of other For proofe whereof I referre you to B. Iewell in his worthy booke wherein he answereth Hardings reply against his 27. questions proposed at Pauls Crosse c. I remēber touching this matter of the Sacrament Occolampadius a man of great reading godlines saith of S. August Is primus mihi vellicauit aurem He did first put me in minde of the true vnderstanding of this Sacrament These foure principal Articles I haue laid downe for example that the Christian Reader may the more easily perceiue vvhat comfort it is to any Church to haue the grounds of their faith and religion so established vpon the holy Scriptures that for the interpretation of the same they haue the testimonie consent of the Primitiue Church the ancient learned Fathers From which Consent they should not depart either in doctrine or other matter of weight vnlesse it so fall out in them that we be forced thereto either by the plaine wordes of the Scriptures or by euident and necessary conclusions following vpon the same or the Analogie of our faith Which thing if we shall perceiue we ought safely may take that liberty that themselues especially Augustine hath vsed requireth other to vse Nec Catholicis Episcopis c. Wee must not consent saith Augustine so much as to Catholike Bishops if they be deceiued and be of opinion contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures Againe I am not tied with the authoritie of this Epistle For I haue not the writings of Cyprian in like estimation as I haue the Canonicall Scriptures but I measure them by the rule of the holy Scriptures If I finde any thing in his writings agreeing to the Scriptures I receiue it with commendation and reuerence if otherwise with his good leaue I refuse it The like you haue Epist 48. 111. 112. In Prooemio li. 3. de Trinitate and many other places Otherwise to reiect the testimonie of the ancient Fathers rashly is a token of too much confidence in our owne wits It was noted as a great fault in Nestorius and a chief cause of his heresie that contemning the Fathers hee rested too much vpon his owne iudgement The like confidence drew many learned men and of great gifts to be Patrons of sundry foule and shamefull errours How came it to passe that after that notable Councell of Nice so many detestable heresies arose against the Deitie the Humanitie of Christ against the vniting of both natures and the distinction of the properties of them c. but onely out of this roote that they contemned the graue sentences interpretations determinations of those famous Confessors and great learned Fathers as were in the same assembled and had too much liking in their owne wits learning But woe be vnto them saith Esay that are ouerwise in their owne conceite Vigilius in his first booke against Eutyches saith thus These cloudes of fond and vaine accusations are powred out by them chiefly which are diseased either with the sickenesse of ignorance and of a contentious appetite and while they being puffed vp with confidence of a proud stomacke for this only cause they reiect the rules of faith laide downe by the ancient fathers that they may thrust into the Church their owne wauering deuises which they haue ouerthwartly conceiued This sentence I would our vncharitable accusers troublers of the Church would well weigh and consider with them-selues Therfore good reader I protest for my selfe and for the residue of this church that we dare not in conscience nor thinke it tollerable with contempt to reiect the testimonies of antiquitie in establishing any matter of weight in the Church We leaue that to our hasty Diuines that in three yeeres study thinke themselues able to controll all men to haue more learning then all the Bishops in England And for this cause vvil they giue no credit to ancient writers against their new found equality For with them it is a foule fault once in a sermon to name an ancient father or to alledge any testimonie out of his workes Novve good Christian Reader seeing by the good blessing of God vve haue all parts of Christian fayth and Religion professed and taught in this Church and the same grounded vpon the canonicall Scriptures vvith the consent and exposition of the Primitiue Church and ancient Fathers What a vaunting pride is it as Cyprian speaketh vvhat an vnthankefulnesse to God vvhat vncharitable affection toward the Church of their naturall Countrey that they cannot abide any good to be spoken of it pretending nothing but the priuate faultes and vices of some men or the disagreeing from them in some orders and partes of Gouernement which they vvill neuer be able to proue by the word of GOD to bee of necessitie In other reformed Churches vvhome they so greatly extolle and vvould make paterne to vs haue they not imperfections Haue they not foule faults and great vices among all sortes of men as well Ministers as others Surely their worthiest writers grauest Preachers doe note that they haue And if they woulde denie it the world doth see it and many good men among them doe bevvaile it I vvill not stay in the other blessings of God vvhere with he hath adorned this Church I shall haue occasion to speake somewhat more of it hereafter and God send vs grace that we may vvith true thankefulnesse acknovvledge it But this I may not omitte vvithout great note of vnthankefulnesse towarde our mercifull God vvhich hath not onely preserued maintained and defended the State but also appoynted this Church to be as a Sanctuarie or place of refuge for the Saints of God afflicted and persecuted in other Countries for the profession of the Gospell for whome I am persvvaded vvee doe fare the better at Gods hande And I doubt not but in that respect al reformed Churches in other places feeling the blessing of God by vs thinke reuerently of our State and pray to God for vs as all good men vvith vs ought to doe for them that the true linke of Christian charitie may soundly knitte vs together in one body of right faith and Religion If some fevve persons thinke amisse of our Church I impute the cause thereof only to the malicious vntrue reports made by some of our owne Countreymen vnto them Which persons if they did vnderstande the true State of this our Realme would thinke farre othervvise as diuers of the most graue learned writers haue already euidently declared This also is not the least blessing of God as well in the time of K. Edward as in the reigne of our gracious Soueraigne that this Church hath had as ample ornamēts of learned men Rumpantur vt Ilia Momo as the most reformed Churches in Europe farre more plentifully then some place whose state they seeke to frame vs vnto Only I except those excellēt men whō God had prepared in the beginning to be the restorers of his Trueth doctrine of
thus Princes Magistrates and noble men are euil they doe not fulfill that rule of right and perfect gouernment that the worde of God requireth therefore pull them downe set other in their places or alter their state cleane This is a seditious and perillous argument especially when common and inferior subiects not hauing authoritie shall take vpon them to bee iudges in such cases as nowe they doe against bishops With this manner of reasoning as I haue before noted the Deuill filleth the heads and hearts of his troublesome instrumentes when hee intendeth to worke mischiefe either in the Church of God or in the state of any common weale This maner of arguments they alwaies vse which for priuate respects pretend generall reformations or alterations in the state of a Church or countrey wherein they liue Let the Bishops and Cleargie of England haue such iudges and triall as the word of God requireth euer hath bin vsed in the Church of Christ yea or such as other states would thinke reasonable and indifferent for themselues in their calling and then on Gods name let them abide the hazard of the sentence eyther with them or against them and the daunger of such penaltie as in iustice and equitie may bee assigned Another daungerous Argument is this Bishops Preachers by Christ are commaunded not to be careful for the world not to hoord vp treasures in earth yea to renounce all they haue and follow Christ therfore they ought not to haue any lands or Lordships or great wealthie Liuings but to be contented with meate drinke cloth c. The hardnes of this reason will be the better vnderstanded if the like be applied to some other persons Noble men and gentlemen if they wil bee right and true Christians by Gods worde are commaunded not to be carefull for the worlde not to hoord vp riches heere on the earth yea to renounce all that they haue and followe Christ therefore they may not haue so great and ample liuings more then other but shall content themselues vvith such a moderate portion as may tollerably maynteine them in seeing the administration of iustice in their countreys and the refidue that nowe is spent in gaming and vnnecessarie pompe and vanitie of the worlde to be imployed to the maintenance of a great nomber of the Princes subiects and people of God that are not able in meane estate to liue For in such case were the noble men and Gentlemen of the Israelites called Principes familiarum the Princes and chiefe of each tribe and familie among the people of God A many of such factious and seditious arguments may in like maner be framed more meet for rebels then for good subiects or faithful christians which I doe in this place for good considerations omitte For if they shoulde bee so countenanced with particular allegations of the Scriptures and furnished with such learning and examples of histories as factious heads are able to deuise happily they would carrie as much credite and drawe as a great number of followers and mainteiners as nowe the like dealing doeth against the Clergie I will not therfore tarrie any longer in this point I haue set forth vnto you an example or two nakedly and barely to this ende onely if it might be possible to open the eyes of some which seeme in part to be blinded either with affection against bishops or with a desire to worke and bring to passe some speciall drift and purpose that they haue deuised for what cause it may be more easily by wise men coniectured then safely by me laid downe in writing For the further examining of this matter that it may be the better vnderstanded whether ecclesiastical men may with safe cōsciences enioy the state of their liuings by lands or no Let vs briefly consider the condition of the Church how Ministers haue bin mainteined from the beginning euen to this day And here I must protest that the Histories and writers especially such as bee of credite are so imperfect in this point as the trueth must bee gathered by coniecture of certaine braunches rather then by any discourse in their writing For the space of the first three hundred yeeres after Christ it is wel known to all such as haue looked into the Ecclesiasticall Histories that it was almost in continuall persecution vnder heathen tyrantes which with all indeuour sought meanes to oppresse Christian Religion and the true professours therof Wherefore in all that time it was not possible for the church to haue any setled state by Lands or certaine reuenevv to maintaine the Ministers thereof but they were sustained onely by the liberal contribution of godly persons collected at certaine times for that and other like Christian vses For Saint Cyprian signifieth that to certaine persons appointed to the office of readers he distributed the measure of gifts distributiōs as were assigned to the Priests The Canons attributed to the Apostles make mention of oblations and first fruites to be brought home to the house of the bishop beside such things as were offered in the Church Origen somwhat more straightly seemeth to require the tenthes and first fruites of such increase as Christians haue by the blessing of God his words be these It is comely and profitable that the first fruites shoulde be offered to the Priestes of the Gospel also for so the Lorde disposed that he that preacheth the Gospell should liue by the Gospel And as this is good and comely so contrariwise it is euill and vncomely that one that worshippeth God and cōmeth into the Church knowing that the Priests attend on the Altar and serue the worde of God and ministery of the Church shoulde not offer vnto the Priestes the firstlings of those fruites that God giueth by bringing foorth his sunne and seasonable showres vpon them For such a soule seemeth not to to me to haue any remembrance of God or to thinke that it is God that giueth those fruites It may appeare also that euen in this time the Church had certaine houses allotted to their Bishops For when Paulus Samosatenus after his deposition would not depart out of the house that belonged to the Church it was appoynted by the authoritie of the Emperour Aurelius that he should bee remoued from it and the house assigned vnto him to whom the bishops of Italie did agree in doctrine Origen also mentioneth certaine rentes and reuenues due to the Church Many of vs sayth hee haue neede of this warning that wee bee both faithfull and also wise ad dispensandos Ecclesiae redditus to bestowe the rents of the Church And one Petrus de Natalibus writeth that in the time of Vrbane bishop of Rome about 226. yeres after Christ the Church first began to possesse landes tovvard the finding of the Ministers Certaine it is that many godly disposed persons notvvithstāding they vvere letted by the crueltie of tyrantes euen in that time gaue large and
thought conceiue nor his wordes include any such matter But what doeth not malice enuie and spite vtter against the most innocent person that is The bishop of Winchester hath openly more impugned the vices of this age heere in the Church of Englande then the vvhole broode of them that are of the Anabaptisticall Conuenticles and the residue of these Libellers Woe bee to them saith Esay the Prophet that speake euil of good and good of euill and put light for darkenesse and darkenesse for light sweete for sowre and sowre for sweete Dauid had great cause to crie domine libera animam meam à labijs iniquis à lingua dolosa And Salomon cogitatio stulti peccatum est abominatio hominum Detractor The deuise of a foole is sinne and all men abhorre the backbiter or Slaunderer If any man vvill reprooue the Assertion before written God vvilling he shall be ansvvered so that he rayle not This may be a sufficient answere to the vntrueth fathered vpon the B. of Winchesters words that hee is not for the same iustly tearmed Monstrous and flattering hypocrite speaking against his owne conscience But I see in these wordes the reproch not only of the bishop but much more amalicious spite against this Church of England and that so deepely setled in their hearts that their eares cannot without griefe he are any good spoken of it Therefore I thinke my selfe in Christian dutie bound somevvhat farther to follovve this matter and with some signification of thankefulnesse to acknowledge and confesse those excellēt blessings which it hath pleased God of his great mercies to bestowe vpon the same as vvell in King Edward the sixts dayes as much more in her Maiesties reigne that now is and first to beginne with that which is the principall that is the sinceritie of doctrine and all branches of true religion receiued professed taught and established in this Realme In which point I thinke it very superfluous needles for me to recite the particular branches and to make a nevv catechisme or to pen a new confession of the Church of England seeing they both are so sufficiently performed that vvithout enuy be it spoken there is none better in any refourmed Church in Europe For a Catechisme I refer them to that which was made by the learned and godly man Master Nowel Deane of Paules receiued and allovved by the Church of England and very fully grounded and established vpon the vvorde of God There may you see all the parts of true Religion receiued the difficulties expounded the trueth declared the corruptions of the Church of Rome reiected But this I like not in our Church that it is lawful to euery man to set foorth a nevve Catechisme at his pleasure I read that in the Primitiue Church that thing did great harme and corrupted the mindes of many simple persons with soule errours and heresies I see the like at this day for thereby many honest meaning hearts are caried avvay to the misliking of our manner of prayer and administration of Sacraments and other orders vvhereby it is made a principall instrument to maintaine and increase discorde and dissention in the Church For a sound and true confession acknowledged by this our church I refer them to that notable Apologie of the English Church written not many yeeres since by that Iewel of England late Bishop of Sarifburie Wherein they shal finde all parts of Christian religion confessed proued both by the testimony of the canonicall scriptures and also by the consent of all learned and godly antiquitie for the space of certain hundred yeres after Christ For the integrity and soundnes for the learning and eloquence shewed in the same Apologie they that contemne that notable learned man because hee was a Bishoppe may haue very good testimonie in a litle Epistle vvritten by Peter Martir vnto the said bishop and nowe printed and in the latter edition set before the same Apologie where they shall finde that hee speaketh not for himselfe onely but for many other learned men of the church of Tygure and other places Nowe as this learned Bishop doeth acknowledge and confesse for this Church all trueth of doctrine so doeth hee reprooue condemne and detest all corruptions brought into the same either by the church of Rome or by any other ancient or newe heretikes whome he there particularly nameth yea and to the great comfort of all them that are members of the same church and acknowledge the same confession hee prooueth and euidently sheweth that the testimonies of the Scriptures whereon that confession is grounded for the true interpretation of them haue the witnesse consent of all the learned antiquitie as I haue saide for certaine hundred yeeres Which I take to bee a very good comfort and confirmation to all honest consciences in these captious and quarelling dayes That which I meane I will declare by some particulars What is more euident certaine and firme for the article of the person of Christ in his Godhead manhood then those things that the ancient Fathers decreed out of the canonicall scriptures in the Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon some others against Arius Samosatenus Apollinaris Nestorius Eutiches and those heretikes that were termed Monotholetes c Therefore whosoeuer do teach contrary to the determination of those councels as some do in these dayes they do not iustly hold that principal article and foundation of Christian religion Moreouer as touching the grace and benefite of Christ the beginning whereof riseth from the eternall loue of God toward vs and from the free election to redemption and eternall saluation and proceedeth to our vse and benefite by the dispensation of Christ once offred vpon the Crosse by effectual calling wrought by the holy Ghost in preaching of the Gospell by our iustification sanctification and the gift of perseuerance and continuance in the faith thereby in the end to obtaine resurrection and eternall life touching I say this free grace of God another principall ground of Christian religion what coulde be or can bee more certainly or abundantly layde downe out of the holy Scriptures then was determined in the Councels of Carthage Mileuitane Aurasicane c. against the Pelagians and other enemies of the free grace of God in Christ Iesu our Sauiour Especially if you adde the writings of August and other ancient Fathers for defence of the same As to that which is necessarie to be knowen touching the true Catholique Church a matter of great importaunce euen at this day vvhat can be more copiously or with more perspicuitie declared then is by that learned father Augustine as well in other places as principally in his bookes against the Donatists Likewise for the matter of the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper if simple trueth coulde content men what is more euident then that doctrine which hath bene laid downe by the ancient Fathers Iustine Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Theodorete and a number
ample giftes vnto the Church not onely in money and plate but as it is to be gathered in reuenue also For Optatus Mileuitanus vvriteth that Mensurius bishop of Carthage before Cecilianus vvhen hee vvas sent for to the Emperor fearing that he should returne no more againe left in the custody of certain persons Ornamenta plurima aurea argentea many ornaments of gold siluer The restoring of which ornaments iewels afterward was one great occasion of the schisme of the Donatists as the same Optatus sheweth Wherefore it may appeare the Church was not in those dayes so poore needie as some men would haue vs thinke it was though it were then vnder heathenish cruel tyrants with al extremitie forbidding that any persons should giue either goods or lands to the releefe of it Sabellicus writeth that in the time of Maxentius the Emperour one Lucina a noble and rich gentlewoman of Rome appointed the Church of Rome to be heire vnto all her substance possessions Which whē that cruell tyrant vnderstoode he for the time banished her out of the citie But when Constantine that good first Christian Emperour vndertooke the defence maintenance of Christian religiō he not only liberally bestowed vpon the Church himselfe but by law made it free to all that would giue any thing vnto the Church were it in lands or otherwise Which law Valentinianus Theodosius other afterward confirmed nor euer was it abridged but by Iulian the Apostata A copy of one decree of Constantine is in Eusebius Those things that belong to the right of other we will not only not to haue retained but plainly to be restored Wherfore our wil plesure is that so soone as thou shalt receiue these our letters if there be any goodes belonging to the Catholike Church of Christians either in cities or other places takē in possession by the citizens or by any other that the same presently be restored in like right as before they had it See therfore that all things either houses or gardens or whatsoeuer be with speed restored to the Church againe By this meanes not only the Emperours themselues gaue both lands many other rich gifts but also sundry other rich godly persons Constantine gaue lands in the country about Sabine and an house a garden at Rome The same Constan out of the tribute of euery city gaue a portion to the churches for the maintenāce of their Ministers established thē to cōtinue as a Law for euer Eusebius writeth that beside many other benefites as contribution of corne building of Churches c. he granted to all Ecclesiastical persons free immunitie of all seruices and taxes sauing only for their lands For the lands of the Church were subiect to tribute as other were by an ordinance made by the sonnes of the forenamed Constantine This may appeare also by Ambrose writing of the second Valentinian If he require tribute we denie it not the lands of the Church do pay tribute The church then had lands and that a good while before Ambrose his time which was about the yeere of our Lord three hundred sixtie and eight Yea Ambrose himselfe liued by his owne lands being Bishop Therefore it may appeare hee did not thinke it to be against the worde of God for a Bishoppe or Minister of the Church to liue vpon the reuenewe of landes After the time of Constantine the wealth of the Church increased as well in landes as other substance prouision not only by the gifts of Emperors Kings and Queenes but partly also as I haue said by the deuotion of other godly persons who oftentimes left to the vse of the Church either a great part or their whole substance and possessions partly by the gift of bishops themselues partly by other ecclesiastical persōs which because they were not married nor had issue or heires were by order bound to leaue vnto the church al their possessions both lands goods Sometime also by the punishment of offēdors For it is read that one Bassus a gētleman falsely accused Sixtus bishop of Rome whē Sixtus had cleared himselfe in a synode of Bishops Bassus for his slaunderous accusation was banished his landes giuen vnto the Church The same Sixtus gaue lands vnto the Church himselfe also Crescentius a noble man gaue vnto the Church of Rome all his substance and a manour in Sicilie called Argianum Eudotia the Empresse wife to Theodosius adorned the Bishops house at Constantinople gaue vnto it a yeerely reuenue By the counsell at Berythe it may appeare the Church of Edessa had rentes manours woods plate set with pretious stones c. This state of wealth y e church grewe vnto not much more then in the space of one hundred yeeres after it pleased God to giue peace vnto it frō outward Heathenish enemies and yet in the meane time had it other tempestes and bitter stormes of aduersitie that did more hinder deuotion and godlinesse then the bloody persecutions of the Emperours did as namely the troubles raised by the Ariā heretikes by the space of many yeres especially in Asia Greece and al the East parts of the world And shortly therupon followed the horrible inuasion of the Goths Vandals Herules other barbarous people which as swarmes came out of the North parts with maruellous cruelty ouerwhelmed all the west Countreyes of Europe to the great hindrance daunger vnquietnesse of the Church of God After these stormes and tempests were somewhat ouerblowen the riches of the Church did very much increase both in lāds otherwise by such means as before I haue rehearsed And this generally I obserue in al histories in al times that the wealth thereof vnder christiā princes was neuer diminished but rather increased nor euer did they murmure at it or thought it too much vntill the Pope chalenged his vsurped dominion did seek to bring the necks of Princes vnder his girdle to alter Empires Kingdomes Principalities at his will and pleasure saying that he had Ius vtriusque gladij the power of both swords Here I know some will say that by mine owne confession I am fallen to acknowledge that botch that first bredde Antichrist and set him vp into his throne aboue Kings and Princes that is to say the immoderate wealth of the Ecclesiasticall men which then did corrupt religion and so say they doth it now with vs. No no good Christians they that so say eyther are blinded with ignoraunce or looke into things with partiall eies seeke rather a secret furthering of priuat purposes thē the knowledge of the true causes of that wherof they speake For they that will indifferently consider the states of times with true iudgement weigh the circumstances of them may easily discerne that it was not the vvealth of the Clergy but other causes of greater vveight and importance that
set vp Antichrist aloft in his throne and wrought him the dominion of the church which I pray God may be more carefully looked vnto amoÌ„g vs then yet I perceiue that they haue bene especially if we meane so earnestly to keepe away from vs the returne of his corruption as many now would seeme to do The first cause that aduaunced Antichrist was Schisme and here sie in the Church for the space of 200. yeres and more together with the barbarous irruptions which before I spake of The secoÌ„d cause was the generall decay of learning especially of the knowledge of the Scriptures and of the tongues Thirdly the vsurpation of Ecclesiasticall Discipline practised against Emperours and Princes by which hee conquered more then by all other meanes The helping causes to these principall were these two first the negligence the vnskilfulnesse the vnworthinesse of many emperors and gouernours giuen ouer rather to wantonnesse and voluptuous pleasures then to the care of their charge and secondly the superstitious deuotion of the people maintained by corrupt doctrine But the graund cause of al causes was the iust iudgement of God for the generall vnthankfulnesse of the worlde in receiuing the knowledge of his gospell which he sent among them And this cause was vniuersall in all estates and kindes of persons as well ecclesiasticall as other The bishoppes and Ministers were giuen ouer to maintaine factions and hereticall doctrines Princes looked more to their sensuall pleasure then to the godly gouernment of their subiects the people were bent wholly to superstition and wickednes of life so that a smal number only excepted none did study howe in life and godly conuersation to frame theÌ„selues to the good wholesome doctrine of the Gospel which at the hand of many godly men they at the beginning had receiued SuÌ„dry of these or the like causes haue we now also growing encreasing among vs and therfore haue we great cause to feare the like iust iudgement of God that eyther shal cast vs againe vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist or bring vpon vs some plague no lesse grieuous then that is Our ministers and Preachers breake out to Schismaticall factions and curious doctrines The people in steed of superstitious deuotion haue conceiued an heathenish contempt of Religion and a disdainfull loathing of the ministers thereof Vice and wickednesse ouerwhelmeth all states and conditioÌ„s of men None almost vnlesse it bee some that God reserueth to his secrete knowledge studie to shew themselues thankfull to God and in life to expresse that which in doctrine they will seeme to approue I pray God that by abusing this long suffering of the Lorde we heape not vp wrath for our selues against the day of wrath God hath dealt as mercifully with this land as euer hee did with any I beseech him that in time we may repent with Niniue and turne to him in sackcloth and ashes while hee may bee founde and while hee stretcheth vnto vs the hande of his gracious goodnesse least when it is too late and hee hath turned his face from vs we crie vnto him with vaine gronings and mourne with vnprofitable sighings Hee sent the light of his trueth into this Realme first in the time of King Henry the eight and brake the power of Antichrist among vs but because hee sawe neyther thankefull receyuing of the Gospell nor any thing studied for by men generally but the benefite of Abbey lands and possessions to enrich them-selues hee by and by cut off the comfortable sweetnesse of his worde with the bitter sauour of the sixe articles and sharp persecution of them that professed true religion His iustice in deede coulde no longer abide the full ripenesse of the superstition idolatrie and wicked life of the Monkes and Friers and such other swarms of Antichristian impietie but our vnthankfulnes deserued not to haue the same turned to our benefite nor the freedome of his Gospel to be continued among vs to our further comfort In the time of that gracious Prince king Edward the sixt hee gaue vs a larger taste of his word and a greater freedome of all points of sound true christian doctrine to our vnestimable benefite if wee could haue receiued it accordingly But euen then also hee perceiued that wee sought not so much the increase of his glory or to frame our liues according to our profession as wee did studie vnder countenance of religion by al meanes we could to worke againe our owne worldly benefit commoditie And therefore did hee the second time take from this realme his fatherly blessing cast vpon vs that heauie scourge of persecution which immediatly followed keeping vs vnder the rodde of his correction by the space of certaine yeeres Neuerthelesse as a mercifull Father declaring that by his chastening he sought not our confusion but our amendment euen for the glory of his names sake onely beyond all hope expectation he shewed vs againe the light of his countenance and that more fauourably bountifully then euer he did before raising for vs as it were out of the dust of death a noble Queene a gratious Prince as a nurse or protectresse of his church Vnder the shadow of whose wings although but a virgine he keepeth vs in great safetie quietnesse against al the ancient enemies both of his church of our natural countrey Notwithstanding al this our old vnthankfulnes and forgetfulnesse of our duetie stil continueth we shew our selues the same men that euer we did before And therfore beside the earnest preaching of his word calling vs continually to repeÌ„tance vvho seeeth not diuers times he hath shaken the rod of his displeasure ouer vs as in the Northren rebellion in many signes tokens from heauen thereby if it were possible to waken vs out of our sinful security wherein we sleep so confidently Yea and the more to keep vs in feare he hath made vs to nourish in our bosomes the apparant instrument of his wrath by whoÌ„ we could not choose but see that in a moment he might haue taken froÌ„ vs both the comfort of his Gospel the freedom and happinesse of our state Here must I put you in mind again of his exceeding mercies shewed toward vs eueÌ„ in these few months deliuering vs froÌ„ the bloody cruelty of our enemies But to what effect I pray you commeth all this carefull working of our mercifull God by fayre meanes and foule meanes thus labouring to drawe vs vnto him Doth it quicken in vs the care of our saluation doth it increase the feare of his displeasure doth it stir vp any more zeale and â—oue of his Gospell hath it any thing diminished our uncharitable strife contentioÌ„ doth it any thing abâ—â—e the obstinacie of the aduersary hath it any way diminished the loosenes of our liuing hath it taken from vs our pride in apparell our daintines in feeding our wastfull and pompous building hath it made lesse any euill among vs and