force vppon the wordes of the Psalme saying God hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee The worde THEE in that place not signifying any especiall person but generally all faythfull people compacte into one body vnder Chryst their head Ouer whome béeing many that many Angelles should be appoynted it is no maruayle Muche lesse is the especiall care of one Angell ouer one taken away by the generall ioy that they haue all of a conuerted sinner Much lesse doth the defense of many by an especiall priuiledge at a néede preiudice ones ordinarie protection The father no lesse by Gods lawe than by the course of nature hath the chiefe charge of his owne children And yet that saying of Ecclesiasticus is notwithstanding a certayne truthe where it is sayd that euery body hath a charge from God ouer his neighbour whether he be hys chylde yea or no. And may it not so fall out I pray you in this case the one Angel hauing the chiefe custodie of one yet so often as néede requireth the rest are not altogither discharged But I will not too egerly contende for a thing that is not muche materiall I knowe some learned of late dayes dissent and yet dare I not condemne by and by the former ages consent Once this I am well assured of that whether many Angelles or one onely be particularly charged with euery Christian we haue no cause to thinke oure selues not very well prouyded for and regarded The .vj. Chapter The ayde and furtheraunce that we haue by the mynisterie of Angels is shewed by the examples of the sacred Byble FOr if we call to minde the tymes paste whither we consider the hystories of the sacred Byble or descende downe lower to our selues how ready and willing haue they shewed them selues to do good not only hauing a vniuersal care of Gods deare inheritaunce his owne people but imploying also particularly their paynes trauayle and greate studie in preseruing euery godly and faythfull man First for their general ouersight that they pitche their tentes and pauilions round about those people that feare God to speake here by the phrase of holy Scripture let the proud king of the Assyrians be a witnesse Who outragiously vaunting of his great power agaynst the holy hoste of Israell opening with pride intollerable his blasphemous and wicked mouth how was he daunted notwithstanding Gods Angell fighting in their defense and to what end came his furious fierce bragges were not an hundred foure score and fiue thousande the same night that he attempted his cruell purpose striken downe dead in his owne campt And by whom was this terrible execution in the defense of Gods people put in practise was it not the Lords owne Angell that wonderfully wrought it and broughte it to passe Wherevppon as Herodotus maketh mention when he him selfe was soone after slayne in the temple as he was nowe worshipping his false idoll by his owne sonnes after the maner of princely pompe his image was sumptuously erected whervppon were engraued these wordes VVhen thou lookest vppon mee bee godly The Israelites when they marched through the red sea O wonderous and straunge worke of God is it not written that Gods Angell was their guyde Which as then it was done so notably that they mighte sensibly féele it as it were with their handes so may wée righte well hée persuaded that nowe also by their ministerie for our defense no lesse effectually God worketh Whose singular and souereigne ayde howe many wayes it is auaylable to mankinde let vs consider I beséeche you with our selues For woulde a man desire comforte when he is oppressed with heauinesse and distresse Let hym peruse of Genesis the. 21. chapiter of the 3. booke of the kings the 19. of the Actes the 28. of Lukes Gospel the. 22. and there shall he sée Agar the poore fugitiue the séely persecuted Helias the succourlesse and wretched Paule finally Chryst him selfe sweating bloude and water for very anguishe excéedingly comforted by Angels Would a man thinke it a great mattier to be deliuered from a present mischiefe wherwith he is dreadfully beset Let him beholde Ioseph admonished to flie into Egypt the wise men to escape from the hands of Herode Abacuck carryed by an Angell to relieue Daniell in his denne S. Peter loased from hys chaynes and conueyed miraculously out of prison Or woulde he wishe his attemptes to prosper and to haue a good exployte in his affayres Let him looke vpon Abrahams seruaunt before whom God sente his holy Angell euen as Abraham his master had foretolde By whose meanes O Iesu howe happie and blessed was his successe Let hym consider Gods promise which he maketh in Exodus to his people saying to his seruaunt Moses that he would sende before him a certayne Angell and caste out the Cananites the Amorites and the Hittites with other mo of the Gentiles whom he there rehearseth Let him call to remembraunce howe blessedly Iacob was assisted by the same meanes when the Angels mette him on his iourney as he was going towardes his brother Esau And to be shorte let the holy Hystorie of Tobias so maruelously conducted by the Angell Raphael be a manyfest argumente to proue vnto vs what successe God gyueth vs by hys Angels The .vij. Chapiter The furtherance that vve haue by Angelles is declared also by the examples of our time BVt bicause these exāples mighte sauor of toomuche antiquitie especiallye wher nouelties are more desired and perchaunce to some men they might séeme to haue passed many worldes and nowe being waxen as it were stale to haue growen tooto long out of vse that ye may knowe God is still like himselfe and euen now as carefull to preserue vs by the ministerie office of his Angels as euer he was in times past let vs now come downe at the last somwhat lower to sée howe graciously God hathe dealte for vs euen within the compasse of oure owne age One Manlius in a booke of his collections telleth a maruellous historie of a thing that happened in his time whiche he auoucheth in déede by hearesay but yet neuerthelesse vppon a very credible report These be his woords I haue hard of a certaine graue man woorthy of credite of a thing whiche he affirmed for a very certaintie to haue bene done In a certaine village nighe to a towne called Cygnea a certain woman had her sonne fetche home her bullockes and her oxen that were grasing vpon an heathe nighe to a woode Therefore going aboute his mothers businesse whyles he tarryed abrode somewhat toolong there fell a great snowe which couered all the hilles there about being benighted the poore childe knewe not howe to gette forthe The day after the father and mother of this child not careful any more for their beastes but muche fearing leaste their sonne should miscarrie looked very earnestly for his comming home and yet were they not able to venture by reason of the déepenesse of the snowe to
THE SHIPPE of assured safetie Wherein wee may sayle without danger towards the land of the liuing promised to the true Israelites Conteyning in foure Bokes a discourse of Gods Prouidence a matier very agreable for this time vvherof no commōly knovven especiall Treatise hath bene published before in our mother tong What great varietie of very necessarie and fruitfull matier is comprysed in this vvorke conuenient for all sortes of men by the Table of the Chapters folovving after the Praeface ye may perceyue Compyled by Edward Cradocke Doctor and Reader of Diuinitte in the Vniuersitie of Oxford 1. CORINTH 4. As touching me I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement 10 I iudge not mine own self 1. PETR 5. Cast all your care vpon God for he careth for you ¶ Imprinted at London by H. Bynneman for William Norton ANNO. 1572. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE That beareth vp this ioly Beare A vvoodden staffe some say it is Ragged in forme But vvill ye heare I tell you plaine they say amisse Gods care it is that vvatcheth aye And neuer sleepes at time nor tide That of this Beare is th' only stay The only supporte and the guide So long then as he holdes it right Stand sure he shall against his foe And man nor deuill day nor night Shall aye be able to vvorke him vvoe God graunt him many blessed dayes To liue before his parting hence And that he may in all his vvayes Make God the staffe of his defence AMEN quoth E. C. To the right honorable and his especiall good Lorde and Patrone Lorde ROBERT Earle of Leycester Baron of Denbighe Knight of the Honorable order of the garter of the Quenes Maiesties priuie Counsaile and highe Chauncellar of the Vniuersitie of Oxforde c. Edvvarde Cradocke Doctor and Reader of Diuinitie in the layde Vniuersitie vvisheth muche health vvith encrease of honoure and prosperous successe in all his godly affaires THere were three causes righte Honourable and mine especial good Lord which moued mee at this time to take penne in hande The firste and principall vvas the dutie and seruice vvhich I ovve to God vvho vvoulde not onely that by preaching and reading but also by al other meanes possible I should seke the aduauncement of his kingdome The nexte vvas my zele tovvardes the house of God the ruinous and decayed state wherof in this later age of the world I coulde neither forget vvithout impietie nor remember vvithout compassion nor passe ouer and neglecte vvithoute great burden of conscience The third and last cause that prouoked me vvas that I mighte enter into some pore account touching the course race of my vvhole life spent for the most parte of it in the Vniuersitie of Oxford asvvell to other my good Lords and Patrones to whom I am muche beholding as namely also to your Honoure vvhom not only we Oxford men acknovvledge as oure good Lord and Chanceller but also next vnder the Queenes Maiestie our cheefe heade VVhose honourable and curteous nature both shevved to other my far betters and from me thoughe vnworthye at no time vvithdravvne vvhat it mighte iustly chalenge and whose great authoritie and iurisdiction ouer vs what laufully and orderly it might commaund I could not be ignorant in any vvise It came therfore oftentimes to my remembraunce that seing your Honor with other the furtherers of our studies haue so honorably spared me your good vvord I could neither without infamie hold my peace nor without want of good aduisement not giue oute some testimonie of my bounden duetie And for this purpose to confesse vnto your Honor the very truthe howe small soeuer mine habilitie vvas yet rather conuenient leasure of me muche desired this great vvhile than any goodvvill vtterly was wāting But as God worketh secretely many sundry vvayes to helpe that forward which he wold haue done at the last in dede fell oute oportunitie of me not so muche coueted or vvished for as heartily lamented and bevvailed that the plague daily growing and encreasing in the Vniuersitie of Oxford the publike lectures being for the very same cause intermitted hoping by Goddes assistance to prouide sufficiently for meself more of a studious minde than greatly vrged by any neede for my frendes hearing at the last where I vvas vvrote me earnest letters to come downe vnto them amongst other I there remained VVholely therefore being addicted and giuen to contemplation from the which at that time there was no great encombrance that might pull me backe I began nowe seriously to minde the setting oute and publishing of some booke And being fully determined to wryte vpon the matter notwithstanding vvhervpon I might fitliest groūd my processe I was not by and by resolued Sometimes it came into my minde to take in hande some controuersie of this time But considering with meself what great learning hath bene lately shewed in such questiōs I was quickly chaunged from that mind For vvhat could any body novv vvryte of for the improuing or defending of suche things which very plentifully alredy hath not bene discoursed VVould a mā gladly be instructed touching the vse of images let him peruse D. Calfehils boke against Martial VVold he heare what can be said of the Masse Not only master Deane of Paules his bokes against Dorman are to be sene but also the treatise of the righte reuerēd father bishop Cowper entituled The defense of the truth against the masse and the works of the late famous bishop of vvorthy memorie D. Iewel VVho in tvvo of his greate Volumes hathe gone through with so many so profoūd maters of religion that for diuers needefull poynts to be spoken of they might vvell serue a Diuine for common place bokes Therfore taking more diligent perfite deliberation after many other things vvhich I thought vpon the very time and place vvhere I then vvas and the remembrance of Goddes Prouident care for me from my youth and notwithstāding my diligence in taking heede not least of al declared towardes me at that time made me in loue as it vvere vvith the argument of Gods Prouidence Therwithal which inflamed me not a litle the more it could neither be hidden nor vnknowne vnto me howe graciously besides our deseruing hovv vvonderfully beyond al reason God hath lately protected with his mightie hand not only our soueraigne Lady the Queenes highnesse but vniuersally the vvhole state of this realme For o good Lorde vvhat subtile vndermining what crafty cōueying what cruell conspiring hathe bene attempted VVhat mischeuous heades vvhat slie practises vvhat vngodly deuises haue beene founde oute VVhiche neither by anye mannes vvisedome coulde come to light vvhen they vvere hidde nor by mannes strength and pollicie coulde be repressed when they were broken out But that god whose prouident eye neuer slepeth whose head is alvvayes carefull and mindefull of vs whose arme stretched out is neuer idle vvhen none other vvise coūsel could take place by his maruellous forsighte hathe prouided
woulde haue thoughte he had bene out of daunger when sodeynely come after hym wyth huon crye suche as were charged to pursue hym makyng very diligent enquirie whether any bodye had passed thereaway To whom they answered agayn that sauing one certayne man whome the rauens and the Iayes had muche troubled in his goyng they sawe vtterly no body yet that they myghte soone coniecture that he was a naughtie packe and vngracious body and that they themselues gathered no lesse by the straunge dealing of the iayes and the rauens adding further that if they woulde hie them a good pase it was an easie matter to ouertake him They did so as they were aduised by meanes whereof the wretch being by and by apprehended was soone after executed vpon the whéele Fabritius saithe that he himselfe was present at his deathe and not a little maruailed at his pacience whiles he suffered those horrible and grifly paines which commonly all they endure that abide suche a cruel shamefull deathe for he neither roared nor lamented as in that case a great many do but at euery wounde which was giuen him by the tormentor he cried heartely vnto God with déepe sighes acknoweledging therewith the maruellous Prouidence of almightie God wherof he had séene so great proofe The .xiiij. Chapter Examples out of the Scripture to proue Gods Prouidence WOulde ye haue me bring foorth vnto you an other kinde of examples as thoughforsoth our whole lyfe were not full But be it so hardly Whence then shall we fetche them whence better than from the Scriptures For O maruellous God surely when I reade of the straunge méeting betwixte Abrahams seruaunt and Rebecca I am euen amased to consider it Whereof that ye may the better vnderstand the whole story I will set it out and declare it the more at large When the good olde man father Abraham béeing now at the laste caste perceaued he drue towardes his graue for age is a preamble to deathe he charged his seruaunt to procure a mariage for his son Isaac that not out of the number of the Cananites amongst whom at that time he led his life but rather oute of the race of his auncestors Which also he shoulde do vpon an assured confidence in Gods promises which he helde for certayne and out of doubte And to the intent he should not faile him in so waightie a case he caused him for his better assuraunce to take an othe Vpon this the seruaunt most worthy of credite and estimation for his faythful and good behauiour well waying and considering his maisters words vpon a conscience that he had to perfourme hys faythed and sworne loyaltie and in respecte of that eye which séeth what euery body dothe and with what carefulnesse and true feare of God he is faythfull in the accomplishing of his affayres first he moueth this question whether he mighte bring Isaac his masters sonne sonne backe againe into his natiue countrey the mayde affiaunced refusing to take any long iourney But when Abraham could not abide to heare of this still charging commaunding him in playne wordes not in any wise to conuey hys sonne homewarde where he was borne but to followe that which he was called to not doubting of Gods assistaunce in so godly an enterprise as that was he tooke leaue of his master and all his housholde and after he had trauayled a long voyage at the laste he came into Chartas a citie of Mesopotamia where he setteth his Camels to resse in the shade to the intent he might ease them of their labour In the meane time wel remembring his masters lesson and knowing that his good successe depended wholly on Gods Prouidence what did he O worthy example and méete of all Christians to be followed Hée wente not as some woulde haue done to consulte with wysardes neither did he séeke helpe of sorcerers or fledde for his refuge to the enchaunters no nor yet asked he any counsayle at what houre he mighte come to haue his purpose All these things verily and such like he either estemed as méere vanities or else detested also as vngodly meanes But what did he falling downe vppon his knées before God O Lorde sayth he the God of my master Abraham prosper I beséeche thée mine attempt that this day I haue vndertaken and extende thy goodnesse towardes my maister Beholde I stande héere before this well and the damosels of this citie come foorth to drawe water Graunte therfore that it so fall out that the maide to whome I shall say I pray thée set downe thy tankarde that I may drinke and she say drinke thy selfe and I will giue thy camels drinke also that I say it may be she whom thou hast moste certaynly prouided for thy seruaunt Isaac and that I may be certified by this token that thou haste delte graciously with my maister Thus loe he behaued himselfe I say this godly seruaunt of the Patriarke Abraham and in this maner he procéeded in his sute Wherfore who could not iustly maruell at the singular good zeale of this worthy man Or who could prayse as it deserueth euery clause particle of his prayer wherein fayth and wysedome as it were goodly dyamonds be so apparaunt for that he not passing vppon other things dependeth onely vpon god and in him reposeth his whole hope that surely is to be ascribed to his great wisedome conioyned with a lyke godly purpose And wheras he is persuaded of his masters God that he is a generall sanctuarie for all men that will flée vnto him for succour and asketh and wayteth at his hande for an happie conclusion of his voyage that eteraynely is a signe and token of an excellent passing good fayth What was therefore his rewarde with what successe went he forwarde or in his matter that he wente about For it is a worthy thing doubtlesse to consider howe graciously they are thought vppon that feare god Hée hadde all his will at the first asking for before his prayer was fully ended sée the straunge case foorthe of the citie commeth Rebecca not glystering I warraunte youe with any brayded haire nor trymly garnyshed wyth Golde but as it became a vertuous and godly mayde very soberly decent and comely with hir earthen vessell that shée carried about hir vpon hir shoulder a very beautifull damosel to looke to and therto also a pure mayde downe goeth shée to drawe water she filleth hir stone potte and vp she commeth agayne The seruaunt we speake of séeing this thoughte by and by with him selfe this geare goeth as I would haue it nowe it is highe tyme for mée to stirre What will yée more he renneth mée to hir straighte wayes praying hir that he might drinke oute of hir vessell Wherevnto very curteously she consented Yea moreouer whyles the seruaunte béeing thirstie dranke a good draught I will draw water quod the Damsell for the camels too that they also may be satisfied Could any thing chance more luckely or more according to his
painfully in his masters seruice he laieth him downe quietly to take his ease withoute care of any thing that should trouble his head Neither is that true that they ground vpon when they tell vs the seruaunte hath all the toyle For whether he bée Prince or subiecte Lorde or tenaunte priuate man or one that weldeth office gentleman or page citizen or man of the countrey finally whatsoeuer his vocation or calling be that liueth here in the vale of this miserable mortall worlde what is he that one way or other is not subiecte to toyle and labour Was it not layde vpon our father Adam for his wicked transgression of Gods iniunctiō that in the sweat of his browes he shoulde eate his bread And with what face canst thou tel me thou art of Adams lygnage taking scorne of the punishment enioyned euer from the beginning to Adams children Then if thou wilt liue labour if thou wilt thriue take some paynes refuse not the swéete nutkirnell bicause of the bitternesse in the buske or the hardnesse in the nutshale contemne not the odoriferouse and pleasaunt rose for the sharpnesse of the prickes that be about it shrynke not to gather the primrose in the lustie freshe flourishing fieldes for feare of the snake or adder that lyeth sunning hir selfe vpon the gréene bancke For he that neuer ventured neuer wanne without some hazarding of him selfe the riche marchaunte neuer came by his goods without great businesse trauayle in this wretched world no man coulde euer compasse his hearts desire That God in déede muste helpe vs forward and be he that must giue vs the successe it is a true saying But surely Euripides sayde true God helpeth them forwarde that take paynes And no lesse worthy of credite is that seate sentence of Plutarche It is impossible for him that neuer slyngeth the darte to lyghte iumpe vpon the marke Therefore if the sleepie sluggarde will not plow the groūd in the winter for cause of the colde he must go on begging in the sommer saith Salomon and yet which would anger him a little more nothing shal be giuen vnto him notwithstanding What is he that he would be priuiledged from that which is lotted to hym from hys very birth Man is borne to swincke and labour Iob telleth vs none other-wyse than the foule is hatched to flye What maketh he of him selfe in the name of God that he disdaineth to sweat for his liuing Doth he thinke him selfe better than the worthy Patriarkes of the olde Testament or nobler than the mightie Monarkes and great potentates of this world Noe thought not scorne to he we timber for his arke his own selfe to square it to smothe it to dresse it and to spare no paynes to bring it to that fourme and fashion that God required Father Abraham béeing a maister of a very great meynie seruaunts yet gaue not his men the charge to entertayne his guestes but hym selfe brynging a calfe oute of hys stable kylled the beaste commaunding also not hys maydes but hys wyfe to make cakes for his straungers Rebecca béeing now ripe for mariage and therewithall a gentlewoman of a good house did not thinke it muche to beare either the pitcher or the tankarde or some other kinde of vessell not far vnlike it and to water the cammels that Abrahams seruaunt whom she knew not brought with him a great way of The famous Iacob hir owne sonne made it not toughe to kéepe shéepe twentie yeres space hauing a conflicte many times with wylde beastes that would haue all to torne him with their téeth in the day time burned with the heate of the Sunne in the nighte season taking himselfe little rest Neither were his wiues suche coy damoysels but that they could looke to their owne shéepe nor his sonnes so lordely broughte vp but they could welinough play the herdmen yea and take more paynes to than any of the seruauntes of their fathers houshold What life Moses ledde a long time and howe little skemishe or daungerous his wife made it for suche matters to say nothing of other histories of the Byble it is well knowen And this of the Pariarkes If we speake of kinges and Emperours Iustine who liued 509. yeres after Chryst in his childhoode was a swyneheard and after a neatheard next he serued a poore carpenter laste of all he betooke him selfe to warfare where began all his preferment Of Alexander the great Plutarche giueth this testimonie that nether wine bibbing nor sleping nor pastime for the recreating of himself nor brydales nor the beholding of straunge sightes which are wonte to make meaner folks to forget themselues could pul him away at any tyme from doing of Princely actes VVhere of the shorte time that he liued bare witnesse wherein he atchieued many noble enterprices worthy of immortall fame Iason is commended in Xenophon to haue bene so payneful and politike a captayne that when he attempted to ouerfetche his enimies or to preuente them of their purposes or to set vpon them with mayne force for the moste parte he neuer fayled to bring it to passe VVho also as he sayth nyghte and day was in a lyke readinesse for all things that he had to do not asmuche as then idelly occupied when he sate at hys meate He was neuer wonte to take hys reste before he was come to the ende of hys iourney and had brought his matiers to good effecte He caused hys souldiers to accustome them selues in like maner whom also he made exceedingly muche of whensoeuer they had done any notable warlyke feate beeing persuaded euery one of them that shoulde deserue any wages at hys handes that recreation and quietnesse shuld none otherwise be purchased than with taking paynes Ranulphus in his Polychromcon sayth of Aluredus sometime king of this lande that to the intent he mighte neuer be idle he deuided the day naturall consisting of 24. houres into thrée partes VVhereof eyght houres he spente in reading wryting and praying eight moe in looking to his bodies health the last eight houres about the affayres and businesse of hys realme For the distinguishing wherof he caused a candle to be set vp in his chapel deuided into 24. partes Of Theodosius sonne to Gratian the Emperour Sozomenus writeth in his tripartite hystorie that he was wonte in the day time to be exercised in the deedes of armes and to deale in suche matiers as pertayned to his subiectes and almoste all the nighte long to goe to his booke But to rehearse all their examples that haue consumed the course of their whole life in cōtinual exercises it were surely a néedelesse labour Séeing then it is not the subiect or seruaunt onely that taketh paynes what cause haue they any of them both vnder the pretence of laboure to finde faulte wyth subiection The .xiiij. Chapter Though Prynces bee not alwayes answerable to our affections yet oughte wee not therefore to rebell NAy sir but all gouernours wil they say doo not