs most beneficiall and howsoeuer they be enchanted by the vaine conceite of canonization and reward at Gods hands the whores deceiuing baytes their confusion is no more regarded of his holines than the fall of a drop from his nose he loueth not the name of an English man but flattereth them onely to vse them to worke secret mischiefes and that they may come to the more speedy confusion And sith I say by their secret meanes he cannot get againe and redeeme the decaies that the trueth of the Gospell heere receiued hath brought vpon his kingdome of darkenesse he hath sent out this hellish hoobub with his blasphemous coniurations commanding heerein aboue all the rest of his adherents this capitall King Catholique to take knowledge first of his iniururies sustayned by the English Nation who haue dispoyled him of all his Abbies Priories Monasteries other reliques of his forged deuotions and with all of our detayning of the annuall reuenues and pensions which he vsurped from vs greate summes of monie to maintayne his high abhominations and which is more that we haue bewrayed his darkenesse which he would haue the whole world to imbrace as the true light which things haue so deepelie discouered him that he will be seene to pursue vs as robbers with this peeuish hoobub the destruction of England This no doubt is the first cause that inkindleth a blinde deuotion in the king of Spaine dignified with the high title of King Catholike to pursue the matter vi armis to discharge himselfe of the truste reposed in him The other cause inuested meerelie in him selfe without hauing anie eye at all on anie other end is the desire and thirstinesse wherewith he hath been long tossed to subiect this land to his dominions for since his atchyuing the gold of India his thoughts haue neuer beene quieted but still seeke howe to increase his power and to become sole Monarch of Europe And to this his ambitious desire the holie father bringeth more stubble to maintayne the fire to serue his owne turne the better to support his blacke kingdome well shaken by the thunder of the Gospell which hee by the Spanish Inquisition the court of hellish furies endeuoreth but in vaine to extinguish And forasmuch as England hath been the best benefactor in ignorance to the Sea of Rome and of whose sweetnes this Catholike king hath some thing tasted and finding it plausible for his stomack to digest he lōgeth for it as the purple whoore wyth child of ambition longeth for her owne glorie which ambitious thirste can hardly be quenched as appeareth till the throats of more of his inuincible troopes be stopped with the waues of our narrow Seas The remembraunce of whose former successe in the same may argue in vs if we retire to our helping God an assurance of the like issue of his blinde ambition now Which maketh him swell in regard hee seemeth to be master of land and sea in both which hee is deceiued and yet pricketh him forward to equalize his territories with the great and large scope of the pristine Romaine Empire which extended it selfe ouer three parts of the world and yet could not satisfie the ambition of Casar and Pompey whilst the one could abide no equal the other no superior The Pope for his part wil be king of kings and will accepte neither superiour not equall in causes either diuine or humane the Spaniard priuiledged by his title of king Catholique coueteth superioritie ouer all the rest not only of the Popes vassall kings but ouer others therefore he wrestleth hard for Flanders and other prouinces of Germanie he practiseth subtilly for France suborneth impiously Ireland and audaciouslye threatneth England But no doubte as the fountaine of ambition yeeldeth no better licour than thus to vsurp other mens territories kingdoms so it will affoord no better end than it did to the Lacedemonians and Athenians the one being master of the sea the other of the land whose glory as it tooke beginning by ambition so by the same they were brought both to confusion in the end and therefore need wee the lesse to feare this ambitious hoobub wherein wee seeme to be pursued first for that which belongeth to God himselfe namely all glorie power vertue veritie sanctitie and holinesse which this beast of Rome vsurpeth to himselfe and woulde inforce vs to yeeld it vnto him from our louing God whose cause wee shall defend and not our owne in resisting his chieftaine this Catholike king secondly seeing it pursues vs for our owne kingdome countrie lands libertie wiues children and liues thinges peculiar vnder God to our Queene and vnder her vnto our selues he hath no colour to chalenge anie propertie title interest or hope in them and therefore in defending them we shall preserue our selues and that which is meerely our owne And yet therunto will not that beast intitle him Thus we see the causes that moue this loud hoobub against vs in the meere desire of the Spaniardes But forasmuch as we are in dutie and christian policie to looke backe into our selues and to take surueigh of the occasions which may bee argued to bee in our selues why God in iustice should moue this Antichristian host against vs hauing the title of Christians and to examine whether wee deserue to tast of the plague which is threatened
swallow vs vp We acknowledge oh Lord our weakenes and appeale to thee for strength we confesse our sinnes and fall downe to thee for pardon heare vs and deliuer vs. Let thy Gospell deere father for thy Sonnes sake not onely continue amongst vs but let the fruits of our true zeale bee so watered with thy holy spirit that they may become acceptable vnto thee that thou maist be vnto our Queene an high tower and a safe refuge to vs that are afflicted Rise vp rise vp oh God inuincible list vp thine hand in our behalfe against the power of this mightie Senacherib who in his vaunts declareth that there is no helpe for vs in thee But thou canst smite them oh Lord smite them vpon the cheeke bones breake their hairie scalpes and make their deuises vaine Our fathers trusted in thee oh Lord they trusted in thee and thou didst deliuer them Strengthen our faith deare Father that we may likewise trust in thee and be deliuered So shall not the praise redound vnto our selues but vnto thy glory And all the worlde seeing how thou protectest vs shall likewise come vnto thee seeke thee honor thee and as thou hast beene art and shalt bee vnto vs all in all so all nations frame their obedience to thy will as vnto the al-sufficientito whom be immortal praise as thou only deseruest oh Lord increase our faith A priuate Prayer to be sayd of Magistrates that they may be fit to performe in these dangerous daies what their seuerall places shall require OH Father full of wisedome power and Maiestie for as much as euery man in himselfe and of himselfe is so far from all ablenes to performe what is required of him to the discharge of his dutie not only to thee in regard of his seruice due vnto thee but also to his countrie in regard of his place wherein he is to liue in the common-wealth as that he can performe nothing aright and therefore I do come vnto thee beseeching that as thou hast found mee out howsoeuer vnfit of my selfe to discharge it and hast laid vpon me the function of a Magistrate to rule thy people in the place whereunto thou hast appointed me Let me now be shaped and framed anew let my thoughts my heart soule and bodie be changed from vanitie to truth from sin to repentance from weaknes to strength from ignorance to knowledge from pride to humilitie froÌ„ all things that I ought not to be to that I ought to be That as mine eies are to bee set on all to the ende I might see al approue or reproue al and punish or defend all within my charge and as euery mans eies are on me to note my steps how I walk in my function so I may conforme my selfe not only to the precepts of superiour powers in performing theÌ„ to the publike example of others but also in true zeale to thy word I may be a laÌ„tern of light vnto them not by my slacknes in my calling in breach of any duetie giue example to any to followe that is euill Therefore teach me thy statutes oh Lorde that I may walke in thy waies guide me in my pathes that I may practise righteousnes and execute iustice truly That I may appeare to be as I ought to be and not to followe mine owne will which is prone to euill euermore supply all my wants oh Lord in giuing me an vnderstanding heart a mercifull heart a contrite heart and an humble spirite the spirite of meeknes the spirite of knowledge the spirit of loue the spirit of faith and the spirit of true fortitude That as now the man of sinne is busie his ministers diligent and his most dangerous practises readie to bee put in execution to subuert iustice equitie truth religion and to suppresse thy word by violence So make euery man but especially such as thou hast made rulers ouer any to bee vigilant and full of true wisedome and courage all which as they are thy giftes so graunt vnto me oh Lord and to all other in authoritie that we may not beare the name only of Magistrates but may bee endued with all vertues requisite for Magistrates That by our negligence nothing may be done to thy dishonour or dangerous to thy Church and that nothing may be omitted which may aduance the same And as religion is the best and most glorious robe and ornament that a Magistrate ought to bee decked with for that out of it as out of a pure fountaine thou causest to flowe wisedome how to gouerne and all other vertues answerable to that high functioÌ„ grant that we may all flie thereunto and imbrace it in such sorte as like a light the fruites thereof may in our proceedings shine to the inferiour by our examples and vouchsafe that our obedience to our superiors may learn the lower sort how to obey and as wee are taught by thee know how to gouerne And farre be it from vs to glory in our high callings but to reioyce only in this that thou hast taught vs how to performe our dueties both to them that doe well and to the offenders both in peace and warre and that we accordingly performe the same that in the ende when wee shall giue account of our bayliwickes thou maist acquite vs in the mercies of thy sonne as faithfull dispensers of our seuerall callings Amen Oh Lord increase our faith FINIS The Spaniardes â—egard not the â—ause why God â—oueth them â—o inuade vs. They haue a â—wo fold blinde â—eale in theyr â—esire The king of â—paine y e Popes â—hampion â—ngland hath â—obbed y e Pope â—f his credite What reckning the Pope maketh of the death of our Seminaries The thinges whereof wee â—aue robbed the Pope The second â—ause moouing â—he king of â—paine The Spaniard longeth for England How the Spanâ—ard fisâ—eth foâ— kingdomes The end of â—mbition The occasion is 〈◊〉 our selues which hath stirâ—ed vp this hooâ—ub Causes of daâ—ger are not sâ—perficially to be glanced at The diseases of a common wealth must be cured in time Al things haue a chaunge Euery man must looke into him selfe The fire of Adams disobedience must bee quenched in vs. Euery maÌ„ must looke vnto him selfe and not vnto others Sinne the cause of this hoobub Our fruits must approue vs. The difference betweene christian and Antichristian religioÌ„ In Gods mercie wee inioye the gospel of Christ The Spaniardes build the hope of conquest vppon their owne deseruings The Spaniardes blaspheming God An examinatioÌ„ of the speciall euils which in y e iudgement of God draw on the Spaniard We make slender reckning oâ— grosse sins Blasphemie noâ— punished Dronkennesse not punished Pride vnpunished Couetousnesse vnpunishable Coldnes of loue appeareth by y e present dearth where plentie is Spending of corne to make starch a cause of dearths in plenty in Gods Iudgements The negligent minister hath much to answere Delayes of sutes We must reforme quickly or be punished seuerely Religion can neither be brought in