pitilesse persecutors of him in his meÌ„bers haue bene there so long reserued where with the Lord as well appeareth is greuously offended and therefore hath layed the greater burden vpon vs. Wherfore we see the to much mercy is as well hurtfull to the offendours as condigne punishement for theÌ„ is necessary Ieremy 28. Deute 13.18 ★ who if they were cut away from vs we shoulde be voide of euill wherefore I would those stumbling blockes were remoued according to the saying of S. Paul Gallath 5. I would God they were cut of from vs which do disquiet vs. And with Iob I say Iob. 24. oh that all compassion vpoÌ„ them were forgotteÌ„ 1. Thessal ◠‡ for they displease God hinder men from their saluation God therfore for his great mercysake graunt that the sworde of Iustice no longer ruste in the scabberde but that it may be put to the vse that God hath apointed it that such may iustly receiue that which vniustlye they haue done vnto the clect seruants of God and that as well the obstinate Papistes as also the carnall Gospellers may feele the wayght thereof or else it wyll be still the longer the worse To much mercy marâ—eth good manners for to manifest it is at thys day in Englande that the ouermuch mercy pitifulnesse maketh a presumpteous and carelesse people which if it be not the soner redressed let vs assure our selues the thys plague of pestilence wherewith wee haue lately perished so fast is but a beginning of sorrowes and a declaration of a more heauy greuous vengeance of God to come vpon vs which if for the neglecting the punnishing of sinne and for not maintaining of Gods quarel be wilfully purchased theÌ„ woe woe woe will be vppon vs for God will then so handle vs as he neuer did before Ezechiel 5. who hath plentye of plagues in store yea Leuitic 2â— euen readye hangyng ouer our heads Wherefore good brethren let euery one of vs enter into himselfe and well beholde the monstrousnesse of our beastly behauiour that so shamefully aboundeth considering that where the vineyarde bringeth forth the best wine the Lord doth keepe it and in due time water it and preserueth it daye and night from the enimy that he do it no harme Esay 27. but where the vineyarde yeldeth and bringeth forth bryers and thornes the Lorde will runne thorow it by warres and wil make the strong cities desolate and the habitation forsaken God who made created the people wyll not fauour them Beware I say therefore oh EnglaÌ„d be warned be not tolong carelesse for it is manifest ynough vnlesse we will be wilfull blinde Esay 26. that the hand of the Lord is lifted vp against vs we haue felt the heauy burden therof vpon vs. The Lord graunt vs therfore grace speedy amendement of our life least the Lord in his wrath make of our Cities blessed famous fruitfull countrey an heape of broken stones Esay 17. as he did wyth Damascus or with the walled Citye of Aroer whereof hee threatned to make soldes of cattaill and so we purchase to ourselues sorrow without hope of comfort from the which misery that the Lord our God in whose hands we are as the claye in the potters may defende vs let vs speedely and continually in all humblenesse of heart in weeping fasting and praying in maner and forme following inuocate the name of God our heauenly father to whom wyth the sonne and the holye Ghost be all praise and glory world without ende Amen â‚ The Prayer OH most puissant mighty king the god of our forefathers and of thy people Israel who turnest man to distruction and then againe art gratious and mercifull deliuer nowe from perill vs poore wretches that with vnfayned heartes call vppon thee although our wickednesse past hath most highly offeÌ„ded thee oh Lord our God and hath bene most grieuous in thy sight who therfore hast layd thy heauy hande vpon vs the smart wherof wee haue felte to our great discomfort although not so sharply as our wickednesse well deserued yet nowe Lorde at the humble sute of vs sorowfull sinners ceasse thy anger withdrawe thy dreadfull hande and let thy mercye quenche the flame of thy furye looke downe vpon vs beholde the miserye of thy feeble flocke that are almost drowned in the dungeon of dolour stop not thyne eares at the crying of our lamentable and mourning voyces but comfort vs relieue vs and suffer not the sourges of sorrowe to ouerwhelme vs but rayse thou vs vppe that are fallen giue vs a Godlye consideration of the wonderfull woorke of thy late wrathfull indignation vppon vs by the ouerthrowe and distruction of the great number of oure Brethren whome in thy ireful desetued displeasure by death thorowe Plague thou hast taken from vs that thereby wee being warned may henceforth eschewe and auoyd the importable burthens of thy heauy vengeaunce that thou reseruest in store for Sinners Preserue good Lorde the Queenes moste excellente Maiestye and graunt hir to our coÌ„fort a long and prosperous raigne make hir zealous seruent in the tryall of thy truthe prouing of thy will and testament and oh lord forgiue our enimies that haue ben persecuters of thy people and selaunderers of thy truth and Gospell tourne their hearts if so it be thy heauenly wil if not but that they bee of the number of those whose hearts thou hast hardened bicause they should not vnderstand the mysteries contayned in thy holye word nor the vnspeakeable comfort coÌ„tayned in the same then suffer theynâ— Lord no longer to shaddow themselues in secret corners priuyly to worke theyr perillous pretence poysoning thy people wyth the pestilent persuasion of daÌ„nable doctrine but according to thy promise which is that the generation of the wicked shal be without honour so stand now vp Lord of hosts and be no longer mercyful vnto thy enimies that of malicious wickednesse resisting thy truth Psaline 59. do grenne as dogges at thy people but thorow thy Godly motion so moue the heart of our most gratious Queene as Iehu in the defence of thy Gospell and people to drawe the sworde committed to hir by thee to cut away from the face of the earthe those rebellious ennimies and sworne aduersaries agaynste thee and thy Gospell to weede and roote out the rotten members that infect and poy son the body of the common welth that then the noisom number and remnant of the wicked being swept out with the beesom of destruction the flocke of thy folde thorow thy mighty assistance and gratious helpe and furtheraunce maye all the dayes of our lyfe be at defiaunce with Sathan vtterly forsake abhorre cast of the patched lothesome wycked weede of our olde Adam and being apparelled and adorned wyth the gladsome garment and riche attyre of righteousnesse we may shine in all vertue and be pleasaunt and acceptable in thy sight to the praise and glory of thy holy name and our eternall comforte To thee oh God the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost three persons and one immortal inuisible and euerliuing God be all praise and dominion for euer and euer Amen Giue God the prayse I. S. Imprinted at London in Whitecrosse strete by Henry Denham Anno Domini 1564.
theeues enryche themselues A wylfull bancktout a theefe all one Theeues I say for thefte it is and no better and yet is it nowe a dayes made an ordinarye occupation And where is the redresse or which of them as beefore I sayd doth not what hym listeth Well woful is it to see that among Christians such partes should be played and more lamentable is it that still it is suffred Couetousnesse is a perillous poyson and yet though loth I am to wryte it I know no estate or vocation in England that is not infected therewyth euen from the mountaines to the valleyes And therfore to cōclude wher the rage of corrupt couetousnesse raygneth the right of iustice must nedes be minished I would it wer not so but alas it is to manifest ‡ But must not God needes punnish vs in whom there is no truthe nor knoweledge of hym Oseas 4. but vntruthe lying swearing adultry thefte and all manner of suche fylthynesse Are these things a declaration of brotherly loue amongst vs Gallat 5. doe we as we woulde be done vnto loue we our neighbours as our selues that thus byte and deuour one an other Oh intollerable wickednesse and oh mischieuous and pestilent people But hath our Heauenly Father reuealed the light of his Gospell vnto vs that wee in such shamefull wyse should abuse hys great mercy no no wherfore to the Carnall Gospellers as well as to the Impudent Papistes I saye bee no longer carelesse but learne to knowe the will of the Lorde and doe it Let worde and deede be one Professe and followe or else we are but slaunderers enimies of the Gospell and the blessing and great good gyftes of God the lyght of hys Gospell is euill bestowed vpon vs shewing our selues to be the enimies of Iesu Christ and of his truth the spoilers Counterfaytes are wee and plaine dissemblers wyth God and the Worlde yea euen a people in whome scant one sparke or propertye appereth that vnto Christians appertayneth for if we were Christians we woulde followe Christes lore ‡ who being the Way Iohn 14. the Truth and life we renoūce and go from the Waye decline from Truth and forsaking Life doe thorow our wicked meanes seeke to our selues Death and distruction The Lorde bee mercifull vnto vs for we are growen to this point that we neyther feare the Lorde our God nor stande in awe of the Magistrates And what is the cause but for that the good lawes made by them for the punishement of offenders are no better executed but in a manner eche one left to himselfe to doe what he listeth But truely euen as much doe the Magistrates offende GOD in not punishing the offenders as they that commit the offence For all this euill commeth of sufferaunce Sufferaunce breedeth inconuenience but to muche sufferaunce causeth care and to muche sufferaunce breedeth disobedience And is it not sufferaunce that tickeleth the talketiue tonges of the wicked and euyll dysposed so shamefullye and sclaunderouslye to reporte and speake euill of the blessed worde of GOD and doctrine of Iesu Christ and of the Preachers and Teachers of the same vnreuerentlye iesting and scoffing at them as dailye they doe euen like vnto Diotrephes that of arrogancye exalted himselfe Iohn 3. Ep◠dispised the doctrine of the Apostles iesting at them with malitious wordes And what is it else but sufferaunce that so animateth the obstinate Archpapistes so stoutely to continue in their Romish heretical errour contrarye to the will of God and their due obedience to their Prince But no maruell therefore though the common sort so carelesly continue in their euill The Archpapistes Ringleaders to mischiefe when the Ringleaders to mischiefe the Archpapistes beyng the maintayners of Idolatrye breakers of Wedlocke theeues murderers and rebels against the Prince in Gods and hir procedings are thus suffered to wallowe still in the poysoned puddell of their wicked wyll and yet remaine vnpunnished But yet as it is not ynough but a perillous matter for one mā to cal another thefe vnlesse he be able to proue it So I likewise to trye the to be true which here I haue written of them wyll therefore make due proofe thereof as well for mine owne discharge as also to satisfye the reader And first that they are maintainers of Idolatrye Archpapistes maintayners of Idolatry the great number of people whome God hath yet spared alyue wytnesse wyth mee howe they when they were in authority or rather when God suffered them to bee as whippes scourges to vs for our forgetfulnesse of God how they then I saye thorowe their violent cōpulsion forced the people to the great derogation and dishonour of God to erect Idolls and garnish the Church and House of God with Mahomets which as in the booke of Wysedome is specified neyther haue bene frō the beginning nor shall continue to the ende Wisdō 14. but haue only bene inuented thorow the wealthy Idlenesse of men but wherewith yet they I saye then so charmed and enchaunted the mindes of many of the simple ignoraunt people wyth theyr Idolatrous infection as that I woulde to GOD there were not nowe in these dayes to manye that worshipping in hugger mugger in Coffers and Corners their senslesse Babilonicall blockbabes thynke they please God better than to come to bee instructed by the hearing of the worde of GOD preached Thus haue they I saye seduced the people from the true and liuing Lorde to worshippe straunge and vnknowen Gods and honouring of abhominable Images ‡ whiche is the begynning and ende of all euill Wisdō 14◠shewing themselues thereby to bee the manifest enimies of the Almighty Deutro 13. and as Moises doth note and name them false Prophetes dreamers and maintainers of wicked Idolatrye which beyng a spirituall whoredome and an abhomination so grieuous and haynons in the sight of God as that hee hath alwayes abhorred and extremely punnished it yet are they wyth tooth and naile supporters of the same Wherfore as God by the mouth of Moyses playnely expresseth that they ought not to be pitied nor reserued and kept as they yet are Deut. 13.16 so doth he also appoynt them their reward Ieremy 26. which is that they should be destroyed wythout compassion Zachar. 13. And accordingly did Elia with 450. false Prophetes of Baal at the broke Kison 3. Kings 16 2. Chro. 34. Also Iosia who burned the bones of the Priestes vppon the altares of the Idols But nowe to goe forwarde wyth my proofe Breakers of wedlocke I sayd they were as most true it is they be For although that Christ as by the autority of the scriptures doth permit vnto euery man without exceptiō that cannot liue chaste 1. Cor. 7.9 Timoth. 3. as well spirituall as temporall his wife to liue togither in that holy and blessed state of matrimonie ordayned by God for the auoyding of hatefull whordome ★ who being once coupled according to the lawes
the Papistes Wherfore O ye presumpteous priests that are of an hye stomack but farre from righteousnesse as yee haue bene terrible tyrauntes and your handes full of bloud so now put from you the violence and myschiefe of your mindes and as ye haue not ignorantlye but arrogantly fought againste the God of glory so call now to him for the assistaunce of his holy spirit that it may please him therewith to strengthen you agaynst your aduersary the diuell that hee no longer bewitche you nor wythdraw your mindes from God for now ye sayle stumble in your iudgement being ignoraunt as yong children Esay 28. and bycause yee wyll not hearken vnto the voyce of God pronounced by his chosen vessels hee suffereth you to be tangled snared and to fall backwardes in youre wylfulnesse 1. Peter 1. Leane therefore no longer vpon the weake staffe of antiquity which both you and many men ground themselues vpon doing as their fathers did for as well our Forefathers as also our selues haue done vnrighteouslye and haue not kept the way which the highest commaunded vs and therfore custome without truth is not alloweable but is an olde errour Pray thefore vnto the Lorde God to open your eyes that yee may spye out the wonderous things in the lawe of God Psalme 119 ★ Seke him with your whole heartes vnfaynedly that ye may walk in his wayes leauing the wicked and wylfull blindnesse wherein you haue so long bene nouseled and be no longer as Fooles that make good sport of Synne but foresee your wickednesse which as the Lorde according as the Scriptures make mention hath punnished in Princes being the highest and to whome he hath giuen the gouernement of his people so will he not surely leaue it vnrecoÌ„penced in popish priests but aswel in priestes as in al people generally of what vocation or calling soeuer that repining the truthe of Iesus Christ and wilfully wallowing in wickednesse and sinne careleslye continue in the same he wyll hisite and for their rewarde giue them to drinke of his displeasure and heauy wrath Wherefore I asmuch as in mee is exhort you in the Lorde to become obedieÌ„t children ‡ and to retourne wyth the prodigall childe from your grosse feeding on swinecods and with hearty repentaunce meekely and humbly to tourne to your heauenlye Father Luke 25. feeding on hys heauenly worde that wee your brethren might reioice of the finding of you that were loste reuiuing of you that were dead 1. Peter 5. ‡ Submit therfore your selues in loâ—â—linesse of heart vnder the mighty hand of God and shewe your due obedience and bee subiecte to your most gracious and mercifull Prince be no more diuelishe wilfull but godly willing arme your selues I saye wyth singlenesse of heart as ministers to worke the will of our heauenlye Father not compelled but willinglye not wyth proude and lordely stomacks but meekely giuing good exaÌ„ple to the flock of Iesu Christ of which as yee haue bene mercilesse sposlers destroyers and famishers so now thorowe the most gracious operation of the Almightye yee may become repairers feeders and nourishers of the same that when the chiefe shepehearde shall appeare ‡ hee may exalt you when the time is come 1. Peter 5. that then ye maye receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory which I besech God for his great mercy sake to graunt vnto you the ys may I saye become hys seruauntes and wyth ioy in him possesse the earth during his good pleasure and after thys lyfe to haue the fruitioÌ„ of the lyfe euerlasting Be therfore no longer the maysters of errour pussed vp wyth pride but the Disciples of truth shewe your selues no longer as brute beastes naturallye made to be destroyed whose heartes God hath so hardened for that yee shuld not hearken vnto his worde bicause he would haue you rooted from the earth But leaue in tyme your disobedience for disobedient children shall finde no rest wherefore if yee still presumptuouslye proceede as yee haue begonne ‡ knowe that presumptuousnesse goeth before distruction and after a proude stomacke there followeth a fall Prouer. 16. Deutro 17. Esay 5. for the Lorde abhorreth all suche as are of a proude stomacke and wyll not suffer them to escape vnpunnished ★ but will recompence them theire wyckednesse and destroye them in theire owne malice ‡ hycause they rebell against hym Psalme 94 Psalm 107. Therefore I saye once againe as one that from the bottome of my hearte wyshe your conuersion to GOD take heede and tempt the Lorde God no longer neyther presume to muche of the mercye of your Prince for yf ye doe surely God wyll in the ende put in hir Graces heart as most excellent ‡ euen sent of and by him Rom. 13. Wisdom 6 for the punnishement of the wicked and to the praise of the good to consider that as a Mother who being tender ouer hir Children with ouermuch cockering them doth but make them so wanton and carelesse that they regarde hir not and so sparing the rodde hurteth hir Children and harmeth hir selfe so likewyse that hir grace thorowe hir greate lenity and mercy in to long suffering you doth but make you the more forgetfull of youre dueties to your so gracious a Prince moue you the rather to worke your selues woe wyth practising of that that might be hurtful to hir highnes which the almighty god of Israel defend But yet is it to be feared and iust cause hath hir Maiestye to bee out of hope of youre conuersion to God and to haue you hir faythfull and true Subiects hereafter that in so long a tyme of respecte haue not hadde the grace to learne to feare God and to knowe your duties to hym and youre so gratious and mercyfull a Prince ‡ Iob sayth that if a tree bee cut downe Iob. 14. there is some hope sayth hee that it will sproute out and shoote forth the braunches againe and a roote being waxen olde and deade in the grounde yet when the stock getteth the cente of the water it will budde a newe bring forth bowes but howe long hath the Queenes Maiestye euen as a mother of mercye thorow hir gracious goodnesse and great lenitye made the tryall hereof in you reseruing and watering you all this while with hir mercye to trye thereby if shee could cause you to bring forth the florishing brauÌ„ches and beautifull buddes of repentaunte heartes thereby as well to benefite your selues as also others thorow the good example of your humblenesse who notwithstaÌ„ding stubbornely continue the longer the worse shewing your selues therefore not to be of those trees or roote that Iob speaketh of but rather playnelye painting forthe yourselues in your perfecte colours and shewing your selues to be the same that certaynely yee are A graceles papist and a rotten roote one in effect euen rotten rootes voide of Godly sappe and into whome no inoysture of godly vnderstanding or knowledge can enter Wherefore
contemners therof shewing themselues forsaken of God and left to themselues and therefore ought not that which is holye to be giuen to suche dogges Math. 7. for it is but as Pearles strawed before swine the treade them vnder their feete and turne again to rent the giuers thereof as they already haue done and againe would doe if power beastly will were according What otherwyse therfore shall be done vnto these wilful stubborne ones ★ who being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to stablish their own Roma 10. and being disobedient vnto the righteousnesse of God if they will stil so continue in their vnfaithfulnesse and be by no meanes conuerted vnto godwards but euen according to the sentence of God Almighty pronounced by Esdras dye in their vnfaithfulnesse 4. Esdr 15. ★ For the vngodly transgressors and such as become vnfaithful and obstinate vnto the Lorde Esaye 1. muste altogither be vtterly destroyed yea deuoured with the sworde 1. Esdra◠7. Againe Esdras wylleth the those which knowe not the lawe of God shoulde be taught which much disagreeth wyth ignoraunce to be the mother of deuotiō as some of their affinitye haue taught and those saith hee that wyll not then fulfill the lawe of God and the kynges lawe shall haue this iudgement without delaye losse of goodes emprisonment and death 1. Esdras 6. ★ then there shall be a beame taken from hys house and set vp he shal be hanged theron 4. Regū 10 ★ And if Iehu did cause all the priestes of Baall to bee slaine and destroyed bicause they were the enimies of GOD why then are these vyle Vypers and Romishe bloudsuckers 1. Regū 28. these intollerable Diuils vtter enimies both to God and their Prince thus suffered to persiste in their euill escaping so long the death which they so worthily haue deserued seing God wil haue his fierce wrath executed vpon hys enimies Why are they styll suffered thus to triumphe and proudly to make theyr vaunt and boast that the Prince hath no power to harme them The bragges of the Papistes Abacuc 1. why are they I saye thus suffered to mocke their King laugh theyr Prince to scorne Well well if God be herewith pleased then let it be still as it is But as certainely as God was offended with king Saule forsparing of king Agag enimy to the children of God 1. Regū 15. and for reseruing the Cattaile and beastes which he commaūded to be slaine and Saule notwithstanding doing therein as seemed best to hymselfe neglecting the commaundement of the hyghest euen so vndoubtedly is God nowe not pleased wyth the reseruing of these so manifest enimies who although they haue the shape of men yet in their maners more monstrous and beastly than brute beastes in deede who should not thus long haue beene vnrewarded if there were not some either draw backs or claw backes or both the looke smothe with theyr heades and sting with their taile bearing twoo faces in a hoode whose power ouergoeth right and by whose meanes the lawe is torne in pieces so that right iudgement cannot proceede nor go forth Abacuc 1. but flattering Ipocrites are enimies to the Gospel Would God that such as are infected and sicke of that disease were dispatched both frō court countrey Three chiefe pointes to be noted for neuer shall truth tellers bee thorowly welcome in Englande tyll such false flatterers be out of credit and estimation neither shal that vggly Whore and shamelesse strompet of Babilon be cleane ouerthrowen till such hir loitering louers be brought to confusion nor yet the proude hearts of the arrogant Papists the vtter enimies to God and theyr Prince bee mollified meekened and made humble and lowlye tyll Iudgement with iustice be ioined togither the neglecting wherof is cause presently that the boy presumeth against the elder and the vile person against the honorable Wherefore mee think although there were no worde of God at all to instructe or moue vs yet our consciences would moue vs to consyder condigne punishement for such so notorious greuous detestable trāsgressours and offēdours as these stubborne rebels art ★ who although they declare theyr owne sinnes themselues hyde them not and that their wordes works and counsels are against the Lorde our God and our Prince Soueraigne yet are they wincked at and suffered Yet notwithstanding as I doubt not but the the Queenes most excellent Maiesty to whom God graunt a long prosperous raigne to aduaunce his truth to the glorye of his holy name the vnspeakable comfort of hys people committed to hit charge is mindefull and well considereth the terrible threatening of God vpon Princes for not executing iustice who hauing but deferred the same hoping thorow hir clemēcy great mercy to bring them to the knowledge of God and their due obedience to hir Grace yet lo beyng but for thys cause prolonged 4. Esdr 1◠★ the innocent bloud of the troubled hath so long cryed vengeance vnto the Lorde vppon his enimyes Apocal. 6. and the soules of the righteous still continually complaining and the Lorde our God himselfe hauing so long suffered and holden backe hys hande looking when the sworde of iustice should bee drawen by the Prince to whom hee hath committed it for the executing of offendours as well Idolatrers murderers maintainers of whoredome rebellious and enuious enimies of his truth and seeth notwithstanding his quarrel not maintained but the worthye extreme deserued punishement deferred and iustice in his cause neglected 4. Esdr 15. The deferring of iustice hath prouoked the wrath of God cannot ★ bicause he wyll no longer suffer suche iniurye but as a righteous iudge to reuēge hys owne cause doth nowe in his wrathfull indignation plentifully poure hys perrillous plague of pestilence vpon vs in such terrible wise as that wee are glad to flye from our cities mislike our lodgings forsake our houses dispersing our selues abroade in sundrye places bycause the the messanger of God death dailye climing in at our windowes is come into our houses to destroy vs. Yea the Lorde as we see ★ consumeth vs wyth the breath of hys wrathe euen as the wythered grasse Esay 40. and as he not long since when wee were greater in number tooke then from vs the fruite of the earth or gaue so small encrease therof as that wee had not wherwyth sufficiently to feéde vpon so nowe he hauing plentifully blessed the earth with store destroyeth now by death the people for whose sakes he prouided appointed it Two chief causes of the plague in London And the causes why that London speciallye is more sharplyer visited than any one place of Englande besides is for that the worde of God being there most purelye and plentifullye preached and taught is there least followed The second cause why is for that the enimies of God that haue bene such shamelesse shedders of innocent bloude