⧠A Godly consultation vnto the brethren and companyons of the Christen religyon By what meanes the cruell power of the Turkes / bothe may / and ought for to be repelled of the Christen people / Theodore Bibliander beinge the Author ⧠Thow shalt also fynde here most gentle Reader of the reasons wher wyth a firme and sure concorde and peace in the Churche / and the Christen publyke weale may be constytuted / and of the fyrst begynnynge and increacementes of the Turkes domynyon / and also of the superstytyous and damnable lawe of the Mahumetanes / and of other certen thynges moste worthy truly to be red and consydered The horse is prepared agaynste the days of batayle / but the Lorde alone gyueth the victorye Prouerb xxi To hys moste deretly beloued bretherne the faythull worshyppers of oure Lorde Iesus Christe / Theodore Bibliander wyssheth grace and peace from God the father WHen of late dayes the sadde tydynges of the destruccyoÌ„ of huÌ„garye had brought greate sorowe vnto all good men that thinge which ChristeÌ„ godlynes dyd requier / and that I coulde onely do in suche greate calamytyes I dyd it / that is to weit I was very sory for the mysfortune of oure men And I besought the Lord he wolde spare his people / whiche he had redemed with te bloud of his onely begot teÌ„ sonne / that he wolde not procede on styl to be reuenged vpon vs / accordinge to oure deseruinges Afterwarde I dyd begynne to consider in my mynde one thinge of an other / by what meanes we might resyste these euylles waxynge feruent so to heale the wouÌ„de receyued / that here after more deadely woundes be not gynen vnto vs Wherfore when all the speche of te vulgare people was coÌ„sumed in these vrgeÌ„t euylles And the cheiffe men rulars of cytyes dyd holde manye councells to conserue the publycke weale / I dyd suppose it not to be a thinge alienate agenâ—â—e the â—â—yce of those men that do applye â—eriâ—nâ—e and namely the holy scripture yf they dyd descrybe some firme sure reasons of holdynge warre agaynst the Turkes lying so greuously ouer Germany / that is to saye the towre of ChristeÌ„ Mathematicall masters are whych be cunnyng in Aulgry me / Musyke / Geometry aÌ„d Astronomye dome Although the Mathematycall clerkes and masters of Astronomye do take vpon them the fore knowlege of warres thorow the trientall Quincuncial aspectes of Iupiter / Saturne / and Mars / of other Planetes / and expresse the causes chaunces of them / and accomplisshe the same wyth a natural sharpenes of wytte / as men experte in some certeÌ„ vse of thinges yet wold AlexaÌ„der dyscrete sharpe AlexaÌ„der in correction the moste noble Prynce in the feates of warre / cheifely vse the councell of the olde excercysed souldioures Neuer the lesse I do iudge moche better councels to be requyred by ryght of those men that be studyous of deuyne scriptures For the deuyne lawes befuge forth the Leuyte euen the mynyster of relygyoÌ„ in to the former parte of the hoste / they Nume i. Deute xx Nume x. do sett hym betwene the multytudes now standynge rownde aboute in theyr araye / and wyth the hoorse sounde of the trumpettes they do mynister a 〈…〉 â—â—â—ce to the warres waxyng whote / that it may be prynted in the hartes of all good men / not to be chaunce and blynd fortune / not to be inconstant or slypper Mars whych Mars is fayned of poetes to be the god of battell and it is also one of the planetes rasshely myxeth togyther the troubles of warre / but that it is God the gouernoure of heaueÌ„ and erth / which by iudgement sure reason gyueth vnto some meÌ„ merye victorye / turneth an other sorte vnto flyght And that religioÌ„ wyth oute the whiche no thynge can be goueÌ„rned well and happely hathe in batell the chefeste vse / as in the moste daunger of the publyk weale Also many sermones of the Prophetes dispute of the causes chauÌ„ce of warres and eueÌ„ thys matter as a thing propre or specyally pertaynyng vnto diuynyte doth Hieremye knowlege vnto Hananiah the sonne of Azur / saying / the prophetes which were before me and the / Hiere xxviij from the begynnynge / dyd prophecye vpon landes and greate kingedomes / of warre and troble and honger / or ells of peace / were proued by thys / yf God had sent them in very dede wheÌ„ the thynge came so to passe whiche the Prophet tolde before More ouer many mynysters of Constantine holy doctryne / after the comynge of oure lorde dyd not abhorre from the pollytyck rules of kepynge warre for that I may passe by How that in the teÌ„tes of ConstaÌ„tyne Constantyne the greate / euerye pauylyon of the souldyers had lerned meÌ„ in holy thinges how â–ª Bernharde the abbot was the author Bernard of bearynge harnes agaynste the Saracecens That I may holde my peace of the Innocencianes / and the Eugenianes and soche other troÌ„pet blouwers of oute laÌ„dysh warres Saynte Augustyne the greateste Augustyne master of diuinite in his questions to the booke of Iosue doth allmoste explicate the whole reason to kepe battell godly saynt Hierome also writynge in Bethlem the Hierome same tyme wherein the Turkes dyd waste moste cruelly the lesser Asia / a parte of Syria / and at the laste had kylled all Syria / Arabye and Egypte with feare / dyd showe that the synnes of the Christen people were the cause of that plage / and that there was no sure victorye aÌ„d health to be looked for / before there were a returne vnto vertu and righteousnes The councel of the whche moste wyse and also moste holy man if oure fore fathers wolde haue vsed a great whyle ago We sholde haue had all Germanye fre at thys daye from all the feare and weapons of the Turkes and also all Europe Neyther sholde the secte of Mahumet haue obtayned the greateste parte of the worlde inhabyted And Christe the wisdome / righteousnes power of God / sholde haue bene preached in those places / where as now lyinge falshed and madde superstition doth excedingly reioyse and triuÌ„phe Therfore I folowyng the exaÌ„ple of soche men all though wyth a loÌ„ge space betwene / haue iudged it a proffitable thinge / if I sholde bringe vnto my bretherne not so moche a new couÌ„cell as to renue an olde Whiche thynge shall worthely haue now the more weyght or be the better pondered after that it is knowne by a proffe so manye euylles beynge ouercomme what skill it is to obey hym that gyueth good warnynge But my oration was to be aplyed some thinge more nerer vnto ower tymes / and the descriptioÌ„ was to be made of those reasons / with the whyche a sure and contynu all concorde myght be constituted in the Christen congregation Of the firste begynnynge and increasynges of the
the churche / as when in the ballettes of SalomoÌ„ which do celebrate the couenaunt of god and man coplling to gether in Christ it is sayde to the spouse Cant. j. vâ— thow hast doues eyes And agayne in an other place / one is my doue / one is my derliÌ„g / she is the onely beloued of hir mother dere vnto hir that bare hir c. The Philosophers also called naturall / or the curious serchers owt of the secretes of nature do teache / that of all mortall creatures there is none that kepeth the fayth of wedlocke so truly as a doue and yet in The nature and propertye of a doue after the iudgement of the Philosophes the meane tyme to be moste frutefull in procreation Moreouer they affirme that syttynge by the ryuer syde to drynke or to bathe hyr she obserueth or marketh very well the shadowes of haukes and of soche other lyke rauenyng fowles / and getteth hir self fe in to some pryuye denue or hole as it were in to a sanctuarye lest she myght be the praye of soch tyraÌ„nous byrdes flying aboue and ouer hir heade All whiche thynges do meruelously agre with the catholyke churche and euery parte therof Now fyer for the manifolde power of gyuynge lyghte or bryghtnes / and of makynge whote / and of pourgynge / dothe resemble many tymes in the fygures of diuinite the afflyctions of the faythfull / as in the psalme-lxv we wente thorow fyer and water and thow The significatioÌ„ of the fyer wherwyth the doue was toÌ„ passed aboute broughtest vs owte in to a place full of comforte and refresshinge And the. xliij Chapter of Esaye in the comfortable speche which as a sure thinge payed before hande / was destinate to the captiued prysoners in Babilon it is written after this maner When thow shalte walke thorow the fyre it shall not burne the / and the flame shall not kyndle vpon the for I am the Lorde thy god the holye one of Israel thy sauioure What therfor dyd the fyer prophecye What dyd the doue sygnyfye A greate fyer / that is to saye a greate troble â—â— affliction in the space of thyrtye dayes not burnte vp or consumed in the fyer Truly a greate fyer to be prepared and by the sufferaunce af god shortly to be throwne vpon the churche But vpon what churche verely the Christen churche which had moste brodely enlarged the coostes of theyer donnimon and had the fruition of greateste felicite vnder the beste prince Theodosius / and was taught lykewise of the moste holy and beste lerned masters / of Augustine in Affrike / of Hierome in Syria / of Ambrose in Italie / and other innumerable by Greke lande / by Italy / Fraunce and Germany / vnto whome the celestiall clemencie of god had gyuen meÌ„ also that were contynuall in the redynge of holy scriptures / as Suuia and Fretela and Suniâ—â— Fretelâ— â–ª other But she slepeth and snorteth lyke an Idle houswyffe / nether dyd she regarde for to make answere with prayse and thankesgyuynge and wyth other lyke dutyes and offices of vertu vnto the celestyall husbandman for soche his greate costes labour and diligeÌ„ce speÌ„t vp on hir And therfor dyd he prepare fyer strycken owte of the caucasean rockes to come forth in to the este parte of the worlde whych by lytle and lytle myght reproue or take awaye all thynges partaynynge bothe to the body and also to the soule / and the whyche a longe tyme myght burne the whole doue rounde aboute within and withoute that the moste electe seruaÌ„tes of god also myght be vexed or prouoked vnto a wycked defection But why Burnyng in greateste opero / that is to say dereâ— in greatest afflictianâ— so May we Iudge it to be done for that intente / that the churche burnynge in greateste fyers myght be brought in to coles and asshes No verely / but that she not regardynge the benefytes of god and despysinge lyghter corrections and thretenynges / beyng chastened by an harder vexation myght receyue the clere lyght of the truthe / that holy loues towarde god and owre bretherne which euen then were very cowlde myght newly be warmed and styrred vp agayne / that the spottes / the wrynkeles / the rusty vyces / and all can herd deformyte / the despysynge of hyr husband Christe / the truste in creatures and forged loues and worshipynges / the contempte of Gods worde / the perseqution of good men / the houckster lyke sellynge of doues / that is to saye of the celestyall gyftes of Gods grace and the remyssyon of synnes / the symonyacke byinge of the Lordes passion and of all other holy thynges / the perseueratyon in hardnes of harte wyth owte repentaunce and other synnes agaynste the holye goste-myght be baked / rosted or scoured away with fyre / so that then afterwarde bothe the bellowes and the blower beynge destroyed the doue shall come owte of that meltinge fornace as it were all newe and couered ouer with siluer / whyche then all to gether beynge fayer and well fauored may please Christe hir spouse / whiche onely may looke vpon god / all hir other aduouterus louers with the whyche she had playde the harlote before beynge excluded far awaye oute of hir harte / whiche sittinge by the fresshe riinynge streames of the mellifluus wordes flowynge owte of the lordes mouthe the onely fiumtayne of euerlastinge lyffe / maye behoulde diligently the cruell dysceytes of hir enemyes and flye awaye from theyer vyolence in to the holes of that rocke / whose syde was opened vpon the crosse giuinge lyffe / his fete and handes bores thorow with wouÌ„des gyuing health / wherin conclusion / the doue beiÌ„g in safegarde / wheÌ„ she hath hid hir self fe in the merit of the passioÌ„ of the sonne of god a lyue of the sone of Marie of the house of Dauid she may bringe forth swete and moste pleasant songes to the lorde hir husband / that is to saye The confession of hir sinne / the imploration of gods helpe / prayses and thankesgyuynge in the name of Christ the onely sauioure / whyche with the father and the holy goste reygneth one god worlde wyth owte ende Amen Moreouer the coniecturatyon of this wonder whyche was obiecte and sene aboute the begynninge of the Turkes persequtioÌ„ that the churche beynge warned before hande myght beware and take hede / or ells beyng wrapped in afflictions / she myght constantly wayte for the helpe of god / doynge diligently in the meane season euerye thinge that hathe any moment or helpe of healthe be it neuer so lyttle I put it all to gether vnto the Iudgementes of good and godly men beynge myndefull of the sayynge of Ieremie the xxiii Chapter The Prophet that hath a dreame let hym tell it And he that vnder staÌ„deth my worde let hym showe it truly / so that this my interpretatioÌ„ may haue no more faythe or farther credit gyuen vnto it
and vyces of owre men / takynge an example at the Apostles and Prophetes / whyche many tymes by such a compeÌ„dyous waye dyd brynge the folowers of godlynes into a more inwarde knowledge of theÌ„selfe / so that they might make theÌ„ to beholde in the lyfe of other strauÌ„ge nacyons / as it hath bene in a glasse what is foule or honeste / what is good or euell in men clokyd / cowled / and hoodyd wyth tytles of names of holynes / and how moche euery thynge consysteth in hys awne kynde / for by the demonstratyon of comparyson it is more euidently sene what so euer they wolde knowe or not knowe eyther by ignorauÌ„ce or dissimulatyon / lokynge vpon the preceptes and iudgynge them selues to fauorablely Therfore yf it shal be knowne the same vngracyous dedes whyche we abhorre in the Turkes / or ells suche lyke / ye or greater myscheffes to be done amongste Christianes / that frely or wythoute any punyshment Agayne those vertues whych are prescrybed of oure master great Emperour Iesus Christ to be more gentlely nourished excercysed amoÌ„gste the parte takers of Mahumets superstytion enemyes of Chrystes crosse then amoÌ„gste fayned false Chrystianes it muste nedes be graunted as I suppose this ferce and cruell nation by the ryghteous iudgemente Marke this well for it toucheth the quyck of God to be styred vp and brought vpon vs / whiche myght reproue oure peruersite and take iuste vengeaÌ„ce vpon vs / because we haue contemned and troden vnderfote The pouer aÌ„d vertu of the ChristeÌ„ relygyon the lawe of oure god and Christen relygion And therfore at the same relygion must I begynne to declare my mynde whose power is knowne to be very great in all degrees bothe in magistrates and The poetes do say â—e that because Or oâ—notheâ—s has made a man of claye and 〈◊〉 â—â—er 〈◊〉 froÌ„ heaueÌ„â—â—â— lyfe into hym Iupiter sent Pandora a woman with a boxe full of alkyndes of dyseases vnto hym / but he refused it / whose brother Epsmetheus opened it / aâ— then all maner of syknesses flewe abrode pryuate persons / in warre and peace and in euery age and condycion of men The whyche also whyles it is kepte whole inuyolate deliuereth kyngdomes / natioÌ„s and cyryes and all men from euyll But beyng corrupte / it openeth as it were the boxe of Pandora and powreth abrode all maner of myscheffein to the world More ouer as we knowe that there is but one onely holy and true euerlastynge and lyuynge God / so do we confesse that there is but one onely holy and true relygion / whyche of Christe the sonne of God of the virgyn Marye the onely medyatour betwene God and man is called Christiane And it contayneth an euerlastyng couenaunte that the Lorde is oure God and we agayne hys people holy and consecrated / wyth oute the whych felouship or cummunion of sayntes with Christe beste and greateste / there is not graunted of God vnto men any felycyte or promisse of blysed lyffe But the wrathe of God The diffinycyon of â— relygion and all maner of calamityes with deathe at the laste and extreme miserye Nether can I for the medyocrite or lytle quantite of my vnderstondynge in fewe wordes better defyne relygion then to be as I myght call it a lyffe or a lyuynge nature and a vertuous dysposicioÌ„ put in to men by the worde of God / whiche maketh meÌ„ to be truly myse good / blyssed / for why it bryngeth moste true and sure knowlege of the greateste goodnes and also of the onely good God and his true worship and maketh vs pleasant and acceptable vnto hym / and styrrethe vp the mynde wyth holy affectyons towardes God and men and also calleth vake oure myndes from those thinges whyche be contrarye to godes diuine plesure therfore ought they to be taken as fylthye and vnhoneste Furthrmore it maketh constancye to gro we in oure brestes / lest we taken with the loue of the vayne flatterynge kynde or shadowe of good thinges or elles with the feare of any mysfortune haÌ„ging ouer oure heades / myghte be caryed awaye / The pray se and coÌ„mendacioÌ„ of religioÌ„ with euerye wynde from those thinges that be very vertuous and good in dede / oute of the whiche fountayne of religion floweth and cometh all offices and noble actes / and all that integryte or innoceÌ„cye of lyuyng / vertu and conuenieÌ„cye which is called holynes Thys gyueth power and goodnes to the lawes This gyueth Authoryte vnto the magistrates and maketh the people to be iustely obedieÌ„t / wheÌ„ at the commaundement of theyer celestiall father and lorde of heauen and erthe / they gyue vnto euerye man what so euer is dew / whether it be honoure or tribute custome or rent or any other thinge Religion alone makethe a good Kinge / a good consull / a good alderman and counceller / a good minister and doctor of religion / a good cittizynne / a good souldier a good marchant / a good husbandman / and a good workeman Relygion coupleth men to gether with moste holy bondes / bothe the magistrates and the people committed vnto them / the parentes and the children / the husband and the wyffe / the cyttizynne with the cyttizynne to be freÌ„des and felowes / and bindeth the souldiours to theyr captaynes the people in whose name the batayle is holden with moste holyeste leages and othes to suffre to gether strongely and lyke men what so euer fortune chaunceth vnto them And that I may ons in few wordes vtter my hole mynde Religion is an infinyte treasure Religion brefely diâ— fined of all good thinges whyche no portion of mannes lyffe may wante no more theÌ„ the bodye may be with oute the soule whiche is the onely cause wherby it moueth / or the worlde may lacke the light of the sonne Therfor howe many so euer haue All godly men of all worldes were chrianes benein any worlde or in any nation / good and wyse men and the frendes of the immortal god / in conclusioÌ„ adscribed and noumbred to dwell amongst sayntes They were euer Christianes whyche truly by the worde and sonne of god / by the wisdome and truthe and goodnes of the celestiall father haue by eleccion and fre gyfte obtayned bothe wisdome and goodnes and that same thinge wiche is called blyssed euerlastynge lyffe Nether are those men forbydden or prohibyted from the felouship of Christianes whiche were not marked with the outward badge that is to saye were not baptysed in the name of Christe or Messias / seynge that Adam and after hym the wother Patriarkes eueÌ„ the moste holy men truly were called in the holy scriptures the true worshippers of the lorde and the seruaÌ„tes of god / but yet not Christianes Nether maketh it any matter by what way or by what meanes the sonne of god was declared knowne vnto the heitheÌ„ / whether it were by
I do abhorre yower holydayes / and where as you do ceÌ„se me wheÌ„ you come to gether I will not accepte it / and thowgh ye oshre me brent offeynges and meate offeynges yet haue I no pleasure therin As for yower fatte thanke offringes I wyll not looke vpon them Take a waye from methe noyse of yower songes I wyl not heare the sownde of yower organes and the playes of musycke But se that equite flow as the water and righteousnes as a myghtye streame Furthermore we owght for to ponder whyther god hathe gyuen vnto vs the same power which he promysed vnto Abraham / that whome so Gene. xij euer we blysse shold be blyssed / and whome so euer we curse / sholde becursyd Or elles whither the spryte of erroure hath rather disceyued vs with a false persuasioÌ„ / eueÌ„ as Balac kyng of the Moabites sayd vnto Baalam I know that he is blyssed whome thow blissest / and he is cursed / Num. xxij whome thow cursest Neuer the lesse it is wrytten I will blisse yower curses and Mala. ij I will curse yowre blyssinges sayth the lorde But wyll yow be saued by yower Superstâ—tiousâ—y to fast to nâ—t to faste that god mâ—ght be plâ—ased bâ—â— to make hym angrye fastynges wolde to god yow fasted truly and not rather after the maner of those hypocrites whome the holy goste reproueth by the prophet Esaye saying lyfte vp thy voyse lyke a trumpet / Crye as lowde as thow canste and show my people theyer offences and the house of Iacob theyr synnes for they seke me dayly / and Esa lviiâ— wyll knowe my wayes / eueÌ„ as it were a people that dyd ryght and had not forsaken the statutes of theyer god They argue with me concernynge right Iudgement / and wylbe nye vnto god Wherfore faste we saye they and thow seeste it not we put ower lyues to straytenes thow regardest it not Beholde when ye faste / yower luste remaineth still / for yow do no lesse violence to yower detters thaÌ„ yow dyd before Lo ye faste to stryffe and debate / and to smyte with yower fyste withowt mercy Now yow shall not faste thus that yower voyce myght be herde aboue Thynke ye this faste pleaseth me that a man sholde chasten hym self fe for a day and to wrythe his heade aboute lyke an whoope / to lye vpon the erthe in an hearye clothe Sholde that be called fastinge and a daye that pleaseth the lorde Doth not this fastiÌ„ge rather please me that thow lose hym owte of bondage that is in thy daungere / that thow breake the othe of thy wycked bargaynes / that thow let the oppressed go fre / and take from them all maner of burthens / to deale thy breade to the Hongry / and brynge the pore wanderynge home in to thy house / when thow seest the naked that thow couer hym and despise not thyne owne flesshe Then shall thy lyght breake forth as the mornynge and thy health floryshe right shortly Thy ryghteousnes shall go before the and the glory of the lorde shall embrace the. Now by these wordes as it is euident that the lorde abhorreth all ower fastynge whiche is prepostorous and not referred to the lawe of god eueÌ„ so lyke wyse is he dyspleased to se vs obserue superstitiously dayes / monethes / yeares / and tymes and to put a dyfference of those meates whiche he hathe created to be receyued withe thankes gynynge of theÌ„ that beleue as it apereth to the Galathianes the iiij Actes the x and to Tymothy the iiij and in many places mo But what say yow to ower litanyes and ower prayers and supplications Do not they purchase the helpe of god Hath not god promysed that by prayer we shall obtayne whatsoeuer we aske Hath not prayer made vnto god dryuen awaye greatest daungers and calamityes Hathe it not ouerthrowen the hoste of ower aduersaryes Hathe it not preserued the pauilions of good men / cyttyes / regioÌ„s / and hole kyngedoms There is truly a greate and a The necessarye vse of holye prayers necessarye vse of holy prayers at all tymes in the Christen congregation / of the whiche mo thinges shall be spoken heraster in a place coÌ„uenieÌ„t Neuer the lesse it can not be denyed and it owght not to be dissembled that the prayers of all men are not herde / nether do the petitions of euery man go thorow the heaueÌ„s For why The prayers of all meÌ„ be not herde those prayrs for to begynne with all / are to be holden as vayne and of none effecte whiche are not made vnto god the father by Christe the sauioure in the holy goste Wherfore saynte Augustine vpon Augustyne the Psalme an hdesireth .ix. sayth / that that prayer which is not made by Christ hath not onely no power to put awaye synne but the same is also turned in to synne Wherfore the Litanyes commenly vsurped amongst Christians whiche by name prayeth vnto sayntes as vnto Iames / Mauryce / Leonarde / Barbara / in theyr kynde Angelles / Archangells / Patriarches / Prophetes / Apostles / martyrs / confessors / virgyns / and wydowes doth not so greatly obtayne thinges that be good at the hand of the Lorde but they do rather make the wrath of God more greuous styrre vp the teÌ„pestes of euyll Math. iiij plages For truly that maner of callinge vpon he sayntes and she sayntes is farre wyde from the example of Christ and all good men / and also forbyddeÌ„ by the lawes of God â–ª for why it is wrytteÌ„ Thou shalt worshyp thy Lorde God / and serue hym Deuter. v onely And in the Psalme .xlix. Call vpon me in the tyme of troble / so wyll I heare the / and thou shalt honour me It is also forbydden in the fyrst precept of the boke of the .x. commaundementes / to hope or to aske those thinges that be good of any other than of God â–ª onely / from whome Iames .i. they be descendynge / or to gyue thankes for benifyttes receyued / that is to say / for victorye being gotten / for peace / for abuÌ„daunce of ryches and all other thynges pertaynynge both to the bodye and also to the sowle to any other then to God / for why he sayeth I am thy Lorde God / whych Deuter. v. brought the owte of the lande of Egypt / the house of bondage Thou shalt The heatheÌ„ wolde neuer haue prayed to theyr Idolles yâ— they had beleued theÌ„ to haue bene creatures haue no straunge gods before me It is furthermore wrytten in the storyes of the heatheÌ„ / as of the RomaÌ„s that in sharpe and daÌ„gerous tymes the people were accustomed to make their prayers fast by the beddes or tabernacles / not as they supposed of creatures but as they falsely beleued of the immortall gods and godesses The Prophetes also doth vpbrayde the people of God very greuously for their superstitious worshyppynge of the
and haue stretched owte my hande and no man regarded it / but hath despised all my councells and set my correctyon at naught therfor shall I also laughe in yower destructyon / and mocke yow wheÌ„ that thinge that yow feare shall Prouer. j. chaunce vnto yow / euen when the calamities falleth in sondenly lyke a storme and yower destruction lyke a tempest / yea when trouble and heuines cometh vpon yow Then shall they call vpon me but I wyll not heare them They shall seke me early but they shall not fynde me / and that be cause they hated knowlege and receyued not the feare of the lorde but abhorred my councell and despysed all my correction Therfor shall they eate the frutes of theyer owne waye and be filled with theyer owne inuentioÌ„s And in the .xxviij. Chapter He that turneth awaye his eare from hearynge the lawe Prouerbâ— xxxviij his prayer shall be abhominable Agayne in the .xxi. Who so stopeth his eares at the cryynge of the poore he shall crye Pro. xxi hym self fe and not be herde Mycheas also saythe / O heare thys ye prynces of the house of Iacob and ye Iudges of the howse of Israell Sholde ye not know what ware laufull and right But ye hate the Mithi iiâ—â— good and ye loue the euyll / ye plucke of mennes skinnes and theflesshe from they â—r â–ª bones / ye choppe theÌ„ in peaces as it were in to a cauldroÌ„ and as flesshe in to a pot Now the tyme shall come that wheÌ„ they call vnto the lorde he shall not heare theÌ„ / because that thorow theyr owne Imagynations they haue dealte so wyckedly The lorde also speakth in his Prophet Esaye the firste Chapter sayynge when yow houlde owte yower handes / I wyll turne myne eyes from yow and thowgh ye make many prayers I wyll heare no thinge at all â–ª for yower handes are full of blowde Wasshe yow therfor and make yow cleane / put awaye yower euyll thowghtes owt of my syght / cease from Esay â— doyinge of euyll / lerne to do right and apply yower selffes to equyte ce And in the .lviij. of Esay God professeth him self fe to be very harde and playnely inexorable vnto the wycked as it is euident by Iuexorable / that caÌ„ not be wâ—ue and obtayned by prayer these wordes Beholde the Lordes hande is not shortened that it can not helpe / nether is his eare so stopped that it may not heare / but yowre greate offences hath separated yow from yower God and yowre synnes hydeth hys face from yow that he heareth yow not / for yowre haÌ„des are polluted wyth bloude / and yowre fyngers embrued with vnryghteousnes c. Now Sayntes whyther they be deade or â—â—yne can not preuayle by prayer to helpe the wylful resysters of gods spryte and truth that the prayers of sayntes whyther they be departyd from the dutyes of this lyffe / or whether they be yet styl lyuyng in the erthe can not put away those calamytyes which God the ryghteous Iudge bryngeth vpoÌ„ the obstynate offenders and the wylfull synners agaynst the holy goste the onelye testimonye of Iohn the Euangelyste in his fyrste epistle doth sufficiently declare / where as he sayeth there is a synne vnto death / for the whyche saye I not that a maÌ„ sholde pray The Lorde also sayeth in the gospel that synne agenst the â— Ioan. v. Mat. xij holy goste shal nather be forgyueÌ„ in thys worlde nor in the world to come But Ieremy declareth it more euideÌ„tly / speaâ—inge of the sayntes / which whyles they were alyue obtayned very moch by their feruent Ierâ—m xv prayers Though Moyses and Samuel stode before me yet haue I no herte to this people dryue them awaye owt of my syght that they maye go some vnto death / some to the sworde / some to huÌ„ger / some into captyuyte And of the lyuynge sayntes there is a famylyar example Ieremye the .vij. Praye not thow for thys people / nether gyue thow thankes nor make intercession for them for in no wyse I wyll heare them Why seist thou not what they do in the cyttyes of Iuda and in the stretes of Ierusalem And the same thinge is also repeted Ieremye the .xi. Iere. xâ— chapter after thys maner It is fownde owte that whole Israel and all the cyttyzyns of Ierusalem are gone backe They haue turned them selues to the blasphemyes of theyer fore fathers whyche had no lust to heare my wordes And a lyttle after it followeth therfor praye not thow for thys people / byd nather prayse nor prayer for them for thowgh they crye vnto me in theyer trouble yet I wyll not heare them ce It is a place well set forth and moste worthy for to be looked vpoÌ„ very inwardly / for as moche as saynt Hierome that notable doctor of most famous memory interpreting the same not onely clerkely but also playnely sayeth Of these wordes we lerne that he wasteth his labor in vayne which prayeth for an other man wheÌ„ he is not worthy to receyue of god the thynge that is prayed for And that an other mannes righteousnes Ierome al though it be neuer so excellent may not defende the iniquite of other men it is moste playnely expressed the xiiij of Ezechiel That laÌ„de whych sinneth Ezâ—c xiiij agaynste me and goeth forth in wickednes I wyll stretche owte mine hande vpon it and destroye all the prouisioÌ„ of theyr breade / and sende derth vpon them to destroy man and beaste in the lande And though these thre men Noe / Daniel / and Iob were amonge them yet shall they in theyer righteousnes deliuer but theyer owne sowles / sayeth the lorde of hostes And a lyttle beneth it is sayde yf these thre men were in the lande as truly as I lyue sayeth the lorde god they shall delyuer nether sonnes nor daughters but onely be saued theÌ„ selues Wherfore it is wrytten Esay the thirde byd the righteous Esay iii. do well for they shall enioye the frutes of theyer studyes / but wo be to the vngodly in theyer wickednes for they shall be rewarded after theyer workes And in Habacuc the seconde chapter an excellent diuyne sentence is proponed / and set forthe with the whiche ower mynde may be fortifyed and kept suer euen as it were wyth an holy anchore in all parells and temptations He that is vnfaythfull his lyffe is not in safegarde within hym self fe 〈…〉 cuc â—â— but the ryghteous shall lyue by his fayth The Apostles also gyueth often warnynge that euery man sholde be honeste in all poyntes and kepe a good conscyence hauinge with in them self fe an holy reioy synge / for as moche as euerye man shall Balat vi beare his owne burthen in the day of the lorde and reape that he hath sowed For the promyse of god made vnto Abraham Be. xviij that the Sodomytes sholde
are newlye commytted euery daye / with monsterous lustes of the flesshe / intollerable dysceytes / inuasyons of theues and spoylers of contreyes / robberyes / burnynges / sacrilege And the Authors of soche euylls be not sowght forth wyth iuste dylygence And when they be discouered / manyfested and knowen They be not punysshed wyth dewe correction / yea they be garnysshed wyth moste noble names / honours / and rewardes They occupye the holy seate of iudgement / they be partetakers of the commmon councell / when any thinge is sayde / done / or treated of the publyke weale / of religyon / of ryghteousnes / and of the glorye of Christ the sauyoure But those men whych studye to lyue in Christ and to be farre awaye from the disceytes of Antichrist are holden and proscrybed A thing◠to be lamented of all mē that haue one dropp◠of Christ◠bloode in their bodyes for enemyes of the churche and of the publycke weale They are appoynted to be destroyed wyth blooddy decrees and the slaunder of those men whyche to accuse them falsely receyue for theyr labour the fourte parte of their goodes so that they haue nothynge any where in saffe garde / nothynge wythowte greate perrell / in so moche that they be constrayned to defende theyr lyues / theyr fame / and their goodes in pryuye corners / and they maye lyue more saffely in the dennes of wylde beastes then in the temples of Christianes / and they suppose verely and not withoute a cause that it standeth them in hande to be more myserably afrayed of the Preistes and pastours of the churche then of the Turkes and Tartarians The contynuall cryinge one with an other of them that be oppressed / banyshed / driuē owte of theyr contreys / spoyled / noted wyth markes of infamye wyth owte deseruynge / tormented wyth the boocherly exeqution of the hangemen in prysons and dongeons is euen now gone vp in to the eares of the lorde of Sabaoth Yea euen now theyr lamentable gronynges and moste greuous syghes do occupye the eares of the lorde whyche alone by hym self fe considereth Psal ix theyer paynes and sorrowes so that the prayers of Hypocrytes cryynge vnto hym can not be herde There standeth in the syght of the lorde a watterpot fylled with the teares of wydowes / of fatherles childerne of them that be naked / of oulde men that haue loste theyer childeren / of them whiche are put from theyer heritage / and are vtterly forlorne / of those congregations whiche beynge destitute of faythfull flockefeders are destroyde by the bypathes of deathe And it maketh that the moste mercifull eyes of god ower father doth not beholde ower miseryes Many and often tymes yea euen daylye do men headed wyth swordes / strangeled with halters / drowned wyth waters / tayed or cheyned to postes / burnte with fyer / buryed quycke ascēde vp to the celestial felowship aboue which maketh god sore displeased angrye with vs / and all his angelles and other sayntes / and also they styrre vp agaynste vs heuen / erthe / fyers / sees / floodes / wyndes stormes / tēpestes / and in conclusion all the worlde For whye It is not the crueltye and tyrānye of the Turkes that fyghteth agaynste vs but the wrath of god from aboue is sore kyndeled and waxeth cruell vpon vs by a cruell people The Turkes brynge not in warres vpon vs so that ower garisons of men and con̄cell may not turne them awaye but god the Lorde of powers and the maker and gowernoure of heauen and erth fyghteth agaynste vs. The hande of god / the plages of god are strycken into vs. Solimanne is onely the whyppe with the whych the holy and Solymāne now Emperoure of the Turkes is a scourge sent of God for owre trāsgression ryghteous Lorde dothe beate and scourge vs for owre vicious lyuynge He is the rasoure wyth the whych he hath determyned to pare vs to the quycke He is the sworde wherewith all the transgressors of Gods lawes be slayne He is the fell and vengeable instrument wherwith we muste ether be amended / or els be vtterly destroyed And to hope for an ende of those plages beinge indued with soche euyll maners / soche peruersyte / and soche hardenes of mynde as can not repent the nature or disposition of god / the thretenynges of god the warkes of god / and the examples of all tymes doth so greately forbyd it that it can not also be right to desyer it For truly it wolde growe vnto a sure and moste greuous destructiō / because that in processe of tyme we sholde be confirmed in ower mischeuous dedes and wicked auncient customes and ordinaunces and in a lyffe fyghtynge clene contrarye with gods preceptes And we sholde be perswaded that god were the alower of ower moste vngratious actes Nather sholde any thowght or consideration / no not the lest that might be / come in to owre mynde of chaungynge the wayes of ower moste corrupte lyuynge What proffyt therfor sholde the captyued Christianes take of ower victories whiche by owre example wolde turne the fredome of theyr bodyes delyuered from bondage in to the licence and facultye of carnall luste / pleasure and concupiscence What proffyt sholde the Mahumetanes take being ouercomne or losinge the victorye whiche beyng wrapped in no lesse tyrannye and more profounde superstitions sholde be made the chyldrē of helfyer more by doble then they were before What Mat. xvi sholde it proffit vs to wynne all the hole worlde and to loose ower soules ▪ How moche sholde the knowlege and glorye of Christe the kynge be promoted by owre vyctories and prosperous fortune whyche also maketh werye and ouercometh the hartes of wyse men seynge that vnder the hande and rodde of the lorde / and the wonders of nature also makinge vs a ferde / and that with manifeste significations of greuous calamytyes hangynge ouer owre heades / that I may in the meane tyme kepe sylēce of the lordes most louyng requestes / wyllyng vs to the contrary we lede ower lyues in soche saffegarde and intemperancye that we declare not ower selffe any thinge at all for to regarde the studye or exercyse of the Christen doctryne of syncere godlynes / and the deuoute exercysing of vertues and innocencye But yfit were owre mynde to be turned to the lorde correctynge vs and to come agayne in to the kynges hye waye whiche ledeth vnto felycyte / from the whiche we haue strayed Mat. vij very far of vpon the right hande and Deut. ◠the lefte hande / and that we were pleased to haue the doctrine of Christe the Lorde and of all his Apostles and moste holye Prophetes the onely rule bothe of true vnderstandynge and also of lyuynge well and vertuously / whych thinge as it is necessary / so is it also easye / moste sure and worthy for the Christen professiō we sholde sone haue experience what greate dyuersite there is
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
that Iuliane was slayne / the blyndenes of the heathen was compelled to know the truthe in so moche that a certen man in the title and name of wysdome moste famous amonge them / sayde How do the Christianes affirme theyer god to be full of pacience and a sufferer of iniuryes Ther is no thing more angrye / no thinge more present then his wrathe / for whyche coulde not differ his indignation and vengeaunce no not a lytle space vpoÌ„ Iuliane the emperoure The iiij Chapt. NOw my oratioÌ„ purpose maketh haste vnto the false AntichristeÌ„ shadowe of religion / for why as there is one god / one wisdome / one truthe one goodnes / eueÌ„ so lykewyse there is but one onely true religion / that is to saye the Christen Neuerthelesse thorow the craft of the deuyll the folysshenes of Diuersite of religion is the cause of greate stryfe men / as there be many lordes and gods noumbred and counted eueÌ„ so is there also many religions / and that very diuerse amonge them self fe Nether do the lerned men and also the vnlerned dyffer more in any thinge then in religion / so that well nere a monge an infinite sorte of fourmes and fasshyons of fayned religion / euerye nation supposeth his owne to be beste / yea surely and alone by it self laughinge all other to scorne as vayne folysshe / despise the as false / hateth abhorrethe as wicked damnable / and wyssheth that they were destroyed vtterly abolysshed / so that theyer owne religion might haue the vpper haÌ„d be spred abrode on euery side far nere / by the meanes where of there is greate pleÌ„ty of hatred soweÌ„ amongst men moste greuous contentioÌ„s / with warres in conclusion and slaughters of men and other all maner of persequtions Whyles euery man stryueth with greteste studye to vpholde auaunce his owne god / faythe and religion Wherefore sathan the moste spytefull enemye of godes glorye and mannes healthe / lyethe in wayte to destroye nothinge more vehemently then the vncorrupted and syncere healthe or preseruation of religion / whiche beynge saffe hole and sounde / the kyngedome of god dothe what proffitcometh of religion beyng kepte and disproffit beynge broken growe and floryshe and mannes felicite is greatly amplyfyed and encreaced / but contrarywyse beynge appayred or made weake / it can not be but the blissed name of god muste nedes be derkened and men wrapped aboute with innumerable euylls Therfore the wicked spryte stirreth vp euery meischeuous corner of his wit / and proueth all the wayes to the woode to corrupt religioÌ„ / being corrupted by his suggestioÌ„ and the fayned Imagynatyon of men whyche wythoute any respect to the worde of god do make them an ydole in theyr hart giue th 〈…〉 vnto pleasante or acceptable worship aâ—ter theyr owne affections to restrayne / suppresse kepe it vnder For that I may passeouer with silence set a syde the superstitioÌ„s of the heitheÌ„ How ofteÌ„ did the Israelytes beynge vnder the administration of the Iudges and kinges departe awaye from the religioÌ„ deeliuered them of god confirmed with woÌ„derfull workes What monsterous worshippings of Cyâ— xâ—â— Iere. â—ij god did they receyue whiche truly didnot abstayne from the slaughter of theyr owne children to offer them vnto ydolles yea truly the princes them self fe the heades of religion and all the people a fewe beynge except did coÌ„spyre to gyther in to Iere. â— strauÌ„ge rites customes of worshippinge false godes / that the prophetes shold prophecye a lye / and the prestes shuld clapps with their handes / reioyse therat / all the people shulde be wel pleased and haue greate pleasure delectation in thee thinges Therfore were not godly meÌ„ so greatly obeyed which went about to call them back agayne into the waye of health to renewe or restore relygioÌ„ being loste but they were takeÌ„ for seditious wicked persons for men starke madde outof theyr wyttes vntyll soche tyme as the people being plaged withsome greate calamyte were brought backe agayne by the scourges and whippes of the lorde from theyr false gods and dumme ydolls vnto the true god whiche lyueth for euer and dyd chaunge theyr wickednes with godlynes / theyer mischeffe with vertu / theyer ignoraunce with knowlege c. How many heresyes dyd inuade the churche of Christe with in a few yeres after the lordes ascensioÌ„ vnto the heaueÌ„s And yet for There is no heresye but it seduceth some men all that there was no heresie that euer came abrode brought forth it self fe so weake and vnresonable whiche did not drawe awaye parte of the churchis flocke far of from the truthe / so that they coulde scantly be brought agayne into the waye of helthe with the great labor of those men whiche in lernynge and lyuynge were menne Apostolyke moste holy messengers sente from the lorde What is more abhorringe not onely from the holye scriptures but also from all good reason then the doctryne of the heretyke called The heretyke Manicheus Manicheus whiche dyd knowlege one-while some infernal furye / an other while Messias / and somtyme the holy goste to be the Author of his secte / and he taught that there was an other God of the olde people before the incarnation of oure lorde / and an other of the Christianes synse he was / incarnate and in holy thinges he mixed soche abhominations as is not to be spoken But what busynes / what vexation / what troble dyd he make vnto the churche whiche certen yeres dyd houlde Aurelius Augustinus wrapped and tayed as it were in a net / beynge easely the prince of all diuines Truly there was neuer any superstition or heresye so vtterly peruerse whiche had not some thinge All heresies agre in some pointes wyth the Christen doctryne coÌ„mon or agreable with owre ChristeÌ„ true and catholyke religion and whiche lenethe to the sure foundatioÌ„ of the euerlastynge verite Nether is there any nation so vntaughte ether ells so wylde whiche hathe not giuen some euident token All natioÌ„s know that ther is a God of it selfe that it perceyueth there is a god and a supreme and prepotent nature / by whose power cheffely the worlde is gouuerned and to whome they studye to do acceptable seruyse and to pacifye the dyspleasure of the godhed with theyr owne institutions and ceremonyes / and so to wynne his fauor For why god loueth all men with oute the respecte of persons is indifferent to them all / willinge them all to come to the knowlege of his truthe and to receyue healthe / and for that cause dothe he graunte in the respect of Christe his sonne by the same Christe his wisdome and vertu the vse of a thinge most necessarye vnto a blissed lyffe / and he soweth the sedes of religion and wisdome in
owte crye O vnworthy dede and most vngracyous worlde the decrees of holy fathers of councelles / of so many lerned men / obserued and kepte so many worldes muste now be called backe agayne to scoles and altercatioÌ„ Owte vpon heauen and erthe / what a wycked a cursed thynge is thys Owre moste holy father of Rome Goddes awne â—icare in erth / and hys blessed college of Cardynales are vtterly contemned by a sorte of bag aboundes and brayneles gallowclappers Theyr holy lawes and ordinaunces made wyth good iudgemet / and receyued by the consent of the churche a great whyle a go shall they now be retracted We wyll not suffer it to be rent in peces with wylde horses we wyll rather fight as obedyeÌ„t childreÌ„ ought to do / not with argumentes and dysputatioâ—â— But wyth sworde and with all maner of boucherly instrumentes for the statutes / Actes / libertye / dignite and amplytude of ower moste holy mother and Apostolyâ—â— church of Rome agaynste the runagateâ—â— agaynste the reperypes / agaynst the herâ—tykes / and agaynste the seditious / busye and manifeste enemyes of peace and relyâ—gion both of god and all good men So 〈◊〉 I pray yow / what will yow do Remembre youre selfe well / and be not so hastyâ— for it is sayde that soche men want no woo where are yow become whyther are you gone what iustyce do yow vse wher is the lawe of owre Lorde and Sauyoure Christ / whyche Petre doth expresse the Prynce of the Apostles and the buylder as it is sayde of the church of Rome some fyme the flower of syncere fayth / and yet as I truste hathe now in store some relyques of the same / though many do counte it to be but a cage of vnclene byrdes â–ª Apo. xviii what doth the Apostle saynt Peter commaunde I praye you in hys fyrste epistle vnto the Christianes Sanctyfye sayeth â— Petr. iij he the Lorde Iesus in yowre hartes beinge readye all wayes to gyus aâ— answere to euery man that asketh a 〈…〉 son of the hope that is in yow / and that wyth mekenes and feare hauyng a good conscyence That lawe beinge gyuene by the holye goste as it owght not to be corrupted with any cursed and craftye interpretation euen so is it confirmed by the examples of moste godlye men and of the sonne of god for whye Christe by the authorite of the holy scryptures / of Moses and of the wother prophetes and with the dedes of moste holye men agreable to the scrypture dyd proue and confirme his doctryne whiche he had browght owte of heauen froÌ„ the father / and dyd declare it by myracles not onely to hys dyscyples / but also to the enemyes of the truthe the Scrybes and Pharyses How dylygeÌ„tly / how holylye / and wyth what moderatioÌ„ doth Origene dyspute agaynst Celâ—us one of the sophysters of the secte of the Epycures Tertulliane agaynste the Iewes / the gentyles and the heretykes / Augustyne agaynst Pelagius / Donatus Manicheus and whother Those olde hys-shopes of Christes churche whych ioyned to gyther the greateste lernynge wyth The mâ—â—uer conâ—dâ—tyon of the olde bysshops of Chrisâ—tes church moste holy lyuyng / men neuer suffyciently praysed / callynge a congregation for newe heresies ether waxing rype or elles spryngynge vp as of Arrius / Macedonius / Donatus / Pelagius / Nestorius and soch other were accustomed euermore syâ—fie to behowlde soche peruerse doctrynes very inwardely and to trye them by the rule of diuine scripture and then afterward with good aduisement they dyd denye them wyth sufficient testymonyes and euident demonstration and dyd cut theyr throtes in sondre wyth most weyghtye senteÌ„ces by the sworde of the spryte / whiche is the worde of god But the Authors and folowers of those euyll opinyons 〈◊〉 vi they dyd sludye to reduce bryng agayne to the knowledge of the truthe and felowshyppe of the churche Laste of all they dyd orden punysshementes by the lawes / concluded those venymous dyseases to be cut of thorowe the prouydence of the polytyke and cyuyle magistrates / leste they shholde crepe any farther vnto the destructyon of the people of God How lyke are yower maners and yower dedes agaynst the reueÌ„gerâ— proctours and attourneyes of the catholyke fayth / which make promyse that they wil To depraue is wheÌ„ a senteÌ„ce â—ell spoken is otherwyse alterâ—â— aÌ„d â—ade 〈◊〉 playnely proue the doctryne of Christ tâ— be depraued in many partes / the maners of the churche to be degenerate and fallen owt of kynde / superstityoÌ„s to be brought in wyth intollerable bourdens not to be borne / and those men to be oppressâ—â— whom Christ made fre / so that a place â—ayâ— be assygned / Audience maye be gyuen / and a tyme prescrybed fyt and conuenient / and that shortelye Truly â— yow Christen men I am greatly moued and I shake euery ioynte of me as often as I do behoulde the state and condytyon of thys tyme / into the whyche yet neuerthelesse the holy good prouydence of God hath preserued and kepte vs moste myserable wretches They knowlege their awne selffe / whych are no frendes but fenâ—es / not the pastors / but the wasters of the holy church / that there be many thinges in the rytes / the Sacramentes / the ceremonyes and maners as well of the common The 〈…〉 of the truths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 of ordrâ— people as of their heades clene out of frame and wrasted far awaye from theyr first institution / and their conscience heareth them recorde that there be diuerse abuses aboute soche thynges / whiche alsâ— many tymes doth bewraye them self in the face of all the worlde / and yet for all that a conuenient place and a mete tyme can not be appoyntyd that they myght â—nâ—â—ake councell / and caste theyr heades togyther / whych waye at the last the churche myght be refourmed How longe hath the churche now beinge afflycted owre gentle and louyng mother worthy to be honoured of all good men ten 〈…〉 requyred and made supplication in moste lamentable wyse by Maximiliane the emperowre of most noble memorye and other prynces before hym and after / that she might be delyuered from the greuous The godly petytion of oure mother the church vnnto hyr chyldren and importable burthen of to moche oppressed and sore trobled consciencys / that she myght be losed from the bandes of symonye / that she myght put awaye those fowle pockes and scoâ—â—es where wyth they haue defyled hir and made hir euyll fauored warse then with a leprosye / that she myght receyue agayne hyr former bewâ—ye hir oulde simplycite / integrite dygnyte / that she myght be gouuerned withe the lawes of Christe hir sauioure lorde and husbande But what dyd ower mother bosted and crackte of some men with greate and goodly wordes / whych how moche they regarde hir / they declare by theyr dedes many maner of wayes What dyd
scithe a from the lande of India owght not to be passed ouer Owre enemyes the Turkes whiche in tymes paste dyd springe and come owt of the rockes of Caucasus and afterwarde were made fasshioned after the lawes of Mahumet do holde the name of god in greate reuerence / nether do they vsurpe it except some greate and weyghtye matter constrayne them and in the tyme of warre they bere owtwardely writtē in theyr sheyldes that there is no ouercūmer but god Nether wolde they commyt the fame or ryches of a pryuate man / I wyll not say the publyke weale / vnto the faythe or credit of any man whyche wyth oute moste greate necessite wolde sweare the dredefull name of god But how is it vsed amōge vs I wyll speake no thynge of periurye / whiche truly is a vice more often sene amonge Christians then is ether semyng or ells conuenyent / but I wyll saye that The repre hensyō of periury blasphemous swetynge thinge whiche all men knoweth to be cōtrarye to god / and yet the moste parte of vs do it / and the reste are no thinge greued in theyr myndes therwith as it wolde be seme godly people to be / and those that be iudges and rulares of the lawes do not refrayne it with conuenient grauite in ministringe iustice Tell me I pray yow is there not a light vsurpatiō of the lordes blessed name and a playne cōtempte of his diuine power in the mouthes of children / of them that are aged / of men and womē / of the magistrates the prestes and of the cōmone people If a man shall begynne to make any sporte ther is nothynge delectable / nothynge merye / no thinge pleasante or worthy to be lawght at except some blasphemous othe be added ther vnto If any thinge must be affirmed to be true or otherwyse the wordes and communication can not seme to be weyghtye / full of grauite and worthye to be beleued excepte the name of god taken in vayne be put there vnto In braulynge and chyding / in bostynge and crac liynge / in thretenynge and denyinge / no man can be beleued withowt an othe That man is not worthye to beare the name of a lustye inuentus / a iolye brute / a bolde man of warre / and a gentle man borne of a noble stoke / that can not make the heauenes / the elementes and the throne of god to breake and thonder owte of his mowthe That can not rende the lorde for alachet sroere a pase the bloode / the woundes / the crosse / the precious deathe and bitter passion of Christe Let any godly man standynge by and hearynge the same be offended therwyth and put the blasphemer in the remembrance of a better mynde And then is he ether ready The pagent ◠propertye of blasphemous sweaters to playe the iacke braggare and to drawe owte his weapon agayuste hym that was gelous for the lordes sake or elles he wyll coloure his mischeffe wyth this or some other soche lycke scoffynge excuse Holde thy peace good felowe for sayntes are a slepe Why arte thow displeased I do but remembre the name of Christe his holy membres / and thinkest thou that to be euyll done God is an honest mā and knoweth what I meane though thou being a foole arte vtterly ignorant It is a knacke of the courte / sometyme vsed also in dyuerse whother places amonge dyuerse men I wyll not saye of one but of all degrees / an ornamēt of speeche and a poynte of tisthoryke Yea shall I speake the truthe It is one of the moste pestyle ut plages of Egypte / and a coloure of the deuylles facundyous eloguence / wherwith all the wordes and tale is paynted I saye not of a Christiane / but of a man that is madde and owte of hys wytt And yet for all that who is he amōge vs that is so dyspleased with the sayde enorme and vngracyous myscheffe as he ought to be Who bryngeth for the any soche token or sygnyfycatyon of sorow and dyspleasure as the Iewes were wente to do / whych greatly dyspleased hearyng soche abhomynatyon / were acustomed to rende their clothes besyde their backes Where be the lawes of God / which wylleth Leut. xxiii a blasphemer to be correctyd wyth the losse of hys lyffe and punysshement of his heade Where is the constytutyon of the newe cyuyle ordinaunces made by the Emperowre Iustinianus What cyttye in all Christendome doth mynyster soche dewe and indyfferent iustyce as the Persyans / the Scytheans / and owre contremen the Germans were wonte for to do agaynste a lye If god whiche made and conserueth al thinges / if the holy goste / If Christe the sonne of god be owre god tell me where is his religiō If he be owre lorde where is his feare If he be owre father where is his honour If we do beleue hym to be all myghtye and moste wyse / trwe in his wordes why do we not ons bowe at his moste greuous thretes Was it spoken in the gospell to Christianes or to stones / let yower cōmunicatiō be yea yea naye naye / What so euer is Matth. ◠added more / commeth of euyll and of the diuyle Thow shalte not take the name of thy god in vayne say the the lorde and he thretenethe no man to scape vnpunisshed that will usurpe his blyssed name vnreuerenly and with owt a iuste cause And do we maruell to se the Christē common wealthe to fall dayly in decaye and owre men of warre to be slaine and ouercomen with the nations of the Turkese Let vs rather gyue thākes truly vnto the goodnes of god that the erthe doth not open from benethe nor the soden stormes of wylde fyer and brymstone fall downe from aboue / and that we do not descende abhomynable whoredome in so greate lybertye with owte any punishemēt how greate and shameull aduowtries bedayle commytted in euery parte of Christendome that I maye houlde my peace and speake neuer a worde of the rauisshement of virgins the whiche of many Christianes is taken now a dayes not for a myscheffe but for a game and sporte That I maye passe ouer the vice of inceste and the corrupte chastite of vnmaryed prestes whiche fayne them self fes to be gelded fo the Kingedome of god and yet they commytte soche vnnaturall abhomination as is not conuenient for to be named leste it shold infecte honeste eares and poyson the paper and breth of the reders / besides other myscheffe where in they excell the Turkes whose propretye is not thowgh they be the enemys of Christes name to kepe many wyues in one house as the prodigious vowe makers of wyueles thastite do kepe many cōcubines and shameles harlottes But if any man amonge them haue manye habitations and is cōstrayned by the diuersyte of bussines to dwell in diuerse places as are merchant men then are they also permitted to kepe the mo wyues and
of wages truly deseruid counterfaytyng of monye / robrye of the comon treasure Stealyng of all thinges bothe holy vnholy Fayth is no where sure not betwene companyōs and prynces confederate Not betwene felowes and frendes / not betwene man and wyfe The lawes of nature betwene them that be kynsfolke and of alyaunce by maryage are vanysshed awaye in to a beastelyke / wylde ād cruell Polypu◠is a fisshe with many fete / which turneth hym selfe into many colours Vertumnus atumbler or a turner in to many shapes similitudes madnes To showe a fayre face to turne the cat in the pan / as it were Polypus Vertumnus to fayne and dyssemble all thynges whyth fayer promyses to make foles fayne and to deceyne by any maner a meanes That is in conclusion the wysdome of owre worlde those thynges be the defensys and moste sure councelles of owre lyffe all ower delyte is set in lying And to be smered about the mouth with the swete venome of flaterye we gyue greate rewardes nether is there any man better accepted or more in fauor in the haules of greate prynces then flatterers / the whyche at all tymes hath bene theyr moste greuous and vtter destruction / but why do I speake of Prynces haules / whā in the chayers or pulpetes of churches where the gospell is or owght to be preched / men are founde / whyche tycle ycheynge eares with swete wordes / and wyl not scrape the lyttle tendre ones / or rubbe them harde with the bytynge truthe In those places to submytte them self fe to the iudgemente or opynyons of the the dyuyll vnto the lybertye of the chyldren of God / vnto the light of the trueth / vnto the worshyppynge of vertu and holynes vnto euerlastyng lyfe and the perfruition of Godly felicite And he hath commaunded vs for to be holy as he is holy Leuit. xix for to be perfyt as he is perfyt for to Matthe v. be salte wherewyth the worlde myght be powdered for to be lyghtes shynynge be fore other men in the purenes of lyuyng that they myght therby be prouoked / entysed / retayned / and brought vnto the felowshyp of Christe And by what waye that thinge maye be obtaynyd he hathe largely and planely expressed in his euerlastynge worde And that we might lede a lyffe agreable to so greate and soche an excellent profession he replenisshed owre myndes with his spryte sanctifyenge Nether dyd he orden vs to be gyuen to beastelye luste / as the bondmen of the fleshe Nether dyd he bynde vs to the powers of the planetes Nether made he vs subiecte to the dyuylles instigations Nether wolde he haue vs adicte to the conspyrations of the wicked But that we beyng Luke 1. delyuered from all ower enemyes / might serue hym the lorde in holynes and righteousnes Actuo i. he gaue vs his worde and spryte to be the master and guyde of owre lyuynge And that it sholde not greue vs to walke in the waye of helth he moueth / prycketh forwarde / and prouoketh vs ther vnto wyth many greate and godly promises / those not vaine For why God forbyd that the supreme and onely veryte sholde make a lye And he laboureth to dryue awaye cowardnes and sluggysshnes wyth horrible thretes prepared euermore not for the louers / but the dispysers of god / lest we shulde at any tyme slepe in death Moreouer he hath paynted before owre eyes the condytyon bothe of the good people and lykewyse of the wycked / with many greate and noble examples in the monumentes of holy scryptures / that I may speake no thynge of other hystoryes / and that I maye passe ouer wyth sylence those dedes whych be done / we lokynge vpon them But what is done with vs o yow Christen men How doth owre maners / lyuinge and dedes agre wyth the beste approued lernynge of Christe What frute or proffyt doth owre celestiall father receyue of the fylde of hys peculiare people What thankes do we rendre vnto hym for hys infynyte and inestimable benefytes If we wolde knowlege the truthe we do all thynges wyckedly For why those men whych ought not in any wyse to be made lyke to the worlde in euyll thynges / nor to drawe a yoke wyth the ◠Cor. vi wycked / doth so greatly degenerate and falle owte of kynde from all godly dysposytyon that they are fownde to be moche warse then the manyfeste enemyes of the Christen religion Loke I praye yow vpō all the maners and dedes of the common sorte of the Christen people In what obstynacye of mynde / hardenes of harte / dulnes of vertu / and wylfull blyndnes and ignorance of the truthe / lyue they Consyder all the partes of their lyfe Beholde all the owtwarde orders of the churche / Bysshopes / Preystes / deacons / kynges / prynces / Lordes / Gentlemen / elders / cytezynnes / merchauntes / yemen / husband men / masters / seruanntes And how moche do yow se of Christen Godlynes For Baal was an idole ▪ whereof meutiō is made .iij. Reg. xix therfor to bowe knees vnto Baal is to honoure worshipfalse godes I speake nothinge of them that kepe thēselues secrete and be pryuely good men / hath not bowed theyr knees vnto Baal And I wolde to God that they beinge armed wyth dyuyne power wolde ones come abrode / and set vp agayne the Lordes glorye greatly darkened wyth ower vyces / and repayre the moste extreme greuous ruyne of the churche I truste also that amonge the Tu 〈…〉 they be not all so greatly inwrapped and addicte vnto the superstitiō of Mahumet But that some of them are pertaynynge vnto the holy catholyke church / whych is the communion of sayntes / for as moche as Abdias dyd serue in the palace of Achab that iiii Reg. xviii wonderfull wycked kynge / and yet was he a moste faythfull seruaunt vnto hys Prynce / and a noble patrone of the Prophetes of God / from whose indignation Helyas flyinge supposed hym selfe to be lefte alone whych truly myght worshyp the God of Israel / but he is tawght by an oracle and diuine answere that there was reserued by the helpe of God seuen thousand faythfull worshyppers of the Lordes holy woste reuerende Maiestye / whych neuer had bowed theyr knees to ydoles / nor dyd consent to the veneratiō or worshyppynge of creatures Vnder a lyke maner iiii Reg. v Naaman the Syryane was a faythful taptayne / dyd trweseruyce to the kyng hys master / a cruell enemye to the Israelytes / and yet dyd he worshyp call vpon the name of the trwe God of Israel / that Christ myght preferre his fayth vnto the disceytfull / coloured / paynted holynes of the Iewes But the churche doth not iudge of thinges that be secrete Where fore I muste speake of the lyffe and maners bothe of the Christianes and of the Turkes / as far forth
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
of ower hope With what reasons shall ower minde The name of christianitye preuaileth vs no thynge oneles we haue the thynge it self fe be supported What diuine promyses doth lyfte vp ower minde Where be the documentes of godly and christen men Shall we be in saffegarde because we do bragge and boaste the name of Christe / are called his brotherne the sonnes of god But what dyd soche lyke vayne appellatioÌ„ of names with owte body sprite proffit the Israelites Do they not heare of Ezechiel yower father was an Amoryte Ezech. 〈◊〉 yower mother a Cethyte Doth not Amos also take awaye the vayne boste of theyer kynred and goodly names sayinge Are ye not vnto me as the childeren Amos .ix. of the Moryanes o yow children of Israhel sayth the lorde All those wycked doers of my people shall surely peryshe with the sworde that saye Tushe the plage is not at hande / there shall none euyll come vpoÌ„ vs. Beholde the eyes of the lorde are vpon the realme that synneth to roote it clene owte of the erthe Those men are not approued / god beynge theyer Iohn 〈◊〉 iudge / to be the chyldren of faythfull Abraham whiche callynge Abraham father dothe not brynge forth the workes of Abrahams faythe Nether are they the children of god and the heyeres of his promysed blysse and kyngedome / which in theyer dedes represent the dyuyll for to be theyer father Shall the moste holy mysteryes of the Christen religion / Baptisme and the lordes supper kepe vs in saffegarde and defende vs from all ower enemyes But what dyd holy sacramentes proffyt the Israelytes whiche were all baptized vnder a cloude / and vnder Moses / dyd eate with vs the same spirituall meate and drynke the same spiritual drynke as the apostle teacheth vnto â—it 1. Corin. x. the Corinthians But for because they were Idolaters / the seruaÌ„tes of euyll coÌ„cupiscence / tempters of Christe / fornicatours / murmurers agaynste god / and false reprouers of his holy iudgemeÌ„tes They ware slayne in the deserte / declarynge vnto vs also an euidente example leste yf we gyue ower selffes to be lyke vnto them we maye lykewyse suffer after the same maner that I may passe ouer the prophanations of holy thynges and the symonicke byinge and sellynge of Messes wherwith the wrath of god be ynge kyndeled can not be quenched oneles soche monsterous wickednes be takeÌ„ owte of the waye Shall the doctryne of the gospell bosted in ower bokes and in ower often talkynge defende vs It was not sufficient to the preseruation of Samaria It is not sufficient vnto ower preseruation to boste / craue ad speake of the gospell and the kyngedom of the ten tribes to haue herde helyas thonderynge and lyghtenynge owt of his mouthe the wordes of God and lykewyse Heliseus / Oseas / Amos and other moste excellent preachers of the lordes diuine iudgementes whoÌ„ they wolde not obey But they were browght vnder the power fyrste of the SyriaÌ„s then afterward of the Assyrians tyll they weare vtterly consumed Ier. xxxix and brought to naught HierusaleÌ„ with the kynges Ioachim and Zedekias were not preserued by the prechinge of the moste diuyne Ieremye that the Chaldeys sholde not ouerthrow it Nether was it defendyd by the prechynge of the Apostles and of Christe the sauioure from the weapons of the Romanes For why a Luke .xij. seruauÌ„te knowyng his masters wyll and not doynge it shall be beten with many strypes And the kyngedom of god ys not set in wordes but in dedes / not in sayinge but in vertu Peraduenture the holy temples of the sayntes owre aduouryes and specyall aduocates as it were towers and saynctuaryes wyll delyuer vs from the swordes crueltye of the Turkes ower enemyes But they haue holdeÌ„ now a greate while the scpulchre of our lorde / they holde the churches beutifyed and consecrate with the diuine prechinges of the Apostles aÌ„d of the Apostolyke men they howlde the shrines of the moste holy martirs More ouer ower teÌ„ples whyles they be stuffed with the imagys of all maner of beastes and of monsterous men some harnysed / some shauen / some anoynted / some hauinge fete of woode / some halffe whyght / some Annubis was any â—dle amoÌ„ge the Egyptians made lyke a dogge wheÌ„ they dyd worshyp for Mercurius feyned of poetes to be the god of eâ—oquens halffe blacke / are more lyke the temples of Egypt in the whiche somtime were monsters of all kyndes of gods and the barkynge dogge Anubis / then they do resemble the lordes howses / If a maÌ„ sholde beholde what byinge and sellynge aÌ„d lucre is in them they be more lyke the tauernes of marchantes then the oratoryes of holy men In conclusion the lordes tabernacle in the whiche the arke of his holy couenaunte and the moste holy relygues i. Râ— iiij ware set dyd it defeÌ„d the cyttye Sylo and the kyngedome of Israel froÌ„ the palestynes What holyer house buylded vnto god was there euer in this worlde then the temple of IerusaleÌ„ What churche Iere. vii more famous But what sayeth the scrypture AmeÌ„de yower wayes and yower councelles and I wyll dwell wyth yow in this place Truste not in false lyinge wordes sayinge here is the temple of the lorde Here is the teÌ„ple of the lorde Iere. viâ—â—â— Here is the teÌ„ple of the lorde But rather Iudge right betwyxte a maÌ„ and his neyghboure oppresse not the strauÌ„ger / the fatherles / the wydow / shede no innocent blood / Cleue not to strauÌ„ge gods to yowerowne destruction Then wyll I lett yow dwell in this place / yea euen in the same lande that I gaue afore tyme vnto yower fathers But beholde ye truste in lyinge tales that begyle yow / and do yow no good for when yow haue stollen / murthered / commytted aduoutrye / and periurye / wheÌ„ ye haue offered vnto Baal folowynge straunge and vnknowen Gods shall ye be vnpunyshed Yet then come ye and stande before me in this house which hathe my name giuen vnto The reprehensioÌ„ of of ower carnal hope / trusteâ— and confidence in burnynge of caÌ„delsâ— tapers â— franckinsence and sâ—che other lyke carnal sacrifiâ—e â–ª it / and say Tushe we are absolued quyte thowgh we haue done all these abhominations What thynke yow this howse which is called by my name to be a denne of theues But god is well pleased with ower holy actes / ministratioÌ„s / and goodly seruise done in the temples / with swete smelles / with perfumes / with caÌ„deles aÌ„d tapers burnynge / with all maner of gyftes and oblations / with syngynge / with organs and other soche lyke melodious instrumentes of musycke / with quyristers syngynge bescante / with Turky she coniurations and the ferefull thonderclappes of excommunication Let vs heare how moche god dothe alowe al these thinges in Amos the prophet Amos .v. I hare saythe the Lorde and
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
betwene a ryghteous man and a wycked / betwene hym that serueth God that serueth hym not For truly God whych hath the hartes of kynges in hys hande / and maye inclyne them whyche waye he lyste / whyche also Prou. xxi turneth a mannes enemyes for to be his frendes when he is pleased with his wayes will ather turne the hartes of the kynge and people of the Turkes vnto the thowghtes and considerations of peace Or ells yf they will styll continewe to be woode angry and to rage vpon vs with theyer warres as they haue beguÌ„ne the Lorde God of hostes shall be vpon ower syde and he shall gyue vs stronge and coragious hartes / honeste and houlesome councells / vntamed or inuyncible power so that the tentes of ower hoste muste be â–ª the pauilioÌ„s of god And ower emperour muste be god hym self fe / in whose syght manlye to dye or ells to ouercome shall be all alyke one fayer thynge / houlesome and pleasant And when the lorde shall be with vs and shall prosper whatsoeuer we shall inuade or attempte in his name / whych is a tower of strengthe before the Psalm le Pro. xviiâ— Rom. viiâ— face of owre enemyes who shall stande agaynste vs Of a suretye then shall we perceyue the same thinge to chaunce vnto vs that the Lordes mouth hath spokeÌ„ loÌ„ge ago Ye shall go forth / and the Lorde shall fighte for yow yf ye shall walke in Leu. xxvi my ordinaunces and kepe my commaundementes do them / there shal no swerde go thorowe yowre laÌ„de / and ye shall chase yower enemyes / and they shall fall before yow And fyue of yow shall chace an houndreth / and an houndreth of yow shal put ten thousand to flyght And yowre enemyes shall fall before yow vpon the swerde / and I wyll turne vnto yow Yow shall be encreaced / and I wyll perfourme my couenant with yow / and I wyll walke amonge yow / and wyl be yower God and ye shall be my people Also owre victoryes shall be ioyned together wyth the glorye of God / with the health of ower bretherne whiche serue a cruell bondage amongste the Turkes / with ower owne healthe and theyers also whiche be ower enemyes / so that they maye complayne not for that they be ouercomne of Christianes but that fortune had so longe enuied them the same felicite / that now at the laste they myght be ouercoÌ„me of true Christians Of whose preseruation we ought far awaye more diligently to thinke then of their destruction And to permyt the chaunce therof to the good wyll of owre celestiall father / whych by hys vnmeasurable mercye hath gryfted vs / beinge vnworthy and al to gether alienate from the testameÌ„tes of God into the olyue Luke .iii. tree of the people of God And is able yea euen owt of stones to rayse vp children to faythfull Abraham / and to make of Turkes / of Saracenes / of Tartarians / and Iewes / the beste Christianes As it chauÌ„ced in tymes past vnto the GothiaÌ„s Nether is the hande of the Lorde any thynge shortened or hys worde made of Iohn .iii. Luk. x. iâ—â— lesse strength or the holy gooste whyche hath lybertye to breathe wher he lyste shyt vp or tayed shorter that he can not euen styll at this present daye do the same thinge Chapt. xvi BVt for because I promysed that I wold in the thyrd place of thys my consultatioÌ„ tell declare with what weapoÌ„s and feates we must fyght agaynste the hostes of the Turkes I wyll now expresse wyth fewe wordes and wythout the paynted eloquence of Rethorike all those reasons whych I iudge to be effectuall / and beste and singulare / not onely to dryue awaye the power of owre enemyes / and to preserue ower owne affayres but fathermore to enlarge the landes of the ChristeÌ„ kyngedome by all those regyons owte of the whyche the superstytion of Mahumet hath caste forthe and thrust backe by force all ower vayne braggynge what so euer it be of the Christen name But yf any man shall brynge any better and more iuste councells I wyll moste gladly obey hym So moche is it awaye from my purpose that I wolde wysshe any man for to consent vnto my sentence / oneles euery beste and moste wyse man shall know the same to be ioyned moste nere with the glory of Christe the sauioure and the proffit of the publycke weale And firste of all / the pretensed purposes / and goodes / riches of owre enemyes are to be looked vpon Then afterwarde with what defences we owre selffe be armed And the councell of the lorde is all waye to be vsed whyche that he gyueth in the gospell of luke all thowghe but for the cause of an exaÌ„ple and in a Luâ— xiiiâ— parable saying Which of yow willing to buylde a towre doth not first sit downe conÌ„te the coste / whether he haue sufficieÌ„t to perfourme it / lest after he hath layde the foundatioÌ„ is not able to perfourme it he may fayle and gyue ouer wyth the greate irrision or laughinge to scorne of all men Or what kinge goeth to make batayle agaynste an other kynge / and doth not firste coÌ„sider whether he be able with ten thousande to mete hym that cometh agaynste hym with .xx. thousande / or ells perceyuynge hym self fe for to be to weake / whyles his enemye is yet a greate waye of / he wyll sende Ambasoudoures and desyer peace The whiche thinge we muste folowe eueÌ„ at this tyme and councell muste be taken whether it be a more proffitable thinge and an honeste to kepe warre with Solymanne emperoure of The Turkes kepe warre with vs for two causes / that is relygyon and dominion the Turkes or elles to attempte some indifferent conditioÌ„s of peace But the Mahumetanes kepe battell with the ChristeÌ„ people for .ii. causes / that they may as wet stryue with vs for religioÌ„ as for domion And in the batayle of religion they be armed with weapoÌ„s that are of greate of fecte and may do very moche with vnlerned myndes / the which do not inwardly behoulde the truthe / but laboure obstynately to obtayne the victory For the doctryne of Mahumet showeth a fayer face owtwardely of a great consent with the doctrine of Christ / for as moch as it doth confesse one true god and prayseth Christe very greatelye And it curseth the Iues Christes aduersaries and many other thinges doth it booste / so that the symple people and soche as take no hede and be not circumspecte do suppose Christe and Mahumet to haue bene coÌ„panioÌ„s and fellowes confederated / which opinion hath addyd greate strengthe vnto many sectes and heresyes Moreouer a certen exquisite kynde or face of holynes and the wonders of myracles all moste done dayly / aÌ„d the continuance of theyr secte by so many yeares / and the consente and conspriration of so many nations and
people in to the same / and the wonderfull successe of The dyuersyte betwene the Christen churche aÌ„d the Turkes church at this present tyme Cantic i. fortune in victoryes / in riches / in other temporall thinges doth vpholde and commeÌ„de the religioÌ„ of Mahumet where as the Christen church lieth in the duste appereth owtewardely very euyll fauored / sluttysshe / nedie oppressed and filled with diuerse and moche people weake feble faynt in the fayth / with many vngratious men / with many traytours And all hir beutye lyeth hyd inwardely / that is to saye fayth / the knowlege of god / holynes and righteousnes by Christe / euen as the spouse of god speaketh in the balletts of SalomoÌ„ I am blacke / but yet am I well fauored / eueÌ„ as the bagynges of SalomoÌ„ the pauilioÌ„s of Cedar And it is songe in the Psalmes that all the beutye and apparell Ps xliiij of the kinges doughter was set inwardely wrowght aboute with gowlde and curious nedle worke of diuerse coloures And ther for vnto spirituall batayle the Turkes brynge sharpe and obstinate myndes / so that a Turke beyng a proselyte is very seldome sene in the Christen churche / were as many of vs lyke false apostatataes which is a shamefull thinge greately to be lamented do forsake owre religion and fall a waye vnto them Now partely thorowe the prescription of theyr lawe whiche commaundeth theÌ„ with warres to sprede abrode theyr relygion or ells at the leste waye to make men of a contrarye religion trybutaries vnto them / and partly thorow ambition whiche is a kyns woman to slesshely dispositions / and can kepe no measure wheÌ„ the mater cometh to passe after hir owne mynde and supposerh the wynnynge or To holde the woluâ— by the cares / is tâ— be in doble aÌ„d douteful dauÌ„ger / lyke as is that man why che holdeâ—â— a wolâ—e by thâ—eares / for yf he shot de lethim go / it is daÌ„gerous â— to holdâ— hym stylâ— it is dangerous also takinge awaye of one newe kingedome / onely to be a steppe or a Grece to inuade other the Turkes also do stryue with vs for dominion / and they gape after ower temporall goodes / so that we playnely after the prouerbe may holde as it were the wolue by the eares For a substancyall sure peace can not be betwene the ChristiaÌ„s the Turkes so longe as they do obserue the law of Mahumet Wher for to abstayne from warres owght not so moch to be called a peace as a breathinge / a sekyng of some better aduantage And therfore we must praye vehemently to the Lorde owre God that he wyll wit saffe to open the eyes of the Turkes vnderstondiÌ„ge that they maye beholde the vanyte of theyr superstition and the sure and eternall truthe of the Christen relygion For why by that meanes in conclusion an holy / a good / a saffe / an honeste and houlsome coÌ„corde bothe to them and vs might be optayned Agayne to kepe batayle with the Turkes is a thinge full of greate perrell and of moche difficultie whiche way so euer we turne vs in the worlde / For why that dominioÌ„ of theirs is opened very wyde by Asia / Affrica / Europa / and it is abundaÌ„t with the multitude of meÌ„ and of all other thinges that warre hath nede of And there be leages or bondes of peace made betwene Solymanne and the moste mighty polytyke rulers of the ChristeÌ„ name as men saye Whiche thinges how moche they helpe ower enemie how greate oportunities they do brynge vnto hym / or how moch they do hurte ower affayers I holdynge my peace all meÌ„ do vnderstoÌ„de What sholde I speake of the conscripte and ordinarie multitudes of horse men and fote men and of men pertaining to theyr shippes and galyes What of they supplementes or store of artilerye as of bowes / gunnes / harnesse and of other soche lyke thinges in a maner beynge infinite What of theyer arays / vittle / lernynge / experience / prouidence / and concorde What of theyer perseuerance / theyer sufferaunce / and obseruation of dominion All whiche thinges are better knowen vnto those meÌ„ to whome the knowlege of soche thinges belongeth / then to me Nether can they be comprehended at one tyme in any consultation / seynge that many times in the former parte of the hoste / in the batayle and euen sodenly a good captayne muste take newe couÌ„cell But this thinge owght not to be dissembled that the Turkes are ower moste cruell enemyes and are beste instructe and prepared in all thinges And that ower power agaynste them is very lyttle / weake / feble and in a maner worthye to be despysed except ower healpe be looked for in the name of the lorde whyche made heauen and erthe / greate / incomparale / inuincyble / and at all tymes ready for them that feare the same lorde / and hope for healthe in his mercye Chapt. xvij NOw trulye by what meanes we maye get and optayne the same thinge and vse it euermore I wyll from henseforth tell and delcare / trustynge no thinge at all vnto myne owne witt whiche is very smale nether yet vpon anye syngulare wisdome But I wyll folowe the steppes of gods worde and the demonstration of those storyes whyche vnto soche as make dilygent inquisitioÌ„ do many festly expresse accordinge to the course of all worldes / what hath at any tyme ether proffited or hurte the churche / what god hathe done and wrowght / and with what instrumentes / or ells by what meanes / in the churche / ether before the word of god was incarnate or afterwarde And yf I do coniecture truly the lorde hath warned vs wyth a wondefull token that a sorowfull and bytter destenye hangeth ouer the churche and for what causes / and howe and by what meanes she may escape it / the fyfte yere before the Turkes dyd fyrste muade Asia Rufinus the traytour callynge theÌ„ forthe when by the space of .xxx. dayes to gether a fyerie doue dyd apere in the element / and was sene of all men Truly Prodygyous signes and woÌ„ders ought nether with conrempte to be neglected nor yet superâ—tytyouâ—ly to be obserued as wonderfull signes and straunge syghtes fasshions of thinges not acustomed to be sene owght not to be obserued superstitiously no more then dreames and other soche lyke thinges euen so lykewyse those thinges owght not to be despised whiche the maker and gouuernoure of nature hath obiected or caste in betwene the heathen and the companions of trwe relygion / as often as he wolde brynge forth any noble warke and prouoked men more inwardely to consider theyer lyuinge and also to pondre the Iudgementes of god / so that in tyme they myght flye from the euylles hangynge ouer theyr heades Wherfore the Lorde in the gospel Maâ— xxiiij of S. Luke speakynge of the destruction of the Iuysshe nation /
then it hath optayned by the consent of gods worde and by euydent demonstration of the truthe Now from hense forth I wyll brefely towche those thinges whiche flowe owte of the Christiane religion as owte of a spryng and brynge infinite coÌ„modyties / so that with them all publyke weales be florisshinge and happye / and with owte them ther is no thinge can be well done ether at home or abrode And that is proued with a meruelous consent of gods diuine scriptures and of good reason and of the iudgement of wyse men amongste the heatheÌ„ and of histories as well that be straunge as of those that be familiare Amonge the whiche concorde obtayneth the cheiffe place / wereof Salust called as Salust I maye vse saynte Augustines wordes historicus veritatis / that is to saye a wryter of true stories / sayth / that by concorde smale substance doth increace and agayne by discorde moste greate ryches wyll waste a waye and come to naught And Publius a wryter of mery verses / neuer the lesse full of wyse sentences / affirmeth Publius Mimus weake helpe to be made stronge with sure consent Also the Psalmographe or the wryter of Psalmes commendyng concorde as a moste necessary thinge sayth Be Ps xxxiij holde how good and Ioyfull a thinge it is for brethern to dwell to gether in vnyte And in the last ende of the same Psalme it followeth There hath the lorde promised his blyssynge and lyffe for euermorâ— It wolde be an infinite thinge to reherse thorouly the testyfycations or wytnesses of coÌ„corde owte of the holy scriptures other prophane hystoryes But truly how moch dyscorde doth hurte / at the leste waye this one senteÌ„ce of Christ wil show declare Euery kyngdome dyuyded Luke .xl. with in it self fe must come to desolation And of that samethynge there be ouer many exaÌ„ples wrytteÌ„ in the familiare hystory of the church For what other thynge destroyed ConstaÌ„tinople / Thracia / aÌ„d Grecia / then warres stryffes amoÌ„ge theÌ„ selfes What was euer a more blooddy thynge or fuller of slaughter / then the contentioÌ„ of the Christen Prynces at the cyttye of Ptolomais in the battell of the Saracenes Or at the fludde Verna in the battell of the Turkes What hath so moch holpeÌ„ the Turkes aÌ„d Saracenes at Nothynge helpeth the Turkes more then the dyscorde of ChristeÌ„ Prynces amoÌ„ge theÌ„ selues al tymes / as the discorde of ower meÌ„ whyles the Romysh Puppet as it were Bauus in TereÌ„ce doth troble and inquiet all thinges / setteth the Grekes to gether by the eares with the LoÌ„uÌ„bardes The Lâ—bardes with the FreÌ„che men aÌ„d the Germanes / the Germanes with the ItaliaÌ„s â–ª But when dyd that contention / permytted of God neuerthelesse throwne in to the churche by the bysshop of Romes Labor and procurement ceasse for to sowâ— greate calamyties Therfore a certen barbarous man a Scythiane whych made or buylded the domynion of the Tartarans called by name Can Guista / dyd exhorte his .xii. sonnes whyche dyinge he lefte Can Guista behynde hym vnto concorde / as vnto the onely sure stabylyte of the publycke weale / by the example of a sheffe of arrowes / which being surely bouÌ„de â–ª to gether / none of them was able to breake a sondre But the shaftes beinge losed on froÌ„ an other they dyd very easely cracke theÌ„ in peces And by the same meanes a noble Captayne called Chria Sertorius dyd bringe hys hoste vnto a concorde showyng that the strongest men of warre coulde not Chria sâ—â—torius drawe owt the heares of an horse tayle all at on s / but takyng the weake heares dyuyded a sondre they myght sone pull them owt / one after an other wythowt any payne But the dyssymulatyoÌ„ of hatred for a tyme or the fayned promysse of freÌ„deshyppe and helpe is not to be called coÌ„corde / whych thinges as they do many tymes greatly hurt those men which take no hede / and be not circuÌ„specte and some tyme also destroy theÌ„ eueÌ„ so be they moste fylthy aÌ„d reueÌ„ged or punisshed of louing Iupiter / that is to saye of god the presideÌ„ â–ª and author of frendeship societie wyth greate paynes But concorde is a surâ— The diffinition of concorde coÌ„sent of myndes and wylles in any matter so that what soeuer thinges God saythe / to wyll the same / to not wyll the same / whose parent and conseruatryce Symilitude Similytude by interpretation is calleâ— lykenes / aÌ„d it is named amoÌ„ge lerned men to be the mother of concorde / because â—â—at wheâ—â— as men â—e of a ly 〈…〉 â—ayth 〈…〉 te as farforth as the nature of thinges doth beare and suffer bringeth al thinges vnto a vnite Nether is euerye conspiration and consent euermore good and howlsome / as the coniuration of Catelyne agenste the publyke weale of the cyttye of stome / and the heresye of the Arryanes ageÌ„st the church of Christ / but that concorde onely whiche is contracted betwyxt good men with god for to optayne honeste thinges / ryghteous and holy / and to dryue awaye those thinges wiche vnto them are repungnaunte and contrarye Whiche maner of frendeship or faythfull socyetye made stroÌ„ge as it were with soche pynnes as carpenters vse in theyr frames when they nayle or Ioyne the greate balkes and beames to the wother timbre / is at no hande belonginge to the wicked / whiche of the Apostle are called vnmanerly and reprobate vessels But it is onely partayninge vnto the companions of the one onely and true relygion / that is to saye the Christen Whyche as they be holdeÌ„ with one fayth and religion eueÌ„ so are they bounde to gether with the same Sacramentes in to one holy churche / whiche they wyll defend witth all theyer power beynge gathered to gether vnder the one onely and the greateste Byshop Iohn .x. as it were in to the shepefolde of the beste shepeherd / in towhomeal godly meÌ„beynge of one mynde do so moche consent that they do knowlege it to be the moste extreme vnfaythfullnes to fall a waye from hym and to forsake hym For what other man is that moste hye Bisshop the heade affyxed and Ioyntely knytte vnto the churche to the worldes ende then Christe Iesus Whiche ous dyinge dyd offer hym self fe for owre synnes / dayly sacrificeth / Hebr. xl dayly pacyfieth the wrath of god that he be not displeased with vs / maketh intercession for his electe / doth coÌ„secrate vs with his owne bloode / blysseth with all benediction and is of abilite to pardon and to takeÌ„ compassion of ower infirmyties for as moch as he was teÌ„pted by all thynges and made lyke vnto vs / sinne onely except Heb. iiâ—â— He also dyd communycate the same his power vnto the churche and he ordined some to be ouersears / some to be pa / stors / and theachers / that in the name of hym they myght preache
Which thingethe lawes and the discipline of the Romans coÌ„tinuinge in their teÌ„tes do testifie whiles they so well prospered in all plentuousnes Also theyr howses and familie dyd neuer so lukely prosper as wheÌ„ the holy cytie was ernestly geueÌ„ to prayer and thankes gyuyng vnto god and to pacyfie his wrathe / whyles yet the harde soldyers laye watchiÌ„g vnder theyr teÌ„tes for the helthe and sauegarde of the comoÌ„weal Wherofit cometh that in the dreame The dreâ—me of Nobuchodonosor wâ—at it signifieth Daâ—â— â—â— of Nabuchodonosor Daui ij cha the RomaÌ„s are signified by the yron / whyche tameth and maketh soft all thinges But in theyr feet wheÌ„ it was come to extremite / aÌ„d as ye wolde saye in coÌ„clusioÌ„ the visioÌ„ showed them to be myxte with dirt and yron / that is to weyt / that they sholde partely be myxed with the olde auÌ„cieÌ„t vertues streÌ„gth of mynde boldnes of nature / actuitie and honest maners of theyr fore fathers where with they shold for a tyme sustayne theÌ„ selues and partely with the slymye claye of myrye vyces all dirtye abhominatioÌ„s / Idolatrye murder / sacrilege / aduoutry / inceste / periury / treason / infidelyte / vnnaturall concupiscence / and insatiable Sodomiticall mysthese and soche other lyke / where with at lenght they sholde take a fall and be thorwne downe from all theyr glory Christ was borne the sonne of god and of Dauyd takingâ— vp to hym the impery and gouernaunce of all the hole worlde whose kyngedome shall neuer haue ende But this owre anoynted Messias shall raygne the Lorde and kynge euen in the myddes of his enemyes / and shal defend his awne people And he being caryed as it were vpoÌ„ ientle horses / in his faythfull worshyppers brestes bent and geuen all vnto vertu shall forthwyth obtayne the moste fayer and goodly victoryes euen vnto the worldes ende / when Antichrist shal be all to gether hole destroyed And they that haue foughten lawfully vnder the baner of their Emperour Christ shall receyue the euerlastynge crowne of glorie / raygninge for euer wyth the Lorde of glorye / hauynge the full fruition of the dyuyne beatitude But as for them whyche by name onely are men / and not by vertuous actes / and the which lyuing heredyd smyte feare into all men / and after their death left behinde them a fowle stynkyng fame and name for the destruction of so many landes and slaughter of men dyd not waÌ„te the affectatioÌ„ of vertu no more then did Thearcon the Ethiop / Phul Assar Senacherib AssyriaÌ„s / Benhadad and Hazael SyriaÌ„s / HaÌ„niball / Herode / Silla / C. Cesar / Attila / Totila / Damerling Sytha and infinit wother But and yf at any tyme the peple of god ought to excercyse godlines and practise vertues as it is at all tymes conuenient for them so to do in the perellis of batayl it behoueth them most cheyfely to vse them as I shall shewe it playnly by two testimonies of the scryptures For Ioel telling before the vengaunce of god whiche Sennacherib King of the Assyrians shuld bring in / teacheth all the states aÌ„d degrees of the peple how that by the ameÌ„dement of their lyuyng / by ernestly bendinge them selues vnto vertewe / and by the exercysinge of godlynes they might auoyde the paynes and plages now haÌ„gynge ouer their heades Which sermon all beit it was specially applyed vnto the tyme of Kynge Ezechias yet is the mention of the commynge of Christ wouen therin / that hys hole churche shulde not doute / but that the same doctryne is pertayning vnto hyr also Furthermore by two ceremonyes Deu. xxiij it is taught In theiâ— teÌ„tes ought soldâ—ours to â—â— pure and holy vs what exquysyte holynes is requyred in the tentes of soldyers And vnto the teremonyes whych of the people of the Iewes were to be obserued vntyl the tyme of correction and beterynge in the coÌ„myng of Christ / there is added an interpretacyon / whych clerely techeth the same thynge that must be obserued in euery age and all tymes of the faythful people / for thus he sayth wheÌ„ thow shalt go forth agenst thine enemyes in to batayl / thow shalt kepe the from euery euyl thinge / and a none afther it is wrytten For thy lorde god walketh in the middest of the tentes to delyuer the / and to delyuer thy enemies in to thy haÌ„des / and see that thy tentes be kept holy that no filthines be sene in them / lest the lorde forsake the. What may playnlier what more expressly caÌ„ve prescribed to any maÌ„ that dayly is coÌ„uersant amoÌ„ge in the coÌ„pany of the right holy meÌ„ / in the teÌ„ple ministratioÌ„ of holy thinges Which thinge BalaÌ„the Num. xxv and .xxxi. enchauÌ„ter or sorcerer consydering / gaue councell vnto Balac kinge of the Moabytes which coueted to destroye the Israelytes / that the wemen which were Madyanytes shold be set before them to entyse and prouoke the Israelites to synne For there is no dowte / but that they sholde be punyshed with some notable heuy plage yf thy dyd offende the lorde theyr god as they were in dede / for anon after because of theyr fornicatioÌ„ strange false worshippinge of Beelphegor in one daye there were smyteÌ„ downe and plaged .xxiij. thousand meÌ„ The same conÌ„cel dyd Achior The Christians arâ— not ouercoÌ„me / buâ— by and for theyr owne sinfull lyuinge Prince of the Amonytes geue vnto Holofernes / when he was studying how the Israelytes myght be ouercomen For he callyng to mynde all their state aÌ„d course of lyfe froÌ„ theyr beginnynge sayde Ther was neuer hoste that coulde ouercoÌ„me or runne vpoÌ„ and ouer this people / but wheÌ„ they had gone bake from the worshyp of their Lorde God for as often as besydes their awne God they worshypped any whother / they were geuen into a praye / Iudith â— â–ª caste agaynst the sworde / and had in greate opprobrye And as ofteÌ„ as it repented theÌ„ to haue gone bake froÌ„ the worshyp of their Lorde God / the God of heaueÌ„ gaue them power to resyste And a lytle after Now then / my lord / serche yf ther be any wyckednes of theÌ„ in the sight of their god we shall ouercome them yf not we can SultanÌ„s Memphyticus not preuayle agaynst theÌ„ for their God wyll defende theÌ„ Lykewyse also Sultanus Memphiticus / which abowte the tyme of OthomaÌ„ the Turk ruled Egypt vpbroyded the ChristiaÌ„s / sayiÌ„g he wold not attrybute the victoryes of the Saracenes aÌ„d the wynnynge of Siria other Prouinces vnto their awne strength / for he knew it right well / no thinge myght hurte the Christians / yf they vsed vertuous liuing But because that by furfittiÌ„g excesse and dronkenes / they differed not from brute bestes / beynge geuen all to gether to superfluite / lechery / aduoutry / deceauynge one another / fraude / lyinge / forsweringe / betrayinge / stelynge and with
iudge and suppose the lytle nombre or the smalenes of the armye greately to haue hurte â—ewes and hyndered that batayle wherein â—ewes the late kynge of Hungarye was loste and stayne Werfore nether smale multitudes are to be contemned nor yet greate hostes to be trusted vnto as the endeâ— of dyuerse warres and battayles haâ—â— tawght vs. Furthermore of how greate wayght power the disciplyne of warre is it lyketh me to declare and show it owte of Valerius Maximus The disciplyne of warre sayeth he beynge sharpely kepte and retayned dyd brynge forth and procure vnto the Romanes empyre the dominion of Valerius Maxim Italye It made them lordes aÌ„d gaue theÌ„ the gouernaunce of many cyttyes / of greate kynges and of moste stronge and valiante nations It opened the Iawes or the mowthe of the croked sea banke of the I le of Pontus It delyuered vnto them the myghtye stronge howldes of the Alpes and of the montayne Taurus beynge rent vp and ouerthrowne And it made the sayde Empyre of Rome sprongne owte of the pore cotage of Romulus / the cheife heade and rular of all the hole worlde owt of whose bosome dyd flowe and runne as owte of a sprynge all noble chiualrye and victorious triuÌ„phes Truly exaÌ„ples are fownde euery where what good the disciplyne of warre bryngeth when it is obserued and what hurte when it is neglected Nether do I dowt but that aÌ„d if the abhominable blasphemyes of soldiers vnworthye to be spoken / were repressed and refrayned / and their beastely surfettyng and dronkenes / and their most illiberall gamening / dysing / and carding which with lifle busines and sone might be brought to passe if the cheif rulers wolde put it in vse and excercyse we shulde shortly fele the excellent beneuolence of god What great mater wer if / yf these blasphemyes were punished with a soÌ„me of money / agreuouser threateniÌ„g beinge addedther vnto / wich money might be put How the magistrates ought for to punishe the vyce of the Could â–ª ours into the comoÌ„ purse Or ells If any be vncurable to banishe hiÌ„ owte of the hoste as a pesteleÌ„t wondring stoke InteÌ„perancye in eating and dronkenes shuld the magistrats punishe by takynge awaye their meat and drinke for a daye or two Illiberall games the springe of many euylles shuld be changed into liberall fre honest excercyses of the bodye / as into running leaping / or castinge the stony or the leadeÌ„ bowle / or into wrastling / runninge with spears or copinge with swerdes and into soche lyke excercitations whiche the olde waryers vsed as very honest profitable games to gether with greate pleasure Of the sowldiours wages eueÌ„ Paul was mynde full when that he sayde who goeth Of the Cowdâ—oures Wages a warfare at his owne coste / and therfor is it conuenient that theyr stypende be nather vyle and vniustly paied them nether yet to greate or immoderate But indifferently honeste and laudable euen as in tymes paste a golde Eilderne a weake was taken and estemed for reasonable wages from whense the vocable or the name of Germanie was deriued Whiche stipend not with stondynge maye some tyme be encreased bothe to euery one of the sould iours for theyr excellent vertu and also to the hole Armie / as of owlde tyme they were wonte to be rewarded sometyme with Armours and weapons / sometyme with vitteles and yerely rentes and fees and other giftes But a boue all thinges vertu requireth laude and prayse for vertu Vertu encreaceth when she is prayses encreaseth wheÌ„ she is coÌ„meÌ„ded prayse hath a greate spure to prike meÌ„ forward Wherefore amoÌ„ge the Grekes also those meÌ„ were lauded for the whettiÌ„ge or sharpnynge of vertu whiche ether had suffered death for the publyke weale or ells fyghtynge valiantly dyd bringe home the victorie Iudieâ—â— â— ij Ro. xxij Also the holy songes of Debora and Dauyd showe that with honoure prayse and commendation vertu moste be sharpened as it were with a whetstone Oforders and arayes to be kepte in the felde / of banners badges of the instructynge or orderinge of the fore frontes / of weapons / engynnes / Trenchers and Myners / of the custodie and kepinge of theyr watche and warde / of the auoydinge of sedicions and treasoue / of the prouâ—sion of the vittle / of the bultynge oute of theyr enemyes councells by pollyce anâ— spyes priuely sent abrode / aÌ„d of theyr viâ—tele to be spared or refrayned and soche other thinges it is the part aÌ„d dutye of the captaynes for to be circuÌ„specte which beiÌ„ge men wyse and prudent wyll constitute ordre them very well Chapt. xx NOwe there remayneth behinde to speake of prayers and that moste breyfely whiche holde the fyrste / the midest / and the laste plase / as the noble Gratour in his facultye well to speake Of holy prayers â— oâ— theyer vertu and strength inâ—ataylâ— his oration geueth the firste / seconde / and thyrde partes to the accion / dede or cause For it be houeth as wel al other thiÌ„ges as the laborouse busines in batail moste full of parells and dificultes to be takeÌ„ inhaÌ„de / enterprised / and happely to be begunne in the name of the god almighty in the name of god to be faughteÌ„ and done / aÌ„d for the good successe of thinges to geue god thankes the Authour of the wholl good luk aÌ„d felycite / nether to murmure ageuste hym if any thinge happen contraye to ower mynde For god of hys beneuolent and most wyse councell sendeth vnto vs thys same euil luk to monyshe / warne / aÌ„d to correct vs / and to make vs more ernest to seke and praye for hys helpe The godly worshippers of the one onely true and lyuinge god had euer this continuall custome / in sharpe and perrellous thinges to fly to the name of god / to praye for heuenly helpe with oute the whiche all the strengthe and powre of of men mortall is no thinge worthe But god beinge owre sworne brother in batail and helper / the moste weakeste persones do ouercome the mightiest powers of the worlde Holy prayers / the name of the lorde which vnto faithfull mens prayers ar affistent / and as Dauyd sayth the lorde is euer present wyth them that call vpon him in trwe fayth do obtayne the vyctorye lyke a tower inexpugnable For the Ineâ—pugnable that caÌ„ not be woÌ„ne by any assaute name of the lorde is the castell of streÌ„ght to defende vs from the face of ower enimyes And he who so dwelleth in the helpe of the moste hyghest shall abyde in the Psal â—xi proteccion of the god of heuen Holy prayers ar the helmet / shylde / and the wholl armour of the faythfull bodies Holy prayers presse downe the enemies more greuously / they smyte thorow and throwe them downe more presently aÌ„d sharplyer then swerde / spere / dartes or gunnes Holy prayers obtayne helpe of the lorde
were nowe compelled to leaue vnto them moste goodly triumphe of victorye Constantine newly conuerted vnto the Christen faith although not yet baptised goeth Constantyne constaÌ„tly vnto the cyte of Rome occupyed and holden of the tyraunt Maxencius / for the with turning his face vp into heuen and from thence asking helpe vnto whom from the east / the signe of the crosse was shewed / and this voice out of heueÌ„ was brought vnto him saing â—h Constantyne in this take thou the victorye Not that the signe of the crosse shuld haue that strength aÌ„d vertewe / but to certifye him / that he being sustayned with the helpe of chrâ—st / shuld haue the victorye Which thing afterward he confessed by his owne opon proclamacion / euen that the god of the chrystyans owght onely to be honoured and worshypped which is the authour of all victory and felycite Mestezel at the commandement Mestezel of Honorius the emperour / with .v. hundereth armed men goyng forth agenste Gildo the tyrant / toke vnto him out of the Iland of Capreis godly men / which shuld praye and animat the people vnto the christen faith / religion / and bertewe Which Mestezel with .lxxv. thousande meÌ„ did most happely ouercome the tyrant Clodanus / the first kinge of Clodans France that euer receyued the name of christ / being afraid at the great and cruell Hilderich hoste of Hilderich kyng of the AllmaÌ„s / became a christen maÌ„ / promising himself to enbrace Christes religioÌ„ aÌ„d to defeÌ„de hiâ— chirche / which when he had called vpon Christ nowe at his prayer being preste aÌ„d preseÌ„t to helpe him at one tyme he ouercame the sayd myghty hoste of Hilderich / aÌ„d made him to be the faithfull worshipper of the moste high kinge Iuliauus the persecutour / by the prayers of the christeÌ„ Iulianus chirch was extinct slaine Roab kinge of the Scythians was slayne with terrible Roab thunder and lyghtenings after he was ouercomen by the prayers of the christen coÌ„gregacion When the Saracens hauynge one Zulimus vnto theyer captayne Sulimus did inuade or beseyge Constantinopole with a passynge greate nauye Leo Isaurus Leo Isaurus then beynge emperoure ouer the samefor the space of .iij. yeares / the cyttye also beynge infected with a noysome pestilence and all mans helpe in a maner paste and vttely desperate they turned theÌ„ selues full and whole vnto the helpe of god / and theier superstitious worshippynges clene forsaken and cast awaie / and all theyer ymages brent vp in one fyer witâ— a solemne vowe made vnto god that all the reste sholde be serued lykewyse throwgh all the Empyre they felte the helpe of god more frely gyuen them then euer they durste desyer it For the hoste of the Saracens had these plages caste dâ—â—â—e vpon them eueÌ„ as it had bene shaarpe dartes fallynge downe from heauen / that is to weit / colde / hunger / pestelence / and sedicions among themselues / in so miche that Zulimus their capitayne was nowe deade Also in Bulgarye parte of the hoste was slayne / aÌ„d lyghtenings lycked vp and consumed their shippes / some by stormes brokeÌ„ and drowned / so that very fewe of so infinite a multitude came home agayn Oh prayers moste effectuouse Oh voices so terrible to our enemies / which strike more vehemeÌ„tly theÌ„ thoÌ„dre boltes and gunstones Oh the helthfull swete sinoke of Images set on fier / which shuld in this tyme more effectuously chase awaye owr enemies / and euen the very Turks / then the lowde blowinge vp of hornes chaseth awaye serpeÌ„ts When Ezechias and Esaye with wother godly men dyd put their cheife yea all their hole hope in the helpe of the lorde / callinge there Esay 37 vpon incessantly An aungell of the lorde in one night .clxxxv. of the Assyrians soldyours beynge slayne delyuered the cyte of Hierusalem / and then that vngodly tyraunt theyer capitayne returned homâ— telling what a fowle slaughter there waâ— in th 〈…〉 tentes that night / and was moâ— mi 〈…〉 bly and fowly slayne of his owâ— so 〈…〉 s in the presence of his Idole Ne◠〈…〉 ch It shuld be an infinite worke to briÌ„â— together in to remeÌ„braÌ„ce / what and hoâ— great victories godly praiers haue obtaâ—ned Wherfor oh ye christeÌ„ meÌ„ yf the people this daye wolde be conuerted aÌ„d turne them selues vnto these wayes which By what mâ—anes caÌ„corde and victorye maye â—aâ—aly be obtayned euer haue bene knowne to be effectuous both a christen concorde were some made and the studye of vertue sholde easaly beâ—oyned to the true religion Batayle and warâ—are sholde iustly be ceassed brought to an ende Also prayers sholde then holde the fyrste / the middest and the laste place in all ower affayres so that all felicitie and good lucke sholde iustly and duly be asked of god onely Yea and the same felicitye graunted vnto vs sholde be ascrybed I say not to George to Barbara or Christofer but vnto ower celestiall father the onely gyuer of all good gyftes with large and moste ample gyuynge of thankes Beleue me if this were done we haue the victorye oh ye christen meÌ„ we haue the victorye of these horrible fowle aÌ„d cruell Turkes / whiche thorow owr synnes and cowardely slowghtfulnes are hiâ—her to encreaced / yea and that by the iuâ—te iugement at the lorde Neuer 〈…〉 lesse â—hat this my concell or consultation whiâ—he peraduenture is set for the with to maâ—ye worden to longe a processe myght â—pere to ve no newe but an oulde thiÌ„ge / â—â—t so moche to be my concell but also the mynde of the moste holy men I wyll adâ—e and brynge in the wordes of S. Hieroâ—e in the whiche at the begynnynge of Hierome â—he Turkes incursion he tawght that the â—aine ower aduersaryes were styrred vp â—horowe ower vnfaythfulnes / but yet by the wrathe of god for owersynnes to haue bene sent of hym to plage the worlde that is to saye the vice and mischeffe of the christen people / and that these ower â—alamityes can not be put awaye norsure and perfecte helthe be optayned / oneles we beynge humbled vnder the myghtye â—hande of god do correcte aÌ„d amend ower â—vicious lyuiÌ„ge / embrace vertue / aÌ„d with ower prayer call downe from heauen inuincible power to ayde and assiste vs. The Epitaphpe is the superseriptioÌ„ that is wrytteÌ„ vpoÌ„ a grâ—ue or tuâ—e se be Hieroms wordes in the epitaphye of Nepotianus / and he swageth the heauines of Heliodorus taken for the losse of his Neeuye a ryght good man both with diuerse other reasons and with this also that he owght to reioyse aÌ„d be gladde for soche good men / for that they now slepynge in the lorde haue escaped the stormye calamityes aÌ„d so manye myseries of this present worlde Now will I come vnto priuate dignities and yet shall I not speake but of those thinges whiche haue bene done within these .ij. yeares
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 lorde And God dydle theyer workes and how they were conuerted from theyer euyll waye / and he chaunged his decre of sodeÌ„ vengeaunce to be browght vpon them / Nether dyd he destroye them as he had Ionas .iij. and .iiij. spokeÌ„ by the prophet Ionas / whose euyll affection God also reproued for that he was sorye to be cowntyd as a false and lyinge prophet the cytye beynge saued to the whiche he had prophecyed extreme subuersioÌ„ Wherby it is euident that there is no thinge more pleasant vnto God â–ª then that men with the amendement of theyer disposition and maners myght auoyde the sworde of his celestiall wrath shakyd at theyer heades And allthowgh that euery hole natioÌ„ or citty wyll not put awaye theyr vyces yet the amendment of some and syngulare men is very acceptable vnto the lorde And it optayneth the puttynge awaye of vrgent payne and greuous punisshemeÌ„t or elles truly a mitigation therof yf we muste nedes be slayne withe the stubborne harted For wheÌ„ the Gothians dyd inuade Rome Halarich and Radagaste beinge Halarich and Radagaste heade Captaynes to the Gothians theyr Captayne 's / a greate parte of the cyttezynnes were infideles / and they layde all the cause of that cruell warre destruction vpon Christen religion / and the despysed honourynge of ydoles And they requyred their teÌ„ple and abolysshed superstitions for to be restored and set vp agayne An other parte of them puttyng their truste in God / and flyinge to hys celestyall helpe / by theyr prayers made in the name of Christ obtayned remission of all theyer synnes Therfore the cyttye beynge taken / Halarich the emperoure of the Gothians dyd commaunde that no man sholde be spoyled in the temples of the Christianes / wherefor the good people flyinge to the lordes howses as in to a Saynctuarye were defendyd by the helpe of God and amongst them certen in infideles I caÌ„ not tell whyther I may saye professynge or sodenly faynynge the christen relygion When in the meane tyme the cyttye was defyeled with robberyes slaughter / fyer / the forcynge of women and rauysshynge of virgyns At the same tyme the Duke or captayne of the HuÌ„nians called Subtarus the brother of Mazuchus whyche brought forthe Attyla Subtarus the brother of Mazuchus father to Attyla borne in Scythia / and called the scourge oâ— god for the greate destructioÌ„ that he made in Germanye / which after he had sub dued Hungary and ouer throwne Aquncia / a cytty in Italye / returnynge home agayne / dyed was choked wyth immoderate bledynge the scourge of god / the gothianes aÌ„d the Germanes beynge dyuersely vexed dyd inuade the Burgundions whiche haue theyer habitation by the ryuer called Rhene / the formar inhabiters therof beynge dryuen awaye / that the same thinge myght chaunse vnto them that Publius Mimus dothe teache Thou muste loke to be dealte with all thy selfe as thow dealeste with other men Wherfore the Burguâ—dions vtterly mystrustinge theyer owne power / myght / weapons do turne them all to gether to the helpe of god And forbycause they had serued by the commoÌ„ fame / that the God of the christianes dothe euermore helpe his deuoute clientes whith his moste present power They do all with one consente embrace the faythe of christe And the .vii. daye from theyer baptisme thre thowsand Burgundions dyd come vpon the infinite multitudes of theyer enemyes / and ten thowsand of them beynge slayne togyther with theyer Duke They constraynyd the residue with fearefull flight to recoyle backe to theyer owne contrye Truly how moche goodnes the chaungynge of an euyll ordered lyffe dothe brynge vnto men can not to be showed in this place / and it is euery where declared in the doctrine of godlynes Chapt. xij IT foloweth therfor that I may teache it to be an Esaie thynge to traÌ„sfourme ower lyuynge to put awaye the bourdeÌ„ of iniquite / for the whiche the veÌ„geauÌ„ce of god both wyth other instrumeÌ„tes / also wyth the weapons of the turkes inuadith christeÌ„dome with ragynge violence / so that we do not disdayne to vse those facultyes whiche god him self fe dothe offer vnto the same thynge / and to walke in the ryght waye whiche the holy scriptures doth showe / and not the fayned traditions inuentyd by sophysters of contention / confession and satisfactions But leste I sholde be to full of wordes in a matter that is very playne I do thinke or iudge repentaunce as it is takeÌ„ after the maner of diuinite / for the amendemeÌ„t of all ower lyffe and a newe returninge vnto god to be verye well diffined in the wordes of the .xxxvi. Psalme / whyche also be repeted in the Epistle written vnto the Hebrues after this maner Departe from euyll do the thynge that is good and dwell for euer Now we vnderstoÌ„de that thinge to be good / that is right and honeste Agayne we houlde that â–ª thinge to be euyll that is false fylthye of the whiche .ij. thinges god doth alowe the one / he commaundith and perswadith and promyseth gyftes vnto it / and he prayseth and honoureth and rewardeth it The other he improueth / he forbiddyth / he dyswadith / he rebuketh aÌ„d he persequteth it with payne and punisshements Therfor What it is to do penauÌ„ce to repent truly to do penaunce / as dyuines speake / and to correcte ower lyffe is to caste owt of ower mynde and all the purpose maner of owerlyuynge / those thinges / whiche be coÌ„traye to the will of god / whither we ower selffe receyued them by ower owne affectioÌ„ and error / or whither they weare deliuered vnto vs by some other men / as it were with handes / and to do / yea and with greatest studye to ensue those thinges whiche are a greable vnto the supreme lawe moste perfyt reason / that is to saye vnto the minde of god / so that he whiche before tyme dyd superstitiously worship thinges created let hym now religiously worship onely the true liuing god / Whiche before was periured / may now kepe his othe aÌ„d perfourme those thinges where vnto he is sworne Whiche before was an homicyde may now abhore from slaughter bloode Whiche before was a breaker of wedloke and an vnclene person may now houlde matremonie in holy reuerence and lyue chastely Whiche dyd hurte his bretherne with crafte and gyles may now abstayne from iniuries and do good to as many as he is able to proffit Vnto the whiche thinge there is nede of a sure and perfyt knowlege of synne and vertue / whiche the boke of the ten commaundementes of the lawe of god dothe breffely expresse / and also the doctryne of Christe whiche with his passioÌ„ and death doth iustifye the wicked with owte any of theyr owne workes / or of any creature so that men onely will knowe them self fe to haue ofteÌ„ded and coÌ„fesse the same vnto god againste whoÌ„ they