with his wyffe Iesabel the Sydonite dyd opresse the beste cyttezyn Naboth by a false quarrell Agaynste whome Elyas dyd immedyately pronounce sentence of deathe But when Achab herde the worde of the Lorde by Helyas / he rent hys clothes / and he couered hys fleshe wyth a shyrte of heare / and he fastyd and slepte in sackecloth / and he walked with hys heade hangynge downe to hys bosome And the worde of the Lorde came to the Prophte Elias the Thesbyte / sayinge Doeste thow not se how Achab humbleth him self fe before me Be cause he so submitteth hymselffe for the cause of me I wyll not bringe that euylle in his dayes whiche I had deuised but in his sonnes dayes I wyll brynge my plage vpoÌ„ his house These be the wordes of the storye of the kinges the third boke the .xxi iiii king i Chapter Neuerthelesse Ochozias the sone of Achab dyd not consyder his fathers mischeffe / as the wycked with Ezechiel do boste in a prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sower grapes / and the chyldreÌ„s tethe Eze. xviii are set on edge But for because he folowed the dedes of hys wycked father the thretes dyd nather moue hym brought vnto his father by the excellent Prophet of god / nor yet the plage of drowthe whiche dyd occupye the lande of Israel thre iii Kyng â—vii Iames .v. yeres and syxe monethes wyth the greate derthe in a maner of all thinges God dyd persequte the iniquite in the kynred folowynge / whyche the father had exercysed before / and the sonne dyd not ameÌ„d after many excellent warninges Whiche thinge in the dedes of the iewes kingedome is manyfestly perceyued For when the iiii â–ª Kyng xvâ—â— state of the people was moste corrupte Ezechias rayninge ouer them a godly prynce But neuer the lesse whiche was not with oute moles or red markes of the flesshe and had in hys courte asorte of vngratyous knaues / as Sobna and other / Esay xxii and the cheffe rulars and masters of relygyon dyd myserablely bewytche the vnluckye people as it is manyfeste in the Micheas .iij. wordes of Esay Micheas brought forth the sentence of God after thys maner in the thyrde chapter of his prophecie Therfore shall Syon for yower sakes be plowed lyke a felde / and Ierusalem shall become an heape of stones / and the hyll of the teÌ„ple shall be turned into an hye woode Shal we suppose God to haue spokeÌ„ those thinges in sporte Was it hys wyll to moue their myndes wyth vayne threatenynges that they myght as chyldren be sodenly taken with vayne feare No truly but the same thynge was declared by Micheas that they had deserued / and that God wolde do vnto them All though wyth no herde condytyon / that yf they wolde repent by the mercy of God they sholde be saued Therfore Sennacherib kynge of the Assyryans dyd compas truly iiii Kinges .xix. the cytye of Ierusalem rounde aboute with a greuous seyge but he dyd not talie it / as Micheas / as Esay / and as other dyuyne Prophetes had thretened wyth the worde of God Why so Verely because Ezechias and Iuda dyd feare the Lorde and prayed before his face And the Lorde repented hym of the euyll / whiche he had spoken agaynste them euen as it was bosted of the elders in the congregation of the people / whiche defendyd Hieremye agaynste the qwarelynges of false prophetes preistes / as it is wrytten the .xxvi. Chapter of Hieremye Afterwarde Iere. xxvi when Ezechias not well remembrynge how he was preserued by the helpe of God from the power of the Assirianes delyuered from his deadely dysease dyd wax proude for the message done vnto hym by the ambassadoures of Babilon iiij Re. xx and showed them all his treasures for a boste a pryde the prophet Esaye dyd Esa xxxix gyue diuyne sentence agaynste hym and prophecied that al those thinges shold be carryd away from thens vnto Babylon ij Chron. xxxiij Whose Sonne Manasses laden wyth all maner of myscheffe was taken prisoner and brought to BabyloÌ„ Neuer the lesse when he dyd knowlege his synnes / thowght ernestly for to ameÌ„de / he was restored to his fathers kingedome playde the godly vertuous priâ—ce But his iiij Reg. xxi sonne AmoÌ„ after the deathe of his father callynge backe agayne the former abolyshed wickednes was shortly slayne in his owne howse of his owne seruantes In whose steade Iosias his sonne was ordined kinge / which hearyng Hieremie and other godly men prechinge of the moste â—iij Reg â–ª xxij and xxiij corrupte state of the people dyd correct with moste syncere diligeÌ„ce the seruyse of god and the politike ordre of the publike weale falne in decaye after the rule of the holy byble Therfore Iosias beynge a lyue the Chaldeis dyd kepe no warre with the Iues But when his children which iiij Reg â–ª xxiij anâ— xxiiij rayned after hym Ichoahaz / Iehoakim / Zedekia theyr Neuye Iehoacin dyd gouerne the kingedome moste vngraciously wolde not be called backe with the preachinges of the prophetes Zedekia his councellers the false prophetes did bothe brynge theÌ„ self fe / also the people the hole countreye vnto destructioÌ„ And yet the moste stedfaste prophet Hieremie which many tymes had towlde before haÌ„de that the cyttye IerusaleÌ„ sholde be taken Iere. xxi xxxij and xxxvij aÌ„â— xxxix of the Chaldeies / that the teÌ„ple aÌ„d howses therof sholde be consumed with fyer / the kynge with his childrene to be haÌ„dled moste wrechedly in the beseygeinge therof wheÌ„ the tyme was at haÌ„de that they sholde be expulsed did promise Zedekia wyth the wordes of god / that yf he wolde delyuer vp hym self fe the cyttye in to the haÌ„des of the chaldeis / with whoÌ„ Eze. xvij he had brokeÌ„ his othe promise before he sholde bothe be gentlely intreated of the kynge of Babylon And the cytye also with their goodly temple and other holy thinges sholde not be destroyed What caÌ„ be brought more clere to declare the proffyt of vnfayned repentaunce Whyche in the laste article of troblesom paine was so greate a socure vnto the Iwes And lest any man sholde suppose the sayde godly vertu called repentance to be at any tyme in this worlde vnprofytable or ouer late euen as it is sayde in the common prouerbe it is to late to spare in the bottome the example of the Nyniuites doth teache To spare in the bottom / that is to say when all to spent vs abundantly For after that God had reproued the moste vngracious myscheffes of the sayde cyttye / and towlde them that Niniue sholde be ouerthrowne wyth in fortye dayes fyrste the inferior people and then after warde the kynge indeuoured theÌ„ self fe very ernestelyeto amende theyer maners And they we returned vnto the mercye of
the scripture or prechinge of any man / as of Enoch or Moses Whether by the conteÌ„platioÌ„ of gods meruelus handyworke in any parte of the worlde declaring hym to be the moste wise and cheyfe workemaÌ„ and maker of the worlde beste and moste myghtye Whether it was showed theÌ„ by the reuelation of Angels or by the onely fynger and worke of god withoute the helpe of any creature coÌ„mynge from the lorde / that is to saye by the holy and coessenciall sprite of god / so that they obtaynynge by the worde of god necessarye wysdome vnto saluation dyd possesse and declare them selues in dede to be the chylderne of god cittizynnes of the newe Ierusalem Reue. xxi which descendeth froÌ„ aboue / so that they were members of the true and primatiue church / whose names are wrytten in heauen / whiche church truly is nether ended in the spaces of tymes nor yet interrupted or cut asondre with the lymytes of places / natioÌ„s / tonges dominioÌ„s Ca. iij BVt for because maÌ„ is coÌ„posed or made of soule body / it ought to be iudged both most profitable also moste iuste that the inwarde religioÌ„ / fayth / or godlynes be represented and excercysed in the outwarde comely gesture and ceremonyes euen as it were in a glasse and in an obscure thinge Aknowlegynge god The vse or abuse of Christes sacramentes / declare whither thou louâ—ste ordesâ—i saste Christes religion with mouthe and handes and with all thy holebodye / and as I myght so speake with all thy faculties / power and goodes preachinge and praysynge hym / whom with in thy harte thou reuereÌ„tly aknowledgest to be the euerlastyng fountayne of all goodnes And as the outewarde comely gesture or honourynge of god is like or agreable to the inwarde religion so that it ought not to differ from it no not an heare bredeth / And as all godly meÌ„do reuerently exercyse and with all diligence defende the ceremonye or sacrameÌ„t instytuted of god / and as it is a cleare tokeÌ„ of a mynde chaced awaye and forsakeÌ„ of the true religion to neglecte the outewarde comely gesture action and fayer vse of the sacramentes of god / eyther to corrupte them / or when they be corrupted to wyll to defende the abuse of them Euen so for the tyme / or as the diuersite of tyme dyd requyer there hath bene variacion made in the cerimonyes / and yet in the meane season godlines and religion as adpertaynynge vnto the very substance of the thinge it self fe was saued and preserued whole sounde For why wother were the sacrameÌ„tes instituted of god deliuered vnto owre firste parentes in paradyse Diuerse were the sacramentes aâ— diuerss tymes as the tree of lyfe and the tree of knowlege of good and euyll where they myght exercyse religioÌ„ Whother were the sacryfyces permitted vnto the sayntes or holy men after the fall of Adam and Eue / and the reparatioÌ„ promysed by the blyssed seede vnto the tyme of Moses Wother ceremonyes were delyuered by the same Moses vnto the Israelytes / the olde libertye in the meane tyme beynge lefte or reserued vnto wother nations where in the patriarchs with playne or single sacrifices did celebrate the misteries of Christe An other maner fourme of holy ordinaunces or sacrameÌ„tes was instituted after the sonne of god beynge incarnate had perfourmed all his promisses / and by his deathe the synne of all the worlde beynge redemed and saluation repared by an euerlastynge sacrifice ascendynge in to heauen / he had fullfilled all thinges that were promissed to the fathers prefigured in the rites of the holy ceremonyes For why Christe deliuered vnto the churche a fewe sacramentes in nombre / as saynte Augustine sayeth / and they were of most Saynte Augustyne noble signification and holyeste obseruatâ—or For Iesus christe owre lorde and sauioure did institute and ordeÌ„ the glory / the prayse or commendation of grace the doctryne of repentaunce when he commaÌ„ded his Apostles that they goynge in to Mar. xvi Math. x. al the world sholde teache in his name repentance and fre forgyuenes of synnes not the choppyng chaungyng of superâ— stytyous tradytyons of men mixed with his pure worde And he commaunded the same thinge to be obserued vnto the ende of the worlde / bydding theÌ„ also to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy goste vnto the remission of synnes and newnes of lyffe He also coÌ„maunded his worshippers to breake the breade of his holy supper and to distrybute it amonge the bretherne and to drynke the wyne of the holy cuppe in the remembrance of euerlastynge healthe purchased by his deathe with moste large and Mat. xxvâ— Luc. xxii hartye gyuynge of thankes Fynally he wylled holy congregations to come together in his name to make supplication Ioen xvi vnto god the father by the name of hym what so euer good thinges we desyer to optayne or what so euer euyll thinges we wolde haue dryuen awaye / and to gyue thankes vnto the prayse of the Creator and Gouernoure of all thynges Vnto the whyche relygyon whiche the sonne of God dyd make moste goodly / and delyuered to his people to be conserued Thinges necessarie to be required for the â—onseruâ— of the christen religion and reuerently exercysed / there is diuerse thinges very necessary to be required / as apte and mete ministers to preache the worde / and to celebrate the sacramentes There muste an honest place be appoynted where in the ministration of soche holye thinges maye iustly be executed A tyme also is to be prescribed in the whiche the people beynge voyde of the care of erthly thinges may congregate or come together aboute soche godly and necessarye busynes Riches and ornamentes mete and conueuient / may not be wantyng / with the whyche the temples dedicate to the lordes name maye be buylded and repared when they are in dekaye / the pore people maye be socoured / the ministers of the Christen doctryne the true worship of god may be kepte and norysshed All whiche thinges for as moche as they pertayne vnto the vse of diuine administration are worthely taken for holy and halowed thinges / in them to put / to hyde or to coloure gyle dysceyte / is a very wicked and a theuissre thinge But how many so euer there be / whiche haue the outewarde relygion â–ª of Christe common amonge them / whyther they do it from their harte or faynedly for some temporall proffyt / in what part of the erthe and vnder what Prynce so euer they be / they are nombred for souldiours partaynynge to the churche and the ChristeÌ„ people / whose heade is Christ And of this moste Christe aloue is the heade of the churche ample and large Kingedome / none other man can holde the ceptre / that is to saye rule and gouuerne it / then Christe the onely kynge
and Prynce of all prynces whiche by the holy spryte of hym and his father / by his worde and the ministers of religion / by the rulars of the polityke ordre and lawes of the publyke weale / also by the administration and diligent seruise of Angells and of euery creature conserueth and defendeth his people on euery syde And as god hathe euer syns the creation of the worlde excellently declared his moste present godhed / wisdome and goodnes righteousnes and power in his outwarde churche / as in a peculiare people and cittye yea as it were in hys owne house euen so was it done / Christe gouerninge all thinges very god and maÌ„ in the vnite of person / so we looke that it shhal be styl vnto the ende of the worlde when all his enemyes beynge ouercome Psalm â—x made his fote stole / he shall delyuer his Kyngdome is here taken for his electe people 1. Cor. xij Kingedome vp to his father that god maye be all in all For when any people breaketh his preceptes falleth aways from his holy lawes / by and by he threieneth And if that be contemned and will not serue / he prepareth roddes to beate punyshe them Agayne when men wyll know theyer fautes and aske forgiuenes makynge promysse to amende theyer wicked and moste synfull lyuing / god is euer more wonte to be easely reconcyled that is to saye he will sone forget his angre Eze. xviij and take them to his mercye Truly the gyftes are infinite whiche Christe owre Kynge of his celestiall liberalyte doth dystrybute to hys true worshippers Nether will he suffer any thinge to chaunce whiche shall not brynge some passynge Iere. xlvi greate profitt to his true louers But the enemyes of his churche he dothe destroye Nether will he suffer them to escape vnpunisshed whyche do hys people iniuryes and despite / commaundynge his electe in the meane season to be of good comforte and to attribute the vengeaunce to hym whiche bothe can and will requite the tyrannye done vnto them with indifferent Luc. xviij iustice when he shall see the tyme to be moste for the proffit of the godly and beste to illustrate his owne glorye But lesse I shoulde make to longe a rehersall of those men whiche haue bene plaged for theyer vnrighteousnes done agaynste the Hieromâ— churche / for as moche as saynte Hierome sayeth / all the persequtors of the lordes Persequtors of the churche neuer scape vnpunyshed true faythfull congregation that euer were from the begynnynge of the worlde vnto his tyme that I maye holde my peace and speake no thinge of the tormeÌ„tes to come in the fyer of hell to haue receyued also in this present worlde the scourge of vengeaunce accordynge to the dedes of theyr tyrannye commytted / we shall here be contented with .ij. examples breffely touched and compendionsly expressed Pharao the kynge of Egypt had Pharao the kynge of Egypte neuer oppressed the people of Israel with soche moste cruell and open tyrannye yf they had not made god angrye and displeased with theyer synnes / for why they were not ther for so euyll entreated of the Egyptians because that god had Gen. xvi tolde Abraham before hande that his sede whiche is to saye the posterite of his generation sholde be afflycted or plaged by the space of fowre hondrethe yeres But for because that god dyd knowe froÌ„ the begynnynge the synnes of the Israelytes for their offences dyd therfore prophecye that they sholde so be punysshed / neuerthelesse so sone as they cryed vnto the Lorde / all thoughe they were not yet thorouly amended / god dyd not despyse their prayers / but gyuing vnto them the beste captaynes Aaron Moses Marie / dyd brynge his people froÌ„ intolerable boÌ„dage Exo. xiiij in to libertie / plaged the tyraÌ„te of Egypte and all hys kyngedome wyth Iulianus Apostate moste greuous punysshement Iulianus the Emperoure and neuye of Constantyne the greate was not admytted eyther by the negligeÌ„ce of Christ the prince / nor yet by any crueltye of God vnto the persecutioÌ„ of the church But for because that many men dyd abuse the peace which the Lorde had restored vnto the church by the beste Prynce Constantyne / as it is easye to perceyue beholde in the scouldynge altercatioÌ„ more then of harlottes / betwene the heades and Captaynes of relygyoÌ„ whyche were gathered to gether at Nice by Gods diuine sufferans The chyldren of â—rrius dyd succede their moste godly father ConstaÌ„tyne And sone after the apostata Iulianus / which rather by crafte pollyce of wytt dyd hurt the church then with cruelnes and greuous tormeÌ„tes / as it was done of other tyraÌ„tes But going forth to batayle agaynste the Persians he thretened moste cruell thynges vnto the Christen people when he sholde with victorye returne home agayne and he vowed the Christen bloode vnto false gods / agaynst whoÌ„ the church dyd fight wyth wordes / and confessyng hyr synnes desyrynge forgeuenes of hyr offences / obtayned hyr healthe at the Lordes haÌ„de whych doth iudgement and iustice in the erth Nether dyd god despyse the prayers of the church for Iulianus being brought thorow the disceyte of a certen Persiane to gether with his hoste into a solytarye place / a wood or a wyldernes / receyued a deadly wounde / not well knowne whether of a man or of an angell neuerthelesse when he sawe none other remedye but that he must neades dye / that out of hande / the wycked tyrante was constrayned to knowlege that Christ had gotten the victory / yea and that with his awne blasphemous mouth / in so moche that the very bloude spynnynge or runninge out of hys body wyth ferce violence into the element dyd proclayme / and crye oute O thow Iesus of Galyle thou haste ouercome me / thou haste ouercome me Which destynye certen godly men had prophecyed before that it sholde happen vnto hym coÌ„syderinge with them self fe what fortune euer more is wonte for to folowe the persecutors of the church Which seldome or neuer with oute blood or murder / descende vnto pluto the greate dyuyll of hell where all they be gathered to gether that haue fylled the erthe with the feare of theyer tyrannye Furthermore it is red that when the sophister Libanius after Libanius the sophister that Iulianus was gone for the agaynste the persians did inquire and aske of a certen scole master of Antioche what doth the carpenters sonne notynge verely therby meanynge Christe whiche was brought vp and norysshed vnder the gouernaunce of Ioseph whiche did exercyse carpenters crafte he made answer with out any fere sayde He buyldeth and maketh for Iulianus a chiste or a costyn for to Athanasius be buryd in / Athanasius also was wonte to call Iulianus a lyttle thynne cloude whiche shold moste swiftly passe away be blowne ouer But after
fauor of God an ende to all euylles to theÌ„ that were now oppressed vnto the vttermoste brought into bondage yf wyth all their harte in theyr enemyes lande they wolde turne vnto the Lorde theyr God And that clemencye of the Lorde and easynes of sparynge so that men wyll ceasse to synne is vttered with a celestiall voyce / Exodi the Exode 〈◊〉 xxxiij â— xxxiiij Chapter For why after that Moses had requyred to see the glory of God and a proste to be gyuen of the Lordes dyuyne maiestye he heareth that no mortal man and lyuynge in thys worlde maye see the face of God Notwithstanding the same Moses sholde be conserued in the clyfte of a rocke / that he myght see the backepartes of the Lorde / that he wolde passe wyth all hys goodnes by the face of Moses Whyche therfore standynge in the denne to hym assygned / dyd se a clowde / and he herde the nature of ower The nature of owre lorde god declared vnto Moses Exod. xxxiiij Lorde God to be showed vnto hym with a celestiall or a dyuyne description The whyche for as moche as it is a thynge moste worthy to be knowen â–ª I wyll reherse it in Inglyshe wordes / whyche is some thinge more agreable to the scripture of the Hebrew then the commoÌ„ traÌ„slation of the Latyne Iehouah / Iehouah / Deus misericors c. That is to saye Lorde / Lorde God / mercyfull and gratious / longesufferynge / and abundant in goodnes and truthe / kepynge mercy in store for a thousand worldes / forgiuinge wyckednes / vngodlynes and synne / and yet for all that not leauinge them all wayes vtterly vupunysshed visitynge the wyckednes of the fathers vpon the thyldreÌ„ vpon the chyldreÌ„s chyldreÌ„ vnto the thyrde and fowrte generation But that the same thinge also is perfourmyd with dedes that this description teacheth to be in the nature of god bothe the holy scriptures and the Ecclesiasticall hystoryes do sufficieÌ„tly beare recorde / that we may passe ouer and speake no thinge at all of other strange prophane matters / and howe easye and gentle the lorde is to them that repente More ouer what an houlesome and goodly medicyne the chaungynge of owre dispsition and maners after the rule of godes law is vnto ower miserye the register or commmentarye of the Iwes affayers vnder the administratioÌ„ gouernance of the iudges doth teache very well For Iosue beynge deade and that people which had perceyued the workes of the lorde in the dayes of Moses and Iosue beynge Iudges ouer them they that cam after them immediatly dyd caste awaye from them the worship of the true god / and they serued Baalim and other creatures after the manee of the heatheÌ„ to whome they dyd gyue false existimation of diuine power Wherefore the lorde waxinge angrie / delyuered theÌ„ in to the power of Chusan Rischeatane / kinge Iudg. iii. of the Sirianes that they sholde suffer his tyrannie .viii. yeres and whaÌ„ they beynge oppressed whith greuous calamites wold come againe in to the right waye and knowe the one onely true and euerlastinge god worshippyd of the holy fathers and wolde call for his helpe / chaungynge theyer wickednes in to the studye of vertu God dyd remytte the iuste perseqution of his displeasure / and of theyer couenaunte broken / and he gaue them Othoniel a reuenger of theyr iniuries whiche might supporte the publyke weale falne in decaye and brynge them agayne to lybertye By soche a lyke meanes Ehud dyd lose the Israelytes from the captiuite of the Moabytes / and Barach Iudg. iiii and Debora from the tyrannie wher with Iabin kinge of Canaan had oppressed the Israhelytes / by the space of xx yeres And Gedeon defendyd them from Iudg. vii the Madianites whiche with contynuall inuasioÌ„s had wasted them by the tyme of .vii. yeres And Iephthah repressed and Iudg. xi brought vnder the Palestines and Ammonites when Israhel by affliction had lerned to feare and worship the lorde Samuel also restored the people of god by none other meanes / theÌ„ by the amendment of the former lyffe and that sodenly done and not fayned in the translation of certen yeres For why he preached vnto all â— Kynges vij Israhel after this sentence If yow wyll turne vnto the lorde in al yower hart theÌ„ put awaye the straunge godes Baalim and Astaroth from amoÌ„ge yow / and prepare yower hartes vnto the lorde and serue hym onelye / and he shall ryd yow owt of the handes of the Philistines What dyd they at lenght The children of Israhel remoued Baalim and Astaroth and they serued the lorde onely But the people beinge gatherd to gitther in Maspha Samuel dyd gyue commaundament and called the publyke weale backe agayne to the lawes of god / where they dyd also knowlege theyr offences vnto the lorde / and they fastyd and prayed desyringe Samuel also / whiche in the name of all the people sholde hartely desyer the lorde his god to be mercyfull to them / whyles he was occupyed in holy thinges and made his prayers wyth all the people the mercyfull Lorde dyd gyue vnto them moste readye remedye For why it thondereth in the element / and he caste a soden feare vpon hys vncircuncysed enemyes / so that parte of them were slayne of the Israelites / and parte of them recouered theÌ„ self fe in to theyr coÌ„trey wyth moste shamefull flyght / whyche victorye they dyd ascribe full hole vnto God onely to whome it dyd partayne And the Philystines where browght vndre as the storie of the kinges sayeth / nether dyd they attempte any more that they myght come in to the costes of Israel / and the hande of the lorde was agaynst the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel / and the cytyes were restored agayne vnto Israel whyche the Palestines had taken awaye But why so I pray yow Verely because Samuel was in verye dede a godly rular of the publyke weale and therfor dyd gouerne and regarde the same and not the vayne name fayned person as it were in some playe or tragedie of a good prynce for he dyd both reuerently obserue relygyon and righteousnes Pryncesâ— magystrates of the publyke weale be tawght theyr dewtyes in mâ—nistringe their 〈◊〉 ces vp the exaÌ„ple of Samuel hym self fe And that they myght also be obserued of all the people / he spared no dilygence / no fayth / no paynes / tyll he had browght it to passe with greateste vigilancye / goynge aboute the people assembled or gathered together here and there in Israell / that he myght ernestly treate wyth them all of the publyke weale and of the busynes of the Churche / vysytynge theyer scholes that the doctryne of godlynes and the iij. Re. xxi admynystratyon of holye thynges sholde be kepte pure and saffe Achab the kinge of Israhel a meruelous a monsterous and a woÌ„derfull wicked prince to gether
creatures / they do teache the same myscheffe for to be the cause of all infelicite But yf the same thing do fortune sometymes vnto men / that they haue required of sayntes creatures we are tawght in the ChristeÌ„ doctrine that soche maner of prayers are not the cause wherfore they obtayned any maner of good thinge but an accident or a chaunce euen as it fortuned in one tyme that the Christen men whyche were hyred to playe the souldyoures vnder Marcus Aurelius in Germanye dyd Rayne gyuen by prayer vnto the souldyoures of Marcus Aurelius aske rayne of the lyuynge God by Iesus Christ / the heatheÌ„ men of warre dyd lykewyse aske the same of their false gods Now were it both a wycked a very folysh thinge to saye that the prayers of the heathen had obtayned rayne / wherby the hole armye of the RomaÌ„s was delyuered faythfull vnfaythful / not rather to attribute it to the godly supplicatioÌ„s of the Christianes and to the greate goodnes of god whiche doth euermore fullfyll the desyre of them that feare hym / heareth theyr Psal cxlv payer wyll saue them Moreouer those prayers are not effectual which al though they be powred forth in the syght of the lorde of hostes yet are they so folysshely dispersed that the wynde as it were carryeth He that wyll optayne by prayers may not Wauer them away / whiche thinge the Apostle Iames doth witues spekynge of the celestiall wysedome But that the precept of God myght haue hys full strengthe in all other thinges let hym sayeth he that lacketh wisdom aske it of god whyche gyueth it to all men abundantly and casteth no man in the tethe and it shall be Iames .i. gyuen hym But let hym aske in fayth wauer not / for he that dowteth is lyke a waue of the see whiche is toste of the windes and caryed abowte / therfor let not that man thinke that he shall receyue any thinge of the Lorde Furthermore the prayers of those meÌ„ be frayle of none effect God wyl not heare vs when we praye for vayne thinges whiche aske vayne thinges and also hurtfull or soche thinges as be contrarye to the wyll and glory of God / whyche beynge beste can not but wyll the best thinges / and therfor they be not herde wheÌ„ they praye for those thinges which be not worthy ether to be asked or ells to be receyued of ower moste holy father that is in heaueÌ„ Wherfore Christ the Lorde sayde to his Apostles desyrynge that Luke â—â— fyer fallynge downe from heauen myght burne vp the towne that had shytt them owte yow know not what sprite yow are of yower selffe / the sonne of man did not come to destroy sowles but to saue them Also saynte Augustine wryteth very eycellently vpon the fourtye Psalme Augustyne sayynge Call vpon god wyth prayse and thankes gyuynge / and not with repreheÌ„tion / for mhy when thow callest vpon hym to destroye thyne enemye / when thow wylt reioyse of an other mans hurte / and callest god vnto that euyle thow makest hym partetaker of thy malyce For why thow supposest god for to be as thow arte / wherfore it is sayde vnto the Psalm .l. in an other place these thiÌ„ges haste thow done and I helde my peace O thow wycked creature thow doste coniecture that I wolde be lyke the. Kyther to speaketh Augustyne Now therfore ower prayers owght to be made after the rule of the lordes wyll and we muste euermore pray with these exceptions Thy wyll be full fylled and not owers / Thy name be sanctifyed / as Matth. vâ— ower Sauioure dyd go before in his wordes and the vnyuersall congregation of good men dyd followe after for why the lorde knoweth what thiÌ„ges we haue nede of and what thinges be profytable or noysome vnto vs before we begynne to pray Nether will he reche a scorpion Luke .ix. vnto his children requyrynge breade / nether will he suffre vs to haue ower desyer when with owte knowlege we aske that is euyll And we receyue that is good when we be not herde Moreouer loche as be cowardely and slowthefull synners are suffred of god to departe from hym in vayne and voyde of theyer purpose and that worthely / whiche tempâ—e Sluggardes maye well babâ—e / but all theâ—â— prayer is of none effecte god and wyll not walke in the waye of health whiche god doth showe theÌ„ / nor wyll not vse those meanes / facultyes and instrumentes whiche god hath sett in the myddeste of them or elles rather gyuen in to theyer handes to remedie the euylles hangynge ouer theyr heades or elles to dryue awaye those thinges that now opresseth them and to conserue theyer healthe Agaynste whome the moste wyse aÌ„d noble man of moste famous memorye The notable senteÌ„ce of Marcus Cato Marcus Cato hath gyuen a memorable and playnely a diuine sentence / that the helpe of God is not procured with folysshe vayne tryfelynge vowes and prayers but all thinges cometh luckely to passe by diligent takynge hede / by laboryng lustâ—lye â—d by good councell When thow gyueste ouer thy self fe to slowthefullnes and cowardenes call not vpon god / for he is vtterly angry and sore displeased with the. Therfor if we will haue ower desyers to be confirmed / If we couet to fele the helpe and socure of god we muste applye ower selues withe all ower harte vnto the common health / we muste watche / be circumspecte and labore very sore and strongly and as the common prouerbe dothe monyshe vs / wyth god we muste put to ower haÌ„de / whyche vnto noble actes requireth soche as be diligeÌ„t labourers studious and actyue / and not Idle and slepye lookers on The Esopus fabâ—e oâ— the carter praying vnto Hercules / whoÌ„ the poeâ—es do rayne to be the God of strength fable also of the carter reprehendyth very wysely the cowardenes / and slowthefullnes of sluggysshe bableynge oratoures / whiche desyred of Hercules to haue his carte styckiÌ„ge faste in the myre to be draweÌ„ owte / but answer was made hym that he muste laye his shoulders vnto the wheles / aÌ„d prouoke his horses to drawe / and so by that meanes it sholde easelye begotteÌ„ owt of the swalowing goulffe last of al the eares mynde of god doth abhorre from the prayers of them the which are wrapped in deadely crimes doth nather from theyer harte desyer that theyer synnes Repentaâ—â—ce must be ioyned with ower prayers for the lorde stoppâ—â—â— his â—aâ—â—s from â—â—styâ—ate offenders myght be forgyuen them / nether do they ernestly studye to amend theyer lyuynge whyche thynge the lorde god hymselffe hath wytnesed wyth many diuyne senteÌ„ces in the holy scriptures of the whiche we wyll onely towche a fewe In the fyrst chapter of Salomons Prouerbes wysdome and the worde of god speaketh to hir dispisers because I haue called and ye refused it
not be destroyed yf ten righteous men might be fownde in that cyttye / and lyke wyse in Ieremye the fyfte chapter Go ye rownde aboute Ieremy v the wayes of Hierusalem and beholde and consyder and serche in the stretes therof / yf ye can fynde one man that doth equall and right or seketh for the truthe / and I shall spare that cyttye is not so to be taken or vnderstonde in this sense / that god is wounte to spare many wicked and vngracious lyuers for one or .ij. good men of excellent vertu / for Hieremye and Baruch Abdemelech other moste godly men ware at Hierusalem 4 Re. xxv â–ª / wheÌ„ it was destroyde of Nabuchodonosor Also Ionathas which was a man noted in holy scripture of so mocke vertu as no man more was slayne to gether with hys cursed father Saule fyghtinge strongly agaynste his enemyes the Palestynes / whych before tyme beinge acompanyed 〈…〉 xiiij but with one onely maÌ„ his faythfull esquyer or the bearer of hys harnes had ouerthrowne the tentes of the sayde his aduersaries / and put them to flyght But then do godly men resiste the wrath Exâ— xxxij of God / euen as dyd Moses to whome the Lorde sayde Suffre me that I maye destroye this people Then do they stande in the gappe of the broken wall / left that any plage shold inuade the people Then do they defende their cyttyes with stronge bulwarkes / and make intercession for the people when they onely represent / not theyr owne syngulare goodnes / but How and wheÌ„ good men may staÌ„de wyth theyr prayers / betwene the people and the wrath of God also the goodnes and vertu of the people wyllyng redy to amende their lyuyng When they be not accepted onely for theÌ„ self fe / but in the name stede of al the cyttezyns / and that they may haue lybertye in the place of iudgement / in the commoÌ„ couÌ„cel / in holy assembles and coÌ„gregatioÌ„s gathered to gether to speake and saye their mynde frely of relygyoÌ„ and of righteousnes / and innocencye of lyuynge to be renewed For then ther remayneth some h 〈…〉 e of better amendement and a signe of some vertu / labouringe and stryuinge to breake forth into light / whych God wyll not put owte but doth socoure it / nouryshe it / helpe it / that it may brynge forth it selfe / and growe vp vnto rypenes and plentyfull frute And it is a thinge alienate or disagreable from the disposition Esay xliij Mat. xij of Christe owre kynge that he sholde breake the brosed rede / or els quenche the smokynge flaxe As on the other syde or contrary parte Salomon gyueth warnynge in hys Prouerbes that wycked me Prouerb â–ª xxix brynge a cyttye vnto confusioÌ„ And after hym Hesiodus the Poete confyrmeth Hesâ—odâ—â— the same / whyche dyd wryght this verse Saepe luuÌ„t ciues quicquid peccatur ab vno That is to saye All the hole cyttezyns do many tymes suffer for one mannes offence Not that the iudgement of God is agaynste the lawes gyuen by Moses which neither doth ascrybe the vngratyous dedes of the father to the chyld / nor Ezâ— xviâ— the cursed offences of the chylde to the father / that the one myght be slayne for the others trespasse / but for because there is for the moste parte a coÌ„mon participatioÌ„ amoÌ„ge cyttezyns being partetakers one of an others iniquite / for that the wicked offenders be not punysshed / nether yet a iuste measure set vnto the murthâ—rynge mischeffe of them sodenly inuadynge the publike weale Wherfore by the rightous iudgement of god / for the rauesshynge of Dina Iacobs daughter not onely the Genesis .xxx. iij. lecherous yonge maÌ„ Sichem beynge the Author of that vngratious acte but also his father Emmor beynge to fauorable and all the hole cyttye were vtterly destroyed of Leui and SymeoÌ„ / whiche did cruelly reuenge the fowle iniurye done vnto theyer syster The noble cyttye of Troye and all the kingedome of Priamus Troye was destroyed for the synne of Paris the sonne of Priamus was wholy wasted with ten yeres batayle for the mischeffe vnpunysshed of his sonne Paris / whiche had taken away Helene the wiffe of Menelaus his hoste a GreciaÌ„ / and king of the Lacedemonyes WheÌ„ the ambasadoures or messengers of Dauyd were put to rebuke and spytefully intreated of Hanon the kinge of the Amonytes commaundinge the one halffe of â—j Reg. x. theyer berdes to be shauen / and theyer garmentes to be cutt in the mydle euen harde by the but tockes of them not onely the couÌ„cellers of that euyll dede were punished / which had prouoked the king therunto but the kynge and all the people beyng defiled with the lawes of the heathen dyd suffer horrible punishement of the moste righteous kiÌ„ge Dauyd The cittie of Carthage hauinge spite at the domion Carthage of the Romanes and an obstinate folower of theyer example in laboringe by conqueste to subdue nations was vtterly destroyed aÌ„d ouerthrowne because that in tyme it dyd not resiste the councell and furye of theyer Duke Haniball Because the Gaabites wolde not delyuer Iudg. xx the wicked cyttizynes to be iustly punyshed vnto the Israelytes requyrynge to haue theÌ„ not onely those fewe whiche by force had oppressed the Leuites wyffe / dyd receyue the rewarde of that horryble dede but also the towne of Gabaa and all the tribe of Beniamin whiche had put on harnes vnto the defense of that fylthye myscheffe dyd perysshe wyth slaughter vnto the nombre of syx hondereth men And O the holye and wonderfull iudgementes of God For the faute of one cursed theffe whyche had vsurped vnto hym self fe a clooke .ij. hondreth syeles of syluer and a tonge of gowlde of fyftye sicles weyght beynge part of the excommunicate thinges of Hierycho whyche Iudg. vij were not destinate of god to be gyuen to the pore / nether yet to be reserued vnto the holye treasurye / but to be burnte wyth fyer the hoste of Israel was turned to a most shamefull flyght at Hai / a great sorte of moste strong men beinge slayne Nether coulde the wrath of God be pacyfyed with any other ende / then wyth the death of the cursed these Achan Chapt. xv VVhyche thynges for as moche as they be eueÌ„ so o ye Christen men what hope of recouerynge owt of the Turkes possession owre regyons taken awaye / or els to howlde them styll that the prouydence of the Lorde hath lefte vnto vs doth there appere ether in ower warres and councells / wysdome / ryches / or in the felowshyppe of godlye men / whom I dowte nothinge to lye hyd in the Christen churche / and to praye wyth feruent deuotion / that the walles Psal li. of Hierusalem maye be buylt agayne Or ells what hope can we haue in the power and helpe celestyall / seynge that cruell myscheuous dedes
repentaunce and remission of synnes and distrybute the Sacramentes / delyuerynge none other Ephe. iiij Mar. xvi relygion then the very same which Christe dyd teache with worde and fulfylled with his dede goynge before in the good example of lyuynge And he wylled greatest authorite to be vnto that office and ministration well and truly gouerned sayinge He that heareth yow heareth me / and he that contemneth yow contemneth Luke x. me â–ª and my father that sent me But agenste the stubborne and disobedient / as agenste them that be seditious / a payne is decreed / so that they which resist the ordinauÌ„ce of god are iudged to resist the Lorde / they that resyst hym shall of a truthe be destroyed of hym / as the exaÌ„ples Num. xvi expressed in Chore / Dathan Abiron do manifestly declare Nether hath the Romyshe Prelate receyued greater power of Christ the supreme and onely vniuersall Bisshope all thowgh he were eueÌ„ the best moste vertuous maÌ„ lyuyng The Romysh bysshop hath no more power gyuen hym of God / then the bysshop of Eugudye in the earth then the Bisshop of Eugubye or of any wother village in the mostâ— extreme corner of Germany Vnto whome if a message sholde haue bene sent in olde tyme as some people dyd then was this comonly the tenoure therof We seâ— thy power / thy pompe and pryde / thy superfluite and greate excesse with all thy other truÌ„prye / dedes / and affayers to be contrarye to Chryste Wewyll not fyll / thy botomles sacke and insatiable couetousnes We wyll not suffer thy cruell tyrannye / therfor will we tarrye with owte thy synagoge in the churche of ower Bysshope Chryste If Germanye had done the same thinge and vsed a lyke answer / gretynge / or salutation to hym but a fewe yeres paste â–ª we sholde haue had or this day a far better fourme and state / bothe of the churche and the publycke weale Moreouer the people of the churche are assured of thys one thyng whych a sure / a trustye / and a contynuall concorde doth euermore requier they haue Luke 1 â–ª one lawe the same also being righteous and beste They haue one kynge and Monarche Christe vnto whome the celestiall father hathe gyuen the seate of hys father Dauid that he maye rule and haue dominioÌ„ froÌ„ see to see / that he maye exequte IudgemeÌ„t iustyce in all the earth And he ordineth mynysters of Iustyce vnder hym in euery place which may Rom. xiij defende goodnes and good men / drawe oute the sworde agenst theÌ„ that be euyll when as ofteÌ„ as nede shall requyre it Owte of whose lawes all other lawes be lawfully deducted Therfor the Empyre of Germany optayneth all hyr power and Iurisdiction Not of Carolus the greate Not of the Bysshop of Rome Not of Caius Cesar Not of Romulus But of The Empyre of Germany hath all hyâ— power of God onely Christe the kynge of kynges and the Lorde of lordes as I will at some tyme here after manifestly declare if the Lorde gyue me lyffe Wherfore let the ChristeÌ„ prynces and people do the same thinge yea let them do it in dede from their very harte that Agelaus Naupactius dyd councell perswade vnto the Grekes / exhortynge Philippe aÌ„d Acheus vnto peace that they Agâ—laus Naupactius â— wolde speake and agre bothe in one thinge / and one helpe an other whereby they myght conserue them self fe and theyr cyttyes from the enmious nations of barbarous people / none other wyse then meÌ„ do take handes to gether whiche are constrayned to wade thorowe ryuers wyth owte shippes or botes For the worde of Christe ower Lorde God and sauioure eueÌ„ the byshope of ower sowles and beste 1. Pet. ij kynge owght for to stande sure and faste in ower brestes which sayeth by this thinge men shall knowe that yow be my disciples â–ª Iohn xiii yf yow shall loue one an other And this sayinge of the Apostle Beare yow one an others burthen and so shall Galat. vi yow fulfyll the lawe of Christ The most holy bande of brotherly concorde muste be euermore occupied before ower eyes vnto the whiche thinge to be retayned as often as the name glorie of Chrisie and the necessite of ower brethren doth requyer it a stronge valiant man will be readye and prepared agenst all fortune what so euer it be Chapt. xviij FVrthermore because batayle and As meÌ„ hâ—ue their names oâ— maÌ„lynes / so owghâ— they in their actes to be very manly iâ— godly vertu Dir enâ— a virtutâ— dicitur warre is holden and perfourmed moste cheifely by men / whiche as they agree in name euen so in very dede owght they to haue felowshyp and acquayntanÌ„ce with vertu And seinge that no thinge whether it be lylle or great / maye wythowte vertu be spedely done therfor is vertu to be requyred as a thinge moste necessary / namely when Christen warfare is taken in hand and openly proclaymed whiche craftely is not conceyued In tyme of warre / yf men â—â—uer studyed for god lynes and vertu / thâ— behowueth it them most ernsâ—ly to pracâ—yse them and bent to inuade the dominions of other men but Iustely to defende ower owne agenste the violence and tyranny of the Turkes which enemyes as they ar the moste sharpest olde soldyers / excercysed in fresshe and newe victories and the fyercer for that they remembre theyer olde victories eueÌ„ so they beying now any mated with one and whother shew and glitering pretence of some fayned coÌ„ceyued verten / come vnto batayl Nether be houeth it them onely to be garnesshed with vertu whiche go forth armed agenst the enemyes of them that ar called Christians but also all those whiche are lefte at home For as Marcus Cicero very Marcus Cicero clerely sayth Small and weake ar the armours without in the felde / excepte there be good consell at home Yea and so is that also of no lesse truthe / which is comonly sayde Feble / and weake / impotent / and faynte is the helpe and streÌ„gth of weapens / one lesse bothe at home and abrode men do ernestly striue who may be most godly and vertuouse to obtayne their comon helth and saluation For the prayse and flower of vertewe / and honest dealinge after the comonaltye be set at peace quietnes bringeth forth infinite proffit / conserueth and encreaseth the priuate and comon felicite of all men nether is there any other thinge that so presently puttethe from vs the tempestuouse stormes of batail And when batayl be giuneth to chaunce theÌ„ vertew endeuoureth and dilygently laboureth most that it might be put of / and auoyded with the leste losse of men and goods Nether was there at any tyme Prince or peple that dyd get them greate glory by batayl whiche did not set before their eyes the great study bothe of religioÌ„ and vertewe